The Spoke June 2010

SENIOR DESTINATIONS See p. 12-13

MONDAY JUNE 7, 2010

SHORE THING

Students share hot spots at the beach See p. 14

Sp ke

THE

Volume 60 No. 7

CONESTOGA HIGH SCHOOL BERWYN, PA www.stoganews.com

SLEEP The Struggle for

The Spoke examines students’ sleep habits and how technology influences exhaustion.

Written by Julianne Vallotton and Laura Weiss See Page 4

Graphic: Evan Pioch and Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

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NEWS

THE SPOKE

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

CONESTOGA NEWSLINE News in Brief Increased parking fee proposed in district budget

Freshmen Sam Valentine and Jonathan Willmot play Ultimate Frisbee at Peer Mediation’s annual Health Fair on May 21. The fair offered students an opportunity to relax and play games to support the Peer Mediation team.

After months of meetings, research and deliberation, the finance committee has released the 2010-11 proposed final budget to the community. The proposal, which works to reduce the district’s current $9.25 million budget deficit, includes a new $100 student parking fee, up from the previous $10 fee. The school board approved the proposed final budget at its regular meeting on May 10 and will vote on the final budget at its meeting on June 14.

- Liz Bravacos

‘Lacey’s Law’ may regulate junior licensed drivers

Students with junior driver’s licenses may soon have to limit the number of passengers in their vehicles, pending current legislation in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives. Dubbed “Lacey’s Law” in memory of a Bucks County teen who died in a 2007 car crash, House Bill 67 would limit the number of passengers under the age of 18 permitted in a junior driver’s vehicle. The bill states that junior licensed drivers can have only one passenger under the age of 18 in their vehicle during the first six months of their junior licensing. After the six-month period, if the junior driver has maintained a clear driving record, the driver is permitted to carry up to three passengers under the age of 18. These regulations apply only if a parent or guardian is not in the vehicle and if the passengers are not family members. The bill also proposes a ban on the use of wireless communication devices by junior licensed drivers. Amended and approved by the Senate on May 25, the bill now awaits further changes and another vote in the House.

- Brittany Roker

Former district employee found guilty of robbery

Last June, The Spoke reported on the restrictions faced by state school districts in conducting criminal background checks of their employees. Former New Eagle Elementary School custodian Marcellus Oliphant, whose arrest sparked The Spoke’s original investigation, was found guilty on charges of robbery, criminal conspiracy, theft by unlawful taking, simple assault, terroristic threats and related counts by the Court of Common Pleas on May 14. The charges relate to the February 2008 robbery of a Wachovia Bank in Easttown. Oliphant is currently awaiting sentencing and is being held at the Chester County Prison. Senate Bill 55, a bill that could compel employees to submit background checks, was passed by the Senate in June 2009 and is currently in the House’s Education Committee.

- Liz Bravacos

.com

stoganews

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

Go online for news photos and extras from The Spoke’s June issue.

Inside this issue: Top stories to look for

6 7 15

A lasting impact

Check out this page to read about one well-known staff member’s farewell to ’Stoga.

Editorial

The Spoke considers students’ decisions about whether or not to get a full night’s sleep.

Club Spotlight

Flip to this page for information about two outdoor sports clubs.

16 21 22

It’s a family affair

Turn to this story for a look into the lives of students whose parents teach in the district.

4x8 at States

Read to find out more about the close-knit girls track relay team and its race to states.

More than a game

For South Africa, the World Cup is more than just soccer—it’s a reflection of politics.

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

NEWS

THE SPOKE

3

Horsing around

The view from the top of the Ferris wheel is incredible: teenagers far too big to ride on the merry-go-round, children sticky with cotton candy, riders coaxing their horses over tall jumps. The 114th Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, the oldest horse competition in the country, brought the community together for eleven days of lemon sticks, classic fair games and equestrian events. Money raised from the show, which ran from May 27 through June 6, benefits Bryn Mawr Hospital. Since 1972, the horse show has raised over $14 million for various hospital projects.

Photos by Evan Pioch and Luke Rafferty Reporting by Meghan Morris

stoganews

.com

Go online for more photos from the horse show.

Below - Clockwise from left: freshmen Caroline Donahue, Karla DiPietro, Taylor Flatt, Maddie Swarr, Marley Jennings and Allie Flatt eat dinner. Donahue said she comes to the horse show for the food and to see her friends. “The lemon sticks are the best—they’re the perfect combination of sweet and sour,” she said.

Above - Sophomores Owen and Phil Coffin at the concession stand. This was Owen’s first year working at the horse show, but he has attended the event since he was little. “I like volunteering here because it’s a great way to give back and see my friends at the same time,” he said.

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THE SPOKE

NEWS

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

Dozing off: Students let sleep fall behind

Students attempt to find balance between health, good grades and technology use at night Short on sleep

Pseudo sunshine

Twice a month, Thursday nights signaled the beginning of stress and exhaustion for sophomore Angela Hong. She would spend those evenings in her bedroom, studying all night for her AP European History test the following day.

“I want to do as best as I can even though it doesn’t seem like a good thing to stay up all night,” Hong said. “I do it because of the pressure of the class to do well; especially for a class like Euro or math, it’s hard to keep up. It’s at such a fast pace and you don’t ever want to get a bad grade or fall behind.”

Hong is one of the many students who must make the choice between sleep and studying. In The Spoke’s survey of 200 students, 7 in 10 reported that they get less than eight hours of sleep on a regular school night. The number represents a growing national trend of teenagers who get less sleep because of the pressure to perform well academically and the growing use of technology immediately before bed.

On nights that she manages to get some sleep, Hong said that she averages about five hours, using coffee to wake up every morning.

As the caffeine wears off, Hong struggles with headaches and irritability. But her most damaging habit, Hong said, was staying up all night on Thursdays to study.

“I was awake because I had coffee, but I was just out of it,” Hong said. “If I thought too hard I would get tired easily.”

Junior Tim DiPaolo said that he also found that it was more difficult to focus and think when he was sleep-deprived. He said that his tests became harder to take when he barely slept the night before.

“I can’t really think clearly and it’s hard to reason things out,” DiPaolo said.

DiPaolo is not inexperienced with late-night studying because of his packed schedule. He said that he averages about six hours of sleep each night and that he struggles to fit sleep into his evenings.

“I took five Advanced Placement classes this year and found myself getting to sleep around 12 a.m. at the earliest each night,” DiPaolo said. “It really starts to wear you down.”

In addition to using energy drinks to stay awake, many Conestoga students reported another habit related to sleep. Fifty percent of students surveyed by The Spoke said that they use some form of technology while they fall asleep every night.

Recent research conducted by scientists at the National Sleep Foundation suggests that copious amounts of artificial light right before sleep can impact a person’s circadian rhythm, essentially convincing the body that sunlight is present. The light, delivered at close range from cell phones or laptop screens, can suppress the release of hormones that aid in the sleep process.

Freshman Julianna Bradley said that she takes extreme caution to avoid technology before she goes to bed. She said that she covers the light on her alarm clock, places her cell phone in the hallway, closes her laptop and turns off all of the lights in her room before she goes to sleep.

“Right before I go to bed I try not to [use technology] because it gets me up and I stay on it,” Bradley said. “I have a hard time getting off.”

For sophomore Angela Hong, pulling all-nighters to study is sometimes aided by her use of a computer. She usually texts on her phone or uses her laptop before going to sleep, which, she said, makes her feel more awake.

“I’ll be really tired and I’m just about to fall asleep, and then I go on my computer and I’m awake,” Hong said. “It takes me a little bit longer to fall asleep than it would have if I didn’t go online.”

After a school year of late nights and little sleep, Hong said that she has learned her limits.

She has a message for students whose sleep habits are similar to her own.

“I warn students that just because it seems like they can stay up late and be okay once, it doesn’t mean that they can do it all of the time,” she said. “I plan to change my ways.”

Graphic by: Marc Gessaroli, Evan Pioch and Sam Winfield

Large numbers of ’Stoga students use technology around the time that they go to bed even though recent studies show that this habit can negatively affect their ability to get a good night’s sleep. that students staying up late to them of sleep,” Holden said.

Expert input study would most likely do worse Holden recommends that teenDiPaolo’s inability to focus af- on their tests, despite study- agers avoid the use of coffee or ter very little sleep is a common ing more. She said that a severe other caffeinated beverages to stay side effect of sleep deprivation, lack of sleep can be comparable awake because experts are still unsaid Jennifer Jackson Holden, a to torture and that students will sure about how these drinks will mental health specialist from the probably suffer from weakened affect students in the future. But for sophomore Center for PsyVanessa Karachological Serlis, the benvices. efits of energy “For every drinks like hour less than 5-Hour Eneight that peoergy seem to ple get each outweigh the night, their costs. ability to func“If I ever tion goes down have a test a grade level,” coming up in Holden said. the next few “If you have a tenth grader who is functioning abilities to pay attention, recall periods, or I’m just super tired, I on a week with six hours of sleep information and focus when they drink one of them and they really help a lot,” Karalis said. “People [each night], they’re thinking are overly exhausted.

“Think about one of the things say that they’re bad for you, but more like an eighth grader than a that governments do to torture if they help this much, I don’t see tenth grader.”

For this reason, Holden said their prisoners—they deprive the harm.”

“I want to do as best as I can even though it doesn’t seem like a good thing to stay up all night.”

- Sophomore Angela Hong

Liz Bravacos contributed to this report.

Laura Weiss can be reached at lweiss@stoganews.com.

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

NEWS

THE SPOKE

5

’Stoga graduate takes charge in Philly news world

By Laura Weiss News Editor Taking his diploma, Greg Osberg graduated with ideas about crunching numbers. Though his future unfolded much differently from how he had planned, the 1975 graduate said he believes that Conestoga gave him essential tools to pursue his passion.

Osberg will be the new publisher and C.E.O. of the Philadelphia Inquirer, philly.com and Daily News in July. Osberg is prepared to use what he began learning at ’Stoga to bring innovation and growth to the newspapers and website. However, the road to the world of business and publishing was not a straight one for Osberg.

“When I was a student at Conestoga, I had no idea which career path I would take,” Osberg said.

“I suppose I was most focused on the college that I would attend.”

Though he said that he took a definite interest in business in high school, Osberg was more focused on a specific career in accounting. He said that he pursued this career path during his freshman year at Colorado State University before switching to a business major.

In the time building up to college, however, Osberg was also driven by other passions like rugby, which he played at Conestoga.

“I would encourage everyone to experiment as much as they possibly can [with different subjects and activities],” Osberg said.

He also supports local networking as a tool for high school students to find out what they want to do in life.

“I wasn’t sure what aspect of business might interest me,” Osberg said. “College helped me figure that out. Real life experiences and speakers from the outside world elevated the opportunity of publishing and I started following that path.”

Looking back on his time at ’Stoga, Osberg said that he most enjoyed the large and diverse student body, adding that high school helped him to be ready for

Photos courtesy Greg Osberg

Then and now: 1975 graduate Greg Osberg (left; in his senior yearbook photo) first discovered his interest in business while at Conestoga. Now (right; in front of the Philadelphia office), Osberg is preparing to take over as publisher and C.E.O. for the Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer and philly.com. college in terms of both class size and strong academics.

“Conestoga prepared me well for the hustle and bustle of the world,” he said.

Osberg’s nephew, sophomore Zach Archibald, said that he considers his uncle to be his role model and that he is proud to attend the same high school.

Archibald believes that Osberg’s

foreign language, you never know how it will come into play later in your life or in your career.”

However, Osberg’s new job, which brings him back to Philadelphia, may not require him to speak many foreign languages.

Currently, Osberg is working to assess how the company’s newspapers and website are running so that he can lead his team in making changes to content and layout.

Osberg said that Philadelphia is currently the fourth largest med i a m a r ke t in the United States, and that his goal is for the company to become the most successful regional media company.

To achieve this goal, he said, readers will see a different focus for the Daily News, philly.com and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

“You’re probably going to see more emphasis on local and regional content in the papers and on the website—more proprietary content, meaning content that you can’t get anywhere else,” Osberg said.

The company hopes that this will make the content “mustread” information for consumers.

Osberg also said that he hopes to

“Conestoga prepared me well for the hustle and bustle of the world.”

- Greg Osberg, publisher and C.E.O. past experience and hard work ethic will help him succeed at his new job.

“I’m happy he got there,” Archibald said. “He’s looking for a challenge.”

Osberg said that ’Stoga played a large role in preparing him for his future. But he does remember some parts of his time in high school that he would like to change.

“One of the regrets I had was that I didn’t pay enough attention in my French class. It would have been very valuable to me in my travels throughout Europe,” Osberg said. “When you take a

create separate niches and audiences for the Daily News and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Another goal is for the com-

pany to make philly.com a portal with more videos, audio and outside content.

Lastly, Osberg would like the company to incorporate new technologies, such as e-readers and online news sites, that could threaten the suffering newspaper industry.

“I don’t look at any of the revolutionary devices that are coming into the marketplace as threats—I look at them more as opportunities,” Osberg said.

“My goal is that we are not trailing technology but that we are actually working in concert with technology, working at introducing some of the new technologies right here in Philadelphia,” he said.

Overall, readers can expect their Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News to experience some significant changes as the new company takes over.

“A lot of firsts will come out of this company and out of this region,” Osberg said.

Laura Weiss can be reached at lweiss@stoganews.com.

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THE SPOKE

NEWS

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

Following decades of service, Christy bids farewell to ’Stoga

By Natalie West Staff Reporter Security guard Bobbi Christy is no stranger to proms. The event, one that is considered to be a rite of passage for high school students, is generally a one-time occasion. Not for Christy, who said that she attended her nineteenth—and final—prom this May. “Proms are very nice—the students enjoy themselves, and so do I,” Christy said.

At the end of this school year, long-time staff member Christy will retire, saying goodbye to her 25-year career at the high school.

“Christy has been a consistent member of our security team,” Principal Amy Meisinger said. “She is often seen greeting buses in the morning, dancing at the proms and talking with students in the halls.”

Fellow security guard Jo Ann Yusko respects the hard work that Christy put in during their 16 years working together.

“Working with her was a very positive experience,” Yusko said.

“She’s done a great job.”

In 1985, Christy was hired by the district as a security guard and has patrolled the hallways ever since. In addition to monitoring the halls and keeping the students of Conestoga safe—and cell phone free—during the school year, Christy has worked as a custodian during the summer.

Junior Jill Schnall said that she believes that Conestoga’s halls will not be the same without Christy’s presence.

“The school will definitely be less orderly,” Schnall said.

Freshman Caroline Deakins said that she agrees that the school will be different without the order that Christy maintained. Deakins said that students will have more difficulty focusing in class during lunch periods without Christy patrolling the school.

“Without Christy, the hallways will be louder,” Deakins said. “Whenever she walks by my classes, the people in the halls get quiet and I can focus on my work.”

Librarian Cathy Bond also feels that Christy will be missed by the staff and students.

“She’s just part of what Conestoga has been. She’s been here so long,

and you expect when you’re walking in the hall to see her,” Bond said. “I have always felt that she exudes that love for Conestoga.”

At the end of the school year, Christy plans to celebrate her retirement by traveling. Although she said that she is not sad to leave her job behind, Christy does have some fond memories, like the senior pranks.

“One time they let pigeons loose in the old cafeteria,” she said.

After years at Conestoga, experiencing everything from pranks to proms, Christy has advice for those that she leaves at ’Stoga.

“Learn to love yourself first so that you may be able to love others,” she said. “You will learn something new every day of your life.”

More than two decades after Christy first stepped foot in Conestoga High School, she will leave a lasting impression.

“We are grateful for her service to the students at Conestoga and her presence will certainly be missed,” Meisinger said.

Natalie West can be reached at nwest@stoganews.com.

Remembering segregation fight

By Meghan Morris Co-Editor-in-Chief Two hundred years ago, Chester County was an integral stop on the Underground Railroad. But just 88 years ago, the Tredyffrin and Easttown School Boards decided to segregate their respective elementary schools.

Fo r t w o y e a r s , A f r i c a n American parents fought this ruling in and out of the courtroom and eventually emerged victorious.

Their fight was remembered on May 8 at the Mount Zion AME Church in Devon, where about 100 community members and church congregants gathered to celebrate the success.

“We can’t learn from the past unless we tell their stories so that succeeding generations will know of their courage,” said Roger D. Thorne in his speech.

Thorne is a local historian and author of “Segregation of the Main Line: The ‘School Fight’ of 1932-34.”

Two women who helped in the battle against segregation spoke about their experiences. They recalled racism and stereotypes, but also the way the community,

both black and white, came together to fight the unjust ruling.

“Before Rosa Parks, there were these powerful people. You can’t let these ladies go unnoticed and unrespected,” said Willow Grove NAACP lawyer Donald L. Clark before introducing the speakers.

The idea for the event came from church historian Betha Jackmon, who realized that there were no group pictures of the community members who fought against segregation. The event grew as she recognized the larger community involvement behind the fight.

“The whole congregation rallied for this event and it exceeded my expectations—I was ecstatic,” Jackmon said.

Three school board members attended the event, including School Board President Betsy Fadem.

“I’m here to support this celebration and recognize the missteps of the past,” Fadem said.

State Sen. Andrew Dinniman also attended the event, presenting the church with an award from the Senate recognizing the segregation fight.

“Today, all of us—black and white—are woven together,” Dinniman said as he presented the award.

Meghan Morris can be reached at mmorris@stoganews.com.

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

Security guard Bobbi Christy poses with the Conestoga Pioneer in the main lobby as she reflects on her years at ’Stoga. Christy has been a member of the security guard staff for 25 years.

Opinion MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

Recent oil spill must serve as lesson for future See p. 9

Sleepless in 'Stoga

Students choose cultural distractions over sleep The Spoke is published seven times a year at Bartash Printing.

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

Editors-in-Chief: Liz Bravacos, Meghan Morris Managing Editor: Reshma Gouravajhala Production Editor: Luke Rafferty News Editor: Laura Weiss Op/Ed Editor: Pooja Ghosh Features Editor: Mary Turocy Sports Editor: Erin O'Neil Centerspread Editor: K.C. McConnell Operations Director: Anjuli Patel Business Manager: Heather Ward Cartoonist: Gabriela Epstein Staff: Maddie Amsterdam, Kelly Benning, Dana Bronzino, Margot Field, Marc Gessaroli, Daniel McConnell, Emily Omrod, Karolis Panavas, Dolly Prabhu, Brittany Roker, Emily Seeburger, Laura Statts, Shwetha Sudhakar, Neel Thakur, Julianne Vallotton, Brooke Weil, Natalie West Faculty Advisers: Susan Houseman, Cynthia Crothers-Hyatt

Submissions

The Spoke will print letters of general interest to the student body and community. Signed letters under 200 words may be submitted to Susan Houseman, Cynthia Hyatt, Liz Bravacos or Meghan Morris. 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.

In a recently conducted survey by The Spoke, it was found that seven out of ten Conestoga students get less than eight hours of sleep every night, even though 56 percent of Conestoga students think that getting more sleep is "very important." Despite their concern, the problem is increasing in scope and is becoming more prominent in schools.

Sleep deprivation is no longer just a result of indifference—it’s become an active decision.

We’ve been told since we were little kids that we should get the standard eight hours of sleep every night. However, according to a 2006 study by the National Sleep Foundation, only 9 percent of teens get this advised amount. Of course, the first weeks of high school might have proved to us the impracticality of such advice but, ultimately, students should be able to get the eight hours with some more time management.

Biologically, teens’ circadian rhythms show that teens are most active around 7:30 p.m. and that they don’t “wake up” until around 8:00 a.m. These patterns serve as guidelines and we should adhere to them: instead of waiting until 9 or 10 at night to do your homework, why not try to get it done earlier? Small changes to your schedule will go a long way to correcting your biological clocks, which can be negatively affected by poor sleeping habits.

Many hold the false impression that you

can “catch up” on lost sleep by sleeping in on weekends or holidays. Not only does this disturb your circadian rhythm even more, it creates erratic sleep cycles. Furthermore, it does nothing to dispel the effects of losing sleep in the first place.

There’s no way around it: lack of sleep is detrimental to a person’s physical and mental health and can lead to problems like obesity and diabetes later in life. Additionally, it can hurt students’ performance levels in school, especially since the brain is not in “full gear.”

Regardless of these negative consequences, however, many teens are foregoing sleep and are succumbing to distractions. Culturally, such distractions—which now exist in the form of Facebook and TV shows—have always existed. Now it’s up to us to ignore them. Exercising a little self-control when offered the chance to postpone sleep will prove to be beneficial in the long run.

Sleep is not a luxury that we can do without. It is a required biological process, one that neither channel surfing nor Facebook chatting can replace. There are ways to avoid bad sleeping habits, especially since we seem to have developed them during our time in high school. Of course, the more traditional tips still hold: exercise regularly, avoid naps and don’t drink caffeine after 2 p.m. To experience an even greater impact, be more efficient when doing schoolwork and avoid websites like Facebook and YouTube after 9 p.m. Setting up your own guidelines will ensure that you develop better habits for yourself. While eight hours of beauty sleep might not be possible, altering your presleep schedule might finally get rid of those bags under your eyes.

Contact Us

By e-mail: spoke@stoga.net Phone: 610-240-1046 The Spoke accepts paid advertisements.

Online Content Visit The Spoke online at www.stoganews.com

News Director: Meghan Morris mmorris@stoganews.com

Gabriela Epstein/The SPOKE

One Book, One 'Stoga: A good idea?

See p. 10 From the Editor

Three magic words

One of my favorite quotes about leadership is: "The three most powerful words for building credibility are 'I don't know.'" Said by John Ousterhout, a computer sciences professor at Stanford University, the quote's real beauty stems from its pure honesty. Ousterhout points to the fact that many leaders are afraid of showing weakness and resort to making up answers to questions that they don't understand.

After surviving my first issue as co-editor of The Spoke, I can say with certainty that those three words, "I don't know," make up what is perhaps the most useful phrase in the English language.

As my fellow reporters and editors can attest, my use of those three words has been fairly frequent throughout the past month. Uttered during late-night phone conversations or at lunch breaks in the courtyard, they're generally followed by a reassuring "But I'll find out for you." Though there are very many things I do not yet know, there are several things that I do know for sure.

I know that tomorrow, an amazing senior class will walk across the stage at the Villanova Pavilion.

This class, which I tried so diligently to avoid for fear of becoming too attached, has impacted the lives of many at the Big "C." This year’s senior class taught us all that it’s never too late to write college essays and proved that working diligently is no substitute for having fun. They showed us how to simultaneously dance and walk in the hallways between classes on Friday mornings and that, unfortunately, the library is closed for midday raves. These important lessons will be remembered next fall, long after those learned about Le Chatelier's principle or the difference between similies and metaphors are forgotten.

I also know that life will roll on here at Conestoga. With one short week before the start of finals, those of us left know that the school year is not yet complete. As usual, we struggle with pangs of jealousy for those away on internship, knowing that at some point, in the far too distant future, our time will come. Just nowhere near soon enough.

I know that saying goodbye is rarely easy and that change is usually terrifying.

I know that the Class of 2010’s absence can be felt in classrooms and hallways.

Most of all, I know that the seniors have earned a sincere thank you for the many lessons that they have taught us. Now, having lost all credibility by stating the little that I know, I’ll gladly return to my three favorite words.

Liz Bravacos can be reached at lbravacos@stoganews.com.

8

OP/ED

THE SPOKE

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

E-readers: The most dangerous read

“E-books are a good idea but you still don’t get the full experience of turning pages.”

Freshman Matt Hom

“I think it’s a good thing to be able to take multiple books with you anywhere.”

Sophomore Jimmy Beck

“E-readers benefit the environment and provide access to a large amount of books at the touch of a button.”

Junior Jen Castor

By Erin O’Neil Sports Editor On Nov. 6, 2007, Newsweek magazine celebrated the release of Amazon’s new Kindle with a cover page emblazoned with the boldlyscripted statement “Books Aren’t Dead.” What most Americans didn’t realize at the time was that Newsweek was lying to them.

By then, I had already braced myself for an onslaught of e-reader commercialism, but when I first saw the Barnes & Noble nook, my heart sank. I walked into the store, only to be greeted at the door by a large and obnoxious kiosk. So I turned around and walked right back out. I had never expected my favorite literary vendor to betray my trust so quickly, and I felt somehow violated.

To be fair, Newsweek wasn’t lying outright—it was more of an artful fudge. But no amount of waffling on behalf of advertisers with well-lined pockets can dispel the fact that books all over the world are sucking in their last few breaths of fresh air. The paperback is dying, all in the interest of readers looking to save a couple of minutes.

So, to save those minutes, I’m going to cut right to the point. To all the optimists out there: don’t deny that the book is on its way out.

I’ve come to realize there’s really no point in being angry. I’ve found that skulking around the nook kiosk at Barnes & Noble and stealing pamphlets had little cathartic value.

I left a supportive comment on a YouTube video bashing the iPad, but, in the end, I only felt more depressed.

Although it’s still around now, the book is just a few faltering steps behind its cousin, the compact disc. And like the compact disc, its successor, the e-reader, follows the revolutionary steps of the small and convenient iPod: easy to buy, easy to use and easy to skip through.

These normally-admired qualities sour in light of the one minute detail that books are supposed to be read and scrutinized and pondered.

As alarming as the e-reader is, I find this electronic coup far from surprising. In fact, it’s been in the making for hundreds of years.

Since its creation, the written word has struggled to survive in a world determined to truncate its very existence.

Who would dare call an unruly crowd by its original name, “mobile volgus” or remember the abbreviating apostrophe in ’cello?

No one, and only for the simple

reason that it’s easier not to.

The shortening and omitting of words has wrought even more dramatic changes to the world of literature. In James Fenimore Cooper’s day, a book was supposed to spin a visual for its readers down to the last leaf. It was the style, until people decided that reading took up too much time.

As we spiral deeper and deeper into an overwhelming state of attention deficiency, everything we do, invent and use is intended to save us time, no matter the cost. Our society’s manufactured ideology that time spent is time wasted inherently opposes the book and all it has to offer. Reading isn’t just another tedious chore to be endured as quickly as possible.

Books provide us with a multitude of alternative worlds—parallel universes in which we can vacation for however long we choose.

That is precisely why we, as the human race, need to resist the devious HAL’s and other dangerous technologies we come across. As helpful as it is, technology can

only save us a certain amount of time without severely siphoning information that feeds the mind, a stronghold of imaginative potential that grows increasingly vulnerable with every new e-reader released Some things are worth the time they consume, and reading is one of them.

So, even as the world accelerates around me, I will continue to give books as birthday gifts and I will continue to carry a library card in my wallet. I suggest you do the same. I suggest you carry around the paperback version, even though the corners curl sometimes. I suggest you read Goldstein’s book inside of “1984,” even though it’s easier just to skip the chapter. And I suggest you join me in giving the nook salesman dirty looks while entering the Barnes & Noble because the freedom to slow down and enjoy a world different from ours, even for just five minutes, is a privilege worth preserving.

Erin O’Neil can be reached at eoneil@stoganews.com.

The Opposition: - E-books are more environmentally friendly than books and save millions of reams of paper each year.

“E-readers are convenient and a great investment in technology.”

- Text itself is not altered merely because the medium in which it is presented is altered.

Senior Kurt Van Mol

- Because e-readers are so convenient, a multitude of books are at your fingertips—revitalizing the act of reading by making it more accessible.

Gabriela Epstein/The SPOKE

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

OP/ED

THE SPOKE

Oil spill reminds us to place focus on safety first

By Reshma Gouravajhala Managing Editor Consider this scenario: you look out at the ocean from your favorite New Jersey beach and see something drastically different from the usual blue waves: a dark, slick substance coating the water as far as you can see—crude oil.

While this situation remains thankfully hypothetical, the probability of such an event occurring is growing. Although the decision is not official, the government wants to allow the construction of several offshore oil rigs along the East coast, specifically near Maryland and Virginia. These rigs could provide Maryland with approximately $94 million, according to Americans for Tax Reform, a conservative or-

9

ganization. However, this economic boon must not be the priority for companies, who, as obvious as it sounds, should instead place more focus on safety.

Given the recent oil spill fiasco, it’s in our best interest (especially as we’re a mere two hours from the coast) to ensure that we do not fall victim to another oil spill disaster.

Our country has had its fair share of oil-related accidents, most notably, the Exxon Valdez incident and the recent Deepwater Horizon spill. This current spill has a circumference of 960 miles, so imagine what would happen if something went wrong near Maryland.

Accidents like these sometimes happen in the highly complex oil industry, but one would assume that companies would learn from prior mistakes and enact safeguards, especially considering that they’re working with toxic compounds.

Yet, as company higher-ups, like chief executive of British Petroleum Tony Hayward, hide behind statements like “Mistakes were made in the early stages of the crisis,” we’re left to wonder why, in this day and

age, we can’t trust companies to react quickly during a crisis.

Despite recent technological advancements, a dearth in safety devices that protect against underwater accidents remains. Due to such safety failures and BP’s slow reaction, 11 people tragically lost their lives and irreversible damage marks the Gulf of Mexico.

Though it is unfair to fault companies for accidents, it is ultimately their responsibility to ensure that

proper safety nets are in place to avert ecological disasters—even at the risk of incurring monetary losses. Instead of a curative approach, companies would be best served if they took a preventative approach, designing effective (and fool-proof) methods to stop wayward spills.

We must realize that BP’s actions have large repercussions and can drastically alter the state of our ecosystem. A massive oil spill is not only a hazard in the immediate vicin-

ity, but also threatens ecosystems far away.

With the possibility of future offshore drilling sites near Maryland and the Jersey shore, we need to make sure that companies have safety precautions in place that will prevent large-scale damage. We must guarantee that history does not repeat itself a third time.

our lives where we realize that the money needed for a new swimsuit or a new video game isn’t going to appear out of thin air. Working over the summer not only provides money for such desired items, but a stronger sense of waste-not want-not as well.

Nothing will make you understand the

value of a dollar more than laboring several hours behind a cash register for minimum wage.

Besides the paycheck, summer jobs also provide a wealth of experience to use later on in life.

Washing dishes in the backroom of a restaurant or resisting the temptation

to steal a spoonful of water ice from a customer’s cup may seem like a pain at the time, but it’s these small events that teach us life lessons, like learning to serve others and sacrificing your needs for someone else’s. What we take away from our first jobs carries with us into our adult careers.

Colleges also see the benefits from working over the summer and will look for students who have such working experience. When you fill out your college application, what will you say you have done over the summer? Stayed home and spent an entire three months attached to Facebook? Colleges would much rather see that you’ve put your free time to good use by working the day shift.

Maybe you’ll even find that your foray into the working world is actually fun. You never know who will be clocking in with you— perhaps you’ll become friends with your new coworkers. With the right people, even a summer spent bound to the monotonous cycle of work can become one of the most unforgettable times your life.

Though it may disturb your tradition of a sluggish summer, getting a job is one of the best ways to spend those three sweet school-free months of vacation. The next time you see a “help wanted” sign staring back at you from behind the store window, leave your preconceived notions about working at the door, and walk on into a summer of possibilities.

Gabriela Epstein/The SPOKE

Reshma Gouravajhala can be reached at rgouravajhala@stoganews.com.

Summer jobs can provide a wealth of experience

By K.C. McConnell Centerspread Editor For the last few years of my life, summer vacation has meant waking up at lunch time, watching TV for hours on end, staring blankly at a headache-inducing computer screen and lazily lounging about with my friends. I was sure this summer would hold the same kind of monotonous bliss until my mom uttered those two horrible words: summer job.

For first-time job-seekers (myself included), the mere thought of such a disturbance to the next peaceful three months of sedentary living is enough to cringe at every “help wanted” sign that rears its ugly head in our direction.

Nevertheless, in the last few months, as I’ve thought about joining the work force, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is nothing to fear.

If anything makes working worthwhile, it’s the payoff. Many of us have reached a certain point in

Gabriela Epstein/The SPOKE

K.C. McConnell can be reached at kmcconnell@stoganews.com.

10

THE SPOKE

OP/ED

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

Stepping into the shoes of the grade above

By Pooja Ghosh Op/Ed Editor The grade above is the one I’m closest to, other than my own.

It is the one I struggled against during Battle of the Bulldogs in seventh grade. It is also the one that was most approachable upon arrival at the Big “C,” which as a freshman seemed quite big indeed. However, I quickly learned they were not always the most reliable when asked for directions (I have yet to locate the pool on the third floor).

Throughout the last three years, the grade above is the one I’ve seen around the most. I’ve slowly learned their names through mutual friends, classes and extracurricular activities.

They have carefully maintained seniority for 11 years, but have now moved into the real world, away from eight-minute bells and the duty of dragging themselves to school

at 7:20 a.m. Come graduation, the grade above is leaving me and my fellow juniors on top, before the class of 2012 will take our place.

In the middle of graduation party season, I realize now that the class of 2011 must fill the grade above’s shoes, in an attempt to continue the cyclic traditions of guiding the grade below.

Every grade has its grade above, which means that we all act as role models for younger students. The job constitutes anything from holding the door open for others to not being the kid who tells a lost freshman about that elusive third floor pool.

As you form bonds with older students, realize that you too will soon be in their place, thinking about college and offering rides to school in the morning, allowing underclassmen just a few more moments of sleep.

Remember that gossip spread at Conestoga is generally about those in higher grades, about those who seem untouchable in their older, more experienced ways. Stories about the actions you take now will trickle down to the eager ears of future freshmen, sophomores and juniors. The relationship you form with the grade above is reflective

of the one you form with the grade below you.

The school feels emptier, as it always does after the second week of May. Between periods, Conestoga just doesn’t seem itself without the panic-inducing, claustrophobic

traffic jam in the language hallway.

However, the relative quiet that pervades the hallways is only a temporary phase until the start of next year, when the school will be teeming with new students, wideeyed at the massiveness that is

Conestoga’s student body.

The grade above will be missed, but the grade below is ready to take its place.

Pooja Ghosh can be reached at pghosh@stoganews.com.

Kim Menapace for The SPOKE

Curious incident of a book that might unite Conestoga Guest Commentary Trevor Drake English Department Chair This year, the English Department has elected to assign a single summer reading book to all 2,000 Conestoga students. While some Honors and Advanced Placement 11th and 12th grade courses will have additional reading assigned, everybody will read Mark Haddon’s novel, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.”

Why would we break from traditional practice and assign a common reading experience for everybody from grades 9 through 12?

There is ample precedent in many places for such a choice.

Many colleges assign a common book for all incoming freshmen.

Many cities, including Philadelphia, name a common book each year and build a series of community discussions around the issues raised in that book.

Our reasons are similar to those advanced by other groups. In an effort to form common bonds

among all members of a very large community (2,000 students, more than 200 faculty and staff), as a way of encouraging discussions across grades, ages, course levels and areas of interest, we think Conestoga will benefit from this new plan.

Schools are by definition transitory places—community members come and go, families arrive and move away, faculty and staff retire and are replaced. As we welcome 500 new ninth graders next August and as we prepare to say farewell to 500 members of the Class of 2011, we thought it would be instructive to capture everybody’s attention for a moment and share our reactions, positive or negative, to a single story.

Fiction is an important part of the human experience; story-telling is as old as the human race. Next fall, when we gather in mixed age groups for a few days of reflection and reaction to Haddon’s novel, we hope that everyone in our community will enjoy a common bond, that through our reactions we can teach each other and start the year on the same page.

Guest Commentary Rachel Tannenbaum Junior

Gabriela Epstein/ The SPOKE

Underneath the joy of summer vacation lurks the notion of work that must be completed before the start of the school year—summer reading.

What was once a list of enjoyable and educational books, like “Of Mice and Men” and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” has manifested into the hallmark of avoided tasks. This year, Conestoga is mandating the entire school to read the same book, an inefficient project that will be unsuccessful in its ultimate goal of fostering education.

Unlike past summers, written work will not be given with the mandatory novels. This is a great improvement, as the assigned questions and essays usually prove to be busy work which ultimately does not add to any lessons planned around the books. However, this is where the good news ends.

A new problem takes the place of the old: a new “one book fits all” approach. I do not doubt the credentials of this book—it has won the Whitbread Book of the Year and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize

for Best First Book. However, I am unsure why 2,000 students must read the same novel. An incoming freshman taking accelerated World Literature has a different level of life experience and literary analysis skills as say, a senior taking an Advanced Placement English course.

School structure has a purpose.

A new grade means a higher level of learning and greater expectations.

Requiring the entire student body to read the same book blurs the line between how far one has come in their high school career, and how far one has to go until graduation.

The new plan will be unproductive, as there will be an increase in the number of students who choose not to read the novel. Those students will take the easy route and ask their friends to summarize the plot instead of putting in the effort themselves, taking comfort in the fact that they are not the only ones who chose to dismiss the mandatory work. So, why not get rid of the assignment altogether? Reassign the time that would otherwise be devoted to mundane review—starting the curriculum earlier would benefit all students.

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

OP/ED

THE SPOKE

11

Gabriela Epstein/The SPOKE

Guest Commentary

By Ted Lewis

To t h e Ed i to r Dear Editor,

Letters Policy

What are you agitated about? Do you have an opinion about something we’ve published? The Spoke will print letters of general interest to the student body and community. Signed letters under 200 words may be submitted to the editorial board.

E-mail us at spoke@ stoga.net

stoganews

.com

Go online to comment on our articles

As a runner on Conestoga’s track and cross country teams, I was intrigued by The Spoke’s mention of the team’s cherished “Sun’s out, guns out” tradition (“No shirt, no shoes? No running,” May 2010). In agreement with the article, I find it unwarranted for the school and community to deem running shirtless inappropriate. Who are they—sitting inside air-conditioned homes and offices in late August—to say we can’t go shirtless in the heat for a little while?

I understand how running five-wide on a two lane road might push a community driver over the edge, causing them to give the school a call. I do not see the harm, however, in allowing students to ditch their shirt on a distance run when the temperature nears 90. You need to consider the runners, and their health, in this situation more so than a sensitive community member’s feelings. The school has addressed the issue in a politically correct way, but like it or not, when the sun is out, the guns probably will be too.

James Ferguson Junior Dear Editor, The Key Club officers and Board agree with last month’s article (“In the name of community (self) service,” May 2010), however some of the information was inaccurate. We have hour requirements and only those students that fulfill the requirements are allowed to put Key Club on their transcript.

More importantly, we believe that the included illustration not only does not accurately address the main idea behind the article but is a derogatory depiction of Key Club. It showed a student with marionette strings attached with the words “KEY CLUB” and dollar signs on the handle. It appears that Key Club is using the students, while the article indicates the students are trying to use the clubs.

Key Club is an international organization that provides service to millions of people throughout the world and gives students the opportunity to learn leadership and organizational skills. We think you owe the dedicated members of Key Club, who unselfishly serve others, an apology for the negative portrayal.

The Key Club Officers and Board

The end of the school year is usually met in high spirits.

Although some may be looking forward to finals, others are no doubt looking ahead to the summer, excited to be finished with school after nine long months. I, however, find the end of the school year to be a tragic occurrence. The precious knowledge I’ve slowly accumulated will start slipping away from my mind as soon as I step out of Conestoga’s hallowed halls on June 18. I will forget virtually everything I have been taught in school.

While I enjoy summer vacation as much as the next person, I find myself fretting at the thought of potential summer situations which may arise.

What if I have to graph a conic section while lounging by the pool?

What if the ice cream man requires me to translate something into French, making special use of the conditionnel passé?

What if I find myself at the precipitous point of needing to write an essay on how antebellum legislation contributed to the Civil War, but can’t remember the steps that led to the dissipation of the Whig Party?

I will be at a complete loss, with nothing I can do about it.

To think that such a sad event happens to students every year is heartbreaking—the amount of learning forgotten each summer must be staggering.

I really couldn’t care less whether or not I retain some of the lessons I’ve learned this year.

But I did go through all the flash cards, the review sheets and the trouble of learning it in the first

place. No doubt many of us also carry emotional scars from late night, last-minute cramming sessions. The thought that all of it could ultimately have been in vain is a depressing thought. The knowledge that we may well end up having to remember or relearn a majority of that information for classes in September is equally distressing.

That isn’t to say that there aren’t any inherently positive aspects of this form of teenage “brain drain.” Two and half months is a decent amount of time for any teenage brain to shut down, cool off and get ready for the beginning of the next school year. Plus, losing all schoolrelated information that we have previously stored makes it easier for us to focus on…erm… whatever wholesome and moral activities we may have planned for the summer.

In the end, it honestly doesn’t matter what the pros and cons of the issue are. It is inevitable that over vacation, regardless of how long it is, we are going to forget what we have learned in the past few months of school. In fact, a similar effect is experienced each year over the fall, winter and spring breaks. It is conceivable that we could review over the summer, but then it wouldn’t really be summer. And, I’m guessing that almost everyone would refuse to do so.

In our minds, “summer” is synonymous with “absolutely no learning.” The summer’s delicate balance between work (none) and relaxation (plenty) should not be broken, but the amount of learning done in the colder months now going to waste is something we can all lament.

Features

14

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

Students step up to the plate to volunteer for Challenger baseball See p. 16

According to junior Sami Leibowitz, the 30th Street beach in Avalon is a great place to meet friends and ride the waves. “It’s the best beach for surfing, and I always see people I know when I surf there,” Leibowitz said.

Before leaving Stone Harbor, junior Molly Kane always buys a shirt from Sun Catcher Surf Shop. The bright T-shirts with sunsets on the back are a popular souvenir to wear all year long.

Though there are dozens of options for pizza in Ocean City, sophomore Rebecca Cizek claims that Mack and Manco’s cheese pizza rises above all others. “It’s by far the best pizza on the boardwalk,” Cizek said.

For a sweet treat in Sea Isle City, sophomore Graham Davis goes to Yum Yums Ice Cream or Marita’s Homemade Ice Cream, “where there’s usually a line going out the door,” he said. Black raspberry is the best flavor, Davis said.

When freshman Annika Ritz vacations in Cape May, she stops by Uncle Bill’s Pancake House for breakfast and the Fudge Kitchen for some creamy sweets like chocolate coconut fudge or classic chocolate.

The Spoke reviews “A Little Night Music” See p. 19

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

STUDENT LIFE

THE SPOKE

15

Reporting by Danny McConnell and Mary Turocy. Photos by Karolis Panavas and Luke Rafferty.

Ultimate Frisbee Club Number of members: over 140 Adviser: John Koenig Presidents: Seniors Graham Campbell, Evan Casciato and Reilly

McCloskey

Meetings: Tuesdays and Thursdays 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at VFMS What they do: Ultimate Frisbee Club allows players of all skill

levels to enjoy friendly competition and physical activity by playing Frisbee. In Ultimate Frisbee, one team tries to pass the Frisbee up the field and past a goal line while the other team defends. In addition to regular weeknight play, the club hosts two popular elimination-style tournaments. “Ultimate is fun, social and easy to pick up if you give it a chance,” adviser John Koenig said. “It is all-inclusive and values fair play, cooperation and tolerance.”

Top: Senior Dan Ciarrochi throws the Frisbee while sophomore Sam Pepper plays defense.

Bottom Left: Club members relax after one of their regular weeknight meetings.

Bottom Right: Senior Mike Walmsley high-fives sophomore Xico Ramos Carpinteyro.

Intense Backyard Sports Club Number of members: 15 Adviser: Kevin Strogen President: Sophomore Lizzy Gruschow Meetings: Mondays after school in room 158 What they do: The club, founded in September, enthusiastically

Sophomore Lizzy Gruschow leapfrogs over junior Seth Dixon during an Intense Backyard Sports Club meeting in the grass across from the bus circle. The club meets every Monday after school to play backyard sports such as bocce, wiffle ball and leapfrog.

engages in playground sports that many high schoolers haven’t played since childhood, including wiffle ball, croquet, bocce, kickball, tag, Red Rover and badminton. During inclement weather, members stay in Strogen’s room and play classic games like Scrabble, Clue and hangman. The members’ energetic, fun-loving attitudes create a playful, welcoming atmosphere. “It’s the intense spirit of Conestoga nestled into one club,” sophomore president Lizzie Gruschow said.

“It’s indescribable.”

y

e

16

THE SPOKE

STUDENT LIFE

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

Hey teacher, can I still call you Mom?

By Emily Omrod Staff Reporter More than a year ago, in a rowdy Spanish class at Tredyffrin/Easttown Middle School, freshman Niko Torres was loudly disrupting class. Then his father, who also happened to be a district administrator, walked in.

“Everyone was being loud,” Torres said. “I was being particularly loud and my dad walked in and [started] yelling at everyone, especially me.

He said, ‘Donde está el respecto?’

I was embarrassed in front of the entire class.”

Torres’ experience with his father working in the district is not uncommon. Several dozen school district employees, including teachers, administrators and secretaries, have children who attend district schools.

For instance, science teacher John Ligget taught his daughter, senior Sarah Ligget, in AP Environmental Science this year.

“At first, it was really weird,” Sarah Ligget said.

Eventually, Sarah Ligget said that she grew accustomed to having her dad as her teacher, becoming com-

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

English teacher Laura Viviano with her children, freshman Joseph Viviano and junior Elyse Viviano. Although Viviano has not taught her children in class, other teachers, such as John Ligget, have taught their children. fortable enough by May to actually answer questions in class.

Freshman Cooper Turley had his father, Bill Turley, as a fifth grade math and science teacher at T/E Middle School.

“It was fun, but there were some challenges at the same time,” Cooper Turley said, adding that his peers would often say that his father gave him a special advantage on quizzes and tests.

Though Cooper Turley did not always enjoy having his father in the classroom, some students have no problems with their parent being a teacher. Junior Elyse Viviano said that she rarely sees her mom, English

teacher Laura Viviano, at school and enjoys the advantage of having a parent who knows the curriculum.

“When I was a sophomore, it was great,” Viviano said. “She would help me understand if I had a question and couldn’t [ask] a teacher.”

Teachers who are also parents believe that their unusual position has positive and negative qualities. Bill Turley, Cooper’s father, said that he enjoys spending additional time with his children and their friends when he is at work.

“It was an advantage to know a lot of their friends. I [knew] how they liked to learn and what pushed their buttons,” Bill Turley said.

Working in close proximity to their children can be a challenge for some parents employed by the district.

Laura Viviano said that she is careful to allow her children to keep their independence at school.

“They’re going through their typical teenage stuff—I put up boundaries and let them maintain their own space,” she said.

Emily Omrod can be reached at eomrod@stoganews.com.

The Tredyffrin Library is bigger,

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

TEACHER FEATURE

17

THE SPOKE

The Minds That Shape Minds

Mrs. Hawkins’ Favorites

Richard Hawkins

Quote: “A journey of a thousand miles must begin

By Anjuli Patel, Operations Director

Math Department Geometry, Finite Math

Amy Hawkins Science Department Biology

Movie: “Shawshank Redemption” Book: The Fountainhead Song: “By Your Side” TV Show: 24 with a singe step” - Lao Tzu

Mr. Hawkins’ Favorites Movie: “Saving Private Ryan” Book: The Sun Also Rises Song: “Sabotage” TV Shows: 24 and Lost Quote: “Success without honor is an unseasoned

dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won’t taste good” - Joe Paterno The SPOKE: If you didn’t teach, what would you do?

The SPOKE: In one word, describe yourself in high school.

R.H.: I would be a professional R.H.: Mackdaddy.

A.H.: Nerd. inside linebacker for the NFL. A.H.: I would be a stay-at-home The SPOKE: When you’re not mom or marine biologist. teaching, you’re...

The SPOKE: What’s your biggest R.H.: Doing what Mrs. Hawkins pet peeve in school? tells me to do.

R.H.: The room numbers don’t A.H.: Spending time with my daughter. make any sense.

A.H.: When people don’t recycle.

The SPOKE: What Conestoga class The SPOKE: What’s your biggest would you like to sit in on? pet peeve outside of school?

R.H.: Obviously Mrs. Hawkins’ R.H.: My daughter wakes up at class.

A.H.: Any of Mr. Hawkins’ math 5:30 a.m. on Saturdays. classes.

A.H.: Mr. Hawkins’ driving.

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

18

COMMUNITY

THE SPOKE

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

True Angels:

By Kelly Benning Staff Reporter

Courtesy Maureen McQuggian

Challenger Angels player Chris Kunc watches the ball as he runs to first base. ’Stoga students volunteer during the team’s Sunday morning games.

One boy does donuts with his wheelchair in the outfield.

Another grins from his coaches’ praise after making a leaping catch for a ball thrown well over his head. Practice for the Challenger Angels Little League team has begun.

“The Challenger team provides an opportunity for children with all types of special needs to play baseball when they otherwise wouldn’t be able to on the regular Little League teams,” said Vince McAneney, head coach and vice president of the BerwynPaoli Challenger League.

Volunteers from Conestoga work to make the Challenger players’ dreams possible by acting as buddies, helping the athletes field balls and run the bases. Students also announce games, keep score and run the snack stand.

S e n i o r C l a r a - A n n J oy c e , a Little League player since elementary school, is the

Conestoga students buddy up with Challenger baseball

Sunday mornings,” Pavillard said.

“I look forward to getting up and helping this team out.”

Pavillard and fellow junior Shannon Martin are two of Joyce’s Little League softball teammates who regularly volunteer with the team.

“I don’t even consider it volunteering; it’s just something I love to do,” Martin said. “It teaches the kids that if they have a dream, they can continue to play and not let their disability stop them.”

“You can tell that it makes The players are not the their day better—and that’s only ones benefiting from the program. Parents of Challenger team members what it’s all about.” recognize the organization’s impact on their children.

- Junior Erin Pavillard “It’s a great way for them to get out, get some exercise and enjoy all the benefits of help someone who might not being on a team,” parent Robert normally be able to play,” Joyce Lynch said.

“You can tell that it makes said. “It’s fun to see how much the their day better—and that’s what kids are enjoying themselves.”

Junior Erin Pavillard also it’s all about,” Pavillard said. volunteers every weekend with Kelly Benning can be reached at the Challenger team.

“I actually look forward to kbenning@stoganews.com. volunteer coordinator for the Challenger team. Joyce began the volunteer program while earning her Girl Scout Silver Award as a freshman. She said that when she realized that the parents of the players were doing all of the work instead of enjoying the games, she wanted to give the parents the chance to watch their children play.

“It’s gratifying to be able to

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

ARTS/CULTURE

THE SPOKE

19

Broadway Critic: ‘A Little Night Music’

By Tim Croner Reporter Emeritus Sometimes, Broadway isn’t about extravagance. Sure, it’s a thrill to be able to see a big, brass musical filled with production numbers and elaborate sets. But sometimes it’s nice to see something more intimate, something that will leave you with questions as well as feeling entertained. Don’t believe me? Just check out the new Broadway revival of “A Little Night Music.”

“Night Music,” which is loosely based on the film “Smiles of a Summer Night,” chronicles the tangled web of relationships of several couples as they spend a weekend in the Swedish countryside. The show premiered on Broadway in 1973. This current production premiered in London in 2008 before transferring to New York in November.

With a score by legendary composer Stephen Sondheim and an accompanying book by “Sweeney Todd” collaborator Hugh Wheeler, there’s no skirting around the fact that “Night Music” is a well-written musical. Though the story focuses on the complexity of sexual liaisons and the fact that humans desire intimacy as a necessary part of life, the topics are dealt with in a sophisticated manner that is unmatched by any piece of theater in recent decades.

However, any production of “A Little Night Music” is not guaranteed to sparkle simply because the material shines. This production, while certainly entertaining and intriguing, is not the first-rate revival that a show of this caliber deserves.

But this is no fault of the cast.

Led by Academy Award winner Catherine Zeta-Jones and fivetime Tony Award winner Angela Lansbury, this ensemble is about as good as you could wish for a Broadway stage. Zeta-Jones’ portrayal of the protagonist Desiree Armfeldt is charismatic and surprisingly sympathetic, especially in her delivery of the show’s (and

Sondheim’s) most famous song, “Send in the Clowns.” The 84-yearold Lansbury steals the show as Madame Armfeldt, Desiree’s mother, with her impeccable comedic timing and incredibly naturalistic approach to the character.

The supporting players are just as memorable as the show’s leading ladies. Leigh Ann Larkin is delightfully saucy as the frisky maid Petra, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka makes a remarkable Broadway debut as the moody and sexually confused Henrik and Aaron Lazar makes an impression as Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm, one of Desiree’s suitors.

It’s also no fault of the show’s design—the sets, while bare, are effective and capable of transforming into the musical’s various settings.

The lighting and costumes are also appropriate to the storyline, with the costumes especially impressive in their design and function.

Where this production begins to crack is in its direction. Trevor Nunn, most famous for headlining the productions of Broadway blockbusters such as “Cats” and “Les Miserables,” seems to have lost himself a bit in his direction of this smaller, more intimate chamber musical. The actors have done a superb job of pumping emotion into the piece, especially during the show’s more vulnerable moments, but Nunn’s history with megamusicals hasn’t aided his work on “Night Music.”

Still, Nunn’s missteps don’t completely discredit this production.

As I’ve said before, it’s very strong.

The design is aesthetically pleasing, the cast is delightful and the material is some of the strongest currently performed on the Great White Way. Add to that the opportunity to see Zeta-Jones and Lansbury give wellcrafted and memorable performances and you have a show that shouldn’t be missed.

“Little Night” Facts Director: Trevor Nunn Tony Nominations: Best Revival of a Musical, Best Leading Actress, Best Featured Actress, Best Sound Design Opened: Dec. 13 Closing: June 20 Where: Walter Kerr Theater, New York City Length: 3 hours Tickets: $57 and up Information from broadway.com

Courtesy broadway.com

Angela Lansbury as Madame Armfeldt and Catherine Zeta-Jones as Desiree Armfeldt in “A Little Night Music.” The show, a revival of the 1973 classic, returned to Broadway in November after almost 40 years.

Visit D rivers Ed.c during om and en ter the on line p discount* c ayme nt pro ode PAHS cess.

Tim Croner can be reached at tcroner@stoganews.com.

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20

Sports

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

Boys tennis suffers early exit from state tournament p. 21

Flyers’ playoff run worth the attention p. 22

UNSTOPPABLE Boys lax eyes state title

By Erin O’Neil Sports Editor From the looks of this year’s Pioneers, it’ll take a whole lot more than just another team to stop them.

Coming off of last season, in which ’Stoga lost a heartbreaking state championship to La Salle, we all wondered whether this year’s team could continue the success.

And we weren’t disappointed.

With the exception of two close losses to Haverford and Springfield early on in the season, the boys have strung win after win together, heading into District I playoffs with a record of 17-2.

“Learning to play with high expectations is an added challenge,” head coach Brian Samson said.

“These guys know that everybody wants to beat them, and they know that they need to put forth their best effort each contest. There will be some good competition come playoffs.”

Seeded third in the district, the pioneers swept their first playoff game with a 13-5 win over Downingtown East at home on May 20. They then continued on to easily defeat Lower Merion with a 12-7 victory two days later in the district quarterfinals at Henderson.

“The offense has been really starting to pick it up,” senior captain Casey Ikeda said. “I think that the team will really come together well and rise to the challenges.”

Without losing steam, ’Stoga barreled ahead through districts, rolling over Abington in a 13-5 victory. In the district finals, the Pioneers seized their chance for revenge over rival Springfield, smashing their opponents and emerging victorious with a score

For photo galleries featuring playoffs, go to stoganews.com.

of 8-4.

“It felt really good to beat Springfield,” senior Peter Bowers said. “It felt really good to get revenge on them. We came out with a lot of intensity and they couldn’t keep up with us.”

With a District 1 title locked up, the boys charged full steam ahead into state playoffs, facing Hatsboro Horsham in the first round of the tournament.

“I don’t think many teams are used to our high caliber defense pressing far out,” junior Ben Karr said. “It will be interesting to see how they deal with that much pressure.

The team has remembered every practice, every game, what it is like to lose a state championship. The memory has fueled a tremendous season focused on reclaiming something they fell short of last year.

“The goal is June 12th,” Karr said. “We’re focused on winning this year. We want to be back in Hershey, and nothing less.”

Erin O’Neil can be reached at eoneil@stoganews.com.

stoganews

.com

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

Senior Peter Bowers rebounds from making a pass in the District I championship against Springfield, played at Harriton High School on May 28. The boys won the game 8-4 and advanced into state playoffs.

SPORTS

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

21

THE SPOKE

Making a racket: Tennis reaches quarterfinals

By Dolly Prabhu Staff Reporter When the Conestoga boys’ tennis team left for Hershey, bright and early on May 18, they knew it was going to be a long day.

Coming off of an almost undefeated season, the boys headed into states, confident in their ability as a team and ready for a fight.

“We had a pretty easy season, except for Haverford, Harriton and Radnor, which were all 4-3 wins,” junior Christian Lyon said.

The regular season had proven to be less-than-demanding for the boys, and after winning the Central League title, the team plunged headfirst into district playoffs.

With the exception of Council Rock North, the Pioneers’ only season loss, the team met every opponent with strength and placed second at districts.

“We had a couple of tough matches,” junior Brendan McShane said. “A couple of our lower teams have pulled through and people have stepped it up throughout the year, so we had a solid season.”

The highlight of the year came in the Conestoga’s first-round win over rival Radnor. Having defeated Radnor once before in the regular season, the team was delighted to claim a second seasonal victory over its perennially-tough competitor.

“Radnor has always been rivals to us,” McShane said. “They always have a strong team. When we met, both teams were undefeated and we ended up winning by one court.”

With districts behind them, the boys entered their first round of state championships expecting success. The team’s first and second singles players, senior Juan Escobar and sophomore Kevin Wang, undefeated throughout the entire season, won their matches with ease.

“Everybody else won pretty easily too,” junior Tim Faber said. “Nobody on the team had been to states before, so it was exciting that we were able to win.”

But winning did not come so easily on the second day of the tournament, and the boys suffered an early exit from states after losing in the quarterfinals.

Nevertheless, the boys remain undeniably optimistic about their potential for next year, losing only Escobar, the team’s one senior.

“It will be the same group of people and the same coaches,” Faber said. “I feel like next year could be just as successful, if not even more so.”

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

Dolly Prabhu can be reached at dprabhu@stoganews.com.

Freshman Jason Sutker returns a serve in the state tournament, held in Hershey on May 22. The boys advanced through to the quarterfinals.

Girls 4x800 relay claims second state title

By Erin O’Neil Sports Editor Five minutes before the race of their lives, the Conestoga girls 4x800 relay team was singing Motown. The girls were on the infield, lacing up their racing spikes and waiting for the race to begin.

“Sometimes before we run, the mood can get tense, especially for a state championship,” senior Kacie O’Neil said. “We were all pretty nervous, so I said ‘somebody just sing!’”

Seniors Marta Klebe and Kyra Sikora immediately picked up the vibe and began belting out The Temptations, invisible microphone and all.

Kyra Sikora 2:22

“I couldn’t sing because I didn’t know the song,” junior Dina Ramadane said.

“But we all just danced, literally two minutes before the biggest race of the season.”

Loosened up and mentally relaxed, the girls readied themselves for their final race of the year. Sikora started off the race with a 2:22 split, handing off to Klebe, who ran the second leg in 2:15, and then Ramadane, who ran the third leg in 2:18. O’Neil anchored the relay with a split of 2:12.

Having won five state titles in the last three years, the relay team was confident in their chances. They hoped to echo their successful indoor season, which took

them all the way to nationals and earned them All-American status.

“I knew we could win it,” Ramadane said. “The whole season, we had been training so hard, all for this one meet, this one race. We always keep a low profile throughout the entire season and come out from nowhere at states.”

The team finished the race with a time of 9:08.58, roughly three one-hundredths of a second in front of the second-place team, West Chester Henderson. Before the race, Henderson had been seeded first, one place in front of Conestoga.

“Henderson was the one big team that was suddenly good this year, and I really wanted to beat them,” O’Neil said. “I had

the lead and there was no way I was giving it up.”

The girls are currently ranked ninth in the nation, a great way for three of the relay’s seniors to end their high school track careers, winning one last time.

“The race was really painful but really exciting,” O’Neil said. “It’s still sinking in now that we won. Even getting up on the podium, we were still winding down.

But we did it.”

Marta Klebe

Dina Ramadane

Kacie O’Neil

2:15

2:18

Staff writer Emily Seeburger contributed to this article.

Erin O’Neil can be reached at eoneil@stoganews.com.

2:12

Marc Gessaroli/The SPOKE

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THE SPOKE

SPORTS

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

Broad Street Bullies beat the odds

By Chris Grant Reporter Emeritus Many Philadelphia fans, myself included, tend to spend more time focusing on our favorite teams’ failures than on their triumphs.

Once in a blue moon, however, a team comes along that forces us to change that mentality, even if only for a short time.

The 2001 Sixers did it when Allen Iverson and his band of scrappy role players clawed their way to the NBA Finals. The 2008 Phillies did it when they won the World Series and ended the 25year championship drought. And now the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers are doing it.

When the Flyers went 0-3 against the Bruins in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, they easily could have rolled over and died, blamed it on injuries, called it a season and hit the golf course. But the Flyers knew that in Philadelphia, athletes are held to a higher standard, and they took

games four, five and six in a thrilling fashion, setting the stage for a historic game seven in Boston.

In that final game, the Bruins came out with killer instinct. Their early 3-0 lead seemed to grind the Flyers’ magical run to a screeching halt until they came storming back, and the Flyers emerged with a 4-3 victory, both in the game and in the series. Then they defeated Montreal 4-1 and moved on to face the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals.

But through the series and the rest of the postseason, there have been more dramatic subplots than even a Lifetime movie would know how to handle. Jeff Carter and foot

injuries set the stage for newcomers Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk to emerge as stars and provided the opportunity for Danny Briere to step up and silence his many critics. Shortly after, Ian LaPerriere took a puck to the face in an effort to block a shot.

Philadelphia is a place where we embrace the Aaron Rowands and the LaPerrieres of the world, but the most surprising subplot has been the incredible play of Gagne.

Numerous injuries and lackluster postseason performances in the past had led to a love-hate relationship with many fans. Since Gagne’s return, it’s been nothing but love. His confidence level is

at an all-time high and his return has given the team a desperately needed emotional lift. It’s hard to gauge how much longer Gagne will be around after this season, but it’s safe to say that his legacy is in good shape now.

I have always thought that people create their own luck, and that’s exactly what the Flyers have done.

The Stanley Cup title is certainly a tall order, but by no means out of the question. When it comes to the playoffs, it’s all about peaking at the right time, and that’s precisely what the Flyers have done.

Chris Grant can be reached at cgrant@stoganews.com.

When the FIFA World Cup kicks off this summer in South Africa, I, along with a majority of the global population, will be watching with rapt attention. While I consider myself an avid soccer fan and a World Cup fanatic, I am equally intrigued by the sociopolitical implications that the tournament will have on the nation of South Africa.

The phrase “more than a game” may seem cliché, but as we get closer and closer to June 11, it has never been more true. The game of soccer (or football, as it is known to the rest of the world) historically has always wielded a special uniting capability.

In 1914, during World War I, an unofficial truce was called between German and British soldiers on the Western front on Christmas Day. These soldiers climbed out of the trenches to play a game of soccer

4 Career regular season shutouts by Flyers goalie Michael Leighton

3 Shutouts by Leighton against Montreal Canadiens in Eastern Conference Finals

20 Conestoga teams that qualified for districts

185

Soccer wields power of social integration Guest Commentary

By Patrick O’Neil

By the Numbers

in the infamous “No Man’s Land,” an area which, at any other time, claimed among the highest battle casualties throughout the entire war. In 1967, a 48-hour ceasefire was called in the midst of a Nigerian civil war in order to watch Pelé play. In 2005, following the qualification of the Cote d’Ivoire national team, the two conflicting sides in the country’s ongoing civil war agreed to recommence peaceful negotiations.

And, for the past 50 years, the status of soccer in South Africa has served as a makeshift barometer for its volatile political climate. In 1976, FIFA officially banned the South African Football Association for not allowing racially-mixed teams under its apartheid system.

South Africa’s reinstatement back into FIFA in 1992 symbolized the establishment of a new democratic government in the country, one that didn’t reek of racial segregation and white supremacy.

And now, as the well-deserved month of patriotism and pride for the people of a flourishing democratic nation approaches, we must recognize the true magnitude of the upcoming 2010 World Cup. For one month, South Africans will be able to bask in the glory of hosting arguably the world’s grandest sporting event to date.

As South Africa invites the world to experience “The Beautiful Game” on its largest stage in the universal language of soccer, the world once again invites the nation of South

Regular season goal total for boys lacrosse

Africa to claim its share of athletic and global prominence.

31.57 Percentage of World Cup titles won by their host teams

5 Number of World Cup titles won by Brazil, the most by any team

Gabriela Epstein/The SPOKE

All statistics as of June 3.

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

SPORTS

THE SPOKE

Baseball careers reach beyond the bullpen

By Heather Ward Business Manager For two Conestoga alumni, the sports business has been their field of dreams. While one heads to the top of broadcasting, the other sets out to follow his umpiring aspirations. Jobs in the sports industry are some of the most rewarding, but challenging, professions to enter.

Todd Kalas, a 1984 Conestoga graduate, is now a Tampa Bay Rays broadcaster. He was exposed to sports at a young age because his father was Phillies broadcaster Harry Kalas.

“I always watched baseball with my dad growing up,” Kalas said.

“Baseball was what I was surrounded with.”

During high school, Kalas said that he focused on public speaking and taking advantage of the opportunities at Conestoga. He then headed off to the University of Maryland for his freshman year of college.

It wasn’t until his sophomore year that he decided to become a broadcaster, after transferring to

Syracuse University. Because sports broadcasting is a hard field to break into, he said that persistence was key to his eventual success.

“At first the pay is low and usually after a few years the better people rise to the top,” Kalas said. “There aren’t a lot of entry level jobs—you really have to hang in there the first couple of years.”

Newer to the baseball industry is umpire Geoff Arnold, a 2006 Conestoga graduate. Arnold knew what he wanted to do with his life even before his first day of kindergarten.

“It was something I got into when I was four,” Arnold said. “I went to a Phillies game—they were playing the Rockies—and the guys in blue were cool to watch.”

He began to umpire Little League games at the age of twelve and attended umpiring camps during his summers. Though he started out playing baseball, Arnold ultimately chose to pursue umpiring instead.

Arnold said that umpiring is his dream, though the path is not easy.

23

“It’s actually harder to make it as an umpire than as a player,” Arnold said. “There is about a three percent shot for players and a one percent shot for umpires.”

He plans to attend umpire school in Florida and hopes to be chosen for an umpire class called the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation (PBUC). Only about 50 people each year are selected for this program.

After PBUC, Arnold will have to work his way from A to AAA baseball to be considered for the majors.

“You get put on a list for call-ups if an umpire gets sick or something,” Arnold said. “You need to umpire about 500 games before you even get put on a roster.”

These two Conestoga graduates have taken alternative approaches to sports careers. With a bit of hard work and perseverance, they are both living their athletic dreams.

Heather Ward can be reached at hward@stoganews.com.

Courtesy Geoff Arnold

Conestoga alumnus Geoff Arnold prepares to make a call while umpiring a baseball game. Arnold hopes to be admitted to the PBUC training program.

Volume 60, No. 7

INSIDE

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010

Girls 4x800 relay wins state title See p. 21

World Cup symbol of South African peace See p. 22

BRO FOR THE

GOLD

Boys lacrosse continues to

charge through state playoffs See p. 20 * All sports updates as of June 3

stoganews Go online for an extended photo gallery

.com from the boys lacrosse playoff run.

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE