April 2018

THE STINGER

April 2018 Volume 43

@stinger.ehs @stingerehs

Issue 6

@StingerEHS

Frank Meeink uses his past neo-Nazi experience to explain the importance of diversity. Left: photo by Rylan Bassett. Right: photo by Arianna Werner.

FROM SKINHEAD TO SPEAKER

Former neo-Nazi advocates for acceptance at EHS

Katie Taranto News Editor On April 18, students and faculty gathered together in the Emmaus High School auditorium to listen to a speech delivered

by Frank Meeink -- a Philadelphia native, successful author, and professional speaker.

And a former neo-Nazi.

Born in South Philly in 1975 with an abusive environment and absent parents, Meeink quickly became prey for hate groups and violent gangs who roamed the streets. By the age of 18, Meeink was a prominent skinhead gang leader and neoNazi recruiter. With these titles, he was a blatant racist and participated in harmful acts of gang violence. However, after spending time in an Illinois prison for kidnapping, his life was changed forever as he learned to accept others for who they are.

Today, he is a strong and internationally-known advocate against hate, violence, and bullying as part of the Anti-Defamation League. Meeink’s visit was hosted by the No Place for Hate club. Stephanie Larkin, the teacher advisor for NPFH, wanted Meeink to visit EHS for a long time.

“I’m really excited, it’s just been a goal of mine for many years to try and make it happen, but there were a lot of factors to take into consideration, like timing, cost,” Larkin said. “It’s just really awesome that Dr. [Kate] Kieres has supported us to make it happen.”

Meeink’s message of acceptance and diversity captivated the students and

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First LGBT couple makes prom court

faculty who listened to his speech. Junior Ariana Sefranek, a member of NPFH, could relate personally to Meeink’s past struggles with bullying.

“When I was a freshman, I was the only girl who took Engineering Technology, so I got bullied a lot for that,” Sefranek said.

Kieres believes that specific groups of students at EHS might feel left out because of their differences, just like Sefranek did.

Empathy can change anybody-it can change the world.”

Frank Meeink “I think we certainly always hear that students who are in any underrepresented group feel marginalized,” Kieres said.

“Sometimes that’s based on concrete experiences that they have, like name calling, or they might have a bad interaction with another student. But other times [the students] just speak to a general feeling of exclusion.”

Meeink’s words resonated even more with students and faculty because of his roots, growing up in close proximity to the EHS community.

“I think that [with Meeink being from Philadelphia], it brings to reality to the students that negative types of ideas or

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Students speak about #MeToo

viewpoints are not endemic to the south, or anywhere else,” Larkin said. “They’re happening right here, under our noses.

Hate can be anywhere, and we’re not immune or isolated from it.”

Students were moved by Meeink’s story, and felt it gave a fresh perspective on issues such as racism and bullying.

“I definitely think [Meeink’s views] project a different insight for our school to see how other hate groups have affected us as a generation,” Sefranek said.

Larkin recognizes that although Meeink’s story comes from a violent background, his message can relate to students everywhere.

“I think that his message of empathy and acceptance speaks to everyone,” Larkin said. “You know, no matter what [students’] feelings are, whether they’re already at that level or they need to get to that level, I think he touched students on a lot of different topics.”

Kieres hopes that students will take away smart decision-making skills from Meeink’s talk, and be mindful of who they interact with.

“I hope that [students] will recognize for themselves that there are those groups out there who may seek to interact with them in [a negative] way,” Kieres said.

“They want to be careful about who they interact with. But I also hope that students will recognize that right now, we’re continually focused on school safety, in wake of the Parkland shooting and all of the conversations we’ve been having.”

During his speech, Meeink spoke of the

importance of being understanding. He preached about how change starts with action, even if it may be uncomfortable.

“High school is the part [of your life] when you’re starting to find yourself as a human being,” Meeink said. “You have to decide whether you’re going to stand up for the easier parts of life, or stand up for the right things that may not be popular.

Going through the hard times makes you who you are. You are part of the bullying problem if you are a bystander.”

To Meeink, empathy is the most important quality of all.

“Empathy can change anybody- it can change the world,” Meeink said. “The human race is made up of empathy.

[Change] all starts with little things, like holding the door for someone, saying thank you, saying please. It’s a huge deal.”

Kieres feels gratitude for the opportunity to have Meeink speak at EHS, and hopes that students will absorb his message of inclusion.

“I feel like Frank is really a gift to us at this time right now,” Kieres said. “The best way for us to be the safest school that we can be is to be the most inclusive school that we can be. I believe that.”

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STINGEREHS.COM

Behind the Fortnite frenzy

To read The Stinger’s in-depth report on racism in the East Penn area, visit stingerehs.com.

New turf coming this summer

News 2

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STINGEREHS.COM

APRIL 2018

Walkout inspires activism, continues to draw criticism Luke Maake Editor-in-Chief When local politics call, Aidan Levinson seems to answer.

The Emmaus High School junior runs several campaigns for county and municipal office. He volunteers for political actions events. So when discussion at a recent East Penn School Board meeting turned to the March 14 walkout at EHS, Levinson was there.

Levinson reacted strongly when school director Carol Allen said that she believed it was illegal for teachers to be outside during the 17-minute protest.

Teachers who did not have classes during the student-organized walkout were asked to supervise students who chose to go outside and honor those who died in the Parkland, Florida, tragedy.

Allen, however, believes that the school board has the authority and obligation to mandate that student protests and demonstrations be held after school hours, so as not to disrupt the school day.

The school board is expected to debate her policy at the next school board meeting, to be held on April 23. Her proposal includes exactly how she wishes to handle future political events organized by students.

“Administration/Staff will encourage [the] event to take place after school and facilitate the event in an organized and safe fashion,” it reads. “The plan should address: Communication to parents; Date, time, purpose, and location of event; The role/involvement of the teachers and other school staff; Speeches and distribution of materials; Involvement of the media.”

The proposal also states that the administration holds the right to decide whether or not to punish students for participating in walkouts during the school day.

impulsively choose to walk out on a whim, and if they’re not allowed, you therefore open yourself up to a possible ACLU lawsuit, because you’ve allowed it for one type of protest, so why not here?” Tantaros said.

More nationwide walkouts were planned for April 20, but EHS students chose to hold a “Day of Action” instead Junior Ben Lewis speaks up at the March 14 walkout. Photo of walking out. The newly-formed EHS activby Rylan Bassett. ism group spearheaded Levinson believes Allen’s approach to the planning of the day, student activism infringes on students’ which included voter registration, a phone First Amendment rights. He also disbank, and speakers. Two of the speakagrees with Allen’s view that the teachers ers included Sen. Pat Browne and a staff shouldn’t have been outside during the member for Sen. Lisa Boscola. walkout.

One of the leaders of EHS activism, “The only role that [the administration] senior Grace Lewis, thought that the Day did have was they just provided security of Action was a good step forward from and were out there for safety,” Levinson the walkout. said. “I think that should be it, and they “For me, [the Day of Action] is about agreed that should be it. [The walkout] taking all this energy that we have from was totally student-run, and that’s how it the walkout and actually doing something should be.” good and productive with it,” Lewis said.

Emmaus community member Barbara “We can protest and things like that, but Tantaros, however, had different conif we don’t take steps to actually change cerns about the walkout-- concerns that what we dislike in government, then the she voiced at the March 26 school board protest is essentially worthless.” meeting.

Levinson agrees.

“What was supposed to be a memo“This is the only way to respond to evrial for the 17 children killed in Parkland, eryone saying, ‘You don’t have a voice,’” Fla., turned out to be a political, partisan, Levinson said. “There’s a lot of people progressive event,” Tantaros said. “You’ve upset, and the only way to calm it down now set a precedent.” is to get people registered to vote to make Tantaros warned the board of possible their voices heard.” legal issues that may arise if the district The genesis of EHS activism was durchooses to not allow certain walkouts. ing preparations for the March 14 walk“You may have one student decide to out; however, Lewis and Levinson believe

that the Day of Action helped to transition the focus away from gun violence and towards student political engagement in general.

“We’re trying to promote any sort of activism at all,” Lewis said. “If a student doesn’t feel passionate about gun violence but feels passionate about gay rights, or is pro-life or pro-choice, our goal is to provide a platform where those students can reach out and have their voices heard no matter what their message is.”

Levinson feels that while gun violence may still be a priority for most students, they’re also exploring other topics that they’re passionate about.

“I’d say that [gun violence] is probably at the top of every student’s list for something to care about,” Levinson said.

“Being involved has opened them up to a bunch of other issues, so they’re also interested in other issues now. They’re branching out.”

The upcoming midterm elections, to be held in November, are one of the main factors motivating students to get politically involved, as they’re slated to be highly impactful. Republicans currently hold a majority in Congress, but that could very easily change.

Lewis thinks it’s especially important for Democrats to get out and vote.

“If you look at past trends, especially in a tumultuous presidency, the tide tends to shift, and because of all the press that President Trump has been getting, there’s been an equal amount of backlash from the Democrats,” Lewis said. “This is an important election for Democrats if they really want to retake the Senate or the House.”

Search kicks off for new superintendent Destiny Swan-Palms News Contributor With Superintendent Michael Schilder set to retire on June 30, East Penn education and community leaders are hunting for a replacement to lead the 8,000-student school district.

During a school board meeting on Dec. 11, Schilder announced his resignation to students and faculty. Schilder came to East Penn in 2014 from a district in New Jersey from which he had previously retired.

In Feb. the school board agreed to hire the Pennsylvania School Board Association to assist in the search to replace Schilder; the PSBA committee was accepting applications until earlier this month.

There are many regulations put in place to ensure that the board hires the best of the best, and Dr. Ziad Munson, one of the nine members of East Penn’s school board, knows all of the in and outs of the hiring process.

“First, the school board is using an outside agency [the PSBA], which is a non-profit organization,” Munson said. “We hired them them to help with the search… they know how and where to hire them [superintendents], and they also do background checks.”

Together, school directors and PSBA officials discuss the necessary requirements for applicants.

“Anyone who meets qualifications can send in an application; that’s what’s happening as of right now,” Munson said. “[Additionally] we, as a school board, commissioned a survey for the public.”

This survey was open to parents and employees of the district to solicit their feedback on topics that they felt were important in the district, as well as qualities they seek in a leader.

“After all applications are in, the board gets together, reads all the applications, and discusses strengths and weaknesses of each select applicant,” Munson said.

Though Schilder believes that the district has many assets, he is aware that the new superintendent will have to work with the board to improve certain areas.

“Technology, there’s a lot to catch up with; we’ve kind of been languishing the past couple years,” Schilder said.

Dr. Schilder announced he will retire in June. Photo courtesy of Stinger photo file.

“One [challenge] is to keep the technology plan moving forward and get devices in hands of students one to one.

The budget overall…money is always an issue for any school district. [A challenge would be to] make sure tax increases aren’t too high, balance budget and do what’s right for students and the community itself.”

A 2014 study from the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA) revealed that superintendents were leaving the field in “unprecedented numbers,” largely due to political and fiscal pressures as well as other growing responsibilities. However, Schilder feels that East Penn remains a solid district for potential leaders. “[Our district’s] reputation is always good so we’re able to draw good people; therefore, we have a strong staff, both teachers and administration,” he said. “[The] community itself is forward thinking, the students are wonderful, the parents are very supportive and want to

see school progress.”

More qualities to look for are work ethic, character, and leadership since many staff and students will rely on the chosen applicant to lead not only the district, but the community.

“Leadership at [the] superintendent level requires someone who can work effectively and lead the district, [who] works on behalf of staff and helps develop teaching skills, [and is] a leader in the community,” Munson said. “The success of our community is tied to the success of our schools.”

The PASA study showed that many superintendents spend about three years in their post.

“It’s not … easy, it’s a hard job and there aren’t that many people who want to do the job,” Schilder said.

“You have to be a good educator, leader and work with board of education. [There are] long hours, but we won’t have a hard time finding a superintendent. East Penn will be able to attract good candidates with our reputation.”

The last step in the hiring process is narrowing down the list of applicants; finalists will then move on to the last stage.

“There will then be a small number of finalists invited to the district public, where they will start touring schools and meeting with people,” Munson said.

Furthermore, the finalist will undergo extensive interviews. Once they find the right person to fit the job, the board hosts a public meeting.

Under this new superintendent, the district hopes to reach several goals. “[Our objective is to] have a superintendent who can preserve excellence in our district and improve areas where we need it, find creative ways to deal with outside problems and pressures that we face, and can think creatively to fix that,” Munson said.

Drawing from his own experience, Schilder offers advice to the future superintendent.

“As educators we tend to miss the opportunity to listen to high school students as to what they need, feel, and think,” Schilder said. “Start out by listening… see what we have, see what we need, and then go out with a plan.”

THE STINGER

APRIL 2018

Making EHS history

First lesbian couple nominated for junior prom court

Lily Day News Editor For the first time at Emmaus High School, a gay couple has a spot in the prom court.

Liz Nguyen and Sophia DiLauro, juniors who have been dating for over a year, were nominated through a vote by their classmates to be among the prom court couples vying to be crowned prom royalty.

DiLauro never planned on being a part of the prom court.

“I never wanted to be part of the prom court because I didn’t think I would be able to actually have a chance of being in it,” DiLauro said. “I always had the image of the most popular couple winning, so it’s awesome knowing we have a chance. It definitely was a spontaneous thing.”

Like DiLauro, Nguyen did not originally believe that they would have the chance to be in the court.

“Since we are not the traditional king and queen, I thought people wouldn’t nominate us, but I was wrong,” Nguyen said. “We didn’t think our campaigning would get so big.”

Nguyen sees the opportunity to be in the prom court as both an achievement and a responsibility.

“I am honored to be nominated as one of the kings for junior prom,” Nguyen said. “Getting this far already feels like we won something. And because we are the first lesbian couple to be a part of prom court, the pressure is on us to be role models for future LGBTQ+ students who want to be on the court.”

Though Nguyen has faced a few negative comments for being a female running for the traditionally male role of prom king, both she and DiLauro are happy to have many supporters at EHS. “Some people may not be supportive, but I don’t feel uncomfortable by anyone,” DiLauro said. “We have a great support system from our grade.”

DiLauro cites science teacher Brian Harkness as a mentor who would defend her and Nguyen in the face of any adversity.

“I would personally like to thank Mr. Harkness for always supporting his students,” DiLauro said. “He is always there for us and I know he would always protect Liz and I.” Like DiLauro, Nguyen praises the EHS community for its willingness to embrace LGBTQ+ individuals.

“We wouldn’t be on the court without the support from

DiLauro and Nguyen also attended homecoming together this school year. Photo courtesy of Nguyen. our peers,” Nguyen said. “Our friends and classmates are the ones that made this possible. Emmaus is an LGBTQ+ friendly community and with the growing amount of members, the administration has done a great job at making this school safe.”

Now that they know they are in the prom court, DiLauro and Nguyen are excitedly awaiting May 5 and making preparations. However, DiLauro still expresses some apprehension.

“As much as I am excited for [junior prom], there is that underlying fear of being bullied or booed for being in a very comfortable lesbian relationship,” DiLauro said.

“People stare and people talk. But I have never questioned my safety and I am very proud to go to a high school that is so supportive.

“I am proud of who I am and of who Liz is and no one can change that from their comments” she said. “I want to also thank our friends for not judging us and allowing us to be who we are. Even if we don’t win, and I am perfectly okay with that, I am glad I still get to stand up there with the other prom court nominees and still have a chance.”

Buzz Magazine prepares for annual fashion show Makenzie Christman Associate Editor On May 19, Buzz Magazine plans to hold its third fashion show featuring student-made clothing collections.

Since January, junior Alisha Scott has been preparing for the show.

The club has several photographers, makeup artists, designers, a DJ and models secured for the event.

As the club’s president, Scott finds herself overwhelmed with her responsibilities at times, but is thankful for the opportunity.

“I like having a leadership role and I like being able to be the one that organizes [the fashion show], but it’s also a lot,” Scott said. “We have a reputation for the fashion show, being the third year [that we’ve done it], and I have to uphold the reputation Alston and Keenan will have their brand because the girls last year and the featured in this year’s show. Photo couryear before did a great job.” tesy of Joe Alston.

While the club encourages all members to participate in the fashion “[The show is] an all encompassshow, Scott finds that a large burden ing showcase of what students are of responsibility is placed on her capable of doing because I know shoulders. However, her main goal is when you think of major designers for the show to run smoothly, in an in the fashion industry, they’re all organized, timely fashion. As the date older and more experienced. But that approaches, Scott looks forward to experience can be seen in the younger the event and wishes for everyone’s generation...everyone gets excited for talents to be recognized. it. Certain people like to model, some “It’s a really good representadon’t, some like to write, some don’t, tion of what we’ve been working but in the fashion show, everyone has on throughout the year,” Scott said. a job and feels included.”

Junior Samantha Werst feels the same way, as her collection will be featured in the fashion show.

“It makes me feel a lot more involved,” Werst said. “Normally, I just model, [but] now I’m also doing an article. Now, I get to involve myself and feel more a part of it and I really like that.”

Werst’s collection consists of one romper, two skirts, one shirt, and a dress. Knowing that her friends will model her designs thrills her.

“It’s really fun because when [my friends] see [my designs] they get really excited and it makes me feel really proud of myself.” Werst said.

Juniors Joe Alston and Dylan Keenan’s collections will also be included in the fashion show. Alston’s goals are to gain more exposure, resulting in more customers for their brand, Bleached Outfitters.

“When we were designing we were like ‘hey, we should start getting paid for this,’” Alston said.

“My hopes are that we get paid for selling.”

When Alston and Keenan launched their T-shirts, they sold out in one week.

“I was really happy seeing that there were so many buyers,” Alston said. “...It was a really good feeling.”

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Finalists advance to state History Day

Tabitha Nowak News Editor After placing at the regional competition, 19 Emmaus High School students are preparing to present their projects at the state level of National History Day. The students are Danielle Kleinberg and Krista Slifka (group exhibit), Miguel Abadilla, Aidan Connolly, Alec Liu, Martin Liu, and Angel Wan (group exhibit), Mia Day (individual exhibit), Pandora and Stefania Schoen (group performance), Mehrunnisa Chaudhry, Mia Columbus, Maya Schlesinger, and Anika Stetz (group performace), Preston Isom and Elijah Zukowski (group documentary), Fionnuir NiChochlain (historical paper), Francis Hughes (individual website), and Dylan Michael (individual documentary).

These students were derived from a total of 34 EHS regional competitors.

About 120 students created projects to fit the theme “Conflict and Compromise in History,” attending History Day club meetings and working either independently or in a small group. Out of this number, two projects were chosen from each category (exhibit, website, documentary, performance, paper) to advance to the regional competition, held last month at Muhlenberg College.

Judges ask those individuals/groups several questions, which history teacher Melissa Montero explains are designed to make students explain the intent and depth of the project.

“Usually the interview questions build off of your research, and they ask not only for understanding of the content but the context and how it fits to the theme,” Montero said.

The state level follows the same structure, but becomes more competitive.

History teacher Eric Luckenbill believes that the large number of qualifying students is due in part to the creation of History Day club.

“We used to have somewhere between eight and 12 qualify for History Day which was still excellent, but now, the last two years, we’ve [had] 15 to 20,” Luckenbill said. “We’re seeing almost double the amount of state qualifiers.”

History Day club, which was organized for the 2016-2017 school year, was intended to encourage upperclassmen, who do not create a History Day project as part of their class curriculum, to still participate. Some history classes exempt History Day participants from the midterm exam, using the grade on the project in place of a test grade, as an incentive to participate.

Luckenbill sees the addition of older students as a great change to the largely freshman-oriented project.

“I think it just gives upperclassmen an opportunity to sit down and discuss with each other to at least get checkpoints and to just have that ongoing conversation,” Luckenbill said. “Now, we’re seeing huge numbers of upperclassmen because of the success they had as freshman, or because they want to work with friends, or because they’re responding to some of the incentives that our department has, which is really good because some of the best kids in our school are getting the opportunity to show their talents and have success with History Day.” Stefania and Pandora Schoen, sophomore and freshman respectively, won first place in the performance category and were happy to incorporate two of their interests, acting and history, into a single project.

“Stefania and I really like history and it’s always been one of our passions,” Pandora Schoen said.

“Especially in school. And we thought that [History Day] is a really good idea because it helps you understand everything that’s going around right now and it really enlightens you; even things from that time period are influential today.”

Montero appreciates that History Day is not only a grade, but it provides students with necessary experience.

“I think History Day is a wonderful contest to promote not only the study and awareness of history, but to help students learn skills,” Montero said. “To help them develop time management, to help them develop critical thinking, research skills, collaborative skills, communication skills. [It] takes you outside of the regular school curriculum and allows you to develop yourself as a student even further.”

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THE STINGER

APRIL 2018

Author Jay Heinrichs discusses rhetoric in EHS presentation Bibi Correa Features Editor While looking through countless library books, a red-leathered volume caught a young Jay Heinrichs’ attention. The signature of former President John Quincy Adams graced the cover. Heinrichs excitedly tore open the book, in hopes of understanding the meaning behind the Harvard professor’s words.

This was the moment Heinrichs knew he wanted to study rhetoric and fully comprehend the power of words.

With this newfound interest, Heinrichs wrote his New York Times best-selling novel, “Thank You for Arguing.” In it he discusses how to use different rhetorical strategies through personal anecdotes and hypothetical situations. Because the book covers many topics discussed in the AP Language course, students were required to read it over the summer.

English teacher Bridget Doklan reached out to Heinrichs, hoping to have him speak to students. She believes that all students, especially those enrolled in the course, can benefit from Heinrichs’ work.

“It’s nice for them to hear from an author they read and an accessible way to understand rhetoric,” Doklan said. “It reinforces things that they’ve learned in the book and throughout the year.”

On April 6, around 320 Emmaus High School students crowded the auditorium and waited patiently for the speaker to come in.

Heinrichs engaged the the students immediately by having them guess the accuracy of facts he placed on the screen. Through doing the exercise, he had the students realize that facts have to do with the context of the situation. He explained that by first ignoring the facts, people are able to step back. This allows them to ask whether the person stating the facts benefits from saying it and if they have the authority to do so. Heinrichs then suggests asking for sources.

He then briefly explained how faith in journalism is rapidly decreasing due to governmental bias and scientific inaccuracy. However, Heinrichs urges students to not distrust journalism, but rather to follow a variety of sources to get all sides of a story.

Heinrichs also gave students tips on how to win arguments; according to him, the best way is to talk about the future. He went over rhetorical strategies covered in his book. The most notable was framing: providing context to an issue and making it unique to the situation. Say what the issue is about if known, and if not, then ask.

This allows one to redefine and reframe the issue and

express great concern about the problem at hand.

Because of the subject matter, Heinrichs didn’t expect his book to be read by students. When he found out that AP classes were using his work, he realized that it may do great things.

“I did it not for me but for the country,” Heinrichs said. “Because my secret ambition was to bring back the art of rhetoricism. People think rhetoric is bad. They think the cure is less rhetoric, but the most important job is persuading people and knowing the tools to do so.”

Throughout the rest of the morning seminar he told personal anecdotes about his family, himself, or excerpts from his book to allow students to gain a better idea on rhetoric and rhetorical strategies.

Later, students were able to asks questions relating to the topics and explain to him certain situations in their daily life pertaining to the art of rhetoric.

After lunch only the AP Language students remained, and there Heinrichs explained what makes a good college essay. Reading his own excerpts from Southwest Airlines, in which he publishes once a month, students were asked to pick apart the strategies he used in his work. Then they were given time to brainstorm with their peers and Heinrichs himself over their essay topics.

Soon students lined up to talk to him, anxiously waiting to hear his advice.

Several students, including junior Ben Brown, enjoyed the presentation and thought that the seminar was especially helpful as it gave a new perspective on topics they learned in class and can use further on.

“Learning to write well is a great skill,” Brown said. “It’s something that can shape your life for the Jay Heinrichs speaks about the importance of rhetoric in everyday life. Photos by Arianna future.”

Werner.

Counselors organize career speaker visits

Tabitha Nowak News Editor As part of a newly implemented career initiative program, Emmaus High School is beginning to integrate further career education programs, including community speakers and a career fair.

The counseling department is inviting professionals and trade workers who live in the area to discuss their jobs, including their day-to-day activities, the certificates they needed to obtain, pros and cons of their careers, and any advice they have to offer to students who plan to pursue an occupation in their field.

Jennifer Carolla, a counselor at EHS involved in the planning of career visits, believes that this is a unique experience.

“I think the really interesting thing is the information these people are sharing is not stuff that you can find online necessarily,” Carolla said. “It’s what obstacles did they encounter, and if they had to do things differently, what would that look like. And so to be able to impart those words of wisdom on students who haven’t Civil engineer Brian Teles advises junior Anthony Cino. Photo by Arianna Werner. yet had those experiences, I think it’s hugely beneficial.”

Some students have received netthe realm of science. However, Budhwar Having only been in effect since March working opportunities as a result of the was pleasantly surprised by the presenta12, those benefits have yet to be reaped. tion given.

Still, Carolla has high expectations for the program. Barbara Paluszek, director of human resource operations at Air Prod“I know what HR [human resource] future. ucts, offered shadowing experience to the does now...it actually opened a door,” “My hope is that it will give [students] attendees of her presentation.

Budhwar said. “[A] great thing about the more direction as they think about any Sophomore Taylor Kooker plans to take career meetings is that it opens up a doortype of post-secondary credentials that advantage of Palusek’s proposal. way to see that maybe you enjoy a differthey want to go on and achieve, whether “I’ve always wanted to go to Air ent job that you never even knew about.” that’s a four-year degree, whether that’s a Products,” Kooker said. “I think that’s an Community-wide interest and foretwo-year degree, whether that’s a certifiamazing opportunity.” seeable advantages for students, along cate,” Carolla said. “And then in essence Sophomore Hershiet Budhwar origiwith new Pennsylvania state regulations they save time and money so that they’re prompted this addition to the career exnot floundering around trying to figure out nally signed up to see Paluszek speak under the impression that her job was in ploration tools used in school. Carolla and what they want to do.”

the district counselors are pleased by these statewide changes.

“This is coming down from the state, [but] it’s also something that we counselors, K to 12, very much believe in and [we] are very excited about the possibilities to deliver career awareness,” Carolla said.

In addition to speakers, the counseling department is working to create plans for a career fair in October. Following the systematic format of the spring college fair, representatives from a variety of trades and professions will attend to offer personal insight to students.

“There would be a wide, diverse range of jobs and careers,” Carolla said. “Not just the typical engineer, architect, it would be electricians, or welders...we have a career speaker coming in that’s a stenographer. We’re just trying to expose students to more careers and potentially match their skills and abilities, or their interests, to a position that would be lucrative for them.”

Thus far, the recent addition of speakers to career readiness education at EHS has taught the attendees valuable lessons.

Junior Aidan Levinson, who sat in on Wesley Works Owner Wesley Barrett’s presentation, received helpful advice in the business field.

“Take any opportunity that presents itself...You need to make your connections, keep your connections,” Levinson said.

Budhwar believes that it is important for students to explore the career speaker options at EHS, and drew his own conclusion from his experience.

“Don’t limit yourself to only things you know,” Budhwar said. “I think that’s one of the biggest things. Just try new things.”

THE STINGER | APRIL 2018

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THE STINGER

APRIL 2018

Opinion THE STINGER

Emmaus High School 500 Macungie Ave. Emmaus, PA 18049 EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Luke Maake, Marley Wait ASSOCIATE EDITOR Makenzie Christman MANAGING NEWS EDITOR Lily Day ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS Tabitha Nowak, Katie Taranto MANAGING OPINION EDITOR Erica Love ASSISTANT OPINION EDITORS Ronnie Rohlsen, Kaylee Ruiz MANAGING FEATURES EDITOR Bibi Correa ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITORS Chloe Gerhard, Julia Popule MANAGING CULTURE EDITOR Joe Eckstein ASSISTANT CULTURE EDITORS Rylan Bassett, Renee Martin MANAGING SPORTS EDITOR James Marler ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS Caroline Bond, Adrianna Tomasello BUSINESS MANAGER Abby Perkins PHOTO EDITORS Emma Brashear, Arianna Werner MANAGING ONLINE EDITOR Izzy Wegner ASSISTANT ONLINE EDITOR Makayla Frazier CONVERGENCE EDITOR Bradley Klemick

Editorial Policy The Stinger is a student-run newspaper published six times per year. Its content, which is the responsibility of the student staff, is not subject to direct administrative approval. The newspaper, which is designed as an open forum, serves to inform and entertain its readers as well as enrich students interested in print media studies.

Business For advertising, contact business manager Abby Perkins.

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Submit an editorial to stingerehs@gmail.com 2.5 page maximum, double-spaced Letters to the Editor are also welcome.

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The stigma in pursuing artistic careers

Kaylee Ruiz Opinion Editor There is a common misconception in today’s society that those who pursue careers in an artistic or creative field cannot achieve stable employment or make money, and will become the proverbial “starving artist.”

This is not to say that every individual who majors in art will fall into poverty, but that they are expected to lack financial stability or success.

In 1847, French author Henri Murger published his fiction novel “Scènes de la Vie de Bohème” or “Scenes of Bohemian Life,” depicting experiences with poverty and a creative career that led to a penniless life. Murger’s romanticized concept of destitution introduced the starving artist stereotype, and spin-offs of the topic were made in pop culture years later. As the story was adapted, Murger’s misfortune became the most popular understanding of a creative life.

Nowadays, the familiar narrative of the starving artist connotes that those who work in a design or crafts-oriented field will fail financially. This extends also to music, photography, writing, theater or other fields that have few job positions.

It takes time to establish a successful career in an artistic profession.

“Sometimes you need to start at the rough and uncreative jobs before you get to make your art,” Katie Pfenninger, an art teacher at Emmaus High School. “A lot of people told me I should go get an extra certification in a more academic career as a backup, but when

you know what you want to do, you know.”

The myth is woven into our lives from the moment we discover creative passions.

It comes in the form of helpful advice from family and friends, media that portrays musicians starving on the street, or our knowledge of what a “safe job” is. It comes in the Those in artistic careers are often criticized and told they will not find financial indelicate remarks success. Illustration by Kaylee Ruiz. of family members passion has to be so strong some degree of creativity in to avoid wishful thinking and in that, even if people tell you you them, and can be more finanthe individual’s fear. Parents of- can’t do it or you can’t find the cially rewarding than freelance ten dissuade their children from money in it, nothing can get in work. entering a high-risk career path, your way.”

“Despite people thinking and while people have good Additionally, those who that art isn’t a very prospective intentions with these warnings, achieve security in an artistic career, I do my best anyway,” they may be more harmful than career are not taken seriously Brianna Escamilla, a sophmore cautionary. for the work they do. Extracurin the Drawing 1 class, says.

Although the starving artist ricular programs for the visual “[Securing a career in art is] a stereotype was based on a arts, theater and music are the tough thing to do, but a person fiction novel, the myth holds first to be defunded in schools, who’s determined can take the power. It is this power that further enforcing to students risk.” causes people to stray from everywhere that a passion for We fail to acknowledge their interests and choose less art has no merit. that some people’s definitions risky careers because it seems “Nothing is straightforward of success exceed monetary easier than struggling with what in our culture, [so] having an value. It is true that we live in they love. We choose stability understanding of creativity is a consumer world, but some over passion, apply to medical an advantage,” Caruso says. individuals benefit more from school instead of theater, major “We live in a visual world with an exciting career than an enorin finance instead of graphic the phones, the media, the ads, mous paycheck. Money and design, and become lawyers and you can have an artistic success will be a struggle in instead of poets. We teach our or design oriented career in so any field one pursues, and the children from a young age to many places.” decision lies in whether or not sacrifice creativity for mediWhile it may be unrealistic you pursue a field you enjoy or ocrity because a predictable to chase a freelance occupation a field you believe will bring career will pay the rent. without any previous experiyou money.

“You have to love it,” Lisa ence, it’s not just bestselling “If there’s a possibility I’ll Caruso, the ceramic art teacher authors, Billboard singers or struggle, and there’s a possibilat Emmaus, says. “Don’t purEmmy-winning actors who ity I’ll be happy every day of sue a career because you think can make money off of their my life, how could I not take there are job possibilities. Your art. Several careers incorporate that chance?” Escamilla says.

Why police training is flawed Ronnie Rohlsen Opinion Editor On March 18, an unarmed man by the name of Stephon Clark was shot and killed by police officers, adding another name to the list of Americans killed by those sworn to protect them.

The shooting of Stephon Clark represents a multitude of different issues. While Stephon’s status as a black man is a point of contention for many media outlets, it is not what I intend to focus on.

Aside from the racial issue being done to death, the bodycam of the police officers involved in the incident shows that the shooting occurred in a dark area and that Stephon was wearing a hood when he was shot at, so Stephon’s race would not have been identifiable in those conditions.

Furthermore, the 911 call that was made to alert the officers of a man breaking into car windows and stealing, a man suspected to be Stephon, includes a moment in which the caller states that he could not tell what the suspect’s race was. All this would lead one to believe that Stephon’s unfortunate death was not the result of a racist agenda fostered by police officers, but rather the result of a lack of training.

The video from one of the officer’s bodycams depicts a dark backyard. The officers involved were clearly nervous, barking at Stephon to show them his hands. A few seconds went by, and the officer once again asked for Stephon to show him his hands, except this time before giving Stephon enough time to process what was said, the officer shouts “gun, gun, gun,” and 20 shots are fired at Stephon, eight of which connected.

The officers attempted to administer CPR, but failed. After Stephon was searched, it was discovered that there was in fact no “gun” in his hands, and the only thing on him was a cell phone.

The entire incident could have been prevented with more training: more training to handle night situations, more training to discipline trigger fingers and more training to give suspects more time to deal with commands suddenly shouted at them in their backyard.

The benefits of training police officers is abundantly obvious.

According to a chart in The Economist based on FBI statistics, approximately 458 Americans are killed by police officers each year. This is made even worse when one takes into account that the FBI does not require police departments to report arrest-related ho-

micides, leading the Bureau of Justice to estimate that this number could be twice as large. The Washington Post tracked this number through the media and found that in 2017, 987 American citizens were killed by police. These numbers are astoundingly high, and scanning the Washington Post Police Shootings Database shows that an average of two to four people are killed by police in America every day. Conversely, the Economist notes that British and Japanese police forces kill approximately zero people each year.

To Americans, these numbers seem unbelievable and unexplainable until you realize one major discrepancy in training between British and American forces.

According to Bureau of Justice statistics, American police generally spend 111 hours on firearms training and self-defense while only spending eight hours on conflict management, putting a greater emphasis on using force to stop crimes. Meanwhile, Sir Peter Fahy, chief of the Greater Manchester Police, reported in an interview that British Police are trained to avoid firearms at all costs, focusing more on using words to talk down criminals and keep the peace. Their focus on de-escalating conflicts using words is so successful that the Greater Manchester Police have only reported two arrest-related deaths in the past 40 years. Their police are so well trained that a few years ago when a supposed terrorist went on a stabbing spree in a shop, officers were able to apprehend the suspect in a non-lethal manner and take him in without any police casualties.

Training our officers in a similar matter to British officers on how to deal with threats without automatically defaulting to killing targets would most likely save hundreds of lives and cut the number of firearm deaths down to as low as humanly possible, taking the power of the judge, jury and executioner away from the police and back into the hands of the justice system.

While training is important, there are many important issues to be addressed in this specific shooting. From officers silencing the microphones on their body cameras after the incident to Stephon’s wounds not matching the officer’s description of the event, there are clearly many problems that need to be addressed in the American police system, and the sooner we acknowledge these issues, the sooner police officers can be known for saving lives as opposed to taking them.

OPINION

THE STINGER

APRIL 2018

How does EHS welcome ninth grade?

What one year of Freshmen Academy did to integrate our youngest students

Erica Love Opinion Editor For many, the beginning of ninth grade was a harrowing time, filled with worries of getting lost, forgetting your locker combination, or getting jostled around by large, ruthless upperclassmen.

Fortunately, these fears are far from the reality for most freshmen at Emmaus High School. This can partly be attributed to the initiatives taken to make the school an inclusive and safe environment.

Freshmen Academy, created only this year, is the newest program geared to help ninth graders fuse into the school community.

As one of the highlights, older students were to regularly meet with freshmen Hornet Ambassadors and members of Freshmen Academy are two of the many components that to chat and answer queshelp integrate and welcome ninth graders into EHS. Photo by Arianna Werner. tions, opening up a friendly dialogue between different Another strength Miller late, which made it tougher.” people to speak their minds grade levels: a feature that pointed out included the weland have a forum,” Hafner The successes of the yielded mixed reviews from coming work of educators. said. “Like with the walkprogram, as highlighted by those involved.

“A lot of our teachers have out, they allowed students to Miller, largely pertained to Freshman Nicole Kujas really say what they believed really gone an extra mile this its academic reach. deemed the initiative helpful year to really get to know and make signs and protest “We definitely had some at the start of the year. students at a very good, profor what they believed in, so good success from the “Knowing that there were fessional, personal level…

I think [EHS] is welcoming midterm preparation and the going to be people to help and just [got] to know kids at to new ideas and different course selection preparation made [freshman year] a more assemblies that we had,” a deeper level,” Miller said. viewpoints, and I think a welcoming experience,” “I think they’ve all taken lot of teachers encourage Miller said. “Those gave us Kujas said. “You don’t a good step forward which healthy conversations, about a much better look at what want to ask someone [for has helped. There’s no one whether it be politics or freshmen really wanted directions] or pull out a map recipe for success.” different ideas.” and good feedback from -- my brother has told me Inclusive enough or not, Despite the pros of freshmen that we spoke to stories of people eating maps afterward, so we feel like freshman year at EHS turned dialogue and positivity, Emand stuff like that. But when out to be a better experience maus still lacks inclusivity those were really positive I saw people with the thing than what Kujas and Hafner in some areas for freshmen. [outcomes].” on their backpack that said expected, despite minor setKujas offered suggestions Ninth grade counselor mentor, you could just ask backs in the beginning.

Colleen Demchak commend- to include more of the ninth them [questions].”

“I’ve only heard a few grade in the school commued Freshmen Academy’s Yet, Kujas found the men- work, but agreed that it could nity. people say they’ve been toring and frequent catching pushed into a locker, so it’s “A lot of the freshmen be enhanced. up unnecessary as the year not like a normal experience progressed.

I would say [of] getting “[The mentors] coming shoved around, but it’s just into Flex Block might’ve very overwhelming,” Kujas been a waste of time,” Kujas said. “[But] overall, it’s not a said. “It might’ve been a scary place.” little extra.”

Hafner pointed out that Freshman classmate Allie although high school has Hafner felt similarly, but higher academic standards appreciated the openness of than middle school, they older student mentors. were still attainable and just “Hearing from upperclassneeded some getting used to. are sometimes scared to go “...This was the first year men saying the experiences “I think [ninth grade] to school events, like the of the Academy, and there that they had, and knowing was a lot different; it was a dances,” Kujas said. “[Emis room for improvement,” if you see that person who’s maus should be] encouraging new caliber of learning and Demchak said. “We are a mentor [that] you could I think it was much more [students] and putting up already working on how to always ask them a question work,” Hafner said. “At first signs for dances and school provide more opportunities [was beneficial],” Hafner I was kind of taken aback programs.” for next year’s freshmen to said. “I liked having for the by it, but then I adjusted to The Emmaus staff also interact with their mentors first couple of weeks people it and the faster pace and brought up some changes and feel even more welto come and check in, ask I really like it-- I like the that could be made to imcome.” ‘how’s it going, did you change.” prove the school’s inclusivAside from Freshmen figure out how to do this, did Academy’s work to involve The experiences of the ity. you figure out where you’re “It is critical that we adopt class of 2021 show that there and embrace the ninth grade, going.’ But after a while, it an attitude of kindness,” said are changes in life that canthere are other forces at just [felt] like we’ve been not always be helped by exDemchak. “There is no way play that make the school a through this before.” tra guidance or mentorship, for us to know for sure who friendly and inclusive place.

Since Freshmen Academy even though friendliness and may or may not be feeling Vocal students and signs only debuted in EHS this ac- advertising after-school the welcoming atmosphere excluded. An attitude of ademic year, there are a few of those initiatives can act as kindness can go a long way clubs are what Hafner bechanges in the mix that will by encouraging and welcom- an added benefit. lieved helped integrate her fix the fledgling program’s There are situations that into EHS, which she indicat- ing all students.” kinks for the class of 2022. one cannot prepare for when Miller spoke with a simied to have a “positive vibe.”

“One of the changes we dealing with something new. lar perspective.

“When I walk through the definitely want to have is “High school in general is “I think we’ve taken a halls of Emmaus, I hear a lot more communication and just a whirlwind of emotions huge step this year with of positive things, and you more events in the very, very don’t really hear that much for everyone, but its not some of the assemblies from beginning of the year when a bad thing,” Kujas said.

Dr. Mykee to other assemnegativity, which I think is freshmen are just coming “Crazy is good sometimes. blies No Place for Hate has really good in a school comin,” said ninth grade AssisIt’s always good to get new done,” Miller said. “I think munity,” Hafner said. tant Principal Joshua Miller. experiences.” little things, like the bulletin She also viewed diversity “We know we were hindered and open communication as board of prom pictures that a little bit this year because the senior advisors put up Emmaus’s strong points. of Flex Block starting so was a great little thing.”

“I think the school allows

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Graduation doesn’t capture the excitement of high school Luke Maake Editor-in-Chief The end is approaching.

Four years of high school, culminating in one stuffy ceremony filled with siblings that don’t want to be there and parents that wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

I’m going to avoid rambling on about the cliché bittersweetness of high school ending, however, because that isn’t original nor particularly revealing.

Instead, I’m going to talk about the fact that the administration doesn’t allow us to throw beach balls around in the stadium. Graduation is supposed to be celebrating us and our numerous achievements. I’m quite peeved that we cannot enjoy slight amounts of whimsy while we symbolically and literally break free from the institution that’s imprisoned us for the past four years of our lives.

You see, many years ago when my brother Ryan graduated, the student body had an extremely lively graduation. Noise-making balloons were blown up and released, and beach balls were conjured from seemingly nowhere to be thrown about in the audience. The supervising staffers scrambled about, quickly shutting down each insurrection as it occurred.

Last year, when my sister Tara graduated, was a much different story. The ceremony proceeded quickly and efficiently, with no nonsense from the students and no colorful orbs floating about over their heads.

In other words, it was horrible.

This isn’t a “call-to-arms,” per se. I’m not advocating for students to come to graduation equipped with inflatables and balloons. It would be neat if that happened, but I’m certainly not asking for it.

I’m getting pretty far off track. This is supposed to be my last column, the time for me to talk about how great high school was and how much I’ve changed and how excited I am for new opportunities in college. So let me check off those boxes real quick.

To start, I haven’t really changed much. My mental maturity is arguably at an all-time low, I’m still short, and I still can’t whistle.

Truthfully, though, high school really was a great experience. I thoroughly enjoyed almost every course I took, with the obvious exception of chemistry, and most of the teachers I’ve had have been pretty great. I’d go so far to say a select few were exceptional.

I came into high school having next to no idea of what I wanted to do with myself. All I knew was that I enjoyed writing and computers. Hence, my elective slots were filled with an introductory computer science course and journalism.

These two activities quickly became my favorite things to do.

I never really took computer science outside of class, besides attending a few coding competitions here and there. On the other hand, I quickly became more involved with journalism, writing stories and columns for the Stinger. This year I became an assistant opinion editor, and then was moved to the position of co-editor-in-chief.

I couldn’t have been more glad that I decided to become a part of this club.

The people that I’ve met through The Stinger have remained some of my closest friends throughout high school, and I can only hope some of them will be willing to lend me a hand when I’m either in jail or homeless within the next few years.

Bibi, if you’re reading this, that doesn’t apply to you. The only way my life could become worse if I’m ever homeless is if you walk up to me offering me some nasty vegan meal.

Journalism also brought me into contact with my favorite teacher I’ve ever had-- one that I’ve joked around with, travelled to Dallas with, and one that I’ve offered to fight multiple times (it’s important to note that none of these offers have been accepted).

In the end, high school was pretty fantastic, even if graduation won’t be. I’m definitely not trying to say that the administration’s rules are stupid and that we should be allowed to enjoy ourselves a little. If you interpreted it that way, that’s on you.

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THE STINGER

APRIL 2018

Earth Day in an era of environmental chaos Abby Perkins Business Manager People worldwide recently celebrated Mother Earth on the 48th annual Earth Day, April 22, 2018, the first Earth Day since President Trump announced his decision to remove the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.

In December 2015, all 195 countries agreed to participate in the Paris climate accords, umbrellaed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Under the Paris Agreement, the involved countries would be more limited and cautious of domestic greenhouse gas emissions.

The act was set in motion in November 2016, and sought to establish a unified goal to keep the average global warming temperature under two degrees Celsius before the end of the century, according to the UNFCCC. Trump announced in June of last year that he would be keeping one of his campaign promises to remove America from the agreement. However, the earliest that withdrawal would go into effect will be Nov. 4, 2020, a day after the next presidential election.

Trump’s intention of leaving the Paris agreement is detrimental to the image and attitude of Americans. The United States would be the third nation not signed, along with Nicaragua and Syria who have stated that they plan to sign in the future.

This year’s Earth Day should be taken as a wake up call. One of the students of Emmaus High School’s recycling committee, Shane Martrich, realizes that if actions aren’t taken soon, the repercussions will be devastating.

“Climate change is definitely a thing” Martrich said. “Except change can go in two different ways, it can go in global cooling or global warming.

now, then we are only endangerThere’s natural cycles to the ing our future on earth,” Matrich Earth but global warming is an said. actual thing, so I think people The day was originally inneed to be aware of that and help tended to spread environmental the earth, because what we put awareness and address the effects into the atmosphere now won’t of greenhouse gases enhancing be clean for another 70 years.” climate change. Climate change Every Earth Day students and is not an argument. It is based adults may feel more inclined on strict facts and undeniable to take action on environmendata. It shouldn’t be a political tal protection, but picking up “right-wing or left-wing” debate. litter, conserving water usage or It shouldn’t be hidden from being sure to recycle are simple children in schools but rather tasks that should be done every promoted. People should be single day. Earth Day should be aware of the changes happening a reminder, a small nudge on the to the planet they inhabit, and shoulder, that the beauty of the why the changes are occuring.

Earth should be acknowledged Earth Day was born to be a day and protected on a daily basis. of environmental education and “Earth Day is a wake up call protection. in order to have people realize One of the most important that if we don’t do something

Illustration by Kaylee Ruiz. takeaways from Earth Day is environmental awareness. EHS Earth science teacher Mike Mihalik makes it a point to inform students on climate change and sees the potential of open minds this Earth Day. “I think people will be more open to hearing and learning about the environment on that day,” Mihalik said. “I think it’s an opportunity where people are gonna be more motivated that day than other days to at least learn.”

Educating is the first step to acting upon the environment but withdrawal from the Paris Agreement has sparked other negative initiatives in the United States.

President of Earth Watch Club at Emmaus, Kaitlyn McGinley

sees that the president can have a strong impact on the country’s values.

“I think that if someone who is at such a prestigious position in our government doesn’t see the value in making changes to the way Americans contribute to the downfall of the health of the Earth, then it gives leeway for your average American citizen to not care as much either,” McGinley said.

In Idaho, educating students on man-made climate change contributions was stripped from school curriculum last year. Only in February of this year did Idaho lawmakers come to a decision to allow teachers to educate students of climate change.

In years to come, the consequences of climate change will begin to show their true colors, and only then will the general population begin to take action.

“If this continues to grow... you [often] hear ‘Oh the ice caps are melting,’ but no one will have that [connection] on a personal level until you see the sea levels rise and now Miami is underwater,” Martrich said. “Then after everything is said and done and all these different impacts have already happened, that is when people decide to make a change and that is when it is going to be too late.”

Local boroughs and townships including Upper Milford and the Wildlands Conservancy hosted Earth Day events, community trash pickup, or a class on how to build and use a rain barrel, small actions make a big difference in the Earth’s life and improve home living.

“People need to see how [Earth Day] can be personal.

If they don’t feel like they can make a difference then I don’t see it being nearly as effective,” Mihalik said.

Poles are embracing their Judaism at Krakow JCC Stefania Schoen Opinion Contributor When Marcjanna, the Director of Hillel at the Krakow Jewish Community Center (JCC), was a teenager, she Googled her name for fun. Finding a family tree, she scrolled up, and to her surprise, found a German last name that was different from her own at one point on the tree. Confused by this, she called to her mother in the next room, asking if their family was German, to which her mother responded, “No, no, you’re Jewish! Didn’t you know?”

A recent fascinating and hopeful aspect of Jewish life in Poland is the ongoing discovery of many people’s reconnection to their roots. Many Polish Jews like Marcjanna do not find out about their Judaism until their teenage years or until they are young adults because Jews often hid their identities during the Holocaust.

Even following World War II, many continued to hide their Judaism during Soviet occupation. Out of fear or memories of those horrible times, Jews often decided not to practice openly. I found their experiences hard to imagine because Judaism has been such a large part of my life ever since my baby naming.

I recently attended a presentation on Jewish life in Poland, during which I learned of some amazing stories about this miraculous resurgence of Jewish life there. I feel it is important, if not essential, to share them with the Jewish community in the United States.

After the Soviet occupation, Poland began a “Jewish Renaissance” of sorts, leading to the opening of the Krakow JCC. People actually began to “come out” as Jewish. Today, the Krakow JCC actively supports Jewish life and culture.

Director of the Krakow JCC, Sebastian Rudol, pointed out that many Jewish descendants had been reluctant to identify as Jewish and to embrace their culture, but with each younger generation, people are more eager to participate and engage. Despite the fact that in recent years it has become increasingly unsafe to be openly Jewish, many people in Krakow are excited to express their Judaism.

The Krakow JCC has a goal of helping Jews become Jewish again, treating all of its visitors with great hospitality and offering overseas membership to non-Polish visitors. The organization also has a genealogist on staff to help visitors and members learn more about their pasts and their ancestors. For example, a survivor of the Holocaust recently celebrated both her eighty-third birthday and the Bat Mitzvah she had been denied as a young woman at the Krakow JCC. The Krakow JCC also holds a bicycling event every year called the Ride for the Living. Similar to the more well-known

International March of the Living, the Ride follows the path along which victims of the Holocaust were force-marched in the March of the Dead during the evacuation of Auschwitz. Both trips then end by travelling to Israel to celebrate the rebirth of Jewish life.

There are some key differences between the March and the Ride, however.

Participants in the Ride for the Living bike the path instead of walk, and they

also focus more on the positive aspects of current Jewish life in Poland. The Ride for the Living also accepts participants from all over the world, and this annual event grown each year since its inception in 2014.

Last year, a man from Canada named Marcel emailed Rudol asking to participate in the Ride. When Marcel arrived, Rudol learned that Marcel, originally from Poland, was a survivor of Auschwitz, who sought to bike the same route he had marched when he was ten years old. There is a strong implication and sentiment that Jewish culture in Poland can and should

survive.

Marcjanna is saddened that “too many people who find out about their Jewish roots ignore it.” Unlike those people, however, Macjanna has hurled herself into Krakow’s Jewish community.

She began making friends at the Krakow JCC, and eventually taught young children there at the Sunday School.

Through this experience she also educated herself. She now runs the Hillel program, which opened at the JCC in September.

Marcjanna now regularly teaches young adults between 18 and 30 years old, many of whom share similar stories of learning of their Judaism later on in their lives, calling themselves, “50 Shades of Judaism.” Marcjanna, like many of her fellow new members of the Polish Jewish community, loves being a new part of the Jewish population of Poland, and not just for the religious aspects. She claimed, “For me, it’s a part of culture. For me, this is a part of learning, a discussion that continues forever.”

A version of this story originially appeared in “HAKOL Lehigh Valley.”

Review :

THE STINGER

Learning how to move on

Editors during their visit to the restaurant. Photo by Aidan Springs. quite soon after we ordered which makes sense, because there were only a few people at the restaurant besides us.

I ordered the Mediterranean Chicken B.T.M. ($6.49), which is chicken, melted mozzarella, basil, and tomato wrapped in a pita. I’m not a very big fan of tomato, but I did taste the dish with the tomato on. I’m biased, and this probably doesn’t reflect the true quality of the dish, but the tomato was soggy and didn’t seem to jive well with the flavors of the chicken and mozzarella.

Once I extracted the remaining tomato shreds from the sandwich, its quality improved immensely. The cheese was melted perfectly, and the chicken was tender and flavorful. Along with the sandwich I ordered french fries, which came with a deliciously tangy garlic sauce.

Although this experience was completely new to me, our features editor, Bibi, goes here almost religiously-- to the point where our waitress didn’t have to ask what she wanted, she already knew.

So what is her typical order? She gets a falafel saj ($7.99), a thinly wrapped unleavened flatbread stuffed full with crispy chickpea patties, crunchy shredded lettuce, and topped off with creamy tahini sauce. Once done, it’s then lightly pressed to make what Bibi would call “the closest thing to happiness she has ever come to.”

I’d say she’s a bit dramatic.

Order highlights

Erica, the opinion editor, dined on the chicken gyro ($6.25), a classic sandwich consisting of fresh tomatoes, lettuce, onion and a delectable, garlicky sauce-- a meal she thoroughly enjoyed.

For dessert, James and Carol, two of our sports editors, and Aidan, our social media editor, ordered baklava ($3.00).

But it wasn’t a huge hit. The pistachio “garnish” was clustered in a few concentrated locations and didn’t do anything to enhance the dish. The baklava itself was wet and tasted bland and almost soapy.

Perhaps the other dessert dishes are higher quality, but the baklava was definitely lacking.

Another menu item that wasn’t a huge hit was the Arabic coffee that James ordered for $2. To my ultimate regret, he let me and a few others taste it. It was my first taste of coffee, and will probably be my last-- I’m not in the business of drinking liquid dirt. Even to those who drink coffee somewhat regularly, the coffee was mediocre at best.

Despite the somewhat disappointing coffee and dessert, the dinner was very satisfying and gave me a new appreciation for Mediterranean food. The prices are cheap, the food is good, and the quiet atmosphere of the restaurant allows one enjoy his or her food in peace. It’s definitely worth the visit.

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Mediterranean Cafe & Grill

Luke Maake Editor-in-Chief Staff As a quick disclaimer, I’m not the biggest fan of Mediterranean food. That being said, the Mediterranean Cafe & Grill pleasantly surprised me in terms of both the quality of food and the atmosphere of the restaurant.

What’s unsurprising is, perhaps, the location. It isn’t a super upscale restaurant.

In fact, it’s placed smack in the middle of a strip mall in Fogelsville right next to a karate studio. When I was driving there, I completely passed the entrance to the mall, adding around eight minutes to my travel time. It’s pretty easy to miss if you’re not paying attention.

As the first one from my group to get there, I moseyed on into the empty restaurant, likely looking confused and disoriented. The owner was speaking to our waitress for the afternoon, but he immediately stopped and greeted me, directing me to my seat. This set the tone for the rest of the night-- both the owner and waitress were super friendly to our group of ten throughout the meal, talking to us and accommodating our typical teenager wishy-washiness.

No appetizers were ordered, but we were provided with spectacular pita chips with spices and hummus. The hummus in particular was very high quality; it was smooth, homemade, topped with oil and garnished with parsley and small pieces of tomato.

Naturally, the pita chips were devoured. Without us even asking, our waitress refilled the chips. Those quickly met the fate of the first batch, and they were refilled once more.

The menu does offer quite a few apps, ranging from stuffed grape leaves ($6.99) to falafel ($6.25) to the meat pie ($5.99).

Soon after the pita chips were depleted we ordered our meals, giving us time to chat and appreciate how the place was decorated. It wasn’t very fancy, but it was definitely better than what one would expect from a restaurant in a strip mall. In particular, the light fixtures, three rings of light in different arrangements, captured my interest.

My musings over the decor were cut short; our server came out with our meals

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J a m e s ’s A r a bi

Layout and photo illustrations by Erica Love.

Izzy Wegner Online Editor Ever since I can remember, I have always been excited about college. I will be able to study all of the subjects I love, move to a new place, and experience meeting so many new people. My one hesitation, however, is that with these new experiences, I will be leaving the old.

When I was younger, I distinctly remember one day at summer camp. There was a girl working there who had just graduated high school and was telling me that she was excited to move on and go to college. I then asked if she was worried about leaving her friends, expecting her to reveal how scary it would be to move on. I expected her to be upset to leave the people she had been with her whole life.

But, to my surprise, she said the exact opposite. She told me that her high school friends were meant for high school, and that she would be okay without them. I was floored.

I used to be afraid of my ability to stay in contact with someone who is hundreds of miles away, no matter how good of friends we are. I was concerned that I would not be able to handle the challenges that come with living in different locations. In the past few months, to my surprise, I have proven my ability to do exactly that.

One of my best friends graduated from Emmaus last year, but before he goes to college he is on a mission trip for two years. His only form of contact with people back home is an email once a week, and an occasional handwritten letter. After seven months, we still email every week and send handwritten letters about once a month. I proved to myself that if I do really care and try, I can keep my closest friends. It is, however, a lot of work. That effort may not always be possible.

Over the next year, I will discover which friends are worth keeping and which ones are not. It all depends on how much effort each side puts in.

After years and years of being terrified of leaving high school and losing my friends, I have realized that it is okay that not all friendships will last. The ones that are important to me will continue, hopefully for the rest of my life. Others will only be rekindled at reunions.

It is a scary thought to not be surrounded by the same people every day like I am used to. But in reality, I won’t be, and I need to accept that. Because of this new situation, I will be making new friends, meaning I can not keep all of the old. I finally understand what my summer camp counselor was talking about all those years ago. Like her, I’m not afraid to lose some friends.

While I greatly value almost every interaction I have had at EHS, I cannot keep every one of them. There are friends I will definitely keep, friends I would like to keep, and friendships I am okay with leaving to social media.

When I first move away in September, I will be vigilant about staying in contact with everyone that I can. As time goes on and classes get more intense, these relationships will get harder and harder to keep. Some will fade away. I have accepted this fact. I’m okay with it.

As I love some friendships, I will gain others. In college, I can meet students from all different backgrounds, but also find many people who have the same passions and interests as me. As sad as it may be to leave the people I have grown up with, it is okay. They were important to me becoming who I am, but it is time to move on and make new experiences.

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THE STINGER

APRIL 2018

STINGEREHS.COM

Features CORREA’S corner The Last Goodbye Bibi Correa Features Editor “Why are you so white?”

Fantastic question, let me explain how genetics work for the hundredth time today, random third grader who in 10 minutes will forget about this encounter.

The answer to that question is quite simple, albinism.

So for those who have never taken biology, albinism is a recessive gene leading to a genetic mutation. This mutation leads to a lack of melanin in both the skin, eyes and hair, although I think my eyes and hair missed the memo. This is what made growing up sort of difficult. Clearly I wasn’t a typical Latina but I also looked nothing like an albino, except for the skin. And so there was a mix of emotions and a lot of me trying to find out who I am.

And I got lost along the way. I chose to hide myself in fear that people would hate me for who I really am.

I barely spoke, I turned bright red as soon as anyone mentioned anything about albinism and I wasn’t myself.

I thought that people were already inherently judging me. I thought that by hiding the real me, for some reason people would like me more if I was their perceived version of Bibi.

I saw my albinism as a problem; an inconvenience. I blamed my genetics as the reason behind the bullying.

I blamed the fact that people treated me differently on just about anything. For years, I’ve glossed over who I really am in order to feel like I fit in with others. I never wanted to admit to them, or even to myself, that I was different. If I said it then that would make it true, so I chose not to.

But that’s not it.

Throughout the years I learned to live with my condition, not necessarily with the disability it gave me, but with who it made me. I am albino. I think just about everyone knows it at this point, and it’s kind of great.

But I’m also many other things. For one I’m pretty loud and obnoxious. But I’m also a good friend, a good listener, and a person who gives pretty decent advice, if I do say so myself.

Seriously though, there’s more to me than my genetic mutation, and I have to say I don’t know if I would have found that out without the people I met in high school.

Every single one of them. And I met some female dogs, let me tell you. People can be so brutal, throwing food at you and pulling your hair. And although it sucks--like a lot--there are people that helped me along the way who may have never noticed.

Ms. Reaman, this goes out to you. During sophomore year when I was being tormented by these girls, I knew I could always come to your room during lunch. We weren’t close then, but you still accepted me with open arms. I don’t think you realize how much that meant to me.

When asked to join the newspaper I was confused, because I never thought I’d be the writing type. Frankly, looking back at it, I was awful. But you found something in me that I never saw, and I don’t regret joining the paper, not even for a second.

There have been times when I would just go to the back of 559, and every time I did, I always knew someone would be there to somehow cheer me up. Whether it was the Triple Entente having some sort of eating contest or if it was an argument over font choice, I knew that these were my people.

Soon enough they became some of my closest friends, and this year I especially feel like we are more than just a club. We are a family.

Ms. Reaman, you had faith in me when I was too blind to see it.

The boys, you guys tease me and you guys can be so annoying, but you are the brothers I never knew I needed. Also, I am so sorry I could never make it to the conference.

The Disciples: you guys made Dallas an incredible, unforgettable experience. With you, I found a home.

To everyone, whatever the future holds, wherever you may be in a couple years, just know that I am so proud of each and every single one of you. Without you, who knows where the heck I’d be. Through your kindness and through your friendship I have been able to be myself, whether it’s in the back of 559 or Texas. And while we soon have to part ways, know that our friendship does not end once the school year does. I am still here.

THE STINGER | APRIL 2018

To mussee a re stin ical, v view o gere isit n th hs.c e om

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BEHIND THE SCENES

“West Side Story” told from an insider’s perspective

Makenzie Christman Associate Editor As the lights slowly dim in the Emmaus High School auditorium, the cast and crew radiate concentration as they prepare for their production of “West Side Story.”

Since Jan. 2, the almost 75 students who partcipate in the musical spent countless hours rehearsing to perfect the show, striving to measure up to last year’s production of Miss Saigon. They’re hoping to earn recognition for their hard work at the Freddy Awards, which honors outstanding high school musical performances.

While most of the action takes place on the stage in front of sold-out audiences, the performances cannot be done without the support of the people behind the scenes who make sure each show can -and will- go on.

As a student director, junior Lauren Leader finds herself busy with all the necessary preparations that come with managing the show.

A typical rehearsal for Leader consists of taking notes or assisting artistic director and producer Jill Kuebler. By assuming this position, Leader feels that she has gained many different life skills, as well as strong friendships.

“It’s affected me in a lot of ways in many different areas of my life,” Leader said. “It’s just opened up my eyes to a lot of different people and a lot of different personalities in a good way. Being in the drama department as a whole, everyone’s always there for you and happy for you; it’s a very different environment from the regular high school [environment].”

The cast and crew motivate Leader to take part in the musical each year.

“The people really drive you to want to continue; they encourage you to do better,” Leader said. “That’s part of the reason why I knew that I wanted to do it.”

Sophomore Marissa Monte enjoys the connections she creates with those in the musical through her role as crew chief of sound.

“I can connect with people behind the scenes,” Monte said. “It’s very different because when I used to watch the shows, I never understood what was going on behind the scenes; it’s definitely a whole new world.”

Like Monte, stage crew manager senior Caroline Sampson takes great pride in her work. Sampson mentors those in grades below her and encourages them to treasure their part in the musical, even if their work is not widely recognized.

“I think it’s natural that the audience doesn’t really recognize us, because they are meant to be looking at the cast,” Sampson said. “There are a lot of freshman this year and I was telling them that it’s important to take pride in what you do, that even if you move one set piece out or you do one little thing, you’re contributing that to the show.”

For Sampson, an average day of rehearsal consists of her carefully watching for problems to

correct. When the show begins and Sampson can no longer watch for problems, she is in charge of lighting, sound cues and set changes. Although she finds herself anxious as the live performance goes on, she views the audience’s attendance as a positive to the effort put forth in the show.

The responsibilities that come with being a part of crew prove to be stressful, the cast members still appreciate their efforts. Sophomore Alena Slak, who played the lead role of Maria, believes that the crew and cast need each other, as they both play a crucial role in the musical.

“If we didn’t have the crew our show would never be able to go on,” Slak said. “They’re amazing, they get the set on so quickly, our costumes look fabulous, our props are great, the lighting is beautiful, the sound is fantastic. Everything works so nicely and we get along so well with them.”

Senior Luke Csordas understands the importance of having a strong cast and crew. This year serves as Csordas’ first time portraying a character in addition to restaging and teaching choreography.

“Now that I’m back stage [I] notice all the crew members,” Csordas said. “They have so much responsibility that people in the audience don’t notice how much work they put into it. Plus everything that the actors put into it. It’s so much going on at once.”

Csordas values seeing those with no dance experience take part in numbers comparable to others featured in Broadway shows.

“The thing that drives me is knowing that in the end, these kids who have never danced before will get on stage and do these productions that are really hard,” Csordas said. “They’ve all learned a new respect for dance, which is really inspiring for me because they want to keep going.”

Similar to Csordas, lighting crew chief senior Andrew Ashmar appreciates the end result of the musical.

“Seeing everything come together that you’ve been working hard on two months ago is a really rewarding thing,” Ashmar said.

Kuebler agrees and feels extremely satisfied with how their production of “West Side Story”, considering the effort that the cast and crew put forth.

“I think it went fantastic,” Kuebler said. “It’s one of the tightest runs that we’ve ever had. We knew from the beginning that it was a really difficult show to produce so we’re all really happy with the way it turned out.”

(Top) Crew members focus on the sound and lighting while the cast performs during rehearsal. (Left) Costume directors seniors Julia Ardito, Jessica Harnett and Kara Burkholder help the cast with quick costume changes.

Photo by Arianna Werner.

THE HIDDEN SHAME Emmaus students open up about sexual harassment Caroline Bond Luke Maake Editors It isn’t always easy to spot.

It can be something as subtle as a boyfriend putting his hand on his girlfriend’s thigh when she doesn’t want it there, or as obvious as a group of boys catcalling a girl as she walks by in the hallway.

No matter how it may manifest itself, sexual harassment is not always easy to spot. But it is never acceptable.

The formal definition of sexual harassment, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, includes “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.”

In the education system, these types of behavior are far more common than schools may like to let on. According to a 2011 survey by the American Association of University Women, 58 percent of 7th to 12th graders experience sexual harassment in a given school year, with female students being disproportionately affected. This includes name calling, unsolicited sexual advances, unwelcome picture showing, unwanted sexual touching, sexual intimidation, and forced sexual acts.

Emmaus High School freshman L.C. is part of the 58 percent. She allegedly experienced sexual harassment in the EHS cafeteria at the hands of her boyfriend at the time.

“He had his hand on my inner thigh… I didn’t want

that, so I pushed his hand away and he kept it away,” L.C. said. “Then he put it back, but it was closer to my crotch this time, and then he kept moving up, and then he started grabbing me. So I kept pushing his hand away about four or five times, and he wouldn’t stop, so I told him, ‘You need to stop,’ and he did, and then he just kept his hand on my thigh.”

When her boyfriend pushed her legs open and continued grabbing her, she’d had enough.

“I stood up and was like, ‘You need to stop,’ and his response was ‘Damn, fine,’” L.C. said. “So clearly, he thinks that this is okay, even though, clearly, I wasn’t inviting him; I was trying to get him away from me and he kept going.”

L.C. claims that she is one of five girls who have all been allegedly harassed by the same student, and one of the many more who have been subjected to unwanted sexual advances or interactions in a school setting.

According to a 2015 study conducted by the Associated Press, schools are “the No. 2 site where juveniles are sexually violated by their peers.”

Yet, East Penn School District superintendent Michael Schilder believes sexual harassment isn’t necessarily a common occurrence at Emmaus High School.

“My experience with [sexual harassment] in four years has not been that it’s a rampant problem,” Schilder said.

The numbers, however, indicate that more goes on behind the scenes than one may think.

In a recent poll of 150 EHS students, 33 percent responded that they had experienced sexual

MeToo movement encourages awareness

Cassidy Klingman Features Contributor The MeToo movement gained popularity as sexual misconduct allegations emerged against Harvey Weinstein and inspired people to come forward with their own stories of sexual assault or harassment, letting victims know they’re not alone.

The phrase “Me Too” was first used in 2006 by social activist Tarana Burke to empower women and unite those who have experienced sexual assault and harassment. The trend then developed in October 2017 when activist and actress Alyssa Milano encouraged the use of the hashtag on Twitter.

Her tweet reads, “If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.”

The movement continues to gain popularity as accusations are made against well-known individuals, including those in the entertainment industry as well as politicians. Since it began, millions of individual stories of sexual assault and harassment appeared on various social media platforms to draw attention to the significance of the problem in an attempt to create change.

This movement shows that sexual harassment or assault can be experienced by anyone.

People of any age, race, or gender can speak out to end sexual violence.

Although the trend originated on Twitter, some chose to speak out in other ways. Celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence and Uma Thurman shared their experiences of harassment in Hollywood.

Lawrence came forward during her speech at Elle’s 24th annual Women in Hollywood celebration in October to share her encounters of abuse in Hollywood, starting when she was just 16 years old. She told the audience about her own experience but also expressed her beliefs that women should stick together to unite against incidents like hers in the future.

Emmaus junior Analise Edwards also feels that it’s important for people to unite in response to issues like this.

“The movement itself helps empower women or men who feel like they don’t have a voice anymore because of what’s happened to them,” Edwards says.

By speaking out, people hope to raise awareness to an issue that was often overlooked and avoided.

Time magazine’s 2017 Person of the Year title was dedicated to “The Silence Breakers,” which included several of the influential people who fueled the movement around the world.

The MeToo movement also hopes to diminish victims’ fear of being blamed, doubted or given a bad reputation.

“We as a society tend to put some of the fault onto [the victim] when it’s really the assaulter, really the suspect who is at fault here,” Edwards says.

The movement highlights the frequency of assault and harassment incidents throughout the country, and will hopefully inspire people to work towards a change.

“People have been sick of it for so long, and now enough is enough,” Edwards says. “It’s the breaking point and people are speaking out about it.”

harassment either in school, out of school, or both during their time in high school.

As it currently stands, there’s no national requirement for high schools to divulge information on sexual harassment. Many school districts feel motivated to keep cases of sexual harassment or violence hidden, as such cases inevitably tarnish the reputation of the school if brought to light.

Despite this, Schilder doesn’t get concerned over negative press when it comes to harassment investigations.

“We’re not shy about negative publicity that the school district might get because of an investigation,” Schilder said. “Frankly, we don’t care about that. I don’t care about that. What I care about is that justice is delivered.”

What often gets in the way of justice being delivered is students not reporting their harasser. Victims often feel too uncomfortable or embarrassed to come forward and report cases of sexual harassment, leaving their harassers to go unpunished.

“There’s a certain level of fear and intimidation to come forward when one is harassed, whether it’s from a fellow student or from an adult,” Schilder said.

When a student does come forward, the district has a specific procedure for dealing with the reports. First, the compliance officer authorizes an investigation, which can entail interviews of those directly involved in the case or anyone else who knows about it. Next, the building principal submits a written report to the compliance officer, including whether or not the complaint is valid. If the accused is found to be guilty, the district takes corrective action to “ensure that such conduct ceases and will not recur.”

Investigations may be difficult; if no one was around to witness the event, it turns into the word of the accused versus the word of the accuser.

The combination of student hesitation and investigative fall-throughs means the perpetrators of sexual harassment aren’t always brought to justice. Instead, they’re free to walk the halls and attend classes, sometimes with the very people they

Sexual harassment by the numbers

14

harassed.

L.C. is disappointed that her alleged harasser hasn’t been disciplined for his actions.

“This is a serious issue,” she said. “I’m very frustrated, because I don’t know where [the report] goes. It’s just there. I don’t know what that’s about; all the other girls, they’ve gone down, they’ve said what they’ve needed to say, they’ve been through the same process, and still nothing. It’s almost been two weeks now.”

Cases of sexual harassment or abuse are especially hard to investigate when they occur off school grounds.

Senior H.E. was allegedly raped by her then-boyfriend in his home when she was a freshman.

“We were at his house and he’d asked me before the date, and I said no because I hadn’t been exposed to [sex] yet,” H.E. said. “He brought over a blanket while we were watching a movie and started touching me. He said ‘I think we should do it now,’ and I said no, I’m not comfortable with this, I do not want to. Eventually he put on a condom, he took down my pants, and told me it would just be a little bit and if anything hurt to tell him. I didn’t do anything because I had already said no multiple times that I was tired and he just did it.”

H.E. didn’t want to face judgement from her peers or family and was afraid to talk about the incident “I knew my parents and my friends would view me as a different person,” she said.

After consulting a therapist and reflecting on the relationship, H.E. feels she came out of the experience stronger.

“If my boyfriend and I have sex, it’s a mutual agreement,” H.E. said. “He will ask me, and if I want to have sex, I will say yes or no. It isn’t an argument. It’s a yes or no.”

According to the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior survey, 10.5 percent of high school girls have been forced to have sex, along with 4.2 percent of high school boys.

Senior R.K. became a victim at 14. Her ex-boyfriend, a sophomore at the time, allegedly forced her to

have experienced it in school

100 both in and out 34 of school

have intercourse.

“I was still a little kid, and it made me feel gross and dirty,” R.K. said.

According to R.K., her abuser came from a troubled background. This may have partly led to the rape, but she doesn’t see this as an excuse or justification of what happened.

“Rape should not happen, no matter your past,” R.K. said. “It has no connection in my mind.”

Whether it be sexual harassment or sexual assault, an alarming proportion of teenagers -- especially teenage girls are affected. L.C. attributes this, in part, to the normalization of harassment in school.

“I feel like people think that kind of stuff is okay, like catcalling in school or people making jokes about how you look or calling out to you in the hallway,” L.C. said. “I feel like there needs to be somebody to tell them that it’s not okay.”

L.C. believes the administration needs to take girls more seriously when they report cases of harassment, and generally do more to ensure that students can go throughout their day without fear of being sexually harassed or assaulted. Schilder agrees, believing that the school can do more.

“I think we could always do more,” Schilder said.

“Now that the MeToo movement is showing that there are many people who have been sexually harassed, or assaulted, and are coming forward-- why didn’t they come forward before, and what is it that we can do as a school district to encourage people to come forward?

Or to make sure that, as a school district, we’re doing nothing to discourage people from coming forward. I think we’re doing a good job, but I’d like to see us do a great job.”

Additional reporting by Makayla Frazier.

Photo illustration by Rylan Bassett.

Design by Bibi Correa.

have never

out of 150 EHS students surveyed.

YES! campaigns to empower teens Caroline Bond Sports Editor In the ongoing battle against sexual harasment, organizations, businesses and nonprofits have sprung up across the country to educate students on sex-related behaviors.

Originating in New Jersey, YES! (Your Empowered Sexuality) is a small organization founded by four girls who graduated from Montclair High School. The group is on a mission to address the broad spectrum of sexuality through workshops and educational lectures.

Curriculum writer Isy Abraham-Raveson hatched the idea for the organization with three of her friends after graduating college.

“We were thinking we love this place, we are grateful to our high school for what it gave us, but now that we have college degrees, what’s something we’ve learned, what’s something we’ve gained to give back or teach to the kids that are still at our high school,” Abraham-Raveson said.

Now, the organization goes to numerous schools to educate on a wide range of topics-- not just consent.

They discuss nearly anything that falls under the wide umbrella of sexuality. However, this business did not grow overnight. The group was plagued with immense amounts of pushback that kept them from conducting workshops from their own alma mater, Montclair.

Abraham-Raveson highlights just how difficult it was to finally gain recognition within the area and get schools to realize YES! had information that their students needed to hear.

“We founded an organization, we applied for 501c3 nonprofit status…we made a website, we put all of our qualifications on the website, and we started doing workshops that we didn’t have to get into the high school for,” Abraham-Raveson said. “The first workshops we did were through after-school student-run clubs, and over time we gained credibility among the community.”

Throughout her entire career, Abraham-Raveson has dealt with administrations that simply do not want to address problems of sexual conduct during school hours. Though this is a common trend among many schools, Abraham-Raveson emphasizes the need to move past their concerns and educate their students on the important messages YES! sends.

“Some of it is just fear.. They’re scared that if they say the word ‘sex’ kids will be like ‘oh, I should do that.’ People are still clinging to this abstinence only idea…and research proves that wrong. Most of it is our fear and discomfort, and our culture’s religious roots,” Abraham-Raveson said.

Educators and students alike can agree that there is more to be done on the precautionary side of sexual misconuct and with the help of vital organizations, like YES!, strides can be taken to lessen the prevalence of sexual harassment in schools today.

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THE STINGER | APRIL 2018

Rebuilding the lives of Refugees Emmaus junior helps families settle in the United States Abbey Baksa Munson took it Features Contributor upon herself to conLeaving home is tact the school and coalready frightening ordinate with Habitat in itself, but leaving for Humanity in order because the situation to get more donahas become life or tions such as clothes, death leaves no other cleaning and kitchen option. supplies, childrens When families are books or anything else forced to relocate to that might be of use. a different country She is hoping and adopt a new way to build a sense of of life, the transition community with the is always difficult for families and other those involved. As volunteers, but knows they start anew, they what is in store for face discrimination as their future. well as culture shock “The future is not and language barriers. all sunshine and rainBut with the assistance bows,” Munson says. of New Bethany Min“There will be some istries and Habitat for racism in the future, Humanity, junior Wilbut I want people to low Munson is able to relate to them.” provide much needed Habitat for Huhelp for refugees and manity’s club advisor their families, making Maria Russo says they the adjustment to life are going to continue in the United States Junior Willow Munson with the two students Lidia (left) and Rehowa (right) from Eritrea outside of the students home. Photo to work with Munson courtesy of Munson. easier. and New Bethany Munson has Ministries throughout ed in the Lehigh Valley. Recently Munson New Bethany always been “active the year to continue Ministries and Habitat for Humanity worked together to and passionate about the less fortunate.” Over a year to help the families. The club does similar work as New help two Afghani families. Some families Munson sees ago, she stumbled across the New Bethany Ministries, a Bethany Ministries, so Russo hopes that they can help as often as she can, while others she checks up on once non-profit and interfaith organization located in Souththe community alongside each other in the future, but or twice a month. side Bethlehem that, “serves as a community family for they will only be able to if the students coordinate with One family of nine with a baby on the way has not yet her. those who may feel invisible,” according to their webarrived in the states. Another family of five moved into site. The organization provides “food support, hygiene This past month, Munson wrote a letter to EHS an apartment in Allentown with three children. Munsupport, wellness programming, transitional housing, families and students discussing each refugee family and son, along with other volunteers, helped move beds and permanent affordable housing, and financial case manrequesting donations. She says that she will continue tables into the apartment. Although the group provided agement” to 7,000 individuals and families. visiting the refugee family with three children and the them with basic household necessities, there was still Munson first began her work with New Bethany incoming family once they arrive. She plans to be an more to be done. Munson took the father to get other Ministries by tutoring a student from Eritrea, a country active part of their lives. items, but was devastated when having to watch him in Eastern Africa. Although the student was born there, “I don’t think I will ever stop going,” Munson says. pay. she spent multiple years growing up in an Ethiopian “I am going to continue to do what’s best for the peo“I was trying so hard not to cry seeing that [it was] refugee camp and speaking Kunama, a language spoken ple.” probably all the money they had right there,” Munson by only about 100,000 individuals.

If you would like to send a donation to help the famiMunson provides help to many refugee families locat- says. lies, please email: willowlinnea@gmail.com.

Launching a career on How one student uses social media to her advantage Emma-Lin Moyer Features Contributor Sharing, posting, sending. In this day and age, people make careers out of creating content online. For Emmaus High School junior Alyssa Nicholson, this reality allows her to connect with her 310K followers on Instagram.

Starting in 2013, Nicholson posted video edits of celebrities, movies and TV shows on Vine. Once it shut down, Nicholson moved to Instagram, gaining

Nicholson’s most popular account with 310,000 followers. Photo courtesy of Instagram.

thousands of followers in six months. She is not alone, either, as many others are beginning to use social media to promote, make money and interact more than ever before.

According to Statista in a 2015 survey, the average U.S. teen has 150 followers, yet Nicholson’s following greatly surpasses that. As her account gained popularity, models began contacting her to negotiate prices to have their content shared on her highly followed account.

Nicholson received messages from models asking to be featured on her profile and what her prices were.

“I didn’t expect to make money or gain as many followers as I did,” Nicholson says.

Models contact her through direct message and choose whether they would like the post to stay up permanently or within a twelve to 24 hour window, with prices ranging from $50 to $100. Nicholson gains anywhere from 50 to 100 followers a day, allowing her prices grow as her following does. Each month, Nicholson brings in anywhere between $1,500 to $2,000, receiving money through her PayPal account.

Nicholson often finds herself having a hard time telling people what she does right away. She finds that older generations misunderstand the jobs people can create on social media platforms, her grandparents being an example.

“Older generations think the internet thing is a joke, but it’s not,” Nicholson says. “Everyday people are making careers out of it.”

Despite the doubt, she hopes to find a career working with media and technology, considering either video or movie editing. Nicholson’s mom also anticipates her entering a career related to media and finds that her following benefits her future greatly.

“The skills she has utilized, decisions made, and risks taken associated with business has given her great knowledge and experience already,” she says. “This will absolutely benefit her in the future.”

Keeping up with her followers takes an incredible amount of work and time, as she also owns five other accounts which focus on movies, Vines, and female models.

“It has impacted my life negatively because I am always on my phone and my sleep schedule is done,” Nicholson says.

Her mom continuously supports Nicholson’s role as a social media influencer. In the beginning, she found herself surprised, especially with the number of followers her daughter gained.

“She was your average 13 year old girl and my daughter,” she says. “I thought I was her biggest fan but here she had thousands more.”

Sophomore Matthew Mech, an app developer in the making, offers his expertise on media and technology.

“I feel that we now have more resources than ever to be successful compared to other generations,” Mech says.

Nicholson is doing just that. At such a young age, she maintains a huge social media platform and a consistent paycheck. She also gains knowledge and experience from her account. Like everything, being a media influencer comes with pros and cons, but is still worth it in Nicholson’s mind.

STINGEREHS.COM

THE STINGER | APRIL 2018

Culture

The Art of Thrifting

An ode to journalism

15

Joe Eckstein Culture Editor Throughout Lauren Widdoss and gross. My mom gave us $100 to Hilfiger jeans selling for $5, while retail my four years at Culture Contributor spend for back-to-school clothing and can can reach all the way up to $200.

Emmaus, I’ve While most teens go out and buy he went to Goodwill and got like 30 You can typically bring $30 to a thrift made countless expensive new outfits from high end shirts, and I went to Abercrombie and store and leave with a bag of clothes, memories. stores for the first day of school, junior got like four shirts. I was jealous of all contrary to only leaving with one shirt Through evElijah Zukowski has other plans. that he got.” at shops like American Eagle and erything, though, nothing comes close to my time Every year on the first day of school, Well-known stores like Goodwill and Pacsun. spent in Room 559.

Zukowski wears a T-shirt he bought The Salvation Army are often filled to When thrifting, it’s best to enter with I remember the first day I walked in; I was your from a thrift store several years ago that the brim with donations from all over an open mind and always be willing to typical freshman. Small, squeaky-voiced, and nerbears a montage of Star Wars characthe country. These organizations often branch out of your normal style. Often vous about everything. At the time, I only knew ters. While it certainly starts the year off use their profits and donations for the the best finds are clothes that are norone kid, Luke Maake. He would go on to become in an odd way, it also opens up room for good of others. According to The Salmally passed up and ignored. one of my closest friends during my time here. new conversations and friendships. vation Army, they help to give back to “My greatest finds are probably the Next thing you know, I’m being asked to intro“I have [a shirt] that is probably my the community by serving the LGBTQ+ weirdest ones,” Zukowski says. “I have duce myself to a group of strangers. I proceeded favorite,” says Zukowski “It’s a crappy community, helping disaster survivors, several shirts that are just plain ugly and to give my full name, followed by “but you can montage of Star Wars prequel characproviding shelter, assisting the unemtasteless, but it always makes for solid call me by my Spanish name, Juan Carlos.” ters. It’s from the early 90’s and tan. I ployed and much more. conversation starters.”

Soon, I’m arguing about how sweet potatoes wear it on the first day of every school “A lot of people don’t realize that the If you’re lucky, hidden on some are the worst thing to ever happen to mankind and year to start it off on a weird foot.” big chains like [Goodwill] cycle their shelves and racks are designer brands how I’d rather die than eat one. Wow, even back While updating your wardrobe can clothes from state to state,” Zukowski like Coach, Kate Spade, and Ralph then I was dramatic. seem like a daunting task to most, says. “Sure, you can find local tee shirts Lauren. Though these may be expensive But out of all the things I’ve done or said, one Zukowski simplifies it and makes it but most of their stock is from around on thrift terms, the buy is often worth that I will never regret is staying with journalism. fun and affordable through thrifting. the country.” it when compared to the original retail Not only did I learn information about a great field Thrift shopping and upcycling your old The task of thrift shopping is often an price. that I will pursue in my future, but I made a new clothes is the savior we (and our bank all day commitment, so if you’re planFor girls, the women sections are family. accounts) have all been looking for. ning to go, make sure you have enough usually barren, so its best to give the As corny as that may sound, it’s true. During Though thrifting seems like it would time to search stores from top to botmen’s section a try. You can take button our trip to the National School Press Association be the obvious shopping choice for tom. You can spend hours in the same ups and tie them up around your waist, conference in Dallas, we were asked to give some teens looking to save a quick buck, section of one store, sifting through the wear oversized sweaters and jeans, or of the big takeaways from our time there. While there is often a stigma surrounding it. piles of old worn-down clothes in order try on vintage tees.

I met some notable journalists, the biggest thing I Some see thrift shops as somewhere to find one jewel.

“I usually start in the women’s took away was how close I was with everyone on only people living in poverty shop at, “I will end up digging super deep for section with a plan or idea of what I’m staff. Sure, I may not make small talk with everyoften believing that there aren’t any clothes,” sophomore Jordan Stuckey looking for, such as a specific type of one, but once you join The Stinger, you’re family. good finds hiding inside. says. “I love shopping and so I can top or pair of jeans,” Stuckey says.

And I really can say that I love everyone on staff.

“I used to hate it,” sophomore spend hours just looking for the thing “Sometimes I will go in the men’s secYou see, I always worried about fitting in. I Marissa Monte says. “I thought it was that I want no matter how long it takes.” tion if I want something baggy.” always worried about what people thought of me. disgusting. My brother always went Hidden among faded jeans you can Altering your finds can also add to I always worried if I wasn’t good enough. In jourthrifting and I thought it was so stupid often find vintage Levi’s and Tommy the experience, by taking something nalism, all of those stresses went away. Whether it you slightly like and adjusting it to was Luke speed-eating a chicken sandwich in unsomething that fits your own style. You der a minute or James’ contagious laugh that made can cut long shirts into crop tops, make everyone join him or Bibi arguing about being a jeans into shorts, bring in the waist on vegan, I always felt like I belonged with them. dresses. Even then, you can take the I’ve made some of my closest friends, thanks leftover scraps and make a hair wrap or to Room 559. Luke, James, and I have made such even another shirt. great memories that make me smile every time I In order to keep the flow of cloththink of them. In fact, I remember the first time ing moving through thrift shops, think we got thrown together in a group. It was at the about donating your old lightly-used Promenade Shops after a writing competition. We clothing to a local thrift store near you decided in the middle of winter to stop at a frozen instead of just throwing them away. yogurt shop and sit outside with our desserts in Future shoppers and those in need will sub-freezing winds. That was the worst decision thank you. we ever made. Top it off with Luke’s commen“For my family, since I have two tary about the worst froyo he ever ate and James’ older sisters, we have so many extra laughter, I knew we were all gonna get along well. clothes and so thrifting is such a good We went on to form the Triple Entente, a group thing for us since we don’t have to that withstood all the criticism of the girls on staff. pile up all these old clothes in bins,” And then there’s Bibi. While we always teased Stuckey says. “Instead, we can put the her about being vegan, I wanna personally thank clothes to better use by giving them to her for helping me through my week-long struggle other people.” of taking on her lifestyle. Bibi, even though it was Racks at resale store, Plato’s Closet in Allentown. Photo by Rylan Bassett out of my comfort zone, you made the transition much easier for me.

Looking back, I’m gonna miss all of this.

I’m gonna miss the laughter during production.

I’m gonna miss the camaraderie. I’m gonna miss hearing Ronnie sneeze in the morning to wake me up. I’m gonna miss Scoop stealing all of the food and procrastinating until the last minute.

But I’m gonna miss Ms. Reaman the most.

Not only are you a great teacher and mentor to me, but I also feel that I can call you a friend. A close one at that.

Ryan Silvia and he credits Tang Soo Do You made me feel okay to be myself. No matter Dean Graham for helping him get to know how talkative I was, how loud I got, and obnoxCulture Contributors himself better. ious I could be, we always got along great. In History teacher John Galla“I know how my mind 11th grade, I stood at a crossroads. I wasn’t sure gher began training martial arts works, [its] strengths and if I truly wanted to pursue journalism any further.

34 years ago. He practices Tang weaknesses,” Gallagher says.

Like always, I questioned my abilities as a writer.

Soo Do, a form very similar “It helps me stay calm.”

Through my talks and advice from you, I to karate and has climbed his One of the many things that gained confidence not only in my writing, but in way to a sixth-degree blackappeal to him about Tang Soo my everyday life. Sure, you taught me how to belt. Gallagher teaches at the Do is the philosophy. It has two write a strong lede of 25 words or less. You taught Bethlehem Martial Arts Acadmain principles: physical exme how to write in AP style. But out of everything emy, which he owns. Teaching pression of the human instinct you taught me, the most important thing was how at his own academy is what and spiritual realization that to really enjoy writing. And for that, I can’t thank inspired him to pursue a career comes with character developyou enough. You made these four years fly by. in education here at Emmaus, ment.

And I’d spend another four with you if I could.

Maybe sometime during college, you, the Triple Entente, and Bibi can all get together for (vegan) wing night. We’ll bring Scoop along, too.

To read the full story, visit stingerehs.com So thank you, Ms. Reaman. Thank you for not Illustration by Kaylee Ruiz only being the teacher I needed, but the friend I needed more.

Martial arts helps maintain strength in body and mind

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THE STINGER | APRIL 2018

A female take on Fortnite Sydney Cole Culture Contributor For the past couple of months, a new virtual craze among teenage boys is Fortnite. This one game has single-handedly taken over all other priorities in their already so busy lives.

And by “so busy,” I really mean either sleeping, doing stupid things with their friends, farting, or on the rare occasion, spending time with their girlfriends.

Well, I can tell you Fortnite is extremely unpopular among the ladyfolk.

Many could even consider it the “mistress” of their relationship.

I play this game myself and while I find it quite interesting; I also am single and have nothing better to do with my life.

I can’t complain, but let me tell you: just about every girl I know has gone the extra mile to try and get rid of this video game. On social media, girls run petitions to end this obsession. Boys reject to go on dates because they’re too busy playing Fortnite. In fact, some girls appreciate it when a guy chooses them over Fortnite.

What has this world come to that a girl is worth less than a video game?

Ladies, let’s set one thing straight: if you don’t come before Fortnite, there’s an issue. Also, as for the already jealous, needy, and controlling girlfriends out there, all I can do is pray that their boyfriend’s PS4 or Xbox doesn’t “accidentally” get soda poured all over it or “accidentally” get knocked out the window of a second-story home.

Boys, a little tip: Fortnite will always be there. Your girlfriend? Maybe not so much if you keep choosing this damn game over her. Next time you want to ditch your girl for this certain preoccupation, think twice. I promise you, Fortnite is not going anywhere. Go out and see what the world has to offer instead of living through a fake one with guns, pickaxes, and special potions that give you a shield.

There are endless possibilities of activities you could do with your better half; if Fortnite didn’t already replace her, that is. In a time where women are fighting so hard for the respect they deserve in this society, drop the controller for a couple hours. Oh, and don’t be so dramatic! You’re not actually going to die without your “mistress” at your grasp.

Make time for the real deal, because REALITY CHECK: Fortnite isn’t going to comfort you when you’re sad and talk you through your hard times. Fortnite isn’t going to show you affection.

Fortnite isn’t going to get to know every single thing about you and accept you for who you are.

Bottom line: Fortnite isn’t going to care about you as deeply as your girlfriend does. Fortnite isn’t going to love you as passionately as your girlfriend.

Don’t take her for granted.

So for the guys who won’t get their noses out of their TVs or phones, take a step back and look at what’s more important in your life. Otherwise, life can be lonely if you get to Victory Royale and there’s no one to share it with.

Images courtesy of Epic Games

Fortnite continues to Erick De La Rosa Jacob Welsko Culture Contributors Fortnite, the ground-breaking sensation, has taken the world by storm. Some people view it as their favorite video game. Others view it as the only material featured on social media. But does the genre-changing game really live up to all of its hype?

Fortnite is free-to-play; however, it does offer in-game purchases such as battle passes and other accessories.

In Fortnite: Battle Royale, players have the option of playing one of two game modes. One option, Save the World, a co-op survival mode all about exploration. To survive, gamers must scavenge resources, build forts and weapons, and endure waves of monsters. Or, players can fight against one hundred enemies in Battle Royale—the game’s claim to fame. This mode can be played either in Solos, Duos, or Squads. Solo is a free-for-all match, Duos is with another player and Squads is with two to three other players. In this mode, players are thrown onto an island and can land in their

desired destination. From there, they roam around and scavenge whatever weapons and other supplies they can find to grant them the ability to survive. Along with doing this, there is the storm closing in on the island that is lethal to anyone outside the safezone.

As the map grows smaller, so do their chances of survival.

However, crafting and building forts can provide protection from the enemies.

With Fortnite being part of a slightly obscure genre, it’s amazing how much popularity and praise it gained in such little time. Dropping in Sept. 2017, the battle royale game didn’t start receiving its recognition until Dec. Since then, the genre and the game specifically have been dominating the video game world and its culture.

Fortnite serves as many gaming YouTubers’ main source of income, with the game being plastered all across the internet. Even modern day music artists, such as Drake and Travis Scott, have taken up on playing this beloved game.

However, does the game really deserve all of its astounding admiration, or is it just another fad that will soon fade?

As two teen males who you

would probably expect to love the game, we have not bought in and believe it will die down within the near future. It may still continue to be huge for quite a while, but sooner or later, like most things in the 21st century, its zenith will soon decline, and it will be risky to attempt and revive it. Just as another once dominate game, Call Of Duty, fell off its high horse, we believe Fortnite will do the same. However, one can argue that because Fortnite is a game, getting additions with weekly updates as well as seasonal updates--each “season” is around ninety days--it’ll have more staying power when compared to games such as COD. While the game does offer a variety of different modes, it still becomes quite repetitive after a while. In addition, the weekly updates can only offer so much since they’re so often; only so many additions can be made to the game until players grow bored with it and it inevitably fizzles out.

Fortnite also has issues plaguing it outside of its game structure. Along with its praise, the game has also received massive hate and backlash from non-gamers who use Snapchat. Many people who

are not swept up in the craze have had their feeds bombarded by their male counterparts.

The words “Victory Royale,” while acting as a sense of pride for gamers, has also become a symbol of disgust for the casual social media users.

“I see it everywhere and I just want it to stop already,” freshman Carly Anderson said.

Sooner or later, the criticism that this game carries is going to counteract with the pure popularity that it’s also bringing—and Fortnite’s fate will soon be sealed.

For the most part, Fortnite: Battle Royale is a grand game that offers an exhilarating experience that can be obtained on your own or with friends.

But, like almost all things do in this day and age, it will die out eventually. For now gamers can continue to enjoy the game and its glory days until another video game takes the virtual world by storm.

Fortnite getting in the way of the real world Mackenzie Bruns Culture Contributor Recently, the world of teens and millennials has become infatuated with Fortnite.

As I scroll through my Snapchat stories, I end up skipping through all the screenshots of a bunch of gaming addicts posting how they got to first place. But how hard can it be? It must be easy if everyone is bragging about the pointless achievement.

As a skeptic in the Fortnite craze, I decided to go against the odds and play a few rounds for myself.

While this may sound biased, I haven’t played a single video game besides the Wii since I was about nine. I grew tired of the graphics and controllers and focused my time on sports and going outdoors. I confess, however, that I do have Trivia Crack on my phone, but honestly, I haven’t touched it since I downloaded it.

So as cheesy as it sounds, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and venture into the gamers’ world and look at why Fortnite has become such a hit.

First of all, I was unable to choose my character. It took me forever to figure out what buttons to press and how to even shoot my gun. X, Y, A, B, there might as well be a button for each letter of the alphabet.

I was immediately thrown onto a flying bus. And yes, you read that right. A bus like the kind we ride to school but in the air. As if it couldn’t get more ridiculous, people started to jump out and fly onto the

land. So I pressed the Y button, or was it the A button? Nevermind. I jumped out.

I landed in the infamous city called Tilted Towers. Big mistake. Apparently, according to a bunch of Fortnite experts, that is the game’s main attraction. It’s like the Paris of France or the Sydney of Australia. I was targeted immediately. I tried to hit them with my so-called axe, but that obviously did not work. They attacked me and I tried to hide.

Dead.

I landed in 70th place out of 100.

I tried again, avoiding Tilted Towers, and so I flew to the farthest place away from the middle. Genius idea, right?

Wrong. I began getting alarms about a storm and its eye. That had to be bad. I blew that off and continued to hide; eventually, I found an assault rifle. I hid in a bush and watched the total numbers of players drop from 90 to 70. This was my time, maybe I could actually win. I collected a bunch of guns, blue-looking bottles and grenades.

The game was finally looking up for me, for I had a chance at making it past the top 70.

That was until I saw a purple cloud in the small box in the corner.

The storm. This was bad.

So I started to run.

My health started to decline and as soon as I knew it, I was dead.

I ended up in 31st place. Are you kidding? I realized that I had to run into a circle to be safe. A white circle determines life or death. You can’t hide or really run from it. A white circle ruined my hopes of placing in the top 20. My frustration level was through the roof.

That was it. I finally had enough. I felt a range of emotions from frustration to stupidity to -- best of all -- childishness. I will admit, it is difficult to win the game, but how do people have the patience?

Who would ever choose to pick up a controller when life has so much to offer?

Life is worth a lot more than achieving a Victory Royale.

THE STINGER | APRIL 2018

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Socks become key to a complete outfit Victoria Rivera Culture Contributor Sometimes a collection starts because of a serious interest in a topic, a need for a hobby or just because of one’s love for a certain person: Bob Ross.

Addison Holtzhafer, a sophomore at Emmaus High School, began collecting weird socks because of the one time he received Bob Ross socks as a present. His collection continues to expand as he finds stranger socks. For example, one pair of his have multiple buffaloes with wings on them, or “buffalo wings.”

Over the past couple of years, the sock industry has experienced a massive rise in sales and production. By 2023, the socks market will be worth $11.6 billion, according to Transparency Market Research.

Although this number seems almost too large, it accounts for all types of socks. Plus, growing demand for luxury socks and the start of many smaller sock companies has greatly contributed to the market.

Dylan Michael, a sophomore at Emmaus High School, loves to use socks as a fashion piece.

“I like to have my socks match my clothing,” Michael says. “It provides an additional outlet for self expression.”

Transparency Market Research’s report stated that socks can be segmented into 6 categories: athletic socks, specialty socks, women’s socks, multiple toe socks, casual socks and trouser socks. Athletic socks are heavily showcased through sports players. Brands like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour sell different styles of athletic socks suited for certain needs. The prices of these items from these three brands can range anywhere between $6 and $50.

Holtzhafer usually spends about $12 per pair of specialty socks. Although socks are generally considered a necessity and not a fashion statement, Holtzhafer doesn’t see it this way.

“It adds a little pop to the outfit,” Holtzhafer says. “It gives you character, it makes everything a little more interesting.”

Brands are rapidly popping up to meet the demands of consumers. ModSock, K. Bell, Freaker USA and The Sock

Drawer are just a few examples of companies that focus on selling unique pairs of socks. These specialty socks are extremely popular due to their fun and out-of-the-box designs.

Junior Anthony Howorth owns around 100 pairs of strange socks. Now that he has about two full drawers of socks, he has gained notoriety for his collection.

“Since people have gotten to know me, whether they already knew me or have just met me, something that they always know me by is my socks,” Howorth says.

Another reason for socks’ rising success is the growing popularity of Birkenstocks.

People used to consider these sandals ugly, but, according to The Guardian, Photo Illustrations by Rylan Bassett. their feature in Céline’s spring/ summer collection in 2013 caused sales to increase. As more people wear these slides, the need to show off equally strange socks only grows.

“It grew into something that just became a part of me, and it feels weird at this point to try to wear a pair of white socks or black socks,” Howorth says. “I just don’t feel like I’m myself without something more spontaneous.”

Additional reporting by Eve Walters.

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THE STINGER | APRIL 2018

“A Quiet Place” ties family to horror Rylan Bassett Culture Editor Movie snacks are not recommended when seeing the new drama/thriller directed by John Krasinski. “A Quiet Place” is, as the title suggests, remarkably quiet, so loud chewing would certainly distract from the seat-clenching suspense that the movie invokes.

The jump scares and presence of big bad beasts have earned the PG-13 suspense film the classification of a horror movie, but in reality, it is a tear-jerking tale of the Abbott family that is forced into silence by sound-hunting “creatures” that took their youngest son. The story plays greatly into this situation, and writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods included details into each scene to emphasize the reality of living in silence.

The miles surrounding the family’s home are criss-crossed with paths of sand to walk quietly on, which does beg the question of where they got so much sand. Even the wardrobe fit the pattern of absolute silence. Each character is constantly barefoot and dressed in soft fabrics that would not make much noise when it rubs together. It is good practice to mold the costumes to fit the story in any film production, and “A Quiet Place” does this so elegantly and subtly that it takes a keen eye to pick up.

The true passion for cinema that is shown in the attention paid to such minutes by the creators is deserving of praise.

And praise is what it got. The movie was granted a glowing score of 96 percent from Rotten Tomatoes. To match the positive reviews, “A Quiet Place” made $50 million in domestic ticket sales and another $21 million overseas during opening weekend, according to Deadline. This is more than four times the budget of $17 million. Vulture reports that it had the best debut for an original horror story in histo-

ry, and ranked as the third highest horror opening of all time behind “It” (2017) and “Paranormal Activity 3” (2011).

Sand paradoxes aside, an entirely silent post-apocalyptic safe-haven is interesting to see on screen, and even more so to see it done well. The movie does not feature the usual flavor of an end-of-days storyline with the initial outbreak and a group of heroes saving the day. Instead, it focuses on the stress that such a situation puts on the family unit.

Lee Abbott, played by John Krasinski, acts as the group’s fearless leader, while he really spends most of his time working to build hearing aids for his deaf daughter, Regan Abbott, played by Millicent Simmonds. According to Huffington Post, Krasinski pushed for the studio to hire Simmonds because he wanted a deaf actor to fill the role. Marcus Abbott, the scared youngster of the family, was portrayed by Noah Jupe.

Movie goers seldom have faith in the ability of child actors, especially in such a macabre setting as “A Quiet Place.” This being said, the performances of Jupe, 13, and Simmonds, 15, were impressive. In a scene in which Lee and Marcus leave the group so that Marcus can learn about providing for the family, both Jupe and Simmonds effectively get across their characters’ emotional state, even without speaking a single word. Beck told Huffington Post that Simmonds taught the cast sign language during production, which was utilised in the movie and provided a sense of realism in lieu of having them communicate with glances.

Krasinski’s wife, Emily Blunt, plays Evelyn Abbott, who is pregnant for most of the movie. This presents the issue of how to give birth and care for a newborn in complete silence. This problem, along with the creation of the silent base camp, was solved off-camera. It would have add-

ed to the characters’ development to see them forced to work together toward a common goal, since the only prevalent example of this is in a high-speed life or death situation.

Some lighter material would have contrasted nicely with the dark tone of the film and given the audience a chance to catch their breath.

For the vast majority of the hour-and-a-half run time, this film keeps the audience hooked with a very fitting score by Marco Beltrami that often fills in for dialogue in situations where the family cannot speak. The dismal and chilling soundtrack replaces the sobs and screams that the characters were forced to stifle.

“A Quiet Place” Image courtesy of Flickering Myth. was an artistic feat that was pulled off A happy medium must exist between the masterfully, but this did draw beauty away two, and not that any movie needs to run from the story. Developing the family dyfor two hours and 44 minutes, but “A Quinamic more thoroughly or continuing the et Place” could stand to have some more timeline after the final scene could have plot development at the expense some of provided the audience with a better unthe intriguing mystique. derstanding of the story, but it would have taken away from the movie as a piece of art, open to interpretation and analysis.

“Man of the Woods” reveals Justin Timberlake’s grittier side Greta Miller Culture Contributor Pop legend Justin Timberlake squeezes out of his comfort zone in flirtatious, smooth JT style and into a minimalistic and carefree country scene.

Well, sort of.

“Man of the Woods,” released Feb. 2 of this year, is much different than you think. Compared to the highly-sexualized music he previously released, justifiable by “The 20/20 Experience” and “FutureSex/LoveSounds,” he noticeably shifted from going full Trey Songz to a wanna-be Blake Shelton in a matter of years. Who could forget JT’s explicit lyricism in “SexyBack”?

However, after marrying actress Jessica Biel, and fathering a child in 2015, he replaces his suit and tie for a flannel, then heads for the wilderness. “Man of the Woods’” sing-along campfire tracks feature country -- well, JT meets country -- sounds that’ll have its listeners in tune with their hidden Southern side by the end of the album.

“Filthy,” as the title suggests, kicks off the album with a sultry, yet ghastly tone for the LP. The perfect fusion of rock and roll and techno pop creates a futuristic sound for the track that can only be described as avant garde. “Put your filthy hands all over me/You know this ain’t the clean version” seems out of place with the rest of the album, as you’d expect the lyric to come from Timberlake’s era as a sex symbol.

Despite his success with differentiating the track from most music currently on the radio, “Filthy” sets a drastically different tone for the album than the teaser suggests: it features Timberlake on an excursion through the mountains, woods and country plains. Even though he clearly illustrated the music’s main influence to be blues and folk style songs, the first single diverts its purpose to an entirely different style of music.

However, the rest of the album picks

itself up to fulfill its promised country rooted sound.

Especially songs such as the jazzy “Montana” and cabin cuddle song, “Flannel,” Justin Timberlake swerves his love songs’ expression into the realm of simple living in the country, which is very different from shackles and whips from “FuturesSex/LoveSounds.” Evident of his upbringing in rural Tennessee, Timberlake diverges into his unconditional love and dedication for the wilderness in “Livin’ off the Land” by opening with the statement, “As I’m alone in the forest, I’m one with my surround-

Image courtesy of Consequence of Sound.

ings and there’s a lot of peace in that solitude/I’ll be a mountain man ‘til the day I die.”

Timberlake also slips in minimal, yet meaningful aspects of his family into a few of the tracks. “Young Man,” an entire song attributing to his three-year-old son, touches a soft spot in listener’s hearts after it begins with Timberlake and wife Jessica Biel teaching their son Silas to say a few of his first words.

“Midnight Summer Jam,” and its clear fingerprint from Pharrell Williams’ production, has violin solos, a funky rhythm, and a classic southern harmonica coo towards the end. Disregarding the cosmopolitan outbreak with “Supplies” dead middle of the album, Timberlake’s version of a southern club song with Chris Stapleton, “Say Something,” pulls the LP back into its laid-back feel, leaving its listeners chanting its catchy chorus over and over again.

The LP, destined to appear on the Man of the Woods Tour, will bring Timberlake back to the concert stage since concluding The 20/20 Experience World Tour in early 2015. With a whopping 102 shows, JT will feature each of the album’s songs, along with a few of his classics to nearly every U.S. and European stage.

Sure, some may describe “Man of the Woods” as a failure as a country album and a waste of JT’s years he should’ve spent producing another mediocre pop album.

However, it takes a lot of confidence to experiment with a new genre of music, and a ride through the countryside is a very different experience to a full time pop star.

It has its strong and weak points, but in the long run, 66 minutes of remarkable Timberlake production is nothing to complain about.

The release earned him his fourth No. 1 LP on the Billboard 200 chart - and deservedly so.

THE STINGER

APRIL 2018

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Sports

THE STINGER | APRIL 2018

Memorial Field getting necessary makeover James Marler Sports Editor For years, Memorial Field hosted several Emmaus sports, but last summer the turf underwent a renovation that turned several heads -- and perhaps a few ankles.

During the off-season, the school was forced to replace turf surrounding the goalie area for lacrosse and the penalty area for soccer. The section sticks out like a sore thumb as the area is obviously a different shade of green and is evidently longer than the rest of the field.

“The turf is very worn down, it’s had 14 years of use,” said Marc Zimmerman, assistant athletic director and activities director.

“This year many parts of the field were deemed ‘unsafe’ and had to be replaced.”

The areas in question include those specific circles, which especially were a concern for field hockey because the spots lie directly in front of the net, according to field hockey senior Aly Johnston.

“It’s horrible. We call [the new spots of turf] ‘The Swamp’ because every ball that went through there slows down drastically,” Johnston said. “They tried to cut it but the spots are still considerably longer than the rest, it’s a mess. I understand why they would do it for school safety but why use such a different material with soccer and field hockey?”

Memorial Field used to host several district and East Penn Conference playoff matches. However, due the wear and tear and the newer quality turf fields at Northampton, Parkland, and Nazareth, they have taken over as hosts among other area schools.

However, there are downsides to newer turf, according to Johnston.

“We got very used to the older turf, especially its faster pace,” she said. “Northamp-

ton’s new field is much slower, and that’s surface.” what the new field will be like, I’m guessNot only will the field have a new type ing, which will be a lot different, but I of turf, but it will feature a logo in the cenwould of liked to play on it.” ter. A classic“E” and the Green Hornet will Northampton’s Al Erdosy Stadium hosts feature the school’s brand along with a new most of the school’s varsity field sports inscoreboard. The lines will remain the same, cluding football. It was replaced in 2015 as with some lines being painted on to accompart of an $80.7 million project, according pany the appropriate season. to The Morning Call.

With this renovation, it is likely that EmParkland recently debuted its new turf maus will once again host EPC and District field, replacing a grass soccer field at a cost XI playoff games and maybe even champiof $1.5 million, according to The Morning onships as they had in the past.

Call.

This put Memorial Field next on the list for renovation, with a new field beginning installation during the first week of June. At the March 26 board meeting, a little over $500,000 was approved for the installation of a new turf field.

The project should last around six weeks, with training locations for fall sports over the summer still in question.

Junior soccer player Callen Reid welcomes the effect on play that new turf field will have.

“The circle causes difficulties since it is different than the other turf,” Reid said. “I think [overall play will generally] be improved.”

Despite the inconveniences of shifting training locations this summer, Zimmerman said the final results will be worth it.

“It’s exciting -- not only to have a safer surface for the athletes, but [it will] look much nicer,” Zimmerman said. “With the ticket booth and press box, we have a very nice facility so hopefully with the new field we can once again host Memorial Field’s recent replacement is obvious. district games, with an overall nicer Photo by Emma Brashear.

Gonzalez reps Puerto Rico on world stage Caroline Bond Sports Editor Emmaus graduate and boys lacrosse coach Desi Gonzalez has something that sets him apart from most high school level athletic coaches -- experience at the professional level.

In 2013 Gonzalez was drafted into the National Lacrosse League (NLL) by the Charlotte Hounds out of North Carolina, where he competed at the professional level for numerous years, until retiring to spend more time with his wife and twin daughters.

In the time between retiring from the NLL and now, Gonzalez has worked with lacrosse programs at the high school and collegiate levels, his most recent accomplishment being hired as the boys’ head lacrosse coach at Emmaus.

However, his playing days are not over.

Gonzalez plans to be a part of the first Puerto Rican men’s national lacrosse team to compete in the 2018 FIL World Games in Netanya, Israel.

Gonzalez helping the team warm up before a game. Photo courtesy of East Penn School District.

“The Puerto Rican national group reached out to me in 2015, said they were starting up a program that was nationally ranked...and this is our first world games,” Gonzalez said.

He is honored to represent Puerto Rico in the games, but is currently focussing on how he can lead boys lacrosse to a District XI title.

Senior defender Zack Higgins, who has known Gonzalez for nearly a decade, thinks his professional experience has given him expertise that make him an even greater coach.

“His experience defeinitely helps out the team in ways that show off the firld with our increased emphasis on film and weight room intensity,” Higgins said.

“I wanted a change in thought, a change in everything,” Gonzalez said. “We have the most district titles, we are the gold standard.”

Gonzalez was the head coach of Southern Lehigh’s boys lacrosse team from 2014 to 2016, where he had an impeccable career, leading the program to its first District XI title, beating Emmaus in the 2016 championship game. Gonzalez was named The Morning Call’s boys lacrosse coach of the year in 2015 and lehighvalleylive coach of the year in 2016.

A friend reached out to Gonzalez asking him to help out with a collegiate team, but when he saw the Emmaus job opened up, he could not pass up the opportunity to return to the program.

“There’s no home for me like Memorial Field. I played the first game on here, and now I’ll coach the last game on here before they switch out the turfs this summer,” Gonzalez said. “There’s no other words, it’s a dream come true and it really is fun to be back home.”

While Gonzalez is an incredibly experienced lacrosse player as well as coach, he finds it imperative to continue to receive

feedback and advice from coaches he has worked with in the past.

“I constantly stay in touch with every coach that I’ve ever had growing up,” Gonzalez said. “The game is forGonzalez poses for a photo ever evolving, in his store, Gonzo Pockand those older minds ets. Photo courtesy of Tim and experienc- Leedy. es are hard to match, so it’s almost like a shortcut, having those guys in my back pocket in case I ever have trouble with anything.”

Gonzalez has taken things from the different programs he has played and coached with to develop his own, unique style of lacrosse at Emmaus.

“A low-stress atmosphere,” Gonzalezsaid. “Having the kids play loose ... not playing down to opponents, not playing up to hypes and just playing the game, keeping it simplified.”

As far as the 2018 season goes, the team has achieved an impressive record of 8-2.

Gonzalez is overall pleased with the way the team is progressing, but knows the road to a district title is one of many challenges.

“I want the wins from the past to be important for these guys, but the wins for the future to be even more important,” Gonzalez said. “Everybody dwells on the past ... there’s no redemption to be had...we wanted to give this program a face lift, and realize the fact that there’s nothing to look forward to but the future.”

STINGEREHS.COM

Finding my place James Marler Sports Editor Sports can be an amazing thing.

Seeing a group of people work together towards a common goal is something that can be rare in today’s world. It was something I always wanted to be a part of.

In my childhood, I brought that wish to fruition. I played soccer, basketball, and baseball, while staying invested in auto racing and hockey. I loved sports so much in my third-grade yearbook, I wrote “MLB Baseball” as my favorite TV show. I was that kid.

However, although I remained very athletic, I was pretty big.

I never had a “skinny” phase.

Yeah, maybe I appeared skinnier than usual, but I was always bigger than the other kids, ever since the age of 10. It has been something that has confused me my whole life, and it has also been very frustrating to have to deal with.

I was born with higher blood pressure, which can be very challenging. It makes losing weight very difficult, as I get short-breathed very easily, a constant challenge when it came to soccer especially. I would almost describe it as the closest thing to asthma without being asthmatic.

I’ll tell you firsthand. Being the last to finish the lap around the field sucks.

I understand I’m not the best when it comes to eating healthily, which many of you probably know about me. I will never go vegetarian, and would rather be found in a Victoria’s Secret alone than be seen eating at CoreLife.

Nevertheless, when it came to eighth grade, I had to face the harsh reality. Regardless of my eight years playing soccer, I couldn’t find the courage to try out for the high school. I was slow, out of breath, and with the competition coming in from LMMS, I figured I had no shot. I think about that a lot. What if I tried out? Why didn’t I try? I maybe had a shot. I try not to dwell on it too much, but it was very much on my mind during the beginning of freshman year.

Without sports, what would I be?

I didn’t have a place to go in the beginning of high school. I saw the “Emmaus Soccer” and “National Honor Society” shirts around the hallways, wondering where I belonged. I never thought that I would find myself writing for this paper.

But hell, that’s where I landed.

I was welcomed into the staff and was so happy to have something that I can enjoy and a group I can call my own. I never would have thought that I would get so close to some of the people I did. From a captain of the football team to a Princeton commit Room 559 is where literally anyone, regardless of who you are or what you’re interested in, can be the best of friends. To cap that all off, I was so blessed to have Ms. Reaman as a teacher and mentor, who was gracious enough to take my stupid humor on to staff.

As much as I miss the field, I don’t think it could surpass the memories I have accumulated during my years writing for The Stinger. It was a new playing field, and I came out victorious.

THE STINGER | APRIL 2018

21

Boys tennis is a powerhouse in the Valley Katie Taranto News Editor The Emmaus boys tennis team is off to an exceptional start with an overall record of 12-1 advancing towards the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference playoffs with new team members and athletic confidence.

The team kicked off their season on the right foot, starting out with matches of singles and doubles against East Stroudsburg High School on March 12 at home, winning five out of six matches. The team’s success so far is partially due to goal-setting and motivation.

Senior Siraaj Sumar has his personal goals set on beating rival Parkland and improving his own skills and attributes.

“Beating Parkland is my top priority this season,” Sumar said. “Also having a better record than last season, and hopefully finishing this season undefeated as an individual.”

While Sumar and his teammates have their personal goals set, the tennis team as a whole has a few broad

Sean Jaeger hits the ball during a match. Photo courtesy of Arianna Werner Photography.

goals to reach together.

“I would say our biggest challenge as a team is finishing off each point, because we are always playing while in practice,” Sumar said. “When it comes to the matches, [however], we don’t always do as well.”

Head coach of the team for 25 years, Dimitri Diamondapolous has coached a myriad of players and overseen many tennis matches. For this season, however, the tables have shifted entirely due to a fresh new roster.

“This year, we basically have a whole new lineup,” Diamondapolous said. “We have a couple of freshmen that are in the line up and some younger guys that are playing singles; it’s just a good group of guys, they’re very together, we’re Kevin Ge returns a shot with a forehand. definitely a team, and at the high school level I Photo courtesy of Arianna Werner Photography. think that it’s very important to stick together and to try their hardest. For Sumar, the thrills of competition, cheer each other on. I think we’re doing a lot more as well as his relationships with his team and coach, of that.” inspire him.

Last season, the team had an overall record of 7-8.

“In terms of playing, I would say the mental battle Part of this dynamic change in wins would be credited to star freshman Sean Jaeger, the top ranked tennis player in between me and the other person, and getting the point, fighting to the last second to win, [is] very rewarding,” the district. Jaeger, a nationally recognized player, takes his courses online to focus on honing his tennis expertise, Sumar said. “My relationship with my coach and teammates is honestly really chill, and our coach really lets us and he trains for three hours every day on average. do what we want. In terms of practice, he lets us go and “With doing cyber school, I have a more open schedwork on what’s most important to us as individuals, for ule,” Jaeger said. “I can go and play more. So far this us to do better.” season its been nice, [but] the level is not what I’m used Jaeger receives helpful encouragement from his famito -- it’s a lot easier. But maybe the competition will start ly and team as well. to get harder.”

“My family is very supportive of me, as well as my Although the team is managing on a high level with a coaches, and my team,” Jaeger said. “[The team is] pretty remarkable record, maintaining the team still comes with fun, they’re a fun group of guys.” some challenges.

With their skilled lineup, the team looks forward to “Just trying to keep the team focused can be a chalfinishing up their regular season and advancing towards lenge,” Diamondapolous said. “Especially on a day-bydistricts as a whole day basis, because of the fact that you sometimes have “Just as always, our goal is to play good tennis, matches where you’re not going to be playing competcompete at a high level, and obviously we want to excel itive teams. But when you get into those competitive as a team and win the championship,” Diamondapolous matches, you need to be playing your best. You have to said. “I feel our strength is a positive team concept. we all keep everybody focused to get the best out of them as a work together towards our goals.” player.”

Every player has a different way of finding motivation

Dynamic Duo: Underclassmen To Watch Tulio excels on the diamond James Marler Adrianna Tomasello Sports Editors With his wit and pitching junior Kellan Tulio finds himself at home on the Emmaus boys varsity baseball team.

Tulio, a key part of the Hornets’ pitching rotation, has grown as both a person and player in his third year of playing varsity hardball. “[I have learned] not to take anything for granted,” Tulio said. “You have to enjoy what you got. Everyone pushes each other to get better. It’s a good competition from the experience.”

Being a member of a competitive squad can be very challenging as players attempt to strike a crucial balance in both letting go and staying uptight. However, he has found that balance and uses it to

Tulio celebrates a hit with a victory dance from Fortnite. Photo courtesy of Robert Thompson.

develop his skill.

“It’s important to keep it loose,” Tulio said. “There’s time to be serious and there’s time to have fun, but when you manage both the game becomes more enjoyable.”

Junior Shane Martrich, a catcher for the team, sees his concentration on the game from behind home plate.

“I think he does a really good job locking down his emotions,” Martrich said. “If he does do something well he might celebrate a little bit, but he’ll still lock it down when he’s on the mound and keep his composure. He’s just focused and dialed in ... but if he does slip away a little bit he will still catch back up and get the job done.”

Aside from his poise on the mound, his humor adds to the team’s atmosphere and can calm the team before a big game or get everyone ready to play.

“His comic relief is definitely [a strength of his],” Martrich said. “Just how he can get everyone riled up. His random jokes that he throws out their just makes it fun and gets the mind off baseball or if you messed up. Now you’re just having fun.”

As of now, Tulio is verbally committed to the University of Louisville to play for the Cardinals in the Atlantic Coast Conference against other tough D1 Programs.

Assistant coach Jeremy Haas noted Tuilio’s ability as a leader, and saw him as a vital piece of the team’s chemistry. “[Tulio’s] the guy who pushes everyone,” Haas said. “He pushes people a little harder, and when you do something right he tells you that you did a good job.”

With his leadership and excellent skillset as a high school player, Tulio should have no issue adjusting to his future endeavors.

Addtional reporting by Ava Gelsomini.

Reinhard represents the best Cassidy Klingman Sports Contributor No one can say that Kera Reinhard takes it easy.

The freshman distance runner has been keeping her schedule filled since the start of school -- and now that track and field season is underway, Reinhard continues to push herself as she competes in her third sport of the year at Emmaus.

After a strong cross-country season that took her to states and an impressive swim season that led her to districts, Reinhard is finding strong footing on girls track.

Currently, Reinhard runs the 800, the 1600, and as part of the four-by-eight relay team - which runs 3,200 meters. For the past two years, Emmaus has sent their girls’ four-by-eight relay to states.

Reinhard is well-liked by her teammates and coaches and is seen as a talented runner and a joy to have on the team.

Sophomore Sophia Yialamas is impressed with Reinhard’s achievements and likes having her on the team.

“Kera is constantly exceeding as a freshman, she’s amazing,” Yialamas said.

“She is a really great teammate overall.”

Distance coach Eileen Shovlin knew about Reinhard before she joined track and field, and was amazed by her prior achievements.

“I wasn’t her cross-country coach, but I did follow her,” Shovlin said. “She was a freshman that went to states and that was very outstanding, so when I found out that she was going to be on the track team, I was really excited.”

Ranked fifth overall in the league and District XI, Reinhard is thriving in her first year participating in track and field.

Kami Reinhard, head coach and mother of Kera Reinhard, also feels that she is a hard working, humble, and kind person.

Reinhard (right) readys for a cross-country meet. Photo courtesy of East Penn “She’s fierce, but you wouldn’t really know that,” Kami Reinhard said.

Kera’s father was a part of Emmaus’ track team when he was in high school.

Her parents support her in being a part of her athletic activities. As Reinhard races, her coaches can see the resemblance to her father through her intense focus and competitiveness. “[The way she races] reminded me of her father who raced on our team with my son back in the mid 90s,” Shovlin said, “and he was the anchor on the four-byfour team and often would win the meet, and I remember his face and her face reminds me of that.”

Reinhard cross-trains during her seasons to balance her sports.

“I swim on the weekends during track season,” she said, “and during swim season I’ll run once a week, and then whenever I get home from that, I’ll do homework.”

Reinhard hopes to continue working hard and supporting the team.

“I’m excited about this coming season for Kera,” Shovlin said, “and I’m anxious to see what she can do.”

22

Showcasing Emmaus’

FOUR

Haag employs strong academics to build athletic career Laurel Widdoss Sports Contributor Emmaus High School senior James Haag fills a crucial role in the boys varsity volleyball team’s success year in and year out.

Haag plays on the EHS varsity soccer and volleyball team, and has many high hopes for his last season of volleyball.

Along with sports, Haag is also a part of the Photo courtesy of Wesley Works high school choir groups, Chorale and Fermata. He takes great pride in his academic achievements, and he constantly strives to perform his best on and off the court.

Haag first started playing volleyball when he was nine. He realized he had found an interest in volleyball when, as a kid, he watched his siblings practice.

“I first realized I liked [volleyball] when I was watching my siblings play,” Haag says. “I was always at their tournaments and their games, so I was always just surrounded by the sport. I would just find a ball and start playing around with it, and I realized I enjoyed doing it and it was something I wanted to do in the future.”

Last year the Emmaus volleyball team advanced to the state semi-finals, where they lost to Central York High School. Altogether, the team had a successful year, and Haag hopes once again for the best this season.

“James was a key contributor to our success as a team last year and has continued that role this season as well,” says Emmaus volleyball coach Ken Dunkle. “His strong work ethic and high expectations help set the tone for the whole team.”

Along with working towards his own success in volleyball, Haag pushes the team to work at its best, and helps to ensure practices and games run smoothly. He is

admired by his teammates and coach for his hard work and leadership skills.

“James was voted captain by his teammates,” Dunkle says. “As captain, James leads the team on the court and in practice. He helps run drills, communicate expectations to his teammates, helps mentor the younger athletes, and most importantly, sets a good example for the other players to emulate.”

During practices and games, Haag can be seen helping players warm up, stretch, and perform drills. On and off the court, Haag is constantly providing support and encouragement to his fellow teammates.

“He just always wants everyone to improve. You can always tell who’s going to be some of the best players, who’s going to go further into the game than just highschool,” sophomore Riley Bender says. “There’s people who want to be there, who want to get better, who want the team to get better, and he’s one of those people. If he’s struggling with something, he’s gonna go get extra help.”

Along with volleyball, Haag also plays for the Emmaus soccer team. He has been playing soccer since he was two, and as long as he can remember has been athletically inclined.

“We have a lot of players come out every year for soccer, and there are always a lot of hard decisions our coaches have to make,” Haag says. “But the soccer team is consistently a good team and I think we always work well together.”

Last year, Haag was chosen to receive the 2017 Lehigh Valley Boys Soccer Scholar-Athlete award. He was the first Emmaus student to be selected to receive this award in over 15 years.

“It just shows that I’m not just a sports person. I also strive to do my best in school as well, and I always work hard to make sure that my grades are up while still trying to do my best in sports,” Haag says. “It just meant a lot to me to be able to have my name in there and be remembered for that.”

Outside of sports, Haag takes part in the club PALS. PALS, or Peer Assisted Learning Support, is a club in which students of EHS organize parties for special needs students.

“Basically, what we do is throw social events for the special needs kids every month,” Haag says. “It’s like a party we have and we just have fun with them.”

Haag recently participated in the Emmaus dodgeball tournament, where he and a group of friends reigned as champions. “The Dodgefathers,” Haag’s team, went undefeated until one of two final games.

“We went into the tournament not really expecting to win much because of some of the competition we had, but we ended up just having fun with it,” Haag says.

“Eventually, we ended up winning almost every game up until the final. It was just fun, we weren’t really focused on winning or losing, we were just focused on having fun.”

In the future, Haag plans to study economics and finance in college. He has always been drawn to the subject of math, so going into a field based on mathematics is something he believes that will set him up for success in future careers.

“I’ve always found myself liking math and statistics, so I feel like I’ll always have a job because you can’t really have a company without bringing in some sort of compensation. I’ve always just been intrigued by how the business world works,” Haag says.

Haag has many goals he and the volleyball team are striving to attain this season, including qualifying for districts and Eastern Pennsylvania Conference championships, and then advancing to states.

“There’s nothing holding us back except for ourselves, and if we work hard there’s no reason why it has to be a different team other than us,” Haag says.

Haag spiking a ball in a game last season. Photo courtesy of Haag.

Hannis leads solid boys lacrosse defense Adrianna Tomasello Sports Editor Emmaus High School’s boys lacrosse is returning to the limelight as the spring season opens, and senior Nate Hannis is more than ready to start again.

For some of the team members, lacrosse is not only an aspect of their high school career, but also something they’ve done that has affected their lives substantially.

Hannis is an example of a player with a genuine love for the sport, which started growing when he began in middle school.

“I started playing when I was in sixth grade,” Hannis says. “I saw my friends playing it, so I got into it and went to a one-day camp. I’ve loved it ever since.”

Hannis currently plays both in and outside of school.

Outside of school he plays for Emmaus’ coach, Desi Gonzalez and Duke’s North lacrosse club in tournaments over the summer.

Not only is lacrosse a favorite pastime for Hannis, it’s also something that has shaped him as a student and personally. “[Lacrosse] has made me keep a level head,” Hannis says. “It’s taught me that you can’t mess around or you’ll miss out.”

Over the years, Hannis Photo courtesy of Wesley Works.

changed from being timid to an outspoken voice on the team, says junior Ryan Thomas.

“He stepped into the role of captain,” Thomas says. “He’s really been loud on the field and aggressive and a really great overall defenseman.”

As a left-handed defender amongst many right-handed attackers, Hannis has the advantage. His management of the people around him is another strength that he brings to the team.

“He’s also quick on his speed, he has fast feet,” Thomas says. “He’s able to keep up with other fast attackers. He’s … able to control our defense kind of like a quarterback for the football team, controlling the Hannis (left) marks an attacker in a game against Easton. defense and making sure everything is Photo courtesy of Hannis. organized.”

Throughout his lacrosse career his “I’m feeling good [about this season], I think the sefather consistently influences his work ethic. niors really want to restore order,” Hannis says. “We’ve “[My role model is] my dad, overall,” Hannis says. been champs in the past, and everyone has a good “He’s very hardworking, and he took care of his mom mindset.” and family of seven during college.”

So far, Hannis seems to have accurate predictions.

Along with lacrosse Hannis plays football for EmThe team has only lost twice on the entire season, and maus as a linebacker. This year the National Football As hopes remain high for the season, lacrosse will Foundation Lehigh Valley Chapter nominated him for continue to play a major role in the lives of its players. the 58th annual Scholar-Athlete Banquet that recognizes Hannis has decided to continue his lacrosse career at top student-athletes.

Moravian College, where he plans to pursue a degree in In additon to being nominated by the Lehigh Valley forensic accounting.

Chapter, Hannis was also named a fall scholar athlete in 2017. To even be considered for this honor, a student Additional Reporting by Rachel Levy athlete must have a minimum GPA of 3.50 and at least one varsity letter.

Looking to the future, Hannis has strong, positive feelings about the upcoming season. He says that both the team and the coaches are feeling confident.

FACES

23

Senior Athletes

Weaver guides lacrosse with impressive skillset

Adrianna Tomasello Sports Editor As a senior, Paige Weaver begins her final season playing for the Emmaus girls lacrosse team, where she continues to be a strong force on attack and as a captain.

Last year Weaver was one of the top scorers on the team, racking up 39 goals for the Hornets. Currently Weaver has contributed 19 goals to the team. The offensive presence she holds shows on the field partly because of her scoring, but also from her constant pressure she puts on the other team’s defense.

During her junior season, Weaver was named lehighvalleylive girls lacrosse player of the week due to her impressive offensive performances in big games against Parkland and Nazareth.

However, her road to success has not been easy. For part of all her previous seasons Weaver sat on the bench with both injuries and sickness, with time in a boot as well as mono. From these setbacks, she built a strong

Weaver shields the ball against Pleasant Valley players.

Photo courtesy of Weaver.

support system and bond with her fellow teammates.

“It has made me learn to never give up even if I want to so bad,” Weaver said. “Being on the sideline for every single season sucks, but I also got to build a bigger team and learn how to pick myself up when I am down or count on other people to make me feel better.”

Over the seasons the team taught Weaver more than how to develop her skills and technique.

“Just being with the girls, I learn more about love and trust and compassion,” Weaver said. “I just learned how to be a leader and learned how to put myself in the position where I have to share with other people.”

As a result of her growth, Weaver has even bigger ambitions going into this season. Some of her hopes include beating Parkland and Easton, and making it farther in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and districts.

“Because I haven’t made it through a season I really want this season to be good,” Weaver said. “I want it to last not forever, but as long as possible.

Last year was definitely my best season of them all and I want to make this one even better.”

Head Coach Roxann Betz has also seen her grow since she started for the team, especially in how she became more vocal in preparation to the season.

“She is definitely a lot more outspoken this year,” Betz said. “I think that comes from being a leader and captain, which is good for her because she used to be one of the quieter kids on the team so I think we hear her voice a lot more this year than we ever have.”

As a captain, Weaver plays a vital role in leading and being a model for underclassmen on and off the field. Junior defender Claire Nielsen acknowledges the influence Weaver has on the other players.

“On the field she’s such a great player,” Nielsen said. “Some of the girls that are just starting off as freshmen really look up to her [for] her skill. As a captain this year, she’s really stepped up by leading stretches and setting a good ex-

Photo courtesy of Weaver. ample for everyone.”

Aside being a leader, Weaver’s sense of humor lightens the atmosphere of practices according to Betz.

“She sets a great example, but she’s also the fun spirited kid on the team,” Betz said. “She’s funny. That’s the neatest thing about her because you always know you’re going to laugh when you’re around her.”

Due to strong senior leadership, the Hornets have proven to be tough competitors, edging out important wins against Central Catholic and Nazareth.

Even though Weaver is unsure of her athletic future, she is certain of what her senior season can bring. Like Weaver, Betz sees this year as a culmination of all her hardwork and dedication she put into the sport. “[I want her] to just enjoy every day out here because you never know when it will be the last time you are on the field,” Betz said. “She has such a love for the game and I just want her to enjoy every day she has playing it.”

clark transitions from hornet to nittany lion Caroline Bond Sports Editor Dependable, communicative, leader.

All words repeatedly used by teammates and coaches alike to describe senior softball player Maddy Clark, who enters her final year of high school as one Clark at bat during a game. of Emmaus’ Photo courtesy of Clark. top softball players.

In her early years, Clark’s parents, both being involved in the sport, pushed her into softball and she instantly found a connection with it.

“My parents just signed me up and I fell in love with the sport,” Clark said. “My mom played ‘old lady’ softball and my dad played baseball, but it wasn’t really like I was destined to play, that’s just what they put me in to and what I was good at.”

Clark started off her high school career as a dual athlete, competing on both Emmaus’ field hockey and softball teams. But when the two sports practically consumed her schedule and left her little time for academics, Clark made the decision after her sophomore year to become a softball-only player.

“Field hockey just took up a lot of time ... and I just didn’t have the same passion for the game as I did

for softball,” Clark said. “It was just way too much to handle, and my grades really reflected that freshman and sophomore year.”

In her first season as head coach of the softball team, Coach Brittany Frederick has greatly appreciated Clark’s leadership and determination, despite only being her coach for a few short months.

“Maddy has many strengths, but one that sticks out the most is her dedication,” Frederick said. “She is constantly wanting to improve as a player but improve the atmosphere for her team. She is a great leader and shows a ton of compassion for the sport.”

There are countless memories that Clark will take with her as she graduates from Emmaus and starts the next chapter of her life. One of them being the time she ripped a double, and as she was running, looked over to third base and saw her coach dab in celebration.

Though she has had some unforgettable moments on the field, it’s the moments off the field spent with her teammates that Clark will miss most about Emmaus softball.

“That family aspect that you get,” Clark said. “Just being able to go to your team and talk about anything, even my relationship with the coaches is something I love.”

It is memories like these that make all of the time she has put into the sport worth it.

Throughout her entire high school career, Clark believes she has improved dramatically, especially in the realm of confidence.

“I feel like I was more worried about myself freshman year, but now I’ve opened up to be more of a team player,” Clark said. “If you’re not confident you’re not going to play well. If you lack confidence in yourself, it’s going to reflect on the field.”

Teammate Lily Trexler, who has been playing softball with Clark since their days at Lower Macungie Middle School, is proud of her for the way she has stepped up and become a leader this year.

“Ever since I’ve known Maddy since seventh grade, she has always been a natural born leader,” Trexler said.

“Especially this year, she has definitely come up as one of the strongest supporters for our team.”

Looking back on her career, Clark is proud of the way she played, including being named The Morning Call’s softball player of the week her junior year. However, hindsight is always 20/20, and if she could, she would give herself advice that she now knows as a senior. “[I would say] focus more on school work, because I feel like I put so much into softball and field hockey that I was like ‘oh, I don’t need to study,’ but I obviously did need to study,” Clark said.

After graduation, Clark plans to attend Penn State Hazleton to pursue a degree in secondary education with a focus in math. She hopes one day to get a job teaching in the East Penn School District, and would love to come back to help coach softball, if the opportunity ever presented itself.

Photo courtesy of Clark.

24

THE STINGER | APRIL 2018

SPRING SPORTS RUNDOWN Keeping Up to date with emmaus’ Athletes Girls: 5-5

Lacrosse

Head coach Roxann Betz leads Emmaus girls lacrosse in her second season, as the Hornets seek to improve on an impressive 2017. Losing goalie Cristina Carotenuto to graduation, junior Chloe Gerhard looks to fill that gap alongside captains Lizzy Ninesling, Taylor O’Brien, and Paige Weaver. The Lady Hornets are hoping to find either a conference or district trophy this season, after coming up blank last year.

Boys: 8-2

Boys lacrosse enters a new season with big expectations, as well as a new head coach, Desi Gonsalez. After losing eleven seniors, some would expect that team chemistry would be thrown off. However, the Hornets are off to a terrific start, winning eight straight before losing to Wilson West Lawn. A talented corps of seniors include Hartford commit Hunter Krauss and future Moravian Hound Nathan Hannis, supported by underclassmen such as Bailey O’Connor and Sam Conway. Emmaus seeks a return to the District XI crown, having been absent last season.

Boys Volleyball 8-0

Continuing last year’s success, the Emmaus boys volleyball team is seeking another District XI crown. Coach Ken Dunkle enters his fourth season, with assistant coaches Jared Kostic, Karen Moll, and Bobby Spangler. Early in the season, the Hornets claimed the Red Rover Invitational crown, and reached the semifinals of the Bobcat Invitational. Led by seniors Matt Swanson, Thomas Mazzella, James Haag, Mitchell Shoemaker, Sam Workman, and Cameron Parsons, all hope to finish their high school careers with a PIAA crown, which they fell short of last season.

Baseball 8-1

Softball 6-4

Emmaus softball is off to a solid start in the 2018 campaign, coached by Brittany Frederick-D’Agostino in her first season. Key victories include Northampton and Blue Mountain, both on the road. The team has big expectations following an impressive 20-5 record in the 2017 season, including an EPC finals berth and a District XI semifinal. Notable seniors include Caitlyn Ashelman, Maddy Clark, and Cassie Burke, who will all be attending Penn State Hazelton. Shippensburg commit junior Hannah Palinkas leads the pitching staff and a solid corps of underclassmen.

Mike Mihalik is once again leading an excellent baseball roster into the 2018 season as the Hornets prepare to make another run into the district and state playoffs. Seniors include Evan Marushak, Ryan Kayse, Brendan Lynch, Adam LeMaster, Grant Schichtl, and Rylan Domingues. They hope to improve on a 16-7 season in 2017, which included a District XI run that ended against Liberty in the semifinals. Some notable games later in the season include a game against Northampton in Cooperstown, New York and at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, as the Hornets will face the Vikings of Central Catholic.