Eastside: October 2016

www.eastside-online.org

Engineering a new future

Vol. 50 No. 1

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

October 2016

Women all across the country are breaking gender barriers in order to establish diversity in the workforce

■ By Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17) Eastside Editor-in-Chief

Over the past several years, colleges have seen an increase in the number of females pursuing engineering. While the percentage remains low, with women making up 21.4% of undergraduates and 24.1% of graduates pursuing a degree in 2015, according to the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), the numbers show a positive trend. Cherry Hill East students have contributed to this growth in the field.

Adel Boyarsky (’15), majoring in Networks and Social Systems Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania, became interested in engineering at a young age.

“My brother was interested in computer science [and] my grandfather was a biomedical engineer, so I had that early exposure,” said Boyarsky. “I just thought engineering had a lot of potential, so I wanted to explore that more.”

Boyarsky participated in a few programs to explore her inter-

est, including a summer computer science program and the Samsung App Academy, where participants gain exposure to Android development and programming.

The number of women studying at the UPenn School of Engineering and Applied Science is higher than that of most colleges, with 33% of undergraduates being females. The gender difference, however, is still evident within the program.

“I know Penn is above average, but…there is a big disparity in some fields more than others,” said Boyarsky.

In order to counteract this, UPenn has established a large support system for women in engineering that includes a pre-orientation allowing female students to move in a few days earlier, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and a group called Advancing Women in Engineering (AWE), which is run

by Michaile Rainey.

“The goal of Advancing Women in Engineering is to help women become knowledgeable about engineering,” said Rainey, “to help provide an

environment…that is positive, supportive and nurturing of women, [and] to create an atmosphere that supports the growth and development of women to become leaders in an ever-evolving and highly technological world.”

UPenn has also seen a growth o f female undergraduates, even having more females than males majoring in Biomedic a l Engi-

Photo Illustration by Kevin Chen (‘17)/ Eastside Tech Director

Inside This Issue

Springdale Road undergoes reconstruction Community, Pg. 7

neering. In addition to creating an educational support system, AWE reaches out and encourages younger girls with an interest in the math and science fields.

“Our outreach program, GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math and Science) targets rising seventh [through] ninth grade girls,” said Rainey.

“We want girls to know that loving math and science is okay… and that there are other girls who feel the same way.”

Some East students noticed their interest in engineering early on, and began preparing for future studies while still in high school.

Miku Fujita (’16), a Systems Engineering major at UPenn, was inspired by a Science Olympiad event called Circuit Lab in which contestants analyze DC circuits.

“There’s not many East courses that really talk about engineering,” said Fujita. “I knew I liked science and math, but I couldn’t see myself going into pure sciences or pure math.”

After getting a taste of what engineering entailed through the event, Fujita attended two summer programs, the Center for Talented Youth (CTY), taking a course in electrical engineering, and Governor’s School in Engineering and Technology (GSET). While GSET attempted to balance out the male to female ratio, CTY was heavily male-dominated.

“When I was a kid, I thought that [engineering] was male-oriented.

I thought it was too complicated and too scary for me,” said Fujita.

“There’s definitely a lot of societal bias and subconscious things that affect how females might choose their career paths, but I think it’s definitely getting better in what I’ve experienced.”

While East may not offer a specific course in engineering, other

21.4% of all engineering undergraduates in 2015 were women.

Berlin Farmer’s Market builds great deals Underground, Pg. 19

girls have been inspired to pursue engineering in certain classes.

“I first became interested in engineering my sophomore year when I first took chemistry,” said Sandra Bruno (’17). “I want to go into chemical engineering.”

Throughout her college search, Bruno has noticed a trend in the large support systems at colleges specifically founded for women in engineering.

“I visited [the University of Pittsburgh] and they had the academic session with all the tables,” said Bruno. “When I walked in, every person at the engineering table was [a girl]. [Going into engineering] is intimidating, but I think [colleges] are open to expanding.”

Rainey knows that engineering and computer science are difficult fields to pursue, but does not believe that women should be deterred simply because of gender standards.

“The sooner we empower girls to own their rightful seat at the table of math and science, the better the world will be,” said Rainey. “Diversity of thought and action are primary building blocks in the world of work. We have to be diligent in making sure all voices and perspectives are heard.”

Allen and Ciocco create great plays on the field Sports, Pg. 22

Page 2

FIFTY YEARS EASTSIDE

October 2016

To commemorate the fiftieth year of Eastside as well as the fiftieth year of Cherry Hill East, Eastside will include special coverage in print and online to look back on the half-century. For this issue, Eastside decided to reprint the first-ever front page, which was published on March 22, 1967. This first issue contained four pages and included stories on the opening of the school library, a student council bake sale and the undefeated girls’ basketball team.

October 2016

NEWS/FEATURES EASTSIDE

Jastrow transitions into the Activities Office ■ By Luke Hinrichs (‘17)

Eastside Editor-in-Chief

Students have graduated. Teachers have retired.

East has changed. But for Mrs. Debbie Jastrow, East has always been home.

After graduating in 1998, Jastrow has returned to the halls of East not as a visitor, but as the new Secretary of Activities.

“When I walked through those doors, I was returning home. I honestly felt like this is my home. Normally you get really nervous coming into a new job, but I felt nothing except comfortable,” said Jastrow.

Jastrow is not new to school activities. As an East student, she earned her spot in the Student Hall of Fame. Jastrow was a RYLA conferee, a Belles officer, the VP of Activities for the Thespian Society, a Mime, a Demogorgon member, the Cable 18 News Anchor, a member of Respect For Drugs, an actress in the Fall Play, an actress in the Spring Musical, an actress in One-Acts, an East Singer, a member of the Performing and Visual Arts Society, a Powder Puff player, and the school mascot. When talking about her times at East, a wide, contagious smile projected her thoughts.

“I loved my time at East.

I really only have positive memories and I was involved in so many activities. I want students to feel as I felt when I went here.

I want to encourage people

to get involved and do activities, because high school and college are some of the best times of your life. After college, life gets busy. It becomes harder to do all these exciting things and get involved as much as you can

it and don’t do anything,” said Jastrow.

On day one, already understanding the twist and turns of the halls, Jastrow could navigate from the DiBart Gym to the back of B-wing, from F-wing to

into the position previously held by Mrs. Marilyn DiCiurcio for 21 years, Jastrow keeps in mind the gigantic shoes she has to fill.

“The students have been very kind to me and so have the parents, but I have some really big shoes to fill. Marilyn DiCiurcio is the most wonderful woman ever. She is the kindest, most generous woman I have ever met. We are different in some ways, but we are also very similar in other ways,” said Jastrow.

Even though her predecessor’s impact on East will be felt for years, Jastrow has already started to spread her roots and grow into the East community.

“Mrs. DiCiurcio was known and loved by a lot of people at East.

But I think [Mrs. Jastrow] is doing a good job already. She knows how Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor we do things and she is Jastrow uses her computer in the Activities Office. making the position her own. She already has now. Now is the time to do the third floor of C-wing, relationships with a bunch it,” said Jastrow. from the sports lockers to of students and a lot of facFull of hope and energy, the East Gym. However, ulty, so I think she is doing Jastrow’s goal coming into even though she knows a good job,” said Activities East is to spread her acthe school’s layout like the Director Mr. Charles Dativities fever. In her expeback of her hand, the atmovis. rience, activities made the sphere at East has certainJastrow, propelled by exhard days more bearable ly changed since 1998. citement and energy, has and provided an opportu“[East] has a rush and come into East ready to nity to develop strong time energy of a college campus spread happiness. To her, management skills. now. It is a lot more excitthis is where she belongs.

“Personally, I did better ing than when I went here.

“My husband keeps sayacademically when I was There is always something ing that he has not seen me more involved because I going on. There is always smiling so much in so long budgeted my time better. something happening. I and that this is the perfect The more free time you love it,” said Jastrow. job for me. And he is right,” have, the more you waste As she excitedly settles said Jastrow.

From lunchrooms to classrooms:

Study halls move to a new location for the 2016-2017 school year ■ By Louis Zimmermann (‘18) Eastside News/Features Editor

but rather an isolated room in which students can focus strictly on homework or other assignments. Many students choose to take study halls because they may not have time to do work at home due to extracurriculars and sports.

O’Connor also said that the new switch has made

a study hall. However, from a student’s perspective, the change may not be the most favorable.

“I prefer study halls in cafeterias because there are more students and teachers who can aid you and supply as a resource for any help you need in multiple subjects,” said Miranda Shep-

tionally, friends prefer not to be separated as they are now due to the computergenerated assortments.

Although there is a clear difference in opinion between students and teachers regarding the change made, classroom study halls will be able to keep the period more organized

After receiving schedules in the mail, students may have been surprised to see room numbers for their study hall periods in place of the standard cafeteria location. Friends who had study halls during the same period may have also been surprised to find they were not in the same room.

Although study halls have been seen in rooms in past years at East, students questioned why the sudden change was made after three consecutive years of study halls in the cafete- Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor ria.

Students studying in a cafeteria study hall (left) versus studying in a classroom (right).

East Assistant Principal it easier for teachers to pard (‘19). for completing work. VariMr. Bernie O’Connor, said take attendance and has One negative aspect to ous students throughout that the transition into minimized the amount many students is that they the years have been seen rooms has been made beof students cutting class, are not able to contact as taking study halls to play cause of multiple faults in roaming the hallways or many sources of help for video games or catch up on the cafeteria system. The sneaking into study hall homework or other assignneeded sleep, while others switch makes for a less late. The change has proments as they would like. have always been bothered crowded environment for vided the school with what Students feel they are reby rowdy noise while trying students to concentrate on the administration views stricted from asking questo relieve stress by completthe true purpose of Study to be a beneficial outcome, tions on assignments to ing work.

Halls: to get work done. as there are now fewer disteachers or even fellow Whether students prefer The study halls are no lontractions for students and classmates because of the the cafeteria or the classger noisy environments in teachers who are in educasubstantial decrease in size room, new study halls are which students may have tional classes at the time of of students per room. Addihere to stay for the year. difficulty concentrating,

The Boyling Point

Page 3

■ By Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17) Eastside Editor-In-Chief

Seniors: we’ve all heard that The Common App makes our lives so much easier. Writing only one essay for all of the colleges you’re applying to seems incredibly simple. Older generations have told us that we have it much better. Yet, as I stare at all of the unchecked boxes on the “My Colleges” tab of my Common App account, I feel more anxiety than relief.

Although I already completed my Common App essay, I still have an army of supplemental essays of all shapes and sizes just waiting to be attacked.

Regardless of the number of supplemental essays one must write, the process doesn’t get any less demanding. The most difficult part about these prompts is the word limit. How can I describe an extracurricular activity that I have devoted four years of my life to in merely 150 words? True, college admissions officers receive thousands of applications, and don’t have the time to read pages upon pages. So then why request these sorts of essays in the first place, knowing that the responses can only scratch the surface of a student’s passions?

Some colleges have chosen to go even shorter, utilizing the “one-word” response style questions. I’m not sure what my favorite adjective or website has to do with getting into college, especially when I don’t even get the opportunity to elaborate.

Nonetheless, there is one sort of supplemental that I have, in fact, learned to tolerate, if not enjoy. The “Why [insert college here]?” prompts provide a reason to look further into schools, thereby allowing applicants to discover unknown programs and activities.

While skimming a brochure that I received from Georgetown University, I found a seminar called “Seeking the Good at Hogwarts” devoted to the study of Harry Potter. Or at MIT, if a student takes a physical education course in pistol, archery, sailing and fencing, he or she can become a certified pirate. These interesting quirks may not be the most important part about a school, but including these activities in a school-specific essay shows admissions officers that an applicant actually has an interest in the college, rather than just reusing the same essay and changing “University of Pittsburgh” to “University of Pennsylvania”.

If this admissions bonus isn’t enough to tempt any seniors into some research, consider the fact that we are about to leave a district that we have called home for 12 years. With so many options for college, learning the programs, activities and idiosyncrasies of a school may just help you find the perfect fit.

NEWS/FEATURES

Page 4

EASTSIDE

October 2016

La Grou voices his goals as assistant principal ■ By Louis Zimmermann (‘18)

Eastside News/Features Editor

After two months of relaxation and a stress-free day-to-day lifestyle, students and teachers alike entered Cherry Hill High School East with high hopes for what the year would hold. Whether it is goals or standards set for a student or teacher, everyone tries to put his or her best foot forward. For some, East is a completely new experience to learn about and develop an understanding of the school’s overall community.

Mr. Matthew La Grou has recently acquired the position of one of East’s five assistant principals and intends on going through the 2016-2017 school year with nothing less than a complete commitment to all tasks he takes on. Despite the immense pressure of being a member of such a highly ranked high school, La Grou has confidence in furthering the achievements of East’s departments, both in an academic sense and in extracurricular activites.

“I think that myself being new and Dr. Perry being new is definitely a transition for both students and staff,” said La Grou. “How-

ever, my first main goal is to get to know everybody and to develop some relationships by getting to know

tory in education. La Grou began his career as an eighth grade English teacher at Northern Burlington

what he truly enjoyed about his job: kids and their families. Thus, La Grou decided to join more of an administrative building role and became an assistant principal at Kreps Middle School, located in East Windsor, NJ. After three years at Kreps, La Grou could not reject an offer at E a s t , with intentions to remain in Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor Cherry La Grou works at his desk in his new office as assistant principal.

Hill for the rest of his the staff and students while County Regional School career. learning about the culture District. La Grou stayed La Grou intends on adof the building.” at Northern Burlington as dressing all areas of the Although many students the Director of Curriculum school as he plans for a stuhave not had the opportuand Instruction for grades dent body of over 2,200 stunity to learn about La Grou seven through twelve. dents. At the moment, La residing in various school At this point, however, Grou plans on advancing districts, he carries a hisLa Grou felt separated from old and adding new tech-

nology to East.

“Primarily the focus right now is that we have just started a new student information system, Genesis, which is [also] brand new for the staff and has new access for parents, so therefore I want to help everybody while trying to learn how to use it,” said La Grou. “We are also trying to expand our use of Google Drive and Google Tools, so I am working with the staff to train them on how to manage that system so that it can impact students positively as soon as possible.”

La Grou focuses on the environment in school and wants to ensure that every student enjoys learning and attending school throughout the day. In addition, La Grou wants teachers and staff to enjoy attending work.

With a focused and determined attitude for the 2016-17 school year, La Grou doesn’t see his career at East ending soon.

“My ultimate goal is to be a principal whenever that opportunity arises and the time is right, but I know that being assistant principal will ultimately prepare me to be the best principal of the building that I could be,” said La Grou.

Marching band marches its way into a new season

In addition to the turf field, the marching band Eastside News/Features Editor will also be showcasing new instruments, which can inAs the marching band crease scores. The band also begins its season, members received new shoes which find themselves wearing are designed to help their new shoes and feeling fresh feet roll, the typical style of turf under their feet. From marching for competition a truck to carry equipment bands, allowing the memto new instruments and bers to stay in sync with shoes, the marching each other. band has experienced “We have changed over quite a few new changes to specifically designed for the 2016-2017 school marching shoes. They year. have a curved toe and One of the biggest heel, which help make changes is the approval marching much more preof a truck to carry bigger cise for our band,” said instruments and equipKeleher. ment to away-games For the instruments, and festivals. The use of the band will implement the truck will allow the whirlies into its show, marching band to have a which were previously full pit with large instruused by choir. Whirlies ments. are long, plastic tubes “In the past, we that produce a pitch haven’t had a pit at all when spun around. The except last year we had marching band will begin a very small pit. [The its show with an underlytruck] means we can add ing chord from the whirlmore percussion instruies. The marching band ments, make [a] more also received a grant for diverse sound, and it new mellophones, and means we won’t have to through donations from drag all of our stuff onto the CHE Music Boosters, the buses with us, so it’s it will receive a new drum really good logistically,” line that will be manufacsaid one of the Assistant tured for the band.

Drum Majors, Claire Courtesy of Jodi Gorenberg From putting in hours Handley (’17).

The marching band performs its show during a football game at Eastern Regional High at band camp over the Prior to this year, the School. summer to practicing evuse of a truck for away ry, working with our music aration for the ensemble. to be a dome, and you know ery day after school, the events was not authorized; boosters, was able to get “The festivals for us are how music is waves, so it marching band has been however, this year, Printhat truck back.” kinda like the playoffs for would just hit the dome and diligent in preparing for cipal Dr. Dennis Perry apThis year the marching varsity sports. They are the it wouldn’t spread out to the its performances at football proved it. Consequently, band will also be attending time where we get to comwhole stadium so no one games, festivals and the the small sideline pit from three festivals, rather than pete against other marchcould really hear us. Now Fall Preview Concert. last year that included tritwo, for the first time. At ing bands in an arena that that it is flat, our music can “With all the changes, it angles and cymbals will festivals, the participating just features the music, and totally be heard throughout is only going to make things expand to include instrumarching bands compete in the drill, and the show, and the whole stadium. Also, better for the students and ments like the xylophone, front of judges to receive inall the pageantry that goes because it’s turf, marching for the spectators... We are marimba and gong. dividual scores, the highest along with it. So we are is a lot easier for our feet,” very excited for our shows, “If you were to see the being a ‘Superior’. very excited that we were said Yu. “Before, there were it’s a really dramatic piece bands we would compete “We have never done able to add a third festival,” holes or mud, and we would of music by Aleksandr against, they very often three festivals in the same said Keleher. slip and instruments would Borodin,” said Keleher. “It’s had a very large pit, a year… we believe we can Additionally, the new break, and our uniforms just really an exciting, high very large front ensemble compete more than we usuturf field will not only benwould get messy, and there energy season… We are with multiple players. This ally do,” said Aliya Yu (‘17), efit athletes, but will also would be a lot of injuries.” looking forward to it.” would definitely hinder us ■ By Jenn Pacitti (‘17)

at our competition because we weren’t able to compete at the same level without those extra instruments,” said Mr. Timothy Keleher, the director of the marching band. “It has added a lot to our sound and we are very grateful that Dr. Per-

Drum Major. “As each year goes on, we get stronger and stronger as a group, both musically and physically, and I feel like we are more prepared for these types of things now.”

Attending festivals more frequently is also good prep-

improve the marching band season. Now that the field is leveled out, the band members will find themselves with a better distribution of sound and further, increased and more solidified mobility.

“The field before, it used

October 2016

COMMUNITY EASTSIDE

Page 5

MOM’s Organic Market comes to Cherry Hilll

for the largest green power users among retail partners.

A new organic supermarIn 2005, MOM’s elimiket has arrived in Cherry nated plastic bags from Hill, and it’s not called all stores and introduced Whole Foods. MOM’s Ora 10-cent bag credit for ganic Market has opened customers who use reusits first NJ location on able bags. Through the Kings Highway. initiative, the customers The Cherry Hill locahelp the company pretion is the sixteenth store vent 4,800 grocery bags for the supermarket chain, from being used a day. which also has stores At the Cherry Hill locaacross Maryland, Virginia, tion, customers can enjoy DC, and Pennsylvania.

MOM’s fresh and organic MOM’s sells one huncafe. The cafe is opened dred percent certified orfor its Naked Lunch, ganic produce. The chain starting at 11 a.m. While prides itself in hosting a there is a menu to order higher percentage of orfrom, customers can cusganic items in its stores tomize or create their than that of any other maown salads, rice bowls or jor grocery chain. juices at the counter.

“There is a conception “All [the food] is very that buying organic can delicious and fresh. We be expensive, which it can use the same ingredients be. So we try to make sure that we sell here,” said that our prices are as fair Fluker. as we can make them,” Just like the genusaid Jackie Fluker, assisine ingredients the store tant general manager of uses and sells, the emMOM’s Cherry Hill. ployees hold very similar MOM’s does not curvalues.

The company rently have any cardmemlooks for employees that Sara Messinger (‘17)/ Eastside Community Editor are a direct reflection of ber or club benefits.

“But that’s where our MOM’s Organic Market is located on Kings Highway in Cherry Hill. their culture. prices come into play,” said “If you shop here, it is Fluker. “We want our pricfree to the public. Most notably, units and non-ozone depleting resomething you notice ines to be accessible to everyone.”

MOM’s helps power their Maryland frigeration. The stores make sure stantly. We are very careful with From their affordable prices of stores with their own solar power to power down all lights and equipthe people we hire because...what organic produce to sustainability effarm in Kingsville, MD. ment when not needed. In addicould be very personal values, we forts, MOM’s is all about helping the With the business’s purpose to tion, the whole store runs entirely use as a business,” said Fluker. community live a greener life. At protect and restore the environon wind and solar power.

With a great response to its the Cherry Hill location, customers ment, the stores use ultra-low watt “We all run on wind and solar Cherry Hill location, MOM’s looks will find two car charging stations LED light bulbs, adjustable AC power in a way because we purchase to expand with more locations in Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) the Pennsylvania and New Jersey to offset not only our own electricity area within the next year or two. that we’re using, but we’re also buyThe company has plans to open a ing more than we need to put more MOM’s in Center City, Philadelinto the grid,” said Fluker. phia this winter.

In July 2016, MOM’s was placed MOM’s is open Monday through number 21 in the US EnvironmenSaturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and tal Protection Agency’s top 30 list Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

■ By Sara Messinger (‘17)

Eastside Community Editor

Festival promotes life safety ■ By Gregory Rothkoff (‘19) Eastside Community Editor

Interested in advertising in Eastside?

Contact Alon Goldfinger or Abigail Richman at business@eastside-online.org today!

It is clear that the fall season is here when the Croft Farm Harvest Festival occured. In partnership with the Cherry Hill Township, Cherry Hill Police Department and the Cherry Hill Fire Department, this was the eleventh time Fire and Life Safety Day was hosted at the Harvest Festival.

The festivities featured live music, pony rides, a dunk tank and Halloween-themed events. In addition to the attractions, there was a large number of local crafters taking part in the festival. The event was also a time to bring awareness to local families about fire and life safety.

This year’s National Fire Protection Agency’s fire prevention theme was: “Don’t Wait – Check the Date!

Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years.” A wide variety of events related to this theme were prepared for attendees of all ages.

“For the young children, having them meet the firefighters and see the gear that they wear has an impact on them. Also, speaking to the children about the dangers of fire and how important it is to not play with matches or lighters,” said Tammy DeLucca, Public Education Officer for the Cherry Hill Fire Department.

Children had the opportunity to

get their pictures taken with a firefighter, get dressed up in fire gear and go in a fire truck, where they learned about all the equipment.

There was also a simulated smoke machine to show children how to get low and out of the home safely.

Children were able to squirt a hose and knock down ‘flames’ in a wooden house.

The event was not only for children. The simulation showcased the different fire hazards that may appear in a typical home. There were also at least 12 firefighters and EMTs, as well as DeLucca himself attending, who was be able to answer any questions. “[We] engag[ed] with the residents of the community about ways to prevent fires as well as being prepared: having an escape plan in place and having working smoke alarms,” said DeLucca.

During the Harvest Festival, attendees were invited to visit the Croft Farm Arts Center, where there was an open gallery for the “Fall Into The Arts” photography show.

Although the event is now uniformly called the Harvest Festival, there was an abundant amount of activities related to Life Safety that was showcased at the event.

The festival was held on Sunday, October 16, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Croft Farms.

Border by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director

Page 6

COMMUNITY EASTSIDE

October 2016

A quest to find the best local fall treat

Eastside Community Editors make their recommendations for seasonal must-haves. time, d o n u t devotees will be ■ By Gregory Rothkoff (‘19) able to try caramel apple Eastside Community Editor croissant donuts, pumpkin donuts and pumpkin Munchkins.

Fall is a time when Walking into the store with my emphasis is put on food, mouth watering, the smell of donuts Gregory Rothkoff (‘19)/ whether it is ThanksCommunity Editor filled the air, and I noticed one particular giving dinner or a midday treat. It turns out Dunkin Donuts sells sea- donut that brought memories back to me.

I ordered three treats: the pumpkin donut that the place where sonal doughnuts. and Munchkin and the all-new seasonal you get your morning caramel apple croissant donut. pick-me-up is also a Store worker Akeeta Khalada told me that the fallgreat place to get your mid-day treat.

I have great memories of when I was in pre-school and inspired treats usually are no longer available past noon my mom would pick me up after school and drive me to because of their popularity.

The Pumpkin Munchkin was just as I had remembered Dunkin Donuts to try my favorite fall-inspired donut. it: a bite-sized serving of nutmeg, cinnamon and, of Although I may be too big for that now, I thought I could try to get some of my childhood back and course, pumpkin. The caramel apple croissant make a stop at Dunkin Donuts for my favorite donut reminded of one of my other favorite fall treats, but just in a donut form. fall treat.

Without a doubt, I will return for Starting in early September, Dunkin Donuts started selling many more trips to my local their fall donut collection. Dunkin Donuts for a recomFor a limited mended fall treat in the future.

s a i d Jim CaruEastside Community Editor so, an employee at Springdale As the leaves turn Farms.

“We bake [our color and the sumpies] fresh every day.” mer’s humidity begins My family and I rave over the to subside, I soon bedelicious bits of apple in the pie. The gin to crave my favortaste of Springdale’s pie is so distinct ite fall treat. I rush from that of any other apple pie. It has the to Springdale Farms perfect blend of being both sweet and tart. Ah, for the best seasonal just the thought of the taste makes my mouth desserts. As I walk water. through the bakery part of Springdale, “We use all different varieties of apples...that is I immediately sense the sweet aroma why [the pies] have such a nice flavor. It’s whatof fresh apple pie. ever we have in the orchard and we mix them all From the early morning on Thankstogether,” said Caruso. giving day, my mind is already set on Due to the perfect fall climate, Springdale Farms Sara Messinger (‘17)/ dessert. After the holiday feast, I will customers celebrate an array of different fall treats.

Eastside Community Editor make sure to leave just enough room Apple cider donuts, pumpkin pie and apple pie are Springdale Farms bakes fresh apin my stomach to indulge in the just among the farm’s top selling items in the fall ple pies on a daily basis. sweet crispy apple pie. season.

My grandparents, cousins, Although the classic apple pie seems to be a aunts and uncles, who have definite all-time customer favorite, Springdale travelled all across the northeast for our family feast, Farms also offers many other varieties of apple pie. For inlook forward to the pie. Although they themselves have stance, Springdale Farms also offers apple caramel walnut, never made the trip to the farm, they excite over the apple cinnamon, apple cranberry, apple crumb, apple words “Springdale Farms apple pie.” It would not be raspberry, Vermont apple and Yankee apple pies.

Thanksgiving without the anticipated dessert.

Everyone has his or her preferences for seasonal

“It’s the best, of course. We all know that,” desserts, but at least for me and my family, we will stick to our favorite Springdale Farms’ classic apple pie.

■ By Sara Messinger (‘17)

(the rides leave every half ■ By Ilana Arougheti (‘19) an hour between 10 Eastside Community Editor a.m. and 5 p.m. according to the schedule that began on Wednesday, SeptemEver since I was a little kid, the ber 14), which we always presence of autumn in Cherry Hill filled with a celebratory bag has been synonymous to me with of piping hot donuts. Comthe sweet, indulgent taste of apple ing in at $6.95 for half a cider donuts. These popular petite dozen, these donuts are pastries, coated in cinnamon sugar with a warm apple flavor inside, Courtesy of Johnson’s Corner Farm soft and warm with just are local fall classics.

Johnson’s Corner Farm serves fresh apple ci- the right balance of cider to sugar. To me They are sold at multiple local der donuts all throughout the year. they taste like venues, including Springdale Farm in Cherry Hill, but my childhood. also at Johnson’s Corner farm in nearby Medford. While Johnson’s both venues sell delicious iterations of the apple cider website donuts, I prefer the ones at Johnson’s for sentimental reasons.

Apple picking at Johnson’s is a fall tradition for my family. When even describes them as “a must-have any time of the leaves changed, we could always be found boarding an orchard- year.”

So if you’re looking to tempt your taste buds bound hayride at Johnson’s and bumping our way down the short scenic trail to fill our brown bags with a varety of our favorite with a great fall treat, head over to Johnson’s Cortypes of apples. Upon arriving at the farm, we ner Farm between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. and see for usually faced a short wait between hayrides yourself just what all the hype is about.

Art by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director

COMMUNITY

October 2016

EASTSIDE

Springdale Road recieves reconstruction

Page 7

■ By Ilana Arougheti (‘19) Eastside Community Editor

Although the 2016-2017 school year has just begun, the Cherry Hill East community has already faced several major changes. East has a new principal, Dr. Dennis Perry, a new turf field for the football team to play on, and a new summer reading list with fresh titles for incoming students to toil over. However, the school is not the only part of Cherry Hill that has faced major updates lately. On June 2, a massive road reconstruction project began, taking place on a segment of Springdale Road stretching from Wilderness Drive to the driveway of the ShopRite on Evesham Road.

Officially called the Springdale Road Roadway Improvement Project, the construction takes place in Cherry Hill but is actually not overseen by either the Cherry Hill Department of Public Works or its Camden County counterpart.

After several years of meetCourtesy of Environmental Resolutions, Inc. ings between Cherry Hill and Camden County, the work Workers use cement to stabilize part of the roadway along Sprindale Road. was contracted out to Environmental Resolutions Inc., a eled roads in the county, and it is our delays a typical price to pay for major municipal engineering comresponsibility to keep it in the best roadwork projects like this one? Acpany which often works with Camden condition possible,” said Susan Shin cording to Noll, while any road work is County and Burlington County, even Angulo, a representative of the Debound to lead to at least some degree serving as a planning board engineer partment of Public Works, in a stateof delay and difficulty, the Springdale and traffic consultant for the Cherry ment reported by the Courier-Post. project has actually been relatively Hill Department of Engineering’s Shin-Angulo describes the Springnon-problematic so far.

Planning Board. dale situation as “[an] effort to make “We’ve had no road closures, all the Before the improvements began, Camden County a better place to live traffic has just shifted over,” said Noll. “[Springdale Road] really was, well, and drive.” After the completion of this “Traffic flow is pretty neat right now, in poor condition and starting to fail,” project, it will certainly be a lot easier there’s not much of an issue.” said Jeremy Noll, the resident project to get around. However, “[w]hile the As the Springdale Road Roadway engineer at Environmental Resoluend result will be roads that are safer Improvement Project has been pritions, Inc. and easier to travel, [the town does] vately contracted to Environmental Noll, who graduated from Cherry expect significant delays during conResolutions, Inc., additional public Hill High West in 2002, is also the projworks projects directly suect manager for pervised by Cherry Hill the Springdale and Camden County are Road improvealso expected to appear ment project. within the coming months.

Much of the road Recently, the Cherry Hill will be repaved, Department of Engineering along with new implemented a weeklong striping to inmicrosurfacing program dicate left turn on certain local roads. The lanes, a bike project, which lasted from lane along the August 25 to September 2, side of the road involved applying a thin and sidewalks on layer of asphalt emulsion both sides of the to seal cracks on roads road. Noll hopes and extend their lifespan. that these changFurthermore, the Cames will ultimately den County Department make Springdale of Public Works keeps its Road look “more phone lines open 24/7, urgaesthetically ing residents to report road pleasing and issues from potholes to litpedestrian,” he tering in an effort to consaid. stantly maintain the 400 G e t t i n g miles of highway under Springdale into Asher Maitin (‘17)/ Eastside Entertainment Editor their jurisdiction. as good a conThe completed Springdition as Noll As construction continues, traffic along Springdale Road will be dale Road is not expected hopes for will be shifted over into other lanes. to change too much in no small feat. terms of its basic layout.

According to the struction,” said Mayor Chuck Cahn in “There will still be two lanes going Camden County website, the construca traffic alert published on Cherryhillin both directions, and turning lanes tion project will cost about 2.8 million nj.com. at Morris, Spring, Cunningham, all dollars; however, according to Noll, Another statement published by the the little streets,” said Noll. the cost is closer to 3.2 million dollars district estimated that there would be For more information on the projand entirely funded by a federal highdelays on Springdale until December. ect, contact Environmental Resoluway grant.

Are these construction-based driver tions, Inc. at 856-235-7170.

“This is one of the most highly trav-

For interactive features, polls and exclusive coverage, check out

www.eastside-online.org Winner of the 2016 Online Pacemaker Award

■ By Ilana Arougheti (‘19) Eastside Community Editor

Best Pumpkin Picking: Johnson’s Corner Farm 133 Church Road, Medford, NJ Johnson’s unique brand of pumpkin picking combines two quintessential fall activities; in order to get to the pumpkin fields, customers board a hayride!

From September 12 to October 31, pumpkin picking hayrides run from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m, every hour on weekdays and every half hour on weekends. Hayride tickets are $4 a person, plus one can buy the pumpkins he or she picks for $0.79/lb.

Best Corn Maze: Springdale Farms 1638 Springdale Road, Cherry Hill, NJ At Springdale Farms, every year’s cornstalk creation has a different theme.

This year’s corn maze is Native American-themed and is open September 16 – November 6, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on weekends.

There were also Flashlight Fridays from September 16 – October 7, where visitors did the maze in the dark from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $10 for customers aged 13 and up and $8.50 for customers under 13.

Best Haunted House: Eastern State Penitentiary’s Terror Behind the Walls 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, PA What better place for a classic Halloween scare than a former prison? Eastern State Penitentiary offers six unique horror attractions to rattle your bones.

Prices vary anywhere from $19 to $45 depending on the date and time. Tours run every Friday and Saturday from September 16 to October 31, plus some weeknights, some Sundays, and two special remix nights on November 4 and 5. Go to https://www.easternstate. org/halloween/visit to see the full schedule.

Best Free Attraction: Haddonfield Farmer’s Market Kings Court, 150 Kings Highway, Haddonfield, NJ The market will be open Saturdays - rain or shine! until October 28, from 8:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Live musical guests and other entertainment will vary by week; check www.haddonfieldfarmersmarket.org for details or just come see for yourself.

Best New Attraction: Cherry Hill East’s new football stadium 1750 Kresson Road, Cherry Hill, NJ East’s football field situation has gotten a major upgrade - Come on out and see what’s new. Varsity games will take place at 11 a.m. on October 22 and 29.

Let’s go, Cougars!

Art by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘16)/ Eastside Art Director

OPINIONS

Page 8

EASTSIDE

October 2016

Is all rap music demeaning to women?

■ Brooke Greenberg (‘17)

YES

Eastside Opinions Editor

■ Joe Levin (‘17)

Eastside Opinions Editor

Rap is valuable to kids who relate to it because it lets them know that they’re not alone; rappers aren’t afraid to paint vivid images of what they experience, and sometimes that requires controversial wordplay. Stigmatizing all rap music as violent and demeaning is like equating all meaningful and timeless hiphop records to records with no substance.

Naturally, hip-hop news that reaches mainstream music fans is usually negative news—perhaps Lil

“Why? I made that b*tch famous.”

— Kanye West, “Famous”

the rap music may not have curse words, many times the concept of rap or the messages that some people have heard in the past in the music are enough to defer the listener.

Rap music may be important for teenagers in their iTunes library, many people are simply offended by the context. Profanity is not something to take lightly and many people interpret it the wrong way, leading to complete avoidance of the genre just because of the degrading messages often portrayed in the music. And let’s face it, listening to the said “clean” version is just no fun f o r anyone.

Wayne said this about a woman in his last song, or Kanye West had this image of a female in his last music video. Talented rappers know how to tell stories. They know how to voice their opinions and speak out about the way they were raised. But lyrics that aren’t controversial, that don’t necessarily offend anyone, often don’t make it out to the media’s spotlight. This explains why hip-hop culture as a whole is often given labels such as “violent” and “demeaning.”

Or perhaps hip-hop is used so often as a scapegoat because of its successful transition to the mainstream music scene essentially since its inception. According to the music streaming app Spotify, which created a live musical map of the world, hip-hop is the top genre on Earth—it showed up on playlists more often than any other music genre, regardless of factors like geography and language.

Additionally, a research team with scientists from Queen Mary, University of London and Imperial College analyzed short segments of around 17,000 songs that appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 charts from the years 19602010. They used computer software to group the hits according to musical properties, instruments and chord patterns. The research team said that rap, and its related genres, are “the single most important event that has shaped the musical structure of the American charts.” The study shows the emergence of rap beating out even the British invasion of the Beatles and Rolling Stones during the mid20th century. If hip-hop ulia

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Today, rap music is a staple that unites people of all races, genders and ethnicities. However, with the soaring success of the rap music empire also comes the inherent profanity and undermining of feminity of the genre.

Increased profanity in rap music, from artists such as Travis Scott and Future, is simply unacceptable. While the music of these artists has soared to the top of the Billboard charts, the profanity used in their music and references to sex, drugs and alcohol is inappropriate for listeners.

Imagine if someone who is young, sweet and innocent gets access to such rap music; that person is now subjected to all of the inappropriate language that they do not need to know at their young age. YouTube, the Internet and some channels of SiriusXM provide overly easy access to rap music, lyrics, and music videos.

Unless parents set boundaries on the computers or mobile devices, children will have full access to the same content that someone two or three times their age will have.

The only thing lacking from the young children is the maturity to handle the vulgar messages and words when they hear them and understand what they mean. Rap music is demeaning to women due to the controversial messages and the way women are often portrayed in music videos and lyrics.

They are displayed as more of an “object” as opposed to a person in rap music.

Rap music also is not shy of using profane language to describe women as well as women’s body parts. Akon and Waka Flocka two rappers who often use lyrics to degrade women. As a teenage girl, it is not easy to be in an already alpha-dominated society but also have the perspective of music influences all around degrading the female race as a whole. It is blatantly disrespectful to have songs on the iTunes top charts that are nothing but disrespectful and demeaning—especially when the derogatory behavior is towards half of the world’s population.

For example, rapper Kendrick Lamar is one of the most popular rappers in present-day culture. His music talks about really heart-aching topics, including having his friend being accidentally shot and killed, as depicted in the song “Sing about Me.” Even though the song is sad, it does not have many expletives, as Lamar chose to minimize the amount of cursing and to keep his rap whole and genuine; the way music is supposed to be. It is clearly disrespetful to talk about an instance like Lamar did about his friend being shot in a profane matter.

“Lamar is singing about poverty and starving children, whereas rappers like 2 Chainz and Drake and Lil’ Wayne are singing about drugs, money and sex and their rap has no positive influence,” said Alex Catalano (‘17), an avid supporter for wholesome rap as opposed to a song full of profanity.

Along with the profanity, it is simply not appropriate to tell a serious story, which usually is the case. Oftentimes, rappers use music to discuss their stories. Although the use of music can be effective to display the story that the artist is trying to tell; in many cases the use of

profanity is not apropos in the context of the story.

Additionally, the artists that choose to incorporate profanity exclude an entire population of people, simply because of their word choices and subjective references.

Many people, for different reasons including religion, morals and values, choose not to subject themselves to the said genre of music.

People who grow up in very conservative families or who choose to avoid the things discussed in rap songs will not be as inclined to listen to the music, leading to accidental exclusion. Even though

NO

is so violent, sexist and corruptive of the youth, then how has it become so influential and wildly popular over the past few decades?

The label of misogyny should not only be attached to the hip-hop genre. The pop and punk rock scenes have featured sexist images in music videos before and during h i p hop’s

emergence as its own music g e n r e .

T h e song “Cherry P i e ” by American heavy metal band Warrant reached the tenth spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990. The song’s music video, however, was ranked as one of worst of all time on an MTV special. It featured underdressed, tightly-clothed women and was called “offensively sexist” by the MuchMusic television network. Even the title itself is sexist, which references taking the virginity of a female. But rock music isn’t commonly associated with words like “sexist” and “misogynistic.”

Rap is unlike other genres in that many of its artists use it for commen- tary more so than for money.

1980s Compton rap group, N.W.A., is infamous for writing songs that insulted police officers, p u t d o w n women, a n d glorified violence— all it takes is one listen to “F**k the Police” or “Straight Outta Compton” to see clear evidence. But why shouldn’t they be angry? Why shouldn’t they feel resentful? Survival is a huge issue for black communities in the Los Angeles area.

According to Mark Cooper of The Guardian, “a black male teenager is twice as likely to be unemployed as his white equivalent and six times more likely to be murdered.” It may not be what the rest of the country wants to hear, but rap groups like N.W.A simply tell their reality.

As Ice Cube explained in an interview: “in the black community, the ministers and teachers don’t deny that the problems we rap about exist, but they’d rather sweep it under the rug. Maybe that’s why we sell so many records.”

Photos Courtesy of kanyewst.com and youngmoney.com

OPINIONS

October 2016

New North Jersey casinos can help A.C.’s drought

■ By Josh Sodicoff (‘18)

Eastside Multimedia Director

With the closure of the Trump Taj Mahal on October 10, Atlantic City has had five casino closures since 2014. Only eight casinos will remain. Atlantic City currently faces a 15.4 percent unemployment rate, much higher than the 6.5 percent rate for New Jersey as a whole. On July 28, the city accepted a 74 million dollar loan from the state to avoid default, and perhaps bankruptcy, for the rest of the year. Add to that a very possible state takeover, and it seems that Atlantic City is in a downward spiral towards collapse.

Its saving grace may come from the New Jersey Casino Expansion Amendment.

On November 8, New Jerseyans will vote on whether to allow two North Jersey counties to host casinos, one for each. Two-hundredmillion dollars of tax revenue would be given to Atlantic City to advance the growth of the entertainment industry, with more to come. The rest of the revenue would go to social programs.

Atlantic City, and the state as a whole, needs this amendment. Atlantic City has for years been the recipient of aid and bailouts to support the city. Other shore towns, like Wildwood and Point Pleasant, have strong predicted rates of job growth, at 5.03 and 0.39 percent respectively. Yet, Atlantic City has been losing jobs at a devastating rate of -2.88 percent, and currently earns sixty million dollars less a year in gambling revenue than it did in 2012.

The discrepancy can be attributed to a variety of issues, none of which can be addressed by propping up the city in its current state. Philadelphia has become a gambling hub, with three casinos. Pennsylvania has seen its gambling revenue increase one hundredfold over the last ten years because for those in the area who want to gamble, the Philadelphia area offers the benefit of proximity.

In this way, Atlantic City also faces a conflict of image. To remain profitable, it must market itself at least partially as a family beach destination, much like its competition. Sadly, the lodging situation

EASTSIDE

is inadequate for families; large swaths of the casinos are restricted to children, and the ratio of bars to ice cream shops is precarious.

What seems to be the one childfriendly attraction, Steel Pier, is both expensive and worn-down.

With 200 million dollars going solely to redevelopment, Atlantic City will have a greater chance to stay afloat.

North Jersey casinos offer a greater chance of success. As of now, only two casinos exist with closeness to New York City: Resorts World, in Queens, and Empire City Casino, in Yonkers. For a population of ten million, the gambling sector is vastly underutilized. Giving New Yorkers the right to gamble in Hudson County would bring millions of dollars into the economy.

New Jersey’s struggling infrastructure financier (the social services and the Transportation Trust Fund) would be better served by the influx of cash coming across state lines.

Detractors, from all parts of New Jersey, have argued that such a plan would benefit special interests and end in failure. Their aversion to this necessary amendment does not come from the facts, but from a resistance to change. There is no

future for Atlantic City or growth for North Jersey, and no fiscal leeway for the state without the New Jersey Casino Expansion Amendment.

Art by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director

A.C.’s casino business has seen better days

■ By Jenna Myers (‘17)

Eastside Managing Editor

Atlantic City, a popular area on the Jersey shore, has been known for its large number of casinos.

Since 2014, however, casinos such as the Showboat Casino

Hotel, the Donald Trump Plaza and the Atlantic Club have gone out of business within weeks of each other due to bankruptcy. Only five casinos are left standing in Atlantic City. In November, a referendum will be held to decide whether Atlantic City should add two more casinos.

Some argue that adding these new casinos will not only improve the economy of New Jersey, but also increase tourism to the shores.

However, if Atlantic City builds these new casinos, New Jersey will be virtually throwing its money away. According to the US Debt Clock, the state of New Jersey is 104 billion dollars in debt. Implementing these new casinos will only dig us deeper into this dark hole.

If the referendum gets approved, the state will be paying at least two billion dollars to build these casinos. Rather than New Jersey building them, the two billion dollars could go to something that can actually increase statewide tourism. For instance, the money could go towards cleaning up or renovating poorer areas in Atlantic City.

Page 9

This would make the Atlantic City area look nicer and more attractive to people looking for a vacation destination.

“There needs to be a greater revitalization of the city first to make people want to visit,” Ms. Christine Mason, an AP Government teacher, said.

Not only would redevelopment slowly increase the popularity of Atlantic City, but it would also drive traffic to all five Atlantic City casinos and prevent them from going bankrupt like the others back in 2014.

Back in the early 2000s, Philadelphia began building casinos to make it more convenient for New Jerseyans and Pennsylvanians to go to casinos without traveling down to the shore. Over time, these Philadelphia casinos have gained popularity while the casinos in Atlantic City have gone out of business.

“Why would you want to open up two more casinos in a place where others have been going out of business?” said Mason.

Also, many prefer going to the Philadelphia casinos over the Atlantic City casinos. If anything, Philly should be getting the casinos that people will actually go to, not New Jersey.

Since four casinos have gone out of business in one year in Atlantic City, there has to be a reason as to why they went bankrupt. One of those reasons is because Philadelphia’s casinos have been attracting Atlantic City’s crowd. At this point, adding casinos in Atlantic City will not affect the competition between the two areas.

First and foremost, Philly is more populated than AC, which means more people will go into Philly’s casinos than Atlantic City’s. So far, Atlantic City is already at a disadvantage. If Governor Chris Christie thinks that adding casinos in Atlantic City could win back some of the audience, it will not. Atlantic City is a haul to go to so why would someone go to the shore when they could do more in a big city like shopping and dining in addition to gambling?

Although adding two more casinos might seem like a good idea at the time, in the foreseeable future these new casinos will be deserted like the other bankrupt casino buildings in Atlantic County.

The safest thing New Jersey can do at this time is to give up on this referendum and think of more efficient ways to spend two billions dollars that could actually benefit the state.

East’s late policy does more harm than good ■ By Alon Goldfinger (‘17)

Eastside Business Manager

A student, out of breath from sprinting, enters East. He looks at the clock: it reads 7:30. “Ugh,” he thinks as he reluctantly walks over to grade level to get a late pass.

He looks at the line of people ahead of him. Ten people. No, fifteen. No, twenty. All of them waiting to get a pass. Finally, it is his turn to get the pass.

He looks at the clock: it now reads 7:50.

Cherry Hill East is currently under a school late policy that requires students to receive late passes when they arrive late to school.

While this system is beneficial, as it is does hold students accountable for lateness, it also causes students to miss class time in order to receive a pass.

Jake Cerota (’17) has experienced this lateness policy firsthand. He believes that the lateness policy has unnecessarily caused him to lose class time.

“At the height of it I would get there at like 8:00,” says Cerota. “In the real world, you won’t be penalized for being one minute late.”

Since non-block-schedule class periods last 57 minutes, Cerota has often missed over half of his first period at times due to this policy.

The difference between arriving two minutes late and arriving thirty minutes late is quite significant to students. While it is extremely easy to catch up to two minutes of lost class time, it is much harder for students to catch up on thirty minutes worth of class instruction.

Cerota says that he would sometimes encounter scenarios when he would be unnecessarily behind on notes and class instruction due to the late policy.

However, with the arrival of the new administration, some new changes appear to be in the workings. East Princnipal Dr. Dennis Perry says that he wants to streamline the current inefficient late system in order to foster a more positive student experience.

“If a lot of students are late and they are even later because they have one place to sign in... We would open up more stations for them to sign in,” says Perry.

Maybe one day, the student who misses the bell by simply a few minutes will not have to stand in a serpentine line, but simply take one minute to fill out a late pass and then go directly to class. Maybe one day students will not be penalized for lateness with more lateness.

Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Directer Student rushes to class after being further delayed by late pass process.

OPINIONS

Page 10

EASTSIDE

October 2016

The Common App establishes a Student work ethics largely decrease streamlined process for college apps due to success of The Common App ■ By Brooke Greenberg (‘17)

Eastside Opinions Editor

Society is all about making matters as simplistic as possible— including college applications.

With this idea in mind, The Common Application was born. The Common App takes away all the agony and stress of having multiple usernames and passwords and different questionnaires to fill out for each respective school. Instead, the Common App creates a universal question set that can be submitted to multiple schools, as well as school-specific supplemental questions that require applicants to think deeper. This groundbreaking revolution in applying to college displays everything in an easy-to-navigate website with a clean display. The Common App also lists deadlines and due dates very clearly to help ensure that all of the materials are submitted in time.

However, there is a fault with the seemingly seamless application process. In the United States alone, there are 5,300 institutions of higher education. The Common App has applications for a mere 700 of those schools. That means that only 13 percent of the colleges in America are represented by The Common App. The remaining universities can either have their own individual online application process, or are a part of a different application service called The Coalition.

The Coalition for Access or Affordability and Success has the same concept as The Common App; however, it represents many large state schools as well as some schools in the Ivy Leauge. As it is common for East students to apply to a wide variety of schools, having all types of schools on one application makes the process as simple as possible.

While The Common App is partnered with many small liberal arts colleges, The Coalition, features many large research institutions such as the University of Michigan, the University of Maryland and Pennsylvania State University. Other schools have also now added the Coalition as a valid application method, including Harvard, Princeton and Vanderbilt.

Additionally, The Common App has a collection of five essay prompts that students have the opportunity to answer. The essays are mandated to be under 650 words, which makes it even more versatile. With just a few supplemental essays, if even any at all, students can apply to a plethora of universities extremely easily. The Common App is a service designed to make the lives of students easier with college applications.

Having many different companies and services defeats the purpose of having a simple application. One universal program will make our lives easier and more efficient as the college decision is made.

■ By Ezra Nugiel (‘17)

Eastside Opinions Editor

We have it too easy.

In almost every facet of life, our generation has a more simplistic, streamlined, and accessible course of action than the generations before us had.

In many ways this is a good thing; advancements in technology have led to groundbreaking discoveries that have revolutionized the human experience. At the same time, in many ways this can have a negative impact. An overwhelming amount of access has led to a decrease in students’ work ethic.

This relationship can be readily applied to the college application process. As application season moves into full swing, Naviance, The Common App and FAFSA are just a few of the many words that are bouncing around the heads of our seniors.

The Common App and other application mediums—such as Coalition for Access or Affordability and Success—play a crucial role in simplifying the application process.

These websites create databases where numerous applications can be completed by filling out one universal application.

In comparison with what college applications used to entail, students should be more than satisfied with the 13 percent of colleges that are represented on The Common App. For years before the Internet existed, students faced a much more difficult application process. Each

school had its own application, complete with distinct formats, essays and supplements alike.

Colleges should be able to have autonomy in their application format and target it towards their ideal student.

Now, students are able to cast their net much wider with much less effort. But contrary to a popular belief, casting the net wide doesn’t increase your chances of admission at any one school.

It is this skewed perspective that is psychologically dangerous for students.

According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, in 1990 just 9 percent of students applied to seven or more colleges.

By 2011, the year of its most recent survey, the group had risen to 29 percent.

By making it so much easier to apply to several schools at once, students can lose sight of what is really important in the application process.

When applying, a student should be passionate enough about a school that he or she is willing to revert back to the traditional and complex methods of application.

Students should be appreciative of the tools available to them in this day and age.

While The Common App does wonders for high school seniors, a universal application stretches reality’s limits. Let us not fulfill our generation’s lazy stereotype by requesting an even simpler approach to an already simplified process.

United States has an obligation to welcome Syrian Refugeees refugee resettlement. Fear that welcoming displaced refugees will spur an economic downturn or provide We build gated commueasy access for terrorists nities to protect ourselves to enter the country is not from the other. We sepabased on factual evidence rate housing by income to and proves detrimental to protect ourselves from the our nation’s progress. other. We restrict immigraToday, migrants or the tion to protect ourselves children of migrants have from the other. We fear the founded 40 percent of the other. But, we are the othFortune 500 companies, the ers. If we are exceptional in 500 largest corporations in any way, it is the fact that America, which employ we are a nation built by imthousands of American migrants. If we are hypoworkers. A common fear, critical in any way, it is propagated by opportunisbecause fear has corrupted tic politicians to win votes, the pillars of freedom that is that immigrants negathis nation was founded tively affect the economy. upon.

Although there may be vulWith half of Syria’s prenerability in the jobs of unwar population, over 11 skilled laborers, an analymillion, either killed or dissis by the Federal Reserve placed, America Bank of San Francisco, referencing research by Giovanni Peri, found that there is no significant effect of an inflow of immigrants on net job growth. This shows that the economy expands job opportunities instead of displacing workers.

In fact, the Center for Global Development typically observes that the overall effect on wages of workers in countries experiencing an influx of immigrants is so low that it is measured as zero.

But the economic argument should not be the heart of the matter. It is the weight of the moral argument that must compel us to reject fear. The moral imperative demands righteous action.

While appealing Lia Yamamoto (‘17)/ Eastside Staff to our basest incliThe embodiment of “American Exceptionalism” is prominent nations, fear mongering, which has with the welcoming of Syrian Refuges. resulted in a gro■ By Luke Hinrichs (‘17)

Eastside Editor-in-Chief

must allocate more resources towards providing asylum to aid in the Syrian refugee crisis. This is not an argument for open borders. This is an argument for sensible regulation of migration.

Moral intuition and laws today dictate that one should not and cannot discriminate against someone because of their race, religion, gender, or sexual preference. And yet, it seems acceptable to discriminate against someone because of their origin. Deep within our scarred American history are the lasting shameful shadows of our xenophobic reactions to the displaced and the victims of horrific events. It is deep within our society to fear differences.

Fear is at the heart of the argument for the suspension of Syrian

tesque spread of xenophobia, ignores the fact that the refugee program is one of the most rigorous and difficult ways to legally enter the United States. The screening process of a refugee takes 18 to 24 months at a minimum. Before being considered by US agencies, candidates are required to go through a screening conducted by The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which includes interviews, background checks, and a crossreferencing process that compares a refugee’s story with accounts from other refugees and sources in the country of origin. Officially designated “refugees” have been investigated and met the criteria that they have not and are not involved in any fighting or terrorist activities.

After the UN’s rigorous screening process is completed, the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies screen candidates through a process of interviews. There is even an additional process of vetting specifically in place for Syrian refugees, which is described as the most stringent security process for entering the US. By comparison, citizens of 38 countries, including countries that have been hot beds of Islamic terror activities such as France and Belgium, do not need to apply for a visa before entering the US. It simply takes a ticket and passport.

The idea that barring Syrian refugees from entering the US prevents the influx of terrorists is a false notion. These individuals are fleeing from those we most fear, ISIS. Our darkest nightmare is their real-

ity. We fear the death of our families, while their families have been killed. We fear the destruction of our homes, while their homes have been destroyed. The horrific terror attacks in Paris were orchestrated, not by a Syrian or a citizen of a middle-eastern country, but by a Belgium national.

Although several of the attackers traveled to Syria, the perpetrators were European by origin.

By focusing on the entrance of refugees, attention is detracted from the serious issue of homegrown radicals and internal recruitment. In the past few years, America has categorized horrific acts of terror as hate crimes, further denying and ignoring the reality of homegrown terrorism.

When it is revealed that the perpetrator of an extreme act of violence has loose ties to a twisted and disturbed form of the Islamic religion, it is defined as terrorism. Yet when a deranged young white male goes into a historically black church, a symbolic target in South Carolina, and murders nine people with the hope that it would instigate a “race war,” it is labeled a “hate crime.” We do not have to fear those who escape terrorism looking for sanctuary. We can find inspiration as we look to the “mighty woman,” the Statue of Liberty, the “Mother of Exiles,” and reflect on the engraved verse, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.”

This represents our best selves. This represents our American exceptionalism.

EDITORIAL

October 2016

EASTSIDE

Page 11

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

Cherry Hill High School East

East’s overly populated class sizes need to be resolved In the 2011-2012 school year, the state of Florida implemented legislation that specifically outlined the maximum number of students allowed in a core subject classroom with one teacher. This legislation specified that a maximum of 18 students in pre-K through third grade could be placed in a single classroom, 22 students in fourth through eighth grade, and 25 students in high school.

Cherry Hill East should not have to wait for New Jersey to enact legislation similar to that of Florida in order to establish these limitations.

Eastside contends that class size restrictions of 25 students per classroom should be placed on all core academic subjects in order to avoid the unhealthy learning environments associated with large class sizes.

According to South Jersey Magazine, Cherry Hill East has one of the highest student-teacher ratios in the region, with 16 students to every faculty member. While these numbers may not initially appear drastically large, a few factors must be taken into consideration when evaluating their significance. Many neighboring school districts have lower ratios, with Eastern at a 14:1, Lenape at a 12:1, and even Cherry Hill West at 13:1. Additionally, the faculty number takes into account all staff members at East, including those who only teach in small group classrooms.

Furthermore, the re-

moval of the R-level track has caused increased enrollment in A-level classes.

The repercussions of these factors are felt strikingly in the classroom setting, with more than 25 students sitting in most classrooms, and a few with more than 30. For many students, large class sizes are simply not conducive to effective learning.

As more students are assigned to a single teacher, each child does not receive as much individualized attention. Although challenging courses at the Honors and AP levels do require a great deal of acadmeic independence, students cannot be expected to successfully learn all of

the class material on their own. Additionally, a crowded environment often proves unfavorable in the scholastic setting. During a 4AP English period with 30 students, accountable talk discussions become nearly impossible to achieve, as not all participants receive the opportunity to fully speak their opinions. Similarly, in a Physics 2AP classroom with 29 students, experiments become less handson and more visual, as lab groups grow larger.

Educators often say that the best part about their jobs is connecting with their students. Large class sizes jeopardize this crucial teacher-student relationship. Each student has a unique personality, and therefore a unique learning style. A portion of a class may understand a specific unit very quickly, while the remaining students require more practice with the material. Teachers in a large classroom must then decide whether to move on in the curriculum, which is already packed with topics to cover, or to catch up the struggling students.

Furthermore, with rosters reaching as high as a total of 150 students, teachers have an excessive amount of work to grade.

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Letters to the Editor Submit signed letters to F087.

Colleges consistently boast of lower class sizes, attracting potential freshmen with smaller courses and collaborative group efforts. Higher educational institutions value this individualized approach towards learning; East, too, needs to re-evaluate the classroom sizes of core subjects in an effort to achieve an optimal learning environment.

Jay Shaughnessy Eric Abrams George and Rosemarie Doinycky Bronze The Green Family Michael Comber JoAnne Negrin Nate Spencer Melanie Goodstadt The Zimmer Family The Edelman Family Tina Catrambone Abby Hoffman Tim Hunter Giana Boyer Miku Fujita

Eastside 2016-2017 Editorial Board

Managing Editor: Jenna Myers Editors-in-Chief: Kaitlyn Boyle, Ashley Cooper, Luke Hinrichs Adviser: Mr. Greg Gagliardi

News/Features Editors Jenn Pacitti Jenna Simons Louis Zimmerman

Community Editors Ilana Arougheti Sara Messinger Gregory Rothkoff

Sports Editors Elissa Cohen Courtney Finnegan Drew Hoffman

Underground Editors Shari Boiskin Eric First Jared Fisch

Opinions Editors Brooke Greenberg Joe Levin Ezra Nugiel

Entertainment Editors Sari Cohen Asher Maitin Hope Rosenblatt

Contact the Board:

Photo Editors Emelia Keller Liz Lee

Art Directors Sabrina DeAbreu Jennifer Dong

Video Editor Luke Shin

Webmaster Gabriella Friedman Nafessa Jaigirdar

Multimedia Directors Ben Goldsmith Josh Sodicoff Humor Editor Danny Naddeo

Business Managers Alon Goldfinger Abigail Richman Tech Director Kevin Chen

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

(Note: There is a dash between “eastside” and “online”)

Page 12

EASTSIDE

NEWS/FEATURES

EASTSIDE

Page 13

The Man with a Plan

Dr. Dennis Perry

■ By Ashley Cooper (‘17)

Eastside Editor-in-Chief

For students, teachers and administrators alike, the new school year marks a time of newfound hopes and bright aspirations. But no matter how ambitious and optimistic one initially feels at the beginning of the school year, the inevitable quickly sets in: stress. Maintaining such a precise schedule, amidst the everyday hustle and bustle of the school day, is a difficult balance t h a t often

Dr. Perry’s Path to East:

October 2016

overwhelms.

For Dr. Dennis Perry, freshly bearing the weight of a 2,200-student high school on his shoulders, the challenge of a new school year appears even more daunting. Yet, despite the myriad of tasks and the immense pressure he faces, Perry is determined to approach his new position with confidence and grace.

“I feel good about it,” said Perry. “I don’t feel that it is necessarily something that is too different from what I did in the middle school.”

Though many know Perry from his 11 years spent as principal of Beck Middle School, few know that Perry’s educational and administrative experience delves much farther than simply that.

Before entering the Cherry Hill School District, Perry had a decorated career in both the Gloucester City and Northern Burlington County Regional School Districts. In Gloucester City he worked as assistant principal of the Junior-Senior High, and at Northern Burlington he served as both a district math supervisor and assistant principal. In addition to this expansive administrative experience, Perry was at one time a teacher as well. He has taught in Riverside, Willingboro and even North Carolina.

Perry’s experience in other positions is not a mere thing of the past, however. To this very day, Perry still continues to shape his craft, teaching a master’s program at the University of Pennsylvania for aspiring administrators and mentoring several current administrators in other South Jersey districts as a part of the New Jersey Leaders to Leaders Program. Perry is resolutely certain that all of this prior and current experience will benefit him in his new position as East Principal.

“The opportunity to still teach in the field keeps me current,” said Perry. “Mentoring other administrators gives me an opportunity to get into other schools and see what they’re doing, and bring it back here to East, if I think it’s a good idea.”

And though Perry has dabbled in nearly every position in the educational field, he would like to remain East’s principal for “15 or 20 years,” he said.

Perry said, “It’s my intention to have this position be the last position of my career.”

Due to this long-term desire, Perry intends to enter his new position in a way that is “methodical and planned.” Thus, throughout the 2016-17 school year, Perry has a detailed, full-year entry plan already in the works.

“It is an entry plan that allows me to come into East and learn about East from the perspective of students, and teachers, and community members, and anybody that works here,” said Perry.

Over the summer, Perry reached out to the PTA for a parent perspective, met one-on-one with staff who worked over the summer and during the school year and plans to reach out to student groups to gain even more diverse viewpoints and a better understanding of each club. Ultimately, Perry hopes to be able to “take the information

and quantify it” in some way to affect real change, he said.

Perry said, “I’m fortunate that I can take this year not to impose any of my own beliefs on what I think East should be, but really just learn about East.”

In concordance with his own entry plan, Perry hopes to continue some of the work Dr. Lawyer Chapman accomplished while serving as East Principal.

“Dr. Chapman had a very successful tenure as principal here at East. Some of the initiatives he began, we will be able to continue,” said Perry. “He did a lot of work around character education, so we sort of want to build upon that. He brought the Character Education Breakfast here and he had some messages to students that I thought were powerful, that certainly resonate in the school community.”

Additionally, Perry hopes to foster a synergistic relationship with all East staff and employees.

Perry said, “It will be mutually beneficial. I really view myself as being an instructional leader; I enjoy being in the classroom, I enjoy talking about teaching and learning, I enjoy talking about instruction.”

In order to really develop this relationship, Perry plans to initially have one-on-one conversations with all teachers “just to get to know them, what it is they want in a principal, and what East means to them,” he said.

Then, during a second meeting, he plans to have a more formal discussion on education and from that conduct a full-fledge evaluation. But most of all, Perry wants to represent himself as “a cheerleader for the student body,” he said. For example, many students have desired for East’s extracurricular atmosphere to revive to its former state. Perry listened to these concerns. As a result, he is doing everything he can to satisfy students, specifically through advocating for club trips.

Perry said, “I often mention that academics is a very important part of school, but so is making memories. And while yes, memories can be made in the classroom, a lot of the memories are those shared experiences when you go somewhere together. I definitely encourage opportunities for clubs to go to various places.”

In addition, Perry said he hopes to remain “approachable for the students,” by reaching out personally to all activities. Perry wants to play his trumpet with the band, go to theatre rehearsals, attend athletic games and frequently roam East’s halls throughout the school day. Perry claims that now, and for the rest of his time as East Principal, he will always keep students in mind with every new decision he makes.

“I want them to have the best experience they can have here in school; I want them to learn everything they can. I want them to leave here, at the end of their twelfth grade, on track to do whatever it is they want to do with the rest of their life,” said Perry. “Every thing that I do, every decision I make, is really because I believe it’s in the best interest of the students.”

“It is an entry plan that allows me to come into East and learn about East from the perspective of students, and teachers, and community members, and anybody that works here.”

- Dr. Dennis Perry Cherry Hill East Principal

Born

Graduated from Pennsbury High School

Graduated from Shippensburg University

Started teaching in Burgaw, NC

Started teaching in Willingboro, NJ

Started teaching in Riverside, NJ

Graduated from Rowan University with Master’s

Assistant Principal at Northern Burlington Regional High School

Assistant Principal at Gloucester City Jr./Sr. High School

Graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with Doctorate

Principal at Beck Middle School

1969

1987

1991

October 1991

1993

1994

May 1999

July 1999

May 2001

May 2005

July 2005

Started teaching at the University of Pennsylvania

New Jersey Excel Instructor

Principal at Cherry Hill High School East

February 2008

December 2014

September 2016 Photo by Liz Lee (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Page 14

EASTSIDE

October 2016

October 2016

COMICS EASTSIDE

Page 15

The Sleep Working by Daria Butko (‘17)/ For Eastside

The College Essays Got Seniors Like... by Kevin Chen (‘17)/ Eastside Tech Director

The Expectations of a License by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director

Do you love drawing comics? Have a passion for illustration? Find yourself doodling in class? Do you want to see your art appear in issues of Eastside?

Talk to either Sabrina DeAbreu or Jennifer Dong in F087 during LB1 or e-mail them at art@eastside-online.org to sign up!

ENTERTAINMENT

Page 16

EASTSIDE

October 2016

Twitter guidelines fail to meet standards of users

ter is not a new phenomenon and has been present since its earliest days, yet now that more light is beWhen speaking aloud, ing shed on the issue, many there is a thin line between are outraged that the forum what is considered free has not made any permaspeech and what is connent method for instantly sidered hate speech. That removing misconduct. line often gets blurred, “We [stink] at dealing if not completely erased, with abuse and trolls on the when people platform choose to and we’ve voice their [stunk] at it thoughts on for years,” platforms said former such as Twitter Twitter.

CEO, Dick In recent Costolo. events, ceA new lebrities, feature by and ordiInstagram, nary users another soof the popucial media lar social site, now almedia alike lows users have deto edit the leted their c omments a c c o u n t s Courtesy of buzzfeed.com tab in their for periods Normani Kordei and Leslie Jones announce their departures from Twitter. settings and of time afenter speter receivcific words ing threatlem.

“Over the course of this RAPE TRAIN’S ON ITS they would like to eliminate ening messages. These Death threats, rape last week and especially WAY. NEXT STOP YOU,’” from their newsfeed. Therethreats, which when verthreats and racist tweets over the last 48 hours I’ve said West. fore, any comment using bally spoken are not supwere among the messages not just been cyber bulThe most disturbing asthat word would be blocked ported by the First Amendthat drove Jones off Twitter lied, I’ve been racially cypect of West’s situation was from the user’s profile. ment, often are overlooked for a period of time. It was berbullied with tweets and the message she received Twitter’s Mission Stateon Twitter. only after Jones deleted her pictures so horrific and rafrom Twitter in response ment is short and to the Twitter guidelines only account that Twitter CEO, cially charged that I can’t to reporting her harasser point; “To give everyone mention the prohibition of Jack Dorsey, reached out to subject myself any longer after the incident. After inthe power to create and hate speech within its ad her. While Twitter did deto the hate,” said Kordei in vestigating, Twitter found share ideas and informapolicies, stating that “Twitlete a small percentage of a lengthy statement. that the particular tweet tion instantly, without barter prohibits the promotion the accounts that targeted While prominent celebridid not violate its policies, riers.” Unfortunately, the of hate content, sensitive Jones, Dorsey also made ties rarely obtain the necdespite its mention that usbiggest barrier to shared topics, and violence globit clear that Twitter had a essary help they need in ers may not make threats knowledge from all kinds of ally.” policy of “free speech.” order to enjoy their time on in its Abuse and Harasspeople stems directly from There is no mention of “We are not, and never social media, those who do ment Policy.

Twitter’s innefectual mana hate speech policy withwill be, a platform that not attain a celebrity staExtreme hate on Twitagement. in Twitter’s general user ■ By Hope Rosenblatt (‘18)

Eastside Entertainment Editor

guidelines, whatsoever.

Recently, actress and comedian Leslie Jones deleted her account after the horrific messages she received in response to her new movie, Ghostbusters. One of the most prominent events this summer, Jones’s Twitter deletion strongly shed light on Twitter’s abuse prob-

shows people only part of what’s happening,” said Dorsey.

Jones is not the only victim of Twitter’s lack of hate control. Shortly after Jones’s departure, Fifth Harmony’s Normani Kordei also took a break from the social network, fed up from years of racist abuse.

tus get virtually no support when dealing with intolerant messages.

Linda West, a journalist from The Daily Dot, shared her own experience of being threatened on Twitter.

“He sent me an image macro of a character from Thomas the Tank Engine with the caption, ‘THE

Finsta fad grows popular among East students ■ By Sari Cohen (‘18)

Eastside Entertainment Editor

A finstagram: a fake Instagram account that is, indeed, real. Also known as a spam account or finsta, this new fad is taking over teenagers’ feeds and doing so rather quickly.

Finsta accounts are usually in addition to so-called real Instagram pages. The difference between the two accounts is not the person who posts the photo, but the content of the posts themselves.

Real Instagram pages (known as ‘rinstas’) generally display high-quality posts of users and friends, food, scenery, etc., while finsta pages more likely contain an abundance of ugly pictures, screenshots and funny videos with longer, more in-depth captions.

“You can post whatever you want without having to follow the norms of what you’re supposed to post on social media. Basically you can just do whatever you want,” said finsta user Brooke Treiman (’17).

Finsta users typically set their accounts to the private setting on Instagram. This allows users to either accept or deny every user who attempts to follow them. Also, finsta accounts generally follow other finsta accounts, and in the ‘finsta world,’ a no-judgment zone exists.

“Your followers on finsta are specially crafted basically, whereas anyone you slightly know you’ll let

Liz Lee (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor

East students express themselves through finsta accounts. on your rinsta,” said Seth Treiman (‘19), another East finsta user.

Those who use both fake and real Instagram find themselves posting more often on finsta than on socalled rinsta. Almost twice as frequent for users like the Treimans.

“It’s more entertaining

to look through funny posts than nice pictures,” said Allison Shapiro (‘17), commenting on why she prefers finstas to traditional instagrams.

Additionally, finsta provides Instagram users with leeway in what they post, as it makes it ‘socially acceptable’ to post long rants

about one’s day or to share a silly joke.

“It’s another source of social media that I can use without having to worry about what I look like,” said Elizabeth Hallinan (‘17).

Over the past year, the popularity of maintaining a finsta account has grown immensely. At East, a va-

riety of students, both boys and girls, ranging from freshmen to seniors, choose to utilize this separate “portal” of Instagram.

“People see that their friends are getting [finstas] and they want to get one, too, to share what’s going on with their personal life,” said Brooke Treiman.

Even more recently than when this finsta fad arose, users began making joint finstas, or accounts manned by more than one person.

The Treimans post together from a brother-sister finsta in addition to their personal finstas and regular Instagram accounts. Hallinan and Shapiro also have a joint fake account, as well as personal rinstas.

The difference between the personal and joint finstas is minute; they simply differ in the person or people posting from the account. Both individual and group fake Instagrams allow teens to connect and communicate with one another on a personal level.

Brooke Treiman said that those who use finsta feel more connected with people that they follow because they get updates on each other’s lives.

Above anything else, finsta is a fun way to express oneself. The fake Instagram accounts, with feeds filled with everything from rants to humor, have most definitely gained popularity among teens around the country, and quite specifically, within the East community.

October 2016

ENTERTAINMENT EASTSIDE

Page 17

Netflix streaming surpasses brodcast television ■ By Sari Cohen (‘18)

Eastside Entertainment Editor

Since the 1930s, television has dramatically evolved; it has expanded from the octagon to the phone, from silent to audible and from black-andwhite to color. This movement, still continuing at a rather steady pace, has been expedited in recent decades with the introduction of television streaming through various online sites. Particularly, one streaming platform stands out from the rest: Netflix.

Netflix, too, experienced its own kind of transformation as it started off simply as a DVD rental business via mail. After growing to contain an internet base and widely visited website, Netflix now not only streams television and movies that already aired, but also produces its own television shows and movies that are quickly drawing in viewers of all ages.

Hannah Schreiber (‘19) said she prefers Netflix to regular TV because it is much easier to find everything she wants to watch in one place.

Those who subscribe to

the business, founded by Netflix watched other numElkan said, “I feel like Reed Hastings and Marc bers rise, too, as its total I’m more of a binge watchRandolph in 1997, have subscriber count jumped er. I will watch for ten days the ability to stream virtufrom 57 million in 2014 to straight and then won’t ally wherever they go be75 million in 2015. watch for a couple of days.” cause they can download These hours have inNetflix, successfully an app or use the website to creased so rapidly and growing as the years pass watch. largely partly because of by and as technology ad“[Netflix] is vances, more convenient,” has a said avid Netflix uniquewatcher Jordyn ness that Elkan (’17). “You is hard don’t have to to find wait for certain on regutimes and you can lar telewatch all the seavision. sons at once.”

SubscribAccording to ers can The Huffington view proPost, in 2015 “forty grams percent of all U.S. and movhouseholds with ies from TV and/or broadthe early band internet used years of a subscription video the 20th on-demand service like Netcentury. A Trip to flix.” In addition, those who the Moon, which spent more time streaming originally aired in TV via the internet 1902, caused approxiSabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director is the mately 40 percent Netflix takes over regular television. oldest of the downswing f i l m in TV ratings. availBetween the years 2014 “binge watching.” Binge able. and 2015, Netflix streamwatching is when subscrib“I like both [original seing hours increased from 29 ers watch a TV show for ries and regular TV shows], billion hours to 42.5 billion hours on end due to addicI like to watch a lot of the hours worth of programtion to the program or Netforiginals, but I like to ming, according to TIME. lix in general. watch other ones too,” said

Wearable tech proves revolutionary ■ By Asher Maitin (‘17) Eastside Entertainment Editor

Teachers wear them. Students wear them. Parents wear them.

Nearly everyone seems to be consumed by the latest consumer health fad: fitness trackers that monitor heart rate, calories burned, number of steps and more, commonly referred to as “wearables.”

The term doesn’t just focus on the health industry, as “wearables” can describe any piece of technology worn on one’s body. This ranges from headphones to virtual reality headsets to smart watches.

“I have a Fitbit Charge HR,” said Emily Heller (‘17). “I mostly use it for exercising and nutrition. It tells me tons of information, like how much water I’m supposed t o drink per day and how well I sleep.”

Yet, specifically in the healthcare field, the future for wear-

ables appears bright.

Soon enough, patients will even be wearing the technology.

“Wearable devices can track nearly everything, from physical activity to sleep and exposure to sunlight,” said TechTarget, a technology media company, on the company’s website.

According to the site, the information that can be tracked on wearables will soon prove efficient for hospitals. Mobile health apps and wearables are tools that patients can use to monitor and take better control of their own health, eliminating unnecessary costs for them and the hospitals.

At the mHealth + Telehealth World 2014 conference, doctors

comprised a row of panelists from around the United States who discussed efforts to integrate telecommunications technologies into the lives of their patients.

“We really need to look at what are the things that engage patients,” said Nina Antoniotti, telehealth director for Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin, at the conference.

Since then, the Marshfield Clinic has adopted a patch, an armband and wrist monitors developed to detect seizures in epilepsy patients by recording information from the body.

But as the benefits for the potential industry come to light, so do the negatives. Fitness trackers are not nearly as accurate as other machinery used in the medical field, so t h e y still need years to develo p .

Also, according to Kirk Nahra, a n attorney at Wiley Rein LLP in Washington, D.C., a person who gets into a car accident sends medical data to both health and auto insurers, and while health data is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) at health insurers, the data is not protected by auto insurers. This unveils a potential security issue associated with the information collected by wearables.

Nonetheless, wearables are becoming more popular.

“My whole family uses them.

A kid in my math class uses one.

I work at a gym and I see people come in with activity trackers and smartwatches all the time,” Heller said.

As wearables become more commonplace, the technology will soon grow more advanced, allowing for them to become more suitable for healthcare settings.

Art by Jennifer Dong (‘17)/ Eastside Art Director

Schreiber, who added that she watches Netflix often.

Technology news website Digital Trends ran a list in August of the best TV shows to watch on Netflix. The selection of programs contains a wide variety of shows including more recent Netflix original series like “Orange is the New Black,” older shows that previously aired on live television such as “The West Wing” and programs that are still broadcasted weekly on TV, like “Archer.”

“I like drama [shows] like ‘Gossip Girl,’ ‘Grey’s [Anatomy],’ ‘One Tree Hill’…I have watched 50 shows since summer going into freshman year,” said Elkan.

It becomes difficult to make a conclusion about the trends in what shows viewers watch most often because of the great range of ages that subscribe. Obviously the business proves very successful among high school students, but the age of subscribers continues on from there.

Netflix offers easy-access watching via a myriad of media and, therefore, changes the game when it comes to television.

TED Talks: the talk of the town

with just last year.

While TEDx holds the same value of “ideas worth spreading,” the x stands for “independently orIn 1984, a group of intelligent ganized,” and the ideas are mainly entertainers, artists and leaders in local, including speakers from the the technology revolution joined tocommunity. gether at an invitation-only conferThe TEDx Talk held in the ence. Fewer than 300 people were spring of 2016 at East focused on placed in an intimate setting in orthe Research in Science Program der to discuss various ideas about (RIS) and included speakers rangthe future of the world. What was ing from a professor whose research soon to be known as the Apple Mawas cited by President Obama in cintosh, samples of Sony compacts his State of the Union Address to discs and 3D graphics by Lucas East students themselves.

Films were among the demonstraMr. Nicholas Wright, who ran tions performed at the conference. the RIS program at East from 2014 In 2016, this conference is known through 2016, coordinated the worldwide as a TED Conference TEDx event with the help of other and now adds the influential TED students and administrators.

Talks to its roster.

“These [speakers] are actually The main objective of TED Talks on the is to front lines spread out there… discusI really s i o n think it’s worthy valuable ideas for stuthrough dents to short be able to a n d hear from powerthose peoful talks ple who are by influthe leaders ential in their people. fields,” said With an Wright.

A-Z list Through of alTEDx, East most evwas able to ery topic showcase available organizain more Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director tions such t h a n as Robotics 100 differClub, Women in Science Club, Fuent languages, TED has grown to ture Engineers Club and Computer become a massive organization.

Science Club.

J.J. Abrams, Bill Gates and Ste“I think kids want to learn things phen Hawking are among over a they’re interested in and so there thousand speakers who have par[are] TED Talks about literally evticipated in TED conferences over erything,” said Wright, who also the years. Among the most popular uses TED Talks in the classroom.

Talks of all time are “Do Schools While Wright looks forward to Kill Creativity” by Ken Robinson, coordinating another TEDx event and “Your Body Language Shapes at East focused on a broader range Who You Are” by Amy Cuddy. of subjects in the spring of this After the success of schools and school year, he invites all kinds of families streaming Ted Talks tostudents to come and help with the gether, TED decided to test the sucplanning. After all, TED is all about cess of their Talks on a more local educating the community. The East level, leading to the 2009 launch of community is the future.

TEDx, an organization East worked ■ By Hope Rosenblatt (‘18)

Eastside Entertainment Editor

ENTERTAINMENT

Page 18

EASTSIDE

October 2016

Virtual Reality: the future of entertainment ■ By Kaitlyn Boyle (‘17)

Eastside Editor-in-Chief

The most exposure that the average person gets to Virtual Reality lies in the Facebook 360 videos that pop up on countless News Feeds; however, this exercise in phone screen tilting abilities merely scratches the surface of the power of this expanding technology.

Virtual Reality, commonly referred to as VR, is an immersive, first-person way to watch a film, play a videogame or even to learn.

With the help of equipment such as goggles or helmets, the viewer can become a moving part of a completely different world. This field has seen a dramatic increase in interest over the past few years, with new developments coming out at a rapid pace and VR theaters opening in Amsterdam and Berlin.

“Everyone is thinking of new ideas for this new medium,” said John Kim, member of a company called Big Red Button in Los Angeles, California, that works with VR. “It’s exciting to see cool ideas being developed by other companies as well as being part of this exciting growth of VR.” Kim grew interested in VR prior to attending college, when he realized that it would become the next big leap in the technology world.

Despite the ever-growing “The main difference phone. After downloading popularity of the field, VR between a VR film and a various apps, the viewer does not yet have the propregular film is your ability can get a taste of what VR er technology necessary to to emotionally connect with technology is like. reach its full potential. the viewer,” said MessingMessinger believes that “VR is still in its infaner. some of the best ways to excy,” said Kim. “We need to get VR wireless or it will be difficult to enter the mainstream market.”

Another challenge involves the process of filming a video so that the viewer feels immersed in the images that he or she sees.

E t h a n Messinger (‘13), a senior at NYU, came across this problem when he began exploring VR about six months ago.

Messinger, along with roommate Esteban Jaramillo and a friend in California, created OKIVR, a proEmelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor duction and marketing company An East student tries out a virtual reality headset. that hopes to create music videos using 360 virtual immerCurrently, the easiest perience VR presently are sive technology. As the creand cheapest way to expewith the Oculus Rift and ative marketer of OKIVR, rience VR is with Google HTC Vive, although they Messinger is working to Cardboard, which is sold are on the pricier side. create business relations. for about $15. The goggles In addition to virtual He believes that VR can be are literally made of cardreality, another expanding used as an “engine for emboard, and contain a slot field is known as augmentpathy.” in which one can insert a ed reality (AR), or mixed

reality, which combines the real world with the digital world. The most common example of AR is Pokemon Go, an app that allows users to interact with Pokemon seemingly around them with their phones.

Furthermore, a company called Magic Leap is in the process of revolutionizing AR. “You can wake up in the morning, put on a pair of Magic Leap goggles, and see C3PO, and he can tell you your daily schedule,” said Messinger. “He would seem as real to you as the world around you in your bedroom.”

Magic Leap has not yet released any products but has been developing many prototypes.

While VR and AR may be the technology of the future, Kim does not believe that they can completely replace console or mobile gaming.

“VR and AR [are] a portal to a different kind of experience,” said Kim. Whatever these different realities may bring, society’s methods of gaming, media and education may experience significant changes in the near future.

“It’s really the first time that you can be a part of the content you’re watching,” said Messinger. “You put the VR headset on, and your hands can become someone else’s.”

GoPro looks to bounce back with new releases ■ By Asher Maitin (‘17)

Eastside Entertainment Editor

$350,000 in earnings in its first full year to $1.4 billion in all of 2014, earning more than double the prior year for each year since the company’s fruition. Yet first quarter revenue for GoPro in 2016 revealed earnings down $179 million from a year before, with a drop of 63 cents per stock share, which begs the question: why has GoPro fallen?

For one, GoPro decided not to release any new products for the 2015 holiday season. Though GoPro had a strong fourth quarter in 2015, users now look for new additions to GoPro’s lineup. The two most recent additions to the GoPro Hero lineup, entitled the Hero 4 camera and Hero 4 Session camera, proved unsatisfying for users.

According to VRWorld, “The biggest

“Small, easy and portable. It’s unrivaled,” said Alex Devera (‘17).

Devera is talking about his GoPro Hero 3 Silver from GoPro, one of the world’s leaders in adventure-sports camcorders. The camera spans no more than a few inches, fitting easily into Devera’s palm, a hard clear case surrounding the camera’s exterior.

GoPro was founded for adventure seekers looking to capture easy, wide-angled footage. They specialize in single-purpose devices that can withstand drastic falls and weather conditions.

The company was founded in 2002 by CEO Nick Woodman, a University of California, Santa Barbara graduate, entrepreneur and surfer.

Woodman founded the company after another business he created— an online gaming service entitled “Funbug”— failed in 2001, leaving him nearly four dismillion dollars a p in debt. Starting pointwith small, disposment [of able Nikon cameras the Hero and wetsuit material, 4]... is GoPro’s Woodman ultimately deciturned his prototypes into a Liz Lee (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor s i o n to concamera company tinue worth nearly to use the archaic standard $2.25 billion at its peak in of Mini USB which pretty 2014. much died with the BlackGoPro jumped from

berries of 2008-2010.”

In addition, the Hero 4 cameras were instantly

pointing sales.

GoPro plans to counteract these drawbacks with

egory,” said Scott Peterson, Industry Analyst at Gap Intelligence.

In terms of Karma, the company decided to only release promo video clips on its website. These videos display high-quality video from a viewpoint of an object flying effortlessly in the air, without actually displaying the camera itself. The video displays the words “Karma is coming” and “Karma is close.”

As for Devera, he just looks forward to an easy camcorder for his snowboarding trips.

“I use the camera whenever I go snowboarding and traveling,” Devera Asher Maitin (‘17)/ Eastside Entertainment Editor said. “There are The GoPro camera captures the essence of photography. so many affordable accessories, made obsolete by the fact two new important releaslike mounts and poles, so that they did not differ in es: the Hero 5, likely the I can record from various shape or size from the Hero Hero lineup’s most anticiangles.”

3’s. pated release, and Karma, Devera, a member of the As for the Hero 4 Session GoPro’s first entrance into East Outdoors Club, looks camera, which was released the drone market. After forward to the club’s trip to in July of 2015, the problem planning an earlier 2016 Vermont this winter to utilied in the pricing. At first, release date, Woodman lize his GoPro. GoPro listed the Session at has unveiled September 19 “I know tons of kids at $399. Though then valued as the highly anticipated East who have or want Goat the exact price of the release date for both prodPros, they’re so slick,” said Hero 4, the Session lacked ucts.

Devera. “I can maximize in quality in comparison “This next launch will be the skills I learn in photo the Hero 4’s LCD screen the most important prodtography class in school by for playback and 4K resoluuct launch in [GoPro’s] capturing insane footage tion ability. In September history, as GoPro enters a any time I want at home.” of 2015, the Session’s price new category, hones their GoPro will look to bolster lowered to $299 and once media empire and flexes itself up to its former state more to $199 in December their muscle as the domiwith this upcoming holiday of 2015, after more disapnant brand in the POV catseason.

October 2016

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Page 19

Flea Market Deals: The Berlin Farmer’s Market

Three members of the Eastside Staff and Editorial Board went on a mission to the Berlin Farmer’s Market. With no more than 10 dollars in their pockets, they kept one goal in mind: to find the best deal possible. These are their stories...

■ By Jared Fisch (‘18) Eastside Underground Editor

It was a hot summer day and the heat of the sun was unkindly beating down on my neck. With perspiration beading on my forehead and a hunger for tasty deals, I strolled through the Berlin Farmer’s Market with nothing more than ten dollars in my pocket.

I walked past vendors selling phone accessories including cases, charging cables and bluetooth speakers, but that was not what I came to purchase.

I did not necessarily have an item in mind that I had to have, but I was looking for A) something that I did not already have and B) something that was interesting and unique.

I kept looking, passing a table loaded with air soft guns and baseball hats on my left, and a table stock-full of brand new socks. Now, socks were not needed because I have plenty at home, but the air soft guns did cross my mind. However, it did not matter because they were far out of my price range.

I strolled past a pile of literal junk-—scrap metal, rusted bike frames and old lawnmowers whose prime had passed them. I continued walking until some Coca-Cola memorabilia caught my eye. As I

walked up to the table, flashes of the show “American Pickers” came into my head. I imagined myself finding a rustic Coca-Cola sign or bottle but instead found something a little more unique.

It was a CocaCola ketchup and mustard bottle holder. I immediately looked at the sticker on the piece, only to see the number “10” scribbled in Sharpie. I was not ready to part with Alexander Hamilton that quickly, so I kept moving.

Shortly after the last piece of Coca-Cola memorabilia, I found myself looking at another... a foldable CocaCola lawn chair. Yes, I was interested, but without even looking at the price, I assumed it would be too expensive and I was not sure what I would even do with it...I walked away.

T h e sun: a s i l e n t killer. By this time, my burnt skin made me regret not applying sunscreen, but my mission would not be deterred. I passed another mess of scrap metal and tools without interest. Soon after, I spotted some

■ By Jackie Abrams (‘17) Eastside Staff

Today, it seems as if money is spent as quickly as it is earned. At most stores, $10 can feel as worthless as a dime. But, the Berlin Farmer’s Market does not have ordinary stores.

I went to the Berlin Farmer’s Market with one mission: to buy the most worthwhile items for only ten dollars. Walking among the different stores, prices jumped out: sandals for five dollars, toilet seats for eight dollars, and fabric for eightynine cents a yard. These items were good for their prices, yet I wanted something more interesting.

With such a wide variety of booths, the Market made me feel like all of my needs could be met by a simple purchase, if price was not a factor.

By serendipity or curiosity, I wandered into a pet store and saw the most adorable Betta fish.

This majestic pink and silver creature elegantly ■ By Eric First (‘18) Eastside Underground Editor

With an open mind and ten dollars in my pocket, I ventured out on my very first trip to the Berlin Farmer’s Market. I always love the thrill of searching for deals, and I was determined to find items of value in the countless piles of goods displayed by the vendors.

Before purchasing any items, my strategy was to take a lap around the entire outdoor portion of the flea market. Along the way, I carefully assessed the products that each vendor had to offer, taking note of any items of interest.

As I rounded the last corner of the flea market, I was very disappointed in the selection of items that I had seen. Many of the things that I saw were useless to me, such as baby toys, various rusted metal objects and pre-owned moldy sports equipment.

However, as it seemed as though all hope was lost, I came across three friendly men selling comic books, Hot Wheels cars and sports cards. As an avid sports fan, I could

Tonka Trucks. These trucks reminded me of my own that I played with as a child in the backyard.

The trucks were a little too beat up for my liking, so Hamilton stayed in my pocket.

Continuing on my adventure, I passed by some sports apparel, including football jerseys and jackets, but decided I did not need to update my wardrobe.

Finally, I spotted a deal I could not pass up… two comic books for a dollar. The small white sign was enough for me to whip out some cash. I purchased two Superman comics for a single buck. Both comics were in pristine condition considering they were made in the early ‘90s. One of the comics was from the series “Reign of the Supermen”.

The second comic was the first in the series: “Superman Bizarro’s World”. I found both of these c o m i c s online, worth over a dollar each, so I felt like I at least got a good deal, that is, if they were legitimate.

Immediately after my first pur-

glided in a small glass bowl. I had to have him.

Price: $2.50. Sold!

One item down, $7.50 to spare... I walked into the next store.

For 99 cents each, I could buy knitted hats.

Tempting, but not what I wanted to buy. Then, I found the most out-ofstyle, yet extremely useful accessory: the fanny pack. But this was not just any fanny pack.

This one was made of black leather, complemented by one large zippered pocket and two smaller pockets in front. There was a thick strap Dani with a clip, to unShoshany (‘17)/ For Eastside fashionably fas-

chase, a table of hats caught my eye—particularly, a NASA hat. It was an all-white, snapback with the NASA logo on the front. The hat just looked so fresh and clean the second I saw it. The man running the table sat in a chair about five feet back.

He could tell I was interested.

“Four bucks a hat, bud,” the man said to me.

I walked over and handed him the cash, happy to make the transaction. Now, there I was, sunburnt with five dollars.

I made another lap around the vendors, but this time, I looked more closely at something I had noticed on the first lap.

It was a cork board with tons of pins on it. A sign stated, “$3 a pin, 2 for $5”.

I looked through the pins, most of them being Police Department pins. I soon found a Cherry Hill Police Department pin and a Pennsylvania State trooper pin. I took both up to the lady who was selling them and gave her the rest of what I came with: five dollars. Although I was out of cash, I went home with five items I was glad to call mine.

Overall, it was a successful trip.

If you simply like a good deal, or if you just need to update your comic book collection, head over to the Berlin Farmer’s Market.

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

ten around my waist. Price: $6.00. Of course, I bought it.

Although a fashion faux pas, the fanny pack is extremely handy for storing small essentials such as money, mascara, lipgloss, headphones and tampons. While at the register, I spotted a hand fan, which folds out into nearly a semicircle.

This fan was made of felt rather than paper, and was green with white polka dots. Price: $1.00.

With these last purchases, I was left with fifty cents, which I decided to put in my piggy bank.

This shopping trip has proven that even without a ton of money, people can make worthwhile purchases. My fish now swims inside a vase with a couple stalks of bamboo on my desk. I named him Finn and he thoroughly enjoys his new home. My fan may not be used in the upcoming fall months, but I will keep it until next summer. Lastly, my fanny pack has yet to make a public appearance, but I will definitely use it.

The main lesson I learned is that you don’t have to break the bank to find something unique at the Berlin Farmer’s Market.

not resist the temptation to view background and I could not deterthe selection of cards. Front and mine where the sound’s origin was center in the display was an unlocated based on my lap around the opened, factory sealed, complete venue. I followed the music, which set of the 1990 Fleer led me to a garage-like building baseball card adjacent to series.

This the main included 672 outdoor baseball cards area of the and 45 logo flea marstickers that ket. have remained I entered untouched the small since they were structure printed over 26 and was years ago. When shocked to I looked to see see boxes the price, I could full of vinyl not believe my records.

I eyes. The men searched for listed the price familiar artat a mere three ists, but also dollars.

This made sure was a deal that the price was I could not pass not too steep. up, so I made my In the first purchase fourth of the day. box, I With sevdiscoven dollars ered a remaining, I gem. A pondered my vintage next move.

1962 alMusic was by Eric First (‘18)/ Eastside Underground Editor bum blaring in the Nat King

Cole, called Ramblin’ Rose, was priced at only two dollars. I checked to make sure that the record was playable and without any scratches.

Sure enough, it was in near-perfect condition. I happily purchased the album.

I walked back to the main outdoor area of the flea market with five dollars still in my pocket and a target in my mind: the vendor selling old video games. I browsed all of the games, but ultimately decided that I would focus my attention on Game Boy games. I used to play my Game Boy for hours at a time in my early childhood.

After searching through the pile, I discovered “Madden NFL 2003” and “Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets” Game Boy games.

With no price listed for the games, I asked the vendor what it would cost for each game, and he told me that I could buy both for six dollars. I told him that I only had five dollars to spend. He agreed, and we closed the deal.

Having spent all of the allotted money on items I enjoy, I felt satisfied and accomplished. I discovered that while much of the flea market contains products of little to no value, if I searched hard enough, I might just uncover a treasure.

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EASTSIDE

October 2016

Mieke MacKay brings human emotion to life ■ By Ashley Cooper (‘17)

Eastside Editor-In-Chief

At first glance, you may mistake her for an ‘average’ Cherry Hill mom.

At closer inspection, you may look beyond this one designation and recognize her knack for writing, apparent by the notebooks she holds in her hand.

But if you really focus, you may notice her eyes: intense, concentrated. These bright pupils are the pathways to her thought.

As you turn to talk to a friend, she focuses in on the situation, noticing even your slightest mannerisms; a gentle grin emerging from the corner of your mouth, the upward movement of your hands made right before you bellow a hearty laugh. She notices, for it is these minute mannerisms that she values as the key to humanization. It is these seemingly insignificant movements which she relishes, saving them into her memory. She is an observer, a people-watcher who captures real-life emotion with every turn of her pen.

She is Mieke MacKay— writer, mom, all-ofthe above.

Growing up in the Philippines, MacKay frequently had to write in Filipino for her schoolwork. But at home, MacKay penned out English letters and words in her notebook. She initially embarked on her literary journey during her high school career. And throughout those four years of her life, MacKay wrote largely for her own pleasure.

“I’ve always loved creating,” said MacKay. “Just creating characters. I loved creating the situations that they put themselves, or found themselves, in.”

Four years of literature were simply not enough to satisfy MacKay, however. Thus, even while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in legal management, she continued to write, intertwining her love for literature with her love for law.

“I’ve been able to use my skills from writing briefs and compelling papers in my fiction writing,” said MacKay. Upon graduating college, MacKay began work in sales and marketing. Though she did not put her writing to the wayside, the pace of her literature slowed.

Once she hit her thirties, this all changed; MacKay moved to America, shortly after having become the matriarch of her family. With all of these new changes, her passion for writing reawakened, but this time for a different cause: writing for her children.

“The thought of having them read something that I’ve written really pushes me through,” said MacKay. “I just want to create something that my children can have and can say one day, ‘hey, my mom wrote that.’”

And from that sprung her inspiration to not ence that such an unconscionable illness such only get back on the writing bandwagon, but to as Alzheimer’s ensues upon a family. She wrote begin writing publicly, sharing her pieces widein such a way to convey actual human emotion. ly.

She described the soft feelings of tears as they Her first major writing break was courtesy run down one’s face, the twinge of pain, which of the South Jersey lies in the pit of one’s stomach and Writers’ Group refuses to go away.

(SJWG). The writThus, when she submitted ers’ group, which her short story to be included is open to all ages, in “Tall Tales and Short Stories prides itself on from South Jersey,” the group holding monthly gladly accepted her piece. Some meetings and prowriting groups may have turned viding a strong MacKay away; though she had network for lowritten for the better half of her cal writers. To life, she was nonetheless considthis very day, the ered a novice author in publishgroup maintains ing standpoints. Yet, the South its originating Jersey Writers’ Group did not mission: to grow care about her technical expeSouth Jersey’s rience; rather they cared about writing commuthe quality of her work. Natunity. Most imporrally, they appreciated her clear tantly for Macwriting ability and effort. But Kay, the group even more so, they esteemed hosts a myriad of the truth captured within her workshops; these words. seminars are what In the works, MacKay has allowed her to immultiple fiction novels for young merse herself back adults and middle grade stuinto her craft. dents. MacKay’s stories take At the end of place in suburban settings but 2011, the group include a surprising paranormal added a new efedge. fort to its long list “The story I’m still working of goals: publishon right now deals with a spirit ing an anthology, that doesn’t really know he’s written entirely dead,” said MacKay. “The main

by South Jersey character has to try to help him writers. Accordnavigate the afterlife through Courtesy of Mieke MacKay ingly, SJWG sent real life.” out an open call MacKay is featured in “Tall Tales and But because of her firm goal to for stories, an op- Short Stories from South Jersey.” remain true to traditional pubportunity which lishing methods, MacKay has highly interested had a difficult time getting her MacKay, having novels out to the public. been a member of the group for quite some time “Traditional publishing requires a lot more now. Therefore, she began working diligently to legwork,” said MacKay. “You must try to get an finish her stories. After coming home from work, agent, and then have the agent actually start she would dive into her writing, typing away at selling your work for you.” her keyboard. Her inspiration for her short story It is indeed a daunting task. But, even so, Macactually sprang from two entities; one, ideas she Kay resolutely wants her “novels published and had heard from TV, news or radio; and two, from will not be stopped,” she said. her ability to so effortlessly, and accurately, capSo, stay on the lookout for more of MacKay’s ture human emotion. novels, as they will surely be published in short Based on these two facets, MacKay decided to time. But for now, read MacKay’s short story write her story, entitled “The Walk,” on “the emofrom the South Jersey Writers’ Group’s Collectional effect of having lost someone to Alzheimtion. Read the explicit details, which explain so er’s,” she said. well human life.

MacKay captured the grief-stricken ambiRead from the perspective of the observer.

Underground Sports: Underwater hockey

■ By Drew Hoffman (‘18)

Eastside Sports Editor

Through the years, many variations of hockey have been manifested: ice hockey, roller hockey, field hockey, street hockey and mini hockey, to name a few. But one form of hockey stands out like a sore thumb: underwater hockey.

The unusual game is played in a 25 meter by 15 meter pool that is 2-4 meters (about 6-13 feet) deep. Two teams position six players in the pool at a time. Both teams start at opposite ends of the pool with one hand on the wall and the puck in the middle of the pool, at the bottom. When the referee sounds the buzzer, both teams race to the middle to obtain the puck. The team that obtains the puck will then pass it around and try to get the puck in a three-meter-long goal at the end of the pool. Players pass the puck around on the floor of the pool. Similar to the other forms of hockey, players pass the puck around waiting for a chance to attack the net and to attempt to score.

The idea of the game is to keep the puck away from the opponent using skill and speed. Players, who wear a diving mask, large fins and a snorkel, must hold their breath while underwater.

The game is noncontact, and a player is not allowed to interfere

with another player using his or her free hand, or the hand that is not using the stick. It is played with 15minute halves and a three-minute halftime. Each team is given one 60second timeout per half.

The game originated in the 1950s by the British Navy as a way to keep its divers in shape and to improve their ability to move and work efficiently underwater. The game soon found its way to Australia, and since then has found its way into more than 20 countries. Since its conception, the game has evolved into a fast and dynamic sport.

Since the game is not very popular throughout the world, players of the sport do not claim international fame.

For example, Alan Blake is known not only as the man who invented the sport, but also as a phenomenal player himself. Although Blake is not as talked about on ESPN as Steph Curry, Lebron James or Tom Brady, he is still a well-recognized face in the world of underwater hockey.

The sport shares many similarities with other forms of hockey, as the idea is to get a puck into a goal, while also utilizing passing to move the puck from teammate to teammate.

Underwater hockey is on the rise and is definitely a game to be on the lookout for in the future. Put on your fins, it’s time to play!

Underground Holidays: Emma M. Nutt Day

■ By Shari Boiskin (‘17) Eastside Underground Editor

For most, September 1 passes without much thought. It comes off as merely being one of the final days of summer. However, although not well-known, September 1 is also Emma M. Nutt Day. September 1, 1878, was a big day for Emma M. Nutt — it was the day she was hired by Alexander Graham Bell to be the first female telephone operator at the New England Telephone Company.

Initially, the trade was male-dominated; however, this all changed due to the rude and lazy nature of the teenage boys, who were typically hired. Thus, when Nutt was hired, her calm and patient demeanor, in conjunction with her polite language, caused her to excel at her work. This in turn caused her to become an example for others, and she remained at the company for 33 years. Because of the door opened

by Nutt, women soon dominated the field of telephone operating and it remained that way for nearly a century.

Since this is such a little known holiday, there are no parades or ma-

jor celebrations for Emma M. Nutt Day. However, there are a number of electronic operating systems named in her honor, such as the EMMA program by Philips Electronics.

September 1 is a day to honor those who work as telephone operators today, and more importantly it is also a celebration of breaking through the glass ceiling. What makes Emma M. Nutt Day so incredible is that Nutt was the first woman to have that job. We are still working on breaking some glass ceilings, including the one for the most important job in the nation: the president. It is essential to celebrate all cracks and breaks made, even in the little overlooked fields such as telephone operating.

When the glass ceiling breaks, all of American society, not just women, is better off.

Emma M. Nutt Day is a celebration of progression and a step forward for everyone. It is the day commemorating the first time a woman worked as a phone operator. It is important to celebrate all victories, no matter how small.

Logo by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18) / Eastside Art Director

October 2016

UNDERGROUND

EASTSIDE

Page 21

Out of the Vault: Power Balance stretches the limit ■ By Jared Fisch (‘18)

Eastside Underground Editor

According to Power Balance Technologies Inc., “the Power Balance bracelet is a performance technology wristband with a distinctive hologram worn by millions of consumers and athletes worldwide.”

Power Balance states that its bracelets are “based on eastern philosophies.” These philosophies are based on an ideology around energy, commonly referred to as Chi or Chakras.

In 2010, Power Balance Tech claimed that the energy from its bracelets would increase sporting ability. This claim, along with a sleek design, propelled the bracelet to be one of the more popular fads of that year. Many professional athletes were wearing the bracelets and, following suit, many children began wearing them to be just like their idols.

Despite the hype, limit however, people soon began to discover that the so-called “Chi” from the bracelets was a bogus concept. Subsequently, Power Balance Tech found itself paying 57 million dollars to settle a lawsuit back in 2011.

That lawsuit sent Power Balance crumbling to its knees—so much so that the company was forced to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company also had to rebrand itself, adding “Technologies Inc.” to its original name, “Power Balance.”

This rehabilitated company got back on its feet but was never the same as its prime form. Power Balance Tech will most likely never see the same success that Power Balance once did in 2010.

Today, the company has a fairly well-run website and even some newly designed wristbands to

Taking a look back at the glory days of Atlantic City’s famed Steel Pier

his associate Eddie Corcoran, and the Variety Club of Philadelphia Eastside Underground Editor all helped to revive the competition, bringing back this event to its Long before the numerous casihome. Gravatt and Corcoran were nos that tower over the Atlantic City confident that the pageant would be skyline were constructed, Steel Pier a success that would bring financial was known on the national stage prosperity to Atlantic City, and inas a bustling hub of tourists, famideed, the 1935 pageant Boardwalk lies and thrill seekers. Originally Parade attracted a huge crowd of opened in 1898 as a boardwalk the350,000 people. Steel Pier hosted ater, Steel Pier expanded to include the Miss America pageant from world famous attractions and exhib1935 through 1939. its, such as the diving horse and the Among the numerous captivatGeneral Motors Exhibit. ing attractions at Steel Pier, there The diving horse became Steel were many concerts that drew large Pier’s most notable attraction. Incrowds. The Beach Boys, Frank troduced Sinatra, John by showPhilip Sousa and m a n Johnny Cash are William just a few of the “ D o c ” countless, famed Carver performers and in 1929, musical groups the perthat performed formance concerts on the featured pier throughout a horse the twentieth t h a t century. w o u l d At its peak, j u m p Steel Pier from as spanned half a high as mile over the 60 feet ocean. However, into a over the years, Courtesy of pressofatlanticcity.com several fires and pool of w a t e r . A diving horse performs at Steel Pier. storms caused During the pier’s various the dives, owners to reduce female riders, including Lorena its size.

Carver and Sonora Webster, rode Today, Steel Pier exists in a the horses, clinging to the animals’ much different form. The current backs as they soared through the concrete pier was built in the early air. Steel Pier never once injured a 1990s and is just 1,000 feet long. horse; however, some of the riders Steel Pier no longer contains any of suffered broken bones, and Webster the original attractions that was even blinded. The act lasted for once made it world nearly 50 years until animal rights activists pressured Steel Pier to shut it down.

In 1926, major renovations to Steel Pier opened up space for a 20,000-square-foot commercial exhibition at the entrance of the pier.

The General Motors Company took advantage of this space, opening up a large exhibit to introduce and showcase its newest car models to the public. The Ford Motor Company inhabited Steel Pier from 1933 to 1947, but General Motors ultimately returned, continuing to display its new cars until 1968.

Steel Pier was also the home of famous.

Rex the Wonder Dog. During the Current1930s, Rex would water-ski along ly, there are over side humans in a popular water 25 amusement rides along show. Rex would stand on an aquawith an arcade for guests to enjoy. plane as a boat pulled him along.

While much has changed over the Prior to the Great Depression, Atyears at Steel Pier, it still remains lantic City hosted the Miss America a family-friendly destination for Pageant. However, due to financial people of all ages. hardship, Atlantic City discontinLogo by Jennifer Dong (‘17)/ ued its signature event. In 1935, Eastside Art Director Steel Pier owner Frank P. Gravatt, ■ By Eric First (‘18)

go along, but the company’s popularity is scarce compared to its height. Power Balance Technologies Inc. seeks help from professional athletes to help advertise to the youth. Star quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees, is one of many “professional supporters” of the brand. Others include Clay Matthews of the Green Bay Packers, Darren Sproles of the Philadelphia Eagles and Rudy Gay of the Sacramento Kings. Power Balance Technologies Inc. also has professional supporters in tennis and golf, including Mardy Fish (tennis), Stacy Lewis (golf) and Keegan Bradley (golf).

Although Power Balance bracelets may be a thing of the past, they still live on through their undeniably strong energy fields.

Logo by Sabrina DeAbreu (‘18)/ Eastside Art Director Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

The crown jewel of Kings Highway: Indian King Tavern

the rooms were folded away and the spaces were rented out for business transactions.

Still, one of the 27 rooms in the If one wandered down Kings tavern holds more importance than Highway in Haddonfield, it would all the rest. On the second floor, the be doubtful that he or she would noassembly room, used for lectures and tice Indian King Tavern. Its facade concerts, served as the seat of the is of a similar style to the neighborNew Jersey legislature from Januing buildings, and only one sign on ary to September of 1777. Up north, the street proclaims the location’s the fighting of the Revolutionary presence.

War made regular meetings unsafe, A further investigation would and to maintain the area, the legunearth a few signs on the door, islature needed to with the continue sessions. business During that time hours and period, New Jersey a board became a state and noting if a designated a new tour is in seal, which remains progress. to this day.

Even after Yet, the Indian ringing the King Tavern redoorbell mained relatively and enunknown, and contering the tinued to function open doorin a similar manway, the ner until 1873, only clues when Haddonfield to the hisbecame a dry town. torical imAlthough it was the portance first state-owned of the site historical site in would be a 1903, the buildlarge New ing came into use J e r s e y as a meetinghouse map, renfor local clubs and dered in chapters. It was 1778, and not until the 1980’s a rack of that the property pamphlets for other Josh Sodicoff (‘18)/ Eastside Multimedia Director came under the ralocal sites The Indian King Tavern sits on Kings dar of the New Jersey Department of of impor- Highway in Haddonfield.

Parks and Foresttance. ry, and underwent Haddon the extensive transformation to atTownship (which eventually broke tain its current form. into several communities including Re-enactment and restoration Haddonfield) was settled in 1701 makes the tavern a wonderful loby Elizabeth Haddon, the eldest cation. Every room on the first two daughter of a Quaker. She floors has been recreated out of was sent to develop 500 acres the original furniture and similar near the Delaware River pieces. The tables are adorned with and between the two main meals from the day, and the bar has regional towns, Burlington old Spanish and British coins scatand Salem. Indian King tered across. In the kitchen, tour Tavern developed in part guide Michelle Hughes explained to its location as a wayhow the restored brickwork coverpoint. ing half the floor allowed for the In 1777, two buildcooking of large amounts of food. ings, a distillery and Further, she explained why having a general store, were a well, just out back, was almost as merged to form the Tavuseful as running water. ern. The dining facilities Still, room remains for improvewere housed on the first ment. An entire floor within the floor. Three dining rooms — facility has gone without any presone public, one private and one ervation whatsoever. A grant for for drinking — and a winter kitchen 50,000 dollars was requested for served guests and townspeople. At further work, like the recreation of the time, taverns had set prices, a neighboring building, or the creand thus could only grow their profation of model cellars. Even without its by increasing the number of pathe benefit of entrance fees or sigtrons. In the booths, and even in the nificant funding, the Indian King beds on the second and third floor, Tavern is one of the best kept lomale patrons were packed in tightly cations—and secrets—among local as to always keep room for an extra museums. guest. During the day, the beds in ■ By Josh Sodicoff (‘18)

Eastside Multimedia Director

Page 22

SPORTS EASTSIDE

Allen and Ciocco use their friendship off the field to score

to play at an Ivy League, Division I university. For Eastside Sports Editor Ciocco, playing at the college level would be a dream They move in unison. come true as well.

Left to right, forward and In terms of their East backward. One is the decareers, Allen and Ciocco cisive playmaker and the have the opportunity to acother is the attacker waitcomplish numerous goals. ing for the perfect moment Ciocco hopes to to strike. score more goals The field as a sophomore remains than she did as calm until a freshman, and something in her case, she as simple needs to exceed as a hand five goals on the gesture or season. head nod is Allen is more exchanged, concerned about and then the recruiting they are process, and she off, passaspires to go to ing to one a great academic another school because of as though her field hockey there is expertise. a magnet Scharff said pulling that Allen and the ball Courtesy of Sarah Allen Ciocco are two of from one to the oth- Allen (second from left) and Ciocco (right) compete the best players on the Varsity er. Sopho- in a middle school game of Rosa against Carusi. team. She exm o r e s on the field,” said Scharff. plained how the two seem Sarah Allen (‘19) and Carli While Allen tends to play much more comfortable on Ciocco (‘19) have the friendin the midfield as centerthe field this year and she ship and experience that mid, Ciocco stays up top and attributes this to their Varmake playing field hockey plays on the forward line. In sity experience last year. look easy. these positions, Allen and Last season, Scharff said Since the first day of the Ciocco feed off each other’s that Allen and Ciocco had preseason in 2015, Coach play. Scharff explains how almost every single goal or Ms. Beth Scharff recognized the girls’ strengths compleassist. Considering their that Allen and Ciocco would ment each other. While skills and comfort level, be impressive additions to Ciocco utilizes her fast Scharff hopes that the her program. Keeping their pace to quickly move to get two sophomores can help skill levels and zealousness where she has to be, Allen the team reach some of its in mind, Scharff was eager has the vision and ability to goals this season, including to pull up the two freshmen scan the whole field to set beating Cherry Hill West in to compete on the Varsity both of their level. games.

“They are “We just both very solid try to work and consistent together and players… and be leaders anybody that on the team. shows promise We want to is brought up to help anyone Varsity,” said else that Scharff. may not be Field hockey as experiis a major part enced as us, of Allen and because we Ciocco’s lives. have played Allen, who for a really started playing long time toseven years ago gether,” said for a Mt. LauAllen. rel team, and A bright Ciocco, who Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor f u t u r e began playsteadily ing for Haddon Allen (left) and Ciocco (right) stay after practice to awaits for Heights six perfect their offensive plays.

Allen and years ago, have up the plays.

Ciocco in the rest of their joined forces both for East “We always work togethyears playing field hockand for their club team, er, and we work really well ey at East.

South Jersey Edge. They together… Carli is really Throughout both agree that playing for fast, so I usually get the their time at South Jersey Edge has proball up to her and she goes East, both vided an intense and chaldown and tries to score,” hope to prove lenging experience, which, said Allen. themselves in return, has prepared Behind the scenes of as East aththem for East’s difficult all of the passing and the letes and conference. plays, Allen and Ciocco positively Scharff said, “We play help each other get better impact the in a very tough conference, through guidance, instructeam as a the Olympic Conference. tion and practice. whole.

The teams that we face Ciocco said, “We usually “They are have some of the best prohelp each other on the field. always workgrams in South Jersey and Sometimes it will seem like ing hard. the state.” we are yelling at each other, They are the Because they practice but we’re not, we are giving first ones and play against some of each other pointers on what back after a South Jersey’s best field to do.” water break. hockey players, Allen and With part of the season T h e y ’ r e Ciocco have an understandahead of them and most of encouraging of the Olympic Confertheir high school careers ing their ence’s adept competition. still at their fingertips, Alteammates.

The club team has helped len and Ciocco have hopeThey’re refoster the bond between Alful futures full of goals and ally trying to len and Ciocco. wins. bring everyDuring the summer, they Allen has been showbody to that went to a Florida tournacasing her skills at colnext level,” ment with their club team lege camps and has hopes said Scharff. as teammates and came ■ By Elissa Cohen (‘18)

back as best friends.

“They trust each other and you can see it in the way that they play. They’ll be completely confident in certain plays they make, because they know the other person is there. They really do work well together

October 2016

Girls’ Tennis looks to “serve” up another great season ■ By Abigail Richman (‘18)

Eastside Business Manager

tournament, but it’s going to be a tough one. It’s going to be a fight, and we’re going to fight,” Jewett said.

Jewett has complete confidence that this team will thrive no matter how many seniors it has lost.

The tennis team continues to strive and dedicate itself to hours upon hours of practice, in an effort to maintain its ranking despite losses on the roster.

“Even though many seniors left that were on Varsity, the team will still be strong. Each player has [her] own strengths and weaknesses, but as a team you will learn to come together as one,” said Lauren

East Girls’ Tennis, coming off a very successful 2015 season, is striving to surpass last year’s accomplishments through preparation and ability.

The changing of seasons has brought changes in the team’s roster. With last year’s strong seniors gone, younger girls have stepped up to take their places.

After a pre-season full of practice and fine-tuning, final touches were being made to the latter to prepare for an exciting and tough fall season.

“The latter is very strong, very competitive.

We have juniors and seniors that are playing JV, that at any other school they’d be starting at Varsity. They’re that strong,” Coach Mrs. Mary Jewett said.

As the team competed intensely last year, earning the Group IV title for the South Jersey region, it prepares to reach its goals in a more powerful way than before.

Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor “I believe we’re Varsity tennis players warm up begoing to have a fore a match. great season knowing that a freshman Romisher (‘16). is playing in the lineup and Romisher, a recent gradanother senior, my sister, uate of the East tennis [is] in the lineup. I think team, firmly believes that we’ll be undefeated, I think the team will not falter we’ll play well,” Stephanie this year. She guarantees Yanosov (‘17) said. the team will be as strong After ending last season this year due to the sense of in a close match against the accomplishment they feel other team in its bracket, when they are all working East was defeated, resulttogether. ing in only making it to the With the new season and semifinals. schedule both coming into “I hope we win group IV full motion, the girls tennis Sectionals and then make players are working harder it to States, and I hope to than ever before in order make it to the finals this to fully reach this season’s year rather than the semis,” goals.

Yanosov (‘17) said.

“I feel really confident Along with setting team and I think the upcoming goals, the girls bonded durgames will be really sucing preseason, which will cessful. We have really good increase their team morale strategies and are working throughout the course of towards a really good mindthe remaining weeks of the set in order to win,” said season.

Mattea Boyarksy (‘18).

“I’d like to win the state

SPORTS

October 2016

EASTSIDE

Protest is necessary in a nation in need of great change ■ By Luke Hinrichs (‘17)

Eastside Editor-in-Chief

I do not have a target on my back. I am a white, heterosexual, male. I do not know what it is like to be anything except that.

I recognize I will receive opportunities purely on the basis of the color of my skin. I understand I will never have to fear an officer in a uniform simply because of my race. I realize I will not be frisked, searched, or looked at twice just because of my racial profile. I acknowledge my privilege. It is time individuals in the East community and communities around the country recognize their privilege is affected simply on the basis of appearance.

As men are bloodied and left in the streets, as mothers watch their children die without an explanation, and as kids are left without a guardian, I wonder when the day will come when the death ends. Tragedy cannot be the only catalyst for change.

Do not mistake racism for patriotism.

A patriot knows the country they love.

A patriot can recognize the good and the bad. A patriot is not afraid to criticize or stand, or even sit, in order to improve the country they love. The patriot uses the tools our Constitution provides and guarantees, the right to freely speak and protest.

In America, young black men, ages 1519, are 21 times more likely to be shot and murdered by police than young white men according to the Report of The Sentencing Project to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

For those who cannot ignore the targeting, the brutality, and the oppression, change must come. For San Francisco 49ers quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, the time for protest is now. As the NFL preseason and regular season kicked off, Kaepernick committed to protest and sit during the national anthem, a symbolic gesture. After Police killed at least 102 unarmed black people in 2015 and at least 137 black people in 2016, Kaepernick has decided that he is “not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” His decision has sparked outrage, admiration and debate.

Let us not forget, civil rights activist and Baseball star, Jackie Robinson’s statement: “I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag. I know that I am a black man in a white world.”

Robinson used his achievements and nonviolence to challenge segregation.

America is a nation of progress and little change. There are currently more black people locked up in prison than there were enslaved in 1850. 1 in 3 black men can expect to go to jail at some point in their lifetimes. Black individuals are

127 percent more likely to get frisked and 76 percent more likely to get searched than white individuals. And yet, frisked black people were 42 percent less likely to be found with a weapon than frisked white individuals. Chains have been exchanged for prison cells.

When the education system and jobmarket is set against a group people from start to finish, their future is further cemented. While a college-educated white American has an average net worth of 75,000 dollars, a college-educated black American has an average net worth of less than 17,500 dollars. In the workplace, black men make 72 cents for every dollar a white man makes while black women make 64 cents.

In our society, sports are intertwined with American pride, and it is not new for athletes to use their spotlight to shed light on societal injustice. It is also not new for the nation to react in outrage.

Kaepernick’s protest was not an affront to veterans, and it was not an attack on America. It was a call for acknowledgement and change. There is no requirement to be met before you can make a difference. Kaepernick was not the first, and he surely will not be the last.

Although some believe Kaepernick disrespected veterans by sitting, while they stand and fight, there is even more disrespect in how this nation treats those who have stood and fought.

When Veterans come home, many are coming home to turned backs and insufficient aid. The number of homeless veterans in America was estimated at 49,933 in January 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Without the necessary resources and aid, many veterans fall victim to the system that they protected with their lives. 22 veterans commit suicide every day and 2 million do not have health insurance. There are some disgraces far greater than not standing for an anthem.

But again, Kaepernick, who has been casted as anti-American with no respect for the military, did not act against veterans. Kaepernick, as a millionaire athlete, has the opportunity to use his visibility and reach to be a messenger of fact. Black people are oppressed in this country. America, with scars from the present and past, continues to be plagued by institutionalized racism and bias. We may not like to see our faults. We may not want to see our Exceptionalism challenged. But we cannot ignore the facts.

We cannot avert our eyes from the truth.

We must acknowledge that prejudice, discrimination, and racism have stolen the equality and freedom that this nation claims to protect. I will continue to stand and pledge my allegiance to this beautiful country in the hope that progress will one day come, but I commend those who use their rights to inspire conversation and make their stand for change.

Page 23

Kaepernick’s protest is unpatriotic

■ By Drew Hoffman (‘18)

Eastside Sports Editor

In the past few weeks a certain incident has been standing tall among all others. That incident has been Colin Kaepernick’s decision to kneel for “The Star-Spangled Banner”, our country’s national anthem. His reasoning?

He is “not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” The country has taken its stance on the situation, especially on social media, where fans are going off on his decision to sit.

I, for one, am strongly against his decision.

While I fully respect his recognition of the First Amendment and his rights as an American citizen, it is completely foolish for him to sit or kneel for the national anthem of a country that has given him so much. Kaepernick is living the life. He is a quarterback in the National Football League, making over $100 million in the next five years. He has already been to a Super Bowl, and he has captured the hearts of the entire Bay Area for it. That is a dream job for any football fan. Also, not to mention, his parents adopted him and gave him an amazing life.

While not standing for the National Anthem is legal, it is most certainly frowned upon.

I have never seen anyone disrespect the flag of our great country in such a selfish way.

Of course there have been instances in the past where people would burn flags in protest of wars. One event stands out, and that is when protesters of the Vietnam War ran on the field at Dodger Stadium in 1976 and burned a flag on the outfield grass. Before any damage could be done, outfielder Rick Monday ran towards them and took the flag, a true act of bravery. Burning the flag is definitely a bit more excessive than kneeling for the anthem, but, kneeling for the anthem hurts even more on the inside. Kaepernick’s method is peronally hurtful to many Americans.

While not extreme, Kaepernick’s form of protest is completely uncalled for. Did Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sit down for the National Anthem when he fought for African-American rights during the Civil Rights Movement?

No, he stood, marched and preached for the freedom every American deserves. Did Muhammad Ali sit for the National Anthem when he refused to go to Vietnam and fight on behalf of his religious beliefs? No, he stood and kept fighting for his rights.

When Kaepernick actually does something to help make a change to the injustice, then he can sit or stand without issue. However, he is sitting back, reeling in loads of cash and watching injustice unfold in front of him. Yes, he does go to inner-city schools and work with children. But he needs to do a lot more before he can start sitting for the National Anthem.

Athletes such as Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony all stood up on national television at this year’s ESPYs and expressed the need for help to injustice in the AfricanAmerican community. Those four players do not sit for the National Anthem. They stand and thank the country that has given them so much.

Kaepernick’s decision to sit for a country that has given him so much shows his stubbornness and weak mentality.

While kneeling for “The Star-Spangled Banner” in the national spotlight, Kaepernick is not thinking about the soldiers who put their lives on the line for this country. In the San Francisco 49ers opening game, he was on his knee for the anthem with hundreds of servicemen and women only feet in front of him. These soldiers protect the flag day in and day out, and to have a man disrespect it right in front of their eyes is a pure act of selfishness.

I am a person who strictly follows the Constitution and all it stands for. I applaud Kaepernick for using his right as an American citizen to openly protest without punishment.

But is it really American to protest the flag that means so much to the citizens of the country?

Girls’ Volleyball shows off its praiseworthy success in the new season ■ By Adam Dashevsky (‘19)

Eastside Staff

Since the start of the 2016 fall sports season, the Cherry Hill East Girls’ Varsity Volleyball team has an optimistic outlook coming off of a successful season last year. Though the Lady Cougars are down two starters from the previous season, losing graduates Jessie Wrinn (‘16) and Alex Warner (‘16), they still believe they can add another succesful season to the 23 seasons already in the books.

Coach Scott Mooney said, “They want to win a conference title, make the playoffs, and they want to try to win a state championship.”

Mooney further explained that instead of demanding greatness of his players, he allows his team

to set their own goals and encourage our teammates. expectations for the season, We let them know they are relying upon the teammates doing well and they will get to set the bar for each other. the next one.”

Returning team captains The Cougars must stay from their focused on junior electheir goals if tions last they intend season, on continuM e g a n ing their hisO’Rourke toric streak (‘17) and of playoff Kimberly appearancL o n g a es. The Cou(‘17) plan gars do not on leading seem to be the team overreachto a victoing with rious year their goals and sucof making cessfully the playoffs, ending winning a their high conference Liz Lee (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor school title, or a t h l e t i c Kat Koziol (‘17) serves a voleven becomleyball at an East practice. careers ing state along with champs, four other fellow seniors. considering their great Longa said, “We like to start.

“These are all do-able goals. [Though,] it is going to take a lot of hard work and effort [to achieve them],” said Mooney.

The Lady Cougars were not as confident this time last year, opening the season with their team down five All-Conference players, four of which were AllSouth Jersey. However, the remaining players were able to not only maintain the team’s intensity, but were even able to build upon it to conclude with another winning season.

Longa said, “The main goal is to improve our play each game. We all definitely want to make it to the Conference Championships this year and States is one of our high goals.”

With the help from younger players making a name for themselves, such as Sarah Pintel (‘19), Alana

Cohen (‘18) and Star Beasley (‘18), the volleyball team plans to come together and win games. Notably, Beasley started on the Varsity team last year as a sophomore and is projected to play a pivotal role.

But the team knows winning will not come easy.

It requires hard work and dedications.

O’Rourke said, “Coach Scott says to always be ready, keep your head up, and know your fundamentals when on the court.”

Off-season weight room training, returning seniors with experience and know-how, and talented underclassmen will make the Lady Cougars victorious this season. Though, Mooney remains cautiously optimistic.

Mooney said, “I feel pretty good where they are right now.”

October 2016

SPORTS EASTSIDE

Page 24

A new season brings a new coach for boys’ cross country in practices. And when the athletes were doing those Eastside Sports Editor things, things like making good decisions, being loyal Sweat oozes out of his to the team, and being good pores. His calves burn. Hot team players, it just so hapair swells inside his lungs pens that the running came and tightens his throat. He along with it.” feels as though he is a slave Over the course of coachto the continuous beat of ing 46 consecutive seasons his feet hitting the ground. in three And just when his different mind gives into sports, the pain, his eyes indoor meet with those track, on the sideline. spring The eyes that track and have watched crosshim fail over and country, over again. The Cieslik eyes that have has built witnessed his concrete achievements. foundaThe eyes that t i o n s inspired him to throughset goals. He out the sees these eyes, E a s t Coach Cieslik’s running eyes, and he feels program. a part of someBesides thing, he feels growing like he can keep the crossrunning. country After coaching t e a m boys’ cross counover four try and track at times its East for 15 and size from a half years, Mr. 12 memMatthew Cieslik bers to has decided to 50 memtake off his runCourtesy of Mary Lou Bears-Groff bers, Ciesning shoes and Coach Corey and Coach Cieslik pose with the 2015-2016 Boys’ cross-country lik has leave them behind team at Holmdel Park last season. imprinted for Mr. Christohis life lespher Corey to fill. ous ways. whether you are the first sons, coaching style and “I have been consider“Coach Cieslik is one of runner in the race or you genuineness on the runners ing stepping aside for a few the best coaches and menare the last runner, feel forever. years now, but every year tors that I have ever worked like they are valued and “Step-by-step, week-byyou think ‘well, I just want with, and in the most genuchallenge every single athweek Coach Cieslik guided to wait until this group ine way, I feel like I have lete to make a contribution, us and helped us through graduates’ or ‘I just want learned from him from just whether that’s on the field everything. Coming into my to see this through.’ The being around him. He is or off the field. And I feel first year of cross-country, truth is that every single way more of a teacher than like the better I have behe kind of enabled me to year I have another great he is an actual coach. He recome at that, the better our fit right into the team. He group of kids and there is ally pays extra attention to program has performed,” inspired me to be the best never a good time to leave, the detail of interpersonal said Cieslik.

I could be, whether it was but knowing Coach Corey connections with students Corey said, “To be honest, through just a simple workso well, it made the deciand trying to get to know the running is all second out or the bigger things in sion a lot easier knowing them,” said Corey. nature. It is almost kind of life. I really considered him the program will be in great Cieslik had approached like it is second hand. All of to be a mentor to me,” said hands,” said Cieslik. his job not as a coach, but those great achievements Tyler Parsons (‘17).

It is easy to see the comas a mentor with the hope came from what he instilled Assuming the role of ■ By Courtney Finnegan (’17)

patibility and admiration between Cieslik and Corey.

The two have not only been coaching together for almost a decade, but they have also been running side-by-side since Cieslik coached Corey in high school. Over many years, they have learned from each other in numer-

to inspire. The strong work ethic and long-lasting bonds he instilled when he was coach motivated the talented cross-country team to work harder and perform better.

“Something that I have always tried to do is make everyone on the team,

the head coach of the boys’ cross-country team, Corey has taken various measures in order to emulate Cieslik’s coaching methods and styles and rightfully fill his shoes. Following the model of his mentor, Corey aspires to influence his runners to set personal goals.

He believes that a runner’s motivation to achieve his individual goals positively affects the performance of the team as a whole.

“I want people to have a good experience here. I told them from the beginning that my goal is for them to be the best runner they can be. If they tell me what their goals are, I am going to try to help them reach those goals. It is nice to win sectionals and conferences and compete at states and win awards, but it’s better to hear the kids say ‘you helped me achieve what I wanted to achieve this year,’” said Corey.

Although the East crosscountry coaches and runners appreciate, respect and value their team regardless of their statistical achievements at competitive events, their recordbreaking success within the last few years is a recorded example of their hard work and dedication to the sport.

In the last seven years the team has competed at the state championship, and in 2014, the team won the Group IV State Championship. In addition, the team has won the last three South Jersey Group IV titles, which ties them for the longest winning streak in the history of the South Jersey Group IV Championships.

Undoubtedly, the East cross-country team has developed, maintained, and expanded a strong culture with Cieslik will continue to be strengthened by Corey for many years to come.

Troutman is back to coach girls’ soccer and better than ever ■ By Drew Hoffman (’18)

Eastside Sports Editor

After a few years of absence, Mr. Lee Troutman makes his return as coach of East Girls’ Soccer. Troutman, replacing fellow biology teacher Ms. Katie Boyle as head coach, comes in with one focus in mind: to revamp the program.

“Our goals are to take and start to build this program over again,” said Troutman. “We are trying to build some confidence into the players, change the style of play, and turn this into a winning program again.”

Troutman is taking over a team that has not been quite successful in recent history, as the team went 5-12-1 in 2015 and had more losing seasons before that. Troutman knows that rebuilding a team is an extensive and laborous process, but he is ready to take on the challenge of leading the project.

“Ideally when you have girls that come from 12 different club programs,” said Troutman, “trying to meld them together into a team that is not playing year

round is difficult, but it’s a that focus on this team,” a different mentality [than this year are used to Boyle’s good challenge.” said Troutman.

Boyle]. The coaches are coaching methods, but The arrival of a new coach Taking over as a new similar, but Troutman fothere are some noticeable also brings a new mindset coach is certainly a chalcuses on passing and movdifferences in technique to and philosophy. the players.

All coaches have “Boyle was different forms of definitely more interaction with focused on contheir players and ditioning, and knowledge of the Troutman is more game, and Troutsoccer and skillman feels as if he based,” said Kayla brings a different DeGuzman (‘18). aspect to the team.

While the team “I bring a histostruggles to win ry to the program. each year, they My first stint was are on the rise 17 years, starting with a new coach the program and who brings a long leaving in ’98. Durhistory to the taing which time we ble and a profuse won three Coach’s amount of talent Tournaments and in the underclassa Courier Post men. The team Cup,” said Troutis expecting to man. “It is imporimprove a lot this tant to build roots season. for the girls.”

“Our goal is to Troutman also have a winning Emelia Keller (‘17)/ Eastside Photo Editor record this year believes the girls are flexible enough to Troutman motivates his team during soccer practice. and possibly make adjust to his coachit to the playoffs,” ing methods. lenge to the coach himself, ing up the field, as well as said Madrid, “[Troutman] “There are different ways as well as the players; howdefending as a unit.” seems very passionate with to do things. They can acever, the players are confiAdjusting to a new the squad.” complish the same goals dent that they can adjust coach can be very difficult With the confidence of they might be seeing with a easily and win. when a player is used to the players, and the knowlclub program or a younger “We have a new opportuanother coach’s technique edge of Coach Troutman, coach. It is much easier my nity this season,” said Jorand methods. Players who East Girls’ Soccer looks to second time around to keep dan Madrid (‘17). “He has have played Varsity before return to its former glory.