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New York Post
2 days ago
- General
- New York Post
Long Island students travel to Normandy, honor long-forgotten alum who died in D-Day invasion
Chaminade High School students prayed for hours at the gravesite of a long-forgotten alum who heroically died after the D-Day invasion of Normandy during a recent trip to France. Officials at the Long Island Catholic school had just found out about the tragic death of 1935 graduate John J. McDonald a week before an annual spring trip to the country. They learned of the Mineola man killed in action two days after Allied forces stormed the beaches in June of 1944 — and found out he's one of the thousands laid to rest at the massive cemetery there. Advertisement 5 Chaminade High School students visited France and prayed at the graveside of an alum who died after the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Courtesy Chaminade High School 'We never even thought that one of our alumni was buried over in France,' Chaminade president Brother Thomas Cleary told The Post. 'We know he married, had no children…I don't know if anyone has ever visited his grave.' Advertisement The school scrambled to rearrange its Easter break travel plans and had all 30 students, taking turns in small groups, pray for nearly an hour at the grave of the Army Air Corps lieutenant who was shot down two days after D-Day. 'It really set in. This man, he's buried here — alone in a foreign country without his family,' said junior Andrew Kerr, who was part of the sobering moment that paid respect to the bombardier who flew 71 missions with the Ninth Air Force. 'I just can't even imagine what it would be like, that one day you just get up, go to war, you don't see your family again.' 5 John J. McDonald graduated Chaminade High School in 1935. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Advertisement A hero's legacy — 81 years later Although many details about McDonald's life remain unclear, it is known that he was a track athlete at Chaminade who had a love for model airplanes before flying in one. McDonald even threw one he spent weeks building onto the school's football field during a homecoming game. 'You hear about it and you feel like it's so distant from you,' Kerr added. Advertisement 'But then you see his picture on the wall with the class of 1935 at school, and it all of a sudden it becomes 'wow, this really does relate to me.'' The 1918-born warrior first entered the Marines in 1937 and, after a medical discharge, re-enlisted in the Army in the thick of World War II. He wed while on leave in 1943. Brother Cleary is now trying to track down a member of McDonald's family to connect with and share the experience and learn more about him. 5 McDonald was a track athlete at Chaminade High School and loved planes. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 5 Students Dylan Stampfel, Gianni Bono, Andrew Kerr and Maximilian Matuszewski posed for a portrait next to a plaque honoring McDonald. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'They were people like us, exactly like us,' junior Gianni Bono, whose brother is a Marine, said. 'It's an insane thing to think about.' Advertisement Being at the gravesite steps from the once bloody beaches of the Great Crusade to liberate Europe also gave the students a perspective not viewed in even an advanced placement curriculum. 'When you learn about this in history class, it's just a number,' said junior Dylan Stampfel. 5 Many details about McDonald's life remain unclear. Courtesy Chaminade High School 'But when you go there and you see the over 9,000 graves just lined up on the perfectly manicured lawn… it's very humbling.' Advertisement The teens also visited on a gorgeous day with polar opposite conditions to the notorious rain and fog that the beach storming is remembered for. 'What struck most of the students was that most of the beaches are now used recreationally,' said Marta Agosti, the school's world language chair who planned the trip. 'But I thought that is the best way in which you can say thank you to all the people that actually died there — so that we could continue with life.' Advertisement Junior Maximillian Matuszewski, who watched 'Saving Private Ryan' ahead of the trip, said Tom Hanks' core-shaking final words of 'earn this' have new meaning to him. 'It means to put my best foot forward always, and work as hard as I can,' he said. 'And to be thankful that I would never have to experience something that McDonald would.'
New York Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
LI Port Rowing team, hardened by ‘tough' waters of Hempstead Harbor, set for nationals
Heartbreak struck the varsity eight Port Rowing boat two years ago. 'We missed out on qualifying for nationals — we missed it by 0.158 seconds,' senior four-seat man Tilden Vaezi told The Post. Advertisement Vaezi and the other seven members of his racing shell took their narrow miss to heart — especially on behalf of the 2023 seniors — and bought into upping their game for the North Shore club, which is composed of about 100 young athletes. Vaezi's four boat made it to nationals last year, finishing 20th. And now, Vaezi and his guys are among a team-record 46 boys and girls — nearly double last year's total — that the elite program is sending to nine events at the Youth National Championships, which begin June 12 in Sarasota, Fla. 'I think it just shows how much everyone wants it. … You spend roughly an average of three hours a day, six days a week here,' said Vaezi, a Brown commit who lauded the freshmen on this year's team. Advertisement 4 Members of the Port Rowing boys team practice on June 3, 2025. Heather Khalifa for New York Post Energy from the record year is palpable from the second you enter Port Washington's Hempstead Harbor boathouse for the club team that, while mostly made up of Paul D. Schriber High School students, also welcomes rowers from across Long Island from middle school up — even those whose schools have a program. Tight-knit crew 'The environment definitely just brings up everybody's confidence levels, for sure,' senior four-boat coxswain Tea Cotronis said. Advertisement Since middle school, she found a home with the team after feeling her small size was a disadvantage in volleyball and basketball. Now, there's no family she would rather try to win it all with. 'Knowing and trusting that your teammates are putting in as much hard work as you are makes it a lot easier to come to practice every day,' added Cotronis, who will row at the University of Wisconsin. Adding to the 2025 excitement, the Port girls have an opposite case study: Garden City field hockey and lacrosse star Lauren Marino, who had never even picked up an oar until two years ago, is now a team leader. Advertisement 4 Members of the Port Rowing girls team practices on June 3, 2025. Heather Khalifa for New York Post After being swayed by friends to try an ergometer workout, Marino got immediately hooked despite 'a terrible first week on the water.' A few months later, she earned a spot in the 2024 nationals, rowing the two seat in a girls four shell. 'Then I was being recruited by a bunch of schools, and I ultimately chose Notre Dame,' the South Bend, Ind.-bound senior said. 'It was all in a five-month time span, so it's pretty crazy.' 4 Senior four-boat coxswain Tea Cotronis will next be rowing at Wisconsin. Heather Khalifa for New York Post Hell or high water It's no accident that Port athletes can shine so quickly in their tenure, girls head coach Pat Clary said. 4 Port Rowing girls coach Pat Clary watches his team's workout. Heather Khalifa for New York Post They brave the elements in less-than-ideal practice waters and a beach he called 'the crucible for coxswains' to launch out of. Advertisement 'We have tough conditions out here on Hempstead Harbor. … It's pretty choppy out there, and the kids show up every day. They work hard through it,' said the coach, who has a sarcastic 'best water in America' flag in the Port boathouse. Ultimately, though, it's all been building character since the 40-degree practices in March, said Clary — who, along with boys head coach Aaron Bosgang, will be driving a trailer with all nine boats plus a few from a Westchester club while the team flies to Florida. 'Worst-case scenario, if the water is rough, we have teams that clutch their pearls and get nervous over a little bit of wake — and that's just a Tuesday to us.'
New York Post
30-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Massapequa sports teams thriving even as contentious legal battle over mascot rages on
It's a spring of Pequa pride. This week, the Massapequa girls lacrosse team won the county title over Port Washington, 11-9, while the boys lacrosse team reached the finals against the same school — just as both its softball and baseball teams also earned a date for the Nassau championship. 'It's a sports town. Boys, girls, all fall, winter and spring,' Massapequa baseball manager Tom Sheedy told The Post. 'They've played in elimination games and tournaments their whole life. It's another game. … They've been through the pressure.' Nevertheless, this year, things are hitting closer to home than usual, with a lot more on the line than some trophies. Massapequa has been entrenched in a contentious legal battle against the state's 2023 mandate to remove all Native American-connected logos in New York schools. President Donald Trump has even gotten involved, strongly siding with the town after a plea from school board president Kerry Wachter, who is welcoming Secretary of Education Linda McMahon for a campus tour over the issue Friday. 4 A picture of the Chiefs mural at Massapequa High School. The Chiefs nickname controversy has made national headlines this year. Heather Khalifa for New York Post 'I think if it is our last year being a Chief, then it's a good way to go out,' 12th-grade softball catcher Sienna Perino said ahead of the team's 6-2 victory in Thursday's Game 1 of a best-of-three series against Oceanside — the school that beat Massapequa in the finals last year. Revenge tour The top-seeded softball team nicknamed itself 'vengeance' for the 2025 season as motivation to get the job done against No. 3 Oceanside this time around, Perino said. Added senior valedictorian and outfielder Samantha Portz: 'We've become a family, and we know when we step on the field … we've built that connection. We trust each other. I definitely think that will help us move forward.' 4 Left to right: Shea Santiago, Sienna Perino and Samantha Portz and their Massapequa teammates will be battling for the Nassau softball championship. Heather Khalifa for New York Post Off the diamond, where the team posted an 18-5 record, 'vengeance' has multiple meanings, Perino added. The girls also are looking to make a statement and feed off the national attention the tight-knit South Shore community has garnered since Trump declared, 'LONG LIVE THE MASSAPEQUA CHIEFS!' on Truth Social — posting a photo with a school shirt in the Oval Office just days later in April. 'It represents who we are,' Portz added. 'This town is really close. We're all proud to represent our community, the school, as Chiefs.' Swinging for the fences The second-seeded Chiefs baseball team (16-7), which is gearing up to battle next-door rival No. 1 Farmingdale, also aims to put an exclamation point on the 2025 season as uncertainty surrounds the name. 'I've been here 30 years. There's never been a player, ever, not very, very proud to be a Chief,' Sheedy said. 'It means the world to them. The players are definitely aware of what's going on, and they feel very strongly about how they hope it turns out.' Senior lefty pitcher Thomas Harding is taking town pride to heart and inspiring others on the squad to do the same. 4 Thomas Harding (let) and Jason Romance and their Massapequa teammates will be battling for the Nassau baseball championship. Heather Khalifa for New York Post 'I think that with the possibility of the name being taken away, we are more motivated to keep the name alive — and keep its legacy,' he said. Logo lamentations aside, Massapequa has unfinished business after an excruciating semifinal loss to Port Wash last season — especially for its potential last class of Chiefs. 'We also have to have a sense of urgency that this could be our last game,' senior first baseman Jason Romance said. 'So we have to play harder than ever. … It would be very cool if Trump watches us play.' 4 Massapequa baseball head coach Tom Sheedy Heather Khalifa for New York Post Sheedy also is going to the well for a young player with big game experience — 10th-grade JV call-up catcher Ryan Huksloot, who played in the 2022 Little League World Series with Massapequa Coast. 'The big thing with us is that we rode how we felt back then,' Huksloot said. 'So if we keep riding the vibes right now and we stay within ourselves, then it's gonna be an easy road for us.' And no matter how the finals go — or the litigious fight over the name — nothing will change how the players look back on their years with MHS. 'I'm very proud to be graduating and playing as a Chief,' senior softball pitcher Shea Santiago said. 'We all love being a Chief,' Perino added. 'Once a Chief, always a Chief.'
Toronto Sun
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Trump administration says Columbia violated civil rights of Jewish students
Published May 23, 2025 • 1 minute read A group of protesters in support of Palestinians march away from Columbia University on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. Photo by Heather Khalifa / AP NEW YORK (AP) — The Trump administration is accusing Columbia University of violating the civil rights of Jewish students by 'acting with deliberate indifference' toward what it describes as rampant antisemitism on campus. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The finding was announced late Thursday by the Health and Human Services Department, marking the latest blow for an Ivy League school already shaken by federal cutbacks and sustained government pressure to crackdown on student speech. It comes hours after the Department of Homeland Security said it would revoke Harvard University's ability to enroll international students, a major escalation in the administration's monthslong attack on higher education. The Health and Human Services Department said its Office of Civil Rights had found Columbia in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which blocks federal funding recipients from discrimination based on race, color or national origin. That final category includes 'discrimination against individuals that is based on their actual or perceived Israeli or Jewish identity or ancestry,' the press release states. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The announcement did not include new sanctions against Columbia, which is already facing $400 million in federal cuts over what the Trump administration describes as its permissive approach to antisemitism on campus. A spokesperson for Columbia said the university is currently negotiating with the government about a resolution to those allegations. 'We understand this finding is part of our ongoing discussions with the government,' the spokesperson said in an email. 'Columbia is deeply committed to combatting antisemitism and all forms of harassment and discrimination on our campus.' Last spring, Columbia became the epicenter of protests against the war in Gaza, spurring a national movement of campus demonstrations. At the time, some Jewish students and faculty complained about being harassed during the demonstrations or ostracized because of their faith or their support of Israel. Those who participated in Columbia's protests, including some Jewish students, have said they are protesting Israel's actions against Palestinians and have forcefully denied allegations of antisemitism. Toronto Maple Leafs Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls Tennis
New York Post
19-05-2025
- General
- New York Post
Long Island nun — the world's oldest at 112 — shares four words of advice after a lifetime of service
There ain't nun older than her. Sister Francis Dominici Piscatella, the world's oldest nun at 112, has four words of advice for anyone who wants to match her longevity 'Teach until you die,' Piscatella, who celebrated her birthday in late April, told The Post. Advertisement 5 Sister Francis Dominici Piscatella, 112, is the world's oldest nun. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Piscatella, who is enjoying her golden years on the South Shore of Long Island in her 94th year of service to the Catholic Church, said people should follow the good they've've seen from their loved ones. 'You have to be a saint before you get to heaven.' Advertisement Now living in Amityville's Queen of the Rosary Motherhouse, Piscatella had a long journey of faith and fate throughout her years. 'For some reason, God doesn't want me yet,' the longstanding member of the Dominican order said. 'I feel normal. I never gave my age a thought, it just happened to be.' When she was just 2-years old and living in Central Islip, she lost her left forearm in an accident with a passing train — a life-altering event that Piscatella made the most of. 5 Piscatella celebrating her 112th birthday at the Queen of the Rosary Motherhouse in Amityville. Sisters of St. Dominic Advertisement 5 An old family photo on the desk in Piscatella's room. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'I was the second oldest of seven children. My mother wouldn't let them help me because 'you're not always going to have your sisters, so you better just shape up and do things for yourself,'' she said. 'That's what I did. Nobody really ever had to help with anything,' the centenarian added. A blessed life Advertisement Growing up in a large family of Italian immigrants, the calling to Catholicism came from the love she saw her family extend to the family and community. Her father, a foreman with the Long Island Railroad, brought daily sandwiches his wife made for a worker who showed up routinely empty-handed at lunch, and her mother was known to frequently cook 'a big Italian meal' for the nuns in town. Growing up in that environment, it became an easy call for Piscatella to join the order right out of high school, she said. 'It was normal for me to help people, and I liked helping them,' the super senior said. However, finding a convent that would accept her with only one arm in 1931 proved challenging, and Piscatella had to physically show that her disability would not be a hindrance to service. She only found her way into the Dominicans thanks to another nun seeking a change of scenery and leaving a teaching position in the void. 5 Piscatella with her close friend Sister Francis Daniel Kammer. Heather Khalifa for the NY Post 'The priest said, 'Well, can she teach?' And the sister said, 'Oh, she's a great teacher,' said Sister Francis Kammer, Piscatella's close friend, former student and roommate for 45 years. Advertisement 'And he said, 'Then she stays.' And she never looked back.' Piscatella taught from her heart on all sorts of subjects, from math to history and arithmetic, while working in administrative roles since that fateful day at age 17 — until she was 84. 'Well, I don't want to brag, but I was a pretty good student in everything. I was a good teacher because I was teaching myself too. I was knocking it into my own head,' said Piscatella, who spent much of her tenure at Dominican Commercial High School in Queens and Molloy College in Rockville Center, along with several New York City schools. 5 Piscatella told The Post her advice to people looking to live a long life is to 'teach until you die.' Heather Khalifa for the NY Post Advertisement Nowadays, Piscatella enjoys deep prayer and connection with God while setting an example that's being adored by the Catholic community on Long Island — many of whom she celebrated turning 112 with. 'She accepts the will of God. Her whole life, I never heard her complain about anything,' Kammer said. 'She had a brain bleed 11 years ago, and they thought she was never going to walk again and never going to talk again. She accepted it, and here she is walking and talking.' Advertisement Piscatella — said she is happy she 'can still think' at her advanced age. 'I could still teach, or at least I think so,' Piscatella said.
