Senior Edition 2017
Volume LI
Eastern Regional High School
1401 Laurel Oak Road
Eighth Edition
Voorhees, NJ 08043
n o i t i r Ed
o i n Se
Photo by Madasyn Andrews ‘17
2 The Voyager
SENIOR EDITION
June 2017
A Message from the Q&A with the Class Valedictorian and Salutatorian Class President By EDDIE TAUFER ‘17 Special to the Voyager
Life is all about waiting. We wait high school kid” excuse. We are now for our siblings to get ready for adults. We are expected to be proschool. We wait in ductive members of society. We are going lines for what feels like to be full-time workhours to get out of the ers, soldiers, and stuboonies. We wait for dents. We are the fuactual hours to get onto ture, and we have the Splash Mountain, and ability to change the we wait for years to world. Change will become adults. While not come if we wait we’ll always be waitfor some other person, ing for something, toor if we wait for some day is the day we will other time. We are the graduate. The twelve ones we’ve been waityear waiting game is ing for. We are the over. change that we seek. I feel as though evVision without action is eryone wants to get out Photo by Jen Len ‘17 merely a dream. Action of high school and grow without vision just passes the time. up overnight, but people forget how Vision with action can change the great it is to be a high school stuworld. Our education is a gift, and dent. We are in our prime! But unit’s time we share our gift with those fortunately, as we exit Eastern for around us. the final time as students, this is the last time we can use the, “I’m just a
What’s Frank Eating?
Senior Frank Ziegler was so hungry at 10am, he at his lunch in enviromental. “I just couldn’t wait,” he said. It was his typical turkey sandwich. “It was pretty good.”
By JEN LE ‘17 Entertainment Editor
Jen Le: So how does it feel to be valedictorian or salutatorian? Greg Giovannini: Well it feels very surprising, honestly. I was not expecting to be number one because at the beginning of the year, Will’s grades were better than mine and Will was cut out of being number one. J: It feels alright? G: I think, to help Will out, neither of us cared about it too much. None of us - neither of us were going for it. It just happened. W: Yeah, it just happened. J: What are your respective majors? G: I am majoring in computer engineering and computer science as well. W: I’m planning on majoring in computer science and mathematics. J: Did you always want to go into those fields? G: No. In fact, mine fluctuated a lot. Beginning in freshman year, after I took bio, I really liked it and I said “Oh, biomedical engineering!” And then after sophomore year, I liked chem so I said “Oh, chemical engineering would be fun!” And then I took physics and I said “Hmm… see? Electrical engineering,” ‘cause I also took programming too. Right now its settled on electrical or computer engineering. J: What about you, Will? W: My major choice fluctuated a lot through high school because at the beginning I kept fluctuating in between the sciences but eventually it settled on computer science. Math club was also involved in my life. I liked it and I guess I’m neutral going into math but I might as well because it might be a solid foundation for anything else I want to do. J: Is there a person you wish to thank or multiple persons? G: My brother Eric, my lovely mother, my semi-fantastic father, and all the awesome friends who have supported me along the way. W: I’d like to thank my parents, my brother, the friends I made along the way, and my teachers for helping me. J: Is there a specific teacher? G: Late Mr. Harrison. W: Mr. Harrison. J: How did you think you have changed throughout these four years? How have you become a better student? What personality changes would you say you have undergone? G: Well, I mean, at the beginning of the year
Photo supplied by Greg Giovannini ‘17
we were all timid and shy freshmen. You know, pretty cocky I say coming from middle school thinking we can own the world. Then we get to high school and its a lot harder, just kinda knocks us down a peg and it really teaches us the value of hardwork and dedication and how if you really want something, then you gotta you gotta go for it. W: Once I entered high school, I thought I can get by without studying and then history honors hit and I said “This so difficult? Why do I need to memorize every single thing?” so that developed into good work ethics but now, over the years, I’ve developed the habit of trying to become too much of a perfectionist. I found a good balance between both. J: Any advice for aspiring valedictorians or salutatorians? G: I have three things to say. Number one: take a deep breath, relax, and have a little faith in yourself. Number two: don’t try too hard because if you go at it and just attack it as something you need and can’t possibly live without, then you’ll probably be heartbroken if it doesn’t work out for you. And number three: stay awesome and good luck! W: There is something I want to say, that he said also. You shouldn’t entirely focus on it, Focus on the green grass instead of the grades. J: What would be your best memory at Eastern? G: My best memory at Eastern would probably be… Can I list three? J: Yes. G: Number one: definitely senior trip - but that’s everyone’s so we’re not going to focus on that. Number two: Mr. Harrison’s Advanced Honors Chemistry class, and number three, Walter Bowne’s AP English III class. W: My top memory is senior trip. I enjoyed it, except for the part where I went on the monorails for three hours. J: All right. Thank you so much for coming!
2017 will always remember senior trip By SYDNEY SNYDERMAN ‘17 Voyager Staff Reporter
Throughout the years of high school there is one trip that everyone looks forward to: senior trip. The senior trip to Disney World was a once and a lifetime trip to go on with your friends. This trip was an amazing experience and such a fun opportunity. Disney World was such a happy place to be and had many magical moments. “The highlights of my senior trip include rides and food. Rides wise, The Mummy ride and The Hulk in Universal Studios were a lot of fun. I also enjoyed The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios. In the Magic Kingdom, I loved the castle and the food. I have a lot of favorite foods in Disney which include the chocolate covered banana and the Mickey Mouse ice cream. I loved the ride Test Track, ice cream in France, and all of Germany,” said Jess Weichert. Every senior has a favorite part of the senior trip that was unforgettable. The seniors enjoyed the rides and the food in Disney World, but one event stood out above all the others. “I loved everything about Disney and the trip,” said Jordyn Abrams. “I mostly loved watching the fireworks at Magic Kingdom in front of Cinderella’s Castle.” “My highlight of senior trip was having to sprint to the buses after the fireworks and being late to curfew because the bus was too full,” said Sam Taufer. Running to the buses was a nightly thing that most seniors did after fireworks because they didn’t want to be late to curfew,
but most of the time they were. “I loved the plane ride with everyone, going to Universal, and the fun food,” said Julian Holmes. The plane ride was a lot of fun because you got to choose who you sat with. The plane ride was only Eastern seniors and was full of excitement. Going on the Safari was an amazPhoto supplied by Kaitlin McGee ‘17 ing experience that everyone had Seniors Rom Katav, Kaitlin McGee, Yamini Nalla, and Jen Le pose in front of the Universal Globe. to try. “The ice cream sandwich I ate the The senior trip was absolutely fantastic and definitely first day, getting my face painted, and getting to Animal unforgettable. I would not change a thing about it and Kingdom super early to go on the Safari were just a few would do it all over again if given the chance. of the amazing things I did on the trip,” said Olivia Spina.
June 2017
SENIOR EDITION
The Voyager 3
The stigma of coast-skipping for college By ANTHONY MURPHY ‘17 Voyager Staff Reporter
It’s finally here. The day you can pack your bags and say sayonara to your family and friends to begin your next stage of life, college. It’s been talked about since the start of freshman year. “Start thinking about college.” “Prepare for college.” “Keep your grades up; you want to be able to get into a good college.” College this, college that. It’s the first major step that paves the path of one’s imminent future. Not only do you have to choose a major out of a plethora of choices and possibilities, but you must also decide where you’re going for this higher education. Do you stay in-state or move away? If you move away, how far? What colleges are the most economical? Which colleges have the most appealing programs? There are umpteen choices you must make within a year span that can dictate the rest
of your life. It’s big stuff. So say you decide that you want to move far away. Let’s say, across the country. Great, right? Not according to the majority of people you’ll come across. College is built around gaining independence and forming lifelong interests. The point is that it’s for you, not anybody else. When I decided that I wanted to go to college in Reno, Nevada, close to 3,000 miles away and about a 40 hour drive, the maelstrom of differing opinions caught me by surprise. My friends’ responses were ecstatic. They shared the same feelings I did towards the big move. I was beyond excited to cross coasts to step out of my comfort zone, to go to school in a completely new setting. Adults on the other hand...they weren’t too impressed. If I had a dollar for every time I was criticized by an adult for going so far for my major of choice, I’d have enough to pay for my tuition out of pocket. They expressed confusion as to why I’d cross the country for speech pathology. I may have
Roomsurf is one of many websites that students use to find roommates
The Search for Roomates By ISABEL BEGELMAN ‘17 and SOPHIA TROCCOLI ‘17 Editor-in-Chief and Voyager Staff Reporter
mate for the very first time. Over a decade ago, the Class of 2017 Bridgette Burton, who will attend Pace wandered into their kindergarten classUniversity alongside her roommate and rooms for the very first time, in a school friend, decided that she “didn’t want to that was bigger than they could have ever risk the luck of the draw.” If you’re paying imagined, away from the comfort of their money for an expensive school and living homes and their families, and surrounded with this person for an entire year, you by new faces of potential friends. In only a really want to make sure your roommate few months, those same students will once won’t “kill you in your sleep, be a vegan, again be thrust into the unknown, just as or turn out all around awful.” naive and nervous as they were all those Burton also expressed that Facebook is a years ago. good facilitator to get to know the type of As the Class of 2017 suddenly finds itself people going to your school and exchange freshman again, almost-college kids feel messages. Facebook university groups as though they are on the verge of greatare a great place to advertise a roommate ness and out of Eastern’s grasp forever. search, especially since you can “stalk” With the fall semester of freshman year someone’s page before committing to of college just months away, there are a sharing a bedroom with them. myriad of concerns filling these young In comparison, Sophia Castro, who will adult minds. Will my high school relationattend University of Delaware in the fall, ship last past September? What happens if has decided to go random with her roomI end up not actually loving my $60,000 mate. Rather than rushing to find a roomschool? And the most daunting question mate, which can end up being a difficult of all… Who will I end up with as my task, Sophia is letting her university pick roommate? for her. Even though she wants to room There’s many different ways to find roomwith someone similar to herself, “It’s a lot mates as seniors are slowly figuring out. of effort for not having a lot of time.” Some students will stick to a safe choice, It’s important to remember that college asking a friend or even a high school peer isn’t all about the person who you share attending the same college to be their a dorm with: it’s about the education you roomie. Others will go through an extenreceive and the memories you make. sive interviewing process with strangers on their universities’ Facebook group page, filling out surveys on websites like Roomsurf. And the brave at heart, those social butterflies that let fate, and the housing department, choose who they may, will venture on Seniors make facebook groups to help find roommates and Move-In Day to friends before the upcoming year. meet their room-
been mistaken, but I didn’t think people only went to school far away for more “prestigious” majors. The desire to get away from the only place I’ve ever known, the thirst to experience something new, the interest in a new setting and environment, and the sheer reason of “Well, why not?” were all a driving force in my decision to move to Nevada for the next four years. Why stay in state if there are so many prettier and more exciting places to live? Why stay in state if every NJ school I was applying to was significantly more expensive than Reno? Why stay in state if you have this one opportunity to travel and experience the unknown in the name of higher education? Colleges have a task of their own trying to spread their reach across the country. They struggle to draw in students from opposite coasts, so an east coast kid applying to somewhere far west has the advantage of standing out. Yet studies have shown that when it comes to going away for college, around
58% of college bound students stay within 100 miles of their hometown, and only 11% travel farther than 500 miles away. A whopping 72% all of students stay instate. The endless possibilities with moving forward outweighs the sadnesses of leaving my old life behind. Sure there are some downsides: flight costs, long drives, not being able to visit home often, shipping pains, etc. I’m drowning in “What Ifs.” What if I don’t like it there? What if it’s not what I expect? To those questions, I say: if I want to move back, I will. It is as simple as that. People act as if you’re stuck out there, when there’s always the option to come back home. Moving away for college is an intimidating feat but a beneficial one to say the least. The only way to find out if it’s worth it is to take that step and go, and I’m beyond excited to do so.
Styling you: A cost effective way to get decor for your room By SOPHIA TROCCOLI ‘17 Voyager Staff Reporter Transitioning into your new college lifestyle is the opportunity to mold yourself into the best version of you. This might mean a myriad of different things for different people: changing out your senioritis wardrobe of sweatpants and t-shirts from college tours to outfits that better represent your adult self and your personality. One of the simplest ways to showcase your individuality is by decorating your dorm room to reflect who you want to be perceived as in college. Finding dorm room decor that captures your style can be fun, stress-free, and relatively inexpensive if you know the right places to search. Stores such as IKEA, Target, and Walmart offer college kid essentials at great prices and present the helpful option to create a graduation registry, a wish-list to be shared with friends and family who will congratulate you for surviving the past four years… and then willingly signing up for another four years of expensive education. An online registry is an effective way to take stock of what you’ll require for your on-campus living and a fun way to bond with future roommates. Registering for graduation gifts can be done while browsing online, or it can become a day trip, as you and your roomie fly through aisles pointing your scan guns at home goods, like hunters on the prowl. IKEA is a particular favorite for young adults in search of cheap furniture and home decor. The Swedish company is known for its modern designs, and ecofriendly simplicity. The Back to College online forum features a suggested college checklist and helpful pieces on style, shopping, packing, and decorating. The bedding catalogue offered at IKEA is definitely something you’ll want to check out: expressly the duvet cover sets, plush comforters, and beautiful throw pillows and rugs. My personal favorite is Åkertistel, a refreshing lemon colored duvet cover and pillowcase set for only $29.99, perfect to make any dorm-issued double mattress a little bit comfier. Target’s “Back to College” section features the slogan “small spaced, so solved.”
This might be the easiest website to navigate when shopping for your dorm, as it limits your search to items specifically designed to fit in compact homes. Registering at Target is free, yet you’re given a custom designed webpage that you can connect to your Pinterest and easily share on social media. The highlight of Target is the “College Storage and Organization” catalogue. The wooden, woven, and wire milk crates ranging from $3.49 to $25.00 have endless functions; you can use these crates as environmentally friendly moving boxes when you settle into your dorm and later repurpose them into a home for your record collection or extra storage. Surprisingly, even Walmart has some great options, especially for dorm suites. Dorm suites and apartments are generally larger than the average room, therefore requiring more furnishing. Walmart offers desks, office chairs, futons, and appliances at the lowest prices on the market. While I can not attest for the quality and durability of these products, they adhere best to a college student budget. For $99.00 you can’t beat the Kebo Futon Sofa Bed, which comes in black, blue, brown, charcol, and red. Dressing up this affordable find can be easily accomplished by tossing on a few decorative throw pillows and a plush woven blanket. However you decide to decorate your dorm, wherever this crazy life takes you, and whoever you become after your time at Eastern finally comes to an end... remember to always celebrate your uniqueness, your style. Be unapologetically, wholeheartedly YOU and the rest will just fall into place.
SENIOR EDITION
4 The Voyager
Seniors look back on their past four years “One thing I won’t forget about Eastern is how cautiously you avoid Mr. Tull when you don’t have your I.D.” -Sean Trambadia
What the teachers will miss about Class of 2017 “The Class of 2017 will always have a special place in my heart. Teaching and getting to know you has been a joy and a privilege. I wish you all the absolute best. I love you, and I’ll miss you.” - Mrs. Praesel
“In my fourteen years at Eastern, the Class of 2017 strikes me as easily one of the most cooperative, easiest to work with groups of students.” - Mr. Thompson
“...the people I met and the videos that we made for TV/Media. The worst was getting out on June 22.” - Julian Holmes
“Soccer has been my greatest experience at Eastern. All the close games and great competition throughout the years and playing with my teammates. We were like a family, and I enjoyed every moment of my high school soccer career.” -Vinnie Padula
June 2017
“The Class of 2017 has a collection of personalities, achievers, and patriots -- Godspeed.” - Mr. Kennedy
“The class of 2017 should never forget how easy it was to lose yourself and how easy it was to overcome certain positive and negative obstacles. High school should be a reminder of that search for change and growth, in hopes to find any parts of ourselves that we’ve lost or never searched for.” - Shruti Dave
“It’s hard for me to say goodbye to the Class of 2017 because they are an incredible group of students. They procrastinate WAY TOO MUCH...but...the end result is always worth it. For the first time in a long time graduation will be hard for me.” - Mrs. McBride
Advice for Underclassmen from Someone Who Survived By JEN GLASS ‘17 Voyager Staff Reporter
Dear underclassmen, Congratulations! You have survived another year of high school. A special congratulations to the juniors. You have officially made it to your senior year. How does it feel? Stressful? Surreal? Yeah, I feel you. To my lovely juniors, I wish someone had told me this before I started senior year: your senior year does not have to be magical and perfect. Seriously. Senior year is full of “lasts” and “finallys” and “overs,” and there is an immense amount of pressure to have a perfect senior year. Between spirit week, banquet, prom, and senior trip, there are a plethora of special events hosted for you. As your last goaround at Eastern, there will be an aura of sentimentality around your activities that previously did not exist. Social media exacerbates this; posts flood your timeline, recording events until the end. My biggest piece of advice is to ignore the urge to make your senior year perfect. Sometimes, things will not go your way. Your sports team has a losing season. Your plans for prom pictures fall apart. You
study hard for a test you get a C on. But hey, listen: that’s life. You’ve dealt with these kind of things for the past three years before this. You bounced back then by trying hard on your next endeavor--and that’s what you should do now. Your senior year won’t be perfect, so just focus on having one that is fulfilling. Additionally, senior year is not the breezy year you may be imagining in your head. The beginning of senior year is considered by many to be the hardest part of high school. If you participate in AP classes, you are probably taking more your senior year than any other year; as you continue to complete your most advanced schoolwork, you worry about applying to college. This mixes to create a cocktail of stress. After sending in your applications in December, you will breathe a sigh of relief; until then, keep your nose to the grindstone and keep yourself organized. Don’t forget that lots of colleges require a final grade report and some even ask for a mid-year report as part of your application! When I tried to think of things to tell underclassmen, floods of cliches rushed my mind. However, there is a reason cliches continue to persist. If something is repeated over and over, there is usually some sort of truth to it. I remember being an 8th grader and hearing over and over to take freshman
year seriously. It’s hard to put this in perspective; when you’re fresh out of middle school, your fourteen-year-old self is more focused on finding your history class then imagining college prospects. If you ever feel like freshmen or sophomore year grades aren’t important, just take a survey of the senior class. Only when you hear the regret seeping into voices of seniors who could not pull their GPA out of the weeds will you understand. Your work now is the easiest it will ever be. Enjoy it and build strong study habits. Eighteen-year-old you will be so, so grateful. Stop living your life for other people. Stop living your life for Snapchat and Instagram. Stop doing activities just because your friends are doing them. Stop dressing ways you don’t like. Stop feeling pressure to be anything but yourself. It took me until sophomore year to first realize this. It took me until junior year to start implementing it. It took me until senior year to really internalize it. Don’t be like me. High school is a pressure cooker: I get that. Focus on being the happiest you that you can possibly be under the circumstances. The only way you can do it is by really, truly being yourself. Take advantage of high school while you have it. Participate. Find a club or sport that excites you and throw yourself into it.
If there’s nothing for you, find a passion outside of Eastern’s walls: volunteering, dancing, hiking, whatever it may be. Take solace in not having a tuition bill plaguing your mind. Learn as much as you can, whether it’s in the classroom or from those around you. Listen and be attuned with the world you live in. Try to have as much fun as possible in high school, but do not be stressed if this world is not for you. There is so much out there, so much life to take in for every student beyond these walls. Make the most out of your four years while still knowing there is a big, big world and you have seen very little of it. My last piece of advice: I am an eighteenyear-old girl. I have figured out my corner of the world to the best of my ability, but I am about to be thrown into a completely new world, one with 20,000 new faces and names and adventures and situations and problems. As quickly as I thought I had figured things out, I will start right at the bottom again. But there will be 5,000 new freshmen in the exact same boat as me; there will be sophomores, juniors, and seniors facing their own unique challenges. When you feel like the weight of the world is all too much, just remember: nobody else has this “life” thing figured out either.
June 2017
SENIOR EDITION
Class of 2017’s Unsung Heros
The Voyager 5
The Silent Star of the Stage By KAITLIN McGEE ‘17 Voyager Staff Reporter
Eastern is known for its amazing performers and performances, with this year’s production of Les Miserables winning The Paper Mill Playhouse’s award for Outstanding Overall Production of a Musical. What often goes unnoticed are the people that work hard behind the scenes to make the show possible, like that of senior Penelope Murzenski. Since third grade, theater has been a part of Murzenski’s life, with her working in a variety of positions: performer, spot light operator, deck crew, dresser, assistant stage manager, and stage manager. In just the past three years, Murzenski has worked in fourteen different productions. It wasn’t until sophomore year that Murzenski realized her place in the theater was behind the scenes. Through Eastern’s productions, Murzenski realized her passion for stage managing, so much so that in the future she hopes be a stage manager on tour with a band. Murzenski was the stage manager of Eastern’s recent production, Les Miserables. As stage manager, she had to make sure everything fell into place. Murzenski said, “Stage managers are always on their feet… During shows we are in charge of making sure the lights and sound effects happen when they’re supposed to. While it may not be as physically demanding as performing, the time and organization spent on the rehearsal process and the running of the show can be pretty demanding.”
This year, all of Murzenski’s work paid off, with her being nominated for two awards for her stage managing. According to her, she is most proud of getting into the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University where she will be attending college in the fall.
Boy Meets Gov: the Real World
Photo Supplied
Penelope Murzenski prepares in the back of the house for a performance of Les Misérables in March.
Beyond Just An Officer
The officers for the class of 2017 have In addition to helping plan every senior worked hard to make the high school event that goes on at Eastern, Santos experience the best it could possibly be, spends her time in working at Oki Maki, in addition to the other activities they have participating in ESCAPE club, Interact, besides student government. Senior Rachel National Art Honors Society, Spanish Santos is one of Honors Society, the students who and playing works hard, both soccer. for our class and Soccer is a big for the school. part of Santos’ Santos has life. She said, been the co“My biggest secretary with accomplishment Abby Varner for in soccer was two years. Santos honestly having said, “Being a any playing time at member of student all. I was surprised government is a lot I could be on the of work, but also field with a player highly rewarding. like Amirah Ali.” Officers become According to informed of the Santos, she gives school’s activities 110% on the field and have a and tries to be a voice regarding role model for E a s t e r n ’ s younger players. Photo Supplied policies.” With her exerciseRachel Santos dribbles the ball at an Santos and the EHS girls soccer game. induced asthma, other officers Santos said she “had were able to bring back Spirit Week field to work twice as hard to keep up.” events and met with administrators to For college next year, Santos will be prevent the parking problems for next year. attending the University of Pittsburgh for Santos said, “Spirit Week was one of our Neuroscience and Chemistry, where she most time consuming endeavours. Despite hopes to continue playing soccer, even if being shorthanded on volunteers, we had a it’s not at the varsity level. handful of talented artists and dedicated students and other officers who stayed after to work extensively on the wall.”
Continued on page 11
By JARED GANS ‘17 Editor-in-Chief Hello, Class of 2017, Eastern High School, and anyone who has read my articles for the past three years. It’s me, the boy in Boy Meets Gov. I am sad to say after serving as a columnist for The Voyager as a sophomore, junior, and senior, this will be my final one for this newspaper. With this being my final piece, I want to share how this column came to be. It all happened on the second day of class my sophomore year. Having come into class on day one having just one friend, I decided to be quiet in the class and stay with my shyness. However, on day two, each new student met with each editor to share ideas for each section: sports, entertainment, and news. However, opinion and commentary were not part of it. The last person I met with was the thenEditor-in-Chief, Morgan. I told her of my interest in politics, and she asked if I wanted to write a political column each month. I was not aware someone who had one had graduated the previous year. Morgan told Molly, the News Editor, and Mr. Bowne of the idea, and they liked it. I accepted. The next part was trying to think of a good title for my series of articles that would catch people’s attention. After floating around a few titles, I realized what the purpose of my columns would be: to teach political lessons and to give warnings about certain current events. I decided to base the title off of a show I watched growing up which taught me a lot of important lessons about life Boy Meets World. Of course I could not just take the name exactly, and the name didn’t fully cover what topics I’d cover. And thus, Boy Meets Gov was born. I tried to cover all types of topics to inform about what is going on in the world, why it matters, and how it affects us. I combined my liberal view of politics with the facts to reach my conclusions. I always tried to make them as logical as possible. Of course, it is simply impossible to present an opinion everyone agrees with. Now it’s often hard to find facts everyone agrees with. However, I always looked to use facts and history to my advantage, so even if some did not agree with my conclusions, they at least partly understood the logic of a liberal take on events. Since this is my last column, and I will not be covering a certain issue with this one, I want to go over the top lessons from my columns of the past years. Time to take a walk into the past… Stronger together This was the slogan of Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and she was right. Our current
political climate is more divided than any time since the Civil War. Instead of it being between the North and South, it is between Democrats and Republicans. Today we are seeing more extreme views on both sides of the spectrum than before. Accordingly, this makes it harder to compromise than most times in our history. However, it is not impossible, even if it seems to be. In 2013, Senator Ted Cruz read children’s books in Congress to stop Obamacare while the government faced looming shutdown. This year, Democrats worked with Republicans to prevent a shutdown, when they could have filibustered. This is not a statement about Democrats and Republicans but are examples of partisanship and bipartisanship, the latter which is needed more than ever. Voters must turnout In 2014, voter turnout was at a historic low for the midterm elections. This can not continue. No matter what topic they covered, my articles were meant to show politics matters, and it will affect everyone one day, even if it doesn’t right now. Those who do not participate in democracy are doomed to face its flaws. There is nothing more to say. “Mainstream media” - a necessity Okay, I will fully admit it. The media is biased. There. I said it. Although, this can not be an excuse to declare anything it says as false or skewed. Yes, I can almost guarantee you will not find some slanted view when giving facts, but facts are facts. This goes along with political awareness. The way to know what is true is to be smart and think logically, not just calling anything MSNBC, FOX, or ABC says as fake news. There are plenty of liberal-biased news stations, but there are many conservativebiased ones too. Just because more liberals go into the media does not mean non-liberals are not biased. Just because a bias exists does not mean total lies and fake facts will accompany it. Fairness to all My most important lesson, which I follow with all of my social and economic views, is being fair to everyone. Fair to the majority. Fair to minorities. Fair to the aggressors. Fair to the victims. Fair to the everyone. This is the key to everything. It is why we oppose the travel ban. It is why we support cheaper tuition for college. It is why happiness is what we care about most of all. I now move on to take on a more “real” world. It is a much bigger world to step into, but I must step boldly and continue to share. Be open to more opinions. College should be the time for this, not fewer ones. I have enjoyed this month after month and will miss this column very much. - Jared
SENIOR E
6 June 2016
Best Dancers
Most Liked by Parents Sam Taufer
Shay Smith Rayan Masamvu
Most Likely to Wear Shorts in a Blizzard
Eddie Taufer
Most Aesthetic Instagram
Brooke Stafford
Matt Wilson
Jeremiah DiBease
Most Interesting Sneeze
Most Accident Prone Renee Le
Seth Dasta Kayla Somers
Rachel Shea
Dylan Orloff
EDITION
The Voyager 7
Most Likely to Cry at Graduation Armen Mardikian
Kayla Somers
Most Likely to Get ID’d at 30
Most Sarcastic
Sophia Caputi
Isaac Rudofker
Funniest Twitter Jen Glass
Sydney Snyderman Jared Gans
Sam Costanzo
Cutest Couple
Elliot Lewandowski
Hanna Marchewka
r e g a y s o e v V i t e a h l r T 7 e 1 p 0 u 2 S f r o o i s n s e S Cla
8 The Voyager Albright College Brandon Hall Tyler Nicoletto
SENIOR EDITION
Camden County College cont.
Arizona State University
Bailey Keen Emily Mac Stephanie Mariano Nathan Marino Jade Mason Cristel Moncayo Orbe Kyleigh Moore Jeremy Noble Matthew Ober Antonio Pagan Kajal Patel Priya Patel Alexander Podvigin Carley Rettberg Jordan Robb Eric Robinson Jr Michael Santosusso Sidney Speas Diego Valle Zuniga
Bloomfield College
Camden County Technical School
American University Isabel Begelman
Antonelli Institute Madasyn Andrews
Arcadia University Jennifer Amariti Lauren Amariti
Allana Beckman
Mariah Wysocki
Boise State University Ashlyn Masterson
Boston University Alexis Olivia
Pettisani Spina
Anthony Ter-Saakov
Bowie State University Dominic Patterson
Brandeis University Julian Berlin Morgan Chakov
Brigham Young Megan Grabenstein
Brown University Kasey Quicksill
Bucknell University Samantha Taufer
Cabrini University Daniel Merkh
Camden County College
Colin Mccollum Aditya Sarma Anna Tetiuk Christopher Townsend Kira Wright Justyna Zieba Husam Alkaifi Trevor Altmann Remegio Anasco Elizabeth Bailey Nicholas Baylor Daniel Berman Kaileigh Blaker Michael Carmody Emily Carroll Nicholas Catrino Krystina Cobb Brett Cooper Laboriel Copes Skye Crabbe Darrin Cressman Tatiana Davis Anna Destra Briona Deterding-Delcampo Domenic Dicicco Cameron Dubrow Samuel Fitzpatrick Megan Foti Shannon Hart Lauren Hojnowski Ajee Hughes Ashley Igbokidi Christopher Ippoliti Gianna Iuliucci
Savannah Jackson
Karla
D’Ambrosio
Carnegie Mellon University Yamini Nalla
Eastern University
LIM College
Elizabethtown College
Long Island University, Brooklyn
Shelby O’Neill
Cory Freedner
Fairleigh Dickinson University - Florham Vincent Padula Robert Werner Rhett Zeid
Fordham University Alyssa
Rosenberg
Franklin & Marshall College Peter Torok
Gannon University Bavandeep Singh
George Mason University Derrick Wallis
George Washington Case Western Reserve University Hunter Baraldi University Sydney Cohen Lily Zheng
Central Connecticut State University Cooper Cowdin
Chestnut Hill College Kristina Scimone
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania Anya’
Morris
Cleveland State University
Jared Gans Madison Walenda
Alexander Wittbrodt
Georgetown University Meghan Mandi Sahil Patel
Gettysburg College Jennifer Johnson Jordan Pinette
Goucher College Carly
Harowitz
High Point University William Hoffman
Joshua Gershenfeld
DePaul University Gerald Scharlach
Drexel University
Jason Li Gary Bowman Dante Bruzzese Margaret Higgins Julie Kim Hannah Lee Rayan Masamvu Alejandro Mejia Alexander Mount Unzila Mumtaz Irene Nam Allison Prushinski Andrew Rosenthal Mitchell Rothstein Jami Sarker Shubhangi Tyagi
East Carolina University Miguel Oleaga
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Natalya Ter-Saakov
Monmouth University Erin Beach Alexa Berardinelli
Montclair State University Yazmenne’ Archer Hayden Zuber
Moorpark College Meet Dalsania
Neumann University Zachary Ray
New York Institute of Technology Chase Lauer
New York University Danielle Fleming Qingyu Meng Thomas Tai
Northwestern University Ethan Cox Mackenzie Keegan
Northeastern University Bailey Kossow
Norwich University Benjamin Forsman
Nova Southeastern University Rea Ghodasra
Pennsylvania State University
Indiana University at Bloomington
Cornell University
Mujahid
Lauren Caruso Stephen Love
Coastal Carolina University
Mykhel Oppon-Kuntu Cornell University
Fizzah
Jeffrey Leonard
Indiana Tech
Coffeyville Community College
Morgan Cefaratti
Pace University, New York City
Nicholas Passaro Robert Sundstrom
Anthony Caruso Benjamin Einhorn Bianca Funari Koren Levey
June 2017
International Fashion Academy - Paris Rebecca Dahan
Ithaca College Marla Colino
James Madison University
Rylee Booth Andrew Thomas Abigail Varner
Johns Hopkins University Irfan Jamil Edward Taufer
Johnson & Wales University Anthony O’Connell Andrew Smith\
Bridgette Burton
Rachel Bresalier Bryan Gillespie Gerald Joyce Dylan Kalodner Evan Plotnick Lindsay Schneider Nida Zubair
Pensacola Christian College Ruth Bakley
Philadelphia University Cami Hecht
Plymouth State University Cade Regn
Providence College Cassie Kincaid
Kean University
Quinnipiac University
Lehigh University
Rider University
John Purnell
Mason Bitar
Liberty University Alexis Craig
Stephanie O’Connor
Alexis Berthot Louis Priolo Nicholas Viman
June 2017 Ringling College of Art and Design
Ayla Boyd
Robert Morris University
Kristen Burgy Isabella Caputi Jordan Dahan Jon Dewland Gregory Giovannini William Huang Brendan Joyce Jaymin Kang Christianna Kuznetsova Anuska Lahiri Elliot Lewandowski Max Malmud Penelope Murzenski Daniel Nakhla Akaash Patel Anjali Patel Rutu Patel Shivani Patel Zarif Rahman PranavRamesh Alexis Roustas Amber Soffer Sophia Thai Diana Tran Brian Veit
Mckenzie Hiltwine Ryan Stauffer
Rochester Institute of Technology Justin Nauta
Rowan College at Burlington and Gloucester County Liam Egenton Brian May Ahmet Ozkan Jonathan Shaw John Albarracin Milad Askari Victoria Bettelli Basil Blair Samual Costanzo Keyaira Dorsey Cassidy Juraniec Alyssa Lafferty Marisa Middleman Erin Naulty Spencer Perez Yaliah Rodriguez Mikaela Rogers
Rowan University David Sung Tamin Alyounes Lavanya Arivalagan Aaron Bradley Steven Brodzik Alexander Caruso Jennifer Civatte Cara Deaugustine Camila Espina Kyle Fisher Michael Frank Darren Gibson Jaden Grisso Briana Gutierrez Julian Holmes Noah Hyson Anthony Luliano Andrew Jurski Alana Kowal Cailey Lafferty Megan Lydic Armen Mardikian Tyler Miller Juliana Murcia Molano Bryce Nelson Justin Pabon Akshar Patel David Porrini Amanda Schneck Kevin Slack Kelly Sullivan Julina Viman Steven Wallach Wanying Wei Frank Ziegler
Rutgers University Camden Brittany Alexander Bridget Benfield Alexis Cooper Kayla Dale Zachary Debs Megan Del Mundo Jacob Fulton Audrey Johnson Joseph Johnson David Kerr Tammy Lau Jennifer Le Rebecca Lewis Donald Mcmullin Rocio Ochoa Iglesias Heather Quaile Kevin Ross Jr. Melanie Rousseau Alexa Sanchez Rachel Shea Seki Son Citlally Torres Sophia Troccoli Christopher White
Rutgers University New Brunswick Kautik Agrawal Amirah Ali Anuska Ball
The Voyager 9
SENIOR EDITION Rutgers University New Brunswick cont.
Temple University cont. Kunti Patel Kaio Peixoto Christopher Rinaldi Spencer Rochman Jacob Steinsaltz Sean Trambadia
The Art Institute of Philadelphia Arianna Baback
The College of New Jersey Mariam Adebiyi Jacob Boyd Jenna Carnival Seth Dasta Devon Eddis Amanda Kerr Jami Levinson Nicole Meskin Katie Ramdial Destini Stevens Tamika Voltaire
The University of Alabama
Tulane University
Gabriel Lebold Kaitlin Mcgee Natalie Schmidt Nicole Stephens
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shaun Davis
Southeastern University Ashton Davis
Stevenson University Jamir Wilson
Mathew Wilson
Stockton University Darah Backal Samantha Bralow Curtis Brown Morgan Burns William Cowan Julian Cuttino Michael Fair Haley Gaskill Braden Hawcroft Lillian Long Hanna Marchewka Lauren Mauri Priscilla Merlino Samantha Nowicki Santino Rizzo
Stony Brook University Kaela Sierra
SUNY Maritime College Mark Shekhter
Syracuse University Jordyn Abrams Jonathan Cohen Stone Garber Jennifer Glass Isaac Rudofker
Temple University Sophia Caputi Kaushal Dave Priyanka Joshi Zachary Kane Drew Levin Abhinav Lingamaneni Anuneet Mehta Carly Moyle Archana Mupparapu Anthony Passaro Janki Patel
Bryce Dixon Paige Meade
University of the Pacific Kendall Bromley
University of the Sciences in Philadelphia Brynn Soler Olivia Zakaria
University of Valley Forge Nyla Payton
University of Vermont Carly Soler
Virginia Tech
Eadline
Eve Parker
Seton Hall University
University of South Carolina
Amber
The University of Scranton
Miranda Pilato
Brittany Geis
Kayla Somers
Villanova University
Youstina Jacoub Dylan Kaytes
San Diego State University
University of Richmond
Sydney Snyderman
Saint Joseph’s University The University Christina Barry of the Arts Alyssa Bentz Salt Lake Community College
Mitchell Brown Ariana Manelis Jared Newman
Towson University Brianna Stang
Samantha Rothman
Union College Amanda Ashmen
University of California, Berkeley Ashwin Ramesh
University of Delaware Sophia Castro Brandon Horbiak Jeremy Kuptsow Emily Moy Dylan Orloff Jackson Schade Alessia Severino Ilana Shmukler Neshay Smith
University of Florida Min Bae
University of Louisville Frank Pallante
University of Maryland, Baltimore County Ceyda Baysal
University of Massachusetts, Amherst Caroline Ricciardi
University of Miami Joon Jung Haley Missan Isabelle Tereshko
University of Michigan Brett Fleischer Rahil Patel
University of Mississippi Michael Werner
University of Nevada, Reno Carson Graziano Anthony Murphy
University of Pennsylvania Samantha Pecan
University of Pittsburgh Veronica Alday Karina Goldberg Pragya Goyal Renee Le Rachel Santos
University of Rhode Island
Ashley Thomas
Jason Mazza Shannon Mcelroy
Virginia University of Lynchburg Daniel Brown-Russo Aaric Hawkes Corey Baker
West Chester University of Pennsylvania Joseph Passaro Jessica Weichert West Virginia University Gagnon Luke Bianchini Widener University Billy Light Francesca Saam
Kayla
William Paterson University of New Jersey Matthew Young
Wilmington University Anna
Hileman
Jack Jack
Francesconi Howarth
York College of Pennsylvania
Students Choosing Paths Other than College United States Air Force Yashkumar Patel Mason Laubaugh Taylor Bostic Logan Burns
United States Army Benjamin Cupschalk Anthony Hernandez Quintana Victoria Flores-Laverty Joseph Hodges
Law Enforcement Robert Barrett
United States Marine Corps Amanda Nieves Bryan Leeds Wyatt Williams
United States Navy Christian Lewis Wasam Mehmood Adam Randazzo Destiny Mcdowell Shweta Patel Alexus Ruffin Robert Volkman
Israel Defense Force Rom Kateb
Powerback Rehab Dietary Aide Zachariah White
Returning to ELA Cearra Trent
10 The Voyager
SENIOR EDITION
June 2017
The most common disease among seniors: Senioritis By BEN FORSMAN ‘17 Voyager Staff Reporter A disease spreads throughout Eastern towards the end of every year. Typically, it mostly affects the senior class, but it affects others throughout the school as well. This disease, senioritis, is extremely common and highly contagious. While this may be seen as preachy from me, I understand the struggle of senioritis, since I am being forced to write this piece, and if it was up to me, I would be sleeping instead. Senioritis may have had a large impact on this class, yet not as big an impact as the immense workload given to this graduating class. If the seniors received less work gradually, they would be more likely to actually complete it. As I’m writing this, I want everyone who is reading to listen to the “Mask Off” remix with Kendrick Lamar. I think overall Kendrick’s verse is pretty good, but he should have said the lines with more force.
Back to the main topic, senioritis is a huge disease seen throughout not only Eastern but with every high school. This kid at Cherry Hill West named RJ has a problem with focusing. He doesn't have ADHD or anything but whenever we are hanging out or doing anything he gets easily distracted. For example, this one time we were chilling at our other friends house, and he saw this long stick, and in the middle of our conversation, he tried pole vaulting with it. The lack of motivation to do work is the main cause of this corrupting disease. When the latter half of the year begins and students are already accepted into colleges, they believe it is unnecessary to do work anymore as they have already achieved all that they need to in high school. To be honest, I completely understand this sentiment. I honestly can’t remember the last time I did work in half of my classes. I think I haven’t done my Prob and Stat homework since the second week of school. I gotta check with Mrs.
Fashion transforms through high school By ALLANA BECKMAN ‘17 Voyager Staff Reporter
Do you remember what you wore coming into Eastern for the first time freshman year? Yeah, neither do I. When it comes to high school fashion, everybody loves talking about those classic, comfy, cute, and essential pieces. It is indeed important to know how to build your wardrobe over the years of school. Yoga pants kickstarted in eighth grade. Now, girls wear athletic spandex-type leggings rather than cotton Victoria’s Secret yoga pants. These spandex leggings were common around junior year where they were printed with crazy designs and in bold colors. The trend has mostly subsided, and since, girls have worn black leggings. Jeans used to be uncomfortable from middle school to sophomore year. But they started getting comfier and more stylish over the years. The jean trend in junior year was plain jeans cuffed at the
bottom, high top converse or vans, and socks underneath that came up just near the jeans. Senior year, the style turned into completely ripped up jeans. Recently, the trend of open back shirts and off-the-shoulder shirts are in. Also, the trend of the lace-up front-of-the-shirt connected to the collar look is popular. The “comfy” trend right now is a baggy t-shirt, athletic shorts, and flip flops or birkenstocks. Freshman and sophomore year, the trend seemed to move to just leather boots and small black lace-up combat boots. Junior and senior year, the trend completely flipped. Sneakers were in. This trend is comfortable and affordable. Necklaces junior and senior year brought back chokers from the 90s. “Letter necklaces,” with your initials on it, are also common right now. To the young designers of the graduating class who have the ambition to be in fashion and evolve beyond it, good luck in future endeavors.
Psych Speaks: Senioritis By DIYA GOYAL ‘17 Editor-in-Chief As senior year comes to a close, the level of senioritis increases. The amount of work decreases, the amount of absentees increases, and the overall percentage of “not caring” skyrockets past one hundred percent. And as great as senioritis is for seniors in high school, it is not so great when we once again become the small fish in a big pond as freshmen in college. To put it bluntly, professors will not deal with laziness and careless attitudes. If they see you not caring, they will not care either, which will essentially translate to a zero. Staying focused is a good way to avoid high school senioritis turning into college freshmanitis. Focus on getting a good GPA from the get go. Another good way to avoid senioritis in college is to create a schedule, and stick to
it. Following a schedule will help you finish your assignments on time, as well as let you pencil in time for more extracurriculars and free time. Stay active. Your willpower isn’t the only thing that needs exercise. Keeping active gets your blood flowing, and helps you become more focused. Thus, it helps you complete the tasks you need to get done. Continuing to work out on a regular basis will also give you more mental strength to get your assignments done The moral of this story: don’t let senioritis carry into your freshman year of college. College is a fresh Photo supplied start. Leave your slacker thoughts behind and work your tail off in the classroom. Starting with a good GPA is a great way to stay motivated and to aim higher and higher each new semester.
Vaccaro. Many of those facing senioritis were originally hard working, dedicated students. It seems that previous hardworking students, who have begun slacking off, are the most noticeable. In fact, I was talking to my former AP English III teacher and current journalism teacher, Mr. Bowne, the other day and he said, “Can you bring the junior year Ben Forsman back?” Although I don’t feel like I’ve changed that much, I could see his point. He wanted me to buckle down and actually do work. Now I am writing this. The main focus for every senior afflicted with senioritis is not to fix it now. It is
already too late for that to happen. What everyone in this class needs to make sure of is that senioritis and flat out laziness do not affect them in their future; senioritis cannot follow graduating seniors if they desire to be successful.
Photo supplied by Jen Glass ‘17
(From left to right) Seniors Ayla Boyd, Carly Soler, Jen Glass, and Erin Beach pose for a picture on college shirt day.
Merkh Factor: Farewell By DAN MERKH ‘17 Voyager Staff Reporter
As Geoffrey Chaucer once said, “all good things must come to an end.” Writing for the Voyager has been an excellent career for my last two years of high school and is probably among the reasons why I’ll remember junior and senior years so vividly. I have attempted to bring change to the Voyager and clean up the excesses of the left-wing biases on the staff. I will say that, like most if not all statesmen, I did not achieve that dream and maybe now that we have that man in the White House, I might not see anything like that until maybe the late 2020s if not into the 2030s. However, I’m still glad that I managed to ensure that everyone has received some enlightenment and that at least people now know my name. I will now be attending Cabrini University as part of their Class of 2021. I didn’t get accepted to American University because they didn’t have any room for me, and neither did I get into Harvard because it is a stuck-up elitist Democrat school that tolerates nothing even faintly right-wing. I almost went to Arcadia University, but the only reason I didn’t is because they didn’t have the classes for a History and
Political Science major. One of my plans for the future is to revitalize the true essence of what the Republican Party should be. At some point before 2020, I will establish a student activist organization that will one day convert the RINO (Republicans in Name Only) Establishment into what the people want it to be. The new organization’s name will be The Students for a Republican Society (SRS). After I leave Cabrini, I don’t know what I’ll plan on doing other than start repaying the $100K plus interest that I’ll have accumulated. I might go into the Peace Corps, and be sent to some place abroad in maybe Africa or Asia, although I hope not anywhere with Boko Haram or in the Middle East. I might go to American or Harvard University for graduate school. My plan for what I’ll do in life between the ages of 22 and 29 are fuzzy. In 2032, when I’m going to be 33, I will run as a Republican Party candidate for the New Photo supplied Jersey seat in the United States Senate. I expect that by 2036 I’ll be a nationwide face. I’ll then be able to run for President. If I’m successful at that and am reelected, I will retire in 2045 at the age of 45 years and 359 days. After that, only the Lord knows what I’ll do.
June 2017
SENIOR EDITION
Continued from page 5
Tyler Miller: Unsung Heroes Eastern is home to many talented athletes, each with something that makes them stand out from the rest. One senior at Eastern, Tyler Miller, does just that through his compassion and optimism on the track and how he’s always there for his teammates when they need a reason to smile. Miller has been running track for seven years, but it wasn’t until he joined track freshman year that he found his home. “Track is important to me because [when I joined] it was the first time I felt like I belonged somewhere,” Miller said. According to Miller, his teammates are his family. During the season they would spend three hours a day practicing together and on weekends, with meets, they would spend almost the entire day together. Due to the team’s small size and amount of time they got to spend together, Miller was able to bond with everyone. Senior Dylan Orloff met Miller during spring track of freshman year and has been his friend ever since. Orloff said, “[Tyler] always wants the best for everyone and the team isn’t the same without him. Even on days when we had tough workouts or we were nervous for a race, it was impossible to be in a bad mood around him. He makes being on the team more enjoyable.” Miller is a friend to any who need him, both on and off the track. According to Orloff, Miller is a person who always
Photo supplied by Tyler Miller ‘17
makes others laugh and with him there’s never a dull moment. Orloff said, “He cares deeply about those who are closest to him… you won’t find a more loyal friend.” While Miller enjoyed his time running track at Eastern, when he attends Rowan University in the fall for computer science, he won’t be running track anymore. Eastern may be losing a student, but the world will be gaining a friend.
The Voyager 11
Zachary Kane: Unsung Heroes Eastern’s music programs are ones riddled with success, with indoor drumline winning the Atlantic Coast Championship for the past two seasons, and the marching band breaking a school record for their performance during the 2016-2017 season. There are many faces behind Eastern’s musical success, one of those faces being that of Senior Zachary Kane. Kane has been playing for Eastern since freshman year. He has been in marching band for four years, indoor drumline for three years, pit orchestra for the musical for two years, and wind ensemble playing trumpet for four years. Beyond just playing for Eastern, Kane has been the drum major for marching band since junior year. Kane said, “The greatest part was being able to watch the show evolve and progress Photo supplied by Zach Kane ‘17 throughout the season,” he said, “as well as watch the band advance from the Zachary Kane playing the keyboard. start of my first year as drum major to the final show of my senior year.” with them, they have changed my life.... Outside of playing for Eastern’s bands, Nothing is more rewarding than that Kane has a band with his friends that he feeling of, as they say in their mission has been playing with for three years. He statement, ‘serving up hope’ and making plays a variety of instruments in addition a difference in someone else’s life.” to trumpet: piano, bass, and guitar. Kane In the fall of 2017 Kane will be also has been recording and producing attending Temple University for music music on his own for the last two years. technology where he hopes to continue While Kane’s passion is music, he playing music and make a difference volunteers for Cathedral Kitchen in his along the way. free time. Kane said, “Just by working
12 The Voyager
SENIOR EDITION
June 2017