The Spoke March 2018

Watching the Grass Grow Medical marijuana dispensary reopens its doors

ʼStoga Parent Wins XPRIZE Competition

See page 2.

See page 4.

THE Conestoga High School, Berwyn PA

Volume 68 No. 5

March 20, 2018

Spoke.news

Instagram video ignites race-based controversy Betty Ben Dor

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Audrey Kim and Eric Xue/The SPOKE

Orange and proud: Freshman Lena Pothier, sophomore James P. Infortuna, junior Thomas Simmons and senior Grace Lanouette deliver speeches for National School Walkout.

‘WE REFUSE TO BE SILENT’ School community responds to Parkland

By Elizabeth Billman, Audrey Kim & Eric Xue Co-Web Editor, Opinion Editor & Co-Editor-in-Chief

W

e have voices — whether we are pro-gun regulations or anti-gun regulations, Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, we have voices,” shouted senior Grace Lanouette to a crowd of students gathered in the large courtyard. “And today we are using them.”

At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14, approximately 1,100 students and faculty monitors gathered in the courtyard

for the National School Walkout. Students organizers asked those who attended to wear orange to represent a future without gun violence, and handed out orange ribbons and stickers during the event. Seventeen minutes of silence for seventeen victims of the Parkland school shooting marked the beginning and end of the walkout, as representatives from all four grades were chosen to deliver speeches.

At the same time, they joined hundreds of thousands of students across the country in a nationwide movement against gun violence. According to organizing member and senior Arshad Shaik, the purpose of the walkout was to honor victims of school shootings, stimulate conversation about school safety and encourage students to vote.

The walkout, which was organized by a group of 14 students, was in response to the school shooting at Parkland, Florida, when Nikolas Cruz, a former student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, entered school grounds and killed 17 students and staff, injuring 14 others.

Although the issue of gun control is disputed across party lines, organizers strived to make the event bipartisan according to Shaik.

“We’ve had enough with these school shootings and these things that are going wrong with the country, so we wanted to make a change in what we see day to day,” Shaik said. “We understand that there are going to be conservative people and there’s liberal people and there’s people in the middle.

We wanted to have a message

that everyone can get behind, and that’s school safety.”

Speakers addressed the need for change regarding school shootings and the importance of voting to represent their views in Congress.

Junior Thomas Simmons, who spoke at the event, believes Parkland to be “the last straw” in a row of school shootings.

“Although (Parkland) isn’t any more tragic than the other school shootings, I feel like everyone just saw Parkland as something that has gone on for too long,” Simmons said. “We (are) very contentious politically, but this (issue) is something that we need to focus on now. Young people can make a difference and that’s what we should do.” continued on page 3

In a video posted to a private Instagram account on Tuesday, March 6, two Conestoga High School students used a racial slur. After one of their followers shared the video publicly, the story gained national attention, reaching over 2.6 million views on Twitter.

African American Student Union (AASU) president Heather Gray-Vause said that when she saw the video, she was confused at first, and then angry.

“Just the ignorance, the tone, the toleration, the culture of it, like at this point we shouldn’t still be experiencing racism in 2018 in a school like this that is so high up in ratings,” Gray-Vause said.

One of the students in the video is junior Charlotte de Vries, who issued a public apology statement to The Spoke in which she said that she is “deeply ashamed for using racist language.”

“I realize that such words are offensive, uncalled for and, regardless of the situation, I should have known better. I have begun to have conversations about how to move forward, and how to develop better sensitivity and understanding of the experiences and feelings of others,” said de Vries in the statement.

“This has been a painful lesson for me. I had no right hurting people. I truly hope that my thoughtlessness is a lesson for others, as it has been for me, that words do matter and that they can be hurtful.”

In response to the video, Tredyffrin-Easttown School District (TESD) Superintendent Dr. Richard Gusick sent out a statement to district families condemning the use of racist language.

“Although this video was not made during school, it has hurt and offended many in our school community.

This is unacceptable behavior, and it will not be tolerated,” said Gusick in his statement.

“The school will investigate fully and apply consequences as appropriate. T/E School District will continue to stand

for respect and inclusion, with schools where all are welcomed to learn and grow.”

George Washington University Law School Professor Catherine Ross, who specializes in constitutional law with an emphasis on the First Amendment, said that any disciplinary action that TESD may take against the two students in the video would be unlawful. Author of “Lessons in Censorship: How Schools and Courts Subvert Students’ First Amendment Rights,” Ross said that the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, whose jurisdiction applies to Pennsylvania, has made it clear that off-campus speech can not be regulated by the school so long as it does not substantially interfere with the educational process.

“The school does not have the authority to discipline (the students in the video) for this off-campus speech. Many people would argue that use of the “n” word as a freestanding thing, not addressed to a particular person with the intent of harassing them, is also protected speech,” Ross said. “There is a big difference between using the coercive power of the state to punish someone — and punishment is censorship — and saying here is an episode that we need to take advantage of as a teaching moment for our population.”

Although information regarding disciplinary action is confidential, other consequences from the video have made headlines across the country.

De Vries drew widespread criticism on social media in light of her commitment to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for field hockey. When contacted by The Spoke, the university sent a statement in which they said that the video does not include a UNC student and that the university condemns the use of racial slurs. The incident has been reported by the university’s newspaper and has led current students and alumni, such as famous basketball player Nate Britt, to tweet their disdain for having de Vries come to their school. continued on page 2

DECA members advance to nationals Reagan Gerrity Staff Reporter

The Conestoga chapter of DECA has grown significantly in the past year, increasing in number from 25 to 86 members. The club recently participated in a state competition on Feb. 21, qualifying 22 members for nationals which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia from April 21 through April 24.

DECA, which stands for Distributive Education Clubs of America, is a business competition that is split into four categories: finance, marketing, hospitality and tourism. Participants can choose to work individually or with a partner, and they compete by taking a 100 question test on their category and then creating a business plan to present in front of judges.

The state competition was rigorous.

“At districts you didn’t have to qualify for anything so your competition was weaker,” club member and junior Shray Mehortra said. “But now going to states there was more competition, the judges you had were more professional, had more expertise in their respective fields. I guess the whole atmosphere was just different.”

For the state competition, members traveled to Hershey where they stayed for three days. The first day was for testing, the second for business plans and the final day was reserved for awards.

Traveling offers the opportunity to get to know team members better.

“You really grow closer to the teammates or the fellow DECA members that you have around you,” Mehortra said. “You’re not just spending the afternoon but two or three whole days with other people that are not your family.”

New club members and juniors Ally Latoff and Brooke Deasy competed in the hospitality category as partners, and won first place.

The win “was really rewarding because it was only my first year doing the club and it felt good to win after all of our hard work. (Business) is something that I want to go into when I’m older and it felt good knowing that you can succeed even if you haven’t been doing it that long,” Latoff said.

Club adviser Katie Buckley enjoys watching her students succeed.

“This was a club that I was involved in in high school and I competed at both the state and the national levels as well,” Buckley said. “To see my students succeed in something that was really a meaningful club for me and a club that I feel had a great impact on my life and preparing me for interviews and giving presentations and how to speak publicly in front of a crowd will be really rewarding.”

Regardless of her performance at nationals, Latoff looks forward to it.

“I’ve never been to Atlanta before and I think the competition will be super hard but super fun,” Latoff said. “The competition will be really tough, but it will be a great experience overall.”

Courtesy Katie Buckley

Business Breakthrough: DECA members pose with the trophies they won during a state business competition in Hershey. Of those who competed, 22 placed in the top four of their category and will advance to nationals. Nationals is being held in Atlanta, Georgia from April 21 through the 24.

2

News

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Instagram video ignites race-based controversy continued from page 1

De Vries is also a member of the 2018 U.S. women’s national junior field hockey team which suspended her and released a statement saying that it “does not tolerate any behavior that is not inclusive and respectful to all.”

Junior CC King said that she feels that sharing the video publicly went too far in bringing the issue to a national platform.

“I think educating people on things that hurt you might be one of the only ways that things are ever going to change. Rather than retaliating, if you educate them even on the history of the word, I think they would be more inclined to not to use it again,” King said.

The day after the video went viral, the AASU organized a banner signing in the cafeteria, which called to “Ban the N Word.” The AASU has led several campaigns like this one before.

Gray-Vause and AASU adviser Leashia Lewis said that they hope the incident will bring a heightened awareness to the issue of race at Cones-

Brooke Deasy News Editor

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

A symbol of unity: Students sign their names on a banner calling to “Ban the N Word.” This was in response to a video posted to a private Instagram account on Tuesday, March 6, where two Conestoga students were seen using a racial slur. toga and both pushed for a school-wide assembly to have an in-depth discussion on the topic.

“My mission is to use this situation as a platform to say that this is a bigger problem that we need to address and we need to address it in curriculum, we

need to address it in dialogue with one another, we need to address it in our clubs and activities and within our community at large,” Lewis said.

In a statement sent to The Spoke, Conestoga principal Dr. Amy Meisinger said that the incident has had an im-

pact on both the school and the community.

“Conestoga continues to condemn any and all forms of racist language. Hate has no place at Conestoga,” Meisinger said.

“We will continue our work to ensure that all students feel safe, respected and included.”

Medical marijuana dispensary reopens after closing Ananya Kulkarni and Melinda Xu Staff Reporters

On Feb. 17, Keystone Shops, a medical marijuana dispensary in Devon, opened. On March 1, the dispensary announced its temporary closure, citing lack of inventory. This was caused by a combination of low supply, with only one of 12 Grower-Processors, Cresco Yeltrah, supplying product, and high demand.

Skip Shuda, Chief Operating Officer of Keystone Shops, said that the demand for medical marijuana is very high statewide.

According to Shuda, there are a

little over 7,000 eligible patients in Pennsylvania, and just six open dispensaries.

Patients are served on a first come, first served basis and are required to bring a government-issued medical marijuana card and identification. According to Christina Visco, President of Terra Voda Holistic Centers which operates three medical marijuana dispensaries in Abington, Sellersville and Malvern, obtaining marijuana is a multi-step process.

First, the patient must register on the Department of Health’s Patients and Caregivers Registry before making an appointment with one of the pre-approved

doctors. Only after a certified doctor assesses patient eligibility and submits a recommendation does the patient receive a confirmation email for their card and payment.

As of right now, there are 17 conditions that qualify for medical marijuana as a treatment option.

“We see a lot of people with PTSD, cancer, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, neuropathic pain and autism,” Shuda said.

Often, medical marijuana is used to alleviate symptoms rather than directly treat the illness.

According to Shuda, marijuana’s popularity stems from its effectiveness at treating these symptoms.

“People are in pain, people are suffering and this is an effective medicine,” Shuda said.

“The alternatives they face are often very addictive or have negative side effects so medical marijuana turns to be a relatively safe and effective treatment.”

Keystone Shops, as well as the Terra Vida Holistic Centers, reopened its doors on Mar. 15. The former is planning to expand its facilities to King of Prussia later this year.

“We’re part of a revolution here,” Shuda said. “We’re destigmatizing marijuana as a substance and gaining a new appreciation for it.”

Senior named finalist in Regeneron Science Talent Search Ananya Kulkarni and Melinda Xu Staff Reporters

On Jan. 23, senior Reese Caldwell was announced as a finalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search.

“My reaction was pure excitement,” Caldwell said. “I was actually on an Amtrak train when I got the call that told me I was a finalist.”

The Regeneron Science Talent Search is a national STEM competition in which applicants submit a paper based on original research that attempts to solve a pressing issue in society.

“He’s got cutting edge graduate level research that has applications to the real world,” chemistry teacher Dr. Scott Best said. “He’s spent countless hours working on the project and he’s just a sponge for knowledge.”

The competition starts out with over 1,800 applicants, who are then narrowed down to 300 scholars.Caldwell has placed among the final 40 and each finalist has received a $25,000 award.

The finalists are invited to Wash-

New course for rising juniors

ington D. C. to undergo final judging and compete for awards up to $1.8 million. Also, the finalists are able to meet Nobel Laureates and Congressmen, including keynote speaker Malcolm Gladwell.

According to Caldwell, he has always been interested in science and started his research the summer after his sophomore year.

“I have put in a lot of effort, sacrificed a lot of sleep to research.

After school, I would take the train and work with Professor Matt Goode at University of Pennsylvania in his laboratory and also with a graduate student. It’s pretty much an independent project, but they both help me by giving advice, feedback, etc,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell has conducted research in the bioengineering field, specifically on the problems of synthetic cell-like compartments. To address this issue, Caldwell developed a method to shine light on a test tube which activates proteins.

Caldwell believes his research will have widespread applications.

“There are a lot of practical applications to the research I did and so I’m really excited that the

Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

Scientific Success: Senior Reese Caldwell has been conducting graduate level research since the summer after his sophomore year. On Jan. 23, Caldwell was recognized for this research by being named a finalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search. platform I made can be used to activate things with light,” Caldwell said. “I think the method is really useful and can have a major impact in areas such as health care.”

Chemistry teachers Best and Derick Wood have been reliable mentors to Caldwell throughout the entire process.

Best and Wood “have been really supportive of my research.

I have had a lot of interesting discussions about science with them and they have been a good influence on me,” Caldwell said.

Being recognized as a finalist was a rewarding indication of Caldwell’s hard work throughout his high school career.

To be a finalist “is a really nice validation for all the effort and time I have put into researching,” Caldwell said. “I have sacrificed a lot of things because I believed in the value of my research and it’s nice for my research to be acknowledged.”

Sanjana Sanghani contributed to this report.

A new course is on the junior schedule for next year, called the College and Career Transition (CCT) course.

Approved by the Tredyffrin/ Easttown School District (TESD) in April 2017, its objective is to ease the transition of students from high school to beyond.

The semester-long mandatory course meets two days a six day cycle and satisfies .2 credits in the general elective category, dropping the current elective requirement from 5.1 to 4.9 credits. A guidance counselor will teach the course, which covers communication and positive coping skills, time management, digital citizenship, healthy relationships, substance misuse, cultural competencies and financial literacy. Students will also have time to develop an individualized digital portfolio and a personal resume.

Director of Assessment and Accountability Mark Cataldi spearheaded the course, presenting it to the TESD Education Committee, parents and community members.

The course was developed by a Conestoga administrator, a mental health specialist, physical education teachers, special education teachers and health teachers.

Assistant Principal Misty Whelan believes that CCT will serve as a memorable and valuable class for all students.

In order to highlight the significance of taking the course, Whelan used a metaphorical backpack of knowledge.

“With changes in life comes some stress, some time-management, some challenges. (In taking the CCT course), you fill a backpack with the things you learned: How to better cope, some thinking traps, different ways to improve the outcome of certain situations, to make better decisions, to manage your time better,” Whelan said. “I do think there’s going to be a higher comfort, maybe even higher success, with that transition.”

According to Jennifer Kratsa, the head of student services, the course was developed in large part due to the feedback counselors received from college representatives. Those representatives said that students need better college preparation skills in order to perform better as college students. Kratsa also said that parent emails informing the administration of stress level concerns also contributed to the creation of the course.

“I think that we produce and that we get wonderful kids here.

They’re ready to tackle the world when they graduate. However, they are going to hit stumbling blocks, roadblocks, obstacles,” Kratsa said. “As a school, I think that our administration values being able to give our kids all the tools they can so that our students can cope and not only be really good students, but really good people and happy people most importantly.”

Some students are not pleased with having to take another mandatory course.

Scheduled to take five Advanced Placement (AP) courses in the following school year, Sophomore Benji Margolis believes CCT is simply “wasting schedule space.”

Next year “I’m going to have a lot of homework and studying to do and those two days that I have CCT during that could have been free periods is really going to hurt me,” Margolis said.

Although Margolis does not see the course being beneficial to him in the long run, he understands how it could prove highly beneficial for others who have different experiences or resources than him.

“I have two older brothers so if I need help I can always go to them. But, I’m pretty independent,” Margolis said. “I can see this class helping people in cases where they have a lot or too much stress to deal with or they don’t have a ton of people at home who could help them.”

Rising junior Vidya Patel originally shared the same worry as Margolis, but is now optimistic about the course.

“Initially I thought it was a bit frustrating that we have a required course in place of a free period or another course. However, I do think the topics being covered are important, especially those involving mental health,” Patel said.

Senior Nick Maier believes that seniors at Conestoga need greater assistance from the school in preparing them both mentally and physically for college and career life.

“It’s this pressure, this unknown, this fear, that really steps kids into depression or anxiety. I’ve seen it a lot in the past week or two with a whole bunch of seniors,” Maier said.

“It’s a problem because seniors are told how to prepare to get into college, but not told how to prepare for college. They are not told how to be an adult.”

Maier feels that the CCT course is a great way to address some of these concerns, but not the ultimate solution.

“Every grade has the problems of moving up, getting older, even if we can expand similar classes to the middle school,” Maier said. “There are so many things that kids need help with and I feel like we are doing a disservice to them,” Maier said.

Kratsa believes that the most promising aspect of the course is its ability to unify the junior class and their experiences at Conestoga.

“Every single person (junior) is filtering through so you have to make it a class that is valuable to everybody.

That has been challenging, but super fun,” Kratsa said.

“I can’t imagine that students will leave saying ‘It didn’t benefit me at all.’ I think it’s an opportunity for growth for students, and I’m hoping that the students at Conestoga would welcome a challenge and an opportunity like that.”

3

Front Page

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

‘We refuse to be silent’: School community responds to Parkland

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Speaking and silence (above): Senior Maddie Braun introduces a moment of silence for victims of the Parkland school shooting during the walkout. The walkout lasted 17 minutes to commemorate the 17 lives lost at Parkland.

Practice makes proficient (right): A township policeman rehearses a mass casualty drill at Conestoga High School.

The drill was practiced with local EMT and police in an simulated active shooter situation on March 11.

Audrey Kim/The SPOKE

Courtesy Noah Austin

Crowded courtyard (above): Nearly 1,100 students gather in the large court yard at Conestoga High School. Across the nation, hundreds of thousands of students walked out of their classes for National School Walkout on March 14.

Spectating (left): Students watch fellow classmates speak of the need for change regarding school shootings. Onlookers were attentive for 17 minutes in solidarity with the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting.

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Community conversations: Social studies teacher Debra Ciamacca speaks to the community about school safety. After the Parkland shooting, she organized a letter exchange with classes from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Students write letters to Parkland community Maddie Lamonica Business Manager

On Feb. 14 the globe’s public eye fell on Parkland, Florida, as 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, making it one of the deadliest school shootings in United States’ history.

“I was shocked and furious and sickened thoroughly,” junior Fiona Duff y said.

“Watching and reading the stories and seeing the videos really woke me up to the reality of the ordeal.”

AP Government teacher, Debra Ciamacca, noted a new sense of urgency that separated this tragedy from those before it.

“When I saw the (Parkland) kids and their reaction I thought, ‘this is different,’” Ciamacca said. “Those kids remind me of Conestoga kids in that they’re so articulate and they’re so motivated and they’re so passionate about what happened to them.”

Inspired by the bravery of these students, Ciamacca wanted to reach out and lend a supportive hand to those affected.

“I saw those kids at Parkland and they looked shattered,” Ciamacca said. “It doesn’t seem like it would mean a lot, but if I were a student going there and I thought that students around the country were thinking about me personally, I think it would maybe make me feel a tiny bit better.”

In the days following the shooting, Ciamacca got in contact with Ernie Rospierski, a social studies teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. While directing his students to safety, Rospierski was grazed by a bullet in a confrontation with the gunman.

Upon hearing his story, Ciamacca knew that this is who she wanted to send letters to.

Students in Ciamacca’s AP Government classes were given the choice to write a letter to

anyone in the Parkland community, all of which were then sent to Rospierski to distribute. These letters ranged from words of admiration for their bravery to encouragement to speak out against gun violence.

“I was happy that I had an outlet to let the victims know I cared and was trying my hardest to help them and show my support,” Duffy said. “I don’t even know if they will read my letter but just knowing someone on the other side of the country cares for them might make them feel supported and less alone.”

Junior Dylan Ward chose to address the Parkland community as whole.

“Your work has incited a movement of students across the nation and serves as a source of inspiration for a great many, including myself,” said Ward in her letter. “I want you all to know that your bravery is awe-inspiring and will not go unnoticed, nor unappreciated.

Students all across the nation are in your corner. You’ve empowered a generation.”

Through her letter, Ward is hopeful she is able to show solidarity with the Parkland victims.

“I think these letters demonstrate that we’re in this fight to end gun violence together and that we won’t let Parkland fade from the national conversation like every school shooting before it,” Ward said.

Similarly, Duffy is hopeful that this will not only help the Parkland students make the transition back into everyday life, but also help give momentum to the gun control movement.

“Thoughts and prayers won’t do much, but words spoken directly to the victims might ease their suffering a bit,” Duffy said. “I hope that through these words of encouragement the Parkland students continue to speak up for what they believe in.”

Audrey Kim/The SPOKE

continued from page 1 Since the school shooting on Feb. 14, survivors from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have called for gun reform, meeting with representatives from the National Rifle Association and their state government, as well as Florida Senator Marco Rubio. Conestoga organizing member and senior Kevin Ryle was influenced by the actions of students from Parkland, calling them “a catalyst for all other high school students across the country.” He believes the shooting at Parkland to be a turning point for the next generation.

“A lot of people view us as the social media generation, and that we’re all so self-obsessed, and we just care about what we post on Instagram and Snapchat,” Ryle said. Students from Parkland were “really representative that our generation is not what other people think we are. We are an incredibly motivated generation, and we’re going to enact change in the future.”

In light of the recent school shooting, administration reviewed school security with faculty the day after Parkland. The protocol for faculty and students in case of an active shooter situation is run, hide, defend. According to Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger, hide would most likely be the initial response, propelling procedures such as lockdowns.

The option to run would be used if faculty have knowledge of the location of the shooter.

and carrying injured students out of the building on stretchers.

Tredyffrin Police Superintendent Michael Beaty, who has been a police officer for 32 years, explained that the drill had been scheduled before the tragedy occurred at Parkland, but the timing gave them a chance to practice for a “mass casualty incident.”

“It’s just unfortunate timing within the last month what happened made it a lot more impactful, but it was important for us to do this. Every few months, we always try to train and do something better, but it definitely is more timely now to do something like this,” Beaty said.

Senior Rosha Chittuluru, one of the Peer Mediation students who acted in the drill, was surprised by the amount of time the process took.

“It made me aware of how long evacuations actually take to happen. One of the EMTs said that in reality it would take four to five hours for them (to evacuate all victims), and it’s pretty scary to think that students would be sitting there for that long,” Chittuluru said.

EMS Captain Michael Baskin explained that the drill was important as a joint practice for the police department, EMTs and school administration to rehearse situations realistically.

“I think having Dr. Gusick, Dr. Meisinger, Mr. Cataldi from the school district to be there, to see what was going on gave them an opportunity to discuss some things with us and for us to

“Defend is only something we tell teachers that they should do if the threat comes to them,” Meisinger said.

In addition to the standard protocol, teachers have other ways in which they plan to protect and safeguard students. After Parkland, English teacher Megan Doyle was prompted to buy a fire escape ladder for her classroom.

“My first year teaching was (the same as) Columbine. I feel like my career has been a span of these situations, and I weep everytime I see one of these (school shootings) on the news.

And (hearing about Parkland) was really hard, with a student body similar to ours,” Doyle said. “If you are in that situation where you are fleeing as opposed to trying to remain safe somewhere, you do what you have to do to keep as many people safe as possible.”

In response to the increased demand for legislation, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on March 14 to fund increased security measures at schools and to train students, teachers and law enforcement to prevent school violence. The bill received bipartisan support, with legislators voting 407-10.

On March 11, three weeks after that inservice day, local EMT and police practiced an active shooter drill at Conestoga, with members of student group Peer Mediation acting as victims.

EMTs rehearsed emergency steps, applying immediate aid to victims

provide some feedback to them,” Baskin said. “That’s the kind of thing that needs to happen from time to time so that we can learn.”

On March 14, another community gathering was happening at the Tredyffrin Library.

Arranged by non-profit organization One Day One Voice, community members met to hear professional speakers on gun safety, state gun laws and gun violence. Social studies teacher Debra Ciamacca also spoke about her concerns regarding school safety.

Junior Anna Donahue, who attended the event, hopes that the school shooting at Parkland starts conversations on gun reform.

“I came to the event because I saw our school in the Parkland community. They were really affluent and very successful, and then tragedy struck,” Donahue said. “Although we may have differing opinions on how to (reform gun violence), I believe that if we finally agree to stop gun violence, then we will have a good starting place to work to a solution.”

While the walkouts across the country stimulated conversation, Shaik believes that further action is needed to evoke change.

“This isn’t the end. Just going out for 17 minutes isn’t going to do anything. Sure, it might catch elected officials’ attentions, but that’s not enough,” Shaik said.

“Go out and vote. If you’re 18 or older, register, vote. That’s the only way you can get your voice to be heard. That’s the only way we can have change, and we need change in this society.”

School Shootings Since Columbine: A Timeline Key: # = number of deaths

Campbell County Comprehensive HS

Columbine HS

Deming MS

Buell ES

15

1

1

1

2

2

2

10

1

Deming, N.M. Nov. 19, 1999

Flint, Mich.

Feb. 29, 2000

Lake Worth, Fla. May 26, 2000

Santee, Calif.

March 5, 2001

Red Lion, Pa. April 24, 2003

Cold Spring, Minn.

Sept. 24, 2003

Red Lake, Minn.

March 21, 2005

Jacksboro, Tenn.

Nov. 8, 2005

Sparks MS

Sandy Hook ES

Chardon HS

Millard South HS

West Nickel Mines School

Weston HS

Essex ES

2

28

3

2

6

1

2

Sparks, Nev. Oct. 21, 2013

Newtown, Conn.

Dec. 14, 2012

Chardon, Ohio Feb. 27, 2012

Omaha, Neb. Jan. 5, 2011

Nickel Mines, Pa. Oct. 2, 2006

Cazenovia, Wis. Sept. 29, 2006

Essex Junction, Vt. Aug. 24, 2006

Reynolds HS

Marysville Pilchuck HS

Independence HS

North Park ES

Marjory Stoneman Freeman HS Marshall County HS Douglas HS

Marysville, Wash.

Oct. 24, 2014

Glendale, Ariz.

Feb. 12, 2016

Littleton, Colo.

April 20, 1999

Arapahoe HS

1

Centennial, Colo.

Dec. 13, 2013

2

Troutdale, Ore. June 10, 2014

5

Statistics according to Fox News and news anchor Shepard Smith

Lake Worth MS

2

Santana HS

Townville ES

2

Townville, S.C. Sept. 28, 2016

Red Lion Area Jr. HS

3

San Bernardino, Calif.

April 10, 2017

Rocori HS

1

Rockford, Wash.

Sept. 13, 2017

Red Lake HS

2

Marshall County, Ky. Jan. 23, 2018

17

Parkland, Fla. Feb. 14, 2018 Ian Ong /The SPOKE

4

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Student Life Conestoga parent treks to medical frontier, wins international competition Story and Photos by Claire Guo

Co-Student Life Editor

The Next Generation (above): Sophomore Mira Harris and father Basil Harris showcase the components of an innovative medical device. Basil Harris entered the Tricorder XPRIZE competition in 2013. Four years later, he and his team won first place and $2.6 million.

It's all in the wrist (left): ER doctor Basil Harris demonstrates how his company's invention — DxtER — uses different sensors to measure vital signs. He and his team programmed DxtER to identify 34 different medical conditions, though only 13 were required and tested by Tricorder XPRIZE.

He’s a doctor, not a Harvard professor.

When Conestoga parent Dr. Basil Harris entered the global Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE competition in 2013, he knew he faced over 300 teams. One was led by a Harvard graduate and backed by NASA, the National Institutes of Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Another was led by a Harvard professor and backed by the major electronics company UTC. But Harris thought the competition presented an exciting and worthwhile challenge — to make the fictional Star Trek medical tricorder a reality. At the end of the five-year-long competition, it was Basil Harris and his team who emerged as the highest performing competitor, winning first place and the grand prize of $2.6 million.

In the Star Trek universe, doctors use medical tricorders — small handheld devices that when waved over patients, could help identify their condition. In the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE competition, the XPRIZE Foundation asked its competitors to create a real version of the tricorder, one that individuals without medical expertise could use.

Instead of going to the hospital, consumers would hopefully be able to use this real-life tricorder to diagnose themselves. By the end of the Tricorder XPRIZE, competitors’ prototypes had to reliably self-diagnose 13 different medical conditions like sleep apnea and diabetes.

Basil Harris — full-time emergency room (ER) doctor and father of sophomore Mira Harris, eighth-grader Alex Harris and seventh-grader Julia Harris — joined the Tricorder XPRIZE a few months into the competition after learning about it in a news article. He soon learned only legal companies could enter. So he made one.

“I never started a company before, but it's actually not that hard to figure out,” Basil Harris said.

“There's a couple of online forms.”

Basil Leaf Technologies consisted of “anybody that would listen” — an assortment of family and friends with expertise across the spectrum, from electrical engineering to health policy to finance. But it was meant to be a fun project, tacked on to fulltime jobs with little possibility of monetary gain. Facing teams with more resources, more capital

and more time, no one expected to win — except for Basil Harris’s kids.

“The last final team he was against was from Taiwan. They had a Harvard professor. They had the government backing of Taiwan,” Mira Harris said. "But I also knew that my dad is a genius and he does pretty much anything he can set his mind to."

Basil Harris was intimidated partly because he was unable to see how other teams were approaching the problem — all that was visible were their credentials.

When the competition was over, and the workings of each team were laid bare, Basil Harris realized what set his team apart. Harris believes his team won because of a critical difference in their approach, one that drew from his experience as an ER doctor.

“I basically approached it as I do any patient in the ER,” Basil Harris said. “You listen to what they have to say, you look at their vital signs, you look at the lab tests, and then you synthesize that all together. And you come up with a diagnosis. That’s what doctors do.”

Basil Harris believes other teams “first focused on the equipment, on the gadget.” After recording large amounts of data, “they might put it into a supercomputer and try to figure out what those trends relate to. I think that’s all really interesting, but that’s not what we do in real life when we’re diagnosing people. We were less concerned with gathering tons of information, and more concerned about getting the specific information as reliable as we could when we needed it.”

Basil Leaf Technologies’ invention DxtER — Dx for diagnosis, t for tricorder and ER for Basil Harris’s profession — reflects their approach. It includes several non-invasive sensors that collect data about vital signs and physiology, like a spirometer, which measures lung capacity. An included iPad mini is key to helping ordinary individuals diagnose themselves without help from medical experts. The interactive, preprogrammed iPad mini guides users through operation of the device step-by-step and asks questions about their medical history to better diagnose them.

“A lot of the tricorder was taking logical steps, just as a doctor does when they're trying to make a diagnosis,” Basil Harris said.

But even with a systematic approach, Basil Harris’s team had to overcome the many technical challenges in producing user-friendly devices. The Tricorder XPRIZE continuously requires

more and more prototypes that meet certain requirements. Miss them and you’re out. Over the course of the competition, Basil Leaf Technologies sent 65 prototypes to an XPRIZE partner, the University of California San Diego, for testing. All were produced by two 3D printers at their home base — that is, the Harris’s Paoli home.

“It's definitely one of those things that changes the whole family,” Basil Harris said. “Especially because we were doing it based out of my house, out of my kitchen. It couldn’t help but get in the way. The whole house looked almost like a factory.”

Mira Harris recalls the chaos flowing throughout her house those five years. Team members stayed at their home until 2 a.m. and often even worked until morning. Electronics, prototypes and packaging covered “every open surface.”

“The Taiwan team had a factory I’m pretty sure, where they were able to produce this stuff.

And we had our house,” Mira Harris said.

During this five-year-long competition, the entire Harris family played a part. His wife Angela Harris handled publicity; his kids Mira, Alex and Julia sanded tricorder components, organized tricorder components and 3D-printed tricorder components. When Basil Harris’s dad came to visit, the entire team welcomed an extra pair of hands.

Though the XPRIZE Foundation doesn’t specify where the $2.6 million prize should be spent, Basil Leaf Technologies plans to use it to continue developing their tricorder DxtER — Dx for diagnosis, t for tricorder and ER for the origin of their approach. All the teams that competed will take part in the XPRIZE Foundation’s first-ever Post-Prize Initiative — an effort to support the teams in realizing the potential of tricorders. In one collaboration, the Minister of Health of Mozambique requested tricorder testing in Mozambique in the hopes of getting the technology to more rural populations without access to quality healthcare.

“We’re still a small team. Everyone on the team still has their full-time jobs. No one’s taking salaries. It’s all still a fun project,” Basil Harris said. “But we are able to try and accelerate development having some funds. We are able to engage some professionals to help us move the process a little faster and further than we would otherwise. Now that the competition’s over, the hard work actually begins.”

Enterprize (right): Basil Harris's varied awards sit on a table at home. In 2017, he added another first place trophy for winning the Tricorder XPRIZE. The makings of a tricorder (bottom right): DxtER uses several different components to identify medical conditions, including a pre-programmed iPad mini. Contest organizers and Basil Harris's company Basil Leaf Technologies hope consumers will soon be able to use DxtER to diagnose themselves at home.

10% w/ C OFF on Stud estoga ent I D

Brush it off: Co-captain and junior Georgia Steigerwald, along with se-

Connie Stoga/The SPOKE

Google rules AI market Justin Huang

Co-Student Life Editor

“Okay Google, what’s the formula for experimental error?”

“Subtract the accepted value from the experimental value. Take the absolute value of step one. Divide that answer by the accepted value. Multiply that answer by 100 and add the percent symbol to express the answer as a percentage.”

Whether for homework, music, alarms or even cheesy jokes, smart assistants have become integrated into our lives. Although Apple introduced the new area of innovation in Oct. 2011 with Siri, Google answered with their own assistant in 2012, followed by Amazon’s 2014 release of Alexa. After Apple’s release of the HomePod in February, each voice assistant now has their own home speaker too — which should we choose?

Siri might have been the first voice assistant to grace the consumer market, but it’s the last to receive a dedicated speaker. On Feb. 9, Apple released the HomePod, putting Siri in a home device as the company’s response to the Amazon Echoes and Google Homes filling the market. The HomePod works excellently with invested Apple users, with easy connection and interaction with proprietary software. Siri works well, but unlike Google and Amazon, Apple never allowed Siri to differentiate between voices. Sadly, the product also has the same flaw as Apple’s other products: strict walls surrounding its ecosystem. Apple’s HomePod can only interact with Apple products — AirPlay, iTunes, Apple Music. What about my Spotify playlists? If you think that just having an iPhone makes you “invested,” you’re wrong. Think about

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the other apps you use with your phone — Gmail, Spotify, Google Drive, Amazon and so many more. The HomePod is a device that traps you with a crushing $350 price tag, and by far the worst device out of the three archetypes.

Where Siri fails, Alexa, the queen of third-party app support, succeeds. When the first-generation Amazon Echo was released in 2014, a new wave of home devices followed in its wake. Alexa brought a wave of voice-controlled hardware, including lights, outlets and thermostats. Unlike the HomePod, Alexa devices are more affordable for students, with the standard Echo ($100) and Echo Dot ($50). Today, it still dominates with the most third-party support and adding screens with the Echo Spot ($130) and Echo Show ($230). I consider Alexa and its array of devices as a close second to my favorite.

Although it lacks a catchy name, Google Assistant has a special place in my heart. Given how integral the entire Google suite is to my daily livelihood as a stressed high school student, Google devices flow so well with them. I also prefer its budget Google Home Mini’s ($50) overall minimalistic design as a small disk, as well as the regular Google Home’s ($130) inconspicuous white design. Google Assistant is the real deal breaker though, because unlike Alexa, it ships with every Android device and becomes useful in every setting imaginable. The convenience of being able to carry around a competent AI and have its settings stored in a smart home manager is amazing. I love Google Assistant and the thousands of ways that I interact with it, and I’d recommend it to anybody wishing for an easier home life.

Courtesy Techvire

Teacher Feature: Carrie Houde Emotional support teacher Carrie Houde talks about her experience with 13 years of teaching at Conestoga, coaching swimming teams and her love for her family.

Justin Huang

Co-Student Life Editor

Tell me a little about yourself.

What do you do?

I am an emotional support teacher, so I teach kids resiliency, coping skills, organizational skills, time management. I am their advocate to their regular ed teachers. I work with their families a lot. I have them mostly all four years and I work really closely with the kids, the families and the teachers.

How do you teach your students?

We do a lot of work here in putting things into perspective. What is seemingly a large, daunting task or problem, we put it into perspective and say, “Okay. What’s the worst thing that could happen out of this problem?” (We take) the worst-case scenario — very unlikely — and then take the best-case scenario — equally unlikely. Now what’s the most likely? Just like how our negative thoughts center to the worst case — doom and gloom — we have to show that there is also a different thought process that is equally outlandish, as the best-case. Somewhere in the middle lies what’s most likely going to happen, and we put it in perspective. We train our brain to challenge that counterproductive thinking.

English and special ed (for kindergarten to 12th grade). My first job out of college was in a high school learning support program, but the kids I gravitated towards were not the kids that needed help with reading and writing and with math.

They were the ones that needed help in their life skills — managing their anxiety, planning for their future — the kids that couldn’t get themselves together to talk to a teacher.

What’s your favorite part about interacting with Conestoga students?

I like everything. I truly love all of my kids. I love working with Peer Mediation, with the kids that I would never see on a day-to-day basis.

What do you do outside of school?

I have three kids and I spend every moment that I’m not at Conestoga with my three kids.

I live for their activities and working with them with their

homework. I’m the head coach of a summer swim team where my kids swim. I’m an assistant coach of the winter swim team.

You only get your children for 18 years before you have to send them off into the world.

It sounds like you’re really busy, like you don’t have any free time.

My kids are my free time at the pool. My swimmers’ parents are my friends — that’s my group of ladies that I hang out with. We do a lot of stuff as a family. My husband and I really foster of a family dynamic where we do activities as a family and we go on excursions as a family. That’s my free time — I really enjoy it.

What’s it like to be a swim coach?

I was a coach of softball for years here, but after I had my second child, I had to retire.

I could not put in the afterschool time. I was a swimmer here when I went to high

school here, (and I became a coach) since my children have gotten involved in swimming.

I think it’s a fabulous sport.

It teaches determination and self-motivation — you’re competing against yourself. In the summertime, I coach a team of 200 anywhere from 4 or 5 to 18 years old. In the wintertime, I really try to center on the eights and tens. I coach eight-and-unders and tenand-unders and I love to see the development of the child.

I love to see the confidence of the child.

Could you describe an excursion that you really treasure?

On New Year’s Eve, we drove up to Bethlehem to the Peeps headquarters. We did a New Year’s Eve but the big Peep dropped instead of the ball. There were tons of activities. We (also) do hiking activities and we go down the shore for weekends here and there.

We go to concerts. We do a lot of stuff as family.

What do you think about our students?

I went through (the) T/E School District — Hillside, T/E, Conestoga. Class of ‘93! I think (the students are) great, I think this is the best. I’m very proud to work here.

What made you decide to be an emotional support teacher?

I always knew from a young age that I wanted to teach. I wanted to work with kids and I went to school for elementary

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

A latte support: Emotional support teacher Carrie Houde holds a coffee mug from her alma mater. Houde assists student by teaching them resiliency, organizational skills and self-advocacy.

Senior fights human trafficking Renato DiStefano Staff Reporter

Senior Ria Gilbert has worked extensively with “Walk Her Home,” an organization that creates awareness and raises funds for housing and support of human trafficking victims in Chester County, Pa. and across the United States.

Gilbert has been raising money and becoming involved with their programs since September 2017.

Human trafficking — the enslavement of humans for the purpose of forced labor or sexual exploitation — has been a controversial but relevant topic in Pennsylvania, and America, for decades. Organizations dedicated to fighting the multibillion-dollar criminal business have received strong support from those who wish to put a stop to it.

“The first step is to keep raising awareness and talking about (human trafficking),” Gilbert said. “No one knows that it is happening right here in (Chester County), let alone in the United States, so my main goal is to keep people informed.”

Gilbert has given two TED talks at ’Stoga about human sex trafficking in order to raise

awareness among students.

“I started with a story about a girl named Tina who was first sold for sex at the age of 9 by her foster parents,” Gilbert said. “After that, I talked about the issue in general — who the victims are, why it’s happening, how do we stop it. I talked about different organizations people can get involved with.”

To raise money, Gilbert has been sharing her message over text, email, Facebook and in person. She recently raised over $1,200 in a single month for “Walk Her Home.” The head of the organization also asked Gilbert to be on an advisory council to aid in future decision-making regarding actions to be taken for victims of human trafficking.

Gilbert first had human trafficking brought to her attention when she heard a woman speak about it at the Aspen Ideas Festival, an annual convocation of leaders in business, arts, politics, sciences, humanities and philanthropy in Aspen, Colorado.

“I had no idea it was a problem or that it was so common, and (the woman speaking at the festival) was really what sparked my interest,” Gilbert said.

The United States has yet to pass a federal law that protects victims of human trafficking, which would prevent them from

being charged with prostitution and sent to detention centers, like some victims are today.

However, two-thirds of states had passed “Safe Harbor” legislation by 2015. The legislation was proposed in Pennsylvania but has not yet been passed. This legislation protects minors who have been sexually exploited or forced into prostitution.

That same year, Pennsylvania introduced a similar law protecting minors affected by human trafficking. The law, which was heavily supported by sponsor Stewart Greenleaf, a Republican representing Montgomery and Bucks Counties in the Pennsylvania State Senate, has yet to be passed.

“With every day that passes without this legislation being enacted, more and more victims of human trafficking are being treated like criminals rather than given the help they so desperately need,” Greenleaf said.

Gilbert also hopes that legislation will soon be passed to aid victims and urges others to help combat human trafficking.

“We should all be talking about it,” Gilbert said. “(We need to encourage) ourselves and others to raise money and try and shift the narrative from seeing these young girls as prostitutes to seeing them as the victims of rape that they are.”

Claire Guo/The SPOKE

Demonstrating awareness: Senior Ria Gilbert wears her walkout shirt, supporting those speaking out on national issues. Gilbert raised more than $1,200 for the “Walk Her Home” organization for sexual trafficking victims.

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Conestoga parents open new Taiwanese restaurant Olivia Thompson Staff Reporter

Walking into Danlu is like walking into an art museum.

From the dimmed lights to the pop art portrait of a woman prominently featured within a few feet of the doorway, the new restaurant located in Philadelphia serves a modern twist on traditional Taiwanese meals.

Patrick Feury, father of freshman Nicole Feury and previous competitor on the show “Beat Bobby Flay,” opened Danlu on Dec. 8 as its executive chef. This is Feury’s second restaurant as an executive chef, his first being the sushi restaurant in Berwyn, Nectar. He is partners with Henry Chu, father of junior Lauren Chu. Henry Chu co-owns Nectar and Danlu. As a Taiwanese gastropub, Danlu is described by Feury as “lighter” and “less serious” than Nectar.

“It’s really about being fun.

Not for any other reason than just to be fun and lighten it up, which motivates me,” Patrick Feury said.

Patrick Feury, Henry Chu and two other partners first came up with the idea of Danlu during a 2015 trip to Taiwan and Hong Kong. The inspiration for each dish was drawn from food found in the street markets of Taiwan and throughout the journey in China.

“What’s neat about that country, which really inspired me for the whole cuisine, is that it’s a melting pot. It is a melting pot from all of China. It has a history of food from the Portuguese, Spanish, and American,” Patrick Feury said, “Taiwan has traditional cuisine, but it also has food from other cities near China, which makes Danlu unique.”

Each featured dish has been arranged to show both simplicity but attention to detail. An example of this is the edamame potstickers dish, a customer favorite. The potstickers are placed on top of a rice cracker and lined up on a thin plate with vinaigrette dipping sauce. Although the arrangement may seem simple, the potstickers themselves take hours to make because of each fold that seals the edges.

“In Taiwan, they don’t use soy sauce to dip their dumplings, they use vinegar. I age my vinegar in those barrels. We create unique vinegars that way,” Patrick Feury said.

In addition to the precise detail in the food, there is a significant amount of detail in the environment. The lighting is slightly dimmed and produces a calm orange glow throughout the restaurant. The murals on the walls depict simple shapes and designs reflecting classical paintings in China. Even the eating utensils are lightweight, a tradition of China and Taiwan.

“Another element set us apart from others is our design of the restaurant. We hired one of the best interior design firms from NYC, Jeffrey Beers International, to design our restaurant. They specialize in hotel and restaurant designs. By the way, all of the decorative lightings are made by myself in my garage,” Henry Chu said.

The biggest differences between Nectar and Danlu, according to Henry Chu’s daughter Lauren Chu, are the portions and menu size.

Olivia Thompson/The SPOKE

Stick to it: One of Danlu’s most popular dishes is its in-house edamame potstickers. They take hours to make because of each fold that seals the edges. The inspiration for each dish was drawn from food found in the street markets of Taiwan and throughout the journey in China.

“Nectar and Danlu have similar styles, except that Danlu is that there are smaller dishes, as of right now a smaller menu.

There is a possibility we will add more in the future. Danlu introduced a new style. It had elements of Nectar, but it had a slight twist on it, and I thought

that was pretty interesting to see,” Lauren Chu said.

Furthermore, the location of Danlu affects the demographics of the consumers. Danlu is located near Penn and Drexel University.

“We really wanted it to be for everybody,” Patrick Feu-

ry said. “Price point-wise, we wanted it to be a lot lower. That was something that was really important to us. There is a high Asian influence of first-generation Asians that go to Penn.

That is also a challenge. They are looking for authentic, classic dishes.”

Olivia Thompson/The SPOKE

Olivia Thompson/The SPOKE

Dishing it out: A chef at Danlu places the dishes on the counter to be taken to customers. The restaurant was founded by Conestoga parents Henry Chu and Patrick Feury, the executive chef and co-owner of Nectar, respectively. They came up with the idea of Danlu while traveling through Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Making waves: Danlu’s wall murals depict simple shapes and designs reflecting classical paintings in China. The restaurant opened Dec. 8, 2018.

Students jazz up spring musical with dancing Andrew Bucko Staff Reporter

In this year’s spring musical, “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” the auditorium becomes a time machine, transporting the audience instantly back to the 1920’s. All the glitz, glamour, and grime of the era go on full display as the love story between a bootlegger and a bachelor unfolds.

Unlike Conestoga theater productions of the past, where singing or acting has been the focal point, dance is clearly the most crucial aspect of this show. Considering the eruption of club and party culture of the Roaring 20’s, this comes as no surprise.

“‘Nice Work If You Can Get It’ definitely exemplifies that there should be more dancing in our high school shows,” junior and ensemble member Connor Wells said.

“I feel that Conestoga is already known for having lots of amazing singers, so it’s nice to see the program branching into something new.”

Wells’ character, unlike most others in the show, is against Prohibition.

“I’m part of a Vice Squad, and essentially we are tasked with helping prohibitionist Estonia Dulworth to burn down speakeasies,” Wells said.

“Much of our choreography involves us being completely in sync and moving around on stage as one unit, much

like police or military.”

Sophomore and dancer Yunge Xiao notes that the styles of dance featured in the musical help to preserve the liveliness and excitement of the time period.

“Most of it is jazz, ballet, and tap as the foundations (of the choreography), but mostly jazz and other high-energy dances help with emoting on stage,” Xiao said.

The Charleston is among Xiao’s favorite dance moves.

“It’s a bit strange and hypnotic, but it looks amazing when everyone does it together,” Xiao said.

Aside from practicing and rehearsing, much of the dancers’ success stems from the close bond that they’ve formed.

“It’s very important to respect and enjoy the people that you’re dancing with,” Xiao said.

“We’ve tried to do a lot of group bonding by having sleepovers or just hanging out. The closer we are, the more it shows when we’re on stage.”

Sophomore ensemble member Zoe Balk found that going from the fall drama, “The Crucible,” to “Nice Work If You Could Get it” required adjustment.

“The Crucible was more about letting out your energy very selectively,” Balk said. “In this show it’s more about constantly bringing energy, and all the dancing allows for that.”

Balk noted that the excitement of this play helps to make the dancing pleasurable.

“I’ve always found dance very difficult, as I’m more of a singer,” Balk said. “The excitement and liveliness of this show has brought some joy into dancing for me.”

Senior Charlotte Kalilec, dance captain and actress for the character Jeannie Muldoon, oversees much of the teaching of the choreography.

“Some dancers have struggled with various moves, so we have changed a few things,” Kalilec said. “Luckily, people have been learning quickly.”

New to this year’s show, the choreography of “Nice Work If You Can Get It” is being overseen by the director, Nathan Shugart. In years prior, a designated choreographer has been commonplace.

“This is a very danceheavy show, and I would describe its style as really theatrical Looney-Tunes because all of our characters are so exaggerated,” Kalilec said. “So it’s helpful to have our director in charge of the dancing because when he wants to show you how to do a certain move or say a certain line, he has a clear vision for it and can show you exactly what he wants.”

Despite obstacles, the cast practiced feverishly, delivering their first performance Thursday, March 9.

“We have put so many hours of work into this, and no matter what happens, the show will be a success,” Kalilec said.

Andrew Bucko/The SPOKE

Dancing around the subject: The cast of “Nice Work If You Can Get It” dances on the stage at dress rehearsal while the pit orchestra plays “Fascinating Rhythm.” Unlike Conestoga theater productions of the past, where singing or acting has been the focal point, dance was the most crucial aspect of this show. The Conestoga theatre department performed “Nice Work If You Can Get It” March 8-11.

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Popular game grows among students Story by Matthew Fan and Justin Huang Staff Reporter and Co-Student Life Editor

After escaping school on a Friday afternoon, freshman Devin Berson leans back in his chair, powers on his computer, and relaxes as he opens up “Fortnite.” For a couple games, he joins

Design by Justin Huang and Lyvia Yan Co-Student Life Editor and Design Editor

be the last person — or squad — to survive as a dangerous storm forces the players to the center. Recently, “Fortnite” has exploded across America, with 40 million total players in Janu-

Justin Huang/The SPOKE

Dreams of victory: Junior RJ Mita jumps into another difficult round of “Fortnite.” Mita started playing the game in February after hearing about it from his friends. his friends as a squad and chills ary and 3.4 million players online at any given time, according to while vying for a coveted win.

“I feel relaxed (when play- Epic Games. Through word-ofing the game), talking with my mouth, Conestoga students have friends and all that. We just play also eagerly jumped into the a few games,” Berson said. “If you game.

“I’ve definitely heard more do well, (each game lasts) up to 15 or 20 minutes, but it could and more people talking about it — in the hallways, during class, only last two minutes or less.”

“Fortnite” is a video game some people playing in school, that, at first, presented a dysto- even,” Berson said.

The game’s optimization alpian co-op adventure to save the world. However, the developers, lows many low-power computers Epic Games, released the Battle (except Macbooks) to run the Royale mode in Sept. 2017 and game. That, along with its social since then, the player base sky- media campaigns, free-to-play rocketed. Similar to the concept access, availability on all major behind “The Hunger Games,” in gaming consoles and exciting this new mode, 100 players jump gameplay, adds more players to into an island map, fighting to its steep rise in popularity.

The growth “has been freaking huge. You see it exponentially growing. At one point, the servers crashed because they weren’t expecting so many people to jump on and that’s been happening two or three times since,” senior Ethan Zhao said. “The game just explodes over and over again as the developers keep up.”

From the beginning of the game, the odds are stacked against you. In solo mode, there are 100 players, leaving you with only a 1% chance to win. Despite playing around 14 hours a week, sophomore Nathan Stein has only been able to win twice. Much of this is due to the fact that each match is unpredictable.

“Every game is different, from where you land, to the fights, to how the game ends,” Stein said.

On the other hand, Zhao joined the game two months ago, and accumulated 216 wins—an astonishing figure, given the difficulty of victory. Other students consider him to be one of the best players from the school, if not number one.

“I’ve seen a lot of friends on my friends list play, so I was like ‘Hey, I’ll give it a try.’ Since then, I’ve been pretty hooked. (I play) basically every day, for four or five hours,” Zhao said.

Although Zhao has a “positive view of the game,” other players don’t love everything about it. The infrequent win rates in particular can be infuriating, angering players and causing them to go on

tilt.

“I don’t like how (the game) got so competitive. People are becoming pretty toxic about it,” Berson said. “The game itself is fine, I wouldn’t change anything. But the whole c o mp e t i tiveness about it is so annoying when people just want to talk about that.”

Certain mechanics can also jeopardize the gameplay. Building, a unique mechanic that puts the “fort” in “Fortnite,” allows players to create walls or roofs in order to protect themselves.

However, some players dislike how it interrupts the flow of the game.

“Building is not only difficult for beginners, but it can be kind of unfair,” junior RJ Mita said.

“People can build bridges across the map. You build a brick wall in the middle of nowhere, and it takes seconds. If I’m about to shoot somebody, they can throw up a wall and be protected for a few more seconds.”

Nevertheless, the game is enjoyable when joined by people with the same mindset.

“I think people should definitely try it, but again, if you want to be competitive, find people that want to do that too. If you’re a player like

me and you just want to relax with some friends, find people that want to do that,” Berson said.

Generally, students enjoy

diving into the world of “Fortnite” to survive on their own, gathering different weapons and utilities to help them in their attempt to win a match. When Zhao joins a squad, he enjoys fighting for the top. At the end of the day, though, he likes seeing personal improvement through solo play.

“I like the fact that a lot of the time, you have to fend for yourself, and a lot of it is skill-based, and you can create your own situation,” Zhao said. “If you mess up, it’s on you, so you can really see yourself getting better—you can actually track your own progress based on how well you do in gunfights and whatnot. It’s pretty satisfying.”

Justin Huang/The SPOKE

Ready to launch: Freshman Devin Berson checks his game launcher in school. Berson has seen many students talk or even play the game in ’Stoga.

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Quiz biz: HQ Trivia plays with IQ Scott Henessey Staff Reporter

Wouldn’t you like to be on a game show with a cash prize every day? Well, ’Stoga students have found the solution with the HQ Trivia app. HQ Trivia, created by Vine creators Yusupov and Colin Kroll, is a free app that has surged in popularity in the past half year, including in Conestoga.

It’s a live trivia app where players can compete daily for a chance to win real money. Freshman Andrew Fessick believes the gameplay is unique and exciting.

“You’re playing with so many other people and competing with them, but it’s not face to face. It’s kind of enticing! And you get money if you win,” Fessick said.

The app first released on iOS in Aug. 2017 and later on Android in Jan. 2018. The game goes

Claire Guo/The SPOKE

“Quemero numero uno”: Freshmen Aidan Donadio and Gregory Lahr sit down for another crack at HQ. Each round lasts for 12 questions for a chance to win real money.

live at 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and only 9 p.m. on weekends. Every game consists of 12 multiple choice trivia questions with three options each, increasing in difficulty as they progress.

If you answer incorrectly, you can no longer play the game. If you somehow answer all 12 questions correctly, a set amount of money is divided equally among the people who won. Sophomore Branden Veale enjoys challenge of the game.

“I think it’s fun and I like to challenge myself to see how far I can get in the game and try to answer as many as possible,” Veale said.

While winning is very difficult, some students have been able to answer all 12 questions correctly, such as sophomore Andrew Ge, who made an account with some friends and in total won $150 over a 2 month period.

“It requires a lot of dedication and we would just use the money to buy some food and basic stuff.(Since we won) they beefed up the question sets so it got a lot harder,” Ge said.

The game is usually hosted by energetic comedian Scott Rogowsky who announces the ques-

tions that pop up on screen and rattles off jokes throughout the duration of the game. He keeps the game fast-paced and entertains players. English teacher Benjamin Whitermore loves the creativity behind the concept.

“I was immediately interested because I love trivia. I play it because I think the idea that you get a cash prize for an app trivia game is pretty novel and interesting, and it hasn’t been done before,” Whitermore said.

Most of the questions presented to players are very difficult and require a lot of insight on trivia, or luck, to answer correctly. But the more people play, the more they learn.

“I’ve learned a lot and some of the questions I had no idea the answer to and I was like, ‘Oh, really, that’s cool!’ So it’s kind of like a fun, educational app,” Fessick said.

While HQ Trivia is not easy to win, senior Tim Wu believes that actually reaping rewards isn’t needed to make the app popular.

“You don’t have to commit a lot of time to the app, it’s really entertaining, and i guess the feeling that you could win keeps me playing,” senior Tim Wu said.

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8

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Op/ed

The kids are doing alright

Betty Ben Dor

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

The walkout that wasn’t All across the nation, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14, thousands of students stood up and walked out of their classrooms and exited their high schools. Demanding action against the tragedies of gun violence, everyone from college students to high schoolers and even to elementary schoolers called for stronger gun control and improved school safety measures.

For 17 minutes, students waited outside their schools to honor the 17 lost lives in the tragic Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. For 17 minutes, students brandished signs and chanted their demands for greater gun legislation. For 17 minutes, students envisioned a world without gun violence.

But at Conestoga, at 10 a.m. on that Wednesday, over one thousand students got up out of their seats and instead of exiting the building, calmly proceeded to the large courtyard.

There they stood for the next 17 minutes, fidgeting in the cold as they strained to hear the barely audible speeches. There were no signs. There was no chanting. In fact, the call for “gun control” was not even mentioned.

Organizers of the “walkout” insisted that in an effort to create a nonpartisan event, they had told speech writers to focus instead on the vague notion of

“school safety.” Speakers talked about civic engagement and how everyone should use their voice by reaching out to legislators and voting in the next election to make a change. But exactly what the change everyone should be pushing for is was not made clear.

And it’s not as if the walkout was truly nonpartisan. With stickers showing the transformation of pistols to peace and walkout t-shirts clearly emblazoned with “#Enough,” it was obvious that the walkout was politically aligned with the national movement. So why hide it? Why cower behind the umbrella term of “school safety?”

Unity itself is a noble cause, but not much more than that.

Truthfully, it’s just as effective as the stereotypical Republican response of “this isn’t the right time to talk about it” — a strategy frequently bombarded by gun control activists yearning for governmental action.

On a day where brave students across the country were risking disciplinary action to demand action on the issue of guns, Conestoga students were instead circumventing the polarizing issue of gun control by labeling it as a “school safety” issue and lacking any clear call to action. While other students were pushing for gun legislation, who knows what we were push-

ing for? So many of the speakers talked about school safety, but how exactly do they propose we achieve that?

We recognize that it can be scary to challenge authority and march out of the school building. But for the students who are truly passionate about ending gun violence, and who truly want to see something done at a local, state and national level to change the discourse for the future, that shouldn’t matter.

If we ever want to see change happen, we need to be the ones who take the bold step forward to truly challenge the norm.

Did Mary Beth Tinker care that she might get suspended from school for protesting the Vietnam War? Were the students who walked out of Boston public schools in 2016 to fight budget cuts afraid of being written up by their teachers? And were the 1,100 Chicago-area students fazed by their punishment of a one-hour detention for walking out on March 14 to call for an end to gun violence? No. Because in all of these examples, students made the choice that in order to provide for what they saw as a better future, direct action needed to be taken to change the shape of the discussion.

We’re not advocating breaking the rules, but there’s no doubt that activists could have been more courageous in their

beliefs. To spur progress and enact meaningful change, students must express their opinions without fear of polarization. This is what democracy looks like.

And of course, we understand the difficult position the walkout put the administration in. Whether they are in support of the movement, their number one priority is always to keep the students safe while they are at school. Allowing them to walk outside unsupervised clearly brings externalities that cannot be prevented. And while we commend the administration for working together with the organizers of the walkout to ensure a peaceful and safe event, we cannot help but find it almost ridiculous that a moment that could have been used to push for something much more clearly defined passed our school by.

So what if partisan politics would have created tension among the students? We are stronger when we can hear all sides of an argument and use them to create a more cohesive solution.

It’s not a walkout without tension. It’s not a walkout if no one knows exactly what they are walking out for. It’s not a walkout if you never actually walk out.

The editorial board of The Spoke voted unanimously in favor of this editorial.

The Great Escape of Mas Selamat

Ian Ong

Managing Editor

Guns are as American as apple pie.

Nowhere else in the world will you see a populous so engrossed in the act of explosively propelling a small hunk of metal through a tube. It’s ingrained within our culture: from the settlers to the cowboys to the soldiers, guns were and are synonymous with the American ideals of freedom, liberty and equality.

God created man, but Sam Colt made them equal.

But then came weapons that made some men more equal than others. The Parkland shooting was a chilling reminder of the destructive capacity of AR-15 style rifles, weapons of war that go beyond self-defense.

Guns may be symbols of freedom, but they are also the tools of tragedy.

Despite their destructive power, people still cling to having these types of weapons around. And it’s not because they’re going to be drafted anytime soon.

People choose to exercise their second amendment rights for ideological reasons. In colonial times, guns symbolized the right to rise up against tyranny and injustice. With just a twitch of the finger, people had the power to topple regimes. Today,

The Spoke is published seven times per year at Bartash Printing. It consistently receives a Gold rating from PSPA and CSPA, and it is a National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award-winning publication.

The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.

wielding a gun carries a similar meaning: people won’t have their rights taken away from them without a fight.

So here’s the million dollar question: how do we reconcile the symbolic value of a weapon with the actual tragedy it can cause? The solution to this problem lies not in politics, but in culture.

Enact all of the regulations you want — the fact is, if somebody has their sights set on hurting another person, they will find ways to do it. Consider knife attacks in Japan, or acid attacks in the UK. But in order to fully illustrate the power of the human resolve, I must first tell the tale of my alltime favorite extremist: Mas Selamat Kastari.

Who was he? A crazy wouldbe jihadist with a plan to fly a plane into Singapore’s Changi Airport. A bomb-building troublemaker with a distinct limp on his left leg. And, most notably of all, the hatcher of the perfect prison escape.

Mas Selamat’s escape from Singapore’s Whitley Road Detention Centre in February of 2008 shook the security-conscious country to its core. How could somebody escape from one of the most guarded prisons in one of the most crime-free countries in the world?

The answer is simple: by climbing through the bathroom vent and simply walking out.

Mas Selamat started preparing for his escape a month ahead, spending time to exercise and obtain information about the roads from his wife when she came to visit. She also

The SPOKE Staff Editors-in-Chief: Betty Ben Dor, Eric Xue Managing Editor: Ian Ong News Editor: Brooke Deasy Student Life Editors: Claire Guo, Justin Huang Opinion Editor: Audrey Kim Sports Editor: Avery Maslowsky Design Editor: Lyvia Yan Co-Web Editors: Elizabeth Billman, Jordan Liu

gave him packages of butter and extra clothing, which he started to stock up for the journey ahead.

On Feb. 27, Mas Selamat made a run for it during a bathroom break, and scrambled through a breach in the detention centre’s perimeter. He avoided capture by hiding under the Pan Island Expressway for five days, and then made his way to Woodlands in northern Singapore under the cover of a storm drain.

Now came the tricky part: swimming across the shark-infested Straits of Johor to freedom in Malaysia.

Mas Selamat swam for a mile before reaching Johor Bahru, keeping himself afloat with empty mineral water bottles. Reaching the shore in the early morning, he waited until daybreak Jennifer Lee/The SPOKE to walk 10 kilometers to Pelangi Plaza, board a bus and disappear without a trace.

Mas Selamat’s escape was an embarrassment for Singapore, a country in which security breaches are virtually unheard of. And yet, it’s almost inspirational how a 47-year-old man

Multimedia Editor: Neil Goldenthal Business Manager: Maddie Lamonica Staff Reporters: Dhivya Arasappan, Andrew Bucko, Aimee Buttenbaum, Emma Clarke, Henry Danon, Renato DiStefano, Matthew Fan, Reagan Gerrity, Tiffany He, Scott Hennessy, James P. Infortuna, Ananya Kulkarni, Jahnavi Rao, Sanjana Sanghani, Olivia Thompson, Melinda Xu,Warren Zhao Cartoonists: Kaitlyn Chen, Jennifer Lee Faculty Advisers: Susan Gregory, Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt

Just several months ago, as 2017 was drawing to a close, the Oxford English Dictionary announced its selection for word of the year: youthquake. Defining the noun as “a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people,” the organization explained that it had made this selection given its fivefold increase in usage from 2016.

And it’s true: we have seen examples of youthquakes all across the globe within the past year. Britain’s younger generation played a critical role in the general election this past summer, coming out in a big way in support of the Labour Party and its promises for reduced tuition fees and a higher minimum wage.

In Russia, a key component to the driving force of Alexei Navalny’s anti-corruption campaign has been the country’s teenagers. Their activism has reached new levels of urgency, spreading not only to towns all across the nation, but on social media as well. Even in Iran, where political oppression has long since reigned, we saw how the economic displeasure of the millennial generation resulted in heightened protests in December, nearly launching the country into a fullout revolution.

Now, the youthquake movement, which has been bubbling and brewing in America since the day President Donald Trump was elected to office, has finally seized control of our daily news cycles. In the days following the Feb. 14 tragic Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, America’s youngest political activists rose up with a fire. Teenagers from all across the nation walked out of school buildings, lobbied in front of politicians’ offices, called representatives, launched clubs and organizations and plastered their pleas to end the atrocities of gun violence across every platform of social media possible.

For once, something seems to be working. For with a limp on his left leg managed to escape from prison, evade trained guards and swim to freedom. It was over a year after he escaped that the Malaysian police finally found him in Kampung Tawakal, a quiet, obscure little village. Today, Mas Selamat is back in Singaporean custody, for the time being, anyway.

And this brings me back to my main point. If the entire Singaporean police force can’t catch a lame, middle-aged man, then what’s to say a weapon ban will be enough to stop mass murderers? It definitely wouldn’t have stopped Mas Selamat, that’s for sure. We must accept the fact that it is impossible to legislate behavior, especially in a country as large and diverse as the US. Rather than try to trim the ugly branches of the rotting tree that is the American gun culture, we must instead treat its roots.

The way to stop a crafty mind is not by imposing rules and regulations. It’s by chang-

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The Spoke accepts paid advertisements.

once, the youth found its way to America’s largest microphones. At a CNN town hall event, Republican Florida Senator Marco Rubio was grilled for hours by several of the shooting’s survivors as they demanded he use his position to make a change.

The teen survivors have met with President Trump, have given moving and impassioned speeches before crowds of thousands, and have even lay down on Pennsylvania Avenue to show the urgency of their plea.

This is what democracy looks like.

Our biggest advantage here in the United States is the fact that everyone, regardless of race, gender, or political ideology, has a voice. Finally, the younger generation has stepped up to show that even if we are not old enough to vote or participate in the legislative process, our voice matters and will shape the future. All across the globe, teenagers are realizing that if we want to break from the current trajectory, we have to be the ones that make the change, because no one else will.

From the mid-1900s, we have seen the importance of a politically active young generation, from the Freedom Riders of the civil rights movement to the zealous anti-Vietnam hippies. Change doesn’t happen while waiting for legislation to pass through the dust halls of Congress; it happens out on the streets and in our schools.

Which is why it is now more important than ever to strive for bipartisanship.

In a world where attempts at reform end up gridlocked in the fiercely polarized circles of politicians, we must become the role models to show our nation’s leaders how we can work together for the betterment of us all.

An issue so fundamentally important to us such as gun control shouldn’t have to be pushed through Congress on party lines. There is a compromise that can be reached to ensure people’s claim to the 2nd Amendment as well as create better overall safety with stricter gun regulations and background checks.

The youthquake has reached us, but time is running out on our moment in front of the cameras. What we do now to shape the national discourse on guns will define history forever.

We have a platform; let’s do something with it. ing the way these minds think in the first place. Of course, I’m not against the assault weapons ban. But for lasting change to take place in our society, we must instead alter the way we view the media, mental illness and parental duties. We don’t need to arm our teachers. Rather, we need to arm our students with the knowledge to handle sensationalized media and the ability to think clearly about the consequences of their actions.

In society, we must destroy our cultural taboos surrounding mental illness and get people the help they need, before it’s too late. In the household, we need to genuinely show our children that we care, and encourage them to take their eyes off the screen every once in a while and go outside. We need to build a culture of love and understanding, rather than one of oppression and fear.

We can stop the next Mas Selamat before he even exists in the first place.

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

9

Op/Ed

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Opinions on opinions: Examining the facts with others’ beliefs. Given the potential impact of accepting all facts as credible in the news, it is becoming increasingly important to be critical consumers of the media, looking for reliable sources and accurate reporting.

Over the summer, I remember talking to a fellow camper about the social and economic systems used by different nations. While attempting to counter his argument, I found myself doubting what evidence to point to and whether or not it really was true. All the information I had was what I learned in history class and recent news updates of the ongoing conflict between countries in eastern Europe. Wasn’t I, as an American, more inclined to trust in American media? Were the points on the other side of the argument credible as well?

How could I muffle my innate biases to try to give all sides of the story equal importance?

Dhivya Arasappan Columnist

More than ever, the world offers a rapidly increasing access to information from every angle, side, nook, and cranny. We don’t just get our news from one television show or radio report. Everyday, we check our feeds on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep updated on politics, our favorite celebrities and what our friends are posting.

But despite the connectivity that social media provides, a growing problem concerns the way we, as the next generation, form opinions and interact

Take the recent changes to the tax code or Trump’s new tariff on steel and aluminum.

Most consumers are not receiving news from the original, primary source or interpreting dozens of pages of policy lingo in these reports. Much of what we hear and read about has been written and analyzed by someone else, a person with their own opinions and biases.

Neither is the reality about tax codes or new tariffs so clear cut to be completely negative or positive. Yet discussion and debate on social media sites such as Reddit and Twitter don’t allow for a nuanced understandings of policy changes. And features such as Twitter’s 280-character limit can also hamper a thorough and complete explanation of information, allowing readers only one glimpse of a certain angle in an argument.

Data plays a large role in why we’re more likely to be convinced by a given argu-

ment. But it also has the power to be misused. What you read in your history textbook is often written from an American viewpoint, which may undermine or omit certain parts of history or the viewpoints of opposing groups. Historical data can perpetuate historical biases in regard to underrepresented minority groups and women.

When we watch Fox News or CNN, the stories that these stations feature and the angles they take are pieces of a larger story that reflects on differences in media sources. The same can be said of articles we find online, whether they are from Buzzfeed or The New York Times. We need to be aware of the purpose of the article and understand that it may deliberately emphasize or omit parts of the story.

By becoming media literate, we can more effectively use our knowledge to facilitate discourse and conversation.

With these tools we can mend an extremely divided population of Americans and change the political atmosphere for the better. We are in the position to guide the direction that America takes in the future and to do so it requires cooperation from each other. The consequences are real. Our society is already deeply politicized along party lines since the 2016 election and without cooperation or discourse, the gap will only grow wider.

We need to question the data and facts, and look at all sides of the argument. When we discuss controversial issues from gun control and abortion to immigration, we need to be aware of the facts in order to hold discussions with others. By questioning the research and checking both sides, or the multiple facets of the story, we can work together to solve problems, not only now as high schoolers, but as pillars of the future.

Report Card Senior Assassins + Stalking is now mainstream.

- Constant paranoia.

Walkout + Student unity.

- Not a real walkout.

Nor’easters + Went to bed early.

- Lost electricity.

2018 Oscars Q: What are your thoughts on receiving news from social media?

09

10

11

+ Armie Hammer.

- A romance between a fish and a woman won Best Picture. What next?

12

College Results

“

Social media provides a source of information of what’s happening in the world, but it can be destructive or inaccurate.

Andy Mei

““

Make sure to fact check your sources. (Social media) can be a good way of spreading information fast, but you have to be careful of what information you’re spreading.

Jane Castleman

“

It’s good that people are getting news, but I also think they need to know what they’re reading to differentiate what’s credible and what’s not.

Audrey Kim

Opinion Editor

We’ve all heard it: Conestoga is one of the best schools in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top school districts and public high schools nationwide on ranking and review sites such as Niche.com and US News, Conestoga performs above and beyond the national average.

What makes the school exceptional is not only the performance and support of parents, students and teachers, but the number of courses available to the student body. Students have multiple options to choose from: Conestoga offers all but six of College Board’s 37 AP classes, as well as a slew of other electives in various subjects.

But it is the diversity of options given, especially to upperclassmen, that forms a basis of the Conestoga experience, a component which may be undermined next year by the College and Career Transition class, a mandatory course for juniors.

College and Career Transition, which is to be instituted in the 2018-2019 school year, proposes to “enhance college and career readiness skills,” according to the Program of Studies. The course aims to explore career

highest number of National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists in the state.

But high achievement also comes with a deeply competitive environment, where it’s not uncommon to find students taking multiple AP classes and extracurriculars to prepare for college—a subject which is already addressed constantly by counselors and administration, from Naviance accounts to financial aid seminars. The course is an extra burden to an already busy student body. Many who were unaware of this class before course selection now have to rearrange and reconsider what courses we have to take next year.

While this course aims to teach future life skills to decrease stress and disorder in our lives, requiring another course for students will not solve a highly competitive environment built on years of academic pressure and expectations.

The intention to foster more awareness of the options and skills used after high school is well-meaning. But it Jennifer Lee/The SPOKE also comes at a risk and adding on an extra course of forcing students to drop classdoes not lead to less stress— es and credits that they would ironic, considering one of the be more interested in exploring. topics of the course is stress Why make it mandatory?

By encouraging the class for management.

As students, we work hard juniors or setting aside perito produce the gold star rating ods for counselors to speak to Conestoga holds, with the sup- students about post-secondary port of our parents and teachers. options, the administration Last year alone, we took more achieves the same effect which than 1,800 AP exams. The school does not inconvenience the stualso consistently produces the dent body. options and to cover topics such as digital citizenship, goal setting and time management.

The intention of the class is well-meaning. But students are now expected to make room in their schedule for a class that occurs two periods per cycle, canceling possible full-year courses or six-day electives that would better serve their growth and interests. The course also limits free periods that help ease the workload after school for students in time-intensive sports and extracurriculars.

Junior year is often called the busiest year of high school by both students and counselors,

“

I feel like social media is good at promoting news, but it shouldn’t be your only source of news.

Newspapers and magazines are generally more reliable.

Connor Fahey

Elizabeth Welker-Ebling

CCT: A Course-Crushing Time

+ Congratulations!

How to win Senior Assassins

- “Thank you for applying to...”

Fergie’s National Anthem + ...a new take on a classic song?

- Everything.

Jahnavi Rao Columnist

First things first, you have to realize this is the most important thing you will ever do.

Brother’s birthday? It’ll happen again next year. Sleeping before three in the morning?

Time is a construct. Your dignity and self-worth? Please.

Senior Assassins is and always will be the peak of your existence.

At its essence, Assassins is basically a game of seniors running up and down the Main Line trying to pour water on each other, and escaping by streaking naked down Route 252. It’s a long game of tag with water.

Here is my fool-proof plan for winning Assassins, from someone who knows everything about it, and definitely wasn’t too lazy to sign up for the game because she forgot when the deadline was.

1. Gain information on your target Go to a coffee shop where you know they will be, and accidentally bump into them, spilling some of your coffee on their shirt. Have the barista turn up the singer-songwriter love song inevitably playing in the back and start dabbing at

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

their shirt, with overly sincere apologies falling from your mouth. Offer to buy them a drink. Share the evening with them, discussing your interests until they fall deeply in love with you.

2. Assassinate Go on three dates with your target and tell them you want to elope with them. When they meet you at the designated church or place of worship, dump a bucket of water on them. Leave them in the dark with sopping shoes and a broken heart. Don’t forget to snap that selfie for the ‘Stoga Assassins Instagram!

3. Avoid Death Never leave your house.

Forget about school. Just stay home until the next round starts so your assassin can’t come near you, let alone kill you. If this isn’t possible because your parents or the law

doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation, find out who has your assassin, and guide them to follow the first two steps of this survival kit.

And that’s it! Remember, nothing is more important than the prize of becoming THE ‘Stoga Assassin, and it is totally worth hiding under a running car or getting naked in a parking lot to avoid the humiliation of death. Other tactics in the past have been, but are not limited to: hiding in people’s cars, crawling through mud, betraying friends and family, staying outside people’s houses for hours at a time, and so on.

That money you’ll get at the end will be more than enough to mend any relationships you may have ended, and hey, maybe it’ll pay your bail for public indecency while you’re at it.

Jennifer Lee/The SPOKE

10

Sports

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Wacky workouts: Gyms offer new ways to exercise Staff Reporters

Photo by Emma Clarke

Suspended upside down wrapped around strands of colorful silk, dancing in the water to electrifying music and centering one’s inner self in an extremely hot room are three ways Stoga students have been branching out from the run-ofthe-mill gym workout.

Sophomore Jennifer Miller has been attending an aerial yoga class at Pure Energy Studio in Paoli to complete her 30 hours for extended experience.

“Aerial yoga is like doing regular yoga poses but in the air on a hammock,” Miller said.

Rather than opting for a traditional workout experience

at the gym, on the treadmill or going on the elliptical, Miller believes that aerial yoga provides a fun as well as muscle strengthening workout. Throughout the class, the instruc-

additional health benefits. When suspended in the air, tension from the bones and muscles is released. The class also focuses on core strengthening, as one must hold themselves up in the air, all

t o r leads the group through multiple poses that vary in difficulty. Miller’s fa-

through center of

the their body.

“Aerial poses like hip hangs are good for breaking

vorite pose, the sacrum, is when one’s legs are wrapped around the silks in order to hang upside down.

Aerial yoga also has some

d ow n bad tissue that builds up over time,” Miller said.

While Miller uses this unique workout to fulfill hours for extended experience, other

students, such as sophomore Vanessa Schaefer, attend these alternative classes for pure joy.

Schaefer participates in hot yoga classes at Lifetime Fitness.

“Something very different from normal yoga is that it makes you sweat buckets and also your heart beats really fast,” Schaefer said.

These classes may seem as if they would be on the pricey side, but in reality, they are included with most gym ad studio memberships.

While Schaefer enjoys this 105-degree yoga class, sophomore Imani Alleyne opts to cool of in the pool during an Aqua Zumba session at the Upper Mainline YMCA. “The class starts by warming up with some arm stretches and other things to loosen

your muscles before you get in the pool,” Alleyne said.

Once in the pool, the instructor begins to play some pump-up music to get the energy flowing. The class then follows the instructor as they

“

I get to meet new people and it combines two of my favorite things: dancing and swimming.

Imani Alleyne

“

Aimee Buttenbaum and Emma Clarke

Sophomore

go through a series of dance moves. This consists of an abundance of moves such as lunges and jumping jacks com-

bined with dance moves such as the samba. Water resistance is a key part in this class as it offers another layer of difficulty.

“I love it because I get to meet new people and it combines two of my favorite things: dancing and swimming,” Alleyne said.

Aside from Aqua Zumba, The Y also offers other out of the ordinary water-based classes such as Aqua Fit, a hardcore conditioning workout, and Aqua Tai Chi, a variation on the ancient health practice from China.

Although running for a certain number of miles on the treadmill may seem like the best way to complete extended experience hours, these students have proven that there are also fun alternatives to the basic workout.

Girl power: Senior wrestler takes her place on boys’ team Design Editor

“I don’t like when people doubt me because when they doubt me it makes me want to do it even more.”

Senior Nabaa Alazawee is 106 pounds of fire. She needs to be, as the only female wrestler on the Conestoga boys wrestling team.

When Alazawee told people she was thinking about joining the wrestling team, they would say, “Hah, really.

You’re kidding right?”

With this echoing in her mind, Alazawee was even more determined to walk onto the mat. And, the process of getting on the team was as simple as that first step.

“There’s a wrestle-off process who will determine who the best person is for each weight class. For her, fortunately, she was the smallest one on the team and there was no one there to challenge, so she wrestled in the varsity line-up all year long,” Elicker said.

Traditionally a male-dominated sport, wrestling is now gaining popularity among females.

“Now probably it has appealed to more girls than historically. I think in generations past, not too many girls were encouraged to go out for

wrestling,” said Matthew Mckenzie, Vice President of the Conestoga Youth Wrestling Association (CYWA).

According to pa-wrestling. com, there are 22 female wrestlers out of a total of 1,328 males in the District 1 Area, which consists of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. The Conestoga Youth Wrestling Association is one of the local organizations that encourage female participation.

“

You measure how good a wrestler is by the drive and the movtivation they have on the mat.

Allen He

“

Lyvia Yan

Senior

“Our charter is really to support the sport because we really think it helps to develop character and sportsmanship and physical conditioning and maturity. Those are characters that I think are positive for both genders.” McKenzie said, “We really would try to do anything to support more (female) interest in wrestling.”

Alazawee first joined the Conestoga wrestling team as a manager last year. It was during the 2017-2018 season

Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

Standing proud: Senior Nabaa Alazawee poses in the ’Stoga wrestling room next to the big “C”. Alazawee joined the boys’ wrestling team just this year because of her dad’s legacy. As for her post-high school plan, she looks to join the military.

that she officially became a wrestler.

Her coach, Tom Elicker, said that “She’s the first (female wrestler) that I’m aware of in probably the history of the school.”

Despite being the only girl on the team, Alazawee was treated like any other wrestler.

“Anyone who drilled with her did it without a problem, and there were no complaints from either party. I think they embraced it, and she’s part of the (Conestoga) team,” Elicker said.

She did the same repetitions of workouts and was expected to show the same intensity as any other male on the team. During practice, they also practiced wrestling moves and Alazawee drilled with senior Allen He. “There definitely is a learning curve to wrestling with a girl because they’re not a guy, but I think it’s not because she’s a girl that it’s weird. It’s more that she’s a teammate and she’s new to the sport and as another teammate it’s your responsibility to help her out,” He said.

Her record is 3-16, but the three ‘wins’ were all forfeits because either the opposing team didn’t have someone in the lightweight class or there was an injury. Despite not formally winning, Alazawee keeps going.

“I don’t think you measure how good someone is by their record. I think you measure how good a wrestler is by the drive and the motivation they have on the mat,” He said.

Along with her teammates’ support, Alazawee credits her success to her family.

“They like defending themselves — that’s how we are and that’s how we’ll always be,” Alazawee said.

Alazawee’s family is as tough as she is. Her dad wrestled on the Conestoga team when he was a student, and her two older brothers, class of 2017 and 2016, serve in the military.

“My dad used to wrestle and he would like teach us (Alazawee and her brothers) moves. And, when I was the manager, I wanted to wrestle because I could use the wrestling skills in my career choice, which is probably going to be the military and the police force,” Alazawee said.

COMMITMENT CORNER School: Sewanee: The University of the South Grade: 12 Sport: Lacrosse Why Sewanee?

“I chose Sewanee because the coaches were welcoming, the campus has many outdoor opportunities and the academics are rigorous.”

Favorite ’Stoga Lacrosse Memory?

“When we won districts last year.”

Drew Mullen

Courtesy Nabaa Alazawee

Crunching the competition: Senior Nabaa Alazawee tackles her competitor in the meet against the Ridley Raiders. This season, Alazawee won three matches by forfeit. Alazawee will continue her athletic high school career with playing rugby in the spring.

One of her favorite memories is when her brother came back from being deployed in Japan to watch her match against Upper Darby.

“I didn’t win but I stayed in until the second period, and

he said he was proud of me so that made me happy,” Alazawee said.

It is this drive and motivation that pushes Alazawee pursue her interests in the face of adversity.

“Police, I want to do that.

Rugby, I want to do that. I don’t like when people doubt me. Everybody knows this, when they doubt me, I want to do it even more,” Alazawee said.

24-carat coaching: Diamond tackles ’Stoga football Avery Maslowsky Sports Editor

Hall of Fame, which honored his determination as a player in the ’90s and his work as a coach today.

“I had such a positive experience with football when I went here and having coached here for so many years I have seen so many great young men come through this program,” Diamond said. “I look forward to the positive influence I can have to help them achieve their goals. I know we are going to be prepared, work extremely hard, and make the experience special.”

But aside from the Hall of Fame, Diamond is recognized for his love of the game and his drive to achieve team goals.

“I think he will bring us back

to a point of success and consistency in every game and every week,” junior fullback Ryan Duffy said. “He’s a great motivator and he has hope in each and every player, no matter how good you are or how much experience you have.”

As for now, Diamond has one goal in mind for the upcoming season, and that is building back the team confidence.

“We have the players and ability to have a very success season this fall and I know myself and my coaching staff will be working diligently to have our players prepared to achieve their goals,” Diamond said.

20 years ago, Matt Diamond was named captain of the Conestoga football team and today he is named head coach.

For nine years, Diamond has played an influential role in the football program. For seven seasons he coached the freshmen team and for the other two he worked alongside Marquis Weeks as the assistant varsity coach, focusing his attention directly on the wide receivers and defensive backs. But following the 2017 football season, the head coach position became vacant.

According to athletic director Kevin Pechin, when it came time to fill the open position, Diamond fit the bill.

“What makes Conestoga athletics so special to me is I know the positive influence it can have for students. It helps build confidence, leadership ability, strong friendships, and work ethics that will carry over into so many aspects of their lives,” Diamond said.

“Matt is so invested in all sports Conestoga,” Pechin said.

“His football knowledge, organizational skills and passion towards CHS football are a few of the many qualities that made him qualified for the position.”

Football has always been part of Diamond’s life. According to PA Prep Live, while enrolled at Conestoga, he was not only football captain, but also awarded the first-team all area ranking as a defensive back and a quarterback. After high school, Diamond played football for Gettysburg College and started each game as a defensive back, receiving all Courtesey PA Prep Live league recognition his senior year.

Smiling wide: Teacher and coach Matt Diamond takes on the headIn the fall of 2017, he was coach position of the football team. He has coached the freshmen named into the T/E Old Timers team and assisted with the varsity team for nine years.

11

Sports

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

From the game to the give: Athletes volunteer for community Sports Editor

The Conestoga girls’ lacrosse team is known for winning, but not only on the field. Aside from it’s dedication to the game, they’re committed to making change through volunteering.

Charitable work as a team “promotes being a part of and giving back to our community,” said lacrosse defender Hailey Klinger. “It brings a sense of pride knowing that we are giving our time and effort to make someone else’s day better. As a team we get to see the impact of being a unified force and it translates onto the field and court.”

Klinger is also a member of the basketball team, which hosts youth clinics and a sneaker drive throughout its season.

Volunteering is a common practice among the sports teams

at Conestoga, but not always noticed by the fans. According to athletic director Kevin Pechin, every team sport at Conestoga partakes in some form of volunteering.

“Every program gives back to the people in this communi-

“

It makes me feel so proud that our kids are doing more than just their sport.

Kevin Pechin

“

Avery Maslowsky

Athletic Director

ty,” Pechin said. “When a team can give back to the community in the way that our teams do it just puts a good light on our athletic program, and it’s just the right thing to do.”

Volunteer efforts range from equipment and clothing drives to charity game play. Teams usually cater their projects to fit each sport. For example, both swim teams participate in Cure 4 Cam, a competitive relay between Conestoga and Radnor to raise money for childhood cancer, while the girls’ lacrosse team plays in the annual Katie Sampson Festival, a round robin of Main Line lacrosse teams to raise money and awareness for spinal cord injuries.

Other volunteer projects have nothing to do with the sport at all, like picking tomatillos and hot peppers at Pete’s Produce in West Chester for the Chester County Food Bank.

And according to junior field hockey defender Anna Mayock, who volunteers for the food bank each year with the rest of the team, picking produce is the core team-building element each season.

Courtesy Conestoga Field Hockey

Serving throught their sport: The Conestoga girls’ field hockey team poses around the Pete’s Produce truck filled with picked tomatoes, tomatillos and peppers. This past season, the team worked with Pete’s Produce in West Chester to donate to the Chester County Food Bank.

“(Volunteering) is a great way to get all of the girls united and back onto the same page before the season starts,” Mayock said. “Our bonding experiences

during volunteering ultimately help with our teamwork and chemistry on the field during games and practice.”

Pechin agrees.

“It makes me feel so proud that our kids are doing more than just their sport and they value their community and they want to participate,” Pechin said.

Try-oneer Pioneer: James P. Infortuna takes on curling James P. Infortuna Columnist

Not many people think about curling. Some even laugh at it.

Well, I decided to stop wondering what it was about and go and try it.

Early in my quest I discovered the Philadelphia curling club, which is just 2.5 miles from Stoga, in Paoli. It was there I meet Pam Stephani, who teaches curling at the club, and had a one on one lesson.

The first thing to note is the shoes. One shoe has rubber to grip to the ice and the other one has Teflon on the bottom, so you can slide. They’re on your left or you right depending on your dominant hand (for me, a right-handed person, the gripper was on my right foot and the Teflon shoe was on my left foot). However, I do not own a pair of curling shoes, so there were grippers I could slide over the shoes I was wearing, and the Teflon effect was achieved by wearing a little plastic bootie.

Once we were on the ice we

Andrew Bucko/The SPOKE

Slicing the stone: James P. Infortuna attempts the non-traditional sport of curling at the Philadelphia curling club as he throws a stone down the ice and begins sweeping. Infortuna was handed rubber attatchment for his shoe and was guided by the instructor Pam Stephani. As Infortuna will probably not continue this sport in the future, this experience will forever change his perspective on curling.

dove right in. I began by throwing stones down the ice. The difficulty, as I soon discovered, is not getting it down but being

accurate. A particular problem I had was over shooting the house.

The technique to throwing consists of pushing off a base and

sliding with the stone in a lunge position, then letting go. My issue was using my arm, even a little, which not only ended up

launching it out of bounds, but also ruining any accuracy my shot could have had.

The next topic to tackle was

sweeping. The skip is the person who calls when to sweep and what if any turn to put on the stone. Sweeping itself requires a lot of pressure to be put down on the ice with your broom since what it does is melt the ice slightly. After the stone is thrown the sweepers run along side it. One of the difficulties of sweeping is that you have to do it right in front of the stone for it to have an effect, but your broom can not touch it.

After getting the physical aspects under my belt Stephani, my curling guru, went into strategy. There are several considerations to be taken into account. You can use stones to move old stones forward, block other stones and to move enemy stones out of the house. There is a lot more they’re good for, but that’s all had time to learn. After an hour Stephani had another group to teach and I had homework to do.

Overall, curling is fun. I would recommend that you do it with a friend in tow to lend it a bit of levity and fun. Give it a go and see what you think.

Curling Glossary Stone

Granite rock with a concave base and a handle that slides across the ice Used to adjust the path and

Broom speed of the stone by exerting

Skip

Person who dictates the strategy of the team

House

The bullseye on either end of the ice

pressure on the ice

Hogline

The line on either end before the house the stone must cross to be in play Lyvia Yan/The SPOKE

SPORTS

The SPOKE

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Gliding into battle: The Conestoga varsity boys’ hockey team plays Downingtown East in the semifinals of the Flyers Cup. The boys lost 2-1 in overtime but won the Central League title for the first time in six years.

Boys ice hockey flies through the Flyers Cup Co-Web Editor

Gliding into battle amid chants from parents and supporters, the Pioneers rushed into battle, hoping to secure yet another victory. Rounding out the third quarter with a swift shot, Downingtown East was now tied with the Pioneers, moving the game into overtime.

Despite the best of their efforts, however, ’Stoga was unable to close out the game. On March 13, the varsity boys hockey team lost 2-1 to Downingtown East in the semifinals of the Flyers Cup, marking the end of one of the team’s most successful years.

The Flyers Cup, a state-wide hockey tournament named for the Philadelphia Flyers, consists of several schools throughout eastern PA and is split amongst three divisions: A, AA and AAA. Conestoga was seeded third in the AA division, which is reserved for

public schools with male populations above 675 students. The winner of the Flyers cup at each level then plays the corresponding winners at each level of the Penguins cup—an identical tournament with western PA teams.

Conestoga last won the Flyers Cup in the 2008 season, but suffered a close loss of 1-0 against Greater Latrobe High School, the winners of that year’s Penguin Cup. Nonetheless, head coach Mike Graves, who has coached the team since 2002, is immensely proud of the team’s feat.

“The team played amazing hockey through the playoffs. They were unified and played the best game we could have and just fell a little short,” Graves said. “I’m extremely proud of this group of young men.”

Starting off the tournament against Springford, the Pioneers swiftly moved to the next round with a 5-3 victory. In the quarterfinals, ’Stoga again defeated Parkland 7-3 to earn a spot in the

semifinals against Downingtown East, which were played at West Chester’s Iceline. There, the team suffered a 2-1 defeat in overtime.

Going into the game, the team had already lost to Downingtown East twice earlier this year, in the preseason and the Hicks Cup, an annual regional hockey tournament.

According to senior and varsity player Nathan Seifert, ’Stoga started the game cautiously.

“

The team played amazing hockey through the playoffs.

“

Jordan Liu

Mike Graves

Coach

“We went in with a defensive mindset, because we knew we needed to score a ton of goals against Downingtown (East),” Sei-

fert said. “They don’t make a lot of mistakes, so we had to capitalize when they did.”

Despite the loss, sophomore and varsity member Frank Konopasek emphasized the camaraderie throughout the season.

“We had a great team chemistry, and that was probably the biggest reason for our success,” Konopasek said. “We’re all friends, we’re a great team, and we all support each other on the bench. If you’re not a team, you can’t win.”

Beyond the Flyers Cup, this year’s regular season also marks one of the hockey team’s most successful. Despite battling several injuries and illnesses across the roster, ’Stoga ended the regular season with an overall record of 18-2 and clinched first place in the North division of the Central League.

From there, the team excelled in the playoffs, winning first place in the entire Central League with victories against Penncrest, Strath Haven and Haverford—a feat last achieved in 2012. While the 2012

Boys basketball dunks

Swim team strokes to states Avery Maslowsky Sports Editor

“Swimmers take your mark,” a tinny voice chirps over the loudspeakers. The row of suited-up athletes posture up on their starting blocks. They take deep breaths, anticipating the start.

BEEP. The electric chime sounds, and the swimmers are off. Sounds of cheering wash over the pool deck as the black capped athletes kick and stroke the pool into a white froth. The members of the ’Stoga Swim team freestyle their way to yet another victory.

Winning is a rather common occurrence on the `Stoga boys’ and girls’ swim teams.

Just this season, the boys’ team began with a win against

Malvern Prep, marking the first time in five years the Pioneers triumphed against the Friars. After the big win, the team went on to finish the Central League on top, with a record of 11-0-0 and the big championship title.

The next step to states for the Pioneers was on March 2 and 3, at the District One Swimming Championship.

At the event, the boys’ team took home 3rd place, securing the Pioneers a spot at the state competition. Within the district meet, junior Brendan Burns was named “Swimmer of the Meet” collecting two first place medals, setting a new LaSalle Pool and a District One record in the 100 butterfly.

Alongside Burns, swam seniors Oliver Brown, Evan Zhou and Arjun Rao in the 200 medley,

which won second place.

According to senior captain Kevin Ryle, the dynamics of the team so far in the race to states is rooted in their joint training.

“One of the biggest contributing factors is that we all train together. It really pushes us to work harder,” Ryle said. “Just seeing each other at practice every day, it definitely motivates me, because I need to keep up with my teammates.”

As for the girls, success this season came in a similar fashion to that of the boys. The girls ended their regular season with a first place trophy for the Central League.

Such relay dynamics were seen at the District One Championships as the girls placed sixth overall. At the event, the medley relay of juniors Alex Marlow and Sophia Poeta and

Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

Stroking to states: Senior Madison Ledwith swims the 100 butterfly at Radnor High School. Both the girls’ and boys’ swim teams ended their regular seasons with a record of 11-0-0 in the Central League, earning a Dstrict One championship spot and state championship spot.

Cameron, Konopasek and Sison joined the varsity hockey team as freshmen at Conestoga, but have roots in the game since their childhoods. Konopasek, who moved from the Czech Republic to study at Conestoga for his freshman year, has been playing since he was 3. With this skilled cohort of athletes rising through the ranks of the team, Graves is hopeful for the upcoming seasons.

“We’ve got a lot of seniors on the team this year that we’ll lose, but we’ll always rebuild and we’ve got a lot of talent moving forward,” Graves said.

Leaving the hockey team after four years of play, Seifert is optimistic for next year’s season.

“I have hope for next year.

I think players like Cameron, Konopasek and Sison are definitely some of the kids that are really going to help this team, and hopefully carry them on to win more Central League titles and a Flyers Cup,” Seifert said.

team was more defense-oriented, Graves cited this year’s strong offensive leadership as a key factor in their Central League win.

“It’s the best power play we’ve ever had. Our first forward line of Cameron, Konopasek, and (Jayden) Sison has been the best, most talented offensive unit I’ve ever had,” Graves said. “They’re phenomenal out there. No one can really match up against them.

You can’t stop them—you can only hope to contain them.”

Throughout the season, Graves noticed three particularly standout players: Cameron, Konopasek, and freshman Jayden Sison, whom Graves all credited with propelling the team to its regular season victory.

“They’re just amazingly gifted in all parts of their game,” Graves said. “Their skating is phenomenal, their hockey intelligence is phenomenal, their puck handling and shooting truly make it very difficult for the other teams to match up against.”

seniors Lauren Diehl and Madison Ledwith tied for fifth and broke the preexisting school record. In her own event, Ledwith placed second and third respectively also breaking a school record in the 100 butterfly event.

Poeta also placed second in the 100 backstroke.

And for both the boys’ and girls’ teams, the results of the PIAA State Championship Meet at Bucknell University, on March 14-15, did not disappoint, with the boys coming in fifth place overall and the girls in tenth. Conestoga earned 11 medals throughout the meet.

Burns earned two gold medals and two bronze and was awarded again “Swimmer of the Meet” after his performances in the 100 butterfly and the 100 backstroke. His two bronze medals were earned alongside the 200 medley relay of Brown, senior Owen Neuman and Zhou and the 400 freestyle relay of Brown, Neuman and Ryle. For the girls, Ledwith was the only one to receive a medal, ranking third in the 100 yard butterfly event.

After a season of winning for both the girls and the boys, Ledwith attributes the success and cohesiveness of each team directly to the respect and friendship of one another.

“Being more supportive of one another helped (the team unity) a lot,” Ledwith said. “In relays, it helps when you all know each other well-- you can help push each other in a relay, so getting closer as a team this year helped with that.”

competition in post season

Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

Laying the basket: Junior Evan Medley scores with a layup. The team beat North Penn on Feb. 23 in the Disitrct One playback game. The team lost the next game against Neshaminy, ending their chances at states.

SCORELINE G Basketball

W L T

• • •

16 9 0

B Basketball

• • •

16 10 0

Scores as of 3/19

G Hockey

• • •

0 14 0

B Hockey

• • •

21 5 0

G Squash

• • •

8 6 0

B Squash

• • •

Stay tuned this spring for scores from:

B Lax, G Lax, Softball, Baseball, Tennis, G Rubgy, B Rugby

10 3 0

G Swim

• • •

12 0 0

B Swim

• • •

12 0 0

Wrestling

• • •

17 4 0

Se is e un