www.eastside-online.org
Vol. 50 No. 2
Cherry Hill High School East: 1750 Kresson Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
December 2016
Vap e
is Life.
Currently, numerous types of
e-cigarettes and related products exist on the market. Electronic cigarettes, commonly referred to as “e-cigs,” are battery-operated devices that resemble regular cigarettes. Hookah is a water pipe that can be used to smoke a special variety of flavored tobacco. Hookah smoking is typically done in groups, as the base may contain multiple hoses with mouthpieces at the end. Vaporizers, otherwise known as “vapes,” have developed from e-cigs. While both e-cigs and vapes are battery-operated and do not release second-hand smoke, vapes allow users to refill the devices with their choice of ingredients. E-cigs are generally pre-filled in the factory and are made for single usage. “If you’re a heavy smoker, you would have an e-cigarette, and it was supposed to taper you down with smaller amounts of nicotine to nothing, and that makes complete sense,” said Mrs. Jen DiStefano, East Student Assistance Counselor. “The problem is, then the vapor pens [allow you to] add your own nicotine oils to it, and other things. The concentrate of the nicotine in
Inside This Issue
Friedman’s Youtube Channel lights up web News/Features, Pg. 3
■ By Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17) and Ashley Cooper (‘17) Eastside Editors-in-Chief
In the year 1963, a man by the name of Herbert Gilbert created the world’s first non-nicotine electronic cigarette. It wasn’t until the early 21st century, however, that Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik developed a nicotine-based electronic cigarette. Since then, thrillseekers looking for more than just the typical e-cig have developed a subculture known as vaping that has risen in popularity over the past several years. According to research and markets, the global e-cig and vaporizer market is expected to grow to over $47 billion by the year 2025. Oxford even named “vape” the Word of the Year in 2014. While vaping was developed as a means to wean smokers off of cigarettes, for many adolescents, the trend has turned into an addiction itself. Alternatives to Cigarettes
Photo by Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief Photo Illustration by Emelia Keller (“17)/ Eastside Photo Editor
the vapor is so much higher, because it’s true oil that you’re putting into the actual vapor.” Signs of Vaping
DiStefano has been trained on vaping through a variety of sessions, including some run by the Cherry Hill Police Department specifically for educators in the district. She then educated East teachers on how to detect student vaping. “It’s hard to find [signs of vaping] unless [students are] actually doing them. So [the] number one [sign] is smell,” said DiStefano. Many vape pens have a distinct, unnatural smell due to the flavoring used. Flavors can range anywhere from watermelon to cinnamon muffin. “Obviously white puffs of clouds of smoke [are also a sign],” said DiStefano. “Exchange [as well], so if kids are buying it here, and there is a type of exchange of money for the product.” East has been cracking down on the use of vaporizers and e-cigarettes over the past few years. The
Reading Terminal smokes market game Community, Pg. 6
use of of a vape pen with nicotine falls under the Tobacco and Under the Influence Policy. Furthermore, vape pens, even those without nicotine, are considered paraphernalia, and thus are also included in the policy. Dangers of Vaping
In addition to a greater nicotine concentration in the oil, vaping poses other dangers. Many of these problems arise due to the nature of the vape pens having to be refilled by the user. According to the Wall Street Journal, vaporizers have larger batteries and cartridges, allowing the devices to hold more liquid and last longer. Furthermore, these refillable cartridges allow users to put more than just nicotine oil into the vape pens. Some people load the pens with cannabis extract, also known as THC oil, which stands for tetrahydrocannabinols. THC oil is the strongest form of marijuana, and can cause a variety of effects on the brain. See VAPE, pg. 13
Whitewashing clouds Hollywood Entertainment, Pg. 23
NEWS/FEATURES
Page 2
EASTSIDE
December 2016
Gorenberg practices calisthenics with big dream ■ By Jenna Simons (‘17)
Eastside News/Features Editor
Pull-ups. Push-ups. Squats. Lunges. To some, these exercises might sound like others’ worst nightmare. But to DJ Gorenberg (‘18), these exercises only dust the surface of his rigorous workout routine. While some students play sports like soccer or hockey, Gorenberg opts for a much more unique pastime. Gorenberg practices calisthenics, or body-weight training. In conventional workouts, weights are used to provide suspension against muscles. In calisthenics, one’s own body is used as suspension. Gorenberg originally started working out alone. Two summers ago Greg Slaton (‘11)—a friend of Gorenberg’s sister, Erica Gorenberg (‘11)—invited Gorenberg to work out with him. Around that time, Gorenberg also went to an American Ninja Warrior gym for the first time. Slaton runs Freebody Fitness, a workout group centered around calisthenic training. This group is free and open to people of all fitness levels, from beginners to experts. These workout sessions are held at parks around Cherry Hill. “Freebody Fitness is like a group. It’s two guys... they wanted to help people get healthier,” said Gorenberg. Similar to the creators of Freebody Fitness, Gorenberg has a need to help others. Gorenberg has an Instagram, @djg.fit, specifically for calisthenic work-
out videos and pictures. Anyone who visits Gorenberg’s Instagram will find that he is a sponsored athlete. He is sponsored by iMuscleUp, a budding
have the money to go to a gym, they can [watch what I do]. They’ll learn new exercises and I’ll give them tips,” said Gorenberg. “People will direct message me
er national competitions such as the National Ninja League. Each year, the National Ninja League has the first organized Youth Ninja
week, training. When he has time restrictions due to obligations, he still trains at least five days a week, and takes Weight Room at East. However, calisthenics are only the beginning of Gorenberg’s impressive resumé. Despite training nearly every day, Gorenberg is an active member in the community. He participates in baseball, basketball, band, marching band and Athletes Against Bullying. Outside of school, Gorenberg is training to volunteer for TeenLine, a local hotline specifically for teenagers. Gorenberg warns aspiring novices to take care when beginning calisthenics, as it is easy to get injured. “You need to execute every movement with proper form. If you can’t do a specific movement with proper form, there is always Liz Lee (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor something you can do to make it easier,” said Gorenberg practices calisthenic training in the East weight room. Gorenberg. company hoping to reach and say ‘Hey, do you have Warrior Season in the naFor example, if one has a larger market. Gorentips on how to do this bettion. Smaller competitions difficulty doing push-ups berg gets sent free clothes, ter?’ ” are held in gyms around with proper form, dropping which he then promotes on To continue helping oththe country. The top comto one’s knees will allow him his Instagram page using ers, Gorenberg plans to petitors at each event have or her to build up his or her the hashtags “#iMuscleUp” major in sports medicine the chance to qualify for a strength while simultaneand “#JustGetMoving.” or physical therapy during competition in February. ously maintaining form. If Gorenberg is able to college. While students who comone finds basic push-ups in reach a community of other One of the most compete in traditional sports correct form simple, modifitrainees through his Instamon competitions that spend hours practicing, cations can increase the difgram. uses calisthenic training is calisthenics is no different. ficulty level. “My end goal with social “American Ninja Warrior.” When Gorenberg is able to While some students media in general is to be Gorenberg wants to enter train as much as he would drop sports after graduaable to help people. For exthis competition when he like, he spends about an tion, Gorenberg plans to ample, if someone wants to turns 21. In the meantime, hour to an hour and fortystick with calisthenics as lose weight and they don’t he plans to compete in othfive minutes, seven days a long as he is able to.
Martin takes a “flipped classroom” approach to math ■ By Sophie Levine (‘19)
Eastside Staff
When working with material including quadratic equations, functions and polynomials, there are sometimes students who are dazed and confused about what they are learning in math class. The problems continue outside of the classroom when students go home and are unable to understand their homework. This overall confusion leads to a struggle for students to grasp the topic. Mr. David Martin, an Algebra II and Geometry teacher at East, has a solution to fix that problem. Three years ago while teaching an Algebra I class, Martin encountered several students who were struggling with the material being taught. He began looking into other ways that he could teach students. The solution he found was to make videos on the standards that students were struggling with. “I started making the videos so that it freed me up during class to give [students] a lot more time to practice with me,” said Martin. With these videos, found on cherryhillmath.com, Martin decided to take an unusual approach to a traditional classroom, implementing a technique known as a “flipped classroom.” The videos that he
made were watched by the students at home and the homework was done in the classroom. “It gives everyone a chance to work together
me,” said Ally Leomporra (‘19), one of Martin’s students. In addition, students can listen to the video at home at their own pace and get
then take the chance to actually listen, instead of having to do both things at the same time,” said Martin. Another key aspect of these videos is that they
Liz Lee (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor
Student views Martin’s video in class as Martin assists students. and work with me,” said Martin. Some students find that doing the homework in class is effective in helping them learn the material. “If I have a question when I’m doing [the homework], I don’t have to email him, he’s right in front of
a better understanding of the topic. In a non-flipped classroom, students will frequently focus on writing down the notes instead of listening to what the teacher says. “The video gives kids a chance to... hit the pause button, do the writing and
help out absent students. This is a relief to students, as they do not feel they are behind after missing a class, but instead can jump right back into the next lesson. Martin has one video for every Algebra II standard. He also has one for seven
out of ten Geometry standards and is working on putting together the other half of his college math series. The supplementary videos range from five to fifteen minutes a video, and he has 45-minute videos for chapter reviews. Martin produces these videos by using software called Open Broadcast. He starts by using writing slates that were purchased by East and screenshots his lessons onto the writing slates. He then uses a gaming headset, records the videos and uploads them onto YouTube. Even those students who do not have Martin still have access to the videos. “The videos help to explain in more depth about what I don’t understand. They also make it easier to understand when I can listen and watch however many times I want,” said Erin Krassen (‘19), who watches Martin’s videos despite not havimg him as a teacher. Martin has a passion for helping any student struggling with math. He gives up some free time on Sundays to make these videos available for any student. While others are spending their Sundays watching football, you can be sure that Martin is making another video to help his students succeed inside, and outside of the classroom.
December 2016
NEWS/FEATURES EASTSIDE
Page 3
Friedman, also known as Vailskibum94, gains over 240,000 subscribers on his YouTube Channel
As for making the videos, Friedman Eastside News/Features Editor spends an hour to three hours about In 2012, Ari Friedman three times a week (‘17) first saw the show using the programs “Gravity Falls” on Disney Camtasia Recorder Channel. In 2013, his life and Studio to make changed and a YouTube cahis content. For Friedreer was born. man, an unscripted With the inspiration video takes at least from “Gravity Falls,” Friedan hour to put toman began making videos gether between voice on his YouTube Channel, and visual editing. A Vailskibum94, discussing scripted video takes theories about the show and Freidman longer due making creative parodies. to the time it takes Now in 2016, Friedman has to write the script. over 240,000 subscribers However, there are and over 460 videos. some videos that are “In 2013, I started with much heavier in edit‘Gravity Falls’ videos, which ing and can’t be done is a cartoon on Disney. And in one sitting, said it's basically a show where Friedman. it has a bunch of secrets Although his Youand mysteries, and I made Tube channel started theories on the characters out as a hobby, Friedand the episodes,” said man has been able to Friedman. “‘Gravity Falls” make money off of his ended earlier this year, so videos. now I’m just making some “I started with the other cartoon videos, just intention with just like reviews and secrets.” doing it for fun ‘cause Before Vailskibum94, that’s what I have Friedman began his Youbeen doing on YouTube career with his acTube since 2008, and count eaglefan246. After then I got the opporgaining inspiration from tunity to monetize my “Gravity Falls” to become a videos and it was just video creator, he started his Photo Illustration by Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor a thing on the side. I Friedman works on one of his YouTube videos, as though he was in “Gravity Falls.” new channel. still do videos for fun “I didn’t really have any man has been able to meet In addition to working said Friedman. “People just now, but the money is just a specific person who inspired up with some of his viewers on his channel, Friedman say ‘your channel has gone benefit,” said Friedman. me, but ever since YouTube at a variety of places. has been able to help his downhill and you're not doThe name of his YouTube got popular, I just watched a “I’ve met a lot of fans in friends who also make Youing ‘Gravity Falls,’ and I account, Vailskibum94, bunch of people. Jacksfilms real life, in many different Tube videos. have done some pretty bad originated from his older is one of the popular Youtuplaces. I worked at a camp “He’s helped my friends theories in the past, and brother’s email. bers that I really like, and two years ago and there and I a lot by featuring our people will criticize them “My brother actually these people that I watch was actually a fan that was channel and appearing in instead of just constructive made the name a long time made me want to create my in my division and he found our videos. When ‘Gravity criticism, they will say ‘this ago… Basically if you take own content… like instead out that I was there... and Falls’ ended, his channel is a terrible theory.’ I have it apart, Vail is Vail, Coloof being a viewer, I wanted we were talking about my dipped a bit in subscribers, dealt with a lot of hate like rado and the ski bum is beto be a creator,” said Friedchannel,” said Friedman. but he managed to conquer that, but still it's basically cause I used to ski a lot and man. Friedman also has atthe obstacle by putting outweighed by all the posibum is tended Comic Con, an enout new [videos], which in tive responses.” another tertainment word for and comic s o m e convent h i n g tion, sevthat you eral times. do a lot. While there, W h e n he has met I was with viewyounger, ers who recI used ognized him to go to from his vidVail, Coleos as well as the creator of turn attracted new people. Although Friedman orado, all “Gravity Falls.” If things go his way, Vailplans to continue making the time. Friedman said his viewskibum94 will grow into YouTube videos, he does I don’t ers range from anywhere something even bigger than not foresee continuing them do that between five-year-olds to before,” said Aaron Young in the far future as a job. as much young adults and above, (‘17), one of Friedman's Instead he wants to pursue now, but with a majority of subscribfriends. computer science, where he that is ers in the range of ten to fifWhile Friedman has had can utilize his skills. where teen years old. overall positive reactions “It’s just cool because a the name Outside of support from from fans, he has also had bunch of people can watch was orighis fans, Friedman also to endure some negative my stuff. It's hard to picinated,” finds encouragement from comments and unsupportture 200,000 people and I s a i d his family and friends. ive viewers. am so used to the number FriedOne of Friedman’s close “Since ‘Gravity Falls’ that I don’t think that it is man. friends, Ethan Arcaroli is over, they just say my that amazing because it's Since (‘17), said, “I would say that channel is bad, this is in been with me for a long h i s he puts a lot of effort into the minority, not a lot of time,” said Friedman. “It's Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor c h a n n e l making his videos and that people do this, but with evstill really cool to stop and Friedman has his own YouTube play button, g a i n e d he always makes a point to ery YouTube video, you are think how many people are signed by the creator of “Gravity Falls,” to populariinteract with his fans.” going to have some haters,” watching my videos.” commemorate his first 100,000 subscribers. ty, Fried■ By Jenn Pacitti (‘17)
“It’s still really cool to stop and think how many people are watching my videos.” -Ari Friedman (‘17)
NEWS/FEATURES
Page 4
EASTSIDE
The SAT remains dominant at East ■ By Ashley Cooper (‘17)
Eastside Editor-in-Chief
Sweaty palms. Nervous expressions. Unsure gazes. Guessed answers. These characteristics often are what encompass a standardized test room. For some, deciding whether to take, or how to even study for, a standardized test is a difficult question all in its own right. But now with the growing prominence of the ACT, a bigger question has arisen: which standardized test is best to take? This year the SAT celebrates its ninetieth birthday since its 1926 inception. Formerly entitled the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the SAT claims to represent what a child is capable of learning. As of March 2016, the College Board has redesigned its test format in order to be more in compliance with today’s standards. But for quite a few students, this 90-year-old testing method has become quite antiquated. Thus, some have been turning to an alternative test: the ACT. Created 33 years after the SAT in 1959, the ACT is an achievement test, aimed to test what a student does already know. One of the main differences between the ACT and SAT are their differing sections. The new SAT contains four sections: 65-minute evidence-based reading, 35minute writing, 25-minute non-calculator mathematics and 60-minute calculator mathematics. The ACT also has its share of writing and reading sections, with a 45minute English section, 60minute math section and a 35-minute reading section. But uniquely, the ACT includes a fourth section, which is diverse f r o m anything that the S A T tests: a 35-minute science section. Also, the two t e s t s v a r y vastly in terms of their overall pace. A c cording to students, t h e quicker pace of the ACT has actaully created, overall, more beneficial results with their test-taking. “I would say the ACT and SAT are equal in content, but the ACT is a lot fasterpaced,” said Lizzie Loesner (‘17), “which I like better because I’ve always been a pretty fast test-taker and I’ve always ended up with a lot of extra time on the SAT. The ACT is 75 questions in 45 minutes for one
of the sections.” One of the largest probNew Jersey,” added another Likewise to Loesner, lems that can arise when East ACT-Test taker, Niki Jess Payne (‘17) prefered any student is attempting Bopari (‘17). “There were the pacing of the ACT. She to take the ACT is finding a actually a lot of East kids said, “I felt a lot better after testing location. While the who had to go there.” taking the ACT than I did SAT is offered seven times In order to get an East after I took the SAT. It was a year, the ACT is only oftesting location, direct apa lot easier for me and I didn’t have any timing issues.” One thing that the two tests share in common are their optional writing tests. However, ACT has offered this section as optional for a number of years, whereas SAT’s writing portion only became optional as of its March 2016 redesign. For some students, this optional nature of the writing can have a large benefit. “I knew that the writing was optional, so I was like ‘no writing!’ because I’m not good at that,” said Sandra Bruno (‘17). But despite these commonalities, coastal emphasis remains on the SAT. Yet, since 2012 the ACT has become the more popuEmelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor lar of the two tests on East does not currently offer an ACT preparation elective. a nationwide level. In fact, the number of East students taking the ACT fered on six different occaproval would need to be has grown to over 120 stusions. For Cherry Hill East given by ACT. dents. With the increasing students, this is an espe“ACT uses a formula to number of ACT test takers, cially difficult predicament, determine need in a certain concerns have been raised as East is not offered as a geographic area. In other by some students that East testing center. Across town, words, if they feel there are lacks the proper support for Cherry Hill West does offer already enough test cenits student test-takers. a testing center. ters offering the ACT in a According to Payne, a “I inherited the ACT given geographic area, then large discrepancy exists befrom my predecessor some it’s unlikely that they will tween the treatment of the 13 years [ago], long before permit another test center ACT and SAT within the the ACT was popular,” said to open,” said Caputi. “I school building. Mr. Nicholas Caputi, Guidexperienced this first-hand “I didn’t even know the ance Counselor and SAT/ last year when I tried to ACT was a viable option unACT Test Supervisor for get West the February test til the very end of last year,” Cherry Hill High School date. I was told that there said Payne. “I thought it West. “He was proactive in were already enough cenwas only for the Southern making West an ACT test ters running within close and Western states. I wish center.” proximity to mine.” According to Director of Guidance for Caputi, Despite the Cherry Hill School DisWest’s viability as trict, Mr. James Riordan, is a testing location, attempting to resolve these there are some student concerns. This year, shortcomings, he has plans to introduce a according to stunew ACT summer preparadents. Foremost, tion course in order to apWest does not peal to the growing number host the ACT durof high schoolers taking the ing its September test. test date, pruning Calculus, Functions, and down the already Geometry teacher Mr. Jeff small number of Killion will be instructing six ACT testing students on the ACT mathdates per year to ematics section, while Ms. five. According Nora Smaldore, teacher of to Caputi, this is all levels of Latin, will inlargely due to lostruct students on the readgistical reasons. ing and English sections of Further, West’s the ACT. testing location According to Riordan, often fills up at a the district is still working very quick rate, to solidify whether there leaving several will be an additional scistudents forced ence section taught at the to test in distant ACT summer prep course. locations. Overall, both SAT and “I had to go ACT test-takers simply want fair treatment, and Sidra Isenberg (‘18)/ Eastside Staff online and find testing locations, not to be stigmatized deand both of the pendent on which exam [East] would have just addates that I took them, they they prefer to use for colvertised it more.” weren’t offered at West, so lege entry requirements. And without the proper I drove to Cinnaminson for “I definitely think we support, many East stuone and Atlantic City for emphasize SAT a lot more dents have had difficulty another,” said Loesner. here, and I think it should even knowing what content East ACT-taker Kim be more equal, honestly,” would appear on the ACT. Longa (‘17) had a similar said Longa. “I had to do a lot of my experience to Loesner, havEast appears to be tranown prep, and a lot of my ing to take her exam several sitioning to a time of inown research on the side miles away from her home, creased testing support. because I didn’t really know at Triton Regional High Perhaps, in the years to anything about the ACT, School in Runnemede. come, ACT test takers will and they’re very different “I had to travel 45 minhave their concerns aptests,” said Loesner. utes, all the way to Sewell, peased once and for all.
December 2016
The Boyling Point
■ By Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17) Eastside Editor-in-Chief
On Tuesday, November 8, Cherry Hill voters casted their ballot not only for a presidential candidate, but for three Board of Education members who will serve a three-year term. Cherry Hill citizens eighteen years of age and older managed to make an impact in both our country and our community; however, a key group of constituents were excluded from the election: high school students. High school students of all ages should be allowed to vote in school board elections, as we most directly experience the consequences, positive and negative, of administrative decisions. In terms of a Board of Education election, students are perhaps some of the most educated voters in the community, simply by means of attending school each and every day. While the average adult voter may not understand the repercussions of removing R-level classes or destroying the science program with lab period cuts, students know first-hand what has and will occur as a result. While a potential PARCC schedule may appear to be a good idea on paper, students recognize the flaws in various plans. Adults may argue that teenagers do not possess the maturity to contribute to such an important decision; however, any student willing to go to a voting booth to participate in a school board election certainly has a great deal of sophistication. Not every student has an interest in Board of Education affairs. Therefore, those concerned have the right to cast a vote. Most students are not even aware that these elections have occurred, for although the information was available on the district website, administration did not inform students. To make the process more accessible in the future, Student Government could set up booths in the cafeterias during the school day so that students could vote between classes. At the minimum, seniors should be allowed to cast their vote in the election. Some members of the senior class will be eighteen by the date of the election; however, a large majority of students will still be too young to participate. As a concerned seventeen-year-old, I have encouraged my peers to vote for a candidate who supports students and teachers; however, I sadly could not fill out my own ballot. As a potential compromise, rather than counting student votes as individual votes, the collective majority of student votes could have a certain weight in the election. Nonetheless, some methods need to be taken in Cherry Hill and across the country so that students can participate in school board elections.
Decembeer 2016
COMMUNITY EASTSIDE
Page 5
Local restaurant owner helps immigrants succeed ■ By Gregory Rothkoff (‘19)
Eastside Community Editor
Coming to America and only having a few pairs of clothes and some black-andwhite photos of old memories does not seem like the recipe for success; however, Jim Ong resiliently succeeded, and now he dedicates his time to helping people who are in the same position as he once was. With communism raging in Vietnam, Ong’s family saw no way of possibly making a good life for their kids, or themselves. “There [was] no freedom to do business, no freedom of speech, not any of the human rights—we did not have any of that,” said Ong. After thinking it through, Ong’s parents made the decision to leave. Although Ong never saw Vietnam as home because he had a Chinese father, it was still hard to leave everything behind. With high hopes, Ong, his four older siblings, mother and father embarked on a new journey. “ T h e biggest reason why we came was for the American dream, to be free,” said Ong. Seeing America in pictures, Ong imagined large cities. But when he arrived in Vineland, NJ, in November 1984, all that Ong saw were fields. Adjusting to a new climate was difficult for
Ong, especially with winter first summer, Ong spent These were not toys,” said when the housing market quickly approaching. most of the time over break Ong. crashed. Having no other At the age of 13, two with Boy Scouts camping Ong went to the father experience than working in days after his ara restaurant in colrival, Ong started lege, Ong continued eighth grade at his entrepreneurial Vineland Middle spirit by opening his School. Not knowown restaurant, Pho ing the English Barclay, in the Barlanguage was a clay Shopping Cendifficult factor ter in Cherry Hill, for Ong in terms NJ. The restaurant of adjusting to a showcases the cooknew surrounding, ing Ong’s mother but the kindness made for the family of those he met in Vietnam. made it all work With a stable out. business, Ong was On the first able to get back day of school, to donating items. Ong remembers With his house clear how everyone of all unused items, was so nice to Ong worked alonghim. Clasmates side all other houses helped Ong find in his neighborhis way around, hood of people who and made him Courtesy of the Courier-Post helped out, in order feel welcomed. To Ong loads his truck after collecting toys and other household items for to reach a larger auhelp Ong further delivery to low-income households and charitable organizations. dience. Without a lot get used to a new of knowledge of Facesurrounding and book, Ong made his language, Ong’s aunt enand learning English. and told him how dangerfirst post. rolled him in Boy Scouts. The lessons Ong learned ous it was, but the little girl “I posted it, and it just have stuck had nothing else to play exploded. I now have a gawith him. with. rage full of stuff that I bring Looking to “I went home and went [to the apartments] every make a livto my daughters’ room to chance I get,” said Ong. ing for himgrab plush toys to give to When Ong gets items that self, in 2006 the little girl,” said Ong. are too big for the apartOng, along From there, Ong saw a ments, he gives the items to with his wife way to help out people who organizations such as HabiRachel, bewere just like him. Ong’s tat for Humanity. With his gan buying daughters were not ready cause getting larger by the low-income to part with their toys until days, Ong can possibly see apartments one day Ong took his daughmaking his current hobby in Lindenters to the apartments. into a full-fledged organizawold, NJ, They saw how the children tion when he has more time and renowere living, and instantly on his hands, he said. “In the Boy Scouts, they vating them. It just so hapwanted to give away toys Now, with his wife, thirteach you about helping pened that the people who they no longer used. teen-year-old and eighteveryone around you and rented Ong’s renovated “They would say ‘Dad, year-old daughters, Ong being a good citizen,” said apartments were in the we don’t need this anythanks his parents for makOng. same situation Ong and his more, can you bring it over ing the decision to move. This was the first lesson family were in. to those people?’ and that is Without it, Ong believes he Ong learned in America, “A little girl, two or three how it started,” said Ong. would not have been able to onsetting the development years old, was playing with Ong’s renovating busisucceed in a place that now of his giving spirit. That a screwdriver and screw. ness took a hard hit in 2009, seems like home.
“There is no freedom to do business, no freedom of speech, not any of the human rights—we did not have any of that.” –Jim Ong
Robot Revolution takes the Franklin Institute by storm
display particularly stands out. At the display, a very fast robot arm entitled the The Franklin Institute’s FANUC M-1iA Delta Robot, all-new exhibition, Robot is shown sorting objects. Revolution, provides viewThe exhibit points out how ers with an insight into the these type of robots can easfuture. Since its opening ily be utilized on an assemon October 8, 2016, the exbly line, allowing people to hibit has delighted visitors train machines rather than throughout the perform tri-state area. tiresome At the extasks. hibit entrance, This realvisitors are first life apmet with the plication robotic skills is also section. The present section aims to in “The instruct exhibitH i g h goers on what Five!” exactly robots display in can do, rangthis area ing from factory of the work to acquirexhibit. ing knowledge “The High to operation. It Five!” also explains Display the mechas h o w nisms by which cases a robots do work robotic Ashley Cooper (‘17)/ Eastside h a n d and essentially Editor-in-Chief w h i c h how they perform numerous Futuristic technology is p o s tasks. According on display at the Franklin s e s s e d s to the exhibit, Insitiute. similar robots use senskills to sors in order to those of a get information about the human hand. Composed of world. Through these sennine motors, 20 joints and sors, robots can both act on, elastic finger tips, the maand manipulate, the world chine can hold objects, just around them. as humans do. The robotic In this initial area of the arm gestures and commuexhibit, the Quicker Picker nicates, and is ideal for un■ By Ashley Cooper (‘17)
Eastside Editor-in-Chief
structured environments, This display illustrates how ceiling and that camera which have variability. self-driving cars are on the looks down and senses the In the next room, robotic horizon. Today’s robot cars colors on the field. Based smarts are highlighted. can actually have quicker on where the orange golfWith astounding advances reaction speeds than huball is, the robots are able in the last to move into several years, position,” said robots are Dornbush, becoming commenting smarter with on the exact each passing mechanisms day. Some roof the soccer bots can even game. make autonoIt was very mous deciinteresting to sions, while see the robots others can inmoving back take massive and forth and data streams interacting every second. with one anThis has alother in such lowed robots a seamless to become manner. creative and Across from make conthe robot socnections that Ashley Cooper (‘17)/Eastside Editor-in-Chief cer game are even their de- The technology of the future demonstrates recre- two social rovelopers could ational uses at the Franklin Institute. bots. These not have prerobots are able dicted them to make. There man beings; with a 360-deto display emotion and fais one very interesting game gree view, the robots have cial expressions, using Kiin this section, which inno blind spots. nect technology. troduces visitors to coding. In the robot cooperaThe final component of The game prompts visitors tion section of the exhibit, the exhibit, robot locomoto choose commands, which resides Jason Dornbush, tion, disappoints, as this helps them build their own along with his award-winpart of the exhibit is comunique codes. With such a ning team of soccer robots. pletely behind glass. user-friendly game, many A robots specialist with Overall, the exhibit was young children are given a the Chicago-based Musevery interesting to see. It glimpse into the future of um of Science and Indusmade me question my futechnology as we know it. try, Dornbush continually ture and how the world will The robotic smarts secruns a robot “soccer game” change in the years to come. tion also features an imthroughout each day of the Make sure to stop into the mersive display called “No exhibit. exhibition before it closes One in the Driver’s Seat.” “There’s a camera in the on April 2, 2017.
COMMUNITY
Page 6
EASTSIDE
December 2016
Reading Terminal vendors preserve market history
of The Famous 4th Street Cookie Although it hasn’t been around ioned candy. That’s probably my faCompany. “We’ve added air condithe market as long as Bassetts, the vorite part of the job, making people tioning and improved the market’s 4th Street Cookie Company also smile.” infrastructure itself and brought in makes sure to keep with tradition Sharing the stage with PhiladelSince 1893, Philadelphia has cela more diverse ebrated its renowned Reading Tergroup of merminal Market. The blueprint of the chants.” Market is occupied by over eighty A mission unique merchants. From Amish of Reading baked goods to Philadelphia’s faTerminal is to mous cheesesteak, no visitor of the preserve its market will have any trouble findarchitectural ing an afternoon pick-me-up or a and historiquick meal. cal character. The Reading Terminal Market Through the opened for business on February 23, food vendors, 1892. When first opened, the marthe imporket consisted of 250 food vendors tance of keepalong with 100 farmers. It was first ing with the known for its free delivery service old-fashioned to Philadelphia residences. and traditional By 1989, the Philadelphia Concuisine in this vention Center was in the works and classic market planned to be situated next to the becomes eviTerminal Market. Due to the madent. jor construction project adjacent to The first the Market, vendors and merchants merchant to were worried about the future of sign a lease at Reading Terminal. Aware of the Reading Tergrowing concern, the Philadelphia minal Market Convention Committee Authorwas Bassetts ity purchased the Terminal market Ice Cream in in 1990. The Authority and merSara Messinger (‘17)/ Eastside Community Editor 1892. Keeping chants worked together to form a Reading Terminal Market customers shop at the Iovine Brothers Urban Produce Marwith tradition, preservation agreement along with Bassetts is still ket. a plan to keep the Market in busiowned and opness, especially during the Convenerated by the same family. Bassetts through its old-fashioned recipe phia’s famous cheesesteak is DiNtion Center’s construction. The Auhas continued to be a Philadelphia that has been used for over 25 years. ic’s famous roast pork sandwich. thority raised thirty million dollars tradition, as visitors of the Market The 4th Street Cookie Company ofRecently voted “The Best Sandwich in public funding to renovate the continue to line up around the corfers customers a unique experience in America” by The Travel Chaninfrastructure and modify the intener of the shop for their ice cream. at each visit, with over fifteen difnel,, the sandwich attracts quite a rior. Since the agreement with the ferent varieties of cookies. crowd. Authority, “It’s an old-fashioned reciWith restaurants and sweet Reading pe, and...it’s one of the oldest treats aside, the Market also keeps Terminal markets in the country. There itself as a traditional farmer’s marhas flouris just that energy here,” said ket. It has four produce vendors ished and Phillips. “It’s just a wonderful with fresh fruits and vegetables. grown to experience.” Most notably, The Fair Food Farmbe one of The Reading Terminal stand strives to preserve the Readthe oldest Market has a profuse selecing Terminal’s initial purpose of running tion when it comes to desserts. creating an environment where loand most Also a crowd pleaser is Sweet cal growers could bring their goods popular As Fudge Candy Shoppe, to urban residents of Philadelphia. markets in which serves homemade fudge On select Saturdays, shoppers can the counand cream using a unique take advantage of the Market’s grotry. recipe. But it doesn’t stop cery curbside pickup. “ I ’ v e there. Sweet As Fudge also The Market offers a huge Taste been comcelebrates the history of the of Philadelphia: Market Tours eving to the market through old-fashioned ery Wednesday and Saturday. Atmarket candy. tendees can learn the story behind since I was “By being in the candy busiPhilly’s famous cheesesteaks, hoaa teenness, we hear people all the gies and pretzels, in addition to a ager... I time walk into the shop and lesson on the 103 years of history, have seen ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’, and ‘I haven’t all within a 75-minute tour. the market seen that since when I was a With an array of options, customimprove kid!’ ” said Paul Fisher, owner ers will never get tired of the clasgreatly,” sic Reading Terminal Market. The said Brian Sara Messinger (‘17)/ Eastside Community Editor of Sweet As Fudge. “We are market is open Monday through P h i l l i p s , Customers of Reading Terminal Market enjoy DiNic’s famous in the business of bringing childhood memories back to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and owner and roast beef and brocolli rabe sandwich. people [through] our old fashSundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. operator ■ By Sara Messinger (‘17)
Eastside Community Editor
A Timeline of Reading Terminal Market 1891 Construction
begins on the Reading Terminal.
1893 Train service begins at the new Reading Terminal.
1892 The Reading
Terminal Market opens for business.
1980 The Reading Company emerges from bankruptcy, and begins to invest in the market.
1971 The Reading
Company declares bankruptcy.
Photo courtesy of readingterminalmarket.org
William Evans Seafood Specialist serve lunch to customers at the Reading Terminal Market in 1947
1990 The Pennsylvania Convention Center buys the Reading Terminal Market, bringing in new customers.
1988 Supporters of the
market organize The Reading Terminal Market Preservation Fund.
2012 The Reading
Terminal Market celebrates 120 years of bringing fresh and local food to Philadelphia.
COMMUNITY
December 2016
EASTSIDE
Annual Philly parade continues its local tradition
floats and balloons, and reverse the route. Under this new leadership, the 1986 As the last autumn parade marked the start of leaves fell from the trees a new era; the parade had and temperatures continbecome bigger and better ued to drop, most Eastthan ever, featuring twenty coasters focused on filling bands, twenty floats, fortytheir wardrobes and our eight balloons, and 4,500 coffee cups with fall flair workers and employees beand wishing they could hind the scenes, accordhibernate through the ing to Kativa. coming winter months. This year’s parade But for thousands of pafeatured 32 floats, raders and performers, filled with a total of November was marked 37,000 cubic feet of heby intense preparation lium. Classic cartoon in anticipation of a locharacters on display cal Thanksgiving landincluded Dr. Seuss’ mark event. Sam I Am and Scooby The Philadelphia Doo, as well as seasonThanksgiving Day paally themed floats like rade holds the honor of “Bountiful Harvest,” a being the oldest such play on a cornucopia, parade in the country. and the classic “Arctic This year’s festivities, Landscape,” completed presented by 6ABC with a walrus. Each and Dunkin’ Donuts, float had a commerwas the 96th annual cial sponsor. Nineteen Thanksgiving Day Pamarching bands from rade for Philadelphia. local schools were also Four years shy of its included; 6ABC decentennial and four scribed Philadelphia’s years older than its parade as “the most New York counterpart, band-friendly parade this year’s parade in the country.” There echoed and carried on were also stationary enthe longstanding local tertainment ‘zones,’ detradition and history scribed as “festive, popas it made its way, up open-air space[s]” by four thousand march6ABC. ers strong, down PhilEach zone also had a adelphia’s Benjamin corporate sponsor, and Franklin Parkway. corresponding activiHowever, Philly’s ties, such as free coffee Thanksgiving Day samples in the Dunkin’ Parade saw many Donuts zone, perforchanges in structure mances in the Parx and sponsorship on its Casino zone, and face path to evolution into painting in the Kids the elaborate jamboree Zone. it is today. In fact, the The parade broadcast Courtesy of phillyhistory.org and visitphilly.com took place live on 6ABC parade started out as something of a promo- Although modified throughout the years, the Philadelphia between 8:30 a.m. and tional venture for the Thanksgiving Parade remains a classic holiday tradition. noon on Thanksgiving, now-defunct Gimbels Thursday, November department store. The 24. There was also a live first parade consisted of 50 moving along the parkway bels’ promotional motives webcast on ABC’s website. Gimbels employees marchuntil its colorful conclusion came not as an independent While there was not a ing down the Parkway in at the steps of the Philadelalteration but as a result Gimbels advertisement in order to gain customers and phia Museum of Art. The of an important change in sight at this year’s 96th Aninterest; Ellis Gimbel, one Thanksgiving trek spanned sponsorship. In 1986, Gimnual Philadelphia Thanksof the store’s co-founders, a total of 1.4 miles, with bels became “Stern’s” after giving Day Parade, the “imagined the parade as a onlookers waiting all along a change in management, same festive atmosphere clever marketing tool for the route for a free glimpse and lost interest in keeping and assortment of floats, his store,” according to Hilof holiday fun – street parkthe parade running. Forballoons and guest stars lary Kativa in an overview ing, with the use of meters, tunately, WPVI – a local that first graced Philadelof the parade’s history. was free on Thanksgiving TV station affiliated with phia’s streets in 1920 and Later, balloons and marchDay citywide. However, ABC – took over produchas been building to a fever ing bands were added to until 1986, the parade’s dition of the parade, teaming pitch ever since the parade the lineup, giving it a hint rection was reversed. The up with the still-present first delighted participants, of the visual, musical enterprocession began at the retailer Boscov’s to finance live onlookers, and broadtainment generated by the Art Museum and ended at the festivities, add more cast viewers alike. ■ By Ilana Arougheti (‘19)
Eastside Community Editor
parades of today. Along with a change in its primary purpose over the years, the parade has also seen a shift in route. This year, as in recent years, the parade started at JFK Boulevard before turning onto the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and
Gimbels, where a costumed Santa Claus would take leave of his float and scale a ladder to Gimbels 8th floor toy department, ending the annual joy with a hint of winter and a massive dose of product placement. The parade route’s shift out of alignment with Gim-
LaScala’s Fire brings modern flair to Italian dining ■ By Arya Amaro (‘19) For Eastside
On a rainy autumn Sunday afternoon, entering LaScala's Fire restaurant felt like stepping into a warm, modern Italian kitchen. Located in the Promenade at Sagemore in Marlton, NJ, this stylish wood oven eatery first opened back in May of 2016. Owner Rob LaScala has multiple restaurants in South Jersey and Philadelphia, each with its own unique theme. The atmosphere in his newest restaurant is inviting and modern, with airy lighting and wood burning stove. This restaurant had a simple but elegant array of contemporary, casual dishes ranging from seafood bites, salads, paninis and wood-fired pizzas. The server was helpful by explaining
many dishes and placing the order in a timely manner. Sharing is a must, for the plates are large and are served quickly with fresh ingredients, so be prepared to eat when you arrive. The first dish served was a grilled portobello mushroom with crabmeat on a bed of lettuce ($13). Along with gorgonzola cheese, it was a delicious combination. The addition of a hearty crunch could really improve the bread’s taste, but it was an unexpected surprise. The next dish was a Spanish octopus salad served with polenta bread ($11). The octopus was cooked well and came with a crisp salad of lemon, oranges, capers, fennel leaves, and vinegar and oil dressing. Although I enjoyed the salad thoroughly, it could have used a little more citrus. The baked
Page 7
eggplant ($11) was voted a kid’s favorite by my nineyear-old brother. We were surprised by the simple ingredients which melded together pleasantly with the ricotta cheese and sauce. My brother voiced praise for the dish like a little food critic in the making, and I couldn’t have said it better myself. This dish, served hot from the oven in a terracotta baking dish, is an old favorite done well. When our server mentioned that the pizza cooks within minutes in the 700degree wood burning stove, we excitedly ordered a few. We started with something spicy, the Diavola pizza ($14), but when it arrived, the sopressata was a bit too gamey for our taste. Sadly, we had to send it back. The server promptly took it off the bill and we instead ordered a Capricciosa pizza
($15) without the salami. It was an olive and mushroom lover’s dream, complete with fresh Basil leaves. None of the pizza dough contained added sugar. The Napoli ($15) was the most interesting version of a white pizza I have ever tried. It was topped with mild sausage and large stalks of broccoli rabe. The addition of broccoli rabe made the pizza taste a bit bitter, pleasing the adults at the table. This restaurant is ideal for adults, large groups, and families with children. Although prices are a little high, LaScala’s makes 99% of its dishes in-house, with ingredients both local and from Italy. The staff was professional and informative, and the restaurant evoked a rustic Italian flair. Overall rating: B+
■ By Gregory Rothkoff (‘19) Eastside Community Editor
Best Pies: Pie Lady Cafe 9 E Main St # 1, Moorestown, NJ Situated in a little shop in the bustling business district of Moorestown, Pie Lady Cafe is the place to get your post-feast treat. With eighteen mouth-watering pies (18-20 dollars for regular, 25 dollars for cream and slices are 4.25 dollars each) and many other treats, everyone is sure to find what pleases their sweet tooth. Pie Lady Cafe is closed on Mondays; open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday; open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday; and open from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Best Holiday Hayrides: Johnson’s Corner Farm 133 Church Road, Medford, NJ Johnson’s Farm has a variety of different hayrides to choose from for the holiday season, including viewings of their annual light show. Other attractions include roasting s’mores over an open fire, decorating holiday cookies and warming up with hot chocolate. The holiday season at Johnson’s Farm ends December 30. Best Holiday Shopping: Cherry Hill Mall 2000 Rt. 38 Cherry Hill, NJ The Cherry Hill Mall is the best place to be to get early holiday savings. The new Adventure to Santa presented by DreamWorks DreamPlace will also be on display. The Cherry Hill Mall is open weekdays/Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Best Place To Sled: Bret Harte Elementary School The hill located in front of the main entrance to Bret Harte Elementary School in Cherry Hill serves as the perfect place to spend days off from school. The hill is not located near the road, giving parents peace of mind. Best Ice Skating: Blue Cross Riverrink Winterfest 101 South Columbus BLVD, Philadelphia, PA 19106 Opening on November 25, the Blue Cross riverrink located on the Delaware waterfront offers way more than ice skating. In addition to serenic ice skating overlooking the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, there are indoor and outdoor spaces as well. Some spaces include comfy cabins, kids’ arcades and seating areas with fire pits.
Logo by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director
Page 8
EASTSIDE
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December 2016
OPINIONS EASTSIDE
Page 9
Lower voting age gives politically active teens a voice ■ By Joe Levin (‘17) Eastside Opinions Editor
The United States government would be wise to grant teenagers the right to select the leader in control of their futures. Teens hold many of the same responsibilities that adults hold, so why should we withhold from them the right to vote? Our government has the chance to engage a vast group of young people in politics; and right now, perhaps more so than ever before, the youth are watching and partaking in the election process. In 1971, history was made. The United States ratified the 26th amendment to grant eighteen-yearolds the right to vote. The Vietnam War undeniably played a huge role in this ratification; government officials began to realize the irony in expecting eighteenyear-olds to defend their country in war but not even giving them the right to pick the leader of the country they were defending. But the country’s decision to lower the voting age to eighteen did not completely get rid of the double standard that the youth is under. Anyone thirteen years old or older can be tried as an adult if he or she has a
record of previously breaking the law, or if he or she has committed a serious crime. Also, anyone fifteen years old or older can be tried as an adult for crimes like murder and armed rob-
comes time to elect the leader of his or her country? Furthermore, children should have control over these two huge aspects of their lives: their finances and the school systems they
bery with a firearm. How is it fair to temporarily give teens the adult label when they are accused of committing crimes, but suddenly remove that label when it
candidate will raise or lower the amount of taxes they will have to pay because it directly affects their yearly income. However, voters with spouses and children are not the only citizens concerned with taxes: teenagers are not exempt from paying taxes back to the government just because they have yet to turn eighteen. Many h i g h s c h o o l students have jobs, especially upperclassmen. In fact, according to The Evansville Courier, 80 percent of high s c h o o l students work before they graduate. Teens are expected to pay a chunk of the money Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director they make dedicate so much of their back to the government, time to. One of the most imbut they have absolutely portant attributes of a presno say in how much is takidential candidate is his or en. The government taxes her stance on taxes. Voters teens without adequately pay attention to whether a representing them. Simi-
home, increasing risk of an accident and being pulled over for speeding. At age 18, and after driving for a full year, students can renew their license and
no curfew whatsoever, why can’t the Probationary License curfew be extended just one hour? “In my opinion, I think 11 is the right time,” said
receive an unrestricted Basic Driver’s License. This license has no curfew nor passenger limit. If after just one year of driving there is
East Driver’s Ed teacher Mr. Ryan James. “Statistically across the nation it has shown that 60 percent of accidents happen
larly, children are expected to spend eighteen years in school systems but cannot vote to make them better. Why don’t the people who know the school systems best, who spend seven hours a day within school walls, have any say in methods of improving them? The United States must take advantage of this chance to get young people involved in our country’s future. Hillary Clinton may have defeated Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Primary, but something in Sanders’ message resonated with kids and teenagers everywhere. Sanders proved that politicians do have the ability to connect with young people, and now is the perfect time to lower the voting age to give teens the chance to represent themselves. The youth has been anything but apathetic in the wake of this 2016 election. Fifteen-year-old Colorado native Xiuhtezcatl Tonatiuh serves as a perfect, heartwarming example; he has spent his entire life working to fight and raise awareness for climate change. Tonatiuh, along with several other environmental activists, plan to sue the government in a federal lawsuit on the basis that the government has violated our generation’s rights by not doing anything to fight climate change. Engaging the active youth in government and politics while they’re still young ensures that they will participate in the political process in the future.
Probationary License curfew should be pushed back ■ By Ezra Nugiel (‘17)
Eastside Opinions Editor
It’s 10:59 p.m. and you’re already late. Your phone lights up with texts from your parents demanding your location and ETA. You race home, desperately hoping your growing speed isn’t attracting the eye of a police officer. You arrive safely, but just in time to face the wrath of your parents. A 17-year-old holding a New Jersey Probationary Driver’s License is restricted from driving after 11:01 p.m. and before 5:00 a.m. This policy came into effect in May of 2010 after a change in the New Jersey Graduated Driver’s License (GDL) Law. This changed the driving curfew from midnight to 11:01 p.m. It is time for another change. The current curfew is far from the flawless visions. Many events, both social or academic, extend until or past 11 p.m. The early curfew that is in effect creates a dangerous environment on the road. It forces teenagers to rush
at night. Most of them are the fatal accidents which also ties into drinking and driving, and other factors. When you tie in young drivers driving, at that time
par with most states with an 11 o’clock curfew,” said James. But problems with the current curfew do not stop at dangerous road conditions. “A lot of stores will not hire 17-year-olds because of the GDL restrictions. They need students to be able to stay out past 11 until their stores close. Also in jobs like babysitting, a lot of students lose out on potential paid working hours because of this time restriction,” said Gabrielle Gracias (‘17). It is time for the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to extend the Probationary License curfew to midnight. “I feel that the curfew should be extended to midnight because it will open up more opportunities for 17-year-olds,” Gracias said. As many late-night events occur on the weekends, perhaps an alternate solution would be to extend the curfew only on Dani Shoshany (‘17)/ Eastside Staff these days. Seventeen-year-olds are one that are inexperienced, and year away from adulthood you have them on a dangerand deserve to be trusted to ous time of the road, that’s drive for an additional hour why the states lowered it to increase the opportunidown. We’re actually on ties offered to them.
OPINIONS
Page 10
EASTSIDE
December 2016
Sugary soft drinks pose unprecedented health concerns ■ By Hope Seybold (‘19)
Eastside Staff
Soft drinks are a popular commodity that can be found at almost all convenience stores and can be ordered at nearly every restaur a n t . H o w ever, t h e s e drinks contain a substantial amount o f s u g ar which has been proven to cause many health defects in consumers. A tax to raise the cost of the drinks should be placed on all soda in order to improve the health of all American Sabrina DeAbreu citizens. (‘18)/ Eastside Art The Ameri- Director can Heart Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting
heart disease and stroke, recommends that women have no more than 24 grams (6 teaspoons) of sugar each day and that men have no more than 36 grams (9 teaspoons) of sugar each day. However, according to Coca-Cola Products, a 330 milliliter bottle of Coca-Cola contains 35 grams of sugar, and a 330 milliliter bottle of Dr. Pepper contains 24 grams of sugar. One drink of soda contains nearly all of the sugar one should be consuming per day. Drinking more sugar than recommended can lead to tooth decay, gum disease and obesity. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, more than two in three adults are overweight or obese in America. One who has a BMI, or body mass index, of 30.0 or higher is considered obese. Obesity can cause high blood pressure, diabetes and atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition in which plaque builds
up inside much harm, soda can have one’s arlong-term effects on one’s teries, putbrian. ting one According to a study by at risk of the US National Library experiencof Medicine, consuming reing a pofined sugar that is found in tentially soda may lead to impaired fatal heart learning, memory and attack. behavior. It is a common Additionmisconception that diet ally, obesoda is healthier because sity can it contains less sugar. In cause type reality, it contains harmtwo diabeful artificial sweeteners. tes, canDrinking diet soda may cer and a increase one’s risk of getshortened ting Alzheimer's disease, lifespan. a disorder that affects the Accordbrain’s nerve cells resulting to the ing in senility. National Placing a tax on soda Institutes will increase the product’s of Health, price, making consumers a bioreduce their purchases of medical soft drinks overall. This research will hopefully cause people facility, to drink soda less often, Brooke Greenberg (‘17)/ Eastside Opinions Editor an estiwhich can potentially help mated decrease obesity and heart 300,000 disease rates in America. It is easy to become adpeople die per year in the With a tax on soda, Ameridicted to soda because United States due to obesicans will be able to prosper it contains the addictive ty and the health problems and ultimately lead healthstimulant caffeine. While that come with it. ier lifestyles. one drink will not cause too
deductions. That is totally unacceptable. Something that was initially created to help Americans is doing the opposite. The minim u m
be more affordable for people to buy. More money could go towards vehicle transportation, gas, houses, vacations, clothing, etc. In return, the people who work at clothing stores and gas stations would make more money and would, as a result, be able to pay their workers more. Furthermore, having more money in the bank would allow minimum wage workers to have an eas-
Raising the minimum wage will benefit millions ■ By Shari Boiskin (‘17)
Eastside Underground Editor
According to a conducted in 2014 U.S. Department bor Statistics, 22.4 Americans work mum wage jobs—1.3
survey by the of Lamillion mini-
million working for the minimum, 1.7 million working below, and 21 million being paid just above the minimum. A minimum wage job is a job which offers the lowest remuneration legally allowed. It was enacted after the Great Depression to help stabilize the economy and provide steady jobs for employees by providing a minimum standard for living. Since then, it has been raised 22 times. Currently, it is $7.25 per hour, although it does vary by state (some states choose to make their minimum wages higher than $7.25). For example, New Jersey’s minimum wage is currently $8.38 per hour. Despite the stereotype that teenagers are the main holders of minimum wage jobs, 80 percent of the minimum wage workforce is actually made up of people over the age of 20. They are also not particular to those with little education. According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, even people with doctorates, professional and master’s degrees hold minimum wage jobs. Seven dollars and twenty-five cents an hour is not a salary on which someone could live. The average fulltime minimum wage worker makes $14,500 a year, which is below the poverty line for a family of two. This is before federal taxes, Social Security and Medicare
w a g e needs to be raised to a livable rate.
receive any benefits such as health insurance, pensions, or retirement options, thus forcing them to to take care of these for themselves. Raising the minimum wage would give these people the ability to save for retirement and doctor visits. The issue is not that companies cannot afford to pay. Many can. At scores of companies, the CEOs make 2,000 times what their average worker makes. These CEOs are pocketing tens of millions of dollars a year and thousands of dollars hourly, while their workers make less than ten dollars an hour. Antipoverty groups, l a b o r unions, and other organizations are pushing for a $15 minimum wage. That r is double what it is o t c re t Di currently. The prese Ar d i s t ent-day minimum s a /E wage was set in 2009 and, 18) u (‘
Raising the m i n i m u m wage higher than re the current eAb aD n federal one i abr would benefit by S Art the 38 million i e r workers nationwide time paywho currently are paid ing off their at or under $7.25 hourly. debts. Again, It would allow for millions people with of Americans to retire earmore money lier, have children and furcan afford to ther their education. With pay more. more money in the bank, M a n y they would have increased minimum time for leisure and getting wage workinvolved in their communiers are not ties. paid their Quality of life would inworth. A crease not just for those multitude of receiving the rise in salary, people are but for all Americans. Peoemployed by ple who make more money doing physispend more money. In addical labor tion, people who make more jobs or jobs money can afford to buy where they more expensive items, such spend a lot of as food. Raising the minitime on their mum wage could help lower feet with the number of people on long hours. food stamps, as food would They do not
according to the Economist, because of inflation and the devaluation of the dollar, today it should be at least $12. Also, 29 states, Washington, D.C. and a handful of cities have already raised their own minimum wages. However, even the minimum wage in Washington state, which is the highest one, is not livable, at only $9.47. Cities such as San Francisco have already raised their minimum wage to $15. Although President Obama pledged to raise the minimum wage to $10, he has not accomplished that. Hopefully our new president, Donald Trump, will also see the issues surrounding the current minimum and will do everything in his power to raise it. Raising the minimum wage benefits not only minimum wage workers, but as well the United States as a nation. It would improve the economy and lower the number of people below poverty. Government is meant to work to improve the welfare of its people. By raising the wage, the government would be doing that.
OPINIONS
December 2016
EASTSIDE
Page 11
Better communication will aid in 504 Plan approvals ■ By Brooke Greenberg (‘17)
Eastside Opinions Editor
Everyone is familiar with at least one form of a disability. Whether the disability is visible or not, many students face an everyday battle against their own minds and bodies. Apart from the numerous doctor’s appointments, medications and assistive devices which leave students feeling ostracized, the students face one other major form of exclusion: academic inequality. Academic exclusion means that the student does not have equal access to the curriculum, leading them to a severe disadvantage in achieving academic success if he or she struggles with a medical condition. Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act established in 1973, students who need special accomadations across the country are mandated equality in public schools. There is to be a full tolerance policy to those students and staff with special needs. The 504 plan entitles students with a documented medical diagnosis to accommodations that could be impaired by the students’ walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, working, or completing manual tasks. However, while this law might seem to be a miracle for some students within the Cherry Hill Public School District, there is one major fault: the ratification timelines of 504 plans can take anywhere from weeks to months to establish a solid plan, leaving
students without accommodations. This delay invokes a discriminatory attitude towards students who truly need 504 plans. Attaining a 504 plan at Cherry Hill East is not an easy task by any means. First, there is a 504 team consisting of Mr. Jim Riordan, Director of Guidance; Ms. Marsha Pecker, Supervisor of English, Biology
504 allows is having the student to have equal access,” said Mr.Bert Figueroa, East guidance counselor and member of the 504 Committee. The student must have a documented medical diagnosis before obtaining a 504 plan. Students obtain all medical records pertaining to their needs from healthcare professionals. This
as letters from medical professionals who are part of the child’s care team. Then, the team will meet together, discuss and draft a plan that will best support the needs of the student. The 504 plan could take weeks to months to be drafted, ratified and finally approved because of the numerous laws the plan has to abide by.
tion on how the student does not have equal access, and that information has to be reviewed by the 504 team that is in the building and knows about the access to the building and the curriculum and sometimes that process takes time,” said Figueroa. “The 504 team has to meet and those people are already staffed here full time, so they have to meet during a separate time.” With more students needing 504 plans than ever, this delay must stop. Perhaps having a larger 504 team or breaking up the 504 team into smaller cohorts would be a more effective way to accommodate all the students in need. “We have started [clear communication] with parents and they ask us their questions and they give us more information as to what they need. This is currently helping to streamline the process,” said Figueroa. In hopes of clear communication under the belts of the East 504 team, it is expected that the 504 process will run more smoothly. The number of kids needing 504 plans is simply outweighing the amount of time teachDawson Seo (‘18)/ Eastside Staff ers have to spend working on such documents, Students often wait for months to obtain a 504 plan, leaving them helpless. considering each document is lengthy. With the possibility of teachand Science; school nurses; includes any material that “The part that takes a er cohorts and streamlined guidance counselors and will add supporting evilong time is the reports from communication, students various teachers. dence to present the case as the doctor’s office, then the will have more access to ac“The major thing that a effectively as possible, such doctor providing informacommodations they need.
Learning goals are unnecessary in high school setting ■ By Holly Seybold (‘17) Eastside Staff
Since the start of the school year, teachers have been starting their classes each day by going over a learning goal. While teachers have set learning goals in past years, there has recently been a larger emphasis placed on them. It is now required for teachers to create a unique learning goal each day, have their students process the learning goal in ways such as discussing it or writing it down, and have their students rate their level of understanding on a scale of one to four. While learning goals are intended to be helpful to students by giving them an understanding of what they are supposed to get out of a lesson, they are neither helping students nor preparing them for college; instead, they are wasting class time. “Students [will be] aware of what it is they are supposed to learn during [each] class,” said East Principal Dr. Dennis Perry when asked about the purpose of learning goals. While this is intended to help students pay attention to certain aspects of a lesson and ultimately make the lesson more successful, it is not actually helping. In a survey given out to
184 students at Cherry Hill East, 83 percent answered “no” when asked the question, “Does having an understanding of the learning
purpose of learning goals is to assist students in having a deeper understanding of a lesson, but the majority of students do not find learn-
something college students should be easily able to figure out on their own. If high school is supposed to prepare students for college, why should a senior in an AP class, or any other high school student, have to write down and discuss the “goal” for the day? In the student survey, comments said learning goals are “more of a middle school thing than a high school thing.” At a prestigious high school, students should not be using learning techniques that make them feel as though they are being treated like middle schoolers. Liz Lee (‘17) Eastside Photo Editor Rather, they should A learning goal is discussed in a cooking class. be using learning techniques that will prepare them for college classes. goal set by your teachers ing goals helpful, there is Learning goals take each day make the lesson no reason to continue to away from valuable class more effective?” place so much emphasis on, time. In the survey given Furthermore, when quesand spend so much time on, out to students, 40 percent tioned about whether rating learning goals. responded that their teachtheir level of understanding In addition, learning ers, on average, spend three of the lesson was helpful, goals are not helping to preto five minutes on learning 80 percent responded that pare students for college. goals while an additional 11 it was not. Some students In college classes, students percent said their teachers even went as far as leaving will not be babied by going spend six to eight minutes, comments describing learnover a “goal” that describes or over eight minutes, on ing goals as “annoying,” what they are supposed to learning goals. Eight min“dumb” and “stupid.” If the get out of a class. This is utes is equal to 14 percent
of the class in a regular day and 9 percent of a class on a long day just going over the goals for the day. While this may only be a small fraction of the total length of a class, when the time spent on learning goals each day is added up, it is found that teachers would spend hours of class time on learning goals over the course of a year. For example, if a teacher spent the amount of time recommended by Perry on learning goals (two to three minutes), over the course of the year this time will add up to approximately 240 to 360 minutes per class. This only supports the fact that several students described learning goals as a “waste of class time” in the student survey. In addition, some teachers are spending double, or even triple, the amount of recommended time on learning goals. Teachers should not be required to spend so much time on something that the majority of students are not finding helpful. Ninety-one percent of the students who participated in the survey responded that if given the choice, they would not want to spend any time at all on the learning goals. Clearly, these goals are not something that should be emphasized at East and should be left for the middle schools.
Page 12
EDITORIAL EASTSIDE
Editorials represent the views and opinions of the Eastside Editorial Board.
The East Health Curriculum must be updated
The health curriculum needs to be updated so that it prepares East students for today, tomorrow and years to come. It cannot stifle students by marginalizing them. It cannot avert its eyes from the growing issues and facts of today’s society. Eastside contends that the health curriculum should receive reasonable updates that reflect the realistic experiences of every modern student from childhood to adulthood. The freshman health curriculum briefly covers traditional forms of drugs and alcohol, but it fails to explain the dangers of modern addictives (i.e. vaping, the drug molly). Students need to understand that these forms of party paraphenilia can actually have devestating consequences to their health. Further, despite its discussion of drugs and alcohol, the freshman health curriculum foremost focuses on the reproductive system. Students learn about sex first in a factual manner through units on the anatomy of male and female reproductive organs, and then about its consequences, with units on STDs and methods of birth control. The ideology behind the curriculum is that if students are educated about how to have safe sex, then they will be better equipped to make good choices and protect themselves from STDs, STIs and unwanted pregnancies. However, because the reproductive curriculum is heteronormative, meaning it strictly denotes or relates to a world view that promotes heterosexuality as the norPlatinum Lorie and Steven Goldsmith Dolores Birnbaum @Ben_Gold_ Susan and Lonnie Propas Ron and Nancy Stearn Robin and Richard Pacitti The Rothkoff Family Sherri and Ken Hoffman Eddie Cohen and Matt Cohen (Pro World Inc.) Brett and Robin Messinger Christy Marella Mario Scaturro Sandra First Maria and Ben Levin Rosemarie and George Dolnycky Richard Rosenblatt Jeanne and Joel Arougheti Veronica Kelly Scott Kessler Diana Hochman Jerold Rothkoff Debby Kennedy James Finnegan Mohammed Z. Hussain PayDay Payroll Resources Pat and Al Naddeo Brittany Finnegan Finnegan Family Trust Thomas Wall Your Child’s Very Own Dentist Raquel-Robert DeAbreu Linda and Tom Plaskota Brian and Christian Boyle Mukund Lakshman Gilda Cooper Marilyn DiCiurcio Gold Benjamin Branfman Jared Fisch (‘18) The Fisch Family
mal or preferred sexual orientation, not all students are experiencing the benefits of sex ed. Sexual intercourse is not reserved for straight couples; it is important for the LGBTQ+ community to practice safe sex as well, because while pregnancy might not always be a risk, STDs and STIs can spread through non-heterosexual intercourse. In order to protect the sexual health of the East community, health class needs to educate all students, not just some. When transgender, genderfluid and nonbinary students walk into health class and learn that vaginas are female parts and penises are male parts, they are not being educated, they are being marginalized. Contrastingly, when cisgender students, or those whose selfidentity conforms with the gender that corresponds to their biological sex, walk into health class and learn that vaginas are female parts and penises are male parts, a veil of ignorance is cast over some, blinding them from understanding students in the LGBTQ+ community. Taking additional steps such as ensuring neutrality of speech in health class would make health lessons more accommodating to everyone. Eastside believes that making a difference is as simple as introducing reproductive organs not as male parts and female parts, but as parts. Making a difference is as simple as telling students to practice safe sex not with their “boyfriends and girlfriends,” but with their part-
Sterm Orthodontics Gregory Rothkoff (’19) The First Family The Greenberg Family The Simons Family Hope Rosenblatt (‘18) The Maitin Family Elissa Cohen (‘18) Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18) The Nugiel Family The Messinger Family Matt Cohen Andrea Cohen Sari Cohen (‘18) Joe Levin (‘17) Louis Zimmermann (‘18) Abigail Richman (‘18) The Chen Family Finally the Perfect Gift Cascia’s Pizza Kickin’ Apps King of Pizza Linda Ross Steven Davis Staci and Jonathan Boiskin The Myers Family The Dong Family Joanne Gaev Campbell (‘08) Scott Campbell (‘08) Body Issue Founders, Mike Davis (‘10) and Nate Mulberg (‘10) Avra Bossov Eric Thompson (‘14) Diane Casey (‘04) Rockhill Restaurant Pay Day The Cooper Family The Pacitti Family The Black Family Eric First (‘18) Jenna Simons (‘17) Cheri Tolin Linda Ross
ners. Furthermore, the overall health curriculum needs to confront the evergrowing epidemic of sexual harassment in America today. While East students learn about the basic fundamentals of consensual sex education and abusive relationships in senior health class, they are not being educated about non-consensual sex and sexual harassment. According to research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls are sexually abused before the age of 18. In fact, teens 16-19 years of age are three and a half times more likely to be victims of rape, attempted rape and/or sexual harassment than the general population. Combatting these issues needs to start at the high school level with an education that stresses that “no” always means no and that a victim is never asking for sexual abuse. In acknowledging the facts, East can be on the forefront of sexual harassment prevention as students learn the laws, the signs and the consequences of sexual abuse and consent. To better prepare students for the realities of life beyond East, Eastside asserts that the health curriculum needs to receive sensible updates in order to confront the modern-day issues of society, regardless of how uncomfortable they may seem to discuss, and provide an education that all students can benefit from.
Friends of Eastside David Samuel The Goldfinger Family The Hinrichs and Forbes Family Foot and Ankle Specialists of Delaware County The Keller Family Mark and Rachel First Scott and Cindy Matte Elinoar and Eytan Sella Danielle Duffy Jill Greenberg Linda Kanter The Sukinik Family Talia Friedman Matthew Chilewich Ted Fisch Sid and Fran Fisch Lauren Greenberg Greg deWolf Sandra Rothkoff Karin, Adam, Jed and Perry Sherrie Cohen and Family Liza Rothkoff Mehlam and Rashida Shakir Youji Howng Teri and Neal Nover Lois and Paul Davis Jenny Chen Sprains Strains and Fractures Paul Simons Barbara Rosenblatt Bill Kopitke The Doshi Family Mohammad Akhtaruzzaman Heidi Silverberg Tina Ruocchio Steven Farber CabinetTree Design Studio Lisa Beaubaire Tom and Jane Keller Sari Mintz and Tom Mirsen Ben Levin Ilene Naddeo
Susan Keller and Alana Homan Paul Davis Denise Weiss Chris and Jenny Naddeo Silver Greg Rouen Jay Shaughnessy Eric Abrams George and Rosemarie Doinycky Debra and Anton Cohen John Happ Arlene Rionard Glazor Sam and Debbie First Larry Fisch Mitchell Cohen Stacy Ackerman Bonnie Richman Lois Cohen Scott Nover Rona Walters Mrs. Gagz Mooch Monkey Jake Fischer Terry Visconto Thasin Jaigirdar Molly McNerney Mohammad Kabir Tina Wescott Bill and Dottie Black Robin Aronson Susan Manion Yazhen Chen Carol Marks Lori Elkan Mei Wong Brenda Cohen Brian Kehoe Eunjin Lee Elizabeth Wells Jenn and Mike Dolnycky Faisal Aziz Robin Pacitti
Eastside 2016-2017 Editorial Board
Managing Editor: Jenna Myers Editors-in-Chief: Kaitlyn Boyle, Ashley Cooper, Luke Hinrichs Adviser: Mr. Greg Gagliardi
News/Features Editors Jenn Pacitti Jenna Simons Louis Zimmerman
Community Editors Ilana Arougheti Sara Messinger Gregory Rothkoff
Sports Editors Elissa Cohen Courtney Finnegan Drew Hoffman
Underground Editors Shari Boiskin Eric First Jared Fisch
Opinions Editors Brooke Greenberg Joe Levin Ezra Nugiel
Entertainment Editors Sari Cohen Asher Maitin Hope Rosenblatt
December 2016
Cherry Hill High School East 1750 Kresson Road Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 Phone: (856) 4242222, ext. 2087 Fax: (856) 424-3509
Eastside Online
http://www.eastsideonline.org
Publisher
School Paper Express Wappingers Falls, NY
Letters to the Editor
Submit signed letters to F087 or e-mail to letters@ eastside-online.org. Rick Pacitti Mohammed Aziz Phyllis Hoelsworth Phyllis Pignuola Angela Tosti Dr. Jahangir M. Kabir Mohammad Kabir Gregory McGann Ken Robinson and Sara Suman Alison Davis Jane Chilewich Uncle Lou and The Mighty Kanters Bronze The Green Family Michael Comber JoAnne Negrin Nate Spencer Sugar Dolnycky Melanie Goodstadt The Zimmer Family The Edelman Family Tina Catrambone Abby Hoffman Isabella Levin Tim Hunter Giana Boyer Miku Fujita Robert and Judith Messerman Jenna Simons Tracey Charlesworth Robin Boyle Sara Safarian Danielle Fox Alex Faye Diana Simons Emily Boyle Angie Pacitti Hannah Goldberg Susan Nicolazzo-Dollarton Dina La Voe Kevin Chen
Contact the Board:
Photo Editors Emelia Keller Liz Lee
Art Directors Sabrina DeAbreu Jennifer Dong
Video Editor Luke Shin
Webmaster Gabriella Friedman Nafessa Jaigirdar
Multimedia Directors Ben Goldsmith Josh Sodicoff Humor Editor Danny Naddeo
Business Managers Alon Goldfinger Abigail Richman Tech Director Kevin Chen
To contact a member of the Eastside Editorial Board via email, type the person’s first name followed by a period, then his or her last name followed by “@eastside-online.org,” ie: drew. hoffman@eastsideonline.org. (Note: There is a dash between “eastside” and “online”)
SPECIAL
December 2016
EASTSIDE
Page 13
Vape industry continues to ignite controversy throughout nation Continued from pg. 1
While some users may argue that they do not load their pens with addictive drugs, the smoke itself can have damaging effects on the lungs. According to a study by the American Psychological Society, even non-nicotine vapor contains substances such as acrolein that can attack molecules holding together the endothelial cells of the lungs. Usage can also cause lung inflammation. And for some teens, vaping poses an even bigger issue: propagating an addiction which never existed in the first place. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[The big tobacco industry] truly [sees] it as an alternative to actually smoking, but how many kids are addicted to cigarette smoking?â&#x20AC;? said DiStefano. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not doing it because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re addicted to smoking cigarettes.â&#x20AC;? Finally, and perhaps most damaging, vaporizers simply have not been around within the U.S. long enough to warrant any substantial research. Fewer than 100 studies on vaporizers have been conducted since the productâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2007 introduction into America. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that research is down the road, but youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to find a lot of data on that because [vaping] is so new,â&#x20AC;? said DiStefano. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As time goes on, in [the millennial] generation especially, there might be some sort of effects of long-term use and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll start doing research on it.â&#x20AC;? But even with the scarce research that does exist, the results do not look promising. According to a 2016 study by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, mice exposed to e-cig vapors had increased plaque build-up, an early sign of atherosclerosis. The study also conducted research on healthy human immune cells, exposing that vaping is correlated to increased susceptibility to any kind of infection. Legality of Vaping With the new rise of vaping products, authorities have been forced to answer the question: at what age can one begin purchasing vape products? Currently, the nation stands divided on the subject, with laws vastly differing from state to
state. think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trendy. So whatever is trendy, people New Jersey was the first state to pass strict tend to go to because you can easily find it, you anti-vaping legislation back in 2008. The 2008 can easily buy it,â&#x20AC;? said DiStefano. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parents are bill includes vaping products and e-cigarettes on sometimes uneducated, might not realize what the list of tobacco-related items that cannot be can be put into them, or even what they really are. sold to minors under the age of 19. New Jersey I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much more culturally acceptableâ&#x20AC;? isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t alone in passing this minor-restricting legIn fact, recently, several have attested that islation; 48 of the states throughout the country the â&#x20AC;&#x153;vape trendâ&#x20AC;? is already declining, particularly have chosen to ban vape sales to minors as well. due to all of the current restrictions. But New Jerseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legality issues with vape â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not as frequent as it was in the past coudonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop there. Along with eight other states in ple years, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actually died down a little bit,â&#x20AC;? said the nation, New Jersey has also issued a stateDiStefano. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think once kids caught on that it wide ban, prohibiting the use of e-cigarettes and was against our policy to have them in school, vaporizers in public places, workplaces and all they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really bring them as much anymore.â&#x20AC;? traditional places in which smoking is banned. Yet despite this downward shift in recent And now, New Jersey is attempting to pass its months, it appears that vape products have a most stringent anti-vaping bill of all. Currently lasting power, at least financially. making its way through the New Jersey LegisAs vape pens provide users with a unique exlature is bill S298. This bill details New Jerseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perience, there is doubt to their vanishing any plan to entirely ban the sale of â&#x20AC;&#x153;flavored electrontime soon. In 2015 alone, the industry accounted ic smoking devicesâ&#x20AC;? within the state. Under this for $3.5 billion in retail sales. which are expected legislation, only clove, menthol and tobacco vapor to rise to $10 billion by 2018, according to Wells flavors would be allowed for New Jersey sale. Fargo. According to market researcher EuromonThe stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rationale behind itor, vaping will be a $50 billion this ban? To further eliminate the industry by 2030. threat of those under the legal age Vaping also appears to have a of 19 using vaping products. Acresiliency due to the number of cording to New Jersey State Senaphysical locations currently open tor Joseph Vitale, the sale of flathat provide vaping products. vored â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;e-juiceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; encourages kids to There are more than 3,500 vape purchase vaping products, since shops across the nation, and five â&#x20AC;&#x153;if it tastes like gummy bears or within a six-mile radius of Chercotton candy or vanilla, [kids are] ry Hill East. much more likely to try it and beâ&#x20AC;&#x153;Almost every town has a vaCourtesy of buzzle.com come addicted.â&#x20AC;? The bill is supported por shop. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine it going by both the American Cancer Society away anytime soon,â&#x20AC;? added DiSteand the American Heart Association. fano. On May 16, the bill was approved by the SenFurther, vapor largely appears to have a lastate health committee, but it has yet to be enacting tendency due to misconceptions surrounding ed. It must first be passed by the full state Senthe product. ate and Assembly, and finally by Governor Chris â&#x20AC;&#x153;Parents are sometimes uneducated, [and] Christie, in order to become law. might not realize what can be put into them, or even what they really are,â&#x20AC;? said DiStefano. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vape Looking to the Future pens, even those without nicotine, are considered paraphernalia.â&#x20AC;? Some see vaping as a trend which will eventuDue to this cultural acceptability, it appears ally fade away. that vape products may remain in the limelight â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely a current trend. I for many years to come.
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Page 14
From smoking... EASTSIDE
December 2016
SPECIAL
In the January 1973 issue of Eastside, two student journalists debated whether or not East students should have the right to smoke during school. Below are excerpts from their pieces...
the idea of [a] massive ash tray. The second solution is a more serious one. The other idea is that smokers would be allowed to use the gravel areas where the buses load after school and alongside the student parking lot. From anyplace in the building, a smoker could get outside for a cigarette. It isn’t the most scenic place, but it sure beats the decor of the bathroom. Butt cans would be taken out in the morning and brought in eighth period. Supervision could be done by teachers. The hypocrisy of allowing teachers to smoke inside while claiming the students are a fire hazard is seen by all. I am against the previous smoking policy, but I’m even more opposed to the situation in the bathrooms. The school board must change the situation and not sit about hoping Student Council will provide the answer. SCA has proposed and been rejected. The solutions are evident, it’s just that the administration lacks the conviction of their decisions necessary for their start and development.
Smoking infographics are based on an October 1975 survey conducted by East’s Student Council. The survey results were published in the 1975 January Edition of Eastside.
■ By Linda Patillo
Former Eastside Sports Editor
Walk into any lavatory at East and you immediately [are] faced with the issue of smoking in school. The smoking policy was rescinded this year by the Board of Education because they thought that the courtyard failed last year; hus they felt that by taking away the privilege conditions would improve. However, the issue remains that conditions have not improved. Smoking continues in spite of warnings of suspension by the administration. It is clearly evident by the amount of smokers in the lavatories that smoking will continue in spite of the no-smoking policy. Teachers and the administrators just do not have the time to patrol during every period. Both smokers and non-smokers admit that the lavatories are crowded
and u n pleasant. But, as long as there remains no other place where it is permissible to smoke, these students will continue to smoke in the lavatories. One other reason...that has been brought up for rescinding the policy, is the fact that many parents do not wish their offspring to smoke. At this point...if a student in high school has made up his or her mind to smoke, no amount of regulation is going to change this. And no matter which course he or she chooses, it is really between the student and the parents. The obvious solution is to bring back the use of the courtyard. The SCA has proposed a new policy which attempts to remedy some of last year’s failures. The proposal is as follows: 1. Three smoking areas: Outside the girls gym at the end of C-Wing, outside the middle staircase of B-Wing [and in the] main courtyard outside cafeterias. 2. Times: Before and after school, between classes [and] at lunches 3. Bi-monthly inspection, by whomever the Board of Education appoints, of bathrooms and smoking areas. If the first inspection fails, policy will be void. (In other words, we are only asking to try it for two weeks and if it doesn’t work, it will be thrown out right there). This is at least a temporary solution that can be used until a better one is developed. Other possibilities that could be considered are a smoking lounge and an incorporation of both the lounge and courtyard idea. I think more consideration should be given to the SCA who right now holds the key to next year. Smokers and non-smokers unite and protect your interests. Only by showing that you care about this issue will you ever get anything accomplished in the way of a workable smoking policy next year.
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PRO
Former Eastside Features Editor
The smoking privileges which existed last year were unpractical and abused, therefore they deserved to be revoked. The argument which I pose is not one of student smoking: right or wrong? No, I feel it’s a smoker’s privilege to grab a cigarette when they want, but not when their privilege infringes on my rights. That courtyard is just as much mine — to breathe, rest and eat in — as it is yours. But that doesn’t give a smoker the right to foul up the air, grass and grounds. The courtyard is a place of little air circulation and when enough smokers got out there it resembled a Los Angeles Haze. The idea of a smoking area was originally to alleviate the problems in the lavatories. Nonsmokers had more influence on the smoking rule, for they wanted the bathroom back. The courtyard ruling just shifted the problem to another sight. The courtyard became so dominated by smokers... now as spring approaches and the smell of tobacco has finally dissipated, we can all enjoy the courtyard again. But the problem in the lavatories has become worse than ever. The strange philosophy of the administration regarding the punishment of smokers only serves to promote the problem. An occasional smoker may get suspended, yet the bathrooms on first floor C wing billow smoke every time a door is opened. A purple haze hangs outside the attendance office where some smoker from B wing is getting suspended. The administration shouldn’t be criticized that strongly, though. For it just isn’t practical to try and eliminate smoking at East. What then are we, or the administration for that matter, to do? Being a non-smoker — and proud of it — I see two fair solutions to our problem. The first being
EASTSIDE
50 years later, the smoking phenomenon has evolved into a vaping trend. Today, current East students join in the debate about the growing vape culture in our country.
■ By John Crosbie
To vaping December 2016
■ By Sari Cohen (‘18)
Eastside Entertainment Editor
In 2014, 3.7 percent of American adults used electronic cigarettes or vapor products on a regular basis, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The U.S. Census Bureau added that this represents more than 9 million adult consumers. Vaping gained enormous popularity among not just adults, but teenagers too, over the past two years, as many users find that the pros of vaping outweigh the negatives of traditional cigarettes. For one thing, vape products provide flavor options which make for a tastier smoking experience than that of cigarettes. Many restaurants, clubs and bars permit vaping, so users do not have to huddle out in the cold like they would have to do with a cigarette. Vaping also seems to be more widely accepted by the general population. This could be due to the fact that vape products allow for the option to smoke with little to no nicotine. In fact, vaping can help cigarette smokers recover from addiction in the
same way a nicotine patch or gum would. With less addiction comes less spending, as people who vape are not constantly running to a convenient store to pick up a a pack of cigarettes, which may disappear in less than a day. Vapor juices typically last longer based on frequency of usage. Vaping can offer a way to have a smoking experience without having to break the bank. Furthermore, unlike cigarettes, vapor products do not stain one’s teeth or produce secondhand smoke. This lack of secondhand smoke is one of the factors that has caused various venues to allow vaping rather than smoking, as it may only be impacting the person doing the action rather than those around him or her. Just like anything else, some people enjoy vaping because it is the trendy, popular, “cool thing” to do these days. Others might try it as a way to keep up-to-date with the fads of our society. Despite the potential health effects and the lack of research, there are valid reasons to people to enjoy the experience and culture of vaping. For the time being, it seems as if this trend is not going anywhere.
According to Euromoniter, a marketing research company, the vaping culture will become a
50 billion
dollar industry by the year 2030.
CON
■ By Shari Boiskin (‘17)
Eastside Underground Editor
Cigarette usage has been on the decline for the past few years. Cigarettes contain carcinogens; they are addictive. Students are warned against cigarettes in school. On the flip side, vaping is on the rise. Many people are even using vaping — which allows the user to regulate the nicotine levels in a vape pen — as a way to help them stop smoking. However, vaping has just started being regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its negative health effects, many of which are similar to those caused by cigarettes. When a product is unregulated by the FDA, the companies that make the product can produce it with little to no oversight. E-cigarettes and vaporizers were made until very recently, specifically August 2016, without regulation. New rules have been put into place for the vaping industry, and vape companies have two years to send in their applications for new product licenses. The FDA has not yet delved into the medical effects of vaping. Despite the lack of research, vape products still pose some known health risks. Many juices still contain some level of carcinogens. When vaping, nicotine and other chemicals still being are inhaled into the lungs. A study conducted at the University of California, San Diego found that vaping has a direct link to cell death, prompting
one scientist who worked on the study, Dr. Jessica Wang-Rodriguez, to say that she believes that vaping is no less dangerous than smoking cigarettes. According to the Center for Disease Control, a toxic chemical found in 75 percent of the different flavors used when vaping, diacetyl, This chemical has been found to lead to bronchiolitis obliterans, more commonly known as popcorn lung, a respiratory disease which creates blockages in the airways. Diacetyl is found in many foods, including microwave popcorn, because it is safe to eat; however inhalation has serious effects. Another study found formaldehyde in e-cig vapor. This carcinogen is used to preserve animals for dissection, and is also found in a variety of household cleaning products. In addition, a study at the British Heart Association found that vaping can cause the blood vessel stiffening, a similar effect to what happens to the vessels when smoking cigarettes. One of the most important arguments for vaping is that it helps smokers quit; however, this is not necessarily true. A study at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York found that those who used vaping as a way to quit smoking were more likley to fail than those using alternative methods. Vaping is unsafe, only recently regulated, and has not sufficiently been proven to help people stop smoking. It is better to play it safe and not vape. Photo Illustration by Kevin Chen (‘17)/ Eastside Tech Director Infographics by Ashley Cooper (‘17)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief Hands Photo by Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17)/ Easside Editor-in-Chief
Page 16
COMICS EASTSIDE
December 2016
Seasons of East Classes by Samantha Dayton (‘19)/ For Eastside
An Artist’s Struggle by Katie Habina (‘17)/ For Eastside
Do you love drawing comics? Have a passion for illustration? Find yourself doodling in class? Do you want to see your art appear in issues of Eastside?
Talk to Sabrina DeAbreu or Jennifer Dong in F087 during LB1 or email them at art@eastside-online.org to sign up!
December 2016
COMICS EASTSIDE
To Study or To Sleep by Jonathan Calabrese (‘18)/ For Eastside
Cherry Hill Elementary School East by Kevin Chen (‘17)/ Eastside Tech Director
New Month, New You by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director
Page 17
UNDERGROUND
Underground Social Media
Page 18
EASTSIDE
December 2016
Growing bored with mainstream social media? These three alternative social media apps can change that...
Freetime attempts to make plans for its users ■ By Jared Fisch (‘18)
Eastside Underground Editor
Have you ever been free and looking to hang with friends? Freetime solves that. Freetime describes itself as “a tool to make the most of your free time, and make seeing people you like fast, fun, and easy.” The app provides a way for you to tell your friends that you are “free” and allows you to make plans with other friends in the same situation by creating statuses. You can post a status where you choose from three options: “Join Me” (green icon), “Flexible” (yellow icon),
or “Busy” (red icon). From there, you type whatever you want to tell your friends into a text box. Next, you choose a time frame: “Later,” “Tonight,” “Now” or “Soon.” Then, you choose the location for which you would like to make these plans. Finally, you say who you are with at the moment.
app is not well-known, your friendsmay not have it, defeating the entire purpose. Also, you could easily make the same plans by simply texting the friends. This app has a lot of potential if paired with a significant social media outlet. Apps such as
T h i s makes for an easy way to get friends together. However, there are many flaws with this app. First of all, for people to even see your status, they need to have the app as well. Since this
Twitter or Facebook could incorporate Freetime’s “plan-making” expertise. Otherwise, Freetime is entirely useless. If Freetime really wants to succeed, it should pair with one of the main social media
low political leaders and find out their stances on different issues, and – most importantly – to easily contact their senators and representatives. Voting on Countable is easy. New topics are posted constantly, so there is always something up for discussion. For each topic, a general summary is given. In addition to that, information on why people
and Senate were able to vote upon it. After this information, most users vote and can comment, arguing for their opinions. Also, quotes from politicians who spoke about the bill are put in the comment section in order to show their thoughts were. Every time a user votes on a topic, for example “Does the EPA Need to Regulate Noise Pollution,” which
should vote both for and against the bill is listed, as well as additional details such as the bill’s sponsor and cost, and the progress that the bill has made. The section on the progress of the bill shows the dates on which it was voted upon, the results of the vote, how the user’s lawmakers voted, as well as the path the bill took through committee to get to the point where the House
is based on Senate Bill 3197, a message is sent to their senator or representative letting them know the user’s, and thus their constituent’s, stance. Because accounts are linked to email, the senator or representative will send the user a generic reply message, thanking the user for his or her thoughts as well as letting the user know how they stand on the issue. Once bills are passed
are also sorted into a variety of categories, including Crime & Safety, Free Items and Lost & Found. Scrolling down the splash page on my phone, I saw an assortment of posts: questions about trash pickup, restaurant recommendations, classifieds and injured pets. Still, the true strength of Nextdoor can be seen in the comment
gedly cuts out certain roads while unleashing tendrils far into areas clearly accepted to be in other neighborhoods. Nonetheless, the main issue lies in sparse usership. Although as of now, 100,000 neighborhoods have some online community, within each neighborhood, t h e r e may be a low per-
sections. On a post asking about renovators, neighbors posted about their experiences and provided the phone numbers of their favored contractors. However, as it is still blossoming into its full form, several issues remain with Nextdoor. First, some neighborhoods are irregularly merged or double labeled. My “neighborhood” Wexford Leas jag-
centage of users. Even though the service still functions well without all community members connected, more users translate to more effective messages, and thus better results. Users have a myriad of reasons for joining the network. Christian Simms, a father in the Point of Woods neighborhood, reported that that the Cherry Hill Police Depart-
platforms so that it can be incorporated into daily status updates. This would be a bonus for one of those popular platforms because it could add a cool feature to their posting mechanics. Currently, Freetime is too “underground” to have an impact on the realm of social media. Considering multiple friends must download t h e a p p in order to use it successfully, Freetime is ineffective at getting its job done. If Freetime steps up its daily active users, it could really grow, but sadly, it will remain on our list of Underground Social Media Apps.
Countable keeps users informed on political matters ■ By Shari Boiskin (‘17) Eastside Underground Editor
According to a poll by USA Today and Suffolk University, 41 percent of Americans do not vote because they believe that their vote does not make a difference. To the average American, Washington D.C. and our Congressmen and women are so far removed. However, thanks to Countable Corporation, a San Francisco startup founded by Peter Arzhintar and Bart Meyers, our government can be brought much closer to home. In fact, it could be brought straight to one’s phone. Countable Corporation created the app Countable. The app allows users to educate themselves on a myriad of political topics, including what is currently being voted on in Congress. In addition, through the app, users can vote on and debate the topics with other users, to fol-
in either the House of Representatives or the Senate, the topic voted upon is updated, showing the entire path that the bill has traveled. The app is updated continuously throughout the day with articles and blogs about all political issues. The app also offers live streams of the presidential and vice presidential debates, and then afterward provides breakdowns of the policies discussed during the debate. All American political news is posted, including articles about what Congress did in a certain month or what a Super-PAC is. Countable makes accessing governement simple and easy to understand, which is the way it should be. The app makes it easy to stay informed and in touch with one’s representatives, both of which are imperative to the survival of American democracy.
Nextdoor connects users to their neighbors ■ By Josh Sodicoff (‘18)
Eastside Multimedia Director
People use social media for all sorts of reasons. Many use online mediums to connect with complete strangers. Others use the internet to keep in touch with dist a n t friends. Nextdoor, in contrast, connects to those in the physical vicinity. Founded in 2011, Nextdoor was created to provide digital forums for neighborhoods and communities. To accomplish this goal, it requires two levels further of personal information than any other network: an address and some confirmation of location in order to best sort users. Once signed in, users can post in a variety of formats to either their specific neighborhood or to a larger area, as decided by the app. Posts
ment urged citizens to join after a series of burglaries in the areas. Lisa Marshall of Woodcrest has used Nextdoor for a variety of tasks. Since 2014, she has utilized the app to find gloves, a hair stylist, a doctor, and a Photoshop teacher for her children. She prefers Nextdoor to other services for the convenience of messaging other users and the frequent email u p dates. Nextdoor has ascended to a high level in the tech world. With a valuation of 1.1 billion dollars, it has joined the “unicorns,” a group of privately owned start-ups with a value of over a billion dollars. Venture capitalists seem to see a future for the fledgling service. It does seem that perhaps a digital community bulletin may fill a void that other apps struggle to fill.
Ilustration by Jared Fisch (‘18)/ Eastside Underground Editor with logos from Freetime, Nextdoor and Countable
UNDERGROUND
December 2016
EASTSIDE
Page 19
Scottoline: Promoting feminism through novel writing ■ By Ashley Cooper (‘17)
ing” until her daughter was born. Scottoline said, “I got divorced about the same time she was born, and I fell deeply in love with her. I She slaves away at her comwanted to find a way that I could puter, typing all day and through earn a living and still be home with the night. She writes 2,000 words her.” a day, surrounded by bookshelves In addition to her daughter, stacked from the floor to the ceiling. Scottoline had a more overarching She writes words of truth, gaining motivation for writing: to promote inspiration from moments out of feminism. She set out on her writher own life. She is Lisa Scottoline. ing career with the firm goal of feaA Philadelphia native, Scottoline turing females as more than simply attended the University of Penngirlfriends or secondary characters sylvania for both her undergraduwithin novels. ate degree in “I wanted to English and see more womher graduen as the stars ate degree in of the books,” law. Scottoshe said. line proudly And, withsticks to her out a doubt, roots by inScottoline has tertwining produced sevher homeeral female town within stars within her the setting works, particuof her literlarly so within ary pieces. one of her latest “Every novels, DAMbook I’ve AGED. The written is story focuses in centered in on lawyer Mary the PhiladelDiNunzio, a fephia area,” male heroine said Scotwho aids a dystoline, “so lexic 10-yearit inspires old boy that has every book I been neglected write.” by the educaScottoline tional system. also incorTaking on the porates her school system, legal backand even the ground withPhoto courtesy of Lisa Scottoline g o v e r n m e n t , in her work shows by having all The cover of Scottoline’s latest mem- Mary of her books oir, I’ve got sand in all the wrong plac- the exact tenac“examine, in es, features stories co-authored by her ity and courage that Scottoline some way, and her daughter. so yearns to see the ideas of in female roles. law and justice.” In this way, Scot“The book was inspired by my toline feels that all of her education best friend, Franca, who is a lawyer still holds much relevance even to advocate in Philadelphia for chilthis very day. dren with special needs,” she said. Though Scottoline has always In addition to DAMAGED, Scotbeen fond of reading and writing, toline now has an impressive 34 litshe did not “specifically start writEastside Editor-in-Chief
erary works tied to her name, rang“I wanted to write [“Chick Wit”] ing in genre from mystery to humor so the paper would have more womto emotional thriller. For her works, en’s voices and also something to she is renowned and praised in make you laugh,” said Scottoline. the literary “I was writing community about my life as a New and, naturally, York Times my daughter, Bestselling Francesca, and author. Repeople started cently, her to ask me if I work has was ever going even been to let her tell featured in her side of the the Philadelstory. That is phia Airport. how Francesca Yet, as with began writing, many writand I love it beers, despite cause it brings her inevitaa younger viewble success, point to the pashe initially per, as well.” faced a path In addition to of rejection. their columns, “ W h e n the two also looking for write extra stoan agent, I ries specifically got lots of tailored for the rejections, books, which but most of cannot be found them said anywhere else. they loved Together Scotwhat I was toline and Serdoing and to ritella hope to keep writcontinue their ing,” said humor writing Scottoline. on an annual “My favorite basis. They Photo courtesy of Lisa Scottoline rejection lethave plans to ter was from The cover of Scottoline’s latest novel, publish a new an agent in Damaged, published August 2016. memoir every New York July. July of who said, ‘We don’t have time to 2017’s memoir will be entitled I take on any more clients, and if we Need a Lifeguard Everywhere but did, it wouldn’t be you.’ Ouch!” the Pool, according to Scottoline. Scottoline’s daughter, Francesca In April 2017, Scottoline will reSerritella, has also blossomed into lease her next novel, One Perfect quite a writer herself. Together Lie. She hopes to continue inspiring Scottoline and Serritella have coyoung women and is in awe of how authored seven humor memoirs, the much impact she can have with most recent being I’ve Got Sand in simply a pen, paper and her mind all the Wrong Places. The memoirs full of ideas. are mainly collections of the vari“I feel very blessed to have such a ous stories Serritella and Scottoline wonderful career writing and I love have written together for their colit,” said Scottoline. “It is amazing to umn in The Philadelphia Inquirer, be able to put on paper, stories that called “Chick Wit.” others want to read.”
Out of the Vault: Phiten bands still worn by athletes ■ By Danny Naddeo (‘17)
Eastside Humor Editor
Founded in Japan in 1983 by Yoshihiro Hirata, the company Phiten has created many products, ranging from apparel to health food, with the purpose of encouraging wellness in its users. Operating from a location in Japan for 15 years, Phiten finally began to sell its products in Southern California in 1998. Four years later, Phiten opened its first North American store in Torrance, California, only several miles away from the company’s current corporate headquarters. The company claims that the reason for its products’ effectiveness at improving the wellness of its customers is Phiten’s patented Aqua-Metals. The Aqua-Metals are “a collection of proprietary and unique, metalinfused welln e s s materials and technologies” that are made through a process that breaks the metals down into microscopic particles and disperses them in water, creating a hydro-colloidal metal. While all of its apparel is made with AquaMetals, none of the products have been as popular as the Phiten Necklace. The necklace, typically made with Aqua-Titanium, is supposed to improve the wearer’s ath-
letic ability and promote healing. It became popular with many athletes because of these claims, allowing it to become a corporate partner of the University of Hawaii Athletics in 2004. This eventually led to Phiten earning its first big endorsement from Olympic softball gold-medalist Jennie Finch in 2006. In the ten years following, more star athletes became endorsers of the Phiten Necklace, including six-time MLB AllStar Justin Verlander, six-time NBA AllStar Carmelo Anthony and five-time MLB All-Star Josh Hamilton. Phiten acquired a licensing deal in 2008 with the NBA, and in 2011 the NHL allowed Phiten to make products using the teams under contract with the sport leagues. Despite the acclaim the Phiten Necklace had garnered over its history, many believed that the claims the company made about its product were false. There had been studies that looked into and verified the benefits of the necklaces, but they had all been financed by Phiten, and it was unsure if the results of the studies were unbiased. Additionally, due to a warning on the packaging of the necklaces stating that results may vary, the company was protected from any lawsuits in the event of a customer not experiencing the promised effects. This year, instructors at the United States Air Force Academy conducted an independent double-blind study, titled “Scientific Reasoning at the
USAF Academy: An Examination into TitaniumTreated Necklaces,” to see if the Phiten Necklaces really produced the benefits they claimed. In order to do this, 48 cadets were given necklaces to wear, half of which were made by Phiten and half being ordinary clothesline. Each necklace and clothesline was made the same length, and they were covered in duct tape. The necklaces were put into a bin and given out randomly. After two weeks, those involved were asked to fill out a survey on a scale from one to nine detailing how they felt. After looking over the data collected, it was determined that t h e r e was no significant difference between wearing the clothesline and the Phiten Necklace. Despite the Air Force Academy’s study giving evidence that the company’s claims are not true, Phiten Necklaces continue to sell and are still worn by players in a wide variety of sports; however, their prevalence has been significantly decreased since the height of its popularity several years ago. Whether the players believe in the benefits of wearing the necklace or they do it out of superstition, some players continue to wear Phiten necklaces. Whatever the reason, Phiten still remains as one of the leading companies in well-being products, and it is not likely that it will be going anywhere anytime soon. Picture courtesy of trend-bazaar.com Logo by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director
UNDERGROUND
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EASTSIDE
December 2016
The volcano boarding industry ignites in popularity ■ By Eric First (‘18)
Eastside Underground Editor
Throughout history, snowboarding and wakeboarding have gained popularity across the world for the thrill these sports offer their participants. However, a new level of extreme sports and boarding called volcano boarding, also known as volcano surfing, has seemed to slide under the radar. Rather than snow or water, volcano boarding takes place on the slopes of volcanoes. As riders slide down the volcano, they can either sit or stand on a board made from plywood or metal. Volcano boarding is unofficially split into two categories. The first is boarding down active volcanoes with the danger of lava and volcanic gases. The second is boarding down inactive volcanoes. The latter can be compared to sand boarding where thrill-seekers slide down the side of sand dunes without an immediate threat of danger. Zoltan Istvan, adventurer and journalist for National Geographic, is credited with pioneering the sport. In 2002, Istvan visited Mt. Yasur on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu. He filmed himself surfing
down the side of the volcano as part brings participants to the Cerro lars for its tours along with a fiveof a five-minute segment. Negro volcano in a large Mercedes dollar entrance fee to get into Cerro Daryn Webb, an Australian Benz truck. The company supplies Negro Park. Other tour companies thrill-seekin the area now also offer an oper and origition for volcano boarding down nal owner of the Cerro Negro volcano. The the Bigfoot park is open to the public for the Hostel in five-dollar entrance fee; however, Nicaragua, people hoping to ride the volcano played a key must provide their own equiprole in revoment. lutionizing Cerro Negro is an active volthe sport cano in the Cordillera de los of volcano Maribios mountain range, and it boarding for is the youngest volcano in Central the public. America. Since Bigfoot Hostel beWebb tested gan its group volcano boarding many types tours, Cerro Negro has become of materials the most popular destination in before ultithe world for volcano boarding. mately comThe sport continues to take ing up with place on Mt. Yasur, where Istan effecvan rode his first volcano in 2002. tive board Worldwide, the sport is pracmade out of ticed by thrill-seekers at several metal and volcanoes. Volcano boarding is Formicatruly a unique experience for the reinforced most adventurous people around plywood. the globe, as it provides an unCourtesy of whenonearth.net A f t e r matched feeling of excitement. If creating a A woman slides down Cerro Negro volcano in Nicaragua. you enjoy snowboarding, wakesuccessful boarding, skateboarding or the board, Webb began the world’s first safety equipment and riders can thrill that comes along with any volcano boarding tour based out of have their speeds clocked by radar adventure sport, then give volcano the Bigfoot Hostel in 2004. The tour guns. Bigfoot Hostel charges 31 dolboarding a shot.
Underground Holidays: National Fast Food Day ■ By Bethelly Jean-Louis (‘17)
Eastside Staff
According to the United States Healthful Food Council, the average American adult eats out 5.8 times a week. McDonald’s, Taco Bell and KFC are some popular fast food chains that are embedded into culture, so it’s only natural that there is a holiday to celebrate the fast food fixation: National Fast Food Day. National Fast Food Day is observed annually on November 16. To celebrate, many are encouraged to eat fast food for all the meals of the day. The concept of fast food has
been around since Ancient Rome. At street stands, vendors sold hot sausages and bread to on-the-go patrons. Fast forward many centuries, the first fast food establishment opened in America. White Castle, a burger chain, first opened its doors in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas. It paved the way for many fast food establishments since then. In the 1950s, the fast food industry was booming. Fast food joints such as White Castle and McDonald’s became household names, making fast food a substantial part of the American diet. In 2015, fast food in the United States generated 200 bil-
lion dollars in revenue. Day. The proximity in timated to have diabetes. Though fast food does dates is alarming and ironEven more shocking is the cater to the fast-paced lifeic. According to the U.S. growing prevalence of diastyle, there are many drawCenters for Disease betes in children. backs to eating fast food, Control and Fast food is a popular the most significant being Prepart of the American culthe impact on people’s ture, as well as being health. Fast food is filled quite tasty. So it with saturated fats, only makes sense cholesterol and that many love it. packed with However, it is imcalories from portant to limit how e x c e s s much consumers sugar and eat. So, National fats. The efFast Food Day is fects of una perfect day to healthy fast indulge in our food include guilty pleasure. obesity, hyRemember, eat pertension responsibly. and diabeAlso, check tes. Interout #Nationalestingly Courtesy of med-health.net FastFoodDay to enough, In- Fast food is available in a wide variety of options. see posts from ternational the holiday on Diabetes social media. Day is only two days away vention, over 12 percent of Logo by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ from National Fast Food the adult population is esEastside Art Director
Visit the house where Whitman wrote history litionist stance. In 1855, he published his poem book, Leaves of Grass. Although not critically acclaimed when it For upperclassmen that have was published, it found praise from struggled through, or are currently noted transcendentalist Ralph Walstruggling through, American literdo Emerson. During his time as a ature, it can be difficult nurse durto become particularly ing the Civil involved in much of the War, Whitwriting. At the beginman continning of the year, the ued his work. 2000-plus-page Norton At the time textbook is distributed of Lincoln’s to the sound of groaning. death, he With so much content to wrote one of cover and so little time his most popfor a single focus, stuular works, dents can lose sight of “Oh Captain! the beauty and the imMy Captain.” pact of the works. In 1873, Such should not be Whitman the case for readings of had a stroke Walt Whitman. Born in and moved 1819 in Huntington, in with his New York, forty miles Courtesy of tripadviser.com brother away from the Big Ap- A view of the Whitman House George in ple, Whitman grew up Camden, immersed in news writNew Jering. At age 11, after finsey. In 1885, he moved to Mickle ishing primary school, he went to Street (now Martin Luther King Jr. work apprenticing at a Long Island Blvd), where he both wrote the final newspaper, leading to a career in edition of Leaves of Grass and, in journalism that both enhanced his 1892, died due to pneumonia. writing and helped solidify his abo■ By Joshua Sodicoff (‘18)
Eastside Multimedia Director
In his “Song of Myself,” Whitman proclaimed that he contained multitudes of personality. His final dwelling would not let that on. Rather, it is a simple, white, twostory home, placed haphazardly between two larger brick buildings and buttressed by a garden. The interior, too, is simple, with only the pattern of the rugs and wallpaper to convince one of the possibilities of Whitm a n ’ s occupation. A total of six rooms occupy the home, though for Whitman in his final years, that was enough space. The site has been renovated and restored with care. Although much of the furniture is not original, the use of his letters, knick-knacks, and death bed bring particular feeling to the location. Additionally, only two miles away in Harleigh Cemetery is his tomb, marked by a mausoleum
of relatively great high for his notability in life. The first true historical work was done on the locale in 1919 by a local publisher. In 1962, the house finally became a national historical site. It was in 1992 that the state historical trust allocated 34,000 dollars to renovate and restore the interior and exterior for visitors. It seems heinous that such a landmark was mistreated for so long and is still overlooked today. When we flip idly through our Norton anthologies, it seems impossible to forget that if a local connection exists for one author, the vast number of American writers ought to mean that their works have incredible influence. The home is open Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with an hour-long break starting at 12 a.m., and it is open on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. If you are planning on visiting, call ahead to make sure a tour will be going through the house when you arrive. Logo by Jennifer Dong (‘17)/ Eastside Art Director
ENTERTAINMENT
December 2016
EASTSIDE
School Wi-Fi impedes usage of internet at East ■ By Eugene Kim (‘18)
Eastside Staff
While using the Internet on the school WiFi, whether for educational or personal purposes, East students have inevitebly come across the familiar blue Barracuda filter. “The Barracuda system filters websites of no educational value,” said East Principal Dr. Dennis Perry. P e r r y added that the main goal of having school Wi-Fi is to improve educational opportunities for students, and offered the school Google accounts as a prime example. Through their school Google accounts, all students can access Google Drive, Google Docs and other platforms for homework and projects. YouTube was once a blocked site, but is now accessible through the school Wi-Fi for teachers. Perry said that there is educational merit in the website: YouTube can provide valuable context for school material. For example, watching a brief video about American society in the 18th century could enable students
to better understand the background of literature from that time period. He emphasized that using Wi-Fi for harmful, inappropriate or illegal activities could result in suspension o r revoca-
tion of internet privileges, but added that during his 11 years as an administrator in the Cherry Hill School District, he has never seen any incidents involving improper use of school Wi-Fi. Perry believes that the Barracuda filter has a positive impact on the prevention of Wi-Fi related infractions. “[Barracuda] is a good thing because social media can be distracting in school,” said Josh Snyder (‘17), who also said he would use Snapchat more often if there was no Internet filter.
Similarly, Elan Boyarsky (‘18) said that the filter “can be annoying,” but it helps to “eliminate distractions.” On the other hand, Adin Berger (‘18) and Jeremy Sitnick (‘20) both said that the filter is a bad thing, specifically because the filter forces them to use mobile data for social media and other sites. However, neither Boyarsky, Berger nor Sitnick knew that the school could monitor everything that they do on the school WiFi. According to the current Acceptable Use of Technology policy, “users of CHPS equipment, network,
or website should have no expectation of privacy regarding their use of district property, network and/or Internet
access.” Because the CHPS network is the property of the district, the school has the right to monitor all activity that takes place on the school Wi-Fi. Additionally, all activity on school computers is also monitored. The purpose of this information monitoring is to ensure that the school network is being used responsibly and safely. Prohibited actions include downloading files that violate copyright protocol, accessing obscene or harmful information, tampering with the network, and stealing or vandalizing another user’s data. However, it is possible to use proxies and VPN’s to access the blocked sites. While some have been successful in the past, some students now report that they are no longer effective in bypassing Barracuda. For the most part, Barracuda functions to prevent these infringements, but in the case of Wi-Fi abuse, students may lose the privilege to use the school network. Art by Jennifer Dong (‘17)/ Eastside Art Director
Tutorial videos consume YouTube and social media ■ By Hannah Lehrfeld (‘19) Eastside Staff
In a world in which technology grows faster and faster every day, one can clearly see that attention spans have shortened and the need for instant instruction, advice and help is at an all-time high. Easily enough, there are over thousands of self-help and instructional videos across the Internet, made by thousands of different people, on thousands of different subjects. And in 2016, these videos are more accessible than ever. Over the past few years, the video section on Instagram has grown into a phenomenon. Initially, the feature received a lot of criticism due to the fact that Instagram had long been known for its “pictures-only” layout. Recently, however, Instagram videos have been picking up supporters and are now a regular part of the social media outlet. As Instagram videos can only last up to 60 seconds long, they are privy to quick tutorial videos such as Buzzfeed’s popular “Tasty” videos, which show how to make a delicious dessert or meal in under a minute. However, YouTube is the place where these howto videos initially began, despite their prominence in all types of social media platforms today. Many how-to videos are produced by “self-help gurus.” These users make longer videos focusing on a variety of areas such as makeup tu-
torials, daily routines and simple recipes. Leon Pintel (‘17), one of the East students who make these kinds of videos on YouTube, mainly produces beautification tutorials. She began her channel, aptly named Trendy Tommie, nine months ago and her most popular vid-
in other YouTubers such as Tatiana Ringsby and Zuri Hall. These girls fit under the category of “beauty gurus”: the online term for content creators who focus on the ins and outs of allure. There are a great number of these types of video-makers because the appeal of the seemingly simple how-to videos attracts an incredible number of people. The market for “self-help” has become so big that now many people use social media to make a living. Although the instructional videos are free, users with large followings on these websites are able to sell advertisements and promotions in order to produce a profit. It has become increasingly difficult to make it in the online entertainment industry with competitors joining every Many Megan Rose (‘17)/ Eastside Staff minute. social media usPintel produces a makeup tutorial for ers who have her YouTube channel. been online for years have aceo has reached 449 views. quired substantial audiPintel’s friends and famences; these audiences are ily encouraged her to start crucial for those who want the channel, and from the to pursue entertainment as beginning, she has loved to a career, as the audience’s connect with others. support helps these videos Pintel finds inspiration and their creators gain pop-
ularity. Not only are how-to videos good for the producer, but they also benefit the viewer. They help people with everyday tasks or simply prevent boredom from occurring. However, these short videos do pose a potential downside; they play a major role in terms of procrastination because they are so easily accessible and not very time-consuming. The videos are almost addictive; viewers may find themselves watching one video after the next for hours on end. Some may convince themselves that they will “only watch a few” and end up getting sucked into the endless cycle of video streaming. Lauren Bruno (‘19), who watches these types of videos, said that she is a visual learner and understands things better when she can see them. Pintel agrees with Bruno, saying that being able to see exactly how to complete the desired task makes things easier for those watching. These newly popular short how-to productions provide viewers with an easy pathway to accomplish an objective that they would not ordinarily be able to complete alone. For some, the videos provide the instant satisfaction of a job well done, as the outcome can be easily imitated. For others, they simply entertain and act as yet another form of diversion. Either way, these short videos demonstrate a newfound phenomenon of online activity.
Page 21
TECH KEY ■ By Asher Maitin (‘17)
Eastside Entertainment Editor
By no means do I classify myself as a tech guru, but new technology has always fascinated me, so I figured that I could keep all of you aware of new technology while I keep myself updated. Each issue, I’ll go through another piece of tech that sparks my interest. This month’s focus? Home automation devices. You may ask, what’s a home automation device? In short, it is any technology that contributes to a smart home. Garage door openers, smoke detectors, sound systems, security, video cameras, thermostats and more all contribute to this category. Apple, according to Bloomberg, has created a prototype for a home automation device reportedly the size of an Apple TV. The device features insane tech updates, such as facial recognition, appliance controls and other smart home capabilities. The device also features Siri voice recognition, a move that definitely directly identifies its competitor. The aforementioned competitor is Alexa, Amazon’s voice recognition software. You know, the one you see Alec Baldwin talking to on TV every few minutes? Alexa comes along with the Amazon Echo, Amazon’s smart speaker. Alexa is cool because, like Siri, she can be controlled without being touched, and she has the ability to control a range of tasks, but this range is actually quite small. Alexa’s been ridiculed for not having the range of tasks that Siri does and for not understanding the users in many instances. Apple should definitely look to capitalize on that. Apple’s entrance into the smart home market makes logical sense, considering Apple products are already moving toward controlling more and more aspects of users’ lives. With Siri and Apple TV, as well as the reduction of the headphone jack on the iPhone 7, Apple seems to be focusing on engulfing more users into using their products. Will Apple be successful? I’m not sure yet, but if one company is going to take home automation devices to the next level, I believe it will be Apple. Personally, I never bought into home automation devices. They’re overly convenient, to the point where they’re no longer necessary. How long does it take to get up and turn off the light or lock your car or any other simple task? Are we really that lazy? It’s just another way to force technology into our society. It’s only a matter of time until technology overrides human intelligence anyway, so in the event of a technology apocalypse, I definitely want to have the ability to control my house.
ENTERTAINMENT
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EASTSIDE
December 2016
Celebrities fail to influence the political views at East ■ By Sari Cohen (‘18)
Eastside Entertainment Editor
Eastside conducted a survey regarding the influence of celebrities’ political views on the political views of East students. After circulating surveys to students of all grades prior to the presidential election, the 193 completed responses demonstrated obvious trends amongst the beliefs of East students. Of those who completed the survey, 33 were freshmen, 28 were sophomores, 39 were juniors, 37 were seniors and 56 students chose not to list their grade level. More than half of students indicated that they associate most with the Democratic Party, 23 percent associate with the Republican Party, 13 percent with the Independent Party and the remaining associate with an unlisted political party. A majority (82 percent) of students witnessed celebrities share their political views whether through social media, broadcast or in person. Of those who witnessed the disclosing of celebrities’ political views, most responded that the views of celebrities did not change their
political views. Jake Cerota (‘17) justified his answer with the statement, “I think for myself.” The largest majority discovered from the survey data was the 86% of students who said that the political views of celebrities do not influence their political views. “I don’t care who [celebrities] support,” wrote Liam Reilly (‘20). On the other hand, Brendan Dulaca (‘19) responded that celebrities’ views changed his views, as did 28 other participants “because [the celebrity] had good, valid points.” A vast number of East students responded similarly when asked
vens (‘19) wrote. Similar to Stevens’ belief, Nadia Qazi (‘18) believes celebrities have valid political views because “everyone has valid political views.” T h e
why celebrities do not change their views. Additionally, the survey proved that the majority of students believe that celebrities have valid political views because “everyone is entitled to [his/her] own opinion,” as Donny Ste-
data supports the idea that East students do not allow the political views of celebrities to reshape their political views. However, when questioned about who they supported and who they believe most celebrities support, the majority answered Hillary Clinton. For East students, 54 percent indicated that if given the opportunity, they would have voted for Hillary Clinton in the November 8 presidential election. Similarly, 74 percent of students believed that most celebrities supported Hillary Clinton in this recent presidential
completely dissipate whenever I come to my mat. My teachers always seem to say just what I need to hear as I move through my vinyasas, the flow of yoga poses with a focus on inhalation and exhalation. Each class begins with the setting of an intention. From someone struggling with a mental illness, my usual intention is, simply, to make it through the class with my mind focused only on my practice, rather
than drifting from worry to worry. Yoga teachers commonly offer additional words of advice throughout the practice as well, such as ways to clear one’s mind or reminders to focus on one’s breathing. While hot yoga may be extremely difficult, it is also a large personal confidence booster. After working towards a difficult pose follwing countless practices, that satisfaction in accomplishing something
race. The survey revealed that only 36 out of the 193 students surveyed would have voted for Donald Trump, seven for Jill Stein, eight for Gary Johnson and 39 for other, unlisted candidates. The question about celebrity support exemplified comparable information. Twentyfive students surveyed believe most celebrities advocated for Donald Trump, one believes celebrity support lied with Jill Stein, three indicated their thought that celebrities fended for Gary Johnson and 21 students think celebrities mostly supported other candidates. A simple, eight-question survey delineated patterns in the political views of East students. Not only did it illustrate majorities, it also represented many similarities among the way students interpret the political views of celebrities when expressed. Also, the survey expressed the lack of validity that students believe the political views of celebrities retain to their own political beliefs. Infographics by Sari Cohen (‘18)/ Eastside Entertainment Editor
Yoga: the trendiest and hottest stress reliever ■ By Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17)
Eastside Editor-in-Chief
For most people, hot yoga is a fun fitness trend, a challenging workout, or just a way to stay healthy. For me, it is all these things and so much more. During the summer before my junior year, I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. I tried countless methods to alleviate some of the anxiety, including coloring, journaling and meditation, but nothing effectively reduced the symptoms. One day, my aunt convinced me to take a yoga class with her for fun, and from that day forth my posture, balance, confidence and entire lifestyle changed forever. Hot yoga, also known as Bikram, is similar to a regular yoga class, but is conducted in a heated room anywhere between 90 and 105 degrees Fahrenheit. The typical Bikram class lasts 90 minutes and consists of a series of 26 poses. Hot yoga is meant to induce one’s “inner fire,” or in yogi terms, “tapas”. Additionally, some believe that the practice can detoxify the body through sweating. Yoga has been proven to have incredible mental and physical effects, but the new hot yoga trend has been sweeping the country as celebrities and fitness bloggers jump on the bandwagon. Countless Instagram accounts feature artistic pictures of people performing a sun salutation at dawn. No matter what sort of day I am having, no matter how bad the anxiety is, those negative, overwhelming thoughts clouding my mind
Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief
Teen does a yoga pose in a quiet, relaxing ambience in order to relieve stress from school.
that once seemed impossible is indescribable. Yoga is about reaching inward in order to create change. Thus, participants are told to stop comparing themselves to their neighbors. Everyone in the class is at a different stage in his or her practice. Some people have been practicing for years, while others have just recently begun. Many studios don’t even contain mirrors, unlike other popular forms of exercise. The lack of my own reflection has simultaneously decreased my self-judgement and insecurities during yoga, a part of my anxiety that sometimes feels impossible to escape. Comparisons don’t lead to progress, a lesson that I have had to learn both inside and outside of the studio. Even while off the mat, the yoga mindset remains with me. When on the verge of an anxiety or panic attack, I begin to practice my ujjayi, or “ocean-sounding” breath, a technique used throughout yoga practice. This method of breathing involves long, slow inhales and exhales through the nose, while making an audible noise from the throat. If I am at home, I can unroll my yoga mat and begin to run through a brief vinyasa as a distraction or even rest in child’s pose for a while. One of my yoga teachers once said, “Your body can do more than what your mind says it can.” I have learned not to put myself down as much, but instead to recognize that I am a work in progress, just as my yoga practice is a dynamic process. There are good days and bad days, just as I have good practices and not-so-good practices. By finding my inner tapas, I can grow strong enough to face whatever life may bring my way.
December 2016
ENTERTAINMENT EASTSIDE
Page 23
Local six-time ANW athlete provides competition advice to get people active and jumping around and moving and out from in front of the computer screen and In 2009, “American Nindoing something that’ll last ja Challenge” was added to more than however long the Japanese program “Sathey’re playing the game suke,” a show where [in front of them].” 100 competitors would Such prominent gather to complete a and energetic viewfour-stage course of ership is what keeps challenging obstacles. Rahn returning each After becoming the year; the feats pulled most highly rated off by Rahn and other program on the G4 athletes is what pulls network, “American in viewers, including Ninja Challenge” was many East students. given its own program “It’s pretty inspiring on NBC, with the proto see people pushing gram adopting the new the limits of human name of “American ability,” said Anna Ninja Warrior.” Qin (‘17). “I’m always Now just finishing impressed at how hard its fifth season by itself they work and train and eigth season overfor [the show].” all, “American Ninja Qin added that when Warrior” is an inspirshe watches the show, ing hit. she’s usually with her “[Producers] have whole family. She is 60,000 people try to be one of many East on the show and they students who enpick 500 of them,” said joy watching the Jamie Rahn, co-owner program for a of Pinnacle Parkour multitude of reaAcademy in Cherry sons. Whether it Hill, a parkour trainbe real inspiraing gym. tion or for fun, Rahn has been a “American competitor on the show Ninja Warsix times, including rior” does an this past season that effective job concluded in Septemof drawing ber. in a teenAccording to Rahn, Asher Maitin (‘17)/ Eastside Entertainment Editor age demothere’s a slight differ- Jamie Rahn shows off his skills. graphic. ence between parkour Joe Lapand ninja training. inson (‘17) “For me parkour is to at only five feet tall and falls into those be well-rounded for falls, for weighs in at 95 pounds. who truly feel bailouts. Whatever I want Since reaching the finals moved by the to jump to...to have control in 2014, Catanzaro has takshow to boost and awareness in a variety en the social media world their fitness. of situations,” Rahn said. by storm and continues to “I never see “Ninja warrior [training] compete as a result of the it as being disfor me is still focusing on support she receives. The couraged from what I’m control, but more [of findsame could be said about watching,” Lapinson said, ing] the hardest challenge I Rahn, who receives support “but instead encouraged to can do and then [trying] to from fans as well as other see what I can do.” build up to that and push competitors. Rahn said he makes sure that further and further.” “That’s why I love it so that gym members take As the popularity of much,” said Rahn. “It’s just necessary precautions be■ By Asher Maitin (‘17)
Eastside Entertainment Editor
“American Ninja Warrior” grows, so, too, do the number of viewers inspired by the show’s contestants. Kacy Catanzaro, the first woman ever to qualify for the program’s finals, stands
fore engaging in some of the activities. “Start small and build up progressions. If you’ve never been on a [certain obstacle] before, don’t go on and just try [to] go as big as you can,” Rahn said. “A lot of people get injuries training on the warped wall because they just sprint at it and tear their achilles. And so, we’ve never had that here because I don’t let people just run at it, I make everyone walk first. There’s little techniques for everything.” Rahn also hopes that potential gym members do not feel discouraged by the difficulty of parkour or ninja training. “Sometimes the best thing you can do is get started. We love seeing people accomplish things they
weren’t able to do or didn’t think they’d be able to do,” Rahn said. While Rahn trains intensely, he thinks some components matter more than others.
“I don’t think [the training] has to be super strict, but definitely super consistent,” said Rahn. “You need to make sure that you’re training smart, so you’re not just doing curls or pullups but training a variety. Every year the obstacles change. You have to be prepared for different jumps and angles.” The gym co-owner also has big news: he’ll soon be co-owner of two gyms, as Pinnacle Parkour Academy membership continues to grow, soon adding a newer, larger gym in Philadelphia to their three existing locations. “It’s twice as big as [the Cherry Hill location]. Ceilings might be close to twice as high. It’s kind of got an education theme to it,” said Rahn. “It’s really going to be exciting. It’ll be focused more on parkour, with a couple ninja events h e r e and there. Philly’s a big city; they’ve got a lot to draw from.” Rahn wrapped up his experience with some guidance that he once accepted. “The best advice [I’ve been given] is just stay calm, get out there, enjoy what you’re doing and just have the most fun with it. Most of the people who have the most fun do the best.” Art by Asher Maitin (‘17)/ Eastside Entertainment Editor
Whitewashing smears morals in Hollywood ■ By Hope Rosenblatt (‘18)
Eastside Entertainment Editor
According to the Comprehensive Annenberg Report on Diversity by the University of Southern California, out of 414 films and series studied from September 2014 to August 2015, only 28.3 percent of speaking parts came from minority groups. This staggering statistic acts as only another piece of evidence that contributes to the long-standing controversy of what is known as “whitewashing” in the entertainment industry. Whitewashing, a practice as old as the film industry itself, occurs when white actors are cast in roles more accurately portrayed by people of color. The entertainment industry has moved forward since the use of blackface in its films and series, with one prominent example being the 1965 film adaptation of “Othello,” where the white Laurence Olivier painted his face several shades darker in order to play the Christian moor, Othello. However, events such as the almost entirely white
Oscars of 2016 prove that “I’ve learned on a macro prevalent problem with the Hollywood has not devellevel about the insane hisdisputed practice. oped as much as the rest of tory of whitewashing in “In the theater industry the world. Hollywood and how preva[diversifying roles] has takRecent en two, examples maybe of the use three, of whitegenerawashing tions, include but it’s the castfinally ing of flipping, Scarlett not just Johansfor mulson as tiple culMotoko tures, Kusanbut for agi, the gender lead in r o l e s the highly too… I anticipatwould ed 2017 say it’s film, The h a p Ghost in pening the Shell, in Holan adaplywood tation of m u c h a popular slower,” Japanese said Mr. franchise. Thomas Likewise, Fred Kim (‘17)/ For Eastside Weaver, E m m a A white actor tries out for the role of a minority character. who has Stone’s directed portrayal multiple of Allison Ng, a woman of lent the problem truly is,” East productions. Chinese and Hawaiian desaid Stone in an interview As for East, when castscent, in the 2015 movie, with news.com.au. ing characters for roles Aloha, sparked outrage However, unlike Hollyin plays, Weaver chooses among many, leading to an wood, the theater industry to disregard race, and at apology from Stone. does not seem to attain a many points even gender in
the process entirely, in order to create what he feels to be the best production possible. “At a high school like this, in 2016, I don’t care what race they are,” said Weaver regarding the upcoming fall play, “The Miracle Worker.” In “The Miracle Worker,” characters such as Kate Keller, Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller would all be played by white people if one were to stick to the historical story line. The theater industry and East productions exhibit practices far more progressive than that of films and series produced in Hollywood. However, studies show part of the blame of whitewashing lies within the audiences who watch the whitewashed productions themselves. A vicious cycle ensues when directors want to make profitable films and statistics show that more people go to movies with white leads. Therefore, directors continue to make films with white leads, leaving those productions as the only option for audiences to attend and, consequently, the cycle continues.
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SPECIAL EASTSIDE
December 2016
“The Miracle Worker” produces magic onstage
Jenna Myers (‘17)/ Eastside Managing Editor
Jenna Myers (‘17)/ Eastside Managing Editor
Jenna Myers (‘17)/ Eastside Managing Editor
Jenna Myers (‘17)/ Eastside Managing Editor
Megan Rose (‘17)/ Eastside Staff
Megan Rose (‘17)/ Eastside Staff
Megan Rose (‘17)/ Eastside Staff
Megan Rose (‘17)/ Eastside Staff
Kate Keller attemps to console Captain Keller on the steps of the In Scene 13, Kate Keller, Anne Sullivan and Captain Keller watch Helen spell “water” to the family dog, Belle. family’s front porch.
Anne Sullivan (Courtney Bird (‘17)) shows Kate Keller (Liz Hallinan The Red Cast, during their final bows, show their gratitude for the (‘17)) and Capitain Keller (Justin Accardi (‘17)) that Helen (Leah technicians by pointing upward towards the balcony. Levin (‘19)) now understands language.
Aunt Ev (Katherine Trauger (‘17)) and Kate Keller (Ashley Cooper Anne Sullivan (Jackie Orlando (‘17)) arrives at the Keller household (‘17)) discuss Helen’s (Hannah Lehrfeld (‘19)) desire to see, hear and and meets with James Keller (Ezra Nugiel (‘17)), Captain Keller (Harrison Smith (‘18)), Kate Keller and Helen Keller. talk.
Dr. Anaghos (Kevin Naddeo (‘18)), Director of the Perkins Blind Kate Keller discusses Anne Sullivan’s teaching styles with Aunt Ev, as School, says goodbye to Annie Sullivan along with his blind pupils. servant Viney (Annie Lipsett (‘17)) observes from the side.
December 2016
FIFTY YEARS EASTSIDE
Page 25
To commemorate the fiftieth year of Eastside as well as the fiftieth year of Cherry Hill East, Eastside has been including special coverage in print and online to look back on the half century. For this issue, Eastside reprinted Page 3 of the May 1, 1969 issue. It includes two students’ perspectives, as well as a “fire,” apparently a fake one, that resulted from smoking in the bathroom.
SPORTS Cross country seniors run their teams Page 26
EASTSIDE
Happ exemplifies leadership qualities
■ By Drew Hoffman (‘18)
Eastside Sports Editor
She eats, sleeps and breathes running. She wakes up in the morning thinking about running. She falls asleep thinking about running. Alexa Happ (‘17) is a runner who not only possesses great athletic skill, but also carries a unique sense of optimism and happiness, which she is known for by the girls’ cross country team. “[Happ] is very positive. She is always encouraging the other girls to do their best. She has a way of always looking on the bright side of things and knowing exactly what to say to make a teammate feel better,” said Head Coach Mr. Anthony Maniscalco. Teammate Abigail Roncace (‘17) said, “Everyday [Happ] comes in with the greatest attitude and she is so uplifting. She is so optimistic.” Anyone close to Happ knows that she always has a smile on her face. She played an essential role on the team, both mentally and physically. “She’s an excellent leader,” said Maniscalco. “It’s apparent that from the past three years of being on the team that she knows all of our routines and systems. It is important to have a leader like her to structure the program and run things.” Happ not only built morale, but also contributed to the team’s success as a talented runner. “She [was] in our varsity top seven, and it’s taken her a lot of work to get there, so she sets a good example of what needs to be done to be a contributing member to the team,” said Maniscalco. “She bounced between fourth and fifth on the team. The top five score, so... [she was] a vital piece of our crew.” Happ’s rise to become a team leader and one of the pivotal runners on the team came through lots of hard work and mental preparation. “In a typical day, I drink 120 ounces of water, which is a lot, but it helps me because otherwise my muscles would get tight and I don’t perform as well,” Happ said. “I tend to mentally get prepared for the workout throughout the day. I try to envision a perfect running form, my time I want to hit, and mentally get ready for it.” Another huge factor to her success is her attitude during runs. A runner with a negative attitude often does not perform as well. “I try to stay positive,” said Happ. “I try to envision the person who I want to beat in front of me. If I want to hit a certain time, I imagine that person in front of me, and I think ‘I can get there if I stay with them or get ahead of them.’ ” Hitting the right times and beating the right people all start with setting goals. These objectives push Happ even further. The third-year Varsity runner had a few goals in particular for herself and the team this season. “I want[ed] to get as close to twenty-flat as I [could],” said Happ. “For the team, I want[ed] to make it to States.” Happ’s ultimate goal was to break 20 minutes in a race, 26 seconds from her current personal record of 20:26. She consistently hovered around the 21-minute mark for some time. Running under 20 minutes in a 5-kilometer race is a major achievement for any girls’ cross country runner; however, Happ knows that
when she is on the starting line ready to race, it is all about the people next to her, not herself. “[The team] is my family. I love them all. I’m an only child, so they’re the sisters I wish I could have,” said Happ. Another close teammate of Happ’s, Rachel Allen (‘17), thinks that having Happ on the team makes for a positive experience. “She really solidifies the team,” said Allen. “She makes everyone feel very positive and very comfortable with the race, even the freshmen who are new to it. Alexa is the best teammate ever. It wouldn’t be the team without her.”
December 2016
Parsons progresses as an East runner
■ By Ben Goldsmith (‘17)
Eastside Multimedia Director
It’s 8 a.m. on October 1, 2016, and the Cherry Hill East cross-country team is prepared to depart for Holmdel, NJ, in just under two hours for the Shore Coaches Invitational meet. Following last night’s pasta party with the team to “carb up,” senior captain Tyler Parsons (’17) wakes up, ready to burn off the calories. Parsons went easy on himself yesterday, only running six miles. He has trained the whole week leading up to race day and is finally ready to catch the bus at East. The team gathers and boards the bus. Arriving at Holmdel two hours before the race, Parsons’ preparation continues. “An hour before the race we’ll do our warmup, and then 30 minutes before the race it’s all focus,” Parsons s a i d . “ W e have our
headphones in and we’re getting our spikes on [our racing shoes]. Our main focus is just the race. We get on that starting line and it seems like nothing else matters but the gun and being the best runner.” Holmdel Park is one of Parsons’ favorite courses. “It will hurt at times like nothing you’ve ever felt before, running over those big hills,” Parsons said. “But I like that, I like the feeling of just getting down and dirty with the hills. You gotta be tough through it. A lot of people just can’t deal with that.” As a top East Varsity runner, either as the team’s top runner or number-two behind Marc Meltzer (‘17), Parsons’ c r o s s country career was not always obvious to him. Parsons played midfielder for East boys’ in Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor soccer iniHapp and Parsons display intensity and com- his tial East petitiveness on the cross country course.
career as a freshman and a sophomore. He competed in middle school on Rosa’s cross-country team. East teammate Noah Preihs (‘17) ran with Parsons in middle school. “I just remember him always being one of those kids who played a bunch of different sports,” Preihs said. “He was just an all-around athletic kid. He played baseball and soccer, but he always had potential in running.” Parsons would not run cross-country again until his junior year. “I’ve always had a passion for running,” Parsons said. “It’s where my talent should be. It was a good run on the soccer field and I enjoyed it, but I had a greater passion to run crosscountry.” In spring track, Parsons ran the 800-meter in two minutes and six seconds and the 1600 meter in four minutes and 38 seconds as a sophomore. This was the beginning of his evolution to cross-country. “Being able to be very mobile and having the agility on the soccer field, the running helped me with the transition,” Parsons said. Preihs watched Parsons transform into a cross-country runner at East. “I knew it was going to be tough,” Preihs said. “He was injured off and on, so it did take him a while, but I knew he would, eventually. He has a great work ethic, so he just put in a lot of work in the summer and after spring track. You could tell he was going to be an important member of the cross-country team.” East Boys’ Cross-Country coach Mr. Christopher Corey would weld Parsons in with the team almost immediately. “It didn’t take a whole lot,” Corey said. “Tyler is an incredible, natural athlete and he’s also a kid that works really, really hard.” Parsons’ impact did not go unseen. As a senior captain, Corey said he exceeded the standards. “We talk about being good role models, in terms of doing the right things academically, but more importantly, [Parsons was] always looking out for other people,” Corey said. While Parsons can run a 5k (3.1 miles) at Ocean County Park in 15 minutes and 37 seconds, he manages to stay humble through the success, putting the team ahead of himself. Preihs said Parsons’ influence on the team was one of the greatest forces. “I think that’s why we’ve had so much success over the past few years,” Preihs said. In 2014, East boys’ cross-country won the Group IV state title. They took second place last season and sixth this season. Tyler’s brother and now-freshman runner at The College of New Jersey, Cole Parsons (‘16), was a leader on the East cross-country team for the last four years, including the team’s two state runs. As far as high school, Tyler has not only lived up to his East cross-country legacy, but also has out-run Cole’s 5k personal record by one minute and 17 seconds. Parsons does believe he will continue running in college and said he has “been in contact with several schools.” Back at Holmdel, the runners take their marks and get set for the gun. In a matter of seconds, Parsons is off, trekking the alpine range. As Parsons crosses the line, he realizes his favorite course did not produce one of his favorite records. “I started out well, but I didn’t finish the last half-mile the way I wanted to,” Parsons said. As most of his records only get quicker with time, Parsons has nothing to worry about.
December 2016
SPORTS EASTSIDE
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Youth leads the way for girls’ cross country ■ By Elissa Cohen (‘18)
Eastside Sports Editor
The future is here, or at least in the case of the girls’ cross-country team. For Coach Mr. Anthony Maniscalco and the rest of his returning runners, this season has been anything but predictable. The biggest surprise going into this season was the number of girls on the roster, and the fact that the three fastest runners were underclassmen. The team nearly doubled in size, and as a result, Maniscalco finally had depth on his team. “Now we have a pack of really athletically-talented girls setting goals and achieving them… they are able to run longer, faster, stronger together. You need a pack of runners to be successful,” Maniscalco said. Maniscalco noticed that as the roster grew, so did the skill on his team. He said that he was able to go on a hard tempo run and bring back around a dozen girls, something that has never happened before in his coaching career. Running beside Maniscalco in his intense workouts were underclassmen Sarah Pierce (‘19), Grace Yoon (‘20) and Dani Lazarus (‘19). These three athletes trained around the clock to improve their personal records and succeed for their
team. By eating healthy, the time,” said Maniscalco. to Pierce and Lazarus, Alstretching religiously and A year ago, even though exa Happ (‘17) and Taegan working cross-training into she was a freshman at East, Field (‘17) made First Team their schedules, Pierce, Pierce did not run for the All-Conference. Pierce took Yoon and Lazarus earned cross-country team. This second place at Holmdel, their spots as one, two and August when the girls had the fifth hardest course in three on the cross country their first time trial, Manisthe country, according to team, respectively. calco noticed the athletiManiscalco. Not only do her Lazarus, the stats reflect a stellar only returning athlete, but her attirunner out of the tude does as well. three, said, “I “Sometimes durknew that Grace ing hard runs, we try and Sarah were to encourage people coming… I knew who are struggling it was going to so we can all finish be very competitogether… I want to tive, and that just be a role model for helped me stay on anyone on the team, my game and motiI wanna help people vate myself to keep see their potential,” working… Now the said Pierce. three of us work Maniscalco exreally well togethplained that when er because we all Pierce and Yoon ran have really close their first race totimes and speed, gether in mid-Octoand this makes us ber, it was a turning Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor keep going and get point in the season; Dani Lazarus (‘19), Sarah Pierce (‘19) and faster.” no one really knew The trio worked Grace Yoon (‘20) lead the pack of runners how good the team hard in practice during practice. was until they saw every day to reach their cism and talent that Pierce the two of them running topersonal and team goals. possessed, and Pierce was gether. Maniscalco said that the enthusiastic to take on a However, practice was addition of Pierce and Yoon new challenge. one of the program’s biggest to his squad improved the “Every week, [Pierce] improvements this season. team 110 percent, and as kept getting better, so I Maniscalco said you really for Lazarus, he said she knew she was going to be don’t know how good the continued to improve tregood,” said Maniscalco. girls are until you see them mendously from last seaPierce continued to surin practice. son. prise her coach and her Lazarus, who improved “Sarah Pierce has won teammates. She won the her personal record by one every race she’s been a part Olympic Conference race minute this season, said, of, Grace Yoon is usually by a minute, and she also “[Maniscalco] says that evsecond, and [Lazarus was] took first place in the South ery person makes a differright in the top-ten mix all Jersey Open. In addition ence on the team, so how [I]
run affects the rest of the team and how we place.” For the trio, which includes two girls who have never seen some of the courses they are running on, a huge learning experience is involved. In these cases, Pierce, Yoon and Lazarus looked up to the experienced upperclassmen. Yoon said that the encouragement from the upperclassmen was motivational and helpful. However, at the end of the day, Pierce, Yoon and Lazarus were the frontrunners on the team. “The bulk of our points [were] coming from underclassmen, the entire top three [were] made up of freshmen and sophomores… they are major, major contributors,” Maniscalco said. After finishing fourth in sectionals, the girls’ cross country team qualified to compete in the Group IV State Meet. At sectionals, Pierce finished in first place. The girls continued to stay strong and healthy throughout the postseason in the Group IV state meet, as Yoon (second place) and Pierce (thirteenth place) advanced to the New Jersey Meet of Champions. As for Maniscalco, his years of hard work are paying off as his program is gelling together; he can foresee an incredibly bright future for these runners.
East athletes think pink ■ By Jared Fisch (‘18)
Eastside Underground Editor
Breast Cancer Awareness Month did not originate from football players sporting pink gear to show support; in fact, it was established in 1985 and its main goal was to promote the mammography as the best combatant against breast cancer. After its establishment, Estée Lauder Companies, an American manufacturer of hair and skin products, founded The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and introduced a pink ribbon as its logo and symbol. Ever since, players have worn pink accessories in support of the cause. Photo by Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor Many athletes, professional and Edit by Liz Lee (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor amateur, took to the field this past October wrapped in pink accesso- The football team supports Breast ries to honor those who have fought Cancer Awareness. Along with the football team, and who are currently fighting many girls on the field hockey team, breast cancer and to spread awarewho had a historic playoff run, wore ness for breast cancer. Many profespink socks or other accessories to sional football players laced-up pink show their support. cleats or put on pink gloves for their “I personally, along with a couple games. Overall, the NFL successfully other girls, wear pink socks to supspreads awareness, as players have port Breast Cancer Awareness,” sebeen “pinking out” for eight years nior varsity forward Olivia Deutsch now. More importantly, what did (‘17) said. amateur or even high school athletes But teams and athletes are not the do during the month? only ones who showed their support. The Cherry Hill High School East The East marching band representfootball team showed its support in ed as well. The drum line wore pink October through what the players wristbands while the rest wore pink wore. Kobe Tamburrino (‘18), Varbands around their shakos (hats). sity wide-receiver and cornerback, Although the girls’ soccer team described what the team did durwore pink shirts with “Cougars Kicking October. He said the team put in’ Cancer” inscribed on them last pink breast cancer awareness ribbon year, they did not do anything colstickers on the back of their helmets. lectively this year. Individual playAlong with the stickers, the team ers took that as a challenge to show showed support by wearing pink support in their own way. Defensive laces. mid Nicole Hammerquist (‘18) hit the “Different players wear differfield with pink cleats during October ent things. Some like to wear pink while her teammates found other socks like I do, I wear white and pink means of showing support. [Nike] Elites plus pink soccer socks,” Although October is in the rearTamburrino said. “A lot of kids have view mirror and the pink fades away, pink gloves or pink arm sleeves to the fight for a cure is still on. wear under their pads.”
December 2016
SPORTS EASTSIDE
East Hall of Fame inducts 16 new members remembers the third game before the state finals of Pelouze’s senior year. He It all started in January said that Pelouze and the of 2015 with four men: Fred goalie at the time ran into Belchikoff, John Valore, Bill each other on the field and Sheppard and Dave Martin. Pelouze suffered from a seThey all had one idea which vere broken femur in his influenced the formation of leg. Pelouze couldn't play a committee that created soccer, basketball or basethe first-ever Hall of Fame ball for the rest of his senior for Cherry Hill East athyear. The soccer team endletes and coaches. ed up playing in the state The Cherry Hill East championship, but unfortuHall of Fame Committee nately lost one-to-nothing was established in order against the other team. to honor past student-ath“I know everybody felt letes who excelled in the same way. We said Varsity athletics at that if [Mark] had not Cherry Hill East. gotten hurt, we could've Thus, in Novembeen state champs,” ber of 2015, the comsaid Heisman. “He was mittee held the first a very quiet leader. He ever Hall of Fame wasn't someone who induction banquet. yelled and screamed The Hall of Fame in the locker room, like honored 17 athletes, some of the kids always as well as former did, but he just led by athletic director, playing on the field. Virginia Whittaker, He worked very hard who stood out as and the younger kids athletes who made looked up to him.” a memorable impact Since 1970, hunon East athletics. dreds of Cherry Hill “I had said to East students have Mr. Martin and Mr. bled, sweat, and sufSheppard many, fered injuries as dedimany times that it’s cated athletes. Many a shame East doesn't of those athletes broke have a Hall of Fame, records, played mulbecause you walk tiple sports, and had into all of these oththe best statistics in er high schools and Courtesy of Michael Melograna East’s athletic history. they have great Hall 2016 Hall of Fame inductees pose for a group photo at the annual Some even went on to of Fames and East continue their athletic Cherry Hill East Hall of Fame Banquet. has never had one careers as Olympic and our kids deserve it,” Pelouze, all displayed leadswimmers, winners of three the athlete played and who said Belchikoff, one of the ership as captains of their Superbowls, nationally the athlete’s coaches were. Hall of Fame Committee sports. ranked soccer players and “There’s a lot of discusmembers. “Larry was an outstandstate championship wression as to what the athlete The committee focuses ing young man. He was tlers. Most importantly, did, what type of athlete he on East athletes who gradvery passionate and aggreshowever, the athletes who or she was, and then we deuated over a 30-year period sive when he played soccer. displayed attributes such pend a lot on the coaches’ from 1970 to 2000. This I remember even though he as respect, passion and feedback. Coaches like Mr. year, the 2016 Hall of Fame wasn’t that tall, he was still leadership were those who Heisman, Mr. Martin and Induction Banquet was a very tough soccer player, stood out among all of the Mr. Valore really knew held on Saturday, Novemand as good as he was a socrest and are the athletes their athletes. So, a lot deber 26, at Indian Spring cer player, he was an outwho will be inducted into pends on what they tell us Country Club. The Hall of standing diver,” said Heisthe Cherry Hill East Hall about these athletes. We Fame inducted 12 athletes, man. of Fame. don't have a lot of statistics three coaches, and former May was the first captain It does not matter how or numbers, but I mean if Superintendent Dr. WilHeisman had as a soccer many goals an athlete these kids really stood out liam Shine into the 2016 coach when he came to East scored, or how many games in their coaches’ minds, we Hall of Fame. in 1969. The last captain he they won; what truly matdon't need statistics,” said Every athlete selected coached was Mark Belch, ters is the impression that Belchikoff. not only excelled in every whom he remembered just athlete made on those he or 2016 Inductees Michael sport he or she played, but as well. she played with during his Roddy, Larry May and Mark each also possessed admiraHeisman particularly or her time at East. Pelouze were all coached by ■ By Courtney Finnegan (‘17)
Eastside Sports Editor
ble attributes that separated them from the hundreds of athletes who have played East sports since 1970. Minimally, all athletes must have been All South Jersey athletes during their time at East in order to meet the basic criteria for a Hall of Fame nomination. The considered athletes must also have been out of school for a minimum of 10 years. Once the athletes meet the specific criteria, the committee then looks into the number of sports
Ed Heisman during their years at East. All three athletes were remembered as significant contributors to the sports they played and were highly regarded by their coaches and their teammates. “Besides playing baseball and soccer, Michael Roddy was a great young man and a leader,” said Heisman, former Boys’ Varsity Soccer Coach and Junior Varsity Baseball Coach. Athletes like Roddy, along with May and
Girls’ teams excel in the fall season
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2016 Hall of Fame Inductees
Len Butler (‘74) Diane Croff (‘93) Kevin Foley (‘92) Brian Kurlej (‘89) Larry May (‘71) Mark Pelouze (‘88) Leslie Pike (‘83) Vanessa Rubio (‘92) Mike Roddy (‘76) Sue Shue (‘77) Joe Sullivan (‘70) Frank Williams (‘86) Coach Sue Schooley Coach John Valore Coach Don Witzig Dr. William Shine
Hall of Fame Committee Fred Belchikoff Bob Hennefer Peg Jordan Beff Mancini Tony Mancini Dave Martin Pierce Pelouze Sue Schooley Bill Sheppard Will Tickner John Valore Kelly Young
The girls’ tennis The girls’ field team earned the numhockey team hosted its ber one ranking in South first playoff game since the Jersey with a record of 20-1. 1990s in late October when it The Varsity team led the Olymbeat West Windsor-Plainsboro pic Conference behind top singles 2-0. The team advanced to the player Steph Yanosov (‘17). The Group IV quarterfinals and upset girls won the Group IV State SecLed by seniors the number-one seed, Toms River tional Championship for the second Kelly Babitz (‘17) and North. The girls continued to season in a row, and they also Kat Koziol (‘17), the East compete until the third round won the Moorestown Classic. Girls’ Volleyball Team went of playoffs for the first 19-0 in Olympic Conference play. time in 40 years. The girls clinched the Olympic Conference Championship with a 2-1 win over Williamstown on October 14. With additonal help from Star Beasley (‘18) and Sarah Pintel (‘19), the volleyball team swept the American Division with a 8-0 record. The team lost in the third round of the state playoffs. Photo Courtesy of Scott Mooney Photo Courtesy of StephanieYanosov