Long Island

Education

Graduations

Candice Ferrette

<p>Nassau Community College held its 56th commencement Sunday at its Garden City campus.</p>
<h3>Number of graduates</h3>
<p>Total: 3,866 associate degrees and certificates</p>
<h3>Commencement speaker</h3>
<p>Thomas P. Dolan, interim president of the college, said, “Questions, not just answers, are the way that we learn. The fact is, the questions are often as important as the answers.”</p>
<h3>Student speaker</h3>
<p>Jillian Pallone, Class of 2016 valedictorian, noted the college’s diversity and its impact on learning. “Some of us in this audience had the privilege to be the first college graduates of many generations in their families — an accomplishment that will stay within the roots of your lineage for ages.”</p>
<h3>Student reaction</h3>
<p>Mara Pincus, 20, liberal arts</p>
<p>“I didn’t even think I would graduate high school and now I’m getting a college degree,” said Pincus of East Meadow. She will go to SUNY New Paltz in the fall and hopes to become a social worker.</p>
<p>Garcelin Elisias, 20, business administration </p>
<p>“I’m going to Drexel University. I want to have a business career, gain experience and learn then open my own business,” said Elisias of Valley Stream.</p>
<p>Jessica Frangella, 36, liberal arts</p>
<p>“I was working 48 hours a week and taking five subjects, so it was hard, but I found that if you put your mind to it you can accomplish anything,” said Frangella of Oyster Bay. Frangella emigrated from El Salvador and is a mother with another child due in September. She graduated with honors.</p>
<p>Rabbi Arthur Schwartz, 69, mortuary science</p>
<p>“This isn’t so much a second career as it is an expansion of my current career to continue to serve the Jewish community,” said Schwartz of Huntington.</p>

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Nassau Community College 2016 commencement

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<p>Adelphi University held its 120th commencement Sunday at Nikon at Jones Beach Theater.</p>
<h3>Number of graduates</h3>
<p>Total number of graduates, 2,322: undergraduate 1,353; graduate 948; doctoral 21</p>
<h3>Commencement speaker</h3>
<p>Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, urged graduates to use their talents to improve the lives of children. “The greatest threat to America’s national and economic security does not wrest from any external enemy. It’s our failure to invest in healthy, educated children who have to become our future workforce in this country . . . Any nation that fails to prepare most of its children for productive work and life must correct course now. And all of us must be a part of the solution . . . We have got to have a new movement and it has to be about giving every child a healthy and safe and educated passage to adulthood.”</p>
<h3>Student speakers</h3>
<p>Karla Hernandez, 22 of Queens Village, who is the Class of 2016 president who earned a bachelor’s degree in English and psychology, said: “My hope for us all is to remember that throughout the challenges that will come with our future plans, we are still able to see the world for all its beauty and the significance of our place within it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ryan Sobeck, 24, of Bayside, who earned a master’s degree in fiction writing, said: “We are about to go out into the world where every opportunity is made by our own hands. And the hope is after four or more years of getting opportunities presented, we’d be able to recognize one when it’s in front of us.”</p>
<h3>Student reactions</h3>
<p>Peter J. Hraniotis, 21, English </p>
<p>“I’m ready to be extraordinary in the world . . . Adelphi has prepared me for that,” said Hraniotis of upstate Montgomery.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sophia King, 22, chemistry</p>
<p>“I’m going to get my PhD in chemistry. Then I plan on going into academia,” said King of Brooklyn. At Adelphi, she said, “I got to do a lot of things that I could only dream of as a kid.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Taylor Groth, 21, psychology </p>
<p>“It’s just the next step for me,” Groth, of Setauket, said of graduating. “Today is really just to show what I worked for and where I’m going.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Zachary Naglieri, 20, economics </p>
<p>“It’s been very special,” Naglieri, of Garden City, said of his college career. “It’s really special to have smaller class and have a good relationship with professors.”</p>

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Adelphi University 2016 commencement

2,322 graduate from Adelphi University

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<p>New York Institute of Technology held its 55th commencement Sunday at its campus in Old Westbury.</p>
<h3>Number of graduates</h3>
<p>2,900 graduates</p>
<h3>Commencement speaker</h3>
<p>New York Institute of Technology president Edward Guiliano</p>
<p>“We are an eclectic assortment of smart minds, bold ideas, and global thinkers — all connected by technology, which unites cultures and bridges nations across digital and geographic divides,” Guiliano said, adding “Here we’ve given you a wonderful canvas to create yourself, have the courage to fail, and confidence to live boldly and bravely as you create the future.”</p>
<h3>Student speaker</h3>
<p>Ana Robakidze 22, Astoria, computer science. </p>
<p>Robakidze, a native of the Republic of Georgia, said her mother contemplated hiding her identity because she wasn’t giving birth to a son. Men were valued more than women, Robakidze said, adding that studying computers was also considered masculine in her homeland. </p>
<p>“But I could come to NYIT and become a leader in computer science,” she said. “We didn’t get everything that life had to offer. Against all odds we are getting degrees. No one can say we’re not good enough.”</p>
<h3>Student reaction</h3>
<p>Anthony Devivo, 26, osteopathic medicine</p>
<p>“On July 1, I’m starting a three-year residency at Mt. Sinai St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital,” said Devivo, of Commack, who will specialize in emergency medicine. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Griselda Hernandez, 31, nursing</p>
<p>“I’m relocating to Houston, Texas. I have a job working in an operation room,” said Hernandez, a married mother of three from Central Islip. “That’s been my dream forever and God opened a door of opportunity.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tyler Gortakowski, 21, communication arts</p>
<p>“I want to get a master’s degree from the institute” before eventually working as a filmer and videographer at a film studio, said Gortakowski, of Bay Shore. His lifelong goal is to become a film director. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tracy Cohen, 24, computer science</p>
<p>“I’m going to take a big trip to Colorado, New Mexico and Nashville. Then I’ll be aiming for a job in cyber security,” said Cohen of Massapequa Park. She said she hopes her job will allow her to safeguard websites, computer networks and database systems and allow her to live in New York City or Los Angeles. </p>

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New York Institute of Technology 2016 commencement

Female tech graduate breaks the mold

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Scott Eidler

<p>SUNY Old Westbury held its 50th commencement ceremony Sunday at Panther Park Athletic Field at its campus in Old Westbury.</p>
<h3>Number of graduates</h3>
<p>1,070 undergraduates and 96 graduate students.</p>
<h3>Commencement speaker</h3>
<p>Michael J. Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health, spoke of his poor, Irish upbringing and provided maxims for post-college success. He suggested that students continue their education and be willing to handle new responsibilities as they present themselves. “Today is a step in the journey of life . . . You will be challenged, it is inevitable. Being defeated is optional.”</p>
<h3>Student speaker</h3>
<p>Antoinette Metoyer, 21, of Brooklyn, who is receiving her bachelor of science in criminology and served as Student Government Association president, said: “As I’ve reviewed my tenure here, I’ve come to the conclusion that this school prepares students to fight against important societal issues such as inequality and unequal levels of power.”</p>
<h3>Student reactions</h3>
<p>Axel Padilla, 25, Bellmore, criminology</p>
<p>“I met a lot of cool people and also improved my academic skills,” Padilla said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>David Tavarez, 29, Freeport, criminology</p>
<p>“Society has to be better. I’m going into law enforcement to try to do the right thing and help people,” Tavarez said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Joselyn Redrovan, 23, Roslyn, media/communication</p>
<p>“The most important thing is the sense of community and amount of responsibility that comes from being in a school like this,” Redrovan said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Francy Rios, 21, Bronx, media/communication</p>
<p>“Being here, I learned that you find yourself. School is what you make of it. I found myself. I stayed as involved as possible,” Rios said.</p>

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SUNY Old Westbury 2016 commencement

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<p>Suffolk County Community College held its 54th commencement ceremony Sunday at the college’s Brentwood campus.</p>
<h3>Number of graduates</h3>
<p>4,398 across 3 campuses — most in the college’s history</p>
<h3>Commencement speaker</h3>
<p>H. Carl McCall, chairman of the SUNY board of trustees, spoke about growing up in a family that received “welfare checks”, earning a college degree and having his name on every state check after being elected state comptroller. He urged the graduates to be VIPs - to be visionary, have integrity and participate in society. “Never underestimate the power you hold to change the course of policy and to change history,” he said.</p>
<h3>Student speakers</h3>
<p>Juhara Bushra, 21, of Ronkonkoma, who earned an associate degree in liberal arts/general studies and plans to become a physician, said, “You have made it here today because of your hardwork and determination — keep up the good work, listen to your heart and trust yourself with your own future.”</p>
<p>Matthew Sclafani, 20, of Lake Grove, who graduated with an associate degree in business administration and will attend the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, said, “Dedicate yourself completely to whatever it is you choose to do in life.”</p>
<p>Nkrumah “Nick” Gordon, 38, of Holbrook, who earned an associate degree in nursing and hopes eventually to become a nursing professor, said, “The faculty and counselors here have helped me to forge a key that can never be lost or broken: an education that will not only transform my life but the lives of my family and the patients that I will care for.”</p>
<h3>Student reactions</h3>
<p>Sue A. Washburn, 56, accounting</p>
<p>“Now that I have my degree, I hope I can move up at the environmental services company that I work for, maybe become controller,” said Washburn, of Patchogue.</p>
<p>Sattarock A. Blackwood, 23, criminal justice</p>
<p>“I’m going to CUNY/John Jay College in the fall and plan to become a cop, hopefully in Suffolk County,” said Blackwood, of Manorville.</p>
<p>Danielle M. Hartmann, 21, liberal arts</p>
<p>“I’m thinking about going into physical therapy because I like seeing people get better,” said Hartmann, of Hauppauge.</p>
<p>Matthew Williams, 20, communications</p>
<p>“I’ll be studying communications and sports management in the fall at the University of Connecticut and I hope to go into public relations for a professional sports team; if I’m lucky, it will be the Islanders,” said Williams, of Centereach.</p>

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Suffolk County Community College 2016 commencement

4,398 SCCC grads honored at commencement

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<p>Briarcliffe College held its commencement ceremony Saturday on the Brentwood campus of Suffolk County Community College.</p>
<h3>Number of graduates</h3>
<p>384 with 166 associate degrees and 218 bachelor’s degrees.</p>
<h3>Commencement speaker</h3>
<p>Dr. Harold Fernandez, a professor of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at the Hofstra Northwell School of Medicine, said he came to the United States illegally from Medellín, Colombia, arriving in Florida in a small boat at age 13. He later earned degrees from Princeton and Harvard universities. Fernandez told graduates he isn’t a famous politician or athlete — “just someone who came here without documents who faced obstacles and a lot of adversity and was able to make a dream of helping people a reality . . . It doesn’t matter if people tell you [that] you can’t make it in life because you’re undocumented, because of the color of your skin, because of your gender, because of your orientation. No, you can make it.”</p>
<h3>Student speakers</h3>
<ul>
 <li>Valedictorian Denise Titone, 47, of Farmingville, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, said she began attending Briarcliffe after she was laid off during a downsizing of a manufacturing company. She urged fellow graduates not to fear change. “Don’t pick a job that’s safe. Take risks,” she said. “Go out there, and show the world the potential that is in you.”</li>
 <li>Salutatorian Garrett Majka, 20, of Centereach, who earned an associate degree in accounting, said that “success is not how much money you make or how many Twitter followers you have. Believe me. I think success derives from respect.”</li>
</ul>
<h3>Student reactions</h3>
<p><b>Vikki Castillo, 26, Brentwood, graphic design</b>. “I hope everything does play out when it comes to our degrees, that it will be real after 2018,” Castillo said. “Everyone advises us that it will.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Cecelia Young, 20, Centereach, graphic design.</b> “With art therapy, I can combine my love for art with my love for helping people,” Young said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Crystal Dunn, 21, Central Islip, health care management.</b> “It’s hard that it [Briarcliffe] won’t be here, so that maybe one day when I have kids, they won’t be able to see the college that I went to,” Dunn said. The school announced it is closing its Patchogue and Brentwood campuses.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><b>Maryuri </b><b>Moreno-Arevalo, 24, Westbury, health care management. </b>“Health care is the future,” Moreno-Arevalo said. “People are always going to get sick, unfortunately.” </p>

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Briarcliffe College 2016 commencement

384 graduate from Briarcliffe

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<p>LIU Post hosted its 57th commencement on the university’s Brookville campus Friday.</p>
<h4>Number of graduates</h4>
<p>1,115 bachelor’s, 129 combined bachelor’s/master’s, 1,059 master’s and 64 doctoral degrees. </p>
<h4>Commencement speaker</h4>
<p>David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue airlines, spoke about the importance of altruism and having a good attitude. He also encouraged graduates to chase careers they’re passionate about. “Your work is going to fill so much of your life. You want to do something you believe is great work,” he said. “If you have two job offers and one pays more and the other is something you really want to do — please, please — take the job you really want to do.” </p>
<h4>Student speaker </h4>
<p>Class of 2016 valedictorian Daniel Kirsanov graduated Friday with both a bachelor’s in accounting and a master’s in business administration after completing the university’s accelerated five-year program. He will work at the Manhattan accounting firm Ernst &amp; Young. In his speech, he congratulated fellow graduates and gave them some advice. </p>
<p>“Some of us have probably heard the suggestion that we shouldn’t set our expectations too high in an effort to avoid the disappointment of failure. I, for one, strongly disagree with that. I say, set your goals as high as you can and don’t get discouraged because you will have another chance,” he said. </p>
<h4>Student reactions</h4>
<p>Mijail Mariano, 25, economics</p>
<p>“I want to continue my education and one day become a professor,” said Mariano, of Westbury, who served in the Army and completed a tour of duty in Afganistan before attending LIU Post. “The professors here really influenced and inspired me to pursue that.” </p>
<p>Shamim Amin Lalani, 43, family nurse practitioner</p>
<p>“This is an exceptional accomplishment that I could only dream about,” said Lalani, as she cried hugging her husband and 11-year-old son. Lalani emigrated from India and now lives in Woodbury.</p>
<p>Djumaye Dumay, 23, health care administration</p>
<p>“I want to help the world in anyway I can,” said Dumay, of Elmont. “I knew I did not want to go into the clinical side of healthcare, though.”</p>
<p>Amaury Narvaez, 22, fine arts/film</p>
<p>“I’m not ready to grow up yet!” said Narvaez, of Ronkonkoma, who plans to be a comedy film writer and director.</p>

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LIU Post 2016 commencement held in Brookville

LIU Post grads told to set high expectations

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<p>New York College of Health Professions held its 21st commencement ceremony Sunday at the Melville Marriott hotel.</p>
<h3>Number of graduates</h3>
<p>212: 165 associate degrees, 32 bachelor’s degrees, 15 bachelor’s/master’s joint degrees</p>
<h3>Commencement speaker</h3>
<p>Fashion designer Tina Tandon spoke about her childhood in North Carolina and India, studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, and launching her T.Tandon clothing line, which caught the eye of actress Brooke Shields and other celebrities. “It’s not always about where you come from and who you are. It’s about knowing what you want to do and going after it with a very focused intention. . . . Things will magically happen in your favor. You just have to want it bad,” Tandon said, adding that she is helping to develop the college’s Acupressure clothing line.</p>
<h3>Student speakers</h3>
<p>Peter Scherer, 47, of Long Beach, who earned an associate degree in massage therapy, said, “How public health succeeds or does not is now a part of our personal crossroads. . . . It’s within our hands, reaching into our own communities, to touch the lives of others who must cope and who need our touch on their path to wellness.”</p>
<p>Eric Hsu, 30, of New Hyde Park, graduated with a bachelor of professional studies/master of science degree in Oriental medicine: “My friends here showed me that one person alone can’t save the world. But together, we can heal the world one needle at a time.”</p>
<h3>Student reactions</h3>
<p>Kimberly Holmes-Cardona, 28, Manhattan, massage therapy</p>
<p>“I want to work with families, to try to help them through pregnancy, which can be a very scary process,” said Holmes-Cardona.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marc Greenstein, 35, Rocky Point, acupuncture</p>
<p>“There is a need for a more natural way to heal, to deliver that option instead of people being forced to go to a medical doctor for medication,” said Greenstein, who with his wife operates a massage therapy practice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anna Kwiatkoski, 24, Minola, massage therapy</p>
<p>“I find it fascinating that, through touch, I can help someone,” said Kwiatkoski.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Andrew Chung Choi, 31, Little Neck, Queens, massage therapy</p>
<p>“I want to work with Moy Yee San Jong, the martial arts school that I attend in Brooklyn, to help people when they get injured,” said Choi.</p>

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New York College of Health Professions 2016 commencement

212 graduate from health professions college

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<p>Aisha Sandoval will earn her bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph’s College next month and for her, like many graduates, it will embody more than the completion of academic coursework.</p>
<p>Sandoval, 26, a sergeant in the U.S. Army, completed a tour of duty in Afghanistan, worked full time as she attended school, and met other challenges, including the announcement to her family that she is gay. She was gratified by her parents’ support, and went on to get married during her undergraduate years.</p>
<p>“It all comes down to this one day, and I can finally celebrate the fact that I was able to balance my personal life, my Army life and my college life,” said Sandoval, of Bethpage. “There are people who have helped me make this dream come true — and you really want everyone there with you.”</p>
<p>This year, however, St. Joseph’s College must limit to five the number of guest tickets that each of its 1,047 graduates can have. The Patchogue institution is among four Long Island college commencements displaced by renovations to the 16,000-seat Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Instead, the school will hold two separate ceremonies at the NYCB Theatre at Westbury, which has 2,800 seats.</p>
<p>Adelphi University in Garden City and Molloy College in Rockville Centre have moved their ceremonies to the 15,000-seat Nikon at Jones Beach Theater, while Nassau Community College will host its event on the Garden City campus’ quadrangle. In the coming weeks, these colleges will look ahead to 2017 and decide on whether to return to the Coliseum — expected to reopen in March, three months behind schedule.</p>
<p>Commencement planners said they are both excited and nervous about the venue change. Bringing their ceremonies to Jones Beach poses some questions about what to do in the event of inclement weather. At least one college — Molloy — ordered thousands of ponchos stamped with the school’s seal, as well as umbrellas and baseball hats, to give out to grads and their families.</p>
<p>For more than a decade, thousands of Long Island graduates traversed the stage at the cavernous Coliseum in Uniondale. While most were in their early 20s, the ceremonies often included a sizable population of what higher education experts call “nontraditional students,” such as military veterans, single and/or working parents, older students and those who had overcome adversity, poverty. Many were the first in their family to receive a college degree.</p>
<p>Year after year, entire rows of family members rose to their feet to cheer, some holding signs, as the name of their graduate was read. Beach balls bounced in the air above the graduating class as they sat in row upon row of folding chairs on the floor where the Islanders hockey team played, listening to speeches delivered by college presidents, notable alums, celebrities and, in a local tradition of sorts, Sen. Chuck Schumer.</p>
<p>“You can never quite be prepared for what’s going to happen when you’re planning an event that big,” said Mary Aldridge, who has chaired Adelphi’s commencement committee for the past 10 years. This year, 2,222 students will receive their degrees.</p>
<p>The ceremony requires nearly a year of planning, which usually ramps up in January. At the Coliseum, the event was predictable and smooth: There was always enough space, parking and wheelchair accessibility. Planners never had to worry about the rain or the hot sun, as they did when they hosted commencement on Adelphi’s campus in Garden City.</p>
<p>There also was a history to the venue that excited the native Long Islanders in the class, she said.</p>
<p>“Every year would be a nail-biter to see how well the Islanders are doing and if they were going to make the playoffs,” Aldridge said. “I wanted to be happy for them, but it created a lot of logistical uncertainty for us.”</p>
<p>Then there was the year Madonna used the Coliseum to rehearse for her worldwide tour just around graduation season and the stage was reconfigured to suit her needs.</p>
<p>“All we could think was ‘What will this mean for us,’ ” Aldridge said. (Luckily, working with the backdrop was not a problem and colleges had access to the concert-quality video screens.)</p>
<p>Bob Houlihan, vice president for student affairs at Molloy College, coordinates graduation for 10,000 to 11,000 people. He said the colleges generally want to keep their graduation ceremonies on the Island, but finding a venue large enough is challenging.</p>
<p>“If you go through four years of college, you should be able to invite as many people as you want to watch you walk across that stage,” Houlihan said. “It is also about showing the rest of the kids in the family what is possible for their future.”</p>
<p>Molloy’s ceremony, which includes 1,050 graduates this year, is for the undergraduates, master’s and doctoral students. Houlihan said part of what he enjoys about having one large ceremony is that undergraduates get to watch the PhD students’ hooding ceremony, something he hopes will inspire them to continue their academic studies.</p>
<p>Houlihan said the college hasn’t yet decided on whether to book the Coliseum for commencement in 2017. Officials at some of the colleges are unsure it will be an option.</p>
<p>Mandy Gutmann, spokeswoman for the Nassau Events Center, the firm that is renovating the Coliseum and is owned by the same company that manages the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, said, “The intent is to include community events, which includes graduations,” but none is booked so far.</p>
<p>For the colleges, there remains the possibility of bringing the ceremonies back to their campuses. Doing that would require strictly limiting the number of guests, holding multiple ceremonies to accommodate the graduates or setting aside places where people can watch a simulcast of the event.</p>
<p>Samuele Riva has four relatives and a family friend flying in from his small hometown in Italy next month to watch him receive his degree from Farmingdale State College.</p>
<p>The school will hold two ceremonies in Nold Hall Gymnasium — one in the morning for graduates of the School of Business and the School of Health Sciences, and the other in the afternoon for graduates of the School of Arts &amp; Sciences and the School of Engineering Technology. Each graduate gets five tickets, which are free.</p>
<p>Riva, 22, of Varese, a city of about 80,000 some 40 minutes north of Milan, is getting a bachelor of science in sports management. He plans to start law school at Touro Law Center in the fall and go on to a career as an agent for athletes.</p>
<p>“No one in my family ever went to college,” said Varese, the son of a contractor and a secretary. “They invested in me and my dreams, and this is my way of giving back to my parents. To be there in front of them, walking on stage — it will really be a great moment.”</p>

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Nassau Coliseum’s renovation alters schools’ graduation plans

Coliseum’s renovation alters graduation plans

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2016 Long Island college graduations

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Man who drove drunk and killed Nassau police officer gets up to 22 years in prison

Classic car enthusiasts gathered in Lindenhurst Sunday for the 2026 Holy Black Hot Rod Block Party. NewsdayTV's Andrew Ehinger reports.

'It's the best thing I have'

From pizza to clams, Newsday food writer Andi Berlin visits two restaurants that are on the way to Northwell at Jones Beach Theater.

Eats en route to Jones Beach

Former Holy Trinity lineman reflects on football program suspension

NewsdayTV's Marie Elena Martinez got a sneak peek at the new Babylon Whiskey Down Diner location, which is currently under construction with plans to open in the fall.

Take a peek inside Whiskey Down Diner's new location

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Newsday is highlighting the passionate, engaging and innovative educators of Long Island with its Teacher Spotlight feature.

Teacher Spotlight

High School Sports

Residents in LI's more than 120 school districts weighed in on board candidates, budgets and propositions. See how your district voted. For additional information, read our article here.

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