The Spoke February 2017

NEWS

Music dept. presents “Soundscapes” Vol. 67 No. 4

Feb. 14, 2017

Conestoga High School

See Page 2

Berwyn, PA

Maddie Lamonica/The SPOKE

www.spoke.news

@thespoke

NEWS

I

Confronting body image pressure

t’s not necessarily about how someone looks that makes them have an eating disorder. It’s about how someone feels about themselves,” senior Lillian Ivers* said.

Diagnosed with depression in 2013, Ivers began struggling with her eating disorder in eighth grade.

Despite receiving treatment at a recovery center in the fall of her freshman year, Ivers’ mental health problems continued after her doctors pronounced her weight-restored.

“My mind was still really sick,” Ivers said. “I had really unhealthy habits and I was really still obsessive about food. I still had my eating disorder; it just wasn’t being treated because the (low) weight wasn’t there.”

Ivers’ past combined eating disorder and depression is not uncommon. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), 33-50 percent of anorexia patients simultaneously suffer from similar chronic mood disorders, such as depression.

Although the national focus is often centered on the country’s obesity problem, the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) states that the development rate for new cases of eating disorders in the United States has been increasing since 1950. At least 30 million people in the United States will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lives ― a mental health issue which has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, ANAD reports.

“We live in a culture where there’s a glori�ication of thinness and perfection and that tends to reinforce a lot of the disorder’s thinking and the mindset associated with these illnesses,” NEDA CEO Claire Mysko said.

NEDA will host the 30th National Eating Disorder Awareness Week at the end of this month, from Feb. 26 to March 4, with the theme “It’s Time to Talk About It.” The aim of the awareness week is to reduce the stigma against seeking help, with a focus on early intervention.

See Pages 6 and 7

Photo Illustration by Adam Lockett

OPINION

STUDENT LIFE

“And I refuse to just stand by and do nothing.”

Local artist finds purpose & happiness

See Page 19

See Page 13

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

News

The Spoke is published seven times per year at Bartash Printing. It consistently receives a Gold rating from PSPA and CSPA, and it is a National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award-winning publication.

The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.

Camille Kurtz, Meagan O’Rourke

Editors-in-Chief Betty Ben Dor

Managing Editor Eric Xue

News Editor Ian Ong, Matt Paolizzi

Student Life Editors Lyvia Yan

Center Spread Editor Matt Soderberg

Opinion Editor Elizabeth Billman, Neil Goldenthal

Sports Editors Cissy Ming

Copy Editor Adam Lockett

Head Designer Marko Djurdjevic

Designer Pallavi Aakarapu, Kaitlyn Chen

Cartoonist Avery Maslowsky

Business Manager Caleigh Sturgeon

Managing Web Editor Justin Huang, Jordan Liu

Web Editors Henry Danon, Brooke Deasy, Lauren Gow, Claire Guo, Audrey Kim, Maddie Lamonica, Jahnavi Rao, Madison Red, Sanjana Sanghani, Warren Zhao

Staff Reporters

Susan Gregory, Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt

Faculty Advisers Submissions: Letters to the editor may be submitted to Camille Kurtz or Meagan O’Rourke, or advisers Susan Gregory or Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt. Unsigned editorials represent the views of The Spoke editorial board, not necessarily those of the administration, student body, community or advertisers. The opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of The Spoke.

The Spoke accepts paid advertisements.

/thespoke @thespoke @thespoke the_spoke www.spoke.news hello@spoke.news

2 The Spoke

Music department says ‘Aloha’ to Hawaii over spring break

By Brooke Deasy and Maddie Lamonica Staff Reporters Each year, the Kapolei Choral Festival brings together both high school and college choirs to celebrate Hawaiian culture on the island of Oahu. This year, Conestoga’s choral groups will be the first from the mainland to perform in the event.

It “is super exciting to know we are influencing (the Hawaiians’) image of not only teenagers, but of other Americans who are not from Hawaii,” junior Max Mooney said. “I imagine that getting the opportunity to perform at something so special will bring us closer and really inspire us to realize the power and influence of music.”

From April 6-12, over 200 ’Stoga students will travel 4,787 miles to Honolulu as part of the music department’s biennial trip to a special location, where students will perform at a competition or festival. For previous trips, students have traveled to Hawaii, Orlando, Fla. and the Bahamas.

Christopher Nation, director of the Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble, and the teacher of several music-centered electives, believes that the trip will serve as a great experience for the students traveling to Hawaii.

“Hawaii is an amazing educational experience for our students,” Nation said. “They will be participating in oncein-a-lifetime performances during the trip, as well as experiencing diverse cultural activities and landmarks.”

To raise money for the trip, students and staff held several Hawaii-specific fundraisers, including the music department’s Soundscapes Concert, a Springer’s ice cream sale and a mattress sale.

Some selections from the Soundscapes Concert, such as “Eternal Father” and “Salute to the Armed Forces,” will also be performed in Hawaii. All of the regular groups performed, in addition to the a capella groups, selected student ensembles, soloists and a number from this year’s musical, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.”

The Soundscapes Concert “was an amazing night,” choir member and sophomore Gwen

Maddie Lamonica/The SPOKE

Eager voices: The entire music department performs “America the Beautiful” for the finale of the Soundscapes Concert. A variety of acts were showcased to raise funds for the music department’s trip to Hawaii.

Charles said. “It really showcased the immense amount of talent in the music department.

It was so cool to see everyone together and was a very successful night — we raised money from all of the ticket sales and received donations.”

The music department faculty and other administrators have been preparing for the trip since last January. They have booked performances, arranged transportation, selected hotels and scheduled various activities for the students ranging from relaxing on the beach to visiting historical sites.

“The only time we could go was the week of spring break because the music department calendar is so packed with events that there were few windows of opportunity and because we are going to Hawaii, we needed six days (for the trip) because of just how long it takes to travel there,” choral director Suzanne Dickinger said. Before planning the itinerary, Dickinger contacted a former student of hers who is currently teaching at a university in Hawaii.

“I emailed (the student), asking if he had any ideas for a

choral performance we could have and he said that it just so happened that a good friend of his does a choral festival for high school and college choirs every year and it happened to be on the day after we arrive,” Dickinger said.

In addition to attending the Kapolei Choral Festival, music department students from band and orchestra will perform on deck of the U.S.S. Missouri at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor — the resting place of the sailors and Marines killed on the U.S.S. Arizona during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941. Also at the memorial, the Wind Ensemble and Camerata will perform a mini-concert as part of a special tribute program in Hawaii.

Nation is counting down the days until they depart for Hawaii.

“I am very much looking forward to the trip, especially the performances in Pearl Harbor,” Nation said. “Seeing Pearl Harbor is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our students, let alone performing on one of the most significant memorials in American history.”

Besides touring Pearl harbor, students will also hike up Diamond Head at Waikiki Beach, explore the Hanauma Bay State Park nature preserve, visit the Polynesian Cultural Center and view an authentic Hawaiian Luau.

This year’s trip to Hawaii differs from those in the past because of the cultural atmosphere, historical significance of event locations and the number of activities open to students.

“Hawaii is on a whole other level, Disney is much more laid back,” Dickinger said.

After months of anticipation, students look forward to the trip.

“I think of the music department as a huge family and getting the opportunity to spend time with them in a new place and experience it all for the first time together will be a blast,” Mooney said.

Dickinger believes the most special part of the trip will be the musical performances.

“The beaches are beautiful, the weather is lovely, the fresh fruit is unbelievable. All that is great, but it is the performances that you couldn’t get anywhere else,” Dickinger said.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

News

Students and faculty respond to inauguration

By Cissy Ming Copy Editor

Despite the lack of record-shattering crowd size at Donald Trump’s inauguration, this year, Conestoga High School had the largest ever number of students watching the ceremony from school.

For the first time in ’Stoga’s eight year history of screening presidential inaugurations, administrators provided students the opportunity to view a pre-recorded tape of Trump’s swearing-in and inaugural speech in their eighth period classes. In past years, students had the option of watching the inauguration proceedings live in the auditorium during a free period. On the day before Trump assumed the presidency, social studies teachers reviewed the inauguration’s significance and the importance of civic engagement in a discussion-based lesson, also a new development.

David Zimmerman, one of the teachers tasked with creating the inauguration lesson plan, believes his years of experience teaching social studies did little to prepare him to address an issue as emotionally charged as the 2016 election. According to Zimmerman, teachers have a responsibility to broach unprecedented or controversial events with their students, a process that requires a case-bycase approach.

“Because this election is so unique relative to other elections, the thinking was, it would require something a little more,” Zimmerman said.

A committee of six teachers formed the lesson around a survey distributed in the weeks prior to the inauguration. The survey asked students about their concerns, their beliefs about the proper role of government and what they hoped to hear in the inaugural speech. The plans allowed each teacher flexibility to determine the duration and focus of the lesson based on student interest. In

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Making al Mall

history: Donald Trump for his inaugural ceremony.

his world history and psychology classes, Zimmerman emphasized the need for mutual respect among classmates of various political persuasions, a message he thinks contributed to a smooth inauguration viewing experience.

“Taking the extra measure to do a little pre-lesson before the inauguration primed people for what they were going to see,” Zimmerman said. “The behavior I saw was relatively civil, and I think part of that was the fact that we took those extra steps to remind everyone (of the proper way to discuss the election).”

Based on her observations of social studies classes, Principal 10% OF w/ C ones F tog Stud ent I a D

supporters Trump was

from sworn

Dr. Amy Meisinger considers the conversations initiated by the lesson “largely positive.” She says that the lesson’s success this year could mean repeat presentations in future inauguration years depending on the circumstances.

Although the district and the school board asked T/E schools to adhere to the district’s tradition of screening the inauguration, each school determined how best to balance the need to show an important moment in U.S. history with students’ sensitivities. Ultimately, Conestoga High School and both middle schools decided to air the key portions of the inauguration in classrooms, paired with a lesson.

Meisinger says the changes resulted from Conestoga’s improved technological capabilities since the last inauguration in January 2013, enabling students to view the inauguration from most classrooms. Because the inauguration speech traditionally begins at 12 p.m., continuing the past practice of livestreaming would inconvenience students who wanted to see the speech during their lunches.

“We thought it was a more optimal way for all kids to be able to see it,” Meisinger said. The inauguration is “a significant event

all over the nation gather in as America’s 45th president at in our country’s history and we wanted our students to be part of that as citizens.”

Junior Cole Sarkessian refused to watch the inauguration in protest of Trump’s election, instead gathering with a friend in the hallway beside the small courtyard.

According to Sarkessian, students should have a choice of whether to view the inauguration speech, especially given the president’s history of controversial remarks.

He noted that on social media, many other students agreed with his decision to skip eighth period, though they ultimately declined to join the protest.

“With (Trump), who tends to be unpredictable, people shouldn’t be forced into a situation where they might not want to be,” Sarkessian said. “Regardless of his political views, I don’t think that someone who treats other people the way he does should be in the highest political office.

We’re basically telling everybody that’s okay to treat people like trash and I don’t believe that.”

Though not a Trump supporter, senior Adham Al-Bataineh found viewing Trump’s inaugural speech a valuable experience. In evaluating Trump’s opening re-

on the noon on

NationJan. 20.

marks as president, Al-Bataineh appreciated his stated commitment to fiscally conservative policies and affirmation of American exceptionalism, but perceived him as appealing only to the “47 percent who already like him” rather than building consensus.

“What’s important to remember is that the inauguration is not solely a celebration of Donald Trump or whoever is elected,” AlBataineh said. “In my opinion, it’s about observing the transition of power, which is very powerful because it goes back to 1800.”

Senior Rudy Kuppusamy, Young Republicans vice president and Trump supporter, feels the president will initiate a “people’s movement” within the Republican party and general electorate. Watching the inauguration, he agreed with most of Trump’s statements despite his doubts that the new administration can deliver on some of its promises, such as building a wall between the United States and Mexico.

“I think Donald Trump knows what the voters want,” Kuppusamy said. “Before the inauguration, people were talking about holding Trump’s feet to the fire, but now, I think there’s no need.”

The Spoke 3

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

News

Sodomy charges dropped after year-long controversy

By Caleigh Sturgeon Managing Web Editor On Tuesday, Jan. 3, Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan dropped sodomy charges against three former senior Conestoga High School varsity football players. The three admitted to the summary offense of harassment — a violation that can be expunged from the players’ criminal records after five years without a new conviction. Sodomy was the most serious of the March 4, 2016 charges in the hazing case, which Hogan announced at a press conference. Other counts included unlawful restraint, conspiracy, terroristic threats and assault.

But all were dismissed.

An unusual joint statement signed by Hogan and the defense attorneys states that the three players shoved and briefly held down a freshman player who refused to clean the locker room.

On March 4 in a televised press conference, Hogan declared that the freshman student’s description of events in the locker room was clear and factual.

“This is a simple case about ignorance, violence and a shocking lack of supervision,” Hogan said.

But now, he agreed only that “one of the charged juveniles briefly poked the victim with a broom stick in the leg.” The parties decided that the accused did not intend to inflict

any physical harm, and the freshman was not injured.

On the other hand, the consequences for the Conestoga community were evident. The three seniors graduated with the case looming. Head coach John Vogan resigned after being suspended from coaching duties, and the rest of the varsity football coaching staff was suspended for one year.

In the 10 months since the sensational charges were revealed, it became known that the freshman student in the case was charged with the juvenile offense of sharing sexually explicit images in the spring of 2015. In the coming November, the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District (TESD) held an expulsion hearing, but rather than expelling the “sexting” offender, TESD agreed to pay for his alternate schooling. The tuition at Buxmont Academy cost taxpayers twice the price of educating the freshman student at Conestoga. However, on Jan. 28, 2016 a TESD hearing officer determined that the freshman had not been a resident of the district since March 5, 2015.

After his whereabouts were determined, the school district notified his father that he was responsible for paying back over $13,000 in tuition for his son’s enrollment in Conestoga and a private school.

Within the next week, by Feb. 5, 2016, the father reported to TESD that his son was sodomized with a broomstick by three senior varsity

Timeline of Events: Spring 2015

Oct. 15, 2015

Feb. 5, 2016

Freshman student’s expulsion hearing for “sexting” case.

Harassment of the freshman student in the Conestoga locker room.

The freshman student and his father filed a federal civil lawsuit against the Conestoga coaching staff on Nov. 2, 2016 asking for compensatory and punitive damages. Contrary to what was agreed upon in the joint statement, this lawsuit alleged that he was subjected to sexual abuse that caused “severe and permanent injuries”, and that his civil rights were violated. However, the defendants’ attorney filed a motion to dismiss the case. On Feb. 2, 2017, the freshman student’s claims were dismissed.

It seems that after months of hushed trials, copious information is finally meeting the public eye. However, TESD is still searching for information.

On Nov. 29, 2016, undersigned counsel for TESD and

Aug. 2016

Freshman student’s father reports the he was sodomized.

Investigator determines that the freshman student had not been a resident of TESD, now owing the district $13,000.

Jan. 28, 2016 4 The Spoke

But the resolution of this criminal trial was not the culmination of the “hazing” case.

Conestoga High School served upon the District Attorney’s Office a subpoena to produce all investigative materials relating to the three juvenile matters, including witness and suspect statements, interview summaries, reports, complaints and transcripts that TESD was never granted access to. The District Attorney’s Office advised that it could not release the requested records absent a court order, citing statutes relating to confidentiality of records relating to juveniles. On Jan. 19, after Hogan released the joint statement, disposing the juvenile matters, TESD submitted a Motion to Compel compliance with the subpoena, arguing that “interference with an ongoing criminal investigation or trial is not a legitimate concern or basis for not releasing the requested records and materials.”

Meanwhile, TESD continues to pay for the freshman student’s schooling at Valley Forge Military Academy, a tuition costing over $31,000 annually.

After Hogan’s press conference last spring, many Conestoga students turned to social media to share their perceptions of the allegations.

Following the joint statement released this January, senior football player Clayton Hofstetter reflected on Facebook.

“Don’t forget about what happened here. Don’t forget the coaches or our boys. This can’t ever happen again,” Hofstetter said.

Nov. 29, 2016

Nov. 2015

Freshman student charged with sharing sexually explicit images.

football players back on Oct. 15, 2015. Then, about two weeks later, the father sued the school district in an effort to halt the monetary collection resulting from the residency dispute. The hearing concerning this sum was supposed to be held on March 4, 2016 — the day Hogan announced the sodomy charges in the press conference.

The Chester County Court of Common Pleas ruled last summer that TESD could not collect from the freshman student and his father because the family actually had T/E residency.

Hogan declined to comment to the Spoke about the outcome of the case, citing rules governing the juvenile case.

However, Hogan’s original announcement drew national attention to the school district.

Last spring, NBC10, 6ABC and The Philadelphia Inquirer, among others, published articles covering the case. Other publications, like The New York Times, took the opportunity to offer commentary about hazing at high schools, specifically at Conestoga.

The joint statement concluded by saying, “The victim, the charged juveniles and their respective families all would like the opportunity to move on with their lives,” and that, “We all hope never to see an incident like this in Chester County again.”

But the resolution of this criminal trial was not the culmination of the “hazing” case.

Judge rules that freshman student is a resident of TESD.

District Attorney Tom Hogan holds press conference.

March 4, 2016

TESD sends DA’s office a subpoena to produce investigative materials relating to the cases. The DA has still not produced this information.

Freshman student and father file a federal civil lawsuit against the Conestoga coaching staff.

Nov. 2, 2016

The federal lawsuit filed by freshmans’s family is dismissed.

Feb. 2, 2017 Adam Lockett/The SPOKE

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

News

Kicking Ace: Marine alumnus takes to the skies

Courtesy Jeremy Vandekar

Taking sented

names: about

Class of 2003 alumnus Jeremy Vandekar is a current member of the FBI. He prehis experiences serving in Iraq to Comparative Literature classes on Jan. 9.

Pennsylvania State Universi- combat left him suffering from based on all of these written ty’s local campus for a year as Post-Traumatic Stress Dis- records as a present for her part of a compromise with his order (PTSD).

53rd birthday. parents. On May 9, 2004, he “I was really, really angry, Within two years, Vandekar I wasn’t getting good sleep, I had published “Kicking Ace, For Class of 2003 alumnus was on his way to bootcamp.

“Nothing in the world was having nightmares, and I Taking Names,” which is now Jeremy Vandekar, serving his country had always been a equates to being in the military,” was kind of angry at the world,” part of Conestoga’s Comparative Literature curriculum. On dream. While the majority of Vandekar said. “There’s nothing Vandekar said.

As a way to “desensitize,” Jan. 9, Vandekar spoke to the his peers were making plans quite like being in combat or for college, he was envisioning being in the military and going Vandekar began to write students of these classes to down some of his more trau- talk about both his book and his life as a pilot for the United through those experiences.”

Vandekar served with the matic memories. His mom, his deployment in Iraq.

States Marine Corps.

He was invited to speak by “I wanted to break out of the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion who had collected all of the mold a little bit,” Vandekar said. for his four years of active ser- emails and pictures he had Comparative Literature teacher And so he did. Following vice, deploying to Iraq twice. sent while deployed, asked Karen Gately, his senior year graduation, Vandekar attended His experiences in active Vandekar to write a book British Literature teacher.

By Betty Ben Dor Managing Editor

By Eric Xue News Editor

The fact that he chose to write a memoir “didn’t surprise me because he’s always been a very creative and very good writer,” Gately said.

Throughout his deployments, she kept in touch with him via email and says she was always pleased to receive his lengthy and well-written emails detailing his life overseas. She included “Kicking Ace, Taking Names” in the Comparative Literature curriculum as a modern-day tie-in to the class’s war unit.

“I think that when we have opportunities for students to see things in our current day that are relatable, I think we as teachers should seize that and I think that he’s a perfect example of that,” Gately said. “Some of the stuff we’ve been reading about, he brought it to life.”

According to Gately, Vandekar’s ease with adolescents gained their respect and she says that the feedback from the presentation was overwhelmingly positive.

Now, Vandekar is an agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Following his time in the Marine Corps, he attended the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. Starting in 2012, he spent two years on the Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York.

He is now a full time pilot and conducts surveillance on possible terrorists.

AASU celebrates black history on air

During Black History Month this year, the morning announcements has features with members of the African American Student Union (AASU) presenting a brief profile of an African American who had a significant impact on American history. Through this campaign, the AASU hopes to raise awareness of black history and how it has shaped America, according to senior Presina Mottley, the president of AASU. “I feel that with this school, students look up to these people, but we want to go deeper into what they have done and how that has laid out the foundation of our country,” Mottley said. “Especially with what’s going on currently politically, this is a time when we need to reunite

and remember who we are and our backgrounds.”

In past years, the AASU has only appeared on Good Morning ’Stoga on Fridays during February. However, this year, the student union announces a Black History Moment daily.

To transition into the daily morning announcements, the AASU, partnered with the Anti-Defamation League, held its “Ban the N Word” campaign.

On Jan. 30, Feb. 1 and Feb. 3, students were invited to sign a banner reading “I pledge to ban the N word” and wear “No Place For Hate” buttons and black ribbons. According to Mottley, the members of the student union wanted to hold this campaign after Jan. 20 because they knew the inauguration would cause tension among the student body.

According to Carol Gibson, the interim AASU adviser, the response to the campaign was generally positive.

“There have been some incidents earlier in the school year, so I didn’t know what type of response the student body would have. I think because of a number of different campaigns that have been held this year, people are a lot more open,” Gibson said.

AASU plans to hold African American Culture Day, another Black History Month tradition at Conestoga, on Feb. 15 Senior Dylan Rein, a producer on Good Morning ’Stoga, believes that having Black History Moments on the morning announcements has a positive effect.

“It provides more of an insight into not just the daily happenings of what goes on in the school and the community, but it also allows the viewers to get an insight about topics relating to the culture of our community that they may not see on a daily basis,” Rein said.

Mottley hopes raising awareness of prominent black figures will inspire students to learn more about their contributions beyond Black History Month.

“Black history should be celebrated everyday,” Mottley said.

“You shouldn’t bring it down to a month that’s 28 days, sometimes 29 days.”

Eric Xue/The SPOKE

We’re live: Junior Mikayla Renwick honors civil rights activist Ruby Bridges through Black History Moments on GMS. AASU kicked off activities for Black History Month with the “Ban the N Word” campaign.

The Spoke 5

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

News *Student names marked with an asterisk have been changed for anonymity.

By Betty Ben Dor, Camille Kurtz, Meagan O’Rourke and Avery Maslowsky Managing Editor, CoEditors-in-Chief and Business Manager Design by Adam Lockett

Conestoga Class of 2014 alumna Jenny Larkin, now a communications major at West Chester University, began struggling with her body image after briefly pursuing a modeling career. Following her high school graduation, Larkin moved to Los Angeles to model full-time. However, the career soon became “way too competitive,” as companies began asking Larkin to lose weight. Reflecting on her time at Conestoga, Larkin sees such outside pressures to fit in as a large source of eating disorders and Continued from Page 1 negative body image.

Given “the area we live in and The Causes how much money everyone has, Eating disorders often it’s like a fashion show going to result from the interaction school. Everyone is trying to look of a person’s genes and enprettier than (everyone else),” vironment. Although ANAD Larkin said. Body image is “a hard suggests that 50-80 percent topic for people to talk about and of the risk for developing anpeople don’t really know how to orexia or bulimia is genetic, approach the situation.”

Main Line Therapy and PsySophomore Lizzy Harwood chological Services psycholois attempting to start such a congist and eating disorder speversation, advocating for “body cialist Dr. Lucy Faulconbridge positivity,” the acceptance of all recognizes that the causes of body types regardless of popan eating disorder are “difular beauty standards. Harwood ferent for every client.” tries to promote self-love and “It’s really difficult to pin acceptance on her social media down into one phrase what platforms as a way of combatting causes eating disorders,” Dr. some of the negative influence she Faulconbridge said. “It’s really a believes social media can have on multi-faceted collection of expea person’s body image. riences and genes that interact “Everybody sees Kendall together to produce the illness.”

Jenner and Kylie Jenner and Mysko comments that in addihow they’ve had plastic surgery tion to stemming from biological, in their bodies. And I feel like psychological and social sources, girls aspire to be like that, when eating disorders can affect people that is not a normal body stan“of all sizes, all ethnicities, all races, all socioeconomic statuses, all dard,” Harwood said.

While Mysko doesn’t believe that the media causes body image concerns in a direct cause and effect relationship, she believes that it plays into the culture of negaIf you or someone you know needs tive comparison to help or more information about an “ideal” body types.

“Living in a soeating disorder, contact the following: ciety where you’re surrounded by » NEDA images of very unPhone: (800) 931-2237 realistic thinness and perfection, For crisis situations: text "NEDA" to 741741 you’re constantly Confidential & free evaluation: nationaleatingdisorders.org measuring yourself against these unattainable » Renfrew Center of Radnor ideals so that, Phone: (800) 736-3739 again, makes it difficult to reach a place of health and » CARE team at Conestoga High School self-acceptance,” Mysko said. genders.” While many people are genetically predisposed to these diseases, for others it comes along with concurrent conditions such as depression, anxiety or trauma.

While anorexia nervosa and bulimia are the most well-known eating disorders, illnesses like binge eating disorder and orthorexia — obsessive concern with eating “healthy” foods — are equally serious. The National Institute of Health (NIH) reports that long term symptoms of eating disorders include heart failure, osteoporosis, infertility, brain damage, tooth decay and dehydration. An NIH report on eating disorders from 2012 states that anorexia alone has an estimated mortality rate of 10 percent, with one in five of those deaths resulting from suicide, according to ANAD. The Renfrew Center of Radnor is a local eating disorder and behavioral health treatment facility.

It provides residential and outpatient service to women and girls.

Hannah Beaver, team leader at the center, sees a correlation between the pressures of perfectionism and the development of eating disorders.

“In addition to the pressure to look a certain way, it seems that a lot of adolescents who are struggling with eating disorders are also dealing with the pressure to succeed in all areas of their lives and the need to be able to control something in their otherwise chaotic dayto-day,” Beaver said.

Resources:

6 The Spoke

Like Harwood, Ivers sees the increase in social media use as a large contributing factor to eating disorder tendencies among students. Ivers notes that with the rise of photo-sharing on social media platforms, people no longer simply face body image pressures from models in magazines. Ivers asked for anonymity for this story as publication date got closer. She is still not comfortable sharing her story with a wide audience.

“These are widespread illnesses, but unfortunately many (people) still live in the shadows.”

-Claire Mysko

“When I scroll through Instagram and I see all these girls who are just my age and go to my same school and have these perfect bodies, then it makes me feel like they’re in the same circumstances as me, they’re very similar to me, but I am therefore lesser because I’m not achieving this body type that they have,” Ivers said. “When you see it on your phone, it just becomes so much more personal, because it’s within your community.”

Senior Sarah Korbel believes that “you need to create your own barricade” against the media’s representation of the “normal” body type.

For her, the pressures on girls and boys from a young age to achieve a certain beauty standard is very familiar. Diagnosed with anorexia at age 12, she was the youngest resident in her treatment facility.

“You start having (negative body image) programmed especially when you are young and you can’t tell the difference between what is healthy and what isn’t. The way things are represented makes it so that you need to learn how to see these things and you can’t just do it blindly,” Korbel said.

While she agrees with Korbel, acknowledging that “social media can be used as a negative tool,” Mysko believes that

it can also be used for recovery for individuals to connect with others who understand what they are going through.

Although women tend to struggle more frequently with eating disorders and body image concerns, Mysko warns against ignoring the males fighting the same issues.

“One of the things that we hear about a lot from guys dealing with eating disorders is that there’s really an added shame and stigma because these illnesses are still very much defined as girls’ and women’s issues even though that’s not the reality,” Mysko said.

Of the estimated 30 million people both ANAD and the NEDA report to have experienced an eating disorder at some point in their lives, 10 million are men.

Even if they do not develop an eating disorder in the same way and as often as women, men still struggle with negative body image. NEDA reports that subclinical eating disordered behaviors like binge eating, fasting and abusing diet pills are almost as prevalent among men as women. Sophomore Chase Dautrich feels there are expectations to look a certain way, especially for high school boys.

“There is pressure for guys to have a really muscular body.

Because that is what is considered attractive,” Dautrich said. “If people think you’re scrawny, then they are like, ‘Oh come on man, you got to bulk up. Girls don’t like that.’”

The Treatment Although body image concerns can affect all demographics of a population, Beaver notes a discrepancy in who seeks treatment and professional help, which can be due to “various factors such as access to care, affordability, information about treatment and fighting against the stigma that tends to be linked with mental health treatment in general.” For many sufferers of eating disorders, it can be difficult to ask for help due to stigmas and misconceptions about the mental illness.

“These are widespread illnesses, but unfortunately many (people) still live in the shadows and don’t talk about them even though they’re so common,” Mysko said. “On top of finding the courage to reach out for help, there’s this added fear (that) admitting that you have an eating disorder is going to be frowned upon because you don’t fit that physical image.”

Continued on Page 7

News

Tuesday, February 14, 2017 Continued from Page 6

The Education Korbel, however, was not alone in facing her eating disorder at a young age. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 42 percent of girls in first through third grade reported that they wanted to be thinner. Eighty-one percent of 10-year-olds said that they were afraid of being fat.

In order to catch the disease early on, Beaver calls for a more proactive approach to education.

“It would be great for schools to play an active role in promoting healthy body image and positive self-esteem for all students, as well as being aware and observing certain individuals who may be struggling with these issues, and helping them receive the right type of support,” Beaver said. “More information and open dialogue that can exist around the severity of this disorder would be a great starting point.”

Assistant Principal Misty Whelan is a member of CARE, a district-wide student assistance program meant to provide

identification and referral,” are the key to combating eating disorders.

“We teach the kids how to identify kids, because we’re not sitting and eating lunch with every kid in the school, but the kids are eating (with each other),” Mariani said.

“We need students to understand that it’s not narcing, it’s not tattling, it’s telling. And when you tell someone about a concern, you’re doing it because you love and care about your friend.”

It is this awareness about unhealthy habits that many eating disorder survivors at Conestoga believe is lacking among the student body.

Underlying ’Stoga students’ “summer body” goals and prom diets, Ivers worries that there are potentially dangerous mentalities toward food and exercise.

“I pick up on habits that other students have that I used to have when I was sick and I realize that even though they may not have a full-fledged eating disorder like I

30||||150| |1 | | |

110 |

students and their families with resources to assist with substance abuse and mental health issues. Students, teachers, counselors, parents and administrators can refer a student for support to CARE. Whelan acknowledges the need for students to fully understand the depth of eating disorders and body image issues and hopes the services offered at Conestoga will support those students struggling with eating disorders.

“The education will come through the health curriculum, through counselor support. I would think that (for kids) that are not feeling strongly about their body image or struggling in any way, we have a pretty good safety net in place with counselors and mental health specialists,” Whelan said. “I believe, in that sense, that it’s a positive environment, because we have so many structures in place to help students identify that they may be struggling with something.”

But despite these services, several students believe the health curriculum and mental health educational services do not provide a realistic explanation of what eating disorders truly are and how detrimental they are.

“I think that we’re taught a definition of anorexia and we’re taught a definition of bulimia, but when it comes into your own life, it’s something severely different from the caricatures they teach you of an anorexic girl and a bulimic girl in health class,” Ivers said.

Mysko worries that the “strong focus on obesity prevention” in schools in the U.S. may send the wrong message to students about body image.

Health educators “tend to fear weight gain and are hyperfocused on weight and numbers. What we’re starting to see is that in an effort to combat one epidemic, we’re actually adding fuel to the fire of another one,” Mysko said.

Ivers acknowledges the conflicting messages presented to students from a young age about “how to treat your body and what to eat.” Given this early confusion, Ivers believes that peers must be vigilant and proactive concerning their peers’ health.

“Because these things happen when kids are so young and impressionable, there needs to be more education towards a community, with friends looking out for friends,” Ivers said.

For Health and Fitness teacher Marcia Mariani, “education,

17 ||

According to Dr. Faulconbridge, “early detection leads to a higher chance of recovery.” Specialized treatment is often imperative to aiding eating disorder sufferers, as Mysko notes that an eating disorder is “not a kind of illness that goes away on its own.” Formal eating disorder recovery often combines the counseling of a psychologist and a nutritionist.

Ivers advocates seeking treatment, even if students worry their behaviors are not “extreme enough” or that they are not “skinny enough to need help or to have a problem.” Urging that someone can “have an eating disorder at any weight” and in “any situation,” Ivers believes the first step in treatment is identifying the eating disorder.

“The easiest way for me to identify an eating disorder is this: if the idea of food brings you stress, even if it’s like too much food brings you stress, too little food brings you stress, if eating food at all gives you any sort of anxiety, get help,” Ivers said.

Although Korbel is now at a healthy weight and is “totally feeling great,” she emphasizes that an eating disorder does not ever truly disappear, even after treatment. It has become a personal aspect of her life.

“It’s a journey you take inside yourself. Others can help you and you will find your way because if you stick it out, you will learn so much more about yourself than you would if you didn’t seek out any help at all,” Korbel said.

had, they still have eating disorder tendencies,” Ivers said. “Those eating disorder tendencies are normalized in our school.”

After battling her eating disorder for years, Ivers now enjoys the freedom that comes with recovery.

“I used to think recovery was never possible,” Ivers said. “I used to think I would have this eating disorder for the rest of my life because I’ve had an eating disorder for six years. But I can say now that recovery really is possible. And it’s amazing to not be a prisoner to your body.”

• 119% increase

in the number of children under 12 who were hospitalized for an eating disorder (1999 -2006)

• Every 62 minutes at least 1 person dies as a direct result from an eating disorder

• 91% of women

are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting

• Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents

• 42% of girls

in first through third grade want to be thinner Sources: The Agency For Healthcare Research and Quality (2013); National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders; Statistic Brain via the US Dep. of Health and Human services, PBS, National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (2016); and Public Health Services Office in Women’s Health (2000).

The Spoke 7

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

STUDENT LIFE Foreign born teachers give a-broader perspective

By Claire Guo Staff Reporter

At 12 years old, a young Ann Karcewski thought that she was dying. The air was dry to the touch, her skin white and flaky. Her first winter in America brought temperatures below freezing, temperatures she would later find to be normal and non-fatal. Until eighth grade, present Spanish teacher Karcewski had grown up in the Philippines, a tropical country with only two seasons – rainy and dry.

“When I first came to America, I wanted to go home,” Karcewski said. “It was a very non-diverse (community) in the middle of Indiana. I was the only brown-skinned child there, new kid, no friends, culture shock everywhere, and I was cold and flaky. My transition was very lonely, but I survived.”

School seemed especially alien to Karcewski, who was used to formal classes and strict teachers. Watching her peers wave over teachers “shocked (Karcewski) to her core.”

Though Karcewski now feels well at home in America, she retains a deeper empathy and understanding for those who do not.

“Having lived in other countries has broadened my perspective as a teacher. I feel more sensitive culturally if I have students from different backgrounds, and I can connect with them better,” Karcewski said. “I can also provide my perspective to my students, tell them this is not how something is done all around the world.”

Like Karcewski, several teachers at Conestoga have grown up in other countries.

Subsequently moving to America impacted each in different ways.

Chinese teacher Judy Lee also found the American school system inherently different than the one she grew up with in Taiwan. However, Lee moved to the United States as an adult and immediately found an affinity for the

8 The Spoke

country’s more open teaching methods.

“After we moved here, I learned from volunteering in my children’s Chinese school that teaching is so different from the educational environment I grew up with,” Lee said. “In America, the school environment is about mutual respect, but in Taiwan and in China, it is all about authority.

Teachers obey the principal, and students have to obey teachers.”

Lee has observed many key differences between the school systems of America and Taiwan. The former includes more free discussion, critical thinking and involvement with the wider community. In contrast, Taiwan focuses strictly on content instruction, basic academic subjects and standardized test preparation.

“Honestly, I didn’t have many good memories in Taiwan,” Lee said. “Everything is about (your) studies. Starting from elementary school, everything is about preparing for the entrance exams. So it was not a good time.”

Though Lee’s mother, father and sister are all teachers, she herself had never wanted

Claire Guo/The SPOKE

Teaching personally: Spanish teacher Ann Karcewski teaches grammar to her students. She described her teaching style as an extension of her own personality, distinct from the formal teaching methods of the Philippines. to be one before she came to America. Had the school system here been similar to that of Taiwan, Lee would not be teaching today.

“Back in Taiwan, I didn’t want to be a teacher because I didn’t like that school system and I would never fight for that (career),” Lee said. “But

Betty Ben Dor/The SPOKE

Baguette-it-right: French teacher William Rivé analyzes an American baguette with his AP French students. He moved to America from France after college.

here, we are very flexible and teachers have a lot of opportunities to improve our teaching strategies. And for many, continuing in (the field of) education will help us grow. I think that is wonderful for teachers and for students.”

After moving from France to America as a college graduate, French teacher William Rivé returned to school when he identified his interest in pedagogy — the art of teaching. Like Lee, Rivé feels that his move to America was the foundation of his teaching career.

Teaching “was never really something I thought about before moving here,” Rivé said.

“Going to school in this country made me realize that the whole (educational) system works (for students).”

When Rivé was a student in France, the detached method of teaching did not help him reach his full potential as a student.

“School was a struggle for me. I wasn’t slow, but like many students, that wasn’t the style I was good with — sitting down for an hour at a time, listening to someone talk at you,” Rivé said. “It definitely shaped who I am as a teacher, knowing both sides of it. Everything I really disliked about my schooling in France, (I try) not to replicate

it here, because I know how hard it was for me to deal with it.”

While attending college in America, Rivé also became aware of the more easygoing relationship between teachers and students. Rivé was never offered extra help by his teachers in France and received neither extra credit nor explanations for bad test scores. Conestoga’s teachers differ considerably in their availability and willingness to help students.

“I think that (students here) should be grateful for the relationships that (they) are able to build with teachers,” Rivé said. “I didn’t have that at all growing up in France. The teacher was the teacher, you were the student, and that’s where it stopped.”

And the connections between teachers and students can work both ways. Rivé enjoys his friendly rapport with students, a casual relationship rare in France.

“It’s nice when students actually take interest in you at a certain level, when they want to know how your kids are doing, when it’s genuine,” Rivé said. “I think that’s probably what’s lacking the most in France, that relationship between students and teachers.”

Student Life

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Aspiring young chef competes in 'Chopped Junior'

By Jordan Liu and Sanjana Sanghani Web Editor and Staff Reporter

The blue-eyed 9-year-old smiled, wearing his “I was on Chopped Junior” shirt. His name is Marty Snyder and though he’s just a student at Beaumont Elementary, he’s cooking up big dreams.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to be a cook and to be on ‘Chopped Junior’ since it’s one of my favorite shows,” Marty said.

Marty began cooking at age 5. He began by experimenting with plastic knives and other basic utensils. Marty later began learning recipes from his mother and cooking shows.

His mother, Michelle Snyder, is impressed by her son’s instincts when it comes to cooking.

“He was definitely more creative and not afraid to put things together that I wouldn’t have even thought of,” Snyder said.

Courtesy Michelle Snyder

Master chef: Marty Snyder poses in front of the “Chopped Junior” judges’ desk, wearing his apron. He competed on season six of Food Network’s “Chopped Junior,” which began airing on Jan. 3, 2017.

“Chopped Junior” consists of they must use to create an origfour contestants ranging from inal dish in under 30 minutes. ages 9 to 15 competing in appeTo compete on the show, tizer, entrée and dessert rounds, contestants must first fill out with a panel of judges evalu- an online application and inating each dish. Similar to the clude a video of them cooking. regular version of "Chopped," In his application video, Marty at the beginning of each round, made his favorite dish: steer contestants receive a basket filet mignon, mashed potatoes, of surprise ingredients, which a balsamic reduction with

mushrooms and asparagus wrapped in prosciutto.

After additional interviews with the producers over the phone, Marty learned just a few days prior to the start of filming that he was chosen to appear on “Chopped Junior” out of over 5,000 applicants.

“I was pretty happy when I found out, and I knew I always wanted to be on these kind of shows,” Marty said.

The Snyders prepared for the competition by hosting their own version of “Chopped Junior.” To simulate the competition, Marty’s parents bought ingredients used on past shows and Marty would try to prepare a dish in under 30 minutes.

Filming for the show began in May over a period of two days, the first consisting of an interview with the producer and the second of the filming of the show. Because the parents were not allowed on set, they gathered in a separate room watching segments of the show.

“I was nervous before it started, and it was kind of hard

to make something in such little time,” Marty said.

In the competition, Marty received fluke filet, golden raisins, wildflower lettuce and cauliflower bites for the appetizer round. For the entrée round, he received drumsticks, lemon meringue pie, avocados and corn.

Marty made it to the entrée round before he was “chopped” from the show. Though her son never advanced to the finals, Michelle Snyder is proud of him for competing.

“It was a long and lengthy process, and Marty was really up for the challenge. It was important and it’s just a huge endeavor, but Marty didn’t give up and was in the kitchen toiling away,” Snyder said.

While competing was difficult at times, Marty sees his time on “Chopped Junior” as a great way to build his cooking skills and a worthwhile effort.

The competition “was a tiring and long experience, but it was fun and I would want to do it again,” Marty said.

The Spoke 9

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Student Life

Act of contrition: ‘ The Young Pope’ captivates

By Matt Paolizzi Co-Student Life Editor

I visited the Vatican this previous summer. As someone who comes from a long line of devout Italian Catholics, the experience was a moving one. To see the grandness of Saint Peter’s Basilica, to walk through those sacred and holy hallways, to bask in the beauty of the Vatican Gardens; it was all so breathtaking. The most incredible moment was when I was on top of the Basilica. You can see Law of the Land: Jude Law stars as Pope Pius XIII in all of Rome from there, all those wonderful old buildings with such films as “This Must Be the even taking the name of Pius the Tiber River cutting its way Place,” “Youth” and “The Grand XIII, a name that has become through. It’s a city that has seen Beauty,” he is an accomplished linked with conservative and so much, from emperors to filmmaker. With this new cine- reactionary popes. barbarian kings to popes, some matic venture, Sorrentino has Belardo is a perfect anti-hero, corrupt and some that lived up embarked on his most surreal the center of the show and posto their saintly expectations. journey yet. Detailing the be- sibly one of the best written On HBO’s “The Young Pope,” ginning of a new papacy, the characters on television right a new pontiff has taken con- show stars Jude Law as Lenny now. He runs the Church like a trol as the newest successor Belardo, a young American car- mob boss, sending away those to Saint Peter, and the city of dinal of 47 years who has un- who displease him, manipuRome becomes an epicenter of expectedly been elected pope lating those who will keep him change once again. by the other cardinals of the in control. Diane Keaton plays “The Young Pope” is a tele- Vatican. Belardo is the antith- Sister Mary, Belardo’s mother vision show created and di- esis of Pope Francis. Extremely figure who raised him in the or2016_HS_Newspapers x 5.843).3_Layout 1 5/17/16 PMtoPage 1 rected by the Italian(10.312 filmmaker conservative, he 5:42 aims bring phanage where he grew up and Paolo Sorrentino. Known for the Church into an earlier age, often tries (in vain) to serve as

In the last five years we have helped high school seniors gain acceptance to these colleges:

Columbia, Carleton, Syracuse, Northeastern…and many more.

HBO

“The Young Pope” on HBO. a voice of reason. He rejects the friendly face that the past pope had put on. Belardo refuses to have his photo taken, rarely going out in public.

Throughout the first season, he is continually at odds with Cardinal Angelo Voiello, Camerlengo and the Vatican Secretary of State. Having run things during past papal administrations, Voiello, a reformer, is used to being in control and is displeased with how Belardo has begun to transform the Church. He is an equally engaging character, his constant

plotting and backhanded deals make him almost as diabolical as Belardo.

It is clear that the show is made by a filmmaker and not someone who deals exclusively in television. It is wonderfully shot, no inch of space is wasted, reveling in each and every environment, from picturesque Vatican gardens to claustrophobic corridors of the Apostolic Palace.

Sublime performances from every part of the ensemble make each and every character interesting. It can be incredibly dense and philosophical, while at the same time being dreadfully funny and reveling in its ridiculousness.

“The Young Pope” is a show heavy-handed in symbolism.

Not everything important is said in dialogue. It is a show that must be given your full attention. If you do so, this masterpiece will become as addictive and binge-worthy as “Game of Thrones.” It is, without a doubt, the best thing on television and something that will be difficult for other series in 2017 to live up to. All 10 episodes of the first season are available for streaming through HBO.

A high school senior who completes our program will receive: ■ a personalized college planning timeline, ■ a working list of colleges for application.

For many students our program begins before the senior year.

We can help you get there.*

The College Admissions Planning program is under the direction of David Clark, (Ed.M., Harvard Graduate School of Education), an independent college admission consultant with more than thirty-five years experience working with high school students and their families.

“ Mr. Clark was able to focus our son on what he needed to do; relieving stress for the entire family.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call David Clark at 610-642-4873, ext. 52 or email him at: david@collegesearchnow.net

Mother of a senior at a Chester Country (PA) high school class of 2016

a complete list of our students’ college * For acceptances go to the “College Acceptances”

link at our website www.collegesearchnow.net.

College Search Now makes no guarantee, expressed or implied, of placement of a client in a designated college /university.

10 The Spoke

For informative articles about an effective college search plan, visit Mr. Clark’s blog at www.collegesearchnow.net.

College Search Now ~ Center for Psychological Services, LLC Paoli Executive Green, Suite 304 ■ 41 Leopard Road, Paoli, PA 19301 125 Coulter Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003 ■ Tel: 610.642.4873 Email: david@collegesearchnow.net

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Student Life

Patrick Cupo Spanish teacher Patrick Cupo reflects on his childhood and experiences as a teacher in both America and Spain.

By Audrey Kim Staff Reporter How were you �irst interested in teaching?

Probably very early on, maybe �irst or second grade.

I had an aunt who taught kindergarten, and after I had gone through kindergarten, I went back to her classroom to help out as an older kid. Partly I went there for the free animal crackers, but also to experience teaching. I didn’t really even mean to (go there to help out), it’s just something you’re drawn to.

Was there anything speci�ic you were drawn to about teaching at such an early age?

Mostly the free snacks.

And then in college, I actually studied to be a history teacher, but switched to Spanish after working with a lot of Hispanic people.

Was there a speci�ic reason why you switched �ields to Spanish?

I used to work with some Guatemalans in an ice cream shop. And I would speak Spanish to them. I was a high school student then, and I studied Spanish there. (My high school) went on a two-week trip to Mexico and we stayed over with a local family. And then in college, I worked for a year as a teacher, and when I was waiting for a new job, I went to Madrid.

How was that experience?

Yeah, it was a big part of my life. I just went up to Madrid by myself. I didn’t really know anyone there. I worked there as an English teacher to a group in elementary school. The school’s called Real Colegio, and I barely made any money doing that. So I actually made a living teaching English on the side. So while I was teaching English to my students, I would also teach English to my coworkers, some of their family members and even to some people I just met around town.

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Is the Spanish education system any different than the American one?

The siesta is real. From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., I went to school to teach. I had my lunch there.

By noon I was done, and then I didn’t have to go back to school until 3 p.m.. I would walk the few blocks from the school to my �lat.

It was literally a nap on my couch for an hour or so, and then I’d go back to teach until 8 p.m.

Where did you grow up?

Abington, Pa. I’m from around here, sort of. Abington’s pretty diverse, in terms of general demographics. I went to school at Temple University. I’ve gotten a lot of diversity and culture throughout the years. And I think that’s helped me become more aware of other cultures, other backgrounds and being respectful of them.

Did that in�luence you in your decision to become a language arts teacher?

Culture really fascinates me.

I think the main reason why I became a Spanish teacher was because I knew if I could get my students interested in anything cultural, as in, if you get drawn to culture, you’ll wanna learn the language. You’re almost forcing yourself to learn the language.

But yeah, as far as my teaching philosophy goes, I want to get my students interested in culture, and I like learning from them.

What other things do you like to do outside of school?

Hanging out with my wife and �ixing up our house. Contemplating getting a dog. And going �ishing.

Where do you �ish?

In the city. Like, in Wissahickon. And other places that I can’t tell you, or else it would give away my spot. I used to live in the city and I would take in the train to get to here. I was a long-term substitute teacher for Ms. Katz for AP Spanish, and that’s how I got my start in Conestoga.

Anything else interesting you’d like to add?

I actually taught at my high school.I taught with the teachers that had previously taught me.

My mentor teacher was my high school Spanish teacher.

And I was not the best high school student, attention span wise. There were some subjects I just wasn’t interested in.

What other places have you traveled to? Besides Madrid and Mexico, of course.

I’ve been to Rome and Barcelona. Last year we went to a trip to Germany with Dr. Nerz and some students to Dresden, Budapest, Prague, Slovakia. Traveling is one of my favorite things to do.

Favorites:

TV Show: “The Sopranos” Book: “The Sun Also Rises” Artist: Mark Rothko Band: Dr. Dog Food: Tortilla The Spoke 11

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Student Life

Ryan Xu checks competitors for national title

ByJustin Huang Web Editor

Dead silence fills the room as eight players sit across from each other, blocked by four chessboards in four separate matches. With intense concentration, they watch the timers ticking down, desperately thinking of a way to claim victory. Suddenly, one player grasps his queen and, with the hint of a smile on his face, commands it to attack the enemy king. Checkmate.

Sophomore Ryan Xu, awarded the title of “National Master” by the United States Chess Federation (USCF) for his skill, has dished out countless checkmates. Out of all players in the USCF, he is ranked in the 98th percentile and is one of the top 20 players in his age group. In fact, he became co-champion of ninth grade in the national grade-level championship. Additionally, he is the top player on Conestoga’s chess ladder.

“I first sat down in front of a chess board when I was 7 years old. After lots of self-improvement, I played my first official tournament when I was 9 years old,” Xu said. “It was really

Justin Huang/The SPOKE

Checking his opponent: Sophomore Ryan Xu practices his skills against a Chess Club member. Xu was awarded the title of “National Master” by the United States Chess Federation. bizarre. I didn’t have any experience like that before because there were hundreds of people playing.”

As a student, chess takes a small part of his life every day, but tournaments are a different matter.

“When there’s no tournament, chess takes at most half an hour nowadays,” Xu said. On the other hand, “some chess tournaments can take up the entire weekend because of how

long each game is — six hours per game, and there are several games you have to play.”

Tournaments can take up holidays, too. Over Thanksgiving break, Xu played at the National Chess Congress in Philadelphia.

After playing in around 120 tournaments, Xu is familiar with the mindset that comes with each game.

“You start the game off only knowing who your opponent is based on their rating. In the

beginning you can feel uneasy or confident, but as the game progresses, depending on your position, you’ll feel satisfied and you’ll calm down, or maybe you’re in an intense position and you’ll panic,” Xu said.

The people around Xu have observed this attitude of his, too. Second on the chess team ladder is sophomore Kiran Rebholz, vice president of Chess Club. He’s been through many tournaments with Xu and went

to Pennsylvania States with him last year.

“Ryan plays calmly yet tactically. He’s an expert in strategy — he’s got all of the openings and endgames memorized. He knows the maneuvers to gain more pieces than his opponents,” Rebholz said.

Yet there is more to the game than just strategy. Steve Chiorazzi, the adviser to Chess Club, approves of Xu’s sportsmanlike conduct while helping others learn from their mistakes.

“I like that he helps. Especially with some of the freshmen, he’s always willing to help out and replay certain games, and show where certain moves could’ve been made,” Chiorazzi said.

To those who do wish to improve, Xu recommends learning control in tough situations and finding a dedication to the game.

“Chess is a lot about making sure you can stay calm in bad situations and be able to recover after a streak of losses or bad moves,” Xu said. “Motivation is just as important. To me, chess represents a chance to improve myself as a person and, of course, all the fun that comes with it.”

En-tree-preneur: Senior pioneers business

By Ian Ong Co-Student Life Editor

It all began with hard work, heavy machinery and freshly cut lawns.

Senior Adam Arena is the founder and owner of Arena Tree & Landscape Specialists LLC, a company specializing in tree care and yard design. From mowing lawns and mulching to landscape design and maintenance, the company offers a wide range of services and skills to clients. In terms of outdoor buildings, Arena’s company installs patios, walkways and retaining walls. Arena also performs risk evaluations on trees and processes the wood from fallen trees into firewood or furniture. While the company is most active in the spring and summer, it receives requests for jobs year-long from clients in the area.

As the company’s owner, Arena manages and supervises the logistic, legal, financial and accounting aspects of the

12 The Spoke

company. These considerations include balancing the company’s budget, registering construction vehicles, enforcing safe work practices and maintaining relations with clients.

“One minute I’ll be on the crew, working and climbing in one of the trees to take it down, and then the next minute I’ll be giving an estimate to a client,” Arena said.

Arena’s company was formally recognized as a limited liability company (LLC) in 2015, but the underlying passion behind the business venture began in sixth grade, when he began mowing lawns for neighbors and family friends.

“There wasn’t a specific day where I decided I was actually going to make this into a business,” Arena said. “It kind of grew on its own.”

In the winter, the company employs around two full-time workers, with other part-timers on call for larger jobs that may require more manpower. However, during the more active landscaping seasons, the whole team gets to work. Because of

Ian Ong/The SPOKE

Hard at work: Senior Adam Arena sits in a vehicle designed to move heavy pieces of wood. Arena hopes to continue the growth of his company after college. their willingness to work, stu- being part of Arena’s company dents from nearby high schools has improved his work ethic.

“Adam’s a great boss. He and colleges make up the bulk of taught me how important hard the company’s workforce.

Junior Joey Walton began work and precision is,” Walton working for Arena in the said.

As a student himself, Walton summer, but has since expanded his availability to fall and winter. finds Arena’s balance of schoolSpecializing in tree removal and work and company matters management, Walton feels that impressive.

“Everyone I tell that I work for him, they’re almost astounded that someone of his age could start a business and be this successful,” Walton said.

Richard Decker, a family friend and Arena’s longtime client, praises Arena for the way his business handles jobs such as snow removal and general maintenance.

“I was impressed when I first got involved with him,” Decker said. “As a 17 or 18-year-old guy, he’s got the maturity level of a 35-year-old.”

In Arena’s experience, the most important quality of a business owner is perseverance.

“You can’t just be willing to work hard, you have to be mentally fit for it, because you’re going to fall a lot,” Arena said.

“You just have to get back up and realize a mistake for what it is, that it is just a learning experience.”

Post-college, Arena hopes to focus his efforts on growing the size of his company and the services it offers, continuing his entrepreneurship and passion for outdoors work.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Student Life

Conestoga alumnus heals through art

By Madison Red Staff Reporter

Every day, a boy would eat lunch in the library, alone.

Walking home from school, bullies would wait outside the school doors and harass him.

As he got older, he struggled through school, only taking art classes to boost his GPA. Growing up in Berwyn, Pa., David Gerbstadt never thought about becoming full-time artist. After graduating from Conestoga in 1987, he battled with depression, dyslexia and substance abuse before overcoming these obstacles to �ind happiness through art. Still a target for bullies today, Gerbstadt tries to spread kindness through his drawings.

After the election, “I felt compelled to do something that would bring kindness into the world,” Gerbstadt said.

Worried that minority groups would fall victim to bullying, Gerbstadt made pin-on buttons displaying messages of love, joy and kindness. Seven hundred buttons were sent to the Women’s March in Washington D.C. on Jan. 21, 2017. He tries to make his work affordable, often giving buttons to schools for free.

“I’d rather have them have it and enjoy it,” Gerbstadt said.

Gerbstadt also makes free posters for teachers to hang up around their classrooms to discourage bullying. Programs promoting tolerance were not common in schools in the ’80s, making it dif�icult for Gerbstadt, a student in the Special Education program, to �it in. He also struggled academically.

Madison Red/The SPOKE

Band practice: One of David Gerbstadt’s panitings provides an example of his style. He often left pieces like this one in places as far away as Europe and California before stopping this practice in 2002.

“It was a chore to get out of (Conestoga),” Gerbstadt said.

No colleges would accept him, until the admissions of�icer at Millersville University gave him a chance. The �irst person to encourage him to puruse arts was his studio fundamentals teacher at Millersville. This professor’s encouragement allowed Gerbstadt to realize he wanted to go into the arts as a career.

“I don’t care how poor I am. I don’t care how rich, I’m going to do this,” Gerbstadt remembered saying at the time.

Madison Red/The SPOKE

Be kind: David Gerbstadt creates buttons with positive messages. He distributes them when he visits schools.

However, once he graduated Millersville in 1992, Gerbstadt started drinking heavily.

He stopped painting, rarely making any art. As his health deteriorated, Gerbstadt, then 24, knew he would be dead before his 27th birthday if he continued drinking.

“It was a purposeless existence,” Gerbstadt said. “I really took a look at myself and I made a change.”

He quit drinking in 1993 at the age of 25. However, he continued to battle with depression long after he gave up alcohol.

As he struggled with thoughts of suicide, his art became dark and more somber. Despite this, his art was what helped him cope during this tough time in his late 20s and 30s.

“If it weren’t for (my art), I probably would be much worse,” Gerbstadt said. “I’m just happy to be here still.”

His paintings began to evolve, becoming brighter and including song lyrics and movie lines. In 1993, he was inspired by the lawn signs for realty companies and contractors.

“I thought, I’m an artist, I could do that too,” Gerbstadt said.

So, he painted two pictures and staked them into the ground on the on ramp of Swedesford Road and 202. They were up for about six weeks before they disappeared. Between 1994 and 2002, Gerbstadt left

over 5,000 paintings of various sizes around Philadelphia, Europe and California for people to take.

“I was doing more and more and more,” Gerbstadt said.

While at a punk rock show, Gerbstadt met a Penn State film student who wanted to make a film about him. The result of their collaboration, “David Was Here,” produced in 2002, won Best Audience Award at the Iowa Documentary Film Festival. Shortly after the film came out, Gerbstadt stopped leaving his work everywhere.

“I took it as far as I did,” Gerbstadt said. “I wanted to do other things.”

In the early 2000s, he began working as a pharmacy technician at CVS during the day. At night, he would paint until the early morning, then spend his weekends at art shows. He quit his job shortly after he was involved in an car accident on Dec. 28, 2007.

“I was supposed to be dead,” Gerbstadt said.

A tractor trailer ran over him while on a bike ride in Florida.

His femoral artery was severed and his heart stopped four times en route to the hospital.

This near-death experience pushed him to pursue his art career, full time.

After the accident, “I called my boss and I said, ‘I’m never coming back to work. I need to be an artist,’” Gerbstadt said.

While recovering in the hospital, Gerbstadt received hundreds of kind letters, which made him realize how many people appreciated him. The letters and his art helped lift him out of his depression. A year after the accident, he illustrated the cover of D.W. Lichtenberg’s poetry book, “The Ancient Book of Hip.” “What really helps me is the art,” Gerbstadt said. “It’s part of my therapy.”

As he continued to heal, he published a book in 2012, about his experience titled “One Breath at a Time.” Now, he sells his art through his Facebook page. Making art his career has brought new purpose and happiness to his life.

“We’re not here for very long, do what you want to do now,” Gerbstadt said.

Madison Red/The SPOKE

Thereputic: David Gerbstadt poses with one of his artworks after visiting Conestoga. He has helped out with tolerence programs, making posters for various causes.

The Spoke 13

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

OPINION Don’t kill the watchdogs “Among the most dishonest people in the world, the media,” Trump heckled.

The crowd, �illing up the entirety of the Sun Center Studios building, booed and hollered at the media platform where our reporter stood with the local news outlets. It did not matter that she had been objectively covering the rally for three hours, interviewing everyone from the old man waiting to enter at the back of the line to the 10-year-old attending his �irst rally. Most of the supporters were enthusiastic and grateful to be interviewed.

However, when Trump claimed the lying media would not capture the magnitude of the crowd (�lash forward and nothing has changed), the very same people shamed our reporter as part of “the media.”

Media is a plural word.

“The media” does not mean one person, rather, the news media are a group of reporters, broadcasters and photographers in the pursuit of truth.

And in today’s uncertain and tense political climate, the media are our greatest watchdogs over democracy.

However, the past six months have seen anything but truth.

With the rise of click-bait fake news stories and press conference shouting matches, the media have gotten a bad rep.

Well, a worse rep than usual.

16 The Spoke

According to Gallup polling from September 2014, 32 percent of Americans say they have “a great deal” or “a fair amount” of trust in the media, 8 percentage points lower than in 2015. These numbers are troublingly low, and will only decrease as Trump continues to undermine the press to bolster his own credibility.

Lying government officials are nothing new. However, public disdain for the media coupled with Trump’s huge ego sets the perfect conditions for Orwellian brainwashing.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer did not provide “alternative facts,” but pushed propaganda, and Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway backed him up.

Trump’s assertion that Mexico will pay for the wall is delusional, not hopeful, with Mexican President Nieto explicitly saying the opposite.

It’s no wonder Amazon sales for Orwell’s “1984” have risen signi�icantly since Trump’s inauguration. Newspeak is becoming a reality, after just weeks of a Trump presidency.

However, we can only stop Big Brother (HUGE Brother?) from distorting the truth if we expose ourselves to a diverse range of media outlets and do our own fact checking.

The media are not perfect, and we strongly discourage

relying on one network. Consolidation is an increasingly prevalent problem, with six major networks dominating the industry and yes, there are unreliable, biased sources. However, disrespecting and discrediting all media is more dangerous than keeping a discerning eye on a few questionable sources.

Perhaps Steve Bannon is correct. The media do act as an opposition party. However, it is the media’s job to oppose the spread of lies, not to spread liberal propaganda. By “opposing” blatant lies, the media aren’t pushing an agenda, they are pushing simple truths.

A public reliant only on the words of government officials is susceptible to losing the most powerful weapons against manipulation: knowledge. Knowledge from the media is what brought down Nixon, what alerted the rest of the world about WWII and what will be our greatest ally, regardless of party affiliation, moving forward.

When we immediately discredit or discount the value of truthful media, we kill our greatest watchdogs of democracy. Even with a crowd of people booing at us, standing on a platform, us watchdogs will still bark.

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

From the editor: Put your march where your mouth is

Camille Kurtz Co-Editor-in-Chief I watch as hand after hand around me raises into the air, fingers small and thin and stubby and wrinkled extending into peace signs.

I watch hunched old men and waddling toddlers and middle aged women and fathers hoisting daughters into the air. In these gleaming faces, I see the reflection of myself, of my passion, my anger, my hope.

On Jan. 21, I woke up at 7:50 a.m. to catch an 8:32 train to Suburban Station in Philadelphia. As I stood on the train platform, I was surprised by the crowd around me and when I boarded the train (which arrived four minutes late) I was surprised again to see every seat filled. At 9:21 a.m., as I gingerly hopped from the train to the platform, I was surprised to be greeted by a torrent of people brandishing witty signs. And at 9:26 a.m., when I walked into the rush of bustling weekend traffic, I was surprised to find myself suddenly drifting in a sea of pink.

But at 10:02 a.m., I was no longer surprised. As I walked from Logan Square to Eakins Oval, surrounded by thousands of people so outwardly different me, it was not surprise I felt, but pride. Somehow, thousands of people—my neighbors—felt just as frustrated, passionate and inspired as I did. Despite our different histories and perspectives, I knew our objective was the same. Standing among these strangers and these peers, I found hope and community at the Women’s March on Philadelphia.

I had never been to a “march” before, never a protest, never a rally. It was for the first time at the Women’s March that I exercised my First Amendment right to register my frustrations via peaceful demonstration.

While I had been vocal about my ideological stances in the past, I had done little to stand behind them and had often feared I was alone in the extent of my convictions.

Marching in Philadelphia and surrounded by 50,000 likeminded individuals, I knew I wasn’t as alone as I thought and my voice wasn’t as powerless as I feared. To a certain extent, I had finally put my $0.79 where my mouth was, alongside the thousands of women of color adding their own $0.64 and $0.54.

I may have marched for sociopolitical reasons, but the lesson I learned that Saturday was far more general.

I learned about the importance of civil discussion and taking a risk and using my voice. We don’t need to literally march down a parkway to protest political decisions or to speak out. Together, we have the power to collectively create change, simply by having respectful, candid conversations and educating ourselves. By acting on and defending my opinions, I discovered that, with the support of my community, times are not as bleak as I worried.

When my hope dwindles, I reflect on boarding that 8:32 a.m. train, reminded that in such community, there lies strength.

You don’t need to attend political events or write articles for your school newspaper to influence your surroundings, but you do need to have a voice and you do need to use it. I waited 18 years to feel like I was actually making a difference — let’s make 2017 the year of using our voice, of standing up for something, of taking action, even if it’s only small.

Opinion

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Not a nation of discrimination

Roxanna Fouladi Guest Columnist

world is the First Amendment.

The First Amendment “guarantees freedoms concerning religion, expression, assembly and the right to petition.” However, I truly do not believe the current rhetoric and actions of President Trump embody these principles that we hold so dear. His executive order temporarily halting all immigration from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen turns my stomach. Many of these individuals have already been thoroughly vetted and have legally obtained visas; they have done absolutely nothing wrong. As amn nation founded on the freedom of religion, the predominance of Islam in an individual’s area of origin should not ever be a reason for immediate dismissal.

As an American, I am distraught over this course. However, this hurts even more as an American with Iranian ancestry. Supporting this executive amounts to believing that my parents should never have had the opportunity to come to America as teenagers. This executive order implies that those who come from these nations don’t have the potential to become proud Americans, even though my parents are an incredible example of immigrants loving America with all their hearts and souls. If this order was in place just a few decades ago, it would also mean that I never would have been born in this great nation and given the chance to be part of this incredible country. My ethnic origins don’t diminish my love for America, they don’t stop me from cheering on our American heroes in the

Olympics, prevent me from exercising my civic responsibilities by registering to vote or singing the National Anthem with love and pride.

“No matter your race or ethnic origin, America is founded on the principle that hard work propels you to success.”

No matter where in the world you go political issues are divisive topics of discussion. However, as citizens of the United States of America, our shared core political values are what makes us a strong and uni�ied Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE state. As an American, I am proud to stand each morning and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. As an American of Iranian heritage, I am also proud of the dif�icult journey that my parents undertook decades ago in order for me to have the fundamental liberties that Not serious ;―) so many of us hold dear. I am At the end of this all, we grateful that the United States teeming shore, as long opened its arms to my mother must remember that no matter as they aren’t Muslims.” when she was 13years old and your race or ethnic origin, It’s not as though we don’t rumors were gaining traction America is founded on the like Muslims. It’s just that we as that girls would not receive an principle that hard work proAmerica are really not feeling education under the Islamic Repels you to success. The beauty this whole accept-other-cul- public of Iran. I am also proud of our nation is that each of tures thing right now, so we’re to call myself an American after us is a little different, and we gonna go with “YOUR RELIGION the United States gave my father can use our varying experiWILL KILL US ALL GET OUT a student visa, enabling him to ences to lift each other up. I GET OUT OF OUR COUNTRY!” am an American. My parents pursue his dream of becoming It was the natural progres- an engineer for NASA while the are Americans. Although my sion, I’m sure you understand. parents were not born in the Iran-Iraq War and Islamic RevoWe need to set aside the lution led to the horri�ic and unUnited States, that doesn’t distatistics on this one. It’s easy necessary deaths of numerous minish their love one bit. As A Letter from the Statue to be weighed down by things young Iranian men. a fellow American, I ask that of Libertylike the objective truth or peryou think hard and deep about One of the many aspects of Dear Americans, sonal connections, so let’s read America that makes it a pillar this executive order and what For over a century I have between the lines and �ind the of hope and freedom across the kind of message it’s sending. stood over the most won- alternative facts together. derful of American institutions: Some such “alternative” immigration. facts include: We live in a nation of im1) More Christians are migrants, a melting pot of dif- killed in Muslim countries than ferent people from different Muslims walks of life, giving us an ad2) Muslim Terrorists killed “It’s extremely discriminatory to (Muslims) and I feel like it’s vantage in ideas and ingenuity. more Americans last year than really not fair.”

People come from all over the vending machines - Leila Davis world to search for the Amer3) “I live on the Main Line ican Dream, and it is our duty and I’ve had a nuanced converto help them. Except, of course, sation with one of my Muslim “It is effectively infringing on First Amendment rights that we for the Muslims. We gotta keep peers about their faith!” are guaranteed and on which this nation is founded.”

- Angelina Ziarno them out.

I’ve never been prouder to Consider my famous inscrip- stand on Ellis Island than under tion below. It still rings true President Trump. today. The Founding Fathers He believes in America and “I think this executive order is good because it gives time for envisioned a country with ab- in immigration, as long as it’s America to improve upon the vetting process in the country.”

- Nikko Markakos solute religious freedom save that non-Muslim sort. It’s what for anything pertaining to we should all believe in. Sure, Islam, and we have delivered. we could stand for the prin“Give me your tired, ciples of religious freedom or “I’m mostly against it because I think it’s not targeting the right kind of people. It’s just placing the same label on everybody.” your poor, your hud- common decency upon which - Dominic Woodward dled masses yearning this country was founded, but to breathe free, the who really cares. Xenophobia is wretched refuse of your really in right now.

with Matthew Soderberg

Matthew Soderberg Opinion Editor

The Spoke 17

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Opinion

Donald Trump is making America great again

Leo Chen Guest Columnist

Although we live in pampered houses in the Main Line suburbs of Southeastern Pennsylvania, less than 100 miles away, we can witness the fact that a revival is required in this nation.

The truth of the matter is this — we are not great any more.

Travel west, and you will see factories which were once booming with production and abundant in workers now reduced into still mausoleums.

Take a trip to local town centers and you will observe small businesses struggling to bear the weight of a suffocating heap of red tape and regulations. Pay a visit to Baltimore and witness how race relations have appeared to regress rather than progress, as drugs, gangs and violence run rampant. Drive down the expressway to the City of Brotherly Love and take note of

the ambitious children who will never reach their full potential because they were never offered the chance to begin with.

It is a somber image, no doubt, but from the dark shadows of the American experience appeared a speculative ray of light, and on Nov. 9, that light became a beacon to help illuminate a new city upon a hill.

However, many of us were uncomfortable with this new face. He was brash and blunt, an outsider to the traditional and groomed mold the establishment is used to. For months, he was the scapegoat of America, as he, his family and his supporters unwillingly became the center of persecution.

Despite the opposition, the best path forward was crystal clear. When I chose to support the man with the red hat, it was not inspired by racism, sexism, fascism, misogyny, xenophobia or bigotry. It was not because I condoned his “locker room talk” or other objectionable comments on women. It was not motivated by a desire to defend his �laws or contentious past.

When I realized that my candidate was Donald J. Trump, it was not because I supported his transgressions; it was because

I had faith in his promising vision for the future and admired his passion for the country he, like all of us, ardently loves.

The man sitting in the highest of�ice of the land is imperfect, as we all are, but he is precisely that man who became America’s symbol of change, the people’s personi�ication of rebirth, a raw manifestation of hope that we desperately longed for.

It was unavoidably clear that the past few months have been a battle�ield of competing

angler �ish fuse with their mate’s circulatory system.

This Valentine’s Day, take a leaf out of nature’s own romantic novel, and recognize how your own actions suggest your interests! This go-to-guide will provide you with everything and anything your hairstyle means in terms of Saint Valentine’s romantic holiday. If you’re looking to catch that girl you’ve had your eye on for a while, be sure to read on so you can interpret her signs correctly, and thank The Spoke while you’re at it!

If you wear your hair in a braid, chances are you’re a little adventurous, and could probably

go for some geocaching this afternoon. While the outdoors aren’t generally your forte, you’re a Scorpio, and you like to switch it up sometimes. Gentlemen, have your maps and compass on hand if you want to be this girl’s Valentine.

If your hair is not on your head and instead in the trash, you’re probably Britney Spears circa 2007, and should not have been doing what you did.

Straightened and in a ponytail means you are expecting your boyfriend of two years to �inally pull through and remember that you’re deathly allergic to tree nuts. While you are

ideologies, each side attempting to do what it sincerely believed America wanted, needed and deserved. That battle has been ferociously fought and, through the mysterious underworking of our republic, resolved. And although it may appear that one candidate has claimed victory over the other, it will always be the American people who prevail, as they ultimately decide the �inal outcome.

There is no escape from differing and con�licting opinions, but that doesn’t mean anyone

must suffer. Our beautiful system gives people the opportunity to hold diverse sets of beliefs, and at the same time, be uni�ied under a common fabric of American pride.

Regardless of who we support or which party we endorse, it’s the passion, the hope, that matters the most. We need that hope. And although I differ with Hillary Clinton on almost everything, I can most certainly agree with her on this — we are stronger together. Now is the time to show it.

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

Valentine’s Day: Know your date by their hair!

Jahnavi Rao Columnist Since the beginning of time, animals have signalled their interest through their actions.

Peacocks �launt their �lamboyant feathers, �lamingos engage in a �lirty group dance and

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

18 The Spoke

hoping he gets you a balloon or a giant teddy bear, you’d honestly be �ine as long as he doesn’t give you the box of chocolate-covered almonds you receive every year. And by that, you really mean every year — he reuses the same exact box after you give it back to him.

If you have long, stringy black hair that’s constantly in your face, you’re either the girl from “The Grudge” or the girl from “The Ring.” Either way, you really want attention, and this Valentine’s Day, a movie would be the ideal date for you.

A ponytail with that little bit wrapped around the hair tie means you just got out of a longterm relationship that was fully functional at this time last year.

So maybe this Valentine’s Day, you’re just trying to take it slow (and not look at that �lower you pressed on your �irst date that’s under your desk).

Straightened hair that’s worn down means there’s an entire aisle of clearance chocolate at the local grocery store that you plan on razing…the day following Valentine’s Day. Chocolate is never cheaper than

after the day of love, and never tastes better than when you eat a whole box alone in your room.

If you have orange hair, you’re… never mind.

Half-up half-down hair means you’re not in the mood for a relationship, and you are really focused on school. Also, that delay in midterm grades really rattled your bones, and you miss Pinnacle. Your plan for Valentine’s Day is to not fail your physics test while students outside serenade their dates with outdated love songs.

If your hair is curled with the ends pointing the wrong direction, you’re probably Jahnavi Rao, because she can’t �igure out which direction to turn a curling wand. She could also really go for a box of chocolates, but please don’t get her the ones with hidden fruit inside. She hates those.

And that’s all folks! Be sure to use your new found information this Feb. 14, either to give off a sign or pick up on one. Happy Valentine’s Day, and best of luck in all your romantic endeavors (or your petition to bring back Pinnacle).

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Opinion

Finding my voice as a black student

Heather Gray-Vause Guest Columnist I remember being in the cafeteria one day during my sophomore year. I had just grabbed my lunch and I was about to sit down, until I heard someone scream loud enough to be heard on the other side of the cafeteria. They screamed “N*GGERS!” My heart started beating fast. I felt my face turn red and my hands began to shake. Everyone had turned to look �irst at who said it, and then they turned to look at the only three black kids sitting on that side of the cafeteria, including myself. I was already standing. I looked to see who said it, but couldn’t �igure it out. Then, the person popped their head up, smiled and waved at me. I was so infuriated. Growing up, I was taught that you don’t let anyone say that word, especially not a white kid. The way I was raised, you handled them right then and there (and I’m sure everyone can decipher what I mean by “handle” them). Instead, I chose to report them.

It was the first time I chose to go to the administrators rather than use my fists, and I felt so weak.

My whole life, as one of the only black kids in a predominately white school, has

taught me many hard lessons. I’ve learned how to not “talk ghetto.” I’ve learned to straighten my hair despite the two long hours it takes to do it, just so I don’t get my hair felt by a stranger or criticized for being too big or too different.

I’ve learned to deal with the discomfort of being the only black person in a group. I’ve learned how to appropriately deal with the assumptions that come with the question, “which parent is white?” Both of my parents are black. I’ve learned that I don’t have to have an answer when asked, “why are you so light if you’re black?” I’ve learned that I will always be “too black” for the white kids, and “too white” for the black kids. And lastly, I’ve learned that there are people out there who look past what’s on the outside, who love and care for the real me. Maybe you can now understand that these countless experiences make me feel angry and violent at times.

I learned that day in the cafeteria it’s all about how you respond to the situation. If I were to have punched the kid in the mouth, what would that have done for me? I would’ve gotten some anger out, but I would’ve just gotten suspended and possibly missed out on future opportunities waiting for me this year. If I respond to something like that by acting out and going off, then that’s all that person will see of me. They won’t even focus on the fact that what they did was wrong.

That day, I also learned the true de�inition of being ignorant. I always used the word before to mean “being rude,” but the kid was truly ignorant.

After taking some time to evaluate the situation, I understood how ignorant people are.

I learned that day that I am ignorant myself. These kinds of problems are not limited to one group or race. After that day, I decided I would join the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) at school in order to learn

more about other groups, so I could be educated about their issues as well as mine. I also got more acquainted with people within the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) so I could be there for them and help in any way possible. I am now one of the vice presidents of the African-American Student Union (AASU) and I use my position to spread awareness and educate my peers on how to deal with situations like the ones I’ve experienced.

Now, I am able to have educated discussions with people who use hateful words in my school and explain why it’s offensive and wrong. Now, looking back on the situation, I am extremely proud of myself for handling it the way I did and thankful for the administration’s help. Whether people know how offensive they can be or where their prejudice comes from is unknown to me, but either way, pure ignorance hurts to see. And I refuse to just stand by and do nothing.

Report Card Super Bowl + That comeback.

- Bill Belicheck’s evil mind prevails.

Lady Gaga Halftime

+ She actually jumped off the roof.

- Coldplay’s self-esteem.

Dear Evan Hansen

+ The next “Hamilton?”

- Did you know it before it was cool?

Fire Drill

+ School didn’t actually burn down.

- Very Arduous Potential Emergency.

Valentine’s Day Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

Connie Stoga

+ Everlasting love!

- Romance going up on a Tuesday?

GraduationGown-Gate

+ Senior Class Unity!

- Maroon! Is! Murder!

Snow Day

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

+Perfect snowball weather.

- Took long enough.

The Spoke 19

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

SPORTS SCORELINE

W L T

B Hockey

5 2 4

G Hockey

0 12 0

B Basketball

12 2 0

B Squash

9 6 0

G Squash

2 5 0

G Basketball

13 1 0

B Swimming

4 3 0

Wrestling

See More

10 0 0

G Swimming

10 0 0

Carrying on the Tradition p. 22, p. 23 Commitment Corner pg. 27

’Stoga coach sinks 300th career win

By Warren Zhao Staff Reporter When the Conestoga boys varsity basketball team defeated the Strath Haven Panthers in a 52-47 home game, it was just another win in the march toward Central League dominance. However, for ’Stoga coach Michael Troy, the game marked a much larger milestone. It was his 300th career victory as a high school basketball coach.

“The first thing that ran through my mind was, ‘What a great game, the players played to beat Strath Haven!’

I didn’t think about (the milestone) much until later, and it was very humbling,” Troy said.

For Troy, the focus of the game has always been the student-athletes playing it. His proudest memory as a coach is not winning a league championship or going to the state playoffs.

Rather, Troy most fondly recalls the mentorship that he has been able to provide for kids in his 20 years as a high school coach.

“My best memory is that every kid except one went on to some form of higher education (institutions). Having them all pursue higher education hopefully means that I was able to help them in life as well as basketball,” Troy said.

Not willing to take all the credit for himself, Troy also explained that the ’Stoga students possess an incredible drive to be better.

“Competitiveness, hard work and determination are the three qualities I (value) the most,” Troy said. “I’ve been lucky to have players who are willing to work really hard to get better.”

20 The Spoke

Troy believes that as with any sport, the elite levels of basketball require both natural talent and hard work.

However, he maintains that if a player lacking natural talent provides the hard work, it is possible to have a successful high school basketball career.

“I hate to be cliché, but hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” Troy said.

Troy has first hand experience with the hard work and dedication basketball requires. He first started basketball in sixth grade. Troy

continued playing through his academic career at Devon Preparatory School. While he received recruitment offers from Division III collegiate athletic teams, Troy eventually decided to attend the University of Pennsylvania for its academic rigor.

While at Penn, Troy walked onto the football and rugby teams.

Playing football, Troy realized that “the traits of successful players are the same regardless of (what) sports (they play).”

His time playing football also put him into contact

with different coaching styles that would go on to inf luence his demand for hard work from his own athletes.

Even when he was in high school, Troy knew that he one day wanted to coach the sport that he loved. The moment of realization did not hit him while he was on the court, but rather when he was off it.

“I was home sick from school one day, and I was watching a rerun of UCLA vs. Georgia on ESPN. I took out a pen and paper while watching it, and by halftime, I had diagrammed most of

Scores as of 2-7

the plays of both teams,” Troy said. “I don’t know why I did it, but it just clicked with me.”

To Troy, coaching is about service. He relishes the chance to help the youth of the community and to put Conestoga in a good light.

“I think coaching is a terrific way of giving back to the community and I think there are lot of young men who come through Conestoga with the potential to be great coaches. I’m very proud that two of my former players are assistant coaches at their colleges,” Troy said.

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Big Win: Conestoga boys basketball head coach Mike Troy smiles under the scoreboard after the win over Strath Haven on Jan. 12. The overtime nail-biter marked Troy’s 300th win. The team is currently 13-2-0 and headed to the Central League playoffs.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Sports

Downhill: ‘Stoga students hit the slopes

By Henry Danon Staff Reporter

Wearing Al Gore pins and bundled in winter gear, members of the Ski and Snowboard Club whooshed down Gore Mountain, N.Y. from Jan. 27-29, enjoying the mountain air after a week of midterms. With no snow-capped mountains in Berwyn, the Ski and Snowboard Club offers many trips for students to hit the slopes, practicing both skiing and snowboarding.

The Ski and Snowboard club is advised by Michael Kane, a science teacher at Conestoga.

He replaces Jonathan Goodman, a social studies teacher who advised the club for over a decade.

“This is my first year, and it’s been really great. The kids just have fun skiing or snowboarding without any competition or pressure.” Kane said. “There’s a rivalry for sure; I’m a skier so I give the snowboarders a hard time, but it’s friendly.”

Though Kane believes a rivalry does exist, senior Michael Jankowski denies the rivalry.

“There’s no real rivalry, but once you side with a sport you tend to stick with it and claim it

as the better one, as is my case with snowboarding,” Jankowski said.

Senior Kevin Hagan, who has been skiing recreationally since fifth grade, says skiing has always felt more natural to him.

“I just ski for a fun time with friends,” Hagan said. “My friends don’t compete either, which is why we can have so much fun together.”

Many of Hagan’s friends are more experienced on the slopes and have been skiing since very young ages. Hagan said they prefer to attempt tricks on the trips, while he just likes to keep it simple.

“My friends are more focused on progression ― tricks and stuff like that,” Hagan said. “I’ve learned that’s fun, but (that) it brings injury.”

Senior Nate Hottenstein has been skiing for 15 years, but like his friend Hagan, does not ski competitively. He chooses to ski rather than snowboard since he finds that skiers have a wider variety of slopes available to them.

“I started to ski really young and I never wanted to stop,” Hottenstein said. “I just ski because I love it.”

Snowboarding has likewise amassed a great amount of fans

throughout the years at Conestoga. Jankowski has been snowboarding since fourth grade and credits his ski and snowboard enthusiast family with encouraging him to hit the slopes.

“I used to ski when I was younger, but I switched after my mom signed me for a snowboard lesson behind my back. I had no choice but to go through with it,” Jankowski said. “After that, I really never turned back to skiing.”

The club takes two major trips each year; this year to Gore Mountain, the other to Okemo Vermont.

“In the earlier months it’s hit or miss with the snow; January and February are the prime months to take trips. Maybe in the future we’ll take smaller trips to local resorts and areas.

The kids just want to ski and snowboard.” Kane said.

Although currently a snowboarder, junior Kate Arnold has been a skier for most of her life.

She switched to snowboarding since she began to find skiing boring.

“I snowboard more frequently now because I want to switch it up sometimes,” Arnold said. “I like to have fun skiing or snowboarding, whichever one I’m doing.”

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Downhill slide: Seniors Michael Jankowski (left) and Hunter Jensen (right) pose with their gear outside in the snow.

The club took their annual trip to Okemo from Feb. 10-12.

Winter Sports Gallery

She got game: Senior Lindsay Erikson dribbles towards the other team’s basket. The girls lost against Garnet Valley in the double header at ‘Stoga on Jan. 18.

On track: Sophomore Jada Durham gets ready to run the 200-meter dash at Ursinus College. Durham placed seventh in her race with a time of 28.56.

Paying his er Merion in

toll: Freshmen a meet on Dec.

Ezra Toll 13. Toll won

pins a the match

Photos by Elizabeth Billman and Neil Goldenthal, Co-Sports Editors

wrestler with a

from Lowscore of 6-3.

The Spoke 21

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Sports

By Elizabeth Billman and Neil Goldenthal Co-Sports Editors Design by Marko Djurdjevic

Carrying On Lofland League

Linda Lofla

nd circa 198

4

Photo by Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

"I'm like her pitching coach on the sideline because I can correct her and tell her what she is doing wrong but she hates it," Linda Lofland said.

Lee Legacy

Senior Alex Lee plays for the varsity ice hockey team. His father, Duke Lee, played football and lacrosse when he attended ’Stoga between 1974 and 1977.

He played one year of varsity football and three years of varsity lacrosse. In 1975, during his time at ’Stoga, the football team won the Central League title. His dad’s experience with sports in�luenced Alex Lee’s decision to play sports.

“Probably indirectly, he just got me into sports,” Alex Lee said.

His dad looked back on his years at high school and thinks that playing sports helped with his academics.

“I’ve always said that I did better when I was playing a sport because it was more focused and your time was more focused. You didn’t have time to

22 The Spoke

mess around and goof around as much,” Duke Lee said.

He also recalls his time playing on Teamer Field during his high school career.

“I remember being out on that �ield — the �ield back in my day was a grass �ield — late in the season for football, no grass on the �ield, just dirt is all that was left at that time. Totally different day and age compared to what these guys get to play on out there. That is how nice this stadium is,” Duke Lee said.

Duke Lee has enjoyed watching his son play for Conestoga.

“Love it. Love it. And I’m gonna miss it. He is �inishing up, in fact as we were walking over (we were talking about) how he has just a couple of games left and how much I’m gonna miss watching him play,” Duke Lee said.

Duke L

ee cir

The Lo�land pair, mother and daughter, are very athletically driven especially in the area of softball. Freshman Lauren Lo�land plans to play for ’Stoga in the spring. Her mother, Linda Lo�land, graduated from ’Stoga in 1984 after playing three years of �ield hockey, basketball and softball, all at the varsity level. The softball team won the Central League and went to districts, but lost to Council Rock High School. In addition to enjoying the spring season, Linda Lo�land learned some important life lessons.

“It really helped me not be as shy. It really helped me be more outgoing and it helped me learn to lose gracefully,” Linda Lo�land said.

Linda Lo�land pitched every game in her senior year and had 116 strikeouts during her high school career. She was set to play college softball, receiving numerous recruitment offers, but suffered nerve

damage in her hand at the end of her last season. She was able to play her �irst year in college, but quit after she discovered that she would require surgery to continue playing, deciding instead to “just let it be.” Today, Linda Lo�land thoroughly enjoys watching her daughter play softball and has even coached her since she was little.

“I’ve coached all her softball teams. She fell naturally into it; it was awesome,” Linda Lo�land said.

Lauren Lo�land has become a pitcher just like her mother. The two of them laughed about a picture of Lauren Lo�land in the third grade and commented on the quality of her pitching form.

Linda attends all of Lauren Lo�land’s pitching lessons to help her out on the side.

“I’m like her pitching coach on the sideline because I can correct her and tell her what she is doing wrong, but she hates it,” Linda Lo�land said.

ca 197

4

Photo by Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

"Love it. Love it. And I'm gonna miss it.

I'm gonna miss watching him play," Duke Lee said.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

By Staff Reporter Staff Reporter

Sports

Headline: A title story

The Family Torch

" I think it is very special to be able to coach your children and that is a memory that I will have forever and it's incredibly special to me,'' Mark Mayock said.

By Staff Reporter

Headline: Another classic

Mayocks on the move For Angus and Katie Mayock, sports are a family affair.

The two star ‘Stoga athletes are the children of seasoned athletes, Alix and Mark Mayock. Both played basketball in high school and college—Alix Mayock playing for St. Joseph’s University and Mark Mayock playing for Boston College— so it seemed that their kids would be destined to follow in their footsteps.

Angus Mayock is a star basketball and baseball player, headed to the University of Connecticut for baseball, and Katie Mayock is a star basketball and softball player.

Growing up with experienced athletes as parents

2 The Spoke

definitely gave them an edge.

“We definitely had an advantage from a young age, and good coaching when we were younger,” Angus Mayock said.

Alix Mayock grew up in Slea, Lincolnshire, England, and played basketball, net ball, field hockey and competed in high jump and long jump in track and field. Although she was a multifaceted athlete, basketball was her passion, and she competed on the English National Team for under 17, under 19 and under 21. A basketball scholarship to St. Joseph’s University brought her to the states.

“I got to travel the world, meet great people and eventually, it brought me over here,” Alix Mayock said.

Mark Mayock grew up locally, graduating from the

Haverford Boys School in 1980. He was a varsity athlete in football, basketball, baseball and track. While he was attending college, his career was cut short by an injured knee. But where his career ended, his children’s began.

“It’s fascinating to watch them. We also coached them; like she coached both of them in basketball, I coached them in softball and baseball.

It can be a pretty interesting relationship between you and your kid, separating the father-son thing from the player-coach. Ultimately I think everybody gets it figured out. You don’t talk to the kid on the drive home or the next day. You wait until the time seems right,” Mark Mayock said.

Mark Mayock’s father was a lifelong coach who taught

and coached at Haverford, guided his brothers through the school and retired when he was in high school. Having that kind of relationship is something he can appreciate more now from the other side.

“I think it is very special to be able to coach your children and that is a memory that I will have forever and it’s incredibly special to me,” Mark Mayock said. “But all of our kids, when I’ve coached them, have been phenomenal.”

For the two kids, it’s nice to have parents who can relate to what they go through as student-athletes.

“We usually bring it up, but if we are talking about a game they can say that they experienced a similar thing from back in the day. It comes up a lot,” Katie Mayock said.

The Spoke 23

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Sports

Side-by-side: Soccer players advance to nationals

By Betty Ben Dor Managing Editor

Juniors Hannah Morgan and Caitlyn Ellerbeck have been playing soccer together since before kindergarten. Now, nearly 12 years later, they are still teammates, playing side-byside at Conestoga and on the F.C. Pennsylvania Strikers, a nationally ranked team.

Morgan and Ellerbeck “are the sweetest, most humble kids ever,” Strikers coach Justine Wollner said. “I’m so happy to be coaching them; they’re just a joy to work with.”

Following the Strikers’ success at two showcases in December 2016, the team qualified for the national tournament. Only eight teams qualified nationwide. They played eight games in North Carolina and three in Orlando, Fla., winning all of them. They will compete in the United States Youth Soccer National Championships in Frisco, Texas from July 23- 30.

“This is what we work for; our goal for the season is always just to get to nationals, so it’s just really exciting to finally be there and hope to win,” Ellerbeck said.

From their kindergarten soccer days, during which Ellerbeck’s dad served as their coach, to playing on a travel team at age 8 to their current positions on the national team, Ellerbeck and Morgan have been pursuing their passion of playing soccer.

Looking forward, Morgan has already committed to Providence College for soccer.

Although she is not yet certain of where she wants to go, Ellerbeck is looking into schools that will allow her to balance both soccer and art.

Morgan, a defender, has been with the Strikers since seventh grade and Ellerbeck, a center midfielder, joined in her freshman year. Due to the rigorous training schedule of

Photos by Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Kicking it: Juniors Caitlyn Ellerbeck (left) and Hannah Morgan (right) play for both Conestoga’s soccer team and the nationally ranked F.C. Pennsylvania Strikers team. They will compete in the United States Youth Soccer National Championships in Frisco, Texas from July 23-30. the team and frequent tournaments, the girls often miss several days of school and other activities. Wollner credits both Morgan and Ellerbeck as well as the rest of the team for their consistent dedication.

Morgan and Ellerbeck “have been instrumental in our success,” Wollner said. “They do a ton of work on their own, they make a commitment to our team, they miss proms and miss homecomings, and that’s kind of what we expect from these kids in order to get to the top level.”

Due to the team’s elite status, players come from as far as Lancaster and Harrisburg to practice three times a week during the season.

The team includes “a big range of different people which is really nice,” Ellerbeck said.

While both Morgan and Ellerbeck play for Conestoga’s varsity soccer team as well, they describe the atmosphere of the two teams as completely different. According to Ellerbeck, Conestoga focuses more on athleticism while Morgan describes the school team as more laid back.

Although the winter season is more laid back, the Strikers practice every Sunday and have the team utilize a fitness packet throughout the week in order to keep in shape.

Looking forward to the championship, Morgan and Ellerbeck are excited to be playing in Texas with the “best of the best.”

“We just really want to win,” Morgan said. “Some girls are

seniors, so it’s our last time playing with them.”

Wollner is proud of the team and hopes to secure a victory at the national level.

“I’ve seen (Morgan and Ellerbeck) grow and mature as not only players but as young women,” Wollner said. “I’m just looking forward to one of their last years as a team and hopefully bringing back the national championship to Pennsylvania.”

Courtesy Caitlyn Ellerbeck

Forever teammates: Juniors Caitlyn Ellerbeck and Hannah Morgan celebrate after a win with their Tredyffrin-Easttown Youth Soccer Association team.

Ellerbeck and Morgan have played soccer together since before kindergarten.

24 The Spoke

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Advertisement

The Spoke 25

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Sports

There is football at the Super Bowl?

By Elizabeth Billman Co-Sports Editor The Super Bowl.

Most people hear these words and immediately think about silly overproduced commercials, fatty foods or extravagant halftime performances. They forget that the Super Bowl is actually a championship football game and not just a social event.

This year 113.7 million people watched the Super Bowl in the United States and an additional 127 countries. It was the second most watched Super Bowl in history. But how many people were really “watching” the game?

Today, the Super Bowl is about the commercials. Some of the most anticipated of the whole year, these commercials are minimovies with $5 million budgets.

Some of them are strange, like this year’s KIA commercial in which Melissa McCarthy gets

By Vik Raghupathi Guest Writer LeBron is the King. You can’t dispute it. With four MVP awards, three championships and 10 All NBA First Team nods — among a host of other accolades — he is without a doubt the greatest player of our generation and has a good shot at becoming the greatest of all time. I mean, the man’s been to the Finals each of the last six years (and stands a good chance of making it seven). Even though he turned 32 a month ago, LeBron has yet to slow down.

He’s fresh off his third Finals MVP and is well on his way, despite recent speed bumps, to lead the Cavs deep into the playoffs once again. Not to mention he’s averaging 25.7 points per game, alongside 8.5 assists and 8 rebounds.

Even though he seems as close to superhuman as we’ve gotten, LeBron’s going to age (I mean, have you seen his hairline?). And, the question

26 The Spoke

beat up by nature. The commercials can be more like public service announcements, not really focusing on the product, but on the message the company wants to convey. This year’s Coca Cola commercial featured “America the Beautiful” being sung in different languages. These commercials are persistent in an attempt to grab the attention of the millions watching.

It is about the food. This year, fans watching the Super Bowl consumed 14,500 tons of chips, 1.23 billion chicken wings and many other fan food favorites.

The Heinz company is so invested in the Super Bowl that it is advocating for the Monday after the game to be a national holiday. The company gave all its employees a day off in support of this idea.

It is about the performances.

This year, Lady Gaga jumped from the top of the dome into a stadium full of a metallic stage set with colorful lights, an intensely dressed group of backup dancers and a crowd on the field that seemed to be choreographed to the music.

The NFL goes out of its way to make everything a grand event even though the first Super Bowl was really simple and all about the football.

To see the first Super Bowl — back in 1967 —a fan would have

paid a mighty price. That price was a mere $12, $6 at the least.

The Green Bay Packers won the game 35-10 against the Kansas City Chiefs. That first game was

Hirt, two marching bands from the University of Alabama and Grambling State University and the Los Angeles Ramettes, who were at most of the home games

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

just a championship game. The game was originally scheduled to settle a dispute between the AFL and the NFL. There were no crazy commercials or big expensive celebrations. I mean, there couldn’t have been if the attendees were only paying $12 to get in.

The first game also only included a few festivities: a halftime show from a trumpet player, Al

for the Los Angeles Rams, the stadium where the game was played.

The only other theatrics present at the game were balloons and a demonstration by the Bell Rocket Air Men in their hydrogen peroxide plane. It was a performance just above the level of a high school or college football game. But, it was okay to have a simple game.

Football was the main priority of

Who’s next in line?

is, when he starts to regress (I’d give it three to four years) who is going to take his place?

Plenty of established stars in their mid-to-late 20s are primed for that spot, such as Golden State’s two-time defending MVP Steph Curry and his teammate, four-time scoring champ Durant. This year’s MVP frontrunners, noted triple-double machines James Harden and Russell Westbrook, are prominent figures and so is oft-unsung 25-year-old Kawhi Leonard, who has been named Defensive Player of the Year each of the past two years. But let’s consider some heirs to the NBA throne who are still making the climb — players under the age of 25. Here are three hoopsters keen to the task.

Anthony Davis: “The Brow” has already been put on an All-NBA First Team, as well as four all-star squads. He’s one of the league’s best on both ends of the floor, as the 6-foot 10-inch center has averaged a double-double this season

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

with 21.8 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. He’s led the league in blocks twice and has made it a habit of racking up denials each game. Once the lowly Pelicans stock up on talent to surround him, or he finds a team already with those weapons, he’ll blow up more than he already has.

Karl-Anthony Towns: 2016’s Rookie of the Year. Another big man with a sweet touch, Big KAT is averaging 23 points

per game this year to go along with his 11.9 rebounds and 50.5 percent shooting from the field. Not to mention he’s hitting 81 percent of his free throws. Towns is yet another example of how the center position is being revolutionized by bigs who can spread the floor and shoot, along with Davis, the Kings’ DeMarcus Cousins, New York’s Kristaps Porzingis and Philly’s own Joel Embiid, to name a few.

the people in the stands, just to enjoy rooting for their team.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the performances at the football games and the commercials are very well put together and sometimes funny. But, all of that takes the attention away from the game itself, away from the football. It all becomes one big theatrical performance, prolonged for weeks on end with preparations. But in the end, one team wins and one loses.

That’s what a championship game should be about. Two competitors who play each other because they love the game and they want to win. That is why people should watch. Not to watch $4 billion commercials about M&M’s or a ‘pre-game’ that’s actually a ‘preweek.’ People should watch because they love football and they want to see a good old-fashioned athletic competition.

Maybe we saw that this year. It was an unprecedented game with the first overtime in Super Bowl history. Those people that watch for the food, the performers and the commercials turned their TVs back on because football excited them again. Maybe we need to be reminded that this game is not just a formality or a platform for advertisers to sell their products.

Football can still excite us and give us a reason to watch.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: During his “out-of-nowhere” rise to the top of the Buck’s roster and to prominence in the league, the 6-foot-11inch “Greek Freak” has been killing opposing teams and twisting analysts’ tongues. The 22-year-old currently leads the Bucks in five different statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. The scary thing is that he’s not done improving his game. Once his shot catches up to the rest of his talents he’ll be unstoppable, with foreseeably massive popularity spanning two continents.

LeBron has made the NBA his kingdom ever since he stepped on the floor in Cleveland and has made good on his claim of being “King James.”

Father Time will catch up to LeBron, and a new ruler will be crowned. Whether it’s an established talent like Kevin Durant (who is the second-best player in the world, by the way) or one of these spunk young upstarts, all we can do for now is wait, watch and enjoy.

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Sports

ELIZABETH INGERSOL Grade: 12 School: University of Pennsylvania Sport: Lacrosse Position: Defense

Why UPenn? “(It) has the perfect balance of rigorous academics and competitive athletics that I had been looking for. I also love the city of Philadelphia!”

What did ’Stoga Lacrosse teach you? “(To) never underestimate the power of team unity and working toward a common goal.”

Favorite memory?

“Winning the state championship with all my best friends by my side.”

#

TOMMY SOPKO Grade: 12 School: Bucknell University Sport: Lacrosse Position: Attack

Why Bucknell?

“I chose Bucknell because it had a good combination of athletics, academics and social life.”

What did ’Stoga Lacrosse teach you?

“It taught me to be a less selfish player and be more focused on the team.”

Favorite memory?

“Making the state championship run in 2015.”

#

21 I0

By Avery Maslowsky Business Manager Winter Indoor Track: Winter indoor track comes to a close after its 47th season of new additions and successes.

Conestoga administration hired Joe Dare this fall, a retired collegiate coach and avid runner, after 14-year head varsity coach Ryan Comstock retired in the 2016 spring track and �ield season.

But this new addition to the coaching lineup has not slowed the Pioneers’ momentum.

The female solo runners have been �lying past their competitors at every indoor meet.

Junior Dominique Shultz has dominated the 1-mile run and 2-mile run since her freshman year. She is recognized as the fastest female distance runner at Conestoga and is ranked in the top 10 female teen runners in Pennsylvania. And in the other lane of the track, the two fastest female sprinters are junior Grace Lanouette and senior Kiara Sprague. Lanouette dominates in the 55-meter, the

Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

Reaching the �inish: Sophomore Alyan Youssaff �inishes his 400 meter dash during a meet at Ursinus College on Jan. 10. Youssaff placed �ifth out of 33 runners with a time of 53.52 seconds.

100-meter and the 200-meter.

Sprague runs the 400-meter.

The boys have also kept up the fast pace. The fastest male distance runner is freshman Carlos Shultz, brother of Dominique Shultz, who runs the 2-mile event. As for the sprinters, sophomore Alyan Youssaff and senior Nico Orozco lead the team with the 400-meter dash.

But the ’Stoga winter track team does not just succeed with single runners; the relay teams

are even more impressive under the heat. At the Kevin Dare (no relation to the coach) invitational at Penn State University on Jan. 7, two relay teams placed in their events.

In the 4x800 meter relay, the team of senior Mary Kate Boccella, sophomore Emily DeSantis, senior Courtney Selling and Shultz placed fourth with a time of 9:51:42. The boys’ team of senior Matt Roeder, sophomore Henry Borska, Carlos Shultz and junior Jake Robinson

placed 11th in the 4x800 meter relay with a time of 9:12:43.

And although the winter track season has ended, the spring track and �ield season is soon to come.

Ice Hockey: The boys and the girls ice hockey teams have experienced varied outcomes this season.

The boys have had an impressive season with a record of 8-3-4, while the girls have lost all 12 of their games.

Both teams practice and play their games at Iceline in West Chester. And unlike most winter sports offered at Conestoga, the season tryouts start with the regular season at the beginning of October and end in mid to late February.

For the boys, sophomore Malcolm Roeder has dominated the game from the cage with a save rate of 90 percent.

Senior Alex Lee, junior Scott MacMillan and sophomore Will Schnorr have led the team to victory with numerous goals and defensive saves on the ice.

As for the girls, junior Izzy Fialko, sophomore Maya Sauder

and freshman Lauren D’Emilio lead the offense, making numerous goals throughout the season. In the back of the rink, senior Joy Zhu leads the defense and in the cage, senior Sarah Brock is a key asset of the team. Brock has an impressive average minimal save rate of 70 percent. The most impressive game the boys’ team played in the 2016-2017 season was against Harriton on Jan. 6. The eight goals made by MacMillan, freshman Michael Cameron, senior Tommy Sopko, Lee and Schnorr lead the team to an 8-1 victory for their �irst game of the new year. And in the cage, Roeder blocked 16 out of the 17 shots made by Harriton.

For the girls, the most anticipated game will take place on Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. against Radnor.

Since the boys tied their game against the Raiders on Nov. 23, the girls’ game is expected to be even more intense.

Although the girls have had an unsuccessful season, they have not given up and are trying their hardest to end the season on a high note.

The Spoke 27

Feb. 14, 2017 Conestoga High School Berwyn, PA www.spoke.news

@thespoke

Jump Shot Senior captain Scott Shapiro leaps for the basket in the game against Strath Haven High School on Jan. 12. The team won its game against the Panthers 51-28 and has a current Central League record of 13-2-0 (as of Feb. 8) as the boys head into playoffs.

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

“This is what we work for; our goal is just to always get to nationals.�

See Page 24 Courtesy Caitlyn Ellerbeck