Spotlight December 2017 Print Issue

Southern Lehigh High School 5800 Main Street, Center Valley, PA 18034 Volume 61 Issue 2

‘Almost, Maine’ Takes Southern Lehigh High School by Snowstorm

Turn to pages 4 and 5 for a closer look at the theater department’s one of a kind play.

Photo credit: John Ziegler In this

Issue: Visit DeSales with Southern Lehigh’s student poets on pages 2-3.

Meet Southern Lehigh’s English as a Second Language students on pages 8-9.

What do we think about the latest in entertainment?

Check it out on pages 14-15.

Page 2

The Spotlight

News

Southern Lehigh High School 5800 Main Street Center Valley, PA 18034 (610) 282-1421 x7122 slsdspotlight@gmail.com Twitter: @SLSDspotlight Instagram: @slsdspotlight Facebook: Southern Lehigh Spotlight Faculty Adviser

Mrs. Marlo Spritzer

Editor-in-Chief Sarah Trebicka

News Editor

Danielle Alpert

Features Editor Bridgette Lang

Opinion Editor Izza Choudhry

Our World Editor Sarah Jacobson

Entertainment Editor Quinn Schmidt

Sports Editor

Townsend Colley

Staff Reporters Ben Baca Jakob Bloss Erin Noneman Kennah Salvo Griffin Schmoyer Amanda Simko Saskia Van’t Hof

SPIRIT Club Sets its Sights on Making SLHS a Welcoming Place for Students

by Amanda Simko and Spotlight Editorial Staff Southern Lehigh High School is right where we need to be, but is our attitude towards others changing? With almost 15,000 people in the Lehigh Valley community, some Southern Lehigh students’ use of racial slurs placed our school in the nationwide news spotlight last year.

In the 2016-2017 school year, principal Christine Siegfried lead the high school administration in creating the Spirit program after a few students shouted racial slurs and offensive terms in the hallways, and even raised their arms in a Nazi salute.

This school year, physical education teacher Mrs. Megan Kane and social studies teacher Mr. Lee Zeisloft are the Spirit Club coordinators who will work alongside assistant principal Mr. Thomas Ruhf and the student representatives of Spirit.

“We’re trying to make the school’s environment a safe and welcoming place for all students,” Mrs. Kane said.

“With a lot of new students this year, we’re making sure everyone feels valued and safe along with embracing

everyone’s differences here, which is our main goal in Spirit.”

“I think it’s important that all the students’ needs are met and they feel safe. They should feel like that they can come into school and be themselves, express themselves, and whatever we can do as a school to promote that kind of culture and climate,” Mrs. Kane added. “I want to be part of that movement.”

Junior Alex Becker, a student representative of the Spirit program, had good reason for wanting to be a part of Spirit.

“Well I came here as a new student my freshman year. I was lucky enough to have a couple of friends already, [so] I kinda jumped in and I was welcomed, but I know most kids aren’t,” he said. “Our school has a lot of potentials, so I feel if we can fixing those little problems will make it a lot better and joining spirit really help.”

Becker added that the club has started a Humans of Southern Lehigh Instagram account, inspired by Humans of New York, to help students

Faculty Members Use ‘No Shave November’ to Raise Money to Help Our Neighbors in Need

by Griffin Schmoyer

Photographers Nicole Karol Karin Naktin

Pennsylvania School Press Association 2017 Gold Rating 2016 Gold Rating 2015 Gold Rating 2014 Gold Rating 2013 Silver Rating National School Press Association 2016 First Class Rating 2015 First Class Rating

at our school learn more about each other.

Junior Kiley Schlosser, another student representative of the Spirit program, feels the Spirit Club hasn’t achieved its full effect yet. “”Some of the conversations, some of the different issues that happened last year, they still happen this year,” she said. “I see it with my own eyes and hear it with my own ears all the time, [and] I can’t personally stop it but I’m hoping it will change.”

Schlosser has enjoyed joining Spirit this year and cannot wait to help other students.

“I really want to help stop a lot of the discrimination especially towards new kids and anyone of a different race, different beliefs,” she said. “I hope since I’m in here I can put my 110% into stopping all the negativity here at Southern Lehigh.”

Schlosser recommends this club to others because it’s a new way for students to voice their opinions every day and be part of something great.

Clean-shaven faculty members gathered to kick off the ‘No Shave’ November efforts. Photo Credit: Mrs. Cherise Kocis

shey alone raised $167!”

But it wasn’t only the students that bought into the campaign. The teachers knew the significance of the donations, and knew it all was going to a great cause.

“In this case, we’re raising money not just for a good cause, but for a good cause in our own community. A lot of people think that because we’re Southern Lehigh, [we] have lots of money. But in reality, there are hundreds of families, who are just like many other families in this country, who need some help,” math teacher Mr. Matt Greenawald said. “And Betty Lou’s Food Pantry services, I believe, helps up to 200 families in our community, so if we can provide some assistance to families in our own Southern Lehigh community, all the better.”

Some teachers may even keep the facial hair during the upcoming winter months.

“I think I like it,” Mr. Greenawald said. “I think I’ll keep it for now.”

Betty Lou’s Pantry is a non-profit organization formed by churches in the Southern Lehigh area committed to gathering and distributing food to neighbors in need. To learn more, go to www.bettylouspantry.com

Last month, in every classroom across the school, we’ve all saw the large tin cans, and heard them rattle with the change of our peers. No Shave November has come to an end, and it was a rousing success.

No Shave November was an event set up by special education teacher Mr. Matt Miller, and required willing teachers to follow the rules of not shaving for a month.

Students could then donate money to the teacher they thought grew out the best beard. All of the proceeds went to Betty Lou’s pantry.

“It’s fun to grow facial hair,” Mr. Miller said. “I like to grow facial hair this time of year anyway, and nationally there’s ‘Movember’ so I thought we could do it here locally and support a local organization.”

This year was the fourth year that the campaign has taken place, and each year, it seems to be getting more and more successful. Students raised $963.64 this year, which is an estimated $400 increase from last year.

“Really the credit belongs to the people that participated and the students that donate the money,” Mr. Miller said. “So, they really bought into it and did a nice job. And some credit to the teachers for getting out there and really Southern Lehigh staff show off the best facial hair after weeks of soliciting some donations. [English teacher] Mr. [Jeff] Her- growth and fund-raising. Photo Credit: Mrs. Cherise Kocis

December 2017

News

Page 3

Student Poets Participate in DeSales Festival

by Saskia Van’t Hof

On November 3, 26 Southern Lehigh students attended the 33rd Annual Poetry Festival held at DeSales University. This field trip, organized every year by English teachers Mrs. Kelly Howsare and Mrs. Sheryl Ciotti, was chaperoned by Mrs. Howsare and English teacher Mr. Jeffrey Hershey.

“I always find it to be a very positive experience because students get an opportunity to experience poetry differently than they would in a classroom,” Mrs. Howsare said.

“I think it’s nice for students to see how much of an impact literature can have on a person’s life.”

The event began by announcing the winners of the poetry contest that took place during the month of October. Students then had the opportunity to listen to a published poet’s presentation, followed by participation in poetry workshops and an open mic reading session.

The annual event is run by DeSales English Professor Dr. Stephen Myers, who invites a keynote speaker to present each year. This year, poet Patrick Rosal was invited

to talk about his life and work.

“He almost rapped his poems, which even though I couldn’t say that it’s necessarily my style, I really enjoyed how he brought it to life,” Mrs. Howsare said. “You could really tell that he took a lot of pride in his work.”

After walking through various workshops, students were then invited to read their own work in front of the audience during the open mic session.

“I’ve gone all three years … and my favorite part is always the open mic session because I enjoy hearing students from other schools share their poetry,” junior Gianna Griffith said. “Everyone has their own thoughts, opinions, and stories to express, and it’s really cool to see them coming from people that are all about my age.”

Gianna Griffith was also one of five Southern Lehigh students to read an original poem at the open mic.

“At first, it was a bit nerve wracking to recite my poem in front of the whole group. At the same

time, it was also like an emotional release to be able to share something openly that is so personal,” Griffith said. “My poem was something I had written this year about the abrupt ending of an old friendship, so it was really freeing to be able to talk about it.”

Freshman Amy Schwartz, who also shared a poem, agreed that

listening and performing during the open mic was the most fun experience at the festival.

“It was really cool to be surrounded by all these students who also shared my interest in poetry; it was a chance for me to meet a bunch of cool new people,” Schwartz said. “It was a very memorable experience.”

Southern Lehigh students participated once again in the annual DeSales University poetry festival. Photo Credit: Mrs. Kelly Howsare

AP Government Students Serve As Senators for a Day

by Ben Baca

AP Government students partake in Senator for the Day Seminar at Muhlenberg College. Credit: Madison Wolfe

On November 17, 2017, eight AP Government and Politics students and social studies teacher Mr. Tom Beaupre attended Senator for a Day at Muhlenberg College, hosted by Pennsylvania

State Senator Pat Browne. From 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., seniors Allie Jameson, Michael Grabusky, Melissa Stough, Jillian Werbisky, Samantha Talecki, Sarah Trebicka, and junior Dyani Hernan-

dez, were given the opportunity to get a hands-on experience of government functions and public policy issues.

“It’s a great opportunity for the students to see how the legislative process works,” Mr. Beaupre said. “Even if it’s not exactly the way it is, it’s still very exciting.”

The session opened with a general discussion on how the legislative process works. Then, all students who attended the seminar were divided into four Senate committees (communications, education, judiciary, and transportation) with two bill topics per committee to be discussed and drafted for the full “Senate” to consider.

In the afternoon, all student senators then convened in a general session to debate and vote on the legislation drafted by each committee.

“I felt very important. It made me almost made me feel like, ‘Ooh, look at that cool girl,’” senior Jillian Werbisky said, “but it was also very stressful and like a high-pressure situation when you bring up something. No one would agree with you because the people were not shy to shoot you down and say their opinion.”

Afterward, the students seem to have felt a positive impact on their Senator for a Day experience.

“I was able to get people to express their feelings and run the committee effectively,” senior Michael Grabusky, who served as a committee chairman, said. “I liked being able to fairly and effectively distribute and regulate speaking power.

I also liked being able to facilitate debate.”

More content online! Scan the QR code or visit slspotlight.com to read more.

SADD Students Organize Annual Healthy Living Expo

By Kennah Salvo

Page 4

Features

The Spotlight

The Cast of ‘Almost, Maine’ Definitely Stole Our Hearts

by Quinn Schmidt

Southern Lehigh High School is well-known throughout the Lehigh Valley for its theater program that revolves around the talent of numerous students devoted to creating a phenomenal theatrical experience for the audience. Under the direction of theater teacher Mr. Matthew Wehr, this year’s fall play, “Almost Maine,” was no exception to this excellence.

In nine scenes the play expresses underlying themes of love and heartbreak set in a magical town called Almost. The town name sets the play’s central motif, “almost.” Whether things are almost right, or almost wrong, nothing is what it seems.

The show included typical clichés that represent love, as well as incorporated a fair share of puns. For example, the second scene provided a punchline when Glory (Ava Scattergood) said goodbye to her previous husband West, and opened her broken heart to repairman East (Orlando Crooms). In hindsight, you would believe that this was an obvious directional joke, but the actors portrayed the scene well, forcing the audience to wait until the very end of the scene to put the pieces together.

This was also done very well in a handful of other scenes, like when the common idiom “wait for the other shoe to drop” was on display in a sorrowful scene portrayed by Marci (Mary Felix) and Phil (Taso Rubino), where the married couple argues over the unobservant nature of Phil. He has been missing the little things in his marriage, particularly their wedding anniversary, thus leading to Marci feeling isolated and lonely.

The scene provided a quality piece of comedic relief for the audience to enjoy amidst the heartbreak when a shoe dropped from the rafters to

break up the argument.

Some scenes proved to be more physically painful than others, with some characters being bashed in the head with an ironing board or literally “falling” in love. Both scenes were perfectly executed, and authentic acting was the backbone of their performance. The scene including Marvalyn (Jill Werbisky) and Steve (Jake Finkbeiner) led to both characters discovering the true meaning of love through a couple painful whacks with the ironing board.

Shelly (Colette Curry) and Deena (Mckenzie

Hagenbuch) followed with another painful scene two scenes later, with both actresses taking numerous falls across the stage as they fell in love with each other. The duo was able to accurately express how it would feel to keep love a secret from yourself as well as others.

Despite the complicated nature of the play, the acting done by each person was exceptional.

Once again, Southern Lehigh theatre was able to pull off a difficult show that provided the theatrical excellence we all expected.

The cast bundled up to perform in the chilly setting of Maine. Photo credit: John Ziegler

Four Color Guard Members Cross Paths with StarCross

by Sarah Jacobson

During football season, the student body has the pleasure of viewing the Southern Lehigh marching band perform. The members of the color guard work hard to provide the visual component and put on the best show possible every year.

Even though the fall marching season is over, several Southern Lehigh color guard members are not finished performing for the year. Four members of the color guard, juniors Alyssa Kovacs and Celeste Tran, and sophomores Nicole Karol and Nicole Schaffer, have joined a local independent indoor guard organization called StarCross and have been spinning ever since.

An indoor guard is a color guard that performs to recorded music inside a gym during the winter season, and features many of the same elements as the outdoor shows that many students at Southern Lehigh are accustomed to, such as music and dance. They compete weekly against other indoor guards from the region.

StarCross offers three different color guard programs: Dorado, a cadet guard for children age 5-11, Vega, a junior guard for preteens and teens age 11-15, and Polaris, an indoor guard for adolescents age 15-22.

Kovacs, Karol, and Tran are all members of the Polaris guard, and Schaffer is a member of the Vega guard. Both groups are directed by Jen Dinbokowitz.

“We usually start out [practice] with stretching, then we move to dance. Then we either practice drill or do flag until lunch,” Karol said of her typical rehearsal schedule with Polaris. “After lunch, we either do a weapons block or do sectionals, [which is] working on choreography.”

A “weapon” is the general term used to

The four Southern Lehigh color guard members joined StarCross to further their skills and knowledge. Photo credit: Mrs. Marlo Spritzer

describe a rifle or sabre prop that a performer spins and dances with in color guard, an activity with distant military roots.

Schaffer is spending her third season with Vega, where she focuses more on developing skills in the areas of flag and dance.

“[My favorite part about Vega is] just being with new people and friends and learning new stuff,” Schaffer said.

All color guards go through rigorous practice, but each “division” has varying level of intensities to fit and endurance skill levels

that are relative to age. Polaris is the most rigorous of the three Starcross color guards, and will compete in the Intermediate A class for the 2018 season, having been bumped up from Regional A after their 2017 success.

Tran was part of that success, and returned to Polaris for a second season.

“I knew in order to get better at outdoor colorguard I needed to broaden my horizons.

I thought if I ended up not liking indoor color guard, at least I learned something seeing how indoor color guard works,” Tran said about her reasons for joining last year. “Now, I absolutely love it. Anyone who wants to get better at color guard should join it.”

This is the first year that Karol and Kovacs will be competing with Polaris.

“[I joined Polaris] because I like colorguard, and I wanted to continue doing [guard] throughout the year and enhance my skills that I had learned in the school marching band,” Kovacs said.

Polaris and Vega practice once a week on Sundays during the preseason, but later in the as the competition season approaches, they add Saturdays as well. During practice, the members spend time perfecting their routines and preparing for their shows that begin in the last week of January.

Shows typically have a theme; for example, in the 2017 season, Schaffer performed with Vega in a show styled after the movie “Hocus Pocus.” Until the first public performance, members are not allowed to talk about their theme for the show.

Both Polaris and Vega will compete locally at Salisbury HS and Emmaus HS. Their full performance schedule will be available at the Starcross website: http://starcrossyouth.com/

Features

December 2017

Page 5

Assistant Chinese Teacher Joins Language Department

by Bridgette Lang

You may have spotted Ms. Xue Zhang in the Chinese classroom, at football games, or waiting in the lunch line for a chicken turnover. Yes, her favorite American food is Southern Lehigh’s “famous” chicken turnover, beating out Chick-filA and McDonald’s.

Chinese teacher assistant Ms. Zhang joined the Southern Lehigh World Languages department this year for a hands-on teaching experience in order to earn her master’s degree. She is currently working on her thesis and master’s work at Beijing Normal University in Beijing, China. The university facilitates the exchange program by sending Chinese teachers abroad and to our school every year.

“The exchange program gives me the opportunity to show the class authentic Chinese culture,” Chinese teacher Ms. Patricia Gouck said.

“For example, Xue Zhang taught the class how to paint a plum blossom tree. I don’t have the experience to show the class this part of the culture.”

This is also helpful to students, who are given the opportunity to learn from a native speaker.

“I think that having someone who has lived in China for most of their life and that has ex-

Ms. Xue Zhang works with Ms. Patricia Gouck to teach Chinese classes. Photo credit: Ms. Xue Zhang

Ms. Zhang is learning about American culture through talking to students and teachers, trying new foods, and attending community events. Photo credit: Ms. Xue Zhang

perienced Chinese culture really adds that sort of deeper understanding,” freshman Chinese II student Christian Velez said.

Ms. Zhang feels that she has been supported by many teachers in helping her with teaching, educational suggestions, and information about the American lifestyle.

“American students are different from Chinese students,” she said. “Chinese students take the test very seriously compared to American students, but American students balance class and life more than Chinese students. They can be very serious.”

American students are more willing to ask questions during class time, whereas most Chinese students will resort to asking for help after class because they are shy. Ms. Zhang believes that when students give her feedback in class, they are demonstrating their understanding of the material and making the experience more rewarding for her.

One of her favorite things about teaching at Southern Lehigh is Spartan period. During this time, she can build upon and expand students’ Chinese vocabulary and teach them about the culture.

“I teach Chinese songs during Spartan period, which are songs we don’t [have a chance to] learn in class,” Ms. Zhang said. “They are very simple songs I created, so the students are very happy when I teach them [the words]. It’s not like a normal Chinese class.”

Though Ms. Zhang spends time keeping in contact with her family through video chatting, she spends time exploring and absorbing American culture. “[When I came to America I thought that] there are too many cars. Cars are everywhere,” Ms. Zhang said. “In China, there are too many people in the streets.”

In her free time, Ms. Zhang enjoys writing Chinese calligraphy, listening to music, jogging, and watching TV. During her time in America, she has picked up some other new hobbies.

“When I am free, I like to see the football games,” Ms. Zhang said. “I have seen football games several times at the middle school.”

Ms. Zhang has one year left to complete her master’s degree, and then she can teach K-12 level Mandarin Chinese classes. After Ms. Zhang her year at Southern Lehigh, she plans to travel to Thailand for another year of student-teaching.

Congratulations to the Following SLHS Student Musicians!

District Orchestra:

Shannon Quinn – Violin Helena Munoz – Violin Joy Fan – Violin Anna Kim – Violin Andrew Curtis – Cello Maxim Vezenov – Cello

District Band:

Wesley DeCasare – Tuba Garrett Boyd – Percussion

Lehigh County Honors Band:

Emma Duane – Flute Jill Werbisky – Flute/Picc Janelle Herr – Flute Marissa Harley - Oboe Margaret Blower – Bassoon Samantha Bamberger – Clarinet Sean Duane – Clarinet Will Corvino – Clarinet Cora Heiter – Alto Sax Jacob Cregger – Tenor Sax Morgan Dierolf – Horn

Maddie DeBlois – Horn Xavier Pellegrini – Euphonium Asha Bhatt – Euphonium Derek Weller – String Bass Garrett Boyd – Percussion Ethan Cregger - Percussion

Susquehanna University Honors Band:

Emma Duane – Flute Marissa Harley – Oboe Sam Wetzel – Trombone Xavier Pellegrini – Euphonium

Page 6

Sports

The Spotlight

The Spartan Girls Basketball Team Embarks on the Long Road to Hershey

by Quinn Schmidt

Members of the girls basketball team wore their jerseys to school for a spirit day. Photo credit: Quinn Schmidt

In the world of girls basketball, the Lehigh Valley is dominated by programs that have ruled over the courts for years. Central Catholic, Bethlehem Catholic, Parkland, and Easton are among the biggest names in the Valley. But the leader of the pack comes from Southern Lehigh, where head coach Matthew Cooper has turned Southern Lehigh girls basketball into a virtually unstoppable powerhouse.

The Spartans haven’t lost to a Colonial League team in over two years. Their only five losses in that time were to state-ranked teams including Dunmore, Susquehannock, Berks Catholic, Cardinal O’Hare, and Archbishop Carroll.

Their performance inside District XI has been nearly perfect, with their accolades stretching on and on. They have repeated as Colonial League champions the past two years, and have also won backto-back District XI gold medals.

Last season, they had four players make the Lehigh Valley Live girls basketball all-star list, and all of four are returning for the upcoming season.

Senior Amanda Mobley is one of those returners who will look to continue her success. Last year she was able to provide the spark for the Spartans, relying on her phenomenal ball skills in transition to push her team to Southern Lehigh’s

first PIAA quarterfinal appearance.

She also averaged 12 points a game and 6 assists on her way to winning the Colonial League MVP award.

The Rider commit has been contributing to the varsity level since her freshman year, and now that she has matured, Mobley will look to lead the Spartans in her fourth year as the main offensive weapon in their plentiful arsenal.

“She can move with the ball, she can get up and down the court,” Coach Cooper said, “She is the best point guard I’ve seen in girls basketball in this area.”

Mobley will have a great cast of supporting players behind her, led by juniors Ellie Cassel and Olivia Snyder. Snyder placed on the third team all state team last year, and is on pace to hit the 1,000-point mark with 836 entering the season. She has received over 20 scholarships to Division I programs, with Princeton and Harvard being among the schools to offer a full ride. Snyder averaged 15 points a game last season, and lead the high-octane Spartan offense in scoring. Fellow junior Ellie Cassel has been sensational in the paint, being the chief rebounder on the team since her freshman year.

Cassel plans to get some help in the rebounding department from senior Avery Bennett, who produced a solid season last year despite never being in the headlines.

In last year’s District XI title game, Bennett paced the Spartans with ten points, eight of which came during a late fourth-quarter push.

However, all of the pressure may be placed on the final member of the Spartans starting five. Mobley, Snyder, Cassel, and Bennett are the four focal points who have

proved themselves as elite varsity players, but the missing puzzle piece is still being searched for to round out the lineup. In the seasonopening loss at the hands of Archbishop Carroll, junior Alyssa Rice got the start. But talented underclassmen are waiting in the wings to contribute varsity minutes, whether that be off the bench or in the starting lineup.

Archbishop Carroll was able to edge the Spartans in the battle of state championship contenders, Southern Lehigh ranked 2, and Carroll ranked 9. The tightly contested opener ended with a 4845 score. But it looks to be smooth sailing for the Spartans for the rest of the regular season as they are favored in just about every Colonial League match-up.

“It was a tough loss, but I think it really showed us what we need to work on and that we are not as good as what we think,” Snyder said, “I think it will motivate us to work harder in practice despite the bad schedule we have in the league.”

The lack of quality opponents could potentially be the Spartans’ kryptonite, as the next time they step on the court with a stateranked opponent will be January 20 when they battle Cardinal O’Hara at home. It will be a challenge for the team to continue to play at a championship caliber even though they won’t be truly tested for another month.

It isn’t often that a Southern Lehigh team has realistic hopes of winning a state title. This could finally be the year the girls basketball program puts all the pieces together and brings home some new hardware.

Nine Southern Lehigh Athletes Sign

Madison Reese Sport: Field Hockey

Danielle Barnes Sport: Softball

School: Penn State School: Bloomsburg University Nittany Lions University Huskies

Meghan Reese Sport: Field Hockey

School: Penn State University Nittany Lions

Colin Hoff

Amanda Mobley

School: University of Maryland, Baltimore County Retrievers

School: Rider University Broncs

Sport: Lacrosse

Sport: Basketball

December 2017

Sports

Page 7

Seniors Logan Blondell and Colin Hoff Lead the Way for Spartan Boys Basketball

by Townsend Colley

Come February, Southern Lehigh boys basketball might just set an all-new, unique record: the shortest senior night festivities of all time.

For the 2017-18 season, the Spartans only have two seniors on their roster: Colin Hoff and Logan Blondell will be tasked with leading a young Southern Lehigh roster to a Colonial League, and if all goes well for the Spartans, an unprecedented District XI title in what many believe is a rebuilding year.

Following the 2016-17 season, the Spartans lost their entire starting lineup and several key bench players to graduation. Typically, this is not a big deal and generally happens every couple of years; as the story goes, the next season’s senior class simply steps up and fills the void.

This season, however, Southern Lehigh does not have this luxury. Instead, they will have to rely on their only two seniors to make the transition from spot starters and role players to big-time players and team leaders. Both Hoff and Blondell have been on the varsity team for several years now, but during that time they were stuck behind several talented upperclassmen on the depth chart, such as Lucas Hudson and Jacob Cassel. This year, they are expected to become the dynamic duo to lead the Spartans, a task for which they have been groomed over the years by Coach Ben Tannous.

“We have to be consistent and always on top of our game,” Hoff said. “We have to get on guys if they’re not doing their job along with being able to take the heat if we're not doing our own job.”

One of the inherent drawbacks to having such a small senior class is that it requires younger players to step up who may not always be ready

Coach Tannous talks to his team during a game. Photo credit: Mary Jo Schmidt

The 2017-18 Southern Lehigh varsity bays basketball team. Photo credit: Mary Jo Schmidt

for the spotlight. However, several common themes mentioned by members of the team include a closer togetherness than in years past and the willingness to put in as much effort as possible.

“The seniors have a lot of good leadership, so them being good leaders and the underclassmen really stepping up, it's not that hard for us fill roles that are usually for seniors,” junior forward Logan Edmond said.

Through their years of playing together, Hoff and Blondell are able to play off of each other in ways that other players can’t. When on the court at the same time, they are a matchup problem for many of the teams they will face in the regular season. Standing at 6’4, Blondell has the size to overpower many of the big men that he faces in the low post, and the skills to get himself out of a bind against craftier defenders if need be. If Blondell is Karl Malone, then Hoff is John Stockton: a skilled guard with the vision to find the open man in tight windows and the speed and skills to score, coupled with a lengthy frame to complement the stellar defense for which Spartan guards have become known.

The stress these two seniors create on oppos-

National Letters of Intent

Niko Amory Sport: Baseball

School: Marist College Red Foxes

ing defenses will be even further exaggerated by the up-tempo offense that Coach Tannous plans on utilizing this year.

“Playing with each other is a lot of fun because although we take it seriously, we also like to mess around sometimes and have fun with it together,” Hoff said.

While the team lacks depth among the seniors, the same can’t be said for the underclassmen. Juniors Quinn Schmidt, Connor Dougherty, Trey Trevis, Jessie Grewal, Johnny Coyle, and Logan Edmond are all expected to get significant playing time this year on a team that ideally plans to go 10 to 12 men deep in each game. Playing alongside Hoff will be his brother, sophomore Kyle Hoff, who is expected to log significant minutes this year as a member of the varsity team.

The further development of these players along with many others will be key to fulfilling Southern Lehigh’s championship aspirations.

“I think we're more athletic this year, like we can all run the floor. Almost every one of our players can play guard, so we just run the floor and get into transition really well,” Blondell said.

“As a young team, we're just going to try and grow and take each game one at a time.”

Photo credits: Townsend Colley, Quinn Schmidt, and Brooke Zellner

Maddie Arnold

Mike Sisselberger

Ashley Wilkins

School: Temple University Owls

School: Lehigh University Mountain Hawks

School: Bloomsburg University Huskies

Sport: Field Hockey

Sport: Lacrosse

Sport: Volleyball

Page 8

Center Spread

The Spotlight

Meet Southern Lehigh’s English Freshman Sumedha Pol “I feel that you have to be more accepting. American kids are not exposed to the outside world a lot, so I think you guys should be more open.”

India Interview by Evan Wimmer and Richard Hansen

Photo credit: Mariama Sohna

Sophomore Ian Irizarry “Making friends is difficult [in Puerto Rico] because everybody thinks that they’re lonely… I mean they already have enough stresses because of everything that’s happening around Puerto Rico... I miss [it] because we celebrate a lot of things, and when we celebrate we’re proud. Puerto Ricans are really proud. And they have good reason for it.”

Puerto Rico

Photo credit: Sarah Trebicka Interview by Emily Jordan and Hanna Ostrosky

Freshman Luca Prando

Interview by Jonathan Frederick and Ryan Toman

Senio

“Here it’s different, you hang out with school sports teams and most of your friends are at the same school. [In Italy] you’re friends with classmates and other people from other schools too, here people are usually friends with people in the area.”

“We sa discrim But it’s things.”

Italy

Interview by Photo credit: Mariama Sohna

II

December 2017

Center Spread

Page 9

as a Second Language Students!

Sophomore Deysi Jimenez “[It was hard to adjust to American culture] because when I traveled, it was the first time I’ve traveled in my life and I passed the whole country and I was surprised at how big it was. It was hard because I left my family and my friends, including my 13 year old sister.”

Guatemala

Interview by Ellie Cassel and Kyle Nord

Photo credit: Mariama Sohna

Junior Hareem Qaisar “It’s better here. It’s different, there are so many kinds of people here, I even met people from my country here.”

Pakistan

Interview by Mariama Sohna and Lin Li Oechsle

Photo credit: Mariama Sohna

or Catherine Tsai

aw the news of school shootings and mination and lots of negative things. s safer here. No one will steal my .”

Taiwan

y Anna Donato and Sooyeon Jung Photo credit: Sarah Trebicka

Contributed by Mrs. Quartuch’s Gifted Seminar students

Page 10 Opinion

The Spotlight

Paid Parental Leave Makes a Powerful Impact

by Bridgette Lang

All of the countries colored in black offer some form of paid maternity leave. Infographic Credit: Bridgette Lang va Infog.ram. Source: Center for American Progress

According to the Center for American Progress, the United States is one of four countries in the world where workers do not have the legislated right to paid maternity leave. Among these other countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Papua New Guinea, the United States stands out as the only developed country and world power.

Sweden is the world’s leader in paid leave.

Not only do they offer leave to the mother, but fathers are included too. According to the International Labor Office of Geneva’s Database of Conditions of Work and Employment Laws, parents are given a total of 480 days to share, and the time can be taken off until the child is 8 years old. Out of the 480 days, 60 are allocated specifically to the father. Swedes also receive 80 percent of their wages.

Parental leave, which includes maternity, paternity, and adoption leave, is commonplace in most countries. The United States has the resources, power, and awareness to make paid parental leave a reality, but Congress has neglected this topic. Legislation that offers parents paid leave has the potential to create a more equal workplace.

“I think that government and society in general benefit when families and children are healthy and happy with some time of parental leave,” social studies and gifted seminar teacher Mrs. Katie Quartuch said. “All of society benefits when the government money is well spent.”

Currently, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) offers parents 12 weeks of unpaid leave.

This program does not provide any benefits and only protects one from being fired. With unpaid leave, it raises the question of how are parents supposed to make the choice between their child and being able to financially support their family.

Caring for a newborn is already expensive enough, but according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2015, only 12 percent of U.S. workers have access to paid family leave through their

employer. Even with a small number of employers offering some type of paid leave, the time period offered may not be adequate for some families.

Netflix, Amazon, Microsoft, and Johnson & Johnson are just a few of the larger corporations that offer paid leave to all parents. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, in December 2016, American Express extended its paid parental leave to 20 weeks.

Within our school, teachers are given paid leave under an agreement between Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and District Service Employees. No teachers will exceed 12 months of total paid leave, including emergency leave. After that, all leave will be unpaid. For maternity leave, women are required to use up all their sick days before they are certified by a doctor for unpaid leave.

One major problem with the current system is that all types of leave are clumped together, not providing teachers with a case-by-case opportunity for leave. Compared to the 88 percent of U.S. workers who do not have access to paid leave, the teachers at Southern Lehigh and across Pennsylvania have it pretty good.

This type of opportunity needs to be offered to everyone, no matter the size of the organization or business that a person may work for. Considering this, legislation would allow everyone to have access.

Many states have implemented their own paid parental leave, which has actually stabilized the economy, contrary to popular belief. California, along with New Jersey and Rhode Island, has only seen positive effects after guaranteeing 12 weeks of paid leave.

The New York Times reports that the program helps new parents return to work in the end and in turn, earn higher wages. Without paid parental leave, parents would be less motivated and less rested to return to their work.

With openings in jobs, employers will be forced to spend the time and the money to find new employees.

Not only does paid parental leave allow fathers to have a larger role within family life, it motivates women to keep their jobs. A 2007 University of Massachusetts study found that 60 percent of women who stopped working reported that they were unable to keep up with a job and their house duties. This included their husbands’ unavailability to share childcare duties.

“There is no maternity leave for men,” art teacher Mrs. Stephanie Donald said. “My husband had to use sick days [to take off and help]. It is helpful to have the second parent, especially with twins.”

Right now, the problem is that men are not being offered any or an adequate amount of time for paid leave in order to be helping around the house or to care for their newborn. In a Boston College Study, 89 percent of men indicated it was important for employers to provide paid paternity or paid parental leave, and 60 percent of the respondents indicated that it was extremely important or very important.

“I absolutely think that more time for parental leave would be beneficial. The time off is very important because it really helps you settle into it and contemplate being a father,” English teacher and new father Mr. Michael Fay said. “The toughest thing was balancing my desire to come back to work or society’s expectations to come to work. I feel the pressures of society; I’m not numb to it.”

The U.S. is the closest to installing paid leave than it ever has been before. President Trump claimed that he would aim to introduce a proposal of six weeks of paid leave during his presidential campaign, but he has not pushed the issue since then. Despite this, legislation in both the House and Senate have gained bipartisan support.

In the Republican tax bill, maternity and paternity leave are included. The Washington Post reports that the legislation would allow employers to claim a credit of up to 25 percent of the wages they pay to employees who take time off under FMLA. This measure would encourage employers to offer paid leave to workers, but Democrats claim that the plan introduced would not do enough in helping small businesses and the majority of employers.

The clear solution to solving this ongoing issue is government control of parental leave.

Discrepancies between different states and businesses have the potential to make the GOPproposed program unsuccessful.

Nationwide legislation makes the program more uniform and easier to control. By cutting a small percentage of the military budget or raising taxes, the United States could offer every family a portion of their typical income.

Though the United States is usually deemed as a “leader” or an “innovator” among the rest of the world, we need to be a follower in this situation. We have so many examples and different aspects to draw on from other countries’ legislation.

It is easy to see the success that other countries and states have found with passing parental leave bills, and now we need to translate that success to the entire country. Paid parental leave is not a luxury; it is a necessity.

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.

December 2017

Opinion Page 11

Domestic Terrorism Poses a Greater Threat than ISIS

by Izza Choudhry

When President Trump signed his executive order last January to ban people from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the United States, his justification was that it was to protect the American people from “radical Islamic terrorists.” However, the United States should primarily focus on the main perpetrators of terrorism in this country: white American men.

“We are very desensitized to terrorism,” social studies teacher Mrs. Jennifer Wlodek said. “‘Oh, another shooting, that’s so sad. We’re gonna light a candle and move on.’ Nothing has changed; The mass shooting at an African American church in attacks still occur. It is part of our routine.”

Charleston,South Carolina was an act of terrorism. Photo An act of terrorism differs from a violent credit: Wikimedia Commons crime in that with terrorism, there is an ideologitute from the Center for Investigative Reportcal component and a desire to instill fear into ing conducted a study observing 201 cases of the general public, change government policy, domestic terrorism in the United States. From or draw attention to a political or social cause.

January of 2008 until the end of 2016, there were Whether or not they have ties to a certain re63 cases of Islamic domestic terrorism, or inciligion or ideology, within the past few years, a dents motivated by a theocratic political ideology majority of casualties due to terrorist attacks in adopted from a group such as the Islamic State, the United States have not been perpetrated by and 76 percent of these attacks were prevented the stereotypical Muslim extremist. before any injuries could occur. Only 13 percent “I think that domestic terrorism is a bigger of these attacks caused fatalities. Observing the threat [to the United States],” senior Brad Schafsame time period, there were 115 attacks perpefer said. “There have been numerous [encountrated by right-wing extremists, and only 35 perters], especially recently, where Americans have cent were prevented. These right-wing attacks committed terrorism, between lone-wolves were far more fatal, with nearly a third involving pledging to ISIS or people committing acts that fatalities resulting in 79 deaths. the government might not see as terrorism, such “I believe that we are never going to be able as the Las Vegas shooting, but still classify as so.” to fully prevent terrorism, but we can still slow In our state of Pennsylvania, there has only it down,” Schaffer said. “As a country, we can’t been one Islamic terror attack in the past 15 afford to be ignorant, but I think that the govyears. In early 2016, a mentally-ill man named ernment needs to step-up and find a median Edward Archer shot and injured a police officer solution, rather than just letting everyone in, or in Philadelphia, later on pledging allegiance to banning groups of people.” the Islamic state.

“According to data provided by the DepartFar-right attacks with far more casualties ment of Justice, the vast majority of individuals have been more common. In October of 2014, an convicted of terrorism and terrorism-related anti-government radical named Eric Matthew offenses since 9/11 came here from outside of Frein ambushed two police officers in the Bloomour country,” President Trump claimed during ing Grove township, killing one and injuring ana speech to Congress a week prior to signing other, then leading law enforcement into a 48-day the executive order barring people from seven manhunt. In August of 2014, police discovered 20 majority-Muslim countries. “We cannot allow our handmade bombs in the basement of Eric Charles nation to become a sanctuary for extremists.”

Smith, who ran a white supremacist church. In However, research from the study conducted 2011, Eli Franklin Meyers, a government-survivby The Investigative Fund at the National Instialist, shot two police officers, killing one. In 2009, tute from the Center for Investigative Reporting Richard Poplawski, a white supremacist opened claimed that only 36 perpetrators of the attacks fire on Pittsburgh police officers, killing three and were foreign or foreign-born, which is 13 percent leaving two injured. All of these attacks occurred of the total terrorists. One percent of them were within the state of Pennsylvania. from a country listed on the executive order.

The Investigative Fund at the National Insti“To be an informed citizen, you must look at

all sides,” Mrs. Wlodek said. “You can not follow the same news source all the time. All sides need to be represented with the news.”

Since there has been a distinct observation that far-right violence has been the biggest terrorist threat to the United States, why is the majority of America primarily focusing on the threat of Islamic extremism? A majority of right-wing media continues to be silent in the face of white American terrorism.

“They make it appear that every person who practices Islam is a terrorist, which is not true.

You cannot assume every person who practices a certain religion will become an extremist,” senior Sydney Dunbar said. “I’m not saying that terrorism isn’t a bad thing, but sometimes news outlets like to exaggerate certain things to make them seem worse than they really are. The media is basically making people hate Muslims because they all see them as are terrorists and that simply just isn’t true.”

In 2015, Dylan Roof, a white supremacist, killed nine people in a mainly black church in Charleston, South Carolina. The Black Lives Matter movement, which protests against violence towards African-Americans, argued that Roof’s attack was a direct threat against black people.

The crime clearly fit the definition of terrorism, yet Roof was described as a lone wolf suffering from mental illness, rather than the terrorist he is. If Islamist terrorism has incited fear among people leading to policy changes, then why hasn’t terrorism against black people?

There is an evident, morally wrong trend occurring in media today. No matter what race someone is or what ideology they follow, if someone is a terrorist, they are a terrorist, and must be identified as so.

“I believe that multiple different [news] sources manipulate us by providing fear through prejudice that Americans are more than willing to buy into, because we are naturally paranoid,” Schaffer said.

As a country, we must improve. These is an abundance of evidence that recently, far-right violence is what we should be concerned about, rather than radical Islamic terrorism. While both certainly are a threat to our safety, if we observe the current incidents and casualties, white Americans are disrupting the safety and sanctity of this country. If our government acknowledges the threat of domestic terrorism, the change we need will occur.

Staff Editorial: Recognizing Abusive Relationships in High School The excitement of dating in high school can make it hard for teenagers to recognize when a relationship is toxic. Emotional or physical abuse endured by teenagers can have a huge impact on our self-image, as well as the kinds of relationships we form in the future.

Physical abuse with relationships can involve acts of hitting, punching, pulling hair, and kicking, which can happen in both romantic and friendly relationships. Emotional abuse includes intense jealousy, possessiveness, threats, intimidation, controlling behavior, and betrayal, which is not an expression of intense feelings of love, but rather is unhealthy. Sexual abuse is also prevalent in teenage relationships with all genders, and it includes unwanted sexual advances that make you uncomfortable.

It is best to learn signs of an abusive relationship early on. If someone harms you in any physical way, tries to control different aspects of your life, frequently humiliates you, makes you feel unworthy, manipulates you, or threatens to harm you or harm himself or herself if you leave the relationship, it is likely that it is a toxic, unhealthy relationship.

Once you notice these signs, it is important to get help. Talk to a trusted adult, parent, or friend who can help and support you with ending the relationship, or talk to a counselor or therapist. If physical abuse occurs, go to the police and seek medical attention.

You can also call the loveisrespect.org hotline at 1-866-331-9474 or text “loveis” to 22522 for help.

Domestic violence awareness is represented by the color purple.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Page 12

Our World

The Spotlight

Stress Among High School Students on the Rise

by Sarah Jacobson

Homework can be a large stressor for students. Photo Credit: Sarah Jacobson

Throughout a student’s high school career, they are presented with many responsibilities to juggle: academics, extracurriculars, a social life, and more. But how exactly do these factors affect their mental health?

The number of high school students claiming to experience an overwhelming amount of stress has gone up from past generations, and there are two main lines of thought stemming from this. One theory is that access to mental health services is increasing; therefore, the numbers of those being diagnosed with anxiety disorders or struggling with excess amounts of stress are rising because more people than in prior years are able to be diagnosed.

Mental Health America, a nonprofit organization that gathers and reports data and information about individuals with mental health issues, reports that recent healthcare reform, such as the Affordable Care Act, has enabled more Americans to acquire access to mental health services, and has thus increased the number of people diagnosed with mental illnesses or dealing with overwhelming amounts of stress.

“There are certain times of the year you can definitely see that most students are stressed and overwhelmed. You can just kind of sense it in the

classroom; everybody is kinda burned out and done,” AP Psychology teacher Mr. Matthew Cooper said. “There could be lots of variables. I know certain times of the year they might have lots of tests or projects due, and that happens.”

Another theory is that stress and anxiety are generally worsening among high school students as the years go on. In 1985, the Higher Education Research Institute at U.C.L.A. began interviewing incoming freshmen about their experiences during their final year of high school. They asked the students if they had “felt overwhelmed by all [they] had to do,” to which 18 percent of students said that they did. In 2016, 41 percent said they felt overwhelmed during their senior year, which is a significant increase among students that could occur due to a variety changes from generation to generation.

“A lot of stress can put a lot of weight on your mind. [Stress is] like a burden; it’s very emotionally taxing and that can affect you physically as well,” sophomore Dominick Varano said. “If I get too much school work or I’m really busy with a lot of stuff I‘m involved in, in school and outside of school, that can cause me stress, and that becomes a burden on me emotionally, physically and mentally.” This increase in stress can be

harmful to students’ health. The National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) reports that stress can cause headaches, sleeplessness, sadness, and, if stress is severe enough, even viral infections such as a cold can occur.

Another consequence of long term stress is mental illness. NIMH reports that anxiety and depression await those who have a both a large amount of stress and poor coping skills.

“I try to talk to people as much as possible [to destress], or read and take my mind off of whatever is stressing me out,” junior Nicolette Gallo said. “I try to do things that make me feel comfortable.”

There are ways to manage stress, but studies show that American high school students are not very good at applying these strategies. In one 2013 survey by the American Psychology Association, 42 percent of teens stated that they are not doing enough to manage stress, or are not sure what to do.

“I feel like [the school] helps [students with mental illness] a lot with their problems, but I don’t think they help students who don’t have mental health problems cope with their stress enough,” junior Natalie Kroboth said.

Managing stress is not an exact science, and it is often based on an individual’s preference, but The Anxiety and Depression Association of America has a few tips. They recommend getting at least eight hours of sleep a night and eating healthy to help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. They also recommend exercise, listening to music, and other relaxation techniques to help reduce stress.

“Stop checking Sapphire [daily for grades],” English teacher Mrs. Sheryl Ciotti said. “I feel like [Sapphire] leads to more anxiety. Grades fluctuate all the time, and it stirs students into a frenzy when they see their grades fluctuate even a little bit.”

There’s no clear answer as to whether the rates of stress and anxiety or access to mental health care is increasing. What is clear is that there are steps students can take to help manage their stress before it escalates to mental illness, essential to preventing the rise of anxiety among American high school students.

Where Are They Now? Dan Marant

by Danielle Alpert

At a football game there are many different scenes: the athletes on the field, the fans cheering in the stands, the coach of your favorite team yelling at the players to hustle. However, you may not pay attention to the athletic trainers that are there to prevent, diagnose, and treat athlete injuries. One 2013 Southern Lehigh graduate, Dan Marant, is studying to earn his Master’s in Athletic Training at the University of Kentucky after graduating with a Bachelors in Athletic Training from Pennsylvania State University.

“As a graduate student, I help with research on shoulder rehabilitation techniques and continue to study athletic training,” Marant said. “I also am writing research papers that I will be able to publish in medical journals.”

In the future, he would like to work with Division I or professional athletes as an athletic trainer or strength coach, but may branch out and work at a sports performing center later in life. With his experience working with the University of Kentucky track and field team, Chicago Bears summer camp and preseason in 2016, and Penn State football team in 2015, he might just get what he always

wanted.

“I develop corrective exercise rehab programs in order to prevent chronic injury as a result of poor movement mechanics, muscle imbalances, or poor mobility,” Marant said. “I have also been fortunate to work with a lot of high profile athletes already in my career. We currently have multiple track and field athletes that have competed at the Olympic level.”

He has always been an athlete himself, so he knows what stress they are putting on their bodies as they continue playing sports collegiately or even professionally. In high school, Marant participated in soccer, track and field, and club volleyball. He also took part in the Emerging Health Program (EHP) his senior year, which led him to where he is now in the medical field.

When trying to figure out how to get to where you want to be in the future, whether it be a job, or even a sport, Marant has a few encouraging words for students.

“Figure out the small steps you must take to get into the position you want to be in,” Marant said, “and set goals to meet each step along the way.”

Marant is studying at University of Kentucky to get his Master’s in Athletic Training. Photo Credit: Bianca Grimshaw

Our World Page 13

December 2017

How ‘Fake News’ Affects American Politics

by Sarah Trebicka

While “fake news” has been around for decades, it is no secret that in President Donald Trump’s America, the term is being thrown around quite often by both prominent government officials and political activists alike. However, despite what may seem to be a self explanatory two-worded phrase, confusion may occur regarding what the speaker really means when they brand a story as “fake news,” and whether their claims may be politically motivated.

What Constitutes Fake News?

According to a 2017 study by Hunt Allcott and Matthew Gentzkow of Stanford University titled “Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election,” fake news refers to “news articles that are intentionally and verifiably false, and could mislead readers.” Fake news does not include unintentional reporting mistakes, rumors that were not fabricated by a particular news source, conspiracy theories, satire that is unlikely to be misconstrued as factual, false statements made by politicians themselves, and reports that are biased or misleading but not fabricated.

“When I think of the term ‘fake news,’ I literally think of people who are being paid to generate stories that are untrue for economic gain or political gain,” social studies teacher Mrs. Katie Quartuch, who wrote a dissertation in media literacy, said.

How Does Fake News Factor Into Today’s Political Climate?

The same Stanford University study found that fake news likely played a role in the election of President Trump. Fake news stories both widely shared and heavily tilted in favor of Donald Trump were shared on Facebook a total of 30 million times, and pro-Clinton fake stories were shared a total of 7.6 million times. This translates into 760 million instances of a user clicking through and reading a fake news story, or about three stories read per American adult. w According to Politifact, as of November 6, 2017, President Trump has used the phrase “fake news” at least 153 times in 2017. Despite the term’s intended meaning of fabricated content, critics argue that Trump’s own definition differs greatly. Because of when he uses the term, he has been accused of only labeling articles that paint a less-than-perfect picture of his presidency as “fake news.”

“When I think of the term ‘fake news,’ I literally think of people who are being paid to generate stories that are untrue for economic gain or political gain.”

- Mrs. Katie Quartuch

For example, on October 1, 2017, when Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, Trump tweeted, “We have done a great job with the almost impossible situation in Puerto Rico. Outside of the Fake News or politically motivated ingrates,” seemingly implying that the media fails to credit him for positive actions. Trump cried “fake news” again at a campaign-style rally in Phoenix, Arizona, as the crowd roared with cheers and applause. “[Journalists] are truly dishonest people. And not all of them … You’ve some very good reporters … But for the most part, these are really, really dishonest people. These are bad people,” President Trump said in Phoenix. “And I think they do not like our country … The only people giving a platform to hate groups [from the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” march] is the media

itself and the fake news.”

According to Politifact, his “fake news” targets are mainly The New York Times, with 12 mentions, CNN with 23 mentions, NBC, with 19 mentions, and the Washington Post, with eight mentions.

“I think that President Trump was sensitive to a concern that many Americans had that the media was elitist and leftist,” Mrs. Quartuch said.

“I believe that President Trump sees the media as his enemy. Because there are constantly negative news stories surrounding him, he dislikes [the news],” junior Christine Reichard said. “Since he is the president, his opinion towards the media has influence on citizens’ opinions as well.”

Trump’s constant criticism of the media has undoubtedly sown division within a nation built on healthy civil discourse. While liberals come to the defense of journalists, conservatives tend to be slightly more critical of news content, citing an innate liberal bias in most mainstream media.

“As a believer in democracy and a civics teacher, I think we’re in great danger if we don’t have journalists we can trust,” Mrs. Quartuch said. “I believe we need good journalists; it’s a fundamental piece to allowing us to be active in our democracy. And if we simply discount their work or their expertise, we’re damaging our ability to actually understand complicated things in the world.”

Political Polarization in Terms of News Sources According to a Pew Research Center study, in 2014, the top five most trusted news outlets were The Economist, BBC, NPR, PBS, and The Wall Street Journal, and the most distrusted were BuzzFeed, The Rush Limbaugh Show, The Glenn Beck Program, The Ed Schultz Show, and Al Jazeera America.

Major media players like The New York Times, The Washington Post, and MSNBC were “more distrusted than trusted” by conservatives, and more “trusted than distrusted” by liberals. Conversely, outlets like Breitbart and The Blaze were “more distrusted than trusted” by liberals and “more trusted than distrusted” by conservatives. Additionally, 14 percent of conservatives trusted CNN compared to 88 percent who did not. From a general standpoint, the right tended to be more skeptical of mainstream media than the left.

“I think mainstream media is a good way for the majority of the population to stay informed on what’s going on around them, but they’re also companies that can easily sell stories they wanna sell and therefore should be trusted with caution,” senior Jillian Werbisky said.

How Do Opposite Sides of the Political Spectrum Define Fake News?

A 2017 Politico poll found that 46 percent of voters believe the media fabricates news stories about Trump and his administration, 37 percent believe the media does not, and 17 percent are undecided. From a partisan standpoint, 76 percent of Republican voters believe media has invented fake news about Trump, along with 20 percent of Democrats and 44 percent of independents. Among the voters who strongly approve of President Trump’s performance as president, 85 percent believe the media fabricates stories about the president and his administration.

“I think [fake news has] manifested itself in a partisan way, but I don’t think it’s innately a partisan issue; people have used it to make partisan points,” Mrs. Quartuch said. “I think it has to do with people’s perception of the media being liberal.”

According to a 2017 Pew Research study based on an analysis of more than 3,000 stories across 24 media outlets, during the early days of Trump’s administration, 54 percent of news stories that mentioned one of his tweets provided a negative assessment of his words or actions, or a direct refutation of the tweet itself. Overall,

Labeling news media outlets as “fake news” has become increasingly commonplace in Trump’s America. Photo credit: Sarah Trebicka

44 percent of all news stories studied during Trump’s first 100 days as president contained a negative assessment. Conservatives may cite this as an example of liberal bias in the media affecting journalists’ ability to fairly assess Trump, while liberals may describe such reporting as simply fact-checking the president. Therefore, an important question arises: is unfair or inaccurate reporting the same as fake news stories?

“It should be understood that the majority of media outlets are biased to some degree, but it doesn’t mean that their news is fake,” Werbisky said.

In 2003, Jayson Blair of the New York Times was exposed for committing acts of journalistic fraud such as widespread fabrication and plagiarism. Around the same time, foreign correspondent Jack Kelley of USA Today plagiarized and fabricated stories illustrating dangerous experiences in turbulent areas like Jerusalem.

Stephen Glass, who was a staff writer for The Republic in the 1990s, is known as another “serial fabricator” of news stories. Therefore, fraudulent journalism does happen, but it happens rarely. Biased reporting is not considered fake reporting.

How Can Americans Access Reliable News Sources?

“I think good news sources have statistics and concrete evidence to backup their claims,” Werbisky said. “They have people of all different political ideologies, not just one ideology, covering stories, and they cover more than one type of news story.”

The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) provides a code of ethics on their website that includes core practices such as seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently, and be accountable and transparent.

According to FORBES magazine, some of the best news sources that successfully exercise these standards are The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, BBC, The Economist, The New Yorker, Reuters, Bloomberg News, The Associated Press, and Politico.

“In civics and government, we are doing lessons on how to trust online sources. We recommend checking the about section of a website, looking for biographies of writers or contributors, opening new tabs to cross check claims and stories, clicking on links that actually take them to the poll or study that’s being reported on so that they can read firsthand the account of it and then compare that to how it’s being reported upon,” Mrs. Quartuch said.

The Stanford University study also observed that both Democrats and Republicans are about 15 percent more likely to believe ideologically aligned headlines, which can lead to ideologically segregated social media networks. Therefore, making sure both sides of the political spectrum are accessing all sides of the story rather than one can also ensure reliability in news consumption.

Page 14 Arts and Entertainment

The Spotlight

‘The Crown’ Reigns Among Netflix Royalty

By Sarah Trebicka

Season two of “The Crown” once again succeeds in allowing its audience to indulge in a delicate blend between the stately portraiture of public affairs and private dealings in the Buckingham Palace. We watch Queen Elizabeth II, portrayed by the nuanced lip pursing and subtle jaw clenching of Claire Foy that sometimes manages to crack the monarchical mask she puts on, as she becomes even more hardened by the crown. Her husband, Prince Philip (Matt Smith), even tells Elizabeth, “The stuff used to wear you, but now you wear it.” However, contrary to the character dynamics of season one, season two very deeply illuminates the internal conflicts of tempestuous Princess Margaret (Vanessa Kirby) and sullen Prince Philip, respectively. It also portrays one of the show’s greatest strengths: its ability to magnify the significance of even the tiniest grievances.

The season, which spans from the 1956 Suez Crisis to the 1963 Profumo affair, opens in media res on a tense interaction between Elizabeth and Philip that takes place during a thunderstorm before promptly flashing back five months to expose the series of events that brought them there. Britain is descending into war as Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser (Amir Boutrous) catalyzes growing contempt towards the British and seizes control of the Suez Canal. The royal couple, too, engages in warlike conflict as Elizabeth comes to terms with her husband’s potential infidelity and insecure temper.

Philip notoriously spent most of season one resenting his wife for daring to become a confident leader; his inability to stand being belittled or undermined by a woman is only amplified and further explored in season two.

He’s a caged bird incapable of separating himself from the freedom to which he had become accustomed during his time spent in the Royal Navy.

Surprisingly, as annoying as it sounds to watch a man hate a woman for outrankingHof him, I think tuning in to what makes Philip tick is actually valuable because it helps to prove one of the most important points made in “The Crown.” Especially in the ‘50s and ‘60s, you could literally be the Queen of England, admired by your entire country, and a man will still regard you with condescension and bitterness because you’re a woman, and men think they know better. Philip can’t stand the humiliation of being a permanent second to his once obedient wife, and like an entitled infant he refuses to work for the admiration and esteem he feels he deserves just for being the Queen’s husband. However, he soon learns that while there can be shortcuts to power, there are no shortcuts to respect (and receives an extremely disdainful “you’re pathetic” look from Elizabeth).

Margaret also oozes humanity in the second season as she attempts to emotionally recover from the pain of being denied her lover, Peter Townsend (Ben Miles). Kirby’s brilliant portrayal compels the audience to sympathize with Margaret as she pursues complex photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones (Matthew Goode), even though I really can’t help but feel irritated knowing that 99 percent of her problems would be solved if she just gave up the royal life that is slowly stripping her sister of her humanity and personality.

Finally, we witness the essential character development of Elizabeth as she drifts into her mid-30s and the rolling tensions of the ‘60s force her to find a way to make the monarchy relevant in a world of social change and upheaval.

As a result, she faces criticism for her imperious dedication to preserving tradition. She’s a woman fully grown into her sovereignty, and just like last season, she continues to put duty before family without blinking an eye at the expense of everyone she’s supposed to care about (I’m still salty about Margaret and Peter).

The Netflix original has now had two successful seasons. Photo Credit: Netflix

All in all, the international politics and familial conflicts of season two certainly don’t disappoint. The audience is even more exposed to the humanity (or lack thereof) of the royal family as they grapple with the weight of the crown and all the responsibility that comes with it. Philip complains some more about being a man outranked by his wife and eight-year-old son, Margaret becomes entangled in a new romance with a curious character, and Elizabeth eventually expresses some envy towards the glamor of President Kennedy (Michael C. Hall) and Jackie Kennedy (Jodi Balfour).

Next season, the show will be entirely recast with older actors (Olivia Colman will be portraying Queen Elizabeth), and rumor has it that the Princess Diana and Prince Charles drama will be introduced towards the end.

I guess all that’s left to say now is long live “The Crown.”

‘Wonder’ is Simply...Well, Wonderful

By Danielle Alpert

“Wonder” is a must see movie for all ages to see. Photo Credit: Lionsgate

Everyone has times in their lives when they feel excluded or like they do not belong. However, for August “Auggie” Pullman (Jacob Tremblay) in “Wonder,” who was homeschooled until he decided to attend fifth grade in public school, feeling abandoned was the norm for him. Auggie was born with mandibulofacial dysostosis, which is an inherited condition of facial bones and tissues that are not developed correctly, and he had 27 different surgeries trying to correct his facial differences. Though this movie is clearly about how he overcomes his obstacles in life, it is also focuses on how his new friends deal with pressure from peers at school and how his family deals with him growing up.

With the opening statement of “I know I’m not an ordinary kind of a kid, I’ve had 27 surgeries. They help me to breathe, to see, to hear without a hearing aid, but none of them have me look ordinary,” I was hooked until the rolling credits came around. Not only was this movie moving, it was filled with emotion from beginning to end. It was like my brain did not know what emotion I should be feeling the whole time because it just kept you on your toes and left you thinking, “What will happen next?”

This movie is an absolute need to watch for all ages. It captures the hardships of children, teens, and adults as they deal with their own issues, all bundled up within Auggie trying to fit in at school. His sister, Via (Izabela Vidovic), is Auggie’s number one supporter, but also is trying to get her parents to notice her. She also goes through times of betrayal from her best friend since kindergarten, and ends up finding herself through new relationships that force her to step out of her comfort zone. Auggie’s parents, portrayed by Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, show the rough times of parenting by supporting their children to the best of their abilities, but also allowing them to try to take care of situations themselves to gain independence.

All in all, I have not seen a movie that was so heartwarming and inspirational in a long time. The love between family members is so uplifting and moving. I would totally go see it again and again, just to feel that love that the characters share with one another.

December 2017

Arts and Entertainment

Page 15

‘Coco’ Gives a Cultural Twist to a Typical Plot

By Saskia Van’t Hof

Pixar Animation Studios has done it again: their latest film, “Coco,” somehow takes the concept of death and turns it into a brilliantly colorful story about coming together. This charming tale will definitely leave audiences laughing, as well as shedding a tear or two.

The story follows 12-year old Miguel Rivera (Anthony Gonzalez), a young guitarist who dreams of following in the footsteps of his favorite musician, legendary music icon Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt). However, ever since Miguel’s great-great grandfather walked out on the family, the Rivera household has banned all things musical. But that has never stopped Miguel; on the night of el Día de los Muertos, he tries to “borrow” de la Cruz’s guitar from its exhibit in a church, in hopes to enter a local talent show. But when Miguel strums the strings, he finds himself accidentally transported into the mystical Land of the Dead. As he tries to make it back to the Land of the Living before the sun rises, he discovers what really happened to his family.

“Coco” heavily draws its inspiration from the Mexican holiday, Día de los Muertos.

There are very few movies surrounding this holiday, so “Coco” comes as a refreshing change.

In fact, after less than three weeks since its release, the movie has already become the highest grossing film of all time in Mexico. And yet the simple theme of “Coco” is universal enough to touch audiences all over the world, even those who have never heard of the Day of the Dead before.

That said, when compared to Pixar films such as “Toy Story” and “Inside Out,” the plot of “Coco” lacks some originality. Next to such conceptually groundbreaking movies, Miguel’s story falls a bit flat.

However, whatever “Coco” lacks in plot, it definitely makes up for in its breathtaking animation. There is no other Pixar movie that meets the artistry of this one: from the extremely detailed backdrops to the vivid mythical creatures that soar through the sky (their designs inspired by alebrije, brightly colored Mexican folk sculptures), every scene in the film radiates with color. The fluorescent pinks, blues, yellows, purples, and oranges make the journey through the Land of the Dead not just fitting for little kids, but also extremely entertaining for all.

One of the most endearing and unique aspects of the film was its portrayal of Miguel’s multigenerational family. The movie’s namesake refers to Miguel’s beloved great-grandmother, Coco, who turns out to be key to Miguel’s journey. The dynamic between each of the family members makes the movie stand out, for such relationships are so often unexplored in Pixar movies.

Overall, “Coco” is a wonderful movie. In fact, it would be easy to argue that it is one of the greatest Pixar films that the studio has made so far.

“Coco” has won the hearts of audiences across the country.

Photo Credit: Pixar

I would give this movie a solid rating of 9/10, and would highly recommend it. If “Coco” does not warm your heart, I don’t know what film would.

Mario is Back and Better in ‘Odyssey’

By Griffin Schmoyer

As the flagship franchise for Nintendo, the character of Mario has become synonymous with not only the company, but with video games as a whole. And somehow, over 30 years later, Nintendo is still able to pump out hit after hit with this franchise. “Super Mario Odyssey” is no different.

The game takes place, as usual, in the Mushroom Kingdom. But this time, Bowser has hatched a plot to tie the knot with Princess Peach, and Mario must pursue him in order to crash this unholy marriage.

The core gameplay is a return to a primarily open-ended 3D explorationbased adventure: the likes of which Mario hasn’t seen since his travels all across the universe in “Super Mario Galaxy 2,” released in 2010 for the Nintendo Wii.

The biggest change for this game is the inclusion of Mario’s newest companion, Cappy, who takes over Mario’s hat, and joins our protagonist to save his sister, Tiara, who was also kidnapped by Bowser. Now with Cappy at his side, well, on his head, Mario is now able to use his “CAPture” ability to help him find secrets hidden in every nook and cranny of these colorful worlds.

The capture ability takes everything you knew about traditional power-ups, and throws it off the top of a ten story building. There are no more mushrooms, fire flowers, or invincibility stars: nothing. Mario is now able to transform into some of the native creatures in these new worlds and use them to help solve puzzles, or reach new heights previously inaccessible to the player.

The game also gets rid of the trivial 1-Up/Lives system, and instead gives a penalty of deducting ten coins from you. Especially after the story, the game gives coins a bigger role in purchasing collectables, and if you get stuck on a certain part, it adds up pretty quickly.

This game provides level after level of joyous scenery and exploration, and each is packed with collectables and secrets that truly make the experience rewarding for the player. There are over 800 main collectables in the game, but the game leaves it up to the player for how much of the game’s main collectable, the power moon, they want to collect. You only need 120 moons to beat the game and 500 moons to get the real ending, out of a total of 830 unique moons. But, for completionists out there, you can get up to 999 moons! And as far as I’ve gotten, it becomes extremely tough to find these moons, but very rewarding when you accomplish your goal, and the moons only become more difficult after the main story.

“Odyssey’s” imaginative, vibrant art style gives each level its own unique feel, and the open world aspect of the game really put the power in the player’s hands as to what they want to do and how they want to complete the game. Unless you deliberately try, no two playthroughs are

exactly the same. The game compiles the best parts of the most elite Mario platformers: the multiple collectables a level aspect of “Super Mario 64,” the tight controls and precision platforming of “Super Mario Sunshine,” and collect-a-thon of “Banjo-Kazooie.” It is executed near-flawlessly, but comparing it to those games does “Odyssey” a disservice. What makes this game unique is that it still feels like a brand new game, despite the obvious influences.

The only problem I can find with this game really only pertains to those who want to fully complete the story: all 999 moons. You really have to pick each level apart, pixel by pixel, to find every power moon. And sometimes, the way you find the power moons becomes repetitive. The story is also kind of shallow, but Mario games have never really been about the story, which is only there to provide context and backbone to the game.

“Super Mario Odyssey” is the ultimate Mario experience, the perfect amalgamation of everything you have ever loved about this franchise, and then some. It is so easy to lose yourself in the kingdoms you explore, and lose track of time playing it. I personally clocked over 60 hours on this game, and I have almost 700 power moons as of writing this article. There is no other game like it on the market, and it truly feels like this is what Mario has been leading up to.

Nintendo knocked it out of the park. I give this game a 10/10. It is worth every penny. If you don’t have a Nintendo Switch already, or don’t have the game, it is the perfect gift for the Nintendo fan in your life.

Photo Credit: Nintendo

Page 16 Odds and Ends

The Spotlight

December 2017

Staff and Students Express Holly Jolly Hopes for the Holidays

Photo credit: Bridgette Lang

“I’m excited to light the candles [on the menorah] and eating latkes because it’s meaningful and fun to take part in tradition,” junior Alex Becker said.

Photo credit: Sarah Trebicka

“I’m gonna be watching a new show on Netflix. I don’t know which show yet, but I’ll keep you updated,” senior Hannah DelSordo said.

“I’m also excited to decorate all the Christmas cookies.”

“We have waffles and ice cream on Christmas morning after opening gifts,” junior Morgan Dierolf said.

“My grandmother comes over too.”

Photo credit: Bridgette Lang

Have a fun and safe holiday break!

Photo credit: Bridgette Lang

“My mom’s family has a huge buffet on the 23rd with like 40 people, so I’m excited for that,” junior Ellie Cassel said.

“We have so much food!”

“I’m excited to be able to go visit family which is what I always do for the holidays,” social studies teacher Mr. Tom Beaupre said. “All my family’s in New England, so it’s always nice to see everybody and see my friends from high school and college.”

Photo credit: Sarah Trebicka