Congratulations to the following students!

HIGH HONOR ROLL

Grade 12: Gina Anasagasti, Samuel Basel, Raeann Berry, Angela Bucci, Theresa Connolly, Ryan Costello, Julia Daddona, Jacqueline Davey, Michael DiCandia, Michael Dolan, Peter Fouchet, Kimiko Fujita, Julia Girzadas, Katherine Hunstein, Maxwell Mastrangelo, Paige Messana, Noah Mina, Leah Passanant, Bryan Patchell, Lily Saeli, Julia Schade, Andrew Seifert, Gabrielle Showalter, Ethan Sisson, Cora Small, Monique Smith, Albert (Aidan) Vandenburgh, Aidan Walker, Brendan Walker, Mariya Winkler.

Grade 11: Emma Alvarez, Jessie Bakanic, Samantha Baldwin, Garrison Bennett, Charlie Bonilla, Abagail Cacovic, Douglas Fiedler, Miguel Gomez, Stephen Hocker, Angelica Klavas, Gus Klavas, Owen Klipstein, Robert Kruszeski, Jake McCarthy, Patrick McFarland, Julia Mele, Althea Mignone, Jamie Molnar, Mark Moran, Sean Okula, Quinn Osmer, Emily Perry, Meg Pickerell, Charles Poliwoda, Daisy Rymer, Edwin Ward IV, Willow Wilcenski, Shane Zimmer.

Grade 10: Harry Antonucci, Brooke Averette, Katie Baumann, William Burns, Alexandra Cardi, Rebecca Dickerson, Jacob Dominy, Kathryn Jernick, Ann Lincoln, Kai Obinata, Jared Palumbo, Lucie Showalter, Victoria Tondo.

Grade 9: Sabrina Basel, Jonathan Baumann, Ally Boyle, Eric Connolly, Patrick Connolly, Tyler DeFrese, Samantha Dunne, Van Karsten, Max Kruszeski, Marie Mullen, Jake Okula, Emiliann Palermo, Olivia Saccamano, Dante Tramontana.

Grade 8: Walter (Cole) Brigham IV, Jacquelyn Constantine, Jack Cosmadelis, Matthew Crean, William Dickerson, Elizabeth Garcia Palencia, Elizabeth Jernick, Felecia Kayel, Kathryn Kilcommons, Olivia Lynch, Julia Mejsak, Jessica Mele, Ella Neese, Emily Newman, Maximilian Pasko, Elizabeth Quinones, Anna Yao Reilly, Steven Russell, Stephen Schill, Joseph Silvestro, Kaitlin Tobin, Rhian Tramontana, Nicholas Vicinanza, Emma Whittington-Quarty.

Grade 7: Grace Brodarick, Andrew Clausen, Gabriela Contreras, Ryan Deerkoski, Isabella DeMaio, Hanna DeSimone, James Hayes, Danielle Henry, Julia Jaklevic, Caroline Koslosky, Ethan Magnuson, Kelli McHugh, Matthew Mullen, Annamaria Napolitano, Stephen Palermo, Juliet Rand, Kaia Rothman, Bianca Secaida, Sophia Small, Reese Thompson, Benjamin Ward.

HONOR ROLL

Grade 12: Mert Altintoprak, Adam Best, William Bucci, Keaton Comiskey, Sarah Gaffga, George Gehring, Zachary Gibbs, Vivienne Glasser, Christopher Hanold Jr., Heather Jarvis, Lucas Johnson, Juliette Liegey, Alexander Lincoln, Alexa Palumbo, Dominick Panetta, Jennifer Pressler, Bayron Rivas, Aidan Toy.

Grade 11: Adam Baldwin, Joshua Clasing, Dylan Clausen, Elizabeth Cowan, Evelyn Cummings, Kylee DeFrese, Rachael Hughes, Faith Kocan, Charles Leone, Nicolas Orientale, Joseph Saporita, Jheimy Uguna.

Grade 10: Monika Abram, Charlotte Allen, Alexandra Apadula, Ashley Bishop, Hayley Brigham, Charles Campbell, Matthew Civiok, Mario Contreras, Zachary Grathwohl, Ashley Hilary, Jack Koslosky, Michael Krause, Heather MacArthur, Joseph Manfredi, Kyra Panetta, Kathryn Stahl, Hannah Sutton, Justin Tobin.

Grade 9: Jack Antonucci, Bryanna Bay, Dennis Chin-Sazo, Michael Daddona, Olivia Daddona, Robert Elliston, Justin Hanold, Anakin Mignone, Rosanna Mollica, Marissa Rackwitz, Emily Russell, Michael Wineberger.

Grade 8: Justin Eckhardt, Kate Jones, John Judge, Kenneth Latham, Simon Mraz, Edy Nazario Valdez, Julia Vicinanza, Tyler Woodhull.

Grade 7: Patrick Allen, Matthew Garms, Jack Giovanniello, Carlos Gomez, Miles Hoffman, Brook Howard, Saylor Hughes, Jenna McFarland, Alexis Merino Fernandez, Rhian O’Neil, Silvia Rackwitz, Magda Rodriguez, Fattyma Rodriguez-Lopez, Aidan Russell, Ania Smith, Samantha Tondo.

Sofia Bartolani stood toward the middle of the line last week, viola in hand, anxiously awaiting her upcoming performance. Joining 48 other students in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Ode to Joy,” Sofia was about to be conducted by classical music icon Itzhak Perlman. 

As he does each year, Mr. Perlman invited music students from across Long Island to perform at Southold High School with students who are enrolled in his summer classes at The Perlman Music Program on Shelter Island, where he also has a home.

Mr. Perlman, 70, is a world-renowned violinist who has won multiple Grammy and Emmy awards and played at President Obama’s 2009 inaugural dinner, among other notable venues.

Ten-year-old Sofia, of Southold, who also played under Mr. Perlman’s tutelage last summer at Greenport High School, said she was more excited for her second show with him.

“I learned a lot last year,” she said. “It was a lot of fun.”

Having performed at numerous school concerts and in Italy — she’s the daughter of pianist Paolo Bartolani — Sofia added that Mr. Perlman is the most notable person she’s played for.

Last Thursday marked the fifth year Mr. Perlman has performed with local students chosen by East End Arts. Diane Giardi, education director at East End Arts, said the 49 performers, who came from over 20 Long Island towns, learned about the opportunity through an open call the organization put out to all strings musicians ages 8 to 18.

“They all play the same song,” Ms. Giardi said of the open rehearsal, which included both Mr. Perlman’s summer students and those selected by East End Arts. “Jeannie [Woelker, an East End Arts faculty member] decides on the song and arranges it. And then the Perlman students learn the same piece, so when they play together it’s as if they’ve been practicing together. It sounds so beautiful.”

Having met the entire group only as they filed into the auditorium, Mr. Perlman began by conducting only Ms. Woelker’s students in the Beethoven piece. He then asked them to join his own students for two more run-throughs.

“I liked that,” he said of the first performance. “That was good. It sounds really good. Very terrific.”

The Perlman Music Program students sat on the stage while the East End Arts performers, all clad in white shirts and black pants, stood in a half-circle directly in front of the stage, facing Mr. Perlman and his orchestra.

Following the three rehearsal renditions of “Ode to Joy,” the famed conductor held a question-and-answer session with the East End Arts students, about one-third of whom also played under Mr. Perlman’s baton last summer.

He fielded questions about what he liked to teach most, the most challenging piece he’s played and the piece that was his favorite to play as a child.

But for Sofia, the only student from the North Fork, the best part was getting another opportunity to play the instrument she loves with a different group of people.

“I’m excited to see Mr. Perlman again and to play,” she said before the open rehearsal. “I like the sound of it.”

nsmith@timesreview.com

Caption: Sofia Bartolani on the evening of the event. (Credit: Katharine Schroeder)

Southold High School’s Class of 2020 is selling flags to honor veterans, current service members or ROTC cadets. Flags will be displayed on the school’s Memorial Meadow Field of Flags Nov. 5 through Dec. 8 and will be available for pickup by sponsors Dec. 9.

A standard American flag with a personalized ribbon is available for $25 and a limited number of U.S. military branch flags with personalized ribbons are available for $50. Information such as honoree name, service branch, dates, rank, places and other information may be included on the ribbon.

To purchase, send a check payable to Southold High School by Nov. 1 to C. Imbriano, freshman class advisor, Southold Jr./Sr. High School, P.O. Box 420, Southold, NY 11971 or drop payment off at the school office. Be sure to include information for the personalized ribbon, as well as your phone number and email address.

For more information, email Christine Imbriano, cimbriano@southoldufsd.com.

The post Honor a veteran by purchasing a flag through Southold’s Class of 2020 appeared first on Suffolk Times.

The Southold-Greenport High School Drama Clubs is scheduled to perform the critically-acclaimed play “Almost, Maine” at three performances.

The plays — directed by Casey Rooney and Jessica Ellwood — are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 28, and Saturday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 31, at 2 p.m. in the Southold school district auditorium.

Tickets cost $10 for adults and $6 for students and seniors, and will be on sale at the door

Call 631-765-5081 for more information.

Scroll down for more photos:

The post Photos: Southold-Greenport Drama Clubs presents ‘Almost, Maine’ appeared first on Suffolk Times.

For the second year in a row, the Southold High boys soccer season was ended by an excruciating late, dramatic goal.

In 2015, the First Settlers were eliminated in the NYSPHSAA Southeast Regional Class C semifinal by the Solomon Schechter School of Westchester’s Miles Ogihara, who scored on a breakaway with 36 seconds remaining en route to a 1-0 defeat.

On Saturday, sophomore striker Borys Zasada struck with 3:14 left in regulation to lift Pierson/Bridgehampton to a 1-0 victory and the Suffolk County Class C title at Diamond in the Pines in Coram.

Zasada converted a breakaway off a counterattack feed from Luis Padilla, putting the ball past senior goalkeeper Dylan Clausen for his fifth goal of the season.

Southold (7-11) had beaten the Whalers (10-6) in three successive county championship games.

The First Settlers had reached this year’s county tournament by petitioning Suffolk County soccer officials, despite finishing at 6-7. Teams must finish above .500 to reach the playoffs. Coach Andrew Sadowski brought up the fact that his team had played Class C teams an even (5-5) during the regular season and his team was allowed to participate in the playoffs for the 21st consecutive season.

Southold’s Joseph Silvestro heads the ball toward Pierson’s Ariel Quiros during Southold’s 1-0 loss to Pierson in the Class C finals at Diamond in the Pines in Coram Saturday. (Credit: Daniel De Mato photos)

Given a second chance, Southold did not squander the opportunity. In Wednesday’s semifinals at The Stony Brook School, the First Settlers surprised the Bears, 1-0, in overtime. Stony Brook had beaten Southold twice during the regular season.

Likewise for Pierson during league play, but the North Fork side entered Saturday’s game much more confident. It certainly showed in its play in the opening 40 minutes as it forced the issue in front of the Whalers’ net. With the wind at their backs, the First Settlers dominated play, but had nothing to show for their efforts.

Things evened out in the second half as Pierson gained more possession of the ball with the wind at their back as both teams tried for the game-winner.

The First Settlers certainly had their chances. The team’s best opportunity came with 6:44 remaining, when junior midfielder Edwin Martinez headed junior midfielder Ryan Hermann’s free kick from the left side over the net.

Pierson will meet the Section IX champion at Diamond in the Pines on Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Top Caption: Southold’s Joe Berry #11 consoles teammates Michael Christman #5 and  Ryan Herrmann #3 following Southold’s 1-0 loss to Pierson in the Class C finals at Diamond in the Pines in Coram Saturday.

The post Boys Soccer: Southold’s season ends on a heartbreaker appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Southold High School’s television broadcasting program SOHO TV will provide live election coverage Tuesday night.

A video posted by SOHO TV News (@sohotvnews) on Nov 8, 2016 at 8:27am PST

Superintendent David Gamberg said students will take on the roles of news anchors, field reporters, graphic artists, producers and more.

[Related story: Southold students raising funds to complete work on TV studio]

The event will also provide students with learning opportunities about civics, journalism and communications engagement, he added.

Visit sohotvnews.com to watch the live stream, which begins at 7 p.m.

SOHO TV students in 2014. (File photo: Jen Nuzzo)

The post Watch Southold broadcast students cover Election Night live appeared first on Suffolk Times.

Southold Elementary School kindergartners honored military veterans Thursday after adding an American flag they purchased to the flag display outside the high school.

The event was part of teacher Lynn Shaffer’s social studies lesson plan about being a good citizen. Each student donated 50 cents toward the flag’s purchase.

“Who were we honoring when we bought the flag?” she asked her students.

“The veterans,” students replied. “They kept our country safe!”

Students practiced marching and sang “You’re a Grand Old Flag.” They also learned about the different flags displayed and talked with NJROTC cadets.

“We’re very proud of everyone,” Ms. Shaffer  said.

kmassa@timesreview.com

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William Roslak began learning the pipe organ when he was just 11 years old.

It was a unique hobby his friends at Southold High School supported, but as he got older,
Mr. Roslak, now 25, rarely got the chance to meet other young adults who also played the imposing instrument.

“People have this preconceived notion that all organists are old,” he said, adding that it’s difficult for organists on Long Island to meet because the area is geographically so large.

So when Mr. Roslak, now an associate director of music at St. Louis De Montfort R.C. Church in Sound Beach, was among seven young organists invited to the “Rising Stars” recital presented by the Suffolk County chapter of the American Guild of Organists, he jumped at the chance. And as luck would have it, another performer, 13-year-old Juliet Rand, didn’t just share his love of the pipe organ. She also shared his hometown of Southold — and his pipe organ teacher, Ann Welcome of Cutchogue.

“It’s nice to see that the torch is still being passed along, especially in my hometown,” Mr. Roslak said.

On Nov. 13, Mr. Roslak and Juliet performed on the “mighty Casavant organ” at the Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City in a recital intended to highlight talented young organists and encourage their training, according to the organization.

This week, Juliet said she, like her mother, Heather Rand, has always loved music, especially singing. A few years ago, she had the chance to perform at a First Communion Mass at her church, St. Patrick’s in Southold. The pianist there was so impressed, he offered to let her come sing any Sunday she wanted.

Juliet said she’d be there the following week.

At his suggestion, Juliet began taking piano lessons to better perform during the services. About a year ago, the eighth-grader — who also dances and plays violin — picked up the organ. She said she fell in love with the instrument immediately after playing “Away in a Manger” for the first time.

“It fills the church with beautiful music,” she said. She also likes the movement involved in playing the organ; her hands pull and push at buttons to evoke new sounds and her feet glide over the foot pedals to activate the deep bass notes.

“It’s like dancing,” Juliet said. “Sometimes you just want to get up and move around a little bit.”

Her mother said the organ has a spiritual resonance as well. “God is in the church when the organ starts playing,” Ms. Rand said.

Until recently, Juliet practiced on the organ at Mattituck Presbyterian Church. But over the summer, the Rand family decided to look into buying an instrument of their own.

“When we saw how much joy it brought her, [her grandparents] and I … said, ‘What the heck. Let’s see what’s out there,’” Ms. Rand said. The family found an electric Allen organ that a church had recently sold to a music shop. From the moment Juliet played it, they knew it was the one to buy.

The Corchaug Singers, lead by William Roslak, will perform at Our Lady of Ostrabama Church on Wednesday, Dec. 23 (Credit: Emily Greenberg)

Now, Juliet practices every day and mostly keeps the volume low, her mother said. But as she prepared for the “Rising Stars” concert, she cranked up the volume; the floor would rattle as she played, Ms. Rand recalled.

“It can get pretty loud,” she said.

Juliet said she’s the only one of her friends to learn the pipe organ.

“It’s kind of nerdy,” she joked. “[My friends] say it’s kinda cool. Then I’ll play something and they’ll say, ‘Whoa!’ ”

Juliet had previously earned a $400 scholarship from the American Guild of Organists to help pay for lessons. As a result, she had the chance to play in the “Rising Stars” event. Juliet said she wasn’t nervous playing in front of a crowd and was impressed by the other organists’ skill.

“Most of the other people who played were playing Bach pieces and all these [complicated songs],” she said. “You can definitely tell they’ve been playing for a long time.”

Mr. Roslak studied the pipe organ for more than a decade during his journey toward becoming a professional music educator and organist. He is also director of the Corchaug Singers, a semi-professional choral group that performs a yearly holiday concert on the East End. This year, it will take place Friday, Dec. 23, at 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Ostrabrama R.C. Church in Cutchogue.

He came away from the recital impressed by Juliet’s performance, especially considering she’s been studying for only a year.

“It’s a pretty hard instrument to play,” Mr. Roslak said. “I thought she did really well … She actually was one of the best out of all the kids.”

The two caught up at the performance and took photos together. Mr. Roslak offered Juliet some advice: Listen to Ms. Welcome and practice your scales.

“Ann is pretty strict about the scales and it drove me nuts,” he joked. “Now I see how important it was. I channel my inner Ann with my own students, and I’m a lot more strict than Ann was.”

He also had a request for Juliet for when she returned to school later in the week.

“He told me to say hi to some teachers,” Juliet said, smiling.

Top caption: Juliet Rand plays the organ at church. (Credit: Paul Squire)

psquire@timesreview.com

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Southold High School students got their hands dirty for a good cause Wednesday by picking vegetables at Wesnofske Farm in order to donate the would-be wasted produce to charities.

The process, known as “gleaning,” is referred to in the Old Testament as having farmers leave produce on their vines along the edge of their fields for the poor.

This is the third year teachers James Stahl and Jason Wesnofske, whose family owns the Peconic farm, organized the event.

“Every year, we have been collecting over 500 pounds of produce that we donate and the kids love it,” said Mr. Stahl, a National Honor Society advisor.

After he came up with the idea of having his students glean fields as part of their community service requirement, he reached out to Mr. Wesnofske to see if his family would be willing to donate to the cause.

Twenty-seven teenagers participated Wednesday and Mr. Wesnofske said the amount of students volunteering for the event has grown over the years.

“I’m very grateful for the turnout,” he said. “We are blessed to have this many kids actually interested and to give back this holiday season.”

Students spent over an hour in the field — despite the chilly weather — filling boxes with produce.

After students picked Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, they dropped off the produce to Maureen’s Haven in Riverhead, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Aquebogue and St. Agnes Church in Greenport.

“I like it because it’s a great opportunity to go out with all of your classmates and it’s fun,” said Jake McCarthy, a senior and secretary of the honor society.

Senior Daisy Rymer said she enjoyed the learning experience.

“There’s always stuff you can do to help people, even in the dead of winter,” she said. “You can always find more crops and more ways to help the needy.”

John MacKay, program director at Maureen’s Haven, said his organization is always appreciative of donations, especially local produce.

“Church volunteers pay out of pocket to feed the homeless people that we serve in this area,” he said. “It really helps when students bring donations of fresh produce from the area.”

kmassa@timesreview.com

Southold High School students with the vegetables they collected Wednesday. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

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The Southold-Mattituck-Greenport NJROTC held its annual inspection at Southold High School Friday.

Active military members inspect the cadets during the event.

Senior Regimental Captain Ty Bugdin said he and his fellow cadets prepare for weeks to impress the inspectors.

“I’m really proud of how everyone did,” he said afterwards.

The cadets also performed drills for family and friends who came to watch the ceremony.

“This is one of the finest groups of cadets we’ve had,” Major Grigonis said. “I’d say this group is a real family.”

The post North Fork NJROTC annual inspection at Southold High School appeared first on Suffolk Times.

[Update: Southold boys basketball team praised for helping burn victim]

A 58-year-old woman was severely burned on the Southold High School baseball field Thursday evening, according to police at the scene. Investigators say her injuries could be “self-inflicted” and the incident did not appear to be criminal. 

The woman, later identified as Jeanne Caufield of Southold, was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital.

Southold police detective Ned Grathwohl said fire officials estimated she was burned on “40 to 50″ percent of her body.

Southold Fire Chief Jim Rich said the injuries suffered appeared to be “very serious.” As of Friday morning, Ms. Caufield is listed in critical condition, according to a Stony Brook Hospital representative.

Southold boys basketball coach Lucas Grigonis was first on the scene Thursday. Visibly shaken nearly an hour later, he declined to comment until after he had a chance to speak with police.

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Members of the Southold boys basketball team are getting support from school counselors and the community after several athletes and the team’s coach rushed to the aid of a woman who was found on fire near the high school gym Thursday night.

“It’s just horrific,” said Superintendent David Gamberg in an interview. “We’re just very grateful for our community overall, the families and the fire department, and how everyone is concerned about the students.”

The team was practicing in the gym around 7 p.m. when the varsity players noticed through a window that a woman — identified by police as 58-year-old Jeanne Caufield of Southold — was on fire outside, according to a parent of one of the student athletes.

A handful of the older athletes quickly ushered the younger players away as another called 911, said parent Britta Babashak, whose son helped in the rescue.

“I’m really proud of the boys, although it’s been a long night,” Ms. Babashak said. “I don’t think you want to see your 16-year-old see anything like that ever.”

Doreen McFarland, a PTA member and mother of one of the athletes, said varsity players rushed outside to try to rescue Ms. Caufield.

“Four varsity players got the fire out by smothering it with their jerseys,” she said. “It’s an amazing thing to see these kids put themselves in a position to help.”

Southold boys basketball coach Lucas Grigonis said he was first on the scene Thursday night. Visibly shaken nearly an hour later, he declined to comment until after he had spoken with police investigators.

Ms. Babashak said the boys and Mr. Grigonis stayed with the victim until police and emergency volunteers arrived at the scene.

“The players and coach did the best thing they could have done in that scenario,” she said. “The boys are pretty shaken up.”

Southold first responders treated the victim at the scene and she was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital’s burn unit, where she remains in critical condition, a hospital spokesperson confirmed Friday morning.

Southold police detective Ned Grathwohl said fire officials estimated she was burned on 40 to 50 percent of her body and Southold Fire Chief Jim Rich said the victim’s injuries were “very serious.” Police investigators have since said that the woman’s injuries appear to have been “self-inflicted” and the incident doesn’t seem to be a criminal matter.

Southold Fire Department assistant chief Peggy Killian was also on scene Thursday night and said first responders “did the best we could and got her to the right place.” Ms. Killian also credited the student athletes who intervened with helping to keep the victim alive.

“If it wasn’t for those kids, the outcome could have been different,” she said, declining to comment further.

Mr. Gamberg said school officials were aware of the situation as it unfolded Thursday night, noting that the district has protocols in place to deal with tragedies and crises. The incident occurred after school hours, which proved how important it is that staff be “aware at all times,” he said.

The North Fork’s school community has since rallied around the team to get them the support they need. After a crisis team meeting early Friday morning, social workers from Mattituck and Greenport schools went to Southold High School to assist the students, he said.

According to the school’s athletic department, all three basketball games scheduled for Friday night — the junior varsity and varsity games, as well as an alumni match set up to honor the team’s former coach, the late Phil Reed — have been canceled. The games have not yet been rescheduled.

Mr. Gamberg has received phone calls from several Southold firefighters who praised the athletes for their quick thinking and heroics. Both Ms. McFarland and Ms. Babashak said they were proud of how the team responded to the terrible situation.

“We raise our kids out here and we take for granted our community of great kids,” Ms. Babashak said. “You couldn’t ask for anything better. They acted like a team.”

psquire@timesreview.com

File photo credit: Paul Squire

Correction: Doreen McFarland’s name was misspelled in a previous version of this story. We regret the error.

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If you were told about a weekly local news program that gets more than 1,000 online views each week, you might be surprised. But that’s exactly what’s going on at Southold High School, where the SOHO TV class has exploded in popularity since it was launched three years ago.

Each Friday, the class broadcasts a nine-minute news show on sohotvnews.com.

“What I like about the class is that it’s totally student-centered,” said Jason Wesnofske, a technology teacher who serves as a class adviser along with English teacher James Stahl.

Mr. Wesnofske, who’s been teaching for 10 years, said it’s the most creative class he’s ever been part of.

“This class is definitely the prize,” he said.

Class advisor Jason Wesnofske, left, helps students edit news packages last Thursday afternoon in their SOHO TV class at Southold High School. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

The process begins with a student-run pitch meeting to discuss stories for the upcoming program. On Tuesdays, the class films the anchors in the TV studio while other students are out working on news packages.

The show is then edited over the next two days.

Daisy Rymer, a senior, is one of this year’s producers. She said she spends any free time she has in the SOHO TV classroom working on the show.

“Without this class, I have no idea what I would be doing or where I would want to go because this is what I want to do in the future now,” she said. “Without this opportunity, I would be such a different person.”

Due to increasing demand and class size, SOHO TV will move into a larger space next year with a new studio and new computers for the students.

kmassa@timesreview.com

Southold senior Daisy Rymer during class last Thursday. As co-producer, she talks to the anchors through a headset, sets up equipment for filming and edits the news show. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

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The auditorium at Southold High School was filled with energy Friday afternoon, with students wielding muskets and belting out songs like “One Day More.”

A well-known tune from “Les Misérables,” the seventh- to 12th-graders were preparing for their upcoming rendition of the famous musical, considered to be one of the most difficult productions to perform — especially for young actors.

Since “Les Misérables” is almost entirely sung rather than acted, performers must have the vocal stamina to withstand continuous singing, as well as the ability to act and tell their character’s story through song, co-director Jessica Ellwood said.

“We’ve wanted to do [“Les Misérables”] for years now because we’ve always loved the show,” co-director Casey Rooney added, referencing discussions with Ms. Ellwood and musical director Kelli Baumann. “It seemed like this was the right time. There’s a lot of talent this year.”

An increased focus on musical performances forced the directors to prepare differently this year. They spent the first two or three weeks of rehearsals — more time than in past years — concentrating solely on the music, Ms. Baumann said.

The student actors, some of whom are new to the scene and others who are seasoned performers, all recognize that “Les Misérables” is more difficult than many productions and are using it as inspiration to work harder.

“It’s more challenging music,” said senior Grace Bruer, 17, who is playing Combeferre. “The show takes place over a long period of time, over 20 years. There’s a lot of set changes, too. This is the first time the set moves in two different directions. I think it’s the biggest one built. It’s really cool.”

Another challenge is how mentally taxing the characters’ stories are.

“The show is emotionally demanding,” said sophomore Marissa Rackwitz, 15, who has been cast as Cosette. “You have to know the music, but you also have to become the person and know the emotion that goes with our character. They all go through so much.”

Another motivator for performers is the musical’s fame. Students agreed that because “Les Misérables” is so well-known and beloved, they have been encouraged to work harder so that they get the music just right.

“When I’m on the way out the door I’ll see [the cast] is practicing a scene I want to see and I’ll stay because the play is so good,” said senior Sean Okula, 17, who is playing Thenardier.

Overall, the cast is excited to be a part of a production they find so rewarding.

“I have a deep personal connection to the show itself,” said senior Daisy Rymer, 18, who is playing Fantine. “I think this is one of the best ones we’ve been a part of … I’m excited to be a part of it because it’s our best and my last.”

Performances of “Les Misérables” will be held Thursday-Saturday, March 23-25, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 26, at 2 p.m. in the high school auditorium. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for students and senior citizens and can be purchased at Southold Free Library beginning Monday, March 13, or at the door.

nsmith@timesreview.com

Photo: Southold students in grades 7-12 will perform ‘Les Misérables’ later this month. Since the show is emotionally demanding and almost entirely sung, it’s considered one of the more difficult musicals to perform. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

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High school students in the Mattituck-Cutchogue, Southold, Greenport and Shelter Island school districts traveled to Rochester, N.Y., March 7-10 for the Distributive Education Club of America state competition.

DECA is a business club that requires students to take multiple choice tests and perform job interviews and role-play scenarios that test their abilities in fields like advertising, marketing, hospitality, sales and business administration.

Fourteen students returned home with awards:

Jake Dominy, Southold, first place in Sales Demonstration

Rob Kruszeski, Southold, first place in Wholesale Selling

Alex Bellavia, Mattituck, second place in Public Speaking Prepared

Connor Vaccariello, Southold, second place in Sales Demonstration

Vivian Mantzapoulos, Greenport, second place for Wholesale Sales

Alex Nadel, Mattituck, third place in Job Interview

Colleen Kelly, Mattituck, third place in Decision Making Marketing

Daisy Rymer, Southold, fifth place in Public Speaking

Annie Lincoln, Southold, finalist medal in Job Interview

Doug Fiedler, Southold, finalist medal in Sales Demonstration

Lena Wolf, Greenport, finalist medal in Decision Making Marketing

Martha Terry, Mattituck, finalist medal in Public Speaking Prepared

Matthew Tuthill, Greenport, finalist medal in Sales Demonstration

Ryan Shuford, Mattituck, finalist medal in Decision Making Marketing

Mattituck High School students at the competition. (Courtesy photo)

Southold High School students at the competition. (Courtesy photo)

Top courtesy photo: Greenport and Shelter Island students at the DECA competition in Rochester.

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At just 17 years old, Michael Christman is the chief executive officer of Advanced Performance Athletics.

In a company that sells computerized soccer balls and basketballs, as well as training clothing, all of the employees and administrators are near Mr. Christman’s age. In fact, they’re his peers at Southold High School, where they are all enrolled in a virtual enterprise course.

Since the company is run solely by seniors at the high school, it doesn’t sell a tangible product to the public, but rather to students in other virtual enterprise classes across the country. This is done through their online website and when the 19-person company attends trade shows, where they network and close deals with potential clients. Their next one is coming up in April.

“It’s amazing,” said Southold high school principal William Galati. “Each [student] brings something unique to the table that really supports them in their educational endeavors. It inspires them, too. It gives them a direction as to career college readiness and what to look forward to in college.”

This is the second year the high school has offered the class. Last year only nine students were enrolled. The only other district to offer the class on the North Fork is Mattituck, which is in its third year.

Similarly, the 22 juniors and seniors in LuAnne Nappe’s class at Mattituck have their own company, Body Kinetics, which sells fitness equipment that harnesses kinetic energy used to charge electronic devices, such as iPads and cellphones.

Each student is assigned a position at the company in one of the following division: sales, marketing, technology, administration, human resources and accounting/finance.

Tasks include completing payroll, sales plans and audit reports. They’ve also branded the company — making business cards and a company logo — designing a blog and a catalog of products. They even have bills to pay, such as rent, insurance and advertising costs.

“They learn such life skills I know they will take with them when they leave [high school] and even after college, too,” Ms. Nappe said. “It’s real life, that’s what I like about it.”

In order to keep up with demand and complete their job tasks, Advanced Performance Athletics has its own email and phone, located in teacher Kathy Williams’ classroom. Students in other programs can place orders or reach out with business inquiries at any time.

Continuing with the business theme, students at both Mattituck and Southold have to fill out an application packet and then perform a subsequent interview with the school’s principal, and sometimes other teachers as well, before they’re accepted into the class.

“It definitely prepares us for jobs beyond college,” said Southold senior Matt Cardi. “It’s a hands-on feeling. A lot of us have jobs, like we work in restaurants or what have you, but we don’t get that office feel or a deadline to get a business plan done.”

In addition to their classwork, students can enter numerous competitions throughout the year, including giving elevator pitches, and having their branding, employee manual, newsletters and annual reports judged.

Mattituck students received third place for best catalog and second place for best employee manual at the Long Island Business Plan/Trade Show competition. They were also rewarded an honorable mention for their branding and employee manual and placed in the top 10 percent for their elevator pitch at the national competition, Ms. Nappe said.

The Southold class placed first in its room at a competition at Farmingdale earlier this year, but just missed placing in the top 10 overall teams, Ms. Williams said.

“It helps not necessarily focusing on business, it helps with life in general,” Southold student Kyle Skrezec said of the class and subsequent competitions. “It helps with our social skills and confidence and character traits like that.”

Photo caption: Southold senior Sean Okula checks out the Advanced Performance Athletics website for his Virtual Enterprise class. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

nsmith@timesreview.com

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What flag means “preparing to replenish at sea”?

How many Articles are there in the Constitution?

What class of ship primarily delivers supplies and personnel to locations in enemy territory?

Five North Fork high school students — Mattituck senior Ty Bugdin, Mattituck junior Joseph Stuckart, Southold sophomore Emiliann Palermo, Greenport freshman Jessica Villareal and Mattituck freshman Shannon Massey — are training to answer those questions, and others like it, in under 15 seconds.

The students, all cadets in the combined Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps program at their schools, comprise an academic team that has qualified to compete in the National Academic Championship Brain Brawl in Jacksonville, Fla., on May 6.

It will mark the first time students from the North Fork program have qualified for the national event.

“This is huge,” said Major Bill Grigonis, senior instructor of the program. “It’s a chance of a lifetime for these kids.”

The Brain Brawl setup places four cadets at a table to play against four cadets from a different school. The fifth member of each team is available as a substitute. Players have to buzz in and answer questions asked by a moderator, similar to “Jeopardy,” Maj. Grigonis explained.

Teams score points for correct answers and lose points for incorrect answers, he said. For the first question, only the team member who hit the buzzer can answer. If the response is correct, that team is asked a second question, which they are allowed to discuss with each other before answering.

“Being a part of ROTC, you really have to work well with others,” Ty said.

Questions reflect the content of the ROTC curriculum, which covers current events, history, science, math and athletics, as well as SAT- and ACT-type questions.

To prepare, the cadets have pored over old exams and taken online quizzes specifically designed for Brain Brawl competitions.

“I’m excited to win,” Emiliann said. “I feel like I learn more in ROTC class because it’s more engaging.”

The five students heading to Florida were recognized as some of the most academically gifted of the nearly 300 cadets in the program. Every cadet begins taking exams in ninth grade, earning different medals and honors based on their scores.

The field is narrowed down to the top 25 students and the five competitors are chosen from that group.

“I feel like I’ve always been doing this,” said Joseph, who’s been on the academic team since his freshman year. “This class prepares us for the future. It’s a basic education we don’t get in school.”

Last month, the group competed on the Northeast regional team during an event at Mattituck High School, placing first out of 10 teams, which qualified them for the nationals.

Maj. Grigonis then reached out to the community for donations to help fund the team’s trip to Brain Brawl. Within a week, nearly $5,500 had been raised, enough to cover the students’ entry fees, hotels, meals and flights.

“The community was so generous, and we’re really thankful for that,” Maj. Grigonis said.

Photo caption: Five students from the Mattituck-Southold-Greenport Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps program will compete in the National Academic Championship Brain Brawl in Florida May 6. From left: Mattituck senior Ty Bugdin, Greenport freshman Jessica Villareal, Southold sophomore Emiliann Palermo and Mattituck junior Joseph Stuckart. Not pictured: Mattituck freshman Shannon Massey. (Credit: Nicole Smith)

nsmith@timesreview.com

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A few weeks before opening day, Kate Moore toured the new home of the Atlanta Braves, SunTrust Park. A Southold native, Ms. Moore got a sneak peek thanks to her small role in the renovation of the 41,000-seat stadium, which officially opens Friday when the Braves play San Diego.

The corridors of the stadium feature 16 original watercolors depicting images from the team’s history. Another 20 prints hang in suites. The artwork was created by Richard Sullivan, who is represented by Ms. Moore’s art agency, Sullivan Moore, in which he was also an original co-founder.

“I’m just so proud that we worked so hard and actually saw it come to life,” said Ms. Moore, a 2010 Southold High School graduate who holds down a full-time advertising job in addition to her work as an artists’ agent.

The friends, who met in college, launched their enterprise in 2014. Mr. Sullivan enjoyed creating art and Ms. Moore liked the business side. She eventually took full control of the enterprise and became Mr. Sullivan’s agent.

“I don’t know where I would be without Kate,” he said.

The Kentucky-based artist said that because Ms. Moore focuses on selling his work, he no longer has to worry about the business end and can concentrate fully on his craft.

Mr. Sullivan played on the Braves’ minor league team for five years. Despite his connection to the team, however, he said he wouldn’t have been able to get as much work at the stadium — or received as good a price — had it not been for Ms. Moore.

“I don’t think anybody realizes how young she is and how much she’s done in a few years,” Mr. Sullivan added. “I’m so lucky that I met her. I’m excited for the future.”

Ms. Moore, who recently turned 25, now represents 17 artists of all ages, including some who live and work overseas. Most are illustrators, graphic designers or painters hoping to have their work published.

She also works full-time at the MullenLowe advertising agency in Boston, where she currently lives. When her day job ends, anywhere from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., her work with Sullivan Moore begins. That majority of that work gets done on the weekends, she said.

It’s her passion for the work that keeps her so motivated, she said.

“It’s really nice to feel like I’m making an impact on an artist,” she said. “What’s most rewarding is just seeing emerging artists become successful in their industries.”

Seeing a client’s work appear in the pages of The New Yorker magazine represented an early victory for Ms. Moore, who has also placed pieces in publications like The Washington Post and Rolling Stone, for example.

“I’ll never forget the first time The New Yorker emailed me,” she said. “I still remember when I realized it was The New Yorker, I was jumping up and down screaming.”

Ms. Moore said she was actually shy about her love for art during high school and surprised many of her classmates when she decided to attend Savannah College of Art and Design. She was always interested in photography, but during college she realized that although it was a passion, it wasn’t something she wanted to pursue as a career.

She switched her major to fashion marketing and management, with a minor in fashion design. Near the end of her college career, she realized how much she enjoyed collaborating with art students to complete a task, inspiring her to gear her affinity for art toward marketing.

As graduation approached in 2014, she said, she watched as countless talented artists struggled to find freelance work.

“I didn’t know why they were having such a hard time finding work when they graduated from school because they were so incredible,” Ms. Moore recalled.

Those struggles inspired her to create her own agency to represent and market emerging artists.

Ms. Moore credits her family for giving her the confidence to start her own business. Her parents, Patricia and William Moore, own a Southold law firm and encouraged their daughter to create something on her own. They told her that starting this new chapter right after college was the best time to do it.

“It’s all very exciting as a parent,” Patricia Moore said. “We knew she was going to work very hard.”

Ms. Moore, who still has her daughter’s old photographs hanging on the walls in her home and office, said she could not be prouder and is very impressed to watch her daughter work. She said Kate was always interested in self-educating, reading a lot and even debating legal issues with her father.

She also attributes a lot of her daughter’s confidence and aspirations to the Southold school system, which she said showed students “there is no limit to what they can do.”

“We can’t wait to see what she’ll do,” she said.

Photo caption: Kate Moore and artist Richard Sullivan in front of Mr. Sullivan’s paintings at the Atlanta Braves’ SunTrust park. (Courtesy photo)

kmassa@timesreview.com

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When the Southold Interact Club attended a Rotary Youth Leadership Awards conference last year and the students learned that there are thousands of homeless veterans statewide, many of whom are on Long Island and in need of basic necessities, they decided to help.

Lonnie Sherman, president and founder of General Need — a nonprofit organization that assists veterans — spoke at the conference. Mr. Sherman inspired the students to give back to his organization and they discussed ways they could help.

On Thursday afternoon, Mr. Sherman, along with his wife Susan, a co-founder of the organization, came to Southold High School to pick up four bins of donated packages of socks, shirts and underwear as well as a $500 check from the Southold Fire Department.

“This was a small thing that we could do and it went really well,” said Virginia Gilmore, one of the advisors of the Interact Club.

Bins of socks, shirts and underwear collected by the school. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

The club decided to place bins around the school for students to donate items. Students reached out to the pharmacy, which put a bin out and then fellow Southold teacher Theresa Rich brought the idea back to the fire department where she volunteers as the department’s secretary.

Ms. Rich said the department offered to donate money.

“I thought that was a very generous gift and for a very good cause,” said Ms. Rich, who noted that many members of the Southold Fire Department are veterans themselves.

The president of the Interact Club, senior Althea Mignone, said she was impressed with how much they were able to give.

“I think we do really well for a small town,” she said. “I thought it was really important because it’s something you don’t think about, there are so many people who don’t have basic necessities.”

Mr. Sherman said he is happy to see the kids at Southold understand the importance of the cause. His organization has a reach all across Long Island and even into New Jersey.

Started in 2008, the organization collects shirts, underwear and socks that are donated to different shelters. Mr. Sherman said they also do different seasonal donations, like last year when they collected 750 pairs of new boots for veterans and collections for coats, hats and scarves during the winter.

“There are major causes and major needs all over the country but why not start in our own backyard helping our own men and women that have done a lot for us,” Mr. Sherman said.

He added that he finds himself in Riverhead more often now helping to create “bed kits” for veterans who recently received housing through the HUD-VASH program, a supportive housing program for veterans.

Bed kits include things like fresh blankets, pillows, sheets, pots and pans or any other basic necessity for an apartment.

While Mr. Sherman has been expanding as far out as Riverhead for a while, he is happy to expand even farther east and to have the help of high school students.

“They understand the fact that we need to support these men and women who have done a lot for us,” he said.

Top photo caption: Members of the Southold Interact Club, the Southold Fire Department, the Rotary and the founders of General Needs. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

kmassa@timesreview.com

Theresa Rich from the Southold Fire Department donating a $500 check to the nonprofit General Needs. (Credit: Krysten Massa)

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He could have blamed defeat on a 24-day layoff between games — or even the exceptionally long bus ride to Nassau County. 

But after his team’s 5-0 loss to East Rockaway in the Class C Long Island Championship game Thursday, Southold/Greenport softball coach Skip Gehring said sometimes you just have to tip your cap to the opposing team’s starting pitcher.

The Clippers’ usually electric bats were stymied Thursday by Rocks right-hander Emily Chelius, who threw a three-hit shut out, striking out 11 along the way.

“The layoff certainly didn’t help and it would have been nice to get a couple games in but that’s a very good pitcher right there,” Gehring said of the East Rockaway sophomore.

The loss at Hofstra University brings to a close Southold/Greenport’s best softball season in decades. The 12-6 Clippers clinched the program’s first playoff berth in 20 years and reached the Long Island Championship for the first time in 30 seasons after no other Suffolk County Class C team qualified for the postseason.

For as dazzling as she was on the mound in the Rocks’ win, Chelius also delivered the dagger at the plate when she followed up a pair of Clipper errors with a two-run double that closed out the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning. She also singled and scored a run in the third.

East Rockaway’s Emily Chelius pitched her team to a Long Island title Thursday with an 11-strikeout performance. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

East Rockaway (7-12) got on the board in the bottom of the first inning on a two-out double through the left-center field gap off the bat of cleanup hitter Lia Gladstone. Leadoff batter Michelle Sheridan, who opened the inning with a base hit and advanced to second on a passed ball, scored on the play.

The Rocks scored two more runs on four hits in the bottom of the third inning.

The Clippers came close to getting on the scoreboard in the third and fourth innings, but stranded a runner in scoring position both times. The team’s first hit didn’t come until the fifth inning when No. 5 hitter Hannah Sutton smacked a leadoff double to left field. Ashley Hilary and Grace Syron contributed leadoff singles in the sixth and seventh innings, respectively, but the team couldn’t break through against Chelius, who also led her team to a Long Island title in her freshman season last year.

Southold/Greenport’s Grace Syron delivers a base hit in the top of the seventh inning. (Credit: Grant Parpan)

Despite the tough defeat, Gehring was proud of what his team accomplished on the field in a season that saw them enter the most recent New York State Sportswriter’s Association Class C rankings at No. 7.

“Knowing how to win is part of what you want to do when you’re trying to build a culture,” Gehring said. “These girls did that this season and they battled hard.”

After a few words from their coach following the game, one underclassman could be heard from the dugout asking her coach one final question: “When does practice start again?”

gparpan@timesreview.com

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