Fly guys: students turned Amateurs in aviation
Stop comparing everything to the holocaust
Page 4 Conestoga High School, Berwyn PA
Volume 72 No. 4
March 4, 2022
Making the jump: Varsity basketball player goes DI
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Photo Illustration by Aren Framil, Maya Shah and Ben Shapiro/The SPOKE
By Jui Bhatia, Katherine Lee and Shreya Vaidhyanathan, Beats Editor, Co-Editor-in-Chief and Co-Webmaster Editor’s note: as a privacy measure, one student wishes to remain anonymous. Their alias is indicated with an asterisk (*). When the bell rings at the end of eighth period, sophomore Luc Beauparlant switches off school mode and focuses on his passion: sports. Playing both hockey and baseball since elementary school, the dual-sport athlete learned the ins and outs of managing time and establish-
ing a routine. For one half of the year, Beauparlant prioritizes ice hockey; the other half, he prioritizes baseball. From staying on-task with homework during his free periods to giving his all during practices, Beauparlant concentrates on maintaining his grades and improving his athletic performance. He does everything he can to prevent falling prey to one of an athlete’s greatest hurdles: sports burnout. According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, the continued demands of a sport without rest or recovery can cause chronic stress and sports burnout. Consequently, athletes can experience an overwhelming sense of exhaustion, resentment toward their sport and lower levels of achievement due to poor
performance. Loss of motivation is a common effect when student-athletes feel forced into their sport, either by social pressures or their parents. Robert Brill, a member of Moravian University’s Department of Psychology, acknowledges the complex nature of how sports burnout manifests in high schoolers. “The main symptom is withdrawal, and that withdrawal can manifest physically, emotionally, socially or a combination of those three,” Brill said. “Students don’t feel like they have the ownership of being in the sport, (and) it eventually wears them down.” Senior and runner Karis Blagden feels that sports burnout can be caused by athletes overworking themselves to a point of physical and mental
exhaustion. Blagden has seen teammates lose motivation because they lack a goal or achievement in mind, leading them to lose sight of why they play their sport. “It (sports burnout) happens when you don’t realize when you need to cut back, and, over time, that can lead to not wanting to continue (playing),” Blagden said. “I’ve definitely seen people go through it. Sometimes, after they reach a certain goal they had, they just stop and they don’t feel like they want to push themselves anymore.” Sports burnout affects student-athletes in high schools all over the country, and Conestoga is no exception. Many athletes, like senior and runner Vicente Peña, feel that burnout impacts their performance and causes self-doubt. “It’s very common with
people who find themselves trying everything they can every day to (improve), and then feeling that they don’t get that result,” Peña said. “You get tired of the whole entire process, (and) you’re just like, ‘Why am I doing this? Why do I feel like this is getting me nowhere?’” The added pressures of time management, social demands and academic constraints exacerbate the issue of burnout in high school athletes. Immaculata University Health Nutrition and Exercise Science Chair Kelly Stalker finds that burnout at the high school level is caused by a variety of factors affecting students’ relationship with their sport and how they manage time. “It (sports burnout) happens in that high school age,
College Board enacts major SAT changes Mareska Chettiar Staff Reporter
The College Board is making major changes to the SAT, effective from 2024 onwards in the United States and from 2023 onwards internationally. This includes shortening the test time from three hours to two, removing the no-calculator math section, going completely digital and reducing the length of reading passages. “I think College Board is doing this for student flexibility,” said guidance counselor Brian Samson. “With electronic distribution, tests will still be taken in school but will also be taken at test sites. It also sounds like (College Board) will open up more days to take it at an alternative test site.” Overall, the changes hint at a standardized test that is more student-oriented. The test will soon be fully online, taken on personal devices or those provided by schools and testing centers. There are precautions in place to save answers and ensure a student does not lose their work if a technical issue aris-
es. However, some students maintain that the current format is superior. “As someone who has taken the paper test, they are easier for me,” junior Daniel Richard said. “When you go digital, there are a lot more distractions. A paper test just seems more beneficial.” The new digital SATs also feature shorter passages in the English section. Opposed to the conventional long passages with various questions attached, the test now comprises individual paragraphs linked to a single question. This decrease in the number of questions, despite the reduction in overall test time, allots more time per answer for test takers. “We have yet to see if it will benefit the students, but it seems like that is what (College Board) is trying to do,” Samson said. The changes come amidst a growing test-optional trend in college admissions. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about the fairness of standardized testing, many colleges no longer require students to submit test scores like the SAT. The new SAT, now shorter and
when (athletes) are realizing, ‘Okay, I can’t be a three-sport athlete anymore and still keep my grades up. And with all these clubs and activities that I want to participate (in) in high school as well, how am I going to do all of that?’” Stalker said. “That’s when they start having to make those decisions and realizing they can’t balance everything.” Senior and swimmer Jordan Smith* attests to having experienced and witnessed burnout at Conestoga. From what they have seen, it comes from the college recruiting process, overtraining at a young age and not achieving personal goals after hours of taxing training. “If you work for an entire three months and (perform) like crap, that’s totally demoralizing because you feel like
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Mareska Chettiar/The SPOKE
On the grind: Junior Daniel Richard takes a version of the traditional SAT for practice. Per the changes recently announced by the College Board, the traditional test will soon go virtual. Other updates include a reduction in test length and elimination of the no-calculator math section. man Quinn Donahue said. “It (the digital SAT) might be less of a stressor for some people, and colleges going SAT-optional definitely open up a lot more opportunities for people attending college
Continued on page 3.
TESD goes mask-optional Ben Shapiro
more accessible, encourages students to take standardized tests regardless. “I feel like standardized testing is starting to become less of a priority, but kids will obviously still take it,” fresh-
you put in three months of work for nothing,” Smith said. Class of ’20 alumna Lucy Wydeven, a sophomore and swimmer at the University of Pittsburgh, remembers sports playing a much bigger part in her life during her time at Conestoga. While this stress led Wydeven to lose sight of her passion for her sport, her college’s club team has given her the chance to rekindle her love for swimming by having a more flexible training schedule. “I think burnout for me specifically was being rundown (in high school) and not enjoying the sport as much as I did when I was younger. (At college) I’ve been able to see why I loved swimming so much when I was little and get back into it,” Wydeven said.
later in life. I think (the digital SAT) is a good thing.” For those who decide to take the SAT, updated practice tests for the digital version will be available starting in the fall of 2022.
Effective Feb. 28, the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District removed its mask mandate, allowing students and staff to have the option of not wearing a mask while on district property, buses and vehicles. This followed the CDC changing its guidance for public K-12 schools last Friday, as it no longer recommends a mask-mandate in schools of low- to medium-risk of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC identified three levels of community transmission: low-, medium- and high-risk. T/E will remain mask-optional unless Chester County moves into the high-risk level, as guided by the CDC and stated by principal Dr. Amy Meisinger in an email blast on Feb. 27. As mentioned by superintendent of schools Dr. Richard Gusick in a Feb. 25 message to district families and staff, TESD maintains that those who test positive for COVID-19 are to remain
in isolation for five days and wear a mask for 10 days. Even if the student is symptom-free, they are prohibited from returning until day six and must wear a mask until day 10. With the mask mandate gone, Conestoga is reintroducing the cafeteria tables during lunch, allowing for students to sit within six feet of one another. Students will still have the option for socially-distanced seating during lunch, via a designated portion of the cafeteria and Room 142. However, the small gym will no longer be available as a space in which students can eat. As Meisinger’s email bast stated, if a student has a condition that requires a specific medical accommodation, families are encouraged to reach out to the school nurses to discuss the particular situation. Additionally, the email noted that teachers will not adjust classroom instruction by changing seating or separating students in class based on whether they wear a mask.
News
2 A BRIEF LOOK THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN T/E AND NATIONAL NEWS
BIDEN NOMINATES NEW SUPREME COURT JUSTICE President Joe Biden announced his nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court on Feb. 25. She currently sits on the District of Columbia’s federal appellate court. If confirmed, Jackson would be the sixth woman and the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice.
RUSSIA
SION OF
LAUNCHES INVAUKRAINE
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered air strikes and various attacks on Ukrainian cities and bases on Feb. 24. In response during the following hours, U.S. President Joe Biden levied another round of sanctions on Russia and called for the mobilization of U.S. troops to Germany.
DR. OZ CONTINUES CAMPAIGN FOR SENATE SEAT
Friday, March 4, 2022
Paoli-based search engine company reaches 100 billion searches Aashita Singh Staff Reporter
The privacy-focused search engine company DuckDuckGo reached 100 billion searches on Jan. 13. The achievement marks a major milestone for the Paolibased company, which has a 1% share of the global search engine market. DuckDuckGo was founded by MIT alum Gabriel Weinberg in Valley Forge, PA. The company, started in 2008, provides searchers with unbiased sources without stealing their private identity. Unlike competitors, the search engine does not record IP addresses and user information. These perks appeal to many of DuckDuckGo’s roughly 80 million global users. Freshman Hannah Gupta uses the engine daily, citing its focus on safety as her main reason. “I think that the fact that DuckDuckGo protects your information and privacy is one of the reasons why they got many
searches,” Gupta said. “Many search engines, like Google, don’t prioritize it as much as DuckDuckGo does.” As the company reaches larger demographics, it may have a higher potential for growth in the future. DuckDuckGo does not only travel on good privacy; some students believe that the sources displayed by competing search engines are more biased and disagree with their views. “I usually get different answers than when I search (the same thing) up on Google,” Gupta said. “Many of my searches (from DuckDuckGo) are a lot less biased than when I searched up something on Google, just because of the way (Google) has tracked my searches before.” Although it does not track users’ information, the company finds alternative ways to make profits and stay relevant. Rather than gathering data to target users with pertinent advertisements, users only see ads for whatever they are searching
for at the moment. However, the desktop app and website are less appealing to many audiences when compared to its competition. “Marketing is a huge thing, and it has a lot to do with the number of users that you’re going to get on a platform. The fact that (DuckDuckGo’s) interface is not as appealing as Google’s might be making them loose track from their success,” freshman Zion Brown said. Additionally, some students complain about the limited number of results returned when looking up a specific query. The search engine does not have a search index for the individual user, making many students depend on other sources like Google and Yahoo to help them find what they need. This sets a limit on the amount of people who use DuckDuckGo, especially those in high school. If the company is able to address these issues, DuckDuckGo may be able to speak to a broader high school audience.
Aashita Singh/The SPOKE
Safe searching: Freshman Hannah Gupta types a question on her school computer using the internet search engine DuckDuckGo. Gupta chose DuckDuckGo over other search engines, like Google, for its prioritization of user privacy.
Anti-flooding funding
The celebrity heart surgeon and former host of daytime TV’s “Dr. Oz Show” first announced his campaign in late 2021. Despite attack ads launched against him by political opponents, Oz is moving onward with a goal of securing the Republican party nomination for PA’s open U.S. Senate seat.
Shrija Krishnan Staff Reporter
T/E SCHOOL DISTRICT HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR JEANNE POCALYKO TO RETIRE IN THE SPRING
This spring, Jeanne Pocalyko will retire from her current position as the T/E School District Director of Human Resources. Anthony Stevenson, the current principal of Radnor Elementary School, will fill the position.
Read more at
Aaron Wang/The SPOKE
MEDIA
The Speak in the stairwell
New Makeover: Wilson Farm Park’s lake, teeming with geese, shines beneath the sun. In 2019, Tredyffrin Township made plans to potentially build a dock on the lake, and with the $1.025 million from the grant, the plan can become a reality. The township hopes to complete the dock by late 2023.
Wilson Farm Park given $1.025 million for renovation Co-Managing Editor Devon Rocke and staff reporter Zach Rejonis discuss high school advice they’d give to their former selves and give a pop culture rundown of current events. T/E LIFE
Dragon dancing: Continuing tradition and conversation
The steady beating of drums vibrates through the air. Fortune cookies fly as students rush to pick them off of the ground. The large, colorful head of a lion emerges, swaying to the deafening rhythm of the line of musicians that follow. OPINION
Super Bowl rundown: Lions and Bengals and Rams, Oh My
Aaron Wang Staff Reporter
On Dec. 30, 2021, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) awarded Tredyffrin Township more than one million dollars for a renovation and rehabilitation project in Wilson Farm Park, matching the Township’s investment of a similar magnitude. In 2019, Tredyffrin Township issued bonds (investments provided by governments, the profits of which may fund daily tasks and large projects), allocating a portion of the profits towards their project. In the two following years, the Township also applied for a grant from DCNR, requesting federal funds for its $2 million project. “When we were contemplating the bonds, we thought, ‘Wilson (Farm Park) was originally constructed (in) 2012,’ so we knew it was getting up there and
things were starting to need to be replaced,” said Joseph DiRocco, Assistant Tredyffrin Township Manager and Finance Director. “We thought this was an opportunity to do that, and so that’s how we came to (our decision).” With projects starting in midto late-2022 and continuing for approximately one year, the Township plans to renovate the park’s amphitheater, picnic pavilions, play equipment and stormwater management systems. Additionally, a portion of the funds could potentially finance the construction of a spray park, walkways, pickleball courts, new water fountains and a dock near the pond. Because construction may intrude upon Wilson Farm Park’s wildlife, the projects will be coupled with plantings near the main entrance and dock area, along with more efficient stormwater management systems in impermeable regions. “We’re very excited about this project (since) it’s been a few years
in the making,” DiRocco said. “Wilson (Farm Park) is the crown jewel park of the Township, and so we are excited to see these improvements through and for everybody to enjoy them.” Improvements in water fountain condition could accompany developments in stormwater management. In Wilson Farm Park, water fountains provide athletes and passersby with refreshment; however, many complain about the quality of the water fountains and hope the grant could improve them. “The (fountain) water tastes like metal and (the fountains themselves) don’t work half the time,” junior Brian Harrity said. “It (improving the quality of the water fountains) is one of the most useful things (the Township) can do.” Additionally, developments in stormwater management could alleviate the park of many issues. From July to Sept. 2021, heavy rains bombarded both Tredyffrin and
Easttown Townships. Due mainly to inefficient stormwater management, large puddles formed in Wilson Farm Park, ruining the experiences of many who used the area. “In September, I saw that (the area around the basketball courts) was muddy and the drainage wasn’t so good: It couldn’t drain water fast enough,” freshman Weston Wang said. “I think (improving stormwater systems) was a good maintenance decision, since it can enhance the experience of people who use the park.” Some hope the new facilities will rejuvenate the park. DiRocco especially values the project since he believes Wilson Farm Park is a cornerstone of the community. “We’re very excited about this project (since) it’s been a few years in the making,” DiRocco said. “Wilson (Farm Park) is the crown jewel park of the Township, and so we are excited to see these improvements through and for everybody to enjoy them.”
Every thunderstorm, freshman Ara Das’ basement floods with more than three inches of rainwater. A new $1.3 million grant to Chester County in state funding may help a calamity. The Growing Greener Program recently awarded the county a grant for five watershed protection and restoration projects. Two of the five projects (the Tredyffrin Rain Garden Program and the Bair Road/ Trout Creek Infiltration, Water Quality and Flood Mitigation Project) are located in Tredyffrin Township. These initiatives seek to manage excess stormwater runoff in the area. For local residents who experience regular flooding, the help is a relief. “The basement is where my dad’s office is and it’s where I practice dance, so when it floods, there aren’t a whole lot of other spaces to use,” Das said. The Tredyffrin Rain Garden Program, founded in 2021, oversees the creation and promotion of community rain gardens. Also called bioretention facilities, these rain gardens are specifically designed to catch rainfall. Typically built on slopes where surface water naturally flows, rain gardens can help for communities like Tredyffrin, which experience substantial damage from excess stormwater. The gardens can absorb up to 40% more water than the average lawn, helping to recharge groundwater by increasing the filtration of natural stormwater. Tredyffrin residents could apply to maintain rain gardens on their private property starting Jan. 10, and are awarded a co-pay of $100 for their obligation towards the garden and its maintenance. The grant money will support the installation of 13 residential gardens. “Our basement floods all the time from the rain, so I
think the implementation of rain gardens in our community is great,” Das said. The project is sensitive to environmental concerns. Only native and deer-resistant plants are implemented, giving local wildlife a space to prosper. Kevin Strogen, adviser of the Greening ’Stoga Task Force, finds the soil and vegetation rain gardens provide to be crucial. Without it, there is an inevitable increase in flooding as runoff escapes, soil erodes and rain collects in local bodies of water. “A lot of people don’t realize it, but we have more flooding today than we’ve ever had before simply because there are more impermeable or impervious surfaces. There are more roads, houses, parking lots and (other) things that don’t allow water to infiltrate into the ground. More rain gardens will hopefully mean less flooding for our community,” Strogen said. Likewise, the Bair Road/ Trout Creek Infiltration, Water Quality and Flood Mitigation Project aims to capture and treat stormwater runoff from more than 19 areas of upstream residential drainage area. The grant will be put toward two subsurface storage and infiltration beds, which combined can store up to 110,000 gallons of stormwater runoff and annually manage 7,400 pounds of suspended solids. Strogen believes that stormwater management is important to reduce pollution in local bodies of water like Trout Creek. “If you’ve ever looked at a road before, they’re not the cleanest things. There’s motor oil on people’s lawns, there could be weed killer or pesticides, fertilizer, all things that we don’t necessarily want in streams or rivers and ponds,” Strogen said. “If we could control stormwater runoff, it would reduce the amount of runoff, but also the amount of chemicals in bodies of water nearby.”
Free COVID-19 tests and N95 masks available in Chester County The 2022 NFL Playoffs were filled with overtime games, last second field goals and colorful characters. Super Bowl 56 was no different. The Rams jumped out to a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter as Odell Beckham Jr. caught a 17-yard pass from Matthew Stafford. SPORTS
Pins and points: Wrestling team dominates Penncrest at Senior Night meet
At the annual wrestling Senior Night ceremony on Feb. 2, Conestoga recognized seniors Mitch Baker, Jake Cole, Joel DeFreytas, Tommy Duffy, Aidan Foster and Ben Reed for their contributions to the wrestling team over the past four years. Later that evening, the Pioneers defeated Penncrest at their wrestling meet with a final score of 52-22. SPORTS
Reflection on sports year
Rohan Anne Staff Reporter
The federal government made free COVID-19 tests and N95 masks available in limited amounts in early February. Several counties and states will directly get these resources, with Chester County being one. Masks are given to and distributed by Chester County pharmacies, while the COVID-19 tests must be ordered at www.covidtests. gov and will be delivered by USPS. This effort is part of a federal program to provide free at-home tests with complimentary shipping to every residential address and PO Box in the United States. Sophomore Justin Chow learned about these free resources from his family. “My cousin, who just finished college and is working now, texted us and told us that these free resources were available.”
The White House made 400 million non-surgical N95 masks freely available from the Strategic National Stockpile, a federal storage which will supplement any medical countermeasures needed by states, nations and territories during public health emergencies. Each citizen will be allowed three N95 masks, which will be distributed and given out at tens of thousands of pharmacies and federal community health centers, often places where vaccinations are available as well. Jim Reilly, the manager at the CVS in Paoli, helped to organize the distribution of masks at the pharmacy. “In order for people to receive their masks, they must ask for them at the checkout area where the masks are kept and will receive three masks for each family member.” At Conestoga, many students began learning about and taking advantage of the
government-provided and free N95 masks and COVID-19 tests. According to a survey administered by The Spoke, 61% of students know about the availability of these free resources, of which 33% have actually taken action to receive the products. While some people were experiencing major delays in early February, some like senior Peyton Quinn, started to receive their tests at the end of the month. “It’s just kind of frustrating because it said 12 days on the website where I ordered them, and it has been over a month now,” Quinn said. “I understand that there will be a shipping delay because of the lack of workers, but I feel like over a month is kind of ridiculous if it said 12 days, and I never even got a follow up email or heard anything related to my order afterwards. However, I finally received a follow-up email on Wednesday (Feb. 23) and got the tests on Thursday (Feb. 24).”
Despite the delays on the online orders of COVID-19 tests, the availability of N95 masks is much more reliable through an in-person approach at nearby pharmacies, including the Audubon Walmart and Paoli CVS. Sophomore Sienna Trudel believes these government resources will provide greater access to N95 masks and COVID-19 tests. “I think it provides an advantage, especially for those of lower income who don’t have as much access to these products. These resources also provide an easier way, especially for busy families, to have access to the current necessities,” Trudel said. “People now have better access to masks, but especially when the Omicron variant started, the tests were the best thing to be given out, because instead of having to go out and book an appointment, they can now order these free tests and do them from home.”
Rohan Anne/The SPOKE
Boxed masks: Walmart pharmacies in Chester County have boxes of masks available to the public for free. N95 masks are in especially high demand.
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Friday, March 4, 2022
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An athletic tipping point: When motivation becomes burnout sport. Sophomore and runner Lukas Metz-Topodas tore his ACL in May of 2021, taking him out of soccer and track for the rest of the year. Although Metz-Topodas is rehabilitating and was recently cleared to start running again, his return to the sport still triggers a fear of re-injury. “Once I found out about (my injury), I viewed soccer as almost a negative thing,” Metz-Topodas said. “For anyone, if you have the right support and the right people around you, (whether) you get back to your sport is almost up to you.” Sports specialization and the impact of parents
Reese Wang/The SPOKE
Running off course: Senior Vicente Peña places second at the 2020 Central League Championships. Peña described how student athletes can alleviate burnout by having fun with their sport. How academic stressors cause sports burnout One of the main causes of sports burnout lies not on the playing field, but in the building. According to Brill, academic stressors, such as an intense workload, can exacerbate exhaustion due to the role they play in increasing mental and physical stress levels. “We only have one body,” Brill said. “We may have two roles, student and athlete, but we only have one body that’s absorbing all the stress. A lot of times, a student may only have so much energy and bandwidth to dedicate to their responsibilities.” Having to manage time commitments to both sports and academics, student athletes are often caught in a delicate balancing act. Sophomore and squash player Rhea Malik notices how the combination of schoolwork, including Advanced Placement (AP) classes, and sports practices can be overwhelming at times. “I’m taking a lot of AP classes, and a lot of times, teachers, without even know-
ing it, schedule a lot of tests on the same day. And so, you’re supposed to go to squash and then also try to prepare for all the tests and finish all your other classes’ homework, so it’s just a lot,” Malik said. The contribution sports-related injuries
of
When athletes play their sport from a very young age, they are likely to always categorize and “identify themselves as athletes,” as Stalker pointed out. One of the first things a student-athlete says when asked to introduce themselves is the sport they play. However, if that identifying factor is taken away from them by an injury, athletes may be left feeling aimless. “That injury takes their livelihood away if that’s the only way they have identified themselves. They don’t know who they are or what to do with themselves,” Stalker said. Stalker noted that during rehabilitation, student athletes may resent their
Athletes who specialize in one sport from an early age are more likely to experience burnout, says the Journal of Athletic Training. Participating in one sport for more than eight months is the technical definition for sports specialization, which goes along with a high time commitment and expectations from parents and coaches. Stalker finds that because students are often expected to specialize in one sport, they are then forced to make time for that sport by sacrificing other activities. “The main consensus (about) sports specialization is that you’re participating in one sport at the expense of other sports,” Stalker said. “It (sports burnout) can come from having to give up other activities that people are participating in to become elite in that one particular area.” Additionally, the role that par-
ents may have in influencing the relationship between student athletes and their sport is a contributing factor to sports burnout. “It (sports burnout) might not have anything to do with the training, it might not have anything to do with their academics, and it might have everything to do with when (students) go home and have
a conversation with their parents and that just kind of brings them down,” said Mark Carberry, the head coach of boys and girls indoor and outdoor track and field. “They’re not meeting their parents’ expectations.” Although their parents do put pressure on them to do well in their sport, Smith knows that their own goals and drive are what keep them the most focused. Smith realizes a good amount of pressure comes from Conestoga and the swim program, and that some kids on the team are continuing to swim “just because they have to.” “My parents definitely put a lot of pressure on me, but most of the pressure just comes from the swimmers themselves,” Smith said. “As a competitor, you always want to be better than the people around you.”
In hockey, (someone) could be playing at the highest level but they end up playing lower because they didn’t want to travel for it or didn’t like it enough anymore,” Beauparlant said. “It’s something very difficult to catch on to as it’s (happening), but when they come out saying they stopped loving it, everything adds up.”
How burnout affects performance According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, symptoms of sports burnout include constant fatigue, an inability to focus and decreased energy levels, which can increase chances of injury and contribute to a lack of enthusiasm and enjoyment of one’s sport. All of these factors accumulate into a noticeable decrease in motivation, performance and, in some cases, the desire to quit. Stalker emphasizes that while these are general symptoms experienced by many athletes, sports burnout can still manifest very differently based on the individual. “Sometimes you start seeing decreases in their performance (or) that physically they’re just not doing what they used to be doing. You start seeing overuse injuries from their bodies just starting to give out on them,” Stalker said. “You start to see that they might not be as social with their teammates, they might start kind of isolating themselves (and) they might be a little bit more short-tempered.” Similarly, Beauparlant describes how when high school athletes experience burnout, they begin to skip practices, show up late to games and no longer hold the same level of dedication towards their sport. “When you have to be (at the game) an hour before, they’re showing up 30 minutes before.
For freshman Rebecca Schmidt, sports burnout has yet to pose a problem. Despite being involved in three sports (cross country, basketball, and track and field), Schmidt has found a way to maintain a healthy balance between her sports and academics. In fact, playing sports encourages her to work hard at school. “I think it’s been pretty easy to handle both (sports and academics). I don’t procrastinate, so I get things done right when I have to,” Schmidt said. “Sports kind of motivate me to do well because I have to keep my grades up in order to do them.” For other athletes, such as Blagden, their love for their sport enables them to stay motivated even when it becomes more difficult to stay engaged. “I’ve loved playing sports (at Conestoga). It’s been great. I joined running my freshman year, and it’s only gone uphill from there. I didn’t know what to expect at first, but then it really grew into a big passion for me, and now it’s a huge part of my life,” Blagden said. Future outlook and possible solutions
A s athletes start putting less effort into their sport, they simultaneously lose motivation for other areas of their life as well. “When I think about people sometimes taking on too much on their plate of responsibilities, it’s a little bit like you’re constantly juggling balls in the air,” Carberry said. “Academics is a big one, athletics is a big one, social life is also a big one (and) looking for colleges could be one. So you’re constantly juggling, and the moment that one thing gets a little out of whack, everything else falls to the ground.” Some students do not feel the effects of burnout According to Stalker, a student’s age and grade level can factor into whether they are more prone to experiencing burnout. “You might be gung-ho freshman year, you’re so excited (to play sports in high school), but now it’s two, three years down the line, you’re hitting senior year,” Stalker said. “You’re thinking college now, and with the pressures that come with that, you could get to that level that it really turns into burnout.”
Aditi Dahagam/The SPOKE
Breaking the ice: Sophomore and goalie Luc Beauparlant blocks a shot from Garnet Valley on Dec. 10. Beauparlant noted how students often mention their sport when they introduce themselves, identifying as athletes first.
Avoiding sports burnout is an effort that involves not just the athlete, but everyone who impacts their life. To reduce sports burnout in the future, freshman Camden Kramer believes that understanding how one’s body is feeling is the most important thing an athlete can do. “We just need to be more aware of ourselves and our feelings and really listen; if we just keep trying to go and
push through everything, that’s when we hit a wall or breaking point,” Kramer said. “If we acknowledge how we’re truly feeling (and) take action to change it, that would be a good preventative.” Brill emphasizes athlete-coach relationships to keep a tab on stress levels and general motivation, and he notes that although reducing sports burnout may feel like a daunting task, taking small steps is key. “The idea is to put proactive things in place. Have conversations with the student-athlete about how they’re feeling about things in an honest context. Even physical exams: we do physicals on the front end of the season, but we don’t do these checks periodically,” Brill said. “Sometimes, what’s showing up physiologically, the student might mask verbally. These (checks) need to happen, like checkpoints along the way; if something’s happened, we should be checking in.” On the athlete’s part, adjusting one’s mindset and habits can help avoid sports burnout. By setting healthy boundaries and making conscious efforts to relax between strenuous practices, student-athletes can better manage the overtraining and exhaustion that can lead to burnout. Wydeven urges high school athletes to look beyond their sport, and use other hobbies as a way to prevent burnout. “I encourage student athletes to really explore things outside of their sport. Especially in high school, you get labeled: you’re a lacrosse player, you’re on the swim team, you (play) basketball,” Wydeven said. “Make sure that you have a way to balance academics and other interests so you get exposed to everything.”
T/E LIFE
Friday, March 4, 2022
Bradley Younce The pale white sunlight filtered through the clouds, glancing off the maroon Cessna’s polished windows, as the colossal hangar doors rumbled open for a tractor to tow an aircraft out to the tarmac. This is freshman Bradley Younce’s happy place, Brandywine Aviation. Younce is a student-aviator interning at Brandywine Aviation, a company that offers flight lessons, plane rentals and maintenance at West Chester’s Brandywine Airport. He earns $15/hour for his work, which typically entails greeting customers, transporting aircraft in and out of a hangar, and ensuring that they are fueled properly. He saves his earnings to pay for flight lessons. “He helps us a lot because he’s available on weekends and it’s like having someone as an extra set of eyes that can just generally make sure everything is running the way it should be,” said Liz McGrath, co-owner of Brandywine Aviation. The thought of learning to fly first crossed Younce’s mind two years ago when his friend mentioned in passing that he had taken a flight lesson. Younce found the idea intriguing, so he began taking lessons at Pocono Mountains Airport where he fell in love with flying. After a few months, he
decided to switch to a flight school closer to his home. His penchant for planes led him to Brandywine Airport, where he began his hobby of plane spotting, which is tracking the movement of planes with photography. While frequenting the airport, he grew acquainted with the owners of Brandywine Aviation who eventually paid him to take photos for their company’s Instagram account. A few months later, that gig led to a paid internship, which allowed Younce to continue following his passion and realize that he wanted to pursue aviation as his career. “I don’t want to sit at a desk my whole life. I’d rather be doing something fun that I love,” Younce said. “Flying is (always exciting), and the views are amazing. Plus, that feeling right before liftoff with all those G-forces pressing down on you never gets old.” Younce currently has 18 hours logged out of the 40 required for his private pilot’s license, which would authorize him to pilot small aircraft on his own and take friends and family for rides. He aims to earn this license and a few other certifications by senior year to become an instructor at Brandywine Aviation and share his love of aviation with others. “They (my friends and family) were surprised when I first told them about my flight lessons because they thought, ‘You’re 14. How are you already flying planes?’ They didn’t realize you could start learning so young,” Younce said. “They all think it’s pretty awesome.”
Howard Kim/The SPOKE
In the works: Freshman Bradley Younce works on fixing a plane engine in Brandywine Aviation’s hangar. He began learning to fly a plane in this hanger last fall.
Fly Guys: AMATEURS IN Aviation Written by Howard Kim and Chanelle Ongagna, Staff Reporters Designed by Hiba Samdani, Co-T/e Life Editor
JAYE DATAN Attending his first air show as a sevenyear-old, sophomore Jaye Datan discovered a passion for aviation. Eight years later, Datan, a member of Civil Air Patrol’s (CAP) youth cadet program, is learning the leadership skills and practical experience he will need to accomplish his dream of becoming an Air Force pilot. “I went home, searched up a few things and went to the school library at my elementary school,” Datan said. “There were these little red books about Air Force aircraft, and I remember I just borrowed those every single time when (I) had the chance.” While visiting the National United States Air Force Museum, Datan met volunteers who suggested he join CAP. Datan, whose only prior aviation experience was with flight simulators, leapt at the idea. He joined that same summer. In CAP, Datan’s trainers instruct him in three programs: Emergency Services, Aerospace Education and cadet programs, which develop leadership skills and character. Datan especially enjoys orientation flights, where cadets practice flying in powered and unpowered military aircrafts. His preference for mili-
tary planes and desire for a more stimulating aviation experience contributed to his decision to fly for the Air Force rather than work as a commercial pilot. “Honestly, commercial pilots’ aircrafts are heavy and slow,” Datan said. “The aircrafts are not exactly the most responsive to the controls. But (military planes) are much sleeker, much faster. That just feels more exciting.” CAP is organized so that two or three small groups of cadets make up flights, of which there are one or two in a squadron. Datan serves as Cadet Senior Airman in Squadron 1007, and from the beginning, immediately impressed his instructor, junior Akanksa Jain, with his dedication and extensive knowledge of planes. Jain, who acts as Squadron 1007’s Official Cadet Commander, remembers an activity in which Datan confidently answered questions while others struggled. “It was a really good first impression, for sure,” Jain said. “He knew what he was talking about, and he had a very clear goal about what he wants to achieve from the program. And that’s why it’s also easier for us to help him as a cadet because we know where he wants to go.” Datan plans to use the skills he learns in CAP to join either Reserve Officers’ Training Course (ROTC) or the Air Force Academy, advancing his dream of flying the sleek and fast aircraft he loves. “I don’t know, just the thought of flight is exhilarating,” Datan said. “I suppose it’s being freed from the ground, being freed from gravity.”
Flight master (right): Sophomore Jaye Datan receives his third promotion to rank of Cadet Senior Airman and hopes to become a member of the Air Force. Datan first joined Civil Air Patrol in 2021 and immediately impressed his instructor with his passion for aviation. Avid aviator (below): Sophomore Jaye Datan stands in front of a Cessna-182 Skylane, one of the most commonly used planes for orientation flights (O-Flights). Datan, who plans to join the Air Force, joined the Civil Air Patrol’s youth cadet program to receive hands-on aviation experience. Chanelle Ongagna/The SPOKE
Chanelle Ongagna/The SPOKE
One display at a time: Equity Leadership Alliance debuts Community Corner Nishka Avunoori Co-Webmaster
As students enter the library, a vivid display case decorated with Chinese lanterns alongside African American authored books and inventions greets them, celebrating Asian and African American cultures. The Equity Leadership Alliance (ELA), an association of multiple cultural clubs and organizations, sponsored this display case, part of a new project called the Conestoga Community Corner. In November 2021, Shalom Stoga sought a space to display a Menorah for their Hanukkah festivities, but unfortunately, the school did not have a place. Following discussions with district administrators, junior Ayala Snir, president of Shalom Stoga and member of ELA, established a space — a display case in the library entrance.
“Having this display case enriches the student body and allows students to culturally express themselves and feel seen,” Snir said. “All students have the opportunity to enlighten themselves on the vast array of cultural experiences they are surrounded by, simply by stopping by the library and taking a look.” Any club or organization can display if they fill out a request form found next to the display case. Each display has accompanying QR codes that lead to PDFs created by that club with more information about that particular exhibit. The African American Student Union (AASU) organized a display for Black History month with items brought in by members such as banner flags from different historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), magazine cutouts with African American celebrities and inventions that spotlight Black excellence, the theme for this year’s
Aditi Dahagam/The SPOKE
Culture Fusion: Junior Jaela Eaton places items in the Community Corner. The Equity Leadership Alliance (ELA) created this showcase to educate the student body about various cultural events.
exhibition in the Conestoga Community Corner. Jaela Eaton, junior and 11th grade section leader for AASU, believes that the display case allows students to represent all parts of the Black experience. “The main thing was to showcase all the history that makes up Black history and the things that make the Black experience what it is, and the good parts, not the bad parts that we see all the time in our history books, in our classes,” Eaton said. The Asian American Culture Club (AACC) exhibited the Lunar New Year, a festival celebrated by many East and Southeast Asians in January or February. Many members donated their cultural pieces, one of them being red envelopes, which social studies teacher and AACC adviser Stephanie Matula believes adds emotional value to the display. In East and Southeast Asian cultures, red envelopes containing money and messages offering
fortune and prosperity are given to young children by older family members. Matula feels that the display case is just a starting point and hopes to represent more cultural groups in the future. “I think it’s definitely a good starting point for highlighting diversity in our school district. I don’t think it’s perfect at the same time because there’s obviously going to be a lot of different cultures, ethnicities and religious groups that don’t know and we try to have everyone represented,” Matula said. Eaton emphasizes the need for students and the community to learn and acknowledge different cultures and their celebrations. Learning about others, Eaton feels, is key to understanding each other. “I think that at an affluent school like this with many resources, it’s important to realize that other cultures have a lot to offer,” Eaton said. “It’s important that we take time to listen and understand each other.”
T/E Life
Friday, March 4, 2022
O
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How to play
C T S R
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Why do you play Wordle?
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“I try and get (the daily word) on the first try. I just do different words. I kind of think of random words to start off with, and then after that, I try and do more vowel-heavy words. I think that way, it’s easier to narrow down the base of the word, and then you can play around after that.”
Rhea Maheshwari, 11
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*According to Grant Sanderson’s 3Blue1Brown Youtube Channel
What’s your favorite starting word? “I made a program where you type in the hint that it gave you and it narrowed down the list of all the words. I just felt that my vocabulary was too limited. I don’t use it anymore because it made the game not very fun. It made it too easy, but I learned some new words from that that are useful, like the word ‘fouat.’”
“It (Wordle) is a warm-up. It’s to lure them into the class and get them to start thinking about Spanish. Even on the first day, I was impressed. Students already discovered patterns and were able to recall vocab quicker than I was able to think about them.”
Patrick Cupo, Spanish teacher
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Why do you think Wordle is popular?
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Calvin Lai, 10
Why do you play Spanish Wordle with students?
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What’s your favorite starting word?
“I think (Wordle) is just addicting. Everybody’s been playing Wordle lately — it’s become a game that’s super in. Since everybody else is playing it, you want to be a part of that, so I’m playing it too. And it’s fun to play with other people. We don’t take it that seriously, but it’s just fun to play.”
Best starting words* A
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By Aditi Dahagam, Co-T/E Life Editor
The quest for green squares takes over ’Stoga
Wordle is an online game where players have six tries to guess a five-letter word, with a new word every day. After guessing a word, each letter’s tile turns gray, green or yellow to signal how close the guess was to the correct word.
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Do you think Wordle has changed recently?
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“Since the New York Times bought Wordle, I don’t think Wordle has changed that much. I do feel like the words are getting a little more difficult but I like that because it is more challenging. This hasn’t changed my opinion of the game and I still enjoy playing it every day.”
“I think it’s become pretty popular because it’s a fun game and it doesn’t take a lot of time out of your day since a new word comes every day. It’s addicting. You have that anticipation every day to play.”
Anika Maganti, 9
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Scan code for spin-off links
Megan Adams, 12
GMS sets up for the future Raima Saha Staff Reporter
Students have recognized the basic blue set of Good Morning ’Stoga (GMS), the student-run TV show, for years. On the morning of Feb. 2 during homeroom, students watched on with a surprised gaze. For 11 years, GMS has used the same set for all their productions. Blue, dated and bulky, the velvet lining would bubble in the humidity and wasn’t cohesive with the school colors and current trends. The new set now features the current graphics of the show. Senior Drew Casparius designed the new set and was in charge of creating the graphics package this year, which includes the revamped logo, weather, full screen, and intro and closing graphics. For the set graphic, Casparius used a still-shot of the school from a previous project and added the GMS logo on top. “I was excited,” Casparius said. “Something new is always exciting, and we’re really lucky to be able to do these kinds of things year after year.”
The new set has features that make it different from the old set, like removable panels that can be switched out to create new backgrounds. It also has light panels on the side to produce different effects such as “disco mode,” as junior Hannah Zhang calls it. “We like to use (the lights) to set a fun mood and attract attention. It’s just a nice and fun ending to the show,” Zhang said.
used to (the new seating setup),” senior Doug Andreuzzi said. “But by even the second show, we basically had it back to the quality (the show normally has).” Though it has created its challenges, the new set has given GMS a new look; it may even encourage students to join GMS. “It (the new set) will be really good for newcomers,” junior Remi Vaughan said. “It (will give) the new kids a sense of familiarity. The blue wall didn’t really mean anything to us, but that’s our logo on there now, which does mean something.” GMS adviser and executive producer Alison Ferriola plans on getting a new desk next school year to match the set. For now, Ferriola is excited to work with the new set and that a student had the opportunity to Senior design it. “I like that (the set) was student-made,” Ferriola said. “It really shows the professional nature and just the academic prowess of ’Stoga students. The fact that they could design something like this and see it come to life on the screen is really exciting.”
Something new is always exciting and, we’re really lucky to be able to do these kinds of (set improvements) year after year.
Teacher Feature: melissa pacitti Abbie Preston/The SPOKE
Literature lover: Reading specialist and English teacher Melissa Pacitti holds her favorite book, “The Inheritance Games” by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Pacitti originally thought she wanted to be a math teacher, but changed to literature after receiving encouragement from one of her college professors.
Abbie Preston Staff Reporter
Dr. Melissa Pacitti always thought she wanted to be a math teacher, but after completing an English course in college, her professor encouraged her to follow her passion: literature. Pacitti is a member of the English department at Conestoga, teaching two Literary Foundations classes; working with students in the Pathways to Structured Literacy Program, a specific program for students who have needs with translating words into sounds or using sounds to form words; and providing additional reading help to students who need it. Pacitti appreciates both aspects of her job, as they each provide different experiences for students. “I really enjoy some of the themes of Literary Foundations and developing (students’) reading and writing skills,” Pacitti said. “I like being a reading specialist because I love seeing how well (students) improve and progress until senior year. It’s really rewarding.”
Outside the classroom, Pacitti likes to run and spend time at the beach. She also values spending time with her family, especially watching her three children participate in the activities about which they are passionate. “I come from a very big family, so family is a big part of my life,” Pacitti said. “I love supporting my kids as they explore whatever they like to do. I love to help them find their passion and be active, as long as they’re doing something that excites them.” For Pacitti, teaching her students is very gratifying. Reading specialist and English teacher She enjoys seeing the development and skill proThe committee also discusses her students find enthusiasm gression of her students. “The reward that I get is just the “positive change in educa- for literature. “I just love that it’s that release, seeing them growing and imtion,” which emphasizes having real-world conversations with that escape,” Pacitti said. “Litera- proving not just academically, students. Pacitti loves the con- ture is often a great springboard for but hearing about what they’re versations that literature fosters, conversation. It’s important to find doing later in life and staying since both she and her students literature that excites (students), in touch whenever possible,” because the only way to grow as a Pacitti said. “I love the relacan learn from them. “English lends itself to discus- reader, writer and thinker is to find tionships I build, and I hope sion, and we can tie them to the those books that really help them that I had some small impact on who they are.” real world,” Pacitti said. “I enjoy become lifelong readers.” In addition to teaching, Pacitti is also a member of the Language Arts Standing Committee, which gathers several English teachers from the district to discuss how the district can adjust to changes in education across the state and national level.
those conversations, learning from others and learning from my mistakes, so I can constantly fine tune what I’m doing to do what’s best for students.” For Pacitti, reading can transport people anywhere, which is why she strives to help
Drew Casparius Significant changes in the layout of the show pose challenges in production. Previously, three anchors used to sit at the desk, but with the large GMS logo in the background, it looks best with two. “The first show was a little rough as we were just getting
Literature is often a great springboard for conversation. Melissa Pacitti
Aditi Dahagam/The SPOKE
Ready on the set: Seniors Reagan Taylor and Sophia Brubaker anchor in front of Good Morning ’Stoga’s new set. GMS changed the set to better represent Conestoga.
T/E Life
6
Friday, March 4, 2022
Lighting the fuse (left): The musical begins with a dramatic opening of Russian aristocrats in the Romanov palace. The cast and crew researched pronunciations and costumes to accurately portray Russian culture. Nostalgic moment (below): Dimitri, played by senior Aaron Grossman, opens up to Anastasia, played by senior Genevieve Duska, about his hometown during the song “My Petersburg.”
Aditi Dahagam/The SPOKE
Maya Shah/The SPOKE
CULTURAL CAPTIVATION: SPRING MUSICAL iNCORPORATES RUSSIAN ELEMENTS
Story by Umar Samdani and Maya Shah, Co-Managing Editor and Photography Editor Design by Aditi Dahagam, Co-T/E Life Editor
For senior Paige Munroe, the spring musical “Anastasia” was an unlikely collision of two worlds — a sensational theater experience and an academic callback to her Comparative Government class. “It’s been really interesting, especially because I took Comparative Government in the first semester this year, and one of the countries that we center on is Russia,” Munroe said. “And it’s kind of cool to see it play out, especially because I had to study this period of time.” The musical, outlining the story of a princess’s return to her usurped palace, takes place in early 20th century St. Petersburg, Russia. But Munroe, playing Maria Romanov, says that fundamental historical knowledge was not enough for the musical. Staying consistent with the time period, the cast and crew have performed extensive research on the pronunciation, costumes and lighting required to accurately portray the environment. “I think (research) is really important because when you’re in-
structed to make character choices, you want to know your character, and what the context of that person is,” Munroe said. “And so just knowing what’s going on in Russia or in Paris is really important just to (being) able to play that role.” Susan DeJong, the musical’s costume designer, applies this research when crafting garments for the cast. DeJong enjoys portraying the various facets of Russian society, while also acknowledging the inherent challenge in the task. “In the beginning of Act Two, I had to think about taking 60 people and making them all different,” DeJong said. “So I have a group that are sitting at a cafe that I’ve done in shades of tan and black. I have poets that I’ve put in vests. I have writers that I put in little ascots and other accouterments. I have artists that I put in art smocks. My goal is to make each person on stage feel special.” When it comes to portraying Russian civilization, Katrina Costas, a substitute teacher and the mother of junior Alexis Costas who plays
Tsarina Alexandra, has helped the cast in accurately representing the cultural elements of the musical. Raised in the Russian Orthodox Church and having the experience of living in Moscow, Katrina Costas has been able to share her cultural knowledge. Senior Ella Canas, student assistant director, appreciates having Costas as a resource for the musical’s research. “There’s a bunch of little details, like the way that they do a religious cross is different, and the way they bow is different,” Canas said. “So we’re definitely trying to be as accurate as possible. And having (Costas) as a resource is definitely helping with that.” Although she hasn’t worked directly with the actors, Costas has been helping from behind the scenes to ensure that the cast maintains complete cultural accuracy. Regarding pronunciation, she frequently sends audio recordings to director Nathan Shughart in order to help the actors pronounce difficult words.
“When I’m subbing, I always struggle with pronouncing names and I always feel bad,” Costas said. “And if you’re an actor — and in this case, you’re (speaking) Russian — you want to get it right. So I think the students have appreciated (the process) and I appreciate that they’re working so hard to get it right.” For Costas, the importance of theater dates back several generations. After Costas’s grandparents fled communist Russia, an American ballet company recruited them for their dance skills. This recruitment allowed the family to establish a living and acclimate to a new culture. Costas is grateful that she is able to demonstrate her appreciation for theater through her work in “Anastasia.” “It’s neat for me to be able to contribute to a show that also represents a time in my family where theaters saved them,” Costas said. “We’ve loved (’Stoga theater), no matter the topic. But now, it’s a show that is about why theater is so important to my family, and I get to help make it happen.”
Melodic memories (right) Anya, played by senior Genevieve Duska, holds the music box that previously belonged to Princess Anastasia. This ultimately helped prove her identity to her grandmother. A lovely ride (left): The cast members perform on a mobile train to replicate their escape from Russia to Paris. To rotate the train with singers aboard, the stage crew locked the train into a peg that is bolted into the stage. Word on the street (below): All cast members involved in the production perform “A Rumor in St. Petersburg.” Costume designer Susan DeJong designed the heavy costumes to simulate the cold Russian temperatures.
Maya Shah/The SPOKE
Maya Shah/The SPOKE
Aditi Dahagam/The SPOKE
Brand new backdrops: set design enhances musical Complementing the musical’s immersion into a 1920s Russian culture is its use of novel stage prop technology. Nathan Shughart, the musical’s director, looks forward to incorporating stage projections, used to establish various settings throughout the show. A projector, located above the stage, will display various backdrops on a green screen. “Recently, modern theater has begun using projections as part of set designs to enhance shows. This show has numerous location changes, so projections work really well for ‘Anastasia,’” Shughart said. “It will take very precise timing and precision from the stage crew and they will be working hard to master this skill.” Stage crew also anticipates the utilization of a mobile train, simulating multiple characters’ attempts to flee Russia and travel to Paris. Junior and stage crew member Henry Smith has been actively involved in the train construction process.
Smith acknowledges that developing a movable train was no easy task. “There’s a variety of challenges that come with the train. You have to think about how weight is going to be distributed, you also have to manage having multiple people on the train, and having seating to put all the people on the train.” Smith said. Smith feels that working with experienced, creative seniors in stage crew has helped solve these technical issues. Next year, he hopes to carry the tradition and help other underclassmen work through prop design challenges. “There are definitely a lot of really smart people on stage here, especially a lot of the seniors. They are really good at coming up with creative solutions, which I think has come a lot through experience and knowing what you’re working with,” Smith said. “I’m hoping to bring that to other people in the future, telling them ‘I once made that kind of mistake.’”
T/E Life
Friday, March 4, 2022
7
AN
Infat uation
HOW TO BUY ONE
Written by Hiba Samdani and Zara Samdani,Co-T/E Life Editor and Staff Reporter Design by Hiba Samdani and Aren Framil, Co-T/E Life Editor and Staff Reporter
INTRO
What they Are
Make a Wallet
An NFT is any digital asset that is usually bought or sold with cryptocurrency. These “tokens” can be video clips, music or GIFs, but they most commonly take the form of digital art. Each NFT is unique and irreplaceable, meaning the purchase of one makes the buyer the owner. For example, there are several copies of the Mona Lisa in a gift shop, but only the Louvre Museum owns the original copy. The same can be said with NFTs. There are several copies of a particular picture or a GIF, but the person who buys the NFT is the sole owner.
In Sep. 2021, a 24-by-24 pixel image of a zombie character sold for 2,000 Ethereum — an amount equivalent to $6.63 million. This image, named Cryptopunk #8857, is only one of the thousands of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) spreading across the internet. Recently, NFTs have piqued the interest of many students who wish to learn more about them.
A MetaMask Wallet is a special type of wallet that allows you to make transactions in the cryptocurrency world.
CRYPTO CLUB If you like a piece of art the price is subjective. Some members of the cryto club have recently invested into some of these big-name projects. The problem is the NFT space is currently a get rich quick environment with lots of scams. We saw this opportunity to flip the hyped-up projects but are still collectively holding 2 bored apes as a club. I personally plan to hold my Walter White cyrpopunk forever because I genuinely like the artwork. I love the ideas of NFTs expanding into new spaces like concert tickets and high-quality apparel.
Wyatt ballard, co-president
Uses The purpose of an NFT depends on how someone is looking to use it. Expensive NFTs become symbols of status and a means to flaunt wealth. “You can kind of look at some NFTs as a flex. You see Logan Paul, Eminem, all these cool influencers being able to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on literally a picture,” junior Luke Sanders said. For small-scale artists, NFTs are an avenue to sell their art without waiting for an auction or gallery. Each time the NFT is resold, the original artist receives a commission. Buyers can purchase NFTs for ownership rights, and then resell it for a profit. “As far as what I personally see, (an NFT) is an investment. And that’s exactly what you’re buying when you purchase one,” Junior Yusuf Elshiekh said. “It’s usually an investment or something for capital gain.”
Should You buy One
Buy Ether
Senior Wyatt Ballard
Ether, or “ethereum,” is the cryptocurrency needed to buy NFTs. The price of an ether fluctuates, but one ether is around $2,600-$2,700.
The NFT space is very new and unpredictable. We tend to only hear about million-dollar NFT flips when the reality is that people lose lots of money very quickly. One of the cryto club leaders Kieran Griperay withdrew $50,000 from his fathers Roth IRA to purchase a Cool Kitten. This project ended up being a rug pull and initial investors like Kieran lost everything. As an NFT investor myself I would do dozens of hours of research before investing in a project, only invest what you can afford to lose and hold projects for the long-term.
Different Types and Opinions
Collectible Just like one can collect baseball cards, someone can also collect NFTs. Bored apes (drawings of bored-looking apes), Cryptopunk (24-by-24 pixel images of characters) and Cool Cats (pictures of cats), are only a few of the hundreds of collectibles out there. These collections tend to be more expensive because ownership of an NFT in a specific collection grants access to special membership within the collection.
Junior Luke Sanders
Collectible and influencer NFT’s are rarely successful. If they happen to hold any value, it is going to be for a really short time period. I do not recommend buying any NFT with no utility behind it.
Purchase Visit an NFT website and complete your first purchase.
Digital Art
Junior Yousuf Elsheikh
I do believe digital art being turned into a NFT is useful as it can help verify that the digital art is the legitimate.
Memes Disaster Girl, Nylon Cat and Overly Attached Girlfriend have all been turned into NFTs and sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
This category represents the original use of NFTs, as the first NFTs were digital drawings and paintings. Digital art is a way for smaller artists to share their artwork and gain traction within the crypto world.
Senior Vincent Salvat i
I’ve never even heard of that, but it seems useless and a pretty lame way to try and make money. It also seems like it would invalidate any spin off memes that try to mimic what the original one is trying to joke about.
Prices The prices of NFTs vary depending on the prominence of the digital item. A digital painting from a small-scale artist will probably sell at an affordable price. A video clip of Lebron James’s 360 dunk will sell for much more money. The price of an NFT also fluctuates with the price of cryptocurrency. “Certain collections are more expensive due to celebrity endorsements, popular media and schemes created by people to pump up the value of (an NFT) and then just sell it for a quick profit,” said senior and co-founder of Cryptocurrency Club, Vincent Salvati.
OPINION
Friday, March 4, 2022
Unsigned: ’Stoga’s war on press Forget traffic, YouTube ads and mosquitos, there’s a new “public enemy” on the block: the free press. For decades, journalists have been relentlessly attacked and denoted “the enemy of the people” for simply reporting on current events. Recently, these negative sentiments seeped into our walls, resulting in Conestoga’s very own “war on the press.” Following our recent article covering the walkout against masking, The Spoke received unwarranted complaints and anti-media hostility: “Your unbiased coverage is still biased”; “I disagree with the standardized verbiage used in the article.” Frankly, the trust in our ability to provide coverage in an unbiased and well-researched
manner is at an all-time low. In fact, a 2021 Gallup poll indicated that only 7% of U.S. adults have a “great deal” and 29% “a fair amount” of confidence in newspaper reporting, nationally. Our job as student journalists is quite straight-forward: document newsworthy events at school, despite the participants’ agenda. Unfortunately, our purpose doesn’t entail satisfying the requests of specific groups of students or acting as a crusader for social justice — although the title “Defeater of Injustice” would sound quite powerful next to our name. The Spoke must adhere to the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. So, it’s a futile effort to blame our reporting for incidents that we cover.
There’s an inherent tendency to blame the press for alleged “unfair” coverage. In 2020, The Pew Research Center found that 79% of Americans considered news organizations to be “one-sided” and 66% among them believed those organizations to be pushing a certain agenda. Truthfully, The Spoke’s so-called “agenda” is to publish timely and comprehensive coverage for our community. In fact, the administration doesn’t preview nor approve any portion of our paper before the release date, leaving content decisions to the student editors — your fellow classmates. We get it. It’s entertaining and quite understandable to make light of a serious situation — a flood of insults, ac-
cusations and threats within our community. For many, that meant impersonating The Spoke’s staff of student journalists by creating anonymous social media pages or imitating our protocols. But, “reporting” on significant events under the guise of The Spoke tarnishes our credibility and reputation, making it increasingly difficult to produce high-quality, well-researched articles. Sure, as student journalists, we make mistakes. However, our reporters undergo intensive training to cover events in a respectful, timely and objective manner, so making a mockery of or diluting our efforts leaves us feeling unfairly targetted. The war on the press is, truly, a war on democracy, informa-
tion and truth. An attack on the credibility of local news outlets catalyzes rampant misinformation and distrust. Ultimately, we simply ask for respect. Our journalists frequently rush at the opportunity to provide coverage, ensuring our classmates and community are well-informed on current events. Sending hateful comments and tagging our social media platforms won’t achieve any intended goals. Instead, we encourage that after reading the Spoke, you engage with our reporters by asking questions and providing feedback in a respectful and well-intentioned manner. We appreciate those who anticipate our issues and will continue working to provide quality articles for our community.
The Spoke Editorial Board voted unanimously in favor of this editorial. Katherine Zhang/The SPOKE
Stop comparing everything to the Holocaust
Ben Shapiro Co-Copy Editor
Anti-semitism is on the rise, and not enough people are talking about it. We as a modern society are quick to call out issues of sexism, homophobia and racism, but fall short almost every time when it comes to the hatred against Jews. Recently, there has been a surge in comparing minor inconveniences to the Holocaust. As a Jewish person, I can say first-handedly that this is incredibly insulting. Both nationally and locally, amongst those against getting the COVID-19 vaccine, there is a growing “trend” in which individuals cut out six-pointed yellow stars with the message “not vaccinated” written across them: a mockery of the Stars of David the Nazis required the Jews to wear in public as identifiers during World War II. Not only is this beyond offensive, especially to those killed by the Nazis during the
Holocaust, but frankly, it’s embarrassing. Embarrassing that people think it is even remotely acceptable to compare the mass murder of more than six million Jews and five million other innocent individuals to a shot that can protect oneself and others; embarrassing that people are turning a symbol of identification rooted in hate into a symbol of ignorance that they parade around; embarrassing that people are going out of their way to change the narrative and write themselves off as the oppressed.
school during lunch to “Nazi lineups” and equating lunchtime social distancing guidelines to concentration camps. Whether these wholly erroneous comparisons are due to a lack of Holocaust education or simply due to ignorance, it is blatantly anti-semitic nonetheless. Using student privileges to leave campus during lunch does not warrant one to worry about their family being ripped away from them, being sent to a concentration camp, or being worked and starved to death. The
Anti-semitism is also manifesting in society through other comparisons to the Holocaust. Recently, students and parents within our school district have gone to social media, posting comments comparing the lines to sign in and out of
notion that mass genocide is a “relatable” concept and comparable to a minute-anda-half-long line is appalling. Those arguing that minor inconveniences are comparable to the Holocaust are falling hook, line and sinker for
Letter to the Editor Dear editors,
the victim complex, the belief that one is a victim even when made aware of evidence to the contrary. Especially in relation to those creating anti-vaccination Stars of David, the belief that people are discriminated against due to their choice to not get vaccinated is simply not true. This victim complex quickly becomes anti-semitic as it diminishes the concept of a victim in itself. Those murdered by the Nazis are victims; those who must wait in line are not. This issue is not just a c ou nt r y - w i d e problem; we can see the influx in Holocaust comparisons in our own community too. Individuals are claiming themselves to be oppressed and are going out of their way to try and show it by whining at school board meetings and hosting “walkouts.” The rise in anti-semitism plaguing our community must be properly addressed. We Yuting Pu/The SPOKE cannot claim to stand for equality while ignoring people claim that social distancing guidelines are comparable to concentration camps and vaccination status is a sign of oppression. They are incomparable, and equating them is anti-semitic.
The Spoke welcomes letters on topics of interest to the student body and community. Signed letters of 250 words or fewer can be submitted to the opinion editor Aishi Debroy at adebroy@spoke. news. Editors will verify for identity and decide which letters are published based on space, accuracy and relevance to the community. The Spoke reserves the right to edit all letters for length, grammar and clarity with the writer’s final approval.
In response to the anti-mask mandate walkout and the chaos on social media, I choose to express my feelings in a non-violent, calm way without targeting anyone specifically. Remembering the afternoon that changed my vision of the high school experience as an African-American teen, I will never be the same again. I will never be the same knowing that not only me but my peers were targeted for something we can’t control. Something that we came into this world with, that we find pride in, that makes us unique individuals with different skin colors and gender identities. I will never be the same knowing that the people our parents told us to go make nice with, to play sports with, to share experiences with would want to put us down, use hateful words to hurt us and to try to make us feel less than. I will never walk the halls of my once-beloved high school the same again knowing that some of my peers walked those same halls, screaming the words that my ancestors, my family and I worked so hard to avoid, to erase, to destroy by using our voices, our pain and our passion to walk the streets protesting for Black Lives, LGBTQIA+ lives and just equality in itself. All of us have the right to stand up and speak out about the things that we are passionate about, but not at the expense of hurting others. I am strong, I am resilient and I will try my best to help people who still need teaching. Just know, I, Senae La’ryn Harris, will NEVER be the same again! The Spoke is published seven times a year by Trumball Printing. It consistently receives a Gold rating from PSPA and CSPA, and is a National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award-winning publication. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.
The
Staff
Editors-in-Chief: Katherine Lee, Sophia Pan, Reese Wang Managing Editors: Devon Rocke, Umar Samdani News Editor: Evan Lu T/E Life Editors: Aditi Dahagam, Hiba Samdani Opinion Editor: Aishi Debroy Sports Editors: Abby Bagby, George Zhang Photography Editor: Maya Shah Multimedia Web Editor: Alexis Costas Beats Editor: Jui Bhatia Business Manager: Michael Tierney Webmasters: Nishka Avunoori, Shreya Vaidhyanathan Social Media Editor: Abby Carella Copy Editors: Kate Emmanuel, Ben Shapiro
, Cartoonists: Leon Li, Yuting Pu, Charity Xu, Katherine Zhang Staff Reporters: Rohan Anne, Kaitlin Campbell, Mareska Chettiar,
Brianna Fan, Melissa Fan, Aren Framil, Andrew Franceski, Julia Harris, Oviya Ignaci, Akshita Joshi, Brooke Kennedy, Howard Kim, Shrija Krishnan, Grace Kuryan, Amanda Markind, Caius Michlitsch, Chanelle Ongagna, Abbie Preston, Madeline Pulliam, Ben Reed, Zachary Rejonis, Raima Saha, Zara Samdani, Soumya Sathyanarayana, Hannah Simon, Aashita Singh, Aaron Wang, Juliana Yao Faculty Advisers: Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt, Alison Ferriola, Nicole Zakorchemny
From the Editor: Senioritis
Sophia Pan
Co-Editor-in-Chief In the crowded halls of the Conestoga habitat, one can easily spot the disease known most commonly as “senioritis”: a case of the nefarious bug Miseria senior. This parasite targets 12th graders as its favored hosts, drilling into their brains and feeding on their motivation until the summer arrives. Senioritis is an epidemic: unwelcome, perhaps, but not unexpected. With graduation looming just around the corner, the senior class is a pressure cooker of stress as students wait with bated breath for college application results and for postgraduation plans to be finalized. And in an environment of high achievement like Conestoga, fatigue spreads like plague. After more than three years of expending too much energy on keeping up and getting ahead, seniors are burnt out. It should come as no surprise, then, that Miseria senior so easily sinks its teeth into students, which is why its victims deserve no flack for falling prey to the malady. Watchful eyes should be kind and pitying instead, as the symptoms of senioritis can be quite severe.
Rampant, desperate procrastination is one side of the coin; a great surge of apathy is the other. Afflicted seniors often find themselves lacking the motivation to even crack open Schoology. Treasured hobbies and extracurriculars fall to the wayside as senioritis eats away at passion. The “I’ll do it eventually, probably, maybe, maybe not, eh” mindset becomes commonplace. And as susceptible seniors meet their motivational doom, the results are often all too clear: grades plummet, assignments remain incomplete and classes go unattended. At the end of the day, afflicted 12th graders find themselves ex-
hausted, walking around like reanimated corpses. If the charcoal eye bags and slouching posture don’t tip off a host for senioritis, then the lack of coherent brain activity behind one’s eyes will. So, what’s the cure? The endless scrolling of social media provides some relief, allowing seniors to briefly escape the reaches of the parasite,
but the solution never lasts long. Senior skip days can provide a much-needed breather, but missing the scheduled one day a month only delays the inevitable, impending doom of school. And bribe boards and promises from parents to buy that new game or subscription can only go so far. Some of the most dastardly symptoms of senioritis can be alleviated, or at least temporarily buried, with some extra kindness and space. Flexible deadlines, open door testing policies and merciful extensions can help lift the crush of academic pressure that accompanies senior year. Mental health check-ins, time dedicated to relaxing, and spaces to feel supported and safe can help with the emotional cost of the bug. And most of all, simply allowing seniors to be human beings first, students second is invaluable. However, one cannot expect senioritis to just up and disappear, even with the implementation of such support systems. Miseria senior is a temporal bug, meaning it demands the completion of its course. The core of senioritis is the timing: a mix of finality, the freedom of adulthood, a fear of the unknown and the closing of a chapter of adolescence. Leon Li/The SPOKE Ultimately, though, the only real cure is graduation. What afflicted seniors need is to let go of high school for good and to embrace the future. So, the prescription for senioritis is as follows: a handful of skip days, taken as needed; several doses of space and kindness along the way; and a cap, gown and Get Out of School Free card to be received onstage June 7.
SORRY, WE MISsPoke In the January issue, on page 2, the photo caption featuring Zahin Maneckshaw mispells his name as “Mackenshaw.”
On page 10, Jimmy Marturano is referenced as a senior when he is actually a junior.
On page 2, the second news brief title should say “American households” instead of “Pennsylvanian households.” On page 11, the left wrestling picture should be attributed to Caius Michlitsch.
On page 12, the caption for the left basketball picture improperly notes Kate Galica is a senior; she is a junior. SORRY, WE MISsPoke
In the October issue, on page 2, in the “PA Mask Mandate” section of briefs, “district” is misspelled as “distrcuit.” Non-staff contributions: Non-staff contributions from students, the community, graduates or other interested parties are welcome. Editors will decide which contributions are published based on space and relevance to the community. All contributions must conform to journalistic practices, including accuracy, timeliness, purpose and writing conventions. The Spoke reserves the right to work with the contributor to meet these standards. All outside contributions are bylined.
www.spoke.news
On page 9, Aditi is listed as the “T/E Life Editor” when it should be “Co-T/E Life Editor.”
On page 9, Shreya is listed as the “Co-Web Master” when it should be “Co-Webmaster.”@thespoke On page 10, Jimmy Marturano is referenced as a senior when he is actually a junior. @thespoke
Letters to the editor: Letters to the editor may be submitted to Editors-in-Chief Katherine Lee, Sophia Pan and Reese Wang, or advisers Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt, Alison Ferriola and Nicole Zakorchemny.
Editorials: Unsigned editorials represent the views of The Spoke editorial board, not necessarily those of the administration, student body, community or advertisers. The opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of The Spoke. Paid advertisements: The Spoke accepts paid advertisements. Email hello@spoke.news.
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OP/ED
Friday, March 4, 2022
9
Why is cheerleading the only sport that requires masking?
Kaitlin Campbell Staff Reporter
Disclaimer: This Op/Ed was written before the recent CDC recommendations. Tying bows and grabbing poms, the Conestoga Cheerleaders cannot forget masks, but other Conestoga athletes can ditch the mask. Through the pandemic, sports have continued with the help of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA). The PIAA created guidelines for all Pennsylvania high schools during the 2020-2021 school year, but this year individual schools made their own COVID-19 guidelines. In 2021, The Tredyffrin/ Easttown School District issued a statement that masking for indoor, winter sports was not required.
Wrestlers and basketball players enjoy this mask flexibility, practicing without them or just hanging out — but wait, aren’t cheerleaders wearing masks? There needs to be greater athletic equality at Conestoga: for one, no masking for cheerleaders. Cheerleading is already dangerous without the stress of masks. A 2021 study published in the Orthapedic Journal of Sports Medicine stated that since 2010, there has been an increased number of injured cheerleaders being admitted to the Emergency Department and a 44.3% increase in concussions, making it one of the most high-risk sports. Now, imagine the added risk level with masks. A mask restricts cardio for our
tumblers and during stunting. The tumblers throw complex skills that demand full cardio. While stunting, all members of the stunt are constantly moving: flipping a flyer,
Yuting Pu/The SPOKE
pulling a skill and exerting all force to keep stunts up in the air. Fellow Central League schools’ (Marple Newtown, Garnet Valley
and Springfield) cheerleaders do not wear masks at all. Cheerleading is a recognized sport by the PIAA and therefore include the cheer teams in mask flexibility. Cheering on the benches of basketball games, they get to show their spirits to the fullest extent. That is the purpose of cheerleading: to show spirit. Trying to cheer and get your student section to be hype should be the goal of cheerleading — not to avoid choking on your mask. The number of emails the cheer coach receives about improper mask-wearing should deem her the new Dr. Faucci for constantly reviewing how to satisfy the community. The complaints of improper mask-wearing are reasonable because sometimes a mask falls completely below the chin or one of the tumblers pulls it down for their pass on the gym floor. But the overload of people saying that cheerleaders need to wear a mask properly is just
ironic: they type these emails while pulling down their masks to scream for their kids on the court. Now, I get it. Sideline cheerleaders can wear masks because
no possibility for social distancing in the stands, so there should be precautions. However, I want to point out the other winter sports: wrestling, two athletes from opposing schools on top of each other, grappling, spitting and bleeding all over one another, are not wearing masks. The cheerleaders are close while stunting, with zero spit, all from one school and hang out together on the weekends, but require masks. To address these inequalities, student-athletes should demand to be included in important decisions such as masking. The Tredyffrin/Easttown School District allows students at school board meetings, so athletes should attend vital sports-related meetings. In addition, when an athlete spots inequality amongst Yuting Pu/The SPOKE the teams, make your case they are sitting on the bench, to the athletic department. ’Stodoing hand motions and yelling ga strives for perfection, and any — nothing that challenges one’s chance there is to make it better stamina too much. Also, there is will help future generations.
“I’m happy that people have the choice to decide what they want to do. I can finally feel like it's a normal school year.”
“I honestly don't really have any feelings on it. I just thought it was weird how they did it all of a sudden.”
-
- Sanaya Irani,
Trey Sandhaus-Henry, freshman
sophomore
STUDENTS SPEAK OUT
- Aden Kim, junior
Hannah Simon Staff Reporter
OCD: Your teacher uses it to explain why their to-do-list is color coordinated; a friend justifies why they cannot work while their room is messy; your sister explains why she keeps adjusting her hairstyle. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is not an adjective, and it needs to stop being utilized as such. OCD is characterized by obsessions, compulsions and intrusive thoughts. According to the American Psychiatric Association, “obsessions are repetitive and persistent thoughts (e.g., of contamination), images (e.g., of violent or horrific scenes) or urges.” The obsessions are intrusive, often disturbing, unwanted thoughts, and they can create considerable mental discomfort. In response to the anxiety-inducing thoughts or urges, individuals will either suppress the obsessions or perform compulsions for relief. Misunderstandings of what constitutes OCD have resulted in large scale misdiagnosis
describe harmless quirks is due to the lack of inaccurate portrayals of OCD in the media, especially in Hollywood. On her popular YouTube series “KHLO-C-D,” celebrity Khloe Kardashian referred to OCD as a blessing, calling it the “method to my magic”.
tises a trivialized version of OCD which presents a onesize-fits-all definition. While for some, OCD may be constant hand washing or excessive household cleaning, this generalization is instrumental in propagating minimizing statements, burdening patients with the task of dispelling these myths. Using the term nonchalantly reduces its seriousness and further removes society from understanding it. Noting that early treatment can ease symptoms, misrepresentation defers diagnosis and treatment process as patients are routinely seen as odd characters who frequently take up the OCD role for comedic relief. In this way, stigma can prevent those with OCD from seeking help. The possibility of a diagnosis becomes more obscure when a patient’s symptoms do not match those that are so commonly shown on screen. Destigmatizing mental health begins with reframing how we use diagnoses in our vernacular: rather than cheapening a psychiatric term, stepping away Katherine Zhang/The SPOKE from the use of OCD in OCD, inadvertently restricting everyday conversation can viewers from hearing an accu- curb the negative phenomrate description of the disorder. enon of misrepresentation, Too often the media pres- bringing OCD patients the ents oversimplified versions respect they deserve. OCD of OCD. The rhetoric that should not be dressed up as OCD is purely synonymous the hero in the battle against with overly-tidiness and me- messiness; if anything it is the ticulous organization adver- devil in disguise. Kardashian, who once on her TV series “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” saw a therapist over her OCD and anxiety after her mother’s concern, releases content such as “How I Organize My Sunglasses,” “You Won’t Believe What I’m Organizing Now” and “Not to Brag, But My Baking Cabinet is #Goals.” Troubling though, is not her ostentatious organization strategies, yet how she in-complacently throws around the term OCD. American culture has suppressed the significance and relevance of
+ J Lo & Ben Affleck and Jason Momoa & Lisa Bonet are BACK TOGETHER?! - Great! They get a second chance to fail :)
A
Wordle
+ SO ADDICTING! A daily puzzle to stimulate the mind - The answers have gotten a lot harder since the NY Times purchased it
THE Spider-Man meme recreated
A
+ It’s about time this happened! - Now, we need MORE content from the actors
Kanye’s Instagram Captions + So outlandish that they’re funny
D
- Seriously, someone check in on him...
Ketanji Brown Jackson Supreme Court nomination
A+
Valieva Ice Skating Olympics Drama + Won GOLD & set two world records despite being only 15 years old
- Emma Laragione, senior
and stigmatization of those who suffer from the disorder. The phrase “I’m so OCD” has slipped its way into American jargon, carelessly dropped by non-OCD sufferers when referring to being overly tidy, meticulous about something or obsessed with any number of things. Being a neat freak or enjoying organizing your socks does not distinguish a person as OCD. The transition of an abbreviation for a medically diagnosable anxiety disorder to an irreverent comment to
B
- Disgusting racist and sexist allegations claiming position undeserved
“It's a little bit stressful mostly because of how many people are not wearing masks now, and I still don't feel like we’ve passed the point in the pandemic where we can. We should still be wearing masks.”
We need to stop saying ‘I’m so OCD’
Second Chance at Love?
+ The first black woman nominated! An impressive resume and dedication to equal justice
Q: How do you feel about Conestoga’s decision to go mask-optional? “I think it's cool how people have a choice, but it also might cause a lot of problems. I think it's easier for there to be one rule than for it to be optional”.
Report Card
F
- Doping scandal, alleged abuse from coach and medals withdrawn
Love for the stars and stripes
Maddie Pulliam Staff Reporter
I see older men and women sing the National Anthem with pride and affection at sporting events and parades. With tears in their eyes, they become choked up at the sound of the first notes through the speakers. I want my generation to feel that same sense of pride. When GMS asks people to rise for the pledge in the morning, some students decide to stay seated. Others see this as a chore. According to a 2021 Newsweek poll, 84% of Baby Boomers are “proud to be American,” compared to a mere 58% of Gen Z-ers. This gap should be closed. How can we close this gap? By being more patriotic. Patriotism is the demonstration of honor, respect and a deep love and devotion for the goals of our nation. It does not mean to agree with every decision the government makes,
but to fight for and build upon the idea on which this country was founded on: freedom. In America, we have liberties such as the freedom of speech, freedom of religion and our democratic voting rights and processes. These freedoms have helped improve the nation throughout its history, and are reasons for which people are drawn to this country. For example, Americans have used their freedom of speech in movements for equality like Women’s Suffrage and civil rights to bring injus-
tices to light and resolve them, creating a stronger nation. Patriotism brings citizens together through shared love of the country. In the past, when tragedies happened, Americans rose above and helped one another. During
9/11, a national sense of patriotism helped the nation recover from the event by rallying together and supporting one another during this devastation. Our parents watched Americans help strangers in a time of utter chaos and terror, while putting their lives at risk to run into burning buildings and save fellow Americans to help defend the country from further destruction. These patriotic citizens helped each other to safety, and built a community of hope for New York City. Citizens of this country are using the benefits of this democracy to improve the country. George Takei was a man who was put into the Japanese internment camps during WWII. He took this adversity as a chance to make America an even truer democracy. Takei patriotically spoke in a TED talk about how he turned his resentment into a dedication to serve his country. Americans should stand for the flag, salute our veterans and sing the National Anthem! Leon Li/The SPOKE Patriotism should have nothing to do with political views or political parties; it is an emotion of love and support that all Americans should feel deeply. We the people of the United States of America must show our respect and patriotism for the country we live in!
Charity Xu/The SPOKE
Sports
10
Future phenoms in JV and freshman girls basketball
Friday, March 4, 2022
Over the river: Crew transitions to water season
Courtesy Troy Logan
Super shooter: Sophomore Greta Steege grabs the ball during a Dec. 14 game against Haverford. The team won the game in overtime.
Juliana Yao
Staff Reporter The Junior Varsity (JV) and freshman girls’ basketball teams had impressive seasons, ending with records of 16-2 and 13-1 respectively. These achievements helped prepare the athletes to possibly play for varsity in the future. The two teams have several different reasons for their successful seasons, but both have a commonality in the girls’ characters. “This year’s team is just a great group of kids,” said Victoria Smick, coach of the JV team. “They work hard and come in everyday wanting to get better, and they really leave everything at practice and during the game.” In addition, the JV team’s friendship off court drives their teamwork in games; improving their plays, offense and defense. Similarly, the freshman team’s chemistry is a factor to their success, but according to coach James Moran, the experience is slightly different. “Just from the ninth-grade experience, having them come from different middle schools — a variety of places — and come in as a team and support each other is really unique,” Moran said. The talent shown by the JV and freshman teams raises the question of moving up to varsity. For one, Smick is confident in the JV team’s
ability to compete at the varsity level. The girls believe that there are still areas to improve through more training, but their sentiment is similar. “I think that our JV team is super good and every person on the team has the possibility to be on varsity,” said freshman Ruth Lanouette, a JV athlete. “The skill is definitely there.” Despite this, some freshman athletes decide to play other sports, or stop playing basketball. While this route is popular, Moran thinks otherwise this season. “The team that I have this year definitely has talent that can compete at the next level,” Moran said. “So I look forward to watching them grow as basketball players.” Both Smick’s and Moran’s confidence in their athletes is partially due to the role they play to prepare them for varsity. Many of the athletes have improved over the course of the season due to their efforts and encouragement from the coaches. But their trust is also attributed to the players themselves. “They (the athletes) are just great kids, which is any coach’s dream,” Smick said. “Honestly you want kids that are going to want to get better, that you know want to push each other. I think all of them represent that and I’m just really proud of each and every one of them.”
Aditi Dahagam/The SPOKE
Ready for the water: Sophomore Alex Jiang celebrates successful training with rowing machines located by Teamer Field. The team has participated in land workouts since Nov. and looks foward to their time on the river. two to three hours of intense underneath the bleachers at with COVID and the lack of but you can really see how Akshita Joshi workouts and run from Nov. Teamer Field, they train out- a training facility, so we are much speed and strength peoStaff Reporter to Feb. doors. For a short duration just happy to be on the water ple gain, so it really sets up a Putting down the weights Junior CJ Livingston has of two weeks, the team was soon,” Kiteck said. great foundation before getand picking up oars, the crew been a member of the crew able to find a vacant room Senior girls’ team captain ting on the water. ” team will be shifting from team since his freshman year in the Betsy Daily School of Brooke Vallin has extensive Although land training their land training season and has been through three Performing Arts, but then experience with land training, proved to be very effective, over to the water season. The seasons of land training. had to continue outdoors at having been a member of the senior Jack Barausky, captain scheduled location shift from “You’re not really on the Teamer Field. Goldia Kiteck, team for four years. Through of the boys’ team, is excited to Teamer Field to Boathouse water, and I don’t want to head coach of the team, found the years, she has grasped a lead the team onto the water. Row sparks excitement in all say you’re not doing the real there to be many physical sense of the highs and lows of “Land training is everyof the team members as they sport, but that’s kind of what changes for the team in their land training. one’s least favorite part; finally get to row in the river. I mean. It’s necessary to get shift onto the land training “It’s too simple an answer there’s just no way around it,” Land training consists of on the water, but with it being season this year. to just say that you hate land Barausky said. “But we’re all intense cardio crossfit train- so exhaustive it feels like it’s a “The toughest thing this training because it’s a lot of looking forward to getting on ing, erging (rowing on land longer process than it really year is that it’s been a lot hard work and each day we are the water after just bonding using a machine) and lifting. is.” Livingston said. colder and the weather has putting a lot of work at prac- through the pain in this land Despite its high intensity, it This season, the COVID-19 been more brutal, so when tice, but it’s really beneficial season since everyone there holds significance that the pandemic has changed the it gets below 20 degrees, the because you can see how much just knows this is a tough crew team recognizes with dynamic of land training for ergs don’t work anymore. everyone improves through- sport, and the guy next to its shift into the racing/water the team. Instead of normally We have put in a lot of ex- out land training,” Vallin said. me is going through the same season. Practices range from training in the locker room tra work this year in dealing “It’s only a few months long, thing I am.”
Night shift: Girls ice hockey forced to play late games Michael Tierney
Business Manager
SQUASH Congrats to ’Stoga Squash in your performance at NATIONALS!
The air is frigid, it is 11 p.m. on a school night, and the sound of skates crashing into the ice fills the atmosphere. The girls’ ice hock0ey team is dueling it out on the rink as the puck glides across the ice. This is what a typical game day looks like for the team. Due to the lack of ice rinks in the area and open time slots, the girls end up playing at extremely late hours. The girls’ ice hockey team is 8-8 so far this season and only has a few more games left before playoffs. They practice and play their home games at Ice Line in West Chester which is about a 25-minute drive from Conestoga. Practice is from 4 to 5 p.m. after school on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the majority of their games are at 9:30 p.m. or later, some falling on school nights. This is troubling for some of the girls because it affects their sleep schedule and ability to perform in school the following day. Freshman Clare Malik, who plays forward and defense, finds the situation to be problematic. “Trying to get earlier times would be very difficult because there are many schools and hockey clubs that need ice time just as much as we do,” Malik said. Sophomore Monica Latorraca also expresses concerns over the late-night games, but knows that the timing will likely not change. “Games are very late, most start at 9:45 or 8:00, but there isn’t much we can do to get ear-
lier times because there are only a few rinks nearby, so time slots get booked very quickly. We have tried to get earlier times but just haven’t been able to, which is understandable,” Latorraca said. After their late games, players typically get back home around 11:30 p.m. or later. This can be especially taxing on the girls, as they lose valuable hours of sleep. “It definitely affects my sleep schedule because when I get home, I still have to get ready for bed and finish up my homework,” Latorraca said. “During the day, I sometimes fall asleep in class.” Although it would be easier on the girls to have earlier games, most of the latest games fall on Fridays, so they do not impact senior Olivia Oropesa’s sleep schedule significantly. “I don’t think hockey affects my sleep schedule because later games are normally on Friday nights,” Oropesa said. “But on occasion, there are Monday or Thursday night late games that do impact my sleep schedule and make it harder for me to focus in school.” Despite the games’ impact on the girls, sophomore Eva Stagnaro believes they still come with positives. “Some things that are fun about late games are the team dinners beforehand and driving there with upperclassmen,” Stagnaro said. “Even though I am super tired by gametime, the bright lights in the rink wake me up. It also gives me the opportunity to nap before the games right after school.”
info@thedefensivedrivingacademy.com
Michael Tierney/The Spoke
Speedy skater: Freshman Clare Malik takes the puck down the ice in a Feb. 19 game against Lower Merion. Malik recently started playing defense for the team. The girls will start playoffs in early March.
Sports
Friday, March 4, 2022
11
Swim team sees decade of dominance Julia Harris Staff Reporter
Katherine Zhang/The SPOKE
Sports opinion: Goodbye and good riddance Andrew Franceski Staff Reporter
A collective sigh of relief: after eight months of gimmicks, trade talks and becoming the most vilified athlete to ever represent the city of Philadelphia, BEN SIMMONS IS GONE. The Philadelphia 76ers completed a trade with the Brooklyn Nets just two hours before the trade deadline. In the deal, the 76ers sent Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond, a 2022 unprotected first round draft pick and a 2027 protected first round draft pick. In return, the Nets sent former MVP James Harden and Paul Millsap. The Sixers won the trade, although I only grade it a B+. The Sixers were forced to give up two first-round picks, but in basketball, picks are not too important with the strength of the free agent pool. They also got rid of the locker room cancer known as Ben Simmons, who would rather chase a Kardashian than a title. Addition by subtraction has been the motto and I certainly agree with this trade. My main concern is the knees of arguably the best player in the league: Joel Embiid. Embiid has been on a tear, to the tune of 29.5 points per game, 11.2 rebound, 4.5 assists and 1.5 blocks. But Embiid has previously had both knee and foot problems. He has never played more than 64 games in a season, a number he is on pace to break. With this injury history, the Sixers
still traded his backup center, Andre Drummond. This trade casts doubt on whether the Sixers can win a game in which Embiid is not playing. A basketball team can’t win with only five players, you need subs. The Sixers also did get rid of their best three-point shooter, Seth Curry, but his role will hopefully be filled by James Harden. Another concern is James Harden. Harden is 32 and has been battling hamstring and knee injuries for a majority of the last two seasons. He is a former MVP, but is on the wrong side of the hill. His game is on the decline and at a price tag of $48 million next season, the title window for the Sixers is only this season and the next. James Harden has also been, for lack of a better word, kicked out of the last three cities in which he has played. Philadelphia demands effort, something he has not always shown. No Philadelphia fan should tolerate low effort from someone making that much money. Did the 76ers just replace one cancer with another? Championships are not won by teams that sit on their hands, and I hope to be the first person to admit that this was an A+ trade, on my way to the championship parade. It will be a crazy next few months as the Sixers make their championship push, and I expect Ben Simmons to continue to play terribly and hope to be laughing in the face of Nets fans soon.
An undefeated record is not something many sports teams can boast. The boys’ and girls’ swim teams, however, can proudly attest to having one for almost a decade. Neither team has lost a dual meet since 2015. According to the swimmers and coaching staff, it isn’t just talent that carries them. They attribute their winning streak to the origin of the team, the variety of athletes on it and quality coaching. Many of the swimmers on the school team compete for a club outside of school. Often, club practices are year-round and at least five days a week. Constantly swimming, these athletes are always preparing to perform their best during the winter school season. “It (Conestoga swim) is a lot of fun because we’ll see these swimmers when we go to club meets and we swim for different teams, but then we all come together on one team, and it brings out the best of the best in our school district. It makes us really good and really competitive, and we have a lot of fun with it,” said senior Delaney Burns, one of the girls team’s captains. Since the school season only lasts from Dec. to Feb., there is a limited time for the athletes to swim together. However, their year-round training has them mentally and physically prepared. They are always de-
termined to make it to Districts and States. “Every swimmer is motivated to work hard and keep the reputation of our school to a high standard,” said senior and boys captain James Manion. “The guys on the team know that we have the talent and potential to be the best for a long time and make sure to capitalize on that. This year’s group — and the groups all four years I’ve been on the team —
everyone contributes to the overall score. “The team bond is really something that’s special from freshmen all the way up to every senior. All the captains create such a good environment for everyone to be in and everyone’s positive. Everyone’s cheering for everyone and no matter what the outcome is we’re all very happy with it,” Fox said. Because the team has so many
Every swimmer is motivated to work hard and keep the reputation of our school to a high standard. James Manion have been full of guys who are willing to give everything they have any time they’re in a pool, which is a mindset that is guaranteed to breed champions.” Over the years, this determined mindset and excitement has created a close team, passionate about working together and cheering each other on. Sophomore Sarah Fox has already developed a strong bond with her teammates. She says every athlete competing at meets gets cheered for, because the point system means
Senior
strong swimmers, they are able to have multiple athletes competing and pushing each other to their limits: it isn’t just about a few stars, it’s about everyone. “What makes ‘Stoga different is our depth. This has probably won us every close meet that I’ve had in my four years,” Burns said. “With Radnor (for example) who’s our closest competitor, they have probably just as many stars on their team. But what really makes a difference is those second, third, fourth, and fifth place finishes. You can’t win a meet just with
two girls who win each of their 4 events, you need other girls scoring points, and that’s really what sets us apart.” The swimmers also credit their long-term success to high quality and consistent coaching. Both the club and school coaches work hard to develop quality training plans for their athletes. “The coaching staff always tries to help us get better and they always encourage us in every way possible, whether it’s about swimming or not,” freshman Aru Nayak said. Mark Tirone, head coach of the boys team, feels proud of this years’ senior class. He knows it will be difficult to lose them, but he hasn’t lost hope for the team’s future success. “This graduating class is probably the most talented graduating class as a whole. They have not lost a meet for the four years I have been coaching them,” Tirone said. “But there’s still a lot of talent right behind them.” Sarah Fox is confident that the underclassmen are ready to take on the challenge of leading the next generations of swimmers. Junior James Johnson is also hopeful that the undefeated streak will continue. “We are losing a lot of good people next year, but I think we still have a shot,” Johnson said. “It’s hard to know how middle schoolers and younger people will perform in high school, so I’m not sure how it will be past when I graduate. But, we’ve had a solid team for quite a while, and I don’t expect that to change anytime soon.”
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HIGHLIGHT REEL THE
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN SPORTS.
STRIDES Winter track seniors Kristen Lavallee and Vicente Peña qualified for the state competition at Penn State University. Peña also broke the Conestoga indoor record for the 3000m run, finishing with a time of 8:50.
SERVES The boys’ and girls’ squash teams competed in nationals in Philadelphia. The boys’ team placed 10th while the girls‘ team placed fifth in their respective divisions.
DIVES Freshman Avery Hillier and sophomore Grace Gallagher scored second and third place respectively at the Disitrict I Diving competition.
STROKES The boys’ and girls’ swim teams did well at districts, with the boys winning second place and the girls placing first. Sophomore Jake Wang was also awarded BJ Howat Swimmer of the Meet.
PUCKS The boys’ ice hockey team is entering the Flyers Cup as the seventh seed. They play Neshaminy on March 7.
Maya Shah/The SPOKE
Just keep swimming (above): Freshman Hadar Miller swims in a meet against Haverford on Jan. 9. She placed first in the 100m Breaststroke event. On your marks (left): The boys get ready to swim against Springfield, the only other undefeated team in the Central League. They won the meet to continue their winning streak. Julia Harris/The SPOKE
Eyes on the target: Sophomores with love of archery create new club reason for joining is so he can spread his love of archery. “Our goals are ultimately to promote the sport of archery. However, in the process that comes, we want to give everyone the joy and experience that comes from performing the art,” Tong said. Ever since third grade, Zhao has been shooting arrows and competing. He enjoys spreading his knowledge of the sport and seeing the members improve under his wing. “My favorite part about the club is seeing week by week the members’ scores steadily increasing. They’re gaining more skills and they can shoot better. That’s a pretty good feeling,” Zhao said. Chen enjoys the camaraderie that is present. She gives credit to the captains for fostering a friendly atmosphere within the club. “Showing off to friends and laughing about mistakes or the offhand comments that we make while trying to concentrate and shoot; it’s the little things that make this club realGeorge Zhang/The SPOKE
Lining up the shot: Junior Victor Huang lines his arrow up with the target at an archery tournament. He competed at the Hershey Winter Series on Feb. 20 and took first place in his age group.
George Zhang Co-Sports Editor
Sophomore Jimmy Zhao draws the string of his bow back in preparation for a shot at an archery tournament. He drowns out the noise of the chatter and the music behind him while he lines his sights up with the
target. Finally, he lets go of the string and the arrow flies through the air. Bullseye. Zhao founded the Conestoga Archery Club this past fall along with sophomores Leihu Tong and Dillon Li, all of them experienced in the sport. They practice at the Advent Church Gym in West Chester every Wednesday. The practices usually consist of the members
honing their skills in archery with advice from the captains. “Typically when we’re there, the captains go over whatever they see that we struggle on during practice. If they notice that some members are struggling in their stance or their form, they will put that on our itinerary for the next time we meet. If there’s new members, they’ll
briefly go over the first couple of steps, and then slowly guide them through,” sophomore Daphne Chen said. The club also finds success in prestigious national tournaments, such as the Easton Youth Tournament which took place in Manheim, Pennsylvania on Jan. 29 and 30. Tong, Zhao, and Chen placed eighth, 16th and 19th in their
respective categories. They also participated in smaller tournaments such as the Hershey Winter Series, where Tokyo Olympian Casey Kaufhold also competed. Zhao had plans for the club since 2020, but it was derailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He finally got the opportunity to start the club in the fall and was able to get Tong and Li to help. Tong’s
ly great and really fun to be in,” Chen said. “The captains all do a very good job. They help all the members feel very comfortable, and they just make sure that we have a good time” Sophomore William Henry agrees, stating that he enjoys the sense of community. Henry started archery in third grade and has enjoyed it ever since. “When I joined this club, I was really excited. This club has just helped me improve my skills overall, and I’ve made a lot of friends here, too. Everyone’s really nice to each other. Sometimes we even host our own little mini-games where we try to pop as many balloons as possible,” Henry said. Moving on to the future, Li and the other captains have aspirations to compete in more tournaments as a team. “I’m hoping that our club will continue to develop into a more prominent club,” Li said. “We want to become a club sport so we could take part in more competitions as well as compete against other schools.”
SPORTS
The SPOKE Commitment Corner Page 10
Swim team undefeated for almost a decade Page 11
Crew team begins training on the water Page 10
Friday, March 4, 2022 Opinion: Ben Simmons traded from Sixers Page 11
Skates, shoots, scores: boys hockey climbs the ranks
Abby Bagby/The Spoke
On the ice: Senior Zach Hackett battles for the puck in a Feb. 24 season finale game against Boyertown. The team clinched a 5-4 victory to conclude the regular season. They will soon compete in Central League playoffs and the Flyers Cup, in which they are the seventh seed.
Abby Bagby
Co-Sports Editor With several strong wins under their belt, the boys’ hockey team is turning out one of their best seasons in recent years. Earlier in the season, the team beat Haverford, the 2021 Flyers Cup champion team, 3-0. The team later had a tight 4-3 victory against the previously undefeated Springfield team on
Feb. 11. Senior and captain Zach Hackett feels that these wins put the team in a good position for this year’s Flyers Cup and Central League playoffs. While this year’s success does not surpass that of the 2018-19 season, he believes that the team is performing at its best compared to the past couple of years. “My goal was just to make the Flyers Cup all four years (of high school), and we’re pretty much in
place to do that right now. So, I’m pretty excited for (the) Flyers Cup, and hopefully we can get pretty far into that,” Hackett said. Head coach Ross Hyatt also believes that the team’s recent highlights are setting up for a successful end to the season. Rivaling the strength of Haverford, ’Stoga has earned the seventh seed in this year’s Flyers Cup. “This year, Haverford’s been very dominant,” Hyatt said.
“They won the Flyers Cup (last season), they were runner up at States last year and they won Central Leagues the last couple years. We beat them three (to) nothing earlier in the year, and that was definitely the highlight so far of the season.” Sophomore goalie Luc Beauparlant feels that the team’s strong performances provide optimism as the group progresses into their final games.
He considers those tight wins to be especially valuable. “Seasons are always roller coasters, but this year, we’ve had some big ups and downs. Some of our highs were beating the two better teams, which are Springfield and Haverford,” Beauparlant said. Hyatt also anticipates success in the final games of the season. He feels that the team is prepared to make it farther in their final tournaments than in previous years.
“I’m really looking forward to Central League playoffs; I think we could definitely make a run. We’ve gotten past the first round the last couple years, but I think we can definitely get past the second round (this year),” Hyatt said. “We were the 16th seed and the 15th seed (at the Flyers Cup) my last two seasons, and then this year we’re looking to be ranked (in the) top 10. So, we should be able to make a good run in the Flyers Cup.”
Senior Linc Zdancewicz feels that the team is especially strong this year. He believes that the group is on track for a triumphant performance at the Central League playoffs and hopes to conclude his final season on a high note. “It’s been a great ride with them,” Zdancewicz said. “This year is probably one of my favorite teams I’ve ever played with – a lot of great dudes. It’s a very great organization.”
Making the jump: Varsity basketball player goes Division I Brianna Fan
Staff Reporter With the ball raised above his head, senior Michael Walz quickly draws three defenders during a Central League playoff game against Garnet Valley. This is the type of attention that Walz, a 6-foot11-inch recruit to the University of Richmond’s Division I basketball program, attracts when he takes possession of the ball on the court. Walz only started playing to competitive basketball during his freshman year after an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team, the Philly Pride Basketball Club, reached out to him because of his height. Through this experience, he extended his basketball playing to more than pure recreation. He later joined the Conestoga boys’ varsity team his sophomore year, spending most of his time cheering on his teammates from the sidelines rather than actuallyplaying. The shortened season during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, provided him
an opportunity to develop as a player. “I would go to the city with my AAU coach and practice and workout two hours at a time, three times a week,” Walz said. “That’s where I took my biggest jump (not only) in terms of talent and skill set, but also my mindset.” When the following season started, Walz had significantly improved and was the starting center. With this new role came an increase in playing time, which he has used to not only develop camaraderie with his teammates, but to also foster a team culture of motivation and reciprocity. “Playing with some of my best friends on the court (is) pretty awesome,” Walz said. “They see that I really want to win, and they respond to it. It makes everyone better at the end of the day.” Mike Troy, coach of the boys’ varsity team, has seen Walz continuously improve since his freshman year, culminating in an uptick this season in three major statistical categories: assists, rebounds and points per game.
“On the court, he’s always selfless. He always thinks to pass the ball to his teammates. When his teammates score a point, it’s just as (much of ) a victory to him,” Troy said. Walz’ in-game performance, which earned firstteam All Central League and All Main Line honors, generated offers from ten schools, including Penn State University, Lehigh University and St. Joseph’s University. In addition, Troy reached out to University of Richmond, which subsequently made an offer to Walz. “Richmond is such a great community of coaches (and) players. They’ve made me feel so welcomed,” Walz said. “I just know that sometimes you get that gut feeling: that was it. It’s the environment I want to be in.” In particular, it was the coaches’ efforts to support and communicate with Walz that ultimately motivated him to commit to Richmond. “The coaches were always there for me. They always texted me after my AAU games when no one else would,” Walz said. “It made me feel wanted.”
George Zhang/The Spoke
Dynamic dunker: Senior Michael Walz scores a basket at a Feb. 10 game against Garnet Valley. The team secured a victory with a final score of 34-33.