Eastside: November 2022

Cherry Hill High School East: 1750 Kresson Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003

Culture,

Taylor Swift releases “Midnights” Culture, Pg. 17

Cherry Hill Public Schools propose new dress code policy

A new dress code and grooming policy for Cherry Hill Public Schools has been proposed by the Board of Education in response to student voice. In creating the proposal, the board aimed to remove any gender-targeted language found in the old policy, giving students more freedom to dress and express themselves as they like.

“This dress code really broadens as opposed to narrows students’ opportunities to dress in a way that’s comfortable for them,” said Assistant Superintendent for Compliance, Equity and Pupil Services Mrs. LaCoyya H. Weathington at the Board of Education meeting on September 6, 2022.

It was the voices of Beck Middle School students that were the biggest push for the reform. Asking to meet with Weathington, a group of students discussed with her their concerns with the current dress code.

“They had a lot of concerns about the dress code being applied to girls more frequently than to boys,” said Weathington.

The old dress code policy seemed to place restrictions on mostly the femaleidentifying students by restricting bare midriffs, bare sides, tank tops, miniskirts and short-shorts. These restrictions don’t affect the boys.

The girls were upset that they were being taken out of class, causing them to lose class and learning time.

“They talked about [the] many restrictions on what they could wear and what they could not wear. They talked about the sexualization of young girls. They talked about making girls clothes the issue as opposed to dealing with behavior.

They talked about how they felt it was unequal. They put a lot of effort into their presentation,” Weathington said.

Many students across the district agree. Liz Reyes, Cherry Hill High School West’s Student Representative to the Board of Education, shared her issues with the code in the meeting.

“I do feel like girls were targeted in the dress code a lot, and I just learned to go with it, but it did feel as though sometimes there would be moments where I was like, ‘Oh, I did want to wear that dress, I did want to wear that hat.’ I just think it’s a really good thing that the entire board is paying attention to the student voice and what the Beck students did — I think that’s an amazing

thing,” Reyes said.

Not only did Beck students express their concerns, but they also gave a possible solution to the issue.

“They actually recommended a dress code which is pretty identical to the one that we’re using,” said Weathington.

The proposed dress code uses more open language. For example, it states students must wear shirts or dresses that have fabric on the front and sides and that clothing must cover undergarments, excluding waistbands and bra straps.

The new policy allows for headwear, a controversial restriction of the current policy. The old dress code did not allow the wearing of head coverings — excluding those for religious purposes — while the proposed dress

code allows these as long as the student’s face and ears are visible.

“The safety piece stems from the ability to identify folks, especially from cameras. But as long as we are able to see someone’s face, we can recognize them. So the hat refining isn’t obstructive to doing that,” said Cherry Hill High School East Principal Dr. Dennis Perry.

Unlike at the middle schools, the current East dress code is not strictly enforced, so the potential adoption of the new dress code will not be a drastic change. The new dress code will, however, give a clear set of guidelines for students, families and teachers to refer to. There have been some disputes with the current dress code since the rules give different

guidelines than what is being followed in school.

“I think that our nonenforcement of the current dress code has caused some consternation for some,” said Perry.

By putting in a new dress code that is in line with what is actually followed in schools, there will be less confusion about what is allowed in the dress code.

Overall the policy has had very positive feedback.

“I think a lot of people will be very happy with this. I know there’s multiple groups at East that have advocated for this, sent in letters and done surveys. A lot of people have been upset with the past policy and should be happy with the new policy,” said Cherry Hill East’s Student Representative to the Board Aiden Rood (‘23).

District implements revised health curriculum in grades K-12

By Jillian Koenig (‘24) Eastside News Editor

During the 2022-2023 year, health classes will introduce a revised mental health curriculum. The new curriculum will be taught in kindergarten through 12th grade across the district.

The planning for this new curriculum began in 2020 when the New Jersey State Government proposed new health education standards for New Jersey schools to implement. However, various factors caused the curriculum to not take effect until this year.

A major factor in that delay was the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that the state presented the new curriculum during the pandemic, schools were told that they did not have to update their curriculum until 2022.

While the state gave guidelines of which standards to update, it was up to the district to figure out how to best implement the new material.

“We, being the curricu-

lum committee, took a look at what we already teach, what they want us to teach, what are the standards now, and how did they change,” said Dr. Matthew Covington.

The committee in charge of updating the curriculum also took input from students about what they would like to see in new lessons. Covington believed that talking to students would help to create a course that would benefit students; he didn’t want to create a course that just included what the state required.

“We spoke to a number of students and asked them if they like the topics that are in health, what they would change, how they would change them. The common denominator all the way through was relationships and mental health,” Covington said.

The revised curriculum now includes more lessons pertaining to relationship advice. For example, students will learn how to deal with breakups, how to go

from being “just friends” to “more than friends,” and how to deal with the stressors associated with rela-

in classes spent discussing mental health disorders, coping mechanisms and community resources. The curriculum will educate students on to whom they can reach out in the cases of various mental health situations.

With the lessons in this revised curriculum, Covington aims to provide students with a multitude of resources in the community. Whereas some students may only think of their parents as resources, these lessons will remind students of all of the people in the community that can help them.

the topics become a little bit more mature, if you will. What you would be covering as a senior is definitely not what you would be covering in seventh grade.”

While all students enrolled in health at a Cherry Hill school will go through this curriculum, students who choose to partake in an online health course will not be taught the revised lessons. The district uses outside online learning companies to provide online courses to students interested in taking courses outside of in-person school, so administrators do not have influence over the development of that curriculum.

tionships.

For the most part, the mental health lessons that have been taught in previous years will be the same. The new curriculum simply rephrases and updates the wording of these lessons.

However, Covington said that there will be more time

As mental health disorders are on the rise among teenagers globally, the district’s goal with these new and revised lessons is to ease the severity of mental health disorders among Cherry Hill students.

Elaborating on sequencing of the revised lessons, Covington said, “The idea is as you go through the sixth through 12th grades,

“I expect that there will be a smooth transition with the implementation of the new curriculum. We have an experienced and talented group of teachers who approach their content area in a very professional manner. I expect that the revised curriculum will be positively received,” said Dr. Joseph Meloche, superintendent of the Cherry Hill Public Schools.

Jillian Koenig (‘24)/ Eastside News Editor

Cherry Hill East seeks to update school policies

■ By Aiden Rood (‘23) Eastside Editor-in-Chief

Administrators at Cherry Hill High School East are implementing new policy changes this school year, seeking to re-establish the school’s pre-pandemic order and structure. The rule changes affect senior privilege, lateness and bathroom usage and have been in place since the first day of school.

This year, under the aptly named “senior privilege policy,” only 12th grade students will be allowed to arrive late or leave early when they have a study hall during the first or last period of the school day. Last year, students in all grades were allowed to do so if they had parent permission. East Principal Dr. Dennis Perry said that the 2021-22 policy was set in an effort to reduce the number of students in the school building, helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Previous to the 2020 school year, the senior privilege policy did not exist. Now, it will return to its originally intended form: a special privilege for

students who have made it to their final year of high school.

“As a senior, you are at a different spot in your life. And the decisions you make regarding the future might be a little different,” Perry said, explaining why seniors will be allowed to miss study hall periods.

He added that administrators want underclassmen to focus on using those periods as time to complete homework and develop good study habits — not as a way to spend less time in school.

Relatedly, Perry explained a tightened lateness policy that East will enforce throughout the year. While administrators were lenient regarding timeliness in recent years, that will no longer be the case. Every three times a student is late, Perry said Mr. Louis Papa, East’s Assistant Principal for Discipline and Facilities, will initiate an “administrative response.” While Perry declined to outline the exact structure of this policy, he said administrative responses could include warnings, detentions, Sat-

urday school assignments, and the revocation of students’ parking privileges.

All latenesses will be recorded in the Communications office at the front of the school. As such, teachers will be directed to not allow students into class late unless they bring a pass from Communications. Security staff will greet late-arriving school buses with a different kind of pass, which will result in students being marked as on-time, since they cannot control the lateness of a district-run bus.

Finally, the third major policy update occurring this year involves the availability of bathrooms. The changes come in response to last year’s frequent issues with vandalism in the school bathrooms. Significant plumbing and facilities damage occurred as a result of students going unchecked in ripping down soap dispensers, flushing vape pens and more.

This year, bathrooms will be heavily monitored and frequently inspected, with teachers assigned to “Student Wellness” duties throughout the day. In or-

der to maintain supervision and give teachers time to set up their monitoring, all student bathrooms are now closed in between

suggestions and further bathroom policy changes for this school year.

He said, “I don’t know what the answer is. I really

classes and for the first and last five minutes of every period.

Perry said that he made a commitment to students this year to keep every bathroom open during every period of every school day. The new policy is Perry’s way of doing so safely, though he’s not entirely happy with it; he said he remains open to alternate

don’t. We came up with a plan, given the resources we have, that would satisfy what was promised to the students, which is to have the bathrooms open [every period.] I don’t feel good about the plan. I really don’t.”

Eastside will continue to provide updates as any further changes to these policies occur.

Annual blood drive is back for another successful year this fall

■ By Izzy Sobel (‘24) Eastside News Editor

A blood drive takes place at East biannually during the school year: one drive in the fall and the other in the spring. These events are the perfect opportunity for students to participate in saving lives, with blood donations going to the American Red Cross. East Blood Drive has a long history of achievement and success. Every year there is always a new theme for the event. The theme for this year is The Great Blood Drive Charlie Brown and was

held on both November 15 and 16. Knowing how little effort is needed to make a difference, blood drive organizers were able to provide a quick and rewarding opportunity for students to make an impact.

“We service our community by providing blood donations for the American Red Cross, [and] the Red Cross then uses that blood for whatever it is needed for, typically, trauma victims and cancer patients. There [are] lots of different ways in making an impact for those in need,” said Mr. CJ Davis, faculty adviser

for blood drive.

According to the American Red Cross, donating a pint of blood can save up to three lives. This can make a strong impact on the life of someone in need, and it can be fulfilling to the donor as a way of giving back to the community and helping those in need. Being able to donate for such an important cause through school can make a difference for those receiving the blood.

“In the end, you are helping save someone’s life, there should be no incentive I give you that is

greater than that. You come out, you give blood. It’s a unique process, but in the end you know that it’s going to help somebody and I think that’s more of an incentive than

anything else we could possibly do,” said Davis. Blood drive is definitely something to consider when looking for ways to give back to the community, considering how quick and easy it is. This experience is rewarding, as donors are saving someones life by donting blood. This year will have many incentives as well.

The fall blood drive took place in the library annex, turning the learning space into one that could make a different kind of impact, saving lives.

East welcomes new teachers from schools inside and outside of district

■ By Shayna Oppen (‘24) Eastside Sports Editor

Last year, all Cherry Hill schools were hit with big news: the transferring of teachers all over the district would happen. Now that the school year has begun, Cherry Hill High School East has gained seventeen new teachers. Some were transferred from other district schools, while others were newly hired.

East has three new world language teachers, two math teachers, a new nurse and other staff members. Some come from Cherry Hill High School West, like Ms. Mary Powelson, a biology teacher. Powelson said the biggest difference in transferring from West to East is that “East has more students and is easier to navigate.”

Some teachers chose to transfer while some had a tougher time accepting the news. Some teachers are returning to their original position. Ms. Jodi Morley was at Beck Middle School for nine years before the transfer.

Before that, she “taught high school for 12.5 years,

so when the position opened at East, [she] was excited for the chance to teach high school again,” she said.

trict is the number of students. East has a greater number of students than any other school in the dis-

there are no split teams. Teachers are not only affected because of the number of students they teach, but also of the teachers they work with.

Morley said, “I worked more closely with team teachers in other content areas, while at East, I work more closely with my department.”

Another thing East was commended for was the “cougar love” that Powelson talked about.

tion of learning at the high school,” Morley said.

She also said that teaching high school has a completely different vibe because of the age difference.

East also has a lot of diversity that Morley noticed coming from Beck. Morley added how amazing it is that each East student has a different background.

“East is unique because it is made up of so many different individuals. Each member of the East community arrived here via a different path, but during this brief time, our stories intersect. This moment in time gives us each a chance to positively impact one another during a pivotal moment in life,” Morley said.

Many teachers talked about how the biggest transition coming to East from anywhere else in the dis-

trict.

Another big difference when moving from middle school to high school is how

Transferring from West it is shown to teachers how much school spirit the East students have.

Teachers that came from middle school find it interesting to see “the continua-

Overall, East is considered a very unique school, and the new transfer teachers quickly caught on to that. Whether these new teachers requested to be at East or were transferred, many have loved joining the East family and these teachers have been welcomed and embraced as new members of the community. They are a great addition to the enviornment here at East.

Charlie Kahn (‘25)/ Eastside Staff

Students work on assignments during study hall.

Katie Sullivan (‘25)/ Eastside Staff

Jiwoo Lee (‘24)/ Eastside Photo Editor

New teachers at East came from a variety of schools.

FEATURES

Hu hosts a Her Drive to combat period poverty

■ By Abby Yu (‘23)

Eastside Managing Editor

When Rebecca Hu (‘24) was looking for volunteer work during her freshman year, she came across Her Drive, an organization whose goal is to provide feminine products and hygienic supplies to those in need, while scrolling through her For You Page on TikTok.When Hu researched the organization’s mission, she realized that she wanted to be a part of Her Drive in some way. She decided to apply to host a drive in the Cherry Hill area. Since hosting her first drive in June of her freshman year, she has been able to collect roughly 10,000 feminine hygiene products and donate them to charities.

“I thought it was pretty important because if you think about it, menstrual products are necessary for most women, and they are just as important as other hygiene items because women need them pretty often,” Hu said.

Hu thought that hosting a drive during the pandemic would yield more donations, since many people were at home. Hu partnered up with the organization with her sister Katherine Hu (‘19), a senior at Carnegie Mellon University. The process of applying to host a drive included an application and an interview.

“Once [Her Drive] approved of our drive, we began reaching out to local community centers who were willing to host a donation box,” said Hu.

Hu utilized platforms such as Instagram to promote the local drives that

were taking place. Facebook was another channel of promotion; Hu joined Facebook groups in the area. Her sister also created a website using Carrd as a way for people in the community to know how and what to donate. Hu set up drop-off spots at locations such as the Cherry Hill Public Library, the Mayor’s Office and the Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill.

After three to four weeks, the sisters counted the products and filled out a donation inventory spreadsheet. The final numbers are given to the charities to ensure that they are able to accept all the donations.

“If the charity cannot

take all the donations, we’ll find a different charity or split the donations half and half,” said Hu.

For the past two years, Her Drive in Cherry Hill has collected donations that go to CommUNITY SJP and I Support the Girls. CommUNITY SJP is a nonprofit organization whose efforts are rooted in volunteer work in the South Jersey and Philadelphia area. I Support the Girls is a global nonprofit that aims to dignify women and girls by providing them the menstrual and hygienic care they need. The clothing donations and other miscellaneous products collected go to Vietnam Veterans of America.

“On the local level, our goal would be to beat our collection numbers from this year and just to expand it more and see what we can do in our area,” said Hu.

Hu collected a little over 5,000 items her freshman year and a little more than 4,000 items her sophomore year. For Hu’s junior year, she hopes to beat her past collection numbers and help more women with limited access to menstrual and hygienic products.

Hu hopes to host a drive in February and plans to continue hosting drives and spreading awareness on period and hygienic poverty through high school and into college.

Kovnat organizes international trips for students

■ By Jiwoo Lee (‘24) Eastside Photo Editor

In 1982, Mr. Bill Kovnat organized his first trip overseas with Cherry Hill East students. Almost 40 years later, Kovnat is assembling his 21st trip of the program.

Ever since the beginning, Kovnat, an East photography teacher, has worked with Education First (EF) to provide students a memorable trip each year.

“The company I work with is very diligent about, number one, being safe, and, number two, making trips that [are] really awesome.” said Kovnat. “Everybody’s having a great time and the support staff is incredible.”

Kovnat’s trip is not affiliated with the Cherry Hill Public School District.

Kovnat explains that the program had first approached him with an invitation to chaperone student travels decades ago. Appreciating their student priorities and the promising experiences, Kovnat has joined over 20 foreign trips with East students, and plans to continue to do so.

He mentions that on his first trip, he invited over 60 students with staff and headed to Italy. Past trips visited England, France, Austria, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Italy and Mo-

rocco.

However, as years passed, the number has greatly declined due to the lack of awareness of the program and the recent pandemic.

“Hopefully we get a lot of people to sign up again. Everyone is welcome, and I’d like to put it out there and try to make it work. It’s not always easy,” Kovnat said.

He added that as a result of this recent decrease, he found that working with small groups also allowed much freedom and quick tours, working around this barrier.

This recent summer break, Kovnat and his group of 14 students visited Costa Rica following the absent years from the pandemic. Now, Kovnat has decided his next trip location for the summer of 2023: Belize.

The annual trip is open to all students, with a varying cost each year, depending on the location. Regardless, the trip expenses are always all-inclusive, covering the meals, flight, housing, tour guide and other activities. Kovnat also emphasizes that the cost ensures the safety and security too.

Kovnat said, “If you put aside the value as far as the money, what you’re getting out of it— it’s such a posi-

tive experience.”

He recalls the previous trips to have involved snorkeling, ziplining, cooking lessons and much more, and expects the quality to uphold for Belize.

Continuing this tradition for almost four decades, Kovat explains his purpose and passion for this pro-

gram.

“I enjoy doing it because I love taking a trip and watching how we reactivate the awesome experience year after year,” said Kovnat.

Kovnat also wishes that the students will truly gain unforgettable memories. He highlights the importance

of learning new cultures, like eating new foods, talking to foreign people, shopping in traditional stores, and in the midst of it all— making new friends.

“You basically get the thrill of what it’s like to be part of a different world, and that’s pretty crucial,” said Kovnat.

Courtesy of Rebecca Hu (‘24)

Hu (‘24) displays the period products collected at the Cherry Hill Library.

Sophia Liu (‘24)/ Eastside Features Editor

Courtesy of Mr. Bill Kovnat

Kovnat and students pose for a photo while on a ziplining excursion.

FEATURES

Hess performs for crowd of thousands

■ By Lauren Winslow (‘23) Eastside Online Editor-in-Chief

Most 12-year-olds would be scared to death playing in front of 16,000 people at the Penn State Arena. But, for Ricky Hess (‘23), this was just another night where he got the opportunity to make music with his two brothers, Jon and Joey.

Growing up in a musical family, Ricky has always been someone who loved this environment.

“I never feel more comfortable or happy than when I’m on a stage,” said Hess. “I am someone who enjoys attention. That’s probably partially why I went into music.”

From a young age, all three brothers have been enchanted by music. But this passion didn’t develop from their parents or music teachers. Jon, the eldest, discovered his passion for music through a Nickelodeon television show.

“It’s a funny story really,” said Hess. “My oldest brother Jon really liked the show ‘Drake and Josh,’ so he wanted to play guitar but then got really into it, which then led to my other older brother Joey getting into it, which led to me getting into it, all at a very young age.”

From there, each brother was able to explore the instrument that called to them. The guitar called to Jon. While Ricky was originally interested in the drums, he discovered his true talent lay with the keyboard, which he plays today.

Before the age of ten, they formed a band called

the Hess Brothers. After establishing a solid foundation at The School of Rock, a local music school, and making their way through the music programs at Sharp Elementary School, Beck Middle School and Cherry Hill High School East, the brothers began to develop their own music tastes as well.

Ricky himself specializes in jazz fusion when playing on his own, which sounds

reminiscent of video game music. He compromises his preferred musical genre when playing with his brothers or the other band he accompanies frequently, Gnarbot.

The brothers still continue to play together, but they have also ventured into their own individual projects. While Jon and Joey play frequently in wedding bands and attend the University of the Arts,

Ricky is focused on continuing to develop his craft both in the East Music department and beyond.

Even before entering high school, Ricky was able to develop a solid music foundation in middle school with the help of band teacher Mr. Steven Marr.

“Mr. Marr sincerely might be one of the greatest people that has ever existed,” said Hess. “He is someone who was definitely very inspiring to my brothers and me. We all very much look up to him. Jon saw him as a role model for how to shape his life especially.”

At East, Ricky is a member of the jazz band and is constantly pushed by Mr. Tim Keleher and Ms. Gia Walton, East’s music directors.

“I often feel pretty grateful for the school music program,” said Hess. “It’s not that common that you can walk into high school and know you’re going to learn something really valuable about your instrument.”

Outside of East, Ricky has been able to perform at gigs all over the country. The School of Rock in Cherry Hill allowed him to make connections in order to book more gigs as he got older.

This past summer, Ricky was able to play at the Electric Forest music festival in Michigan, a rock and jazz festival that is attended by over 40,000 people.

With playing at gigs at least once a week and being a part of the jazz band at East, Ricky’s schedule during the school year is especially hectic.

“There will be one day where I step onto a big stage a few hours away and there’s hundreds of people in front of me, many of which know my name already,” said Hess. “It’s interesting to be the center of attention and [to] do some-

thing big and then the next day I have to do well on a calculus test.”

Dealing with academics, music and the anxieties that come with managing both can be daunting for a teenager. But for Ricky, music isn’t only a high school job, a hobby to do with his brothers or a future career. For Ricky, it is a coping mechanism.

“I started writing my own music because I felt bad about things in life as a whole,” said Hess. “And then when I started writing more and figuring my own self out more, that’s when I realized: one, I’m happy, and two, I never want to stop doing music -- like ever.”

The East community can be on the lookout for more from the Hess Brothers, especially Ricky, in the future. Currently, Ricky is working on composing and producing music for his Spotify account.

In the future, after studying music in college, Ricky hopes to become a composer for movies or video games. Currently, he is working with a small indie video game company to design audio for their games. Whatever comes of the future, Ricky always hopes to keep music as a central part of his life.

Courtesy of Beardfest

Ricky Hess (‘23) plays the keyboard at the Beardfest music festival last June.

Courtesy of Ricky Hess (‘23)

Hess performs a solo at the Electric Forest music festival.

OPINIONS

Students overload on APs due to external pressure

■ By Matthew Berkery (‘25) Eastside Staff

At high schools across the world, the desire for academic excellence is prevalent— especially at Cherry Hill High School East, where a high-achieving student population has led to the school’s impressive rankings.

U.S. News and World Report places the school 62nd among 445 New Jersey high schools. In fact, East stu dents consistently earn awards for excelling in a myriad of competitions.

However, this academ ic culture is a double-edged sword. The pressure to per form can stoke success, but it also has the potential to derail a student’s mental health and physical wellbeing. These issues are of ten exacerbated through Advanced Placement (AP) classes: some of the most rigid and difficult courses offered by high schools throughout the nation. AP classes are a popular choice at East, as state data shows that more than half of the school’s students take at least one AP class, and 49 percent pass at least one AP test at the end of the year.

At the epitome of academic rigor, AP courses require a great deal of commitment and force students to allocate their time thoughtfully. However, this task becomes seemingly insurmountable when students enroll in multiple AP classes, especially with parental pressure

at play. Considering the overwhelming workload that comes with a schedule full of AP courses, parents should think carefully before urging students to take on multiple high-caliber classes.

There are a variety of factors to take into account when deciding whether to take an AP class. For one, students could lose a lot of sleep in the process.

times, parents and children view this as a necessary sacrifice, but there are significant consequences to insufficient sleep.

According to the CDC, children who do not get enough sleep are more prone to both health and behavioral problems. It is also recommended that teenagers sleep 8 to 10 hours per night, which is unrealistic for the vast ma jority of students enrolled in AP classes.

Sleep is an integral part of mental and physical health, par ticularly for teenagers. But how can the for feiture of sleep be justified if the student doesn’t want to take an AP class?

trinsic motivation is ambition that is driven by innate satisfaction rather than extrinsic consequences. In school, intrinsic motivation can be defined as a desire to learn for the gratification of mastering the material.

The impact of external rewards vs. internal drive inspired the research study “Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation, and the

sake, whether it be because of the enjoyment that the learning permits, or the feelings of accomplishment it evokes, while an extrinsically motivated student performs to gain a reward or avoid a punishment outside of the activity, such as grades, stickers, or teacher approval.

Students’ sense of accomplishment is a powerful force. As they develop more as individuals during high school, freedom in the learning process becomes even more important.

A student’s desire to challenge themself with AP classes is another example of intrinsic motivation.

more AP classes slept an hour less every night than their peers who were not enrolled in AP classes.

Sleep deprivation while students were enrolled in AP courses was found to have a disproportionate impact on sophomores and juniors in particular, compared to other students.

High school students are still developing and sleep is imperative to their health. Unfortunately, the reality for many students is that AP classes take priority over adequate sleep. Often-

In the end, it comes down to the fact that it may not al ways be the student’s decision. Whether or not they feel they are able to enroll in the classes seems to play little role in a stu dent’s decision once their parents step in. Parental pressure is rife at East, and students are frequently urged to enroll in advanced classes for the sake of pleasing their parents.

Given how taxing AP classes can be, students need to have their own motivation, rather than external pressure. With only this outside pressure, students are at risk for burnout and even mental health problems.

Initiative that comes from students themselves is commonly referred to as intrinsic motivation and is crucial for achievement. In-

children who were given a reward for doing a task.

The students’ interest in performing the task declined over time when they were expecting a reward.

Lepper also found that students liked to feel competent and personally responsible for their success.

Although the studies focused on young children, the psychology behind them applied to students of all ages.

A student who is intrinsically motivated undertakes an activity for its own

However, when parents are driving enrollment in such rigorous classes, intrinsic motivation is diminished and the course only becomes more drain-

With this in mind, what can be done?

Students should be more transparent about their workload with counselors, teachers and, above all, parents. East should implement more frequent meetings with guidance counselors to encourage students to talk about their courses. While parents have a role in students’ classes, they should not have complete jurisdiction.

Ultimately, intrinsic motivation should be built to foster a desire to learn beyond external pressure.

Art by Juliana Shin (‘23)/ Eastside Staff

Founders Education provides students an “easy way out”

■ By Asher Boiskin (‘24) Eastside Online Opinions Editor

Unbeknownst to many underclassmen, East offers what some would consider an “easy way out” to its hardest Advanced Placement classes: Founders Education. Any East student can use the tool to complete and receive credits for an East course without negatively impacting their grade point averagewhich seems controversial, especially because it has a financial price attached.

Some even view taking a Founders Education course as controversial because it’s supposedly easier than taking a course in person, both in content and course structure.

However, I’d like to offer a completely different perspective: students should not be frowned upon by their peers for utilizing Founders Education. Instead, East should promote it as a tool that students can use to replace classes in their schedule they are disinterested in with classes they are interested in and would subsequently enjoy more.

In fact, that’s exactly what I chose to do this year. I am currently in the

process of completing the Founders Education’s AP Physics class. The course has 98 sections, including quizzes, assignments and tests. I can redo the quizzes and assignments as many times as I desire until I get a score I am comfortable with. I chose to replace AP Physics with AP Government & Politics, not only a class that I am interested in, but also a class pertaining to a topic that I want to pursue in my future.

“I signed up for one of the Founders Education classes in order to replace it with an extra study hall,” Jeremy Raden (‘24) told me.

He thinks that the study hall will help him have continued academic success this year.

“The one negative thing about Founders Education is that it does not count towards your grade point average,” Raden further said. “And, despite what some think, the course does require you to soak up the information it teaches you if you want to score well on it.”

Alex Milman (‘23), a student attending Eastern Regional High School, said that students can also take online classes at his school.

“If it weren’t for summer classes, some kids at Eastern would still be taking classes about topics they do not enjoy,” said Milman.

I agree with Raden and

Milman: if taking a class with Founders Education will ensure your academic success, then you should take one.

Still, there should be some restrictions to those taking Founders Education classes. Students should not be allowed to take more than a certain number of online classes during their academic career at East, considering that it’s important for students to receive an education that provides them with skills from a plethora of academic fields. And, in many cases, Founders Education is not the

best way to learn a specific course.

“Learning from a Founders Education class is not as effective as learning from an in-person class,” Rachna Mohan (‘25), who takes Geometry and Health with the company, said. “The content is basically Google Slides, without any videos.”

The East administration should better promote Founders Education and work with the district to lower its cost to make it accessible to even more students. When students take a Founders Education

class, just like in Jeremy’s case, they can replace it with a study hall, giving themselves additional time to succeed in other classes. They can also replace it with a more beneficial, enjoyable class, like in my case.

Founders Education is a great tool students can utilize to finish a difficult course when they have time to study and understand it, such as during the summer; it helps them relieve a potential stressor throughout the school year and replace it with something more enjoyable.

Jiwoo Lee (‘24)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Founders Education charges almost $400 for the online US History course.

OPINIONS

Not jobless

■ By Sujata Choudhury (‘25) Eastside Staff

For the past two years, I have been working an after school job at a tutoring center. It has been a challenge to balance my job, personal life and school work, but it has been a rewarding journey that I continue to grow from.

I began working in eighth grade, when I decided I wanted to do something with the extra time I had. I also wanted to find a way to start making money. My mom suggested that I get a job, so we began looking for openings together. After some digging, I was able to find a job as a student assistant at a tutoring center.

I had been a student at the tutoring center for the past seven years, so I was already familiar with the place and the work I had to do. Thankfully, I had people I could ask for help and take advice from, even though there were still a few challenges along the way.

During my first few months working, it was very challenging to keep up with my school work while trying to balance my job. Since I work from 4 to 7, my time for completing homework was significantly reduced. Seeing that I work at a tutoring center, I realized I could actually ask people to help me with some of my own schoolwork, which helped me with my classes as well.

Through hard work and dedication, I was also able to manage my time well. My job allows me to develop a better sense of time management, which helps me in my everyday life. I now find that I am able to work efficiently under time constraints and organize in a manner that allows for maximum focus.

Aside from school, I also participate in a number of extracurriculars. I play a fall sport, I’m in a band, and I’m involved with a vast amount of clubs at East. I also volunteer as a spelling bee coach over the winter, and as a spelling bee judge during the spring. Working after school definitely put a limit on the number of activities that I can be involved with during the school year, but in my opinion, that was a plus. This allowed me to focus only on the activities that I am most passionate about, and it took a bit off my plate. Since I was able to figure this out early in my freshman year, it leaves me with less to deal with later on.

For anyone thinking about getting an after school job, I would highly recommend it to you. There is no better way to dip your toes in the water and see what working is really like. It prepares you for the real world, helps you learn to manage your time, and you even get paid while doing it. Search for job opportunities near you, and who knows? You may ignite a passion within you that you never even knew you had.

Requiring electives broadens students’ interests

■ By Manar Hadi (‘25) Eastside Opinions Editor

There are a plethora of career opportunities in this world, and finding out what’s right for me has always been a struggle. I have bounced between so many different hobbies and interests that I feel like I can’t find anything fitting enough for me. I am currently a sophomore, and I am still discovering who I am every day. School has always existed as a way to find what I am interested in and what I am not interested in. Like most students, I have learned that I absolutely despise math. On the other hand, I have learned that I can be good at English.

But it is not just the core classes that I have formed opinions on.

Cherry Hill High School East gives the opportunity for students to take elec-

tives: classes outside of the required core classes that are completely the student’s choice. East is unique with its electives, as there are “choice classes” that you are required to take in order to graduate. It is a graduation requirement to take one year in visual and performing arts electives, one year in 21st century life and career skills electives, a half year of Financial Literacy and, starting with the Class of 2025, a half year of African American Studies. Although required electives may be an oxymoron to the definition of “elective,” there are many benefits to these essential classes.

Like many students, I am taking African American Studies. Before taking this class, I was disinterested and a little irritated. I felt that I knew enough about African American history and there was absolutely no need for me to take it, and disliked that it would be taking over a semester. However, now that I am taking this class I re-

alize that there is so much more that I and my peers could possibly learn about this topic. I noticed our prior ignorance on the topic, and am grateful for the lessons that course taught me.

Classes like these are extremely important to take, because they teach lessons that no other class at Cherry Hill East teaches: how to prevent stereotyping and discrimination. If everyone takes this class, which is now required, we all have the opportunity to contribute to fighting against racism in our society.

And yet, some students still would not have thought to take the course if they were not required. They would scroll through the selection booklet until they found a class that fit their predetermined view of what they wanted to do.

Without the requirement of certain electives, this would be the case for many students around East. They would look for only certain classes, and very rarely would they ever step out of

their comfort zone.

Regardless, some students are still annoyed that this elective, like many others, has become mandatory. They enroll in the class with the mindset that they will not care about it.

During my freshman year, I shared this mindset. I took Journalism as a way to get rid of the 21st century & career skills requirement. Yet as the year progressed, I found myself more interested in what we learned. Learning about how to interview others, how to write certain stories, and the rules in journalism all sparked my interest in communications.

A required elective can help you find what you would like to do, not only in high school, but also in a future career. Required electives assist you with understanding the way certain things in the world work. Core classes may gloss over these lessons, but required electives allow the students to immerse themselves into a whole new mindset.

Elective requirements hinder student course choices

■ By Isabelle Berger (‘25) Eastside Opinions Editor

It’s the August before school starts, and thousands of Cherry Hill High School East students are checking their schedules for the first time. Their excitement builds as they scroll through their core classes, waiting to see which electives they’re taking in the year to come.

Suddenly, a wave of disappointment washes over them; in place of their anatomy class, they are forced to opt for an art elective. In place of the STEM class they had been looking forward to for months, they have to take African American Studies to graduate. In place of all the electives they had carefully selected to benefit both their futures and career paths, these students now sit in required classes, daydreaming about what they would be doing in a different class.

This is the case for over 2,000 students who attend Cherry Hill East each year.

To make matters worse, these classes can last up to 87 minutes. That’s 87 minutes of a student sitting there, watchful eye on the clock, waiting for this choice class to be over. Because that’s what an elective is: a choice class… right?

Even if a student doesn’t know what they want to do after high school, allowing us to figure out which topics to explore provides students with the freedom of choice that East so desperately attempts to provide us with. The school and the district try so hard to convey the importance of the students having a say, and yet they still fill up half of our elective slots with classes that are required.

Not so much of a choice class anymore.

This year, I know many

people (including myself) who are taking the new African American Studies course. Personally, I have never been a fan of history classes. I can’t say I’ve never enjoyed them, but they simply do not interest me as much as some of my other classes do.

And so I took the required sophomore year history class online last summer. I spent all of my free time for the better part of a month on the Founder’s Education site, and in return I received the false hope that I would not have to take any history classes this school year. Yet here I am, enrolled in a semesterlong class that could arguably be covered by a unit in a full-year history class.

I know many people feel this way about having to take a full year of art classes, too. Megan Pedersen

(‘25) agrees that, although art classes could provide a form of de-stressing for some people, they can still be completely useless for others.

“Having [art classes] be mandatory can cause some people to dislike the arts,” said Pedersen, who added that making any class required could take the fun out of an otherwise enjoyable class.

All in all, students are more likely to enter a required class with the mindset that they did not want to be there in the first place. This lack of an open mind can lead to frustration and resentment towards the school system in general, which is the opposite of a required elective’s intended purpose.

In the end, as much as the school tries to introduce us to “new fields of

interests,” there are some students that simply have never been interested in certain subjects. Regardless of our interests, the large majority of us have one thing in common: we are mature enough to understand which subjects interest us and which don’t. We are mature enough to know if a subject bores us, and we are mature enough to experiment with classes that we could actually enjoy… if the school system would only give us the time in our schedules.

And still, the district piles on electives, leaving little to no room in our schedules for what we actually want to do. If East wants to be a school that prides itself on student freedom, okay. But why not grant students the ability to choose their own “choice classes”?

Isabelle Berger (‘25) / Eastside Opinions Editor

Students in a vertebrae anatomy elective perform their first dissection of the year.

GLOBAL COMMENTARY

President Biden’s southern border crisis worsens

■ By Batul El Barouki (‘23) Eastside Global Commentary Editor

America is currently facing what is said to be the worst border crisis yet. The standards this country once held true for dealing with such national security issues are being undermined by our President.

Not only is there violence emerging, but also a drastic overflow of migrant arrests at the United StatesMexico border. Lawmakers claim that the current issues are a direct result of President Joe Biden’s reversal of Trump administration border policies.

Failing governments in countries such as Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba are bringing new waves of migrants to the United States. What is the American government doing to control the situation?

Instead of providing asylum for refugees, there has been a 175% increase in arrests and detainments since last August 2021, according to the Customs and Border Protection. Rather than allowing migrants to obtain humanitarian protection, the Biden administration blames the governments of these countries because of their severed ties with Washington D.C. making it difficult to send the deported migrants back to their countries.

Instead, Biden’s new open border policies “are fueling criminal activity and abuses by cartels facilitating illegal border crossings,” according to the Senate Republican conference.

Due to signaling that our nation’s borders are open, many illegal immigrants are trying to cross the border and are met with violence by United States border control when they do so.

According to The Texas Tribune, United States law enforcement has made 2.3 million arrests this year at the southern border, which is much greater than last year’s 1.7 million.

While some may argue that the distorted numbers of border crossing may be the result of “repeat crossings” it still raises concerns over the President’s new border policies and what dangers they pose to Americans.

President Biden is accused of “ending Title 42 knowing it will lead to a surge of illegal immigration that overwhelms America’s border enforcement,” states the Senate Republican Conference. Title 42 was put in place during the Trump-era to suspend illegal entries into the U.S. to decrease the spread of Covid.

Now that it has been expelled, the soldiers on the borders are incredibly overwhelmed.

Many cheered Biden on in this endeavor because it allows immigrants to seek safe asylum in the United States, but lawmakers claim it is causing an overwhelming amount of pressure on border enforcement.

Many may argue that Title 42, a policy placed during the pandemic, decreases family separations.

Others may argue that

expelling it has brought deadly consequences. According to The Washingtonton Post, border control found enough Fentanyl, a drug 100 times stronger than morphine, to kill every man, woman and child in America. The El Paso sector, one of nine border control sectors across the Southwest, has also recently come across many illegal immigrants with previous gang and drug affiliations.

Limiting immigration enforcement in general has gotten major criticism to the Biden administration. According to the Senate Republican Conference, this has led to “over 20,000 un-

accompanied children” at the border who are exposed to many risks.

According to USA Today, during the Trump administration “The feds lost— yes, lost — 1,475 migrant children.” Biden has lost more than 10 times that number of children—with no media outrage.

On April 26, the Biden administration will go before the Supreme Court to end the “Remain in Mexico” program, which is a Migrant Protection Protocol program placed during the Trump-era requiring illegal immigrants to wait in Mexico before they hear about their U.S. immigration cases. Ending this program

puts risks on migrant families who are frequently smuggled into the U.S. and exploited by the cartels. The overwhelming violence and chaos at the United States-Mexico border has no doubt increased since President Biden took office.

Biden’s changes to border security are leaving the country wide open for many more issues. Instead of providing a safe asylum for migrants, they are put in danger of seperation and exploitation.

The Biden administration needs to take a long and close look at the risks these policy changes are posing for migrants and Americans at the border.

American birth rates plummet in the United States

■ By Enis Ercan (‘24) Eastside Online Global Commentary Editor

In our world, species that fail to reproduce inevitably lose out, and humans are no exception. As such, the ongoing global trend of decreasing birth and fertility rates should worry everyone.

And while a small fraction of countries — most notably in Sub-Saharan Africa — appear to be having no issues with any form of population growth decline, the United States appears among the countries that do.

Since the 1960s, the United States has seen a steady overall decrease in population growth rates. So much so that by the turn of the millennium, birth rates had shrunk from over 1.5 million births per year to just under 1 million.

This rate may have maintained a steady growth coefficient, but this downward trend sharpened dramatically in the 2010s. The rate dropped abruptly to below 500,000 births per year, a full half of what it had been nearly 20 years ago. Worse still, this past year witnessed an even steeper drop: below 400,000 births per year.

Several factors contributed to this drastic decline. One of the most significant is the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which wreaked havoc on America’s eco-

nomic and political landscape, leaving behind over a million dead throughout a duration of over two years.

This tragic figure undoubtedly put a major dent into the country’s population, and likely contributed to unwillingness and inability to procreate on the part of Americans.

Indeed, COVID-19 is one of the biggest culprits for the recent sharp downturn in the birth rate.

Another major factor to the United States’ stumbling population is immigration, or the lack thereof, in recent years. One hallmark of the Trump presidency between 2016 and 2020 was to exponentially curb immigration to the United States, and the 45th President’s administration greatly succeeded in this regard.

Surprisingly, the administration of incumbent President Joe Biden has not made boosting emigration to the United States a highlighted priority. Whereas before 2016 and the advent of Trump, the yearly number of immigrants to the country exceeded 1 million, that number today is below 250,000.

Finally, it’s true that simply fewer and fewer babies are being born to Americans every year. This phenomenon has a multitude of causes.

For years, scientists have warned that processed, fat-

ty and sugary foods — staples of the American diet, may lead to reduced fertility in both men and women.

Whatever the exact reason, fertility rates and sperm counts are dropping crucially worldwide, and especially in the United States. In addition, longstanding developments such as women’s empowerment and the growing economic hurdles to raising children in America all pose significant hurdles to child rearing, potentially dissuading many Americans from having children.

One factor which might positively impact the birth rate, however, unsurprisingly, is the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade (1973) and the reduction of federal protection over abortion rights.

Numerous analysts have predicted that the overturning of the monumental Supreme Court case could lead to as many as 400,000 additional births per year in the United States.

Whether or not these births would occur in circumstances conducive to community and economic growth is another matter. However, as it is forecasted that births given as a result of the Supreme Court’s retraction will occur disproportionately among the economically challenged demographics of the country and further impede their socioeconomic progress.

In the long run, this initial boost to the population may lead to more serious issues within the nation.

And so, population decline may soon be another thorn in the side of an al-

ready bristling United States of America.

Whatever the causes or effects of this reality, one thing is for certain: our population, growing or shrinking, is in trouble.

Erin Winslow (‘25)/ Eastside Staff

Matthew Rentezelas (‘24)/

Qatari companies abuse World Cup workers

■ By Matthew Rentezelas (‘24) Eastside Global Commentary Editor

Beginning on November 20, tens of thousands of soccer fans from all over the world will flock to Qatar to witness 32 teams competing to win the 2022 World Cup. Billions of non-traveling spectators will watch the broadcasts of games played in some of the most modern stadiums in the world. Unfourtunately, these broadcasts will fail to depict the exploitative labor system involved in the construction of these stadiums.

Qatar, an oil-rich nation stationed on the Arabian peninsula, gained the right to hold the 2022 World Cup in 2010 under questionable circumstances. The World Cup can bring a country hundreds of millions of dollars in tourism, so dozens of nations compete to host the competition. After Qatar won the right to host, multiple sources came forward alleging that Qatar bribed high-ranking FIFA officials to secure their victory.

Even though concerns surrounding the issue have generally subsided, Qatari companies have utilized problematic labor systems relating to the World Cup.

To support such a massive event, Qatar needed to build multiple new stadiums to house the expected crowds. Seven of the eight stadiums in use for the competition finished con-

struction within the past four years.

Construction companies have largely relied on poor, foreign laborers to complete the large projects. These

use a system known as “kafala.” Under this system, bosses force workers to relinquish their passports and their right to move freely in Qatar. Employers

es promised to them. These groups have often tried to form strikes to combat abusive business practices, but individuals involved and these efforts are often

camps adjacent to the stadiums. The extreme heat during summers in Qatar has also led dozens of workers to die of exhaustion, heat stroke or other related illnesses. In 2021 alone, the International Labor Organization reported that fifty foreign laborers working on World Cup projects died, while hundreds more were seriously injured. Actual numbers may be even higher if Qatari companies have concealed statistics to avoid controversy.

Though Qatar’s government seems to be implementing worker reforms, these efforts have largely come too late. Thousands of exploited workers have already experienced horrible living conditions and injuries, and hundreds have died.

companies have exploited the desperation of these workers in many cruel forms. When these migrant workers – most of whom come from South Asia – arrive, they are forced to pay hundreds of dollars in fees. After achieving employment, Qatari businesses

then stop these individuals from switching jobs, trapping them in a cycle of abuse.

In addition to these unfair policies, laborers also receive low and infrequent wages. In many cases, workers have gone weeks without receiving the wag-

threatened or deported. Many others can’t involve themselves in such efforts because losing employment simply isn’t an option.

Migrant workers are also subject to dangerous and cruel working conditions. Laborers are confined to live in small, cramped

Continuing its long history of callousness and greed, FIFA has done nothing in response to the working conditions in Qatar. Time and time again, FIFA has damaged people’s lives to protect its bottom line. FIFA must be forced to take accountability for its inaction and role in this system. It must serve as an organization to promote the passion for soccer, rather than one based on corruption and callousness. Otherwise, thousands of people will continue to be abused by FIFA’s decisions and their lack of attention towards employees.

Saudi Arabia unveils development of ultra-modern smart cities

■ By Izzy Sobel (‘24) Eastside News Editor

Citizens fear the outside world. Citizens are under constant surveillance. Citizens have everything they will ever need in a city. Sounds like a dystopian society, right? What only seemed possible in books and movies may or may not become reality.

Saudi Arabia has had many developmental projects in the works. Their modernized economic cities are meant to serve as anchors or growth engines for various industries.

The purpose of such modernized cities is to primarily reduce the pressure on neighboring cities by hosting businesses and creating efficient housing for its citizens. They are being placed in the most strategic locations across the country.

Saudi Arabia hopes to rapidly grow its economy and believes these cities are instrumental in reaching that goal. It believes that building these specialized cities will create more jobs and allow citizens to learn more skills.

King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC) finished construction in 2018, located 100 kilometers north of Jeddah. The modernized capital King Abdullah has now become a popular tourist attraction. Knowledge Economic City is in Medina, west of Saudi Arabia, and was also launched by the same person as the King Abdullah, King Abdullah himself in 2006 as part of a diversification and modern-

ization framework.

According to capital frontiers, this city contributes to seven percent of Saudi Arabia’s GDP (gross domestic product).

Prince Abdulaziz bin Musaid Economic City in Hael is proposed to be built on the crossroads of trade and transportation routes for the Middle East. Its main focus will be exporting petroleum. Each city is specialized and located strategically to fulfill a purpose.

Currently, the most popular of six economic zones is NEOM, also called The Line. This “smart city” is a civilized revolution that puts humans first while seemingly using no cars, street, or carbon emissions for sustainability purposes.

According to the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, NEOM will extend along the Red Sea and will be the world’s first independent international zone.

The Line, which is estimated to house approximately five million people upon completion, is part of the Saudi Arabia’s 2030 initiative to reduce the Kingdom’s dependency on oil. NEOM, which has a judicial system and laws of its own, and will be backed by $500 million from investors and investment funds. It will also implement a datagathering regime including facial recognition technology.

This, however, has sparked controversy as many think it is reminiscent of China’s dystopian

social credit system. The city will allow the Saudi regime to monitor and suppress ideological ideas similar to what the Chinese Government has done in Xinjiang.

It is disputable as to whether the technological advancements are meant to portray themselves as environmentally conscious or if there is an international pressure for Saudi Arabia to grow, produce and divert from fossil fuels.

There may be a more sinister reality for Saudi Arabia to appear sustainable in the media to keep their promise of zero net carbon emission by 2060.

However, many Saudi Arabia officials have come forward and said that zero carbon emissions would greatly disrupt the current state of the economy. So, what are these cities being built for exactly? What is the Saudi Arabian government’s purpose in all of this? The world still wonders whether there is a reason for such drastic plans and this means that a dystopian future lies ahead.

Barbara Armstrong (‘25)/ Eastside Staff

Art rendition of the new World Cup Stadium shows its immense size.

■ By Gia Gupta(‘24), Sophia Liu (‘24) and Ellie Noh (‘24) Eastside Community Editor, Eastside Features Editor, Eastside Community Editor

Some of them are stared at. Some of them are pitied. Some of them are laughed at. All of them deserve more.

For people with disabilities, accessibility is the focused effort put forth towards their necessities and the adjustments made, whether it may be facilities or products. The purpose for accessibility is to make services, activities, products and information available and meaningful to as many people as possible, no matter their differences.

In 1990, one of the ways to try to ensure more accessibility was the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The ADA was put in place to stop discrimination against disabled people. This involves transportation, communication, attainability of state and local government services, and employment. There is also the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) that has aspects focused on disabled people, including cost-effective health care, improved protection for disabled Americans and more health care options.

Overall, our nation at large has made important strides toward making the United States more accessible for people with disabilities.

In this Special, Eastside explores how Cherry Hill schools and the Cherry Hill community are striving to increase accessibility, looking at the advances and barriers that have defined its evolution.

Physical Accessibility

At Cherry Hill High School East, multiple aspects of the school’s infrastructure are designed to be inclusive for students with physical disabilities. For example, there is an elevator to assist with going to different floors, ramps at major en trances for students to come in and lever door handles on some doors for easier use. In the classroom, teachers wear amplifiers on their lanyards to assist stu dents who are hard of hear ing and with students with central auditory process ing disorder, and the cus todial team provides extra cleaning in rooms where students may have signifi cant allergies, among other measures.

While there has been progress in mak ing East an accessible learning environ ment for all students, there are more strides that still need to be made to aid students with physical disabilities. For instance, every time a student has to use an elevator, they have to wait for an adult with a key to take them up and down — an inefficient mode of transportation in the limited time between classes. Additionally, the student entrance, which most students use when entering East in the morning, does not have a ramp, making it inaccessible for students with wheelchairs and other students with physical disabilities. Furthermore, many door handles have not yet been replaced with lever handles, making them difficult for handicapped students and staff to operate. This problem has long gone unaddressed, since East only adds lever handles to doors that already require replacement for another reason (for example, if one is broken), since the American Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that any changes made to a school facility must be ADA compliant.

Regarding these issues, East Principal Dr. Dennis Perry said that the recently passed bond referendum would make the entire building ADA compliant. The bond has an extensive agenda for making areas at East more accessible: the student entrance, bleachers in the DiBart Gym, new classroom doors with accessible handles, the turf field system and new construction will all be made to be accessible as according to the ADA.

Moreover, within the community there are many organizations trying to provide accessible activities for people with physical disabilities. Popular programs and places within the community include Miracle League and Jake’s Place. You can read more about these organizations on the right hand side of the page.

Perry said, “[The] notion of equity…

doesn’t mean anyone… is slighted in any way. It just simply means that everyone is getting what they need. There is a famous cartoon for equity… it’s three kids trying to look over the fence to watch a game and the kids are at different heights so one is on a taller box so that they could all see the same thing. It’s the same idea.”

It’s time everyone can finally see.

Learning Accessibility

“Special education [is] like putting a square peg in a small round hole,” said Cherry Hill Special Education PTA (CHSEPTA) President Jennifer Naddeo.

In other words, there is simply no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to students’ learning. With students of all different interests and abilities in our classrooms, it is not practical to assume that they will all thrive under the same teaching and evaluation methods.

Currently, Cherry Hill offers Individualized Education Program (IEP) and 504 plans for students with learning disabilities.

Perry explained that for students who have a 504 plan, accommodations for learning needs can include extra time on tests, reduced homework loads, notes from teachers and more. 504 plans also extend to physical accommodations, such as elevator access or audio systems to aid students who are hard of hearing.

At East, each grade level has a committee, headed by the grade level’s assistant principal, whose purpose is to review and evaluate requests for 504 plans for students in that grade. To apply for a 504 plan, a student must first submit evidence of a medical diagnosis and demonstrate a need for accommodations. From there, the student’s parents, guidance counselor, grade level assistant principal and teachers meet to design the ideal ac commodations plan for the student.

Compared to a 504 plan, an Indi vidualized Education Program (IEP) provides more extensive accommo dations by creating a unique, modi fied learning plan for each student.

Different levels of IEP plans can include having a special education teacher make modifications to stu dents’ learning, having an inclusion teacher in the classroom and using a different educational program as a whole. For students who are looking to get an IEP, they first go through an evaluation meeting that can be based on if a teacher or parent sees that they are struggling in different areas.

The evaluation can be based on many different topics including speech, occupational therapy and functional behavior, and is used to see what is being affected and how to help. After the evaluation meeting, an eligibility meeting occurs, following strict guidelines of testing, to see if a student is eligible for special education services. Once the family receives the results, a team of people including a case manager, general education teacher, special education teacher, family and more people depending on the circumstances (including the student “whenever appropriate” according to the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act), reads the evaluation and decides whether the IEP should be granted. The team will meet yearly to reevaluate the accommodations offered to the student if an IEP is granted.

The CHSEPTA’s mission statement is “to offer support, education, socialization and advocacy for children with special learning needs, their families and educators.” CHSEPTA helps students and families by providing information about services and programs throughout our district.

Naddeo still shows that change needs to be made to make Cherry Hill an accessible place for all students.

“I get calls [from families] where everything worked out fine, and they love their program, they love their teacher, they think that their students are doing fantastic in Cherry Hill School District… And then, we get the phone calls where it’s almost like communication is shut down and it doesn’t feel like their student has been welcomed or accepted and they’re not able to get what they need.”

Naddeo is advocating for changes to be

implemented into the education system, one of which is providing more in-class resources, especially for Advanced Placement (AP) and honors-level classes as well as required classes such as Financial Literacy.

With an in-class resource program, a class is led by two teachers — one subject teacher and one special education teacher (the in-class resource teacher). The in-class resource teacher provides specialized instruction for students with learning disabilities. In this way, students can take highly rigorous classes while also making sure their educational needs will be met. In-class resources are especially needed in honors and AP level classes, said Naddeo, because of the emphasis placed on taking high level courses in today’s college admissions.

Currently, it is unlawful to deny a student with a disability admission to an accelerated class or program solely be cause of that student’s need for special education or related aids and services, or because that student has an IEP or 504 plan. While our school district does allow students with disabilities access to advanced classes, it doesn’t provide the necessary support for students due to a lack of in-class resources.

There still remains a stigma associat ed with learning accomodations and the misconception that students with such plans are given an “unfair advantage.”

“I wear glasses as an accommodation for my eyesight, and if I don’t wear my glasses, it makes it challenging for me to read things [or] to see things and it might take longer to focus and I might not understand something as well… For students that may not have any kind of reading challenges, dyslexia, things like that, you may not un derstand the needs [of] someone who does,” said Perry. Regarding the accommoda tions that could be executed, there are many ways schools can make facilities more ac cessible for people with dis abilities. For example, schools could implement a system for recording the lessons for those who may need extra time to grasp the information provid ed. Lastly, teachers should also keep in mind the distractions that may impact some disabled students’ ability to learn. This includes students walking around in the hallways and having other students in too-close settings such as when using tables that are not large enough.

Learning, equity, and acceptance: accessibility can affect all three drastically, impacting the environment that a student relates to their education.

“When our children go into a school, what I hope is that they’re accepted by their classmates, because that makes a big difference in someone’s learning,” said Naddeo.

Conclusions

Cherry Hill has made significant strides in making the community an accessible place for all. Through special programs, parks, educational resources and more, many people who need accommodations find a welcoming and accessible environment in Cherry Hill. Yet, there are still strides that need to be made and changes that need to be sought.

Without spreading awareness, it is difficult to understand the necessity of implementing accessibility in the world around us. It is our job as citizens to promote change for everyone to be able to do daily tasks without obstacles such as a lack of accessibility. From this, it is significant that we become educated in order to fully grasp the dire need of accessibility in society today. We can make strides so that everyone is educated and they understand how accessibility does not lead to unfairness, but rather leads to a more equitable world.

Change can start at the administrative level, or it can even start with you. Because when the citizens that construct the environment of a community come together to make a place more welcoming, that can be a stepping stone toward a society, and then a world, that is fully accessible.

Miracle League: allowing all children to score a home run

a winner in every game.

Miracle League is an organization that provides children with disabili ties a chance to play baseball. This or ganization began in 1998 when Eddie Bagwell, Rockdale Youth Baseball Association’s coach, invited a child in a wheelchair to play baseball on his team. Since then, many children with disabilities have begun playing baseball as part of over 300 Miracle League Organizations in the U.S.

In the leagues, all of the players get to bat once each inning, every ath lete can score a run before the inning is over, volunteers can be ‘buddies’ to the athletes and help them throughout the games, and each team/player is seen as

Cherry Hill High School East participates in this mission through its Miracle League Club. Students are encouraged to work as volunteers at the games.

“It’s our job to get students…to sign up to go and be like buddies…

so our students play baseball with… the children who show up to play,” said Mrs. Katie Radbill, the Miracle League Club advisor.

The Miracle League Club attends the Camden County Miracle League games at

Voorhees Pediatric Facility: providing

Since first opening its doors in 1982, the Voorhees Pediatric Facility (VPF) has served as a special care nursing facility to provide holistic care for medically fragile children, from newborn to age 21.

The facility’s residents typically have complex medical conditions and thus need access to constant specialized care. The facility is a full-time home for these children, allowing them to learn and thrive in an environment designed to meet their needs.

“Each kid presents their own sets of unique challenges for us and we just take them one at a time,” said Gary Pizzichillo, the Administrator of Voorhees Pedi-

VPF provides a comprehensive array of therapy services: respiratory therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy.

Beyond the facility itself, the Voorhees Pediatric Facility organization also lends its services to a number of local school districts through rehab contracts. VPF therapists work at schools that are lacking the therapy services to help compensate for this shortage.

Currently, VPF provides care to 110 residential patients -- children who all live at the facility full time. An additional 24 kids bus in each day for the facility’s Medical Day Care, where they can go through the school day while also receiving their needed medical attention and care.

Each day, just like any other child, VPF’s patients get ready for and attend school at the facility’s in-house Bancroft School, a local school program focused on special education. In between their therapy sessions, the children learn, play and

Jake’s Place playground. Jake’s Place has boundless fields that help people using wheelchairs move without restrictions. The Miracle League club attends games every Saturday in the fall during September and October, then in the spring during April and May.

Miracle League spreads joy across the country by providing children with disabilities opportunities to do activities they might not get to do on their own. “It’s just really heartwarming when a kid…gets a hit and the whole place is cheering for him or her,” said Radbill.

If you would like to register to become a ‘buddy’ for the Camden County Miracle League, follow the club’s Instagram page (@chemiracleleague) and click the link in their bio to register. Also, if you want to learn more about the nonprofit organization, visit miracleleague.com for more details.

a home for medically fragile

just do ordinary kid things.

“[Sometimes I’ll] just be working during the day and hear music blasting, and I’ll go outside and there’s a DJ and all the kids are out there with a dance party out of nowhere, unplanned,” said Pizzichillo.

From weekly outings to the movies, to the mall, or even just to get a haircut, the facility does their best to get the patients out in the community and allow them to make the same fun memories as other children.

The WAVE program, although currently on temporary hold due to Covid-19, is one initiative that VPF organizes to achieve this goal. Due to medical reasons, many of the children at VPF have never been able to do things that others may think of as everyday and ordinary, such as going out and feeling the rain or swimming.

The WAVE program brings the VPF children down to the shore, along with an entire medical team, so that the children can experience the feeling of a wave flowing by and the feeling of sand between their toes for the first time.

“The great part about this facility is that yes, [the children] get to go to school, they get the care they need… but the staff here really strive to make every day a happy day,” said Pizzichillo. “They strive to create the atmosphere and the memories and the experiences that all of us get to experience everyday and take for granted.”

Many nurses at VPF have been working there for twenty to thirty years, and some have even been with the facility since its inception.

“Just like a parent, these nurses and clinicians know these children like they’re their own children,” said Pizzichillo. “They know the signs and symptoms when they’re not feeling good just like I would with my sons or daughter, they are really invested in these children.”

Furthermore, Pizzichillo added, “there

children

are countless numbers of examples” where foster children being cared for at Voorhees Pediatric Facility have found a forever home with one of the staff or caregivers who decided to adopt them.

“That happens pretty normally over the years,” said Pizzichillo, “where these children are now with a caregiver that had them on their assignment and is now their son or daughter. That’s a beautiful thing.”

In addition to nurses and therapists, the VPF team also includes over a hundred volunteers, many of whom are high school students.

“It’s rewarding knowing that people may not get to visit [the kids] very often [and] you’re keeping them company [and] having fun with them,” said Elizabeth Le (‘23), who has been volunteering at VPF since 2020.

Volunteers like Le help out by keeping the kids engaged and active: for example, they sing and dance together and play games, from Candyland to Sorry! to Connect 4.

“There’s this one girl who has a lot of sass and keeps beating me at every board game,” said Le, laughing. “I’m trying so hard to win, but I just keep losing at Uno [...] it puts it in perspective that they’re just as capable.”

Even with facilities like VPF, however, medical accessibility remains challenging for many children.

When compared to that of adults, the availability of local medical treatments is lacking: sometimes there may only be one option for one of VPF’s patients to receive their needed treatment, said Pizzichillo, and it is hours away in North Jersey.

Nevertheless, although there are still roadblocks to be overcome, the Voorhees Pediatric Facility is helping children with medical conditions live life to the fullest -- one therapy session, one impromptu dance party, one smile at a time.

■ By Taylor Goodman (‘25) Eastside Online Community Editor

By Sophia Liu (‘24) Eastside Features Editor

Sophia Liu (‘24)/ Eastside Features Editor

Courtesy of @miracleleagueche

A volunteer and athlete buddy up during the game.

Courtesy of Russell Turco

A VPF resident plays a game with a volunteer.

Courtesy of Russell Turco East student volunteer Elizabeth Le (‘23) and a VPF resident smile for a picture.

Courtesy of Russell Turco A volunteer bakes with a VPF resident.

How the cookie crumbles: The local cookie battle

Cookies are one of the most popular

goods, yet I have found that it

depends on its consistency, taste, texture and especially the

found throughout

was able to come to the

■ By Ella Goodstadt (‘24) Eastside Online Culture Editor

only some of the

Crumbl Cookies: A national sensation for the past year, Crumbl Cookies has taken the nation’s cookie industry by storm. Running on a rotating menu, the types of cookies change every week alongside the routine chocolate chip cookie. When I purchased Crumbl Cookies, the flavors offered were Mooncake, Dirt Cake ft. Otto, Banana Cream Pie, Yellow Sugar, and Minion Confetti – a selection inspired by the new “Minions: The Rise of Gru” movie. Personally, I found the cookies inconsistent, as some were overly sweet but had the perfect consistency, while others were made up of a delicious cookie but unappealing toppings. The shop itself is rather barren and unappealing due to its completely white interior and open kitchen. Crumbl does get points, however, for the fragrant chocolate chip cookie aroma inside the store.

Address: 950 Garden Park Blvd, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002

Dulce Artisanal Pastry was an unlikely find along the streets of Collingswood. As a local patisserie, the shop offers a variety of pastries in a small but clean and welcoming environment. From Dulce, I purchased an oatmeal raisin cookie and a peanut butter cookie. The oatmeal raisin cookie had the perfect chewy consistency, but it was too sweet. Besides this, the peanut butter cookie truly left me speechless. The flavor of the peanut butter was mouthwatering, and the cookie had just the right consistency to make it absolutely delectable. My main complaint regarding the pastry shop is the small menu because I would’ve been happy to purchase even more cookies.

Address: 740A Haddon Ave, Collingswood, NJ 08108

Sweet T’s Bakeshop: When I stepped into Sweet T’s Bakeshop, I did not expect to find particularly amazing cookies, seeing that the shop seemed to solely promote its cake products. The Haddonfield bakery has a homey feel with friendly staff which created the ambiance of a small town bakery. I decided to purchase a chocolate chip cookie and a specialty “Cookie Monster” cookie (it should be noted that there was limited selection on the menu). The chocolate chip cookie was perfectly sweet, and it met the fine balance between having a crisp shell with a soft middle. The specialty cookie was oreo flavored with a basic cookie in the middle, and it managed to taste exceptional without becoming overwhelming. Sweet T’s bakes some incredible cookies, and I plan to return for more soon.

Address: 14 Kings Ct, Haddonfield, NJ 08033

Downtown Cookies: Style over substance: this just about sums up Downtown Cookies. Located in Downtown Haddonfield, the bakery has a charming, small town shop atmosphere, and it has an aroma of freshly baked cookies drifting out the door. The cookies on display have creative names, and they all simply look delicious. However, this is a front for rather adequate cookies. I purchased a chocolate chip cookie and a sea salt salted caramel cookie and both tasted incredible, but they lacked good consistency. Both cookies were dry due to how thick they were. Downtown Cookies has the perfect setting, but they missed the mark in selling the 100% perfect cookies.

Address: 123 Kings Hwy E, Haddonfield, NJ 08033

Carlo’s Bakery: Carlo’s Bakery, located in Marlton, is able to provide customers with just about any baked good they might be craving. The service is great, and the store itself is full of color and aesthetically pleasing treats. While I cannot vouch for their other goods, the cookies were simply average. I purchased a chocolate chip cookie and a sugar cookie, and each cookie was too thin for my liking. Each cookie tasted as I expected it to, ultimately lacking in a stand-out factor for my liking. The shop is definitely able to offer any baked goods a customer might need, but there is nothing truly remarkable about Carlo’s Bakery.

Address: 300 NJ-73, Marlton, NJ 08053

Photos by Ella Goodstadt (‘24)/ Eastside Online Culture=Editor

baked

can be very difficult to find the perfect one. The perfect cookie

experience at the bakery itself. Bakeshops, some specializing in cookies, can be

South Jersey; however,

shops make the cut. Following thorough contemplation of these factors and taste testing, I

conclusion that Sweet T’s Bakeshop, Dulce Artisanal Pastry, Downtown Cookies, Crumbl Cookies and Carlo’s Bakery make up the top five cookie bakeries in this part of South Jersey. Each of these stores shares something unique to the South Jersey region. In order to provide reasoning for my ranking, a further dive into each shop was necessary.

Dulce Artisanal Pastry:

Go4theGoal helps kids with cancer fulfill their hopes

■ ByGiaGuptaandEllieNoh(‘24) Eastside Community Editors

He left the note quietly on his brother’s bed so he could see it when he woke up. The prospect of facing the next day was daunting, but the few words on the paper seemed to create an aura of hope around the looming day. An aura almost golden. And when Richard Stefanacci awoke, he found the note. And on it, among words of hope and optimism, was “Go for the goal.”

Richard was a ninth grade student at Camden Catholic High School in 2006 when his life took an unforeseen turn: he was diagnosed with cancer. Yet, despite the life-altering journey he was about to encounter, Beth Stefanacci, his mother, recalled the blessings that surrounded the situation.

“We felt that we had every piece of the puzzle to navigate this very frightening… journey that was ahead of us. My husband is a physician, so medically we understood a lot [of what] was going on. We were financially secure. We lived just about a ten-minute drive from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which at that time, was the best place for his treatment, in the country, and probably in the world,” Stefanacci said.

Within a few weeks, Beth Stefanacci — recognizing the dire situation other families may find themselves in without the necessary resources — founded the non-profit organization “Go4theGoal.” As Founding Director, her goal is to alleviate as much suffering as she can and provide any

distraction during the difficult time when a child is diagnosed with cancer.

“When you have a child that is diagnosed with cancer, it takes one parent full time to care for their child who is sick with cancer.

[That] parent has to either significantly reduce their work hours, which would mean a reduction in their salary and income, or they have to leave their job altogether, which could… mean they lose their health benefits. We saw that these families were not only dealt a very difficult card with the potential of their child dying from a diagnosis such as cancer, but they were also impacted financially. And we knew that if we could alleviate the financial burden from these families, [they] could really focus on what was most important.”

Beth Stefanacci walked this journey already. Now she felt like it was her time to give back to others trekking the path. Through altruistic efforts, Go4theGoal fulfills wide-ranging requests of struggling families. In the past 15 years, it has supported families nationwide, many times anonymously, for utilities, water bills, rent, mortgages, grocery bills, transportation and more.

Go4theGoal aims to distract. While there is a need for hope for the future, there are still children living with the bleak reality of their diagnosis.

Go4theGoal issues grants that make spaces inside hospitals have a brighter ambiance as a mirror of optimism and positivity.

In other instances, their grants helped with improvements in areas such as technology, media rooms

and technology to give to hospitals around the country. Other initiatives include “Adopt-a-Family,” where social workers help families

gram, the community can help wrap and plan gifts and assemble gift baskets, and business owners can use their company to “adopt” a family.

For “Back-to-School

Backpacks,” members of the community can help pack backpacks and bring them to the hospitals, fundraise for school supplies or run a drive to get a collection of supplies. In support of Richard’s fight and all of those who have fought or are still fighting pediatric cancer, athletic teams around the country lace up with gold shoelaces as part of Go4The Goal’s Lace Up initiative.

Teams from all different levels have participated: youth club teams, school teams, every division on the collegiate level and professional teams. Hope for the future is threaded within the community — creating an aura fully golden.

While Go4theGoal does aim to distract, they also aim to push the fight forward. To further expand the research done on diseases, Go4theGoal has provided more than one million dollars towards research grants to further the knowledge surrounding pediatric cancer so one day a cure might be found.

“We know that we can make a difference. We are going to make a difference… To continue what we are doing and reach more families is where our goal is,” Beth Stefanacci said.

Richard sadly lost his fight with cancer shortly before his 15th birthday. Go for the goal. There is a need for more shots taken. More running together down the field. United in the struggle, but still going forward. Because one day the ball will go into the net. And when it does, Go4theGoal won’t need to exist anymore. But maybe that’s the point of it all.

East needs better changing options for genderqueer students

“We need to have a third option,” said Cherry Hill High School East Principal Dr. Dennis Perry.

When it comes to genderbased spaces for students to change clothes, Eastside agrees: the existing male and female locker rooms no longer suffice. Eastside appreciates Perry and other administrators for their support of this position. Now, the Editorial Board urges them to swiftly take all possible actions in service of inclusion for all students.

For transgender, nonbinary and gender non-conforming students, changing clothes at school — whether for gym class, sporting events or any other reason — can be a deeply uncomfortable experience. For example, for students who do not identify as male, real harm can be done when they are expected to walk among almost all male students into a room bearing signage that declares it is a space for boys. That experience may induce gender dysphoria, a harmful form of stress that researchers believe can increase suicide

risks.

As East administration has recognized, alternative options must be made available to students who cannot change in the boys’ or girls’ locker rooms. However, the options currently being made available are not sustainable.

As of now, students uncomfortable with changing in the gender-based locker rooms can go to the nurse’s office or request for a teacher to unlock the gender-neutral bathrooms, which are otherwise locked during the first five minutes of classes when students change for gym. Neither of these solutions is ideal. Sending students to the nurse could make some students feel that the wrong message is being sent, as if genderdiverse students are ill. Being sent to the nurse also represents a fallback option, indicating to students that administrators have no real plan for genderdiverse students changing for gym and sports. The nurse’s office is also a distant walk from the East Gym and from the sports fields. Meanwhile, having

to wait for a teacher to unlock the bathrooms, which are not particularly close to the gym and fields either, creates inconvenience and potential discomfort. Plus, if more than two students need alternative changing options at one time, the two single-stall gender neutral bathrooms at East will not provide adequate space.

In the future, one ideal solution would be to create a third, smaller locker room at East that is gender-neutral. Unlike the existing locker rooms, this addition would not be an open space but rather house partitions that would allow students of any identity to change in individual, private spaces.

Dr. Matthew Covington, an assistant principal at East who is in charge of the Physical Education Department, said he would support the addition of a new facility in the future, though it is not immediately possible. Eastside appreciates that sentiment and looks forward to future consideration of funding for a building addition. Such a project should be considered while other construction stemming

from the recently passed bond referendum is in progress. The project could have a positive impact similar to when gender-neutral bathrooms were first added to East around 10 years ago.

For now, the Editorial Board urges administrators to consider several other possible improvements.

Foremost, the gender-neutral bathrooms should remain unlocked in between classes. This flexibility in regards to the school’s overall bathroom policies would allow students to more easily make use of these spaces when they need to change.

Additionally, East should determine whether any other spaces in the building could be transformed into temporary changing areas for gym students and athletes. If administration can find any spaces to make available, privacy partitions could be set up to create a comfortable, gender-neutral environment. Finally, administrators should instruct gym teachers to inform all students about the changing options available to them. Currently, there is no formal way

to learn about the genderneutral accommodations in place; instead, students must personally reach out to ask about them. Better education about the available options should be provided to all students, including each year’s incoming freshmen.

“Anything we can do, whether it’s locker rooms, bathrooms, or any other things we can do here in school so that every one of our students feel as though they belong is something that I would support,” said Perry.

Ultimately, Eastside recognizes the challenges associated with adapting to changing student needs. Furthermore, the Editorial Board strongly appreciates the statements of support made by multiple administrators on this subject. However, to ensure all students, including our LGBTQ+ community at East, feel welcome, further actions must be taken.

We hope to see improved communication and flexibility immediately and long-term improvements in the years to come.

Letter to the Editor: Athletic staff recognizes Borenstein’s work

Often when it comes to high school athletics, everyone knows the star players. Whether it’s the star quarterback, or the 5-star point guard, few people fail to recognize these names. However, what most people DON’T realize is that behind every star player is someone working just as hard but getting none of the recognition.

We are writing this letter today to change that.

Class of 2023 member, Adam Borenstein, has been an integral part of the football, basketball and baseball teams here at East

since his freshman year, and you would never even know it. Dave Allen, the Head Basketball Coach at East, said that Adam has been an integral part of the basketball team over the past three years.

“Adam is one of the most dedicated managers we’ve ever had. He attends every practice, keeps the stats, and even runs the clock when we need him to. We are glad to have him for one more year,” Allen said.

Borenstein doesn’t only handle the duties for the basketball team, however. Adam keeps stats and does

charting for the football team at home and away games as well. When the springtime rolls around, and kids are hitting the beach and barbecues, Adam is busy working with the baseball team.

Head Baseball Coach Jason Speller said, “Adam has been a tremendous asset to our program. During the season, Adam helps with stats, does all the announcing at our home games, handles walk-up music for all our players, and much more. We truly appreciate his hard work and dedication to our program.”

While Adam has entered his senior year, and his time with East Athletics is winding down, he has made a lasting impact that has laid the blueprint for years to come. Cherry Hill Public Schools Athletic Director, Mike Beirao, has also taken notice to what Adam has done.

“Adam is the epitome of what we expect out of our East athletes. Adam’s hard work, dedication to numerous programs and willingness to help without being asked sets the precedent of what we expect from our managers within our

athletic programs,” Beirao said.

As Adam finishes his high school career and begins to focus on college, one thing is for certain: wherever he winds up, that school will be getting an incredibly hard worker, and a passionate, dedicated, student. While Adam has never expected any special recognition for all that he does, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t deserve it.

Thank You, Adam.

■ Signed by Coaches Daley, Allen, Speller and Drob and Athletic Director Beirao

Social

SPECIAL

Ethan Ko, you are beautiful.

Welcome back to school, Eastside editors!!! With excitement, Vivian Dylan Baker and the class of 2023 - Have the best year!!

Dear Emily, Keep writing, do not bend, keep telling your truth. We are so proud of you. Love, Mommom and Popopop

Congrats to Taylor Heskin for being selected as the CH East Cheer Captain and Paige Heskin for making the CH East Soccer Team! - The Atlas Family

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Congratulations Emily Boyle! You are a shining star who always deserves the “spotlight!” Love, Mom, Dad and Kaitlyn

Taylor Swift releases “Midnights” on October 21

■ By Taylor Goodman (‘25) Eastside Online Community Editor

As Taylor Swift accepted her Video of the Year Moonman trophy for the remarkable “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version)” at the MTV Video Music Awards on Monday, August 29, she shocked the crowd with breathtaking news. Swift announced that her new album “Midnights” would be released on October 21 at midnight. Social media was buzzing later that night when Swift posted her album cover on Instagram with a preview caption reading “Midnights, the story of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life, will be out October 21. Meet me at midnight.”

Multiple conspiracy theories, or “Easter eggs” as the “Swifties” like to call them, were discussed about this new album. Fans believed that “Midnights” intended on being a sister album to Swift’s highly acclaimed 2019 album “Lover.” This 2019 album discussed the brightness and positivity of love, and fans predicted “Midnights” would be an antithesis to “Lover” about the loneliness and gloom of the night. Now that Swift released “Midnights,” we can prove this prediction correct. Swift explains that her latest album “is a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams,” per Entertainment Weekly.

Amazon Music released a teaser trailer containing parts of Swift’s music videos prior to midnight on October 21 to spark excitement among her fans. At midnight, Swift released her original 13 tracks. Then, she surprised her fans by releasing an additional seven tracks at 3 a.m. to finish her album. Swift kept the excitement going by releasing her official “Anti-Hero” and “Bejeweled” music videos, and she could continue to release videos for her other tracks soon.

The public recognized how Swift’s marvelous diamond dress that she wore at the MTV Video Music Awards looked very similar to the diamond dress she wore in her hit music video

“Look What You Made Me Do.” Swift wrote this song as a diss towards Kanye West for interrupting her speech after winning the Best Female Video Award

tioned whether releasing “Midnights” on October 21 was a coincidence. October 21 happens to be Kim Kardashian’s birthday. After taking into consideration West’s and Swift’s previous altercations, fans wondered if choosing this release date was on purpose.

If fans flash back to 2006 when Swift released one of her first songs “Tim McGraw” and compare it to her current hits, they can see how much she has evolved as a singer and songwriter.

were about her exes. On the other hand, male singers are applauded for their songs about love and heartbreak, and people enjoy listening to male artists’ takes on their past relationships.

From “International Socioeconomics Labratory,” Margaret Kelly compared Harry Styles and Taylor Swift in the music industry and said, “when compared to the media’s treatment of Swift’s past relationships, the differences are stark: Swift was criticized and called derogatory terms, while Styles was seemingly applauded for his string of exes. Everyone decided that Styles was impressive for dating the women he did, while Swift was seen as pathetic,”

over Beyoncé at the MTV VMAs in 2009. Swifties were curious if the reappearance of this diamond dress was foreshadowing a reference to “Look What You Made Me Do” and her past drama with Kanye West.

Fans dove deeper into the date of Swift’s new album release and ques-

Swift began facing the double standards between male and female singers in the music industry as a younger artist and continues to find ways to express her feminist beliefs and share them with the world. Swift began as a country singer who sang about heartbreak and her past relationships. People began criticizing Swift for the number of past relationships she has had, as many of her songs

Swift expressed this issue in the music industry in her song “The Man” from her album “Lover.” She explains the double standard by including her take on how if she were a male, the number of past relationships she has had would be seen as impressive and wouldn’t take a toll on the public’s level of appreciation for her.

In light of Swift’s evolution as an artist, fans can see how she continues to express her beliefs about feminism through music. Swift is a role model for young minds who are hesitant about expressing their beliefs, and her fandom cannot wait to see what her plans are for the future after her new album “Midnights.”

Elton John’s collaborations with pop icons top charts

■ By Michelle Bookbinder (‘25) Eastside Culture Editor

The new music we listen to might seem original, but artists have been recycling the same lyrics, rhythms and beats for decades. For example, Nicki Minaj’s hit “Super Freaky Girl,” released this past year, samples “Super Freak” by Rick James from 1981. Cardi B’s acclaimed song “I Like It” includes parts of Pete Rodriguez’s songs “I Like It Like That (A Mi Me Gusta Asi)” and “Oh That’s Nice.” Moreover, even the infamous “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus samples Nine Inch Nails’ song “34 Ghosts IV.”

While it’s common for

artists to take inspiration from previous artists by sampling their songs, very rarely does an artist sample their own music. Elton John, however, breaks this mold by altering some of his beloved songs to create new hits.

During the height of his career, John was most known for his soft rock style. Many of his songs were very successful and earned spots on Billboard’s Hot 100. For 31 consecutive years, from 1970 to 2000, at least one of John’s songs occupied this list. John had nine songs reach number one during these years, including “Crocodile Rock,” “Philadelphia Freedom” and his cover of the Beatles’ “Lucy In the Sky With Dia-

monds.” He created music for various works such as “The Lion King” and “Billy Elliot.” In 1998, Elton John was knighted by Prince Charles for his exemplary music and charitable contributions.

Aside from his successful hit songs, John became a trailblazer in the industry due to his openness with his sexuality. John came out as gay in 1988, and since then he has advocated for the community. John encourages LGBTQ+ youth to live their lives authentically and embrace what makes them different. He has continued to advocate and donate money to AIDS and HIV research, even forming a nonprofit known as the Elton John AIDS Founda-

tion.

Despite his previous success with creating charting songs, none of John’s songs made it to Billboard’s Hot 100 for 21 years until August 2021 when he collaborated with Dua Lipa to create “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix).” This song samples the chorus of “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long Long Time),” the verses of “Sacrifice,” some lyrics in “Kiss the Bride” and the choir in “Where’s the Shoorah.”

Although “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” is based solely on these four songs, it has a modernized feel. While John’s previous songs fit primarily in the soft rock genre, “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” is much more electronic and leans into dance and pop. Dua Lipa, who rose to fame with hits such as “Levitating” and “Don’t Start Now,” brings youth to these older songs, drawing in a younger audience.

PNAU, an Australian dance trio, also adds a high-energy feel in their production of the song, encouraging listeners to stand up and let loose. With Dua Lipa’s recent popularity and the revitalization of legendary songs, “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)” quickly gained traction to land itself in the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100 and break John’s lull.

In addition to his groundbreaking collaboration with Dua Lipa in 2021, in August of 2022, John worked

to modernize his songs “The One,” “Tiny Dancer” and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” with Britney Spears to create “Hold Me Closer.” Similar to “Cold Heart (PNAU Remix),” this collaboration has an electronic dance feel, despite using the mellow verses of “The One” and the rock chorus in “Tiny Dancer.” Spears’s image as a pop legend with hit songs including “Toxic,” “Baby One More Time” and “Gimme More” helped “Hold Me Closer” also reach the top 10 of Billboard’s Hot 100. “Hold Me Closer” also marks Spears’s reentry to the music scene after the end of her conservatorship, helping the song gain increased attention.

As current music trends transition from rock to dance to pop, many artists have trouble adapting to different genres. John’s ability to make music reflecting the changing times combined with the popularity of Dua Lipa and Britney Spears has helped him land on the charts again, decades after his last hit.

Courtesy of Taylor Swft

Taylor Swift releases her new album cover for “Midnights.”

Courtesy of Stereogum

Elton John and Dua Lipa perform together at the Oscars Watch Party.

Styles turns Madison Square Garden into “Harry’s House”

■ By Ella Goodstadt (‘24) Eastside Online Culture Editor

Boa feathers of all colors have recently painted the streets surrounding Madison Square Garden in New York City, and they will soon be making their way to Austin, Texas. These feathers are just one sign of Harry Styles’s residency tour in the United States. Fans of Styles have traveled far and wide, many with colorful feather boas, to show their support for the British singer.

Originally booked for 2020, Styles had to postpone his second international tour, Love on Tour, to 2021 due to COVID-19.

He then embarked on the European leg of the tour during the spring of 2022.

While on tour, Styles announced his third studio album, “Harry’s House,” on March 23, 2022, and he issued an extension of Love on Tour to include multiple residencies in Canada and the United States.

Styles began his North American residency tour on August 15 in Toronto, where he spent two nights performing at Scotiabank Arena. Fans then made their way to New York City for one of the longest legs of the tour at Madison Square Garden. Styles booked 15 nights at Madison Square

Garden from August 20, 2022 to September 21, 2022.

The rest of the tour includes six nights in Austin, Texas; six nights in Chicago, Illinois; and 15 nights in Los Angeles, California.

Following the North American leg of the tour, Styles will proceed to South America, Australia, and Europe, and the tour will wrap up in July of 2023.

Those who are not a part of the Harry Styles fanbase may speculate as to how he has been able to sell out two consecutive years of international shows; however, to those who have attended one of his concerts, it’s truly no wonder. A Harry Styles concert is more than just a show — it’s an entire experience.

Fiona Yampell (‘23), who attended a Styles concert on August 23, said, “It’s not only the concert that is special, but also the anticipation leading up to it, finding an outfit, and talking and hearing about other people’s experiences.”

Part of the Harry Styles experience is finding the perfect outfit to wear. Styles is known for his flamboyant, eccentric and

sparkly concert outfits, and fans find excitement in matching that energy. Be-

to Love on Tour with boas that have left the streets of New York City covered in color. In true Harry Styles fashion, Madison Square Garden celebrated the final night of the singer’s residency by providing a complementary boa to every attendee who had a physical seat in the arena.

Upon arrival at Madison Square Garden, attendees immediately know they are at Harry’s House. Merchandise stands line the inside of the Garden, and photo opportunities are set up throughout the stadium where guests can take Love on Tour themed photos. Even the food sold by the vendors matches the “Harry Styles aesthetic,” including pretzels that have blue and pink dyed salt.

Aside from the preshow experience, guests show up for Styles himself.

attention-grabbing posters and wearing crowd items that are tossed to him, like hats and boas.

Styles puts on an incredible show where his talent is truly showcased, as he sings and dances across the stage. Accompanied by his talented band, the show is truly worth your while.

One of the most notable parts of attending a Harry Styles concert is the bond that is shared between his fans. Compared to other artists’ fans, Styles’s fans are very connected.

Yampell said, “It was so cute to see everyone dressed up and complimenting and supporting each other. I loved seeing people coming together to dance and sing even if they didn’t know each other.”

sides bright colors, sparkles and extravagant hair and makeup looks, the uniform outfit item for the concert attendees is feather boas. Sporting just about any color to match their outfit, fans have been showing up

Yampell said, “He kept the energy going the whole night, and aside from the music, it was entertaining to watch him on stage.”

The performer is known for interacting with the audience in ways such as talking to individuals from general admission who have

Fans from across the world come together at Styles’s shows to celebrate their love for his music, and attending a Harry Styles concert is a truly meaningful and thrilling experience. Between Styles himself and the terrific fan culture, concert attendees are truly in for a great night and one that will not be long forgotten.

Once Love on Tour comes to an end, fans can only hope that Styles will be planning to bring his flamboyant energy back to the stage soon.

BeReal brings a new perspective to social media

■ By Julia Rosten (‘24) Eastside Culture Editor

Time to BeReal.

Vital (‘23) / Eastside Art Director

2 min left to capture a BeReal and see what your friends are up to!

This distinctive notification is sent to ten million BeReal users every day, at any time. Right after it goes off, users race to snap an authentic picture within the two-minute time limit. The French social media app was created in 2020

with the hopes of revamping social media and has gained an immense following these past few months.

It functions differently from any other social media app because users can only post for two minutes per day. The time changes each day, but there are at least 24 hours between each post.

The app is designed to encourage users to post an unfiltered selfie with confidence. After the two minutes are up, users can still post their BeReal until the next day.

Like on other social

media apps such as Instagram and TikTok, users can have friends on BeReal. They can react to each other’s posts with a picture of themselves, an emoji or a remark. Users can also add a caption to their posts to provide context.

What differentiates this app from its competitors is that there are no likes displayed, and people cannot see how many followers their friends have. This makes for a much less judgmental environment in comparison to other social media platforms.

“I really like how there

is no judgment or criticism of what you post on BeReal. There is no competition or comparisons,” said Lindsay Newcomb (‘24).

BeReal aims to create a supportive and open environment. While social media has been criticized for its impact on users’ mental health, BeReal’s emphasis on authenticity and showing one’s true self encourages users to feel proud of who they are.

With no Photoshop, filters or edits, BeReal is quickly becoming a way for teens to be the most “real” they can be.

Colleen Hoover gains popularity through BookTok

■ By Brielle Lampf (‘23) Eastside Editor-in-Chief

BookTok. BookTube. Bookstagram.

These social media platforms are the outlets that have helped author Colleen Hoover reach an incredible level of success. If you haven’t heard of her, Hoover is a phenomenon in the book community, and it seems as if she has no plans to stop releasing books anytime soon.

Novels like “It Ends with Us,” “Ugly Love” and “Verity” have all been making their rounds throughout media platforms. Not only that, but entire tables at Barnes & Noble are also dedicated to her books. Billboards featuring “November 9” and “Confess,” other popular Hoover books, are spread across the country.

And on April 29 earlier this year, Hoover went to her Instagram to thank her

fans (they’ve named themselves CoHo fans - an abbreviation of her name) for putting ten of her books on USA Today’s best-selling list.

People who don’t usually read started picking up Hoover’s books because of the BookTok community. Dedicated CoHo fans started promoting her books on the platform, and soon enough, people across the world began reading. Before such media platforms existed, authors had to rely mostly on advertisements and bookstores for sales. Now, however, with outlets like social media, it is easier than ever to promote books.

According to The Washington Post, just in 2021 her print sales increased by 693 percent. Today, her books are being translated into over 20 languages.

Most exciting for fans right now is the fact that Hoover has just released “It Starts with Us,” a prequel

to her most popular book “It Ends With Us.” This book, specifically, is what launched Hoover’s popularity on BookTok.

“It Ends with Us” follows Lily and her relationship with Ryle until an old love appears. The book tackles heavy topics including domestic abuse and mental health. Earlier in September, the hashtag #ItEndsWithUs had over 73 million views on TikTok according to Publishers Weekly, and Hoover continues to dominate the charts.

Not all readers think her popularity is warranted, though. In fact, many claim that she is a “hit or miss” or “overhyped” author. Because of her increase in popularity, some readers feel as though other authors are not getting the recognition they deserve. Nonetheless, Hoover remains on the charts and will go down as one of the most popular contemporary

romance authors.

Hoover released her first book “Slammed,” which was self-published, in 2012. What started out as Hoover wanting to share her writing with friends and family turned into one of the biggest success stories in the book community. Fans

continue to await her new releases; any book she releases will attract readers from all walks of life.

Hoover continues to dominate the charts and there is no doubt she will continue to win awards and break records for years to come.

Katherine Li (‘23)/ Eastside Art Director Outfits are a big part of Styles’s show.

Mr. Gagliardi/ Eastside Adviser Eastside poses for a BeReal.

Melissa

Lucas Tang (‘23) / Eastside Photo Editor

Colleen Hoover’s books gain popularity among teens.

Sommeling commits to University of Vermont

■ By Julia Sitnick (‘25) Eastside Sports Editor

Lizzy Sommeling (‘23) has committed to play Division 1 soccer for the reigning America East women’s soccer champion team at the University of Vermont.

Sommeling has been a four-year varsity player for East and has served in her second consecutive year as a team captain. She is a crucial player for the Cougars and demonstrates her versatility as a center midfielder. Sommeling has very strong technical skills and soccer IQ that allow her to support the offense by connecting passes while also moving to help the defense when needed. This season, Sommeling was the team’s leading scorer and recorded an impressive 14 goals and four assists for East.

Soccer has been a big part of Sommerling’s life ever since she started playing in the recreational league at age three. While she continued to play soccer and other sports during elementary school, at age 10 her focus shifted exclusive-

ly to soccer when her family moved to Italy for a year.

During her time living in Italy, Sommeling played on two soccer teams, including an all-boys club team.

Initially, the language barrier made it more challenging to play, but Sommeling stuck with the team and learned to play a more physical game.

“As time went on, my Italian got better and I grew to be more comfortable . . . . I think it definitely helped me develop into the player I am today,” said Sommeling.

When she returned home from Italy, Sommeling knew that she wanted to get serious about planning to play soccer in college and started to play year round at PDA (Players Development Academy). Sommeling’s dad has always supported her as an athlete and has been there for her. Sommeling views her dad as the person who has impacted her the most as a player.

“He has been there the whole time. He comes to every single one of my games [and] whether it’s an hour away or five minutes away, he’s there,” said Sommeling.

Florida and New Jersey. Throughout the year, she spoke with coaches on the phone, attended clinics and visited colleges. After receiving an invitation from

best,” said Sommeling.

Playing soccer at East has been a highlight of Sommeling’s high school experience. One of her favorite memories is the East versus West game during Cherry Hill Soccer Night in 2021. There was a doubleheader that night and a huge crowd came out to watch the game where she scored the tying goal.

Her talent on the field has made Sommeling a standout soccer player in South Jersey. In 2021, she was selected as a first team Olympic Conference player and has been named a Top 20 player in South Jersey.

While college recruiting for soccer typically starts during sophomore year, COVID delayed the recruiting process for Sommeling. During her junior year, Sommeling attended many national showcases with PDA in Tennessee,

the University of Vermont’s coach, Sommeling visited the university last January and discovered that the program offered the perfect balance of academics and athletics.

“I loved it despite the cold. It was really snowy. They set me up with a player on the team. I got to go around campus with her. . . . I got to watch a practice. All through the spring, I saw other schools, but I always compared them to Vermont. Vermont was the

“It’s the most fans we’ve ever had. As a girl’s sport, we don’t get a lot of love. It was really cool to have everyone there and everyone so excited for me and for the team,” said Sommeling. Soccer has played a large role in Sommeling’s life and has taught her numerous lessons that impact her far and beyond the sport she plays. By being a team player, she has developed strong communication skills, gained leadership experience and learned to always get right back up from challenges that knocked her down and keep trying.

“The biggest thing that high school soccer has taught me is how to bring people back up and how to support your teammates, hug them when they are down, wipe their tears,” said Sommeling. “It was always just rub some dirt on it for me, but as I went through high school that is something that I have learned, caring for other people,” said Sommeling.

East welcomes new girls’ varsity soccer coach Steelman-Tonon

By

Borenstein (‘23) Eastside Online Sports Editor

For Rachel SteelmanTonon, soccer has been a big part of her life every step of the way. Her soccer journey began when she started playing at age three. She played at Oakcrest High School, where she was a four-year member and led the team in assists in her final three years. She then ended up playing Division I soccer at Mount St. Mary’s and most recently played for Philadelphia Lone Star F.C., a semi-pro team. Steelman-Tonon’s next stop in her soccer journey took her to Cherry Hill High School East to become the new head coach of the girls’ soccer team.

Steelman-Tonon came to East knowing that the team would be young and in a developmental stage. The team hasn’t achieved a winning record in over 10 years, but she is confident in herself to turn the program around.

“By accepting the position at East, I accepted more of a development team,” Steelman-Tonon said. “I’ve always thrived in developing young players into older and greater players. I knew that this was a young team that has a lot of potential, and I knew that I could develop them into a team that I know can be successful.”

Steelman-Tonon also noted that with a young team comes a small team. She wants the team to play wider and use their speed

to their advantage to help evade defenders on breakaways.

As a former Division I soccer player, SteelmanTonon wants to instill all of the knowledge that she gained from that experience into her players. She wants her players to take practice seriously and to always practice like they play. She also believes that your job is never safe and you always have to work hard and battle for your position.

“In such a fast-paced environment, you can never take your foot off of the gas,” Steelman-Tonon said. “I always feel that the second you do, it’s the second you take two steps back. Using my Division I experience would essentially be always working hard, always coming to play, and listening to what the coaches have to say.”

Steelman-Tonon’s Division I experience has also helped her be a mentor to Lizzy Sommeling (‘23), who is committed to playing at the University of Vermont next year. As someone who can relate to the position that Sommeling is in, she stresses to her to believe in herself as a player and as a person and to always practice hard because it will always pay off in the end.

Those who have attended the East girls’ soccer Varsity games this year may have noticed a new face on the sidelines standing right next to Steelman-Tonon. Anyone who stopped to observe the two coaches may

have been surprised at the ease in which the two new coaches were able to communicate with each other, that is, until they found out that the two coaches had been working with each other for a very long time before their arrival at East. When Steelman-Tonon took the job, she recruited her dad to join her as she embarked on her new coaching career. She credits her dad as one of the main reasons for her getting to the semipro level and to even get to go to some professional practices.

“To have my dad next to me as a coach obvi-

ously means a lot to me,” Steelman-Tonon said. “With everything that he has watched me grow up and do, now I get to stand alongside him and see the things that he used to yell at me for. I definitely enjoy it a lot.”

Aside from being the East girls’ soccer coach. Steelman-Tonon works as an accountant during the day. She does not work for the district but is open to a potential job in the district in the future.

In just her first season, Steelman-Tonon led her team to the No. 8 overall seed in the South Jersey

Group 4 playoffs. This is the first building block to a very suceessful program that Steelman-Tonon plans to build.

With the energy and passion that SteelmanTonon brings, the future is certainly looking bright for the East girls’ soccer team. As long as they continue to work and practice hard, Steelman-Tonon believes that her team can compete with anyone on their schedule. It will be exciting to watch how her young players grow and develop over the coming years, while Steelman-Tonon’s coaching experience develops, too.

■

Adam

Lucas Tang (‘23)/ Eastside Photo Editor Lizzy Sommeling plays in the East vs. West game.

Lucas Tang (‘23)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Steelman-Tonon high-fives her dad during a game.

Former player Drob returns to coach East football team

■ By Shayna Oppen (‘24) Eastside Sports Editor

Cherry Hill High School East’s football team has a winning record for the first time since 2011. Some people say students can attribute the record this year to the new head coach, Mr. Tyler Drob, who also now teaches math at East.

Drob attended East himself and played football. Drob graduated from East in 2013 after participating in the school’s last winning season before this year.

East football has changed a lot since Drob was a player.

“We now have a turf field, a different schedule, and a whole new coaching staff. There are still many things that are still the same,” Drob said.

Drob said the team’s winning record is due to the efforts of a lot of people.

“This has been a group effort from all the coaches and players,” Drob said, adding that even when the team was winning, they remained dedicated to improving further as the season went on.

Drob brought some of

his assistant coaches on as well, including Coach Beyer, Coach McDonald and Coach Watson. Drob calls himself lucky to have found such a great coaching staff. All of the coaches have come together to create three main goals: “win our conference, go above .500 for the first time in ten years, and beat West,” Drob said, with two of these goals met this year, though West beat East.

When attending one of East’s football games, you’ll notice that the coaches all wear shirts that say FACTS, which stands for facts, accountability, competition, toughness and sportsmanship.

“This acronym represents five things we stand for as a program on and off the field,” said Drob.

In seasons to come, Drob has plans to make sure they remain a winning team.

“We will continue to practice hard and do the same things that have allowed us to win games so far. We constantly talk about expecting to win,” he said.

Drob started playing football at age six and

continued all the way through college. When he attended West Chester University in Pennsylvania, his team made the playoffs four times and won a conference championship. Drob was also a two-time AllAmerican.

Although Drob is new to the head coach position, he is not new to the coaching world. He has been a coach at East for the past few years.

¨I have watched these kids grow off the field more than anything. So many players have become leaders throughout the past six months. The whole group has learned to hold each

other accountable and really become one big family,¨ he said.

With Drob leading the team, many hope that East can expect great things across these next few seasons. The team is excited

to keep the winning culture they are building alive and the East population has shown increased support for an up-and-coming football team that has come a long way since the struggles of years past.

Girls’ tennis team crushes another season

■ By Ava Crawley (‘25) Eastside Online Features Editor

“It’s never over till it’s over” is the motivating phrase by which many athletes on the East Girls’ Tennis team live. It can be heard throughout both practices and games, whether it’s from Coach Mary Jewett, or the team’s captains, Anika Gupta (‘23) and Julia Chan (‘23).

The team’s performance from prior years indicates how hard every player is willing to work in order to better the team. During last year’s season, the team went 12-3 overall and 6-1 in the Olympic Conference. They also played at the Sectional Finals. In 2020 their overall record was 11-1 and 8-1 in the Olympic Conference. And last but definitely not least the team wowed with their 19-5 overall record and 14-0 Olympic Conference record during their 2019 season.

Though the team lost many of their beloved seniors from last year, they were thrilled to have a new group of talented players and a revamped court. Due to the construction of the tennis courts during the 2021 fall sports season, the Girls’ Tennis Team had to practice at Beck Middle School’s courts, taking plenty of time out of their practices to get there and back. This year, it was much more convenient to have a new tennis court right on East’s property.

The girls were able to end school together and walk over to the courts as a team, strengthening their already close bond.

East Girls’ Tennis worked on constantly getting to know one another and strived to create a safe space for every player.

“It means a lot to know that these girls feel safe

The captains aren’t the only ones who focused on creating a safe space. Jewett aimed to be someone to whom the girls felt comfortable talking. After coaching for many years, she understands just how stressful sports can get, so she’d constantly remind the team that mental and physical health come before tennis.

with different people and playing practice matches. They would often reflect on how they played at their games and work on different skills that would make them better athletes. Each person on the team proves her determination and passion by carrying what she learned at practice into her matches.

was more than happy to be playing.

At the start of the season Chan said, “I think it’s great that everyone is willing to work hard and push themselves to be the best they can be… that will take us far this season,”

Lo and behold she was right. The girls worked vigorously throughout their season and thanks to their dedication they were able to make it far.

This year, East proved their success in multiple matches. Towards the beginning of the season, the team placed second at the Haddonfield Invitational, a large tournament held by Haddonfield Memorial High School. As the season progressed East was able to beat Cherokee three times, Winslow once, Rancocas Valley twice, Eastern twice, Bishop Eustace once and Seneca once. They made it through the first few rounds of State Sectionals, beating Central Regional, Milville, and Cherokee high schools. Though they put up a strong fight against Lenape, they unfortunately lost the final round of State Sectionals.

talking to us about problems both related to tennis or not,” said Chan.

As captains of the team, Gupta and Chan tried to organize as many bonding activities as they could, whether it was last-minute boba runs after practice or scheduled team dinners.

“She’s a really great person and I think we are all very inspired by her actions on and off the court,” said Gupta.

At practice, the girls worked hard so their skills could shine bright in matches. They usually spent time completing drills, working

Todd Barrett (‘85) for Soccer, Baseball; Theresa Cattuna (‘07) for X-Country, Track; John Coen (‘90) for Football, Track; Jackie Herb (‘05) for Tennis; Margie Krzeminski (‘87) for Soccer; Elyse Mitchell (‘03) for Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Track; John Newcomb (‘80) for Tennis; Tara Owens (‘92) for Field Hockey, Lacrosse; Cathy Richter (‘03) for Tennis, Softball

”It’s so nice knowing that, at a match, everyone around you loves tennis just as much as you do,” said Gupta.

The girls’ hard work is evident in the many matches that occurred throughout their fall season, and it’s clear that everyone

The team celebrates their accomplishments and plans to work on specific skills for future success. Though the season has ended, that didn’t stop the girls from their classic boba runs and special team dinners; after all, they are still one big family on and off the court.

Kevin Roche (‘97) for Volleyball, X-Country; Chris Santo (‘11) for Basketball; Ryan Shore (‘03) for Swimming; Debbie Wilkinson (‘84) for Swimming; Kim Wilkinson (‘82) for Swimming; Ravi Yega-Raman (‘08) for Tennis; Dave Cole (coach) for Girls’ Tennis; Karl Moehlmann (coach) for Boys’ Soccer, B/G Volleyball

Liam Butler (‘25)/ Eastside Staff Drob is pictured as a student athlete (left) and coach (right).

Ellie Noh (‘24)/ Eastside Community Editor

Some of the Cherry Hill East tennis team poses outside of their court.