Newspaper: December 2018

December 2018

voyager-online.org

Volume XLV

Eastern Regional High School

1401 Laurel Oak Road

Third Edition

Voorhees, NJ 08043

Interact members host Santa Brunch By SASHA TUDDENHAM ‘20 Staff Reporter

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Former students in college dorms Page 3

Christmas, through the eyes of Jewish people

Page 9

usting off the Santa hats and ugly Christmas sweaters, Eastern Interact students volunteered to add a little magic to foster kids’ holidays during the annual “Breakfast with Santa.” Two of the teachers who lead Interact, Mrs. Molloy and Mrs. Walker explain, “It feels like we’ve always been involved! The brunch has been put on for over 20 years and the goal is to give joy to foster and adoptive families.” The brunch was definitely a success. Eyes bright and smiles wide, all the children lit up when they saw the piles of donuts and heaps of presents just for them. Full of awe and excitement, every single kid jumped for joy when they saw Santa. Jolly as ever, he handed out candy canes to each child and made sure to pose for a picture with the whole family. Parent Ted Liddell has brought his kids at least six times as he said, “It’s what Christmas is all about, spreading the love. It’s awesome to see so many high school students volunteering to help displaced children during the holidays.” His family wore matching black T-shirts with gold sparkle snowflakes and lettering calling themselves “the wild ones.” After picking a present, kids sprinted

Mrs. LeMunyon and her kids, Lucas, 3 and Mila, 1 enjoy time with Santa Photo by Sasha Tuddenham ‘20 during the Interact Breakfast. from the Santa room in the cafeteria to two giant bouncy castles filled the room the gym full of games. A bean bag toss, as Jingle Bell Rock and Santa Claus is two basketball games, bowling, and Continued on Page 3

Holiday craft show lifts spirits for the Class of 2019 By JESSICA BONAMASSA ‘19 Opinion Editor

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2019 winter fashion trends Page 11

The start of the wrestling season Page 12

INSIDE

Page 2: “Panic” over GPAs Page 3: College dorm life Page 4: The Cupcake Debate Page 5: Holiday Page! Pages 6&7: Teachers in Theater: A Look Back Page 8:New Years Resolutions Page 9: Tear gas for the holidays Page 10: Super Smash Brothers Page 11: Fashion for winter Page 12: Coach Wert takes reins

rom nine in the morning to three in the afternoon, people of all ages and vendors with many different crafts and talents celebrated the spirit of the holiday season in benefit of the Class of 2019. About 800 people gathered at the high school on Saturday, December 1st for the 25th annual craft show. Since 1993, the Project Graduation Craft Show has been wildly successful, bringing in about $20,000 for the senior class. From prizes, great gifts, home decor, food, bake sale goods, and cheer, there’s not much this craft show lacked. After entering the main doors, a table set up at the front of the lobby presented raffle tickets available for purchase. “We go to local businesses and ask for donations through parents and the school,” said current President of the Project Graduation Committee, Lori Raroha. “The winners are announced at the end of the fair by 3:00.” 40 regular tickets were sold for $20, and Grand tickets priced at $10 for 3 tickets. With purchase, tickets could go into the corresponding raffle bags of the baskets of your choosing. Gift baskets present at the craft shows were donated by local businesses, parents, and vendors, with values of the baskets ranging from $50$100. Baskets could be a pair of tickets to a Flyers’ game, movie themed baskets, or anything in between. According to Lori, fifty or so baskets were donated from the community and vendors. “I think the baskets are my favorite part of the craft show because it becomes a community event and they look forward to

A holiday themed display of snowman inspired crafts greets customers in the main lobby. Photo by Jessica Bonamassa ‘19 it,” said Raroha. Vendors buy a space at the show for a rate of $70 for the day and can set up around 6 in the morning. The 137 busy vendors presented a large and varied selection of products that appealed to the any group of people. The show serves as a chance for talented people to showcase their best work and enables great networking opportunities. Many masterminds, including new and veteran crafters, whether it be 13 year old slime entrepreneurs, newfound bakery owners, woodworking masters, skincare gurus, jewelry makers, wreath and Christmas related vendors, or mosaic tile and glass experts all had a comfortable space at Eastern. These vendors lined the halls of the lobby, and covered the entire Gym 4 and 20 cafeteria. Typically, the majority of vendors have goods related to Christmas. In the cafeteria, volunteers and the Project Graduation committee kept busy preparing

and putting out food for the patrons. In the morning, there were bagels, coffee, donuts, muffins, and other breakfast foods sold. For the remainder of the craft show, they put out things like pizza, hoagies, hot dogs, pretzels, and several varieties of drinks and sodas. The Project Graduation craft show has many components to it, requiring lots of preparation, planning, and help from the entire community. The help received, which mainly came in the form of donations, is what made, and always has made the entire event possible. Mrs. Samaha’s Culinary Arts students contributed cookies too, and parents of students, staff members, or anyone interested donated other baked goods. Two tables were filled with an assortment of bags of homemade chocolate chip cookies, brownies, sugar cookies, brownie cookie cake, cupcakes, muffins, and other goods, mainly priced at $1 each. Continued on Page 3

News

2 The Voyager

December 2018

Glitch in PowerSchool causes student “panic” over GPAs By SRISHTI RAMESH ‘19 Online Editor-in-Chief

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or a few panicked days, students opened up PowerSchool and could no longer view their GPAs. The GPAs were returned quickly, but it still left students confused as to why it first happened. “There was a lot of confusion,” said Mr. Susko, the Supervisor of Guidance, “because students were coming down thinking that [the PowerSchool GPA] was their cumulative GPA” and other miscommunications. In truth, the GPA listed on PowerSchool is only representative of the current semester and is a live score, meaning that it updates whenever teachers put in new grades. To possibly prevent this confusion, the GPAs were taken down. The other reason that GPAs were temporarily disabled was due to a glitch in the system, resulting in some GPAs being calculated inaccurately. “Instead of having those GPAs out there incorrect, we wanted to take it down, see if we can work with it and fix it, and in the event that we can, we would consider putting it back up,” said Mr. Susko. GPAs are calculated by Eastern two times a year—after every semester—which are then uploaded to Naviance and are available to for all students to reference. Once they are calculated, they never change. However, besides PowerSchool, there is no other place to view your live

GPA. “Some of the feedback we’ve received was that students were using it as a barometer as how they were doing,” said Mr. Susko. Since there was a glitch, students may have been looking at the wrong number. And despite initial rumors, Mr. Susko confirmed that the removal of the GPAs was not implemented in order to remove competition from the school environment. Although GPAs are back to PowerSchool, many students expressed discontent over not being able to see them, even for a short period of time. “I was surprised when they took them off because I know that students are always checking their GPAs constantly,” said senior Charine Leuterio. “I never thought they were a problem, so it didn’t make sense to me that they would disable them. Students also stated that viewing their GPA was essential for their academic success. “Being able to see my GPA is most definitely beneficial to me as a student,” said senior Brandon Goldstein. “My GPA allows me to know exactly where I stand grade-wise with no strings or fluff attached.” “It was slightly bothersome when they removed them,” said junior Pauline Maki. “My GPA keeps me updated and in line. It’s really helpful because it gives me current status on my grades.” She also stated that some people have a routine, and checking their GPA is included in that, so the removal of the GPA could

How often do you check your GPA? How often do you check your GPA?

throw students off. However, some students do not necessarily agree. “It’s nice to see how I’m doing each semester, but because it’s not reflective of my overall cumulative GPA, I don’t find it all that helpful,” said senior Alexa Grabelle. With PowerSchool, a constantly changing GPA could cause stress in a student, but according to Goldstein, he views that stress as an asset rather than a liability. “We need to learn to address our stress now or we will end up like the 42% of adults who say that they are not doing enough or are not sure whether they are doing enough to manage their stress,” he stated, citing a 2014 study by the American Psychological Association. Maki agreed, saying that the stress pushes her to do better. “Yes, my GPA causes me stress,” said Leuterio, “but all grades cause me stress. Even though I don’t like seeing it, I need it to make sure I’m doing well in school.” As most students take their GPA seriously at Eastern, the concern caused by the removal was taken into consideration by the administration, as Mr. Susko said that they were accepting and considering all feedback that they received. Whether or not GPAs are truly useful in helping a student succeed, they are clearly an important part in Eastern’s academic culture, and their return to PowerSchool has caused many to sigh in relief, and move on with their day.

Does your GPA cause you stress?

See more polls about GPAs online at voyageronline.org

What? GPA? Never, really. Who cares? 4.8%

Every now and then Few times a day

Once day Once aaday

27.7%

37.3% andathen AEvery fewnow times day What? GPA? Never, really. Who cares?

30.1%

Polls taken of students on Google forms

Students on GPA Last year, I realized I was stressing too much about GPA (thus causing me to lose focus on my love for learning). This year, I do not check my GPA (I have checked it once this year). I have greatly lowered my stress level in regards to school and have opened my life up to more opportunities and happiness. I am very happy with my choices to do so. My love and passion for learning has only grown with my decision to not stress about my grades. - Bryce Dershem ‘21 I think I’m speaking for everybody that when they see 0.250 drop off their gpa they get extremely concerned and often ask questions like: “Oh my goodness, what did I do wrong?” “Oh no please don’t tell me my AP Chem grade dropped!” “No no no no no! What happened!” It’s no surprise that we are all very attentitive when it comes to our grades and when we can’t see an overall performance score on all of the hard work we have been putting in, it’s kind of irritating. - Aryan Chaudhari ‘20 In my opinion, removing the GPA from PowerSchool accomplished nothing. Sure, unfavorable grades may be discouraging, but they can also be used as motivation to improve. If looking at your GPA upsets you, removing that function from PowerSchool is not the solution. Instead, you could either stop using PowerSchool (the purpose of which is to show you your grades) or get studying and fix it. Not to mention we were still able to see our individual grades, which would mirror our GPA’s status. - Jeremy Bender ‘20 I check my GPA all the time as a mark to see whether any grades went down. It’s easier to look at my GPA instead of checking individual classes first to see if my grades change. I check it more than I should. No one is putting grades in on Saturday night at 11:00. It became a bad habit. I sometimes stress over it. - Jessica Bonamassa ‘19

Changes to the PARCC By MATT STEINSALTZ ‘20 Features Editor

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ust as Governor Phil Murphy promised, changes are coming to PARCC, including the name. Although Murphy wanted to eliminate the test completely, he has been unable to deliver. He says it is a “multistep” plan, and it will probably take until at least the 20202021 school year for a replacement to the PARCC test. “They don’t want to have a rushed situation,” said state Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet. Two proposed changes will be voted on by the New Jersey Board of Education in January. The first proposed change deals with the name of the test. The test will now be called the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, and math or english language arts will be added to the name depending on the particular test (NJSLAM or ELA). The major change of the two is the

second proposed change. Freshman and sophomores will be required to take the ELA tests and either the Algebra I, Algebra II, or Geometry test, depending on what math course they are enrolled in. Juniors will not be required to take the test, even if they are enrolled in one of the three math courses. In other words, juniors will no longer have to take the PARCC. Juniors who failed the PARCC will be able to pass the SAT or ACT to fulfil the graduation requirement. Alongside these changes, the test will be shortened. The test will consist of only four units compared to the previous six, and the total test time will be cut from eight to six hours. These changes still have to be voted on and approved, but “if they pass them in January, then they will be applied for this school year,” said Mr. Susko, head of the guidance department. If all goes well in Trenton in January, come this spring, there will be a shorter test for freshman and sophomores and no test for juniors.

Features

December 2018

The Voyager 3

Former students take on college dorms By MAANASI NATARAJAN ‘19 and OLIVIA COVINGTON ‘19 Editor-in-Chief and Features Editor

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or many students matriculating into the college of their choice, dorm life is imminent. While the prospect of sharing space with a roommate and living in a residence hall with their peers excites most students, many feel nervous. They are unsure about whether they will like their roommate or their dorm, and if they will like residential life at all. As Eastern students have gone on to attend Ivy League universities and state schools alike, many went into the process of choosing a dorm with a general idea of what they wanted in their living space. Some had specific stipulations in mind, while others simply looked for a dorm that offered a strong sense of community and an accessible social sphere. Primo Davis, a 2018 Eastern graduate and freshman at Montclair State University, explained that he mainly searched for non-communal bathrooms. “I’d rather share a bathroom with my suitemates than with the entire floor. It’s the difference between sharing with three people or twenty.” Hayley Beluch, a freshman at Kenyon College and a 2018 Eastern graduate, didn’t know what to look for when choosing a dorm. She realized that of all the things she should have been worried about when moving into college, dorm preference should not have been one of them. “Since Kenyon is so small, I knew the college would work to put people where they belonged,” she explained. “Maybe I was being too blindly trustful, but it worked out for me. I love my dorm.” Meanwhile, Ashwin Ramesh, a 2017 Eastern graduate and sophomore at the

University of California, Berkeley, said his main concern was having enough space and the amenities the dorm offered. He offered advice to students who may be struggling with finding a dorm that’s the right fit for them. “If making friends is something you may traditionally struggle a bit with, then I would definitely recommend going for a traditional dorm setup,” Ramesh said. “Normal dorms are super conducive to people meeting each other and becoming friends, whereas with suites, it’s a lot more on you as a person to reach out to others and seek out ways to make friends through clubs and classes.” Davis said that his best tip would be to find a roommate that is easy to get along with. “You’re stuck with them for an entire year. I’ve changed roommates already and I’ve been here a month,” he recalled. Beluch said her best advice would be not to stress out about it too much. “It’s all about figuring out the features that are most attractive to you and prioritizing them,” she added. While it can be hard to adjust to life without parents and the idea of having to become independent, it can be even harder on students to make friends with peers who live in their dorms. Horror stories of horrible roommates can become real-life nightmares for many, and students cross their fingers, hoping that they find friendly faces on their floors. Crystal Osuji, a 2018 Eastern graduate and freshman at Temple University, said she found it hard to make friends with people simply by just living in the dorms. She also recalled that it wasn’t easy to adjust to a new lifestyle in close quarters with others. “Adjusting to dorm life was kind of hard, you have to realize a lot of people are raised differently than you, so a lot of people do different things than you would

Eastern Craft Fair continued from page 1 “The craft show was a lot to put together, but we had someone take charge of the cafe and someone take care of the vendors. I was in charge of the baskets,” said Raroha. Each component of the show contributed to the $20,000 that was raised. “We make most of our money out of the vendors’ space rental rate, the raffle ticket sales, the food that’s sold in the cafeteria, and food from the bake sale. We probably put out $1000 between the basket donations and the food for what wasn’t donated,” she said. The Project Graduation committee mails membership forms home along with other informational packets and forms in the beginning of the school year. The forms are to help out the class for baskets, baked goods, volunteer help for the fair, chaperoning, and the party itself. They also have a table set up at Freshman orientation and a table at Back to School night. Project Graduation this year almost faced its end, as involvement was sufficiently lacking. This year only 150160 membership forms at best were filled

out, though volunteers didn’t always come through. Out of the 3,000 families at Eastern, the lack of interest proved to be troubling. Raroha, mother of a freshman, knew that she needed to step up. “I really feel like it [the craft show] was one of the reasons I signed on. Not just for the kids, but I didn’t want to see this event go away,” she said. Lori is beginning to brainstorm ways to improve parent involvement. Considering Project Graduation is a committee dedicated to the students, she feels communication with them would serve as a more direct outlet to raise their awareness for events and help with turnout. The craft show is the largest event hosted by Project Graduation throughout the year. The turnout each year seems to be quite consistent, and dozens leave with smiles on their faces and their arms filled with bags. Not only does this event help fundraise for seniors for each year, but it has been bringing friends and family together for 25 years.

The craft show is the biggest event hosted by Project Graduation. Photo by Jessica Bonamassa ‘19

do normally,” Osuji explained. Ramesh, who chose suite-style boarding, explained that making friends was a bit tough at first. “People were a lot more closed off in their space than traditional dorm floors where seemingly everyone has their door open. I still met a bunch of great people, it was just a little tougher to do so,” he said. Beluch, meanwhile, had a better experience than she could have imagined in making friends with people in her dorm. She Crystal Osuji works on her homework in her dorm. explained that KenPhoto supplied. yon has each student unique student shouldn’t be. Options are fill out a personality questionnaire, and not limited to dorm life, as many students pair them with dorms that match their make off-campus living arrangements personalities. Hayley was placed in Gund and even commute to and from school as Hall, known to many as the “miscellaa more cost-effective solution to housing. neous nerd dorm” -- and she couldn’t be Regardless of what decisions students happier with where she ended up. make, with growing up and going to col“At first, a lot of us were timid, but lege comes a newfound sense of indepennow Upper Gund is known campus wide dence. And while adjusting to that new as a cult,” she said. “Our camaraderie is lifestyle may be scary at first, students insane...I’m super lucky. I was thrown who choose dorms should not be worried into this dorm, and because of it, I’ve in the least. made a bunch of friends that are always “The biggest thing is to just respect there for me. A lot of the other dorms are other people’s spaces and to learn what super close, but we’ve earned the reputakind of environments best suit your protion as the closest knit dorm this campus ductivity and well-being,” Ramesh said. has.” “As time goes on and you start to figure Although college admissions season that out, dorm life will be a breeze and a can be stressful, finding a roommate and ton of fun.” a living arrangement that is right for every

Interact Santa continued from page 1

Interact members decorate faces of children. to Town blasted through the speakers. One little girl in a bright green elf shirt and red striped leggings started dancing around the hallway when A Holly Jolly Christmas began playing. Interact officer, junior Kendall Jung conveys, “The children always have the most amazing, happy looks. One year, a little girl even dragged me around until we hit every single station!” The interact officers agree that Breakfast with Santa is always a triumph if the students are able to bring joy to the little kids who need cheering up during the holiday season. Jung also mentioned “The kids don’t have a permanent family yet, and we want to give them happy memories, especially during the holidays.” Senior Angelina Le agreed with Jung,

Photo by Sasha Tuddenham ‘20

saying “The kids are all so cute and I love helping out each year. We help bring their family a better holiday!” When the clock chimed eleven, the kids refused to leave. Six year old Joseph, clutching his race car, tried to run to the bouncy castles. Dayton, age eight, made sure to stop by the craft tables to make his best friend a bracelet. Even five year old Arianna waited to get her face painted like a princess. Sophomore Yashfa Nisar explained, “Foster kids don’t really have a normal childhood, and we give them a day just for them to have fun!” Leaving with a hug and a promise to return next year, the children left, exhilarated and full of excitement, for the upcoming holidays.

4 The Voyager

Features

December 2018

The Great Cupcake Debacle: A short history of affirmative action By JULIA KIRK ‘19 Staff Reporter

component of upward economic mobility.” Senator Booker addressed the fact that since Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ruled separate but equal was inherelevision personality John Stosently unequal, immense strides have been sel hosted a racist bake sale in made to create parity between people of December of 2016. Africanall races. He believes that systems like Americans and Latinos could affirmative action should be left in place purchase cupcakes for $0.50. The cost until “every child has the opportunity to for white individuals was $1.00. And for manifest her or his genius.” Asians, the increment trend continued as Some have found this practice to be the total increased to $1.50. a form of reverse discrimination. Senior The demonstration was based off of Mehak Bhasin remarked, “I’m against student-led initiatives to spark the discusit because although the population of a sion of affirmative action at institutions school should be diverse, it takes away such as Bucknell University and The opportunities from those who work hard.” College of William and Mary. Different Affirmative action stereotypes the backprices for different ethnicities highlighted ground of underrepresented groups and the imbalance of race in reference to colyields unfair results in response to indilege admissions processes, as well as in viduals that have a terrific work ethic, but the workforce. are held back The initial concept because of of affirmative action Harvard has been accused of r a c e - c o n was brought to light by John F. Kennedy in discriminating against Asian- scious sys1961, when he signed American applicants in order tems. Having an executive order that to restore the imbalance of been deintroduced the termi- the university’s student body. nied from nology. However, it medical wasn’t until Lyndon B. school twice, Allan Bakke argued he was Johnson took office and the Civil Rights stripped of his right to the equal protecAct of 1964 had been passed that affirmation clause granted in the Constitution in tive action was recognized and enforced. Regents of the University of California v. Affirmative action is designed to remBakke (1978) because of an implemented edy past discrimination and take posiquota system. tive steps to eliminate the grievances of The university had designated a select previous oppression on the federal, state, amount of spots to the medical school for and local government levels. It requires minority applicants. The court ruled that the hiring and promotion of minority the practice of affirmative action was leemployees that represent a general comgally sound in reference to the guarantees position of the population. Additionally, provided by the 14th amendment. The it is incorporated into post-secondary Supreme Court Justices set the precedent schooling to increase campus diversity that affirmative action cannot be estaband present opportunities that bridge the lished through a quota system. It was education gap. considered important to stay away from New Jersey Senator Cory Booker strong racial preference programs besaid, “Educational attainment has hiscause although race is a factor in admistorically been, and continues to be, a key sions, it is not the only factor.

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In Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Peña (1995), the court ruled in a 5-4 decision that all affirmative action cases were to be reviewed with “strict scrutiny.” Because the contractor of a Department of Transportation project received an exuberant compensation for employing small companies that were run by underprivileged individuals, Adarand was not hired as a subcontractor, as the competing business was certified as a minority. This was found to violate the principle of equal protection as it speculated the socially disadvantaged to be comprised of underrepresented groups. In Gratz v. Bollinger (2003), the court struck down on the University of Michigan for instituting a point system that rewarded minorities simply based on their ethnicity. It harmed applicants of predominant races as it was negatively biased towards factors outside of their control. The point system was a mechanism that forced integration of the school, admitting students that may not have deserved their spot on campus through merit, but helped to achieve diversity within the school. Justice Rehnquist described the policy as a “thinly disguised quota,” which led to unjust admission decisions. In Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), the court affirmed the University of Michigan Law School’s admission selections as they promoted affirmative action, but did not incorporate a direct form of a quota. It was suggested that the diversity of the school helped to improve students’ worldviews and prepare leaders to understand the backgrounds of people of all ethnicities. In the majority opinion, Justice O’Connor wrote, “We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary to

Artwork by Karen Le ‘20

further the interest approved today.” The belief is that as conditions improve for minority groups, the practice of affirmative action will no longer be applicable. In recent years, affirmative action cases have flooded the desks of the Supreme Court. Allegations have swarmed even the most elite of institutions. Harvard has been accused of discriminating against Asian-American applicants in order to restore the imbalance of the university’s student body. This case could potentially deviate from affirmative action precedent as Brett Kavanaugh’s recent confirmation has shifted the ideology of the court to conservative. While some viewed Stossel’s bake sale as disrespectful and ignorant, others understood the message it addressed. It opened up a forum for a contested topic over whether affirmative action truly compensates for past oppression, or if it encourages reverse discrimination.

Water sanitation is a serious problem in America Thankfully, Eastern students can rest easy knowing that our water systems ater sanitation problems seem are safe. Before it like a third-world country even travels to our problem, but they happen hallways, the water is everywhere in America. tested and delivered Take for example Flint, Michigan, whose by American Water, water crisis has been going on for years located just an thanks to contaminated taps. What about intersection away those who cannot afford to replace their from Eastern. On old, rusting pipes, thus using tinted water their website, they to brush their teeth? claim that, “We hold They even happen close to home, as ourselves to the such is the case with the New Jersey city highest standards of Newark, starting back in June and in delivering safe, escalating in October. Unfortunately, lead clean, reliable, and service lines contaminated the tap water affordable drinking throughout the city. The tested water had water…” In last year’s up to one hundred and eighty-two parts report, the amount of per billion. lead topped at exactly The United States Environmental fifteen ppb, meeting Protection Agency claims that, in order the legal standards. to update our water systems around Once the water Water cascades over the damn at Kirkwood Lake that becomes one of the tributaries of the the country, an estimated $743 billion arrives at Eastern, the Cooper River. The lake has been cited as polluted from contaimination from the Paint Works site need to be spent. Entire towns, with Photo by Nancy Bowne ‘19 Director of Buildings that once housed the Sherwin Williams paint plant. populations significantly smaller than and Grounds oversees Newark or Flint, need their pipes and our new bottle refilling stations put in tint was actually due to the old water it. The Director, Mr. Judge, has been facilities redone. place last summer. stored in fire hydrants being flushed out, managing our water for ten years now, Water sanitation should never be When asked how our water quality and and simply had to be run until the clarity and when asked if he takes pride in our something students should be concerned cleanliness compared to other schools returned. water system, he replied about when in New Jersey, Mr. Judge stated that So rest assured and refill those water using the The acceptable amount of with a resounding “Yes.” we, “Compare very well with very little bottles, as Eastern’s water is well within Aside from managing facilities at lead in drinking water is issues,” and those that do pop up are the standards. More of the updated the custodians and school, though quickly quelled, such as the incident fountains are actually on their way in, fifteen parts per billion. maintenance work on the strife in where the water in the 300 hallways ran and a total of six will be placed in certain our school’s property, Newark is more orangish-red. Though suspension among spots around the school once the piping Mr. Judge also singlethan enough to kindle worry. the student body was on the pipes, the system is updated to accommodate them. handedly decided on the installation of By NICHOLE HALL ‘19 Staff Reporter

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Features

Holly Jolly Holiday Polls

Affordable and Homemade Gift Ideas By JULIA DODD ‘19 Online Editor-in-chief

If you’re a student and you don’t have a job, it can be hard to pay for christmas gifts for your friends or family. Here are some easy christmas gifts that are either homemade or under $5: ● Mason jar gifts ○ Spa in a jar ○ Hot chocolate mix ○ Sugar scrubs ● Candy bars with a special wrap ● Lump of Coal - rice krispie

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

treats with black food dye Mini bundt cake Hand-decorated ornaments Lip balm Bath bombs State cookie cutters Fuzzy socks Hand warmers Gift wrap caddy Recipe ring Homemade candles Homemade personalized ornaments

The Problems with Buying Pets for Christmas By NICHOLE HALL ‘19 Staff Reporter

dogs and 42% of cats are rehomed due to problematic behaviors. Every year, about 36% of rehomed animals in America Every child at some point has dreamed are given to shelters—according to The of rushing down the stairs on Christmas Humane Society, that’s 8 million animals. Day to find a furry friend waiting for Of those 8 million, 3 million will be them under the tree. The initial surge euthanized. Most Christmas-bought pets of emotion is immense; tears flowing are also impulse buys; parents who just forth, cuddling the animal to near death, want to amaze their kids with a figure-itthe parents joyfully taking pictures to out-later mentality. This means they’ve show off on Facebook, and the echoing barely researched what they’re buying screams of unbridled excitement. Those and will be unprepared for both shortkids can’t wait to show their friends term and long-term. their new family member! Once the pet is at your The animal itself, while house during the holidays, undoubtedly a little Every year, about it’s new home can be less startled, is grateful for 36% of rehomed than inviting. With far-off a new home with happy animals in America family coming to visit, owners. are given to houses tend to be crowded Unfortunately, there are and filled with parties. shelters. reasons this childhood While celebrating winter fantasy of yours never break is fun to you, the came true. According to Petfinder and the new pet is terrified of the commotion. Animal Welfare Society of Monroe, the After all the hullabaloo of the holidays upsetting truth is that the animals gifted is over and kids and parents return to to people as surprises have a higher their normal schedules, the once new and rate to be given away to other families, exciting addition to the family becomes surrendered to animal shelters, or, in just another mundane thing that needs to extreme cases, abandoned. be fed and cleaned. There are many reasons as to how the If someone in your life truly wants to possible end results are so far from the buy an animal for Christmas, just make beginning reactions. The new pet may sure they are prepared with knowledge, have been picked from its litter solely motivation, and supplies. Animals are for its looks without a thought to its wonderful additions to any home; if you temperament. According to the American shower them with attention and love, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to they’ll sure to give that positive energy Animals (ASPCA)’s website, 47% of back.

What to Do in the Area Over the Holidays

Ice Skating in Dilworth Park

The Dilworth Park ice skating rink is open until February 24, 2019. This scenic rink allows skaters to take in skyline views of Philadelphia and beautiful City Hall. Guests to the park can also visit pop-up cabins around the rink, including a Wintergarden.

Franklin Square Holiday Festival and Electrical Spectacle Holiday Light Show Franklin Square is a popular attraction for both tourists and Philadelphia residents alike, and the holidays make this already beautiful sight even more spectacular. The Holiday Festival, open until December 31st, allows viewers to take in the Electrical Spectacle light show, along with twinkling lights and festive music. The square also features holiday shopping, dining, and themed events for all ages.

Christmas Village in LOVE Park

Perhaps the Christmas Village in LOVE Park in the center of Philadelphia is one of the city’s most celebrated traditions. Open until December 24th, this European-style Christmas market is perfect for a date night, a family day out, an activity with friends, or even a nice spot to walk around to get away from the bustle of the city for a bit. The village sells Christmas-themed items along with warm drinks and finger foods, making it a fun holiday activity!

A Longwood Christmas at Longwood Gardens

Longwood Gardens takes the theme “Tree Reimagined” to a whole new level. Longwood Gardens’ heated, four-acre conservatory hosts free and ticketed performances during “A Longwood Christmas.” The trees and greenery of the gardens are glimmering with holiday lights, and the water in the fountains dances to festive music. Make sure to check out this attraction before it leaves the Gardens before January 6th! Compiled by Maanasi Natarajan ‘19

The Voyager 5

By EVELYN STEELE ‘21 and CYNTHIA MEAS ‘21

Favorite Holiday Songs The Christmas Song

10% 15% 20%

Santa Baby

10%

5% 10%

30%

A Holly Jolly Christmas Mistletoe Justin Bieber All I Want for Christmas is You Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree White Christmas

Most Popular Holiday Traditions

Family Gatherings Decorating the house Looking at holiday lights Mass/Litergy Christmas caroling Watching holiday specials Hiding a pickle Snow tubing

Artwork by Ryan Ems ‘19

Favorite Holiday Movies Grinch Nightmare Before Christmas

20%

17%

Elf

10%

15% 20%

A Christmas Story National Lampoon's

13%

Home Alone

Which do you say? Hot cocoa 20% Hot chocolate 80% Pee•can 65% Pe•kon 35% Car•a•mel 40% Car•mel 60%

Artwork by Cynthia Meas ‘21

December 2018

Favorite Holiday Foods 50

45%

40 30

30% 20%

20 10 0

5% Hot Christmas cookies chocolate

Ham

Candy canes

6 December 2018

Coach Heilig By JESSICA BONAMASSA ‘19 Opinion Editor

Practically born into the show business with her mom as a rockette, Mrs. Heilig performed on stages across the country as a cast member for Saturday Night Live and the award-winning play Annie. She had an agent in New York City that introduced her to skits with SNL, and after performing for them once, they couldn’t get enough. “I ended up being

one of the main roles in the skit, then they kept calling me for different parts.” She played Mr. Tea’s daughter in a Mr. Tea skit and other roles in a bell telephone skit. Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, and Lily Tomlin were just a few famous figures Mrs. Heilig recalls being performing skits with. Mrs. Heilig’s involvement in Annie brought her to St. Louis, Detroit, Washington D.C., Toronto, Boston, and Los Angeles. “The people that I met, it gave me a great deal of confidence,” she said. Heilig believes her confidence and public speaking skills are assets she learned from show business. Despite such a journey in performance and theatre, Mrs. Heilig knew that she was destined for other things. “I had some let downs, and I knew that I didn’t want to do it for the rest of my life. I found sports and it’s almost as if I found a new life. That stuff has molded me into the person that I am. It’s a part of my past that defines me in a lot of ways,” she said.

Mr. D’Antonio By JACOB SAFIER ‘20 Features Editor English teacher, Mr. D’Antonio’s love for theatre can be seen through his years at Voorhee Middle School, where he took part in the plays. He also did summer theatre with the Voorhees Theatre Company. At Eastern, he always auditioned for the fall play, but was only casted for main parts in his

freshman and se still participated all 4 years. The from [my] typic

Mrs. Pomerantz By JULIA KIRK ‘19 Staff Reporter Mrs. Pomerantz was introduced to the music world when she

picked up the recorder at the age of eight. From there she transitioned to the bassoon, joined marching band, and took part in theater. She recalls watching the stars in her school’s production of I Remember Mama and thinking, “I could play their roles better.” When describing the way performing has shaped her life, Mrs. Pomerantz said, “it’s with me on a cellular level.” Performing has been integral to shaping her character and establishing her dedication.

“It’s an escape from my usual academic classes. I don’t have any classes that allow me to paint (or anything that’s not writing) on the regular, so it’s nice to have an allotted slot in my afternoon to do stuff like that.” – Karen Le ‘20

“Theater helped me become a more confident person and it was a lot of fun. It’s stuff that you do in high school that you will never do again.” -Mr. Colton

“Theater brings together people from different backgrounds, interests and friend groups. However, we all share the same passion for performance. It allows you to share your own story through someone else’s even if it is just for one show. It’s all about self expression.” - Dana Ramadan ‘19

Since middle school theatre’s been a way for me to express myself and whatever I’m feeling any given day. Because of that it’s come to symbolize expression and eventually passion for me. Over the years theatre has given me an outlet for my creativity and therefore allowed me to grow as an artist and a person. I hope to continue theatre outside of high school and into life. - Caleb Schnieder ‘19

Check out more former teacher performers online at voyager-online.org

The Voyager 7

Mrs. Jacoby BY AHMED ABDOU ‘19 Staff Reporter

Mrs. Jacoby made her grand appearance as an actress for the school theater in 1982 as a sophomore at Audubon High School. Anxious at first, Mrs Jacoby easily outweighed her stage fright thanks to having the opportunity to work with her friends throughout the entirety of her experience in theater. Mrs. Jacoby’s involvement with the marching band also played a role in comforting as similarly working in theater, it also felt like everyone was part of a team and cooperation is the key to success. On stage, Mrs. Jacoby played mostly silent or background roles. Despite her additions, she thought of the theater experience as a fun time that centered around focus so no one’s cues were missed. Although Mrs. Jacoby does not have the dedication to take part in theater activities anymore, she will surely remember her time doing the same thing as memorable especially doing it with people she was comfortable with.

enior year. He d in the musicals eatre “was break cal school day.”

Mrs. Bowne By JAKE FRITZ ‘20 Staff Reporter Performing in theater allows one to experiment with different ways of approaching an audience. Teaching is no different. As a high school actor Mrs. Mary Jane Bowne, the new child development teacher at Eastern, is constantly trying to implement her acting experience into the classroom. “I always loved diving into a character and understanding their point of view,” Bowne said. She spends a lot of time helping kids prepare lessons for three year olds, which certainly requires an extra broadway-esque energy. The smiling faces and positive attitudes of the stage are relevant in the classroom as well. Bowne began acting in high school, where many of her friends participated in theater. “I was very shy, and I didn’t think it was something I could do,” she explained. She was later dared to audition for a youth summer theater production of Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap.” Having had no theater experience, she had no idea what to expect. She landed the lead role, which ignited the flame that was her love for theater. She found a love for dramatic plays—her favorite production to be a part of was the musical “Damn Yankees” by Douglass Wallop. She enjoyed this production so much because she got the opportunity to work with professional equity

actors in New York, as a c h i l d r e n ’s chorus member. Prior to teaching at Eastern, she assisted with costuming for a number of Eastern’s productions, including the award winning “ L e s Miserables.” She has received a number of nominations for her costuming work on the shows. Bowne’s favorite play will forever be Annie because it was the first play she saw, with her mother and grandmother.

I’m still striving to find the perfect position, the perfect view in the theater. I’m unconventional in a sense that I’ve been involved in production in multiple ways. But nothing can beat the first moment you walk in and become so excited to get down to work. I’ve taken all positions and views in the theater, but they are all necessary in order to appreciate the beauty of living art. -Nancy Bowne ‘19

“I do theatre for the familial community, continuously new experiences, and to exhibit my performing talents. Theatre is a place of rest for me, a feeling of belonging among my friends.Theatre has taught me presentation skills above all; I know now how to command an audience of my peers, and work with their attention to my benefit.” - Luke Magette ‘20

Mr. Christ to the right

When I was a junior, my English teacher, Linda Ponter, knew I was scared to death of public speaking. I would often throw up in the 300 hallway lav. She suggested I try out for the musical. What? Wasn’t that like hating French food and then going to France? Well, I got a father role in “Brigadoon,” and loved it. Then I was Mr. Webb in the senior play “Our Town” and Andrew Carnes in “Oklahoma.” Alas, I always played the father. Now, I loved the stage, and public speaking was a breeze. -Mr Bowne

Opinion

8 The Voyager

December 2018

Bringing in the New Year without resolutions

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ith Christmas a few days away, now is the time most people start thinking of New Year’s resolutions: eating habits, physical appearance, and all of our other unfulfilled goals. Some would like to perform better at our jobs or at school. Others want to work on fixing attitude problems. Common resolutions include drinking less coffee, going to the gym, focusing more on family and friends, getting betdrawn from somewhere. Finding that ter grades, and the biggest of all -- to stop source is the key to success. procrastinating. If you don’t believe in the hype of New Now that’s a hard one. Years and don’t make resolutions, it’s Not everyone feeds into the hype resolustill important that you don’t give up on tions. The fact is resolutions have become self-improvement. If you are interested in overrated. Most make a resolution, stick making New Year’s resolutions and aren’t to it for a month, and by mid-January, sure of what to change, try to take a look forget what they were so adamant about at what parts of your life changing. are causing stress. If you Either that, or they lose stress about your appearthe motivation and drive Why wait for ance or physical fitness, to carry out their goals. December 31st? Be fitness could be your A significant amount of proactive. While some goal for the new year. people don’t even make use the new year to If you’re self-conscious, New Year’s resolutions anymore, because they light a fire within them- focus on mental health forget about them, never selves, others already through meditation pracfollow through, or con- have a spark and don’t tices or seeking therapy. You don’t want to find tradict their resolution. feel a date would give yourself feeling trapped However, the main critithem any sort of inspi- because of a term paper cism of New Year’s resoor a deadline. You’ll end lutions is that having a ration. up in college or finding day wherein a goal must success elsewhere even be made is unnecessary. if you fail that paper. The job will always If you know you need to change some be there, but you may not. part of your life, there is no better time Prioritize your own health and well-bethan now. ing. It’s all well and good to be buff, howWhy wait for December 31st? Be proacever mental health and financial stability tive. While some use the new year to light are more important than hitting the gym. a fire within themselves, others already Turning your resolution into something have a spark and don’t feel a date would enjoyable and fun is the perfect way to begive them any sort of inspiration. come inspired, which in turn will be the The holidays give people a shove in the simple start to a happier, mentally sound, right direction. Not everyone feels able to and brand new you. reset at any given point in the year, due Everything feeds off of perspective. Get to stress or other things, preventing them excited over the little things, and choose from attaining happiness and satisfaction. to celebrate yourself this new year. The New Year can give people a chance Don’t be pressured to create resolutions to review their past and start fresh, workjust because your friends are. And when ing towards improving their daily life. For you’re asked what your resolutions are, those people, this holiday is for you. Condon’t just say, “I’m probably just gonna tinue to use this day as an inspiration and do a social media cleanse”. Do something as a restart button. that is tailored specifically to you, and be In order for New Year’s resolutions, or your own individual. any other personal aspirations to be effective, a source of motivation must be

Eastern Regional High School 1401 Laurel Oak Road Voorhees, NJ 08043 856-784-4441 www.voyager-online.org

THE VOYAGER

Lauren Casole and Maanasi Natarajan: Editors-in-Chief Srishti Ramesh and Julia Dodd: Online Editors-in-Chief Shreya Gowda: Managing Editor Ava Hancock and Jessica Bonamassa: Opinion Editors Bryce Dershem and Haley Allsebrook: News Editors Matthew Steinsaltz, Jacob Safier, and Olivia Covington: Features Editors Victoria Lapinson and Josh Meyers: Entertainment Editors Anthony Cutrera and Eric Horn: Sports Editors Cynthia Meas: Art Editor Evelyn Steele and Nancy Bowne: Photography Editors Nancy Bowne: Copy Editor Staff Reporters

Jenna Preston, Nichole Hall, Jonathan Costa, Laura Frantz, Julia Kirk, Sophie Ferguson, Jake Fritz, Ahmed Abdou, Lelah Tekhna, Sasha Tuddenham, Samantha Frankel, Andrew Shinkle, Michael Mazziotta

Walter Bowne, Advisor: Room 605

Letters to the Editor

Submit signed letters to Room 605 or email ehsvoyager@gmail.com

Awards

The Garden State Press Association, “Overall Excellence” The American Scholastic Press Association

Santa’s North Pole isn’t what it used to be.

Artwork by Cynthia Meas ‘21

Short-e-torials Legalization of marijuana New Jersey is one step closer to legalizing cannabis as lawmakers meet to discuss the end of “pot prohibition”. Governor Phil Murphy has voiced his support for legal marijuana since he began campaigning last year. In essence, this act could stop drug dealers, bring in tax dollars, potentially get people off opioids, and make it easier to obtain medical marijuana. However, it can also decrease safety while driving, is considered a gateway drug, and will increase the opportunity for underage persons to use marijuana. Considering these factors, the cons outweigh the pros. Although, the same points can be made when discussing

alcohol and its legalization. Used in moderation, marijuana may not necessarily be a bad thing, but when used in excess, it can do more harm than good.

French protests explode amid gas taxes Recent hikes in French gas taxes have spawned protests across the nation. The Yellow Vest movement, so called because of the vests motorists are required to keep in their vehicles, has grown violent in the past week. In response, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, announced the suspension of the tax for a sixth month period. These tax hikes were implemented to limit the overall carbon footprint of France. However, while ecological preservation is naturally virtuous, to do so by chaining the lower class to excessive taxes is morally unsound.

It enforces an inferior superior complex between the government and the governed, and it demonstrates a disconnect between government political agenda and the desires of the people.

Supreme Court supports Planned Parenthood On December 10, the Supreme Court controversially refused to hear a case concerning states’ efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh were the only conservative justices to object the hearing, most likely due to strong opposition or to avoid controversy regarding abortion. Some are outraged that the court won’t even consider defunding the organization, while others completely agree with the court’s resistance. Planned Parenthood provides medical care for millions in aspects not just dealing

with abortion. To defund this organization would take away the affordable services for so many people and only further increase the stigma surrounding women’s healthcare.

Opinion

December 2018

The Voyager 9

Bringing peace to touchy topics for the holidays By LELAH TEKHNA ‘20 Staff Reporter

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ou’ve seen it before. Awkward conversations at the dinner table. Snide comments and underhanded remarks. The “You don’t want people to think you’re that way.” The “You’re still in that phase?” The “We don’t do that here.” Large family gatherings, like Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah can create tense environments, which brings in a multitude of different views and opinions on current issues. Older generations tend to be more virulent and violent opponents of groups that differ from their more religious perspectives. When asked what issues arise as a result of lack of acceptance regarding their identities during the most uncomfortable

time of the year, a common theme was clear. For the most part, for students at Eastern, relatives aren’t gathering the pitchforks and torches. They’re skeptical of the identities foreign to their worldview. “There wasn’t any harsh judgement because my family’s pretty inclusive,” Junior Reagan Zeid began. “There was just this ‘are you sure you want to be doing this?’ and ‘is this really you?’ as soon as I started experimenting with fluidity.” In order to avoid unnecessary arguments, hurt feelings, and the off chance of being rightfully offended, the following tips may prove helpful to you.

Be Mindful

Be careful speaking without thinking first. Seemingly harmless comments regarding generalizations or stereotypes aren’t acceptable. Unless you belong to a specific minority, it’s not okay to make such statements. It’s common to hear people

Tear gas at the border to celebrate the holidays border control events? I’ve never been By AVA HANCOCK ‘20 happier,” he said. Opinion Editor How heartless can someone be to find joy in something as sinister as harming he irony of pictures surfacing on young, innocent children? The children Twitter of helpless families being did not choose to cross the border sprayed with tear gas just days illegally- their parents did. And whether after Thanksgiving, a holiday that’s okay or not has nothing to do with celebrating love and gratitude, is all too the fact that those kids shouldn’t have much. been hurt. America is no stranger to immigration It’s easy to say, “just become citizens issues. In recent years, there has been a like the rest of us” when we are not in the noticeable resentment toward migrants, same shoes as these families. arguably encouraged by the current White Most of us were born and raised in this House administration. country, giving us the President Trump has ultimate privilege of been fighting for a “Hey, have you heard birthright citizenship. wall to keep Mexican about the recent border Most of us have never immigrants from had to flee the country control events? I’ve crossing the border due to a violent or lifeand entering America never been happier,” he threatening situation. illegally since before said. Most of us haven’t he officially took had to leave everything office. behind just to feel safe Most people opposed to these views in our own homes. So it doesn’t take much can understand the standpoint of wanting effort or thought to type in the comments migrants to enter the country with of a news article on your iPhone X in your some sort of intention to become legal. middle class home in a peaceful suburban However, it’s the completely inhumane neighborhood, “just become legal!” You approach to border control that has have no idea what it’s like. disturbed so many. Americans have become so obsessed Border control means “measures adopted with the idea of being the most superior by a country to regulate and monitor its country with the lowest unemployment borders.” The US is not the only country rates and “putting Americans first” that controls its barriers (most countries that they have seemingly forgotten do), but it certainly is the one making compassion in any form. Are Americans the most headlines for its aggressive suddenly too good to help people seeking approach. asylum? The legality of the use of tear gas has been The underlying issue of it all is that questioned for years. Sarah Huckabee the process to become legal is extremely Sanders, Donald Trump’s White House strenuous. It can take years to obtain a Press Secretary, claims that Obama’s visa, not to mention the anxiety-inducing administration also used this measure at citizenship tests and interviews those the border during his presidency. who wish to become officially American It doesn’t matter if the gas was legal must pass. When people are fleeing from or not, if it was used by a Democrat or danger, nothing else matters besides a Republican, if it happened today or getting out. sometime within the last 10 years. What Most of these people aren’t just coming matters is it was wrong and that there are to America to use up all our benefits and other ways to control our borders without take all of our jobs like some so fervently putting people’s lives in harm’s way. believe. They are coming here because This isn’t the first time Trump’s handling they have no other option. of immigrant families has caused an If you are going to support the violence outrage. Just earlier this year, many towards Mexican immigrants, don’t Americans were calling for a change when support it days after a holiday tracing back it was revealed that migrant children were to a day in 1621 when people of different being detained at the border in cages like races set aside their discrepancies and animals. gathered around one shared table. And In school, I overheard a student converse maybe after reading this and finding it with somebody about the use of tear gas somewhere within yourself, don’t support on immigrants. it at all. “Hey, have you heard about the recent

T

raving about how ‘everyone’s offended by everything, and if we’re banning this, what’s next?’. Discrimination was never okay. At one point it was normal for white people to use the ‘n-word.’ Now, it’s a known fact that the only people with the right to use such verbiage were referred to it historically. It’s better to ask than to assume.

Be Open

Unless your relatives are all within the same age range and from the same area, they’ll probably tend to have varying opinions on the presidency, different draft picks, etc. Being open to new ideas, accepting rather than judging different cultures is key to welcoming new additions.

Be Reasonable

Instead of reacting by instinct, take a step back from the conversation. As

passionate as you are about Poptropica, there’s always someone who feels equally as strong about Club Penguin. For the most part, such differences spark discussion and debate, which are healthy in every relationship. Know the difference between banter and an escalated situation.

Be Efficacious

If you are genuinely offended by attacks on your identity, your best bet is to remove yourself from the situation. You might not be able to escape your great great great aunt’s slobbery kisses, but you can easily change rooms, or choose better, more accepting company. Spending the holidays surrounded by friends may not coincide with age-old tradition, but it’s far better than feeling alienated within your own home. Whatever your holiday plans may be, keep inclusion and acceptance on your mind at all times.

Christmas, through the eyes of Jewish people By JOSH MEYERS ‘21 Entertainment Editor

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hristmas is a joyous time for many people around the world. Kids wake their parents up early in the morning to open their presents. “New shoes? Thanks mom! An iPhone XR? You’re the best dad!” Those who celebrate the holdiay always look forward to having a great time on Xmas. But what about people who don’t celebrate Christmas, like the Jewish people? “It just seems like any other day, “ said junior Hannah Weber. “For me, nothing exciting happens. I usually lounge around the house like it’s a normal weekend.” People who don’t celebrate Christmas usually have their own tradition. My family and I go out to eat Chinese food and see a movie. To me, Christmas is the day of lo mein—my favorite Chinese food dish. For sophomore Nate Shochat, his Christmas day is different. “I have a friend who celebrates Christmas. I go to his house and eat a big dinner with his family. After, I watch them open their presents.” Shochat loves Christmas, despite the fact that he doesn’t celebrate it. “I like seeing the pure happiness on a child’s face when they open their Christmas gifts.” Christmas, even with all of its fun and enjoyment, can also make people who don’t celebrate it feel left out. Christmas makes me feel that way a little. Hanukkah is awesome, but it never seems like it gets the recognition that Christmas does. Christmas gets loads of songs and movies, which makes the holiday appear more important. Hanukkah only gets “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel” and Adam Sandler’s “The Hanukkah Song.” Sometimes I feel like Hanukkah is overshadowed by the vastness of Christmas. Even if Hanukkah has eight nights, it seems that people put December 25th on a higher platform every year. Sophomore MacKenzie Bralow feels the same way. “When I was younger in elementary school, I definitely felt very left out. Especially

when we had our holiday parties before winter break. Even though we were told it wasn’t a Christmas party, we would still play Christmas themed games, watch Christmas movies, and make Christmas crafts,” Bralow said. People compare Christmas and Hanukkah often, but that shouldn’t happen. Both holidays should be recognized for their greatness and for the time spent with family. “People who don’t celebrate Christmas could gather as a community and do all kinds of fun activities so they don’t feel left out,” recommends Bralow. Shochat sums it up perfectly, “ I feel like people should believe in what they want to. If they feel their family should have a party under a fancy tree - so be it. But these two types of people should not be seperate. We are all human and believe in different things. If you have a Christmas party, invite a Jew or someone from a different religion and vice versa.”

Artwork by Karen Le ‘20

Entertainment Super Smash Bros Ultimate is a smash hit December 2018

By ANDREW SHINKLE ‘22 Staff Reporter There’s no question that Super Smash Bros. has become one of Nintendo’s most popular video game franchises. The debut self-titled game, published by HAL Laboratory of Kirby fame, took the world by storm with its innovative and unique fighting mechanics. Rather than slowly chipping down opponent’s health bars, the Smash series has players attempting to launch their foes off of the stage; the higher their damage total rises, the easier it gets to blast them off into the sunset. Smash fans around the globe have been clamoring for a new title in the series ever since Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U hit store shelves in 2014. They finally got their wish when the fifth installment, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, was released worldwide on December 7th. From a sheer content standpoint, Ultimate blows every other Smash game out of the water. Not only does it contain multiple new characters and stages, players can battle it out with every fighter that has ever appeared in a series entry. Additionally, over 800 music tracks and 100 stages are available in the new release. Aside from the main multiplayer mode, players can enjoy the new “World of Light” single-player mode. Upon its announcement during the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct on November 1st, reception towards the new mode was very positive, considering Smash has lacked a full-fledged adventure mode since Super Smash Bros. Brawl “The Subspace Emissary”.

Eastern freshman Jaedon Brown is a massive fan of the series, so much so that he can recite the release date of each game in order. Of everything that Ultimate has to offer, Brown feels ecstatic about the previouslymentioned “World of Light” mode. “I’m really excited for the story mode, World of Light. There hasn’t been a story mode since Brawl.” But as amazing and jaw-dropping as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is to everyone who has played it, there’s a chance that a Smash entry has launched for the final time. Longtime series developer and creator Masahiro Sakurai has left the fate of the series undecided in a recent interview with Edge magazine, saying “A great deal of possibilities lie in the future, so I’m not really in a position to say if this latest Smash Bros will be the last one. Although I do question whether I would be able to create one with a scale that’s greater than this.” Eastern freshman Gabriel Robayo offered a unique take on the situation. “I personally don’t think that the Smash series has any room left to grow, as the “ultimate” in the name provides the underlying tone that Sakurai will end the series. I think that this game is acting as a sort of swan song, being that everything a Smash fan could ever want is in this game.” Regardless of the series’ future, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has already made a sizeable mark on the gaming world. Unsurprisingly, critics adored Ultimate, with Metacritic giving it a score of 93 out of 100, and IGN rating it 9.4 out of 10. So far, it’s safe to say that the newest release of in the Super Smash Bros. series is a smash hit, and will be adored for many years to come.

White Album rocks the world fifty years later By VICTORIA LAPINSON ‘20

boys in suits on Ed Sullivan. They had long hair, wore, fur, and wrote songs about war, sex, and drugs. Entertainment Editor Lennon wrote “Happiness is a warm Gun”. Even the title is a far cry from “Please Please Me”. George Harrison It’s the double album everyone knows, the revolutionary showed off the new direction of guitar that people like release, the incredible and shocking addition to the Clapton and Hendrix played with the hefty “While my already diverse catalog of the four scrappy young guys guitar gently weeps”. from Liverpool. On November 22nd 1968, the Beatles Drummer Ringo Starr sang the southern inspired unleashed “The White Album” onto the world. swanky “Don’t pass me by”. Paul McCartney wrote Any Beatles fan who lived through the sixties can tell “Blackbird” for the recently assassinated Martin Luther you that watching the styles of the Fab Four evolve over King Jr, and borrowed The Beach Boys style to write the years was super exciting. They were ushered into pop “Back in the U.S.S.R.” about the Soviet Union, despite culture as cute boys with bowl cuts and funny accents that the tension between the United States and the Soviet had teenage girls swooning over their hit like “Twist and Union happening during the Cold War at this point. Shout” and “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”. The record sold through the roof, broke down barriers, This would shift to a more psychedelic sound in the and made heavy rock mainstream. 34 tracks were released mid sixties, around ‘65 and ‘66, in which they began to and 30 of them were on the double album. One very draw inspiration from people like Bob Dylan. They also popular song was “Revolution”, as it is a song associated admitted to starting experiment with drugs like LSD at with the counterculture counter-War movement of the this time. youth during the time. It was banned at American military The music that came out of this can be found on locations in albums “Help”, Vietnam. “Rubber Soul”, and Fifty years “Revolver”. These later, this shifted towards double album an eastern style masterpiece is containing sitar still regarded and experimental among music production methods. enthusiasts “Tomorrow Never as one of the Knows” is an best song excellent example of collections the shift. This was of all time. a far reach from the Kurt Cobain, “doo-wops” or their frontman early music. of Nirvana, John Lennon in sites it as one particular became The Beatles in 1968. From left: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John of his major more outspoken in Lennon, and George Harrison inspirations. He terms of politics, and would go on to cover many Beatles songs. guitar-player George Harrison developed an interest in Radio stations across the nation and across the planet Eastern culture. The stage was set. The four Beatles were praise the boldness of the album by playing it’s songs feeling experiment after a group trip to India. It was time despite being five decades after its heyday. Experts to write. and professors of music theory talk about it endlessly. A whopping ninety-three minutes, the “White Album” Generations have listened to the Beatles, everyone from contains four sides of vinyl. Also, “White Album” isn’t a grandparent to their grandchildren could tell you they even technically it’s name. It was issued with only “the have at one found enjoyment in a Beatles jam session. Beatles” written on a white cover. This promoted its Local radio station 102.9 MGK among others will be widely known name, the “White Album”. celebrating the anniversary and fans are excited to tune in There was yet again drastic changes made in terms of the and appreciate the double album that spoke to so many. types of songs on the album. There were rock pieces like The “White Album” will continue to spin on record “Helter Skelter” that weren’t anything like the Beatles players for eons to come. four years before. That sound is something that if played in 1964, absolutely no one would believe this was those

The Voyager 10

Favorite Holiday Movies “The Grinch” - Jacob Brocious ‘19

“Scrooge” - Mrs. Pagenkopf

“Home for the Holidays” - Madison Murphy ‘19

SATIRICAL HALLMARK CHRISTMAS FILMS

A Supernatural Christmas

People say love is blind. When we meet the right person we accept all of who they are as a whole. But what happens if your true love turns out to be a ghost that is stuck in human form for only the twelve days before Christmas? And then becomes a spirit until next Christmas! Crazy, right? In The Spirit of Christmas, the young lawyer Kate is divided between two worlds: the mortal and supernatural. She must choose between her true love Daniel, who was murdered over a century ago on Christmas Eve, or her normal life in Boston. Kate needs an answer before the clock strikes midnight on December 24th or she will be locked out of the spirit world forever and Daniel will be lost. – Lauren Casole ‘19

Gifts for Prisioners

Kevin McCallister’s wish for independence is granted when his family leaves him “home alone” while they vacation in Paris. Santa hopes to delight Kevin by coming early this year, delivering him two “delightful” presents. However, Kevin fails to like his gifts, and instead, he makes a few explosive tweaks to their design and then donates them...to prison. – Bryce Dershem ‘21

The Fake Princess Christmas

In an unrealistic world where a princess doesn’t want to be in the spotlight for her big wedding, she runs into a baker that happens to look like her identical twin—what are the chances? When the princess complains about not wanting a lot of attention on her big day (truly a shame), the two realize they can use their similar features to their advantage by switching places. The only problem is that the two have to learn to act like each other in order to pull this switch off. And to absolutely no surprise at all, the fake princess falls in love with the prince at the wedding. Despite the fact that an identity switch would probably never work, especially during a wedding, the film poses a solid plot. Many will feel bad for the poor princess that doesn’t want the fame and fortune—she has a rough life. – Anthony Cutrera ‘19

The Christmas Eve Nightmare

When a snow storm forces eight people off the roads on Christmas Eve, they post up in an abandoned church. Forced to spend the night together, they learn alot about each other. They discuss their pasts and family trees and come to a shocking revelation. They are related. They have common great-grandparents. A Christmas Eve nightmare almost made for a Christmas without family, but after all it was a Christmas spent with long lost family. – Matthew Steinsaltz ‘20

Entertainment

December 2018

11 The Voyager

Not much new in the fashion department for winter 2019 By LAUREN CASOLE ‘19 Editor-In-Chief

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ashion designers everywhere have failed us. Okay, maybe that statement is a little dramatic, but based on the runway looks for 2019 nothing stands out as a must have for this winter. Typically, there is a dramatic piece that stands out and takes over the stores, like over the knee boots or off the shoulder tops, but nothing has the same effect this time around. The same thing can be said for mens fashion, nothing really has changed. “There was really nothing that I was like, woah I haven’t seen that before,” said Mrs. Heyers, the Fashion teacher. Over the past few years mens shirts have been slowly evolving to a more tailored look. There is a sewing technique called the dart, which takes your clothes in and Mrs. Heyers mentioned how this is becoming more popular in mens button down shirts. There are more of these patterns that seem to be staying consistent from year to year on the runways. Mrs. Heyers said that jeans are on a constant cycle and they

are making their way back to being looser and having less of a slim fit. “They were really skinny for a while and now oversized pants are coming back,” said Mrs. Heyers. Also, boots have stayed pretty consistent over the past couple of years, with white boots being in style now. Mrs. Heyers also mentioned that 80s fashion has been in for so long and now we are transitioning into more of the 90s. Big brand names such as Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger plastered on t-shirts and sweatshirts is making its way back into stores. “That was really big in the 90s,” said Mrs. Heyers.

Getting back to the runway shows, this winter trends include layers, leopard print, sheepskin, and padded jackets. But as mentioned earlier, nothing surprisingly new. One trend that is trickling down from the runway shows to “street fashion” is sheepskin coats. Mrs. Heyers said, “For a while, just the collar or top of your shoe was sheepskin.” Now its whole jackets and the wool is on the outside, not inside liner of the jacket.” “Fashion 2 students have to make a jacket and three of them are doing sheepskin,” said Mrs. Heyers. Although nothing major may be new off the runways, what is evolving in the fashion world is how brands are marketing their clothes. According to Business Insider, YouTube is the top free iPhone app in the App Store and was downloaded about 35.3 million times in 2018. Now, it’s the newest marketing method for fashion. Just like how people want to dress like their favorite celebrities; people want to dress just like their favorite YouTubers. James Charles, a makeup YouTuber, teamed up with the company Morphe and created a palate that sold out internationally in less

than one day and had the brands highest sales day in history. Other brands are taking advantage of the growing fame of YouTubers and creating lines with them to increase their popularity. A few examples are Emma Chamberlain’s collection with the shopping app Dote and Olivia Jade’s collection with Princess Polly. Overall, not much has changed in terms of what people are wearing on the streets, but who knows, the 2019 spring trends

Photo by Lauren Casole ‘19

Club Penguin Rewritten resurrects a classic

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By JACOB SAFIER ‘20 Features Editor

lub Penguin was a huge multiplayer online game and beloved by many. It was a virtual world of penguins on an island that included chatting with other penguins, igloo decorating, many minigames, and much more. The game shut down on March 30, 2017 after a long decline in the game’s popularity. Because of the shutdown, Club Penguin Rewritten was created, a copy of the original game. Club Penguin Rewritten is set in the 2010-2011 era of Club Penguin and it had become a paradise for people wanting to relive their memories and for those who just want to play Club Penguin. The original Club Penguin and the remake have very few differences; the websites, gameplay, and island are identical, with the exception of some custom changes on the remake. These include parties and personalization for penguins and their igloos. Despite many other remakes of the popular game being created, Club Penguin Rewritten has been able to stay alive because of how dedicated the creators have been to the game. The game is always updated with a weekly newspaper and fun events, keeping people attached to the game. The evidence has proven this true. On June 2nd of this year, the game reached 2 million users. The game experienced a hurdle when on February 26th, the game’s staff announced it would be closed on March 4th. The game was done for about a month. Though it was thought to have been permanently closed, as of April 26th, the game has been back online. I decided to try out Club Penguin Rewritten to see what all the hype was about and it has been a fun experience so far. I was pleasantly surprised to relive my childhood. I hadn’t played the game for years, and it was like I never stopped. Everything is still there; the Town, the Plaza, the Dojo, the Gift Shop, and so much more. When I logged on, I was automatically put into the Town. I was surprised how crowded it was and how many people were on the game. I soon realized that I was a naked penguin and needed

clothes. I started off with 500 coins but that couldn’t get me much. To earn coins, I decided I would play Cart Surfer, a minigame based out of the Mine. The goal of the game is to perform tricks and earn points while riding on a mine cart. It was hard at first to play it because it had been a while since I’d played, but to my surprise, it all came back to me pretty quickly. I played the game until I had enough coins to buy myself some clothes. I bought a sweatshirt, a hat, and some shoes. Now that I wasn’t naked, I went to my igloo. It was empty so I looked at the catalog to see if there was any furniture I could buy. The only thing I could really afford

was a single chair, so I got it. I decided to sit down. Sitting all alone on a chair in my igloo has given me time to reflect on the game. Overall, it is a great game. It serves its primary purpose: to be a remake of Club Penguin. It mimcs that very well, and I feel like I was playing the original. The best part about the game is the people on it. Most people on the game are not young kids, but older kids just wanting to relive their past experiences. I don’t take the game seriously, and I don’t think most people do either. It’s just fun to have a piece of my childhood available at a couple clicks.

Sports

12 The Voyager

December 2018

Coach Wert takes the reins of girls basketball By JULIA DODD ‘19 Online Editor-in-Chief “Come to work hard, everyday,” is the motto of the new girl’s basketball coach, Keith Wert. In high school, he attended Bishop Eustace, where he played basketball, but football was his main sport at the time. He went on to college to play football at Franklin and Marshall College, where he studied History and got certified to teach. He went on to teach for thirty years and is now retired. Last school year when Eastern asked for a new coach, Coach Wert signed up because “basketball was already taking up” his life, he would attend games, and he really missed coaching. “[He] saw an opportunity and took it.” He was surprised when he was selected, because he hadn’t been involved in school for a very long time and he was retired. Before retirement, he coached

Andrew Pham dives into the pool.

boys basketball for about 10 years and girls basketball for about 20 years, so he has about 30 years of coaching experience. As of right now the team has a total of 18 players, but the separation between varsity and junior varsity has not been decided. In regards to improving the team, he hopes that it’s not just gauged in wins and losses, but by development and applying themselves to get better. “I hope they have a positive, enjoyable experience.” His twin daughters also played basketball in high school and then college. One of the twins, Shauna Wert, a personal trainer, is the Junior Varsity coach for the team. He assigned Megan Liberti and Jamie McGroarty, both gym teachers, to be the freshman coaches as they had been in the past few years. Coach McGroarty also assists with varsity. Lastly, Regina Bosworth, a guidance counselor,

is the assistant coach. Before he began coaching, Caoch Wert played basketball two times a week, but now it’s down to once a week. So far for Coach Wert, Eastern is a “great place, [he] never realized how big it is, and there are exceptional facilities.” In his free time, Coach Wert cooks both indoors and on the grill. He also travels with his wife frequently. He spends lots of time with his two dogs. Wilt Chamberlain would be on his dream team. If he could have dinner with anybody, dead or alive, it would be President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. because “they were two American leaders who show exactly what America is about.” Every practice, Coach Wert has a quote of the day up on the whiteboard in Gym One, because, “Hopefully, I am motivating somebody.”

Photo by tedsilary.com

Swim Season Preview By CAMERON DAVIS ‘19 Assistant Sports Editor With swim season just about to kick off, I sat down with senior Jon Costa to get a preview of what to expect for this year’s swim team. Jon expressed his excitement for some of the new underclassmen on the team. “I’m excited to see how some of our underclassmen step up this year. We had some great swimmers graduate last year and while they’re gonna be tough to replace, we have some

great freshmen and sophomores who I think are gonna play a big role in our success this year.” Jon cited himself and Andrew Pham as the seniors leading the way with critical support from Colin Seyboard, Robert Gagnon, Jacob Vozzi and underclassmen Aidan Kim and Michael Cona. Coach Decoursey’s rigorous training has been preparing Jon and company for a successful year. The regular season for the swim team runs until the end of January and playoffs begin in early February.

Girls basketball’s new head coach, Keith Wert, directs the team during a timeout. Photo by tedsilary.com

The grind begins for the wrestling team

Holiday gift guide for sports fans By ANTHONY CUTRERA ‘19 Sports Editor

TJ Franden tries to take down Coach Worthington at practice. By ERIC HORN ‘19 Sports Editor Wrestling is one of the most grueling and intense sports played at Eastern, and being successful as a wrestler requires lots of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. Coaches Worthington, Bibbs, and Boland are all preparing the team for an intense campaign throughout the winter. Practicing over two hours a day,

the team’s grind is already in full swing before the first match. In addition, wrestlers are already beginning to think about weighins, a battle in and of itself. “In terms of team strengths, we have a lot of returning seniors and varsity guys,” said Jacob Brocious ‘19. He continued, “We all have to get on the same page in terms of mentality, but we are working on that every day to believe we are the best team in South Jersey.”

Photo by tedsilary.com

The team has high expectations for their performance this season, and time will tell if they have the talent and determination to meet them. “[I’m looking forward to] trying to win a team championship, because this is my last time on a high school team and my last chance to win a title,” said Ben Sperling ‘19. Their season began on Wednesday, December 19th, when Camden came to Eastern at 6:00 PM.

As the holiday season is upon us, many struggle to find the perfect gift for their loved ones. Hopefully, your loved one is a sports fan because this gift guide will make your job a whole lot easier. No matter what their record is, Eagles apparel is always a hot commodity this time of the year. You can’t go wrong putting a Carson Wentz or Zach Ertz jersey under the tree. Not a birds fan? Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes, and Todd Gurley jerseys are among the hottest holiday gifts at the moment considering these players’ individual and team success this season. While on the topic of jerseys, local shelves are beginning to stock with jerseys for 76ers newly acquired forward, Jimmy Butler, who is making a name for himself in Philadelphia. Not everyone wears jerseys, but one thing everyone does wear is shoes. Make sure

your special someone starts of the new year in style with the hottest sneakers of 2018. Nike recently released all new colorways for the LeBron 16, Kyrie 5, Kobe AD, and KD 11 for people looking to rock basketball kicks. Ultraboosts, made by Adidas, are also a great gift for sneaker lovers. Sixers tickets are always a much-appreciated gift for sports fans. You may think Sixers tickets are out of your price range; however, depending on the opponent and night of the week the game is on, you can find tickets for as low as $30. College sweatshirts are a fantastic gift for not only sports fans, but for everyone. With the College Football Playoff starting on December 29th, an Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, or Oklahoma sweatshirt may be the way to go. They say that it’s not about the actual gift but the thought that counts. However, if you follow this gift guide for the sports fans in your life, your “thought” will count for a lot more.