Voyager-online.org
Volume LII
Fifth Edition
March 2018
Eastern Regional High School
1401 Laurel Oak Road
Voorhees, NJ 08043
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PLAY
Eastern and the Ivies Page 2
Eastern alumni offer advice Page 3 Making the most of a college visit Page 4 Applying for college with the help of Guidance Page 5 Extracurriculars and the college application process Page 6 Letters of recommendation advice Page 7 Are you prepared for college? Page 8 Deciding what to study in college Page 9
One senior’s advice to all those try-hards Page 10
The benefits of community college Page 11 The cost of applying to colleges Page 12
Affirmative Action Page 19 College Cuisine Page 20 College Radio Page 21
Frats and Sororities Page 22
SAT optional colleges level the playing field Page 13
Opening lines from college admissions Page 23
Early Action vs. Early Decision Page 14
Paying for college before college starts Page 23
New York plays with “free tuition” Page 15
Dealing with deferral or rejection Page 24
The Game of College Page 16 & 17
Blue collar vs. white collar Page 25
Sexual assualt on campus Page 18
The pressure to become a legacy Page 26 Higher education predestination Page 27 Why senior year matters Page 28 Pressures of high school Page 28 Choose YOUR college Page 29 Is college worth the cost? Page 30 College essay samples Page 31 Guess the college! Page 32 Photos and design by Alex Mackle ‘18
2 The Voyager
March 2018
Eastern’s complex relationship with the Ivy League By ALEX MACKLE ‘18 Editor-in-Chief
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or many high-achieving students, the goal through their high school career is to apply, be accepted by, and attend one of the Ivy League Colleges or Universities. An NCAA Division I athletic conference established in 1954, the eight member schools are noted as being some of the best private institutions for higher education in the Northeast, with a vast network of connections and name recognition. The member schools are as follows: Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University. Despite regularly being ranked highly amongst public schools in the area, Eastern has recently had difficulty when it comes to Ivy League acceptances; this is not for lack of trying. This year, the Uni-
Graphic by Alex Mackle ‘18
versity of Pennsylvania alone deferred all of the Eastern students who applied Early Action. Other visible numbers show fairly low chances of acceptances to these schools in recent years from Eastern students. Mr. Susko, supervisor of guidance since 2014, confirmed this, but it is not for lack
TOP 35 Schools That Accepted Eastern Students 2007-2017 Rutgers New Brunswick CCC Drexel University Rowan University Temple Pennsylvania State University University of Delaware TCNJ Rutgers Camden University of Maryland, C.P Stockton University Rider University University of Pittsburgh Monmouth University Towson Saint Joseph’s University Montclair state university West Chester University Widener University American University Northeastern University Boston University La Salle University University of Sciences in Phila. New York University Hofstra University James Madison University Seton Hall Syracuse University of Connecticut University of Massachusetts Quinnipiac Villanova Arcadia University
1146 1136 815 693 415 400 387 375 373 334 307 253 251 242 199 176 175 162 150 144 136 133 131 125 115 113 98 98 98 97 94 93 93 91
TOP 10 Schools Where Eastern Students Enrolled 2007-2017 Information from Naviance College CCC Rutgers New Brunswick Rowan Drexel Rutgers Camden Temple TCNJ UDel Penn State
Enrolled 1011 324 230 175 175 103 100 86 82
of trying. Bhavish Malkani, Eastern Class of 2013, is currently enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania. He said “there were ten people from my graduating class from Eastern that ended up going to Penn… and someone else got into Harvard, but went to MIT instead.” Mr. Susko said that while there have been years in the past where “a dozen or so students were accepted to at least one Ivy League school… and while that was an incredibly accomplishment, it is not necessarily the norm.” Penn is certainly a favorite for students at Eastern to apply. From 2015 to 2017, 123 students applied, but only 11 were accepted. This adequately corresponds to their acceptance rate of around 9%. Acceptances to other Ivy League schools for Eastern Students generally falls in line with Penn. Based on current numbers, Penn is the only school where it is easy to analyze the trend, as enough students have actually applied there in general. Now this begs the question of why some other local public schools have had success. Cherry Hill East, for instance, had two students from their class of 2017 enroll at Harvard, whereas Eastern has had none in the past three years. Despite the fairly low acceptance rate, Eastern’s SAT scores have increased since 2013, from an average score of an Eastern SAT raising from an 1110 in 2013 to an 1160 in 2017; this is compared
to the state average of 1080. At the same time, the percentage of students with a five on AP exams has dropped from 35% to a 27% since 2013. Concerns from members of the staff have prompted Mr. Susko to take personal action, reaching out to multiple different Ivy League schools in order to open a dialogue on what the reason for the lack of acceptances may be from Eastern. Although it is unlikely to sway Ivy League and other top schools, one a statewide basis, Eastern’s prestige has taken a hit, at least on paper, as a result of statewide PARCC testing. Due to many eligible students refusing to participate in PARCC, the test scores are drawing from a smaller pool of individuals. Also, since AP Language and Composition students are exempted if they are taking certain classes, a portion of the top-tier of scorers have also been removed. All of these factors, in addition to many students taking the PARCC less seriously than the NJASK of HSPA, scores at Eastern are deflated as compared to other barometers, like SAT scores. Low scores on tests like this can undervalue a GPA earned at Eastern. It is difficult to pinpoint a true reason as to why Eastern students have a hard time with acceptances to Ivy League schools, but there is likelihood remains that these schools are highly competitive, and Eastern, a Northeastern public school from a well-off area, is getting the short end of the stick.
A Letter to Universities to afford a twig hut, without interfering with my debt payments. I’ll even pay you to come Hi, would you please visit the haven that is your let me pay you 200,000 campus. I’ve heard you’ve dollars to attend your added the most prestigious school? I know I may academic facilities in the not have it all right now, country, such as: lazy rivI promise I’ll take out ers, gourmet restaurants, some loans . and NFL level stadiums. I’ll basically end up I just know that with such paying another 200,000 outstanding resources I will to the banks, which will surely not be the 1 out 40 take the rest of my life. I college graduates without know it will all be worth it when you hand me a By ROBERT SUNDSTROM a job when I graduate. I’ll also be accustomed to my piece of printer paper af‘18 diet for the rest of my life ter four years. Staff Reporter which will consist of leaves Yes, yes, I know I’ve and rain water. only worked for four I just want to let you know I think you years getting an education you told me I are doing a wonderful job keeping your should have. I know I’ve only paid hunprices down despite rising inflation. I dreds of dollars taking tests to prove to know you have had a few miscalculations you that I’m a pretty ok student. But I’m but that happens to everyone. It’s my unwilling to pay a few hundred more for you derstanding that college tuition that cost to review me and find out if I am indeed $10,000 dollars in 1986 should now cost worthy of paying you a quarter of a mil$21,500. That’s obviously an idealistic lion dollars. goal, so I appreciate that you’ve been able Thankfully I am a practical person and to keep it close to that on an average of I’ll make the necessary cutbacks in order to pay you back in full. Instead of buying only $59,800. Great job there. Anywho, I know you have several stua home and car, and staring my family, I dents to reject today because they haven’t will live amongst the squirrels. I’ll collect volunteered in Haiti enough. acorns which I can then sell on the blackmarket (there’s a surprising demand). Sincerely, A Grateful Student Once I’ve made enough I should be able Dear University,
March 2018
The Voyager 3
Eastern alumni offer advice about college By LISA TRACZYK ’19 Art Editor
With college looming just around the corner, most high school students are in a frenzy to ensure that they’re on the right path to success. Here is the advice former Eastern students have to give.
Chetna Thawani - Rutgers, New Brunswick ‘18
Kate Morgan - St. John’s University ‘12
“It’s not about being ‘naturally smart,’ it’s about working hard. In reality, I was the only one limiting myself because in high school, I always thought I wasn’t good at the sciences. However, I wanted to go to medical school despite my grades showing I wasn’t capable enough. When I sat down to study last year in college to take the MCAT, it was my last chance at this career, so I gave it my all and ended up getting a super high score. I realized I wasn’t an idiot after all. So definitely, I would advise that you guys not be afraid of hard classes, or hard subjects. Take all the AP classes you want! I honestly believe that anyone can learn anything, do anything, as long as they work hard for it and have faith in themselves. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself, because you’ll find out you’re smarter than you think you are. I wish I wasn’t afraid of taking more AP classes at Eastern, I wish I had taken more.”
“Smallest possible amount of debt for a fancy school name on your degree. Where I went to school has never been a make-or-break thing when it comes to getting ahead. The amount of debt I’m carrying around from my fancy private school though, has severely limited the risks I’ve been able to take.”
Writer Kate Morgan enjoys a hike at Zion National Park
Anthony Murphy - University of Nevada ‘21
“Time management, time management, & more time management.”
Kaitlin McGee - Class of ‘17 Nicki Meskin - The College of New Jersey ‘21 “I would say enjoy the moment and take a wide range of classes. That way you can get a better idea of what you like and what you want your major to be. Don’t stress out too much and stay involved. In college, you have a lot more free time then you’ll think
you have, but still make sure you stay on top of your work. Learn how to do things independently before you leave for college because when you hit college, you’re on your own. I would tell my former high school self don’t stress and enjoy the moment. I’m glad I joined the clubs I did and made the friends I did. I still wish I was back in high school.”
Ari Rosoff - Stockton University ‘13 “Get internships and do as many extracurricular activities as possible to build skills because the job market is very competitive. Also enjoy your college life. It’s a paradox; I know.”
Diya Goyal - University of Pittsburgh ’21 “You want to make sure you’re studying until you know the material. Studying for 5 hours isn’t going to help you learn any material if this isn’t your learning style. So to study effectively, you have to really try out multiple ways of studying, and see what works the best for you.”
“My advice with college applications is to apply early because when you get caught up with school you’ll find yourself rushing to finish them last minute. Also, don’t be upset if you don’t end up going to the school you wanted to go to. Sometimes the option
you didn’t think you wanted will end up being the best decision you ever made. When you start college don’t be afraid to sign up for different things. It’ll help you make those connections early that will benefit you throughout your college career.”
Vania Myers - Syracuse University ‘14 “To my previous high school self and high schoolers today, learn to manage your time better and stop pulling all-nighters for exams and essays. I would also advise to take more AP classes so you can knock out some credits before going to college. From my experience, college is one of the best times to make new lifelong friendships and actually study what I’m passionate about. Most of my col-
leagues, including myself, changed their majors while they were in college, so be open minded! Take classes that seem random but interesting to you, and who knows, maybe it’ll be your new major or minor. While you’re in college, be responsible, but do things that are out of your comfort zone and have fun. You’re gonna be in college! Live a little.”
Jason Lipshutz -The College of New Jersey ‘10 “My advice is: follow every word Bowne says, and you’ll make it in this crazy, mixed-up world.”
Jess Hague - McDaniel College ‘13 “Remember to choose a school that’s right for you! Don’t be influenced by what your friends or family think is the best choice for you.”
Hannah Schuda - Class of ‘16 “Pop tarts are not a food group lol. Eating vegetables is important.”
Bryce Rammler - Alfred University ‘11 “I’m a little far away from that part of my life but I would say there is no shame in using your school’s counseling center or admitting that you’re overwhelmed by stress and workload. Anything from anxiety to depression can manifest and they are NOT signs of weakness. Do not be too proud to ask for help or think that you can just ‘get through it’.”
Louis Tomlinson and Steve Aoki with Billboard editor Jason Lipshutz.
March 2018
4 The Voyager
Making the most of a college visit By HALEY ALLSEBROOK ’20 Staff Reporter
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isiting colleges can be quite intimidating, even just the thought of it. Finding the right age and time of year to start can be tricky. But if you’re not in the group of people that are procrastinating just so the ideology of college will magically go away, then you should be visiting colleges the correct and efficient way. How do you make the most of your college visit? You need to start from the beginner’s line before racing through this complicated course. Getting advice from upper classmates or the guidance office on the proper age to start visiting colleges is the first thing you should do. Mr. Anderson from the guidance department said the process is different for every student. “We stress junior year,” he said. “Sophomore and freshman years are good to get a head start.” As life of a high schooler gets more stressful and busy when you’re nearing senior year, one might have less time to visit colleges. The college application process alone is a tremendous weight on seniors’ backs, adding sports, clubs and activities, and a job. The last thing you want to worry about at that point is driving up to a college visit. However, if you wait until senior year to start visiting colleges, then you could accidentally rush your time there. You might find out when it’s time to go to a college that they don’t have much safety. The tour might never stop at your dorm and now you don’t like where you are living. By then, it’s too late, but this can be prevented if you start early. As you plan to visit colleges you should not feel pressured to visit every local college or even every college you’re applying to. It’s not financially possible to visit every school you’re applying to or interested in. That’s where online research is important. Mr. Anderson agreed that you should do research online and do it before you visit a college. “Absolutely! Guidance counselors help students learn a very helpful tool called Naviance. It gives you data on who gets accepted to what college, costs, and admission.” However, when you’re actually on a college website you should check out its past, admission and graduation rate, degrees and programs, and its international programs, as well as its housing and dining along with researching its professors. With research, which should be kept in a small notebook or printed out and put in an organized folder to keep for when you need to make the final decision, now it’s time to start planning when to go. The best idea is to go visit when school is in session. “Nothing gives you a feel like walking on campus,” said Mrs. Bunnell-Jackson from the guidance department. If you visit during the summer in July or August then you won’t really get an idea of the lifestyle there. Just before your visit, you should compile a list of questions to ask tour guides, students around the college, and administration or teachers. First impressions are important too. “You want to look nice and present yourself well,” said Mrs. Bunnell-Jackson. While you’re there on the visit, it’s okay if you are shy or want to ask a one-on-one question.
You should ask about your college’s safety policy. With the amount of time you’ll spend on campus, you’ll probably want to know what the college does to take safety precautions. You might also want to look into their on-campus incidents. Coming with questions about financial aid is something you should also do. However, it probably isn’t a good idea to ask a tour guide these questions because they might not go into depth. Don’t be afraid to go directly to the financial aid department on campus. While asking questions, don’t forget it would be a good idea to bring some paper or a notebook and a camera to take some pictures of the campus, the dorms, the classrooms, and the facilities inside and out. Take key notes of the conditions of the college, how close the center of town is, and anything else that would be important later on when taking a look back at your visit. If you come with family members or friends, you should politely ask them to let you explore on your own. Separate from the tour for a little while and go exploring the college. This will give you good headspace and not have someone else’s opinion like a parent or a friend whispering in your ear things that they don’t like. There are obviously parts of the campus that you won’t get to see on the tour so this alone time will be necessary. This will give you a better view of the college altogether. “I ask kids, could you see yourself living there for four years?” said Mr. Anderson. While walking around, pick up the school newspaper to see what issues its students care most about and to get information on what’s happening around the college. Walk around the cafe and the student centers. While shortly previewing the movie Ivory Tower, a movie asking whether college is worth the expense or not, it showed some campuses building rock walls and even lazy rivers! If you’re paying as much as college is worth, you should walk around and see where your money is going to provide you with the best experience of college. “All that goes on your bill!” called out Mr. Bowne while also previewing the movie. It’s a good idea to also ask students some questions when walking around. Go up to students sitting on benches or standing by some lockers and ask them what their favorite classes are, who their favorite professors are, and maybe what they are majoring in. They would give you a
Artwork by Jared Wilson ‘19
more honest answer rather than a tour guide speaking in front of everyone. It’s important to get their opinions too because they matter. After you are done collecting all your key notes, pictures, and have asked your questions, you should do some things when you arrive home to conclude your visit. First of all, don’t judge the college as soon as you get back in your car. There are bad days and good days and if you think that you need to revisit, then by all means set up another visit. If you know someone staying at the college, ask them to let you stay overnight and really get a personal feel for it. Second, once you get home, draw out a pros and cons list. Take the pictures from your camera and print them out and spread them on a table alongside your notes and answers to questions. Make your list about things you were happy seeing and things you disliked and when it’s time to pick your college, you’ll be thankful you were well organized and got the best experience from visiting college.
Go to voyager-online.org for more articles!
The best questions to ask on college tours 1. Are the classes more lecture-based or discussion-based? 2. Can you get help from professors outside of the classroom? 3. Are the professors here more interested in research or education/teaching? 4. What percentage of students go here on the weekend? 5. What percentage of students belong to greek life? 6. How many sexual assaults were reported to the college? 7. Is housing guaranteed for four years? 8. What is the average size of the introductory classes? 9. Are teaching assistants widely used on your campus? 10. How much reading and writing is expected? 11. How many undergraduate research opportunities are available? How many
students use those opportunities? 12. What work-study opportunities are there? 13. What is the financial aid package do most students sign up for? 14. What percentage of students receive student grants? 15. What is the average debt students leave with? 16. What percent of financial need does the college meet? 17. What does it take to graduate in four years? Six years? 18. Do you have any student study centers I can access? Where are the best places to study at? Are there computer labs? 19. How many students here receive internship opportunities? 20. What percentage of students go on to study abroad? 21. What percent of students live on
campus? 22. What are the dorm options that are available for me? 23. What are the dorm rules and accommodations? 24. How many clubs and activities are there available? 25. How much of the student body belongs to sororities and fraternities? 26. What majors are most popular at this college? 27. Are there any research methods I should learn for any of my classes? 28. Are there lounges, laundry areas and a kitchen available near the dormitory? 29. What are the food options served and what percent of students enjoy the meals? Any complaints? 30. What’s unique about this college? What does this college offer that others don’t?
March 2018
The Voyager 5
Applying for college with the help of Guidance By MATT STEINSALTZ ‘20 Staff Reporter
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r. Anderson in Guidance knows that applying for college is stressful. “But it’s also exciting,” he said. At this point in the year, seniors are now waiting, while the juniors will soon be applying. For many students, applying for college starts early. According to guidance counselor Mr. Bolen, “Students start asking college questions freshman year.” Starting freshman year, guidance will require kids to take personality tests and career tests on Naviance. By encouraging kids to use Naviance as freshmen, kids are becoming familiar with how the website works early on. “Naviance does it all,” said supervisor of guidance Mr. Susko. Naviance is an online program that has everything you need to apply for college. “It keeps track of your GPA, test scores, class rank, and has training workshops. Using an individual student’s data plus previous students from Eastern’s data, Naviance gives you a good comparison of you and how you fit in with a college,” said Mr. Susko. Guidance makes sure that every kid is getting help. “We are responsible for helping our set of students with the college application process,” said Mr. Anderson. “Starting in the spring of junior year, I sit down with all my juniors and give them an overview of the college process,” said Mr. Anderson. He also mentioned that all guidance counselors talk with their juniors, but each counselor does it differently. Mr. Anderson said, “I talk with my juniors for a period and we discuss their plans for college and talk about when they are going on college visits.” “I sit down with my juniors and discuss their interests, potential majors, price range of school, and location of school,” said Mr. Bolen. In the spring of junior year and the fall of senior year, Guidance has a class meeting during lunch to give students an overview of the college process. Both talks go over the same info, because guidance wants to make sure every student is prepared for the college application process.
Junior Isaac Fendrick shares a laugh with guidance counselor Mr. Crawford. In the beginning of senior year, guidance counselors will have another talk with each of their students. During this talk each counselor helps each student develop a final list of schools, helps them start filling out applications, and answers any questions that a student may have. “I will never tell a student not to apply to a school,” said Mr. Bolen. He added that “each year admissions offices change.” “It is important to be realistic,” Mr. Anderson said, “but don’t be afraid to apply to a school.” It is stressed that you should apply to the college you want because you never know what will happen even if your chances seem slim. When helping students develop a final list of colleges, counselors like to divide the list into three different sections: safety, target, and reach.
A safety school is a school that you will most likely be accepted. A target school is a school that is on par with your grades and test scores and that you have a good chance of being accepted. A reach school is a school that is out of your range score wise, but you still apply to because you have an outside chance of being accepted. Guidance realizes that there is a lot of work that goes into applying to college. It offers several different help programs. In January, guidance held a Junior College Planning Night. This program gave an overview of the entire application process along with a general rundown of the college process. During the fall of senior year, students can can attend a college help program every Wednesday during lunch. This program takes place during both lunch A and lunch B in the computer lab (room 207). There are two guidance counselors in attendance that are there to answer any questions and to help students. The guidance office is also a great resource. Guidance is always available if you have a question. “During the fall there is at least one student in the guid-
ance office every day,” said Mr. Anderson. Writing essays for college application is hard and stressful, but English teachers are there to help. During the summer, a select group of English teachers hold a college essay workshop. There are six different sessions that each run a week long from June to August. The workshop itself is ten hours total and cost $80 across the entire week. “Some years we have up to 150 kids in attendance. The program is relaxed and we give tips on how to write a good essay and we provide feedback on the essay. Most students by the end ley rad of the week have a B ton Mil solid essay or two,” said © Mr. Bowne who is one of the teachers who runs the workshops. Morgan Lafferty, who played field hockey and was an editor for the Voyager during her time at Eastern, graduated in 2015 now studies Equine science at Delaware Valley University. She suggested asking your guidance counselor any questions you may have; don’t feel bad for asking too many questions or going into their office to discuss the college process too much. “Their job is to help you reach whatever goals you may have,” she said. “It’s a great resource to utilize.”
Senior Matt Claybrooks consults with secretary Kathryn Spinogatti.
Read more at voyager-online.org
Photos by Julia Dodd ‘19
6 The Voyager
March 2018
The effect of extracurriculars on college applications By HAYLEY BELUCH ‘18 Editor-in-Chief
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asses of sweaty, incoming freshmen piled into the gymnasium, strolling past tables apathetically while parents coo at the possible clubs their children could join, accumulating brochures—it’s the stereotypical image that’s correlated with club fairs. Parents and other adults say it’s the pivotal point of the high school experience: finding your niche and establishing your next four years of school activities. It’s also a pivotal moment for future college applications, as colleges look for students who participate in a passionate display of involvement. Respected schools like Harvard University both advocate for “well-rounded” students and “well-lopsided” students in the admissions process. Similarly, Princeton University admissions considers “distinct extracurricular activities” to be a fundamental element of a student’s application. But neither school strays beyond the cryptic to clarify what they expect in the applications process, lending to anxiety on the part of students who want to meet the nonexistent extracurricular criteria for their dream schools. College application programs and tutor networks step in to fill in the blanks by providing blanket guidelines for students looking for answers, including PrepScholar. According to this preparation program, college admissions typically look for three basic foundations: the academic activity (something in the field of your major, like math league for mathematics majors), the community service activity, and the personality activity (something that doesn’t relate to your major, like an astronomy major participating in stage crew). With those guidelines and admissions enigmas in mind, how much do these college admissions expectations affect student choices and participation in extracurricular activities? Freshman Melody Dias kept college on her mind when she decided what clubs to join this past fall. As a member of Model UN and the Eastern Girls Tennis team, Dias felt that her decisions reflected both a social predilection (as she joined the tennis team to make friends before the school year started), as well as foresight into her future college application process (with Model UN). “An award from MUN and a sport both look great on an application,” said Dias. However, she said that she wouldn’t have joined a club just for an application if she didn’t genuinely enjoy it. Her consideration of clubs for college admissions purposes only came to mind after talking with her parents. “Obviously, your parents want what is best for you so they want you to join clubs that will benefit you from an academic standpoint,” said Dias. She continued that her parents encouraged her to join at least two clubs her freshman year and to keep up that pattern for applications and possible future membership in NHS. Other than that, she had free reign over her choices and decided to choose clubs that would both benefit her, but also give her a chance to make new friends. Unlike Melody Dias, college resumes had no effect on senior Michelle Xu’s extracurricular choices. As a cross-
country runner, track runner, dancer, band member, Tri-M Honor Society member, NHS scholar, and Spanish Honor Society member, Michelle Xu has a fair share of activities to her name, all stemming from her boundless passion for these pursuits. Michelle cited that these activities were a part of her, and she only chose to participate based on her love for them, not to fulfill any university standards. However, she said the college application process and schoolwork in general did cause complications for participation, as she was sometimes not flexible enough to accommodate her activities and schoolwork. For example, Michelle has been practicing a duet for the dance competition season, though, instead of stretching and practicing, she’s often found herself working on college applications instead. “Over the last four years, my activities haven’t really changed, but my motivation for them has certainly wavered as high school gets busier, affecting the balance between school and extracurriculars,” she said. Similarly, senior Brianna Krivy, secretary of Eastern’s Interact branch, says she’s noticed a trend with students who join the community service club for the luster it applies to resumes and related participation. Although she and the majority of members joined because they love “helping people and making a difference,” she says she knows that a small portion of members just joined for their own benefit. She says that members who join for this reason alone often participate at a lower level than do those who are genuinely passionate about serving their community, which is “saddening to see.” However, she believes that most members are dedicated and hard-working and reflect the genuine nature of the club and its core members, therefore reflecting a body mostly untouched by college processes. Similar to Interact but larger in scale and interconnectivity, Key Club is an International, studentled service organization. Hannah Nivar is the International Trustee for MinnesotaDakotas, Missouri-Arkansas, and Ohio districts and the representative for the New Jersey District of Key Club International. She serves both on the Committee on Service and the Committee on Membership Experience, while maintaining a close relationship with her districts through regular communication and training. When approached for her opinions on this subject, Nivar passionately expressed the trends she has noticed. When referencing performance as it relates to students who join for college applications, Nivar says that, although this is a noticeable trend, it isn’t detrimental to the students or the organization. For one, she asserts that these students are not at fault for wanting to join an organization for the “allure” of service hours to put on their resume. Also, she
finds that the inclusivity of the organization draws most members together, Artwork by Hayley Beluch ‘18 without distinction based on their reasons for joining. “Generally,” said Nivar, “members who join Key Club for the purpose of gaining service hours are eager for more service opportunities, which is great to keep clubs active.” From parents regulating students to join certain clubs to varying levels of participation within clubs, the wide range of influence college applications has on extracurricular choices and involvement is noticeable, though not always detrimental. To what extent, then, should students allow looming college applications to affect their activities? According to guidance counselor Mrs. Zuk, the focus in the guidance office is on the phrase “less is more.” Quality of activities is more important than quantity. Rutgers New-Brunswick Undergraduate admissions supports this claim. The Office of Undergraduate admissions said, “We appreciate seeing students who stick with activities over time, and show growth and proficiency in whatever they choose to pursue outside of class.” Although the office does concede that academics are of primary importance for admissions decisions, they also look for leadership, teamwork, communication skills, dedication, and persistence in extracurriculars to see what each student will bring to the Rutgers community as a future Scarlet Knight. Commitment is key, rather than quantity. Students should therefore consider what they are passionate about and commit to those activities, without worrying about how it will look on paper later.
Students pick their future careers
Junior Aakriti Das is undecided. Would she consider Rome for college? Maybe as a semster abroad.
Junior Julia Kirk is undecided about a major, but she plans to attend Rutgers Camden.
Junior Jack Lee plans to study business. The warm weather of Arizona would be nice.
Junior Renali Patel hopes to follow her older brother to University of Michigan. She is undecided on a major.
March 2018
The Voyager 7
Letters of recommendation advice By ALIYAH EL-MUHAMMAD ‘18 and AVA HANCOCK ’20 Staff Reporters
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hough it’s easy to get lost in the sea of forms and applications during the college admissions process, there is one important step that can be forgotten—college recommendation letters. As defined by Montclair State University’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions, “A letter of recommendation can be either from a coach or a teacher. It gives another glimpse on you as a student.” Every summer and fall, teachers scramble to write recommendation letters for their students, while students ponder on who to ask. For those more introverted, asking for a letter of recommendation can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. The key to receiving an impressive letter may be revealed in the timing. “They should time it with when they’re ready to send off their application to allow for a two week turnaround time,” said guidance counselor Ms. Bosworth, while referring to the two weeks it takes a teacher to write a letter of recommendation. English teacher Mrs. Leason agreed. She recommends asking after spring break of a student’s junior year. “Many times, student will visit potential colleges during the break. By springtime, they have a better feel for their respective dream schools or postsecondary plans,” she said. Although it is tempting to prematurely plan, asking for letters takes a certain level of maturity. “I think junior year is the most important. During freshman and sophomore year you’re still growing and figuring it out,” said senior Yesenia Morales. Instead of obsessing over college during the first two years of high school, students should spend those first two
years learning about themselves. When it comes down to who to ask, “my advice would be for students to really think about someone of respect, whether it be a teacher, coach, or mentor, and to approach that person and have a conversation about their goals in furthering their education,” said Irene Nam, an Eastern alumna who graduated in the Class of 2017 and is now a freshman at Drexel
Artwork by Hayley Beluch ‘18
University. When asked what makes a letter stand out, undergraduate admissions at The College of New Jersey responded with, “We appreciate letters from persons who really know the students and can speak to their academic excellence, leadership and involvement, and character.” Consider a junior year teacher of your prefered field. For example, if one is considering going into the medical field, he should ask his junior or senior year science teacher. “They should ask a teacher whose
class they did well in and where their personality came through,” advised Mrs. Bosworth, who writes about 60 letters of recommendation every year. Even if you didn’t do well in the class, but were hardworking, consider asking that teacher. Your good work ethic can be highlighted in your letter of recommendation. Letters contain a surplus of information, from GPAs to extracurricular activities to personality t r a i t s . Colleges seek traits like leadership, diligence, and growth. Every letter is different, and you may be pleasantly surprised by what a teacher has included in yours. Senior Rachel Randall, who plans to attend Rizzieri School, believes, “The most important way to ensure a positive letter is to build a relationship with teachers.” Even if you’re not thinking about applying to college or asking for a letter of recommendation yet, never be afraid to establish positive relationships with teachers. “Many times, a student will share a personal concern in the class journals, will express a unique insight to a literature selection during class discussion, or display a special talent for helping others during a peer editing session. During these moments, students reveal their personal sides; they are no longer just a name on a class list or a student ID number. They become an extended part of our school families,” Mrs. Leason said. Not only does a personal relationship contribute to the quality of a letter, but some teachers prefer face to face interactions, like history teacher Mr. Colton who said, “I’m more likely to say yes in person.” Letters of recommendation are an opportunity for colleges to see the real you, and most teachers understand the importance of a favorable letter. “We are very proud to write letters,” Mr. Colton said. “It’s an honor to be asked to write a letter of recommendation.”
DEAR TEACHERS: “How to Write a Strong Letter of Recommendation” Include Key Content Highlight the Most Important Themes Give Specific Examples Use Powerful Words Rank the Student Highly, When Appropriate State All Essential Information
Key Points to Remember: Include key content, like who you’re recommending, who you are, how you know the student, and what makes you qualified to evaluate her. Be enthusiastic in your recommendation, discussing both a student’s academic ability and potential and her character and personality. Highlight a few key qualities that you think are essential for admissions officers to understand who the student is and what she can accomplish. Use specific stories, examples, and anecdotes to support your evaluation. Be intentional in your word choice, making sure to use powerful words and phrases and to avoid cliches. Provide a high and impressive ranking, when applicable. Conclude with a strong statement of support, vision of the student’s future success, and invitation to the admissions committee to follow up with you if need be.
Juniors Hannah Dasta and Mike McGee play The Game of College in a future dorm lounge.
Check out more at: www.prepscholar.com
8 The Voyager
March 2018
Honestly, are you really prepared for college? Gregory Giovannini, currently attends Levinson, who attends The College of Rutgers New-Brunswick University. “I New Jersey, said. took a seminar with less than 20 students According to multiple students, Eastern that lasted for 3 straight hours,” he said. has prepared them through AP classes In college, your classes will be for longer and other upper-level work. “Since high ccording to the “Hechinger periods of time but only a few times school was so rigorous with multiple tests Report” by Sarah per week. Hanny Ramadan, a college back-to-back and non-stop homework Butrymowicz, an investigation sophomore at Rutgers-New Brunswick, from the time I got home, I was definitely of forty-four states found that and an Eastern graduate, says that a college prepared,” Levinson said. the vast majority of students schedule is a lot more overreaching than a Eastern strives to allow their student enrolled in public two and four-year high school schedule. to be prepared colleges—more than half a million in “Because classes are for college. number—are not ready for college-level It’s okay to be wrong, or so spread out, in order Mr. Bowne, work. to really succeed, an English and to not know what you want There are many different factors that you have to schedule Journalism teacher change when one goes to college. “You when you eat, clean to do, or feel lost. That’s all said, “Eastern, have a lot of freedom and you need to use your clothes, and traditionally, has part of it. There is no perit carefully,” anatomy and biology teacher sleep especially. It’s had dedicated Miss Murray said. fect college experience. a lot more meticulous teachers who work Students are living away from home for than a high school hard to make sure the first time and have to deal with the schedule.” that their students academic transition between high school Sophie Hill, a college freshman who have the skills and independence needed and college, while figuring out what and also attends Rutgers-New Brunswick to survive and do well in college.” who they want to be. said, “In many cases, your professors One of the biggest challenges students College life is very different from won’t even know your name by the end will have to face is being away from high school. Every choice you make is of the semester. I recommend sitting at home. completely your own. According to the the front of all of your big lecture halls; The JED Foundation created a book “The Freshman Survival Guide”, not only will it be easier to pay attention survey titled “The First Year College “30% of freshman drop out, and only when there are less distractions in front of Experience,” and found that 60 percent of a little more than half who stay (53%) and around you, but you can form a closer (college) freshman said they wished they ever graduate,” and this is mainly due to relationship with your professor.” had “more help getting emotionally ready finances and academics. Professors are also very different for college.” There are numerous differences from teachers. Their style of teaching Hill, who lives an hour away from home between high school classes and college differs greatly, “many of them use class stated, “If I need to focus on an exam, I academics. The biggest contrast is the engagement more than lecture-slide can go home for the weekend. I do miss length of your classes. teaching,” recent Eastern graduate Jami my family a lot when I’m at school, but Valedictorian for Eastern’s Class of 2017 they’re always a FaceTime call or a short drive away.” Going to college is a big change. You have another person living with you, you are surrounded by people you don’t know, and for the first time you are completely free to make whatever choices you want. This includes what you eat. Campus food is not the healthiest. Eastern graduate Katie Ramdial, who attends The College of New Jersey said, “When I go home it’s like a 5 star resort.” Giovannini said, “Being able to eat whatever, whenever, has been a problem.” And for many students this is. There would not be the freshman 15 otherwise. But there are some ways you can make sure you get your daily dose of green. “Make a commitment to eating something healthy for everything unhealthy you eat. Or just fill up on the good stuff. Live Juniors Jay Dave, Michael Carrington, Ryan Ems, Gemma Spina, and happy. Enjoy life. You’re in college,” senior Rachel Necky play The Game of Life at Cook’s campus at Rutgers. Giovannini said. Students aren’t the only ones who By GABRIELLE GILHAM ‘18 and JOSH MEYERS ‘21 Staff Reporters
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Junior Kelly Foley plays on the college green in London. have to get prepared for college. Robin Rudolfker, a mother of two children in college, already knew how to be prepared when her oldest son went to college. “I work at a university and see both sides of the process—how students and parents adjust. That perspective helped me approach this situation. I think I was prepared for my oldest child leaving because I was focused on his transition more than my own.” For parents who have a child going to college, Rudolfker said, “I think it is extremely important to focus on the student and preparing him/her for this next step in their life journey. Yes, it is sad and scary to send a child out into the world to forge new paths without being at their sides. It is, however, a time for parents to feel excitement and think about the possibilities that lie ahead.” Acclimating to college life for the first time is in many ways scary. “I recommend taking some time throughout high school, especially in the year and months before college, to get a general idea of your own passions, your own habits and tendencies, and your lifestyle,” said Ramadan. Going to college is one of the biggest transitions you’ll have to make in your life, but it is also a time of excitement. Giovannini said, “It’s okay to be wrong, or to not know what you want to do, or feel lost. That’s all part of it. There is no perfect college experience. It’ll go by in a minute, make it last a lifetime.”
In a jam with the fam: parent pressure for college By TANNER KOCH ‘19 Staff Reporter
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or most of us, college is right around the corner. We need to prepare as much as we can. In all of this chaos, we need to ask ourselves, “Are my parents the reason for all of my stress and confusion?” The answer, surprisingly, is yes. Whether it be through a legacy program or increasingly high expectations, our parents influence our college process a ton. Ava Berenato agreed that there is a lot stress about college, but not nearly as much as from her mom and dad. “Their stress about school is then dumped on to me and sometimes I don’t know how to handle it,” she said. Ava spoke up about her stress, but many students don’t. This is a common problem among the youth of today. We don’t speak up about our issues until it is too late and by that time we have only dug a hole for ourselves to climb out of. Junior Michael Carrington said
he used to worry about school by himself, but when his parents began to get into his business about school, He almost lost it. “They were on me about homework, tests, quizzes,” he said. “I had hit a boiling point.” Antonio Dicolandrea has similar experiences. “Grades are big and sports are secondary,” he said. “If I can get into school with sports that’s great but grades are what really sticks out to my family. If I’m failing in school that means no sports, so bad grades means I’m really hurting myself.” He added, “I think that if my parents backed off a little and let me do my thing my own way without such heavy guidance, I’d be a lot more relaxed and would perform better in both grades and in soccer”. A message to all parents out there -slow down. Let kids be kids and let college wait for a little while. Parents who worry about college are not helping their kids, they are only adding to the pressure. A stress free home life will benefit your child.
Artwork by Lisa Traczyk ’19
March 2018
The Voyager 9
By CAMERON DAVIS ‘19 and RYAN MARGOLIS ‘18 Staff Reporters
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he process of choosing a career path is complicated. Almost every student has had the college talk with their parents or friends at the dinner table, on the bus, or in the classroom. What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? The most frequent answer is a shrug of the shoulders and a mellow “I don’t know.” With students in a frenzy to find a set of career options, we ask a necessary question: Is it important to know what you want to do heading in to college? Dr. John Pellitteri, a counseling psychologist and professor at Queens College, advises high school seniors to go into college with some form of direction and consider all possible careers. To get a feel for different fields, high school students should talk to people that work in the fields that they are considering and utilize online resources. Understanding yourself before you decide is essential. Pellitteri estimates that around 60%-70% of the workforce are unsatisfied with their career. Dr. Gary Brannigan, a psychology professor at the City University of New York, estimates that about a third of college students change their major during their studies. He also says that it’s a matter of testing multiple areas to figure out what you want to do. However, Brannigan warns against changing majors late in college. Switching into a major that is credit-
heavy, such as a STEM field, can be challenging. You will be scrambling in your last years for the necessary credits. It is important to consider how many credits are required for the major at your specific college. Brannigan believes that switching your major in your first or second year is fine, but you are pushing it after that. He explains that involving yourself with local opportunities related to your major is great exposure. These real-world experiences can be incredibly influential on your decision. Darren Donaldson and Sean Devlin are seniors set on majoring in criminal justice. They both did research on their career options, and focused more on what they would make, rather than anything else. Darren said his back-up plan is to become a plumber. Not because he had any clear talents or passions geared towards being a plumber, but just because plumbers make good money. Sean picked accounting as his secondary option, citing an accounting class he has been taking at Eastern. “I’m not even that good at math, I just think I’m good at accounting,” Sean said. Neither has a true grasp on exactly what they want to do. And that’s okay. Eastern alumnus Jeff Herman has advice for students juggling their options. “First off, don’t ever feel like what you decide to do now for a career pigeonholes you for the next 30 years.” Herman went to Hofstra University to fulfill his dream of working in broadcast journalism. He was a part of ETV, a Voyager editor for three years, read morning announcements, and did play
Artwork by Anthony Bui ‘19
Deciding what you want to study in college
by-play for school sporting events. Herman said that you will find something you’re passionate about: music, law, sports. “Something that inspires you, makes you research more about it, makes you work at it and be better at it, but it doesn’t feel like work,” he said. While Herman emphasized the importance of following your passion, the objective of paying off the bills and
college loan debt should be at the back of students’ minds when thinking about what they want to major in. If you’re about to go to college but you don’t know what you want to do in life, don’t worry. You’ve got time. The first step is to figure out what you love to do. The second step is figuring out what classes to take so you can make a living doing that very thing.
Surviving the adjustment to college life By CRYSTAL OSUJI ‘18 Entertainment Editor
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very senior has the typical dream of college: it’s going to be like sleepaway camp. However, the ones that come into college with that mindset and do not change after the first semester, are left in
the dust. A huge part of college is the independence the students are experiencing. When students are staying on campus, they are responsible for everything. “College is a growing experience, you get away from your family. I think that gives you opportunity to grow a little bit as well, instead of needing your parents for everything,” said history teacher Mr. McAleer, who attended Rider University. It’s a hard adjustment for students to adjust to colleges’ self-reliant nature. New York University did a survey in 2009 that showed that 85% of 2,240 undergraduates experience daily stress and have seen a spike in mental health counseling. When students are at college, mommy and daddy can’t tell you to go to class, do your homework, or do your laundry… you just have to do it. “A lot of kids ending up leaving [school] in the second semester because they didn’t know how to balance their responsibilities,” said Latin teacher Mr. Mercurio, who attended Rutgers New Brunswick. Because incoming students have a hard time adjusting to this new freedom, a large amount drop out, fail out, or stay in college longer. College.usatoday stated that the number one reason why students are graduating late is because they have lack of planning and advisement. Freshman students take a relaxed approach to college and tend to never get out of that until it’s too late. “I’ve had many friends that still have two more semesters to go and they have been
here for two years. They usually regret those times they went out to party instead of studying for that test,“ said senior at Rutgers Camden, Michael Davis. A big part of succeeding in college is having the discipline to get the priorities out of the way. “As a freshman a lot people had to make the decision of ‘how am I going to spend my time,” said Mr. Mercurio. It can be extremely tempting to go out to get food with your friends instead of looking over your homework for the next class, but students have to decide what is more important to them. Incoming students who haven’t experienced a lot of indepence can go a overboard once they are by themselves. “If you are just graduating high school, then the amount of coursework mixed with the personal life and new sense of independence will get to you, ” according to the website Blog.peterson.com. “You are coddled by your parents, and
then you go to senior trip or prom and people go nuts…You need to unveil a little of independence to kids as they grow up,” said Mr. McAleer. To prevent first year students from going overboard, parents need to gradually give them that independence they need. Another way to feel comfortable in college is to join a club or a sports team. Ray Okoro, a graduate from Rutgers New Brunswick, was apart of the football team, so he already had a support system. “I was happy to be on my own for the first time. I was very sure of myself, and by the time college started, I was at the school for a month because of football, so I wasn’t scared. Being apart of a sports team helped me have friends, and I already made myself known on campus,” said Ray Okoro. “It was tough the first year, trying to manage all of that [sports, school, social life, and work], but as the years went on
I realized what was more important. As long as I had my school work done and practice was finished, then I could worry about other things,” said Stefano Okoro, younger brother of Ray, who graduated from University of Bridgeport. With being an adult you have to have discipline to succeed. College, for most people, is the first real taste of freedom. You are completely on your own and you have to be responsible for yourself. To have a good experience and finish on time, it is key to know how to handle your new independence. “When you are at home you have a comfort blanket. Once you are at college you are on your own. You have to make sure you are getting the proper food, going to sleep, studying. The change is knowing how to be proactive and knowing your situations, becoming your own parent,” said Ray Okoro.
Wearing his Villanova sweatshirt, junior TJ Franden plays The Game of College.
10 The Voyager
March 2018
What if the cost of college keeps you from that “dream” school? By MAANASI NATARAJAN ‘19 and BRYCE DERSHEM ‘21 Opinion Editor and Staff Reporter
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kay, so you got into your top choice school. All’s great, right? Wait. But now, how can I pay for this? The tuition for college has seen an intense augmentation in the past few decades. For reference, according to Ivory Tower, a video documentary on the college process, “The price of college since 1978 has risen 1120%. The price of health care since 1978 has risen 600%.” Luckily, scholarships, a form of financial aid, have been developed to ease the financial burden that many students face in the pursuit for postsecondary education. For those academically, artistically, or athletically inclined students, scholarships are accolades that offer a stipend of which may be used when paying tuition at college. For students at Eastern, a multitude of national, collegespecific, and local scholarships exist as a form of financial aid. Mr. Susko, who is supervisor of guidance, said, “You have the big national scholarships that have big corporate sponsors. We tell students you are less likely to win those because there are thousands, tens of thousands, of students applying. It is almost equivalent to winning the lottery.” From this, students may also apply for college-specific scholarships which are more specialized grants that particular universities award to high-achieving students planning to attend said institutions. Local and community-based scholarships from the three townships making up Eastern’s demographic are also available for students. Ms. Ryan, the Vice Principal of 11th grade, said, “Every year there are academic awards with a lot of awards that come from the community and from all three townships.” While smaller sums of money, these scholarships and awards are more likely to be won by an Eastern student. However, regardless of the chance of winning a particular scholarship, Mr. Susko said, “It doesn’t hurt to apply. A lot of students think they are not going to get it, but you don’t know until you apply. So, just throw it out there and take the time it takes to fill out that application.” Mr. Bowne is the chairperson for the Eastern Education Foundation Scholarship Board. The committee of several teachers decides on two scholarships for future teachers. The EEA gives two $2,000 scholarships, the highest award during the Academic Award Night. These scholarships are awarded to two promising seniors who demonstrate a passion for teaching and a desire to enter a professional field involved in education. As far as other scholarships, Mr. Bowne said, “Apply,
apply, apply.” students from any financial background. He understands the emphasis on the college application Many students, like senior Justin Choi, see that although process, but kids oftentimes forget the most important asthe scholarship application process can be fast-paced pect of the college process is applying for scholarships. when combined with many other deadlines, students “There is nothing better than getting a college education should recognize that the long-term benefits are worth that you don’t have to pay for.” the stress. “It’s honestly re-filling out information that For Eastern students wishing to apply for scholarships, you already have filled out on your Common App. Will it Naviance Family Connection houses all of the informabe repetitive? Sure. But the potential benefits that you get tion regarding specific scholarships and their applicain return far outweigh any sort of copying and pasting tion processes. It must be noted, however, that you’ll have to do.” that the application processes In recent years, the growing ideal for for different scholarships inacademic prestige has seen many involves different requirestitutions of higher education in a ments and deadlines. battle for increased resources and Jennifer Glass, grandiose amenities. However, who graduated while these colleges contend last year from for extravagances, students Eastern, is across the nation have gotcurrently atten caught in the crossfire, tending Syrsuffering the horrors of fiacuse Uninancial injury and student versity on a debt. full scholarChoi, who has already reship. She had ceived merit aid from unito write sevversities such as Rutgers, eral essays Northeastern, and Drexel, is and interview among many students across at Syrathe country who are followcuse. She ing a new trend - looking ahead thinks to student debt instead of beEastern ing infatuated with “name brand” does a schools. “If I get into a top 1 ‘2 s good job o f school, I’d consider it, but even a Me nthia y C making then, if I was drowning in debt y ork b Artw scholarby the end, I’d seriously still ships accessible through websites. She consider a state school like Rutgers over admits the process is stressf u l those options.” just because there are so many scholScholarships, although at times stressful, are an integral arships. “It’s kind of hard when you part of paying for college tuition. While many students are juggling deadlines for your regustill choose grandiose, prestigious universities over state lar application to also do separate schools, many are beginning to see the benefits of in-state scholarships,” she said. tuition accompanied with scholarships. Nicole Meskin, another EastSaid grants and financial aid have gradually arisen as ern alumna and freshman at The treatments for the growing epidemic of national student College of New Jersey, explained debt and must be regarded with much significance when that she applied for numerous scholarships and received anyone decides to embark on the journey of postsecondmany of them, which helped with the financial pressure ary education. of college tuition. She advised Eastern students to take “Looking at the growing rates of student debt today, advantage of scholarship opportunities, although they it is so important to think about how college costs affect may seem daunting. “Once you actually start applying, our futures,” said Mupparapu. “Even those who are not you realize they are not as stressful as it seemed at first,” in great financial need should seriously consider scholarshe said. ship offers because they remove a huge burden from the Archana Mupparapu, a scholarship recipient and Temrest of their lives.” ple University Honors Program freshman, agreed with Meskin, and added that scholarships can be beneficial to For more, go to Voyager-online.org!
One senior’s advice to all those try-hards “Live your life,” says Justin Choi ‘18. “Studying is not considered a hobby.”
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ACTIVITY. MIT even encourages you to o all tryhards who have the put down trivial things, like biking with ears to listen, friends, watching TV. Don’t try and put Please at least know this — down the “perfect summer activity” that live your life. The world isn’t will wow admissions officers—that’ll just composed of grades and just show how fake and shallow you are colleges and careers—physics and chem in the end. The admissions process should and calc do not define what it means simply be an extension of your genuine to “live life”. STUDYING IS NOT self—writing these essays shouldn’t be a CONSIDERED A HOBBY, SO STOP concerted effort to make yourself a perfect SAYING THAT IT IS. Start learning applicant, but rather a byproduct of the how to play basketball; learn passions and experiences you already how to cook with some friends have. You shouldn’t force yourself to say of yours; go out to Wawa at anything in college essays—it 2 AM with friends to get a should come naturally as F’Real milkshake (don’t you write it. drink too many of those, Now, I get it—you you’re gonna die of heart might think that these failure much earlier in points are moot and meant life than you should). to represent an idealistic But please, it helps to world that bears no fruit by have a life. One of the the end of it—you feel as if most memorable apps I all your hard work has “gone ©M ilton completed this fall was for MIT, down the drain.” Yet, consider Brad ley and the first prompt that they ask you is this; if all you’ve done up to this “what do you do for fun.” And it’s gonna point is something you’ve genuinely be SO obvious if you’re just faking it. enjoyed doing and haven’t been doing Nobody “starts a nonprofit and likes to just for the sake of looking smart or feed malnourished children in third-world wanting to be a “perfect applicant,” countries” as a “fun activity”. In fact, later then you shouldn’t even be feeling this in the app they ask you what you did this sense of regret. It should’ve been a joy past summer, and for the love of Jesus to do all that work regardless of what a Christ, our Lord and Savior, DO NOT college thinks about it when they send PUT DOWN Y2 OR C2 AS A SUMMER you back a decision. None of it “goes
down the drain” if it truly was something you enjoyed doing in the first place. So try to make sure you don’t “regret” anything by senior year—make sure that you do things because you enjoy them, not because you want to get into Penn and then get all these compliments from teachers and others to try and feel a sense of validation and shallow self-worth for all you’ve strived for these past four years. Oh, also, please don’t “lock” yourself into a college-life will move on even if you don’t get into your “dream school.” Yeah, Penn might be a “perfect fit” according to you and so on and so forth, but listen— life moves on. Regardless of whether you like it or not, you have to make the most out of what you have, and that’s life too—you’re not going to get everything you desire and set your mind to on a silver platter meant to please. Sometime you’ll have the worst things in life thrown in your face and you’ll have to deal with what you have, whether you like it or not. So start now and try not to get into that sort of unhealthy mentality—it’ll serve
you better in the long run. So listen—to all who will eventually have to write a ledger of their life, and make an account all that they have ever accomplished and been proud of; their sorrows and joys; their triumphs and travails; don’t hesitate to think deeper. Please please. I promise you’ll be the better for it.
March 2018
The Voyager 11
There’s more than one path for your senior year By HAYLEY BRICKER ‘18 and JAIMIE MCCORMICK ‘18 Staff Reporter and Entertainment Editor
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enior year is a turbulent time. College is just around the corner. The options are endless. Taking a full year of eight classes as a senior is a tall order. Eastern administration recognizes this issue and has made appropriate adjustments to the standard curriculum. As a senior, you now have more options than what meets the eye. There are now two additional paths to choose from for your senior year. “College Now”, more commonly referred to as “Option 2”, allows students to take a college course at either Camden County College, also referred to as CCC, or have one of the professors from CCC come to Eastern. This opens the door for students hoping to earn college level credits that they can use at CCC or a university of their choosing. The program enables students to take four classes in the morning wheel. With this, they can meet their graduation requirements and attend college level classes two days during the week. For students to be eligible for this program, they need to meet the minimum one hundred credit requirement, have their own transportation to Camden County College (if they are leaving Eastern for class), and must attend an information meeting in the spring at Eastern. The curriculum rotates constantly depending on what class Eastern guidance counselors feel the students need the most. But if the class a prospective student wishes to take is not offered during that year, they can take a class they are interested in at CCC. Classes are offered on Mondays and Wednesdays or on Tuesdays and Thursdays. As for the other days, Option 2 allows those students to leave school early! Guidance counselor Ms. Lattimer said that any student interested in the College Now program should “know yourself”.
She emphasized the necessity of one’s ability to assess their time management skills. Managing your time is a critical portion of college and begins now with the first step. This is a class that has to be taken seriously. After all this is a course that has to be paid for to be a part of. But what are the benefits for Option 2? Camden County College professor, Professor Colborn, is acquainted with the program and comes to teach at Eastern. “I believe Option 2 is a great time slot for preparing the high school students for their future academic papers,” she said. “I also teach some essays that are handy in organizing the students’ thoughts, even if they plan on working in an office or owning their own business. We all could use a great way to get across what we are thinking on paper or social media platform.” As for advice from current students in College Now, diligence is key. “It’s important to give kids a head start on obtaining those college credits if, of course, they have already fulfilled their high school credit obligations,” said senior Autumn Lawrysh. “Just make sure you actually do the homework and try to pay attention during class,” said Autumn Lawrysh, urging incoming Option 2 students. Sure, getting college credits is important, but so is learning the ropes of college. Senior Layla Turner said that Option 2 has taught her more about how to structure a college level paper. “The class gives you more of the college vibe and how it it completely different from high school,” she said. There is also the opportunity to leave school as early as Lunch A on days that that class does not meet. This allows for more time to do homework, sleep, and catch up on the latest Netflix shows. You can do this all while earning college credits two days during the week. “Make sure that it’s what you wanna do because you do have to pay money for this,” said Layla Turner. Professor Colborn said, “Like I said, your parents and I were not given the opportunity to start as many college
© Milton Bradkey
classes in high school, so jump on it! Think about it this way: if you take at least two college classes before you graduate--you might shed off a winter or summer semester from your core classes. This means, you can be working in your grad classes or your actual career (depending on your passion), before some of your friends or family. Also, if you are going to take Option 2, really commit and be present, not just physically: bring your book, materials, and determination to class everyday. Your professors are not trying to be hard on you; we are really cheering you on in our minds (all the time) because we want you to succeed at this great opportunity!” If Option 2 doesn’t seem like the right fit, Senior Early Release was new this year for seniors. Unlike Option 2, taking a college course is not a requirement. “Students who are in good standing and eligible to graduate can take four courses here, a study hall after lunch and then leave school grounds,” Mrs BunnellJackson said. This stops seniors from filling up their schedules with classes that won’t necessarily benefit them. Senior Karly Borden chose this option specifically because she wanted to work more. Having the study hall after lunch also allows her to do any homework. Rob Wilson agreed, saying, “I get to work more hours that my peers can’t, so I can
make a little extra money.” Krishna Razo also took Senior Early Release to work more hours. “I’m done all my credits and I wanted to make money and work earlier,” Razo said. Most seniors take Senior Early Release with the intention of being able to go to work. “You can get better hours and that’s usually why students do it,” Mrs. BunnellJackson said. To those that are considering Option 3, Karly Borden said, “you should definitely do it because you can go into work earlier and then leave earlier at night”. Some seniors, like Razo, have already started recommending Senior Early Release. “I already have suggested this option to sophomores and freshmen,” Razo said. Mrs. Bunnell-Jackson also encourages students to choose this option. Both options benefit students greatly throughout their senior year. Out of 476 seniors, thirty-nine take “College Now” and nineteen take Senior Early Release. These two combined means that around 12% of seniors are enrolled in these options. With the new addition of Senior Early Release and the already existing “College Now” program, it shows that there is more than one path to making the most of your senior year.
mortgage, whatever they have that keeps The flexibility at Community College is them for ten-twenty years, from being working out great for Eastern grad, Nick able to pay things off.” Catrino. Payton Glunt, a second year student “I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to at Camden Community College (CCC), study,” said Catrino. “[Community coluses the low tulege] was a ition prices at great place CCC to her to find out.” advantage. At com“I wanted to munity make sure I college, was going to students school in the can take most financialtheir time ly responsible to learn way possible so what they I’m not drowning in student want to do, so they don’t debt by the time I graduate,” have to switch majors at a © Milton Bradkey she said. four year school, which can Community college is a great potentially cost more time option for saving money in college. and money. Nick utilized this ability to switch majors; first he declared his major as criminal justice, but then changed it to Flexibility history. Glunt is using the flexibility that comCommunity colleges are a great option munity college offers to work on the side. because of the flexibility they offer stu“I’m able to build my schedule around dents. work,” said Glunt, “They give a lot of Jason Susko, Supervisor of Guidance at options for class times and days.” By Eastern, said “students may not be ready working on the side, she is able to save to leave home yet at 18 years old. And up money and get workplace experience. that’s okay, not everybody is. They may
Some college classes at four year schools can get into the hundreds. Going to community college can give students a more intimate learning experience, which may be beneficial to the way they learn. “My experience at CCC has been a great one,” said Catrino. “I love most of my classes, the teacher knows us by name, and the schedule is great.” “The class sizes are a lot similar to high school,” said Glunt. “I feel like the professors are a lot more open to helping you and guiding you because of that.
Don’t ignore the benefits of community college By RYAN EMS ‘19 Staff Reporter
The pricetag for private schools keeps going up. Why saddle yourself with mountains of debt? Think smart!
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n recent years, many students have been choosing to go to community colleges rather than state-schools. What’s causing the trend?
Money With the cost of tuition at four year schools rising into the hundreds of thousands, many students are finding community college to be a better option, financially. At Camden Community College (CCC), yearly tuition costs $4,000. In comparison, a school like NYU costs $46,000 for yearly tuition. Kevin Farrow, Eastern math teacher and Statistics 1 teacher at CCC, says that students have a lot to gain financially at community colleges. “I have a lot of friends that have thousand dollar a month student loan payments. It’s significant. That’s like a rent,
not know what they want to do, what they want to study, what career they want to pursue.”
Personalized Attention
Transferable Credits Going to community college can be beneficial to students wanting to get credits at a cheaper price than four year schools. “Community colleges are specifically gearing their classes to fit a wide variety of colleges and universities,” says Susko. Because many credits are transferable, students can take the same classes at CCC, and still have them apply to schools like Rowan, Stockton, and Rutgers. “Really, it’s not about where you start, it’s where you finish university because those are the one issuing the degree,” said Susko. “It’s not going to say ‘Rutgers University via Camden County College’, your degree is going to say ‘Rutgers University’ no matter where you start.
12 The Voyager
March 2018
The Expenses of Applying By NICHOLAS RAY ‘18 Staff Reporter $1.48 trillion. That’s the accumulated student loan balance across the United States of America. If you’re wondering what the most overlooked group of fees throughout the college process is, it lies in the cost of applying to college. To grasp a general intimation on how quickly the out-of-pocket expenses can pile up, the average college application fee measures out to around $50, and that only entails the most mandatory requirements. For example, the $50 fee doesn’t include the cost of sending standardized testing scores to these same colleges, another $12 fee per college applied to. An anonymous source reported that they applied to a shocking 15 universities this fall, running their bank account for a combined total touching $1,000. In the grand scheme of things, the average cost of applying to college is virtually nothing compared to the overall college tuition, but it does take a toll on the ones responsible for these payments. “College hasn’t even started yet and it’s already taking money from people who aren’t even likely to attend that school,” reported Zach Ray, a freshman at Neumann University in Pennsylvania. “It’s ridiculous that I should have to stress college tuition without even knowing if I will be accepted.” Increase in average college tuition price has become an epidemic spread across the nation. Students who are accepted into these costly programs are requesting significant assistance through financial aid and student
loans, which in turn forces colleges to raise tuition. This cycle has repeated since the Higher Education Act of 1965 was signed in Texas by President Lyndon Johnson. The Higher Education Act was “an effort to strengthen the educational resources of our colleges and universities and to provide financial assistance for students in postsecondary and higher education,” and as appealing as that sounds to college students, this may have been the instigating factor of rising college tuition. Another college freshman, Cooper Cowdin of Central Connecticut State University, spoke on how her athletic ability saved her from the negative effects of the college application process. “I only applied to 2 schools because I had already been committed since October,” said Cowdin, who was a Division I lacrosse player commit by the beginning months of her junior year. “By the time everyone else began applying, I had a good sense of where I was going, and I saw no reason in spending money to apply to schools that I wasn’t going to consider anyway.” Comparing the cost of applying to overall tuition
Graphic by Hayley Beluch ‘18
makes these application fees seem very minimal, simply because that’s what they are. A $50 application fee isn’t even 0.2% of what an out-of-state college tuition averages out to be, but it begins to add up when talking about applying to 10+ universities.
Pursuing a career in theatre after high school By ROBERT SUNDSTROM ‘18 Staff Reporter
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very year thousands of high school students spend their junior and senior year preparing for the college audition process for an education in theatre. These students prepare for months on end, picking a portfolio of their best songs and monologues and then eventually going to auditions around the country which can last up to twelve hours. Although thousands of students apply to many programs, less than 3% of them are admitted, making this lengthy and expensive process very risky as well. One former Eastern student who is now a musical theatre major at Muhlenberg College, Ryan Connelly, explained, “I first began working on my college audition materials the summer before my senior year. You would think that’s enough time, but it really isn’t.” Although several months seems like a long time, to prospective musical theatre students it isn’t. Senior Kayla Kantakusin has been working on her audition material since her junior year. Both Connelly and Kantakusin made the point that every chance you perform is another step towards college auditions; whether or not it is formally recognized as such depends upon the situation. Slightly different is the experience of Sam Youse who is pursuing a major in acting. Youse spent only a couple months preparing her monologues, which differs from the vocal and dance preparation that Connelly and Kantakusin had to complete. Still all three remarked as to the difficulty associated with the audition process and the mental toughness necessary to get through it. The musical theatre majors, as Connelly explained, have an incredibly long audition process. “College auditions are either cattle calls where hundreds of kids with the same talent as you are auditioning, or it’s super intimate and it’s just you and the director of the school. For ‘MT’ majors you will dance, sing, and act—the dancing being done in a group, where the singing and acting is usually
done alone in a room with one or two other people.” Because there is so much going on in musical theatre auditions, some students choose to work with artistic coaches on their material. Kantakusin said, “I sat down with my acting teacher and vocal teacher and we spent months reading different plays and listening to different shows. We wanted to make sure I was selecting pieces I knew about which is why we would read the entire play and then create monologues and song ideas.” Both Kantakusin and Connelly noted the “absurdity” which surrounds “prescreens” which are recordings of parts or ‘cuts’ of a student’s audition material, generally sixty seconds in length, that some colleges require prior to an audition. Connelly said, “You cannot get to know someone from seeing a 60 second video of them, it’s absurd.” On top of all this, students pursuing education in theatre also have to decide what type of school they want to go to, conservatory or traditional college. Conservatories are two-three year programs focused purely on an education in theatre arts where academics don’t usually play a part, such as CAP21 or AMDA. While musical theatre programs at traditional four-year schools focus on a more general education as well as a rigorous education in theatre. Connelly attends Muhlenberg College which is a traditional university like DeSales where Youse will be attending in the fall. Kantakusin will likely be attending Marymount Manhattan College, although she has not yet committed as she
can improve....everyone can learn and grow...just get stronger, get better, and move forward”. Difficult is certainly the word that best describes this audition process. “They can be pretty stressful, deciding what to choose, feeling prepared, and then analyzing what you did for weeks after,” Youse recalled. Connelly stated, “The process is crazy and incredibly difficult. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. It’s intimidating being so vulnerable for people who will literally decide your future at a school.” Kantakusin agreed, “It was one of the most difficult things I’ve endured but ended up being one of the most life changing. I learned a lot about myself as an artist and as a person.” So if the college audition process Artwork by Jared Wilson ‘19 is so difficult why did these people put themselves through it? When awaits more acceptances. posed that question every one of the Even though all of the aforementioned interviewees responded more or less in Eastern students will be or are attending the same way. Because they love theatre. traditional schools, it is not the only way. “I’m pursuing theatre because it’s my Eric Sciotto, a Broadway professional passion. I hate how clichéd this sounds, whose most recent credit is Shakespeare in but I can’t picture myself doing anything Something Rotten, chose to go to College else but this,” said Connelly. Conservatory of Music at University of Along the same lines, Sciotto said, Cincinnati. “Theatre was THE ONLY THING I But he also cautioned, “Tons of people wanted in my life.” have success without a formal arts “I love performing and acting is ed.....Everyone’s path is different and something that I want to work hard at and since the arts and ‘talent’ aren’t really do for the rest of my life,” said Youse. quantifiable....there’s no way to truly Despite the hardships of the application dissect why one path works one way and process and eventual career, the Eastern not for another.” students, former and current, are excited Sciotto, who recently participated in to pursue what they love. workshopping Eastern’s spring musical, Their advice to underclassmen interested agreed that the college audition process in doing what they have and are doing is can be extremely difficult but wanted simple. Hard work. student to remember, “No one school has You have to prepare and prepare deeply the ONLY important process....Remember and early, do your research and find where that the people behind the table are small you belong whether it be in New York in number...it’s not the end-all-be-all, City or outside, and most importantly you which of course we all think. If you don’t have to connect with your material. get into a school, it’s based on very few As actors they all agree your audition peoples’ opinions of what you’re offering material must be something you can in that moment...it’s not a life-sentence... throw your whole self into, only then can it’s not the only POV that matters...there you succeed. are many potential paths...and everyone
March 2018
The Voyager 13
SAT optionals level the playing field in American colleges By HANA HANCOCK ‘18 Opinion Editor
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he SAT has become a rite of passage for every college-bound high schooler. All the nerves that manifest as pangs within your stomach on test day—the practice, all the psyching yourself up, the countless hours and dollars that go towards prep—comes down to one score. A mere series of numbers. Numbers that may not exactly explain that you’re a driven, hard-working student, but you also have test-anxiety. Numbers that don’t tell colleges that you couldn’t exactly afford the SAT tutoring, so while you may be an excellent student, you don’t have the resources to excel in this measure of aptitude. It’s the reality for many students and something that colleges and universities are trying to reform across the nation. Bowdoin College in Maine wanted their applicants’ SAT scores to adequately and correctly represent them as students. That’s why they became the first college to adopt a test optional policy in 1969, with many other universities and colleges following suit for decades to come. George Washington University, Wesleyan University, Bryn Mawr, and Wake Forest University are just a few competitive universities that offer applicants this option. “I think they make the SAT’s optional for those kids who maybe who really don’t test well or who maybe have test anxiety so they don’t perform at the same level as they can in school,” said math teacher Mrs. Vaccaro. She is also a SAT prep tutor. Mrs. Bunnell-Jackson, a guidance counselor, echoed this sentiment and stated how grades are usually a better indicator of a student’s success in college than a standardized test score. “I could see it becoming more of a trend over time. I think it’s grounded in a good philosophy that the best indicator of your future success is past success. Certain psychologists coming out like Carol Dweck and Angela Duckworth—more of the discussion is the emphasis on hard
work, so I think that with the discussion in higher education and education, it’s focusing on hard work and the SAT optional {policy} is in line with that philosophy,” she said. Many schools realize that a student’s SAT scores may not match up with their school performance. Montclair State University in New Jersey was the first school in the state to implement the test-optional policy. Like other schools who choose to de-emphasize or make SAT score submissions optional, the admissions review process becomes more holistic in approach as high school accomplishments are taken strongly into account, holding more weight than an S A T score. Mrs. BunnellJacks o n cautioned that, “I have seen it {the SAT optional path} make the standards of the GPA and the rigor of your transcript go up. They’re going to look more closely at your transcript,” she said. If a student should choose to forgo SAT score submissions, there is often another piece that must take the place of the SAT score. Sometimes it’s a graded writing sample from a course, other times you might need to have a cumulative grade point average that is higher than those of accepted students. Whether the option of being able to send SAT scores has drawn certain students toward a school is debatable. What’s not
contestable is the diversity that has resulted in the student bodies of test-optional universities. Historically, the SAT’s were a way of determining a standard and levelling the playing field for lower income students with dramatically different course offerings and grading systems. Usually, families in lower income areas don’t have the finances to send their children to SAT preparation classes or they don’t have the money to put forth towards taking the test at all. George Washington University adopted a testoptional admissions policy in August 2015. According to their online news source, 2 0 1 6 ’s incomi n g freshm e n f a l l class saw a 3 3 % i n crease in minority underrepresented groups. The college accepted 40% of their applicants, 29% of whom chose not to submit scores. That first year after the policy went into effect, there were 84% more African Americans in the freshmen class than the previous year, upped 8.8% in African American representation compared to 4.7% from the year before. Hispanic enrollment rose to 11%, representing 10.5% of the freshman class compared to 2015’s 9.2%. Mrs. Vaccaro said that in her SAT prep classes “we work a lot on tests taking strategies, time management and focus-
ing on the easiest and quickest way to get the right answer.” These are standardized test taking skills that not every high schooler learns or has the privilege to learn. In Rhode Island, the students in Long Beach Unified School district were not clearing the SAT benchmarks. This is an area where ⅔ of the students were qualifying for free or reduced price lunch, so the $60 fee to take one SAT test posed a challenge for many. This financial difficulty mingled with a general disinterest in college caused little participation amongst the student body. However, three years ago, test-takers increased 100% after the district offered the SAT for free during the school day. The district also provided free, optional SAT prep sessions on Saturdays. For a test like the SAT, prior exposure means everything. “That’s a test that the more exposure you have to it and the more you understand what they’re asking the better you do. So familiarity with the test {is key},” Mrs. Bunnell-Jackson said. Could this be an acceptable counterweight to level the playing-field amongst test-takers or another option that goes hand-in-hand with the philosophy behind test-optional policies? For students like those at Long Beach Unified School district, it made all the difference. So when is it right to send SAT scores and when is it right to withhold them? “I think as long as your school performance and your SAT’s kind of coincide with one another then I think that should be enough for a college,” said Mrs. Vaccaro, “I do think setting a goal for yourself, a number goal is key.” “If your SAT scores are not in line with your grades, I think it’s fine. If there is a great disparity between your scores and what you’ve produced in four years of high school then it’s better to not send,” said Mrs. Bunnell-Jackson. However, Mrs. Bunnell-Jackson cautions that with not sending scores comes the idea, whether good or bad, that schools will look even more closely with even higher standards for admissions in the periphery. Graphic by Matthew Morante
Matthue Cotton commits to Yale for basketball
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By JULIA DODD ‘19 Managing Editor
att Cotton, a senior, who committed to Yale University for basketball, has some advice. “Always work hard even if things aren’t going your way,” he said. “Stay consistent.” Cotton is one of the thirteen students from Eastern who will play at a Division I college in the fall of next year. There are over 350 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division one colleges with over six thousand teams, and more than 170 thousand athletes. The NCAA will give a one time distribution of $200 million dollars to each Division I school. In order to prevent clapback, they posted a Q&A. According to the NCAA website, “The $200 million is being funded from a liquidation of NCAA Quasi-Endowment” and “(it is) for the direct benefit of the student-athlete and their academic success, life skills, career success, health and safety and student-athlete focused diversity and inclusion initiatives. Schools have discretion in using funds among these areas.” This grant will allow for more athletic scholarships. Athletic director, Mr. Hill said, “(Eastern) did recognize for the first time other student athletes continuing even Division III.” When deciding on going to a Division I school you have to consider other factors besides sports. Senior Olivia Perrone, committed to Lehigh University for field hockey said she ultimately decided to go there “because of the beautiful campus and the opportunity to get a good education.” Cotton started to consider Yale University when he visited the school. He said, “(Yale) is the best for basketball and education. I also had a good bond with the coaches and team.” As advice to student athletes, Perrone said, “Don’t doubt and never let anyone tell you what you can and can not do.”
Cotton joins 20 other senior athletes who have committed to D-I, D-II, and D-III universities.
14 The Voyager
March 2018
By LAUREN CASOLE ‘19 Features Editor
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et’s start with the basics. Early decision is binding, which means you are fully committing to a school no matter what. Early action simply means your application was ready early and you wanted to get it in and out of the way. That’s the simple explanation, but much like everything in life, it’s slightly more intricate. When applying to any school, it is important to keep in mind how high that school is ranked on your list of schools you want to apply to and hopefully attend. For Early Decision, you apply to one school and if you get in, you are committed to them no matter what. It doesn’t matter the financial situation and you cannot apply Early Decision to any other schools. “For example, if a student applying to the University of Penn doesn’t get in early decision, then the next day we send out all of their other applications,” said Ms. Lattimer, a guidance counselor. Early Action has less stipulations. “If a student is ready to have their application completed in an early timeframe, if I am not rushing them, I am certainly going to encourage a student to apply early action,” said Ms. Lattimer. This is because it cannot hurt a student; it will just help them get their application in early and get an answer back sooner. This also alleviates the waiting game in February and March. If all goes well, the student could hear back as early as January 1st. It also helps if something winds up missing—I know that sounds crazy! However, colleges sometimes misplace transcripts and a student may have to resend that information to the school. If the student applied Early Action, then it allows for more time to fix any problems
that may have surfaced during the application process. “I don’t think there is any negative,” said Ms. Lattimer. If the school is still uncertain, they will defer you until the regular admissions pool and again, there is no harm there. “Most, if not all of my students, have applied early action or decision,” said Mrs. Palmer, the GT teacher. It all comes down to if there is one particular school that a student really wants to get into regardless of financial aid. The school and the program they want is a ten in their eyes. If this is the case, then early decision is the way to go. Early Action is becoming more common for students, because schools are giving out money earlier and students are getting better financial deals through Early Action. Schools will only offer one or the other. They will not offer Early Decision and Early Action. Many Ivy League colleges are Early Decision because they don’t necessarily want you applying to any other schools. You can apply Early Decision to one school and Early Action to other schools or apply ED to one school and wait for regular admissions. “Money can be a factor in terms of what is available for scholarship money and students wanting to get the possible best deal,” said Palmer. Nowadays, students are taking advantage of Early Decision and Early Action to get the best deal, because the FAFSA form deadline is now October 1st which is a lot earlier compared to January 1st. You also needed to have your tax returns done. Now, students can file the FAFSA, so that is done and applications can be ready earlier. “I would love to see for Eastern to put some resources into having guidance counselors available in August for seniors. This way, they can get a jumpstart of the application process,” said Palmer. Having access to your guidance as early as Au-
gust will only be beneficial for students. “It could be paired with the e s s a y classes that the school o ff e r s , ” Palmer said. “It forces students to get on the ball with their applications.” “Allowing seniors to have special pre-access to counselors while they are wrapping up testing and applications, I think, is crucial to the success or eastern students and a welcomed change,” said Palmer. Even the world of standardized testing is adapting to the ED and EA deadlines because, they are offering tests in the summer to accommodate. This process is not for everyone; it is not reserved for the top five percent of your class either. It is for kids who know what they want to do and where they want to be. They have taken early steps to identify school and put their best foot forward. “Every year I get more and more,” said Mrs. Lattimer. If you look at acceptance rate trends for Ivy League schools, the ED pool is greater than the regular admissions pool. It will increase your chance because you are sending a very clear message that you
Graphic By Hayley Beluch ‘18
Early Action vs. Early Decision
are really interested in what that school has to offer. You are not sending things in early just for fun and you do not want to jump the gun. It is only if you are ready to send everything in. When applying EA, you can turn down the school, but only in the most extreme cases can you turn down a school that you applied ED for. It is not a accept or decline situation on a ED application. “I applied EA, but not ED.” I applied EA to mostly state schools, because I wasn’t looking for anything binding,” said Diana Bershadsky ‘18. “I also applied EA to every school that offered it. It’s really nice hearing back early,” said Kryssie Vujic‘18. From students, to teachers, to guidance counselors, it is a universal view that EA and ED depend on the individual student, but neither one can harm you. It’s all about who you are as student.
A historically black college may be right for you BY OLIVIA COVINGTON ‘19 Staff Reporter
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ow do you know if a HBCU is for you? Established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are universities or institutions of higher education that serve the AfricanAmerican community. There are 101 HBCs located in different parts of the United States. So how do you know if a HBCU is for you? Well, first you should know that HBCUs are not just for African-Americans or black people. All nationalities and ethnicities are welcomed and can benefit from this experience. Cheryll Gill Riley, Executive Board member of the Howard University Alumni Club of Atlanta, Historian, and Student and Parent Advocate, can confirm this is true at Howard. “It is predominately black, but has never been exclusive unlike PWIs [Predominately White Institutions] were.” She said they do not discriminate against people. “There is a plethora of diversity amongst people of color contrary to what people think of historically black colleges,” she said. Riley also wanted to clear the air on some other misconceptions regarding HBCUs, “All HBCUs are not equal. Every school caters to a certain caliber of students. What’s great about HBCUs is everyone has an opportunity to earn a degree. The incoming GPA for the freshman class
at Howard is an unweighted 3.5 GPA, 1200 SAT score average out of 1600, and 25 out of 36 for ACT. At Howard the competition drives the demand. “Academically we are strong if not stronger than any school, including Harvard,” said Riley. Other than giving you a new experience and a great education, it also is more affordable. According to the 2009 article, “Study: HBCUs Offer Low Tuition,” college members of the United Negro College Fund charge about $6,600 less than comparable institution. The opportunity of HBCUs do not reach everyone’s ears as do other colleges. Junior Ta’maya Ross, currently college searching, has not heard much about HBCUs in her experience. “No, I haven’t,” she said. “I haven’t heard much about HBCUs as I did other colleges. I feel HBCUs are mainly an inside thing for the black community.” Undercoverage is partly responsible for the reason most kids don’t have HBCUs on their list of colleges. “My dad wants me to go to a HBCU,” Ta’mya said, “but I haven’t considered it.” Michael-Ann James, a senior, had a similar response. “I have heard only of Harvard University. I never considered going to a HBCU only because the schools I really wanted to go to were not HBCUs. I don’t really hear of HBCUs often and I’ve never had any presented to me during the college process.” HBCUs build character, are community based, and help you find your identity, especially for black or African American students. Students all around give an HBCU a chance, as you never know what that path may have in store for you.
Photo supplied by civilrightstrail.com
TOP 10 HBCUs Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia Howard University, Washington D.C Hampton University. Hampton, Virginia Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia Xavier University of LA, New Orleans, LA Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama NC A&T University, Greensboro, NC Claflin University, Orangeburg, South Carolina Fisk University, Nashville, Tennessee
March 2018
The Voyager 15
New York plays with “free tuition” for state students By MATTHEW MORANTE ‘18 and JORDAN LEWIS ‘19 Staff Reporters
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eresa Musto, a K-8 teacher in New York, says the first response of her students when she discusses college with them is often: “It’s too expensive.” When bringing up the college topic in class, students are often worried about Federal Student Aid because they believe that they will not be able to afford tuition payments. New York hopes to be the first state to alleviate these economic concerns with its institution of the Excelsior Scholarship, a scholarship designed to help middle and lower class families send their children to college without the normally exorbitant tuition prices. If a student was attending a state or community college in New York when the scholarship was instituted in the Fall semester of 2017, they would not have to pay tuition if their family earned less than $100,000. For the fall semester of 2018, this number will jump to $110,000. While this plan surely benefits the students, it may hurt the general public as a whole. Although New York State has increased its education budget to $25.8 billion for 2018 (the largest in history), this high total can be attributed to increased taxes for people in the state. One question should be brought to the forefront when talking about this program: is it feasible for other states to implement as well? Of course, many students believe free tuition would take a major burden off their students, but it can also have issues. According to Mrs. Walker, a personal finance and psychology teacher at Eastern, when something is free, it is not respected. “College tuition is an issue and it should be discounted,” she said, “but it should not be made completely free.”
If college was made completely free, students may be disincentivized and may not care about their post-secondary education as much. Also, free tuition can cause problems for banks in the country that regularly give out college loans. “They would make less money from students,” Walker says. This drop in profit from students could cause significant harms for banks if their largest source of income is students. Another problem with establishing free tuition for all colleges in the United States is feasibility. Senior Robert Sundstrom believes it is smarter to wait and see how the “experiment” of free tuition goes in New York before investing resources nationwide. Free tuition is a new program in New York, and while the system is seeing some early success, it would be wise to wait and see how it plays out. As for the question of if it is worth it to go to a public college in New York, Sundstrom says, “If you are in an economic situation where you cannot pay for school, it is worth it to go to New York to save money on school.” “I had a plan,” Chris White said, an Eastern alumnus who now studies at Rutgers. “I would accept my scholarship and go to Rutgers, go to medical school afterwards, and then join the army to pay that all back.” During his senior year of high school, he wasn’t made aware of the program. “If I had only knew about this, I would’ve moved to New York and live with my aunt or grandparents, go to NYU and study in business.” The “free” college tuition in New York, however, only applies to in-state schools. Senior Dolph Dauphin said this initiates something new, regarding the Excelsior scholarship. “New York might be the role model that other states will follow,” he said. “This may ease its way into
something that will be very common in the future.” “My mom is still paying her student loan,” said Dauphin. Dolph believes that this may alleviate some tensions with families. “They don’t need to worry about a financial obligation pretty much. The program can relieve families who are already in some sort of school debt and really want their child to have a better chance without fear of affecting them.” Saif Reham, Class of 2018, thinks that New York is offering a “wider © Milton Bradley horizon” for students. “It will open doors for people who look for more vast because of the need for more teachers that opportunities. New York is a will be created by free tuition. big place.” While most people believe that free Saif plans to go to a community college. post-secondary education would help With that, he doesn’t plan to pay a lot of students across the country and make money to go to expensive schools. As college accessible for all, Mrs. Pomerantz, much as this is a relief for people, Saif an English teacher, takes a different thinks that too many people will do the approach to the topic. “It (free tuition) same thing. The good times may not be a will widen the divide in social disparity long one. He believes that this scholarship because wealthier families will go to does have an expiration date. “It will go prestigious universities, but the value of on until way too many people begin to colleges with free tuition will go down,” start using this process.” Pomerantz said. “Students seeking free While money may be taken from tuition will be less motivated in the long taxpayers to pay for the Excelsior run.” Scholarship, the business of postCurrently the Excelsior Scholarship is secondary education will improve in in its first whole year. Despite its early the process. With free tuition in place, success, it is skeptical to trust the idea of students will be more likely to attend free tuition across the country with such college. “More students means more a small sample size. Further down the jobs at colleges. Students will leave their road, more states might have free tuition. homes earlier and get jobs earlier, thus Though for now, it is wise to wait and see helping the economy,” Musto said. It will how New York’s Excelsior scholarship also be easier for someone with a newly plays out. acquired teaching degree to get a job
16 March 2018
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18 The Voyager
March 2018
Sexual assault on campus: learn how to stay safe By CYNTHIA MEAS ‘21 Staff Reporter
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exual assault on campus is something that we can not ignore. Many have been victims and had their lives changed from an act of another person. Colleges now have blue light, which calls the police once someone presses the button. However, rates haven’t gone down. If you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted in college, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. The Washington Post published an article in April of last year about a former fraternity president at Cornell University who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor sex offense and was sentenced to six years of probation. Wolfgang Ballinger was 21 and was charged with first-degree attempted rape and first-degree criminal sex act with helpless victim. Fortunately, the victim was able to report on this to the police . . . but what if she couldn’t? According to the Huffington Post, around 1 in 5 women may experience sexual assault at college, and of them, 63% are never reported to the police. Male students aged 18-24 are 78% more likely than non-students of the same age to be a victim of rape or sexual assault according to website Rainn. On campus, women and men are taken advantage of by predators. This could lead to numerous consequences such as PTSD, depression, or anxiety. That could not only ruin a student, but also their college education and college life. TheTab states that there have been 800 recorded reports of rape and sexual assault at Arizona State, Auburn, Cornell, Georgia Tech, Florida State, JMU, Ohio State, Princeton, UMich, UVA, the University of Florida, and Virginia Tech, and just under half of those sexual assaults reported on campus take place in freshman housing. Unfortunately, even with these daunting statistics, colleges do not emphasize this
problem enough, leaving many to go into college without knowing the dangers of what could possibly happen. Should sexual assault be mentioned to seniors when picking a college? Rutgers currently has a SCREAM Theatre program which performs skits to educate students on issues such as interpersonal violence, specifically on sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, stalking, sexual harassment, and bullying. This is linked with the Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance, also known as VPVA, which helps victims and provide individual and group counseling, advocacy, court and medical accompaniment, information and referrals, and training and education. Lisa Smith, the Coordinator for with a friend, having pepper spray or Domestic Violence at Rutgers Unimace, or keep your eyes on your drink. versity, thinks that education on these Mrs. Smith said prevention means issues should absolutely be done in holding perpetrators accountable. “Prehigh school. “Our SCREAM Thevention means being active bystandater often does programs in high ers,” she said. “If you see something, school, middle school even,” she said. say something (if it is safe to do so).” She has been working in the field of However, is being an active bystander interpersonal violence for over twenty the only thing we can do to help preyears, and handles trainvent sexual assaults ing sessions on domestic from increasing? violence, sexual assault, Educate your male friends Devon Mancini, stalking, diversity, and and female friends of a college junior LGBT issues. It’s very what sexual assault is, currently attending important for students how to read consent, and Montclair State, said and even administrators how to treat each other. her old roommate to be aware of sexual aswas sexually assault and look for signs. saulted by a stalker “I think educaand refused to report tion and awareness are very important. the assault. “The guy scared me since he Faculty and staff need to educate themwas stalking her and would come to our selves first and then share that informadoor a lot looking for her and he was a tion with the student body. The college/ physically large man, my other roomuniversity/school should have a clear mate and I were always nervous for her process for holding students accountand always tried to get her to go to camable as well as counseling and supportpus police about him,” she said. “Eduive services available,” said Mrs. Smith. cate your male friends and female friends One would ask, how would one preof what sexual assault is, how to read vent being sexually assaulted on camconsent, and how to treat each other.” pus? Typical answers include walking We can’t remove sexual assault as a
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whole, but we can find ways to keep ourselves safe from it and avoid committing it. Get friends that stick with you and look out for you in case of bad emergencies. Talk to them, and always have a plan ready in case something happens. Consent is huge whether it is in a relationship or just an ordinary friendship. If someone doesn’t say yes, then that means no. Many have either been taken advantage when drunk and can’t refuse even if they wanted to. “Don’t be afraid to make a scene or let someone know when you’re uncomfortable with a situation. For males, learn what no means, learn when a girl is in a position where she is too under the influence to give consent, and also always look out for your female friends, if you see something happening, help them. Also understand that it’s possible for a male to be sexually assaulted and not even know it happened, so learn the signs for a toxic woman and also what can happen,” said Devon. Sexual assault shouldn’t get in the way of getting out education. Instead we should be educating men and women about consent and the ways on how to help someone in a abusive situation. So, what can you do to help prevent sexual assault?
Future of Fraternities By JACOB SAFIER ‘20 Staff Reporter
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reek life on college campuses is a great way to meet new people, have fun, and make new experiences, but because of recent trouble involving hazing, excessive drinking, and sexual assault, the future of fraternities can seem uncertain. Lisa Wade, is a professor at Occidental College. She has degrees in the areas of philosophy, human sexuality, and sociology. She is author of American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus. In an editorial she wrote for Time, she told of how fraternities were created by rich kids to avoid the middle class kids. She also tells a hazing story. She wrote of Timothy Piazza, who was a pledge at Beta Theta Pi at Penn State. He fell down the stairs after he was pressured to drink a lethal amount of alcohol. The footage from surveillance cameras show the fraternity brothers not thinking much of the situation.They called 911 twelve hours after the fact on the next day. After an attempted cover up, they are now facing charges. Wade advocates for the abolishment of fraternities because of tragic stories like this. While there are many incidents in fraternities, not all fraternities represent these values. Many fraternities, in fact, do good for students. One student who asked to go by the name Joe has a very high
rank at his school regarding fraternities. He tells of his daily life at the fraternity: “Every afternoon and night, we have fraternity lunch and dinner, which is a great way to build community and come together.” Part of their daily life is also helping others. They often hold events to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network, as well as going into the community to volunteer at hospitals, animal shelters, and impoverished areas. In addition to helping others, he says that fraternities have also helped him. He says the biggest benefit of the fraternity has been its support on academics. “My chapter has the best GPA on campus, and no one wants that to change.” The fraternity believes their members should succeed in and out of the classroom. They provide tutoring for school and use each other as resources for whatever field they’re interested. Despite the good fraternities have done for him, he recognizes that there is a large problem facing fraternities today. “I think the largest issue facing fraternities and Greek life in general, is the association between Greek life at large and a few bad apples making national headlines.” He also sees no way of fraternities vanishing in the future since fraternity alumni make up a large sum of money donated to universities. In an effort to combat the negative thought about fraternities, he said “Greek life does a lot of amazing service and builds life-long relationships at almost
every college campus in the country. While Greek life only makes up a small proportion of college students, its effects are widespread and ripple through campuses in great ways. Just because a few chapters are, for lack of better words, imbeciles, does not mean the rest of greek communities are nationwide.” If you are interested in joining a fraternity, you have a lot of options. Gary Baker is the Assistant Director of Greek Affairs at Rowan University. He said there are 23-24 fraternity options at Rowan, the largest having about 100 people and the smallest having about 3 people. Regarding negative stereotypes about frats, he admits that many are true and comes from somewhere. He believes that focusing on the positive things will not help solve the problem alone. He thinks the negative issues should be addressed. He also added, “If there was a student
who had a negative opinion, I would ask them why and see what we can do about that. While we do want to address the negative things and avoid those issues, I do also encourage people to have an open mind. One fraternity isn’t always indicative of what they all are about. We do our best to eliminate the bad things, while also celebrating lots of the positive accomplishments. Every fraternity is different, every school is different.” While hazing is a problem in college, not many students in high school seem to care. Jared Keim is a senior at Eastern. He will be attending Lehigh University next year. “I plan on joining a fraternity because it is a great way to have fun and meet new people,” he said. While some people think fraternities are a waste of time, he disagrees. “Despite recent hazing incidents, I am not worried about it because schools are doing a good job at preventing it.”
March 2018
Study abroad programs make a huge impact
Going far for college By KARINA MADRID ‘18 Features Editor
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By SRISHTI RAMESH ‘19 Managing Editor
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ollege is regarded by many to be a place of independence, a place where you can spend time away from your parents and experience the real world. To enhance that, many universities have been further advocating for students to participate in study abroad programs. “The core to any college readiness is experiential learning,” said Scott Terry, the Director of Study Abroad at Arcadia University. When learning in a different country, students pick up on alternate perspectives and when they return, they are able to apply their experience towards discussions in the classroom or use their knowledge to further their own life pursuits. A study conducted by William and Mary found that almost 40% of companies surveyed missed international business opportunities because of a lack of internationally competent personnel. Additionally, the University of California Merced surveyed that 97% of study abroad students find employment within 12 months of graduation, when only 49% of general college graduates find employment in the same period, making study abroad programs even more crucial. According to NAFSA, the number of U.S. students studying abroad for credit during the 2015-2016 academic year grew 3.8 percent from 313,415 students to 325,339 students and has only been growing since then. The top five countries that students travel to are the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France, and Germany.
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Artwork by Lisa Traczyk ‘19
Julian Berlin, a freshman at Brandeis University and an Eastern alumni, had the opportunity to study abroad in London for his first semester. “It’s hard to verbalize how going abroad in my first semester changed my mindset,” he said. “But such a drastic change was definitely eye opening.” Because Berlin chose to study abroad in his first semester, his experience was different and more difficult than most, but he expressed that the sudden independences he gained was extremely beneficial, as he had to quickly learn to be self sufficient. “Measuring the impact [of study abroad programs] is tough because much of it is cultural and personal,” Terry said. No numbers can be put towards the levels of maturity and independence gained during the trip. However, studying abroad is recommended for all students, stating that everyone can have something to gain from the experience.
Have a comment on what you have read? Send it to ehsvoyager@gmail.com
ith college shortly approaching for many seniors, the thought of being far away from family and friends may seem intimidating. If you choose to go far away for college, it may be exciting at first knowing that you’re going to start a new life completely on your own. However as graduation quickly occurs, you will soon realize not having your parents help you with certain tasks will cause a build up of anxiety before you even begin college. Every incoming college freshman is excited to not have parents telling them what to do and being able to finally have more freedom within their lives. Although these wonderful perks of being far away from home can be rewarding, it can also cause a lot of unneccesary stress. Current senior Sonali Garg has made the decision to attend University of Maryland in the upcoming fall. “I didn’t make the conscious decision to go far, I guess it just worked out that way,” said Sonali, “for me, the University of Maryland is the perfect distance away; not too close, not too far.” If you have a particular person that you have a very strong relationship with such as a sibling, cousin, or even a best friend, it may be very hard not seeing them everyday or even every week. “Right now it’s really nice to have my friends less than a ten minute drive from me so probably not having that luxury and security in a new place will be the biggest struggle,” said Sonali. Depending on where you go to college you may not be able to come home every weekend and could possibly go months without spending time with your family. Being in a totally different environment than what you grew up to know can cause a bit of culture shock as well. If you grew up your entire life in New Jersey and decided to go to school down south, there is going to be a totally different style of living from what you’re used to. Adjusting to different foods and different terms used
in that area can be hard. Going far away also forces you to become an independent adult. Balancing school work, going out, meal times, and relaxing time can all be one big chaotic mess at first, but sooner or later you’ll know how to manage your time without help from your parents.When asked about the perks of being far away, Sonali responded “small logistics and responsibilities will teach me to be more independent. Things like doing my laundry without being able to just drive it home and have my mom do it, and eating real food.” Meeting new people that grew up different than you did can be such a great learning experience. Going to school around the same area you grew up in means you will most likely see the same people that you’ve been going to school with since kindergarten. Often times becoming apart of a new friend group and making new connections with people will allow you to have a better overall college experience. Experiencing city or rural life will definitely be different from what you’re used to but it will make you unafraid to try new things. Nerves are one aspect that does not affect Sonali as much as she thought it would. “I probably should be more nervous but no. I’m pretty excited about stepping out of the comfort of living at home.” When deciding to go to an out of state college, your going to get a lot of questions from friends and family saying “aren’t you going to miss home?” or “are you sure you’re ready to be independent?”. The truth is whether you go far or stay local, becoming a college student is still a huge adjustment from being a high school senior. Sometimes the decision to go far away for college doesn’t depend on if you hate home or want to be as far away from your parents as possible. The main motivation that many high schoolers have in order to leave home is the major in which they chose. Particular colleges may have better programs pertaining to the major of your choice than other colleges you might have had in mind.
A glimpse into affirmative action policies By JESSICA BONAMASSA ‘19 News Editor
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ffirmative action is the process of a governmental agency or business in which special rights are given to advance ethnic minorities to make up for past discrimination. In this case, affirmative action refers to admission policies that provide education, or access to education, for groups that have been historically excluded or underrepresented. Affirmative action policies originated specifically to prevent discrimination throughout the employment process. Executive Order 10925 was signed into law by John F. Kennedy in 1961. This order mandates government contractors to “take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin.” These policies can be required in government and state sectors, or they can be required for any institution or entity receiving federal funding. Eastern’s affirmative action policies are outlined by the Board of Education. Affirmative Action Officer Mr. Young said, “This effort is to provide all students an opportunity to benefit from the educational environment.”
However, policies have evolved, especially in universities, since 1961. A lot of universities have policies similar to the ones of TCNJ. “The College of New Jersey is committed to equal opportunity, affirmative action and diversity. The College values diversity and is actively engaged in enriching the diversity of its faculty, staff and students. Central to the College’s mission is creating a climate that is inclusive and respectful to everyone on campus. The College of New Jersey does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, nationality, ancestry, age, sex/gender (including pregnancy), marital status, civil union status, domestic partnership status, familial status, religion, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, genetic information, liability for service in the Armed Forces of the United States, or disability.” While these policies seem simplistic, they call for quite the controversy. Those who oppose affirmative action state believe race should not be a factor in the admissions process. It has been said that these policies undermine people of different ethnicities by being a measure of race rather than of their intelligence. Several seniors feel the system is unfair if a minority isn’t putting in diligent effort at school and takes the spot of someone
who’s deserving of getting in. Asian-American student Austin Jia, as reported in a New York Times article, held a high G.P.A., was the tennis captain, participated in the debate team, and was in the state orchestra. Believing firmly that he had more than a fair shot of acceptance into Harvard, he was “disillusioned by how the whole system was set up” when he got rejected. He is one of the students pressing this issue in a lawsuit against Harvard accusing them of “discriminating against Asian-Americans in admissions by imposing a penalty for their high achievement and giving preferences to other racial minorities.” Edward Blum, president of Students for Fair Admissions, was outraged. “It falls afoul of our most basic civil rights principles, and those principles are that your race and your ethnicity should not be something to be used to harm you in life nor help you in life,” he said. Eight states have banned affirmative action policies in admissions. California was the first to formally ban this with Proposition 209. This amendment to the California constitution barred the consideration of race throughout the admissions process. “Most of those measures include language similar or identical to Prop 209’s key provision: that the state (including but not limited to public colleges and universities) “shall not
discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting,” Pew Research reports. 6 of the 8 bans were espoused by voters. Stockton University does not consider affirmative action policies within their admissions process. John Iacovelli, Dean of Enrollment Management, emphasized the importance intelligence plays in college acceptance, rather than ethnicity being the determining factor. “For us, it’s clearly looking at students’ performance, both in our written material and when students come to visit with us. We think the best way to judge performance is through transcripts,” he said. However, support for affirmative action holds a relative majority within the United States. “A well-off applicant with near-perfect SAT scores and a 4.3 GPA (adjusted with extra points from AP courses that are common in affluent schools and rare in low-income schools) is more qualified than an inner-city student with lower numbers,” said publicist Valerie Strauss in a Washington Post article, defending these policies. Another senior felt these policies could be a good thing to provide opportunities for those who try hard, but are at a disadvantage if they have a poor upbringing.
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March 2018
Sub-par Snickers or Savory Soufflé? College Cuisine By VICTORIA LAPINSON ‘21 and EVELYN STEELE ‘21 Staff Reporters
Artwork by Hayley Beluch ‘18
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amen. Dry cereal. Soggy green beans. Take out. If this is what comes to mind at the mention of college food, then you are amongst the majority. It’s not exactly glamorous, but it is extremely important to know the food flow of the place you might go. While many factors should be considered, some of the most important include quality, types of food available, and what a school offers to those with dietary restrictions. Across the nation, seniors are preparing to launch into college life, and they have mixed feelings about food. While some didn’t give a thought, others consider the cost and quality of cuisine at their selected schools. This is especially important to those with allergies and specific dietary restrictions. Rutgers New Brunswick, a popular college among Eastern students, provides many different food options including pasta, stir fry, sushi, rotisserie chicken, salad bars, and desserts. The university also has many different vegetarian and vegan options in the dining halls. For a fancier night out, Rutgers provides a student night at The Rutgers Club where students wear business casual attire and enjoy an upscale meal. They serve 35,000 meals per day and students with meal plans eat two times a day at the college. The Dining Services also have a “text to order” program which ensures students with food allergies are getting a nutritious meal. Hanny Ramadan, a former Eastern graduate and current student at Rutgers, doesn’t eat out as often. “I always miss my mom’s cooking,” Hanny commented, since he eats on campus more than at home. Students often comment on the unhealthy aspect of college. Hanny says, “It is a lot harder to eat healthier on campus because the meal plan system allows for “All You Can Eat” style serving.” “I was a vegetarian for some of sophomore year, and as much as this school advertises its vegetarian options, they are extremely lacking for most dinner services,” explained Karina Krul, a former Eastern student and current student at the University of New Haven. Krul isn’t the only one with this story. The advocacy group, Food Allergy Research & Education, has spoken out about lacking college cuisine. Maria Acebal, a lawyer and spokeswoman for the organization, said, “By not accommodating food allergies, you’re barring students from participating in the university.” Beyond allergies and restrictions, there is also the issue of general health. College students are proven to be poor
decision-makers, and schools are not concerned about how the food they endorse affects students. Despite many schools hiring registered dieticians, healthy options aren’t pushed enough. Eastern Alumnus Alex Murphy said, “I personally think that we don’t have enough initiatives in terms of healthy food,” he added, “there’s a lot more in terms of junk food available, and I don’t think we push healthy initiatives for dining as much as we should.” On the other hand, freedom to purchase your food where and when you want is another story. Being able to leave campus provides a variety of different food options. Eastern graduate of 2016 Jakob Siegel is now a resident of Drexel University in Philadelphia. He said the entire campus is surrounded by restaurants. “Not only that,” he said, “but we also have a ‘Food truck row’ on campus that offers a huge variety of easy-to-go meals.” Jakob is one of many college students who eats out more often than in. Additionally, his diet has expanded since college, even though his wallet has not. Jakob explains that when he can, he tries to cook a meal with friends rather than have one out. “Even at cheaper places, like McDonald’s, food for four people would be about $25,” Jakob said, concluding that money adds up over time.
Freshman at Rowan University and former Eastern student, Camila Espina, said, “College is a lot busier than high school. It’s a lot harder to eat healthy with a budget and a time restraint.” Camila’s campus offers many different restaurants which include Dominos, Chickies & Petes, 7 Eleven, Pizza Hut, Peet’s Coffee and the dining halls. She commented that the “dining halls have almost anything, very average food.” The dining halls cost $10 for an all-you-can-eat style. However, shouldn’t you be paying for quality and not quantity? When staring at acceptance letters on the table, take into consideration not only what the school has to offer academically, but also health-wise. Schools should provide healthy options for students to grab on the go. This saves not only money, but pounds as well. College cuisine is a larger topic than one might assume. Campus restaurants, meal plans, staying healthy, grabbing a bite but still being on time...there’s a lot to consider about college food, but it’s one of the more exciting parts of the college decisions. As a college student, make sure you try everything on the menu. Food is more than easy microwave food: ramen, dry cereal, and soggy green beans.
you want to save as much time as possible. You can get a job earlier and earn money quicker.” In addition to saving time and money, Balakrishna says that some advantages are getting ahead of other peers, more handson experience, possibly having more time to study for
Don’t want to take crazy amounts of classes quickly.” “Some folks like college because they can create communities and networks with other students…If money isn’t a factor, I would definitely go for the four years,” Ruli agreed. Some of the disadvantages of graduating early is the smaller amount of time to build up a good GPA, the fear of rushing into the adult world without being prepared, and the fear of missing out on memories of another year. “I would encourage them only if they are choosing a path that they know is costly or dragged out like law and medicine,” Balakrishna said. Even students who are in favor of graduating early recognize its challenges. Although the benefits of saving time and money pushed her, Ruli thought that commuting and having to work during her free time was pretty stressful. Although there are some detriments, many students are increasingly in favor of early graduation. “It’s just a personal choice and definitely depends on the person,” said Ruli.
Graduating early from college By SHREYA GOWDA ‘19 Managing Editor
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lthough there are no national statistics on early graduation, based on individual college statistics, it is an increasing trend. From 2010 to 2014, there was a 30% increase in students who graduated earlier than four years at Duke University. The main motivator for a lot of students is that it saves time and money. Flora Ruli, an Eastern and Rowan alumna, said, “I also realized that if I graduated early, I wouldn’t have to take out student loans, so that was a big motivator that eased some of the other stress.” By graduating early, students save a whole year of tuition. They can save approximately $42,419 at a private four-year institution and approximately $18,943 at a public four-year institution. The money saved from one year of a private institution is enough to pay off the average student loan debt ($28,400) with enough money to spare to pay for a new car or a few months in an apartment. In addition to saving money, graduating early can save time. Ruli said, “I knew I wanted to pursue my masters, and instead of doing a total of six years for my bachelors and my masters, I know I could do it in five. Because of that, I definitely am a lot less burned out now, which I appreciate.” Tina Balakrishna, a Rutgers alumna, agreed. “You save time. If you’re going into a career that takes a lot of time to get the degrees you want,
graduate school exams, possibly going straight to a job, and more independence. However, some students are opposed to the idea. “College is supposed to be the best four years of your life,” senior Sam Gordon-Pecelli disagreed. “It’s fun. Don’t need to rush.
Seniors: have an idea for the senior edition? Photos? Send it to ehsvoyager@gmail.com Artwork By Cynthia Meas ’21
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March 2018
Radio Free America: on the air with college radio BY NANCY BOWNE ‘19 Copy Editor
Even in days of Spotify and Amazon Music, college radio persists. Since the 1920s on AM, colleges radios have orchestrated an important role to music, game shows, sports, and Millenial and baby boomer culture. According to RadioSurvivor.com, there are 441 licensed college radio stations in the United States and Canada. There are more than 600 unofficial stations. Let’s take a look at four South Jersey kids making the most of their own college radio experiences.
EMERSON COLLEGE LINDSEY GOLDIN A member of Emerson College’s radio, senior Lindsey Goldin, has helped her radio station, WERS 88.9 FM, create a huge presence in the greater Boston area. However it’s “not a huge reach around campus because our listeners are people who 35-55 years old and enjoy new and old indie/alternative rock”. They also have professional program with daytime host, George Night, and kids’ programs during the weekends, such as “The
UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE NOAH VINEBERG To pursue his hobby interests in sports, Noah Vineberg, a sophomore at University of Delaware and an alumnus from Cherry Hill East, became involved in college radio. Vineburg got involved because his roommate ran a music radio show. He wanted something that revolved around sports. “I love talking about sports,” he said. He said any student can get involved in college radio. “There’re a bunch of student-run music shows,” he said, “as well as broadcasting the sports games, such as basketball, football, and baseball”. In order to raise awareness and spirit
UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD AUDREY MORGAN Eastern Class of 2016 alumni Audrey Morgan agrees with this level of commitment. She is Operations Manager of her college radio station, WSAM. Even before her first fall semester began, she knew she wanted to become a part of this community. “There’s a pretty big presence for our radio station on campus actually,” she said, “and it’s ever growing”. You see people wearing t-shirts with our logo on it at least once a day.” Morgan’s responsibilities include social media updates, scheduling, and outreach between the executive board and members. “I am also in charge of taking down meeting minutes when the executive board meets weekly so that we have a list of points to discuss at our members’ meeting.”
Playgroom”. As music coordinator and host of a prime time spot of 10am to 2pm on Wednesdays, Goldin arranges various programs, from song research to music discovery. She’s responsible for adding new songs to the station which requires much research in record labels, producers, and in song trends, and using her own musical taste. Emerson also has a bi-annual Live Music Week fundraiser, one of which is happening April 7-15, which Goldin books 20 artists. WERS is student-run but has a professional staff of 7 student leaders and 6 professional staff members. Goldin’s “time commitment can range from 8 to 15 hours on any given week.”
around campus, Vineberg covers different sports events around campus. He admits that radio is honestly not a huge presence for University of Delaware. However, he said it may be a “much bigger influence among the people who live in the town.” Next semester, Vineberg will provide color commentary—filling in time during breaks of sporting events. The production entails running proper ads, letting the in game announcers know any info they need, and running halftime shows that talk about other Delaware sports, as well as other professional ones. For the University of Delaware, the college radio airs all year, is mainly student run, and the time commitment is basically whatever the student wants to contribute. “I’m not super involved, but it’s something I do for fun on the side.”
Hartford’s radio is fully student run, including podcast programming, live DJ mixing, and hosting their own spring music festivals. They put on live sessions in their studio where bands from all over come in and perform. “We even encourage touring bands to come in and allow us to host them,” she said. “Even when they do not have specific programming schedules, they have an Auto DJ play the station’s Spotify account. “The worst fate for a radio station,” she said, “is to succumb to dead air”. Morgan added that people in the community and on campus know WSAM. “And we have a pretty large member base to show for it,” she said. Morgan said it’s a laid back environment. “We know we’re all there for one purpose,” she said, “to do what we love and spread good musical vibes while doing it.”
BOSTON UNIVERSITY DANYA TROMMER Even though the radio doesn’t “garner many listeners in the greater Boston area,” Danya Trommer, a freshman at Boston University, said their radio, WTBU, “is pretty big in the college of communications.” What started at a college activities fair, Trommer got involved in her school’s radio station because of her love for music and spreading a unique taste to the station. The programming ranges from 6am to 2am, so it “is not officially on the radio due to not having a 24 hour rotation.” Trommer’s responsibilities include hosting and writing. “I’m a DJ, so I have my own show. I also write for The Beat, a magazine about the Boston DIY music community.” The program is fully student run and allows students to contribute what they would so like. “It becomes a bigger commitment if you decide to become more involved with the different sections, like PR or tech,” she said.
22 The Voyager
March 2018
The pros outweigh the cons of frats and sororities
G
reek life is a prominent force on many college campuses, providing a sense of family in the form of sisterhoods and brotherhoods to many students. However, in recent years, many fraternities and sororities have been under fire, criticized for acts such as hazing and general mistreatment of chapter members. On the other hand, many members of Greek life defend their sororities and fraternities, stating that being involved has done nothing but enrich their college experiences. A frat or sorority can create a sense of community in a time of your life when you need it most. College is about new experiences, and Greek life gives you just that, encouraging friendships that have potential to last a lifetime in a new environment. It gives you an opportunity to involve yourself in something that you haven’t been exposed to before, whether it’s a new type of relationship, or a different culture. One benefit of getting involved in community service through a fraternity or sorority is that a number of fraternities are based around one service goal and strive to positively impact the community. Despite the many advantages of such a close-knit group, there is an equal number of drawbacks. Often fraternities become communities where bad behavior is glorified and both males and females can be taken advantage of. In fact, an overwhelming theme in responses was that many fraternities and sororities promote bad decision-making, leaving many members with feelings of regret after a night of partying. The party culture surrounding them can be toxic; peer pressure to party or drink, humiliation during initiation, and in extreme cases, death resulting from dangerous drinking habits. Another generalization of Greek Life is that there is a strong “cult” mentality
among many chapters and an expectation of what Greek life should be like, rather than an emphasis on academics. However, the fraternity and sorority dynamic is not as black and white as it may seem. It really depends on who you are as a person, the frat you join, and the decisions you make. If you make the right ones, many positives could come from the experience. Sadly, a major issue to be considered when deciding to join Greek life is the extreme hazing culture seen on many college campuses. Pressuring new recruits to perform heinous acts in order to become part of an elite group is just the type of cult mentality that many students are afraid of, fearing that they may be implicated in the death of a member or be in danger themselves. But there are ways that excessive drinking, partying, and resulting sexual assault can be prevented. College is a difficult transition to independence, decision making, and acceptance in a young adult’s life. Such insecurities could lead to acting out of character. So is part of it human nature? Sure, but colleges should create programs, such as group discussions and workshops, on dealing with these transitions rather than resort to unhealthy drinking. It is allowing the students to feel connected that is important. While there is mass agreement that abolishing Greek life is not a solution to the hazing epidemic, there are viable alternatives to Greek life that provide an equally, if not more, rewarding experience on a college campus. Focusing on local and on-campus activities involved with your career goal can lead to new relationships and longlasting bonds. Not only will you meet new people, but you will add to your experience in your respective field. While hazing scandals make headlines more than we would like to admit, to many, the brotherhoods and sisterhoods that last a lifetime are worth the risk.
Staff Editorial
Eastern Regional High School 1401 Laurel Oak Road Voorhees, NJ 08043 856-784-4441 www.voyager-online.org
THE VOYAGER
Alex Mackle, Hayley Beluch: Editors-in-Chief Srishti Ramesh, Shreya Gowda, Julia Dodd: Managing Editors Hana Hancock, Maanasi Natarajan: Opinion Editors Ruthie Douglass, Jessica Bonamassa: News Editors Karina Madrid, Lauren Casole: Features Editors Jaimie McCormick: Entertainment Editor Crystal Osuji, Layla Turner: Assistant Entertainment Editors Anthony Cutrera, Eric Horn: Sports Editors Lisa Traczyk: Art Editor Nancy Bowne: Copy Editor Staff Reporters
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Awards
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Artwork by Victoria Lapinson ’18
Short-e-torials
Athletes should not receive special treatment
A student with low scores and exceptional athletic ability should not be getting into a college over a student who has great scores and is well-rounded. Athletes get special treatment during the admissions process because schools get top dollar through ticket sales for top athletes. The student athlete with the low test score will most certainly have a difficult time keeping up with the shark infested waters that are colleges unless they meet a fair academic standard. The competitive nature of an Ivy League doesn’t end once your accepted, and if student athletes are not up to par, then they are in for a rude awakening.
College is not for everyone College is not something that should be pushed for everyone. It should be encouraged, but some students would do better on an alternative route that might take them straight into the workforce. College is not something you do just to please others, it’s something you do for yourself, so if your field of work doesn’t require a college degree, then college might not be for you.
Wikipedia
AP classes do not guarantee credits Taking AP classes is great if you are capable of succeeding in them, since it is akin to a college course and there is the possibility of earning college credits. However, students should not take AP classes expecting to obtain credits because there is no absolute guarantee. There is also no point in letting your GPA sink in exchange for taking an AP class.
Wikimedia Commons
Legacy should not be a deciding factor in getting into college Each individual should have the required credentials to be accepted into a school and not be granted admittance based on legacy. Getting into a college is about a student’s grades, dedication, and the activities they choose to participate in. If they are not qualified to attend the school, they should not be admitted regardless of their parents.
Stop the stigma against community colleges! “A lot of people might have that stigma or perception because community colleges will accept everyone from that community. There aren’t really those high benchmarks that some of the prestigious four year universities have to get in. If you look around community colleges today, some of the top area high school students are starting at community college for many different reasons. To think that ‘I’m not smart enough to attend a four year university’ or just the ‘dumb kids’ go to community college, that’s just not accurate.” -Mr. Susko
Wikipedia
March 2018
I
Voyager 23
Why does paying for college start before your first day?
was sitting at the dining room table that you now fill out the CSS Profile, an one night filling out what seemed online application by the College Board like endless college applications, that looks at financial aid awards from financial aid applications, honors outside the federal government and then college applications—endless apps. sends it to your colleges. These reports At this point, it was a familiar routine cost $25 for the first time you send one and one that I had become accustomed out to a college, and $16 each additional to during the first few time. Some students months of my senior year have a college “coach” of high school. Fill out who advises them on what this financial aid thing to write college essays here. Apply here. Send about, the best schools to my SAT scores there and apply to, etc. It’s estimated there. Tell us why you that all these costs add up chose your major in the to a minimum of $678, but box below. Indicate your it’s just that—a minimum. activities above. Many students pay even Here’s what I didn’t more than that—thousands know before starting more than that. the college application Why, on top of process: every click burgeoning college tuition means cash flow out of costs, are we burdening your pocket (or, rather American students with your parents’) and into even more costs, many the hands of universities. By HANA HANCOCK of them unnecessary and The College Board is one exploitative? Every little ‘18 of the bigger culprits; penny and dollar adds up Opinion Editor you pay money to take into a conglomerate mass the SAT’s, but you that is the cost of getting also pay money to send those scores to accepted into and attending college. colleges. They’re like that friend you see There is no way to evade these petty fees, begrudgingly once, twice, maybe three so unless you have a fee waiver, many are times a year. They only show up just to stuck with the reality of having to dish borrow some quick bucks, and then it’s out at least a hundred bucks every time see you until next time, or whenever they an application is submitted. need more cash. It’s ludicrous to ask this of our students College tuition in the nation’s top 50 and put even more financial burden private universities, ranked by U.S. News on them when considering the rising and World Report have raised their tuition exorbitant cost of attending college. Some up an average of 3.6% with some up 4% fees can be averted and side-stepped, for the 2017-2018 school year. It’s true but for the student who is adamant that college tuition rises with the rate of in being accepted into their number inflation, but this year’s increase is higher one, especially if that institution has a than the rate of inflation. notorious reputation of low acceptances, But that’s just tuition. these things add up. You start paying for college even before In today’s highly competitive college you start your first day, even before you acceptance environment, students will get accepted into a single school. often do anything to get ahead, but it The most common application fee comes at a steep price that can influence for a university or college in the United our decisions from every angle. States is $50 (many colleges that I often do anything to get ahead, but it applied to were in the $70-$90 range). comes at a steep price that can influence The cost of one SAT exam is $45, and our decisions from every angle. that’s not including the fees paid for often do anything to get ahead, but it countless hours of tutoring months comes at a steep price that can influence before in preparation. Many colleges ask our decisions from every angle.
Marketing yourself to an Ivy can make you less of a person
A
s a junior on the verge of A contention between these parents and college applications, I find parents of other children often arises, myself wondering if I do many times in conversations about SAT “enough.” scores and GPAs. When a parent hears I keep my grades up, but wait, about the Patel next door that made a I’m not valedictorian! I enter essay contests, perfect score on his or her SAT, they instill but wait, I haven’t won? I participate in in their child that to get into college, he or extracurricular activities, she has to beat that but wait, I don’t do as Patel next door. One many as I should! more extracurricular, And I’m not the only one. one more violin The race for admissions recital, one more to the top-ranked volunteering job. schools in the country is This psyche isn’t heating up. I find myself exclusive to parents, refraining from telling either. Indian kids my friends the activities are infamous for I participate in outside of the most-asked school in fear that they question after any will take advantage of assessment: “Hey, those same opportunities By MAANASI NATARAJAN what did you get?”. and have a leg up on Never a “How can ‘18 me. It’s an unhealthy I improve?” but Opinion Editor mindset to adopt, but rather a “Did I oneit’s uncontrollable. I’m scared I won’t up the guy next to me?” get into college because the girl next We seem to think there’s a formula to me, who had a better SAT score and for getting into college: perfect GPA, more extracurriculars, got in instead; and perfect test scores, volunteering hours, worse, I’m scared that girl will happen to extracurricular activities - but are we be my best friend. following our parents’ dreams or our own? In fact, many students embarking on Most students study as much as they their college journeys have the very same possibly can and join various clubs mindset; the competitiveness inevitable because that’s what they’re told to do; it’s in an affluent area combined with the their duty as good children. pressure of getting into an Ivy League But what’s the point if you don’t actually school brings out the worst in people. like it? It seems that college admissions are no I’m guilty too; I’ve joined clubs and longer about the character of a person or a took high level science and math simply student’s genuine interest; they are instead because it’s another item for the resume. a game that many are strategizing to win. After all, I too dream of attending an Ivy, Being an Indian-American in a one with a less than 10% acceptance rate. suburb of New Jersey, I have seen this I have to “market” myself as the perfect firsthand. Although the stereotype of candidate; but that’s just it. Why should I “You’re an Indian, so I already know have to market myself at all? Why should you’re valedictorian and president of the I give a false picture of myself with false math league” isn’t completely accurate, interests to an academic institution (often the aggressive ambitions of Indians, confused with a God-like figure)? After especially parents, is still alive and well. all, if a college doesn’t like me for me, do Most of the time, the immigrant Indian I really belong there? parent’s dream is for their first-generation In spite of these truths, and how often child to go to a renowned institution and I tell them to myself, I still strive be the have the elite college experience that best. I still want to beat the kid next to me, they never had. And while one would and I still wonder if I’ll ever be enough argue there’s nothing wrong with this to gain admission into the college of my dream, the ways of going about it can be choice. I know I’m one of millions of high disconcerting. school students across the United States.
Opening lines from college admissions By NANCY BOWNE ‘19 Copy Editor
Hey there, Nancy? Do you want to see our videos of our undergraduate programs? Before you know it you will be choosing where you want to go to college! To help you make the best decision for you and your family, I’m here to help. Nancy, imagine classes you really enjoy! Have you started your path to college? Your time in high school is spent preparing your college years, and we want to support you along the way. Colleges want to meet you, Nancy! It’s prime time to be a junior. Is college on your mind these days, Nancy? Impossible to have a boring moment. Nancy, how is your college search going? I am reaching out to you because you have caught our attention. We recognize your efforts. Want to see what life is really like? What do you want for your future, Nancy? See how passion fuels success here. How does it feel to be so wanted? You probably thought schools vying for
your attention would be a lot more fun! Getting tons of college mail and email probably isn’t the highlight of your week . . . Let’s hope not anyway! Most of the stuff you’re getting is more about the school than it is about you. Tell us what you want, this site built just for you. Respond to discover what you can do on your academic journey. Have I reached Nancy? I’m glad we’re connected. Was it all a dream? Make your mark on problems like hunger and homelessness Don’t let this get away It’s about you and your unique talents Tell us your story I’m here to help Are you driven by passion, Nancy? I want to know what you think Because of the motivation you’ve shown Ready to assist you Trying to connect with you, Nancy Hi again, Nancy! Academic record has caught my attention, Eager to hear from you Very excited that we’ve found you, Nancy What will you bring to our campus?
We’ve been dreaming of students like you, Nancy! We aren’t like all the other ones out there! We already decorated your dorm room, Nancy. It is bleeding our school colors of you. Want to get involved? We make personal fan clubs for all our upcoming students, like you, Nancy! Please choose us, we need you . . . We are that cute little rural town in the middle of nowhere that you have dreamed about! Never heard of us? Well, we have all heard of you! You are our hero! Come see the top rated campus store in America! Consider our newly renovated safe places as your top end education We have Segways! Sign up for a personalized tour of our campus dog park, sure to win your heart and money Free hoagies from a campus worker if you visit! We satisfy all your desires No need to visit other colleges. We have it all here. You are more than just a student to us,
Nancy. We want to be more than business partners, Nancy. Free rock wall and lazy river!! Enjoy your parties with our newly refurbished sunset Oh, Nancy, we dream of holding your hand and taking romantic races to get to classes across the campus together. We would love to show you around the grounds, Nancy Nancy, we know every other college is after you. But we understand you. We get your passions for your future. Nancy, meet your future love We are just the kind of college to take home to your parents, Nancy. We will take your grandmother out to lunch in our dining halls, Nancy Free wifi! Available college ambassadors to take photos of all our cute moments together on campus Get lost in the wonder, Nancy Make your family proud. Become a part of our story Stop ignoring us, Nancy. We are the ones you should be with We will keep spamming you, because we love you Open our online portal of love
March 2018
24 The Voyager
Dealing with deferral or rejection Rejection sucks. Sucks. I really cannot put that any other way. Devastated, I was. And no, I apparently It sucks. I have other choice words but did not have the force with me. Looking hey this is a school paper…anyway. All back, perhaps a deferral was better than that time and effort and cost into applying rejection. After all, I still had a chance, for the inevitable “no.” right? I remember The rejection letter, or sitting on my kitchen worse, the deferral letter. floor after receiving It feels like asking a guy the news, face down to prom and having him on the linoleum, tell you that he wants to having an existential wait to answer you to see crisis. I felt like my what his other options life was over. I hung are! You would be mad in the balance until right?! they made their final I sent out my Early decision, completely Action application to at their mercy. my top college, EmThat deferral was erson College in Bosan awakening. I’m a By HAYLEY BRICKER ‘18 ton, weeks before the believer in fate. The Staff Reporter deadline. My portfolio universe is mysterivideo, perfected, with some of my best ous and unpredictable. We all know the work, was submitted. I was ready to start saying, “when one door closes another the rest of my life. All I needed was that one opens.” acceptance letter as an early Christmas That damned deferral made me really present. think about my future. Where was I goA band called Neck Deep has a line: ing to go to college now? I knew I would “A heartbreak in mid December.” That’s be studying film regardless, but where exactly how I felt: heartbreak. All day, I would I be spending the next four years of waited by my laptop, refreshing, refreshmy life? It opened my eyes to other coling, refreshing, waiting for the viewing leges and opportunities for scholarships portal to open. Finally, the email came. that I would not have had if I had gotten I entered my username, password and, accepted from the first school I applied to. bang! A short letter informed me of my So bottom line? Being deferred or redeferral. jected is not the end of the dream. It opens
the door for other opportunities. It is a part of life that needs to be taken, regardless of the hurt. Life itself is full of hardships, but it is how we handle these hardships that truly define us. Because of this deferral I have applied to schools that I never thought I ever would. I applied closer to home and even as far as California. I opened my horizons from coast to coast. From sea to sea. From... you get the point. By considering staying closer to home, I can be near my family and friends while pursuing an education that will not break the bank (gotta love instate tuition). And hey, most of the Rowan University kids get on “Game of Thrones” so I mean...
Finally, to my reader, good luck in all your endeavors and remember everything works out in the end, I promise. Even if it feels like everything is crumbling to pieces, it will all work itself out. You just have to hold on tight till it does. Daecerum nimus sint fugiat.
Things I wish I knew Dear Future Student, Waiting to hear back from your dream school is exciting but also nerve-racking. The application process in itself is a Some students get anxious about not maze to sift through, not to mention all hearing back from any colleges and panic the little obstacles you face before, dursets in. This panic results in you applying ing, and after applying. Before I began to to just one more. I had started out with apply, I did all the research one could posapplying to seven and ended up applying sibly do on the topic of college, and even to 10 universities, mainly due to the fear that did not prepare me well enough. It’s a of not getting into any schools. Another complicated process and you’re bound to good rule of thumb is to limit the amount make mistakes. I am here to tell you my of schools you are applying to—only apexperience and the things I wish I knew ply to ones that you are absolutely sure before beginning my apyou want to go to. plications. Not only is it First, one thing I do overwhelming to not regret is getting my fill out all of those common application esapplications, but say finished the summer checking the stabefore senior year. In my tus and material experience, senior year submissions on the has been the most rigoruniversity’s porous and stressful. You do tal is a lot to keep not need the extra weight track of. Cost is of having to write one of also a large facthe most important essays tor, and the more of your life on top of evschools you apply erything else. Also, look to, the more exBy GABRIELLE GILHAM ‘18 into the universities that pensive it is. The Staff Reporter you are applying to and average amount get any supplemental esI had to pay for says out of the way before school starts. an application was around $60, plus you Getting your essays and applications have to pay to send your SAT or ACT done but not submitted is an effective scores to the colleges separately. way to navigate the beginning of applyThat brings me around to the dreaded ing to colleges. But do not submit any SAT and ACT that all juniors know and materials until at least two weeks after love, and all seniors are glad they never school starts. I was so excited to finalhave to think about again. On college visize everything, and sometimes, slow and its throughout my high school career, I steady wins the race. I ended up making was told that the university looks at your critical mistakes on my application by not application holistically, and a bad SAT waiting until school started. There will be score will not harm your application. In an assembly that all seniors must attend, my experience, my SAT score has negaand it discusses things you should avoid, tively impacted my application. Though such as the Coalition Application. Being taking the test three times and still not that I submitted all of my applications at getting the score that I wanted, I did not that time, I applied to a few universities try to take the SAT alternative—the ACT. via Coalition. It turned out that the apThat by far is one of the worst mistakes plication system messed up my Self Rethat I have made. By settling with my ported Academic Record (SRAR), and I okay score, it has hurt my chances of gethad to contact all the colleges I applied to ting merit scholarships and acceptance through them. into honor colleges which do consider If some of your colleges want a SRAR, your SAT or ACT scores. make sure you obtain an official copy I hope this helps! Don’t stress yourself of your high school transcript from the too much over the application process. In guidance department. Do not use Powerthe end, everything happens for a reason. school, no matter what anyone else tells Good Luck! you.
© Milton Bradley
Dear Younger Me Dear younger me, Great News! I am now 54 years old and finally paid off my student loans! I have special thanks to go all around! Thank you for all the time I spent participating in multiple interactive clubs during my high school years! I’ve enjoyed participating in the Personal Finance, Economics and Planning Your Future club all while juggling with my 3 Honor classes, 2 AP and the one God forsaken accelerated class. I appreciate my top 4 college choices turning me down for my fellow pupils, whose sports attributes and CP class grades are such a colossal difference from mine. For non-profit institutions, I’m sure that all the money I have given for lottery tickets, also known as application fees, is being put to great use, such as funding someone else’s scholarship. I’d like to give great thanks to my counselor who gave me the best information they could possibly find within our 10 minute meetings with each other. I could really tell they are invested in my future the same as I. Of course, the greatest thanks belongs to my parents who play a great part in my enriched future. The constant pushing to get welcomed by any reputable place and graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communications, really helped me attain my steady career at the United States Postal Service. Well worth years of my life I may add.
By JORDAN LEWIS ‘19 Staff Reporter I do often think about my nostalgic history. All the nights I stayed inside to study for a life changing calculus quiz. I ponder the good times of my 4 and a half hours of sleep each night, to reprimand any entertaining desire that would tempt me away from my work. A few doses of caffeine a day surely kept my slack away! Where would I be without these essential components of life? Not very far I presume. Sincerely, Jordan
March 2018
The Voyager 25
There is no right way to go to college
I
t’s the time of year where adwas a common thought in my head, one mission decisions come steamthat I’ve never voiced until now. rolling through. College in my family has always been I’ve always been someone who under-hyped. My life has been filled with never planned on applying to a countless examples of family members four year college and thought that county not having the job in the field that they would be the way to go, if I decided to do got their degree for. My parents anything at all. As of late, my decision to have never gone to college so go to Camden County caused anxiety uneven if I did have a certain til I realized that college is college. school I wanted to go to, I’d Hearing everyone else stress about the be lost. admission process never raised any warnI’ve always had this ings in my head that I’d made the ‘wrong’ thought that college was decision. In fact, I was patting myself on just an unimportant as the the back as I got to avoid all the stress that current English homeother seniors were going through. work I’m ignoring. But once admission decision season Is doing county and then came around, that was a different story. transferring my credits to I would open Instaeither Rowan gram or Snapchat and or Rutgers often find my friends Communications program posting their college a bad idea? Or should I have acceptances. Most capgone to one of the four year tions would include colleges spamming my inbox how excited they were right now? and that the next four My friends were getting years would be the best scholarships or having trouof their life. ble deciding which of the By JAIMIE I found myself typfour acceptances they would MCCORMICK ‘18 ing congratulations, act upon. All I can say is that Entertainment Editor as many of my other I’m doing county and transfriends were doing, but there was someferring. Sure, that’s a good answer, but it thing different behind my response. As I doesnt change the somewhat disappointed typed it, I felt overwhelming regret and look you get. anxiety at my decision to not apply to any Suddenly, I’m filled with anxiety that colleges. ‘Did I make the right decision?’ I’ve done everything all wrong and that
White Collar vs. Blue Collar
I’m not living up to my ‘potential.’
H o w do I deal with this regret that I’ve done my junior and senior year all wrong? Is it too late to change it? Thinking of the positives is what helped me realize that there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to go to college. Whether it’s at Camden County or some four year school that I don’t even know the name of, college is college. I’m still getting a higher education than what high school
Deciding to be a journalist
By EVELYN STELLE ‘21 Staff Reporter
W
hen did the plumber get stereotyped as stupid, the construction worker as being dumb as two by four, a mechanic as uneducated with dirty hands, or an electrician as slow? Our culture has come to believe that dirty hands are dumb hands. If you go to a trade school instead of a university you’re automatically considered less. Our trades are suffering. We need them more than ever. When joining high school, teachers immediately start reminding students about how much their grades matter from this point out. Freshman are told to join clubs and activities because colleges like “well rounded people.” This results in students losing interest in the subjects they used to love because they’re so busy with sports or clubs just to look desirable for colleges. And what if you’re not accepted? What if you don’t get the exciting letter that says “congratulations” for your first college pick? Or even your second? Was this because you didn’t have enough activities on your resume? Or perhaps because your SAT score was just a few points lower than they needed? These stereotypes of “needing” a college degree are what’s killing America’s skilled trades. Citizens often look down upon electricians or carpenters because they went to a trade school instead of an prestige ivy league. Some different skilled trades include construction, electrician, plumber, welder, carpenter. The demand for the trades is rising as the amount of people going into trades plummets The industries skills gap is getting wider every year as the culture
By OLIVIA COVINGTON ‘19 Staff Reporter
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© Milton Bradkey
continues to look at these skills as less than the white collar. Nearly one third of the trades population is between the ages of 45 and 55. The idea that a high school student’s path must have college in it is killing the trade industries. Going to a trade school is much cheaper than getting your bachelors degree. Instead of going to school for from ages 6-18 just to graduate and return from 18-24, why not learn a trade and start working right out of high school? If these positions continue to retire without any fulfillment, 31 million positions will be left vacant by 2020. 62% of firms are already fighting to maintain these trade positions. Dirty hands don’t have to be dumb hands. These hands shouldn’t show disgust, but determination. A plumber should be seen as spruce not stupid, or a mechanic as obliging instead of being a scammer. When going on your college journey, have an open mind to everything that passes you on your way. The trades are always there if you don’t make it into your first college choice. Trade schools are also always there to be your first choice
© Milton Bradkey
gave me. Doing county allows me to stay at home, save money, and slowly allow me to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life. Thinking about going to Camden County no longer gives me anxiety. No matter where I go, there’s still the possibility to be just as successful as anyone else.
When I arrived at Eastern I was presented with a wide variety of clubs and classes and I decided to take Journalism Honors my junior year and give it a shot. I never thought that I would love writing for the newspaper, become an active member of the school community, and be presented with many opportunities. It taught me how to speak my voice and never be afraid to fight for what I believe in. The class helped me gain the courage to stage the recent walkout at school and helped me get accepted to The School of The New York Times. I’ve met people I never would have met without the class and just became a better and more outspoken person. I now know that in college I will major in Journalism and minor in communications. So don’t worry if you don’t know what you’re doing yet, just try to go for something that you love and be open to all ideas. You never know what new opportunities life may present you.
think it started when I was around eight years old. My creativity, that is, which bloomed into something great. I didn’t always want to be a journalist, I wanted to be a doctor for a minute until I found out I’d need to go school over 6 years. Then I didn’t know what I wanted to be for a while, but I knew I wanted to write. I had been writing stories on my own for years. I became inspired by Criminal Minds or CSI, which I should not have been watching, or just made up my own. My parents were happy when I began writing because they were tired of receiving phone calls from my school everyday. I was a bad kid to put it lightly, but people used to call it “spunky.” Causing trouble and doing my own thing was way more interesting than listening to what the boring teacher had to say, in my perspective. Writing became my outlet to plug in all my imagination, creativity and “spunkiness.” I began to realize, “Hey, I’m pretty good at this writing thing,” and I continued to become a stronger writer. I still didn’t know what I wanted to do for a living, until someone suggested journalism. I had never heard of journalism before and actually considered it for myself. Whatever school I was at at the time didn’t have Answers to back page: 1. K 2. A 3. any journalism programs and I wasn’t really encouraged to start studying it, P 4. M 5. D 6. H 7. N 8. C 9. J 10. E so it was sort of a backburner idea. 11. G 12. L 13. O 14. B 15. I 16. F
26 The Voyager
March 2018
The Pressure to Become a Legacy
Mr. Perfect:
The Dude Every College Wants
By the time I was twelve, I had my life planned out. Or so I thought.
program is professional and well-known. Not to mention that nothing would make my parents happier. On the day of the tour, the first I had ever been to, my mom decided to come with me on campus, while my dad stayed with our dog—who is named after Ithaca’s student union building, by the he drive up to Ithaca, New way—at a nearby park. She was more York is a familiar one. My nervous and excited than I was. family and I attempt to make The mortification began—but surely the 6-hour hike at least once didn’t end—when she teared up at the every couple of years, and by welcome video that played before the this past summer I was used to the trek. tour even started. Of course, we were But this time, it was more than nostalsitting right up front and received sidegic walks around the beautiful national ways glances from the woman speaking parks and trips at the podium. to the local ice I elbowed and cream shop that shushed her endawaited me at the lessly, but she end of the jourwaved me away ney. as she dabbed at My mom and her eyes with a I had signed up tissue. to take a tour of Then, we broke Ithaca College. off into two Both my pargroups to begin ents had attended walking the camIthaca. It was pus. My mother the place where was certainly the they both made quickest to make lifelong memofriends with our By RUTHIE DOUGLASS ‘19 ries and friends, guide, asking her News Editor mastered varipersonal quesous life skills, tions about her and began to enter adulthood. It was the experiences at Ithaca, and making sure town where my parents had met and they to point out that she was an alumna, as knew the campus like the backs of their well. hands. Everywhere we stopped, my mother Now, they looked to me to live vitold a personal anecdote, followed up cariously through. From the time I was by a question to the guide if things were young, my parents had encouraged the still the same as they were when she was idea of attending Ithaca College for me. here. She would then look at me with I had been on the campus multiple times an expectant smile, waiting to see my by the time I was ten and they had told thoughts and reactions. Five minutes in, me story after story about their crazy colI had to pull her aside to remind her that lege adventures. this was my tour, not hers. She backed By the time I was twelve, I had my life off a little, but my mother doesn’t do planned out. I would attend Cornell—beanything in small doses—and I wouldn’t cause it’s in Ithaca, but bette—major in have it any other way. Journalism, and move to New York City The farther we went along, the funnier after graduation, where I would work it became. When we entered the dining for the New York Times, while going to hall, she told me how her and her friends Broadway auditions on the side. Realisused to sneak food out, right before the tic, I know. building closed. When we passed the That dream has definitely changed. fountain in the center of campus, she told Now, I’m more interested in political me how all the seniors jump in the day of science or law, I definitely can’t afford graduation, and, if you’re still a virgin, to live in NYC right out of college, and you have to touch the metal ball in the Cornell is not necessarily an option for center of the fountain. me nor even where I really want to go. I could picture myself on the campus, So, maybe Ithaca College could be the sitting by the lake reading a book, laughright place for me? ing with new friends at the cafe. But did The campus is small and pretty with a I see this because I wanted it, or because medium-sized population, it’s diverse in my parents wanted it for me? students and in majors, and their theatre My mom made it a point to assure me that she would support me in whatever college I chose to attend, but she said it with a sense of insincerity that implied she would support me the most if I went to Ithaca. Honestly, Ithaca is a top contender for my college of choice, regardless of my parents’ wishes. But I’m not ready to stop exploring my other options, either. On the same trip to Ithaca, we also toured Syracuse, and we have plans to visit D.C. to tour American this spring break. I don’t want to have to limit myself just for the possibility of becoming a “legacy,” and I know my parents don’t want that for me either. So, I’ll put up with a few nostalgic tears and crazy stories of way back when, because when I do eventually leave for college, no matter where, I know I’ll miss them more than ever.
© Milton Bradley
Artwork by Lisa Traczyk ‘19
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perfectionist and one who is acceptance was perfect fail to be similar in near guaranteed their subsequent endeavors. at Harvard. I, assuming the latter most So, I sealed position, am immaculate my application — flawless in every aspect of life. envelope and sent it to the The difference in these positions, one university, knowing all the well it would must note, is that I fail to undertake subsequently be met with an acceptance any particular hardships to be perfect. letter come March. I simply am and have always been of It was late March when Harvard’s consummate sublimeness. return letters found themselves in the Following the birthing of my body mailboxes of students across the nation. from my mother’s womb, parents and But while my peers fretted over their doctors alike gazed upon my small diminutive chances at acceptance, frame with profound I opened my excitement; for my letter with incredible being even indifference. then struck awe in How could the hearts of all those Harvard reject who casted eyes upon perfection? How me. could they reject As I gradually me? traversed the path of Nevertheless, early childhood, my when I opened perfection shown my letter, my through every eyes dashed avenue of activity across the for which I partook. paper, but they I was prodigious in were roughly By BRYCE DERSHEM ‘21 all academic fields, halted by a Staff Reporter developing several sadistic mistake groundbreaking — rejection. theories in arithmetic and the physical Harvard dared to reject perfection. They sciences. I frequently impressioned dared to reject me. my musical genius on the crowds In the months to come, my psychological of Carnegie Hall, where I stupefied being gradually became acquainted with thousands with my faultlessness. the woes of depression, then indignation, My middle school career existed then acceptance. I assumed a manner of as a series of inconceivable acceptance over the fact that it wasn’t accomplishments, each one of more my fault — I am faultless. I understood grandeur than the previous. there existed no flaw in my intellectual Later in life, I became a student at a and emotional programming — I am world-renowned private high school — programmed to perfection. I was a disciple of education in constant Over time, I conceptualized one pursuit of scholarship. An extensive list singular idea: the Harvards and Yales, of Advanced Placement courses adorned in other words the behemoths of the my remarkable transcript. Numerous college world, do not choose perfection. teachers yearned for my brilliance to Rather, they choose which ones are to grace their classrooms. be swatted off the wall and which ones At this time, I also decided to dabble in are to soar. But, as convoluted as one the arts of golf, and by my senior year, I may appreciate, those who are accepted had established myself as an illustrious fail to be the ones who soar. Those athlete with upwards of four Olympic accepted are the ones whose wings are gold medals. clipped and the ones who are structured When the time arose, I began my into invariability. I, on the other hand, application to college, but while all rejected in all my perfection, have been other students hoped for acceptance subsequently equipped with the potential at multiple institutions, I knew my to soar on my own self-determination.
March 2018
The Voyager 27
Is there higher education predestination?
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people even get scholarships before they enter high school. don’t know about you, but when I This predestination is forcing children was in seventh grade I wanted to into something that they might not rebe an astronaut. Really, I wanted ally want. How many people have tried to grow roses on Mars. Space a sport when they were young and not botany, like in the Martian. liked it? How many people have played Now that I’ve re-evaluated my strengths an instrument and then quit after a few (and unavoidable fear of floating through years? But what if you were really good space forever), I have determined that at it? If you got a scholarship for it at the equine neuroscience might be the career age of nine while you liked it then maybe for me. you keep doing it and This is definitenot really enjoy what ly quite different you were doing later. from space botany, Many colleges adand I’m glad I’ve vertise summer prochanged my mind grams for children because I can easand teens that are ily imagine myself interested in not only mapping the brain of their schools, but caa horse before plantreers that are promoting seeds on alien ed by the schools. playgrounds. In an ad for NYU, I think this is the diwhich was centered lemma of a lot of stuto seventh and eighth dents. A lot of young graders, it advertised people have dreams, tours of their labs sometimes ones as By VICTORIA LAPINSON ‘21 for medical students. crazy as mine. HowStaff Reporter Lots of people dream ever, I’m pretty sure to be doctors, but a many change their lot of people will change their mind bemind and find something that they are tween middle and high school. passionate about and believe in, like, For certain individuals, early college in my case, equine neuroscience, when searching and career planning can be they’re slightly older. That’s leads to a very beneficial. Some people know flaw with the college system. they’re going to be a dancer from birth. As young as before they’ve entered But this isn’t the majority. People usumiddle school, colleges have been ally need time to figure out what they known to plan to recruit children for excel at, what they want, and what are something that they excel at. If this were passionate about. They need time to conme, I would’ve been given invitations sider space botany and cruise directing to every flower show, tours of the space and equine neuroscience before they find center, and some other things that realwhat they want. ly wouldn’t help me now. Some young
What college should be
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lege process should be treated less like very other week for the past recruitment and more like a discovery year I have received the same period for students to explore what colform from Campbell University. leges are right for them. If students are If I was a student living anytreated like recruits, the college process where near Campbell University, this becomes more brutal than it should be. could be considered normal. In the long run, a student is more likely However, I currently reside in New to go to a place Jersey, just over like Campbell four hundred University than miles away go to Harvard. from Campbell This is underUniversity in standable beRaleigh, North cause Harvard is Carolina. Ivy, but colleges This occurshould not send rence begs the out mail based question of on academic perwhy the colformance. “Acalege process is demic Perforoften seen as a mance” should time for schools only be used as a to recruit you. reflection of the For a college, past performance you are nothing of a student rathbut a booster to er than a full retheir reputation. By MATTHEW MORANTE ‘18 flection of who a If a college Staff Reporter student is. does not beIf they do, this lieve that you is demoralizing to students and serves are good enough for them or you are only as a “pre-rejection letter”: a rejecgood enough for their school, there is no tion letter without the paperwork. The chance that you will receive mail from college process needs to change to help them. the students find out what they want out If the college process is so selective, of college… and not flood everyone’s aren’t students disincentivized to follow mailboxes with college mail that might their dreams and apply for the colleges not matter to them. they want to go to? Perhaps this is the case, and the col-
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Not to mention the science behind decision making. As I am a fan of neuroscience, I have looked into what helps humans make decisions and if we are even qualified to make them at such young ages. The part of the brain that helps make decisions, the frontal lobe, isn’t fully developed until the age of 25. Until then we are influenced by outside sources such as parents, schools, and television. The things we want as children are the product of our environment. If someone is in high school and doesn’t know what they want to do, or what school they want to go to, it doesn’t mean that they’re behind or that they are wrong. It simply means they haven’t found their passion. It’s important to take the time to find what you love. When you find it pursue it, work hard, get into that school you want, and excel in the field. But until you make that decision for yourself, remember that those schools will chase you for things that they think you’re good at. Don’t let that
Artwork By Victoria Lapinson ‘21
tell you what’s right for you. There is a genetics company that is offering a $150 test that determines an infant’s athletic ability. This gives parents an idea of what sports to have their child signed up for. Doesn’t it sound crazy to think that a baby will be sent to soccer because their DNA says that their legs will be good for it? That’s kind of like letting college decide what you’re gonna do for the rest of your life before you even go to high school. So when comes to figuring out college and careers, the best way to go is to simply wait and find what you love. Even if it is growing hydrangeas on one of Jupiter’s moons.
Searching for colleges as the youngest sibling By CYNTHIA MEAS ‘21 Staff Reporter
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et’s all admit, being the youngest in the family sucks. Everyone puts their responsibilities on you, you get the last word, and our older siblings use you as a scapegoat; however, you have the advantage when it comes to high school and college! I have a brother and a sister. One who graduated from Temple University, and one who is currently finishing her last year in Rutgers. My brother is 10 years older than me, and my sister is 7 years older than me. I’ve seen them go through picking colleges, going to class, and working part time jobs. It made me realize that no matter how much I hate their guts, they are going to help me with the reality of being an adult. They have always been grabbing student loans, getting the help of financial aid, and trying to get their lives together. It’s scary, imagining going through that, it feels like it’s too much to handle and it’s stressful. How would I even go through that? As I was sitting in Applebee’s with my brother and his friend, he said, “I wish I had an older sibling to help me with things like this,” and that really made me wonder, what would I have to do if I was the oldest one? It’s easy to be young and have everything basically handed down to you. My brother went to Temple for his bachelor’s degree and is still working at his dream job. He enjoys writing scripts and filming, one of the things has influenced me. My dad doesn’t approve, instead he encourages me to not be like my brother and to just focus on getting money.
My sister is currently in her senior year in psychology in Rutgers. She’s been working at Okimaki and other places for the past few years. I see her struggle every night to get her assignments in after her work. What sucks is that she doesn’t get off work until eleven, but she still takes time to finish up school and then go to bed. It repeats almost every day. It really shows that it can be super stressful to be in college, especially if you’re working on a part time job. They showed me how not to worry about how I look or act and to not get bullied and mind my own business because that was the advice they wish they could’ve got when they were younger. Of course, they are like the coolest people I know. But there’s still one person that I know who helps me with high school and my overall life. My aunt graduated from Rutgers just last year. She’s working in the medical field and recently got a job! She has been working hard to find a job for the longest time and freeloads off of others. Now, I can actually freeload the freeloader. She’s hardworking and studies even if she fails a test. She takes time to study in the library, or downstairs in her house. She is funny and bright, and she teaches me a lot of things about college. My family are all older than me. They get to drive and buy food and hang out with friends, but they showed me the reality; that not everything is fun and free when you’re an adult. You need to work hard for your own dreams by any means necessary. Take every piece of advice possible, even if it’s coming from someone who is as annoying as my siblings.
28 The Voyager
Taking high school classes for college majors
By RYAN EMS ‘19 Staff Reporter Have you ever sat in class during a teacher lecture and asked yourself, “Why do I need to know this?” If you have, you are among the vast majority of high school students. Even the most well-liked and creative teachers may find their students snoozing in class. It’s not because they are bad teachers, but because the classes that students are forced to take are not interesting to them or relevant to their future. Senior year shouldn’t be a time of filling up your classes with random electives, but a time to focus on your future and get a jumpstart on the college education. When the students become disengaged, it can become a hard task to stay motivated in school. The teacher may try very hard to re-engage the student, but if the course work isn’t relevant to their lives, they won’t be motivated. This is true for seniors especially, who can’t wait to graduate and move on to schooling based on their career interests. I know that I want to become a physical therapist, so why do I have to fill up my senior schedule with electives such as culinary or pottery? Instead of just buying time until it’s time to graduate, I should be able to take more classes in my major. There is Anatomy and Physiology at our school, but why isn’t there a class on the biomechanics of sports medicine, or a class on field experience in exercise science? Especially for a field that is expected to grow 34%, when the average growth or a profes© Milton Bradley sion in only 7%? For professions on the rise, schools need to provide classes involving them to help students get a jumpstart on their college education involving that field. Imagine if I came into school my senior year, and in the morning I did my career related classes, but in the afternoon I went to go shadow a professional in the field. That way, I would be getting valuable career education and experience without even stepping foot on a college campus yet. For students not knowing of their career aspirations, they can still take classes that interest them in the morning, and they could try shadowing many different professions in the afternoon. That way they could get a taste of many different careers, and then they may decide they want to pursue it later in college. The reason seniors get senioritis is because they feel stuck in high school with no purpose; they lose their motivation and become bored. But if they start working toward a potential career of their interest in high school, the senior struggle may not be may not be such a struggle after all. We need to take control of our education, and try and make the education work for us, and not us working for our education.
March 2018
Why senior year matters By HAYLEY BELUCH ‘18 Editor-in-Chief As a senior, I can say from experience that it is near impossible to wander the halls of school while keeping vigilant enough to avoid the contagion that is senioritis. Comparable to the plague, this pestilence debilitates millions of students worldwide, the most common window of infection being senior year of highschool (though some show symptoms as early as freshman year). The affliction does not discriminate when choosing victims, though symptoms vary in severity. The common prodrome, however, is the persistent belief that senior year performance does not matter. But this isn’t the truth—senior year performance does matter, despite common belief otherwise. It stems primarily from the common misconception that junior year is both the most difficult, and the year that matters the most. Incoming seniors like to believe their heightened effort lies in the past, and therefore they sit blind to the importance of senior year. For one, colleges take senior year grades into consideration for admissions. Many students believe that once they submit their applications, their subsequent grades won’t affect where they go for college. They then put less effort into test preparation, and often choose sleep over those last-minute projects they were supposed to complete. However, most colleges request schools to send midyear school reports and final-year grades. Even if you’ve been accepted into your dream school, many universities reserve the right to rescind your acceptance if they see a significant drop in your GPA. Are a few hours of extra sleep worth getting “un-accepted” from your dream school? Probably not. Secondly, second-semester seniors focus a lot of effort on scholarships, especially those that the Eastern scholarship committee oversees. When applying for scholarships, quite often the scholarship agencies look at GPA when deciding whom to award them to. A drop in GPA signifies a lack of readiness for the college atmosphere, and therefore these agencies will be less likely to award scholarships to students who “take a break” senior year. Even more, seniors who are blindsided by senioritis often put less effort into the actual scholarship applica-
Artwork by Hayley Beluch ‘18
tions. By doing so, they waste the opportunity to receive thousands of dollars in aid that could offset later student loans. If you’re one of these indifferent students, your 40-year old self won’t be too happy while looking back on your apathy. Senioritis is especially common in the spring—the same time that AP exams roll around. Students who put less effort into understanding AP curriculum in their classes are less likely to get the coveted 5’s on their exams. First of all, these exams cost almost $100 for every one you take, so succumbing to senioritis wipes out your bank and wastes a lot of your money. Secondly, poor performance on these exams resulting from a general lack of interest senior year rids your chances of receiving college credit for these courses towards general education or major requirements (which again, costs you money, not to mention the time it takes to re-take these courses). The list goes on. Students who take part in extracurricular activities made a commitment to be active in their community and therefore have the obligation to continue that throughout their senior year terms, if applicable. Students who are contending for top spots in their class for either bragging rights or college applications can’t give up the ghost of their grades if they want to achieve said goals. For all these reasons, senior year does matter. Despite the persistence of senioritis, awareness of this fact is the best vaccine. Too many elements of your future education rely on your performance senior year—so don’t surrender your future in favor of temporary relaxation.
Pressures of high school High schoolers these days face and I do them just for resume building. immense pressure to succeed on While I was on a trip to Israel, I all fronts. We face pressure to get talked to our Israeli tour guide who the highest grade and have the best questioned our high school in America. resume possible. But why do we face He did not understand why Americans these pressures? College is the easy do activities just to boost their resume, answer. and I agree with him. As a high school student, I feel What is the good in partaking in pressure from all sides. I feel it from activities you do not enjoy just because friends, teachers, and mostly from my you think it will look good come time parents. Everybody wants me to be as to apply to college? Why do we take successful as possible, but that comes classes that are too hard for us, but think with incredible pressure. a lesser grade will look better because By Matt Steinsaltz ‘20 If I get a bad grade on a test, I it is a high level class? Shouldn’t we be Staff Reporter immediately think of my GPA and how taking classes that we will succeed in that is going to be affected. I know and learn something in? that if my GPA is not great, then I will face a harder The answer to all those questions is that colleges are time getting into the colleges I want. Each grade from looking for that. They want kids who take the harder freshman year until the day I graduate is mushed together classes and have strong resumes that may not actually into a GPA, and I feel pressured to make sure that each reflect a person truly. grade helps to improve it. My advice is to handle the pressures of high school by Grades are not the only things that I feel need to be doing things you enjoy, taking classes you can succeed in, strong. I feel pressured to make my resume the best it can and to making high school a good memory. be, even though I may not enjoy doing some activities,
March 2018
The Voyager 29
Not knowing what to do in college T here are two types of people in this world; those who know they want to go to John Hopkins University, graduate magna cum laude, and become a brain surgeon since they were six years old, and those who are halfway through high school and still have no clue what to do with their lives. Of the two, I am the latter. In a society where teenagers are pressured to go to college and decide what to study for the rest of their lives at the ripe age of 18, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Not to mention being surrounded by friends who are destined to be teachers or doctors or fashion designers. As someone who has interests in several different subjects, I am completely lost. On the one hand, I like science; I could see myself as a pharmacist or even an optometrist. However, I also love writing and interacting with people, leading me to PR or becoming an author. People
can only tell you, “you’ll figure it out” so still don’t know what to do? What if many times before you start to think that you don’t even want to go to college? you will never actually figure it out. Sometimes it seems like there just isn’t My biggest fear in life is pursuing a caenough time in the world to decide what reer that would leave you want to pursue. me miserable, as I’ve 50-70% of college grown up watching students change shows like “The Oftheir majors at least fice”, where half the once, while 43% of adults are expected characters hate their to return to school jobs. My dad works by 2020. However, as a Verizon 911 netswitching majors work specialist, but and going back to has since gone back school is not as to school to become simple as it sounds. a history teacher. I’ve witnessed firsthand These switches are expensive, timethe amount of homeconsuming, and, work and travel he By AVA HANCOCK ‘20 sometimes, not even goes through to know Staff Reporter worth it due to the that that is not somefact that they leave thing I want for myself. you drowning in debt (in most cases) and Most colleges ask you to declare a work on top of other schooling and a job. major by the time you’re a sophoSo the question is, why do we stress ourmore, but what happens when you
selves out so much trying to figure out exactly who we want to be when we are still all just teenagers? In reality, we have the rest of our lives to figure it all out. The pressure comes from our peers and society in general. Everyone on Instagram seems to have their lives completely figured out, including scholarships, dream internships, and jobs waiting for them the second they graduate. What we don’t see are the years of schooling, interviews, and thought that goes into these picture-perfect lives. The truth of the matter is that some people know what they want and some people don’t. Everybody has different interests, strengths, and mindsets. We shouldn’t let society, social media, or pressure from friends make us feel like we’re supposed to have life figured out within a certain time frame. In the end, everyone will find something they love and are passionate about, including me.
Choose YOUR college
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hen we are little, most kids This quote speaks volumes to me, beare influenced by parents, cause along with finding schools you like, teachers, friends, and othyou need to pick a school you will excel er family members about at. A school where you can show your which college to attend. personality, express yourself and get the My mom went most out of every to Villanova and I experience is the always wanted to place to be. go there. I wanted Visiting schools to be just like her and getting a and I loved when feel for them is she told stories important, beabout her college cause without days. As soon as getting the vibe I was born I had a of a school you Villanova onesie will never know on as I came home if you can see from the hospital. yourself going Villanova was to that school or the first college not. Also, just bethat I ever visited cause your mom, and my mom has dad, brother, or been active with sister went to a the school ever particular school By LAUREN CASOLE ‘19 since she gradudoesn’t mean Features Editor ated. you have too. If However, once you want to, then I was on the campus and had a general great! Go for it! Just remember who you idea of what I wanted to major in, I realare as a person and make the best choice ized that Villanova wasn’t the school for for you. me. I know this is a lot to think about and the As I figured out what I wanted to do question that always pops in to my mind and where I saw myself going to college, I is, how will I know? We cannot be certain realized I wanted to be on a college dance of every decision we make in life and not team and go to school on a large camevery decision is the perfect one, but we pus with a lot of students. These are two can be ourselves. By being yourself and things that Villanova does not have. following the right path for you, not anyI was initially upset that I did not like one else is going to set you on the right the school as much as I thought I would path for choosing YOUR college. have, but it made me aware of what was important to me and what I wanted to get out of college. I then thought about all of the movies and TV shows where kids have their heart set on going to one school for whatever reason, but once they get there they are not happy. Or they never make it to that particular school, but wherever they ended up turned out to be the best for them. Remember Cody from “Sweet Life on Deck”, Blair from “Gossip Girl”, or Zach from “She’s All That”? All of these characters ended up okay, and I know these are just movies and television shows, but their messages can be applied to our lives. Students also want to go to the school with the most backing and prestige behind its name. We all know which colleges are top notch and its nothing less of wonderful to say that you have been accepted to one of those schools, but it is okay if that doesn’t work out. Have you heard the expression, why be a small fish in a big pond when you could be a big fish in a small Artwork by Kylie Easterday ‘18 pond?
© Milton Bradley
Okay, now it’s game time
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the process. It’s no trive and longer a matter of determinawho can be the Star tion run Student of the week, through but who can get into my blood and pulse a “better” school. throughout my Instead of competveins. I’ve had work ing to better oneself, ethics and healthy they compete to have routines drilled into the perfect resume. me since the third According to an grade. Every day article published to after school I would the Philadelphia Income home, wash quirer titled “When my hands, eat an perfection isn’t good after-school snack, enough,” the author and do my homework. I didn’t leave By JESSICA BONAMASSA ‘19 accentuates society’s current obsession the table until it News Editor with being perfect. was done, and there “Self-oriented perwere no distracfectionism — a self-imposed desire to be tions. From such a young age, I have hunperfect — increased by 10 percent”. Loggered for knowledge, and that in turn creic and realism go out the window. ated my classroom diligence. I excelled in Students who dream of attending Princthe classroom and at home. However, my eton spend so much time finding ways sole setback had been second-guessing to create a presumably perfect resume. myself. Moreover, they dedicate their high school Now, to say the only problem I have encareers taking ridiculous classes with the dured is a test would be a lie. Competition idea that they will be the new Princeton is an issue as well. Competitiveness in the student. They get hit with a hard lesson classroom is always a healthy way to push when their dream school rejects them. yourself further, and sometimes past your All of their time they spent studying, perlimits. I strive past my comfort zone and forming effortlessly, and exceptionally, my limits to be a well-rounded and excepapparently go to waste. Students seem to tional individual. This is not the case for fear rejection more than an actual crisis. ¾ of my junior class. But this year, it’s the real deal. College As I said, competition is great…exinformation floods our minds and the procept for when it’s not. There’s a comcess of SAT’s and college applications are mon thread of peers bragging about their at the forefront. It’s game time. achievements while belittling others in
30 The Voyager
March 2018
Is College Worth the Cost?
“O
A Big Hat to Fill
An easy road to success?
By GABRIELA INNAMORATO ‘19 Special to The Voyager
By SHANE BAKELY ‘19 Special to The Voyager
h, your hat says Columbia! Is that where you’re going?” This recurrent phrase reiterates back to me like a broken record. I hear it whenever I don my favorite hat passed down to me by my dad. An old, torn Columbia hat, a main staple that can be spotted even in my baby pictures, represents the omnipresent reminder that higher education will no-matter-what be achieved once I receive that high school diploma. The pressure to meet the educational expectations of previous family members, all of whom attended prestigious universities, such as Columbia or New York University, portray the thought that I may just become a diamond instead of a normal college student. Just two years ago, my older brother, whose natural brilliance had been always a defining characteristic found in many of my family members, was accepted into New York University with several scholarships under his name. His complex and unnecessarily perplexing instructions of which AP classes need to be completed, at what grade, with what recommendation letters, just seems like he is conversing in whole different dialect. SAT scores, AP tests, ACT grading, numerous Honors courses; they all seem to fit into one long mathematical equation that waiting to punch me in the stomach. Nevertheless the terror that remains in every high school student. Numerous studies and statistics demonstrate the higher prospects that await college students after graduation. On the contrary, statistics rarely include the often large burden of student debt that can occur when attending an expensive school, or just schools in general. When debating where to apply come application season, many students do not realize that it’s like buying a brand-name item. The name “Gucci” may seem enticing and only fashioned with only the highest quality of materials, but is it really the most well-made? Top-tier schools such as Princeton University, Columbia University, and the University of Pennsylvania all charge high tuition rates per year, not to mention the additional fees of board, food, textbooks, and other required materials to complete your year. Moreover, a good portion of that money from the hefty fine goes to the construction of new buildings, student centers, and other amenities that create a resort-like environment, instead of an academia haven that the title “college” is said to be. According to Collegedata, one full year at the University of Pennsylvania can charge a student upwards of $69, $40 (including extra expenses). Depending on the individual’s major and choice of study, it is questionable to even propose that this university’s education is the highest quality. In-state colleges, such as Rowan University, offer much lower tuition rates, along with a better quality education in many fields of study. Students that choose schools within their state many times choose a great school, as well as avoid the deep hole dug into their pockets that can follow many throughout their lives. The issue of loans and how much should one take out depends on the major the student decides to complete. As cited by the Bureau of Labor, students who complete their degree and continue on as general practitioners can make upwards to $80,530 per year. Fortunately enough, this career path is also growing at 13% more per year, with room for promotions and bonuses. This allows for some leeway in terms of the amount of loans a student may want to take out, however this cannot be said for all. Students whose careers do not have a high initial salary would not want to take out $100,000 in student loans, as interest grows on every dollar. With numerous different agencies, both private and federal, the struggle to find which type best suits your needs can create additional stress on top of the already present knots in their shoulders. My path ahead of pursuing medicine is certainly no easy road. Conversations that I was fortunate enough to have with current student of medicine while I was volunteering at the local hospital did not necessarily comfort me. Tales of eighty-hour work weeks for new residents, the hours on top of hours of mind-numbing studying students need to do every night (which made me rethink thinking that AP was horrendous), and loans creeping up on those who chose to ignore them were all described in excruciating detail. Needless to say, it may have been a little concerning to hear, conversely, their stories had served their purpose to educate my young brain that there is an intelligent way to approach college, with tenacity and responsibility. The realization that the quality of the university’s program is what matters most, not the brand name shown on flashy merchandise and extensive rock walls that may attract the unknowing. No longer am I frozen with terror that if have my dream schools, all with recognizable names, rejected me that my career will be over with my life paused. Success can be found anywhere with the proper education, not only at schools with huge names and the highest tuition rates. The frayed embroidery of the Columbia hat does not antagonize me any longer, and I can wear it once again happily with less weight upon my shoulders.
W
ould it surprise you that it would take the average physician 35 years to catch up to a UPS driver’s total income after high school? Yes, that’s correct. In an analytic study done by Kevin Pezzi, if the average UPS driver worked as long hours as physicians do throughout medical school, residency, and their regular hours, and started investing getting a 7% ROI, (stock market average), they would be better off financially than the average physician until 53! The obvious reason? The ridiculous, mind blowing, cost of college for present day high school kids. The total student loan debt in the US is greater than Spain’s GPD, roughly $1.45 trillion and has grown over 600% since 1980. With the rapid increase in college price, many high schoolers should take a step back and truly consider if college is right for them. College, for most, is a key foundation for their success in the workforce, but it is not a necessary path for students to succeed, learn, and enjoy their life. College seems to be the “end all be all,” for many high schoolers today; a magical place that grants you a piece of paper, that will lead you on your craved out road to success and money. Because of the increase demand of higher education, more people are enrolling, pricing the cost, and now making job markets more competitive. Is this a bad thing? Well no, the higher education of America is one its greatest values. College, for most, is a great investment and gives students the knowledge to pursue passions, while making them marketable with their shiny diploma. The average ROI for a college degree is about 15%, but this is based many factors. Yes, college graduates are better off than those who don’t attend college, but college is not the only option. Today, the idea college is rammed down children’s throats at ages they still have to walk hand in hand in the hallway. I remember sitting in Ms. Leland’s 4th grade class, asking why I had to read about Lewis and Clarke if I want to be a news reporter. She explained I had to first graduate high school and then college, and to do that, I had to read about Lewis and Clarke. You probably heard it thousands of times: “Get good grades, get into a good college, get a good job.” This seems to be a common conception to today’s society, and there are many reasons why we shouldn’t teach our children this. First, as stated before, why is college the only option? A family friend of mine, had a horrible time in school, hated it, barely passed high school, and decided college wasn’t for him. He ended up learning a trade, for free, and started his own roofing company and has $0 in student debt. Good for you, Dave! Secondly, why must you go to a “good” school for $60K a year, when you can go to community college for free and then transfer? I see this a lot within my own school, kids being stunned for not going to “Big name schools.” Community college is seen as stupid and idiotic. It is an opportunity and financial the smart decision. Kids think that a well paying job is waiting for them on a silver platter just because of their piece of paper. As stated before, the job market is extremely competitive because of so many enrolling in college. Many students will soon find out the hard truth while their chain of student debt continues to collect interest. Too many students are throwing away thousands of dollars to rich college admissions and leaving with massive debt and no job. At the end of the day, Mr. Rich Owner of your college doesn’t care if you graduate or do well; they want your money. In 2015, our Federal Government spent around sixty nine billion to subsidize the cost of college and over one hundred billion in student loans. Yet in public schools, tuition costs the students of America 62.6 Billion. Our Federal Government could make public education better and almost free, yet they issues of piles on piles of money to colleges and kids; making the government and college admissions richer. Tuition cost will continue to rise if our government keeps handing colleges money; colleges inefficiently use the money government gives them because it isn’t on their budget. Colleges continue to raise their price because they understand their good is a relatively inelastic, on top of government paying their cost. Simply, colleges’ cost will go up when they have more disposable money to spend. So not only is the government spending your money to subsidize college, the price is now unbelievable high leaving many slaves to debt for the rest of their lives. So is college worth the cost? It depends. What you plan to do? What you make of it? If you can afford a great school, know your goals as a student, and put in your best effort, yes college should work out. It should give you an advantage. College can be a great place to learn, find your passion, develop as a person, and yes, have fun. Yet, it is not your only choice. And never should be thought of as that.
March 2018
Forget Everything You Ever Knew By SYDNEY HEGEDUS ‘19 Special to The Voyager It was an eerie night full of storms on February 24, 2016. My mother drove me home from practice on a dark I-295. We approached the back road, leading to the road behind my house when my mom’s long-time friend, Damon called. “Um... Denise,” Damon said. “Have you heard from Patrick?” Patrick was my dad. “I mean, in the past couple hours I have, but not recently. Why? What’s wrong?” my mom asked curiously. “That’s odd because he was supposed to meet me at Dunkin Donuts to have coffee and he never showed up, nor has he answered his phone,” Damon told my mother. At this point, we were about to be home. As we pulled up the garage door, it screeched and pattered on the metal bars above, and my father’s car was nowhere to be found. “Would you like to come inside, Damon?” my mom asked. As we walked in the house I threw my cheer bag down on the ground with the clatter of all the medals I had worked so hard to earn over the years, medals from the cheerleading gym my dad had owned. I called his cell phone. No answer. I called again. No better luck. I called for the sixth time. This time, it went right to voicemail. How peculiar, he wouldn’t let his battery drop below 50%, let alone, dead! He had always worked from home. Therefore there was not a single reason that he should have been out past eleven o’clock PM. We did not know if we were over reacting, so we called 911 anyway and filed a Missing Persons Report. “What was he last seen wearing?” the operator asked. My mom had been pacing back and forth in the bedroom trying to remember. “I think it was a long sleeve gray shirt and blue jeans. He also has glasses,” my mother confirmed. They also asked for his license plate. “Okay Ms, we will send officers out in a few,” said the operator. As I was showering, the police had arrived to interview my mother. I had yelled for her to come upstairs. “Daddy is dead, isn’t he Mom?” I said, seeming emotionless but slightly
concerned for I had not had a good relationship with him. How could you have a good relationship with someone who curses at you and says he’s quite content with staying alone? My mother, with the same tone as I had simply said she was not sure and that the police will be looking soon. I had gone to sleep now. I shot up at exactly 1:09 AM wondering if he had come home. Instead of getting up and checking, I rolled back over. I was half asleep. My alarm then awoke me at 6:00 AM. As soon as I rolled over to turn it off, my door creaked open. “Daddy?” I asked sleepily. My mother’s head peeks in the door that creaked so subtly and almost whiney sounding. “No honey,” my mom said. “They found him unresponsive in his car in the bank parking lot at around 2:00 AM. I’m really sorry.” Instead of crying, I simply sat there with a straight face: an almost relieved face that I did not have to walk on eggshells anymore. I got ready for school. Fast forward to the future, we had started to get calls. Calls that suggested he had not paid any of our checks. He had stolen money from so many people that our bank accounts had frozen and we had gone homeless when I was young. It was not for whatever reason he had lied about. He would pump meth into his nasal spray and lied, which was the real reason he was passing out, as opposed to claiming to have multiple sclerosis or being in the police department. I had also discovered his plan to murder my best friend’s father when he found out money was stolen from him. Countless other lies were also discovered. My trust was completely ruined, and the same went for my mental well-being. You think you know someone who lived with you for 14 years of your life. I spent my days in counseling and talking to people I did not want to talk about my thoughts with. I had done everything to get my mental health back, and this was just a setback that I never thought in a million years that I could get past, but here I am about to graduate with honors at Eastern Regional High School. I proved my own self wrong, and there is no telling how else I can dazzle myself in the future.
The Voyager 31
Common Application Essay Samples
The 9:12 to Philly By JARED WILSON ‘19 Special to The Voyager
For eight weeks during the fall of 2016, I was enrolled in the Philadelphia University of the Arts Saturday School program. From 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. every Saturday, I would be taking my first formal art class: character design. The paranoia of being surrounded by artists who were much better than me for three agonizingly embarrassing hours clouded my thoughts as I stood at the Ashland platform of the PATCO line. The chilling mid-October breeze whistled through the straps of my burdensome backpack. I was so nervous I thought that I would launch my breakfast up onto the tracks. Most of my nerves were from the paranoia of class. In addition, the safety lecture on being alone in the city from my mom as she drove me to the station didn’t exactly imbue me with confidence. “Do you have your card?” she asked for the third time. “Yes Mom, it’s in my wallet,” I replied for the third time, pulling it out of my pocket to show her. “Well don’t keep it in your pocket, make sure it’s in your bag and not your wallet so no one can steal it, okay?” She took the train into the city nearly every day, so I had no reason to doubt her judgement. I’d been on the train a few times before, but all of those times I was accompanied by most of my family, making the lone sojourn that much more daunting. A low rumble shook the ground beneath me. As the arriving train took over my field of view, I nervously triple checked the time on my phone before stepping off the platform into the mostly empty car. I quickly took the closest seat to the door, so I could clearly see the map of all the train’s stops. Moments later, the train rattled into motion. The soft purr of the engine along with the light sway of the car hadn’t managed to calm me down. Five minutes later, the train arrived at the next stop. Exasperated, I unzipped my backpack to find something to occupy myself with. I pulled out one of my fresh
sketchbooks I had bought in anticipation for the class, put my pencil to the paper and… nothing. I had no idea what to draw. I sat there scribbling nonsense into the sketchbook until the next stop, when I was certain my efforts were in vain, and put away the sketchbook. Nearly half an hour later I arrived at the 12-13th and Locust station, and strolled a couple blocks to the UArts building on Broad Street. The first day of class was simple enough - my teacher introduced herself and gave us the run-down of what we’d be doing for the next eight weeks. About halfway through the class, the Illustration teacher from the adjacent room visited us and gave a brief talk about “the importance of sketchbooks, thought catalogs, and drawing from life,” showing us his voluminous collection of completed sketchbooks. It was about the only thing I took away from class that day. I slept on the train back to New Jersey. The next week I once again boarded the 9:12 train, this time sitting in a car more reminiscent of a can of sardines than a bag of Lays chips. I pulled out the same sketchbook from the week prior, knowing exactly what to draw. I crudely penciled down nearly everyone I saw in the car, along with the seats, windows, buildings, the butcher, the baker, etc. This trip was notably less stressful than the one before; by the time my ride back to New Jersey concluded, I had filled up about eight or so pages with my thoughtless doodles. I did the same the next week, and the week after that. By the eighth week I filled in practically the entire sketch book with my crude caricatures. The book I used during class was only a quarter-way filled by then. Not only did I fill the book, but the quick sketches were no longer just formless blobs. They were becoming recognizable forms that representated their references. The illustrations of my observations were allowing me to improve more than anything I had learned in class. Slowly from that seat on the train, rather than making the world my canvas, I was making my canvas the world.
The Fish That Ruined the Things I Love By MAGGIE CHEN ‘19 Special to The Voyager
For almost five years now, my family and I have been raising a koi fish in my home’s dining room. With its white sharp barbels resembling a mustache and its gills coated with a mix of orange, black, and white, I had named it Master Gills after the movie Kung Fu Panda. Gills is a beautiful fish almost the size of a tissue box, and its scales are as shiny as a new silver Samsung phone with patches of black and orange, even on its fins. Gills lives in a tank almost the length of two guitars and with a background of green sea plants in the ocean. The tank is empty as I fear Gills would eat little pebbles. In the center of the tank, there is a medium sized plastic brown coral in a shape of an arc. Whenever I would see Gills sleeping under the arc, it would remind me of my fish from over ten years ago. He would also sleep in that same spot. It also fueled my hatred against owning pets. Ten years ago, my family owned two red-eared slider turtles and another large koi fish, which resembled Gills,
and they were all raised in the same tank Gills lives in now. One of the turtles was named Red, whom I had favored over the other pets, since his ear compared to the other was red. One day on a bright sunny afternoon, I had walked past the tank in the dining room and I noticed Red with the fish, Fin, and they looked as if they were having a conversation until I looked closely and saw that Red was bleeding under its front leg. “Dad,” I yelled with all my might “Fin bit Red and he’s losing blood.” In a hurry to extract Red from the tank to help, it was too late and Red had passed away due to the blood loss, turning the water murky and bloody. “What happened?” asked my dad as he ran over after coming in from the garage. In his dirty dark red polo shirt and baggy jeans, he examined Red’s bloody front leg and murky fish tank. “It’s the fish! That stupid fish killed him!” I yelled pointing at Fin with extreme anger and confusion. When I started sobbing at the loss of yet another friend I had said in a depressed voice, “I don’t want pets anymore, you should sell the other turtle or he’s going to die just like Red and all the other fishes that we had.” As a six year
old, I had owned many fish and witnessed many of them dead in the tank and it scarred me watching so many pass. My dad had bent down on one knee and put both his hands on each of my shoulder and asked “Why would Fin bite Red now of all times when they’ve lived in the same tank for a long time?” “I don’t know and I don’t care, I don’t want to see anymore of my pets die anymore.” I responded with tears falling. My dad still kept them around but I never gave them as much attention as I used to, fearing to witness more beautiful pets pass. I had given up on raising pets which was something I loved and comforted me during hard times. Through the years, after they had died, we never got more animals because I had hated what Fin had done to Red. Since, I had stopped doing one thing I loved. I eventually stopped doing many other things that I loved because they were difficult emotionally and physically. Five years later, after going through hard times I once again found comfort in raising Gills. I had learned to continue doing what I loved even though it would be hard at times.
32 The Voyager
March 2018
Think YouGuessKnow College? the college.
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List of Colleges: A. College of St. Elizabeth B. Drew University C. Georgian Court University D. Kean University E. Monmouth University F. Montclair University G. New Jersey Institute of Technology H. Princeton University I. Rider University J. Rowan University K. Rutgers Univerity L. Seton Hall University M. Stevens Institute of Technology N. Stockton University O. The College of New Jersey P. William Patterson University Answers on Page 25