The SPOKE Issue 3 2023-2024

senior studies abroad in italy

Page 6 Conestoga High School, Berwyn PA, 19312

Volume 74 No. 3

December 5, 2023

Say no to the perm-idemic: it’s shear madness!

PagE 8

On pointe: Senior strives for ballet expertise

Page 12

www.spoke.news

community feels toll of israelhamas war

By Aren Framil and Faith Zantua, Co-News Editor and Co-Copy Editor Sophomore Aries Serinsky, co-president of the Jewish Student Alliance (JSA), was overcome with emotion when they learned that their 10-year-old sister began selling bracelets to donate to Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, a nonprofit that supports Israeli soldiers, amidst the present Israel-Hamas war.

“After the initial attack by Hamas, (my family and I) were all so upset and traumatized.

I guess she just wanted to do something, and so she started making these bracelets,” Serinsky said. “I was actually calling my mother after school one day, and she told me that my sister had started doing it.

I burst into tears. It makes me really happy that she’s doing something and that it’s some-

thing that is just so wholesome.”

Sophomore Rayan Niaz helped the Muslim Student Association (MSA) run an in-school bake sale to raise money for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, which provides aid to Palestinians displaced by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“We just want to support our Muslim brothers and sisters and other people as well because there’s also other religious groups in (the Palestinian territories),” said Niaz, MSA treasurer. “It’s in our religion and in our hearts to support people in need.”

The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which is part of the greater ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has spurred some students and community members to take action and aid those involved in the war.

Continued on page 3.

boys soccer wins piaa 4a state title Lily Chen/The SPOKE

Double overtime: Senior Ryan Zellefrow headbutts the soccer ball during the Nov. 17 Boys Soccer PIAA 4A State Championship game. After the Pioneers ended the second half of the game and the first round of overtime tied 1-1, Zellefrow scored the game-winning goal in the second round of overtime.

Juliana Yao

Co-Sports Editor In a close 2-1 win against Central Bucks South High School, the boys’ varsity soccer team took home its sixth state championship title in its history. This victory marked the

Pioneers as the PIAA 4A boys soccer team with the most state championship titles.

At the end of the season, the U.S. Soccer Coaches Association ranked the Pioneers as the second-best high school boys soccer team in the country, the highest this associa-

tion has ever ranked the ’Stoga team.

The boys also claimed the 2023 season’s triple crown as they won the PIAA Central League, District 1 and 4A State Championships. They ended the season with an overall record of 24-0-1.

Seventeen of the 31 members of this year’s team were seniors, marking the 2023 team as having one of the largest proportions of seniors in Conestoga’s history. Head coach David Zimmerman said that a significant factor in the team’s accomplishments this

season was how strong these senior players were.

“The senior class is certainly one of the best ever, if not the best ever,” Zimmerman said. “Just the talent level was really spectacular — we didn’t lose a game.”

Continued on page 10.

Berwyn School Fight added to curricula Howard Kim Co-News Editor

Beginning this year, TESD officially added the district’s Berwyn School Fight in the 1930s to its third, eighth and 10th grade social studies curricula.

With the addition, students in those grades will learn about the history of the district’s decision in 1932 to segregate its schools and the local Black community’s legal battles throughout the following two years to eventually reverse the change.

The addition to curricula will also focus on where students can see remnants of this history around the district. For example, the Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in Devon was one of several local meeting places community leaders used to plan how they would fight the school board’s decision and return to integrated schooling.

As a result of this curricula change, students will first gain exposure to this topic in third grade and progressively delve

deeper into the history in eighth and 10th grades.

“Our goal is to really give students the appropriate background information that they need to be able to understand these events, so this is their first introduction to it,” said Dr. Matthew Sterenczak, TESD curriculum supervisor for social studies. “It’s not just teaching the school fight, but it’s also this idea of discrimination.”

In eighth grade, students will revisit the topic to focus on the perspectives of the people involved in the Berwyn School Fight.

In 10th grade U.S. History classes, high schoolers will dive deeper into the circumstances that enabled Black community members to fight segregation in the Berwyn School Fight. The additions to the curricula aim to push students to draw deeper connections from history to the T/E community today.

“It’s to honor and understand the legacy of the people that made this community what it is today,” Sterenczak

said. “As communities evolve and shift and change, it’s always important to understand what was here before and what are the stories that shaped this community and still have an impact in this community.”

Prior to the official curricula implementation this year, some teachers in the middle schools and Conestoga already independently incorporated parts of this history into their lessons. Freshman Sukanya Menon, a member of the Student Leaders’ Antiracist Movement club and student member of the school board diversity committee, first learned about this part of local history in her social studies class last year.

“Honestly, I was really shocked, considering (my experience) as a student in the district right now and how inclusive we are,” Menon said.

“To see the district in such a different position was really shocking for me, especially because it wasn’t even brought to my attention until I was an

eighth grader. I was kind of caught off guard.”

Many T/E students, like Menon, first learned about the Berwyn School Fight in middle or high school. The topic remained largely unmentioned at the elementary school level due to the lack of an official curriculum for it.

By including the Berwyn School Fight in third grade social studies classes, Sterenczak hopes that students in the district will learn about it earlier and spend more time building on their knowledge and understanding of it as they get older.

“We want all students to be able to have this experience.

We want to deliver it age appropriately. We want to align with our curriculum, but we also want students to be able to understand that this is an important part of history,” Sterenczak said. “The goal was to make sure that we can revisit it to highlight its importance and to build upon the knowledge that we have.”

Ben Shapiro/The SPOKE

Taped off: TESD Maintenance Director Colm Kelly closed three of the six first-floor, single-stall, gender-neutral bathrooms in early November. He fished eight vape pens out of the bathrooms’ pipes on Nov. 7.

8 vapes flushed down toilets Ben Shapiro Editor-in-Chief

Howard Kim/The SPOKE

Historical haven: The Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in Devon has a Pennsylvania state historical marker. Black community leaders met at the church to plan their next steps in the Berwyn School Fight in the 1930s.

TESD Maintenance Director Colm Kelly fished eight vape pens out of Conestoga’s sewage pipes on Nov. 7. Since then, three of the six firstfloor, single-stall, gender-neutral bathrooms outside of Room 124 have remained closed due to multiple vape pens and some feminine products clogging their pipes.

Kelly said that at the start of the school year, he found that students were putting an increasing number of vape pens in the bathrooms’ ceiling tiles.

To discourage this behavior, he secured the ceiling tiles in place, which he believes led to students discarding their vape pens by flushing them down the toilets.

“People gotta understand that they hurt every-

body when they put things down the sewer line that they shouldn’t,” Kelly said. “It takes a lot of time (to fix), and we have a couple of bathrooms shut down as a result. It’s a shame, really.”

Kelly said that due to the intensity of the restoration project and the disruption it will create, the district will most likely not be able to fix the bathrooms during the school year. He estimated that the process to repair the pipes will take around three weeks to complete.

“We’re going to have to cut the concrete floor open, cut the pipe and remove whatever is down there,” Kelly said.

“It’s a bigger project than most realize and it can’t be done in a week.”

Assistant principal Dr. Patrick Boyle, who oversees the school’s facilities, has found that the privacy that bath-

rooms provide students has historically led to students abusing the spaces. The 2021 addition of the vast majority of the school’s gender-neutral, single-stall bathrooms emphasized this trend.

“What I’ve seen is that it’s still the same level of activities happening, but there’s far more places to do it,” Boyle said.

He said that he has witnessed and dealt with students flushing objects down toilets before, but never to the extent that required him to close off a block of bathrooms.

“I wish there was a way that kids could really think more clearly,” Boyle said.

“But they’re teenagers: they make mistakes. Our job is to help them not make the same mistake again and understand the fault in their ways so they can make better decisions for themselves.”

News

2 The SPOKE A BRIEF LOOK THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN T/E AND NATIONAL NEWS

Pa. House passes bill to

protect abortions for people from other states

On Nov. 15, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted 117-86, passing a bill that would protect people traveling from out of state for abortions.

The law proposes the prevention of Pennsylvania officials from cooperating with authorities from other states that criminalize abortion.

Car crashes at U.S.-Canada border bridge

On Nov. 22, a speeding vehicle exploded on the U.S. side of the Rainbow Bridge crossing near Niagara Falls after crashing into a median and going airborne. The event sparked fear and online rumors of terrorism due to current global tensions from the Israel-Hamas war and high traffic on the day before Thanksgiving. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that investigators found no evidence of terrorist activity.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman fired, reinstated On Nov. 17, the board of directors of OpenAI, the AI startup known for creating ChatGPT, fired CEO Sam Altman, one of the most prominent leaders in the artificial intelligence industry. The company reinstated Altman on Nov. 21 after more than 500 OpenAI employees signed an open letter, threatening to leave the company if the board did not reinstate him.

Former first lady Rosalynn Carter dies On Nov. 19, former first lady Rosalynn Carter died at the age of 96 after battling dementia and declining health during the preceding months.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden traveled to Georgia on Nov. 28 for Carter’s memorial service.

Read more at

NEWS

Hydrogen hubs come to Pennsylvania area

Haven Behavioral Hospital planned to open in West Chester Vanessa Chen Staff Reporter

The only dedicated behavioral health center in Chester County, the Haven Behavioral Hospital of West Chester, will open its facilities by early 2024.

Previously, the county provided behavioral health services through the mental health department of the Brandywine Hospital, but the hospital shut down in January 2022 due to financial issues. In response to the lack of a behavioral health center, and as part of its initiative to create a new comprehensive mental health system, the Chester County Department of Human Services decided to establish the facility.

County commissioners issued a grant of $2 million to fund the new hospital, which will provide 24/7 inpatient care and walk-in clinic services to residents.

“I think that the county is aware that mental health is a priority and that there are a lot of people in need,” said Jenna Grabiak, one of Conestoga’s mental health specialists. “Ever since Brandywine Hospital closed, they were very aware that there was a void (in mental health services), and it really needed to be

filled within the boundaries of our own county.”

When it opens, the new facility will be one of the three inpatient hospitals in Pennsyl-

vania managed by Haven Behavioral Healthcare, a national organization with a large network of facilities across the U.S. According to Grabiak, without

Additionally, patients that require continuous care, such as inpatient treatment, have to travel to other counties to receive the necessary care.

Vanessa Chen/The SPOKE

Mary Wolters Staff Reporter

Democrats swept the TESD school board elections on Nov. 7, maintaining the party’s 9-0 majority. Democrats Roberta Hotinski, Todd Kantorczyk, Kenneth Hong, Rachel Weil and Sue Tiede will serve on the board for the next four years. They ran against Republicans Regina Mauro, Yan Lui, Bogdan Rosca, Deana Wang and Christina Laczko, respectively.

While campaigning, the Democratic candidates generally emphasized matters such as the construction of new Conestoga sports fields, the emergence of generative artificial intelligence in school curricula and overcrowding of the district’s elementary schools.

The Republican candidates ran under the joint campaign “Diversify our T/E Board.”

They highlighted concerns such as the recent decline in the district’s math and reading scores, insufficient sup-

port for students with special needs and a perceived lack of financial transparency from the school district.

Hong, who represents Region 2, is the co-director of Make Us Visible PA, the Pennsylvania chapter of the national nonprofit organization Make Us Visible. He has previously worked with students, parents and legislators to incorporate more Asian American and Pacific Islander representation in school curricula.

“Running for school board was a way for me to give back to the wonderful T/E community and a natural next step from advocating for my kids’ individual educational needs and the Asian Pacific American community to advocating for all our students and families in the school district,” Hong wrote in an email.

Tiede, one of the reelected school board members, will continue representing Region 3. She first joined the school board in 2019 and has experience working in public education from her time as the

principal of Devon Elementary School from 2000-2007.

“During the next four years I want to continue working with my fellow board members to ensure we have the staff and facilities to fully deliver our educational program,” Tiede wrote in an email. “I want to do all I can to ensure that this generation of students has the same excellent education as my sons experienced.”

The new school board members were officially inducted into office at the annual reorganization meeting on Dec. 4. At that meeting, the board members elected the board’s president and vice president.

“I am excited to begin working with a school board that represents a wide diversity of backgrounds and professional experiences,” Hong wrote. “I look forward to working with all members of our community toward our common goal of helping all of our children, regardless of their circumstances, receive the high quality education they deserve.”

Teacher Feature: Emily McGready

Maya Shah/The SPOKE

Board business: The TESD school board holds a meeting in the Conestoga cafeteria. The district held its school board elections for five seats on Nov. 7. The winning candidates were inducted into office on Dec. 4.

Rohan Anne/The SPOKE

Blue majority: Democratic candidates won most of the positions of Chester County at large on the election ballots on Nov. 7. Hillside Elementary School served as one of the polling locations for voters in the district.

Democrats win majority of Chester County and Pa. seats Rohan Anne Webmaster

On Nov. 7, Chester County held elections for several state and county-level positions.

At the state level, Democrats Daniel McCaffery, Jill Beck, Timika Lane and Matt Wolf won the positions of justice of the Supreme Court, judge of the Superior Court and judge of the Commonwealth Court, respectively. These positions manage each of the state courts and their respective cases.

The Democratic party maintained its status as the majority party in the Chester County Board of Commissioners with the re-election of Democrats Josh Maxwell and Marian Moskowitz and the election of Republican Eric Roe. The Chester County Board of Commissioners acts as the main financial and policy manager for the county.

For single-member offices, Democratic candidates Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe, Kevin Dykes, Debbie Bookman, Michele Vaughn and Diane O’Dwyer secured

the positions of district attorney, sheriff, prothonotary, register of wills and recorder of deeds, respectively.

Democrats Sarah Black, Deborah Ryan, Fredda Maddox, Nicole Forzato and Thomas McCabe won judgeships in the Chester County Court of Common Pleas.

Other than Roe, the Democratic party secured every position this election.

Zac Costas, a sophomore and intern at New Voters, a national nonprofit that focuses on increasing youth voter turnout, said that the results of the elections represent public opinion.

“The results are what the people decided,” Costas said.

“In the elections, the results are based on what the people in the county voted for and decide, and the Democratic majority is just how it works out (in Chester County).”

During the campaigning process, candidates focused on a variety of issues in the county. According to Maxwell’s website, one of his main focuses during his previous term was implement-

Vaishnavi Sriadibhatla Staff Reporter

OPINION

Scoot away from Scooter Braun

We all know Taylor Swift has been re-recording her music to gain rights over her albums. However, what many may not know is the extent of the scandal behind the scenes regarding one major figure: Scooter Braun.

Braun established Scooter Braun Projects in 2007.

ing a new budgeting process in which the county budget reflected community values and needs. District attorney elect Barrena-Sarobe primarily focused on reducing crime in the county during his campaign.

“I’m a former federal prosecutor, as well as someone who has prosecuted cases in Chester County,” Barrena-Sarobe said. “I want to make sure that we’re doing our part to fight against gun violence, drug trade and gun trafficking.”

The new elected officials will begin their terms in January 2024. Costas believes that local elections are important as they show the opinion of the county’s population and who they want in power.

“These (elections) are vital to our society in the fact that the people can choose who they put in power to represent them,” Costas said. “It’s also very important because the ones voting and putting their voice out there decide who will continue governing and making laws which affect the people who live here.”

Longwood Gardens expands, makes upgrades

T/E LIFE

On Wednesday, Nov. 29, the Best Buddies club, part of the nonprofit organization Best Buddies International which aims to end social and physical isolation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, hosted its first Game Night fundraiser to raise money for future events.

“The new Haven Behavioral Hospital services and the many other behavioral health programs, trainings and services provided throughout the county will be transformational in supporting the overall wellness of those who live in Chester County,” Michelle Kichline, one of the county’s commissioners, said in a statement to the public.

Conestoga mental health specialist Grace Gara believes that the importance of mental health has become increasingly apparent, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. She is hopeful that both Chester County’s recent mental health initiatives as well as the establishment of the Haven Behavioral Hospital of West Chester will ensure that professionals will take care of all aspects of residents’ health.

“With behavioral health, there’s a lot of unfamiliarity with treatment and what that looks like and how to access it for individuals that might be seeking out support for themselves or a loved one,” Gara said. “So, having something that’s more available is going to be really helpful to people so that they are able to get that access and awareness that they need in order to receive the help that they need.”

Democrats sweep TESD school board elections

T/E LIFE

Best Buddies hosts first Game Night fundraiser

a dedicated behavioral health center in Chester County, many residents who need mental health services have no choice but to go to emergency rooms.

Moving toward mental health: The new Haven Behavioral Hospital in West Chester plans to provide 24/7 inpatient psychiatric care and walk-in clinical services. The Chester County Department of Human Services established the facility to set up a new comprehensive mental health system.

On Oct. 13, the Biden administration announced that it will introduce regional hydrogen hubs to the United States.

Hydrogen hubs are facilities that produce hydrogen energy, a clean fuel, as an alternative to fossil fuels, which can emit greenhouse gasses.

History lover Emily McGready shares her knowledge to students at Conestoga every day. She teaches Advanced Placement and Honors World History and is involved in many clubs at ’Stoga.

McGready attended Quinnipiac University in Connecticut and earned a degree in history.

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

First publicly unveiled and started in 2021, Longwood Gardens’ Longwood Reimagined project aims to remodel more than 17 acres of the site’s conservatory and lands.

Longwood Gardens first developed the original master plan for the project in 2010. The leadership team decided to pursue the project to provide the garden’s visitors with a more contemporary and immersive experience.

Conestoga’s Studio Art 1 and photography classes take an annual field trip to Longwood Gardens. Art teacher Leanne Argonish primarily organizes the yearly trip. She believes the changes will benefit her students and invite new creative experiences.

“I think it will give them more space to spread out and will give them more interesting, dynamic landscapes with more depth to them and more variations in the results coming back to the studio. We do get a lot of the water fountain

Courtesy Amy Simon Berg

Grand opening: A construction crew works on renovations at Longwood Gardens for the Longwood Reimagined project. Longwood Gardens first developed the project plan in 2010. The renovated areas will be opened to visitors in late 2024. area, so it is nice to have the other areas so the students have more diverse solutions to the problems we give them,” Argonish said.

The largest element of the project is the building of the West Conservatory, which is the centerpiece of the project.

The West Conservatory will

be a 32,000-square-foot greenhouse, including several gardens, pools and fountains.

Other elements of the project include the Cascade Gar-

den, Bonsai Courtyard, Waterlily Court, Orchid House and a plethora of new landscapes. As part of the project, Longwood Gardens is establishing more

pathways connecting the various attractions and restaurant spaces, as well as adding more spaces for private events.

Another key element of the project is the addition of The Grove, a learning center constructed for staff and visitors. The Longwood Gardens website describes The Grove as “a refurbished and expanded building with new state-of-the-art studios, virtual learning studios, a library, and staff offices.” The creation and design of The Grove intends to foster a place for learning, growth and discovery.

The project will be fully completed and unveiled in fall 2024.

“Personally, I think that (the changes) are great, especially The Grove. I already know that a lot of students go there for school, painting or just to see flowers with family,” said sophomore and prior Studio Art 1 student Shreya Gopalakrishnan Sreejith. “I think that another area for students to learn is going to make a big difference.”

News

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

The SPOKE

3

Students, community members connect to conflict, take action Continued from page 1.

Local residents, communities connect to conflict On Oct. 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel.

According to Israeli officials, as of Dec. 1, Hamas killed more than 1,200 Israelis. Israel responded by declaring war on Hamas and bombing the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, as of Dec. 1, Israeli attacks killed more than 15,000 and displaced around 1.2 million Palestinians.

The conflict has directly impacted local community members, especially students with family and friends in the Middle East. Sophomore Maddy Fitz-

gerald, who has Israeli relatives, feels that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has caused unnecessary violence and division.

“This war between Israel and Palestine has been happening for years. I know people in Israel, and I have family in Israel, but I also know that there’s people suffering on both sides, which makes it even scarier,” Fitzgerald said. “Both in Palestine and Israel, we have this issue of war and violence that’s unnecessary and forcing people to choose a side.”

Sophomore Maira Usmani, an MSA member, said that the videos she has seen online depicting the violence against Palestinians have had a deep emotional impact on her.

“I feel so hopeless, helpless and guilty about it,” Usmani

Aren Framil/The SPOKE

Cookies for a cause: Sophomore Rayan Niaz (left), treasurer of the Muslim Student Association, sells cookies with his fellow club members. The club held the bake sale on Nov. 21 to raise money for Palestinian refugees. said. “I’m here, and I’m living a very comfortable life. But when I see videos of children under rubble — Palestinians — I can’t even imagine what they’re going through right now and how strong they are. I feel so guilty. What did I do to live so comfortably in this place while children are being murdered by these bombs?”

On Oct. 11, in an effort to support students, families and staff affected by the conflict, TESD Superintendent Dr. Richard Gusick posted a “Letter to Community” on the district website offering the district’s counseling services.

“TESD continues to condemn acts of terror and violence against innocent people and to support tolerance and peace. Deeply disturbing reports continue to surface from the region. It is natural for children to want to talk about what they are hearing and seeing,” Gusick wrote. “In TESD, we value our diversity and our willingness to care for each other in difficult moments.”

Some connect rising religious discrimination to conflict Across the U.S., there has been an increase in antisemitic and anti-Muslim discrimination, which some have linked to the latest Israel-Hamas war.

The Anti-Defamation League reported more than 300 antisemitic incidents in the U.S. from Oct. 7-23, a nearly 400% increase

when compared to the same time frame last year. The Center for American-Islamic Relations received more than 1,200 reports of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim incidents in the U.S. from Oct. 7 to Nov. 4, a 216% increase when compared to last year.

Some members of the community have personally felt an increase in antisemitic and anti-Muslim discrimination.

Rabbi Michelle Pearlman of Beth Chaim Reform Congregation, a Jewish congregation in Malvern, said that the recent Israel-Hamas conflict has sparked fear for some congregation members.

“Someone called me and asked me if it was time to leave the country. There are students and adults in our community who are afraid to wear their Jewish stars in public,” Pearlman said.

“In my time as a rabbi, I never thought I would have to deal with threats like this: threats of swatting or bomb threats.”

On Nov. 2, the word “terrorist” was written on the front door of Khair Community Center’s mosque, an Islamic organization in Montgomery County.

Bilal Baqai, a board member for the center, said that he has witnessed a general rise in Islamophobia recently.

“We have seen increasing amounts of acts of Islamophobia against Muslims, whether it is vandalism at mosques, kids being called out and bullied at school or people receiving threats for being visibly Muslim,” Baqai said.

“It seems like the general public is more comfortable acting out against Muslims at this time.”

Serinsky feels that people have been using the recent conflict to justify hate, resulting in a general increase in antisemitism.

“I am very grateful to live in a community where I think I don’t have to fear as much as other communities may have to,” Serinsky said. “It’s been very disheartening to see so much antisemitism and hatred and people villainizing my people. I think a lot of people are forgetting that there are only 15

Faith Zantua/The SPOKE

Family fundraising: Sophomore Aries Serinsky, co-president of the Jewish Student Alliance, wears bracelets with the words “Stand with Israel” and “Am Yisrael Chai” — which translates to “The People of Israel Live” — spelled out with beads.

Serinsky’s 10-year-old sister began making and selling bracelets to raise money for Israeli soldiers after Hamas’ attack. million of us in the world. We are still such a minority.”

Although Usmani feels that the recent violence has fostered more discrimination, she feels it has also served as an opportunity for people to come together to oppose hatred.

“It has promoted antisemitism and Islamophobia, and I’m very against the two. But also, I feel like this conflict has also shown the best in people,” Usmani said.

“There’s been many others from all nationalities, from all religions,

ther state. It’s the governments and the militant groups.”

Communities, organizations across nation speak out The Israel-Hamas war has spurred global action, both in response to the Palestinian and Israeli civilian casualties and to the rise in antisemitic and anti-Muslim hate speech and violence.

Protests, rallies and walkouts are occurring in more than 130 countries to express support and push

People think if you support one side, then you have to hate the entire group of people on the other side. But what’s important is to maintain clarity over who is really at fault here. It’s not the population of either state. It’s the governments and the militant groups.

Charlize Ko

Junior and AmnestyxStoga co-president

talking about this. I feel like if we’re all united in it, standing up against one thing.”

Some have wrongly equated the Israeli government’s and Hamas’ views and actions to those of Jews and Palestinians, respectively. Junior Charlize Ko, co-president of the human rights advocacy club AmnestyxStoga, believes that this mindset encourages hatred and dispute.

“It is obviously a very divisive issue, and people think if you support one side, then you have to hate the entire group of people on the other side,” Ko said. “But what’s important is to maintain clarity over who is really at fault here. It’s not the population of ei-

Faith Zantua/The SPOKE

Courtesy Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia

Signs and slogans: Downingtown resident Syed Gilleni raises a sign that reads “Resistance against occupation is a human right!” while holding Palestinian flag. The Chester County Party for Socialism and Liberation organized a protest on Oct. 28 to raise awareness about the violence against Palestinians and urge elected officials to stop funding the Israeli military.

Standing together: A protestor stands draped in an Israeli flag while another holds a “Philly stands with Israel” sign. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia organized a protest on Oct. 16 to express solidarity with Israel.

for political action in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Residents and organizations have also taken to the streets locally in demonstrations regarding the conflict. The Chester County branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation held a rally in Phoenixville on Oct. 28 to raise support and awareness for the Palestinians impacted by Israeli attacks.

Downingtown resident Syed Gilleni attended the protest to urge U.S. government officials to stop funding the Israeli military.

“The last few weeks, Israel (has been) attacking innocent children, women and old people, and disabled people. They are not killing hundreds, they are killing thousands,” Gilleni said. “I’m a citizen of the United States, and I feel like I’m responsible because my government is supporting Israel, with their weapons, with our taxpayer money.”

Pro-Israeli marches have also occurred locally. On Oct. 16, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, a nonprofit organization focused on strengthening Jewish communities, held a rally in Philadelphia to express solidarity with the victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

Max Moline, the federation’s director of community development, believes the march demonstrated that the Jewish community will remain unified in the face of antisemitism.

“The purpose of that event was to demonstrate our unwav-

ering support and solidarity with Israel, with the victims and their families and to show that the Jewish community is not going away,” Moline said. “There have been antisemitic incidents throughout Greater Philadelphia in places that you would never expect, and people being accosted just for being Jewish, not having said anything about Israel one way or the other.”

Some members of the Muslim community in Pennsylvania feel the state government’s response to rising Islamophobia has been insufficient. More than 40 Muslim organizations, including the Islamic Society of Chester County, signed a letter to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro requesting to meet with him to discuss his lack of public acknowledgment of the violence against Palestinians and rising anti-Muslim hate.

According to Abdul Mughees, vice president of the Islamic Society of Chester County, the letter was intended to express to Shapiro how his silence on the violence against Palestinians affects the Muslim community.

“That was a letter wanting the governor of Pennsylvania to understand that he’s governor for everyone,” Mughees said. “If he’s standing up for the Jewish population of Pennsylvania, then he also needs to take care of the Muslim population of Pennsylvania and the Christian population of Pennsylvania and the Sikh population and the Hindu population and whoever else. He is the governor for all of them.”

T/E Jewish Connections, a local group of Jewish families focused on combating antisemitism, wrote in a statement to The Spoke that the foremost thing students can do is to educate themselves and understand that the conflict not only affects Israelis and Palestinians but everyone living in the T/E community.

“Our hearts ache for the meteoric rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia across the globe.

Our hearts ache because the lack of peace in Israel and Gaza is incomprehensibly complex and is being oversimplified as people jump to conclusions,” T/E Jewish Connections wrote.

“Don’t pull your news from social media memes, posts, or the off-hand opinion of a friend.

Render your own educated opinion. For, what is happening many thousands of miles away, and how it is ultimately resolved, will impact all of us for generations to come.”

Compacted math proposed at middle school level Audrey Kim Staff Reporter

At the education committee meeting on Oct. 5, Dr. John Mull, TESD curriculum supervisor for math, presented a plan for compacted math learning in middle school, which would allow students to take three years of math in two years.

This plan, created by the district math standing committee, gives students an additional opportunity to accelerate in math.

Existing plans for accelerating in math include summer study,

teacher recommendation and dual math courses.

A similar, preexisting plan in elementary schools inspired the middle school plan. Currently, all first graders take first-grade level math. When they reach second grade, they are sorted into ongrade level or above-grade level second-grade math.

Second graders in the abovegrade level class take a compacted version of second and third grade math. Third-graders in the above-grade level class take compacted third and fourth-grade math. This allows above-level grade math students to take three

years of math in two years by the time they are in fifth grade.

“It’s as if we offered in middle school the same opportunity we offered back in elementary school, and we repackaged it so that you got all the content you needed,” Mull said. “It’s still going to be a rigorous opportunity, but it’s a more comprehensive way for students who are looking to move from on-grade level to abovegrade level.”

Along with the proposed plan, Mull presented the ideas of elementary school benchmark assessments and increasing the number of math support staff.

Elementary schools will administer the benchmark assessments multiple times a year, and they will give the teachers an overview of what topics need additional guidance.

“Math is cumulative,” Mull said. “We want to make sure that any gaps or deficits can be worked on continuously.”

Some students currently choose to skip a year of math and advance to a higher level. Junior Eric Sun skipped five math levels and is currently self-studying linear algebra.

“Some students may not have the proper resources to

skip courses, whether it’s time or something else,” Sun said. “For me, skipping courses allowed me to grow as a student, and I got to study with older students in the class, which allowed me to learn from them.”

Over the course of the 202425 school year, the district plans to implement this new program, and Mull will work together with the teachers to develop the curriculum further.

“People aren’t born knowing math,” Mull said. “It’s something that takes time and practice, and different students are ready for that jump at different times.”

Audrey Kim/The SPOKE

Puzzling out problems: Sophomores Danielle Douglas (left) and Lucy Higgins (right) work on their math homework in the Conestoga library. Douglas skipped a year of math through summer study in middle school.

T/E LIFE 4 The SPOKE

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Literary Magazine, The Folio, releases new monthly Minis Eva Kennedy

Social Media Manager Conestoga’s literary magazine, The Folio, launched a new initiative this year. Called Mini Issues, or Minis, The Folio now releases compact magazines with less than 10 pages that highlight one literary and one art piece each month.

Minis not only showcase creative talent, but also provide insight into the minds of the authors and artists through a short blurb about the creator and their thought process for each piece.

The Folio’s website URL is listed in all the Minis, enabling readers to explore additional features the magazine has to offer.

Junior Hannah Gupta, an art editor of The Folio, envisioned Minis as a creative project to nurture art and literature within the school community.

“We want students to feel pride in their work and get a little exposure and recognition for their creativity, talents and skills. So the Minis aren’t only for the artists that made them, but for anybody else who wants to share their work or even want to look at other people’s work,” said senior Chiho Jing, an art editor of The Folio. “It’s just another piece of literature or another piece of art to appreciate, especially since it’s coming

from students of the school. It’s to build a sense of community.”

The Folio uses Adobe InDesign to create these Minis, which are then printed on a single piece of paper and folded to form a small magazine. The primary goal of Minis is to expand The Folio’s presence within the school, encouraging students to contribute to the creative community and bridging the gap between The Folio and the broader student community.

Senior Anika Kotapally, The Folio’s managing editor, describes these Minis as “teasers” for the larger issues and an extension of the featured pieces on The Folio’s Instagram.

Kotapally said that any submission to The Folio is eligible for inclusion in the magazine and is taken into consideration for Minis. The Folio staff conducts a voting process for the best pieces, and features the winning literary and art work on Instagram and in the Minis.

Senior Jordan Jacoel, an art editor of The Folio, hopes the Minis will inspire artists in the community to share their works. She hopes that the community will appreciate the effort put in by The Folio.

“Many people don’t know about The Folio, and I think when people see these Minis, they’ll get

a glimpse of the work we’re doing,” Jacoel said.

The first batch of Minis released the week of Nov. 27 and

covered works in both October and November. The Folio planned to print 50 to 60 copies of Minis and distribute them throughout

the school in common places like the library and atrium.

The significance of the Minis lies not only in celebrating

the achievements of students, but also in encouraging other members to explore their artistic potential.

“It’s important to be creative yourself,” Kotapally said. “But it’s also important to see what your fellow students are making.”

Eva Kennedy/The SPOKE

Folio editors at work: Editors of The Folio, Conestoga’s literary magazine, discuss their upcoming Minis. They reviewed the outline of their magazine and the release schedule in a group circle.

Morgan’s Message Campaign Club advocates for mental health Hannah Simon Co-Copy Editor

Established in honor of late Duke University lacrosse player Morgan Rodgers by her family and former teammates, Morgan’s Message, a nonprofit, works to ensure that mental health is treated equally to physical health for all student-athletes.

Taking on that mission, the Morgan’s Message Campaign Club at Conestoga aims to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental health. It also wishes to normalize conversations about mental health for athletes.

“I think it’s important because that’s the other side of playing sports. You have that physical aspect and then you have the mental side, which is also such a big component,” said junior and Morgan’s Message Campaign club president Lexi Patterson.

“I think bringing awareness to more positive mental health and how to combat negative mental health is important.”

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After the club’s first meeting this year, Patterson surveyed club members to see what they were interested in learning about. As a student-athlete herself — a member of the varsity field hockey team and a University of Michigan commit — Patterson understands the difficulty in finding the balance between schoolwork and sports and how important spreading awareness is.

“I think for me it’s just playing with the extra pressure every game,” Patterson said.

“Like who’s watching, who’s not watching? If I make a mistake, how do I come back from that?”

This year, the field hockey team dedicated its Sept. 21 whiteout game against Garnet Valley High School to Morgan’s Message.

The night consisted of a prepared speech and white-out shirts with the Morgan’s Message emblem on the back that players and fans wore to show their support.

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Bailey Kreszwick/The SPOKE

Donating for a cause: Juniors Lexi Patterson (left) and Mukti Patel (right) run a bake sale for a fundraiser for Morgan’s Message Campaign Club.

Proceeds went toward a nonprofit that works to ensure that student athletes treat their mental and physical health equally. other sports, as well as invite Conestoga’s mental health specialists to speak at club meetings.

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said club adviser and field hockey coach Karen Gately.

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extra stress on student athletes, and we as coaches should just remember that.”

: Motto Restaurant

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“Athlete mental health is important because everyone’s mental health is important,”

Gately and Patterson want to remind students and student-athletes that Conestoga has counselors and mental health specialists available to support students that face mental health challenges, and to help connect families with mental health providers.

The Tredyffrin/Easttown School District uses the Acknowledge, Care, Tell approach to guide students if they have any concerns about themselves or others. Safe2Say Something, a statewide anonymous reporting system, is also open to students and adults to submit anonymous tips related to individuals who may be at risk.

“I think there’s been a lot (done) here at Conestoga in an effort to kind of address wellness in the last couple of years,” Gately said. “It’s really nice to see, and I think this club kind of aligns with that mission of addressing and acknowledging students’ wellness needs.”

Rowan Chetty

Co-Multimedia Editor Authentic Japanese sushi, fresh ingredients and a relaxing atmosphere — Motto Restaurant in Berwyn delivers a soy-ful experience.

Up the street from Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, Motto is a new Japanese restaurant that serves an array of sushi, ramen and tempura. Contrasting the cold and windy fall air outside, Motto creates a welcoming, calm environment for its customers. Dining options include the sushi bar and standard seating, as well as take-out.

For appetizers, I ordered fried pork gyoza dumplings.

The cylinder-shaped dumplings, stuffed with ground pork and vegetables, were elegantly arranged and boasted a variety of flavors, with the finely chopped vegetables perfectly complementing the pork. Accompanied by a sweet sauce, the gyoza had a crispy texture and savory taste, providing a great start

Rowan Chetty/The SPOKE

Superb starter: Motto Restaurant’s fried pork gyoza dumplings come served in a neat presentation. Their restaurant had an elegant atmosphere. to the meal and leaving me excited for the main course.

The Berwyn and Tuna’s Dream sushi rolls, both topped with fish eggs and arranged in a neat presentation, made for a delicious entrée.

Stuffed with spicy salmon and asparagus, the Berwyn Roll is a unique fusion of nigiri and maki styles. The roll provided excellent vari-

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ety, with each piece topped with either tuna, salmon or yellowtail. This diversity of fish makes the Berwyn Roll the perfect choice to add to every sushi lover’s meal. The spicy salmon, however, did not quite live up to its name, as it was a little light on the spice. Nevertheless, the fresh flavors of the different fish made up for the deficiency.

Alongside the Berwyn Roll, the Tuna’s Dream’s spicy, white tuna paired with cucumbers and avocados made it another great choice.

Upon picking up the sushi with my chopsticks, I was pleasantly surprised by the spicy kick that the topping of shiitake mushrooms added to the roll. Additionally, the avocado and cucumbers wrapped in soy paper created a medley of vibrant and refreshing flavors.

The Berwyn and Tuna’s Dream rolls are both priced at $15.95, and the gyoza dumplings are priced at $7.50. The vast menu offers a wide range of options to suit many budgets. The excellent service, creative menu and charming ambiance makes Motto a great option for your sushi cravings.

Motto Restaurant 668 Lancaster Avenue, Berwyn PA 19312 Price: $$ Rating:

T/E Life

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

The SPOKE

5

Alumnus actor directs, stars in recently released film George Zhang

Co-Director of Staff Development Lights, camera, action. 1995 Conestoga alumnus Mark Elias moves across the set and transforms into Aaron Barnes, the main character of his own movie, “Boy Makes Girl.”

Elias started writing the script in 2017 and centered it around Barnes, a programmer on the autism spectrum who creates an artificial intelligence program to resemble his childhood therapist.

However, as their relationship progresses, the program evolves, and Barnes struggles to keep up.

“It’s really an examination of how artificial intelligence can be positive and negative in our society as it becomes more and more prevalent in our everyday world,” Elias said. “It’s a science fiction love story, but it’s really about alienation and a struggle to connect.”

Elias finished the script in 2018 and shot the film from 2019 to 2022 due to complications with the COVID-19 pandemic.

He then submitted his movie to numerous film festivals such as the Milan Gold Awards and the Durango Film Festival, winning awards such as Best Indie Narrative Feature. Elias released the movie on Oct. 24, allowing viewers to stream it on platforms such as Roku and Amazon Prime.

Serving as both the director and lead actor for the first time, Elias found the process to be both stressful and insightful.

“When you go in front of the camera, you’re working as an actor, and when you step back from the camera you have to make sure you’re getting everything from the director standpoint such as the relationships, how everything looks on screen and the overall story that we’re telling,” Elias said.

Elias first introduced himself to the world of writing and design at Conestoga after writing for The Spoke and creating graphics for the TETV Production Club. These experiences led him to pursue a graphic design major at Penn State University, where he discovered a passion for acting. Throughout his career, Elias has appeared in numerous shows and movies, most notable being “9-1-1: Lone Star” and “Lucifer,” which he cites as his most memorable experience.

“During the set, (the producers) came to me and said, ‘We want to have you flying through the air and have the camera above you so we catch you flying after getting hit by a car and landing on another car and then rolling off and getting hit by another car,’” Elias said. “We did it three, four, five times, and when I landed back on the ground, I just went

blank and couldn’t feel my feet or my body. It was like being on a roller coaster, but you don’t know what’s going to happen next. I almost passed out.”

In the future, Elias hopes to keep pursuing roles in long-running shows in order to gain more exposure and funding so that he can continue cre-

ating projects that are meaningful to him.

“The films that I write and get produced are going to be meaningful on some level and let me

tell a story that could help potentially change people’s lives or make them less alienated or help them feel better about themselves,” Elias said. “You can’t do that until you

have a platform of being on a show that gives you visibility. So, my goal is to grow my reach so I can continue to tell impactful stories as a filmmaker.”

Courtesy Mark Elias

Movie magic: Conestoga alumnus Mark Elias, playing character Aaron Barnes, watches a band play a live show. He released “Boy Makes Girl” in 2022 after delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students volunteer at center for senior services Shrija Krishnan Staff Reporter

Tanisha Agrawal/The SPOKE

Serving seniors: Conestoga alumna and CEO of Surrey Services, Jill Whitcomb (right), shows a member at Surrey the services it offers seniors to improve their quality of life. Former Wayne resident Jeanne LaRouche founded the nonprofit in 1981 after witnessing her elderly neighbors struggle to remain independent.

Surrey Services for Seniors is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to helping older adults in Chester and Delaware counties age in place, or remain in their homes independently. The organization has centers located in Devon, Broomall and Media, offering volunteers opportunities to develop professional skills while giving back to the community.

Former Wayne resident Jeanne LaRouche founded Surrey Services in 1981 after observing her older neighbors, who were no longer able to drive, struggling to remain independent. What started as an initiative to provide transportation to local senior citizens soon transformed into an organization providing older adults services ranging from grocery shopping to digital literacy classes, both inside and outside the walls of Surrey’s three physical centers.

“What sets Surrey apart from other senior centers is the breadth of services that we provide at every stage of aging,” said Conestoga alumna and CEO of Surrey Services, Jill Whitcomb. “If you’re an older adult living here in Berwyn or Devon and

want to age in place, you can depend on Surrey to be that support for you. We are able to do our work because of the strength of our volunteers.”

Since its inception, Surrey has operated on the “neighbor helping neighbor” model, mobilizing members of the community to help provide critically needed services in conjunction with traditional center-based programs. The organization currently has more than 400 volunteers who facilitate a diverse array of programs.

Whitcomb said that Surrey is looking for more student volunteers to get involved.

Anabella Tracy, Surrey’s director of community outreach and engagement, notes that Surrey’s flexibility allows students to explore their volunteering interests while balancing other commitments.

“We really take the time to get to know students (and) understand their time constraints to help them find a schedule that works for them if they’re committed to wanting to volunteer in a meaningful way,” Tracy said. “I think having that tangible feeling that you’re doing something that enables an adult to continue to live with dignity (is) really special and what keeps bringing students back.”

Senior Isabel Sellig volunteered at Surrey’s Devon location this summer, preparing and serving meals at the center’s cafe.

Sellig said that her cooking and people skills developed as a result of her experience.

“I thought (Surrey) was a really positive place for the elderly who can’t really do everything themselves,” Selling said.

“Everyone was really welcoming, and the people that would come and get meals really enjoyed talking to me because I’m someone younger, (not) closer to their age.”

The organization is certified to award the President’s Volunteer Service Award, which requires high school recipients to perform 100 hours of community service. Students can also share any unlisted volunteering interests with the center.

“We would welcome any student volunteers from Conestoga,” Whitcomb said.

“The great thing about our volunteer programs is if you start doing something and you’re not getting what you want out of that opportunity, there’s a million other opportunities that you can take advantage of here. It’s a wonderful way to give back to your community but also a way to build your resume and get some experience.”

Middle school choirs visit ’Stoga for Treble and Bass days Saktisri Gowrishankar Staff Reporter

The bright lights of the auditorium shine down on the middle school students visiting Conestoga as they perform in front of their parents. Conestoga choirs taught the younger students various songs for both the Treble and Bass days held on Nov. 3 and Nov. 5, respectively, so they could gain experience with the high school choirs.

Treble and Bass days are two days in which the T/E and Valley Forge Middle School choirs participate in an annual workshop led by Conestoga choirs. Treble Day is for sopranos and altos from sixth to eighth grade, and Bass Day is for tenors and bases from fifth to eighth grade.

The event, originally called Guys Harmonize, began in 2007 and was meant to encourage boys to continue singing but now is for all young singers. Christine Gyza, the T/E Middle School choir director, hopes her students gained an interest in Conestoga’s music program through the experience.

“I hope that (the middle school students) gain a sense of direction for the choral program for the school district. I hope that they gain a sense of excitement for the program so that, hopefully, they continue all the way until they’re in high school and enjoying it,” Gyza said.

“I want them to enjoy this day. It should be a fun day. It should be a day that they feel is enjoyable, and that they would want to come back and do it again next year.”

At Treble Day, the soprano and alto juniors and seniors in Camerata, an auditioned group, taught the middle school students three songs: “Mean” by Taylor Swift, “Never One Thing” arranged

by Corie Brown and “Crowded Table” arranged by Andrea Ramsey.

During Bass Day, the tenor and bass juniors and seniors taught the students “In the Still of the Night” by The Five Satins, “You’ll Be Back” by Jonathan Groff and the original cast of “Hamilton” and “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver. Gyza said one of the highlights of

the workshop is catching up with past students.

“Another favorite part is just seeing my girls that I work with on a regular basis have a really nice day and enjoy themselves. And the boys too — just seeing them all enjoy themselves and have a great time singing and bonding over this experience,” Gyza said.

The choir students learned the songs in a few hours, ate lunch provided by the Tredyffrin-Easttown Music Parents Organization and performed for their parents and other Conestoga music students at the end of the field trip.

Along with the performances by the middle schoolers, the two high school acapella groups, Bases Loaded and Pitches Please, each sang one song. Pitches Please sang “Reflection” from Mulan and Bases Loaded sang “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire.

Senior Ava Bruni, the president of alto and soprano group Pitches Please, became interested in high school choir because of her own experience at Treble Day. “When I did it, I thought it was so cool. Honestly, it

First Last/The SPOKE

Saktisri Gowrishankar/The SPOKE

Lyrical lessons: Senior and Pitches Please president Ava Bruni (top right) leads the alto and soprano acapella group through a practice for its winter concert. Bruni’s experience at Treble Day in middle school inspired her to pursue high school choir. made me want to do choir in high school because everyone loved singing and they were so old and cool,” Bruni said.

Senior Brett Baptiste, the president of Bases Load-

ed, also wanted to continue choir at Conestoga because of his experience at Bass Day in middle school. His favorite part of particpating in Bass Day as a high school-

er was meeting the middle school singers.

“It’s kind of like creating friendships early on. It makes (the students) feel like they’re not as nervous to come to high

school because they’re getting themselves involved in something that everybody else loves to do,” Baptiste said. “So I think really my favorite part is seeing all the young talent have fun.”

T/E Life

6 The SPOKE

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Senior studies abroad in Italy Zara Samdani

Co-T/E Life Editor

Courtesy Giulia Presa Vespa

Embracing Italy: Senior Giulia Presa Vespa sits on a lion statue while touring Italy. Presa Vespa spent the past four months studying in the country, hoping to complete her semester-long academic journey abroad.

Born in Brazil, senior Giulia Presa Vespa was 7 years old when she first moved to the United States. After adapting to the unfamiliar environment, she developed a newfound desire to see the rest of the world.

“After moving to the U.S., I saw a whole different perspective, a whole different lifestyle, a whole different way of life,” Presa Vespa said.

“I knew there was more out there, and I just wanted to experience more.”

For this reason, Presa Vespa seized an opportunity to study abroad. After filling out an application for CIEE, a company that offers high school study abroad programs, she decided to spend the first semester of her senior year in Italy. She has already taken Italian for three years at

Conestoga and wanted more exposure to the culture.

“My dad always wanted to learn more about Italy because my grandfather is Italian, and he always wanted me to connect with that part of the family,” Presa Vespa said. “Everyone in my family has seen pretty incredible things (in Italy), and I wanted to see what everyone was so excited about.”

As part of the program, Presa Vespa currently lives with a host family. Her daily routine has remained relatively undisrupted, as she continues the same schedule she followed in America.

“In my daily routine, I wake up. I take the bus or walk to school. It is easy to walk because it’s a walkable place.

I study, then return home around 2 p.m. And when I have free time, I go to the center of the village and hang out with friends,” Presa Vespa said.

Presa Vespa appreciates the cultural practices in Italy, which prioritizes family.

“It (Italian culture) stresses the importance of family and mealtimes. There’s no phones anywhere near a dinner table, and (mealtime) goes on for several hours,” Presa Vespa said. “You eat and talk, and it’s a very incredible bonding experience, a chance to connect with everyone in the household. I really like that.”

Along with immersing herself in a communal culture, Presa Vespa believes studying abroad has been an opportunity for personal growth, as she can adapt to a new set of classes and gain a different level of independence.

“I am taking different classes, such as international relations, economy and classes I’ve never taken before. And I’m pushing myself by learning these tough subjects in another language,” Presa Vespa said. “It is going pretty well so far.”

Yuletide at Devon: European Christmas market meets the Main Line Bailey Kreszswick Staff Reporter

Featuring a 2,000-square foot stage, 1,000 trees, 150 propane heaters and 20 fire pits, nearly three million LED lights light up Yuletide at Devon this holiday season.

After owning and selling a technology company, community member Jes Bickhart and his father decided to use their spare time to plan and create a festival inspired by European Christmas markets for the local Main Line community. This year, from Nov. 24 to Dec. 31, amusement rides, live music, farm-to-table food and numerous vendors for people of

all ages fill the Devon Horse Show and Country Fairgrounds five days a week.

“Imagine you’re bundled up, you have a scarf and mittens on, you are drinking hot chocolate, you’re riding

and you’re roasting s’mores over an open fire pit. This whole idea of the Christmas market meets a high-end food and beverage experience is what we were going for,” Bickhart said.

like the Devon Horse Show and Country Fairgrounds had a lot of potential to be utilized for other events. Although similar markets exist in urban areas, Bickhart wanted to localize the concept.

“The Christmas markets in Philly are wonderful, but how great would it be if we could activate a space on the Main Line?” Bickhart said.

European Christmas Markets, which Bickhart first visited when he was studying abroad in Germany during his junior Yuletide at Devon founder year of college, originally inspired When driving through Yuletide at Devon. Bickhart Devon and noticing all the felt the multi-generational lights off from October to family atmosphere and rich April, Bickhart thought a space history of the various loca-

Hopefully people want to come back to multiple nights because they just enjoy seeing their community, seeing their friends and experiencing the joys of the holidays with their family.

Jes Bickhart

a Ferris wheel or merry-goround, you’re taking pictures with your friends, you’re getting your photos with Santa

Bailey Kreszswick/The SPOKE

Holiday spirit: Yuletide at Devon offers a variety of holiday-inspired decor and activities. European Christmas Markets inspired founder Jes Bickhart to bring a similar combination of food, vendors and activities to the Main Line. The event will be open until Dec. 31.

Bailey Kreszswick/The SPOKE

Festive fun: Local small business vendors are stationed around the grounds of Yuletide at Devon. The event opened on Nov. 24 at the Devon Horse Show Country and Fairgrounds. tions in Europe brought out the Christmas spirit and joy for all people who chose to attend the markets.

“The thing that I find so interesting about European Christmas markets and one of the reasons they’re so magical is because of the settings right there in these towns and villages in Europe that haven’t been touched for 500 years.

The history there is so essential in creating that festive atmosphere,” Bickhart said.

When creating the name “Yuletide,” Bickhart and his father both thought the word represented all religions and therefore created a non-evangelical event, further fufilling their goal to cater to all communities in the area.

Yuletide at Devon features a wide variety of live music from nationally-known performers, like Jamie Miller

and Chris Lane, and offers a variety of high-end food and beverage experiences, including items like truffle mac and cheese and gourmet hot chocolate. It also offers entertainment, including amusement park rides, pictures with Santa, small business vendors and more than 15 acres of light displays.

Senior Chloe Campbell, is working at different vendors and attractions throughout Yuletide at Devon. Campbell works with children and adults on different art projects and sells art pieces from Wayne Art Center.

“I think Yuletide and all the individual vendors have done a really good job of promoting the event,” Campbell said. “I feel I talked to people, and everyone knows what it is.

So, I’m hoping that it’ll be very busy and lively. I’m hoping to

see everyone get increasingly excited for Christmas and the holidays, so it’ll be more of a vibrant experience.”

Tickets are available as either single-day admission or season passes. Both options include access to live music, free amusement rides, free photos with Santa, farm-totable food and craft drinks and access to more than 35 unique high-end vendors.

Bickhart hopes that the range of activities offered enables people to return to the event multiple times.

“Our goal is to create this magical holiday space that feels high end,” Bickhart said. “Hopefully people want to come back to multiple nights because they just enjoy seeing their community, seeing their friends and experiencing the joys of the holidays with their family.”

Local dance studio performs in Thanksgiving Day parade Isabelle Emmanuel Staff Reporter

On Thanksgiving morning, Betsy Daily and her dancers were preoccupied with preparing for one of their biggest performances of the year, the 6abc Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade on Nov. 23.

The day began early for the dancers, as they had to travel to Philadelphia to perform. Daily and her dancers reported to the parade at 6:30 a.m., meaning they had to wake up around 3 a.m. to prepare costumes and makeup and take the bus to the city.

Betsy Daily is the founder and a dance teacher at the Betsy Daily School of Performing Arts in Berwyn. Daily has competed in dance competitions almost all of her life and started her dance teaching career in 1973. Daily said that the event allows the dancers to form connections with each other.

“The experience is just wonderful,” Daily said. “We go in buses down there, and we hang around while we’re waiting for all the productions to happen, and it’s exciting. The kids form quite a camaraderie. They help each other get their costumes on, and it’s so good to be with other performers, doing the same things and enjoying the celebration of Thanksgiving.”

The team had five productions in the parade, including a dance number accompanying singer Ashlee Keating performing a cover of “Santa

Claus Is Comin’ to Town.” The team performed more productions this year than in the six prior years it performed at the parade.

The team started practicing choreography for the parade in the beginning of August with two-hour practices on weekdays in addition to weekend practices. Sophomore Melina Franceski, a dancer at the Betsy Daily School of Performing Arts, performed in the parade for the fourth time this year and finds the experience valuable.

“I think the Thanksgiving Day parade is really fun. It’s a cool experience, and I’m lucky that I joined Betsy Daily because it’s a very special thing that we are able to do,” Franceski said. “I take a lot of responsibility in making sure that I have the dances down well, so we make Betsy proud.”

The parade lasted three and a half hours, from 8:30 a.m. to noon p.m. Daily believes the parade is impactful for her dance team.

“It’s an all-around great experience, and not only if they’re not going to be professional dancers.

They get to be part of a team, come to rehearsals, memorize their choreography, and when they’re dancing, they get to perform for an audience,” Daily said.

“They’re just getting so much experience which is very important.

I always say the performances are probably the best experience you can get because you’ve got a live audience and you’re performing to everybody.”

Courtesy Wyatt Higginbotham

Parade preparation: Dancers at the Betsy Daily School of Preforming Arts rehearse for their Thanksgiving Day parade performance. Preparation for the parade began in early August.

T/E Life

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

The SPOKE

7

The Play That Goes O W R NG

By Lily Chen, Design Editor

’Stoga Music Theater premiered its fall play, “The Play That Goes Wrong,” on Nov. 16. The production followed the story of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society as it staged a 1920s murder mystery.

True to the play’s title, many mishaps intentionally befell the cast members and set. Props broke mid-scene, set pieces collapsed and characters missed their cues.

Scan the QR code to watch an accompanying package

To prepare for the premiere, the actors worked closely with the props department and stage crew.

Senior Brett Baptiste played the role of Jonathan Harris, a cast member in the drama society whose character is presumed dead at the beginning of the play but later reveals to the audince that he was alive the whole time. At rehearsals, Baptiste worked to add personality to his character, which he found difficult to do at first.

“One challenge I had was embodying the character,” Baptiste said. “But the way I faced that challenge was (by watching) different adaptations

of the play. I went on YouTube and looked at different people (playing my character), and I realized where I could make my own choices to change the character a little bit and make it funnier.”

Senior and student assistant to the director Maggie Troy worked closely with play director and music teacher Nathan Shughart and the student department heads of stage crew and props. She believes the play was more involved and demanding than previous shows.

“I think (this play) is a lot harder technically just from the stage crew and everything,” Troy said. “You have to be really careful, specifically for actor safety, because with props going on and stuff happening, it's really important to make sure that the actors stay safe on stage.”

According to Baptise, despite this being Shughart’s first year as director for a ’Stoga play, his experience with directing was apparent. Baptiste also believes Shughart’s theater expertise helped the play run smoothly.

“His (Shughart’s) brain is always thinking of new ideas and new ways to make things funnier, and he’s always working one-on-one with people,” Baptiste said. “He’s very smart, and he’s very good at reading and understanding all the lines and everything.

I think he’s the best person who’s done the play since the beginning because he has a lot of theater training and he understands a lot of the cues and he’s able to help us as actors.”

Troy believes the stage crew and actors came a long way in preparing for the play. She said that all of

the effort the cast put into memorizing lines exceeded her expectations.

“I’m really proud of everyone in the cast and crew,” Troy said. “They’re so amazing, and they’ve done so good.”

Slam dunk: DECA visits Philadelphia 76ers stadium was not just about witnessing the Washington Wizards face off against the Sixers. It was a hands-on lesson in sports and entertainment marketing.

Around 70 of Conestoga’s DECA members took the opportunity to dive into the inner workings of the sports business during the career day. At the stadium, the day began with a case study, in which members strategized how to outshine other Philadelphia sports teams in the realm of ticket sales.

As the DECA members stood on the hardwood of the Wells Fargo Center court, they presented their innovative solutions to judges.

Following the case study, a panel of industry professionals shared their educational

journeys, experiences and daily routines.

Senior Kat Nguyen, an officer of Conestoga’s DECA chapter, enjoyed the trip and the unique opportunities created for the members.

“The highlight of the trip for me was getting to go on the court for the recognition on behalf of PA DECA. It was such an amazing opportunity to be so up close to all the action on the court. It was also my first time going to a Sixers game in person, so it’s going to be hard to top that experience,” Nguyen said.

Many of the members in attendance were freshmen who had their first major field trip with the chapter. Freshman Patrick Barry recently joined the club and is excited for the com-

“It was a really great experience, something that I’m very fortunate and grateful for. It seemed surreal to see the players’ perspectives and what they do on game day,” Lai said.

This experience also prepared DECA members for the district competition that is on Dec. 18, at which students will test their knowledge through various events and case studies.

“This trip was a great opportunity for our chapter because it demonstrated that DECA has a lot to offer,” Nguyen said. “I hope that this experience was able to show others that DECA can be really fun and hopefully encourage more students to join next year.”

Leading DECA: DECA chapter adviser Jeffrey Conner directs the chapter members as they enter Lincoln Financial Field. The members toured the stadium, locker rooms and press rooms on the trip.

Courtesy Jeffrey Conner

George Zhang/The SPOKE

Nothing but net: The Conestoga DECA chapter poses for a photo during a tour of the Philadelphia Eagles’ locker room. The tour was a part of Pennsylvania DECA’s Career Day with the 76ers, focused on the sports and entertainment market. The team will participate in similar events in the future.

On the court: Junior Freya Bardulla shares her thoughts on the case study. Bardulla and others did the practice case study prior game.

Michael Tierney Business Manager

In a whirlwind of excitement, education and a nail-biting basketball showdown, Conestoga’s chapter of DECA — a national organization in which high school and college students learn and compete in marketing, finance, hospitality and management — recently embarked on a journey into the heart of the sports industry.

On Nov. 6, members participated in DECA’s Career Day with the 76ers, an event partnering with the 76ers program to teach students about the sports industry.

From locker room explorations to courtside brainstorming sessions, the trip

petitions coming in the following months.

“I didn’t know many people in the club besides my group of friends who initially joined with me, but through the trip I was able to meet a lot of new people from my grade and others that shared a common interest in DECA and the business world,” Barry said.

The trip continued with an exclusive tour of Lincoln Financial Field, home of the Philadelphia Eagles. Venturing through the locker room and press room, DECA members gained insight into the multifaceted world of sports operations.

Senior Calvin Lai took advantage of this special learning opportunity.

George Zhang/ THE SPOKE

OPINION 8 The SPOKE

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

The dangers of over-romanticizing your life

Raima Saha

Co-Opinion Editor You wake up to yet another day of school. You attend the same classes that have been on your schedule for months now, just to follow the same routine of extracurriculars, homework, sleep, repeat.

When put like this, it can be easy to see why you might want to spice up your life, even if it is in small gestures. While you may not be able to control your circumstances, you can control what candle you use.

To romanticize means to deal with something in an idealized or unrealistic fashion.

Starting during the COVID-19 pandemic, romanticizing your life encouraged hopefulness and positivity even when the future

seemed uncertain. It stems from “main character energy” on social media: you are the main character in your own story living in a movie that is your life.

While romanticizing your life is not inherently harmful, over-romanticizing can have unintended negative consequences. For starters, it creates unrealistic expectations of how life should be.

On social media, you can find millions of people living their best lives, seeming perfect as you scroll through the curated feed of their Instagram page. Looking at constant reminders of how your life does not compare to what you see on the screen can be demoralizing.

Your life does not have to be perfect or exciting all the time for it to still be worth living.

While it may seem to help alleviate such emotions, it invalidates hard feelings. It can even transi-

Additionally, romanticization encourages the trivialization of hard emotions like pain and grief.

tion into toxic positivity, where one feels the need to stay positive and optimistic even while

current emotions and elicit secondary emotions such as shame and guilt. Instead of making you feel better, trying to pretend everything is all rainbows and sunshine only makes you feel worse.

Over-romanticization can also lead to over-consumerism.

Countless videos and social media posts show people buying a cup of coffee every morning or the trendiest items online to make their day a little bit better. From not-so-little spurof-the-moment clothing hauls to showing off their beautiful vacation, this content promotes a lifeLia Piccoli/The SPOKE style that is not expert on narcissism, encourag- sustainable for everyone. Such ing people who are suffering to an attitude pushes materialism as be positive can invalidate their the solution to all your problems, dealing with emotional pain.

According to Dr. Jaime Zuckerman, a clinical psychologist and

only making you more unhappy and unfulfilled.

Whatever the downsides of romanticization may be, one must admit that living life as if you’re the main character does have its upsides. When we think of ourselves as the protagonist of our stories, it gives us autonomy.

Realizing that you have control over your own life can empower and embolden you to step out of your comfort zone and take risks.

However, too much of a good thing can be harmful. Main character energy can make you egocentric and selfish, resulting in you focusing on what others can do for you instead of what you can do for them.

All this to say, take what you see on social media or in the movies with a grain of salt. While your life may seem simple or even boring by comparison, that does not mean it is devoid of beauty.

Take time to figure out what brings you joy, whether it be a hobby or hanging out with friends. It is easy to become disillusioned by what we see in the media, but seeking out the small joys will make your life that much sweeter.

Fast food restaurants need more vegetarian options

Riddima Pandey Staff Reporter

Whenever I travel, I am constantly worrying about finding places to eat that will fit my vegetarian diet. Fast food restaurants, such as McDonald’s, either have no vegetarian options or only have options that do not provide a fulfilling meal. It is not fair, and people’s diets should not be the reason why they are excluded from fast food restaurants.

With the vegetarian population growing, fast food restaurants need to expand their menus. According to Vegetarian Times, a publication focused on the food, culture, health and lifestyle of people with plant-based diets, as of 2020 7.3 million people in the U.S. are vegetarian, a number that is still growing.

As a result of limited options, I have ended up spending hours looking for food that fits my vegetarian diet. While oth-

ers get to enjoy full satisfactory meals, I am always stuck with only a side salad or french fries.

This does not just apply to local restaurants. In areas like theme parks, where you cannot bring your own food, vegetarians often have difficulty to find food.

When I visited SeaWorld Orlando, it took more than an hour to find something to eat for lunch. The only restaurant I found that fit my diet was located on the other side of the park, and I had to wait in an hour-long line. I was surprised by how many people wanted to eat at the restaurant.

Vegetarian options do not only appeal to those who are vegetarian but also people who eat meat. Non-vegetarians do not always eat meat. Growing awareness of environmental concerns, animal welfare rights and health is convincing consumers to remove meat and fish from their diets. By appealing to a more diverse audience, fast food companies will gain more customers.

Not only will vegetarian options increase the number of customers at fast food restaurants, but they will also benefit the environment.

According to Dr. Michael Clark, a researcher on the impact of food on the environment

at the University of Oxford, and Dr. David Tilman, an ecologist from the University of Minnesota, the production of plant-based foods generally has smaller consequences on the environment than the production of meat and farmed fish. Creating more options not only benefits the vegetarian community, but it also benefits the environment.

Restaurants may argue that vegetarian alternatives already exist on their menus. Foods, such as the Impossible Burger, tries to mimic the texture and taste of meat. The burger is made of leghemoglobin, a protein found in leguminous plants.

However, the Food and Drug Administration has expressed its concern about Impossible Foods’ leghemoglobin product, which is derived from genetically modified yeast, since soy leghemoglobin protein has rarely been consumed by humans and could be an allergen.

Restaurants’ current vegetarian alternatives are not the best options and should be replaced with foods that are safe for the public and meet the needs of their diets.

The public demand for vegetarian alternatives is growing, and fast food restaurants need to start answering the call and give vegetarians more options.

We deserve to eat too.

Raima Saha/The SPOKE

Say no to the perm-idemic: It’s shear madness!

Jeffrey Heng Staff Reporter

If some ludicrous hairstylist offers to transform your locks into a bowl of ramen, deny them immediately.

Okay, hair me out. Good Times Utah will tell you that these so-called “perms” are making a comeback.

But to call them a “‘my hair but better’ vibe?” I say that’s straight-up malarkey. We’re in a perm-apocalypse, and it’s inescapable, impermeable.

Take my word when I say that this ridiculous trend should have stayed in the 80s.

Nowadays, K-pop stars and Gen Z boys have taken this curly craze by storm in videos on — what was it again?

TikTok? Speaking of time, this infectious disease is rapidly spreading from victim to victim: schools, backyards, fanny packs — the hordes are everywhere. It’s truly preposterous: these permanent waves have stronger bonds than permanganate.

In fact, I believe that these permissive curls are blasphemy. I mean, what kind of buffoon would believe these influencers? They are only videos, so they obviously can’t BeReal. The perms are wigs; I’m sure of it.

I guarantee you that these perms don’t possess magical powers, but they definitely do possess crazy chemicals. Even if you ask a high-profile hairstylist such as one-star-rated Patrick Perm, prodigy of poor reviews, to recreate your

hairdo, your scalp will certainly not be in good hands nor good strands. Seriously, who would want chemicals in their hair?

My father, an unlicensed barber and CEO of Buzz Cuts 4ever Inc., fosters a community of well-renowned buzz cuts. To put it quite plainly, we don’t permit suspicious substances from the perm outbreak in our establishment! We will gladly stick to our uses of unsanitary shampoos, smelly spray and sue-worthy razors. After all, we’re anti-perm, not anti-germ!

Only hooligans would set themselves up for long-term humility to get these kinds of whack haircuts. I guess this may resolve long-awaited endeavors of departing from basic locks of hair that our generation so desperately needs — but to no avail, because they will end up look-

ing like bird nests. Just take a look at those inflicted with perms around you: cuckoos, that’s all I can see.

These Gen Z-ers are attempting to create a new revolution with these comical wigs. But you see, the prices of these perms are enough to make someone go hair-sterical. I simply refuse to listen to this new set of perms and conditions.

Whatever this movement is, it does not make the cut for the greatest impact in the hairdressing industry.

We must put an end to this tomfoolery. Why is it that these shaggy waves take the spotlight while buzz cuts remain under scrutiny? Take these shears, and we’ll convert to a society of freshly shaved buzz cuts. We’ll rally till they hear the snipping of our shears, and we’ll echo endlessly: “No permutation without representation!”

SORRY, WE MISSPOKE In the second issue, on page 4, the link to the crossword answers is incorrect. Our answers can be found on www.spoke.news/games.

Anjali Chand/The SPOKE

The Spoke is published seven times a year by Trumbull Printing. It consistently receives a Gold rating from the Pennsylvania School Press Association and is a National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award-winning publication. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.

The

Staff

Editor-in-Chief: Ben Shapiro Managing Editors: Abigail Bagby, Shreya Vaidhyanathan News Editors: Aren Framil, Howard Kim T/E Life Editors: Zara Samdani, Maya Shah Opinion Editors: Jui Bhatia, Raima Saha Sports Editors: Tanisha Agrawal, Juliana Yao Copy Editors: Hannah Simon, Faith Zantua Design Editor: Lily Chen Photography Editor: Mareska Chettiar Webmaster: Rohan Anne Multimedia Editors: Rowan Chetty, Grace Kuryan Social Media Editor: Eva Kennedy Directors of Staff Development: Katherine Emmanuel, George Zhang

Business Manager: Michael Tierney Cartoonists: Anjali Chand, Hannah Gupta, Karen Hang, Chiho Jing, Jessica Li, Eden Liu, Lia Piccoli, Katelyn Wang, Mary Wolters Staff Reporters: Prashi Agarwal, Milan Agarwala, Fudail Ahmed, Miya Cao, Alex Carder, Vanessa Chen, Abby Chong, Sadie Chronister, Ryan Ding, Ashley Du, Isabelle Emmanuel, Kapil Gandi, Saktisri Gowrishankar, Joanna Harris, Jeffrey Heng, Audrey Kim, Bailey Kreszswick, Sowmya Krishna, Shrija Krishnan, Kevin Li, Lexi Lin, Riddima Pandey, Vivian Peng, Lauren Pinheiro, Abbie Preston, Madeline Pulliam, Rajan Saha, Louisa Sandorff, Emily Scheer, Sousanna Sengal, Eshan Singh, Vaishnavi Sriadibhatla, Benjamin Wang, Emily Wang, Alexa Willrich, Mary Wolters, August Zangrilli Faculty Advisers: Alison Ferriola, Laura Howard, Nicole Zakorchemny

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.

Letters to the editor: Letters to the editor may be submitted to Editor-in-Chief Ben Shapiro at bshapiro@spoke.news, or advisers Alison Ferriola, Laura Howard and Nicole Zakorchemny.

Editorials: Unsigned editorials represent the views of The Spoke Editorial Board, not those of the school 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.

www.spoke.news @thespoke the_spoke /thespoke @thespoke hello@spoke.news

Opinion

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

9

We need to stop seeking celebrity opinions

Jui Bhatia

Co-Opinion Editor Often, the first thing on most people’s minds after a divisive conflict has arisen is, “What does my favorite celebrity think about this?”

People’s tendency to seek out celebrity opinions as a means of informing and justifying their own is harmful to the causes they seek to support and to celebrities themselves.

If you depend on or rely on celebrities’ opinions to keep you informed on what is going on in the world, you are not alone. According to The Hollywood Reporter, an organization that focuses on pop culture news, 53% of American adults surveyed felt that celebrity opinions do hold some power to sway people.

For example, soon after the media began reporting on the Israel-Hamas war, people turned to their favorite celebrities for opinions, both to educate and justify themselves.

Fans pressured their favorite celebrities to take a stance, and as a result, they spread falsities.

A prominent example is Justin Bieber, who posted a video of Palestinian children with a caption saying the video was from Israel. The post was entirely inaccurate, misinforming many of his 291 million followers in the process.

Mo r e o v e r, fake celebrity endorsements meant to spread misinformation about a celebrity’s

stance, with the goal of swaying people to support either side of an issue, have flooded

social media. One of these deep fakes — fake videos and pictures that are near-

ly indistinguishable as fakes — is a fake picture of soccer star Lionel Messi holding up

the Israeli flag. Not only are these deep fakes rampant, they can also be tough to

identify and weed out due to endless reposts and a lack of clarification, making it impossible to determine what is genuine and what is not. Such instances just make it more important to not rely on celebrity opinions floating around on social media and show how easily manipulatable these statements and pictures often can be.

Such statements are also fundamentally useless without action. Most celebrities just release statements followEden Liu/The SPOKE ing conflicts without any action to back up their position. Not only are they setting an example

of inaction, they are also not using their platform to affect meaningful change.

Selena Gomez, the thirdmost followed person on Instagram, posted on her story on Nov. 23 that she wishes she “could change the world, but a post won’t.” As someone with 430 million followers, Gomez’s message lacks action. Her assertion that a post will do nothing is fundamentally false: Celebrities such as Hasan Minhaj, Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson have raised money for causes they support through their posts and have organized protests for these causes.

Celebrity opinions only serve to make the information and social media environment around international conflicts worse.

Depending on such opinions to educate oneself is a terrible tactic and misinforms millions of people.

Celebrities need to research their stance before presenting an argument and need to back up their stance by taking action.

Report Card Eagles doing well so far in the season

A+

+ already secured a spot in the playoffs with their performance + the team won every game after its loss to the New York Jets

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reinstated

B-

+ employees threatened to join Microsoft if not reinstated - terminated due to unclear communications with the rest of the board

New Hunger Games movie is out

A

+ accurate to the book with a good soundtrack - the main character is not as fleshed out as he could be

Shakira reaches deal in tax fraud trial

C+

+ will not have to go to prison for tax fraud

“I think it depends on the person. Some people can pull it off really well, but it doesn’t look as good on others. It also depends on how curly it is. I think most people tend to look better with wavy perms.”

“I just don’t like them. I think that the curls are fine, but it’s just too popular now. ”

- Harshitha Chaturvedula,

- Hannah Vu,

freshman

sophomore

STUDENTS SPEAK OUT Q: How do you feel about perms?

- will have to pay a fine of 7 million euros

Editor Recs Editor: Jui Bhatia, Co-Opinion Editor TV Show: “Hannibal”

“I think perms are only good if the barber specifically does it in a good way. Sometimes the hair can be too long or too short, in my perspective.”

“I guess I like them. They’re just okay. They don’t really matter to me.”

- Mohnish Elangovan,

“I’ve been obsessed with this show recently because of how it operates on so many different levels. It’s also just really unhinged, which is fun.”

- Saad Alazemi,

junior

senior

Go gift shopping in person

Abby Bagby

Co-Managing Editor The holiday season carries a special kind of magic — one that we all know and love. Filled with red, green and upbeat Christmas music, this time of year offers nostalgia unlike any other. For many, the annual practice of holiday gift shopping was an essential c o mp o n e nt of this tradition-filled time.

However, this practice is dwindling, in large part due to the exponential growth of online shopping. A 2023 study by the Statista Research Department showed that more than 75% of the nation’s consumers have shopped for items online.

Moreover, retail e-commerce sales are forecast to grow by nearly 11% in the U.S. and worldwide by 2027.

Here’s the thing: Online shopping is more convenient.

What could be easier than taking a look at your friend’s Amazon wish list, choosing a

product and having it shipped to their doorstep within a few days? With a few quick scrolls and taps of the thumb, a process that used to take a day or even more is now shortened to mere minutes.

While the online shopping experience is unmatched in convenience, it does have several shortcomings. Consumers are far less inclined to support small businesses when they go straight to Google for their gift shopping. A 2021 report by the University of Minnesota detailed that local shopping at

independent retailers generates more revenue for those businesses as well as jobs within the area, bolstering the local economy.

Places like the King of Prussia mall and local shopping centers such as Gateway and Paoli are home to many small businesses, which would otherwise have few opportunities to market and sell their products. Although

it may be easier to shop via large-scale, corporate websites, let’s not exclude small businesses, many of which are operated by members of our own community, from our shopping lists.

In addition, there are many aspects of the in-store shopping experience that are simply lost when consumers take to online alternatives. Shopping, especially amidst the seasonal decorations and cheerful music of the holidays, is a social experience for many. It offers an opportunity to bond with family and friends in a festive environment, rather than making purchases from a phone or laptop.

Buying in person also makes gift-giving far more personal. Traveling to a store, seeing and feeling the various products in front of you, and having the opportunity to speak with a store Mary Wolters/The SPOKE employee all contribute to a more thoughtful, meaningful gift.

In a fast-paced world that is constantly swapping tradition for convenience, the transition by many to online shopping over in-person shopping is understandable.

But before you make your purchases on Amazon, consider making the trip to King of Prussia and small local shops this holiday season.

Jessica Li/The SPOKE

Marvel creates too many products

Eshan Singh Staff Reporter

On Nov. 10, Marvel released the movie “The Marvels,” featuring a team-up between Carol Danvers, or Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan, or Ms. Marvel. Wait, who’s Monica Rambeau again?

Ever since Marvel started releasing TV shows on Disney+, it has been pushing out way too many products. It is practically impossible for the average viewer to know what is going on. Marvel needs to slow down and focus more on creating a cohesive story than on making as many new shows and movies as possible.

According to entertainment website Digital Spy, Marvel has

released 23 new products from January 2021 through October 2023, which is 29% of its total output despite the studio having been around since 2008. Worse yet, 18 of these products are essential viewing, either because of a significant plot development or because a new character is introduced.

This means that for someone to fully understand what is going on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) right now, they would have to watch a new product once about every 1.9 months. This is not unreasonable for a big Marvel fan, but most people do not watch the MCU at such a high frequency.

In addition, it is practically impossible for a viewer to know how important a new movie is since Marvel does not spend a proportionately higher amount on more essential films. For example, according to entertainment website We Got This Covered, the budget of “Black Widow” was $200 million, the same amount as “Eternals,” “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Doctor Strange

in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” and $50 million more than “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” All of these movies are undoubtedly more important for people within the MCU than “Black Widow.”

Also, Marvel appears to be releasing all these new products with no rhyme or reason.

There is no gap between the first two seasons of “Loki,” but Marvel released 19 new products after Season 1 but before Season 2. And it’s not like “Loki” is some side project: The events in the show are the most important in the MCU right now. It was a terrible idea to release so many products between the seasons as viewers waited patiently for the setup of Kang as the main villain of “The Multiverse Saga.”

Moreover, it’s not a coincidence that the MCU’s drop in quality has coincided with the increase in quantity. The average Rotten Tomatoes score for MCU products re-

leased after 2020 is less than 80%, and feature films, theoretically the best Marvel products, have an average score of only 72%.

In comparison, according to entertainment website Screen Rant, the MCU’s pre2021 average score is 85%.

Marvel has clearly recently been focusing on releasing a lot of new products than on releasing good products.

Some may say that the more new entertainment released, the better, but there is no point in having more MCU products if you do not understand what is happening and the quality is not good.

In the midst of this surge in output, the actors’ strike forced Marvel to delay “Deadpool 3,” “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts” and “Blade,” according to Variety Magazine. The strike gives Marvel an opportunity to bring the pace of its output back down to pre-2021 levels. Hopefully, it takes it.

Katelyn Wang/The SPOKE

Sports

10 The SPOKE

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

In double overtime, boys soccer wins state title Continued from page 1.

During the first half of the state finals game, both teams held strong at a 0-0 score. In the four previous state finals games under Zimmerman’s guidance, the boys never conceded a single goal. This year, however, Central Bucks South scored first at the beginning of the second half.

“To be honest, I was pretty nervous at that point,” Zimmerman said. “We were very fortunate. Brady Costin — center-back, captain,

Central League MVP, allstate, our corner kick taker — kicked the ball, and it went directly into the goal, which is extremely rare. This kind of goal happens maybe once every five years, and he did it right like that in a critical moment in the game.”

Despite the rare accomplishment, both Zimmerman and Costin, a senior, said that a corner kick into the goal was not intentional.

“I was trying to put the ball back post, and then fortunately, it just curled in there,” Costin said.

With the score tied 1-1, the Pioneers shifted into a more aggressive formation to take the lead. The second half of the game and the first round of overtime ended with no change to the score, warranting a double overtime. After a foul by Central Bucks South in the second round of overtime, senior Ryan Zellefrow took the penalty kick.

“In my mind, all I was thinking was to get it on target: up and over the wall and aim for that near post. When

it went in, I was so happy,” Zellefrow said. “It was an amazing feeling to be able to share that with my team, friends and my family.”

Zellefrow played for the Pioneers his freshman and senior years, spending his sophomore and junior years at a professional Major League Soccer club. In his final high school game, his penalty kick curved around the wall of players and into the goal, ending the game 2-1 in a sudden victory round and securing the state championship title for the team.

“In the biggest moment, your great players come through for you when it really matters. Here, it was not just game-winning, but a state championship-winning goal, right in one shot,” Zimmerman said. “It was unbelievable. By far our most exciting

game of the season and by far the closest.”

While Zellefrow believes that the game was not the team’s best performance, he and Costin viewed it as the perfect end to their season and high school careers.

“People were thinking it was just going to be an easy

game for us. And I mean, sure, that would have been nice. But I liked that we had to face some adversity,” Costin said. “It just shows a lot about the heart of our team and the character — that we have 30 people who just don’t give up.”

Lily Chen/The SPOKE

Ben Shapiro/The SPOKE

Six-time champs: The boys’ soccer team poses for a team photo after winning the PIAA 4A State Championship. Players held up six fingers as the Nov. 17 win marked the team’s sixth state title. Seventeen of the 31 members of the team will graduate in June.

Running in the rain: Senior and forward Kole Wintersteen chases after the ball during the state championship game. The boys won the game 2-1 in double overtime.

Girls tennis places second in state Rajan Saha

Staff Reporter The girls’ varsity tennis team brought home consistent wins, maintaining its dominance this fall season.

The team placed first in the Central League and second in both districts and states.

Seniors and captains Katherine Emmanuel and Jennifer He played doubles together and placed first in the Central League, second at districts and third at states. Sophomore Isabelle Emmanuel played singles and placed first in the Central League, third in districts and qualified for states.

During practices, players focused on improving their weaknesses by performing various drills focused on techniques and strategies they needed to work on, as well as playing practice sets to mimic real matches.

The team also saw two new coaches this year: Seth Shore

and Merri Gardner. They inherited an experienced group that had won the state title the past two years.

“The strengths of our team was the fact that we had so many people returning from varsity that already won a couple state championships, so they knew exactly what the whole season was like, and they were able to pass that on to all the new players,” Shore, the head coach, said.

Senior Georgia Koelle, captain and doubles player on the team, appreciated that Shore would give and receive feedback from the team. She said that he was able to effectively communicate and guide the team.

“He talked to us a lot about how we felt the standings are and how we would like anything to change for the team” Koelle said. ”He would ask for a lot of recommendations on what he was doing, which was very nice.”

According to junior Sarah Weng, Gardner supported the team and brought positive energy that helped the players.

“Mrs. Gardner is a great assistant coach. She was there when Mr. Shore couldn’t attend, and anyone can tell she loves the sport. She’s so energetic and passionate about it, and she just makes the team experience a lot more enjoyable,” Weng said.

In addition to the dedication the team showed to its practices and matches, the players forged strong bonds with each other throughout the season. As a result, the team said it fostered a supportive environment that helped members succeed.

“The girls genuinely like each other,” Gardner said. “I think that having to travel only together, whether they were freshmen or seniors, gave this team cohesion that was the key to their success.”

Field hockey team wins district title Emily Scheer Staff Reporter

The girls’ varsity field hockey team claimed the No. 1 spot in the Central League, the No. 13 spot in the country and the PIAA District 1 3A Field Hockey title.

“Those big games — like our last couple of games — was just a wave of relief (to win).” said senior and co-captain Alex Lepore. “It’s just an awesome feeling to win together and celebrate together.”

“They (my teammates) all just kind of pushed me to work really hard. They’re really energetic, and they keep me going,” freshmen Peyton Esposito said. “And I’ll get to practice

after a hard day of school, and it gets me motivated to do well in practice.”

Before each game, the team strategized and emphasized achieving specific goals. Lepore said that playing as a team each game led to the girls’ success on the field.

“As a team, our playing strategy usually changes every game depending on the team we’re playing, but usually we just always emphasize to play as a team and connect,” Lepore said. “And sometimes we like to have goals.

For example, one of our goals would be to capitalize on our corners more, or have more slip passes, or have more connecting passes in the middle of the field as a team.”

The seniors on the team have never lost a game on Teamer Field. According to seco-captain and senior Emma Nikolic, overcoming the pressure of high school sports and winning is a team effort.

“You have a huge target on your back, and everyone wants to come after you. And they play every game like it’s their state championship, no matter if they’re the last ranked seed or first ranked seed,” Nikolic said.

The team qualified for the PIAA 3A Field Hockey State tournament and made it through the first round. After facing a defeat from Lower Dauphin High School in the quarterfinals, the team offi-

cially wrapped up the 202324 season.

“I think we had a really successful season overall. We won districts. We were undefeated in our Central League and in districts,” Lepore said. “It was really upsetting how it ended, but I’m just proud of the team and how far we’ve come.”

Scan the QR code to watch an accompanying package

Vanessa Chen/The SPOKE

Mary Wolters/The SPOKE

Victorious duo: Doubles players junior Sarah Weng (left) and sophmore Sofia Calvetti (right) play Unionville in the second round of districts. They won their match 6-4, 6-1 which advanced the team to states.

Team talks: The girls’ varsity field hockey team huddles together before the second half of the Oct. 27 game against Great Valley High School. They won the Central League and claimed the No. 13 spot in the country.

Commitment Corner JAKE WANG YALE UNIVERSITY SPORT: SWIM & DIVE GRADE: 12

First Last Last/The Last/ The SPOKE

Why Yale: “I chose Yale because of the amazing opportunities to further my academic career while also swimming Division 1 at a high level. I look forward to the chance to meet new people and start a new journey in life. Yale has many pathways in which I look forward to exploring.”

Sports

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

The SPOKE

Girls soccer secures runner-up title in state championship Juliana Yao

Co-Sports Editor The girls’ varsity soccer team ended its season on Nov. 17 as the Central League champions, and second in the district and state tournaments.

The team won the Central League title for the first time since 2018 and reached the state finals this year after doing so in 2021. Head coach Deane Mariotti believes that the girls’ loss in the quarterfinals round

last season helped motivate them this year.

“We had a number of returning players that left the 2022 season feeling like they wanted to have gone further,” Mariotti said.

“Many of them definitely had on their goals list getting to state finals, and so I think just having that mental goal and target was a really helpful starting point for this season.”

The girls focused on creating a strong team bond this year. Senior and co-captain Greta Steege

said that although strong teamwork with the underclassmen took some time to build, it was already pronounced with many of the returning athletes.

“A lot of us have been playing together since third grade, since the very first year of club soccer, and so I trust everyone on that field so much,” Steege said. “I think we also did a really good job of incorporating the younger players and new players that we haven’t necessarily played with as long as we have the others.”

Senior Chloe Brown emphasized the importance of teamwork to this year’s team, attributing much of this season’s success to the camaraderie and new coaching staff.

“With our new coaches, I think our team chemistry among the players has become a lot stronger. We’re all such good friends off the field, which helps our team chemistry on the field,” Brown said.

Aside from the team’s bonds, Steege said that a contributing

factor to the players’ accomplishments was the fusion of capitalizing on their offensive chances and improving their defense.

“Just that combo makes a big difference. Once we scored one goal this year, we didn’t stop there,” Steege said. “We kept going, and especially in the beginning of the season, we were scoring six, eight goals a game. I think that set us up well for the postseason.”

According to Mariotti, this strengthened offensive mindset is partially what allowed the girls to

score 99 goals this season, almost 30 more than last year. Despite the team’s loss in the state finals to Pennridge High School, Mariotti believes the athletes’ commitment and passion showed during the game.

“I thought the girls played with incredible effort and heart.

We were the only team to score on Pennridge in the postseason,” Mariotti said. “I felt that they could walk away from that game feeling proud about how they played and the effort that they put into it.”

11

HIGHLIGHT REEL The

latest developments in sports.

New arrivals The squash and winter track teams received new coaches. Jeremie Aissaoui-Fischer is the new head coach for the boys’ squash team.

Alexander Foulke, the previous sprints assistant coach, is taking over the position as the track and field head coach this year.

Pins and pies On Oct. 29, the boys’ varsity wrestling team held its 20th annual Pumpkin Classic, a preseason round-robin tournament for middle school, junior varsity and varsity wrestlers. The tournament also encouraged Conestoga’s youth atheletic community to get involved with wrestling.

Rows

Lily Chen/The SPOKE

Ben Shapiro/The SPOKE

End of the season: The girls’ soccer team poses for a team photo after the PIAA 4A State Championship. The girls took the state runner up title after falling to Pennridge High School in the state finals on Nov. 17.

Saving the shot: Senior and goalie Greta Steege runs to save the ball during the state championship game.

The girls lost the game 4-1, ending their season with a record of 21-4.

XC runs to states Alexa Willrich Staff Reporter

Courtesy Bridget Walsh

Race against time: Girls cross country competes at the Central League championships. Sophmore Alexia Tubbs (#48) qualified to compete at the PIAA Cross Country State Championship. Head coach Richard Hawkins hopes that the teams will qualify for states next year.

As they crossed the finish line and saw their times, sophomore Alexia Tubbs and senior Shane Walsh realized they were headed to the cross country state championship.

Undefeated in the Central League this year, the girls’ varsity cross country team finished first at the Central League championship. The boys’ varsity team finished third. Both teams competed and placed in mutliple invitationals and Central League meets throughout the season.

“I kind of knew when I went across the line that I was going (to states) again. I was excited but was disappointed that I wasn’t going as a team,” Walsh said.

The state championship took place at Hersheypark on Nov. 4 with more than 200 runners and around 20 teams.

Tubbs finished 103rd out of 237 runners with a time of 20:47 in the Girls 5,000 Meter Run, and Walsh placed 65th out of 239 runners with a time of 17:04 in the Boys 5,000 Meter Run. Despite the two runners not competing as a team, teammates and friends came to support Tubbs and Walsh for the race.

Boys rugby clinches state title, girls place third Miya Cao

Staff Reporter

On Nov. 5, the boys’ and girls’ rugby teams played in the Fall Sevens State Championship in Lancaster. The boys took home first place with a season record of 28-2-1, and the girls secured third place with a season record of 9-14-1.

Founded in 2001, the girls’ rugby team has improved consistently and was the state runner-up in 2019. The team had trouble finding players after the COVID-19 pandemic, but due to increased recruiting efforts, it had a roster of 21 players this fall season. Ju-

nior Paulina Yang, who is in her fifth season of Conestoga rugby, noticed better team chemistry this season.

“Now that I’m an upperclassman, I’ve been trying to be nicer to the underclassmen and help them feel included.

I think that’s really helped,” Yang said. “We all feel together, and it’s not like we’re split by grade levels.”

The girls went into the state championship as the third seed in the state. They played a competitive game against Doylestown High School in the semifinals but lost due to multiple players’ injuries.

Courtesy Ken Michlitsch

Rowan Chetty/The SPOKE

Reaching heights: Senior and girls rugby captain Elsa Burgo (top) reaches for the ball during a lift. The girls secured third place in states.

Triumphant team: The boys’ rugby team poses for a photo behind the state championship banner. It defeated Hempfield High School’s rugby team and became the state champion on Nov. 5.

The boys’ rugby team fell played a lot of selfish ball, and we only going to help us moving short in state championships weren’t playing to our strengths. As into the spring. I’m sure if you in recent years. Two of the the year progressed, we really kind ask the guys, they are ready to boys’ previous season losses of grew into ourselves and just (im- win another championship.” were to the Hempfield High proved as a) team.”

Scan the QR code to watch Boys assistant coach Brian School rugby team, which an accompanying package they defeated in the finals Keown has a positive outlook this year to become the state for the upcoming developchampions. However, for the ments during the spring season seniors on the team, this was after a successful fall season.

“I’m looking forward to not their first state victory.

“The senior class right now watching the guys transition. won states our freshman year. The game is totally different, We’ve been solid this fall,” said se- longer and more physical,” Kenior and boys’ captain Caius Mich- own said. “But, we have a lot of litsch. “Going into this year, we big strong guys, and I think it’s

“There are good days and bad days, and thankfully I had really great support (from) friends who showed up or were cheering on from home so that really made it worth it,” Tubbs said.

During the season, the team practiced every weekday and raced on the weekends.

The team separated into training groups determined by how fast team members were to help them work and improve together. Before all Central League meets, the team got together with the help of parents and its booster club for a pasta dinner.

“I think everybody on the team is pretty close, so (we) just push each other in races, and we race together,” said junior and girls’ team captain Lily Jones.

Last year, the girls made it to the state championship as a team, but this year neither the boys’ or girls’ teams qualified. The teams, however, are still looking into the future and focusing on their goals and strategies for next year.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t have a good district race, so that kind of hurt us in qualifying for states,” said cross country head coach Richard Hawkins. “But next year, my goal would be to get the boys and girls to qualify for states.”

The crew team finished its season at The Hidden River Chase on Nov. 5. The boys and girls quad placed first.

The boys duo bagged all three positions and the girls clinched first and second positions. The team concluded the season with a few more practices.

Retaliation The Philadelphia Eagles avenged its Super Bowl loss against the Kansas City Chiefs 21-17 on Nov. 20.

The game was the mostwatched Monday Night Football game since the Green Bay Packers played the New England Patriots in November 1996.

Bowls The 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup came to an end on Nov. 19 after Australia beat India by six wickets. ICC named Indian batsman Virat Kohli the Player of the Tournament.

The 2023 World Cup set a record with 518 million live TV viewers.

Digs On Nov. 15, the Mini-THON planning committee hosted Conestoga’s second annual Student vs. Faculty Volleyball Game. The game raised more than $300 toward the committee’s year-long goal of $25,000 to support children with pediatric cancer.

SPORTS

The SPOKE

In double overtime, boys soccer wins state title Page 10

Field hockey team wins district title Page 10

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Girls soccer secures runner-up title in state championship Page 11

Boys rugby clinches state title, girls place third Page 11

Lily Chen/The SPOKE

Leap of faith: Senior Lia Issakov trains in ballet extensively from Monday to Saturday, taking classes and rehearsing excerpts from full-length ballets. Issakov competed Levels 1 to 4 of the Vaganova method at The Rock School for Dance Education.

On pointe: Senior strives for ballet Expertise Ashley Du and Emily Wang Staff Reporters

Senior Lia Issakov is an expert at juggling dance and schoolwork, managing to dance 25 to 30 hours a week in her quest for ballet stardom.

Issakov has trained since she was 9 years old, dancing at Simply Dance Studio and The Washington Ballet before settling at the West Chester branch of The Rock School for Dance Education, The Rock School West, three years ago.

During summer 2022, The Royal Ballet School selected Issakov for its summer intensive program in London. There, she worked with accomplished teachers and dancers internationally.

“I got to work with really great teachers and really great students as well from all over the world. It was the best week of my life,” Issakov said.

Issakov attends The Rock School West’s day program as part of the pre-professional division. She is currently training at Level 5 out of 7 and studies the Vaganova method.

The goal of the pre-professional program is to expose dancers to a professional setting, consisting of a ballet class followed by rigorous rehearsals and excerpts from larger ballets. Issakov joined the program in her junior year.

“Right off the bat, I was very impressed with her work ethic,” said Etienne Diaz, director of ballet for The Rock

School West. “She’s just ready to learn. She’s always present.”

Issakov said that balancing school and ballet is difficult, but she has learned to manage her time. Using any time she has, Issakov studies during dance breaks and in the car.

“Every free moment is homework, and then the rest is just dancing,” Issakov said. “My time management has gotten way better because of (ballet), and I manage my stress well also.”

Ann Karcewski, Issakov’s freshman and sophomore Spanish teacher, said that Issakov rarely missed deadlines despite her busy schedule.

“She always had her work done,” Karcewski said. “She never ever emailed me saying, ‘Señora, could I have an extra

day?’ or anything like that. If she had a really, really busy schedule in the afternoon or night, I would have never even guessed.”

After graduation, Issakov plans to apply and audition for many ballet companies, her top choice being Orlando Ballet Company and School.

Companies are professional dance troupes, and most hire based on auditions.

According to Diaz, Issakov has already learned everything in The Rock School’s curriculum. Now, The Rock School teachers help Issakov create audition tapes and talk to other directors to find the right company for her.

“Every company is a little bit different in terms of what they’re looking for. Our job is

not just to teach them everything but to prepare them for the future,” Diaz said.

As jobs in ballet are competitive, Issakov wants to continue her academic education through online classes.

“I would like to apply to online schools to hopefully start my degree so that I can start my education because dancing doesn’t last forever,” Issakov said.

When it comes to Issakov’s motivation, she says that her extensive commitment to dance has kept her going.

“I would say that my biggest motivation is that I’ve been doing this for so long,” Issakov said.

“I’ve worked so incredibly hard for it. I want to see it through, and I want to finish it and be like, ‘I did it. I accomplished it.’”

Football team honors faculty with ‘My Jersey, Your Impact’ Juliana Yao

Co-Sports Editor

Courtesy Matt Diamond

Your impact: Senior Landon Ross and teacher Brian Gallagher pose with Ross’ jersey. The football team started the “My Jersey, Your Impact” initiative this fall.

This year, the varsity football team kickstarted the “My Jersey, Your Impact” initiative to honor the staff that has positively impacted the players’ educational and personal journeys.

Senior athletes wrote a letter to their chosen staff member and surprised the faculty with their football jersey on Oct. 12. The following day, the team took a moment before its last home game of the season to honor the chosen faculty.

“My Jersey, Your Impact” is a tradition at a number of other school football teams, and parents raised the possibility of Conestoga starting it during a summer Booster Club meeting.

Coaches, players and parents alike gave positive feedback to the initiative, supporting its implementation in the fall.

Senior and co-captain Benner Miller believes the program gave the players a unique chance to recognize the staff as well as being an enjoyable experience overall.

“Everyone loved it,” Miller said. “But it also just gave everyone a chance to reflect and show our gratitude to these people. And it may not have been something that a lot of us would have done on our own, but once it was presented to us, everyone understood how it was a great opportunity.”

Some of the faculty that received jerseys had little previous knowledge of the initiative, only learning about it once they accepted their jerseys. One of these faculty members was economics and psychology teacher Brian Gallagher, to whom senior and football player Landon Ross gifted his jersey and letter.

“It was kind of a shock to me actually,” Gallagher said.

“But it was also a (reaction) of gratitude. It was a really nice moment. I didn’t really know what was happening, but once it was explained to me, I really felt appreciative of the student and of the idea behind it.”

Head coach of the football team Matt Diamond has a similar mindset, believing that

the program is important to build appreciation for Conestoga staff. With many faculty members reaching out to Diamond about how touched they were, he hopes to carry on the program into future years.

“It sends the right message that there are so many people along the way that contribute to your life and that there are so many positive people in the district,” Diamond said. “We want to continue to do this as an initiative that gives back to the community.”

Gallagher believes in the difference that such a program can make on teachers, saying that an acknowledgement of how a teacher’s class positively impacted a student can serve as the extra motivation that they may need on a given day.

“Maybe the greatest thing that it gave me was just good encouragement. You never really know the impacts that you’re necessarily making,” Gallagher said. “I think it reframes the perspective of why I got into teaching and why I still really, really enjoy my job.”

SCORELINE

scores as of 11/30

Football

B Soccer

G Soccer

G Tennis

B XC

G XC

B Golf

G Golf

Volleyball

Field Hockey

W

7

24

21

17

5

6

9

7

10

23

L

5

0

4

2

1

0

2

1

9

1

T

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0