The Inside Press

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Horace Greeley High School

Poetry’s Purpose: A Creative and Charitable Initiative Launched by Greeley’s Devisi Goel

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Last year, Devisi Goel, as a sophomore at Horace Greeley, founded Poetry’s Purpose, to raise funds for charitable causes. It is poetry for a cause.

And today, as a high school junior, Devisi continues to offer her considerable poetry writing skills to raise money for causes she or the poetry requestor supports.

The concept is simple, so elegant and powerful.

People request personalized poems for their loved ones for a particular event or reason, Devisi explains. She will ask pertinent questions and get to work. She and her fellow poetry writers (at this juncture it is Devisi mostly penning the poems, but other students have participated) will then donate 100% of the payment to a charity that she or the person commissioning the poem supports. 

Devisi explains her motivation for continuing the endeavor: “I always loved to write poetry. I loved the precision present in the choosing and placement of words. I loved the unstructured look, the way words would flow across the paper, presenting themselves in exactly the manner with which they should be read. 

“I loved how every line could be interpreted in a multitude of different ways…

 “During the pandemic, I noticed a common phenomenon spreading across my community, and the entire country: A desire to give back. Different students would make groups dedicated to creating masks or raising money for the front-line workers. Celebrities hosted TV specials to raise our hopes and happiness. I wanted to join this worldwide effort, and so I decided to combine my two passions, poetry and community service, to create Poetry’s Purpose.”

It started “simply one or two customers who were family friends. But with the word getting out at farmer’s markets, and through social media and various interviews with newspapers, Poetry’s Purpose grew. 

“We began getting more and more requests from strangers, people who were looking for a meaningful gift to send to their family, or for something silly to make them laugh.”

During the holiday season, Devisi sent donations from poems to the Mt. Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry, as one example.

“COVID-19 has severely hurt our country, and a prominent problem present in our community is food insecurity. Families are unable to get their basic necessities, to be able to put food on their table,” she explains. “The food pantry aids with this. Its volunteers create a safe environment, and they provide hope to those who need it. They make sure that no one leaves without feeling better than when they came in.”

At any time, and not just during the holidays, you can give the gift of poetry to your loved one and at the same time, the gift of food to someone in need, explains Devsi.

To explore the possibility of Devisi writing a poem on your behalf for a special person or occasion, and having your donation go to a charity, contact her, poetrypurpose2020@gmail.com

Also, visit www.poetryspurpose.com

Follow her on Instagram too, @poetryspurpose.

Chappaqua’s First-Ever TEDx Event Coming February 13th!

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By Krissh Bhargava & Ethan Kuperman

“Ideas for the Future” – TEDxYouth@HGHS

It was this phrase that inspired me to organize TEDxYouth@HGHS, Chappaqua’s first TEDx event. It was December 2021, and COVID had just peaked. Student motivation at home was at an all-time low. Staring at a blank camera screen for the whole day became the norm, and life was dull. We were tired of it. We wanted a break from the dull, monotone life that COVID had created. We wanted to rekindle the flame that motivated us to be curious, explore, and test our bounds of discovery.

Our solution to this problem was TEDxYouth@HGHS. With the intent of inspiration and spreading powerful ideas, TEDx events are local, self-organized events that bring people together in conferences comprising series of short, concept-focused talks. I thought that it was the perfect opportunity for Chappaqua. At first, I reached out to one of my close friends, Ethan Kuperman, with whom I co-organized the event. Soon, the organizing team expanded to seven members (Krissh Bhargava, Ethan Kuperman, Gabriel Paley, Maria Zvereva, Aaron Silver, Zachary Wolk, and Carly Googel) and a dedicated club at Horace Greeley High School. We began our license application to TED and, after a couple weeks of work, the event was approved! Ecstatic, we started planning. We split our duties and worked towards the goal in the distance. While some of us reached out to prospective speakers, others reached out to potential sponsors. Nearly three months after its inception, the plan for TEDxYouth@HGHS began to take shape.

This was back in February of 2021. A lot has changed since then. From a blueprint of Chappaqua’s first TEDx conference back then, to now, we currently have three speakers lined up, $700 in corporate funding, 66 other club members at Horace Greeley High School, and a set plan for the conference.

If you’re interested in attending the event, please fill out this registration form. For more information, feel free to visit our website. We look forward to seeing you at TEDxYouth@HGHS!

If you would like to see further details, please look below:

About Our Event:

Name: TEDxYouth@HGHS

Venue: Zoom

Date: February 13th

Event Type: Public

Speakers: Avi Loeb, Chitra Dorai, Chirag Kumar, and Christine Vogensen

Theme: Ideas for the Future

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to tedxchappaqua@gmail.com.

Website:https://www.tedxyouthhghs.com/

About TEDx, x = independently organized event

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED

TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, often in the form of short talks delivered by leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED conferences, intimate TED Salons and thousands of independently organized TEDx events around the world. Videos of these talks are made available, free, on TED.com and other platforms. Audio versions of TED Talks are published to TED Talks Daily, available on all podcast platforms.

TED’s open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; TEDx, which licenses thousands of individuals and groups to host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities; The Audacious Project, which surfaces and funds critical ideas that have the potential to impact millions of lives; TED Translators, which crowdsources the subtitling of TED Talks so that big ideas can spread across languages and borders; and the educational initiative TED-Ed. TED also offers TED@Work, a program that reimagines TED Talks for workplace learning. TED also has a growing library of original podcasts, including The TED Interview with Chris Anderson, WorkLife with Adam Grant, Far Flung with Saleem Reshamwala and How to Be a Better Human.

Follow TED on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and on LinkedIn.

Remembering and Honoring Linda Zhang

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Linda Zhang was a determined young woman with a passion to save the world. She lived the statement – “be that one person” – knowing the power of one’s voice and actions to enact environmental change. Through her zero waste lifestyle, her influential writing, and insightful YouTube videos on sustainability, Linda inspired others to join her in protecting and preserving the planet for future generations. 

Unable to shoulder the responsibility of saving the world, Linda, at age 18, ended her life last year, but her advocacy and legacy endures through the nonprofit Linda J. Zhang Memorial Foundation, created by her parents, Mingbao Zhang and Li Tang. Its mission is to help protect the environment and fight the climate crisis by raising awareness and promoting positive actions and behaviors. “Linda had a heart of pure gold. She cared about people, children, animals. When she saw environmental challenges she felt the urgency to act,” said Zhang. “We created the Foundation to spread the work Linda began and fulfill her wish that society – all of humanity – face the climate crisis and help make the world better by changing how we live and reducing our carbon footprint.”  

Linda was devoted to her beliefs, shopping at thrift stores, teaching her parents how to live more environmentally-friendly, attending environment-related forums, and spearheading a campaign at Horace Greeley to replace bottled water with locally sourced water. To bring greater attention to her beliefs and the vital issues plaguing the world, Linda scheduled a letter to be mailed to the New York Times on the day after her death, explaining her desolate feelings, writing, ‘despite what we all know, the world still considers environmentalism to be something noble, something additional, rather than something necessary.’ 

Linda was heartsick and saddened that people failed to see what was happening in the world and felt she did not want to be part of it “reciting poetry even as the world is burning.’ Linda’s death placed the spotlight on how everyone needs to step up and have more empathy. “Everybody is busy with their daily lives, but our daughter was a thinker, a writer. She was way ahead of us in seeing what was happening. She was proud of her work with the environment and we were really proud of her,” said Zhang.  

To strengthen the connection between Linda’s talent in writing and commitment to the environment, the first inaugural Linda J. Zhang Award for Writing Achievement was presented this summer to Horace Greeley High School senior Erica Dunne. “Linda was very creative, and we encouraged and supported her writing,” said her parents, noting Linda was a gifted writer, an honor student at the Hoff Barthelson music school, and was the recipient of numerous honors and regional and national awards for her writing, including a Scholastic gold medal in poetry in 2018 and a Claudia Ann Seaman Award for Fiction in 2019. 

In addition, Linda was an alumnus of several major national workshops for young writers including the highly selective and prestigious Iowa Young Writers Studio and the Kenyon Young Writers Workshop. In addition, the Foundation also worked with Horace Greeley to set up the Linda J. Zhang Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability Award that is given annually to two graduating seniors in recognition of their outstanding leadership in environmental and sustainability issues and to encourage other students. 

As the school year begins, Linda’s parents recall how their daughter loved school and enjoyed working at the Chappaqua Library as a student volunteer and later as a paid page until graduation, and teaching piano at a local charity music program for less-privileged children. To honor Linda, the library will be creating Linda’s Corner. “It will be a special place to encourage more young people to write, think about the environment, and use their talents to advocate like Linda did,” said Tang. 

To appreciate her Asian-American heritage, in 2019 Linda traveled to a remote area in China to teach English, art, and music to elementary school children, she taught herself Korean language, and she appreciated Chinese art. “Linda was a curious person and always wanted to be part of bigger things. When she was little, every week we went to the library, and she always brought bags of books home. She always carried a notebook and put down her thoughts about people and places,” said Tang.     

Through the Foundation Linda’s parents hope to mobilize others to do their part to save the world. “Before she brought these concepts to us, we didn’t realize it, but now we stop and think and you start making the change and it becomes part of your routine. By doing it we are reducing waste,” said Zhang. Linda asked others to respect the planet, be kind, and live a life of good intentions so future generations can thrive. 

“Young people’s voices are strong. Linda cared passionately for the world and she could have done so much. We need to keep conversation about climate change alive and mobilize more people to spread the word,” said Zhang. “Linda wanted to do something meaningful and was always helping and advocating everywhere she could,” added Tang. “We really, really miss her.”   

For more information on the Foundation, visit: https://lindazhangfoundation.org or https://www.facebook.com/LindaZhangFoundation/

Chappaqua Acts for the Environment

A group inspired by Linda, Chappaqua Acts for the Environment was founded by Chappaqua residents Susan Rubin, Tara Walsh, and Amy Barone. According to its website, its mission is to be emotionally supportive while delivering honest climate change information and education based on scientific facts and projections, and to provide survival skills through training and tools to the Chappaqua community. “So many people were devastated by Linda’s death and want to do something,” said Li Tang who does not want her daughter to have died in vain. Zhang agrees. “It’s bittersweet. This group will carry on her legacy. People are encouraged by her and will carry on what she started.”

In Remembrance of Danielle Taylor Leventhal

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Danielle Taylor Leventhal, beautiful ray of sunshine and strong-willed woman, passed away on August 4, 2021 at the age of 27, after four years of outliving terminal cancer. She is survived by her parents, Eric and Jennifer (Hecht) Leventhal of Rye (formerly Chappaqua); brother Alex Leventhal; Cavapoo Hudson; maternal grandparents Kelvin and Carolyn (Robinson) Hecht of Avon, CT; paternal grandparents Dr. Gerald and Judi (Blumenreich) Leventhal of Scarsdale, NY; Aunt Carrie Hecht Trookman (Nate) of Colorado Springs, CO; Uncle Charles Hecht (Robyn) of Needham, MA; Aunt Robyn Leventhal of Portland, OR; cousins across the country and dear friends and Alpha Phi sisters around the world. 

Danielle was born in 1994 and grew up in Chappaqua, NY where she graduated Horace Greeley High School in 2012. In 2016, she graduated from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, with a double major in painting and art history. Carrying the school flag as a Grand Marshal during commencement was one of the highlights of her life. 

A gifted artist, Danielle was the recipient of the Jeffrey Frank Wacks Scholarship for Fine Arts, the Mary Cowan Harford Award in Watercolor, and the Scholastic National Silver Medal for Painting. In addition to her commissioned paintings – including one for Hillary Rodham Clinton – she worked for several art institutions, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Saint Louis Art Museum, and Matthew Marks Gallery. During her remission, Danielle worked as a Graphic Designer for Makovsky Public Relations and as a Dreamweaver at Eleven Madison Park.

Two charitable organizations added joy and meaning to the last years of Danielle’s life. First Descents empowered her to push herself beyond her diagnosis by “out living it” through outdoor adventures like ice climbing. SOUL RYEDERS taught her to accept the kindness and resources offered by incredible volunteers who support neighbors with cancer. In 2019, she introduced these two groups to one another, and they have collaborated since on programs to change the lives of other young adults battling cancer.

A funeral will be held Friday, August 6th at 11:00 a.m. at Temple Beth El in Chappaqua, NY.

In memory of Danielle, donations can be made to Danielle’s Dreams, via SOUL RYEDERS 

#CommunityStrong Inspirations

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From embracing a social justice movement to volunteerism and businesses adapting in a pandemic, the many ways New Castle stayed strong!

At a rally in downtown Chappaqua in August. Photo by Grace Bennett/Inside Press

In June, New York protestors told NBC News that they were fighting two pandemics: the coronavirus and racism. During these difficult times, New Castle residents have banded together to stay #CommunityStrong.

At the foot of the Quaker Road Bridge, there have been local peaceful protests and “parades” in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. On June 13, over 100 people committed to sparking change in New Castle attended “A Rally for Change-Stand Up Against Racial Injustice,” an event held by New Castle Against Racism, a group of Horace Greeley students and alumni.

Members of the community created several Facebook pages to combat racism. One, for example, Chappaqua Anti-Racism Dialogue Group: Reconciling Privilege, provides a space for people to educate themselves, their friends and their families, according to the group’s page description.

Additionally, on Monday, August 3, dozens of community members congregated downtown for a peaceful Black Lives Matter march. People marched with such signs as “SAY THEIR NAMES,” “BLACK LIVES MATTER,” and “YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE BLACK TO BE OUTRAGED.”

Also looking to ignite change in New Castle are sisters and former Horace Greeley High School students, Bhavya and Divya Gopinath They collected video accounts from current students and alumni who shared stories about racism they faced within the school district.

They edited the stories into a compilation and sent the video to the Board of Education and Chappaqua Central School District administrators. Said the Gopinath sisters: “It’s easy to turn a blind eye to this and say that racism doesn’t exist in this privileged community, so we made this video, so the stories don’t go unnoticed.”

These efforts to combat racism in New Castle will continue to strengthen this community.

Chappaqua Central School District Superintendent Christine Ackerman sent an email to all members of the district that said, “The events described by our former students are appalling and illustrate why we must continue to take meaningful and deliberate action to effectuate change to address racism in our society. We understand there is a gap between our espoused values and current reality. We are committed to change.”

Bhavya and Divya Gopinath also received an email from Board of Education President Victoria Tipp on behalf of the Board of Education. The Board authorized the formation of a Community Advisory Committee on Anti-Racism, Equity and Social Justice to enact change in the district.

“We believe that these steps will make a significant and positive difference, and we are committed to seeing these actions through as we keep social justice at the center of our work moving forward,” said Ackerman.

Simultaneously, Chappaqua residents have been coping with the coronavirus pandemic and the challenges that the virus presents. However, throughout it, small businesses, families and individuals have found ways to stay strong.

Telehealth Sessions

“In over 13 years of business, we have never faced a more challenging and uncertain time as this past March. What kept us strong was the commitment and passion of our team and the loyalty of our patients. In a matter of days, we were able to pivot the practice to Telehealth,” said Matt Marucci of New Castle Physical Therapy & Personal Training. “This took persistence and ingenuity on the part of therapists and patients alike. We are up and running now with stringent COVID-19 precautions, but we continue to offer the Telehealth sessions we developed back in March. We are deeply grateful for all of the community support we have received during this challenging time.”

Safety First

Another local business trying to provide access to physical activity while also staying safe is Armonk Tennis Club/Armonk Indoor. They modified their protocols with the safety of their clients as their top priority.

“We at Armonk Tennis Club and Armonk Indoor Sports Center realized soon into the quarantine how important sports are to our physical and mental well-being. As summer approached, we knew that people would want to get active again but in a safe manner. The rules and guidelines we implemented showed our tennis players and campers that their safety is our top priority, and the result has been a great summer. We understand that procedures must be modified in the fall as people come indoors, but we’re still excited about providing a safe environment for the community to learn, play, and compete in,” said Armonk Indoor representative Beau Shea.

Ultimately staying safe is a priority for many businesses. Bill Flooks from Beecher Funeral Home said that despite all the special challenges, “We have managed to get this far with Covid-19.”  On behalf of the Flooks Family, he stated: “Keep up the good work, be smart, be prudent, be safe.”

Several area photographers including Donna Mueller, Carolyn Simpson and Randi Childs are still bringing smiles to families’ faces through the acclaimed #TheFrontPorchProject.

Local chambers throughout the area have been sharing news from the county regarding federal and regional grant and loan options, about available personal protective equipment (‘PPE’) and producing e-newsletters to the community in which businesses post their services. The Chappaqua Millwood Chamber most recently launched ‘New Castle Restart’ to fundraise for grants to small businesses impacted.

Reaching Out

Additionally, during the spike in the number of coronavirus cases in Westchester County, community members banded together and rose to the occasion. Individuals and groups made masks for essential workers, those on the frontlines and the immunocompromised. A series of articles for theinsidepress.com spotlighted these extraordinary efforts.

There was also never a shortage of pizza and other welcome meals distributed to front line health care workers at local hospitals and to first responders thanks to an extraordinary response to a Chappaqua Moms fundraiser.

The Food Pantry at the Community Center of Northern Westchester donated over 7,400 pounds of food and necessities to those in need since late March according to Reverend Martha Jacobs, Senior Minister at the First Congregational Church in Chappaqua.

To stay community strong during the thick of the coronavirus pandemic, people searched for ways to help.

“I am deeply grateful to serve such a caring and engaged community as ours.  While we clergy are used to checking in on our congregants, I have been humbled by the number of congregants who have turned the tables and reached out to inquire how we staff members are holding up,” said Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester Jonathan Jaffe. “Similarly, we were overwhelmed with offers by individuals seeking to volunteer and help in any way possible.  Such moments underscore the sense of covenantal relationship within our community.”

Smart, Agile Community

New Castle Town Supervisor Ivy Pool is impressed by the leadership she has seen both at town hall and among the residents.

“New Castle is a smart, agile community that has time and again demonstrated our leadership in a range of areas. The coronavirus cluster that occurred at the HGHS graduation and related events was a wakeup call for all of us. To defeat the outbreak, we needed to come together as a community and double-down on our social distancing efforts and enforcement,” said Pool. “The outbreak didn’t happen just anywhere–it happened in New Castle, a community of leaders and achievers who were determined to do something.”

Determined to stop the spread, Pool and the rest of the town board passed the first local legislation in the state that required people to wear face masks whenever social distancing is not possible.

“With this new law in place, our police officers have a tool to enforce social distancing, and our community has responded beautifully to our calls to “mask up!” said Pool. “Coming together in the face of adversity is who we are; leading by example is what we do. We are #CommunityStrong.”