www.eastside-online.org
Vol. 50 No. 8
Cherry Hill High School East: 1750 Kresson Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
May 2017
East Groups Win Big
Stay Tuned places fourth internationally in the ICHSA Finals rector of Stay Tuned. Lockart said that in its six years of existence, Stay Tuned always placed secOn Friday, April 21, for ond, in the shadow of its rithe first time in East hisval, Highlands Voices from tory, East A Cappella voAllendale, New Jersey, cal group Stay of Northern Highlands Tuned adRegional High School. vanced to the Yet, this year Stay Final Round Tuned achieved a mileof the Internastone by eradicating its tional Champititle of “Stay Second.” onship of High Stay Tuned members School A Capexpress pride in their pella (ICHSA). accomplishment. After win“Being a senior in high ning the 2017 school, I’ve auditioned Mid-Atlantic for Stay Tuned for three Region ICHSA times and made it for Semi-final— the first time this year. one of the most We are now looked to competitive across the nation, which regions in the is pretty cool,” said Jake ICHSA comRopka (’17). petition—Stay For the finals in New Courtesy of East Music Boosters Tuned competed at the Town Stay Tuned performs at the ICHSA Finals York, Lockart chose a romantic story to tell Hall Theatre in Competition in April. through the songs, New York City “In the Air Tonight,” for the ICHSA Finals, and groups in the nation,” said “Greedy,” “Say you Love ultimately placed fourth Mrs. Heather Lockart, East Me” and “Freedom.” overall in the International vocal music teacher and diSarah Craig (‘18), Cedric Competition. ■ By Brooke Greenberg (‘17)
Eastside Opinions Editor
“There were 160 A Cappella groups in the nation, then it narrowed down to quarter and semi-finals, and then from there, it narrowed down to the top nine
RIS students advance to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
■ By Asher Maitin (‘17)
Courtesy of East Music Boosters
Stay Tuned sings one of four combined songs. Middleton (‘17) and Ashley Cooper (‘17) had the prominent solos throughout the pieces. Stay Tuned’s 12minute set featured choreography by Allison Shapiro (’17). “Among the nation, we
East Robotics teams beat previous records at world competition
■ By Jared Fisch (‘18)
Eastside Entertainment Editor
The Research in Science (RIS) course at East allows students to design projects and compete in regional, national and international competitions. Two East students, Saurabh Shah (‘19) and Jake Brooks (‘20), won frst place at this year’s Delaware Valley Science Fair from April 4 to April 5 in Oaks, Pennsylvania, Courtesy of Aileen Constans for a team project and The Research in Science course allows have advanced to the Intel International Science students to conduct unique research. and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles, which will take place from May 14 to May 19. Shah and Brooks worked all year to develop a device that is placed in a shoe that can alert others when elderly have fallen over. The duo had to perform laboratory tests and conduct surveys while working on the project. The two went to the University of Pennsylvania to talk to professors and sit in on courses in order to enhance the quality of their project. “Out of over nine-hundred students at Delaware Valley, only 13 advance,” said RIS teacher Mrs. Aileen Constans. “[Saurabh and Jake’s] project is really good. They worked on it together and had a lot of initiative.” Constans also included that the students worked on their project mostly outside of class and that no one from East has attended the Intel fair since 2004. This year, all 38 RIS students, as well as one additional East student who was not a part of the Research in Science class, participated in the annual Coriell Science Fair, which took place on March 18 at Camden County College. Eighteen students advanced past the first round and then participated in the Delaware Valley Science Fair.
Inside This Issue
Butko uses her art as a cathartic medium News/Features, Pg. 2
are the fourth best group, competing against all of these private performing arts high schools... it is a true testament to how hard these kids work and how talented they truly are,” said Lockart.
Eastside Underground Editor
East sent three robotics teams to Louisville, Kentucky, on April 19 for the Vex Robotics World Championship. The three groups put on a show at the Kentucky Expo Center, performing better than any East team to ever compete at the World Competition. Team 2616 D, comprised of Sammy Breslau (‘17), Humzah Durrani (‘19), Dimitrios Courtesy of John Fifis Fifis (‘19), Yianni Fifis The Vex Robotics Teams pose with their robots (‘20), Ethan Nahom at the 2017 World Competition. (‘19), Emma Roth (‘18) and Sean Roth (‘20), placed 15 out of 94 in the “Engineering” division with a record of 7-3. Team 2616 G, a team full of seniors including Keith Babitz (‘17), Kevin Babitz (‘17), Zach Dilks (‘17), Huy Vo (‘17) and Jessie Wu (‘17), placed 10 out of 94 in the “Arts” division with a record of 8-2, the best of any East team. The group earned the title of “Alliance Captain” and went on to compete in the divisional playoffs but was outmatched in the quarterfinals. Team 2616 H, managed by David Kell (‘17), Jake Brooks (‘20), Salmon Fakhri (‘17), Eric Kim (‘17) and Elizabeth Qian (‘17), placed 22 out of 94 in the “Math” division with a record of 7-3. Advancing to its divisional playoffs, 2616 H was struck down prematurely in the semifinals. Mr. Joesph Dilks, the Cherry Hill East Robotics advisor, won the Vex Teacher of the Year Award, and was inducted into the STEM Hall of Fame, the first from New Jersey to have been bestowed the honor. The Robotics Club continues to be one of the most successful organizations at Cherry Hill East and will look to maintain its reign of accomplishment for the foreseeable future.
The rise of the hipster meets the fall of the hippie Special, Pgs. 10 & 11
Siblings of Stars: Making a name for themselves Underground, Pg. 14
NEWS/FEATURES
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EASTSIDE
Butko’s pursuit of art: A story of self-expression ■ By Ashley Cooper (‘17) Eastside Editor -In-Chief
She sits in AP Art Studio contemplatively thinking. Of life. Of the past. Of her various creations. She turns her head slightly, distracted briefly from her pensive state and intrigued by the variation in color and design used in her new art piece. The art represents her home in Russia, a symbolic expression of the life she formerly lived. She smiles to herself, reminiscing about the past while thinking about the future in America. “She” is Daria Butko (‘17), an aspiring animator and passionate East Art Student. Butko’s primary encounter with art began in elementary school. At one moment, Butko’s entire perspective and priorities were revolutionized. “I was in fifth grade and I was pissed off because our art class was canceled. I was drawing a dog during my assembly because I didn’t want to pay attention. And some seventh grade boy noticed my drawing and said ‘hey, that’s pretty cool,’” said Butko. “So I thought I must be pretty good, why not pursue this further, learn more.” Yet, sadly Butko was not fully able to follow her pursuit immediately. “There’s no specific art classes in Russia,” said Butko, “so you can’t really draw during school.” But this lack of art activities did not prevent Butko entirely from pursuing what she loved. At home, she would draw, completely
unabashed and determined “When I first came here I ty—it is a necessity, a way to portray her truest self. didn’t know much language, of life. Art is a near primal “Everyone was freaked and art was how I found my need for Butko, as she feels out because I used dark first friends,” said Butko. compelled to find a means colors. Children are supProgressively, Butko has to effectively convey her posed to be ‘happy’ but my become enthralled with the emotions sans words. paintings were black and art culture at East, having “This is the way I exblue,” said Butko. “I wasn’t taken many art classes and press myself, I have trouble depressed but I just wanted now one of the select few in putting words together, to paint. I just feel that I the AP Art Studio class. especially with English,” am myself when I am drawOver the years, Butko’s said Butko, “and I always ing.” ability of artistic expression wanted to be able to draw While Butko was busy has morphed into someanything that I see in my painting and drawing, her thing both metaphorical head.” mother and father were and symbolic. She has come Art is further a cathartic planning platform for Butko. to leave Whether she is feeltheir home ing lonely, reminiscountry of cent, joyful, angry Russia in or perturbed, Butko hopes of a rest assured that better life all will inevitably in Ameribe fine once she is ca. For ten able to finesse an years they art piece. saved up She said, “Whenfor the voyever I feel someage across thing really strong continents, I just draw it, drawand by the ing it as color and time Butko shapes. I let my reached her emotions go.” sophomore Living in Ameriyear of high ca has given Butko Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor the means to exschool, they were pre- Butko views her artwork as a cathartic means for press her truest pared for her to fully express her emotions. self, and for that the move. she is eternally When immigrating, Butto discover that portrait grateful. ko made sure to bring along drawing is her favorite form “I enjoy life here even her childhood art pieces. of artistic expression, as more than Russia,” said In essence, Butko’s purest she greatly enjoys the idioButko. “This is like my form of artistic self expressyncrasies that exist within dream, coming here so I can sion was secured. But sadthe human condition. draw more.” ly, Butko could not say the She said, “I enjoy all the Now, Butko looks back same for her verbal self-exart forms, but I like drawat her black-and-blue childpression. When immigrating a real person the most. hood work, and she is able ing to America, Daria faced People are different, you to frequently reflect on the the challenged of undertakwon’t find the same with past. She said, “I can see in ing an entirely new form of even twins… they have difthese paintings where evcommunication—the Engferences. I also enjoy peoerything started.” lish language. For Butko ple’s emotions and I like the For Butko, there is no futhis was a daunting chalway people look.” ture without art. lenge. When first at East, To Butko, art has sur“This is what I want to she let her artwork primarpassed the status of merely do with my life,” said Butily do the talking for her. a hobby or enjoyable activiko. “Art is my everything.”
East plans to implement AP Capstone program next year ■ By Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17)
Eastside Editor-In-Chief
Starting in the fall of 2017, Cherry Hill East will be one of the first schools across the country to implement the AP Capstone program. Sponsored by College Board, the novel program contains a two-year curriculum structured around research, and will eventually replace the Research in Science course offered. According to College Board, only 650 high schools nationwide participate in Capstone, a statistic that will now include East. Currently, only 11 schools in New Jersey offer it. . “We are kind of at the infancy with [the Capstone Program],” said Mr. Jim Riordan, Director of Guidance for Cherry Hill East and West. The decision to introduce the AP Capstone program was initially proposed by Mrs. Marsha Pecker, East’s Director of Science and English, to Dr. Farrah Mahan, the Cherry Hill District Director of Curriculum. The district supervisor of science, Mr. Scott Goldthorp, and Riordan were also involved in the decision. During the first year of the program, students take the AP Seminar course, where they will learn how to do both individual and
team-based research, as “because of the individualfields such as World Lanwell as how to write and ized instruction required... guage, History, English or present their findings. You need that instructor’s Mathematics. Through the They may also determine guidance.” AP Capstone program, stutheir field of interest for reResearch in Science will dents of all interests have search. also be available for this the ability to conduct their The AP exam for the school year as well, so that own investigations. RiorSeminar course consists of students, especially sedan believes that students three short-answer and one niors, who would prefer to enrolled in the Capstone essay question. After sucdirectly engage in research program will be more comcessfully completing the AP have the ability to do so. petitive applicants for the Seminar, students can then After they have completed college admissions process. conduct their own research the AP Seminar course, “Colleges want you to be in the AP research class. students have the opporable to do research in any While area,” said Riordan. there is “Right now our Reno final search in Science proAP exam gram is really geared for this to doing research in course, science. Colleges...want students someone a little more are reuniversal.” quired After completing the to write two years of curricua 4,000 lum and earning threes to 5,000 or higher on each AP word paexam, students will reper, as ceive an AP Seminar well as Screenshot by Jenn Pacitti (‘17)/ Eastside News/Features Editor and Research Certifid e l i v e r College Board lays out its AP Capstone program. cate. If students earn an oral threes or higher on presenfour additional AP extation, that is graded by the tunity to enroll in the AP ams, they will be awarded teacher but ultimately valiResearch course during the the AP Capstone Diploma. dated by College Board. 2018-2019 school year. At While the teacher for According to Riordan, apthis point, Research in Sciboth of the classes is curproximately two sections, or ence will have been phased rently unknown, College classes, of students will be out of the curriculum. Board requires that he or enrolled in the AP Seminar Research in Science was she be sent to Washington, course for the 2017-2018 created approximately D.C. over the summer for school year. 15 years ago to prepare five days of training. “We want to keep the science-minded students “We didn’t think there numbers in and around the for research on the college was any downside to this mid-twenties for the Semilevel; however, the course program,” said Riordan. “It nar Program,” said Riordan, did not cater to research in was almost a no-brainer.”
The Boyling Point
May 2017
■ By Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17) Eastside Editor-In-Chief
I have been a science nerd for almost all of my life. I posed for my senior portrait with an Erlenmeyer flask. I spent last summer dissecting dogfish. I even have my own pristine dissection kit hidden in my room. I have not, however, been interested in politics for the majority of my seventeen years. In fact, I avoided it at all costs. I had no interest in policies that I felt would never affect me. I didn’t want to sit in front of the TV watching “boring” debates and speeches. My peers were the same way; nobody seemed to care much about our government. Until this year. This past Earth Day, I attended the March for Science in Philadelphia, a worldwide campaign devoted to a variety of causes including defending rights for scientific funding and raising awareness for climate change. Additionally, earlier this year, Ezra Nugiel and I organized an unofficial Women’s March demonstration at East. Dozens of students dressed in all pink gathered in the cafeteria, chanting “Women’s rights are human rights!” as the police officers and administrators looked on from the side. Throughout these endeavors, I wasn’t alone. Many East students have been demonstrating their political views at peaceful protests and rallies, something almost unheard of in previous elections. As distressing as the current political situation may feel to some, myself included, we must appreciate the incentive it has given our generation to take to the streets. Young adults are more interested in politics than ever before. Even on social media, an outlet we know extremely well, students can be found engaged in debates over social issues. On the drive to the March for Science, my grandmother turned around to me and excitedly said, “I feel like I’m back in the sixties!” Almost fifty years ago, my grandparents took to the streets to protest the Vietnam War. Now, the baby boomers are joining hands with the millennials to make a change. This coming fall, I will be attending the University of Pennsylvania, a decision that I am even more excited about due to the location. Undoubtedly, more marches will occur in Philly, and it will be easier than ever before for me to attend. Even college campuses in more isolated locations have held smaller demonstrations in support of these causes. I never thought I would say these words, but thank you, Trump. Thank you for lighting an unquenchable fire, a fire that just keeps burning brighter.
May 2017
NEWS/FEATURES 2017 Photo and Art Show: EASTSIDE
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Senior art students showcase their hard work from throughout the years ■ By Jenna Simons (‘17) Eastside News/Features Editor
Many families have common interests that tie them together. For Emma Wooten’s (‘17) family, that common interest is art. Wooten will be featured in the East Photo and Art on May 24, 2017. Wooten discovered her interest for art, mainly photography, after her sister, Allison Wooten (‘14), took a photography class at Cherry Hill East. Emma’s mom continued in her eldest daughter’s footsteps and signed up for a photography class with Mr. Bill Kovnat, East photography teacher. Once Emma entered East, taking a photography class was a no-brainer. “My whole family is
kind of art-oriented,” said Emma. Emma’s showcase will feature her work from her Advanced Photography class this year, as well as from her Introduction to Photography class last year. In addition, some of her work from outside of school will be displayed. Emma enjoys photographing landscapes and portraits. She finds that working with models is better than working with still objects, because she is able to set the photograph exactly how she envisions it. “I like using models because they’re interactive and you can better manipulate them,” said Emma. “You can do cool things with stills, but it’s better if you can manipulate your subject.”
Julia Henson
Liz Lee (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor
Henson looks through her art in the art room.
■ By Jenna Simons (‘17) Eastside News/Features Editor
Looking back at teachers from one’s past can spark many memories. Some teachers from elementary and middle school make lasting impressions on their students. This was the case for Adia Rumell (‘17), who was inspired to do art by her Bret Harte Elementary School teacher, Ms. Laine. “I had a really cool art teacher, not gonna lie... it was just a fun class because she kind of let us do whatever we want,” said Rumell. Rumell will also have her own showcase in the East Art and Photo Showcase. The showcase is a way for students, particularly
seniors, to show off their work and look at their fellow classmates’ work. “Being chosen to do a showcase is pretty cool because it’s just like a nice culmination of the past four years and all the work I’ve done,” said Rumell. Rumell has been taking art classes at East for the past four years. She took two art classes, Foundations of Art and Beginner 3-D, during her freshman year. Then, she added AP Studio, Introduction to Photography and Advanced Foundations of Art to her course list. Rummel took Advanced Foundations of Art three times, as students are able to retake the course and still receive credits. Rumell had some previous art knowledge, as
Emma’s showcase will contain a wide assortment of art, but mainly photographs. In photography class, students learn to take a wide variety of photos and edit them. Emma will incorporate film shots, digital, Photoshopped photos, surrealism, splash shots, flower photography and more in her showcase, she said. Prints of photos that she took on her iPhone will be incorporated into her Art Show display. “It means a lot [to be selected for a showcase] because I can show off my work and I feel really proud of that. I feel proud that people in our school are going to be able to see that and be like, ‘Oh, wow, Emma Wooten did that! That’s really cool,’” said Emma.
■ By Louis Zimmermann(‘18) Eastside News/Features Editor
Clowns. Dolls. Scary circuses. Nightmares. All of the listed topics would immediately provoke scary images and horror in most people; however, for Julia Henson (‘17), they are not only her passion, but also her drive for art. From the ruby red smirk of clowns and the cold stares of dolls, Henson finds beauty in her art. From a very young age, Henson began her art career with simple arts and crafts. Although her art may not have been what it is today, her love for art began at a young age. “I have loved art ever since I have been able to hold a crayon in my hand,” said Henson. “I have been drawing since preschool and kindergarten. I even still have art from that far back.” The horror enthusiast found her love in the creepy
Emma Wooten
Jenna Simons (‘17)/ Eastside News/Features Editor
Wooten displays her photographs in the photo room.
fictional world of clowns and dolls from two renowned artists: Michael Hussar and Mark Ryden. Hussar is a South Californian painter who is an expert in the topic of clowns, while Ryden is known as the godfather of pop surrealism who advances in painting anything that evokes mystery. “I think that my art style is kind of nightmarish. A lot of my art, especially this year, is creepy. I was inspired by clowns and dolls, which makes a lot of people uncomfortable, but it’s what I love and feel most confident doing and showcasing,” said Henson. Throughout all of Henson’s Cherry Hill East career, she has been involved in the Art Department to explore her artform and create new pieces. In addition to her extensive commitment to the Art Department, Henson is a member of Chansons and the Classics Club. “I think that the Art
Department at East is a very diverse and interesting group of people. A lot of the art students are going to art school, but a lot also aren’t,” said Henson. “I think that everyone is doing their own thing, but we are all creating art and expressing ourselves in the process.” At this year’s East Photo and Art Show, held on May 24, Henson will proudly exhibit her art to the East community. “The theme for my showcase will be some type of weird circus. A lot of my pieces are clowns and then I have one picture of my grandmother,” said Henson. “Basically, it is some type of weird circus that my grandmother attended.” Henson has decided to go to school for plant science, but hopes to continue art as a hobby. “I want to keep painting; hopefully one day I’ll be rich enough to oil paint every day.”
Adia Rumell
she had been taking classes since her interest sparked in elementary school. Rumell’s main forms of art are painting and using pastels, which come in a form similar to charcoal. She enjoys making portraits. However, her showcase will feature a wide array of art forms. While her showcase will highlight mostly portraits, there will also be an assortment of photographs and 3-D art. The East art show wraps up not only Rumell’s four years at East, but also brings her back through her entire childhood as she traces the roots of her passion. Rumell hopes to continue art in the future as Louis Zimmermann (‘18)/ Eastside News/Features Editor a hobby, with aims to take Rumell reflects on the hard work she put into her art. art classes for fun in her Art by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director free time.
COMMUNITY
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EASTSIDE
May 2017
Sauter brings battleground experience to yoga ■ By: Luke Hinrichs (‘17)
Eastside Editor-in-Chief
The thin walls provided little protection. Every noise pierced the loud silence of the night as F15s echoed overhead. In the distance, shelling broke the ground into pieces. Next door, a rank and a service number held the phone tightly against his
trict to district, base to base, tent to tent. As the only woman, she slept in separate locations from the main tents, which is how she heard the unforgettable phone call to the parents of a fallen soldier that kept her up throughout the night. Sleep was often elusive in Afghanistan. Dreams would be broken by the unforgettable sound of gun-
Courtesy of Mairead Sauter
Sauter stands in Jalalabad, Afghanistan with two of the Afghan Security guards providing force protection at the PRT in 2009. cheek. Each word was steady and controlled. His voice absent of fluctuation, emotions repressed. She could hear the phone delicately fall onto the wooden desk, his hands now supporting his hanging head. He had to be just a rank and a service number, his humanity suppressed to the deepest point of his conscious. That is how he must act and that is how many survived until they came home. “That day, a young marine had been killed by an IED. The Commander had to call the boy’s parents. I am not sure what training they receive to make these calls, but the call that he made was tearless and his words were evenly delivered. After the call, I could feel his pain as his head seemed to be resting in his hands, and I thought about what happens after these calls or after these troops get home,” said Mairead Sauter. At the age of 25, Sauter joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation shortly after graduating from Harvard. Ever since she read the Kay Scarpetta crime novels as a young girl, Sauter was driven to join the FBI. The FBI would be her launchpad into counter-terrorism analytics. By threading herself, zigging and zagging from one opportunity to the next, Sauter has knit herself an unfinished sweater made of experience. “When I graduated high school, I told my friends I may not make the most money, but I will have the best stories. I always had the ‘why not’ mentality. I wanted the experience more than the money.” Soon, being an FBI agent no longer felt like the right fit for Sauter, so she became a consultant. Through Edge Consulting, Sauter received an experience that forever changed her. After working with the Department of Defense for some time, in 2009, she took an opportunity with Edge Consulting to lead a group in Afghanistan to perform similar data analysis as was previously done in Iraq. “We were the first group from the company to head over so we had to do a lot of the ground work. We were looking at ways that we could use intelligence capabilities to support the population-centric side of counter-insurgency,” said Sauter. For seven months, Sauter travelled through Afghanistan from dis-
fire. Nights would be interrupted by directions to run to bunkers. Days would be filled with a constant halfsleep full of noise. Sauter said, “Afghanistan had a significant impact on my life. It made me curious about how these soldiers dealt with their experiences and the psychological impact. I know mothers and fathers who have lost their kids. I have copies of dog tags with me of a fallen soldier. And then there was this man on the other side of it all, having to call a mother and father to tell them that their son is not coming home. In retrospect, hearing that phone call definitely motivated me to become more educated on trauma and the Veterans Yoga Project.” After her second term in Afghanistan, Sauter came home with a new mission. Today, Sauter works for IBM as a Management Consultant from Tuesday through Thursday, and when she is not consulting, she is leading a yoga class or working with the Veterans Yoga Project. “Coming home from Afghanistan was a very difficult adjustment, but after I went to a yoga class, I came to a realization. Through the meditative breathing and moving, all the noise in my head became quiet. My hectic mind became peaceful. A lot of the yoga lessons for people with trauma focus on techniques that help regulate that noise, let emotions out, breathing and control of body and mind,” said Sauter. For many, even when the gunfire stops, the F15s are thousands of miles away and there is no need for bunkers; the noise persists. The noise and stress that lead to panic can be deafening. During an FBI training simulation, Sauter succumbed to the noise and found herself in paralysis. Sauter said, “I went in to a business with a search warrant thinking this is low risk. The owner was very confrontational, there was a woman hysterically yelling, and the situation quickly heated. The next thing I know, the business owner pulls a gun to the head of the woman. I froze. The yelling, the stress, and the noise got to me. Then, he turned the gun on me and shot me. This was just a simulation. Imagine every interaction of a cop or a soldier in which their stress level heightens and this noise surrounds them.” According to PTSD United,
in 2013, more than 8 percent of America or 24.4 million people have PTSD. It is always present in the darkness of memories. It is a physical embodiment of trauma that follows every step. Left. Every step could be a step closer to a recall. Left. Every step could turn the volume up on the noise. Right, Left. Except, yoga is a step towards an assertion of individuality and indepen Courtesy of Mairead Sauter dence from the pain and Sauter practices yoga in Arizona in 2016. trauma of the tion back,” said Sauter. past. Sauter is committed to using “It presents itself differently in yoga as a means to an end. everyone, but many I know and “Giving someone the opportunity have interacted with can feel the to experience yoga, that release and trauma in every action. Muscles relief, is magical to watch. I do not tense, breathing shortens, heart plan on stopping my work with yoga rate increases, and the traumatic anytime soon, and I hope if anyone memory begins to run before your has experienced trauma that they eyes over and over on repeat. The come and try yoga,” Sauter said. trauma disconnects you from your self and yoga can bring that connec-
COMMUNITY
May 2017
EASTSIDE
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Philly’s newest museum keeps the Revolution alive ■ By Sara Messinger (‘17)
Eastside Community Editor
As though Philadelphia did not have enough museums, the city recently welcomed the new Museum of the American Revolution on April 19, 2017. The museum gives visitors the full “revolutionary experience,” as the four permanent exhibitions explore the ideas, events and legacies of America’s revolutionary beginnings. The museum tells the story of the American Revolution through its exhibits, “Road to Independence,” “The Darkest Hour,” “A Revolutionary War” and “A New Nation.” The exhibits are filled with immersive galleries, engaging films and iconic collections of Revolutionary War artifacts. “I am most excited to see any new interpretation in regards to the American Revolution [and] any artifacts that they have that I haven’t seen before. I think just the newness of [the museum], like the new displays,” said Cherry Hill East history teacher Ms. Christine Mason. “So many times that we go into museums, they are very old-fashioned set-ups. With this brand-new museum opening up, I
would assume that the displays would be more high-tech.” The opening of the museum marked the two-hundred-and-fortysecond anniversary of the ‘shot heard round the world’ that ignited the Revolutionary War. The day began with a
ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution in Washington Square. From the early stirrings of unrest in Boston to the opening shots of the War of Independence, and from the
Declaration of Independence to the creation of the American Republic, the museum promises to take the visitors on a journey through history. As both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were adopted just blocks away from the museum, Philadelphia proves to be the perfect location for the museum. “I would suggest the students go to the museum to bring history alive. Reading it from text is so different from seeing it,” said East history teacher Mrs. Eunice Sung. The museum will be open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for on major holidays. In the summer, the museum will have extended hours from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Timed tickets are needed for entry to the museum. Tickets are available in 20-minute intervals and are good for two days. Members and children under 5 years old are free, youth pay $12, military and students pay $17 and adults pay $19. If visitors are interested in enhancing their visits, guided tours of the museum will begin in early May with reservations. Group visit prices are $10 for students and $12 for adults. Art by Samantha Dayton (‘19)/ Eastside Staff
Spring into the life of New Jersey livestock farmers ■ By Jenna Myers (‘17)
Eastside Managing Editor
Even though I primarily live in Cherry Hill, I spend an extensive amount of time at my mother’s farm in Central New Jersey. Every spring, that’s when I spend a lot of time doing tons of farm work. For us livestock farmers, the spring season starts pretty early. Around mid-January, sheep start having lambs. Once the first batch of lambs are born, a few lambs are born every other day until the end of March. Towards the end of the spring season, the lamb population is typically over 40. As of early March, we had about 32 lambs that will eventually be raised for meat, wool, other farms or petting zoos in the future. The lambs that aren’t sold by early October are kept for breeding or for wool. Along with lambs, our rabbits and horses have babies. The warmer it gets, the more animals are born. Typically near June, we have a lot of baby bunnies, horses, donkeys, chickens, goats, cows and llamas.
Usually in early fall, we buy a few hundred chicks so they’re able to lay eggs in the spring. Eggs are a popular product from our farm, so we need about 300 chickens to lay about 70 dozen eggs every two to three weeks. The eggs we have are mainly sold to farm visitors or are sent to farmer’s markets to be sold. When eggs are collected from the chicken coops, we put some aside to incubate. When it comes to incubating eggs, we need to make sure we have a lot of different eggs so we have more animals to sell throughout the year. Some of the animals we commonly incubate and hatch include chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and peacocks. We begin incubating eggs in early February and stop around late fall so we always have a surplus of animals to sell. When I’m not on the farm working, I’m moderating the farm for when visitors come. When it gets warmer, people start visiting the farm to buy eggs or look at animals more often, so it’s my duty to make sure everything runs smoothly. In a few years, the farm will have a separate area for a petting zoo so it will be a more official workplace. Ever since we’ve had the farm in
New Egypt, we’ve treated it like a petting zoo. With the amount of visitors and publicity we get, having a formal petting zoo is plausible. Usually in the late spring, people who want to have a petting zoo at a party or event would contact us. We would then transfer the animals and set up the pens to treat it like a mobile petting zoo. In regards to transporting animals to events, during the Christmas and Easter season, we’re the busiest. During Christmas, we need to travel to places all over New Jersey. For the past two Palm Sundays, we have brought animals to the Jenna Myers (‘17)/ Eastside Managing Editor Methodist church in HadThis Scottish Highland cow is one of the donfield. Besides all the livestock newest additions to the Myers farm. aspects of the farm, our the hay gets cut, baled and stored farm only grows one crop: hay. Evaway for the winter. ery spring, the farming equipment Even though preparing the farm comes out of hiding and the entire for the spring season is not quite field gets reseeded with hay seeds. as demanding as the preparation With the amount of rainfall we get, which goes into the winter season, we don’t need to commonly water there is still always a lot of work to the crop. By the time it gets to fall, be done.
adults and elders in its attempts to teach people how to protect the scarce resources of the environment. Not only does it teach people how to protect resources of the environment, but also how to create stability in economic advancements and increase the standards of food safety. The center used concepts of science to help citizens to improve communities and acclimate members of the community to the unstable conditions of society. Rutgers offers a variety of different programs that work hand in hand with the center to achieve goals such as Economic Growth and Agricultural Sustainability, Food Safety and Nutrition, Human and Community Development and Healthy Lifestyles. These programs revolve around science and better living environment for the population of New Jersey. In 1914, the Smith-Lever Act created a federal law that gave universities the abilities to create extensions in order to advise communities about topics regarding agricultural development and home economics.
On the one-hundredth anniversary of the Smith-Lever Act, Rutgers created the Cooperative Extension System. The center hosts various programs revolving around the environment and creating a healthier lifestyle throughout the year. Saturday, May 6, marked the Fourth Annual Green Garden Fair, hosted by the Camden County Office of Sustainability and the Camden County Board of Freeholders. The event ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with a full schedule with the day’s activities ranging from nature walks to nutrition, and cooking demonstrations available on the Camden County website. Flowers, herbs and tomatoes were readily purchased at the Annual Green Garden Fair. Activities were available for children and adults; at 11 a.m and 1 p.m., the host from WHYY’s show, “You Bet Your Garden,” Mike McGrath, held two shows regarding tomatoes and how to attract pollinators. This January, the Sustainable Cherry Hill’s Garden Task Force, an organization revolving around nature and improving the communi-
Camden environmental center promotes eco-awareness ■ By Nashita Ali (‘19)
Eastside Staff
The Earth is home to billions of living organisms, ranging from humans to zebras to microscopic bacteria. All living organisms have earned their place on this Earth, so it is crucial to maintain suitable conditions for the generations to come. It is the responsibility of members of society and towns, as well, to make substantial efforts into making the community a more suitable place to live. Citizens should be made aware of current environmental issues and how to make small changes in their everyday lifestyle that can positively impact the Earth. The Camden County Environmental Center, a Rutgers University Cooperative Center, is located at 1301 N. Park Blvd. in Cherry Hill. Its goal was to promote healthy ways of living and to further educate the community about the environment. The Camden County Environmental Center tends to the youth,
ty, held a “Food for Thought 3” fare at the Environmental Center. The goal of “Food for Thought 3” was to encourage purchasing fresh food locally. The event generated almost one hundred community members. Representatives from the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) promoted their organic farm stands and shared the importance of organic fruits and vegetables. Master Gardeners in the area were present to answer questions and provide tips regarding how to grow different plants. Demonstrations were open to community members on how to grow fresh vegetables at home with methods such as vertical hydroponic gardening. In addition, education outreach facilities are provided by the Department of 4-H Youth Development. 4-H uses a hands-on approach in different areas from science to nutrition to teach the importance of responsibility and how to benefit the community by being aware of the events that occur. Rutgers staff work together with volunteers in order to educate the rising generation of eco-aware society members.
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EASTSIDE
Thursday April 13 Saturday April 29 Sunday April 30 Thursday May 4 Friday May 19 Saturday May 20 Monday May 29 Monday June 26
May 2017
Paint & Sip Night (21+) ƌŽŌ &Ăƌŵ ƌƚ ĞŶƚĞƌ
Sustainable CH Earth Festival ƌŽŌ &Ăƌŵ
Ensemble Series Concert ƌŽŌ &Ăƌŵ ƌƚ ĞŶƚĞƌ
Star Wars Night
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7:30 PM
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Kids to Parks (Free Ice Cream) sĂƌŝŽƵƐ WĂƌŬ ^ŝƚĞƐ
Memorial Day Ceremony
ŚĞƌƌLJ ,ŝůů DƵŶŝĐŝƉĂů ŽŵƉůĞdž
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more For information about these and other events, check us out on Facebook @Cherryhillrecreation or email us at recreation@chtownship.com or call 856-488-7868. *Requires a pre registration. Visit register.capturepoint.com/cherryhill
May 2017
COMICS EASTSIDE
Page 7
Resting Sad Face by Samantha Dayton (‘19)/ Eastside Staff
School Reality by Jonathan Calabrese (‘18)/ Eastside Staff OUR JUNE ISSUE IS COMING SOON! Our most anticipated issue of the year is coming soon, featuring... Senior Superlatives Perspectives Twins Celebrity Look-Alikes College Commitments Eastside’s Person of the Year ... and more! Follow EastsideOnline on Twitter for more updates.
Hey... Eastside was named BEST OVERALL NEWSPAPER IN AMERICA, along with 16 other schools, for the second year in a row by the American Scholastic Press Association. Eastside was also named FIRST PLACE WITH SPECIAL MERIT and Eastside’s “50 Years” pages were named BEST SPECIAL CONTENT.
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ENTERTAINMENT
May 2017
EASTSIDE
Page 9
East students prepare for the entertainment industry ■ By Claire Joanson (‘19)
Eastside Staff
The word “career” haunts high schoolers across the world. It is associated with the pressure students feel to have the road of their life mapped out ahead of them, while they are still struggling to put the key in ignition. Finding a career to follow for the rest of students’ lives that will leave them financially secure—especially something they are interested in—seems like a pipe dream. Pressure is mounted by the fact that it is in a student's best interest to know their career when entering a university. According to College Board, about 40 percent of college attendees who start as four-year students go on to be five or six-year students because of frequent major switches, which can become costly. However, getting an early start is not nearly as difficult as it seems, and students getting a head-start on their passions can be found in the hallways of East. In order to get this headstart, it is crucial to find what interests you, and to develop that interest until it becomes a hobby or a passion. Andrew Austin (‘18) has found his passion in cinematography and screenwriting. Austin is inspired by the impact that a film can have on a person.
“As far back as I can they are total nonsense... cessful. It’s a win-win,” said remember, I have always forcing myself to write realSamantha Young (‘19). loved movies,” said Austin. ly increases productivity,” Young is an aspiring “I love the idea of taking Austin said. dancer who one day wishes thoughts from my head, Having an interest in a to open her own dance stuputting t h e m on paper and turning the words into pictures t h a t I can share w i t h people.” Aust i n ’ s childh o o d interest in cinematography has led to his extens i v e work. Having written Photo Illustration by Liz Lee (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor over 20 s h o r t Andrew Austin (‘18), Samantha Young (‘19) and Jonathan Cohen (‘19) f i l m s , work tirelessly on their passions in the entertainment industry every day includ- in preparation for their future career paths. ing a full-length film he wrote certain topic, if you put the dio. She spends multiple that was a collaboration betime in, moves you much hours a week practicing tween the Filmmaking Club closer to reaching success and teaching dance to chiland a local college, Austin than something you feel no dren ages four through ten. is now undergoing his largpassion toward. In February, she auditioned est project—editing a short “If you’re interested in for the popular competitive film called Initiation. something, you’re going to talent show, “America’s Got “The best way to grow is put the time into it. And Talent,” with her dance to keep practicing. I write when you put the time company. 1000 words per day even if in─you’re going to be sucHer advice for getting
ahead? Simply, “to take initiative. Don’t be afraid to try new things. If you feel intimidated you have to take matters into your own hands, because no one is going to spoon-feed you a job.” Jonathan Cohen (‘19), like Austin, is interested in cinematography. When he was six years old, his brother showed him a YouTube channel featuring many sketches, animations and short movies which sparked a fascination with film in Cohen. “In film, you can bring a story to life in a way that even the most descriptive book or song can’t achieve. On top of that, it’s something I can do with my friends, in which we laugh and have fun, and at the end have something amazing to show for it.” Cohen has been producing short films since he was in sixth grade, which he displays, along with other projects, on his YouTube channel, “Fletcher Films”. Cohen’s suggestion to anyone trying to get ahead is also simple─“Just create.” Finding a job later in life is a major source of stress for students who have to worry about college just around the corner. However, as these students display, finding a career path is as simple as developing a hobby, which can one day turn into a quite comfortable salary.
Pets paw their way to fame through social media ■ By Sophia Liang (‘19)
Eastside Staff
We cuddle together and sleep together and he’s not the vicious pit bull that everyone thinks he is.” Carson isn’t the only East pooch who’s receiving his share of double taps. Tobi Friedman (’17) similarly created an Instagram, @timmothecockapoo, for her cockapoo Timmo. Friedman says her dog’s cute poses and amusing antics have gotten him lots of affection from friends online. “Timmo loves being in front of the camera…and people love seeing him because he’s so funny and friendly,” Friedman said. Gutin and Friedman have joined the ranks of Miley Cyrus, Marc Jacobs and millions of others worldwide who run social media accounts for their furry friends. Pet profiles have invaded Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Tumblr,
Carson Wentz dashes across the field with the ball in his possession. Shouts of encouragement ring in his ears. Panting heavily, he sprints as quickly as his legs can take him. Faster, faster, faster—until he suddenly rolls over onto his back and waits patiently for a belly rub. Carson is a dog, not a famous Eagles football player. The pit bullboxer-border collie mix belongs to Shayna Gutin (‘17), who captures his bathtimes, naptimes and ballchasing escapades on the Instagram account she has devoted to him, @carsonthecutest.pup. She posts photos and videos of Carson’s day-to-day life, captioning all of the posts from Carson’s point of view. Gutin started the account in July of 2016 to share her love of her puppy with the world and to dispel s o m e of the negative stereotypes that can be associated Screenshot by Sophia Liang (‘19)/ Eastside Staff with pit Tobi Friedman’s (‘17) dog, Timmo, celebrates Halloween. bulls. “Since although Instagram generally rehe’s a pit bull, a lot of my friends mains the most popular choice for were worried that he would be vidog owners to share photos of their cious or mean,” Gutin said. “[This furry friends. account] just goes to show that he’s And while there are plenty of not a mean dog—he’s really sweet.
famous dogs and cats to be found, there are also more unique pets, including hedgehogs, raccoons and
In addition to the emotional influence they hold, these animals are huge advertising opportunities for companies. An Instagram post of a cat wearing a brande d sweater or a dog licking an ice cream cone in front of a cert a i n store can be much Screenshot by Sophia Liang (‘19)/ Eastside Staff more efCarson Wentz, Shayna Gutin’s (‘17) pit bull-boxer-border f e c t i v e t h a n collie mix, rolls around in his blanket. tradieven capybaras who have anywhere tional marketing campaigns and between hundreds of thousands to may earn the owner thousands of millions of followers. dollars. In fact, a survey conducted by Both Gutin and Friedman would Mars Petcare U.S. in 2016 found love to see their dogs’ accounts go that approximately one in six Amerviral someday, but right now they’re ican pet owners have created a sohappy to continue entertaining and cial media account specifically for educating their friends with their their pet. It’s easy to see why Fluffy pets. and Fido are almost universally ap“A lot of people are like, ‘I only pealing— photos of pets are enjoywant a purebred white little dog,’” able, adorable and blissfully free of said Gutin. “And nobody thinks politics, scandals and controversy. about the bigger dogs because “I think seeing pets makes everythey’re considered vicious, so I think one so much happier,” said Fried[Carson’s account] helps other peoman. “[Pets] are so cute and it just ple learn that they’re not.” makes people’s days better.” Both girls plan to continually Some of the most prominent pets keep posting about the dogs they on the Internet, including Marnie love so dearly for as long as they the Dog, Grumpy Cat and Boo the can. So keep an eye out for Carson Pomeranian, are so beloved that and Timmo—these pups just might many fans regard them as their be getting a visit from the pawown pets. parazzi soon.
ENTERTAINMENT/UNDERGROUND
The rise of the hipster meets the fall of the hippie Page 10
May 2017
■ By Hope Rosenblatt (‘18)
Eastside Entertainment Editor
He sits on the edge of his bed, swinging his legs slowly back and forth so that they barely sweep the carpet beneath his feet. He stares directly in the face at the decision that lies ahead and shudders at the mere thought of making the wrong choice. He ponders for a second over the idea that despite the abundance of options in the world, it’s possible that he may never be able to make the right one. He quickly dismisses the notion, but not before writing it down so that he remembers to bring it up with his slam poetry group. He stands up and begins to think aloud. “Should I pair my flannel with suspenders, or will that distract from my beanie?” he questions as he reaches for his oversized glasses that he does not even have a prescription for. He grabs his beard comb made of old vinyl records and thinks about his plans for the night. Although he’s running late, he is not worried about missing out on the new band he plans on seeing perform. ( I t ’ s s u p e r underground and indie; you probably haven’t heard of it.) Just like that, he leaves his apartment and enters a world full of ignorant Starbucks drinkers, car drivers and meat eaters. That is the stereotype of the modern-day hipster, a subculture that has been on the rise since the 1990s. However, the term hipster has been in use since as early as 1938 when Cab Calloway’s, “Hepster’s Dictionary” described a hep cat as one who “knows all the answers.” In the 1940s, the term was modified to hipster in order to describe jazz music enthusiasts. Despite being avid fans of jazz music and the culture that surrounded it, 1940s hipsters were middle class white American youth. This led to a blending of races within the subculture. In its present-day meaning, the term “hipster” began to appear again in the late 1990s; however, the rise of modern hipsters was most apparent beginning in 2010. All of a sudden, anything that was nerdy in the 1980s and ‘90s became trendy for hipsters in the 2000s. While the 1940s hipster relied on a community of like-minded companions, the modern-day hipster focuses on individuality and resistance to social norms. Unlike the earlier group, current hipsters usually do not identify with the subculture Still, some similarities have stood the test of time. Earlier hipsters and present-day hipsters did not originate from lower-class backgrounds, although the latter often pretends to look as though they do. Disregarding style, interests and
dislikes, the hipster mentality was, and still is, one that has always rejected conformity and embraced the obscure. Due to the rebellious disposition of the subculture, it’s difficult to find only one definition, attitude or look that represents the group. Sometimes the hipster movement has a negative connotation and those within the movement are considered snobby and pretentious. In a different light, hipsters
at East who have adopted some of the traits commonly associated with hipsters but do not identify with the culture. “I got my record player my freshman year… the [records] I have from the 60s, the quality sounds much better while sometimes with newer [songs], the way it’s master produced does not sounds as good,” said Jess Gambino (‘17). Gambino does not consider herself an allout hipster, but she still enjoys the rare thrift shop find along with encouraging her friends to sit back and experience the music from her record player. Gambino also brings up the point that the rise of hipsters may not necessarily mean the end for hippies. “I actually listen to hippie music, a lot of stuff from the ‘60s,” said Gambino. Gambino’s interest in hippie culture is not unfathomable considering the similarities between the two cultures. While hippies had Woodstock, hipsters have Coachella. Politically active hippies were vocal supporters of the Civil
“It’s kind of weird to generalize individuality, I think it kind of contradicts itself.” -Jayne Baran (‘18) are regarded as a progressive group that cares deeply about social issues such as the environment. Then there’s the more stereotypical perspective of the subculture. This stereotype promotes the idea that all hipsters are vegans who hate corporations and would never be caught dead listening to any music that can be found on the radio. Of course, not all who wear flannels a r e hip-
sters and not all hipsters wear flannels. The same goes for many students
Rights, and modern-day hipsters are often proponents of LGBTQ+ rights. Style is also a major attribute that allows almost any onlooker to pick out a possible hipster in a crowd. Despite the fact that many hipsters are often criticized for the outthere style they present, their fashion choices are often better economically and environmentally. From thrift store finds to handmade clothing, hipster style manages to be completely unique, even within the individua l s in the culture. Jayne Baran (‘18) stands out for her unique sense of style in the East hallways. “I like being individual in the way I dress and not dressing like other people. That’s why I like thrift stores because the stuff you find there is one of a kind. I used to make my own clothes,” said Baran. Still, Baran remains on the fence regarding the hipster label despite expressing an enjoyment of vi-
nyl records, folk indie music and Wes Anderson films. “It’s kind of weird to generalize individuality, I think it kind of contradicts itself,” said Baran. While neither Gambino nor Baran represent the exaggera t e d a n d pre-
tentious hipster stereotype mentioned previously, it is difficult not to notice some uncanny overlaps between the archetype hipster and the everyday East student.
“This is going to make me sound so annoying, but the whole corporation and all the big business, I’m not really into it,” Baran said regarding her love for coffee but her distaste for Starbucks. It’s quite possible that 20 years from now, hipster teens will listen to music on retro iPhones and wear old-fashioned Uggs in order make a fashion statement. In a world full of holograms and flying cars, hipsters of the 2040s will choose a far simpler path and stick to driving old-school vehicles like Teslas or Audis. In all seriousness, hipsters are a growing population that will not be ignored. They come from all over the country, whether it be Los Angeles, Seattle or Brooklyn. Hipsters have an undeniable impact on any city they choose to reside in.
Art by Jennifer Dong (‘17)/ Eastside Art Director
■ By Josh Sodicoff (‘18)
Multimedia Director
On Route 70, the stretch opposite of the space between the Rohrer Center at Camden County College and the new Penn Cardiology is home to a peculiar storefront. A small house painted with faded neon murals on the first floor and accompanied by an oversized guitar. The Woodstock Trading Company is the kind of business that you wonder about the first time you pass by and don’t think of too often again, until by some random whim, you’re drawn inside. And once you are inside, you meet Gladys Glass, better known by “Mom.” And if you think that the movement that the store was born of, the hippie movement, is dead, she will tell you otherwise. To understand the birth and the “death” of the hippie movement, we need to go back to the birth of the modern counterculture movement. In 1948, Jack Kerouac, who would go on to write the revolutionary novel “On The Road,” coined the idea of the ‘beat generation.’ In 1952, John Clellon Holmes, another notable author, published a near-manifesto for the group in the New York Times. He made two very important claims: that the generation had been forged as a result of the Second World War, and included both young veterans and those just young enough to be excused from service; and that they acted more out of curiousness than of disillusionment. The young men and women in the nation’s cities and suburbs did not take drugs or act strangely because they had lived through torment, but rather because they wanted to know what it was like. Their style could be mistaken for the hippie style by the modern observer. They were jazzy, they took in elements of eastern religions; they were well-read in the new wave of American literature coming from their peers. As the beatniks grew up, the embryo of the hippie movement began to grow out in California. Ken Kesey, a beatnik and author of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” and his posse (called the Merry Pranksters) began to play around with integrating drugs and music. They and other California groups began to delve more into the realm of nature, peace and individuality than their predecessors had. In the United Kingdom, the British Invasion began to shape the sound of the hippies, with blues and rock coming together with psychedelic overtones.
When the next generation, the Baby Boomers, was coming of age, they greeted the bubbling movement. They had grown up in a different world than their parents had. The United States was in constant conflict with the Soviet Union, and the threat of nuclear war defined the mentality of many. And of course, there was the war in Vietnam. If you’ve made it through most of US History by now, you know that the situation in Vietnam is complicated. In summary, the United States sent soldiers into Vietnam to defend the U.S.-friendly regime in the south from the comm u nists i n
limits of what a concert, band or music could be. Greenwich Village, in New York City, and Berkeley, California, were the hubs of much of the happenings. In 1967, the Summer of Love hit the nation. Hippie culture was fast becoming mainstream thanks to a number of prominent concerts like the Monterey Pop Festival. The festival scene grew and grew, culminating in the defining Woodstock Festival, at which famous musicians and bands like t h e
May 2017
chedelic artists that grew out of the same sensibilities, or lack thereof, that the big bands did. “The sense of community, the art, the music, the coming together: there was a whole feeling of the music and the art, and I thought it was going to be what our generation, our century is going to leave, like Beethoven and Bach.” Hippies came to be known for a few things. Their music, their long hair and colorful clothes, their use of drugs and their experimentation defined them. Yet, these facets were built on a philosophy of carefree and joyful living, environmentalism and spiritual connection. W h e n a s k e d about the defining
the north. Whereas the Americans had the advantage in terms of weaponry, the opponents, Viet Minh and the Viet Cong, had their lives and dreams of a better tomorrow for their country on their minds. Young men were being drafted, mostly poor and minority. When they arrived in Vietnam, they saw atrocities on both sides, and the futility of traditional warfare against guerillas like the Viet Cong. Some went mad, whereas others turned to drug use. Back at home, the scene had coalesced around the music scene. Fans were playing around more with the
W h o and Jimi Hendrix brought a new sort of aura and “flower children” found themselves between the notes and each other. This is where we meet Glass. In a tent where hallucinating festival-goers would go to cool down (generally called a freak-out tent), she was a nurse. Over time, she started to move into the artistic scene. A metalworker and glass blower, Glass found a place among the psy-
sound of the subculture, Glass responded that a number of artists defined facets of the sound, culture and philosophy. Glass said, “People point to Led Zeppelin being the breakthrough, “Stairway to Heaven” being the breakthrough kind of a thing, the Grateful Dead being the sense of community, the romanticism and the poetry of the Doors, they all contributed. Dylan’s contributions [too], he just certainly won a prize for his music, his understanding.” It didn’t take long for the
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hippie subculture to fade from view. The Vietnam War came to a close under Nixon. The public became disillusioned with violence at some festivals. New music genres like punk and metal started to cloud out so much of what held together the hippies. People grew up. When Glass grew up, she made it her mission to keep the scene alive. In 1988, she founded the Woodstock Trading Company in its current location. It sells rock memorabilia, yes, but it also continues to sell fabrics, beads, incense and lots of other paraphernalia. “We gather to our drum circles, we have music presentations, we teach a lot of crafting classes that people are interested in. It’s an actual kind of gathering of people who enjoy the sense of community, actually multigenerational; my clientele is cradle to grave. Many generations have passed through the doors,”, she said. Aside from running their own activities, Woodstock has also played an active part in keeping the greater psychedelic scene thriving. Glass said, “We like to support all of the young bands, they play here on our lawn. In fact, the first place Disco Biscuit ever played was here on the lawn.” The South Jersey hippie scene is still alive and well. Camp Jam in the Pines starts on May 18, and Beardfest is on June 1. Both are in Hammonton and feature psychedelic art in addition to the musical acts much like those of the sixties and seventies. And of course, smaller shows are always going on throughout the area, even if they are not as well promoted. Recently, Glass has seen an uptick in people looking for classic vinyl albums in the store, a sign of a possible resurgence. “People listen now on iPhones, it’s solidarity. It isn’t beautiful albums. Now people are looking at the albums, the vinyl, because they have a cover, they have art, they have texture. There seems to be a trend back to some of these things that are a little more concrete. But it is not there yet, it’s still not,” said Glass. We can pretend that because the hippie subculture is no longer a prominent movement across the country; that when the Vietnam War ended, the mentality ended. But as long as people like Glass continue to spread the love that was born out the late sixties, the hippie shall not die. Logo by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director
UNDERGROUND
Page 12
EASTSIDE
May 2017
Club Penguin...gone but never forgotten ■ By Shari Boiskin (‘17)
Eastside Underground Editor
Once, children would flock to their computers to escape to a wintry fantasy land. This land was filled with igloo homes, furry puffle friends and, most importantly, penguins. This world exists no more. Launched October 24, 2005, Club Penguin shut down on March 30, 2017. It was replaced by the mobileonly game “Club Penguin Island,” which has received mostly negative reviews. Millions of people used Club Penguin; in 2014, the site had over 250 million registered users. There were two types of users: those with free accounts and those with paid memberships. A membership gave a user access to exclusive clothing for their penguin avatars, member-only furniture for their igloo home, as well as the ability to own as many puffles—the furry little pets in the game—as the user wanted. All us-
ers would buy items by earning Club Penguin of promoting consumDespite those downfalls, millions coins through mini-games. Club erism in children—everyone wanted loved Club Penguin. No longer can Penguin was officially called a those millions Massively Multiplayer Online take their puffle game (MMO). for a walk, esIn 2007, the Walt Disney cape the snowy Company purchased New Horilandscape by zon, the company that created slipping into Club Penguin, for 350 million the cafe (maybe dollars, with a few 350-million to play the cofdollar bonuses. New Horizon is fee bean bag now Disney Canada. From its catching game), inception, Club Penguin was go dancing at popular. the club, head Within two years of being outside to go online, it had over 30 million fishing, sleduser accounts. ding, surfing or After Disney bought the even to conduct company, it continued to secret spy misdevelop and expand the sions. Club Penguin brand, inUsers used to cluding by making video head to one icegames with Nintendo. berg to drill, in Club Penguin has rehopes of actuceived quite a bit of slack ally tipping the for its users’ behavior, glacier over. On specifically because the last day of of its chat options. Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director Club Penguin’s When setting up the The Club Penguin iceberg finally flipped over for the first existence, the account, users could iceberg finally choose a chat option where they time since the websites creation. tipped. An era could type their own responses of penguin fun, rather than having to pick from a the most puffles, the biggest igloo foolery, and exploration had ended. selection of phrases provided by the with the nicest furnishings and the Logo by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18) / Eastside website. In addition, many accused coolest clothing. Art Director
NBA 2K is evolving to become more realistic ■ By Eric First (‘18)
Eastside Underground Editor
Throughout the Cherry Hill East community and spanning across the globe, many basketball fanatics have become obsessed with TakeTwo Interactive Software’s basketball video game series, NBA 2K. On February 9, the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software announced a partnership to create an official NBA esports basketball league. This is the first partnership of its kind between a major sports league and a video game company. The league is expected to begin in 2018 and will contain teams operated by each of the NBA’s franchises. Every team will consist of five professional gamers who will be paid a salary in order to make 2K basketball their full-time jobs. Teams will play for five months out of the year during a regular season. Once the regular season has concluded, the entire league will hold a playoff tournament in order to crown a champion. Similar to NBA 2K’s current My-
Player feature where gamers can build their ideal avatar to compete in online and offline competitions, the eSports league will consist of customized players. Gamers must build and train their players in order to improve the skill level of the avatars. “It’s not that hard to improve your skill level in the game, so I think a lot of the players will end up being similar in playing style,” said Caleb Lee (‘18), who plays 2K basketball. Others agree. “I think it’s a pretty cool idea,” said Elijah Borenstein (‘18) who enjoys playing 2K basketball as well as watching the NBA. “I just think it will be difficult to organize all of the players who apply.” According to NBA league commissioner Adam Silver, the inaugural season will begin with a draft. “It’s going to be a global pool of players,” Silver said in an ESPN SportsCenter interview. “You can be of any sex, shape, size, ethnicity [or] nationality.” While this is the first time that any United States professional
sports league has created an official eSports league, owners of several NBA teams have already invested in esports. The Philadelphia 76ers ownership group purchased esports franchise Team Dignitas last year. Other NBA team owners who have invested in eSports include the owners of the Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks. In late March, the NHL’s commissioner, Gary Bettman, announced that his league is also interested in forming an eSports league. While the NHL is still planning the specifics of its potential eSports hockey league, the partnership would likely be with Electronic Arts (EA) rather than Take-Two. EA has annually produced its popular NHL video game series since 1991, while TakeTwo’s NHL 2K series only lasted from 2000 until 2011. The eSports market is rapidly expanding, and professional sports leagues are looking to cash in by creating a unique experience for fans. This will give fans a chance to make their dreams of playing professional sports a reality.
Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor
2K eSports brings video game players to basketball courts.
Snapchat Spectacles add a new perspective ■ By Jared Fisch (‘18)
Eastside Underground Editor
Have you ever wanted to see the world through someone else’s eyes? Well, now you can! One of the most popular social media apps of this generation, Snapchat, allows you to see through the eyes of your fellow “snappers” with a pretty cool gadget. “Spectacles by Snap Inc.,” as they are officially called, are simply a pair of sunglasses with one awesome feature: the ability to record videos. Snapchat Spectacles connect to the user’s Snapchat account in order to automatically upload the videos. The sunglasses, similar to something James Bond would wear, have a button on the side of the frame to begin recording. Videos are recorded in ten-second segments and are wirelessly added to the user’s memories on the app. While recording, a ring of light brightens the glasses to let everyone around you know that you’re recording. Of course, after a long day of snapping, those glass-
es are going to need a charge. All park or pretty much anything one Facebook, as well as Samsung’s viryou do is throw them in the chargcan think of. tual reality capabilities, the world ing case and get them when you’re These glasses fit perfectly into is becoming more “360”. Snapchat ready for more action. Battery life today’s virtual reality generation. Spectacles add this virtual reality is decent. Snappers can upload With new features on YouTube and feature to the app’s interface. about 1,000 secYou can grab a pair for just onds of video to 130 dollars, which isn’t bad their stories on considering a pair of Ray-Ban a single charge; Clubmasters can reach pricthis gives users es of 245 dollars, and these plenty of maglasses can’t record video. terial for their The Spectacles come with the daily posts. charging case and cable and The Speccan be shipped to one’s door tacles can be within two weeks. purchased onThe world that we know is line and come rapidly changing, and social in three distinct media tools like this can help colors: coral, add tons of new features to black and teal. one’s story. The possible apThese colors, plication for these glasses is along with the endless. Push these spectaoverall look of cles to the limit...take them the frame, will on a ski trip, wear them at surely have the skateboard park or even heads turning at a Phillies game. as one records If you want to step up Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor your Snapchat experience, a stroll on the beach, a bike Underground Editor Jared Fisch (‘18) sports Snapchat Specgive Snapchat Spectacles a ride in the tacles outside of an F-wing door. try.
UNDERGROUND
May 2017
EASTSIDE
Page 13
Wiviott educates the youth on Kristallnacht ■ By Ashley Cooper (‘17)
Eastside Editor-in-Chief
Author Meg Wiviott is a true bibliophile; her great love for literature spills over into every aspect of her life. From her continuous writing pursuits to her dedicated reading and book collection, Wiviott’s whole life is essentially consumed by literature—and she loves it. Though born—and currently residing—in New Jersey, Wiviott hopes her work’s impact reaches further than simply the Garden State. She has a dream to increase Holocaust education worldwide in order to proliferate cooperation and understanding. For Wiviott, it all started with her six-yearold desire to fill the world with more “Little Bear” stories. An ambitious youngster, Wiviott both wrote and illustrated her own additions to Elsa Holmelund Minarik and Maurice Sendak's classic series. Yet Wiviott’s ambition was briefly halted due to her naivety about copyright issues. “When I showed the [writings and illustrations] to my father, he kindly
explained the word ‘plagiarism’ to me,” said Wiviott. “It's amazing I ever picked up a pencil again, but I did. I just stopped showing my work to my father.”
western University with a Master’s heavily based upon the stories of degree in Education, Wiviott was real-life women. Despite being in able to settle down with her hustheir bleakest days, these women band and two children. Leading a befriended one another. Detailed in more relaxed life, Wiviott easily scope, the book truly tells of the Howas able to discover locaust in a manner which is both a new creative outlet: respectful and harrowing. children’s literature. Recently, Wiviott published She said, “When “Benno and the Night of Broken my children were Glass.” Intended for young readers, born, I rediscovered the story chronicles the devastating the wonders of chilevents of Kristallnacht through the dren's literature and eyes of a cat. started writing pic“I think it’s important for chilture books again.” dren to be exposed to these topics,” Wiviott’s initial said Wiviott. “Even if these topics work is entitled “Paare difficult, they are real and canper Hearts” and fonot be ignored.” cuses around personYet, although Wiviott prides heral anecdotes from the self on primarily writing for chilHolocaust. Published dren and young adults, she yearns in 2015, for her works the literto have a uniary piece versal impact. has accu“I don’t want mulated to confine mya myriad self into a box,” of acsaid Wiviott. “If colades an adult reads ranging my book, I hope from the it has the same impact—even Courtesy of annemarieobrienauthor.com q u i r k y 2 0 1 5 if it was origiN e r d y nally intended Resilient in her pursuit of writPoetry and Novel in for teenagers, ing, Wiviott did not let the one negVerse Award, to the it shouldn’t ative experience halt her efforts. prestigious 2016 Best matter.” Rather she grew from the Fiction for Young In the fuexperience, and develAdults Pick for the ture, Wiviott oped herself as a poet Young Adult Library hopes to conthroughout high school. Services Association. tinue publishThough Wiviott admits In order to effectively ing more works she wrote “really, retell the stories of life regarding the ally, bad poetry in high in Nazi concentration Holocaust... school,” she believes camps, Wiviott used and also to colCourtesy of annemarieobrienauthor.com lect more books. that her experimentaan innovative and tion with the genre as a controversial medium Essentially, one teenager helped prepare when penning “Paper Hearts”: freething is for certain: Wiviott’s status her for her future writing verse poetry. as a bibliophile will never fade. career. Despite its categorization as hisLogo by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director After graduating from Northtorical fiction, “Paper Hearts” is
Life-sized foosball: an interesting battle ■ By Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17)
Eastside Editor-in-Chief
Over the years, I have won my fair share of foosball tournaments. Some may even go so far as to call me an expert...a seasoned foosball veteran. While standing over the table deep in the recesses of my basement, I would battle my sister, tiring out my fingers with the constant spinning. One of my most memorable games, however, occurred not in the comfort of my home, but approximately
600 miles north. During sixth and eighth grade, I traveled with Mrs. Carmela Griffo—who at the time taught at Beck Middle School—and some of my classmates to the beautiful Quebec City, Canada, in the middle of winter. I had the opportunity to do some amazing things, such as dog sledding, visiting an ice hotel and attending the Carnival celebration. Yet out of the few days I spent there, one particular memory will always stay in my mind. When one thinks of
foosball, he or she typically imagines a one-onone game, or two-on-two, confined to the five-by-twoand-a-half-foot table. Now picture a seven-on-seven match. There is no way that many people could fit around a table… so why not remove the table itself? The friendly, ingenious Canadians had taken away the boundaries of the table, and in doing so, also removed the handles and the plastic figures. In this game, I took the place of the plastic figure. I was the player.
I was strapped into a small safety belt that was tied onto a horizontal pole running across the court, a court made entirely of ice (this was Quebec, after all). At the referee’s whistle, a regulation size soccer ball was thrown onto the court. We slipped and slid after it as far as our belts would allow. The game required immense teamwork and communication, as we could hardly move in any direction, or even turn around. While it may not seem like the best choice of “sport”
for a workout, my legs were certainly exhausted from trying to keep myself in an upright position on the ice. The experience for me was definitely magnified by my surroundings. A human foosball court around here may not have the same popularity, for the ice court added a unique taste of the Canadian culture. Nevertheless, the unique style of play offers people a chance to literally relive their childhoods, and is a game that everyone should add to their bucket lists.
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UNDERGROUND
Siblings of the Stars
EASTSIDE
May 2017
Many know names in entertainment such as Miley Cyrus, Chance the Rapper and Beyonce, but now their siblings are also making names for themselves...
Taylor Bennett is taking a Chance at fame ■ By Adam Dashevsky (‘19)
Making a rap career when Chance the Rapper is your brother might seem easy, but the expectations were always high for Taylor Bennett. Most people have heard of artist Chance the Chance made sure his brother reached success Rapper, whether from his hit mixtape Acid Rap on his own by not offering him a feature until he in 2013, or his recent Grammy-winning mixtape released his first mixtape. Most articles talking Coloring Book. Sadly, about Taylor Bennett will refer though, not too many peoto him as “Chance the Rapper’s ple have taken notice of his brother,” but he is so much more brother Taylor Bennett. than that. Bennett is starting to Bennett’s new mixtape, Resmake waves in the hip-hop toration of an American Idol, industry with his recently has already received praise released mixtape, Restorafrom many in the hip-hop industion of an American Idol. try. The mixtape features stars Although both rappers such as Jeremih, Kyle, Raury, sound very similar with Lil Yachty, Chance and many their raspy voices and others. Taylor Bennett brings clever lyrics, Bennett is another short, yet wonderful trying to make a name for mixtape that is sure to make his himself on his own. name well-known in the rap inTaylor Bennett’s debut dustry. mixtape, Broad Shoulders, Bennett raps, “I need them dropped in 2015 and feaVMA’s, it’s in my DNA/ I ain’t no tures similar sounds and deity but I still contemplate” on vibes to his older brother his song “Favorite Colors,” refChance. The mixtape feaerencing how he wants to reach tures notable rappers such the success of his brother. as King Louis, Joey Purp, He said to The Fader, a music Chance and many more. magazine, “[Music is] all about Although the mixtape is bringing people together.” only 10 songs and 37 minLike Chance, Taylor Bennett Jacob Berkowitz (‘19)/ For Eastside utes long, Bennett packs it Underground Editor Jared Fisch (‘18) interviews Taylor Bennett. Check out the full loves his fans and has decided to with songs that will make video interview on Eastside’s YouTube channel. stay on the independent route. you get up and dance, and Bennett releases all of his music songs that will get you to for free on apps such as Soundjust sit and think. once worked for then Illinois State Senator BaCloud, and makes his money from shows and The most notable track on the album is the rack Obama. Their father dreamed that his sons merchandise. song “Broad Shoulders,” which features Chance would one day reach the position of president. AlAlthough Chance and Taylor Bennett have and has had over eight million listens on Soundthough both of his sons would later turn to rap many similarities, from the sound of their music Cloud. In Bennett’s last verse, he raps from the as their occupation, he still supports them comto their love for Chicago, Taylor Bennett is startperspective of his father. pletely. ing to make a name for himself. Eastside Staff
Taylor Bennett raps, “22, look he grew, he’s not the man you knew, now he’s a man that’s just like you,” meaning that Chance has grown up to be just like their father. The Bennett boys grew up in the neighborhood of West Chatham in Chicago. Their father Ken
Noah Cyrus doesn’t need any Hannah-outs ■ By Ashley Cooper (‘17)
Eastside Editor-In-Chief
As the sister of pop icon Miley Cyrus and the youngest daughter of famed country star Billy Ray Cyrus, Noah Cyrus is desperately trying to make a name for herself in the entertainment world. With her latest single “Make Me (Cry),” Noah has finally been able to top charts. But will her success last until the release of her upcoming album? Or will she remain in the shadow of her older sister? Born on January 8, 2000, Noah Cyrus grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, alongside her older sister. Following in her sister’s footsteps, Noah Cyrus began her acting career at the young age of three. Yet, Noah Cyrus’s childhood
stardom was quite subpar in comparison to her sister’s diverse run as a Disney star. Unlike her older sister, Noah Cyrus appeared in lesser known titles such as the straight-to-DVD movie Mostly Ghostly as a trick-or-treater, portrayed the character Gracie Herbert on the television series “Doc” and voiced the title role in the animated film Ponyo. In 2009 Noah Cyrus continued to be overshadowed by her eldest sister, appearing as a mere background dancer for Hannah Montana:
The Movie. After her lackluster childhood career, Noah Cyrus decided to venture away from acting in order to pursue her musical interests. Being signed to RECORDs music label provided Noah Cyrus with an unprecedented freedom; she was finally able to be her own artist—without fear of the names “Miley” or “Billy” being attached to her work. Now with h e r Certified Gold debut single “Make Me (Cry),” Noah Cyrus has had
her very own taste of stardom. No longer in the shadow of her sister, Noah Cyrus was able to diversify herself as her own person on the track. As a pop ballad which infuses a flare of EDM and dubstep, “Make Me (Cry)” was unique enough to become an immediate hit. However, Cyrus’s most recent single, “Stay Together,” has yet to gain much reception from music fans. Noah Cyrus’s future success in the entertainment world remains up in the air as she begins to break out of her shell. Based on her recent Coachella performance in April, it appears as though Noah Cyrus has begun garnering her own fan base without any assistance from Miley.
Art by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18) / Eastside Art Director
Solange exceeds Beyonce our expectations ■ By Ezra Nugiel (‘17)
Eastside Opinions Editor
Her sister, married to one of rap’s greatest, Jay Z, is about to give birth to the most famous pair of twins in the world. It’s no surprise that with a superstar sister like Beyoncé, musical talent stretches far and wide through this family’s lineage. Solange Knowles, also known by her stage name “Solange,” has been producing music (singing and songwriting), modeling and acting since the early 2000’s. Solange’s career debuted with a pop-oriented, contemporary R&B style that has since developed into more adventurous and unconventional sonic quality. With over two million followers on Twitter and Instagram, this artist has established herself as a heroine for black and female empowerment. Much like her older sister, Solange has embraced social activism through her artistry. In her third and most recent studio album, A Seat at the Table, she assertively captures the tangled emotions that accompany black survival in America. She called the album “a project on
identity, empowerment, independence, grief and healing.” The album was wildly successful, claiming the number-one Billboard spot a week after its release, making Beyoncé and Solange the first pair of sisters ever to earn the number-one Billboard spot. The album features the song “Cranes in the Sky,” which scored Solange her first Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance. In addition to her musical career, Solange has received substantial acclaim as a fashion icon. Her retro style incorporates striking colors and mixed prints that coalesce to forge glamorous ensembles. These fashion-forward looks are only completed by Solange’s afro-tastic hairstyles. These looks are a staple of many of her music videos and public appearances. Though having a successful sister helped Solange break into the music industry, Beyoncé’s global stardom has sparked numerous media comparisons between the two throughout Solange’s career. In an interview with The Daily Mail, Solange elucidated their working relationship.
“People think there should be this great rivalry between us, but there’s never been any competition. There’s a big age gap and we are two very different characters. I try to stand on my own two feet and not talk too much about my sister. But the two of us are still close,” said Knowles. Solange, like many siblings of celebrities, wants to make a name for herself... which she has. Though graceful on stage and in the studio, Solange is no stranger to scandal. Developments in online media have made paparazzi and tabloids as ferocious as ever. In 2014, footage obtained by TMZ went viral. In it, Solange was shown violently attacking her sister’s husband, Jay Z, in an elevator at a Met Gala after party. Though it may have attracted negative media attention, in an interview with Lucky, Solange said that she “feels at peace” with the incident and that her familial relationships are “all good.” Solange’s fan base continues to expand daily; she has them on their toes waiting to see what she will do next. For this rule-breaking icon, the sky’s the limit. Solange will continue to be herself and continue to make a name for herself.
May 2017
EDITORIAL EASTSIDE
Page 15
Editorials represent the views and opinions of the Eastside Editorial Board.
East-West differences should be celebrated, not changed Cherry Hill their children’s best interIt’s like the battle right respective schools, rather and cannot easily be repliout of an ‘80s romantic comedy: the high school from one side of town faces off against the school from the opposing side. Yet while these boundaries are founded on healthy sports competitions, Cherry Hill’s very own East-West rivalry is built on a crumbling foundation created by district administration and fostered by the parents of the district. Eastside feels that the district is too concerned about making Cherry Hill East and West equal, when in fact each school has distinct, unique qualities that can be celebrated without diminishing the strength of the other. Superintendent Dr. Joe Meloche, Central Administration and the Board of Education have proposed various strides to minimize the East-West disparity, when so far they have only diminished a strong East program. East’s drafting program, an incredibly popular and influential curriculum, was replaced with West’s Sustainable Design course. While both courses may have succeeded at their
than allow each program to grow individually, administration chose to replace one of East’s well-established courses in a decision that upset many. Furthermore, in previous years, East was not permitted to receive a grant for a complete football field from an outside donator because West did not receive the same offer. Why can’t we celebrate the positive programs and components of each high school rather than weaken the other? West boasts a beautiful auditorium for actors and actresses to perform on, and programs such as Peer Leadership, Virtua Internships and ROTC not available at East. On the other hand, students at East enjoy access to developed clubs including Robotics, competing music ensembles and active culture clubs. East also has its own unique programs such as Small Engines and Commercial Art. Furthermore, while East offers German as a language option, West offers Italian instead. In many cases, these programs are developed by passionate teachers at a specific school
Platinum Lorie and Steven Goldsmith Dolores Birnbaum @Ben_Gold_ Susan and Lonnie Propas Ron and Nancy Stearn Robin and Richard Pacitti The Rothkoff Family Sherri and Ken Hoffman Eddie Cohen and Matt Cohen (Pro World Inc.) Brett and Robin Messinger Christy Marella Mario Scaturro Sandra First Maria and Ben Levin Rosemarie and George Dolnycky Richard Rosenblatt Jeanne and Joel Arougheti Veronica Kelly Scott Kessler Diana Hochman Jerold Rothkoff Debby Kennedy James Finnegan Mohammed Z. Hussain PayDay Payroll Resources Pat and Al Naddeo Brittany Finnegan Finnegan Family Trust Thomas Wall Your Child’s Very Own Dentist Raquel-Robert DeAbreu Linda and Tom Plaskota Brian and Christian Boyle Mukund Lakshman Gilda Cooper
Gregory Rothkoff (’19) The First Family The Greenberg Family The Simons Family Hope Rosenblatt (‘18) The Maitin Family Elissa Cohen (‘18) Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18) The Nugiel Family The Messinger Family Matt Cohen Andrea Cohen Sari Cohen (‘18) Joe Levin (‘17) Louis Zimmermann (‘18) Abigail Richman (‘18) The Chen Family Finally the Perfect Gift Cascia’s Pizza Kickin’ Apps King of Pizza Linda Ross Steven Davis Staci and Jonathan Boiskin The Myers Family The Dong Family Joanne Gaev Campbell (‘08) Scott Campbell (‘08) Body Issue Founders, Mike Davis (‘10) and Nate Mulberg (‘10) Avra Bossov Eric Thompson (‘14) Diane Casey (‘04) Rockhill Restaurant Pay Day The Cooper Family The Pacitti Family The Black Family Eric First (‘18) Jenna Simons (‘17) Cheri Tolin Linda Ross David Samuel
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cated. As a result, thanks to open enrollment, a student from one side of town may be drawn to the other high school to pursue his or her interests, thereby depriving the student’s home school of a talented, passionate individual. Rather than bolstering the program at one school, administration seems content to weaken the comparable program at the other, eliminating the archetype and thus all hope for a program on the topic as a whole. Eastside claims that this supposed “East-West” division is further fed into by the parents of the district, a situation most evidently seen in light of the recent proposal to turn Rosa into a sixth grade center. From Facebook groups to board meetings, parents have been expressing their disapproval about the potential decision, which was recently removed from discussion by the Board at the Work Session on Tuesday, May 9. Throughout the entire discussion, however, did the parents really have
est in mind? Eastside feels that the disparity between the three middle schools is minimal in terms of quality of education and extracurriculars; however, Cherry Hill parents have used the Rosa lottery system to create a false idea of superiority, an idea that can create a divisive mindset previously absent in children. Ultimately, Eastside believes that the East-West division is feared more so by the administration and the parents than by Cherry Hill students themselves. In the effort to offer students the same experience regardless of which school they choose to attend, administration is essentially reducing the quality of education and activities all around by tampering with existing programs. While an ambitious, driven Cherry Hill student will succeed in our district regardless of his or her path, Eastside feels that he or she can only benefit from the exposure provided by the unique, established programs available at each high school.
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Eastside 2016-2017 Editorial Board
Managing Editor: Jenna Myers Editors-in-Chief: Kaitlyn Boyle, Ashley Cooper, Luke Hinrichs Adviser: Mr. Greg Gagliardi
News/Features Editors Jenn Pacitti Jenna Simons Louis Zimmermann
Community Editors Ilana Arougheti Sara Messinger Gregory Rothkoff
Sports Editors Elissa Cohen Courtney Finnegan Drew Hoffman
Underground Editors Shari Boiskin Eric First Jared Fisch
Opinions Editors Brooke Greenberg Joe Levin Ezra Nugiel
Entertainment Editors Sari Cohen Asher Maitin Hope Rosenblatt
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Letters to the Editor
Submit signed letters to F087 Eastside is the recent recipient of the American Scholastic Press Association Best Overall Newspaper Award. Mohammed Aziz Phyllis Hoelsworth Phyllis Pignuola Angela Tosti Dr. Jahangir M. Kabir Mohammad Kabir Gregory McGann Ken Robinson and Sara Suman Alison Davis Jane Chilewich Uncle Lou and The Mighty Kanters Bronze Christian Torres The Green Family Michael Comber JoAnne Negrin Nate Spencer Sugar Dolnycky Melanie Goodstadt The Zimmer Family The Edelman Family Tina Catrambone Abby Hoffman Isabella Levin Tim Hunter Giana Boyer Miku Fujita Robert and Judith Messerman Jenna Simons Tracey Charlesworth Robin Boyle Sara Safarian Danielle Fox Alex Faye Diana Simons Emily Boyle Angie Pacitti Hannah Goldberg Susan Nicolazzo-Dollarton Dina La Voe Kevin Chen
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To contact a member of the Eastside Editorial Board via email, type the person’s first name followed by a period, then his or her last name followed by “@eastside-online.org,” ie: liz.lee@ eastside-online.org. (Note: There is a dash between “eastside” and “online”)
OPINIONS
Page 16
EASTSIDE
May 2017
Genesis, eBoards, Reminds... oh my! East teachers must have a streamlined medium of communication
■ By Ilana Arougheti (‘19)
Eastside Community Editor
Modern technology provides a variety of opportunities to streamline modern lives and revolutionize global systems such as education. Teachers can show their kids videos and graphics, work with digital presentations and utilize file-sharing systems to carve out a little niche of the Internet in which their classes can thrive. One of the most useful things that teachers can do in the classroom with the Internet is posting access to the homework online. This gives students a reliable source to print assignments, negates potential student excuses of never having received homework and saves paper and class time that might otherwise have been devoted to the distribution of work. But sometimes this system, like most digital innovations, can be more trouble than it is worth. This year at East, Genesis replaced Progressbook as a catch-all portal for student access to grades. Some teachers utilize their e-boards to their fullest potential, posting content and assignments for the entire year to promote advance preparation. A few classes belong to specialty services like Shmoop, Remind101 or Edmodo. Many teachers manage student work through multipurpose tools like Turnitin, which automatically checks for plagiarism. And there is a driving force among the administration to turn Cherry Hill East into a ‘Google School,’ where every class utilizes Google Classroom for col-
lecting information, posting Before the introduction In addition, if each teachassignments and collecting of digital classroom proer uses a different homework. grams, all homework would work-sharing platform, East has all of these usehave been provided in the there is no consistency from ful services and platforms same place – during class. year to year, meaning that at its disposal, and yet the The addition of a more techonce a teacher or learner sheer variety of web widnologically oriented system gets used to one online sysgets available for homeis meant to benefit students tem, they are immediately work management renders by allowing them remote thrown into the next one. the orgaBecause of this nizational occurrence, it benefit of is difficult for any one of a positive unthose servicderstanding es on its own and user excompletely perience to be ineffective. achieved with H i g h otherwise ins c h o o l credibly useful ers have platforms, like enough on e-boards and their minds Quizlets. already, It must also completing be considered upwards of that each difsix hours of ferent digital homework a homework disnight along tribution hub with afterhas its own school acunique ametivities and nities. Turnifamily retin checks for sponsibiliplagiarism, ties. It is abShmoop prosolutely fair vides literary that comguides, and pleting this Edmodo funchomework is tions like a a classroom Screenshot by Brooke Greenberg (‘17)/ Eastside Opinions Editor social network expectation. An active eBoard provides an easy way for students to with a layout H o w e v e r , check anything pertaining to the class. similar to Fastudents cebook. Each should be creates a drasgraded on the caliber of access to keep up with their tically different learning entheir work, the time put workload. It is meant, furvironment, and if students into it and the classroom thermore, to benefit teachin the same course are knowledge required to comers by storing information using different platforms plete it. The extra step of and links in one place that to reach their homework, playing hide-and-seek with can easily keep the entire then they may not receive their homework, trying to class updated, equipped the same digital benefits pry the elusive details of and with one less potential that other students in the their assignments from excuse of why they didn’t do same course, but with a difwhichever myriad source it their homework last night. ferent teacher, might. This is hiding in, presents a chalIt seems imbecilic that the contributes to the shocking lenge that should not be a drawback of disorganizalack of consistency between factor in the daily scramble tion should befall the smart different class periods of the to keep up with work from systems of digital homesame level and subject of a each class. work gathering. course, which is already a
significant issue at East in its own right. The proposition of making Cherry Hill East a Google School may serve as one potential remedy for this issue in the future. Under this system, each teacher would primarily utilize programs from the suite of Google services to assign students homework, collect assignments and distribute class reminders. Google Drive would, for example, be primarily used for file sharing, with Google Classroom serving as an upload center and message board. Unique extension programs like Quizlet and Turnitin may definitely be more useful as a supplementary resource for certain classes. For instance, Quizlet is a good study aid for courses like foreign language which require study of many specific vocabulary words while Turnitin helps English classes preserve the fidelity of major essays. However, if just one central program – the e-boards, Genesis, ProgressBook, Google Classroom or something else entirely – was used for each class to distribute homework, assignments and due dates, then the existence of all such digital platforms at East would be utilized in a much more logical and effective manner. Students and teachers could benefit from the ease and constant connectivity of using a digital system to keep themselves organized, without any confusion, fragmentation or frantic opening of multiple browser windows just to track down a worksheet or two that could all be found on a streamlined technology program.
exchanges help with. They educate every person that they are around. These programs also allow the students to make many amazing memories.
Despite the flaws of the program, the ends certainly justify the means, and result in a better schooling experience for both sides of the exchange.
Exchange programs culturally enrich the East community around the place they have spent much of their Eastside Staff life. They will love to see the look of excitement on the faces of their partners, From March 26 to April which will fill them with 4, Cherry Hill East hosted just as much a group of exchange joy as the acstudents from France. tivities that These students have they did been travelling around overseas. America and particiThe expating in the classes change proavailable at the school. grams at They spent ten days East have experiencing the culalso allowed ture of America and for the stuCherry Hill, having an dents to overall good time. This make many program is a good exnew friends. perience for everyone Of course, involved, and if this there are program were to be the obvious ended, then it would ones, as the have a negative effect foreign stuon everyone: not just those participating, Maya Shanker (‘19)/ For Eastside dents would bebut the entire school Students on the French exchange program cel- likely come friends community. ebrate their baking of macaroons. with their With the rapidly inhost famicreasing amount of xeThe students get to visit lies. But the ability of these nophobia present in society places all around the area programs to bring people these days, it is important they are travelling to. They together is not limited to that all people get as much will never forget the sights these bonds. exposure as possible to oththey saw, the food they ate These programs can also er cultures. These exchange and the people they met. bring people from the same programs give us the ability This would also occur when school together who would to understand other people the students are at home otherwise never have met. of different nationalities. with their foreign counterThrough the activities they This experience opens the parts. They will have just come together, as well as participants up to alternaas great a time when they through the things that the tive lifestyles, but these are showing these people exchange students do along are not the only people that ■ By Henry Nolan (‘19)
with their hosts when they travel. Lia Yamamoto (‘17) said, “I’m exhausted [and] I’m stressed, but I’ve never been happier.”
OPINIONS
May 2017
EASTSIDE
Curriculum planning slips through the cracks during PARCC testing at East
■ By Joe Levin (‘17)
Eastside Opinions Editor
Much to the East community’s surprise, we witnessed yet another negative repercussion of PARCC testing. Seniors were exempt from testing this year due to the fact that PARCC is only a graduation requirement for the younger classes; consequently, they were trapped in the East auditorium and shown movies and presentations. While some of the presentations may have had some beneficial factors, such as the therapist who brought in therapy dogs or the panel on drug and alcohol abuse, other days’ schedules included the viewing of assorted movies, including Edward Scissorhands and Goonies, and random samplings of TedTalk videos. Despite the fact that students were not given much material of educational value on these days, they were given absences for staying home. Students who thought they could simply sign in at the beginning of the day and leave were met with teachers posted at nearly everything feasible exit in the building. Perhaps East wouldn’t need to post faculty at every door leading to the outside if the higher-ups utilized these days to do something more practical and engaging with students. The amount of security and faculty layered throughout the school proves that administration knew students would attempt to leave. Earlier this year, Eastside published a story on Dr. Perry’s new “learning goal” policy. In essence, at the start of every class period, teachers are expected to post a
“learning goal” on the board to clarify what they are about to teach. In doing this, teachers give students a clearly defined goal for what they should learn by the end of class.
As this depiction shows, seniors during PARCC testing days. There was some fuss about learning goals earlier this year mainly because the concept was new to most of the faculty here. Although some teachers voiced their opinions
Page 17
against learning goals, they were (and still are) expected to apply them every class period. I find it interesting how not one learning goal was used on any of
defined academic goals; yet, they expect teachers to utilize learning goals consistently throughout a school year. We’re all seniors, and we had just gotten back from our senior trip in Orlando. In other words, East had its entire senior class in one giant auditorium (with a stage, lighting, etc.) and didn’t plan anything meaningful. We are all graduating in a couple months; why wasn’t some kind of bonding activity planned? We could have used one of these final times all together as a class to learn more about each other and our futures. It’s not often that we get the entire graduating class in one room--this is something that administration shoul have taken advantage of. Teachers with interesting pasts could have shared their stories; some chemistry teachers, for example, worked in scientific laboratories before coming to teach at East, and some teachers in the history department have found special passions and niches within the subject. There are also lots of East students with unique talents that they could have showcased in little segments throughout the morning. PARCC testing is meant to be helpful by ensuring that students leave high school with a certain amount of academic Joe Levin (‘17)/Eastside Opinions Editor knowledge to succeed in colare not meeting the “learning goals” lege and in the real world, and I do believe that eventually the school system will be able to work out its these half days. The days were so kinks and have PARCC testing run unstructured and bereft of anything smoothly. However, all that PARCC meaningful or educational that adtesting has shown thus far is conministration, given three free days, stant poor decision-making at the couldn’t give students any clearly administrative level.
Federal funding must remain for Planned Parenthood ■ By Brooke Greenberg (‘17)
Eastside Opinions Editor
Every year, 2.5 million women walk into a Planned Parenthood center to receive their services. Every year, hundreds of thousands of women walk in to make one of the most important decisions of their life: an abortion. Every year women all across America are granted the freedom over their own bodies, and 10 million activists support that ideal. Together, the government needs to keep funding the Planned Parenthood centers to ensure that women still have the opportunity to be “prochoice,” even in spite of the current President and his polarizing views toward abortion. Planning to go to a Planned Parenthood is not considered lightly by a woman in distress. Sure, the centers offer routine general health screenings such as cholesterol testing and anemia testing, but the center also provides its more well known services including birth control prescriptions, STD testing, breast exams, pap smears and abortions. The Centers also provide sexual education to over 1.5 million young adults every year. Without government funding, Planned Parenthood would not be able to service all of the millions of people that rely on their services. According to “I Stand with Planned Par-
enthood”, almost half of the patients that come to Planned Parenthood are people of “color, and many live in rural areas who would have nowhere else to turn for health care. Without Planned Parenthood, there aren’t enough health care providers to deliver the millions of medical services it provides each year.” Government funding is imperative to ensure that those millions of people - with a large majority of them on Medicaid (a low cost health care option for families with low incomes) - receive the proper care they need. The Government needs to see past the abortions, which only make up 3% of what Planned Parenthood offers. The other 97% of the patients come from a place of desperation to get medical help. With majority of the patients coming to Planned Parenthood are Medicaid, the government sees that as funding from the Medicaid reimbursements. Additionally, a
service called Title X also provides for families that are low income and cannot afford regular health insurance. Over 80% of the patients who receive services from Title X, are 1 5 0 %
Art by Rose Ni (‘18)/Eastside Staff
below the National Poverty level. For a household of two, that means that the members will be making an annual income of $24,360.
Abortions on average cost at least three hundred dollars. While the average pap smear test costs upwards of two hundred dollars. For an unin-
s u r e d woman, these costs are high considering it is just a preventative measure. Imagine how much the woman would have to pay if she did not get the test, and it came back that she had cervical cancer just because the Planned Parenthood center did not have enough funding to pay for her life saving test. T h e government funds Planned Parenthood through reimbursements from Medicaid and Title X. There are no high value checks written. It is a fight to keep these organizations alive. Every year, many antiwomen’s health organizations protest to shut down Title X. Making it harder
for the people who are desperate in need of Planned Parenthood’s services. Those legislations need to look past the fact that Planned Parenthood just doesn’t do abortions, even though that is the stigma of the organization. Planned Parenthood changes livesfor better or for worse. With Planned Parenthood being a major source of healthcare for millions of people, the shutting down of it due to lack of would be detrimental and tragic. That’s why organizations like these rely heavily on donations — the funding just isn’t enough to keep up with the demands of the patients. Every year, 579,000 pregnancies are prevented through the services offered by Planned Parenthood. This means 579,000 babies are saved from being born into horrible conditions and having a life full of familial and economical adversity. This means 579,000 mothers have been given the opportunity to make a choice about their body.What happens at a Planned Parenthood center is unique in that the individual patient is granted her own right. The choice is not one made by their partner, their parents or the doctor. It is not the government’s decision to decide what happens to a woman’s body, but without their support, it will become their decision to what happens to those families.
OPINIONS
Page 18
EASTSIDE
May 2017
Pig gestation turns a farming fortune inhumane ■ By Joshua Pipe (‘20)
Eastside Staff
They cannot turn around. They are denied the basic right to do anything beyond simply stepping in place and screaming. They spend their days sitting in their own feces. It brings to mind the plight of the slave ships of old, but in fact this injustice is a startlingly modern one. These victims are the pigs raised on some factory farms in New Jersey, and there is absolutely no reason why this madness should continue. In November of 2014, State Senate Resolution 1921 was introduced with the charter of banning the use of gestation crates in the state of New Jersey. The resolution passed both chambers of the legislature easily but was vetoed by Governor Chris Christie. The attempt to override Christie’s veto was defeated by Republican state senators under threat from Christie himself. Christie, cognizant of his future presidential bid and the importance of Iowa pig farmers, bowed to his political ambition. At the time, 93 percent of the state of New Jersey was in favor of the ban. When politicians allow ambition to override basic humanity, this is what happens. Gestation crates continue to be a stain on the narrative fabric of industrial humanity; quite plainly,
it’s torture. As a nation of freedom, the United States, and further as New Jersey, a state that values freedom, it is hypocritical to condone a practice that denies sen-
sibility as an intelligent race to provide the animals used for human consumption with as decent a life as possible. It is a responsibility written in the basic hu-
tionally, the entire country of Canada has banned gestation crates. It can be done, and it must be done. Banning gestation crates is also a great act of human
Courtesy of Animal Law Coalition
Pigs are subjected to confinement in dirty and tightly packed crates. tient creatures the basic liberty of turning around. First and foremost, animals in gestation crates cannot have decent lives, according to Dr. Temple Grandin, a leading anthrozoologist. It is our respon-
man virtue and principle of kindness. There are multiple states that have already banned gestation crates: Massachusetts being the most recent, outlawing the practice via referendum this election cycle. Addi-
self-care. Raising pork with these methods is extremely unsanitary. Pigs in gestation crates live “in their own feces, urine, vomit and the corpses of other pigs,” according to the Massachusetts Society for the
may be more inclined to espouse their teachers’ opinions. Students receive information from their teachers every day, and this may influence them to align themselves with their teachers’
ises of each candidate and his or her platform, this could encourage students to vote and become more involved during the elections. The election happens every four years, so talking about
“One of my teachers last year talked a little about Hillary [Clinton] and [Donald] Trump. She talked about how each would benefit the country. She had a balance between what she
political opinions because they are highly regarded or to curry favor. Yet, if a teacher was to provide an unbiased opinion and explain the prom-
the newest administration could be regarded as an exciting time for students and faculty alike. It is a change, something that is bigger than East.
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This leads to a development of bacteria and disease: something anyone who eats pork may ingest at any time. On the contrary, gestation crates are cheap, and thus the pork produced from pigs raised wherein is cheap. However, options like group housing for pigs have shown to be cheaper to construct than individual, steel gestation crates. People argue that pigs are just animals, thus it is not bad to treat them inhumenely. However, pigs have been shown to be some of the most intelligent and sentient animals on Earth, according to the International Journal of Comparative Psychology. While the practice of eating pigs, and animals as a whole, continues to be hotly debated, the fact of the matter is that gestation crates are detrimental to pigs and humans alike, and should not be allowed in the state of New Jersey. The New Jersey Legislature and Governor Christie should place their hearts above their politics and abolish this hideous practice. Group housing for pigs has proven to be cheaper and more humane than gestation crates, and there is absolutely no reason why New Jersey’s pig farmers should continue to deny these sentient creatures the most basic of rights: movement.
Teachers and politics: fit for the classroom? ■ By Lauren Smith (‘20)
For Eastside
Speculation regarding whether teachers should be permitted to discuss politics in class with their students has been a prevalent issue throughout the past few months, especially with the new Trump Administration, which has received various forms of criticism from both students and faculty alike. The media has ridiculed Trump ever since he announced his campaign to become the president of the United States in June of 2015. However, members of the media have not been the only ones to voice their opinions about Trump. In the midst of the 2016-2017 school year, many teachers have felt the urge to discuss their own political opinions with their students in class. And while it is crucial for teachers to educate their students about the candidates in upcoming political elections, teachers need to respect students’ political views and therefore, should not disparage candidates. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of expression; teachers expressing their political opinions in class could result in influencing students to vote for a particular candidate. Because teachers are regarded as highly intelligent, students
In the previous election, only 60 percent of the country’s 232 million eligible voters voted. If teachers discussing politics in class or merely encouraging students to go out and vote could increase that low number, then teachers should be encouraged to teach their students about politics. Cherry Hill East Principal Dr. Dennis Perry expressed his opinion on the matter in writing, mandating that teachers refrain from expressing their political opinions in their classrooms. An individual's right to freedom of speech, as previously mentioned, is guaranteed by the Constitution; however, that does not necessarily transfer to government employment. An employee of the school district pontificating on his or her political opinions could be construed as the opinion of the school district or the school itself. Nonetheless, students deserve to Dani Shoshany (‘17)/ Eastside Staff be educated on politics and thus their said about each candidate’s teachers should be allowed strengths and weaknesses, teach them about such in an so I didn’t feel that she was unbiased manner. After all, biased and it was interAmerica is nothing without esting,” said Sarah Zheng its right to education. (’20).
SPORTS
May 2017
EASTSIDE
Page 19
Goculdas remains first singles for fourth year What’s ■ By Jacob Kernis (‘20)
Eastside Staff
Rahul Goculdas (‘17) has been the definition of athletic excellence at Cherry Hill East, having been the number-one singles tennis player on the Varsity team since his freshman year. back in India. The senior won the Camden County Championship in 2015 and 2016, was named FirstTeam All Conference, and is ranked number 22 in the USTA Middle States Section. Although he may seem like a natural talent, Goc-
uldas’s tennis expertise goes all the way back to elementary school. Starting at the young age of about five or six, he was a three-sport athlete playing tennis, soccer and swimming. However, in middle school, his parents made him choose one to focus on. He said he chose tennis because he believed he had the best chance to be great. His mother was a badminton player and his father was a table tennis player, so racket sports run in the family. In sixth grade, Goculdas’s parents decided to take him to Nassau Tennis Club, a high-performance training facility where they train the top players from the area. “ T h e coach liked me a lot and he let me train with the top guys. And from there my game just kind of took off,” said Goculdas about his time at Nassau. The decision by his parents, he believes, partially contributes to the reason why he is so successful. The greatest reason for his tennis success are his constant work ethic and his preparation. During his pre-game routine, he will visualize the court he is playing on and will visualize hitting the perfect
ball. So when he gets into that situation, he knows what it will look like and he knows how to react. As well as his visualization, his rigorous weight training has gotten him a stronger serve and forehand, which he believes is his biggest strength in his tennis skill. While his tennis strengths outweigh his weaknesses, he says his biggest weakness could be the greatest strength of others; his competitive nature could sometimes get to his
emotions. “Sometimes if I lose a tough point, I’ll get mad and then I [have] to focus my energy on the next point. I’m still kind of working on moving on from a bad point and getting ready to play the next point perfect,” said Golcudas. This small weakness is barely anything compared to his tennis prowess. Although one would think a First Team AllConference singles player would prefer to play singles, Goculdas said he prefers playing doubles. Goculdas said, “I like the whole idea of a team in dou-
Photo courtesy of Rahul Goculdas (‘17)
Rahul Goculdas (‘17) plays in a tennis match during his junior year, his third year playing first singles for East’s Varsity team.
bles, and contributing from each other. I find doubles more enjoyable, although I like both. I only play singles at East because I believe I can make the team the most successful if I am playing the top spot.” He gets his inspiration to be a leader and to always be the number-one player from his favorite player, Rafael Nadal. Goculdas said, “I model my game after him and he’s just a fighter, a competitor… He’s a very humble guy, but he fights very hard.” Nadal’s behavior transferred to Goculdas, as he always has had the “team comes first” mentality. He believes it’s his job to lead the team to be successful, and every player is no greater than the rest. “First singles is just as important as second doubles, every match counts for 20 percent of the outcome. In importance,we are all equal; all seven guys are the same,” said Goculdas. Before he leaves for TCNJ to major in business and play tennis, he wants his legacy at East to be as a captain, leader by example and contributor to the team and the tennis program. Goculdas said, “I want people not only to remember me as a leader and a captain, but someone who could contribute to the team… Just being a great motivator and a leader [who] comes in every day with focus and determination… I want people to think of me as an example of someone they would like to be.”
Vaupen performs on the field and behind stage ■ By Drew Hoffman (‘18)
Eastside Sports Editor
Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders shined in two different sports. Troy Aikman and Tom Brady were picked in the MLB Draft before deciding to play football. Multi-sport athletes are not out of the norm. But a multi-faceted athlete? Ben Vaupen (‘17) is no stranger to this life of variation. Throughout high school, he has managed to be an integral part of the boys’ lacrosse team as one of its goalies, as well as a stage crew member for East theatrical productions. Bo Jackson was a stud in baseball and football. Vaupen shines on the field and behind stage. By doing both activities, Vaupen has made a time commitment that involves little sleep and finding the smallest opportunities to complete assignments. “There are some nights where I’m here until 10:30 [p.m.] and it’s really about time management,” he said. “I enjoy what I do and I’m willing to sacrifice being here [late].” Celebrations and memories are everlasting in sports and the arts, and due to Vaupen’s double lifestyle, he is able to experience the joy of accomplishments in both facets. “There’s not really a better feeling than doing a successful show,” said Vaupen. “I also really enjoyed playing lacrosse this year as a
senior. Being a team leader my niche in lacrosse.” managing a lot more kids, is an enjoyable experience.” His commencement of doing a lot of different acVaupen’s passion for stage crew is quite differtivities, so it requires a lot both activities has made ent, as he began just a few more focus and communihis high school experience years ago. cation,” he said. “Lacrosse an excitis a very fast-moving ing and sport, so you always breathhave to be on your taking toes. It’s all about one. He communication behas been tween the two.” up close The differences and perbetween stage crew s o n a l and lacrosse are very w i t h noticeable, especially m a n y with the pace of play. accom“Lacrosse is a lot plishfaster paced and rements of quires a lot more onthe two your-toes movement. activiAt stage crew you ties. He have a lot more time. has been It tends to start about a part two months in adof the vance,” he said. Theatre It is rare to find Departthe duo of lacrosse ment’s and stage crew that victory Vaupen possesses. It w i t h has become common R a g for a person to choose time, as the athletic route or well as the artistic route. He East lachose both. He decidEmelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor ed to expand his array crosse’s first play- Ben Vaupen (‘17) works back stage on a set while of extra-curriculars. off win in sporting his East lacrosse apparel. His advice for students team hiswho are thinking about tory just last year. “Freshman year I was taking both routes? His passion for lacrosse approached by a senior say“I definitely recommend does not stem from recent ing I should join stage crew. doing both. Even if you do years, however, as he has I fell in love with it,” said the fall show and a spring been running the field for Vaupen. sport, or vice versa, definitequite some time. Since sixth While the activities are ly try and explore all your grade to be exact. completely different in options. You don’t even Vaupen said, “As a young stature, they do share some have to just do sports and kid I started playing lasimilarities. Vaupen has theatre. There are so many crosse and I definitely knew found that both require options to make [your] high I wanted to play a sport in much leadership. school experience as enjoyhigh school. I just found “For stage crew you are able as possible.”
“Drew” in sports?
■ By Drew Hoffman (‘18) Eastside Sports Editor
This past spring break, I was able to travel to Spain to visit my sister, who is studying abroad in Madrid. I had the opportunity to attend a soccer match, and it was an experience unlike any I have ever had. I visited Estadio Vicente Calderón to see a UEFA Champions League match between Leicester City and Atlético Madrid. The defending Premier League champions were facing the Spaniards in the first leg of the quarterfinals. The atmosphere at the stadium was energetic for the whole 90 minutes, and many of the fans never took a seat. It is an experience that no one can witness in the United States, and after attending my fair share of sporting events here, I can attest that it is an accurate statement. For this reason, I would love for soccer to become a bigger deal in the U.S. The unity of the Spanish fans and the nonstop passion makes for an unforgettable experience. While the MLB, NFL, NHL and NBA always give something for people to talk about, it would be awesome for the MLS to join the discussion. Soccer is an internationally played sport, so why is the United States struggling to display its importance? The unity and emotion of the fans at the Spanish soccer match supersede any sports environment in the United States. There was clapping, flag waving and chanting. There was jumping, singing and screaming. The fan culture of European sports is like no other. Yes, the MLS is experiencing a peak in interest and attendance, but it needs to grow exponentially to get to the size of success of the English Premier League or La Liga. Well-known players such as David Villa and Ashley Cole have already made the leap from Europe to the MLS. It is time for international superstars to do the same. Soccer is a popular sport worldwide, and it would be extraordinary if the MLS began to compete with star-studded European leagues. The attitude towards the teams is too energetic and lively to not become popular in the U.S. Teams like the Los Angeles Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls have had their fair share of recognition, but not enough. If you have the opportunity to attend a soccer match in Europe, I recommend going. It is a life-altering experience that will make you rethink soccer’s place in the United States.
SPORTS
May 2017
EASTSIDE
Page 20
New softball coaches Peifer and Brown strive for success
all of the girls, any kind of fundraising and issues that might go on outside of the field,” PeThis spring, East’s softifer said. “It’s a lot more ball team gained two new than just your team now.” coaches who are also proEspecially this year, gram leaders: Mrs. Jennifer Peifer and Brown are rePeifer and Mr. Mike Brown. sponsible for a team that Peifer and Brown are has expanded significantly. working together to lead “There were 24 kids both the Junior Varlast year total, now sity and Varsity teams we have 45 to 48 kids this softball season. this year,” Brown said. Although Peifer and As Peifer and Brown took Brown have not coached over the softball program, East’s softball team in a t h e few years, coaches both coachm a d e es have a few had prior changes experience t h a t that pret h e y pared them hoped to take would on their brightnew roles. en up “I played t h e [softball] t e a m all the and will way from foster a third grade Photo courtesy of Rachel Mindel (‘17) strong, through healthy my first Peifer and Brown stand with their Varsity softball team. b o n d year of colTogether, Peifer and between teammates. lege,” Peifer said. Brown have led the entire “The upperclassmen are Brown also shares softball team, which is difmentoring an underclasssimilar experience, having ferent from any position man [each],” Peifer said. played baseball beginning at they have previously held The mentoring systhe age of six until he was 35. in the softball program. tem is being implementBoth Peifer and Brown “You’re responsible for ed this year as a way of have also had prior ■ By Sarah Vetesi (‘17)
Eastside Staff
coaching experience. “I coached softball one year a long time ago at West,” said Peifer. “I also coached the freshman, JV and Varsity [softball] teams at East most of my years here, about 12 years.” Brown has also had experience coaching at East. “I’ve coached football here from 2000 until 2007, I’ve coached wrestling here for the past 18 years, and I’ve coached boys’ and girls’ track,” Brown said.
Photo courtesy of Rachel Mindel (‘17)
Peifer watches a softball game from the sidelines. helping the team bond to form a cohesive team in a friendly environment. “We’re making [the team] more of a family than anything else,” Peifer said. Both Peifer and Brown aim to make this year of softball the best they can for the entire team and are coaching the girls with positive mindsets. “It’s all about making sure [the team] is having fun and that they’re successful at the sport they play,” Peifer said. Kalyssa Nufable (’18), a member of the Varsity
team, looked forward to the season under Peifer and Brown’s direction. “Because softball is such a mental game, with less pressure from our coaches to play well, we... play better,” Nufable said. As Peifer and Brown took the reins of the softball teams this season, both coaches looked forward to a successful season with a strong and close-knit Varsity and Junior Varsity teams. “We want[ed] to bring the fun back in [softball],” Peifer said. “We want[ed] to make memories.”
Monczewski serves as a leader on and off the court ■ By Brianna DiSanti (‘20)
Eastside Staff
He started off as a young freshman playing basketball at East, and now, three years later, he leads the volleyball team with his array of talents and his vast knowledge of the sport. His teammates depend on him to score a winning strike, and he delivers. In return, his teammates respect him and listen to his suggestions. Captain Mike Monczewski (‘17) started his volleyball career as a sophomore after being recruited by the Junior Varsity coach, Jeff Beran, at the end of his freshman year. Monczewski said he only played volleyball in school at this point in his career; he was always in the DiBart Gym. “At first I did not like it at all. I came in for like two weeks and then I quit because I thought it was the stupidest sport,” said Monczewski. In the spring of his soph-
omore year, he quit, but little did he know he would turn out to be one of the top players in New Jersey. He is best known for his kills when he plays. “Kills” refers to when a good hitter on the left side of the court hits the ball so hard that it becomes “unreturnable”. He is number one in the state of New Jersey for his kills. This allows him to score many points for his team, and he assists them in getting the points necessary to win. However, Monczewski is not just a great player; he is also a great leader and great friend to people on and off the court. Due to his recent injury, he will not be able to help his teammates physically, but he will still contribute to their mentality on game days. “Mike is a great guy off the court, he's easy to talk to and super friendly. Anyone can converse with him without difficulty and he helps out with problems. He's definitely good for
confidence and is a supportive guy,” said Sidhant Subramanian (‘17). Subramanian, Monczewski’s teammate and friend, is leading the state in assists, but he likes to credit Monczewski for these statistics. Monczewski feels Subramanian and Eric Kim (‘17), who is in the top three for his “digs,” or passes, deserve credit for their accomplishments alongside him. To Kim, Monczewski’s work ethic inspires him to play volleyball better. His coach, Mr. Brian Zaun, speaks very highly of his team and Monczewski. “I'm happy to have had these players for three years, and I am making tremendous improvements with them. Mike is our team's leader,” said Zaun. “I can't really ask [for] more from a player.” Monczewski’s friends think of him as down to earth and a goofball. He inspires them to never give
up and to be kind. His close friend Donald Walter (‘17) said that he inspires him very much to become a better person and be nice to people without knowing them. Subramanian said that he inspires him to never give up and that Monczewski is an East legend. Monczewski is planning to attend Alevernia University to play volleyball. He is planning on majoring in sports management in college. The team hopes to advance far into playoffs and in turn, achieve more as a team than they did last year. MonPhoto courtesy of Mike Monczewski (‘17) czewski will lead his teammates Mike Monczewski (‘17) prepares from the sideline. for a game before his injury.
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