BETH YOUNG PHOTO | Mattituck junior Elly Bergen and her band teacher, Tim Caskin. Elly, a vibraphonist, is the first Mattituck student named to the All State Jazz Band.

Mattituck High School is celebrating this month because junior Elly Bergen is one of 17 students across New York State selected for the All State Jazz Band.

The vibraphonist is the first student the district has ever sent to the state jazz band, principal Shawn Petretti told the school board during its Sept. 20 session.

“They have to do a jazz solo. It’s a very difficult audition process. It’s very challenging,” said Tim Caskin, Elly’s band teacher.

“The hardest part is knowing if you don’t perform your best, you’re not going to be nominated,” said Elly. “I had a friend who got a 97, and you don’t even have the opportunity to get nominated. You have to get 100. They’re really big odds. I never earned 100 ever before. I couldn’t imagine it was going to happen.”

Elly played the piece “Summer Scene” by Tom Brown at her audition.

Read more about Elly’s accomplishment in the October 4 issue of The Suffolk Times.

BETH YOUNG FILE PHOTO | Mattituck superintendent James McKenna at a school board meeting last year.

A missing video recording of the Mattituck-Cutchogue Board of Education meeting when Anthony Claudio’s employment as a special education teacher ended was a major theme during the first day of testimony in his case against the district for age and gender discrimination.

Opening statements in the civil suit filed in 2009 by Mr. Claudio against his former employer began Tuesday afternoon before Judge Joseph Bianco at the federal courthouse in Central Islip. Jury selection was completed that morning, with three male and five female jurors having been selected.

In his complaint, Mr. Claudio, 50, alleges that he was not offered tenure in a special education department where 28 of 30 employees were female and most were younger than 30. He’s seeking reinstatement, back pay and punitive damages in his complaint.

Mr. Claudio’s attorney, Frank Blangiardo of Cutchogue, said during his opening statement that the ratio of female employees to male employees at the school is 8 to 1 and it has become “chock-full of young, young women” since 2005 when James McKenna became district superintendent.

“The evidence will show Mr. McKenna hired young women he can mold,” Mr. Blangiardo said.

The Board of Education voted 4-3 on April 16, 2009 to end Mr. Claudio’s probationary period, with board president Jerry Diffley, then-vice president Debra Cahill and board member Janique Nine voting in opposition to the resolution, according to minutes from the meeting.

Mr. Claudio also alleges in his suit that in the days leading up to the board meeting, school board members were “threatened and influenced” by Mr. McKenna and high school principal Shawn Petretti to vote along with the superintendent’s recommendation.

The location of the video recording of that school board meeting dominated Tuesday’s testimony.

The plaintiff’s first witness, district clerk Cathy Gilliard, who also serves as Mr. McKenna’s secretary, said the school’s audio/visual coordinator Lisa Hinsch would bring her VHS tapes of the meetings and they were kept in her office.

“I know it was videotaped that night,” Ms. Gilliard said of the April 16, 2009 school board meeting. “After that, I don’t know.”

Ms. Hinsch was later called to the stand and she testified that she was hired in Oct. 2008 but didn’t start collecting the videotapes until June 2009. Prior to that, Ms. Gilliard collected them, she said.

After a high school student records a Board of Education meeting, Ms. Hinsch said she drops off the videotape at Southold Town Hall in order for it to be broadcast on public access and then returns it to Ms. Gilliard.

Ms. Gilliard testified that the school has a system in place where people can borrow the videotapes and she said “several” 2009 board meeting video recording are missing.

In addition to the missing VHS tape, Ms. Gilliard’s appointment as district clerk was also discussed during the trial.

Former school board member Andrew McGowan, who served from 2005 to 2008, testified Tuesday he voted against Ms. Gilliard’s appointment as district clerk in 2007 because he had concerns about her working as Mr. McKenna’s secretary too, which she has since 2003.

“It was a contested issue,” Mr. McGowan said. “I was concerned about the transparency of the process.”

Mr. Claudio was 46 years old when his probationary period ended. He charges that the district coerced him into signing an agreement the year before that stated he would not sue for tenure after the district extended his probationary period one year prior to his termination.

According to Mr. Claudio’s complaint, Mr. Petretti assured the plaintiff that he would attain tenure if he signed the agreement and continued on track. Additionally, Mr. Blangiardo argued Tuesday that Mr. Claudio decided to sign the agreement because his wife was sick with cancer and he needed health benefits.

Mr. McGowan also testified about the spring 2008 school board executive session to extend Mr. Claudio’s probation but not offer him tenure.

Mr. McGowan described the meeting as a “heated discussion” and said he had walked out, but later came back, because he was “upset about the process.”

“I said ‘It should be brought to a vote,’” Mr. McGowan testified. “Mr. McKenna said ‘If I don’t put it on the agenda, you don’t vote.’”

Jeltje DeJong, a Smithtown-based attorney representing the Mattituck school district, described the issue as a “legal question” and said it was later determined a school board can’t override a superintendent’s recommendation to deny a teacher’s tenure.

The district says the decision to not offer tenure and part ways with the special education teacher was based on his performance.

Ms. DeJong said during her opening statement that the offer to extend Mr. Claudio’s three-year probationary term by another year was made in order to give him enough time to find employment elsewhere.

“He was not a good special education teacher,” Ms. DeJong said. “It wasn’t an easy decision for the administration.”

Judge Bianco said in court Tuesday that the trial could last as long as three weeks or as many as 10 court sessions.

jennifer@timesreview.com

TIM KELLY PHOTO | A student tries her best to sink a putt on the 8th hole at the Cedars Golf Course Thursday morning.

Gym class was never like this before.

A  small group of Mattituck High School students escaped the confines of the school gym Thursday in the district’s first ever physical education class field trip. Under cloudless blue skies, the 17 students, both male and female, tried their luck at golf at the Cedars course in Cutchogue.

No one was keeping score as the students received advice on the game, including putting and escaping from sand traps, from several retired Mattituck-Cutchogue teachers.

“We can’t thank the administrators and Cedars Golf Course enough for giving the kids this opportunity,” said physical education teacher Maureen Berry.

Thursday was the first time some students played with a real golf ball.  When taking golf lessons in phys ed they tried their drives and approach shots with whiffle balls.

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | ‘Classic Crush’ by R. Zlatniski.

Mattituck High School presented its 78th annual Variety Show at the school auditorium on Friday night.

Twenty acts showcased a variety of talents including singing, dancing and comedy.

The show repeats at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday in the school auditorium.

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78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

Opening the show with the Star Spangled Banner.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'Better Place, Better Time' by The Sox.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'Hit Me Baby' by A. Berkoski, A. Chowbay and M. Siegried.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'Oh Well, Oh Well' by B. Briggmann and A. Scartozzi.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'I Won't Give Up' by P. Hudson, E. Leaden and H. Unger.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'Classic Crush' by R. Zlatniski.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'How to Love' by R. Conner.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'The Great Olivieri and His Covella Stradella' by O. Orr.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay' by C. Piscatello.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'Dead Parrot' by G. Messinger and O. Orr.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'Still Here' by S. Candelario and A. Scartozzi.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'Awaken Me' (Original) by A. O'Rourke.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'Wiseman' by S. Ostrowski and C. Smith.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'Dear Mr. Claus' by M. Miller.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'I'll Be Waiting' by E. Hughes, M. Kelly and C. Piscatello.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'Can't Help Falling in Love' by A. Scartozzi.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'More Than a Band' by M. Faucher and N. Mele.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'Call Your Girlfriend' by B. Rosen and I. Torgove.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'What Makes You Beautiful' by Any Direction.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

'Jam in Bb' by Smart Kids, Bad Decisions.

78th annual Mattituck High School Variety Show

The senior dance.

Editor’s Note: The event program did not list the first names of students.

Few sports are as photogenic as soccer. Its quick pace, dramatic goals, athletic saves and crashing headers make the sport come to life in a photograph.

Suffolk Times contributing photographer Garret Meade spent much of this fall documenting the Mattituck boys soccer team’s championship campaign.

Here are some of his best photos from the season:

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Mattituck’s Kaan Ilgin, chasing after the ball with Greenport/Shelter Island’s Bryant Rivas, had one goal and three assists in the non-league game in September.

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Mattituck sophomore Kaan Ilgin scored two goals with a pair of assists against Southampton.

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Mattituck sophomore Paul Hayes helped anchor the defense against Carle Place in the Long Island Championship Game.

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Stephen Urwand provided Mattituck with six playoff goals, including three game-winners.

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Ryan Weingart of Greenport/Shelter Island trying to take the ball away from Mattituck’s David Burkhardt.

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | The Mattituck boys soccer team celebrates its double overtime victory over Carle Place Monday in the Class B Long Island championship.

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Mattituck sophomore Mario Arreola assisted on the game-winning goal against Carle Place Monday.

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | Mattituck senior Tyler Connell helped solidify the Tuckers’ short-handed defense against Carle Place.

GARRET MEADE PHOTO | The Class B Long Island champion Mattituck boys soccer team.

The North Fork Alliance, a local anti-substance abuse group, will hold a presentation about drug trends at the Mattituck High School on Tuesday, at 7 p.m.

The lecture will focus on electronic cigarettes and their use as vaporizers for marijuana oil, but will also include information on other substances from heroin to bath salts, said John Corbett of Maryhaven Center of Hope in Riverhead, who will give the presentation.

Mr. Corbett, a state-credentialed alcohol and substance abuse counselor, said substance abuse has lead to deaths on the North Fork.

“In regards to this, I’m going to allow a question and answer session,” Mr. Corbett said. “We want to know how bad things are in the community.”

The Mattituck School District is working on banning electronic cigarettes as drug paraphernalia because students are revamping the device to smoke marijuana undetected in hallways, Mr. Corbett said. That, he added, is a problem throughout Long Island, New York and New Jersey.

Mr. Corbett, the clinical case coordinator at Maryhaven, an adolescent outpatient facility, said he looks forward to sharing a real world perspective on substance abuse.

“Adolescents are the group of people that don’t believe in consequences and try everything,” he said. “That’s the nature of the adolescent. They’re very peer-influenced and chance things to outdo one another. They believe bad things only happen to other people.”

BARBARAELLEN KOCH FILE PHOTO | Mattituck High School track team members (from left) Anna Goerler, Tracy Grim and Caitlin Penny could only use their deteriorated home track for practice.

After years of pushing off a decision on what to do with the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District’s aging cinder track, the school could be poised to hold a referendum on replacing the surface as soon as next fall.

District business administrator Michael Engelhardt, who discussed a $650,000 project during the Dec. 13 school board meeting, said bonding the expense over 20 years would cost homeowners an average of $8 to $10 a year.

Mr. Engelhardt said it would likely take about three months to prepare an environmental impact statement for the project and the district would probably need to spend $15,000 to $20,000 before the vote to cover architect and legal expenses. The vote would then need to be advertised 45 days in advance.

Superintendent Jim McKenna said it has been the district’s policy to not hold bond votes in conjunction with the May budget vote, which would likely push the track vote back to the fall.

Many school board members said they believe it’s time to let the public weigh in on the proposal, although Douglas Cooper questioned the wisdom of putting the project up to a vote given the weak economy.

“I’ve been on the board 15 years, and every time it’s not the right time,” countered board president Jerry Diffley. “At some point we have to put it up to a vote.”

“Let’s do it. Let’s put it out to voters,” said Ms. school board member Janique Nine, who reminded board members that the referendum would need to be approved by a 60 percent majority.

Parent Jeanine Warns urged the board to act quickly, citing the benefits of sports to students. She also told them she and her friends would get the word out in support of the vote.

Mr. Diffley said the board would try to meet with an architect in January.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story  said “Board member Janique Nine suggested developing an in-depth replacement proposal for the track, which would need to have an all-weather surface to be competitive with nearby districts and would include bleachers and a fence to keep other student athletes from walking on the track in their cleats.” After the story was published, she called to say she believed there was some confusion and that she did not say that. We’ve edited the story to reflect her concerns. — Grant Parpan, Executive Editor

JENNIFER GUSTAVSON FILE PHOTO | Anthony Claudio enters the federal courthouse in Central Islip in October.

More than three years after he was fired from Mattituck High School, Anthony Claudio learned Oct. 22 he’d receive one more paycheck from the district.

That’s because a jury found the school district discriminated against the former special education teacher due to his age when it denied him tenure in 2009.

The eight-member jury awarded the 50-year-old Mr. Claudio $70,000 in back pay. He was not awarded liquidated damages or damages for emotional distress, as he sought in his complaint. Liquidated damages are awarded when a defendant, in this case Mattituck superintendent James McKenna, knows his conduct violates federal law.

Mr. Claudio alleged in his complaint, which was filed soon after he was terminated, that he was fired from a special education department where 28 of 30 employees were female and most were younger than 30.

At the conclusion of the trial, which began Oct. 9 before Judge Joseph Bianco at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Mr. Claudio stood up, turned around and kissed his teary-eyed wife, Mary.

Outside the courtroom, his only comment was to say the verdict “speaks for itself.”

Mr. McKenna offered a brief prepared statement.

“The Mattituck-Cutchogue School District made the right decision to terminate Mr. Claudio in the interest of special education students of the district,” he said. “The jury has rendered a decision that said the district did not willfully wrong Mr. Claudio. The board will consult with our attorney about next steps.”

Last month, Mattituck-Cutchogue teachers turned out in force during a school board meeting to support Mr. McKenna after the district was recently found liable for age discrimination.

Longtime Mattituck High School English teacher Tom Brennan read a letter during the meeting supporting Mr. McKenna, asking the roughly two dozen teachers in attendance to rise from their seats to show their solidarity with the superintendent.

“You are a good man with a genuine sense of decency. I proudly work under your leadership,” he told the superintendent.

READ MORE STORIES FROM THE CLAUDIO TRIAL

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | Mattituck High School will present “Once Upon a Mattress” beginning tonight.

The Greenport High School drama club will present the Broadway musical fable “Guys and Dolls” by Frank Loesser, Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows beginning tonight at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium on Front Street. The show will also run Friday at Saturday, weather permitting. General admission is $10 and is $8 for students and seniors.

Playing the leading roles are John Drinkwater as Sky Masterson, Wendy Peterson as Sarah Brown, Peter Peterson as Nathan Detroit and Briana Pagano as Adelaide.

For more information, call 477-1950, ext. 1225.

Also this weekend, the Mattituck High School Musical Theater Company will present the musical “Once Upon a Mattress” at 7:30 p.m. beginning tonight in the high school auditorium on Main Road. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and are available at the door. The show will also run Friday and Saturday, weather permitting.

Brette Rosen plays Winnifred, an unusual princess, in the comic retelling of “The Princess and the Pea.” Children are invited to come early each night, around 7, to have their picture taken with the princesses in the cast.

For more information, email director Anne Gilvarry at agilvarry@mufsd.com.

COURTESY PHOTO | Members of the award-winning DECA teams from Mattituck and Southold high schools at the recent competition.

Southold and Mattituck high schools received top honors at last week’s State Competitive Conference in Rochester, where DECA students’ business skills were put to the test.

More than 1,700 students from across the state competed in either role playing or exams and attended leadership conferences and award ceremonies hosted by the Distributive Education Club of America, known as DECA. The national organization promotes business and marketing skills among high school students.

Among Southold DECA students, Ryan Hanrahan won first place in Visual Advertising for his Folgers Coffee billboard advertisement, Jackie Ruggles won second place in the Decision Making-Human Resources category for a role-playing competition in which a judge acted as the CEO of a corporation and gave her a business problem to solve. Hannah Mathaei won third place in the decision making-human resources role-playing competition after solving a corporation’s human resource problem.

Emily Ciamaricone of Mattituck High School won second place in Public Service: Broadcast Advertising after creating a 60-second TV commercial for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and was a finalist in another competition.

Mattituck’s DECA advisor Lu Anne Nappe was also recognized as the Outstanding Advisor of the Year for preparing students to become leaders and entrepreneurs, ensuring that they’ll be career- and college-ready upon graduation.

Additional finalists among Ms. Nappe’s were Meghan Daly (Public Service: Visual Advertising), Mackenzie Robertson ( Visual Advertising ), Nicholas Tesiny (Decision Making-Human Resources), Andre Vega (Visual Advertising), Kevin Williams (Wholesale Selling), Maisy Claudio ( Job Interview) and Brette Rosen (Public Speaking: Prepared).    Ms. Nappe said her student Nick Tesiny was inducted into the National DECA Honor Society.

In addition to winning three trophies, Southold DECA advisor Kathy Williams said six of her students also placed in the top 10, including Jessica Rizzo (Decision Making-Human Resources), William Tondo (Wholesale Selling), Preston Jolliver (Public Speaking: Extemporaneous), Robert Melly (Broadcast Advertising), Grace O’Donnell (Broadcast Advertising: Public Service) and Ben Glew (Broadcast Advertising: Public Service).

Ms. Williams said students Jackie Ruggles, Sean O’Donnell, Preston Jolliver, Evan Miller and Halle Murphy were also inducted into the National DECA Honor Society.

In addition, both school districts received awards for their participation in the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s fundraiser and for increasing enrollment in their respective clubs.

jennifer@timesreview.com

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | The Mattituck High School drama club will present “Are Teachers Human” beginning Thursday.

Determined to be successful in their new posts, a young principal and an English teacher face many obstacles along the way in Mattituck High School’s production of “Are Teachers Human?”

The three-act comedy, which debuts Thursday night, centers around Edward Fowler, a young principal and Arbutis Meadows, a new English teacher. The comedy puts the emphasis on the teachers, rather than the students.

Tickets are $7 for the public, $5 for students/seniors and are available at the door. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the high school.

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | The Mattituck High School drama club’s presentation of “Are Teachers Human” earned several Teeny Award nominations.

The 11th Annual Teeny Awards nominees were announced Wednesday morning, earning North Fork high schools dozens of nominations. The awards, presented by East End Arts and sponsored by Suffolk County National Bank and Riverhead Toyota, showcase the best in local high school theater.

The awards ceremony will be held June 9 at Southold High School, with the red carpet beginning at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

Southold, with 11 nominations, and Riverhead, with 10 nods, lead the way for local schools.

The nominees for all the North Fork high schools are listed alphabetically by school below:

DRAMA

Lead Actor in a Drama

Eliminas Abromaitis, Riverhead, “A Christmas Carol”

Jonathan Troiano, Riverhead, “A Christmas Carol”

Jamie Tuthill, McGann-Mercy, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

Lead Actress in a Drama

Nicole Chiuchiolo, McGann-Mercy, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

Brionna Cook, Riverhead, “A Christmas Carol”

Amanda Osborne, Riverhead, “A Christmas Carol”

Jordan Tapley, Riverhead, “A Christmas Carol”

Supporting Actor in a Drama

Andrew Nucatola, Riverhead, “A Christmas Carol”

Patrick O’Brien, McGann-Mercy, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

Supporting Actress in a Drama

Danielle Allen, McGann-Mercy, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

Emma Bernhardt, Riverhead, “A Christmas Carol”

Erin Plitt, Riverhead, “A Christmas Carol”

Jessica Sisti, Riverhead, “A Christmas Carol”

COMEDY

Lead Actor in a Comedy

Zach Fisher, Shoreham-Wading River, “Don’t Drink the Water”

Sean Mannix, Shoreham-Wading River, “Don’t Drink the Water”

Oliver Orr, Mattituck, “Are Teachers Human?”

Lead Actress in a Comedy

Maggie Daley, Shoreham-Wading River, “Don’t Drink the Water”

Gayle Gammon, Southold/Greenport co-production, “Trixie, Teen Detective”

Mally Fogarty, Mattituck, “Are Teachers Human?”

Rachel Lohrius, Shoreham-Wading River, “Don’t Drink the Water”

Supporting Actor in a Comedy

Tom Batuello, Mattituck, “Are Teachers Human?”

Anthony DeVita, Shoreham-Wading River, “Don’t Drink the Water”

Ryan Zlatniski, Mattituck, “Are Teachers Human?”

Supporting Actress in a Comedy

Nicole Chiuchiolo, McGann-Mercy, “You Can’t Take it With You”

Gwyn Foley, Mattituck, “Are Teachers Human?”

Sydney Campbell, Southold/Greenport co-production, “Trixie, Teen Detective”

MUSICAL

Lead Actor in a Musical

Sam Bracken, Southold, “Grease”

John Drinkwater, Greenport, “Guys and Dolls”

Lead Actress in a Musical

Laura Logan, Shoreham-Wading River, “Sweeney Todd”

Susanna Kelly, Southold, “Grease”

Brianna Pagano, Greenport, “Guys and Dolls”

Supporting Actor in a Musical

Matt Drinkwater, Greenport, “Guys and Dolls”

Jack Dunne, Southold, “Grease”

Supporting Actress in a Musical

Lea Gianbruno, Shelter Island, “Legally Blonde”

Michaela Manno, Southold, “Grease”

Shelby Pickerell, Southold, “Grease”

Outstanding Performance

This category recognizes students who “shine brightly” in roles not eligible for adjudication in the leading or supporting categories.

Alexandra Lasot, Southold, Teen Angel in “Grease”

Lara Mahaffy, Southold, Ursula in “Trixie, Teen Detective”

Choreography

Victoria Carroll, Riverhead, “Fiddler on the Roof”

Southold dance captains, Southold, “Grease”

Outstanding Ensemble

Mattituck, “Once Upon a Mattress”

Playbill/Poster Art

Stephen Spinelli, Shoreham-Wading River, “Sweeney Todd”

Gretchen Walter, Southold, “Trixie, Teen Detective”

Judge’s Choice Award

This noncompetitive award is given for a scene, musical number, dance number or group that the judges feel stands out enough to warrant special recognition.

The Greek Chorus, Shelter Island, “Legally Blonde”

Stage Management Recognition

(noncompetitive)

Mariah Brengel, Shoreham-Wading River

Ian Byrne, McGann-Mercy

Quinn Carey, McGann-Mercy

Helen Chen, Mattituck

Jaclyn Conway, Southold-Greenport co-production

Jaclyn Conway, Southold

Mayra Gonzalez, Mattituck

Melissa Hickox, Mattituck

Julie Lindell, Shoreham-Wading River

Anne O’Rourke, Mattituck

Stephen Spinelli, Shoreham-Wading River

Jerilynn Toole, Riverhead

Sean Walden, Greenport

Rachel Williams, Riverhead

Technical Design recognition

(noncompetitive)

Savannah Calderale, Southold, set design for “Grease”

Catherine Penn, Riverhead, costume design for “Arsenic and Old Lace” and “Footloose”

cmiller@timesreview.com

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | Mattituck High School art student Phurlamu Sherpa flings paint at the canvas.

After studying the work of Long Island artist Jackson Pollock and visiting his studio in Springs, students from Mattituck High School took part in an “action painting” activity on the front lawn Tuesday.

Armed with squirt bottles full of paint, students created individual works in Pollock’s abstract expressionist “drip painting” style, then collaborated on a larger class canvas.

TIM KELLY PHOTO | The kings and queens at Friday evening’s prom event.

For the sixth year, Southold Town and Mattituck High School teamed up to throw a “Senior Prom” Friday afternoon at the Human Resources Center in Mattituck.

Students and residents who take part in the town’s senior nutrition program shared an early dinner and an afternoon of dancing, including selecting two sets of prom kings and queens.

The prom was established in 2008 to foster better relations between residents at either end of the age spectrum.

“At that time, there was such a gap between the seniors and our students that it was our thought to try to bring them together,” said Lynne Krauza of Cutchogue, who at that time served on the school board.

Since then the town and the Mattituck-Cutchogue School District have held similar events, including bringing school musicians to play for the seniors and busing seniors to the school for student plays.

Friday’s event was just like any other prom, but with two different groups invited, said Karen McLaughlin, senior program director.

“They came for dinner and dancing and had a blast,” she said.

The senior king was Bill Buhler of Southold, and the senior queen was Frances Talbot of Mattituck.

The high school king was Chris Baglivi, and the Queen was Cyndie Piscatello, both of Mattituck.

tkelly@timesreview.com

JULIANNE MCGRATH COURTESY PHOTO | Dan Bruno and his crew of five college friends visited 11 cities over 16 days in January, including the Grand Canyon, trying to find out how Americans view the ‘American dream.’

“The American dream” is an expression most Americans have grown accustomed to hearing, but what does it mean?

House and picket fence? Eternal happiness? Wealth?

And many say the American dream, whatever that may be, is dead.

Mattituck High School alumnus Dan Bruno, 22, set out on a cross-country road trip in January to find out the true meaning of the American dream.

And he filmed his entire experience for a documentary entitled “The Road Ahead of U.S.”

“What is the American dream, really?” Mr. Bruno asks at the start of his film, as the camera pans across different views of New York City. “I always thought it meant that if you work hard, you’ll be as successful and rich as you’ve ever wanted … But is that really true? Has this been working for all Americans?”

CLAIRE LEADEN PHOTO | Dan with a copy of his documentary and the award he won for it.

These are the questions Mr. Bruno attempted to answer as he visited 11 cities over 16 days, interviewing locals with his video camera, microphone and crew of five college friends.

He and the crew sought funding for the trip online through Kickstarter and raised enough to cover much of their equipment, gas, food and hotel costs.

“Everyone really wants to go on a cross-country road trip, so people kind of connected with their inner bucket list and the donations just started growing,” he said. “I was just blown away by the generosity.”

A Mattituck native who graduated from high school in 2009, Mr. Bruno spent the last four years at Fairfield University in Connecticut, where he studied film and television. He graduated in May, taking his trip during the school’s winter break.

“The Road Ahead of U.S.” started as his final film project for school, but Mr. Bruno wanted to do something a little different from the short films most students make on campus. He finished the project last month.

“I thought of the idea of the American dream and how to me it meant that if you work hard, you have a great life,” he said in an interview. “I’m following all of the steps that I should be following, but I don’t have any job set up out of college.

“I wondered if the American dream was just a myth and if it was true or not,” he said. “So, I thought it’d be cool to go on an adventure across the country and see what people think about the American dream and if it’s worked for people. That’s how the idea was born.”

The 11 cities chosen for the journey were Washington, D.C.; Durham, N.C.; Savannah, Ga.; Montgomery, Ala.; New Orleans, La.; Dallas, Texas, Albuquerque, N.M,; Las Vegas, Nev.; Los Angeles and San Francisco, Calif; and the Grand Canyon.

“I already knew I wanted to do the southern loop and I just looked to see what good cities were along that route,” he said. “Then I took days and days on Google Maps calculating everything.

“There were certain cities I knew I wanted to hit, like Montgomery, for Martin Luther King Jr., because he had the biggest American dream, or Vegas, because it’s Vegas. Then there were certain places, like Savannah, that I saw on the map and was just curious to visit.”

Interviewees ranged from a war veteran in D.C. to college students at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill to an Elvis impersonator in Vegas to a former drug addict in San Francisco — and answers to the question “What is the American dream?” were just as diverse.

One particular interviewee who stood out to Mr. Bruno was a young, homeless man the crew met in Durham, N.C.

During the interview, the 25-year-old responded that the American dream “would probably be figuring out how to beat the odds. A lot of people waste their time on it, you know, looking for something that they’re never going to find. For me, I’m just looking for whatever I can find.”

A war veteran Mr. Bruno interviewed in Washington replied to the question by saying there’s no nation quite like the U.S.

“I’ve traveled the world in the service,” the vet said, “and I’m telling you right now there isn’t a country out there that will give the opportunity to any of you like this country will. This country is just awesome.”

Most of those interviewed didn’t give a name on camera.

Mr. Bruno won the Best Producer award at Fairfield University’s annual film festival, called Cinefest Film Festival. He plans to submit the film to Long Island film festivals as well and to the Coney Island Film Festival, which is popular for documentaries.

As for other future plans, Mr. Bruno says he will move to Brooklyn in early July and is hoping to secure a job at Kaufman Astoria Studios, where he interned for the “Sesame Street” television show last year.

The most important lesson he says he learned through the film is to “take advantage.”

“Take advantage of the time you have,” he said. “Take advantage of America, because we take this country for granted. We had the freedom to travel across the country and meet people and have an amazing two weeks on the road and that is something I will never forget.”

Mr. Bruno believes that, in the end, he did discover what the American dream really was.

“Everyone’s life is so different and you have to find happiness your own way, and this country is great because it allows you to find it your own way.

“That’s what I think the American dream is.”

intern@timesreview.com

TIM KELLY PHOTO | The Suffolk Times journalism award winners were Shelby Kostal of Greenport, Alexandra Kluko of Mattituck and Gretchen Walter of Southold.

The Suffolk Times honored three high school students with journalism awards Thursday night.

Alexandra Kluko of Mattituck, Shelby Kostal of Greenport and Gretchen Walter of Southold were each honored for their efforts this year in their high school journalism programs.

Gretchen served as editor of the school newspaper, in addition to working with the drama club, Students Against Destructive Decisions and the Gay/Straight Alliance.

Alexandra also worked on the school newspaper, in addition to her time with the Leo Club, art club and community service at ELIH and Maureen’s Haven.

Shelby was a double winner Thursday, also taking home the Greenport Female Athlete of the Year award. Shelby was a National Honor Society member while also playing on the Greenport volleyball team.

KATHARINE SCHROEDER PHOTO | The celebration begins outside Mattituck High school Saturday afternoon following graduation.

Mattituck-Cutchogue High School held its 99th annual commencement exercises at the gym on Saturday morning.

The ceremony was led by high school principal Shawn Petretti and included the presentation of numerous scholarships and awards. Valedictorian Caitlin Penny gave an inspiring speech to her classmates after which the graduating students gathered on the front steps of the school for the traditional hat toss.

CLAIRE LEADEN PHOTO | A community service designation on a Mattituck High School diploma.

Mattituck High School has listed community service designations on its diplomas for about five years and now plans to make it easier for students to take advantage of the offer next school year.

The school’s Community Service Club will be in full swing following this year’s pilot program. The recognition listed on diplomas shows how many community service hours a student has completed in high school.

Mattituck High School principal Shawn Petretti said the school created the club in order to help students become more aware of local community service opportunities. He described the initial response as “tremendous” and said between 30 and 40 students got involved with the club this year.

“It’s about getting the kids to participate and acknowledging their efforts in a formal manner,” Mr. Petretti said. “There’s only so much they’ll learn inside school. We want them getting real world experiences.”

AP biology teacher Janine Ruland said she created the club mid-school-year because she believes community service experience is important to a student’s development. Ms. Ruland, the club’s adviser, said although she ran the meetings this year, student officers will be appointed going forward.

She proposed the pilot program in order to find out if there was a student interest and said she was pleasantly surprised by the increased community service involvement. Some volunteer projects the club got involved with this year include winter coat and clothing drives, bake sales and creating Easter baskets for children at a local day care.

Students also worked with Cutchogue New Suffolk Library’s “doggy biscuit” program, in which students were given biscuit batter, baked the treats at home and brought them to the local animal shelter. The student volunteers also worked with Group for the East End and did some weeding, mulching and cleaning at local beaches, Ms. Ruland said.

“My goal is to showcase how wonderful these young people are,” she said. “As they’re reaching out to their community, hopefully it will strike a nerve and they’ll find how meaningful it is.”

In addition to the minimum requirement of 65 hours over a four-year time frame, students are only allowed to bank 15 hours toward their total hours for certain community service projects, such as volunteering at a hospital. The requirement encourages students to diversify their experiences, Mr. Petretti said.

As the school continues to look at ways to provide students with community service opportunities, the high school principal said he’s considering increasing the overall minimum requirement in order to make the designation more significant.

“This makes them stand out a little bit more,” Mr. Petretti said of Mattituck’s students using the designation during the college admission application process.

Ms. Ruland said she hopes community experience will foster students’ future interest in helping others.

One project scheduled for next year includes taking some of the money students raised through bake sales to support Project Linus, which provides kits to make blankets for hospital patients.

Ms. Ruland said the students will be dropping off the blankets because another piece to the community service experience is its intangible rewards — seeing how their efforts have changed other people’s lives.

“When you see the effect you have on others, it’s very rewarding,” she said.

jennifer@timesreview.com

COURTESY PHOTO | Drew Kinsey and mentor Omar Gould in front of a replica print of Brookhaven National Laboratory’s linear accelerator.

Walking up to receive his Mattituck High School diploma last weekend, 18-year-old Drew Kinsey knew exactly what he wanted to do with his future.

He wants to become a scientist.

And if you ask him today, he’ll say he already is.

Knowledge has always been a strength for Drew. Communicating with others has been his challenge.

“My parents would probably say I can do rocket science, no problem, but coming up with a dinner conversation would be the biggest challenge I’d take on,” he said.

As he says, everyone has something they need to work at.

Drew has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism that makes it difficult to communicate and interact with others. But Asperger’s also gave him what researchers who know him call a “mathematical mind,” a gift he said he plans to take full advantage of.

“Maybe you have to work a little on your social skills, but you can work through it and take advantage of your asset,” Drew said while sitting in his family home about two weeks before graduation. “It is not a disability in my opinion. It’s just a trade-off.”

Growing up, Drew didn’t always have this positive attitude. He said he often felt like “the odd one out.”

It wasn’t until he got the opportunity to meet others who enjoyed science and research that he began to feel like he fit in, and began focusing his knowledge.

For the past two years, Drew was part of a select group of high school students chosen to do research at Brookhaven National Laboratory, an experience he called “instrumental.”

About 150 students apply each year for a spot in the lab’s summer research program, and about 40 are accepted, said Scott Bronson, manager of K-12 programs at the lab.

“Just because you did well on a test doesn’t mean you know the subject. The real problem came to applying what I learned,” Drew said. “It was very inspirational to find a group of people who I could communicate with.”

Working with a mentor, Drew studied the lab’s linear accelerator, which produces protons used in a number of research areas, including particle physics, energy and medical applications, like cancer treatment.

Putting it simply, his job was to “troubleshoot” the accelerator, looking at the number of protons the accelerator was producing.

Drew combed through about two years’ worth of data, measuring the number of protons produced at any given time, said his mentor, Omar Gould, a scientist at the lab.

He analyzed the data, which ranged from 6 million points to over 150 million points (depending on data set), and looked at how the number of protons changed, or strayed from the average. He was looking for any patterns that may have developed. He also had to come up with an efficient way of combing through that data in the six weeks the program lasts.

“I learned a lot about how my interest could actually translate into a career,” Drew said. “It taught me that research isn’t just about finding. It’s also about finding the quickest and most effective way to collect that data, finding faster and better ways to get the job done.”

He said it also taught him the importance of communication and working as a team.

“Everyone has to work together to get the job done. My work wasn’t some single project. The reason the work matters so much is because the accelerator is used by everyone else. The lab is a cooperative.”

The scientists he worked with were impressed with Drew’s work.

“Drew has a very mathematical mind, and I would say those things are very rare,” Mr. Bronson said. “He was very focused on solving those problems that maybe somebody else didn’t have that natural gift for. Showing him how to focus that and how to contribute to the group is the good thing that has come out of it.”

Mr. Gould, who has mentored Drew the past two summers, said he made an effort to work with Drew on his communication skills and was impressed with his work ethic.

“In general he just had, fundamentally, a desire to learn and to grow,” Mr. Gould said. “His drive does stand out among other students,”

Mr. Gould also trained Drew to present his scientific findings, helping him to create a poster presentation describing his work to other scientists at the lab. Later, he used those skills to present his findings at a Mattituck-Cutchogue school board meeting in January.

Next year, Drew will attend the University of Illinois, majoring in bioengineering. He hopes to make a career out of chemistry and engineering. “Anything related to science will make me happy, but that will make me happiest,” he said.

His advice for other students with Asperger’s?

“Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something,” he said. “Figure out for yourself what you can and can’t do. A person is what they choose to be, rather than what they are labeled in a medical document.”

cmiller@timesreview.com

FILE PHOTO | Some Mattituck High School seniors will be in detention Saturday.

A group of Mattituck High School seniors will be in detention Saturday after administrators learned students had written on the roof with chalk and placed a total of about 200 balloons inside the building the night before school started.

High School principal Shawn Petretti said the term “prank” isn’t the best way to describe what happened on the evening of Sept. 8 because it has been a tradition for seniors to decorate the front of the building for the first day of school over the past several years.

While most students acted responsibly as they decorated the front entrance with chalked messages, streamers, pictures and signs, he said some students went on the roof and wrote messages in chalk. They also trespassed into the building and filled the front lobby and the senior hallway with balloons and decorations, he said.

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Mr. Petretti said he met with the class of 2014, which will be the district’s 100th graduating class, after discovering what had happened. He then asked for the students involved to step forward in lieu of the district launching an official investigation.

“Approximately 40 seniors came into my office and had admitted to what they were doing, even though some of their classmates did not,” he said during Thursday night’s school board meeting. “I thought that showed great character. I was pretty proud them — not with their actions, but how they reacted to the situation.”

Even though some students that came forward didn’t break the rules, Mr. Petretti said they still stepped forward because they also felt responsible since they were there as the situation unfolded.

And on Thursday night, four students addressed the school board during the public comment portion of the meeting to apologize for their class’s misconduct.

Mr. Petretti said he was impressed by the students’ courage and appreciated the unsolicited act of remorse.

“It’s a good class,” he said. “Worthy of our centennial class.”

Mr. Petretti, a fan of the 1985 movie “The Breakfast Club,” said Saturday detentions have been in place in Mattituck for about 13 years and started when he was the school’s dean and current Superintendent James McKenna was the principal.

Administrators have found the Saturday arrangement more beneficial than other forms of suspension because students won’t miss class and will still be held accountable for their actions.

“It’s a way of getting our pound of flesh without impacting academics,” he said. “I’ll be with them on Saturday. Its our own Breakfast Club.”

As for the 2015 senior class, Mr. Petretti said he’ll be meeting with students to come up with a plan for future senior traditions.

jennifer@timesreview.com