Spotlight - May 2022 "Senior Issue"

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May 2022

THE SPOTLIGHT

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Southern Lehigh High School 5800 Main Street Center Valley, PA 18034

FASHION SHOW

GUARRIELLO DEPARTURE

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Volume 65 Issue 4

BASEBALL

SLHS brings back traditional Prom for 2022

by Elizabeth Vezenov

Southern Lehigh’s junior class hosted their prom is at Bear Creek Mountain Resort.. Photo credit: Alex Kane

Prom is an event that many high school students tend to look forward to as they get older. For the first time in three years, Southern Lehigh juniors and seniors were eager to experience a traditional prom where they dressed in their formal attire while enjoying an evening filled with music, food, and dancing.

With such high expectations from the student body, the dedicated junior class officers Karansher Sidhu (President), Nathaniel Lycette (Vice President), Brandon Verna (Treasurer), and Eli Dunham (Secretary) worked hard to plan and organize the best prom experience for everyone to enjoy on May 21st.

“The fact that we get to have a normal prom is one of the greatest accomplishments,” said Sidhu, “considering it’s been three years since a normal prom.”

Since Southern Lehigh hasn’t had a tradi-

tional prom since 2019 due to the pandemic, the turnout this year reached an all-time high.

The previous year’s restrictions were lifted, attracting a large number of students in 2022.

“The turnout is more than it’s ever been, which is really exciting,” said Lycette.

Hosting such a big crowd required a place with a large enough capacity. The space, cost, and overall aesthetic were the key factors that led the junior class officers to select Bear Creek as the site of the 2022 Prom. Music was provided by a DJ, and traditional comfort food such as mac and cheese and chicken were served at the beginning of the prom.

“All the officers just love the space,” said Lycette. “It’s really nice and rustic.”

The junior class officers spent the last year organizing this event, gradually increasing the intensity of their planning and activity. Putting

Traditionally, Southern Lehigh’s prom king and queen are selected from the junior class.

But with the return of a traditional prom for the first time since 2019, students nominated a prom court from both the junior and senior classes, and voted for a prom king and queen from each.

Left: Senior prom queen Andrea Keiper and senior prom king Ben Sarnitsky Right: Junior prom king Byron Adoyo and junior prom queen Honesty Jean.

Photo credits: Alex Kane

together a successful prom is the largest task of a class officer, requiring hard work and logistical skills to plan and execute the event they and other students want. However, when planning such a large event, encountering problems is inevitable, and it’s almost impossible for the planning process to run flawlessly.

“Although it would’ve been nice to know the obstacles involved in planning beforehand, it’s all part of the learning process of being effective as a group,” said Sidhu.

Even with a few issues along the way, the officers successfully managed to organize prom this year. They were excited and optimistic about the event, especially since this prom boasted the highest turnout in recent Southern Lehigh history.

“We hope people come ready to dance and have fun,” said Lycette.

Page 2

News

The Spotlight

SLHS MiniThon raises over $37,000 FTK

by Christiana Lycette

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 and News Editor Alex Kane Features and Opinion Editor and Assistant to EIC Evelyn Blower Our World and Entertainment Editor Kishore Annambhotla Sports, Web, and Social Media Editor Arden Glad Staff Reporters Alexis Behrens Gianna Cusumano Morgan Downing Isabelle Johnson Christiana Lycette Sophia Lycette Elizabeth Monroe Mack Morgan Alaina Patel Zain Shamasseen Elizabeth Vezenov Emma Vorhis Kelcie Wagner Abigail Wilson Pennsylvania School Press Association 2020 Silver Rating 2019 Silver Rating 2018 Gold Rating 2017 Gold Rating 2016 Gold Rating 2015 Gold Rating 2014 Gold Rating 2013 Silver Rating National School Press Association 2019 First Class Rating 2018 All-American Rating Four Marks of Distinction 2017 First Class Rating 2016 First Class Rating 2015 First Class Rating

Mrs. Tocci poured her heart, sweat, and even a few tears into this event, making sure everything ran smoothly.

The committee heads of MiniTHON worked tirelessly alongside their advisor to put this event together and to raise money for the Four Diamonds Foundation.

To do this, each committee competed against another to see who could raise the most money in the allotted time frame. The Out-Reach Committee came out on top, raising over $1000.

“I am so proud of the efforts my committee gave in the excitMiniTHON raised $37,071.38 in the 2021-22 ing fundraiser competition as they school year. Photo Credit: Alex Kane used [their] enthusiasm to raise a little more than $1000,” Out-Reach At this year’s MiniTHON, over Committee Head Avery Tatasciore 200 students came together to said. “It proves they are here for the support Four Diamonds persisting through a 12-hour dance-a-thon, and right reasons and are eager to spread awareness of this fantastic cause.” raising a total of $37, 071.38 “For At every hour, all the particithe Kids” (FTK). This surpassed last pants reported to the cafeteria for year’s amount raised by $16,000. The the “THON” dance, which spread event consisted of an abundance of activities, live music, food, and spirit! joy amongst the participants as they recognized the purpose that brought “You do a lot of planning in them together. advance as it is an all student driven “Everyone is so happy to be and run event,’’ MiniTHON advisor here,” said junior Laura Roney, “and Mrs. Lauren Tocci said. “The Minidoing the dance every hour brings THON team has put a lot of heart into putting together an event to keep light to the cause as we dance to recognize the reason we are all here, people motivated for 12 hours.”

MiniTHON is a student run club which is FTK.” Participants collectively loved at Southern Lehigh. This club’s misall the activities provided to make sion is to raise money for kids with this event 12 hours of fun. A bounchildhood cancer while also spreading awareness about this cause to the cy house, spike-ball, basketball, dancing, painting stations, and so Lehigh Valley community.

much more entertained everyone throughout the day.

“All the games are entertaining and make time fly,” said sophomore Jack Inglis. “I think the activities bring everyone together, especially the THON dance as most people have never done something like that before.”

Reflecting upon the event, the organizers of the event believed it was successful to say the least. They reported positive feedback, and they witnessed everyone having fun.

The crowd came with great energy FTK in honor of this fundraiser.

“I am so glad our school could put this event together,” said sophomore Brianna DeNave.

“We all had so much fun while still doing something truly great for the community and all the kids who struggle with cancer.”

MiniTHON is already setting bigger and brighter goals for the coming year. They are eager to hit the ground running with a future goal of at least $40,000. The club hopes to keep the spirited momentum going as people’s energy from this year’s event was extremely high.

“The Four Diamonds Foundation is such a wonderful cause as it does so much good in the world,” said Mrs. Tocci, “so whenever we can come together to do some good it just feels like a win. In saying this, my goal for next year is just more of the same.”

Fashion Club hosts fashion show at SLHS

by Arden Glad

very first “Fashion Show,” held in the high school cafeteria on Friday evening, May 6.. Members of the club and other students dressed up in outfits ranging from “Met Gala looks” to “What NOT to wear on a date” and strutted down the runway to show off their fashion to the audience who attended.

The club raised over $400 from sales of tickets, snacks, and drinks.

Junior Connor Licairac also promoted his new fashFashion show participants and club officers show they aren’t camera shy. Photo Credit: Arden Glad ion line “Parcha Lirac” during the show and showed off a few pieces that he created as models walked down the From spirit days to Spartan Periods, the Southern runway sporting them.

Lehigh Fashion Club has already made their mark on “After seeing old runway collections from Blumarine Southern Lehigh High School. They partner with differ- and Celine, I was inspired to create my own, and the ent clubs around the school as well as charities in the fashion show was the perfect place to debut it,” Licairac Lehigh Valley to create clothing exchanges and clothing said. drives to help the community.

Fashion Club advisor Mrs. Jennifer Wlodek is so During the winter, the Fashion Club decided to start proud of everything the students have accomplished and a winter clothing drive and partnered with the Purple is excited to see what else they bring to the table next Heart Organization to give warm winter clothes to those year. in need.

“These kids put so much time and effort into this club “We all just wanted to give back” senior Eliza Hieter and I couldn’t be prouder of them” Mrs. Wlodek said. said. “It was heartwarming to see everyone come to“It’s really amazing to see their process of planning an gether and share the warmth this winter.” event and eventually executing it.”

Eliza Hieter, the president, decided to start the fashAs the year comes to an end, the leaders need ion club after a discussion at lunch between her and the someone to fill their shoes. Seniors Kaila Sexton and three other officers.

Laura Roney are the new president and vice president, “We all love fashion, and we thought it would be a fun respectively. Sophomore Maddie Psaila took Heffelfinclub addition for the school” she said. ger’s position as treasurer, and freshman Finola Hieter “We all collectively thought there needed to be a cretook Matsumaura’s position as social media officer. ative outlet for student’s to express themselves.”

Even though this was Fashion Club’s first year at SouthHieter had help from fellow seniors Kayla Lebby, ern Lehigh, they have the potential to make this someCharlotte Heffelfinger, and Addison Matsumaura. Lebby thing big, and the new leaders are ready for the chalis the Vice President, Heffelfinger is the treasurer, and lenge.

Matsumaura is responsible for running the club’s social “I am super excited for what next year has to bring,” media accounts.

Finola Heiter said. “We are going to have to work hard, These four students, along with the rest of the fashbut we have such an amazing group of people that we ion club committee, decided to create Southern Lehigh’s can do anything we put our minds to.”

May 2022

News

Page 3

Class of 2022 anticipates graduation at Stabler Arena

by Elizabeth Monroe and Alex Kane

The Class of ‘21 graduated at Coca-Cola Park, the Class of ‘22 will return to a Stabler Center Graduation. Photo Credit: Mrs. Linda Clinton

As graduation quickly approaches on June 3rd, Southern Lehigh seniors express their mixed emotions about their departure from the high school, and Southern Lehigh as a whole. It seems as though during the start of their senior year, most were eager to be out, with just a few months ahead of them. But now that the day of departure is approaching, are our seniors still ready to leave?

“I’m excited to graduate because I’m looking forward to moving on in life and seeing the future and what it holds,” senior Katrina McAuliffe said. “I’m going to Chicago, so I’m excited to explore the city and make new

friends.”

For college-bound seniors, selecting a college and major is one of the most important and stressful decisions to make, along with finding scholarships, grants, loans, and other funding. There are various factors that go into choosing a college: location, tuition price, campus size, prestige, athletic district, and more. “[For me it was] The cost, if they had my major or not, location, that ties into where you are, how far you are [from home], and weather, what’s around to do,” senior Jaden Boothe said.

Not only is graduation approaching, but so are finals. For seniors, this adds another level of stress on top of their graduation plans and college selections or future life plans. Studying for finals while also preparing for graduation – along with some students’ sports, work, club, and activity schedules – may cause a lot of stress.

Looking to the ceremony, seniors have the option of wearing either blue or white graduation gowns. This policy was put in place in 2018; previously, girls were required to wear white gowns and boys were required to wear blue. This new flexibility in gown requirements allows more inclusivity and freedom for seniors.

“I think that giving students choice and voice whenever possible is a good idea,” high school principal Mrs. Beth Guarriello said.

“High school students are capable of making decisions that best fit their needs and interests.

For such a special, once in a lifetime experience, I want the students to be comfortable and confident as they walk across that stage to receive their hard-earned diploma.”

In a way, graduation is a prequel to the beginning of many young people’s lives. With the 2022 Southern Lehigh commencement ceremony being held at Lehigh University’s Stabler Arena, our seniors will be saying goodbye to their old life in high school, and soon be welcoming their new life ahead of them, though not without one final piece of advice for those they leave behind.

To the current juniors, senior Grant Neff said, “Make the most of it and enjoy the little things because senior year goes so fast.”

Battle of the Bands 2022 rocks the crowd and raises funds

by Evelyn Blower

The Bassments performing at Battle of the Bands, organized by Mr. Castagna and Mr. Haupt. Photo Credit: Evelyn Blower

On a windy April Thursday, the north side of Southern Lehigh High School was abuzz with energy. Students, staff, and family all gathered to celebrate their favorite high school artists who were competing in the Battle of the Bands, organized by high school teachers Mr. Joseph Castagna and Mr. Ryan Haupt, cohosts of The Spartan Life podcast.

“I wanted to empower student bands to step out of their comfort zone and perform live rather than from their safety of pre-recorded videos,” said Mr. Castagna, who held last year’s Battle of the Bands online. He and Mr. Haupt hope to make it an annual event.

Ten student music groups or solo acts played at the event, which ran from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm on April 28th. Bands that were already established or newly created participated in the event.

“This year we got a big crowd, which was

definitely new and exciting,” said senior Alexandra Huaman, a member of the band The Bassments. “Last year was all virtual, and the energy of performing [live] was so epic.”

Junior Xander Romendio’s Death Cab for Cutie-inspired setlist started off the after-school event, followed by groovy covers from The 484. Sophomore Leah Lazurek gave an emotional acoustic performance, followed

by Hot Fuzz’s soft rock covers. Senior Michael Lendvay, part of Hot Fuzz, gave his own performance with an alternative kick.

The all female band who won last year’s BOTB, The Bassments, were a highly anticipated hit with the crowd. They were followed by the Mystic Chain’s mystical set, then Pitchblende’s Linkin Park inspired setlist. Junior Boris Litvak played two French piano pieces and an Italian piece, and the Lads of Kayös, a hard rock metal band, closed out the night.

“I had a good time and liked putting out my own music,” said Romendio. “I really enjoyed watching others play and liked having the experience with people who showed up and added to the communal experience of the event.”

VIP tickets were available, with prizes varying from gift cards to special school privileges. Lucky winners could use vice principal Mr. Chad Kinslow’s private bathroom for a day, or park in principal Mrs. Beth Guariello’s parking spot for the entire month of May. One coveted prize was the ability to Doordash a school lunch for the winner and three of their friends.

Money earned from the event went directly to Southern Lehigh’s MiniThon – a high school version of Thon, Penn State University’s 24hour dance-a-thon – to raise money for pediatric cancer patients and their families.

No battle is complete without competition.

Everyone in attendance voted for their favorite act of the night, comprising 50% of the overall vote. Teachers including MiniThon advisor Mrs. Lauren Tocci, her fellow English teachers Mrs. Amy Bausher and Mr. Jeff Hershey, along with Spanish teacher Ms. Megan Markwich judged the event as well, accounting for the other 50% of the vote.

The winner of the night, Lads of Kayös – senior Brian Farrell, sophomores Charles Ryan and Caleb Moscat, and junior Elijah Mann – received $275 for their performance.

Prior to the event, Mr. Castagna and Mr. Haupt interviewed Lads of Kayös, the Bassments, and Pitchblende on The Spartan Life podcast. The interviews are available to stream on Anchor.fm, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and many other podcast platforms.

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The Spotlight

Opinion

Implement new traditions for underclassmen

by Alexis Behrens

Underclassmen students deserve more traditions instead of just their senior year. Photo credit: Alexis Behrens

This year, Southern Lehigh High School’s end-of-year traditions will be joined by a diverse agenda of new ones.

Yet many of these events are aimed specifically towards graduating seniors, such as the senior sunset celebration, graduation car parade, and senior class trip. In response, some would like to see more end of year traditions for the underclassmen.

“We’ve created a lot of new traditions for our seniors,” high school principal Mrs. Beth Guarriello said. “I would love to start some traditions for underclassmen. I want some ideas.”

While seniors certainly deserve the chance to celebrate their accomplishments throughout their time at the high school, similar experiences would be beneficial for underclassmen as well.

According to Grade Power Learning, “the end of the school year is an important milestone for students. While the transition from one grade to the next is always worth celebrating, not every grade is marked with the pomp and circumstance of graduation. However, the end of every grade, whether it is a graduation year or not, is a time for review and reflection.”

These types of celebrations can not only bring a sense of accomplishment to students as they reflect on the past year, but also give them a chance to connect with their peers before summer break.

They also develop the unified and enjoyable environment that schools should strive for, evidencing that administration acknowledges underclassmen’s success as well.

Freshman class president Gijs Fooji presented the idea of a party at the Southern Lehigh Community pool for those in his grade. As a community pool, it is well suited for an underclassmen celebration, since it is located within the school district and therefore generally nearby for students, with affordable entrance fees.

“These activities have to stay local as underclassmen can’t drive,” Fooji said.

“Also, they need to be relatively cheap, as people usually aren’t willing to pay much for a party or activity. With all these factors I’m sure there are plenty of options to look at.”

Freshman class secretary Hannah Lee said that other activities such as ice cream parties and movie nights were being considered. The ideas, she said, were for the most part socially oriented, in order to get the grade together in a celebratory environment before summer break.

“I understand that the senior class deserves these year end traditions and activities, such as the Sunset Celebration, class trip, etc. However, I would like to see more school wide events that incorporate the underclassmen,” sophomore class president Samuel Magallanes said.

“For example, I think a school wide tournament, field day or world/culture fair amongst the classes would be amusing and enjoyable.”

School wide tournaments could include activities like the door decorating competitions that Spartan advisory classes participate in near holidays, where students collaborate to decorate for their

classroom door with the materials on hand.

The latter two proposals are not unfamiliar to some students. Field Day – a day-long event of athletic activities for all grades – is offered to students from kindergarten to eighth grade in Southern Lehigh School District. Yet the high school does not have its own.

The culture fair idea, on the other hand, was already implemented at the high school years prior to the pandemic shutdown. At the time, eleventh grade World Cultures and AP World History students created the presentations as part of their final grade. Yet a more inclusive set-up could invite those of other classes and ages to participate, in the hopes that all could benefit from the experience. Not only would it be educational, but a social time for students to come together and share their work with peers.

The high school had also held a carnival in the past featuring gym games, inflatables, and activities hosted by student-led clubs. Unfortunately, it too has not returned since the pandemic shutdown. At the time, mostly underclassmen attended; a similar event could feature more engaging activities in order to interest a larger portion of the student body.

“In my opinion,” Magallanes said, “events like these that involve the school as a whole help create and develop a more unified Spartan community.”

May 2022

Opinion

Page 5

Students can’t lose math and writing labs

by Alexis Behrens

The writing and math labs have proven themselves very beneficial for all students and grades. Photo credit: Alexis Behrens

Southern Lehigh High School is already proposing cost-cutting plans for the 20222023 school year. One involves terminating the Writing and Math Labs, two grant-funded remediative services implemented after the pandemic’s lapse in traditional education.

But before taking this step, administration must realize that the programs are just as necessary now as they were at the beginning of the year.

For one, almost a third of the high school’s student body benefits from the services on a regular basis. The Writing Lab teacher, Mr. Matthew Shaw, explains that he performed many instructional roles over the past year.

“For one-on-one tutoring, it will probably be a little over three hundred sessions by the end of the year. It’s a chance to sit down oneon-one and be able to pour over your writing in a really detailed way,” Mr. Shaw said. “I also go into English classes and help with lessons or writing conferences with students.

I’ve taught essay writing lessons in social studies classes, as well as working with the social studies, English, and science departments to teach note taking lessons.”

Ms. Laura Jungblut, the Math Lab teacher, has been similarly invaluable.

“Just this month so far, and keep in mind we’ve had Spring Break in that time, I’ve seen three hundred people. So I can see 400 people per month, easily,” Ms. Jungblut said.

“There have been plenty of times when I have all these seats filled and it’s a struggle to help everyone who wants help. Having a second person that qualifies as a teacher that they can go to has been really helpful for [students] and the department also.”

But helping to balance the schedules of Southern Lehigh’s overworked teachers is by no means the labs’ only benefit. Both Mr. Shaw and Ms. Jungblut expressed that they’ve seen tremendous educational growth through their programs.

“I certainly think that those who have come in have improved,” Mr. Shaw said. “I’ve had AP students who came in every time they got a grade back to ask how they can improve.”

“There have been some students who have gone from Ds or low Cs and then, you know, the next quarter when they were assigned to me, they had a high B,” Ms. Jungblut said.

“We’ve definitely seen that jump in grades.”

Nikolaus Yundt, a junior who studies in the Math Lab, agrees that grades will decrease without it.

“Including my own,” Yundt said. “I need my Math Lab; it’s important.”

Furthermore, they’ve extended many educational opportunities as students prepare for standardized tests and college. Ms. Jungblut said that some students have asked for resources to ready themselves for the SATs and ACT. To fulfill this need, she posts daily on a Google Classroom site, which consists of extensive studying material for just about every math course the high school offers. She also maintains practice questions on her webpage on Southern Lehigh’s website.

Mr. Shaw said that he has also helped students write resumes and cover letters. During the college application season, he worked with many students to compose their best possible essays.

“There are certainly a lot of students, especially during the college application process, that came in either not sure of the essays that they wrote or essays that were too long. In that sense, I saw a lot of students, and can think of one in particular who came in three or four times,” Mr. Shaw said. “I held some informational sessions about college essays and writing workshops.”

Senior Alexandra Huaman said that she deeply benefited from own experience in the Writing Lab. “I went to the writing lab to enhance my college essay. It was on a very personal topic and Mr. Shaw made me feel very comfortable while he read my work,” Huaman said. “I got some amazing feedback from him and truly believe I got into colleges because of what he added to my writing. I know that a lot of students share the same opinion and we are super sad about losing him next year.”

Despite all these benefits, the labs still come at a cost – and it’s an appealing one to cut. They were originally paid for by the

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, a one-year federal grant offered during the pandemic. Now that the grant has expired at the same time the school wishes to mitigate expenditures, the labs are among the casualties, and Mr. Shaw and Ms. Jungblut’s positions are ending.

The Writing and Math Labs have paid off for nearly all high school students. We ought to pay into them. But if that is not to be, Mr. Shaw presents another possibility: he wishes to see the Writing Lab transition into being student-led. This would eliminate the need to pay staff, and allow opportunities for students to help their peers while themselves learning valuable writing skills.

“That is the best practice model,” Mr. Shaw said. “You eventually have student tutors who are trained to help their classmates.”

As for the Math Lab, Ms. Jungblut is not opposed to the idea. She explained that, in the status quo, many who use the program already use it in a collaborative manner. A student-led lab would not be an extreme departure from this, as long as it was well structured. Since her program is the busiest during Spartan periods, student tutors could be available during that time without having to miss their own classes.

“There are opportunities that wouldn’t cost any more than the lab does now, to expand it so that it works with even more of the student body,” Mr. Shaw said. “We’ve been here to fulfill needs that I’m not sure the school knew it had. It’s good to have extra bodies to fulfill some of these needs.”

So, as Ms. Junglut concluded, she feels that she and Mr. Shaw still have work to do.

“After two years of being online, students need at least two years to catch up,” she said.

“I feel like where we got to in just one year was definitely a big positive change,” she said, “but, throughout the year as more and more people experience it, the word of mouth and reputation has built up. Just when everyone’s getting excited about it, now it’s going to be gone.”

Page 6

The Spotlight

Features

Mrs. Bonnie Organski announces retirement after 22 years

by Morgan Downing

Mrs. Organski was happy to teach business for so many years with Southern Lehigh. Photo credit: SLSD.org

After twenty-two years of dedication to the Southern Lehigh community, business teacher Mrs. Bonnie Organski is planning her well-deserved retirement. In her time at the high school, she has served as co-advisor for the Future Business Leaders of America, graduation project adviser, and National Honor Society faculty member.

Before her teaching career, Mrs. Organski held various positions such as customer service manager, corporate relocation coordinator, and even as a secretary for a local law firm. She was hired by Southern Lehigh in 2000.

“I thought it would be fun to help others learn about business while enjoying the fun time that high school can be,” Mrs. Organski said.

For many staff and students, she has been an exceptional role model, teacher, and friend.

Three times per week, Mrs. Organski spends her mornings assisting students at the FBLA coffee shop. A highlight of her leadership experience with FBLA has been attending national-level competitions with her students and helping them grow as future business leaders. She has strived to inspire her students to explore the world of business by sharing her

knowledge in useful topics such as marketing, law, and different career paths.

“When that sparks an interest or gains a student’s attention, and they in turn develop an interest to pursue a future in business or investigate the possibilities, that is my most rewarding experience,” Mrs. Organski said.

In retirement, she is looking forward to spending quality time with her husband and two dogs named Larry and Wilma. She enjoys spending the summertime relaxing by her pool in the Outer Banks, especially with her family.

“In the fall, I’ll figure out what comes next, but it won’t involve getting up at 5:15 a.m.,” she said. “Not having to do that will be one of my biggest joys.”

As the sun sets on her time here at the high school, Mrs. Organski has one final piece of wisdom to give SLHS students.

“Make sure you take time to have fun in high school. Take part in extra activities offered,” she said. “Those are the things you will remember and where your memories will come from when you look back on your high school days. Try new things, try talking to new people, and don’t be afraid to choose your own path.”

Summer break provides a necessary recharge for teachers

by Sophia Lycette

Like their students, teachers are just as happy to find time in the summer to relax and recharge. Photo credit: rawpixel.com

Summer is just around the corner. Students are counting down the minutes till that last bell rings, and their fourth block teacher says: “Have a great summer!”

It may surprise some students to discover that teachers look forward to their summer break as much, or possibly, more than they do.

“Although I love teaching, I think I may be more excited for summer than some students,” English teacher Mrs. Kelly Howsare said.

“Teaching can be very stressful and all-consuming, so it is nice to have summer to take your mind off all the requirements that accompany the daily grind of teaching.”

Like students, teachers’ summer breaks allow them more leisure time, freeing them from the burden of planning every minute of an eight-hour school day. It also gives them more

time to spend with their own families.

“Summer is the only time it feels like we can relax all year long,” social studies teacher Dr. Katie Quartuch said. “It is also when I feel like I can finally give my own children the attention they deserve.”

For teachers, relaxation is vital. They are eager to take advantage of the readily available opportunities to relax during the summer.

“For me, summer is about sleeping in, the beach, and spending time with my family,” social studies Teacher Mr. Troy Ruch said. “Yes, I have a vacation planned; however, I am mostly excited to sit back and relax.”

While some love to kick back at home and soak in the warm weather, others plan thrilling vacations and pursuit of their hobbies, creating memories worth sharing with their students

next year.

“I travel a lot in the summer,” Spanish teacher Mrs. Alecia Deterville said. “I am planning to go to Puerto Rico, France, Ocean City, and Denver!”

For most teachers, the glorious two months off is time they look forward to, just like students. It allows them to relax and spend time with their families they don’t often get during the school year.

“I spend a lot of time with my family, but we’re looking forward to traveling once again after 2 years of staying close to home because of COVID,” said social studies teacher Mr. Thomas Beaupre. “I’m happy to be going to Yellowstone with my wife and youngest son.”

May 2022

Features

Page 7

Mrs. Beth Guarriello leaves Southern Lehigh High School

by Kelcie Wagner

A much beloved principal, Mrs. Guarriello’s constant care will be greatly missed by students. Photo credit: Arden Glad

After joyfully serving the Southern Lehigh community as high school principal for four difficult yet great years, Mrs. Beth Guarriello is leaving the district after this academic year to explore new opportunities as principal of Emmaus High School.

Mrs. Guarriello was assistant principal at Southern Lehigh High School between September 2014 to July 2017. She then went to Saucon Valley High School where she was building principal for a year before returning to Southern Lehigh in July 2018 to serve as high school principal.

“When I first got here, people were down in the dumps. I wanted to lift everyone’s spirits,” Mrs. Guarriello said. “I tried to respect the work that they did.”

Mrs. Guarriello wanted to make it more fun for everyone but still be a positive learning environment. She really cares about the students and staff here at Southern Lehigh, and is quick to reach out to congratulate people on their accomplishments. She added senior privileges, as well as senior sunrise and senior sunset celebrations during her time here, in addition to a new field day this year for all grades.

“I thought the senior sunrise [at the start of the year] was a great idea,” senior Madeleine Zeidenberg said. “Eating breakfast and reflecting on what an exciting year we are going to have.”

Mrs. Guarriello has also always tried to make the teachers feel respected and valued.

She said she always likes to leave a place better than she found it, make it more fun for students, raise academic expectations, and make everyone feel welcomed, safe, and valued.

During her time at our district, Mrs. Guarriello attended many community events. She has spent a lot of time on the athletic fields supporting our teams. She has commemorated academic and extracurricular events as well.

“I love working with the staff and the students. [There are] really good people here – students and staff,” she said. “The people are what makes this place special.”

Mrs. Guarriello notes that the people are what makes it so hard for her to leave, but she wants a new challenge. She will take the skills she developed here at Southern Lehigh to her new leadership role at Emmaus High School.

“I do want people to know [my leaving] has nothing to do with the school, the staff or the students,” Mrs. Guarriello said tearfully.

“This place has become family to me, and so leaving was a very difficult decision. I really do feel strongly about the staff and the kids here.

I really do love them, they really are like family to me.”

The staff and students recognize how much Mrs. Guarriello has done for Southern Lehigh, and we will truly miss her.

Mrs. Guarriello wants to leave everyone with the same advice she started with: “Do the right thing, take care of each other, and have each other’s backs.”

Juniors: your college application questions, answered

by Izzy Johnson

A display in the front lobby of the high school showcases some of the colleges that 2022 Southern Lehigh graduates will be attending. Photo credit: Izzy Johnson

As students begin to approach the later years of their high school career, and see the current seniors graduate, they often start to wonder what the college application process may look like.

The first step in applying to college is to visit and select multiple places that interest the student. Picking a campus that is in a beneficial location with challenging courses under the major of the applicant’s choice is essential.

“I wanted a college that I could benefit from with my intended major in mind,” senior Olivia Robinson said. “Ultimately, a college’s social and educational aspects were what drew me in, and made me want to apply.”

After selecting the main schools of inter-

est, the student must create an application to express to the schools that they would like to be considered for their program. The application includes a variety of information about the applicant with the following: a transcript, an essay, a school profile, test scores, recommendation letters, a list of extracurricular activities, and fees that may be required.

“It does not take long to make an application, as the common app makes it easy to input information,” senior Andy Wendling said. “The majority of time comes from essays and written questions for each school.”

Essays are one of the most vital aspects of applying to a college. These essays can be about many different topics, but typically revolve

around the student and their accomplishments or lessons they have learned throughout their life.

“You need a personal essay, and some colleges will ask you to write a paragraph or two about specific questions,” senior Marilou Reinhardt said. “In both cases you need to talk about something that makes you stand out from everyone else or something that really interests you.”

Since many students apply for the same colleges, it is vital that an applicant makes an effort to stand out from the others. This can include adding in extracurricular activities or academic achievements.

“Having difficult courses on your transcript will show colleges that you challenge yourself and can excel in college courses,’’ Wendling said. “I also think it is important to show colleges that you are well rounded: a good GPA, a plethora of extracurricular activities, and personality in your essays all bode well.”

Once the college makes a decision about who will be accepted or rejected, a letter will go out to those who applied. After the applicants find out whether or not they were accepted, the next and most vital step is to figure out what college best suits them and is a place they would like to spend the next four years.

“Truly, things always work out the way they are supposed to,” guidance counselor Mrs. Christina Piascik said. “Explore different options, and think outside of the box. Sometimes there may be an opportunity at a college that a student would have never considered.”

Page 8

The Spotlight

Features

Spotlight staff waves goodbye to ‘22 seniors Alex Kane: Editor-in-Chief, News Editor

by Zain Shamasseen

Alex hopes to leave a mark of inspiration on the Spotlight after three years of hard work. Photo credit: Alex Kane

“Throughout our history, America’s darkest days have always been followed by its finest hours,” is a phrase from the show “The Newsroom,” written by Aaron Sorkin. This is the phrase that deeply resonates with senior Alexander Kane. After signing up for the Newspaper Journalism class during his sophomore year, Kane has been an editor since day one.

On account of his writing skills, Kane became editor-in-chief his senior year.

“Sophomore year I needed a credit and journalism was something that was potentially interesting,” he said. “I showed up the first day and found out that I was going to be an editor, along with learning how to write as a journalist.”

That necessary credit ended up being the core reason that Kane ended up writing a total of twenty articles across three years.

Apart from The Spotlight, Kane holds numerous accolades that many would strive to have. On top of The Spotlight, he is the elected secretary of the National Honor Society. Kane is an accomplished runner on the varsity track and field team in the spring, and captain of the cross-country team in the fall, a feat earned by his considerable long-distance running skills.

After high school, Kane will attend Dickinson College, a liberal arts college in his home state of Pennsylvania. At DC, he plans to double major in History and Law Policy, and he will continue his athletic career. Throughout college and the rest of his life, Kane plans to utilize his journalistic writing skills as often as he can.

As a senior, it is his responsibility to ensure that he can set a good example for the underclassmen at Southern Lehigh, and Kane has decided to dole out some of his wisdom upon us.

“High school is like [running] a mile,” he says. “As a freshman you’re full of energy, as a sophomore things start to get a little tougher, classes become harder, and more material comes out. As a junior, you are at the third lap of the mile, because you’ve put in so much effort, but graduation seems so far away. Senior year, you have one more lap left, and you can see the finish line, because things are getting a little easier, and you have almost graduated.”

This piece of advice applies to every grade in high school, and it tells us never to give up.

As I write this article, I start to remember Kane’s presence in the classroom. Throughout my first year in Newspaper Journalism, Kane was clearly dedicated to his craft, and worked every minute of every class on whatever he was doing. His work ethic is unmatched, and so is his personality. Honestly, when I first met Kane, he was a little too much to handle, but as I got to know him more, I got to experience his personality better.

I can firmly say that he helped me become a better writer, because under his coat of criticism is a person who cares, and wants you to do better. The entirety of the Journalism class has been made into better writers because of him, and he has made the experience of writing for the class better than it already was. The Spotlight won’t be the same without him.

Run fast and hard for what you want, Kane.

Evelyn Blower: Assistant EIC, Features & Opinion Editor

by Alexis Behrens

Evelyn thoroughly enjoyed her short but sweet two year stint at the Spotlight. Photo credit: Evelyn Blower

For the past two years, senior Evelyn Blower contributed her time and effort to the Spotlight newspaper, transforming Southern Lehigh’s stories into a publication for all to read.

In those two short years, she earned the roles of Opinion Editor, Features Editor, and Assistant Editor in Chief. Furthermore, during her first year, one of her opinion articles was nationally recognized as the “Best of SNO” (Student Newspapers Online).

All of this, Evelyn said, was a difficult yet rewarding journey towards realizing her abilities.

“I had a lot of issues [in] my first years of high school. A lot of people saw that I had

potential and was not using it,” she said. “Mrs. Spritzer [the faculty advisor for the Spotlight] was one of those people.”

Evelyn said Mrs. Spritzer was her English teacher sophomore year. Reflecting upon how much has changed, she noted that just two years later, she is now an editor for the Spotlight.

“A lot of teachers and peers can attest that the path to success is not always a straight up passage: it’s rocky and it’s rough,” she said.

“But knowing that people who have seen me at my worst also see me at my best is an inspiration that I want to leave with the school.”

In addition to the Spotlight, other activities helped Evelyn along this path, including her participation in clubs such as Speech and Debate, student government, and the yearbook.

In fact, it was her foundational experiences with the yearbook that motivated her to join the newspaper when encouraged by her best friend.

“I decided to join [the journalism program] for my junior year,” she said, “and stuck around because they liked me.”

Yet Blower did more than simply “stick around;” she played a vital role in the publication. Of her nearly fifteen articles, all written in only two years, her 2021 opinion article “Antisemitism: Why Awareness Isn’t Enough” won recognition in 2021 as a “Best of SNO” article, and was republished nationally on the Best of School Newspapers Online website.

“I did so much research and went everywhere for that article, worked super hard on it and went through a lot of revising,” she said.

“I’m really glad we got to spend so much time on it, because winning that Best of SNO award really felt like it solidified all the work that I put

in.”

Beyond these successes, Blower attributes other benefits to her years in the journalism program.

“It truly made me look at things in a different light. I see how what I’ve learned in the Spotlight follows me everywhere,” she said.

“I’ve learned to work hard with people to put something together. It’s not like any other class, and the expectations are very hard to work outside of the classroom. But it’s been a really rewarding experience to physically grasp something and know that it is my blood, sweat, and tears that have transformed it into something tangible.”

With these skills, Evelyn plans to attend a four year college and study philosophy, politics, and economics. She expressed that her first choice of career is that of a professor, since she has always relished when a topic clicks into her understanding, and she wishes to lead others to that same experience.

“I like to be a leader and learn,” she said, “and the Spotlight has helped with that. It’s great to see people progress, and the entire staff has.”

All things considered, she’s open to any opportunities related to her passions.

“I hope to be able to see the world and just be curious about it,” she said. “The work that I have had to do for the Spotlight has given me the ability to look at what’s happening around me, hear the news, and instantly think about the bigger picture of things. To look objectively and push myself to learn more about the world around me, which I think it’s a very important quality for everyone.”

May 2022

Arden Glad: Sports and Web Editor

Features

Page 9

by Mack Morgan and Alexis Behrens

Arden hopes to pursue her interests in criminal justice and forensic science in her future. Photo credit: Arden Glad

Senior Arden Glad, a second-year reporter for the Spotlight and first-year Web and Sports Editor, will soon graduate but leave her legacy with the newspaper.

Having written many articles in two years, she is most proud of writing “Junior A.J. Moncman proves there are no excuses” and “SL Varsity Football bounces back after a slow start.”

As an editor, she worked behind the scenes to keep tabs on the school’s athletic standing and help student reporters write sports articles, while also maintaining the newspaper’s online site.

While she’s active in journalism, Arden also participates in many Southern Lehigh activities, such as cross country, track and field, and the dance team. In track and field specifically, Arden participated in hurdles, which is one of the sport’s smaller events and therefore much more involved. Outside of school, she also dances at Diane Medeiros Academy of Dance.

Having participated in so many activities, Arden has learned some important lessons.

“Be patient, [because] not everything works out the way you want it to,” she said. “Practice honestly does make perfect… you just can’t give up if you really want it.”

Next year, Arden will attend West Chester University, where she plans to major in forensic chemistry. She found interest in the subject by uniting her love of science and the psychology behind why crimes occur. She hopes to become a crime scene investigator after college, and anticipates meeting and working with new people of similar interests.

Arden has learned a lot from her four years of high school, and leaves behind words of wisdom for her younger peers.

“Everyone just wants to get through high school, [so] don’t worry about cliques or special groups because no one is more important than another,” she said. “[Also], please don’t rush it.

Freshman year will go by so slow and the next three years don’t feel like anything. Cherish what [time] you have now.”

Emma Vorhis: Staff Reporter

by Alaina Patel

Emma is continuing to hone her journalism skills with a major in communications in college. Photo credit: Emma Vorhis

Senior Emma Vorhis joined the Spotlight staff this year due to her desire to pursue communications and journalism in college.

Although staff reporter for only a year, Emma has composed four articles for the Spotlight that showcase her strength as a writer.

“I was thinking about going into a communications major and I thought the Spotlight was a great way to get a head start on that,” said Vorhis. “I didn’t really know much about the career, and I had wanted to be in the class to gain experience in journalism.”

When reflecting on her articles, Emma believes that one stands out as a clear favorite.

Her article titled “The beloved wrap returns to SLHS cafeteria” details the disappearance and reinstallation of the extremely popular wraps during lunches.

“I put my heart and soul into the wrap article and I had to rewrite it around three times,” Vorhis said. “It was definitely worth the effort.”

Outside of the newsroom, Emma participates in other activities including the school choir, riding horses at Lucky Shoe Farm, and working in a catering job at DeSales University. Through these activities, she has learned valuable lessons that she believes will help her beyond her upcoming graduation.

“I’ve definitely learned how to take care of

Congrats, seniors!

myself and how to be myself,” she said. “It’s also important to be confident in every situation no matter what it is.”

After graduating high school, Emma plans to attend DeSales University to major in communications with a minor in journalism.

Although she already had these intentions in mind when joining the journalism program, she believes that the class has helped her develop a base of knowledge that will help her on the road ahead.

“I’m definitely set on communications now even though I wasn’t so sure when I first entered the class,” said Vorhis. “I’m definitely more comfortable writing articles now. There are also just so many ways you can go with communications.”

While Emma is looking forward to her future in college and beyond, she still reflects nostalgically on her high school experience.

In journalism, her favorite memories are of the attendance question discussions.

With her graduation on the horizon, Emma has some parting words for underclassmen about high school.

“Don’t worry about it. Honestly, you’re going to get through it, everything’s going to be okay,” she said. “Have fun because you’re going to get to where you need to be.”

Page 10 Center Spread

Oh The Places They’ll Go! Southern Lehigh Seniors Seek New Horizons

Map created by Gianna Cusumano, based on voluntary survey results of seniors.

The Spotlight

May 2022

Center Spread

Page 11

Ar me d Fo rc e s C omm i t me n t s

Page 12

Sports

The Spotlight

Twenty from ‘22 bound for collegiate athletics Aiden Tobin

Morgan Benner

Aiden Tobin is a four-year member of the track and soccer teams. He was a captain of the soccer team as a senior and the track team as a junior and senior.

Tobin holds the school record in 100, 200, 400, and is on several relay records.

He will be taking his talents on the oval to Ursinus College where he will major in biochemistry.

Morgan Benner plays field hockey and softball. She was first-team all-area in field hockey as a junior and senior and first-team all-state as a senior. She was also field hockey MVP her junior and senior year. She made the all-state team for softball as a junior. She will be taking her talents to Kutztown where she will play field hockey and softball while majoring in biology.

Alexander Schafer Alex Schafer is four-year starter for the football team.

He was a two-year captain first team all league, and second team all-area. He will be taking his talents on the field to Muhlenberg College where he will major in psychology.

Christian Pickell Christian Pickell is a fouryear varsity member of the baseball team. He has hit 43 singles, 7 doubles and 3 triples in his time with the team. In addition he has stolen 21 bases and has a career batting average of 0.388. He will be attending Penn State Berks Campus, majoring in finance. His advice for underclassmen is to, “always take a deep breath and relax, and love the grind.”

Tyler Houser Tyler Houser is a a twotime all-League tight end and deflnsive end. Over the course or his career he has made 21 receptions, run 439 yards, and scored 6 touchdowns. In a defensive capacity he has made 11.5 sacks, 53.5 tackles, forced 3 fumbles and made 1 interception. He will be taking his talents on the football field to Ursinus College to major in computer science

Madison Trout Madison Trout is a sprinter and a jumper for the track team. She has qualified for the state and national meets five times each. Trout is the six-time track MVP. She will be taking her talents on the oval to Temple University, where she will study business management. Over the course of her time on the track team she has made too many memories to call one a favorite.

Autumn Garges Autumn Garges is a middle distance runner on the track team. She is a twotime captain of the track and cross country teams, and has been a part of 6 regular and 6 postseason Colonial League team Championships. Garges will be taking her talents on the oval and the course to Lebanon Valley College, where she will major in elementary education and minor in Spanish.

Emma McKee Emma McKee is the hurdles captain of the track and field team. Her career PRs are 16.1 for the 100m hurdles and 50.7 for the 300m hurdles. Her favorite memory was winning the league championship and running a victory lap with the team. She will take her talents on the oval to Monmouth University, where she will major in health sciences.

Sports

May 2022

Page 13

Interviews by Alex Kane

Alex Lyon

Alex Lyon is a four-year member of the cross country and track teams. He was a track captain as a junior and senior, and was made a cross country captain as a senior. Lyon earned a total of 10 letters. He ran on the 4-by-200m relay that set the school record. He is primarily a 200m runner. His advice to underclassmen is, “Push those around you to be better, [and] enjoy every moment you get. He will take his talents on the oval to Colby College.

Riley MacIntosh Riley MacIntosh is a fouryear starter for the field hockey team at the midfeld position, where she scored 9 goals and had 29 assists.

MacIntosh was a captain her senior year, and twice made the Morning Call’s Second Team All-Area, amongst other achievements. She will be taking her talents on the field to Hofstra Univeristy to major in biology.

Will Woodring

Iris Gluck

Will Woodring is a four-year varisty player for the baseball team. Over those years he has been behind the plate as catcher. Woodring has a 0.398 batting average, had 52 RBI’s, and had 17 Extra Base hits. His favorite memory was winning the district championship as a junior. He tells underclassmen, “The harder you work, the better results you’ll get.” He will be taking his talents on the field to Inspiration Academy to major in Excercise Science.

Iris Gluck is a two-time captain of the girls lacrosse team, and plays at midfield.

She has scored 103 career goals in her time with the team. She advises underclassmen to, “Keep working hard and don’t give up.” Her favorite memory is winning districts in 2021. Iris will be taking her talents on the field to Thomas Jefferson Univeristy to major in health sciences on the physician assistant’s track.

Dominick Lisicky

Mallory Hoch

Dominick Lisicky is a twotime captain. Over the course of his time with the track and cross country teams he has been a part of 3 league champioships, 1 district championship, and qualified for states 4 times. His favorite memory is the pre-meet huddles. He tells underclassmen, “hard work pays off!” Dominick will be taking his talents on the course and oval to Rider University.

Mallory Hoch is a member of the girls volleyball team, and plays at the outside hitter position. She’s had 249 total kills and 293 digs. Mallory was the MVP her senior year: her third season on the varsity squad, as she was called up a a sophomore. Hoch tells underclassmen to “work hard and be humble.” Mallory will be taking her skills on the court to Kutztown University where she will major in elementary education.

Chase Hensinger

Matthew Tankred

Chase Hensinger is a member of the cross country and track teams. He is a threetime league champion in track, and holds the league record in the 800m, along with several school records.

His favorite memory was going to states on the 4-by-800 relay as a junior. Chase will be taking his talents on the oval to Shippensberg University, where he will major in business management

Matt Tankred has won three gold and two silver medals for baseball. Around the diamond he is found either on the pitching mound or at third base. He tells underclassmen to, “be more mindful of the time you have, because it ain’t going to last forever.”

Matt will be taking his talents on the field to East Stroudsberg University, where he will major in Criminal Justice.

The Spotlight

Page 14 Sports

Ben Malicki

Alex Kane

Ben Malicki is a member of the boys lacrosse team.

He was a captain his senior year. Over the course of his time on the team he scored 101 goals and had 36 assists. His advice for underclassmen is, “Just because you make it to college doesn’t mean that you stop working. The hard work just started.” Ben will be taking his talents on the field to Stockton University to major in finance

Alex Kane is a four-year member of the varsity track and cross country team, and captain of the cross country team as a senior. Looking to the future Alex will be running cross country and track at Dickinson College and double majoring in Law & Policy and History. His favorite memory was his senior year cross country season: “Since it wasn’t a forgone conclusion in June, getting one meant a lot to me.”

Blaze Curry

Justin Balliet

Blaze Curry is a member of the football team. He will be taking his talents on the field to Muhlenberg College

Justin Balliet is a member of the baseball team.

He will be taking his talents on the field to Penn State Berks Campus.

Sports

May 2022

Page 15

Spartans swing into league championship

by Alex Kane

Senior William Woodring steps up to bat against Notre Dame Green Pond. Photo credit: Solehian Yearbook

The 2022 Southern Lehigh baseball team has had a successful spring season, clinching a league championship.

The team is a balanced one in terms of key baseball skills, according to Assistant Varsity Coach Mr. Matthew Greenawald, who also teaches math at the high school.

“To this point, to be honest, we’ve been a fairly well-rounded team,” Coach Greenawald said. “Pitching has been solid most days, our hitting has been solid most days, defense has been pretty solid most days.”

Several athletes also felt that the team still has some details to polish going into the postseason.

“Fielding [is something we need to work on],” senior Matt Tankred said. “Our pitching and hitting is pretty good; we’re probably one of the best hitting teams that the school has seen in a long time.”

A fellow senior, left outfielder Christian Pickell, agreed with Tankred’s statements, but also added that the team needed to work on communication on the field as well.

The nature of baseball presents unique challenges to the coaches and players.

“It’s baseball, and it can vary day to day,” Coach Greenawald said. “One day you’ll play a clean [error free] game, you’ll hit it great, great on the base pads, pitch it well, and then the next day you can have ten errors.”

The team has no set lineup, and several players can fill different positions depending on the team’s needs that day, according to Coach Greenawald. However this doesn’t mean that there aren’t roles players traditionally fill. Senior Will Woodring is always found behind the plate, Micheal Andrews tends to sit at center, and Christian Pickell and Patrick Laughlin are positioned in left and right field respectively.

Coach and athlete also agree about the team’s prospects in regards to postseason success.

“I think that’s the goal, I think that’s what we’re aimed for,” senior Christian Pickell said.

Mr. Greenawald remains cautiously optimistic about the team’s chances, as they remain constantly in flux. One game or another can cause drastic changes in or against the team’s favor.

“We always like to say that baseball is a very humbling game, and the moment you think you’re better than you are, it’ll humble you,” he said, “ so far so good, but we do know this, we’re a team that needs to execute.”

The Spartans finished the regular season with a record of 16-3, and won the Colonial League championship against Notre Dame Green Pond on May 19th.

SLHS boys tennis team takes it all the way to district play

by Emma Vorhis

The team lines up on Southern Lehigh’s court during a home match. Photo credit: Solehian Yearbook

As the boys tennis season comes to an end, the team reflects upon their strongest moments and accomplishments. The boys ended with a 12-1 season record and advanced to the district playoffs. This is the best any Southern Lehigh boys tennis team has performed in roughly a decade.

This season was one of a kind for the play-

ers, as their hard work had truly paid off. Last year, the boys tennis team only made it through the regular season. In 2022, however, they were identified as one of the best teams in the area, and advanced far into the playoffs.

“There were so many accomplishments.

Really so many,” senior captain Bryson Davis said. “Definitely winning the Colonial League of

the regular season was a big one and solidifying ourselves as one of the top four teams in the district.”

The team felt they performed better as the season went on and bounced back pretty quickly after their only loss, which was 7-0 against Freedom High School.

“Our biggest challenge was that we were against Freedom earlier in the season and we didn’t do very well,” senior captain Jadon Trackim said. “But the only other game we lost was in district playoffs (2-3). We performed better against them than we did Liberty, so we came pretty far throughout the season.”

The team’s enthusiasm and devotion to the sport explains the effort everyone put forth.

Each member was self motivated and knew their importance to the team.

“Everyone was great at playing tennis, not gonna lie,” Davis said. “But I have to say the heart that was put into the courts everytime they stepped on. Everyone was playing with so much passion which really helped us get so far.”

The seniors may be moving on, but they certainly haven’t forgotten those they will leave behind. They had one last piece of advice to give the players continuing in their high school tennis career.

“Take it point by point,” Trackim said. “Forget about your past mistakes.”

Page 16

Arts and Entertainment

The Spotlight

‘Massive Talent’ showcases Cage’s massive talent

by Evelyn Blower

Nicholas Kim Coppola, or more familiarly, Nick Cage is one of Hollywood’s most beloved and familiar actors. The star of “National Treasure,” “Face/Off,” and “Ghost Rider” is a bit of an enigma in the industry. After 40 years in moviemaking, “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” brings a sarcastic and cynical, yet hilarious take on Cage’s personal life.

Starring Nick Cage as Nick Cage, he finds himself out of a job amongst family struggles and personal troubles. These issues echo headlines of other famous actors - struggling with family, financial issues, and happiness – both poking fun at some actors’ behaviors, and also bringing to light that the spotlight doesn’t give you everything.

After realizing he is a washed up actor, Nick decides that an offer to appear at a Spanish billionaire’s birthday party for $1,000,000 is an easy way to float back up to the surface, emotionally, as his last gig in Hollywood. Host Javi (played by actor Pedro Pascal of “The Mandalorian” and “Narcos”) is a massive admirer of Cage, and the two actors have incredible chemistry together, from their comical introduction until the end of the movie.

The movie does seem to want to be intentionally funny at times, but only casually and with gusto. From Cage’s existentialist monologues to his care-free and alcoholic attitude, we see a side of stardom that isn’t all glitz and glamor, however exaggerated that it is. Javi encourages Cage to embrace his roles and talent as an actor instead of giving up, which is something Hollywood doesn’t see often. Burnt out actors are still actors, but they’re not happy ones.

The comedic premise of “Massive Talent” lends itself to the highlighted phrase, “Nicholas Cage is Nick Cage,” in this hilarious fictional story. Photo Credit: Lionsgate

The picturesque backdrop of the Spanish home gives the movie an amazing setting, with adventures and travels galore. The thirty-million-dollar budget was clearly spent on the most drastic and dramatic of stunts, but all playfully done.

Nick Cage reportedly turned down his own role multiple times, saying that his personal portrayal on the screen is “not very close” to his actual personality. However, he says that a movie like “The Unbearable Weight of Massive

Talent” is an accomplishment for him, saying that his work from early in his career to this point has led him to this place in his life.

“I can tell the story [of “Massive Talent”] with some integrity and authenticity to it,” Cage said in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. “Everything happened for a reason.

I have to look at [the movie] like that because that’s the healthiest and most positive way of looking at it.”

With Tom Gormican’s (“Ghosted,” “That Awkward Moment”) writing and directing, Nick Cage, however dramatic, poses in a light that truly captures every role he’s played. His alter ego “Nicy” that appears throughout the film is reminiscent of his early 1990’s look, and gives Cage some tips when the 58-year-old is struggling.

Some moments, like Cage seeing a meme-d sequin pillow adorned with his face (available to see in Mr. Ruch’s room, bestowed upon him by the writer of this article) or Javi’s brilliant but crazy adventures that he leads Cage on, add a real sense of comedy to the movie. “Massive Talent” gives audiences a hearty laugh while also telling a story of loss, work ethic, and inspiration.

Though we normally see Cage as the “Declaration of Independence thief,” or the “taker of Huggies,” “Nick friggin’ Cage” fully embraces his stardom and fame, and all the shapes and sizes it comes in. Critics and fans alike highly praised this movie, awarding it an 86% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie is available in theaters now, and digitally on platforms such as Amazon Prime, YouTube, or Vudu in the coming months.

Marvel explores new worlds in ‘Multiverse of Madness’

by Zain Shamasseen

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is the long-awaited sequel to Marvel’s 2016 “Doctor Strange.”

Photo Credit: Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios is one of the most famous film studios in the world, constantly releasing critically acclaimed films and other media. They are responsible for over twenty superhero films.

The newest of these releases, titled “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” is no exception. It is built with years of careful production and editing, and reinforced with solid acting. Released on May 6, 2022, the film met many high expectations with its release.

In this film, a new character named America Chavez, glitches through the multiverses, finds the protagonist, Dr. Strange, and pleads with him for help. Strange decides to help her, and seeks out the Scarlet Witch, who has actually been corrupted by the Darkhold, an evil book.

The rest of the film plays out with the two fighting back and forth, and the Scarlet Witch eventually sacrifices something huge in order to save the planet. The film introduces many highly anticipated characters, though I shouldn’t spoil who.

Benedict Cumberbatch plays the title role of Dr. Strange fantastically, proving his acting skills. Though Cumberbatch is a great actor, he wasn’t as popular as fan favorite Benedict Wong, who plays Wong in the film.

Wong’s appearance alongside the doctor has

led to his inclusion in these films becoming a necessity. With this film, his role is far more important than that of his usual side character status. Elizabeth Olsen also brought a fine performance as the Scarlet Witch, showing her prowess as an actress. She utilizes her facial expressions very well to convey her character’s emotions, making her character feel very real.

One thing the film does that irks me, is that it uses too much computer-generated imagery.

Many films nowadays use an excess of CGI as a crutch when they know that their plot lacks substance.

With this film, it feels like the CGI cheapens the experience, because half of the scenes, all you are really watching is a green screen, and people in latex costumes being animated over.

Some would say that that is the point of Marvel’s films, but I disagree. The point of them is to be movies, and they should work with their plot instead of their animation.

Over all, the plot is okay, and the acting is good, but the CGI seems to cheapen the experience at some points. At the end of the day, Marvel movies are simply heaps of CGI mixed with good acting and good production. Either way, they are all entertaining enough to still be labeled as good movies.

May 2022

Arts and Entertainment

Page 17

After five years, Kendrick Lamar returns to rap

by Kishore Annambhotla

ciate the artistry throughout “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Rich production, well-placed interludes, and curated features help the listener understand and digest the album’s themes.

In addition, there are still glimpses of hope throughout the record. On “Auntie Diaries,” Lamar reveals that his uncle and female cousin are transgender. He explains that he refused to accept this at first due to his Christian identity, but learned to reject those beliefs and love his family.

“The day I chose humanity over religion / The family got closer, it was all forgiven,” Lamar said.

If anything, though, “Auntie Diaries” only represents one of few joyful blips. In my opinion, the song most representative of the album’s tone is the penultimate track, “Mother I Sober.” It is filled with Lamar’s musings on generational trauma and the cycle of abuse in Black families. His vulnerable state in this song perfectly sums up the album’s overall themes.

This album is quite dense and difficult to digest in one listen. I did not mind this, but it may be a roadblock for some listeners. My only major gripe with this album is Lamar’s questionable decision to include convicted felon Kodak Black as a feature on several songs. Some have pointed this out as an artistic decision related to themes of troubled youth, but I found

Five years ago, celebrated Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar released his fourth studio album, “DAMN.” It was met with massive critical and commercial success, earning Lamar the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music. But over the next five years, Lamar distanced himself from the public. Apart from curating the soundtrack for Marvel’s “Black Panther” in 2018, he avoided public appearances and and refrained from sharing details on his future work.

That was, until last month when Lamar sent out a press release with the title of his next album: “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers.” Three weeks later, his highly anticipated fifth studio album was finally released. As rumored prior to its release, the project is actually a double album split into two volumes: “The Big Steppers” and “Mr. Morale.”

One will immediately notice that this album covers a handful of very personal and dark topics. Lamar has never shied away from intimate subject matters, but this project places him in an incredibly bleak state of mind.

Across these 18 tracks, Lamar discusses religious conflicts, sexual abuse, toxic relationships, and even his own infidelity. Many moments on this record left me deeply uncomfortable or shocked, as if I was eavesdropping on a therapy session.

At the same time, it’s difficult not to appre-

“Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers is Lamar’s first solo album since April 2017. Photo Credit: Renell Medrano

his inclusion in the album unnecessary.

The intimacy and darkness on this record may be very off putting to some, and I can’t say it will be enjoyable for everyone. But when all is said and done, it’s difficult for me not to recommend you listen to “Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers” at least once. The amount of effort, detail, and emotion placed into this record warrants attention, and it may be another five years before we hear more from Kendrick Lamar.

‘All The Best Liars:’ Just another teen drama?

by Abigail Wilson

A new novel, “All The Best Liars” by Amelia Kahaney, recently rolled off the presses and into the hands of the public this April, received by a waiting audience of readers, hoping for a worthy new work from the author of “The Brokenhearted” series. After reading the book myself, I do not think readers will be getting much out of this anticipated release – unless, of course, you like teenage drama, drugs, and backstabbing in the desert with a side of sexually explicit scenes.

The plot of this book centers around a teenaged trio of ex-best friends who, after drifting apart, become the center of an unsolved murder case. The event that catapults this storyline is when one of the friends is found dead in a mysterious house fire, leaving the others entangled in the enigma. The story is told in a set of flashbacks from months before the fire, setting the stage for a plot twist you most likely won’t see coming. But will you see it coming? And is the twist even worth predicting? The book – and its final twist – did not appeal to me for several reasons.

Prominent in the storyline lie many things that distract from rather than add to the plot.

The constant usage of drugs, for example, threw me off track, thinking that this would be a redeeming story about drug usage instead of friendship.

Speaking of friendship, that particular trait is – while not completely absent from the characters’ interactions – not a leading part of the story. The characters continuously refer back

“All The Best Liars” is chock-full of teenage drama and drug-fueled conflicts. Photo Credit: Macmillan Publishers

to their childhood when their friendship was in full bloom, but that momentus time in their lives is barely explored in the book, making it feel as if the girls were making a big deal out of

virtually nothing. During their time together, the author shows few instances when they seem to actually enjoy each other’s company, and those instances nearly all concern either drugs, drunkenness, or a shared moment of silence before drama strikes again.

An upside for this book is the lack of bad plot twists, an absence I find refreshing. Many teenage dramas rely on love triangles or even more drama than this story holds in order to keep the reader’s attention, but “All The Best Liars” actually tries to keep a consistent storyline going (which is hard to do when almost the entire storyline is a flashback). There are few writers that could pull off such a story compiled of previous memories, and for that Kahaney has my respect.

“All The Best Liars” also tries to stay true to normal teenage behavior. The drug use, the cussing, the makeout sessions or wild parties – all of it acts as a vivid window to another, strangely familiar world every teenager at least knows about. The flickers of friendship or grief are harder to pinpoint for accuracy. The characters’ emotions are unpredictable, but mirror the changes of human ones.

My final observation on “All The Best Liars” is a simple question: What really is this book?

Is it a slice-of-life story, attempting to represent the unseen struggles of teenagers? Is it just another teen drama, a supposed thriller that doesn’t thrill at all? Is it both?

What this book is - at least to this reader- is an enigma. Solve it if you can.

Interested in reading more from the Spotlight staff?

Check out our website! slspotlight.com

The Spotlight

Page 18 Arts and Entertainment

‘Heartstopper’ releases to critical acclaim

by Rory Reigle

“Heartstopper” is a brand new Netflix series released on April 22nd, 2022. Based on the web-comics and graphic novels written by Alice Oseman, this writer and illustrator put in a lot of effort, writing her work in a completely new way. There’s much buzz around it at the moment, which is especially obvious as evidenced by its perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 100%.

With a cast including actors such as Joe Locke, Yasmin Finney, and Kit Connor, almost anyone is quick to give the show a shot. And with LGBTQIA+ representation on top of that, it is rapidly becoming one of Netflix’s most popular recent releases. The strong adherence to source material has also drawn old fans back in along with the new.

The show tells the story of a teenage boy by the name of Charlie, and his life trying to survive at an all-boys’ school whilst also dealing with the troubles of high school romance being gay. He faces many problems along the way, the main being that he has a crush on a boy from the rugby team, named Nick: a boy he becomes close with who is – at least, in his mind – completely straight.

Interestingly, although “Heartstopper” was only just released, it seems it’s already having an impact. By including smaller indie artists such as Girl in Red, Wolf Alice, Beabadoobee and more in the show’s soundtrack, several of these tracks have received huge boosts in their sales. A pop singer by the name of Baby Queen especially, who composed an original song for the series, “Colours of You,” has seen a boost.

The biggest being around a 1000% increase in sales. The effect this show is already having is

insane.

I can’t say that I was left out when it came to being impacted by this series. In just watching its eight episodes, I have felt so many emotions. “Heartstopper” will make you smile, cry, and want to run around your room to get out all your energy. I’ve never watched anything quite so astonishing. Each character is so deeply likable and relatable. With the amount of realism injected into them, anyone is able to see themselves within the character’s struggles.

Just sitting there, seeing everything play out, is an experience like no other.

Not only is the cinematography amazing, but the diversity of the cast and the representation is phenomenal. With its artistic camera work, it truly puts you into a youthful frame of mind, where everything is thought-provoking and magical. And with all of its queer protaganists being so well-written, it truly shows just how much better shows can be when they’re actually written by someone who cares and understands.

Being aromantic and asexual herself, Oseman really portrays the difficulties and triumphs that come along with being queer. And it’s only made better by the accurate casting matching both the character’s races and gender identities.

In an interview with SeanzWriters, Alice Oseman even spoke on using her own experiences from her past to fuel her creativity.

“Often for me it’s taking elements of my personal experience as a queer person. Much of Heartstopper comes from my own life,” she said. “I too went to a single-sex grammar school in a conservative town in the south-east of En-

“All The Best Liars” is chock-full of teenage drama and drug-fueled conflicts. Photo Credit: Macmillan Publishers

gland, and the world of Heartstopper and the people in it are all inspired by what life was like there.”

All of this only goes to show how thoughtful this show really is in its creation. So much has gone into it, and so many people have worked on it to get it to where it is now. I love it more than anything that people are enjoying it, and its message. I genuinely couldn’t recommend a series more than I recommend this one.

The 2021-2022 SLHS Crossword

by Alexis Behrens

Answers:

Arts and Entertainment

May 2022

Page 19

SLHS ‘Mad Libs: The students have left the school...’

by Alexis Behrens and Gianna Cusumano

The students have left the school building. The ________ are quiet and the classrooms

noun (plural) are empty, except for the teachers. They have to finish up grading before ________, but Mrs.

verb ending in “ing” Spritzer has a problem; she’s lost ________’s essay!

student name So, she storms into Mr. Zeisloft’s class. “________! I know you stole the student’s

exclamation essay!” she accuses. “You probably crumpled it up to use as a golf ball!”

A ________ on his face, Mr. Zeisloft drops a crumpled piece of paper. Mrs. Spritzer facial expression

________ for the evidence, and picks it up just as Mr. Zeisloft escapes in a ________ verb

vehicle screaming “It wasn’t me! This isn’t fair!”

She doesn’t bother chasing after him, and instead unfolds the paper only to find that it’s a receipt for 1,000 ________. But looking around the room, they are nowhere to be found. Mrs. noun (plural)

Spritzer can not give up on this lead: at least not yet. She _______ that if Mr. Zeisloft doesn’t

verb still have the items then someone else must… and they might have the essay, too!

There is only one ________ that would take those: Mrs. Bathgate. Mrs. Bathgate is

occupation ________ for having a gallery of them, so Mrs. Spritzer rushes over in hopes of finding the adjective

essay. When she gets there, the room is ________ and she begins her search.

adjective But all she finds in Mrs. Bathgate’s desk are ________ gum wrappers and ________.

number noun (plural) Just as she’s about to give up, she hears ________ in the hallway. She runs to the door just in

noun (plural) time to hear: “The coded message from the ________ has been secured. It was a wonderful idea

organization

to disguise it as a student essay,” ________’s voice says. “Now, Mrs. Guarriello will never

teacher name guess we’ve planned a surprise farewell party for her in ________!”

a place

Follow us on Instagram for updates on the Spotlight! @slsdspotlight

The Spotlight

Page 20

May 2022

Letters From the Editors-in-Chief

by Alex Kane, editor-in-chief Like my predecessor, I too had absolutely no clue what to expect when I joined the Spotlight.

When selecting courses for my sophomore year it seemed like a good way to work on my writing.

If I had to pick one word to describe the Spotlight, I know only one word, that’s a shocker, it would be chaos. That’s what the staff is, every year it’s like mixing a bunch of different chemicals together and hoping nothing explodes in your face.

The first year was nothing like any other class I’d taken before, or since. When I got to class that first day, the first one there, as usual. Kennah would beat me to class some days but she definitely cheated and left class early.

To my astonishment there were only five other people in the class. While I didn’t know it, this was the start to a three year saga almost as chaotic as the people in the class. There was Kennah, possibly the only person I’ve ever met who could equal me in terms of chaos. Lucas was there, a friend in a room full of strangers. There was Saskia and Noelle, best friends and both equally quiet.

Then there was Kate, who was enthusiastic about

by Evelyn Blower, assistant editor-in-chief Dear Spotlight, I love to joke often about how I’m graduating with a four-year diploma with two years of education, but really, that’s what it feels like. Most people would say 2020-2021 was the worst year of education they’ve ever had. I would like to disagree – arguably, it takes the cake for one of the best years of my life. Most classes, journalism included, I sat at

being there. We all found out that on the first day we’d be editors, well, Lucas, Noelle, Kate, and I did.

Kennah and Saskia were already in the class the year prior. I chose to be the News Editor.

The Spotlight stood, fallen from its former glory stood as only six people. There were others in the Spartan Period, but we were the core, the only ones who saw each other with regularity. We took a while to get rolling, and just when we were hitting our stride - bam a once in a century pandemic. We took to Google Meets (think Zoom but somehow even worse), fairly quickly. While we still saw each other, it wasn’t the same. And then, all too soon, the year was over and Kate and Kennah departed.

And then there were four.

Junior year the remaining four editors came back, this time I’d also picked up the Sports section (god that was a horrible mistake I regretted at the end of the year. It is apparently very difficult to get people to fill out a Google Form), as the editorial staff had shrunk to four. Little did I know that’s the largest it would get for a while. We had an easier go at things because we had less deadlines to hit. Not that the senior issue wasn’t the same nightmare it always was (and is). We got the issue out, barely and by the skin of our teeth. How Lucas always pulled through when we needed him to, held a job, and still had his responsibilities handled I’ll never know. I interviewed for the Editor in Chief Position, then ended up with a co-EIC, who would then move away, dropping the editorial staff back down to four.

And then there was one.

Senior year was a completely different experience from any before. That summer I’d gotten hurt in an accident, and instead of a part time job at the pool, I had a part time job doing rehab.

Unlike any other year prior, I was also the only one with any editorial experience, though Kishore, Evelyn, and Arden have been more than up to the task. I’m confident leaving the Spotlight in Kishore’s hands for next year, and looking forward to seeing what direction he takes it in. We were slow to start, but with an admittedly very green and inexperienced staff (day one we were practically a Christmas tree), it was to be expected. The staff has grown so much from that day, though we don’t match the closeness of the six, we certainly have that original group beat in dysfunctionality. We got

out four issues this year, even if it was a close one.

I’ve enjoyed getting to know the members of the staff and hope to see the younger members continue to grow. I have every confidence that they will rebuild the Spotlight to what it used to be.

It’s a strange feeling now, saying goodbye to the Spotlight. I saw the staff undergo so many changes that nothing felt permanent except Mrs. Spritzer - even I didn’t stay constant - I grew a great deal. The feeling of leaving is melancholy.

While on one hand I’m anxious to graduate and move on, as the district feels nothing like the one I joined 12 years ago or even four years ago when I started high school; at the same time there are so many people I leave behind that I don’t want to say goodbye to.

But a thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts.

Things change. People change. If I’ve learned nothing else from my four years here at SLHS it’s that. Following the news has shown that steps forward can be backtracked if those who won the ground in war are not joined by more to defend it.

At this point I’m reaching for anything to say because I only have six days of classes leftafter the day I wrote this. That’s less than there are laps in a 3200, so if you’ll all forgive my runner’s parlance I have 2400 meters left of high school. And each day ticks by, 400 meters at a time. Of course I don’t graduate until June Third, but after Tuesday the Twenty-Fourth I don’t come back to the school for class again. At this point there’s no point putting off the inevitable. I’m graduating.

Leaving the halls of Southern Lehigh. To those who leave with me, I say goodbye and good hunting. To those who I leave behind I say, make the most of high school, it’ll be gone before you know it.

So as much as I hate to leave, it’ll be interesting to see if the Class of ‘22 was all that held the school together, and if five minutes after graduation everything implodes.

Best wishes next year to The Spotlight and Southern Lehigh.

Kane

my own home desk with my electric kettle running for tea, my dog by my side, with a seasonal candle lit. Though all of that really made me happy, nothing brought me more joy than that newspaper class.

Truly, I’ve never been more glad to listen to what my friends tell me to do. My sophomore year, my best friend (alumnus Kate Miller) was on the Spotlight staff, and since she was graduating, she wanted me to join journalism. I had Mrs. Spritzer for English that year too, and she liked my writing enough, so I didn’t have a terrible reputation going into it. I feel like I came into this class knowing nothing, but came out knowing so much.

Now, I must say, I bribed my way into writing this assistant-editor-in-chief letter, mostly because I know that whatever I say usually goes when Alex can’t make a decision. However, there’s a few things I want to touch on; as a journalist, as an editor, as a student, and as a human being.

Look around you. There is a story in every day, every mile, every step you take throughout your world, whether that be in school, your community or your life. You have the privilege of walking this world every day and seeing a story get told; you see something on your drive, you see signs across your neighborhood, you see a new event pop up. You are so lucky to have a part in each and every one of these stories. Whether you are a journalist or not, tell them. People love hearing stories.

Give thanks to people in high school who participate in extracurriculars. This newspaper is a ton of work, and student leaders, much like myself and my peers, are extremely overworked. I’ve been working on this issue for at least four hours a day in

the last three days. Sports captains, junior government officers, club presidents: they are all students as much as they are leaders. Cherish the next editors of the newspaper as well, because they are going to be working their butts off.

The path to the road you want to take is not always paved and marked. You are going to have days where it is gravel, or dirt, or just some footprints in the most weeded garden you’ve ever seen. From the time you are a wide-eyed freshman that is just trying to find room 152 – please let me find room 152 oh my gosh this is the worst hallway intersection I’ve ever seen I can’t get through – you’re on the final stretch, enough school days left to count on two hands. Cherish the days that you can’t find your new classrooms, or complain about the required gen-ed courses, or hate the beep test.

Lastly, let yourself take up space. Let your voice be heard, no matter how annoying you think it sounds when you listen to it in recordings. If you ever have regret about taking one class while your friend couldn’t take it, take it. If you have an opinion that your best friend doesn’t agree with, have it.

If you think something for just long enough where it toes that fine line between idea and beginning, take that step. Say your piece and say it with conviction.

The Spotlight gave me an outlet for that, and I have never been more grateful for the place for my jumble of thoughts to be heard somewhere out there.

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu.

P.S - Pay attention in History Class, as a wise man once said, “The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you can see.”

Evelyn