The Spoke May 2012

Seniors share plans to travel abroad See p. 14

THE

Conestoga coaches talk about their teams See p. 20

Sp ke

CONESTOGA HIGH SCHOOL, BERWYN, PA

VOLUME 62 NO. 6

MAY 2, 2012

Students react to proposed teacher demotions

STOGANEWS.COM

Acceptance rates hit historic lows Suproteem Sarkar Staff Reporter

Photos: Luke Rafferty and Mary Turocy/The SPOKE

2008 ’Stoga grad Saketh Bhamidipati and juniors Surabhi Ghai, Connie Yang and Anu Garikipati prepare to speak before the school board at its April 23 meeting. More than 60 students attended the meeting to show their disapproval of proposed teacher demotions.

Laura Weiss Co-editor-in-chief Editor’s note: Despite Spoke policy, some staff were involved with this student action. None contributed to this report.

B

right colored signs bob above the crowd. Then they are pressed up against the windows, making a statement to those inside. The bright signs ask silently, “What’s up Doc?” At the Tredyffrin/Easttown School Board’s April 23 meeting at district offices, more than 63 students and 122 teachers, as well as 274 total community members, signed into the meeting. The main meeting room was standing room only, and the lobby, hallway and both overflow viewing rooms were all packed. The high attendance was in response to a proposed district budget strategy of demoting some of the district’s highest paid teachers.

See DEMOTIONS, p. 4

Junior Siavash Zamani, freshmen Liudas Panavas and Chris Doms and juniors Adam Whitaker and Michael Rycyzyn hold up posters they made to support teachers who face demotion.

For senior Saher Khan, going to college means more than just getting an education.

When she applied, Khan says she focused on a select number of schools because of their names and reputations, and was shocked when she found out that just two out of the nine colleges that she applied to sent her acceptance letters. She spent days soaking in the news, she says, before finally coming to terms with her situation.

“When I got my [results], my hopes just collapsed. It was so sudden,” Khan said. “I felt awful because I got rejected or waitlisted to all of my schools except for my safeties.

I was happy for all of my friends, since they got into their top few choices, but I couldn’t get over the fact that I didn’t.”

According to guidance department chair Misty Whelan, Khan’s experience is not unique. Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University and Princeton University—some colleges that Khan said she was rejected from—were three of the several private colleges that announced record low acceptance rates for this year’s graduating class.

Six of the eight Ivy League schools, with the exception of Brown University and Columbia University, had record low acceptance rates this year, averaging 9.7 percent.

Johns Hopkins, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northwestern University and Stanford University also announced record low rates.

Private college acceptance rates have “been trending this way for many years,” Whelan said. “Those of us who’ve been working in the field have seen this trending over time—we’ve seen these acceptance rates getting smaller and smaller.”

See COLLEGE, p. 3

PAGE 2 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

NEWS

stoganews .com “I’m really proud of how it went this year. I think all the dancers worked really hard. I loved how enthusiastic people were about it. Leaving [Piodanco] behind, I know that it will still be as successful as it was.”

Go online to see reports on the Shakespeare Festival at Immaculata University on May 24 and creative ways students ask each other to prom.

Senior Natalie Houck-Meloni on Piodanco’s April 13 annual showcase; full story on stoganews.com.

Check out photographs of the mock crash, Best Buddies talent show and girls’ lacrosse and softball teams.

Take a snapshot of this QR code with your smartphone camera to read a report on Good Morning Stoga’s field trip to the NATAS student television awards at Neumann University on April 26.

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

Pioneer posts: Upcoming in community The annual senior Snow Day in May is on May 4.

Members of the Class of 2012 are invited to attend the event to hear student musicians perform and relax on their last day of school before internship.

The Greater Philadelphia Cappies holds its annual gala at the Upper Darby Performing Arts Center on May 6. Conestoga is nominated for twelve awards.

AP exams begin on May 7 and continue until May 18. Students must report to their testing rooms by 7:45 for the morning exams and 11:45 for the afternoon exams.

Cell phones, food and drinks are not allowed in the testing area.

Peer Mediation hosts its annual Health Fair on May 25. The event features activities such as rock climbing, obstacle courses and sumo wrestling. Clubs are also invited to display information about their organizations.

Graduation practice is on June 4 at 10 a.m. Seniors are required to attend so they can learn the procedure for their graduation, which is held on the next day at 7 p.m.

Lavi Ben-Dor/The SPOKE

Area firefighters pry open a damaged car in a mock car crash on April 26. Local emergency response groups showed upperclassmen the consequences of driving under the influence.

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

PAGE 3 THE SPOKE

NEWS

Graduating class faces record low acceptance rates National acceptance rates:

12.3%

average acceptance rate for all colleges last year

5.9% accepted to Harvard

Continued from p. 1

Raising the bar Whelan said that one of the most significant factors contributing to lower acceptance rates this year is the higher number of applications per student. She said that upon receiving more applicants, colleges grow more selective in order to maintain a steady class size.

With higher applicant pools, colleges “are looking at things like ‘Has this student visited?’ or ‘Has this student shown genuine interest, or are they just using us as a backup school?’ and when students [fit these criteria, colleges] can see it,” Whelan said.

“They’re on to the tactic of ‘I’ll just tack on two or three other schools as a backup,’ and those students have had difficulty getting into those schools these days.”

Senior Andrew Sharo said he has experienced the impact of the rise in the applicant pool firsthand. After applying early to Princeton, he was deferred, but was later accepted in the spring. He said that he would have applied to Princeton regardless, but would not have applied to 12 other schools without the convenience of the Common Application.

“With the Common Application, it makes it a whole lot easier for people to apply to schools. You just click a button,” Sharo said. “Especially because it’s all online, that just makes it really easy.”

Assistant principal Kevin Fagan said that part of the reason that col-

Graphics: Suproteem Sarkar/The SPOKE

leges are facing more applicants this year is the recent financial crisis.

“Students and families, when they are applying to colleges, are casting broader nets and they are applying to more schools because they want to get the best financial package that they can,” Fagan said. “The result of that is colleges feel that because they’re getting far more applicants than they were just a few years ago, they can be a little bit pickier about who they admit.”

William Fitzsimmons, Harvard’s Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, said that another reason his school had a record low acceptance rate this year was the reinstatement of early action at Harvard, Princeton and the University of Virginia. He said the early action program left the college uncertain of how many students would ultimately accept admission, resulting in an even lower acceptance rate of 3.8 percent among regular decision applicants.

“We have always been conservative about the number of acceptances sent out at this time of year in order to avoid the possibility of overcrowding,” Fitzsimmons said in a statement.

“As always, we expect to use the waiting list, and in some recent years as many as 200 students have been admitted in May and June.”

Senior Kevin Liu said he believes an increasing interest in colleges is beneficial, but he also felt increased pressure when he was applying.

“It’s good in one regard that there [are] more students that are seeing the value of good education,” Liu said. “At the same time, though, it’s unfortunate having to compete with so many people.”

State of local schools Whelan said that despite increasing selectivity among a few schools, most colleges do not have single-digit acceptance rates and most local schools are not becoming significantly more selective.

Outside of private schools, admissions prospects are not as bleak. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, an organization that collects admissions data, the average acceptance rate for colleges last year was 65.5 percent.

West Chester University Senior Associate Director of Admissions Sarah Freed said in an interview that the public university, even though it is more selective than most colleges, has not witnessed lower acceptance rates this year. She said that despite the school’s 11 percent applicant pool increase, its acceptance rate has held relatively constant at 47 percent over the last few years, while the class size has increased by two percent.

Whelan said that Penn State, another public university, has also not seen much change in acceptance rates among Conestoga students.

Guidance counselor Jennifer Kratsa said that if acceptance rates continue to fall, underclassmen will face increasingly selective applications processes over the next few years.

To help combat this trend at Conestoga, Kratsa said the guidance department will talk to college admissions officers over the summer to find out why colleges are growing more selective and see how the department can help students’ chances of being accepted.

Moving on Senior David Xiang said that having to attend the University of Pittsburgh rather than MIT or the University of Pennsylvania, his schools of choice, was tough for him to adjust to at first. He said he had to reconsider his career choices, ultimately deciding to pursue pharmaceutical science instead of physics or chemistry.

“After I got [my results], I was happy that I got conditional acceptance into the University of Pittsburgh pharmacy school, but I am rather disappointed that I did not get into any of my top choice schools,” Xiang said. “If I were to get into MIT, I would probably go into physics.

If I had gone to Penn, I would have stuck with chemistry, not pharmacy.

But now that I [chose] Pitt, I’m pretty much set on pharmacy.”

Khan said that she has also adjusted to her results and is looking forward to attending Villanova University next year. She said that even though she did not get accepted into her top choices, she can still pursue a premedical program at Villanova and continue on her career path.

“Even though it doesn’t get much credit, Villanova is a good school,” Khan said. “And honestly, I think I’ll be happy there. I’m actually feeling kind of optimistic about it because I think I can do well there.”

Senior Ben Levin said he had a similar experience. After being deferred by Johns Hopkins, he said he ended up choosing Brandeis University after receiving an acceptance notification more than two weeks before the school sent out acceptances to most applicants. He said that even though the college was not his dream school, he is content to go there and thinks he will feel at home.

A college’s name “isn’t as important as it used to be,” Levin said. “If this was 20 or 30 years ago, it would make more of a difference, but [colleges also had] higher acceptance rates. But honestly, now I think it’s more how well you do in college than anything else.”

Senior James Brock said that although he has faced both acceptances and rejections this year, he believes the most important aspect of college is the education.

“More than anything, it’s about your attitude at college,” Brock said.

“It doesn’t matter if you get a lot of rejections or if you get a lot of acceptances. The top-tier schools are great, but there are people that are incredibly smart in almost every college in the country. What matters most is what you make of it.”

Suproteem Sarkar can be reached at ssarkar@stoganews.com.

PAGE 4 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

NEWS

Finding a voice: Students join district budget discussion Continued from p. 1 “We can get as mad as we want about teachers demotions but if we don’t [go to the board meetings] and express our views in the forum that they put out for us then nothing is really going to get accomplished,” said senior Kelsey Sheronas, who was one of 17 students to formally address the board at the meeting.

Many of the students in attendance were part of an organized Facebook event or group, titled “Protest the demotion of teachers at the school board meeting” and “School Board Rebellion” respectively. As of April 30, 263 students responded that they were attending the school board meeting, though not all went. Three hundred thirty-three people were members of the Facebook group. A change. org petition titled “T/E School Board should cancel proposition to demote teachers,” has 484 signatures.

“I was actually surprised because I didn’t think it would become as big an issue as it did but it really caught on,” said junior Anu Garikipati, who started the Facebook event.

Students also made a number of “What’s up Doc?” signs for the meeting, and distributed fliers at school with an unofficial and estimated list of teachers who could be demoted.

Garikipati, along with junior Karolis Panavas and freshman Robert Tang, lead most of the initiatives, but senior Nick Laganelli started the “School Board Rebellion” group.

Also at the meeting, ’Stoga parent David Levine donated $5,300 to the district for the 53 years that he, his wife and his children—one of whom is sophomore Noah Levine— have attended school in T/E. 2008 ’Stoga graduate Saketh Bhamidipati expressed his concern at the prospect of teacher demotions, explaining how physics teacher and PhD Robert DeSipio taught him advanced physics during his free periods.

School board president Karen Cruickshank was aware of the growing social media movement thanks to her son, freshman Nick Cruickshank.

She said that the level of student support against proposed teacher demotions shows what an impact T/E teachers have on their students.

“It was heartwarming, it was reaffirming, and for me all the more heartbreaking that we’re faced with this awful position of having to look at things like eliminating bussing or

teachers who have been around for a long time or specials or sports,” Cruickshank said. “These are all the things we’re looking at right now and none of it is good.”

Principal Amy Meisinger encourages students to continue to be informed.

“I’m pleased that [students] feel strongly about their own education and the quality of education,” Meisinger said. “I think it speaks to the quality of the schools here that they are willing to get involved and be active in voicing their opinions.”

Demotion reactions Teacher demotions, which would save the district a projected $640,000, have been the root of the social-media-fueled reaction by students.

“It’s one of the strategies that was put on the table and last year you may remember it was on the table as well,” Superintendent Dan Waters said. “And demotions were put in place for about eight TEEA members and the union came back to the board and offered—as you heard it [at the meeting]—pay reduction or pay delay for half a year in lieu of the board putting the demotions in place.”

T/E Education Association (TEEA) president Laura Whittaker declined to comment for this story, but union members distributed literature at last Monday’s meeting.

“In lieu of demotions, the Board should return to the bargaining table and join with us to help develop solutions to our financial issues while preserving the excellent educational program that we have all worked so hard to create,” the statement read.

Some students felt strongly that demoting teachers would harm the prestigious reputation that ’Stoga has, which attracts many families to T/E. “I feel that one of the things that makes this school the school that it is is the teachers that we have and I felt that the school board even considering that they might demote PhD teachers and high salary teachers would ruin the education for students in the future,” Garikipati said.

Learning environment Junior Connie Yang, who spoke at the meeting, said that she went to the school board meeting to understand why the board would propose teacher demotions.

Photos: Mary Turocy and Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

Top: Community member and TEEA teacher Wendy Prothero (right) reads remarks from TEEA president Laura Whittaker (far left). Whittaker was not permitted to speak at the meeting because she is not a T/E resident.

Bottom left: Freshman Antonio Alvarez (right) watches the video feed of the meeting in one of two overflow rooms.

Bottom right: School board president Karen Cruickshank listens to a student during the public comment period.

I learned “about what a tough position our school district is in financially right now,” she said. “Just from going to the meeting I definitely got to know the school board’s position more and I don’t think they’d take this step unless absolutely they had no other path to choose.”

Junior Joe Scuteri has been serving as a student representative on the school board for the past year, giving him a different view of the budget situation.

“Obviously I don’t want to see any of my teachers being demoted,” Scuteri said. But “I understood what the board was dealing with and that they were trying everything possible and that was probably one of their last resorts.”

According to Scuteri, now that students have gotten involved they should write legislators to back up what they said at the school board meeting. In recent years, the state has decreased its funding for education and passed laws limiting how much

a school board can raise taxes without public consent.

Staying involved As T/E moves into the final stages of its budget decisions, the student social media groups are still active.

Though students have voiced opinions on budget strategies in the past, many had not been to a school board meeting until last Monday.

“It just showed that if we don’t agree with things that the school board does we can express our disagreement and actually possibly make a change,” Yang said. “This has led us to cross that line and brought us together more.”

Cruickshank said that the school board has been trying to alert the public to T/E’s current financial crisis, which mirrors that of most districts across the state, for the past three years.

“I would continue to implore the students, the members of our community, our teachers, everybody to chip

in and help us find a solution for this problem,” Cruickshank said.

The board will discuss the budget strategy of teacher demotions at its May 7 Finance Committee meeting in a continued effort to alleviate a remaining deficit of $1.5 million and present the state with a balanced budget in June.

Freshman Peter Brown, who was a part of the social media movement, spoke at the meeting about how his German teacher and PhD Kevin Nerz has influenced him. As he spoke in German like Nerz taught him, Brown was brought to tears by the thought of his teacher being demoted.

“What we need to show as a group, to the school board, is that we care about what’s going on as a student body because it’s directly affecting us,” Brown said. “If there’s ever a time that students need to be involved with school board policy it’s now.”

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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

PAGE 5 THE SPOKE

NEWS

AP science teachers publish professional exam guides

Claire Moran Staff Reporter

Conestoga chemistry teacher Derrick Wood never thought that he would be a published author, but this year, he got the opportunity to see his name on his review book’s front cover.

Wood is one of a few Conestoga teachers who have written review books for Advanced Placement exams. Wood and fellow ’Stoga chemistry teacher Scott Best recently collaborated with Rita Gava, an AP Chemistry teacher from a New York high school, to write an AP review book called “AP Chemistry All Access.” Environmental science teacher Tim Ligget has also published AP review books since 2008. AP exam review books offer students tips and tricks for taking the exam, practice problems and answers and a review of information.

“The whole process was just fascinating—to go from literally a Word document where you’re just typing away to actually seeing it in print in a book,” Wood said.

After Wood won the Christopher

Columbus Fellowship Foundation’s Life Sciences Educator Award in June 2010, a publisher contacted him and asked him to write an AP Chemistry review book. Wood then brought his colleague Best into the project.

“It was fun almost going through and teaching things the way I teach it, to help others. [I liked being able to put my ideas] out there so we can actually not only help our students but help others,” Best said.

Teacher team Best and Wood divided up the writing responsibilities by content. Wood said that working with another teacher provided the necessary checks and balances for perfecting the review book.

“Dr. Best and I, we tried to collaborate as much as possible. We complemented one another very well with our skill sets,” Wood said.

The content “that he’s really good at teaching, I’m just okay at teaching. I feel that I can teach anything to any of my classes, but what are we the very best at teaching? We kind of split it up in terms of what our absolute strengths were.”

While Wood and Best worked to-

gether on their book, Ligget worked independently while writing his Environmental science review book.

He was selected to write due to his work grading and reading the Environmental Science exam. Ligget has since been involved with writing the AP Environmental Science review book “Cracking the AP Environmental Science Exam” for the Princeton Review. In 2008, Ligget was responsible for writing all of the practice test questions in the book. After the first edition, most of the work involved revising the previous year’s book.

“It’s nice to have your name published,” Ligget said. It’s also nice “that you really get an opportunity to go through all of this material and make sure that you’re teaching it right, so it does [serve as] a great double-check for me to make sure that I’m up to speed and up to date with everything.”

Junior Mary Kate Lyons, who takes AP Environmental Science with Ligget, said she found his review book to be extremely helpful in preparing for exams. She said that using the book helped her improve her scores on class tests.

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

Chemistry teachers Derrick Wood and Scott Best display their new AP review book. The pair wrote the book together along with another teacher.

“I thought the book was really informative. I now don’t study without it,” Lyons said.

Best said that review books are helpful, but the most important tool when studying for an AP exam is self-confidence.

“Trust your knowledge. You’ve prepared all year for the exam; you have confidence in your abilities,” Best said.

Claire Moran can be reached at cmoran@stoganews.com.

Community deals mixed reaction to Valley Forge Casino James Redmond Staff Reporter Two thousand five hundred parking spaces frame the shiny renovated building as a giant letter “V” stands watch over the flow of vehicles in and out of the parking lot at the new Valley Forge Casino.

The eleventh casino in Pennsylvania opened near the Valley Forge Convention Center on March 31, with 600 slot machines and 50 table games. The state’s gambling industry has taken off since the July 2004 legislature authorized 14 casinos within state borders. Pennsylvania’s March revenues have made it the second largest gambling market in the nation. Down the street from the King of Prussia Mall, the $150 million casino resort will be joining that market.

The casino’s arrival generated debate among community members. While some are concerned, Tom Ciccoli, a business owner in Upper Merion, the township in which the Valley Forge Casino resides, sees the establishment as beneficial to the community’s

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

The Valley Forge Casino opened on March 31. The casino does not generate tax revenue for the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District. economy. He believes that the project allowed for the renovation of a building that was falling into disrepair. Additionally, the casino has created an estimated 645 fulltime jobs.

“It’s nice to see money poured back into the community, into a building. In King of Prussia right now you have 25 percent of commercial real estate [standing]

empty,” Ciccoli said. “In this bad economy, it hires a lot of people.”

However, Upper Merion Fire Marshal John Waters said that the opinions of the township and its citizens never had the power to determine the ultimate fate of the casino, regardless of their validity.

“The township had no say as

to whether it could or could not go there. That was actually determined by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and their gaming commission,” Waters said.

“We did, however, I believe, hold a hearing about it to hear the concerns from various individuals within the community. And there were some who had some concerns.”

Profits earned from the casino are taxed by local and state governments. Despite its proximity to students at Conestoga and other T/E community members, the casino’s location on the edge of Upper Merion Township means tax money from the casino will not be going to the T/E district directly on the local government level.

Because they believe the casino will bring more problems than profit, some local residents do not welcome the new enterprise.

Senior Chloe Beltran was particularly put off by the potential effect that the casino could have on the historical environment of the nearby Valley Forge National Park.

“I think it definitely downplays the whole historical significance—

that the Valley Forge Park was here during the Revolutionary War, and that it’s such a big part of American history,” Beltran said.

Sophomore Eric Szpila did not share some of the concerns that had been raised regarding the casino’s possible effects on the community.

“I don’t think it’ll be a bad influence,” Szpila said. “I mean, there’s people that will gamble, and there’s people that won’t, and nothing that’s going to be in the environment is going to stop them. So that casino opening isn’t going to change their future.”

Some community members, such as Beltran, have strong views on gambling, but were unable to participate in local government decisions surrounding the casino since they are not Upper Merion residents.

“It’s just sad to see people using other people in a way—that they’re using chance to gain more money and then they lose it all,” Beltran said.

James Redmond can be reached at jredmond@stoganews.com.

PAGE 6 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

NEWS

‘Stoga cafeteria bypasses slime scare, sells safe beef Emily Klein & Patrick Nicholson Staff Reporters A gooey, pinkish paste has infiltrated the nation’s meat products.

Few people would want to find this substance in their lunch.

Pink slime, also known as lean finely textured beef (LFTB), has caused major controversy since early March. A mix of fat and beef, pink slime contains ammonium hydroxide, which is used to kill bacteria. While some question pink slime’s nutritional value, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its use in beef. According to district director of food and nutritional services David Preston, Conestoga students do not have to worry about LFTB. “We contacted all of our suppliers to determine if any of the products we received contained LFTB. We were confident that they did not, because we buy either 100 percent beef products or beef with either fruit or soy added,” Preston said.

Conestoga’s cafeteria gets its beef

products from Devault Foods, J.T.M. Food Group, AdvancePierre Foods, Silver Springs Farm and American Foods Group, all of which sent letters to the school earlier this year stating that they do not use LFTB in any of their products.

“Even though the process of using ammonia hydroxide to manufacture LFTB beef is approved by the USDA and has been proven to be wholesome and safe, AdvancePierre Foods made the decision not to purchase ammonia treated beef for use in our school products,” said AdvancePierre’s Vice President Don Feeler in his letter to schools.

Though Conestoga does not purchase beef products containing LFTB, the USDA has admitted to allowing some beef products that contain LFTB to enter school lunches.

However, Preston said that will soon change.

“The USDA has stated that going forward all beef products in schools will not include LFTB,” Preston said.

Although Conestoga’s cafeteria does not use pink slime in its meats,

Ammonia-soaked scraps are better than E.coli-infected scraps.

The ammonia hasn’t been proven to kill all of the bacteria.

Eldon Roth creator of lean, finely textured beef

Bettina Siegle blogger, petitioned against pink slime in schoool lunches

Graphic: Anisa Tavangar/The SPOKE

chef Jim Delecce said the meat likely has some kind of antibacterial agents.

“I can’t imagine any kind of food in this day and age that doesn’t have bacteria preventatives,” Delecce said.

According to Preston, the district continues to do all that it can to ensure food safety. Every three years, cafeteria managers are re-certified by the Chester County Health Department in order to be up-to-date on the latest protocols. The school communicates

LF make beef chea

with the USDA when it comes to recalls and “USDA alerts.”

In addition, “We receive an annual USDA investigation and two Chester County Health Department inspections per year,” Preston said.

Some students have in the past been concerned with the school’s food policies. Junior Sam Fisher, who buys lunch regularly, would appreciate more information on the food she eats in school.

“I would feel more confident about purchasing meat products here

[if I knew where they came from],” Fisher said. But “I’m still okay with purchasing school lunch.”

Sophomore Richard Bell is relieved to hear of the absence of LFTB in school lunches.

“You wonder what you’re eating each day at school, so now I know what exactly the ingredients are in the food that I eat. It’s very nice to know that. ” Bell said.

Emily Klein can be reached at eklein@stoganews.com.

District to rename ’Stoga gym Shwetha Sudhakar Staff Reporter In the future, as basketball players dribble across the shiny floors of the large gym, they may witness a new sight—the words “Gerry Gasser” painted on the floors.

The basketball court in the large gym will be renamed in honor of Gerry Gasser, who died on Dec. 20.

Gasser spent 37 years as a member of Conestoga’s athletic department before retiring in 1997.

After graduating from Tredyffrin/Easttown High School, now Conestoga High School, and attending Springfield College, Gasser returned to ’Stoga to teach Health and Physical Education and coach basketball and baseball. Gasser led the 1977-78 basketball team to the District I Championship before he became Assistant Principal and Athletic Director.

Former Athletic Director David Grace, along with former basketball coaches Ed Bialous and Peter Frederickson, proposed renaming the basketball court in Gasser’s honor.

“As soon as [we heard of his death] we tried to think of something to honor Gerry because he had given so much to the school,” Grace said.

“We kind of thought that the one best

way to honor him would be to name a basketball court after him.”

Sophomore varsity basketball player Zack Yonda said that the proposal is a good idea.

“It’s good to honor [Gasser] in that way,” Yonda said. “A lot of people go to basketball games, so they’ll be aware of his contribution to the school.”

Pictured above in a 1989 yearbook photo, Gerry Gasser spent 37 years as Conestoga’s athletic director.

The date for the renaming of the basketball court has not yet been determined, and plans for fundraising have not been finalized. A plaque may also be placed to inform visitors about Gasser’s legacy.

Renaming the court has been

approved as an exemption to district policy, which typically does not allow renaming structures. Athletic Director Patrick Boyle said that it was decided to rename the court in honor of Gasser’s commitment to Conestoga’s basketball team.

Gasser’s “ dedication and support of the students here at Conestoga is well known,” Boyle said. “He would actually follow his students once they graduated Conestoga and played in bigger leagues.”

Grace said that Gasser really had the foresight to expand the basketball program and the gym at a time when Conestoga’s program was small.

“He knew the basketball program would become bigger and worked to expand the gyms and locker rooms, being equal all the time,” Grace said.

“He said that ‘Whatever the boys are going to get, the girls are going to get.’”

Grace said that Gerry Gasser deserved to be honored because of his love for Conestoga and all of its sports.

“In his eyes there were no major or minor sports, no boys or girls sports,” Grace said. “They were all Conestoga sports.”

Shwetha Sudhakar can be reached at ssudhakar@stoganews.com.

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

PAGE 7 THE SPOKE

NEWS

Governor proposes cuts to statewide Keystone exams Patrick Nicholson Staff Reporter After years of discussion, Pennsylvania’s Keystone Exam plan is undergoing major changes.

Gov. Tom Corbett proposed several important changes to the Keystone Exams in his budget proposal in February. According to Richard Gusick, the school district’s director of curriculum, these changes will involve cutting most of the exams.

“The original plan would have eventually put in place ten Keystone Exams. The governor has recommended reducing that to three, and that would be Algebra I, Biology and Literature,” Gusick said.

These changes would involve the state government eliminating the planned World History Keystone Exam. Though recent changes to the social studies curriculum were influenced by the exam, Gusick said that the removal of the test will not warrant another change in Conestoga's curriculum.

World History teacher David Zimmerman agrees that the changes to the social studies curriculum are beneficial, with or without the Keystone Exam.

“The original purpose for the realignment of our curriculum is not there anymore,” Zimmerman said. However, “it had literally been more than 20 years in the high school since any changes had been made to the required social studies curriculum. I think it is good sometimes to shake it up and get a fresh look at everything.”

Freshman Robert Tang said he has enjoyed the World History course, regardless of whether it has a Keystone Exam. Tang said he did not like the idea of the Keystone Exams from the start, and that decreasing the number of exams is a good idea.

“We are already saturated with standardized tests, so it would be pointless to have more,” Tang said.

Freshman Liudas Panavas also believes that the original plan put too much weight on the exams within the overall course grade.

Original Proposal New Proposal Algebra I Literature Biology “We are already saturated with standardized tests, so it would be pointless to have more,” freshman Robert Tang said.

Math

Algebra I Algebra II Geometry

English

Social Studies

U.S. History World History Civics and Government

Literature English Composition

Science Biology Chemistry

work really hard in all my other classes and then messed up on the Keystone Exam, all my grades would be bad,” freshman Liudas Panavas said.

Graphic: Lavi Ben-Dor and Anisa Tavangar/The SPOKE

“It would [be unfair] because if I work really hard in all my other classes and then messed up on the Keystone Exam, all my grades would be bad,” Panavas said.

The new changes will also involve delaying the Keystone program for two years, which

means current freshmen at Conestoga will not have to take any Keystone Exams. According to Gusick, none of the recent changes are official yet.

“We will have to monitor whether the legislature will pay for the Keystone Exam, and whether or

not the governor is able to get the regulations changed that he will need to change in order to have the plan happen the way he announced it,” Gusick said.

Patrick Nicholson can be reached at pnicholson@stoganews.com.

Opinion WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

The Spoke is published seven times per year at Bartash Printing. It consistently receives the Gold Award from the Pennsylvania School Press Association and is a National School Press Association Pacemaker awardwinning publication. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.

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

Submissions The Spoke will print letters of general interest to the student body and community. Signed letters under 200 words may be submitted to Susan Houseman, Cynthia Hyatt, Mary Turocy or Laura Weiss. Unsigned editorials represent the views of The Spoke editorial board, and not necessarily those of the administration, student body, community or advertisers.

The opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of The Spoke.

Budget diplomacy

One last story

The Spoke applauds efforts to support teachers and learn about the district’s financial issues The recent school board meeting on April 23 was by far the best-attended meeting in recent memory. Observers packed the main meeting room and overflowed into the lobby through the double doors in the back of the room. Standing, sitting and lying down, they occupied every inch of floor space in the two overflow conference rooms and lined the hallway, where they listened silently to the proceedings next door.

The attendees were all hoping to see democracy in action, but many had a particular agenda in mind—criticizing the district’s proposal to demote some staff members for economic reasons, potentially those with the highest salaries. The meeting was educational for all parties: teachers and board members learned that more than 60 Conestoga students were willing to give up their Monday night to support their teachers, and the students learned invaluable lessons about the budget development process.

Students suggested raising property tax rates, which are lower than 93 percent of Pa. school districts, despite the fact that our district outperforms all but two of Pa.’s 500 districts on the annual PSSA tests. They asked the board to cut back on the constant purchase of brand-new— and often underused—technology, such as iPads and SmartBoards, and to instead consider cuts to other, less fundamental, areas of the district’s operations.

However, as more than a dozen students presented variations on these proposals during the public comment period, the board almost always had a quick response at hand. The board pointed out that it is not permitted to raise taxes

any more than a special Pa. “Act 1” percentage, approximately equal to the rate of inflation. For the 2012-13 budget, the district has already appealed to the state for exceptions and had them approved. Nevertheless, a gaping budget hole remains, even after the district has exhausted the legal limits of its taxing authority.

School board members also pointed out that technology initiatives are frequently funded by specific technology grants, or donated as gifts from groups such as Parent Teacher Organizations. They also recalled the vast list of budget cuts made over the last two years, encompassing 83 different strategies, from eliminating bottled water coolers and raising the parking permit fee, to reducing overtime for custodial staff and restructuring middle school special area classes.

The cuts have been so extensive that it’s virtually impossible to suggest an area where cuts have not been made already, sometimes more than once.

The meeting illustrated just how serious our district’s financial troubles are, and how the school board’s authority is limited by many factors beyond its control. Rather than feeling frustrated or intimidated by these uncomfortable facts, students should recognize that their participation in the budget process is needed now more than ever. They should continue to educate themselves and promote thoughtful discourse about how state and local governments affect our daily lives. Students started this protest for the sake of Conestoga’s teachers, but they should continue to learn about and act on their ideas for the sake of the entire Tredyffrin/Easttown community.

Contact Us Email: spoke@stoga.net Phone: 610-240-1046 The Spoke accepts paid advertisements.

Email hward@stoganews.com.

Visit The Spoke online at www.stoganews.com News Director: Lavi Ben-Dor lbendor@stoganews.com

From the Editor:

Yuki Hamada/The SPOKE

Laura Weiss Co-editor-in-chief In a chance combination worthy of Jay Leno’s “Headlines,” most kids grow up hearing fairytales by the unfortunately-named brothers Grimm. But once upon a time, the brothers Grimm never really wrote the stories—they traveled around Germany and collected them.

The fairytales that have blossomed into little girls’ dreams and Disney classics began as stories that fell on eager ears.

For the past four years I’ve been lucky enough to be one of the listeners, a member of the group that gets a rare glimpse into the areas of my classmates’ lives that I never would have otherwise gotten the chance to hear. I always took it as an honor, being welcomed into the triumph, struggle or problem that defined one of the people I walked by passively everyday as a distinct individual.

But when I call or awkwardly and overenthusiastically track down sources for a story, it isn’t uncommon that they don’t know why I would want to ask them questions specifically.

I sit down with them, at least seven questions prepared, ordered and buzzing to be asked, just like my freshman year news editor Seth Zweifler taught me. Then I listen and nod as I witness them realizing the strength of their story.

Our best stories are the ones we never knew we should tell. I’ve been able to interview great people, from an injured war veteran and Conestoga alumnus to a student who was harrassed online—and certain stories surprise you.

It’s not always our shining moments and huge victories that inspire us, make us who we are or are the stories that we are meant to tell.

I’ll never forget the passion in the voice of the girl who told me why she smokes, letting me into her world. It was her story to tell.

As I graduate, those stories will always be a part of my story as I move on. So I dare you.

Ask seven questions (Seth style) and listen to a story because it will take you farther than anything you could come up with alone. Like the brothers Grimm, lend an ear and allow what you hear to become a part of your own story.

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

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

PAGE 9 THE SPOKE

OP/ED

Moving on: Graduation brings brighter future

K.C. McConnell News Editor “This too shall pass.”

I heard this advice a few times throughout my life, usually from my mother or my father or another adult that had far more wisdom than I did. The advice held true during tough times and through my tears, my anxieties and my fears.

Time healed my wounds, and the clock turned forward, leaving the bad memories powerless. Everything ended.

It wasn’t until after my senior year flew by that I realized this advice applied to the good times as well as the bad.

As a freshman, Conestoga seemed to have hallways that expanded endlessly onward. Now I am starting to feel a bit cramped.

It may not be a tragedy of apocalyptic grandeur foretold by ancient

Mayans, but it is clear: the end is near. I am graduating.

I imagine that many of my fellow seniors are feeling the same melancholy mix of nostalgia and longing for a past that is still so close behind us. It seems like just yesterday we were only kids and the future seemed more like fantasy than anything else.

It is easy to be afraid. I can’t tell you that a kind world awaits you outside of Conestoga’s familiar glass doors, and neither can anybody else.

In a way, the naïveté fostered in some of us from the four years we spent inside these nurturing walls is both a blessing and a curse.

Unfortunately, the world outside of our school does not run on ’Stoga time, and most of your college professors are probably unaware that you’re accustomed to “’Stoga deadlines.”

Even those who are not graduating face striking changes. Juniors will need to start preparing for college applications, and current sophomores and freshmen can look forward to more rigorous school schedules and even more homework. Time is ticking forward for

all of us, forcing us to leave some things behind. Yet this is not the final sunset.

Life does go on. Looking ahead, the future is bright, despite what worries and doubts may currently cloud our foresight.

The past is behind us, and yes, high school has become our past.

We cannot keep looking in the rearview mirror. In order to remain strong in the face of uncertainty, we must keep our eyes on the horizon.

In other words, we must accept that high school is over.

I’m not saying that we should forget the past. I don’t believe that it is wise or even possible to wipe our memory clean of the last four years and all of the joy and pain they have brought us. However, it’s never good to hold onto things that have already passed us by.

Instead of feeling lost and confused about our future, we should be looking forward to things yet to come. Think that in just four short months, we will be moving into our own dorm rooms and meeting an entirely new group of classmates.

Many of us will be living without our parents for the first time ever. Even those who are soon

coming back to ’Stoga will be facing big changes—new classes and teachers will bring another set of challenges.

All of these things may sound daunting now, but we must realize that they are for the better. As scary as it may sound, now is the time to sink or swim.

To stay afloat, we need to let go of the unnecessary baggage. Make amends with your old friends and accept that it may be time to say goodbye. Prepare to leave Conestoga behind by understanding that what is done is done—there’s no time for going back. Now is not the time for regrets.

College is one of life’s only opportunities to start with a clean slate. It’ll be a bit scary, a lot of fun and completely different than anything we’ve ever experienced before.

If we can let go of our high school baggage, we’ll be able to enjoy college to its fullest and take in all that the future has to offer. And even if things are a bit hard at first, remember: that too shall pass.

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

Report Card Snow Day in May + Fun way for seniors to spend their last day at ’Stoga - Rain may dampen spirits

Junior Prom + Get to see the creative ways that people ask each other to prom - Dance floor can get a bit awkward

Spring Climate + Warmer weather and sunnier days - Pollen from plants means runny noses, itchy eyes and sneezing fits

Memorial Day + A time to celebrate since the weather’s nice and AP exams are finally over - Finals still linger on the horizon

Health Fair + Get to play games outdoors or simply lounge on the field with friends - Most activities and food cost money

Goodbye Seniors + Each grade gets to move up in the food chain

Yuki Hamada/The SPOKE

- Even though the seniors are leaving, the infectious disease of senoritis lingers in hallways

PAGE 10 THE SPOKE

Girls take lead in prom invitations

YingYing Shang Staff Reporter She rides up on a white horse, wearing a suit of shining armor.

She slays the dragon, conquers the army—or, in other words, she does the radical, the impossible, the socially unacceptable. She asks her prince to prom.

I grew up as a hopeless romantic, believing in the traditional romantic ideals of the noble and chivalrous prince fighting off dragons to rescue the princess. I dreamed of being the damsel in distress or Cinderella aided by a mysterious benefactor to flee the ballroom at midnight—and I assure you that every little girl has felt the same.

As I grew up, I began to question these ideals. As a Girl Scout, I learned the importance of leadership in women and girls, which contradicts

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

OP/ED

the image of a weakling princess.

Women now earn 57 percent of college undergraduate degrees, and their growing prominence has redefined the ideals of masculinity and femininity. As women achieve empowerment in the workplace, why can’t girls also take the lead in romantic relationships? Specifically, why can’t girls ask guys to prom?

Since the 1950s, when prom first attained popularity in mainstream American culture, certain prom traditions have persisted. Aside from the ill-fitted tuxedos and signature poses, prom also signifies a time when, once again, as in ancient times, girls are relegated the submissive role, confined to a simple “yes” or “no” answer.

In an era of growing gender equality, it seems silly that boys have weeks to work up the nerve and decide which girl they would like to ask, whereas girls have a grand total of two or three seconds to give an answer.

But here at Conestoga, we girls, juniors in particular, with prom less than two weeks away, have a choice whether or not to buy into the outdated and socially constructed ideal of the helpless female. Instead of setting the feminist movement back

50 years, girls should take the lead in romantic relationships, both in the battling of monsters and the acquisition of prom dates. Gender equality should prevail—not just in principle, but also in practice, and especially before prom.

You get what you fight for in life— and this applies for both sexes. Rather than weep passively for lack of their own fairy godmother, girls must take initiative in their own happy endings.

As our school year draws to a close, fear of rejection should not hold either gender back. In the end, we only regret the chances that we didn’t take, the questions we were too afraid to ask, and the dragons we waited for someone else to fight off.

It’s time for both genders to take the lead, to show “courage, confidence and character,” as we like to say in Girl Scouting. As the season for ball gowns and memorable nights sweeps around, don’t let your Cinderella fantasy or high school inhibitions prevent you from reaching out for the date or the prom night of your dreams.

YingYing Shang can be reached at yshang@stoganews.com.

“Would you ever ask a guy to prom?”

“girls, I love all the creative ways guys ask but if I liked someone enough, I would definitely ask him.”

-Freshman Sarah Whelan

“I really Yes, if he didn’t ask me first, and liked him.”

-Sophomore Emma Konopka

“and Yes, if I were interested in him he were interested in me.”

-Junior Juliana Suplee

“Even though it’s fun to get asked, we don’t always have to wait if we don’t want to. ”

-Senior Raven Dorsey

‘Bully’ documentary promotes action against bullying

Tracy Cook Senior Staff Reporter A week ago today, Tyler Lee Long would have celebrated his 20th birthday. But to his parents, he’ll always be 17. Tyler committed suicide in October 2009, and his story was one of five featured in a newly released documentary, “Bully.”

The film captures the stories of five students, Tyler, Kelby, Ja’Meya, Alex and Ty, each of whom encountered bullying on a regular basis at school.

The movie begins with Tyler’s father watching home videos of his son as a young child. His father describes Tyler as having an infectious laugh, but his mood turns serious when he says, “I think [Tyler] got to the point where enough was enough.”

The premise of “Bully” aims to help children before they reach that point. The film’s website, thebully-

Yuki Hamada/The SPOKE

project.com, declares that the movie “documents the responses of teachers and administrators to aggressive behaviors that defy ‘kids will be kids’ clichés.” It also encourages a movement among kids, parents and school administrators alike to challenge how our society handles bullying.

I encourage all students, teachers and administrators to see this movie because it has the potential to strike a chord in each of us, and collectively, we can elicit change to create a better school environment for everyone. The

movie teaches us that we must recognize and acknowledge that bullying isn’t just a student-to-student problem and that we must be proactive in fighting bullying and preventing instances like those in the movie, when many of the school administrators failed to help because of a lack of communication and understanding.

In most of the cases within “Bully,” the school administrators failed to address and actively pursue solutions on behalf of the victimized youth.

Sixteen-year-old Kelby even said that

some of her teachers participated in the bullying, singling her out because of her sexual orientation.

In another scene, parents of 12-year-old Alex confronted their son’s assistant principal about the torment he faced from kids on the school bus. Despite their pleas for a solution, the assistant principal swept the problem under the rug, retorting that the kids were “as good as gold.”

Segments such as these evoked the most emotion from viewers, because the juxtaposition of the attacks with the passive administrators highlighted the problem that sometimes bullying allegations are easily brushed aside.

The documentary-style film presents the story through example, not dialogue. The first-hand point of view evokes more emotion and compassion from viewers. Unlike other antibullying programs we have had in our school district, “Bully” transcends the barriers of age and status, emphasizing the reality and horrors of bullying in school and effectively speaks to students, parents, teachers and school administrators.

In T/E schools, through programs like Peer Mediation and the Conestoga Student Assistance Team

(CARE Team), we try to promote a bully-free atmosphere by addressing problems as they arise and working to prevent future issues. We should become more cognizant of the goals and actions of these programs, so that we may better contribute to their efforts and make progress in fighting bullying.

Although anti-bullying programs have already been established, members of the community should continue to stand against bullying so that tragedies like that of Tyler’s death are prevented.

What struck me most was the scene of 11-year-old Ty’s funeral and watching his parents “tuck him in, one last time.” Following his son’s funeral, Ty’s father began to share his son’s story with other students, starting a program called “Stand for the Silent,” which acknowledges the efforts of individuals against bullying. Together, they give meaning to individuals pledging to stand up to bullying, spreading the film’s final message—that “everything starts with one.”

Tracy Cook can be reached at tcook@stoganews.com.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

PAGE 11 THE SPOKE

OP/ED

Photography captures ’Stoga experience

Luke Rafferty Managing Editor

Maggie Chen for The SPOKE

To t h e Edi tor Dear Editor,

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

stoganews

.com

Go online to comment on our articles

I read the article about colleges using Turnitin (“Colleges pinpoint plagiarism with anti-cheating website,” p. 3) in the last issue of The Spoke and found it very refreshing. I think it is reasonable for college admissions officers to use Turnitin to screen applications. I mean, why not? If the applicants wish to show their true selves to the college admission office, then the least they can do is to write their own essays. An essay written by a hired pen only shows that a student is a snob, while a poorer essay written by a student can reveal genuine interests.

Granted, Turnitin.com may erroneously accuse a student of plagiarizing, but I think that the regulations mentioned by admissions director Carrie Marcinkevage ensure that such instances are prevented. So, just “look in thy heart, and write!”

Hao Yan Junior

Dear Editor, I’m writing to respond to the recent Op/Ed article by Heather Ward (“KOP Mall intimidates shoppers,” p. 10) in the Spoke’s March issue. Ward’s position that KOP’s scope creates an unmanageable shopping experience is something I can definitely relate to at times. King of Prussia is a formidable destination which can lead to difficulty navigating, frustration with crowds and more. But whether you’re looking to clothe, tweak, fashion, entertain, feed or accessorize yourself, no other mall can compete. I aim to see past its challenges and show enthusiasm for what KOP has to offer. How many can say they could stop at their local clothing store, yet encounter the likes of Burberry, Gucci, Tiffany, Neiman’s, Tourneau and Milanj Diamonds along the way? KOP’s top-notch selection makes it enjoyable and unique.

Ward cites online shopping as preferred to more bustling excursions at KOP, but my take is that online just doesn’t quite measure up. There is nothing like the energy of KOP to excite you with sales, sights, smells and sounds of people exchanging wealth in a pursuit towards better style as they walk down the runway known as life.

Brian Greco Sophomore

You may have seen my name in the photo credits of photographs in The Spoke over the past four years.

Or, you might recognize me as that guy who awkwardly stands on the sidelines at sports games taking photos.

I am a photographer, a pilot, a journalist, a traveler, a leader, a producer, a brother and a friend. Throughout my years at Conestoga, I have been fortunate to take advantage of every opportunity that has been tossed my way—inside and outside of school.

In the past three years alone, I’ve been to more than 100 Conestoga sporting events as a photographer. I have traveled across the state with the teams, proudly supporting Conestoga through wins, losses, rain and snow.

There’s something indescribably special about standing on the sidelines, watching teams play and hearing the noise of my classmates cheering behind me. I feel like I owe these teams a thank you, for the experiences they’ve given me, and the lessons of camaraderie and dedication they’ve taught me.

I have been fortunate enough to get involved beyond the school community through opportunities offered to me at Conestoga. I have attended multiple concerts and events for The Spoke. From the second day of my Spoke career, when I photographed President Obama, to covering Taylor Swift and John Mayer in concert this past summer, I’ve experienced countless things that I would have otherwise never been exposed to.

Thanks to teachers I met, I joined the local fire company as staff photographer, got published in national newspapers and reached out further than I ever thought possible.

Conestoga has taught me to be motivated, and has given me the skills and opportunities to achieve my goals and surpass my own expectations. Although its deadlines might be flexible, Conestoga has done a fantastic job of giving me opportunities to experience the real world. I’ve been able to be

part of my community in my own way, using my niche to get involved and explore this world.

As I prepare to graduate in 32 days, I’ve begun to look back at the past four years, and at the friendships I’ve made and the experiences I’ve had. When I travel to other schools, I always feel like there’s something missing. Other communities just aren’t the same, and the schools lack something that we have. Years later, I still haven’t found what it is that makes us so unique, but I know that Conestoga is different, and we all need to appreciate that.

As a photographer, I’ve had my fair share of awkward photo shoots, asking teachers to pose a certain way, or showing up at someone’s house to take pictures of their garage band or fashion studio. Yes, the job is embarrassing at times, like when you get hit by a soccer ball, interrupt an entire class to pull a student out for a photo or run around the field during the Homecoming pep rally, just to get pictures of Dr. Best stuffing his face with pie.

But, as embarrassing as these experiences may have been, I wouldn’t trade them for the world. They were funny, enlightening and unique—I don’t know the next time I’ll accidentally bump into CNN’s tripod during a presidential press conference, causing the camera to shake and broadcasting a miniature “earthquake” to viewers across the country.

These experiences have defined my high school career, and I have gained invaluable lessons from them.

I learned to laugh at myself, as well as to appreciate everything we have here. The students I’ve met at Conestoga made me realize that our student body is, well, awesome. I think it’s easy to forget just how incredible the students of Conestoga are.

Believe it or not, these four years go by quickly. Make sure you get involved. Everyone has his story, and everyone has one thing that separates him from everyone else. Just when I think I’ve seen it all, I get assigned to photograph someone else who amazes me and reminds me that the hidden talent in this school is endless.

That is my favorite part of this job.

So please, take advantage of this atmosphere while you have it, and be the next person that makes me stop and click.

Luke Rafferty can be reached at lrafferty@stoganews.com.

Andrew Connors Senior Emily Shertzer, an oboist, was the only Conestoga student to qualify for and attend the All-State Wind Ensemble from April 18-21, and she was the principle second oboe in the ensemble. She said the experience positively impacted her and her musical skills.

Anja Hencken

Senior Anja Hencken, a member of the Voices Speech and Debate team, competed in the state championship on March 23-24. She received a first place award in radio announcing, making her the first Conestoga student to win a state-level event.

Hencken said that participating in and winning the competition sparked her interest in the field, motivating her to continue studying it in college.

“It improved my playing a lot, because when you’re playing in a group it’s different than just practicing by yourself, so I became better at working in a group—listening to other people, trying to tune to them,” she said. “It made me feel good, and it was also cool because since there was no one there I could hang out with next year whom I knew, I met a lot of people that I wouldn’t have met before. It felt really cool to be in a group of really good musicians, because it’s something different than every day.”

Emily Shertzer

Senior Andrew Connors was the captain of the boys’ soccer team when it won its first state championship 1-0 over Upper St. Clair on Nov. 19, the team’s first state title since 1988. He said being able to take part in such a high-stakes game positively impacted him.

“It feels great [to be a state champion]--it’s a once-ina-lifetime opportunity that not many kids get to experience, so it’s nice to have. It taught me how to cope with big pressure, [and] I gained experience in leadership and a lot of exposure to big games and more people. As my last year, being captain, it was a nice way to end my senior year.”

“It’s an honor, and I’m proud to represent Conestoga. It was a very exciting experience. I learned more about radio announcing, and now I’m considering broadcasting as a second major in college.”

Ice cream in Chem class: one of the more exciting labs, making your own frozen creation is a memorable and delicious experience. Be sure to follow the procedure to avoid ending up with a semi-frozen ball of goop.

Life ’Stoga

Psych egg babies: psychology students are easy to spot when carefully transporting their eggs from class to class to simulate the trials of parenthood.

Chess club meetings are a great opportunity for chess players of all levels to enjoy food, friends and a chance to see the chess team in action.

Don’t forget to get jelly beans at the nurses’ office; just remember to say “thank you.”

Andrew Connors Senior Emily Shertzer, an oboist, was the only Conestoga student to qualify for and attend the All-State Wind Ensemble from April 18-21, and she was the principle second oboe in the ensemble. She said the experience positively impacted her and her musical skills.

Anja Hencken

Senior Anja Hencken, a member of the Voices Speech and Debate team, competed in the state championship on March 23-24. She received a first place award in radio announcing, making her the first Conestoga student to win a state-level event.

Hencken said that participating in and winning the competition sparked her interest in the field, motivating her to continue studying it in college.

“It improved my playing a lot, because when you’re playing in a group it’s different than just practicing by yourself, so I became better at working in a group—listening to other people, trying to tune to them,” she said. “It made me feel good, and it was also cool because since there was no one there I could hang out with next year whom I knew, I met a lot of people that I wouldn’t have met before. It felt really cool to be in a group of really good musicians, because it’s something different than every day.”

Emily Shertzer

Senior Andrew Connors was the captain of the boys’ soccer team when it won its first state championship 1-0 over Upper St. Clair on Nov. 19, the team’s first state title since 1988. He said being able to take part in such a high-stakes game positively impacted him.

“It feels great [to be a state champion]--it’s a once-ina-lifetime opportunity that not many kids get to experience, so it’s nice to have. It taught me how to cope with big pressure, [and] I gained experience in leadership and a lot of exposure to big games and more people. As my last year, being captain, it was a nice way to end my senior year.”

“It’s an honor, and I’m proud to represent Conestoga. It was a very exciting experience. I learned more about radio announcing, and now I’m considering broadcasting as a second major in college.”

Ice cream in Chem class: one of the more exciting labs, making your own frozen creation is a memorable and delicious experience. Be sure to follow the procedure to avoid ending up with a semi-frozen ball of goop.

Life ’Stoga

Psych egg babies: psychology students are easy to spot when carefully transporting their eggs from class to class to simulate the trials of parenthood.

Chess club meetings are a great opportunity for chess players of all levels to enjoy food, friends and a chance to see the chess team in action.

Don’t forget to get jelly beans at the nurses’ office; just remember to say “thank you.”

Features WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

Around the world in 24 days Seniors opt to spend internship abroad David Kramer Staff Reporter Unlike most students, seniors Ling Zhou, Stephen Shickel and Dana Bronzino’s packing lists for their internships look very similar to their summer vacation packing lists.

Senior Ling Zhou is traveling to Australia to intern at a private hospital in Melbourne. She will be there for the rest of May working with an ultrasound specialist. Aside from learning about the medical side of the hospital, Zhou plans to research the public and private health sector available in Australia.

“I think that it gives you an entirely new experience,” Zhou said.

“I think it’s really good because it gives you a fresh perspective on things, but it’s also just a great opportunity to take to be out of the country and experience new things.”

Seniors can take advantage of the Senior Internship Program as long as they are passing their classes and have an up-to-date disciplinary record. Some students choose to make their internship a truly unforgettable experience by spending their last month as a high school student in a foreign country.

Ling Zhou

A GlobalTradition:

“We encourage seniors to take advantage of this program and do something that really interests them because we have kids who have been hired by their sponsors,” said Senior Internship Program counselor Pattie Littlewood. “We have kids who have even been hired after college because of the connections that they made as a senior intern.”

Senior Stephen Shickel will be interning at Rotwild Bike Company in Frankfurt, Germany. He learned about this opportunity through his mom’s friend from work and will be staying there for 20 days.

“I want to travel to different places and see new things,” Shickel said.

“It’s different than just working at school. It’s outside of the box.”

Pursuing a career as a teacher, senior Dana Bronzino will be going to Cordoba, Argentina for four weeks.

She will be assisting an English teacher while enjoying the beautiful landscape of South America.

“I guess what I’m looking forward to most is really bonding with my host family and getting a feel for the community that they have there and interacting with the students,” Bronzino said.

2010 Stoga Alumnus Sebi Rolotti traveled to India for his senior internship.

Conestoga graduate Sebi Rolotti will never forget the time a monkey landed on his table and stole his soda while he was having lunch with his uncle at the Taj Mahal in India.

Rolotti and his uncle, Carlos Jimeno, traveled across India for three weeks for his senior internship. He would explore a city all day, get on a train at 9 p.m. and start exploring a new city by 6 a.m. the next day.

“It was a way for me to see the world, to see things outside of what I was familiar with,” Rolotti said.

Although he had no specific job in India, Rolotti was able to take the trip as his internship because of the cultural value it provided.

With a huge interest in Indian culture, Rolotti experienced first hand what it is like to live in an entirely different world.

“The more exposure you have to things that are different to your upbringing, the better prepared you are to deal with differences, which are what living in the world is all about.”

Rolotti feels the trip was beneficial in many ways. He had the opportunity to explore Indian cities and learn about their way of life. He even made some friends whom he still contacts via Facebook.

“We were very similar in certain ways, but still we are worlds apart,” Rolotti said. “Seeing other people’s perspectives and having them relate to you was amazing.”

David Kramer can be reached at dkramer@stoganews.com.

Dana Bronzino

Stephen Shickel

Photos: Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE Graphics: Margot Field/The SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

PAGE 15 THE SPOKE

FEATURES

En garde: Student fencers fight with fancy footwork

Kelly Benning Staff Reporter Meet Gail, Kira, Zadiq and Damien. They are tall and slender, and each have a different personality.

They are not people, but sophomore Bridget Marturano’s prized collection of fencing sabres.

“My sabres are kind of like my friends,” Marturano said. “Every weapon is kind of different just because the blades are all balanced differently. There are some people who will spend hours looking at all the different blades to find the perfect one.”

The epee, the foil and the sabre are the three types of weapons used for fencing. Each one has its own set of rules about how points are scored.

At a typical fencing competition, the fencers compete against everyone within their pool, usually to five touches, and then all of the competitors are arranged into a bracket. Once the bracket has been made, direct elimination begins and fencers compete until everyone but the victor remains.

Because sabreurs, or fencers who use sabres, can strike their opponent

with the edge of the blade, unlike with the foil and epee, sabre fencing has a much faster pace.

“With the foil you can only hit on the torso and you hit with the point,” Marturano said. “With an epee you can hit anywhere on the body with the point. With the sabre, the target is anywhere and you can cut with the edge.”

Marturano has gone to competitions such as the North American Cup and the more exclusive Summer Nationals competition for which fencers must qualify. Marturano has participated in the Summer Nationals every year since she was in fifth grade.

Junior Dhananjay Bhaskar also participates in competitions on a monthly basis.

“Most recently I went to one in Cincinnati and then earlier this year I went to Salt Lake City,” Bhaskar said.

“I’ve been able to go to a bunch of different places around the country.”

Bhaskar trains at the Fencing Academy of South Jersey in Cherry Hill every Saturday. He also travels to their location in northern New Jersey on Fridays and has recently begun weekly training with the Princeton University fencing coach.

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

Fencing coach Kathy Petiss and junior Hao Yan of the Fencing Club practice in the cafeteria after school on Tuesdays until 4 p.m. Beginners are welcome to attend and no prior experience is necessary to join.

Bhaskar is a member of Conestoga’s fencing club which meets on Tuesdays in the cafeteria with fencing coach Kathy Petiss. Because he is one of the more experienced fencers, Bhaskar often teachers other members and helps them improve their technique.

“Usually we warm up, stretch, work on footwork, then we put on all

the gear and then I’ll set up the electric strip,” Bhaskar said.

The electric strip is a score-keeping device that helps the fencers determine who was hit first.

Bhaskar hopes to continue his hobby in college. He would not be the first of his family to fence for a college team.

“One of my brothers actually

ended up walking on to the Princeton fencing team as an unranked fencer.

To be unranked and on the Princeton fencing team never happens but he made it there and actually got really good,” Bhaskar said. “He’s a big inspiration for me.”

Kelly Benning can be reached at kbenning@stoganews.com.

United by generosity, students reach out to community Allison Kozeracki & Noah Levine Copy Editor & Staff Reporter The Student United Way club at Conestoga is one of the first of its kind. This year, it became one of only three high school Student

United Way clubs in the nation, working in tandem with United Way Worldwide on fundraising and community service projects.

As a global organization, United Way works to promote education, income stability and healthy living. President and sophomore

POKE Courtesy Maggie Flanagan

The Student United Way club collected playground equipment for United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania’s “Kick It Up for Recess” drive in January.

Andrew Utter founded the club to engage the Conestoga community in meeting these objectives and to foster a life-long passion for community service.

“Conestoga High School is an extremely gifted school with many opportunities for students to get involved. However, there really [was not] a current club that students [could] continue through college,” Utter said.

The club was recognized at a school board meeting on March 26 for its contributions to the “Kick It Up for Recess” drive that was held in January. For the drive, Student United Way facilitated the collection of new and used playground equipment for Philadelphia area schools.

“After collecting sports equipment at Conestoga, T/E Middle School and Valley Forge Middle School for less than a week, the collections [amounted to] much more than expected,” said English teacher Patrick Gately, who sponsors the club along with wife and English teacher Karen Gately.

Many members have volunteered at the Coordinated Homeless

Outreach Center in Norristown, serving lunch and assisting with necessary repairs and cleanup.

“We got a feel of how different it is from our life—to see how people can go from [living one life] to that extreme of not having anything,” community service officer sophomore Meghan Connors said.

As president, Utter communicates regularly with Maggie Flanagan, a coordinator of civic engagement for United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania. According to Flanagan, United Way is just beginning to work to implement United Way Clubs at high schools like Conestoga, following the success of Student United Way (SUW) at the college level.

“Our goal is for students to be more aware of issues affecting their communities and start to contribute at a young age to build a better community,” Flanagan said.

As the club’s local United Way adviser, Flanagan provides advice and guidance in connecting members of ’Stoga’s SUW to the community. Flanagan said

that although United Way’s collaboration with high schools is only in its preliminary stages, the organization has high hopes for the future of high school United Way clubs.

“We have had much success on the campuses of colleges and universities and hope to expand our reach into high schools too,” Flanagan said.

Patrick Gately said he is proud to sponsor such a worthy cause.

“The [club] is just beginning to reach out to high schools, and I am proud that Conestoga is leading the way,” he said.

Flanagan said that she would like to see the club establish more long-term relationships with local organizations in addition to the on-going relationship the club is building with Coordinated Homeless Outreach Center.

“Ultimately, the goal is to create positive change and make lasting community impact through giving, advocating and volunteering,” Flanagan said.

Allison Kozeracki can be reached at akozeracki@stoganews.com.

PAGE 16 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

FEATURES

‘Toe shoes’ provide comfort, support and style Matt McAleer Guest Reporter Senior Scott Williams walks down the hall and everyone stares.

But he doesn’t care; he knows he looks good. He feels good, too. He’s wearing a pair of the most comfortable shoes on the market. They might also be the strangest.

The Vibram Five Fingers fad has made its way across the country, through mainstream media and into the halls of Conestoga. More commonly known as “toe shoes,” among students, Vibram Five Fingers are lightweight and colorful shoes that barely feel like a shoes at all.

“They are one of the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. They give support and flexibility, allowing for a wide range of activity,” Williams said.

Vibram developed this innovative new shoe specifically to improve running form. Wearing toe shoes provides the sensation of running barefoot while maintaining just the right amount of support.

Although toe shoes have only been present in the American market for the past few years, split toe shoes have been around for centuries,

most prevalently in Japanese culture where they are known as “Jika Tabi.”

They are mainly worn by performers and entertainers as traditional attire during festivals and musical celebrations. It is believed that by separating the big toe from the others, the shoes offer better grip and greater stability.

Toe shoes recently entered the American markets and have since made their debut at Conestoga. Senior Adam Goins proudly wears his pair of toe shoes on a regular basis.

“They’re great comfortable shoes that you can wear for pretty much anything,” Goins said. “They look pretty cool [too].”

Toe shoes can be purchased online or in stores. They come in over ten different colors and designs.

The prices range from $80 to $120.

Although the price tag is high, students agree that they are well worth the money.

Toe shoes are often worn by professional athletes, who find them especially appealing as a way to return the foot to a more natural stride, which is thought to increase foot strength and reduce the risk of injuries. They are also popular among people who participate in

Noah Levine/The SPOKE

Junior Phil Mack wears his Vibram Five Fingers during outdoor activities, such as hiking. Vibram Five Fingers, commonly known as toe shoes, are designed to increase foot strength and reduce the risk of injuries. water activities such as surfing, snorkeling, and scuba diving.

Junior Phil Mack enjoys wearing his toe shoes while hiking.

They are “supposed to develop muscles that you don’t develop when you wear regular shoes,” Mack said.

Although Mack thinks toe shoes are a great way to improve his running, he also likes to wear them during non-athletic activities and finds them to be very versatile shoes.

“I wear them more in the summer because they’re kind of like sandals and they’re more comfortable,”

Mack said. “It’s like walking around in socks. It feels very natural.”

Staff Reporter Aly Mingione contributed to this report.

Aly Mingione can be reached at amingione@stoganews.com.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

Lauren Nordsiek World Literature and American Literature Interview by Natalie West, Features Editor, photo by Lavi Ben-Dor, Convergence Editor The Spoke (T.S.): What inspired you to be an English teacher?

Lauren Nordsiek (L.N.): My love of literature. After high school and college, I didn’t want to stop discussing literature every day. The obvious choice was to follow my passion.

the spark and was part of the reason I became a teacher.

T.S.: If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

L.N.: I think it would be interesting to write a book that explores the type of literature that has become popular in the last decade or so after 9/11 and the recession. As a society, we seem focused on “doom and gloom” and that appears in the literature we read.

T.S.: If you could have dinner with any three people, who would they be and why?

L.N.: Toni Morrison, an author; Ralph Waldo Emerson, a philosopher; and Fiona Apple, a singer.

It’s a bizarre group, so it would be interesting. They are three people who have inspired me in terms of literature and music.

T.S.: If you weren’t an English teacher, what could you see yourself doing?

L.N.: Had I been born with more of a science brain, I think I would have enjoyed being a veterinarian.

T.S.: What is your favorite thing about teaching English?

L.N.: I really like the chance to hear different opinions of different students. I can teach the same books three years in a row, and it will always be different because I’ll be teaching different kids.

T.S.: How long have you been teaching?

L.N.: This is my third year at Conestoga. Before this, I taught for a little bit at Lower Merion.

T.S.: What are your hobbies?

L.N.: I like to read, cook and I’m involved in animal rescue. I used to volunteer at the Main Line Animal Rescue and I took care of the animals, washed them, taught them obedience and helped make them appealing and adoptable.

T.S.: Who is one of your role models and why?

L.N.: My high school AP English teacher in junior year helped create

PAGE 17 THE SPOKE

FEATURES

T.S.: What is the most difficult part of being an English teacher?

L.N.: Making sure you’re able to reach every student every day.

T.S.: Why did you become involved in Anti-Defamation League (ADL)?

L.N.: [I became involved] because I had been a part of something like it at Lower Merion. The opportunity presented itself to me, and I was excited to make Conestoga an open place. I wanted to discuss bullying and bigotry and other topics that need to be discussed and worked through.

T.S.: What is ADL’s mission and why do you think it is important to the school?

L.N.: ADL’s mission, locally and nationally, is to stop defamation of certain groups. It began to prevent defa-

mation against Jewish people, but it spread to all types of bigotry. It helps students get through tough stuff here and we work with ADL Philadelphia to work on a national scale.

T.S.: What is the purpose of ADL classroom visits?

L.N.: The classroom visits are for the freshmen coming in to Conestoga.

They start off a discussion of ‘Let’s make [Conestoga] a friendly and accepting environment.’ They’re the next generation, and they’re becoming the next leaders.

T.S.: Why do you feel passionate about ADL, personally?

L.N.: I think I get to work with some of the best kids in school. It has an important mission, especially with bullying. Every school needs an ADL to try to instill change into high school environments.

Favorites Band: Regina Spektor Song: “Imagine” by John Lennon Color: Green Book: “The Blithedale Romance” by Nathaniel Hawthorne Quote: “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” –Dr. Suess Vacation spot: Jersey Shore Punctuation mark: Semicolon

PAGE 18 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

FEATURES

Catching some Z’s proves difficult for insomniacs Jenna Spoont Staff Reporter It’s three o’clock in the morning and junior Dan Sterry finds himself doing push-ups on his bedroom floor. He is tired of helplessly lying in bed, and has accepted another sleepless night.

“I don’t sleep. I just lie there.

Even if I have my eyes closed, I’m just there for hours,” Sterry said.

The 70 million Americans who suffer from the common sleep disorder known as insomnia can relate to Sterry’s lifestyle of frustration. Insomniacs have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or both. The disorder can exhibit short-term or ongoing symptoms.

Sterry’s clinically diagnosed case of insomnia has lasted for five years.

“You suffer in silence and you kind of just deal with it,” Sterry said. Sleep “is a blessing that a lot of people take for granted. People sleep in class, and I always get jealous.”

An average night of sleep for a teenager should last between nine and ten hours, according to University of Pennsylvania researcher Michael Grandner, who specializes in sleep and health studies. “ O u r bodies have an internal clock that tells us what time it is,” Grandner said. “Every person’s clock is slightly different, but since our bodies use the position of the sun to adjust the clock, most people’s clocks tend to line up.”

But an insomniac’s internal clock is not in sync with an external clock. In fact, on a typical night, Sterry only sleeps for two hours. Despite his rituals such as listening to mellow music and burning incense, his body refuses to temporarily take a rest.

Grandner advises people who struggle with sleeping problems to refrain from wasting time lying in bed.

“If you are in bed and can’t sleep, get out of bed and do something else for a while,” Grandner

said. “You’re not doing yourself any favors. Even if this means less sleep in the short term, it will help you in the long term. This also means to only sleep in bed— don’t use your bed for reading or homework if you can help it.”

Junior Sam DeMarini, who averages about 4.5 hours of sleep per night, has come to accept his abnormal sleep schedule.

Although he is not a clinically diagnosed insomniac, he said that he has become used to his irregular sleep routine.

DeMarini experiments with remedies to help him catch some sleep. Last year, he took overthe-counter hormone supplements called melatonin to help with the chemical imbalance in his brain.

After a month of using the medication, he noticed a change in his mood.

“I was more irritable,” DeMarini said. “I don’t know if it was because of the medicine or because I thought it was the medicine.”

Grandner does not suggest the use of melatonin for insomniacs.

“The approach that has the best long-term support is something called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, which is

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

Junior Dan Sterry suffers from the common sleep disorder known as insomnia. In order to cope, he tries burning incense and listening to mellow music, but he still sleeps on average only two hours per night. severe fatigue—lots and lots of caffeine.

“I drink coffee in the morning and I drink iced tea throughout the day,” DeMarini said. “If it weren’t for my morning coffee, I wouldn’t be able to get to school half of the time.”

However, according to Grandner, caffeine consumption can be detrimental.

“Avoid caffeine a f t e r noon. It can stay in your system for 12 hours or more,” Grandner said.

With a poor immune system, and a susceptibility to other health issues, Sterry envies those who sleep normally.

“Be happy that you can sleep,” Sterry said. “Not getting sleep could be [messing] you up, and you don’t even know it.”

Grandner agrees that the American culture does not value sleep as much as other healthy habits.

“We don’t brag about eating ten cheeseburgers in one sitting because we know that’s dangerously unhealthy,” Grandner said.

“But we will brag about pulling all-nighters and getting by on very

Sleep “is a blessing that a lot of people take for granted. People sleep in class, and I always get jealous.”

-Junior Dan Sterry really a toolkit of approaches for reprogramming your brain to learn to sleep in bed rather than stay awake,” Grandner said. “You usually need the help of a certified therapist.”

Now, instead of using medications, DeMarini has decided to adjust the lighting in his room to help him adjust his sleeping schedule.

“They say that artificial light keeps people awake, so I have blue Christmas lights up in my room so that I can still get around at night, but it’s not so bright that it keeps me awake,” DeMarini said.

Above all, the students have found a common cure for the

little sleep, when that might be just as bad for you. We find excuses to not sleep. But the truth is, sleep is a very important part of health and might make the difference in keeping weight in check, [scaring]

off heart disease, getting better grades, being able to focus and keeping your mood positive.”

Jenna Spoont can be reached at jspoont@stoganews.com.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

FEATURES

PAGE 19 THE SPOKE

Spoke Sudoku

Emily’s

PICKS

Senior Goodbye

Emily Omrod Senior Staff Reporter As I look back on my four years at Conestoga, I remember the diverse assortment of classes that I took, some required and some chosen. But three have stood out in my memory. One took me two and a half hours north to the sights and sounds of Broadway every year. One improved my writing and the way I think. One made me dedicate hours at a time every Sunday night to learn about history’s greatest figures.

Broadway Musical Theatre Broadway Musical Theatre is a unique class that combines performance and history to teach students about the Great White Way. I watched movies displaying Broadway’s biggest sensations such as Julie Andrews, Angela Lansbury and Hugh Jackman.

Students have the opportunity to sing in front of their classmates, participate in a dance choreographed by their peers and looked forward to boarding a coach bus for the annual field trip to New York City. The trip is the culmination of the class, packed full with a workshop with real Broadway actors, two musicals and dinner all in one day. I recommend Broadway Musical Theatre to anyone who’s looking to get to know people or anyone who loves musical theatre. I came out of the class with a group of friends, a voice and an established place in the music department.

Writer’s Craft Junior year brings the excitement of finally choosing what English class to take. For me, the decision wasn’t easy. I ended up taking two classes, AP Language and Composition and Writer’s Craft. Writer’s Craft is the

opposite of what most students expect. It is difficult because it required out-of-the-box thinking every day.

Over the course of a year, students write poems, vignettes, a novel, a short story, a children’s book and an alternative assignment where they use four written mediums to convey a story. Every day, students have the pleasure of journaling for the first ten minutes of class, writing about topics ranging from a man caught in a rainstorm to an entry based on the phrase “Oops I did it again.”

Taking Writer’s Craft during my junior year made me a better writer, one who used language to sprinkle creative thought in all my work. Writer’s Craft is a worthwhile class for anyone looking to pursue a career in writing or who likes being creative.

What was your favorite class at Conestoga?

“TV because it gives me the opportunity to explore my potential and work in the field in which I hope to have a career in some day.”

—senior Erica Kleckner

AP European History Last year, cries were heard all over homerooms as former AP European History students looked through their course selection guides and saw that a European History course was no longer required for graduation.

I was dismayed that sophomores would no longer take the class that made me crazy on Sundays, sitting for hours taking notes. They would not experience the reenactments of the French Revolution, and they would not experience the terrifying fishbowl leading up to the AP exam, preparing students for what was supposedly the most challenging test of my life.

AP European History has changed lives. It taught sophomores every year how to take notes, how to manage their time and how to fall in love with history. Every test was challenging and each chapter of notes was a sleepless night waiting to happen.

But come May, we were ready and incredibly proud of ourselves.

Sure, it’s a lot of work and stress for a senior elective, something no one wants during the delight of senioritis, but believe me when I say it will change your life too.

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

“Philosophy is my favorite class because it is so deep.”

—senior Stacey Anderson

Stumped? Find the solutions at Stoganews.com.

“I like all of the social studies classes because I enjoy history, the history of our nation, and how things ended up the way they did.”

—senior Jared Seltzer

Sports Coaches Corner WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

As the spring sports season moves steadily forward, Conestoga coaches are working hard to help their teams succeed in the regular season and beyond.

Reporting by Sophia Ponte l Design by Luke Rafferty Photos: Staff photographers, Joseph Santoliquito

John Vogan

Inspiration: I love the game, I just love being around the game, and once your playing career is over, you have two choices. You can sit in the stands and watch or try to find a way to be a part of it. I tried sitting on the outside once, and I wasn’t happy, and I was very lucky to get a job down at T/E Middle School, and everything just blossomed from there.

Baseball 9 years coaching varsity at Conestoga

Approach: Keep practices and keep competitions fun and exciting, and also model good behavior as much as possible.

We tell our players their goal is to try to work as hard as you can to improve, and that’s also our goal as our team.

Boys Lax 12 years as head coach

Ryan Comstock

Amy Orcutt How my coach influenced me: She brought this whole new outlook on the game, like ways to think about your play instead of just playing, and really teaching us instead of just being a cheerleader as a coach. So that’s what I’ve been trying to do with my girls, using everything that I learned in college.

Meghan Brogan Favorite part about coaching: Seeing the difference in the kids from the beginning of the season and how they are at the end. They grow as people so much, and it is nice to see.

Brian Samson

Softball 12 years coaching at Conestoga

Girls Lax 3 years coaching at Conestoga

What makes his coaching style unique: I really try to look at the big picture or long term in our kids. Many coaches look at “What Girlscan Lax you do for me right now?” but I try my best to de3 years coaching at Conestoga velop athletes over time. The ultimate goal is for a senior to run his or her personal best in their very last race.

Track and Field 9 years coaching at Conestoga

Jonathan Goodman

Favorite part of coaching: I call them ‘aha’ moments, where something clicks that we’ve been working on or talking about—to see a kids face kind of light up and say “I got it, I did it, and I didn’t think I could,” especially players that don’t have quite the confidence that they should. It’s really rewarding.

Boys Tennis 5 years coaching at Conestoga

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

PAGE 21 THE SPOKE

SPORTS

Tight-knit lacrosse team prospers early in season Courtney Kennedy Staff Reporter As the boys’ lacrosse team takes the field, it is obvious that they are in sync. Watching the perfect passes and shots on goal, it is easy to see how this team ended up becoming Under Armour’s top-ranked high school boys’ lacrosse team.

The team has enjoyed tremendous success recently, with back-to-back state championships in 2010 and 2011, after being named runner-up in 2009.

With 37 athletes, the lacrosse team is not only a competitive team, but also one with a close-knit environment.

“We have a big team and I think the seniors do a good job of integrating the younger players into the culture,” head coach Brian Samson said.

“We work hard but still have a lot of fun. It’s a competitive team, but they really enjoy the game and they work really hard to support each other.”

This support is not only seen on the field, but in the team’s other activities. Like many athletes on ’Stoga sports teams, the boys often meet up for a pasta dinner or even to grab a slice of pizza after a tough

loss. After a recent 11-12 loss to New York’s Garden City School, the entire team went out to Bravo Pizza to share a meal.

“The team is like one big family,” senior Connor Frisina said. “We all hang out together outside of the lacrosse field, which is why I think we have a lot of success.”

For many players, there are even tighter ties between teammates.

While there are no brothers playing together on this year’s team, there have been many families that have played under head coach Samson.

“It’s been nice to know the kids and know their families for a long time,” Samson said.

The family tradition of lacrosse can be traced back to elementary school for many, with local leagues opening around second grade. Many lacrosse players were introduced to the sport by following in the footsteps of their older siblings.

“You weren’t supposed to start until second grade,” senior Jordan Klunder said.” But my older brother was in second grade at the time and my mom found a loophole. It was Bradlee Lord and I as the only kindergartners in the league because we were playing with our older brothers.”

Because these athletes get such a young start, they are skilled veterans by the time they reach the high school level.

With 22 seniors, the team has the maturity, depth and experience for another successful season. However, Samson said it will not always be an easy road to victory.

“We try to tell them that it’s just the icing on the cake,” Samson said.

“It’s nice to be recognized for our accomplishments, and it’s something they are proud of. But at the same time, they understand that it comes with a lot of hard work, and to maintain that status they will have to continue to work hard.”

With the support of their teammates, ’Stoga lacrosse players plan to continue working hard in order to achieve their overall goal.

“We all have the same goal, which is winning the state championship, so we try to focus on that as much as we can,” Frisina said. “Our team definitely has the players to be the best team in the nation, but I think we still have a lot to prove and to work on to get there.”

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

Courtney Kennedy can be reached at ckennedy@stoganews.com.

Sophomore Pierre Atkinson sprints down the field during a lacrosse game against Radnor on April 19. The boys won 7-4.

Boys tennis pairs play with doubled determination Abby Pioch Co-Sports Editor

Maddie DeVlieger/The SPOKE

Junior Josh Sutker talks to sophomore teammate Hunter King during tennis practice. Sutker recently began playing doubles with freshman Eric Yen.

Walking out onto the tennis court, senior Fred Li and his partner are eager to begin the match.

The obvious difference from singles tennis, the fact that there are two players competing together, manifests itself in the idea that the players must communicate with each other. The boys become so attuned to their partner that sometimes their communication does not even involve words.

“For me and my partner, we have signs and signals,” Li said.

“We use signals when each one of us serves, and it’s like a way of communicating without talking. It helps throw off the opponent.”

On the Conestoga boys’ tennis team, most athletes play solely doubles or singles and a few athletes compete in both.

However, when athletes do play doubles, it is typical for the teams to be changed multiple times throughout the season in order to find partners who complement each other.

“We try to mix and match some of our doubles teams to give the players experience playing with other players and to find the best fit for a partner,” boys tennis head coach Jonathan Goodman said.

“However, over the course of a season you want the teams to build a familiarity with each other, so we try to find the best match and stick with it.”

Li, who typically plays doubles, said that he has played with many different ’Stoga boys on the tennis team throughout each season.

In a doubles tennis match, “usually the points are more fastpaced, so the game can get more intense at times,” Li said.

Goodman said that he tries to stress the importance of teamwork and communication because both these elements are keys to being successful in doubles tennis.

Goodman also said that some tennis players struggle when playing doubles because many of them are used to playing singles and have not yet mastered the teamwork necessary for doubles play.

Some tennis players find dou-

bles easier because they have a partner to lean on.

“I originally played singles but then I got injured so now I play doubles,” junior Josh Sutker said.

My partner Eric Yen “helps me because I’m pretty inconsistent in doubles so it’s a little easier.”

Goodman also said that besides communication, it is important for doubles players to learn their partner’s strong and weak points so that the athletes will be more successful.

“They get to know the different strengths and weaknesses of their teammate and how they can complement each other,” Goodman said. “They also get to know how to communicate with each other—how to get them to be more aggressive, how to get over a tough mistake, etc. A lot of tennis is mental, so the relationship between the players is important.

They need to be able to pick each other up when necessary and figure it out together.”

Abby Pioch can be reached at apioch@stoganews.com.

Senio boys w

P

PAGE 22 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

SPORTS

Ailing, aging Phillies may be entering downward spiral

Stephane Hardinger Guest Commentary Our generation of Phillies fans has been spoiled. After a 13-year stretch where they didn’t make the playoffs once, the Phillies have taken home five National League (NL) East division championships, made it to the NL Championship Series three times, won the National League twice and captured a World Series title in 2008.

But after last season’s stunning upset in the first round at the hand of the eventual champion St. Louis Cardinals, expectations were somewhat tempered for this season.

Ryan Howard’s torn Achilles’ tendon will keep him out until May or June, and there were questions at first base and left field.

Then the Phillies announced that second baseman Chase Utley was out indefinitely with a knee injury, and fans got worried.

And it’s hard not to blame them: rookie Freddie Galvis would be taking Utley’s spot at second base for the foreseeable future and there was no clear left fielder or first baseman in Howard’s absence. Everybody in the Delaware Valley was worried that the team wouldn’t have enough offense.

And so far, the naysayers have been proven right. Despite being fifth in the league in Earned Run Averages (ERAs) and in walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP), the Phillies have limped out to a 10-12 start, tied for last place in the NL East. They’re near the bottom of the league in every major offensive category: 27th in runs scored, 26th in on-base percentage, and 25th in slugging percentage. However, the commonly held belief among Phillies fans is that all the offense’s woes will be solved when Ryan Howard and Chase Utley get back sometime in May or June. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Not only are the Phillies in danger of missing the playoffs this season, the reign of this team as perennial playoff contenders might be over.

Ryan Howard is in the first year of a massive five-year, $125 million contract.

But who knows how he’ll recover from his torn Achilles’? It’s an injury that has ended

the careers of many athletes, and there’s no guarantee that Howard will come back fully recovered.

Chase Utley suffers from a knee condition that has perplexed doctors to the point that they’ve deemed it to be similar to chronic arthritis. There’s no surgery to cure it, no way for it to get better without rest, which is the one thing that Utley can’t get as an athlete.

Cole Hamels will enter free agency this offseason as the marquee player on the market, and could take a big contract to go home to Los Angeles. Shane Victorino is also set to enter free agency this offseason and he said he’s looking for a five-year contract.

This Phillies team is already one-dimensional and flawed as it is. But there isn’t much help on the way. The Phillies traded almost all of their top prospects to acquire Cliff Lee, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence in an effort to win a title.

Each move failed. While those moves kept the Phillies’ window of opportunity propped open, they now look to be married to their aging, flawed core for better or worse, until death do they part.

Stephane Hardinger can be reached at spoke@stoganews.com.

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Maggie Chen for The SPOKE

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

PAGE 23 THE SPOKE

SPORTS

Player Profiles 1

My favorite part about baseball is definitely my teammates. I’ve met so many great friends through the team.

Six things you didn’t know about...

I’ve been playing lacrosse since fifth grade, so I’ve been playing for probably about seven years.

2

I started playing lacrosse because I think I needed something more to do in the spring and my dad signed me up. Lacrosse is really big in this area and a lot of the girls I knew played it, so I thought I’d give it a try.

2

Before a game, I like to have any type of sandwich, especially hoagies. My favorite Gatorade flavor is lemon-lime.

3

I play outfield. I think what sets me apart from other players is that I hustle, and I always try my best.

3

My favorite part about being on the lacrosse team probably has to be the girls. We definitely have a lot of fun and we’re always laughing at practice, but we take it seriously at the same time.

4

Next year, I’m going to Gettysburg College where I plan to play baseball.

5

My favorite baseball player is Shane Victorino because he always has fun out there and keeps it light.

6

Before a game, I just try to relax and not psych myself out. I just hang out and talk to my teammates.

1

Emily McAleer Varsity Lacrosse

CJ Herron Varsity Baseball

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I’m playing lacrosse at Gettysburg College next year.

6

My favorite pump-up song is probably going to be “Call Me Maybe.”

My role model is Taylor Thornton.

She plays at Northwestern, and she plays defense like I do. She’s the best player at that position, she’s relentless, and she’s awesome.

Track attracts many athletes Maddie Amsterdam Co-Sports Editor When the bell rings at 2:20, 280 runners flock to prepare for track practice. Depending on an athlete’s “group,” he or she may go straight to the locker rooms to change, hang out in the library or locker room for a while or go home and come back to practice in a few hours.

The track program has been divided into six groups this year to accommodate all athletes. Each group practices at staggered times with different workout plans.

Groups one and two are varsity, groups three and four are junior varsity and groups five and six are recreational.

“I have a chance to make an impact on a lot of lives,” head coach Ryan Comstock said. “I am a huge believer in keeping yourself fit regardless of your athletic ability.

We have a lot of students who have never been on a team before, so being able to provide that experience for them is special to me.”

Maddie Amsterdam can be reached at mamsterdam@stoganews.com.

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

Spring track athletes run hills after school. The track program has been divided into six groups this year to accommodate students’ varying abilities and schedules.

VOLUME 62, NO. 6

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2012

Boys tennis doubles work together See p. 21

INSIDE

Track boasts more than 250 athletes See p. 23

Bro, fight, win Boys lacrosse shoots for third consecutive state title See p. 21

Senior Bradlee Lord cradles the ball during a lacrosse game against Radnor on April 19. The boys won 7-4 and currently have a record of 8-2.

Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE