Recently, a man in New York yelled at an employees and a regular customer for speaking Spanish to each other. He told them to speak English in America and threatened to call ICE (U.S. immigration police force) and was screaming at the top of his lungs, being very rude saying things like, “If they have the balls to come here and live off my money, I pay for their welfare. I pay for their ability to be here. The least they can do … is speak English!”  

There are many diets in our society that people use for weight loss or for increased health.  Many of these diets are some that are hard to maintain, but others that are easier to maintain and the answer to optimal health has maybe been in front of us the whole time.  

Eating unprocessed whole foods is the cornerstone of the paleo diet. 

Back in the paleolithic age, also known as the stone age, our ancestors who were cave men were hunters and  gatherers. This means the men would hunt for meat and the women would gather fruits and vegetables. According to scientists, these early humans were taller and more physically fit than we are today. Today, we call their diet a ‘paleolithic diet.’ This diet is very regimented and it has helped people all over the world lose weigh and improve overall health. The ‘paleo’ diet focuses on lean meats and other protein foods such as eggs, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

This useful chart displays the types of food that make up the paleo diet.

Followers of the paleo diet also must not consume salt, oil, or processed carbs such as white bread and cereal (sugars, essentially).  Whole grains are okay. This diet is a very popular one used by many people. The amount of weight one can lose in this diet depends on the dedication to it. Sticking to the diet and eliminating processed foods- especially fast food- from one’s diet should give good results- within a year of sticking to the diet and pairing it with consistent exercise, individuals should see the best results. 

A man that has been on the paleo diet for a year.

On May 9th, three students who go attend schools on the north shore of Long Island were winners of the Congressional Art Competition. The awards were presented by national representative, Tom Suozzi.

Kyra McLaughlin standing with Souzzi as she receives her certificate.

Kyra McLaughlin, a student at Manhasset High School, won the first prize. The painting was oil on wood and called it “Ticky-tac?” McLaughlin described her painting as “a crying boy sitting next to his Grandpa who, in his thick Italian accent, is offering him a ‘ticky-tac’ to cheer him up.” The painting also has special meaning to her, “My grandpa always carried tic-tacs around with him, and often used them to brighten our spirits.”

McLaughlin’s painting will be on display in the Capitol Building for one year.

Emphasizing the importance of the competition, Suozzi commented that, “Artists play an important role in society, and it turns out we have some pretty talented young artists right here in our district.” He continued, “All of the parents and teachers should take pride in themselves for supporting the artists in their lives.”

This special event took place in Dix Hills, at the Art League of Long Island. The teachers of the students who won, the parents, and school administrators came to the ceremony. There were thirty-nine contenders from sixteen different schools.

Honorable mentions were given to Isabelle Lin and and Sarah Tang. Isabelle Lin is a student at Manhasset High School. Sarah Tang goes to Great Neck North High School.

Isabelle Lin with her painting, “Who Am I / Who Am I?”

Isabelle Lin created a piece called “Who Am I / Who Am I?”. This piece involved acrylic paints. Lin also gave a description of her work. She stated, “a painted relief of my face and lively eyes placed over an American flag and a Taiwanese flag, the colors of the flag drip down onto my face, representing personal identities.” This painting will be on display at Suozzi’s office in Queens for the next year. 

Sarah Tang’s painting was called “Sunset in G-String,” which also used acrylic paint. Tang said that her work was about “a sunset sweeping over the music room at school – pink, blue, and warm yellow hues modify the natural colors of each surface.” Tang says that the music room in her school was the inspiration for this painting.

Sarah Tang standing with her painting, “Sunset in G-String.”

Tang said, “I chose the music room because I thought there was something really beautiful about how messy and energized it was,” Tang said. “I was really inspired by my school’s after school orchestra program, which sometimes runs late, and I’ve noticed the sun always sets really nicely in the music room, and that was the inspiration for my color scheme.”

She also wanted to thank both her art teacher, Joseph Giacalone, and her music teacher, Joseph Rutowski, who she credited for helping her in both subjects throughout her journey in high school.

Tang’s work will we displayed in Suozzi’s district office, which is in Huntington.  

Last week, filmmaker Carlos Carvalho was killed on set in South America from a head trauma caused by a giraffe. Carvalho, 47, was filming at Glen Afric Country Lodge last Wednesday when he was struck and suffered a fatal blow to the head. The incident occurred when Carlos was attempting to film extra footage of Gerald the giraffe after filming with the other animals had come to an end. This was when Carlos was struck by the giraffe when it swung his head causing Carlos to be knocked off his feet. He then was flown to a nearby hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. Carvalho’s crew shares their condolences with his family and the lodge claims that Carlos may have gotten a little bit too close. Carlos left behind a family and 2 daughters.