The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

Byram Hills School District

Celebrating the Byram Hills Girls Varsity Tennis Team’s Win of a Historic State Championship

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Emerging victorious and making our community proud, the Byram Hills High School girls’ varsity tennis team captured the title of New York State Public High School Athletic Association state champions on November 5, 2021 when they defeated Friends Academy 5-0 at the Billie Jean King National Training Center in Queens. 

Finishing their undefeated season with a 22-0 record, they are the first girls’ team in any sport in Byram Hills’ 55-year history to win a state championship and only the third team in Byram Hills’ history overall. 

“For any varsity team to go undefeated through the regular season, repeat it through the post-season and then win the first state championship for the girls in school history, is special and rare,” says Rob Castagna, Byram Hills’ Director of Health, Physical Education and Athletics. “Accomplishing this in a particularly long season that started back in August says a lot about them as student athletes. To juggle their academics week to week for the duration and then to perform at such a high level on the courts is impressive.”

The victory was especially sweet for the nine seniors on the team who did not get to play much as juniors due to an abbreviated season last year because of covid concerns.

Head coach Michael Racanelli, who led the girls to victory and was recently named LoHud coach of the year, explained that the season began much earlier than the first day of tryouts in August. 

“It started with a meeting in the off-season in January 2021 where I let them know that if they put their minds to it and worked hard, they could be anything they want in this world, including champions. We laid out a road map of what it would take to win a championship, which included great leadership, a willingness to work harder in the off-season than ever before and a determination to improve our physical and mental skills. The girls spent the winter, spring and summer months preparing as best they could. The team admitted to me just recently that they didn’t totally believe a championship was possible until we started this magical run.”

In addition to the team’s historic accomplishments there were record-setting individual performances. 

Alyssa Margolin, senior captain and the #1 singles player on the team, finished in third place at the New York State singles championships. That finish was the best finish for any Byram Hills tennis player, boy or girl, in Byram Hills history. Alyssa was recently named the Westchester/Putnam Tennis Player of The Year and is also a Con Ed athlete of the week winner. 

Teammates junior Chloe Bernstein and freshman Jenna Kleynerman also finished in third place at the New York State doubles championships which tied the best doubles finish by any boy or girl in Byram Hills history. Alyssa Margolin and her sister Ellie had previously set the mark in 2018 and 2019. 

No stranger to undefeated seasons, the team has, in fact, been undefeated for the past three seasons. Since 2019, the team has gone 38-0.

The team was celebrated by cheering fans on November 14th with a parade down Main Street in Armonk, a marching band, and the girls riding on a decorated truck announcing them as state champions. After a ceremony with school and town officials on the North Castle Town Hall steps, they walked over to add the team to the sign commemorating the school’s state champions on Route 128. They join the 2007 boys’ varsity soccer team and 2015 varsity baseball team as the only Byram Hills teams to capture a state title.

“Winning the championship title was the perfect way to finish off my final season,” says Margolin. “I think it truly reflected the dedication, training, and sportsmanship that the team demonstrated this season and the last four years, and I am very proud to have been a part of it. It was incredible to see the support of the school, community, and the town supervisor Mike Schiliro and New York State Senator Shelley Mayer. The parades and recognition were unparalleled and something all of us will remember for the rest of our lives.”

“I remember the coach telling us last spring that there was going to be a team state tournament this coming season and that we were going to win it. I walked away from that meeting thinking he was crazy and that that was never going to happen,” admits senior captain Chloe Siegle.

It was incredible to see the support of the school, community, and the town supervisor Mike Schiliro and New York State Senator Shelley Mayer. The parades and recognition were unparalleled and something all of us will remember for the rest of our lives.”  – Alyssa Margolin, Senior Captain

“However, as we started practicing and playing matches, I could see how badly we all wanted it. Match after match, our dream seemed like it was coming closer. The one thing that I think helped us go all the way was our team’s close relationship. I couldn’t have asked for a better team or season for my senior year. I will forever remember it and the significance of winning the first women’s state championship in Byram Hills history. I can’t wait to come home each year and drive by the sign remembering the incredible season I got to experience.”

“One thing that was special about this season was the way our team worked together,” says senior captain Sydney Levy. “We were always there for each other which really helped us throughout the season.  Also, being able to have a lot of fans this year was really special.  It is amazing to have so much support from our school district and town.”

Reciting the proverb “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” Racanelli declares, “the drive for the next championship begins right now.” 

There is no doubt this team has what it takes.

The team captains are Alyssa Margolin, Sydney Levy, Eva Shrayer and Chloe Siegle. The girls also on the team are Lily Anchin, Chloe Bernstein, Daphne Bernstein, Jordyn Bernstein, Allie Cooper, Elizabeth Deeks, Rebecca Geller, Jenna Kleynerman, Kate Levy, Julia Lucchino, Justine Maresco, Lila Raff, Skye Smith, Ari Tabankin, and Abby Yallof.

Photos courtesy of the Byram Hills School District

Byram Hills Authentic Science Research Program First Time Virtual Symposium is June 3

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Editor’s Note: Meeting current day challenges head on, a virtual presentation is planned that will offer the Byram Hills community or anyone interested in a chance to discover and enjoy the work of 102 BHHS students’ who have engaged in ‘Authentic Science Research.’  The presentation is themed ‘Forces of Nature’ so do SAVE THE DATE, June 3rd, to help support this popular annual event.  

Each year, the Byram Hills School District hosts a symposium in which students have the opportunity to present their work to the community. Despite current challenging circumstances, the program will be hosting its very first virtual symposium!  Event details:        

What: Byram Hills High School in Armonk, NY, will be hosting the 31st Annual Dr. Robert Pavlica Authentic Science Research Symposium. The Authentic Science Research Program is a three-year course that encourages students to pursue excellence in areas of original research. In times like these, the producers of this event explain that “it is imperative that we celebrate our future generation of scientists and promote scientific literacy in our community.”

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The program will begin with a livestream event featuring remarks from BHHS principal Mr. Christopher Walsh, and senior speaker Owen Skriloff, as well as ceremonies for senior graduation and program-wide awards. The livestream portion will conclude with an explanation of the symposium website’s “Virtual Presentation Hall.”

Within this hall, you will find Virtual Rooms with recorded presentations of Senior PowerPoints, as well as Sophomore and Junior posters. The producers invite you to watch the district’s livestream event “and then visit the Presentation Hall to learn more about the amazing work of our 102 dedicated student researchers.”

When: June 3rd, 2020 at 7 p.m.

Where: Byram Hills Authentic Science Research Symposium Website https://www.byramhills.org/academics/academic-departments/science/science-research

 

Community Comes Together to Support Danny McManus, a Wampus Student & Leukemia Patient

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Usually ten-year old Danny McManus, a fifth-grader at Wampus Elementary School, is outside with a ball and lacrosse stick.  Standing 5’4” tall, he towers over most of his friends, and is a tireless force of nature.   This past October, while Danny was competing in the Tri-State 91 Lacrosse tournament, he wasn’t keeping up the way he normally would.  Danny’s parents sensed something was wrong, took him to the pediatrician, and within 24 hours was admitted into the hospital and diagnosed with leukemia–a form of blood cancer.  When I see people in town now, Deidre McManus, Danny’s mother says, “I realize we have changed people by sharing what we are going through.” The subsequent outpouring of support from family and friends, neighbors, doctors, teachers and clergy tells a heartwarming story about the generosity of Armonk’s community.

When Mrs. McManus and her husband Francis were told that they needed to bring Danny to the hospital, they had to find someone to take care of their older son, Colin, who is in 7th grade. Their neighbors Drs. Erik Cohen and Maude Lemercier were already friends, but have become like extended family, giving Colin an extra set of adults to rely on, and helping the McManuses to interpret the constant stream of medical information.

That first night, while Danny was being evaluated in the hospital, Deirdre thought of her lifelong friend, Karen Wolownik, a Nurse Practitioner and Nurse Leader in the Pediatric Blood & Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation Unit of Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center.  Within a few hours, Karen received an alert from the hospital about Danny. She called Deirdre right away–Karen’s expertise was precisely what they needed. Karen was confident that Danny was in the right place to deal with this horrible disease.

It’s taught us a lot about cancer–how it can affect anyone, even kids… and that even with cancer Danny is still just Danny—my friend.  He has shown us that having a strong growth mind-set helps get you through the things in life. —Shane Gordon, Danny’s friend

Danny’s AML Treatment

The first line of treatment for Danny’s acute myeloid leukemia which is commonly called AML is potent chemotherapy, often followed by a stem cell transplant. The Children and Adolescent Cancer and Blood Disease Center at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital has become a center of excellence for such therapies. The center was established in 2011 when Westchester Medical Center hired Dr. Mitchell Cairo from Columbia University to lead it. Dr. Cairo is a world renowned specialist in stem cell biology, molecular oncology and experimental immunology and a long-time Armonk resident.

In addition to the expertise provided by Dr. Cairo and his team, the McManuses have been overwhelmed by the competence and compassion of the staff at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. “They’ve worked with Danny every step of the way to always make sure he understood what to expect during every procedure.” For example, before Danny had a port connected to deliver chemotherapy, the Child Life Specialist explained the procedure by letting Danny feel the port and see how it would be used with the help of a doll.  Then, during the chemo, Danny needed an NG tube (a nasogastric tube) to deliver nutrition directly to his stomach. The physician working with Dr. Cairo, Jordan Watson, MD, asked one of the residents to demonstrate for Danny what it would be like and, right in front of Danny, inserted a tube down Jordan’s nose and throat! She said, “I’ve always wanted to know what it felt like!”

Community “Shavees” Support Danny

As if that wasn’t enough, last month Dr. Watson asked the McManuses if Danny would be part of her team, raising funds to support the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which is dedicated to funding research for childhood cancers. Danny’s family and friends created The Mighty McManus Team, Dr. Watson and her fiancée shaved their heads alongside nine of Danny’s friends, and together they raised nearly $30,000.  Danny’s friends, Shane Gordon and Michael Bellantoni, are two of the “shavees.”  Gordon says, “The reason we all shaved our heads was because he really likes his hair, so we thought it would be good if we let ours all grow back together.”  In addition to funding research, the McManus’s relatives created a GoFundMe campaign to lend a hand while Deirdre and Francis take time from work and manage the costs of Danny’s care.

Danny’s friends, before and after shaving their heads at the St. Baldrick’s Fundraising Event

A Turn for the Better

The next step in Danny’s treatment was a stem cell transplant. Statistically, 1 in 4 siblings have markers indicating they are a good match and won’t be rejected by the recipient. In Danny’s case, they were thrilled to discover that his brother, Colin, is a 100% donor match for Danny, making a stem cell transplant an ideal option. On January 4th Colin underwent a 3-hour operation–drawing bone marrow from both hips to obtain stem cells to populate Danny’s bone marrow. Since then, Danny has been improving every day, and although he has no immune system of his own yet, he was able to come home from the hospital after 133 days when they celebrated Danny’s 11th birthday on March 13th.

Danny’s friends paid a visit in honor of his birthday.

The McManuses are touched by the efforts made by every church and synagogue in the community. Melissa Gordon, who attends St. Patrick’s with the McManuses, says that since Danny’s diagnosis, a remarkable number of children and adults have filled the church on First Fridays, when the Church holds special services for adoration and prayer. At school, Danny’s teacher, Mrs. Marchesini, has kept Danny as involved as possible, and in the meantime made t-shirts, videos with messages from his classmates, and a video of the whole class singing Happy Birthday to Danny.

Shane Gordon and Danny look forward to getting on their bikes again and exploring the outdoors.  When I asked Shane how Danny’s illness has affected him and his friends he said, “It’s taught us a lot about cancer–how it can affect anyone, even kids… and that even with cancer Danny is still just Danny–my friend. He has shown us that having a strong growth mind-set helps get you through the things in life”.

(L-R): Deirdre McManus, Dr. Jordan Watson and Karen Wolownik
For those who would like to help, both the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital and The St. Baldrick’s Foundation accept donations.  In addition, the McManuses recommend registering with BeTheMatch.org to help someone in need of stem cells.

When a person develops leukemia, the body makes more white cells than it needs, crowding out the normal cells and affecting the way major organs work. Eventually, there aren’t enough red blood cells to supply oxygen, enough platelets to clot the blood, or enough normal white blood cells to fight infection.

Balancing the Scales in a Selfie World: March 20 at Byram Hills High School

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Please come to the final Wellness Speaker Series event at BHHS in Armonk for the 2016/17 school year.  Wellness_Flyer Balancing..March 2016.jpeg

Dr. Joanna Bronfman will present – Balancing the Scale in a Selfie World along with Molly Gerster, a Registered Dietician and Nutritionist.

The program will cover how to empower a positive self image, differentiating between healthy eating and restricting, how the media impacts all of our self images and striving to create balance in our lives.

This event is appropriate for adults and teens.  

March 20 at 7 p.m. BHHS Auditorium

Armonk Native Jeremy Blum and his Sixth Sense for Electrical Engineering

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Jeremy Blum working on a product at Shaper, a company that makes hand-held robotic power tools to help people make things.

 

When Jeremy Blum, 26, needs something, he just builds it.

The Armonk native and San Francisco transplant could never remember to bring his umbrella. So, he designed an umbrella stand that lights up when the forecast calls for rain. Not only that, the erudite electrical engineer’s stand is a customized 3D print, which also pings your phone if, despite the illuminated stand, you still forget your umbrella.

“You can teach yourself pretty much anything if you’re willing to spend a few hours on the Internet,” said Blum, head of electrical engineering at Shaper, a young company that makes hand-held robotic power tools.

In January, Forbes Magazine listed the prolific inventor as one of its 30 under 30 in the manufacturing and industry category. Forbes cites his work on Google Glass, his multiple patents and popular YouTube channel–which has many millions of views–dedicated to teaching people about electrical engineering.

“For me, something that’s really important is engineering education and basically making the prospect of building things cheaper and easier, and more accessible to more people,” he said, eager to bring up the subject.

“Because, I think if we have more people who are literate at building things and making things then we’re more likely to have people who are solving problems in a positive way that can impact the world.”

Jeremy Blum was a lead electrical system engineer at Google X, an innovation lab tasked by Google with coming up with solutions to big problems using technology.

At age 23, Blum published a book, “Exploring Arduino,” with the same intent, by walking readers through the “prototyping platform for embedded electronics” called Arduino.

“It’s basically an easy way to get started designing electronic systems,” he said. Blum describes it as a self-help book for self-starters. The book has been translated into several languages and is used at universities across the country, including his alma mater, Cornell University.

“Actually, this book was inspired by my class, and Jeremy did a great job presenting the key concepts of Arduino programming,” said Francois Guimbretière, associate professor at Cornell University and Blum’s professor for the rapid prototyping class where he first learned about Arduino. “It is only fitting for me to adopt it as a textbook.”

“I once asked him, ‘What is his dream life like?’” said Brenda Wilder, Blum’s grandmother, whose career teaching college-level biology sparked his early interest in science. “And he said, ‘Well, I do want to make money. But, only because I want to be able to stop working and get involved in projects like STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). In other words, help students learn science… He’s very altruistic, his heart is very much in the right place and I think one day he’s going to make a very big difference in this world. He actually already has.” The most high-profile of which is Google Glass, which took the world by storm in 2012.

“For a variety of technical, but more so social reasons, I don’t think it was every really destined to be the consumer product that people envisioned it might be,” said Blum, who worked on its system architecture and electrical design.

After Google Glass lost its luster in the public eye, Google refocused the product for enterprise situations, like assembly lines, medicine and health care, which Blum said is a lot of what he worked on.

He left Google X, an innovation lab under the Google umbrella at the time of his employment, for Shaper in October 2015 wanting to work on something new.

At a recent symposium for Byram Hills High School’s Science Research Program, Blum returned home to give a keynote address and show off some of the cool stuff he’s inventing these days. “He’s a real legacy here and we talk about him a lot,” said Stephanie Greenwald, one of the teachers for the Authentic Science Research Program at Byram Hills High School. “And he was so the same, genuine and kind and giving.”

The school’s Science Research Program, one of the first in the country, is a three-year science elective course in which students pick a topic, identify and work with a mentor in a related field and produce an original piece of research.

Combining his passion to help people with his interest in robotics, Blum designed and built a prosthetic control technology that used force sensors to supplement existing technology to build a prosthetic hand. His design was also intended to make the prosthetic more cost effective.

“Jeremy was always tinkering with something. I think his philosophy was something like, ‘Gee, I wonder if I could…’ and then he would,” said David Keith, director of the school’s Authentic Science Research Program.

At Cornell, Blum continued exploring robotics, while studying electrical and computer engineering for both his undergraduate and master’s program.

“Once you’ve built a bunch of stuff you just start to get a sense, kind of like a sixth sense, of what you need to make something happen,” he said.

Now, at Shaper, his focus is making power tools that make it easier for people to make their own things.

“I think it’s every person’s responsibility to leave some sort of positive impact on the world,” he said. “And I think there’s two ways to do that. You either directly impact people’s lives in some way… or, you make the tools that make it easier for a larger group of people to kind of pave their own way.”

Brian Donnelly is a Westchester native. He has been a local reporter in Westchester, national news health editor and public relations and social media specialist.