Eastside: October 2019

www.eastside-online.org

Vol. 53 No. 1

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

October/November 2019

The sun also rises See Pg. 4

Allie Rosen (‘20)/ Eastside Staff

Inside This Issue

Controversy rises over tuna sandwhich policy News, Pg. 2

East alumna becomes a Q102 radio star Features, Pg. 7

Eddie Grant shines in his return Sports, Pg. 22

NEWS

Page 2

EASTSIDE

October/November 2019

BOE introduces new lunch policy in district schools

■ By Lauren Smith (‘20)

Eastside News Editor

This school year, the Cherry Hill School District “will manage a student’s breakfast or lunch bill that is in arrears in accordance with the provisions of N.J.S.A. 18A:33-21,” as stated in the revised version of Policy 8550, which outlines the district’s lunch debt policy.

Policy 8550 states that if a student accumulates a lunch or breakfast debt of more than $25, “the building principal or guidance counselor will contact the parents via telephone to discuss the amount of the outstanding balance and any current familial needs.

Parents will be encouraged to complete a Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application, if one is not already on file,” according to the August District Policy announcement.

During biweekly Board of Education (BOE) meetings, board members discussed how certain families who are eligible for reduced lunch refuse to fill out the necessary paperwork, thus accumulating more and more debt for the district.

“We want to make sure the students get what they need while also holding people accountable where they need to be held accountable,” said Eric Goodwin, President of the Board.

Nonetheless, with this

updated policy, students will still receive lunch and breakfast “from the standard meal choices of the day” and their account will still be charged. The parents of these students will continue to receive weekly reminders in writing until the student’s debt is paid.

If the student’s debt reaches $75, “the parents will be required to attend an in-person meeting with the Superintendent or designee, the Business Administrator or designee, and the Building Principal to address the outstanding balance.” Students will not be able to participate in extracurriculars, prom or the senior trip.

This updated policy re-

students were typically required to use a sign out sheet in classrooms.

Mr. Lou Papa, Department Supervisor of building security, campus police and discipline, explained how implementation of the system was easy because it was already in use in some of the most frequently visited locations of East.

Papa also described some of the desirable features of the system, including giving the administration the ability to easily run a report due to the fact that the system is a requirement in all classroom locations. Administration can run a report by tracking how many times a student has visited the bathroom.

“We’ve seen less issues with the bathroom,” Papa said.

Turnstile is designed to track students’ bathroom use, as well as keep a tab on any suspicious behav-

ior. Administration uses this system to monitor if a student has been out every period or if they’re abusing their bathroom privileges.

“We’ve had students that go six, seven or eight times a day for longer than five or ten minutes,” Papa said.

East officials believe that the Turnstile system will also help staff by giving them information to alert parents if there is a concern with their child.

Although Papa has not received any feedback from parents yet, he explained that every teacher he has talked to likes the new system.

He also reiterated that he feels most of the students at East use the bathroom appropriately.

“We want to track and change these types of behaviors,” Papa said.

jects the former proposal of serving cold lunches to students with debts of more than $10, who would in turn receive a tuna fish sandwich every day. The Cherry Hill Township stated its disagreement with the original policy during the BOE meeting in August as Dr. Justin Smith, Assistant Superintendent and the Administrative Liaison for Policy and Legislation, proposed the revised policy that gives students with a lunch debt the option of selecting the “meal of the day” instead of the tuna fish sandwich.

Ruth Schultz, a member of the BOE, discussed how students with lunch debts would still be eligible to

participate in athletic programs and extracurricular activities, regardless of the excess of their lunch debt.

“We’ve always stated that if somebody doesn’t have the financial needs to pay the student activity fee, the district does pay for those financial needs,” Schultz said.

Superintendent Dr. Joseph Meloche further explained how “children need to eat… And we have to balance that responsibility with compassion” in his August letter to the School District. He expressed his concern for students, stating how the board “advocates for families” of students in the Cherry Hill School District.

East policy now requires students to turnstile out of class ■ By Bella Levin (‘22)

Eastside News Editor

For the 2019-2020 school year, East has implemented a new bathroom policy to hold students accountable for their bathroom usage.

The Turnstile system requires students to sign in and out of their classrooms in order to leave for their next destination.

Whether that location be the bathroom, Guidance, or the nurse’s office, students must punch in their student ID numbers in order to leave their current location. The new policy also requires students to sign in using the Turnstile system when they arrive late to school.

Although the system has been used in previous years in Guidance and the nurse’s office, all teachers are now obligated to have a Turnstile in their classroom. Before Turnstile,

Marc Celine Nicholas (‘21)/ Eastside Staff

NEWS

October/November 2019

EASTSIDE

Page 3

After Weaver’s retirement, Gambino is new drama director ■ By Emilin Kim (‘22)

Eastside Staff

Mr. Peter Gambino has taken over as the new head of the Theater Department, after his predecessor, Mr. Thomas Weaver, retired at the end of June.

As the Theater Department lives by the motto “anytime, any place, anywhere,” Gambino hopes to help the program continue to thrive through the change. Due to Gambino and Weaver’s working together for about a decade, Gambino plans to keep most of the ethics and routines that Weaver had in place before he left. Gambino wishes to run the department relatively the same as Weaver. He said that he does not want to greatly change the Theater Department, but he wants to tweak and adjust some things so he can make it his own.

“Mr. Gambino is very open-minded and has a lot of great ideas in mind,” said Thomas Zieger (‘20), a member of the Thespian Society.

There are challenges, however. The East Auditorium is currently under construction, making it harder for the Theater Department to practice, build their sets and start off the

new year.

The transition will be harder due to the unavailability of the auditorium.

The actors will rehearse in the Little Theater, but the sets will be built in the West Auditorium.

The East Theater Department does not, however, depend on where the

plays are performed and sets are constructed; their value is in the quality of the shows. The Theater Department will have to manage traveling from schools and having a new Theater Department director all in the same year, but Gambino expects students to behave the same as if Weaver

Andrew Maier (‘20)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Gambino looks over the script for this year’s fall play.

were still there.

“The quality or integrity of the show [should not] change, the only thing that will be changing is the setting where they will be performing,’’ said Gambino.

Gambino said it will be a good bonding experience, because it will require a lot of work to keep on going back and forth. Whether practicing in the West Auditorium or in the Little Theater and cafeterias at East, it will require everyone’s help in the process.

“It’s a great opportunity in the long run and a great chance to start bonding with [Cherry Hill West],” said Alicia Cosenza (‘20), president of the Thespian Society.

The Theater Department wants to keep the theater traditions alive.

Even though they no longer have Weaver at their side, they have a new trustworthy director who was very close with all the students and the former director.

The primary shows that the Theater Department is putting on during the 20192020 year are “Shakespeare in Hollywood” as the fall play and “Legally Blonde” for Gambino’s inaugural spring musical.

Gambino is optimistic about this year and future years to come.

DID YOU KNOW?

Mr. Gambino’s favorite cereal is Count Chocula.

His favorite Broadway show is “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

Although he’s very proud of his work on “The Tempest” (2015), his favorite work is “It’s a Wonderful Life” (2016).

Besides it being his directional debut at East, over $8,000 was raised for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico. His favorite fall play that he’s directed is “Singin’ in the Rain” (2012).

When Gambino was a student at East, his senior English teacher, Mr. Bob Cazanese, read the final chapter of A Farewell to Arms to the class and cried in front of everyone. He’s never been more moved by a piece of writing before.

Gambino loves to teach classic films containing social commentary and ones that use artisitc storytelling to fight against the injustices of the world.

Drafting teacher Bannett takes over Eidolon yearbook ■ By Lauren Smith (‘20) and Asa Williams (‘20)

Eastside News Editor and Eastside Staff

Jiseon Lee (‘20)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Bannett brings her design experience to Eidelon.

Mrs. Karen Bannett is the new yearbook adviser for Cherry Hill East, after working at the school as a drafting teacher for four years.

This year’s theme is “celebrate” with the goal of commemorating the students and the activities of East.

The yearbook has a staff of almost 40 students along with four editors-in-chief: Allie Rosen (‘20), Ji Shin (‘20), Perry Bernard (‘20) and Sam Resnick (‘20).

As of this year, “[the editors] chose to extend our final deadline to later in the spring...so [that] we can add more events into the yearbook,” said Rosen.

This would allow pho-

tos from spring sports and events like Mr. East and Junior Prom to be featured.

“We [also] plan on making the book cover all the different aspects of East and really showcase the student life,” said Rosen, who added that this would encourage all grades to buy a yearbook.

Bannett’s interest in being yearbook adviser stems from her past, as she was once its senior section editor when she attended East. Bannett shared that she hopes to help the yearbook resurge in popularity.

“There was a strong sense of community and spirit when I was in school, and I’m hoping to restore that sense of community and spirit [from] the past,” said Bannett.

Bannett returned to East when a job opportunity came up in the school.

Eidolon yearbook covers from the past ten years, under the direction of Dr. John Vivone, who retired in June.

“It was a dream come true,” said Bannet about attaining a teaching position at East. “I get to teach what I love to do.”

The yearbook staff appreciates Bannett for both her help and experience.

“It’s really nice to have access to all of [Bannett’s] resources,” said Rosen.

“Bannett’s always on top of things and helping us plan.”

Although the students who attended the first meeting this year numbered more than double the yearbook’s entire staff from last year, Bannett and the staff are still more than willing to accept new members.

“If you want to pursue design, be very open-minded. Try everything because you never know how that will impact you,” said Bannett.

Courtesy of Eidolon

NEWS Page 4

EASTSIDE

October/November 2019

Seniors gather on football field to watch the sunrise

Andrew Maier (‘20)/Eastside Photo Editor

Allie Rosen (‘20), Jael Madrid (‘20), Emily Mahaffy (‘20), Alisha Patel (‘20), Shana Chen (‘20), Aditi Dolphode (‘20), Christina Cruz (‘20) and Sunny Doshi (‘20) ring in the new school year together at the Senior Sunrise.

■ By Lauren Smith (‘20) Eastside News Editor

As the sun rose at 6:45 a.m. on September 13, the senior class met on the football field to enjoy coffee, hot chocolate and activities.

Bagels donated from Manhattan Bagels and munchkins from Dunkin’ filled the tables while students played cornhole and took photos on the field.

Francesca Crawley (‘20), a class representative, proposed the idea for the first

annual Senior Sunrise at East.

“Towards the end of last year I brought it up…” said Crawley. “Then, as summer ended I asked if everyone would want to do it.”

After receiving approval from Mr. CJ Davis, East Activites Director, SGA seniors began preparations for the event immediately. “[SGA] began discussing more ideas during the beginning of this school year,” said Caleb Brukman (‘20), a class representative.

After looking into the different possibilities for food and activities at the sunrise, “[SGA] decided to do a class vote on Google Classroom,” said Brukman.

When the results came back, it was clear that the senior class was interested in this event.

Within the first couple of weeks of homeroom this year, SGA members finalized plans for the sunrise.

“We chose to have it on a Friday because we thought it would be the best day for

students,” said Brukman (‘20). “We ordered the senior shirts earlier so everyone could get them before the sunrise and could wear them there.”

Allie Rosen (‘20), Andrew Maier (‘20) and Maggie Balderstone (‘20) all took photos of the students during the sunrise. Lucas Tran (‘20), who brought his drone, also recorded the event.

“I felt really unified with my class,” said Katelyn Mendoza (‘20), who attend-

rough plans to guide workers through the renovation starting in early November,

sized room, but it will be a little less than half of the opening… see[n] now,” said

building, there is an additional project to improve the auditorium.

ed the sunrise.

SGA plans for a Senior Sunset sometime in the fall towards the end of the school year.

“We haven’t started planning the sunset yet, but because of the turnout for the sunrise, we think a lot of people will be interested,” said Crawley.

Although this was the first Senior Sunrise, SGA hopes the Class of 2021 will carry it on next year and make it a tradition for years to come.

Auditorium renovations, vestibule construction continue ■ By Max Gaffin (‘22)

Eastside News Editor

This year, Cherry Hill East has undergone multiple construction projects, including scaffolding for an auditorium renovation, a security vestibule and new windows along the back breezeways.

While work for the auditorium continues, a plan for a security vestibule that will hopefully start construction by November 1 has been laid out.

According to ACV Typical System Description, a security vestibule is an advance screening system designed to identify and automatically deny entry to unauthorized people carrying weapons into secure areas.

Typically, the system consists of a bullet-resistant aluminum frame enclosed by bullet-resistant glass. The frame is divided into two separate compartments: one for entry and one for exit. Passage through each compartment is controlled by a set of two interlocking doors. Control of the doors is achieved through the use of magnetic locks, infrared sensors or a metal detector.

Mr. Lou Papa, who supervises school security, said he and an approved school contractor have

Lucas Tran (‘20)/ For Eastside

Scaffolding is put up around East due to the construction on the audiorium. after increased school security was demanded by the Cherry Hill community.

The security vestibule will be implemented at the entrance nearest the flag pole, where students, staff and parents sign in to enter Cherry Hill East.

“It will be a pretty good

Papa, also mentioning that there will be “two buzz-in points… [one] to get into the vestibule [where parents, staff and students can talk to the communications office] and another to enter the school.”

Along with the new security feature to enter the

“They’re restructuring [and] redoing some of the grout in between the [cinder] blocks. Over the years [the] grout has deteriorated,” said Papa.

The structure of the auditorium is in fine condition and is being held up by steel beams.

The finish date for Phase One of the auditorium’s construction is targeted for April 30, 2020, leaving time to discuss Phase Two. A second phase “depends on the bond referendum to reduce some of the inside work,” said Papa.

A Phase Two may include seating, a new audio and light system, and updates to East’s auditorium.

The auditorium renovation affects the school community, as there is no place to hold many school functions. These school activities include class meetings, parent meetings, SGA-sponsored events and shows put on by the Theater Department.

Events like the Winter Concert (December 5), Fall Play (December 12-15), Spring Musical (March 68, 13-15), Mr. East (May 1), Spring Instrumental Concert (May 19) and Spring Choral Concert (May 27) are to be in the West Auditorium.

Most of these events will require bussing of students for practice after school, as well as trucks needed for transporting instruments, stage sets, costumes and other equipment.

Along the back crosswalk, new renovations are supposed to be completed during the school year or the summer going into the 2020-2021 academic year.

October/November 2019

EASTSIDE

Æ

The Score tells Everything!

2018 Y2 Students' College Board SAT Test Scores

Page 5

FEATURES

Page 6

EASTSIDE

October/November 2019

King P rules East with his musical performances ■ By Jacy Dickstein (‘22)

Eastside Features Editor

Kelvin Paris (‘22), also known as “King P,” has made a name for himself in the halls of East by mixing his passion for hip-hop music with school spirit. He now looks to expand on his newfound fame with the release of “Letter To You,” his new EP — an extended playlist that is longer than a single but shorter than an album.

“Letter to You” was written from the perspective of a man attempting to explain his feelings for a girl by using music. In that vein, Paris named the first song on the EP, “You,” to highlight the inspiration for creating these songs. “[‘You’] has the deepest meaning to me; that’s why I put it first in the album,” said Paris. The album has five new songs and a remix of the song “Iced Out.” Paris works alongside some of his friends to create and produce his music, which he streams on major platforms such as Apple Music, YouTube Music, Google Play and Spotify.

Tim Ackerman (‘22) is his manager, while Raul Mackay (‘22) creates the beats

for his songs.

“Quality beats and background music help a lot with King P’s raps because vocals and beats go hand-

beats for the song “Choices” and the “Iced Out” remix.

Paris’s first East-based performance came at last year’s Freshman Dance,

“The freshman dance had made me feel more like an artist. One of the reasons I want to perform again is to feel that expe-

in-hand,” said Mackay.

Mackay said he typically gets his inspiration for creating Paris’s beats by listening to music from other rappers and songs. On the EP, Mackay created the

where he rapped for the 500-some attendees. He said the freshman dance was a great opportunity for him, and he hopes to perform at the sophomore cottillion, as well.

rience of a true musician again,” said Paris.

Ackerman said that Paris is courageous for facing many of his own classmates and teachers at the school dance and singing what-

ever he chooses. He thinks that the freshman dance was a good start for Paris’s music career, as this allowed for him to get noticed by a larger audience and increased his online streams.

“There will be tons of people that try to bring you down and simply just hate on you for being the best version of yourself,” Paris said. “However, there will also be those people that [have] your back and will support you through it.”

Paris also makes an effort to constantly improve his music for future creations. In his newest EP, Paris said he wants people to acknowledge the difference in quality, audio and lyrics as a whole from his past music.

Despite the wide distribution of his music, Paris tries to stay grounded in his roots and keeps his performances at East, carrying out his dreams while staying connected to his community.

“I want my music to reach the world. And help others get their name out there, too,” said Paris. “By performing at school I hope to serve as an inspiration to others to step up and make music just like I do.”

Thanksgiving, but she did not mind.

“What was great about Thanksgiving was that all of the food people were there, and they would give you samples. We had little Thanksgiving feasts all the time, and this cookie lady was amazing.”

Handouts weren’t Barr’s only takeaways from QVC;

She was super nice; I really liked her,” said Barr. “Oh, and I met Joan Rivers— twice! She even complimented my dress… I never wanted to take that dress off.”

Barr even ended up on The Soup, E! Network’s comedic recap show, after a clip from one of her QVC segments gained popular-

with me said ‘literally’ every other word,” Barr explained, imitating her host in a Valley Girl voice.

In fact, Barr has an uncanny talent for comical voices, which have landed her another, very different role on the television screen. In addition to voiceovers on Turkish soap operas, she occasionally offers her voice to the English translation of “Pororo the Little Penguin,” a Korean cartoon.

“I still do [voice acting] on the side,” she said. “I do the English voiceover of Pororo. I’ve done a bunch of the movies, and I’ve just recently recorded an episode that teaches children the importance of sharing with friends.”

She also revealed that she has always had a little gift for doing voice overs, and she knew that she wanted to be a voiceactress professionally from the time she was a young girl.

“When I was just a freshman at Cherry Hill High School East, I was five-footsix, but I was casted as a Munchkin in The Wizard of Oz… because I could do that voice. For years people would ask me to ‘do the voice.’”

A friend of hers managed to connect her to the company that produced “Pororo the Little Penguin,” and she after went on to audition; it was not a surprise to those who knew her that she got the part with ease.

“My seventh-grade gym teacher, when I came back to visit after college, told me, ‘I make sure to always turn on cartoons and wonder if I’ll hear your voice,’” she said.

And just look at her— or listen to her — now.

Photos courtesy of Amazon Infographic by Defne Alpdogan (‘20), Jacy Dickstein (‘22) and Emily Mahaffy (‘20) / Eastside Features Editors

Andrew Maier (‘20)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Paris takes on his king mentality with the crown on his head.

Barr makes multiple appearances on QVC Network

■ By Ali Koenig (‘20)

Eastside Editor-in-Chief

Though the East community perhaps knows her best for her work behindthe-screen running @cheactivities on Instagram, Activities Secretary Ms. Debbie Barr has spent her fair share of time on-screen as well.

Working for SDI Technologies, the toy and electronics company that produces iHome, Barr appeared several times on QVC to sell various products.

“I work in licensing and product development and I helped out with marketing and sales, and they needed someone to go on air,” said Barr.

Nearly overflowing with little anecdotes, Barr professed that she looks back on her QVC days very fondly.

“Being that I’m a theatre person, I loved it… I loved every minute of it. But I have to say, it’s a lot more nerve-wracking than you would think.”

She explained that she wore an earpiece, and while she stood in front of the camera, representatives from her company sat at a computer watching live graphs of their sales.

“I was selling four different Robo iHomes, and they were four different colors.

I would hear, ‘Okay, we’re sold out of green now. Talk up the pink, talk up the pink!’”

Barr’s many appearances on QVC were sometimes scheduled for 1 a.m., and she had to be there several hours earlier to meet her host and get her hair and makeup done. Many years, she had to work on holidays, like Christmas and

Jiseon Lee (‘20)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Barr is in her element introducing a brand new product while happily speaking to the camera. she also met a handful of famous people.

“I met the lady from Shark Tank, Lori Greiner.

ity.

“The Soup makes fun of QVC sometimes, and the host that was on air

October/November 2019

FEATURES EASTSIDE

Page 7

East alum is Q102’s “Rach on the Radio”

Rachel Viggiano (‘12) works the boards during her midday show on Q102 Philly.

■ By Emily Mahaffy (‘20) Eastside Features Editor

Early on in her career, Cherry Hill East graduate Rachel Viggiano (‘12) was asked, “Do you want to be known as that really good janitor, or that really good morning show host?”

This marked a pivotal moment for Viggiano’s career, but perhaps it needs some context: Viggiano, known as “Rach on the Radio,” is the current midday host on Q102, Philadelphia’s biggest radio station and top four in the nation.

As a Cherry Hill native, Q102 was the radio station she grew up listening to, and even back then, she knew that she belonged on the radio.

This passion started with her grandmother, who was blinded after a car accident but always loved listening to Viggiano’s voice.

“She would always joke, ‘You’re so beautiful,’ and I would be like, ‘How the heck do you know?’” said Viggiano.

Her grandmother would respond with, “Well, I can hear how beautiful you are,” Viggiano said.

Viggiano knew from that early time that the radio was her calling. After her grandmother’s death in 2017, she had her grandmother’s words tattooed on her arm.

As she grew up and entered East, Viggiano took Broadcasting with Mr. Pete Gambino. “[Broadcasting] helped me experience everything for the first time, and that’s like the ripping of the Band-

aid,” said Viggiano.

Viggiano recalls Gambino placing a desk in the middle of the cafeteria, and one-by-one students would sit at the desk and record themselves talking. She could talk about anything she wanted, but it was traumatizing.

“I swore I did well, and I remember him critiquing me so hard, and I was just super bummed out by it…

But, it was my first time hearing myself, so that helped,” she said.

Yet, despite her experience in East’s summer plays, Public Speaking, Broadcasting, Journalism, East Singers and Chansons, she still had a fear of performing in front of people.

She laughs about it now, but of her old self she said, “I would literally get shakes everywhere, palms sweaty, oh my god… and now I’m out here introducing Shawn Mendes and Marshmello at Jingle Ball in front of 30,000 people.”

Taking her foundations from East and bringing them to Syracuse University in New York, Viggiano majored in broadcast and digital journalism. This dealt mostly with TV reporting; however, she hated the pressure of being on camera, reading words verbatim or being a “Negative Nancy” on air.

“I want to make people laugh, I want to make people happy, and that’s just the goal of me in radio: I just live to make people happy and that’s the joy that I get,” said Viggiano.

During the summer of

2014, Viggiano landed an internship at Q102. The internship had her everywhere — she was the programming, digital, social media, and news and public affairs intern. During the internship, she decided that Q102 was where she wanted to end up.

“This is it,” she recalls saying to herself. “These are the parts that I want out of the whole broadcast journalism aspect. So I told myself: in ten years, I will be back here, doing on-air things.”

After graduating college, Viggiano sat down with the agent of Elvis Duran, a notable radio host who is based in New York City.

She remembers telling the agent, “I would much rather work as Elvis Duran’s janitor, and work my way up… than start off in the boondocks of middle-ofnowhere land doing what I love.”

But the agent encouraged and eventually convinced her to consider a position as a morning show host, so she applied to a small local station out of Corning, New York. To Viggiano, it was the perfect starting point.

“It gave me the platform to kind of figure out who I was as my own personality,” she said of her first radio gig. “Figuring out how to talk on the radio is a lot harder than people think.

Like you really have to have a personality, but on top of that, you’re using every part of your body to assert that energy and make sure that it sounds that way on the radio.”

Andrew Maier (‘20)/ Eastside Photo Editor

After leaving Corning, Viggiano worked as a morning show host for “Cat Country Mornings with Joe & Rachel” out of Atlantic City. The then-twenty-yearold had what she described as “healthy confrontations” on-air with her co-host and boss, Joe Kelly, who was a man in his mid-fifties with different views than her on many different topics.

Due to their differences, she would receive hateful phone calls and messages to both the station and to her directly. However, as she continued to bring a “cultural shock” to the area, she received messages of positive feedback from the community, encouraging her to continue.

“I also had so many people who would privately DM me and be like… ‘You stand your ground. I love how you poke the bear’—And I was like, poking the bear, I love that,” said Viggiano.

After a year and a half at Cat Country, Viggiano wanted more out of her career. She contacted the nighttime host of Q102 over Instagram, and eventually sent Q102 an “aircheck,” which is a demo of all the talk breaks that radio hosts perform in between songs.

After three weeks of silence, Viggiano received an email from Q102’s program director asking to set up an interview.

She thought that Q102 was hiring her for an overnight position (“Which is like lowman on the totem pole in radio,” Viggiano explained). Yet, to her surprise, they wanted her to be a midday host.

“I started crying in the interview, I’m not even kidding. But it was between me and another person, and I was like, ‘Rachel, if you have to sell yourself, sell your soul. This is the time you have to do it,” she said.

Her final argument for the interview? “I could be your next local Elvis Duran.”

From a child enchanting her grandmother with her voice, to the halls of East, to Q102’s Philadelphia studio, Viggiano’s life has been heading towards this moment.

“It’s my dream job. I told myself, in ten years I would be back here and that would be my end goal.

This was my end goal, and I got here in three,” she said.

And to Viggiano, the craziest part of it all is that as a Cherry Hill native, she grew up listening to Q102.

Catch “Rach on the Radio” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays.

In the meantime, check out Eastside-online.org for more coverage on Viggiano’s radio career.

Scan this QR Code on your camera app or Snapchat to see Nate Pullano’s (‘20) video on Rachel Viggiano.

FEATURES

Page 8

EASTSIDE

October/November 2019

East students spend summer at army bases

■ By Defne Alpdogan (‘20)

Eastside Features Editor

While summer is usually a time to unwind from a long school year, for Wai Han Li (‘20), Khalil Kwok (‘20) and Alissa Kim (‘20), this summer was filled with drill commands and army training. Starting around the middle of June, the three students spent ten weeks each at a different army base.

Beginning the process last year, Li and Kim decided to get half of their training done between junior and senior year. Kim started training beforehand to prepare herself for ten weeks of intense exercises.

“We would have physical training sessions. We would call them PT sessions. There was some on Sundays and some on Thursdays...we would run, do sit-ups, push-ups, military lifts. A lot of exercise [was needed] to prepare for it,” said Kim. Kwok wanted to pursue a path through the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and his involvement with JROTC, ROTC’s junior affiliate, introduced him to the summer trainings. He saw the army as a backup option to becoming an officer, so he took the opportunity to train over the summer.

While they all attended similar training, each student spent their summers at different army bases.

Kwok trained at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Li at Fort Jackson, South Carolina; and Kim at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. The trainings were designed in a threephase process: red, white and blue. Each phase is three weeks, with the red phase being the toughest, as it is the adjustment from civilian life to base life. At each phase, the students were required to complete a set of tasks.

“As you progress each

phase, you get more responsibilities. They expect you to do more, you get more privileges,” said Kwok. “For example, we only got five minutes for fifty guys to shower for the first week.

A lot of the guys didn’t shower. When we got to the blue phase, we got over an hour.”

The students were lim-

ture, when I get out of the army.”

A bonding moment for Li and Kwok was the showering singalongs. Due to the lack of technology, Li and Kwok were not able to listen to music and thus resorted to singing in the shower. For Li, this moment remains memorable as he looks back fondly on

sleep deprivation. He had to wake up at around 4 a.m. every day, so the first thing he did after a long day of training was go straight to sleep. He noted that, at times, other individuals slept without taking a shower for weeks on end.

“I could smell them from down the hall,” said Kwok.

Besides the lack of sleep,

Andrew Maier (‘20)/ Eastside Photo Editor

From left to right, Wai Han Li (‘20), Alissa Kim (‘20) and Khalil Kwok (‘20) dress in their combat uniforms from the summer. ited in their communication with the outside world, as they were only given five minutes for a phone call once they advanced each phase. Li did not have this privilege and remained “off the grid” for the entire summer.

The army base forced the students to interact with others whom they might not have otherwise known.

“For me, I met some older people. I even met some teachers, as well. They talked about their own life and [one teacher] was like ‘hey it’s okay, we are brothers, we can talk about anything,” said Li. “We talked about life lessons for the fu-

the family that he created.

“All the guys—mostly all the guys—all they like to do is when they get to the shower, they all like to sing.

Everyone all starts singing with each other. We sing or we start [chanting march songs]. It is a bonding moment for all the guys — we get to know each other,” said Li. Like Li, Kwok describes the life at the base with enthusiasm as he remembers the cadences (the songs that were sung to keep in rhythm while running or marching), the jokes and the various activities from the summer. However, Kwok had difficulty with

Kim struggled with the actual training aspect. The “rough marches” (which are marches over various terrain while carrying weights) seemed difficult at first. However, she found that once she was able to walk with a 35-pound sack over her shoulders for over ten miles, she felt accomplished.

“I am shorter than other people... and they have a certain pace you have to walk. And if you fall behind, you have to restart that, and it is a requirement that you pass the tenmile rough march [or] then you won’t graduate at all.

That was pretty much the

being talked about but are still gun violence,” said Goldberg.

Goldberg became involved with March for Our Lives because she wanted to make sure issues like “inner city violence” were being discussed instead of solely focusing on mass shootings. After a town hall she attended as a Never Again member, she developed a working relationship with the branch’s cofounder, Ethan Block. She went to another event near South Jersey where she connected with more people in the branch and was invited to join the organization.

“In the beginning, I was a student leader doing elementary things like research,” Goldberg said. “As of last year I was the Director of Finances of fundraising and also I am leading the outreach team and the community relations team.”

Through her work with March for Our Lives, she has met various speakers and has travelled to Mary-

land and Texas, meeting other activists like herself.

Recently, she spoke at the Philadelphia town hall and was invited to Las Vegas for a conference to meet the 2020 presidential candidates.

O n e of her m o s t posit i v e experiences with March for Our Lives was the opportunity to go to Johns Hopkins University this July to collaborate and talk with like-minded activists from

all over the country.

“Johns Hopkins was a very good experience. It was very data-driven, so a lot of it was the statistics behind gun violence and the data that goes into it,” G o l d b e r g said.

B e sides t h e data, she said t h a t students w e r e taught “how to talk to the media, how to sell your speech in fifteen seconds and how to sit to grab more attention.”

Goldberg in-

hardest, because I am short and I had to keep up with the team,” said Kim. For Li and Kwok, the hardest part of the entire summer was becoming one unit. The cadences, the responsibility of trusting each other and the shared respect of everyone at the base were a change in their lives.

“The hardest [part] is having one person move around and everyone start correcting the mistake by doing push-ups. That person [who made the mistake] had to stand up while everyone was doing pushups. We would have to say ‘thank you, [his name]’ or ‘thank you, battle buddy,’” said Li. After returning, each student had different reactions upon returning to civilian life.

“I felt no difference because I didn’t let anything get to me. I knew how the civilian life was like and how the military life was like, so it didn’t take me that long to get back into it,” said Kim. However, for Li, there was a completely different reaction. Returning from the base at the end of August, Li had trouble adjusting back to the East environment.

“For me, I had it worse than [Kwok]. He was actually able to adjust to his surroundings, but it took me a really hard time to adjust. I went from a goofy phase to a serious phase when I got here. I was dead quiet,” said Li. While their summer of training has ended, all three students look back on the comradery of their camps, and still think of all the “inner jokes” they made during training: “I can get back massages for cough drops when I was there. I told people, make my bed — five cough drops.

They were currency,” said Kwok.

Goldberg advocates for gun safety and awareness

■ By Liam Reilly (‘20)

Eastside Staff

With a Never Again bumper sticker on her car and a March For Our Lives sticker on her water bottle, Debbie Goldberg (‘20) is not shy about her commitment to raising awareness about gun violence. After the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, she felt the need to raise her voice and get involved. In school, she cofounded East’s chapter of Never Again and has been its vice-president for the past two years. Outside of school, she engrossed herself in the Meddling Kids Movement, a movement for youth activism, and March for Our Lives Philly, the Philadelphia branch for the national gun violence prevention organization.

“For the long term, I want to see a major decrease in gun violence in the country itself, in mass shootings, homicides, suicides and things that aren’t

Jiseon Lee (‘20)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Goldberg raises concern regarding gun violence.

tends to bring her newfound knowledge to East.

These ideas helped shape her goals for Never Again to “not only focus on the numbers but on the people” and “how [they] as a club can sell their cause to not only their classmates but to the community,” she said.

As for her position as vice-president of Never Again, Goldberg said the beauty of the club is being able to talk to people around the school and getting people registered to vote.

“The conversation has spread in a beautiful way, and is something our school does very well,” said Goldberg.

Goldberg, through her various forms of activism, wants to emphasize teenage voices. She wants to tell teenagers that they have a voice and offer them resources and organizations to be involved with to increase political awareness.

While Goldberg continues to advocate for reform, she envisions a brighter future.

COMMUNITY

October/November 2019

EASTSIDE

Page 9

Haunted house becomes local Halloween staple ■ By Samantha Roehl (‘20)

Eastside Editor-in-Chief

Every year around Halloween, the DuBois family and dozens of volunteers come together to host a sixnight-long pop-up haunted house.

Lines wind through the neighborhood as guests are led through the house and into the family’s large backyard.

Volunteers, including Spencer and Rachel DuBois (‘20) and their friend Dylan Klost (‘15), are costumed and dispersed throughout what they refer to as “the haunt,” which their father Brian DuBois lovingly plans and constructs throughout the year.

The tradition began with Rachel and Spencer’s grandfather, Robert DuBois, when their father was a kid. When his father passed away, Brian DuBois took over the family tradition.

“It means so much to [our dad],” said Spencer DuBois. “We’re going on 15 years and it means so much to him.”

This year’s theme is a prison and insane asylum, with the haunt divided into eight different scenes. The haunt itself has the option of three different experiences—Full Scare, in which costumed actors jump out to scare guests; No Scare, in which actors take off their masks and guests can walk through without being scared; and Code Brown, in which costumed actors jump out to scare guests and are also able to touch guests on the arms and legs.

In addition, the haunted house has a “Boo Room” complete with face painting and toys for younger guests. On Halloween night, they stock up on candy and have trickor-treating. These options ensure that no one will be pushed into going through an experience that they are not comfortable with.

For the safety of volunteers and guests, the haunt is equipped with a PA system, walkie talkies, multiple emergency exits, fire extinguishers and first-aid kits. Each “room” has the ability to commu-

nicate with both the other rooms and the adults mic’d up around the yard. That also helps with guests who have a change of heart halfway through the haunt.

“That’s why they have the PA system, so they can announce to the whole group [of volunteers]. And

haunt right after the current one comes down. The tents that form the roofs of the haunted house are put up in early August, and from then on it is a race against the clock to finish all the building and decorating.

“There [are] some years… when

dition that the younger DuBois siblings hope to continue.

“Even if we can’t do [the haunt] every night, we’re still going to surprise him and try to come back,” said Rachel DuBois.

The DuBoises’ cousins come to the haunt from Pennsylvania, but the bonds formed during the haunt reach beyond people who are already family and friends. Even volunteers who the DuBoises don’t know at the beginning of the haunt become friends by the end. “[The best part] is definitely the friends you make. Because everyone’s a volunteer and… when they first come in they’re all coming into our house and we don’t know them,” said Spencer DuBois. “But when the haunt starts and everyone’s together, we all eat dinner together, we all socialize before the haunt, you just make new friends.

It’s [this] kind of a family aspect to it that’s really fun.”

A community forms out of the 40-50 volunteers and the DuBois family. On the first night of last year’s haunt, Brian DuBois acted as a DJ for the volunteers, playing “Sweet Caroline,” “Take Me Home, Country Roads” and “Africa” through the haunt’s speakers.

Another one of the most memorable occasions at the haunted house in recent Infographic by Karissa Murray (‘20)/ Eastside Community Editor years was last year during Brian and Randi DuBois’s 22nd anniversary. so no one will be scaring someone it comes down to crunch time… we “[Rachel and Spencer’s] dad had if they don’t want to be scared,” borrowed a really big lamp that they their mom wait outside and every said Klost. “We’ll turn it into a ‘No used to work on cars… like a flood single actor, all dressed up [in their Scare’ so fast.” light. And he just stays out there all costumes], came out and gave her This is all due to the DuBoises’ night,” said Spencer DuBois. “When a rose,” said Klost. “They played stated priority of the safety and it comes to crunch time, he puts in their wedding song throughout the happiness of guests and volunteers. ridiculous hours and it takes a toll haunted house. There were tears “The DuBois Family Haunted on him.” everywhere.”

House wants to… return Cherry Though the haunted house takes The DuBois family and volunHill to an earlier time in a throwa tremendous amount of time and teers all took a group picture. That back tradition of one-on-one intereffort, the DuBois family credits it same night, Randi DuBois suraction rooted in fun, togetherness, with helping to bring both the famprised her husband with a new dog. and community pride,” goes its ily and the community together.

As the DuBois Family Haunted mission statement. “Our goal, our Spencer and Rachel DuBois refer to House reaches its fifteenth year, mission, is to be a fun, safe, happy Klost and his sister, Lisa, as honorthe DuBois family stresses that it is environment for everyone to enjoy.” ary siblings. meant as a way to bring the comLots of work goes into making Rachel and Spencer’s sister, munity together for a good time and that mission statement come true.

Hannah DuBois (‘18), came back to a good scare.

The haunt takes up a remarkable Cherry Hill from Montclair State “At the end of the day, it’s just amount of time, with Brian DuUniversity last year to surprise to have fun. That’s the moral of the Bois starting to plan the next year’s their dad during the haunt, a trastory,” said Spencer DuBois.

Philadelphia haunted tour is an emotional roller-ghoster ■ By Sami Bell (‘21)

Eastside Community Editor

Spooky stories told in a mysterious voice are meant to scare people into the Halloween spirit. They are intended to draw you in and give you the chills. Sadly, I did not receive those chills on my Candlelit Ghost Tour of Philadelphia.

The tour was around 90 minutes; it started at 7:30 p.m. and ended around 9 p.m. It was about $19 per person for admission.

There were around 20 other people on the group tour.

Most of the people on the tour were tourists: some were from Florida, Minnesota and even Oklahoma.

The first thing we did was go around in a circle and say where we were from. I

was so taken aback when people were naming places from across the country that I froze and just said Cherry Hill, like anyone on the tour had any idea where that is.

Some of the ghost tour stories were about the ghost of Benjamin Franklin and other historical figures.

The tour guide also went into depth about the lives behind the doors of the old buildings. On the tour, we went all around Old City.

The group stopped at a few locations such as Washington Park, Independence Hall and Signer Hill Garden.

On the upside, I was able to go to a lot of sightseeing locations without the crowds that one experiences during the day. We went to Washington Park and heard the stories about it and the tomb of the unknown soldier.

On a scale from one to

scary, I would say it was a one. The stories were not spooky or in-depth enough to give someone a fright.

The tour guide told the urban legends in the middle of the street, and the surrounding noises of the city took away from the intimacy of it. The stories didn’t really draw the crowd in.

The emptiness of the city mixed with the darkness let me see a new side of the historical sights. It was perfect weather to walk around the city. I viewed the whole experience more as a stroll than a ghost tour; however, if the weather was just a little too cold, hot, rainy or humid, I most definitely would not have been a happy camper.

The downfall of the tour

had nothing to do with our tour guide. You could tell he was passionate, but the tales he was given

were so run-of-themill and followed the same format.

First, he would say who lived in that house,

then how they died and then the name of the person who claimed to see the ghost. The tour guide had a lot of inflection in his voice, but after a while, yelling in our faces did not spook the crowd but instead gave us a headache.

Another bummer is that you do not actually go into any of the “haunted” historical sights; instead, you just peer into the houses hoping to attain an eerie feeling.

I would not recommend the tour because it was not the thrill I was looking for. I would stick to horror movies, pumpkin-scented items and haunted houses to get into the spirit of Halloween.

Photo illustration

by Karissa Murray (‘20) / Eastside Community Editor

COMMUNITY

Page 10

EASTSIDE

October/November 2019

Heart Beet Kitchen plants roots in Cherry Hill

■ By Sophia Sitnick (‘20)

Eastside Community Editor

Ashley Coyne never dreamed the discovery of her gluten intolerance would turn out to be the inspiration for her life’s work. Yet, that’s exactly what happened.

After a search uncovered just a handful of local restaurants that offered gluten-free options, Coyne was disappointed. She wondered if it was asking too much to expect local restaurants to offer just a few healthy, delicious and glutenfree friendly foods on their menu.

Frustrated by the limited appealing dining options available to accommodate her new dietary restriction, Coyne turned to her mother, expecting sympathy. Instead she received some sage advice: open up her own restaurant.

This heart-to-heart resonated with Coyne, and thus, the concept of Heart Beet Kitchen was born.

The original Heart Beet Kitchen opened its doors in Westmont, New Jersey in 2015. It quickly became known as a local staple for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free cuisine in a relaxed setting. It also quickly became a favorite for those seeking

high-quality, healthy food options.

After developing a strong local customer base at the Westmont location, Coyne decided it was time to expand. Heart Beet opened a second, seasonal location in Ocean City, New Jersey in 2018. Not one to rest on her laur e l s , Coyne is actively planning to open a third location in Cherry Hill.

Coyne is proud of Heart B e e t Kitchen’s efforts to serve a delicious m e n u that emphasizes c l e a n eating, as well as plantbased, organic and loc a l l y sourced ingredients.

All locations offer the s a m e c o r e menu, but each store has the ability to change things up with their daily specials, using produce from local farms. Heart Beet obtains locally sourced foods using Zone 7,

a New Jersey-based company that supplies produce from local farms in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

On weekdays, customers can visit the bustling restaurant for lunch and dinner. Fan favorites include the Cauliflower Sandwich and the Coconut BLT. All meals are lovingly prepared to order for each customer.

Weekends bring a special perk: a b r u n c h menu. It is the perfect excuse to get together and bond with friends while enjoying some chocolate chip pancakes, avocado toast or breakfast tacos.

With items like these, Heart Beet surely has something that even the pickiest eater will love.

T h o s e with a sweet tooth can indulge to their heart’s content when presented with a huge variety of dessert offerings displayed in glass cases.

Layer cakes, cookies and pies are a perfect complement to Heart Beet’s

delicious specialty coffees and teas, smoothies, shakes and kombucha.

Equally beautiful ​ and delicious, custom desserts are available for order on two days’ notice.

“We can do any flavor, any design, we can do anything,” Coyne said about the original made-to-order desserts.

Heart Beet cares about serving healthy food, but also encourages and promotes a healthy lifestyle.

“I’m totally open if people want to promote their studio and come in and do free classes,” said Coyne.

The Westmont location frequently hosts free community yoga classes at the Cooper River and opens its dining room for wellness classes, featuring pop-up greenhouses and essential oils. Similar classes are expected at the Cherry Hill restaurant.

With a target opening planned for this fall, Cherry Hill will soon have its very own Heart Beet Kitchen location, strategically located on Route 38. The location is projected to bring about 20 to 25 jobs to the community, and lots more hungry patrons to a Heart Beet Kitchen location.

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

Project Rainbow gives LGBTQ+ teens a support system ■ By Aine Pierre (‘20)

Eastside Editor-in-Chief

Though many advancements have been made in gaining rights and acceptance for members of the LGBTQ+ community in recent years, there are still teens who struggle to find their own paths out of the closet — or those who struggle with bullying and bigotry once out. In order to help South Jersey teens in this socio-cultural climate, the Katz Jewish Community Center (JCC) teamed up with the Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) to create a support group: Project Rainbow.

Project Rainbow, which is open to any local high schooler in the LGBTQ+ community, meets once a

month on Thursdays. The group functions much like a meeting of a high school gay-straight alliance, as members can chat with each other and are led through workshops on embracing their identity and navigating the often difficult path of being different in a society that places a premium on conformity.

“We do... unwinding, talking, bonding, kind of... checking in to see how everyone is doing because we only meet once a month,” said Lisa Rosenberg, who runs the program. “And then I typically have some sort of structured activity to really help the group participants... focus on their identity... or challenges that they’re facing in different aspects of the

community.”

The group also discusses strategies to fight against bullying and social exclusion at all levels of school.

The story of Project Rainbow started with a family asking the JCC if they had any way for their child, who had just come out, to connect with other newly out Jewish teens. It did not.

So, the community center teamed up with JFCS to create a support group. “[The family was] looking for something where their teen could meet peers who had also recently come out who were Jewish and to be able to create that social experience and also to create a level of support for each other through that coming out process,” said Sara Sideman, who helped

start the program.

BBYO, inc. and the Jewish Federation also helped in the program’s formation.

Over its three years of existence, the group has grown from two or three members to fifteen on average. Perhaps one reason for its success is the positive experience it provides to teens like Rachel Bazilian. “[Project Rainbow has] made me feel more comfortable with myself: in my sexuality, in my gender. Being open has always been so important to me, but it took me a while to trust myself.

This group has made it so much easier to be open,” wrote Bazilian.

Drawing on the success of the teen program, the JCC and JFCS hope to create another program for

middle schoolers to reach those of a younger age group who may grapple with similar issues of nonacceptance and bullying, but may not be ready to discuss topics for more mature audiences with high school juniors and seniors.

Project Rainbow hopes it will be able to project its message of love and inclusivity to anyone who feels their gender identity or sexual orientation is a barrier to being accepted and celebrated as individuals.

“There could never be enough times for people to feel like they have a space,” said Beth Wynne, a social worker with JFCS involved with Project Rainbow.

Project Rainbow meets next on November 21.

how business has been since the opening.

According to Curcio, stretching helps with performance, injury prevention and circulation, as well as with pain management. Curcio believes that it is important that customers are feeling good throughout the whole process.

The Stretch Zone takes their clients’ wellbeing seriously.

During the first free consultation, the Stretch Zone employees ask

questions to ensure the customer’s safety.

One of the things they look for during this consultation is whether the customer has had any surgeries in the last ten years.

They c a n help t h e m a -

jority of their clients, but cannot use their treatments to help those who have osteoporosis, any unhealed fractures, muscle tears, severe back pain or who are pregnant.

There are different membership programs at the Stretch Zone. Without commitment to a membership, the price is $65 per half hour; it is $35 for that amount of time with a membership.

For Curcio, stretching has been such a game changer for him. He played a lot of golf and it was a great help to him to exer-

cise his muscles.

Although most customers are college and high school athletes, all are welcomed at the Stretch Zone.

They aim to help people achieve a healthy lifestyle.

So far, 115 clients have registered in the first two months and the Stretch Zone is currently taking interviews for practitioners and people interested in the general manager position to work alongside Curcio.

“We have a barber shop mentality,” said Curcio.

“Everyone knows each other and there is always a positive good vibe.”

Photo Courtesy of Katz JCC

The Stretch Zone reaches out to residents of Cherry Hill

■ By Asa Williams (‘20)

Eastside Staff

Walking into the Stretch Zone located next to the Short Hills Deli, where calm music sets a serene ambiance, one can get a sense of the facility’s M.O. Stretch Zone, a franchise-based company with 70 locations in 20 states, has recently opened a location in Cherry Hill.

“Within the first two months [we’ve had] a thousand prospects,” said Michael Curcio, the general manager for the Cherry Hill location, when asked

Vicki Kahn (‘20)/ Eastside Staff

October/November 2019

COMMUNITY EASTSIDE

Page 11

Fashion District Philadelphia brings style to Philly

tion has opened.

The city of Philadelphia hopes to gain more attenFashion District Philtion in Center City at this adelphia, opened just set of outlets. The Fashthis past September, has ion District is about three brought a new buzz to the blocks in length and has city. four levels: the concourse Formerly known as the level, street level, level one Gallery at East Market in and level two. It has about Philadelphia, the building 20 different entrances, a in Center City has now bedownfall of the former galcome a more modern mall. lery. The developers, PennThe gallery was built in sylvania Real Estate In1977 and was known as a vestment Trust (PREIT), however, saw the opportunity to capitalize on what they called “the foot traffic.”

Stores t h a t the new Fashion District contains include Pandora, Nike, Aerie, Ulta, Sunglass Hut and m a n y others.

Not only does the Fashion District hold a variety of different stores, it also has a number of assorted Lily Lazarus (‘22)/ Eastside Sports Editor c u l i n a r y establishThe public admires art made from candy at a Candytopia display.

ments, including Philly Pretzel Factory, Cinnabon, Chickie’s & Pete’s and Big Gay Ice Cream.

One of the attractions that separates Fashion District Philadelphia from other malls is that it has what it calls “entertainment.”

Candytopia is one of the newest features that the mall has to offer. It is an edible, touchable and interactive candy museum that is designed for pictures and a fun time. The Fashion District also houses a winery.

The goal of the mall is to have something for everyone to do, which is a definite upgrade from the former gallery. Fashion District

can be either a quick stop for something, whether it is good food or just shopping, or it can be made into a day trip with lots of fun and interesting, family-friendly activities.

In the future, Fashion District would like to expand. Owners are still opening stores and are looking into opening an AMC Theatre to enhance the experience. Due to these attractions, feel that the Fashion District is the new Center City must-visit location.

The city of Philadelphia is head-over-heels for the new Fashion District Philadelphia.

he was not satisfied with seems to become more and where things were going. more obsolete with every “I decided at that point passing year, keeping CofI wanted to have a little fee News alive was not more control over my life. easy. Recently, Starbucks I talked to my wife, and I corporate officers made the said, ‘This is the deal’ and decision to phase out selling she said, ‘Yeah, you don’t newspapers in their stores. seem real happy at the moEven though Coffee News ment,’ because there were is free, this still came as a some issues with my prior blow, as a boss… which tends to happen,” Trainor said. “An associate of mine at the prior company saw [Coffee News] and thought it might be a good match for my skill set.”

It was ultimately the urge to have more flexibility and control over his life that led Trainor to leave his past job and move on to his own endeavor.

However, like any business pursuit in life, it was not without risk.

“It was definitely a challenge. Nobody knew about Coffee News in this area, so I had to start from scratch, building up my distribution places Jordyn Swarbrick (‘21)/ For Eastside because those are ultimately where the ads get seen,” decent portion of their disTrainor said. tribution was placed in loEspecially in the modcal Starbucks next to where ern age, where print news they sold the regular news-

papers. However, Trainor doesn’t tend to worry much about the future popularity of his paper in regards to the decline of newspapers as a whole.

“It’s a niche paper, it’s unique, it has local businesses on there and people do ultimately like to buy from local people, so that enables me to have people who want to pick it up,” said Trainor. “There’s also the local information, ‘what’s happening,’ that [doesn’t] get as much publicity as other events. I want to come up with things that are a little out of the ordinary so people are a little more inclined to pick up the paper.”

Because of Coffee News’s popularity, it has grown in demand over time despite the general decline of other papers.

Trainor often finds himself receiving calls from places he commonly leaves the paper, asking for more before the next weekly issue has been completed yet.

The paper supports itself on the ad revenue of these local businesses. Ads range from Mathnasium to funeral homes to hula lessons and everything in between.

Trainor has several strategies that keep businesses buying advertisements,

and keeps readers seeing those advertisements. He ensures the ads are one of a kind for each category of business (meaning you’ll never find two competitors of one area on the same paper). He entices readers to look through the ads by placing a small cartoon, “Al,” within one of the ads.

If you find the doodle that’s one-sixteenth of an inch, you can enter to win a $50 Visa gift card every month.

These little quirks are favorites across very age grou.

Not every advertisement put in the paper is meant for profit. Trainor places in public service announcements and the occasional shoutouts for people close to him. He will also promote local nonprofit charities he would like to give some exposure, for causes like ALS and cancer research.

Although Coffee News is growing in readership, Trainor does not plan on expanding into any more franchises, as he is pretty comfortable with the amount of work he has now, especially given his need to balance his work with his kids.

“I want a quality of life, I want to be able to offer this to people so they enjoy it, and to me my quality of life is most important. With my wife passing, it made me rethink what is most important. I have two kids, they’re both in college… and I want to have time for them,” said Trainor.

■ By Jess Levin (‘22)

Eastside Business Manager

popular and exciting place to be. However, since 2000, it started to decline in popularity because of all of the new upgrades that the city of Philadelphia has since experienced. The gallery had too much competition to stay open. In 2015 it closed for good, and was looking to revitalize the whole area.

Finally, after years of due dates being pushed back and all of the construction, the newest tourist attrac-

Jillian MacHenry (‘22)/ Eastside Staff

Candy pop art murals hang on the wall.

Coffee News spreads info and joy through South Jersey

■ By Karissa Murray (‘20)

Eastside Community Editor

If you’re a South Jersey resident who happens to leave your house, you’ve most likely come across an edition of Coffee News, whether you realize it or not. The publisher, Michael Trainor, is a local resident himself. He has been growing the franchise since its establishment in South Jersey, and since then, it has grown immensely.

“To a reader, it’s a fun reading paper, nothing negative, fun, jokes, horoscopes, and some local happenings. For a business, since this is how I make my money, I would tell them it’s read by 60,000 people on a monthly basis, people enjoy reading it,” said Trainor. “I guarantee your ad will be seen, it’s exclusive, no other advertisers in the same category can be on any paper so you get high profile on whatever paper you’re interested in.”

Coffee News began in Canada in 1985 but has since grown to become an international weekly news publication in countries ranging from South Africa to New Zealand to Portugal, and many more in between. Trainor acquired the rights to his franchises of the paper back in 2012.

Trainor previously worked at another printing distribution place, but he eventually found himself at a point in his life where

Page 12

EASTSIDE

October/November 2019

SPECIAL

October/November 2019

EASTSIDE

Page 13

Back to school... time to unpack In late August, the Cherry Hill School District announced it would revisit an unenforced policy on student lunch debt that instructed cafeteria employees to hand out a basic lunch (a tunafish sandwich) after a $10 debt threshold and mandated the denial of service to kids with unpaid balances of $20 or more.

Outrage built quickly over the so-called “Tuna Fish Policy,” prompting a robust public discussion at three Board of Education meetings in August and September.

“We are horrified of what has come to be known as the Tuna Fish Proposal,” said Student Government Association President Oliver Adler (‘20). “The easily recognizable tuna fish sandwich will become a badge of shame. What the board may fail to recognize is that school cafeterias are not always friendly places, and students will be stigmatized because of the food they carry.”

The tunafish sandwich debate met its end at a board meeting in September, when Superintendent Dr. Joseph Meloche made it clear that the “alternative lunch” in the policy could be whatever lunch a student chooses to eat that day. The thresholds for debt have also changed to be higher, so parents have more time to pay off the balance.

For more information on Tunagate, see News pg. 2 and eastsideonline.org.

n

vi Le lla tor Be Edi y b s d ew ke e N c a d np si U ast E

U (‘2 np 0) ack / E ed as b ts y A id i e E ne di P to ie r-i rr n- e Ch i

ef

2)

(‘2

/

) (‘20 rre nd e i P ef a i ine y A -in-Ch)/ b d r e dito (‘20 or k c a it y Unpstside Eahaff res Ed Ea ily M Featu Emstside Ea

On August 27, Bernie Sanders tweeted this about Tunagate:

For the 2019-2020 school year, East has implemented a new turnstile system in order to track students’ bathroom usage. The system was previously used in Guidance and the Nurse’s Office and is now in every classroom. Every classroom has a computer in order for students to sign in and out of with their student IDs. The new system allows administration to keep tabs on any suspicious behavior.

Before turnstile, East students were required to sign in and out of classrooms, typically using a sign-out sheet, a practice that was rarely followed.

Turnstile seems to have been proven as a better method, as staff have explained that there are now fewer issues with bathroom abuse during class times.

/

Fifty six days later, on October 21, Elizabeth Warren posted on Facebook that “This is cruel and punitive. Every kid needs and deserves a nutritious meal in order to learn at school. My plan will push to cancel student breakfast and lunch debt and increase funding to school meals programs so all students can get a nutritious meal.”

That same day, Sanders tweeted about the issue once again, writing that “‘School lunch debt’ is not a phrase that should exist.

[Representative Ilhan Omar] and I want to eliminate all of it.”

n affi or x G Edit a s M

by New ked tside c a s p Un 2)/ Ea (‘2

U (‘2 npa 0) ck / E ed as by tsi S de am Ed a ito nth r-i a n- Ro Ch e ief hl

Throughout the 2019-2020 academic school year, Cherry Hill East is undergoing many construction renovations and updates.

The construction surrounding East has resulted in scaffolding surrounding the building along with the absence of an auditorium.

These projects include adding a security vestibule by the Communications Office to improve school security, refurbishing the walls and inner area of the auditorium and adding new windows in some parts of the high school. Because there is no auditorium for most of the school year, many school events have been moved to different school locations such as the Little Theatre, the cafeterias or the DiBart Gym. Events that require a full stage have been transferred to Cherry Hill West.

The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by April of 2020, when talks of a second phase will begin.

w Ma

Andre

A-Wing welcomed a new guidance counselor into its midst at the beginning of the year. Ms. Maria (Hei One) Han replaced Dr. Eileen Lynch, who retired last year.

Han double-majored in psychology and sociology at Rutgers New Brunswick and received a Master’s in Counseling Psychology there, as well.

“I like studying about people,” said Han. “I am a sucker for character development or growth in people. In any TV show, if there’s no character development, I’m not watching it… I think as a counselor you can see that in your students and I love it. To be able to have the opportunity to help a student… just to see them grow, that’s what I like.”

Han is excited to see how much she will learn at East this year and looks forward to getting to know both teachers and students.

She invites students with any concerns about having a new guidance counselor to meet with her.

“I get that there may be some anxieties. I totally get it. I think the best way, if any [students] do have concerns, is to come meet me,” said Han. “Say hi. I’m hopefully approachable. So come meet me, get to know me. And I’ll get to know them.”

itor

hoto Ed

tside P

)/ Eas ier (‘20

Ms. Gina Oh, on the first day of classes this year, told her students that having an AP Environmental Science (APES) class at East was a dream come true for her.

Oh, who has taught Environmental Science A at East for many years and is the adviser of the Environmental Club, put in a proposal last October. It was approved by the district a few months later, and Oh was off to training with other APES teachers across the country to prepare.

Things got off to a bit of a rocky start this year, as the textbooks did not arrive until a week into October, but Oh maneuvered some topics around in the curriculum to ensure the class kept learning.

The class is almost entirely interactive. Students come prepared with a bit of background knowledge on the topic and apply their skills with POGILS, labs and activities. Oh encourages her students to challenge their preconceived beliefs about the environment. One activity, the carbon footprint quiz, showed that if everyone lived like even the most eco-friendly students, they would need around five Earths to sustain their current lifestyle.

The aim of APES is to challenge misconceptions, explore individual impact on the environment and investigate alternative solutions to common environmental issues. While the class is not the cheeriest, it is important, especially in an age where environmental problems have severe impact on human life.

Unpacked by Defne Alpdogan (‘20)/ Eastside Features Editor

Read the rest of our Tunagate coverage on eastside-online.org

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

In December of 2018, the District received a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through Ms. Joy Atkins, former East nurse and now a nurse at Cherry Hill West. With this grant, Atkins partnered with the South Jersey Food Bank to create the Weekend Backpack Program (also known as the Friday Backpack Program). Over the weekend, students from over forty families were able to take home the items necessary for breakfast and lunch: 2 entrees, 2 fruits/vegetables, 2 breakfast and 2 milks. The food items were provided by the South Jersey Food Bank to Cherry Hill West. At West, students in the lifeskills classes prepared the packages each week, which were then brought to the other locations through a courier.

The families were chosen by the nurses and guidance counselors, varying from week to week based on need. The packages of food were taken home with the students from five different locations: Cherry Hill West, Carusi Middle School, Thomas Paine Elementary School, Kilmer Elementary School and Clara Barton Elementary School. The grant allowed the program to be run until the end of the school year. Due to the one-time status of the grant, the program is currently not running. The District is attempting to raise funds to reinstate the program, but without the necessary balance the program cannot function.

Read the rest of our new teacher coverage on eastside-online.org

Page 14

COMICS

Fall Feelings by Melissa Vital (‘23)/ For Eastside

EASTSIDE

October/November 2019

Thanksgiving Sales by Katrina Veltman (‘23)/ For Eastside

Falling for You by Melissa Vital (‘23)/ For Eastside

Official Silence of the Lambs by Esther Levine (‘21)/ Eastside Staff

INTERESTED IN DRAWING FOR EASTSIDE? COME TO F087 DURING LB1 OR LB2.

EDITORIAL

October/November 2019

EASTSIDE

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

ID scanners next, please

Eastside encourages use of IDs for security

With a large school like Cherry Hill East comes a certain degree of anonymity. With well over two thousand students and two hundred faculty members, more likely than not, one walking through C-Wing Intersection between classes will not recognize every person passing by.

A school full of unfamiliar people offers a chance to make new friends; in today’s troubling world, however, it can present a very real danger.

How can one know who should and should not walk these halls?

To increase security and ease this fear, Eastside offers a simple solution: all students should be required to wear their official student ID cards on a lanyard every day.

Wearing student IDs provides an enormous security benefit.

With just a brief look, one can easily recognize someone who belongs — or someone who does not. For added instant identification, students could wear lanyards whose colors correspond to grades, with freshmen wearing blue, sophomores wearing red, and so on.

Staff are already required to wear their ID

badges and visitors must wear a sticker name tag upon entering East. If students must display their identification cards as well, everyone in the building will be identifiable with a passing glance.

East would certainly not be the first school in the area to implement

a mandatory ID policy; students at Eastern Regional High School and Bishop Eustace Preparatory School are required to wear their IDs on lanyards

Benefactors

Sponsors

Maria & Ben Levin Michael & Donna Koenig Shantha Subramanian Mr. & Mrs. Fleisher Michael Fleisher Dr. Craig Rosen The Merovitz Family Ms. Marilyn Diciurcio Stacy and Andy Levin The Witting Family Melissa and Mia Gagliardi Bernice & Irving Kernis

Carol & Ted Bell Mr. & Mrs. Lindaberry Patrons The Lazarus Family Regina Green Rick & Aimee Sitnick Sy & Florence Jerome Karen Jerome & Jon Eig Nisna Thomas The Roehl Family The Pullano Family

at all times, and Eustace further distinguishes students in different grades by the colors of their lanyards.

In addition to practical security matters, wearing student IDs could also increase efficiency in other

areas, such as signing into and out of classes. Currently, students are required to sign in and out when leaving to use the bathroom or go to the nurse by typing their student ID numbers into a Chromebook present in ev-

ery classroom; meanwhile, students in study halls must sit and wait, sometimes for close to ten minutes, before signing in with their assigned teacher for that day. With readily available student ID badges, signing in and out of classes could become far quicker by scanning each badge’s unique barcode, the way a student would when buying lunch.

With the school currently under construction for the building of a security vestibule, it is clear that security is a conspicuous concern at East.

Luckily, Eastside has identified an easily implementable solution.

While student IDs cannot solve every security concern, they certainly can increase school safety without disruption to East’s current routine.

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

2087

Eastside Online

http://www.eastsideonline.org

Publisher

School Paper Express Wappingers Falls, NY

Letters to the Editor

Submit signed letters to F087 or e-mail letters@ eastside-online.org.

Awards

The Garden State Scholastic Press Association, the International Quill and Scroll Society, the American Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association, the Journalism Education Association.

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

Friends of Eastside The Goldfinger Family Tulin Budak-Alpdogan Adam Kaminer Karissa Murray David & Annie Maier Mark & Judy Hansen April O’Malley Krupa and Rajesh Viswanathan Melanie, Sydney, Max and Jack Gaffin Arlene Spector Dr. & Mrs. Norman Siegel Meredith Cohen William Cohen

Page 15

Pat Bell Judy Spivak Bonnie Grossman The Weinstock Family Jiwoo Lee The Miller Family Tony and Diane Maccarella Joyce Murray Sophia Liang Gregory Rothkoff Gina Stanczyk Danny Kahn Jake Silvert Mark & Judy Hansen Rene Abrams

Contributors Marilyn Koenig Brielle Clearfield & Shari Dickstein Susan Andrew Donna Rose Betsy Schwartz Eunha Chung Shu Li Tom & Kathy Xenakis Mr. Greg Rouen Alen & Cherie Finkelstein

Eastside 2019-2020 Editorial Board Managing Editor: Jacob Kernis Editors-in-Chief: Ali Koenig, Aine Pierre, Samantha Roehl Adviser: Mr. Greg Gagliardi

Contact the Board:

News Editors Max Gaffin Isabella Levin Lauren Smith

Opinions Editors Jacob Graff Harry Green Jakob Silvert

Photo Editors

Art Directors

Features Editors Defne Alpdogan Jacy Dickstein Emily Mahaffy

Community Editors Sami Bell Karissa Murray Sophia Sitnick

Video Editors

Nate Pullano Sarah Zheng

Webmaster

Sports Editors Lily Lazarus Amanda Merovitz Lalitha Viswanathan

Culture Editors Remy Abrams Giana Maccarella Angelina Witting

Jiseon Lee Andrew Maier

Business Managers

Jessica Levin Alex Levine

Lily Cohen Jeffrey Kaminer Eli Weitzman Online Editors

Alexa Atlas Tomer Goldfinger Meghna Thomas

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

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

OPINIONS

Page 16

EASTSIDE

October/November 2019

ly theft, that issue needs to be resolved with the people who can change it and not the students, who are the victims in this scenario.

The Board does deserve credit for announcing finally at the 8/27 BOE meeting that they will ensure “all students will be fed.” Additionally, one of the main arguments against the former version of Policy 8550 was that it punished the students in the Cherry Hill School District for decisions they had no control over (e.g, their parents paying off the bill).

The “new and improved” version of Policy 8550 makes no notice of any ability by the district to withhold school-supplied lunch to students nor any reference to tuna, a welcome elimination for many residents who considered it an obvious example of food-shaming, where students are ostracized by their peers for their meal choice.

Instead, the updated version of Policy 8550 states that at $10.00 in arrears, there will be a letter sent home (in the parents’ native language to best ensure the letter is read) giving notice

of the debt and ten days to pay it off in full. At the next benchmark of $25.00 in arrears, the building principal will phone the parents to state the debt and ask about “any current familial needs.” At this point, Policy 8550 says that parents will be encouraged to sign

banned by the district from “participating in extracurricular activities; purchasing tickets for school dances including proms; attending class trips including the Senior Trip; and purchasing a yearbook.”

That, simply put, is crazy; it makes one question if the Board of Education even heard residents’ complaints that the old “TunaGate” policy punished the students for the inability, for whatever reason, by the parents to pay off their kids’ food debt.

It is clear that Cherry Hill does give families the time and ability to settle and discuss their debt situations with the people who want to and can offer all possible Jeffrey Kaminer (‘21)/ Eastside Art Director assistance to needy families; the mula Free and Reduced Price tiple ten-day deadlines are School Meals Application evidence of that. However, and still be given ten days it is entirely possible to to eliminate any debt outavoid shaming students. standing. More notices will For example, in relation be given every week with to the parents who aren’t debt remaining. However, willing to pay but are fithe kicker comes when a nancially able, contractstudent is $75.00 in arrears ing with a debt collection to the district and does not agency would subject the pay it off in, again, ten days parents to punishment for after an in-person confertheir embracement of stealence with administrators. ing money from the district At that point, Policy 5513 is while avoiding the students triggered and is henceforth who just want to eat lunch.

More important than the principle of penalizing students, some of whom are still in elementary school, for not being fiscally aware of their outstanding balance is the penalty itself (especially in high school).

Sure, it makes sense why students are prohibited from attending the senior trip; if you ostensibly can’t pay $75, no way should you be able to pay thousands more than that. Prom is a landmark night in someone’s life, but debts get paid first if there is money available.

However, prohibiting extracurricular activity is absurd. Colleges, frequently described as the pathway to future success, consider students’ out-of-school activities with great importance.

Therefore, the new policy can impede students’ ability to present themselves to colleges in the best possible fashion because of a decision by their parents: a choice, in all likelihood, the student had no part in making.

Students also use extracurricular activities to express their interests. The Board of Education has no moral right to not allow students to participate in any activity of their choice, especially when most schools preach being involved in clubs, sports and community service. This is student shaming at its worst: ultra-restrictive and behind closed doors.

As a result, any shaming is misplaced; instead of laying it on the heads of innocent students, it deserves to spread on the Board of Education for dimming the bright potential of the students they are elected to support.

to lay out every single department for each and every student. If students want information, they have to ask for it. Unfortunately, many do not know the right questions to ask at such an early stage in their high school or even middle school career.

Ahead of the pack, the History Department already distributes a clear and well-organized pamphlet describing all of its offered courses in the A, H and AP levels.

In this pamphlet, class titles are no longer just a name with a number, they are different options for different career paths. They are student-friendly and they focus on student interest rather than student requirements. Every department should follow this example and produce an easy-to-swallow pamphlet that gives class description just as the dust-covered official course selection booklet does.

Treating classes as career paths rather than requirements will lead to more engaged students and better-behaved classes.

Changing the way we treat course selection could very

well change the culture of our school. Instead o f

the administration will also receive feedback regarding which classes are most effective and interesting and which are not. With this help, younger students will have the opportunity to mold a high school experience better fit for themselves, seniors get to give back to their community, and administrators receive a much larger host of yearly feedback.

It’s time to make a change.

It’s time to spread awareness about the many opportunites Cherry Hill East can provide. Whether it is class material or teachers with knowledge in different career paths (law, medicine, emgineering, data science, lobbying, business, coding, etc.), all opportunities should be advertised and taken advantage of. No longer should second-semester seniors on the way out be the only active students in the East community. 1750 Kresson Road is not a place of work for those aged 14-18. There is no reason to simply clockin and clock-out other than to waste time, resources and opportunites. Let’s get active.

BOE takes misstep in revising lunch policy

■ By Jacob Graff (‘20)

Eastside Opinions Editor

The most attended Board of Education meeting in recent history, a Bernie Sanders tweet and an article from the British tabloid Daily Mail: all because of one policy.

The issue dubbed “TunaGate” had caught the attention of Cherry Hill stakeholders, the political world and international media, and for good reason. The physical and mental health of thousands of Cherry Hill students were put at risk with the inscription of (a now-former version of) Policy 8550. It stated at the time that an “alternate meal will be provided until the bill is in arrears in excess of $20.00, at which time the student will not be served school breakfast or lunch, as applicable.”

What many residents and students have failed to comprehend so far in the discussions is that in order to be in compliance with a state law, N.J.S.A. 18A:3321, the series of steps Cherry Hill has in place to deal with families in arrears and the resulting consequences were not made on their own volition. The only decision the Board made on this issue was determining the triggering debt limits, specifically, $10 and $20 to send letters home and subsequently restrict access to school lunch if the debt remains unpaid.

Because of the public nature of the policy, it is clear now to both Cherry Hill residents and the Board that the TunaGate policy was a failure; kids should not go hungry because their parents cannot or will not pay their school debt. While not paying off debt is technical-

Seniors should help underclassmen with course selection ■ By Jakob Silvert (‘20)

Eastside Opinions Editor

Every year, middle schoolers at Beck, Rosa and Carusi receive the famed course selection page.

Many are immediately overwhelmed by the sheer number of classes and the strange numbers associated with them. These middle schoolers, embarking on their high school journey, choose their classes simply based on class titles and a drawn-out speech from a high school guidance counselor.

Some are lucky, receiving guidance from those with first-hand experience: their siblings and friends.

Most do not.

As a community, East cannot continue to allow students to neglect this crucial piece of paper.

The course selection page should be given as much attention as any other decider of a student’s future such as the SATs or the FAFSA. No longer should students have to make uninformed decisions. Students need to get the option to speak to those with experience: to speak to seniors.

Guidance counselors are extremely helpful, but they can only do so much. They simply do not have the time

c o n gregating in the bathrooms during the lunchbreaks, students might discuss subject matter with their teachers.

Who knows what might happen with a student body truly thirsty for knowl-

edge? Anything is possible.

For these reasons, seniors should begin to take on a large role in the course selection process. Seniors should be organized based on their knowledge of East’s many different departments: the core classes (English, math, science, history, as well as foreign lan-

guage), the arts and business. These seniors should be called upon to give feedback and recommend courses for the younger generations.

With senior consultations, not only can students make better decisions for their class schedules, but

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

October/November 2019

OPINIONS EASTSIDE

Page 17

MMA and football are both too dangerous ■ By Harry Green (‘20)

Eastside Opinions Editor

W h e n I initially endeavored to write this opinion, I imagined stating with confidence that mixed martial arts (MMA) was inherently less dangerous than football. I envisioned providing a multitude of statistics: namely, the number of deceased professional football players who have been diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) — a disease caused by multiple hits to the head — and the dozens of retired players who have sued the NFL for not disclosing the long-term negative impact of playing football. Yet, after researching both sports and the consequences associated with competing in both of them, I realized both are far more damaging in the long run than many may realize.

It is no longer a secret that an extended career in football can often lead to negative impacts on one’s health. In 2005, Dr. Bennet Omalu first demonstrated a link between repeated concussive impacts to the head and gradual neurodegeneration in humans.

After that initial study, other researchers began to sound the alarm, adding that even non-concussive blows significantly damage the brain. Before long, Hol-

lywood joined the fray and cry with the biographical sports drama “Concussion.”

For years, people have known the risks, yet football remains America’s most popular sport.

Conversely, society still largely considers MMA too extreme for mainstream entertainment. The sports radio station TalkSport polled over eight thousand listeners on Twitter and found that more than a third

agreed t h a t MMA is “too violent.” The sport tried to improve its public image over time, introducing rules and equipment aimed at improving fighters’ safety.

While the days of Senator John McCain referring to the sport as “human cockfighting” appear to be over, skepticism still abounds. After all, the object of the sport is to incapacitate one’s opponent.

It is indisputable that playing football causes

brain damage. Originally, the premise of this piece was that football is objectively more dangerous than MMA. However, said premise is not necessarily true.

After conducting research, it can be seen that mixed martial arts can be quite dangerous. It is easy, although perh a p s naive, to ass u m e

that due to significant restrictions, MMA has been designed to be safer than football.

Whereas football players receive potentially dozens of sub-concussive blows per game, per week, professional fighters often fight only once every four to five months.

The duration of each fight is also far shorter than each football game; a fighter who is knocked out in five seconds is spared from further punishment immediately, while in the NFL players must endure such impacts for the duration of their time on the field.

A study published in 2018 by researchers at the University of Calgary said that when compared to data reported by the NFL, professional football players tend to suffer more concussions than their amateur and prof e s siona l MMA counterparts.

However, it would be intellectually dishonest to ignore examples of mixed martial artists who have suffered serious brain damage. It is important to note that due to the relative youth of mainstream MMA (it has only been popular since the early 1990s), few fighters are old enough to participate in a study devoted to understanding the longterm consequences of fighting. The first Wright Out Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC) event occurred just 26 years ago in 1993. Football has been around for almost four times as long. Yet, there exist several retired mixed martial artists, such as Gary Goodridge and Renato Sobral, who have spoken openly about how their careers in MMA contributed to a severe decline in both their mental and physical capacities. Goodridge, in particular, serves as an example of the potential repercussions of prolonged

fighting; he was diagnosed with early-onset CTE in 2012 at the age of 46. Evidently, MMA is not much better than football when it comes to safety.

Ultimately, neither sport positively impacts one’s general health. The overarching similarity between them is the correlation between repeated head strikes and long-term issues with brain function. However, there does remain a double standard between the two sports. While football is often celebrated as a national pasttime, MMA has been referred to as a barbaric, bloodthirsty sport.

Neither of the cultural opinions about these sports is entirely logical. Several veteran football players, including Junior Seau, have committed suicide in the years following their retirement, admitting prior they thought something was wrong with their brain.

MMA, while surely not perfect, maintains paths to victory for its fighters apart from beating their opponents into unconsciousness.

There are other ways that someone can win a bout, including submissions that have no long-term impact on someone’s health or fighting tactically until judges render a decision.

While no one should be discouraged from liking or participating in a particular sport, it is vital that people do research and understand the true risks.

Art by Jeffrey Kaminer (‘21)/ Eastside Art Director

New bathroom policy is a welcomed change ■ By Kartik Pejavara (‘20)

Eastside Staff

It’s LB1 and you are in chemistry lab on the third floor. The period’s almost finished, but you’ve had such a busy morning that you haven’t yet used the bathroom. A quick run to one won’t take long, right?

Wrong.

Once in front of the bathroom door, you push on the handle in a desperate attempt to enter and relieve yourself. The door doesn’t budge. You push on it again, still no movement.

You look up and see the big, capitalized “NO VAPING” sign on the door, an ominous reminder of why you cannot use this bathroom.

The trek then continues to the first floor to use one of three bathrooms available during lunch. By the time you get back to class, LB1 has ended, and you couldn’t even finish the lab. Shucks.

This was the case for many students last year who took classes on the third floor. In order to mitigate the bathroom vaping issue, administration locked all boys’ bathrooms during the lunch breaks, except for three on the first floor. It was originally suggested that with a limited number of bathrooms open, it was more difficult for groups of students to congregate in hidden spots throughout the school.

However, East’s “solution” to one issue unfortu-

nately led to the creation of another: students on upper floors, or distant in general from the nearest unlocked bathroom, had to travel far to use the restroom.

This proved to not only be a nuisance for everyone with a full bladder, but it also unnecessarily took time away from students in multiple areas. For example, lunch breaks are often spent getting extra help, labbing out, working on assignments and making up assessments.

A student should not have to sacrifice the ability to complete classwork simply to find a bathroom.

Using the b a t h r o o m should not interfere with schoolwork nor be such an arduous endeavor.

Many students complained, feeling that they should not be punished because of a few students’ misbehaviors. SGA, recognizing the growing discontent

among students, decided to do something about it.

The Student Body SGA, composed of President Oli-

ler Semon (‘21) and Jeffrey Kaminer (‘21), met with Principal Dr. Dennis Perry to discuss the issue. After SGA expressed students’ dissatisfaction, the school administration investigated and researched possible solutions, ultimately deciding to re-open all bathrooms during lunch breaks for the 20192020 school year.

Recognizing the discontent, school administration took measures to focus on protecting the many innocent students while still punishing the few offenders.

As part of their new approach, administrators are using their newly installed cameras to monitor students going in and out of bathrooms. This way, administrators and security guards, beyond directing the flow of the Marcus Newman (‘22)/ For Eastside hallways during lunch, can now ver Adler (‘20) and Vice oversee students entering Presidents Jake Brooks the bathrooms, making it (‘20), Paul Bruce (‘20), Tyeasier to catch a congregat-

ing crowd.

With bathrooms now open, students no longer have to waste time during lunch periods.

In re-opening the bathrooms, East is advancing a better, more productive working environment during lunch breaks while continuing to effectively manage the bathroom vaping issue.

Although the vaping problem has yet to be completely solved, a solution has been created that does not punish non-offending students. Not only does the new bathroom policy allow students to use the closest restroom during lunch, but it also shows students that school administration is listening to their voices.

The Student Body SGA was elected to represent the student body, so the officers were fulfilling their duties in reaching out to school administration about the bathroom issue, and were able to communicate student concerns effectively.

Additionally, the adminstration is to be praised for not dismissing students’ arguments and acting upon what the student body felt needed to be changed.

East’s new bathroom policy is the administration’s latest initiative aimed at supporting student voice through action. The student body welcomes the changes and principles behind it as benificial to the East learning environment.

OPINIONS

Page 18

EASTSIDE

October/November 2019

Sadlier Vocabulary is infamous but misunderstood

■ By Tomer Goldfinger (‘22)

Eastside Online Editor

Out of the many different parts of the English curriculum at Cherry Hill East, perhaps none are as maligned, yet as important, than the vocabulary curriculum.

The simple sight of the iconic green vocabulary book and its seemingly endless words, exercises and enriching-the-lessons can elicit a flurry of emotions within any East student.

However, the fact of the matter is that these green books, and the Sadlier curriculum to which they belong, promote some of the most important information and study habits for high school students, while also benefiting students academically in the classroom.

For starters, despite a common belief among the student body, the goal of this curriculum goes beyond the pure memorization associated with it, as these lessons can help develop skills beyond the realm of vocabulary lessons and even English class.

“Vocab helps [students] develop good study habits,” said English teacher Ms. Janine Cooney.

Vocabulary teaches the crucial lesson that it is easier to comprehend (and memorize, if need be) information by studying for shorter amounts of time over a longer period than a

binge-studying session the night before. Students often attest to the difference in grades received via the former method over the latter.

Furthermore, if students keep a narrow view of this specific Sadlier vocab curriculum, they may miss the broader and more relevant skills obtained from the 30 assigned lessons: the ability to game-plan on studying techniques before the test is even assigned and described.

Because of the cyclical nature of the vocabulary curriculum (having vocabulary tests set for each unit every couple of weeks), there is a consistent and, therefore, predictable pattern to the study of a vocabulary unit and its subsequent assessment. This gives students the unprecedented and often overlooked ability to prepare for these assessments far in advance and with a considerable level

of comfort, as they are exposed to all material of the unit and have similarly structured assessments.

This is an advantage that s t u dents do

of these words: however, these lessons are most valuable when applied outside of the classroom.

“Students should focus on making [the vocab words] a part of their daily language,” said Cooney.

Learning to use vocab outside of school allows for richer conversation on a daily basis between peers as well as generally deeper knowledge and understanding of the language that East students speak every day.

M a n y would argue, however, that the method currently employed by the East vocab curriculum is not the most effective in allowing integration of the words in everyday speech and does not foster growth in students’ vocabuJessica Celani (‘21)/ For Eastside lary; in essence, that not have in subjects like biit needlessly puts students ology or calculus. through rigorous exercises Beyond just focusing without the benefit of acon the pure memorization tual gained and applied

knowledge.

This, however, is incorrect. According to the National Reading Technical Assistance Center in a report titled “A Review of the Current Research on Vocabulary Instruction,” “[Students] are more likely to learn the meaning of new words when teachers highlight targeted vocabulary through questioning or comments.”

Therefore, this type of active learning, while continuing to reaffirm students’ knowledge through assessments, is the most effective and efficient method for growing vocabulary.

East’s current vocabulary system helps students grow their vocabulary and improve their academic habits whether it be in English class, school, or hopefully even in daily life. As a result, although its benefits are typically overlooked by the student body, the current vocabulary curriculum is an incredible medium through which students can develop useful organizational and study habits for use throughout their education.

Life is challenging. Life gives you multiple problems to deal with in what seems like 15 minutes before lunch break one. Tasks are assigned that seem unreasonable and monotonous. But we have to persevere, we have to get through it, just like with the vocab book.

be their future field, in fact achieve this. Despite most and prepare themselves for these skills may not transstudents thinking they the future. Today’s world late at all. A study by the have truly “bad” teachers, embraces technology and Federal Reserve Bank of by definition those are hard allows easy access to a New York found that only to find because even the plethora of information at 27% of college graduates “worst” teachers illustrate our fingertips. Teach yourhave a job related to their what not to do in terms of self. Is this ideal? Of course not. But this is how we all major. In the new workcommunication and presengrow as people. And if you force, therefore, job applitation of information. The find self-teaching is difficants must demonstrate an most common way a teachcult, this gives you an idea ability to teach themselves er can be deemed ineffecof how far you are from benew concepts that their edtive: struggling to convey ing a productive member ucation did not provide for the concept to students in of the workforce and how them. a clear and concise way. If much work you need to put From a behavioral persomeone has a teacher who in. spective, students may is poor at explaining conhave a cepts, this teachis a perfect er who way to emsimply ploy their doesn’t self-learnlike them. ing skills.

S o m e Too many teachers, people are albeit told exactly rarely, what they take it need to do to an exand how to t r e m e do it, leavl e v e l . ing no room They will for the shame skill of incertain dependent students, thought play fathat is cruvorites cial to sucand poscess in the sibly even m o d e r n g r a d e workforce.

Many of Ali Koenig (‘20)/ Eastside Editor-in-Chief a s s i g n those same and Jakob Silvert(‘20)/ Eastside Opinions Editor m e n t s people will Students may find their most hated teachers to be their with bias.

This is suffer a most valuable assets upon further reflection. (the bad rude awakpart of) ening when While a college education human nature at work. joining the workforce where should in theory qualify an We all have people we like they are expected to probindividual for the jobs they and we all have that perlem solve and learn individhope to receive as they join son we just despise for no ually and independently. the workforce, or at the very specific reason. Although it Having a poor teacher least train them with many is difficult to live with and is a perfect way to utiof the skills necessary in certainly can feel unfair, it lize those skills someone what students assume will is another perfect way to wouldn’t normally need

prepare for the real world.

Your boss will not always love you; your co-workers will not always invite you to lunch. Learning patience in spite of difficult situations is a major part of being successful in the workforce. In essence, staying and working with bad teachers can actually teach you how to behave in a professional setting. We all know those teachers who criticize every little thing, however minor, but through that, we can learn to be more self-aware and understanding.

Above all, bad teachers teach us that just because someone is in “power” does not mean they are always in the right or even neccesarily the best for the job. We are all sent to school with our parents repeating the mantra of “Listen to your teacher!” in our ears. But there are some teachers who are simply wrong and demand everyone around them work under their misplaced philosophies.

This teaches us from a young age that life truly is not fair and that other people will not always see eye-to-eye with you in every single situation, which might often cause disagreements to occur. While you still understand that your “awful” teacher who suddenly turns into a Teacher of the Year when the principal observes is truly inadequate, at least along the way they have provided you with necessary skills and lessons that will help you grow as an individual as you assimilate into the real world.

Students’ least favorite teachers could be their most beneficial

■ By Naomi Bereketab (‘21)

Eastside Staff

T h e very second the question, “Who’s y o u r least favorite teacher?” is asked, students often roll their eyes, say “Don’t get me started,” and then proceed to start rants that could last for hours until someone has to say, “All right, I get it. I’m going to be late for class.”

It’s incredibly easy for students to point out all the inconveniences and experiences of having a bad teacher, without looking at the positives. As hard as it may be to see it, both good and bad teachers provide important life lessons all the same.

Although it may seem easy to shed fake tears to guidance counselors and get switched into a more favorable situation at East, this typically isn’t possible in the real world. There will always be bosses one may not like or professors who are simply stubborn for the sake of being stubborn. But here is the harsh truth: people have to adapt.

In order to be successful in a career and do one’s part, everyone needs to become a problem-solver.

Teachers exist to explain complicated concepts and expand one’s base knowledge in order to succeed later in life. Although it may be in a non-traditional manner, disliked teachers

CULTURE

October/November 2019

EASTSIDE

Jonas Brothers make their “Comeback” ■ By Remy Abrams (‘21)

Eastside Culture Editor

Ugh...I’m “Burnin’ Up!” Do I have a fever or are the Jonas Brothers back? It’s time to take out the tape and hang those posters from 2013 back up!

On March 1 of this year, the Jonas Brothers (JoBros) officially announced their long-awaited return after a six-year hiatus with the release of a new song, “Sucker.” The reunited boy band formally declared their comeback by posting the cover art for the song on Instagram. The artwork showed the brothers standing in front of a decorated castle, with Nick Jonas standing in the middle.

Yes, that’s right: Nick, not Joe Jonas and definitely not Kevin Jonas — sorry Kevin, your time will come.

After millions of young hearts were shattered over the six-year separation period, it appeared doubtful that those hearts would be reconstructed any time soon. Yet, the JoBros did not fail to deliver, as they announced their return in early 2019, mending the hearts of past Jonatics and captivating new fans.

In addition to the obvious six-year age difference from the past Jonas Brothers, many components of the band and their message have also developed. Now, instead of capitalizing on the heart-eyed, lovestruck teenager’s desire for the hearthrob brothers, the band is focusing on spreading messages of the power

of real love and passion.

The “Sucker’’ music video features all three of the brothers’ wives— Nick’s wife, Priyanka Chopra Jonas; Kevin’s wife, Danielle Jonas; and the newlyweds, Joe and Sophie Jonas.

Yes, the fact that ALL three Jonas Brothers are married and off-the-market is truly devastating and dreamdestroying.

However, if the JoBros are happy, the Jonatics are happy — well, maybe.

As a result of the Lily Cohen (‘20)/ Eastside Art Director unexpected Jonas Brothers perform “Happiness Begins” on tour at the Wells Farreturn to the go Center in Philadelphia. music industry, the gins, and finally the fortyferent aesthetic, whether band’s stock is skyrocketday North American tour. it was fire for ‘Burnin’ Up’ ing. “Sucker” reached numAlthough the tour was or confetti for ‘Cake by the ber one on the Billboard a promotion of their fifth Ocean.’ It was very cool and Top 100 only a week after studio album, the Jonas the ambience was better its release, and the music Brothers also blessed their than expected,” said Hanvideo reached 61 million loyal Jonatics with timenah Miller (‘20), who atviews, more than six times less tracks such as “Burnin’ tended the concert. as many as the brothers’ Up,” “S.O.S,” “Year 3000” The return of the Jonas last music video from 2013. and many other throwBrothers did not just allow It’s a well-known fact backs. Additionally, the the now-grown fans to emthat good things come in shows included tracks from brace their childhood, but threes, and this is no excepNick and Joe’s solo career it demonstrates that haption, with the release of the paths, like “Jealous” and piness can truly begin. Who song “Sucker,” the follow“Cake by the Ocean.” knows, maybe a Connect 3 ing album Happiness Be“Every song had a difreunion is next!

East students employ 100-year range of music tech ■ By Sean Meyers (‘20)

Eastside Staff

When Cherry Hill East opened over 50 years ago, it would have seemed a far-off fantasy to have a portable library of music. Now, East students sport a variety of headphones, earbuds or AirPods as they walk from class to class.

With all of these developments, it can seem crazy to realize that only 150 years ago, the only device for listening to music was the phonograph.

The phonograph, invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison, was the first device that was able to record sound and play it back. Music would be recorded onto a vinyl disc and spun around so that the disk vibrated and recorded sound. The sound would be emitted through a horn-like device.

This was the way people listened to music until 1963, when Phillips introduced the cassette tape.

A much smaller and more convenient device, this piece of machinery took

1877

spools of film and wound them around and emitted sound when put in a cassette player (similar to how film was projected to show movies). In the 1980’s, cassette players underwent a series of modernized upgrades. They were made portable and could be listened to with headphones.

The most popular version, the Sony Walkman, was created in 1979.

In 1982, the Compact Disc (CD) was invented by James T. Russel. CDs were extremely popular in the 2000’s, especially since CD players were a standard feature in cars.

Then, in 2001, Apple redefined the entire music industry with the iPod. This small device had five gigabytes and was marketed as having “1,000 songs in your pocket.”

In 2008, Spotify was founded. By 2011, it had gained 2 million subscribers to its streaming service Apple followed suit, launching its own streaming platform, Apple Music, in 2015.

Despite these changes,

1963

there are a few people at East who choose to listen to their music on older devices as opposed to the modern technology. One of the most common of these technologies is the phonograph.

Ms. Noreen Cunningham, an English teacher at East, for example, loves her vinyl collection.

“When I first started collecting music, vinyl was what was popular,’’ said Cunningham. “There were cassette tapes, but I always preferred vinyl because I like reading the liner notes that came inside [the sleeves].”

This mix of listening and reading would soon become a pasttime. In some cases, it would lead her to discover new artists.

Cunningham’s fondness of vinyl puts her in the minority, as she does not know any other East teachers who listen to vinyl.

Among students, some like Karley Gordon (‘21) and Zaiden Ascalon (‘20) also enjoy vinyl records.

“I love the way it sounds.

The crackle in the music

1979

1982

is honestly the best part,” said Gordon.

Ascalon said he appreciates Vinyl over CDs and MP3s because of the higher quality of studio recording. Ascalon also prefers vinyl over streaming but acknowledges how much more convenient streaming is.

“You can’t exactly lug a turntable and stereo system through a high school hallway,” said Ascalon.

But some people are pickier with their taste, claiming that certain music sounds better on different formats.

“It depends on the album. I definitely like listening to classic rock and jazzier style music on vinyl a lot more, but pop and rap records sound better listening on earbuds,” said Gordon.

With streaming, CDs and vinyls, music is more accessible than it has ever been. Yet, as music technology evolves, there will always be those. regardless of age, that like to kick it old school.

2001

Infographic by Remy Abrams (‘21), Giana Maccarella (‘20) and Angelina Witting (‘22)/ Eastside Culture Editors

Page 19

Blast from the past...

While reminiscing on past music technoogy, the Eastside culture editors have created a playlist of our childhood jams from 2009.

“Obsessed” by Mariah Carey “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus “Empire State of Mind” by Alicia Keys “I Gotta Feeling”

by The Black Eyed Peas “Bad Romance”

by Lady Gaga “Tik Tok” by Kesha “Boom Boom Pow” by The Black Eyed Peas “Right Round” by Flo Rida “21 Guns” by Green Day “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus “You Found Me”

by The Fray

CULTURE

Page 20

EASTSIDE

October/November 2019

East students shell-ebrate popular sustainable straws ■ By Giana Maccarella (‘20)

Eastside Culture Editor

A new trend has taken over the web and the waves: saving the turtles by using reusable straws in lieu of traditional plastic.

This trend started because of the increased cultural relevance of environmental issues such as climate change but also focuses on the health of aquatic life and oceans.

Advertisements for saving the turtles can be seen while scrolling through Twitter, Instagram and Facebook feeds. These advertisements campaign for the use of metal or paper straws rather than plastic ones. This is how student advocate for the environment and owner of two metal straws, Sami Somach (‘20), heard about the trend.

“It’s all over social media and so it’s really hard to not to see all that stuff when scrolling through social media outlets,” said Somach.

After seeing the advertisements, Somach decided to try out the metal straws for herself. Now in AP Environmental Science (APES), Somach sees that the straw is much more than just a trend that benefits the shelled sea creature at the center of the campaign to cut down on plastic.

“Being in [APES], I believe that humans do waste

too much, and starting with just plastic straws and limiting the use of them [is a good way to change that],” Somach said.

Somach also advocates for small changes that can help the environment other than just metal straw usage.

“Just starting to change the way you act — like even just using reusable water bottles,” is impactful, said Somach.

Many local resturants and businesses are making the change, too, stopping the use of plastic straws entirely or promoting the use of paper straws. Starbucks, for example, now sells paper straws and has remodled its lids so that straws are no longer needed and patrons can sip from their drinks with ease.

Paper straws are marine-life friendly. According to multiple studies, paper straws will biodegrade in five months, which is ulti-

matley safer for the enviorment and wildlife than plastic straws.

Another owner of a metal straw and advocate for change is Environmental Studies teacher Mr. Jason DeFuria.

“I got [a metal straw] because plastic is one of the most reactive things that

we have, plastics can leach out into some of our drinking supplies,” DeFuria said.

Drinking through plastic straws is a problem in and of itself. But the issue continues even further with the process of breaking down plastics.

The hotter the weather gets, the more likely the plastic is to react and break down, increasing the environmental danger. For example, a plastic bottle, when left in the sun for too long, can contaminate the water supply.

“The problem with these plastics is while it’s very reactive with items in the environment… it doesn’t degrade for hundreds and hundreds of years,” said DeFuria. “The major problem we then get to is the microplastics where you have these bits of plastic that made one larger item and now it becomes millions of tiny particles.”

This plastic problem does not solely affect turtles; it affects all aquatic and land animals, including humans.

“Due to bioaccumulation, [plastic] ends up becoming parts of all kinds of living organisms,” said DeFuria.

As smaller animals are eaten, the microplastics go further up the food chain, until microplastics could even end up in the seafood that people consume.

As people become more aware of the dangers that microplastics and plastic pollution bring, the rallying cry of #SaveTheTurtles is definitely making a splash.

Art by Lily Cohen (‘20)/ Eastside Art Director

THE STRAWS THAT SAVED THE TURTLE’S BACK

Photo courtesy of Samantha Dayton (‘19)

Angelina Witting (‘22)/ Eastside Culture Editor

Powderpuff November 3rd

11:00 a.m.

At the Football Field Juniors vs. Seniors

October/November 2019

CULTURE EASTSIDE

Lip-syncing app comes into primetime ■ By Lily Yudis (‘20) Eastside Staff

In August of 2018, the world of lip-syncing and dancing videos turned upside down when the app Musical.Ly was sold to a company outside of China, which then created TikTok. Surpassing the number of users on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat all in the same year, this app has dominated the social media

world in 2019.

The app has 400 million monthly active users who watch and create TikToks, which are fifteen-secondlong videos replayed in a continuous loop.

Although derived from Musical.Ly and Vine, TikTok differs from both apps due to its broader selection of creative videos includ-

ing singing, dancing, comedy and “challenge” videos, rather than solely focussing on lip syncing or six-second skits. The app also includes a wide selection of music choices as well as filters and effects to spice up the videos. Users can even do a “duet” with another TikToker, which then splits the screen, dividing both sides of talent to present to the other users all in one video.

For people unfamiliar with the rising TikTok,

Tokers arrange hundreds of gummy bears in a crowdlike formation while “Someone Like You” by Adele plays in the background.

Another popular trend is the song that people either love or hate: “Hit or Miss.”

If you hear this phrase in the hallways of East, out of the mouths of your siblings and friends, or simply anywhere in public, it’s probably because a TikToker is waiting for your response, which should be “I guess they never miss, huh?”

were dancing around and it kind of just blew up!” he said.

Tyler Burke (‘21) assists Leomporra in making his popular TikToks, describing the app as “a fun way to make videos if you are bored.”

However, not everybody is addicted to TikTok. Some people do not even have the app on their phone.

“I think it’s pointless and a waste of time unless you are of a younger age group.” said Adiba Qazi (‘20).

the challenges and dance moves may be difficult to learn. To keep up, the important thing to remember about this app is not the celebrities or ordinary accounts one follows, it is the hashtags that will lead you to the hottest trends circulating around the app and other social media platforms. For example, trending under the hashtag “Haribo Challenge,” Tik-

Whether one thinks this song is irritating or entertaining, it gained its popularity when it went viral on TikTok. Tyler Leomporra (‘21), who currently has 43,600 followers on the app, explained to Eastside how he achieved that many followers.

“Last year around winter time we made a video in school, just for fun. We

This app is a way that kids and teens can freely express themselves through music, singing, dancing, comedic skits and more.

Therefore, if Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter or other social media platforms are not enough, feel free to release your inner creativity to the world of fifteen-second videos on the explosively popular TikTok.

Not only are VSCO girls defined by what they wear, they are also defined by their signature phrases.

be described as an awkward laugh, while “and I oop” is known as the phrase to say when someone is shocked,

Photo courtesy of TikTok

VSCO girl trend takes over East hallways

called Hydro Flasks. These bottles are sold in countless Eastside Online Editor stores, like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Nordstroms.

The “VSCO girl” craze The vacuum is making its way insulated stainacross social meless steel water dia.

It involves bottle is often teenage girls covered in stickwho don colorers and braceful scrunchies lets to express on their wrists, interests. sip from Hydro “If I had to deFlasks, wear scribe a VSCO oversized shirts girl in one word, and sport BirkenI would use the stocks, Crocs or word ‘Hydro Vans.

Flask.’ You will The popnever spot a ularity of VSCO girl withVSCO girls origiout her Hydro nated from an Flask. It is a app similar to Instaple item that stagram used for a VSCO girl posting and editmust own,” said ing “artsy” photos Chloe Linden without allowing (‘21). viewers to see folHowever, as lower and like with any trend, counts. The VSCO some people girl trend came to are strongly opbe when teenage posed to its popgirls began postularity. ing pictures of Maddie Grathemselves with ham (‘21) voiced all the VSCO girl her disapproval essentials, such as of the trend. puka shell neck“I do not like laces and Hydro the VSCO girl Fasks, on the app. trend because it More recently, the took an app used trend has expandfor pictures, and ed into social meturned it into dia apps Tik Tok a personality and Instagram. trait,” Graham Accessories are said. “It is an another crucial adunnecessary ladition to a VSCO Jillian MacHenry (‘22)/ Eastside Staff bel to give girls. girl. Due to their People should rising popularity, A VSCO girl holds her brightly colored Hydro Flask. not be defined these accessories VSCO girls have popularsurprised or embarrassed. by the clothes they wear or have become staized the use of “sksksk” as VSCO girls are also frethe objects they own” ples in stores. well as “and I oop,” intequently known for their The VSCO girl seems to “I never leave the house grating it into teenaged verpassion about environmenonly be picking up steam at without a scrunchie on my nacular. These seemingly tal causes, using reusable Cherry Hill East, even as wrist and a Hydro Flask in nonsensical turns of phrase straws to “save the turtles,” many teenage girls work to my hand,” said Julia Nisencarry intricate meanings: for example. They also keep up with the trend, one zon (‘22), a self-described the keysmash “sksksk” can sport reusable water bottles scrunchie at a time.

VSCO girl.

■ By Alexa Atlas (‘22)

Page 21

■ By Eli Weitzman (‘20) Eastside Webmaster

W h e n you first hear “scooter,” the first thing that comes to mind is that metal Razor scooter from your childhood. But do you ever think of something fast, going 17 mph with fancy lights and electronic brakes?

I hadn’t exactly heard about this myself until only a few months ago. Here’s why: this past summer, I spent my time living in Redmond, Washington, interning at Microsoft. I lived in a small apartment about two miles from my office, which equated to about 40 minutes of walking or 8 minutes of driving. The only problem, however, was that I couldn’t really rely on driving since my father needed to use the car. So walking was the only option, but that got tiring really fast (Redmond has a LOT of uphill climbs). After a few weeks of walking, I decided I’d had enough. So, I went for a new approach.

An electric scooter is the perfect option. It provides a quick ride and doesn’t break the bank. Plus, it’s pretty fun! So, after a bit of research and weighing options, I decided on what I now use today, the SegwayNinebot ES2. It’s a fast scooter, costing only about $500, with a top speed of 17 mph, and a range of 15 miles on a single charge.

That would get me back and forth from work with ease. So, I got it and became a scooter-er.

Flash forward a few weeks, and now we’re back at school. I live only about a mile away, so I figured ‘Why not try and ride the scooter to school?’ And boy, it’s been a transformative experience. Typically, students who drive must sit in traffic, or worry about parking and accidents. But with my scooter, all I do is just take the sidewalk (which, surprisingly, is always empty) and cross at crosswalks where needed. When I arrive at school, I ride up to the building, fold up my scooter and wheel/carry it into the building, storing it away safely in a classroom.

With the scooter, I ended up turning my usual 15-minute morning commute and 30-minute afternoon commute (parking lot is awful after 2:30 p.m.) into a 7-10 minute commute.

In the end, the scooter is amazing. I cannot recommend enough the benefits of riding it. It’s fast, convenient and reliable. I foresee this method of transit as the potential future of commuting, and hope we get there someday.

Logo by Eli Weitzman (‘20)/ Eastside Webmaster

SPORTS

Page 22

EASTSIDE

Grounds Department ensures safe conditions for athletes

He also works with district playgrounds and the Barbara H. Richterman fields, where a massive reseeding project was recently undertaken and completed in the past year.

In addition to the soc-

cer fields, Schofield and his team worked to put new goals and new grass on the field hockey fields at East.

Additionally, the crew provides a helping hand to custodians during the winter whenever it snows or there are icy grounds.

The teams work around the clock to ensure that the facilities are safe for students to walk through. “[Everyone] in the Buildings and Grounds Department goes above and beyond every day to help each other out when needed,” Schofield said.

He considers himself lucky to have a job that benefits Cherry Hill’s student athletes.

In addition to the school year’s constant buzz of activity, there is a lot of planning and scheduling to work out the Grounds Department’s summer projects.

“We have already started planning out next year’s summer,” said Schofield.

These plans for next summer include renovating a few more schools, as they try to make their way around he entire district.

All Grounds Department members are devoted to their jobs and work relentlessly to ensure that all East’s athletes have a very safe season.

were all really nice and helpful [throughout] the process,” said Grant.

After he could apply Legendary football pressure to his leg again, coach Vince Lombardi once he began to walk and run noted that the amount of again to make it feel more times one falls down is of natural. In all, it took a little importance compared total of 28 to how one brushes weeks for himself off and gets Grant to reback on his feet. Over cover. the past year, Eddie Now back Grant (‘20) has come on the field, to exemplify that senGrant inditiment. cated that he In the 2018 East has no goals soccer season, Grant for himself went in for a slide personally tackle against fellow but rather Olympic Conference for his enteam, Cherokee High tire team.

School, and broke his He wishes femur in the process. to win as The injury occurred many games in the middle of the as possible season, which was for the 2019 a tough loss for the season and Cougars since Grant hopes that was considered a very the bond that strong player. they share “This kid broke his will help femur on the field last push them September 26, the towards fuworst and most diffiture victocult day of my coachries. ing career, and refused “We have to allow the injury to a team that take away his senior is so close season or his goal to and such a be a D1 athlete,” said Andrew Maier (‘20)/ Eastside Photo Editor Mr. Michael Melogra- Grant winds back to kick the ball up the field close family, and I think na, head coach for the in a game against Bishop Eustace. we can have East Boys’ Varsity Socgreat succer Team. sions at The Training Room cess,” he said.

It was also a difficult about three times a week Grant said that he aims time for Grant. He had suron his way to recovery. to play in college, but he gery the next day, which “Since I was in rehab for will have a harder time lasted for roughly four so long, I got to work with since the main year for rehours. He stayed the night almost all of the physical cruitment is junior year. at the hospital and then therapists there and they His injury halted his rehad another surgery that

cruitment process and made it much more difficult to find a team, but that did not stop him. He has been talking to several coaches and believes he will be able to commit by the end of 2019.

“For other players that have these injuries, it seems like it may be impossible for you to return, but as long as you keep on working hard and doing what you’re told, you will be back on the field and you will be stronger than before,” said Grant.

Though part of his focus may be on his future, Grant remains dedicated to the here and now, helping to lead the team.

“He uses his experience and examples of scenarios to educate the team,” said Melograna, noting that Grant has been on varsity since he was a freshman.

Grant consistently checks in with his teammates to make sure that they are okay and feeling good. He strives to be approachable.

“I want them to see me as the type of teammate that they can talk to,” said Grant. “Just because I am older doesn’t make me more superior than them.”

Being one of the captains of the varsity soccer team is definitely no walk in the park, especially after what could have been a career-ending injury. Luckily for both Grant and East’s varsity soccer team, Grant was able to get back onto his feet.

■ By Lalitha Viswanathan (‘22) Eastside Sports Editor

When someone mentions Cherry Hill East athletics, usually the first thing to come to mind is an array of sports, coaches, fields and equipment vital for a successful season. However, when thinking about these essential aspects, there are other important roles that are often overlooked.

For example, the Maintenance Department that takes care of East’s interior and exterior.

There are three separate sections within East’s overall Facilities Department: Maintenance, Custodial and Grounds.

Grounds focuses on the exteriors of all 19 Cherry Hill schools, including their respective sports fields. They monitor the conditions of all soccer fields, baseball fields, football fields and others in order for matches and practices to go smoothly and safely.

In order for any sport to be able to practice or play at East, the fields must be in acceptable and safe conditions. This includes everything from painting the white lines on the soccer fields and irrigating the grounds, to mowing the lawn and re-

placing goals and nets. To accomplish this, there are 12 grounds workers around the district. The Facilities Department is planning on getting one or two new additions to help divide the heavy workload more evenly.

“Maintaining all of the

new additions will allow his team to do even better work.

In addition to keeping up with the facilities at East, Schofield also works with the other 18 schools in the district and works to renovate and improve students’ surroundings.

Fast Facts: Across the district, the Grounds Department oversees and manages: 32 tennis courts (5 at East) 6 hockey courts (0 at East) 31 basketball courts (0 at East) 31 baseball fields (4 at East) 3 tracks (1 at East) 15 soccer fields (3 at East) 23 courtyards (3 at East) 5 field hockey fields (1 at East) 13 playgrounds (0 at East) schools gets overwhelming at times. It’s great that I have such a strong team who puts in more than they get,” said the district’s grounds manager, Mr. Jeff Schofield.

Schofield hopes the

Grant kicks off his soccer season after femur injury ■ By Josh Janove (‘22)

Eastside Staff

lasted for two-and-a-half hours the following day.

Grant was released shortly thereafter and began physical therapy and rehab as soon as he could.

He had to go through many intensive rehab ses-

October/November 2019

Updates for 2020 athletic season ■ By Lalitha Viswanathan (‘22) Eastside Sports Editor

As East athletics kick into gear again, they do so with some crucial facility repairs.

Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer: The Barbara L. Richterman Sports Complex has been under repair for the past year, after a dangerous weed growth was found during the 2018 fall season. The lower field has been completely reseeded and has been transitioned to sand. Employing a process called “drill and fill” in which holes are put in the ground to help irrigate the field, those involved in the repairs hope to avoid the questionable water flow from years past.

“Whenever it rained previously at Richterman, the water would flow onto the lower field and would just sit there, hence its infamous nickname, ‘the swamp,’” said Mr. Michael Beirao, the District Director for Athletics.

A new water pump was installed at Richterman, as well as new gates.

“We would like Richterman to be the premier grass fields in our area; the one that everyone goes to, the one that has fields that are indistinguishably neat,” said Beirao.

Football: For the football team, East has placed new fences around the field complex. A new scoreboard has also been put up, as the old one barely worked and was about to fall apart.

The next step is to update the stadium as a whole, where many players feel issues have been keeping fans from home games.

“We would also love to upgrade the stands in the stadium so that all people who attend can sit comfortably and actually all have a place to sit, as there are not as many seats as we would ideally like,” Beirao said.

Beirao hopes that the field will get lights so the East team can play Friday night games on home turf.

Boys’ Basketball: The school has put new backboards in the East Gym. The old backboards were so old that they could not go up and down.

Softball: The softball team has been given new dugouts and new wind screens. Additionally, they have a new batting cage for their team.

Baseball: The baseball diamond was fitted with new wind screens. There has also been new fencing put in place for the JV baseball field. New drainage systems are also in the cards for the field.

“We also wanted to install drainage for the baseball fields [because] whenever it rains very hard, the water just stays on the field, it does not soak into the grass because East has a cement base,” said Beirao.

Overall, Beirao hopes that these repairs will provide students with a safe place to strive for excellence.

Art by Lily Cohen (‘20)/ Eastside Art Director

October/November 2019

SPORTS EASTSIDE

Page 23

East student rows with Philadelphia Adaptive Rowing ■ By Emily Mahaffy (‘20)

Eastside Features Editor

Two years ago, Will Chernets’ (‘22) days consisted of anything but going to school. Now, as a sophomore at Cherry Hill East, he not only attends classes just like the rest of his peers, but also excels in one of his favorite sports, rowing.

Chernets was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic disorder that makes his muscles weaker than the average person’s.

However, a medication that helps with his condition was recently developed.

“It’s been like a miracle in my life; I’ve been able to get stronger and feel better…” said Chernets. “In ninth grade, I was back to school full time and I started getting involved in sports again, which I thought was cool.”

As Chernets has gotten back into the swing of things, he’s picked up rowing and basketball, while also playing sled hockey, a type of hockey where players sit in a bucket with skates attached to the bottom, which he has played for the past six or seven years. Through his hockey program he found other adaptive sports programs, which led him to rowing.

“I went to one of their events; it turned out there were so many sports that I didn’t know of. And one of the ones I found really interesting was rowing. So I decided to try that out, and I guess found it cool from there and kept going with it,” said Chernets.

Chernets rows on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on

Courtesy of row2k.com

Chernets rows down the Schuylkill River during the Bayada Regatta race.

Monday evenings with the club team, Philadelphia Adaptive Rowing (PAR).

A typical practice includes one to two thousand meters of rowing (the length of 1020 football fields).

“It keeps you constantly moving and is really good exercise, but it’s also more of an intense sport, and it also gets you outside and

you get to go onto the river too,” Chernets said when commenting on his new love of rowing.

This past August, Chernets competed at the BAYADA Regatta on the banks of the Schuylkill River.

The regatta is sponsored

by BAYADA Home Health Care, and it is the largest rowing competition in the

nation for athletes with disabilities. “[Competing] gives you something to work towards.

Everytime you find another competitor, you see their strengths and their weaknesses,” Chernets said.

“Sometimes their strengths can be your weaknesses, so you can try to see how they do it, and then work and

build yourself up… so you can make those weaknesses into strengths.”

To Chernets, his activities mean more than just playing a sport or two. By getting involved, he continues to get stronger, physically and mentally.

“At the end of the day, it’s just to try to make yourself a better person,” he said.

manage,” said Greenbaum.

Greenbaum does not find being a student athlete too difficult, but she understands why other students may feel that way. She explains the way she learned

cause you won’t have time to do it later, and it’s unacceptable not to do your work,” she said.

Greenbaum feels that the stress of being a student athlete may not be easy, but it is worth it in the end because the unity and atmosphere of the team is the best reward in the world. She has developed a strong bond with both her coaches and teammates, which can also be motivation for her.

“You become very close with your teammates and coaches very quickly because of how much time you spend with them,” she said.

Greenbaum feels that as long as you are consistent and have a routine, it is not hard to balance your school work and your sport.

Nicole Harms (‘18) was also a student athlete and swam all four years of high school. Now, she swims and dives at Rowan University. Harms and Greenbaum share a similar outlook on the work and sport balance. Harms feels that East taught her to have great time management skills, which are needed in order to stay on top of your work.

“I don’t feel like it’s that hard to balance schoolwork and swimming because I feel that I have a great bal-

ance of time management,” she said.

Harms also thinks that the previous years of builtup time management skills have helped her in the long run.

Harms said that the swim team and her motivation have helped her get through her school work.

Or the other way around: when she has a really good

my coaches and teammates is immense. I trust everyone on this team and use their drive as motivation to grind every day and get my work done. I have nothing but respect for my coaches because they always have my back and won’t ever let me fall,” said Harms.

Though the balance can be tough, neither of these athletes would trade her

New college athletes reflect on balancing sports and schoolwork

■ By Amanda Merovitz (‘22)

Eastside Sports Editor

Handling school work on its own can be very difficult, but throwing a sport into the mix can make things even harder. East students must keep up their grades while keeping their onfield performances sharp. It does not get any easier during college, but many East alumni say their experiences at East have given them the time management skills they need to excel.

Sam Greenbaum (‘18) was a cheerleader at Cherry Hill East.

Now at Towson University, Greenbaum feels that East prepared her for the workload and sport balance that was essential to her college experiCourtesy of Sam Greenbaum (‘18) ence.

Greenbaum poses with Towson’s “I don’t find it mascot, the Townson Tiger. too hard to balance school and cheer because I have prehow to balance her work viously learned good time and sport. management skills at East.

“You have to adopt a At first, it was really hard mindset that you have to to catch onto, it is a lot to get your work done now be-

Andrew Maier (‘20)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Harms swims her way to victory at the Tri-County 2017 Championships. practice it motivates her to get her work done. Whenever she has a break, she tries to fit in an assignment or two.

“My relationship with

athletic experiences for the world, and as they navigate the dual worlds of academics and athletics, their experiences at East provide a crucial roadmap.

October/November 2019

SPORTS EASTSIDE

Cucinotti swims his way back to coach Cherry Hill East He pours his passion and dedication into evEastside Sports Editor erything he does here at East, whether that is in the Though his eyes are pool, fields or always focused forward even the classwhen swimming, Mr. rooms. He was Joseph Cucinotti’s excelawarded Boys’ lence in the pool at East Swimming led him right back to his Coach of the former high school, this Year in 2015 time as both a teacher by NJ.com. and a coach.

Cucinotti was Like many young awarded the swimmers in the Chertitle of Coach of ry Hill area, Cucinotti the Year after dove right into the local the boys’ Vaswim club, Downs Farms risty team won Swim Club, when he was a state title for five years old. Although the first time swimming was not his since 2002. favorite sport from the According to get- go, once he became a the article by member at his local swim NJ.com on his club, it slowly grew on achievement, him. Through hard work, “Cherry Hill dedication and challenge, East’s state his passion for, and exceltitle snapped lence in, swimming grew.

Westfield[‘s] “You start with lesthree-year win sons,” said Cucinotti, streak and “and you eventually could be the make your way up the foundation for ranks of the team. It was Cherry Hill just something that most East to start a kids in the neighborhood run of its own.” were doing.”

This big Though he particiachivement pated in a wide range of was acstrokes, Cucinotti had a complished soft spot for breaststroke through both and butterfly. He often Cucinotti’s paspreferred the shorter dissio and detertance rather than long. mination and He wound up swimming the swimmers’. varsity at East all four Like in his years, and still managed youth, Cucito participate in other notti never resports, such as football ally focused and track. During his Courtesy of Mr. Cucinotti on one sport. four years at East, the When he first swim team won the state Cucinotti takes a celebratory picture after a meet. started teachchampionship in his seing at East, he nior year and won the letes and his success was coach. was a football coach, tenSouth Jersey Championnow measured by those he “I’ve learned how impornis coach and swimming ship in both his junior and guided rather than his own tant a relationship between coach, and he is currently senior years. personal achievements. coaches and high school the baseball coach at Hen“Swimmers are pretty Although Cucinotti did students is,” said Cuciry C. Beck Middle School. well-rounded and can get not swim in college, he notti. “I started to realize Not only is he making a stuff done,” Cucinotti said, never stopped pursuing his this once I became a coach difference at East, but he is “I didn’t even realize the passion for swimming. On and started creating these also showing his devotion need to balance your work his own time, he practiced own relationships with the and care to younger stuuntil I became a coach.” as much as he could and swimmers.” dents, too.

Although Cucinotti had competed in smaller comHe began working at “I started coaching right a prominent involvement in petitions to improve as an his local swim club: howwhen I got out of school at many sports, he never reathlete. ever, he eventuDowns Farms… and then ally had a “favorite” sport.

Most people often ally started fell into things once I start“I believe that whichever do not know ed working here,” he said. season you are in at the e x Cucinotti returned to time, that’s the sport you actly East and, once again, with are focusing on,” said Cucia huge splash. He still notti. finds the time to swim For most student-athand practice, even if it is letes, the balance only for his enjoyment. As between sports the coach for the Boys’ and schoolwork Varsity Swim Team, he can be a daunting hopes to continue to challenge, but that help and influence the was never the swimmers and become case for Cucibetter every day. Not notti. only to coach them and With perbring trophies and medsonal expeals, but also to aid them rience when in their everyday lives. participating “My initial goal was in multiple to get the team state sports and acrecognition, but now tivities, Cucithat they have reached notti has always that goal,” said Cucihad a strong notti, “now I am tryencourageing to revamp and see ment for his what else we can focus own players on to improve for the to get involved future.” in a variety of Cucinotti hopes to activities. As continue impacting a coach and students at East and a teacher at bring the swim team East, he has made even more success for strong and impactful this and many more searelationships. sons to come, just as he has Cucinotti said that his what path —or in this case, working at East and proven to do in the past. time as an athlete and a lane — they want to pursue is now a special education student has influenced his Art by Alexa Gershon (‘21) / in life, but after graduatteacher. attitude as a coach.

■ By Lily Lazarus (‘22)

When becoming a coach, he recognized the spotlight had to shine on the ath-

ing from college, Cucinotti knew exactly where he wanted to go: he wanted to

For Eastside

Page 24

2019 Cherry Hill East Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees The Cherry Hill East Hall of Fame Committee is pleased to announce the 2019 inductees into the Cherry Hill East Athletic Hall of Fame. The induction banquet will be held on Saturday, November 30, at 11:30 a.m. at the Indian Spring Country Club in Marlton, New Jersey.

Sue Ball (‘80) Swimming J. Marc Cardelia (‘81) Gymnastics Bill Clark (‘77) Tennis Carolyn Corbi (‘80) Gymnastics Ken Daly (‘75) Football, Baseball Marc D’Andrea (‘74) Football, Basketball, Baseball Vince DePalma (‘72) Wrestling, Track Brent Fisher (‘84) Basketball Bill Fulton (‘89) Swimming Mike Gorzynski (‘78) Football, Track Jason Kenig (‘94) Soccer Lori Pike (‘81) Swimming Steve Priano (‘86) Football, Basketball, Baseball Coach Lynn Nec Swimming Coach Ralph Ipri Tennis Anthony Cost Contributor Those selected for the Hall of Fame were chosen from athletes who graduated Cherry Hill East between 1970 and 2000. The list of all nominees not selected are kept on file for future consideration.

Inductees are selected based upon their excellence in one or more sports while attending East and have been out of school for a minimum of 10 years.