Eastside: February 2022

www.eastside-online.org

Vol. 54 No. 3

Cherry Hill High School East: 1750 Kresson Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003

East adjusts when faced with surging COVID-19 cases ■ By Bella Levin (‘22) Eastside News Editor

With numbers surging after winter break, members of the Cherry Hill Public School District urged the board to resort to remote-learning, or even a hybrid model. The daily district emails to all members of the Cherry Hill community were simply not sufficient for families. It appeared as though the 30 and 40 new cases a day were not urgent enough to shut down the district entirely.

Dr. Dennis Perry, Cherry Hill High School East principal, said that the district was following guidelines from Governor Phil Murphy’s office rather than being able to implement its own.

With Omicron and Delta variants overwhelming the district, it became clear: Cherry Hill was in a red zone.

Although various schools in New Jersey implemented temporary remote learning after the break or even a shortened schedule, Perry explained how the district has definitely considered a plan but would not enforce it any time soon. In addition, students presented the idea to the board of implementing a hybrid model. According to Perry, it would not necessarily be a good instructional model for students.

During the few weeks in the high risk zone, fans were not allowed at indoor athletic events, no visitors were permitted in the building and any in-person school events were canceled. Following this partial ban, it was announced on January 27 that visitors to school were now allowed and all indoor athletic events as well as school events allow for 50% capacity.

When there were two separate clusters of COVID-19 cases at East, the school was forced to implement remote learning for the 2020-2021 school year. Perry said the definition has since changed, as having an outbreak does not lead to an online learning environment.

“There is a more fluid definition this year,” Perry said.

In an attempt to combat a new rise of cases, East set a plan. Perry explained that there are new Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and suggestions about quarantining and testing students.

East might begin to roll out weekly or bi-weekly tests for unvaccinated students who

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

participate in activities if the threat level increases.

Perry said that the Department of Health currently uploads vaccination status of students to East’s system, allowing the nurses to have access to a list of vaccinated students. With about 77% of students vaccinated, East is also hoping to enhance its contact tracing.

Perry depicted the difficulty of tracing such a widespread virus in a large high school.

Despite this, only some students get the luxury of being alerted if they have come into contact with the virus.

“If you’re not vaccinated, you’re contacted,” Perry said.

Several teachers have expressed concern over the packed and unmasked lunch rooms during students’ hour lunch break. Perry explained that lunch is definitely an issue, as the entire school is tightlypacked in either the cafeterias or the an-

n e x .

Despite this situation, Perry said, East manages the issue to the best of its ability.

“We have students all over the place in an attempt to spread them out,” Perry said.

Although the guidelines are quickly adjusting, East is attempting to shift along with any new CDC guidelines and New Jersey DOH mandates.

New Amazon store opens in Cherry Hill Mall

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February 2022

East events are cancelled or postponed due to outbreaks

■ By Max Gaffin (‘22) Eastside Editor-in-Chief

Though moving into the new semester and new year, Cherry Hill East looks the same as it did before, only with new variants of COVID-19 surging on the rise and procedures that are

stricter than before.

Looking awfully similar to the beginning of the pandemic, events a r e starti n g to be postponed indef-

ing to push the event back from its original January date to March or later as a way to wait out the COVID-19 peak and generate more excitement from the East student body.

On another rampant low is the spirit at basketball games after Cherry Hill Superintendant, Dr. Joseph Meloche, had to make the decision to withhold non-familial fans and spectators from attending home games due to state guidelines. This was another COVID-19 safety measure, but after backlash and student-raised concerns, the climate allowed for the decision to be changed.

The Freshmen Dance, Frosh, usually held around January, a time for East’s new student body to come together, was the next of the pandemic’s infections to be postponed. The dance is now scheduled to take place in May, similar to last year when both the Sophomore Cotillion and Frosh combined into an outdoor social festival.

This year, the Freshmen Orientation was also held virtually. Eighth graders from around the Cherry Hill Public School District were able to watch videos from East administration and the Guidance Department.

Then, the middle schoolers and their parents joined live sessions on January 27 to hear from teachers, administration and students about the East atmosphere and activities they can get involved in to determine if they see themselves at High School East or Cherry Hill High School West.

Other activities, including FOP and DECA, had problems arise because of the pandemic as well. The DECA South West Regional Competition, which includes around 300 East students, did not take place at the Crowne Plaza in Cherry Hill.

Instead, the competition was virtual, with only the test score deciding whether students advanced to States.

The DECA States competition, in Atlantic City, is still scheduled for in-person. FOP Holiday Party’s winter festivities were also canceled.

The club instead celebrated Valentine’s Day from a distance.

Though school is in person, there is difficulty in maintaining a safe environment for students to engage acidemically and extracurricularly.

initely, or in another, more realistic, word: canceled. Students are being pushed further from each other in a way to stop the contagious spread around the school building, leaving the reduction of school spirit as a lasting effect of the school’s actions. And foremost, students again called their bedroom desks their classroom.

School events, like Student Government Association (SGA)’s Masked Singer, were some of the first to be postponed. The Masked Singer competition is a new event that SGA hoped to spark an annual competition for years to come, in which staff sing while masked, and entertained the crowd. The event is based on the FOX television series.

President Devyn Levin (‘22) said Art by Melissa Vital (‘23)/ Eastside Art Director SGA is hopLayout by Max Gaffin (‘22)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief

Big Time Rush reunites after eight-year hiatus

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East Boys’ Basketball succeeds

Pg. 20

NEWS

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EASTSIDE

February 2022

Affirmations Instagram account gains popularity ■ By Tharunika Govindasamy (‘22)

Eastside News Editor

Need some extra manifestation and positive vibes for a snow day? Or a bit of good luck for an upcoming APUSH test?

Among many other Instagram accounts related to students’ experience at East, the Instagram account “CHE_Affirmations” has gained a tremendous amount of recognition within the past couple months, and has specialized in creating comical posts that manifest for specific Eastrelated scenarios relatable to the student population.

Some of the numerous posts that have gained the most popularity surround manifestations for a snow day, remote-learning and the traffic occurring in the school parking lot.

The account was started in December of 2021 by a student who chose to remain anonymous. Within the first two weeks, the account had gained over 600 followers, and surged following the break with a current amount of over 900 followers. The origin of the account is connected to an

adjacent affirmations account, titled “Global Self Hypnosis’’: a social-media account that specifically focuses on creating affirmation posts in a humorous method, touching on various subjects ranging from

set number of followers or posts, but obviously I wanted it to be something people enjoyed.”

However, the creator does hope for their account to flourish and adjust accordingly to the experienc-

es of future generations of East students.

“I’ve been thinking, at the end of my junior yearto pass it on to a rising junior. If the account is still pretty active, I might do a reveal and keep it going,” said the creator.

One of the teachers that has been featured on the account numerous times is Mr. Killion.

“I think that as long as students keep it within a certain line, I’m perfectly fine with it. I think a little bit of humor back and forth can enhance a relationship between a class and a teacher. You have to have a little back and forth sometimes…I think it makes class more enjoyable for people. But I also realize that not every teacher might feel that way,” said Killion.

Through a pinch of social-media, creativity and a whiff of artistry, students at East are able to unite through humor and relatable content.With the help of CHE-Affirmations, all students at East can manifest cleaner bathrooms, more snow days and a less chaotic parking lot.

event.

Guest speake r s , K y r a and Mel i s s a Holiday, shared an interactive discussion of the overarching topic of idenYena Son (‘22)/ Eastside Photo Editor tity, foStudents of all grades gather in Cafeteria 1 for East’s annual Unity Day. c u s i n g on the gion and gender inequality. a place where anyone can views, To encourage the further be safe, ask questions, and experiences and questions exchange of ideas over the learn,” said Mrs. Yanell Joof LGBTQIA+. course of the day, advisors seph, East’s Student Advo“Everybody has a unique stressed the importance of cate. and different perspective. the discussion being a “safe Joseph continued with a We have to assume their place” for all. brief timeline of Dr. King’s perspectives and experi“This is a place where we work and the civil rights ences differ from ours,” said bring education, and have movement to introduce the Kyra Holiday.

Not only did the speakers answer questions, but also the students gave input regarding issues and present situations in the school environment, touching upon further topics of race, religion, gender, behavior and appearance.

Following the question of how schools can resolve these issues, the students later split into smaller groups to discuss and record ideas of how administration and staff could help.

These conversations proved effective but were halted by a quick pizza break, which soon resumed to the end of Unity Day. The event lasted from 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., providing students with the opportunity to earn four hours of community service. This event kicked off a volunteer-filled MLK weekend.

Heidi Kwak (‘24)/ Eastside Photo Editor

The CHE Affirmations instagram account with over 900 followers posts regularly.

New Year’s resolutions to satirizing society.

“I’m a pretty avid fol-

lower of that account, and I was also inspired by the West Affirmation account.

It’s so easy to use Canva to make templates, and I just made a couple and decided to post them,” said the owner of the account who has chosen to stay anonymous.

In regards to the submission process, about 40% of overall submissions are received and posted via DMs, but the other 60% are generated by the content creator. For the first two weeks, the creator received approximately 30 submissions per day, but there was an evident need to filter specific pieces of content due to the offensive nature that targets specific marginalized groups.

“I don’t post anything about students because that’s not really the goal, and just wanted this to be more about wholesome humor,” said the student.

Additionally, the creator ensures to do some surfacelevel editing to condense lengthy statements to fit the correct template to post. Currently, the creator is receiving approximately five requests daily.

With an unexpect-

ed stream of popularity emerging as a result of the CHE-Affirmations account, which even surprised the creator, the success of the account has only rapidly increased.

The creator said, “It was never my intention to grow the account by having a

Heidi Kwak (‘24)/ Eastside Photo Editor

One of the instagram posts manifested for a snow day.

East hosts its annual Unity Day prior to MLK weekend ■ By Jiwoo Lee (‘24)

Eastside News Editor

On Friday, January 14, Cherry Hill High School East hosted its fourth annual Unity Day after school prior to the Martin Luther King Jr weekend. Similar to years past, the goal of the event was to reflect the spirit and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with this year’s theme of “Digging Deeper.” The discussion was open to all East students and invited Cherry Hill High School West and Estelle Malberg Alternative High School students as well.

Culture club leaders, members, advisors and students gathered together in Cafeteria 1 and shared their perspectives and ideas on social justice, touching base on several topics such as racism, bullying, reli-

The FOP holiday party returns with a new holiday theme

holiday party was cancelled both this past holiday season and last holiday season, we have made it our The Fraternal Order of mission to hold an event in Police holiday party that a COVID-19 friendly way Cherry Hill East hosts and continue the FOP club has been a tradition for this year,” said Chairper40 years. Hundreds of stuson Ava Ingersoll (‘22) dents gathered With the help of Mr. CJ after school to creDavis, they were able to ate decorations for organize Valentines Day a party for special parties for 27 classrooms needs students of special needs kids throughout the across numerous Cherry Cherry Hill Public Hill elementary schools.

School District. It Throughout January was a great way for and early February, the East students to FOP club prepared decovolunteer in their rations by either freestylcommunity. ing designs or making However, due Valentine’s Day candy to the COVID-19 pandemic, the FOP Yena Son (‘22)/ Eastside Photo Editor hearts. In addition, stuholiday party was Students gather supplies to make dents created fun word searches and other simiforced to redesign cards for the FOP holiday party. lar games for the children their event in order to play on Valentine’s to make it more rooms across the Cherry Day. safe for all students parHill School District.

Another aspect newly ticipating. Upon months “Since the annual FOP included was interactive of brainstorming, the FOP ■ By Lalitha Viswanathan (‘22)

Eastside Editor-in-Chief

chairpeople decided upon a new idea: a Valentine’s Day celebration.

Instead of a huge party with several schools convening at one venue, East students decorated the special needs students’ class-

videos for teachers of those classes to play for their class party that FOP organized.

On January 12, the FOP chairpeople and advisor

rate, In the past, the club had two months to create decorations and prepare for the holiday party.

Despite all of these challenges, the goal of this party remains the same: FOP wants special needs kids to feel appreciated and continue to uphold this East tradition.

“We hope to put a smile Yena Son (‘22)/ Eastside Photo Editor on the kids FOP members Emily Ringold (‘22), faces and Amanda Merovitz (‘22) and Jillian Ma- remind the cHenry (‘22) create decorations for the kids that we FOP holiday party. are thinking of them and got approval for this event look forward to seeing them and the students were alagain in person when it is lowed to go to the different safe to do so again,” said Inelementary schools to decogersoll.

February 2022

FEATURES EASTSIDE

As Head Custodian, Joseph Sutton finds passion in caring for East and its students

■ By Sophia Liu (‘24)

Eastside Online STEM Editor

According to the Oxford dictionary, a custodian is defined as “a person who is employed to clean and maintain a building.” But for Joseph Sutton, the Head Custodian of Cherry Hill High School East, being a custodian means more than just taking care of a building. For him, the job is about the school’s students and his work to help them stay safe and succeed. “[We’re here] for you guys, [the students], letting you get your education and hoping that everyone does well and continues to improve in the future,” said Sutton.

In his nine years working at East, Sutton has seen thousands of students make their way through his high school. The students he first saw walk into the building as freshmen mature into flourishing graduates.

Becoming a custodian was not always his plan.

Sutton spent two years studying finance and earning his associate’s degree at Camden County College with the plan of becoming a financial advisor before changing paths and starting a job at a construction material company.

“I like working with my hands,” said Sutton, “that’s kind of why I went into construction.”

Sutton was laid off from his job at the company but was able to find work as part of the custodial staff in Cherry Hill. “[The district was] looking for help, so I applied and I got [the job] and never looked back from that point on,” said Sutton.

Before coming to East, Sutton, who is from Pine Hill, New Jersey, worked at Woodcrest Elementary School and Beck Middle School, spending a total of 14 years working for the Cherry Hill Public Schools.

He first arrived in the school district as a regular nighttime custodian, today, he is Head Custodian at East, which he describes as the proudest achievement

CHERRY HILL EAST IS THE LARGEST SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT, WHICH IS A BIG TASK FOR CUSTODIANS TO MAINTAIN A BUILDING OF 2,000+ STUDENTS

WITH OVER EIGHT CUSTODIANS LEAVING THE TEAM OVER THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF, THAT LEAVES NINE, INCLUDING SUTTON AT EAST.

of his career so far. “[My job is about] making sure that the building is kept as best as we can for [the students], safetywise,” said Sutton.

As Head Custodian, he is in charge of overseeing the whole building, which means that day-to-day work is a constant mix of both custodial and maintenance duties, including replacing ceiling tiles, maintaining the heating system, repairing broken fixtures.

For Sutton, the workday starts at 7 a.m. to prepare the building for the 2,000+ students who fill the halls just a half-hour later.

There are plenty of tasks to be done: Sutton and the custodial team make sure the flag is raised, check on the boiler room and clean and organize the cafeterias.

Days of inclement weather come with more duties, from mopping up any water on the floors to salting the sidewalks.

After finishing up his morning responsibilities, Sutton heads to his office to check his computer and go through daily work orders from teachers whose classrooms may be suffering from broken lights, faulty heaters or other elements in need of repair.

Taking care of such a huge school — the largest in the Cherry Hill district — and its thousands of students is no easy task. Sutton says time is the biggest challenge of all.

“I never seem to have enough time,” he said.

Nowadays, he and his team are even more pressed for time than ever due to being quite understaffed.

Over eight custodians left the team over the last year and a half, leaving only nine custodians (including Sutton) working in the school.

While some of the custodians left the team to go into retirement, Sutton also attributes the dwindling size of the staff to COVID-19.

Although the district did not let go of any of the custodians during the pandemic, Sutton said that the time spent away from work

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gave the team time to think over their lives and make important decisions about their careers.

“Sometimes, in challenging times, people may have more time to ponder and think about their future,” said Sutton.

“They may think ‘Oh, well I don’t want to do this anymore,’ they may have gone back to school, furthered their education, got other jobs.”

Yet Sutton feels that the situation “wasn’t a negative matter” and respects his coworkers’ decisions to quit their jobs.

He recalls how one of the workers had cried after deciding to quit and how he had quickly tried to cheer her up and wished her good luck for the future.

“You should always improve in life no matter what you do,” he said. “That’s basically how we got shorthanded, people just trying to improve themselves.”

Nevertheless, being understaffed has brought a new set of Yena Son (‘22)/ Eastside Photo Editor challenges. To put ev- Mr. Joseph Sutton repairs a roof tile at East, one of his many erything in perspec- jobs as Cherry Hill East’s head custodian. tive, in a research paper titled, “Cleanwork around the suboptischool system, I really do, ing, Indoor Environmenmal conditions, and “just and we’re here for a good tal Quality, and Health: deal with it.” purpose,” Sutton said. “For A Review of the Scientific They continue to work the students, that’s what Literature,” the Minnesota hard to better the school we’re here for.”

Department of Health recand make it a safe place ommended in 2008 that for students. Over the past schools hire one custodian year or so, the team has per 25,000 square feet of taken on a variety of projspace in their buildings. ects, including painting the East covers nearly 400,000 front hallway, installing square feet, meaning that new LED lighting and diathe current team of nine mond grinding the floors. has to take on work that, In preparing for the return based on this research, is to in-person school, Sutton ideally meant for sixteen. said the custodians have “[Looking] at it from my also become “very adept as vantage point, I have my far as making sure things own duties to do, but I have were disinfected and sanito push that aside to help tized to the point where out in other ways, whether they really need to so that it be maintenance or custono one gets sick.” dial,” he said.

In the end, Sutton is a Infographic by Lauren Sutton said that the true people person.

Greenberg (‘24)/ Eastside team does its best to adapt, Administrative Assistant “I do love working in the

JOSEPH SUTTON SUTTON ARRIVES AT 7:00 TO FLAG IS RAISED - CHECK ON THE BOILER ROOM, -CLEAN AND ORGANIZE THE CAFETERIAS.

01

05

04 SOME OF HIS WORK INCLUDES INSTRUCTIONS FROM TEACHERS WHOSE CLASSROOMS MAY BE SUFFERING FROM BROKEN LIGHTS, FAULTY HEATERS, OR OTHER ELEMENTS IN NEED OF REPAIR.

AFTER A BUSY DAY'S WORK, SUTTON LEAVES SHORTLY AFTER THE STUDENTS. AT 3:30

02

AFTER MORNING DUTIES, SUTTON TO HIS OFFICE TO CHECK HIS COMPUTER AND GO THROUGH DAILY WORK ORDERS .

06

03 ACCRODING TO MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, THEY RECOMMEND ONE CUSTODIAN PER 25,000 SQUARE FEET,MEANING EASY SHOULD IDEALLY HAVE 16 CUSTODIANS

IN AN EFFORT TO MAKE EAST A SAFE PLACE FOR STUDENTS, THEY TOOK ON A VARIETY OF PROJECTS INCLUDING PAINTING THE FRONT HALLWAY, INSTALLING NEW LED LIGHTING, AND DIAMOND GRINDING ON THE FLOOR.

FEATURES

Page 4

EASTSIDE

February 2022

East alum works on successful Biden campaign

best job she has ever had, in June 2019. Eisenberg campaign, Eisenberg ran and moved up the ranks to served as one of the two the program that helped the Deputy Field Director Deputy General Counsel to track the ever-changing for Florida. for the Biden Campaign, voting laws and procedures Politics, legal studies, Then, when Obama ralseeing Biden into presidue to litigation and legiscampaign work and voter lied America for his reelecdential victory. Eisenberg lation, state government organization ― political tion, Eisenberg served as and the Biden campaign action and community fuel runs deep in the veins an assistant to the General team had to stay optimistic guidelines in the different of Lynn Eisenberg (‘03).

Counsel and took her roles parts of the Turning her political to the White House during nation. aspirations into reality, Obama’s last two years Eisenberg Eisenberg, who has worked in office. She worked as and her team under former President an associate White House had to make Barack Obama and Presicounsel with the mission to sure they dent Joe Biden, found her protect presidential powwere giving calling to ers and constituout accurate the polititional prerogaand updated cal science tives; she focused information field well on clemency, comto voters, the before she mutations and campaign, walked pardons, and proand correctthrough vided legal counly projectthe West sel to the office of ing positive Wing of the presidency. outcomes. the White In her position, On the camHouse, her Eisenberg specialpaign, EisenPoliSci lecized on the voting berg saw the ture hall at rights of Amerimore proWashingcan citizens, active side ton Uniamong many othto being a versity, er voter proteclawyer and and even tion and litigation stepped into before she initiatives. the questions roamed Eisenberg’s of trying to Courtesy of Lynn Eisenberg (‘03) rally Amerthe halls brother, Rich at Cherry Eisenberg (‘01), Eisenberg poses with Biden after joining ica together Hill High shares the same the Presidential Campaign Team. to vote for S c h o o l political blood Biden, when East. as his sister, as throughout the process as Americans were forced to Courtesy of the Official White House Photo by Pete Souza “I always they worked toBiden went through a numstay apart.

Eisenberg smiles while shaking hands with Obama. gether on the 2008 knew I was ber of victories and losses Eisenberg said “followinterested Field Organization that put him behind. ing the values of [Joe Biden] in politics,” said Eisenberg, studies, a Pre-Law structeam, the 2012 legal team Being a part of the cammade campaigning differwho took part in organitured course. for the Obama campaigns, paign since the beginning, ent, and it was up to the zations like Presidential During her time in St. and helped each other find Eisenberg witnessed the ef[the campaign] to figure out Classroom during her time Louis, Eisenberg worked jobs in the political field fects of Biden’s early losses how we still run traditional at East, which gave her the on the campaign of US soon after. While Eisenberg in primaries and America elements of a campaign in opportunity to learn and Senator Claire McCaskill, worked down the hall in counting Biden out of the a world where we are conengage in the constantly the political campaign for the White House Counsel’s race had on the team and stantly adhering to health changing and vast political a caucusing state senator, Office, Rich found work as how it motivated everyone experts recommendations, field from a young age. and interned for New Jera political advisor role for to work harder. listening to science, and doAs a high schooler, sey Governor John Corzine the United States Army “Helping navigate legal ing all the things that [Joe Eisenberg interned for when he still held his posiand Air Force. work and figuring out what Biden stood by] and told State Representative Lou tion on Washington’s CapiAfter working in the a campaign looks like durthe country to do.”

Greenwald and took an actol Hill. In 2008, Eisenberg Obama General Counsel ing a global pandemic was Overall, Eisenberg’s cative role in Eastside, BBYO started as a field organizer Office at the White House, really interesting and an reer in politics is still exand Cherry Hill East Girls’ for the Obama PresidenLynn Eisenberg was asked experience I will never forpanding, though she is still Tennis. Joining the team of tial Campaign, which she to join the Joe Biden Presiget,” said Eisenberg. strengthening her legal State Senate and Congresrecalls as the hardest and dential Campaign team As part of the Biden and political love today.

■ By Max Gaffin (‘22)

Eastside Editor-in-Chief

sional candidates continuously throughout her early adult life, Eisenberg was able to put her devotion towards caucuses that would make a feasible legislative change in her own community.

After graduating from East in 2003, Eisenberg took her passion to Washington University in St. Louis, where she majored in political science and minored in history and legal

Psychologists struggle to meet demands during COVID-19 ■ By Brielle Lampf (‘23)

Eastside Online Opinions Editor

Ever since the emergence of COVID-19, mental health across the world has been on the decline.

In fact, for the last decade, researchers and psychologists have been saying that teenagers’ mental health has worsened.

COVID-19 has only emphasized the issue, and since the breakout of the virus three years ago, getting appointments with psychologists and psychiatrists has been nearly impossible. Since coming back to school, many students have been struggling with their mental health.

Shai Zayden (‘22) said, “COVID has hit everyone’s mental health to a serious extent.”

Zayden spoke openly about her experiences coming back to school and said that finding a psychologist has “definitely been really difficult.”

For one, while finding a therapist with whom you can connect is challenging, it is even more difficult with different insurance companies. Not every practice accepts every type of

insurance, so while looking for a therapist that suits one’s needs, people must keep this in mind. Even before COVID-19, getting appointments for therapy or with a psychiatrist could take weeks. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of people working in the psychology

field. There are not enough psychologists to treat everyone, yet the number of people needing treatments continues to rise. While the pandemic was emerging in the U.S., there were more cases of anxiety and depression, specifically amongst teens. In May of 2020, just following the outbreak of COVID-19, “Anxiety rates for this age group were around 80 percent of screened participants [and] 90 percent of screened participants in this age group were also experiencing symptoms of depression,” according to the National Health Council.

With these increased cases of anxiety and depression come new people requiring therapy and medications to address their mental health.

However, Leon Neubauer, a licensed psychologist in both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, shed light on the Gabbie Hart (‘22)/ Eastside Staff situation for psy-

chologists, saying that they “were not prepared to deal with this pandemic.”

Like healthcare workers and the rest of society, psychologists were met with an onslaught of calls from people trying to schedule appointments. Even up to now, it has been difficult to find appointments. There are not enough therapists to meet the demand of patients at this time. Even with new online platforms for therapists, there are still too many people struggling for psychologists to be able to help everyone.

Plus, online platforms have issues of their own. It can be difficult for patients to have appointments online. With family members milling about in their houses and with homes sometimes filled with noise and commotion, some may not feel comfortable speaking openly with their therapist out of fear of family members overhearing the conversation. With new online conferencing platforms that therapists are using, such as “Telehealth” and “BlueJeans,” more people can access help without needing to go to an office. However, as Zayden said, you “can’t

make as much of a connection online.”

It is difficult for psychologists to speak to their patients online as well. How can a therapist really grasp the intensity of each person’s situation if they can’t see the physical cues that they would otherwise see in the office?

As such, there is a risk associated with observing patients and listening to them online.

Despite all of this, from online challenges to in-person shortages, people are continuing to try to make appointments. For some, it could take six months to make an appointment. For others, up to a year.

Some centers aren’t even accepting new patients at the moment because they are so overwhelmed. As the Cherry Hill High School East community continues its return to the school building, it seems as if around every corner, a student or a teacher is struggling. The only other thing that students and staff can do right now is support each other, because until professional care becomes more available, for many, we are all each other have.

February 2022

FEATURES EASTSIDE

Students share experiences with substance use disorders

■ By Gia Gupta (‘24)

Eastside Features Editor

She was only a rising sophomore when she was first exposed to drugs. She only used them once in a while. Maybe every couple of weeks. She felt free.

Happy. Like she was having fun. But that was all in the beginning.

Julia’s Story When former Cherry Hill High School East student Julia Harris’s* sophomore year started, she began getting depressed. And weed became the solution.

“If I [was] high, I wasn’t crying. And if I was sober, I was crying,” she said.

At East, to educate students about substance use, there are alcohol, vaping, tobacco and prescription drug units taught in ninth grade Health classes. In eleventh grade Health classes, a pharmacist comes in to speak to students about substances and elaborates on information taught freshman year.

Ms. Kristen Hildebrand, a Health and Physical Education teacher at East, also incorporates lessons for students to learn about the side effects of substance use disorders, and about where to get help, in a research project that she assigns in her ninth grade classes. “[The teachers] talked about drugs, and they talked about how it would affect you… [But] it [needs to go] deeper in the situation. They didn’t really talk about [how] a lot of people start using substances because it helps them cope with… past trauma and past abuse,” Harris said.

Harris was an athlete for her entire life, but that didn’t matter anymore.

Field hockey. Lacrosse.

Basketball. She quit.

Her friends started distancing themselves from her, and the people who she thought would always care about her didn’t care about her anymore. She became lonely, and soon weed was the only thing that made her feel okay.

“Everybody just judges people’s front and what they put on the outside.

You don’t get to know them, you don’t get to know their situation, and you just judge them off [of] what you see,” she said, concerning the stigma around people struggling with substance use disorders at East.

In February of her sophomore year, everything changed. She was statutorily raped.

“That night, I called my friends, and I was trying to

find someone to be there for me, and it just got blown off… The fact that they didn’t really understand…

It really hurt… I pushed it down completely,” she said.

Nobody understood her.

When nobody around her accepted her, she accepted drugs. She was smoking every day, 24/7. From the time she woke up to the time she went to bed.

Mrs. Jennifer DiStefano, East’s Student Assistance Counselor, noted that if a student is struggling, they can come to her through self-referrals, or referrals from friends, family members, teachers or administrators. After establishing the degree of the student’s use, DiStefano will make recommendations for help, and based on the use and the frequency of their use, she will see that student for support. Then, she tries to get parental support if parents are not aware, and recommends outside support, either through an individual therapist, or, if more help is needed, an intensive outpatient program.

But Harris barely knew her counselors at East; she didn’t even know their names. She said she only remembers meeting with them once for the two years that she attended East.

When her mom tried to reach out to them to try to find a therapist for Julia, she said she could not get the information that she wanted.

“East could not give her any information, and I feel like that’s a high school… they should have that information to be able to give to parents,” Harris said.

When her parents did find her a therapist, she told them, “I’m fine now.”

But she wasn’t. She wanted to start over.

Harris transferred to a new school for her junior year of high school and was excited for a fresh chance to make new friends and enter a new environment.

But, after finding it difficult to make friends after transferring, she found herself going to the bathroom alone so she could turn to substances.

“I never learned any coping mechanisms. The only coping mechanism I had was to get high.”

Harris numbed everything. She tried to make it all stop. Smoke. School.

Smoke. Sleep. But then one time, she smoked and drank at the same time.

Her mom’s brother died while drunk driving and he also killed someone else, so it was instilled in her never to drive while under the influence. But, in Novem-

ber of 2021, she passed out while driving home.

“My dad and dog were actually in the car with me when I was driving. And when I crashed, I almost killed my dad. I almost killed my dog. I could have killed anybody else on the road. It could have been so bad… Something was watching over me and my family that night and gave me another chance.”

The next day, she went to the hospital, and the day after, she was sent to rehab for almost two months.

“In rehab, you have to sit with yourself and sit with your emotions. And understand how you feel… It’s really an emotional process.

You are crying a lot; you are trying to understand yourself… But it felt really good to finally [get] my emotions out and not just have to push it down… I feel a lot better now finally being able to talk to people… about how I feel,” she said.

While it did not come to East during 2020 and 2021 as a result of the pandemic, the Jewish Family Children and Services (JFCS) of Southern New Jersey’s program, One Step at a Time (formerly Right In Our Backyard), came between 2017 and 2019 to present their substance use awareness, education and prevention workshop which has educated 7,000 individuals around the community. Students heard the perspectives of a clinician who specializes in addiction, a member of law enforcement from the Cherry Hill Police Department, an individual in recovery, and two parents who lost their children to accidental overdose. It looks forward to returning to East in the future.

The program was designed to be a complement to the education that students are receiving in schools about substances and to provide another perspective. With the aim to save lives and to normalize the conversation around mental health and substance use, it also tries to give students something impactful to remember — something that can make them stop and think: are these the choices I want to be making?

“What the program in the current form adds to [health education in schools] is not just the … definitions… Our approach has a lot of realism to it… it has a lot of reality… There is an understanding that this is what kids in high school are experiencing and what they are seeing. And then we try as best we can to give corresponding real

world solutions, real world tools, real world help, and resources… and to give people hope that there is a way out and there is a way to heal. There is support for everybody,” said Cheryl Herzfeld, who works on outreach and development of the One Step at a Time program.

Anthony Saporito, the Cherry Hill Public Schools Director of Security, reports yearly statistics for the number of students that have been sent out for drug/alcohol testing, after showing signs of being under the influence, and that have had those tests come back positive. During the 2020-21 school year, there was only one positive test returned. Yet, this number may not take into account the students who were reliant on substances, but were simply not showing signs because of the isolation that online school provided.

Jean’s Story

In 2019, Jean Adams* (‘24) was in seventh grade.

Her mom was an alcoholic, and sometimes her mom gave her some drugs, but it was nothing big, she said.

It just started with her friends. Drugs made her carefree. Happy. Numb.

But when she started having mental health challenges — depression and anxiety — drugs were a way out. The easy way out.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, research indicates that over 60% of adolescents who are in communitybased treatment programs for substance use disorders also meet the criteria for another mental illness.

DiStefano emphasized that because substance use disorders may be comorbid with other mental health illnesses, referring students to outside experts is the best way to get an accurate diagnosis.

In eighth grade, due to the isolation Adams felt from COVID-19, she continued to turn to weed, and at one point was using it every day.

“I didn’t really have any expectation for myself to get better,” she said.

At the beginning of her freshman year, Adams stopped using weed during her sports seasons but continued drinking heavily.

Slacking off. Showing up hungover. And her coaches didn’t realize.

Adams added that the “party culture” amongst many East students made it easier for her to use substances.

“I’d go to a party and

Page 5

parents would be giving out alcohol,” she said, showing the alarming accessibility of substances for students at East.

But after a traumatic event where she was taken advantage of while under the influence, she realized that substances were worsening her life and taking her down the wrong path.

The recovery process for Adams was long and hard, and she relapsed along the way.

While initially in a toxic friend group that pressured her to try new substances, she separated herself from all of those friends after becoming clean.

“At the end of the day, who’s going to be there when you graduate high school? Yourself,” Adams said.

When asked if she had a support system at East while she was using, Adams had a one word answer: No. Noting that it may have been due to COVID, she said that she doesn’t remember being taught anything that impacted her enough to make her try to change her life before recovery.

Students who are struggling need to know how to reach out for help and take advantage of the support systems in place at East, Hildebrand said.

Meredith Cohen, the Director of Special Projects and Compliance for the JFCS, said, “At some point, when a young person is faced with a very difficult decision: do I try something because I want to fit in, because I am too afraid to speak up, because I want to look cool, because I want to prove that I know how to party and have fun, because I have feelings that I am trying to stuff, because there [are] issues in my family and I don’t want to deal with them anymore, because I am flunking a class, they say stop, and think to themselves ... I remember what can happen.”

Hildebrand also often reminds students to talk to a trusted adult if they know someone who is struggling.

She talks to her students about being a good friend and support person. Adams added that Harris helped give her advice throughout her journey.

To anyone who is struggling with substance use disorders, Adams said, “There is [a] life worth living. We are teenagers. We are young… Just focus on yourself. Don’t care about the whole thing… the whole everybody. Focus on you.” *Names changed to protect identity

COMMUNITY

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EASTSIDE

February 2022

Peewee’s Ice Cream brings a favorite frozen treat to Medford ■ By Jillian Koenig (‘24)

Eastside Community Editor

Satisfying sweet tooths of South Jersey customers with 20 unique ice cream flavors, Peewee’s Ice Cream has been operating successfully since its grand opening on December 4, 2021.

Owners Maranda Burns and Bryan Jones began selling their homemade ice cream at local farmers markets in 2019. Prior to the ice cream business, Burns worked as a pastry chef for

12 years.

“I have worked in restaurants baking bread, preparing desserts and making ice cream. Ice cream was always my favorite part of the job,” said Burns.

Burns decided to make Peewee’s Ice Cream her full-time job in 2020 due to the business’s popularity. In the summer of 2020, Burns and Jones sought out a kitchen to rent to better manage their demand and expand their sales to more farmers markets and

Jillian Koenig (‘24)/ Eastside Community Editor

Peewee’s Ice Cream makes homemade Campfire S’mores flavored ice cream.

wholesale accounts.

“While we were on the hunt for a larger kitchen we came across the Feed Mill project in Medford. We immediately fell in love with the building and the town.

We thought it was the perfect location for our little ice cream shop to have a home,” said Burns.

Inside the store is a colorfully decorated enterance that welcomes customers.

Customers are greeted

by Burns or Jones and introduced to the variety of gourmet ice cream flavors.

The creative store design, along with the friendly employees and the tasty ice cream, surely attracts customers.

Outside of the storefront, Peewee’s Ice Cream can be located at Fresh Produce in Palmyra, NJ, along with at V Marks the Shop and 20th Street Pizza in Philadelphia, PA. Burns and Jones also continue to sell their frozen treats at Wenonah’s Farmers Market in Wenonah, NJ, and Burlington County Farmers Market in Moorestown, NJ. Peewee’s Ice Cream features 20 available flavors.

Six of these flavors always appear on the menu while the other flavors fluctuate seasonally.

Some of their unique flavors include Eggnog with Gingersnaps, Cannoli, Apple Crisp, Harvest Coffee (made with coffee from Harvest Coffee Roastery in Medford) and Lavender Honey Vanilla Bean.

Just like customers, Burns adores her ice cream.

“One of my favorites is mint chocolate chip. I know,

sounds boring!

I make o u r s s u p e r minty, which is just how I like it,” she said.

Burns said that the most popular flavor among customers is the Lavender H o n e y Vanilla B e a n .

This flavor is e x t r a special because Courtesy of Maranda Burns they in- Owners Bryan Jones and Maranda Burns c o r p o - stand in front of Peewee’s Ice Cream. rate local sey, Peewee’s Ice Cream Medford is open year round. While honey into the ice cream. A Burns and Jones find that unique feature of Peewee’s the store is busier in the Ice Cream is their main summer, they have also goal of using local products learned that people love ice to create their icecream. cream throughout the enPeewee’s Ice Cream also tire year. makes a variety of delicious They are happy to be vegan flavors: Salted Dark able to provide an outlet Chocolate, Peanut Butter for customers to enjoy deliFudge Swirl, Betty’s Bacious ice cream, even in the nana Puddin’, Sugar Cookwinter. ie and more.

Whether it’s 90 degrees All of their ice cream is or 20 degrees, the ice cream made from scratch in their is equally delicious. kitchen.

If one thing is for sure, it Burns and Jones don’t is that nothing beats homejust stop at ice cream–they made ice cream. Luckily also make most of the cakes, for South Jersey residents, sauces and cookies that are Peewee’s Ice Cream is only mixed into the ice cream. a short drive away to satThey also make many flaisfy everyone’s ice cream vors of ice cream pies. cravings at all times of the Differing from other ice year. cream shops in South Jer-

red lettering is not used for a specific school color; rather, it is used to make it

stand out as much as possible.

Soffen said, “I’ve been contacted by a number of schools, [and] a number of teachers…up to now at this point I’m

Soffen spreads anti-bullying messages through creative shirts ■ By Ellie Noh (‘24) Eastside Community Editor

Bullying is, and has been, a prominent issue in the community. In recognition of this issue, people are discovering ways to combat it through creative ways.

Specifically, Scott Soffen, a member of the Cherry Hill community, plays his part in taking down bullying by making T-shirts every year with a catchy slogan, “Be a Buddy Not a Bully!” leaving a reminder to everyone to be kind to others.

In the year 2000, Soffen started his own clothing manufacturing and printing business called Clothing Scott. He eventually started making free antibullying T-shirts about three years ago and he has been doing it annually, typically around springtime.

He was inspired to make T-shirts from his past experiences and by reading stories online regarding bullying.

“I work with kids who are either troubled, handicapped or Autistic. I go fishing in the summer and

I take all the kids [there]. I learned through that about how some of the kids, because they’re different, other kids didn’t have the compassion or the

tolerance and it bothered me because these kids are very talented,” said Soffen.

When making these shirts, Soffen uses red lettering on a white T-shirt to make the slogan eyecatching and to make the message as clear as it can be. However, he still makes adjustments for other schools such as Eastern with a blue color. The original

probably going to give a w a y 500-600 this year and maybe even more… I don’t care about the costs, it makes me feel good.”

Along with the strong impact these T-shirts give to the community, another aspect is that these T-shirts are completely free.

This is a great opportunity for everyone in the community to spread awareness about bullying without any cost. Making an impact is as simple as wearing a T-shirt, and Soffen is bringing change forward by making such a change possible for the community.

“I started getting stories from parents and from kids about how they wore the tee and it helped give them a little confidence and then other people wore the tees…it didn’t make bullying go away, but more people became aware of it,” said Soffen.

Even though he was making shirts mainly for people in Cherry Hill, these T-shirts spread and made a larger impact. He has sold shirts furthermore affecting communities such as Collingswood and Pennsauken. Along with these T-shirts, Soffen has contributed greatly to the Cherry Hill community through other ways as well.

“I made the masks for all the Cherry Hill schools last year, I make T-shirts for the seniors every year… and I do some of the teams at East and some of the clubs,” said Soffen.

Soffen has made a positive impact in the South Jersey community, especially through his creative and inspiring anti-bullying T-shirts.

Marcus Newman (‘22)/ Eastside Art Director

If you would like information on how to place an ad or shout-out in a future issue of Eastside, please reach out to lauren.greenberg@eastside-online.org

COMMUNITY

February 2022

EASTSIDE

Page 7

Woodcrest Country Club finds new ownership ■ By Ella Goodstadt (‘24)

Eastside Editorial Assistant

The Legacy Club: a Cherry Hill staple since 1929. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, that’s because it is the new title of the formerly known Woodcrest Country Club.

Home to a massive golf course, a quality, bar-style restaurant and grand ballrooms, The Legacy Club is the place to be if one is looking for an all-around great time for the South Jersey community.

On December 7, 2021, the highly-esteemed country club saw a major change: new ownership and a new name. The Lahn Hospitality & Amusement Group, led by Patricia and Randy Lahn, took ownership of the club, and are currently undergoing renovation of the club.

The Lahn family, owners of the Funplex chain, saw the country club as a perfect fit among the range of companies they currently own, especially considering that the family has been long-time members of the club.

Brian Williams, CEO of the Legacy Club, shared

how “when the opportunity presented itself, it was a natural fit for them to add it to [their] portfolio of companies and make the improvements to return the club to its previous status.”

When it came down to renaming the club from its previous title, Williams explained that “legacy is a big part of the story.”

Lahn’s father was a member of Woodcrest Lalitha Viswanathan (‘22)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief Country Club, Although the sign states the Legacy Club was estabalished in 1929, and he even most know it by its former name, the Woodcrest Country Club. served as a Aside from a change in club, a recreational center prior president name, Williams shared how and pickleball courts–all of the association. Lahn, other significant changes of which did not previously along with his own son, will be coming to The Legexist. There will also be an grew up at Woodcrest and acy Club within the next addition of another pool, became a member himself. several years. renovated locker rooms and Thus, it was only fitting The most prominent improvements to the prethat the family legacy lived developments include the existing golf courses. Renoon through the new beginimplementation of a fitness vations will also be seen ning of the country club.

within the expansion of the ballrooms and the update of the menu of Bar 1929, the club’s restaurant.

“There will be a focus on improving the overall club experience,” Williams said, as an effect of the changes that will soon be arriving.

One major feature that will be implemented at The Legacy Club is a new type of social membership which will allow a broader demographic of people to enjoy the facilities of the club.

“We want to make The Legacy Club a place where families will come and enjoy all of our facilities, not just the golf course,” said Williams when describing the goals that arrived with the new leadership in place.

However, the golf course–the heart of the country club–remains a top priority in the eyes of the Lahn family and Williams.

The CEO said that “[they] also want The Legacy Club to be rated as one of the best golf facilities in the state of New Jersey.”

The Lahn family is truly unraveling a legacy at their new country club, and exciting renovations are in the process of being completed.

Armani Exchange and the MAC store and within the Macy-wing of the Cherry Hill Mall, the location perfectly suits customers’ appreciation for Amazon.

While the function and convenience of Amazon has been integrated into

visitors yearly, certainly the new arrival of the Amazon 4-star to the community will attract new consumers.

Alongside its products, according to Amazon, digital price tags “show the Prime price and list price, as well as Prime member savings, average star rating, and the total number of reviews a product has received.”

With an in-depth analysis of the reviews, customers can rest assured that their products featured are well-approved.

There are even sections of the store that overlap common wish-list items.So far, its 33 locations span across the country with two already in New Jersey: East Rutherford’s American Dream and Wayne at the Willowbrook Mall.

Thus, the new addition to the South Jersey region comes with a warm welcome as the first in-person experience of Amazon 4-star opens in 2022 at the Cherry Hill Mall.

New Amazon 4-star store opens in the Cherry Hill Mall ■ By Lauren Greenberg (‘24)

Eastside Administrative Assistant

From A-to-Z Amazon has everything to suit your everyday needs. With their trademark Prime Delivery, the fast one- to two- day shopping experience simplified the desire to step into a brick and mortar storefront.

Let’s go back to 2018 when Amazon opened its very first Amazon 4-star storefront in the heart of SoHo, New York. Amazon describes its 4-star experience as a “place where customers can discover products they will love.”

Prime is coming to town, and Cherry Hill is getting its very own Amazon 4-star. Coming in the first half of this year, Amazon 4-star will feature products rated 4 stars and above, with a curated selection of items, from spatulas, to books, dog toys and kitchen appliances.

As it is located between

day-to-day lives, in-person shopping will attract lots of new customers. Whether the item is rated four stars and above, considered a topseller, or is new and trending, it is currently located in the 33 Amazon 4-stars.

Further, these stores fea-

ture the accessibility for pick-ups and returns of online orders, which will be much more convenient than the previous method of returns.

With the new store coming to South Jersey and attracting customers from all over the New Jersey-Philadelphia area, some questions and concerns have arisen amidst the awaited arrival. For starters, many prefer the convenience of ordering online, and would use Amazon’s services instead of going to the mall. Is this contradicting the arrival of the Amazon store?

While the Cherry Hill Mall expects Heidi Kwak (‘24)/ Eastside Photo Editor People in the Cherry Hill Mall walk past the new Amazon 4-star. about 12 million

Pancheros Mexican Grill opens a new location in Cherry Hill ■ By Julia Rosten (‘24)

Eastside Online Community Editor

Considering Pancheros Mexican Grill is well known for its fresh food and quick service, it was no surprise to hear that it would be opening a new location in Heritage Square Shopping Center, in Cherry Hill, NJ. This will be Pancheros’ sixth location in South Jersey, and it is planned to open in early 2022. Despite its popularity amongst South Jersey residents, Pancheros is only located in 12 states, unlike its competitors like Chipotle, Qdoba and Moe’s, which are located across the country. All four of these restaurants offer a similar menu. This new location in Cherry Hill will bring more attention to the small chain, and will surely please local Pancheros lovers.

The owners of the new location,

Mike Yurcho and Jim Kolzow, also co-owners of the Pancheros in Voorhees and Berlin, decided to open another restaurant on Route 70 because of the success of their other locations.

“The people of Cherry Hill deserve Burritos Better Built, and we are here to give it to them,” said Yurcho.

Their original plans were to open this past summer. However, because of COVID-19, those plans were delayed, and their goal is to open in early February.

“To say the pandemic has slowed our construction and opening would be a gross understatement,” Yurcho said.

They have been working tirelessly for eight years to find the perfect location for a Pancheros in Cherry Hill. All of their locations “are built to suit what South Jersey natives want,” Yurcho said.

“To pull off the road quickly into a beautiful center, devour some epic Mexican food and get right back on the highway and go about your day,” Yurcho said.

This type of strategic planning is what makes Pancheros so successful in this area.

This South Jersey staple will be convenient for local residents. As they continue to please their customers at their other nearby locations in the South Jersey area, this opening is something for many people to look forward to this month.

Katie Sullivan (‘25)/ Eastside Staff

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GLOBAL COMMENTARY EASTSIDE

February 2022

The United States declares its support for Ukraine ■ By Enis Ercan (‘23)

Eastside Staff

In December 2021, NATO and United States satellite images showed what appeared to be a massive Russian military buildup on the country’s border with Ukraine. The Russian forces consisted of over 100,000 soldiers along with artillery, infantry combat vehicles and battle tanks.

The United States and its NATO allies deemed the movements as out of the ordinary, causing western intelligence agencies to suspect the possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine as early as January 2022. The Kremlin released an announcement on December 1, claiming the troops were there for regular winter drills. However, this would not be the first time that Russia has used similar tactics to suddenly seize sovereign territory from foreign nations.

In 2014, Russian military forces swiftly invaded and annexed Crimea, internationally recognized as Ukrainian territory. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin cited reasons for the invasion, including the protection of Russian-speaking populations within Crimea from persecution. President Putin has also made similar statements regarding Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, again referring to the large Russian-speaking population in the area.

In this region, a separatist conflict involving insurgent warfare against the Ukrainian government has been actively ongoing since 2014. The separatists have been backed by the Russian government since the conflict’s beginnings, and secretly, small numbers of Russian soldiers have supported their efforts.

Nevertheless, the Kremlin has vehemently denied any intent of invading Ukraine. In fact, the Rus-

sian government has accused the West of unnecessarily riling up panic over a nonexistent threat of invasion. However, Russia has also drawn a hard line with NATO when it comes to the organization’s expansion into ex-soviet countries.

Specifically, Vladimir Putin has threatened serious consequences for any nation that motions to enter Ukraine into the fold of the NATO alliance.

For example. Russia suggested a treaty to the West to halt the transfer of supplies to Eastern European countries like Ukraine and Georgia, as well as limit their potential for alliance membership. This certainly makes it seem like President Putin is bent on restoring Russian hegemony to Eastern Europe, similar to the fallen USSR. America has not remained idle in the face of this threat. On December 2, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Rus-

sia foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Stockholm, Sweden, with the intention of facilitating a deescalation of the situation. Following this, both President Biden and President Putin met directly by video call on December 7. On the call, Biden reiterated his support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and promised strong economic and other forms of reprisal against Russia should Putin push ahead with military action.

The leaders called again just a few weeks later, and Putin warned Biden against bringing forth economic sanctions on Russia over the issue of Ukraine.

Despite this, the White House released a statement on January 3, 2022, announcing their unwavering support for Ukraine and promising “decisive” action against Russia, should the situation escalate. Biden also met in turn with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on

the same day, again promising American support to the beleaguered nation in the case of Russian attack.

Yet despite all the statements of support for Ukraine from the West, no promises of direct military support have been outright declared. Instead, severe economic actions, hitherto refrained from, seem to be the go-to response for the US and NATO against a possible invasion of Ukraine. As this decadeslong conflict rears its ugly head once again, only time can tell whether Vladimir Putin will spark an outright war in Eastern Europe. Now, as Ukrainian militia units stand by in their trenches, armed with weapons mostly purchased for themselves, the Russian army continues to flex its powerful presence across the border. As the new year progresses, the world can only watch with bated breath as a potential disaster might unfold.

While many countries have one primary language, such as Mandarin in China, there are also other different cultural dialects depending on that nation’s community. As a result, “one language dies every 14 days,” according to National G e o graphic, because “communit i e s aband o n native tongues in favor of English, Mandarin, or Spanish.”

Specifically in the United States, many Native American languages, roughly 200, have died out, due to colonization and persecution. The Language Conservancy reports that within the next one hundred years 90% of current languages will be extinct.

There are already 2,900 endangered languages.

Just as we strive to preserve endangered species, there needs to be a way to preserve these endangered languages.

Oftentimes,

lesser-known languages die out as a result of the deaths of their speakers. To prevent this, there needs to be better documentation of every language.

One organization that works to preserve endangered languages i s

it is used. Currently, the Conservancy has created over 300 resources available to people across the world to learn new dialects.

Another way of preserving and spreading languages is to increase the opportunities for young children to explore them and become better global citizens.

I n m o s t schools across America, the most popular foreign language courses available are limited to French and Spanish; however, some offer more selections such as Italian, German and Chinese.

However, foreign language courses are often viewed as optional. There is not a high priority put on learning another tongue as there is on other core classes. More emphasis needs to be put on the value of foreign languages, and the selection for students to choose from needs to be in-

creased.

Contradictorily, many believe that it is impossible to offer a wider selection of languages due to the limited number of teachers.

However, as we continue to become a more technologically based world, more and more programs are being created to help others learn about different languages.

While students may not become fully bilingual or trilingual, by using these services, they will become more exposed to languages different and lesser-known.

One online service available to those interested is Duolingo.

This American-created app features unendangered languages; however, exploring the beauty of languages may garner interest in some users. No matter how simplistic communication may appear, it is important to acknowledge the beauty in each and every word. Without language, the world would not be the same. Language expands the mind and opens a whole new set of doors. With a modernizing world, the one thing that is guarenteed is that language will never go away entirely.

Society needs to advocate for the preservation of languages ■ By Lauren Winslow (‘23)

Eastside Global Commentary Editor

Belleza. Kpacota. Uzuri.

Beauty. Every day, humans strive to find beauty in life.

They travel, climb mountains, swim to the depths of the ocean and laze on sandy beaches just to find that one moment where the beauty of the world overwhelms their senses.

However, we often overlook the simplistic beauty of everyday communication. The formation of sounds and words may seem insignificant to some, but in actuality, it is an amazing feat. Currently, there are 7,117 spoken languages still present in the world, according to Ethnologue. However, over 40% of the world’s population is monolingual, meaning they only speak one language.

But according to psychologist Frank Smith, “One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way.”

So many people miss out on the intricacies of life due to their limited knowledge of other languages and cultures. Language barriers limit individuals from understanding who certain people are as well as their history.

The Language Conservancy, w h i c h partners with indigenous com- m u n i t i e s across America, Canada, and Australia to revitalize these languages. One method of preserving languages is to create a dictionary, children’s book or textbook to document how

Valentine’s Day Shout-Outs

Happy February to a wonderful group of boys - Wyatt, Jeremy, Lee, Andy, David, Trey, Ross, Matthias, Edwin!! Enjoy your successes this year!

Art by Melissa Vital (‘23)/ Eastside Art Director

Hannah Callahan: Happy Valentine’s Day! Love you more than the moon and the stars! Mom and Dad

Happy Valentine’s Day, Ella Goodstadt! You make us proud every day! XOXO Mom & Dad

Happy Valentine’s Day, Kristin Wieland. Wishing the sweetest, happiest day to our favorite girl. Lots of love today and always.

Sofia Bass, You are simply MARVELOUS! Madre, Padre, & Hermano

Happy Valentine’s Day, Jillian Koenig! With love, Mom, Dad and Ali

Emma Graser, my favorite Valentine! I love you more! Love Mom

A huge shout-out to Emma Phipps! Enjoy every remaining minute of your senior year. Love, Mom & Dad

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY to the best trumpet player in our family! We love you! Love, Mom, Sean and Rich

Perry Girls, Happy Valentine’s Day! So proud of you both, keep up the hard work. You will always be our Valentines.

We love you so much -- to the moon and back.We are incredibly proud of you too! Your fav month! Mom and Dad and Hayden too!

Happy Valentine’s Day, SGA! I sing the praises of Devyn, Youbin, Gina, Chris & Grant! Thank you so much for your efforts!

Love, Mrs. Radbill

February 2022

GLOBAL COMMENTARY EASTSIDE

Page 9

Pandora Papers expose world leaders and the extremely wealthy ■ By Asher Boiskin (‘24)

Eastside Global Commentary Editor

The Guardian, BBC Panorama and The Washington Post, which were given selective access to the trove of information, began pouring through it just months ago. However, although not fully reviewed, the trove’s contents has already adversely affected a shocking portion of the hundreds of billionaires and politicians accredited with making the world spin. Household name celebrities, royal family members and government officials have found themselves facing public heat, legal battles and election difficulties. Named the “Pandora Papers,” this trove, which sparked reportedly the largest investigation in journalism history, exposes the financial wrongdoings of more than 300 public government officials from all across the globe, among thousands of others.

Numbering over 10 million, the leaked files within the papers contain the documents of wealthy individuals, families and groups who created offshore structures and trusts in tax havens. They show how bil-

lionaires and millionaires utilize shell companies to hold luxury items and incognito bank accounts, as well as priceless art and antiquities. Whether it’s a yacht, a painting by Picasso or murals

by Banksy, this powerful group of people is keeping it off shore, in an effort to hide their wealth and pay as little tax as possible. While sounding like something internet conspiracists would fabricate, in attempts to get views, the papers have been thoroughly researched by various organizations and publications, such as the International Consortium of Investigative Journalism and the New York Times.

Moreover, months of investigative work has, thus far, exposed the shady business deals of Jordan’s ruler, King Abdullah II, Azerbaijan’s ruling Aliyev family, former Czech Republic Prime Minister, Andrej Babi, Cyprus’s President, Nicos Anastasiades, Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and even major donors of the Conservative Party like Borris Johnson, the Prime Minis-

ter of the United Kingdom blongs, among others.

To put into perspective, offshore accounts are used by the filthy

sure to information that has been outrageously censored by their dictator, Kim Jong Un, and his regime in recent years. Flash Drives For Freedom urges donors to download movies, books, articles, podcasts and YouTube videos onto the drives donated to show North Koreans the real America that has been so falsely painted by their current government.

North Korea’s censorship is ranked the most extreme in the world and, according to the Human Rights Watch, the nation “bans independent media, civil society, and trade unions, and systematically denies basic rights, including freedom of expression, assembly, association, and religion” to its citizens. Therefore, Flash Drives for Freedom’s Goals can be life changing and eye opening to the North Korean population. Flash Drives for Freedom brings North Koreans one step closer to the rest of the world, where little censorship exists.

The non-profit has so far reached 1.1 million North Koreans and donated more than 100,000 drives with the help of people who believe in this important cause. People donate because North Korea narrows

down what people can and cannot know, which ultimately leaves its citizens in the dark about their surroundings. Along with travel restrictions, gruesome labor laws and outright crimes against humanity by their government, censorship elevates the degree to which North Koreans are secluded and oppressed.

The right to entertainment and education sources are blocked off with seemingly no change in the future. This greatly differs from the luxury in which Americans enjoy any access to almost all information and content. However, is some form of censorship crucial at times, especially

rich and the best tax evaders who want to privatize their earnings and financial activities. According to The Guardian, “wealthy individuals and companies [can use them, simply by] stashing their assets offshore to avoid paying” the taxes of their respective nations. In turn, governments lose billions of dollars in tax-payer money each year and the rich are not held accountable for their activities.

However, it’s not just governments that face the devastating effects of this parallel financial universe.

According to The Washington Post, offshore banking also “worsens wealth disparities, and shields the riches of those who cheat and steal from impeding authorities and victims looking to recover hidden assets.” Furthermore, offshore accounts have a huge role in drug trafficking and other crimes, such as arms trading, because they enable criminals to keep their business private. Luckily, the Pandora Papers reveal much of the wealthy’s shady dealings, and with over 150 news organiza-

tions in 117 countries and territories actively working to reveal even more, it’s no doubt some of them will be brought to justice.

Still, in many nations, it is not illegal to stash money offshore. The uber-rich who want to continue to amass more wealth, hide their money and hurt the lower classes are able to do so without strong legislation preventing them. That’s exactly why the United States, and governments around the world, need to work together to resolve the issue. By creating a committee of research and correspondence, the nations of the world can identify those who are hiding billions of dollars and create proposals to prevent them from doing so.

After all, one does not need offshore banking to become wealthy. For example, Jeff Bezos, the owner of Amazon, Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, and Warren Buffet, one of the most successful investors in history, are not mentioned in the Papers.

Shakira, on the other hand, is.

when a nation’s peace or safety could be disrupted?

The First Amendment of the United States deems all forms of direct government censorship unconstitutional in order to protect its citizens’ right to freedom of speech and expression. The internet, to a degree, is “nonetheless regulated,” according to Stanford, because of several laws that fight to suppress online child pornography and regulate what content children in schools can access. Such laws include the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 2000 and the Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2000.

Furthermore, large corporations also filter what is shown to the

tent. The United States military also censors important security data from the public. This type of censorship benefits United States citizens and keeps people safe, while still making online information accessible.

Censorship in the extreme can be dangerous and allows for dictators and their government to control every aspect of people’s daily lives. In the United States, there are amendments and rights that prohibit the suppression of words and media to the public. This sets America apart from North Korea and other countries that censor information and the media to protect the images they set out. Overall, some form of censoring is needed and crucial to ensure the safety of citizens, especially minors.

Art by Joachim Schwartz (‘22)/ Eastside Staff

A campaign inspires people to combat censorship in North Korea ■ By Batul El Barouki (‘23)

Eastside Global Commentary Editor

Censorship is the blocking of certain internet platforms, books, radio, movies and online entertainment that are deemed offensive to a government or leading power. Some people argue that censorship can be positively used to control what gets put out in the media.

However, in most cases, leaders use censorship to impose political and moral values onto their respective civilian population. So, when does censorship cross the line and why is it important?

Flash Drives for Freedom, a nonprofit organization, works to smuggle USB flash drives containing censored information into North Korea, a country which bans many sources of media and content. Anyone can donate a drive to Flash Drives for Freedom, which will allow the organization to upload content and utilizes a black market system in North Korea to distribute it. The organization reaches thousands of North Koreans, because they can access the drives using a legal device that downloads USB content. This provides North Koreans with expo-

To the loves of my life!

Mike and Maddy I am so proud of you both!

Heidi Kwak (‘24)/ Eastside Photo Director

public. Microsoft and Google are prime examples, because they each censor certain websites and con-

Page 10

EASTSIDE

February 2022

As students navigate their schedules at Cherry Hill East and find their interests, they take courses that stimulate their thoughts and help them form opinions beyond the classroom.

Now, more than ever, social studies courses are at the forefront of curiosity. Students want to know about the foundations and progress of civic responsibility, desiring to participate actively in their nation.

Students’ fascination with voting rights and political campaigns has risen. They crave to understand the foundations of our complex societies and interactions.

History curriculums have pushed students to be “do”ers, as they desire to progress their own communi-

■ By Aiden Rood (‘23) Eastside Features Editor

Math, science, languages — all of these classes are focused on what students can do. “Can you solve equations? Can you perform experiments? Can you write essays and have conversations?”

But history is different. In a history class, education focuses not on what we can do, but rather on who we are. For students, should parts of their history ever be omitted or mistaught, their most fundamental understandings of the world

may be hindered. From backlash against the 1619 Project to the opposition faced by educators trying to incorporate LGBTQ+ issues into their teaching, a more representative and accurate history curriculum has long faced political resistance.

While recent additions of required courses have constituted progress, ultimately, continuously adding individual course requirements to address gaps in the larger curriculum would not prove sustainable.

Instead, the full curriculum must be assessed to find ways in which diverse perspectives can be better included. For

■ By Crystal Yeh (‘23) Eastside Staff

If we had to choose between learning about the planting patterns of the farmers in Mesopotamia or the gruesome murders of thousands of Japanese people in internment camps, surely we would choose the latter.

However, we learn about Mesopotamia in sixth grade while the Japanese Internment Camps are omitted completely. The Cherry Hill District mandates all students from the Class of 2025 and beyond to take an African American Studies elective in high school in order to graduate. Tal Zayden (‘25), who is currently taking this course, said that she has so far learned “geography and culture about Western African civilizations and Eastern African civilizations talking about the culture and what they believed in.”

This year, on September 18, Governor Murphy signed Bill A6100, co-sponsored by assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt. This legislation requires the “instruction on the history and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in an appropriate place in the curriculum of students in grades kindergarten through 12” to “portray the cultural and economic diversity of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.” AAPI inclusion in the curriculum will also cover both cultural aspects of Asia, geography, events like the Japanese Internment Camps and the Chinese Exclusion Act, and movements like the Stop AntiAsian Hate movement.

Prejudice is a preconceived opinion not based on reason or actual experience. These prejudices grow in our minds as early

■ By Scout Pullano (‘22) Eastside Sports Editor

Access to varying levels of Government and Politics classes is needed now, especially.

Expanded access to information regarding the functions of our government, political history and landmark events is important, regardless of the course level. Recent events discussed in the course like voting rights issues, the BLM movement and the January 6th insurrection give students current and relevant information on how to respond to government and political disappointment.

Initially proposed by Ms. Christine Mason, it was shortly thereafter rejected, as administrators of CHPS were not sure if enough students would take it. The requirement of U.S. history is expected and necessary, but the parameters of U.S History I and U.S. His-

tory II are too minimal to go into the in-depth conversations that allow students to engage and truly understand civic demonstrations.

Although they may think they understand, receiving an unbiased perspective from a teacher allows them to learn more than they would ever learn on their own.

Mason said, “Showing the proper way of protest demonstrations and using that as a way to change government if it’s not reacting to us, is such a valuable thing for students to know.

Ultimately, the knowledge and awareness gained from this course give students the knowledge of how to initiate change the right way.

February 2022

ties while continuously studying the science of societal change.

Within East social studies courses, history is remembered and recited, portrayed in quality and forethought. As media and international connection increases, social studies flies into the spotlight. Nearly all classes and departments at East portray the efforts of a historical and social lense. The thing about history is that it doesn’t have to be a monumental event that inspires others to create change.

History is found in everyday life as the present starts to chip away and we move into the future. As the future narrows, however, history broadens and begins to form – in Congress, in nations around the world

example, could some of middle schools’ intense focus on ancient civilizations be redirected to address more recent cultural histories? Or, could United States history be taught through a lens that focuses more on the diverse groups making up our country?

These, and many others, are questions worth considering. In the years to come, Cherry Hill Public Schools’ administrators must be sure to follow through on the next steps that are needed: deeper looks into how we can make the CHPS history curriculum better for every student.

as elementary school and middle school. From then on, it takes an open-mind to reteach ourselves.

Therefore, creating a more welcoming environment in Cherry Hill and beyond begins with our youth.

Though a first grader would not be able to fully grasp the obstacles that Asian Americans have faced in US history as much as an eigth grader, we can teach them about the diversity of culture throughout elementary school. Heavier topics can then be introduced and taught more in-depth in middle school.

If middle schoolers can use derogatory and offensive terms, then they can also learn the hatred behind it through their social studies class.

OPINIONS

EASTSIDE

Page 11

and in the East school building. As the future leaders and pioneers, East students continue to explore their passions, beginning within their local society.

Luckily, through East’s booming social studies department, ranging from AP Psychology to Macroeconomics, students can fulfill their personal inquisitions.

Attached, members of Eastside staff discuss their personal desires for growth in the humanities. They aspire to initiate discussion on their personal opinions for the progression of our district’s education all the way to our nation’s.

“We need to treat race not as a gate that divides us. We need to treat race as an invitation to learn and appreciate the new cultures and the rich history.”

- Crystal Yeh (‘23) “I will fight for expanded access to a civics course because without an A level option, [this] automatically shuts kids out that are intimidated by the rigor of an AP course in high school.”

- Ms. Mason, AP Government & Politics Teacher

■ By Emily Boyle (‘23) Eastside Opinions Editor

Often, it is difficult to view social norms through an objective lens.

Each individual is conditioned from birth, which desensitizes them to otherwise obvious societal ills.

Consider this: imagine an alien, coming down from outer space, and listening in on a typical American History course. Knowing nothing of our species, they would probably assume Earth consisted largely of men, with perhaps a minute population being female (if one such populat i o n e x isted

at all).

But of course, this isn’t true.

Women make up half of the global population--so why does it feel like they are but mere footnotes in most history curriculums? The common answer is widespread misogyny.

Women have been excluded from participating in businesses, governments, wars and additional largescale events; this is why they are hardly mentioned in class-- they simply rarely come up.

However, this mindset examines history through an extremely rigid, masculine perspective. Just because women were often excluded by men doesn’t mean they ceased to exist.

The history of womankind is just as relevant and just as important as that of their male counterparts. Rather than focusing on the timeline men

■ By Max Gaffin (‘22) Eastside Editor-in-Chief

At the center of each nation is its government.

Whether made up as a Democratic Republic, a parliamentary democracy, a totalitarian regime or an institutional monarchy, the government is responsible for the decision making, law making and oversight of all domestic and international affairs.

As well as AP United States Government and Politics – an East social studies course that dives deep into the makeup of the Constitution and the US government – the establishment of an AP Comparative Govern-

Art by Julia Shin (‘23)/ For Eastside

have constructed, with the occasional feminine footnote, history ought to be examined like a double-sided page.

Figures like Sybil Ludington, Rosalind Franklin and Laura Searing represent just a handful of powerful women erased from the current narrative. This principle can and should be applied across all types of identities, including but not limited to race, sexual orientation and religion.

Seeing as how women make up such a large percentage of the population, and come from diverse backgrounds which include the additional categories listed above, the inclusion of women seems like a clear starting point. That is, the inclusion of all women, no matter where they’re from, who they are and what they believe in.

ment Science Class, or even a more Political Science course, is necessary.

This new class would not only circle government in the United States, but also provide an in-depth understanding and analysis of the government in nations around the world, looking at the successes and failures of world history.

Though East already has an AP World History course, a Political Science class would cover the moregovernmental side of world history and focus on politics in nations around the world.

Core to growing international tensions in the Middle East, South Asia, Russia, South America and nearly all over the world are the governments that oversee

these nations and make these decisions that impact world growth.

A political science course would lead to a boom in East students who would wish to pursue international affairs and studies in their future, as well as a greater appreciation of world culture and current events.

Comparing the United States government to the makeup of other countries is beneficial to civic responsibility and engagement, allowing American citizens, foremost East students, to question and criticize their country. This class could be gauged through student feedback.

Comparing and contrasting is the foundation to thought and oversight.

Layout by Max Gaffin (‘22)/

Eastside Editor-in-Chief and Ziv Amsili (‘22)/ Eastside Opinions Editor

EDITORIAL

Page 12

EASTSIDE

February 2022

Editorials represent the views and opinions of the Eastside Editorial Board.

Eastside applauds reaction to coverage in January issue

*In order to fully comprehend the topics addressed in this editorial, Eastside recommends you read our January 2022 middle two pages discussing the environment at Cherry Hill East* One in four students do not feel that Cherry Hill East is a welcoming environment — you’ve heard that statistic before. Out of a survey of 357 East students, data was collected and composed into our January pages. The general rule of thumb for surveys requires around 10% of the total population’s responses in order to be considered valid. With nearly 2,100 East students, 210 students would have reached these guidelines. Contrary to some students’ distrust in relation to the statistics included in our editorial, the rule of thumb verifies these percentages are considered valid.

However, in a more positive light, the two center pages of our January issue (known as the doubletruck) have been the cornerstone of discussions in some classrooms. Eastside acknowledges that various teachers at East have opted to incorporate the findings of our article into their lesson plans. To the teachers who have chosen to converse about this topic in their classes, we thank you for continuing this vital conversation.

To name a few, Ms. Burgess, Ms. Pitt and Mrs. Shine have stimulated these discussions within their classrooms. Select teachers including Mrs. Adams and Señora Eis-

ter have chosen to gauge their own students’ feelings about being welcomed at East via surveys and homework assignments. Señora Alpizar initiated graded classwide discussions regarding the Eastside pages, and Ms. LaSure had her class paraphrase the article, which was followed by inspirational discourse.

Even East English teachers such as Mr. Blum plan to issue a class essay spanning the topics examined in the two pages.

Furthermore, the East administration has addressed the article during teacher-in service meetings and has used the data as a way to try to bring about positive change. East faculty have been reminded of the school’s anti-bullying policies and have been encouraged to take a stand against discrimination of any form within the East building. Through observed actions thus far, Eastside believes the East community is starting to make positive strides to improve the “Not So Welcome” environment at East.

Similarly, we encourage parents to resume this discussion with their children at home. Developing teenagers are the byproducts of their environment.

Fostering a more positive environment at East could certainly be improved; however, deep-rooted bi-

ases form through one’s personal experiences and environments. Eastside’s article was never intended to blame administration or teachers for discrimination at Cherry Hill East.

Instead, it served to remind those in the community that these issues are very real and recent problems ongoing in our place of learning.

In efforts to address the topics within our pages, Dr. Perry and the rest of the East administration have opted to hold educational lessons each day five and six for four schedule rotations. Each cycle, these slideshows will be presented in a different core class: English, math, science and history. These presentations span the topics of microaggression, self advocacy, advocating for others and how the East community can support you. Eastside recognizes all East faculty members for making these adjustments to better our school as a whole.

Admittedly, the response to our January pages did not only lead to positive and proactive means of change.

Amongst these efforts for a more harmonious community, some students have continued to make racist, homophobic, anti-semitic and transphobic remarks disguised as “jokes.”

In general, there have been more prejudicial com-

ments made directed at the LGBTQ+ community.

While the article as a whole aimed to raise awareness to all types of discrimination at East, Eastside has observed different reactions to the different sections of the article. Broken up into subcategories, our artic le responded to homophobia, transphobia and gender identity discrimination, sexism and racism and anti-semintism.

One speculation for these results could be that students feel it is more socially acceptable, for example, to make homophobic jokes than it is to make a racist joke.

With the Black Lives Matter Movement taking the world by storm in 2020, people were held accountable for their comments aiming to discriminate against an entire racial group.

We encourage students to be reminded that it is intolerable to favor any “type” of person over another, whether African American, Caucasian, Indian, Asian, Middle Eastern, gay, lesbian, bisexual, non-binary, Jewish, Muslim, female, male or anything outside of this list.

Let’s all work together to continue to make small strides in the right direction, aiming for East to be a welcoming environment for anyone willing to learn.

Eastside Founded 1967 Mailing Address: Cherry Hill HS East 1750 Kresson Rd. Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 Phone: (856) 424-2222 ext. 2087 E-mail: To contact an editor, use firstname. lastname@ eastside-online. org, such as ellie. noh@eastsideonline.org Publisher: School Paper Express (Wappinger Falls, NY)

Eastside 2021-2022 Editorial Board Managing Editor: Jessica Levin Editors-in-Chief: Jacy Dickstein, Max Gaffin, Lalitha Viswanathan Online Editors-in-Chief: Alexa Atlas, Nicole Vital, Angelina Witting Adviser: Mr. Greg Gagliardi News Editors Tharunika Govindasamy Jiwoo Lee Bella Levin

Community Editors Jillian Koenig Lily Lazarus Ellie Noh

Features Editors Gia Gupta Aiden Rood Alena Zhang

Culture Editors Jamie Bookbinder Ziva Davis Katherine Li

Opinions Editors Ziv Amsili Emily Boyle

Sports Editors Amanda Merovitz Scout Pullano Abby Yu

Global Commentary Editors Batul El Barouki Lauren Winslow Art Directors Marcus Newman Melissa Vital

Photo Editors Heidi Kwak Yena Son

Online News Editor Vivian Rong Online Features Editor Julia Boehning Online Opinions Editor Brielle Lampf Online Global Commentary Editor Asher Boiskin

Business Managers Spencer DeAbreu Alex Levine

Online Community Editor Julia Rosten Online Culture Editor Inesa Linker Online Sports Editor Shayna Oppen Online STEM Editor Sophia Liu Media Editors Natalie Finkelstein Karina Gupta

Administrative Assistant Lauren Greenberg

Editorial Assistants Ella Goodstadt Izzy Sobel

February 2022

COMICS EASTSIDE

Page 13

A Change in Scenery by Abby Yu (‘23)/ Eastside Sports Editor

Love at First Sting by Lily Lazarus (‘22)/ Eastside Community Editor

OPINIONS

Page 14

EASTSIDE

February 2022

School lunches have not improved since recent changes ■ By Daniel Ovadia (‘25)

Eastside Staff

School lunches have taken a major shift recently. They have become free, and the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are substantially affecting them. Last year, in April, the U.S. Department of Agriculture stated that they would provide free meals in the 2021-2022 school year. This, combined with staff shortages and supply issues, has created the new changes to the school lunches evident today. Students are split on whether these new factors have had a significant impact on the current school lunch situation.

One student, Max Rifkin (‘25), said, “The food isn’t good and [the fact that it’s] free doesn’t change that.”

This brings up the question of whether taste has improved or gotten worse.

Overall, it is evident that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a more profound impact on the taste of the food.

The shortages have made it harder for the food to be fresher and stored in the best conditions, w h i c h h a s b e e n t h e

source of students’ problems with the lunches. A few common examples of this are overly cooked fries, less than ideal milk, and soggy bread on the chicken

times be good, but that does not matter if it is difficult to eat in the first place.

Another change that the new lunches have brought is a decrease in the vari-

ing to an increase in food insecurity, measures to protect children from hunger are necessary. This data shows that making school lunches free has been ben-

Yena Son (‘22)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Every day, lines extend across the entire cafeteria for the new free lunches. sandwiches. While on the surface this is a storage issue, the lunches being free could be having an impact on the lunch’s taste by making the quality of the food go down slightly.

As with most things, feelings about school lunches are not necessarily all negative.

“I like the flavor of the spice, but I don’t like the bread and the chicken because they are sometimes hard to eat,” said Shawn Smith (‘25).

T h e taste of the food can some-

ety of the food available to students. For students who like a variety of lunch options, this new change has been less positive.

On further analysis of the issues, it seems the main issue regarding lunches is the effect of the pandemic rather than the lunches being free. The benefits of the USDA making lunches free far outweigh the small difference this could make.

Food insecurity is a major problem in the United States, even among teenagers and children.

According to Feeding America, “The USDA [has estimated that] 12 million children in the United States are food insecure.”

With the pandemic lead-

eficial to Cherry Hill and the country at large. It is important to consider as a school community if we prefer slightly better-tasting food, or hungry classmates.

The true issue in all of this is the way Aramark, the company that oversees the Cherry Hill School District’s food, handles and stores its food. However, they are against major supply chain issues.

According to the White House, “these shortages [caused by the pandemic] and supply-chain disruptions are significant and widespread.”

While it has gotten better as some pandemic restrictions have been lifted, it still remains a problem.

The final issue that some have with school lunches is the general unhealthiness of the food. The general consensus from most students is that lunches are not great for nutrition.

As one student said, “[I] could go to McDonald’s and get healthier food because at least they have some nutrients in them.”

Obviously this is hyperbole, but it provides insight on the feelings regarding East lunches. Hot dogs and chicken sandwiches with fries every day certainly can not be good for student health. There are some healthier options, but there are not nearly enough.

Overall, school lunches have changed slightly due to the pandemic – and not for the better. However, with many factors influencing this change, East is slowly seeing more variety and quality in school lunches; hopefully this trend will continue.

Yena Son (‘22)/ Eastside Photo Editor

The process for dropping classes and levels must be made easier ■ By Emily Boyle (‘23) Opinions Editor

Many students last year, eager to return to school, eyed the available course list with excitement. Dozens of possible classes awaited their selection.

With increased confidence due to the nature of online learning, many students bit off more than they could chew. However, the processes of lightening their course load proved faulty.

It’s important for students to have an ample amount of time to drop classes, and the process by which they do so should be made easier.

Currently, in order to adjust their schedules, students must first reach out to their guidance counselor.

They are then given a document for their teacher and guidance counselor to sign.

Due to communication issues, this simple process is made difficult.

Often enough, this causes the process of dropping classes to be more challenging than staying in the classes themselves.

This, of course, has drastic consequences on student well-being. Many relunctantly choose to stay en-

rolled in the class they wish to drop due to unnecessary obstacles.

Whether it be guidance counselors not responding to student emails as fast as students want, or teachers not signing the correct documents, there always seems to be a roadblock.

After her first exam in AP US History II, for example, Eva Shim (‘23) decided dropping the course was the best decision for her. She reached out to her guidance counselor and was given a document t o have

signed by her teacher.

Her teacher told her she must first get it signed by her guidance counselor. She went back to her guidance counselor, who then reiterated that it must be signed

by her teacher first. She went back to her teacher, who again told her to get it signed by her guidance counselor first.

“It was a lot of unnecessary back and forth work, and it was a lot of work for my guidance counselor too,” said Shim.

In total, Shim had to visit guidance four times in order to drop just one class.

This effort and stress could easily be alleviated if minor changes are implemented.

To adapt to these numerous issues, the deadline to drop classes ought to be extended, in order to minimize anxiety on students navigating this often complicated process. Realistically, any schedule changing process isn’t going to be effortless. However, by extending the deadline, students will feel more comfortable un-

dergoing the process.

Additionally, teachers must be updated on scheduling procedures, and communication between teachers and guidance counselors should not be student responsibility alone.

Especially this year, having ample time to adjust one’s schedule proved uniquely important. The rigor of classes online is simply not the same as in-person.

Sophomores, juniors and even seniors may not have been prepared for this inevitable adjustment, and needed to lighten their course load.

The process to drop classes should acknowledge these new circumstances. Some students, and even some teachers, view dropping classes as a form of giving up. However, this attitude is inaccurate. Dropping classes is a necessary tool students need to succeed academically and mentally.

Therefore, the process by which to drop should not disincentive students from utilizing schedule changes.

While students are encouraged to embrace challenges, this tool should be as accessible as possible to promote student welfare.

Art by Gabrielle Hart (‘22))/ Eastside Staff

February 2022

CULTURE EASTSIDE

Page 15

Issues arise with casting adults in teen roles ■ By Jamie Bookbinder (‘22)

Eastside Culture Editor

Shows like “Riverdale,” “Euphoria” and “Pretty Little Liars” and movies such as Mean Girls, Spider-man and High School Musical have gotten us all hooked. Some people fall in love with the teenage characters, often placed in a high school setting, but most of them would be surprised to learn that the vast majority of the actors and actresses playing these high school students are themselves in their mid to late twenties or even thirties.

For example, “Riverdale”’s Jughead, a high school sophomore, played by Cole Sprouse when he was 26. Same with Tobey Maguire, who was 25 when he played Peter Parker. Rachel McAdams, who played Regina George in Mean Girls, was likewise in her mid twenties, although the rest of the cast was younger. The actress who played Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Shirley Henderson, was 37. Glee additionally features actors almost all past the typical college age. This pattern is not new. In the 1970s movie Grease, John Travolta was 24 and Olivia Newton-John was 29. Both played high school seniors. Another character from that movie, Rizzo, was played by Stockard Channing, who was 34 at the time.

The process of selecting actors to play particular roles in productions is very deliberate. Before casting ,directors hold auditions, thoroughly read the script and write descriptions of the characters, which include age range, appearance and back story. The casting director meets with the director and producers

ing director can analyze performance, on-screen chemistry between actors and other factors. Although the casting director gathers the actors and makes recommendations, ultimately it is the director and producers who decide which actors get the

the way of an acting career.

Directors may not wish to cast teenagers because if they are still going through puberty, any changes in body or voice would be difficult to conceal in the p r o d u c t i o n . Another practical reason to have older actors i s that they are

to discuss the vision as well as the budget for the actors. The casting director then sends the descriptions to talent agencies or posts them online. He or she then reviews audition videos and headshots.

The casting director may call back certain actors multiple times to make sure that they are right for the part. Screen tests are often done so that the cast-

parts.

But why falsely represent characters’ ages? This phenomenon of casting adults in teenage roles is due to several factors, some of them of a practical nature. Child labor laws set limits on how many hours a day an individual who has not reached adulthood can work. Additionally, minors have to complete their schooling, which can get in

audience members. If the production centers around high school, it may be necessary to get all actors and actresses who are around the same age so that the older actors do not stand out.

While there are compelling reasons to use older actors, there are also downsides. Some psychologists find that using adults to play characters that are supposed to be in high school can lead teenagers to think poorly of their own bodies. The adult actors have clear complexions, well-developed muscles and voices that are no longer changing. Certainly, they are not accurate depictions of high school students.

Occasionally, there are exceptions to the use of adults playing teenage roles. In High School Musical, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens were both age 18 playing 17-year-olds.

In the movie Lady Bird, Saoirse Ronan, who was 25 at the Marcus Newman (‘22)/ Eastside Art Director time, allowed slightly less expensive to her own blemishes to show. insure. If an acting role Although these examples requires a lot of physical demonstrate that some prowork, this may be an imducers and directors are portant factor. looking for more accurate One critical advantage portrayals of the characters that older actors have is in their productions, this is that their participation not the norm. in sexual scenes does not Teenage audience memraise ethical concerns. bers should always keep in Older actors may also mind that the depictions of have a larger demographic their favorite television or appeal because they appeal movie characters may be to both younger and older unrealistic.

about her skirt and the poor girl can’t tell.

At least you’re nice to your two friends, though.

Actually, never mind.

In reality, this is the bullying that most often portrays itself in major comedic films. Clearly, comedic films don’t even come close to what “bullying” actually

is in high school, unless sixth grade girls pretend to be Regina George. Exaggerated dialect and explicit cyber or verbal bullying used in films is meant for comedic purposes, where the bully ultimately gets punished at the end.

Today, peer pressure doesn’t even feel like what

teachers and parents warned you about. Things are often extremely subtle, and bullying comes in a variety of forms. Whether it be cyber, verbal or physical, bullies must calculate their actions to create a tense atmosphere between themselves and their victim which would serve as

Bullying portrayed in movies is not accurate to real life ■ By Ziv Amsili (‘22)

Eastside Opinions Editor

When people say the word “bullying”, a few different things may come to mind.

Scenario 1: You get approached by a stereotypical jock whose mother does everything for him except pack his lunch. That’s why he needs your lunch money. You get slammed into the nearest locker and the extras (other students) just walk by casually to their next class. They’re not posting this on Snapchat, don’t worry. You stare frantically at the floor, until he forces you to make eye contact with him. Oh yeah, and his posse that usually consists of two guys who just repeat what he says laugh in the background. You hope they forget about their math homework. Because who’s going to have to do it? Well, you already know the rest.

You avoid them for the rest of the day.

Scenario 2: You’re a rich blonde girl who keeps a scrapbook in her room of people who don’t know about it. You have their secrets. The new girl from Africa wants your ex-boyfriend, and sometimes you make snarky comments

Lydia Cheng (‘23)/ Eastside Staff

a predisposition to this behavior.

Bullying may ensue after someone has subtly violated someone for extended periods of time, which became progressively worse and later exposed itself in the form of cyber, sexual physical, prejudicial or verbal bullying.

Also, though bullying may arise as early as in childhood, because young kids just felt that they can do it without ever being stopped, it may also be because they feel inadequate and unheard at home, or jealous. This is often portrayed in films like The Breakfast Club, but in most films, the underlying struggle that bullies deal with at home is not fully showcased on screen.

Furthermore, in films, though victims may seem completely helpless, in reality, the student may see a physical fight between two people in the hallway, or report the cyberbullying to parents and/or guidance counselors. Discrepancies between bullying in real life and the movies can be large, so next time you watch Back to the Future, know bullying doesn’t always look like Biff Tannen and George McFly.

CULTURE

Page 16

EASTSIDE

February 2022

Social media continues to greatly influence adolescents’ health ■ By Lauren Greenberg (‘24)

Eastside Administrative Assisstant

COVID-19 has drastically affected and interrupted the lives of individuals.

Fortunately, in an era of technology, schools have become remote or hybrid at some point or another over the last two years. That being said, along with the typical use of technology, teenagers’ lives have become inundated with social media and technology across the board.

Throughout the hallways at East, you may only see the tops of students’ heads as they stare down at their phone. Yet even outside of school, cell phones and social media have become a crucial part of society.

Whether it is to connect with friends on Snapchat, post travel pictures on Instagram, or watch funny videos on TikTok, our lives are consumed by notifications by popular social media apps.

Though social media can be entertaining, it may negatively impact teenagers’ sleep, distract them or expose them to cyberbullying, unrealistic expectations and more.

According to the Mayo Clinic, one of the world’s leading hospitals, 97% of 13-to-17-year-olds use a social media platform, resulting in 45% of adolescents online almost constantly.

The public health crisis of social media needs quick attention. A study conduct-

ed by Mayo Clinic states more than 6,500 12-to-15year-olds in the U.S. who spend more than three hours a day using social media are at a heightened risk for mental health diagnoses.

Adolescents are at a greater risk for mental health problems, with addi-

tive factors such as school, stress and, of course, social media, which can result in heightened mental health concerns.

Lizzy Mueller (‘24) said that she spends seven and a half hours a day on her phone.

In addition to recognizing that it is not the most optimal for her time-wise, she finds that “social media can be a toxic place for individuals with the readiness to compare themselves to others, view the ‘perfect’ lifestyle and overall be con-

sumed” by the nature of social media. But although it has its negative attributes, social media does allow her to “communicate and connect with her friends,” she said.

Through the use of apps such as Tiktok, Instagram and Snapchat, adolescents are compelled to compare themselves to others, gain misinformation and reflect badly on their own lives.

Seeing others together on the app can leave someone feeling left out more than ever before. Other studies demonstrate there are key links showing the use of social media in high levels of anxiety or depression.

Social media can cause people to feel insecure by fear of missing out and make them wish they had the unrealistic lifestyles of models or influencers, which adds on to the already poor mental health many young people have. Eating disorders, which are often fueled by competition, can be triggered through the popular “what I eat in a day” videos all over the TikTok “For You Page.”

When addressing the negative effects of social media, it is important to continue to raise awareness about the risks of social media, stay informed about mental health resources available on the apps and maintain communication with others.

Art by Lauren Greenberg (‘24)/ Eastside Administrative Assistant

Source: AACAP

Infographic by Lauren Greenberg (‘24)/ Eastside Administrative Assistant

Hallmark movies fail to offer enough diversity in today’s culture ■ By Katherine Li (‘23)

Eastside Culture Editor

From October 22 to Christmas of this year, Hallmark planned 41 original Christmas movies in total.

Hallmark has been mass producing Christmas movies for years, and the company is in dire need of originality.

Since 2000, Hallmark has pumped out more than 250 original Christmasthemed movies.

Many people enjoy the kind of cheesy holiday fluff Hallmark provides in their annual “Countdown to Christmas,” which has been around since 2009.

In 2019, Hallmark garnered a total of 50 million unique viewers. Hallmark fans themselves concede that these movies are made up of the same unrealistic and predictable plots, characters—and even actors, as Hallmark is known for featuring the same actors and actresses every year (including Lacey Chabert, who has starred in 27 Hallmark movies, and Candace Cameron Bure, who has starred in 29. Both Chabert and Bure are in the 2021 setlist).

While these movies all follow the standard Hallmark formula and the company clearly values quantity over quality, these

weaknesses are exactly what makes these films so loveable to many. These ideal, romantic worlds provide the viewer a break from the troubles of life.

But it’s also not an unpopular opinion that these movies need more representation. Hallmark traditionally goes for more conservative white and Christian content.

Out of all the Christmas Hallmark movies released this holiday, only 11 out of 41 (26.8%) included at least one lead actor who is a person of color: 10 (24%) feature Black leads and 2 (4.8%) include Asian leads.

That’s an improvement from 2020, when only 4 out

of 23 (17%) Christmas movies featured Black actors in the lead roles, but the majority of these movies are still white-dominated.

LGBTQ+ Hallmark movies, on the other hand, only started coming out in 2020 with The Christmas House. Even then, the film featured two other main— straight—couples.

Hallmark only started producing Hanukkah movies in 2019.

The number of Hanukkah films made by Hallmark can be counted on one hand, and incredibly, all three are about Hanukkah and Christmas and feature some kind of clash or struggle between the two

religions.

This year, there was only one Hanukkah movie set: Eight Gifts of Hanukkah, which seemed to avoid this criticized trope. Other December religions like Kwanzaa and Ōmisoka are also a blind spot for Hallmark.

Despite the level of cheer and spirit the Hallmark movies add to the holidays, there is clearly a lot of room for improvement. If Hallmark wants to live up to its claim of holding diversity as a “top priority,” as said

by Crown Media’s former executive Vice President for Programming Michelle Vicary, it must move beyond these baby steps.

February 2022

CULTURE EASTSIDE

Page 17

Big Time Rush band reunites after eight years

Lalitha Viswanathan (‘22)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief

(From left to right) Henderson, Maslow and PenaVega perform their song “No Idea.”

■ By Lalitha Viswanathan (‘22) Eastside Editor-in-Chief

Uh uh oh-oh-oh. You know what that means: Big Time Rush is back!

The Nickelodeon TV show band went on hiatus in 2013 in hopes of pursuing individual endeavors. The band, consisting of Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Carlos PenaVega and Logan Henderson, was an instant success in 2009 when the show premiered.

During the early 2010s, the band’s success was overshadowed by new boy bands, such as One Direction and the Wanted.

The four band members continued to individually pursue their own music careers, with each member hinting at a Big Time Rush reunion.

In June 2020, Schmidt,

Maslow, PenaVega and Henderson recorded an a capella version of their hit song, “Worldwide,” from their first studio album entitled BTR. The date was July 19, 2021, when the band announced their reunion, with two shows scheduled for December 2021.

The first show was in Chicago on December 15, and the second show was in New York City on December 18.

The release of tickets was quickly met with Ticketmaster reselling the tickets at insanely high prices, deterring many fans from purchasing tickets. Soon after the tickets were sold, VIP tickets were sold, allowing fans to meet the band and participate in a Q&A. On December 1, Big

Time Rush announced that they were releasing a new single entitled “Call It Like I See It” on December 13.

Also scheduled for December 13 was a spontaneous Jingle Ball appearance… in Philadelphia!

The band attracted hundreds of Big Time Rush fans–also known as Rushers–to attend the concert.

At the Q102 Jingle Ball, fans screamed and cried for the first performance of Big Time Rush in eight years.

The week of December 13 was simply crazy for Big Time Rush, with the Q102 Jingle Ball, the Chicago performance, a performance at Atlanta’s Power 96.1 Jingle Ball, a pop-up shop in New York City and the big performance in New York City at Hammerstein Ballroom.

Despite the four band

members being vaccinated, the traveling inevitably led to Schmidt contracting COVID-19. He tested positive on the morning of December 18 and stayed isolated from Maslow, PenaVega and Henderson to ensure the New York concert could still happen.

Concert attendees with VIP access learned of Schmidt having COVID-19 only after entering the venue. Fans were furious, many leaving after learning of his being sick. VIP ticket holders were waiting outside for more than two hours, and those in general admission had to wait for four hours or more.

Spokespeople for Big Time Rush were ready to offer people full refunds if they felt unsafe due to a band member having COVID-19. During the meet-

and-greet, the band members remained masked and took extra precaution.

After an introduction from Stephen Kramer Glickman, better known as Gustavo from the show, Big Time Rush came on stage and made thousands of Rushers form literal tears.

They opened with their hit song, “Windows Down,” ready to get the party started. Maslow, PenaVega and Henderson wowed the fans with their coordinated dance moves and perfect harmonies.

The band performed fan favorites such as “Music Sounds Better” and “Nothing Even Matters.” Maslow announced that they plan on releasing an album in 2022, with songs “Call It Like I See It” and “Not Giving You Up” being on the lineup.

Right after, Henderson hinted at a huge comeback tour, leaving fans excited for the future of this band.

The band used a lot of old traditions from their early 2010s concert, perhaps the most exciting being during “Worldwide,” where they call up girls from the audience and sing the song in acoustics.

The concert highlighted a wide range of songs, from “No Idea” to “Confetti Falling.” During the latter, the band released confetti and ran off stage. The band is known for their encores, eventually coming back on stage and playing “Big Time Rush” and “Boyfriend.”

The impact of Big Time Rush on the revival of boy bands is immense.

They are credited with restarting the trend of teenage boy bands in the early 2010s. Rushers who grew up with classic songs are reliving their childhood memories and making it big time.

Concerts come to the area in upcoming months ■ By Nicole Vital (‘22)

Eastside Online Editor-in-Chief

Although pandemic circumstances prevent live concerts from returning to 100% normalcy, 2022 offers many opportunities to attend concerts at theaters, clubs and stadiums for an enjoyable night. In the upcoming months, instead of solely listening to your music on Spotify or Apple Music, consider seeing your artists of choice at local venues for an unforgettable and exciting experience nearby.

Located in Philadelphia, the Wells Fargo Center presents artists such as Billie Eilish, who has been making a break in the media with her album Happier Than Ever. On her World Tour of 2022, Billie Eilish performed on February 3. With Megan Thee Stallion and special guests Caroline Polachek and Lolo Zouai, Dua Lipa performed on February 13 at the Wells Fargo Center.

Dua Lipa’s most popular album to date, Future Nostalgia, consisting of songs such as “Levitating,” will be performed on her North American Future Nostal-

Lalitha Viswanathan (‘22)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief

The 2000s pop band Black Eyed Peas perform at the Q102 Jingle Ball held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. They opened with their song “Pump It.” gia Tour of 2022. Along with this talent throughout February, John Mayer performed on February 18, making a stop at the Wells Fargo Center on his ‘Sob Rock’ Tour.

Also, don’t forget to save the date for March 6 because Tyler, The Creator will perform with Kali Uchis, Vince Staples and Teezo Touchdown on his Call Me if You Get Lost Tour.

Puerto-Rican rapper Bad Bunny will take the stage

on March 16 while on his El Último Tour Del Mundo tour, which translates to English of The Last Tour of the World from Spanish.

In addition to the Wells Fargo center, the Met Philadelphia, with a capacity of 3,500 seats, presented performing artists such as American rapper Dababy on January 13 as part of his Live Show Killa tour followed by the R&B/soul singing group Boyz II Men with their romantic hits

like “End of the Road” on February 12. Also, this venue offers events like standup comedy from George Lopez on March 12. For the rest of the year, ensure that artists such as singer/songwriter Lorde, pop star Olivia Rodrigo with her new album, Sour!, and Alicia Keys of her ALICIA World Tour are on your radar.

While there are frequent updates about tours, events and live shows, fans will still be confident that they

will have another opportunity to see the performers live and in person if they miss their show this year.

They might think, “we will definitely catch the next concert as soon as they announce they are coming to Philadelphia.”

However, if they wish to catch an Elton John performance in close proximity to them, July 15 is their last chance. Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour will be his final tour and last ever stop in Philadelphia, which will be performed at Citizens Bank Park. This final tour was originally planned as a three-year journey when he made two stops in Philadelphia in 2018. However, the pandemic and his hip injury caused an unavoidable halt. He plans to continue his tour until 2023 during which he will tour Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

In hope that the pandemic does not devastate these upcoming concerts, fans are encouraged to wear their masks and receive all necessary doses of the COVID-19 vaccines before attending any highly populated venue.

SPECIAL

Page 18

EASTSIDE

February 2022

Senior ice skating honors memory of Ravi Bloom ■ By Amanda Merovitz (‘22)

Eastside Sports Editor

On Monday, January 31, Cherry Hill East seniors gathered at Winterfest Ice Rink at the Cooper River to ice skate in memory of their late classmate, Ravi Bloom (‘22).

All profits went toward a scholarship in Bloom’s name. Not only was this a fun way to gather the senior class together, but it was also an amazing way to represent their peer, classmate and friend.

With hot chocolate, fire pits, skating, music and

more, the seniors were able to hold a memorable night, centered around one of Bloom’s biggest passions: ice skating.

Bloom was a member of the Cherry Hill East Varsity Ice Hockey Team and always brought bright energy and light with him wher-

ever he went. The nature of Bloom’s passing was tragic and sudden, as it occurred due to injuries from a car accident.

The community as a whole is focusing on Bloom’s life rather than his passing.

Bloom was such a positive light to so many people and

had a great impact on everyone he met. On April 5, 2021, countless people lost a valued teammate, a peer, a family member, a loved one and a friend.

The senior class was honored to represent Bloom in such a positive and fun way.

Yena Son (‘22)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Kristina Battsogt (‘22), Ashley Lin (‘22) and Rachel Gates (‘22)

Scout Pullano (‘22)/ Eastside Sports Editor

Emma Phipps (‘22), Lily Parker (‘22) and Anna Camisa (‘22).

Scout Pullano (‘22)/ Eastside Sports Editor

Family Friend David Tribble (‘23), and brothers of Ravi, Lee (‘23) and Carey Bloom (‘26)

Scout Pullano (‘22)/ Eastside Sports Editor Nicole Vital (‘22), Nidhin Busannagari (‘22), Ananya Khedkar (‘22), Brillian Fu (‘22), Vivan Zhao (‘22), Kelvin Yuan (‘22), Aryan Pradhan (‘22) and Darren Zhou (‘22)

Scout Pullano (‘22)/ Eastside Sports Editor

Alec Hayden (‘22), Brendan McGovern (‘22), Daniel Arougheti (‘22), Alex DelaTorre (‘22) and Julia Coen (‘22)

Scout Pullano (‘22)/ Eastside Sports Editor

Noah Raskas (‘22) and Nate Wolf (‘22)

Scout Pullano (‘22)/ Eastside Sports Editor

Victoria Radinski (‘22) and Gabbie Hart (‘22)

Yena Son (‘22)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Elliana Tonghini (‘22), Sarah Teng (‘22), Darren Zhou (‘22) and Nicole Vital (‘22)

Yena Son (‘22)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Olivia Greco (‘22), Gia Rebstock (‘22) and Monique Godofsky (‘22)

February 2022

SPORTS EASTSIDE

Page 19

East swimmers endure training outside of the pool ■ By Abby Yu (‘23)

Eastside Sports Editor

To get better at your craft, you have to be willing to put your time and energy into improving. In the world of sports, to get better and achieve personal goals, preparation and conditioning are a crucial part of an athlete’s success.

East senior swimmers, Anthony Ferraro (‘22) and Sarah Teng (‘22), credit their strength in the pool to not only the endless hours practicing in the water, but also to their precise focus on strengthening specific muscles out of the pool.

Since swimming is one of the few sports that only takes place underwater, it is often forgotten that there is more to swimming than just practicing different strokes and perfecting breathing methods in the pool. The strength behind every stroke and kick for each event requires dedication to the intense practice and preparation that happens on dry land.

“Whether it be lifting or stretching, dryland is whatever you do outside of the pool to prepare for being the best that you can be for the water,” said Ferraro.

Teng and Ferraro are

each one of three team captains on each of the boys’ and girls’ swim teams who have both been swimming for around a decade (Teng, 8-9 years; Ferraro, 14 years).

Although they both swim for East in the winter, you can find Teng swimming for SJAC and Ferraro swimming for MLY Phoenix all throughout the year to prepare.

With so much experience and knowledge, these two know how important dryland is in order to be a successful swimmer.

Before high school, Ferraro would have never thought he would have a spot on a collegiate swim roster. However, he was able to finally reach the next level as a swimmer when he started to focus on strengthening his body out-

side of his water to gain the necessary speed and agility during races.

As a swimmer, Ferraro is used to swimming every

day. He practices Monday through Friday two hours each day and also two hours on the weekend. Although all this time practicing in the pool is very important, focusing on preparing each muscle outside of the pool is equally as important.

Since Ferraro’s coach does not put as great an emphasis on dryland, Ferraro makes sure to strengthen the necessary muscles on his own by lifting at least three times a week.

Similar ly, Teng also has a very demanding schedule.

She practices Monday through Friday for two hours, but adds Jacy Dickstein (‘22)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief on another

two hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays by practicing before school. On the weekends, Teng is in the water for two and a half hours. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Teng dedicates an hour to dryland after practice. Lucky for Teng, SJAC brings in a dryland coach who comes to their Tuesday practice every week.

“We typically do core work and dunks with medicine balls, triceps work, pushups, squats and squat jumps,” said Teng.

Throughout their four years of hard work to succeed on East’s swim teams, Teng and Ferraro have achieved their personal records. Teng completed a 100 backstroke in 1:01.36 and Ferraro’s best event, 100 freestyle, was completed in 50.1.

Looking back on their time swimming for East and great achievements over the past years, both athletes feel that dryland played a major role in helping them achieve their personal records.

With all of their hard work in and out of the pool paying off, they look forward to finishing the rest of the season strong with another state championship title.

one else and pushing each truly developed their love Boys’ Swim Team. Being other more to go faster,” for swimming at the start able to feel a team aspect of said Short. the sport, Swimming they both takes up a found their lot of their passion free time as for swimthey continuming and ally train to trained to be the best become athletes they athletes at can be. Both a college have a rigorlevel. ous practice Starting schedule, December training anyof their juwhere benior year, tween 12-18 Pezzella hours a week. really de“Swimcided to ming takes try to find up so much the right and you have college for to make sachim.

He rifices that focused on you don’t finding an want to academic make, but at school that the end of the he could day it is all swim at. worth it beAfter visitcause it gets ing a variyou to where ety of colyou want to leges, he Courtesy of Nick Pezzella (‘22) go to college narrowed and teaches Nick Pezzella (‘22) and Nick Short (‘22) always support it down you life les- each other’s performances at their swim meets. to Cornell sons,” said University, Pezzella. of freshman year when they New York University, BosBoth agreed that they joined the Cherry Hill East ton College, and ultimately

decided on Georgetown, as he loved the school and the environment that he saw with the team.

Short also focused on the same route of finding a good education first and then looking at bigger schools that he would be able to swim at. Short was looking into Penn State University, Louisiana State University, University of South Carolina and Florida State University, but ultimately decided on the University of Pittsburgh.

“In the end it was the coaching staff and environment at Pitt that I found myself liking the most,” said Short.

Although this will be the first time that Pezzella and Short will not be swimming together, they have high expectations that they will remain close, as they are best friends in and out of the pool.

Next year Pezzella and Short look forward to a fresh start and a new environment. Swimming at the collegiate level, they both look forward to the team aspect at their respective schools and are looking forward to the new challenges that swimming will bring.

aware of what exactly this class has to offer and what this class involves. Sports Medicine is a semester course that took off during virtual learning, which of course was a difficult adjustment, but Lewis made it work and kept her students engaged even through the screen.

Lewis is the only teacher for this class, teaching two classes per semester with around 120 students for each year. Prior to her days

Medicine students interested in attending.

Students are given the opportunity to shadow East’s athletic trainer, Mr. Scott Hatch. During their time shadowing, students get to follow him around, observing how he aids athletes during their seasons.

This class is a chance for anyone interested in sports, medicine or health, or all three, to learn more about the topics and potentially turn them into a career.

Two best friends commit to two different Division One schools ■ By Jessica Levin (‘22)

Eastside Managing Editor

Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke and Butterfly.

Cherry Hill East’s Boys’ Swim Team has two commits to D1 collegiate level swimming schools. Nick Pezzella (‘22) was recruited to Georgetown University and Nick Short (‘22) was recruited to the University of Pittsburgh.

Best friends Pezzella and Short have both been swimming for many years now. Pezzella started with his club team when he was eleven years old, and Short started at age twelve. They have swum for seven years together, and they grew up swimming at South Jersey Aquatic Club (SJAC) and joined East’s swim team their freshman year.

Swimming in the same events, Pezzella and Short were always seen as competitors in the pool and continued to motivate each other to be better swimmers. Both of the boys competitively swim the 100m and 200m breaststroke race as well as compete in individual medley races.

“In practice, it is about training harder than every-

New sports medicine elective is offered to East upperclassmen ■ By Lily Lazarus (‘22)

Eastside Community Editor

In the fall of 2020 a new science course became an additional option only available to junior and senior students: Sports Medicine, a class taught by Dr. Kathy Lewis, to educate students on an interesting and important aspect of athletic injuries and remedies.

Considering this is a new addition to the course list, not many students are

as a teacher, Lewis was actually a chiropractor for ten years, making her a very reliable source as she is able to provide information from her own experiences.

In terms of the class specifically, students learn about nutritional facts, the life of athletes, certain muscles and injuries, including concussions.

Aside from videos, students are also able to both physically and visually learn using models within

the classroom to grasp a better understanding of human anatomy. Also, Lewis invites various guest speakers to discuss their jobs as doctors and physical therapists, among others, in order for the students to gain a better understanding of the job first hand.

Not only does Lewis prepare informative lesson plans for her students, but she also recently organized a field trip to a Flyers game offered to all of the Sports

SPORTS

February 2022

EASTSIDE

Page 20

East Boys’ Basketball ranks top 20 in state ■ By Lalitha Viswanathan (‘22)

Eastside Editor-in-Chief

The Cherry Hill East Boys’ Basketball team has moved into the top 20 in the state. This huge achievement goes hand in hand with their amazing season thus far. On February 22, 2022, their record was the best in the Olympic Conference, at 24-1. With this record, they clearly asserted their dominance in their conference and division.

Their points for and points against are higher than all of the other teams in the Olympic Conference.

Star player Drew Greene (‘22) said, “To be top 20 in the state is great. It’s an amazing feeling and it’s very deserving because of how hard we have worked.

We have gone through a lot

of stuff together as a team, and we have stuck together through it all, so by being top 20 in the state it gives us a lot of excitement.”

The Cougars’ only loss was against Lenape High School during a matchup on December 23, 2021.

As reported by Maxpreps, on January 31, 2022, the East Boys’ Basketball team was ranked #18 in the entire state of New Jersey. These ratings take into account the strength of the teams played and the strength of the schedule.

A month later, the team is now ranked #15.

This season’s highlights thus far include defeating West on the morning of New Year’s Eve in the finale of the annual Ginny Whittaker Classic and a huge 77-53 win over East-

Lucas Tang (‘23)/ Eastside Staff

EJ Matthews-Spratley (‘22) looks across the court as East advances towards the net.

ern. In comparison to previous seasons, their winning percentage is much higher.

EJ Matthews-Spratley (‘22), a starter and huge asset to the team, said, “I think this year’s team is different because we have people that are willing to do whatever it takes to win.”

After a game on February 1 against Lenape (number four in the state at that time), the Cougars saw themselves moving up in points.

In the New Lucas Tang (‘23)/ Eastside Staff Jersey Division The boys’ basketball team huddles during the game against Lenape.

Group IV standThey maintain their in the state. After victories ings, they were place in the top 20 in New against Eastern, Northern ranked at number two, only Jersey, and they are enjoyBurlington and a nail-bitfalling behind Morristown ing every minute of it. ing 37-36 win over Shawand being ahead of Lenape “To be ranked top 20 in nee, the boys advanced to by two ranks. Their record the state is a huge accomin the top ten with a 20-1 became a stellar 16-1 folplishment, but it really record as of February 11. lowing this game. doesn’t mean anything if They are also ranked “We beat them at their you don’t show up every number one in New Jerplace when no one thought night, ‘’ said Matthewssey Group IV Division, we could do it except for us.

Spratley. an incredible accomplishWe always talk about how The hard work that the ment for the boys. They no one believes in us but boys have put in illustrates continue their win streak, us,” said Greene. their passion for the game and they have established A highlight of the Leand collective teamwork. themselves as one of the nape game was Greene’s An even larger accombest high school basketball essential four-point play in plishment has been the teams in the state of New the last 16 seconds of the boys moving into the top ten Jersey. game.

The East versus West basketball rivalry continues ■ By Adam Borenstein (‘23)

Eastside Staff

The East versus West basketball rivalry has always been one of the best rivalries in South Jersey.

Both teams are always determined to win each game to capture bragging rights over the other. The rivalry is not only a big deal to the players, but also throughout the whole community, as it is always a highly attended game. The event also gives students an opportunity to show off school pride and invites alumni to come back and cheer on their alma mater.

“When I think of the rivalry in basketball, I think both teams want to win that game more than the others,” Mr. Mike Beirao,

the Cherry Hill School District Athletic Director, said.

“Both schools want to beat the other school, and after the game everyone is friends again.”

Over the past 10 seasons, the Cougars have dominated the series with an 11-5 record. Two of the matchups were playoff games in the 2014-2015 and 20152016 season in which the Cougars knocked out the Lions in both games.

One of the most memorable games in recent history came in the 2019-2020 season when East defeated West 50-48 in front of a sold-out crowd at the DiBart Gym. Drew Greene (‘22) and his brother Ryan Greene (‘20) shined with 16 points each while Jake Green

Yena Son (‘22)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Deon Sanders (‘22) waits to get the rebound.

(‘22) chipped in with threepointers. At the end of the season, both schools went to their respective championship games, which made that matchup even more special looking back.

“Both of those teams played at a high level and with an intensity that was difficult to match,” Beirao said. “That year was a fun ride for me personally watching both teams get to the finals and have so much success.”

This year’s matchup displayed the same level of intensity as in years past, with the Cougars gutting out a 53-47 win in overtime.

East trailed by seven points at halftime but found a way to turn things around in the fourth quarter to force overtime.

Greene once again starred with a team high of seventeen points and eight steals while Ian Gross (‘23) hit two clutch threes in overtime to seal the game for the Cougars.

“It is always great to beat West,” Greene said.

“We obviously have a lot of respect for them, but we want to win more than anything. It becomes more of a pride thing at that game because it is a battle between our town. It is always fun to play against West, and I am definitely going to miss that rivalry when I am in college.”

Despite the intense rivalry, the two teams are friendly with each other off the court. After the game in the 2019-2020 season, the

teams had dinner together despite playing against each other just 10 minutes before.

When they are on the court, the teams may not like each other, but they certainly have a high level of respect for each other off the court. Living in the same community gives both teams a sense of friendship with one another, regardless of the competition.

“Most of the students on both teams have played together on recreational teams, middle school teams

or club teams in one sport or another,” Beirao said.

“That familiarity always brings an extra level of competitiveness to the game.”

The Cougars and the Lions squared off again on February 22 at Cherry Hill West. The Cougars had not won at West since the 20172018 season, which gave give them extra motivation going into the game.

The Cougars emerged with a big win, 55-29, led

by EJ Matthews-Spratley (‘22)’s 19 points. East is now 24-1 as a result.

Yena Son (‘22)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Drew Greene (‘22) goes up for the layup to score.