The Spoke May 2014 by The Spoke

THE

MAY 1, 2014 INSIDE: SIGNS OF SPRING P. 10 PROM TIPS P. 17 BOYS RUBGY P. 21

sen•ior•i•tis

(n.) an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences and lower grades - Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Prosecutors: Neil Scott, 25, and Timothy Brooks, 18, led drug business aimed at Main Line youth

“Stogs [sic] alone is a couple a week.” A text message seized by the Lower Merion Police Departpotential source for marijuana sales—landed the school on a list of local high schools and colleges that authorities believe were targeted by a drug distribution ring of individuals aged 17-29. As of Monday, April 28, no cur-

Story by Lavi Ben-Dor, Simran Singh & Yuge Xiao, Co-Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor & Convergence Editor Suprotem Sarkar/The SPOKE

tudents are still trickling into class 10 minutes after the bell. They walk in with a blank expression on their faces—unmotivated, unfocused and unprepared. These students are tious disease: senioritis. Senioritis describes a mentality that many seniors adopt in general apathy toward schoolwork mon symptoms of the condition include laziness, decreased class attendance, slipping grades and incomplete assignments. The Spoke surveyed four randomly selected senior homerooms in mid-April and found that more than 84 percent of surveyed seniors claimed to have senioritis, just one sign that

Professor Emeritus of Education and Business Administration at Stanford University Michael Kirst, who published a report on the issue in 2001 and currently fornia State Board Of Education, said that senioritis occurs when emphasis on senior year.

“They let the kids do mostly whatever they want to do in the senior year because their high school graduation requirements are largely met and therefore requirements for the senior year into college, so what is the purpose of this?”

tion]. So [senioritis] has become more of a problem because of the importance of being ready for postsecondary education,” Kirst said. Senioritis, however, is uniquely American, according to Kirst. “In England, for example, [col-

Kirst said that senioritis has become more concerning because

think the seniors are working just as hard as they did September versus April. They want those great grades, they want to accomplish the goals that they established in the beginning of the school year,” Boyle said. “But I think the major-

of seniors surveyed by The Spoke said they had senioritis

of high school could negatively ence, which is now seen as almost “Over the past few decades, the percentage of students who go on to some form of post-secondary education has increased dramatiworse, because many of the jobs require [post-high school educa-

drug usage. “I think when incidents like this come up it only bolsters and brings it to the fore-

signed by Lower Merion detec-

of Narcotics Investigation and

alleged that the group was led by

The whole admissions cycle is very

84% `

arrested as part of the alleged ring. However, nine adults and two minors face drug-related charges for allegedly distributing or planning to distribute narcotics to Main Line high schools and colleges according to the Montgomery

your end of year exams in your

the way we do this business, so we lose a half a year of school even for the best of our students,” he said. Assistant principal Patrick Boyle feels that senioritis is not as grave of an issue as others seem to think.

They keep going and going and going and working hard.” ments, however, students and teachers feel that senioritis is pervasive throughout the senior class.

Continued on p. 4

Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger said the drug operation “hit home” munity because it specifically targeted students. In light of the incident, Meisinger hopes that students, staff and parents use this event to have authentic conversations about making the right decisions. “Prevention, deterrence, support,” are what Meisinger names

Neil K. Scott, 25, of Haverford lanova who supplied marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy to a network of sub-dealers that covered the schools. his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to The Haverford School on an athletic scholarship. Police isolated a text message from Brooks to Scott referring to a “main line [sic] take over project,” implying that the pair hoped to be the sole suppliers of marijuana in the Main Line.

parents,” Meisinger said. In a phone interview with The Spoke, Jonathan Duecker, the special agent in charge of the

can provide support to school districts. “This is a dangerous game and the Main Line is deep in it,” Duecker said. “And for the most the Main Line and whether we have parents that disregard the issue or school administrators that disregard it or want to deal with it on their own, this problem is just too big for any one organization or any one school to deal with on their own.” one of several schools on the Main Line he contacted about organizing a focus group for students, former dealers and parents. The try to expose both users and nonusers to “realistic stories” about drug abuse. After an interview with The office to “gather information” about programs.

Continued on p. 5

B S &

NEWS

PAGE 2 The Spoke is published seven times per year at Bartash Printing. It consistently receives the Gold Award from the Pennsylvania School Press Association and is a National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award-winning publication. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression. Editors-in-chief: Lavi Ben-Dor, Allison Kozeracki Managing Editor: Simran Singh News Editor: Suproteem Sarkar Opinion Editor: James Redmond Features Editor: Emily Klein Sports Editors: Courtney Kennedy, Navin Zachariah Design Editors: Sophie Bodek, Noah Levine Centerspread Editor: Callum Backstrom Convergence Editor: Yuge Xiao Business Manager: Mary Mei Zoe Au, Andy Backstrom, Maggie Chen, Nour Elkassabany, Michael Hong, Rose Kantorczyk, Gabrielle Kerbel, Camille Kurtz, Liz Lawton, Michael Li, Dhanvin Manoo, Paula Miller, Patrick Nicholson, Meagan O’Rourke, Emma Purinton, Rachit Sabharwal, Shivani Sanghani, Sam Sedor, Matt Soderberg, Victoria Stern, Michael Zhang, Jerry Zhu Faculty Advisers: Susan Houseman, Cynthia Crothers-Hyatt

Submissions Letters to the editor may be submitted to Susan Houseman, Cynthia Hyatt, Lavi Ben-Dor or Allison Kozeracki. Unsigned editorials represent the views of The Spoke editorial board, and not necessarily those of the administration, student body, community or advertisers. The opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of The Spoke.

Email: spoke@stoga.net Phone: 610-240-1046 The Spoke accepts paid advertisements. Email mmei@stoganews.com Visit The Spoke online at www.stoganews.com Web News Director: Yuge Xiao yxiao@stoganews.com

THE SPOKE

After snow days, school hosts AP, Keystone reviews Michael Li Michael Zhang Staff Reporters

MLi@stoganews.com MZhang@stoganews.com For most students, spring break is usually something akin to an end-of-year pitstop, providing individuals with a time to relax. But for some planning to take AP exams at Conestoga this year, spring break meant heading back to school and starting preparations with their teachers early, joining their peers in school-wide reviews for the exams in May. Students were able to attend AP and Keystone spring break review sessions, held at Conestoga, from April 14-16. With a from AP Computer Science to AP World History, the three-hourlong sessions further prepared students for the AP exams. The administration implemented the AP review sessions mainly as a way to make up for 10 school days lost to snow. Even though days are added to the school year to compensate, AP teachers are unable to take advantage of this because most of the days are added to the end of the year, when the exams are over. “Normally teachers always plan into their AP exam calendar and curriculum for the year, and they usually try to build in a few days at the end strictly for review,” assistant principal Andy Phillips said. The task of running the reviews was left to the teachers, organizing their own sessions with a few guidelines. Michael Palmatier, one of Conestoga’s three AP United States History (APUSH) teachers, played a part in planning the APUSH review.

“The administration allowed were told there would be no new content, because you don’t want to have students miss anything,” Palmatier said. Due to the hands-off approach the administration took in overseeing the sessions, different teachers ran their respecthe case of the APUSH session, it was broken up into three activities: a practice set of multiple choice questions, an outline of a sample AP essay, and a competitive review game. Sophomore Angela Kassey, one of 57 students who attended the APUSH review organized by history teachers Michael Cruz, John Koenig and Palmatier, found the activities helpful. “We took tests and quizzes which showed our understandings so far, and I felt that I that might have been a little blurry before,” Kassey said. Meanwhile, students in AP chance to review practice multiple choice and free response questions done earlier in class, later receiving packets of questions and review topics that they started on in small groups. Junior Elise Dunlop, who attended two sessions including the AP Calculus BC one, regarded them as not only a time for valuable review, but also as a perfect opportunity to seriously begin her preparations for the exam in May. “I wanted motivation to start studying for all the AP exams, and this was a good way to kick “It’s kind of frustrating, because it’s like a huge chunk of my day for spring break, but I mean ultimately it’s helpful.”

Save the date: Upcoming events in community APR

Spring Jazz Concert Student musicians from ’Stoga and both of the middle schools are performing at the Spring Jazz Concert on April 30 starting at 7 p.m.

MAY

Spring Tri-M Recital The Tri-M Music Honor Society will host its second recital of the year on May 7 at 6 p.m. The recital is free and open to the community.

30 07

MAY

Junior Prom The theme of this year’s Junior Prom is “Frozen.” Prom will be held at the Sheraton in King of Prussia on May 10 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Health Fair Peer Mediation hosts its annual Health Fair on May 28 from second to seventh periods. The event will give students a chance to relax after weeks of testing.

Jerry Zhu/The SPOKE

Chemistry teacher Dr. Scott Best presents at a science review session. After snow days decreased class time, the district decided to hold AP and Keystone review sessions over spring break. Kassey carried similar inten- I don’t really mind having [the tions in attending the sessions, review sessions] during spring but for her the spring break break. If you’re going away it’s schedule did not seem too inconvenient as a review option study on your own, but if you’re for students. not really doing anything com“I came to review for the AP ing here to study seems like a exams and really start to study really good thing to do,“ Kassey without too many distractions. said.

New program encourages concussion recuperation Shivani Sanghani Staff Reporter

SSanghani@stoganews.com The Concussion Management Team (CMT) was recently established at Conestoga to aid students with recuperation after concussions. The CMT is a coordinated and the BrainSTEPS (Strategies Teaching Educators, Parents, and Students) Brain Injury School ReEntry Consulting Program, which assists school districts in creating educational plans for students following an acquired brain injury. As part of the CMT, guidance counselor Megan Ryan, assistant principal Patrick Boyle and Conestoga nurse Gail Hammon underwent training by BrainSTEPS. To support the students with meeting the demands of school, Ryan said that the primary goal of the CMT is to gather and support the students from an academic perspective. “When we get notice that a student has a concussion, we receive a medical note, which the nurses comes into the picture to send the documentation we now have,” Ryan said. “Really, this is what

we’ve been doing mostly. We’ve been following this process for a long time now. But now, it’s just more formalized.” According to Hammon, her role as the nurse is primarily geared towards following the doctor’s orders. Hammon mostly monitors a student’s recovery through “a student concussion symptom monitoring tool.” “What I do is I meet with the students who have been diagbeen rated. The students are rated from zero, being none, to three, being severe,” Hammon said. “We monitor that for a few weeks and wait and see what the doctor says after that.” Ryan said that the CMT has recently started using forms provided by BrainSTEPS to make the “process of communication between teachers and counselors more uniform.” The forms allow the student’s counselor and teacher to gather information as to how the student is performing in the classroom. “If the student needs academic accommodations, we are going to just make sure that we’re servicing the students in the best way we can,” Ryan said.

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PAGE 3

As autism rates rise, school district plans for future

communicating, forming relationships and understanding abstract concepts, ranging in severity on a scale known as the autism spectrum, constantly evolves and presents new challenges and opportunities. As the school district observed an increase in autism rates, teamwork and students became imperative. “The more we are all working together on the same page toward one goal the more success we are going to have,” said DeVitis. According to a recent CDC report, one in 68 children are diagnosed with autism, a 30 percent increase from the one in 88 children diagnosed with autism in 2008. The CDC’s statistics are based on eight-year-olds from 11 communities throughout the U.S. and do not represent a national average. Increasing numbers of diagnoses could be attributed to increased awareness, a broader autism spectrum or better methods of detection according to Coleen Boyle, the director of the CDC’s National Center on Birth

autism as the primary disability; that number has grown each year.” The school district identifies a child with autism through a series of diagnostic indicators, beginning with input from parents and standardized testing by a psychologist or specialist. If the child is diagnosed with autism, the district must place the child in the “least restrictive environment,” meaning they begin education in a typical public classroom setting and are removed if education cannot be achieved satisfactorily. Children with severe cases of autism and learning disabilities may be enrolled in a specialized school such as the TimoConestoga. To provide for students diagnosed with autism, Chapter 14 of the Pennsylvania school code requires school districts to have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). IEPs for autistic students provide support with communication, behavior and social skills, but could also address other student needs such as learnprogram at Conestoga wis aimed to

new options to meet student needs.

professional development from the Chester County Intermediate Unit and Pennsylvania Department of EducaAdditionally, the district provides Conestoga’s Autistic Support program, which is now in its second year. The program “naturally extended into the next level” as students enrolled in the elementary and middle schools matured, Groppe said. The specialized program focuses on social skills, one of the main challenges of autistic students. DeVitis teaches social skills

ASD IQ Scores 31%: Intellectual disability 23%: Borderline Range 46%: Average/Above Average

1 in 68 children have ASD

23 6 4

5: 1

A national increase in autism diagnoses has prompted the school district to increase support. Autism, a set of developmental

aid children diagnosed with autism by addressing their needs for verbal and nonverbal communication, social interaction skills and responses to sensory experiences or changes in their environment. “What we do is we gather information determiners of strengths and in areas of needs of students, and we build a program that helps support them make progress whether be in academic life, social life, vocational life,” DeVitis said. Depending on students’ needs, occupational therapy, speech therapy, counseling or street safety instruc-

MHong@stoganews.com MOrourke@stoganews.com

Defects and Developmental Disabilities. Regardless, the increase in reported cases of autism could alter the infrastructure and funding of special education in the district. “The number [of autistic students] has risen over the years, commensurate with what is seen on the national level,” said supervisor of special education Chris Groppe. “For example, in

Michael Hong & Meagan O’Rourke Staff Reporters

more common in boys than in girls Ben Red for The SPOKE

tion is provided for special education students. Although funding from non-local sources has stagnated percent ($14.3 million) of its budget on an expanding special education program. As the number of students with IEPs increases, the special educaexisting programming and develop

at Conestoga, but he could not have overcome students’ obstacles without the help of others. “The students that I work with ported and encouraged to pursue what they want to do to be successful,” DeVitis said. “And as a teacher it has been helpful for me too because I feel like I can rely on administrators, other

teachers, students because I really feel a sense of community.” Jane Rawlings transferred her son with an IEP from the Timothy School to Valley Forge Middle School, hoping he would develop in the public school setting that was better suited to his milder needs. She has noticed an improvement in her son’s communication and writing skills and appreciates the cooperative special education open lines of communication with the special education department. “I feel like they really listen to us and they consider our viewpoints and what we think he needs,” Rawlings said. “What I like is I can talk to his teacher, and if there’s anything that’s bothering him, he can tell me because I can always call his teacher and say ‘can we chat?’” Working together, parents, administrators and teachers hope to meet the increasing needs and demands presented with increasing rates of autism. “The world of special education is always evolving. We are always learning more about our students and about instructional strategies and what we can do to support our students. The district as a whole is dedicated to lifelong learning,” DeVitis said. “We’re always on the lookout for what we can do best to support our students. If we uncover or come across we would certainly take those things seriously. We are just ongoing learners.”

Beakers to briefcases: Science teacher moves to administration Liz Lawton & Camille Kurtz Staff Reporters

LLawton@stoganews.com CKurtz@stoganews.com An element is missing from the science hallways. Dr. Lydia Hallman left her AP Chemistry and Honors Physics classes behind on April 1 to assume a new role at Conestoga. A Nov. 25 T/E school board meeting approved the decision to appoint Hallman as the freshman class assistant principal while current administrator Michelle Staves is on maternity leave. Hallman will carry out Staves’ responsibility for dealing with student activities, such as clubs and large events, while Dr. Michelle Nahorniak and Ryan Roberts will teach Hallman’s AP Chemistry and Honors Physics classes. Hallman had expressed interest in taking on an administrative position at Conestoga and, once presented with this new opportunity, said she was excited to begin helping students expand their areas of interest. “I was so happy because it’s something that I really wanted to

“I was so happy because it’s something that I really wanted to do. You get to help [the students] be creative and come up with ideas and new clubs and let that be part of the community that is Conestoga.” -Dr. Lydia Hallman Liz Lawton/The SPOKE

Science teacher Dr. Lydia Hallman is taking over for freshman assistant principal Michele Staves while Staves is on maternity leave. Hallman will return to the science department next year. do. You get to help [the students] she will miss her coworkers and be creative and come up with students in the department. “I was very sad [to leave]. It’s ideas and new clubs and let that be part of the community that is an amazing group of people. Conestoga,” Hallman said. “We There’s a lot of creativity and they have a great thing going and so I inspire you to try to do something want to be a part of that, make it new all the time,” Hallman said. After an application and interbetter and increase the number of students that are in activities.” view process, the two positions Hallman’s switch generates left vacant by Hallman’s move anticipation of the new chal- were filled. On April 1, Halllenges in managing student man’s AP Chemistry students activities and events. After this welcomed Nahorniak, while her assignment, Hallman will return Honors Physics students greeted to the science department, where Roberts. Nahorniak has taught for she has taught for 11 years. In her absence, however, Hallman says more than 10 years, both abroad

and at the college level. As she settles into her new position at Conestoga, Nahorniak relays the welcoming feeling she received from students and faculty alike. “These students here are just exceptional. They’re like little polite adults. Everyone, the students and the faculty, has been so helpful,” Nahorniak said. Roberts agrees with Nahorniak, describing the ease with which he interacts with the students and his enthusiasm about the opportunity to share his love of science. “I like to work with seniors. I feel like I can really relate to them well. They are very easy to get along with,” Roberts said. “I’m excited to teach physics. It’s and inspiring people to want to learn physics because physics is really cool.” Sophomore Evan Snyder, a student in Hallman’s AP Chemistry class, said that Hallman will experience, as it gives her a new perspective with which to examine situations. “Teaching definitely forces you to directly interact with students. I would think in a lot

of ways it will help [her] understand student’s problems and be able to make better decisions for the good of the school and the students,” Snyder said. Senior Rebecca Simonetti, who had Hallman for Honors Physics this year and AP Chemistry during sophomore year, said Hallman helped facilitate both her senior internship and letters of recommendation. “She’s the type of teacher that will bend over backwards to help you,” Simonetti said. “I’m going to miss having her in class because you can talk to [her] about anything and [she] is super excited to hear about everything that’s going on in your life. She’s one of my favorite teachers without a doubt.” Simonetti said she believes her former physics and chemistry teacher will have success in her new position. Hallman “is extremely intelligent. She is very dedicated to her work [and] gives everything she has into making whatever she’s doing the best,” Simonetti said. She’s very able to handle a lot of them all very well.”

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PAGE 4

THE SPOKE

Seniors lose interest in school, face wave of ‘senioritis’ Do you have senioritis?

Continued from p. 1

Senioritis at ’Stoga

When did it hit you?

Conestoga’s seniors have been hit hard by this condition. A sig-

Spring

Early

Same Yes

surveyed by The Spoke reported

Aft

Late

er M

Yes

tests.

Have your grades declined this year?

idte

How much sleep do you get relative to previous years?

done and ready to hand in. But

About how often do you come in late?

Are you late more frequently?

2 times a week

SENIOR-O-METER Lauren Ge said.

JUNE

65% Same

but has noticed the condition’s

MAY

Once per week

70%

e or

APR

Same

Never

Less

Onc

Yes

onth

am wice

75% MAR FEB

Graphics: Sophie Bodek and Noah Levine/

The Spoke conducted a survey in mid-April of four randomly selected homerooms, polling 74 se-

80%

JAN DEC

85%

than in the past. According to attendance su-

90%

NOV

Ge said.

Finding a Fix

95% OCT SEP

100%

centages as the year progresses.

you very hard in your senior year

Symptoms of Slack -

their phones instead. “The biggest thing I’ve no-

“Teachers have reacted to

stand that there are any conse-

progresses. “I think that I try to keep the

surveyed by The Spoke said that than in the past.

nothing that can cure senioritis -

said.

Absence in Abundance

ping grades. I think that 11 years

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THE SPOKE

PAGE 5

Admin, law enforcement reflect on policy following drug arrests Continued from p. 1

District remains ‘vigilant’

Investigation reveals drug business On Feb 28, detectives from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Narcotics Enforcement Team searched Scott’s apartment and found marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, hash oil and a loaded rifle in close proximity to the drugs. Investigators said that Scott obtained marijuana from shipments from California. Scott, along with Brooks, allegedly supplied the drugs to sub-dealers that covered customers in the Pa. colleges of Gettysburg, Lafayette and Haverford, as well as five local high schools: Lower Merion, Harriton, Radnor, Conestoga and The Haverford School. Brooks reportedly told the high school sub-dealers to supply a steady amount of marijuana to each school, because he remembered his own difficulty in obtaining marijuana in high school. Twenty customers of Scott and Brooks admitted buying marijuana and other drugs from them; the transactions were confirmed through text messages. The extent of Scott and Brooks’s distribution became clear when evidence of the or-

ganization was found in nine locations in the surrounding Montgomery, Chester and Philadelphia counties over a four-month investigation. The items seized included marijuana, cocaine and MDMA, along with multiple weapons and approximately $11,000. Information provided by four confidential informants revealed sub-dealers in the Lower Merion and Haverford areas as well as details about Scott. The information obtained from the informants helped determine Scott’s appearance, address, and phone numbers. Chester County First Assistant District Attorney Michael Noone said in an interview with The Spoke that marijuana is “an ongoing issue with schools and with the community” and that the most recent case demonstrates how important it is for the police to remain vigilant. Noone said that drug trafficking and abuse “lead to a lifetime struggle with addiction, jail, or death” and that “anyone who pushes drugs on young people in the prime of their lives will be brought to justice.”

Former student among those accused

Neil Scott pictured as a sophomore in the 2005 Conestoga yearbook (left) and as a 25-year-old in his mugshot (right). The affidavit of probable cause released by the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office alleges that Scott received and distributed drugs to subdealers, who targeted local high schools and colleges. Scott grew up in the Paoli area and attended Conestoga for his freshman and sophomore years. He then transferred to the Haverford School on an athletic scholarship. After graduating high school, Scott enrolled in Connecticut College but withdrew after being

sanctioned for smoking marijuana. Scott worked at a medical marijuana dispensary in San Diego in 2010, but returned back to his parents’ house in Paoli in 2013. Before his arrest, Scott lived in his apartment in Haverford, within 1,000 feet of the Haverford School.

“The safety of our students is paramount in our efforts to provide them with a safe learning environment.” “The District’s drug and alcohol practices and policies include prevention, deterrence and support for our students.” -Dr. Dan Waters, Superintendent

“This is a dangerous game and the Main Line is deep in it.” “This problem is just too big for any one organization or any one school to deal with on their own.” -Jonathan Duecker, Special Agent in Charge, Pa. Attorney General’s Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control

Meisinger said that Area Residents Caring and Helping (ARCH) will hold a panel discussion on addiction at the T/E Administrative Offices May 1 at 7 p.m. Although the panel was planned before the arrests, Meisinger said it will allow community members to learn from people who have been impacted by addiction. Assistant principal and CARE administrator Dr. Lydia Hallman said that the CARE team also provides ongoing support to students who have been referred by faculty. “CARE provides a process for students who are struggling with a number of issues, whether it’s drug and alcohol related or personal issues with depression and anxiety,” Hallman said. “Whatever issues come up for them, we provide a process so that we can address those issues for them in the school. And really we’re focused on helping them be successful here at school and be successful in life in general, so it’s an ongoing process here at the school. It’s really not reactionary. We work continuously.” Superintendent Dr. Daniel

Waters issued a written response to the developments on the T/E website, saying that the district will “continue to be vigilant” toward drug and alcohol abuse. “The safety of our students is paramount in our efforts to provide them with a safe learning environment,” Waters said in his statement. “The District’s drug and alcohol practices and policies include prevention, deterrence and support for our students.” Meisinger said that the district also conducts sniff searches with the help of the Tredyffrin Police. A district press release after a drug sniff held April 20, 2012 said that “no illegal substances were found.” Junior Jacob Beilenson said that although he does not see drug abuse as an extensive issue at Conestoga, he believes that there are students who abuse narcotics. “I think most people at Conestoga don’t do drugs,” Beilenson said. “I guess there are people who abuse drugs. And since people here have money, they have money to spend on drugs and such illegal substances.”

Authorities continue drug investigations According to Noone, Chester County’s DA office and police force have been working closely with those of Montgomery County in this investigation. He added that students are often the best sources of information. “When students realize there are issues at their school, they may be reluctant to go to other students or teachers or administrators,” Noone said. “They should feel free to go to the police because any kind of information they can provide to the police can be helpful and might ultimately end up saving the lives of their classmates. So I would encourage any students who have concerns about what’s going on in their schools to reach out to the local law enforcement.” Noone added that drug prevention programs are continuing in the area. “We do coordinate with local law enforcement and schools on random searches. We also support various programs in schools,” Noone said. “Those efforts are ongoing. It

would not be accurate to say that there is a specific effort at this time in direct response to this case—these are constant and ongoing efforts.” In the wake of the arrests, the Haverford School announced April 23 that it would form a “Task Force on Safety and Character” to examine the school’s drug and safety programs. Meisinger said she learned about the arrests April 21, when the suspects were arraigned. If the investigations continue, Meisinger said the school would cooperate with the police for the sake of student safety.

“When situations arise we address them right away and we will continue to do that and if the police ask for our cooperation, we will continue to do that too. Again, it’s about stakes, it’s about safety and keeping kids safe and we need to make sure we do everything we can to do that,” Meisinger said. Noone said he would encourage students to consider the risks of drug abuse. “When someone begins to do drugs, that story usually ends in jail, death, or a lifetime struggle with addiction,” Noone said. “None of those are good options.”

PAGE 6

FEATURES

THE SPOKE

Spring Clothing Trends

Spring Break Tans

this year, designers and style icons have taken a turn for the color-

while the majority of students will have to wait until the summer for hot and sunny days, nothing signals spring like seeing those post-spring break

For the girls:

as bronzed reminders of the week that many of us spent binge-watching colleges, but the presence of tans makes the rest of us

color of the year and designers for all age groups and stores are following suit, pairing the bright fuchsia color with other standout shades of

does mean sunshine is on its way, so soon enough the

Some of this year’s chart toppers is ideal, as its mint green shade constitutes this season’s new neu-

which aims to give home users an in-

For the guys: Neon colors are invading men’s fashion,

Signs of Spring

brightly colored sneakers and neon-soled desert boots are becoming increasingly cool, students can let out their inner love of color in a sophisticated

By Emily K lein, Features Editor Design by Sophie Bodek, Co-Design Editor

Iced Coffee

With one of the most freezing winters in a while out of the way, students are ready to ditch those travel mugs of

While spring has certainly taken its time getting here, there are still some sure signs

adventurous shoppers, many can just take relief in the fact that after a long and gruesome pants-clad winter, it is once

warmer weather, this year’s signs of spring are trending towards the creative, whether

chilly drink has been trending towards popularity over the last

Promposals -

Dunkin Donuts: New this spring, Dunkin has also

may ooh and ah over the asks, guys may begin to feel the pressure and

websites like

Swirl, Butter Pecan Swirl, and Jamoca Almond Fudge to get fancy, because milk and sugar is all you need to

Wawa: If you’re feeling fancy, Wawa is in-

troducing new made to order drinks, including dulce de leche iced lattes and iced chai

Ne w Music festivals nationwide, this spring ushers in new music that is bound to become the soundtracks

amount of added cream and sugar make for

McDonald’s: Perhaps an underrated cofno other spot will beat the cost, and arguably the

will bring with it another season of country music, as students prepare for summers full of

FEATURES

THE SPOKE

PAGE 7

Giving back, Student to Student club tutors Philly students Jerry Zhu Staff Reporter

to take our education for granted.

Russell Byers is ranked at the 95

JZhu@stoganews.com -

“Asher! Asher!” A girl clings around the neck of junior Asher -

struggle in basic reading skills. Junior Michael Godfrey said

Russell Byers Charter School.

his student’s reading skills after

finger as he teachers her basic

“My student didn’t know what

students slowly trudge through

skills as well as allowing interacbackgrounds.

students] who know a lot about Jerry Zhu

Club members pose outside Russell Byers Charter School. The students take the train on a weekly basis to tutor elementary school students.

used by Student to Student is still

Russell Byers Charter School -

focuses on teaching students

“The biggest setback is that the kids are young so they don’t really they are doing. That’s another

Student to Student not only aids the students at Russell Byers

the outlook on education for -

’Stoga students as well as the -

district.

toga students] who join the club would really benefit our cause

frin/Easttown School District

Curriculum changes: out with the old, in with the new Paula Miller Staff Reporter

four full year courses on balance is

PMiller@stoganews.com

cused on books written lowing English teacher

addition of new language courses.

it’s still fun.”

Literature

New: Spanish 6 German 6 French 6 Latin 6 AP Italian 4

“There was a lot of

Old: Film and Literature Modern American Literature Speech and Presentation Skills Journalism

students reached high able by the end of their junior year. To allow students to continue their language education through senior

website and decided to take the course online through a school in Virginia. Taking the class online can that it is worth the extra work.

classes at Conestoga will continue

New: Advanced Comp

courses could be taken instead. -

as well.

Course Changes

AP Spanish Literature AP French Literature

ld or uages g Old:

Lan W

sentation Skills. The latter of the two -

for it were generally interested in

can look forward to the addition of an -

Liz Lawton

the class analyzed include “One [reason for the change] is that we for four years.” nated.

By Me” and “High Fidelity.” year.

“A lot of students now are re-

that they can stay fresh with the guage of Media. This course focused

said.

PAGE 8

THE SPOKE

FEATURES

THE SPOKE

Aaron Gutter Italian & Latin Teacher

Interview by Mary Mei Photo and design by Victoria Stern

It’s a country with a very rich history and a beautiful language and fun people. I think that it can also

monly known to his students as ian and Latin and is the sponsor of the Italian Culture Club. In his

whether you want to work in the Italian fashion industry

and interest for both languages are evident through his success at adding the AP Italian course.

students should take Italian.. TS: Where did you grow up and what was some of your background? AG: I’m from upstate New York in Rochester and I’ve spent most of my life in New York. Before movfor eight years. During that time I worked on my Masters degree school in Brooklyn for four years. TS: How did you become interested in Italian and Italian culture? AG: studied abroad in Siena. Some terested in going there and said it would be a great experiencewhere my interest began. TS: What were some of your best travel experiences? AG: I stayed in Siena the longest and one of the best experiences I had was during the which is a community wide event. All of the city is invited into neighborhoods where there’s singpeople are walking around in medieval a lot of life and vibrancy and it’s an amazing feeling to be in that kind of electric environment. TS: Why do you think students should take Italian? AG: Italian if they’re interested in Italian culture.

so many fascinating international careers. Knowing Italian can come in handy in ways you would never expect. You meet people that you would never get to meet and make really great connections. TS: What advice would you give students looking for a career related to language? AG: passionate about language and if they really like

should explore becoming a teacher. I think that ultimately the most important thing about a career in education is to be able to connect with kids and to better their lives. TS: How did you know y o u wanted to be a

PAGE 9 my own and was interested in my personal education. TS: Is there anything special or know about you? AG: really into sky diving or rock

Favorites: Book: “The Corrections” by Jonathan Song: “Sara Smile” by Hall and Oates Ideal vacation: Italy teacher? AG: During college I had always liked teaching and I so it was something I pretty much knew I wanted to do. TS: Do you have any hobbies? AG: I really enjoy running. I’ve run since high school and I’ve also run a few half-marathons. I also like learning about web design and development and I’m really in to computers. I enjoy food. TS: career would you choose? AG: I really admire musicians like to do something like that. I think it would be an interesting life to be a pianist or a classical musician. TS: Who are some of your role models? AG: My

wide test-based competition that year. TS: Do you have any favorite memories from going on the Latin Junior Classical League (JCL) trip? AG: One of the best things about JCL is that you get to see students from all over Pennsylvania Franzen getting really excited about Latin. People have this preconceived idea that a weekend devoted to Latin can’t possibly TS:What activities are the Italian Culture Club planning? AG: plans the annual Italian Culture Day. We had a gelato making party back in February. We are also looking forward to going out to dinner to an Italian restaurant in the spring. TS: Was your interest

Movie: “A Night at the Opera”

Food: Pastain all variations Celebrity:

climbPaul ing so I don’t t h i n k there’s anything strange about me that my students don’t know. But in my high school years I was really into academic teams and com-

Rudd

my thing. TS: Do you have any pets? AG: I have a silly cat named Basket—he is named that because he was found in a basket outside of the shelter

grandmother is one of my big role models and one of my heroes. She was always interested in travel and volunteering and helping other people. She was a truly excellent person and wonderful person to be around. She was also that got me to read on

part of academic teams: Masterminds (a trivia style competition)

just stuck. TS: What were some of your best/worst high school experiences? AG: One of my best experiences in high school was working with my favorite teachers. I had a number of excellent teachers that made learning enjoy-

and volunteered their time to work with me. the reasons I wanted

one major individual. AG: My Humanities to go to Italy. He told me that I’d learn more in one semester abroad than in my four years at colwas cor-

rect. nothing more engaging than being in a foreign country where everything from anything you have ever known and you have to try to make sense out of all that is happening.

PAGE 10

FEATURES

A ‘prom’ising night

Yuge Xiao Convergence Editor

“No matter what you do, you are going to be nervous when asking a girl. It’s essential to just YXiao@stoganews.com Dress, check. Tux, check. accept that. If you are assertive Corsage, boutonniere, party and prepared then there should bus? Check, check and check. be nothing to worry about,” Prom is often considered the highlight of a student’s high to get up in front of a girl you school experience; however, like and show them that you care enough about them to ask many pieces must come them to a very important high together for the night to school event.” run perfectly. “promposing” during the Mr. Pioneer pageant, when he paused after his question and answer section to grab a bou-

The Perfect Fit

The first step of girls’ prom process is dress shopping. W h i l e Facebook groups are created to avoid two girls wearing the same

students approach the search with an open-mind. “When I got my prom dress I didn’t have a particular look that I wanted. I didn’t even know what color I should wear. I’d say to keep your options open and to try on any dress you like [and] be daring, too. Later on you’ll get an idea of what works and doesn’t work with should consider a dress’ comfort and functionality for prom night. “If there’s a tie between a which one would be more comfortable to dance in for a few hours. You have to look pretty and also be able to move.”

different and do something out of your comfort zone. You can’t go wrong with the classic a capella ask or the poster ask but it’s good to spice things up too. Make a treasure hunt, bake her something, or leave something in her locker. decki said. vises students who are planning to “prompose” by singing or playing a song to have the performance reviewed beforehand. “It’s very important to show [the performance] to someone who will review it honestly before going out and performing it in public—for the sake of everyone involved,” Macphee said. While prom is certainly a night to remember, it does not come without a price tag. The cost of a dress or tuxedo, in addition to those of a party bus rental and tickets, can be a strain

dress shopping is best done with to “Just save everything. Try to limit yourself as much as posmom, as opposed to friends. “My advice for shopping for a dress is not to go with your drive less, anything.” friends. I know it sounds cheesy but going with your mom is key, especially when it comes to saving money. “People need to go and get she will tell you [her] opinion,” things done before the prices

? ?yes ?

The Date

While girls are on the hunt for a dress, many guys are on the hunt for the perfect prom said that being nervous when “promposing” is inevitable.

are jacked up. Leaving it all until the last minute is a good way to burn a hole in your wal-

The Big Night When the ly arrives, the

popular place for students to socialize. Macphee shared some of his dancing tips. “I would tell all my fellow hopeless dancers who never know what to do with their arms that they need to just let go and gyrate in whatever way their body wants them to. ing to make embarrassing dancing even worse,” Macphee said. the most out of the actual prom is to have fun and dance without caring what others think. The crazier or wackier the better. It always brings laughs and encourages others to dance and great time too.” While prom certainly does the worst part of the event is all the drama that ensues during prom season. However, students should remember that prom is a night to share with friends and to have fun. “There are always going to be disappointments and heartbreaks but it’s important to look on the bright side and keep in mind that prom will be said. ”The best part simply has to be spending a night with all your friends and the people you love. It’s a long road to prom, involving numerous arrangements and high expectations. Just getting through that and realizing that it’s going to be a night you always remember is something special.”

THE SPOKE

FEATURES

THE SPOKE Rose Kantorczyk & Emma Purinton Staff Reporters

The sky’s the limit for new vertical garden

RKantorczyk@stoganews.com EPurinton@stoganews.com Boasting a greenhouse overflowing with leafy plants and two raised-bed gardens, the small courtyard is already a hub of agriculture in the center of the school. A new innovation in gardening is about to join these rural ranks, courtesy of Greening Stoga Task Force. The Greening Stoga Task Force plans to add a new “vertical garden” to its existing gardens in the small courtyard. The garden will be placed on the wall between the greenhouse and the door to the school, underneath the clock. A wooden framework, built by students from teacher Noah Austin’s classes, will serve as the foundation. Greening Stoga advisers, John Matthews and Kevin Strogen, described the proposed architecture of the garden. “We’re basically installing a wooden foundation, because we don’t want to drill too much into the wall, so a wooden framework would be there and three walls would be actually attached to it,” Strogen said.

Matthews elaborated on how the plants will grow in the vertical garden. “[The structure] is called woolly pockets. It’s a kind of a newer idea. Each pocket has soil in it, that is suspended on its framework, that covers the vertical wall,” Matthews said. In addition to the spacesaving structure of the vertical garden, Matthews hopes to see the garden completely selfsustained in the near future, using the club’s own compost and new systems. “It has to be watered automatically. Over the weekends and vacations [the plants] would die, so there’s going to be an automatic watering system. It would access the water from the greenhouse, and then you would add an automatic timer on it that can schedule in the water,” Matthews said. “We tried to make a whole system that could be sort of self-contained, with the water and the composting, just so people could do it in their own backyards.” Although the framework is being made at the school, everything else has to be ordered and paid for. The Valentine’s Day card sale “helped make money, we have various bake sale money,

TOP 5

Nour Elkassabany Staff Reporter

NElkassabany@stoganews. Any teen’s life can be boiled down to a few things: getting through high school, dealing with emotions and grades, learning about people and relationships and accomplishing something out of reach along the way. When these moments are immortalized on the screen, they become iconic; watching these films becomes a rite of passage. With occasions like prom and graduation growing near, the perfect opportunity to watch these movies is upon us.

“10

PAGE 11

things I hate about you”

“10 Things I Hate About You” (1999) follows the story of Cameron James (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) in his pursuit of Bianca Stratford. The one obstacle in his way is her father’s rule: she cannot date until her older, independent,

Noah Levine/The SPOKE

Senior and Greening ’Stoga Task Force Member Marli Markovitz unpacks elements of the new vertical garden. money from the past couple of been in the making for years. years that really hasn’t been “My sister actually told me used enough, so we put in about three or four hundred dollars,” gardening, so she was like, ‘This Greening Stoga Task Force vice is really cool.’ The more I looked president senior Borofsky said. at it, the cooler I thought it was,” “The rest of the money came in Borofsky said. “When Emily part from Student Council and Zhang [Conestoga class of 2012] part from the beautification and I went to Mr. Boyle to start committee, which has money the community garden when I specifically set to make the was a freshman, we talked about school more pretty and environ- a three step plan, and one of mentally friendly.” the steps was to build a vertical Although the idea of a verti- garden, and I decided to follow cal garden may sound new to through with it this year.” students, the idea has actually Once the garden is in place,

Greening ’Stoga plans to grow a variety of vegetables and plants. “We’re thinking strawberries, lettuce, radishes. This year there probably won’t be that much being planted out there, because we’re going to have to start so late. You can really grow anything in these pockets because they’re so sizable,” Borofsky said. Borofsky said that the club decided not to keep the food produced by the garden. “We’re planning to donate the food to a food bank—that is the proposed plan,” Borofsky said. However, the garden will serve more purpose than just growing food. It will be used as a demonstration and a learning tool for Conestoga students. “We want to open some part of it to Science Olympiad or Environmental Science. If they request pockets, we’ll give it to them,” Borofsky said. Strogen believes that vertical gardens could not only have a future in Conestoga, but could also be a future improvement to the food supply in cities. “Some people say that this is the future because in urban areas you want to grow food, but there’s no space, so why don’t we grow it vertically. Who knows if it will catch on,” Strogen said.

HIGH SCHOOL MOVIES

outspoken older sister Kat (Julia Stiles) does. Cameron’s solution is to hire Patrick Verona (Heath Ledger), the senior hounded by rumors of insanity and mystery, to take Kat out. Naturally, what begins as a job turns into a relationship as Patrick and Kat develop feelings for each other. What this movie offers, besides Joseph Gordon-Levitt with his wonderfully high-pitched voice and Heath Ledger, with his endless charm, is the chance to watch two people learn about each other and change one another for the better.

“Clueless ” Released in 1995, “Clueless” tells the story of Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) as she uses her wealth and popularity to take a new girl, Tai, under her wing. The situation quickly spirals out of control as each girl sets her sights on the “guy for her,” but nothing matches the tension between the girls as much as when Tai starts crushing on Cher’s exstepbrother, Josh (Paul Rudd),

who has just come to visit from college. There is no need to mention Paul Rudd’s timeless beauty, but perhaps one of the best things about this film is seeing Cher find someone who cares about her while displaying her wit and true ability to care for others, despite how clueless she can be. Fun fact: this movie is loosely based off of Jane Austen’s 1815 novel “Emma.”

“

say anything...”

In “Say Anything” (1989), high school senior Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack), who isn’t into much aside from kickboxing, falls for smart, high achieving Diane Court (Ione Skye). Beginning with the graduation party he takes her to, they develop a relationship over the summer, before she has to leave for a fellowship in London. This movie would be nothing without Lloyd’s endearing nervous ramblings and without a doubt, everyone knows about the iconic scene (and equally well known parodies) when John Cusack holds up the boombox blast-

ing “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel into his one true love’s bedroom. Not to mention that much like Lloyd, everybody searches for a “dare to be great situation.

“Bill and Ted ’ s Excellent Adventure” Another selection from 1989, “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” follows Bill S. Preston, Esquire (Alex Winter) and Ted Theodore Logan (Keanu Reeves), best friends and mediocre students set on making their rock band, Wyld Stallynz, famous. Their dilemma comes report, which they must pass to avoid getting Ted sent to military school. With the help of Rufus, a man straight out of the year 2688, they travel through time and collect historical figures, ranging from Socrates to Billy the Kid to Sigmund Freud to help them make their presentation. of drama and boy problems, it is a movie about friendship and a most bodacious adventure.

“THE SPECTACULAR

NOW”

premiered at the 2013 Sundance novel by Tim Tharp, is about Sutter Keely (Miles Teller) and his life as a high school senior: full of parties and free of ambition. After being dumped by his girlfriend Cassidy for refusing to grow up, he meets Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley), a nice, quiet tion books. As they spend more time together and learn each other’s secrets, they begin to see the faults in Sutter’s mantra of living “in the now” and how it might interfere with their future. This emotional rollercoaster of a movie handles broken families, harsh truths and countless mistakes, but even with the underlying angst, it is touching nonetheless. ies are, they are the sort of stories that make the audience raise their ters or bury their head into their hands because their smiles are just that big.

OPINION

PAGE 14 THE SPOKE

From the Editor:

Excuses, excuses

Closing the so-called

Conestoga should consider revisions to attendance policies Any sufferer of senioritis is well-versed in Conestoga’s attendance policies; frequent absences and latenesses are one of the tell-tale symptoms of the illness. But for seniors and non-seniors alike, the occasional absence or tardiness is simply an inevitable part of high school. Unfortunately, the attendance policy on excused and unexcused tardies is confusing and often counterintuitive. According to the Conestoga Student Handbook, students are allowed four excused tardies and two unexcused tardies per marking period before receiving disciplinary action, such as detention, Evening Supervised Study and loss of privileges. At first, this policy seems to make sense: it is understandable that the school would want to punish students more severely for unexcused tardies. However, once a student accumu lates four excused tardies (assuming he has no unexcused tardies), he finds himself in a strange predicament: he will get in trouble if the next lateness is excused, but not if the next lateness is unexcused. This creates an

religious instruction. Surely these are all valid (and unavoidable) reasons for a student to be late to school. The student handbook does not mention a maximum number of excused absences per marking period. If students are not punished for excused absences, perhaps they shouldn’t be punished for excused tardies, either. There’s no denying that frequent latenesses can be detrimental to a student’s education. Every high school needs a policy that encourages students to come to school on time, especially since seniors are fortunate enough to be able to drive to school. However, the c u rre nt p o l i c y Emmi Dolph/The SPOKE is too unreasonable and often ends up encouraging the sort of from finding themselves in the thing it should be trying to predicament described above. avoid. Another possibility is that Regardless of implementhe school treat excused tardies tation, we believe that the more like excused absences. school should adopt an atPer the Pennsylvania School tendance policy that reflects Code, accepted excuses are: two ideas: that it’s better for personal illness or quarantine; a student to have an excused health care; death in the im- tardy than an unexcused mediate family; impassable tardy and it’s better for a roads; approved educational student to be tardy than to travel and religious holidays or not come to school at all. incentive for students to be dishonest about their lateness—or worse, not come to school at all—in order to avoid punishment. The school should consider rethinking its attendance policy in order to prevent these perverse incentives. One alternative is that students be allowed a maximum number of total tardies—excused or not—per marking period. This would prevent students

Letter to the Editor Sophie Bodek/The SPOKE

Disappointed with the “SATisfying progress” article [March, 2014] about the revisions to the SAT. While the article did address the changes to the SAT format, as well as the administration sponsored SAT strategies course, the article failed to mention all the hard work the community and students have already done in the past with “helping to level

exams and one on one tutoring for students led by high performing ’Stoga students. The

Dr. Nora Margolis Parent

Allison Kozeracki Co-Editor-in-Chief

AKozeracki@stoganews.com Throughout school, we girls have had it pretty good. We have been in an environment with an equal number of boys and girls, in which girls are actually more likely than boys to hold leadership positions. But as I look forward to college and beyond, I realize that that is all about to change. Many female students and I will be entering male-dominated careers be intimidating, to say the least. We’ve all heard the frequently-cited statistic that women make 78 cents on the dollar compared to men. But women are also lacking one key element Code,” journalists Katty Kay and Claire Shipman report that women in the workplace are male counterparts. They are less likely to apply for promofound that women routinely underestimate their abilities and performance, while men overestimate both.Women are also more likely to chalk their successes up to luck and circumstance rather than their own achievements. I attribute much of this selfdoubt to the gender roles that, despite the enormous strides made in the last century, are still an ever-present part of today’s society. They permeate our subconscious, often without us even realizing it. Malcolm Gladwell’s book “Blink” touches on the subconscious associations we have with gender. “Blink” includes a small Implicit Association Test, or IAT. The IAT measures the speed with which we make connections between pairs of ideas. Not surprisingly, career-

oriented words like entrepreneur, merchant and corporation are more easily associated with men, while family-oriented words like laundry, home, kitchen and housework are more easily associated with women. No matter how hard I try, I can’t associate career words with “female” as quickly as I can associate them with “male.” As Gladwell writes in “Blink,” our attitudes toward gender operate on two levels. We have our stated conscious values—what we choose to believe—as well as associations on an unconscious level that we cannot choose: “immediate, automatic associations that tumble out before we’ve even had time to think.” Even though on a conscious level I may believe that women be in the workplace, I cannot escape the unconscious assoThese unconscious associations are deeply ingrained and can’t be cured with some sensitivity training or an inspiring TED talk. We can’t control our unconscious attitudes, but we still have a say in how we choose to live our lives and whether we will let these gender roles from stepping outside of themselves and going beyond what is expected of them—men and women both. Men still make up just 3.5 percent of stay-athome parents, and have been slower to enter predominantly Meanwhile, the prospect of having a female president is both exciting and a little unbelievable. Even though women make up, yes, half the population of the United States (and take up more seats in Congress than ever before), there is still something surreal about the prospect of a woman being president. Perhaps Mrs. Clinton herself put it best when she said, “We need to understand that there is no formula for how women should lead their lives. That is why we must respect the choices that each woman makes for herself and her family. Every woman deserves the chance to realize her God-given potential.”

OPINION

THE SPOKE

PAGE 15

Don’t be afraid to let it go, try new things

Lavi Ben-Dor Co-Editor-in-Chief LBendor@stoganews.com My time here is very quickly drawing to an end, and over spring break, I finally managed to think about what that time has looked like. I’ve felt at home in the niches I’ve been part of. Although I was initially hesitant to join The Spoke, I eventually became obsessed with it and the room in which we put the paper together is now a home away from home for me as I spend hours upon end working in it. The Junior Classical League allowed me to meet many of my closest friends, feel proud of having stuck with Latin (which, for the record, is not dead) and get to hang out with other Latin nerds from across the state every May. As for the music program, getting to perform on stage every few months and shatter everyone’s eardrums with my piccolo playing was so much fun. These groups, as well as the other clubs in which I par-

STUDENTS SPEAK

ticipated, made me feel comfortable and gave me the time, skills, and resources to pursue an area which interested me. I wasn’t always happy or content, but overall, I had a great experience. By joining each of these groups, I took a risk. What if I realized that I didn’t like writing for a newspaper or going to Latin conventions? What if the people I met were unfriendly or uninteresting or cliquey? What if it took up too much time? O v e r time, I realized how important t a k i n g that risk was and learned to be more confident about doing so. For example, I recently participated in Mr. Pioneer. Back in January, I was riding the bus home after midterms and saw a post on Facebook inviting people to apply to participate in the event. The usual me would have kept scrolling— after all, male pageants aren’t

OUT

my usual cup of tea. But in Latin class, we had read a lot of Horace, the Roman poet who encouraged his readers to “carpe diem” and seize the moment, so I thought, “Why not?” and filled out the application. Looking back on it, I’m glad I participated. I had a lot of fun despite initially feeling very out of my comfort zone, and getting to perform in front of hundreds of my peers was nerve-wracking at first but l a t e r felt extremely rewardi n g . Had I let my fear of the unknown dictate m y d ecisions, I would never h a v e participated a n d would h a v e Sophie Bodek/The SPOKE m i s s e d out on a great experience. Yes, I admit that joining a new group doesn’t always turn out well, and not all of the clubs I participated in turned out to be as fun and rewarding as I hoped. But whenever I

realized I didn’t feel like those activities were worth the time and energy I was investing in them, I just left them and found that I could focus more on the clubs I enjoyed instead. That’s why it’s so great here at Conestoga--if you don’t like a group you’re in, you can drop out and try out a different one. We have over 100 clubs, sports teams and musical ensembles, and although some are more active than others, you can most certainly find at least one where you get to do something that you’re interested in while hanging out with people you like. So my biggest piece of advice is this: let it go and just try as many activities or experiences as you can. It’s better to join a club and leave it if you don’t like it than graduate and regret not having tried it. I want to end this by extending a huge thank you to everyone at Conestoga. Students, teachers, staff members and administrators: thank you for making it possible for me and my peers to take a risk, try things out, find something we like to do and do it. Or to quote John Green (because let’s admit it, Dr. Seuss is so overused), “I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I’m grateful.”

“If you had to do one thing differently in your time at The Big ‘C,’ what would it be?”

“

I’d focus on my schoolwork more and not worry so much about everyone around me. You should always stick with your books because if you get good grades you can go to a better college.”

“I had a very uneventful fresh-

man and sophomore year, so I would have found a way to hitch

”

“

-Senior Maria Stacey

ings pays off + Seeing the sun shine in the morning is like feeling the sky smile - It’s still morning

2nd-to-Worst + We’ll get a nice draft pick - We’re not even the best at being the worst

Full week off despite snow + Students’ vacation plans, college visits and R&R go uninterupted - Injustice for teachers who had to cancel plans

Boston runs on strong + One year later, runners prove they cannot be stopped - Painful memories for victims and families

+ Great message, almost as fun as Arbor Day - Remind your friends next year; holiday desperately needs publicity

-Senior Jodie Fong

-Senior Chris Pollard

I think that I would have joined more clubs.”

Report Card

Time

“

part of the Spoke, because I’d get to write about things that people want to read.” -Senior Dieter Ronak

+ Maybe you’re a senior, maybe you take no APs - If not, you can start freaking out now

OPINION

PAGE 16

THE SPOKE

Spring cleaning: life cannot be a paper trail

James Redmond Opinion Editor

JRedmond@stoganews.com It was a sunny afternoon. Spring was turning to summer in the year 2010, and in my house the air was warm and sedate as light streamed through the window, prompting slow tides of dust to rise in the yellow sunbeams like seconds ticking back into an old clock. Sprawled out on the living room floor I picked and sorted through piles of what I considered to be history—the wood-pulp manifestation of four years of my life. It took the dwindling evening sunlight and some encouragement from my family to convince me, hours later, that I might not need to keep all of that stuff for high school. Of course, I held fast to a few

sacred items… and then a few more… and then I got a box and shoved it all under my bed. And I have almost certainly never paid any of it a single glance since. I’d like to say I’m better now at dealing with spring cleaning, but I’m really not. Years of seemingly infinite flash storage and veritable online libraries have conditioned me to expect infinite object permanence, and every spring I find a new place to stash the hard copies: the once-empty filing drawer in my desk, the bottom of the wardrobe where I used to keep my backpack, and most recently, the little space next to the heating duct in my bedroom (because what’s more fun than awaking to the sound of papers flapping around in the night at random). Once again—never peeked at the stuff even once. You may not be crazy like me, but I know I’m not entirely alone. For some reason, people of all sorts seem to have a desire to know that they’ve left a physical or otherwise measureable impression of themselves on the ground on which they’ve trod. That’s part of the reason for the pop-

Maggie Chen/The SPOKE

ularity of internet social networking. We’ve had relatively instantaneous communication for years, but with the advent of Myspace, and later Facebook and other social media platforms, companies finally tapped into our need to leave a “paper trail,” so to speak—and to stupendous success. That’s why this process can

be so hard; real life can’t exist infinitely in some server farm in North Carolina any more than it can in a box under my bed. As we reach the end of another year at Conestoga, or maybe our last year here, we are forced to question the value of the mementos we’ve accumulated as we prepare to move forward. For some

this means going through all the work we’ve produced and deciding what is worthy of remaining as a reminder of something accomplished or of knowledge attained. For others it means the uncomfortable purging of inactive Facebook connections, or even unused cell phone numbers. So I’ve got one last piece of advice for you. It’s not some semi-sarcastic poke at the way we deal with climatological phenomena or a critique of the way we treat each other while we’re going through the motions. Don’t worry about what you take away or what you leave behind. However you deal with your spring cleaning, don’t take it too seriously. Just remember that you can always take a break, wherever you are… pick up a phone and an old directory, and maybe call somebody. Tell ‘em you remember those dark mornings on the school bus. Tell ‘em you miss stomping around that creek at the end of the road. Ask if they’ve got a few hours free. After all, life’s not a paper trail—there’s always a place for spelunking. Journey on, Conestoga.

Media Literacy: beware of smartphone journalists

Simran Singh Managing Editor

SSingh@stoganews.com I remember watching broadcasts on CNN featuring my beloved Anderson Cooper, with his silver hair and pool blue eyes, thinking that perhaps one day I too would be reading the news and reporting the facts and informing the public. Today is that day. Beyond my involvement in the school paper, I, like most of my fellow Americans, have Internet and a smartphone. I can take a picture or film a video or write up a short paragraph and publish it online for the world to see instantly. At first glance, the empowerment of the average citizen is a good thing— it enables them to serve the public as a journalist and provide information that might not

be available otherwise. On the other hand, this idea that anyone and everyone can be a reporter erodes journalistic integrity, objectivity, and balance— the principles upon which accurate and reliable coverage is based. In today’s age of social media and instant communication, average citizens can act as journalists, sharing information, photos and videos at the click of a button. With this power, however, comes great responsibility. The issue is that there are virtually no checks on the validity of the information being shared and, thereby, reduced objectivity in the reporting. For example, with the recent disappearance of the Malaysian airplane, various individuals chose to offer their two cents as to what could have possibly occurred to the plane. When someone with very little credibility in this issue area offers a hypothesis, it distracts from the potential actual root of the issue. On Twitter, a tweet that received over 1500 retweets and over 800 favorites read, “Breaking News: Malaysian Flight 370 has been found.” The image attached appeared

Victoria Stern/The SPOKE

to be a plane under the surface of water, but upon clicking the attached link, a user is redirected to a website entitled “Malaysian Airplane Found Hoax.” Beyond the incredibly evident insensitivity of these amateur journalists (if you can even call them that), spreading such false information is detrimental to search efforts and diverts attention from the matter at hand. In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, users of the popular website

reddit.com began alleging that missing Brown University student Sunil Tripathi was the man behind the Boston Marathon bombings. Tripathi was discovered to not only be innocent, but also dead due to an unknown cause. While it is great that technology has empowered a greater number of individuals to be able to provide news for the world, this form of news must be taken with a grain of salt, and those that are providing this news must have the journalis-

tic integrity to ensure that the information they are relaying is valid. Examples of poor journalism are widespread, another instance being the dissemination of the false claim that Joe Paterno had died a day prior to his actual death. While a student-run publication initially claimed this to be true, more reputable agencies picked up the news and began to run it on their networks without any additional fact checking. As a result, people were tuning to their local stations and reading their papers, learning news before the news even happened. We must not take everything we hear on the news, especially through social media, at face value. Those that supply information must remember to check their facts before potentially causing harm to someone, or distracting from the real issues. Today, the news has become a horse race to see which network can publish the news fastest and first, before their competitors. We must remember that the job of the news is to inform the public with correct and balanced information, and accuracy must be prioritized over speed.

S on car

OPINION

THE SPOKE

Prom

PAGE 17

A night to remember does not warrant a season we would rather forget

Guest Columnist Nick Cruickshank provides his perspective on the unnecesary stresses of the season.

Prom Dilemmas Date Drama

Cartoons by Callum Backstrom As a guy, I can say that prom is incredibly stressful. I remember the first time my parents mentioned prom earlier this year, I had this funny feeling in my stomach. It wasn’t nervousness… no, it was much worse. Paranoia, maybe? No, no, not that either. Turned out it was just the Indian food. Yeah, that was a bad choice. But anyway, the first time my parents mentioned prom, I remember thinking something along the lines of “Hmm, I wonder how I’ll ask. It will have to be something special.” Then, I returned to staring out the window, probably contemplating the origins of the universe or something. I’m not really sure. See, back in January every guy in our grade made a group to make sure that nobody accidentally bought the same outfit. Problems arose immediately. As it turned out, we’re all wearing the exact. same. outfit: black tux, colored vest and (bow)tie. What were the odds? But hey, at least we all get to go out and choose our own special vests and bowti… wait… no… she chooses the color? Oh. Ok. Oh, they match. That’s nice. In all seriousness, prom is more stressful than it needs to be for everyone involved. No matter who you are or how confident you claim to be, this American custom is guaranteed to have you pulling out your hair at some point in the process, and if we’re to enjoy ourselves, we have to be prepared to deal with a few stressors. Let me elaborate: First, we have the drama dilemma, the business of other people’s business. Ah, yes—promposal. The night is drawing nearer. A month becomes a matter of weeks. I guess I should ask someone. Ah! I’ve got an idea. I’ll ask a friend, no big deal. Wait. What. Why is everyone hovering around demanding to know who I’m going to ask? I’m just asking a friend! Ahhh! Stop making it a big deal I just want it to be a fun night for both of us and all of our friends. All right. Phew. Done. Asked. She said yes. So… what now? Oh, tickets. Great. This brings us to our next dilemma. According to Prom custom, chivalry mandates buying tickets. Got it. Whoa, those are expensive. Actually, not bad, considering the circumstances. Anything for a friend. On to the flowers! Excellent. I think it’s our most difficult duty to just make sure we don’t screw up the colors somehow. There’s just so much to remember. Finally! The day has arrived! And it’s time for pictures! Enter dilemma number three. Oh wow, she looks incredible. That dress. Whoa. Those shoes. Those are incredible. I guess we’ll be taking a lot of pictures. Staircase pictures are a must, so I’ll be standing a stair above. Ok… make it two. Finally, to the dance! Where we guys do what we do best. Dancing. Ok, maybe not. But we’ll have a good time. Wasn’t that fun? And look, we made it out alive! Woohoo! To make a long story short, take a deep breath. It’s going to be all right. Just “all right?” No, it’s going to be fantastic. A night of friends and fun that we’ll remember forever. Date or no date, it’s going to be great. So let’s enjoy it, and not get caught up in the stresses. Relax, and just dance like nobody’s watching. Ok, maybe dance like a few people are watching, but no big deal. Have fun with it, whatever your definition. Best wishes.

Ticket Chivalry

Picture Problems

Sports

PAGE 18 THE SPOKE

LAX FACTS

By Courtney Kennedy, Co-Sports Editor Design by Sam Sedor, Staff Designer

Although both teams play the same sport, the boys’ and girls’ lacrosse teams at Conestoga actually play two very different games– from the equipment they wear to how they play. HEADGEAR: Boys lacrosse players use full helmets for head

STICK: Boys lacrosse uses a longer

stick— ranging from 40 to 72 inches—with a deeper net, which allows them to shoot the ball at higher speeds. The world record for fastest lacrosse shot is 111 mph. Girls’ sticks are shorter—between 35.5 and 43.5 inches—and have smaller pockets. The fastest women’s shots only travel around

protection, while girls lacrosse players use face masks and mouth guards. Recently, US Lacrosse announced that they plan to partner with the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) to develop new head gear for girls lacrosse that will be similar to the boys’ equipment.

UNIFORM: Girls lacrosse players do not wear any other protective equipment other than a face mask. However, boys lacrosse players wear padding and protection— from gloves to shoulder pads— since the boys game tends to be more violent because of increased checking. RULES: One of the biggest

rules differences is that girls’ rules are much stricter regarding checking and hitting. Since girls wear less protective safety equipment, excessive hitting is not allowed.

Girls: Record: 4-6

Coach: Amy Orrcut Captains: Maggie Friel, Elsie Wagner, Lexy King

Junior Chris Brady Junior Sarah Nicholson

STYLE OF PLAY: In general,

boys lacrosse is more aggressive and physical, while girls lacrosse is more skills-based and technical. However, both have a high speed, intense style of play and include a lot of teamwork.

Boys: Record: 7-3

Coach: Brian Samson Captains: Conner

Campbell, Pierre Atkinson, Alex Mezey, Jake Scott

SPORTS

THE SPOKE

PAGE 19

Spring Season Glance: Baseball, boys and girls lax charge on Boys Lax

Girls Lax

Baseball

Boys lax started the season

energy says Ogren.

the game and could not erase

the game.

lacrosse careers on a good note.

Reporting and photos by CoSports Editor Navin Zachariah

PAGE 20

THE SPOKE

SPORTS

THE SPOKE

PAGE 21

Young rugby team up and coming, rising to top Navin Zachariah & Matt Soderberg Co-Sports Editor & Staff Reporter

NZachariah@stoganews.com MSoderberg@stoganews.com This season the rugby team consists of just four seniors, yet successful. The youth of the team rugby program.

rated. Rugby so far this season is defying the thought that a very young team can’t be good,” junior co-captain Eddie Jean said. Sophomore Dondre Ross believes that the team needs a variety of players to step up this season for the team to be successful since the team is very young. “I feel like we need a lot of people to step up, and I feel like we’ve been doing that throughout the season so far,” Ross said. “Where we’re going right now, I think we can do something big.” Junior co-captain Jack McLean is one of the older players on the team. McLean is doing what he can to help guide his team to success this season, regardless of their age. “As a captain, I just want to instill a positive attitude into the whole team and help my teammates when they need it. Commitment is also something I try to talk to the team about. Not just commitment to practices and training sessions, but also comMcLean said. The Conestoga rugby program is no stranger to younger players. The club, being the oldest high

According to Jean, the success the team is having now can be attributed to the amount of work many of them have put in over the years. “Some of us guys have been playing since our middle school years, which is a lot longer than most of the players on the teams that we are competing against. Then again, other players on the team have just stepped right in during their freshman year and just worked really hard to become great rugby players,” Jean said. Jean believes that many of the younger players have been really stepping up so far this season. “I think that they have all come to work and work hard. I really like the progress in our team chemistry that we have been having early in the season,” Jean said. The team endured a coaching change two years ago. Assistant coach Rob Grassi. McLean says

Noah Levine/The SPOKE

Junior Olivier Everts, sophomore Trey Milby, juniors Jack McLean, Eddie Jean and Nate McLachlan, and sophomore Peter Jean walk off the field after practice on April 22. that Johnson has really helped develop the young talent on this team. “Coach has been a huge help to the team. He uses our advantages, like conditioning to help us win,” McLean said. “He’s a very knowledgeable person when it comes to rugby and much of our success is from his training sesactivities.”

“All of the hard work and dedication that we have put into this team will hopefully show on this season is to win the state champion-Junior Jack McLean Ross agrees, saying that the coaches have helped the team through the good and the bad. “I feel like our coaches have been there for all of our ups and downs and I think that they’re doing a good job keeping us in line,” Ross said. Jean says that Johnson makes sure that the team is tired out by the end of each practice. “Coach just runs us really hard and makes us work so hard whether it’s a regular practice or his self-designed workout. Afterwards, I feel like everyone is so tired that they want to just throw up,” Jean said. The coaches have placed spe-

has given the team an edge so far this season, according to junior Matt Alrutz. ness more than any other team and that shows in our games,” Alrutz said. Jean believes that the team’s youth will allow them to continue to improve in coming time. “We are growing so fast right now. We have all been playing rugby for some time, but since we are a young team we are just developing chemistry. We have the potential to be really good,” Jean said. The team has quickly jumped out to a 4-0 record to lead off the season. McLean believes that the early successes of this team have really helped them gain the winning. “Our streak so far has given us a good thing, but we need to make sure we don’t think we are unbeatable. Every week we need to work harder to make ourselves better,” McLean said. “We are fortunate to have a young team capable of being coached up and we need to take advantage of that. We have until it’s met.” McLean says that the team has set only one goal this season for themselves. “All of the hard work and dedication that we have put into this team will hopefully show on the

to win the state championship, no Jean said that the team is coming together and playing at a high level of rugby at just the right time.

“I love my team. We are just starting to get to where we want to be. Our work ethic and chemistry is great right now,” Jean said. “We are up and coming, so for anybody in our way—watch out.”

SPORTS

PAGE 22

THE SPOKE

Dear Mr. Applicant: For your consideration

Patrick Nicholson Senior Sports Columnist

PNicholson@stoganews.com Dear Mr. Applicant, Congratulations on your admission to the College University Class of 2018! We are thrilled that you are considering becoming a part of our community here in Collegetown. We know you have some big decisions to make in the next few weeks; it’s now your turn to decide if College University is THE place to spend your next four years. There are many fantastic schools out there, but we believe that CU stands out because of our special focus on absolutely annihilating our conference opponents year in and year out. With ten conference titles and two national championships in various sports last year, CU remains

committed to its tradition of excellence. What’s that? You were expecting a more classroomfocused brag sheet, a touting of our “work hard, play hard” environment? But surely you need to consider your real future. Here at College University, we do everything with our incoming classes’ futures in mind—futures which will en-

tioned earlier? They were no accident. Our football and bas-

losing records in years. As a college student, you’re going to live and breathe college sports anyway, so won’t it be nice to see success on the field? In college, you may get sick of the

hours per week over the next four years actually in class. Heck, you’ll spend more time Saturday tailgating than sitting in lecture halls, regardless of which school you attend. We recognize that, so we’re presenting you with the facts you really need to make your college decision. Other universities will tell

valuable college experiences. You’ll be trampled by students as they storm the court after a buzzer beater. You’ll bust your voice box for a week after three hours of earpiercing screaming during the football season opener. Maybe you’ll even stand among a raving crowd of international stu-

“culture,” and we are no exception. Throughout our grand old school’s grand old history, our students have helped form called winning. Recall those ten conference titles and two national championships men-

campus, the food or the teachers, but you’ll never get sick of our victory song. Consider all those stories about depressed students at the selective, prestigious universities. That’s not from the coursework; it’s from them being scarred for life after CU stomps on their pathetic gridiron gang every September. If you enroll at College University in the fall, you won’t just be joining a university; you’ll be joining that fantastic winning culture. In your four years here, you

Maggie Chen/The SPOKE

onto the rink during a hockey game. Now those are the real experiences you’re after as an undergraduate: experiences that will teach you the game of life, not some useless facts

about the Bovine Witch Trials of 1683. Heck, you’ll probably never use anything you learn in the classroom in your postgraduate profession. Of course, College University prepares you for the real world, because we are part of a real conference— we’re not some pansies from the Horizon League. Ultimately, you’ll have to choose from a number of fantastic institutions, and we acknowledge that students from your area tend to lean towards schools with more “prestige” just hope you recognize the incredible opportunities you’d be passing up if you settle for one of those “academics-only” schools, and that you make your decision based on the college experience you’re truly after. Best of luck in your decision process, and above all else, please don’t enroll at our rival College State University— they’re a bunch of good-fornothing cheating losers, though if you saw last year’s bowl game you already know that. Sincerely, Dean Jones, College University

Football free agency frenzy prevails once again not have. It prompts fans to follow

Andy Backstrom Sports Columnist

ABackstrom@stoganews.com Professional football remains the most popular sport in America, as it has been for the past 30 years. As an ardent National Football League fan, I am encouraged to see activity in the league all year-round through the NFL free agency process. Every year, after the Super Bowl, players on the 32 NFL teams understand that their teammates will most likely change before they play another game. The NFL is a business and rosters do not stay intact. A couple of months into the center of NFL talk before the draft. Surprisingly, the NFL does not boast many trades and trading for This lack of trading opens up the path for free agency to take the lead in the NFL transactions, which I think gives the league an advantage that other sports do

to prepare for the next season and keeps excitement about football going year round. A theme of rivalry is apparent, as several players have signed with teams that are in the same division as their previous team. Cornerback Darelle Revis, dubbed “Revis Island,” who played for the New York Jets during signed a one-year contract with his former arch-nemesis, the New England Patriots. Revis was even caught calling his new head coach, Bill Belichick, a jerk in a word-association game on ESPN in 2012. I believe that this will just add another chapter to this storied feud between these two AFC East opponents. The Philadelphia Eagles released DeSean Jackson, as the organization explained that Jackson’s attitude and actions could distract the team after allegations surfaced that Jackson was a gang

member while serving as the Eagles number one wide receiver. The Washington Redskins, one the Eagles’ major rivals in the NFC East Division, ended up persuading Jackson to sign a three-year contract. I still have not wrapped my head around why the Eagles released one of the most electrifying players in the entire league, but it was a fantastic pickup for the Redskins, who improved their wide receiver corps.

Andy Backstrom/The SPOKE

Free agency allows some teams to increase in value, but other teams can drop down into a deep abyss of mediocrity. I enjoy when teams sign a free agent who seems I was impressed with the signing of Golden Tate by the Detroit Lions. A wide receiver to complement Calvin Johnson is just what the Lions need to claw their way back to the playoffs. Tate gives the Lions a stronger and more consistent presence than any of the Lions’ previous number two wide receivers. The New York Jets improved their offense this offseason with the acwide receiver Eric Decker. Decker may not be a number one receiver, but he provides the Jets with size and speed that neither Santonio Holmes nor

past season. The addition of veta smart signing, because not only his experience, but he also has a chance to upgrade the team at the The Denver Broncos arguably executed the best moves concerning free agent signings. After getting blown out against the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl, it was clear that some of the elite NFC teams were just more tenacious than the Broncos on defense. With the departure of Eric Decker, the Broncos restocked their arsenal for Peyton Manning by signing Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. Cowboys’ defensive end Demarcus Ware and New England Patriots cornerback way to “mile high city.” This years’ transactions on the free agency market have been very entertaining. With the NFL Draft moving from April to May, I was running out of football news to talk about, and the free agent signings this year have kept my interest. Although the process of free stability, it is a very important aspect of the NFL, and I am looking forward to watching some of the uniforms this upcoming season.

SPORTS

THE SPOKE

Game Baseball:

Softball:

Crew:

PAGE 23

Boys Lax wins at Katie Samson

On April 24-26, the Conestoga track team sent runners to compete in the Penn Relays in Philadelphia. The relays boasted runners from more than 60 countries around the

The annual Katie Samson Festival occured on Saturday, April 26. ’Stoga defeated La Salle College 10-8 to bring their record to 8-3. Junor Chris Brady

runners competing in 425 races. The team of seniors Alex Silverstein, Eric Cook and Dimitri Robinson and junior Jimmy Carter

La Salle. “We played hard throughout the game and really earned this victory against a real young, tough team,” Brady said. Senior Jack Robbins scored four goals in the game. “I think that the team came

School Boys’ 4x100 for Large -

Sophie Bodek/The SPOKE

teammates’ play,” Robbins said. Boys Lacrosse:

jumped out to a large lead. In the last minutes of the game, La Salle made a strong comeback, but

competed at the Cooper Cup on Sunday, April 27 in Camden, varsity 2x final, seniors Sofinished in first place. The

Girls Lacrosse:

Boys Tennis:

Track & Field:

to bring the game close, but our defense held them just enough said. Junior Matt Nagle believes the team’s resilience in this game proves that the season can be very successful for the team. continuing to get better every day,” Nagle said. “We are becoming a better team by the day.”

seniors Rachel Devlin and Annina Ruggirello also finished in first place. The boat of seniors Sean Penior Niall Carlson, and sophomore Jake Novak finished first in the men’s varsity 4x final,

varsity 4x final.

Sophomore Andy Backstrom finished in third place in the men’s varsity 1x final. Seniors Tyler Simpson and Andrey Lanahan finished fifth in the men’s varsity 2x final. The men’s junior varsity 4x varstiy 4x boats also ended finish. In addition, the men’s novnovice 4x boat also finished in first place. compete at the Philadelphia City Championships on May4 and the Mid-Atlantic Junior District Championships on May 10.

Schools, senior Angel Jacabella, junior Anna Tellefsen, and sophomores Brittany Coleman and Lila

nar Sjoreen and juniors Damir Marston finished in 6th place. Central League Race, senior Rita Concannon, juniors Anna Tellefsen place. They ran a combined time Reporting by Co-Sports Editors Courtney Kennedy and Navin Zachariah

COMMITMENT CORNER Lexy King

School: Lehigh University Sport: Lacrosse Position: Grade: 12 Why Lehigh? knew even then I wanted to go there. I chose it because it has amazing academics, it is

Austin Shirley School: Georgetown University Sport: Position: Grade: 12 Why Georgetown?

INSIDE:

Up and Coming: Rugby team rising to top p. 21

Aiming for Aces Senior Brian Grodecki serves the ball for the boys’ tennis team. The team is looking to capture its fourth straight PIAA State Championship this season.

LOSSES

TIES

RUGBY

BOYS

WINS

RUGBY

GIRLS

SOFTBALL

BASEBALL

TENNIS

BOYS

LACROSSE

GIRLS

LACROSSE

*ALL UPDATES AS OF 4/24

BOYS

SCOREBOARD

Noah Levine/The SPOKE