The Spoke December 2014

December 22, 2014 Conestoga High School Berwyn, Pennsylvania Stoganews.com Volume 65 No. 3

How we-learn

District to pilot distance learning next year p.14

Photo Illustration: Ben Red and Yuge Xiao/The SPOKE

King of Prussia Mall Construction p. 5

Year in Review p. 6-7

A Dream Deferred p. 16

News School The Spoke is published seven times per year at Bartash Printing.

It consistently receives the Gold Award from the Pennsylvania School Press Association and is a National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker awardwinning publication. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.

Editors-in-Chief: Suproteem Sarkar, Simran Singh, Yuge Xiao News Editor: Michael Hong Features Editors: Courtney Kennedy, Mary Mei Opinion Editor: Meagan O’Rourke Sports Editors: Andy Backstrom, Navin Zachariah Convergence Editors: Michael Li, Jerry Zhu Business Manager: Shivani Sanghani Copy Editor: Paula Miller Graphic Designers: Liz Lawton, Ben Red, Michael Zhang Staff: Betty Ben-Dor, Elizabeth Billman, Maggie Chen, Allan Du, Nour Elkassabany, Rose Kantorczyk, Camille Kurtz, Liz Lawton, Cissy Ming, Kyle Nicholson, Ian Ong, Matt Paolizzi, Emma Purinton, Allison Reagan, Matt Soderberg, Caleigh Sturgeon, Michelle Xu, Eric Xue, Lyvia Yan, Michael Zhang, Warren Zhao Faculty Advisers: Susan Gregory, Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt

Submissions Letters to the editor may be submitted to Suproteem Sarkar, Simran Singh or Yuge Xiao, or advisers Susan Gregory or Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt. Unsigned editorials represent the views of The Spoke editorial board, and 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.

Contact Us Email: spoke@stoga.net Phone: 610-240-1046 The Spoke accepts paid advertisements.

Email: ssanghani@stoganews.com Visit The Spoke online at www.stoganews.com Web News Directors: Michael Li, Jerry Zhu mli@stoganews.com jzhu@stoganews.com

2 The Spoke

Hallman to take new position at Kennett Eric Xue Dr. Lydia Hallman, a chemistry and physics teacher, will leave her teaching position at Conestoga on Jan. 9 and take a new job as a curriculum supervisor at Kennett Consolidated School District (KCSD).

“I’m excited about the opportunity, but it’s difficult to leave in the middle [of the school year] after you’ve met students and get to know them,” Hallman said.

Starting Jan. 12, Hallman will be KCSD’s math and science curriculum supervisor. She will develop and implement curriculum for grades K-12.

Hallman will also be involved with KCSD’s STEM Academy, a program that she hopes will inspire students to pursue careers in mathematic and scientific fields.

Hallman took the job because she says that it has always been her goal to improve the educational system, especially in the sciences. She says she feels that her new position at KCSD will help her do so.

“The new job is more about the big picture and affecting change in science, technology and math for a larger number.

You get to be part of that decision on what’s important and what prepares students the best

-Chemistry and physics teacher Dr. Lydia Hallman for the rest of their education,” Hallman said.

Hallman’s new position is a district position, meaning that she will no longer be in the classroom teaching students. Instead, she will work at the district office, working with administrators and teachers to improve the curriculum and finding ways to meet the needs of all the students.

However, despite a lack of direct contact with students, Hallman said she hopes that she can still benefit and motivate them to take on careers in science and mathematics through the curriculum she designs.

Hallman’s influence in the class is apparent in her students.

“When I found out that Dr. Hallman was leaving I was so sad,” senior Kylie Johnson said.

Eric Xue/The SPOKE

Moving on: Chemistry and physics teacher Lydia Hallman will leave Conestoga and take a new job at Kennett Consolidated School District on Jan. 9.

“She was always available to help me before or after class when I was having trouble and needed to ask questions and in class she always made sure everyone understood the material before moving on.”

Although she will no longer teaches in a classroom, Hallman

said she feels her 12 years of experience is both crucial and beneficial to her new job. Hallman says she adores her students and enjoys teaching but feels that this change is still necessary.

“I love physics, love chem, but I’m ready to branch out,” Hallman said.

Administration makes bake sale exceptions

Warren Zhao To the frustration of many Conestoga clubs, Tredyffrin/Easttown School District announced that sales of food not made in the cafeteria was prohibited as per the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. However, the administration recently announced that the second week of each month would be an exempt week, during which clubs can have bake sales.

“The exempt weeks, they really helped us out a lot,” Best Buddies co-president Patrick Evans said.

To help the clubs impacted by this reform, the federal government allowed the state of Pennsylvania to determine whether or not it is appropriate for exceptions to the policy. Pennsylvania’s legislature then decided that at a high school level, 10 exceptions could be given at the district’s discretion.

“The interpretation [of the Act] that the State gave indicated that one fundraiser could last up to

seven days as an exception,” T/E Food and Nutrition Supervisor Michael McKinney said.

The district Wellness Committee and administration then gave direction to the principals of each school allowing them to determine when exceptions would be allowed to take place.

Clubs within the school are placed into four categories: service, sports, culture and gaming. During each exempt week, clubs from one category are allowed to hold foodrelated fundraisers as long as they adhere to a set of rules set by the school.

According to Assistant Principal Anthony Dilella, there are three major rules pertaining to Conestoga: bake sales cannot take place in the cafeteria during lunch periods, only two food-related fundraisers can take place per day and no homemade food can be sold.

“In order to safeguard the rights of students with food allergies, the [homemade food] regulation applies to all food fundraising,” Dilella said.

If a club is interested in participating in the exempt week, they must have a student representative

Bake sale exemption weeks

room 130.

Dec. 8: Service clubs Jan. 12: Athletic clubs Feb. 2: Culture clubs March 9: Academic and gaming clubs April 13: Culture clubs May 11: Service clubs

News School

Katie Koestner speaks about tech safety, date rape Allan Du In the fall of 1990, Katie Koestner was date raped by her seemingly romantic and intelligent boyfriend during the third week of her freshman year at the College of William & Mary. Today, she is a technological misconduct specialist who has traveled to more than 3,000 schools across the nation, promoting date rape prevention and ethical online behavior.

For more than 10 years, Koestner has spoken to Conestoga students on how to succeed socially and mentally during college. The school pays $7,200 for three assemblies.

On Dec. 17, she spoke to freshmen and then sophomores about a new topic: the impact of your digital footprint on future college admissions and job interviews.

“I feel very lucky to be at the front line of new, developing technologies,” Koestner said. “Through my regular working connections, I learn from college admissions of applicants, and from partnerships with research institutions I learn about the often-hidden tracking of information such as text messages and location data.”

Koestner revealed to students

how easy it is to obtain personal information about someone online by simply using their name. This revelation filled the auditorium with gasps and turned heads.

She also focused on ways to maintain a positive digital footprint by not participating, or at least being photographed, in unethical activities.

Trackable, traceable, receivable.

Koestner used these three adjectives to describe every action committed online or through a phone, even if all traces of it are deleted from the sender and receiver’s devices. She advocated waiting instead of risking one’s reputation by spewing hateful retaliations during heat of the moment arguments, both through social networks and text messaging.

In her assembly with seniors the next day, Koestner spoke on a different topic: her experiences and struggles with date rape in college.

She gave advice to the graduating class on how to prevent similar situations from happening in their own college years.

“Silence is the easy way out when we see others being disrespectful or potentially hurting someone. The people who rape and the people who are raped make up only a tiny percentage of the people who I speak to,” Koestner

said. “Most people aren’t in either of those categories, but they attend parties where one couple out of a hundred may be the problem.

Date rape could be prevented if the people around them saw and said, ‘Let’s change this.’ All of us can take a stand and not be silent.” a potential rapist from a normal, loving romantic partner, which is one point Koestner addressed and gave advice on during the senior assembly.

“If I look back now, I notice more things [about my former boyfriend]. I realized the disrespectful way he treated women. He

majority of her time to speaking about her experiences and writing articles and manuals about improving schools’ and organizations’ technology systems.

“I was so distracted by my experience that it became hard to focus on studying at college,” Koestner said. “I started asking, ‘What can I do to make the most difference in the world?’”

The answer? As it turns out, speaking about her experiences

and guiding future college students onto a safer path. However, her career is not without its challenges.

“I travel all the time and never day. But I get a lot done: inevitably I write 10-15 pages of publishable material every day. Choosing to speak on these issues has allowed me to help many more people than if I had become a chemical engineer as I originally planned,” Koestner said.

disrespectful, but at the age of 18 I would not have known what to look for or what those signs may indicate,” Koestner said.

Koestner chose to dedicate her life to advocating for date rape prevention after facing numerous struggles while seeking justice for the crimes committed against her. me. I began speaking openly about my experiences to put pressure through visibility on judicial systems to change and improve. I think it’s hard for people to be motivated the issue to life,” Koestner said.

Now, Koestner devotes the

Allan Du/The SPOKE

Speaking out: Katie Koestner addresses freshmen on Dec. 17.

Her two Dec. 17 presentations focused on students’ digital footprints while the subject of her talk on Dec. 18 was date rape.

The Spoke 3

News Local

Mall Madness: King of Prussia undergoes expansion

Betty Ben-Dor

For a limited time, Chester County will be home to the largest mall in America as the King of Prussia Mall embarks on a project to connect its two major areas.

That is, until the Mall of America reconstruction. a project connecting the Court and the Plaza of the King of Prussia Mall kicked off earlier this year.

Simon Property Group, the owner of the mall, is working with McGillin Architecture Inc., RTKL-Los Angeles and IMC square foot “connector” building that they estimate will cost around

“Th is expansion project will further enhance one of the nation’s largest and most compelling retail destinations and will address ongoing demand for more retailers and luxury brands from our fashionsavvy shoppers,” Smith said. “We expect that when the expansion is be a shopping and entertainment destination unlike any other on the East Coast.”

Freshman Reese Caldwell said he is enthusiastic about the status that the construction will bring to the mall.

“Before, they were kind of cheating with having the mall exist in two separate buildings. Now it will all be enclosed, so I feel like it actually is the largest mall in the U.S.,” Caldwell said.

The mall currently brings in

The project includes an elevated connector link between the Court, which houses Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s, and The Plaza, which contains Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.

The connector will include dining pavilion, a new parking deck and a customer lounge with places to charge phones and relax. Multiple phases and delicate planning will allow the mall to remain open during the construction process.

Kathy Smith, director of marketing and business development at the King of Prussia Mall, said that the goal of the project is to provide a “modern, seamless shopping experience for mall customers.”

-

-Director of Marketing and Business Development Kathy Smith

Courtesy Lee Martinez

Humble beginnings: Renovations and construction have already begun at the King of Prussia Mall and are projected to be completed in late 2016. million more. The construction will the construction will make it pos- that in the end, the new connector sible for people to shop in both parts of the mall without having “In addition to growing our in total, according to a press release to go outside to get from one to square footage considerably, the from Simon Property Group. the other. expansion project will further Senior Tara Malloy said that “I think that the expansion of position King of Prussia as the she is excited about the expansion the mall will be pretty cool,” Suss- top shopping and entertainment kind said. “I never liked walking destination in Pennsylvania. Concommunity. outside to go from mall to mall, tinuing to reinvest in the customer “With the construction comes so this will solve that problem and experience is something that is a add some more stores.” top priority for Simon [Property is great because not only does this Although not much of the actual Group]. This is also an area that is mean more shopping opportunities work has begun, several stores extremely attractive to prospective and more shopping convenience have already relocated to other tenants,” Smith said. “With high for the consumer, but it is also parts of the mall to leave the area demand from brands seeking to be going to create jobs, which is awe- open for the construction. Parts of a part of the King of Prussia retail some,” Malloy said. the mall have been sectioned off, roster, we’re continuously able to Sophomore Rebecca Susskind forcing stores to operate in tempo- meet the ever-evolving tastes and said she appreciates the fact that rary spaces. However, Smith said demands of our customers.”

Courtesy IMC Construction

Promising future: Artist’s rendering of the King of Prussia Mall after renovations, which will include expansion and construction of a connector between the Court and the Plaza.

The Spoke 5

FEATURES Year in Review

2014 was a year of excitement both in the Conestoga community and in pop culture. Take a look back at The Spoke’s Year in Review to remember some of this year’s most memorable moments.

By Courtney Kennedy, Paula Miller and Allison Reagan

Most Anticipated Movie: “The Fault in Our Stars” Fans around the world rejoiced last winter when it was announced John Green’s novel “The Fault in Our Stars” would make its way to the big screen in June. Readers anticipation and excitement heightened with the actors, Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, and the release of time June arrived, the excitement was infectious, bringing together diehard John Green fans and interested new readers alike over a bag of popcorn and a box of Junior Mints, and making “The Fault in Our Stars” the most anticipated movie of 2014. Okay? Okay.

Biggest Social Media Trend: ALS Ice Bucket Challenge It was impossible to browse social media this summer without pictures of buckets, ice water and drenched friends and classmates popping up on the screen. Hundreds of Conestoga students and staff were nominated to participate in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge over the summer by friends and family to raise awareness about ALS. With the help of nearly 2.4 million other participants, the ALS Association raised more than $90 million for ALS research.

Catchiest Song of 2014: “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX This catchy single was released in February and held the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks straight. The song blasted Iggy Azalea to stardom and made a huge impression on pop culture.

“Fancy” is one of those songs that gets played on the radio a little too often, but it’s just too hard not to sing along.

Shortest-Lived Fad of 2014: Yik Yak Yik Yak blew up in a matter of days.

For students, it was a way to speak freely without consequences and suddenly everyone was “yaking.” But the app began receiving harsh criticism as its well-intentioned creators discovered how easily anonymity could be abused. Within a few weeks, the app had already lost its allure and faded away, making Yik Yak the shortest-lived fad of the year.

Midterms: The end of the first semester meant time for midterm examinations. However, midterms were delayed two days because of multiple snow days.

JAN. 23-27

Ice Storm: In a winter with 10 snow days, the February ice storm had the strongest effects. More than 500,000 people lost power, and Berwyn became the center of a national news story.

FEB. 4-7

Musical: 'Stoga Theatre

Spring Break: Whether it

took the stage in the jazz-era show "Thoroughly Modern Millie." With flapper-esque hairstyles and large dance numbers, the show featured lots of musical talent.

was spent visiting colleges or relaxing on a beach, spring break provided a much needed break from school and stress. Luckily, no days were lost to snow days.

MARCH 10

APRIL 14-18

Junior Prom: Clad in long dresses and smooth tuxedos, the junior class enjoyed the “Frozen” themed Junior Prom. The night included dinner, dancing and a giant ice sculpture.

MAY 10

Graduation:

said goodbye to 500 members o of 2014 at a c Villanova. 97 the class plann college after gr

JUNE

TIME LINE JAN. 26

6 The Spoke

Grammy Awards: The 56th Annual Grammy Awards featured 82 different awards. Lorde won the "Song of the Year" award for "Royals."

FEB. 7-23

MARCH 16

Olympics: The XXII Winter

Crimea: 97% of Crimean voters voted to secede from Ukraine. They declared independence from Ukraine, and Russia recognized Crimea as a sovereign state.

Olympic Games took place in Sochi, Russia. The United States finished in second place behind Russia with 28 medals.

APRIL 15 Lunar Eclipse: The first in a tetrad of total lunar eclipses was seen in the sky across North and South America.

Mars, the "Red Planet" was also visible at the same time.

MAY 31 YouTube: Psy's hit Korean-pop song "Gangnam Style" became the first video to reach two billion views on YouTube.

The video premiered on July 15, 2012.

JUNE

World Cup: B soccer teams nations in the Cup. After a mo Germany won onship on July

Features 2014 Images from Island Records, Nicki Minaj, Alessia Pierdomenico, 20th Century Fox, Carsey-Werner Productions and the Conestoga Marching Band.

Craziest Music Video of 2014: “Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj

Most Addicting App: Kim Kardashian: Hollywood

Most Exciting Celebrity Birth: Wyatt Isabelle Kutcher

Saddest Celebrity Death: Robin Williams

or Prom: Clad in long es and smooth tuxedos, unior class enjoyed the en” themed Junior The night included r, dancing and a giant ice ure.

MAY 10

AY 31

Psy's hit song "Gangnam e the first video billion views on The video n July 15, 2012.

Graduation: Conestoga

Homecoming: Conestoga defeated Marple Newtown 42-28 in the annual Homecoming football game.

The weekend also included a Student Council sponsored pep rally and dance.

Fall Drama: 'Stoga Theatre presented Bram Stoker's frightening version of "Dracula." The show, directed

by Natalie Gaspari, featured intense special effects and vampire-themed makeup.

Disney Trip: The Music

SEPT. 2

OCT. 10

NOV. 20-22

DEC. 3-7

SEPT. 19

OCT. 10

NOV. 23

DEC. 17

Construction: Throughout the summer, several renovation projects took place at Conestoga. One of the biggest changes was the loss of the tree in the large courtyard.

First Day of School:

JUNE 3

BREAK

JUNE 12

AUG. 15

World Cup: Brazil hosted soccer teams from 32 nations in the 20th World Cup. After a month of play, Germany won the championship on July 13.

Baseball: The Taney Dragons competed in the Little League World Series.

Mo’ne Davis became first girl to pitch a winning game in the LLWS.

said goodbye to more than 500 members of the Class of 2014 at a ceremony at Villanova. 97 percent of the class planned to attend college after graduation.

More than 2,000 students walked in the doors of Conestoga to start the new school year. The incoming freshman class was the largest class in 18 years.

No Independence:

Nobel Peace Prize:

Midterm Elections:

Scottish voters voted against becoming an independent sovereign state. Scotland remains a country under the crown of Queen Elizabeth II.

17-year- old Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan and Kailash Satyarthi of India won the Nobel Peace Prize for their work in education.

Republicans gained control of Congress. In Pennsylvania, Democrat Tom Wolf defeated the incumbent Governor Tom Corbett.

Department headed down to Disney World to participate in workshops, a candlelight vigil, and the Epcot Parade.

More than 200 music students went on the trip.

Cuba:

Barack Obama called for an end to the U.S. embargo against Cuba for the first time since Jan. 1961.

The Spoke 7

Features Music

bluFire Bass prepares for biggest concert of career

Ian Ong/The SPOKE

Ready to rock: Senior Phill Warren is preparing for his upcoming performance at the Borgore Show.

Warren began working as a DJ at the age of 13.

Ian Ong When senior Phillip Warren first started DJing, he sat in his room, experimenting with hiphop music on his computer. Four years later, he has become the school-wide electronic sensation bluFire Bass and is faced with the most influential concert in his DJing career.

Next month, bluFire Bass will join prominent electronic artists Borgore, Ookay, JAUZ and Dotcom in Philladelphia.

Named after Borgore’s own record label, Buygore Records, the Borgore Show will run from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Jan. 31 and offer mixes of trap, dubstep and dance music.

Warren, who says he is prepared to take his special style and attitude to the next level as the opening DJ for the show, is already popular among students

for performing at the library coffee house in November.

“It was a packed house, there was a lot of spirit from the students and everybody was pumped about it,” sophomore Chris Turocy said.

Sophomore A.J. Nadel is Warren’s classmate in Music Production and a fan of his music.

Nadel said that Warren enjoys tinkering with sound in Music Production.

“S ometimes he’ll jus t go off and do his own thing even though it’s not what the project says, but it always turns out really nice,” Nadel said.

During the upcoming performance, Warren will be recording a music video for his new song, “Swiggity Swag.” For Warren, having a good turnout at the Borgore Show would be his dream come true.

“I’ve decided that I don’t want to do anything else except tour the world and make music,”

Warren said. “I want to go to Delco for college, and by the time I’m finished there, I want to be famous and touring the world.”

Warren began DJing at the age of 13 after his cousin introduced him to electronic music. He began mixing songs by cutting samples out of songs and mashing them up. While Warren began by creating “terrible” mixes of hip-hop, he now uses a style he describes as combining trap, dubstep, deep house and other sub-genres.

Warren has also produced his own music that he performs and uploads to his SoundCloud page. He became bluFire Bass, a name he chose because “fire” was a catchphrase he used with his friends to say something was quality.

“I’ve been trying to think of new ways to mix and to get people more hyped,” Warren said. “I’m thinking of songs where people will be screaming the lyrics to if they hear it and all they want to do is just go wild and dance.”

Warren may be a DJ, but his tastes in music are diverse.

“You have to expand your horizons and know more music besides electronic because it’s like, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald, the great artists back in the day, and so many people don’t even know who they are and it’s a shame,” Warren said.

Warren takes inspiration from all kinds of music, and admits

to mixing classical along with hip-hop, funk and reggae. He follows the bands Sublime and Funkadelic, and cites the song “Unfunky UFO” by Parliament as his personal favorite. With the Borgore show next year, Warren has the opportunity to play alongside Ookay, a trap artist who is an inspiration to his work, and big names like Borgore who have started their own record labels.

Warren faced heavy opposition to his dream of becoming a DJ. When times looked their bleakest, Warren took inspiration from a teacher named John Deonarine, who guided him in the right direction in music and in life. In the end, his passion for music revealed a valuable lesson.

“Never stop, and believe in yourself. Don’t care what anybody can say to you,” Warren said. “Honestly, it’s just my love of music that keeps me going, so if you love music and you love DJing, get into it! And I’ll help you.”

Because of his signature style, Warren has garnered offers from promotion companies and support from ’Stoga students.

“He’s really good. He’s really talented for someone in high school,” Nadel said.

“It’s crazy because there are some people who know me as bluFire and not Phill Warren.

Some kid asked me the other day if I even attended the school; they

asked me if I was just a DJ,” Warren said.

His next goal is to channel his fans’ energy in order to ensure that the show will be a success.

There are not that many performers at he Borgore Show, “so if I get a lot of people to come there, the record company may consider adding me to their record list and touring the country,” Warren said.

-Senior Phill Warren Warren encourages students to experience what electronic mixing has to offer and help him make headlines all over the area whiling having some “safe fun.”

“Just seeing all of the DJs at concerts I would go to, I would listen and be like, ‘I can do this, if they’re doing it, why can’t I be up there?’” Warren said. “I’m just really trying my best to become a headlining act, that’s the only thing I want to do in life, and that’s the only thing I can see myself doing. I can’t see myself sitting at a desk or a cubicle or something. That’s not me.”

Ian Ong/The SPOKE

Swiggity Swag: Senior Phill Warren plans to record a music video for his new song “Swiggity Swag” during his performance at the Borgore Show. He produces and performs his own music.

The Spoke 9

Features Fashion

‘Stoga stylists: Taking fashion to the social media platform Lyvia Yan Beside trendy clothes and stylish accessories, Daou and Nguyen

While some students groggily dress themselves in the morning, student stylists juniors Lulu Daou, Angela Nguyen and Melissa Lopez are taking the opportunity to express themselves, using social media as an outlet to share their YouTubing, Instagramming

Juniors Melissa Lopez, Anna Koblish, Julia Baran, Jane Donahue and Julia Danon also con-

the Instagram account Xocitygirls,

post approximately every one to Lyvia Yan/The SPOKE

Fashion Bloggers: Juniors Angela Nguyen (left) and Lulu Daou (right) share their styles on Instagram. Tbey started the Instagram account Xocitygirls and share fashion with 330 followers.

tedious, Daou and Nguyen see it

10 The Spoke

For Lopez, her unique style,

Check it out!

Xocitygirls

StolenFive

Features Teacher

Justin Davey AP Economics Interview by Simran Singh Where did you attend high school?

“North Penn. We had a graduating class just under 1,200, and it was quite a different atmosphere. I liked it a lot. There are people who went to North Penn that graduated with me that I’ve never met before, never even seen in my entire life. It was cool because it really allowed you to do your own thing, and you could really get into whatever you wanted to get into. It’s not like everyone knew you or knew your deal.”

Where did you attend college?

“West Chester University. I majored in history with a focus on educate. I played baseball my freshman year, but unfortunately the coach left I had to stop. But it actually worked out really well, because I had to take a full course load. I took 18 credits every semester from there on out so it worked out extremely well. In all honesty, looking back, if it wasn’t for that, I probably wouldn’t be here right now. At the time it was like a world-ending event, but looking back on it, it actually worked out extremely well.”

What do you like most about Conestoga?

“Everybody is extremely welcoming and open-armed, and I don’t think anybody walks around truly and feels like they’re lost without a niche. Everybody is so into different things and all the clubs and all the activities. I’m involved in a whole lot of different stuff. I do fencing club, I do baseball, I do football and I’m doing basketball

state of the entire world truly, these kids, who before wouldn’t really necessarily have a grasp on what that stuff is, they can take place in the debate that’s going on and be informed about it as well.”

How did you get involved with fencing at Conestoga?

“I had no experience fencing at all before, but that goes into saying why I like it here a lot. There’s new things that you can just do at the drop of a hat. So the next thing I know, I’m downstairs and I have the guard on and my helmet, and I’m learning

how to block. It’s really cool. And the kids down there are another group of kids that I wouldn’t have in basketball or football or baseball.”

Do you have any siblings?

“I have a younger brother, Matt.

He’s a junior at Bloomsburg University, studying education as well.

He looks exactly like me except he’s got red hair. If people think that I’m funny, then they should meet this kid. He’s awesome. Whenever he’s home, it just makes going home at the end of the day so much better,

AP Economics teacher Justin Davey joined Conestoga last year as a student teacher and has quickly become a favorite and an active member of the ’Stoga community, from the football team to the fencing club. because he’s the man. He’s a great kid, and it’s cool now especially because he’s going to study what I do, and it’s really cool to talk to him, because he’s actually given me ideas before for what to do in class.”

What is your most embarrassing moment?

“I student taught at Octorara had all my stuff and was super overprepared, just like you would be for anything. I’m walking up the stairs, and I really didn’t know where I was going. I had a thermos in one hand

and a lunchbox in the other, and I had my backpack on and my laptop in the laptop case. I’m going up the stairs and I was just trying to get my bearings, and I tripped and fell and I dropped my lunch and I dropped my thermos on the ground. I was all over the place and I was there before anybody else, and I was sprawled out on the steps and I was just like, ‘Oh this is probably such a bad omen.’”

Do you know anyone famous?

“I played high school football with Brandon McManus, who is the kicker of the Denver Broncos now.”

Favorite food: bottom with mac and cheese on top.”

Favorite sport: Baseball Favorite hobby: Ideal vacation: “Take a sailboat and sail to a Caribbean island and just bounce around a couple of islands for a couple of days and catch your own food and just go, and just be out there with whoever you were with just totally isolated and just out of touch for like six days.”

Favorite subject: French Revolution history Idol: Tom Brady. “I’ve never seen Tom Brady not excited or happy to be doing what he does, and he does it extremely well.”

Favorite Sayings: “That’s money.”

“That’s what I’m talking about.”

“Get after it.”

“My boy.”

pool of things that anybody can do and it really is open and accessible to them. I also like how, especially this year with the Econ guys, how driven and motivated they all are.

It makes everything so much easier especially when you’re talking about huge complex ideas like that and everybody is truly motivated intrinsically and it makes it really fun.”

What do you like about teaching Economics?

“I like it because I think it’s extremely practical. Lots of people will walk away from this class knowing as much as, if not more, about economics than their parents do, which is something that I think not too many high school kids across the entire country can really say. If you look at everything that’s going on in the government right now, the

Yuge Xiao/The SPOKE

The Spoke 11

Features Clubs

Club Corner Reporting and photos by

Global Citizen Club

Greek Cu l t u re C l ub

Liberty in North Korea Club

Cultured: Freshman Yanni Tsetsekos was motivated to help fellow students learn about Greek culture.

Global Vision: Founder and President junior Sara Tohamy aims to raise awareness of poverty through her club.

There are currently more than one billion people in the world living in extreme poverty. A new club at Conestoga, Global Citizen Club, is hoping to help change that number.

Junior Sara Tohamy was inspired to start the club when she heard the founder of Global Citizen, an international organization that works to eradicate extreme poverty, speak at a Model UN conference last year.

The organization’s goal is to eradicate extreme poverty worldwide by 2030 through political activism.

“I think Global Citizen is unique in that it really focuses on raising awareness as opposed to raising money,” Tohamy said. “We have a lot of really fun things planned.”

The club plans to participate in the Color Run, which is partnered with Global Citizen, later this year. Tohamy also attended the Global Citizen Festival in September, a music festival in Central Park that included political speakers.

“I’m excited about the forthcoming events, but I’m also excited about the people in the club, because the people in the club are really passionate,” Tohamy said. “We just want to make people aware of the one billion people right now that are living in extreme poverty.”

12 The Spoke

This year, students can get a taste of even more of the world as Greek Culture Club joins the seven other culture clubs at Conestoga.

Greek Culture Club is similar to other culture clubs in that it plans to explore different parts of Greek culture and familiarize students with it. In the future, the club may host themed days like other culture clubs, offering Greek food and displaying Greek items to students in the main lobby.

“The goal of the club is to educate kids about Greek culture such as religion, history, recent events that are happening, what the Greek community is like, and to connect them with outside events, like going to restaurants and inviting them to Greek related events,” said president freshman Yanni Tsetsekos.

Tsetsekos said that his special connection to his own heritage was the driving force behind starting the new club.

“I started the club because I’m very proud of my Greek culture, so much so that I want to spread it and educate others at school,” Tsetsekos said.

Tsetsekos said that he has high hopes for the club’s future, looking forward to a time when the club is well known by Conestoga students.

“We’re expanding. It doesn’t look very big right now, but we hope to make it something very popular,” Tsetsekos said.

Liberty Spreaders: Juniors Lydia Choi and Dahye Yoon started their club due to their Korean heritage.

With the addition of the Liberty in North Korea Club, Conestoga students will have yet another way to reach out to the world.

This new club is the Conestoga branch of the larger, international organization Liberty in North Korea, which aims to help refugees from North Korea.

“Our goals are to raise awareness and raise money to send to our organization, Liberty in North Korea,” copresident junior Lydia Choi said.

Co-president Dahye Yoon wanted to start the club not only to draw attention to the refugees in need, but to show another side of the country that many students may not see.

“A lot of the time when we think about North Korea we just think the Kim family, or nuclear bombs, or communists, but I liked how this club focused on the people,” Yoon said.

Yoon said that in addition to drawing special attention to one aspect of the country, she also felt a connection to the cause.

“I think for both Lydia and me, we felt a personal connection especially to this cause since we’re both Korean,” Yoon said. “Rather than doing something that’s for some country that I personally don’t have any connections to, I found that this is more relatable and tangible to me personally.”

Selective Electives

Choosing classes each winter is one of the best and worst parts of the school year. Sometimes, that course selection book can be oversider these classes to make filling an empty schedule a bit simpler.

Review by Nour Elkassabany Photos by Yuge Xiao and Nour Elkassabany

2D Graphic Design/Animation

Available to all students In 2D graphic design/animation, most of the projects revolve around using the programs Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Flash. After learning basic design principles, students create pieces such as advertisement posters, personal stationery and parody products.

“Designing the posters turned out to be really applicable to other things I need to work on now. I know how to make things visually appealing,” junior Tessa Posey said.

Students can also make short Flash animations, bringing a bit of childhood cartoony fun into a busy high school schedule.

Ceramics

Available to all students Beginner ceramics introduces students to techniques in working with clay, starting with projects based on pinch pots and slab and ending with how to throw cups and bowls on the studio’s potter’s wheels.

“Using the wheel was my favorite part, even though I was really bad at

Metals

to take their projects and put them to everyday use, whether that be drinking out of a new mug or keeping car keys in one reliable spot.

“I’d take ceramics just because you get to create something. It’s really hands on,” Tohamy said.

Available to all students Another one of ’Stoga’s most popular art classes is Metals. Basic skills of cutting and soldering metal are taught and used to make bracelets, earrings and more specialized items like holiday ornaments in the winter.

“It’s pretty detailed and intricate work. There’s no margin for error, so you have to be focused. You’re in your own little world,” senior Katie Ryan said.

Like ceramics, students get to leave this class with more than their new knowledge in working with copper and brass. Who knows? Maybe a pair of earrings might make a thoughtful gift.

Philosophy

Available to grades 11 and 12 Philosophy is a class heavily rooted in discussion. Students can explore topics such as the theory of knowledge, personal identity and human nature through resources including the works of renowned philosophers like Socrates

Psychology

“You learn a lot about things that most people wouldn’t think about or analyze and you walk away with different perspectives, even if they’re only slightly different,” junior Ben Hayman said.

Available to grades 11 and 12, offered AP and honors Psychology is a study of people, their minds, how we think, how we relate to experiences and other people and how we react to our environment. Although this class may be structured more like a core subject, there is never a shortage of insight into how we operate, and not to worry, there are plenty of demos to make up for the time spent on notes. for everyone because we’re all unique; we’re all individuals,” senior Christianna Mason said. “It’s so much bigger of a subject than people think it is.”

Features Reviews

Holiday Staycations Local day trips that won’t break the budget Review by Mary Mei Photos by Mary Mei, Yuge Xiao and Courtney Kennedy The holiday season doesn’t have to be dull for those not traveling far for vacation. Local events around the area and in Philly are enough to entertain and keep any family occupied, while keeping every wallet intact. The Spoke compiled the following holiday “staycations” for those looking for festive and fun activities over winter break.

Linvilla Christmas Land Known for its acres of fruit trees and pumpkin patches, Linvilla Orchards also offers multiple holiday events including the Ultimate Recycled Maze made out of unsold Christmas trees and indoor mini golf. Created by the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, the mini golf course is and dinosaur extinction. While you’re there, be sure to stop by the Farm Market Bakery and pick up some desserts from a selection of more than 40 different kinds of pies. The Ultimate Recycled Maze opens Jan. 15, and mini golf is open on Dec. 26.

Longwood Gardens In addition to beautiful arrangements of lighted Christmas trees and violently colored poinsettias in its indoor conservatory, Longwood Gardens also offers open-air theatre fountain shows complete with 750 jets of water, live performances from local choirs and organ sing-alongs.

The holiday spirit runs rampant in the Gardens, from the lighted outdoors to the manicured lawns of the greenhouses. Head over to the Gardens for an unforgettable combination of beautiful botanicals and holiday-themed entertainment. The exhibition is open until Jan. 11.

Macy’s Center City Stop by Macy’s in Center City Philly for a light show more than half a century old. The show, accompanied by organ music, is made is transformed into Dickens Village, where characters from “A Christmas Carol” come to life. Put some excitement into your holiday shopping experience by combining holiday lights and one of Christmas’s most beloved stories. Macy’s Light Show can be viewed until Dec. 31.

Philly Pops Christmas Spectacular Get into the holiday mood by attending the Philly Pops Christmas Spectacular at The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. The family-friendly concert includes more than 300 musicians and performances from the Philadelphia Boys Choir and the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas Gospel Choir. An audience sing-along, a visit from Santa and the memories from all your favorite holiday tunes will spice up any winter vacation.

Showtimes are at kimmelcenter.org

Science Olympiad

Available to all students Much like the club of the same name, the Science Olympiad class through research and experimental projects.

“I like how it’s really open-ended, but because it’s a class you get to use all the resources the school has to offer. You have more than enough time and mentorship for the projects,” senior Noah Berkowitz said.

Students have the option to sign up for Science Olympiad three days or six days in a cycle and for one or both semesters.

The Spoke 13

OPINION Learning in the digital age

The new district collective bargaining agreement has a provision that will allow for distance learning, or e-learning, over the next two school years.

We find it fitting and exciting that the high school has chosen to follow in the footsteps of higher education institutions, which have been expanding their online course offerings over the past few years.

MIT president L. Rafael Reif said that he sees online learning as the future of education, as it allows for students to learn on their own terms and on their own time.

Though ’Stoga’s proposed program does not aim to change the educational landscape quite as profoundly, we find that these new course offerings are a step in the right direction.

Let’s face it. The school will never be able to offer every single course that every student wants to take. We’ve seen that over the past few years with the temporary cancellations of European History and Advanced Theatre and the permanent cancellations of several electives.

The new distance learning program will let students take courses that they’re interested

in—even those that don’t have enough student interest to merit a district resource intensive class.

Some students also find that they learn better through online learning, given the option to work at their own pace. Others contend that nothing can replace the experience of class in a brick-and-mortar setting.

Our opinion falls somewhere in between—we believe that some content can be learned on one’s own, but it’s difficult to emulate the spontaneous and valuable discussions that take place in physical classrooms.

Though we recognize the merits of distance learning, we also encourage students not to pursue classes just to add extra padding to their resumes. We feel that students should treat these new course additions as an opportunity to pursue what they really care about, as opposed to an easy way to add credits to their transcript.

Despite these reservations, we see this change a potentially enriching opportunity. It’s the school’s mission to help us learn, and distance learning gives us another opportunity to pursue our intellectual interests.

It’s the school’s mission to help us learn, and distance learning gives us another opportunity to pursue our intellectual interests.

However, we discourage students from pursuing online classes just to add extra padding to their resumes.

From the Editor: What happens to a dream deferred?

Colleges often tout the application review process as being holistic, and while this is its greatest bennever know why you weren’t the

Simran Singh Co-Editor-in-Chief Over the past week and a half, I have seen best friends and peers get deferred and rejected from their dream schools. Scrolling down newsfeeds and Twitterfeeds, I witnessed each of them hide a frown or furrow a brow.

When my letter read “deferred,” my reaction was along similar lines. I questioned what more I could have done, what additional AP classes I could have taken, what clubs I could have started or what sports I could have played.

This is all for naught of course, as we are never told what exactly it is that distinguishes each of us from the admits. We are left to wait till April 1, a grueling three months of anticipation. We are left to question our own achievements, wonder if we’ll ever go to college (you will), and shed a tear (or I too questioned all these things and grimaced at the thought of the wait and anxiety that I will once more have to undergo. A series of clichés and a few sincere hugs are all my friends had to offer me, but the support and kindness they showed brought me more tears than my application decision. Out of this desolation came a realization. I’m a free bird with many unexplored options, and so are all of you.

Fellow defers and rejects, you are not alone. You are accompanied by thousands of other

Maggie Chen/The SPOKE

16 The Spoke

intelligent, driven and passionate.

And you cannot let this decision affect how you view yourself.

Remember that there are thousands of colleges, and you will

Don’t bash the admits that “took your spot,” but instead realize that your spot may lie somewhere else. ments, and be assured that this is far from the end.

After consuming an extensive dessert spread, a friend offered me some words of wisdom. Life is full of setbacks and disappointments, and our true character is revealed in the way that we respond to the unideal. So take a day off, binge watch some TV, load up on carbs and gear up for the regular round.

Remember that there are thousands of colleges, and you at one of them.

College is but a means to a greater end, so while I encourage you not to lose hope or focus, be open minded and recognize that a dream should evolve and change alongside you. Your life long aspiration to become a news anchor or a biomedical engineer can still reach fruition, so you must not lose sight of your greater goals.

Sure, the waiting is no fun. Yes, the rejection or deferral isn’t a self esteem boost, and of course the uncertainty is a real pain. But if you have worked hard, and if you continue to do so, it will work out in the end. This will all be much easier to believe when you have an acceptance letter in hand, so I wish each of you the best of luck.

Langston Hughes once posed a question: “What happens to a dream deferred?” Well, Langston, still come true.

Opinion Lifestyle

Sixteen going on 60: My existential crisis

Don’t curse, darn it.

However, profanity is just what we need as teenagers. Scientists have shown that cursing triggers the limbic system in your brain, the area that is tied to your emotional reactions. They have argued that,

Matthew Soderberg Columnist

Maggie Chen/The SPOKE

Camille Kurtz Columnist Only a short while ago, I turned 16. While most would welcome a day of presents and sweet treats with open arms, I wanted to turn in the other direction and run. I saw my birthday as doomsday, the point from which I would never return.

I was worried that as I became yet another year older, I would lose the safety, security and esteem I previously possessed. I realized that 16 was pretty old and that soon enough I would be cast into an even wider pit of uncertainty and responsibility after high school. I feared that I had not accomplished what I should have after being on the planet for over one and half decades (I know year-old dream of becoming the queen of Mars) and that as I aged, my accomplishments would not be When I was younger, I dreamed of becoming the youngest author in the world but was crushed to discover that some meddlesome tyke just a hair younger than I had already claimed the spot. As I also had not become the world’s youngest time traveler, for that matter—there was no way I could achieve my goal. My age had crushed my dream.

While it may seem bizarre to have an existential crisis at 16, regoals I once had, and have been disheartened that I, like my younger

self, can no longer, or simply have not, accomplished them.

The world loves to value achievements, especially when they’re attained by anyone under the age of 18. Even more than plain success, we sure seem to love a good prodigy. Let’s face it— we’ve all watched (and re-watched) those videos of the kindergarteners singing on “Ellen.” We are impressed not necessarily with the talent in front of us, but the lack of experience behind it.

And while I recognized that 16 is not exactly old, I still painfully concluded that composing a symphony at the age of seven is much more impressive than at the age of 12… or 16. There are kids younger than I making millions from “America’s Got Talent” or starting a charity organization that will help relieve the world’s poverty or imagining inventions to save the planet. And all I’ve done is get another year older and learn to maximize the amount of time I can spend watching “Top Chef.”

Yet I also feel that if we spend our lives focusing only on what we have not done (and what others have) we are turning a blind eye to the amazing opportunity that is life.

I feel sheepish to dread my birthday when, deep down, I know that there are people in the world who won’t even live to be 16. There are people in this world that do not have access to the same wonderful opportunities that I do.

It’s important to realize that even though some may seem to be much more accomplished, that should not infringe on our ability to lead a successful and joyous life. Maybe age does not matter as much as the means by which you get to where you want to be and what you do when you’re there.

Besides, I’m not sure a time machine built by a kid would be that safe, anyway.

“Matthew, if you start cursing, you’ll sound stupid and girls won’t like you.”

These were pretty influential tered by my mother with a harsh severity. And I lived by them, to the ultimate degree. I would admonish my friends for their use of terms like “WTF” and “crap” and called out my parents when they slipped up. I was on high ground, and then—like many a moral soldier before me—I succumbed.

There is a paradigm with profanity. It is so commonly used, from the halls of this school to prime-time television, and yet, it’s inherently “wrong.”

concept in language, cursing is an expression of an emotional state. And do you know anyone more emotional than high school students?

I am not saying cursing is good.

I am not saying I would ever feel comfortable cursing in front of my family. I am hardly comfortable admitting to any adult that I would ever utter such words.

But cursing is our emotional release, sent out during times we are most stressed, and most vulnerable. There might be better ways for this release, but we need to stop pretending: we are the youth, a profane, foul-mouthed youth, and it is time to embrace it. cursed. My uncle had died, and I was 12. I was standing alone in my room, and I remember whispering the F-word, eventually growing bold enough to say it out loud. I was sad, confused, and it helped. If

that is what it took for me to feel a little better, then so be it.

Cursing can be so dramatic, it can be so funny, yet it can also be so classless. So like all things, it must be used in moderation. Cursing for the sake of cursing—a loop that many Conestoga students have fallen into—brings about issues.

No one criticizes the actor who villain. Instead, they criticize the kid that walks down the hallway dropping the F-word every other sentence.

A line needs to be drawn. A in our language is profanity that offends. Racial slurs and terms degrading women and gay people serve no purpose but to hurt others, and such terms demote the validity of other profane words. We must punish words meant to make people feel awful about themselves, not condemn emotional outbursts.

It is an easy line to blur, but without it, cursing is the violent and disgusting act that people view it as.

I am just a teenager with a lot of stress, a lot of emotion and this is the way I have chosen to express it.

Sorry, mom.

STUDENTS SPEAK OUT “To each

-Freshman Jahnavi Rao

- Sophomore Austin Han

“Cursing can -

-Junior Rohan Gandhi

-Senior Sydney Cairns

The Spoke 17

I thin way lot You of w

Opinion Commentary

Clubbing: Don’t do it for the transcript

Take down the wall of injustice, comment by comment

Being passionate about things ties into that and demonstrating leadership and a desire to make the world a better place are also good. It’s when we mix these things together with the sole purpose of impressing colleges that things start to go awry—and also when our efforts

Michael Zhang Columnist/Designer We go to a competitive high school. And while at times it might seem like it’s just an innocent air of pure competition that’s crafting an unwritten rule guiding our choices to be unusually amazing at life as a teenager, I’d be lying if I didn’t consider the college-things-thatmake-high-schoolers-get-out-ofbed list. Yes, it’s time to address that list, starting with subheading no. “1”: clubs and activities—for application padding.

Near the beginning of every year, a list of every club at Conestoga goes out, the myriad names really being a testament to how great

“Don’t start a club just because you think it’ll look nice on your transcript, it’s not really worth your time or anyone else’s.” our school is at giving opportunities to our students.

Got a club you’re interested in it approved.

It’s a relatively easy process, and the success of it shows up on that sheet of paper—a literal illustration of the diversity of interests at ’Stoga. In terms of college applications, it’s impossible to ignore the

In what I perceive to be the junior year wake-up call, I’ve seen the nascence of a couple clubs that might resemble this idea. They’re all incredibly new, deal with charity or community service in some way and revolve around activities that I personally had no idea their founders were actually interested in. Having conflicting interests with older, more established clubs and being less productive than their counterparts are also usually red The accusatory founding-aclub-just-to-be-a-leader-and-docommunity-service card is iffy to play, mainly because no one else is really going to know if you’re actually interested in teaching underwater basket weaving at the local community center or if you genuinely enjoy knitting blankets for animal shelters. But the general message goes back to the idea of being yourself. Don’t start a club just because you think it’ll look nice on your transcript; whether it be for the “leadership” or “community service,” it’s really not worth your time or anyone else’s.

I’m all for the independent visionaries that really believe in starting something themselves as the most effective way to realize their interests—but if you aren’t working hard enough for others to see you as a paragon of entrepreneurial spirit—don’t consider yourself one Because ultimately, transcript club model, if your peers see through it, colleges will too.

Something happens though when we let the idea of college much.

18 The Spoke

Michelle Xu Columnist That’s right folks, I’m back on the Ferguson train for the third time. I don’t think any of you should be the least bit surprised; there’s just something in me that just can’t seem to let institutionalized racism rest in peace. But hey, at least I’m not the only one this time.

Since the public announcement of the Ferguson grand jury’s decision to not indict Darren Wilson, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and, other social media sites have all and reblogs on the topic. And since I’ve already commented on the Ferguson issue itself (see Ferguson: the Sequel on stoganews.com), now I’m going to comment on the commentators.

First off, I think it’s fantastic that Ferguson has sparked so much discussion. Social movements only truly gain impetus when everyday men and women

connects with your interests. Successful niche clubs show not only that their founders are passionate enough to share their ideas with others, but also that they’re capable of leadership and envisionment— qualities that’ll earn you extra gold stars in the eyes of a college admis-

self,” is solid advice; don’t forget it.

Maggie Chen/The SPOKE

Maggie Chen/The SPOKE

has been practically invaluable in mobilizing everyone’s opinions. #Ferguson has been used to show solidarity by dozens of supporters from the United States to Palestine to Thailand. Tumblr users have started up a Ferguson National

Response Network to organize and spread information about protests.

Through social media, every voice can be heard—no matter if it’s one of a national celebrity or just a high school student.

But social media isn’t perfect.

Any comment can be carried by social media from the depths of your brain to the open Internet with just a few tip-taps of your your ramblings, but also #noresearchorfactstosupportyourcasebeforeyoustartspoutingstuff. (Can we get that trending?)

It may not seem like a big problem. We can’t be experts on everything we comment offhand.

However, uneducated opinion based solely on “how things look” may be worse than no opinion at all. Worst case scenario is that you choose the wrong side. That aside, however, opinions without facts can offer only weakened offense arguments and powerless defense rebuttals. It’s like trying to knock down the big wall of Social Injustice with a few puffs of hot air, and unless you’re the Big Bad wolf of tweeting, your 140 character-max messages won’t make an impact.

Furthermore, uneducated tweets, especially from teens, are too easily labeled as misinformed and unimportant. Social media activism is already negatively labeled as bandwagoning, lemming jumping, a rabble rousing. If we continue on with factually unsupported opinions, we might give the Ferguson cause a bad name.

If this was actually the 1960s like the institutionalized racism seems to suggest, then we would have a hard time remediating this problem. However, take heart:

since this is the modern century, getting educated is just a few Google searches away. After all, news media has been keeping track of Ferguson since August, and all of the evidence for the case has been published online on the New York Times. All those people insisting that the grand jury’s decision was right just because they actually have the evidence, be prepared for our new volley of arguments.

I’m not saying we should attach MLA bibliographies to every comment, tweet or post we write about Ferguson. Tell me though, which is the more effective argument: saying that white cops kill black men all the time or citing USA Today that around two black men have died at the hands of a white 2006 and 2012? Speculating about interview records that Wilson’s initial interrogation mentioned nothing of the store robbery he later accused Brown of? Opining on the bias of the prosecuting team, or citing that according to CNN, the assistant prosecuting lawyers gave the grand jury the 1979, outdated version of Missouri law that said police officers could murder in defense, a law which was ruled unconstitutional in 1985?

South African social rights activist Desmond Tutuin said “Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.”

Translation: caps-locky rage isn’t going to get you anywhere if you really want to help. Get yourself educated on the topic, load up those tweet cannons with smart, And then let’s see if we can’t take that wall down.

Opinion Commentary

Prepare for a forgetful future

Immigration impasse: It was time for action Report Card

of strangers with blank stares and walkers surrounded me, and an old woman started touching my back while repeatedly mumbling some-

Meagan O’Rourke Opinion Editor “I’m going to be here for the rest of my life,” she said, looking at my mother and me with watery blue eyes in a rare moment of absolute clarity.

Seconds earlier, she had been swatting my hand away from the corner pieces of an oversized puzzle with grasping a chocolate chip cookie.

Suddenly, I remembered that I wasn’t My 84-year-old grandmother next to me had a point: she will stay in her nursing home until her time comes.

Although my family and I struggle with that truth, we also remember that she is one of the 13.5 percent of Americans over the age of 75 with dementia, according to the Aging, Demographics and Memory Study (ADAMS). Dementia, or decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life, affects each individual differently, and in her case it makes her forgetful, sometimes volatile and in need of full time care.

Even if you don’t have any loved ones with dementia right now, our generation must prepare and adapt to take care of our elders as incidences of Alzheimer’s and dementia increase. er’s disease, the most common type of dementia that causes memory, thinking and behavior problems—is increasingly common. Already, one out of every three senior citizens dies having dementia. Unless a cure is discovered before 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease may nearly triple as the baby boomers age and live longer, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

As teenagers, we aren’t ready to tackle our grandparents’ Medicare, power of attorney and hospital bills.

But by changing the way we perceive dementia, we can better contribute to caring for the elderly.

First, we must get over the discomfort and fear surrounding dementia. Honestly, at times, visiting the dementia unit in a nursing home can be disturbing. For example, I remember playing the piano at my

playing. Then I realized, these are just people who think differently than I. It is easy to view some dementia residents as mindless and weird, especially when they are not your grandmother who you can recall when she was “herself” years ago.

However, we must remember that they are just entering a new stage in their lives.

Perhaps the greatest hurdle is accepting your relationship with your loved one won’t be the same. While it is tempting to try to restore your loved one’s memory—and until recently, that has been the approach— try entering their world instead of dragging them back into yours.

Sometimes I catch myself agreeing

Winter Break + 12 days of bliss ahead -What’s a midterm?

Trivia Crack Liz Lawton/The SPOKE

the political impasse and fractious immigration system to deteriorate further.

One year later, in July of 2014, ing gang-ridden cities and abject poverty in Central America crossed the Texan border according to the New York Times. $4 billion was

is here today and your brother is tall” day and she does not have a brother.

Although this game of pretend may seem like deception, it prevents her from getting frustrated and facilitates an open dialogue.

Watching a family member lose their memories of Christmases long ago or even their own name is irrefutably sad. However, neglecting that loved one is a greater tragedy. Although spending time with someone affected by dementia seems pointless, taking time do a simple puzzle stimulates their brain and shows your love in a more subtle way than an “I love you,” but in a way that is just as powerful.

Liz Lawton Columnist We are a nation of immigrants.

It is irrefutable. Since 1607, 57 million people have come to America as immigrants according to Ancestry.com. Ninety-nine percent of all American residents have ancestors who originate from somewhere other than the United States, with the other 0.9 percent being of Native American descent. immigrant or traces his ethnicity through many layers of genealogy, our country is inherently and dynamically heterogeneous.

Now, when the surge of people, languages and skin tones hail from Latin America instead of Europe, we are unable to formulate a policy that embodies our collective ideological and experiential beliefs. In a nation that epitomizes unbridled talent, determination and innovation, we are completely paralyzed.

In June of 2013, a bipartisan majority of the Senate passed a bill that urged millions of undocumented immigrants to emerge from

Maggie Chen/The SPOKE

the process of legalization. The bill also supported legal immigrants and increased the already hefty border security funds. Speaker of the House, John Boehner, chose not to bring it to a vote, allowing

+Makes me feel smarter than I actually am -It’s addicting just like... trivia

E-Learning +Pumped to brush up on AP Human Geography -Doing it for transcript.

Like most news, the media and the public eventually lost interest in the problem, allowing it to slowly fade from the political agenda.

That is until President Obama acted where Congress failed to. Drawing from historical and presidential precedents, he announced a plan that would allow undocumented immigrants who have lived here for without fear of deportation if they abide by the same regulations that legal residents do.

President Obama’s plan for immigration reform is undoubtedly act made by the president, Democrat or Republican, there are accusations of amnesty and unilateralism as well as public outcry. However, what demands consideration is the fact that any action was taken at all after years of complacency with the inadequate system in place today.

Additionally, a legal analysis from the Justice Department thoroughly refutes all allegations of unauthorized power abuse. There comes a point in political ongoings when the nation must overlook partisanship and recognize an overt lack of policy and initiative. The nation must disregard sectarianism in the name of potential progress.

The nation must let the action taken to address this paucity be given a chance to prove itself. Thus, the

Goodbye, +Left a great legacy behind in Philly +Makes me feel smarter -Hope Phillies fans don’t than I actually am boo at Dodgers games

only thing left to consider is its effectiveness.

Even before the proposal was announced, the country had seen a decline in border crossings by more than 50 percent. With the measure in place, the country should ulti“felons not families” and “criminals not children.” Additionally, undocumented immigrants given work permits will contribute $2 billion a year in additional tax revenue according to the Center for American Progress.

Regardless of public opinion for or against this immigration bill, the country must be cognizant that the measure is legally permissible and within the capacity of the executive branch, as well as a necessary step to restructure and modernize the byzantine immigration system we have in place today.

The Spoke 19

SPORTS Navin Zachariah Co-Sports Editor Brian Samson is shutting his computer down.

It’s 2:45 p.m. on a warm, sunny spring day. Samson, a guidance counselor at Conestoga High School, has just finished his work day. He’s had a pleasant day with his students, answering questions about school activities, grades and colleges. His day is about to get much better though.

In fact, it’s time for Samson’s favorite part of each school day in the spring.

It’s time to change his shoes.

Samson takes off his work shoes, puts on his coaching shoes and begins his daily walk to the Every spring since 2002, Brian Samson has been able to switch shoes at 2:45 p.m. as the head coach of Conestoga’s lacrosse team. Three state championships later, Samson is now moving on from ’Stoga lacrosse and onto a new challenge as a collegiate assistant coach of the Division I Villanova Wildcats beginning this season.

“I’m really excited to get started. I think anytime you get an opportunity like this, it gets you really motivated. trying to study up on the college game, and I just can’t wait to begin this new journey,” Samson said.

Over the Years Samson was hired as the ’Stoga lacrosse team’s head coach in the 2001-02 season. At the start of his tenure, Samson says that he was just excited to be able to get a job coaching high school lacrosse only two years removed from graduating from Georgetown University.

“I was just getting out there. I had to learn. More than anything, I think it was just excitement to take over a program here at ’Stoga, but I had to Samson says that he blossomed as a coach through the Conestoga lacrosse program.

20 The Spoke

“I learned something new every day when I coached here: how best to game plan and good strategy and a lot about lacrosse. But I also think that I learned about how to work with the individual players and how to motivate them and bring the best out of each and every one of them,” Samson said.

“Part of the fun of coaching here is that everything is a new challenge and you learn so many new things every year.”

Samson’s current assistant coaches are Craig Gratton and Brody Bush.

Gratton, a defensive specialist, began with the team during the 2004-05 season, whereas Bush, the offensive guru, began his tenure during the 2008-09 season. Bush believes that the reason Samson has been so successful is because Samson knows how to bring the best out of his kids.

“He has the incredible ability to motivate kids and he also understands the systems of a college coaching level, but runs it at a high school level. He was also very good at teamwork and allowed for coaches and players to coach and play to their preference,” Bush said.

“And he always thought that the Conestoga lacrosse program was bigger than [any one person].”

2011 ’Stoga graduate and Duke senior longstick

Dailey agrees that Samson knows how to put his players’talents on display.

“One time he went up in the press box and started coaching over the loudspeaker during a practice. It was during a full field passing drill. He said to us, ‘Stop walking! I can see you!’”

Dailey said.

’Stoga Superpower Samson’s teams’ play raised to extraordinary levels, starting in the 2008-09 season. The team would go on to win four straight District 1 Championships. Samson says that a victory against top-ranked La Salle in the beginning of 2009 ultimately took the team to the next level.

Samson transformed the Conestoga lacrosse program from “good” into a powerhouse. The team captured three straight state championships in 2010, 2011 and 2012, while also hitting the number one spot in the national high school rankings. He also led the team to state championship appearances in 2008 and 2013. From 2009 to 2012, his teams went 96-8 the LaxPower National Coaches Rankings. Furthermore, the team

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

Courtesy Chris Brady

’Stoga Superpower: The 2012 ’Stoga lacrosse team celebrates the program’s unprecedented third straight state championship under Coach Brian Samson.

Another Conestoga lacrosse won six Central League titles from experience that Samson will miss 2006 to 2013.

Throughout his 13 years at ’Stoga, in the coming years is competing in Samson had an overall record of 210- the Katie Samson Lacrosse Festival 72. Additionally, Samson was named every year with the team. Samson’s the EPSLA Coach of the Year in 2009 sister, Katie Samson, played collegiate and the Daily Local News Coach of lacrosse, helping Middlebury College the year twice. However, Samson win a National Championship in credits his players as the reason for the 1999. However, Katie suffered a success of the lacrosse program while severe spinal cord injury in a sledding accident that made her quadriplegic. he has been at the helm.

“In our groups during our Her struggle inspired the start of the championship years, what put us over Katie Samson Foundation, which hosts the top I think were the amount of the Katie Samson Festival, an annual high school lacrosse event that has Along with the great players, it takes raised more than $1 million for spinal great attitudes to win championships injury awareness since its founding 15 years ago. Conestoga competes in the event every year. quality those years.”

“I’m really proud of my sister, Tyler Brooke, 2012 ’Stoga graduate and Maryland junior attackman, shared and the accomplishments and the recognition that this festival has, and his favorite moment with Samson.

“The most special [moment] was also the awareness it has brought to a winning the state championship my cause that is very close to our family,” senior year, giving Coach Samson a Samson said. “Even though I’m Gatorade bath and hugging him in excited to be more involved on the congratulations on an unbelievable board of the foundation now, I’ll really senior season. It was a mixture of relief miss competing in that event with our Conestoga team.” and pride,” Brooke said.

Samson says that his sister’s tough journey, struggling with a serious What Samson Will Miss A unique aspect of Samson’s hiring spinal cord injury, motivates him every as a coach at Conestoga is that he day to be a better man.

“Anyone who knows my sister attended a high school that all athletes here are known to despise—Radnor. knows what an incredible attitude Samson says that every time that she has and how she has overcome ’Stoga lacrosse had to play Radnor it adversity. I’m just really inspired by it,” Samson said. “When I have a bad day was an intense matchup.

“The Radnor game to me always I’ll often think about my sister Katie felt like a competitive neighborhood and how well she handles her bad days. game and I root for them, being an It gives me a larger perspective and alum, just when we don’t play them. makes me want to be a better person So it became a very heated rivalry and a every day. So I look to her for that fun game—one that both teams would inspiration.” look forward to,” Samson said. “I will miss that game a lot going forward.”

Continued on p. 21

Sports Lacrosse

Coach Samson reminisces over accomplished ’Stoga career Continued from p. 20 Future of ’Stoga Lacrosse On to ’Nova

SAMSON’S PROGRAM OVER THE YEARS

On the girls’ soccer team: “This season will

Teammate Madie French on Edgarton:

2001-02 Season 2007-08 Season 8-8 14-8 2002-03 Season 2008-09 Season 13-7 24-2 2003-04 Season 2009-10 Season 13-7 24-2 2004-05 Season 2010-11 Season 13-7 25-1 2005-06 Season 2011-12 Season 17-3 23-3 2006-07 Season 2012-13 Season 18-5 15-11 2013-14 Season 11-8

-

On the golf team:

On the girls’ cross country team:

Teammate Celeste Leon on Näsman: Teammate Michael Cook on Willner:

The Spoke 21

Sports Basketball

’Stoga Ball 2014-15: The Boys Are Back

Top Dogs:

Michael Li Co-Convergence Editor A season after soaring to a 24-6 finish in the Central League and making a run in the state playoffs, ’Stoga basketball is back and seeking to set the bar even higher. With taking the court again this year, the team’s prospects are promising.

This season, head coach Michael the offense, letting senior James VanDeventer and junior Darryl Caldwell, his starting point guards, make more play calls. There are also an unprecedented four captains for the team: seniors Andrew Diehl, Martin Dorsey, James VanDeventer and Dan Vila.

“I’ve never had four captains in a year until this year in my 20 years of coaching,” Troy said. “That’s how much I trust them and that really shows something about those four young men and their character.”

The team is sharp, both starters and bench players. According to Diehl, he and his teammates will be able to take advantage of their athleticism to wear out the opposition.

“Since most teams won’t be able to run with us, we want to just tire them out and just whittle away at the opposing team,” Diehl said.

The bench also adds muchneeded depth to the team.

“We have a lot of big key players on the bench that should be able to step up this year and make some big buckets,” Vila said.

Another boost towards success is a cohesion to this season’s team that comes only with players playing basketball together. Diehl, Dorsey and VanDeventer have shot

22 The Spoke

hoops together since starting out in the Malvern League in elementary school. Others on the team have

ments, including the Cactus Jam Tournament, held in Arizona from Dec. 26-31, the players have been practicing harder than ever.

“I would say of my four years here, this is the hardest we’ve worked for any season. This is the most we’ve put into a season,” Vila said.

As with any season, hard work is

“The only pressure on the team is the pressure we put on ourselves,” Troy said. “Obviously we want to happen. Just because you did it one have a good year, and it’s about the More recently, a group of the boys year doesn’t mean that you’ll be able guys in the locker room and what played for an Amateur Athletic they want to accomplish.”

Union (AAU) team in the summer, one’s going to be gunning for you.”

Dorsey hopes that, in the case allowing them to further hone their Troy acknowledges the high that the team does lose against one skills and build their teamwork in of the many formidable teams along preparation for this season. team this season, but the coach the way, the team realizes that “it’s “Basketball is a huge team also stresses the importance of the not a one-game season.” game,” Dorsey said. “Trust in one this year it has been pushed for even players not letting the pressure get Troy and the players also emphaanother that you’re going to be able more so by Coach Troy. to them. size the importance of the Pioneer to slide over on defense, Pit in putting pressure on the or help, or be able to make opposition while supporting Conestoga, especially in big games like those against rival not caring whether you Lower Merion. score or not; I think that’s “I think it doesn’t hurt to the kind of team we have put on a show, especially in because we’ve been playfront of the Pioneer Pit,” Vila ing together so long.” said. “Couple of big dunks, More than just memcouple of big blocks. Things bers of the same team, the like that.” ’Stoga basketball players Dorsey believes that last are also good friends. This season’s basketball team allows them to read their started something special for teammates accurately on the program’s future and he the court, not allowing for hopes that the senior class is too much miscommunicaremembered for its efforts. tion.

“I think these past two “We’re all very close, years revitalized basketball and all of us are friends as a whole and school spirit. outside of basketball The most magical part of last which makes basketball season was how we were reeven easier,” Caldwell ally able to create this thing said. called the Pioneer Pit. It VanDeventer agrees brought students, teachers with his fellow guard. and families together and “Our team chemistry made for a great atmosphere here at Conestoga,” Dorsey strong,” VanDeventer said. said. “We set a precedent so “We all know how each that when people hear the other works on the court name Conestoga, they think Photos by Navin Zachariah/The SPOKE ‘oh that’s a great basketball and know each other’s The Real Diehl: Senior Andrew Diehl throws down one of his four dunks in ’Stoga’s school.’ I hope our legacy can strengths.”

With a handful of be that we brought basketball tough games and tourna- 52. The Pioneers look to continue their winning ways in the Central League this season. back at ’Stoga.” realize that we need to work hard to

The Spoke highlights the three boys’ swimming captains for this season.

Graphic By Ben Red Photos by Caleigh Sturgeon

Started Swimming When?

Meet Day Meal?

“After meets I eat a Wawa “First team I ever swam for hoagie or anything from was the Picket Post Swim team Wawa. One thing about swimin Chesterbrook. I have been mers in general is that we swimming there every summer

Swimming Role Model?

Swimming Quirks? the rest of it without gogthe rest of the set.”

into my 13th year there. I really nity at Picket Post.”

Started Swimming When?

thing.”

Meet Day Meal?

“Before a meet I just eat school I eat lunch. After a meet I like when I come

Swimming Role Model?

blowing everyone else out of the water.”

Swimming Quirks?

-

to work that early.”

cheese.”

Started Swimming When?

Line YMCA when I was

Meet Day Meal?

“Something that I usumeet. After meets they usu-

Swimming Role Model? is a really funny guy. There funny.”

Swimming Quirks? my muscles by hitting myfew times.”

The Spoke 23

Period by Period

Sports Wrestling

Caleigh Sturgeon

Pregame Before wrestlers step onto the mat—even before they begin to warm up—they must mentally prepare themselves for the upcoming match. working drills or conditioning, but rather thinking through the match.

“In my mind I’m playing out every possible scenario that could end up happening,” senior Scott Christy said.

Head coach Tom Elicker also emphasizes mental preparation.

“Going into a match I want them to get rid of all the outside stuff. You want to focus on the six minutes ahead of you, focus on pushing the pace and keeping yourself under control,” Elicker said.

After the wrestlers build up a sweat and get their exercise in before the meet, they analyze the competition. Junior Dan Iredale says he “Before the match even begins there’s this mental aspect where I kind of size up the other person,” Iredale said.

Iredale scans his opponent to see if he has big legs or a bigger upper body.

“What I do in the match depends on what I think his weaknesses or strengths will be,” Iredale said.

After the mental and physical warm-up, wrestlers enter three twominute periods.

First Period the neutral position, with minimal knowledge about their opponents’ strengths.

Elicker also stresses the need to “You want to make sure you’re wrestling your match. You want to be in control of yourself and dictate the offense and what happens,” Elicker said.

Staying in control coincides with scoring as many points for the team as possible. Iredale believes wearing gives him a distinct advantage.

“I’m just trying to beat him up as badly as possible,” Iredale said.

While remaining aggressive, Elicker likes his wrestlers to stay level-headed in order to build an advantage.

“A lot of wrestling is keeping a mental edge. You don’t have to rush it, you want to just stay the course,” Elicker said.

In order to keep this mental edge, Christy thinks about technique.

“Before I think about pinning someone I have to make sure that I don’t lose the good position. I have

Courtesy Debbie Elken

It’s all in the head: Senior Scott Christy (left) wrestles against his Lower Merion opponent at the Pioneers’ home match on Dec. 9, which ‘Stoga won 59-7. The team hopes to extend off its 1-0 start. to make sure that I don’t let the guy go,” Christy said.

Iredale said that technique takes more technical. You can be strong, but if you don’t know what you’re doing then it’s not going to be effective,” Iredale said.

Second Period By the second period each wrestler knows a bit more about their opponent. Once the positions are set, the whistle blows and wrestlers tussle to pin their opponents.

“The idea of getting the pin and ending the match right there comes into play,” Christy said.

However, Coach Elicker wants his wrestlers to make sure they have enough control to pin their opponent.

“I think a lot of times kids will be overly excited because they have someone in a pinning combination and lose focus,” Elicker said. ’Stoga’s wrestlers may not always have control. In this case, Elicker thinks the best option is to limit points scored against ’Stoga and stay focused.

“There are situations where, for the team in a dual meet, you may need to just keep a match close. The most important thing in this situation is not letting the other guy into your head and making sure that you’re working hard to get the offense.” Elicker said.

Iredale agrees that in close matches the best he can do is hold his ground and do what he can to avoid losing.

Losing is unbecoming, “especially

when you get pinned, because you’re really vulnerable on your back, and you’re exposed,” Iredale said.

Third Period If neither wrestler has scored 15 points, nor pinned his opponent, the period. Christy describes the key to weathering the last minutes.

“A huge part of it is physical conditioning, like endurance and stuff like that, if you go all six minutes you’re pretty tired at the end, and when it gets that close, whoever has the better conditioning is going to end up winning,” Christy said.

According to Christy, action from the sidelines usually kicks in by this time in the match.

“I’ll always hear people screaming about getting the pin. I’m focused with the coach, and they’re going to be right there the whole time, so the pressure is off me,” Christy said.

Elicker also tries to support his wrestlers as time winds down.

“If you’re in a precarious situation, just having them know that there’s 10 seconds left might help them stay in position, so the other opponent doesn’t score,” Elicker said.

Iredale describes the contrast between enduring these last moments and falling apart.

“Wrestling is either the best sport in the world or it’s the worst sport because it’s just you out there,” Iredale said. “When you win it’s one of the greatest feelings because it’s just you out there. It’s all you. You gave it your all and it paid off.”

The Spoke 25

Sports Opinion

Co-Sports Editor Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Ohio State. Those sound like some marquee football matchups, great for the television business.

Coincidence?

After several years of debate about the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and annual pleas with the promise of a legitimate college championship. The 2014 season began with the seating of a pioneering 13-member College Football Selection Committee. Most thought that this “Final Four” scheme would bring a more competitive vibe to college football as well as coronation of the genuine top college team.

It all sounded good and appeared fair until the season started. But if memory serves, there is more talk, dispute and anger over the topic now

Oh my Eagles, how you’ve tortured me so. I’ve bled green and white for all my life, but I’ve never gotten anything for it. All of my years of devotion have been for naught.

Remember when we made it to the Super Bowl in 2005 and dueled ugly New England Patriots? I was only about seven at the time, but I still have vivid memories of staying up later than I ever had been and listening to my loving father grow slowly more despondent and depressed with every quarter. Donovan “The Don” McNabb had thrown three picks and the Pats had been shutting down my hero, Terrell Owens all night. A late rush by the Birds toward the end did little; we still lost

26 The Spoke

than there was before the system was implemented.

As the year progressed and the selection committee released its rankings of the top 25 teams in the nation each week, analysts dissected the picks and proceeded to predict which team would acquire one of the four coveted spots in the playoff.

The politics of the new system were not apparent until Oregon took Florida State’s number two spot in the 12th week of the rankings.

Oregon was 9-1 at the time, and the Seminoles remained undefeated at 9-0. It became evident that the committee was not only factoring in the record and strength of schedule of each team, but also how teams were winning games.

All year long, Florida State has come back to emerge victorious in tight games that actually were not supposed to be close at all. But, if you look at the number in the Seminoles’ loss column for the past two years, you’ll see that it has remained a constant zero. If you are the defending

National Champion, and no one has beaten you in the following season, you still are better than any team with one loss.

Factoring in how a team has won to determine its overall ranking is silly. Whether you win by one or 50, you still come out with the same result. And that is the charm of the sport. Fortunately for FSU, they still made the playoff cut.

Maybe it was a good thing that the Eagles weren’t playing well enough to keep even my dad’s attention. He instead used the time to teach me the game. I learned what a sack was.

I learned what a horse collar meant.

I still to this day believe that Super Bowl XXXIX helped me fall in love with sports. Not just football, but the whole spirit of sporting. And I have my Eagles to thank for that.

Though many Philly fans turned on McNabb after his poor play, I stayed faithful to him. And when he left for Washington in 2010, I wished him well. I had no hate for him, only love for a man who helped

don’t forgive him for his infamous

As the dust settled from the explosive 2005 season, many began to give up on the team as it began a slow and painful descent into mediocrity.

But then Michael Vick came.

Many did and still

It was something else about this setup that really grinded my gears, and shifted my view of the new college playoff system.

Just as the regular season came to an end, it seemed that TCU was going to sneak into the playoff with an 11-1 record. The previous week, the selection committee put the Horned Frogs at number three in the rankings over the undefeated Florida State. Then, in

Andy Backstrom/The SPOKE

who needed redemption. Philly is the City of Brotherly Love; why should we deny anyone that love? And Vick delivered, leading the Eagles to a surprising and hopeful 2010 season, going 10-6 and winning the divi-

the season, TCU clobbered Iowa State 55-3.

It looked as if the “Final Four” of college football was wrapped up, but here is where rank politics came in. Ohio State destroyed Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship game 590. Since Wisconsin was ranked 13th, the committee believed that Ohio State had a more valid win, and, therefore,

sion. I watched the ensuing Wild Card playoff game, where my Birds would lose in a hard-fought game against the eventual champions, the Green Bay Packers. I shrugged it off, what more did I expect?

I am a very optimistic sports fan; I try not to dwell on the negatives. Sports are meant to be enjoyable, not full of frustration and sorrow. So for the past few years I’ve spent my time, twiddling my thumbs, watching a seemingly endless series of disappointing 8-8 teams. But ever since our savior Chip Kelly arrived, things have been looking so much better.

We rode the momentum after his hiring last season to a great 10-6 campaign. Vick left after getting replaced

by Nick Foles, but like McNabb, he served us faithfully and well to the last game.

Foles proved the whole league wrong with his dominant sea-

Maggie Chen/The SPOKE

into the playoff, effectively leaving TCU out.

Consequently, TCU was punished for being in the Big 12, a conference in which there is no championship game.

Overall, a system that was advertised as providing an intense playoff between college football’s “best” teams has resulted in chaos, and, quite frankly, what seems to be a completely commercial decision on the part of the committee. Just as in the NFL, television markets count, and the national audience likely to watch a game between Ohio State and Alabama is more impressive than one for a matchup of TCU and Alabama.

This logic contradicts the whole purpose of the playoff system.

Even before midseason, fans, coaches and analysts suggested expanding the playoff to eight teams.

That would help, but, in the end, ranking a slew of one-loss teams is highly controversial.

Dr. Pepper, the sponsor of the College Football Playoff, now pays to air a commercial that blatantly praises the playoff system with the slogan that every season before this one “doesn’t count.”

But the doctor is wrong. The only season that doesn’t count is this one.

son, topping Tom Brady’s TD/ Interception ratio record, throwing 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions. to a deserving New Orleans Saints team. I watched the whole game as well, but felt a lot better afterwards than in 2010. And now we are in the homestretch of this 2014-15 season.

But Foles is out with a collarbone injury and the Eagles are left with Mark “The Sanchize” Sanchez as our quarterback. And Mr. Butt Fumble is putting in work for the Eagles, experiencing a revival of a career once thought to be over.

The Eagles not only have an exciting offense, but also boast one of the most intimidating defensive lines in the league. The secondary is nothing to brag about; this team is far from perfect. But I’ll always love my Eagles, forever and ever. We’ve been through a lot together, and this Christmas I hope to be rewarded with something grander than just making it to the playoffs. Maybe something bigger, the Lombardi trophy. A man can dream, but isn’t that what being an Eagles fan is?

Anyway, thanks for all the memories.

Love, Matt

Sports Briefs

SportsLine: Winter sports take over ’Stoga O’Hara Low turnout for Brothers take Philly Open to La Salle freshman girls basketball Former ’Stoga graduate and varsity boys basketball assistant coach Matt O’Hara has stepped down from his position for this upcoming basketball season. O’Hara has accepted a job offer at La Salle University to become an assistant coach there.

O’Hara says that he will miss being able to coach the Conestoga players.

“These Conestoga kids are just the best kids in the world. I love every single one of them. I really enjoyed my time with them and I’m going to miss this a lot,” O’Hara said.

Senior captain Martin Dorsey says that what made Coach O’Hara a great coach was his relatability to the players. coach that we have ever had here,” Dorsey said.

Fellow senior captain Andrew Diehl says that although O’Hara won’t be with the team this season, he will still be in close contact.

“He played on the 2008-09 team, one of the best to walk through ’Stoga’s halls. He knew how to win. He’ll still be around though and it’s one of those things where he may not be around all the time, but we’ll still be able to reach out to him,” Diehl said.

Nine. That is the number of players on the freshman girls’ basketball team. Despite overwhelming odds and cumbersome setbacks resulting from the less-than-full team, members have proved their capability by winning two of the past three games.

The season started out with potential, but complications quickly arose after setbacks in the number of players. Originally 10 members strong, one player had to withdraw due to personal reasons, leaving the team one player short of the necessary 10. This left head coach Matt Konopka with little option but to accept all candidates of the team to ensure the team could continue its season. However, Konopka stressed the importance of the meaning of the team as an additional factor in his decision.

“The spirit of freshman sports is more about learning the game and being part of a team, as opposed to trying to dominate your competition and advance in the postseason tourReporting by Co-Sports Editor Navin Zachariah & Co-Convergence Editor Jerry Zhu

Andrew Marston

nament. So, as long as the number of players trying out wasn’t unreasonable, I was happy to have them all join the team,” Konopka said.

Due to this setback, the team has been forced to improvise during practices in order to simulate the conditions of a true match. During five-on-five games, Konopka has been playing as the 10th member— something not usually seen on the court.

“I’m slowly but surely rounding into shape and honing my skills thanks to the extra playing time.

Pretty soon I’ll be dominating once again,” Konopka said.

Despite these challenges, the team has been able to stay positive on the season’s prospects as well as develop a sense of camaraderie.

Players feel that “they were really close” with one another and a “true sense of friendship” was present on the court. In addition, the increased reliance on team members has allowed players to become more acquainted with the game and develop skills in specialized areas.

Looking forward, the team expects to improve on their skills and become better team players.

The paddle tennis Philly Open was held on Dec. 7, with the local Waynesborough Country Club as one of the few hosts. Multiple teams from ’Stoga’s Paddle Tennis Club participlace honors. One team at Conestoga succeeded at the mission. That team consisted of seniors Ryan DuTot and Conor Malloy.

DuTot says that the day started out tough for the duo.

“The day started out pretty slow for us. We took turns struggling in the matches, but paddle tennis is a team game, so we had opportunities to pick each other up. Later in the day, we started to really click and so that really helped,” DuTot said. nals of the tournament–the Alex DuTot and Malloy combo and the Moon and Jack McPherson duo. DuTot says that

It allows us to have better communication and know where we are going to be at what time and in which situation. It’s DuTot says that it was an awesome feeling to be the champions of the 2014 Philly Open.

“It was amazing because that was tournament and we play so much and work so hard. So it really means a lot to us that all the work that we put in paid off in the end,” DuTot said.

Malloy says that the victory is even more special because it was won with his brother.

“It’s even greater to know that I got to do it with Ryan,” Malloy said.

“We both love playing with each other a lot.”

the day.

“It was our last match at Overbrook Country Club and that was a really well-played match by both teams. They really challenged us,” DuTot said.

Malloy says that being brothers with DuTot really helps them play better on the paddle court.

“I think that since we are brothers we really mesh and work well together.

Courtesy Ryan DuTot

COMMITMENT CORNER

Sarah Brooke

School: Villanova University

School: Franklin & Marshall College

Grade: 12 Sport: Cross Country

Grade: 12 Sport: Lacrosse

Why Villanova?

“Awesome coaches, awesome people, awesome atmosphere

Position: Low “D”

what we did here at ’Stoga. They use lactaid testing just like we did here. The transition to going there is going to be really smooth.”

Favorite ’Stoga Cross Country Memory: “At districts, at a Lehigh course, we have like 1,200 meters to go. Jimmy Cooper looks at me and says, ‘I can’t feel my arms!’ And then I look back at him and ask, ‘Dude how badly do you want it?’ Keep in mind we’re dying here. He says, ‘As badly as I want to breathe!’ And we just started tearing it up from there.”

Why Franklin & Marshall?

“I chose F & M because it’s close to home, it has a great academic reputation, good athletics and it really is The coach is very personable and easy to talk to but at the same time, intense and expects us to work hard.

The girls are really nice and make you feel welcome.”

Favorite ’Stoga Lacrosse Memory: “Making it to the state tournament last year after beating Radnor in our play-in game.”

What ’Stoga Lacrosse taught her: “It has taught me how to play as a team and respect the girls that are next to you.”

The Spoke 27

SPORTS

INSIDE:

Samson’s New Gig p. 20-21 ’Stoga Ball’s Legacy p. 22

FOCUSED Boys ice hockey is determined to get back on track after a rough season last year. See Stoganews.com for more pictures.

Senior Tim Muir 3.

The Pioneers

UPDATED AS OF 12/18

races for the puck in ’Stoga’s match versus lost 5-2. The team looks to surge past their

Michael Li/The SPOKE

Strath Haven on Nov. early season troubles.