The Spoke December 2016

NEWS

Graduation returns to Teamer Vol. 67 No. 3

Dec. 19, 2016

Conestoga High School

See Page 2

Berwyn, PA

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

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NEWS

Heroin epidemic reaches Berwyn SPECIAL REPORT — PART 2 OF 2 To our readers: In the last issue of The Spoke, we established heroin as a pressing issue in our area and the nation. In this issue, we will address the efforts taken to mediate the growing national epidemic.

F

or 2010 alumnus Reilly McCloskey, April 2, 2016 was “the worst day of my life.” On that day, McCloskey lost his younger brother to heroin addiction.

“You can’t prepare for something like that, that moment. I knew that was where he was headed, but you can never physically prepare yourself for losing family,” McCloskey said.

“That’s the reality of heroin.”

The abuse of heroin and prescription painkillers is becoming an ever more concerning social issue across the nation.

The CDC reports that in 2015, opioid-related deaths surpassed 30,000 ― a 5,000 death increase from 2014. According to the 2015 data, heroin deaths have now outpaced deaths from gun homicides, which previously outnumbered heroin-related deaths by a 5 to 1 margin.

In Pennsylvania, heroin and prescription painkillers account for nearly half of all rehabilitation center admissions each year, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. With heroin found in the systems of overdose victims in 55 percent of drug-related overdoses in 2015, state legislators and medical professionals have begun to take action against this crisis.

While he hopes to see families become more proactive in facing the problem, McCloskey admits that he does not see one clear path to stopping the violent growth of this epidemic.

“I don’t know what the right solution to this is. I really don’t.

I think the best thing you can do is cut it off at its knees, stop it before it even starts,” McCloskey said.

See Pages 6 and 7

Photo Illustration by Meagan O’Rourke

STUDENT LIFE

STUDENT LIFE

“I guess I’m a people person...”

“Someone called me Batman once...“

See Page 12

See Page 16

Monday, December 19, 2016

News

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Seniors to graduate on Teamer Field, first time in 25 years

By Brooke Deasy Staff Reporter Throughout its high school years, the Class of 2017 visited Teamer Field to enjoy sports games, pose for group photos or practice after school. This year, Teamer will also serve as the last place they gather as Conestoga students.

“Having our graduation on Teamer will set us apart from other grades that have previously graduated, and I think if the weather is nice, it’ll be a cool, almost movie-like high school graduation,” senior Katherine Rossler said.

Graduation proceeded on Teamer Field until 1990, when there was a switch to Villanova’s Pavilion. Students have assembled in their caps and gowns at the university with no complications until this year.

Extensive renovations at Villanova, scheduled to start in May, forced the administration to search for alternative graduation locations. After much consideration, they decided to hold the ceremony on Teamer Field.

The renovations presented to the Board of Trustees at Villanova include a number of exterior and interior repairs. The largest exterior renovation

is the reconstruction of the walkway down Ithan Avenue towards the Davis Center and Pavilion. Interior renovations include a new layout for the student seating section of the Pavilion. Students will now sit behind both of the baskets on the court. However, these renovation plans are subject to change.

In an attempt to find a venue similar to Villanova, the administration called around 15 to 20 schools, mostly colleges and universities such as Temple, Cabrini and Immaculata, as well as the Wells Fargo and Mann Music Centers.

“The challenge was the size of our graduating class, and the size of our audience that we need to accommodate — the families,” Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger said. “We did not want to limit tickets. We wanted to have open seating so everybody that wanted to come could come and we didn’t have to turn people away.”

The administration received additional input from students, parents and faculty members to finalize its decision on the new location. Focus groups were held at lunchtime in which about 150 students discussed their preferences. In addition, Meisinger attended

the senior parent meeting twice and talked with the faculty to hear its ideas.

Depending on the success of graduation on Teamer Field, the administration may implement a similar process to choose next year’s venue. As of right now, both Villanova and Teamer Field remain viable options.

In sponsoring graduation for the first time in 25 years, the class officers are securing preparations months in advance.

“I think that we’re in a place right now where we’re organizing everything, everything from the stage, the sound, chairs, lighting, all that’s being worked out right now,” Assistant Principal Patrick Boyle said. “So a lot of stuff is going to go on but, it’s not as bad as you would think it would be.”

A lot of manpower is necessary to convert the everyday sports center into a polished graduation arena. Preparation efforts will proceed on behalf of the school’s maintenance and custodial crews, who will work alongside contracted vendors.

The scheduling and format for the ceremony will remain identical to those in the past. If it rains, however, the event will be moved to the following day.

An exact price tag for graduation on Teamer Field is

Staff Reporters

Susan Gregory, Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt

Faculty Advisers Submissions: Letters to the editor may be submitted to Camille Kurtz or Meagan O’Rourke, or advisers Susan Gregory or Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt. Unsigned editorials represent the views of The Spoke editorial board, not necessarily those of the administration, student body, community or advertisers. The opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of The Spoke.

The Spoke accepts paid advertisements.

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2 The Spoke

Meagan O’Rourke/The SPOKE

Renovating Tradition: Due to construction at Villanova University, Conestoga plans to hold its graduation ceremony for the Class of 2017 at Teamer Field. Conestoga had hosted graduation ceremonies at the Villanova Pavilion since 1990.

currently unavailable, as prices for the service of certain companies and usage of needed equipment are not definite.

However, recent calculations by the staff suggest that the cost is comparable to what the school has paid Villanova in the past.

The administration has discussed the idea of commencing graduation with a final walk — a tradition in the district among some elementary and middle schools. Prior to graduation, the students will line up in rows in the gym, and from there, they will march down the main hall, through the courtyard and out the breezeway to Teamer Field.

“I think (the final walk) will be special, and I think just graduating on your stadium field makes it a little bit more personal and special,” Meisinger said. “They will walk right over the big C when they come onto the field, and we are going to start graduation at 6 (p.m.) so the idea is that the sun will be setting right as graduation ends, sort of symbolic of their career at Conestoga ending as well.”

Although some students are happy with the return to graduation on Teamer Field, others, such as senior Carolyn Asher, have mixed feelings about the change.

“I was a little sad because both my sisters who graduated from Conestoga got to go to the Pavilion, and I thought it would be cool to graduate there since Villanova just won the NCAA Championship,” Asher said.

“But, I think it will be really cool to have it on Teamer, somewhere different than everyone else.”

More specific arrangements will continue for the day when seniors wave their caps to a successful four years of high school and welcome in the life that lays before them. According to Boyle, the staff wants to ensure that the seniors are rewarded with a “memorable occasion to talk about for the rest of their lives.”

“We will do everything we can to just make it a really special event for the Class of 2017 because we want it to be a culmination of their high school and K-12 experience,” Meisinger said. “We will do everything we can to make it as special as an evening, if not more special, than we have always done.”

News

Monday, December 19, 2016

’Stoga secretary to retire after 19 years of service

By Maddie Lamonica Staff Reporter Wonderful, that is the first word that comes to mind when Secretary, Deedee Dohan, is asked to reflect upon her time here at Conestoga. She beams at the thought of greeting the students smiling faces every morning.

After 18 years of working in ’Stoga’s main office and several more spent within the public education system, Dohan has decided to retire after the winter break, which was not an easy decision.

“In the beginning when I first thought about (retiring) I thought I was ready and then when I actually took the step and handed in my letter of resignation it was much harder than I anticipated,” Dohan said.

Prior to working for the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District Dohan taught multi – handicapped deaf students at the Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York Schools for the Deaf, as well as interpreting at many hospitals, which she said was very rewarding.

She was later hired as a secretary at Conestoga in 1998 and believes no two days since then have been alike.

“What I love most about my job is the great variety of questions people call up and ask, you never know what kind of day you are going to have,” Dohan said.

For Dohan, Conestoga is not just her place of work but also where both of her children, Elizabeth and David, graduated.

“My kids would come visit me with their group of friends and tell me about their day. I always ended up giving them money for one thing or another, that’s how I got my nickname, bank mom. Those are some of my most wonderful memories” Dohan said.

Her positive attitude has had a lasting effect on the many staff members whom she greets every morning. Philosophy and AP Seminar teacher, John Koenig believes Dohan is Conestoga’s onewoman welcoming committee.

“The first person you meet in your first experience anywhere is really important, (Mrs. Dohan) was that person for me. I admire her because she is always warm and caring and is interested in everybody who walks through the door. I can always trust that no matter how difficult it was to get to (Conestoga) I would feel better after the brief interactions I had with her at 6:55

in the morning – and I’m not a morning person so for someone to make me feel that way was a gift to both me and my students and it’s something I’m going to miss tremendously” Koenig said.

Secretary, Susan O’Keeffe, has been working alongside Dohan for 15 years.

“Mrs. Dohan has always been the face and voice of the main office for me. It has been a pleasure working with her; she is always willing to lend a helping hand. She has been invaluable in helping to coordinate the substitute teachers each morning and navigating the many other facets of what goes on in the busy main office. We will all miss her!”

O’Keeffe said.

Apart from the many ’Stoga football games and musicals she has attended, what Dohan will miss the most are not the school’s functions but the people in them.

“I feel fortunate to work with so many wonderful people whom I enjoy so much. I know that we have the best kids here, 100 percent. I really do believe we are like a big family,” Dohan said.

While she is leaving one family Dohan looks forward to spending time with another.

She has many plans for her

take a last minute job before the school day begins.

Between 2009 and 2016, school districts on the Main Line and across Pennsylvania experienced an across-the-board decrease in the percentage of teacher absences covered by substitute teachers. From the 2015-2016 school year to this fall, the percentage of filled teacher vacancies in T/E fell from 90 to

80. The shortage coincides with a decline in the numbers of newly certified teachers, with the state mandating until August 2016 that substitutes hold a bachelor’s degree and teaching certification if working more than 20 days.

Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger notes that while substitute teachers in past years tended to be recent college graduates searching for a permanent teaching job, the overwhelming majority of today’s substitutes are retired teachers.

An analysis by T/E Director of Personnel Jeanne Pocalyko of substitute teacher pay in 13 area school districts found that T/E’s previous 2015-16 daily starting rate lagged behind that of nine others. As a result, Pocalyko spoke in favor of increasing both daily and additional pay rates at the Oct. 18 school board finance committee meeting.

“We regularly monitor substitute teacher pay rates to ensure that we are offering a competitive rate of pay,” Pocalyko said.

“Pay rates were increased in surrounding districts and we wanted make sure that we could continue (to) staff our substitute

Maddie Lamonica/The SPOKE

Ready for a Change: Secretary Deedee Dohan prepares for retirement and is excited for a new part of her life to begin. She began working in the main office in 1998. retirement and is determined to cross each one off her list.

“I have a young grandson and am excited to be more involved with him and my two children,” Dohan said. “I enjoy reading and I love to travel, I have been to many places around the world and I plan to visit a lot more. I’m also going to buy a bicycle and

a few friends and I are going to ride the nearby trails together.”

While there are countless things she will miss about being a secretary, one thing Dohan will not miss is getting up at 5:30 a.m. every day. But early wake time aside, Dohan’s time at Conestoga has been, by every definition of the word, wonderful.

teacher assignments by offering comparable rates.”

To attract more substitute teachers, the school board voted in October to raise the starting rate from $100 to $115 a day and the additional daily rate to $125. This marks the first wage increase for substitute teachers in nine years, made possible by a $100,000 budget increase. Among the 13 area districts, T/E now offers the third highest starting rate, following Downingtown and Lower Merion School Districts.

Former elementary school teacher and substitute Allison Hayden enjoys her work, but hopes to contribute more to her family’s income as her second child approaches college age.

The pay “is part of the reason I continue to seek (another job), because the salary of a substitute teacher is not helping with the cost of college,” Hayden said.

“That’s where I struggle because there’s certain benefits with the job that you can’t really put a price tag on.”

Since February 2013, T/E has limited individual substitutes employed directly by the district to

working 17 full days each month so that the Affordable Care Act does not require it to provide health benefits. As a result, some substitute teachers work in other districts for the remaining days of the month or find other part-time jobs, a practice Pocalyko describes as common. The policy places additional pressure to recruit more substitute teachers since schools must rely less on those Hayden terms “the regulars.”

The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed a law this August designed to address the shortage by expanding the pool of eligible substitutes, allowing college students enrolled in a teacher preparatory program who have completed 60 credit hours to work for a limited number of days. Hayden disagrees with any attempts to lower the standards for substitute teachers, adding that substitutes contribute substantially to the educational environment in T/E. “Having experience in the classroom allows me to be more flexible,” Hayden said. “Part of what makes us a district with such high standards is that we require subs to have a teaching certificate.”

District grapples with substitute teacher shortage

By Cissy Ming Copy Editor

On any given morning, secretary Kim Thomsen faces up to a dozen unfilled substitute teaching spots at Conestoga.

After several rushed phone calls and e-mails, she somehow finds substitute teachers or a teacher with a free period willing to

Cissy Ming/The SPOKE

No Substitute for Subs: Secretary Kim Thomsen coordinates substitute teacher work schedules. Over the past year, Thomsen has noticed a decrease in the number of substitutes working regularly.

The Spoke 3

Monday, December 19, 2016

News

Cuban Americans recall past after Castro’s death

By Betty Ben Dor and Cissy Ming Managing Editor and Copy Editor

For Anna Kovarick, a halfCuban, half-Czechoslovakian junior, her family heritage has always been a point of pride.

“I have such an interest in my family history, and I love talking to (my grandparents) about it,” Kovarick said. “Different sides of my family were raised in very separate ways, so I’m the byproduct of that.

It’s kind of cool.”

Once members of wealthy families in Cuba, Kovarick’s mother’s family, the Lopez-Onas, decided to leave with dictator Fidel Castro’s takeover and the subsequent transition to Communism. They arrived in the United States in 1960 with only $3,000, moving to West Palm, Fla. where they settled among the city’s large Latin American community.

“My grandfather says he’s just very con�licted with how to feel about (Castro’s death),” Kovarick said, re�lecting on her grandfather’s reaction to the death of Castro. “He doesn’t want this man to die, and yet,

this man was the cause of so many deaths, even of friends, and that’s where his con�lict comes from.”

Conestoga social studies teacher Michael Cruz’s father left Cuba as a refugee at age 13. Sensing the threat Castro posed to their livelihood, Cruz’s father and paternal grandmother decided to begin their lives anew in the United States, forfeiting their extensive business assets in Cuba. Growing up, Cruz never realized the full story behind their journey until learning about the events of Castro’s takeover in school.

Cruz’s father preferred not to discuss his childhood escape from Cuba even with close family members.

As the son of an immigrant, “I appreciated that America was accepting of refugees, people escaping from that type of system that was very oppressive,” Cruz said. “It was very sad for (my father) to not be able to go back (home).

They took a suitcase or two and left. Leaving everything behind, for him, was tough to talk about.”

While her grandparents miss the Cuba they knew before Castro, Kovarick believes the country’s deterioration

Courtesy Anna Kovarick

New Beginnings: Junior Anna Kovarick and her sisters spend time with their grandparents and learn about their heritage. The Lopez-Onas emigrated from Cuba in 1960. since 1960 has tainted their memory of their former home.

“It’s hard for (my grandparents) to go back,” Kovarick said.

“They just know the economy is not what it was, the state of Cuba and the people, not the same ideals, not the same place for them.”

For Kovarick, Cuban culture influences her daily life,

as her family carries on traditions such as serving the key dish of beans and rice each Thanksgiving. Cruz on the other hand, has only started to explore Cuban food and music as an adult, and still feels more American than Cuban. His newfound interest in Cuban culture lead him to realize the effects of Castro’s

regime on the country’s cultural life.

“It’s a shame what the people had to go through for all that time, to see the country almost get frozen in time in many ways,” Cruz said. “It was a very vibrant culture and I think it’s sad for (my father) that this is the way it’s gone down for all these years.”

well above the level of a high school student.”

While at Conestoga, his one act play “Not Another Divine Comedy” was one of the 12 winning plays at the Pittsburgh New Works Festival and was produced at Temple University by undergraduate students and then by the Open Stage Company in Pittsburgh, Pa. “Seeing that play performed was pretty magical and that’s really when we got a �irst sense of Roger’s extraordinary talent as a writer,” Renee said.

His essay on growing up with online media was published in The New York Times in his freshman year at Reed College.

Roger majored in English. There, he began to develop a passion for the works of Edgar Allan Poe and the crime �iction genre. In his senior year, Roger wrote his thesis on the literary techniques in Poe’s work. At the same time, he wrote his �irst novel, “Ghostman.”

Within a year of his college graduation, Roger signed a deal with Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group for the novel’s publication. Within months, the book

was an international hit, making The New York Times bestseller list and earning him a variety of international awards. The movie rights to the book were purchased by Warner Brothers.

The book’s sequel, “Vanishing Games,” was published in 2014.

By the age of 25, he had already been nominated for most of the major crime �iction awards. He was the youngest

recipient of both the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for best thriller and Japan’s Maltese Falcon Award.

Kerschner hopes that the Conestoga community will continue to carry the legacy of Roger.

“The Conestoga students should remember him for his writing, but not just his writing, but the idea that he knew that he was a writer," Kerschner said.

’Stoga alumnus leaves behind storied legacy

By Betty Ben Dor Managing Editor

Roger Hobbs stood out at Conestoga High School.

He wore a business suit to school every single day and carried a briefcase.

But most importantly, he was certain of his post-graduation goal: to be a writer.

“Roger Hobbs was a character,” mother Renee Hobbs said. “As a small child, he was always telling stories; he was drawing little pictures and each of the little pictures was a story

and the stories all �it together in beautiful ways.”

On Nov. 14, Roger was found dead of a drug overdose in a Portland, Ore. hotel.

From a young age, Renee’s son and Class of 2007 alumnus Roger Hobbs began to garner attention for his writing. In his junior year at Conestoga, Roger’s AP Language and Composition teacher Linda Kerschner noticed his advanced use of vocabulary and sentence variety.

“Roger was unique, and by unique I really do mean one-ofa-kind,” Kerschner said. “Even in 11th grade, he was writing 10% OF w/ C ones F tog Stud ent I a D

4 The Spoke

Courtesy Renee Hobbs

In Remembrance: 'Stoga alumnus Roger Hobbs' crime �iction novels are bestsellers worldwide.

He passed away from a drug overdose on Nov. 14.

News

Monday, December 19, 2016

Conestoga alumnus excels on Harvard football team

By Jordan Liu Web Editor

Joe Viviano, Class of 2013, became quarterback of Harvard University’s football team at the beginning of the 2016 season. Currently a senior majoring in economics at Harvard, Joe is the son of American Literature teacher Laura Viviano. Since his childhood, Joe has been heavily involved

in a variety of sports, including football, baseball and basketball, and played for Conestoga in all three.

Laura thinks sports suited Joe well because of his energetic personality.

“He was a very active child — very physical, always larger than the other children and always a daredevil,” Laura said.

“The football field ended up being an appropriate place for an active, large thrill-seeker.”

Courtesy The Harvard Crimson

Touchdown: Conestoga alumnus Joe Viviano winds up for a throw.

He began playing as quarterback on Harvard’s 2016_HS_Newspapers (10.312 x 5.843).3_Layout 1 5/17/16 5:42 PM Page 1 football team in his fourth year attending the university.

At Conestoga, Joe climbed the ranks and eventually became captain of both ’Stoga’s football and basketball teams in his senior year. Former ’Stoga football coach John Vogan thinks Joe’s positive attitude helped build team chemistry.

“He had all the tools that we wanted in a ’Stoga football player. When you have a kid like Joe helping and supporting you, trying to bring you up, it really helps bring the team together quickly,” Vogan said. “If things weren’t going well, Joe wasn’t the kid to slam the ball down, yell at everybody and make them feel bad. He was just the opposite. He was a supporting kind of person — he’d pat guys on the back, help them up.”

Along with former coach Chris Giching, Vogan trained with Joe for the four years he spent with ’Stoga football, from making the JV team in his sophomore year to being a varsity quarterback his junior and senior years.

Throughout high school, Joe often spent Wednesday nights at Giching’s house, studying football and improving his tactics.

“When we saw the kind of student Joe became at the game,

In the last five years we have helped high school seniors gain acceptance to these colleges:

Columbia, Carleton, Syracuse, Northeastern…and many more.

it was really something special.

He worked extremely hard in the off-season, trying to make himself a better quarterback,” Vogan said.

“He listened to us and did everything you could ask. We were very lucky to have Joe in our program.”

Joe attributes much of his athletic and academic success to the work ethic he developed during his time at Conestoga.

“Conestoga taught me that you’ve got to make the most out of every single thing you’re a part of. Athletically, if you want that opportunity to play at the next level, you’ve got to give it everything you’ve got,” Joe said.

At ’Stoga, Joe maintained both an intense sports schedule and a rigorous course load. A member of National Honor Society and Habitat for Humanity, Joe was just as involved academically as he was athletically.

“Balancing school and academics is always difficult, but I enjoyed my time at Conestoga,” Joe said. “Time management was the key.”

Helping with the academic stress, Joe found his mother’s presence at the school comforting.

“I loved having my mom as a teacher here. Her being a teacher

throughout my early childhood really shaped who I am today,” Joe said. “It’s always awesome having one of your family members at the school, and when you see them, you get reminded that you’re not alone there.”

Off the football field, Laura strove to emphasize the value of learning with Joe. “As a teacher, I found learning was important, and continue to think it’s important that we learn as much as we possibly can,” Laura said. “The focus at home was certainly to do your best in school, work hard and to never give up if something gets hard.”

As a member of Harvard’s football team, Joe plays in the annual Ivy League championships. This year, he was the quarterback for the team throughout the season, which culminated in a 21-14 loss to Yale University. However, Joe looks forward to another upcoming season as quarterback.

“This year was a good year, but there were definitely some things I wish we could’ve done differently, so next year I’ll have a opportunity to come back and play a little better,” Joe said. “The goal for our team is definitely to win the Ivy League Championship.”

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Monday, December 19, 2016

News

By Betty Ben Dor, Camille Kurtz and Eric Xue Managing Editor, Co-Editor-in-Chief and News Editor Design by Adam Lockett Head Designer Continued from Page 1 Response to a Community Crisis Nick Theodos, Class of 2011, having suffered from heroin addiction, realizes the drug is “destroying our community.”

“It’s such an insidious drug; it’s not something like weed where it’s noticeable, it’s nothing,” Theodos said. “It’s something that just creeps in and you have no idea that it’s happening. I literally turn into someone I would never be when I’m sober. ” Despite recognizing the dangers of heroin, Theodos admits that, for him, “it’s not about stopping” the addiction, but “lowering it.”

A signi�icant step in lowering heroin and opioid abuse, for McCloskey, lies in combatting the overprescription of addictive medicinal drugs.

It was prescription pills that started McCloskey’s brother on a path to his eventual heroin overdose.

“If it wasn’t produced so heavily, if it wasn’t prescribed so heavily, not that many people would have their hands on it,” McCloskey said.

Prescription medications such as OxyContin and Vicodin often contain opioids to assist in pain relief. According to Dr. Jonathan Voiner, an oral surgeon at the Main Line Center for Oral and Facial Surgery, opioids can serve a purpose when dealing with serious postoperative pain.

Following many of his oral surgery procedures, Voiner’s of�ice generally prescribes a short course of opioid pain relievers lasting two to three days to prevent addiction.

“It’s something that just creeps in and you have no idea that it’s happening.”

-Nick Theodos

However, these painkillers are often the beginnings to a lifetime of addiction.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) classify opioids into four categories: heroin, methadone, natural and synthetic opioids. Due to the similar effects, prescription drug abuse often serves as a gateway into heroin use, as seen

Betty Ben Dor/The SPOKE

Raising Awareness: Jim Wahlberg emphasizes the toll of heroin and opioid addiction on teenagers. The “If Only” presentation came to Conestoga on Nov. 9. in the experience of McCloskey’s brother and Theodos.

“It all starts out as fun, maybe just trying out something that you found in your parents’ medicine cabinet,” Theodos said.

Of�icer Joseph Butler, Tredyffrin Township Community Policing Unit Director, explains that once patients become addicted to prescribed painkillers, they resort to searching for a cheaper alternative on the streets that provides a similar effect.

“I think everybody knows that street drugs are bad,” Butler said. “I don’t think anybody voluntarily goes out and says, ‘Oh, I’m going to go do heroin.’ It’s a developing problem, you run out of options, and you have this chemical dependency to

the drug, so you’re going to resort to heroin.”

Butler cautions parents of teenagers to “clean up the medicine cabinets.”

“If you misuse the narcotics when they’re prescribed to you, you’re going to go searching for narcotics. It makes it a lot harder when they’re not available for you,” Butler said.

Voiner worries that the children and adolescents prescribed these drugs after medical procedures do not understand the possible consequences of abuse.

“Younger people typically are more risk-taking and there’s more of them that can fall into these traps,” Voiner said. “Obviously, the time has come for us as a society to take a step back and

heroin-related causes than from gun homicides As recently as 2007, gun homicides outnumbered heroin deaths by more than 5:1

6 The Spoke

According to the CDC:

In 2015, more people died from

really evaluate how we’re using these medications and trying to really limit their abuse.”

On Nov. 9, Jim Wahlberg, executive director of the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, visited Conestoga for the “If Only” presentation. He, too, attributes a large part of the opioid addiction epidemic to the overproduction of prescription medication by big pharmaceutical companies and the incompetency of the doctors prescribing them.

“If you’ve got pain, (it is the doctors’) job is to take the pain away, so they give you stuff and you get addicted to it,” Wahlberg said. “They need to understand that if you’re prescribing this medication, the chances are that the person taking it is

Continued on Page 7

30K

Americans died in 2015 from opioids

in data released Thursday, Dec. 8, 2016

News

Monday, December 19, 2016

Continued from Page 6 serves people ranging in age from 14 to 85 struggling with drug and alcohol abuse or mental health issues.

“We are really adept at individualizing treatment plans based on speci�ic cultural and clinical needs of each patient and their families,” Rotenberg said.

McCloskey, now several months clean himself from nonopioid drugs, has seen positive change in his self-esteem and quality of life since working to remain sober and encourages seeking treatment for those battling addiction.

“Just being sober, just being in the mindset of being clean and not having a substance fog your mind, afforded me all these great things in life that I didn’t think I was able to get,” McCloskey said.

Response Epidemic

to

a

National

Outside of the Conestoga community, the state legislature has also begun to take steps to directly address the heroin and opioid crisis. According to a press release on Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf’s website, on Nov. 2, the governor signed a series of bills that will “strengthen the Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, restrict the number of pills that can be prescribed to minors or in emergency rooms, establish education curriculum on safe prescribing and create more locations for the drop-off of prescription drugs.”

Heroin and opioid abuse is “the largest public health crisis we’ve faced in our lifetimes, undoubtedly,” said Gov. Wolf’s press secretary, Jeff Sheridan.

In the past year, Gov. Wolf secured the required funding to set up 45 opioid addiction treatment centers that will serve at least 11,000 people.

Young Adults (age 18-25)

are the largest abusers

of pain killers, ADHD stimulants and anti-anxiety drugs

The administration is now requiring that medical schools and medical training facilities spend time to discuss safe prescribing guidelines. They are also placing limitations on the number of days that opioids can be prescribed to minors in emergency room situations.

“This is the largest public health crisis we’ve faced in our lifetimes.”

-Jeff Sheridan

“We still have work to do, but every step we take is just another step,” Sheridan said.

“We are going to continue to �ind ways to �ight this crisis and it’s a top priority to the governor.”

Legislators are additionally working to combat the heroin and opioid crisis on Captiol Hill. U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, who represents Pennsylvania, has been �ighting against heroin and prescription painkillers since his election into of�ice.

“We will reduce the scourge of prescription drug and heroin abuse that has touched almost every corner of the Commonwealth,” Toomey said in a statement on his website.

However, according to Butler, the short term consequences of the legislation may

1,700

young adults

died in 2014

from prescription drug overdose

unfortunately include a spike in the use of heroin.

“Due to the lack of prescription drugs on the street, people are going to turn more to heroin, causing a rapid increase in use,” Butler said.

Sheridan agrees that although the legislation will ultimately be successful, the numbers of heroin addicts will initially rise.

“We are going to unfortunately see these numbers go up before they come down and before the governor’s policies really have time to start working,” Sheridan said. “This is a crisis that had spiraled out of control before we ever took office, but we are doing everything we can to fight it.”

In an effort to change how the justice system deals with the heroin crisis, Pennsylvania Attorney General-elect Josh Shapiro plans to prioritize and reduce barriers to treatment and recovery, according to his website.

“Let me be clear: as Attorney General, I’ll be compassionate with those suffering from addiction, but merciless with the drug dealers,” Shapiro said in a statement released on his website.

His platform includes the enforcement of federal and state laws requiring insurers to pay for drug addiction treatment services and the reformation of the criminal justice system to reduce overincarceration and get those fighting addiction the help they need.

Like Gov. Wolf, Shapiro plans to combat the overprescription of opioids.

“We need a comprehensive, recovery-based approach that treats addiction as a disease, not a crime, paired with a smart-on-crime approach to reducing the availability of heroin and prescription According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Admin.:

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse:

going to become addicted to it and they may die.”

Currently, police forces are using the Amphastar Pharmaceuticals drug, Narcan, to temporarily reverse the effects of heroin overdose. The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Narcan, the only nasal naloxone used to temporarily reverse the effects of opioid medications, in November 2015. Starting in the fall of 2016, Conestoga began keeping a supply of Narcan in the nurse’s of�ice.

Though the availability of Narcan at Conestoga suggests an alteration in the typical school-student relationship, Wahlberg believes this dialogue is an important step in understanding the drug problem.

Educators are “not supposed to be talking to their kids about this stuff,” Wahlberg said. “Kids are not supposed to be dying, but it’s happening, so they have to evolve with the times. They really have to.”

According to Butler, in addition to administering Narcan, Chester County recently created the Chester County Overdose Prevention Task Force.

The Task Force is charged with “combatting the rising overdoses and deaths in Chester County.” Butler and his coworkers also look to education to confront the epidemic affecting “all age groups, all socioeconomic areas, rich and poor.”

“We’re going to be proactive in education and get our message out there. This is a very serious epidemic and this drug is bad stuff,” Butler said.

“It ruins so many lives and will continue to do so until we get the word out to people to stay away from it.”

David Rotenberg is chief clinical of�icer at the Pennsylvania branch of the Caron Treatment Centers, which

opioids in our communities,” Shapiro said.

The state legislature is also working alongside law enforcement of�icials to implement drug kickback locations in police stations statewide.

In an effort to reduce the amounts of opioids available on the streets, these locations will provide a resource for people to dispose of their unused medications safely.

In the meantime, Butler stresses the importance of knowing “when to stop and ask somebody for help.” To provide such support, Butler believes it is essential that the community works together.

“There’s always going to be that small group and it’s up to us to either educate them, try to get a hold of them and help them before they make some really bad decisions,” Butler said. “No teen should feel so depressed and hopeless that using drugs becomes an option to feel better. I know that there are people out there that really care.”

Although he acknowledged the bene�its of all the efforts being taken by the government, McCloskey, too, stresses the importance of creating a supportive environment, above all else, for friends and family members struggling with heroin addiction.

“There needs to be a national thing that people can rally around, and I think there will be eventually,” McCloskey said. “In the meantime, if your kid is afflicted with this thing, or if you have a friend that’s afflicted with heroin addiction, just be there. Just be there for them. You’re not going to be able to do much more than that for them. If that person doesn’t really want to get sober and change, then nothing’s going to change.”

Half of rehabilitation center admissions are for heroin & Rx painkiller abuse in PA .

The Spoke 7

Monday, December 19, 2016

STUDENT LIFE New Year, New You

Story by Matt Paolizzi and photos by Ian Ong, Co-Student Life Editors

As 2016 draws to a close, Conestoga prepares for a new year. The Spoke asked students and faculty, “What is your New Year’s Resolution?”

Many take the opportunity of a fresh start to set goals for the upcoming year. Almost 45 percent of Americans say they usually make New Year’s Resolutions with an added 17 percent stating that they make them infrequently. Regardless of whether you do or don’t make them (let alone keep them), resolutions are a part of New Year’s culture, and students and faculty at Conestoga have gotten a jump on them.

Nate Cummin Sophomore

“To work hard for next season in basketball and try and make the team.”

Mark Wang Sophomore

“To achieve greatness.”

Kirsten Whitaker Latin teacher

“To read more.”

8 The Spoke

Katie Economou Junior

Alex Atkins Senior

“To get swole.”

“To get my grades up and eat healthier.”

Rachel Dirico Junior

“To read my Bible everyday.”

Deirdre Della Polla Front desk attendant

“To have no excuses.”

Clayton Hoffstetter Senior

“To get fit, get in better shape and be a better me.”

Josh Shim Senior

“To get a healthier body.”

Monday, December 19, 2016

Advertisement

The Spoke 9

Monday, December 19, 2016

Student Life

Cozy literature: what to read over winter break

By Audrey Kim Staff Reporter

“There’s so much value in just reading something you’re interested in, and it ties in to your academic achievement, too,” librarian Brooke Hauer said.

Hauer has been working at ’Stoga for three years, and she’s been seeing a decreasing trend in pleasure reading among students. “I’m finding that students often don’t have enough time (to read),” Hauer said.

As the mountain of homework and responsibilities just climbs higher, students simply aren’t able to read for their own sake.

But as winter break approaches, an unusual amount of free time suddenly pops up, provoking interest and anticipation for certain books in the community.

“The Underground Railroad”

by Colson Whitehead Set in the pre-Civil War era, “The Underground Railroad” follows the harrowing journey of Cora, an escaped slave, who travels from one city to another in her furious bid for freedom. But instead of

10 The Spoke

Doubleday

featuring the historical network of people who helped them, Whitehead masterfully invents a literal underground railroad, with its slew of trains and conductors which take slaves from south to north.

“Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig” by Mark Essig Chronicling the story of — you guessed it — pigs, Essig examines how these creatures have been simultaneously worshiped and maligned as filthy, lazy brutes over the course of human history.

Basic Books

Random House

He offers accounts of how Judaism and Islam saw the pig as unclean to stories such as those of the Spanish conquistadors, who only survived by planting pig pit stops along the Americas. In many ways, Essig argues, humans and their hog counterparts are not so different — extremely adaptable, intelligent and self-sufficient.

“I learned so much (from ‘Lesser Beasts’),” English teacher Benjamin Whitermore said. “It has all sorts of weird, quirky facts: like how the pigs used to

Addison-Wesley

be a symbol of imperialism and how the pig was a very cheap, very portable food source that basically allowed for human conquest.”

“Ready Player One” by Ernest Kline Kline brilliantly fabricates a world of virtual reality in this novel, where technology has seeped and perhaps surpassed all aspects of life worth living. Teenager Wade Watts has stumbled upon the first clue of a massive and cryptic treasure hunt, set by the very creator of virtual reality.

This provokes a worldwide reaction, leaving Wade in a race against time to find the promised enormous fortune. “Ready Player One” leaves its readers reeling in its wake.

“Friday Night Lights” by H.G. Bissinger Another nonfiction choice, Bissinger focuses on the high school football team in the small town of Odessa, Texas in 1988. Don’t be fooled, though — Bissinger studies much more than just football, investigating the town’s impoverished economy, hopes and pride in its football team, educational system and racism in this fascinating and controversial documentation of the 1980s South. Not only for football fans, Bissinger illustrates an enthralling look on a community’s devotion and influence on its children.

It’s books like these that help people relax during winter break, and away from the constant responsibilities that plague students during the school year.

Students can sleep in, loosen up and spend their time indoors the old-fashioned way: with a book.

Monday, December 19, 2016

By Justin Huang Web Editor

Student Life

Teacher Feature: Michael Kane

Mike Kane talks about why he chose to teach science, what he does in his free time and how he celebrates the holidays with his family.

What made you interested in teaching?

I always liked the sciences, and when I was in college, I wasn’t really sure of what I wanted to do, other than major in biology. While I was there, I was approached by a professor to teach a lab and took that opportunity, and I really enjoyed it. From then on, I knew what I wanted to do.

Why did you choose biology?

When you get to college, biology is a lot more different than high school biology because it’s a lot more chemistry. But I’ve always been fascinated by the natural world. Growing up, (my family) had two ponds adjacent to our property. In the streams, I was always catching fish and setting little traps for crayfish. We had an

aquarium and I had a lot of pets growing up. I was always getting my hands dirty with animals and plants. In elementary school, my parents gave me a microscope for Christmas one year and I’d go around putting all sorts of stuff under there, looking at things. I’ve always been fascinated by biology and I’ve always enjoyed it.

How do you spend your time when you’re not teaching?

Well I’ve got a 3-year-old, so I’m watching a lot of children’s YouTube videos, unfortunately.

After he goes to bed, I like to do astrophotography, photography and woodworking.

I’m in the middle of redoing my kitchen right now. Not fast enough for my wife, unfortunately, but with this break coming up, I’m hopefully going to finish by then.

What’s your favorite part of being at ’Stoga?

I think the people are great — not only the students, but my fellow coworkers from all the different departments. We bring so many diverse backgrounds and it’s a great area that we live in. We get people from all over the world that want to come to this area for a number of reasons, like the school. So you get kids in the class from all over the globe, and you get different perspectives from all the diversity.

over to national parks over the summer. We could check out Yosemite or Yellowstone.

How do you and your family celebrate the holidays?

That’s the one where my family gets together. My wife’s grandmother was just put into an assisted living facility, and we used to always go to her house, which was the same house that my father-in-law grew up in. It was getting a little cramped as her grandkids had children, and there’s no dishwasher there so we spent half the night cleaning up after it. This year, we’re going to try to forge some new traditions, so we’ll see how it goes.

That’ll be Christmas Eve. Then we’ll go to my family’s house, and we’ll kind of hang out and go to Jimmy John’s over on (Route) 202. I’ll get to see my nieces and nephews that I don’t always see, and we’ll have a good time.

Any guilty pleasures you’d like to share?

Sometimes, in terms of woodworking, I like to do house projects and I can sneak new tools in under the budget of if I want to redo the bathroom. My wife doesn’t inspect the receipts as much, so if I need a new drill or whatnot, it’s easy to slip it in. I’m not going to say that I’ve torn apart the house just to get a new tool, but I’m not saying I haven’t. I also used to be very big on Call of Duty 4, and I used to play Do you travel much, and if against former students. Then you do, where do you go? it became such a timesuck — I don’t travel too much, but it always keeps track of how I’d like to travel some more. long you’ve played, and when Mr. Samson and I were thinking it’s getting late into the day, that maybe in a couple years’ it’s just like, “Ugh. I should be time, when our children are doing something better with a bit older, we could get trips my time.”

Favorites: Movie: “Forrest Gump” TV Show: “Arrested Development” Books: “Your Inner Fish” Actor: Tom Hanks or Matt Damon Actress: Anna Kendrick Musician: Jimmy Buffett Animal: Cuttlefish Holiday Song: “Run Rudolph Run” Justin Huang/The SPOKE

The Spoke 11

Monday, December 19, 2016

Student Life

Martin Cunningham stops traffic with smiles Story and Photos by Ian Ong Co-Student Life Editor A rush of red �looding the intersection, a �luorescent-clad �igure appears with an arm extended, ushering students across the busy road. In his left hand, he holds a stop sign and on his head, he wears a Viking helmet.

Since September of last year, Martin Cunningham has served as the crossing guard stationed at the five-pointed intersection connecting Conestoga Road with Cassatt, Howellville and Orchard Way. His job is to keep T/E students safe when they cross the road coming to and from school. Armed with a stop sign and a neon vest, Cunningham works from 6:45-8 a.m. and 2:20-3 p.m. near the high school and middle school, traveling to work at an intersection near Hillside Elementary after each

primary shift.

My job is to “take care of the kids, that’s it,” Cunningham said. “And then what I really like to do is make people smile.”

In order to make his job more interesting, Cunningham wears hats and plays music from a bluetooth speaker while on duty. With a growing collection of over 30 hats stored in the trunk of his car, Cunningham changes his appearance daily, looking to make students smile with a funny cap or mask.

“It takes some gumption sometimes to put on some of those hats, but the sillier they are, the more people seem to like it,” Cunningham said.

From fezzes to bowlers, Cunningham’s wardrobe

12 The Spoke

includes hats from Goodwill, Five Below, dollar stores and those given to him by close friends. Because his original idea of using hand puppets was too distracting, Cunningham got the idea to wear hats earlier this year.

“Somewhere along the line, I had a goofy hat and I wore it and it seemed to get a good reception from the elementary school kids,” Cunningham said.

“They loved it.”

In addition to the headgear, Cunningham also plays music from a bluetooth speaker sitting near his post. He enjoys listening to smooth jazz, top 40 hits and funk, especially George Clinton.

“I have so much time to hear music, and sometimes I get the kids singing and dancing, so that’s fun,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham’s antics have been well received by people in the school community, bringing a little bit of joy to their daily lives.

Junior Dunya Markovic usually sees Cunningham in the mornings when she crosses the main road on the way to school.

“I really like his hats.

They can be very entertaining,” Markovic said. “I really like his umbrella hat.”

Markovic also enjoys the occasional conversations she has with

Cunningham, in which she gets to know him better as a person.

“I think he’s interesting, and it always makes me happy when I walk with him because he always tells a part of his life story,” Markovic said.

Ian Ong/The SPOKE

Duty calls: Crossing guard Martin Cunningham holds up a stop sign and watches over student pedestrians. Cunningham began his job in September 2015 and hopes to continue for years to come.

Not only does Cunningham interact with Conestoga students, he has the opportunity to joke around with elementary schoolers.

“One kid asked for my autograph, one kid said ‘we love you’ and another kid said ‘did you know that you’re bald?’”

Cunningham said. “And I told him it was a wig.”

Cunningham grew up in Philadelphia, later moving to multiple places including Overbrook, Devon, Strafford, Berwyn, Chesterbrook and �inally, Paoli. Some of his past jobs included serving in the Marine Forces Reserves, working in real estate, coaching for basketball, baseball, rugby and soccer and working as a soccer and lacrosse referee. Cunningham’s favorite job, however, was his �irst one, in which he sold goods for an oil company.

“I was a salesman, and the thing about it was I got to meet and see a lot of people every day,” Cunningham said. “I guess I’m a people person.”

Today, not only does he work as a crossing guard, but he also keeps time for nightly soccer and field hockey games at Teamer Field, driven by his passion for sports.

“I love watching C o n e s t o g a sports, and we always have very good teams,” Cunningham said. “It’s a job that I get to do something that I like doing.”

In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his grandchildren and family, playing frisbee and going on hikes. Living by a philosophy of carpe diem, Cunningham plans to continue what he does for the community far into the future.

“I enjoy the kids, and I enjoy my job,” Cunningham said. “It’s easy and it’s fun, so why worry about anything?”

Monday, December 19, 2016

Student Life

Caped crusader pursues obscure interests

By Claire Guo Staff Reporter

At the beginning of every fifth period, senior David Lavecchia holds the library door open for others. Students filter by and mutter thanks, barely giving him a second glance — they have grown accustomed to him. Occasionally, a new student stops in the hallway with the abruptness of a double take. Why is he wearing a cape?

Lavecchia’s obscure interests include playing the lute and translating Old and Middle English literature, but his most noticeable eccentricity is his cape.

Since first spontaneously picking a costume cape out of his closet in October of 2014, Lavecchia has worn one to school every day. The cape he wears now is his third, partly hand-sewn from gray linen. A green metal leaf sometimes clasps it below his neck, a subtle reference to the symbolic Elven cloaks and brooches from “The Lord of the Rings.”

“I like (wearing the cape).

It’s fun, and it’d just be weird to stop now. School’s a safer place to be experimental because I’d get really strange reactions

Claire Guo/The SPOKE

Renaissance man: Senior David Lavecchia plucks his lute.

Self taught, he also plays the tinwhistle and the balalaika. outside of school. People are to the time period in elemenOK with things at Conestoga — tary and middle school, evenit’s nice,” Lavecchia said. tually fostering a fascination In fact, he finds the reactions with a broad strip of European of others “hilarious” and con- history from 700-1700 CE. siders them one of his favorite After finding that the school parts about wearing a cape. curriculum barely skimmed “Someone called me the Middle Ages, Lavecchia Batman once,” Lavecchia said. founded the Renaissance/Me“Another said behind my back, dieval Reenactment Club this ‘He’s going to trip on that.’ — year. He hopes it will allow I have tripped on it, though, I members to delve deeper into will confess.” content not covered in classes.

The source of Lavecchia’s in“Even in European History, terest lies in Medieval Europe, you don’t get into the fun parts. where capes were commonly It’s all big events, like who was worn. He was first introduced king? Who died? What was

happening? But the daily life, like the culture, the art, the music, the clothing, the language, the literature, you don’t really cover,” Lavecchia said.

Conversely, Lavecchia himself seems to cover all those areas. He dabbles in calligraphy, collecting fountain pens and producing his own lefthanded quill pens.

With help from the internet, Lavecchia taught himself to play the lute (a guitar-like string instrument with a rounded back), tinwhistle (a six-holed woodwind) and balalaika (a string instrument with a triangular body and three strings), as well as the modern instruments guitar, recorder and piano.

Since Lavecchia wanted to read literature from the era as well, he studied the Old and Middle English languages — no easy feat considering that Old English is actually Germanic and contrasts sharply with modern English.

“Either I can buy a translated copy, or read it in the original language, which I wanted to do, which is a bit more fun,” Lavecchia said.

The study of word origin itself — etymology — fascinates Lavecchia in its dynamic and

direct relationship with historical events.

“We say the word ‘drink’ as a familiar word, but ‘beverage’ is (considered) formal. (This is) because ‘drink’ came from Anglo-Saxon origins, and ‘beverage’ from England, Norman, a little French, because when the Normans invaded, they became the ruling class. The English were suppressed,” Lavecchia said.

Lavecchia’s powerful love of learning compelled him to skip eighth grade at Valley Forge, leaping from seventh grade to Conestoga in one foul swoop.

Now a 16-year-old senior, he knows he made the right choice.

“It was stagnant academically because I wasn’t challenged,” Lavecchia said. “I was bored. They said, ‘You probably should skip a grade so you don’t end up losing interest in school.’”

Attending Conestoga stimulated his mind successfully, and now Lavecchia faces a different, more welcome problem.

“I can’t be taking pictures while playing the balalaika while writing calligraphy. I don’t have that many hands,” Lavecchia said. “But furthering my knowledge is something I want to do.”

’Stoga Big Give brings joy to community

By Madison Red Staff Reporter

Clutching the stocking she had just received, the young girl refused to open her gift, declaring it too precious to unwrap. Her small face was brightened by a look of joy from simply holding the package filled with clothes and small toys, Marcia Mariani recalls. Although Peer Mediators and their lead adviser, Mariani, no longer personally deliver the gifts collected through Stockings for Kids, the drive remains an annual tradition at Conestoga.

Stockings for Kids, Toys for Tots and the Test Prep Book Drive form the annual ’Stoga Big Give, an event organized by Peer Mediation ending on Dec. 20. The Big Give and other local drives, like the T&E Care Holiday Drive, offer an opportunity for students to assist local families. Such families may be placed in difficult circumstances due to a job loss, a fire that destroys a home or other emergency.

“Think about what it would be like to sleep outside last night,”

Mariani said. “The rain’s coming down it’s freezing cold and you’re out in the open, exposed.”

Children in distressed families struggle to do their homework and keep warm during winter months. Without diapers, baby formula or even a warm place to stay, mothers struggle to raise their newborns. Diapers, a coat or gloves can have a significant impact on people’s lives.

“Help out in any way you can because it makes a huge difference even if seems like a small thing,” said senior Rachel Burger, a senator on Student Council.

Some children would not receive a toy without Student Council’s Toys for Tots drive, nationally organized by the U.S. Marine Corps. Even though collection ended on Dec. 12, donations for Stockings for Kids will be accepted outside room 114 until Dec. 20. Later in the week, the Salvation Army, which nationally coordinates the drive, will distribute the gifts independently of their donors for confidentiality reasons.

Protecting the identities of families who receive assistance is

also important to local non-profit organization, T&E Care.

“It is valuable for us to help neighbors who could use some extra help,” said Sandi Gorman, co-chair of the 2016 T&E Care Holiday Drive.

Eleven years ago, Gorman founded T&E Care, which assists families who may be having an emergency, by paying their bills and donating clothing. Their Holiday Drive, which benefited more than 100 local families, ended on Dec. 5. Donations for their Holiday Dinner Program will be collected on Dec. 20. Those interested can find more information on tecare.org.

The Holiday Drive “is just one of the ways that the community can get involved in helping, whether it’s your local neighbors or neighbors in our country or neighbors in other parts of our world,” Gorman said.

Charity drives will continue into the new year. These drives are organized by the Interschool Council, an organization which addresses local problems by bringing together the Key Club, Student Council, Peer Mediation,

Adam Lockett/The SPOKE

Giving tree: Jars filled with tags and a Christmas tree sit outside the main office. After donating, students may put a tag on the tree, covering its branches as more and more students participate.

Best Buddies, NHS and ADL. Upcoming drives held at Conestoga include a collection that benefits soldiers, the Winter Clothing Drive and a school supply drive at the end of the year.

“It’s very easy to walk around (Conestoga) or our community and make the assumption that everyone is wealthy,” Mariani said.

While many people living in the T/E School District do not require financial aid, 4.2 percent of people in Tredyffrin and 3.1 percent in Easttown Township live in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Through organizations like the T&E Care Holiday Drive and the Big Give, students are given opportunities to contribute to their communities.

The Spoke 13

Center Spread

14 The Spoke

Monday, October 17, 2016

The Spoke 3

Center Spread

Year in Review: Seven Spoke Snapshots

As we bid 2016 adieu, the Spoke looks back on some of the year’s most memorable moments.

Captions by Ian Ong and Matt Paolizzi Design by Adam Lockett

1 Hey now!: The Class of 2016 celebrates after completing its lip dub video. Parodying popular rock band Smash Mouth’s hit song “All Star,” the video has been viewed over 24,000 times on YouTube.

2 Booked: Visiting author Kwame Alexander reads from his book “Crash: Love Poems” during his assembly at Conestoga. His presentation kicked off Teen Read Week, a weeklong celebration dedicated to encouraging students to read more.

3 Deflated: A hot air balloon touches down in the freshman football field, carrying three passengers from New York. Conestoga security guards and staff were shocked by the balloon’s emergency landing this November.

4 Marching with champions: The Conestoga marching band performs a routine at the Villanova basketball victory parade. The Villanova Wildcats defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 77-74 in the NCAA title game in April.

5 Class act: Lead actress and alumna Mandy McHale from “Guys and Dolls“ poses with a certificate and trophy at the Cappies Gala. ’Stoga Theatre was nominated in 15 categories, winning the award for Best Musical.

6 Head to head: The Young Republicans and Young Democrats clash over pressing issues during their annual debate. The event was well-attended by students taking an interest in national politics.

7 No. 1: The girls’ lacrosse team celebrates after a victory at the State Championship. The team defeated Central League rival Radnor 18-7. The boys’ soccer team also won a state title, beating Elizabethtown Area High School 1-0.

The Spoke 15

Monday, December 19 2016

OPINION

From the editor: Whoops, pertussis did it again what do you meme?

Whether you have the snif�les or the big “whoop,” ’tis the season of sickness. Other than occasional district alerts about a case of pertussis, sick students rarely merit much attention from parents, teachers or friends. As a result, we ignore the oldest prescription for every illness from the common cold to pneumonia. We should get plenty of bed rest, drink water and binge watch two seasons of our favorite show on Net�lix. With AP classes and multiple assessments awaiting our attention at school, too many of us decide to simply down a few Tylenols and tough it through the day.

Here’s a dose of reality from the Spoke editorial board: just stay home, for your good and everyone else’s.

In 2015, reported cases of pertussis in the United States attained a 30 year high and while medical experts disagree on the cause, the effects of the outbreak have already reached our area. On Dec. 12, school administrators sent a noti�ication to parents about possible exposure to pertussis at Conestoga after another student at Valley Forge Middle School received a pertussis diagnosis earlier this month.

Tredyffrin-Easttown Middle

School has seen three pertussis cases since September 2016.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) describe pertussis as “very contagious,” most often spread between siblings or at school. Without a throat or nose swab, detecting pertussis is impossible before the signature “whooping cough” appears. Other symptoms include vomiting, extreme fatigue, fever and nasal congestion. However, once students realize they have the illness, staying home becomes vital to public safety. Over the two week period after the patient �irst shows symptoms, the chances of transmission rise exponentially from the asymptomatic phase. Even a slight cough or sneeze spreads millions of pertussis bacteria into air breathed by thousands.

Though most students are vaccinated against pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough, the sheer numbers of people they encounter at school each day puts the unvaccinated at additional risk.

One or two infected people out of hundreds may seem insigni�icant, but the pathogen mutates in its spread from host to host and eventually, more virulent strains develop.

At that point, even those previously protected by vaccines no longer have the same insurance against the disease. More alarmingly, recent evidence indicates a decrease in the vaccine’s effectiveness during adolescence, mutant bacteria aside.

By far, the biggest peril associated with a pertussis outbreak is not that we may fall ill, it is that the youngest and most vulnerable will. Students exposed to pertussis at school may then pass on the pathogen to younger siblings or children they babysit, whom it affects most severely. Babies who contract pertussis in their �irst 18 months of life can experience life-threatening suffocation from coughing spells.

Aside from endangering others, dragging yourself to school when you are under the weather will not help in the long run. Yes, maybe you won’t have to take the dif�icult make-up physics test, but your body will be tested even more.

Besides, we all need a day off sometimes, why not take advantage of your situation to relax indoors? A well-placed sick day can improve both your physical and mental health.

With the proper precautions, we can all “whoop” pertussis.

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

16 The Spoke

Meagan O’Rourke Co-Editor-in-Chief I am a humanities person through and through. The words of Shakespeare �ill me with an inexplicable sense of awe and wonder I would not trade for the world. However, I will admit that a high quality Kermit the Frog meme overwhelms me just the same.

When trying to explain memes, I often resort to citing other memes using meme jargon, so I will leave it to the pros to �ill in any non-Millennials who are lost. According to the Oxford Dictionary, a meme is “an idea that is passed from one member of society to another, not in the genes but often by people copying it” or, more commonly, “an image, a video, a piece of text, etc. that is passed very quickly from one internet user to another, often with slight changes that make it humorous.”

At �irst, I shamefully hid my love of memes, as memers often are labeled as trash, only living “LOL” to “LOL.” However, I have started to embrace my meme pride, as meme culture has pervaded our society. Whether you are stuck in 2012 using the iFunny app or you are re-blogging the most current underground Tumblr memes, you are a memer.

Meme accounts on Instagram accumulate millions of followers, reaching new, completely unrelated people each day by matching one repeated image with a perfect, relatable scenario. These images have become so integral in my life that I now �ind myself thinking in memes.

If I wake up from an accidental nap, swirly Mr. Krabs �lashes in my mind, conveying my exact feeling of disorientation. If someone obnoxiously snaps their gum in class, I clench my �ist like Arthur, channeling my

annoyance. Although memes seem like cold-blooded brain cell killers, I believe they actually have communicative value.

Memes are like very clear pieces of modern art—they have the artistic elements that appeal to a certain set of emotions which are clari�ied and narrowed by a speci�ic caption.

This allows memers to understand the humor quickly enough without having to go through a bunch of text. The repetition of images makes memers feel a part of a community, recognizing their favorite set of images, while the text is general enough to appeal to a wide audience.

Therefore, memes are ideal for school presentations, especially in AP Literature and Composition, as they instantaneously resonate with the class, sparing lengthy explanations. Who needs to explain a character’s moral ambiguity when an Evil Kermit meme would suf�ice?

With this power to reach people in such a sweeping manner, I often muse how we could use this medium of communication for positive social change. Maybe Grumpy Cat could advocate for animal abuse awareness or angry Arthur could combat bullying. But at the end of the day (or the end of the feed), I realize memes are not meant to reveal philosophical truths or save the world. Memes have no point, they are simply a hilarious way to connect people.

And for this reason, memes give my life meme-ing.

Meagan O’Rourke/The SPOKE

Opinion

Monday, December 19, 2016

with Matthew Soderberg

To say hi or not to say hi

Not serious ;―)

Matthew Soderberg Opinion Editor

From us in the Spoke’s opinion section, we wish you and your family, whatever shape, size or astrological sign they may be, a wonderful nondescript day or set of days with a potential reason for mild to extreme celebration. (Disclaimer: if at any point in this well-wishing you feel offended, we encourage you to use our suggestion box, denoted by its lack of color, shape or general box-iness) Now’s the time of year to give your family members a hug or any other safe touch to demonstrate that you care about them.

Only, of course, to keep them warm. This may be the one time of year besides, well, all other various possible times for celebration that you get to see them! Rejoice! (Secularly.)

Gifts are a must option. Remember, stick with the theme.

Maybe a gingerbread cookie in the shape of the First Amendment. Or a singing, non-obese gift-bearer who has no name or resemblance to any known �igure. Candy canes are a blast as long as they don’t have gluten.

Wrapping paper is extremely important. When it comes to

colors, don’t use green, red, blue, gray, yellow, purple, black, white, chartreuse or walnut, or any other shade that could be tangentially connected to any established tradition, practice or anything at all. Dots are fun, but not in a culty way! Absolutely no stripes — there’s no need to get political, okay?

As always, there are some who feel the need to ruin the fun and the unspeci�ied cheer.

If at any time in the halls or a classroom, you hear someone begin to yell “Merry C-” STOP THEM!!! We are a tolerant community, and therefore we will not tolerate the “C” word.

Popular traditions around this time of year tend to cause a stir. Remember to not take everything at face value. All can be repurposed into perfectly tolerant and inoffensive new classics. Maybe the Dreidel we so often hear sung about recently converted to Buddhism and now has a unique perspective on the American Dream.

Maybe “Santa Claus” is just a vagrant who has a penchant for helping a kid out with a brand new video game or iPhone. Maybe Rudolph was just on LSD. Don’t be lured in by false promises of “Adam Sandler” or unplanned pregnancy rumors about that new girl, Mary.

They are deceptions aimed at disrupting our perfectly vague holiday(s). It’s the cornerstone to our society — let’s not let everyone celebrate their own beliefs and therefore showcase true diversity, let’s just suppress them all so no one can celebrate! Happy “holidays!”

Caleigh Sturgeon Managing Web Editor The bell rings and we shuf�le out of our classrooms, plummeting ourselves into an arena of unending awkward interaction. Who will we pass �irst on our excursion to sixth period?

Someone we’re obliged to say “hi” to? A good friend? Most likely not. Most likely a few acquaintances, maybe classmates, maybe distant Facebook friends, with whom there is no set standard for greeting.

When walking down the hallway between classes, a student passes nearly 100 people, and for about one in ten of these people the student is faced with a decision.

To say “hi” or not to say “hi.”

This may seem to be a simple, split-second decision. But that is entirely not true. Students must �irst decide whether or not to make eye contact, opening a host of possibilities for where to direct their eyes and when. And students must make a multitude of instantaneous decisions regarding the timing of each greeting. In order to outline the truly complex nature of these seemingly menial actions, let’s examine a few scenarios.

You spot someone—not even in your grade—who you’ve associated with twice in the last two months. You instantly �litter your eyes away, avoiding an overly

early lock of eye contact. Subconsciously you wonder, “did they see me?” Now you’re faced with the overarching decision of whether to acknowledge them or not. Maybe you decide to go for it, and raise your eyes as you near each other, but your eyes land on said classmate’s face only to �ind there is no acknowledgement to return the favor.

Your prospective “hey” dies.

Only a matter of seconds later, you spot another slightly-closer-than-just-colleague classmate. She’s on the far other side of the hallway, so there’s just not a point in taking the effort to meet glances at the same time. You’re pretty sure she didn’t see you, so you pretend not to see her. But then a door swings open, she’s pushed towards the center of the hall and there’s no hope in pretending not to see her. You meet glances far too late and only offer a halfhearted “hi” when she’s already passed, not even bothering to notice if she made a last-ditch attempt.

Now, your neck is slightly craned in the wrong direction when a “yo” hits you from an unknown direction. You swivel your neck in all directions until you �inally �ind the culprit as he turns away thinking you’ve all

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

but ignored him. Maybe you yell a little too abruptly as you try to twist in time to meet the stairwell, or maybe you just blow him off.

Regardless, you’re only halfway through your walk to class and haven’t even come across a group of acquaintances or a teacher you had two years ago. Maybe it would just be easier to walk with your head down; it is quite commonplace these days for hallway migrants to lock into their phones as they travel from class to class. But this leads to a host of other debacles—namely hallway collisions. So what can we do to turn our four-minute breaks from class into actual breaks rather than convoluted mental and social burdens?

Aside from trying to greet everyone you’ve ever associated with, there is really no set plan when each interaction is unique. You’d think that we pass the same people every day, so there might be some established standard for how to greet each person, but this is not a perfect world and standards are kaput when it comes to hallway etiquette. So my only advice: look up (not at your phone), stand tall, say “hi”... and don’t expect a “hi” back.

“Usually you start a conversation after they’ve passed, so you end up alone and talking to yourself. ” - Sarah Rogalski

“Don’t make eye contact with them until they’re close enough that saying hi wouldn’t be weird.”

- Rona Lane “I pull out my phone, look down and walk fast.”

- Nick Remillard

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

“I scream ‘HI’ really loud and sprint over to them to give them a big old bear hug.”

- Rohan Ekambaram

The Spoke 17

Monday, December 19, 2016

Opinion

Melania is not the worst part of Donald Trump

Camille Kurtz Co-Editor-in-Chief Raised high in the middle of an angry crowd of protesters outside the Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C., a single sign stands out. It reads: “Rape Melania.”

To anyone who knows me, it’s no mystery that I do not support Donald Trump. By extension, I disapprove of Melania Trump for enabling her husband’s intolerance and supporting his campaign. However, I’ve become increasingly concerned by the ugly and vitriolic comments made about Melania. From making fun of her accent to going so far as to advocate “raping” her, people treat her with a lack of humanity, regardless of her political views.

During the campaign process, one of the supposedly “strongest” arguments used against Donald Trump, on both sides,

was who his wife is. This is unbelievable.

Melania is more intelligent and more politically in-tune than people realize. Not only is she �luent in �ive languages, but she also has been named Goodwill Ambassador for the American Red Cross. Despite her mystifying support of Donald, Melania has repeatedly reaf�irmed that she is “her own person” and is unafraid to disagree with Donald, even publicly admitting she wishes her husband would stop his “tweeting.”

Don’t get me wrong; there’s plenty to criticize. Among her plagiarized RNC speech, her dismissal of her husband’s sexist and racist comments (including his appalling leaked conversation with Billy Bush), and her hypocrisy of speaking out against cyber bullying while her husband wages twitter wars on an hourly basis, critics on both sides of the ideological spectrum have ample reason to not support the �irst lady-elect.

There’s no shortage of credible information to fuel objection. However, when I hear people joking about the new �irst lady, the criticism isn’t about her political views or her substantive remarks. Rather, the reasons she will be an “inappropriate” choice

for the White House include her accent, modelling career and appearance. Reducing Melania’s signi�icance and worth to these attributes is unfair and sexist.

While the of�ice of the �irst lady is a crucial position as an unof�icial presidential adviser and source of social change, concerns about Melania revolve less around her lack of experience or hypocrisies and more around the various scantily-clad magazine spreads she has appeared in.

Repeatedly, late night talk shows (like “Saturday Night Live”) have spoofed Melania’s accent and status as Donald’s third wife. A Ted Cruz Super-PAC, “Make America Awesome,” used Melania’s unclothed modelling photoshoot for a French magazine to shame the Trumps,

survey, 90 percent of Americans believe in a god, including 60 percent of those who identify as nonreligious. The same survey revealed that distrust and negative feelings directed toward atheists abound, perhaps because of their minority status.

Though I’ve never experienced discrimination for my godlessness, a plurality of religious Americans view atheists negatively or feel serious doubts about voting for an atheist political candidate.

From the leaked DNC e-mails, we

discovered that part of Hillary Clinton’s primary strategy in states like West Virginia and Kentucky, comprised of smearing Bernie Sanders for his lack of religious devotion. Church leaders often stereotype atheists as amoral or self-centered.

In response, atheist organizations and activists tend to push their interests via the legal system, an understandable impulse given the hostility of public opinion.

While I believe in separation of church and state, overzealous

stating “Meet your new �irst lady.” Liberal Clinton supporters, especially, have created social media posts comparing Michelle Obama and Melania, claiming the latter an inappropriate candidate because she is not as “digni�ied” or “classy” as Michelle.

While this may be true in terms of experience or attitude, Melania is not Michelle’s lesser because she has appeared in men’s magazines. It’s this kind of woman-versus-woman thinking that reinforces the sexist idea that a woman’s wardrobe or celebration of her sexuality can indicate her intelligence or classiness. It is this thinking that leads people to think it’s acceptable to brandish signs saying, “Rape Melania.”

You can criticize the new �irst lady without commenting on

her physical features or the irrelevant aspects of her past. And while it may be valuable to disapprove of Melania’s many pertinent faults, she is not the reason Donald Trump should not be our president-elect. Objecting to Donald via Melania ignores and excuses the many nonpresidential actions of Donald, himself.

Criticize Donald for his own comments, his beliefs, his propositions, his “class.” Don’t make Melania a scapegoat for her husband’s brutish errors—she has enough substantive �laws to answer for herself.

The next time we criticize our new �irst lady, let’s ask ourselves, is this politically appropriate? How will this advance our rhetoric? Our treatment of women?

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

Communication, not litigation: Atheism’s PR problem

Cissy Ming Copy Editor Christmas means candy canes, eggnog, gifts and battle. Christians upset that Americans regard their holy day as an excuse for consumerism will allege that there is a “War on Christmas.” Atheists will point to nativity scenes posted in front of town halls as proof of a Christian monopoly on American culture that needs breaking.

The controversy over Christmas is only the most visible indication of the stark divide between the faithful and nonbelievers in the United States, one in which both sides miss the importance of outreach.

Religion plays an important role in the lives of most Americans. According to a 2015 Pew

18 The Spoke

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

atheists use the Constitution’s principle of secularism as a blunt weapon to beat back religious in�luence. Multiple lawsuits across the country seek to end religious invocations at local government functions. In 2014, the American Humanist Association (AHA) sued to remove a cross-shaped World War I memorial on public land that has served as a town landmark in Bladensburg, Md. for over 60 years.

The AHA ultimately lost its lawsuit, but the direction of today’s conversation on religion indicates that interfaith cease�ire seems unlikely. Encouraging the concentration of power over religious affairs away from communities is counterproductive.

A constant stream of high pro�ile lawsuits causes the faithful to feel persecution from atheists, fairly or not. The particulars of Constitutional interpretation matter little, not when they perceive the presence of religion in the public domain as bene�icial or harmless. The way law enforcement works in First Amendment cases is mostly undemocratic, carried out by appointed judges or bureaucrats. Challenges to

tradition from “outsiders” seem like attacks on their very way of life or America’s supposed Christian roots. Even the most resounding courtroom victories mean little if those responsible for carrying out those decisions on the ground level treat the ideas behind them as illegitimate.

Fortunately, most Americans conduct their lives largely independent of government. For movement atheists, embracing self-government demonstrates a commitment to building good relationships with fellow citizens and starting conversations about the role religion plays in society.

Polling indicates that religious people who lack regular interactions with atheists report disliking them the most. Though working to change minds through communication misses the drama of waging �igurative war against the “theocrats,” it ensures long term harmony.

We need to coexist with “religious crazies,” like it or not. As is, the United States is among the world’s best places for atheists despite the healing needed in interfaith relations. Working across religious lines is the ideal alternative.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Opinion

Speak up: better to lose a friend than a life Report Card Jahnavi Rao Columnist In high school, you are constantly plagued with tests, homework and friend drama, not to mention extracurriculars and personal health. These occupy the majority of your life, and take more than their fair share of time and effort.

However, accompanying all these problems are more dif�icult ones, problems that can’t be �ixed with studying or a note from your parents. These are the dif�icult ones: when you �ind out a friend has been doing hard drugs, or someone you know is having unthinkable problems within their family or harming themselves over their own body image.

Reading this, you know what I’m talking about, when there is someone you’re so worried about, but there doesn’t seem to be anything you can do. You know they’re ruining their life, but there’s no option for you.

You could tell them to stop, or go to an adult, but then your friend would hate you, and it’ll probably turn out to be nothing, and they’ll probably �ix it themselves.

And then you go on without doing anything, expecting the problem to resolve itself.

I want to tell you a story about my best friend who lived in upstate New York. I knew she had

Connie Stoga

body image issues and that she thought about hurting herself often. But when she mentioned it to me, I never took any decisive action past talking to her on the phone because I was in seventh grade and what could I do? Her parents were never home to notice and I was more than capable as a person to deal with this. I would just talk to her whenever she needed to vent and this would all blow over.

Two months later, she was in a hospital for excessive blood loss from the slits on her wrist.

I’m sorry that was such an ugly sentence, and I’m sorry you have to read it. But I don’t remember the censored, school appropriate version of this story, and frankly, I don’t know if I’d be able to write that. I remember a call in the morning and not knowing if my best friend would make it through the night. I remember a fear gripping my heart and not letting go. I remember the

nightmares I still have of red on white bathroom tiles and things that should have been said. But those things were never said, and red and white feature in many of my nightmares.

Thankfully, she is �ine now, in college with three cats, a boyfriend and (most importantly) herself to love her. But I don’t think I’ve ever forgiven myself for not saying anything, because if her mom had walked into her bathroom any later, she would have died in that bathtub.

This year, I’ve heard a lot from my friends about their worries for their friends, whether it’s drugs, self harm or family problems. And I will always say that you should speak up. Because honestly, what would you rather have: a friend who hates you or one who is dead? The question isn’t even worth considering.

Don’t let people you love make a decision that could ruin their lives. They may hate you, and they may never speak to you

again, but they’ll get to see the next day and the many more past that. Do not let your fear of minor repercussions stop you from speaking up. If I had said something, I might not have nightmares so often and there might not be scars still on my friend’s body and mind.

There are experiences you have that shape you, and there are stories you have that need to be shared. It may not be the prettiest or most entertaining, but something can be learned and maybe even prevented.

After reading this, I don’t want you to feel bad for my friend, or me, but take away what I’m trying to say. If something bad is happening, there’s a lot worse that can follow. There’s no cure and there’s no �ix all in any serious situation, but you can help, and you should be proactive and decide it is your place to take action, and to speak up.

Do not keep silent, or one day it could be too late.

Holiday Season + Eggnog, cookies and good movies.

- Shortest possible winter break.

Snapchat Update

+ Faces on faces on faces on faces.

- So many faces.

New Music

+ The Weeknd and J. Cole.

- Mariah Carey’s annual month of “relevance.”

Gift Exchanges

+ White Elephants, Secret Santas, Silly Charlies.

- People that think an empty box is ironic.

College Season Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

+ The people that got in.

- The people that got in.

Rogue One

+ New Star Wars every year?

- No Carrie Fisher, no fun.

Snow Days

+ Please.

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

- Snow Day Calculator is a dirty liar.

The Spoke 19

Monday, December, 19 2016

SPORTS SCORELINE

WLT

B Hockey

302

G Hockey

080

B Basketball

100

B Squash

850

G Squash

130

G Basketball

100

B Swimming

100

G Swimming

100

Wrestling

200

See More

Army v. Navy commitments p. 22, p. 23  Live tweets from games @thespoke Scores as of 12-14

Conestoga boys squash the competition

By Henry Danon Staff Reporter On the weekend of Dec. 3, the Conestoga boys’ squash team competed in the second annual Brooklyn Invitational.

Eight teams competed in both the varsity and junior varsity competitions, in which the varsity team got third place and the junior varsity team got sixth place.

“We did a good job in the tournament, competing and supporting each other,” said Justin Lebeau, a freshman on the junior varsity squash team. “Our chemistry helped us as well.”

The tournament is an invitational that is located in Brooklyn, N.Y. Each team plays three matches, with its wins and losses determining its subsequent placement.

“The invitational has a good variety of teams, the standard is very high of the teams that competed in it,” said Ian Hay, a junior on the varsity team.

Each player on both teams has a singles number determined by rank and plays the other team’s respective player with the same number.

Hay plays number one singles. Regardless of each player’s singles number, Hay notes the cooperation on the team.

“The captains on the team are seniors who are higher up seeding wise, but they do a good job communicating with the whole team,” Hay said.

“They support every one of us and contribute to our success.”

The squash team has been renowned for years, as it consistently competes in the Mid-Atlantic Squash Association (MASA) Championship that takes place in February and features high schools from around the country.

20 The Spoke

This year Hay is optimistic about the team’s future.

“This team has the potential to be better than the two I’ve been on in the past. We have great support and athletic ability,” Hay said.

Lebeau attributes the team’s success to its leaders.

“The captains and the rest of the team work together very well. They make sure to help us with what we need,” Lebeau said.

Coach Cameron Hopkins has coached the team for many years with great success. Both of his sons play competitively and are on the Conestoga squash team.

Coach Hopkins “does a great job communicating with

all of the teams and giving us equal attention. He gives us good and insightful feedback,” Hay said. “He does a great job helping all of us, specialized to what we need.”

Coach Hopkins demands that the boys attend practice at Berwyn Squash and Fitness Club, where they hone their gameplay techniques and work on strength and conditioning.

“That’s just because he wants us to work hard. He gets along well with everyone and has great communication,” Lebeau said.

Fitness is an integral part of their routine.

“The training we do is very hard, but helps to get us in

shape for matches. We focus half of our practices on fitness, so we’re prepared for competitions,” Lebeau said.

The non-fitness activities they do consist of matchplay, drills and games.

“We train pretty hard; lots of sprints and circuit work,” Hay said.

The series of invitationals helps prepare the team for the MASA Championship in February. The team has placed well before, and they hope to again this year.

“Nationals is where everyone feels the most pressure,” Hay said. “For the new members of varsity, the invitationals are a good way to experience match play without

having the pressure of a national competition. Almost every team makes nationals, but the division you’re placed in is what matters.”

In the MASA Championships, the majority of teams that apply make the tournament. However, each team is placed in a respective division, of which there are seven. Division One is the highest, while Division Seven is the lowest. Conestoga consistently is placed in Division Two. “Nationals is what everybody thinks of at the start of the season,” Lebeau said.

“That’s everyone’s ultimate goal, and with this team, it could become a reality.”

Courtesy Cameron Hopkins

Smiling Wide: The tional logo poster. The

Conestoga boys’ team would go

squash on to

team finish

poses in front of the Poly Prep Invitalast year’s season with a record of 5-5-0.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Sports

Sweet places to sweat: The Spoke reviews gyms

By Lauren Gow Staff Reporter

Whether you’re an athlete looking to keep up on the offseason or a novice to all things fitness, here’s a guide to some Main Line gyms to help you get into shape.

Crossfit Village: About a five minute drive from Conestoga, Crossfit Village in Berwyn, Pa. is giving the Main Line a different approach to working out.

Brian Provoust and his wife, Eileen, founded Crossfit Village Berwyn back in 2013.

Crossfit focuses on typical high-intensity workouts including weightlifting, cardio and rowing.

“Two people could go through the same workout, and one could say, ‘I didn’t get much out of it,’ and the other one would be dying,” Provoust said.

Provoust welcomes all to the program.

“We have just the type of atmosphere that just lends itself to people who enjoy coming here,” Provoust said.

Teen classes fall on Tuesdays and Thursdays for $50 a week

By Warren Zhao Staff Reporter The athlete walks up the stairs to her destination. The slap of her feet on the rough surface echoes throughout the entire climate-controlled, white-tiled room. She approaches the edge of the board. The athlete’s face is one of raw concentration on the task at hand. Inhaling sharply, she bounds off the one meter tall diving board into the still waters below.

Though not as popular as its better-known cousin, swimming, the sport of diving is still a big part of the lives of some Conestoga students.

How these students first got involved with the sport varies.

“My mom was a diver, so she got me interested in (diving). I started in sixth grade at a club program, and I’ve been diving since then,” junior Julia Semmer said.

Others, like junior Devin Gaul, found what became a passion through other means.

and you can come every day to any class for $109 a month.

Upper Main Line YMCA: While walking along the long row of treadmills and ellipticals, Paula Sauer, membership director of the Upper Main Line YMCA, greets members who are working out.

“We have one of those real, cozy communities,” Sauer said.

Currently, the Upper Main Line YMCA has around 15,000 members. The YMCA serves as a convenient after school workout spot, located less than two miles from Conestoga.

While at the YMCA, make sure to visit the fitness center, pool, basketball courts and gymnastics room. The YMCA offers classes ranging from cycling to hot yoga to meditation for all ages and skill levels.

The minimum age requirement is 12 years old to be able to access the facility without adult supervision.

Families with two adults and dependent children pay a $99 joining fee and $129 monthly. For a student under 18, membership is available for $40 a month, but the student must have a valid ID. TopSpeed Performance: TopSpeed Performance School is a high-intensity training center

Lauren Gow/The SPOKE

Jumping for victory: The Conestoga boys’ lacrosse team trains at Topspeed once a week for their upcoming 2017 season. Last year, the boys ended with a 12-5-0 record. for athletes of any kind to perform at their highest level. Physical therapist Dr. Nicholas Sita, founder of TopSpeed, conducts the whole operation. His business is located in King of Prussia, behind Valley Forge Casino and Route 422.

Before entering into the main gym, a long wall displays photos signed by TopSpeed athletes who moved on to play in college.

“We have pictures of athletes that graduated along the wall, so

that (visitors) can look at it and possibly get inspired,” Sita said.

Athletes become comfortable with the staff, playing music as they wait for their training session to begin.

The intensity of the gym narrows down the pool of prospective members.

“It’s people who work a little harder than just go to the gym to do machines. It’s people who have a little more experience with lifting weights,” Sita said.

TopSpeed has a specific weight room that is separated from the main gym to accommodate sports teams and members at the same time.

Students who have a valid ID can gain access to the gym for a fee of $25 a month.

“After you’ve been here for a while, you come in, you don’t need to necessarily work out with us, you can come and look at the workout of the day and do it on your own,” Sita said.

Warren Zhao/The SPOKE

“It’s nice to really know people, but not be intimidated by a large amount. There’s a couple (others) who haven’t dived before either, so it’s really comforting (to me),” Edwards said.

On the other hand, Semmer finds it more difficult to befriend swimmers due to the distance between the two teams’ practices and competitions.

Nonetheless, she says that she still has a few friends on the swim team.

Overall, though, the divers agree that competing on the school team is a positive experience.

“With the school, you really get a sense of being on a team.

When you dive for a club, it’s more about you placing in competitions,” Semmer said.

Gaul hopes to get recruited by a Division One college for diving some day, while Semmer does not see herself diving in college. Gaul wishes the sport received more recognition.

“Diving is actually super competitive. I want people to take it more seriously,” Gaul said.

’Stoga dives into the season

“I had to keep doing (a sport) during the summer, and I hated swimming because of the early practices. I was like, ‘That diving sounds kind of fun,’ so I gave it a try. I started in 2014, and have been diving ever since,” Gaul said.

Senior Kyra Edwards is in her first year of diving.

“I wanted to try something new, and I had been watching the Olympics this summer, and so I thought, ‘Hey, that looks cool.’ I knew that we had a diving team, so I emailed the coach and told her I had never dived before and I wanted to try it out,” Edwards said.

Edwards has yet to compete in a meet because of her inexperience. However, in preparation for competition, she attends the weekly ’Stoga practices.

According to Gaul, practices for the school team are fairly inconvenient to attend, since divers must commute to Lower Merion High School every Wednesday afternoon. Conestoga does not have a pool and the swim team’s home facility, the Upper Main Line YMCA,

Taking the plunge: Freshman Emily Simard focuses during dive practice. The team kicked off their season on Dec. 6, competing against Upper Dublin. does not have the appropriate “I practice three times a pool depth and diving boards. week for my club, and then I’ll When they do get the chance go to a gymnastics gym once to practice, the divers start out every two weeks,” Gaul said. with stretches. They then perAccording to Semmer, former form bodyweight circuits like gymnasts have an advantage in squats and lunges beside the diving due to their heightened pool. Afterwards, they move to sense of body position and their dives. agility.

To supplement team practices, Due to the dive team’s small Semmer and Gaul both dive with size, Edwards assimilated well clubs outside of school. with the other divers well.

The Spoke 21

Monday, December 19, 2016

Sports

By Elizabeth Billman, Neil Goldenthal and Betty Ben Dor Co-Sports Editors and Managing Editor Design by Marko Djurdjevic

Courtesy Brian McKenrick

Brian McKenrick

Maddie Little

The Process:

The Process:

Academy: West Point (United States Military Academy) Sport: Swimming Grade: 12 Strokes: Backstroke, Butter�ly Major: International Relations or Public Policy

McKenrick applied for a fourth option for the nomination procedure, which is a presidential nomination. He was able to receive that nomination because his father had retired from the military. McKenrick explained that the process was simpler than completing the other nomination applications. Due to confusion in communications between his �ield force of�icer and his future coach at the academy, he was told he actually did need the additional nominations though he had missed those deadlines by mistake. McKenrick is in the process of solving that issue with his congressional of�ice currently and he is additionally applying for a vice presidential nomination as well.

Why Commit:

“I went on trips to UVA, West Point, Northwestern and UPenn and the biggest thing that stuck out to me was the sense of brotherhood and comradery there. It was like everybody, whether you did a sport, didn’t do a sport, played football, played basketball, everybody at West Point was in it for the same thing. To me, that kind of just stuck out and that was the biggest portion, that there’s 1,200 kids there per grade and you don’t go there because you want to swim, maybe because you want to study there, but you go there to serve your country. You want to, in theory, give back.

To me, it’s giving back what this country has done for me.”

The Rivalry between the Army and Navy Academies began 125 years ago at West Point. The Army was challenged by the Navy to compete in

22 The Spoke

a football game set for Nov. 29, 1890. The Navy team won that �irst game. After the initial match, the game was played every year starting in 1889 except for 1909, 1917, 1918 and 1929 for a total of 117 matches. The annual game used to be played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving Day, but in more recent times, the game has moved to the second Saturday in December. This year, the game was played on Dec. 10 at the M&T Stadium in Baltimore, Md. There are traditions involved with this event including the prisoner exchange, symbolically exchanging the cadets from each academy who have spent the semester at

Academy: Naval Academy Sport: Lacrosse Grade: 12 Position: Defense Major: General Science

Little has spent the last several months completing the application process for the Naval Academy, which is quite a lengthy process. Although she verbally committed as a sophomore, Little has been waiting for a year and a half to start applying, which she was able to begin this summer.

Little had to apply for her nomination, write a series of essays, and �ill out all the application papers. She had her of�icial Academy interviews in November.

Why Commit:

“I didn’t think about (applying to Army), I was recruited by Navy and I was interested in going there. It was one of the �irst schools I visited and I didn’t any schools after that, and it’s just been Navy from then. Since sophomore year, I started taking harder classes and studying for SATs, which was a lot but I really wanted to go there so I was trying to do everything I could to get in. I just really loved the atmosphere, like the discipline and the hard work. I just think it’s something that I’ve really been wanting to do for a while. I just like the friendships that you make there and the people you’re around, it’s really different from any other school you would go to,”

the sister academy. Also, during the game, the mascots of each team are known for playing pranks on each other on the �ield. At the end of the game, as a sign of solidarity and mutual respect, the losing team will face its fans before going over to join the winning team on its side of the stadium, all while the alma mater songs are playing in the stadium, losing team song �irst and the winning team song last.

The Army and Navy do not have any strong rivalry or history with the Air Force Academy because the Air Force is relatively young compared to the other two, only being established in the 1950s. In addition,

the Air Force Academy is located on the West Coast in Colorado Springs, Colo. while the other two academies are close together on the East Coast in New York and Maryland.

Monday,December 19, 2016

Sports

Alumni Advice: Navy Kylie Johnson: Conestoga graduate 2014

Ceara Sweeney

Grade: 11 Sport: Lacrosse Academy: West Point Major: Undecided The Process:

Sweeney discovered an opportunity for herself at the academy from a former lacrosse teammate.

“Someone who was on my lacrosse team last year at ’Stoga went there and I’ve talked a lot with her and she loves it. When I heard from the coaches there, I went there and then talked to them all about it.

So yeah, I just learned (about) it through them,” Sweeney said.

Why Commit?

Sweeney has been playing lacrosse since she was little and her skill in that sport helped her get recruited at Conestoga.

“I started (playing) in third grade just like Quick Stix — a little league — and then joined into the club team and then played for Conestoga and I got recruited through Conestoga so that’s been my biggest help through all of this.”

Sweeney found committing to West Point an incredible opportunity and was overjoyed when she took a look at the academy. “I was really drawn to the atmosphere of

the lacrosse team and the coaching staff. Just both the athletics and the academics are really good,” Sweeney said.

Though Sweeney has not applied for a nomination yet, she has committed verbally to the academy. In the meantime, she is focusing on keeping up on her academics and physical shape.

“I’m really just going to have to keep training hard, I think, and work hard on my academics as well. Actually this year I’m applying for a summer leadership program and if I get that then I’ll get a better experience this summer, but if I don’t then I’ll just apply next year and I’m going to have to get my nomination,” Sweeney said Though Sweeney is still a junior at ’Stoga, she is happy with the people she will spend her time with at the academy.

“My recruiting grade — like my year — is really awesome and they’re so sweet and I just really think I’m going to �it in with them so I’m excited to be with them for four more years,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney is excited about the academics and the sports at West Point but she is also proud to be able to serve her country.

“My advice to students who are interested in attending a military academy or serving would be to not underestimate yourself or your abilities, and to never be afraid of doing something simply because you are afraid or because it’s outside of your comfort zone. You will never truly be able to develop as a person if you do not push yourself, and the Naval Academy, as well as other service academies, de�initively push you to be the best version of yourself you can be.”

Courtesy Kylie Johnson

Alumni Advice: Army Rilee Scott: Conestoga graduate 2015 “I would advise everyone interested to get involved, be different, seek opportunities and do more. There are tons of applicants. The most important thing to do is make the most of your high school experiences and opportunities and to separate yourself from the rest.

If you are considering applying to a service academy, I completely recommend it.

You realize pretty quickly through the application process if joining the military is something you want to do.”

Courtesy Rilee Scott

In addition to submitting a transcript and application to meet the academic requirements of the academies, the “candidates for selection” must also have a medical exam, complete a fitness assessment and undergo an official interview. Candidates must also secure an official nomination from two U.S. congresspeople and a U.S. senator or a nomination from the vice president of the United States.

There are also a few general requirements of eligibility for applicants to meet before they even begin the application process. They must be at least 17 years of age, but not older than 22 on July 1 of the year they would enter the academy. They must be unmarried, not pregnant and not have any dependents. Dependents include spouses or any children the applicant supports in any form. The Naval Academy and the Air Force Academy still have what are called “rolling admissions,” a system under which the admissions board considers applicants as they complete their paperwork and permit applications until it fills every spot available. Then applicants may receive a Letter of Assurance and Offer of Appointment before receiving their final admissions letter. West Point used to have rolling admissions, but now just provides offers of admission to candidates between November and June of the year following the initial application.

Photos by Neil Goldenthal, Betty Ben Dor and Elizabeth Billman

The Spoke 23

Sports

Monday, December 19, 2016

Boys basketball prepares to net wins

By Elizabeth Billman and Neil Goldenthal Co-Sports Editors

On Dec. 9 the boys varsity basketball team had its first official game against Neshaminy High School, which the boys won with a final score of 54-47. The starting lineup for the game included seniors Peyton Jones, Charlie Martin, Angus Mayock, Scott Shapiro and sophomore Zach Lezanic. The boys began the game a little rusty as they missed shot opportunities and passes to their teammates. The ’Stoga boys seemed to be losing control in the first and second quarters as they gave up over eight fouls collectively to Neshaminy, though they regained control in the third and fourth quarters. Though there were a few missed opportunities, the team played aggressively and quickly got down the line on breakaways. Players including Jones and Shapiro put lots of power and speed behind the ball when passing to their teammates, which quickened

Captiain’s Quarters: Senior Charlie Martin

Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

Lay-up: Sophomore Milton Robinson shoots a layup at the end of the third quarter over a player from Neshaminy. The boys won on this game and went on to win their game on Dec. 13 against Radnor. the speed of play. The game necessary save in the third again at 45-43 halfway was turned around at the end quarter as the ball bounced through the quarter. That reof the second quarter just be- out of bounds when the team mained the score until a pass fore half-time when Martin was on a breakaway towards from Mayock to sophomore made a three point shot with Neshaminy’s basket. During Milton Robinson allowed a two seconds until the buzzer, the game coach Mike Troy layup that put the Pioneers putting ’Stoga ahead with seemed very vocal with his further ahead by two points. last-miinute a score of 30-27. Mayock team in directing plays and Neshaminy’s scored crucial points for the telling his team to settle foul shots threatened ’StoPioneers with his spinning when they got too energetic ga’s looming victory, but layups throughout the game. on the court. In the fourth they were not enough and Junior Mike Erickson made a quarter the score tightened the Pioneers won handily.

Preseason prep plan? “(Our preseason) started off in the summer, pretty much all summer we had open gyms running twice a week. Everybody was coming in, whether it was it in the gym or the weight room, just trying to get better. And then closer to the season, we’ve been having fall tournaments and things like that at various schools, which has been great for us in terms of getting the younger kids used to varsity.”

Goal for this year?

“The main thing we’re focusing on this year is defense, we want that to be our identity.

I think we know we’ll be able to score against any team and our shooting and scoring is always going to keep us in the game so we have to focus on defense.

What will be the role of the seniors?

“As a senior, I definitely have to take on a bigger role as a leader. A team is as good as their seniors take them, so specifically our captains this year, Scott Shapiro, Angus Mayock and I, we’ve just been trying to set a great example and lead by example for the whole team.”

Girls basketball boxes out their rivals

By Elizabeth Billman and Avery Maslowsky Co-Sports Editor and Business Manager

On Dec. 6, the girls varsity basketball team had its first scrimmage of the season in which the girls beat The Christian Academy at home in the CHS gym. Because the game was a scrimmage, the officials did not keep official score, but points were still counted. The final scores of each quarter were 10-0 Conestoga in the first quarter, 12-4 in the second, 12-6 in the third and 4-4 in the fourth.

The team seemed to be experimenting with different combinations of players as this was its first game. The starting squad of the game included seniors Sara Mascioli, Liz Scott, Lindsay Erickson, Emma Powell and junior Katie Mayock.

Mascioli and Erickson created fast break plays

24 The Spoke

throughout the game with a few of the plays developing into passing strings, opportunities at shots and successful baskets. Scott also had several layups that converted into two points throughout the game, foreshadowing a reliable way for ’Stoga to score points this season. Mayock leveraged her height to easily defend against The Christian Academy’s shots, while continuously shooting on the basket several times without interruption. The Christian Academy coach even said to his players on the bench, “she could stand there all day.”

Foul shots in the game were made by Scott, Mayock and junior Cat Esbenshade.

Scott constantly encouraged her team, telling the girls to “box-out” the opposing players and keep the on their toes. When Erickson was in the game as point guard she distributed the ball to her teammates and successfully completed a weave play with Scott and Mascioli in the third

quarter. The weave resulted in a backdoor cut for a basket and coach Chris Jeffries jumped with excitement. Even though the team waits for

a few players (junior Maria Koblish and now Mascioli) to recover from injuries, it looks promising from the scrimmage results.

Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

Reaching for the win: Junior Kat Esbenshade tips off the ball at the beginning of the third quarter. The team ended last year with a record of 19-9-0.

Captiain’s Quarters: Senior Lindsay Erickson Preseason prep plan?

“We had an open gym twice a week. We got a lot of people to come out for those so that was good, even freshmen. A lot of girls work on their own too like training by themselves. And we have a Radnor fall league that we do. It’s a lot of teams in the central league that we get to play against and see what they look like for the upcoming season.”

Team dynamic?

“I guess we have good teamwork, we are really focusing on building each other up. I kind of see ourselves as a family almost, not just a team. We are all best friends.”

Biggest rival?

“Garnet is our biggest rival.

We definitely want to beat them and I know they lost a couple of key girls but they are still going to be a big competitor for us.

They’re our biggest competitor and we want to try and beat them and also just getting back to states again would be cool.”

Monday, December 19, 2016

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The Spoke 25

Monday, December 19, 2016

Sports

Fans have more fun with college football

By Elizabeth Billman Co-Sports Editor Considering fan commitment, connection and overall fan experience, college football crushed pro football.

The argument against pro football is that players play because it’s their job. They may love the game, but they are also getting paid to play. In college, the kids make the team and they play because they love to play and they work hard to get and keep scholarships. The connection for the college football fan has more levels.

With college football, there is a sense of attachment. If you attended the school, you have experienced the pep rallies and spirit weeks and the student section with all your fellow classmates. As an alum, and eventually a parent you can pass the loyalty and excitement onto

your kids and it becomes a new connection. With family trips to watch games in person in the loud and crazy stadiums or watching every Saturday on the big screen TV at home with all of your college paraphernalia, you can share your tradition with your children and it becomes a family affair.

At a Penn State game, I witnessed the entire stadium literally on their feet and cheering for the whole three hours of play. The loudest events I have been to have all been in Beaver Stadium during the classic white out games where I could not even hear my own voice over the extremely intense roar of the crowd. You win as a team and you lose as a team. No matter the outcome of the game, everyone will be belting out the alma mater and “Sweet Caroline” when it plays in the third quarter.

Even if you are just watching the games on TV, you can see the differences in the crowd. If I am ever watching a college football team play, I can always hear the crowd roaring behind the voices of the commentators and they are standing up and cheering wildly for their team, no matter the score. I was watching the Jets and the Colts play the other

day on ESPN and I could actually hear the players talking to each other. I know they have microphones on the sideline so it is easier for them to be heard, but I noticed them talking because the crowd wasn’t. I have never heard it so quiet during a football game. I do not think I would

Though I have never attended an NFL game, I know friends and family who have and their reactions can not compare to the experience of a college game day. Fans are excited to see the Eagles play in Philly and they might go early to tailgate in the parking lot, but college games

have ever heard that in college football.

Comparing the attendance levels of the top ten teams in the NCAA to those of the NFL games in 2015, the NCAA had an average of 99,738 people while the NFL had an average of 77,668 people throughout the season.

Though there are more games in pro football, the attendence numbers can not compare.

can be a multi-day and multievent adventure. When you go to a college game, fans not only tailgate, but they also have to do all of the college traditions such as going to all the best pep rallies, �inding the best places to watch Gameday coverage, going to their favorite pre-game restaurants before the game or cheering on their all-star marching band. Each university

class, when the early explorers of the Americas came into contact with the native peoples and diverse cultures and committed mass genocide against them. It’s about as unpleasant of a topic as slavery, but we can’t ignore it. And just to rub salt in the wound, after an entire race of people was decimated, we began using them as mascots for our sports teams.

It may seem insigni�icant, but what if a slur of equal proportion was used for another race?

People would have a problem with that. So why are we failing to stand up against the use of these slurs and derrogatory practices?

Well, for starters, because of the previously mentioned mass genocide, there aren’t many Native Americans left. The 2010 U.S. Census reported that just under one percent of the population was Native American or another indigenous race.

Native American activists have made several different efforts to prompt professional sports team to change, but it’s dif�icult because there’s simply not that

many of them. And for the rest of us, it’s hard to understand the weight and implications of the mascots because it doesn’t directly affect us. Yet, anyone non-Native American who reamins silent is inadvertently perpetuating these offensive norms.

The Redskins name is an undeniable slur. And while the Cleveland Indians’ name isn’t necessarily offensive; the mascot is a mocking caricature. But not all teams that use Native Americans or tribes as name or mascots are doing so inappropriately. For example, the Florida State Seminoles have a respectful and peaceful relationship with the local Seminole tribe. The tribe granted the school permission to use the mascot, seeing it as an honor to have their tribe represented. Their mascot and all the traditions associated with it strive to honor the tribe. As long as teams have consent from the tribe and are considerate, the use of a name or mascot is completely okay.

But if the tribe or group of

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

has its own traditions when it comes to games.

Though the actual football being played is an extremely important aspect of the fan experience, it is not all. The mascots and band performance are also a part of the excitement. The NFL will occasionally hire a band from a high school for their games but they will never have somethings as intense or as creative as a band like Ohio State’s. They created images of the Titanic sinking, Ohio state helmets bashing with Michigan helmets and even a “Harry Potter” scene all laid out on the �ield to music with incredible skill. The college football teams also all have mascots that are the symbols of the university and are always interactive with the crowd in and outside of the stadium.

Take the Colorado Buffaloes. They have had a real bull lead the team onto the �ield since 1966. The Nittany Lion of Penn State is on the �ield dancing for the crowd most of the time and getting everyone to chant “We Are” from one side of the stadium and “Penn State” from the other.

Certainly, pro football teams like the Eagles, Giants and Bears may have diehard fans too.

However, as a whole the college football experience is based in passion, loyalty and tradition.

Honors without honor: Say no to racist mascots

By Neil Golenthal Co-Sports Editor If your favorite team’s mascot changed, would you still root for it?

For the past several years, there has been a push for professional sports teams like the Washington Redskins to change their mascots because many see them as invoking derogatory stereotypes of Native Americans. However, the sports community, both players and fans, either dismiss or passively agree with the idea, but not many people feel that is an urgent matter. I strongly disagree.

When you think of Native Americans, what comes to mind? For me, I think of history

26 The Spoke

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

tribes doesn’t consent, and as soon the mascot disrespects or mocks (directly or indirectly) Native American culture, it crosses the line.

I get that it’s not fun to think about serious social issues when you sit down to watch a game. And I’m not suggesting that everyone camp out in front the professional leagues’ headquaters and protest until they change the names. But it’s time that we start moving toward the change. While the leagues seem stubborn, at the end of the day, they care more about keeping

fans happy and making money.

They’re never going to change the names because they don’t have much concern for morality until they’re called out.

So let’s call them out and force them to listen. Peacefully protest, use social media, don’t tune in for games with these teams and wear some of your other jerseys. The leagues will notice and with enough pressure they’ll make the change.

And afterwards, they can go back to making money and you can go back to sitting on the couch and enjoying the game.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Sports

KADE LAMARRE Grade: 12 School: Franklin & Marshall Sport: Wrestling

Why Franklin & Marshall?

“Besides acedemics, it was the coach and team who made me feel welcome and at home.”

What did ’Stoga Wrestling teach you?

“What hard work really is.”

Favorite memory?

“The state tournament where we bonded with the coaches.”

SAMMI AUFIERO Grade: 12 School: UMass Lowell Sport: Lacrosse Position: Defense

Why UMass Lowell?

“The engineering program, the city and it’s a new and upcoming program.”

What did ’Stoga Lacrosse teach you?

“Everyone has a role no matter how big or small and (the team) pushes each other to our best limits.”

Favorite memory?

“Winning the State Championship last year.”

Weight Class

220lbs

By Avery Maslowsky Buisness Manager Editor’s Note: Due to the time of press, Sportsline cannot be updated past Dec. 8.

Swimming: Even though the season has just begun, the ’Stoga swim team is lapping the competition and making great strides to another undefeated season.

boys due to the loss of some of their fastest swimmers who graduated with the Class of 2016. Swimmers like Kevin Jay, Emily Booz and Linda Ashmead �inished their impressive Conestoga swim careers and have gone on to swim in college.

The 2015-2016 season also was a record breaking year. Current senior and captain Brian McKenrick broke the record for the 200-meter individual

Henry Danon/The SPOKE

Backing it up: Sophomore Julie McFadden swims the backstroke in a meet against Spring�ield. ’Stoga ultimately defeated Spring�ield .

After having an undefeated 2015-2016 season, the swimmers came out with determination to the tryouts starting on Nov. 29. But the pool seemed empty for both the girls and the

medley with a time of 1:54:44.

Current sophomore Brendan Burns also broke swimming grounds in last year’s season with the 100-meter butter�ly swim in a time of 49:83. Not

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to mention, the record broken by the quartet of current junior Oliver Brown, Burns, Jay and McKenrick. They broke the 200meter free relay with a time of 1:27:03.

But losing graduated swimmers hasn’t stopped the Pioneers. Against Upper Dublin in a scrimmage on Dec. 6, the boys’ swim team took home an overall win, while the girls unfortunately took a close loss against Dublin.

On Jan. 20, the swim team will take on arch rival Radnor with a home meet at the Upper Main Line YMCA in the most anticipated meet of the year. As of last year, the Radnor meet was also the start of Cure4Cam. Both teams raised money and support for children with cancer and promised the meet would continue for years to come.

Wrestling: After losing some of its strongest wrestlers with the Class of 2016, the Conestoga wrestling team has started the season off with force and dedication.

The wrestling 2015-2016 season was successful for the boys, ending with an overall

regular season record of 6-2, �ifth in the Central League and sixth in districts. The team also sent

team. It came out with �ire in its tryouts starting on Nov. 29 and is ready to dominate once again

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Butting heads: Sophomore Corey Huck wrestles against Christian Hodges from Lower Merion in the 113lb weight class on Dec. 13. Huck won the match 39-4 and ’Stoga won the match overall. off two wrestlers to the State Championships held through March 10-12, 2016. Alumnus Dan Iredale and current senior Kade LaMarre worked hard to place Conestoga overall as 60th in the state.

Wrestlers like Iredale and Jake Frantz along with many more said goodbye to the Conestoga mats after the end of the 2016 season and have moved on to collegiate wrestling. But that hasn’t slowed down the Conestoga

within the Central League and the state championship.

Varsity wrestlers like LaMarre and sophomore Ameer Martinez have returned with stamina from last year and are leading the team from two different weight classes.

The wrestling team’s �irst match is on Tuesday, Dec. 13 and the boys are ready to get out on the mats and bring home a win for their alumni and for Conestoga altogether.

The Spoke 27

Dec. 19, 2016 Conestoga High School Berwyn, PA www.spoke.news

@thespoke

Slaying the dragon Senior Aidan Krombolz practices his form for the javelin throw, one of the many events that make up the field portion of track and field. The team’s next competition is the North Shore High School Invitational in New York City on Dec. 26.

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

“I kind of see ourselves as a family almost, not just a team.”

See Page 24 Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE