Seniors Destination Map
Eight ’Stoga staffers retire
See page 5
See pages 6-7
THE Conestoga High School, Berwyn PA
Volume 69 No. 7
June 4, 2019
Spoke.news
MARCHING IN MEMORY
Marching band performs for Memorial Day observation in Washington, D.C.
Courtesy Stephanie McAlaine
Pioneer pride: The Conestoga Pioneer Marching Band marches down Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C. Over 100 members debuted brand new uniforms at the 2019 National Memorial Day Parade, with the parade broadcasted live on national television.
By Richard Li and Sophia Pan News Editor & Copy Editor
The Conestoga Marching Pioneer Band took a trip to Washington D.C. after a nomination from Jim Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia, to participate in the largest Memorial Day event in the United States. The band arrived in Washington D.C. on May 26, engaging in a variety of Memorial Day activities that included visiting the Arlington National Cemetery, attending the National Memorial Day Concert on the
west lawn of the U.S. Capitol and marching in the National Memorial Day Parade. Band director Chris Nation believes that the experience allowed students to better understand the observance of the holiday. “I think they gained an understanding about what Memorial Day really means and the purpose of the holiday and the significant sacrifice that generations of people have made for us to have the freedoms that
we have,� Nation said. “I think it was an incredible experience for them to be able to see that firsthand in the capital at the parade and the concert and at Arlington.� The band’s assistant director Cassandra Hesse felt that the trip promoted a sense of togetherness for the students and the faculty that accompanied them. “I think it was really important that we were all in the parade together as a unit,
always wearing our uniforms and kind of showing solidarity with that,� Hesse said. “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to be in Washington, D.C. on Memorial Day, and it was a really powerful opportunity for them to really feel what it really was about by doing it all together.� Continued on page 3
School’s out: students pursue personal interests during vacation time Tiffany He & Melinda Xu Co-Managing-Editors Design by Reese Wang The Spoke surveyed eight homerooms regarding their summer activities, separated by grade level and chosen randomly. In total, The Spoke collected 101 responses. The floor is a bright red and white checkerboard pattern. Large freezer boxes line the walls, filled with water ice. Standing in the middle of the floor is junior Rebecca Rountree, busy filling the orders of the long line waiting for her in front of the counter. Leaning down, she scoops water ice into bright red, white and green striped Rita’s cups before hurrying back to the waiting crowd. Rountree will continue working once school is out and summer begins. In total, 57% of respondents, in a survey taken by
The Spoke, said they were planning to work at a job this summer. More people are travelling than working, however, with 75% of respondents planning to travel this summer. Next in popularity was volunteering, followed by playing in a sports team or league, participating in test preparation, attending summer camp, taking a course and, finally, working in an internship, as seen in Figure 1 (see page 3). Nevertheless, despite the variety of options available to students, it seems that the guiding force in choosing a summer activity is personal interest. As seen in Figure 2 (see page 3), out of multiple choices, including academic and college pressures, personal interest had the highest aggregated percentage of respondents at 75%. Counselor Jenn Kratsa promotes personal interest as the primary factor in deciding what to do over the summer.
“We just encourage kids to do what they want first and foremost and take it from there,� counselor Jenn Kratsa said. “I think it’s important to give kids permission to do what they have to do and do what they want to do.� Junior Jack Troy plays basketball for Conestoga, and his passion motivated him to continue doing sports over the summer. He plans to attend multiple sports camps, including a sleepaway goalkeeper camp and several college ID camps, along with playing club soccer and basketball. “I’m doing this mostly for self-improvement and to help keep in shape. Plus, sports are a ton of fun and I enjoy being out on either the field or court. You get to meet a lot of new people who may surprise you with what they can teach you,� Troy said. Sophomore Nusayba Chowdhury was inspired by her in-
volvement in the Speech and Debate Club to attend the Debate Institutes at Dartmouth, a one-month program dedicated to the activity. “I want to improve my debating skills for the Speech and Debate Club that I’m part of,� Chowdhury said. One common thread in each of these activities is the pursuit of self-improvement. Even for Rountree, who spends her summer employed at Rita’s, working is a positive experience. “I love my job, coworkers and my boss (so) it doesn’t feel like a job,� Rountree said. “I think Rita’s has helped with college and career preparedness due to learning responsibility. Also, it helps me learn to balance everything I have and how to make sure it is all done right and not just enough to make it pass.� Continued on page 3
Alex Gurski/The SPOKE
Ice Ice Baby: Working at Rita’s Italian Ice, junior Rebecca Rountree hands junior Meghan Wolfe vanilla custard. In a survey conducted by The Spoke, working at a job was the second most common summer activity.
Audrey Kim/The SPOKE
Town Takeover: Fox 29 anchor Bob Kelly addresses the crowd gathered at Diane’s Sidewalk Deli in Chesterbrook. Kelly’s show “Town Takeover� visited FLITE at the deli on May 13.
FLITE featured on Fox 29 program
Audrey Kim & Sophia Pan Co-Editor-in-Chief & Copy Editor The smell of pancakes and steaming coffee filled the air as visitors laughed, greeted and shook hands in the small space at Diane’s Sidewalk Deli in Chesterbrook. Between the table occupied by a Girl Scout troop, St. Norbert School’s STEM students in the front and the veterans sitting in the left corner, there was no shortage of people in the restaurant at 7 a.m. on May 13. “It was exciting to see so many people out. There were a lot of different groups there from our community,� said TESD superintendent Richard Gusick, who attended the event. “Being in a room with a lot of folks who were excited to be in our community and represent how they do such good work was very rewarding.� All organizations that attended the event gathered for one purpose — Fox 29 anchor Bob Kelly’s program “Town Takeover,� which gives various groups an opportunity to spread awareness about their work in the community.
At the back of the room stood a display board featuring achievements and work of the nonprofit organization FLITE, which stands for the Foundation for Learning in Tredyffrin/Easttown. Members of TESD administration, the FLITE board and other community individuals arrived to support the organization. Anchor Bob Kelly walked around the room with a microphone and cameraman. “Well, every Monday we go to a different town, and we call it the ‘Town Takeover’ and give the opportunity for all the great groups and organizations within that town to show off the positive side of the news,� Kelly said. “This is an opportunity for the community to showcase, whether it be the FLITE program, something that’s happening at Conestoga, the Girl Scouts, the grade schools or the library — all positive — and we give everybody the chance to do that on Fox 29 in the morning.� Founded in 2006, FLITE backs and funds a variety of programs such as kindergarten enrichment, after school homework clubs, academic and leadership summer
camps, and the purchase of music and learning equipment for students in the district. “We (FLITE) are interested in helping kids make sure that they can take advantage of all the fine academic aspects of the district,� FLITE board member and co-founder Tom Colman said. “There are kids who have financial difficulties, difficult situations at home or a variety of things that may keep them from taking advantage of all the wonderful programs of the district. We want to make sure that every kid has a good shot in life and has an opportunity to succeed.� After the segment aired live to the Philadelphia area, Colman said that they started to receive emails from individuals asking how to volunteer for the organization. “The community who saw it (the program) on TV got an awareness of the number of organizations in Tredyffrin/Easttown, what they do to support their community and that it’s a very vibrant and cooperative community with people with varied interests in supporting a whole variety of causes,� Colman said. “The increased visibility for all the local organizations was terrific.�
News
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A BRIEF LOOK
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
The latest developments in T/E news. NEW OPT-IN TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM
Students who plan to use district transportation services in the upcoming school year will need their parents to fill out a form declaring whether their child requires school-provided busing. Students whose parents do not complete the form or opt out of transportation will not receive busing in the mornings or afternoons. BELL SCHEDULES CHANGED FOR NEXT YEAR
The administration is in the process of finalizing the bell schedules for next year. With the later start times, lunches will be changed around slightly, but the 4-minute transition between classes will remain. CAPA-TE HOSTS ALUMNI PRESENTATIONS Richard Li/The SPOKE
The Chinese-American Parents Association of Tredyffrin Easttown organized a series of alumni presentations discussing the college application process, adjustments to college life and career selection at Conestoga on May 17. TREDYFFRIN AND EASTTOWN PRIMARY ELECTIONS HELD
The Tredyffrin and Easttown townships held primary elections on May 21. Voters chose candidates for school board members, township supervisor and township auditor. TETV SPORTS COVERAGE CREW WINS PRODUCTION AWARD
The TETV sports coverage crew won the Sports - Live Event award at the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) Mid-Atlantic High School Student Production Awards ceremony on May 14. CONESTOGA ACHIEVES PERFECT SCORE IN PENNSYLVANIA MATHEMATICS LEAGUE
Wound dressing: Valley Forge Elementary School media specialist and safety committee member Michael Wong dresses a model limb, stuffing gauze into a wound. The TESD Safety committee participated in Stop the Bleed training on May 22.
Stop the Bleed training for faculty comes to TESD Richard Li & Sophia Pan News Editor & Copy Editor
The TESD safety committee participated in Stop the Bleed training during the May 22 safety committee meeting. During the staff in-service the day before, half of the faculty in the district completed the same training. Stop the Bleed is a nationwide awareness campaign that aims to train and equip bystanders to assist in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. The White House initiated the campaign in response to the 2012 school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Mark Cataldi, the district’s director of assessments and accountability, believes the program ensures readiness in a wide variety of
situations involving life-threatening bleeding. “You have to think that some of this is based off of things that you never want to happen. That’s a tough thing to think about, but we need to feel prepared for those kinds of things,” Cataldi said. “This particular training can be applied to other things, like if someone gets injured on the athletic field with significant bleeding or there’s a car accident in the parking lot.” According to Mike Baskin, EMS Captain at Berwyn Fire Company, in a situation with life-threatening bleeding, a few minutes can make all the difference. Baskin headed the safety committee’s Stop the Bleed training. “Things like CPR, first aid and Stop the Bleed in the community are important because a
lot of times people in our community are on the scene of incidents before first responders are. The more people in your community that are trained in how to do this stuff, the better off your community is,” Baskin said. During the sessions, participants learned how to identify life-threatening bleeding and how to apply the ABCs of stopping major bleeding — Alert (call 911), Bleeding (find the injury) and Compress (apply pressure). Part of their training involved learning how to use a tourniquet, a device used to stop the flow of blood to a limb. Valley Forge Elementary School teacher and safety committee member Michael Wong felt that the training helped teach him a variety of skills necessary for dealing with serious bleeding.
Conestoga’s Math Competition team achieved a perfect score in the Pennsylvania Mathematics League this year, marking the second year in a row that the team has placed first in the contest. CONESTOGA TEACHER NAMED CITADEL HEART OF LEARNING FINALIST
The Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) and Citadel Bank recognized Conestoga multi-tiered intervention teacher Danielle Sculley-Ellett as a finalist for the Citadel Heart of Learning Award this year. Sculley is one of 15 finalists selected from across Chester County.
Read more at Sophia Pan/The SPOKE
NEWS
Start time survey results released T/E LIFE
Cut the circulation: Tredyffrin Township police officer Dan McFadden and Easttown Township police officer Roy LaRue demonstrate how to apply a tourniquet. The officers are both members of the TESD safety committee.
OP/ED
Conestoga seniors Laila Norford, Katelyn Winters, David Xu and Franklin Zhu were selected on May 8 from a pool of 15,000 finalists nationwide to advance in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Each senior won $2,500 in funds that will help each of them pay for their college education. Norford, Winters, Xu and Zhu were among 2,500 high
school seniors named as finalists by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who praised the students based on their academic records, previous standardized test scores, leadership and community experience and recommendation letters, according to a press release. The seniors first entered the National Merit Scholarship Program as juniors when they took the PSAT in November 2017. They were notified that they
had been named semifinalists in September of 2018. In order to be named a semifinalist, a student must meet a certain score on the PSAT, which is adjusted yearly. These semifinalists are among the highest scorers on the national exam, and in Pennsylvania, the threshold to be named as a semifinalist was a score of 220 out of 228. After meeting this initial requirement, the semifinalists submitted an application that included various writing supplements
’Stoga alumnus gives advice
SPORTS
’Stoga Lax takes on St. Sebastian’s
Alex Gurski/The SPOKE
Squashing the competition
Sophia Pan/The SPOKE
Learniquet: Junior and safety committee member Graham Bucko practices putting a tourniquet on New Eagle Elementary teacher and safety committee member Bill Adlin. Bucko left school early to attend the committee meeting.
Four seniors named National Merit Finalists from pool of 15,000 students Sanjana Sanghani Staff Reporter
StogaFilm Festival celebrates stars
“I learned how to pack a wound, I learned how to identify which kinds of wounds are ones that need to be addressed through these kinds of methods rather than just applying pressure as we might do for a much smaller wound, and I learned how to apply a tourniquet and the terms of the mechanics of applying the tourniquet and also the location,” Wong said. Currently, bleed prevention supplies in the district are limited, with the most sophisticated equipment available only in nurses’ offices. With the training program’s growth, however, the district also plans to expand accessibility to supplies necessary for stopping serious bleeding. “The plan is that over the summer, administration and members of the safety committee brainstorm and see what makes sense in terms of having some basic supplies in classrooms that are easily accessible,” said Valley Forge Middle School nurse and safety committee member Barbara Kupp. The Stop the Bleed training is one of many procedures the school district has put in place in case of emergency. Others include the buzz-in system, quick-lock mechanism on doors and interior lockdown drills. Baskin hopes to expand the Stop the Bleed program to encompass a wider variety of participants. “Our hope is that before next school year, we get as many of those staff and faculty trained as we can, and in the future, maybe potentially open up some opportunities to students who may have interest,” Baskin said. “We’ve done a couple other Stop the Bleed sessions within the community to people that had interest. More trained people, regardless of where they work or live, make your community more diverse in being able to help.”
Scholarly seniors: National Merit Finalists Laila Norford, Kaitlyn Winters, David Xu and Franklin Zhu (left to right) meet during senior awards night. Each senior won a $2,500 scholarship for their recognition as finalists.
and academic documents in hopes of being named as a finalist. “I was surprised that I received this scholarship because of the amount of talented people,” Winters said. “I think it’s validating to know that I am a part of this talented group because of my hard work and I now have gained a confidence that I can stand out from such gifted people.” While Xu and Winters both took the PSAT prior to entering the National Merit competition, aware of the potential scholarship stakes at hand, Zhu was unaware of what the program entailed. “I signed up for the PSAT as a practice session for the SAT. Since there is something different about taking a test in a real testing environment, I thought this was a good opportunity for me,” Zhu said. Each senior did “relatively well” on the SAT prior to entering the National Merit Program, adding that they believed that their high SAT scores helped them do well on the actual PSAT, which ultimately counts toward the National Merit Scholarship qualification. “Since I had already had prepared hard for the SAT, I just used my knowledge from my tutoring sessions to help me do well on the PSAT,” Norford said.
College Essay Help Marylyn E. Calabrese
Ph.D., writing coach, teacher A.B. from Bryn Mawr College, a MAT from Wesleyan University and a Ph.D in Teaching Writing from the University of Pennsylvania Former chairperson of Conestoga High School English Department Students can meet her at a mutually convenient location, online or by telephone
She can be reached at writedrmec@aol.com
News
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
3
Summer days: students pursue variety of activities over break Figure 1: Summer Plans*
YES
NO
Q&A: why or why not HAVE YOU FELT INCREASED PRESsuRE TO BE PRODUCTIVE IN THE SUMMER? I feel pressured to have meaningful summers because I want to use my free time to explore topics and activities that I have interest in.
To have fun but also look good for colleges.
There’s more work and other things to consider, like college and transcripts which matter more now. I realized how boring it was if I’m not doing something productive and I don’t want to fall into a summer slump.
The #1 goal of summer is to relax so I don’t get that stressed
I go by “everything takes it’s time and happens for a reason.”
Summer is my time to relax. I can choose to use it to be productive or not. If I choose not, I can do that work during the school year.
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Internship
Taking a course
Summer Camp
*students were allowed to select more than one response
interest rather than just for a college application. “Our department really emphasizes authenticity. Authenticity means doing what you enjoy and getting a real satisfaction from what you’re doing, so not doing something for a college application,” Reavy said. “Most summer programs are not going to be a deciding factor for a student getting into college, so we really want students seeking opportunities where they are finding real happiness in what they’re doing.” According to Reavy, this authenticity is what truly shows. “In the college application process, that’s what comes through. If you’re not doing what you love, it’s evident to adults that that’s the case,” Reavy said. Kratsa believes that summer activities are also an opportunity for students to recharge. “During the school year, students are inundated with work and music and sports and clubs and there’s so much going on that during the summer it’s time to catch your breath,” Kratsa said. With 75% of respondents planning to travel this sum-
Test Volunteering Sports Preparation team/league
Job
Travel
Plans
Figure 2: Reasons behind summer choices* Percent Frequency
One facet of this growing stress is standardized testing, with many students feeling the need to attend preparation camps or to get a tutor. Sophomore Kara Manoff is planning to attend an SAT preparation camp in hopes of getting a better score. “College is coming up very fast, and I don’t know if I would be able to make it to where I want to go if my scores aren’t relatively good,” Manoff said. Chowdhury is also preparing for the SATs this summer.
Percent Frequency
keeping fit but also increased visibility in the athletic scouting process. Chemistry teacher Jean “I’m looking to continue on Mihelcic agrees with the posplaying soccer through college itives of participating or even and going to ID camps helps just finding potential summer get my name out there,” Troy opportunities. As one of the said. “Obviously, with me beteachers involved in posting ing a senior next year, there on the Schoology group Sumis some pressure to stay busy mer Science Opportunities, over the summer; you always she feels that summer activhave to be running to do colities provide the perfect oplege tours, (and) meet the portunity for students to find coaches and the ID Camps are themselves. critical over this summer.” “Even if you don’t get into Security guard JoAnn Yusa program, I think just lookko started girls laing for (one) crosse club Phanis a good ex- fIGURE 4: tastix Lacrosse ercise because 23 years ago and it really helps As you’ve gotten older, agrees with the you hone down have you felt an increase in pressure to role that sports what your incamps play in athterests are for have more meaningful/productive summers? lete recruitment. the future,” Mi“On the girls’ helcic said. end, as they get While perolder when they sonal motivabecome recruitions are the 84.3% table athletes, bamajor reason sically they go to behind stutournaments to dents’ summer be exposed and activities, stuto be showcased,” dents also feel 15.7% Yusko said. “Evoutside presery college coach sure to stay “Besides the debate camp, my in the country goes to these, active during the summer. As seen in Figure 4, as students parents are sending me to (a) tutor so because of that the girls grow older, 84.3% of respon- for the SATs,” Chowdhury said. “I play well and they train hard dents felt increased pressure think there’s always that pressure so they are impressing the to have more meaningful and to stay productive during the sum- coaches so they go on to play productive summers. When mer so you don’t fall behind, and in college,” Yusko said. Despite this, however, Colasked why they felt this in- it’s easy to fall behind in a school creasing pressure, 46% of re- like ’Stoga where everyone is al- lege and Career Transition teacher Rachel Reavy emphaspondents mentioned either ways pushing to do their best.” Even for Troy, sports camps sizes the importance of doing college, money or parents as provide a dual benefit of not only summer activities for personal their answer. continued from page 1
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Other
School/ Academic Pressure
mer, it’s clear that traveling is a popular way to relax during the summer. Every year, the family of freshman Jack Semmer and junior Jamie Semmer travels to foreign countries. This year they plan to visit Australia before flying to the tropical island of Fiji. “We chose to travel this summer because it’s something we like to do as a family, and it’s fun to explore the world,” Jamie Semmer said. “It’s something we
Parental Pressure
College Pressure
Reasons
Money
are able to look back on and we make amazing memories.” Traveling can also prove to be rewarding beyond just relaxation. “In previous summers, I have learned about the culture in other parts of the world and how people in the world are different but also the same,” Jack Semmer said. Overall, summer activities prove to be a way for students to explore their interests while still having time to relax.
To relax
Personal Interest
“I think that students are over scheduled many times during the school year and that’s just what it is. Students are in school from 7 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon and they have homework to do and then there are things to fit in beyond just school and that could be a lot of different things,” Kratsa said. “But it’s nice during the summer to slow down a little breath and catch a little breath and refresh time to really do what you love and feel inspired.”
Figure 3:
Marching band performs for Memorial Day observation continued from page 1 During their visit to the Arlington National Cemetery on May 26, the band’s drum majors — junior Matthew Fan and seniors Sadie Kantorczyk and Lily Zhou — participated in the wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument commemorating all unidentified, deceased U.S. service members. The drum majors walked down the stairs leading to the tomb, then Kantorczyk and Zhou placed the ceremonial wreath on a stand in front of it. Zhou felt grateful for the opportunity. “When I was in the process of laying the wreath, I realized
how much of an honor it was to be able to pay respects to these people that fought for us but whose identities are unknown, and it was incredible to see how much respect people have for something like this,” Zhou said. On May 27, Memorial Day, the band marched in the National Memorial Day Parade, playing an arrangement of John Philip Sousa’s famous compositions, “Washington Post,” “The Thunderer,” “Semper Fidelis” and “The Stars and Stripes Forever.” The parade was broadcast live on national television. Nation was excited that the band had the opportunity to perform in
front of such a large audience. “I feel like this stage, like a national stage, was a really spectacular way to to showcase the students and especially the new uniforms,” Nation said. The band returned to Conestoga on the night of May 27. Freshman Ella Canas, who marched with the band as a part of the clarinet section, believes the trip exemplified the type of opportunities ’Stoga has to offer. “It showed me that ’Stoga offers opportunities that are not only fun and exciting but also teach you important lessons and help you grow as a person,” Canas said.
On a scale of 1-5, how much pressure do students feel to have meaningful/productive summers? 1 2 3 4 5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
PERCENT FREQUENCY
Courtesy Chris Nation
In memory: Marching Band drum majors Matthew Fan, Lily Zhou and Sadie Kantorczyk lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Washington. The band contacted Arlington National Cemetery around a year in advance to schedule their visit and their wreath-laying ceremony.
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Tuesday, June 4, 2019
T/E LIFE Dancing pioneers a friend. Ballet is a performance dance, originating from the Italian Renaissance and later developed into a concert dance in France and Russia. “I love how you can express yourself without words, and I love getting to dance with so many really talented girls,” Ross said. “I love the atmosphere of my studio — we are like a family.” Every year, Ross and other members of the International Ballet theater put on a nutcracker show. For Ross, every performance is an invaluable experience. “I get to dance with my friends, and I can show everyone what I have been working on,” Ross said. “I learned a lot about how to be proud of my friends for their accomplishments, how to work as a team and also how to be more bold.” Dancing is a way for students like freshman Aditi Dahagam to connect with her heritage. Dahagam began dancing classical Indian dances around ten years ago. “I started dancing because my mom was friends with the teacher, so she signed me up and then I continued from there,” Dahagam said.
Hyunjin Lee
T/E Life Editor
Junior Arien David pauses for a minute, contemplating over the multitude of break-dance moves he has learned over the years. For students such as David, dancing provides them with a break from stressful days at school as well as a way to connect with their cultures. Many students may recall the performance by the 'Stoga Break Dancers earlier this year at the pep rally. Junior Arien David, who has been dancing for three years, frequently performs at pep rallies as part of the break dance team. Break dancing, or b-boying, is a type of street dance which evolved from major cities in the United States during the 70s and 80s. Inspired by his older brother, who first introduced him to b-boying, David dances for at least two days a week. “Dancing, to me, is another way to express oneself and to vibe out with music,” David said. His favorite memories include performing for large audiences and mastering handstands. “[Dancing] built my confidence and Junior Arien David flips into a combination move. (helped me in) being Hyunjin Lee/The SPOKE daring because there are moves that just take a lot of overDahagam has learned coming fear,” David said. Bharatanatyam in the past Sophomore Relena Li began but currently learns Mohinidancing after learning Latin dance yattam. Bharatanatyam is a in elementary school. Latin dance dance traditionally expressing has roots dating back to the in- religious themes and has an digenous dances of native Amer- origin in Tamil Nadu, a southicans, Europeans and Africans, ern Indian state. Mohiniyatbut with time, Latin dance has tam, one of the eight classical evolved to include rumba, samba dances in India, derives its and tango along with others. name from the word Mohini, “I first started dancing for au- a manifestation of the Hindu diences in 6th grade at my school god Vishnu. in China,” Li said. “There was a “I enjoy dancing because it’s festival at my school and my teach- relaxing and helps me take my er encouraged me to perform.” mind off the stress of school,” Now, Li dances the Ming Zhu Dahagam said. “It’s a great opWu, a traditional Chinese dance portunity to learn more about that roughly translates to “Race my culture.” Dance.” Chinese dance can be Conestoga students partake traced back thousands of years, in various types of dances as a where each dynasty had their way to gain confidence, relieve own imperial court dances, all stress and have fun. Howevvarying in style. er, most importantly, dancing “I enjoy dancing because it allows these students to learn looks visually pretty and also more about their own cultures. makes me happy,” Li said. From classical, cultural dances Junior Aleta Ross dances for to modern street dances, the around 15 hours a week, having students’ dances can help exstarted ballet when she was nine hibit the diverse population years old after trying a class with here at school.
Behind the lip dub
Courtesy Sadie Kantorczyk
Lights Camera Action!: Senior Gabi Miko directs a group of seniors for the lip dub to Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.” The lip dubs began with alumna Paula Miller, who graduated in 2016. each year since 2016 with the exception of 2017. The idea first sprung from Paula Miller, a ’Stoga alumna who graduated in 2016. “Paula came up with the idea, and it was just this crazy thought of getting together the entire senior class and creating this film that is, in a way, memorializing your time at Conestoga,” Miko said. This year, Miko, the president of the StogaFilm club, directed the lip dub and shot it from start to finish. Miko has been a member of the club since the second week of her freshman year. The following year, she became the club president, and has kept her position for the past three years, directing the 2018 senior lip dub as well as this year’s. She was sup-
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Seniors crowd the hallways of the school, waiting in anticipation for senior Gabi Miko’s camera to turn its lens on them as Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” blasts in the background. Dressed in outfits ranging from hospital garb to athletic uniforms, the seniors are in the process of filming the 2019 senior lip dub. A representation of school spirit and diversity, the lip dub was recorded, edited and released on the seniors’ last day before leaving for internship on May 3. Since then, the video has surpassed 10,000 views on YouTube. The StogaFilm club has been organizing the senior lip dub
ported by the other members of her team, including junior Justin D’Emilio, the club’s vice president, and senior Jacob Haags, who edited the lip dub. Preparation began far before the actual day of filming. One of the first steps was to choose a song from a list of school-approved options. Miko and her team put out a survey to the senior class and “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen received the majority of the votes. Miko and her team also chose the seniors to be featured in each segment of the film. The lip dub is organized into multiple sections, each one showcasing a different area of student activities, including sports, theater, art, music and publications. A few seniors
Period 2: Best Buddies Cheerleading Sports Pioneer Pit
Period 4: Theater Music Other clubs
GMS Stoga Film The Folio Yearbook The Spoke
Behind the scenes: Senior Jacob Haag edits the lip dub
Period 3: Art Academic clubs Allied Health Student Council Peer Mediation ADL Manifest
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2018-19
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Period 5: Drone shot of all students on the track
2019
Placement Test on 4/6, 5/4, 6/1
Fall SAT I & ACT
Period 7: Lip dub posted on Youtube
Can’t stop them now: May 3 timeline
ACT
The Most Powerful Test Prep
adding finishing touches and finalizing the video. The entire process that day took five hours, after which it was shown to the senior class in the gym and uploaded to the StogaFilm YouTube channel. “The day overall went really well!” D’Emilio said. “We had a schedule made on how much time we could take for each segment, and we actually finished ahead of schedule.” Next year, D’Emilio will take over the reins from Miko and direct the 2020 senior lip dub. He feels prepared to take on the challenge. “I have some big ideas ready, and a few friends and club members and I are already working on what it’s going to look like. It is going to be so fun!” D’Emilio said.
On the scene: Senior Gabi Miko produces the lip dub
INTO PREP is the HOME of
For Further Inforamtion go to www.INTOPREP.net
in each section dance in the front, mouthing the lyrics to the song. While those seniors were chosen based on their leadership positions, all seniors were encouraged to participate in the lip dub to make it a fun and unifying event on the seniors’ last day at school. On the actual day of filming, Miko shot three takes for each segment of the recording. At the end of each period, her SD card was switched out and brought to Haags to edit. While Miko filmed the seniors, Haags and two others stayed in the TV studio, syncing the audio with the mouths of the students from each clip and color correcting each scene. Finally, after the shoot was over, Miko and Haags ran through the shots together,
PAOLI Y2
2019 - Course I
2019 - Course II
Summer 2019
$500 expires
OFF
12/07/18
42 E Lancaster Avenue Ste.102, Paoli, PA 19301 Email: paoli@y2academy.com
610-601-5501/5502
The overwhelming flavors of dill-lathered créme frâiche and freshly smoked salmon, signature dishes of Devon’s Terrain Cafe, prove that the local restaurant ties the knot between farm and table. From the decor to the food, Terrain Cafe embodies freshness. The ambience takes eaters from downtown Devon to the center of the Amazon rainforest, with draping green vines, penetrating natural light and dining in the open air. The food does just the same. Serving hand-selected meats straight to its customers and even dinner rolls in planting pots, Terrain Cafe prioritizes clean dining. While it’s undeniable that the restaurant tags big prices to small portions, it’s clear the menu encourages light and varied dining. Terrain Cafe's selection of fresh toast and toppings is a prime example of this. While only one slice of bread sits on your plate for the Lioni Burrata menu item, that single slice is lathered in balsamic dressing and rich burrata cheese (mozzarella's softer cousin.) Every bite, no matter
its size, showcases a varied array of seasonal, fresh ingredients. But what makes Terrain Cafe so distinguished are its flavor combinations as the chefs behind the menu make mundane dishes into masterpieces. The kale and asparagus Caesar salad uses a Greek yogurt version of the otherwise heavy dressing, lightening and brightening the salad entirely. Pine nut breadcrumbs replace caloric, greasy croutons while maintaining an equally-satisfying flavor and texture. And the beverages don’t disappoint either. The blackberry spritzers, blood orange iced tea and lavender lattes are flavorful and refreshing ways to cool down in the midst of the June heat. Terrain’s pricing is a bit steep. Toasts start at $12, and entrees extend to $30 for steak frites. However, the impeccable natural atmosphere com-
bined with the comforting knowledge that ingredients are locally and seasonally produced eases pain on the pocketbook. Pop in to Terrain anytime you want a casual dining experience gone luxurious.
Terrain Cafe 138 Lancaster Ave *** Phone: 610-590-4671 Hours: Monday-Thursday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Andrew Bucko/The Spoke
Andrew Bucko/The SPOKE
That's toast!: The Terrain Cafe's salmon toast features smoked salmon and crispy capers. All toasts are combined with fresh local ingredients.
Buttenbaum and Hyunjin Lee Co T/E Life Editors
T/E Life
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
5
Eight retiring teachers give their farewell advice to students
by Aimee Buttenbaum and Hyunjin Lee, Co-T/E Life Editors
Kathryn Burling - ESL
Hyunjin Lee/The SPOKE
Gail Hamman - Nurse
“Everyone has something positive to offer,” retiring ESL teacher Kathryn Burling said. Aside from instructing international students, Burling is also the sponsor of the Multi-Culture Club as well as the co-sponsor of Conestoga’s K-Pop club. She began teaching at Conestoga in 2001. She previously taught at Valley Forge Middle School, making this year her 20th year in the Tredyffrin/Easttown district. Previously teaching the English Learners at the Delaware County Community College and having been an adjunct professor at Immaculata University, Burling has a lot of experience interacting with diverse groups of international students. “These students come from around the world, so you can imagine, I learn more from them than they learn from me,” Burling said. “I encourage students and people in general that if something is overwhelming, take it one step at a time and never give up. A positive attitude will be productive.”
Hyunjin Lee/The SPOKE
Deb Ciamacca - Social Studies
Alex Gurski/The SPOKE
Rebecca Maxwell - Science
While most people in the building know Deb Ciamacca as an AP Government teacher, she started out as a member of the United States Marine Corps. Wanting to make a difference in the government and her community, Ciamacca is retiring to pursue her goal of becoming State Representative for Pennsylvania’s 168th district. As she moves on to this next chapter of her life, she leaves her students with the message that their college destination isn’t everything. “I really believe this whole idea of focusing on getting into these ridiculously hard colleges is so ridiculous,” Ciamacca said. “I can tell you after seeing what my students have done over 19 years, some of the students who have gone to state schools and just were happy, healthy, nice kids who were well-rounded are doing so well right now. Life isn’t just about cramming stuff into your head to get the best grade. The people who succeed in life care about other people — they are socially engaged.”
Teaching biology and topics in life sciences for 20 years at multiple schools, Rebecca Maxwell learned that kindness always matters. She has taught three years at Conestoga High School, though the majority of her teaching career was at Perkiomen Valley High School. “Having a positive attitude is important,” Maxwell said. “I also learned that caring for your kids is extremely important, and having consequences when it’s needed also helps.” Maxwell recommends future students to stay honest. “Integrity matters,” Maxwell said. “One of the biggest challenges arise when kids are not honest and make excuses for their work. They blame everyone but themselves.” After retiring, Maxwell will miss all of her students and colleagues, but most of all, the daily interactions with her students.
Hyunjin Lee/The SPOKE
Trevor Drake - English
Leanne Pretz - Math
Trevor Drake, former English department chair, taught at Conestoga for 24 years and currently teaches AP Literature and Composition and accelerated American Literature. Over the years, he has learned to value relationships with students and colleagues instead of solely focusing on the curriculum. As he leaves Conestoga, he hopes that students in the future will learn to keep balance in their lives. He shares with them the wisdom that once they enter the workforce, their college doesn’t define them, but how hard they work does. “Don’t get so hung up on the destination that you lose track of the journey,” Drake said. “If it’s all about getting into the college of your choice and other important things fall away, you’re missing something.”
After teaching almost every math course offered at Conestoga over the past 18 years, Leanne Pretz says she will miss being in the classroom the most. She will also be leaving behind her job as the adviser for Conestoga’s chapter of Key Club, the world’s largest student service organization. After guiding students through math problems day after day and year after year, Pretz advises current and future students to not procrastinate. “Learn to manage your time well,” Pretz said. “Use the time that you have rather than sitting and chatting with your friends. Do the homework so you don’t have to do it at three in the morning.” Aimee Buttenbaum/The SPOKE
Aimee Buttenbaum/The SPOKE
JoAnn Yusko - Security, Lacrosse
Carol Gibson - Special Education
Aimee Buttenbaum/The SPOKE
Few students will forget the Halloween decorations in the health suite, where Gail Hamman has served as the nurse for almost 25 years. The constantly improving decorations, from Eagles to Hawaiian themes, remain one of Hamman’s most memorable moments. From her everyday interactions with various Conestoga students, Hamman has learned a lot about students as individuals and how to best help students. For the current and future students, Hamman advises that a healthy lifestyle will be the key to success. “Enough sleep, eating properly and exercise, these all contribute to success,” Hamman said. “Not to say that there aren’t going to be trials sometimes because we all have them, but remember to rely on your friends and adults.”
This year marks Yusko’s 28th year at Conestoga: the first two years she taught health and PE, and for almost 26 years, JoAnn Yusko has been working to keep the student body safe every day at school as a member of the security department. Previously, Yusko was the head girls varsity lacrosse coach at Marple Newtown High School for 13 years. After retirement, Yusko will continue to direct and coach the Phantastix, the first girls’ lacrosse club in Pennsylvania, which she started after founding Quix Stix. From her daily interactions with students and staff, Yusko recognizes the opportunities available at Conestoga. “Come and be ready to learn. [The students] are very lucky,” Yusko said. “Always be respectful. Always respect yourself and others. There’s so much to learn and there’s so many opportunities you can have here.”
Carol Gibson, who has taught special education for the past 25 years, says she appreciates the patience her students have taught her. At times, Gibson had to watch her students get frustrated, but she stuck by their sides when they struggled with new topics. She loves to watch her students succeed after she guides them and helps them to master whatever they’re working on. Gibson also advises Homework Club, which provides silent study time for students to work on assignments, and is former co-adviser of the African American Student Union, which unites and fosters the African American culture and experience within the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District. “I hope that (students) would exhibit the same level of compassion for others once they leave this environment,” Gibson said. “I also encourage them to just keep trying and never give up.”
Hyunjin Lee/The SPOKE
Teacher Feature: William Rivé T/E Life Editor
Slip and score: Teacher Edward Sharick skates across the ice, sporting his team’s jersey. Although he plays for his local instructional league, Sharick enjoys cheering on his favorite team, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Aimee Buttenbaum/The SPOKE
In the classroom: French teacher William Rivé stands with a piece of french toast that decorates the shelves in his classroom. Rivé began teaching at Conestoga six years ago, starting as the teacher for AP French.
When studying to be a teacher, one must master his area of expertise, but Monsieur William Rivé has already mastered his subject by the time he was a toddler. Born in Paris, Rivé’s first language was French. Both grandparents on his father’s side of the family are French, while his mother’s parents are from Sicily. “My parents both grew up in Paris, and that’s where they had me, my sister and my brother,” Rivé said. “Then while I was seven we moved to the suburbs of Paris, about an hour south of Paris.” Rivé had never planned to move to the U.S. until he met his wife. The two met in Paris when Rivé’s wife was working as an English teacher’s assistant. “She was back (in the U.S.) already for a few weeks because her program was over, and then she asked me if I would like to visit for a couple of weeks, so it’s been 12 years,” Rivé said. “I ended up staying here.” From the time that they met, Rivé has only spoken to his wife in French and his wife
Better Scores, Better Schools Last year, Crimson Review helped Conestoga students raise their SAT scores by an average of 150 points and ACT scores by 5 points. Take the next step to a better college at crimsonreview.com or call 610.688.6441.
has only spoken to him in English. Those are the languages they both feel most comfortable communicating in, and since they understand both, it works out. His children, Cameron, 7, and Juliette, 4, are growing up learn-
“
It’s nice to see (the students) grow, and you see how much they’re learning.
“
Aimee Buttenbaum
William Rivé Teacher
ing both languages. Rivé speaks French to the kids while his wife speaks to them in English. “I want my children to be totally bilingual,” Rivé said. “I speak English, but not in front of the kids normally, and they aren’t allowed to speak to me in English.” Rivé loves playing soccer and began taking the sport seriously when he was 17. He played for Montgomery County Community Col-
lege when he was earning his teaching degree. While Rivé still plays pickup soccer games, his main hobby is cooking. At Rivé’s home, he is the cook, having learnt everything he knows from his parents as well as from playing around with meals by himself. “I don’t like to follow recipes usually. I like to just go for it and see what happens,” Rivé said. “Usually it works out pretty well. Usually.” Although Rivé didn’t always dream of being a teacher, he says that he can’t imagine himself doing anything else. Teaching classes French III, IV, V and VI gives Rivé the unique opportunity to have students for four years. “It’s a different relationship that we end up having,” Rivé said. “It’s nice to see them grow, and you see how much they’re learning.” Rivé says watching students develop their skills is the most rewarding part. “I think that’s important, too — to be able to follow each other throughout those three or four years and see what you guys become and what level you get to, and that’s what I really enjoy,” Rivé said.
T/E Life
6
west
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Senior Senior Destina Destina
alaska
ALASKA PACIFIC UNIVERSITY Harrison Dutton
arizona UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA Truth Ingram, Ciara McCafferty
california CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY Alex Snyder CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY Miles Allen OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE Katherine Chodaczek SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY Michaela Clancy STANFORD UNIVERSITY Anthony Riley UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Katherine Moir UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY Dorkhan Chang UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE Leila Williams UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Jake Bouhdary, Miles Felker, Calvin Wang UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA Emma Susas
colorado UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER Luca Barton, Jason Brockman, Will Pless UNIVERSITY OF DENVER Rupert Hutton
oregon UNIVERSITY OF OREGON Hannah Weaver
utah
UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY Brookelyn McAllister
wyoming UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING Cole Beckstrom
midwest illinois
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO Hailey Klinger UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN Charles Li
INDIANA UNIVERSITY Brendan Burns, Ani Shastry INDIANA UNIVERSITY-PURDUE UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS Nathan Geiger PURDUE UNIVERSITY Lizzy Harwood, Raymond Shreve UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME Jane Miller
south
michigan
AUBURN UNIVERSITY Gwen Charles, Bryan McHugh, Matt Rossi, Jake Silverstein UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA Brent Sudall
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Hunter Robie OAKLAND UNIVERSITY Angel Taylor UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN Chase Dautrich, Fiona Kurtz, Suma Moolaveesala, Hannah Zhou
missouri UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI Avery Maslowsky, Thomas Zaffalon WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY IN ST. LOUIS Henry Borska, Dylan Ward
ohio
DENISON UNIVERSITY Jane Bailey, Teddy Gieske MIAMI UNIVERSITY Liam Matson OBERLIN COLLEGE Griffin Edwards, Eleanor Kennedy-Lange, Rona Lane OHIO UNIVERSITY Logan Bland
wisconsin
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON Ben Chiu
OTHER gap year
EMPLOYMENT
armed forces
AU PAIR Lizzie Hand
Corey Huck
PRIYA ARAVINDHAN GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY MORITZ WAGNER
VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
TECHNICAL COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL Alexa Gibney, Jonathan Stanton, Blythe Vallin
ABROAD
LICEO SCIENTIFICO G. TORELLI (ITALY) Luca Sabatini LYCÉE FRANÇAIS JEAN MONNET DE BRUXELLES (BELGIUM) Louise Wiart MARIST COLLEGE BRANCH CAMPUS (ITALY) Darien Irizarry TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN (IRELAND) Christopher Dimond UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS (SCOTLAND) Lexi Bashe UNIVERSITY OF OSLO (NORWAY) Tea Nordvold UNIVERSITY OF OTAGO (NEW ZEALAND) Harvey Sowerbutts UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (UNITED KINGDOM) Kiran Rebholz GERMANY Canan Ozsoy BELGIUM Louise Wiart
alabama florida
FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Liam Roulston FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY Ryan Brake, Owen Tomasicchio UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA T Chiles, Joe Czepiel, Emily DeSantis, Ryan Duffy UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI Sara Graser, Ashley Greenberg UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA Tommy Martorana, Emme Rycyzyn
georgia EMORY UNIVERSITY Katherine Ginter, Jordan Zelikoff GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Elise Mignone, Andrew Xiao SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN Fiona Duffy, Caroline McAlaine, James Naser, Paige Sredenschek, Madison Wolf UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA Alli Brosso, Emerson Bucher, Reagan Gerrity
kentucky
TRANSYLVANIA UNIVERSITY Sophie Ritzenthaler UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE Nia Scott
louisiana
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY Sofia Bertuola LOUISIANA TECH UNIVERSITY Douglas Masson TULANE UNIVERSITY Sarah Bender, Andrew Kese, David Yu
north carolina DUKE UNIVERSITY Maddie Demming, Kaitlyn Winters ELON UNIVERSITY Reese Acton, Anna DiDario, Jackie Kluge, Julian Niggeman, Lily Park, Bella Prieto, Juliana Schiano, Anna Twomey, WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY Wesley Brace
minnesota CARLETON COLLEGE Anna Donahue UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA Natalie Mihal
south carolina
ALLEGHENY COLLEGE Ben Grant
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY Patricia Egan, Emily Hoppe, Maddi McQuaid COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON Jake Anapolsky, Ellie Genovese, Aiden Lexow FURMAN UNIVERSITY John Aneser UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA Abby Branov, Livi Bruni, Marcus Fortuno, Sam Nalbone, Sally Park
tennessee UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE Brooke Reiss VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY Brooke Deasy
texas BAYLOR UNIVERSITY Olivia Cepielik SOUTH PLAINS COLLEGE Casey Strickland SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY Julian Grove TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY Willow Thompson
virginia
GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY Jason Huddler HOLLINS UNIVERSITY Hope Napier JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY Lauren Johnson, Kate Yamarick SOUTHERN VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Noah Sanders UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND Erica Barends, Juneseo Choi, Thomas King, Hannah Levine, Cam Soffer, Will Mauro UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA Brian Christner, Katherine Li, Tara Moon VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY Maddy Todd, Pasha Mottley VIRGINIA TECH Keegan Braxton, Dylan Burling, Ryan Davis, Patrick Marquet, Connor Sloan COLLEGE OF WILLIAM AND MARY Sydney Sloan, Amy Wolgin WASHINGTON AND LEE UNIVERSITY Michael Jameison, Will Schnorr
by the numbers Seniors applied to an average of
80.4%
BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY Katie Bleczinski, Ian Luke Smith, Kyla Weil CABRINI UNIVERSITY Jason Carbonetti, Cole DELAWARE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Da Kerry Kearney, Daniel Murphy, Raymond P DICKINSON COLLEGE Claire Hallman, Will H DREXEL UNIVERSITY Dohaa Ansari, Ben Axel Matt Gallagher, Zheren Gu, Jacob Haag, Hu Johnson, Paige Junikiewicz, Min Kun Kim, Manish Patel, Ella Secchi, Daniel Stuber, A ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE Scott Walters FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE Mark Mico Landau, Brooks Rush GETTYSBURG COLLEGE Carly Ackerman, Lau Shane Scott, Lily Zhou IMMACULATA UNIVERSITY Noelle Burkett INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Joe B THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY Ahmed Abo LAFAYETTE COLLEGE Eric Anderson, Sarah Cl LA SALLE UNIVERSITY Aleas Martinez, Faith LEHIGH UNIVERSITY Lindsay Adler, Grace Al bon, Sophia Poeta, Carson Snyder MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY Maddie Englema MISERICORDIA UNIVERSITY Christian Moesle MOORE COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN Jynea Ash MUHLENBERG COLLEGE Jason Ivey, Reema N PENNSYLVANIA COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY Eri PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY Nikhita Ar Becattini, Jack Bagby, Haley Beiter, Patrick Gavin Burdette, Ryan Casciato, Emma Cha
7 colleges.
of seniors have a major in mind.
Stud y
indiana
broad A ing
MAYBE 38%
7
T/E Life
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
inations inations 2019 2019 designed by Audrey Kim and Claire Guo, Co-Editors-in-Chief
7
northeast connecticut
FAIRFIELD UNIVERSITY Natalia Bertolotti, Mason Carty, Celine King, QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY Liza Bailey TRINITY COLLEGE Walker Hopkins, Elena Lindquist UNIVERSITY OF HARTFORD Samantha Tyrrell UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAVEN Scott Martin
maine
BOWDOIN COLLEGE Lily Smith UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND Morgan Bendit
massachussets
BOSTON COLLEGE Elizabeth Farrelly, Cole Fogarty, Kenny Wang BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY R.J. Mita COLLEGE OF THE HOLY CROSS Will Bryan EMERSON COLLEGE Kevin Cooper HARVARD UNIVERSITY Jordan Roe, Georgia Steigerwald LESLEY UNIVERSITY Sarah Kielburger NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Victoria Budike, Olivia Buraks, Laura Chamberlin, Alexandre Renon, Anjali Singh, Yinglin Wang, Kate Wieser, Andrew Zhang TUFTS UNIVERSITY Kemp Bassett, Blair Horning, Jason Lin, JoJo Zhang UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSSETTS AMHERST Claire Conway, Eugene Mak UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER Steven Wang
new hampshire DARTMOUTH UNIVERSITY Terry Guo, Ryan Xu, Samantha Yao UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE Georgia Hritz
new york
COLGATE UNIVERSITY Abigail Lewis CORNELL UNIVERSITY Sadie Kantorczyk, Ally Latoff FORDHAM UNIVERSITY Katelyn Benzinger, Prutha Chavan, Juliet McAlee ITHACA COLLEGE Emily Morrissette NEW YORK UNIVERSITY Renato DiStefano, Brianna Hall, Shannon Huang, Ella Kessler, Gabi Miko, Angelina Ziarno-Shrum PACE UNIVERSITY Dana Liebezeit, Hero Jones, Bridget Bailey RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Nia Goddard ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Ap Hatton ST. LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY Malcolm Roeder SKIDMORE COLLEGE Sarah Kundra, Taimur Sajed SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY Shane Connell, Charlotte De Vries, Ann Drennan, Ruidong Jin, Ellie Sedor, Olivia Thompson THE NEW SCHOOL Eloise Sayles, Hannah Suh UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO Owen Mallott
rhode island JOHNSON & WALES UNIVERSITY Olivia Orczyk
vermont
son Carbonetti, Cole Cornell, PJ Hewitt, Mark Salamone MMUNITY COLLEGE Daniel Beale, Jada Durham, Matt Dwyer, Murphy, Raymond Porras aire Hallman, Will Hayen haa Ansari, Ben Axel, Owen Carter, Anna Beatrice Galasso, n Gu, Jacob Haag, Hugh Hinton, Joel Jesudason, Severin wicz, Min Kun Kim, Kris Melag, Brenton Molsbergen, chi, Daniel Stuber, Ashley Vargas, Mark Wang GE Scott Walters COLLEGE Mark Micolucci, Julie McFadden, Cassidy
Carly Ackerman, Lauren Chu, Nathan Motel, Paul Pelham,
dy
TY Noelle Burkett F PENNSYLVANIA Joe Bove, Abby Pacca, Paulina Razzo IVERSITY Ahmed Aboseada c Anderson, Sarah Clark leas Martinez, Faith Walker dsay Adler, Grace Allen, Will Blatchford, Claire MacGibrson Snyder TY Maddie Engleman, Miles Hodges, Danny Law SITY Christian Moesler T & DESIGN Jynea Ashton Jason Ivey, Reema Norford E OF TECHNOLOGY Erin Braxton NIVERSITY Nikhita Arunprakash, Kaitlin Anstine, Matt Haley Beiter, Patrick Billings, Simon Bodek, Erin Braxton, Casciato, Emma Chan
broad? A NO ing
MAYBE 38%
7%
YES 55%
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY (cont.) Nicholas Chermol, Blaine Dekovitch, Abigail Frantz, Ankit Garikipati, Michael Gossow, Davis Heckman, Kate Hinmon, Justin Huang, Jack Inserra, Maddie Inserra, Everly Kase, Bella Kese, Laura Krapf, Maddie Lamonica, Stephen Le, Karinne Loos, Jack Lu, Jack Lyons, Brad MacKenzie, Jake Manoukian, Katie Martin, Sophia Mazza, Clare Mongeluzi, Hannah Neff, John Roadcap, Claire Sarosi, Maya Sauder, Myles Scott, Ian Shackleford, Ethan Shew, Rose Shui, Abby Simon, Hailey Speicher, Rujuta Thakar, Kartik Upadhyay, Matt Van Meter, Hanah Walters, Joe Wee, Drew Wetzel, Ava Willcox, Caitlin Wood, Xiuhan Wu, Amir Zisling SAINT JOSEPH’S UNIVERSITY James Dickey, Nik Koveos SETON HILL UNIVERSITY Kasey Beres SWARTHMORE COLLEGE Patrick Li SUSQUEHANNA UNIVERSITY Emily Wertz THE HILL SCHOOL Zach Lezanic TEMPLE UNIVERSITY Nicky Cantando, Graham Cuthbertson, Adam Freitag, Taylor Holmwood, Colleen Homan, Brandon Huang, Jill Jackson, David Johnston, Kayla Jones, Julia King, Ryan Kramer, Anne Lockhart, Carter Malik, Andrew Paolizzi, Eric Perez, Anh Thi Pham, Katie Rosenblum, Mark Sarkissian, Nick Sondergaard, Seth Taylor, Jenny Updike, Kale Wiley UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS Beatrice Woodward UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Kaitlyn Chen, MinJu Kim, Laura Liu, Laila Norford, Ana Ponte, Spencer Rosato, Kevin Tao, David Xu UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Grace Bendl, Rohit Bommisetti, Ellen Fabian, Grace King, Ashley Kramer, Rebecca Larkin, Jeff Leonata, Alex Marlow, Lukas Milby, Clare Mongeluzi, Jordan Rosenblum, Alexandra Ross, Kavya Singh, Karen Turocy, Jacob Ward, Leon Xu, Lucas Zhu UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON Alex Connor, Hailey Dufour, Julia Holton, Jenny Noll VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY John Auslander, Julia Brennan, Ava Eaton, Matthew Frischmann, William Harvey, Shray Mehrotra, Julia Totoro, Elizabeth Welker-Ebling, Franklin Zhu WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY Justin Archibald, Ryan Ashman, Charlie Baker, Brigitte Belzer, Henry Campbell, Anna Dahl, Jane Frascella, Hannah Horgan, Mazen Khalil, Brenna Kiley, Michael Mariani, Aidan Marinakos, Evan Medley, Timothy Mullen, Angela Charisse Octavio, Hayley Pechin, Dave Rains, Timmy Scudder, Chau Tran, Max Waetzman, Patrick Winnemore, Zoe Zimmerman, Tyler Yates WIDENER UNIVERSITY Melanie Collingwood, Thomas Durant YORK COLLEGE OF PENNSYLVANIA Sam Diskin
13.9%
are enrolled in an honors program
chool? S e t ua no maybe 9% 40% YES 51%
Gra d
en Grant ITY OF PENNSYLVANIA Bianca Ward Katie Bleczinski, Ian Charles, Anna Mayock, Jack Murphy,
pennsylvania
CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE James Kallenbrum MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE Aidan McKenrick UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT Sean Naimoli
midatlantic delaware UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE Jazmin Alleyne, Tyler Brundage, Harrison Gillis, Charlotte Ireland, Austin Jensen, Ryan Junikiewicz, Blair Kennedy, Emily Nudy, Anna Matheny, Ashton McGaughan, Katie Morrison, Sydney Torresson
maryland JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY Cameron Marcus, Madeline Murphy, Eliza Pentz LOYOLA UNIVERSITY Katherine Abele, Jacob Bierstaker, Rebecca Gumas, Tommy Noone, Ryan Overton, Emily Pinsk, Ethan Sampson MARYLAND INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF ART Grace Kinkel MCDANIEL COLLEGE Rain Becker UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND Amelia Daggett, Gautam Rao WASHINGTON COLLEGE Alyan Youssaf
new jersey MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY Nate Cummin STEVENS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Siddharth Iyer
washington D.C. AMERICAN UNIVERSITY Connor Wells CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA James Dolley GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Eileen Chen, Thomas Simmons GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY Liam Berson HOWARD UNIVERSITY Tiara Ross WALLA WALLA UNIVERSITY Rosadela Orozco-González
Centerspread designed and compiled by Audrey Kim and Claire Guo regrets that 29 seniors did not respond to our requests for their senior destinations, and 5 chose to abstain.
44.6%
received financial aid
56.8%
received a merit-based scholarship
use
8
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
OPINION Vacation time: Don’t feel pressured this summer
When deciding what to do for the summer, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Friends are splitting off, and it seems like they all have a place to go. They’re counselors at summer camps, employees at Rita’s, interns at different companies and universities. Times have changed since our parents went to high school. Now, the pressure and expectations to attend that summer camp or get this internship and that job can feel overwhelming as more and more students think about what’s best for their next stage in life — college. But it’s for these reasons that we should prioritize this summer as what it is — vacation. Or more accurately, a time to explore and
to find ourselves outside of the typical school curriculum. As more and more people tell us to use this time as preparation for college, we should remember not to lose our appreciation for the present. High school is a time to explore, to grow, to make mistakes and then to pick yourself back up again. It’s a time where you can both succeed and fail, discover new interests and learn what kind of person you want to be. In the rush to look impressive to colleges, it’s easy to forget that. While attending extra classes or spending those hours in the lab during the summer is a valuable experience, so is enjoying yourself and appreciating the people around you.
Spending time with your family and friends in high school is an opportunity that we might not get during the busy and distant semesters in college. And experimenting and trying out new hobbies not only gives us the chance to discover new passions and interests, but builds character with its possibility of failure and frequent trial-and-error elements. This summer, don’t feel pressured. Do what you want to do. For many, that will involve working at a job or going to summer camps. But if for you, that means going to the beach with a good book and your closest friends and a pile of summer homework postponed to… later, then go for it.
The Spoke Editorial Board voted 11-3 in favor of this editorial.
Melinda Xu/The SPOKE
Students, it’s time to actually do your EEPE
From the Editor: Dear Mom
students’ academics. Not only will they be more limited in the number of other classes they can take, but they are not likely to receive the same academic performance boost that EEPE gives them because the physical education (PE) classes are not full periods (45 minutes) of vigorous exercise — students have to change at the beginning and end, and based on Matthew Fan my experience, sometimes you Columnist don’t even break a sweat if the Claire Guo Co-Editor-in-Chief activity is relaxed, like tossing a “All Spring EEPE Verification Frisbee. In fact, a study conducted Forms are due on Friday” reads by Dr. Dawn Coe of the“IUniverassistant principal Patrick Boyle’s think it’s aDear greatMom, sity of Tennessee demonstrated Schoology post. This notification idea that no one should believe because such and that when PE classes were immediately sends the ExPlease stop worrying so should such isn’t always considered a added to middle schoolbelieve tended Experience Physical much about me. curriculum, neither suchLooking Education (EEPE) students because and at my room right fundamental right to all activists.” grades nor standardized scurrying to scrap together now, such isn’t alwaysyou may see heaps of Hancock, test scores improved. school in order-John to celebrate their the 30 required hours of suclothes everywhere. You may a fundasolution pervised physical exercise. fair how we have wanted to takeAthisbetter have noticed that my driver’s into myconsidered own on Muslim holidays. Overall, holiday. It isn’tsenior A new convert, eh? Been mental to all would be to strictHowever, many of these permit has expired. Andgetyou hands because there is aenact lack of right Muslim students who celebrate er methods for verifying students, especially the Muslim or Middle Easternactivists. rep- ” may have realized that I have Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha -John Hancock, from Christmas. cally at Ithe AirPods ones who “work out” at lost like three or five orO20lost wain myspecifi school, and shouldn’t have to miss school in for Muslim holidays. Every year, resentationhours, lamb, we welcome you to the foldthe senior YMCA. Thesomething school should ter bottles at school the YMCA, cheat their way over to do order to celebrate their holiday. Muslim students have to miss feel obligated be youryou, spiritual make sure that whoever of Appleism. through the hours. Accordyears. But I’ll I promise Mom, It is not equitable, and we all celebrating their holiday so they about this issue. your religious signs the verification form guide ing to junior Kavish Sentthatduring I will be just fine. condon’t fall behind in class. Many should try to make a change. is a YMCA employee hilkumar, who does EEPE Oh, I can see the alarm bells teachers assign tests on MusI am a proud Middle Easternwho version. supervises activities in the As you may or may not know, at the YMCA three times a To make it understandable, lim holidays as well, so missing American, and I want to have gym and checks hours we worship Steve Jobs and our week, some students sit in equal opportunities as mythe other they are basically the Islamic logs. Student employees current pope is Tim Cook. While the lobby after signing in, a major issue for many Musstudents. version of Christmas. Eid al-Fitr Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE I have alwaysconvince been“I taking think believe “Ishould thinknot it’s be a great idea allowed to that no and others their it’s a great idea that no one should lim-Americans in our country. tests or just studying on my holsign off on the verifi cation form. promotes brain development and Reaching the 30 hour minty and innovative mind, praise friends who work because at the YMCA such and such isn’t always considered a one should believe because No one wants to miss the of Ramadan. Ramadan is where idays;to Eidsign al-Fitr andmore Eid al-AdUltimately, the combination leads academic imumto should notsunrise be”“I an think outra- it’sMuslims off on hours than be, Cook takes that message and fundamental right allfrom activists. a to better suchtoand such isn’t always shouldn’t have perforto opportunity learn. Because Muslims fast to ha. Imagine not even being able of students becoming more momance. So even though exercise geous request because students they actually exercised. it so badly that it’s unmake a choice between school of this, Iconsidered have attended school mangles sunsetnofor a whole month. Eid ideaare that one should believe because a their fundamental right to focus Th while test betivated toclubs complete hours should live a healthy lifestyle. Ac- may take time away from study-meetings, oughtaking theseagreat methods recognizable—but you didn’t hear and given cause not all you canit think about is why such and such isn’t always a fundato all activists. ”the and the school making proping,be it will lead totowards greater success cording toMecca, theconsidered U.S.and Department right, is easy to see that Hancock, from me. -John should equality all speeches to some of my classpilgrimage to it is how you’re notwould celebrating your er adjustments to the EEPE pro- Remember, all Appleists must in the classroom in the end. Services,religions. students rely on them: mental right toofonce allHealth activists. ”Human raise awareness about this senior done in a and lifetime. During Hancock,The way to get students toes togram has a high potential of solvthrough gym credit is required in order children of the ages six-John issue. When I was getting sig- follow the three tenets to reach enEid, Muslims spend time with hour of complete a healthy amount of ex- ing the issue of students cheating lightenment. senior to graduate. But even if you think 17 should do at least one Recently, I have been getting natures for the petition, I gave their families and celebrate. Typis on June 3 and Junethe 4, and thisin this moderate-to-vigorous physical ercise is not through eliminating their way both out of exercising One: spend a ridiculous the ends justify means speeches to my classes on why ically, parents give presents to case, all students should actually activity every day. So theoretically, EEPE and putting everyone in and through an important grad- amount of money for technology. the Muslim holidays. Personally, their kids and younger relatives. studying instead of30celebrating students should do at least a gym class. This will only hurt uation requirement. complete their hours. I’m talking about buying $1,200 Eid is an extremely important I received 92 signatures. In total the majority of students agreed. with my family. phones, $160 headphones, $2,300 time for Muslim families, and laptops. Any Appleist who hasn’t Many schools, including schools are not recognizing that. shows how the majority of the contributed more than $5,000 to student body supports this issue. Conestoga High School, do not I hear my classmates say how it their holiday, and for years peo recognize Muslim holidays. In the past month, I have been Conestoga who have to miss isn’t fair that Muslims don’t have First off, similar to exam- 83 hours of physical activity per inations and classwork, EEPE semester. Though this is indeed should not be completed impractical given the homethrough cheating. Not only is it work and extracurricular activiimmoral, but students are cheat- ties students have, 83 days gives ing themselves out of physical students flexibility to exercise at least about once every three days activity that they need. There is ample time to reach throughout each semester. As someone who does EEPE the minimum hours. As stated on the school website, the window himself, I know how difficult it can for the first semester was Sept. 7 be to find the time to exercise beto Jan. 11, and that of the second cause of the rigorous coursework semester was Feb. 1 to April 24 we have. However, it is worth it for seniors and May 17 for soph- to sacrifice some study time to go omores and juniors. This means exercise. In fact, research by Dr. Ratey at that Harvard Medical that students have at least daysit’s John “I 83 think a great idea no one School has shown that exercise to complete their hours.
STUDENTS SPEAK OUT
Q: Should students have their driver licenses before college?
Letter to the Editor policy: What’s on your mind? Do you have an opinion about something we’ve published? The Spoke welcomes letters on topics of interest to the student body and community. Signed letters of 250 words or fewer can be submitted to the opinion editor Andrew Bucko at abucko@spoke. news. Editors will verify for identity and decide which letters are published based on space, accuracy and relevance to the community. The Spoke reserves the right to edit all letters for length, grammar and clarity with the writer’s final approval.
The Spoke is published seven times per year at Susquehanna Printing. It consistently receives a Gold rating from PSPA and CSPA, and is a National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award-winning publication. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.
Letter to the Editor
ringing in your head. This is the year you will watch me start applying to colleges, the year I turn 18 and start pretending to be an adult. This is the year you must let me go. And you’ve got to let me go, Mom. I can’t tell anymore if you’re joking when you say you and Dad are moving to wherever I’m going to college. Eventually, I’m sure I’ll themake faith isn’t a true sense of Appleist. all these “life A common misconception is skills” you keep talking about. Cooking? only that you need toPsshhh, be loadedIto buy burned that tunaisn’t sandwich befrom Apple, which true. All cause Iiswasn’t paying attention. it means that your year’s worth that Target make you feel betof Does part-time paychecks is ter? to No? Okay.cause. Just remember going a noble Our trilthat thesemarket are thecap kind of need dumb lion-dollar does mistakes I have make a little support now to and then before from I learn. these modern-day indulgences. In You onceascend told me you return, you’ll to athat higher felt status, like you losing me social free were from the brimto a world I wasn’t even ready tomaybe face yet. truth is, and you’llAnd go tothe heaven. you arebecome losing me littleyour bit. I Two: oneawith won’t be there anymore to ask AirPods. When you buy them, you to bring my homework and I do mean when, wear themto everywhere. Wear them during your morning drives, in class, in the shower, in bed. No matter what, you have to remind the Air-
gone so far as to have my AirPods glued to my ears. and heathens. If you ever spot a non-Apple device, don’t hesitate to remind the user just how worthless they, and their poor decisions, are. If the Physics group chat is invaded by green, abandon ship and start anew. If some poor, misguided soul even tries to justify why Android is better, you have the right to launch an inqui-
school in the middle of the day. Or to holler “Mommm” across the house. Or to ask you where the white jacket I lost track of three weeks ago is. Nah, I’ll just be there for the good stuff, like Thanksgivings and spring breaks, and for the vaguely worrying phone calls in which I admit I need your advice. You may not remember, but you were once like me. Young. sition and assert your superiority. Oblivious. Sleep-deprived. But you figured it out, right? How to cook, how to manage your nails their 95 theses on our doors, timebeand eventually, howdown. to get we’ll there to tear them job. I’ve seen Appleists so faithIna fact, I’ll they figure it out, too, Mom. ful that think Samsung’s the Youother havephone trained me well. only brand. But hey, we still believe in a free Your daughter (who will market. probably turnhave out okay), You may heard some Claire of the end spouting harbingers blasphemies about the impending To all Conestoga parents struggling with letting theirreleasing kids go, Cook’s decision to stop don’t sales worry.asThey’re to be it’s a great “I think Apple a sign going that their just fine. After all, they survived business is deteriorating.idea But look that no one Conestoga, didn’tare they? around—hallways full of Air-believe should Pod users and iPhones take an overwhelming chunk of because the mar- such and such isn’t always ket share in school. Our zealous, faithful followers will make sure considered a fundaAppleism will never die. mental right to all If you’re still skeptical and activists. wonder why the stock price has ” -John Hancoc senior fallen by as much as it has, it’ll make sense if you don’t think about it. tion. Welcome to the ranks of the enlightened. Wait a minute. Have you seen my AirPods case?
Dear editors,
I used to read SPOKE with a distracted eye but the (stand-alone cartoon on page 8 of the April issue) caught my attention and I was deeply dismayed. Criticism of reality is welcome and does not pose any problem to me as long as one is not picking the wrong target. It seems like it happened here. One can be shocked that a billion euros is promised to the restoration of the Notre-Dame cathedral but to me this is a sterile indignation in the sense that everyone is free to spend his money as he wants. But when it is implied that the funding came because it is a Catholic monument, I can only react by saying that you are doubly wrong. You are mistaken because it has been a long time since the cathedral was no longer supported financially by the Catholic Church, but rather by the French state which ensures its maintenance as historical monument. But perhaps you think that the French state is biased and favors one religion at the expense of others? Again, you are mistaken because more than a century ago the French Republic cut bridges with religions, since 1905 to be factual. Have we ever seen a French President swear an oath on the Bible as is the tradition here? Read the Article 1 of the French Constitution. You will learn something. You are also mistaken in reducing this monument to its primary function, namely a church. I doubt that the tens of thousands of annual visitors are baptized and make the trip as part of a pilgrimage... Do the words “world heritage” ring a bell? Finally, as you seem quick to denounce the commitment of others and to go back to the drawing, what have you done, YOU, for Flint and for the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro? Sincerely, Nicolas Renon
The
Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE
SORRY, WE MISSPOKE In the April issue, on page 1 in “Guidance counselor publishes new book ‘Middle Schooled,’” we said that counselor Andrew Mullen worked at T/E Middle School. Mullen is actually a counselor at Valley Forge Middle School. On page 7 in ”Bands at ’Stoga,” junior Sydney White’s name is spelled Sidney several times. It is actually spelled Sydney.
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Staff
Editors-in-Chief: Claire Guo, Audrey Kim Managing Editors: Tiffany He, Melinda Xu News Editor: Richard Li T/E Life Editors: Aimee Buttenbaum, Hyunjin Lee Opinion Editor: Andrew Bucko Sports Editor: Ananya Kulkarni Design Editor: Reese Wang Copy Editor: Sophia Pan
Multimedia Editor: Alex Gurski Business Managers: Emma Clarke, Andrew Fessick Cartoonist: Coco Kambayashi Staff Reporters: Matthew Fan, Sanjana Sanghani Webmaster: Katherine Lee Faculty Advisers: Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt, Susan Gregory
Non-staff contributions: Non-staff contributions from students, the community, graduates or other interested parties are welcome. Editors will decide which contributions are published based on space and relevance to the community. All contributions must conform to journalistic practices, including accuracy, timeliness, purpose and writing conventions. The Spoke reserves the right to work with the contributor to meet these standards. All outside contributions are bylined. Editorials: 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. Paid advertisements: The Spoke accepts paid advertisements. Email hello@spoke.news.
www.spoke.news @thespoke @thespoke /thespoke the_spoke hello@spoke.news
Op/Ed
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
9
Chick-fil-nAy: Evaluate companies’ values before consuming Report
Andrew Bucko Opinion Editor
Famed for its seven signature sauces, alarmingly polite customer service and poultry-packed menu, Atlanta-based chain Chick-Fil-A has a massive presence across the U.S. with a whopping 2,200 locations across 39 states, with locations in Toronto set to open this year. It was only seven short years ago that comments from the company’s CEO, Dan Cathy, risked ending that growth entirely. In a June 2012 interview, Cathy stated that changing political sentiment toward gay marriage was “inviting God’s judgement on our nation.” During that same time, ChickFil-A’s donation portfolio in-
cluded millions of dollars to groups like Exodus International, which offers services helping people to “limit their homosexual desires” through means of conversion. Seven years behind the controversy of Cathy’s statement, does Chick-Fil-A still have hens to reign in the coop? While I’m always down for a good sandwich and some carnivalesque waffle fries, I can assure you I will not be Eat(ing) mor chikin anytime soon, regardless of how much those adorable cows pressure me to. I would be a flaming hypocrite to say I am the most conscious consumer in the world. I still used to enjoy the occasional Hot Pocket before finding out parent company Nestle relies on child labor for cocoa production. But more often than not, I take a glance at where my favorite corporations are throwing their pennies. There is something to be said about allowing your moral compass to guide your shopping cart. Too often, we rely on politicians and activists to evoke change, as opposed to
making smaller decisions in our everyday lives that can amount to greatness. While some may argue that all corporations are socially and ethically negligent in their own ways, this is no excuse for not doing your homework. I found it such a slap in the face when, midbite of a Chick-in-Mini (my final bite, for the record), a friend revealed to me that my money was fueling the degradation and deletion of my people. A little research on your favorite brands can save you a lot of headache and guilt when you unveil where your money is actually going. In the very year that Cathy first made his scathing criticism of non-traditional marriage, the company saw growth of 12%. U.S. consumers are too busy checking if their food is non-GMO and soy free instead of questioning whether those chicken nuggets are soured by bigotry. Is it okay to choose ChickFil-A? Obviously. But do I suggest evaluating your own beliefs before making your way to the drive-thru? Obviously.
Card Unity Fair
+ bonding of school community - No churros :/
Arctic Gyms During AP Testing + Snow!!!
Burger King’s ‘Impossible Burger’ Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE
“I feel like I honestly don’t know a lot about the ethics of companies.. If people were more aware of these issues, it would change sales which would make a social impact. -Lulu Coll,
-Adam Ghabra, freshman
- How does it “bleed” if it’s vegan?!?!?! Lorem ipsum
sophomore
Tiffany He
Co-Managing-Editor
To the esteemed College Board, Recently, it has come to my attention that various students have been violating the most sacred pillar of education: integrity. While I understand that this may come as an incredible shock, I believe that it is my duty as a devoted student to voice what I have seen. I hate to admit it, but it seems like the menace of social media has even gotten to the College Board. Something must be done to prevent these so-called “AP memes” from wreaking havoc. It really felt like any other day. After taking my Advanced Placement Language and Composition Exam, I took out my phone and began browsing through my Twitter feed to check if the College Board had posted any helpful tips about
my upcoming exams like the thoughtful institution they are. Instead, I was greeted by an assault of clowns, frogs and snails, all leaks that would provide a considerable “unfair advantage” taking the test. One could very likely predict all the multiple choice questions from just the images alone. I won’t say a lot, but the whole ordeal was. . . “overrated.” I was probably most offended by individuals who claimed that they decided to take the test solely for these “memes.” The obvious answer to that first survey question regarding our motivation for taking AP exams was (b) I want to see how well
I’ve mastered the course material. Duh. What has society even come to? I personally enjoyed the enlightening, almost spiritual, experience of taking threehour-long tests with the smell of number two pencils, the silent sounds of agony and the furious bubbling-in of scantrons all around me. It’s almost calming. College Board, these “memes” must be stopped. I watch in admiration as you continue your crusade. The youth of today have been led astray, and they must be brought back to their senses. Your humblest servant, Tiffany He
Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE
A
-Instagram. Stories.
Optional lockers next year
B
+ One less thing for me to forget <3
-Elena Lindquist, senior
An open letter to the College Board on AP memes
Witchhunt against plastic
+ Our children will be able to swim!!
“I don’t usually like, keep up with a lot of mainstream news about different brands or controversies. If it’s big enough that I hear about it, I’m not going to buy a lot or anything from that particular brand.”
-Noah Lanouette, junior
B+
+ Convenient way for people to eat healthier/vegan.
Q: Is it important to consider a brand’s ethics before purchasing? “I don’t really check that first, but If I hear information about (brand ethics) beforehand, then I try to avoid unethical practices. I do that feel that sometimes it is unavoidable like with Nike. The same goes for larger companies, which can make it pretty hard. If it is a smaller business that you could easily find a substitute for, then you should
F
- The cold was scarier than the test...
“I think the ethics of a brand is necessary to consider. If you’re wearing a certain brand, you want to sponsor it only if it’s a good brand run by responsible people.”
STUDENTS SPEAK OUT
A
- Where am I going to put my tuba?!?!
Infringing on our natural rights: The danger of anti-abortion laws
Audrey Kim
Co-Editor-in-Chief
On May 15, the Alabama Senate passed a measure that bans nearly all abortions in the state. The legislation bans abortions at every stage of pregnancy and criminalizes the procedure for doctors, who could be charged with felonies and face up to 99 years in prison. It also gives no exceptions for rape or incest, a measure which drew opposition and criticism from even staunch conservatives. As House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said on May 16: “In my whole political career, I have believed in rape, incest and life-of-the-mother (exceptions). That’s where our platform stands.” And these laws aren’t just in Alabama. Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio all adopted statutes this year that, once they take effect, will ban abortions after doctors can first detect a fetal heartbeat, which
is before many women realize they are pregnant. Missouri also approved legislation that outlaws abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions to rape or incest. The rush for lobbyists and lawmakers to pass anti-abortion legislation has been even more pronounced this year with the assurance of a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. But these lawmakers (the vast majority of whom are male) do not hold the right to decide for millions of women in the U.S. Not only are anti-abortion laws a flagrant violation of the Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade, these laws fundamentally violate a woman’s right to her own body and take away her ability to choose. State anti-abortion laws target women. They specifically target poor and minority women, who are most at risk to be unable to travel out-of-state to receive an abortion and who may not be prepared nor want to take care of a child. They target the Constitution and our right to privacy, and they target who we are as a nation that values individual freedom. Above all, they target our future. From 1992 onward, there was a sharp drop in crime committed in U.S. cities. Many at the time attributed the de-
cline to increased police practices and enforcement. But economists Steven Levitt and John Donahue published a report indicating that it may have been Roe v. Wade, passed in 1973, that was the more substantial contributor for the drop. Because many women who were not ready nor financially prepared to carry a child to term had the availability of abortion, many children who were most at risk to engage in criminal behavior (and would have been young adults during the early 90s) were not born. Previous studies published in Sweden, Canada and Australia following their respective country’s abortion legalization also support this idea. With the Alabama abortion law and others that attempt to follow, we run the risk of not only regressing on the progress we’ve made as a country in the last 50 years. Not only do anti-abortion laws directly affect individual men and women, but they have greater implications for the future state of our nation. These laws place an immense burden on young women who are not ready nor want to take care of a child, and they increase the possibility of unsafe abortions taken outside the consultation of a medical professional.
And let’s not forget the hypocrisy that accompanies these no-exception laws. While Alabama doctors who perform abortion procedures now face a maximum of up to 99 years in prison, those convicted of incest and statutory rape face only 10 and 20 years respectively. To summarize, once this law goes into effect, performing a safe and constitutionally-protected procedure that almost one in four U.S. women will have in their lifetimes will be criminalized to a larger degree than sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. For us as a country to decide for others the monumental choice to have children is ridiculous, and it’s appalling that we punish doctors—people who take on the Hippocratic oath to protect and treat every patient—on a heavier scale than rapists and sexual abusers. What is “pro-life” about forcing the birth of a child if that child will enter a world of rejection and insecurity, in addition to fear and danger that may come with additional poverty, crime and a lack of educational and employment opportunities? Lawmakers who are “pro-life” need to actually be pro-life: by valuing the lives of the women who they are representing.
Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE
Sports
10
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Boys Varsity Quad makes history in Stotesbury Regatta
Courtesy Rachel Harmon
We are the champions: Junior Max Harmon and senior Brenton Molsbergen celebrate their victory as they cross the finish line. This marks the first time the boys varsity quad has won at the Stotesbury Regatta in the club’s history. The boys will be rowing at Nationals on June 4.
Alex Gurski
Multimedia Editor
With tired arms, sore legs and high spirits, the Conestoga crew club’s boys varsity boat of four, or “quad,” won gold at the nationally-recognized Stotesbury Cup Regatta on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia on May 18 and 19. This marked the first time in the crew team’s history that the boys varsity quad has placed first in this category, crossing the finish line over four seconds faster than the second place boat. According to coach John Hayburn, seniors Brenton Molsbergen and Kale Wiley and juniors Andrew McLellan and Max Harmon pulled off the win for the first time due to the speed they developed throughout the season. “In some years we’ve had three guys that were definitely ready for the boat, and one guy who wasn’t that we were trying to get ready for it. This year, we have six guys that we could have really looked at for any seat in that boat, which is very fortuitous for us.” The four boys, along with the rest of the crew team, have
been training since December to perfect their technique and enhance their skills. As for the specific Stotesbury Cup Regatta, the preparations began back in February when the team hit the water. With intense practices and long hours, the team pushed themselves to the extreme. “We treat each practice as an opportunity to row better than we did the day before. We show up every day and take every stroke with purpose and drive,” Molsbergen said. After a growing number of wins throughout the season, McLellan believes the key to their success was staying grounded and not getting overconfident. “We started refocusing and not thinking about the superficial gains before the race, like trophies and celebrating, but instead on how we can overcome the competition and be the fastest boat on the water,” McLellan said. Though Molsbergen said they also had to overcome “a lot of different personalities,” rowing brought them together. “That’s the beautiful thing about rowing,” Molsbergen said. “Spending every moment
of your life with a group of people, putting yourselves through extensive amounts of physical pain, can really bring you together.” Hayburn always believed in the four athletes, knowing early on in the season that they had the potential to do great things. “They are united in a common goal. They wanted to be the first team to get it done, and early in the season they just found speed we didn’t know they could possibly have. Ever since then, they realized that we can do it,” Hayburn said. On the day of the Stotesbury Regatta, vendors, tents and spectators lined the banks of the Schuylkill River. Conestoga had the home advantage, rowing on the same river as daily crew practice, but the team would still race against some of the best rowers in the country. “I had a lot of fun at Stotesbury because it’s such a big race with lots of history,” Wiley said. The regatta was founded in 1927 by philanthropist Edward T. Stotesbury and is the oldest and one of the largest high school rowing competitions, one that Conestoga Crew Club has competed in since the club was founded 20 years ago. Al-
Commitment Corner Corner Commitment Luke Smith BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY SPORT: BOYS SOCCER GRADE: 12 Why Bucknell: “I chose Bucknell because they offer not only a great athletics program, but more importantly a great academic environment.”
10% OF w/ C ones F tog Stud ent I a D
most 5,500 students from 189 different clubs competed in this competition, making it tough competition for Conestoga rowers. Although the club has placed in the regatta before, never has the boys varsity quad won gold. After this achievement and after having broken records for Conestoga, the quad reflected on their win. “It feels great that all our hard work has led us to become one of the best boys quads our club has ever had,” Harmon said. “We’ve done something that no one else has been able to do, and that makes the feeling so much better.” As a senior, Molsbergen was overjoyed with the win, knowing it would be one of his last races as a Conestoga student. “This was probably one of the happiest moments in my entire life,” Molsbergen said. “The feeling is indescribable. My entire four years at Conestoga, I’ve worked countless hours with the Conestoga Crew Club. It’s my life, and it’s honestly the best decision I’ve ever made.”
Courtesy Rachel Harmon
Lifting the trophy: Seniors Brenton Molsbergen and Kale Wiley and juniors Andrew McLellan and Max Harmon hold the cup with head coach John Hayburn and coach Christopher Lambert.The team placed within several categories that day. The boys hope to maintain their streak for the rest of the season.
Sports
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
11
Girls rugby team plays at State Championship Final
HIGHLIGHT REEL The latest developments in sports.
TRIUMPHS The boys lacrosse team won District Championships on May 24 against Downingtown High School. HEADS SOUTH
The crew team travels to Sarasota, Florida for Nationals from June 4 to June 7. The team qualified six boats at the Mid-Atlantic Youth Championship. BATS
The softball team won its game on May 29 against Garnet Valley and qualified for states, guranteeing them a spot at state playoffs on June 3. STEPS TO THE PLATE
The freshmen boys baseball team beat Ridley (5-3) on May 22. SIGNS
Senior varsity football player Blair Horning signed to play at Tufts University. WINS
The girls lacrosse team won District Championships on May 24 against Harriton High School. SAILS
The sailing team won their final regatta of the year on June 2. Ananya Kulkarni/The SPOKE
Going for gold: Senior Kayla Jones runs with the ball in the girls rugby game against Kiski Valley High School on May 20. The girls fell just short of victory during the State Championship game, though the team hopes to bring home the title next year.
Ananya Kulkarni Sports Editor
A whistle is blown. Athletes take to the field, sprinting for every last point, the girls fighting to the very end in an intense game against Kiski Valley on May 20. Although they were unable to bring home the State Championship title, the team went out strong with a final score of 17-15. “As a first year coach, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls to coach. Although our season just ended, I’m excited to get back out there and work ten times harder next season and bring that state champion title home,” said Jenna Ponto, head coach of the girls rugby team. According to senior co-captain Jordan Roe, the team has experienced drastic expansion since last year through a substantial growth in membership, increased
awareness by word of mouth and by introducing freshmen interested in playing a spring sport to the option of rugby. “In the past, the girls barely had the numbers to field a team, and this year they ended up in the state finals,” Ponto said. This season also marks the first time the girls rugby team has made it to playoffs in several years. Roe was proud of this achievement. “It’s proof of how hard we worked this season. As far as I know, it’s been many years since ’Stoga girls rugby even made it to playoffs, so the fact that we made it to the finals shows how skilled and motivated every single person was on the team,” Roe said. “We could not have had the success we did if even one person didn’t give 100 percent. But every game, everyone did their part to lead to our success. We worked as a unit, not 15 individuals on the field, and our record shows that.”
Part of the challenge was that many players entered the team having little to no experience with rugby. This meant that players had to learn as they went by playing games. “One of my favorite parts about rugby is getting to teach new players about the game and (watch them) grow and make it their own,” Roe said. Sophomore and first-year member of the team Jessica Reintjes is proud of the team’s season, especially the performance of her fellow teammates. “There were a lot of new girls, including me, who didn’t know much about rugby but worked really hard to learn about rugby and help create an amazing team,” Reintjes said. “The girls on the team make all of the difference. They all support each other and make an effort to help their teammates learn new things about rugby. My favorite part about work-
ing with the other girls on the team was just becoming a team and working together to make it a great season.” Roe hopes the team makes playoffs again next year and continues to improve their knowledge of the sport with every practice. “As a senior, I will not be a part of the team next year, but I am incredibly proud of every single person on this team. Even girls who got injured came to practice and gave everything they had in support even though they couldn’t physically play,” Roe said. “Rugby is a special sport in that way, and playing for Stoga Rugby has been some of the best times of high school, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without Stoga Rugby. I am so grateful for every coach, parent and player that is involved with the club. I’m surely going to miss it next year.”
Ananya Kulkarni/The SPOKE
Ready and in formation: The girls rugby team assembles for a scrum, a contest for possession of the ball where eight players bind together against eight members of the opposing team. The girls made it to states this past season.
Softball team maintains victory streak
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Cooling off: The varsity girls softball team gathers around the water jug during a game. The girls won 13 games before breaking their streak with a loss against Garnet Valley and recently qualified for states, a goal of theirs since the beginning of the season.
Reese Wang Design Editor
“My goal is to hit my spots,” junior pitcher Lauren Lofland says. Around her, the rest of the team stands in a circle, sipping their water bottles before the game. Like every other home game, without fail, the team gathers by “the tree,” a massive tree that provides shade over the left field line of D’Ambro-
sio Park, each girl naming a personal and team goal. The team set two goals this season: winning the Central League and qualifying for states. With their eyes on the prize, the girls varsity softball team ended the regular season with the best record in the Central League, winning the Central League title for the first time since 2007. Setting a streak of 13 wins until their first loss to Gar-
net Valley in May, the team placed in the top six of the district to qualify for states in May. Last year, the team missed qualifying for states by one game, which they attribute as a factor in their motivation this season. In preparation for the new season, the team held open preseason workouts starting in January. To make up for the graduation of several good hitters, the team completed hitting drills. The girls also worked on hitting their cuts coming in from the outfield, where players from the outfield throw the ball to the infield. Preseason workouts also allowed the team to address its other weakness, communication, by giving the upperclassmen an opportunity to bond with the younger players. The seven seniors on the team grew up playing together in Little League, leading to a strong varsity group good at communicating with one another. Whether their
future teammates played on the same team or an opposing team, the girls had already seen them play on the field by middle school. Despite the closeness of the team’s seniors before playing for Conestoga softball, the team had little trouble forming new bonds with the younger players. “We have a strong new leadership on the team, and we welcome (the younger players) with open arms,” senior co-captain Olivia Cepilik said. “That really helped us gain their trust, and now we play together and it’s awesome because we’re all friends. It’s not like we’re just playing with our teammates. It’s like we’re playing with our friends.” When Lofland entered the softball team as a pitcher, she appreciated the seniors’ welcoming attitude. “Since I was a freshman, I didn’t really get the world of high school softball. So (Emily Rycyzyn) kind
of showed me it. She always supported me and gave me positive feedback,” Lofland said. According to Rycyzyn, a senior member of the team, success comes from three factors: pitching, defense and hitting. The opposing teams had very little runs, thanks to Lofland’s pitching. The team’s countless repetitions of infielding drills allowed defense to perform smart plays that also kept the score low. Hitting drills from preseason and regular season practices paid off, increasing team morale and adding to the team’s success. With a combination of skills and high energy, the team qualified for states. “When everyone is hitting up and down the line, everyone wants to do well in the field and wants to keep the lead,” Rycyzyn said. “If we just keep our bats going into the playoffs, then there’s really nothing that can stop us.”
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SPORTS
The SPOKE Commitment Corner Page 10
Girls rugby team plays at State Championship Final Page 11
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Crew team makes history Page 10
Softball team holds victory streak Page 11
Alex Gurski/The SPOKE
Taking it all the way: Sophomore Rachel Clark scores a goal for the girls lacrosse team in the state quarterfinals game against Downingtown West on June 1. They lost the game 12-11, meaning disqualification from the State Championship. The boys lacrosse team has moved on to the semifinals, which will be June 4.
Girls and boys lacrosse teams win District Championship Sports Editor
“I feel like we all deserved this win. Everyone on the team has worked so hard to get here,” said junior Julia Littlewood, who scored the girls lacrosse team the winning goal in the District Championship game. “This team is special, we all want to work for each other and not just for ourselves.” After heated games against Harriton High School and Garnet Valley High School, respectively, the girls and boys lacrosse teams won their District One Championships on May 23.
“I was really pumped up, I knew how hard everyone had worked to get where we were and I knew everyone wanted to win that game,” Littlewood said. The teams moved forward to begin their state title run on May 29, both winning the first game of their state runs against Wilson High School and Downingtown East High School, respectively. While the girls team lost their quarterfinal game against Downingtown West on June 1, junior Alex Aufiero is still proud of how the season went. “I am so proud of my team’s performance this year because
we came together and played for each other throughout the
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Beating Garnet Valley in the District Championship is the best feeling I have had so far this this season. PJ Hewitt
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Ananya Kulkarni
Student
entire season,” Aufiero said. “We meshed so well and everyone
stepped up after losing some of our strongest players to injuries. We didn’t expect to end the season with a loss, but we played so many amazing games in the central league and districts.” The boys team is now in the final four, with only two games standing between it and the State Championship. For senior PJ Hewitt, having the team behind him serves as his main motivation. “Being a part of a team like this makes you want to win for your teammates just as much as you want to win for yourself. Every time out on that field I can expect my teammates to
have my back just like they can count on me,” Hewitt said. “At this point in the season it’s win or go home — and as a team, none of us want that to happen until it’s the state championship game.” The boys team will now head to semifinals on June 4 in order to make it past the next round of elimination and will play in the finals on June 8 should they win their upcoming game. “Going into States we feel confident,” Hewitt said. “But we also know every team will be giving us their best shot so we have to play to our potential if we want to keep winning.”
Freshman Liz Zhang makes waves with synchronized swimming Katherine Lee Webmaster
Courtesy Miya Walker
Dancing in the water: Freshman Liz Zhang performs at a competition. She has been a part of the Freedom Valley Synchro Team for five years. She hopes to raise awareness and recognition for the sport.
“All of us were so burnt, and our whole backs were peeling. Whatever you did, you just had to keep pushing through.” Freshman Liz Zhang is describing the physical demands that accompanies the rigor of the camps she has attended. According to Zhang, synchronized swimming is often underestimated. It’s a sport that requires hours of intense training to reach a certain level of strength and control. Last summer, at the invitational National Talent Development camp, Zhang trained under Reem Abdalazeem, an Egyptian Olympian and the current USA Synchro senior national team coach. Zhang has also attended several prestigious invitational summer camps and clinics, including the East Zone Camp and the Lake Placid Clinic in 2017, both hosted by Olympic synchronized swimmers. The swimmers often train for the whole
day, in some cases for 16 hours, and are put under a strict diet. “Your goal is to just try and do your best,” Zhang said. “You have to have a particular mindset because it’s very stressful.” When not at camps, Zhang trains for four days a week, three to four hours a day, at the Phoenixville YMCA for Philadelphia Freedom Valley Synchro. At each practice, she spends at least two hours on cardio, weight training and lung exercises. In order to hold their breath and keep themselves above the water without touching the bottom of the pool, lung exercises are particularly emphasized. The second half of the practices are spent in the pool, working on routines and performances as a team. “Our goal is to make it look easy, but people don’t understand how much it takes to make it look that easy,” Zhang said. “It takes a lot of strength and we have to work up to that.” Synchronized swimming, also known as artistic swimming, is a combination of swimming, dance and gymnas-
tics. In either solo or team performances, swimmers execute an elaborate routine of moves in the water. “It’s kind of like dancing upside down in the water. It’s also a team-centered sport, because it requires everyone to work together,” Zhang said. Zhang first tried out synchronized swimming when she was five years old and began taking it seriously when she was seven. Zhang has competitively engaged in the sport for seven years. Zhang has numerous accomplishments throughout those years, a few of which include making the East Zone All-Star team, attending the East Zone Silver Clinic, and prequalifying for the National Team Trials Phase 2. Recently, at a Junior Olympics qualifications meet on May 11 and 12, Zhang qualified for 16-19 duet and 13-15 combo. 16-19 and 13-15 represent the age range of the divisions in which she qualified. Although there are around 20 synchronized swimmers in the middle schools, Zhang is currently the only one at ’Stoga.
Often overshadowed by its more popular counterpart, regular swimming, synchronized swimming is often underestimated and not given recognition compared to other sports. According to Zhang, synchronized swimming receives less funding, and her team has to share pool time with swimming teams, so half of the time during practices are spent out of the water. Therefore, Zhang hopes to raise awareness and recognition for the sport. This year, she attended an Aquatic convention in Florida as a representative of Pennsylvania for USA Synchro to speak out for the representation of the sport. Additionally, she participates in water shows over the summer with her team, where they go to different places in the country and put on performances. They also have Try Synchro days where younger kids can come and try out synchro. “I think my end goal in a bigger picture would be to get more people to know about synchro and really understand what it is as sport,” Zhang said.
SCORELINE Baseball
B Lacrosse
G Lacrosse
scores as of 5/31
G Rugby
B Rugby
G Track
B Track
Softball
B Tennis
W
6
19
19
3
4
1
0
19
16
L
14
3
3
4
5
10
11
3
4
T
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0