November 2022

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PAGE _ 2022-23 School Year • Issue 1 • November 7, 2022 | Strath Haven High School • 205 South Providence Road • Wallingford, PA | shpantherpress.com
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PAGE _ Can school spirit go too far? Page 3 ADVICE FOR FRESHMEN
share tips for the class of 2026 on how to navigate the Haven experience. PAGE 9
RETURNS
the life style
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Seniors
EXCHANGE
German students experience
of an average American high school student.
passes are no more, as students and teachers adjust to the new electronic system. PAGE 13 PANTHER PACK PASSION
E-HALLPASS LAUNCHES Paper
KELLY MONTAGUE
PHOTO:

Keeping watch of student perspectives

Our perspective on why student journalism matters

TThe first few weeks of school are always full of novelty— new classes, new teachers, and new classmates. This year, we had the additional experience of adapting to a new pass system, e-hallpass.

When we read the Daily Times’ September 13 front-page story on the new system, titled “Keeping Watch,” we couldn’t help but notice the problems.

The article began with a lede that outlined vaping misconduct in bathrooms.

“For over 50 years, ‘smoking in the boys’ room’ has been the spirit of student rebellion,” wrote Pete Bannan, a reporter for the Daily Times. “In the age of vaping and social-media-enhanced shenanigans, unsupervised students remain an issue for school administrators.”

Following an explanation of the pass system, drawn from a video on the Eduspire’s website, the reporter cited the comments of unattributed parents from a Wallingford Community Facebook forum—a journalistic faux pas that we teach our staff writers to avoid.

Quoted in Bannan’s story, one unnamed Facebook parent said, “Vaping is a problem in bathrooms, but a digital pass won’t fix it.”

Another unnamed Facebook parent said, “They literally rip the soap/paper towel dispensers off the walls. There have been bottles of Fireball (alcohol) found in the trash cans, feminine products stuck all over. This is both middle and high… My elementary (school) likes to smear (poop emoji) on toilet handles.”

The only comment from the school or district on e-hallpass was from

Communications and Community Relations Liaison Ms. Lindsey Norwood, an administrator from the district office who has no direct day-to-day experience with e-hallpass. “Norwood, who is new to the district, is not aware of any vaping or vandalism issue in the high school,” Bannan reported.

Here lies the main problem of the Daily Times article, and plenty of the other news coverage on education: a lack of student perspective on a clear student issue.

Although fantastic resources to use in conjunction with students’ voices, an adult-only perspective on a new school policy—or, according to Norwood’s comment to the Daily Times, not a policy but a “procedural change”—is an unfinished story.

As student journalists working on a school’s newspaper, we have the opportunity to finish this story and so many others by talking to students about the issues that matter to them.

In our e-hallpass story, published online on Sept. 28, the day after e-hallpass was officially implemented, we interviewed students and Assistant Principal Mrs. Tabatha Duffy about the system. We also shared a video created by students on how the system actually works. In this issue, you will read about a student survey on the system. Compared to the Daily Times article, our pieces cut out the middleman of parent speculation and went straight to sources impacted by the change to gather information.

This is why student journalism matters. It’s our job to represent and convey the voice of the student body, and we are

Cellphones in school, yay or nay?

taking it seriously.

Our school is swarming with talented students, interesting faculty, and, yes, sometimes controversy. We can cover it in a way that reporters at the Daily Times cannot. We have special access to the student body, something that you can’t get with a press pass, and a perspective that you can’t see with an outside eye.

The Panther Press is brewing with budding journalists who want to tell the actual story of our diverse student body. So this is our call to action: If you have a perspective to share, an idea for a story, or a desire to promote other students’ voices—join the Panther Press. Your opinions matter. Your thoughts should have influence. And everyone has a story.

Students discuss their feelings towards the cell phone restrictions at Haven

How often do you use your phone during class? I can openly admit that I have a lot of trouble staying off mine, since like most teens, my whole life is on my phone. It may be impossible to control one’s urges to text, snap, and take their BeReals during class, but is there truly a need to make phones more accessible than they are now?

It’s no secret that SHHS students are unable to connect to wifi during the school day (I know we’ve all tried to) and service can be pretty spotty, or nonexistent, as well. While this seems like a smart way to keep students off their phones, it may be doing more harm than good.

Junior Rae Caruso said the lack of service at school makes it hard for her to access her emails, assignments, and join classgames when her computer is at home or not working. Our school chromebooks are wonderful, but Caruso brings up an interesting point: What happens if they break or get stolen? Phones could be the only other option.

According to some teachers, the phone issue has gotten out-of-hand.

My teachers spend a significant amount of class-time asking students to put their phones away and nothing seems to work. Looking at it from the perspective of a teacher, I can clearly see where phones

get in the way. What it comes down to is how many students can control their urges to use their phones, and how many get distracted by just the idea of it sitting in their backpack.

“I wouldn’t let it distract me,” senior Sammy Carp said.

“Since I’m a senior, my grades matter more and I need to pay more attention in class, so I choose not to go on my phone.”

While a few students agreed with Carp, others said their phones did interfere with their concentration on schoolwork.

Junior Daniel Saveliev said that if he ever finds a topic unengaging or an unnecessary review, he goes on his phone as an alternative.

“I personally find that my phone is a huge distraction, but at the same time, I find that playing music or podcasts helps me focus sometimes,” he said.

Junior Eliza Cole said the same thing. She agreed that while she can get work done without it, her phone does allow her to play music which is helpful when studying or working.

Since I got such a wide variety of opinions when interviewing students, I pondered different solutions to the main issues at hand: How could students have access to their phones without letting it distract them during class?

One idea is allowing students access to the wifi, but limitations for where and

when they can use phones in general. For example, in the cafeteria, auditorium, and hallways phones are permitted, but teachers can ask students to put their phones in a specific place in the classroom to keep them out of reach when necessary. Of the students I asked, all of them agreed that this idea was great in theory—meaning that it seems fair and reasonable, but may be hard to do successfully.

While I hate that the texts I send to my mom asking when or where she’s picking me up don’t deliver, or the photo I’m uploading to Google Classroom of last night’s homework won’t go through, maybe there’s a way to avoid that without having school wifi. Maybe it’s a selfcontrol issue among teenagers, or a lack of responsibility, but I don’t see either of those.

It could be that the rules are too strict for some, and too lenient for others. I think that’s where the issue lies. Some students care more about school than others, but that’s a separate issue.

I’m obviously a student with my own occasional desire to play Subway Surfers during a class lecture, but I think cell phone usage at Strath Haven is important, and controversial enough, to warrant a more in-depth discussion. In other words, I believe if the students are as passionate about this argument as they claim to be, it’s a discussion that needs to be had.

About

The Panther Press is the student-run publication of Strath Haven High School in Wallingford, PA. The Panther Press publishes 500 copies bimonthly in print and is distributed to classrooms and students at Strath Haven High School. The publication is also online at www. shpantherpress.com

The Panther Press is first and foremost a reflection of the opinions and interests of the student body. For this reason, we do not publish any anonymous or teacher-written submissions, and we do not discriminate against any ideology or political opinion. While we are bound by school policy (and funding) and we will not render any article neutral, although individual points may be edited for obscene or inflammatory content. Finally, the articles published in The Panther Press do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or advisers.

Submissions

All Strath Haven students are welcome to learn the basics of journalism and become contributors to The Panther Press. Our 2022-2023 Google Classroom code is irwrlgv. Interested students should join the page to learn about upcoming meetings and training sessions.

Letters to the editor are encouraged. Any reader may submit a letter to the editor via email to strathhavenpantherpress@gmail.com. Anonymous letters will not be published. Editors reserve the right to contact letter writers or edit submissions for reasons of space or clarity.

Our staff also welcomes feedback in the comments section of The Panther Press online or via our social media. Each comment is subject to review by a student editor with support from the adviser. Online commenters on our website must have a verified email address, and comments are reviewed for defamation, profanity, obscenity, libel, and invasion of privacy. Not all comments are published.

Bylines

All contributors are listed in the bylines of stories that appear in print and online. Photography, graphics, art, illustrations, and other creative work will be given attribution. Unsigned editorials, when published, feature the byline of the Editorial Board

Social Media

The Panther Press maintains social media accounts on Twitter (@shpantherpress) and Instagram (@shpantherpress). The editors-inchief and social media editor manage the social media accounts in consultation with the adviser. We encourage community members to follow us on social media for online posting and discussion of student news.

Social media reporting is often fast-paced, but our staff members do their best to ensure that posted content is accurate and verified. Any inaccurate information will be corrected with corrections acknowledged.

Social media participants should remember that anything posted in response to The Panther Press social media is public and reflects on our publication, our school, and the poster. Social media replies and comments will be screened for defamation, profanity, or libel.

Advertising

Print and online advertising is at the discretion of our editors. The Panther Press reserves the right to refuse advertising deemed inappropriate for high school publication or not addressed to our audience of student readers.

2022-2023 Editors-in-Chief

Matthew Chen ’23 Julia Gray ’23

Additional editors will be announced in Issue 2 of the 2022-2023 school year and online at our staff page.

Adviser Ms. Kate Plows

2 OPINION
How could students have access to their phones without letting it distract them during class?
EDITORIAL Daily Times Cover, Sept. 13, 2022

STUDENT SECTION CONDUCT EVOKES CONCERN

District eyes social media guidelines for student-led accounts

On Tuesday, August 30, the student section of Strath Haven High School announced USA as the Panther Pack’s theme for the September 1 game against Kensington High School on their Instagram page, pantherpack_section.

Included in this post was an audio saying, “It’s about being a ****** American, it’s a state of mind. You don’t need to be born in America to be an American, you just need get up in the morning and grab your balls and look at the flag and look at Jesus and say, you know what, I got this ********, I don’t need no ****** welfare check.”

The audio is popular on Tiktok. It comes from a 2016 Joey Diaz video, a comedian who is popular for his podcasts.

Kensington High School serves a student population that has a total minority enrollment of 91% and that is 99% economically disadvantaged, according to US News.

“We weren’t attacking Kensington by choosing a USA theme, although I don’t really know how that would be an attack,” said an administrator for the Panther Pack account over Instagram messenger. “We chose USA because it’s fun, colorful, and easy for everyone to do.”

“We just thought it was a funny audio,” they said. Not all students saw the humor in the post.

“I can, truthfully, say that I have never seen the American flag being used for good against Black and Hispanic people,” senior Aissata Kone said. “I found it kind of either ignorant like someone didn’t know about Kensington—which I still find offensive—or someone was very intentional with the post.”

T he bio for the pantherpack_section labels the account, titled Strath Haven Student Section, as not affiliated with WSSD. Athletic Director Mr. Pat Clancy confirms that the account is not managed by or associated with school athletics.

However, the school district is exploring future oversight of student-led social media accounts.

“Going forward, social media is something that the district wants to provide some guidelines on,” said Lindsey Norwood, Wallingford-Swarthmore School District’s Communications and Community Relations Liaison.

“Right now, the district doesn’t have any sort of guidelines on what students can post,” Norward said. She hopes these guidelines can be created in the future.

“There are a lot of great things happening on social media,” she said. “But when there aren’t any guidelines, even the best of intentions can put our students’ mental wellbeing at stake.”

Clancy noted that the Panther Pack account has drawn some attention. “Some [Panther Pack posts] in particular have gotten heightened awareness by the administration,” he said.

“We want a loud, supportive student section, and we want them to do it in a positive manner. Having everyone show up in the same attire does build morale and camaraderie,” Clancy said. “But some of the actions of that Instagram account were deplorable.”

According to the PIAA Constitution, the following conduct by spectators may subject actors to “any and all remedial measures available to PIAA.”

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association has guidelines for acceptable behavior by players, coaches, and spectators at sporting events.

According to PIAA Associate Executive Director Melissa Merz, these sportsmanship guidelines do apply to online behavior.

Unacceptable fan behavior includes when a “spectator attempts to provoke, intimidate, and or berate, coaches, contest officials, student-athletes, and or other spectators,” according to the PIAA constitution.

While the PIAA expects schools to follow its guidelines, enforcement falls to school administrators.

“Usually, we let the principals handle it,” said Mertz.

D espite her concerns about online misconduct by the student section, Kone says she enjoys going to games. She hopes they can be a comfortable environment for everyone.

“I really just want the section to be a little more sensitive to who we are playing and be thoughtful with their actions,” she says.

Junior Meredith Seidman shares some of the same concerns.

“I’ve seen a dreadlock wig,” she said. “I mean, I am white, but it definitely made me feel a little uncomfortable that it was being passed around the stands.”

Assistant Principal Mr. Tom McLaughlin keeps a close eye on the Panther Pack when he attends football games.

“There were a couple events where I had to step in and address a few things,” he said. “We’ve had more of a presence to help them see the light of their ways in terms of misbehavior.”

However, McLaughlin does not monitor any student-led social media accounts or conduct on these accounts. “I don’t really know how social media works, exactly,” he said.

The National School Public Relations Association recommends the school “formally support social media use by the school district and its employees” in a Fall 2022 communications audit presented to the board by setting expectations for online conduct.

“I think there are some signs of progress,” Clancy said. “When kids are repeating back to me no names or numbers, the message is starting to hit. They start to get creative in ways we have to work on too, though. Sometimes, kids look for loopholes and things like that… When we see something, we are certainly going to address it.”

Kone says that students should know better.

“You’ve had examples of your behavior shown to you, and you know that it’s wrong, and if you decide to continue it, you’re just immature to me,” she said.

SECTION 5. SPECTATORS

A. A spectator uses profanity, obscene gestures, and/or obscene language while attending Contests.

B. A spectator attempts to provoke, intimidate, and/or berate Coaches, Contest Officials, student-athletes, and/or other spectators.

C. A spectator interferes with, or attempts to interfere with, any Contest.

The photograph included in this section in the original issue was intended to be a general representation of the student section. The photograph was used for illustrative purposes, and was not intended to single out any specific individuals.

D. A spectator uses race, gender, ethnicity, religion or disability to bait, intimidate of denigrate a student, school, Contest Official or other spectators.

E. Any spectator who engages in any of the behavior identified herein may be removed from a Contest venue and may be prohibited from attending future Contests.

3 HAVEN HAPPENINGS
“There are a lot of great things happening on social media. But when there aren’t any guidelines, even the best of intentions can put our students’ mental wellbeing at stake.”
Ms. Lindsey Norwood WSSD Communications & Community Relations Liaison

Bee club may soon get apiary

A house to keep bees could be placed on school grounds, by the newly established Bee Club.

The Bee Club could get an apiary as soon as spring, housing bees directly on campus.

The process is still underway, but if finalized, the apiary would eventually supply honey.

“We still haven’t quite gotten it approved,” said senior Alex Falsone, president of the Bee Club. “Dr. Hilden supports the idea of getting an apiary and he wants me to write a proposal that he can then send to administration so that they can accept or veto it.”

Waiting on the apiary, Bee Club currently spends time talking about bees and designing club posters. In their first meeting, they looked at a brand-new beehive. They were able to take a look at it from the inside and were taught how to conduct a typical hive inspection. The Bee Club’s apiary would be located by the pond.

“It’s fenced off,” Falsone described, “and there are spaces where the environmental science classes don’t go.”

Although not directly within student reach, the apiary would still be placed on school grounds. This arouses the question of a possible safety hazard with having bees near students.

“That’s a question a lot of people bring up, but the truth is there really isn’t [any danger],” Falsone explained. “There aren’t a ton of flowers out where students go outside, like by the fields or tennis courts. And bees go up to a few miles to find good flowers, so it wouldn’t be much of a problem to anybody.”

Without much danger, the upsides to an apiary are more than just educational. Getting a school apiary could also provide fresh honey. But, Falsone shared that this would not happen for a while.

“It’s not good to take honey from a beehive that’s brand new,” Falsone cleared up. “They’re still weak and need all their honey for the winter.”

Waiting for spring, there is still good turnout for the meetings.

“We have extraordinary numbers which I was very surprised [about],” said Mr. Styer, the Bee Club supervisor. “There seems to be a lot of fascination with bees, and [the students] are coming from all over. We’re kind of excited about that!”

In the meantime, the chances of getting a house for the bees are down to Falsone’s proposal and the administration’s decision. The possibility of an apiary spells out an exciting future for the Strath Haven Bee Club.

New eSports team has high hopes

Strath Haven’s newest sport team hopes to build community through video games.

Strath Haven’s renowned sports programs are now digital, too. Led and organized by Computer Science Teacher Mrs. Katie McLead, the eSports team launched this fall and is now competing against other schools in the area.

“Well, Dr. Hilden had a vision for an eSports team,” Mclead said. “When I asked the students about it, they were really excited about the possibility. It feels like the right time for sure.”

Overall, the eSports team looks a little different from conventional sports teams.

“We practice pretty much on our own,” senior Varsity Team A player Erich Boerth said. “[It’s] pretty much facilitated. But we’re pretty good about it, and we try to do as much as we can.”

The club isn’t just a way to play video games, Boerth said, but rather another way to build community and connect with other players.

“I think that it’s a really good community,” Boerth said. “This allows you to take it seriously and play with other people, and then have a chance to play against other people who are really good.”

Right now, the only game offered is Rocket League, but McLead hopes to add many more games as the school year continues.

Next semester, the team hopes to continue to play Rocket League while also sprinkling in some Super Smash Bros Tournaments when available.

McLead’s vision is not just one of winning state championships. She also wants to build the club to incorporate more students.

“I would like to have some production or production group. So streaming the game, social media, any kind of broadcasting, and technical support,” Mclead said. She also mentioned adding analytics, marketing, finance, and other roles so students can get involved with the team.

The Rocket League season is already in full swing, and the A, B, C and JV teams play through the month of November, with playoffs starting shortly after.

NEWS IN BRIEF

SENSE & SENSIBILITY

The fall drama kicks off on Thursday, Nov. 10, with other performances on Nov. 12, Nov. 17, and Nov. 19. Bring your friends for Strath Haven Theatre’s thrilling retelling of Jane Austin’s famous novel.

BADMINTON TOURNEY

The Badminton club’s first tourney is underway. Find a partner to play with in a series of 2v2s, fundraising for improved badminton equipment in the high school gym. Sign-ups are five dollars and will be announced on the Badminton Club’s Google Classroom.

PLAYOFF GAME

The Strath Haven football team has their second playoff game Friday, Nov. 11 against Springfield. The game is at home.

END OF THE FIRST MARKING PERIOD

The first quarter of the 202223 school year officially ended on Monday, Nov. 7. Seniors celebrated the end of early college applications and making it a quarter of the way through their final year at Haven.

TREATS FOR TROOPS

The National Honor Society has been collaborating with Treats for Troops this past month to collect Halloween candy to send to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey. The candy collection ended on November 8.

COFFEEHOUSE RETURNS

Student talent will be showcased during all lunches on Nov. 16 during the relaunched Coffeehouse, which hasn’t performed since the 2019-20 school year. Five groups will perform for appreciative students every lunch.

PANTHER PLAGUE

Catchy nicknames for seasonal sicknesses flood the halls at Haven. Similar titles such as “The Haven Hurl” or “The Forever Flu” remind students to continue to practice safe habits to prevent viruses, even after COVID mandates have lifted.

Sharif ‘23

4 HAVEN HAPPENINGS
COMPETITVE EDGE • Sophomore B team member Matteo Ventresca competes in an eSports tournament from his bedroom at home. PHOTO: MATTEO VENTRESCA AIMING FOR AN APIARY • Senior Nick Falsone shares a presentation about bee care during a bee club meeting on Thursday, November 3. PHOTO SUPPLIED BY BEE CLUB
WRITE US! Letters to the editor are encouraged. Any reader may submit a letter to the editor via
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Anonymous letters will not be published. Editors reserve the right to contact letter writers or edit submissions for reasons of space or clarity.
Imogen
email
strathhavenpantherpress@gmail.com.

On September 9, 18 high school students from Germany stepped onto the Strath Haven High School campus for the first global exchange program since the pandemic.

What was going through their heads when they were hit by the bombardment of huge portion sizes, skyscrapers, and substandard pretzels that comprise America?

“I really enjoy to go to school here,” said Luca Peter, one of the exchange students. “Because it's more fun than in Germany. The teachers aren't that strict like in Germany. The people are very friendly here and I enjoyed it.”

Sarah Djeffal, another one of the exchange students, agreed with Luca’s assessment.

“They’re just... you know, people you've just met, and they already, like, know your name,” Djeffal said.

Though many knew the names of the students, some Strath Haven students seemed to be lacking in knowledge of Germany.

“Some Americans thought that the German people live like the Amish people, but that's not true,” Urs Liepold, an exchange student, recalled. “We got about the same life as here in America, but with healthier food and smaller cars.”

Food seemed to be a major difference separating the US and Germany.

“I had a pretzel from Auntie Anne's on it, and it was disappointing. It was sweet and not crunchy and… disappointing.” said Lena Becker, another exchange student.

The exchange partners of the German exchange students will soon get their chance to visit Germany and examine the pretzel quality, among other differences, for themselves.

“The students who hosted will have the opportunity to be hosted by their exchange partners in Germany next summer,” German teacher Herr Paul said. “We will be in Germany for three weeks— two weeks with our hosts at Feodor Lynen Gymnasium in Planegg Germany, then we will travel around Germany for a week.”

“I'm looking forward to seeing what parts of the lifestyle in Germany are so different from America that there aren't really American equivalents,” junior Joe Lynch, who will be traveling with the Strath Haven group, said. When the exchange students from Strath Haven go to Germany, they will be able to have a better understanding of the culture there from their own interactions with the German exchange students.

Julia Schulze Zumkley

“I loved it [football game]. I loved the vibe there. We don’t have things like that in Germany...It’s a cool feeling to be with the crowd and just feel how everybody’s everybody wants your team to win. And that’s…a very fun experience.”

“A lot of people are nice and friendly. But like, you go to Starbucks one day, and a girl missed the question, how her day was, and she didn’t answer. And the woman in Starbucks got very angry.”

Svenja Tschiatschek

“Everyone was so nice and so open. And everyone just…you could go to someone and just speak with them, even though you didn’t know them. And that’s not the case in Germany. So that’s something I really liked.”

Letizia Hinz

“Yeah, I was really nervous because I wasn’t sure how the people were, but they’re really nice and kind… It’s [the American food] really good, but there’s a lot of sugar in the food and that’s….not very good.”

Sophie Fuchs

“I think about the language, that people speak English too fast, so I don’t understand. I always ask… The [American] food is not as healthy, but there’s also like healthy options.”

Luca Peter

‘In Germany, [many] say like, Americans are very fat and heavy. But it isn’t that true. What is true is that Americans eat very unhealthy... I really enjoy school here. Because it’s more fun than in Germany. The teachers aren’t that strict like in Germany.”

“I’m excited to maybe come back, definitely. And I’m also excited for my family, of course, home…”

Nicolas Meier

“So, it [football game] was big… The first time it was so confusing, but when you stand there at the student section and everyone is throwing baby powder and all this stuff, you get so hyped, when you get into it. It’s beautiful.”

Philipp Leins

“I don’t know if Marlon or someone else told you, but our biggest drink at McDonalds, and the cup size there is only a few millimeters more than your smallest.”

Sarah Djeffal

“Well, the food here is really sweet. And there’s like a lot of sugar in the fruit. That’s really true. And everything’s like, really big. Like, if you go to New York, the skyscrapers really big.

I really liked America. It was a really great experience for me in high school. And I really appreciate you having us here. And it was really, it was a great experience and the people here, are really lovely. So yeah, thank you so much. Thank you.”

Linda Löhmann

“I was a little nervous about the food. It may sound strange, but I’ve heard that it’s not that healthy. And it isn’t. But there are possibilities or opportunities to make it healthier. So yeah. I shouldn’t be scared about it. And I was really excited about New York. Because we don’t have cities with skyscrapers…only one city has skyscrapers. Honestly. So yeah, that was really exciting.”

Sophia Marb

“I think many people [in Germany] think, in the US, people are very uneducated, so that they don’t know anything about Europe. For example, I was asked if, when I came here [if] everyone looks the same to me... It’s like everyone in Europe looks completely different, but everyone looks just the same as people here. So they thought everyone in the US looks the same to me. And they asked me if Hitler was still alive.”

5 HAVEN HAPPENINGS
Exchange students from Germany came to Strath Haven to experience the lifestyle of the average American high schooler.
Lena Becker Marlon Kiemele
EXCHANGE
THEIR EXPERIENCES
GERMAN
STUDENTS SHARE
N ALLEMAGNE 0 80km 40 20 Berlin Munich Bavière Sarrebruck Sarre RhénaniePalatinat Mayence Hesse Wiesbaden BadeWurtemberg Stuttgart Thuringe Erfurt Düsseldorf Rhénanie-du-NordWestphalie Saxe Dresde Potsdam Brandebourg SaxeAnhalt Magdebourg Brême Basse-Saxe Hanovre Hambourg MecklembourgPoméranie occidentale Schwerin Kiel SchleswigHolstein Wikimedia Commons

Students register to vote during lunchtime drive

Senior Luke DiBonaventura organized a voter registration drive for eligible new voters.

Living in a swing-state and with the mid-term elections only weeks away, senior Luke DiBonaventura organized a voter registration drive to encourage his 18-year-old classmates to vote in Pennsylvania’s high-stakes races.

Supported by social studies teacher Ms. Alissa Harvey, DiBonaventura spent his lunches handing out candy to seniors who took the five minutes to register themselves on provided Chromebooks. As a further incentive, newly registered and already-registered students were eligible to win a $25 Wawa gift card in a raffle.

The two-day drive took place on Thursday, October 13 and Friday, October 14 in the entrance to the cafeteria. Students who will be 18 by November 8 were eligible to register.

On the Wednesday before the first day of the drive, DiBonaventura discussed his motivation for planning the registration drive.

What inspired you to run the voter registration drive that you are running?

“Well, I have a general passion for politics and more importantly, general citizenry, you know, stuff like that.

And I wanted to try and close the disparity between our young people that register to vote and actually do vote and older people, as younger people are underrepresented in that demographic.”

So what are your goals for the next two days?

“The goal for the next few days is one, to register new people, but to also figure out who already is registered. So that way, we can get a better understanding of what percentage of our population is actually registered to vote. That way, we can better target them in future drives.”

There’s a pretty small percentage in the overall school population that is eligible to vote. Do you hope that just having this voter registration drive will have any wider effect on those who aren’t able to vote?

“Yeah, that will be a goal. I think any anytime you sort of see voting participation happen, it can encourage people to consider when they will next be eligible to vote. And it can, I think, can also just encourag that in the future. There’s also the hope that this will not be the only drive this year, and there’ll be a drive later on in the school year, closer to graduation, right before we leave the school, where most of the senior population will be eligible to vote.”

Have you faced any challenges in organizing this?

“Yeah, the biggest challenge has really just been that it’s mainly just been me doing it. I’ve had a lot of help from Ms. Harvey. But there’s been a lot of just like, communication about certain details, that takes time. Just general stuff where it takes a lot of time to get approved. Things like that. And there’s also the challenge of making sure it’s nonpartisan. So that it’s, safe, free, fair.”

So you, yourself, you’re not currently eligible to vote. Has this impacted your overall political motivation, that you personally can’t vote?

I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that people who can’t vote can’t have an impact on things. And I think that’s very untrue. That’s why I actually want to organize them like this to have an impact. Even though I personally can’t vote, I still feel that doing this will have an impact. So that’s what I would want to encourage other people to do.”

A common misconception about voting is that your personal vote doesn’t matter. What would you say to a student that has that mindset?

“Yeah, I think a lot of that comes down to a lot of our politics being viewed as this national thing and being viewed in the thousands and the tens of thousands, stuff like that. But really, when you look at the local stuff, which is arguably just as important, if not more important, it’s really a lot closer and can come down to a hundred or so votes, so your vote in local races matters a whole great deal. And really, what it is, is this understanding that we all do it. So if we all show up to do it, if none of us show up to do it, then there won’t be that difference in voting.”

What advice do you have for first time voters who are just registering to vote?

“My biggest advice is, well, I would say bring a friend with you to vote, you know, make it a little bit more of an event. It’s your first time voting, it should be fun. And also make sure that you are informed on the candidates, not just coming in just knowing two candidates, maybe also look at some of the down ballot candidates and stuff like that. Lower on the ballot candidates, not down ballot, lower on the ballot candidates.”

I know you’re someone that’s passionate about politics, how else have you been involved in the political world?

“Well, I have volunteered on several different campaigns, mainly for the Democratic Party. This drive will remain nonpartisan but my work has primarily been to benefit Democrat campaigns.”

Do you have anything else to add?

“No, just vote. Vote when you can, register when you can. Look up when you’re next eligible to register and register a friend.”

National Honor Society moves back towards normality

NHS officers and advisers weigh in on the newest changes to the organization

As school transitions back to a more normal environment, National Honor Society makes its transition as well, moving back towards a more typical experience.

Senior Imogen Sharif, NHS president, said that students must meet the four pillars of NHS in order to be inducted.

“It’s scholarship, which is based on GPA. Leadership, which is any leadership position. Character, you need to have a good character, you need to be a good person, generally speaking, and then service, which is helping out the community,” Sharif said.

According to Sharif, the pandemic has affected the NHS guidelines. Those circumstances continue to affect prospective members this year.

and what that means for the current eligible students.

“Service is a big commitment,” she said. “A lot of the kids are in extracurricular activities already. They’re taking really hard classes…so then to find the time to commit to a service outside of what they’re already doing, is really difficult.”

“But again, we really want to kind of set ourselves apart [and] be a big presence in the community,” Kerwood added.

“What I want to be different from years prior is our commitment to service.”

“We were really restricted in what we can do, which was a combination of less service opportunities, along with the limited service requirements because of COVID,” Sharif said. “Last year, we were at 50% of pre COVID hours, and now we’re at 75%.”

Faculty co-adviser Mrs. Alissa Harvey is aiming to make service a more essential component of NHS, especially coming out of the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “So our big goal is to really take NHS and make it a lot more service oriented,” Harvey said. “Obviously, the basis for which a lot of people qualify is the GPA… what I want to be different from years prior is our commitment to service.”

Co-adviser Mrs. Lea Kerwood explained the historic difficulty of NHS guidelines,

While NHS is a unique opportunity for members to engage in community service, Harvey also believes that service opportunities should extend to other members of the school community.

“I think it’s something that we would like to include other students, especially underclassmen, because it’s hard to find some of those service opportunities… we’re trying to come up with as many lunch or fifth block opportunities as possible,” she said.

NHS applications were due Friday October 14, and 93 new members were inducted into the National Honor Society on Tuesday, Nov. 1.

Sharif wants new members to know that National Honor Society is more than a label or a ceremony.

“I want them to know that they should be participating in service as much as possible, and that the National Honor Society isn’t just a title to put on your college resume,” Sharif said. “It’s actually something that you have to contribute to.”

6 HAVEN HAPPENINGS
ONLY 5 MINUTES • Senior Jason “Chunk” Williams uses a Chromebook station to register to vote during lunch on Thursday, October 13. PHOTO: RHYS HALS LUKE DIBONAVEN Mrs. Alissa Harvey National Honor Society Co-Adviser FOUR PILLARS • Senior and National Honor Society President Imogen Sharif addresses the audience about the four pillars of NHS—scholarship, leadership, character, and service. PHOTO: K. PLOWS A FULL STAGE • At the conclusion of the NHS induction ceremony on Tuesday, November 1, the 70 members in attendance took to the stage for an inductee photo. PHOTO: K. PLOWS

John Fetterman addresses stroke to Delco crowd in Wawa-themed rally

The Democratic candidate for Senate spoke to a crowded gym at Nether Providence Elementary School in mid-October.

John Fetterman, the democratic senatorial candidate in the rapidly approaching midterms, made a Wawa-themed appearance in the Nether Providence Elementary gym on Saturday, October 15.

Fetterman recently suffered a stroke, and it has led to some skepticism about his ability to serve in Congress. Within minutes after taking the NPE stage, Fetterman addressed the “elephant in the room,” giving a shout-out to Penn Medicine for saving his life. He described lingering auditory processing problems from the stroke.

“Sometimes I will miss a word, and I’ll mush two words together,” he said. “I guarantee there’s probably at least one person in this audience that’s filming me, looking for how many missed words.”

Fetterman wove digs at his Republican opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, into his explanation of the long-term effects of his stroke.

“What kind of a doctor who wants somebody that was sick not to get better?” he said.

Fetterman was one of nine speakers, all of whom pushed the theme of relatability, making quips about the informal dress code and their love for Wawa. Each guest spoke on a different message relating to the November eighth election. Next to Fetterman, Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) and Delaware Senator Chris Coons were the big names of the day.

Leanne Krueger, the State Representative for District 161—most of Delaware County—spoke

to the packed gym about the importance of local elections. She emphasized her strong connections to the community, noting that her son’s math teacher was in attendance.

Crime has been a big topic of debate this election season, and democrats catch a lot of criticism for being too soft on crime, Fetterman especially.

Jack Stollsteimer, the Delco District Attorney, spoke about crime, stating that democrats are not soft on crime; they’re tough on the causes of crime as well as the individuals.

Fetterman’s plan to free non-violent drug offenders has interested senior Ryan Kedanis, who attended the rally.

“It’s not very often that there’s an opportunity to get to see somebody like that in Walliswat, and I thought, why not?” Kedanis, who is not eligible to vote, said.

Kedanis recommends that voting high schoolers vote for Fetterman.

“Compared to Dr. Oz, specifically, his stances on issues like health care and things and student debt are a lot more helpful to students.”

The rally demographic took Kedanis by surprise. Many rally goers were older, and the soundtrack throughout targeted such a demographic, with 70s classic rock playing between speakers.

The gym was alive with chants and black and white Fetterman signs throughout the two-hour rally.

“Everyone seemed to love Fetterman,” Kedanis said.

FIRST PERSON

Tales from behind the press pass

The day of my senior homecoming is a day I will never forget. Not because of the dance, but rather how I spent my Saturday afternoon, elbowing my way through the crowd at John “Jawn” Fetterman’s rally in the Nether Providence Elementary gym.

On my way to the rally, I swung by editor-in-chief Julia Gray’s house to pick up my very thrown-together Panther Press press pass in hopes it would get me some access for good photos.

It did. I was granted access to the risers with all the official news people (Fox, NBC, you name it) to take pictures over the crowd. I could also walk around to my heart’s content.

Clambering to the front proved easy. I soon found myself just six feet from the stage. After watching five speakers come and go, all boasting about how relatable to the common Delco folk they are, I realized that with my press pass, I had access to the three feet of space that was blocked off between the front row of rally-goers and the stage.

During Senator Chris Coons speech, one of the keynote speakers, I pushed and shoved my way back through the crowd, trying to find the entrance to that strip of space. I tried to walk in front of a man videotaping on his phone and he whisper-shouted at me to go behind him. The people behind him were packed in very tight however, and the quickest route was directly in front of him. I flashed my pass at him and tried to charge past but he shuffled into my path, physically forcing me to go behind him. I can’t imagine that his video of Chris Coons was worth so much struggle, but to each their own.

F inally I made it to fresh air in the hallway outside the gym. All that trouble and I still hadn’t found access to the front row area. Panicking, I drank some water from the water bottle shoved in my cargo pants pocket, giving me a very professional look.

After calming down, I once again shoved my way to the front of the crowd. Chris Coons was finishing his speech and introducing the big name.

The crowd erupted with a cheer and signs filled the air as the 6’7” man fitted up with his hoodie and basketball

shorts took the stage.

I took a few pictures on my dying camera before I decided it was a good time to use my press pass to its full potential and find my way to the base of the stage. I worked my way back out of the gym, this time through the middle of the crowd so as to avoid the Chris Coons fanatic.

I reached the hallway and, taking a deep breath, adopted my most confident and professional posture, walking up to the policeman standing in front of barricades. He nodded as I held up my pass and I found the double doors that led to the base of the stage.

On the other side was a staffer who held them open as I crept in. As I walked past, he tapped me on the shoulder: “Sorry, but you can’t be in here.”

“I have a press pass,” I boasted, feeling incredibly important. He looked me up and down, but nodded slowly. It was the first odd look I’d received since being awarded my pass.

I crouched down and shuffled along in front of the masses, trying to get the angle right without blocking the view. I wasn’t there for more than a minute when a staffer came up to me and whispered what I thought was “I need to get out.”

I said okay, unsure as to why she was telling me. I wasn’t in her way as there was more than enough room to

maneuver around me, but she didn’t move. Panic began to wash over me. What was I doing wrong?

She repeated it, this time I understood. “You need to leave.” I nodded and turned and fled the way I had come. She followed me out the double doors, three photographers on her heels. That was reassuring. I wasn’t the problem.

“He’s gonna be done soon, we need to clear a path for him,” she informed us. The other journalists nodded. She turned to me. “Are you going to want to go back and do role play?” WHAT?? I did not want to role play with John Fetterman. The confusion was reflected on my face. “Sure.” It was more of a question than an answer.

I expected my ignorance to be met with irritation, but she matter-of-factly told me exactly what was going to go down. “Basically, when he’s done, you guys can go behind and on stage and take pictures as he shakes hands. Just go where I say, you’ll be fine. If you want to get more pictures, hang around here.”

So I did. But in doing so, I could not hear Fetterman speak, and missed a large portion of his speech.

It’s okay though, because I spent the time making friends with Hannah, a political photojournalist for the Washington Post.

“Hey, I’m Hannah with the Washington Post.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Rhys with the Panther Press.”

An eruption of applause interrupted our journalistic conversation. It was our time to shine. We went up a back set of stairs, coming out on the stage. Fetterman was at my feet, shaking hands and posing for selfies. I followed Hannah’s lead, crouching and leaning for the best angles.

By the time the staffer escorted us back off the stage, I had taken upwards of 1000 pictures, but had forgotten to complete one of my main goals of the day: interview attending high schoolers for a direct way to tie it back to Strath Haven.

All in all however, I would call it a successful first use of my Panther Press credentials.

I even got to keep my Jawn Fetterman pass.

7 HAVEN HAPPENINGS
RALLY AT NPE • Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman addresses a lively crowd at Nether Providence Elementary on November 15. PHOTOS: RHYS HALS
Who would have thought that my improvised student press pass would get me within a few feet of a Senate candidate?
THIS CLOSE • Fetterman meets with a veteran as the rally neared its close. I was so close I could have touched his head. But I didn’t. PHOTO: R. HALS See more photos at shpantherpress.com

ABOVE The Haven Bellas cheer as

Colin

announces them as the winners of the Lip-Sync Battle. The Haven Bellas performed the exact choreography from the hit movie, “Pitch Perfect,” which included a medley of “Pricetag,” “Don’t You (Forget about me),” “Just The Way You Are,” and “Give Me Everything.”

THE IN

FUNDRAISING

On

The battle was a fundraising success, with mini-thon reaching its fundraising goal of $1500.

Of the eight acts, including Chris’s Ferda Friends, Treble Part 2, Dance Team, Audience Member Battle, Haven Bellas, Six Wives, The Replacements, and Dylan, Haven Bellas came out on top. The Replacements, singing “Firework,” followed closely behind, getting the first runner-up.

“Livin’ la Vida Loca”

CENTER

nate

BOTTOM

8 PHOTO STORY
senior MC McLaughlin RIGHT Junior Dylan Kupprion rocks out to by Ricky Martin. He riled up the crowd with his moves in a solo performance. RIGHT Junior Francesca Clark, junior Lanie Clark, freshmen Eli Graves and Pearl Tweedy, and juniors Quinn Kuzemka and Meg McManus (front) pose after their performance of “Ex-Wives” from the Broadway musical “SIX.” They took over the stage, with the intense opening number, portraying the six wives of King Henry VIII. TOP Junior Sophie Grayek serenades the crowd with junior Duncan McCullough performing the iconic One Direction song, “What Makes You Beautiful.” Grayek and McCullough weren’t supposed to peform, but had to step in last minute, calling themselves The Replacements, and even winning Runner-ups. The audience and participants of the Lip Sync Battle dance to the “Cupid Shuffle.” An anonymous donor for the Minithon charity agreed to do to the goal of $1500 if all audience members danced on stage at the end of the event. In total, the event raised $1500 for the Four Diamonds charity, according to the MiniThon instagram page. Senior Archie Bracegirdle discos to ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.” He and fellow senior Colin McLaughlin were the emcees for the first Lip-Sync Battle at Haven. Julia Gray ‘23, Bailey Hansen ‘24 Photos: Kelly Montague ‘25 November 3, Mini Thon hosted the first Lip-SyncBattle to raise money for Four Diamonds, whose mission, according to their website, is to “conquer childhood cancer by assisting children and their families through superior care, comprehensive support, and innovative research.”

WHAT FRESHMEN SHOULD KNOW...

Read with care.

What’s one thing you wish freshmen knew?

Upperclassmen always used to say high school goes by super fast and it really does so enjoy it while you can.

What advice do you have for underclassmen?

Take classes that actually interest you or you think will help you in the real world after school.

What did you wish you knew as a freshman?

Respect your elders and they’ll respect you back.

What’s one thing you wish freshmen knew?

I wish underclassmen knew that they could be themselves.

What advice do you have for underclassmen?

I would say that you don’t have to pretend to be something for somebody else. Just do you and you’ll find your crowd.

What did you wish you knew as a freshman?

Don’t take everything so seriously.

What’s one thing you wish freshmen knew?

All underclassmen should know that the craisins at lunch are free. You can take as many as you want. What advice do you have for underclassmen?

My advice for underclassmen is to get involved in extracurriculars like clubs or band. It’s a great way to meet people.

What did you wish you knew as a freshman?

What I wish I knew as freshmen is that there is no reason to be intimidated by the upperclassmen. We’re just bigger kids.

What’s one thing you wish freshmen knew?

Everything. They’re loud.

What advice do you have for underclassmen?

Have as much fun as you can. Do a club that you want to do.

What did you wish you knew as a freshman?

I wish I knew to try new things and get out of my comfort zone.

What’s one thing you wish freshmen knew?

Getting the loud beaten out of them. You can put that more gently in the article.

What advice do you have for underclassmen?

Don’t listen to other people talk about college. You should think about what you’re interested in. Because soon everybody’s going to be talking about college all the time, and you’re going to feel pressured to think things that you don’t actually think. And then it’s going to make the whole process a lot less pleasant.

What did you wish you knew as a freshman?

Should stay true to yourself, especially when thinking about academic stuff and also your future.

What’s one thing you wish freshmen knew?

I wish that underclassman knew that the outdoor balcony is only for seniors. Some freshmen try and find their way up there way too often.

What advice do you have for underclassmen?

Time goes by really quickly, especially when you get involved. so make sure to get involved right from the beginning in order to make the best of your high school experience.

What did you wish you knew as a freshman?

I wish I knew how valuable 5th block was as a freshman. It allows you to connect with your teachers beyond the classroom and helps you to understand the material better.

What’s one thing you wish freshmen knew?

They talk too much. They try to fit in too much. They need to wait a year or two before they get to like junior or senior year.

What advice do you have for underclassmen?

Don’t get involved with the wrong people. And stay out of the bathroom when Harry’s looking. What did you wish you knew as a freshman?

That it’s not that bad to get to senior year. It looks bad, right? But it’s gonna go back so fast. And then you’re gonna forget, by the time, it even went by. Like it’s just going to go by too fast.

What’s one thing you wish freshmen knew?

How to walk in the hallway correctly. Please don’t stand in the middle of the hallway without moving and also walk up the stairs quickly and also stay on the right side of the stairs. If one side of the stairs is really crowded, move to the other side. Don’t block the other side and don’t block the landings or where the stairs are.

What advice do you have for underclassmen?

Everyone says this, but get involved.

What did you wish you knew as a freshman?

Something bad is going to happen in March. But probably, figure out a hobby.

“It had to be when Bryce Harper hit that home run to win the game, and the whole place just exploded. To be there with my kids and my family, and everybody jumping out screaming and hollering and hugging each other and high fiving with the whole section was just really cool.”

We asked some Panthers: What was your favorite moment of the World Series? “It was in the division series. Rhys Hoskins hit a home run and then Bryce Harper came up and hit one right after. I just couldn’t be lieve it happened. It seemed im possible.”

“My number one has got to be Harper looking at that change-up before the home run, because if he swings at that, the most he can get out of that is a foul ball and other than that it would be a strike. Just the ability of him to see what pitch is coming out of the pitcher’s hand, reading the ball and knowing which pitch he can put into play.”

9 PERSPECTIVES
Freshmen—for your benefit (and for ours), we have compiled a list of advice from experienced seniors who have been in your place. Matthew Chen ‘23 Editor in Chief Yash Singh ‘23 Contributor Sean Gillespie ‘23 Ben Ransom ‘23 Tyler Debusschere ‘23 Justin Bi ‘23 Lydia Pita ‘23 Frank Lardieri ‘23 Dan Connor ‘23 Emma Wei ‘23 Mrs. Jennifer Rodgers Art Teacher Isaac Ainslie‘24
“My favorite moment of the Phillies playoffs... for me, it’s got to be Rhys Hoskins and his nice three-run home run.”
Brent
Hull ‘23
more
shpantherpress.com
Mrs. Andrea LaPira Assistant Principal
Read
Phillies stories from Haven students and
teachers
at
Jack Henry ‘23, Sasha Binder ‘24 | Contributors

ARTIST OF THE ISSUE

Senior’s interest in fashion sparks creative marketing

Dyvne’ Lee is launching a fashion career from her sewing machine and Instagram account.

Asewing class at seven years old inspired a successful dressmaking business for senior Dyvne’ Lee. As much a marketing guru as she is an avid fashion designer, Lee designs, sews, and fits clients from her sewing room at home.

Isolation during the pandemic jumpstarted her interest.

“I somehow found a sewing machine. I was like, let me make something,” she said. “So I made a tapestry sweatshirt.”

She didn’t realize that a simple sweatshirt would arouse such appeal.

“When I posted on Instagram, a lot of people liked it,” she said. “They were like, ‘Oh my god, I love this. Can I buy one?”

That moment was instrumental in Dyvne’s career.

“This is a place where I can have a future and make money,” she said.

Dyvne’s creations are appreciated by all sorts of people.

“My first project was for a customer’s eighteenth birthday,” she said. “She texted me just saying, ‘Hey, I’ve seen that you made your prom dress and I really loved it. I have so much faith in you and I believe you can make mine.’”

Realizing people trusted her designs made Dyve’ appreciate the process even more.

“Wow, people will trust me to make their dresses and stuff for the amount of money that I charge?” she said.

Dyvne’ stresses that she is still learning and growing her skills.

“Say you want me to make [a dress] and I'll make it for you. I’ll try my best to make it as close to how you want it and then put my own little twist on it,” she said.

With numerous internships under her belt, as well as managing her own Instagram, Dyvne’ is accustomed to the marketing and business side of fashion design.

“Fashion design is like basketball. It’s hard to succeed in it,” she said.

Despite some people doubting her, Dyvne’ is determined.

“Don’t let what everyone else says affect what you want to do,” she advised. “If you know you want to do it, then do it. One of my other mottos is ‘you wear the clothes, the clothes don’t wear you,’”

Dyvne’ hopes to go to college and perfect her craft. Long term, she plans to have her own studio with her own boutique. She has goals to collaborate with notable figures.

“Maybe like a Michelle Obama? People that are well known but not necessarily celebrities. No social media celebrities,” she said.

School district recognized for visual arts education

On any given Wednesday, you can find K-12 Visual Arts Department Chair Mrs. Jennifer Rodgers guiding twenty or more independent student artists as they paint, draw, or create digital art during fifth block.

This month, Rodgers and the entire Visual Arts Department are celebrating their recent recognition by the Pennsylvania Arts Education Association as an Outstanding Visual Arts Community.

Wallingford-Swarthmore School District is one of the districts recognized for its vibrant visual arts community. The PAEA emphasizes the importance of a well-rounded education and opportunities for art education for all students in all grade levels.

Criteria for this recognition include as highly rigorous and inclusive programs that challenge students no matter their level of artistic ability, highly accessible programs that are available to all students, and highly visible programs that consistently present to the community.

“It’s fantastic and long overdue,” Rodgers said. “I want to thank the administration and the school board directors for supporting us and allowing us to have such an amazing art program, it's a group effort.”

Throughout their time at WSSD, students can take a variety of art classes. Every year students from elementary to middle school create using a variety of mediums taught in art curriculum.

Once students reach Strath Haven High School, art classes are no longer required at each grade level, but still cover a broad range of mediums. The graduation requirement includes three credits that students can mix between arts, business, and computer science, but many students enroll in several levels of arts courses. Classes such as Graphic Design, 2D art, Ceramics, and Photography are all essential to form the visual arts curriculum that WSSD is recognized for.

As an avid supporter of young artists and a vital member of the local arts community, Rodgers prides herself in WSSD’s visual artists.

“Our K-12 art gallery at the Community Arts Center is really amazing,” she said.

The Community Arts Center presents “The Art of WSSD” gallery every other year. It is a collection of selected works from students of all grades throughout the district. Rodgers works to organize and collect artworks in a variety of mediums and from a variety of students.

“It’s important to present art from throughout the district, from all age groups,” Rodgers said. “Because of COVID, it was difficult to share art, so having the gallery is a great way to show off young artists.”

Rodgers expressed adoration for working with students and helping them be creative. “We have the best students in the world,” she said.

Rodgers’ love for Haven’s artists isn’t one-sided. Francesca Clark, a junior currently enrolled in Art 3, praised their teacher, “I love Mrs. Rodgers, she’s like, one of my favorite teachers.”

The Pennsylvania Art Education Association acknowledges communities that demonstrate the importance of visual art programs with rigorous and inclusive programs, highly accessible programs, and highly visible programs.

Rigorous programs are expected to be taught using standards-based curricula and taught by highly qualified teachers, Mrs. Rodgers identified Haven’s classes as having curriculums that “demand excellence and creativity.”

Inclusive and accessible programs are expected to be classes taught at every level and show no discrimination for who is able to participate.

“I have a really big art class and it's a ton of different people, and people I’ve never even met before,” Clark said.

Roger agrees that art should be accessible.

“Art is for everyone, we make sure to create safe spaces for creative expression,” Rodgers said.

Visible programs are expected to be fully integrated into their community, whether through social media or

FASHIONISTA

• TOP: Senior Dyvne’ Lee fits her friend’s homecoming dress in the sewing room of Strath Haven High School on October 13. Dyvne’ started designing fashion when she was seven and recently started a custom prom dress business. “I like being able to see my designs on other people,” she said. “I like people walking around, like, hey, this is by Dyvne’. This is Dyvne’s clothing.” LEFT: Dyvne’ Lee PHOTOS: MATTHEW CHEN

Pennsylvania Art Education Association recognized WSSD for its broad range of offerings in visual arts.

displayed in public.

The K-12 art gallery and several hallways in Haven display student art. “There are tons of murals that art students have done, literally everywhere,” Clark said.

In reference to social media, Mrs. Rodgers highlighted the importance of an online presence. “Each art teacher has their own Instagram account to share student artwork. Presenting artwork online is a huge way to get our art out there.”

Having a community in which student art is shared not only gets student work out into the public eye but also allows other students to feel inspired to take art classes.

WSSD’s art department celebrates its recognition along with 39 other school districts in Pennsylvania.

10 HAVEN ARTS
WEDNESDAY CREATIVITY • Sophomore Violet Abrahamsson works on independent artwork at the Wednesday, Nov. 2 Art Club meeting. PHOTO: SYLVAN PREY-HARBAUGH

Band students reflect on leadership roles

As Strath Haven Marching Band nears the end of the season, student leadership members reflect on their experiences.

If there is one thing that Marching Band Director Mr. Nick Pignataro cultivates in his leadership of the band, it’s dedication. With over 90 titled student leadership positions and a detailed flow chart of roles and responsibilities, the band’s leadership roles carry high expectations.

Student Director Will Shore said he decided to apply for a leadership role so he could make the band better.

“I really give 100% of my effort to making the band better for the community and for the school,” he said. And I thought that was really important.”

Student Director Georgia Gianopulos was inspired by the positive relationships between the student leaders and their team members.

“Junior year was honestly very hard for me. We were learning these dances and everyone was picking them up super-duper fast,” she said. “I just couldn't pick up the specific dance moves right away. And I just remember going to Avery Cavanagh who was also a student director and being like, hey, I feel this way, is there any way I can just, like, chill with you for a little bit? And she made me feel so welcome.”

In one of the largest bands in the state, Tenor Saxophone

Section Leader Aiden Gold is adamant that the best part of band is the community.

“It’s not just me hanging out with juniors as a junior or me hanging out with sophomores as a sophomore,” Gold said. “I have sophomores in my section, I have a senior in my section…even throughout the entire band, hanging out with other sections, it’s more than just juniors.”

Despite its community, band also presents challenges, and the student leadership recognizes this.

“I feel like I personally really, really struggled with not being able to please everyone,” Gianopulos said. “Only kind of like this month, I have to come to terms with accepting that.”

Gold’s biggest struggle was the after-game commitments of being on leadership.

“The leadership meetings last year, those went on awhile,” he said. “Like, 10:30 at night and I just wanted to get home after.”

The fact that the band is so large can often be challenging, but it also lends itself to creating a different kind of leadership experience. According to Shore, the structure of the leadership positions helps to make the experience manageable.

“You don't have to individually tell hundreds of people what to do,” he said. “But you get to rely on the leaders around you, which is why it's so important to really want to make the band a better place when you're a leader,” Shore said.

With experience comes wisdom, and all three leaders have advice to share with the next generation of leadership members.

Gianopulos urges underclassman to apply for leadership positions. “I would say, definitely go for it. But also know what a leadership role entails,” she said. “Know that you can't please everybody, as I've definitely figured out. Do what the band director says. Because otherwise you will get yelled at. And take responsibility.”

“Get to know Mr. P., which is kind of a harder thing to do, but don't be known for being bad at something,” Gold said. “Be known for helping out…that'll put your name in his mind…so even after you get the leadership position it's easier to be in control, easier to make people listen to you.”

“Be dedicated,” Shore said. “You really don't want to have the reason for being a leader because it looks good on college applications. You want to actually be changing something.”

Will Shore ‘23

11 HAVEN ARTS
FUN RUN
Junior section leader
Aiden Gold and senior student director Jess Farhat do their “fun run” onto the field before the half time show on
October
21. past.
PHOTO: MATTHEW CHEN
“You really don’t want to have the reason for being a leader because it looks good on college applications. You want to actually be changing something.”
“Know that you can’t please everybody, as I’ve definitely figured out... and take responsibility. ”
Georgia Gianopulos ‘23
“Be known for helping out... so even after you get the leadership position, it’s easier to be in control, to make people listen to you.”
Aidan Gold ‘24
With over 90 titled student leadership positions... the band’s leadership carry high expectations.
BAND BY THE NUMBERS Games 10 Community ser vice events 4 Parades 2 1 Showcase 1 Convocation
STUDENT LEADERSHIP CHAIN-OF-COMMAND• The band’s organizational structure, according to the 2022-2023 Marching Band Handbook.

DIVERSITY IN TEACHING: THE DEMAND FOR REPRESENTATION

Lack of teachers of color at WSSD limits educational potential for marginalized students

To eighth grade science teacher Mrs. Lisa Cobb, her 21 years of work in the district has been anything but effortless.

As the middle school’s only Black eighth grade teacher, Cobb is one of nine professional teachers of color—10 educators of color involved in additional nonteaching roles—employed by WSSD across all schools within the district.

Cobb reflected that this reality has posed a long struggle for her since she first arrived in the district in the early 2000s.

“There has been a critical need for more diversity amongst the staff throughout the district for the past 21+ years,” she said.

However, according to Cobb, the district’s inability to diversify its teaching staff poses a more threatening problem to the educational development of its students of color. As one of just three Black teachers at the middle school, Cobb stressed the significance of representation on the futures of Black middle schoolers.

“I categorically believe that because Black teachers are critical for the success of Black students, we need to work even harder to recruit and retain them,” she said. “The district must see the marginalized children of color as a priority.”

I t’s clear from widely researched data as well as Mrs. Cobb’s statements that students of color learn better when taught by teachers that represent their racial identity. Notably, a 2020 study conducted at the Graduate School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found evidence that hiring more racially diverse teachers can have outstanding benefits in closing the racial achievement gap in education.

UNC Chapel Hill Professor Assistant Professor and researcher Constance Lindsay states that this achievement gap is more of a “demographic mismatch.” Lindsay cites research by economist Thomas Dee that found both Black and White children had significantly higher achievement when assigned to a teacher of their race—but because White students are far more likely to have same-race teachers, they disproportionately benefit.

In a school district that is consistently ranked as one of top ten in the state, what could indicate an urgent need to diversify the

teacher-body?

According to Cobb, the education received by students of color is nowhere near the same education experienced by their white counterparts.

“There isn’t a large population of underperforming students in the district,” she said. “However, the cohort we have happens to be largely the students of color.

Over the years, I’ve taught a plethora of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) students who expressed in the classroom/school they felt a sense of exclusion, discomfort, embarrassment, targeting, or loneliness.”

After my conversation with Cobb, I took to the halls of Strath Haven to get a more personal perspective on how this crisis affected students of color at the high school level.

I started off first by asking students their race, and chose to define the term “students of color” to fall within the Black and Latinx demographic, as, according to Cobb, those are the students that are most affected by this issue.

After confirming I had a balanced demographic, I first asked students if they felt racially represented in their school community, and second, I asked them if they believed hiring more diverse teachers would help their overall school experience.

Out of 10 Black and Latinx students of color, five out of the five black students stated that no, they did not feel represented at Haven, and yes, hiring more diverse teachers would help their overall school experience. Four out of the five Latinx students reported the same results.

Hearing from the students themselves reaffirmed the sense of urgency Cobb demonstrated. Students of color are feeling isolated and unrepresented at Haven, and our administration isn't making the necessary steps to prioritize its most underprivileged children.

So I sat down with district superintendent Dr. Marseille to figure out the school’s real intentions to reverse these damages.

“We have been more intentional with our efforts in recruiting and retaining educators of color, but we have much more work to be done,” Marseille said. “Our first step is educating those in positions of influence and hiring to understand the value of a diverse workforce. We then have to implement systems that allow

us to interview qualified candidates of color.” Even if WSSD deems it necessary to prioritize the diversification of its teachers, the pool of K-12 teachers of color is very shallow. Just over 20 percent of public school teachers in the U.S. identify as people of color, compared with more than half of students in public schools, according to a 2021 Pew Research study.

“The research is irrefutable on the impact (academically and socially) of having a teacher from the same cultural and racial background as a student. K-12 systems must create better experiences for children of color to see themselves as educators. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of people of color entering education,” Marseille said. Aside from the fact that teachers of color are an integral part of any education system, to some students of color, teaching as a future profession is stigmatized due to their traumatizing past experiences within the education system. However, despite the fact that for many students of color pursuing teaching isn’t encouraged, it doesn’t disqualify from the fact that there are still teachers of color available that if, given the initiative, would be drawn to a well resourced and elite school district such as WSSD. As Mrs. Cobb put it:

“We are an affluent school district. And hiring more educators of color seems like an easy fix; however, if it’s not prioritized the problem is perpetuated year after year.”

The district must take the initiative in ensuring their most marginalized students have the best opportunities to succeed. Point blank.

“Children that aren’t seen culturally don’t feel a sense of belonging,” Cobb said. “They aren’t often involved in social activities, clubs, or academic honor courses where historically we know minorities can/have excelled.”

It is the district’s job to provide an equitable education to all of its students, and this job must start with students feeling represented in a learning environment that is conducive to their success. Without action, more students of color will fall through the cracks. If we allow this to happen, more and more marginalized students will continue to feel alone in a community that won’t put their future first.

12 OPINION
“Over the years, I’ve taught a plethora of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) students who expressed in the classroom/school they felt a sense of exclusion, discomfort, embarrassment, targeting, or loneliness.”
OPINION During the 2017-2018 school year: Just over 20% of U.S. public school teachers identified as people of color. Fewer than 1 IN 10 teachers were either Black (7%), Hispanic (9%) or Asian American (2%). 8 IN 10 school principals were White. 53% of U.S. public school students identied as people of color. Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) 2017-2018 is the most recent year this data was available. GOT OPINIONS? The Panther Press is seeking COLUMNISTS to contribute diverse student voices to our publication. Join our classroom at irwrlgv to get involved. www.shpantherpress.com INSTAGRAM: @shpantherpress TWITTER: @shpantherpress NEXT ISSUE: December
Mrs. Lisa Cobb 8th Grade Teacher

E-hallpass comes to Strath Haven

On September 27, 2022, Strath Haven High School officially implemented e-hallpass pass to replace the traditional paper pass and QR code system. To sign out, students must go to e-hallpass.com, log in with their Google account, select where they are coming from and their destination, and then submit for approval. Teachers can either manually accept a student's request, or set their e-hall pass to approve trips automatically.

According to Assistant Principal Tabatha Duffy, many teachers opt to use these automatic passes.

“They don’t have to disrupt instruction,” she said For now, auto passes are only available for bathroom trips. “If you're going to the nurse, or the office or somewhere else, I kind of want the teacher to like know why you're going there, just so that they can make sure everything's okay for you,” Duffy said.

When it comes to the students’ perspectives, accessibility is the primary issue.

“I think [e-hallpass] a little bit of a disadvantage and it's a bit annoying just because of how complicated it is,” sophomore Philip Collins said. “You have a limited amount of times you can like use a pass in a day.”

Junior Anna Kamau agrees. “I feel like it's really unnecessary because we have to open our Chromebooks and put it in, and then it'll just take more time,” she said.

When asked about any positive attributes to the change, Kamau finds none. “If someone’s out, you have to wait for them to come back. It takes longer.”

There are some benefits, however. “It might help in the long run just instead of writing out passes and stuff and wasting paper, so it's like a positive and a negative,” Collins said.

According to EduSpire solutions, e-hallpass is a hall pass system that limits student meetups, vaping, vandalism, and other disruptions.

In an email to parents on September 8, Principal Dr. Greg Hiden stated that eHallpass is not a new policy, but a procedural change to a more effective electronic system. Hilden anticipates that the new system will make many improvements. Some key benefits include the reduction of paper, increased efficiency of communication, and reductions in classroom disruptions.

E-hallpass: helpful system or authoritarian dystopia?

Strath Haven students express their opinions on hall pass requirement

In the modern age, our privacy is threatened more than ever. As technology advances, so does surveillance capability. Social media companies are able to access our personal information and create customized databases about each of us as an individual. This raises the question: How much surveillance are we willing to accept?

This question has become more relevant than ever before at Strath Haven High School. The introduction of the e-hallpass has students, staff, and parents divided.

The September 13 Delco Times ran a front page news story on the introduction of the e-hallpass to Strath Haven. The Times received passionate Facebook responses to the change, including parents who likened it to “1984.”

E-hallpass is an electronic hall pass system. You select your destination and then the teacher approves the pass. A timer then begins counting how long you have been out of class.

The introduction of the e-hallpass system was due to several concerns about efficiency and as a response to the use of QR codes for a pass system during the pandemic, according to an email from School principal Dr. Greg Hilden.

Social Studies teacher Mr. Jeff Khan permitted a survey on the e-hall pass across all of his classes.

The survey asked three questions:

1) What grade are you in? 2) Do you like the e-hallpass? 3) Why do you have that opinion? Respondents were given three general choices for their response: Yes, No, or not enough information.

Out of the 55 students surveyed, 46 of them replied that they had a negative view of e-hall pass. Seven students responded that they positively viewed it, and two said they did not have enough information.

The students that disapproved of e-hall pass mentioned several issues. The major complaint was about the efficiency and interface of the e-hallpass. One student responded, “I don't think that its design is ideal. The concept works, in my opinion, but simply the way its interface, especially the student-side of its interface, is supposed to be used frustrates me a decent amount.”

Students said that it took too much time to set up and complete the submission process, especially for when they just needed to go to the bathroom.

Another common complaint was about the tracking aspect of the pass. Students viewed the timer as an unnecessary means of control.

The minority who viewed e-hallpass positively had multiple reasons to support it. These reasons included the elimination of having to touch the regular hall pass and the ability to move around the halls without having to have a normal pass. Six out of the seven people who viewed it positively were either seniors or juniors, while all but one of the sophomores viewed it negatively or were undecided.

The e-hallpass seems to be unpopular due to a variety of issues from the timer feature, the time it takes to set up, to the confirmation process. Though the survey was conducted using a relatively small group of students, its decisiveness across several grade levels offers strong evidence on the schoolwide opinion.

While this suggests that the e-hallpass is deeply unpopular, it has only been in use for a number of weeks and schoolwide opinion may change.

13 OPINION
How much surveillance are we willing to accept?
Introduction of the e-hallpass has students, staff, and parents divided.
The implementation of eHallpass is met with some student concern.
OPINION
CARTOON
What’s your take on e-hallpass? Let us know in the comments at shpantherpress.com
Charlie Detweiler

Many feet, one stall

Book of the month

Women

should have the right to privacy when it comes to their menstrual products.

After the bell rings, students bounce from one class to another, frantically trying to push and shove their way through a sea of people in a race against the clock. Still, small moments of solace can be found in between all the hustle and bustle.

One such rare oasis is the girls’ bathroom. Yet, many young women are finding their needs unattended in what should be a safe and private space.

With the discussion of access to feminine products rising to greater focus, many businesses, storefronts, and buildings in general are now providing feminine hygiene products for free in their restrooms. Should Strath Haven follow their lead and start providing feminine hygiene products to students, no questions asked, or should they shift their focus to other areas of improvement that lay in their bathrooms?

office. Returning to the bathroom to handle the business adds even more time. This puts girls in violation of the e-hallpass rules just for a natural occurrence that they can not control.

Having feminine hygiene products already available in the bathroom cuts down on time and keeps the matter private. There is already a push to diminish the stigma around menstruation, but there is still a lot of progress to be made. High schoolers should be entitled to privacy and bodily autonomy.

Even presented with the posibility of wifi, the girls who were surveyed stated that access to feminine products would be more important.

Feminine hygiene products are already available for free at Strath Haven—just stop by the nurse’s office and ask. However, this isn’t a progressive solution properly suited for our school.

E-hallpass, which places a time limit for how long one is allowed to be out in the hallway, is a barrier for feminine product accessibility. The nurse’s office is objectively out of the way from most classes. It is tucked away in the corner of the school, surrounded not by classes, but by a labyrinth of halls and offices. That tacks on a lot of time to the e-hallpass clock, and that's just walking to the

We conducted an informal poll to assess whether feminine products were prioritized over other amenities. Interviews were selected from a pool of girls who use the bathroom during the day. Ten girls in grades 9-12 were given a hypothetical on whether they would rather have feminine products or wifi in the bathroom. Wifi and cell reception are highly coveted here at Haven, with the cinderblock walls repelling any contact from the outside world.

Even when presented with the possibility of wifi, the girls stated that feminine hygiene products would be more important. In a world where phones are intertwined with daily life, girls chose feminine hygiene products over phone reception access. This shows a great need – a need that Strath Haven is not fulfilling.

“Feminine products should absolutely be provided for women,” senior Sofia Phillips said. “It’s a necessity that

Top 5 Dine-in Pizzas in Delco (From an Italian)

Pizzaiolo: a chef who specializes in making pizzas and has been trained to make authentic, Italianstyle pizzas.

Before we start with the top 5, here is a FACT about pizza: GARLIC IS NOT WELCOME!

W ith hundreds of different restaurants making pizza in Delco, finding excellent restaurants makes you go deep into some places you probably never even knew existed. Coming from experience, these margherita pizzas are the best in Delco. I’ve been to Italy many times and understand what makes a good pizza. These restaurants make the pizza closest to Italian pizza as possible.

Gladwell’s What The Dog Saw is worth the read.

excessive for the amount of pizza.

“W hat the Dog Saw: And

Other

Adventures” by Malcolm Gladwell is a perfect example of what non-biographical nonfiction can be. Originally published in October 2009, this book is a collection of his best works published in The New Yorker, giving the 400+ page book a faster pace as the topic changes every chapter.

One factor that made this book different, even from Gladwell's other works, was the wide range of topics covered and the changing ways in which he covered them. Gladwell’s pieces often have a similar structure, as they either try to explain a mysterious phenomenon or debunk widely accepted ideas. This is true for much of this book, however, because he does this while covering such a wide range of topics and while sprinkling in pieces that cover people more than just questions, the chapters each are interesting in their own ways. It was truly fun to read a chapter about ketchup and then immediately transition to one about Wall Street.

Those two chapters exemplify my other favorite things about the book: the diversity of topics makes it enjoyable for most and makes the writing and storytelling the main appeal instead of the topic. This is why my favorite chapter was able to be about stocks and bonds, which I don’t understand or usually care for. It is also why I know two people whose favorite chapter was the ketchup one while I found it only so-so.

I think this book is fantastic for a nonfiction lover, as it truly embodies what I love most about the genre, yet could be of equal value to someone trying to branch out from fiction to try nonfiction, as it could be liked by most audiences.

we need to take care of right now.”

According to our interviewees, not everybody has equal access to feminine products depending on certain factors in their life. Many girls face a variety of financial concerns, family issues, and other obstacles standing in their way of access to menstrual products. Some girls simply can’t get the products they need.

While the nurse’s office fulfills the need for general accessibility, the guarantee of privacy is removed. Giving girls dignity and the right to privacy is female empowerment. Starting with something as simple as a more private bathroom experience is creating empowered women of the future at Strath Haven.

Spasso’s pizza has a good flavor. The dough was cooked well but didn’t rise as much as it should’ve. Too much basil affected the taste, but it was good overall.

4.

14 OPINION/DETOURS
REVIEW
OPINION BOOK
5. ANTHONY’S COAL FIRED PIZZA 1178 BALTIMORE PIKE, I liked this pizza
cause it
and
be
tasted good
was cooked well. The only thing I would like to point out is that the amount of sauce was
1 W
MEDIA,
SPASSO ITALIAN GRILL
STATE ST
PA SPASSOITALIANGRILL.COM
Matteo PHOTO: MATTHEW CHEN

Halloween Crossword

ACROSS

1. Creepy creature also important for "America's Pastime"

2. Name of Hocus Pocus actress who shares her name with her character

3. Orange Halloween fruit

5. Candy bar that shares its name with a late Australian actor

6. Surname of the magical wizard who became an orphan on Halloween 8. Halloween decoration that could also be found on the cover of the book Gray's Anatomy

10. Two words: the day before Halloween after dusk

13. Helpful tool for a trick-or-treater which is also used during the night

14. Horror movie franchise that shares its name with an exclamation

16. Two words: Tri-colored Halloween treat 19. The season during the month of October 20. The friendly ghost

21. Day of Halloween 2022, unfortunately

DOWN

1. Creepy local motel with haunted hay rides 2. Zodiac sign of someone born on Halloween 4. Two words: A Tina Fey teen comedy movie with an iconic Halloween party scene 7. Ideal candy size during trick-or-treating 9. Local orchard where you can get pumpkins

11. Suicide Squad character with split-dyed hair

12. The substance that would be found in a cauldron

15. Object used to illuminate a jack-o'lantern

17. Your "vampire teeth"

18. Filmmaker Tim with many eerie characters

15 DETOURS
3. TECA 191 S NEWTOWN STREET RD NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA TECANEWTOWN I
pizza
tasted
the
pizza
2. LA PORTA 1192 MIDDLETOWN RD MEDIA, PA LAPORTARISTRANTE.COM La Porta deserves the second-place spot because it is delicious. It was a little droopy, but the dough was cooked well and rose correctly. 1. RAVANESI 790 BALTIMORE PIKE GLEN MILLS, PA RAVANESIPIZZA.COM
pizza was
the best I have ever eaten in America. It
ANSWERS AT SHPANTHERPRESS.COM
recommend Teca’s
because it
well, and
crust rose, but it could have been cooked better. The
maker cooked the basil, giving it too much flavor.
This
one of
was AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS. It had the right amount of sauce and cheese, and the crust was cooked and rose perfectly. The pizzaiolo* makes mozzarella cheese, and it is excellent.

Miraglia earns title of Winningest Coach in Delco

On Sept. 6, head soccer coach Mr. Gino Miraglia was swarmed by his players holding colorful signs congratulating him on his 200th win as the girls’ varsity soccer coach after 16 seasons of coaching.

That day at King Field, Strath Haven won 8-1 against Upper Darby. Once the celebration calmed down, we talked with Miraglia aboout his perspectives on coaching and on this recognition.

How does it feel to win 200 games as a coach? Was this a goal you thought was achievable?

“It doesn’t feel any different really. It definitely was not a goal of mine, it just happened. It makes me realize how long I’ve been coaching.”

What made you decide to start coaching soccer? Did you play in high school? Do you have a preference for coaching boys’ or girls’ soccer?

“I’ve played my whole life. I’ve coached both boys and girls. I started out coaching boys’ soccer here as the freshman coach. Then there was an opening on the girls’ side and- that was it. I’ve coached some boys’ club teams but I have no preference.”

What is your favorite thing about coaching at Strath Haven? “Obviously the players, the girls, and working with Coach Adams— he’s great. The girls that we’ve had come through the past 16 years all were great. They have great character, it helps that they’re also talented soccer players.”

What challenges have you faced as a soccer coach so far?

“I don’t know if there are any specific challenges, just every year there is the challenge of replacing a graduating class with new girls. At the high school every year, new girls graduate, new girls come and you have to work with new players with different personalities. Trying to mesh is always a challenge as I find all of the players’ strengths.” How did it feel to have so much support from your players after your 200th win?

“It was very humbling and I was speechless. There were some girls that I haven’t seen in 10 years that showed up or either were there, or their parents were there or emailed me. It was just a very humbling moment.”

Timmy Styer talks school, football, and soccer

Senior student athlete discusses senior year so far

Senior Timmy Styer is easily recognized on the soccer field, and has now become a familiar face on the football field, too, as this year’s varsity kicker. We sat down with him to talk about his athletic and academic pursuits.

How have the first few months of senior year been going?

“Pretty good. Pretty easy. So far, I felt like in the past, all the classes start to get hard, like, around the beginning middle of October. But I feel like some teachers are just kind of laying easier, because they know we have college applications and essays and all that stuff going on. So it’s been pretty fun. So far pretty laid back.”

Do you feel a clear difference between this year and junior year?

“Very. My classes this year are way easier. But that could also just be because I chose my classes to be stronger in my junior year for college purposes. So then this year, I have way more electives and not free classes, but they’re just more, like, laid back. Like, cooking and graphic design aren’t necessarily the hardest classes.”

How has Med Careers been going?

“Yeah, I really like it. It’s my favorite class that I’ve taken in high school with the opportunities it allows for shadowing doctors and being allowed to go watch operations. And obviously, I wouldn’t be taking it if I didn’t have an interest in a medical career. But I did. So I took it and I figured the worst that happens was I didn’t get accepted into the program. But I got accepted. And it’s been my favorite class so far.”

Do you want to be a doctor?

“I do.”

Do you know what kind?

“Yeah, the ultimate goal would be orthopedic surgery. So we’ll see how the next, like, thirteen years go.”

Do you currently have any plans for after you graduate high school?

“I’m applying early decision to the University of Miami. I plan to go and dual major in marine science and

microbiology/immunology.”

Can you talk a little bit about your decision to join football after being known for soccer?

“So I’ve been playing soccer for my whole life. And Charlie Shankweiler was the kicker for football last year. And when he graduated, the football guys, the coaches kind of came to me. And they were like, hey, we need a kicker. And would you be interested in just coming out and seeing how you like it? So during the spring, during spring practices, I went out and tried it. Obviously, I love everyone on the team. It’s amazing. wasn’t too difficult to kick a football, from past experiences with soccer. Yeah. So I stuck with it. And now I’m on soccer and football.”

Do you prefer one sport over the other?

“I mean, I prefer soccer. But that’s also, just because I’ve been playing football really for like a few months now. Haven’t really had the full football experience. And I’m only allowed to kick. Like, I’m not allowed to play any other position. So that could also sway that.”

Can you talk about the experience of having your dad as your soccer coach?

“It’s been interesting. Definitely more harsh on me than all the other kids. Definitely picks me out when I do something wrong. But that’s kind of expected. But it’s been also really fun to kind of have like, more criticism come out of it. Because other coaches might not catch on as much because he’s specifically watching me more than everyone else. So he can kind of notice all the little things that I mess up.”

What is one interesting thing about you that you think most people probably don’t know?

“I mean, I would say, definitely the fingers and the hands. But I feel like a lot of people know that, but also forget about it and kind of block it out. It doesn’t really impact my life at all. But it’s just kind of there. I really like it. And knowing all the history and backstory is behind, it makes it way better. We are considered in the top ten greatest human genetic discoveries, which is obviously a very big deal. Yeah, it’s being one of, like, 100 in the world. It’s pretty cool.”

16 SPORTS
BELOVED BY THE TEAM • Head girls soccer coach Gino Miraglia receives his 200-win jersey from Athletic Director Mr. Pat Clancy at the home game versus Upper Darby on Sept. 6. PHOTO: K. PLOWS TOP • Senior Tim Styer poses with his parents, science teacher and coach Mr. Tim Styer and Mrs. Alicia Styer on boys soccer senior night. BOTTOM • Styer kicks during Haven’s 41-16 win against Ridley on October 7. PHOTO: K. MONTAGUE
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