Eastside: June 2020

www.eastside-online.org

Vol. 53 No. 6

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

June 2020

Layout by Ali Koenig (‘20)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief; Photo by Andrew Maier (‘20) / Eastside Photo Editor

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

The Past: What a Wild Ride It Has Been!

Seniors, Pg. 8

The Present: Who We Are Now Seniors, Pg. 10-11

The Future: Where We Are Headed Seniors, Pg. 15

SENIORS ‘20

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EASTSIDE

,

June 2020

Senior Chat Room In a year marked by disappointments and “what ifs,” being appreciative of the time we had at Cherry Hill East is vital for staying sane. Entering a school like East as a freshman can be daunting. I remember walking in on my first day and feeling like I was on a busy city street with students and staff darting by on their way to class. However, high school was always something so fascinating to me. I’d seen so many movies about seizing every day and how high school was supposed to be the best four years of your life. I imagined a packed gym at basketball games, dying of laughter in the cafeteria and making memories that would last a lifetime.

Although we never got to finish the way we anticipated, East gave me all I wanted and more.

Looking back, it definitely was not the classic high school movie I hoped for. We never beat West on Thanksgiving and I missed half my sports career at East because of a knee injury. At East, I realized that high school wasn’t going to be that classic movie. It was my own story that made me who I am today. All the “what ifs” started to not matter as much when I realized that everything that happened got me to where I am today. East didn’t give me everything, and it didn’t have to. It gave me what I needed to take me to the next step in my life.

East, and high school in general, has a way of showing yourself who you are and allowing you to express yourself in whatever way you choose. I was able to grow as a leader through SGA and Student Government Day, and put the lessons I learned to the test by attending New Jersey’s Boys State. I was able to pursue my Sean Coen passions on the football and lacrosse field with guys I would now call brothers. I was able to show my school spirit by getting covered in body paint and screaming my head off at sports events.

With that being said, my experience at East would not be the same without the people that helped make it possible. As more and more time went on, the more people I came to know created more friendships that I will have forever. Some of my best friends are people that I had never even met before stepping into the halls of East. I was fortunate enough to be a part of a group of guys, collectively known as “Ethel’s Bois,” that defined my East experience and made every single moment along the way that much better.

If I were to leave any advice for people entering high school, I would say this: High school is only the best four years of your life if you make it that way. Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, don’t be afraid to be the one to step up and don’t be afraid to get involved. Thank you, East, for the best four years of my life. Roll Cougs now and forever.

Comment

As a senior living in such close proximity to my formative years of high school, I come to question if my perspective is even accurate, for I know that one day the lens through which I now view life will alter into a completely unknowable state. But is this to say that my current perspective is incorrect, simply because it will one day not be the same?

At this stage of our lives, we have come to a crossroads whose paths will narrow based upon the choices that we make. Many of our possible decisions will filter through the question, “Is this option correct?” To form the complex counterpart to this simply put question, we often seek external validation from our knowledge of the lives that have come before us, as well as peers’ lives that transpire among us. In the process, one often forgets that our paths are infinitely unique. Our passions are infinitely unique. And everything in our lives that has led us to this point has been infinitely unique. If we are all so different, how do we choose correctly based on a manner so reliant on relativity? Can we choose correctly? Can we choose incorrectly?

Roman philosopher, Seneca, once stated, “It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.” In this quote lies one of the most common follies of our existence; we grant other people the power to determine what in our life is considered a “waste” of time, and what is not. In a world so filled to the brim Mari Kiminker with the unknown, our perception of our purpose can be so easily manipulated by those who are equally as unknowing. Truly, the distinction between the “correct” way to live and the “incorrect” way to live all boils down to one trait: Does this path provide you fulfillment?

My personal path at East led me to playing tennis for the tennis team, playing oboe in band and orchestra, singing in choir, and focusing on my academics. My pursuit of the oboe, once a source of embarrassment, turned into one of my most fulfilling endeavors. The value I gained from participation in these opportunities at East extends past their surface-level functions. These activities helped me establish the morals, mental fortitude, friendships, and perspective that have molded who I am thus far.

As we continute to adventure on our seperate paths, we must make room for differences between ourselves and others, as well as differences between ourselves and our past selves. We must have respect for the uniqueness of our own respective paths, and the paths of those who we do not completely understand. In the words of F. Scott Fitzgerald: “For what it’s worth… It’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit. Start whenever you want. You can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing [...] I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start over again.”

When there are no “rules,” there are no answers, and I think that is a beautiful, liberating idea. I encourage you to find the path that brings you fulfillment and to run with it. It is all yours, and only you have the power to gauge otherwise.

Comment As an avid fan of all three “High School Musical” movies growing up, my future high school experience seemed like a fairytale in my head. The wider halls, the big red lockers, the plays, the sporting events, all of it; it all seemed so perfect.

Fast forward to September, 2016, and I was a freshman at 5’1, brown hair, braces and a bundle of nerves.

My sister, on the other hand, was a tall, beautiful senior filled with confidence, poise and excitement for her final year. She had accomplished so much through her years that it inspired me to get involved from the start.

During my freshman year I ran for Vice President of the class, and while I did not win that position, the act of running was an awesome experience. But being an SGA rep for three years, culminating with being elected Vice President for my senior year was something that I hold very close to me. Being a part of SGA allowed me to fundraise like crazy, connect with my community, plan proms and co-run the Spirit Week dance all four years (always crushing it), which is by far my favorite part of school every year. I joined DECA, Blood Drive, the tennis team, FOP and more! Being involved MAKES high school. It is what gets you through the long and grueling hours of stress over all of the homework and tests you have that week. Clubs provided me with endless entertainment and lifelong friendships, as well as a passion for my school.

Molly Phillips I was also a MAJOR fan of East sports. I often attended hockey games and basketball games, and going to those games allowed me to live my “High School Musical” fantasy that I always dreamed about. Dressing up, decked out in red, white, or black and packed together with my peers while cheering so obnoxiously… THAT is what high school is all about. It is not just about the resumes, or who is better than whom. It is about our class coming together as one. That last home game of my senior year, where we won the semi-finals, was like nothing I have ever felt before. All of us jumping together, rushing the court, screaming “Cougars” every time someone hit a three, it was a rush you cannot experience anywhere else.

Around a week after that home game, on March 12th, I went to school with a bag full of books, hand sanitizer in my pocket and a smile on my face. I had lunch in the activities office like I typically did and everything seemed so right. Little did I know that would be my last day of high school as I knew it, thanks to Covid-19. I wish I had soaked it in a little more. I wish I got to fight my way through a C-wing intersection crowd one more time. I wish I had one more lunch in the cafeteria with my best friends. I wish I got to take it all in, knowing it was my last day. I don’t regret my time at East. I feel I really made the most of this chapter of my life. So my message to the incoming freshmen and the rest of the East students… make as many memories as you can, and don’t take your days here for granted. Don’t be “too cool for school” and not go above and beyond in all aspects of high school. East is awesome! And I am proud to be a cougar for life, and part of the most unforgettable graduating class!

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SENIORS ‘20

June 2020

EASTSIDE

Prior to this year, and across the country, graduating from high school marked an unofficial yet crucial transition for seniors into adulthood. This year, the markers of an important passage have been diffused. Forever gone are the indications of new-found adulthood. There will be no class trip, prom or graduation to signify the ending of one thing and beginning of another. Yearbooks will remain unsigned. No caps of youth will be cast aloft to return to the hands of adults. And what are we to take from our inestimable loss? Perhaps there are lessons learned outside the classroom. The lessons that only an unprecedented global crisis can teach.

One lesson the coronavirus has taught senior classes across the globe is that nothing is to be taken for granted. A classmate’s recent Instagram post well-captured the point. “Appreciate the things you have before they become the things you had,” it read. Sitting next to your crush in history class, rooting for your brother at his conference final basketball game, and worrying about your rank in the school’s social order are forever rendered memories. It would be hard for anyone in the Class of 2020 not to miss these small details of high school we took for granted. The sustained absence of these hidden and small pleasures highlights their lasting importance. Beyond the lesson to appreciate the present is the opportunity to find the silver lining in what sometimes may seem like a hopeless situation. It is in the ending of one experience that the beginning Harry Green of another emerges. With the loss of the chance to personally tell a favorite teacher how much they meant to you comes the opportunity to later share with them their impact on your adulthood. Throughout the globe in the midst of a pandemic, with death there is rebirth.

In the words of Virgil, “Time passes irrevocably.“ When we walked out of East in March, few of us expected our goodbyes would be forever. All across the country and around the world the Class of 2020 is left to make sense of irrevocable loss. We must do so without the time-honored rites of passage. But we will nonetheless mark that passage with our own rites. While they will be done at home, in a mask and from a distance of at least six feet, we will mark them like no class has done before or (hopefully) will ever do again. The Class of 2020, chastened perhaps, but smarter and wiser than any class before it, will be filled with the overwhelming joy and sense of renewal that only a global shutdown could bring.

Comment

In sixth grade, I had this idea that high school would be parties every weekend and making out with chicks on the daily. It was not like that for me.

Freshman year was weird; I was so lost (quite literally) every day. The breezeway connecting C-wing intersection to the library was blocked off too. That detour made it a lot harder to get around, especially with my poor navigation skills. It also made traffic in the halls like three times worse. I didn’t know how to navigate Cherry Hill High School East until sophomore year.

There was also this thing called “homeroom.” I don’t know whatever happened to that, but during my time there when it existed, I remember tending to stick to the people I knew from Rosa. As time went on, the wall that separated the Beck kids from the Rosa kids and the Carusi kids slowly collapsed. It’s interesting to see the people that I know so well now I used to be timid around four years ago.

I also got a 17% on the dreaded fruit fly lab that year. That was my most fond memory because I remember my teacher mentioning to the entire class that she had to take a walk in the midst of grading the labs. I knew that I was the exact reason why she had to take a walk. Freshman year overall felt like a big goof.

When second-year came around, I still felt like a freshman. This year went by the fastest for some reason and I Lucas Tran don’t really remember too much about it. This was also the year they started to lock up the bathrooms during lunch.

I had an absolute emergency one time on the third floor and the boys’ bathroom was locked, so I used the girls’ bathroom instinctively.

A lot of upperclassmen told me junior year is the hardest. I think otherwise because that was the best year. This was the meat and potatoes of my time at East. This was the year that I eased up and knew what I was doing for the most part. I also put a bunch of googly eyes all over the place.

I also took history online so I could have an extra space open for another class. History online was not really that effective; the only thing I remember from that course was that the bikini was invented during WWII due to rationing of supplies.

Senior year rolled in. I never thought that this year would come so soon. Seeing the days pass was nerve-wracking. Every day that went by was a day closer to the end of a free trial. It was scary to know that I would have to start paying for my own subscription soon. This year was the hardest, but it was also the most balanced because so much fun came with it. I really pushed boundaries this year when it came to my shenanigans because I was the most comfortable I’ve ever been. During my final year, I went to the principal’s office for the first time, and that was because I was wearing a hazmat suit. I’m surprised that I wasn’t there more often for other reasons.

I enjoyed being at school. It took me some time, but I felt like I belonged there and I looked forward to going every day. I love my teachers, coaches, and friends; the insight I gained from all of them is priceless. This virus made me shed tears for the first time over anything school related. Cherish every minute you have in high school. The class of 2020’s high school experience was cut short. I would have had more to write about, but I don’t.

Comment

In the popular cartoon show “Rick and Morty,” prepubescent boy Morty Smith tells his sister: “Nobody exists on purpose. Nobody belongs anywhere. We’re all going to die. Come watch TV.” Although a pretty pessimistic viewpoint, scientifically, Morty’s right. We’re so lucky that gravity gathered enough matter together to form our planet. We’re so lucky that life took the specific evolutionary path to bring humans to Earth. We’re so lucky that history happened the way it did to put each of us where we are right now. Life is truly miraculous, but also short. Good things come and go in the blink of an eye.

High school is one of those things.

Many will rant about how much homework they have or how much they hate school. But I would be remiss if I did not emphasize how much every senior wishes we could be in the building that brought us together right now. East helped us all figure out who we are, especially me. Entering as a freshman, I ran cross country, finding solace in training with my team. I joined Robotics, finding fulfillment in creating a state-champion machine.

I volunteered at Miracle League, finding pleasure in having a positive impact on someone else. I don’t regret joining a single one of these clubs; in fact, there are many more I wish I could have joined. They made me feel good. They helped me realize my passions and make my closest friends (shout out to the ICS Boys).

Kartik Pejavara Underclassmen: take advantage of East. Join that new club, or make your own. Make friends in your classes and activities. Talk to your teachers, they’re pretty cool once you get to know them. Do the Spirit Week Dance.

Run for Student Government. Ask that cute girl out on a date. Trust me, the only thing you’ll regret later on is not trying when you had the chance.

But if I could offer one last piece of advice to all high school students, it’s this: take it easy.

You’re a teenager. This is the prime-time of your life. In all honesty, there are times that I wish I went to that concert instead of studying extra hard for a test or went to SkyZone instead of spending the whole day writing an essay. Take your foot off the pedal every now and then. When it’s all over, you’ll wish you had more time.

Comment

Although the Class of 2020’s senior year has been cut short due to the coronavirus, students are finding new ways to stay connected with East and one another. Whether it’s through birthday drive-bys, door decorating or visits from Crimson the Cougar, East seniors are maintaining their pride for their school and their class. As all members of the Class of 2020 look back on their past four years at East, here are some seniors’ last messages about their times at East and all that they gained despite what they lost.

Additional written senior perspectives, as well as a series of superlative videos, are available on eastside-online.org.

- Samantha Roehl (‘20), Emily Mahaffy (‘20), Sarah Zheng (‘20) and Meghna Thomas (‘20)

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SENIORS ‘20 EASTSIDE

Double Trouble: Senior twins at East reflect on their experiences

June 2020

Alex and Mary Cherfane

Courtesy of the Cherfane twins

Q: How would you describe your twin?

Mary: I would describe Alex as extremely smart, really sweet and nice and just an overall very friendly person.

Alex: I would describe my twin as very smart, athletic and hardworking.

Q: What is the worst and best quality of your twin?

Mary: The best quality of Alex is that he is overall a really good person. Alex’s worst quality is that he is with his friends a lot, so sometimes we don’t see him that often.

Alex: Mary’s worst quality is just being an aggressive person. Her best quality is probably the opposite of my worst quality. She cares for her family more than anything else.

Q: What is the best part of having a twin?

Mary: It is good to go through a lot of things with your twin, like if you’re going into something new like high school. Also, we all have the same friends, so it’s nice to be together all of the time.

Alex: You always have someone to lean on when you think you may be alone. You just know that there is always going to be someone there for you.

Q: Do you have twin telepathy?

Mary: Yes, sometimes we do!

Alex: Funny story, we had the same dream on the same night once. It was crazy!

Mary: Yeah, like, the exact same dream.

Jeremy and Sophia Sitnick Q: How would you describe your twin?

Sophia: Jeremy is caring, protective, genuine and funny.

Jeremy: I would describe Sophia as loving, caring and very passionate about specific things.

Q: What is the worst and best quality of your twin?

Sophia: I don’t have anything bad to say about Jeremy. [However], his best quality is perseverance and the effort he puts into everything. He always puts a lot of effort into things and always tries to reach his goals.

Jeremy: I also don’t have any bad things to say about my sister, but [Sophia’s] best quality is how compassionate she is.

Q: What is the best part of having a twin?

Sophia: I would say the best part about having a twin is having someone to go through life with. It is so so special. Also, it’s just crazy that we have seen each other grow up our whole lives. I think that is an amazing bond.

Jeremy: Having a built-in best friend is probably my favorite thing about having a twin. It is always fun to be around someone who you can relate to so much.

Q: Do you have twin telepathy?

Sophia: I think so.

Jeremy: Sometimes.

Sophia: Sometimes we look at each other and just know what each other is thinking.

Courtesy of the Sitnick twins

Taylor and Sami Somach Q: How would you describe your twin?

Taylor: I would describe Sami as pretty outgoing, fun and sometimes rude. When I go in her room she always tells me to get out and she also always steals my clothes.

Sami: Taylor is really good at fixing things. She is also really good with technology and always helps around the house with that... She is her own individual and is indescribable.

Q: What is the worst and best quality of your twin?

Taylor: Sami’s worst quality is that she thinks she’s always right, and I can tell you now that a lot of the time she is not. However, Sami’s best quality is how dedicated she is with any kind of work she does. She always works to her fullest ability. I know Sami will succeed in life.

Sami: Taylor’s worst quality is that she’s extremely stubborn. There are things that she should not have received in life, but she did because she is so persistent. My favorite thing about Taylor is her laugh. Her laugh is funnier than all the jokes she tells.

Q: What is the best part of having a twin?

Taylor: I think that the best part of having a twin is that when I am bored and in my room, I can peep into Sami’s room. You are never bored if you don’t want to be.

Sami: I think it’s the closet. It has some nice clothes that I love to take. We have a big walk-in closet that conjoins our rooms together. Also, there is always someone there.

Q: Do you have twin telepathy?

Sami: Yes! Whenever Taylor is listening to something, I’ll just think of it. Once time Taylor was listening to the soundtrack of Divergent, and all of the sudden the song just popped into my head. It’s hard to explain, but [twin telepathy] exists.

Taylor: Sometimes Sami will hear the song I am playing and say, “I was just thinking of that.”

Courtesy of the Somach twins

Maggie and Susannah Balderstone Q: How would you describe your twin?

Maggie: Susannah is determined, but she is also kind of kooky and crazy. She makes me laugh. Susannah is a good sister.

Susannah: Maggie is very smart and makes good decisions.

Maggie: I wouldn’t say the same about you.

Susannah: Maggie is nice most of the time.

Q: What is the worst and best quality of your twin?

Maggie: I think Susannah is a very hard worker. She works for what she wants. I really admire that about her. I think [Susannah’s] worst quality is that she is very disorganized, as am I. It’s just a shared trait. Sometimes [being unorganized] is an issue for Susannah.

Susannah: The best quality of [Maggie] is that she is loyal. I know she will have my back no matter what happens. However, Maggie’s worst quality is patience. She has no patience.

Q: What is the best part of having a twin?

Maggie: Sussanah and I have always had each other. We are going through the same things together and we are going through the same experiences. It’s nice to lean on each other.

Susannah: I’ve always had a friend. Everywhere we went, I always had someone to be with.

Q: Do you have twin telepathy?

Susannah: Sometimes. We understand what each other means without using words.

Maggie: And at times we do the twin thing when we say the same thing.

Courtesy of the Balderstone twins

June 2020

SENIORS ‘20 EASTSIDE

Double Trouble: Senior twins at East reflect on their experiences

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While multiple sets of twins have been featured, not all of the senior twins are highlighted in this issue.

Due to their request, some senior twins are not included in this section of the Senior Pages.

Jordyn and Nicole Wolf

Courtesy of the Wolf twins

Q: How would you describe your twin?

Jordyn : She’s very passionate about certain topics.

Nicole: She is more of the creative one, has the artistic eye.

Q: What’s the best and worst quality of your twin?

Nicole: She always says things that somebody else said two minutes ago and thinks she is original. Always. She brings things up in conversations that were just said because she wasn’t listening.

Jordyn: She thinks she is right about everything… but she’s not.

Q: What is the best part of having a twin?

Jordyn: Sometimes we team up against our parents... it’s like a little sidekick.

Q: Do you have twin telepathy?

Jordyn: It depends on the situation.

Nicole: Sometimes it’s funny when we say the same thing at the same time. It doesn’t happen often, though.

Jordyn: Sometimes we can give each other a look and we know we are thinking the same thing. But like everyone has that.

Averey and Jaden Esposito Q: How would you describe your twin?

Averey: Very caring, kind hearted but can also be very protective of me.

Jaden: She’s nice and sweet but can also be annoying sometimes.

Averey: Yeah, he can be annoying too.

Q: What is the worst and best quality of your twin?

Averey: The best probably is how protective he is and...worst is how mean he can be sometimes.

Jaden: Averey’s best quality is she is a loving person, but her worst is that she can get really condescending and it’s just terrible.

Averey: Thank you, Jaden.

Q: What is the best part of having a twin?

Averey: It’s like a best friend.

Jaden: Sure.

Q: Do you have twin telepathy?

Averey: No. Jaden: No.

Aliza and Lee Kotzen

Courtesy of the Esposito twins

Q: How would you describe your twin?

Aliza: Lee and I are polar opposites. He is so much more funny than I am. He is a better driver… he is a lot quieter and we just have different interests. He is really good at building things and coming up with plans, and he is just really good at math and science and I just am not.

Lee: I think we have a lot of different interests, but I don’t think we are polar opposites. We just have similar personalities. She laughs at most of the same stuff I laugh at unless I make a really offensive joke.

Q: What is the worst and best quality of your twin?

Aliza: Lee is so messy. It is actually disgusting. I will go down to his room and he will have popcorn bags. It is disgusting.

Lee: I would say for Aliza… if she wakes up in a bad mood, she is then cranky for days at a time. If she wakes up in a bad mood, you do not want to talk to her for at least a week later.

Aliza: Lee is always there for me and he is always supportive. He would come to all my stuff and he was the one who wanted to plan a big celebration when I got into the Coast Guard. He is very, very supportive.

Lee: She is really caring and really passionate, so she never half does something, which is important for all types of things in life.

Q: What is the best part of having a twin?

Aliza: I never have to be alone. Like I have a partner in crime and I have someone like a friend all the time. I mean, my whole life I have never been alone, I have just had him to be by my side, to rationalize things, to tell me something if it actually looks good or tell me if it is stupid.

He is just always there.

Lee: The same thing. It is just a stronger bond than a regular sibling, plus it helps being around a girl my whole life as I never really had that awkward phase...where I couldn’t talk to girls.

Q: Do you have twin telepathy?

Aliza: Okay, so, one time— Lee: No Aliza: One time in fifth grade, I was thinking something about Hawaiian volcanoes and next thing Lee said was about that and it was totally obscure. And it has happened like a few times, I think there is some sort of connection, but he denies it.

Courtesy of the Kotzen twins Lee: We have no powers whatsoever.

Rachel and Spenser DuBois

Q: How would you describe your twin?

Rachel: Spenser cares more for others than he does himself. He is very kind hearted. He is intelligent and athletic.

Spenser: Rachel is nice when she wants to be. She is very athletic and determined. Also, she knows what she wants. If she has a goal, she is going to meet it.

Q: What is the worst and best quality of your twin?

Spenser: Rachel’s worst quality would be that she gets really mad...easily.

Rachel: Well, Spenser doesn’t know how to shut up.

Spenser: Rachel’s best quality would be that when she sets a goal, she is going to go for it. For example, if she wanted to get straight A’s, she’d put in 110% effort and try to get straight A’s.

Rachel: Spenser’s best quality would be his kind heart. If others need help, he will always be there to help.

Q: What is the best part of having a twin?

Rachel: Being able to build what some people call that “best friend relationship.” I am always able to have someone by my side.

Spenser: The best part about having a twin is knowing that you’ll always have someone to fall back on. If I do not know anyone in a certain situation, I know that Rachel will always be there for me to talk to.

Q: Do you have twin telepathy?

Rachel: No, because we are polar opposites.

Spenser: I agree with Rachel. We do not have twin telepathy. We are polar opposites.

Courtesy of the DuBois twins

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SENIORS ‘20 EASTSIDE

June 2020

Double Trouble: Senior twins at East reflect on their experiences Shivam and Shivang Patel Q: How would you describe your twin?

Shivam: He is a goofy guy. A really goofy guy. He is really kind and he is always there for me to talk and stuff.

Shivang: He is very understanding and when I need help, he is always there to help me out.

Q: What is the worst and best quality of your twin?

Shivam: He can be really annoying sometimes.

Shivang: My brother can get really angry, for no reason.

Shivam: He is always happy.

Shivang: My brother always has my back, and I really like that about him.

Q: What is the best part of having a twin?

Shivam: Probably... you share the same experiences, you go through the same things everyday and you always have someone to talk to, if you don’t feel like you can talk to anyone else.

Q: Do you have twin telepathy?

Shivang: Yes. We cannot tell what the other is thinking, most of the time, but we can guess 90% of the time.

Courtesy of the Patel twins Shivam: And when I start to say something, he will know what I am about to say.

Macey and Drew Baran

Q: How would you describe your twin?

Drew: The complete opposite of me.

Macey: That’s true. He got no nervous genes. He is so laid back. It is infuriating.

Drew: I mean, she is not wrong.

Q: What is the worst and best quality of your twin?

Drew: Macey is really stubborn.

Macey: Drew has a temper. He is so mean when he is mad. One wrong move and he is ready to beat you.

Drew: Oh, Macey’s artistic ability is fantastic.

Macey: Drew is a very caring and generous individual. I will not lie. I won’t.

Q: What is the best part of having a twin?

Drew: Ooh, Macey, I am going to let you have this one. It is like having a sibling with extra steps.

Macey: True. I always have someone to sit with if I need someone to sit with at school.

Drew: Oh, yeah. That is true. I mean that and someone to complain about the same grade.

Macey: That’s true. I do complain a lot about his friends to him. Just kidding, I would never complain about anyone.

Drew: Of course. Why would we ever do that? That is ridiculous, Macey.

Macey: I know, I am just so, dare I say, saint-like?

Q: Do you have twin telepathy?

Drew: Every time!

Macey: The only time we ever shared any thoughts similar to each other...

Drew: There is that one time that Dad asked us to say the same word at the same time and we looked him in the eye and called him stupid, at the exact same time.

Macey: He didn’t like that one.

Courtesy of the Baran twins

Ajay and Akshay Shah

Courtesy of the Shah twins

Q: How would you describe your twin?

Akshay: Special?

Ajay: Yeah, special.

Q: What is the worst and best quality of your twin?

Akshay: Annoying.

Ajay: Yeah, you are pretty annoying. He is an instigator.

Akshay: I can always count on [Ajay] to be there?

Q: What is the best part of having a twin?

Ajay and Akshay: Built-in friend.

Ajay: For sure, built-in friend.

Q: Do you have twin telepathy?

Ajay: Yeah, it depends. Sometimes.

Akshay: Yeah...

Ajay: Sometimes we get the same answers for tests, even if we are sitting in opposite parts of a room. I would say that is a big one.

Meghna and Josh Thomas Q: How would you describe your twin?

Meghna: There a lot of adjectives to describes [Josh]. He is very headstrong, persistent and opinionated.

Josh: For Meghna, I would like to say she likes to procrastinate. She is very nice and friendly, accepting, but the procrastination, if there is one word to describe her, it would be procrastination.

Q: What is the worst and best quality of your twin?

Josh: I think I already said this, but the procrastination. She should probably work on it during college, and the best quality, I already said it. She is really accepting. She is willing to hear different perspectives and she is open-minded. She listens to everyone’s opinions.

Meghna: I would say that sometimes, Josh can be very black and white about his opinions.

Josh: Yeah, I would say that, too.

Meghna: You are not really aceepting of others. Well, he can be. I think with me he is very black and white, with others he is not. But, he is also extremely loyal and caring. He always wants what is best for others and you can see what path someone has to take. You always want what is best for those you care about.

Q: What is the best part of having a twin?

Josh: I mean, it’s like... having someone who understands me. We are on the same page. We for the most part have had the same work to do.

Meghna: Like, if I am struggling with math -- I am really awful at math -- so he helps me.

Josh: So, I [stink] at English and she helps me with that. It is really helpful to have someone your age who understands what you’re going through.

Q: Do you have twin telepathy?

Meghna: I think sometimes we do.

Josh: Yeah. I can tell when she is feeling down. I just look at her face and just know. We have been around each other for so long, we know what to expect from each other and when something is not right.

Meghna: Sometimes, even in the little ways. Whenever you feel weird, I go oh, I was thinking that, too. I mean that probably happens to everyone, but it happens to us often.

Courtesy of the Thomas twins

June 2020

EASTSIDE

Page 7

Page 8

SENIORS ‘20 EASTSIDE

June 2020

A look back on the Class of 2020’s wild ride to June 2020 The seniors went through potentially the craziest four years ever at Cherry Hill East. In their time as students, East had numerous controversies, an abundance of construction and other unique moments/trends.

Plus, the school headlined national news and got cancelled by a pandemic. While some events are more important than others, all of them add to the roller coaster ride of the Class of 2020.

The “concert” was an insane introduction to high school for the Class of 2020. Alex Young (‘17) was blasting music along with his friend Mike Harding (‘17) on the brick elevated surface as hundreds of students surrounded them.

This took over both lunch breaks and even went into the first period after lunch when the two claimed security was not allowed to touch them.

The controversy around the use of racial slurs in Cherry Hill East’s performance of “Ragtime” was definitely a crazy time that won’t be forgotten for the Class of 2020. The controversy made local news as the Cherry Hill community debated and finally decided that the show would be performed as it was written. This was the only time in the Class of 2020’s four years that a play was performed during school hours for all students to attend free of cost.

The walkout is the definition of a crazy moment at Cherry Hill East. Hundreds of students got up and left their classes to unite over school safety. Between the outdoor protest and the chaotic assembly in the auditorium afterwards, no one in the Class of 2020 will ever forget the walkout.

The cancellation of the Maître Gims concert perfectly exemplifies the Class of 2020’s luck. After the French Department put immense time and effort into coming into contact with Gims, internal problems with his management caused the rapper to cancel. While many did not even know who he was, the abundance of promotion led to school-wide intrigue and, of course, it didn’t happen.

Walking through any part of the school last year was always crazy, whether it was walking down the hall, into a classroom or even into the bathroom, a pair of Googly eyes were always watching. The trend started with Lucas Tran (‘20) and a few friends but ended up catching the eyes of all of the Class of 2020 and all of the school.

This year Antonio Valentine (‘20) acquired the attention of nearly the whole school. After promoting a gathering of students in Cafeteria 2 for a video on his social media, an extensive number of people joined together in the Caf. Chants of “fan love” and more went down for nearly the entire lunch break.

While our loss is insignificant compared to the worldly implications of the virus, the Class of 2020 undeniably got unlucky with its timing. The four months every student looks forward to since freshman year got taken away so abruptly over something so unimaginable. Looking back on the last four years, there is no doubt the COVID-19 pandemic was the craziest thing to happen.

Art by Jessica Celani (‘21)/ Eastside Staff Photos courtesy of Mike Harding (‘17), Claire Joanson (‘19), Jacob Kernis (‘20)/ Eastside Managing Editor, Andrew Maier (‘20)/Eastside Photo Editor and Karissa Murray (‘20)/Eastside Community Editor

June 2020

SENIORS ‘20

EASTSIDE

Page 9

On Eastside: EICs and Managing Editor reflect Ali Koenig: On saying goodbye to a place

How on earth do you say goodbye to a place?

I have grown up in F087, but F087 has grown up with me, too. The room has transformed in subtle ways since that open house in 2016, when I first poked my head in the door. There was a couch. There were stuffed monkeys all over the room and a small office, jam-packed with random belongings, that seriously could have used a dusting.

There was a whiteboard, covered in unfamiliar handwriting.

Four years later, and F087 looks a bit different. The couch is gone — I found it this past summer outside of the school in a pile to be hauled away. I’ve contributed a monkey of my own, and I’ve swept, dusted and reorganized the office. The handwriting on the whiteboard is mine.

In those tiny ways, I have left my mark on F087. And yet, who knows how long it’ll last? If there’s anything I’ve learned in this hurricane of a senior year, cliche as it is, it’s that nothing is permanent, for better or for worse. Dust gathers, dry-erase marker can be wiped away. Gagz will get more monkeys, and he can always buy another couch.

But what will not change, even after the marker is erased and the dust has settled, is the equal mark that F087, and my time within it, has left on me.

A collection of colorful cotton T-shirts with sayings that won’t make sense to anyone else, a binder on how to be a good managing editor, a pile of newspapers and plaques and certificates: all physical items that I will bring home from F087 when I finally leave.

A hotel room, in Dallas and Chicago and DC, full of light and laughter and different people every year. A shoulder to sneakily nap on after a long day at the journalism convention. A date to my sophomore cotillion and junior prom.

A whisper in my ear, a smile across the room, a hand on my shoulder as I sit at the computer. These memories, these invisible marks will stay with me when my Eastside shirts no longer fit, when the newspapers with my name on them have wrinkled and yellowed. The place is special, yes, but it wouldn’t be without the people I’ve shared it with.

So to next year’s editors, and all those to come, share it. The marks you make mean so little when you make them alone, and mean so much when made together. Make your marks. Make your memories.

The best way, it seems, to say goodbye to a place is to never say goodbye to those in it with you.

Ali Koenig (‘20)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief

Aine Pierre: On a wonderful, uneditable story

Aine Pierre (‘20)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief

The names and faces on the pages of the senior issue are now the ones I’ve seen and heard for 12 years, and the picture beside the second EIC reflection from the top is not Nafessa’s, not Sari’s, not Ashley’s, but mine. It’s a Thursday morning and I should be in school, but I’m at home typing into an empty text box; I’ve just deleted my 17th draft.

Something you learn very quickly as an editor is that you live in a world that is entirely unedited and disordered.

Time never stops for deadlines; you can’t proofread the weather; the only words you get to rewrite are the ones you haven’t said. Once an issue is published, the journalistic triumphs and the grammatical errors are there forever.

For all the copyediting I have done for Eastside, for all of the layouts I have worked on, I cannot edit out the mistakes I have made, the times I wish I spent better, the times I seemingly wandered in the darkness, or the time I slipped on the water puddle in F087 and everyone laughed at me (still love y’all). The silver lining, though, is that within the imperfect text of my four years in Eastside lie all the things that made those years the best they could be. Debates with my fellow editors, bantering with Gagz, layout day jam sessions, lunch breaks full of running to catch up with a source, unsung heroes, persons of the year, 5 a.m. alarm clocks, conventions filled with laughter and lessons I’ll never forget. All of those make for one heck of a story, even if the grammar is kind of wonky sometimes.

In life, you rarely get the luxury of an 18th draft. The time that passes only comes around for a short, inescapable once. Memories become phrases etched in the story of your life, and the glory of it all is that at any time, we can curl up with our book of memories and read.

To the editors that come after, to Eastside’s beautiful next chapter: make your book of memories worth reading, and always remember to reread when you can’t rewrite. To Gagz and my fellow seniors; I know our paths will cross again (on that note, someone get Graff ’s and my future political science teachers some counseling).

In all seriousness, though, as I say goodbye to East, Eastside and F087, it brings me a great sense of peace to know I can always find Eastside in the friendly confines of those uneditable pages we have created together.

Samantha Roehl: On finding yourself in Eastside It took me a long time to find my place at East. During my underclassman years I bounced between clubs and electives, searching for a place to call home. And then I joined Eastside.

Junior year was a whirlwind of due dates and AP classes and page layouts. But I felt like what I was doing mattered. Eastside kept me going through hard classes and a lot of sleep deprivation. It was a year of many firsts: my first journalism convention, first editorial, first distribution day. It was a year of ups and downs, but also one of growth and perseverance and the indescribable beauty of Graff and Aine debating in homeroom.

Senior year, too, was beautiful. I worked on pages after school, the clacking of the keyboard and the buzz of the fluorescent lights keeping me company. (Along with Aine, Ali and Kernis, of course). I pursued some passion projects and many necessary-for-the-paper projects. When school closed, we never expected it to be for the rest of the school year. I wish I had savored the moments more, could pinpoint the last time I signed off on a page or logged onto the computers. I wish I hadn’t gotten sick and missed our last layout day. I wish I could be in F087, not as a guest and not as an alum, just one more time.

Despite my melancholy, Eastside has been the best part of my high school experience by far. I have had the honor of working with two different boards full of brilliant, genuine and caring people. I have had the opportunity to write stories that I believe in. And I have become a better person because of it.

I already miss the yellowing papers on the walls, Gagz’s board of Mia pictures, the way the desks never seem to be in the right order. I miss Eli riding his scooter in homeroom and editorial debates and getting to school at 6:45 to distribute. I miss running to get from Journalism to Forensics before the bell and story pitches that always take longer than they should.

I thought we would have more time in F087. We should have had more time. Though I have done some of my best work during the pandemic, I would trade it all for the 60 more days we were supposed to have of school.

All that being said, I do believe we have risen to the occasion and I am so very proud of us. To the Eastside board of 2019-2020: We worked so well with the hand we were dealt, and I am honored to have been part of this. I don’t know what the future holds, but I believe in us, and I believe in Eastside. Stay strong, stay safe, and I can’t wait to see you all again.

Samantha Roehl (‘20)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief

Jacob Kernis: On four years of bonds and memories

Jacob Kernis (‘20)/ Eastside Managing Editor

Listening to Gagz talk about next year’s bonding, I still can’t believe that it’s been three years since I presented my first one. I was shaking as I stood in front of a group of upperclassmen to try to make a trip to Angelo’s sound at least slightly entertaining. Not only did the Powerpoint show minimal effort and it lasted, at most, four minutes, but I was also berated by everyone in the room for committing the cardinal sin of mistaking Diane’s for Rita’s. It still amazes me how many of those kids became the friends and mentors I largely modeled my time at East after.

But that is a testament to Eastside’s uniqueness. Eastside constitutes a feeling of togetherness and joy unlike anywhere else at Cherry Hill East. While I’m going to miss Gagz and the dozens of monkeys in FO87, I’ll never forget the countless friendships, lessons and memories that made my Eastside experience so special.

Being on three editorial boards was like being a part of three different families. Each one had its own challenges and strong suits, but all three were life-changing. For three years, no matter how boring or difficult my day was, I knew I had Block H to look forward to.

The memories I’ve made on board are things I’ll cherish forever. Between the amazing experiences at journalism conventions or the small everyday moments in class, it would be impossible for me to choose only a few to mention.

Just talking to different editors, making pages on layout day and writing for the Sports section are all things I took for granted. Now I’d do anything to get those back. I hope everyone on future boards appreciates the time they have with Eastside, as it seems like my years have gone by way too quickly. It feels like yesterday that my sophomore self was deathly afraid of Elissa, and now she’s giving me advice on classes at Michigan.

For the first time, writing this, it hit me — this farewell will be the last thing I ever write for Eastside. After all the articles written, the pages layed out and the memories made, this issue will be my last as a member of the Eastside Editorial Board. This hurts even more knowing my last piece and page layouts will come from the confines of my room instead of in FO87. While this is not what I pictured my last few months on board being, I owe Eastside a huge debt of gratitude for everything it’s given me. I cannot wait to see what next year’s board accomplishes.

Page 10

EASTSIDE

Best Morning Person: Harry Green & Cynthia Cheng

Most Studious: Shrey Dalwadi & Anthea Zhang

June 2020

SUPERLATIVES

Female LookAlikes: Izzy Rothberg & Isabella Witting

Biggest Book/ Reading Fanatic: Thomas Zieger & Samantha Roehl

Most Likely to Host a Talk Show: Thomas Zieger & Nala Jackson

Person Everyone Wants to Be: Antonio Valentine & Grace Yoon

Male Look-Alikes: Chris Lembo & Vicente Gracias

Most Likely to Become U.S. President: Oliver Adler & Shana Chen

June 2020

EASTSIDE

Most Creative: Andrew Maier & Val Bui

Most Polital-Savvy: Jacob Graff & Maia Venuti

Biggest Backpack: Ian Gorsen & Allie Rosen

Biggest Health/Fitness Fanatic: James Dirico & Faith Rosenblatt Best Musician: Shane Trainor & Mari Kimenker

Class Clown: Chris Scutti & Erica Tran

Prettiest Eyes: Zack Frye & Ashley Williams

Best Singer: Marco Porras & Alicia Cosenza

Most Likely to Take Gym Seriously/Go “All Out�: Perry Bernard & Maggie Balderstone

Most Memorable: Lucas Tran & Aine Pierre

Unsung Hero: John Schultz & Jael Madrid Most Likely to Save the World: John Schultz & Emily Mahaffy

Most Likely to Invent Something Unusual: Lucas Tran & Aditi Chintapalli

Most Enthusiastic: Sean Coen & Allie Rosen

Friendliest: Humza Hussain & Carly Robinson

Most Inspirational: Harry Green & Jaclyn Ehrlich

Best Hair: Jon Juta & Melani Mancheno Best to Bring Home to Mom and Dad: Jake Brooks & Nicole Benson

Biggest Heartthrob: Enrique Perez & Carsen Vespe

Best Actor/Actress: Marco Porras & Alicia Cosenza

Best Couple: Jackson Brookover & Karolyn Merch

Best Bromance: Sean Coen & Bobby Irwin

Most Likely to Succeed: Harry Green & Grace Yoon

Best Co-ed Friends: Oliver Adler & Naomi Korn

Best Person to Follow on Instagram: Lucas Tran & Ali Koenig

Most Positive: Thomas Zieger & Emily Mahaffy

Biggest Sports Fanatic: Adam Aaronson & Allie Rosen

Best Facial Hair: Suraj Depani Most School-Spirited: Sean Coen & Molly Phillips

Biggest Music Fanatic: Zaiden Ascalon & Izzy Neville

Best Laugh: Alex Tang & Tattiyana George

Best Snapchat Stories: Antonio Valentine & Carsen Vespe

Best Person to Follow on Twitter: Adam Aaronson & Allie Rosen

Most Likely to Possess Random Knowledge: John Schultz & Paige Myers Biggest TV/Movie Fanatic: Jacob Kernis & Macey Baran

Best Smile: Vicente Gracias & Carsen Vespe

Most Involved: Oliver Adler & Nicole Benson

Most Ambitious: Antonio Valentine & Grace Yoon

Most Tech-Savvy: Eli Weitzman & Aditi Chintapalli

Best Dressed: Clarke Augustin & Grace Rodriguez

Wittiest: Lee Kotzen & Shana Chen

Most Talkative: Jacob Graff & Farvah Hassan

Best Vocabulary: Harry Green & Samantha Roehl

Most Likely to Work at East: Liam Reilly & Cynthia Cheng

Most Well-rounded: Oliver Adler & Grace Yoon

Most Opinionated: Jacob Graff & Maia Venuti

Best Personality: Caleb Brukman & Shana Chen Funniest: Chris Scutti & Carsen Vespe

Most Outgoing: Sean Coen & Allie Rosen

Most Approachable: Caleb Brukman & Isabel Andino

Best Writer: Harry Green & Ali Koenig Most Artistic: Andrew Maier & Macey Baran

Page 11

Best BFFs: Sanjana Doshi & Alisha Patel

Most Avid Gamer: Fred Yi & Meggie Lin

Most Athletic: Oliver Adler & Grace Yoon

Most Likely to Pull an AllNighter on a School Night: Jack Connor & Lucy An

EDITORIAL

Page 12

EASTSIDE

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

Eastside names Radbill “Person of the Year”

For her dedication to as holding Zoom meetnot only do better for the Whether it’s how to bring East, her enthusiasm for ings to hear their opinions, community and others, but the ball down the field, how all of its activities, her efthoughts and concerns. also to also create a unique to pass an upcoming test forts in promoting school Overall, Radbill’s efforts and memorable experience or even a simple emotional spirit and her overall posito make sure Mr. East still for every student at East. check-in, Radbill has stutivity inside and outside occurs this year illustrates Radbill has also taken dents covered. the classroom, Eastside is her dedication and out-ofinitiative to organize Wing There is also a lot to be proud to present this year’s the box thinking regarding Bowl, another SGA-sponsaid about the power of Person of the Year award to her dedication to East and sored event where proceeds Radbill’s positive demeanMrs. Katie Kelly Radbill.

East activities. were given to Grow a Row or. Radbill lives her life Radbill, runner-up for Outside of these examand Cherry Hill Food Pangoverned by little acts of last year’s award (unbeples, Radbill demonstrates try. Previously, Wing Bowl positivity. Whether or not knownst to her), has you’re her consistently gone student, above and beyond her Radbill position as an Engwill allish teacher with her w a y s involvement in and share a revitalization of Stusmile and dent Government Asa warm sociation (SGA) and hello in her coaching work, the hallamong other things. way. Her This year, however, classroom Radbill has shown is always even more commitopen, for ment, even more class, for dedication and has a club enjoyed even more meeting success, making or even this an ideal year to just to award her this prestistop in gious honor. and get One example of some adher efforts this year vice. The Courtesy of Oliver Adler (‘20) is her foray into the positivity world of State SGA. Radbill and SGA officers cheer on the Cougars at a football game. that she Tyler Semon (‘21) sought her strong dedication to had been a highly anticishares with others is infecthe state presidency back East through her daily inpated event at East in the tious, and students can’t in January with Radbill’s volvement with SGA. While 2000s, but it faded due to stop themselves from feelfull support. Radbill wrote Radbill has been extremely lack of interest. However, in ing better after talking to a recommendation for active in many students’ 2018, Radbill led this event her. On a personal note, Semon, travelled with him lives, she has taken inito success for the first time Eastside’s editors have alto South Brunswick to attiative to lead clubs, like in years. She had successways appreciated the suptend pre-election meetings SGA, with much organizafully gathered contestants, port she has given on distriand helped garner support tion, enthusiasm and pasreached out to sponsors to bution day with her shouts for Semon among East’s sion. Whether it might be donate hundreds of wings, of “it’s Eastside Day!” SGA. discussing SGA-sponsored advertised this event and From inviting students Another example of Radevents, fundraisers or toy prepared prizes for the to paint their favorite book bill’s commitment to the drives, she always encourwinners. East owes the requotes on her wall, to makEast community has been ages students to give back emergence of this popular ing sure every student has her work in creating a virto the community. In each event almost entirely to a voice in class discustual Mr. East pageant after monthly lecture hall meetRadbill. sions, to her massive level its initial postponement ing, she ensures that ofRadbill’s successes outof involvement outside the due to COVID-19. Radbill, ficers and representatives side of the classroom still do classroom, Mrs. Katie Kelly in an attempt to keep an are on the right track to not end there. As the freshRadbill is the model of what event important to seniors organize their class events. man field hockey coach, a teacher, what a member after the cancellation of the Radbill has sacrificed an Radbill, or “Coach Kell,” of the East community and senior trip and senior prom, incredible amount of time welcomes all new Cougars what a member of the humade sure that Mr. East in hopes of revitalizing both with open arms. For some man race should be. She could still run. Instead of SGA and school spirit at East freshmen, fall preis selfless, caring and regiving up on Mr. East due East, displayed through the season sports are the true lentlessly positive, and she to the quarantine, she used new SGA constitution and beginning of high school. has a dedication and work the current situation to her her eagerness to share her Standing on the sidelines ethic that has accomplished advantage for the senior own sense of school spirit, for their first train run or much here at East. Eastclass and the contestants. something that started meeting the upperclassmen side looks forward to her She made sure to prepare when she was a student at can be daunting, but Radfuture successes and connot only the chairpersons East herself. Her signifibill brings these girls back gratulates her on earning but also the boys on what cant role in SGA shows her to earth, acting not only as this award. they were doing, as well efforts to guide students to a coach, but also as a friend.

It’s Mrs. Radbill Day.

Eastside 2019-2020 Editorial Board Community Editors Sami Bell Karissa Murray Sophia Sitnick

Photo Editors Jiseon Lee Andrew Maier

Sports Editors Lily Lazarus Amanda Merovitz Lalitha Viswanathan

Features Editors Defne Alpdogan Jacy Dickstein Emily Mahaffy

Video Editors Nate Pullano Sarah Zheng

Opinions Editors Jacob Graff Harry Green Jakob Silvert

Culture Editors Remy Abrams Giana Macarrella Angelina Witting

Online Editors Alexa Atlas Tomer Goldfinger Meghna Thomas

Cherry Hill High School East 1750 Kresson Road Cherry Hill, NJ 08003 Phone: (856) 4242222, ext. 2087

Eastside Online http://www.eastsideonline.org

Instagram @EastsideOnline Twitter @EastsideOnline Publisher

School Paper Express Wappingers Falls, NY Eastside’s Person of the Year is a multi-stage process, which involves members of Eastside’s Editorial Board discussing and voting at each stage.

The award originated in 2003 in order to recognize members of the school who have made a great impact on the East environment inside the classroom, outside of it or both.

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

Past Recipients: 2003: Mr. Matthew Carr 2004: Ms. Elizabeth McLeester 2005: Mr. Tony Mancini 2006: Ms. Marilyn DiCiurcio 2007: Mrs. Linda Heath 2008: Mr. Jonathon Strout 2009: Mr. Charles Musumeci 2010: Mr. Rick Friedman 2011: Mr. Gregory Rouen 2012: Mr. Pete Gambino 2013: Mr. Karl Moehlmann 2014: Ms. Gina Oh 2015: Mr. Tim Locke 2016: Mr. Joseph Dilks 2017: Mr. Bill Kovnat 2018: Mr. William Semus 2019: Mr. Tom Weaver

Contact the Board:

Managing Editor: Jacob Kernis Editors-in-Chief: Ali Koenig, Aine Pierre and Samantha Roehl Adviser: Mr. Greg Gagliardi News Editors Max Gaffin Bella Levin Lauren Smith

June 2020

Art Directors Lily Cohen Jeffrey Kaminer Webmaster Eli Weitzman Business Managers Jessica Levin Alex Levine

To contact a member of the Eastside Editorial Board via email, follow the format firstname. lastname@eastsideonline.org,” ie: aine. pierre@eastsideonline.org.

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

Introducing Eastside’s 2020-2021 Editorial Board...

Managing Editor: Jessica Levin; Editors-in-Chief: Remy Abrams, Sami Bell, Angelina Witting; News Editors: Ziv Amsili, Ziva Davis, Amanda Merovitz; Features Editors: Emily Boyle, Max Gaffin, Avi Shohat; Sports Editors: Nick Gangewere, Lalitha Viswanathan, Abby Yu; Opinions Editors: Naomi Bereketab, Brielle Lampf; Global Commentary Editors: Tomer Goldfinger, Aiden Rood; Community Editors: Jacy Dickstein, Scout Pullano, Alena Zhang; Culture Editors: Lily Lazarus, Bella Levin, Inesa Linker; Webmaster: Alexa Atlas; Online Editors: Jamie Bookbinder, James Kwak, Nicole Vital; Photo Editors: Vivian Rong, Yena Son; Art Directors: Jeffrey Kaminer, Melissa Vital; Video Editor: Marcus Newman; Business Managers: Spencer DeAbreu, Alex Levine

SENIORS ‘20

June 2020

EASTSIDE

Page 13

Photos by Andrew Maier (‘20)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Editor

A headline about the person The superpower of above me is... the person below me is...

I have beef with (Eastside editor) because...

I wish _____ was my coeditor this year.

My Eastside confession is...

Andrew Maier

Man charged for telling too many sarcastic jokes

Making people laugh hysterically

Eli because he’s the king of being caught in conflicts of interest

Nate

I’ve never brought food to layout day...

Giana Maccarella

Gru from “Despicable Me” turns into Big Chungus after consuming 100,000 Reese’s

telepathy

Nate because of his judgy yet dreamy eyes

Emily

I secretly love when Remy calls Angelina “Ang”

Karissa Murray

Giana accidentally curses in class

His cross

Andrew because he doesn’t believe in ghosts

Max

All deadlines were suggestions to me

Nate Pullano

Karissa Murray arrested for assaulting someone beacuse they wouldn’t tell her their zodiac sign

Calf workouts

Giana for trying to hug me in every class

Maier

I edited my convention documentary the day before it was due

Jacob Kernis

Lano.Visual gets sued by Louis Vuitton for stealing logo

Stealing the Captain’s Daughter

Lauren Smith because she’s always overcharging me for English homework

Harry Green

I skipped a whole day of sessions in Chicago

Jacob Graff

Kernis gets roasted in every class for being less famous than @wc_emily

Getting clout from his brother

Alexa for forcing me to listen to her biology bathroom story on multiple occasions

Max

Sports and Opinions got along real well this year

Harry Green

reservedness Man introduces, maintains his own train of thought for the first time in 18 years

Alexa because of her pronunciation of a certain teacher’s last name

Kernis

I stayed out until 5 a.m. the night before Quiz Bowl this year

Jake Silvert

Unidentified man robs Popeyes at gunpoint wearing Harvard sweater and cowboy hat

Deafening silence

Aine for violating Harry

Andrew

I’ve assigned art on Layout Day

Meghna Thomas

I’m very sorry Silvert but I never sent in a headline about you and so this is the one you’re getting

The ability to win any battle

I never sent in an an- Angelina swer to this question so my only beef is with myself

I don’t think Eastside Online would have blossomed as far as it had without the help of my coeditors, Alexa and Tomer

Samantha Roehl

Breaking: Meghna speaks in class

Being trans

Giana because I’m jealous of how shiny her hair is

Mia Gagliardi

I still don’t know how to use InDesign.

Aine Pierre

Roehl publishes longest novel ever written

Loving Apple

Graff for being incorrect on everything

April Saul

I’m the detective and everyone is the mafia

Eli Weitzman

First vegan president elected

Her knowledge

Jeff for using his offbrand Photoshop

Harry Green

I never learned how to use InDesign

Defne Alpdogan

Eli finally agrees that Apple is the better tech brand

Saving the turtles, one Andrew because he alstraw at a time most broke my finger

Lalitha

I applied to be a Sports editor

Emily Mahaffy

Defne develops cure for shortness-- but it’s not gluten free

The ability to control Max Gaffin

Eli because he beat me to the parking lot every day 4 and 6.

Ms. Dobromilski

I regret not joining Eastside sooner

Lauren Smith

Taking the world by storm!

Always knowing a good food spot or cool place to go to

Max because he always jokes around when I need him for layout, but he still does a great job!

Andrew

I miss the couch :(

Jiseon Lee

Lauren Smith becomes the first female to swim across the Delaware river

taking a bite out of anything she sees me eating next to her during journalism

Andrew Maier because he won’t tell me his secrets to taking the best sport photos

Sarah

I asked Sarah to take me to distribution day and then forgot to wake up in time, so I made her leave without me

Sarah Zheng

Shake Shack fires worker for Complimenting people giving out too many free burgers everyday in order to get rides

Graff because he won’t Jiseon get a new backpack

I left the tray of rice in my room’s fridge in DC when we ordered Chinese food

Sophia Sitnick

Zheng celebrates her cheeseburger-eating contest victory

creating the best @eastsideonline Instagram stories

Lily Cohen because she doesn’t watch The Office (yet)!

Jacy Dickstein

My favorite part of Layout Day is eating @jkoenigskreations!

Ali Koenig

Camp Canadensis names a new bunk after its biggest fan

sweeping with a horse’s head as a broom

Harry, Jiseon, Kernis and Aine since they never asked me to be on their Quiz Bowl team sophomore year

Jess Levin

I use the @eastsideonline insta to like my own photos

Lily Cohen

Breaking news: Koenig tries a new food and likes it!

knowing the tea before Alex because he Silvert it’s spilled scared Alexa, Amanda, Ali and I in DC

I’ve only been to one Layout Day... oops

Lily Cohen finally checks namesake into homeroom

painting watercolor scenes that look like photography

I ate five GoGo Squeez pouches one night at the convention in DC

Mr. Gagliardi

Photo

Anyone who eats at Tomer’s imposter the computer that I like to use because the keyboard has become awkwardly gross

SENIORS ‘20

Page 14

EASTSIDE

June 2020

CLASS OF 2020 THEN VS NOW: MOST AND LEAST CHANGED Mary Cherfane

Christopher Scutti

Golan Levy

LEAST CHANGED

MOST CHANGED

Sophia Nufable

Vicente Gracias

Aliza Kotzen

Art by Melissa Vital (‘22)/ Eastside Staff

Photo illustration by Eli Weitzman (‘20)/ Eastside Webmaster

Kurt Comber = The Grinch

Matan Malka = DJ Khaled Photos courtesy of Kurt Comber (‘20), Matan Malka (‘20), Elion Jance (‘20) and Aditi Doiphode (‘20)

Elion Jance = Jesus

Aditi Doiphode = Parveen Kaur

June 2020

SENIORS ‘20 EASTSIDE

Class of 2020 College Decisions

Page 15

Congrats to all students in the CHE Class of 2020!

The following list was compiled via posts on Instagram, Facebook and Google Classroom.

American University Lily Cohen Jeremy Sitnick Lily Yudis Arizona State University Dylan Altomonte Matt Iacono Jakob Michel Baruch College Tahsin Shadat Binghamton University Samuel Resnick Boston College Dilan Mada Boston University Sanjana Doshi Claire Wu Camden County College Michael Gualtieri Evie Jorgensen Jesse Keesal Alyssa Parke

Haverford College Adelma Argueta-Roman Hood College Nicolas Lopez Howard University Samira Garrick Indiana University Allison Graham Lexi Greenberg Nate Landau Rian Marcus Mara Muresan Julia Orel Ithaca College Thomas Zieger James Madison University Nick LaRusso Jordyn Wolf Kutztown University Isabella Rossetti Lafayette College Eddie Grant

Carnegie Mellon University Marco Porras Ali Shakir

Limestone College Susannah Balderstone

Case Western Reserve University Pallavi Goculdas Rebecca Kim

List College and Columbia University Rebecca Isenberg

Clark University Hannah Scott Connecticut School of Broadcasting Albert Panera Delaware Valley University Hailey Frasier Drexel University Radu Anghelache Jasmin Ban Ahmed Barry Jacob Bloom Erin Butler Jenna Chung Jiseon Lee Jim Murphy Charles Nemeth Omar Raja Lauren Smith Irene Sung Mohan Suri Prisha Tapiawala Duke University Kartik Pejavara Duquesne University Brianna Wons Eastern University Kristen Furlow Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Aliana Kovach Emory University Justin Shapiro Erasmus University Rotterdam Hugo Adriaenssens Farleigh Dickinson University Madison Bromke Flagler College Brigid Edwards Florida Institute of Technology Anthony Paul Florida International University Lucas Botelho Pettersen Florida State University Sydney Cicha Fordham University Cate Harding Georgetown University Mattieu Liebman Georgia Institute of Technology Tejas Raman Gwynedd Mercy University Camryn Andrey Harvard University Oliver Adler Harry Green Grace Yoon

Loyola University Maryland Michaela Kennedy Kylie Preihs Joshua Thomas Michigan State University Sean Gabaly Tattiyana George Sami Somach Millersville University Claire Wang Monmouth University Madelyn Altman Rebecca Winslow Montclair State University Spenser Dubois Wai Han Li Isabel Orengo Mount Holyoke College Mihoko Zhang Muhlenberg College Isabella Deutsch Gregory Krol Neumann University Matthew Randall New York University Jackson Fuedtner Victoria Khan Marinel Kimenker Jiahao Zhou Norfolk State University Dominique Brown Andrayah Fitzgerald-Holmes Northeastern University Rachel Rouff Nova Southeastern University Madison Ford Oberlin College Maggie Balderstone Pennsylvania State University Charles Bannett Jackson Brookover Alexa Budman Andrew Maier Hannah Miller Ben Starkman Samuel Stofman Cole Weinberg Princeton University Noah Bereketab Shana Chen Anthea Zhang Rider University Bobby Irwin Mike Treglia Rowan College at Burlington County Zaiden Ascalon Drew Baran Nicolas Cinaglia Danielle Coolahan Bethany Escobar Sarah Grout Catilin Hallinan Gabrielle Hanover

RCBC (cont.)

Gabrielle Hawkinson Jon Juta Carly Kolmins Jonathan Lombardi Kat Maslak Rowan University Jeremy Abate Soha Aslam Mitchell Cassel Matthew Costello Robert Cutler Shrey Dawaldi Arnav Goel Nicolas Grillo Farvah Hassan Jacob Holland Adil Kahleeli Tajae Keels Harris Khan Alice Kolychev Lee Kotzen Sean Meyers Ananya Nanavaty Mya Parks Morgan Pierce William Quay Madison Rappaport John Schultz Ryan Skloff Mia Tahan Yanelli Villegas Ashley Williams Gia Wizeman Rutgers UniversityCamden Val Bui Veronica Conway Joey DelPercio Isabella Horn Devin Judilla Caroline Kelly Ryan Klinger Giana Maccarella Matan Malka Waliya Rahman Christopher Scutti Amy Son Orgelys Vasquez Isabella Witting Rutgers UniversityNew Brunswick Niki Bautista Brianna Canzano Dylan Cardea Joyce Chan Alex Cherfane Christina Cruz Emily Finnegan Keara Greer Nam Hoang Linda Hoang Jenny Huang Adam Katinsky Ori Liba Lynette Lim Meggie Lin Emily Mahaffy Elizabeth Mayo Kevin Ng Jessica Paritsky Alisha Patel Madeline Podolnick Rebecca Raush Jerin Ria Alex Tang Lucas Tran Sarah Zheng Saint Joseph’s University Nicole Benson Isabela Cepero Chloe Fritzche Sophia Leone Salisbury University Nicole Wolf Seton Hall University Ava Cammisa Meghna Thomas Shippensburg University Jared Achuff St. Edwards University Isaiah Adkins Stevens Institute of Technology Lily Stanwyck Stevenson University Miranda Russ Stockton University Mary Cherfane Maddison Costello Colin Cunningham Samuel Gelfenson Dan Habina Delaney Kunkle Angel Ly Amanda Susterowitz Shane Trainor Eli Weitzman

Syracuse University Averey Esposito Vicente Gracias Allie Rosen Jilly Wulwick Temple University Adam Aaronson Isabella Bentivogli Kimberlee Cliver Humza Hussain Julianne Kotch Nate Pullano Samantha Roehl Angel Torio Carsen Vespe Jack Weisner Texas State University Alicia Consenza The College of New Jersey Molly Berlin Erica Bocco Harrison Brier Emily Dirienzo Ian Gorsen Noah Greenspun John Kim Claire Kim Juwon Park Aneesh Reddy Zac Sheppard Maia Venuti Cindy Wang The Ohio State University Ryan Greene Maxwell Haught Jakob Silvert Emma Wolf Thomas Jefferson University Isabel Andino Suraj Depani Christina Farley Riley Gallagher Joseph Ingrassia Jael Madrid Alma Martinez An Nguyen Obinna Okorie Ji Hyon Shin Towson University Naomi Abrams Jessica Gurst Marisa Weinberg

University of Maryland Keva Singhal Emily Steele University of Miami Clarke Augustin University of Michigan Jacob Kernis Simon Miller University of New Haven Borey Petroff-Rims University of Oregon Samuel Hershman University of Pennsylvania Lucy An Jake Brooks Aditi Chintapali Aditi Doiphode Naomi Korn Jeffrey Xi University of Pittsburgh Cynthia Cheng Akshita Sharma Lily Turner University of Rhode Island Rebecca Greenbaum University of South Carolina Emily Collins Matt Sulpizio University of South Florida Jacob Noble University of Tampa Jaden Esposito Karolyn Merch University of the Arts Macey Baran University of the Sciences Debbie Goldberg University of Wisconsin Nicole Austin Zachary Golden Faith Rosenblatt

Tulane University Molly Phillips

Ursinus College Liam Reilly Christian Torres

United States Air Force Jameel Worthy

Vanderbilt University Alvin Eisner

United States Coast Guard Academy Aliza Kotzen

Villanova University Sean Coen

United States Military Academy at West Point Paul Bruce Edward Zhang University of Alabama Jane Lipsett University of CaliforniaSan Diego Shaina Kramer University of Central Florida Jaclyn Ehrlich University of Colorado Taylor Somach University of Connecticut Defne Alpdogan University of Delaware Perry Bernard Ryan Boyle Caleb Brukman Josh Bryan Francesca Crawley Maya Jacobs Rachel Jaffe Sydney Krupnick Sophia Sitnick Michael Wheeler Josie Williams Jacob Yankowitz

Virginia Military Institute Kurt Comber Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Mike Bowe Yianni Fifis Aidan Ford Sean Roth Aidan Simms Wake Forest University Jacob Graff Chris Lembo Aine Pierre Walnut Hill College Marly Gates Kendall Rooks Washington University in St. Louis Alison Koenig Noah Vermes Matthew Weinberg West Chester University Christian Alcamo Rachel Dubois Sydney Gaffin Ciara Ortiz Kylie Shiroff West Virginia University Ryan Cherfane Zachary Frye

University of Hartford Lauren Abrams Isabel Rothberg

Widener University Vivian Do Madison Nilsen Elaina Rivera

University of Kansas Suzy Kramar Dylan Lever

Xavier University Brianna DiSanti

University of Maryland Maddy Kagan Christopher Kohut Carly Robinson

Page 16

SENIORS ‘20 EASTSIDE

East Experience

East

Quarantine

Online Learning

Teacher/Faculty Superlatives Most Active in Students’ Lives, Most Talkative and Friendliest - Ms. Barr Most Energetic, Most Interesting Personality and Most Memorable - Mr. Winegrad Most Influential and Most Passionate - Mr. Locke Most Intellectual - Mr. Semus Most Organized - Ms. Cunningham Most Parental, Most School Spirited and Best Advice Giver - Ms. Nicolazzo-Dollarton Best Catchphrase - Mr. Pierlott (“Remember somebody loves you.”)

Best Dressed - Mr. Vann Best Hair - Mr. Connolly Best New Addition - Ms. Shjarback Best Substitute - Mr. Young Friendliest - Mr. Duffield Funniest - Mr. deWolf

June 2020

June 2020

SENIORS ‘20 EASTSIDE

Page 17

Eastside’s Athletes of the Year 2019-2020 Oliver Adler

Accomplishments

Lily Lazarus (‘22), Eastside Sports Editor: What does winning Athlete of the Year mean to you?

Cross Country 2019:

Oliver Adler (‘20): I’ve been very fortunate over the years to witness a lot of amazing athletic feats of other members of the senior class, such as the champion swimmers and my former basketball teammates. Having been recognized as competing at the same level as those athletes make me feel extremely honored and humbled. On a personal level, winning this award makes me proud of how far I’ve come as an athlete and the commitment I have made to improve myself.

First Team All-State First Team All-South Jersey Indoor Track 2020: First place - Group IV State Championship First Place - Group IV South Sectional Championship 4:23.28 full mile (4:21.75 when converted to 1600 meters), breaking East’s indoor mile and 1600-meter records

LL: Why do you love the sport you participate in?

OA: I love running for two reasons. For one, I’m surrounded by people who encourage me to seek the most out of myself as an athlete.

Being around positive and driven athletes and coaches has allowed me to succeed in the sport. The determination and drive of those around me ties into my other reason for loving running: I can see my progress in practice and in races. This progress has also become evident during practices, as I’m now able to complete longer and faster workouts than I could a year ago.

Grace Yoon Lalitha Viswanathan (‘22), Eastside Sports Editor: What does winning Athlete of the Year mean to you?

Grace Yoon (‘20): Winning Athlete of the Year is a huge honor, especially considering all of the talented athletes at East. I am proud to represent East in this way and am really thankful for the opportunity of doing so over the past four years.”

9th-fastest time in NJ for the 2020 indoor season Qualified for New Balance Indoor Nationals and the Penn Relays, which were both canceled due to Covid-19 Courtsey of Oliver Adler (‘20)

Honorable Mentions: Jackson Brookover (‘20), Swimming; Zach Frye (‘20), Football; Eddie Grant (‘20), Soccer; Jake Green (‘22), Basketball; Ryan Greene (‘20), Basketball; Mike Wheeler (‘20), Football. * Not including Spring Sports 2020 Accomplishments Co-Captain of East’s team First Team All-South Jersey 100 breaststroke First Team All-State 200 Medley Relay and 400 Freestyle Relay Second Team All-State 200 IM NISCA All-American Automatic Qualifier NJSIAA Cherry HIll East Scholar Athlete East Record Holder in 4 individual events and 2 relays Bill Maschke Scholar Athlete

LV: What was your favorite moment from the previous season and why?

GY: The obvious highlight to our season was winning the state championship. East had not won a girls’ state championship for twenty years, so this win meant a lot to the East swimming community. We were up against the previously best team in New Jersey for the past four years, and everyone went above and beyond. It ultimately came down to the last event, so that was easily the most exciting and memorable moment in my swimming career. However, I definitely had a lot of fun memories throughout the season besides this. I always had a lot of fun sitting with Isabel Andino on the bus and going to pasta parties, especially the one right before state finals.

Winning two events at the Meet of Champs this year

LL: What was your favorite moment from the previous season and why?

OA: The moment that stuck out to me the most was winning the Group IV State Championship in the 3200-meter run. I was disqualified from the same race last year when I was five meters from winning, leaving me heartbroken and unsure about my future in running. In fact, this winter’s Group IV meet panned out very similarly to the year before, as through the finish, I was right beside the same opponent who had edged me out.

However, a final surge and a lean this year allowed me to seize the victory. Winning felt like a culmination of all the sacrifices that I’ve made for my team and for my sport over four years.

LL: How do you possess leadership qualities within the sport?

OA: Before anything else, I don’t ask my teammates to do anything that I wouldn’t do myself. I try to do my best to set an example for them in how I work to improve myself as a student and athlete. I’m not just focused on how everyone is doing between the hours of 2:30-5:00, but I stress the importance of what we do outside of athletics. We’re constantly talking about the things that we all can do to improve ourselves as students and as athletes. with Karolyn Merch, Brianna DiSanti and Annie Behm was really special because we had been a relay together for the past three years and each year we were able to grow closer and get better as a team.

LV: Why do you love the sport you participate in?

GY: Swimming is a great sport because you are able to learn so many valuable lessons that are important outside of the sport. There are a lot of moments that make swimming more than just a sport. Also, while it can be a relatively individual sport, there are so many moments that allow you to create meaningful bonds with teammates that will last for a very long time.

LV: How do you possess leadership qualities within the sport?

Andrew Maier (‘20)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Honorable Mentions: Maggie Balderstone (‘20), Basketball; Annie Behm (‘21), Swimming; Pallavi Goculdas (‘20), Tennis; Aliza Kotzen (‘20), Cross Country/Track; Mary Kate McCurdy (‘21), Cross Country/Track; Faith Rosenblatt (‘20), Soccer. * Not including Spring Sports 2020

GY: I am really fortunate in that I had a lot of people to look up to throughout my swimming career. I am thankful to have been surrounded by great leaders and role models because that helped me become a better swimmer and person. In that, everyone knows that they are a part of something bigger than themselves, which was really apparent throughout our entire season. Taking advantage of that mentality to make a really cohesive team is one of the ways that my fellow seniors and I were leaders this year.

Answers: 1)Lee Kotzen, 2) Alice Kolychev, 3) Daniel Habina, 4) Sean Meyers, 5) Paige Myers, 6) Emily Mahaffy, 7) Allie Rosen, 8) Sophia Sitnick, 9) Lauren Smith, 10) Vivian Do, 11) Jael Madrid, 12) Gia Wizeman, 13) Sydney Cicha, 14) Maddy Kagan, 15) Nicole Benson, 16) Harry Green, 17) Erica Bocco, 18) Pallavi Goculdas, 19) Oliver Adler, 20) Jon Juta 21) Joyce Chan, 22) Kevin Rickansrud, 23) Joshua Radjavitch, 24) Tahsin Shadat, 25) Lily Cohen, 26) Harrison Klein, 27) Julia Orel, 28) Molly Phillips, 29) Morgan Pierce, 30) Christian Torres, 31) Jeffrey Xi, 32) Samantha Roehl, 33) Vicente Gracias, 34) Anika Roy, 35) Christina Farley, 36) Jacob Kernis, 37) Jess Gurst, 38) Alexa Budman, 39) Skylar Shadduck, 40) Simon Miller, 41) Ryan Cherfane Collage by Jacy Dickstein (‘22) and Jess Levin (‘22)/ Eastside Features Editor and Eastside Business Manager

Answers:

37.

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30.

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33.

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EASTSIDE

June 2020

SENIORS ‘20

Answers: 42) Patricia Fifi, 43) Obinna Okorie, 44) Alicia Cosenza, 45) Alisha Patel, 46) Madison Nilsen, 47) Christopher Kohut, 48) Jake McManmon, 49) Jarren Andrade, 50) Sarah Zheng, 51) Justin Shapiro, 52) Perry Bernard, 53) Waliya Rahman, 54) Rebecca Kim, 55) Eve Rosado, 56) Khalil Kwok, 57) Beth Escobar, 58) Hannah Sullivan, 59) Jerin Ria, 60) Elizabeth Mayo, 61) Aliza Kotzen, 62) Isabella Bentivogli, 63) Chris Lembo, 64) Jenkins Kachenmeister, 65) Josie Williams, 66) Shana Chen, 67) Sean Coen, 68) Alex Tang, 69) Amy Son, 70) Thomas Zieger, 71) Shawna Combs, 72) Sophia Leone, 73) Cynthia Cheng, 74) Madison Rappaport, 75) Jacob Holland

70.

69.

Collage by Jacy Dickstein (‘22) and Jess Levin (‘22)/ Eastside Features Editor and Eastside Business Manager

74.

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June 2020

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EASTSIDE

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SENIORS ‘20

June 2020

SENIORS ‘20 EASTSIDE

Page 20

However you spent your threeand-a-half years here at East, however you spent your time before 7:30 a.m. and after 2:30 p.m., it is our hope that you hold these memories, the big and the small, w i t h you. We m a y have had a part of our senior year cut short, but the t i m e we did h a v e has been full of laughter and smiles, tears and stress, pride and triumph. Even from a distance, the Class of 2020 is strong and united, and we cannot wait to see how far you all fly.

The sad reality is that the senior class of 2020 has lost a lot. We’re never again going to chat in the hallways on the way to class or try to get out of the parking lot before the buses. We have now experienced the last of many small moments that defined our time in high school: having lunch with our friends in the cafeteria, making eye contact across the room during a challenging test, “lending” people pencils and never getting them back.

These memories, though, were not limited by our actions from 7:30 a.m., walking through the entrance with halfopened eyes, to 2:30 p.m., excited to take on the real world.

There’s no amount of sorrow that can express the feelings we all share at this very moment. But by taking a look back, we can recall the incredible times we had with our peers each and every day...

Our senior class experienced unprecedented success on the courts, fields and pools. No one can take away from each and every one of the unique memories you made with those who came before and the mentoring you continue to provide to those who look up to you.

Many of you found your calling through clubs and afterschool activities, ranging from community service throughout our school district to hosting the largest blood-drive year after year in South Jersey. Your actions helped students and families take on the world.

To our multicultural clubs, and their senior leaders who saw their performances vanish before their eyes, look back with fondness towards the three amazing years you all had. Maybe you didn’t get to lead your group towards success, but along the way, you created unbreakable bonds with your communities that even COVID can’t take away.

We cannot forget about our performers; year after year, our seniors in the theatre department produced plays worthy of the Broadway stage. Even if it wasn’t always smooth sailing, such as with the play Ragtime, the quality of our plays never ceased to amaze their soldout audiences. But success is endemic to East; the talent present in our music department was nothing short of astounding, and many of the same students continue the East tradition of success in the marching band as well.

March, April, May, June. Historically, these are the months we seniors bond the most. We engage in the most looked-forward-to activities: Disney, Assassin, Mr East. We walk in the halls as adults with college freedom close in our grasp. We confide in one another, sharing our hopes and fears regarding the college process. We grow beyond the social boundaries of high school immaturity. We become a single, unified class. And we have.

We have shared the pain of time-consuming online assignments. We have experienced a shared loss that brings

us closer than any PTA-planned activity ever could. We have learned that sacrifice comes hand in hand with life and that our circumstance, while unfortunate, is for the greater good of an entire nation. Our four years may not seem complete to many. But after much reflection, it became clear that our experience was plenty. The Cherry Hill East class of 2020 made its mark. We have bettered the school for the classes to come and taught each and every student to cherish their experience before it passes.

Many things have allowed the Class of 2020 to become closer than before. Through Zoom calls, birthday parades and socially-distanced photo shoots, our class has built bonds that will last lifetimes, even if some of the time in which the senior class normally bonds was taken away.

We’ll never know when something will come to a close and we’ll never know what is going to be thrown our way, but that’s a valuable lesson in life. If we are always waiting for the end of something, we’ll miss out on the whole journey. Many of us were so excited to close out our years at high school, we overlooked all the time we had. In a pool, you can either wade from the shallow end to the deep end, or you can be thrown straight into the deep end. At first it may be uncomfortable; it may even feel terrifying.

But you will surely learn to swim. Similarly to the pool, other high school classes often have the luxury of wading into adulthood. Our class will have no such luxury. However, that does not mean that we will be less prepared for the future. In fact, it can mean quite the opposite.

We are going on to new places, experiencing new things and meeting new people without really getting to close the door on our childhood. The last page of the Class of 2020’s book is empty. But we don’t need to have perfect closure to be grateful for our years at high school. What we had was perfect, and although the book is incomplete, it was quite incredible as we were reading it.

Time flew by, and we all wish we could get even one more ordinary day at Cherry Hill East, but we can’t. We should all be satisfied that with the time we had, we always made the best of it.

However you spent your three-and-a-half years here at East, however you spent your time before 7:30 a.m. and after 2:30 p.m., it is our hope that you hold these memories with you. We may have had a part of our senior year cut short, but the time we did have has been full of laughter and smiles, tears and stress, pride and triumph. Even at a distance, the Class of 2020 is strong and united, and we cannot wait to see how far you all fly.