Eastside: June 2016

www.eastside-online.org

American Scholastic Press Association Most Outstanding Newspaper Award Winner

Vol. 49 No. 10

Peace.

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

June 2016

Straight ahead.

Inside This Issue

Rachel Becker (‘16)/ Eastside Photo Editor

New Principal News/Features, Pg. 3

Person of the Year Editorial, Pg. 8

Senior Superlatives Seniors ‘16, Pg. F-G

NEWS/FEATURES

Page 2

EASTSIDE

June 2016

Turner plays his way to a musical future around fifth or sixth grade.

Eastside Staff Turner said, “Guitar Hero Ben Turner (‘16) is or something known throughout the [sparked my East community as an esinterest in guiteemed guitarist. This year tar]. There were alone, he received a Merit several factors. I Award from the Young Arts wasn’t a musical kid Foundation in jazz guitar. or anything, and I He was also the alternate in liked Guitar Hero. the Jazz Band of America, It could’ve been famthe best soloist from Temily events... My uncle ple University, a member plays guitar, and of the All State Jazz Band, some of my cousins and he is in his second year do as well. So it just at the University Arts High seemed kind of fun to School All-Star Jazz Band. try.”

Joey Tighue (‘16) said, Turner plays in “We call him the ‘six string multiple musical samurai’ in jazz band… Ben groups at East, such is very passionate in exploras jazz band and Ining new ways he spiration East. can express his Fellow musical talent.

InspiraHe is always tion East down to jam and member make a boring Jon Hess moment into a (‘18) said, fun one.”

“It’s very Turner origifun to play nally started off with him. on the trumpet He always in elementary k n o w s school. Howwhat he’s ever, this doing. I experience wish I proved to be had the something opporthat he was tunity to not a fan of. He play with then moved h i m to the guitar Sydney Steele (‘16)/ Eastside Art Director m o r e

■ By Luke Shin (‘19)

often.

H e ’ s very talented.”

Turner has reflected his musical talents onto younger East musicians as well.

Jaden W i l liams ( ‘ 1 8 ) s a i d , “ H e ’ s very professional and an amazing musician, composer and Rachel Becker (‘16)/ Eastside Photo Editor t e a c h - Turner takes pleasure in his music while playing the guitar. er.” next fall. Though he wants and counting of playing the Turnto continue studying Jazz guitar, he remains passioner currently studies under in college, in the future ate about his music. He Ian McCauley, an old guiTurner plans on branching described the downs in his tarist for John Legend who away from the path of a jazz musical career as “personal is also currently a session musician and becoming a plateaus”; while these plamusician. Turner plans on session/recording musician teaus are hard to get out of, majoring in Jazz Studies while keeping jazz music as he explained that he just in guitar in college. While a hobby. has to practice and work Turner has been accepted “I don’t care if I’ll play on the things that he’s not to every college he has apbehind Taylor Swift or Begood at. plied to, including the presyoncé. I’ll be happy,” said Turner said, “By doing tigious Manhattan School Turner. [this], you get inspired to of Music, he has decided to Throughout his six years improve yourself.” attend Temple University

Yeh puts a new spin on his Chinese culture

■ By Steve Mirsen (‘16)

Eastside Multimedia Director

From 1386 to 1644, when the Ming Dynasty ruled China, many people could be found spinning an axle with two large disks on the end up and down a string in amazing spectacles of showmanship. Over 4,000 years later, Donald Yeh (‘19) keeps the tradition spinning through time.

The Chinese yo-yo, also known as the Diabolo, is thought to have been the world's first yo-yo. The oldest one found is estimated to be over 4,000 years old, although the exact period of origin is not known.

The multigenerational tradition has been carried on for countless years, and Yeh is of one of the most recent to take hold of the tradition.

Yeh said he had his first experience with the Diablo in Sunday Chinese School in second grade, and he has practiced intermittently, but he has become more interested again following his arrival at East. His first period of interest, he said, lasted until about fourth grade, when he quit practicing formally.

In his younger years, Yeh had to master fundamental moves. Since his hiatus from elementary to middle school, he said that he has not learned new tricks yet.

Yeh said he practices recreationally on occasion, but has stopped learning new tricks.

“I’m going on what I know now... I’m interested to learn more,” said Yeh. Currently, he can do tricks such as the elevator, spider web, toss, orbits,

bridge, swimming, around the neck, sticks, fingers, around the back, around

practice, as he stopped attending Chinese school after eighth grade. Although

Despite his initial difficulty learning, Yeh said he felt comfortable with the Diabolo right away.

Anyone who has attempted to use one will say it took him or her multiple tries to succeed in basic, fundamental moves.

“I could tell [it was for me],” Yeh said.

“First try, I was able to get it up going [consistently]... For other people, it fell off.”

Yeh imp r o v e d steadily and began performing, despite the fact that outside of weekly Chinese School, he practiced only about two hours a week.

Although Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor Yeh mostDonald Yeh (‘19) practices with his Chinese yo-yo. ly stopped since leavthe world, crazy arm, relogistics are not currently ing Chinese School, he verse crazy arm and figure very specific, his passion said he aspires to pick up eight. Orbits includes going for his talent is abundantly the strings again. He has around the arms and legs, clear. joined the Chinese Cultural the elevator moves the yo“I’d have performances, Society, which has a memyo up the string vertically, and I kind of liked the atber perform in the DiBart and the bridge wraps the tention, and it was also…

Gym every year at the club yo-yo between the sticks. fun to do it and learn evbooths during MulticulturIf he wishes to further his erything,” he said. “It took al Day, who lets other curiabilities, he said he would some practice to get each ous students try their own need to find a new place to trick, one at a time.” hands at the art. As of yet,

though, Yeh said he has not performed at East; at this year’s Multicultural Day, he ran the society’s gym booth.

“I’ll consider [doing more next year],” he said. “I’ll just have to practice, like, a lot more.”

If he follows through on his aspiration, he said he would like to bring the Diabolo to the society’s Multicultural Day assembly performance.

“There [are] obviously advanced tricks [to learn],” Yeh said. “You can flip the yo-yo horizontally or vertically, and then there’s a whole bunch of new tricks in that realm… There’s so many things that you can do.”

Many of these tricks are showcased in performances and tournaments, many of which can be viewed online. Yeh expressed a desire to make more of these advanced maneuvers and strike in others the captivation the tricks put within him.

“It was fun,” Yeh said in recollection of his younger experiences. “I want to revisit that.”

In regards to skill development, Yeh wishes to be able to perform multiple tricks with the Diabolo held vertically, as well as use two Chinese yo-yos at once, or three, even, Yeh said.

As long as Yeh makes well on his aspirations, he will gain opportunities to not only learn and perform, but also introduce a deeper aspect of a cultural skill to East. As long as he, and others, keep the Diabolo spinning, in terms of its time, 4,000 years will prove to be a young age.

June 2016

NEWS/FEATURES EASTSIDE

Page 3

Perry expresses excitement while preparing for next school year ■ By Courtney Finnegan (‘17)

Eastside News/Features Editor

Each year, the halls of East give a welcoming “hello” to entering freshmen and a congratulatory farewell to exiting seniors.

This year, the tradition is extended to the administrative level as the school welcomes a new principal.

For the past three years, the East community has persevered, improved and prospered under the administration of Principal Dr. Lawyer Chapman.

However, as the scholars of the Class of 2016 bid their farewells, so does Chapman.

With eleven years of experience as principal of Beck Middle School, Dr. Dennis Perry has enthusiastically accepted the immensely important role at East as the new school principal.

The old cliché “as one door closes, another door opens” holds true at East as the 2015-2016 school year comes to an end. Although many students cannot see past the sunny veil of a carefree summer, for administration, the new school year promptly unfolds new opportunities, new obstacles and new plans under new leadership.

“I think that the transition from Beck to East will provide another challenge for me, a challenge that consists of learning [what]

East has to offer and to would like us to start workstudents that I’ve never talk to the students, to talk ing on immediately, what met before,” said Perry. with the teachers, to talk to would they like to see East “There are 2,100 students the families to see what it is [look] like in five years.” at East and there are so that people feel still needs Clearly there are signifimany different personto occur at East or how I cant differences between alities, so many different can help,” said Perry. middle school and high talents and interests, and Perry has demonstrated school academics, activiI’m excited to meet all of keen inthem.” terest in The infamiliarquiries, inizing himput and adself with vice given all aspects to Perry by of East. In the student order to body are effectivean imporly get to tant tool know the that Perry students, hopes to faculty and take adadminvantage of istration as princiat East, pal.

Perry has “If you outlined don’t first a detailed take the “ e n t r y opportuplan.” nity to sit Perry down with said, “The everyone initial part initially of the enand talk Liz Lee (‘17)/ Eastside Staff and try plan is find s p e n d i n g Dr. Perry works at his desk in his office at Beck. out what a couple the interhours a week at East now. ties and overall feel. Thus, ests of the students are and I have a plan over the sumthe transition from one to what their concerns are, mer and the fall to sit down the other and the initial then I would just be guesswith each of the adults that assimilation into a new ing. And I don’t want to work in the building, so all environment will include do what I think. It doesn’t of the teachers, the secremany challenges for Perry. matter what I think. It taries, custodians, guidNonetheless, he is looking matters what [the students ance counselors, you name forward to the change. and faculty] think. What a it, to ask them a couple “I guess what I’m most good principal will do is, he questions each about East. excited for at East is seewill listen to everyone and For example, I plan to ask ing all of the students that then he will help to guide them what it is they are I know and remember from everyone towards a soluproud of, what it is they Beck, but also seeing the tion,” said Perry.

Ultimately, with his plethora of experience in education and the academic accomplishments he achieved at Beck, Perry feels confident in successfully helping the East community grow and strengthen.

“I’m excited to go to East and learn about the instructional techniques that are happening in the classrooms there, learn about content, read the books that the students are reading at East,” said Perry.

While Perry plans to focus heavily on maintaining academic excellence at East, he also values student participation in extracurricular activities and school events. Despite his filled schedule beyond Beck’s walls, Perry balances his time between his family, his teaching at the University of Pennsylvania, his teacher mentoring and his attendance at school events.

Perry said, “I value those shared experiences.

They bring students closer to one another, they build relationships, they create memories.”

Although the recent changes in administration could be a difficult transition for the East community, Perry assures his dedication to maintaining academic and extracurricular success at East, while also taking great measures to address the concerns of the students and faculty.

Congrats Steve! We are so proud of you and all your accomplishments. We know that your future has wonderful things in store!

We love you!

Mom, Dad, and Rachel

NEWS/FEATURES

Page 4

EASTSIDE

Graduating with more than a diploma: Gaining college credits and saving money for the future

■ By Jennifer Pacitti (‘17) Eastside News/Features Editor

As a junior in high school, I have already had to make big decisions about my future regarding where I will be going to college, how I will pay for it and how I can achieve my goals most efficiently.

Junior year is a big year for everyone. We are all busy finalizing SAT scores, cramming for AP tests and juggling a million extracurricular activities in order to create a competitive résumé for our applications.

At East, we are fortunate to have a high percentage of the graduating class that typically goes on to four-year universities after graduation. Most will apply, receive an acceptance letter senior year, and will embark on their new journey in the fall of 2017.

Like many others, I thought that this path I described above was the only option. It’s tradition; you go to a high school for four years and then start at a university for another four.

But, I have been amazed and surprised at the options for gaining college credit early and saving money in the future that almost no one at East knows about.

Next year, as a senior, I will be taking a halfday at East and starting a Dual Enrollment Program through Liberty University Academy Online. I will strive to finish a full year of college between these online courses and College Level Exam Program (CLEP)

tests, so that in June 2017, I will have graduated with a high school diploma and a full year of college already under my belt.

Figuring out that there are other options available was a process, and as I did more research, I found more ways to get a head start that neither my friends nor I had ever heard of previously, one being CLEP exams which are administered by College Board; you

East classes, it is feasible for many students to pass these multiple-choice exams without studying further. Yet, many students are unaware of this option.

I believe East does an amazing job of preparing students for the rigor of college. However, I am disappointed that information regarding dual enrollment options and CLEP exams are not shared with the student body. I think it is im-

potentially graduate from college in three years, get a double major, or get an early start on a masters program.

I urge students, especially underclassmen, to consider looking into gaining credit in any way possible during their next couple years of high school.

Senior year is often a year that gets filled with electives and study halls for many students. Because of the vacancy in schedules, I believe it would be greatly beneficial for those just waiting for high school to end, or those concerned about the cost of college, to consider their options and make the choice to graduate with more than just a high school diploma.

I realize that my plans are definitely not for everyone. I am fortunate to know where I want to go to school, to be going to a university that offers this program and to be able to take a halfday. But, for those with flexibility in their daily schedules, I have learned that there is more out there available for early college credit than just AP exams and credit Screenshot by Jennifer Pacitti (‘17)/ Eastside News/Features Editor from Camden County College for select courses CollegeBoard offers CLEP Exams to give students an opat East. portunity to get a head start on college classes.

Whether it is going away for a summer procan take this test in a vaportant that students know gram that offers credit, riety of subjects. If passed, they have other options finding a dual enrollment you can earn three or more besides paying resident tuprogram that fits you, or college credits towards a ition for a full four years. taking CLEP exams, I class in that subject. CLEP Universities are so expenthink everyone should conexams are widely accepted sive and the opportunity sider getting a head start. It by most colleges and unito take 495-dollar classes does not have to be getting versities and are a great while still in high school ina full year of college out of way to get ahead for only stead of 1,200-dollar classthe way, but even just a few 80 dollars and without takes residentially will benefit credits that can take care of ing any additional courses. me greatly in the future. By prerequisites for a fraction With the academic rigor of getting a head start, I can of the cost.

As East welcomes its new principal, Dr. Perry, several key . faculty members will say goodbye to East. The following are retiring: Ms. DiCiurcio

Activities Secretary

21 years at East

Mrs. Morrone

Grade-Level Secretary

16 years at East

Mr. Hulme

Athletic Director/ Grade Level Principal

22 years at East

Mr. Marano

Drafting Teacher

10 years at East

Photos by Jennifer Pacitti (‘17)/ Eastside News/Features Editor and Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor

June 2016

The Boyling Point

■ By Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17) Eastside Managing Editor

Almost every day of my junior year, when AP classes grew too difficult, when extracurriculars got too busy, when standardized testing became too overwhelming, I would motivate myself by saying “Just one more day” or “Just one more week” or “Just one more year.” One more insert-time-period-ofchoice until I can relax. It’s funny how those time periods worked, because after every one ended, another one began, even more demanding than the one before.

Currently I have a countdown going until the last day of school, the day I used to think would leave me free of stress. But knowing myself, and knowing the atmosphere of Cherry Hill, will I really be free? With four weeks spent away at rigorous summer programs, countless college visits and hours learning at college essay prep classes, I never truly will escape the pressure. A similar fate awaits many East students, especially my peers in the Class of 2017.

And what makes us think that senior year will be any different? More AP classes, college applications and demanding activities could turn the nine months we’ve been counting down to all of our lives into simply another “Just one more.”

But this time, the countdown will be different. If we treat senior year the way that we did the other three, by the time we really allow ourselves to relax, the year will be over, along with all of the opportunities that come with an amazing senior year. Imagine missing out on participating in Spirit Week because you’re in the middle of a difficult week. Imagine skipping the Disney trip because of approaching APs and because you “just need to make it through one more month.”

Imagine staying home to study instead of hanging out with friends and making lasting memories so you can get through one measly day of testing.

I’m not saying you should give up on all academic endeavors entirely; that would be extremely hypocritical coming from someone like me. Nevertheless, something that many people at East, including myself, need to learn is balance. A healthy balance could quite possibly promote a more positive attitude towards our school from the student body, despite East’s many imperfections.

Nostalgic emotions may not have reached the underclassmen yet, but for seniors, the impending end has most certainly hit them. Only they can truly understand the severity of the countdown.

So maybe we should change our mantra to something like: “Just One more day/week/month/year.

I better make the most of it.”

COMMUNITY

June 2016

EASTSIDE

Page 5

Color Run gets a new twist in Gloucester County ■ By Brooke Greenberg (‘17)

Eastside Community Editor

On May 21, a new and exciting event splashed South Jersey with color: the M.U.L.E. Color Blast.

Taking inspiration from the Color Run, Gloucester Township Education Foundation hosted the event at the Gloucester Township Community Park in conjunction with the four schools that make up the acronym M.U.L.E.—Mullen Middle School, Union Valley Elementary, Lilley Elementary and Erial Elementary in Gloucester County. “[The M.U.L.E. Color Blast] is our homegrown version of the Color Run. We [had] three color stations where students [kindergarten to eighth grade got] together with their families for a fun run,” said Color Blast Event Coordinator, Jennifer Pfliegler. “It [was] not timed, and we [had] three color stations where we [threw] the color dye on [the participants].”

A special dye was used that is non-toxic and washable, making it another added family-

friendly feature which most parents enjoyed and appreciated.

“We started planning back in September of last year, and we had to get sponsors to pay for the cost because the dyes are actually expensive, and we needed sponsorships to cover the T-shirts, color dye, etc.,” said Pfleigler.

All four schools worked simultaneously to put together this event as a fundraiser for their respective schools. The money raised was divided up and distributed to those four schools that helped to organize the event.

“We ended up having gold, silver, bronze and platinum level sponsorships. There were many many details associated with the event,” Pfleigler said. “We also had to work with the park to get a permit, and then coordinate with the police. We got to set up the registration, we had to determine what the price is, how you are going to promote it, how you are going to set it up with the schools.”

The race would have not been possible without sponsors who paid for the dye for the event as

well as T-shirts.

The fun run had the premise of a color run but with a much more family-friendly atmosphere.

The run was not timed as per making it more inclined for families to participate with no added pressure.

Also, the race was not meant to be a 5K, as instead it was a fun run around the park because it is through the schools and intended for grades kindergarten through eighth grade to participate in.

“It was the first time all four schools have worked cooperatively together to plan a community event,” said Pfleigler.

The fees for the event were 15 dollars for ages three to seventeen and 25 dollars for 18 years and older. The race started at 8:30 a.m. on May 21.

Following was an AfterBlast area that was open from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. which included familyfriendly activities such as a DJ and snacks.

Background by Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Collingswood immerses in crafts, food, fun ■ By Ilana Arougheti (‘19)

Eastside Staff

and booths selling food were open along with Collingswood’s usual mélange of restaurants and cafés, offering “everything from pulled pork to panzerotti,” as collingswood.com had put it.

“There’s something there for everybody,” said Collingswood artist, Allyson Averell.

Averell, 30, returned to a booth at the fair this year after a few years’ absence from the festivities.

Averell sold pyrographic art—wood burnings—as well as paintings and lawn ornaments, along with a friend who shared tent space with her to sell ceramics. Averell has been attending the May Fair since she was a child, and she has fond memories of playing in the locally famed Kids Zone, with her father manning the dunk tank. As an adult, Averell appreciates the festival for the sense of companionship and togetherness, which the festivities provide the whole town. “[The May Fair] is a great way to meet people in the community and get

Collingswood Farmers Market. With so much variety, there were bound to

else,” Averell said, recalling her own personal favorite purchase from years past: a

family event, so there might not necessarily be a lot of people there to spend a lot

At 6 a.m. on May 28, Haddon Avenue in Collingswood was blocked off to traffic in preparation for the Thirty-Seventh Annual May Fair. The usual rush of traffic along that road was replaced with the hustle and bustle of vendors setting up their booths in preparation for the festivities to come.

The Collingswood May Fair is a yearly jamboree that unites the whole community over a myriad of booths and activities, lasting from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In 1979, during the first year of the festival, the fair began as what collingswood. com describes as “a clothesline art exhibit.” Now, in 2016, the festival has grown to astonishing proportions; last year’s festivities drew around 50,000 participants and required more than a mile of space along Haddon Avenue in Collingswood’s Courtesy of TheCaseOfNewJersey.com business district.

The May Fair Festival had booths and activities all throughout Collingswood.

Live music ranging from blues to rock was played throughout the day, and baby’s onesie of money,” said Averell. the muchpainted to look While food vendors and b e l o v e d like a mercarnival game stalls might Kids Zone maid’s body, not necessarily suffer from was open all with the baby’s the May Fair’s general atday, giving face where the titude, it can be harder for children a mermaid’s artists to sell big-ticket fun space in head would items in a festival setting. which they be.

Averell’s own more subcould play As an artstantial works, most notacarnival ist, Averell bly her wood burnings, tend games, ride recognizes to represent a few hours of horses and that beyond labor and typically cost anycraft.

The just providing where between 50 and 175 day culmicool commudollars, depending on the nated in an nity entertainnature of the piece. Averell auto show— ment, festivals said that she anticipates showing off can be a way more interest in smaller both antique of life for artpieces like her lawn ornaand classic ists. She herments during the fair. cars—and self works as a Between all of the sights, a display face and body sounds and sweets to be of Harleypainter during sampled, the Collingswood Davidson the year, and May Fair has served as a motorcycles, she plans to point of connection for the giving the travel to more Collingswood community spring fiesta festivals this for years, but that does not a unique year to paint mean that out-of-towners twist. faces. wouldn’t find it fun as well.

Courtesy of Collingswood.com M o r e Averell did “Like I said, there’s somethan 200 The Collingswood May Fair had a lot of different attractions. point out that thing for everyone,” Averell artists and although the reiterated, laughing. crafters fair does allow On May 28, the Collingfrom the area were there to connections with the local be many cool and unusual vendors to generate buzz, swood air was strong with show off and sell their crepeople,” Averell said. items on sale. revenue and connections, the scents of treats, a buzz ations.

This year, every vendor “To be a vendor, [one] can booths whose wares fit the of excitement at the prosBecause a fair is absospot for the May Fair wasonly sell handmade things, casual, walk-around, fampect of local art and the car lutely nothing without an claimed by local artisans, so you’re going to find ily outing style of the day show, and the sounds of live array of drool-worthy carincluding Averell’s booth unique items that you’re tend to see more success. music and families having nival snacks, food courts and the much-anticipated not going to find anywhere “It tends to be more of a a great time.

COMMUNITY

Page 6

EASTSIDE

June 2016

Escape the Room: New trend sweeps South Jersey ■ By Ben Goldsmith (‘17)

Eastside Multimedia Director

A new trend is sweeping the nation: the escape room.

An escape room is a room dressed to appear as a regular, themed space with clues to find one’s way out or to solve a task in a given amount of time. It is an experience in which one’s mind is put to the test.

Among many locals, the concept is growing rapidly.

There are now over a dozen businesses that offer the escape room experience in reach of the East community.

“We’re not even worried about the competition,” said co-owner and founder of Escape Room South Jersey, Jake Matthews. “It’s almost not even competition because the more businesses like this, the more you’re going to want to try the other ones in your area.”

Escape Room South Jersey (ERSJ) in Collingswood is one of the newest. Many companies have surged in Philadelphia already, but now ERSJ has become the first in South Jersey. Located at 710 Haddon Avenue, the company first opened in May 2015.

While ERSJ attracts mainly 20 through 40-yearolds, Matthews said that they see plenty of teenagers.

Eastside Editorial Assistant Alon Goldfinger (‘17) and I were eager to test our

skills under the pressure of one of these rooms. ERSJ advertises two rooms on its website, “American Embassy” and another that is still in the works. Not knowing what to expect, we bravely entered the doorway and started the one-hour timer with one goal in mind—dis-

“You felt like you were really in [1974], and there was really a crisis you needed to solve,” said Goldfinger.

The goal of this room was to not merely escape, but to figure out how to turn the explosive off.

“It’s called an escape

President Richard Nixon came through a television monitor. His voice stressed just how crucial disarming the bomb was to saving the embassy. The situation at hand may have seemed frightening at first; however, that was not ERSJ’s goal.

Ben Goldsmith (‘17)/ Eastside Multimedia Director

The Escape Room South Jersey has rooms resembling offices from the ‘70s. arm the bomb.

We were immediately transported to the American embassy in Leningrad, Russia, 1974. The room felt like a generic ‘70s office with tacky wooden walls, only it was filled with helpful clues and codes to disarm a bomb the Soviet government placed.

room, but we just like to give it more of an internal goal,” said Matthews.

“We’re not trying to lock anybody up.”

After meeting our team of five other people, the staff briefed us, and we were ready to start. To commence our mission officially, a mock voice of Former

“Nothing is going to jump out and scare you. It’s comedic, light-hearted and tongue in cheek,” said Matthews.

With this assurance, a wide variety of people are drawn in by the mind game.

The staff told us specifically not to tug or pull hard on any objects in the room;

the mission was brains over brawns.

“It wasn’t any sort of horror, dark-lit room. It was more challenging to the mind,” said Goldfinger.

Our main focus was not time constraint until the second half hour. As our team drew closer to unlocking the switch to turn off the explosive, the puzzles got harder.

At this point, we had no choice but to turn to our three available hints.

ERSJ had cameras set up peering in on the action to be able to see exactly where we were in the game. This way, the staff was able to give us helpful, relevant clues.

Goldfinger said, “I couldn’t figure out [the puzzles] without the clues, and even if I had stayed for five hours, I couldn’t have figured them out.”

Despite the stress of the Cold War, we flipped the lever to disarm the bomb with six minutes and 47 seconds remaining—one of ERSJ’s most laughable recorded times.

We learned that communicating and employing our smartest people worked to our advantage. That’s why if one plans to experience the escape room, coming in a large group of ten people is ideal.

“There’s always someone who can [solve] just about everything, and there’s something for everyone to do,” said Matthews.

Goldfinger and I both agreed that it was a fun, thrilling, life-like experience and plan to go back once ERSJ’s second room becomes available.

Blueberries reign supreme at annual Hammonton festival ■ By Sara Messinger (‘17)

Eastside Staff

Pool parties, barbecues and bonfires are all typical activities of

does not take this lightly. The festival will include a variety of themed items, as they encourage their crafters and food vendors to incorporate the town's pride in their blueberry industry.

"Blueberries in every shape and

do a top-ten song from every year of the festival starting from 1987."

The festival will also feature its annual car show, but with a special emphasis on the old antique cars this year in honor of the town's anniversary.

"Paying a homage to the 150 years of the town, we will try to find some real antiques," said Runfolo.

Keeping in tradition of the festival, the Chamber's tent will be selling its freshly made blueberry cannolis. As the town has a large Italian-American population, the Chamber mixes the agricultural roots with the ethnic roots of its people to create the blueberry cannoli.

T h e Chamber sold over a thou-

sand of the cannolis last year, and plans to do no different come June 26.

With family fun in mind, the festival will include an abundance of activities geared for young kids. The festival will include kiddie rides, arts and crafts and a blueberry pie eating contest.

Hammonton prides itself on its traditional American festival. The festival is truly Americana. If one were to stick the festival right in the middle of Kansas, nobody would know the difference, said Runfolo.

The fun-filled day officially starts at 9 a.m.—with music starting at noon—and goes until 5 p.m. Families are welcome to come early for the blueberry pancake breakfast starting at 6 a.m.

Courtesy of Geographically Yours

Hammonton, NJ, is the blueberry capital of the world. summer in Cherry Hill, but for the small town of Hammonton, there is no better way to celebrate the coming of summer than the annual Red, White and Blueberry Festival.

The thirtieth Annual Red, White and Blueberry Festival—scheduled for Sunday, June 26—will feature a day of family fun with food vendors, music and a whole lot of blueberries.

When driving into the town, visitors will approach signs that read "Welcome to The Blueberry Capital of The World," and Hammonton

form. We sell over a million blueberries from the chamber tent," said John Runfolo of the Hammonton Chamber of Commerce.

Not only will Hammonton be celebrating its successful blueberry industry and thirtieth anniversary of the festival, but also its sesquicentennial of the town.

"We're going back in time," said Runfolo. "We're going to have a big band quintet Sydney Steele (‘16)/ Eastside Art Director do songs from the thirties… The Red, White and Blueberry Festival will sell a variety of blueberry prodand a cover band that will ucts.

June 2016

EASTSIDE

Page 7

EDITORIAL

Page 8

EASTSIDE

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

Mr. Joseph Dilks is Eastside’s “Person of the Year” When reminiscing on their high school experiences, many remember a teacher who went beyond the bare minimum to leave a potent, positive impact on their lives. The teacher who breaks out from the restrictions of public school bureaucracy. The teacher who cares about what students take from their four years.

Mr. Joseph Dilks, Eastside’s 2016 Person of the Year, is one such teacher.

There is a common misconception that old dogs cannot learn new tricks.

Ignorance dictates that a teacher can only specialize in a certain subject or a specific lesson. Dilks has shattered—and continues to shatter—these misperceptions through his passionate devotion to his job and his students.

Following a 20-year-long law career, over half of which he spent running his own private practice, Dilks returned to school to earn his teaching degree, taking night courses for three years while juggling professional, family and personal life.

Since the start of his educational career, he has demonstrated exemplary teaching skills. As a teacher of Algebra 1 and Calculus, he succeeds in getting students genuinely interested in the material.

Instead of simply dictating the information students need to perform adequately in class, Dilks ensures that they truly learn and gain a thorough understanding of the material.

In regard to these general guidelines, Dilks has surpassed all expectations.

“Teachers open the door, but you must enter yourself” is a common mantra pertaining to educator/pupil relationships. However, it is rare to find a teacher who will hold said door open as widely as he does.

As a proprietor of two Wildwood fudge shops, a husband, father, teacher and adviser of East’s award-winning Robotics Club, balancing time can be difficult as is. However, his busy schedule does not prevent him from staying after school nearly every day of

Jacob Borowsky (‘16)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief

Dilks smiles as he receives his “Person of the Year” plaque. the week, going back and forth between helping his robotics students in F-wing to providing extra help to students in C215. In one instance, he stayed after school until after 7:30 p.m. solely to help a lab group complete its assignment.

For one often so busy, he makes himself more available to students than many with fewer obligations would.

As any student or educator knows, quantity of work must be substantiated by quality. In Dilks’ case, quality standards are surpassed by even further margins. Mathematics is commonly portrayed as the subject of students’ dread, often on the premise that it does not appear relevant to

students’ “real lives.” Dilks disproves this stereotype with immense poignancy.

Aside from integrating realworld application problems into his lessons and labs, he finds numerous other ways to bridge the threshold between the lesson and the world outside East’s walls.

By placing the emphasis on analysis and critical thinking, he consistently retains students’ interest, attention and participation, which directly transposes to better focus, performance and positive mental development.

In addition to his exemplary teaching, Dilks’ service to East robotics further qualifies him for this award. In January 2008, his first school year teaching at East, he founded the

Robotics Club along with two sophomores who first constructed a robot for a Research in Science project.

By so devotedly pouring his time into this endeavor, Dilks not only provided these two students with the opportunity to expand their potential, but also has continued to give countless others equal opportunities.

Every year since the club’s foundation, at least one team has qualified for the World Tournament, and every year except this past one, Dilks has led the team to first place state championship titles.

Last year, in addition to all other obligations, Dilks enrolled in two evening courses at Camden County College for certification to teach this year’s new computer programming class, which he now teaches. He originally proposed the course without intent of teaching it, but undertook the responsibility when it became apparent administration would not hire a new staff member to fill the position.

Although the above testaments more than qualify Dilks for this award, his mindset makes him the most personally deserving.

“At my stage in life, [teaching] is an opportunity to give back,” he said, unaware that he won the Person of the Year Award.

“I enjoy trying to help as much as I can. I’m here not because of administration or because of the school. I do what I do because my first priority is the kids that I teach, and the kids that are in the Robotics Club, and the kids that are in this school. That’s why I donate as much time as I do.”

By impressing strong ethics, morals, selflessness and the importance of following and developing one’s passions, Dilks casts himself as a clear role model to East students. His devotion, unwavering enthusiasm and admirable character inspire students to become passionate, strong role models themselves. Through his consistently impressive work ethic and example, he more than exceeds his goal of giving back.

June 2016

Cherry Hill High School East 1750 Kresson Road Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 Phone: (856) 4242222, ext.

2087 Fax: (856) 424-3509

Eastside Online

http://www.eastsideonline.org

Publisher

Fort Nassau Graphics Thorofare, NJ

Letters to the Editor

Submit signed letters to F087 Eastside’s Person of the Year is a four-stage process, which includes members of the Eastside Editorial Board voting at each stage.

The award originated in 2003 in order to recognize members of the school who have made a superior scholastic impact.

Recipients receive a personal plaque in addition to being listed on a plaque next to the Hall of Fame bulletin board.

Past Recipients: 2003: Mr. Matthew Carr 2004: Ms. Elizabeth McLeester 2005: Mr. Tony Mancini 2006: Ms. Marilyn DiCiurcio 2007: Mrs. Linda Heath 2008: Mr. Jonathon Strout 2009: Mr. Charles Musumeci 2010: Mr. Rick Friedman 2011: Mr. Gregory Rouen 2012: Mr. Pete Gambino 2013: Mr. Karl Moehlmann 2014: Ms. Gina Oh 2015: Mr. Tim Locke

Eastside 2015-2016 Editorial Board Managing Editor: Kaitlyn Boyle Online Editor-in-Chief: Sonia Kim Editors-in-Chief: Jacob Borowsky, Julia Rothkoff, Liza Rothkoff Adviser: Mr. Greg Gagliardi Photo Editors Rachel Becker Emelia Keller

Art Directors Tammy Stahl Sydney Steele

Video Editor Madeline Bowne

Webmaster Gabriella Friedman

Entertainment Editors Allison Grossman Leah Korn

Multimedia Directors Brett Dashevsky Ben Goldsmith Steve Mirsen

Business Managers Drew Meklinksy Priya Mistry

Humor Editor Lanxi Li

Radio Manager Ethan Tinkelman

News/Features Editors Sari Cohen Courtney Finnegan Jennifer Pacitti

Community Editors Brooke Greenberg Matt Kains Jenna Myers

Sports Editors Elissa Cohen Samuel Greenberg Luke Hinrichs

Underground Editors Ashley Cooper Jared Fisch

Opinions Editors Shari Boiskin Matt Nussbaum Hope Rosenblatt

Contact the Board: To contact a member of the Eastside Editorial Board via email, type the person’s first name followed by a period, then his or her last name followed by “@eastsideonline.org,” ie: julia. rothkoff@eastsideonline.org.

Editorial Assistants (Note: There is a dash between “eastAlon Goldfinger side” and “online”) Drew Hoffman Josh Sodicoff

June 2016

SENIORS ‘16

And So...

The Adventure Begins EASTSIDE

Page A

Faculty Superlatives

Most Active in Students’ Lives................... Mr. Davis Most Energetic...................................... Ms. Donaghy Most Influential......................................... Mr. Locke Most Interesting Personality............. Mr. Rosenberg Most Intellectual....................................... Mr. Semus Most Memorable.................................. Mr. Gagliardi Most Organized.............................. Ms. Cunningham Most Parental............................... Mrs. Kelly-Radbill Most Passionate................................... Mr. Gagliardi Most School-Spirited......................... Mr. Melograna

Most Talkative..................................... Ms. Donaghy Best Advice Giver............. Ms. Niccolazzo-Dollarton Best Catchphase........... “Alright, So!” -Mr. DeWolf Best Dressed............................................... Mr. Vann Best Hair.............................................. Mr. Gambino Best New Addition................................. Dr. Ridgway Best Substitute....................................... Dr. Ridgway Friendliest............................................ Mr. Gambino Funniest.............................................. Mr. Gagliardi Art by Tammy Stahl (‘16)/ Eastside Art Director

Page B

SENIORS ‘16 EASTSIDE

Senior Perspectives 2016

June 2016

Seniors say goodbye to a monumental chapter in their lives as they look forward to the years ahead.

Jake Walsh

Rachel Becker (‘16)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Each year, Eastside asks an assortment of seniors to write perspectives based on their unique experiences and insights, yet almost everyone invariably hits the same basic themes: “East made me who I am,” “these memories will last forever,” “Cougars ‘Til I Die.” And while I can’t say that I personally feel a real affinity towards any sort of wildcat (but hey, if that’s what you’re into), none of these ideas are fundamentally wrong. I’ve grown a great deal throughout my time at East—if anyone remembers my old hairstyle, please don’t—and I’d genuinely like many of the memories I’ve made here to last forever. In truth, I’m going to miss so much: impromptu (lab) table tennis matches and cheesy homemade chemistrythemed music videos, that one surprisingly good Aramark soup and the monthly scramble for after school math contests. Still, this isn’t a unique perspective as much as it’s a function of being human, of entering an institution, valiantly grappling with it for four long years and finally preparing to depart with a sense of bittersweet triumph.

Of course, this leaves an obvious question unanswered: “what is my senior perspective?”

What solemn sentiment could sum up countless friendships, extracurricular activities and midnight Marlton Diner runs? Maybe it’s to love the grind, to average more than three hours of sleep each night, or just to do your college applications in August? All solid suggestions, but I never followed any of them.

Here’s a fun fact: I wrote this while sitting in Saturday school, the tragicomic consequence of what is ostensibly my twenty-first late and a strong preference for sleep over timeliness.

Cherry Hill East is a place with which I’ve had a number of disagreements, ranging from trivialities (are we really striving for excellence in all that we do?), to the more meaningful (oh, what I’d give to return to those happy days when school started at 8 a.m.). But I always try to smile whenever I stroll through East’s halls, whether it’s to sneak up on my easily startled best friend or to snatch my newest detention slip.

High school can vary from a wellspring of joy and discovery to a whirlwind of stress and drudgery, but in the end, it’s only life.

Might as well enjoy it.

Kshama Parekh East is, in the least cliché way possible, a magical place. A place where there is both the concept of every man for themselves in its academic competitiveness, but also a family of 2,000 that has the undying camaraderie in its sports and spirit. Every year, I have come to appreciate a new aspect of East, whether it is the teachers who have become like family, the melting pot that is the student body or the events that unify us as Cougars.

I have learned the true importance of being open-minded, to ensure access to all that life has to offer. I have become friends with so many different groups of people in my time at East and that has shaped me into who I am. I have gained different outlooks on life and made such meaningful friendships because of the people I have encountered at East, and for that, I am thankful.

If someone told the freshman me that I was going to do half the things I have done at East, I would call them crazy; I performed with the Indian Cultural Society for four years, I was in the Spirit Week dance, I did track and Powder Puff, my friends and I won a lip-sync battle (shout out to the Rice Girls), and I was a Mr. East dance chairlady.

There is good and bad in any experience throughout life, and I was never the student to dislike school until I got to high school. But that comes with the challenge of growing up and juggling family, friends and school. Now standing very close to end, East has definitely prepared me for my future.

You grow up so quickly in high school. It’s not something you expected to happen so drastically; it just kind of happens. And one day when you’re saving lives or starting your own business, you will look back and be proud of who you’ve become, while still missing who you were.

Rachel Becker (‘16)/ Eastside Photo Editor

David Golkow

Rachel Becker (‘16)/ Eastside Photo Editor

It’s the second week of school, and you are looking to get involved at Cherry Hill East. You are getting bombarded with annoying announcements about all kinds of clubs you’ve never heard of, like Athletes Against Bullying (AAB), for example. You decide to go to the first meeting for a bunch of these clubs to simply write your name down, so you can say that you joined. Most students view these clubs as just another activity to list on their college application; however, the clubs at East are the school’s true hidden treasure.

Ask not what your club can do for you, but what you can do for your club. Getting involved in a club has been my most rewarding experience at East. It has provided me with an unexpected opportunity to gain leadership skills, solve problems and make a difference in the East community. Only by stepping up and committing yourself to a club can you recognize the hidden treasure involved in leading a club. I started out feeling intimidated when speaking to the initial AAB members…all 12 of them. I felt uncomfortable advocating for AAB to the faculty to gain their support. I didn’t know how to organize events and, more importantly, how to get students to come to these events, not to mention the media. What used to be my everyday fears now seem like trivial obstacles. This growth can solely be attributed to my work with AAB. So now, let’s return to the second week of school. You are on your way to your first meeting of an East club. Don’t make this your only meeting! Get involved and stay involved. Even though it may take some hard work, recognize that the further you dig into a club, the closer you will get to the true hidden treasure at East.

June 2016

SENIORS ‘16 EASTSIDE

Senior Perspectives 2016

Page C

Seniors say goodbye to a monumental chapter in their lives as they look forward to the years ahead.

Anna Evenosky

Courtesy of Anna Evenosky (‘16)

I guess one can say that I’ve had an atypical high school experience. As I entered the “best four years of my life,” as so many people labeled it, the time to prove myself to colleges in a school that initially seemed so big it could swallow me, I simultaneously entered a life of chronic illness.

Senior year, my health took a turn for the worse, forcing me to stop going to school in December. After just one week of undergoing homebound instruction, it hit me hard that despite my persistent complaints, school was a second home to me. It really isn’t nearly as bad as the majority of us make it out to seem.

From that point on, I caught myself saying a small prayer every day to be healthy again so I could jump right back in as a part of the Class of 2016. I never thought I would say this, but I truly do miss school. I miss all aspects of it: the math classes where my eyes were on the clock more than they were on the board, the heated discussions I’d partake in during Psychology, getting yelled at for talking too much in English, even the nauseating dissections I had to do in Human Anatomy.

We have all heard that saying, “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.” This rings true for me. As for the rest of the seniors, I bet you believe that you will never lose what you have. I was you at one point and lost the life that I thought was mine for good. I lost being able to attend school, seeing my friends on a daily basis, extracurricular activities, senior trip, etc. Never take what you have for granted; never take this amazing school that we are fortunate enough to attend for granted. I know at times school and balancing our busy lives with it can be challenging, to say the least, but accept the challenge because I promise you the challenges are a small price to pay for all the pleasures. Most of all, as cliché as this sounds, start living every day like it’s your last. You truly never know what path your life may take.

Paul Crozier

Emerson wrote, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.” The East years have been an exciting time of my life learning what “lies within.” I’m not a part of any “groupee” identification (jocks, D-Wingers or brains), so my memories begin with the immersion as a freshman into a plethora of activities. These include track, SGA, band, marching band, choir and service clubs. The one activity that has impacted me the most is track. The track team has become my East family because members have offered me consistent support and loyalty. Also, track has exemplified values of focused teamwork and perseverance. The coaches push us toward personal excellence.

Additionally, I have been motivated by dedicated teachers and support staff; I’ll never forget as an overwhelmed freshman seeking assistance from Mr. Menta for lost “goods.” I have learned much academic content, and I have gained an understanding of effort, grit and having purpose. I have learned through the process of making mistakes and running with challenges. Teachers have always encouraged me to take risks. Importantly, I have also been inspired by the emphasis on character traits that East’s faculty promotes. They clearly echo the message that a positive mindset motivated by effort and empathy is invaluable for the success of our lives beyond high school.

All in all, I am very grateful for the meaningful interactions I have had through activities, teachers and learning at East. I feel somewhat sad exiting the great halls of East, as I continue my educational passion at Rutgers (Camden) majoring in education. I hope to influence elementary students so that they will want to positively impact their world.

I leave these words: a perseverant attitude strengthens efforts. We are East-Class of 2016!

Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Adi Eylon

Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor

It is often said that “high school will be the best time of your life,” and at this point in time, I have no reason to disagree. After all, Cherry Hill East has become my second home. Through my various involvements in clubs and events, I have gotten to know almost every aspect of the school, and I can assure you that D-wing is not as intimidating as one may believe. Feeling at such ease in this school makes it that much harder to say goodbye. Although I will not miss the ridiculously early start time and the occasional rodent sighting, there is so much that I will miss once my high school days are over.

Whether it be the indescribable feeling of winning two consecutive Spirit Week dance competitions or the sense of gratitude felt after attending the FOP Holiday Parties at Crowne Plaza, or even the reward and pride achieved after being involved in a successful event like Mr. East, there are some memories that simply cannot be replaced.

Above all, I have learned to seize every moment during these four years because they surely fly by. As I reminisce about my first day of freshman year, I find it hard to process the fact that my high school career is coming to an end. It is crazy to think that I will no longer wake up every morning at the crack of dawn and attempt to tackle the day with all of the familiar faces I have grown to tolerate after four years. No more Spirit Week dances, no more Powder Puff practices, no more SGA events, no more FOP meetings, no more late-night Mr. East preparation. It may be a difficult transition to college, but I could not have asked for a better high school experience. Looking back, I can honestly say that these past four years shaped me into who I am today. Thanks to the amazing friends I have made along the way, the various groups and activities I have participated in and, of course, East itself, I feel prepared to take on the bigger and better things that life has in store for me.

Page D

SENIORS ‘16 EASTSIDE

Senior Perspectives 2016

June 2016

Seniors say goodbye to a monumental chapter in their lives as they look forward to the years ahead.

David Kahn

Rachel Becker (‘16)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Over the past four years, I’ve learned to live life by a few guiding principles: (1) life can only be as great as you make it, (2) it’s important to keep an open mind, and (3) never take advantage of the time you have because before you know it, it will slip by like sand through your fingers. Every day of our lives, time moves from moment to moment, flowing like an infinite river. Although we inevitably participate in this flow, we may choose the way in which we flow with it. High school has acted like a raft, carrying me down the river of time. As an ambitious freshman, I started creating my raft through getting involved with every activity at my disposal, such as SGA, singing, swimming, baseball, band, you name it. In order to make the most of high school (and life, for that matter), you have to try everything. The unknown is your friend. It brings about opportunities to find your true self. High school is about finding yourself. Although, finding yourself isn’t only about you; it’s about all the people and experiences who have influenced your growth. Through high school, I’ve found love through singing, I’ve met the love of my life and I’ve been united with some of the best friends I’ll ever have. A combination of these three has helped crystallize moments into memories, a source of infinite happiness. Ultimately, we all want a smooth ride down the river of time. No matter what path you choose, there will always be white waters, but if you keep building up that raft with moments that matter, you will surpass the white waters with ease. Pursue what you love, live easy, peace.

Yvonne Olayemi As I leave East, I can think of many pieces of advice to impart on underclassmen, numerous recollections of my past four years and countless lessons to take with me as I embark on my journey into adulthood. Through East, I have been able to join clubs and organizations such as African American Culture Club, Photography Club and the Student Leaders Committee. I was able to showcase my “hidden” athletic ability in East Powder Puff and bond with my class in the “healthy competition” that is Spirit Week.

I can still vividly remember my first week of school freshman year, coming from an entirely different town. As much as I protested against attending East, I can’t imagine having spent the last four years anywhere else. Each year, I have learned something new about myself. Each year, I have been able to bond with teachers, and I cannot say that I have ever felt a lack of support from either students or staff as I further explored my own change in mentality and progression into young adulthood. Each year, I have been able to grow a new appreciation for at least one of the many aspects of East.

It is natural for seniors, as graduation approaches, to demonstrate a certain level of eagerness to leave and a certain level of readiness to move forward; however, despite the fact that the countdown to graduation has begun, and the temptation to just leave school and spend time with friends increases with each day, I will always be able to look back to the four years of my life navigating through the chaos of C-Wing intersection, overcoming the frustration of the “up” vs. “down” staircases and finding ways to get my teachers to let me out of class to get Chick-Fil-A from the school store. I will remember all the classes I complained about, the classes that constantly pushed me to provide nothing short of my best work, the classes that allowed me to realize my own potential. Whatever path I may travel, I will forever remember East, the place that has shaped who I am and will affect the way in which I embrace the next step in my life.

Rachel Becker (‘16)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Colin Del Duke

Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Michael Scott once said, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” Despite being a fictional character on a sitcom, Scott is effective in encouraging viewers to take advantage of every opportunity presented to them. With this in mind, I decided to join six different clubs within a one-week span when I began high school as a naive freshman. Unsurprisingly, I could not balance this extensive amount of clubs with the rigorous workload my teachers assigned.

During my sophomore year, I learned that although all of the clubs East has to offer are enticing, it was better for me to dedicate more time to fewer organizations. As the captain of the Boys’ Volleyball Team, the co-president and co-founder of the Pop Culture Club (a club that has questionable purpose at East) and an avid member of the Badminton Club, I know I have taken full advantage of East’s opportunities.

Physically and mentally exhausted at the end of each school day, I often feel that it would be easier to be uninvolved to allow more time for napping and eating. But then, I reminisce on all of the great things this second home has provided. At every school event I attended, every game I played, every class I participated in and every moment I spent at East, I was changed for the better. East presents each student with countless opportunities; however, it is up to the student to benefit from these chances.

I can say without hesitation that Cherry Hill East has made me the person I am today and that I will forever cherish all of the memories I made here.

Be sure to check out perspectives from the following people on www.eastside-online.org: Nevin Beasley, Andrew Bowen, Jared Burmood, Jason Fisch, Caity Martinez, Sergio Parsi, Meredith Peltzman, Brian Stamm and Jack Tremper

June 2016

SENIORS ‘16 EASTSIDE

Page E

#checommits On Friday, April 29, Eastside asked students of the senior class to wear their college apparel to school in honor of Decision Day and tweet these pictures with the hashtag #checommits. Best of luck to all seniors in their future educational pursuits!

Collage by Allie Grossman (‘16)/ Eastside Entertainment Editor

Page F

EASTSIDE

June 2016

Most Likely to Save the World: David Golkow and Amanda Ketterer

SUPERLATIVES

EASTSIDE

Most Likely to Win a Nobel Prize: Jake Walsh and Amanda Ketterer

Most Creative: Justin Giordano and Tammy Stahl

Most Influential: Lee Rosen-Swell and Yvonne Olayemi

June 2016

Page G

Biggest Sports Fanatics: Zach Apell and Emily Reisman

Best People to Follow on Twitter: Andrew Bowen and Adi Eylon

Most Likely to Invent Something Unusual: Bogdan Vitoc and Emily Reisman Best Laugh: Mitchell Finkelstein and Estelle Ro Best BFFs: Emily Mosgowsky and Charlotte Montgomery

Most Politically Savvy: Jacob DeBlecourt and Charlotte Nordeen Most Avid Gamers: Eric Kinner and Alexis Pirenoglu Most Ambitious: David Golkow and Ally Lazarus

Unsung Heroes: Matt Loeber and Charlotte Nordeen

Wittiest: Jacob DeBlecourt and Sarah Whitty

Friendliest: Dylan Solden and Caity Martinez

Most Positive: Lee Rosen-Swell and Caity Martinez

Best Vocabulary: Jake Walsh and Lanxi Li

Biggest Heartthrobs: Mitchell Finkelstein and Charlotte Montgomery

Best Snapchat Stories: Billy Minerva and Cindy Zhu

People Everyone Wants to Be: Aaron Groff and Grace Shen

Class Clowns: Shyam Handa and Lily Steele-Dadzie Most Likely to Succeed: David Golkow and Grace Shen

Biggest Music Fanatics: Ethan Tinkelman and Lindsay Seidman

Most Involved: Brett Dashevsky and Charllotte Montgomery

Best Personality: Matt Armendinger and Caity Martinez

Most Likely to Become U.S. President: Brett Dashevsky and Grace Shen Most Outgoing: Scott Brown and Robin Brown

Most School Spirited: Brian Stamm and Charlotte Montgomery

Most Likely to Win an Oscar: Jacob DeBlecourt and Winnie Cross

Most Studious: Jake Walsh and Grace Shen

Most Enthusiastic: Matt Armendinger and Robin Brown

Most Talkative: Scott Brown and Danielle Rosenthal

Most Well-Rounded: Lee Rosen-Swell and Charlotte Montgomery

Most Approachable: Scott Brown and Robin Brown

Best to Bring Home to Mom and Dad: Lee Rosen-Swell and Cassidy Rosen-Swell

Most Opinionated: Matt Nussbaum and Marlena Penn

Most Likely to Work at East: Jake Babroff and Bernie Davis

Most Athletic: Aaron Groff and Jessica Bryant Most Likely to Possess Random Knowledge: Jake Walsh and Lanxi Li

Best Writers: Jacob Borowsky and Lanxi Li

Biggest Health/Fitness Fanatics: Mitchell Finkelstein and Marisa Meyers

Biggest Book Fanatics: Eric Flanegin and Jill Murphy

Most Likely to Win a Grammy: Sergio Parsi and Winnie Cross

Co-Ed Best Friends: Dylan Solden and Emily Reisman

Best Musicians: Sergio Parsi and Meredith Peltzman

Best Morning People: Scott Brown and Robin Brown

Most Likely to Update His/Her Facebook Status: Paul Crozier and Alex Birbilis

Prettiest Eyes: Colin Del Duke and Winnie Cross

Best Dressed: Timmy Perry and Allie Grossman

Best Female Look-Alikes: Allie Grossman and Gabby Calder

Best Male Look-Alikes: Nick Rosa and Joe Brito

Best Hair: Sergio Parsi and Winnie Cross

Most Artistic: Gavin Wechsler and Sydney Steele

Most Tech-Savvy: Bogdan Vitoc and Emily Reisman

Best Smile: Pierce Elliot and Charlotte Montgomery

Most Likely to Pull an All-Nighter on a School Night: Andrew Tinkelman and Adi Eylon

Most Likely to Host a Talk Show: Jacob DeBlecourt and Yvonne Olayemi Best Facial Hair: Sergio Parsi

Most Memorable: Dipto Chakravarty and Danielle Rosenthal

Best People to Follow on Instagram: Yoav Varadi and Joanna Chen

Best Bromance: Genarro DiColondrea and Colin Del Duke

Most Likely to Take Gym Seriously: Andrew Bowen and Sydney Sheppard

Art by Sydney Steele (‘16)/ Eastside Art Director Photos by Rachel Becker (‘16) and Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editors and Julia Rothkoff (‘16)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief Layout by Jacob Borowsky (‘16)/ Eastside Editorin-Chief and Sydney Steele (‘16)/ Eastside Art Director

Biggest TV/Movie Fanatics: Gennarro DiColandrea and Grace Garemore

Funniest: Jacob DeBlecourt and Lily Steele-Dadzie

Best Couple: Matt Armendinger and Allie Grossman

Biggest Backpacks: Paul Crozier and Leah Korn

Page H

SENIORS ‘16 EASTSIDE

June 2016

Seeing Double: Twins of the East Class of 2016 Eastside asked the following questions to all of the Class of 2016 twins: 1. How are you similar to your twin?

2. How are you different from your twin?

3. What are your plans for the future?

The Mautners Jimmy Garth: 1. “Besides looking somewhat alike, our personalities are the same. We are both outgoing and energetic people.”

2. “I am a little taller, but I am calmer and he has more of a temper.”

3. “I want to get my masters in business and run my own business. I am going to GCC and transferring to Rutgers.”

Justin Garth: 1. “Definitely personality but activities we do together and our friend groups.”

2. “I am more outgoing than he is. He is more shy than I am, and I am friendlier.”

3. “I want to get my masters in physical therapy and then pursue sports medicine. I am going to GCC and then I am going to transfer to Alabama.”

The Potts

Lee Rosen-Swell: 1. “We both play sports and we are very friendly and personable, and we like meeting new people.”

2. “I am more relaxed than her at times, and I am younger by nine minutes so I am less mature, while unlike Cassidy, I enjoy complex carbohydrates.”

3. “I am going to Vanderbilt University, and I want to be a doctor.”

Cassidy Rosen-Swell: 1. “We are both very sporty and outgoing people, and I have Celiac Disease and he doesn’t.”

2. “I am older, so I am more mature [by nine minutes] and I eat more.”

3. “[I am attending] University of Wisconsin. I am going to be a psychologist.”

The Rothkoffs Josh Salkin: 1. “We are both very tall and have the same parents.”

2. “I am not ashamed of my facial hair like my counterpart.”

3. “In the year 2016, I plan to study at Rutgers University in New Brunswick majoring in Pre-Law or Pre-Med, whatever makes my Bubbie most happy.”

Sara Salkin: 1. “We are both caring people. We are always there for each other, and we are best friends.”

2. “We have very different friends, polar opposite personalities, and Josh is more athletic.”

3. “‘I’m going to Albright College in Reading, PA. I don’t have a major yet, but I am excited to start a new life.”

The Encarcions

Samantha Mautner: 1. “I think we’re similar because we think the same way about people... in school we feel the same way about a lot of different people and things and issues. I mean, we look alike. People say we’re similar.”

2. “We’re both super Type A, but she’s a lot more high strung than I am. She’s definitely a lot more upfront than I am. She’s very good at math and science, but it’s like a myth to me.”

3. “I’m going to Temple currently for musical theatre with a vocal concentration, but I’m going to definitely focus on musical theatre as well.”

Alison Mautner: 1. “We really like the same type of people. We find the same things really irritating. And we find the same things totally hilarious. Another similarity is our car, which we fight about every day.”

2. “In terms of school work, she really cares about her studies and things like that. We sometimes will get passionate about different things. We definitely differ in the activities we do [too].”

3. “I’m going to Rutgers New Brunswick and I’m majoring in animal science with a pre-veterinary path.”

The Garths Matt Potts: 1. “We are not really alike at all, in my opinion. Pretty much the only thing we have in common is hair color.”

2. “I’m taller than her, more quiet than she is… less hyperactive.”

3. “I am going to Burlington County College in Mt. Holly, and I am probably going to study Botany, Environmental Science and, maybe, Psychology.”

Sarah Potts: 1. “We both like animals and watching TV, and we both have blue eyes.”

2. “He is pretty quiet, and I can be pretty loud. He keeps to himself, and I am more outgoing.”

3. “I am going to Cabrini College. My major is undecided.”

The Rosen-Swells Liza Rothkoff: 1. “We enjoy the same activities for the most part. We have similar interests. We like the same TV shows, like the same music.”

2. “She is very messy. I am more towards the neat side. I tend to be slightly more studious, not by much.”

3. “I am going to Hofstra in New York. I’m undecided in major, so we will see where that goes.”

Julia Rothkoff: 1. “We like mainly the same things. We have similar interests like music, TV, other things. We also look alike.”

2. “She is a little neater than I am. She likes things orderly and I really don’t care. She likes to go to sleep really early.”

3. “I’m going to Sarah Lawrence College, where they have no majors. We all get a liberal arts degree. But if I could choose, I would choose undecided.”

The Salkins Dante Encarnacion: 1. “We are both clowns, and we are both athletic and that’s about it.”

2. “I am the more musical artistic one, so I work on a lot of the music and dancing stuff. Kyle has never been the artistic musical type.”

3. “Me personally, I would like to go into clothing and music and study graphic designing. I am going to a transfer program at Rutgers Camden for graphic design.”

Kyle Encarnacion: 1. “We both have the same parents, and that is basically it.”

2. “We are completely opposite. He is more artistic, and I am more athletic. He likes watching regular TV or music videos, but I like to watch anime. We dress completely different. I am also twins with Kennedy [Omari] and Tommy [Trieu].”

3. “I am going to Rutgers-New Brunswick for computer science, and I am going to be running Division 1 track.”

June 2016

SENIORS ‘16 EASTSIDE

Page I

Seeing Double: Twins of the East Class of 2016

Eastside asked the following questions to all of the Class of 2016 twins: 1. How are you similar to your twin?

2. How are you different from your twin?

All photos by Rachel Becker (‘16)/ Eastside Photo Editor and Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor 3. What are your plans for the future?

The Blakers Lindsay Seidman: 1. “We have the same family and we both have the same favorite number: 10538.”

2. “We have different interests, different opinions, different heights.”

3. “I want to be a doctor, so pre-med at TCNJ.”

Matthew Seidman: 1. “Not at all… in any way.”

2. “I am actually nice, a lot nerdier and more awkward.”

3. “I am going to Drexel for mechanical engineering, but I don't know what industry I want to enter yet.”

The Lalas Vimalesh Vasu: 1. “We’re similar in very few ways that I can think of.

Everyone says we’re completely different.”

2. “He’s generally a more chill person. I generally stress out a lot more. I’m athletic, and he usually stays home and sleeps.”

3. “Right now I’m engineering undecided, but I want to get into material science, electro-engineering, or mechanical engineering. I’m going to Carnegie Mellon.”

Vignesh Vasu: 1. “I’m not similar to him at all. We look similar, but our personalities are completely different.”

2. “I’m more laid-back.”

3. “I’m going to Vanderbilt. I have no idea what I want to do in the future. I know I’m probably not going to go into engineering.”

The Ackermans Jess Smith: 1. “We are both pretty competitive and do the same sport.

We also both have the same friends.”

2. “She is definitely a lot louder and more outgoing and more creative.”

3. “I am going to Elon, and I have no idea what I am going to major in.”

Rachel Smith: 1. “Jess and I have the same sense of humor, we are both really competitive in different aspects.”

2. “Jess is way more logical than me..I am a lot more decisive, and I am louder than Jess.”

3. “I am going to Appalachian State University and I am going to study industrial design.”

The Gormans

Jeremy Blaker: 1. “We live in the same house, we have the same parents, born on the same day and we also have the same last name.”

2. “Our genders, our personalities, our interests and demeanors.”

3. “I am going to Ohio State University to become successful in the path that I choose.”

Kyra Blaker: 1. “We are not similar at all, except for the fact that we live in the same house.”

2. “We have different friends, different music, different activities — pretty much everything.”

3. “I am going into elementary education at the University of Delaware.”

The Seidmans

Sabah Lala: 1. “We are both pretty outgoing and we share a common hatred of each other, but also many teachers give us the same grades because they cannot tell us apart.”

2. “No, we don’t have twin telepathy and we cannot read each other’s minds.”

3. “I am going to Drexel University and I hope we never see each other. I am going to major in computer science and minor in biology, as well, and I want to be on the pre-med track and hope to become a cardiologist.”

Sanobar Lala: 1. “We both have the same hobbies, we both have a passion for badminton and swimming and we both have vibrant personalities and an affinity for people. We were both born on the 31st of December.”

2. “Our personalities are very different, I straighten my hair more often than her and I am more talkative.”

3. “I am going to Drexel University. My major is computer science and my minor is going to be biology, but my ultimate goal is to become a doctor.”

The Vasus Rachel Ackerman: 1. “I think we’re really similar in the sense that we have a ton of the same friends. And we’re best friends.”

2. “We’re definitely going into different career paths. I think I’m more of the creative, theatrical type of twin. And Jamie’s the more introverted, more scientific person.”

3. “I’m going to Syracuse and I want to be a director or a stage manager.”

Jamie Ackerman: 1. “We have a lot of the same interests, we both like theater. We have a lot of the same friends, mostly because she makes them.”

2. “I think our personalities are [very] different. I’m definitely ‘quieter’ and more to myself; I’m okay being alone, Rachel’s very loud and boisterous. I have more imagination and am good at seeing what’s not there and figuring out things from there.”

3. “I’m going to Quinnipiac University and I want to be an experimental psychologist. I’m majoring in psychology.”

The Smiths

Kyra Gorman: 1. “We are both very competitive and very close, we do similar activities and we have the same sense of humor.”

2. “Kelsey is more open and extroverted while I am ‘quieter’ and introverted. She puts herself out there more.”

3. “I am going to college [at West Virginia University], I want to major in computer science.”

Kelsey Gorman: 1. ““We are really close and we both play sports so that’s what brought us together over the years. We always do everything together.”

2. “I am more outgoing than her; she is shy.”

3. “I am going to Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, and I am majoring in occupational therapy.”

Page J

SENIORS ‘16 EASTSIDE

June 2016

Eastside Senior Perspectives 2016

Eastside’s editors-in-chief reflect on their time with Eastside Jacob Borowsky: Editor-in-Chief

Photos by Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Regarding my participating in Eastside, my path to editor-in-chief was fairly certain.

I had known since before I entered East on my first day that I wanted to be a part of the newspaper, and I knew since completing Mr. Gagliardi’s Journalism I class that I wanted to be an editor-in-chief. At the risk of sounding condescending, I knew then that I would earn the position, too, because my drive and passion for journalism is incomparable to that of most of my peers.

For my final act, I’ve decided to not write an epilogue or farewell; instead, I think I’d rather use this space as a “victory lap.” Because although Eastside and its members are always striving to get better, let’s be honest: Eastside killed it this year. We expanded and improved our online coverage vastly, we put out seven issues with some of the best content we have ever published, our website was named an NSPA Online Pacemaker winner, we won the GSSPA Distinguished Journalism Award signifying that we are the best high school newspaper in New Jersey for the seventh year in a row, we were named “Best Newspaper” in the country in the 1701 to 2500 student population group by the ASPA, and we collectively won the most individual awards we have ever received. Truly, this was Eastside’s best year in its nearly 50-year existence. To say that being such an important part of that has been an honor and a pleasure would be an understatement.

I do take credit for a lot of Eastside’s success, but the reality is, credit for our success is due to every member of our 37-member board, every staff writer, Gagz and everyone who has supported Eastside by reading, sharing and enjoying our content. Namely, there are a few people whom I must thank directly. To my co-EICs, Julia and Liza Rothkoff, I can say undoubtedly that I would not have wanted to work with anyone else. Knowing that I had two teammates who cared about Eastside as much as I do made my job tremendously easier.

To Gagz, I still don’t know how or why you put in so much effort for us, but thank you so much for doing it. I get the feeling that people don’t realize how much work, coordination and direction you do for Eastside, but it is really an incomprehensible amount to do. Even if others do not see it, I do. You definitely deserve a raise.

Finally, to next year’s EICs and managing editor, Kaitlyn, Ashley, Luke and Jenna: knowing that you four will be leading Eastside during its fiftieth year of existence gives me a great sense of security. I am supremely confident that you will build on this year’s success, and I am eager to see the great content you publish next year. Please hit me up if you guys need any help next year, too. I will gladly ghostwrite a story for any of you. Even if you don’t need my help, just keep me updated because I will be experiencing heavy FOMO next year when I can’t be a part of Eastside.

When I sit down to write a story, there are two things I try to avoid every time: trailing off topic and clichés. I have probably managed to do both of those within this story—but I really am being genuine. Eastside is the only activity I participate in that I take pride in. I take such pride in our success because this year we were outstanding. As Kanye West put it, “it’s hard to be humble when you’re stuntin’ on a jumbotron.” And honestly, everyone who is a part of Eastside deserves to “stunt.”

I think my passion for Eastside can be summarized by this: the only things in the world that could make me feel sentimental about a room where mice poop and die all over the place, strange odors emit from the radiator and the technology is almost as old as me are the memories that I have formed in it thanks to Eastside. I will miss all the good times in F087 dearly next year. With that, peace (straight ahead).

Julia Rothkoff: Editor-in-Chief

The other day, Eastside’s Managing Editor and soon-to-be Editor-inChief Kaitlyn Boyle told me, “I have wanted to be editor-in-chief of Eastside ever since middle school.” While it would be nice to have dreams and aspirations that go all the way back to middle school, I came into high school with no idea of what I wished to achieve. I have never been into sports, nor have I ever had a passion for science (sorry, Kaitlyn), so when the opportunity arose to start writing for Eastside, I figured “why not?”

Eastside is not a group of teenagers complaining about what they think is wrong with their school; while, yes, we do have many editorial discussions about what could be changed in the school, Eastside is—to me at least—a group of passionate teenagers working for something larger than themselves.

Each issue we’ve put out this year collectively as a group has made me proud of being a leader of this organization. Before Eastside, I did not have much to be proud of; my grades were average, all of my free time was spent doing next-to-nothing, and I sat on the couch watching Bill Murray movies all day. While I still sit on the couch for long periods of time watching Bill Murray movies, I now watch Stripes while thinking about Eastside. The countless hours that I have stayed after school to work on Eastside and the bonds that I have made with my Eastside peers have changed my life; they have given me something to be proud of.

Since I am not great at expressing my thanks vocally, I would like to thank the people who have made my years in Eastside as memorable as they are in my final Eastside story.

Thank you to all 37 members—excluding myself—of this year’s editorial board for tolerating my incessant reminders to submit your stories on time. I think each and every member of our 37-member editorial board has contributed to Eastside’s success, and I hope those who will be on board next year will continue and expand upon this success. To Kaitlyn, I never thought that we would share a bond as closely as we do now. When I first met you, I thought that you had a very “vanilla” personality, but now I only see you as having a “french vanilla” personality. I will never forget the many laughs that we have shared while working on Eastside issues. To Jacob, although we are complete opposites, I have really enjoyed working with you closely for the past two years. I think that our love and passion for Eastside—combined with Liza and Kaitlyn’s love and passion for Eastside—helped to make this year’s board as successful as it was. To Liza, at first I was unsure about having my twin sister as one of my co-editors-in-chief, but I think it worked out well. Maybe now we can finally move past our foolish arguments over nit-picky layout issues.

And finally to Gagz, who deserves his own paragraph. I truly believe that without you, there is no Eastside. You are Eastside’s guiding light, and I will always appreciate and remember your guidance. You helped me and so many others find their purpose in high school; you should feel very proud of that.

As I close my final goodbye to Eastside, I know that I will always have a home in F087, and every Eastside Editorial Board member will always have a place in my heart.

Throughout my freshman year, it never crossed my mind to take Journalism I, let alone apply for a position on the Eastside Editorial Board. Unlike many other prospective board members, taking a part in a time-intensive after-school activity was not in the cards for me. I could not imagine myself staying at school after 2:30 p.m. for an activity, no matter how many times I was told that I should participate in extracurriculars. However, my attitude changed when my sister, Julia, got a position on the 2013-2014 editorial board as an editor for Community. I changed my schedule for sophomore year to include Journalism I, and I immediately wanted to know more about Eastside.

My sophomore year, I applied for a position on the 2014-2015 editorial board and became an entertainment editor. I loved Eastside and wanted to further my writing skills by becoming an editor-in-chief.

I assumed that this year we would win our usual awards, such as the Distinguished Journalism Award at the GSSPA Convention, a few individual awards at the NSPA Convention and a couple of individual Quill and Scroll Awards. However, 14 out of the 28 board members at the NSPA convention in Orlando in November won write-off awards. We additionally have won many awards that we only dreamed of winning in the past, like the Online Pacemaker and the ASPA Award for one of the top high school newspapers in the country. The determination of this year’s board to strive to achieve our goals really shows in the work that we produce. Unlike other years that may have at least one low-quality issue, I feel that our board this year has continued to strive to create seven high-quality issues of which we can all be proud.

Despite all of the milestones that Eastside has hit this year, we have had some setbacks. Our run-in with Central Administration regarding our coverage on anxiety, cheating and stress added more production time to an issue on which we were already falling behind. However, regardless of the problems with administration that we had, we will never stop printing and doing what we love. I urge next year’s board to continue to investigate any issues that we may have at East and to tackle problems that affect the East population, just like we did with the cheating coverage.

I feel so blessed to have Kaitlyn, Jacob and Julia as my fellow leadership editors. All of us worked well together when trying to finish an issue, and I actually looked forward to staying after school until six on nights that I have tons of homework. I will miss our moments of yelling at each other and bickering like siblings, which I have grown to cherish.

Kaitlyn, it was a joy working with you this year as managing editor, and I know that you will be a great EIC. It was a pleasure getting to know you, and it is great knowing that you do not hate me like I thought you did last year.

To next year’s leadership, Jenna, Ashley, Kaitlyn and Luke, continue to represent the importance of Eastside to the rest of the school and the community.

Continue to stick up for Eastside and show that we are the voice of the student body. Continue to encourage next year’s board to go out of their comfort zones and to write and make comics about issues that Eastside is passionate about. I look forward to hearing about the accomplishments that next year’s board is sure to have.

Liza Rothkoff: Editor-in-Chief

SENIORS ‘16

June 2016

EASTSIDE

Culture Corner

Page K

Photos by Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17)/ Eastside Managing Editor, Priya Mistry (‘16)/ Eastside Business Manager and Julia Rothkoff (‘16)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief

Eastside’s senior editors answer questions to reflect upon their time with Eastside.

Name

Photo

One word to describe the person above me is:

A headline I would write about the person below me is:

Rachel Becker

Spontaneous

Borowsky becomes the youngest senior to graduate from East

Jacob Borowsky

Cutie

Madeline Bowne

My Eastside confession is...

I wish __ were my coeditor this year.

The best conversation in the WhatsApp group was...

Which editor would you trust in a zombie apocalypse?

If I could write one more story, it would be about...

I want to be Emelia Keller.

Emelia

Whenever Emelia wrote anything.

Emelia

Emelia.

Local man arrested for fanboying Maddy Bowne too hard

I use the all-gender bathroom every day.

Emelia

Roasting Steve (happened on more than one occasion).

Kaitlyn

Security in other schools (RIP).

Demiurgic

Former East president has too much school spirit to graduate, repeats senior year just to be president again

I chose Multivariable Calculus over Journalism II.

Edward R. Murrow

Wait, there’s a WhatsApp group?!?

Kaitlyn

The teachers who are underappreciated.

Brett Dashevksy

Beautiful

Sam Greenberg and Brooke Greenberg take prom

Rachel hates me.

Rachel

When I said Ethan was going to be absent on [a certain day].

Lanxi

My accomplishments at East. Selfish, yes, but my last story ever.

Sam Greenberg

Loquacious

Allie Grossman: The woman, the myth, the legend

I’m not actually in the Eastside homeroom, and Ethan and I have stolen food several times before in the morning on a day 6.

Jesse Stiller or Jerry Tang

All “no chill” chats.

Steve Mirsen. Since he has diabetes, I think he would be given special accommodations by the zombies and would bring me along.

Steve and his diabetes or Sam Greenberg and his whistling club written anonymously by myself.

Allie Grossman

Hungry

BREAKING: Kains talks

Jacob wrote my confession for me.

Jacob

Winning the Online Pacemaker award.

Ethan

Making the most of high school.

Matt Kains

Overachiever

Future Harvard student revealed as mafia boss

I’m still intimidated

by InDesign.

Lanxi

Ethan gaining the title of Eastside Janitor.

Josh Sodicoff

Jesse Stiller personality profile.

Sonia Kim

Kaaaiiinnnss

Korn saves the world

I miss Julia and Liza.

Gabby

When we won the Online Pacemaker award.

Rachel

Leaving East.

Leah Korn

Genuine

Li makes awkward joke yet again

I still don’t really know how to use InDesign.

Rachel

Winning the Online Pacemaker.

Jacob

Why you should get a dog (shoutout to Jackson).

Lanxi Li

Leah-gendary

Once I thought your name was Colin and I’m still so sorry that happened: A column

[DATA EXPUNGED]

Someone from Clickhole

Undoubtedly held by someone who was more active in the WhatsApp group.

Sonia

The chemical properties of comedy gold.

Drew Meklinsky

Mysterious

Steve: the Man, the Myth, the Legend

Half of the time I have absolutely nothing to do in class.

Gagz

Every conversation is entertaining.

Lanxi

...

Steve Mirsen

Friendly

I wrote an opinions piece about it

I didn’t know what a doubletruck was.

Jared

“And it has [abbreviated explicit] in it??”

Ethan

Lesser known meanings behind popular songs.

Priya Mistry

Just Steve

Nussbaum’s heated argument leaves opposing team with third-degree burns

I’ve never written a story. #business

Rachel

Whichever one I wasn’t ignored in.

Lil Fisch

Puppies.

Matt Nussbaum

Awful-at-flyer-hanging

Silent superhero saves city

I still don’t understand the whole monkey thing.

Luke

“no chill.”

Rachel

Corgis.

Julia Rothkoff

American

Papa Emeritus III gives woman unblessed communion wafer

Jacob wrote my confession also.

Bill Murray

I liked every conversation because Bill Murray is my Whatsapp background, so everytime I opened the app, I saw Bill Murray’s glorious face.

Jenn

Bill Murray; if I ever interviewed him, he would tell me “no one will ever believe you.”

Liza Rothkoff

Indescribable

Girl leaves Eastside due to too many lastminute art requests

Kaitlyn put the broken mouse next to Gagz’s computer.

Justin Trudeau

When Gabby thought that no one would know what Multi-Cultural Day is.

Kaitlyn

An investigative piece about if the condition of the school poses a threat to students’ health.

Tammy Stahl

Calm

Local art student wins national prize

I have a ghost artist.

Rachel

The one about the Online Pacemaker.

Steve

The fact that it’s my first story.

Sydney Steele

Creative

Ethan Tinkelman wins Dad of the Year

Day 6 is my favorite day.

Sam

Ethan’s doctor’s appointment.

Ethan

Dr. Chapman.

Ethan Tinkelman

Mom

Rachel Becker responds with sass yet again

I am Jesse Stiller.

Jacob

Whenever Gagz roasted me.

Steve because he watches “The Walking Dead”.

The non-journalistic things Gagz has taught me.

SENIORS ‘16

Class of 2016 college decisions Page L

EASTSIDE

June 2016

Congrats to the Class of 2016! This list was compiled based on posts in our Facebook college decisions group.

Adelphi University Casey Miller The University of Alabama Sebastian Duva Maxwell Getson Albert A. List College of Jewish Studies (Columbia University) Yoav Varadi

Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit Kelsey Gorman

University of MarylandBaltimore County Keynon Bell

Quinnipiac University Jamie Ackerman Emma Poulshock

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Kendall Geis

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania MaryKate Courduff

University of MarylandCollege Park Brett Dashevsky Ellie Kaneff Leonardo Moura Ben Silvert Dylan Solden Carly Wetzler

Ramapo College of New Jersey Dustin Giordano

University of South Florida Katie Iuliucci

Elizabethtown College Ian McDowell

Albright College Sara Salkin

Elon University Jessica Smith

The American Musical and Dramatic Academy-New York Novae Barnes

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Jay Chudasama

American University Katie Aylesworth Jamie Gottlieb Jessica Levine Matt Nussbaum Jacob Sobel

Fairfield University Mason Williams

Amherst College Jenny Chung Appalachian State University Rachel Smith Arcadia University Nisha Prajapati Amir Raja Arizona State University Kedar Arige Atlantic Cape Community College Sharon Maurer Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Sean Finias Boston University Rachel Becker Ben Levy Brandeis University Meredith Peltzman University of British Columbia-Vancouver Campus Katelyn Kim Cabrini College Sarah Potts Brett Smith University of California, Los Angeles Nikhil Sharma Camden County College Jake Babroff Dante Encarnacion Christopher Herras-Antig Matt Kelley Zachary King Millie LaVigna Jeremy Malul Kira Marrero Gianluca Pugliese EJ Rorke Jeremias Santana Alex Velez Ben Weinberg

Fairleigh Dickinson University Matt Armendinger Alyssa Bohem University of Florida Emily Cao State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota Brandon Roche Florida Institute of Technology Connor Roth Florida Keys Community College Salvatore Alfonsi Franklin & Marshall College Yoni Weiss George Mason University Leah Downie Amanda Ketterer Jacques Liautaud Hannah Sawn Zachary Wilkes George Washington University Allie Grossman The University of Georgia Cara Stein Georgia Institute of Technology Aditya Kuntamukkula Raj Patel Georgian Court University Kennedy Omari Georgia State University Ireyon Irvin

University of Hartford Dillion Onuoha

College of Charleston Olivia Joanson

Hofstra University Grace Garemore Liza Rothkoff

Cornell University Juliet Bender Dartmouth College John Lass Cindy Zhu

Immaculata University Michael Guaracino Indiana UniversityBloomington Danielle Rosenthal Marlee Zeitz

Montclair State University Sarah Gagarin Brooke Godorov Sydney Meadows Muhlenberg College Adam Abrams University of New Haven Gabby Goldman The College of New Jersey Alexa Beatty Alex Birbilis Gabi Cohen Vinny Guckin Cole Parsons Lindsey Seidman Jesse Stiller Zippy Volm Sarah Whitty New Jersey Institute of Technology Eric Busler Diptojyoti Chakravarty The New School Sasha Patil

State University of New York at Stony Brook Evan Rubinovitz Northeastern University Atira Nair Avi Natan Northwestern University Andrew Bowen Nova Southeastern University Adi Eylon Kamilia Samelko Nyack College Brianna Sparrow Yamie Villegas

Indiana University of Pennsylvania Dara Giglio Ithaca College Matt Fleisher

Old Dominion University Chance Houston

Johns Hopkins University Lily Steele-Dadzie

Pace University James Haines

Juniata College Amy Chen

University of Pennsylvania Miku Fujita David Golkow Aaron Groff Pranav Iyer Alex Liu David Yang

Kean University Vanessa Earley Dan Santiago Stephen Yia Amelia Zaleski

Dickinson College Kimi Phillips

La Salle University Jessica Bryant Bianca Christophe Meleena Cruz Jay Goodson Jr. Eric Henry Gabby Renaud Jessie Wrinn

Duke University Grace Shen

Monmouth University Jordan Clark Dohnovan Hidalgo

The Ohio State University Jonah Barnett Jeremy Blaker Kshama Parekh Alli Pollack

University of Delaware Kyra Blaker Danni Breslow Matt Kains Abigail Kramer Katie Lees Spencer Maussner Owen McNally Steve Mirsen Estelle Ro Liat Rosov Amanda Soll Kyle Ungerleider Noah Vineberg Gabrielle Zimmerman

Drexel University Bryan Cheung Josh George-Koku Sinja Kriete Sabah Lala Sanobar Lala Eugene Lee Minwoo Lee Priya Mistry Rachel Palitto Alexis Rebock Matthew Seidman Vivian Tran

University of Michigan Zach Apell Soverno Chen Ally Lazarus Drew Meklinsky

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Nathan Hengy

High Point University Ian Sheekey Brian Stamm

Connecticut School of Broadcasting Zach Wentz

University of Miami Amir Davoodi Emily Mosgowsky

Gwynedd Mercy University Mackenzie Iocona Gabe Leff

University of Central Florida Marli Ehrlich Ethan Tinkelman

University of Connecticut Daniel Backal Jared Sands

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Madlyn Kates

New York University Joanna Chen Alice Lu Bogdan Vitoc

Harvard University Sonia Kim

University of ColoradoBoulder Adam Davis

University of MassachusettsBoston Jacob DeBlecourt

Goucher College Hannah Kahn Shelby Robbins

Carnegie Mellon University Vimalesh Vasu

University of Chicago Jake Walsh

Marymount University Nick Disanti

University of Kent Tyler Danh Kent State University Gabrielle Calder Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Frank Bovino

Lehigh University Shreshth Awadhiya Brandon Weinberg Loyola University Maryland Mollie Morrow Louisiana State University Dylan Clark

The Pennsylvania State University Danielle Dunoff Pierce Kenny Eric Kinner Marisa Meyers Emily Reisman Aaron Silverberg Laura Turkienicz Ashley Weiner Community College of Philadelphia Scott Brown Philadelphia University Gavin Wechsler University of Pittsburgh Ian Bernard Colin Del Duke Phillip Korth Jill Murphy Evelyn Okorie Alex Warner Princeton University Jane Sul

The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College Alise Furman University of Rhode Island Amelia Verrecchio Rhode Island School of Design Tammy Stahl Rider University Alyssa Bromke Matt Hernberg Isaiah Jean-Baptiste Brennan Zelenski University of Rochester Ariel Yin Rochester Institute of Technology Stephen Hoffman Rowan University Rumaysa Asim Amanda Barger Nevin Beasley Robert Bica Jared Burmood Sean Cline Winnie Cross Gennaro DiColandrea Andy Ebenezer Chris Estrada Ryan Federline Ashley Ferrante Jason Fisch Lara Friag Patrick Gillooly Shyam Handa Carlie Harms Matt Hollowniczky Ben Johnson Dylan Judge David Kahn Nikola Kosaric Aaron Krivchenia Kasia Krzton Brandon LaMorgia Phil Lakernick Michael Likogiannis Matt Loeber Caity Martinez Mattea Maurice Megan Miller Sergio Parsi Vincent Pedata Nick Rochino Carlee Timmins Jen Trieu Rowan College at Burlington County Matt Potts Tara Strauss Rowan College at Gloucester County Jenn Andalora Jimmy Garth Justin Garth Ralph LePera Timothy Satterlee Rutgers University-Camden Joe Brito Shannon Carr Paul Crozier Anna Evenosky Eric Flanegin Zach Fox Megan Hanifin Zack Hugo Lada Rakhlin Antonio Romero Evan Schechtman Valorie Velasco Eric Zavadsky Rutgers University-New Brunswick Madeline Bowne Michelle Curreri Mikayla Davis Kyle Encarnacion Justin Garcia Michelle Grazioli Jaclyn Hayman Estelle Kim Jonathan Lee Lanxi Li Eric Lin Jae Han Loh Nier Malka Olivia Marcelli Alison Mautner Josh Mogil Mohammed Nadeem Charlotte Nordeen Tarryl Ogalo Yvonne Olayemi Rahie Patel Kain Porras Zev Rosenbaum Matt Rothman Philip Sabatini Kayla Salem Josh Salkin Shannon Taylor Nick Terez Gabi Tran Samantha Waldman Sophia Zhang Kelly Zhou

Southern Methodist University Duncan Brookover Stevens Institute of Technology Michael De Groot Parker Petroff-Rims Stockton University Becca Adap Kristen Fleming Mike Funari Amanda Gairo Megan Hubbs Isabella Jimenez Olivia Mayo Emilia Panara Jill Ranes Jonathan Wallace Susquehanna University Nicole Grant Megan Morris Syracuse University Rachel Ackerman Stephanie Cetel Lauren Chiardio Yael Kortsarz Lauren Romisher Sydney Steele Tallahassee Community College Nick Schroeder University of Tampa Marlena Penn Temple University Justin Chan Jesse Dubrow Nina Goodman Dan Kornak Samantha Mautner Brooke Miron Ikenna Njoku Rachel Pham Ilham Qurashi Abigayle Stoetzer Joey Tighue Andrew Tinkelman Ben Turner The University of Texas at Austin Robin Brown Mitchell Finkelstein Sam Greenberg Towson University Natalie Chadwell Brittany Emmel Ben Kimball Olin McClendon Diana Orichowskyj Hannah Yankowitz Tulane University Benji Grossman United States Army PJ Livecchi United States Coast Guard Brett Baker Vanderbilt University Lee Rosen-Swell Vignesh Vasu University of Vermont Tuesday McDonald Villanova University Charlotte Montgomery Jon Rosen Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Mika Murphy Wagner College Ruby Goldstein Wake Forest University Adam Polikoff Washington College Joshua Cohen Washington University in St. Louis Sahas Pinninti Eric Schindler West Chester University of Pennsylvania Becky Dera Baillie Dougherty Rachel Friedman Peri Karasik Zoe Peterzell Jack Tremper West Virginia University Alex Dayton Kyra Gorman Renée Powers Wheaton College Tammy Ong

Saint Joseph’s University John Ingrassia

Widener University Holden Lenoff Gil Pomerantz Sydney Sheppard

Saint Leo University Mike Simmons

College of William & Mary Matt Cusick

Sarah Lawrence College Julia Rothkoff

University of Wisconsin-Madison Jacob Borowsky Leah Korn Hannah Manders Cassidy Rosen-Swell

The University of Scranton Pierce Elliott

June 2016

COMICS EASTSIDE

I Hate This Place by Sydney Steele (‘16)/ Eastside Art Director

Page 21

High School Learning Cycle by Tammy Stahl (‘16)/ Eastside Art Director

Promptly forget everything

Study

Take test

Next year’s teacher asks you to recall what you learned last year...

Study again Take final

Forget everything all over again

Great Jedi Science Purge by Kevin Chen (‘17)/ Eastside Staff

Love drawing comics? Interested in illustration? Find yourself doodling during class? Do you want to see your artwork in Eastside? Talk to either Jennifer Dong or Sabrina DeAbreu to sign up for the next school year!

OPINIONS

Page 22

EASTSIDE

June 2016

Students should be required to learn Español ■ By Hope Rosenblatt (‘18)

On April 20, it was announced that Harriet Tubman would replace Andrew Jackson on the 20-dollar bill. Shira Resnick (‘17) and Sebastian Duva (‘16) wrote their opinions.

Harriet Tubman ■ By Shira Resnick (‘17)

Eastside Staff

On April 20, the Treasury Department announced that abolitionist Harriet Tubman is set to replace the face of (slaveholder) President Andrew Jackson on the 20-dollar bill by 2020, marking the onehundredth anniversary of the women’s suffrage movement. Because of this, Harriet Tubman will become the first African American to appear on U.S. currency.

She will also be the first woman to appear on U.S. paper currency since more than 100 years ago when Martha Washington was featured on the one-dollar silver certificate.

As an abolitionist from the Civil War Era, Tubman worked to free many slaves using the Underground Railroad system.

In her later years, Tubman worked as a fierce abolitionist. Concentrated solely on humanitarian works, Tubman lived most of her life in poverty. Tubman lived during a period of great social progress, and she has helped shape American history. Secretary of Treasury Jacob Lew agreed that having Tubman featured on the 20-dollar bill “reflects both American values and American democracy, but also, the power of an individual, to make a difference in our democracy.” There is no one more deserving of this honor than Tubman.

Thomas Jefferson ■ By Sebastian Duva (‘16)

Eastside Opinions Editor

Hola! ¿Tomas la clase de español en East?

If you understand what that says, there’s a good chance your answer to that question is yes. But if all you see above is gibberish, you’re going to need to start studying up on your Spanish. Luckily, you have time.

Thirty-four years to be exact.

The 2010 Census showed the United States as the second-largest Spanishspeaking country in the world, beating out Spain and Colombia in numbers and only falling behind Mexico.

Organizations such as the Instituto Cervantes, based all around the U.S. and created by the Spanish Government, have been able to make predictions from the Census, regarding aspects such as population size. These predictions can be made in relation to years that are decades away.

One striking prognosis suggests that if growth predictions stay as they are regarding Spanish speakers in the U.S., by 2050 the United States w i l l

have surpassed Mexico as the number-one Spanishspeaking country in the world.

In elementary school, most students are taught the basic levels of Spanish. Colors, numbers and animals are some of the few topics that make the curriculum.

In middle school, students are finally given a choice: Spanish or French.

Once in high school, many again start over and choose to spend their time learning German or Latin. The only language that stays consistent throughout the 12 years of learning is Spanish.

There are only six countries in the world where German is considered a native language. Between Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean, there are 10 countries where French is regularly used, and there are 23 countries between Europe, the Americas and the Caribbean where Spanish is

considered regularly inuse. Likewise, of the three languages, Spanish is the only one dialect considered “regularly in-use” in the United States.

With statistics such as those previously mentioned, it is difficult to comprehend why any student would choose to study a language other than Spanish, which is so readily available at East. Even more mind-boggling is the fact that students choose to study Latin, a dead language, simply because it will help them do well on the SAT, as opposed to Spanish, which is a very much alive language and will help students to do well throughout the rest of their lives.

As the growth of Spanish-speakers in the United States rapidly progresses, being bilingual

has become an important aspect of almost all jobs involving communication.

Not only being bilingual, but also having an almost fluent grasp on Spanish has become useful in beating out others for jobs, as well as connecting with customers or clients.

Although it is true that in upcoming years many of the Spanish-speakers in the United States will also be bilingual and able to communicate in English as well as in Spanish, it is important to keep in mind that America is a melting pot.

Soon, it will become vital to embrace Spanish-speaking culture for when it inevitably becomes a part of one’s everyday life, regardless of any supposed “wall” between the U.S. and Mexico.

On the bright side, it is not even that difficult to start learning the basics of Spanish today. Spanish is classified as one of the easie s t

languages for English speakers to learn due to its close proximity to English in terms of grammar and culture.

With that said, you only have 34 years to catch up, so open un libro and start studying. ¡Adios!

Jennifer Dong (‘17)/ Eastside Staff

Spanish is not more important than other languages ■ By Shari Boiskin (‘17)

Eastside Staff

Eastside Opinions Editor

W h i l e Harriet Tubman is a great choice for the 20dollar bill, I believe that there is a better choice for the 20-dollar bill: the father of the Declaration of Independence, the third President of the United States, none other than Thomas Jefferson.

While one could absolutely argue that Harriet Tubman is a great choice for the 20-dollar bill, I believe that Jefferson played an incredibly influential role in American history as one of the Founding Fathers and Framers of the Constitution. He was the author of the Declaration of Independence, the document that proclaimed our independence from the rule of England. He swore to living out the ideals of this nation. In fact, he wrote them: “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” He died on the thirtieth anniversary of our nation: July 4, 1826. He was instrumental in sculpting this great nation we have today, which, I believe, entitles him to recognition.

Entering middle school, many students face a dilemma: Spanish or French?

Then, students face the dilemma again when entering high school, but with more options: Spanish, French, German or Latin?

The answer may seem easy: Spanish. With around 37 million speakers, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States, under English. However, the world is not just about the U.S. anymore.

America needs to worry about more than what is right within its borders.

The fact is, globally, Spanish may not help as much as its supporters claim it does. Chinese, actually, is the most spoken language in the world. The business world is dominated by French and Chinese corporations, and increasingly, German businesses are taking over the internet. German and French companies are also growing large in tech spheres. The Department of Defense, Homeland Security, the FBI, CIA and NSA, as well as nine other government departments, identify Rus-

sian as a priority language for their applicants. Arabic is spoken by 280 million people worldwide; the demand for Westerners who speak it is high, and the supply is low.

So not only is it logical for one to take a language besides Spanish, but taking languages such as French and German should be easy for English speakers. This is primarily because English is the product of mixing Germanic and Gallic—or French—languages.

The cognates between English, French and German are infinite. This is especially true with French and English; a lot of Middle English takes both its grammar and pronunciation rules from French, including the idea of adding “s” to the end of a word to make it plural.

French is also the second most taught language in Europe. In the case of German, who wouldn’t want to speak a language that includes words that are amazingly long like “rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz,” which is 64 letters? This word means “beef labelling supervision duty assignment law.”

If there were a law re-

quiring Spanish to be taken in schools, other languages, like those mentioned earlier, would be dropped.

Spanish may be important for the United States, but one is not only an American citizen, but a citizen of the world. Learning a world language is difficult and few can take on the challenge of learning more than one. With the option to take more than one currently at East—to take a language as a core class and one as an elective —many opt for just one language course.

By requiring Spanish, those who dream of reading the works of Voltaire, Goethe, Dostoyevsky or Dante in the language that that they were originally written may have their aspirations stifled. By learning a world language, one is opened up to a whole new world— different cultures, art, food and more.

Requiring Spanish would only open up one world, leaving scores of doors closed and multitudes of worlds left undiscovered.

It would cause students to be less competitive in the global market.

Spanish should be taught in schools, but it should be an option alongside a multitude of other languages,

Most popular languages spoken in the U.S.

1. English: 231,122,908 speakers 2. Spanish: 37,458,470 speakers 3. Chinese: 2,896,766 speakers 4. French and French Creole: 2,047,467 speakers 5. Tagalog: 1,613,346 speakers 6. Vietnamese: 1,399,936 speakers 7. Korean: 1,117,343 speakers 8. German: 1,063,773 speakers Statistics courtesy of World Atlas

OPINIONS

June 2016

EASTSIDE

Page 23

Real history, really quick

Taking history online creates more options ■ By Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17)

Eastside Managing Editor

When people hear students talking about taking U.S. History online, the immediate assumption is that those enrolled simply do not want to put in the effort for a class that is one of the most difficult East has to offer.

There is no denying the importance of American History, but what many fail to realize is that some students have other motivating factors behind taking the course over the summer.

Many East students have a passionate interest in certain fields, whether it be STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education) or the arts or business, and they already know what they would like to pursue with their lives.

Thankfully, East offers a variety of courses to quench this knowledge; however, in some cases there is not an open spot available in the eight-period course schedule, resulting in the common removal of history. Faculty and students should encourage driven young adults to follow their personal interests by enroll-

ing in a unique schedule rather than shaming them into taking the “expected” cookie-cutter schedule common to many ordinary highachieving students.

Other times, there is simply no way around removing U.S. History from one’s schedule. As the number of class periods for certain classes decreases, the potential for schedule conflicts increases.

Students in this situation must choose between two classes which they may have an interest in, a difficult decision resulting in the undesired but unavoidable loss of U.S. History.

Furthermore, the East community also appears to believe that those who take U.S. History online do not learn anything, when in fact the knowledge gained is based completely on whether the student puts in the effort. While no online course can match the caliber of the real course, students can most certainly obtain a general understanding of American history by enrolling in the summer course.

True, a student enrolled in the online course may not remember the specifics of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty or the details of the Ostend Manifesto, but in all honesty, what student taking the class in school

will remember such painstaking details in just a few years?

In some cases, students would prefer to take other history courses rather than American history, such as European and World History. Many also opt to take AP Government, a class that tailors to the interests of business or law-inclined students. In addition, while it may not be an equivalent substitute, English III focuses on American literature. Classic novels such as The Scarlet Letter and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn provide a background in the culture of various American time periods.

Thus, those who decide to take history online do not completely lose all instruction of American history.

Students should not encourage others to take U.S. History online simply to achieve an easy A. The decision should be made by the student and his or her parents based on the student’s needs. As George Washington once said, “If the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”

If the freedom to arrange our own schedule is taken away, we will all be led down the same path as one herd of sheep.

History becomes casualty of GPA strategy ■ By Ezra Nugiel (‘17)

Eastside Staff

Many students choose to take social studies courses online to fit other classes into their schedules.

However, there is an inherent ethical problem in this approach.

U.S. History, both at the Accelerated and especially the Advanced Placement level, is one of the most challenging courses East offers.

Online courses create an unfair and unnecessary opportunity for students to skip a crucial part of their scholastic agenda.

As East requires two years of U.S. History, the most frequently taken online courses are levels one and two of U.S. History and Government. Through a program called Educere, students pay 249 to 399 dollars for each course.

This course can be completed in a time frame as short as three days. Shortening a course to that small of a time frame creates an environment that is highly ineffective for student learning.

“You really miss out on the academic rigor. There are just certain skills that you build in class like getting used to speaking in front of people for class participation. You build skills in regards to writing and reading comprehension. But, you’re not going to develop those skills in an online course because

there’s no one checking you,” said East U.S. History and World Civilizations teacher Mr. Julian Vann.

Colleges want to see rigor. Taking easy courses or shortcuts does not demonstrate an ability to excel in a college environment.

Students are taking online courses as a strategic method to protect their own GPA, as the courses are not factored in. Students like to control all the factors when it comes to academics. History courses are generally out of any student’s control; they are filled with unpredictable test questions and subjective grading. As history is a living and abstract subject, it requires refined, applied learning skills to succeed. These are eliminated in the online course.

Many mathematical or scientific courses that students replace history with may be just as rigorous.

However, they are much more finite and concrete subjects, making them easier to control, and therefore easier to earn a higher grade in.

By abridging such complex courses, students are missing out on an exceptionally educational experience. These courses teach skills that are crucial for college preparation, success in the workplace and performance on standardized tests. The SATs and the PARCC exam, for example, rely

heavily on the analysis of primary source documents. Primary source documents are a major component of any social studies course.

Learning about various nations’ past affairs develops critical thinking skills. It allows students to understand how modern-day society works and to develop an opinion on global policies.

“How will students who are not immersed in a regular history class be able to function as responsible members of a free democratic society? The whole point of the establishment of public schools was to produce democratic citizens.

Without knowledge of our history, how will this generation be able to fully comprehend current social, economic and political events? We are in dire need of a more, not less educated, population,” said a representative from the Social Studies Department.

“Taking history in class has allowed me to have a real opinion on politics in America. I now can understand what is good for the government and what is bad,” said Ryan Savitch (‘17). “I’m not going to be one of those people that can’t find America on a map.”

The study of history should not be marginalized in the East curriculum. Students should be highly encouraged to take history courses in class.

Lia Yamamoto (‘17)/ Eastside Staff

UNDERGROUND

Page 24

EASTSIDE

June 2016

Out of the Vault: Kickin’ it back to Backyard Sports ■ By Jared Fisch (‘18)

Eastside Underground Editor

Today, young kids can entertain themselves easily.

Xbox, Playstation and smartphones give kids ages five to ten plenty of games to play with.

Just 10 years ago, you could find me in my basement putting a CD into a computer to play video games. Now, I know that I am dating myself here, but man, those were the days. Wasting time playing Backyard Baseball was one of the most enjoyable things I remember from that age (as sad as that seems). When preparing to write this column, I asked my mom if she knew where these games were in an attempt to play them one last time, but to no avail. My mom said that she must

have given them away years ago, and that breaks my heart.

Backyard Sports is a series of computer games created by Humongous Entertainment, an American video game developer that was founded in October of 1992. The series was ignited by the release of Backyard Baseball in 1997.

Backyard Baseball, my personal favorite of the Backyard Sports series, was originally compatible with Macintosh and Microsoft (my go-to for the game).

Backyard Baseball had some awesome features including power-ups and pro-player characters.

Although the pro-player charac-

ters had the best skills out of all of the characters, I could never play a game without my main man Pablo Sanchez.

Enough talk about Backyard Baseball because this series would be incomplete without Backyard Basketball, Backyard Football, Backyard Soccer, Backyard Hockey and Backyard Skateboarding.

Let’s move on to my second favorite game in the series, Backyard Football. Reminiscing on this game, I remember rushing the ball with none other than Barry Sanders through a defense stacked with kidsized NFL players, as time ticked down in a game that was already over because I was destroying the CPU by seven touchdowns. Whether the game was a blowout or not, Backyard Football did not disappoint.

My third favorite game in the series has to be Backyard Basketball.

Competing with kid-sized Kevin

Garnett simply cannot be beat, unless we are talking Pablo Sanchez or Barry Sanders. Don’t get me wrong, Backyard Basketball was a great game, but it just didn’t do it for me like Backyard Baseball and Football did.

My least favorite Backyard Sports game (out of those I owned) is Backyard Skateboarding. To me, this game was a cartoon version of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4, which I played on the Playstation 2. Team sport games were just more fun in this series, and I can imagine that is why Humongous Entertainment did not pursue sports like snowboarding or surfing.

All in all, those meaningless hours spent staring at a screen, clicking a mouse and hoping Pablo Sanchez would hit it out of the park, were completely worth it.

Logo by Sydney Steele (‘16)/ Eastside Art Director

Resiliency: MacHugh sprouts her bright future ■ By Ashley Cooper (‘17)

Eastside Underground Editor

“You’re an ugly slut. Go kill yourself.”

For six years of her teenage life, Kate MacHugh was forced to endure these words of absolute hatred. Tormented on a daily basis, the pain was nearly unbearable. And feeling that her agonizing distress would forever afflict her, MacHugh, for a while, began to contemplate taking her own life.

But nothing is forever.

After high school, MacHugh was able to escape from her bullies’ grasp. At her small, accepting college, she discovered her “true-self,” and she began to heal from her previous traumatic experiences. She found solace.

Born just about an hour south of Cherry Hill in Manahawkin, NJ, MacHugh e n j o y e d much of her young childhood spending days at Long Beach Island.

Throughout most of her youth, MacHugh had no initial plans of majoring in writing, or even aspiring to become a writer.

“The funny thing is, I never thought I would

write. It kind of happened by accident. For my But I don’t think undergrad, I have a bachelor’s degree in social said MacHugh. work, and I have a master’s degree in social work as well,” said MacHugh. “I don’t have a degree in Journalism or English or anything like that. But I like helping people, and I feel like using my writing skills is a way to help other people out, and I like to be creative, so it helps me do that.”

MacHugh first began her work through public speaking about her bullying experiences in high school. Having spoken “all over the country,” MacHugh has spoken in places ranging from Las Vegas to Alabama. It was actually at one of her speeches where MacHugh initially got her idea to begin writing.

“I was speaking at the National Conference for Girl Bullying in Atlanta when I was 22, and someone raised Courtesy of Kate MacHugh [her] hand after my presentation, and she said ‘You MacHugh’s novel, Tormented, know you should write a book!’ And is taken from many of her I started to laugh and said ‘thanks! own life experiences.

that’s ever going to happen,’” But due to this idea, MacHugh actually wound up coming home from Atlanta and ended up writing her first book in a mere three days.

And for MacHugh, the desire to write never grows old.

“Writing for fun...is enjoyable because it is almost like a healing process,” said MacHugh. “Especially my first book because it was a memoir.

And it was about my experiences being bullied in middle school and high school, and I wrote it for seventh to twelfth graders.”

MacHugh hopes this “healing process” never ends and wishes to extend her healing to others as well.

She said, “I feel like, when I speak and through my writing, if one kid reads it and says ‘you know what, I’m not going to kill myself tonight because this girl says it’s going to be better,’ then that’s worth it.”

Logo by Tammy Stahl (‘16)/ Eastside Art Director

Gas stations fill American hearts and gas tanks ■ By Josh Sodicoff (‘18)

Eastside Editorial Assistant

You are taking a long drive through the fields.

The wind rushes through your hair as you gently push the pedal down harder on your restored 1959 Cadillac Eldorado. You fumble around with the radio for a minute until you find your favorite station for driving, and Elvis’s rendition of “Milkcow Blues Boogie” comes blaring out.

In your peripheral vision, you see your fuel level gauge; the car is running on fumes. It is a good thing that you see a gas station just a mile down the lone road.

As mundane and dreary as modern-day gas stations may be, they have always acted as symbols in literature and popular culture. A gas station in the middle of nowhere is like Charon in the myths of old—always awaiting payment to bring the hero further along his journey.

Sometimes, the waystations are used as a location for an unlikely meeting between characters.

The evolution of gas stations makes the reasons for their reputation sensible.

Even though there are now about 170,000 gas stations in the United States, or one for around every 1,900 people, gas stations had humble beginnings, generally following the development of cars.

In 1896, Karl Benz invented the first internal

combustion engine, laying the groundwork for future developments in cars. However, during that period, due to the lack of popularity of cars, having a station specifically for gas was not profitable. Thus, for many early automobile travel-

lers, pharmacies and hardware stores were the primary refilling stations.

The need for a separate filling station came from the development of the Ford Model T. With a greater number of vehicles on the road, specialty gas stations began to pop up. The first of the line of gas stations opened in Pittsburgh in 1913.

Another famous facet of the location was the sale of maps and other car-related items.

Gas stations throughout time have similarities and differences. Early gas stations generally had fewer pumps, around two or three, and acted more as full-service automotive locations, also doing mechanic work and some cleaning. The trend toward larger stations, becoming popular during the 1980s, has also come with the additional effect of reducing the number of stations in the country by more than 10,000 since 2002.

Today, the gas station has once again shifted to a position much closer to its original “routes,” as a convenience store. Wawa and 7-Eleven gas stations have forced others to offer a greater variety of foods, beverages and other items in order to keep customers coming back.

Gas stations are freedom in an era of imprisonment by technology and urbanization. The journey before the destinations, gas stations are the American way of life, adapting to the trends of its constituents.

Whatever the future may hold, gas stations will always continue to change. What innovations lay around the corner will be enough to astonish the psyche of the nation.

Phillips 66 Gas Pump photo courtesy of Retro Planet Sunoco Gas Pump photo courtesy of Sunoco “Blink” Charger photo by Jared Fisch (‘18)/ Eastside Underground Editor Photo illustration by Rachel Becker (‘16)/ Eastside Photo Editor

June 2016

ENTERTAINMENT EASTSIDE

Page 25

Dormify offers dorm inspiration for college students

more. tomers talk and “While the communicate with dorm room will us via social media always be core to and speak to them Dormify, both the verb Dormify’s focus, in their language.” for dorm-decorating and the we have expanded It may seem that newest trend among incomto attract teens in Dormify does the ing college students and their home same thing as any more, gains popularity bedrooms dorm-decorating each day. Dormify is a and first sector of a company business created for the apartment like Bed Bath and sole purpose of formudwellers Beyond or Pottery lating the most attracas they Barn, but this is not tive dorm, bedroom or move with the case. Dormify apartment that satisfies us from is the only organiits young customers. college onzation that is dediThe business began wards,” cated to dorm decor when Amanda Zucksaid Amanand that involves its erman and her mom, da. customers.

Karen Zuckerman, T h e “We stand out encountered trouble company from our competiwhile searching for the succeeds tors by being a perfect dorm room bedin fulfillbrand that consumding for Amanda as she ing both ers want to be a part entered her freshman the needs of,” said Amanda, year of college at Washand wants “who acts as not ington University in St. of teens just a store, but a Louis. Amanda wanted and young resource of informawhat no other company adults betion and assistance seemed to sell, and she cause the when shopping for and her mom pitched Style Adyour dorm room, and the idea for “stylish and visors at by offering products sophisticated” decor to Dormify Emelia Keller(‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor that have a level of two girls working for consist of Follow @dormify on Instagram for dorm sophistication and Karen’s creative agenhigh school room inspiration. customization that cy. and college college students Amanda said, “We students. tips, project ideas and adcrave.” sell bedding and home Currently, there vice written by the compaDormify represents Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor are about 150 Style decor for small spaces, ny’s Style Advisors. uniqueness as a company whether that’s a dorm On Instagram, Dormify posts pictures Advisors in the proAmanda said, “The enas it aims to please those room, an apartment or of rooms decorated by the brand. gram, but in the past, thusiasm of our customers looking for room decor. The your home bedroom.

Dormify has seen really feeds the Dormify company epitomizes the We design and manuover 500 go through team. We incorporate cusideal amount of sophistifacture our own line of bedlooking for dorm room the program. tomer feedback and Style cation and trendiness that ding, decorative pillows decorations when the site Another aspect that Advisor opinions into our teens, college students and and wall decor that you can launched in 2011, but now makes Dormify unique is choices for new products. young adults want to reonly find at dormify.com, Dormify focuses on much its blog. The blog presents We listen to how our cusceive.

■ By Sari Cohen (‘18)

Eastside News/Features Editor

and then we curate products from other brands we love in order to be a onestop shop for small space decorating.”

The company initially aimed to satisfy those

Top five dorm room essentials every college student needs:

#1

A husband pillow: what better way to lounge around in the dorm than with this super comfy pillow?

Courtesy of target.com

Courtesy of amazon.com

#3

#2

String lights: set a relaxing mood after a long day of classes with this perfect addition to your dorm room.

Inexpensive and easy to hang, these lights can add a touch of brightness to your day.

A projecting alarm clock: being late to class is not acceptable in college. Never be late with this alarm clock that projects onto the ceiling, so you don’t have to waste a minute of sleep turning over to see the time.

Courtesy of techfresh.net

#4 #5

Save space hangers: dorm room space is limited as it is, especially closets and drawers. Save space and bring more clothes to school with these super convenient hangers.

Power strip: between phone chargers, computer chargers, hair accessories and more, the outlet space between you and your roommate(s) will probably be limited.

An extension cord can fix this problem immediately.

Courtesy of www.preciosjustos.net

Courtesy of amazon.com

Blurbs by Allie Grossman (‘16)/ Eastside Entertainment Editor

Page 26

Boys’ Varsity Track and Field personal records (PR’s) as of May 19: Javelin:

- Justin Garth, 165’11” - Jimmy Garth, 143’ 7” - Harry Helmer, 133’ 8” - Omri Bar, 133’ 6” - Dante Gazzola, 130’ 7” - Jacob Rado, 124’ 11” - Zach Casey, 118’ - Nick Gazzola, 117’ 6” - Luca Russo, 114’ 7”

Discus:

- Jimmy Garth, 152’ 4” - Zachary Hall, 136’ 3” - Jake Ciocco, 134’ 1” - Gilad Bar, 114’ 5” - TJ Dugan, 101’ 6”

Shot Put:

- Jake Ciocco, 44’ 11” - Gilad Bar, 43’ 8 3/4” - Devin Brown, 42’ 2 1/2” - John Tumanda, 37’ 4” - Sal Alfonsi, 36’ 7”

High Jump:

-Kyle Encarnacion, 6’4” -Nevin Beasley, 6’4” -Kennedy Omari, 6’

Long Jump:

-Nevin Beasley, 22’ -Kennedy Omari, 21’8”

Triple Jump:

-Kennedy Omari, 43’ -Nevin Beasley, 41’10.74”

The boys’ track team won its third consecutive Olympic Conference Championship on May 19.

SPORTS EASTSIDE

June 2016

Boys’ throwing attributes its success to dedication ■ By Matt Kains (‘16) and Luke Hinrichs (‘17) Eastside Community Editor and Eastside Sports Editor

Success always seems attainable for an established, winning program.

The East Track and Field program enters every season propelled by past wins and optimism. With a consistent arsenal of throwers stepping up and taking roles on the team, accomplishments always seem achievable.

Under the guidance of throwing coach Jeffrey Bramnick (‘72), each year the throwers are set on a solid foundation of technique and skill.

“We are blessed with a number of talented throwers,” said Bramnick, an East graduate and former javelin thrower for Northeastern University.

Bramnick boasts an extraordinary résumé when it comes to throwing, having coached on and off for East since 1976 and coaching men’s and women’s javelin at Rowan University, as well as privately mentoring post college throwers.

Throwing consists of three events: the shot put, the discus and the javelin throw. Headlining for the shot put event are Jake Ciocco (‘17), Devon Brown (‘17) and Gilad Bar (‘17).

Ciocco’s heavy involvement in throwing events in track and field stemmed from his search for a niche in middle school.

“I was cut from the baseball team in eighth grade, but I still needed a competitive outlet. I picked up the shot put, saw that I was pretty good, and kept coming out through high school,” said Ciocco.

Ciocco, the top shot put thrower for

the spring season, attributes his success to technique training.

“You would think that training was just weight lifting, but a lot of our time is spent going through technique.

If you want to get really good and if you want to throw far, you need to constantly practice technique and do technical drills,” said Ciocco.

No matter the throwing event, dedication and work ethic is profoundly necessary in order to succeed. The throwers note the great effort necessary to succeed at meets.

“We do a lot of footwork on the track, movement work, and we defin i t e l y throw a lot,” said Zachary Hall (‘17), a discus thrower.

For the discus throw, the main throwers include J i m m y Garth (‘16), Hall and Ciocco.

Garth, the top discus thrower for the spring season, did it all in middle school. Although his involvement peaked in eighth grade, upon entering East, Garth dedicated his time and talent to throwing for the Cougars.

“I used to run the 400, throw and do the long jump, but when I got to high

school, I started focusing on throwing because I knew I could improve and succeed,” said Garth.

The javelin throwers at East include Harry Helmer (‘16); Gilad Bar’s twin brother, Omri Bar (‘17); and Jimmy Garth’s twin brother, Justin Garth (‘16).

According to Bramnick, East’s back-up throwers “are coming on strong” as well. Of the top seven throwers this season, four of them will continue to throw for the program next year.

Although track and field is seasonal, for most of the throwers, training does not stop after the final meet of a season.

“We go to the gym to do weight training throughout the year. Even during the summer, we meet and do strength training and technique work,” said Coach Michael Brown.

Although strength and technique are the major components for a successful season, Helmer stresses the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

“You have to stay hydrated so your muscles don’t cramp, and you have to eat healthy all of the time,” said Helmer.

The greatness of sports often lies within the relationships formed with teammates, coaches and the sport itself. Track and field is no exception.

For many throwers, track and field has become a place of friendship and camaraderie.

Ciocco said, “It has been a great experience so far. I have made a lot of friends. It gives me something to look forward to each day.”

give him a task, he really takes charge and does well.”

Omari has done all three jumping events during his time at East, but he excels most at long jump and triple jump. Though Cervo pulled him out of the high jump event for this season, Omari did end up jumping high jump against Washington Township during a meet in April, where the team swept the high jump event. Omari has been jumping since seventh grade, part of why he is so dominant in all three events.

Now a captain for the jumping team, Omari credits much of his success and leadership abilities to Kyle Bryant (‘13), East’s triple jump record holder, who mentored him to become the athlete he is today.

“It was more what [Bryant] did than what he said. He worked with me after practice some d a y s to work with me on my form and my phases in the triple jump, and everything,” Omari said.

Of course, athletes l i k e

unit at East.

“It’s really challenging. It gives me kind of a thrill,” Trieu said. “I would say it’s my passion, and plus no one on the track team was doing it and I ended up being actually good at it, so I’m scoring varsity points and placing at meets.”

As obscure as his passion is, like so many other field athletes, Trieu takes pride in the obscurity of pole vaulting.

“Half of it is ‘look at this guy, he’s doing something crazy’ and the other half is that pole vaulting is an unknown technique in an unknown sport.

I can say I pole vault, and [most] others can’t say they can,” Trieu said.

Encarnacion described his experience with high jumping in a similar way, as his passion for the high jump event has been similarly guided by seniors in his freshman year.

For Encarnacion, it is the pressure of the massively challenging event that runs through his head before every jump.

“For me, it’s just pressure. I like the pressure of knowing I have to clear it, so before I jump I usually look at the bar and just think, ‘yo, I gotta clear this,’” Encarnacion said. “I’ve seen kids fall, slip. A lot of things can go wrong, so you have to be really on point.”

Though the high jump is a relatively overlooked event, Encarnacion still finds enjoyment in the fact that as it is the last event of a meet, he is getting a lot more of the attention.

“I love it, especially since it’s the last event, so there are usually a lot of people crowding it. I like the big crowd,” Encarnacion said.

Omari, Trieu and Encarnacion have helped the track team win the Camden County Championship for the first time since 2012, with all three of them earning medals in their events.

Though they will graduate this year, only time will tell whether they have inspired others to partake in the jumping events like the seniors during their freshman year did.

Boys’ track’s jumping success: a quantum “leap” forward for Cherry Hill East Track ■ By Jacob Borowsky (‘16) Eastside Editor-in-Chief

Track and field athletes are among the most physically impressive athletes in the world. Yet, while much attention is paid to the runners, much less is given to the many athletes competing in jumping events. Everyone has heard of Usain Bolt—but does anyone recognize the name Mike Powell, world record holder for the long jump?

In truth, the “jumping” events— long jump, triple jump and high jump— lack a following because they are more obscure than the running events. Still, at East, the jumping team has been significantly contributing to East’s track and field success every year. The East track and field team has won the Olympic Conference for the past three seasons, thanks in large part to the boys’ jumping squad.

Leading the jump team for the past three seasons has been Coach Sarah Cervo. Though the jumpers have had much success during her time with the team, she realizes that they may not receive due recognition, and that interest in jumping may be limited.

Cervo said that most, if not all, jumpers compete in track events as well. The best jumpers will be fast and tall; thus, she must resort to alternative recruiting methods to field a deep jumping team.

“I’ve definitely tried to recruit various basketball players just based on height,” Cervo said.

As her role within the track and field team has increased every year, Cervo has been able to watch Kennedy Omari (‘16) develop into one of the program’s best jumpers ever.

“Kennedy Omari is definitely our star. He’s not only a good athlete, but he’s also a really good teammate. He takes initiative. He really does a great job teaching,” Cervo said. “I coach three jumping events, so I have to be essentially in two different places at once, which makes it difficult, but if I

Tommy Trieu (‘16) and Kyle Encarnacion (‘16) have also helped the track team maintain success in jumping events. Trieu has been pole vaulting since his freshman year. Like Omari, he had encouragement from a senior his freshman year to enter the event.

“One of the seniors my freshman year, Mike Bruce (‘13), actually came up to me and told me ‘you should try pole vaulting,’ and I just said ‘whatever, I’ll try it,’” Trieu said. “At first I was doing it just to look cool, but now I’m actually good at it.”

Now a four-year vaulter, Trieu has the experience to call pole vaulting his passion and leads the pole vaulting

All art by Tammy Stahl (‘16)/ Eastside Art Director

SPORTS

June 2016

EASTSIDE

Girls’ jumping program “jumps” to new heights ■ By Ashley Cooper (‘17) Eastside Underground Editor

“It’s funny because when people usually think about track, they forget about the field part of it,” said Head Girls’ Track and Field Coach Mr. Lee Troutman.

Troutman’s words are all too true.

When one thinks of track and field, he or she tends to gravitate towards the thoughts of sprinters and distance runners. Too often the jumpers, the discus and shot put throwers—the field event participants— tend to be an afterthought.

However, the idea that the “field” portion of track and field should be put to the wayside is a misconception.

In general, field participants often play a significant role in East events. Field players both constantly and consistently pick up points for the team. But even more so, throughout this year’s competition season specifically, the girl jumpers have made major strides.

“I think this has been a phenomenal season. I mean, it’s tough. The schools we compete against...are tough...and invariably, [they] have sort of been at the top of the pack all the time,” said Troutman. “And we have an immense number of kids—like 90 kids out there—and two thirds sophomores and freshmen. We won our first meet against Washington Township, which is always close, and we destroyed them.”

Similarly exceptional results have been produced this season, from the Cherry Hill East vs. Eastern meet, in which East triumphed with a 20-point victory. According to Troutman, East was even “in contention for this year’s conference championship.”

This year’s girls’ track coaches include Troutman (Sprinters, Hurdlers, Distance), Mr. Mike Brown (Jumping

Events) and Mr. Jim DiCicco (Field Events). Both Troutman and Brown feel that this year’s success has been largely due to the great efforts of this year’s seniors, specifically the efforts of Jessica Bryant (‘16).

“Obviously the most impressive person in all those three areas is Jessica Bryant,” said Troutman. “I mean, last year as a junior, she was one of the top jumpers in our conference, in Group IV, and that just continues this year as well. So long jump, triple jump, she rules.”

Not only do they view her as a “jumping star,” but also as an extraordinary leader.

“Jess really led stretches this year and was a great inspiration to all of the younger girls,” said Brown. “She’s really not just a great athlete, but a l s o someo n e t o

look

up to.”

Bryant is very thankful for her experiences on the track team and feels that it is through the team where she was actually able to become a leader.

She said, “I will never forget my time on this team. Coach Troutman and Brown are great and have taught me so much about leading a team and are just all-around great people.”

In terms of high jump, Troutman claims “that’s an area people typically try out and aren’t very good at.”

But this year, the team was fortunate to have three key vaulters.

He said, “We have Chelsea James, a junior, and then two sophomores, Vic-

toria Komarova and Star Beasley.”

Another aspect which has gone into this year’s great success for girl jumpers is the great emphasis on the techanicality of track.

“This year the girls really got it, that jumping events are highly technical. It’s not just a matter of running down a runway and just jumping,” said Troutman. “It’s about footwork, your body mechanics.”

Troutman actually feels that it is this technicality, in fact, that causes the jumping events to be so unique.

“There’s actually a lot of physics involved in [jumping]. Also, at track, we emphaize nutrition and all those things, and...for me, because I am an academic area teacher, I’m always bringing those things up, about the biomechanics of it, about the importance,” said Troutman. “I mean, we do respiration in Biology 1 and about how all those things come into play. You’re not just going out there. There’s actually a lot of science involved in everything they do.”

East’s great victories throughout this season have inspired much hope inside of Troutman for future years.

“We’ve grown this much in a month and a half that I can only imagine what’s going to happen when the sophomores are juniors, so yeah, it’s a phenomenal season for us,” said Troutman. “There was a big relay meet [this year] at Woodbury, and for our first event, I guess I just had a blank stare on my face. And they were like, ‘are you okay? Are you feeling okay because you don’t look okay.’

And I just said ‘it’s funny we’re having such a great season this year, I’m anticipating next year already.’”

Similarly, Brown holds great hopes for the future of the team. In fact, Brown expects to see “even more success” for the East girl jumpers and feels that this year’s underclassmen are destined for greatness.

“We actually have a lot of girls competing as varsity this year,” said Brown. “I am just so impressed by their talent, and I know they will do great things next year.”

Intensity propels throwing team to success ■ By Luke Hinrichs (‘17)

Eastside Sports Editor

The season’s hard work culminates with a simple measurement of feet.

All the sweat and the practice lead to a simple measurement of distance.

The throwers at East measure their strength, focus and technique in three distinct events: discus, shot put and javelin.

In the discus event, athletes execute a sequence of maneuvers that, if done with precision, finesse and strength, propels a disc out of one’s hands and across a field. Jessica Wrinn (‘16), East’s number-one discus thrower, picked up the event as a way to expand her involvement in track and field.

“I used to sprint in middle school, and then the coaches wanted us to try different events, so I picked up discus, was surprisingly good, and stuck with i t , ” said Wrinn.

No matter the sport or the activity, the thrill of winn i n g can not be forgotten, the excitement of reaching a goal can not be erased, and the charge of defeating an opponent cannot be suppressed.

“There is always this rush that comes with success, and I love how there is always room for improvement. Every time I get a new [personal

record], I always feel like I can chase down and train for that next foot,” said Wrinn.

While discus heavily relies on a fluid motion with an emphasis on technique, shot put requires a mixture of technique and blunt strength.

The standard practice includes technique work, in which every movement and motion is meticulously done, weight training, gliding and work with surgical tubing.

Dahyo Coleman (‘17) and Evelyn Okorie (‘16) h a v e distinguished themselves this year as outstanding shot put throwers. For Coleman, track and field is more than just accomplishments and titles; it is about bettering herself.

“I think for anyone who does track, runs or throws, there is one goal and that is to be the best you can be. That is why we show up to practice every day.

We want to set a new personal best.

For me, knowing that I can be better and get stronger brings me back every year,” said Coleman.

In the realm of track and field, javelin is a world of its own.

An event passed down by warriors who have been lost to history, javelin has become

a stage for Analissa Groble (‘18) and Sydney Shepherd (‘16) to flaunt their athletic capabilities.

As a new face on the field last year, Groble captivated coaches and onlookers when she showed remarkable talent her freshman year.

“She caught a lot of attention last year, as a freshman, when she was throwing 78 feet early in the season.

But, she would spark everyone’s interest when she ended up throwing 105 feet at a state meet last year,” said Coach Jim DiCicco.

This year, Groble has brought the same skill and dedication to the team when she competes as East’s number-one javelin thrower.

“For the future, I want to break my personal record of 105 feet and keep training until I maybe even break the school record,” said Groble.

Competitive sports demand dedication, seriousness and intensity, and track and field is no exception.

DiCicco said, “We do not always practice for too long, but when we do practice, they are always intense. To be great you must bring intensity, you must be a self-starter, and you must want to be better.”

All art by Tammy Stahl (‘16)/ Eastside Art Director

Page 27

Girls’ Varsity Track and Field personal records (PR’s) as of May 23: Javelin:

-Analisa Groble, 105’ 4” -Sydney Sheppard, 94’

Discus:

-Jessica Wrinn,

93’

-Sydney Sheppard, 80’ -Katelyn Cliver, 80’

Shot Put:

-Dahyo Coleman, 32’ -Rachel Lee, 26’ 8 1/4”

Poll Vault:

-Rachel Smith, 8’6’’ -Alana Cohen 8’6’’

High Jump:

-Chelsea James, 4’ 8” -Star Beasley, 4’ 8”

Long Jump:

-Jessica Bryant, 17’ 11” -Lauren Atkin, 14’ 8” -Jill Rivera, 14’ 1” -Meghan Gupta, 8’ 1”

Triple Jump:

-Jessica Bryant, 36’ 6” -Lauren Atkin, 31’ 10” -Kianna Hollingsworth, 31’ 7 1/2”

Jessica Bryant (‘16), set the triple jump school record for the second time this year with a 36’ 6” leap.

SPORTS

June 2016

EASTSIDE

Aaron Groff (‘16)

Eastside’s Athletes of the Year

BOYS

Committed to run in Division I at University of Pennsylvania LH: You won it last year, and here you are winning it for a consecutive year. What does it mean to you to be recognized as Eastside’s Male Athlete of the Year?

Placed second at Nationals in 5000m

2014 and 2015 Cross-Country First Team All Northeast

SJ Sectional Champion in 3200m

Aaron Groff: It feels pretty great. I think I said almost the Placed third at Cross exact same thing as last year. I Country NJ Meet of mean, it is a very large school, Champions (2015) and there are a lot of really talented athletes. In my class alone, there are multiple kids going D1, so to claim this award for the second year is definitely an honor.

Holds six East course LH: As a senior, what comes records to mind looking back on your high school career?

AG: I am really happy about where I am as an athlete going into graduation. I was definitely the strongest I have ever been this year, and I have gotten progressively stronger as the years have gone on. It has been nice to see a physical difference between this year and the last few years with my performance at Indoor Nationals, where I was an All-American and placed second in the nation for the 5K.

Honorable Mention:

Interviews by Luke Hinrichs (‘17)/ Eastside Sports Editor Photos by Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor Photo Illustrations by Jacob Borowsky (‘16)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief

LH: Is there something that you did not accomplish and wish that you did? Or do you feel like you are going out on top?

AG: Me last year would say that I need to accomplish everything, but this year I have the mentality that I will do whatever I can, but if I miss a goal, I will not let it get to me. I mean, I still do not have an individual state championship, but I have one more chance at that. I am going with the philosophy: do what you can control. I have been more focused on taking advantage of my strengths, doing the best I can and accomplishing the most that I can.

LH: Next year you are runCross-Country Team ning at the University of Pennsylvania. What changes MVP (2015) or adversities will come with the step to the next level?

Cross-Country SJ Sectional Champion (2015) Lowered own 3200m school record by 16 seconds

AG: The adjustment is going to be very tough, especially at a high academic school like that.

You will see a lot of kids struggling at the beginning because it is a new environment, but it definitely helps being close to home. The training will not be much different, but the schedule change, new environment, independence and competition will be tough to adjust to.

Duncan Brookover (‘16), Swimming; Jordan Clark (‘16), Football/Track; Colin Del Duke (‘16), Volleyball; Vinny Guckin (‘16), Football; Rahul Golculdas (‘17), Tennis; Isaiah Jean-Baptiste (‘16), Cross-Country/Track; John Lass (‘16), Football; Olin McLendon (‘16), Basketball/ Soccer; Marc Meltzer (‘17), Cross-Country/Track; Kennedy Omari (‘16), Track; Cole Parsons (‘16), Cross-Country/Track; Tyler Parsons (‘17), Cross-Country/Track, Swimming; Timmy Perry (‘16), Basketball; Brian Stamm (‘16), Lacrosse/ Hockey

Jessica Bryant (‘16)

LH: What does it mean to you to be recognized as Eastside’s Female Athlete of the Year?

Jessica Bryant: It is really amazing because there are some really, really talented athletes at East. It’s really an honor.

LH: Many athletes in track and field measure their success by personal records.

How would you describe a personal record, and what does it mean to you?

JB: I actually just set the school record for triple jump, but the thing about track and field is that there is always more to do. There is always going to be someone better than you, and there is always going to be a new thing to strive for.

JB: When I set a new personal record for myself, I think of the things that I did to get to that point, like the work I put in and the time I spent training. I will feel relieved, but I will also get this desire to keep growing and improving.

LH: Why did you get involved in track and field, and why did you continue for all four years of high school?

GIRLS Committed to jump in Division I at La Salle University

Fifteenth in New Jersey Meet of Champions for long jump (2015)

Second in the conference for triple jump (2015 and 2016)

Third in the conference for long jump (2016)

Eighth in New Balance Nationals freshman girls long jump (2013)

Fifth in the conference for long jump (2015)

LH: What goes through your head when you break your personal record or place in an event?

Honorable Mention:

Placed third at NJ Meet of Champions in 3200m

Page 28

Seventh in Group 4 in NJ for long jump (2015)

Holds East triple jump record (36’ 6”)

JB: My older brother did it in middle school, and when I got to the sixth grade, I started too.

He would help me when he was a jumper, and we always ended up doing the same events. He kept me motivated and set a mindset of always being there to help others improve. I kind of found a knack for some events, and I kept coming back because I love the competition and the rush of winning. Also, as a team, we are all really close. A lot of the friendships that I have are because of track.

LH: Looking back on your four years, what did you not accomplish that you really wish you did?

JB: Even though I qualified for Nationals freshman and sophomore year for the 4 x 100, due to injuries, I was never able to make the trip. When I look back, I think about all the work I should have put in. I wish that I could have worked more with sprinting exercises instead of just jumping, but I am very happy with my performance overall.

LH: What was your greatest accomplishment as an athlete at East?

JB: Either setting the record this year for triple jump or going to Meet of Champs last year.

I was actually the only girl that qualified for Sectionals from States and then from States to Meet of Champions. I felt special in that way.

Alexa Beatty (‘16), Soccer; Rachel Becker (‘16), Lacrosse; Kendall Geis (‘16), Softball; Kelsey Gorman (‘16), Lacrosse/Soccer; Kyra Gorman (‘16), Lacrosse/Soccer; Priya Kavuru (‘17), Lacrosse/Soccer; Lauren Kerner (‘17), Swimming; Dani Lazarus (‘19), Cross-Country/Track; Zoe Peterzell (‘16), Field Hockey/Basketball; Yamie Villegas (‘16), Basketball; Valorie Velasco (‘16), Softball; Stephanie Yanasov (‘17), Tennis