www.eastside-online.org
Vol. 54 No. 5
Cherry Hill High School East: 1750 Kresson Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
May 2022
MR. WORLDWIDE.
At the first in-person Mr. East since 2019, Jonathan Caldes is crowned Mr. East 2022, followed by Mr. Softee (Marcus Newman) and Mr. Countryman (Daniel Arougheti)
Lucas Tang (‘23)/ Eastside Staff
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Guidance counselors work beyond office Pg. 5
A day in the life of Mayor Shin Angulo Pg. 12
Girls Relay Team dominates at Nationals Pg. 16
NEWS
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EASTSIDE
May 2022
Multicultural Day returns live after a two-year hiatus ■ By Bella Levin (‘22)
Eastside News Editor
For the first time since April 2020, Cherry Hill High School East hosted an in-person Multicultural Day (MCD) celebration. Since September, the committee of students has been working alongside culture club leaders in order to ensure success. Co-Presidents Elliana Tonghini (‘22) and Sara Rozengarten (‘22) were excited to lead such a special event at East. On April 14, students gathered in the auditorium to watch various performances themed “A Journey Through History,” which were presented by five of the many East culture clubs. In addition to this, booths were set up in the East Gym and DiBart Gym, allowing students to explore and even try cuisines from the different participating culture clubs. In order to guarantee a successful in-person experience of the day at East, the committee had to plan tire-
lessly. “A lot of time and communication went into planning for MCD between state crew, club presidents and committee members making sure everyone was on track,” Tonghini said. As compared to the online celebration and partial in-person booths last year, Tonghini and Rozengarten hoped to bring back the tradition of MCD, as most of the school had not experienced one at East yet. “A great portion of the students at East don’t know or appreciate the time that the clubs put into their booths and dances, so this year it [was] important to bring back awareness to make MCD as special as it once was,” Tonghini said. Ultimately, MCD consisted of beautiful performances, delicious food and a unique experience for students to take with them wherever they go. After returning this year, East awaits many more years of MCD talent and excitement.
Lucas Tang (‘23)/ Eastside Staff
MCD members gather for the final results of the competition.
Lucas Tang (‘23)/ Eastside Staff
Vinayak Chidrawar (‘23) concludes the ICS show with a leap over dancers. Lucas Tang (‘23)/ Eastside Staff
KCC performers smile backstage before their final performance.
Lucas Tang (‘23)/ Eastside Staff
VCC forms several formations in their hat dance to wow the crowd.
Lucas Tang (‘23)/ Eastside Staff
AACC members Kristin Maye (‘24) and Brian Mordi (‘22) come together on stage for a vocal duet.
Brillian Fu (‘22) stuns the crowd in the CSA performance.
Traditional percussion members introduce the KCC performance with a powerful presentation filled with energy.
Lucas Tang (‘23)/ Eastside Staff
Lucas Tang (‘23)/ Eastside Staff
NEWS
May 2022
EASTSIDE
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Cherry Hill East prepares for the 2022 Senior Prom ■ By Jiwoo Lee (‘24)
Eastside News Editor
The senior class will host their last formal dance of their high school experience on June 2, 2022. With the location set at the Crystal Tea Ballroom in Philadelphia, the senior class student government association (SGA) invites their class for a night of elegance. As the graduating class concludes one of their last East events with prom, Kyler Pitre (‘22), senior class president, comments on their optimum effort in planning and coordinating the event. The senior class SGA recently wrapped up their prom meetings with sever-
al events and gifts planned ahead. The class officers had coordinated a professional photographer, a photo booth and free parking for their senior peers to enjoy. Pitre said the senior class SGA planned with the goal to make prom a memorable and gratifying yet affordable experience. From high-quality photos to easy parking, the seniors also ensured the ticket sales to be as minimal as possible, this year costing $100 per person. The location has
been set in Philadelphia since the Class of 2022’s junior year, as it was a venue they visited and were immediately drawn to. Pitre said, “It was a pretty obvious choice for our prom the past years.” He said the vast difference in size of the venue compared to prior dances attracted their decision of location. The Crystal Tea Ballroom assuredly accommodates the whole class and dates indoors with food and activi-
ties down in the city. After last year’s outdoor venue at The Flying W in Medford, NJ, East seniors are looking forward to a more traditional prom in their last few weeks as students at Cherry Hill East. With high expectations for a beautiful scenery, Pitre and his fellow SGA officers hold high hopes for the night as well, looking forward for the class to get together dressed in their best attire. As Pitre comes close to unveiling the result of months’ planning, he said, “I just want to make it the best it can be… I’m hype.” The rest of the class shares his excitement. Marcus Newman (‘22)/ Eastside Art Editor
It’s almost here...
Eastside’s Senior Issue Issue. And it will knock your socks off. (Not wearing any socks? Well, you should be. This isn’t the beach, you know.)
FEATURES
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EASTSIDE
■ By Brielle Lampf (‘23) and Aiden Rood (‘23) Eastside Online Opinions Editor and Eastside Features Editor
Have you ever felt like no matter how hard you work, no matter how hard you try, you are unable to reach your goals? For many, this might call to mind struggles such as those of ethnic minorities to obtain equality, or of women to similarly reach for equal opportunities. But for some, this scenario manifests itself in the form of medical disabilities impacting educational equity. In that case, a 504 plan can offer a solution. For those who have a 504 plan, accommodations are provided that allow for equity in the classroom, giving all students opportunities to succeed. Some examples of this may include extra time on tests and quizzes, homework extensions and even audio systems for those who are hard of hearing. It could extend to physical accommodations around the building, too. Ultimately, 504 plans can aid people with both mental and physical health challenges. “It’s our job to make sure that we equal out the playing field,” said Mr. Aaron Edwards, an assistant principal at Cherry Hill High School East for the Class of 2024. At East, each grade level’s assistant principal oversees the administration of 504 plans for students in their grade. Additionally, they run the committee that reviews requests for students to get a 504 plan. As such, Edwards understands the importance of equalizing educational opportunities for all students. The term “504 plan” comes from the Rehabilita-
tion Act of 1973, a U.S. federal law enacted to protect the rights of people who face medical challenges. According to the pediatric health-focused nonprofit Nemours, “[Section 504] is designed to help parents of students with physical or mental impairments in public schools, or publicly funded private schools, work with educators to design customized educational plans.” The creation of 504 plans provides schools with a system for following the legal requirements of the Rehabilitation Act. One freshman with a 504 plan said, “It’s definitely easier for tests because I get my extra time… I can [also] get two extra days on long-term projects.” This student is one of 3.3 million students (per the Centers for Disease Control or CDC) aged 12-17 who has been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disor-
der). He said that his 504 plan has proved to be beneficial with his transition entering high school. A 504 plan can also aid those with physical challenges, such as mobility or hearing impairments. Edwards said that in order for a student with a hearing challenge to have access to the curriculum, teachers could be required to “wear an FM system [also known as a frequency modulation system, helping people with hearing in noisy environments] or else [the student is] not able to receive that information. So without that FM system, that child wouldn’t be able to…access that curriculum because he can’t hear and process the information that the teacher is stating in class.” Others might need help getting to classes, such as through elevator access.
Teachers can also have 504 plans; for example, a teacher may also have hearing-related needs, and accordingly, must be
provided with accommodations such as a room with better acoustics to teach in. Teachers can get a plan by submitting documentation to the district’s central administration. A 504 plan is not available to every student. In order to be eligible for a 504 plan, a student must present evidence of a medical diagnosis and show a disconnect in regards to accessing information from the curriculum. At East, after receiving documentation of these facts, the student’s guidance counselor, grade level assistant principal, parents and other teachers will then meet to discuss appropriate accommodations for the student. Grade-level committees are formed, which include t h e
aforementioned participants as well as students in some cases. Those committees make a decision as to whether a student should be granted a plan. Edwards also said that in some cases, 504 plans will be granted to students who sought but
May 2022
did not qualify for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), which has more advanced accommodations. It is much more difficult for students to qualify for this plan. With a wide range of medical conditions existing that make 504 plans beneficial, from test anxiety to physical impairment, they are a relatively common part of the educational environment at Cherry Hill East. Nonetheless, there remains a need for more knowledge, understanding and acceptance of this form of accommodation. One junior shared her experiences with a 504 plan. “I feel like there is a little bit of a stigma around [having a 504 plan]. People don’t know how common it is. A lot of people have it – you just wouldn’t know. Before I got it, I didn’t even really know what it was. I thought this wasn’t going to look good for college or people are going to think I have some sort of issue, but you know... it’s just to
help you feel better.” 504 plans play an important role in the creation of equitable opportunities for students to learn and after they graduate. Whether it be helping a student with anxiety get through a big test without panicking or just making sure a student can physically get to their classes, U.S. law uses 504 plans to protect students who are struggling with medical challenges.
“It’s our job to make sure that we equal out the playing field,” said Mr. Aaron Edwards, assistant principal. U.S law uses 504 plans, established in section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, to help students with medical needs. Art by Melissa Vital (‘23)/ Eastside Art Director
FEATURES
May 2022
EASTSIDE
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Gamel works as the man behind the emails ■ By Vivian Rong (‘23)
Eastside Online News Editor
Throughout the week, Cherry Hill High School East students receive hundreds of emails, including many from East’s guidance department. These emails are meant to provide students with more information when it comes to colleges, jobs and summer
subject titles from “Employment Opportunity” to “Merchant Marine Activity Info,” Gamel tries to reach the different interests and needs of the East student body. “We all focus on emotional, mental health concerns, and then career, college planning,” said Gamel, in terms of the duties of all guidance counselors at
Heidi Kwak (‘24)/ Eastside Photo Editor
Mr. Darren Gamel provides East students with important information through email. opportunities. The man behind the emails, Mr. Darren Gamel, provides East students with the information he thinks may be useful to them. With emails including
East. Every East counselor specializes in helping their assigned students with emotional and mental health issues, as well as with high school and col-
lege planning. In addition to those responsibilities, counselors are also involved in larger projects that look at all students as a whole, such as counseling groups. For Gamel, his other focus is with Naviance. This includes solving problems that students, parents and teachers have with the program, and emails are one part of this larger picture. “In terms of summer programs, scholarships, all that stuff, I just tend to send out pretty much all of them… which parents tend to love but students usually do not love so much,” said Gamel. He has also heard rumors from students that pre-programmed machines send out these emails. “I found out that some students think I am not real, they think it’s just a robot or a spambot,” said Gamel. In addition to taking care of the Naviance program at East, Gamel, with Mr. Bert Figueroa, has also designed a free summer program to help incoming East seniors with the Common App. “They’re pretty much 85% complete with the Common App, so it takes a lot of stress and pressure off of them heading into senior year,” said Gamel. Gamel is also responsible for a portion of the social media activities of East guidance — mainly the East guidance department’s Twitter account (@ CHEGuidance). He is also one of the coordinators for
AP Exams at East and is hoping to run a counseling group next year with Figueroa. “Mr. [Figueroa] and I tried to do [group counseling] four or five years ago, but it just wasn’t successful during that time,” said Gamel. Gamel hopes to take a different approach next year going into it, to see an increase in usage amongst students. For group counseling, Gamel hopes to focus on general topics, such as social and emotional problems. “Sometimes groups are really specific, like groups [for] students dealing with loss, loss of a loved one, friend, or loss in terms of a divorce. Sometimes they’re anxiety-focused. I think our intention right now is to just keep it a general group,” Gamel said. Gamel also looks at athletic eligibility, such as making sure athletes are able to participate in their high school seasons. He also helps students with the requirement process for student-athletes looking to pursue their athletic careers beyond East. In terms of sending emails to students, Gamel looks for college summer programs, pre-college programs and other programs that may be beneficial for students. “I’ll send out anything that seems like our students and our community might be interested in and something that usually carries a benefit for students,”
said Gamel. He especially takes an interest in programs that offer college credit, free programs and programs that allow juniors to experience what it’s like to live on a college campus. Furthermore, he informs students and parents of free SAT, AP and ACT practices. Because many students at East work jobs afterschool and on weekends or are looking for a place to work, Gamel informs students about job opportunities, which are usually local ones. Gamel said, “People approach me, like swim club managers or people who are looking for lifeguards.” In addition, Gamel keeps his eye peeled for scholarship opportunities for students, which he believes could be beneficial for anyone attending college. Gamel provides beneficial opportunities for the entire East community through direct emailing, but he is much more than the man behind the emails.
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FEATURES EASTSIDE
May 2022
Student burnout remains a prevalent issue ■ By Sophia Liu (‘24) and Alena Zhang (‘23)
Eastside Online STEM Editor and Eastside Features Editor
“It’s difficult to deal with the disappointment I have for myself because I feel like I can do better.” “People tend to flaunt the fact that they have multiple honors classes…To feel like I was smart and fit in, I took almost all honors classes too.” “If you’re in high [level] classes and get no sleep you’re praised. If you get no sleep [because of] stress and have bad grades you are ‘lazy.’” A recent Eastside survey with 224 responses from the Cherry Hill High School East student body revealed that there is a deeply ingrained culture in the stu-
dent population of academic burnout. Academic burnout is described as a state of mental, emotional and physical exhaustion, caused by the stress of school, which may eventually lead to a loss of motivation. Some of the side effects include exhaustion, feelings of anxiety and increased stress levels, according to the National Library of Medicine. 58.5%, a majority of student respondents, said that their workload was heavy and 19.2% said it is too heavy. Additionally, 46.9% of East students have three to four hours of homework on weekdays, which does not include extracurricular activities and other obligations outside of school. “I just started having enough work to fill up my entire day and [felt] like I didn’t have enough time to do anything other than eating or sleeping,” said Harry Turner (‘23). Students at East are also
no stranger to sacrificing sleep to balance their extracurriculars and schoolwork after a busy day. On the average school night, a majority of East students do not sleep the recommended 8 to 10 hours for teenagers. In fact, 72.3% of students get between five to seven hours of sleep and 18.8% of students get between two and four hours of sleep on a typical school night. However, it is important to raise the question of if this academic burnout stems solely from external factors. In a culture where elevated standards seem to contribute to students’ restless nights and exhaustion just as much as difficult coursework and curriculum, academic validation is internally prized among many high school students. “I’ve overworked myself a lot because there is a lot of expectation that I put on myself to be the best I can p o s sibly b e … My parents instilled t h a t in me, but… it kind of morphed into an unachievable standard for myself,” said Shivani Hirata-Chandran (‘23). The stigmatization of Rlevel and A-level classes at East continues to reinforce the high expectations that students have for themselves. “Taking [an] A-level class is 100% definitely looked down upon,” said an anonymous sophomore. “I always feel embarrassed to say that I’m in Algebra 2A.” This negative outlook that is sometimes perpetrated by students can unconsciously contribute to students taking on too many honors and AP classes “I want to take a bunch of AP classes next year, not for myself, but because everyone else around takes them,” said a sophomore. “Do what you know you’re good at and what you like,” said Mrs. Jennifer DiStefano, East’s Student Assistance and Anti-Bullying
Specialist. “Why would you sacrifice working so hard at something that you know will just cause frustration, if you [won’t reach] the success that you think you should have?” The competitiveness of students may make it seem like more of an acceptable environment to take on extreme workloads. “To feel like I was smart and fit in, I took almost all honors classes, too, which greatly [affected] my abilities to perform well in other classes especially after coming out of COVID,” said an anonymous student. Often, when students take harder courses, it can lead to exhaustion and stress that extend beyond the classroom. “I have a lack of energy in other areas of my life,” said Turner. Switching classes in return for a lighter workload is also an option to directly deal with the stress and consuming nature of academics. “The workload of all my classes at the beginning of the year was too much, so I dropped APUSH II. I could have chosen to put in the extra hours of homework and sacrifice my free time, but I did not want to. I want to put more energy into tennis and recreation than school,” said Zachary
Van Meter (‘23). The startling reality is that 87.9% of students feel that experiencing burnout is normalized, and this culture may not be able to be
mindset,” said Hope Xu (‘22). Integrating smart study habits and reducing procrastination can help with managing stress from
changed quickly. “The burnout in my life was something I didn’t even realize,” said Rowan Thompson (‘25). “This was how my life was lived… my whole school life.” “I’m just super tired. After four years of trying my best [in high school]…it’s just hard to maintain it. Once college applications ended, I didn’t know how to go back to my normal
workloads. However, the internal and external pressures to excel have less definite solutions in terms of handling burnout. Most importantly, when dealing with academic burnout, it is vital for students to find ways to recharge. Three out of four students at East said they have a way to relieve stress. Making time for outside pursuits and finding a support network, including trusted teachers and the guidance department at East, can also help reduce the impact of academic burnout. DiStefano encourages students to take time to care for their physical and mental health. “We want [you to create] healthy habits so you can be mentally healthy,” said DiStefano. “If you’re on top of your game being healthy...then that burnout part and [lack of] motivation part will lessen.” Infographics by Sophia Liu (‘24)/ Eastside Online STEM Editor Art by Joachim Schwartz (‘22)/ Eastside Staff
CULTURE
May 2022
EASTSIDE
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Minority representation is critical in the film industry ■ By James Kwak (‘22)
Eastside Staff
We are what we watch. The stories that we see on the big screen may be larger-than-life, but they are meant to reflect a part of us. In some form or another, they connect back to how we view ourselves and the society we live in. As a result, the way that representation is broadcasted on film is crucial to being a part of a more inclusive world. For kids, it is vital to not only see somebody that looks like them, but to also be able to connect with these characters. In 2020, this connection was more readily avail-
able. According to a study by UCLA on 185 movies in 2020, the proportions of people of color as lead actors and in the total cast — 39.7% and 42%, respectively — were similar to the proportion of the American population, which is 40.3%. However, despite a more fair racial representation, women still only make up 26% of writers and just 20.5% of directors. Moreover, the LGBTQ+ community has continued to be underrepresented with very few leading roles with many calling out “tokenism” — doing something only to look inclusive — in small, side characters. Along with underrepresentation, there is also the
misrepresentation of minorities. Stereotypes and misconceptions about minorities are seen regularly in film, and it’s damaging, especially for younger kids. Movies, whether purely fantastical or based on true stories, leave a stamp on people, depicting how a person acts. Sometimes, these depictions are stereotypes, and many of these stereotypes are self-perpetuating or leave behind unconscious biases that seep through into our daily lives. More often than not, minorities are misrepresented. For example, women have been highly sexualized in Hollywood as they’re more than four times as likely to be shown in sexually reveal-
ing clothing as men, according to a nine-year study of 900 movies by the University of Southern California in 2017. However, there is a shift towards a more positive portrayal of minorities with Marvel being a forerunner in this. With releases of Black Panther and Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, minorities in younger generations can have superheroes to latch onto and see as role models. Additionally, Eternals, another Marvel production, shows a gay couple and a deaf superhero with the Academy Award-winning director, Chloe Zhao, leading this inclusive cast. As a result of this Eternals
buzz, there has been a 250 per cent spike in searches for “learn sign language for beginners” in the past year, according to a study by Preply. Although there’s still a lot to be done, minority representation in film is, dare I say it, on the right track. And it’s necessary for studios and writers to include more roles for those less represented to create that deserved sense of belonging. It’d be ignorant to suggest that film doesn’t have an effect on our selfconfidence and acceptance towards ourselves and others. Without consequential representation, we leave others behind and abandon a diversified society.
East students find local part-time job opportunities Marcus Newman (‘22)/ Eastside Art Director
■ By Julia Boehning (‘22) Eastside Online Features Editor
It’s the end of the school year. You sit at your computer, thoroughly scouring the internet for local job postings. “Best jobs for teens,” you type. No luck. “Local jobs for teens,” you add. For hours you sit in your room, tirelessly filtering through Indeed’s many job listings and Glassdoor employee reviews. For teenagers across the country who are looking for work, this scenario should be all too familiar. Finding a “first job” is often one of the most memorable aspects of the adolescent experience. However, this process can be very challenging. After having filtered out places that don’t hire students or pay poorly, there is often underlying pressure to find the “perfect” job. Fortunately, there are various job opportunities available in the Cherry Hill area. Whether at international chains or local businesses, many Cherry Hill East students have found the perfect job for them in some of the area’s most well-known establishments. For Kami Edens (‘24), a job at Springdale Farms was the perfect fit. Edens, who has worked since August of 2021, was only 15 when she applied. Initially, her age made it difficult for her to find work. However, this was not an issue when she applied to Springdale
Farms. “It’s really the only place in the area that hires young,” Edens said when asked about why she decided to work at Springdale Farms. Along with the low age requirement, she also said she cites a recommendation from a friend as her reasoning for her decision. Being Edens’ first job, she also said she was glad to have found somewhere to gain work experience without it being too challenging or stressful. “I thought it would be a great opportunity,” Edens said. As she spent more and more time working for Springdale Farms, she began to reap some of the many benefits of working there. Along with seeing the cycling-through of seasonal products and getting discounts on some baked goods, Edens said the experiences she gains while working there are some of the best aspects of the job. “Everyone has been super nice since I got there,” Edens said. “I haven’t had any bad experiences with anyone.” Although Edens has had a generally good experience working at Springdale Farms thus far, she said there are still some challenges to the job. Since her role at Springdale
Farms mainly deals with customer service, she said customer interactions are the most challenging aspect of her position. Despite this, Edens said she would still recommend working at Springdale Farms to other East students. Edens also said the best kind of person for a job at Springdale Farms is someone that knows plants, likes hard work, is okay with customer service and doesn’t mind getting their hands dirty. If you aren’t interested in working at a smaller business, such as Springdale Farms, many bigger chains in the area also hire students. For Tre Spier (‘22), international movie theater
chain AMC was a better fit for him. Spier, who has worked at AMC since October of 2021, said his decision to work there was simple. “My dad really loves movies, and he told me he wanted me to work [at AMC] so he could get free tickets,” Spier said jokingly. After his dad’s advice, Spier also said he applied and promptly got the job. Because AMC is such a large company, they offer many benefits to employees like Spier. From free movie tickets to 50% off concessions, perks to a job at AMC lie at the corporate level. However, Spier said the positives of working there span beyond these benefits.
“It’s just a really good work environment,” Spier said. As someone involved in many extracurriculars at East, he also said their flexible scheduling was one of the best parts of the job. Despite the positive aspects of working at AMC, there are still many challenges. Much like Edens, Spier also cited customer service issues as one of the more challenging parts of working there. “There can be a lot of rushes where it gets busy, and then people get angry,” Spier said. Spier also said COVIDrelated shortages have caused customers to get upset at AMC employees. Although these challenges can make the job difficult for Spier, he said he would still recommend working at AMC to other East students. “You definitely have to be a people person and enjoy talking to people..., and, know about movies,” he said when asked about what type of person would enjoy working at AMC. Whether desperately looking for a first job or just looking to save some money, finding work can be an arduous task. However, with just a little bit of searching the community and looking to local hot spots in town, many East students will find local jobs that work for them. Art by Katherine Li (‘23)/ Eastside Culture Editor
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EASTSIDE
■ By Aiden Rood (‘23), Brielle Lampf (‘23) and Lauren Winslow (‘23) Eastside Features Editor, Eastside Online Opinions Editor and Eastside Global Commentary Editor
You’ve
probably heard of the LGBTQ+ community before. Maybe you’ve seen a pride parade in town or had a family member come out to you. Maybe you even identify as LGBTQ+ yourself. But do you know what it means to be non-binary? Did you know that 26% of LGBTQ+ youth identify as non-binary? Has a friend ever asked you to refer to them using they/them pronouns? Whether you answered “yes” to any of these questions, are completely lost or are somewhere in between, keep reading to gain a better understanding of how people understand gender in our society today. What Does It Mean to Be Non-Binary? To understand the term non-binary, one must understand what “gender binary” means in the first place. The majority of people identify as either male or female. The prefix bi- means two, and so the word binary corresponds with the distinction between these two gender identities. But for millions of people globally, neither male nor female appropriately describes their gender. While they may be born with male or female as their biological sex, gender identity can be a separate distinction. When Eastside asked four non-binary and gender non-conforming students at Cherry Hill High School East to share what “non-binary” meant to them, there was a diverse set of responses. (Due to the sensitive nature of LGBTQ+ students’ identities, all student names were changed to pseudonyms, protecting the identities of nonbinary students who spoke with Eastside on the condition of anonymity.) River Goodwin (‘23) said that to them, being non-binary was “a neutral point” among a spectrum of many gender identities. “To me, it just means that I understand that things are [going to] change with how I feel about my gender in the future,” said Charlie Hawkins (‘23), who further explained that determining each day how they feel about their gender is an important part of their life. “It means that I don’t have to identify myself as a boy,” Blake Stephens (‘23) explained, saying that they had had a lot of discomfort with that identity in the past and that this personal definition of non-binary was more comfortable for them. Another student, Sam Porter (‘22), said that to them, non-binary means that “you don’t feel like you fit into the categories that society wants you to fit into.” In addition to personal perspectives, the medical and scientific communities have developed perspectives on non-binary identity as it relates to human psychology. In 2021, that year’s president of the American Psychological Association (APA), Dr. Jennifer F. Kelly, said, “There is a growing body of research that shows that transgender or non-binary gender identities are normal.” Further affirming the validity of non-binary and
transgender identities, Kelly said, “Attempts to force people to conform with rigid gender identities can be harmful to their mental health and well-being.” Ultimately, the word nonbinary means many different things to many different people. At its core, it is a recognition that for millions of people, who they are cannot be defined by simply being male or female. Understanding the Identity Spectrum In the LGBTQ+ community, there are many different identities: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender — the list goes on. Non-binary is one of those identities, and it, too, includes additional layers. Within the non-binary community, there is a whole spectrum of ways in which people can identify their gender. All of them center around the central idea that gender is not a simple determination of male or female. So what other ways do
May 2022
gender, but use the prefix “demi-” to indicate that they only partially or sometimes feel that way. These people often identify themselves as non-binary as well. Ultimately, there are far too many nuances to the spectrum of gender to list every possible term with which someone may identify. Gender identification is a complicated psychological experience, and an even more complex construct within American society. The term “non-binary” serves as an umbrella term that can represent every person who does not align with one binary gender or the other. Additionally, for some people “non-binary” can be an identity in itself, with no further specification needed beyond the fact that their gender does not fit within traditional gender norms. Goodwin, who described their gender identity as nonbinary, said, “I kind of just feel like this middle-ground neutral.” Presentation and Expression
“The word non-binary means many different things to many different people. At its core, it is a recognition that for millions of people, who they are cannot be defined by simply being male or female.” people define their gender? One gender identity that can fall within the non-binary spectrum is “agender.” People who identify as agender generally do not feel as though their identity aligns with any gender. Some agender people feel that they have no gender at all; others may not make that determination but still express themselves as gender-neutral. Another two non-binary gender identities are bigender and genderfluid. For bigender people, their gender can often be expressed as both male and female;
In today’s society, many feel pressured to present themselves as either female or male. For those who identify as non-binary, the idea of finding a way to present their gender to others can be a daunting task. Oftentimes, presentation of gender centers around how others perceive a person, which may not correlate with how they feel on the inside. Traditionally, there are certain characteristics that have been widely perceived as masculine or feminine: masculine muscular builds, feminine long hairstyles, and
“There is no [one] way to look non-binary,” said Sam Porter (‘22). ultimately, being bigender simply means that someone identifies with gender in two different ways. Genderfluidity, while similar, is more indicative of a shift that one person experiences between multiple gender identities. Someone may feel more masculine one day, and wish to express themselves more femininely the next. “It’s very fluid. I go through months where I’m severely uncomfortable with being seen as feminine, and then there are some months where I feel hyper-feminine,” Hawkins said of their experiences with fluctuations in gender identity. Additionally, some people identify with male or female
more. However, as explained by Porter, “there is no [one] way to look non-binary.” Non-binary people express themselves in all kinds of different ways, and may want to appear conventionally feminine, masculine or somewhere in between. “To me it’s very important to understand how I want to present for the day, because if I don’t present in the way that I feel on the inside, it makes me feel anxious and uncomfortable. It just feels like you’re in the wrong body,” said Hawkins. One of the ways people, including those who identify as non-binary, can express their gender is through how they
SPECIAL
May 2022
EASTSIDE
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Terms to Know Gender Identity
how one percieves their own gender, which can differ from the gender assigned at birth
dress. That can change from day to day, and may even serve as a helpful tool of exploration for those who are still trying to figure out their gender identity. Hawkins said, “I felt both like a boy and a girl at the same time, and I didn’t know how to express that, [and] it took me going to Goodwill and buying new clothes to figure it out.” Another method of gender expression can involve physical changes to a person. Some people may choose to change their hair — growing it out, cutting it or trying a new style — in order to present themselves in alignment with their feelings about gender. Others, especially among non-binary adults, may seek to alter their bodies, taking hormone treatments or getting genderconfirming surgeries, such as top surgery. For younger individuals, puberty blockers can be a treatment option that make no permanent body changes, but delay the onset of natural body developments that may contrast with one’s desired presentation. Advocates emphasize that identity and expression/presentation are not the same thing. While they are, of course, directly related and often aligned, some people may not be comfortable expressing themselves in a way that matches how they feel in terms of their identity. The Impact of Representation In recent years, more and more controversy has arisen over the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in the media. From controversy over LGBTQ+ dancer Jojo Siwa appearing on Nickelodeon, to debates in Florida over state law’s stance towards LGBTQ+ education, representation has faced increasing scrutiny. As a community that often lacks awareness and understanding from the general public, non-binary people are particularly impacted by battles over representation. In 2016, an Indiana woman’s story about the impact of representation went viral and garnered media attention. As a worker at a comic book store, she encountered a young LGBTQ+ woman who was looking for a copy
of Supergirl. Breaking down in tears had saved her life; after attempting suicide and experiencing severe mental health crises, she found new hope in the stories of LGBTQ+ people finding happiness that she saw on TV. “Representation matters more than ever as people turn to entertainment storytelling for connection and escape,” Sarah Kate Ellis, the president of the LGBTQ+ advocacy group GLAAD, said in 2021. With the COVID-19 pandemic and other societal trends increasing the influence of technology, she explained, so too is the importance of media representation increasing. Various forms of representation for non-binary people, and for LGBTQ+ people more broadly, have recently faced attacks. In 2021, according to the American Library Association, the book “Gender Queer” by Maia Kobabe was the most challenged book of the year. That means that across the country, teachers and librarians faced claims that the book was not appropriate for people to access and thus should be banned. The book specifically addresses Kobabe’s experiences with non-binary gender, as Kobabe uses the pronouns e/em/eir and does not identify as male or female. It has been removed from libraries across the country on the basis that its illustrations, which include depictions of LGBTQ+ people that some consider explicit, are inappropriate. “There are people for whom this is vital and for whom this could maybe even be lifesaving,” Kobabe said of eir book. Many other LGBTQ+ books, including those like Kobabe’s that address non-binary gender, have faced challenges and bannings in recent years. Additionally, the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in television, cinema and other forms of media has repeatedly stirred controversy. For non-binary people, the fight to include their voices and experiences in popular culture and media is an ongoing struggle. This, among other issues, can contribute to nonbinary people
feeling unwelcome. However, there are some hopeful developments. For example, popular music artists Sam Smith and Demi Lovato have come out as non-binary and used their platforms to advocate for equality. Seeing them living openly in the world may help create some of the positive impacts of representation that can otherwise be challenging for non-binary people to find. Pronouns: The How and the Why How can such little words make such a big impact? For non-binary people, personal pronouns can really matter. Because personal pronouns involve gender (“she” typically being female, “he” being male), using the pronouns that someone prefers can be important to affirming their gender. On the other hand, when people refuse to use non-binary individuals’ pronouns, harm can be inevitable. For many non-binary people, they/them pronouns work best. While those pronouns are also used to refer to multiple people at once, the gender-neutral use of they/them pronouns to refer to a singular person dates back as far as 1386, when it was first seen in English literature. When someone identifies as non-binary, they may not want to use he/him or she/her pronouns because those pronouns could suggest they identify with a gender that they really do not. Many others use a combination of pronouns, such as he/they or they/she. These combinations can indicate that someone is comfortable with multiple sets of pronouns, or that they would like to use gender-neutral pronouns but also are okay with gendered ones. When you encounter someone who uses multiple pronouns, it is best practice to try to incorporate each pronoun in different discussions involving that person. For example, one day you might say “Did Ryan pick up their things?” in one conversation, and “I thought Ryan would be back by now, where is she?” in another. Also, be sure to ask people how they prefer that you use their pronouns; each person’s experience is unique and deeply personal, so taking care to respect each person’s preferences can be validating. One additional type of pronouns that people have used for decades are called neopronouns. These include pronouns that go beyond he/she/ they, such as ze or e. People use these pronouns as an alternative to the options that exist in conventional English because that conventional language may not include pronouns that reflect how they feel.
Pronouns matter because their usage can impact the experiences of gender nonconforming people around you. And for some, it could even impact their mental health and their life as a whole. The Importance of Understanding In 2020, the Trevor Project, a nonprofit advocacy group, conducted a nationwide survey of LGBTQ+ youth. What they found was alarming — more than half of transgender and non-binary youth had seriously considered attempting suicide within the past year. In 2021, the survey was repeated; there was no improvement as once again, more than half of this marginalized group had considered suicide.’ Why are so many people — specifically kids, among the most vulnerable individuals in society — struggling so deeply? The answer can be surprisingly simple. In that same survey, the Trevor Project found a variety of ways to reduce the risk of suicide for gender non-conforming youth. LGBTQ+ youth who had their pronouns respected by the people around them were less likely to consider suicide, and also less likely to attempt it. The same was true of those who were able to change their name if desired, and LGBTQ+ youth who had access to welcoming spaces. Clearly, there are ways to protect LGBTQ+ youth. The persistence of their struggles can thus be attributed to the actions of some people in society who fail to provide that kind of support. If everyone respected young people’s pronouns, affirmed their identities and made them feel welcome, more LGBTQ+ youth would be alive today. That is the critical nature of the kind of understanding that can only be attained through a dedication to reading, learning, and talking about the experiences of non-binary people. If you can take what you read here today and expand upon it — asking questions, seeking information and providing support — the world will be a better place for millions of young people. They’re counting on you.
Non-Binary
a type of gender identity that is different from male and female
Gender Dysphoria
a medical condition where one feels uncomfortable with their body because their assigned sex differs from their gender identity
Gender Euphoria
the feeling of happiness one gets from feeling accepted and seen as their gender identity either from themselves or others
Gender Non-conforming
when one identifies outside of the gender binary, meaning they do not identify as male or female
Androgynous
having both male and female characteristics
Pronouns
words like “he,” “she” and “they” that identify specific people
To Misgender
when someone uses the wrong pronouns or otherwise treats them as a gender they do not identify with
To Present As
a visual expression of oneself as a specific gender identity, such as “presenting as male”
Questioning
Art by Melissa Vital (‘23)/ Eastside Art Director Terms to Know and Layout by Aiden Rood (‘23), Brielle Lampf (‘23) and Lauren Winslow (‘23)/ Eastside Editors
an experience of being unsure about one’s gender identity and seeking to determine it internally
EDITORIAL
Page 10
EASTSIDE
May 2022
Editorials represent the views and opinions of the Eastside Editorial Board.
Eastside Founded 1967
Changes in arts requirements affect East students New Jersey law states that in order for an elective to fall under the realm of a Visual and Performing Art, it must fit the strict criteria outlined in the state’s mission statement. New Jersey’s mission is “to empower students to develop creative and critical-thinking, social-emotional competencies, and intellectual and expressive abilities allowing them to become active, contributing members of a global society.” According to The Official Site of the State of New Jersey, all K-12 students are required to follow the state-mandated breakdown of credits in order to graduate and meet the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards. For those in grades 9 through 12 (starting with the class of 2023), a minimum of five Visual and Performing Arts credits must be filled through course selection in order to receive a state-endorsed diploma. Courses such as photography, graphic design, jewelry-making or costume design are only deemed acceptable visual art electives if they are taught by an educator certified in the specific artistic domain of the course they are teaching. Due to the necessary certification to teach respective courses, Cherry Hill East does not have some arts, sometimes found at other neighboring schools, available for their students to indulge in. Eastside feels that East students deserve a broader selection of Visual and Performing Arts classes to better prepare them for future interests and possible careers. With a jam-packed schedule filled with other state-required courses — 15 math credits; 15 science credits; 15 credits of social studies; 20 credits of English; 20 credits of health, safety, and physical education; 5 credits of world language, and more — where is the room to implement courses that pique the interests of each individual student? With Vi-
sual and Performing Art and 21st Century Life Skills as mandatory requirements to fill with five credits each, this limits students in their ability to broaden the horizon of courses they are taking. Some students argue these limitations hurt their chances of exploring specific areas of interest, designed to eventually help students select an ideal major for college. With these guidelines in place, there recently has been a change to the breakdown of what courses fall under the Visual and Performing Art category of classes at East. In previous years, East gave students a greater amount of freedom for what courses counted for this requirement because the state’s guidelines were looser. Many classes that used to count as Visual and Performing Arts classes no longer meet the requirements. For example, Journalism previously counted as a Visual and Performing Art due to the class’s units on photojournalism, editorial cartoons and design/layout. Many other classes, including Culinary Arts and Creative Writing, also no longer count for the requirement. Students would hope that the electives they take both interest them and help them toward meeting their graduation requirements. Mr. Bert Figuroa, a guidance counselor at East, said, “There are a good number of electives that don’t account for either [21st Century Life Skills or Visual and Performing Arts]. They are still great electives, but they just don’t fulfill the requirements of any specific category.” Psychology, Infectious Disease, Social Justice and American Law are among the many category-less electives. Classes like these range across a multitude of interesting topics -- some that could potentially spark a student’s interest in a future career. However, students may be discouraged from taking these
courses since they do not fall into a graduation requirement or they have no room in their schedules. Students also have a small selection of Visual and Performing Arts classes to choose from. Further limiting students’ choices of electives, many of the music classes require audition, thus excluding students who don’t have prior music experience. To make these classes equally available for all students, East should implement more beginner music classes targeted toward students who are new to the music field. Also, various Visual and Performing Arts classes have recently been cut from East. For example, drafting, sustainable design and woodshop are no longer offered. This is largely due to the fact that East did not hire teachers certified to teach in these areas. In some cases students were even misled by the courses they originally signed up for. Students who chose to take Small Engines found out on the first day they were actually taking a traditional art class due to East’s inability to secure an appropriately certificated teacher. If the purpose of Visual and Performing Arts classes is to empower students’ creativity, like the New Jersey mission states, how are students expected to discover their full potential of creative thinking with such limited courses? Furthermore, how are students supposed to explore their interests when they have limited room for classes other than their graduation requirements? Also, as a result of the graduation requirements packing students’ schedules, it has become very common for students to take online courses in order to free up room in their schedules. Specifically, students often opt to take physical education, health and history as an online course at their own expense. While East allows students to take online courses, there is only one half-year “Art Studies” course.
Mailing Address: Cherry Hill High School East 1750 Kresson Rd. Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 Phone: (856) 424-2222, ext. 2087 E-mail: To contact an editor, use firstname.lastname@ eastside-online.org, such as jacy.dickstein@ eastside-online.org Publisher: School Paper Express (Wappinger Falls, NY) The state should make more online art classes available for students so that they don’t feel the need to take core classes online. Eastside believes that NJ’s Visual and Performing Arts requirement should remain, as it provides many benefits to students. However, Eastside encourages the addition of more electives that fulfill the Visual and Performing Art requirement to help guide students into a future career path and grow their skillset. Eastside also encourages the state to update its outdated definition of what counts as an art class. The state’s creativity mission can only be achieved if students have full potential to explore their artistic skills beyond the limited art electives provided at East.
Eastside 2021-2022 Editorial Board Managing Editor: Jessica Levin Editors-in-Chief: Jacy Dickstein, Max Gaffin, Lalitha Viswanathan Online Editors-in-Chief: Alexa Atlas, Nicole Vital, Angelina Witting Adviser: Mr. Greg Gagliardi News Editors Tharunika Govindasamy Jiwoo Lee Bella Levin
Community Editors Jillian Koenig Lily Lazarus Ellie Noh
Features Editors Gia Gupta Aiden Rood Alena Zhang
Culture Editors Jamie Bookbinder Ziva Davis Katherine Li
Opinions Editors Ziv Amsili Emily Boyle
Sports Editors Amanda Merovitz Scout Pullano Abby Yu
Global Commentary Editors Batul El Barouki Lauren Winslow Art Directors Marcus Newman Melissa Vital
Photo Editors Heidi Kwak Yena Son
Online News Editor Vivian Rong Online Features Editor Julia Boehning Online Opinions Editor Brielle Lampf Online Global Commentary Editor Asher Boiskin
Business Managers Spencer DeAbreu Alex Levine
Online Community Editor Julia Rosten Online Culture Editor Inesa Linker Online Sports Editor Shayna Oppen Online STEM Editor Sophia Liu Media Editors Natalie Finkelstein Karina Gupta
Administrative Assistant Lauren Greenberg
Editorial Assistants Ella Goodstadt Izzy Sobel
OPINIONS
May 2022
EASTSIDE
Page 11
Teachers should re-examine their use of cold-calling ■ By Daniel Ovadia (‘25)
Eastside Staff
The same scene repeats itself in classrooms all across the world. The teacher asks a question. No student raises their hand, because they aren’t paying attention or simply, they don’t know the answer. The teacher needs the question answered, so they are forced to call on a student whose hand is not raised. This strategy to move the class along is known as “cold calling” by educators. English Learner (EL) education says cold calling is “an engaging and challenging yet supportive way to hold students accountable for answering oral questions the teacher poses.” To put it in simpler terms, it's calling on a student who doesn’t have their hand raised to make sure they pay attention. Most students have probably experienced some forms of it throughout their academic career. If one has ever had a teacher draw popsicle sticks to see who answers the question, or used the “popcorn method,” then
they have experienced cold calling. So why do teachers implement cold calling in their classrooms? Because they hate their students and want to embarrass them in front of the class? Unlikely. Instead, cold calling is usually utilized to create a platform where less confident students have the opportunity to speak. Another intention of cold calling is to create an environment where every student is held accountable for participating and paying attention to the lesson. Even with the best of intentions, cold calling can backfire and create a negative learning environment. One student, Nikhil Gopal (‘25), said, “It’s fine if they choose [cold calling] over no raised hands, but if they do it while other people are raising their hands just to prove that someone wasn’t paying attention, then they shouldn’t.” This encapsulates the
main complaint students have about cold calling. Too often, it is used for the sole purpose of calling out students who are not paying attention to the lesson. While it
to grapple with one specific problem when it comes to this topic: the bathroom usage of transgender and nonbinary people. If that sentence sounds a bit strange to you, I understand — it sounded the same to me as I wrote it. Why would we care? Wouldn’t it be awfully weird to delve into any details about a group of people and how they use the bathroom, much less to make a whole political debate out of it? And yet, that is what has occurred in our society. For gender non-conforming people, using the bathroom assosicated with their gender identity can often be a challenge, with discrimination and discomfort often present. One solution to the aforementioned problems can
be the creation of genderneutral bathrooms, which anyone is welcome to use. At Cherry Hill High School East, staff and administrators have done a great job of creating and maintaining this sign of a welcoming environment; we have no problem there. Unfortunately, not everyone has been so kind in their approach towards members of the LGBTQ+ community who simply want to access a toilet in peace like the rest of us. At East, there are allgender bathrooms on the first and second floor of the building’s B-wing. They’re almost always open, and consistently well-kept and stocked. Yet, despite this seemingly positive reality, gender non-conforming students continue to face
must be frustrating for teachers to have students who have their minds elsewhere, this is the wrong way to deal with it. It does not motivate students to pay attention, and if it does, it is only through fear. The only thing it really does is breed resentment between students and teachers. Over time, this can be detrimental to the learning environment. Critics also say that it doesn’t help engagement, only increasing anxiety in students. Some students disagree, insisting that cold calling is helpful so that students pay attention. Owen Speas (‘22) said, “I don’t see [cold calling] very much anymore, but it is a helpful tool to help people pay attention. Cold calling is mostly reserved for younger students, and is not present in a lot of upperclassman classrooms.” This makes sense because the younger the student, the more reinforcement they need to pay attention to the lessons. Just from this informa-
tion alone, it is easy to see that there is a split when it comes to cold calling. Cold calling is the status quo right now, but there are certain alternatives to cold calling that could be implemented into classrooms. One example is a classroom strategy called the Flipped Classroom. This way of teaching drastically cuts down lecture time, and instead focuses on students solving problems among themselves. This alternative approach does have some glaring drawbacks though. For example, some students will have trouble with a non-teacher-led lesson. Instead, this practice could be saved for higherlevel classes. Another, more attainable, solution is to have students pair up and discuss their answers. At the end of the discussion, the teacher can ask the teams to share what they came up with. This is a solution that reduces the anxiety of the students and the chances that someone does not know the answer.
unnecessary challenges. Namely, they often face harassment and ridicule simply for using this bathroom, which is supposed to be a safe haven from those negative forces. Regularly around the hallways of East, degradation of the all-gender restrooms can be heard. Some students brand the B-wing restrooms as the “tr---y bathroom,” making use of an offensive, transphobic slur. Others make fun of the space by branding it as one where students go to defecate, due to its nature as the school’s only student-accessible single-stall restrooms. Ultimately, it’s nearly impossible to make use of the gender-neutral restrooms at East without fearing the discrimination that
some students’ comments suggest will come along with that usage. There is only one way for this to change: students need to begin respecting their peers and helping to create a more welcoming environment when it comes to this issue. In other words: grow up. Stop treating people differently because they use a different bathroom than you. Learn to be accepting. Using the bathroom is something that every single person at East does. It should be comfortable, normal and nothing more. For those whose experiences with gender identity can make that a bit tougher, let’s come together to help ensure that everyone has the same positive experience.
Art by Katie Sullivan (‘25)/ Eastside Staff
Gender neutral bathrooms deserve more respect ■ By Aiden Rood (‘23)
Eastside Features Editor
Going to the bathroom: we all do it. As basic as drinking water or breathing air, using the toilet is a daily part of the human experience that our bodies demand of us. Unfortunately, some in this world still lack respect for the importance of the freedom to use the bathroom, and on occasion we still see headlines out there like “Amazon Denies Workers Pee in Bottles. Here Are the Pee Bottles.” (Yes, that was a real article in Vice News last year.) For the most part, though, we all understand that letting people use the bathroom when they need to is the right thing to do, no questions asked. Yet, Americans continue
There should be more consistency in nationalized courses ■ By Kiran Muttathil (‘23)
Eastside Staff
Gabrielle Hart (22)/ Eastside Staff
Advanced Placement. These two simple words grab the attention of ambitious high school students across the country when it comes time to select courses for the next year. In the hierarchy of high school classes, AP classes are often seen as the golden standard. These courses are marketed as the equivalents of college-leveled classes designed in a way that is accessible to high school students. Through the College Board, you can even take AP exams which allow you to receive college credits for certain courses before you start college (provided you get a passing score). However, these AP courses are not without their flaws. Although the national AP exams are standardized, the course material is far more flexible for AP teachers to interpret. Mr. Tom Rosenberg, an AP US History II teacher at East, explained that although there is a certification process for AP teachers to go through, the rest of the course is mostly dictated by the teacher. While College Board provides benchmarks for teachers to meet in terms of progress within the course material, all other aspects of an AP class are dependent on the teaching styles and methodology of the individual teacher. So long as all the material is covered in time for the exam, teachers are free to plan their lessons and teach as they see fit. Although this
flexibility provides teachers with more room to be creative and express their teaching styles in the classroom, it also opens up concerns for students about the fairness of these courses. Many students who take lots of AP classes throughout their high school career quickly come to realize that since AP courses are so flexible, there are often wide disparities between the difficulty of teachers for these classes. Ayza Sayany (‘23), who currently takes several AP classes, said that in AP courses at East, there is usually an understanding by the students of the “easy” teachers and the “hard” teachers. Sayany also pointed out that in courses like AP English, the books that students read and assignments that they have can vary wildly depending on the teacher. While these differences allow AP teachers to focus on different aspects of the subject, it raises some questions about fairness. Additionally, in some classes, students have even raised concerns over the grading standardization of major assignments. Although these small differences in teachers or classes may seem trivial, for some students it can be the difference between an A and a B or even the deciding factor in dropping a class. Flexibility is an aspect of AP classes that many students appreciate, but there has to be a balance between flexibility and fairness in order for all students to have equal opportunities to succeed and demonstrate their skills in their courses.
COMMUNITY
Page 12
EASTSIDE
May 2022
&pizza brings its customizable pizzas to South Jersey ■ By Lalitha Viswanathan (‘22)
Eastside Editor-in-Chief
The national pizza chain, &pizza, has found a new location in Cherry Hill. After having its grand opening on March 14, 2022, it has settled into this South Jersey region. The restaurant is located in Park Place at Garden State Park, and the shop is rather narrow inside. Customers are greeted by menus with already curated pizzas as well as the make-your-own selection. Among the most popular “hits” on its menu are Dirty Bird and American Honey, each having its own unique flavor combinations. For those who enjoy the make-your-own pizza option, they have a similar sauce, cheese and topping assortment as other pizza chains, such as Blaze Pizza and MOD. In addition to &pizza’s menu “hits” and the make-your-own pizzas, it offers a wide-range of
pre-made pizza choices that a mild criticism as the rest not really stray away from customers can choose from. of the pizza is covered in these two items (pizza and &pizza tries to make its sauce and toppings. knots). While MOD has expizza accessible to all peoUpon ordering the same panded to salads, &pizza ple with food restrictions, pizza from each of the three is choosing to stay more as the restaurant offers pizza chains, you could classic and serve the more glutentraditional items free, dairyfrom a pizza free and chain. vegan opIt is not fair tions to its to talk about customers. &pizza without Howevmentioning the er, &pizza shape of the pizis outperza. Rather than formed by being a circle, Blaze Piz&pizza has opted za in this for an oval shape area, as that allows its Blaze takes pizzas to be more customers’ distinctive. allergies It is interestextremely ing to see the Lalitha Viswanathan (‘22)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief seriously pizza being made &pizza allows customers to create their own pizzas. when dealin front of your ing with certain ingredicompare the tastes and flaeyes. As the workers put ents that could cross-convors that differ from one the sauces and toppings, taminate with another. another. the pizza moves through Regarding the actual With every great meal, an oven on a conveyor belt. taste of &pizza, it does not you obviously need some Once the pizza arrives on equate to Blaze or MOD. In sides. &pizza offers a range the other side, the finishes terms of the actual dough, of garlic knots, from sweet can be added and the cusit’s bland; however, this is to spicy. Its menu does tomer can check out.
Compared to the other pizza chains, &pizza approaches its business in a very modern and high-tech manner. Blaze and MOD have wood-fire ovens that give that subtle burnt-taste that many people indulge in. The location of this new store has caused the inside seating arrangements to be a little crammed; those who are eating inside sit at a table alongside a wall, and the other side is crowded by people in line creating their pizza. With limited space, &pizza is trying to maximize the amount of indoor dining for those looking to eat there. Overall, the phenomena of quick and fresh pizza chains has allowed &pizza to open up a new location here–as well as a future store in Mount Laurel. &pizza puts its own spin on pizza and gives customers a unique pizza-making experience.
to be a safe one, communipurchased the property to cating with the police, fire, preserve and enhance the commercial real-estate and charm and character of the road work departments. Kingston neighborhood. “Our absolute top priorIn September 2020, the ity has always been to keep our community safe; safety is paramount,” said ShinAngulo. Her administration is committed to preserving the open space that Cherry Hill offers, preserving sites, like the Kingston Yena Son (‘22)/ Eastside Photo Editor Swim Club, Angulo gives speech to residents. that have encountered financial difficulties and mayor introduced her prowent into foreclosure. She posed budget for the comheard a great deal of coning fiscal year. Anticipatcern from residents worried ing a fiscal impact from the about the impact of any destatewide lockdown due to velopment on that site and the pandemic, Shin-Angulo promised from day one to and the council made some do everything in her power hard decisions early on to protect the neighborhood to manage the taxpayers’ and residents. Using the money responsibly withtownship Open Space Trust out diminishing township Fund, the administration operations. As a result,
the township entered its tenth straight year without increasing municipal taxes. The administration’s budget continues to make improvements and investments in Cherry Hill’s parks and playgrounds, historical sites and recreational facilities, all of which contribute to Cherry Hill’s reputation. Angulo’s efforts helped keep Cherry Hill on a solid financial footing, and while this is excellent news for residents, it did not go unnoticed by the credit rating agencies. Moody’s Investor Service reported favorably on the financial standing of Cherry Hill and upgraded the township’s credit rating to the highest rating a municipality can achieve: triple-A. The triple-A rating allows the township to borrow money at the lowest interest rates offered to municipalities, which could result in significant cost savings for the township and taxpayers. The rating increase is a strong affirmation of many years of fiscal discipline and strategic investment in the community and is great news for
Cherry Hill. When asked about her typical day, Angulo said that every day is different; it depends on what the day has in store for her. Sometimes, it is sitting at her office attending back-to-back meetings, and other times, it’s going out, interacting with community members, doing ribbon cuttings and being present in the community. “My girls are the ones that really inspire me to become more involved,” said Angulo. Anyone can see that she loves what she does and is fully committed to improving and helping the township and community.
2021. Wakeeta Rowe proudly shared that “[they] are completely women owned and managed.” When I entered The Popcorn Suite, the first thing that hit me was the smell. A sugary aroma grabbed my senses as I began to take in the bakery. Assortments of uniquely flavored popcorn like pickle and blue raspberry were displayed, and self-serve, mouth-watering donuts were set on the counter -- all with COVID-19 precautions being taken into account including mandatory glove wearing and having hand sanitizer available. What fascinated me most were the distinctly flavored varieties of common storebought foods like Tropical Mango Pop-Tarts and
make all of their popcorn on-site, and Wakeeta Rowe shared how “[they] achieve flavors on the popcorn through baking it.” The popcorn is sold in 20 oz. tubs, and they rotate the available flavors every seven days. I was amazed by the wide variety of baked goods offered. I ultimately bought a slice of red velvet cake, an Oreo donut and two tubs of popcorn. I’m not normally one for red velvet, but it was delicious. The slice was filled with flavor, having the perfect ratio of cake to cream cheese icing. With a perfect glaze and lightly crushed Oreo on top, the donut was even better. Flawlessly fluffy and filled with Oreo cream, every bite was a surprise. End-
ing on a strong note, the popcorn definitely lived up to expectations. Though the kettle corn was personally too sweet for me, it held so much flavor and was baked to perfection. The “fruitfetti” popcorn was my favorite treat. Made of an assortment of watermelon, blueberry, raspberry, orange, lemon and apple flavors, it was tasty and completely melted in my mouth. My experience was incredibly satisfying. From the friendly sisters to the delicious goods, it simply doesn’t get better. Known as a small batch gourmet bakery, Wakeeta Rowe’s store is making it big.
Shin-Angulo continues to work hard to improve Cherry Hill ■ By Rachna Mohan (‘25)
Eastside Staff
“Once food is mentioned, all barriers collapse,” and just like Mayor Susan ShinAngulo’s analogy and mantra, she too is a force that has broken many barriers, becoming the first-ever Korean-American woman to hold the office of Mayor in the state of New Jersey. When Angulo first swore into office, she had to adjust to the pandemic. She promptly responded by making temporary use permits available and waiving any applicable fees to allow restaurants to set up tables in their parking lots and other outdoor spaces. The administration also applied funding it received through federal Community Development Block Grants under last year’s CARES Act to help support the community. Further, the administration launched a program to provide up to $20,000 in grant funding to nonprofits that have helped the residents of Cherry Hill survive the pandemic. Angulo’s top priority was ensuring that the Cherry Hill community continued
The Popcorn Suite brings unique popcorn flavors to Berlin ■ By Ella Goodstadt (‘24)
Eastside Editorial Assistant
Donuts, popcorn, and cake -these seem like the perfect foods to satisfy my sweet tooth. It just so happens that The Popcorn Suite offers all three. The store, located in Berlin, sells a wide variety of baked goods and, of course, popcorn. Wakeeta Rowe, owner of The Popcorn Suite, runs the bakery with her sister, Crystal Rowe. Wakeeta Rowe signed the lease for the store in January 2021; however, due to COVID-19 setbacks, she wasn’t able to open until December 3,
Apple Cider Donut Oreos. Wakeeta Rowe shared that “the uniquely flavored treats add to the appeal of the store.” Aside from the snacks that are sold, Wakeeta Rowe has found that customers have an appreciation for their uncommon cake flavors; the most popular are strawberry eclair popsicle cake and fruity pebble cake. The wide array of goodies offered at the bakery include treats for those who adhere to sugarfree and gluten-free diets. When it comes to the popcorn, the trademark of the store, Wakeeta Rowe has found that the most commonly purchased flavor is the spicy buffalo. She said that it “tastes just like buffalo wings.” The sisters
The Popcorn Suite is located at 100 Cross Keys Rd Store 4, Berlin, NJ 08009.
COMMUNITY
May 2022
EASTSIDE
Page 13
CommUNITY SJP holds the CommUNITY Meals Event ■ By Lauren Greenberg (‘24)
Eastside Administrative Assisstant
In an effort to unify the community, CommUNITY S o u t h JerseyPhiladelphia (SJP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization driven to serving others nearby. Seeking out civic engagement, CommUNITY SJP harnesses the power of collaboration and collective action when uniting others from around the region. From the start, CommUNITY SJP was founded on the premise of collaboration, started by seven friends in 2017 with similar ideologies regarding ways to serve the community. The focus of serving the community, spreading joy and promoting unity through diversity are just a few of the objectives its organization is founded upon. Its audience consists of those who are homeless, domestic violence victims, children in need and more in the South Jersey and Philadelphia area. CommUNITY SJP typically hosts one or two events per month in person and simultaneous virtual events as well. To date, CommUNITY Meals has provided 20,916 meals to the hungry and provides over 400 meals on a bi-monthly basis with bags typically including a sandwich, fruit, snack, drink and an uplifting greeting card. Upon pursuit to help those in need, I was given the opportunity to put in my time and make lunch at their nearby events. Hosted at the Mount Laurel Community Center, my atten-
Courtesy of Community SJP
Volunteers of the CommUNITY Meals event help out in various stations.
Courtesy of Community SJP
Volunteers smile for a picture while they make sandwiches. tion was drawn to tables meals, packaging snacks tribute what was made. of volunteers preparing and getting ready to disThere were different sta-
tions around the room. For example, the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches making station, a packaging and snack-filling station and a collection of volunteers preparing socks filled with candies and a warm message. Together, we were able to contribute to the community, one meal and care package at a time. Over the course of the pandemic, strategizing team leaders put their heads together and sought out safe ways to give back to those in need. They created a meal train, where from March 2020 to December 2021, the adaptation allowed locals to serve almost 8,800 people. In 2022, its in-person events resumed, and the collaborative work began yet again. Currently, CommUNITY SJP is partnered with Artis Senior Living of Evesham, Fearless Beauty, Gloucester County Special Services School, Lourdes Health System, Migrant Worker Outreach, Oaks Integrated Care, Providence House Domestic Violence Services of Catholic Charities and Virtua Health System. These partnerships allow its six individual programs to help those in need. Some of the other community service projects include meals for the hungry, food pantry assistance, fleece blankets for comfort, chemo and hospital care packages, infant care packages, assembling hygiene kits, migrant workers care packages and more. CommUNITY SJP unifies others, with peoplehelping-people in need, orchestrated by like-minded individuals with a desire to do good in and serve the community to the best of their abilities.
Virtua’s Eat Well Mobile Farmers Market impacts many ■ By Ella Hampton (‘24)
Eastside Staff
Virtua’s Eat Well Mobile Farmers Market continues to do good in the South Jersey area, providing groceries to underserved communities year-round. Started in late April of 2017, the Eat Well program brings fresh and affordable produce to nine communities every week through its Mobile Farmers Market. These communities have limited access to grocery stores, especially fresh produce. “The main goal of our entire Eat Well Food Access Initiative, in general, is to increase access to affordable, healthy foods,” said Deanna Rajkowski, Manager for Community Engagement for Virtua’s Eat Well Initiative. One of the main challenges stopping many community members from having access to a proper food supply is the lack of transportation. Because of this, Virtua developed a way to bring groceries to the people. By renovating an old New Jersey Transit bus, Virtua was able to bring food to areas that previously lacked access to reliable food sources. They have also added a truck and both forms of transportation
travel three times a week to specific locations. Through community surveys, Eat Well provides specific goods based on what the communities need most. “We really believe in the
provide guidance,” said Rajkowski. The Mobile Farmers Market offers a variety of goods at a discounted price. “We have frozen meats, we have dairy, fruits, vegetables, dry goods and house
fordable and healthy food. In order to have a larger impact on their customers, they aim to educate them about nutrition and connect them to other resources outside of the program. A registered dietitian travels
The Virtua Eat Well truck opens to reveal a variety of fresh, quality produce.
customers to other options such as soup kitchens, grocery store sales and more. A key part of the initiative is selling food that is affordable. Their prices vary on the size of the bag, each of which can hold a certain amount of items. For only $3, buyers can select six items from the truck. They are able to maintain their affordable pricing through generous donations from philanthropists. As a nonprofit organization, the program depends on donations and their dedicated employees. “100% of our programs are completely funded by donations and hefty fundraising,” said Rajkowski. Employees are also able to build genuine, authentic relationships with their customers. They also see many of them weekly over a span of years. Employees are able to give back to the community and serve community members as best they can. “Anecdotally, a lot of our customers do say we have had a huge impact on their lives,” said Rajkowski.
community helping to build and shape our program because who would we be without our community members who are there to
Updated scheduling for the mobile market can be found on their Instagram (@Virtuaeatwell) and Facebook (@VirtuaEatWell).
Ella Hampton (‘24)/ Eastside Staff
items,” said Rajkowski. The Eat Well program prioritizes diet improvements in food deserts, areas with little access to af-
with the Farmers Markets, providing nutrition education for customers. For additional food access, Eat Well staff direct
Page 14
GLOBAL COMMENTARY EASTSIDE
May 2022
Debating Democratic Socialism ■ By Aiden Rood (‘23)
Eastside Features Editor
Socialism gets a bad rap. If you’ve heard of it before, you’ve likely also heard the sharp criticisms and vicious attacks against what some consider to be an un-American idea. But do you know what socialism really is, beyond politicians’ fearmongering warnings and the surfacelevel takedowns you may see in the media? Do you understand the complex economic and social theories that construct the ideology? If not, you may be missing out on some big ideas that can truly work to help people and make the world a better place. So, please — set aside your preconceptions about the concept. Read on with an open mind. And consider what, regardless of politics and partisanship, is truly the best way to create policies that benefit the most people in this nation. If you Google socialism, Oxford Dictionary will define it as “a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.” While that’s a complicated explanation, in simpler terms, socialism is when a community controls its own resources. In contrast, the United States operates under capitalism, in which private profiteers largely control the resources in our communities. Let’s imagine Cherry Hill as part of a society more oriented towards socialism. In this case, local small businesses would thrive as the main sources of goods and services for local residents. For example, instead of going to Amazon for the cheapest books, you would be encouraged to head to your local bookshop. The same would be true for, let’s say, food purchases. As opposed to mega-chains dominating the grocery business, locally grown producers would be set up for success, and shopping at farmers’ markets would become more common. As opposed to a few very wealthy people (like Amazon executive Jeff Bezos or Walmart’s Walton family) dominating success in our country, many more people across the nation would succeed as more modestly well-off booksellers, grocers and much more. You may be wondering how this would all work — fearing the epic downfalls that must exist. Too good to be true. Would never work. Would end in disaster, because socialism has never worked. Right? In a response that might surprise you, I’m not going to say that is wrong. Because in many scenarios, under a range of different possible circumstances, that would be right. In fact,
it has been — some previous experiments with different forms of socialismaligned government have not been successful. That’s why you hear the criticisms and attacks, and it’s why many leaders’ aversion to socialist ideas is understandable. But when you look at the full story — the big picture — you’ll see that socialist ideas, in very specific forms, are necessary in order to improve the world around us. In recent years, “democratic socialism” has emerged as a popular term. For some, it’s merely a rebranding of old ideas that may still not work. But for the most genuine and wellintentioned leaders in our communities, democratic socialism is the nuanced execution of socialist ideas that we need. When we talk about economic systems and theories, due to the complexity of the topics at hand, ideas can sometimes blend together. The conflation of socialism and democratic socialism just discussed serves as one example. For another, we can look at comparisons between communism and socialism. Communism is when the government controls all of the community’s resources and their production. Communism offers much room for corruption, mismanagement and restrictions on citizens’ freedoms in negative ways. Socialism, on the other hand, puts power back in the hands of the people. And in the ultimate form, democratic socialism creates a democratic system of government that uses its power to support community members in ethically and equitably building up those around them, while also making a living for themselves. What does that look like? Let’s return to our bookstore example from earlier. First, our government can start by making sure that Amazon pays its fair share of taxes. Then, the government can take steps to support that local bookshop — creating new small business support programs, giving tax credits to community-based businesses instead of corporate ones and supporting the local community around it. Jeff Bezos and a mega-corporation get less rich (though they remain successful) and local communities across the nation get stronger. No far-fetched schemes or risky financial bets. No dangerous political ideas that will backfire on the good people of this nation. That’s what socialism’s opponents may warn of. But that’s not what socialism, in its best and most democratic form, is all about. That would be a movement of economic and social power towards our communities — a movement towards helping people and making our world a better place. While we may disagree on how to get there, we can all get behind the idea of searching for ways to make the economy work for us all.
■ By Brielle Lampf (‘23)
Eastside Online Opinions Editor
In 2018, 71% of Republicans had a positive view of capitalism
50-64 year-olds prefer capitalism over socialism
79% of people have a positive image of free enterprise while only 50% have a positive image of big business
18-29 year-olds prefer socialism over capitalism
In 2018, 57% of Democrats held a positive view of socialism
Source: Gallup Polls
As someone who identifies as neither a Republican nor a Democrat, it is sometimes difficult to illustrate my understanding of politics to others who may be polarized in their views. By no means am I saying that those who identify with a singular belief are shortsighted or ill-founded in their ideas; rather I am trying to clarify that as an independent young woman, I, too, have a basis to my argument. When it comes to socialism and, in particular, democratic socialism, it seems to me that the current Democratic Party is slowly moving to adopt all of the ideals that come with democratic socialism. While to some, this may seem to be the solution to all of the country’s problems, I think differently. There is no set definition for democratic socialism, but most can agree that this philosophy most directly corresponds with healthcare for all, free college tuition for public universities and taxing the rich. In theory, there should be no arguments to these beliefs. Allowing our children to go to college for free, and making the billionaires pay more in taxes should be the ideal solution, right? However, simply taxing the rich will not cover all of the expenses in regard to free public university tuition. In addition, those within the democratic socialist party also hope to create a Medicare-forall system, provide better childcare benefits and more. If this is the goal of the party, realistically, taxes will be raised for everyone, not just the billionaires. Bernie Sanders, a known democratic socialist, even said in his plan proposed in 2018 that there would be a 25% tax rate increase for the average income earner in the United States. Some may argue that the benefits will outweigh the money spent, but how can this be true when families will continue to struggle to pay their taxes? If the purpose of democratic socialism is to limit the financial turmoil for middle and lower-class citizens, this plan would be counterproductive. Another viewpoint of the democratic socialist party is that minimum wages should continue to increase. In New Jersey, the current minimum wage is $13 an hour. Prior to 2022, however, minimum wage prices were much lower. In only 2019, the minimum wage was $10 an hour. Again, in theory, raising the minimum wage sounds ideal, but when looking closer at the facts, it can be considered a disadvantage. For the families it is trying to help, it may actually result in unemployment. Companies that have to
pay their employees more money will be forced to let go of workers due to the minimum wage increase. In other words, there will not be enough money to pay all of the workers. The increase will also lead to inflation and make companies less competitive. Democratic socialism could also lead to a lack of societal motivation to find jobs. If people are promised that they will receive certain benefits in times of financial struggle, where will the motivation to find jobs come from? Some may find my view in this farfetched, but when looking at the simple facts, it makes sense. If people are promised to receive financial checks if they are earning less than a certain amount, of course they would lack the motivation to find jobs or report their income earnings to the government. They could recieve money for simply being unemployed. Democratic socialists also run their platform on the idea of Medicare-forall, a program worth implementing if done right. Unfortunately, when looking at other countries that have tried this same tactic, it almost never turns out well. In the United Kingdom, for example, they have a publicly funded health care system, but doctors face severe financial limitations. Doctors in the United States do not face the same problems, as many health care systems are privatized. Understandably so, privatized systems are looked down upon in many areas of the country, but these privatized systems are what allow for the best treatment of our citizens. It would be better to continue these systems and encourage low-income families to put their money towards healthcare rather than other entities. I acknowledge that this is no easy feat, and many ideas that the democratic socialist party proposes would be most advantageous to Amercans across the country, but I also realize that how we get there will create more problems than solutions. While I don’t have all of the answers to fix the poverty problem and the financial situations of lowerincome families, I do know that the proposals that are being brought up right now within the democratic socialist party are being advertised on an unfair basis. When bringing up solutions, citizens must know what they are exchanging for higher minimum wages, for example. As future leaders, I encourage politicalminded people like myself to come up with new ideas instead of playing party lines. That way when it is our turn to take our rightful seats in Congress, we will know exactly what the best solution is for the American people. Right now, I do not feel that the solution lies in the democratic socialist philosophy.
May 2022
GLOBAL COMMENTARY EASTSIDE
Page 15
Term limits need to be established to abolish career politicians ■ Lauren Winslow (‘23)
Eastside Global Commentary Editor
When you think of a politician, what comes to mind? Is it an older white male with a background in law or business? Have you seen this face on your television and in the news for years? Maybe even decades? What you do not typically see is your average, everyday, educated citizen being elected into office. This, in part, is due to the evolution of politics as a profession. As politics has become more restricted to your common citizen, congressmen and women have begun to serve for extended periods of time, even decades. As a result, in recent years, the discussion of establishing term limits for senators and representatives has stirred up controversy. In 1947, Congress passed the Twenty-Second Amendment, which limited a president to only serving two terms, in order to preserve the sanctity of the presidency. Other
politicians, such as governors, mayors and school board members across the country have term limits, depending on the state. If these officials have term limits, why is the same standard not applied to Congress? The absence of term limits has allowed for the development of career politicians, many of whom erode the integrity of Congress. While it is important that those who make up Congress have experience and are given the opportunity to enact change, those who serve for decades may actually forestall progress. Enacting term limits would promote an evergoing cycle of new politicians, which would allow new ideas to infiltrate the currently stalled Congress. Partisan fighting has plagued Congress for decades. Having new majority leaders and a new Speaker of the House would help break up this infighting and create a more positive environment within Congress. Many critics believe that term limits would take away valuable
and experienced members of Congress and replace them with incapable politicians. However, term limits are often set to prevent burnout. Term limits would allow politicians to serve to the best of their abilities for a limited number of years in comparison to serving only adequately for a long period of time. Additionally, nobody is able to serve in the political arena for long before they become surrounded by a cloud of suspicion and scandal that affects the public view. Term limits may prevent this corruption and establish a new foundation of trust with the public. The need to establish term limits derives from the bigger issue of career politicians. When the Founding Fathers established the three branches of government, they believed those serving in said government would be regular folk ready to serve their civic duty before returning to everyday life. While many politicians strive to work their way up through the
ranks, the true goal of anyone serving in public office should be to protect the liberty of every citizen. Term limits would prevent this sort of ambitious thinking and allow for those who truly strive to make a difference to become politicians. Although it is true that citizens do elect those who serve in Congress, according to a Gallup Poll conducted in February 2022, 75 percent of the public disapproves of Congress. For the past decade, approval ratings have never broken 40 percent and have even dropped as low as 13 percent. These so-called career politicians, while experienced, may no longer be qualified to serve the United States to their full potential. Establishing term limits would pave the way for new politicians such as teachers, engineers and journalists to create a Congress capable of representing the citizens of the United States. Until representation is fulfilled, citizens will continue to suffer.
The new age of politicians brings brand new perspectives ■ By Batul El Barouki (‘23)
Eastside Global Commentary Editor
The makeup of Congress is slowly but surely changing. Despite the older generations, called the Silent members, still making up for the majority of Congress, there is a slightly rising number of millennials and Generation Xers in the House of Representatives. However, more evolution is needed through electing people of mixed race ethnicity, backgrounds and education because Congress continues to fail to accurately represent the American population. There is still an underlying question as to whether or not Congress is making enough efforts to break away from the traditional views of its members. The foreign share of members of Congress has gone up but has not surpassed any sort of historical high. Currently im-
migrants only make up around 3 percent of legislators, which include the 18 members of the House of Representatives. Congress should be focusing on increasing this number because the percentage of immigrants remains significantly low when compared to the majority of the members. Despite the statistics, there are other factors to consider, such as previous education and experience of these members, that is a crucial factor in determining if Congress has really entered a new age full of opportunities for minorities of differing backgrounds rather than solely consisting of the traditional white Congressman. Many members of the House of Represenatives had military experience; however, far fewer people with such experience serve in the current Congress. Ninety-one members currently are veterans, which is the lowest number since
World War II, according to the Congressional Research Service. This can be seen as a way to broaden the scope of politics and allow nontraditionally experienced people to have a shot in Congress. The majority of Congress has a college degree, yet amatuer cantidates all of a sudden are running? This is ultimately the most prominent enhancement in current and future politics. Political scientists Sarah Treul and Rachel Porter of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that in both the Republican and Democratic parties, in the last three elections, candidates without past political experience are in fact beating out the experienced candidates. Not only do they lack experience, but most of them do not even have a background in politics. According to Treul and Porter’s research, as of 2020 around 45 percent of Republican
and Democratic inexperienced candidates were winning in open-seat races. Treul said, “We started to see these patterns in the more recent congressional elections where the candidates without prior experience were performing better.” Treul’s team claims that amateur candidates are driven by campaign fundraising, voter attitudes, political rhetoric and weak political parties. Following these efforts, experienced candidates are left with less advantage despite their campaign expertise and high local name recognition. It begs the question of why exactly are these candidates beating their primaries. Well, the growing age of social media comes from the growing access to small groups of donors that can allow these candidates to raise millions of dollars by going viral with a video on social media platforms. These “outsider candidates” become
more attractive to voters because they utilize non-establishment-sounding rhetoric. Voters become more interested in these new candidates’ plans and ultimately support them. Thus, voters are slowly changing the requirements needed to win elections, which shines a new light on the diverse future of politics. Many might see this new age of politicians as a downside given the worry of any detrimental effects of having less governing experience in office; however, many see it as quite the opposite. These changes can lead to more diversity such as women, people of color and people of different ethnic backgrounds having more representation in Congress. Maybe these changes are exactly what the U.S. needs to represent its people. And maybe this is just the change the United States has needed to truly bring equity to all of its citizens.
Congress continues to need more minority representation ■ By Asher Boiskin (‘24) Eastside Online Global Commentary Editor
While the racial and ethnic diversity of Congress has improved in recent years, it is not reflective of the incredible “melting pot” we call America. White people continue to dominate politics, which does not make sense in a democratic country with a sundry of demographics. That’s why it’s so important we elect more minorities with midterms around the corner. The disproportionate discourse of American political representation is quite shocking. More than two-thirds of all American political positions are held by white men, even though they total about 30 percent of the nation’s population. On the flip side, there are far more women and people of color than men throughout America, which is why a government dominated by white males, who are most oftenly Christian, seems surreal. Brenda Choresi Carter, the director of the Reflective Democracy Campaign describes it perfectly: “I think if we saw these numbers in another country, we would say there is something very wrong with that political system.” Yet it’s not just population reflection that makes Congressional and political diversity incredibly important. People’s experiences and
backgrounds can influence legislation and ensure a more just America. The equation is rather simple: by increasing the number of people from minority groups in political offices, the perspective represented in the halls of power is less limited to the confines of one group of people. That’s not to say that breaking through the current legislative cycle in place that continuously places white, Christian male individuals into power is easy. According to The Guardian, incumbents enjoy huge advantages, and the Republican party in particular focuses mainly on white candidates. Both of these factors strengthen the aforementioned cycle, and prevent proper American representation in politics. Last November, for example, almost 100 percent of Congressional incumbents won re-election, which, also according to The Guardian, “suggests that officeholders who win their primaries benefit from a similar edge during the general election.” The Republican Party nominated almost 100% male candidates, 25% of which were women. Disregarding the cycle, right now, a quarter of America’s senators and representatives identify as a part of an ethinic or racial minority. Without fair representation of all people, however, commonsense
policies and legislation supported by the majority of Americans struggle to make progress. Carter thinks that electing more minorities will provide America with the perspective need ed to get critical legislation passed, especially regarding important topics: gun control, universal benefits and voting registration and suppression. As a representative democracy, having a government that is actually representative of the people is crucial. Otherwise, what the government does is represent a small minority group and produce legislation to benefit that same group. This can be seen playing out in a number of policy situations -- less than ten percent of Americans say marijuana should be completely illegal, and yet that is federal law; around 60 percent of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, and yet the government (namely Republicans and the conservative leaning Supreme Court) seems to be working its hardest to do away with Roe v. Wade; two thirds of Americans think the government should be doing more to fight climate changes – in fact there is bipartisan support for several major environmental policies – and yet politicians in Congress squabble over these exact policies These policies benefit the poor, women and other disenfranchised groups. They
do also benefit the wealthy, white, Christian men in Congress because, to paraphrase Maya Angelou, none of us are truly free until all of us are free. With each Congress, America sees new breakthroughs in political diversity. Currently, Congress has record numbers of Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander and Native American representatives, according to Pew Research. We have still never had a Black female governor and many major political offices have historically never been held by a member of the other minorities in the United States. We have a long way to go representing the American people in political offices. Each election provides a stepping stone for change, though, and allows us to ensure that the American melting pot of diversity has enough space for every ingredient. By grabbing the ladle together, and stirring things up, we can utilize elections to get more minorities into power and thereby make the United States a freer, more equitable place to live. And this is just the first step. Elements of our society are set up as ways to systemically discriminate and marginalize different groups of people. Changing the composition of the government is a step towards systemically changing the way our country functions and thinks.
SPORTS
May 2022
EASTSIDE
Page 16
Fischer shares his story and the key to his success ■ By Scout Pullano (‘22)
Eastside Sports Editor
Starting in fourth grade, Jake Fischer (‘12) knew he wanted to be a sports writer at some point in his lifetime. Although he had much playing experience with basketball during his childhood, his basketball career came to an end in high school. The Cougars alltime leader, Chris Santo (‘11), scored 2,497 points and made 1,039 rebounds during his time playing for Cherry Hill East’s basketball team. Santo’s legacy had to be fulfilled on the court, making tryouts more competitive than ever and pushing Fischer to the sidelines. But as it’s said, when one door closes another door opens. Fischer was then able to do what he always had a love for: being on the other side of the court, reporting and covering basketball games. As a freshman, Fischer found a new hobby writing and later editing for Eastside’s sports section. He continued to pursue this passion for journalism at Northeastern University after he graduated high school in 2012. He quickly realized he pos-
sessed a major advantage in the journalism world at Northeastern because of the preparation that Eastside provided him. Soon enough he was involved in student media as the sports editor for the Huntington News. Then, Fischer began following the basketball team, calling play by play on Northeastern’s play-byplay radio station. During his years at Northeastern, Fischer interned at Slam Magazine, did a co-op with the Boston Globe and worked part-time at Sports Illustrated for five years. Wanting something more, Fischer applied for a full-time Sports Illustrated position, but when the company switched ownership, he was only offered a position on the night staff. “A lot of doors were closing that I thought were opening,” said Fischer. Although Fischer still wanted more out of his job at Sports Illustrated, he took advantage of the available time during the day to cover the Knicks and the Nets as well as quietly gather information for his book Built To Lose. When the company was bought for the second time, Fischer was eventually laid off, but quickly started free-
lancing for Bleacher Report. However, by this time he had over 100 interviews completed for “Built to Lose,” and obtained a publisher to sign a deal. In May 2021, his first book was officially published. “My goal when I got laid off was to pivot completely to book writing,” said Fischer. However, breaking news for the NBA world was always in the back of his mind. It all started in January 2018 when Fischer wrote a breaking news story on how Blake Griffin’s trade to the LA Clippers came about. By January of 2021, Fischer was asked to do day-to-day breaking coverage for Bleacher Report. Whether he was focused on gathering information for his book or breaking news, Fischer was always proud of his unique style that he utilized in such a difficult field. He placed emphasis on his authenticity, the importance of developing relationships and understanding the perspective on the other side of the phone. “Every time I would interview someone, I would send them the article [I had written about them] and they would say ‘call me
anytime,’ so I would. This built trust,” said Fischer. Fischer takes much pride in conducting himself honestly and making people laugh whereas “most people in the sports world usually try to have a loud opinion… and get information by being a pest.” Although Fischer recognizes that humor and being genuine are very important aspects of his career, he realizes that knowing the ins-and-outs of basketball games is very important to good sports reporting. “I can hold my own talking about the game to anyone in the NBA because of my background with basketball, even if I didn’t play in college or the NBA. A lot of my job is trying to connect the dots and predict what happens,” said Fischer. Because of his talent and passion for writing about basketball, he continues to cover the NBA as well as work on a second book, which happens to be fiction, something more challenging for Fischer, who has always been used to writing sports news stories. However, Fischer is up for any challenge presented to him and is excited to “turn a blank page into a living,
breathing, moving thing.” Back at Sports Illustrated, Fischer used basketball to tell intriguing stories about interesting people. Now he wants to use basketball in a way to discuss society and the bigger picture in his upcoming novel. One of the most important lessons Fischer learned from Mr. Gagliardi throughout his time at East is that “if you don’t have anything new, you don’t have a story.” Keeping this in mind, Fischer persists on chasing new content and conducting himself the way he always has, with authenticity, wit and intelligence.
seconds this year with a time of 9 minutes and 49 seconds. “We actually broke the record last year at sectionals but with different people,” said McNiff, who participated in both this year’s and last year’s recordbreaking relays. “We were really excited so we had the same goal for this year at Nationals.” McNiff added that the atmosphere felt amazing and the energy was exceptionally high. To their surprise, they recount that there wasn’t much pressure put on them.
“So you have the best of the best—best of the country—all in this one track meet… we really just wanted to put all our efforts out there and win,” said McNiff excitedly. So what’s behind the girls’ recurring long distance successes and their most recent win at Nationals? According to McNiff, it’s each other—and the determination they had knowing what they can achieve. McNiff said that her teammates regularly encourage her growth as a runner. “[My teammates] push
me through workouts and training, and the thought of the success we would have—the thought of finishing and being so excited to celebrate with my teammates–pushes us.” Following the successful winter track season, the girls distance team is carrying these efforts into their spring track season by tackling long runs, track workouts and recovery runs of varying difficulties. McNiff conceded that the winter season is generally more difficult for many runners, but after powering through, the team can ex-
pect a great spring season. “I feel like with the spring there’s a lot more girls, and now we know our potential, so our training paces are becoming even faster,” she said. The girls’ spring track team look forward to a rewarding season as they had in the winter. In the first meet of the season, Tepper placed first in the 800 event with a time of 2 minutes and 23 seconds, helping her relay’s time in the long run. The four girls are looking forward to competing in future meets as a relay.
Girls’ long distance relay takes their success into spring track ■ By Katherine Li (‘23)
Eastside Culture Editor
Cherry Hill East’s girls’ distance team has once again crushed a school record and exceeded expectations. On March 12, school history was made when Kiley Walsh (‘22), Madison McNiff (‘22), Michelle Barry (‘22) and Lexi Tepper (‘23) won their heat in the 4x800 race at New Balance Nationals. The previous record, broken only last year at 9:58, was beaten by eight whole
Courtesy of Maddy McNiff (‘22)
Courtesy of Maddy McNiff (‘22)
Maddy McNiff (‘22) hands the baton to her teammate Kiley Walsh (‘22) to (From left to right) Kiley Walsh (‘22), Maddy McNiff (‘22), Mibreak the 4x800 relay record at New Balance Nationals. chelle Barry (‘22) Lexi Tepper (‘23) at New Balance Nationals.