Southern Lehigh High School 5800 Main Street Center Valley, PA 18034
MARCH 2015
Volume 58 Issue 5
The Spotlight In this
Issue:
Southern Lehigh Hosts First Ever Student Showcase by Nicole Schroy and Talia Trackim
Underclassmen receive brand new Macbook Air laptops. Page 2 has your inside scoop.
The Drowsy Chaperone hit the stage this spring. Read more on page 4.
Photo Credits: Spotlight Staff
The Tonight Show celebrated its one-year anniversary. Turn to page 12 for more information.
Ever wonder what students would do with a pot of gold? Find out on the back page!
Want to see more?
On March 18, Southern Lehigh hosted the SLHS Showcase, where high school students demonstrated their academic and creative ambition to present longterm projects to parents, teachers, and other community members. Taking over the cafeteria, the gym, and the board room, the showcase included a number of events and exciting opportunities for students to show what they have accomplished this school year. From science projects, speeches, and other presentations, the academic side of the showcase was an exciting place for knowledge to prosper. “I thought that the showcase was a great opportunity to show all of the hard work that we had put into our �inal projects,” freshman Anna Donato said. “It was de�initely educational and entertaining evening.” In the gymnasium, students showed off their individual science experiments. These trifolds displayed the process they went through to perform the experiment, along with photos of the process. Students participated in the science fair as part of their �inal project grade. “It provides an opportunity for those who don’t often have a chance to come into the high school to see what our students have achieved,” chemistry teacher Ms. Patricia Smiley said. The cafeteria housed a number of projects from
Honors Civics and Government freshmen. Each group focused on bringing awareness to social issues, such as racism, gang violence, and gender equality. The Honors 12 English students presented speeches about their experiences and lessons learned during the 20 Time projects that they worked on over the course of the year. The students picked something that they were interested in learning and kept a blog recording their progress. “At �irst I was really nervous about making my speech, but each time I rehearsed it I gained con�idence,” senior Nicola Donato said. Not only was the showcase a display of academic accomplishments, but it was also a place for art students to present their work and achievements. The hallway in between the gym was �illed with students’ photography, paintings, drawings, and other artwork. Along with artists, musicians participated as well. Members of Southern Lehigh jazz band gathered to share their music with the Southern Lehigh community. Talented piano players and other musicians �illed the school with their music, attracting a large crowd of students who were eager to hear. “I wanted to show people the music,” freshman Wesley DeCasere said. “I really like and appreciate the music, so I hope other people do, too.”
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NEWS
Southern Lehigh High School 5800 Main Street Center Valley, PA 18034 (610) 282-1421 x7122 slsdspotlight@gmail.com http://slspotlight.com
The Spotlight is published in print and online 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. Sponsorship rates are furnished upon request.
Faculty Adviser Mrs. Marlo Spritzer
Editor-in-Chief Dana DiGiovanni
News Editor
Ashley Zamichieli
Features Editor Talia Trackim
Entertainment Editor Nicole Schroy
Opinion Editor Katie Cole
Sports Editor
Cody Heffelfinger
Our World Editor Ashley Zamichieli
In-Depth Editor Kylie Schmitt
Web Editors Kylie Schmitt Robyn Somers
Copy Editor Lizzi Thom
2014 PSPA Gold Rating 2013 PSPA Silver Rating
SPOTLIGHT
Macbooks for Underclassmen
All students of Southern Lehigh, excluding seniors, are trading in their old Macbook Pro laptops for brand new Macbook Airs by Kylie Schmitt
Photo Credit: Spotlight Staff
In early March, Southern Lehigh High School students learned that all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors would be receiving new MacBook Air laptops to replace their current MacBook Pros at the end of the month. In the 2012-2013 school year, Southern Lehigh began the 1:1 laptop program. This plan assigns every student a laptop to use for school. In order to make this project the most �inancially responsible, the district decided to do a
“lease to buy” agreement. The school leases the computers for four years and makes payments over that time, with an option to buy them for one dollar at the end of the term. “We are getting new laptops because it was an excellent �inancial opportunity,” assistant principal Mr. Jason Lilly said. “The district was actually able to save money by doing the exchange ahead of our four year refresh cycle.” The technology department looked into several companies to �ind the best price possible. The biggest problems with the laptops that have been used for nearly three years is their poor battery life. By switching to the MacBook Airs this will no longer be a problem. According to Apple.com, the Macbook Pro only has seven hours of battery life compared to the Macbook Air which has nine. “I think this is going to be really great,” math teacher Mr. Greenawald said. “If they are thinner, lighter, and faster then it’s a win win win.” Students are reminded that this will be a direct exchange. Make sure to bring your laptop and charger on the day of the exchange. Since the new laptops are a different size, they will need a different charger. Also, students must back up any �iles on the hard drive to SpartanDocs to make sure they will not lose any work. “I don’t mind the laptops we have now,” sophomore Brian Smith said, “but it will be a lot nicer not having to charge my laptop every other period.”
The Spartans Rock the Orchestra by Anna Esposito
In December, Parkland High School hosted an auditonation, dynamics, interpretation, tone, articulation, and tion for the PMEA District 10 Orchestra. A total of seven technique. students represented Southern Lehigh High School, all of “I have been performing all my life,” sophomore Megan whom were chosen to represent at districts: seniors ChrisKrafczyk said. “Districts was really enjoyable.” tine Lee, Adam Leferovich, and Madeliene Gouck; juniors All the students representing Southern Lehigh have Luke Simons and Courtbeen playing music since ney Herr; and sophochildhood. mores Megan Krafczyk “I was proud of myself and Olivia Gouck. for getting the privilege to After beating out perform at districts,” junior 600 students, only 117 Courtney Herr said. “It was obtained the high honor also a great experience.” of representing in the After re-auditioning at District 10 Orchestra districts, three students -in a concert performed Lee, Leferovich, and Simons at Blue Mountain High -- were selected to move School from February on to the next level for the 5-7. Counties including regional performance at the Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Scranton Musical Festival, Northampton, Monroe, held from March 11-13. Pike, and Schuylkill were Both Lee and Leferovich represented by the musiplay string instruments and cians in attendance. have been involved in the Mr. Chris Evans, muYoung People’s Philharmonsic teacher at Blue Moun- Members of the 2015 District 10 Orchestra. Photo Credit: Anna Esposito ic. tain High School, was the “I hope to learn from the director of the orchestral. experience of a guest coordinator as well the students I will “The talent at this orchestra was above average,” Mr. be performing with,” senior Adam Leferovich said prior to Evans said. the regional concert in Scranton. These musicians also had the privilege of being conLuke Simons quali�ied to move onto the states which ducted by Mr. Ovidiu Marinescu, associate professor at will be held in Hershey, Pennsylvania from March 25-28. SiWest Chester University. mons, who has played the clarinet for the past seven years, Once selected for the orchestra, the musicians had to looks forward to the experience. re-audition for seating (ranking) on the �irst night. The “I have second chair right now,” he said, “and I hope to judging was based on the following criteria: rhythm, inhold that seat going into the state competition.”
MARCH 2015
NEWS
Brown Earns Regional Recognition for Art
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by Robyn Somers
With the conclusion of the 2015 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, Southern Lehigh is proud to showcase students who entered art work, photography, and writing. Among these students, one stands out. Sophomore Lexi Brown concluded the art contest with four gold keys, two silver keys, and two honorable mentions. She also won an American Vision Award. “I was a little overwhelmed by it all [because] I did not expect to place,” Brown said. “I did way better this year than I did last year. I was completely shocked when I won the American Vision Award. I feel like I have grown so much at this
point.” The Scholastic Art Contest is the oldest art contest in the country. There are over 30,000 entries nationally and only about �ive percent get regional golds. Southern Lehigh competes with Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, and Carbon counties. “Within those counties 2,000 students entered the contest. Only 100 of those students got gold keys,” art teacher Mrs. Anne SikorskiSchneider said. “This year Southern Lehigh got 12 golds total. One of the golds was writing and the other eleven were art.”
Brown got four of those golds in photography and digital art. In photography she got third overall with a cash reward. Along with that Brown also received an American Vision Award. For this award, �ive exceptional pieces are picked out. The winner of the National American Vision Award is picked from those �ive. “I was really surprised that I won that award. The piece that was picked was actually my least favorite,” Brown said. “Mrs. Sikorski-Schneider expected my piece to go far, and I guess she was right. I’m really proud of how this year turned out.”
Photos provided courtesy of Lexie Brown.
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FEATURES
SPOTLIGHT
SL Theater Performs ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ by Talia Trackim
SL Theater performed The Drowsy Chaperone from March 4 to March 8. Photo Credit: Ashley Lee
With the conclusion of the musical season, the theater and music students of Southern Lehigh were sure to “show off” their talents in this year’s production of “The Drowsy Chaperone.” The musical ran from March 4 to March 8, excluding March 5 due to weather. “The whole cast and crew this time really pulled everything together to make this show a success,” sophomore Garrison Piel said. “I’m happy with our performance.” The story is narrated by an unnamed Man in Chair as he listens to a record of his favorite musical, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” which tells the story of Janet Van de Graaf, a glamorous Broadway star who is preparing to give up her life of fame to marry Robert Martin. Things go into a frenzy when her producer desperately tries to convince her to remain in showbusiness and Janet questions Robert’s love. Featured are gangstersguised-as-pastry-chefs, a european womanizer, an anxious best man, an eccentric host and her sarcastic underling, a sassy aviatrix, and of course, Janet’s alcoholic chaperone. “One of the best parts of performing this particular show was getting feedback from the audience, for example, hearing people laugh after a joke was told, or hearing complete silence when Man in Chair cries at the end,” sophomore Caleigh Schmid, who played Mrs. Tottendale, said. “Every time an audience member reacts to something you do or say, it’s like a shot of adrenaline.” Not only does “The Drowsy Chaperone” tell the story of Janet and Robert, but it also follows the emotional journey of the Man in Chair, an
agoraphobic, heartbroken man suffering from a case of “the blues.” Whenever he is blue, he listens to his musicals, �inding solace in their optimistic stories and cheerful yet ultimately human tunes. As the musical progresses, the audience gets more and more glimpses of the Man in Chair’s sorrows and ideals. “My favorite part about the character was that he was very animated and funny. He was funny in the sense that he was such a ridiculous role that you couldn’t help but laugh,” senior Austin Piel, who played the role of Man in Chair, said. “I felt as if I could really get into the character and had a lot of freedom onstage to do what I felt �it the character.” Filled with jazzy beats and frivolous lyrics, this musical swerved from this fall’s classic “Sound of Music” and takes the audience on a comedic ride to the 1920s. The songs are clever and the cast pulled them off incredibly well. They ranged from Janet’s showy and �lashy, “Show Off,” the Chaperone’s belty and powerful, “As We Stumble Along,” and Robert and George’s crowd-pleasing tap number “Cold Feets.” “It was a funny show that featured humorous songs, rather than a more serious production with beautiful but serious ballads,” Schmid said. “It was very high energy and very tiring to do, but probably the show that I’ve had the most fun being a part of.” Piel and Schmid were joined by a talented student cast. Senior Maddie Hallman made her debut as Janet Van de Graaf alongside Luke Simons as Robert Martin, and Giuliana Augello as The Drowsy Chaperone. Ryan Harding played the loyal best man George, and junior Chris Smith sent the audience laughing as the European Adolpho. The producer Mr. Feldzieg, played by senior Kolbi Harding, and Kitty, played by senior Octavia Fitzmaurice, caused chaos alongside the gangsters, played by senior Noah White and junior Gavin Sullivan. Sophomores Garrison Piel played the Underling to Mrs. Tottendale creating a comical duo. Sophomore Lexi Brown tied the knot as Trix the Aviatrix. “Playing the part of the Drowsy Chaperone was very exciting, since it has actually been a dream role of mine for quite some time now,” sophomore Giuliana Augello said. “I really enjoyed the scenes I was a part of and the creation process of who the Drowsy Chaperone truly is as a person. Some challenges were tapping into a more mature part of myself in order to play an older character, as well as preparing my voice for the rousing song I had to sing.” Though the show may be over, the cast and crew of “The Drowsy Chaperone” left the stage with wonderful memories and lasting friendships. They look forward to the Freddy Award nominations in May. “It was bittersweet because it was a ton of fun, yet it was my last show here at Southern Lehigh,” Piel said, “but I’m very excited to come back next year to see what Mr. Wehr comes up with.”
SLHS Welcomes New Teacher Mrs. Prudente by Alex Baca
In January, Southern Lehigh High School welcomed a new faculty member. Mrs. Mary Prudente will be taking Mr. David Dougherty’s place as a learning support teacher in Room 138. Mr. Dougherty moved to the science department earlier this year. “I wanted to become a teacher because I had a really great teacher who inspired me,” Mrs. Prudente said. “When I was in high school, I had an extra period in the day. I had the opportunity to observe an elementary school classroom, and that jump-started what I really wanted to do.” Prior to Southern Lehigh, Mrs. Prudente taught at Abington Junior High School as an eighth and ninth grade science teacher. She also spent time at Hamburg High School, where she taught ninth through twelfth grade math, and Pocono Mountain Junior High School, where she taught eighth and ninth grade science and social studies. Mrs. Prudente went to Marywood University and held a dual major in elementary and special education. She has been applying to Southern Lehigh for the past three years. “Southern Lehigh has a high reputation of excellence, and I just wanted to be a part of the school,” Mrs. Prudente said. Outside of teaching, Mrs. Prudente enjoys spending time with her seven-month old son, watching and playing sports, enjoying anything outdoors, and playing video games.
Photo Credit: Alex Baca
MARCH 2015
FEATURES
Senior Jake Stattel Wins Donley Award
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by Lizzi Thom
This year’s Southern Lehigh Donley Award recipient is senior Jake Stattel. The award is a scholarship founded on scholarship, leadership, and service to the community. A few recent recipients from Southern Lehigh include graduates Paul Ermlich, Isabella Uribe, and Rylee Maron. Ed Donley is the former chairman of Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. One senior student from every school in the Lehigh Valley is honored. The application is given to the top ten students with the highest grade point average in his or her class. A high school committee of administrators and counselors then select the most deserving recipient. To be eligible for the highly selective award, each candidate must hold a class rank within the top �ive percent in the class as well as demonstrate signi�icant evidence of leadership and community service. “I think that often times one of the most important factors in determining who will represent Southern Lehigh High School for the Donley Award really comes down to community service,” guidance counselor Mrs. Lynne Kelly said. “When you look at Jake Stattel, that was what set his application apart.”
Jake Stattel is the winner of 2015 Donley Award. Photo Credit: Jake Stattel
Stattel volunteers with the Lehigh Valley Veterans History Project in which he assists in the planning and execution of monthly meetings. He has also conducted oral history interviews with veterans for recordings to be sent to the Library of Congress as part of the Library of Congress’ Veterans History Project. In addition, he also interned with historian Michael Piersa at the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem. There he worked with museum administration tasks and the restoration and archiving of museum artifacts. As a vice president of the Fountain Hill Elementary School Homework Club, Stattel participated in after school tutoring of underprivileged students in Bethlehem. “I’ve worked exceptionally hard to reach my full potential, and this scholarship will help me in my endeavor to further my education after high school,” Stattel said. Upon graduating from Southern Lehigh, Stattel plans to attend Swarthmore College, a small liberal arts school outside Philadelphia. He hopes to take various humanities courses before eventually deciding what career to pursue. His ultimate goal is to obtain his Ph.D. “I don’t like to plan things out,” Stattel said. “I like to go with the �low.”
Spotlight on LCTI Artist Josh Lounsberry by Alex Baca
Standout senior LCTI graphic arts lab student Josh Lounsberry has achieved numerous art awards in the past few years. He has various skills including, but not limited to, illustration and watercolor painting, PhotoShop, InDesign, photography and typefaces. “I’ve always done art - I kind of drew, kind of did that kind of stuff,” Lounsberry said. In the fall of 2013, Lounsberry won a Skills USA competition for designing t-shirts. The theme of the designing competition was “Go for Gold.” Josh drew three images: a yacht boat, sunglasses, and a sports car. He colored the images orange and yellow for a �lashy effect. In the winter of 2014, Lounsberry received a Scholastic Gold Key award and was honored at an regional art show at Miller Symphony Hall, across from the Allentown Art Museum. His piece was self-portrait that he had drawn for an illustrating class at LCTI. “Josh is a talented artist who has a penchant for traditional graphic design mixed with contemporary style,” LCTI graphics design teacher Mr. Patrick Maley said. “Josh mixes hand drawn images, usually in pencil or pen and ink, and incorporates the images digitally using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign. Photography and digital photo manipulation is another skill that Josh is exploring for use in his designs.” Last summer, the DaVinci Center, an art museum in Allentown near Cedar Crest College, hosted a contest for the billboard of Grossology exhibit. Josh won the contest and his drawing became the billboard for the exhibit. “I felt really happy.” Lounsberry said. “It was nice and exciting.” Most recently in the fall of 2014, Lounsberry won a Skills USA competition at LCTI in Graphic Design and advanced to the regional level at Agraplex in Allentown. Competitors received a fake scenario and had to create a design based off of it. Lounsberry’s was a fake car show. He designed three things: a logo, a newspaper ad and a poster. In addition to his previous awards, Lounsberry also won a Lehigh Art Alliance Award for Excellence in Visual Arts in 2014 and earned Honorable Mention in an Arts Quest Banana Factory in the Young Artists’ Exhibit. Mr. Maley is proud of and his student’s artistic accomplishments. “I am excited for Josh and his recent accolades in Graphic Design and know that he will be successful in his future artistic endeavors.” Photo Credits: Alex Baca and Josh Lounsberry
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SPOTLIGHT
OPINION
No, the Spotlight is not Censored Spotlight Staff Editorial
Our primary goal as journalists is to educate and inform the school community of relevant and important information concerning the audience. So why don’t we write about Kylie Jenner’s 2.7 million dollar house, or the immense amount of skin that a pop star shows on stage? It’s simple: it’s not relevant. The Spotlight is a school newspaper. We, as journalists, write to provide information that one may not be able to obtain from a tabloid or an overly sensationalized magazine article. We chase the truth and hope to present accurate and valuable information. “My primary goal is to make sure the articles are written according to the standards of quality journalism and I advise my student journalists to make responsible decisions when it comes to the content they choose to put into the newspaper,” journalism teacher and newspaper adviser Mrs. Marlo Spritzer said. So, what does the Spotlight publication process actually look like? The process starts out with student reporters picking a topic to write on, interviewing relevant people, gathering accurate information, and then putting it all together. From there, two courses of action appear. Once articles are graded for quality by Mrs. Spritzer, they are passed along to the student editors. From there, the editors select the most relevant and well written articles for publication. Once the student editors check for grammar, spelling and style errors, the newspaper’s layout is checked for any formatting mistakes by the student editor-in-chief. Finally, the newspaper adviser, Mrs. Spritzer, double checks the layout and the articles’ grammar, pronunciation, and attribution. Now, the big question: What next? After the adviser is done looking for errors, she sends it straight to the publisher. However, of students surveyed, 42 percent believe that the Spotlight is censored by the administration. This is simply not true. “I don’t see it before anyone else,” high school principal Mrs. Christine
Siegfried said. Southern Lehigh High School is a public school, and therefore the administrators do not have the power to restrict students’ �irst amendment rights. In addition to the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, states can provide additional free speech protection for their own citizens. The Pennsylvania Code’s section on Student Rights and Responsibilities provides student journalists attending public high schools with added protection against administrative censorship. According to the Pennsylvania Public School Code, “Students shall have the right to express themselves unless the expression materially and substantially interferes with the educational process, threatens serious harm to the school or community, encourages unlawful activity or interferes with another individual’s rights.” Even if Southern Lehigh administration did censor the student newspaper, it would not be a very smart tactic on their part. In theory, one would think that the administrators would choose to censor the paper in order to protect the school from liability in “offensive” articles. However, this is not supported in court decisions. By choosing to review our paper, the school can be held accountable for anything offensive that may be printed. That being said, the best protection a school can provide itself is not to censor at all but to hire competent publication advisers and to distance itself from the content decisions made by student editors. The Spotlight newspaper is and intends to remain an entirely student run newspaper functioning with adviser guidance on quality production. Our articles are consistently fact checked by student reporters to ensure validity. We as a staff do our best to provide the student body with relevant information. If anyone has questions, comments, or suggestions, they are encouraged to write a letter to the editor at slsdspotlight@gmail.com.
Look Beyond Outward Appearances by Danielle Alpert
When you ask people about beauty, many will claim beauty comes from within because that is what everyone learns. In reality, people don’t even realize others judge you based on your looks; many might even make rude comments about you to their friends, especially in high school. The sad truth is that everything’s about popularity, cliques, and appearance. If you don’t have a pretty face, people won’t stick around long enough to witness your killer personality. Beauty is comparable to a present. People judge what’s inside the box based on the wrapping paper, or the quality of the box it is in. Despite this, the outside of the box is not really an accurate depiction of the inside. There could be a golden ring wrapped in brown cardboard paper or a moldy shoe wrapped in pink silk. People think they would like the present wrapped in pink silk better, even though there’s just a moldy shoe inside. The same holds true when looking at more attractive people. In general, people who are good-looking on the outside are assumed to be that way on the inside. The dictionary de�inition of beauty is “a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.” Even the dictionary considers beauty to be skin deep. When someone’s appearance changes, they’ll �ind that some who they
considered to be true friends don’t stick around anymore. In the words of John Green, “Picking your friends based on what they look like is like picking your cereal based on what it looks like, not what it tastes like.” Often people get caught up with believing that the person they are is the person everyone believes them to be, even when that isn’t really who they are. When you lose that inner beauty, you become what you look like on the outside rather than who you really are. Even in our school, people are labeled jocks, losers, populars, outcasts, and more. But what are they truly on the inside? Most people aren’t willing to stick around long enough to �ind out. It’s wrong. No one should have to change their appearance to become “popular.” People need to stop judging others based on their appearance. Often if you put time into your appearance, peers who normally do not talk to you will begin to, mainly because packaging does matter. Peers judge us on how we dress even though we may have the total opposite personality. We live in a world where being beautiful seems better somehow. It shouldn’t be, but it is. It is therefore important for all people to remember who they are on the inside. That is where the real personality of a person comes from. Once we lose that, we become someone else.
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MARCH 2015
OPINION
JeSuisCharlie: Liberté D’expression N’est Pas Mort
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by Jamie Kish
The freedom of expression that we have allows us to discuss ongoing current events in places such as Ferguson, Iraq and Syria, and Israel and Palestine. Americans are at liberty to defend a friend in times of trouble, support any political party, and speak their mind, forming individual opinions without the fear of persecution and punishment. Freedom of speech is extremely important in the lives of many and should be available to all people. The horri�ic terrorist attacks on the Parisian of�ices of the Charlie Hebdo newspaper earlier this year remind all of us that there are people who do not support the many powerful abilities that freedom of expression gives us. I �irmly believe that the material Charlie Hebdo had published in the years preceding the massacre pushed the boundaries in ethics and intolerance. They can be perceived as provocative, Islamophobic, obscene, and offensive. Despite this, people need to realize that everyone should be allowed to express their opinions, no matter how “wrong” or “right” they may be, without the fear of being imprisoned, humiliated, tortured, or even assassinated. As a student journalist, I have come to understand that one of my most important rights is the right to free speech. I don’t have to agree with what Charlie Hebdo published to feel that the attack that killed twelve artists and columnists was immoral. While I am free to write about what I believe, there are other countries in our world that severely restrict and limit journalistic freedom. The expression “Je Suis Charlie” is French for “I am Charlie.” Saying that “I am Charlie” does not mean that I condone the offensive material that is prevalent in Charlie Hebdo, but rather that I support the idealism that people should be allowed to express themselves freely without fear. Over the course of three days, seventeen innocent lives were lost, includ-
ing both the victims of the Charlie Hebdo shooting and the subsequent anti-semitic attack on a Kosher grocery market, also located in Paris. Today, we honor the lives of the 17 victims and spread the message of love, tolerance, and freedom. To sum it up: no matter what religion, race, gender or sexuality, every individual possesses the natural-born right to speak up and make a difference in their community. Learn to love others despite political, racial or cultural boundaries. Be loud, be assertive, and talk about your opinions. Please take advantage of your opportunity to speak up.
Controversial writings by the newspaper Charlie Hebdo led to violence.
Eight-to-Table Rule Turned Lunch Lame by Emily Oberlander
Today has been hectic. You’ve been moving nonstop. First block gave you a headache, and second block stressed you out. Spartan period was a drag, but at least you have something to look forward to. “Yes! Finally, it’s lunch!” you think as you speed-walk down the hall to meet your friends at the cafeteria. You settle in your seat and wait for the rest of your squad to show. Once you’re all there and seated, you can �inally relax, or so you thought. Lunch one on even days has been exclusively targeted to follow the “eight to a table” rule that has all of the students in that lunch period rolling their eyes. These students have been told it is considered a �ire hazard to have more than eight seats at a table. However, the rule has only been enforced in one lunch: �irst lunch on even days. The fact that the rule isn’t being enforced in all lunches isn’t what irritates the students who suffer from the rule; they are frustrated the rule is being enforced in any lunch. The reason why the rule is driving some students up the wall is simple. It forces friends to alienate their peers. Who wants to be the one kid who got kicked out of their table? How do you even decide who should leave the table? Voting? Playing “eenie meenie miney mo”? The decision would tear your friend group apart. By singling out one person and making them �ind a new table, you and your friends are forced to exclude that person and take away the one time students have to themselves.
Lunch tables are restricted to eight people. Photo Credit: Emily Oberlander.
“We work so hard during the school day, and our nights are taken up by activities and homework,” freshman Jill Werbisky said. “Lunch is the only time of the day that we have with our friends to truly chill out.” This rule is taking the one shred of freedom students have away from them. This is the only time of the school day where friends can get together and let off some steam. Most of the time, students don’t even get to see their friends until lunch, so it should be easy to understand why they want to stay together. It’s no wonder that many kids are frustrated that they are now being watched like hawks and told to move. I can see the other side of this argument. A �ire hazard is serious, but this rule isn’t listed anywhere. Check for yourself: the rule isn’t posted on our school’s website, in our handbook, or in any state laws that regulate schools. There are many approaches to solving this problem. The most obvious is to split up a table. If you, like my table, have nine seats per table, you are still one person over the table limit, so you have to split up. Assistant principal Mr. Jason Lilly said that instead of kicking one friend out of the table, I should split up my table more evenly. He suggested that having four friends at one table and �ive at the other would avoid being a �ire hazard while also including all my friends. This was a decent suggestion; however, during the one time of the day I get to be with all my friends, I don’t want to have to choose who I want to be with. I want to enjoy the 40-minute lunch with all of my friends. Even more serious: where would my friends go? If you have been inside the cafeteria, you know that there aren’t any empty tables or empty chairs. Cafeteria seating is �irstcome-�irst-serve. We all know that as soon as people get to lunch, they’re �ighting over chairs and running to claim their tables. Of course, I cannot take out my anger about this rule on the teachers who are enforcing it. They are simply doing their job. It’s not them who I want to confront. It is the rule itself. Mr. Lilly told me that a rule is a rule, and students couldn’t interfere with that. When I asked him if a student-signed petition would make a difference, he told me that it would not change the rule’s signi�icance. To me, SLHS is a great school. However, this routine has become a major problem, and while I understand where Mr. Lilly is coming from, I don’t understand why this rule is even enforced at Southern Lehigh.
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CENTER SPREAD
SPOTLIGHT
Humans of So Photo Credits: Spotlight Staff
My favorite thing to do outside of school is to spend time with my husband and my family. We like to spend time outdoors, hiking, zip lining, riding our jet skis, and traveling to state forest. We also like to play cards and have game nights. I spend one weekend a month playing army with the PA army national guard. Driving our humv’s, �iring our weapons, practicing for natural disasters, and war. - Ms. Justina Viola
“Lifes a blur, but for some reason my path has always been clear” - Gabby Schweitzer
“I’m terri�ied of failure. To achieve anything less than perfect on any sort of project is utter torture. I’m constantly bombarded with stress and the feeling of never being good enough.” - Keelin McLoughlin
“Probably the most important thing that I do outside of school is spending time with my sons and doing activities that we all �ind interesting or fun. We spend time indoors, with computer games, trivia games, and just activities that involve positive motivation and them thinking . I do life coaching for free, and I help anybody and everybody I can try to be happier and reach potential.” Mr. Langsdorf plans on attending every wooden roller coaster on the east coast along with his two sons. So far they have hit 8 different parks with wooden roller coasters. - Mr. Wayne Langsdorf
MARCH 2015
CENTER SPREAD
outhern Lehigh
9
“This may not seem important to others but it is to me. Up to this day my proudest moment is when I gained my varsity letter in soccer. Through out my whole soccer career I’ve waited to come to high school and gain my varsity letter. Soccer is a big part of my life, and since I’ve gained my varsity letter I feel like I’m reaching my goal.” -Izzy Diaz
“Whenever someone says dancing is hard or anything like that I always reply with, ‘It takes an athlete to dance, but an artist to be a dancer.” - Lindsay Beck
“Education is de�initely my passion. Really, education is just the means to an end if done well. I guess my real passion is just making people actually pay attention to injustice, to try to make them think about things deeper than themselves. I think we are a self obsessed society. Education is the best medium to making a change to this. Education can bring us to some kind of action.” - Mrs. Katie Quartuch
“Be a nice person. Always be kind. That’ll get you further then looks or money or intelligence.” - Shania Mathews
10
OUR WORLD
SPOTLIGHT
Change Is Coming In Standardized Testing
Some serious changes are in store for the dreaded SAT starting in the spring of 2016. Eight key elements will be implemented to measure how ready a student is for college by Allison Borelli
In the spring of 2016, the SAT will once again rear its ugly head...but this time, it’ll be different. Eight key changes are implemented with the new SAT, designed to test what matters most for a students’ success and readiness for college. “The fact that they’re bringing in a wider variety of topics, [like] what kids are seeing in their classes, from literature, science, history - you know they’re making it a much more relevant test that students are able to relate to based on what their high school curriculum is like,” guidance counselor Mrs. Tamme Westbrooks said. The new SAT will revolve and condense around eight changes: relevant words in context, command of evidence, essay analyzing a source, focus on math that matters most, problems grounded in real-world contexts, analysis in science and in history/social studies, and the founding documents and great global conversation. “There are still going to be students that struggle,” Mrs. Westbrooks said. “SAT prep is still going to be important.” “Relevant words in context” means that instead of memorizing possible SAT words, the test taker instead has to decipher the word’s meaning within the context it is used. The “Command of Evidence” part comes into play when analyzing different texts; students will need to be able to interpret, analyze, and use the articles, charts, or pictures given to answer questions. According to College Board, “the new essay section is designed to support high school students and teachers as they cultivate close reading, careful analysis, and clear writing.” “Essay and Analyzing a Source” relates to the now optional essay portion of the SAT. A passage will be presented, and students will have to explain how the author builds an argument to persuade an audience. What could be analyzed is the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and the stylistic and persuasive elements of the passage. “Focus on math that matters most” is centered on three areas of math, one of these areas being problem solving and data analysis. This tests students’ understanding of ratios, percentages, and proportional reasoning to solve problems in science, social science, and career contexts. “They’re trying to make the problems more like the math questions you’d see in your math class,” SAT math prep teacher Mrs. Ronette Mays said. Then, there’s the “Heart of Algebra,” which focuses on students being able to do linear equations and systems. The last section is “Passport to Advanced Math,” which focuses on how well a student can manipulate complex equations to get the right answer. “The other big change with math is that part of it will be with a calculator, and some will be without a calculator,” Westbrooks said. The �ifth change focuses on “Problems Grounded in Real-World Contexts.” This change broadens what types of passages will be found, and
includes charts, graphs and passages that could be found in science, social studies, and other majors or careers. The math section will also have multi-step problems or scenarios placed in real life context, which students will have to analyze in order to answer multiple questions correctly. “Analysis in Science and in History/Social Studies” involves students answering questions in science, history, and social studies but using their reading, math, writing, and language skills to answer those questions. According to College Board, “Questions will require [students] to read and comprehend texts, revise texts to be consistent with data presented in graphics, synthesize information presented through texts and graphics, and solve problems based in science and social science.” The seventh change is a simple one. This change is that the founding documents of the U.S., or texts from global conversation, will be put into the SAT. This is to widen the scope of articles within the SAT, and to help students ruminate on these texts. “[The old SAT] had its advantages and disadvantages. There was no correlation between SAT score and how well you’re going to do in college,” Mays said. “You do need a test of some sort to put everybody on the same playing �ield, because schools aren’t all the same.” Another difference between the old SAT and the 2016 spring SAT is that there will be no penalty for an incorrect answer. The new SAT will take slightly more time -- a total of three hours and 50 minutes -- because of the optional essay adding �ive minutes. There will only be four answer choices instead of �ive on multiple-choice questions as well. “The SAT prep course that we run here at the high school in the fall will follow the old SAT,” Mrs. Westbrooks said, “and in the spring it will be preparing students for the new SAT.” Although SLHS is still running an SAT prep course, it is not yet known who will teach these prep courses. “I feel very bad for students that struggle and have struggled with the SAT, and I hope that this format enables more students to be successful at it,” Mrs. Westbrooks said. Practice problems and more information on the new SAT can be found on the College Board website. Most of the information within this article has also been found within the College Board website from the following link: https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/sat/redesign/compare-tests
MARCH 2015
OUR WORLD
11
SparTechs: Southern Lehigh’s Robotics Team by Allison Borelli
Five feet tall. 113 pounds. A top speed of 15 mph. These statistics describe the robot constructed by Southern Lehigh’s own robotics team. Since January, the team worked hard to create a robot to compete in a challenge at the Hatboro-Horsham robotics event on February 27. “Well it’s a two day long competition and a bunch of teams from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware basically compete against each other in a challenge that we got in January,” junior team vice-president Dominic Rubino said. In January, all robotics teams are given the same challenge, and within six weeks the teams must build a robot capable of performing that task. “We make a robot from scratch,” sophomore team member Daniel Qian said. “We have to connect the wheels, make a frame, and create a mechanism to lift stuff. We’re tasked with a different thing to do every year.” The challenge this year was to create a robot that could pick up plastic shipping totes and make stacks out of them.
Southern Lehigh’s team, the SparTechs, competed in the Hatboro-Horsham event where they placed 16th within their seat alliance, and eighth overall. Thirty-seven teams competed at this competition, part of Mid-Atlantic Robotics (MAR), which is a sub-program of FIRST that contains all of New Jersey, Delaware, and counties in Pennsylvania from Harrisburg eastward. “One of our team goals for the past few years is to win a safety award, and I won that at the past competition,” junior safety captain Madison Anthony said. The SparTechs won the Industrial Safety Award, sponsored by Underwriter Laboratories, for not only having a stringent safety program, but for also using creative and innovative ways to eliminate safety hazards. ”The main goal of the robotics team is to get kids working with engineers,” team coach Mr. Robert Gaugler said. “The secondary goal is to do well in the competitions.” The robotics team usually competes in two major competitions and two minor competitions each year. “I think next year we’d like to improve our placement,” Rubino said. “Also, to spread the FIRST message and try to get others involved in robotics.” To join the robotics team, one only has to ask Mr. Gaugler in room 136. There are approximately 30 members so far.
Now Open: Taps Tavern
by Anna Esposito
Should We Hand Over Our Passwords to Schools? by Cody Heffelfinger
The brand new Taps Tavern located along Route 378. Photo Credit: Anna Esposito
On February 12, 2015, Taps Tavern opened in the former location of Starters Pub on Rt. 378, offering a wide variety of American comfort food. Taps Tavern owner Andy Lee is the owner of the successful Braveheart Highland Pub, located on Main Street in Hellertown, and is very excited about the new location of his new restaurant. “Our owner has been looking for years to �ind a new place,” assistant manager Gabriella Lee said. “We opened Braveheart eight years ago and wanted to add something to the valley.” If you are looking for a wide range of food selections to �it all the comfort necessities, Taps has a great selection. The menu ranges from foods such as chili to a classic American burger. The menu’s variety has been a big hit in the community, and satis�ies all types of food lovers. “The Tuscan chicken melt with mac and cheese bites are two of my favorites on the menu,” hostess Ashley Martins said. The food style at this restaurant is completely different compared to Lee’s �irst restaurant. Braveheart’s style of food is more focused on the Irish culture, while Taps brings a new style of American Food. The overall goal of Lee’s restaurant is to provide a comfortable family atmosphere. When you �irst sit down, their goal is to make you feel like you are sitting in a second home. The staff also wants to provide the customers with friendly service and a memorable experience. “Our goal for this restaurant is to make sure we provide our customers with a fun and friendly atmosphere,” Lee said. “We also try to make sure that we hire the friendliest people to be a part of our staff.” If you’re hungry after a great workout at the new gym MAXX Fitness, located in the same vicinity of Taps Tavern, come get a bite of the Lehigh Valley’s newest comfort food restaurant. The staff is waiting for the Spartans to come try their great selection.
Effective January 1, 2015, the state of Illinois passed a law that states if any student is accused of cyberbullying, they may be required to give their passwords to the school administrators. Personally, I think this law is absurd. Students should not have to give up their passwords because it is an invasion of privacy. If they are accused of cyberbullying, then it is already on the internet, and you can see the comments, or tweets, or photos. Also if they delete it, then it won’t matter whether or not you have their password because the material is already gone. “I don’t condone cyberbullying,” freshman Brandon Cassavaugh said. “But it is a total invasion of privacy for them to require a password.” Cyberbullying is wrong, and we need more ways to stop it, but making kids give their passwords to the school is not going to solve anything. Additionally, it takes about a minute to change a password so it would be easy for students to change their passwords as soon as they give them to the school. There is no bene�it to a school having their password; it just shows the kids personal messages and their followers. Messages can be screenshotted from the victim instead of the bully. “You shouldn’t have to give up your password because there are other ways to stop cyberbullying,” sophomore Caleb Martin said. As of right now, Illinois is the �irst state to have a law like this, but more may follow.
12
ENTERTAINMENT
SPOTLIGHT
Bye Bye Little Sebastian: Parks and Recreation’s Final Farewell by Nicole Schroy
On February 24, 2015, in the �ictional small town of Pawnee, Indiana, the characters of Parks and Recreation said their �inal farewell. The show provides viewers with well-developed characters that give comedic moments through a small department in the government. With April’s sarcasm and Andy’s immaturity, Donna’s sass and Tom’s con�idence, Ann’s sincerity and Chris’ upbeat attitude, Ben and Leslie’s dorky nature, Ron’s lack of care, and of course, Jerry/Garry/Larry/Terry’s clumsiness, the show reaches hilarity throughout each episode. “The season �inale was bittersweet because they did such a good job with it, but I was also very sad because it was the end of seven seasons of an incredible show,” sophomore Alex Curtis said. “I honestly felt like I was a part of the show each and every time I watched it.” The show primarily focused on Leslie Knope, played by actress Amy Poehler, who is a deputy director in the small town of Pawnee. She attempts to �ix Pawnee’s many problems. Knope is a hardworking woman who �ights for her belief in improving the community by living her life and serving the citizens of the small town. The show is emphasized on Knope’s ambitions in her life and creates a sort of dry humor between her and the supporting characters. Her extreme enthusiasm creates comedy throughout each episode as her coworkers in the Parks Department tend to focus on other things, such as doing as little work as possible. Ron Swanson, played by actor Nick Offerman, is the director of the Parks Department in Pawnee and supervises what the department accomplishes. Knope and Swanson are complete opposites. With Knope’s motivation to achieve a better government and community, and Ron’s desire to accomplish absolutely nothing in government, these two characters clash in all of the best ways. Though he favors his employees who do very little work at all, he respects Knope and her hardworking nature. “My favorite character is probably Chris because he is the boss of all bosses,” senior David Kroll said.
If you need just a bit more from the �inale, you can watch the cast of Parks and Recreation sing the tribute to Pawnee’s most beloved miniature pony, 5,000 Candles In the Wind (Bye Bye Little Sebastian), on Seth Meyers’ late-night talk show. “[The season �inale] was like having really great waf�les with a ton of whipped cream from JJ’s Diner,” sophomore Jack Wetzel said.
Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show by Dana DiGiovanni
“From Studio 6B at Rockefeller Center in the heart of New York City, it’s the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon!” One year after its premiere, this famous opening line spoken by announcer Steve Higgins is something I can look forward to every weekday. While it may seem quite fangirl-ish and lame, The Tonight Show provides me with a daily dose of laughter, entertainment, and an escape from the real world. The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon is not your parents’ Tonight Show. Fallon has reinvented late night television by shifting the standard to less talk with more variety. The variety
aspect has included features such as Lip-Sync Battles, Water Wars, Evolution of Dancing, and Freestyling with their house band, The Roots. Jimmy Fallon’s versatility and freshness has signi�icantly raised the ratings and viewership since the retirement of his predecessor, Jay Leno. The program’s �irst week averaged 8.49 million viewers, making it the franchise’s most watched week in over 20 years. Fallon has consistently beat out his time slot competitors by gaining a surge of young viewers, like me, and seasoned viewers, like my parents. The majority of people reading this don’t fully understand what a talented human Jimmy Fallon is. Along with being a host, Fallon is also an actor, comedian, singer, writer, and producer. From starting his career as a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1998-2004, later replacing Conan O’Brien on Late Night, to now hosting The Tonight Show, Fallon has diligently worked his way up the entertainment ladder. Other than SNL and hosting, Fallon has also starred in the movie “Fever Pitch,” released two comedy albums, and coauthored a book with his sister. Since the show’s premiere in late February of 2014, The Tonight Show recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. As you may have known, Fallon’s old show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, released its own Ben & Jerry’s ice cream �lavor called Late Night Snack. So the cre-
ators of Ben & Jerry’s thought Fallon’s one-year anniversary would be an ideal time to produce and release a new �lavor: The Tonight Dough. The �lavor features caramel and chocolate ice cream, chocolate cookie swirls, chocolate chip cookie dough, and peanut butter cookie dough. All proceeds are dedicated to SeriousFun Children’s Network of global camps for children with serious illnesses. Learn more at seriousfunnetwork.org. In addition to being the coolest dude on the air and making sure his “FalPals” are happy, Jimmy Fallon also has a family at home. Fallon is married and has two daughters as of last year. He also owns a golden retriever named Gary. Due to the limited number of shows per season and extremely high demand, tickets to The Tonight Show are nearly impossible to acquire. All tickets are complementary and can be reserved by entering the online queue. Release dates are only announced through Twitter @ FallonTonight.
Keep up with release dates and other announcements! (@FallonTonight)
MARCH 2015
ENTERTAINMENT
Big Sean “Dark Sky Paradise”
13
by Preston Amato
Last month Detroit rapper Big Sean released his third album to date, entitled “Dark Sky Paradise.” Big Sean uses the dif�icult times he endured in the past to create a masterpiece of music, after his last album was criticized as too mainstream. Even Big Sean himself called it “a �lop.” In the past two albums, Sean was known for popular songs such as “My Life” and “Marvin and Chardonnay.” Like J.Cole, these mainstreamed songs put the artist on the map, but did not truly speak out on their persona. The �irst song of the album, “Dark Sky,” sets the tone and provides listeners the classic Big Sean that they can remember as a student at Duke University. “Dark Sky” tells the story of how Big Sean has been through some dark times, but his hard work has prevailed and provided him with priceless experiences. Following “Dark Sky” is the upbeat tempo of “Blessed” which overcomes the dark beat on the intro. The title of the song is self-explanatory. Big Sean along with Drake rhythmically and poetically rap on how they are grateful for the opportunities that have come their way. One of the best and most popular songs on the album is the song “IDFWU” where Big Sean raps with relentless lyrics about not caring what people think. The upbeat tempo creates a song that will make you care free about everything that’s bothering you. The most meaningful song on the album is “One Man Can Change the World” which begins with a somber beat that gives way to uplifting vocals by the trio of Kanye West, John Legend, and Big Sean. The song has been dedicated to Big Sean’s grandmother who recently passed away. Overall, the album is set to put Big Sean on the map especially after a mediocre sophomore album. With Big Sean going back to his roots and
producing music that is meaningful to him, the listener can really appreciate the style and work of the artist. Both his old fans and newcomers can expect him to continue to produce good music for his followers. Follow Big Sean on Twitter (@BigSean) or visit his website (UKnowBigSean.com) to stay updated on his latest music.
Photo Credit: iTunes
Modest Mouse “Strangers To Ourselves” by Nicole Schroy
Modest Mouse, an indie/alternative rock band started in 1993, released their new album “Strangers to Ourselves” on March 17. This is their �irst studio album in eight years. Recently, the band also appeared on the Tonight Show where they performed on television for the �irst time in six years. Despite the large time gap between album releases, lead singer Isaac K. Brock is hoping to put yet another album on the shelf soon, in order to make up for lost time. The sound of Modest Mouse tends to bring an eerie sort of relaxation to the listener. With unique sounds and catchy beats, their music has stayed true to its character over the years. However, Modest Mouse isn’t afraid to
Like Modest Mouse? Check out...
Arcade Fire
take risks. With horns, cowbells, and ukuleles, there is certainly no fear of experimentation. With his creative word play and metaphors, Brock’s lyrics appeal to many listeners. In this album, Brock takes the chance to tell stories through song. “Modest Mouse’s music style is very unique,” junior Grayson Hayward said, “they portray strong messages through their lyrics.” Brock even made a track-by-track commentary for every song on the album. If you’re a fan of Arcade Fire, Spoon, or Neutral Milk Hotel, you should de�initely check out “Strangers to Ourselves.”
Like Big Sean?
Check out...
The Weeknd
Spoon
J. Cole
March 20
April 3
April 10
Insurgent
Furious 7
The Longest Ride
April 17
Coming Soon... Photo credit: imdb.com
Monkey Kingdom
Photo credit: iTunes
14
SPORTS
SPOTLIGHT
Next Up, the 2015 New Head Coach Spartan Baseball Team Means A Fresh Start For SL Boys Lacrosse by Brandyn Berrean
The 2015 Southern Lehigh baseball team has some new and some familiar faces. With seven seniors graduating last year, the players have put behind last year’s loss to Tamaqua High School in the District XI Playoffs and moved onto this year with high expectations. “I expect to have a successful year with a lot of team chemistry,” senior Nick Hook said. “I also hope we have fun with the game and win the Colonial League.” Team chemistry is important with any sports team. If you have it, it leads to success. If you don’t, it will usually lead to failure. The seniors have a job this season: to �ill the spots of the players they lost to graduation last year. “With every season, there are shoes to �ill but with the talent we have, we are totally capable of �illing those shoes no problem,” senior Jared Yext said. Yext also said that he believes that this team will see the playoffs once again this year, but says that it comes back to team chemistry again. Everybody must be committed to getting better everyday to achieve the goal of making the playoffs. “It’s a new year, let’s go out and have fun. If we work hard, success will follow,” assistant coach Mr. Matthew Greenawald said. “It’s tough in sports; the bottom line is, winning is fun, and if you’re having fun, it will translate to winning. Most people who are successful hate losing a whole lot more than they enjoy winning.” Mr. Greenawald also said that every team is different. Each year a couple of guys graduate, and a couple of new players come in. It creates a new dynamic as a team. “We need to work hard at every practice and give it our all everyday ‘cause once the season starts, it will pay off,” Hook said. The baseball team has high hopes for this season. From the leadership to seniors and coaches, to the team chemistry and talent around the board from the team, expect the team to go far. The players encourage the student body to come out and support the Spartans. It only takes one, two, three swings closer to see their goal become a reality.
Softball Team Hopes For a Standout Spring Season by Robyn Somers
The �irst week of March brought the start of spring sports, including girls softball. Under the coaching of Brian Neefe, the girls are predicted to go far this season. “I really want us to work hard to make it to Colonial League and District [XI] playoffs since it is my last year playing,” senior Hanna Dorsey said. “I also hope we play to the best of our ability, and work hard at practice. I know our team can achieve great things.” The goals for this season are to make it memorable through dedication and hard work. The girls want to have the same intensity every game, and for each girl to have each others backs, on and off the �ield. “With those goals, the wins will follow. But we can’t be successful without putting our best effort into everything we do. It de�initely won’t happen without the team working together as a unit instead of individuals,” senior Danielle Mullin said. “I believe we will go far this season, because we already have great team chemistry.” The girls plan to work together, as well as push each other, becoming the best they can be. “I hope to improve overall, and to get to know each other since we will have new players,” junior Taylor Clemmer said. “Some goals I have for the team [are] to have a winning record like we usually have, and to make it to leagues and districts. I want to add another softball banner in the gym.” With the combination of teamwork and coaching, the softball team believes that they can go a long way this year. With their goals in mind, the softball team is predicted to be swinging their way to the top.
by Brandyn Berrean
The 2014-15 boys’ lacrosse team has entered a new coaching era. Desi Gonzalez, formerly the head coach at Emmaus High School, was named the new head coach of the Southern Lehigh boys’ lacrosse team. Gonzalez says it’s an honor to coach here and he is excited about the upcoming season. “Going into the season, I didn’t really know what to expect, coming from Emmaus, where we won back-to-back district titles, to Southern Lehigh, which is a lot smaller of a school than Emmaus,” Gonzalez said. “After getting to know the guys and talent that is here, we can go farther than the program has in the past.” Junior Blake Levengood cradles the ball in his head Gonzalez is familiar as he runs down the field. Photo Credit: Christmas City Studios with Southern Lehigh. He was an assistant coach here back in 2006. While at Emmaus, the Spartans would always face the Hornets early on in the season. “At Emmaus we played [Southern Lehigh] early and we always seemed to have an advantage on them,” Gonzalez said. “But it caught me by surprise by the talent that is here.” Gonzalez is very con�ident in saying that this Spartans team will make the playoffs. “Everybody is buying into being one team instead of being individuals, which was the feel I got when I �irst arrived,” Gonzalez said. As a �irst year coach, Gonzalez stresses to the team that they must trust the system. He said a lot of things that the team was used to doing are now changed. If they buy in, this team will go far, which the players want. “Hopefully he brings a new attitude to the team,” senior Teagan Buhosky said. Last season, there were a total of 12 seniors. This season, there are only four seniors including Buhosky, George Allan, Noah Sargent, and Ralphie Shields. “We have a lot of juniors that are leaders already, so we won’t have a lack of leadership,” Shields said. “We have gotten along in the past, so I don’t see the leadership being a problem.” The players feel that the large number of seniors lost to graduation left a lot of shoes to �ill. “There were a big majority of seniors that were a big component of our team last season but I’m sure the younger kids will step up and �ill the positions where needed,” junior Wyatt Noone said. Like any sports team, a goal is to win the district championship. Southern Lehigh is a part of an independent league due to the limited number of schools in the Lehigh Valley that have boys’ lacrosse teams. They know it will be tougher to win a district championship, playing schools that they might have never even heard of before, but they are con�ident that they can achieve their goal. “We are de�initely going to districts,” junior Ben Johnston said. “There are many good teams in this district but, we will be able to hold our own.” Johnston is the younger brother of Collin Johnston, one of last year’s seniors who graduated in June. This year’s team motto is “Macte Virtute.” It means an increase in excellence. Gonzalez said the program was already good when he got here; however, he wants to build on what they already have. The Spartan’s �irst game of 2015 will have them facing off against Coach Gonzalez’s old team, Emmaus.
MARCH 2015
SPORTS
Ten Athletes Commit at Winter Media Day
Athletes Of The Issue
15
by Townsend Colley
The senior year for America’s elite high school athletes can be a stressful and exciting time for the athletes and their families. Letters pour in from colleges big and small, highlight tapes are viewed, pros and cons are weighed. Colleges you have never heard of are trying to acquire your talents. This is the world of college athletics recruiting. So far this year, ten Southern Lehigh student athletes have braved the recruiting storm and decided where to take their talents. Travis Edmond will be bringing his sharp football mind, quick feet, and powerful arm to to division one FCS school Wagner College on Staten Island in New York. “He has a passion for football that I’ve never seen before,” head football coach John Toman said. According to Coach Toman, Edmond leaves as one of the best quarterbacks in Colonial League history. Last season, Wagner football only averaged 134.9 passing yards per game, whereas their opponents averaged 198.2. If Edmond can earn the starting job, he is posed to make an immediate impact on Wagner’s offensive game. Edmond plans to major in bio psychology. Southern Lehigh will send another football player into the world of college athletics in the form of guard/linebacker Kolbi Harding. Harding will attend Becker College, a division three school out of Massachusetts. Becker College went 1-9 last season. This gives Harding an opportunity to shine in an offense, as a guard, or even a fullback. If the coaching staff opts to use him as a linebacker, they will get a smart, powerful, hard hitting player. Harding plans to study graphic design. Southern Lehigh will send its own Preston Amato less than two miles away to play shortstop for the Desales University Bulldogs. Amato is to baseball what a grinder is to hockey. He will do whatever it takes to win. “If it took him playing left �ield to get on the �ield, he would do it,” assistant baseball coach Mr. Matt Greenwald said. His coach described him as a player who will get dirty and play scrappy. Amato has an opportunity to step into a starting role early in his career, as the Bulldogs’ starting shortstop got injured early last season and didn’t play again. One of Amato’s favorite high school baseball memories is volunteering with Miracle League, and due to the locality of his selected college, he will still be able to volunteer. Amato plans to study sports management at DeSales. Southern Lehigh soccer is sending one female player on to the next level. Alyson Moyer will be taking her talents to division three Marywood University. Moyer has made 264 saves in her career for Southern Lehigh. She could have had more if she hadn’t been plagued by injury. “We knew every game might be her last time stepping on the �ield,” Coach Doug Roncolato said about the injury. Marywood is a high scoring team who scored an average seven goals per game last season. Moyer will join a solid goaltending unit made of Emily Osborne and Victoria Pezdirtz. She will, however, have a chance to start considering the numbers she put up in high school. Spartan boys’ soccer will be sending Logan Koch to division two Shippensburg University. Koch is a leader on and off the �ield. He is the vice president of Key Club and a captain of the soccer team. “It’s like having a coach on the �ield,” Coach Terry Neville said of the mid�ielder who he considers to be one of the best in the Colonial League. Koch should be a big addition to a Raiders’ roster, who went 6-9-2 last season and scored on loss than 10 percent of their shots on target. Koch will go to Shippensburg with the hope of studying psychology. Marywood University will acquire softball player Hannah Docalovich. According to Coach Brian Neff, Docalovich started out with the team as what he called “a zero.” Little did he know that she would become a fouryear starter at second base for the Spartans. Docalovich will be joining a team with high aspirations after Marywood went 24-13 last season. She will get playing time early in her career, considering the team’s current starting and backup second baseman are both juniors and will have graduated by the end of Docalovich’s freshman season. She plans to study photography and hopes to eventually work as a photographer for National Geographic. One of the biggest names coming out of Southern Lehigh this year is Jenna Forrester. Forrester will be taking her talents in the pool to the US Military Academy, a division one swimming team. The US Military Academy at West Point is one of the most prestigious schools in the country. In order to get in, you need a congressional appointment, and even after that
Name: Michael Nelson
Name: Bridget Cerciello
Sport: Boys Lacrosse
Sport: Girls Lacrosse
Best Events: -Junior -Commited to the University of Vermont class of 2020 for Lacrosse -Intended major: civil engineering -Plays club for NXT Lacrosse -Michael hopes that the team shows how well they play in the Lehigh Valley and shock all the haters out there.
Best Events: -Junior -Commited to St. Joseph’s University class of 2020 for Lacross -Intended major: undecided -Captain for this years season -Plays Club for Ultimate lacrosse -Bridget hopes to win districts, beat parkland, and come together as a team.
only nine percent of applicants are accepted. Forrester is a three-time district champion in the 50 freestyle, all state in �ive events, and holds �ive school records. Army has become a very good team recently. Forty percent of the all-time record holders for Army were on the 2014 team. Forrester plans to be very committed to the Army; after her mandatory service, she plans to continue serving because she believes that she owes the Army for giving her a free college education. Another standout swimmer will stay a little closer to home. Raechel Rodriguez will be swimming for the Kutztown Golden Bears. Rodriguez is a leader both on the swim team and on dry land. She volunteers at her church and is admired by her coach for embracing the freshman swimmers. Rodriguez has competed at states for Southern Lehigh and holds the school record for the 100 breast-stroke. She has the potential to make a big impact on a severely underperforming Golden Bears team who �inished 11th out of 13 teams in conference play this past season, and 12th the last two seasons. Jason Renner will be traveling south to Virginia to play tennis for the division three Washington and Lee University Generals. Renner is one of Southern Lehigh’s top tennis players. He is 11-5 all time in doubles for the Spartans. Washington and Lee will also be gaining a very bright student with a 4.05 GPA. The Generals have an elite division three tennis team who �inished 7-0 in conference play last season. However, if Renner plays anything like he did in high school, he should match up as one of the school’s top doubles players, considering this past season’s top team is also 11-5 all time. Renner plans to study political science and �inance. Jillian Grammer plans to head closer to the city to play volleyball for West Chester University. Grammer comes from a family of successful Southern Lehigh volleyball players as she is the third and last of the Grammers. She has been a very important piece to the puzzle throughout her four years as a Spartan, holding the school record in all time assists and helping to win the 2013 District XI title game. She has also been named to the Under Armour All-American Watchlist during her career. Grammer’s assists will become an important part of a successful West Chester team who had 1299 assists last season to their opponents’ 1315; that may not seem by much, but in a close game every detail counts. Southern Lehigh will be letting go of some top class athletes this year. These ten players will leave Southern Lehigh as dominant players in dominant programs.
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ODDS AND ENDS
SPOTLIGHT MARCH 2015
What Would You Do With a Pot of GOLD?
Contributions by Anna Esposito
Sophomores Megan James and Laura Billings: “We would give money to charity and pay off our families’ debt.”
Nico Bonnie: “I would invest it in a nightclub.”
Junior Taylor Clemmer: “I would buy a really nice car and throw a big bad party.” Dylan Niedbalski: “I would make my own clothing brand.”
Avery Bennett: “I would fly to Hawaii.”
Sophomore Mikey Moyer: “I would turn my life into #gtastylelife”
Senior Angie Rizzo: “I would travel the world starting with Australia.”
Freshman BJ Harding: “I would buy Nike.”
Reichley Sisters: “We would donate money to a cancer foundation and go to Italy.”