The Spoke March Issue 2020/2021

Students and faculty weigh in on eased covid-19 restrictions

Page 2 Conestoga High School, Berwyn PA

Volume 71 No. 5

March 23, 2021

Senior makes custom shoe buisness

Page 4

Freshman diver grace gallagher breaks diving record

Page 11

spoke.news

TESD moves to expanded in-person learning model

Reese Wang/The SPOKE

In the classroom: Students listen to social studies teacher Merri Gardner during class on March 19. According to principal Dr. Amy Meisinger, 1250 students attended in-person school at Conestoga on March 15, and according to TESD, 56% of Conestoga students plan to return to in-person school.

By Ananya Kulkarni and Evan Lu Co-Editor-in-Chief and Webmaster TESD opened its doors to an expanded in-person instructional model on March 15, after all stu-

dents in the district were given the option to either remain at home or return for four days of the week.

The option to return was administered through a PowerSchool commitment form, with approximately 56% of students initially signing up to return to

school. According to Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger during the Mar. 15 morning announcements, 1,250 students returned to the building on the first day of in-person learning.

This change came as a result of the new CCHD guidance, which states

that “schools are expected to maximize their space such that they achieve as close to six feet of physical distancing as possible without ever going below three feet.”

According to the principal’s letter to families announcing this change,

the school will “strive for six feet of distance to the greatest extent possible” while acknowledging that “this will not always be feasible and will result in students sitting between six and three feet from classmates throughout the day (including lunch).”

While just over half of students have returned, the school will continue to make plans to allow more students to transition back to in-person learning as time goes on so long as the school continually meets the criteria for a minimized

number of cases three weeks in a row.

“Districts could move more students back into in-person instruction.

We began planning for that transition several weeks ago,” Pandemic Coordinator Dr. Chris Groppe said.

Distribution in the district: Some school personnel receive vaccine independently Zakiyah Gaziuddin and Ben Shapiro News Editor and Staff Reporter

As the nation continues to reel from the pandemic, vaccines have been a source of optimism for people around the nation and in the district.

As educators and school staff gradually receive their vaccines, the district expects that “all school employees who wish to receive a vaccine will be able to receive one by early April.”

With more than 3 million vaccinated residents in the state according to the PA Department of Health, Gov. Tom Wolf announced plans for administering 94,500 doses of the Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) vaccine to school personnel on March 3. By March 20, the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) distributed 5,300 vaccines.

However, according to TESD Pandemic Coordinator Chris Groppe, only 334 were specifically allocated to TESD. Michael Palmatier, an AP Psychology and Honors U.S. History teacher, recalls driving two and a half hours to Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania, and back on March 8 to receive his shot due to a quicker availability.

“At first my thought was, well, maybe I’ll wait for some-

thing to be a little closer, but then I thought, well, wait a minute, Susquehanna is pretty close to home. I can use this as an excuse to see my mom get the shot,” Palmatier said. “My getting the shot Monday means that now, some other teachers will be able to get it more quickly down here someplace.”

The process of receiving a vaccine started with a survey being sent out to school employees. George Fiore, the executive director of the CCIU, explained that the results are then sent to the PA Department of Health, which determines the eligibility of teachers, creating a list to send back to the CCIU. From there, individual schools are made aware of the results, and staff are given the opportunity to sign up and choose a time to get the vaccine.

Groppe explained that some school officials already received vaccines prior to the district’s efforts, with school nurses receiving their doses beginning last December as part of the initial 1A’s subgroup of healthcare workers. With that being said, Groppe acknowledges that there are many still waiting.

“Obviously, I would prefer that all of our educators get the vaccine as quickly as possible, but there’s also a recognition that if you’re 70 years old and have a medical con-

Zakiyah Gaziuddin/The SPOKE

One of many: The Chester County Government Services Center, located in West Chester, is one of the many sites across the county where individuals have gone to get their vaccine. Paraprofessional Linda Peck received her first dose here after getting an email from the district notifying her of her eligibility. dition, you should also have the vaccine,” Groppe said. “It’s unfortunate that there’s been such a finite supply of the vaccine to go around.”

As a special education paraprofessional in the district, Linda Peck recognizes the hardships of assisting students in the pandemic who are in need of more hands-on help. She emphasizes the im-

portance of getting teachers vaccinated in order to return to something resembling normalcy in the classroom.

“It’s very different not being able to be near students as a para(professional) and hand-over-hand do things.

From what you hear, in order to move forward, schools have to open up so people can go back to work,” Peck said.

“In order for schools to feel comfortable about opening up, you need to vaccinate the teachers that are going to be in those buildings.”

Appreciating the ease of staying in the loop about vaccine rollout, Palmatier acknowledges the school district’s effort in relaying information about vaccine distribution given the limited supply of dos-

es and the extreme demands.

While staying posted through the district and checking other services, he ultimately came upon an earlier available slot through CVS. “I’ve said that (signing up for the vaccine) was like asking two people out on a date and hoping one person says yes,” Palmatier said, “but then I ended up getting a third option, which is CVS.” Unlike Palmatier, some felt that the vaccination process as a whole was very disorganized. One T/E employee who wishes to remain anonymous was worried that T/E only received 334 vaccines. They believe that the limited number and disorganization were major flaws that contributed to their decision to receive the vaccine independently.

“Getting an appointment was very challenging. You had Governor Wolf and Biden saying, ‘yes, teachers are going to get fully vaccinated,’ but in reality, (we’re) still dealing with a very limited supply,” the employee said. “There was a lot of miscommunication. What you’re seeing here is political forces saying, ‘hey, your kids can come back to school; teachers are vaccinated, they can stop complaining now,’ but in reality, you have vaccines that are enough for 30% of your staff.

It’s not the same thing as saying all teachers are vaccinated.”

While most staff want to be vaccinated as soon as possible, limited availability prevents everyone from being able to get the shot through the CCIU at this time, leading some to get the vaccine on their own. Amy Alvarez, the president of the Tredyffrin Easttown Education Association, acknowledges this desire for vaccination while looking at the situation from a broader perspective.

“We have many essential workers in this country that provide all kinds of services that keep things moving. To say one category of essential workers should be prioritized over another is a very difficult moral and ethical question. There’s a reason why there’s entities that make these decisions,” Alvarez said.

Fiore explains that everyone is doing the best job they can given the circumstances. He believes that at the end of the day there is hope for not just the school staff, but the world as a whole. “(We) can only handle so many vaccine sites at one time. We’re currently running 28 across the state,” Fiore said.

“In the next 7-8 weeks, we’re going to be having a very different conversation. Here’s the message: everyone is going to get vaccinated.”

2

A BRIEF LOOK THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN T/E NEWS

district reviewing possibility for five days in person learning

As the new reopening plan with complete in-person or virtual learning began on March 15, the district announced discussions about the possibility of expanding into five days in person.

Given cases don’t sharply increase in the near future, the modified plan can commence as soon as April 19.

For the 2021-2022 school year, the district plans to review the inclusion of virtual instruction and what the logistics of that would look like later this spring. junior katherine lee wins good citizenship award from the pyo music institute.

Junior Katherine Lee was announced a winner of the Good Citizenship Award for her work with the harp.

The award is presented by the Union League Foundation to individuals who have demonstrated good citizenship, perservance and a collaborative attitude.

Read more at

NEWS

AP Exams 2021: What you should expect this year

News

Updated CCHD guidelines help bring kids back to classrooms Maya Shah and Melissa Fan Staff Reporters

With the COVID-19 cases in the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District decreasing, the learning environment has adapted to the changing circumstances. The Chester County Health Department released an updated set of COVID-19 guidelines with suggestions for measures schools should take to stay open. The new guidelines include preventative measures, such as a COVID-19 testing plan, to ensure the continuation of a virtual learning option. These new guidelines allow for schools to host more students in the building by lowering distance requirements as it relates to community spread.

On Mar. 1, the school board voted 9-0 in favor of a new instructional model that allows students to attend in-person school four days a week. This new model had begun on Mar. 15, with an estimated 56% of Conestoga students planning to go into the building, according to the school district commitment form.

Dr. Richard Gusick, Superintendent and head of the TESD Pandemic team, was a large contributor in decision-making and communication with the district. He conversed with both the school board and the community’s families to decide what is best for everyone, in regards to

Melissa Fan/The SPOKE

Back in school: Freshman Anika Kotapally sits in a classroom with updated seating arrangements due to the guideline changes. Tape was used to mark unoccupied seats and maintain social distancing. staying safe as well as optimizing learning experience. “(The new guidelines) had a total effect on our change in instructional model,” Gusick said.

Entering the building four days a week, students will no longer be separated by their last

names. The new guidelines also allow schools to go down to a minimum of three feet of distance, allowing schools to therefore have more students in the building at any given time.

Freshman Anika Kotapally decided to continue go-

ing into the building after following the hybrid model stating,however, that the new distancing rules made her cautious in her decision.

“The 6-feet distance rule has been in place since March.

To have that go down to 3 feet

feels like a lot is happening in a very short amount of time,” Kotapally said.

With the changed instructional models and the large number of students attending school at one time, the district has become less flexible with students

alternating between in-person and virtual learning.

“If we hold 26 seats in a high school high school classroom, because people say they’re coming, but really only 13, or 14 come, those people who come, are going to have to sit closer together than they would have if we’d known who was coming from the start,” Gusick said.

Despite the benefits of seeing her friends, sophomore Coco Lucarelli also says that the lack of flexibility in the new model has made her also not want to return in-person.

“This new hybrid doesn’t have the flexibility that the other one did, so in that sense, it would be a lot more convenient for me to stay home and be able to use the four hours (for study hall) I had in the day to just do stuff at home,” Lucarelli said.

For many, having more students return to school is a step closer to going back to normal circumstances. Gusick states that it’s important for students to have a choice of nearly completely returning back to school.

“But for those who believe in the value of in-person instruction, from a standpoint of academic growth, from a standpoint of socialization, or the standpoint of just being able to connect with other people, and feeling mentally and physically healthy,” Guisick said, “ We want that option there as well.”

Students and faculty weigh in on eased COVID-19 restrictions Jui Bhatia and Brooke Kennedy Staff Reporters

As COVID-19 cases plateau at 60,000 new cases and 1,500 deaths per day, many states have eased restrictions, with Pennsylvania being one of them. Gov.

Wolf made the decision to do so on March 1, revising restrictions on traveling and increasing capacity limits on large gatherings.

Some individuals are now planning to travel out of state over the upcoming break, and plan to make use of the new restrictions, while others feel that this deci-

sion may have been made hastily.

The revised capacity limits for large indoor gatherings now allow 15% of the maximum occupancy, while outdoor gatherings can now include 20% of the maximum occupancy as long as 6 feet of social distancing is maintained and individu-

For hundreds of students, spring means AP season, which normally consists of stress, studying, and preparation. This year, AP Exams will look a little different. Instead of having only in-person or only virtual exams, AP Exams will have multiple options for 2021.

PA collective works toward inclusive education

The PA Inclusion Collective was a free four-part event hosted by Dr. Julie Causton, Dr. Kristi Pretti-Frontczak and Dr. Jenna Rufo, national inclusion experts, over Zoom. The event’s goal was to help enhance the region's growth toward more inclusive educational opportunities for educators and families.

T/E LIFE

Dr. Boyle and his Coca Cola Collection

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Brooke Kennedy/The SPOKE

Dining out: As food courts and restaurants open with eased restrictions on indoor gatherings, students and teachers express concerns over what this could mean for the community.

als wear masks to ensure safety.

The new traveling restrictions also do not require individuals to provide evidence of a negative test or quarantine upon entering the state.

Freshman Khani Valasa, who is travelling out of state to visit her sick grandmother, is worried about the number of people she will have to interact with.

“I honestly feel really uncomfortable with traveling since there’s lots of things that have to happen. Yesterday, I went and got the coronavirus test done, and to be honest, I was really close to the person, and I have to interact with people to be able to get a permit to travel,” Valasa said. “But besides that, I feel like people are doing a good job with keeping everyone safe. That’s the only reason why I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s at least go this time.’”

Allison Long, a mathematics teacher for freshmen, sophomores and juniors, also believes that people may not always follow guidelines to the best of their ability.

“It does concern me that whenever restriction is lessened, there is a lowering of the guard,” Long said. “So, I think people will be more likely to take advantage of it, which may mean that their other behaviors may not be intact, as far as hand washing

and social distancing.”

Sophomore Parv Singhal also expresses concern over the new gathering capacity limits, especially the effects it will have on the number of cases, saying that the state is probably not fit for opening up now.

“I don’t think that (the state can open up), but slowly, eventually it will open. Especially with 15 and 20% of capacity being allowed, that is a huge amount so I think it’s not going to be helpful,” Singhal said. “It’s been a year since people have been at home, so they’re probably going to be frustrated and keen on going outside and having a good time.”

Pandemic coordinator Chris Groppe, however, does not feel that there is a huge cause for worry, as teachers and students can take part in weekly optional antigen testing, which is a rapid test that detects certain parts of the virus through a nasal swab.

“We started rolling (the antigen tests) out three weeks ago, and this past week we’ve hit even more folks, so that that’s very reassuring,” Groppe said. “I think there needs to be multiple layers to mitigate the risk, (since) all of those things add up so that we’re more protected.”

Junior Hiroki Yamaguchi echoes the sentiment, citing the efforts the school has taken to

maintain safety.

“I think that (whether cases increase) depends on how many people are going to school, but I think I’m not that concerned about the school because they are forced 6 feet apart, and they have one way hallways,” Yamaguchi said. “I think the school is doing a good job trying to eliminate contact between students.”

Long, however, still expressed concerns over safety, especially since people are more likely to now engage in indoor dining and similar activities over the break.

“When I drive around my neighborhood on an evening and it’s dinnertime, I see restaurants that are full, so I do have a little bit of fear as we approach spring break, ” Long said. “But to me, it’s more about common sense and personal behaviors, (since) those personal behaviors can make cases go up.”

Groppe echoes the sentiment, recognising that people have to make a personal choice to follow guidelines.

“People still have the agency to make personal decisions about how much they will go to events like indoor events versus outdoor events,” Groppe said.

“Everybody has to make a decision about what level of risk they are comfortable with.”

School district proposes 3% tax increase to meet deficit Conestoga Assistant Principal Dr. Patrick Boyle has enjoyed Coca-Cola products ever since he was a teenager--not only the sweet drink but also interesting and unusual memorabilia.

Former teacher Kathy Barham still inspires students

Former Conestoga English Teacher Katherine Barham continues to share knowledge to students using her poetry experience. Barham’s poetry played an important role in her thought process in her life and teaching career.

SPORTS

Swim team dominates Central League

After kicking off walls, gliding through the water and splashing along the pool, 'Stoga swimmers had great success at this year’s Central League championship.

Shreya Vaidhyanathan and Becky Tang Staff Reporters

Every year, T/E’s Finance Committee is faced with the task of writing and proposing a budget to the school board.

While enrollment rates and inflation have been concerns in past years, the uncertainty resulting from COVID-19 has been unprecedented.

The board’s budget for the 2021-2022 school year is currently awaiting approval and will be voted on at the final school board meeting in June. As of March 8, the school board’s proposed plan has an operational deficit, a sum of money that falls short of the required amount, of $9.3 million. Their goal for the next few months is to find a strategy and implement a lowered deficit of $3 million. This could mean reallocating funds from student programs or raising taxes, which have impacts on both parents and taxpayers. “(Budgeting) is all a balance of whether you want to raise taxes, make cuts, or do both,” said Dr. Roberta Hotinski, Finance Committee Chair and Vice President of the school board.

Although nothing has been set in stone, strategies were brought up at the recent Budget

Workshop on March 8. One option being considered is cutting costs at the building level, essentially reducing spending without affecting programs. One example of this is simply continuing a longer cycle with athletic materials, meaning that buying new gym equipment would be rescheduled for less expenses this coming year.

Increasing costs for the 1:1 laptop initiative, currently $50 per student, student parking and/or student activity fees are also on the table. All of these funding possibilities will be further discussed at future Budget Workshops and Finance Committee meetings. “(Raising the cost for laptps) is understandable but at the same time, it might be harder for some students whose families don’t have the money for laptops or their own personal laptops to make up for it,” said junior Kacey Veeck.

An additional source of money for the district is the reserves, put aside for capital projects. This means that operational costs are in the regular budget and paid for by taxes and grants. Capital projects, however, are specific expenses that warrant dipping into these savings.

The ongoing construction at Conestoga falls under the capital

category. The Finance Committee has already moved $4 million to the reserves for this construction and other possible renovation projects.

Moreover, because of the pandemic, enrollment rates are harder to predict than in previous years. Transportation and utility money, such as lighting and air conditioning, have decreased in the past year, but costs remain uncertain for next year.

“I’m hopeful that things turn a little better than we think; it’s extremely difficult to project what will happen next year. We don’t want to make any big changes on the assumption that something is going to happen when it’s unsure,” Hotinski said.

For students, the potential tax increase does not pose a significant problem. However, if the board decides to raise the tax by their allotted 3%, there could be an impact on taxpayers. Especially now, the school board is considering the hardships that community members and taxpayers have faced more than ever.

“It’s a struggle every year, and when it’s an uncertain year like this, (raising taxes) is a difficult decision to make,” Hotinski said.

Ray Clarke, former T/E School District parent, is highly involved throughout the district, participating in task forces and

Becky Tang/The SPOKE

Capital projects: The constuction at Conestoga is being paid for Committee allocated $4 million for similar capital expenses. attending committee meetings. for Tredyffrin/Easttown taxes,” He attended multiple school Clarke said. “It’s by far the biggest board meetings and expressed local tax item and gets to rival his view on the importance of federal taxes.” public opinion.

The school board is open to “This impacts our lives so input from the community and greatly; when it’s not our chil- dedicates a portion of their meetdren, it’s our grandchildren. At ings to receiving feedback. Resthe end of the day (we) are paying idents can ask questions in the

Maybe the SAT and ACT will just go away??

No, no, that’s just wishful thinking, you’re still going to have to take it. Many schools that are “test optional” this year won’t be next year. So time to start thinking about a plan for getting really, really good at it, even if you really, really hate standardized tests. Find out more at CrimsonReview.com.

by district reserves. The Finance form of a chat or email during live meetings. Public opinion is a priority and continues to guide them through this process. “(The school board) is trying their best, and people are too hard on them sometimes,” Veeck said. “They really are trying to make everyone happy.”

News

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

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back to school (take two) design by zakiyah gaziuddin, news editor photos by reese wang and melissa fan, co-managing editor and staff reporter

Reese Wang/The SPOKE

Reese Wang/The SPOKE

Reese Wang/The SPOKE

Reese Wang/The SPOKE

Melissa Fan/The SPOKE

Reese Wang/The SPOKE

How upperclassmen have changed their college preparations Ben Shapiro, Evan Lu and Sophia Pan

Staff Reporter, Webmaster and Co-Managing Editor As juniors begin researching schools and as seniors balance academics with applications, upperclassmen at Conestoga and across the nation have had to modify their college preparations.

One of the biggest changes this year was the loss of in-person campus visits due to social distancing guidelines and travel restrictions. Senior Conor Monaghan, who will go to Penn State University Brandywine next year, felt that he had “less freedom” when making his decision.

“I felt like I couldn’t make an expensive mistake by choosing a campus that I would not feel right on, and I honestly didn’t know any campus more than Penn State because of all the cancellations due to the virus,” Monaghan said.

Junior Deepthi Sathyanarayana, who originally planned to spend her spring break visiting colleges, also laments the loss of in-person tours.

“Spring break would have been different, like it would have been very enjoyable. And even going with friends to go visit colleges: that’s a thing too, so all of that is not done anymore,” Sathyanarayana said.

“There’s only so much you can find on a website rather than talking to the tour guides there

and talking to the admissions officers there.”

With virtual instruction, juniors also lost the ability to consult those who have already gone through the application process.

“Last year, I was taking AP Computer Science Principles, and it’s one of those classes where you get (students of ) all grades, so I talked to a lot of seniors, and they were telling me about the college admissions process,” junior Shayl Chetty said. “Going to class and talking to them (now) would have really helped me understand (and) get advice from them or certain things that you would not necessarily get now because you’re not talking to many people.”

Conestoga traditionally hosts sessions with admissions representatives that students can attend during the school day and live college fairs on select evenings throughout the year. Now, those resources have moved virtual.

“I think that (live fairs) are really overwhelming environments for a lot of people,” College and Career Transition teacher Rachel Reavy said. “You’re not getting that face-to-face interaction (virtually), you’re not getting to see the full smile and the full body language of the admissions rep that’s there, but I do think that if you plan your time wisely, you can be much more efficient in the virtual college fairs.”

Another major change in the college preparation process for high school students nationwide is the switch to test-optional that many schools made in response to the pandemic. According to educational consultant company IvyWise, 72% of colleges and universities across the country switched to test-optional this year.

While she did decide to take the SATs and to include her score in her college applications, senior Kate Buck, who will go to Boston University next year, believes that going test-optional is the right decision.

“I think that in general, a lot of kids tend to define their entire application on the one (SAT) score. (Schools going test-optional) gave a lot more opportunity for the rest of students’ applications to be looked at without everything they did being overlooked by one score,” Buck said. “It gave a lot of people a bit of relief.”

Although college applications have always been stressful, the pandemic has only heightened stress. According to Monaghan, seniors in particular are struggling even more this year.

“Especially as a senior, it’s difficult enough to care about school right now. I feel like we’re cooped up in our rooms for so long that the future just doesn’t sound so soon when you really think about it,” Monaghan said. “During the middle of the pandemic, prob-

Reese Wang/The SPOKE

The Common Application in an uncommon year: A college application poster adorns the wall outside the counselors’ offices. The pandemic has greatly affected the college search and application process for juniors and seniors alike. ably around December last got more and more stressful.” ing on college applications and my attention on (the applicayear, is when it was at its worst.

While Buck agrees that the fi- that you have to do it gave me tions),” Buck said. “Knowing It was just so difficult to care nal goal felt distant, she believes something to work towards, that someday, we’re going to about anything, and the prob- that the end result was worth maybe even more so than if get out of the house was reallem was, that’s when I was ap- dedicating the time and effort.

I was in person with school ly exciting. I think for a lot of plying to all my colleges, so it “Knowing that you’re work- because I could really put all people, it just kept us going.”

T/E LIFE

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Teacher Feature: Janet Wolfe Omkar Katkade Staff Reporter

Science teacher Janet Wolfe has always loved animals, so she started college as a pre-veterinary medicine student.

Two years in, she decided that she wanted to change paths. Wolfe was already a biology major, and she remembered the gratification she got from a tutoring program she took part in for a local high school. Currently, Wolfe is a science teacher at Conestoga.

“Teaching is a great career because it’s always changing, which some people may not like, but every period I get a different group of students.

Even if I’m teaching the same thing, it’s not the same experience because you’re with a different group of students,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe first taught at Richard Montgomery High School

in Maryland, then Sun Valley High School in Pennsylvania and finally at Conestoga, where she has been teaching since 2002.

er is a junior at Conestoga.

Wolfe’s favorite experience at Conestoga was watching her older daughter graduate. That year, Wolfe was also her AP Research teacher.

“Graduation last year was special because my daughter was graduating.

Even though it wasn’t really a typical graduation, still great to see her walk across the stage, even a little bit more actualBiology teacher special, ly teaching her and being her Now, Wolfe teaches AP mother,” Wolfe said.

Research and Anatomy and Wolfe talks about what she Physiology, but in the past wants her students to take she has taught all levels of away from her Biology and biology. Outside of school, Anatomy and Physiology classes.

Wolfe enjoys gardening.

“For anatomy, I want (my stu“I think it's the bio teacher dents) to, kind of, weigh a new apin me. Plus, I like being out- preciation of how their body works side. There's just something and doesn’t work,” Wolfe said. about putting something in Wolfe has different goals for her the ground, letting it grow AP Research students. and appreciating it for a long “I’m really hoping to instill period of time,” Wolfe said. in them some skills of how to Wolfe is married and has do research that they can take to two daughters. One is a fresh- college and beyond with them,” man in college and the oth- Wolfe said.

I'm really hoping to instill in them some skills of how to do research that they can take to college and beyond with them.

Janet Wolfe

Courtesy Janet Wolfe

Thoughtful teaching: Biology teacher Janet Wolfe poses for a picture. Wolfe first taught at Richard Montomery High School and Sun Valley High School before coming to Conestoga.

Painting pairs: Senior Yash Ray creates custom shoe startup Aditi Dahagam

Co-Web Content Editor Pink cheetah print. SpongeBob. Aliens in space. These are some of the custom shoe designs senior Yash Ray painted through his startup, RayzCustoms. Ray picked up his shoe-customizing hobby over quarantine last April, when he started watching videos from customizing YouTube channel “ M A R K O .”

Taking inspiration from the channel, he painted a pair of plain Converse and showed the finished shoes to his friends.

“I was running (the shoes) by some friends, and I was like, ‘What do you think?’ And a lot of them said they would pay money

for it,” Ray said. “I set up a few of the people that would consider buying a pair of custom shoes and I painted them, and then I set up a website and everything just kind of went from there.”

tools, such as Angelus Acrylic Leather Paint, paint thinners and thickeners, an airbrush and acrylic sealants.

“I had some spare paint lying around in my basement —

cause I’m better with a pencil and paper than I might be planning it out digitally. I just use that to get a feel for how to draw the actual shoe itself,” Ray said.

After finishing the design, which takes an average of five hours per pair, Ray packages the shoes back into the box they came in and either drives the shoes to the customer's house if they are local or ships them. date, he Senior To has received over 20 orders and made approximately $2,500-$3,000 in profits.

Last summer and fall, Ray spent 7–10 hours per week on RayzCustoms. Despite the high time commitment, Ray believes that running his startup isn’t tedious because of his passion for art.

“It’s strangely satisfying to sit down and do something that’s entirely original, that can make you money and you genuinely enjoy as well,” Ray said. “It’s a good feeling to know that somebody else is out there wearing your artwork and they genuinely enjoy it.”

Sophomore Sarah Park, who has known Ray for four years through the Upper Main Line YMCA swim team, found out about Ray’s startup

I was running the shoes by some friends, and I was like, 'What do you think?' And a lot of them said they would pay money for it. I set up a few of the people that would consider buying a pair of custom shoes and I painted them, and then I set up a website and everything just kind of went from there.

Yash Ray

When Ray first started customizing shoes, he used paint that he already had at home. As he received more orders and profits, Ray began to buy better paints and

We don’t just teaCh the tests.

We take them too!

At Main Line Test Prep and Tutoring, we have been tutoring students in various subjects and standardized test prep for over 20 years. Our tutors are patient and make learning fun.

Most importantly, we instill confidence in our students by making tough concepts easy to

I was just working with what I had. Basically, I did that until I earned enough money to actually put that money back into buying better resources to help the quality improve,” Ray said.

Interested customers can request designs through his website rayzcustoms.com or DM @ rayz.customs on Instagram. A potential client has two order options: they can send in shoes that they already own, an option that costs $50-$75 depending on the complexity of the design, or Ray can buy the shoes and customize them, which costs $100-$250. Once Ray receives the request, he drafts the design in his sketchbook before transferring it onto the shoe.

“I prefer to (plan designs) the old-fashioned way be-

Courtesy Yash Ray

Distanced designing: Senior Yash Ray touches up a pair of shoes for a past customer on his desk studio in his basement. Ray picked up his shoe-customizing hobby over quarantine last April. when he asked her to follow RayzCustoms on Instagram.

Park ordered a pair of pink and purple cheetah print Vans from Ray and is proud

FLEXIBLE

of the progress Ray has made over the year.

“I think (starting a startup) is a great experience and something that he really en-

I think starting a startup is a great experience and something he really enjoys, so I'm proud of him for gettting himself out there and starting it since I know it's not an easy task to design someone else's shoes.

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dents to start their own businesses because it gives them an opportunity to earn money through doing something they enjoy.

Courtesy Yash Ray

Artistic kicks: The Nike Blazer Low Top sneakers depict a detailed and colorful design on the swoosh. These are senior Yash Ray's favorite shoes he customized so far because the design is simple, and they were a gift to his friend's mother for her birthday.

joys, so I’m proud of him for getting himself out there and starting it since I know it’s not an easy task to design someone else’s shoes,” Park said.

In the future, Ray doesn’t see RayzCustoms becoming a “serious” business, but rather a side project that allows him to create art and provides an income. He believes it’s important to encourage stu-

“I think (students starting their own businesses) is great because I feel like people can be so creative with the way they want to spend their time if they actually put their minds to it,” Ray said. “Everybody has something that they’re interested in, and I bet most people will never act on it. I feel that it’s something that everybody should at least give a try.”

T/E Life

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

5

At-home adaptation: Peer Mediation holds Unity Week online Umar Samdani and Tashikaa Senthilkumar

Co-T/E Life Editor and Staff Reporter Unity Week in March is traditionally associated with bright colors, cultural music and decorated poster boards in the main lobby. This year, however, the lobby was empty of the colors, music and decorations, instead transitioning to an online setting where students experienced these features on their computers.

Senior Brendan Fahey, a Peer Mediation executive, knew that organizing the

event this year would be a challenge. He worried that students would be uninterested in the event due to its virtual platform.

“It’s much harder to get student participation in virtual events. Most people I know are less likely to go to an optional meeting when they’re at home,” Fahey said.

“It’s much easier when you’re there in person and the opportunities are right there for you.”

According to Peer Mediation adviser Marcia Mariani, Unity Week had been officially confirmed during the final

weeks of February. Over the past school year, the club discussed and implemented several ideas to keep students engaged and mentally healthy.

Unity Week was a continuation of the positive activities club executives Fahey and Senior Kitt Burlington had been trying to promote.

“Our responsibility is maintaining a positive school climate. We talked about cameras last year, we talked about virtual learning and you know, where the energy level was,” Mariani said.

“After we reached our goal with the Big Give, which was

Katherine Lee/The SPOKE

Where in the world: The virtual map on Padlet displays the different places of origin of the student body. This replaced the traditionally physical world map from previous years.

fantastic, we talked about Unity Week. I asked Kitt and Brendan, ‘Are you guys doing this or what?’ and they were like, ‘Yep,’ so we held a team meeting, and we started to brainstorm.”

Mariani and the club executives worked to host an online event with numerous opportunities for student participation. On March 1, Mariani posted an update on Schoology attaching links to various activities. Students were able to listen to guest speaker Tim Stafford, learn signature moves from the K-POP Dance Club and participate in a Kahoot from the Desi Club. Peer Mediation also invited students and teachers to submit videos to a virtual cookbook, participate in a movie watch, pin their heritage on a world map and listen to a Unity Week music playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.

The cultural cookbook allowed students to upload videos on Flipgrid, a video-sharing platform, of recipes for dishes unique to their background. Similarly, the world map gave students the opportunity to pinpoint their family’s origins on Padlet, another content sharing software.

Fahey was particularly interested in the cultural cookbook and world map. He believed they were excellent opportunities for the school to promote its diversity.

“I just thought it was a really cool idea to get all these clubs coming together and, you know, posting their different cultural cuisine and kind of seeing it all come together,” Fahey said, “and that’s kind of a similar theme to what’s going on in the world map. I was honestly surprised by how many foreign results there were.”

One of the club’s most distinctive events was the speech by Tim Stafford on March 3 during students’ sixth period class. Mari-

Umar Samdani/The SPOKE

Talking about unity: Guest speaker Tim Stafford speaks to students about a unified school community. The virtual assembly took place on March 3 during sixth period. ani learned about Stafford through club member and junior Aishna Gaikwad, who met Stafford previously at an equity conference. Using the Teams live meeting feature, the guest speaker spoke from his house in Chicago about his personal upbringings in a heterogeneous community. He encouraged students to push past their comfort zones and be involved in cultural clubs.

Although the week served as a way for the school to learn about different cultures and perspectives, Mariani sees broader implications as well. The club adviser believes that the combination of Tim Stafford’s speech, cultural cookbook and all the other activities promote positive mental health practices. In a distant and online world, Mariani says it is important to keep students together by any means possible.

“I’m hoping that this week (was) a way for us to take away some of that loneliness from so many students who are really feeling it,” Mariani said. “I hope that it’s a way for us to recognize the similarities between what we’re all going through and to remember that there are so many cultures in our school and so many reasons we have to celebrate who we are. Our diversity is one of our biggest strengths.”

Freshman Ethan Marshall: Triple threat musician and producer Abby Carella

Multimedia Editor The sounds of a Yamaha Tour Custom drum set, bass guitar and piano can be heard daily throughout the halls of freshman Ethan Marshall’s home. Marshall is what some might call a triple threat musician: proficient in three instruments and several editing softwares, Marshall’s life is full of music.

Marshall began taking private piano lessons at age 6 and soon followed with drum

lessons. About a year and a half ago, he independently took on the bass guitar, teaching himself through YouTube videos and tutorials. However, the drums are his favorite instrument to play.

“I recently got a new drum set for Christmas, and it’s a Yamaha Tour Custom. It’s a really high-quality drum set, and I love playing it all the time. It’s one of my prized possessions,” Marshall said.

A few months back, Marshall created an Instagram account, @ethan.marshall_music, to showcase his musical talent.

“When I have time, I like to post videos of myself playing solos or instrumental covers or even pictures of what I like. It’s always fun to occupy myself with something to look forward to and edit and record,” Marshall said.

When Marshall created his Instagram account, he began experimenting with editing software such as Adobe Premiere Rush and Ableton Live. This software allows him to more or less have a one-man band where he plays all the instruments at once.

“It (the software) allows me to do many things such as combining tracks and splitting the screens into three sections at once,” Marshall said. “One of them I recorded (was) ‘Rosanna’ by Toto, which is a classic rock song.

I was able to combine three different videos of myself (on to one screen), one playing piano, one playing bass and one playing drums. It sounds pretty good and was in sync, so that was fun.”

While many of Marshall’s Instagram posts cover famous songs, such as “Rosanna,” he

Courtesy Ethan Marshall

Press play: Freshman Ethan Marshall posts videos of his music to his Instagram account. This video in particular featured a mashup of Marshall on the drums, keyboard and guitar. has recently begun to post originals. Marshall’s songs are heavily influenced by the upbeat funk, rock and jazz genres. He also likes to incorporate elements of his favorite bands, such as the Foo Fighters, Queen, The Police, Jamiroquai, Fleetwood Mac and Toto.

“I like how I’m creating my own music these days.

I honestly just mess around until it sounds good. I often have melodies in my head that I will try to play on the piano or even drums,

but I really just like to play around and create my own little beats,” Marshall said.

to continue this hobby of his by taking Music Production at school to learn more advanced skills and techniques that can not be picked up from watching videos on YouTube. “ O r i g i n a l l y, this was just something that I picked up for fun over quarantine that could occupy me in these boring days, but I plan to keep this going, hopefully, Freshman and this can lead me to something better in the future. Who knows!” Marshall said.

I often have melodies in my head that I will try to play on the piano or even drums, but I really just like to play around and create my own little beats.”

Courtesy Ethan Marshall

Drumming away: Freshman Ethan Marshall sits at his drum set and taps out a beat. Marshall received a new drum set, a Yamaha Tour Custom, last Christmas.

Ethan Marshall

Currently, Marshall is an entirely self-taught composer and producer. He hopes

T/E Life

6

On deck: Teachers recommend books about race and culture

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Written and designed by Katherine Lee, Co-T/E Life Editor

In light of Unity Week earlier this month, we have asked several teachers at Conestoga, as well as our librarians, to give recommendations for books about race and culture. With spring break just around the corner and a little more time on our hands, it would be worthwhile to check out these books that capture the spirit of unity.

“The Good Earth” by Pearl S. Buck

“Becoming” by Michelle Obama

“I love (this book) because I feel like it encapsulates the human condition. It’s about this farmer from China who works really hard, and just like everyone else, we as humans, we have ambition, we want to strive to be better than the lot that we are given in life. In this book, (the character’s) name is Wang Lung, and he’s hardworking, he’s a farmer and he just wants to have a better life for himself. We watch him in this whole novel through the rise and fall of his fortunes.

But as we watch this journey on his way to bettering his lot, he gets all kinds of distractions and tribulations, and at the end, he does finally understand what true love is, but along the way, there are all these temptations. And it’s just beautiful, it’s kind of heartbreaking, but to me, it encapsulates the human condition: what it is that it means to be human.”

- Ann Karcewski, Spanish teacher

“This one is a tale of the human spirit. I had no idea that Michelle Obama came from literally nothing. She’s from the south side of Chicago, she had all these obstacles in life and it really speaks volumes about how being born Black has already barriers that are institutionalized, that are already there and being born Black, their lot in life is unfortunately to try to overcome those hurdles that have already been put in place by society. The book is so well written, too. She’s a great storyteller. And it’s so inspiring that someone like her who comes from nothing has developed into really a force to be reckoned with in terms of her strength and her moral character, her resilience, her persistence, the fire in her belly. So, for me, the book is about the human spirit. I think everyone should read it because there’s a lot of lessons to be learned, and she’s such an inspiring soul.”

- Ann Karcewski, Spanish teacher

“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker

“Between the world and me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates

“This book is about two young sisters during, I think, the early 1900s, and their journey growing up and also being separated. It’s a story of family during that time period, and it also reflects how women were treated. I would recommend it because it is a story representing the African American experience, and it’s not telling you that experience, it’s showing you through these people’s lived experiences, some of the social nuances that occurred, also some of the historical things that occurred. It was written by a Black woman and so through the lens of a Black person, you see these stories manifesting, so you kind of get a sense of what life was like back then for Black people and then you see the reality of their stories. It’s not perfect, and so I think that’s why I recommend it: because it’s a story about Black people through the lens of a Black person.”

- Leashia Lewis, counselor

“(In this book), the author writes a letter to his adolescent son about what it means to be a Black male in society today, so, addressing and talking about the historical traumas that Black men have experienced and what it looks like currently, as well as the lessons that his son needs to know. What I enjoy most about it is Ta-Nehisi speaking his true authentic story, and his true authentic voice and story comes through through his own lived experience. I believe it’s so important for people to listen to one another and listen for understanding, and his book is an example of reading another person’s story for understanding of somebody else’s experience in the world outside of your own. He speaks so eloquently about the experience that I believe anyone and everyone can understand him.”

- Leashia Lewis, counselor

“Map of Bones” by James Rollins

“Angels and Demons” and “Davinci Code” by Dan Brown

“It’s an Indiana Jones-y type of book that just helps you get away from and escape from everyday life. And it has a great historical background with sound science in it that helps you imagine things and think outside the box. It’s not well known actually, but it takes place in the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. It’s one of the largest cathedrals in the world, and I’ve been there personally many times because I was a part of this German exchange program when I was in high school, and this cathedral just absolutely amazed me and the absolute size of this is ridiculous. Legend has it that that cathedral holds the bones of the three magis who visited Jesus. So, it all starts from that and then it goes into how these bones were actually acquired during the Crusades and how they were brought back and all the troubles they went through and how that ties in with science..”

- John Kim, physics teacher

“Dan Brown, when he writes ‘Angels and Demons,’ involves the historical aspect of how the Catholic Church has been always dominant in politics as well as science too, believe it or not. And it goes through many of these historical backgrounds that are really interesting for me, and looking at the perspective of how you can think outside the box beyond the dogma of the Catholic church is really fascinating. I think books can give you so much information and give your own imagination a chance to visualize things and also help you walk through all these places that I was already there before so it really helps me even more because since I’ve been there in person, as you’re reading through it, you can even visualize a lot more clearly as you’re reading the books.”

- John Kim, physics teacher

“All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir- Manifesto” by George M. Johnson

“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf” by Ntozake Shange

“(This book) is Johnson’s memoir designed to encourage queer black boys to uncreate the layers of their masculinity and racialized existence. It’s the most powerful exploration of gender that I’ve read, and it’s a very touching memoir.

And his writing is very casual, so it’s very relatable for students to be able to read and it just goes to show that black men, black boys, black youth and just people in general are not monoliths. That we are very diverse in expression, we have also very diverse experiences. So I think that as our school is trying to build a community on equity, I think it’s very important for us to be able to include these voices and these experiences that are often not discussed or talked about in a school setting.”

- Christopher Brown, English teacher

“This book is about the experiences of black women. It’s about black women being vulnerable, black women being fearless and being able to share their stories. It’s written as a choreopoem, so it’s a collection of essays and prose and poetry that is typically performed in movies and also as stage plays. It’s a vivid and powerful language that resonates with an unusual beauty and the fierce message of women. Oftentimes, when we read about women, we hear the stereotype that all black women are strong, but this book focuses on the vulnerabilities of women, what they’ve experienced, the trauma they experience and the strength to overcoming that, but it makes them seen and heard and I think this is a very powerful book for people to know the experiences that black women go through.”

- Christopher Brown, English teacher

“The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas

“Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You” by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

“One book I would recommend is ‘The Hate U Give’ by Angie Thomas. This novel was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement. Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter is there when her best friend Khalil is fatally shot by a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. His death becomes national news, protestors take to the streets and everyone looks to Starr for the truth about what happened. Angie Thomas also just recently published a new novel, ‘Concrete Rose,’ which tells the story of Starr’s father, Maverick Carter, 17 years earlier.

This is an important book that explores Black boyhood and manhood, and I would recommend it as well.”

- Lydia Lieb, librarian

“Based on Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s work, ‘Stamped’ dives into the history and present day truths of racist and antiracist ideas in America. Author Jason Reynolds explores information about key events in our country’s racial history and the ideologies of segregationists, assimilationists and antiracists. This non-fiction book is written in a narrative format that is engaging and thought-provoking, leaving the reader wanting to learn more. I recommend this book to any faculty, staff or student wanting to learn about the construct of race in America and the systemic oppression of Black people in our country. If you want to educate yourself to become antiracist, this book is accessible and connects the past to now in a way that may inspire you to learn more and have courageous conversations about race.”

- Brooke Hauer, librarian

7

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Club Hub

Written by Cosmo Thompson and Ruijia Yang: Staff Reporters ________________________

Design by Umar Samdani: Co-T/E Life Editor

Desi Culture Club The Desi Club aims to educate students about Desi culture and bring Southeast Asians together in a community. They organize service projects; celebrate major holidays, like Diwali; and share their cultures.

For Diwali last year, the club arranged a donation drive and a festival at the Tredyffrin Public library, which raised money for Bhutanese refugees. Although getting started was a challenge this year, but the club found a new adviser and was able to host its first meeting at the end of February. They talked about virtual projects that could still allow members to incorporate their cul-

ture while staying safe. For Unity Week, they contributed to a multicultural cookbook and played a Kahoot! Quiz over Microsoft Teams.

Junior Deepthi Sathyanarayana, the president of the club, says that Desi culture is very diverse, with many cultures within it, so the club provides cultural unity for Desi students. She also hopes that Conestoga’s entire student body will benefit from this club to create a more inclusive space for everyone.

“It’s important that this diverse culture doesn’t just stay with the people who know about

it,” Sathyanarayana said. “It should be spread to people who don’t know about it so we can raise awareness and celebrate with them.”

Korean Culture Club Asian American Culture Club

One of Conestoga’s newest clubs, the Korean Culture Club (KCC), spreads knowledge about the Korean language and culture through listening to its music, talking about its cuisine and watching TV shows.

While other culture clubs did offer some representation, founder and president of the KCC, junior Ruhri Lee wanted more Korean-centered education for students. A more specific group would allow Korean students to better connect to their roots.

“There are a lot of Korean kids at our school who may want to learn more about their own heritage and roots,” Lee said. “So I felt that if I made a club just for learning Korean culture, then I can reach more people who are interested.”

The club held its first meeting in late January and now meets every other week on Thursdays and Fridays. On Thursdays, the meetings are educational, teaching the members about the language, history and culture, while Friday meetings are recreational, spent interacting with Korean media.

In the future, Lee hopes to collaborate with the Asian American Culture Club and Multicultural Club on projects and continue to spread Korean culture.

The Asian American Culture Club’s goal is to create a closer-knit Asian community in Conestoga and celebrate everything about their heritage. Like many at ’Stoga, the club is approaching social justice and racism in their conversations this year.

As a minority in the country and district, the club allows its members to feel comfortable talking about issues going on in the world in a safe space. With the increased hate crimes against Asian-Americans, they watch

videos about and discuss racism and colorism to educate and relate to each other. Junior and club president Kathy Wang is passionate about these issues and believes it is important for her club to learn about them.

The club has also helped Wang learn about her culture and history, as she joined with little knowledge about Asia.

Now, as the president, she can help other students that were in similar situations. “(The club) really helped me find myself,” Wang said.

“It was really nice to be able to connect with people that look like me and have experienced the same things as me.”

Hispanic Culture Club Muslim Student Association Latin America’s cultural diversity makes the Hispanic Culture Club a place where Latinx students can share their culture and learn about other students.

In meetings, they have discussed traditions in Brazil, Portugal and Spain, and learned about Spanish dialects, travel and entertainment. Though they can’t plan many events this year, they are using money raised last year for donations.

Senior and president Vera

Kramer lived in Argentina for 16 years before coming to Conestoga, so the club helped her get involved in the school community and meet new friends. She believes it’s important for the school to have this club because of Hispanic culture’s significance in the United States, and because it will give students a better view of their world.

“I really care about this culture, and since I got to experience what it’s like living

(in South America), I wanted to share it with others,” Kramer said.

Muslim Student Association, or MSA, is a club that raises awareness for Islam, and creates a safe environment for anyone to learn about the Muslim religion. Before virtual learning, MSA would often volunteer to help around the community, and participate in the MIST (Muslim Interscholastic Tournament). MIST is an annual tournament that consists of 35 different competitions open to anyone, which is why MSA tries to spread awareness for it as well. Due to COVID-19, MIST is indefinitely postponed.

In the beginning of the year MSA did not meet because the school was adapting to virtual learning. Therefore, elections were unable to be held, and since the last president of MSA had left, members were uncertain as to whether MSA would continue to meet. Sophomore Aayma Hamid, wanting to continue MSA, took initiative and assumed the position as president of MSA. “I talked to the previous president and she said no one was next (in line for President),”

Hamid said, “So I thought that I should take charge, because I didn’t want MSA to disappear.”

French Culture Club CulturALL Cooking Club French Club seeks to make a friendly environment for students to enjoy the French culture and language. They create this environment by hosting activities, like watching French movies, playing French games or reviewing the French language.

Something the club takes pride in is keeping consistent meetings. The students in charge of the club meet in advance to plan activities for future meetings. Ashley Strouse, the adviser of French

Club, thinks that activities need to be engaging especially in a virtual environment.

“After a whole school day, you don’t want to be on (Microsoft) Teams anymore, so you need to do what is going to make students want to show up to a Teams club meeting,” Strouse said.

Although the French language is most associated with France, French Club focuses on any French-speaking country. To join the club, students don’t need to be study-

ing French. Often, the activities hosted are in English but are about the French culture.

In May of 2020, CulturAll Cooking, a club focused on cuisine and recipes from around the world, was created. When it was first formed, the club immediately faced adversity due to COVID-19 and wasn’t able to have a single meeting. This year, thanks to Microsoft Teams and a well organized team of students, CulturAll Cooking is able to meet once every month.

Although sharing food is difficult this year, members of CulturAll Cooking will meet to talk about cuisine from their

own cultures. This year, CulturAll Cooking is working on a large project, a cookbook full of recipes from the members’ cultures. Each student in CulturAll cooking has contributed one or two recipes to form the cookbook, and the students in charge are working on the design of the book.

Sophomore Ayala Snir, a member of CulturAll Cooking, loves the unity in the club.

“My favorite part (of CulturAll Cooking) is sharing our experiences and sharing different recipes,”

Snir said, “It is really fun to see how diverse we are and find out about all our different backgrounds.”

OPINION

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

SATIRE

Unsigned: Dear Applicant, try again Dear Applicant, The Rejections Committee has carefully reviewed your application to Unrealistic University. After spending the bare minimum amount of consideration needed to keep your pesky parents from complaining about their “precious child’s application,” I regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you a place in the Class of 2025.

The applicant pool this year was our strongest ever, likely because the university once again flooded oblivious students like you with countless alluring emails encouraging you to apply, knowing full well we had no intention of allowing you to join our exclusive club.

I realize that this message may come as a disappointment. While that is unfortunate, we do not actually care. Here at Unrealistic, we pride ourselves most on the principles of integrity and resilience, the ambition of our students, and our ever-important US News and World Report ranking. The members of our Rejections Committee specialize in condensing entire adolescent lives into four-word phrases, and the phrase you received simply did not suffice. Out of the kindness of our hearts, we would still like to extend a few nuggets of advice to aid in your future educational planning.

Unfortunately, your 4.0 GPA, 1600 SAT score and 17 AP exam aces were overpowered by the absence of a genius-level IQ or juicy check from rich parents who just might become the donors for our unnecessarily exorbitant science lab renovation.

Furthermore, your extracurricular involvement did not hold up to our standards. Despite your well-roundedness, which we openly advertised as a positive characteristic, we are actually courting child prodigies who establish prominent “spikes” through relentless, concentrated effort in a single activity. We easily recognized your cliché and disingenuous community service hours volunteering at

tentious, patronizing saviors. We also know that your junior-year research paper on “Vitamin D Receptor Gene Polymorphisms and Autoimmune Disorders” was a desperate attempt to puff up your resume. To earn the privilege of paying us outrageous sums of money and drowning in student loans, you must achieve an even greater level of excellence. Unless you are a member of the USA

Trey Phillips/The SPOKE

a nursing home, and your initiative for improving education in Ecuador from your sophomore summer failed to impress: everyone knows that only overly-wealthy, unbothered families can afford to rent third-world countries and fulfill their fantasies to rule as pre-

International Biology Olympiad team, winner of the Regeneron Science Talent Search or debuted as a concert pianist at age 7 with Yo-Yo Ma at Carnegie Hall, you can find your application at the bottom of the waste pile. It is quite simple, really: just be number one

in everything. Of course, “one” (hour) would also be the amount of sleep you realistically obtain as the price for admission, but that is not our concern in the least. After evaluating your application using these criteria and other factors, such as number of grandparents who at-tended our school, we found your life achievements to fall short of our lofty expectations.

The only positive parts of your application was its contribution towards filling our coffers through the overpriced application fee and further lowering our acceptance rate, strengthening the mirage of exclusivity we hold so dear. The unspoken truth is that we no longer look for promising young leaders with untapped potential; nay, we instead search for wellknown celebrities (read: Emma Watson) that we can flaunt to attract future stars.

We appreciate your interest in Unrealistic University and best wishes as you pursue your educational goals. See you in 25 years when you visit our campus with your teenage child, tiger-parenting them toward achieving your failed dreams of college greatness. Until then, we urge you to consider your offers f rom e qually o verpriced safety schools. Perhaps you’ll even apply here once again in four years, this time to one of our graduate programs. Fair warning, though: you still won’t get in.

Sincerely, Dean of Rejections and Financial Theft

The Spoke Editorial Board voted 13 in favor and 1 against this article.

Bimboism: Not a feminist success

Aishi Debroy

Co-Web Content Manager In a society that devalues womanhood, does embracing hyperfemininity and participating in “bimbofication” actually defeat patriarchal customs? A group of self-proclaimed teenage bimbos on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram would affirm the statement that their “glitz and glam” lifestyle is a progressive reclamation of femininity, but it is not the feminist success it claims to be.

The stereotypical bimbo is an unintelligent, conventionally-attractive woman who wears heavy makeup and dresses in an excessive amount of pink and glitter, essentially fitting the “dumb blonde” stereotype. The “new age bimbos,” however, claim to be an inclusive identity, dressing as the stereotyp-

abuse faced predominantly by these marginalized demographics.

Another major characteristic of bimboism is the ditzy manner in which they speak about social issues, a trait that is endearing to many social media users. These users praise stereotypically negative traits, like ditziness, when white women (and other gender identities) are exhibiting it, but for women of color and androgynous women, who have been historically masculinized, a ditzy image is far less endearing.

The bimbo aesthetic cannot be revolutionary when its biggest benefactors are white women, leaving behind the women of color and other marginalized groups who truly need radical Yuting Pu/The SPOKEmovements. Bimboism is an exthe movement’s emphasis on ample of white feminism, a type physical appearance as the prima- of feminism that addresses only ry tool of reclaiming femininity. the struggles of white, gender-conAlthough modern bimbos insist forming, heterosexual and cisgenthat bimbofication is about “dress- der women while failing to address ing however you want” or a “state the oppression of women of color of mind,” the overproduction of and other marginalized groups.

Nonetheless, it is still importhyperfeminine content on social media platforms leaves little space ant to address the trend of shamto interpret the movement as ful- ing women for liking feminine ly inclusive. Basically, those who activities and forcing them to do not fit the bimbo appearance adhere to the “I’m not like othcannot fully participate in its em- er girls” phenomenon, in which activism if they do not women must distance themselves www.spoke.news powering possess the clothing and makeup from feminine stereotypes, when critiquing feminist issues. required for the “look.”

Appearance and perception Bimboism also hopes to reclaim @thespoke the sexualization of the female are not the biggest obstacles in body by promoting and normaliz- the struggle for gender liberation. ing sex work, which includes pros- Although participating in bim@thespoke titution, the adult film industry, bofication and dressing in hypererotic performances, etc. Although feminine ways are not inherently it is important to destigmatize sex harmful and can be a liberating /thespoke work, a predominantly-female in- embrace of femininity, naming it dustry, it should not be promoted a “movement” is not a progressive to young, impressionable social step toward intersectional femmedia users as a tool of empow- inism. Truly inclusive feminism the_spoke erment when the sex industry is, needs to include conversations according to ACLU, oversaturated about the oppressions of many diflower-income and transgen- ferent identities (race, gender, sexhello@spoke.news with der women, who are, most often, uality, etc). We cannot continue to in the field out of necessity, not leave marginalized groups behind empowerment. For middle-class in conversations about feminism, and upper-class “bimbo move- as including different experiences ment” activists, which includes of womanhood to build a movewomen of color, to deem sex work ment is the key to addressing the “easy money” and empowering is collective experience and to interto diminish the exploitation and sectional feminism.

Yuting Pu/The SPOKE

ical bimbo while also advocating against issues like consumerism, misogyny and capitalism (that often disproportionately affect marginalized women). However, since the movement is centered around gender presentation, it does not serve those most affected by patriarchal systems: LGBTQ women, lower-income individuals, disabled individuals, gender non-comforming individuals and people of color.

Although many people find the “bimbo movement” empowering, it promotes white, attractive, often blond and traditionally feminine women as the bimbo aesthetic. The emphasis on physical appearance as a driving force to reclaim womanhood devalues those who do not possess those traits and want to participate in the movement’s activism.

What does it even mean to be a “woman”? The movement’s focus on hyperfemininity does not ameliorate many issues about womanhood: the physical boundaries of womanhood, sex work and characterization. Ending the stigma about the adult film industry and plastic surgery, some initiatives of the “bimbo movement,” do not

om students, the community

submitted to Editors-in-Chief Ananya Kulkarni Claire Miller and Allison Ferriola.

of The Spoke editorial board, not necessarily ty or advertisers. The opinions expressed in ssarily the opinion of The Spoke.

vertisements. Email hello@spoke.news.

alleviate misogynistic pressures on marginalized women.

To achieve the bimbo aesthetic is a race and class privilege, which is an issue resulting from

The Spoke is published seven times a year by School Paper Express. It consistently receives a Gold rating from PSPA and CSPA, and is a National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award-winning publication. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression

The

Staff

Editors-in-Chief: Ananya Kulkarni, Hyunjin Lee Managing Editors: Sophia Pan, Reese Wang News Editor: Zakiyah Gaziuddin T/E Life Editors: Katherine Lee, Umar Samdani Opinion Editor: Devon Rocke Sports Editor: Alexis Costas Assistant Sports Editor: Akshita Joshi Photography Editor: Hiba Samdani Multimedia Editor: Abby Carella Business Manager: Andrew Fessick Webmaster: Evan Lu Web Content Managers: Aishi Debroy, Aditi Dahagam

, Cartoonists: Leon Li, Sophia Pan, John Phillips, Yuting Pu, Charity Xu, Katherine Zhang Staff Reporters: Nishka Avunoori, Abby Bagby, Anika Basu, Jui Bhatia, Kate Emmanuel, Melissa Fan, Andrew Franceski, Julia Harris, Omkar Katkade, Brooke Kennedy, Grace Kuryan, Sally Murphy, Chanelle Ongagna, Kate Phillips, Trey Phillips, Abbie Preston, Val Pucci, Ben Reed, Tashikaa Senthilkumar, Maya Shah, Ben Shapiro, Becky Tang, Michael Tierney, Cosmo Thompson, Shreya Vaidhyanathan, Brooke Vallin, Mindy Wang, Ruijia Yang, George Zhang Faculty Advisers: Alison Ferriola, Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt, Claire Miller

From the Editor: Modern art or modern trash

Hyunjin Lee

Co-Editor-in-Chief With spring comes new art, fresh flowers and beautiful birds with their melodic chirps. This time of the year also brings “Spring Cleaning,” the perfect occasion to rid our society of the sad and laughable pieces of “art” that pose pretentiously alongside Dutch masterpieces, Van Goghs and other works of true wonder in museums around the world.

I am not a professional art critic. However, even someone with a mediocre art background like me can see the lack of value, effort and talent in these pieces of work that are being passed off as art in our modern-day society.

Have you heard about the bananadisguised-as-art that was sold for $120,000? Yes, a banana. More specifically, a banana taped to a wall with duct tape. (I find this particularly concerning, considering how a banana and some duct tape can be bought for $3 max.) Or perhaps the dead sheep floating in a formaldehyde solution that is appraised at a price of $4,412,500.

And don’t even get me started on “The blood-red mirror,” literally a rectangle of red paint by Gerhard Richter that sold for a whopping $1.1 million. My point is, none of these “highly sought after,” “acclaimed,” and popularized pieces of modern and contemporary art exude the same craftsmanship, beauty and awe that is found in so many artworks from the renaissance, impressionism and other periods. And as such, they shouldn’t be classified as art and definitely should NOT be valued at these ridiculous prices. In fact, the modern and contemporary pieces we see people swooning

over don’t even qualify as art according to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s definition.

The Stanford Encyclopedia defines art using an institutional definition coined by Arthur Danto, an influential art critic for the “Nation,” the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. A work can only be called art if and only if 1. It has a subject; 2. It projects some point of view; 3. Engages audience participation; and 4.

The work and its interpretations require historical context.

Let me break down some modern “art” and tell you why they cannot and should not be categorized by art. First, let’s take Mandy ElSayegh’s “Net-Grid.” At first glance, it looks like nothing more than a thread-bare burlap sack stretched over a canvas and then smudged with garish colors. “Net-Grid’’ already fails the first qualification of the Stanford definition. Where’s the subject? That’s right. It has none.

El-Sayegh’s “Net-Grid’’ is merely lines and smudges of paint. Next, let’s go back to the banana, the one that sold for $120,000. The work is titled “Comedian,” and rightly so, because it surely does fill me with disgust and laughter. Anyways, the duct-taped banana, created by Ital-

get out of staring at a banana on the wall? Maybe you can eat it? But at what cost? For $120,000? And lastly, the banana requires no complex context or interpretation. It is just a banana. On the wall.

I am not trying to deride the works of these modern and contemporary artists. Maybe I am not artistically knowledgeable enough to understand the beauty of a banana on a wall or rusty dripping paint on a canvas or a floating stuffed sheep. But won’t you agree with me that our society has become a bit silly, acting as if we are under a spell to admire and praise works that are more or less different junk put together in questionable ways? And have people really become so desensitized to true beauty, true art and true talent as to pay millions for paint splatters or colored pencil scribbles? Things like dripping paint and subject-less, effortless works should not be given as much admiration and attention as paintings by Dutch masters or French impressionists or cubists or renaissance artists.

Furthermore, I, or anyone really, can knock a paint can, take a rod and dip it in paint, splatter some black onto canvas, and virtually recreate works by El-Sayegh or Gerhard Richter. But could I

Leon Li/The SPOKE

ian artist Maurizio Cattelan, has a subject: the banana. But the banana falls short to pass the second, third and fourth qualities. It doesn’t project a point of view…it’s just a banana on the wall after all. It doesn’t engage audience participation – how much participation can you

recreate the “Starry Night” or “The Kiss?” Of course not.

With the advent of Spring Cleaning, we should clean our notions of what is and is not art and turn our attention back toward artworks that do matter, the ones that can take our breath away.

Quitting is not failure

Reese Wang

Co-Managing Editor American society teaches young children that the only way to face hardship is to push through. From childhood fables like “The Tortoise and the Hare,” we’re taught that with hard work, we can always beat those with talent. In box-office successes, the superhero is glamorized thanks to their refusal of reality.

Our belief that quitting is failure continues as we enter high school. From the start, we’re encouraged by our counselors and parents to participate in as many activities as possible. They encourage you to be the next “high school superhero” — someone who can single-handedly warp time to participate in everything without sacrificing sleep, friends or family. We’re told that achievement involves sacrifice and that we should lose ourselves before we ever consider — cue the horrified gasp — quitting.

There’s always a little caveat snuck into these remarks: “Later on in your high school career, you should start to narrow down what activities you participate

in.” Students are expected to recognize when this is and quit. To kids who have been taught from early childhood to not quit, this reality is hard to accept.

No adult has ever taught us how to quit or how to handle the internal shame that we’ve been told to have since childhood. I’ve only told my closest friends the specific names of activities I’ve given up on.

Every conversation I’ve had sugarcoats quitting as a small bump on the road to success. There’s no discussion on how they felt afterward or how they handled it.

Quitting isn’t failure; it’s a speed bump on the road to success that forces you to discover what’s truly important to you. It’s how you achieve the next level of success in what matters. It gives you more time to devote to other activities, as well as to caring for yourself and the people around you.

The problem will only get worse as COVID-19 drags on.

There’s more time to be part of too much. There’s more compar-

Non-staff contributions: Non-staff contributions from students, the community, graduates or other interested parties are welcome. Editors will decide which contributions are publiched based on space and relevance to the community. All contributions must conform to journalistic practices, including accuracy, timeliness, purpose and writing conventions. The Spoke reserves the right to work with the contributor to meet these standards. All outside contributions are bylined.

ison out of fear that if you don’t fully utilize your time at home, your peers will surpass you. But most of all, being isolated impacts your mental health.

Being away from peers causes a lack of motivation and the feeling of hanging on by a thread. Instead of asking for help or taking things off our plates, our fear of quitting pressures us to hang on.

Instead of having happier, less stressed students, our fear of failure motivates us to do our best to scrape by without attracting attention.

For my peers: if you think quitting is the right opSophia Pan/The SPOKE tion for you, don’t let others’ perceptions of quitting stop you.

For everyone else who’s been through this before: share your experiences. Don’t glamorize it; discuss why you quit and how you truthfully feel about the decision looking back. With more honest discussion, we can dismantle the stigma around quitting and save today’s students.

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OP/ED

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

9

Cancel culture: Mob mentality or social accountability?

Devon Rocke Opinion Editor

The public outcry against an individual, nasty rumors spreading like wildfire and personal threats being issued constantly. They did it to Taylor Swift, to Ellen DeGeneres and even cartoon characters like Pepe Le Pew. These are all characteristics of cancel culture in today’s society.

Cancel culture, or the practice of group shaming an individual, is a multi-dimensional issue that defines social media and is increasing in popularity.

So, should cancel culture be canceled? Or does it have redeeming qualities that make it useful?

The answer: both can be true.

On one hand, most cancel culture allows no room for con-

versation, no context or perspective or time for a healthy debate. People leap to conclusions and even try canceling celebrities out of boredom or as a way to gain attention.

In deciding whether cancel culture is good or bad, I turn to a jury trial as an example. In a court case, the jury hears both the prosecution and the defense before they reach a verdict, and often there is more to the story than meets the eye. Likewise, both sides of the argument should be heard before someone is canceled.

For example, a picture surfaced of Taylor Swift dressed as a Japanese geisha while touring in Japan and social media tried canceling the singer for cultural appropriation.

Around the world, people online told lies about the context of the photo and issued threats. What people didn’t know was that it was a Japanese woman who insisted on dressing Swift and doing traditional makeup to welcome her to the country. There are

countless cases such as Swift’s in which an accusation is made and the public condemns the accused before they can speak a word in their defense.

At the same time, much of

cancel culture isn’t effective in taking down individuals when accusations are valid. Back in 2019, the rapper Kanye West claimed that Black people were “cultureless” and that slavery was “a choice,” resulting in ma-

jor backlash on social media.

Many tried canceling him by criticizing his views and boycotting his music, but much of West’s audience stuck by him and continued to listen to his

music and attended his church services. There was no accountability for his actions, no learning moment, no consequences.

But there is also potential good in cancel culture, especially when it’s used to make people

more socially aware in what they say and do. In some cases, it has sparked a serious conversation about how we hold people accountable for their actions and establish new ethical norms as

When cancel culture succeeds in combating major social issues such as racism and inequality, it brings attention to issues that need it. For example, during the #MeToo movement, cancel culture helped identify and prosecute many of the men and women accused of sexual assault and harassment. In this instance, social media wasn’t a source of toxicity.

Instead, it helped remove some of the stigma associated with sexual assault and helped bring the matter into the light.

In the end, not all cancel culture is created equal.

Some is frivolous and shallow, grasping hopelessly onto evidence that simply isn’t there just to spread hate across the internet. But speaking up and speaking out can also make it a tool Katherine Zhang/The SPOKEfor good if we’re ready to society grows to embrace equal- tackle the bigger issues such as racity. We must take the mistakes ism, sexism and hate. If not, cancel of celebrities and politicians and culture is nothing but mob judguse them as an opportunity to ment that serves no real purpose. teach both them and the public At its best, social media can and right from wrong so that history should be utilized as a platform to doesn’t repeat itself. drive social accountability.

Report Card

B-

Expanded In-Person Instruction + Better sense of normalcy

- Hallways and classrooms are much more crowded

B

Daylight Savings + SUNSETS AT A NORMAL TIME!!!!

- I haven’t been able to sleep in days

C

The Grammy’s + History-making wins from Beyoncé and Taylor Swift - Clear lack of diversity and exclusion of artists who should have been nominated

New Stimulus Bill

A

+ Many will receive the money they need.

“I would say that it’s bad the way it is right now where if people make one mistake they’re not given the chance to learn from it and they’re completely cut off.”

“I think people should be held accountable, but what it has become is... bullying and hate messages”

- Ammaiza Omair,

-

freshman

STUDENTS SPEAK OUT

Will Younce, sophomore

-

Kate Emmanuel Staff Reporter

Overwhelmed, tired and frustrated: these are just a few words I have heard countless times while talking to friends about this past year. The pressure of maintaining grades, keeping up with extracurriculars and still finding time to relax is debilitating. So, what’s our perfect escape? At first glance, social media seems like a perfect contender, but can its positive effects outweigh the negatives?

Distance learning has amplified stress to the point where our mental health is deteriorating, our attention spans are shortening and our motivation to finish schoolwork is borderline non-existent.

Attending online school has taken a large toll on our minds and bodies, so how can we even consider adding more screen time like social media into the picture?

Over the past few years, social media has generally gotten a bad rap among adults and has only worsened since then. From

“For me personally, I think there’s definitely an issue with people being canceled over minor things and I think they do get out of hand sometimes, but I think the main issue is people using cancel culture as an excuse to not hold people accountable”

d

senior

Social Media

Sophia Pan and Ananya Kulkarni

Co-Managing Editor and Co-Editorin-Chief As upperclassmen this year, we missed critical moments we would have otherwise shared with friends. Ever since we were sophomores, we have had elaborate plans to celebrate milestones such as college acceptances (and rejections — our rejection party was to be a highlight), prom, graduations and more that we’ve spent alone in our rooms instead.

In the age of quarantine, when we are isolated in our homes like fish in a fishtank watching the world pass us by, our phones have been our lifelines, connecting us to friends near and far.

Social media has long been blamed for excessive screen time; wasted minutes that could have been spent doing something more productive; and, most importantly, increased time alone, isolated from friends.

As time has passed in the pandemic, we continue to hear these

A

+ Interesting base plot and good representation of a Southeast Asian princess

- Ryann Nieberle,

after my first class of the day turned into a good time to eat. Rather than reading for half an hour before bed every night, using my phone became an adequate substitute.

I noticed myself depending on social media more and more throughout the day, like an unhealthy routine to replace the ones I had before COVID-19.

This went on for about a week before I was grounded by my parents, and to be honest, I’m thankful for that in hindsight.

Now my bedroom is a completely screen-free zone, and my family restricts all screens after 9 p.m.

Personally, I’ve always been an early bird, waking up at 7 a.m. even on weekends.

Although limiting my social media usage has not helped me sleep in longer, one effect I have noticed is that the quality of my sleep has improved. I used to wake up groggy and tired, and by noon, I would be in dire need of a power nap. Now, I feel energized throughout Charity Xu/The SPOKE the day, and I attribute it interaction, so there was nothing to how much less I use social meto worry about. It started off as dia and screens in general. harmless: a few extra minutes after Take a look at your phone homework, a few extra minutes and check how much social before bed, but minutes turned media is eating away at your into hours and suddenly, the after- time. During this pandemic, noon would be the dead of night. one idea we have emphasized Subsequently, my distinct time and time again is social routines throughout the day distancing, so let’s try a new began to fall apart. Instead of type of distancing: taking having breakfast before school, some space from social media.

TikTok and Instagram to Snapchat and YouTube, today’s high schoolers are using social media more than ever before, and concerns from our parents about overuse are especially relevant.

According to the Children’s Hospital of Chicago, 63% of parents say teens’ social media use has increased during the pandemic. Spanning from depression to eyestrain, social media has overall been detrimental to both mental and physical health in teens.

At the beginning of the pandemic, I told myself that social media was just replacing face-to-face

+ A lot of time for reflection and growth

Raya and the Last Dragon

Daniel Gergeus, junior

Point: Why it’s detrimental

One Year of Quarantine

- The unfortunate deaths as a result of COVID-19 as well as little to no social interaction

Q: What are your thoughts on cancel culture?

“I think that cancel culture in theory and on paper... could be a positive thing that stems from this idea of wanting to hold people accountable for their mistakes, which I think is a good thing. But then I feel like there’s this huge issue with its intention and I don’t think it comes from a place of wanting to encourage growth or improvement.”

- Increased national debt

- There was so much more room for character growth

Counter: Why it’s necessary

same concerns wielded against social media. But newsflash: we have now been quarantined for over a year. If not for commitment posts, updates from sports teams, students sharing old memories with friends, photos of socially distanced versions of events, the only time spent with friends would be in a sea of gray initials as we attend eight consecutive hours of TEAMS classes each day.

Social media offers us an escape in a time where we are literally tied to the same spot we’ve been in all year. Even beyond the posts shared with friends, it allows us to connect with entire communities we would never have otherwise engaged with; run voter registration drives for young people who would not have otherwise voted in 2020; and even hear and share stories during the holidays, culturally significant months and more. During our time in this pandemic, social media has always been a means through which we can spark conversation. Things our immigrant parents and us would never have discussed, such as mental health and too much pressure surrounding college, would not have come up if not for that one hilarious brown girl on TikTok sharing her relatable experience of checking her grades after a particularly bad test.

Too much screen time is a bigger problem this year than it ever has been, but taking away our escape and our friends is

not how to go about it. If screen time is the issue, it’s because we spend hours toiling before our computer screens for mandatory meetings and classes and the like, not because we want to talk to our friends.

Social media is a tool of connection at a time where everything that there is to being human has been taken from us. As with any tool, it can be misused, but everything is harmful in excess. Regulating your own use of social media is a boundary you have to learn to set, especially when it becomes necessary as a part of the job you pursue in the future.

ing that fact has been enough to keep us in check throughout our time in high school without anyone enforcing a limit upon us.

Concerns about social media use are as old as social media itself, but they are and always have been overblown. The solution to too much of anything is never to eliminate it completely, and that is especially true in the case of social media. Of course, there are valid criticisms of social media, but those are issues that can be combated with proper moderation.

For example, arguments about social media being addictive have some merit, but part of that is just knowing and setting up healthy boundaries. Even so, is a social media “addiction” really so terrible? When we use social media, it is to connect to friends we would not otherwise have or talk to. We certainly wouldn’t call craving human interaction a negative, especially in quarantine, when there truly is no Sophia Pan/The SPOKEother alternative.

Our world’s connection to Social media simply does technology grows with each day. far too much good to warrant Understanding how to use social total elimination from people’s media both productively and rec- — and in particular, teens’ — reationally are essential skills that everyday lives. No matter how will be lost to those who restrict big the concerns about too their screen times based on arbi- much screen time and addictrary rules and outdated concerns tion and mental health are, the about its addictive nature. We all solution is not to steal away know algorithms target us to keep the only avenue of human conus on these apps, but simply know- nection we have this year.

Sophia Pan/The SPOKE

Sports

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Primetime Pros: Students at ’Stoga launch sports podcast Akshita Joshi

Assistant Sports Editor

Courtesy Linc Zdancewicz

Team Leader: Junior and Union League Good Citizen award winner Linc Zdancewicz poses wearing a hockey jacket. Zdancewicz was nominated for the award by his coach Ross Hyatt for his leadership and sportsmanship.

Junior wins Union League Good Citizenship Award Alexis Costas Sports Editor

Last week, junior Linc Zdancewicz was selected as a recipient of the Good Citizen’s Day Honor, awarded annually by the Philadelphia Union League Legacy Foundation (PULLF) and the Interscholastic Hockey League (ICSHL). One of six high school hockey players to be chosen this year, Zdancewicz received the award in recognition of his athletic ability, sportsmanship and leadership as a member of both the Conestoga varsity and junior varsity boys’ ice hockey teams.

Zdancewicz has been a passionate ice hockey player since middle school, but began playing for Conestoga in his sophomore year. This year, he played on both boys’ ice hockey teams and sought out leadership opportunites when possible, hoping to improve not only the teams’ performances, but their player bonds as well. When he was promoted to junior varsity captain by his coach, Ross Hyatt, Zdancewicz felt he was truly able to help cultivate and promote a positive and fun team environment.

“We had a great group of guys on the junior varsity squad, and we all bonded really well, but I can’t take credit for that, that’s collective with the whole team. I try to create a good locker room culture and a good team attitude but really, I just try to lead by example. That’s what I hope people on the team see from me,” Zdancewicz said.

As an award recipient, Zdancewicz will attend a conference with other Good

10

Citizen award winners from the Greater Philadelphia area for a formal recognition ceremony. There, the winners will participate in a facilitated program and discuss topics such as the rights and responsibilities of citizens, what it means to be a good citizen and current constitutional issues.

According to the ICSHL, the purpose of the award is to both congratulate athletes on their good citizenship and encourage them to stay active and engaged in their communities. Zdancewicz strongly believes in these values, and is grateful to the ICSHL, PULLF and to his coach for nominating him in the first place.

“Coach Ross is awesome, and when he told me he nominated me for this I was pretty excited. He told me he thought I would really excel with it, and I don’t want to disagree with him because I really am interested in what I’m going to be doing (at the conference). I can’t wait to attend but really, it’s all thanks to (Hyatt). He’s the one who saw something in me and what I was doing with the team,” Zdancewicz said.

Zdancewicz is eager to return to the team next year and though he may be the one receiving the award, he considers himself to be a representative for his entire team and the positive energy they played with.

“I can’t take too much credit,” Zdancewicz said, “I do feel like I bonded with my teammates very well, and I helped the team bond with each other.

I’m honored to have been chosen for this. But it was a great squad. I was friendly with everybody, but we all worked hard and bonded. It wasn’t just me.”

The sports world ground to a halt last year with the NHL and NBA suspending their seasons, March Madness being cancelled, and the MLB delaying the start date of their season indefinitely. In reponse to the lack of live sports, ’Stoga students took the opportunity to form the pillars of their own sports podcast, Primetime Pros, which they have finally launched this February.

Freshmen Omkar Katkade and Lohith Kola are the original founders of the podcast. This season, they discuss football, basketball, soccer and baseball, though they aim to cover more topics throughout different sports seasons. Kola first found inspiration to start the podcast when watching “The Pat McAfee Show,” when he realized he wanted to collaborate with his friends.

“We all love watching sports and are interested in sports media, so I wanted to bring my friends to this,” Kola said. We all knew each other very well beforehand, and I think our podcast is successful because of our friendship that I hope we can build through the podcast overtime.”

Later, freshmen Aidan Gowadia and Soham Chavan joined the mix after Kola reached out. Gowadia brings knowledge about baseball to the table, learned from his years of playing the sport, while Chavan offers

experience from his personal soccer journey.

“I can really tie my experience with baseball into the podcast because I could talk about current news with baseball and talk about how I feel about (it) from a baseball player’s mind,” Gowadia said.

Freshman Mohit Manna and sophomore Sohan Bhattacharyya joined the podcast shortly after it was formed as well. Manna contributes his knowledge of football to the podcast, while Bhattacharyya offers experience with soccer along with helping the team with its social media coverage.

“We started this podcast as a way to foster our interest in sport in a new way posts.. We started this to help us improve on our communication skills as well as a way to reach a large sports audience and I am able to promote the podcast with the social media aspect,” Bhattacharyya said.

The podcasters have a well-developed system to help the podcast run smoothly. On Mondays, they write down popular sports topics for the week. Then, each member votes on five topics for each sport.

The following Wednesday, they have a call and discussion that is recorded on the chat app Discord and then edited on Thursday night

by Kola. It is then uploaded to YouTube, and Bhattacharyya works on publicizing the episode on Instagram and other social media.

“While obviously it is a lengthy process, it is well worth it to make sure we produce our

Courtesy Lohith Kola

Making adjustments: Freshman Lohith Kola sits at the computer to edit the podcast recording before posting to YouTube. Primetime Pros released the first two episodes of their podcast this month. best possible content as a team,” Along with technical is- sodes so far with the first beBhattacharyya said. sues, the team also runs into ing released February 20th.

However, this system doesn’t additional issues with logistics They continue to cover sports always work seamlessly for the and scheduling conflicts. such as baseball, football, socgroup, and they do run into prob“Ironically, the most dif- cer, basketball and other relems throughout the process. ficult aspect of the podcast is portable sports news.

With COVID-19, technology is communication and quality.

“We just want our podcast the main asset for the team but It is sometimes hard to make to be known to people and also sometimes the largest issue. sure we have a recording time I want the people to actual“I think the most common issue that works for everyone,” ly learn about these sports,” we have is technological problems, Bhattacharya said.

Chavan said. “Sports is a very like audio quality. We are currentDespite these issues, big thing in our world right ly trying to fix our audio situation. Primetime Pros has been suc- now so I’m just hoping in the We plan to switch to the app Zoom cessful in the start of their future our podcast helps peofrom the app Discord,” Manna said. journey with a total of 2 epi- ple learn more about sports.”

Ending the drought: Girls' varsity ice hockey makes playoffs

Courtesy Stoga Girls’ Varsity Ice Hockey Team

Nice on the ice: The senior players of the girls’ varsity ice hockey team pose after their senior night victory.The team defeated Lower Merion 5-2, and will compete in the upcoming playoffs on March 29.

George Zhang Staff Reporter

After more than three years of not playing in the postseason, the Conestoga girls’ varsity ice hockey team clinched the playoffs and secured the fifth seed.

The team started out the season with members who had mixed experience in hockey. Some have already decided to play in college while others have just started skating this year. However, according to head coach Tony Parisi, the team was able to

capitalize on the season starting late due to COVID-19 and developed tremendously.

“The season was postponed, and we really took advantage of that to get as much practice in as we could. And what we found is that everybody worked incredibly hard,

and diligently. And we ended up with some new players who were able to contribute very soon.

Particularly (freshman) AbbPancoast, who had never skated, and now is one of our forwards.

So we really took advantage of the time to just develop, be together, appreciate being a part of

a team, and it’s really paid off,” Parisi said.

The team has also faced many challenges during the season.

For Parisi, the biggest challenge was team management but the team was able to overcome it.

“I think (the biggest challenge this season) is having so many new players, and having different levels of talent. And these young women have been fantastic in terms of the more experienced players leading the newer players. It’s a lot to handle, making sure everybody knows that they’re valued and that we’re invested in everybody being a part of the team and developing and having fun. And thanks to our leadership, especially our seniors, it’s been a real success,” Parisi said.

The team plans on playing West Chester East High School in the first round on March 29.

Senior team captain Ellie Williams is looking forward to the playoffs and hopes they can make it past the second round “I am really excited for this year’s playoffs. We have been working really hard as a team and becoming much better players. I think that playing in a more competitive atmosphere will help our team grow,” Williams said. “I really hope to see everyone try their very best and I hope we can make it past the second round. It would be really exciting to see Stoga have a playoff win and I think if we play our hardest, we can win.”

Pushing through COVID-19 restrictions: Sophomore wrestler makes regionals

Courtesy Travis Allred

Final Results: Sophomore Jake Allred stands on the podium after the 2020 Central League Tournament for wrestling. He won first place for his weight group. Since then, there have been many more safety restrictions placed on the sport due to the pandemic

Julia Harris

Staff Reporter To sophomore Jake Allred, being an active wrestler doesn’t just mean physically getting stronger. Wrestling helps Allred achieve the skills he deems necessary to thrive

in the other important aspects of his life, from academics to preparing for the future.

“I think (wrestling) is the sport that gives you the most skills outside of athletics,” Allred said. “The work you put in not only physically but mentally prepares you for the world outside of athletics.”

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the number of players able to compete were limited, especially in the postseason.

The coaches were only allowed to choose eight wrestlers. From there, the top four players moved on to regionals. Allred was able to push through these obstacles and

become the only sophomore who made it to regionals this year.

Allred currently is in the highest weight class out of the Conestoga team, and the physical dominance that comes with that was crucial in helping him push forward to regionals. Overall, much of his wrestling talent is natural, and the practice is supplementary to help him reach his goals. Playing other sports, like football, also enhances his wrestling ability.

“Jake is one of the best wrestling talents to come through Conestoga,” Allred’s wrestling partner, senior Nico Arbes said. “He has many strengths as a wrestler, but his greatest is the amount of power he puts into his moves. He has the ability to physically overpower all his opponents, which makes him dominant.”

Another thing that makes Allred an exemplary wrestler is his drive and competitiveness. His excitement about the sport helps him get better every practice.

“I love practicing with Jake because he is a true competitor,” Arbes said. “He leaves it all on the mat when we wrestle, and he is constantly trying to improve his skill set. The passion he has for the sport makes practice a great time for improvement.”

To become the best wrestler he could be, Allred started by focusing on improving his personal skills since he couldn’t be with his team.

Throughout the extended offseason, Allred found ways to continue practicing and getting stronger. He got a wrestling mat in his garage and would spend hours working on technique. He would also invite friends over to practice with him. Considering this year’s difficulties

of practicing as a team, individual training was extremely beneficial.

“Wrestling is pretty much the most physical sport so things have been very different,” Allred said. “The struggle of wearing a mask while wrestling is very real and uncomfortable. For the practices we were limited to the amount of people in a room, so we were split and coaches had to split their time with two different groups.”

Even if the confidence sometimes needs to be exaggerated, Allred mentioned that one of the most important parts of wrestling is projecting a feeling of being self-assured and assertive. To him, it is all about the mindset.

“Being physically strong is always helpful, but I think a lot of it is being confident in yourself and your abilities and just going out there with a mindset where you want to win,” Allred said.

Sports

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

11

Sports in skirts: An assessment of professional women’s athletics Alexis Costas Sports Editor

“I won’t say that women belong in the kitchen, but they don’t belong in the dugout,” said New York Mets broadcaster Keith Hernandez after seeing a female training staff member for the San Diego Padres congratulate a player on his home run.

Though that comment was made in 2006, it reflects a sentiment that is still very much

alive in the world of professional sports today. Many female athletes struggle to gain popularity and when they do, respect often does not follow.

Women have participated in organized athletics leagues since the times of the ancient Greeks, but in the modern era, television channels are dominated by the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB — organizations of all-male players competing in male-dominated sports.

It’s not like there aren’t any women interested in playing these sports professionally; the issue is that their presence in male-dominated sports is always an afterthought. On Feb. 16, the ESPN posted a graphic to their social media featuring who they believed to be the 20 greatest athletes of all time (GOAT’s). After receiving immediate backlash for failing to include a single woman, they reposted the graphic with a barely-visible image of Serena

Williams, but fans and athletes alike continued to voice their outrage towards the clear overlooking of other worthy female candidates. Though many of these complaints demanded some sort of response from ESPN, they have remained silent on the matter.

Even the first American pro-women’s league, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), was founded in 1943 not as a push for equality, but as a desperate re-

Alexis Costas / The SPOKE

placement made by TV and radio channels after many male players enlisted or were drafted to fight in World War II. The league attracted a respectable amount of viewers for the time period, often falling just short of a million watchers, but the aftermath of the war led to the league’s disbanding a few years later. Unfortunately, it seems that without a war quite literally forcing people to watch women’s sports, there is little public support.

Many are quick to compare athlete salaries as the major issue of sexism within professional leagues, especially between NBA and WNBA teams. A frequent comparison made is that of Sue Bird and LeBron James: though both athletes played on professional teams for 17 seasons and secured four league championship titles, Bird’s yearly salary was $215,000, while James’ was $37.4 million dollars. However, the difference in salary itself is not sexist.

It’s based on audience viewership, which is influenced by sexism.

Many men simply aren’t interested in watching female athletes compete, and a 2009 study by economist Mark J. Perry found that of all basketball-related media coverage that year, only 22.2% promoted the WNBA. Long-standing gender roles and biases have led to the overshadowing of women in most major-league sports, regardless of talent or accomplishments.

“But there are female-dominated professional sports, too,” one might argue, and that statement would be correct. The biggest names in professional tennis, gymnastics and figure skating are women: Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles and Meryl Davis are all iconic athletes whose skill and success are undeniable.

However, upon closer inspection, it becomes evident that even their stardom cannot protect them from the constant scrutiny and sexualization many female athletes suffer. Biles, frustrated with the media’s coverage of her after

her gold medal victory during the 2016 Summer Olympics, declared in an interview: “I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps.

I’m the first Simone Biles.” Being compared to famous male athletes and being called “manly” in general are remarks female athletes have to deal with far too often, and if they aren’t being declared “unfeminine,” they’re usually being sexualized instead.

Despite their obvious inconvenience, skirts are commonly staples of women’s sports uniforms and were previously required by many leagues. Today, the clothing is an expectation and for many women, it can feel like there are only two options: swap the skirt and get ridiculed or called manly, or wear the skirt and subject themselves to unwanted sexual advances and remarks.

Last February, LPGA Tour Champion Michelle Wie West was subjected to such comments by former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani when he appeared on Steve Bannon’s radio show. On air, Giuliani recalled a round of golf he played with the late Rush Limbaugh and with Wie West. Rather than discuss Wie West’s ability as an athlete, he decided to focus on her golfing stance and the fact that when she hits the ball, “she bends all the way over and her panties show, and the press goes crazy.” The fact that Wie West had previously stated multiple times that the “panties” in question were actually part of the skort she wore to avoid sexist remarks like these makes the commentary even more insulting.

Clearly, navigating the world of professional athletics as a woman is not the same experience a man playing the same sport would have. Regardless of fame and skill, it’s an uphill battle- and yet, women keep competing. Despite the crude remarks and

HIGHLIGHT REEL The

latest developments in sports. plunges

After placing 1st and 2nd at the District 1 Championship respecticely, the girls’ and boys’ swim/ dive teams advanced to the PIAA state championship, where they placed 10th and 7th overall. hoops

After an incredible season, the boys’ basketball team lost a tough playoff match against North Penn on March 9. The teams were neck and neck for the entire game, with a final score of 52-45. plays

Following PIAA and CCHD recommendations, the CHS Athletics Department has greenlit the 2021 spring sports season to commence. Mask requirements, social distancing and spectator limits from previous seasons remain in place. bets

The 2021 NCAA March Madness tournament is now underway, with 68 teams competing.

Following the competition’s cancellation in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many fans are eager to compare brackets and watch their favorite teams compete. scoffs, female leagues have been staying active, with the WNBA prepared to mark its 25th anniversary next year. It’s clear that female athletes aren’t waving any white flags in the near future, so as National Women’s Month comes to a close, consider taking the time to recognize female athletes, not only for their skill, but for the resilience it takes them to compete in the first place.

Climbing the ranks: Freshman diver breaks swim team records Hiba Samdani

Photography Editor After suffering a back injury at the end of last swimming season, freshman diver Grace Gallagher lost the confidence she used to feel on the diving board. However, after continuous practice, Gallagher regained her confidence and broke the diving records at Conestoga despite being an underclassman.

Not only did Gallagher break the Conestoga record, but later in the season she was able to beat her own record. At the Radnor meet on Feb. 5, Gallagher came in first place with a score of 266.80, surpassing Suzy Ryder’s over-two-decade-old record of 248.95, set in 1998.

The following week, in a meet against Lower Merion, Gallagher came in second place, beating her own record again with a score of 285.95.

“I actually was really close (to first place). I got second place at that meet. But it was behind a senior that also (does club diving), so I was pretty proud of myself about that,” Gallagher said.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the meet was live streamed for family and friends to watch safely from home. Megan Hillier, the girls and boys diving coach, recalls the excitement she felt after calculating Gallagher’s final score.

“I went crazy,” Hillier said.”I knew she was going to blow it out of the water and so when she finally (finished diving), he mom was calculating scores at home and I

was calculating scores in my head. What’s so special for me was that I actually dove at Conestoga and Grace beat my teammates’ record - Suzy Ryder. So to watch one of my divers be a teammates record from Conestoga was pretty special.”

At the District Tournament on Feb. 26, Gallagher came in 5th place in the 1 meter diving event. Hillier is confident she would have moved onto the state level if there were no COVID-19 restrictions.

“They only took the top diver at districts. They normally take the top 8 divers.

She dove beautifully but if they were to take the normal amount, she would be diving at states this weekend. So, it’s a little bittersweet but we’re gonna next year set the bar high,” Hillier said.

Gallagher began diving in fifth grade after her father urged her to pursue an interest in a sport other than gymnastics. Due to the similarities between the sports, Gallagher chose to give diving a try and fell in love with it instantly.

She initially joined Waynesborough Country Club but later transferred over to the West Chester Diving Club, where she has been practicing ever since.

Before COVID-19, she would practice every day with her club teammates except Fridays.

“It seems that she has a really good work ethic,” Robert Kirkby, the girls swim and dive head coach, said.

“I have a history of coaching this team for over 30 years, so I’ve seen good divers come and go. Grace is a very nice, young ninth grad-

er who came in, and I guess she doesn’t see the weight of it like I would because it’s really an incredible accomplishment to break a record that’s 23 years old.”

Gallagher attributes much of her accomplishment to her diving club because her teammates and coach create a supportive and motivating atmosphere. After her hiatus due to her back injury, she now recognizes Tom Gallagher, her coach at the West Chester Diving Club, as her biggest inspiration because he helped her overcome her mental block. In addition, Tom Gallagher maintains regular contact with Hillier to continue training Grace Gallagher despite the pandemic.

“He just kept making me do basics, which are front dives and back dives and stuff, and he led me to get to bigger dives again,” Grace Gallagher said. “He kept pushing me and didn’t just leave me behind and let all my other teammates go up.”

After her excellent diving performances this winter, Grace Gallagher looks to continue practicing in the offseason and her coaches look forward to continuing working with her throughout the rest of her high school career.

“I’m looking forward to having her on the team for the next three years,” Kirkby said. “(Diving) is a pretty grueling sport, and it takes a lot of guts. (Grace) just has an incredible amount of talent, and being a ninth grader, to be able to compete at that level, I think that’s really pretty incredible.”

Courtesy Grace Gallagher

Making a splash: Freshman Grace Gallagher performs a dive at one of her swim meets. Recently, Gallagher broke the Girls Swim and Dive score record, last set in 1998.

SPORTS

The SPOKE

Commitment Corner Page 10

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Opinion: Women in pro sports Page 11

Sophomore wrestler advances to regionals Page 10

Freshman diver breaks school records Page 11

Michael Tierney/The SPOKE

Back on the court: Junior Aidan Carew follows through on his successful three-pointer in ’Stoga’s 60-40 victory over Strath Haven on Tuesday, March 2. This blowout win was part of their four-game win streak following the team’s quarantine, and earned them a trip to the Central League finals.

BOYS BASKETBALL RETURNS TO COURT AFTER QUARANTINE Michael Tierney and George Zhang Staff Reporters

Despite being quarantined for two weeks, the ’Stoga varsity boys’ basketball team still managed to make it all the way to the Central League Championship.

The team took advantage of their two-week hiatus and organized daily virtual workouts from their homes to keep them in shape and ready to return to the court.

After a player on Upper Darby tested positive for COVID-19 after the squad played them, the Conestoga players were forced to quarantine from Friday, February 5 to Friday, February 19. They needed to stay in shape for their return, so head coach Mike Troy organized a virtual workout plan for the players over the quarantine. The workouts were throughout the quarantine period daily at

7p.m., lasted for 45 minutes and were mostly composed of HIIT (high intensity interval training) exercises focused on the core and legs. Although these workouts were effective, junior Aidan Carew and the team just wanted to get back on the court.

“Everyone wanted to be in the gym playing actual basketball, and it was frustrating that we weren’t playing together and working on our game as a team, but it was good that we did the workouts because it kept us in shape and kept the team talking with each other even when we were separated,” Carew said.

The virtual Zoom workouts got the players sweating and, in some cases, were more difficult than the team’s regular practice drills in the school’s large gym.

Senior Michael Ippoliti noted the key differences.

“Compared to normal practice, there were more physically restraining exercises. When you’re on the court, you’re mostly just running and not really doing anything that involves muscle tension, so I would say that the workouts were harder most times,” Ippoliti said.

The players on the team lobbied for virtual workouts after Troy asked what they wanted to do during the quarantine. They decided virtual workouts were the best idea, as it kept them in shape over the two-week hiatus.

“We all knew we had a goal of wanting to be in the Central League Championship game, which we were able to achieve,” Troy said, “but we have to make sure we stayed in shape for those two weeks. We also wanted to have a sense of togetherness, as a team and as a family, as those two

weeks happened because we were used to seeing each other every day for practice or games.”

Troy also helped boost team morale by holding trivia contests at the end of the workouts. This gave the players a fun incentive and the winners received $10 Wawa gift cards.

The COVID-19 curveball thrown the team’s way was frustrating because the players wanted to be in the gym playing basketball, but they didn’t let this obstacle hinder their success, according to Troy.

“Challenges get thrown in front of you, and it’s not the challenge that matters. It’s how you solve it that matters, and that’s part of the growth experience,” Troy said.

Since coming out of quarantine, the team has gone 4-1, has gone all the way to the Central

League Championship and has locked up a spot in districts.

The workouts helped with team bonding, physical strength and led into their hot streak of victories. Ippoliti has an optimistic outlook on the team.

“It’s (the season’s) been going really well. I feel like this is definitely one of the best basketball teams we’ve had in a long time, and I think we’re going to go really far in the playoffs.”

Unfortunately, the team was knocked out in the first round of districts by North Penn on March 9. This officially ends the boys’ season and we wish the best to all the seniors graduating from the team this year. Despite the early exit, the future is bright for the squad, as they have a handful of juniors returning and several talented players who will rise up from JV for next season.

Girls hit the gym: Juniors find love for weightlifting Brooke Vallin Staff Reporter

There has always been a stigma surrounding girls lifting. The notion that gyms are only for guys to use and that girls should not lift to avoid being bulky has been ingrained into our society.

However in recent years, lifting has become a more normalized workout for girls and women of all ages. Many girls have begun lifting, primarily at the Upper Main Line YMCA. Over quarantine, junior Sofia Montaner had a lot more time to start focusing on herself, and on her physical health. She started off with a lot of cardio and core exercises since the gyms were closed. This is when the interest to lift started for Montaner.

“I was doing YouTube videos, and then when the gyms reopened, I just started going,” Montaner said.

When Montaner started lifting in the fall, the beginning was rocky.

“It was definitely difficult starting out because there’s so much stuff and you feel like people are looking at you. And then it’s mostly guys, and you just feel like people are going to judge you,but you really try to figure it out,” Montaner said. So I think getting started was hard, but once you get the swing of things, it was so much easier.

Montaner got started with using the weight machines, such as the hip abductor. Once she felt comfortable, she turned to the free weights, and watched videos to find out what she could do with them.

She now goes to the gym on different days to work on different muscle groups. Through watching videos, and listening to her body, Montaner has achieved good form.

“Everyone’s built a little bit different, so I just did what was comfortable for me, and I made my own tweaks,” Montaner said.

Montaner’s sister and fellow junior, Olivia Oropesa began

going to the gym to lift because of Montaner. For her, it was difficult to not jump right into lifting heavy; instead, Oropesa paced herself, working her way up and focusing on form to avoid injuries.

For both girls, lifting has been extremely rewarding. They have a lot of control over their lifting routines, which makes it easier to achieve their goals. Being able to visibly see their progress is something that keeps drawing both of them back.

“It’s a really big stress relief, and it’s just something that’s consistent; and it makes you feel better,” Oropesa said.

Despite all of their positives surrounding weightlifting, Montaner and Oropesa have definitely experienced some of the effects from the stigmas about girls lifting. They have received a lot of snarky comments and surprised stares, since they started lifting.

“It’s a lot harder to be in the environment. I feel like people definitely stare a lot more, and

they definitely judge you, being like, ‘You’re not doing it right,’” Oropesa said.

Throughout the months since they both started going to the gym to lift, they have seen a lot more girls coming in and trying out lifting. Montaner often tries to offer help to girls in need with less experience, because she has been in their shoes.

“It is scary going in and not knowing anything with all these big men and they all know what they’re doing,” Montaner said.

Although they are seeing a lot of girls start to lift, Montaner and Oropesa wish more knew about all of the great benefits that lifting has to both your physical and mental health, and the results that they would see.

“It helps me stay in the present and it’s something to look forward to every day,” Montaner said. “It’s a really good outlet, so if you have stuff you want to get out, it’s a healthy way to get that out.”

Courtesy Sofia Montaner

Lockdown lifting: Junior Sofia Montaner works out using a squat rack at the Upper Main Line Y. Montaner discovered her love for lifting in the fall, inspired to focus on her physical health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

SCORELINE

scores as of 3/21

B Basketball

G Basketball

B Ice Hockey

G Ice Hockey

B Swimming

G Swimming

Wrestling

W

5

6

5

3

5

5

4

L

2

7

5

6

0

0

2

T

0

0

0

0

0

0

0