Spotlight December 2016 Issue

Southern Lehigh High School 5800 Main Street Center Valley, PA 18034 Volume 60 Issue 2

‘Walking Through a Winter Wonderland’ Check out the Lehigh Valley’s best places to visit during the Holiday Season on page 16 Photo Credit: Caitlin Roth

In this

Issue: Did you know math teacher Ms. Viola is a 20-year Army veteran? Read about her experience on pages 2 -3.

Meet the Humans of Southern Lehigh on pages 8-9.

Looking for a place for a fun and elegant meal? Check out our review of 187 Rue Principale on pages 12-13

Page 2

News

The Spotlight

Solehi Staff Grows Mustaches for Men’s Health

by Talia Trackim

Throughout the month of November, male Southern Lehigh High School teachers and faculty members grew out mustaches in support of Movember, a global movement dedicated towards promoting men’s health. The Solehi mustache challenge began on November 7, and participants were not allowed to shave until after November 23.

“Other than the ritualistic side of [Movember,] it is a nice way to raise money for people in need around the holidays for a good cause, whatever that cause may be for that particular year,” science teacher and Movember participant Mr. Erik Steiner said.

Emotional support teacher Mr. Matt Miller organized the campaign.

“Just seeing the other faculty members grow a mustache is funny,” Mr. Miller said. “I do like when my mustache gets big enough that I can start using it in some way. I have gotten quite a few comments on a ‘good cookie duster.’”

Throughout the month, students and staff members donated money to vote for their favorite mustache. Teachers also had the option to donate to take part in casual days. All of the funds raised were donated to Betty Lou’s Pantry, a non-profit organization in Coopersburg that collects and distributes food to community members in need. Collectively, Southern Lehigh High School raised $846.25. “[Charity events] raise your awareness on what’s happening locally,” Mr. Miller said. “For example, with Betty’s Lou’s Pantry, a lot of people might not realize that there are a number of people, even in our own community, that have needs.”

The tradition of Movember extends far beyond Southern Lehigh’s campus and is associated with an international non-profit organization of the same name. The group raises money and works with other programs around the world to bring awareness to men’s health, especially in the areas of prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health and suicide prevention.

“The state of men’s health is in crisis. Men experience worse longerterm health than women and die on average six years earlier,” according to the Movember website. “Prostate cancer rates will double in the next 15 years. Testicular cancer rates have already doubled in the last 50. Three quarters of suicides are men. Poor mental health leads to half a million men taking their own life every year. That’s one every minute.”

The Movember organization began in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia, as a challenge among 30 men to bring the mustache back into style. After discovering the power that the mustache had to gain people’s attention and inspire conversation, they decided to turn it into a bigger movement. Today, Movember includes over 24 countries and boasts over five million participants.

From top left to right: Mr. Ruch, Mr. Miller, Mr. Steiner, Mr. Sinkler, Mr. Beaupre, and Mr. Hershey. From bottom left to right: Mr. Long, Mr. Italiani, Mr. Castagna, and Mr. Dow. Photo credit: Mr. Miller

“Movember is really about men’s health, such as checking for prostate cancer or regular checkups and going to the doctor,” social studies teacher and Movember participant Mr. Thomas Beaupre said. “For for me that’s what Movember is really all about: for men not to always have to be the ‘tough guys,’ to take care of themselves, so they can be there for their families and others.”

Twenty-two teachers participated in the challenge. Joining Mr. Miller, Mr. Steiner and Mr. Beaupre were science teachers Mr. David Dougherty and Mr. David Long; English teachers Mr. Michael Fay, Mr. Joseph Castagna, and Mr. Jeffrey Hershey; social studies teachers Mr. David Krial, Mr. Brian Dow, and Mr. Troy Ruch; physical education teachers Mr. Brenton Ditchcreek, Mr. Andrew Green, Mr. Stephen Schrader and Mr. Matthew Hummel; math teacher Mr. Bradley Siesko; learning support teacher Mr. Anthony Italiani; instructional assistants Mr. Kenneth Wied and Mr. Mark Evans; technology coach Mr. Joseph Breisch; music teacher Mr. Larry Fisher; and assistant principal Mr. Thomas Ruhf.

Congratulations PMEA District 10 Band & Orchestra Qualifiers!

Freshman Andrew Curtis and juniors Wesley DeCasere, Shannon Quinn, and Maxim Vezenov Photo credit: Ben Baca

December 2016

News

Page 3

Emerging Health Students Visit Mütter Museum

by Caitlin Roth

EHP students assembled on the steps of the Mütter Musuem where they enjoyed a day viewing specimens of medical oddities. Photo credit: Mrs. Kristin Applegate

The educational trip to the Mütter Museum, which was founded by a donation by American surgeon Thomas Dent Mütter, has become an annual tradition for Emerging Health Program (or EHP) students. “[The Mütter Museum trip] enhances our learning experience by taking the information [the students] are learning in anatomy, and bringing it into a hands-on or real world application,” EHP teacher Mrs. Kristin Applegate said.

Visitors to the museum can view various preservations of wet specimens, dry specimens, skeletal specimens, human models, and medical tools used throughout history. Popular items on display are “The Soap Lady,” which gains its bizarre name due to a wax-like substance called adipocere

covering the corpse, the world’s largest colon, and anatomist Joseph Hyrtl’s collection of 139 human skulls.

The Mutter Museum is also one of the two places in the world where visitors can see slices of Albert Einstein’s brain.

“My favorite part about the Mütter Museum was seeing the different diseases and how they affected the different parts of the human body,” senior Amanda Steckroth said.

Another senior, Calvin Hurst, said his favorite part of the museum was the plaster cast of conjoined twins Chang and Eng Bunker.

The trip proved to be an entertaining, educational, and even a strange experience for the EHP students.

“Human anatomy is the basis of so much to understand in medicine, whether that is in current times or in history over the last several hundred years. So much of what we learn in modern anatomy courses was on view at the museum,” Penn State University anatomy professor Mr. Tom Heilman said. “Some of these displays [are] a bit obsolete, but seeing these conditions of the human body on physical display makes the struggle of the human condition that much more real. We are the same human beings that we were a hundred or a thousand years ago.”

The Emerging Health Professionals program, run by Mrs. Applegate and Mrs. Donna Pavlovic, is a program for students in their senior year who have an interest in pursuing a career in the medical field. Students from over 10 different schools in Lehigh County participate in this selective program. They spend each week rotating between job shadowing various medical professionals, taking an anatomy and physiology course at a local college, and learning basic medical education at Lehigh Carbon Technical Institute (LCTI). Students are also trained and certified in both first aid skills and CPR. “I think that EHP is super beneficial for anyone hoping to go into healthcare,” senior Alyssia Heurich said. “Not only do we learn the logistics of the medical field, but we are also able to apply our new knowledge to the real world by shadowing at the Lehigh Valley Hospital and St. Luke’s.”

LCCC Tackles Drug Awareness in Lehigh County

by Ashley Jann

Lehigh Carbon Community College has initiated a new program called the Drug Awareness Academy. A four-week course that focuses on the use of the illicit drugs, the program teaches and raises awareness about the heroin epidemic occurring in Lehigh County. The sessions will convey messages of family and individual impact, how addiction works, enforcement agencies that handle those with addiction, and available treatment options.

“The goal of this program is to provide an information sharing network where people with specific knowledge about this issue, such as Dr. Nicholas Slenker, an orthopedic surgeon, and [Lehigh County District Attorney] Bethany Zampogna can share that with the public,” Drug Awareness Academy organizer Sergeant Kevin Smith said. “Hopefully the attendees at this event can share that information with a friend or neighbor and the dangers of heroin and opioid can get to those that are most susceptible. This Academy [is] the first of its kind in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, as the Pennsylvania State Police attempts to increase our role in educating the community in addition to our law enforcement component.”

Though heroin use has been a recurring issue within the Lehigh Valley for years, many people are just now realizing the true magnitude of the situation. In a Morning Call and Muhlenberg College poll conducted in mid2016 among 411 adults, 71 percent said that heroin is very much an issue in the area, while only 2 percent said it is not a problem at all. According to the Lehigh County Coroner Office, in 2015, 17 percent of deaths in the area were caused by opioids, including heroin.

“Heroin has been an issue for years. The accessibility is so easy. Heroin is a progressive drug,” school resource officer Mr. Brian McLaughlin said.

“Students start with prescription medications, then misuse and become addicted. They use them because they’re cleaned and prescribed, there is no unknown.”

Even at Southern Lehigh, there have been instances of drug misuse by students. Though a large part of the issues at the high school are not heroin related, there are cases of illegal substances being abused. Studies by the National Institute on Drug Abuse show that gateway drugs can lead to harder drugs such as heroin.

“I don’t just say this as a cop but as a person, when everyone thinks

of serious drugs it’s heroin or meth, but it could be anything,” Officer McLaughlin said. “It’s about the addictive personality.”

Smith hopes to bring the Drug Awareness Academy to high schools around the area to warn teens of the dangers and consequences of drug abuse. The program’s goals are closely related to those Southern Lehigh’s chapter of Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). The purpose of the school club is to promote healthy decisions such as a drug-free lifestyle.

“I think that our school demographic could benefit from the program’s topics,” SADD president senior Nina Tittensor said, “because it’s becoming easier to buy drugs and it’s a rising issue that should be taught to the students.”

Heroin is one of the most lethal drugs in the United States. Photo credit: National Institute on Drug Abuse

Editor’s note: Last issue’s article, “Mr. Ruhf Officially Becomes Assistant Principal” contained a misprint. The article printed that Emily Oberlender was the writer, when it fact, it was written by Aries Baringer. We apologize for the misinformation.

Page 4

Features

The Spotlight

Veteran Ms. Viola Shares Her Military Memories

by Emily Oberlender

To students, she is Ms. Viola, a calculus and applied algebra teacher. To the men and women she served with, she was First Lieutenant Viola.

Now, Ms. Justina Viola stands proud as a veteran with 20 years and two months of military experience under her belt. Throughout this time, she spent six years on active duty.

“It’s really cool that she served,” senior Brad Polek said. “I have a lot of respect for her.”

Ms. Viola enlisted in the Army National Guard as an 18 year-old college freshman on October 24, 1995.

“It was one of those things where I was always very patriotic. I got to college and started thinking about my future,” Ms. Viola said. “I got something in the mail and thought, ‘This is something I can do to serve my country and show my patriotism. I didn’t want to go into the Marine Corps because I didn’t want to cut my hair off.

The next coolest branch was [the] Army.”

Once enlisted, Ms. Viola attended boot camp.

During this time, she learned a variety of skills including how to throw grenades, fire a rifle accurately, “blow things up,” use a bayonet, and fight in close quarters.

“Boot camp is a psychological challenge. You learn teamwork. Everything’s about teamwork,” Ms. Viola said. “If one person makes a mistake, everyone’s in trouble. They try to make you think as a team, because when you go into combat, you have to work together. You help each other build.”

Along with building skills and values, boot camp provides simulations to prepare the soldiers for possible events during combat. These simulations range from having the soldiers performing tiresome tasks such as running with heavy equipment to even enduring a gas chamber.

“You get the ‘fun’ gas chamber, which is of course sarcastic.” Ms. Viola said. “They put you in this giant room and take capsules of irritant gas.

They make you take your gas mask off and talk to them. If you try to run out, they make you go to the end of the line. They want you to breathe it in so they know you won’t freak. You need to know how to react.”

Typically, soldiers planned to be deployed receive a two-month notice. However, in 2003, the then 26-year-old Ms. Viola got a two week notice from the Army that she would be fighting in Afghanistan.

“I packed all of my army gear. Uniforms, equipment, personal hygiene items, but nothing civilian. You only get two big, green duffle bags,” Ms. Viola said. “When I arrived in Afghanistan, I was overwhelmed and tired. The time difference is way more than I’ve experienced. It was hot.

“We went inside Saddam Hussein’s palace, which we turned into a US embassy in Baghdad, and watched a movie in his private movie theatre,” Ms. Viola said. Photo credit: Mrs. Viola

It was standard for Ms.Viola to have the chance to call home once a week while overseas. Photo credit: Mrs. Viola

We got there at the end of June, and it was 120º fahrenheit.”

From 2003-2004, Ms. Viola was stationed in Afghanistan. While her official job was to be a military religious leader who planned ceremonies, funerals, and provided grief counseling, she was also an on-duty, active soldier who participated in combat daily.

“The first time I got shot at, I peed my pants,” Ms. Viola said. “After a while, you get used to it.

Everything is considered a combat zone. When you see on TV that ‘here is combat and here’s the behind the scenes, and everyone gets attacked at the same time,’ it’s a misconception. It’s all combat in one way, shape, or form.”

While Ms. Viola returned home from Afghanistan in 2004, her military career was not over.

Two years later, she was deployed overseas again, and was stationed in Iraq from 2006-2007. This time her training was in military intelligence. “[Military intelligence consists of] knowing what the enemy is planning to do so that the NATO forces can stop them or avoid them. I had to figure out where IEDs were placed so we wouldn’t run over them or get blown up by them, know where a terrorist leader was to try and capture them, and know where they kept their supplies so we could go raid it,” Ms. Viola said.

“It requires a top secret military clearance and statistical analysis. Looking for patterns and then communicating that information to all of our soldiers (both people in charge of me and who I’m in charge of) was very important.”

During her time fighting, Ms. Viola says she carried a mustard seed and an angel with the American flag on it in a small pouch for good luck. She had to carry her gun everywhere she went.

“We all named our rifles,” she said. “Everyone did it for good luck. Mine was ‘Bertha.’”

Ms. Viola’s communication back home varied depending on where she was stationed.

“Afghanistan didn’t have the infrastructure to

support the internet and phone calls,” she said.

“We could make one 15-minute phone call to our families each week.”

In Iraq, the infrastructure was stronger, allowing for more frequent communication.

“We had internet, and I was able to email my family a couple times a week and call home twice a week for 30-45 minutes,” Ms. Viola said.

She could also send and receive mail, which is called “snail mail” throughout the military.

“My favorite package was when my mom sent me Crème de Menthe flavoring, green food coloring, and a milkshake cup so I could make my own shamrock shake for Saint Patrick’s day,” Ms. Viola said. “She sent shamrock sunglasses and cards.

That was the coolest.”

When not in active combat, Ms. Viola said she and the other soldiers would play a card game with changing rules called “Fluxx,” read every book they could get their hands on, and watch every movie they could find.

In fact, Ms. Viola’s most memorable overseas experience involved one of the movies she saw.

Though she cannot remember the exact title, she can remember the theatre she saw it in: a private movie theater inside Saddam Hussein’s palace which was turned into a U.S. embassy in Baghdad.

“I remember going down the marble staircases into a movie theatre as big as our band room,” Ms. Viola said. “I was like, ‘Who has this?’ The foyers and bedrooms and everything [were] made out of marble, and then to go out and see how the Iraqi people lived in mud huts...I was shocked.”

On December 8, 2015, Ms. Viola retired as a disabled veteran due to injuries she received to her hip and back while fighting in the Middle East.

“It’s incredible to think that Ms. Viola also fought overseas,” junior Amber Beltz said. “You’d never expect your calculus teacher to also be trained by the army. I really respect that she is.”

Ms. Viola says that her military experience made her understand sacrifice and appreciate the little things in life. She advises students who are questioning whether or not to enlist to make sure they research the branches they’re considering and also understand the job.

“You have to pick a job speciality inside the military. There’s so many choices. Understand you’re going to be away from you family a lot, but also you’ll get to go to cool places and travel the world,” Ms. Viola said. “You meet a lot of diverse people and experience things you would never get to otherwise. You build camaraderie and close relationships with people who truly understand who you are and how you think. Those friendships last a lifetime.”

While in the military, Mrs.Viola had the chance to recieve and send “snail” mail. Photo credit: Mrs. Viola

Features

December 2016

Page 5

Mrs. Evison Joins Staff As New Superintendent

by Caitlin Roth and Bridgette Lang

Mrs.Evison’s first goal is to understand the district before making changes. Photo credit: Caitlin Roth

Following the recent retirement of superintendent Dr. Leah Christman, Southern Lehigh School District has welcomed Mrs. Kathleen Evison to take on the job.

“Mrs. Evison is very excited to be the superintendent in Southern Lehigh, [and enjoys what] she has learned about the district after only being here a few weeks,” Southern Lehigh High School principal Mrs. Christine Siegfried said.

Mrs. Evison hails from St. Annes, a small town in England. There she obtained a bachelor’s degree in English and theater from the University of Chester, as well as a teaching certificate for secondary English. After moving to the United States 12 years ago, Mrs. Evison continued her education at St. Joseph’s University where she earned a master’s degree in educational leadership, and finally a letter of eligibility from Edinboro University.

Before transferring to Southern Lehigh, she

worked in the Berks County Intermediate Unit, holding a variety of leadership positions. She later worked in the Reading Area School District as Chief Student Services Officer.

“The one thing that I think that is consistent in [all] school districts is that the students, the families, the staff all want the same key things; to be successful, to be supported [and], to get the resources to have a successful [school year.]”

In her new role as superintendent in the Southern Lehigh School District, Mrs. Evison plans to unite and to continue to grow interactions between all K-12 buildings. In addition, she hopes to keep students, staff, teachers, and parents informed about what happens behind the doors of the administration.

“I’d love to see what happens behind the scenes of the superintendent’s office. As a student, we don’t get firsthand experience [as to what] the role of the superintendent [entails],” senior Izzy Diaz said. “It will also help us understand Mrs. Evison’s take on Southern Lehigh issues, since she is the one ultimately making changes.”

One of the first things Mrs. Evison wishes to accomplish in the new school year is to enact her “100-day plan” through listening, learning, and talking. This plan helps her fully experience Southern Lehigh in a short span of time before any changes will be made. With this plan, she hopes to be able to understand the district better by experiencing Southern Lehigh’s various traditions, cultures, and lifestyles. As soon as the plan is completed, students and parents can expect to see it on the Southern Lehigh website.

Along with this, Mrs. Evison will speak to various staff members to discover what they like and dislike about working in the district, and what changes they wish to see.

Mrs. Evison offers a unique perspective on problem solving. She is looking for the district to grow and develop through communication with each other.

“Communication is very important in our school district, and anywhere really, to ensure cooperation and understanding for all involved,” science teacher Mr. David Long said. “If there isn’t good communication then there is misunderstanding, which can lead to hurt feelings and resentment. I hope that Mrs. Evison will maintain good communication as needed and allowed in the situations that arise while she is here.”

Mrs. Evison also believes conflicts are necessary to have because they show that people are concerned and interested about issues within the district. She hopes to address these conflicts in a professional and supportive way.

“I think that conflict is actually an opportunity. Conflict can be very healthy,” Mrs. Evison said. “If people are putting those opinions out there, it means that we are talking about issues...

When I work with people, I think about how we can make the experience positive.”

Outside of her duties as a superintendent, Mrs. Evison leads an active life with her husband and eight-year-old son. She enjoys camping, exploring the outdoors, playing with her two dogs, and building lego creations with her son. You might even catch her attending a Broadway play in New York City, or unwinding at home with her favorite film, “Gone With the Wind.”

Mrs. Evison hopes to lead her first year as superintendent successfully and to cooperate with both students and staff alike. Her best advice for students?

“Be true to yourself, be honest, and give others the freedom to be who they are.”

Wishing A Belated* but Warm Welcome To Ms. Wall

by Sarah Trebicka

With a brand new school year comes a plethora of brand new teachers for Southern Lehigh.

Among all these new educators is Ms. Danika Wall, who teaches family consumer science.

“I chose Southern Lehigh because this school, the staff, and the students have an excellent reputation in the whole Lehigh Valley,” Ms. Wall said.

“I love all the technology initiatives, and I like that it’s a smaller school with a very welcoming community.”

Ms. Wall graduated from Kutztown University with a degree in elementary education and then obtained a master’s degree in instructional technology from Wilkes University. She is certified to teach elementary school K-6 and family consumer science K-12. Prior to joining Southern Lehigh, Ms. Wall taught in Nazareth for ten years in total: five years of family consumer science, two years as an elementary school classroom teacher, and three years as a technology teacher.

“I’ve wanted to be a teacher ever since I was little,” Ms. Wall said. “I used to play school, and I’ve just always known that I wanted to do it. I love working with children, and I especially like teaching kids how to be adults and skills that’ll help them later on in life.”

In high school, Ms. Wall played softball, basketball, and field hockey. Her hobbies include running, cooking, baking, water skiing, and participating in outdoor activities with her family.

She’s the mother of three young boys, and has visited 30 out of the 50 United States.

Her proudest accomplishments are seeing her sons succeed in school and running her first halfmarathon. Ms. Wall also feels incredibly inspired

by anyone who’s battling a disease or fighting for “Southern Lehigh’s where I wanna be,” Mrs. our country overseas.

Wall said. “I’ve had other opportunities to be “I think of how hard they’re fighting, and it other places, but I specifically chose this school, inspires me to keep going when I’m having a bad and it’s absolutely lived up to my expectations so day, and to appreciate all the things that I have,” far.” she said.

As for her plans for family consumer science this year, Ms. Wall hopes to incorporate lots of hands-on activities, group work and collaboration, games, and, of course, lots of cooking and eating.

“This year, I want to get all of my classes online on Canvas so my students can access the course materials from anywhere,” Mrs. Wall said.

“I also want to get to know the students and staff, and really become part of the Southern Lehigh family.”

Thanks to her positive attitude and enthusiasm, Ms. Wall has already begun to leave a lasting impression on students and staff.

“She’s very passionate about teaching, and very creative and innovative. I think she’s going to kind of recreate family consumer science,” principal Mrs. Christine Siegfried said. “I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that we found her and convinced her to come to Southern Lehigh.”

“She’s very energetic, very bright and cheery, very good with technology, and very friendly with the students,” family consumer science teacher Mr. Joseph Zacher said. “She’s really easy to work and get along with.”

Likewise, Ms. Wall feels her experience here Mrs.Wall enjoys bringing her positive attitude and passion has been “wonderful.” She’s excited to come to to the classroom. Photo credit: Maggie Moerder work everyday and feels “very fortunate that * The article on Ms. Wall was accidentally excluded from [her] path has led [her] here.”

the previous issue. The Features Editor apologizes to Mrs. Wall for this.

Page 6 Opinion

The Spotlight

Staff Editorial: CHICKEN TURNOVERS TO BE DISCONTINUED IN 2017 Southern Lehigh High School 5800 Main Street Center Valley, PA 18034 (610) 282-1421 x7122 slsdspotlight@gmail.com Twitter: @SLSDspotlight Facebook: Southern Lehigh Spotlight The Spotlight is published six times annually by the student members of its staff. Its purpose is to present news concerning Southern Lehigh High School and the Southern Lehigh School District, as well as to provide a forum for student opinion. Editorial content of The Spotlight expresses the view of the paper and not necessarily that of the Board of Education, Administration, or faculty of the Southern Lehigh School District. Bylined editorial content and letters to the editor represent the opinion of the writer only. All contents are copyrighted by The Spotlight. Advertising and subscription rates are furnished upon request.

Faculty Adviser Mrs. Marlo Spritzer

Editor-in-Chief Talia Trackim

Multimedia Editor Nicole Schroy

News Editor Izza Choudhry

Features Editor Allison Borelli

Center Spread Editor Danielle Alpert

Opinion Editor Emily Oberlender

Our World Editor Sarah Trebicka

Entertainment Editor Jamie Kish

Sports Editor

Townsend Colley

Staff Members Ben Baca Aries Baringer Rachael Borelli Sarah Jacobson Ashley Jann Maggie Moerder Caitlin Roth Quinn Schmidt Sarah Walters

Pennsylvania School Press Association 2016 Gold Rating 2015 Gold Rating 2014 Gold Rating 2013 Silver Rating National School Press Association 2015 First Class Rating

Don’t worry, the reign of chicken turnovers will continue. However, the headline caught your eye, and as unrealistic as it seemed, you may have believed it, clicked on it, or shared it.

After studying three months of campaign coverage, Buzzfeed News reported that fake clickbait headlines attracted readers more often than real headlines from major news outlets such as the New York Times, Fox News, and CBS News.

While it’s easier than ever to get quick news, it’s also easier than ever for writers to make thousands of dollars by posting articles online that are made up, but presented as fact. These types of articles often target right-wing or left-wing extremists who will click on and share anything just because they agree with it or, because it strikes a certain emotion in them.

This phenomenon is known more commonly as “yellow journalism,” a type of reporting that emerged in the late 19th century and values sensationalism over facts.

Today, it is a money-making empire that is compromising the ethics of journalism.

As student journalists, we value reporting the truth and know the importance of recognizing fake news sites.

Yellow journalism is offensive to journalists who write honest articles. The reason you cannot trust the “media” is because these articles are not always written by legitimate journalists.

In a school where internet blocking is commonplace, it upsets our staff to see many fake news sources unblocked. For example, abcnews.com.co is not the trusted ABC News site (abcnews.go.com), but instead a fake news outlet. This may fool people looking for a quick fact.

Following the election, it can be difficult for Southern Lehigh’s staff and students to decipher what is real and not real.

News sources that claim “polls show Bernie should have won the Democratic primary,” “evidence reveals Hillary Clinton sold weapons to ISIS,” and “Donald Trump threatens liberals for calling a recount” are false stories that you may find yourself clicking on. To avoid the fake news fad, double check your URL, ensure the sources are accurate, and compare with other websites.

By filtering out fake news websites and avoiding clickbait, we as media consumers can work to become more informed, without interference.

Is there a Need for Lightspeed?

by Rachael Borelli

“If the goal is to limit the access of inappropriate material, then I would say it has worked, but it has also blocked a lot of information that could be helpful,” social studies teacher Mrs. Jennifer Wlodek said. “When the students are looking up information in class, or when I have them watching YouTube, or for homework, materials are often inaccessible. These are educational materials, like topics on terrorism. They’re subjects I’m teaching.”

The pros to a web filter are out there, such as the fact the filter gives teachers confidence that their students will not encounter harmful content or inappropriate images, and the fact that some websites simply need to be blocked due to their inappropriate subject matter.

“Students are young adults and need to learn online responsibility,” technology coach Mr. Joseph Bresich said.

“The filter helps with that and needs to be somewhere between blocking too little and too much. The filter is always changing due to students trying to access inappropriate sites.”

Some additional cons to the filter exist, too. The filter often times blocks out too much information, data relevant to research being conducted by students, and websites that don’t harm students, like Humans of New York which simply provides insight on the lives of everyday New Yorkers.

In fact, in “Fencing Out Knowledge,” Batch makes the point that “Schools block a wide range of constitutionally protected content using overly broad filtering categories that go well beyond those defined by CIPA.” “[The filter] makes a better door than a window,” Cassavaugh said.

Moreover, Batch goes on to state how “Over-blocking content as a means of managing the classroom, limiting exposure to complex, and challenging websites, or curtailing the use of interactive platforms has numerous unintended consequences for students…effectively limiting the acquisition of digital literacy, which increasingly is recognized as a fundamental requirement for all citizens to participate fully in a globally competitive and democratic 21st-century society.”

“I think that the web filters are…doing more harm than good, like in a sense that half of the time, things that we need and websites that we need are blocked, including web sites that teachers want to use,” senior Giuliana Augello said. “A teacher can request something to not be blocked, but then when we need it, it is blocked.”

The school’s filter blocks students from accessing social media websites such as facebook, instagram, and twitter. Photo credit: Talia Trackim

“To a certain degree, [the filter] helps, but for the most part, it’s just a burden to what we learn. Most of the sites that we need are blocked. I think it should be limited to what it used to be, and just the websites that are completely inappropriate should be blocked,” senior Garret Cwalina said.

We can also fix the filter by allowing more appropriate websites. We can look into more research about the educational uses of social media platforms and assess the impact of filtering in schools. Another way to solve the problem is to allow students to put in justified requests to unblock websites.

Opportunities that allow students to prepare to be sensible consumers, creators, and users of content and resources from the internet are being filtered out, even though the school uses a moderate web filter that falls on the stricter side of the spectrum. I think we all understand that a web filter is a requirement for any school. Nevertheless, a web filter that allows students to develop digital literacy, grow, make mistakes, and promote responsibility is a must.

December 2016

Opinion

Page 7

Americans across the country are rallyin for eual rights, including the right for minors to refuse gay conversion therapy. Photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org

Controversy Strikes Conversion Therapy

by Izza Choudhry

With the upcoming inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump and vice presidentelect Mike Pence, one of the most controversial issues of America’s new administration is Pence’s history of opposition to LGBTQ+ rights, especially his possible support of conversion therapy.

Conversion therapy, or reparative therapy, is a psychological treatment designed to change a person’s sexual orientation to heterosexual, or straight, or gender identity to cisgender, identifying as the gender one was assigned at birth. Conversion therapy often utilizes treatments such as conventional talk therapy, prayer, re-education, hypnosis, or aversion therapy. Aversion therapy is the most controversial form, as it includes electroshock therapy and uses vomit-inducing chemical compounds. This form of “treatment” is sickening and immoral, and it horrifies me to imagine that our future vice president may support the funding of this torturous practice.

“Given that this is a core issue for our vice president-elect, I think naturally this is going to come into the spotlight more,” English teacher and GSA co-adviser Mrs. Lauren Tocci said. “For some of the population, it’s one of the sharpest disagreements they have with him. For others, it can be something they’re happy he supports. We need to look to our media and our government for unbiased representations of what conversion therapy is.”

According to goodtherapy.org, oftentimes the people issuing conversion therapy are not licensed medical or mental health professionals. They may be religious officials, self-taught advocates, or people who claim to have had their sexual orientation or gender identity changed by conversion therapy. Conversion therapy has been disavowed by numerous organizations, such as the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Counseling Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Psychological Association. However, in other cases conversion therapists may be trained in in psychology or mental health, providing conversion therapy alongside other psychological challenges, such as depression or anxiety.

“Counseling may be helpful for young people who are uncertain about their sexual orientation or for those who are uncertain about how to express their sexuality and might profit from an attempt at clarification through a counseling or psychotherapeutic initiative,” the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a public statement.

“Therapy directed at specifically changing sexual orientation is contraindicated, since it can provoke guilt and anxiety while having little or no potential for achieving changes in orientation.”

Conversion therapy can be dangerous, and in some cases, even fatal. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), risks of the practice of conversion therapy include depression, guilt, suicidal thoughts, self-hatred, loss of relationships, problems with sexual and emotional intimacy, and a feeling of being dehumanized. Minors are especially vulnerable, and the risks are even greater. Studies show minors who face rejection due to their sexual orientation or gender identity during adolescence are more than eight times likely to attempt suicide, more than five times likely to have levels of depression, and more than three times likely to engage in unprotected sexual intercourse when compared to adolescents who reported little to no level of familial rejection.

“In truth, [conversion therapy accomplishes] not much of anything,” Mrs. Tocci said. “Its existence only seems to strike fear and to support the notion that orientation is a choice that can be changed.”

“We just need to show [society] the sad truth of [conversion therapy]. The bottom line is that people are getting hurt. Being a part of the community is not necessarily a choice, [it’s] just how you feel.

You can’t change how you feel by shock therapy or being forced into thinking [a certain way],” freshman Nicole Karol said.

In 2007, the APA did a thorough review of the then existing research on the efficacy of conversion therapy. Their report concluded that there was minimal methodologically sound research on sexual orientation change efforts (SOCEs) and that the “results of scientifically valid research indicate that it is unlikely that individuals will be able to reduce same-sex attractions or increase other-sex sexual attractions through SOCE.” If this study disproving the efficacy of conversion therapy took place in 2007, why, in 2016, are many people still considering it as an effective method to “change” someone’s identity? There is clear evidence that conversion therapy does not work, and a significant, overwhelming amount of evidence that it is harmful and damaging to the

people undergoing it.

“A lot of intolerance [with the LGBTQ community] is based off misconceptions or stereotypes,” Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) secretary Ben Boyer said. “A lot of younger people who are seen as intolerant might hear things from older generations. They might not try to learn about it themselves, but [instead] listen to the opinions of other people.”

Currently, laws have been passed in California, Washington D.C., Oregon, Illinois, and Vermont, as bills have been introduced in many other states, to prohibit state-licensed mental health professionals from engaging in efforts to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity. These laws include efforts to change gender expressions or behaviors, or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attraction towards individuals of the same gender. These laws also state that the regulated practices do not include therapies that offer acceptance and support, or assist patients’ coping, social support, and identity exploration and development. These laws are especially necessary for the safety of minors, who can be forced to undergo this therapy by a parent or guardian who is disapproving of their sexual orientation and/or identity. These laws are crucial to advocating the protection of members of the LGBTQ community, and ensuring that if they do desire treatment, they are receiving safe, competent care that is not harmful or putting them at risk for life-long mental damage.

“We just need to show [society] the sad truth of [conversion therapy],” freshman Nicole Karol said. “The bottom line is that people are getting hurt. Being a part of the community is not necessarily a choice, [it’s] just how you feel. You can’t change how you feel by shock therapy or being forced into thinking [a certain way].”

In 2015, the Obama administration even declared its support of a ban on minors receiving conversion therapy against their personal consent. This proposed national ban, known as Leelah’s Law, was named after a transgender teen who committed suicide in December of 2014 after stating she was receiving treatment from therapists who were hostile towards her identity. Vice President-elect Pence believes that Congress should oppose any efforts to put homosexual relationships on equal legal status with heterosexual marriage. Our nation went from a progressive country regarding LGBTQ+ rights to electing someone who wants to undo all of our progress. Many of President Obama’s proposals for LGBTQ+ rights were one big step forward for America, and now the inauguration of our homophobic vice president-elect is one gigantic step backwards.

Page 8

Center Spread

The Spotlight

Humans of Southern Lehigh ByTalia Trackim

“I’m most passionate about minding my own business. I don’t get involved. I stick to myself, and because of that I’m not the popular kid, but just the kid that people know.” -sophomore Dasheill Reasinger Photo Credit: Talia Trackim

By Allison Borelli

“My children are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. It’s a level of understanding that’s hard to explain to a teenager that doesn’t have children.

Here’s this little tiny being that you have had a part of bringing into the world and it brings you so much joy that you can’t even explain that and I think during that first year you experience every emotion that’s possible for a human.”

-math teacher Mr. Ryan Haupt Photo Credit: Allison Borelli

By Emily Oberlender

Photo Credit: Emily Oberlender

“It’s the people. It’s not only the teachers, it’s the kids, the cafeteria ladies, the administration. No matter who it is, I’m going to miss seeing everybody.

My grandchildren will make the retirement sweeter. You know, it’s very rare that a custodian stay at a school for 35 years. I wouldn’t have stayed if they didn’t treat me well.”

-now-retired custodian Kenneth Ruch

December 2016

By Nicole Schroy

Center Spread

Page 9

Photo Credit: Nicole Schroy

“The best days of my life have been the normal days. When everything is just going right and there’s so much for me to look forward to, it’s hard to pick one specific best day.” -senior Grace Glueck

By Caitlin Roth

By Izza Choudhry

“I’m passionate about fashion. It’s an easy way to express myself and put out a good image to the world.”

-junior Caitlin Farnsworth

Photo Credit: Caitlin Roth

“The best thing that’s ever happened to me is getting my braces off. I could smile without those little square thingies messing up my facial flow.”

-senior Simmi Kaur

Photo Credit: Izza Choudhry

By Sarah Trebicka

“I think the hardest thing about high school for me is definitely the pressure to find a place where I belong. It seems at some point, usually in their later high school career, most people are able to find the things that they really enjoy and the people with whom they share a common passion and with whom they can connect and form friendships.

The fact that I haven’t had that experience yet is starting to scare me a little, because it feels like I may never find my place. Whether it be a club, a sport, or even just a hobby like writing or fashion, when I look around it seems to me that so many students my age are ‘finding themselves’ in that sense, while I am pretty much stuck. It’s just kind of difficult to see your own friends finding the things they’re good at and the people they connect with when you feel sort of lost.

One of my more hopefully short-term goals would be to find that place and those people.” -junior Jillian Gehring

Photo Credit: Sarah Trebicka

Page 10

Our World

The Spotlight

U.S. Politics: A Talk With CNN Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin

by Talia Trackim

In October, senior Talia Trackim attended a student seminar at Moravian College for CNN Worldwide’s Senior Legal Analyst, Jeffrey Toobin. Photo credit: John Kish IV

As we drift further away from Election Day and move towards the inauguration of Presidentelect Donald J. Trump on January 20, 2017, the United States is preparing to face one of the most controversial administrations yet. Though the campaign is long over, it is important to reflect on the circumstances that surrounded Mr. Trump’s election when looking towards the future.

Earlier this fall, in October just prior to the presidential election, I had the chance to meet the Senior Legal Analyst for CNN Worldwide, Mr. Jeffrey Toobin, when he visited Moravian College to give a lecture. In addition to working for CNN, Mr. Toobin is a staff writer for The New Yorker and a published author of several award-winning books, his most recent being “American Heiress: The Wild Saga of the Kidnapping, Crimes and Trial of Patty Hearst.” His lecture at Moravian, “The Supreme Court in the Post Obama Age,” covered the history of the Supreme Court, its evolution throughout our country’s different presidential administrations, and finally, looking into the future Presidency. Prior to the lecture, I sat in on a student seminar and press opportunity where I listened to other students’ questions for Mr. Toobin and asked some of the my own. Here are some of the highlights: Q: If Donald Trump is elected President and appoints a conservative Supreme Court Justice, what does this mean for important topics such as gay marriage and abortion rights?

Toobin: It would be unlikely [for these court cases to be overturned just from the replacement of Justice Scalia. The Supreme Court, by a vote of 5:3, with Justice Kennedy joining the liberals, said it was unconstitutional [to prevent women from receiving an abortion.] Scalia would only be a fourth vote (5:3), against abortion rights.

[However,] Ruth Bader Ginsburg is part of the liberal jury. If she left and Trump replaced her with a Republican, you would see a threat to

Roe v. Wade [a decision that] said that no state could ban abortion completely. If that were overturned, what would happen is the issue would return to the states. In a lot of red states they would pass laws outlawing abortion. In many blue states there wouldn’t be any change at all.

It would be a huge battle in [swing] states like Pennsylvania, Missouri, Georgia, where there is a close balance.

Q: Donald Trump has said that he wishes to ban Muslims from the United States. For Muslim students currently studying in the United States, should they be concerned?

Toobin: If I were a Muslim student I would be very concerned. There has never been a purely religious quote in immigration, and Trump has been all over the map about what this proposal will be. He originally said no Muslims in the country. That certainly couldn’t happen. Then he said no Muslims who are not citizens. Then he said no people who come from Muslim countries with a history of terrorism. The dimensions of his proposal are very unclear. You cannot pass a law that targets a specific religion. But you can tighten immigration in general. You can limit immigration from Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia. I do think that if Trump is elected there will be less immigration in one way or the other and there will be more expulsion of people [from] the country than there has been [in the past].

Q: What has it been like covering the Donald Trump campaign from a journalistic perspective?

Toobin: I think we in the news media are going to spend a lot of time thinking about our role in the Trump campaign. There’s a paradox there. The Trump campaign began with the tremendous coverage that he received during the primaries, which had an impact in his getting the nomination. In the last two months [prior to the election] there has been this tremendous onslaught of coverage. Most of the critical cover-

age has been factually accurate, but I think he got a free ride for some time. The other republicans were also afraid though, and they have to take some of the blame. Everyone was convinced his support would waive away in the primaries, and it never did. I have never been involved in a presidential campaign where the news media played such a complicated role. Look at the last two [elections]. Candidates always complain about their [coverage]. But I don’t think anyone looking back would say the media had a giant role, but this is different. I think it will be very interesting to see after the campaign is over.

Q: How will the political atmosphere change with the next generation?

Toobin: I think there are certain areas where the impact is clear. The one that jumps out at me is gay rights. Equal rights for gay people is not going to be a controversial subject as time passes because the millennial generation has grown up with an understanding of it. I think sometimes we can forget what a huge change that is. It was only 2003 when the first state allowed same-sex marriage and it was hugely controversial. A year and a half ago when the Supreme Court said that [it was legal in] all 50 states, it was barely even all that controversial, and now it has fallen out of the political discourse. That’s an example of how the millennial generation will have an impact.

The other stuff… it’s hard for me to say. You have the biggest stake when it comes to climate change. But I have seen no particular signs that the millennials are fixated on climate change.

If Miami Beach is swallowed up by the Atlantic Ocean, it makes every other issue very trivial. I just think that issue dwarfs all the others. It isn’t an issue I am knowledgeable about, but we have an entire political party that doesn’t even acknowledge that it exists. Even if you have a political will to address it, if I were starting my career as a citizen, just someone who votes, and I had just turned 18 and was looking forward to having a country that somewhat resembles the one we have now, I’d be thinking a lot about climate.

Q: What sort of legacy will President Obama leave behind when he steps down from office this January?

Toobin: History is going to be good to Barack Obama. Think about the last group of two term presidents in the political campaigns. George W. Bush in 2008 was so bad that John McCain told him, “Don’t campaign for me.” Bill Clinton was told not to campaign for Al Gore. Hillary Clinton wants Obama to campaign for her. Think about the fact that he took office when the economy was in the greatest economic collapse since the 1930s, we were in two wars, there was a huge financial scandal in the financial sector, and gay rights was in its political infancy. The economy is so much better, the wars are basically over for the United States, the automobile industry is fine, gay rights is dramatically different than it was eight years ago. He has a had a presidency without any scandals to speak of. As a human being he has set a personal example with his family that I think will stand the test of time very well.

‘Are They Taking Our Jobs?’ and More FAQ About Illegal Immigrants

by Sarah Trebicka

“When I hear ‘undocumented workers,’ I immediately think of under-the-table workers and migrant farmers,” junior Rabia Khan said. “Unfortunately, these are often the occupations that undocumented workers are subject to in order to support their family while escaping their situation from across the border. These people are not taking our jobs, they are picking up the leftover jobs that nobody else wants.”

Use the QR code to read more at slspotlight.com!

Photo credit: Michael Righi

Our World Page 11

December 2016

Where are They Now? Pros and Cons of the Digital World

by Sarah Jacobson Solehi Alumni: What do Instagram, Facebook, Snap“I think when you use [social media]

by Danielle Alpert

chat, Twitter, and Pinterest all have in common? They connect over a billion users across the globe, and more people than ever before are using these various social media platforms.

Rachel D’Epagnier and a co-worker on the job at Humantech. Photo credit: Humantech

Cornell University only accepts 14 percent of students who apply, and it just so happens that a 2010 Southern Lehigh alumna Rachel D’Epagnier was once part of that percentage.

D’Epagnier graduated from Cornell in just three and a half years with a Bachelor of Science in Human Factors and Ergonomics, which is the study of work and its effect on human performance. With her degree, D’Epagnier began her career as an Ergonomics Consultant at a company called Humantech, where they use ergonomics to improve workplace performance.

“When I was at Humantech, I traveled around the world visiting factories, leading training classes for Health and Safety professionals and engineers to assess how likely their employees are being injured on the job,” she said, “and then I helped them design changes to reduce those chances of injury.”

After two and a half years working at Humantech, D’Epagnier decided to go back to school at the University of Virginia, and is currently working on getting her master’s degree in Exercise Physiology, with the goal of pursuing a career in helping to develop athletes.

“Right now, I’m an assistant coach at a youth fitness center, and I thoroughly enjoy it,” D’Epagnier said. “I’m also interning with [University of] Virginia’s men’s basketball team, as well as running a research study that looks at exercise’s effect on Parkinson’s disease.”

In high school, D’Epagnier was captain of Southern Lehigh’s volleyball team and a member of a club volleyball team, Synergy, in King of Prussia. One of the highlights of her volleyball career was winning Southern Lehigh’s first District XI championship.

D’Epagnier continued to play volleyball in college.

Her favorite moment was her

last game, in which Cornell played against Brown University.

“The head coach sought me out after the game, shook my hand, and said, ‘it has been an honor to watch you play the last four years,’” D’Epagnier said. “That was a pretty powerful and humbling moment I don’t think I’ll ever forget.”

D’Epagnier stills plays volleyball every week on an indoor women’s team, and a co-ed team. She also plays grass and beach volleyball in the summer.

But volleyball isn’t her only notable activity.

D’Epagnier danced at Diane Medeiros Academy of Dance through her sophomore year of high school. A wellrounded student, she also participated in tutoring and teen counseling at Southern Lehigh.

“She was tremendously hard-working. She never had a hard time with any of her classes,” Spanish teacher Mrs. Joan Imms-Geiser said.

“Rachel was so smart, but so easy to talk to and get along with. She was not in a lot of clubs, but she led by example.

Other people from her class looked up to her.”

When she was in high school, D’Epagnier wishes she would have known what she knows now to help her through those years.

“I think we are presented with decisions in life and whichever choice we make, we have to make the best of it. It’s important to pursue what you love, even if it’s scary and a big change,” she said. “When you get to college, don’t let school overwhelm you. Missing out on joining clubs, activities, and meeting friends because you’re working so hard to get one percentage point higher in a class is missing the point of college. Work hard, be responsible, do well, but experience life while you’re at it. Don’t leave college wishing you had done more.”

Social media is becoming an increasingly large part of teenagers’ and adults’ lives alike. Photo credit: Sarah Jacobson

“I use social media almost constantly,” sophomore Quint Hansen said. “Even if I’m not really engaging in it, it’s like I’m passively doing something.”

According to the Pew Research Center, in America, 65 percent of adults used social media by 2015, up from only 7 percent in 2005. Social media is a connecting force for people worldwide, and growing more popular as time goes on. While many people use social media, the question still remains: do we really know how all those hours online affect us?

“I think if used properly, [social media] can be something that keeps students informed,” social studies teacher Mr. Troy Ruch said. “It’s definitely a good communication tool.”

According to a survey conducted by Common Sense Media in 2012, 52 percent of teens ages 13 to 17 said that social media helps build their friendships, and 88 percent said that it helps them keep in touch with friends they can’t see every day. In addition, 6 out of 10 teens say that social media has helped them form new friendships with people who have common interests. It is a tool that can be used for making and maintaining friendships and other relationships all over the country and the world.

correctly with good intentions, it can be a very positive thing as far as giving compliments and building self esteem,” mass media and English teacher Mr. Jeff Hersey said.

Social media is sometimes considered to have negative effects on a teen’s self image, but the facts prove to be contradictory.

According to the same survey by Common Sense, only 4 percent of teens said that social media directly caused a decrease in their self confidence, while 20 percent of teens said that they felt their confidence increased.

The University of California found that when teens’ photos are “liked” by a large number of other people, the reward center of the brain, also known as the nucleus accumben, lit up as if they had just received a reward of some kind. This positive reaction may cause teens to feel as though they are required to accumulate a large amount of likes to feel validated by their peers, which can in turn be negative.

“If you look at your high follower count and you only have 50 likes on an instragram photo, you can feel self conscious because you don’t get a lot of likes or comments,” junior Allie Jameson said.

In wake of the recent election, social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have become hosts to false stories and claims about the candidates and their campaigns. The Pew Research Center reports that 62 percent of adults get their news from social media sites. Buzzfeed catalogued how many news stories shared on Facebook were false, and found that about 40 percent of news articles circulating on far-right pages and 19 percent of news articles on far-left pages were fake. As social media becomes an increasingly large part of our lives, it may also cause many people to fall prey to readily accessible fake news.

“There’s a lot of false stuff that’s spread through social media,” junior Anthony Kaiser said. “Somebody’s message might not get conveyed properly.”

As the digital world develops around us, social media is becoming much more prevalent and widely used among people.

By paying attention to both the positive and negative effects of these platforms, digital citizens can get the most out of their online communities.

How Teens (age 13-17) Feel About Social Media’s Effect on Friendships

Infographic by Sarah Trebicka

Rachel D’Epagnier

Page 12 Arts and Entertainment

The Spotlight

187 Rue Principale Serves Up Classic French Cuisine

by Bridgette Lang

Photo credit: Bridgette Lang

When most people think of French cuisine, the first thing that comes to mind are frog legs and snails, but the food served at 187 Rue Principale is anything but slimy.

This French restaurant is located in the downtown portion of Emmaus. The name 187 Rue Principale translates to “187 Main Street” in English, which is exactly where it is located. This area is lovely to walk around in if you are looking to pass some time before or after you eat.

Founded in 2014, 187 Rue Principale claims to be both modern and farm-to-table. They also offer outdoor, or “al fresco,” dining for the warmer months and brunch during all days of the week. In 2015, they won the OpenTable™ Diners’ Choice Award.

The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., offering brunch through dinner. The hours for Sunday and Monday are 8 a.m to 3 p.m., meaning that only brunch and lunch are served.

My dining partner, sophomore Jessica Leight,

and I decided to give French food a try on Friday, November 18. While peering through the glass windows, the restaurant appeared to be empty.

The vacancy was quite alarming for a Friday night, but tables began to fill later in the evening.

Red, black, and white decor gave off a contemporary flair. I have never been to Paris, but it sure felt like 187 Rue Principale was a tiny slice of it, like the kind of authentic restaurant you would find on the corner of a street.

I was definitely glad to see things that weren’t totally obscure on the menu. The menu was extremely small, so if you’re a picky eater, you might have a hard time finding something you like. There were no more than ten main dishes, but they do offer seasonal specials.

“People think [French food] is small portions,” French teacher Madame Byers said. “I’d say that they think it’s complicated too. They don’t understand what is in French food. It’s usually basic, old fashioned recipes, like stew.”

I decided to order Coq au Vin, or in English “chicken with wine sauce.” On the menu, it was described as, “Leg and Breast of Chicken, Pearl Onion, Pancetta baton, primordia crimini, Sourdough Baguette, summer carrots, Red Wine jus.”

This chicken dish was one of their more moderately priced meals at $25. Leight ordered Omble Chevalier, or “seared char,” which was $29. The entrees were priced between $25 and $45.

The service was a bit slow, but we were delightfully surprised with some sampling during the wait. We were first brought out caviar and lobster frittata. A frittata is a type of egg quiche, but ours was served cold. I’d never had anything like a frittata before, and it was buttery in texture.

Later into the night, we were served some sourdough bread. I suggest that you don’t order appetizers if you decide to go because you are served so many samplings throughout the night.

If you did end up getting appetizers, odds are you will be stuffed before your meal.

Finally our meals came. At first glance, the meals were beautifully arranged. Leight’s fish plate was the most impressive; the generouslysized piece of char was laid on a bed of lentils.

“I enjoyed the presentation of the meal the most,” Leight said. “I typically wouldn’t go for a fish entree. And it was good, but I don’t think I would order it again. There were too many lentils for me.”

Though 187 Rue Principale may be on the more expensive side for high school students, the portions are very adequate. I was especially impressed with the quality of the chicken and other vegetables in my “Coq au Vin.” The whole farm-to-table claim was completely accurate!

Some of their local partners are Pappy’s Orchard and Bakery, Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative, and Quiet Creek Farm.

We were pretty full by the time we were offered the dessert menus, but Jessica and I both knew that we had to take one for the team and try some dessert. We settled on a poached pear crepe, which was $10.

It was plenty big for the two of us to share. It can be pretty easy to overcook a crepe, but this one was just slightly crisped and caramelized on the outside. It wasn’t overly sweet, and it was sprinkled with volcanic sea salt and star anise caramel. The salt enhanced the flavor and was the perfect contrast to the sweet caramel.

Jessica and I both paid around $35 for our meals, not including a drink. If you are considering 187 Rue Principale, expect to pay this much for dinner at least.

One of the best things about this restaurant is that tipping is not required. It is a custom is France, and many other countries to not mandate a gratuity.

“[In France] tipping is not required,” Madame Byers said. “It’s included in the price of the food. ‘Le service est compris’ means the service is included.”

Overall, I recommend 187 Rue Principale for anyone who is willing to spend a little extra money for a special event or date. The extra few bucks go a long way because 187 Rue Principale takes the extra step to make your night enjoyable and worthwhile. If you are bored of the same-oldsame-old, take a chance and try French food!

You’ll Find Me Frolicking With ‘Fantastic Beasts’

by Sarah Jacobson

“I want to be a wizard,” said the film’s featured No-Maj (non-magical person) Jacob Kowalski. Throughout the thrills of the “Harry Potter” series, written by J.K. Rowling, I found myself saying this often as I entranced myself in the British wizarding world. The one thing I found the original series to be lacking was any mention of my beloved American homeland, but “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” directed by David Yates, gave me a wonderfully thrilling look into this long sought after world.

The film takes place in 1926 and follows Newt Scamander as he arrives on unfamiliar terrain in New York City. After one of Newt’s creatures escapes and causes trouble, Newt reveals his powers to a No-Maj, which is the American’s version of a muggle. An ambitious witch named Porpentina catches him in the act, and after a failed attempt to turn him into the Magical Congress, Newt’s suitcase is opened, setting several of his creatures loose in New York. The search is on for the missing animals, as well as the notorious criminal Gellert Grindelwald, all the while dealing with a mysterious destructive force wreaking havoc through the city.

Now, I could go through and nitpick the

small things I didn’t enjoy about the movie, like Johnny Depp’s role or certain revelations about the wizarding community that didn’t quite make sense, but I won’t. The movie as a whole had me so astounded that those little things barely take away anything from the movie. Now, I may be a bit partial as a long time “Harry Potter” fan, but I can honestly say that no matter who you are, this movie will amaze.

The lead character in any movie is arguably one of the most important, and it’s crucial to get the part right. Actor Eddie Redmayne, who plays Newt Scamander, masterfully delivers the main role with the quirky, awkward, yet sweet personality the character demands.

All in all, I thought the movie was exactly what I expected; a delightful story that was filled with details about the main book series. I enjoyed the characters, who were all well developed and had unique personalities from each other. The movie itself could have stood alone from the books, which was its most enticing quality. You didn’t need too much background knowledge to enjoy the film. The movie is a must see for anyone wishing to go embark on the wizarding adventure of a lifetime.

Photo credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

December 2016

Arts and Entertainment

Page 13

‘Paranatural’: An Unnaturally Good Webcomic

by Rachael Borelli

Looking for a good time? Bored of the wellknown books, comics, and light novels? Want something that isn’t too dark, or too light?

Leap right into Paranatural, a free webcomic about a group of super powered middle schoolers fighting evil spirits and investigating paranormal activity in their hometown. While the premise might not be the most innovative, Zack Morrison, 23-year-old New York artist and author, makes it his own.

The ongoing webcomic is updated Tuesdays and Fridays. Depending on the time it takes for one to read, and how thorough they go about enjoying this webcomic, it will take them, at most, around four hours to completely read all five chapters that are currently out.

Paranatural is correctly located in the comedy-action genre, as Morrison knows how to make a reader laugh. The humor is “over the top,” without actually being ridiculous. The first page will literally demonstrate the type comedy this webcomic employs in its characters’ facial expressions and use of panels.

One should know that the style of art progresses and evolves while the webcomic is still going. For example, the first eight pages have little use of color, and the art style resembles that of a sketch. By chapter two, there is the full use of color.

However, by chapter five, Morrison has improved upon drawing the body (and, more notably the facial aspects of each character), added more detail to the background of the panels, and the actual coloring of the panels has also improved. Overall, I would have to say the style of art resembles that of a high-end cartoon, like loony toons taken up a notch. The art style is not

super-realistic, but this allows Morrison to create a webcomic that can be understood without reading the words.

The hilarious facial expressions also add characterization and understanding to each character. Whether in the foreground or the background, Morrison takes the time to make what they are doing add to their character, and also

add in a laugh where appropriate. These characters are alive, and while they’re at it, they’re loud.

The negatives of Paranatural lie in the fact that the archive is not all caught up with the released pages, making it hard to navigate to a specific page past that point. However, the archive is only missing 80 pages and is caught up to

chapter five. Also, if you’re looking for something like Hamlet, with a deep philosophical question, this webcomic is not for you. Another negative is that, once again, the art style is not consistent throughout the comic.

On a scale, the positives heavily outweigh the negatives. One positive is the characters. Not one is like another, and each character has a striking personality that demonstrates their depth.

Their speech and actions towards one another establish their disposition, like when the character Ed jokingly responds to the teacher, Mr. Spender, with a “yes my king,” after being asked to complete a task. This also leads the amount of activity in the background. For example, in the large group shots, the background characters aren’t just standing around but interacting with other background characters in ways that detail their own personalities.

Let me repeat that. The background characters are getting characterization in ways that aren’t annoying, but silly and interesting.

Yet another positive of this webcomic is how Morrison uses and abuses the cartoon art style to the max. In particularly, the hilarious, yet highly expressive faces the characters make usually aren’t possible in real life, and I would be hardpressed to find a character making the same face twice.

As a child, I loved tales of adventure and I’ve delved into my fair share of cartoons. Thus, it’s no wonder that I adore Paranatural, as the webcomic is an affectionate parody of kid’s adventures and anime tropes. Moreover, as the webcomic progresses, the plot increasingly gets more serious, coherent, and darker. Altogether, I award Paranatural 4.5 out of 5 stars.

show you’re looking for. Written and composed by American playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Hamilton” focuses on one of the United States’ famous founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton. The musical, based off of the book “Alexander Hamilton,” a biography

by Ron Chernow, first premiered at the Public Theater in New York City on January 20, 2015, before becoming critically acclaimed and a commercial success on Broadway, winning awards such as the Tony and Grammy Awards.

The story follows the life of Hamilton, an impoverished orphan from the island of Nevis, British West Indies. When he was 16, he immigrated to New York City, where he attended King’s College, fought in the American Revolution, participated in the founding of modern American government, and became the first Secretary of the Treasury to George Washington.

Rather than using music and language associated with the 18th century, “Hamilton” has a very modern feel, featuring rap battles, hip-hop numbers, and heartfelt ballads.

“I feel it was as accurate as it could be while keeping the audience’s attention,” sophomore Alex Becker said.

In addition, the cast of Hamilton features people of all different races and ethnicities, representing the diversity found in the United States.

“Hamilton is a story about America, and the most beautiful thing about it is…it’s told by such a diverse cast with a such diverse styles of music,” “Hamilton” actress Renee Elise Goldsberry said in an interview with TIME magazine. “We have the opportunity to reclaim a history that some of us don’t necessarily think is our own.”

“I [appreciate] the diversity of the cast because the founding fathers were all white, while the ones in the play [represent different] races,” senior Sarah Mackin said. “The women also play an important role in the musical compared to what they [were recognized for] during [history].”

“Hamilton” is a solid production that captures the crowd’s interest with its creative style of telling the story of one of America’s greatest historical icons. The energetic songs, compelling characters, and talented performances give this musical a rating of 9.5/10.

Although tickets are extremely hard to get, interested fans can buy the show’s soundtrack and appreciate both the music and the story.

Photo credit: Zack Morrison

The Stellar Success of Broadway’s ‘Hamilton’ is ‘Nonstop’

by Ben Baca and Talia Trackim

Photo credit: Hamilton Broadway

If you’re into history and Broadway musicals, “Hamilton: An American Musical” is just the

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Page 14

Sports

The Spotlight

Boys XC Forges a Championship Bond

by Townsend Colley

The Spartan cross country team rounds the corner during a home meet. Photo credits Chad Remaly.

Think about a few of the top high school athletics teams in the nation: IMG Academy, Bishop Gorman in New Mexico, Long Beach Poly, and more. It is unlikely for a small school like Southern Lehigh to have a top athletic program that joins these ranks; however, the boys’ cross country team has found unprecedented levels of success despite lacking the facilities and resources of the aforementioned high school dynasties. While the Spartans may not have the riches, these young men have chemistry.

Over the course of the 2016 season, the seven boys on the Southern Lehigh varsity cross country team reached previously unmatched heights, including an undefeated regular season, a Colonial League title, and a second place District XI finish, placing ahead of other traditional cross country powerhouses such as Easton and Stroudsburg, and falling only behind the juggernaut of Lehigh Valley athletics that is Parkland High School by just 11 points. From there the team took on the pride of Pennsylvania scholastic running in the state championship meet at Hershey Park. In the “sweetest place on earth,” every member of the varsity team finished in the top 57 percent, despite being one of the smaller schools in Pennsylvania’s largest class for cross country.

“I think the majority of us, especially me, were not necessarily pleased with our performance at states,” junior Thomas Matsamura said. “But the experience overall was incredible. Even though it was the end of the season, it was a great time to bond with teammates.”

It was that very same bond that had helped to carry the Spartans through a historic season in Southern Lehigh athletics.

Riding a wave of success from the 2015 season that ended with a sixth place finish in the district championship meet, the Spartans had their sights set on the road to Hershey.

“We certainly thought that it was achievable,” Matsamura said, “but I don’t think we realized how much of a solid chance we had until a little later on into the regular meet season.”

Southern Lehigh did not let this opportunity to achieve the insurmountable be left to chance. The varsity team reciprocated a bond among each of the members of the squad that extended from practice, into meets, and finally into wins. During practices teammates worked together during long runs and workouts to try and find the best strategy to fit individual running styles. Like cogs in a gear, this team figured out how they all fit together to get the machine to drive forward.

“Because of our bond we’re able to better work as a team during races,” Matsamura said. “We’ll have strategies during races about who’s gonna take the lead, who’s gonna try and push the pace, things like that.”

However, every bond has its breaking point. At the end of a race, when it’s neck and neck and strategy goes out the window, the race becomes a brutal dog fight between two of the same teammates. That's when tensions flare the highest. But on this team, the loser of a race by a half-step will earnestly congratulate his teammate-turned-opponent.

“During the regular season we know that we’re gonna win every meet

because we just have the higher caliber of runners,” senior Stephen Gray said. “So, there's not really tension when you beat someone like that it’s just that you’re happy that you all contributed and are able to do that with each other.”

But considering that chemistry is a bond, it needs a glue to hold everything together to keep from collapsing. For the Spartan boys’ cross country team, the adhesive comes in the form of Stephen Gray. The senior leader of this team has been on the varsity squad for all four years of his high school career. Through the highs and the lows, he has stuck with it and, in the process, earned the respect of his teammates.

“He’s a natural leader,” junior Colin Cramer said. “In a workout he’s always the one in front and he sets the pace for all of us. He knows what to do and we follow him.”

Fortunately for Southern Lehigh High School, this team should be no one-year wonder. While led by a handful of seniors, some of the most effective runners on this squad are underclassmen. Among that list is Cramer, who was named as an honorable mention on the Morning Call All-Area Cross Country Team. Joining Cramer as a senior on next year’s team will be Matsumura, who was also named to the All-Area team and set a record time on Southern Lehigh’s home course this fall with a time of 16:31. Junior Raahi Klar-Chaudhuri will be returning after a successful start to his career with his fellow classmates in 2015 when he placed fourth in the Colonial League Championship race.

“Some of them made a big step up from last year,” Gray said. “Next year, it's [going to] be harder. They’re going to need a lot of people to step up because we're losing a few seniors. It’s going to be interesting...seeing how they do.”

While record books can fade and deteriorate over time, the bond formed between this team cannot. Like a book, you can ruin the words by drenching them in water and soiling the ink, but the binding that holds everything together will remain intact. From pre-season workouts, to an undefeated regular season, to a berth in the state championship race, a connection was formed between these seven runners that will always be remembered.

“I’d like to beat Parkland in districts,” Cramer said about his goals for next year. “We were so close. And I know we're going to lose some people, but we're also going to all get better and gain some people. In the end I know we can get it done.”

Stephen Gray crosses the finish line. Photo credits: Chad Remaly.

New Coach, Same Goals for Spartan Wrestling

by Quinn Schmidt

December 2016

Sports

Page 15

Girls Basketball Looks to Sustain Success

by Quinn Schmidt

The 2016-17 varsity girls basketball team. Photo credit Kelly Hoeke.

Southern Lehigh girls basketball will surely be the team to watch this winter, just as they were last season when their 27-2 record brought them to a Colonial League title as well as a District XI AAA championship.

The 2015-16 team managed to register a record-shattering season with a team of young, inexperienced players. Unfortunately for the opponents of Southern Lehigh, four out of the five starters, as well as two crucial bench players, are returning to this year’s team.

Last season was full of numerous broken records and countless blowout wins. In fact, Southern Lehigh put together a school record 27-game winning streak, in which the average win margin was an astounding 24 points. The victories included a nearly 50-point rout of Pen Argyl, as well as a landslide win in both district playoff games against Central Catholic and Bethlehem Catholic.

However, much of last year’s triumph can be credited to the all-Colonial League first team forward Sydney Cyr who graduated along with her counterpart Breanna Mobley. These two losses leave a large gap in the Spartans’ lineup. However, most of the current team is confident in the ability of this year’s seniors to fill the void in the starting five.

“I think Sydney was a large factor in our success,” sophomore guard Olivia Snyder said, “But I think that someone else will step up as a leader and help us.”

Snyder is a returning starter who played a major role for the team in

her freshman year. She was the primary producer of the offense, leading the team in scoring with 383 points. As well as smashing the record for most scored by a freshman, Snyder earned second team all-Colonial League Honors.

Synder is not alone. Fellow sophomore Ellie Cassel will return to the lineup as the team's third-leading scorer last season, along with first team all-Colonial League guard Amanda Mobley, younger sister of Breanna Mobley. These three underclassmen will be key in determining whether the Spartans can make a run deep into the state playoffs. All three held starting positions last year, and will be depended upon to keep an explosive Southern Lehigh offense operating smoothly.

“I think we are set up to have another successful season,” Cassel said.

“We have a lot of good returning players but people have to step up if we want to win.”

As far as expectations for the new season, everyone shares the same mindset.

“I want to win leagues and districts, and hopefully make a run in the state tournament,” said Mobley.

High school social studies teacher Mr. Matt Cooper enters his third season as the varsity head coach. He doesn’t believe the team will be phased by the graduation of last year’s senior class.

“It's always hard to lose valuable seniors, but the girls are a strong group and they've worked hard,” Mr. Cooper said. “It's a new team and a new year; they’ll do well.”

Much of the team's previous success can be credited to the chemistry the girls have built together, often referring to each other as a family. Many of them have been playing on the same team since elementary school.

“The best part is playing with my best friends,” senior Jenna Cyr said. “We get along very well on and off the court so I'm looking forward to a great season,” Cyr, the younger sister of graduated player Sydney Cyr, will also be depended on to carry a sizeable workload on both the offensive and defensive end for the Spartans.

High expectations have been set for the Southern Lehigh girls basketball team. If the Spartans are able to handle the loss of the skillful senior class, they will be sure to maintain their rank as one of the best girls basketball teams in the Lehigh Valley.

Mountain Biking is the Latest in Fall Sports

By Allison Borelli

Mountain Biking doesn’t usually come to mind when thinking about club team sports, but this past year that changed for Southern Lehigh.

Junior Ben Forster and Sophomore Austin Collins started the school’s first mountain biking team in September. They are the only current members and hope to attract others.

“I have always really enjoyed mountain biking, and [I] have been aware of the National Interscholastic Mountain Biking races in other areas of the country for a while,” team captain Forster said. “So when I found out Pennsylvania was starting a league, I knew I had to be a part of it.”

The Mountain Biking team is a co-ed sport that is available to anyone who wants the chance to compete. They are sanctioned by the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), which is a part of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Cycling League (PICL). Everyone who joins has the opportunity to compete in races.

“The local biking community is coming on board with us, and we already have an agreement with Cutter's Bike Shop in Bethlehem for discounted bikes and support of our team next season,” team director Mr. Bill Forster said. “Mountain biking is a great sport, and we are building a great SLHS team.”

Mountain biking races occur from September to November, but Forster and Collins were only able to attend a few of the five races this past season. As a school-based club team, they represent and include only Southern Lehigh students, but they do not receive any funding from the school.

“Participating in races is very exciting, the Pennsylvania League does a fantastic job with the organization and execution of each race,” Forster said. “Races are an extremely supportive and inviting environment, as everyone there is focused on their love for the sport.”

Races are only held on Sundays, so it is possible to be on the team and play a fall sport as well. There are different brackets of coed students, from grades 7-12, racing throughout the day. There are also varying levels of difficulty for each bracket.

“You get there and it is high energy. It really depends on whether or not you’ve previewed the course, but if you don’t know what you’re about to get into it is kind of scary,” Collins said. “You’re questioning why you’re riding your bike 13 miles, and then at the end it is fun. It is similar to cross country.”

Forster started young with his passion for mountain biking.

“My interest in mountain biking first began with my father, who took me biking with him often at a young age,” Forster said. “Eventually [he] took me out to the trails when I was about eight years old, and ever since I have loved the sport.”

However, in Collins’ case, he’s only been mountain biking for two years. His stepfather introduced him to mountain biking, and Collins didn’t really enjoy it at first. That was, until he found out about being able to race, go downhill, and jump.

“Mountain biking is a great sport for many reasons. It allows you to get exercise and to expe-

Cyclers line up at the startibng line to begin a race. Photo credits Jennifer Forster.

rience nature while still having a ton of fun, and it can be as challenging and exciting as you want it to be,” Mr. Forster said. “I've been mountain biking on my own for over 15 years now, and I'm excited that it is finally coming as an organized sport to high schools throughout the country. It is a fun sport that you can do your entire life.”

The team seeks to grow in numbers for next year. In the spring they plan to hold informational meetings at the high school, as well as organized rides and skill clinics to help anyone who is thinking about joining. Pre-season practices start in the summer to prepare for the fall season, which starts in September.

“Try it out and see if you like it,” Collins said.

“There’s a little bit of something for everyone when it comes to mountain biking, whether you like to go fast or put yourself through a 13-mile bike ride uphill, or you just like the competition.”

Page 16 Odds and Ends

The Spotlight

December 2016

Holiday Happenings: Things to do in the Lehigh Valley

By Caitlin Roth

Lights in the Parkway A local holiday tradition celebrating it’s 20th year, Lights in the Parkway transforms the Lehigh Parkway into a mile-long dazzling holiday light spectacular. Lights in the Parkway features multiple animated light displays and christmas music, all from the convenience of your car. At the end of the display, a gift barn sells holiday crafts and treats. Hours are 5:30 to 10pm Wednesday through Saturday throughout December except on Christmas day. Admission is $12 per car.

Downtown Bethlehem Celebrate Christmas all month long with christmas decorations, carriage rides, Christkindlmarkt, Christmas-themed walking tours, and a live advent calendar hosted every day by a local Bethlehem business. Year-round shops and eateries are also open, so you can grab that perfect gift for a special someone or enjoy something delicious to eat!

Want more holiday fun? Find more places to visit at slsdspotlight.com