The Spoke March 2012 by The Spoke

Sp ke

Horseback riders leap to compete See p. 18

THE

Ice hockey participates in Flyers Cup See p. 23

CONESTOGA HIGH SCHOOL, BERWYN, PA

VOLUME 62 NO. 5

MARCH 28, 2012

STOGANEWS.COM

PLAYING WITH Laura Weiss Co-editor-in-chief

Photos Lavi Ben-Dor and Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

Yong Yang, owner of Yang’s Market in Berywn, was robbed by two teens as he was closing the shop on Jan. 18. Two suspects, Octavio Sandaval, 18, and Sean Mitten, 17, were arrested and charged with the crime. A date for the trial has yet to be determined.

Photo Illustration: Karlois Panavas and Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

FIRE

From afar, the hub of students on Martin’s Lane seems to be chatting before school and enjoying the sunny weekday morning. Moving closer, the spots of light from their cigarettes come into view. One student deeply inhales her cigarette, looking satisfied and smiling to her friends as she exhales a curl of grayish smoke, so out of place with the bright morning around her. Another coughs into his arm. Just off of school property, they are barely safe from the school’s jurisdiction here.. Students say they come here, to “Smoker’s Corner,” to talk to each other, meet up with friends and light up. Sometimes, one student says, freshmen that are just starting to smoke hang around, trying to bum cigarettes from older, more seasoned junior and senior smokers. And when he smoked cigarettes, the student says, “That place was my home.” On March 8 the U.S. Surgeon General, Regina Benjamin, issued a report on smoking for the first time since 1994, urging a fight on youth tobacco use, and referring to smoking as “a global epidemic among young people.” The report details that 88 percent of adults who are daily smokers first started smoking cigarettes by the time they were 18 years old, and nearly 25 percent of high school seniors in the United States currently smoke cigarettes, compared to 20 percent of adults. Though cigarette smoking has declined since the 1990s, that decline has recently slowed, bringing smoking back into the spotlight. See SMOKING, p. 4

PAGE 2 THE SPOKE

stoganews .com

“Our [Gay-Straight Alliance] prefers to focus on creating a safe space in the community where everyone can know that they are respected and tolerated, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender.”

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

NEWS

Go online to see a report on student musicians who are working on writing and recording their own albums.

Junior Maria Gwynn on GSA’s effort to spread acceptance at Conestoga; full story on Stoganews.com.

Check out photographs of the baseball team, students who play water polo and Italian Culture Day.

Take a snapshot of this QR code with your smartphone camera to read a report on the marching band receiving the Best Overall Band Award at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Washington, D.C. on March 11.

Find us on Twitter (@thespoke) and Facebook for exclusive online content.

Pioneer posts: Upcoming in community Best Buddies presents its annual Talent Show on April 12 in the auditorium. All students are invited to watch the show during their free periods. The Tredyffrin/Easttown School Board holds a budget workshop at Conestoga on April 16. The board will discuss several strategies to lessen the deficit, including fees for student activities. As part of the Gay-Straight Alliance’s Spirit Week from April 1620, members will participate in the Day of Silence on April 20 in order to protest discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered students. Music students stage the spring concerts in late April and early May. The choirs perform on April 25 and the instrumental ensembles perform on May 1 and 2. The annual senior prom will be held on April 27 at 8 p.m. at Westover Country Club. Dessert will be served, but dinner is not offered at the event.

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

A member of the Harlem Wizards scores a slam dunk during a FLITE charity event on March 23. The trick hoops team played against members of Conestoga’s basketball teams and teachers across the district.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

PAGE 3 THE SPOKE

NEWS

Colleges pinpoint plagiarism with anti-cheating website

that Turnitin may falsely accuse someone of cheating. “It’s a good idea, but sometimes [Turnitin.com] highlights While many students at Concertain phrases that weren’t actuestoga are familiar with submitally intended to be plagiarism,” ting English papers and social Rao said. studies notes to the plagiarism However, Carrie Marcinkevscreening website Turnitin.com, age, an admissions director for they soon may need to start subPenn State’s Smeal College of mitting their college essays, too. Business, said the More than 100 admissions comcolleges and unimittee takes meaversities have adsures to prevent opted Turnitin for any false accusaAdmissions since tions. its launch. Stanford “All essays University is one are authenticated of the dozen underthrough Turnitin graduate schools for Admissions bethat started screenfore we take any ing freshman applifurther actions,” cations this year. Marcinkevage said Richard Shaw, -English Department chair Trevor Drake in a press release. Stanford’s Dean “Every report is of Undergraduate individually reAdmission and Firized their essay shouldn’t have viewed, and any questionable nancial Aid, said that Stanford screened the essays of roughly an unfair advantage when apply- cases receive a second review to determine whether they violate seven percent of its 36,000 ap- ing to college,” Snyder said. But sophomore Kanishka Penn State plagiarism guideplicants who advanced in the admission process, according Rao, who has used the site for lines.” Turnitin for Admissions uses to The Los Angeles Times. Stu- past assignments, questions the dents will be allowed to respond system’s accuracy and worries the same software as Turnitin. com. A Turnitin for Admissions case study says the service “compares submitted documents to a massive database of Internet content, subscription content and previously submitted essays to create a comprehensive Similarity Report.” The Similarity Report highlights suspicious content and compares it with its suspected source, so admissions directors can judge if essays are plagiarized. Other schools are more hesitant to use Turnitin for prospective freshmen. The Times reported that annual fees start at $1,500 and rise depending on volume, averaging about a dollar per application. Rob Killion, Executive Director of the Common Application, the online application service used by 456 college admissions offices, said that there is “a very real chance” it will adopt Turnitin in 2013, according to The Times. Trevor Drake, chairman of the English Department, said that Turnitin.com has successfully detected plagiarism “quite a few” times in his and other teachers’ classes. Drake said he

Allison Kozeracki Copy Editor

to accusations, but will either face denial or revocation of admission. Sophomore Lindsey Snyder said she supports the use of Turnitin for Admissions and would feel more comfortable applying to a college that uses the system. “Someone who has plagia-

Colleges “have the right to know as much accurate information about those prospective students as they can.”

supports colleges’ decision to use Turnitin for Admissions. “Colleges, who will be inviting somebody to join their community for four years, have the right to know as much accurate information about those [applicants] as they can,” Drake said. “The purpose of the essay is to tell the colleges something [true] about the applicant, information that is not in the transcript or the test scores. If Turnitin can determine that a student submitted an essay under her own name that was in fact written by somebody else, that information is valuable and can legitimately be used to screen applicants.” The system searches for patterns in language, so changing a few words would not hide plagiarism. Drake said that paying someone to write an essay could backfire as well. “Don’t be so sure that Turnitin could not detect something written by a professional consultant,” Drake said. “Is it imaginable that a consultant might cut and paste part of an essay he writes for Student A in 2010 into an essay he writes for Student B

Graphic: Anisa Tavangar/The SPOKE

in 2011? If we’re dealing with dishonesty on this level, what would stop such a ‘professional’ from reusing his own material?” A Turnitin case study revealed that the Internet is a leading source of plagiarism in personal statements. Out of 450,000 personal statements collected during the 2006-07 admissions cycle from an unnamed application service, 36 percent of essays contained significant matching text. Despite the startling figures, Marcinkevage said that Turnitin for Admissions is an advantage to qualified applicants. “The highest benefit is to the applicant,” Marcinkevage said in the press release. “Our job is to look for positives—the great attributes a candidate might bring to the program and how Penn State might be a great fit. We can’t maintain that focus if we’re cynically seeking plagiarism. Let the software be the bad guy. Free us to find great students.” Allison Kozeracki can be reached at akozeracki@stoganews.com.

PAGE 4 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

NEWS

Cigarette smoking declared epidemic among young people

Continued from p. 1

Junior Paige Hill*, who is 17 years old, says that she smokes at “Smokers’ Corner” a lot, partly because she enjoys hanging out with the people there. Hill began smoking when she was nine years old, when a friend of hers asked someone for a cigarette so she asked too. For me, “the benefits [of smoking] are stress reduction and it’s also that you get into the habit of doing something, so it just puts you back into the swing of things, gives you something to do. And it does speed up your metabolism so after meals if I feel particularly stuffed I can go out and do that,” she says. “And it’s also a social thing too.” Hill smokes three to five times a day, and she says assuredly that she is addicted to cigarettes. According to Pennsylvania law, it is illegal for minors under 18 to buy cigarettes and illegal for an adult to buy cigarettes for a minor, but it is not illegal for a minor to physically smoke or receive cigarettes. Since she is underage, Hill gets her cigarettes by either having an 18-year-old friend buy them for her or going to a store that she knows will not ask for identification. “It’s a great lift, especially after a long school day. You start your day off, and it’s been so long,” she says. “And I’ve battled with other addictions and it helps me stay away from those, so I guess [I smoke for] a lot of reasons.” Hill says that she has struggled with drug abuse in the past, and that smoking has helped her recover, though it was not her only method of recovery. “Just because [a smoker is] a teen doesn’t mean they’re automatically [smoking] to look cool and doesn’t make them a bad person,” she says. According to a 2011 Gallup poll, 25 percent of Americans have less respect for someone who smokes. “I don’t really like smoking at all,” says Students Against Destructive Decisions (S.A.D.D.) Club member senior Pooja Khandekar. “As long as [students at ‘Smokers’ Corner’] are not doing it illegally it’s fine I guess, if it’s not disturbing me. But still, I don’t like how they do it, but there’s nothing I can do.” Hill seems sure of every word as she says that she is not stupid or ignorant and knows that she is not

1% Respect smokers more

88% Started by age 18

25% Lose respect for smokers

74% Have Indifferent opinions

75% Don’t Smoke

12% Started later

Percent of adults with different opinions of people who smoke

Source: 2011 Gallup poll and 2012 U.S. Surgeon General’s report

Percent of high school seniors in the U.S. who currently smoke cigarettes

Percent of adults who started smoking before age 18

invincible. She knows the risks of smoking, and is not trying to look cool. Smoking, she admits, is an unhealthy habit but she says that there are unhealthy habits everywhere, like eating junk food, that are not typically labeled the way smoking is. “There’s always going to be something people want to persecute,” she says. “If you don’t like it, if you don’t want to be hurt by it, then don’t be around it where you can get secondhand smoke. But it’s their body. It’s their choice.”

Facts of the matter

25% Smoke

On March 19, the Centers for Disease Control (C.D.C.) began an ad campaign that features graphic images of smokers who have suffered leg and ﬁnger amputations, battles with cancer and tracheotomies as a result of smoking cigarettes. “In our new media campaign you hear stories from people who are as young as in their early twenties who have suffered very serious consequences—loss of limbs, for example—due to the effects of smoking,” a C.D.C. spokesperson says in an interview. The spokesperson says that though many teen smokers might not plan to smoke forever, a percentage will be unable to quit because an addiction to nicotine is difﬁcult to break. “Some people get addicted [to smoking] very easily and others not so much,” the C.D.C. spokesperson says. “We know that generally speak-

Graphic: Luke Rafferty and Anisa Tavangar/The SPOKE

ing, younger brains are more susceptible to nicotine addiction but not all teens are susceptible in the same way and at the same rate, so you might be very different than your best friend.” According to James P. Stevenson, the Director of Thoracic Oncology at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, an addiction to cigarettes can lead to multiple cancers, including lung, breast, pancreatic and throat cancer. Heart disease, emphysema, peripheral vascular disease and kidney disease are just some of the other diseases that a smoker could fall victim to. “I’d certainly like to see the day when cigarettes weren’t even legal anymore but I know that’s not ever going to happen,” Stevenson says. “There’s really no good that can come out of cigarette smoking.” Principal Amy Meisinger hopes that recent attention to teen smoking on a national scale will help raise awareness and help students to make good decisions about smoking. Smoking is “something that you don’t realize how harmful it can really be when you’re already down the path,” Meisinger says. “So I think that it’s only a good thing that it’s coming back into the public eye.” But Hill has considered the future that smoking can bring. She has seen relatives die of lung cancer and she has no desire to have similar problems. “But I guess as much as I know [the dangers],” she says. “I am young

and it’s hard to envision that now, even though I can.” From her current perspective, Hill is at peace with the fate that smoking might bring her. “Once I get to [the point of dying from smoking-related diseases] if that’s my way to go then that’s my way I go. I’m going to die somehow,” she says. “If I die of, say, lung cancer, then it’s how I die. I’ll tell people to pull the plug, once it gets too bad. Honestly, the way I look at it, when your time is up, your time is up.”

Smoking at ’Stoga

Conestoga is a drug-free school zone, meaning that any type of tobacco use is prohibited for students and adults alike. If a student is caught smoking or in possession of tobacco on school grounds, the Conestoga Code of Conduct says that they would be suspended for one day and charged a $25 fine. For each subsequent offense, the fine increases by $25 and the student is suspended for an additional day. However, the school has no jurisdiction off of its property, at “Smokers’ Corner,” for example. But Meisinger says that awareness of teen smoking is part of ’Stoga’s health curriculum, and the S.A.D.D. Club urges students never to pick up smoking in the first place. “The S.A.D.D. Club discourages teens from even getting started on smoking simply because once the habit gets established it’s so hard to

stop,” says senior and S.A.D.D. Club president Sam Allon. But “S.A.D.D. is a great place [for smokers] to come with questions and ask them of your peers and just not be judged about it.” Though Hill started smoking at the age of nine, senior Jack Collins* started at the beginning of his junior year and says his friends played a part in sparking the habit that he has recently kicked. I started smoking “because my friends were doing it and they kind of—I don’t want to say peer pressured me into it—but kind of built on it,” Collins says. Most of Hill’s friends smoke socially, and she says that at Conestoga smoking is mostly a social habit. “For a lot of my high school friends—a lot of them are under 18—I think you see [smoking] a lot more socially,” she says. “I think that a lot of people just do it socially or when they’re drinking with friends.”

Cigarettes on the side

While drinking alcohol with friends off school grounds, students sometimes bring cigarettes into the mix. “Drinking with smoking definitely [goes together],” Hill says. “It’s hard to explain. You crave it. I ﬁnd that even non-smokers ask me for one afterward. I’d say probably because [being drunk] lowers your inhibitions a little. You’re more out for pleasure seeking. It’s social and it just feels good.” According to a study released on Nov. 2 by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (N.I.D.A.), researchers at Columbia University found tobacco can serve as a gateway drug by priming the brain for cocaine and possibly other addictions. “I like to quote ‘bad behaviors like company.’ There is good evidence that smokers tend to associate with drinking and substance use,” says doctor Janice Hillman of PennCare Adolescent and Young Adult Associates. Collins would often drink when he was smoking cigarettes and says that smoking absolutely accompanies drinking for some students. “When you’re drinking, some people who don’t smoke will have a cigarette,” he says.

See QUITTING, p. 5

*To protect the privacy of the students interviewed and protect them from legal action for previous illegal activity, their names have been changed.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

PAGE 5 THE SPOKE

NEWS

Experts, students discuss stamping out smoking habit

Continued from p. 4

Putting out the flame

Collins decided to quit smoking since his ex-girlfriend disliked it and because he knew how unhealthy his habit was. He smoked a pack of cigarettes every two days before he quit. Collins struggles to discern whether he was addicted to smoking, saying that he wants to say he was not but he always wanted a cigarette. “I feel better [now] because I’m not killing myself, basically,” Collins says. “And I can do more things like be more active.” Since he quit smoking, Collins feels healthier. He says he can now walk up stairs without getting winded, his perpetual sore throat is gone and he is not coughing all the time. Collins was able to quit smoking by cutting down how often he smoked at first and then simply stopping altogether, which Stevenson says is a benefit to quitting smoking at a young age. “As a teenager if you’re smoking, this is going to be the easiest time to quit, so you shouldn’t need

to rely on things adults need to use like a patch or some of these drugs,” Stevenson says. “So now is going to be the easiest time to just put them down and not have a physical craving to smoke.” For those that smoke due to social pressure, Stevenson says to look at quitting as what is best for your body and preserving your health for the future. “All the things that you’re looking for now and planning toward— going to college, getting a job, getting married, having kids—to smoke cigarettes is only going to potentially have that taken away from you if you got diagnosed with lung cancer when you were 40 years old or something like that, and that can happen. I see it not infrequently in young people who smoke,” Stevenson says. According to the C.D.C. spokesperson, quitting smoking is difficult because it is a physical addiction. “Being addicted to nicotine is no different than being addicted

to heroin or alcohol,” the C.D.C. spokesperson says. “It is sometimes beyond your rational ability to control it because it is an actual physical addiction so it can be very difficult to break. But it can be done and we encourage everyone to go to smokefree.gov or call 1-800-QUIT-NOW and you can get free resources that will help you quit.” When he smoked, Collins says that cigarettes helped him deal with stress. But he has since found healthier ways to manage it, like practicing deep breathing. Quitting is “going to be hard at first, but once you get over the first couple weeks then you can do it,” he says. “It just takes some determination.” The students that Collins once smoked with are still his friends, because he says that smoking is not the only thing they have in common. But only one of Collins’s friends encouraged him to quit. When I quit, “some were happy, some were making fun of me a little

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

Students congregate at “Smokers’ Corner,” an area just off school grounds where some students say they smoke cigarettes. Twenty-five percent of high school seniors in the U.S. smoke, according to the Surgeon General’s report. bit, but it’s whatever,” he says. “It’s my body.” Hill is content to continue smoking into adulthood. But Collins still seems unsure. When asked if he will ever smoke again, he paused, unsure of his answer for the first time, before saying, “Probably.” He does want to stay off cigarettes moving forward and says that right

now smoking is something that he really does not need anymore, but something is holding him back. “I probably would smoke again,” he says. “I know it’s not healthy for you, but if I can quit now I feel like I could again.” Laura Weiss can be reached at lweiss@stoganews.com.

NEWS

PAGE 6 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

Long-term substitute teachers fill in for English classes

Suproteem Sarkar Staff Reporter Walking into her American Literature class this January, sophomore Amy Casey was anticipating a routine in-class discussion. She was not expecting to see an unfamiliar face at the teacher’s desk. Following American Literature and AP Language and Composition teacher Linda Kerschner’s approved leave of absence in January, T/E Director of Assessment and Accountability Delvin Dinkins and substitute teacher Richard Short took over her classes as long-term substitutes. Another teacher change took place at Conestoga when European Literature and AP Literature and Composition teacher Judith Shepherd took medical leave. After Shepherd contracted pneumonia in November, Short and American Literature teacher Alexandra Solove stepped in to teach her classes. “It was kind of a weird situation because we never expected it to happen,” Casey said. “It was

very spur of the moment, but the administration and teachers did a nice job of integrating [Short] into our course.” Despite the changes, senior David Siah said that the rigor of his AP Literature class has been consistent. “You still have to work hard,” Siah said. “There’s no slacking off just because we don’t have our old teacher anymore.” After Kerschner took leave, her classes went through two weeks of substitutes until Dinkins and Short began to teach her classes. Junior Matthew Mignogna said he began to miss Kerschner’s teaching style after she left. “We were all kind of worried, since we thought we wouldn’t be prepared for the AP test. People wanted her to write college recommendations and [we missed her because] we all loved her as a teacher,” Mignogna said. Principal Amy Meisinger said Dinkins, Short and Solove were the best candidates for their respective positions. Meisinger said that longterm substitutes go through a series

of screenings, interviews and mock lessons before they are selected to teach at Conestoga. “When we have a schedule that requires an AP course, we are very interested in having a candidate that has experience in the AP curriculum,” Meisinger said. “It’s a rigorous curriculum and it also requires a specific content area knowledge. Both Mr. Short and Dr. Dinkins had previous AP experience.” Dinkins said his AP experience came in the 1990s, when he modified the Language and Composition course to fit AP course requirements. “I was actually the first person to teach the course in the current [AP] format,” Dinkins said. “I feel like I’ve picked up where I left off. It was interesting for me to step back into my old shoes.” Short said he is in his first year of teaching at Conestoga, after student teaching at West Chester East High School, and has adjusted to the environment. “I really like the climate here. Everyone’s been quite welcoming,”

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

AP Language and Composition teacher Delvin Dinkins plays a vocabulary game with his class. Dinkins has taught his current classes since January. Short said. “Teaching literature is really my love, and it’s been a great fit so far.” Dinkins said that he has enjoyed teaching at Conestoga and he appreciates the warm and friendly atmosphere. “Having an opportunity to work

directly with students who want to learn—who are enthusiastic, who are interested, engaged and do well—that’s definitely the best part about teaching,” Dinkins said. Suproteem Sarkar can be reached at ssarkar@stoganews.com.

Summer health program to end

Conestoga last year and had mixed feelings about the class. “It definitely made it less stressAs students packed their schedful not taking it during the school ules during course selection, one year, but I don’t think I learned major difference distinguished upas much as I would have if I had perclassmen and current freshmen: taken it during the school year,” health class. Leibowitz said. Previously, students were reHealth teacher Michael Canquired to take two gi said that sumsemester-long mer health had its health courses. faults. Now, the current “If [students] freshman Health/ take summer health, Fitness course they don’t get the meets six days per opportunity for cycle for a semesCPR, number one, ter, with four days and I think it’s a wa-Health teacher Michael Cangi consisting of health tered down program class and two days based on the conspent in gym. The solidation of time,” health course comCangi said. bines Health I and Health II with an program, one that we have specific Freshman Eddie Kim agrees emphasis on mental, physical and oversight of,” Dinkins said. with Cangi and believes that resocial health. Freshman Kelsey Swope said moving summer health could be “We discovered through a bit she would prefer the option of sum- beneficial. of research that a newer model for mer health to help create an open “I think it was a good decision delivering health and P.E. was to schedule. because I feel like if I took it over have an integrated model,” district “I take two languages, so if I the summer, I would have forgotcurriculum coordinator Delvin didn’t have to take health during ten everything,” Kim said. “Taking Dinkins said. the year I’d have more periods for it during the school year really The changes in the health pro- electives and [free periods], but I keeps it in my head.” gram caused the school to eliminate don’t now,” Swope said. the option of summer health coursSophomore Nathan Leibowitz Emily Klein can be reached at es taught by the Chester County took the summer Health II course at eklein@stoganews.com.

Emily Klein Staff Reporter

Intermediate Unit. The class of 2014 will be the last grade eligible to take summer health courses for credit. “I think the summer health option certainly has served us well, but I think now that we have streamlined our health and P.E. program, that we really want a more defined

“I think it’s a watered down program based on the consolidation of time.”

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

PAGE 7 THE SPOKE

NEWS

School security measures prevent emergencies, violence Claire Moran Staff Reporter

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

Security guards Dante Coles and Deb Molinaro enforce safety in the building. The two are responsible for maintaining order during the school day.

A seemingly normal day at Ohio’s Chardon High School cafeteria was disrupted when a student gunman took aim, killing three students. The incident left many students unsure about their own school’s safety. Although Conestoga has never had such a security scare, the school does have a number of security procedures in place in case of a threat. “The bottom line is we have to keep students safe. We do everything that we can to make sure that that’s the paramount concern,” principal Amy Meisinger said. According to a presentation given at the Jan. 11 district Safety Committee meeting by security guard and former Tredyffrin police officer Lee Huzzard, Conestoga has 77 cameras placed in the building and five security guards posted in the school. Because of Conestoga’s safety procedures, junior Renee Reyes says that she feels safe at school. “The majority of the kids here are good kids. [At] Conestoga, we’re all a community,” Reyes said.

Assistant principal and facilitator of the district’s Safety Committee Andy Phillips also believes that Conestoga has a safe community and that harsh security measures are not needed. “We don’t want to put up barriers for kids,” Philips said. “A safe environment is not about metal detectors. It’s about feeling pride in your school, feeling like this is a safe place and knowing that we’re looking out for each other. ” Students can report incidents to security guards, who help maintain a safe environment. “They are the eyes and ears of the student body and I think kids can talk to them if they think something is not right,” Philips said. Sophomore Zack Yonda said that the security guards play a large role in the community. He especially admires security guard Dante Coles. “His presence is really good and he connects with the students better than other teachers and coaches,” Yonda said. Conestoga also keeps a close working relationship with the police. The administration meets with the

police semi-regularly. Together, they discuss solutions for security scares. Superintendent of police Anthony Giamo said that planning is essential. “Prior planning is essential because if you had read or viewed any of the [school security emergencies] on television, you see that they’re very quickly developing,” Giamo said. “At that point, its much more difficult to develop a plan if you didn’t have one in place already, so having a plan is key.” While the administration, local police and security guards do their best to create a safe learning environment at Conestoga, Phillips said that it is everyone’s responsibility to maintain a safe school. “It doesn’t matter so much having 77 cameras and five security guards, what matters as much is everybody here working together,” Phillips said. Staff reporter Emily Klein contributed to this report. Claire Moran can be reached at cmoran@stoganews.com.

Proposal may charge students for club, team participation Shwetha Sudhakar Staff Reporter Sign up for club: check. Fill out membership form: check. Get parent signature: check. Pay a fee of up to $100: another check filled out. A new budget strategy presented by Financial Committee member and director of curriculum Richard Gus ick would have participants in sports and activities pay a onetime fee of $50-100. Affected clubs will be those with an extra duty responsibility (EDR), which is a stipend paid to a club sponsor or coach, or transportation fee. “The board had discussed several purposes for the club fees,” Gusick said. “One is the general way of raising revenue. One is to offset certain costs that clubs and activities themselves have such as transportation, the cost of an adviser or coach or if there’s anything the district needs to buy.” The board is considering exempting community service clubs from the fees. Other variables include whether a student will be charged per club or whether a stu-

dent will pay an overall fee for all clubs attended. The administration noted that the impact for the district would be between $140,000 and $290,000 of additional revenue depending on which sports and activities are charged and how much it would cost for students to participate. Though the fee is still subject to change, if the proposal is passed all sports will be affected as they have both EDRs and transportation fees. In addition, 37 Conestoga clubs with EDRs and 17 clubs that use district transportation may also be affected. Rugby coach Merri Gardner said that the club, which consists of about 60 members, already charges players for insurance costs. She said that club fees may help alleviate financial pressures on the club considering the district budget situation. “I think that would be warranted in situations where the club costs the school money,” Gardner said. “The fact of the matter is that we are in a financial situation and we have to deal with it.” Senior Michelle Liu, a member of Key Club, feels that club fees

fee for activities

Graphic: Suproteem Sarkar/The SPOKE

are unfair to the student population. “Some people don’t have money to spare,” Liu said. “I think the schools should subsidize clubs.” The Finance Committee will implement hardship waivers for people who cannot afford the costs. Including the hardship waivers and cost of collection, the district projects that it will offset about 20 percent of the costs of activities and sports through fees.

Sophomore Sonali Dhawan, a member of many clubs and the basketball team, agrees that the cost of activities should be reimbursed to the school district, but does not feel there should be fees for all clubs, especially service clubs. “If it’s a club with an activity that needs to be paid for I understand,” Dhawan said. “By doing volunteer work though you’re returning to the community anyway so it’s unfair to pay.” Regardless of how high club

fees may be, sophomore Matt DiCiurcio said added fees will not deter him from joining a club he is passionate about. “Some clubs have to have certain fees to raise the amount of money needed for certain equipment,” DiCiurcio said. “If it was a type of club I really liked, [then] I would join it even if there were a fee.” Shwetha Sudhakar can be reached at ssudhakar@stoganews.com.

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 School Press Association Pacemaker awardwinning publication. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression. Editors-in-chief: Mary Turocy, Laura Weiss Managing Editor: Luke Rafferty News Editor: K.C. McConnell Assistant News Editor: Jenna Spoont Op-Ed Editor: Haley Xue Features Editor: Natalie West Sports Editors: Maddie Amsterdam, Abby Pioch Copy Editor: Allison Kozeracki Community Relations Editor: Brittany Roker Convergence Editor: Lavi Ben-Dor Business Manager: Heather Ward Photo Editor: Karolis Panavas Photographer: Madeline DeVlieger Cartoonists: Charlotte Clifford, Yuki Hamada Graphic Design: Margot Field, Anisa Tavangar, Sam Winﬁeld Staff: Kelly Benning, Tracy Cook, Isha Damle, Courtney Kennedy, Emily Klein, David Kramer, Noah Levine, Aly Mingione, Claire Moran, Patrick Nicholson, Emily Omrod, Sophia Ponte, James Redmond, Suproteem Sarkar, YingYing Shang, Shwetha Sudhakar

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, Mary Turocy or Laura Weiss. 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 hward@stoganews.com. Visit The Spoke online at www.stoganews.com News Director: Lavi Ben-Dor lbendor@stoganews.com

Opinion WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

Getting the facts straight

From the Editor:

’Stoga time flies

The Spoke stresses importance of validating charities’ claims On March 5, one single video, 29 minutes and 59 seconds long, was uploaded to YouTube. In itself, the event was nothing special. However, the single video blossomed in the mysterious world of cyberspace. It replicated and spread, causing everyone who viewed it to take notice. For a few precious hours, the Internet community felt united, inspired and aware. As high school students, the experience was spell-binding. Frequently criticized for being apathetic and ignorant, our generation responded to the challenge that Invisible Children, the charity that produced the video, set to its audience. Almost overnight, Conestoga was buzzing with concern about horriﬁc events happening half a world away, an unusual event in any circumstance. Previous social-mediabased movements have built off the public’s shocked response to a sudden global tragedy, like during the international response to the tsunami in Japan last spring. However, this movement is especially remarkable because Invisible Children took a cause that had been neglected for years, and, using simple digital tools and the power of everyday citizens, made an evil man a public enemy. Unfortunately, in some respects, it was all too good to be true. In the aftermath of the video’s wildﬁre proliferation, observers discovered some unsettling facts about the accuracy of the video and the integrity of Invisible Children. While calling for direct military intervention, the video fails to mention that the U.S. has been involved in the crisis since May 2010 when the LRA Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act was signed into law. While focusing the public’s attention on Uganda, the video

neglects to inform viewers that Kony’s followers, the Lord’s Resistance Army, left Uganda in 2006 and are now committing similar atrocities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and South Sudan. Invisible Children also has a less-than-stellar reputation among charity watchdog groups, such as Charity Navigator, which gives the charity only two out of four stars for transparency and accountability. Whether or not you personally support the Kony 2012 movement, we all should use this situation as a reminder of the importance of thinking c r i t i c a l l y. Though we frequently hear of critical thinking in the context of educational jargon, it’s a fundamental component of our education, one that’s immensely important in the real world. Critical thinking means taking the iniYuki Hamada/The SPOKE tiative to investigate claims before we accept them as fact. It means asking questions and doing research, instead of passively accepting information as it comes. Skepticism defeated the pervasive mob mentality and provided an alternative viewpoint. People questioned Invisible Children and the charity responded, creating a dialogue that encourages observers to consider multiple perspectives before taking a stand. Though Kony 2012 demonstrated the potential success of social media, it also demonstrated its potential pitfalls. Social media is convenient and powerful, but it’s our responsibility to be sure that we have the whole story before we act.

Mary Turocy Co-editor-in-chief

I can’t believe that it took a man as great as Albert Einstein to discover that time is relative. Every student knows that 43 minutes seems like an eternity when you’re impatiently waiting for class to be dismissed, especially when the courtyard beckons at lunchtime. Yet down the hall, the same block of time can disappear in an instant when you’re engrossed in a chemistry lab, or worse, hastily trying to study for a test. As a high school senior, I’ve never been so familiar with the unstable nature of time. The previous three years seem to have inched by, each morning unpleasantly announced by the blaring of my alarm clock. But every time I stop to think about my time at ’Stoga, I realize that many details of my underclassman years have become faded before I’ve had the chance to appreciate every unique moment. Whether or not you’re a member of the Class of 2012, inconsistent perceptions of time are universal, and yet we constantly feel driven to control time. We measure it with dozens of units customized to every conceivable situation: hours, minutes, eons, fortnights, blinks and even jiffies. Digital timekeepers accompany us everywhere, and our assignment books implore us to regiment every hour of the day, both in and out of school. Like many members of the senior class, I’m stuck in an unsettling limbo. I’m awaiting college admissions decisions but aware that in a few short weeks, I’ll be the one making the choice, not the admissions officers. Close enough to count down the days to senior internship, I’m still not sure what mine will be. The traditional dates on the calendar—senior prom, Snow Day in May, Reflections and ultimately graduation— are drawing closer, at a pace that seems equally too fast and too slow. Unfortunately, time frequently refuses to bend to our will. But agonizing over the confounding nature of time rarely accomplishes anything. At the risk of sounding like a 1960s hippie, live in the moment, and try not to worry if the days are passing too slowly or too quickly. After all, the moments we’ll ultimately savor the most are the ones that we embrace in the present. Mary Turocy can be reached at mturocy@stoganews.com.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

PAGE 9 THE SPOKE

OP/ED

School budget cuts wrongly punish students

Haley Xue Op-Ed Editor Nathan Bootz, Superintendent of Ithaca Public Schools in Michigan, proposed in a letter to the editor published in the Morning Sun that schools should be turned into prisons. I completely agree. Of course, that will mean that we’ll have to trade in our wardrobe for an extremely fashionable set of bright orange jumpsuits. But on the bright side, according to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett’s new budget plan, turning schools into prisons allows them to receive more funding, remedying the increasing budget deficit that many districts, including Tredyffrin/Easttown, currently face. That’s why I also propose the T/E School District turn its schools into prisons. The school district has a projected $6.17 million deﬁ cit for the 2012-13 school year and has already been hard hit by cuts to

various programs and course options. While schools like Conestoga are in dire need of revenue to maintain high educational standards, instead of allocating more money to the state’s education system, Gov. Corbett announced in his 2012 budget address that the bloated prison budget would remain intact. As $264 million is cut from education and medical assistance, the Department of Corrections’ $1.8 billion budget remained unscathed following last year’s 11 percent funding increase. Another $685 million is being invested in the expansion of Pennsylvania’s prison system. While the state spends about $32,059 annually per inmate, the T/E School District is struggling to provide $16,324 per student. By turning schools into prisons, the school district will be able to spend nearly twice as much on every student. In addition, students will also be provided with free dental care, free health insurance, laundry services, three meals a day, funding to earn a degree and free housing, without having to sacriﬁce the facilities already accessible at school like Internet access,

library access, computer labs and weight rooms. Some may argue that putting all students behind bars is unjust. However, without proper opportunities offered to students through education to keep them away from violence and from making bad decisions, there’s an increased risk of illicit behavior. Thus it’s very likely that most will end up in prison one day or another. And since Pennsylvania’s incarceration rate is increasing faster than any other in the nation, it’s much easier and more economically prudent to put all students in prison instead of using money and resources to track them down after they’ve committed a crime. Gov. Corbett should consider turning schools into prisons and prisons into schools in order to restore the balance of priorities. Schools should be transformed into prisons since they have the resources to provide students with proper education and beneﬁcial opportunities to help them make wise decisions, while prisons should be converted into schools in order to properly punish inmates with the effects of a large budget deﬁcit. Prisoners can mull over the

wrongs they’ve committed while they attempt to deal with losing free dental care. But then again, they don’t need to pay too much attention to dental hygiene anyway since they’ll only be enjoying one meal a day in the school cafeteria. If turning schools into prisons is unsuccessful, the governor should consider reallocating the state’s budget resources. Although it’s important to invest in crime regulation, it’s even more important to educate students to stop criminal activity and provide the necessary tools and skills to be successful beyond the classroom. While it is necessary to provide prisoners with three meals a day, if the state can cut essentials from school such as certain courses and programs, then it should also be able to eliminate some aspects of the prison system and allocate more revenue to school districts. Here, I humbly submit my proposal, and if everything goes well, students should be fitted into their new wardrobe of orange jumpsuits very soon—just in time for prom. Haley Xue can be reached at hxue@stoganews.com.

Report Card Senior Prom + Great way for seniors to say goodbye to their time at Conestoga - Senior girls have to compete for dresses

April Fool’s Day + It’s always good to enjoy a laugh with a practical joke - Celebrating April Fool’s during break means fewer chances to play jokes on friends

Spring Break + Welcome respite from hectic school days - For some teachers, spring break means “more time to study for AP exams and finals!”

New Stoganews. com + Updated layout is cooler and definitely worth checking out - Some students don’t visit the website very often

Pennsylvania Primary + Chance to hear the candidates’ platforms - Many students aren’t of voting age

College Visits + Allow students to miss school

Yuki Hamada/The SPOKE

- Visiting colleges near the end of the week also means missing the weekend

PAGE 10 THE SPOKE

KOP Mall intimidates shoppers

Heather Ward Business Manager

Just 15 minutes from Conestoga looms an imposing structure ﬁlled with hundreds of stores, millions of articles of clothing, thousands of annoying slow walkers and dozens of people soliciting hand creams and cuticle trimmers. Yes, it is the King of Prussia (KOP) Mall, the largest mall in America in terms of leasable retail space. It’s a landmark Main Liners tend to brag about a bit too much, seeing that it’s about one million square feet smaller than the Mall of America. There are two types of people in life, those who can navigate their way around the KOP Mall and those who cannot. I fall into the latter category, and more than anything, the mall intimidates me. And as if the mall isn’t big enough

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

OP/ED already, it was announced last November that the mall was undergoing plans for expansion. Regardless of how often I go, I always need to check the map for store locations. I have enough pride to not carry around a fold-up map of the mall, but I also have enough sense to figure out where I’m going before I take off so I don’t end up walking in circles around those random cars in the middle of the mall. How did those get there anyway? Regardless, I find a map, which is harder than you’d think, and begin the trek to my destination. But fewer than three steps in, I’m yanked aside by a solicitor who saw my poor cuticles and must fix the problem immediately with the product she’s selling. No thank you, my cuticles actually enjoy being dry. “But miss, this will just take one moment, and your cuticles will feel so much better afterward.” Not feeling up for an argument today, I consent. For the next 15 minutes I grimace as passersby glance over with “Glad that’s not me” looks as my cuticles are magically transformed with fillin-the-blank special cream, although I personally haven’t noticed any difference, until she finally releases me.

I must look annoyed now because the person selling neck pillows from the next booth over doesn’t bother to stop me. All I really want is a new pair of jeans, but the overpowering smell of perfume from Abercrombie & Fitch nearly gives me an asthma attack. They really need to learn that just a spritz will do. But I keep going, determined to ﬁnd those jeans. I try three stores, none has my size. One recommends I visit their other location on the opposite end of the mall. I decide it isn’t worth risking my life at the crosswalk for a pair of jeans. That crosswalk, full of soccer moms and their SUVs, is possibly more dangerous than jaywalking in New York City. Some people are cut out for the mall. I’m not one of them. Some people need to have the size and color of their bag displayed (see: Bloomingdales). I’m not one of them. Some people can navigate the layouts of the Court and Plaza and tell you which stores are in each section. I’m not one of them. I think I’ll stick to online shopping. Heather Ward can be reached at hward@stoganews.com.

“What do you think about the size of the KOP Mall?”

“It’s the smallest mall ever.” -Freshman Steven Yang

“ I enjoy it. There’s a good selection of stores, and it’s much better than most malls in the area.” -Sophomore Chase Ciotti

“ I like that the mall is so big, because there’s a variety of stores. I can’t wait for the new expansion.” -Junior Aida Mohajeri

“I think it’s manageable, but when my relatives come over they think it’s the best thing ever.” -Senior Caroline Moran

Quirky names targeted with unwarranted ridicule

Tracy Cook Senior Staff Reporter Blue Ivy Carter came into the world on Jan. 8 amidst confusion as to what her parents, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, were thinking when they chose her colorful name. Media reports said the unusual name was a combination of signiﬁcant family-related coincidences, including the importance of the number four (or the Roman numeral IV), to the Knowles-Carter family. Despite the seemingly odd choice, Blue Ivy isn’t the only celebrity baby to be given a bizarre name at birth. She joins her older peers Apple Martin, Sparrow Madden, Sunday Rose Urban and Jermajesty Jackson in the running for most unconventional celebrity baby names of the 21st century. While the media delights in ex-

Charlotte Clifford/The SPOKE

amining the “creative” symbolism of unusual names, some people fail to think of how names will affect children later in life. It seems some people purposely choose quirky names for the sake of being unique instead of considering the negative consequences. Seriously, what will college admissions ofﬁcers and job recruiters think when they see “Moon Unit Zappa” at the top of an application? Although our names shouldn’t deﬁne us, since we have no choice

in naming ourselves, we’re often forced to carry the baggage that comes along with our birth names. The jokes and ridicule that stem from names like the aforementioned are usually unnecessary, uncalled for and, frankly, unoriginal. Quirky names aren’t just limited to celebrities’ children. Ordinary people also suffer from taunts because of their unusual names. Although most aren’t naming children just yet, students can at least relate to the negative attention

directed toward quirky names. Many teenagers ﬁnd it amusing to enjoy a chuckle or a giggle at the expense of a classmate with a strange sounding name, but it’s not really fair to tease someone for something over which he or she has no control. So next time you think of a hilarious joke directed at your class’s Pilot Inspektor, remember, he’s probably heard it many times before. Even supposedly mature adults make fun of other people’s names when given the chance. Al Sharpton, host of MSNBC’s nightly news talk show “Politics Nation,” seems to take pleasure in poking fun at Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney by repeatedly pointing out to viewers that his real ﬁrst name is Willard and referring to him almost exclusively as Willard, rather than Mitt. For a professional, this type of ridicule exceeds the bounds of fair play as the targeted victims have no choice in their given names and thus should not be forced to defend them. Similarly, many people verbally attacked President Barack Obama’s middle name, Hussein, during his

presidential campaign. These critics, however, took the name bashing a step further by implying that Obama’s middle name, Hussein, connected him to terrorists in the Middle East. Some even tried to twist Obama’s name into the name Osama, as in Osama bin Laden. This idea that a name can be tied to speciﬁc characteristics and behaviors creates despicable stereotypes, many of which are blown out of proportion. Of course, there’s no way to avoid name calling and ridicule completely, but we should take special care to avoid poking fun at people’s names. Cumbersome and awkwardly unusual names burden children with the consequences, including exploitation and unwarranted mockery, of a lapse in judgment that wasn’t their own. So, to those who just seem to want to attract attention, display their quirkiness or defy convention, could you consider saving your gooﬁest name idea for the family pet? Fido probably won’t mind. Tracy Cook can be reached at tcook@stoganews.com.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

PAGE 11 THE SPOKE

OP/ED

Global warming scapegoat runs amok

James Redmond Staff Reporter

Yuki Hamada/The SPOKE

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. Email us at spoke@stoga.net.

stoganews

.com

Go online to comment on our articles

I read your article about having ads in school (“Ads in school: Commericialism or creative fundraising?” pg. 5). It wasn’t the first time I heard of it, but it struck me as interesting how some of the students reacted to the proposal. The negative opinion about it was that it would be “annoying.” I would have thought that the negative opinion might be more focused on how it would distract the players, or something along those lines. The article helped me get a view of how students would react to the advertisements. Personally, I wouldn’t mind; we need to do something about the deficit, and if it is just a simple thing like hanging up advertisements I think we should go for it. It would also have been interesting to get some information about what parts of the plan are being debated over. Mary Schertz Junior Dear Editor, While reading the February issue of The Spoke, I came across the article discussing photography and how interest in the elective has expanded over the years (“Photographers find their focus in elective classes, club,” pg. 18). As someone who appreciates photography, I found the article especially intriguing. I, too, have noticed that as the technology in cameras increases and becomes more readily available to consumers, many high school students, not just at ’Stoga, have taken up a passion for the hobby. And with programs like Photoshop so easily accessible, the photographic quality of student work has greatly improved! I also found it amazing that Jamie Chung, a Conestoga graduate, who did not originally plan to go into a career in photography, became a freelance photographer and got his picture on the cover of a magazine as celebrated as Time Magazine. That, to me, is truly amazing and is a story of pure perseverance. I hope other students will feel as empowered as I did after I read this article and strive to try new things, because who knows, they could get to do it for the rest of their lives! Christian Miller Freshman

Wintery precipitation is a part of life around here, but this year, with expectations high after a considerable October dusting, Mother Nature failed to deliver. Instead of a white Christmas, we witnessed an extremely mild winter, with a lack of both snowflakes and snowmen. But there is something in the air, more than just voices of seniors decrying the injustice of a final term devoid of snow days. Some people are getting out their best fingerpointing faces and taking aim at global warming. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love polar bears just as much as the next guy. It is irrefutable that the world’s climate is changing as a result of human activity. However, a single warm winter neither portends impending disaster nor proves or disproves anything about climate change by itself. The use of isolated events as reference points to support or detract from a long-term trend like global warming is polarizing and inaccurate. This year’s oddities have been influenced by a series of independent factors not necessarily related to long-term climate change, such as the La Niña phenomenon, which shifts moisture patterns due to eastern central Pacific Ocean surface cooling, and an unusually northward jet stream. These temporary processes have little, if anything, to do with the trend of global warming. Saying that our warm winter proves the effects of global warming is therefore wrong. Harken back to a time of adventure, intrigue and snowdays aplenty, only two short years ago. Indeed, trees snapped as the soft powder that looked innocent enough wafting on the breeze condensed into ludicrous quantities of ice, resulting in mass power outages and considerable structural damage. With these climatic extremes happening within such short space of each other, it is clear to see the fol-

lies of interpreting long-term climate trends based on singular events. One must be careful, of course, not to misinterpret this argument. There is an idea, not so prevalent at ’Stoga given our fairly strong “green” presence, that instances of colder weather actively refute the theory of global warming. This suggestion is just as flawed. The same use of point-based logic in a multi-dimensional system is equally misrepresentative here. While global warming can also mean a climate of general extremes, recent extremes in both directions are not unprecedented. These types of short-term conditions have been present in some capacity throughout history. The average winter temperature from 1931-32 was 43.3 degrees Fahrenheit, comparable to the current winter, and all the way back in the winter of 1898-99 there was a total of 55.4 inches of snow in Philadelphia. Even if we have broken these records in recent years, large amounts of snowfall and high temperatures have happened before. When people cite record-breaking figures as evidence to climate change, it’s like calling track stars’ improving speeds evidence of good overall American fitness. People have a history of misinterpreting environmental data based on temporary circumstances. By viewing only the window of time from the ’40s until the ’70s and citing dubious interpretations of ice-age cycles, people became convinced that glaciers would soon cover Earth’s surface. Radical reactions are natural when people feel they are defending the very ground we live on, but jumping to conclusions can do more harm than good. If ordinary folks are going to change their ways and become more conscious of their impact on the environment, they shouldn’t start by allowing themselves to be misled by climate alarmism. They need to educate themselves about the world they live in with a wary eye, ready to take things with a grain of salt. It’s not that global warming is a fraud—it most certainly isn’t. It’s simply not responsible for every condition we encounter at a given moment. What we have here is a climatological scapegoat running amok. James Redmond can be reached at jredmond@stoganews.com.

SOAKED:

Features WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

THE SENIOR ASSASSINS GAME 2012

SENIOR ASSASSINS GAME PROMOTES CLASS UNITY

Kelly Morrison & Mark McConnell

Morrison stalked McConnell on three different occasions to get him out of the game. He ﬁnally surrendered while he was playing ﬂoor hockey at Teegarden Park. Morrison and McConnell became friends because of the Senior Assassins game.

Jackie Ciotti & Adam Goins

Ciotti convinced Goins that he was going to be interviewed about the lacrosse team, and met him at Mesa Fresh. Goins quickly caught on to the scheme. After a chase through the Gateway Shopping Center, Goins hopped into his car, and ﬂed the scene.

Hannah Thomas & Stephen Shickel

Jenna Spoont Staff Reporter The Senior Assassins game—a way to bring the senior class together, by tearing them apart. Two hundred twenty-nine seniors signed up to compete in the annual studentled tradition, which is not schoolsanctioned and takes place entirly off school property. After paying a fee of $2, the seniors were assigned a target to “assassinate.” The winner of the game will win the pool of money, approximately $400. “It brought everyone together,” senior Abbey Gilligan said. “Everyone was talking about [the] Senior Assassins [game.] It got you involved. Even though it was stressful, it was fun. I would seriously get paranoid walking out of my house.” The rules of the game were created by senors and leaders Matt Cowell and Chloe Doto.

“I wanted everyone that was a senior to get the chance to play, and I was willing to sacrifice playing so everyone else could,” Cowell said. Students have gone to desperate measures to eliminate their victims. In hopes of moving on to the next round, students have to follow nine strict rules to ensure that they play fairly. “There were so many rules,” senior Owen Coffin said. “It got too hard, almost.” The first rule states that a student must tag their victim using water only, and the water must be visible on the victim. The participants are not permitted to use water bottles to splash their victim, nor can they get a target on school grounds or inside the target’s home. The target’s car cannot be in motion during an “assassination,” nor can the victim be “on the clock” at work. “The best rule is not being able to get shot in your house, because

you have to feel safe somewhere,” Cofﬁn said. After an elimination, the “assassin” and the victim must report the event to Cowell and Doto. Then, the “assassin” is assigned a new target and moves on to the next round. “It’s definitely something I’ll remember, and I know a lot of other people will,” Doto said. “It’s something outside that’s not school related, that a lot of people are involved in.” Eight students advanced to the fourth round of the Senior Assassins game, which will conclude on March 30. “Even without money as a prize, I would still do it again,” senior Jackie Ciotti said. “It’s just fun to play with friends, plan and plot and scheme to try to get these people. It can get really creepy, but that’s the game.” Jenna Spoont can be reached at jspoont@stoganews.com.

Thomas followed Shickel in her friend’s car to his home. But Shickel called the neighborhood kids to block Thomas from entering the street. Thomas decided to give up after the kids tackled the car.

Stephen Beckett & Barbara Onufrak

Beckett was a tenacious and strategic contestant. He parked his car over a hill, jumped into a tree, sat there with a water gun and surprised Onufrak in her driveway by soaking her with the water gun.

Owen Coffin & Nino Poidomani

On a typical Saturday night, Cofﬁn was unaware that Poidomani was about to bust open the basement door, and shoot him with a water gun. He realized what was happening instantly, and ran to the back of the kitchen, but was soaked nevertheless. Graphics: Margot Field/The SPOKE

Photos: Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

PAGE 15 THE SPOKE

Students find self-expression in culinary creativity Kelly Benning Staff Reporter

Despite their busy schedules, many students have turned to the creation of home-made baked goods as a stress-reliever and a way to bring happiness to their family and friends. Junior Jenny Liu, whose elaborately decorated cupcakes are often sold at bake sales at Conestoga, sets aside about six hours to bake and ice a single batch of cupcakes despite an extremely busy schedule. “I just love being able to see people smile because they enjoy them,” Liu said. Liu’s friend and fellow baker, junior Annika Ritz, also dedicates hours at a time to her craft. Her

specialty is making fondant cakes. Fondant is a type of icing with a distinct marshmallow ﬂavor that can be rolled out into sheets, and is extremely complicated both to make and use. With practice, Ritz has improved her fondant skills. The recipe originally took her two days to make. “Recently I’ve cut down my time for making a fondant cake,” Ritz said. “It usually takes me ﬁve hours plus cooling time, which usually takes about two hours.” The most complex recipe Ritz has ever attempted is crème brûlée, a French custard dish with a burnt sugar crust on top, which can take three days to make. “I failed at making crème brûlée so many times,” Ritz said. “But once I got it right it was

Lavi Ben-Dor/The SPOKE

Maddie DeVliegerThe SPOKE

Junior Annika Ritz prepares a cake in pastry chef class. Ritz’s specialty is making fondant cakes, which have a distinct marshmallow ﬂavor.

pretty cool, especially when I can share it with friends and family and they say it tastes amazing.” Freshman Roni Glasthal loves sharing her creations as well. A self-professed kitchen perfectionist, Glasthal said she prefers to cook and bake for others rather than herself. While the desire to share their confections seems to be a common attribute among bakers, Glasthal’s inspiration for her creations sets her apart from the crowd. Glasthal likes to fall asleep listening to her iPod, which then often serves as her culinary inspiration. “Whenever I wake up, whatever song is playing, I listen through the whole thing five times and then I’ll make a dish inspired by it,” Glasthal said. Recently, she employed this method to create Pop Rock Cupcakes, inspired by the popular LMFAO song “Party Rock Anthem.” Glasthal said that, originally, the most complicated thing she had ever made were truffles, which usually take anywhere from four to six hours to make, but she has recently encountered a difficult new recipe. “Unicorn horns, my own creation [are the most difficult],” Glasthal said. “It’s a sugar ice cream cone filled with a cupcake and frosted.” Junior J.P. Walsh, whose chocolate chip cake is popular among his friends and family, manages to find free time to work on his baking skills. Baking is “good for stress management. I just put on some of my favorite music, and it’s a way to isolate myself and get myself away from whatever’s stressing me out,” Walsh said. “I don’t know what appeals to me more: the final product or the process.” Being a baker involves making mistakes and reworking recipes until they are finally just right. “I would try out recipes and half the time they wouldn’t work out,” Ritz said. “I put too much baking soda in a batch of cookies once and ever since I’ve been able to tell which cookies have too much baking soda in them. You learn from your past failures. When you have failures and then you have a success it makes it even more special.” Despite the occasional batch

Lavi Ben-Dor/The SPOKE

Freshman Roni Glasthal shows off her homemade cupcakes that she made for a GSA bake sale. The cupcakes, called “unicorn horns,” are topped with a frosted sugar ice cream cone fthat is illed with cupcake batter. that goes awry, these students have taken the missteps in stride and ﬁnd baking to be a relaxing hobby. “When I start to make a cake it kind of calms me down,” Ritz said. “I really like doing it because

it helps me step away from everything that’s going on in the world and all the craziness of school. It’s kind of therapeutic.” Kelly Benning can be reached at kbenning@stoganews.com.

PAGE 16 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

FEATURES

Reenactors bring past to life, recreate historical events Aly Mingione Staff Reporter Whether marching on a Civil War battlefield or performing daily chores of the Colonial Era, students involved in reenactments are transported back in time to experience the past from a very different perspective. Reenactments combine the best of what both history and theater have to offer. Some reenactments require especially acute acting skills and hours of time and dedication. “In the first person, you are using the language of the Colonial period,” faculty member Sue Monaghan said. You “are dressed in the costume of the period and doing activities typical [of the time].” Monaghan, a former employee of the Chadds Ford Historical Society, was able to live out her passion for history as a professional reenactor. Others at Conestoga, however, enjoy reenacting as a pastime. Senior Avery Barrett, who has been involved in reenactments for five years, participates in performances with the 97th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, an organization working to educate people about the Civil War.

“I’ve been [reenacting] because it’s a personal favorite of mine,” Barrett said. “I’ve loved the Civil War since I was a young kid.” While Barrett is mostly involved in battle reenactments, freshman Andrew McKeough prefers re-creating daily life in the Colonial Era. Many of his reenactments take place in Williamsburg, Va., where McKeough travels to spend his day performing common chores of the time period. “I start by getting water from the well,” McKeough said. Then “I would start hanging out the mattresses and cleaning out the beds.” Monaghan’s experiences were similar to McKeough’s when she worked at a historical site. Her historical persona, Mrs. Chadd of the John Chadd home in Chadds Ford, spent the day doing household chores. “I baked bread in the beehive oven [and] I did needlework,” Monaghan said. “We [also] demonstrated crafts or things that were happening during that time period.” Reenactors like Barrett devote an enormous amount of time to bringing Civil War battles to life. He sometimes misses school so he can participate in reenactments held on the day the battle actually occurred.

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

Freshman Andrew McKeough and senior Avery Barrett prepare for a reenactment in Valley Forge Park. McKeough’s costume accurately represents a Revolutionary War outfit, while Barrett’s resembles the style of the Civil War. “Typically we’re there for however long the battle was, maybe a day or two [but] sometimes three,” Barrett said. For Monaghan, reenacting has been a learning experience. Beyond making crafts, reenacting has shown her the simplicity of life in the past.

“You realize how simple life was,” Monaghan said. “Life revolved around your daily needs.” Reenactors, while bringing the past alive for others to see, are also bringing the past to life for themselves, and they have the unique opportunity to experience the world

through the eyes of a person from another era. “What I’ve really taken away from it is a deeper and [more] passionate love for history,” McKeough said. Aly Mingione can be reached at amingione@stoganews.com.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

PAGE 17 THE SPOKE

FEATURES

s e r o l f rk

d n a y r to s i h . s . u

y g o l o h psyc

Photos: Maddie DeVlieger/The SPOKE

The Spoke: How do you think psychology helps students learn more about themselves? Mark Flores: There’s an inherent interest in the course for students. They get an opportunity to reflect on themselves and basically apply the content [to their daily lives].

T.S.: What would a job in sports psychology involve? M.F.: The field allows for the fusion of two of my interests. [I would like] the application of content to benefit people, psychology reflecting on behavior and using that to perform better in an athletic performance.

T.S.: What are your hobbies? M.F.: I’m a passionate New York sports fan, so I enjoy watching baseball, basketball and football. I enjoy running, exercising, reading and playing with my two young boys.

T.S.: What is your favorite part of teaching? M.F.: The passion that students express. The benefit of teaching an AP course that’s an elective is that my students want to be in the seats that they’re in, and there’s passion that they show in respect to the content. That’s very rewarding.

T.S.: How many years have you been teaching at Conestoga? M.F.: This is my 16th year overall, seventh at Conestoga. T.S.: If you weren’t a teacher, what could you see yourself doing? M.F.: I really enjoy the field of psychology, particularly sports psychology. Anything where I might be able to help folks.

T.S.: How is it teaching two classes (Honors U.S. History and AP Psychology) that are so different? M.F.: On the surface they may seem different, but there’s actually some nice overlap. Sometimes my students roll their eyes and say, “Here we go again, he’s

bringing psychology into U.S.,” or “U.S. into psychology.” There are more similarities than some others might notice.

when you were in high school? M.F.: I played basketball and baseball and I was involved in the debate team.

T.S.: If you could have dinner with any three people, who would they be? M.F.: Derek Jeter, the shortstop for the New York Yankees, President John Kennedy and Barack Obama. Jeter, because he’s the greatest baseball player ever; Kennedy, because I want to find out what really happened and Obama, because I want to tell him how to fix the state of the nation.

T.S.: What is your favorite event in U.S. history, and why? M.F.: I’m going to go with something more recent. The election of Barack Obama was

T.S.: What do you think is the hardest part of teaching? M.F.: The behind-the-scenes stuff [and] the preparation for daily lessons. [Being] in front of the students is the rewarding piece that makes the job worth it, but there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that is grinding. T.S.: What were you involved in

groundbreaking in terms of how far we’ve come. In U.S. [history class], we’re beginning the Civil Rights Movement right now, and to think that 60 years ago an African American would be elected president was an impossibility.

Interview by Natalie West, Features Editor.

favorites book:

Tree”

Anything nonﬁction. In my parent life, “The Giving

band: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers color: Blue movie: “Revenge of the Nerds” food: Pizza vacation spot: The Outer Banks song: “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty

PAGE 18 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

FEATURES

Giddyap: Student equestrians enjoy competitive riding Noah Levine Staff Reporter In Palm Beach during the winter, one can typically expect to find warm weather and flocks of seasonal residents escaping the typical cold temperatures of the north. Sophomore Joe DeSantis, however, was not there for the mild weather. He traveled to Florida to compete in a three-month-long horseback riding competition, the Winter Equestrian Festival. DeSantis is one of nearly 3,000 riders who compete in the festival, which is held from Jan. 11 through April 1 and is the longest and largest competition in the world. “The competition in Florida is very difficult because there are so many very good riders,” DeSantis said. For the festival, DeSantis lived in Florida for five weeks, competing with his horse, a Dutch Warmblood mare named Godiva. As a jumper, DeSantis must make it through a course of obstacles in a certain amount of time. He also competes in dressage, which is a test of how well a horse is trained and involves a specified routine. “Show jumping and dressage are the two most significant international equestrian disciplines,” DeSantis said.

As a competitive rider, DeSantis rides his horse six days a week. He spends five hours at the barn each day doing maintenance tasks and working with Godiva to improve her level of fitness. “I am at the barn every single day except for Monday,” DeSantis said. “The time I spend on the horse is not just leisurely riding. I spend every minute of that time working the horse […] so that she stays in good shape.” For DeSantis, balancing school work with riding has proven challenging. “While I am down here in Florida, I have a tutor who is helping me stay on track with my school work. In order to successfully keep up, you have to be very self motivated and manage your time wisely,” DeSantis said. Junior Keith Petersen, also a serious rider, faces a similar challenge of balancing riding time and school work. He is often forced to make a decision between completing his homework and going to the barn to ride. For Petersen, the best part of riding differentiates it from any other sport: building a relationship between the rider and the horse. For “every other team sport you’re with other people and you can communicate verbally,” Petersen said. “But with horseback

Courtesy Carolyn Schew

Junior Carolyn Schew jumps with her horse. She hopes to become a professional rider and goes to Out of Reach Farm in West Chester every day.

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

Junior Keith Petersen often sacrifices homework time in order to go to the barn and ride. Petersen’s favorite parts of riding are the bond he has with his horse and the unspoken communication between horse and rider. riding, you have to work with the animal, read their language and know about their psychology. You have to know how they think.” Sophomore Erin Beatty also enjoys this aspect of riding. She feels especially close to her horse, Romeo. “It’s just like a normal human relationship,” Beatty said. “We’re best friends, sometimes you feel like you understand him and he understands you.” Beatty won the Three Ring Circus Children’s Hunter Horse champion trophy at the Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show last fall. She has ridden since she was six and experienced success in competition, but Beatty admits that she still becomes anxious before an event. “You feel nervous at first. You get a lot of nerves when you’re doing the big jumps,” Beatty said. “When you’re done it’s like a huge rush of relief.” Junior Carolyn Schew has also experienced nerves while horseback riding. For her, riding at home is much less stressful than during a competition. Riding at home “is the opposite of nerve-wracking; it’s relaxing,” Schew said. Schew would like to pursue a career as a professional rider or work in a field that involves horses.

Junior Aubrey Doherty rides at the same barn as Schew. Though she does not plan on becoming a professional rider, she does love working as a catcher at the barn and spending time with the horses. “As a catcher, I basically get the lessons ready. A lot of the kids are little and can’t physically get their horses ready. I have to do that and I help teach the kids how to do it themselves,” Doherty said. “It’s so rewarding. It keeps me sane.”

Though DeSantis, like Doherty, spends a large portion of his life at the barn, he acknowledged that horseback riding has impacted other aspects of his life that do not relate to his hobby. “When you are a rider, especially a serious one, you are a rider on and off the horse,” DeSantis said. “It is a lifestyle.” Noah Levine can be reached at nlevine@stoganews.com.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

FEATURES

Spoke Sudoku

Emily’s

PICKS

Emily Omrod Senior Staff Reporter

Some of this year’s television series have a positive girl-power twist. ABC, FOX and CBS have all introduced comedies with strong females leads this season and, to no surprise, the critics love them. Dr. Amanda Lotz, author of the book “Redesigning Women: Television After the Network Era,” believes that television shows with female leads add complexity to the story lines. Lotz is an advocate for more women in leading roles, and so am I. The females of today’s networks are improving comedic television through their powerful disposition and go-getter mentalities.

girl-power television with their newest show, “Two Broke Girls.” The storyline is simple; a rich girl named Caroline, played by Behrs, loses her money and has to get a job in a diner. Caroline is comical in her stupidity, resembling the Elle Woods of modern primetime television. However, the star of the show is Dennings, who plays Max, a witty and street-smart girl who works two jobs just to get by. Her sarcasm and cleverness balance out Behrs’ blonde ambition. The show is simple and funny, although it does not match the complexity or wit of other sitcoms. However, with leads like Behrs and Dennings, the show can only be moving in the right direction.

and charm. Her colorful clothes and her ever-changing accents provide a nice contrast to the problems and issues surrounding her three roommates. Schmidt, Nick and Winston all struggle to maintain their manhood while dealing with Deschanel’s character, Jess. “New Girl” is uproarious, with its quick humor and punchy story lines. It’s got jokes for the guys, relatability for the girls and an all-star lead in Deschanel, proving that the move to give females more leads is only a good thing.

“Suburgatory”

“New Girl”

“2 Broke Girls”

Starring: Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs Airs: Mondays at 8:30 p.m. on CBS CBS has made the move to

PAGE 19 THE SPOKE

Starring: Zooey Deschanel Airs: Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on FOX In FOX’s latest attempt to get the Glee kids up past 9 p.m., Zooey Deschanel stars in a witty sitcom about the challenges of being an outgoing and offbeat girl in an apartment with three male roommates. Deschanel, known for her roles in movies such as “Elf” and “(500) Days of Summer,” as well as her band She and Him, carries the show with just the right balance of wit

Starring: Jane Levy and Cheryl Hines Airs: Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m. on ABC ABC attempts to capture the essence of suburban New York in one of this season’s greatest shows. Newcomer Jane Levy plays Tessa, a smart teenager prone to dry humor who is dragged into the suburbs by her single, overprotective father. The stage is set in the suburbs of New York CIty, which appear to look like Beverly Hills, where every teenager is tan, fake and dumb. Levy clearly carries this show, with her dry remarks, thoughtful witticisms and her need to stand out from the rest. Also look for Hines as Dallas Royce, a strong and feisty mom, who is sometimes a bit misguided in her parenting style. Emily Omrod can be reached at eomrod@stoganews.com.

Stumped? Find the solutions at Stoganews.com.

Sports WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

Getting a grip

Fastball “It’s important to establish a fastball early so that you can show the other team that you can throw whatever you want, and then you can go from there,” senior pitcher Alan Wang said.

Curveball “It’s really just a mix of speeds more than anything,” senior pitcher Adam Rusenko said. “Just keeping the hitters off balance is important.”

Change-up “No one really throws changeups at a younger age, so you have to work on that a lot as you become an older pitcher,” Rusenko said. Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

Courtney Kennedy Staff Reporter

When he walks out to the mound, all eyes are on him. The yelling from the stands, the screams from the ﬁeld, the baseball in his hand. These are all a part of the experience unique to one of the game’s most crucial players, the pitcher. Every play of every game begins with the pitcher. Unlike all other position players, a defensive play often relies on the performance of the pitcher, who holds control over the entire defense. “I don’t always feel the pressure,” senior pitcher Alan Wang said. “But in certain situations, when it comes down to it, most of the pressure is on me.”

The job of a pitcher begins with daily practice. Conestoga pitchers start each practice by throwing batting practice, and then transition to throwing off the practice mounds. “A lot of pitching is lower body,” head coach John Vogan said. “People think that it is all about their arm, but it’s actually the leg drive and the leg push that takes the stress off their arm and allows them to pitch longer. That’s what pitching is. It is an explosion activity. It’s not like a marathon.” When pitchers walk onto the ﬁeld on game day, some say that everything else melts away. To play well, they must dedicate their full attention to every aspect of the game. “Pitching is very mental,” said senior

pitcher Adam Rusenko. “Staying focused and composed the whole time is really important.” This mental readiness translates onto the ﬁeld. When a pitcher prepares for a game, he goes about a regular routine. Even following their patterns, pitchers have to work to not allow small mistakes get into their heads. In some cases, pitchers can even use a mistake made against a batter earlier in a game if the batter comes up to the plate again. “You have to make game adjustments from your observations,” said senior closer and catcher Scott Williams. “The pitcher’s mentality should be to focus on his job of throwing strikes and executing the pitches he is called on to throw.”

According to Vogan, keeping a steady mentality is one of the most challenging aspects of pitching. While the action of pitching itself can be hard at times, it is keeping a steady mental game that is the real challenge. “It’s my job as coach to make sure I don’t let them get too low when they do poorly, and too high when they do well,” Vogan said. “They can celebrate when they do well, and that’s ﬁne, but if they don’t do well, I don’t want them walking around crying, punching doors and kicking trash cans and driving their car out of here at 100 miles per hour.” Courtney Kennedy can be reached at ckennedy@stoganews.com.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

PAGE 21 THE SPOKE

SPORTS

Athletes compete in unusual, demanding sport

Sophia Ponte Staff Reporter

From a spectator’s point of view at the top of the stands, water polo is deceptive. Seemingly graceful, players rise out of the water, ball in hand, to take a shot at the goal. Yet ﬁve feet away from the edge of the pool, amid the churning water, the players are barely visible. And it is nearly impossible not to get splashed. With the same basic rules as soccer but with more physical contact, water polo demands the constant attention of its players. Athletes tread water for about 30 minutes in a 12-foot-deep swimming pool while attempting to score points and defend the goal. Junior Mary Caroline Ward, the goalie for her team, has been playing water polo for seven years for Episcopal Academy and Greater Philly Water Polo. Ward said that it is essential for water polo players to be in good physical condition. “You need to have really good leg and core strength, and you need to have really good hand-eye coordination because you throw and catch with one hand while you’re swimming back and forth and

treading water the whole time,” Ward said. Ward practices once a week with a game every weekend starting in April. When she began playing water polo, it was mainly to train for swimming, but she eventually decided to quit swimming and play water polo full time. “Physically it’s really demand-

ing. You have to be in really good shape,” Ward said. “There are times where the referee can’t call any fouls because most of the violence is occurring under the water. I know half of the time, I’ve come out of the pool with bruises all over my legs, but it adds to the fun because it brings out a whole different aspect.”

During practices, coaches are either in or out of the water, directing exercises or helping players with their form. The athletes focus on lower body conditioning in order to sustain long periods of treading water. Players also use weight belts and medicine balls to build up endurance and strength. “It’s a very physical sport and

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

Junior Mary Caroline Ward practices water polo at Episcopal Academy. Ward practices water polo every Sunday and has been playing since she was young. Starting in April, Ward will compete in games every weekend.

you’ve got to be in great shape. I think it’s a very difficult sport,” said Alicia Keating, one of Ward’s coaches. Sophomore Laeticia Mabilais played water polo for two years, but decided that the game’s physical contact did not suit her. “In the games, you get tired after only ten minutes,” Mabilais said. “People pushed you under and sometimes grabbed your bathing suit and pulled you around. It was pretty scary.” Others believe that the challenge of water polo provides a feeling of accomplishment. Junior Katie Jalboot has been playing water polo since ﬁfth grade. She joined Ward’s team after Ward recommended it to her. Jalboot said that the first few weeks of practice were the hardest for her, but after learning the basics of water polo, Jalboot began to enjoy the sport. “Once it’s over it feels like a weird accomplishment,” Jalboot said. “You just treaded water for 30 minutes. It’s sort of like runners’ high, but swimmers’ high.” Sophia Ponte can be reached at sponte@stoganews.com.

Track thrower breaks 26-year-old shot put school record Maddie Amsterdam Co-Sports Editor

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

Senior Sam Nelson prepares to throw the shot put at track practice. Nelson broke a 26-year-old-school indoor shot put record on Feb. 11.

event ﬁnals, Sam Nelson threw 35 feet 9½ inches. “I’ve been expecting her to break it for a while,” Chris Nelson said. “I was happy for her to ﬁnally do it. I’m very proud of her.” Sam Nelson said she plans to push herself even further during the spring track season. “Not many people can say, ‘I broke a record,’” she said. “I want to keep breaking records now. My new goal for the spring season is to break the shot record for outdoor and the javelin record.” Sam Nelson will count on her brother to help her stay focused. Chris Nelson, who throws at Shippensburg University, first convinced his sister to throw during her sophomore year at Conestoga. After graduation, Sam Nelson will join her brother at Shippensburg, where the siblings will throw together.

Senior Sam Nelson threw her backpack onto the grass, sat down and began to lace up her red Nike throwing shoes. She leapt to her feet, picked up a four-kilogram metal ball and entered the circle to practice a shot put throw. Nelson got into her throwing stance and put the cold ball up against her neck. Before she could hurl the shot into the air, her brother, 2010 Conestoga graduate Chris Nelson, barked from across the sand pit, “Did you do your warm ups yet?” “It’s great to have my brother around to motivate me because [he says], ‘Get up. Go. Now. You’re not done yet,’” Sam Nelson said. “I’m at the point where I’ll run a mile and he’ll say, ‘Run two more. I don’t know why you’re stopping.’” After training with her brother for several months, Sam Nelson Sam Nelson’s shot put broke Conestoga’s indoor shot put achievements: record at Lehigh University’s Track Carnival on Feb. 11. She threw 35 feet, beating the 1986 school record of 34 feet 9 inches. Later, during the 30 31 32

“I know it’s going to be a lot of hard work. You do a lot of drills, and you don’t ever stop,” Sam Nelson said. “I’m excited, but at the same time I know it’s going to be pretty intense.” Sam Nelson said that many of her friends are surprised she wants to go to school with her brother. She believes that competing with him will be a rewarding and mutually beneﬁcial experience for both of them. “I really don’t mind because of that extra push that he gives me,” she said. “He gets me to do things I never could have before. Hopefully, people won’t know me as ‘Chris Nelson’s sister.’ I want them to say, ‘Wow, that’s Sam Nelson’s brother.’” Maddie Amsterdam can be reached at mamsterdam@stoganews.com. Existing Record New Record

Junior Year 33’

34’ 9”

35’9 “ 1/2

PAGE 22 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

SPORTS

Brackets create madness in NCAA basketball tournament

Suproteem Sarkar Staff Reporter

In five days, the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Championship will come to a close, and for the first time in my life, I am glad that the tournament is almost over. I’m still a fan of how the excitement and intensity of March Madness break up the quotidian rhythm of school before spring break, but the headaches associated with brackets make the tournament too distracting to enjoy. Three weeks ago, I caught the bracketology bug, researching statistics and watching sports programs to make my predictions for the teams that would be selected

for the tournament. When the NCAA unveiled those 68 teams on March 11, I was glad to find that many of my picks were correct. But then I made a monumental mistake—I filled out a bracket. After that, I approached each matchup in the tournament with the wrong attitude. Instead of watching games to enjoy the basketball, I obsessed over stats and often turned on the TV solely to check if my predictions were correct. When 15th-seeded Norfolk State upset second-seeded Missouri in the first round of the tournament, I lamented the inaccuracy of my bracket, instead of praising Norfolk State for its victory. In this year’s Cinderella storyridden tournament, even President Barack Obama’s bracket proved

Predicting and filling out brackets, instead of following actual games, take the entertainment aspect away from the NCAA tournament. The real joy of college basketball is witnessing Herculean plays and last-minute comebacks, not making a last-ditch effort to update a bracket before contests stop taking submissions. I hate to dash the hopes of any aspiring bracketologists reading this column, but no one has ever won Yahoo’s $5 million prize for fillSam Winfield/The SPOKE ing out a perfect bracket. This reasoning also apto be imperfect. And despite the plies to “fantasy” sports services, 6.5 million fans that signed up for which take focus away from real the service, after the first round of life and onto computer screens. Instead of watching sports the tournament, ESPN announced that none of the brackets submit- games, some fans spend hours ted to its site were completely building up “dream teams” that will never exist. correct.

On March 13, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron took a trip to an NCAA tournament game with Obama. After watching Western Kentucky rally to defeat Mississippi Valley State, Cameron said he would be filling out a bracket of his own. This makes perfect sense, as residents of the U.K. are no strangers to bracketology—the Henley Royal Regatta in England adapted family tree-style brackets nearly 20 years before the first NCAA basketball tournament. Consequently, not only are brackets time-consuming and inaccurate, but they also didn’t even originate in basketball. So instead of stressing over your picks for the Final Four, leave bracketology to the boating enthusiasts and the British, and enjoy the drama and unpredictability of the NCAA tournament. Suproteem Sarkar can be reached at ssarkar@stoganews.com.

*All updates as of March 26.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

PAGE 23 THE SPOKE

SPORTS

Player Profiles

When my brother took his ﬁrst tennis lesson, I followed after him and decided to play tennis, too.

Six things you didn’t know about...

1 2

I’ve been playing softball my whole life. I played tee ball in kindergarten.

I used to play for the Valley Forge Patriots, and now I play for the Lower South Liberty, which is a travel team from Philadelphia. Travel softball is a [big time commitment]—every single weekend you’re booked.

I have an advantage over other players because I’m a lefty and most players aren’t used to the way my shots move.

My favorite professional player is Roger Federer because he has the smoothest game and he is the perfect example of a champion with humility and class.

I like all the people on the Conestoga softball team. All the girls are really fun and nice, and it’s not cliquey or anything. It’s just really good people.

Before a game I get a good warmup, stretch out and focus on my game plan and my strategy against my opponent.

I dedicate my whole life to playing softball. I do all these extra things like workouts and I travel to Florida all the time to play and practice.

I am better suited to play singles and I enjoy singles, but doubles is enjoyable as well because it is a different style of play and I have a teammate to play alongside.

When I was little, I started playing all sports, and then I narrowed it down in high school to softball and lacrosse, and I chose softball because I was better at it and it was more fun.

5 6

I enjoy the camaraderie that all the players share as well as our collective motivation to win.

Morgan Noad Varsity Softball

Kevin Wang Varsity Tennis

I’ve been [jersey] number seven my whole life. It’s my favorite number, and even in tee ball I was number seven.

Swimming makes states, hockey wins Centrals

Photo courtesy Michael Schon

Senior Nic Graesser jumps off the starting block at the state championship meet at Bucknell University.

Abby Pioch Co-sports Editor Sophomore Kaitlin Benjamin and four of her teammates qualiﬁed in both relays and individual events for the 2012 Pennsylvania state championship swim meet at Bucknell University on March 14-15. The team placed fourth at the District meet and two relay teams broke school records. Girls’ swim team coach Rob Kirkby said that he was looking forward to the state championship meet.

“I am just happy to get to states,” Rob Kirkby said. “Both relays are seeded in the top eight and it is very exciting and would be a great accomplishment to swim in the finals.” The girls met Rob Kirkby’s expectations and more. The 400 freestyle relay placed 11th in finals and Benjamin placed 13th overall in the 500 freestyle event and 15th in the 200 freestyle. Sophomore Caroline Mack placed 11th in the 100 butterfly and the 200 freestyle relay placed eighth. The boys’ swim team also placed fourth at the district meet, and they also sent five athletes to the state meet, including senior Nic Graesser, junior Brian Jay, sophomore Alex Schon, sophomore Michael Ashmead and freshman Waylon Jin. At the district meet, Graesser broke his own school record in the 100 backstroke. The boys’ team also finished well at the state meet. The 200 medley relay finished in sixth place, Graesser finished seventh in the 200 freestyle and second in the 100 backstroke while the 400 freestyle relay finished in tenth place.

Visit Stoganews.com to read an extended version of this article.

Abby Pioch Co-sports Editor

With 0:47 left on the clock, a chant of “It’s all over” rose from the ’Stoga student section at the boys’ ice hockey game on March 12. After the final 47 seconds were played, the Pioneers came out on top, beating Washington Township 4-0 and advancing to the semi-finals of the Flyers Cup. According to head coach Mike Graves, the team had three goals going into the season to win the Central League Championship, the Flyers Cup and the state championship. After being crowned Central League Champions, the Pioneers beat Parkland 10-3 in a game on March 6 in the first round of playoffs. However, the team went on to lose to Cherokee 5-4 on March 15 during Flyers Cup semi-finals. Graves said that he still believes in the team’s abilities, even though they were unable to win the Flyers Cup and advance to the state championship. “We had strong senior leadership at each position, winning

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

The boys’ hockey team listens to the national anthem before the quaterﬁnals of the Flyers Cup on March 12. The boys dyed their hair blonde to promote team spirit, and won the game over Washington Township by a score of 4-0.

experience in intense playoff games from the past two seasons and the depth to [reach our goals],” Graves said. Senior right wing Jordan Peck said that above all, the team’s hard work and determination were the reasons they were so successful.

“We have something really special here with this team,” Peck said. “I think we can [be successful], we just have to play our game.” Abby Pioch can be reached at apioch@stoganews.com.

Volume 62, No. 5

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2012

Track thrower breaks record See p. 21

INSIDE

Swimmers make a splash at states See p. 23

Straight down the middle Pitchers maintain focus at practices and games See p. 20

Senior Matt Cowell practices pitching at baseball practice on March 20. The team is actively preparing for a successful 2012 season.

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE