The Spoke May 2017

NEWS

Science activists march in Philadelphia Vol. 67 No. 6

May 1, 2017

See Page 3

Conestoga High School Berwyn, PA www.spoke.news

@thespoke

NEWS

Investigating teen drivers' safety in the lot and on the road

A

t 2:23 p.m., seniors and sneaky juniors alike try to escape from the jigsaw puzzle of the parking lot to one of two exits.

“It’s a lot easier to get into accidents when there are a lot of teenagers all together,” senior Kelly Jiang said.

Faced with less experience and an attention span divided between socializing with fellow passengers and the road, teenagers are often labelled as greater driving hazards than adults.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), people aged 16 to 19 are almost three times more likely than a driver age 20 or older to be involved in a fatal car crash.

As approximately 300 students have parking permits that allow them to drive to and from school, the parking lot serves as a microcosm of the roads outside.

This, however, can create potentially dangerous situations, with faculty, parents and students trying to maneuver in the parking lots.

In fact, a survey of senior homerooms made of 11 percent of seniors conducted by The Spoke found that 12 percent surveyed reported having been involved in an accident in the Conestoga parking lot.

Additionally, 33 percent said that they have witnessed a car accident at Conestoga.

See Pages 6 and 7 Adam Lockett/The SPOKE

STUDENT LIFE

Eagles scout for honor

See Page 8

Monday, May 1, 2017

News

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The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.

Camille Kurtz, Meagan O’Rourke

Editors-in-Chief Betty Ben Dor

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Opinion Editor Elizabeth Billman, Neil Goldenthal

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Web Editors Henry Danon, Brooke Deasy, Lauren Gow, Claire Guo, Audrey Kim, Maddie Lamonica, Jahnavi Rao, Madison Red, Sanjana Sanghani, Warren Zhao

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2 The Spoke

Paraprofessional arrested Longtime aide charged with unlawful sexual conduct

By Betty Ben Dor Managing Editor Conestoga High School instructional aide Arthur Phillips has a preliminary hearing on May 12 on sex charges.

His arrest on Friday, April 21 followed a report filed by school officials on Tuesday, April 18, of a relationship between Phillips and a female student under the age of 16.

“We cannot adequately express our shock and dismay upon learning an adult responsible for the care of our students has been charged with such a deplorable act,” said superintendent Dr. Richard Gusick and principal Dr. Amy Meisinger in a statement on the TESD website.

Phillips had been an employee at Conestoga since 2006 and was serving as an aide in the television production studio at the time of his arrest.

According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause, school officials turned over emails between Phillips and the student to the police. Detectives then discovered that the student and Phillips communicated via email and text throughout the relationship, which lasted

from January to April 2017.

Investigators found that lewd messages and photographs were exchanged.

Court papers reveal that Phillips is charged with 10 counts of sexual contact with a student at school. Police report that the student alleges that Phillips drove her to several locations such as the King of Prussia Mall in his car.

Court papers also show that Phillips admitted to police that he communicated with the student via text and that he had her in his vehicle.

After allegations of the relationship surfaced, Phillips crashed his car and wrote a note saying, “I was just a guy trying to help a kid and boundaries just got gray.”

The district encourages anyone with relevant

information to contact Tredyffrin Township Police Lieutenant Joseph Glatts. Glatts was unable to comment to The Spoke as the investigation is ongoing.

Although Meisinger declined to further comment, in her joint statement with Gusick she said that “the welfare of all students remains our highest priority.”

definitely take that step and consider giving a TED talk,” Kishore said.

After choosing a topic, students must research it, create an outline and then turn the outline into a script. The club meets most Fridays after school to discuss deadlines and help each other further develop their speeches.

“You have to look at everything in a different way,” said Chen of turning the idea into a talk.

After finishing their script, members must go to rehearsals after school the week leading up to the event. to fine tune their speeches. To calm their nerves, members are given bagels the morning of the speeches.

Usually the talks are held in room 268. However, due to popularity there was not enough space for the audience in 268, so the most recent talks were held in the auditorium.

We wanted to “give more people the opportunity to really experience TED talks at Stoga, live,” Kishore said.

Exposing students and teachers to new ideas and points of view is the club’s goal. According to Chen, giving a TED talk helps develop students’ public speaking skills, allows them to accept and give constructive criticism and to research independently.

“This is what lets you understand how to give a talk,” Chen said. “No one is born (saying) I

love speaking in front of people.

It comes from experience.”

Chen has given two speeches since he joined the club in his sophomore year. Through TEDx club he was able to become more extroverted, focus on his interests and help other students learn how to craft a TED talk.

Giving a talk “gives you a broader perspective of so many things,” said freshman Dhiya Ravinthala, who gave her first talk in April.

Talks were aired on T/E TV, the school’s cable channel. Now that TED talks are finished for this school year, the club is in the process of choosing next year’s leadership team. According to Kishore, the members who gave speeches now have time to recuperate after eight weeks of hard work and preparation for this special event.

“It’s a unique experience that’s hard to get from anywhere else,” Chen said.

TEDxStoga sparks curiosity

By Madison Red Staff Reporter

It starts with an idea. That idea can be about anything, including competitive chess tournaments, concerns about the use of disposable water bottles and even the questions about life on other planets. Conestoga students can share their ideas through a short presentation about issues they care deeply about by joining the TEDx club.

The TEDx club, led by co-presidents, David Chen, Jahnavi Kishore and Will Youman is different than most Conestoga clubs. Every eight weeks, ten to 15 new members join and old members leave. Over the course of the next eight weeks, those 10 to 15 members prepare a five to 10 minute speech on a topic they are passionate about. The most recent talks were held on April 28.

“TEDx is basically an opportunity for you to reach out and share something that you think is really important,” Chen said.

There are three opportunities to give a talk throughout the year. Members must choose a topic that they want to research for two months. In the past topics included, serial murderers, the benefits of music, the accuracy of polls and fashion design.

“If you have something that you feel passionate about,

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Talk the talk: Senior Brian McKenrick talks to students and teachers about whether or not the U.S. is ready for the next war. The last TEDx talk of the year was held on April 28.

News

Monday, May 1, 2017

Conestoga graduates run for T/E School Board

By Brooke Deasy Staff Reporter

Conestoga alumni Heather Ward and Kyle Boyer are running for membership on the T/E School Board. Both believe that being a product of the district and sharing the same experiences as current Conestoga students, from taking the standardized tests to late night studying for exams, will benefit them in their campaigns.

Ward, class of 2013, has entered the school board race for Region 3 and Boyer, class of 2006, for Region 2.

Each school board member represents the interests of a voting region within the school district and voters from each region elect three board members. Debra Ciamacca, both candidates’ former AP US Government teacher, is proud of her students’ courage in running for the board.

“Because government is not a spectator sport, it requires people who are willing to become involved in their communities,” Ciamacca said.

“Kyle and Heather have taken a big step by putting themselves out there, by running for office.”

If Ward receives the position, her overall goal is to shift the priorities of the board. She hopes to bring representation to the students, which she believes is currently lacking. Additionally, she seeks to emphasize the need to reduce taxes, which are increasing at approximately 3.5 percent each year.

“It’s really important right now that we be an advocate for students and that we can then turn that to our taxpayers as well,” Ward said. “We need to better focus our spending on students and then only on necessary costs and hopefully, we can relieve our taxpayers of a heavier burden.”

Boyer’s approach centers on advocating education and public-education. He has spent the better part of a decade in education, teaching high school and middle school in both the urban and suburban contexts. Currently a social studies teacher at Valley Forge Middle School, he believes that his experience in the schools will benefit his campaign.

“School communities include students, parents, teachers and even community members without children,” Boyer said. “Each of those groups need to know that the school board is working on their behalf, and that requires trust. I’ve been blessed to build relationships with many of those stakeholders already, which can only help me in addressing their needs.”

During the past several weeks of campaigning, Ward’s days have consisted primarily of determined consultation and incessant exercise. She approaches door after door of community members to discuss her goals and hear their concerns.

“It’s important for you to go out and knock on people’s doors and ask them what their concerns are, what they feel we can do better as a school

Courtesy Kyle J. Boyer for T/E School Board

Branching Out: Kyle Boyer, currently a teacher at Valley Forge Middle School, entered the school board race for Region 2. He graduated from Conestoga in 2006.

Brooke Deasy/The SPOKE

Standing Proud: Heather Ward, currently running for a seat on the T/E School Board, embraces con�idence throughout her campaign. Ward graduated from Conestoga High School in 2013. district and as a school board,” Ward said. “The best is when someone invites you in because they really want to just hear about why you are running and that is really rewarding.”

Ward was featured in an article published by TIME entitled, “Inside the Grassroots Movement to Groom a New Generation of Democratic Candidates.” The article focused on the rise of a new generation of Democrats in response to the 2016 election, including an increase in young people running for office. Merri Gardner, an AP US History and World History teacher, discussed her thoughts on these young candidates.

“I think that there is a certain type of idealism that can be found in youth that’s sorely lacking in today’s politics,” Gardner said. However, young candidates “need to make sure they are informed on issues in order for their views to warrant our respect.”

Boyer has also been communicating with students, parents and community members to hear their desires and receive feedback.

“It’s easy to offer up ideas, but it’s much more difficult to take the time to listen to how

others in the community feel,” Boyer said. “I’ve been spending

“Government is not a spectator sport.”

-Debra Ciamacca

my time listening, continuing to learn and trying my best to share my reasons for running with the community.”

While communication forms an integral part of any political campaign, Boyer and Ward’s campaigns also reflect their shared commitment to listening.The candidates view listening as an essential component to building upon their knowledge and their understanding of community members’ concerns. If selected for a position, both seek to address the needs presented to them by community members and continue to improve the T/E schools.

The Spoke 3

Monday, May 1, 2017

News

Science, not silence: thousands march for science

Up and Atom: Scientists, advocates and enthusiasts march for science in Philadelphia. The “It was really incredible just Philadelphia hosted its own March for Science, with over to see all of those people out for 25,000 attendees. Nearly a dozen the same cause,” Norford said. “I scientists and activists spoke on think solidarity is really amazing, the importance of promoting sci- and as one person’s sign said, ence, including Dr. Derrick Pitts of ‘Good job dude, you got a bunch the Franklin Institute and Dr. Paul of nerds outside.’ I loved to read The streets of Philadelphia, Offit, chief of the Division of Infec- all of the signs and what people streaming with a mile-long tious Diseases at the Children’s had to say.” stretch of passionate scientists, Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Starting from City Hall and clamored for change. As rain and creator of the Rotavirus vac- ending at Penn’s Landing, a 1.5 poured down on the activists, the cine. Offit believes the March for mile stretch of activists and humid air filled with chants: “The Science will inspire change. creative signs filled the scene, oceans are rising, and so are we!”

“I think (the March) will create including “Science—American and “What do we want? Science! a sense that we need to have this as pi” and “Make American SciWhen do we want it? After peer citizen army of science advocates, entific Again.” The March for review!” whether it’s actual scientists or Science organizers hoped to celOn Earth Day, April 22, thou- just science advocates or science ebrate and recognize the imporsands of scientists, advocates and teachers or college students or tance of science. enthusiasts around the world high school students, anyone Janice Rael, a lead organizer marched for science. The March interested in science, to do what for the Philly march, wishes to for Science, a demonstration ded- we can to get what science has promote science for all. icated to promoting the welfare of accomplished more on the front “We wanted to show diverthe scientific community across burner,” Offit said. sity in science, that it’s not just the world, took place in over 600 Sophomore Laila Norford, who a bunch of old white men in labcities across the globe, including marched along with a few other coats, that there is people from all Chicago, London, and a main ’Stoga students, appreciated the around the world, all ages, races, march in Washington D.C. genders, nationalities working on unity among the marchers. scientific efforts, doing research, performing experiments, doing studies, getting published with their knowledge,” Rael said.

Outside of simply celebrating science, some activists protested to express their political disagreement after the Trump administration proposed cuts to agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). With reduced funding for programs such as

By Maddie Lamonica and Jordan Liu Staff Reporter and Web Editor

4 The Spoke

event was held for the first the National Cancer Center, many researchers now fear for the future of science, despite the upward trend in STEM education, especially at Conestoga.

At Conestoga, some students and teachers expressed sympathy with the March’s stated concern for the status of the scientific community. Science Department Chairperson Dr. Scott Best encourages promoting science education for the public and foresees real change.

“I think (the March) is a great idea. With the state of the United States and the Environmental Protection Agency, there is a need for science to be at the forefront of technology. Science needs support,” Best said. “Without knowledge of science, things are going to be in a place where you have individuals making decisions that aren’t necessarily in the best interest of everyone.”

Junior Reese Caldwell, co-president of Biology Club, hopes events such as the march will help to address the problems facing science today.

“In the short term, I think that funding cuts (is science’s biggest issue). The new budget cuts the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Health, which are both very important in funding scientific research in the U.S.,” Caldwell said.

Danielle Sanchez, a PhD student at the University of Pennsylvania who also attended

Jordan Liu/The SPOKE

time worldwide on April 22. the march, fears that the new budget could affect her cancer cell research.

“We’re all kind of on edge because we don’t necessarily know if the money will still come in to do the projects that we want to do. It’s affecting multiple levels of work in our livelyhood,” Sanchez said.

While many scientists believe that the current administration poses a threat to science, Best believes that science is a topic beyond politics.

“Whether you are a Republican or Democrat is not a point when it comes to science; it’s apolitical for me, it’s do what’s best and unfortunately, the climate we have today doesn’t necessarily lend itself to that,” Best said.

However, other scientists think otherwise. Rael hopes the march will inspire change, especially in policymaking.

“We don’t think this is an ending point, we think this is a beginning point. We want to mobilize the local community to support science,” Rael said.

“There is a lot of legislation in Harrisburg that is not based in factual science, and we may have to get involved with our elected officials on a meaningful level and try to work out legislation that may harm people. We are hoping that this march at least brought people together, raised awareness and encouraged them to get involved.”

Monday, May 1, 2017

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Monday, May 1, 2017

News

By Camille Kurtz and Meagan O’Rourke Co-Editors-in-Chief Design by Adam Lockett Continued from Page 1

DISTRACTED DRIVING In a 2015 study conducted by the AAA Foundation for Traf�ic Safety, researchers were able to analyze the �inal six seconds leading up to an accident in almost 1,700 different crashes involving teen drivers. Distraction was a main factor in 58 percent of the accidents and had even more of a role in road-departure and rear-end crashes.

Highway Safety teacher Mike Cangi believes “the level of distractions we have for all drivers is greater now” than in the past due to greater technology use.

The main causes of teenage driver distraction found in the AAA study include interacting with passengers, cell phone use, looking at something inside or outside the vehicle, listening to music, grooming and reaching for an object.

Cheri Cantor, who owns and directs Cantor’s Driving School in King of Prussia, spends time working with young new drivers and believes that driving with a professional instructor in the car can help learning drivers to hone their abilities behind the wheel and to learn effective defensive driving strategies.

“You could be in the car with a bunch of friends and everybody is laughing and giggling and you turn around for a second to look at a friend, and you can get into an accident,” Cantor said. “When you’re driving, your focus has to be 125 percent on driving and that

skill. No matter who is in the car with you and what’s surrounding you, you have to be focused.”

Senior Taylor Gray sees the distracting effects of some of these factors on her own driving.

“When I’m around my friends, or my friends are in the car or out of the car, I drive worse,” Gray said. “I de�initely think if you were driving alone and no one was around you would drive a lot safer.”

According to Radnor based State Farm agent Steve Diorio, “with the greater number of passengers in the car, the greater the likelihood is for an accident.”

Diorio advises young drivers to “turn off the cell phone” and to “just focus on driving.”

Among Conestoga seniors surveyed, 67 percent believe their driving is negatively impacted when they are distracted by factors such as cell phones, music and friends. In the parking lot, Gray claims she has de�initely seen seniors distracted by friends and other entertainment.

“I see people vaping. I see people turning up the music. I see people sitting on top of cars,” Gray said. “Especially on Friday, everyone jumps in their friend’s car.”

Of seniors surveyed, 75 percent claim to have observed “reckless or distracted” driving in the parking lot. Gray believes part of the reason behind such frenzied driving is the rush to beat the dismissal parking lot traf�ic.

“Kind of like a survival guide, if you don’t back (out) �irst you won’t be able to get out,” Gray said.

“You might as well not even try to get out of school until at least 2:45 if you don’t run to your car (and) get in your car. Don’t even put

“When you’re driving, your focus has to be 125 percent on driving and that skill.”

-Cheri Cantor your seatbelt on; you just move your wheel and get out really fast.

It’s pretty crazy.”

To limit the potential for reckless and distracted driving, security teams work to monitor the parking lot in the morning, at lunch and in the afternoon, aided by cameras. Only seniors, and juniors in May, are permitted to park in the student parking lot and must abide by the rules provided in the Code of Conduct. As stated in the student handbook, “speeds in excess of �ive miles per hour are not permitted.”

However, before students are able to drive to and from school and park in the Conestoga parking lot, they must earn their driver’s

licenses. To facilitate this process, many students take the Highway Safety offered as a part of the Health and Wellness curriculum, or the Behind the Wheel program through the Chester County Intermediate Unit. In Highway Safety, students are taught the basic rules of the road, whereas in Behind the Wheel students get behind-thewheel practice during free periods with driving instructor Paul Bruno.

Cangi believes that it is “helpful” for students to take his Highway Safety class as they learn the rules of the road.

Students “gain an awareness of their role in the transportation system as well as the risks that are involved and the things they can do to minimize their risk,” Cangi said.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE COLLISION Although teenagers aged 15 to 19 represented only 7 percent of the US population in 2013, teen car crashes in this age bracket made up 11 percent, or $10 billion worth, of the total costs of motor vehicle caused injuries, as reported by the CDC. As a result, family insurance premiums can increase signi�icantly, given that insurance companies must pay to cover accidents involving teen drivers more frequently than crashes involving adults. Esurance, an insurance company backed by Allstate Insurance, offers explanations for the higher rates.

“New drivers, particularly young drivers, have higher insurance rates for two reasons: inexperience behind the wheel and immaturity,” Esurance.com says. “Just like anyone attempting

Statistic brake-down 1.) Have you ever been in an accident in the Conestoga parking lot?

YES: 12% NO: 88% 6 The Spoke

2.) Have you ever seen reckless or distracted driving in the parking lot?

YES: 75% NO: 25%

to master a new skill, teen drivers tend to make mistakes and take risks that more experienced drivers wouldn’t.”

These higher rates typically do not decrease until drivers reach their mid-twenties, but many insurance companies offer various opportunities to lower this premium cost. For example, some companies factor a teen driver’s grades, enrollment in a driver’s education course or car model into the con�iguration of a new insurance rate. Cangi notes that while rates can be higher for younger drivers, safe driving can help to reduce the price increase for the next group of young drivers.

“There is a difference, but it is based on the previous group of drivers and their safety levels, so if teens get safer, rates are going to drop. Because insurance rates are competitive, they need to be safer in order for that to happen,” Cangi said.

In 2014, the CDC says 2,270 US teenagers aged 16–19 were killed as a result of motor vehicle crashes. Because of the high occurrence of teenage car accidents — approximately six teenagers die every day from a motor vehicle accident according to the 2014 CDC statistic — car crashes are the number one cause of death for teenagers in the US. Jiang understands the trauma and danger of car accidents �irst hand after her car was hit in March by another driver, who failed to yield to her before turning left, in King of Prussia. The impact sent Jiang’s car spinning across several lanes of traf�ic and left her and a fellow passenger with concussions. Jiang believes getting in the accident has made her “more aware” and more of a defensive driver.

Continued on Page 7

The Spoke surveyed 11% of the Class of 2017 asking about their driving experience in the Conestoga student parking lot.

3.) Are you more likely to drive poorly when listening to music, talking to friends or using your phone?

YES: 67% NO: 33%

News

Monday, May 1, 2017

“Remember that you have lives in your car.”

-Lisa Eckenrode security, the cameras” and what “other students say (is) going on.”

“We try to do a multitude of things to make sure that the parking lot is as safe as can be,” Boyle said.

The Code of Conduct requires any students involved in an accident in the parking lot to report the accident to a staff member immediately and to �ile a written report of the accident with Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger within one day of the incident. Despite this rule, Boyle only receives �ive to six reports each year, although he assumes that there are more accidents not reported.

Common Injuries Concussions

Eckenrode cautions drivers to “remember who (their) passengers are” when they �ind themselves driving unsafely.

“Remember that you have lives in your car,” Eckenrode said. “You have power to tell people to stop doing things that should not be occurring in the vehicle.”

Like Eckenrode, Cangi hopes to instill these safety values in his students in order to prevent the need to ever report an accident to school administration or the police, if the accident is off school property.

While he is con�ident that vehicles themselves are becoming safer with technological advances, Cangi notes that science cannot “re-engineer the brain to be safer.”

Instead, it is up to the drivers themselves to make safe decisions on the road.

“We just can’t engineer people to think safely, that’s something they have to learn and be committed to in the task of driving,” Cangi said.

Approx.

CONESTOGA HIGH SCHOOL

0300

students have parking passes

A TIGHT SQUEEZE: 17.9 x 8.5 ft

17.9 x 10.2 ft

lower teacher parking lot space size

“Just because you’re sure that you won’t hit somebody doesn’t mean somebody won’t hit you,” Jiang said. “I never thought (an accident) would happen to me, because I’m normally pretty careful about driving and always following all the rules and everything. Something that I would just want people to know is that it’s not always up to you.”

In addition to the many teenage casualties as a result of motor vehicle crashes, 221,313 people aged 16 to 19 were treated in an emergency room in 2014 following a car accident. Outreach coordinator for Paoli Hospital Trauma Program, Lisa Eckenrode, comments that, like Jiang, many teenagers involved in car crashes suffer from concussions.

According to Eckenrode, concussions, broken bones and head trauma are the main injuries from car accidents seen in a trauma center.

“Broken bones are easy to heal as long as you haven’t done something to your muscle or your tendons. A concussion on the other hand, could be a lifetime change,” Eckenrode said.

Jiang did not realize she hit her head during the car until she was diagnosed with a concussion once she went to the hospital.

Because she understands that “concussions can range greatly in severity,” she was originally worried by the injury.

“At �irst I was extremely worried about the lasting effects and my mind immediately went to the worst case scenario of never being able to look at screens again or never being able to think

normally again,” Jiang said. “But now I think that I’ve fully recovered and hopefully there won’t be any lasting effects.”

Unfortunately, there are instances in which sometimes victims of an accident may not even make it to a trauma center to be treated.

“If they decide not to wear their seatbelt or the crash is signi�icant enough they may die from impact.

For most people who died on impact it’s because of a spinal cord severing, massive blood trauma or abdominal internal bleeding,” Eckenrode said.

With brain damage from an accident, a young person’s life can change. Eckenrode explains that the parents of severely injured victim may have to be in the position of looking after that teen driver for the rest of their lives.

“So there’s a lot of �inancial, emotional and physical things that can happen as a result of one poorly made decision that resulted in a pretty horri�ic car crash,” Eckenrode said.

Aside from the physical consequences of a car accident, Eckenrode notes that there are often mental effects as well.

“Although Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has typically been applied to war, we actually use that terminology in trauma and they would maybe not want to get into a car again,” Eckenrode said.

“Maybe you can’t talk about the event or when someone else talks about another person’s event, you relive your event.”

To avoid accidents and the serious injuries described by Eckenrode within the Conestoga grounds, Facilities Director Dr. Patrick Boyle works with “the

main parking lot space size

Continued from Page 6

5-6 STUDENTS REPORT ACCIDENTS PER YEAR

Source: Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital

Broken Bones The Spoke 7

Monday, May 1, 2017

STUDENT LIFE Eagles scout for honor

By Claire Guo Staff Reporter Freshman Evan Nadel smiles in the sunlight, surrounded by 168 books. But this moment of pride comes only after hours at the desk, spent formatting, printing, binding, burning audio CDs for and even occasionally writing these books.

They will all go to a school in North Philadelphia as part of a self-driven community service project, a requirement to become an Eagle Scout.

Eagle Scout is the highest rank offered by the Boy Scouts of America, an organization which aims to teach self-reliance and character-building to the over 2.4 million youth who participate. By earning merit badges (patches that verify proficiency in a specific skill, like first aid) and fulfilling other requirements, Boy Scouts can climb in rank.

At Conestoga, many have reached Eagle Scout and others, like Nadel, are rapidly approaching it.

More than nine years after joining the Scouting organization, senior Jack Lee became a full-fledged Eagle Scout April 19. After putting in hundreds of hours, Lee understands why the Eagle Scout rank garners

recognition from employers and strangers alike.

“In order to get Eagle Scout, you really have to be living out the (Boy Scout values), more than just in troop meetings,” Lee said. “It shows that when you set goals, you can achieve them.”

Junior Connor Feldman became an Eagle Scout his freshman year. The journey there has helped define him as an outdoorsman, shaping and reinforcing his love for nature.

“Boy Scouts taught me to love and enjoy the outdoors.

There’s nowhere I’d really rather be,” Feldman said. Even as a 7-year-old, “I saw Eagle Scouts got to be in the woods and so I’d wanted to be an Eagle Scout even when I was little.”

Nadel credits his journey through Boy Scouts for helping him become a good leader. As Senior Patrol Leader of his troop — the highest leadership position available — Nadel is responsible for planning troop meetings, activities and leadership training.

“It was really a wake-up call for me. (I realized) I have to do all this paperwork, manage all these people. I have to try to be a role model, because I’m in charge, for these younger Scouts to work hard and to

follow (Boy Scout values),” Nadel said.

Yet despite that pressure, Nadel enjoys guiding younger Scouts to become better people.

“My (favorite part about Boy Scouts) is definitely getting older and seeing all the younger Scouts,” Nadel said.

“I can help them not make the mistakes I’ve made and help them be better, hopefully, than I am.”

One such younger Scout is Pierce Skrdla, a sixth grader at Tredyffrin-Easttown Middle School. After learning from many Eagle Scouts in his own troop, Skrdla looks up to them for their maturity and clear thinking.

“They’re very experienced.

They know how to stay calm in dangerous situations and think clearly. They’ve learned a lot of things, like first aid and how to camp by yourself. You respect them since they’re Eagle Scouts,” Skrdla said.

With the guidance of leaders like Nadel and with his own self-motivation, Skrdla looks forward to becoming an Eagle Scout in the future.

“It’s like a journey that you’ve set out to venture through. And (Eagle Scout is like) you’ve completed the journey,” Skrdla said.

230 students from the Class of 2017 responded to a survey asking which disciplines they are exploring on internship. Here is their list:

ACCOUNTING ADVERTISING ANTHROPOLOGY ARCHITECTURE ARTS — ANIMATION ART THERAPY CERAMICS FILM PRODUCTION FINE ARTS GRAPHIC DESIGN ILLUSTRATION INTERIOR DESIGN MUSIC HISTORY MUSIC PRODUCTION MUSICAL DIRECTION WEB DESIGN AVIATION BUSINESS BUSINESS ANALYTICS BUSINESS MANAGEMENT COMPUTER SCIENCE CARPENTRY + LANDSCAPING CONSULTING COSMETOLOGY

8 The Spoke

CREATIVE WRITING CRIME CRIMINAL JUSTICE CULINARY EDUCATION — ART EARLY CHILDHOOD ELEMENTARY ENGLISH HISTORY MUSIC PHYSICAL SCIENCE SPECIAL TEACHING ENTREPRENEURSHIP ENTOMOLOGY FINANCE FOREIGN LANGUAGES GARDENING + HORTICULTURE HEALTH AND WELLNESS — ATHLETIC TRAINING CHIROPRACTIC DANCE + FITNESS DENTISTRY

HEALTH AND WELLNESS (CON’T) — OBSTETRICS + GYNECOLOGY MEDICAL RESEARCH MEDICINE NURSING PHARMACY PHYSICAL THERAPY PSYCHIATRY PSYCHOLOGY SPEECH THERAPY SPORTS MANAGEMENT SPORTS MEDICINE HISTORY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS JOURNALISM LAW LAW ENFORCEMENT LIBRARY MANAGEMENT MARKETING POLITICS PUBLIC RELATIONS PUBLISHING RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT

Claire Guo/The SPOKE

Binding books: Freshman Evan Nadel showcases the almost 168 books he has formatted, printed and burned audio CDs for. They will all go to a school in North Philadelphia as part of a large community service project, a requirement to become an Eagle Scout.

But does the journey end his 80’s now, and he was still once a Scout leaves the or- helping us out.”

Feldman is of the same ganization? Though Scouts must leave the troop by their mind. He believes meeting 18th birthday, the Eagle Scout fellow Eagle Scouts will always rank is considered a lifelong spark a connection.

“We have a saying—once an achievement. In fact, the National Eagle Scout Association Eagle, always an Eagle. It’s like is dedicated to helping Eagle ‘You made it, you’re one of us, Scouts of all ages mentor the you will always be.’ No matter how low you go in life, you are next generation.

“Eagle Scout, that’s a title still an Eagle. It’s hard to defor life,” Lee said. “I recently scribe; it’s kind of a faint sense met an Eagle Scout who’s in of brotherhood,” Feldman said.

CLASS OF 2017 INTERNSHIP PROJECT

SCIENCE — ACTUARIAL BIOLOGY BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING CIVIL ENGINEERING CONSERVATION ECOLOGY ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING ENERGY ENGINEERING ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY MECHANICAL ENGINEERING MICROBIOLOGY PHYSICS VETERINARY MEDICINE SOCIAL JUSTICE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC POLICY TECHNOLOGY TOURISM WEALTH MANAGEMENT YOUTH MINISTRY ZOOLOGY

Relation of internship to career goals:

83% Related Adam Lockett/The SPOKE

Monday, May 1, 2017

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The Spoke 9

Monday, May 1, 2017

Student Life

Funny at the right time: C.K. and Chappelle return

By Matt Paolizzi Co-Student Life Editor

Comedy has grown rather stale over the past year, for some obvious reasons that do not need to be droned on about. Fear of attack from either right or left have made even the biggest comedians scared. What can they say? From getting banned from college campuses by overly sensitive liberal groups or being trolled online by right-wing groups, threats to humor are coming from both sides. I’m not here to politicize, but when you talk about the state of stand-up comedy, this sort of stuff has to at least be mentioned.

Thankfully, two of comedy’s finest have released stand-up specials over the past month. Louis C.K. and Dave Chappelle, two all time comedic greats, have gifted viewers with a trio of specials to get us through these rough times.

Louis C.K.: “2017” Louis’ touch on the comedy world over the past decade or so has been unavoidable. He has a

10 The Spoke

Netflix

long string of successful, hilarious stand-up specials, each providing near textbook examples of comical ability. C.K. has a casual, charismatic style, instantly making him relatable and approachable.

He’s also created perhaps the most original comedy show since Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Louie.” If you haven’t watched all five seasons yet,

please do so. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll do both at the same time. There’s also “Horace and Pete,” an excellent tragicomedy web series released last summer that received little to no attention just because it was only released on his website. I highly recommend you check out both of them.

But his new special, “2017,” is different. C.K. is in a suit, casting away the black t-shirt and jeans combo he normally rocks. C.K. often goes after the audience in his stand-up, but this time they’re the butt of many of his jokes. They never realize it. From an uncomfortable opening about abortion to an exploration of stereotypes, he holds no bounds and easily deconstructs many of the social norms we have grown to now accept. Thanks Louis.

Dave Chappelle: “Deep in the Heart of Texas” and “The Age of Spin” After some creative differences with Comedy Central that led to the cancellation of his legendary sketch comedy show, “Chappelle’s Show,” comedic genius Dave Chappelle retreated to a tiny town in

Netflix

Ohio to live with his wife and raise his kids, leading to many years of rumored returns and occasional (but small) stand-up shows.

But now with the release of these two specials, the long wished for comeback is now complete. In both of them Chappelle takes no prisoners, speaking his mind with hysterical results.

The fact that Chappelle is African

American gives a whole new perspective on his material. He often takes things on from such a perspective, comparing movements such as gay rights and feminism to the struggle of African Americans.

His take on Bill Cosby is incredibly intriguing. Though Chappelle recognizes that his crimes are unforgivable, Cosby’s role as both a comedy great and as a positive figure for African Americans complicates his feelings. Do you remember that Cosby created one of the first television sitcoms that focused on an African American family and showed them in a positive light? Or how Cosby helped send many poor African American teenagers to college?

Chappelle does, and he wants to have his personal dilemma heard. It’s in this personal delving (and ensuing hilarity) that makes Chappelle worth being heard today. And if you haven’t seen his sketch show before, just search “I’m Rick James B****” and you’ll forget Key and Peele ever existed. We need Chappelle more than ever.

Monday, May 1, 2017

Student Life

Teacher Feature: Ashley Strouse French and Spanish teacher Ashley Strouse discusses throwing javelin, travel souvenirs and her experiences teaching foreign languages.

Which subjects do you teach? I realized how much I loved I teach French and Spanish. I it and how passionate I was do Spanish 1 and French 4 and 5. that I decided to teach it.

What are your favorite asWhere did you grow up? pects of French and Spanish In the Poconos. I grew up culture? where there was basically I love French food, and I like nothing but outside, so my to teach kids about French food. friends and I would go to the I think it’s cool to learn about river, we’d go bike riding, different family traditions and we’d do a whole bunch of stuff different customs that they outside because we were so have in different countries, far away from everything. I some of the things that they grew up with my mom and my value maybe more than we do younger brother, and I went to here. I studied in Spain, and for school. I liked being in school. me it was cool to see just that life is a little bit different, it’s a What were some of your fa- little bit slower than what we vorite pastimes? live here, where we’re always I did track, I threw javelin rushing to get stuff done, and and I worked when I was in it feels much more serious here high school. Other than that, I than it was in Spain. I really apliked to spend a lot of time with preciated that life was slower, my friends and we’d go to the and there was a lot less of an movies, have sleepovers and emphasis on being on time and hang out with each other. of always being where you need to be at that moment.

Why did you choose to become a language teacher?

What is the hardest part In high school, I continued about teaching a language? studying French from the With there being so many middle school, and then I awesome courses offered at picked up Spanish as a junior. Conestoga, I think sometimes We did block scheduling, so I students don’t recognize the was able to do four classes in value that languages can have a row in my last two years, for them. Academically, they’re and I loved them. I thought it thinking about what AP classes was so cool that I was able to they want to take, but maybe talk with other people that I they don’t recognize that perwouldn’t be able to talk with sonally, languages can be so if I didn’t know Spanish or if bene�icial to them. I know that I didn’t know French. It was because I didn’t speak another sort of the idea that there language growing up, I learned was this whole world I didn’t one, and now I’m able to comknow about and all these municate with so many people. people I could never com- It makes me sad when students municate with pushed me to don’t realize how valuable a study it more. I was a junior second language can be, peror senior in high school when sonally and professionally.

By Ian Ong Co-Student Life Editor

How did you choose the different decorations in your room?

Everytime I travel, I like to get new things from different countries. When I went to Peru, I bought a bunch of souvenirs. I have magnets, the cover on my desk is from Peru, the �lag I got was when I was in Spain and the French �lag was left by my mentor, Madame Brouard, who was here before, a couple of years ago. When I travel, I try to get a few new things to add to my classroom so students can see all of the cool things you can get when you travel.

What are a few important lessons you’ve learned while at Conestoga?

It’s important to be patient, to be understanding. I’ve taught a bunch of different groups of students at this point, I mean I’m still pretty early in my career, but each year, I’ve had to adjust to the groups. Sometimes they’re more rowdy, sometimes they’re more quiet, sometimes they are really excited about learning languages and sometimes they’re not as excited, and it’s recognizing that situation is not going to change.

Favorites Movie: “Silver Linings Playbook” Book to teach: “The Little Prince” Food: Bread and Cheese Sport to play and watch: Ultimate Frisbee

Song: “River Flows in You” — Yiruma Musical artist: The Lumineers and The Avett Brothers Superpower: To know every language Quote: “Il est très simple: on ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur. L’essen-

tiel est invisible pour les yeux.”/ “Here is my secret.

It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, “The Little Prince”

The Spoke 11

Monday, May 1, 2017

Student Life

Junior honored for leadership roles

By Lauren Gow Staff Reporter

Lauren Gow/The SPOKE

Leading the way: Junior Mikayla Renwick, vice president of the AASU, is a Widener University’s Leadership Award winner for her role in promoting positive change at Conestoga. She received a $20,000 scholarship to Widener and a leadership certificate.

By Audrey Kim Staff Reporter

After completing her final midterm, junior Mikayla Renwick suddenly remembered an awards application — one she had turned in months before the study guides and other papers piled up.

“The acceptance was sitting in my email, congratulating me, and I would have never known since I don’t usually check it,” Renwick said.

Carol Gibson, an advisor of the African American Student Union (AASU), surprised Renwick with a congratulations on her success at being honored with the Widener University’s Leadership Award.

Widener University annually acknowledges the “dreamers, doers, innovators and voices for the voiceless” by honoring them at the National Constitution Center. Award winners are given a leadership certificate and $20,000 scholarship to use over their four years at Widener University, if they choose to attend.

“My counselor called me down and told me about the leadership award and how

mathematical and it’s artistic as well,” Cook said.

Cook’s work has been a creative outlet for her since 1995, when she first started exhibiting at the annual Philadelphia Flower Show.

To start the process, Cook collects flower petals from shops and her own garden to press between the pages of books.

Once they become dry and flat a month later, Cook painstakingly pieces them together into vibrant and striking artworks.

Her work spans from symbols such as the flag of Great Britain to charming arrangements of flattened bouquets.

“You have to pay attention to what balance, color, frame and arrangement would work out best for the occasion,” Cook said of her designs. “Flower-pressing ensures what looks beautiful and fresh from nature stays as such.”

Now in retirement, Cook commits to knitting, cooking and flower-pressing. She also sings in her church’s chorus, teaches piano to students and has remained the adviser to

Pressing matters: Former T/E School District teacher Jean Cook poses in front of her house. Her home is her studio where she creates her flower presses.

Tredyffrin Easttown Middle Based on her past experiSchool’s Knitting Club for the ences, Cook encourages both past six years. young students and adults to “Obviously, you can’t do ev- discover what they love and to erything at once,” Cook said, focus on their passions. when asked about how she “Stay interested, work remains so active. “People get hard,” Cook said. “Talk, comcaught up in the idea of doing municate, share ideas. There’s everything at once. Doing just so much of the world out one thing at a time every day there, you just simply need to helps immensely.” grab it.”

Former teacher blooms in retirement

Past the massive tulip structures and the stone-pavement gardens, one of the Philadelphia Flower Show’s exhibitions showcases row after row of paintings. Upon a closer look, these are actually works of flower-pressing, shaped to compose a fluid appearance. From a far away distance, the work appears to be a legitimate painting.

One of these artworks was composed from social studies and math teacher Jean Cook,

12 The Spoke

“Not for just AASU students, but for students that feel like they have the lower hand, I want to help them,” Renwick said.

AASU’s current president Presina Mottley says Renwick’s recognition by Widener will benefit the club as a whole.

“This will help bring more attention towards the AASU because people are now seeing that members of the club are being awarded for their hard work,” Mottley said.

AASU president senior Presina Mottley feels confident that the club will succeed in future years under Renwick’s direction as vice president. Of Renwick and junior Heather Gray-Vause, next year’s club president, Mottley believes both have the potential to lead AASU in a good direction.

“They both have great leadership skills, and I hope that it carries through next year,” Mottley said.

In her continuing role as AASU vice president, Renwick hopes to continue to make an impact on the status of minorities at Conestoga over her remaining time in high school.

they wanted to nominate me for it,” Renwick said.

The Leadership Award judging committee noted Renwick’s activities as a board member of the African American Student Union at Conestoga as a distinguishing achievement. Renwick has taken part in AASU’s annual Cover Dish, Ban the ‘N’ word campaign, Black History Moment, in addition to other student outreach clubs like Peer Mediation. In Renwick’s application to Widener’s award, she was asked to describe why she believed she deserved the award. The qualifications for Widener University’s Leadership Award describe a high school student who advocates for positive change in his or her community and makes a difference. Outside of AASU, Renwick looks to help others’ voices be heard.

“I want to educate the students about being a minority in Conestoga by showing the differences we go through in school,” Renwick said.

This mentality made her a worthy recommendation to Widener University in her counselor’s eyes.

who retired from the school district in 2013.

She recently won an award for flower-pressing at the annual Philadelphia Flower Show, where thousands of arrangements around the world promoted this year’s theme of Holland.

The emphasis on Dutch culture and flowers propelled Cook to produce a duplicate of famous artist Piet Mondrian’s distinctive work. It is this meticulous aspect of flower-pressing that spurred on Cook’s interest in the hobby. “(Flower-pressing) combines many fields. It’s exacting, it’s 10% OF w/ C ones F tog Stud ent I a D

Audrey Kim/The SPOKE

Monday, May 1, 2017

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The Spoke 13

アニメの世界へようこそ!

Center Spread

F W

“ s A G s e w

Welcome to the world of anime!

Story by Justin Huang and Eric Xue · Design by Justin Huang and Ian Ong

an·i·me (n):

a style of animation originating in Japan that is characterized by stark colorful graphics depicting vibrant characters in action-filled plots often with fantastic or futuristic themes Giant mechs, magical girls and ordinary high school life. It’s more than just a cartoon. This is anime.

Anime has never been more popular worldwide than it is now.

According to the Association of Japanese Animations, anime reaches approximately 87.2 percent of the world’s population, and in 2015 alone, the anime industry raked in $1.81 billion in revenue from watchers domestically and internationally. However, anime wasn’t always this popular. In its early days, watchers had to hunt down and buy anime in the forms of VHS tapes and DVDs. This all changed with the arrival of the Internet and online streaming.

Websites and streaming services such as Crunchyroll, Hulu and Netflix caused viewership to soar, allowing fans to watch their favorite anime anytime, anywhere. Shows such as Naruto, One Piece and Bleach soon boasted millions of fans worldwide, and movies such as Spirited Away, which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film in 2003, gained critical acclaim as well.

Anime has come a long way since the first Japanese animation in the early 1900s. Constantly there are shows that are revolutionizing animation styles, the messages that animators hope to convey and even the meaning of the word “anime” and what it represents. Nowadays, anime encompasses a wide variety of genres and art styles. From comedy to romance to action, anime has something for people of all tastes.

So the next time you’re surfing through Netflix searching for the next show to binge on, consider watching an anime. There could be more to it than meets the eye.

Pictured: Taki Tachibana (left) and Mitsuha Miyamizu (right) from “Your Name.”

ufotable Sword Art Online By 2022, virtual reality has reached never-before-seen heights. With the release of the NerveGear technology comes Sword Art Online, the very first virtual reality massively multiplayer online role playing game. However, not everything is all fun and games. The 10,000 players who logged in soon realize that they can no longer log out and are faced with the harsh reality that death in game means death in real life. The only way to escape from this virtual hell is to clear all 100 floors. “Sword Art Online” tells the story of Kazuto Kirigaya and his adventures to free himself and his fellow players from their virtual nightmare.

W

A brief timeline:

Fans speak out: I think the artwork is very cool, and the way they can express emotion very well from the drawings—you can feel it.

The stories are very intricate and that’s really cool.

- Senior Gabriella Ruggirello

If people like action, they can watch action anime.

If they want to watch romance, they can watch romance anime.

There a variety of genres and they are really fun to watch.

- Senior Joshua Shim Photos by Betty Ben Dor and Eric Xue

From left to right: Konata Izumi (Lucky Star), Josuke Higashikata (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure), Tohru and Kanna (Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid), Rem (Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World)

14 The Spoke

u

1907

Katsudō Shashin, the first artifact of Japanese animation, is created.

Namakura Gatana, the first anime short, is created.

1917

196

Astro Boy, the anime to be b overseas, air America.

ywnd o

Center Spread Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya) “Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu” follows the activities of the SOS Brigade, a club that specialized in the supernatural, and its five members—Haruhi Suzumiya, the club’s fearless leader, Kyon, Yuki Nagato, Mikuru Asahina and Itsuki Koizumi.

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works Well-known for its stunning animation, “Fate/Stay Night” depicts Emiya Shirou’s struggle in a world where magic is real.

Accidentally, he’s swept into the Holy Grail War, fought by seven mages with servants summoned from historic legends. The winner is promised any one wish, but things are not what they seem...

Kyoto Animation Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) “Shingeki no Kyojin” is the anime that took the world by storm in 2013, gaining viewership among both Eastern and Western audiences.

Centuries ago, mankind was pushed to the brink of extinction by monstrous creatures called titans.

In order to ensure their survival, the rest of humanity barricaded themselves within large walls and as a result, were able to live in peace for a hundred years. However, with the appearance of the colossal titan, who manages to breach the once-believed impregnable outer wall, humanity is once again faced with a fight for their survival. The story centers around Eren Yeager and his quest to eradicate every remaining titan on Earth.

ufotable

e ll

a elf r

ufotable Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (Your Lie in April) All aboard the feels train! The anime that makes even the toughest men cry.

Kousei Arima was known as the human metronome for his precision as a piano player, but after the death of his mother, he was left traumatized and unable to hear the sound of his own playing. Even after two years, Kousei still avoids the piano and leads a monotonous and colorless life, but that all changes when he meets Kaori Miyazono, the violinist who would set Kousei back on his journey to face music again. “Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso” follows the story of Kousei’s recovery as a piano player and as a human being.

Wit Studio

,

Dragon Ball Z airs in America.

1996

亀

1963

2001

Astro Boy, the first anime to be broadcast overseas, airs in America.

“Spirited Away” is released.

Neon Genesis Evangelion airs in America.

2003

2016 “Your Name.” becomes the highest grossing anime film.

The Spoke 15

Monday, May 1, 2017

OPINION

Senior farewell: a few parting words

After four years at Conestoga, our senior Spokies are signing off. Before passing off the torch to the underclassmen, here are some of their final words of advice:

-Be selfish. Over your four years at Conestoga, it will be easy to fall into a pattern of “have to’s.” The looming pressures of college and parental approval too powerfully impact our high school choices.

We forget that the only approval that truly matters is our own. Make decisions for yourself — say no, say yes, but factor in only what is best for you. Decisions made to impress others are worthless when they mean nothing to us. These are your four years; don’t let anyone else tell you what to do with them.

-Trust in yourself. You know more than you think, so do not second guess your decisions.

Also, do not be afraid to laugh.

It’s really cheesy, but laugh as much as you can. Overcoming obstacles is one thing, but being able to laugh and being genuinely joyful during difficulties shows true resilience.

-Go with what you know.

Just because your friend is taking an AP doesn’t mean you

have to. Take what classes are the best for you.

-Don’t just find someone who has faith in you, find something to give you faith.

Yes, people can have faith in you, and that can be invaluable; but an intrinsic faith in your abilities and prowess can take you further than any external force’s confidence can. Success comes from confidence, and confidence starts with faith. So find those things (activities, aspirations, routines, behaviors, mindsets) that give you faith and propel you forward. Everyone needs something meaningful to get them up in the morning.

-Treat a due date like a deadline. Due dates are for the history essay you didn’t finish last night after swim practice.

Deadlines are the moment that an assignment will be polished and ready to go. Make no exceptions for missing a deadline. It changed my work ethic tremendously. Secondly, take pride in all that you do — if you are lucky enough to be different, never change.

-Take no prisoners and leave no stone unturned.

Every opportunity presented to you should be capitalized on

and used as a stepping stone.

Never be satisfied, there is always room for growth. For your role as a young person is to be a sponge, to soak in as much as you can. Knowledge is everywhere and ripe for plundering. Experience as much as you can. Build relationships, fall in love, join clubs, learn to cook, do it all.

This is the trial run of your life. Roll the dice often and bet high, young Pioneer.

-Don’t be afraid to disagree.

Throughout your years in high school, you will definitely question what you believe about the world and this is the best time to air those doubts.

Although I’ve been fortunate to have the Spoke as a platform to express my views, finding your identity and personal values begins by recognizing that your ideas matter.

As cliche as it sounds, if the people around you are unable to appreciate your differences, they’re not worth your friendship. Fortunately, I’ve found that my classmates are, on the whole, open-minded and tolerant people.

- Live out high school like you are John Cusack in the seminal 1989 film “Say Anything.” And don’t vape.

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

16 The Spoke

From the editor: Anticipate the unexpected

Camille Kurtz Co-Editor-in-Chief

When I climbed the steep steps of Bus 11 on my �irst day of high school, my heart hiccupped and my mind teemed with shiny expectations. As I looked around for a place to sit in the dim light, I saw the stony, gloomy faces of giants (seniors) who already looked like they hated me. Not daring to break the silence of the misery mobile, I immersed myself giddily in my plans for my next four years.

I was going to be perfect. My out�its would be fashionable, my friends ample, my grades impeccable. Every day I would go to school full of con�idence.

I would manage my workload and get used to waking up at 5:30 a.m. and drink almond milk while eating kale chips. I would meditate and practice yoga and I would �ind time to �inally break my mile time. Donning the Conestoga emblem, I would race for the swim team and win relays and medals. I would take dozens of AP classes and ace all of them. I would babysit and get a part-time job and become the president of all my clubs. I would be so different from who I was in middle school.

The four-year plan extended itself into a lifetime plan.

After excelling at Conestoga, I would go to an accredited (Ivy League?) college. I would score an enriching and well-paying job. My life would be all thanks to the hard work I put in during high school. I would be so happy.

But when the bus �inally arrived at Conestoga’s doors, I was terri�ied to go inside. Even though I had my schedule memorized, even though I had the perfect four-year plan, I still stood, petri�ied, at the entrance.

Already, the morning was not going as I had expected.

Tests and stress and reality started to get in the way. By sophomore year I was dejected; so much of what I hoped high school would be like was not coming true. It was a lot more dif�icult to be the girl of my four-year plan than it was to imagine and design her. I spent a long time mourning what I considered a failed high school experience.

Yet as graduation is imminent, I’ve realized how wrong I was to think my success in high school and my growth should be measured on a deluded scale of what the “perfect” four years of high school look like. While many of the goals I expected to realize did not happen the way I thought they would, so much more did.

The best things that happened to me in high school, I never expected.

I didn’t plan to fall in love with Latin and Spanish and switch my intended major of English to Linguistics. I didn’t plan to take kickboxing lessons and to go to Peru with the Spanish department and to make ice cream in AP Chemistry. I didn’t plan to write an entire research paper on ghosts or to attend the 2016 DNC as a reporter for The Spoke.

I never expected I would devote hundreds of hours of my time writing articles like this.

I certainly never planned to become co-editor-in-chief, to struggle so much with saying goodbye to room 280. I never dreamed I would be so grateful for the unexpected.

To all those who feel like their high school experience is not what they planned: plans change. As a freshman, I believed that if I excelled at Conestoga, the rest of my life would play out perfectly — but, the truth is, high school really isn’t as determining as we fear.

If our school bus dreams of a Hollywood high experience �ly out the window once we are actually standing outside Conestoga’s doors, we’ll still be OK. There is so much more to life than we have planned; so please, await the unexpected, seek the unexpected.

Monday, May 1, 2017

Opinion

National lamp day!

Caleigh Sturgeon Managing Web Editor Happy #NationalLampDay!!!

While last month, there were National Dog Day, National Sibling Day and National Pet Day, now it’s �inally the brightest nationally (sort of) recognized holiday of all. I can’t wait to brighten up my Instagram feed with pictures of my favorite lamps and me. I know that all of my followers will be posting their best lamp sel�ies, so I have to make sure the lighting is super artsy in my picture.

Last weekend, I visited Pier 1 and Home Goods to �ind the best lamp shades to brighten up my feed. I found a lampshade with American Flags on it that I’m going to use in my Instagram because it goes along with the “National” part of the holiday’s name. I have to improve my account’s aesthetic because I only got 428 likes on my National Sibling Day picture of my brother and me, and 435 likes on my National Pet Day post of my cat and me. Plus, the pet picture really should’ve gotten at least 450 likes because it was technically a sel�ie. I’m determined to hit 500 likes by the end of the month, and National Lamp Day is the perfect opportunity for me to gain followers.

I’ve already commented on �ive lamp-themed pictures this morning, so that when I post

my picture, I’ll get some nice comments in return. However, I can’t post my picture until prime posting time around 6 o’clock. I set myself a reminder for 5:45, so that I have 15 minutes beforehand to make sure my edit is just right. I have to get my post out by 6:30 or else it will look like I forgot about Lamp Day and am just trying to get Instagram likes.

Also, I’ve been getting great use out of Snapchat’s National Lamp Day geo�ilter and its two facial recognition �ilters. My favorite �ilter is the one that superimposes your face on a light bulb. I’ve been taking a ton of videos because when you raise your eyebrows, the lampshade spins around your light bulb face. Don’t worry though—I’ve kept my Snapchat story to 50 seconds so that I can add a snap of the lamp in my basement with the geo�ilter that reads “National Lamp Day IT’S LIT!” On National Dog Day, eight people screenshotted my story of me with the Snapchat �ilter that gives you dog ears and a tongue. I must’ve looked really good, but I think if I wink in a sel�ie of me as a light bulb, I might be able to get more screenshots.

My parents say that I should stop focusing on these “arbitrary” holidays and focus more on the “real” upcoming holidays like Memorial Day and Flag Day. It’s not like I don’t like Memorial Day and Flag Day, I just have to plan my snaps and grams for National Pet Rock Day and National Noodle Day �irst. I’ll let you guys in on a secret: I’m going to be clever and celebrate pool noodles instead of pasta noodles.

But DON’T even think about stealing my idea. I’m winning that holiday.

Justin Huanime: Weeb Editor

Justin Huang Web Editor

I watch anime, or Japanese cartoons. While many consider it its own genre, it’s really a different medium with the same genres that Western audiences are accustomed to—fantasy, comedy, sci-fi, etc.— plus aspects of culture from Japan.

Within this period of globalization, anime has gained a worldwide appreciation for its shows and movies.

However, many people don’t understand that appreciation. Even my closest friends say “Wow, what a weeaboo,” or other derogatory terms for anime fans, whenever they see me talking about an amazing show that I recently watched. And if they don’t say it, it’s painfully obvious to imagine people thinking it in their heads. After mentioning anime or manga to anybody who doesn’t like it themselves, there’s a brief yet noticeable silence when I can see their eyes painting me with two samurai swords, a full-body pillow and an unhealthy amount of figurines.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that people have to appreciate anime. But is it too much to ask for people to actually know what they’re criticizing before they act judgmental toward me? Certainly, there are stranger traits of Japanese culture depicted in anime

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

that aren’t shared in America, but only a handful of anime feature those traits. There are anime that take you on a thrill ride, like “Attack on Titan” and “Fate/Stay Night.” There are anime that require an entire tissue box to recover from the powerful emotions, like “Your Lie in April” and “Kimi no Na Wa.” There are anime that explore the darker depths of humanity, like “Berserk” or “Elfen Lied.” All of them take more serious tones that don’t match the expectations of those who would judge me.

One of my friends was originally skeptical of anime because he assumed that they were only perverse Japanese cartoons, but then he decided to watch “Neon Genesis Evangelion” over the course of a few weeks. When he finished, he came back as a changed man and called that anime one of the best TV shows he’s ever seen. As anime watchers, we’re no different from people who watch regular TV. We

look for gorgeous animation styles and intricate plots, just as others look for gorgeous special effects and intricate plots. We are the same.

But we’re not treated the same.

Because anime isn’t socially accepted, there’s an invisible barrier separating the anime watchers, and it creates “closet otakus,” or closet anime watchers too shy to talk about their enjoyment of anime.

After all, people just make fun of them when the subject is brought up anyway. Since when was anime such a shameful thing to watch?

Since when was watching anime a guilty pleasure instead of a simple pleasure? Those factors created the anime closet, where so many anime fans lie. This social pressure against people who watch what they like is irrational. People don’t regularly criticize watchers of “The Office” or “Game of Thrones.” So why the hate for people who watch anime?

It’s time that people decided to walk out of the anime closet.

"I don't watch anime, but I do think that a lot of people assume people who watch anime are weird, which is not something that I judge."

- Julian Lu "I enjoy anime a lot, and my friends and I have bonded over it. I don't understand why people hate it, because it's a way to express yourself."

- Emily Morrissette "I don't watch a lot of anime now, but I did enjoy the animations and the story line of it when I was younger."

- Tyler Jansen

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

"Frankly, I feel like anime in Asia is just like television in the U.S." - Jason Tu

17 The Spoke

Monday, May 1, 2017

Opinion

Signing off: thoughts from a lifetime Spokie

Meagan O’Rourke Co-Editor-in-Chief As a third grader, I decided I wanted to be a journalist for “National Geographic.” I carried my dream with me all the way to eighth grade and with my English teacher’s encouragement, I applied to join The Spoke—which I believed to be the logical stepping stone in becoming a world traveling reporter.

However, this stepping stone soon became my rock.

Although sometimes rough, my Spoke experience has truly shaped my time at Conestoga in ways I never anticipated. I joined because I wanted to write. I stayed and committed myself to this publication because I wanted to grow.

As a senior, I should be able to provide sage advice to

Jahnavi Rao Columnist

Giving up on grades. Being able to count down the days left in school on your hands. Graduation. These all sound pretty familiar if you’re in the graduating class rounding out your last leg of senior year. These also sound familiar if you’re in the grades below, and are watching those above you (and sometimes your friends) do the very same things.

As a junior with a, frankly, abnormal amount of friends in the grade above me, I suffer from the phenomena called second-hand senioritis. Seeing my friends gearing up for college is a double edged sword, a lose-lose situation, for multiple reasons. Let me name the ways.

18 The Spoke

underclassmen about exactly which classes to take, which clubs to join and where and how to parcel their time.

Unfortunately, I do not have the key to achieving the best high school experience while preparing for the future.

Oddly enough, I have a blurrier vision of my future than when I was in third grade. I no longer want to write for “National Geographic,” and I most likely will not be a journalist (no matter how much I obsess over Anderson Cooper).

However, The Spoke has not discouraged me from such pursuits. It has exposed me to other opportunities and interests I never knew I had. My devotion to “The Spoke” gave me something better than a clear career path; it gave me an ongoing test of perseverance and character. And this test has led me to an important realization. Instead of stressing over figuring out your true passion, think of the person you want to be and commit yourself to becoming the best version of your future self, through whatever outlet.

There definitely have been Spoke hardships. I gave up

field hockey, Camerata and theatre to an extent. I’ve faced ethical dilemmas that turned my stomach at night and I’ve been trusted with stories heavier than a 17-year-old should have to hear. However, after the four years, 27 issues and countless intense productions in room 280A, I don’t think I would have had it any other way.

The amazingly uplifting moments of Spoke from reporting on the Pope’s visit to

For one, I’m going through the classic symptom of senioritis. My friends no longer care about their grades, and neither do I. From a personal standpoint, this isn’t really true, because my friends are a bunch of nerds (in the best way!) and I sometimes feel like I truly care less than they do. But if you happen to pick up the lack of care for your GPA, you get all the slack and none of the bene�its with this particular side effect of second hand senioritis, dropping marks while not accepted into the college of your choice or secured in a future of any sort. Instead, you get grades sent home in the mail alarming your parents and guidance counselor meetings where you need to talk about the ‘consequences of your actions,’ which is markedly less fun than what would happen in senior year.

Another unfortunate result of exposure to the senior class is concern over the impending doom that is ‘your future.’ I personally was exhausted after the last of the college applications were sent out, having felt like I was going through it alongside my friends as I was asked to read

essays, meet up at Starbucks, listen to gossip about who was applying where and assuage many fears. With no applications to write myself, I found myself instead with the hurtling realization that I would be the one slaving over the Common App next year, frantically refreshing e-mails for early results and panicking over �inding a reviewer.

College visits help even less, with tours and information sessions showing you students who, like the seniors above you, have already gone through the harrowing process of high school, and have migrated to yet another form of gruelling education. The jealousy that seeps into your bones is practically unavoidable, as these people, regardless of which school they attend, have already decided and have a future lined up. On the other hand, as a non-senior, I have nothing of the sort.

But more pressing than the prospect of applications is that of a life after high school. The act of leaving high school, while a year away, is still looming, and directs me to another building of

Philadelphia to laughing with the editors at journalism conferences have outshined the difficulties. And like anything, the roadblocks in my Spoke journey have proved to be the most positively influential in the long run. I’ve lead people older than me, taken criticism from adults and administration and met each looming deadline, acquiring not only journalistic skills but workplace and life skills.

While The Spoke has been my niche, I believe every Pioneer has experienced a non-academic part of high school that has shaped them — whether this be babysitting a neighbor or being the lead in school shows.

So enjoy these things now, pursue them with as much gusto as your studies. Because the skills that you learn outside of the classroom are the ones that will stay with you for a lifetime.

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

Second-hand senioritis

learning. This new location will have new people and streets, and require a brand new enthusiasm and drive to make friends on top of coping with the loss of old ones. The future is unavoidable, and thinking about it even less so. However, the constant newsfeed announcements of seniors choosing their college do nothing but highlight this crisis as you watch people entering a new chapter of their life. A chapter that you very soon will have to write.

Thinking about college is not bad, and planning for your future probably helpful. But it’s downright stressful, and on top of AP exams and friends preparing to leave (forever!), the pressure is unwanted.

However, the future demands to be seen, as as I say goodbye to the friends I’ve made over the last three years, I can’t help but see myself in their place in exactly a year. And I can’t help but wonder what’s in store for me.

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

Opinion

Monday, May 1, 2017

Cap AP classes

Matthew Soderberg Opinion Editor Dear School Board, For the last two years, I have written a column in this paper that refuses to take anything seriously. It has caused teachers to look at me with many questions in their eyes and political ire amongst many of my classmates. I don’t regret anything I’ve written in this paper, but I think I’ve learned a lot since I started.

So for my last piece, I choose not to write some brash headline in the hopes of humor or subtle social meaning, but to ask the school board a question that cannot be answered: which is more important at Conestoga, the students or their achievements? If the answer was truly that students were the focus, the school board would immediately and forcefully enforce caps on AP classes for students at Conestoga, knowing that such an action, no matter how controversial, is bene�icial to the wellbeing of students.

Conestoga students, with exception of few, overload themselves every year during course selection. The AP program is meant to provide opportunity to those who exceed expectations in a certain �ield. It should not, however, become normal for juniors in high school to be taking �ive college-level courses. As any Conestoga student who has spent

Connie Stoga

time in AP classes can tell you, mental health issues and a lack of proper sleep and diet accompany those a majority of those, who build themselves into a world of pressure.

AP courses have lost their intentions: no longer are they for self-driven students who want to explore a subject in depth; instead, they have become a necessity for acceptance into elite universities and colleges.

Now, I’m not silly enough to think this might actually happen, and that is not the fault of the school board. Parents and even students would come out against this measure in full force, because that’s how education works at such a good school as Conestoga.

The prevailing sentiment would be something along the lines of “We need APs to get our kids into college!”

Except, that’s not true.

College admissions counselors look at Conestoga students in

“Which is more important at Conestoga, the students or their achievements?” the context of Conestoga — so a student taking two AP courses (two college-level classes!) might be seen as not challenging themselves when compared to how

many they could have taken. If the school board were to take action to limit students to two AP classes a year, admissions counselors would examine students in that context.

After the outrage at such action would settle down, the AP program would actually begin to serve its purpose again. With only two classes at an AP level, students would take harder classes in their actual interests instead of in every subject. Honors classes would once again ful�ill their intended role.

I’ve spent four years walking these halls with my peers who deal with regular and severe anxiety from the classes they take. I urge the school board to at least conduct an investigation into the effects the AP program has on students, and to take action, limiting how many can be put on a course card.

It’s not the popular decision, but it is the right one.

Report Card Senior Prom + Fiona E. Kurtz

- Tensions boil over.

13 Reasons Why + Idk — my mom likes it.

- Sensationalistic garbage.

Seniors’ Last Week + No prank.

- ;)

S-Town + The second season of “Serial” we all deserved.

- You only understand this if you’re a nerd.

NBA Playoffs

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

+ Finally a good time.

-Final matchup just feels inevitable.

Declan Kahley

+ A positive in�luence for all.

- If you don’t know him, you missed out.

Report Card

+ Mediocre at best.

- Liberal bias.

The Spoke 19

SPORTS

Monday, May 1, 2017

SCORELINE

WLT

Softball

340

G Rubgy

120

B Lacrosse

10  0  0

Tennis

800

B Rugby

1 1 0

G Lacrosse

900

See More

Conestoga students take on fencing nationals p. 21

Baseball

350

See More

New faces on Conestoga tennis courts pg. 22 Scores as of 4-25

Coach Diamond takes to the diamond

By Henry Danon Staff Reporter

For the 2017 baseball season, new coach Matthew Diamond, a teacher at Valley Forge Elementary School, will lead the Conestoga varsity baseball team. Although Diamond played baseball for Conestoga throughout high school and has coached track and football in the district, he has never before coached baseball. For the first

time this season, Diamond will lead a team with numerous Central League titles.

Thus far, Diamond feels like he has adjusted well to the new position and the team.

“I’ve really gotten to know the boys as a group. (My favorite part of coaching) is the boys I get to coach,” Diamond said.

“They’ve also done a great job adapting to a new coach.”

Senior captain and pitcher Angus Mayock has played on the varsity team since sophomore

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20 The Spoke

year, playing pitcher and third base occasionally. He has had to adapt to playing under three separate coaches, with a new coach each year. Two years ago, Kevin Pechin replaced longtime coach John Vogan.

“I loved (Vogan) and (Pechin), they were both really great coaches and friends, as well. The change isn’t ideal, but the way Mr. Diamond has adapted is really nice,” Mayock said. “Considering I only had each coach for a year, having (Diamond) likely coach for the years to come is great for the future players.”

Though he has coached before, Diamond finds that learning to coach baseball involves an entirely different skill set. According to Diamond, the fact that baseball has no time limits or “plays” presents an additional challenge.

“With football, there’s a new play every 30 seconds. And track is hard to actually coach while they’re running. But with baseball, you have to plan for the whole game, like what to do with baserunners or strategy at the plate. It’s one of the reasons I love coaching it,” Diamond said.

Diamond has worked on developing his own style of coaching and the best way to help his players. Unlike most coaches, Diamond chooses not to manage the game on a playby-play basis. Instead, he manages by making all decisions for the long run. So far, the players approve of his coaching style.

“He’s really been a great coach so far and I really like what he’s done,” Mayock said.

Junior Luke Czepiel, a varsity captain, believes Diamond has faced the high standards of coaching for ’Stoga’s varsity team well.

“He’s really progressing as the season has gone on, especially with the expectations of a

team with many Central League championships,” said junior Luke Czepiel, another varsity captain. “He has (an) unspoken presence; he brings the confidence and stability.”

With the historic amount of Central League titles won by the baseball team, the expectations are high. But Diamond and the players feel no concern about the pressure. Having coached for other teams before, Diamond is accustomed to the pressure of competition and tries to help his players relax in the heat of the game.

“I try to not think about (the pressure) too much, and I’ve gotten pretty good at that.

I think I do a good job keeping (the players) calm,” Diamond said.

Czepiel appreciates Diamond’s efforts to help the team keep a level head.

“I think that he doesn’t feel any pressure when he’s coaching. When we feel pressure, he calms us down,” Czepiel said.

Like Czepiel, Mayock is impressed at how easily Diamond

has adapted to coaching the team and working with the players.

Coach Diamond “gives me confidence. He’s really energetic and brings up the team,” Mayock said. “He’s really fitting in and helping us. Other coaches I’ve had in the past haven’t adjusted as well.”

With a past rich in success, the team has made goals to to attain a similar level of achievement. Despite these long term goal, the players and Diamond are currently focusing on the present.

“We think more game-bygame, rather than whole seasons. The thought of states, for example, is just distracting and far into the future,” Czepiel said.

Ultimately, Diamond wants to keep the emphasis of the team on their individual games, so as to not be intimidated by lofty expectations.

“I take everything on a smaller scale, and I don’t like to think too much of the expectations we have. Obviously, we always want to win, but we have to do it with strategy,” Diamond said.

A Teaching Moment: Varsity Diamond talks to his players against Penncrest High School on coached track and football for

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

baseball coach Matthew during the team’s game April 24. Diamond has the district in the past.

Monday, May 1, 2017

Sports

Saber the moment: Pioneers excel at fencing

Sophomore Calvin Wang practices at Zelijkovic Fencing Academy in Willow Grove. Wang started out playing tennis, but While fencing receives little took interest in fencing after attention in media or popular visiting his coach at his college. culture, Conestoga neverthe“I used to play tennis and my less has a small but committed coach would be at Temple begroup of fencers. At Conestoga, cause he went to college there. two students are headed to the One day, they actually had a USA Fencing National Champi- tournament so my mom said, onships in Salt Lake City, Utah.

‘Hey this looks interesting,’ so I Junior Kyle Kennedy started went over to look, and I started fencing when he was just 10 fencing,” Wang said. years old. After three concusKennedy competes in a lot sions from sports, Kennedy of local tournaments “because looked for a new sport in which there really aren’t that many to compete. After watching a big tournaments compared practice, he fell in love with the to the local tournaments” and sport and has been studying for “you can pretty much attend a seven years since. local tournament on any given “I wanted to do karate; this weekend.” is after I’ve already had three The United States Fencing concussions, and my mom said Association, which governs all ‘maybe not karate,’” Kennedy fencing competitions across said. the nation, categorizes fencers Kennedy practices in Phil- into A, B, C, D, E and unrated adelphia three to four times a ratings. By competing in USA week. On a typical practice day, Fencing-sanctioned tournathe fencers will lift weights and ments, unrated fencers, usuwarm up from 5:00-6:30 p.m. ally those new to the sport, Then, they will take lessons can earn higher letter ratings with their coaches until about based on good performance.

7:30 p.m. before open fencing Wang started off in E and D 2016_HS_Newspapers (10.312 xuntil 5.843).3_Layout 1 5/17/16 PM he Page 1 with other swordsmen tournaments but5:42 now comeight or nine at night. petes in national tournaments

By Elizabeth Billman Co-Sports Editor

Courtesy Kyle Kennedy

En Guard: Junior Kyle Kennedy competes in the NAC tournament in Baltimore. He plans on competing at the national tournament along with sophomore Calvin Wang. and for the last three years, he has been attending the Junior Olympics as well as other regional events.

Kennedy also competed in the Junior Olympics in February in Francis City for the first time in his fencing career.

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“I didn’t do great at JO’s, but it was my first time. I had failed to qualify the year before so I went back and I actually got to win the qualifying tournament.

I probably got about the 66th percentile in the actual event,” Kennedy said.

Kennedy competed in the April NAC (North American Cup) Tournament in Baltimore and recently qualified for the summer nationals in Salt Lake City. Wang will also be at nationals but did not attend NAC. Wang says he usually places high in regional tournaments and has medaled a couple of times.

“On average, I’m usually towards the higher end of the bracket, but every now and then I drop down pretty low.

Recently, just last weekend, I was fencing at an RACC which is a regional event and I got pretty low in my first day in the tournament. Then the next day I ended up third so the turn of events was pretty good,” Wang said.

Wang thoroughly enjoys the sport, but there is one specific aspect he considers “the best.”

“If I had to say one thing I really love about the sport, (it) is that when you plan something out and it goes exactly how you want it to and it just leaves your opponent standing there, they don’t even know what happened, and you can just keep doing it over and over again.

That’s the best part,” Wang said.

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The Spoke 21

Monday, May 1, 2017

Sports

Story and photos by Neil Goldenthal Co-Sports Editor

Golden Set: Nishanth Kopri, Matt Walton and Sam Weintraub pose on the tennis courts after practice. The trio made varsity as freshmen, marking a young era for the team.

E

very team sees change from season to season, but this year the boys’ tennis team has a lot of new faces on and off the courts.

This season, the team welcomed new head coach Brittany Aimone. A New Jersey native, Aimone is an experienced player herself with an extensive record dating back to her youth. In high school, she ranked junior in the US Tennis Association (USTA) Middle States and was named player of the year in New Jersey during her senior year. Aimone then continued playing first singles on a full sc holarship to Georgian Court University in northern New Jersey. For the last four years, she has been coaching the girls’ team at Villa Maria in the fall. Aimone said that her first season has been a great experience so far.

“They are extremely hard working and the most respectful groups of guys I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with,” Aimone said of the team.

The boys said they have been enjoying the season with Aimone as well, and have taken a liking to her style of coaching and methods that she’s introduced. Kai Czubryt-Ogino, one of the captains, thinks that the new approach is good for the team.

“We’ve been working a lot on conditioning, which we

22 The Spoke

haven’t done in the past, it’s really well-rounded. (Coach Aimone) will get us courts to hit on even it’s raining,” Czubryt-Ogino said.

“I just like having a group to play with for once.”

-Sam Weintraub Assistant coach Mark Tirone, a gym teacher, track coach and swimming coach at ‘Stoga, also joined the team this year. Though he doesn’t much have much experience with tennis, Tirone said that Aimone’s savvy has helped her take on the new role.

“It’s great because she’s an expert at tennis. She’s taken the lead role and done a great job with it,” Tirone said.

Hari Elavarasan, another one of the captains, said the

players’ skills are improving under Aimone’s coaching.

“A lot of us are definitely improving our game, especially communication with our partners in doubles. She’s got a lot of team spirit and knows how to get us motivated. We’re better off with her,” Elavarasan said.

In addition to having a new coach, the team saw a surge of freshman talent. Two freshman, Matt Walton and Sam Weintraub, made varsity, and many more are in the higher ranks of the JV squad. Weintraub, who has been playing his whole life, appreciates the advice from older players and the comradery of the team.

“It’s pretty cool. I mean it’s awesome to get the experience and play with the guys who have been playing for all of these years before me, and getting all the tips from the guys who have a lot of experience,” Weintraub said. “Honestly, I just like having a group to play with for once. In tennis, it’s usually an individual sort of thing, so it’s nice to be part of a team.”

Aimone said that the three captains, Hari Elavarasan, Kai Czubryt-Ogino, and Cahlin Pragada, as well as the other older players, have been working with and helping the young players.

“They’ve been amazing with the younger guys. Any questions that the younger guys

have, they’re extremely helpful.

I couldn’t have asked for a better group of captains,” Aimone said.

Czubryt-Ogino thinks that the freshman have been a good addition to already strong team.

“We’ve had a couple freshman get close to beating some of our returning varsity

players, which is pretty nice,” Czubryt-Ogino said.

With a strong, young team, Coach Aimone and the boys have their eyes set on the Central League title, and a shot at districts and states. And with a 5-0 Central League record, those goals are within reach.

Returned Ace: Boys’ tennis head coach Brittany Aimone stands on the court at the YMCA where the team practices. She was a star tennis player in high school and college before coaching at Villa Maria and ‘Stoga.

Sports

Monday, May 1, 2017

Following

By Brooke Deasy, Claire Guo and Maddie Lamonica, Staff Reporters. Design by Adam Lockett. spoke.news/category/sports Basketball

A few years ago, the seniors of the varsity boys’ basketball team started the account @stogaball. Today, the senior players co-run the account as part of a team bonding exercise on the side.

“The account’s good for team building,” senior Michael Dutot said. “It’s de�initely fun coming up with new spirit days and funny captions. Our big hit this year was (a photo of) denim night!”

Besides bringing the team together, the main purpose of the account is to boost public enthusiasm for their games. Senior Charlie Martin, co-captain of the team, is happy witht he success of the account.

“It helps build, hype because we let people know when our game is, and it helps get people excited. (We) create cool captions to bring the pioneer pit,” Martin said.

The seniors believe Instagram is the better social media platform for their purpose.

“Twitter is dead so having an Instagram is the best way to keep our fans updated,” Dutot said.

Track Runners at ’Stoga created an Instagram account, @run_stoga, this year at the beginning of the winter track season.

“We made our Instagram because we thought it would be fun and we wanted to get ourselves out there since we didn’t have any social media before,” sophomore Hayley Pechin said.

The account is mostly managed by the distance runners on the team and the freshman sprinters, but the account is representative of the team as a whole.

“Before the season we post pictures to get everyone excited for track and during the season we post from our meets with results and sometimes from practices,” Pechin said.

By posting about their meets and team on and off the track, Pechin and her teammates think they can get more word out about their sport.

“I think it de�initely has attracted more attention to track. We have a lot of followers and a lot of them aren’t on the team, so other kids get to hear about track too,” Pechin said.

Crew

After hearing about other team Instagram accounts, senior Griffin Hamilton created the crew account @conestogacrew at the beginning of the season in January.

“I made it to give some exposure to the sport because it’s not well known in our school or community,” Hamilton said. “I wanted to make it more open.”

The account is based around providing information and updates about the team “We post race results, practice pictures and anything about the program that anybody would find interesting and trying to give exposure to the sport and our program specifically,” Hamilton said.

And from what he’s seen, the account does seem to give the team more exposure to the community.

“I have noticed some parents and some of the younger kids are more engaged with crew and it makes people happy to see that race results are posted on it,” Hamilton said.

The Spoke 23

Monday, May 1, 2017

Sports

By Betty Ben Dor Managing Editor

Five freshmen net spots on varsity

For the �irst time in coach Craig Gratton’s 13 seasons coaching at Conestoga, �ive freshmen—Scott Smith, Michael Prestopino, Liam Kirk, Chris Tsetsekos and Mick Lee—made the varsity boys lacrosse team.

“We’ve been successful as a grade and I think that we all really deserved where we are now,” Lee said.

According to Gratton, a strong freshman class coincided with several defensive position openings from graduates, creating more opportunities for these freshmen.

Senior player Tommy Sopko described the freshman class as very talented. To the sophomores and juniors rejected from the varsity team because of the in�lux of freshmen, he advised to “just keep working hard and look forward to next year.”

Sopko said that having so many underclassmen on the team affects the dynamic in a positive way.

“I think we look out for the freshmen more so it kind of causes us to be a little bit closer as a team,” Sopko said. “It’s nice for seniors and freshmen to try to interact and just make some friendships that way.”

“We’re looking forward to a really good year.”

to the team, regardless of age,” Gratton said. “We have team goals and want to reach those goals by using the players that will help us achieve them.”

Although Prestopino described the feeling of being on the varsity team as freshman as “awesome,” Tsetsekos said that it can be “really hard to keep up” at times. All �ive of the freshmen, who started playing in elementary school, also play on club lacrosse teams outside

of Conestoga such as Freedom Lacrosse and Rough Riders.

In regards to the future of the team, Sopko said that the experience the freshmen will get this year will be very bene�icial.

“For the future, it’s really nice that they’re going to have experience on varsity and be polished as players and just know the dynamic of the team and know what the level of competition is like,” Sopko said.

Kirk believes that in upcoming years, “we’ll also have a really strong team.”

Looking forward, Prestopino has already committed to the Pennsylvania State University and Smith is committed to Johns Hopkins University.

Lee said that for now, their goals as a team are to do well at the Central League, District and State Championships.

“We’re looking forward to a really good year,” Lee said.

-Mick Lee While Prestopino maintains that it is evident that the older players are very close, Lee described the seniors on the team as “super supportive.” Through frequent pasta parties and get-togethers, he said that they have been able to get to know the rest of the team better.

“I believe there is respect among teammates for the quality of play that one brings

Betty Ben Dor/The SPOKE

Freshmen Five: Freshmen Mick Lee, Michael Prestopino, Scott Smith, Chris Tsetsekos and Liam Kirk play for the varsity boys’ lacrosse team. This was the �irst time in coach Craig Gratton’s 13 seasons at Conestoga that so many freshmen made the team.

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24 The Spoke

Monday, May 1, 2017

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The Spoke 25

Monday, May 1, 2017

Sports

Born a fan: Teachers show their Steel City spirit

By Edward Sharick Guest Columnist I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and as early as I can remember, I was a Pittsburgh sports fan. It was part of the culture, a year-round cycle as routine as the seasons themselves.

The Steelers season started in early fall, and on good years, went into January. But if the Steelers had a disappointing season, fans looked to the Penguins. The NHL season runs from October into April, and playoffs can go into May. By the time the Penguins season was over, the baseball season was already rolling. Even though for much of my life, the Pirates were the cellar dwellers of the NL Central, it was great going into the city to cheer on the home team on a nice summer night. And as the baseball season came to a close, football was about to begin again.

The thing about Pittsburgh fans is that they live and die with their teams. Even throughout the 20 consecutive losing seasons of the Pirates, fans still went out to PNC park to root on the Buccos. They still donned their Bucs swagger around town. Pittsburgh fans are loyal. That’s why you can �ind Steelers fans everywhere.

My brother and I drove to Tennessee to watch the Steelers play the Titans one year. It was bitterly cold and the Steelers ended up losing that game, but I still remember sitting in the stands and thinking that there were more Steelers fans there than Titans fans.

Pittsburgh fans are a little bit spoiled though, especially right now. The Steelers have been good for most of Big Ben’s career, and the Penguins have two of the best centers that the game of hockey has ever seen.

Even the Pirates had a few contending seasons recently.

There’s an expectation that our teams will win and the city takes a lot of pride in its sports teams.

After living in Pittsburgh for over 20 years, I moved to Philadelphia to be with my wife in 2013. I was actually afraid of getting jumped for wearing

26 The Spoke

my Pittsburgh jerseys around town (seriously). What was really surprising was the lack of sports apparel that Philadelphians wore. You’d see the occasional Eagles hat or jersey, and on game-days, people would bring out their jerseys, but for the most part I didn’t see it. This was striking to me, because if you go out to get groceries in Pittsburgh, 90 percent of people will have some sort of black and gold shirt on.

If you wanted to start small talk with someone, you could just reference the most recent game (I think this is true for most cities). I even remember church sermons being quite brief during the noon mass so people could get home for the 1:05 p.m. kickoff. The passion

for their teams bled into every aspect of their lives for a lot of people, and this is what I love so much about being a part of that fan base.

One of the �irst things I tell my students is where I’m from and that I love sports. I have a lot of fun with this because sports can be so polarizing. If there’s a really passionate Eagles or Flyers fan in my class, they’ll almost get offended by the fact that I cheer for a different team. Sports fans are great at talking smack when their teams do well. Earlier this year, (senior) Collin Speicher gave me a shout out on GMS when the Eagles whooped the Steelers. But I had the last laugh when the Steelers made the playoffs and the Eagles didn’t. But all of this is in good fun, and I think that this is what makes sports great.

Special Edition

In this issue of The Spoke, we asked two out-of-town teachers to reflect on their lives as Pittsburgh sports fans.

Computer Science and Physics teacher Edward Sharick and English teacher Brittany Collins give us the scoop on the Steel City sports scene.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Superbowls: 6

Pirates

World Series: 5

Penguins

Stanley Cups: 4

Philadelphia Eagles

Superbowls: 0

Phillies

World Series: 2

Flyers

Stanley Cups: 2

By Brittany Collins Guest Columnist I am most likely not the best one to be writing an opinion piece on sports, seeing as how I would not necessarily describe myself as a sports enthusiast.

Growing up in a family full of girly girls with no brothers, our extra-curricular activities mainly took place in dance studios rather than at the ball�ields.

This is not to say that dancing is

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

not an intense athletic activity or that girls can’t be amazing at sports. If you knew me and my two sisters growing up, though, you would agree that we were more at home in leotards and ballet shoes than in jerseys.

However, my love of watching football games grew during my seven years as a majorette during middle and high school.

Spending every Friday night during the fall in the stands and on the �ield developed in me an almost addiction for the atmosphere that saturates a stadium full of fans cheering their team on to victory. Even to this day, I will walk outside during late September and be like, “This smells like football season. Oh my gosh, I miss it!”

As we married people know, once that signi�icant other walks into your life, certain traits become shared. One of

those traits that I acquired from my husband is being a Steelers fan. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am completely on board the Steelers’ bandwagon. Yet, being a Georgia girl, I always assumed I’d forever cheer on the Falcons and the Braves. Once I started dating my husband, though, he quickly shared his dismay with what it feels like to be a fan of Georgia teams—to watch them get so close again and again and always come up short. This truth in no way alters our allegiance to the Georgia Bulldogs, though. As UGA alumni, we will stand by the Dawgs forever… even if they continue to disappoint us! So, needless to say, I let him win this one, and we became a Steelers family. It also seemed like a good omen that when we watched our very �irst Super Bowl game together in 2006, the Steelers won.

So what draws us to this northern team so far from home?

My husband became a fan when he was a kid right around the time that Hines Ward, a well-known Georgia Bulldog, was drafted to the Steelers. Players like Hines Ward who play with all they have are a major reason we love pulling for the Steelers.

A current player who solidi�ies our love for the Steelers is Alejandro Villanueva. He is a West Point graduate and a Captain in the United States Army who impressively completed Ranger School and Airborne School. He served three tours of duty in Afghanistan and was awarded a Bronze Star for Valor. This accolade was for Villanueva rescuing wounded soldiers while under enemy �ire. How can you not root for a man like that?!

My son, Colson, would argue that the best member of the team today is Antonio Brown, and he excitedly watched every game possible this past season and would give us recaps of all the great plays Brown made during each game. While the Steelers may not win every championship, they are a team that leaves it all on the �ield every single down. The effort and amount of heart that they put into each game is what we always try to stress to our boys. We don’t care if you are ever the best at what you do, but we DO expect you to give your own personal best each time you do it. It is safe to say that, although our loyalty to the Steelers will probably not ingratiate us with our future Atlanta neighbors, we will continue to remain faithful to this amazing team and the men who impress us with their dedication.

Sports

Monday, May 1, 2017

Will Klein

Grade: 12 School: Haverford College Sport: Soccer Position: Center back Why Haverford?

“It’s a good mix of athletics and academics and I like the size of the school.

All the players and the coaches are good guys.”

MADIE FRENCH Grade: 12 School: Dickinson College Sport: Lacrosse Position: Midfield

Why Dickinson?

“I decided to commit to Dickinson because of the growing lacrosse program and the culture of the school. As soon as I stepped on campus, I felt a really welcoming vibe by the tight-knit community.”

What did ’Stoga Soccer teach you?

“It taught me the importance of team chemistry and how to What did ’Stoga lacrosse stay cool under pressure teach you? on the biggest stages.” “‘Stoga lacrosse taught me that perseverance will take Favorite memory? you a long way.“ “Winning the state championship.”

Favorite memory? emory?

“Winning the state championship and the pasta parties.”

#17 #4

By Avery Maslowsky Business Manager Girls Lacrosse After a 2016 spring season of success, the Conestoga girls varsity lacrosse team is back in action and striving for another win at the 2017 State Championship.

The girls lacrosse team began its 2016 season with �ierce determination after ranking as PIAA State Championship �inalists and the Central League champions in the 2015 season. The unfortunate loss at the 2015 State Championship led the impressive 2016 senior class to push the team to win the 2016 Central League Championship and the 2016 PIAA State Championship.

And with such a sensational 2016 season, the 2017 varsity team has pushed itself even further and harder to retain its �irst-in-the-state title. For the �irst time, the varsity team attended the Mid-Atlantic Play Day in Cape Henlopen, De. before its of�icial season began and

dominated against its nationally ranked competitors, including Bishop Ireton, Manchester Valley and Good Counsel.

The of�icial season started with a win on March 27 at an away game against Notre Dame Academy. The Pioneers took the game with a score of 12-8. Their record as of April 19 was 9-1-1,

Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

Fake out: Senior captain Scottie Growney works her way through Strath Haven’s defense at home on April 18. The defending state champs are currently 9-0.

putting the lacrosse team in the lead of the Central League.

The girls lacrosse varsity team also attended a national tournament in Atlanta, beginning April 10, when the team defeated Marietta, Ga.’s Lassiter High School with a score of 12-4. The following day, they beat Walton High School, also in Marietta Ga., 12-7. Unfortunately, after a week of exploring Atlanta and strenuous activities, the Conestoga girls lacrosse team lost its �irst game of the season against Milton, with a �inal score of 6-12.

The 2017 state championship is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, and the girls varsity Conestoga lacrosse team is in for the long haul.

Softball After a strong 2016 softball season with a record of 11-8-0, the Conestoga varsity softball team is keeping its momentum.

Following the end of the 2016 season, key players said goodbye to the home �ields of D’Ambrosia and graduated with the Class of 2016. Alumni such as Emily Conaway, Gi Lorine

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Close call: Sophomore Faith Walker slides into second base during a game against Marple Newton. The team is currently 3-4. and Callie Wang led the team Loftland also has made her in 2016 with motivation and mark in play as a varsity pitcher. determination out in the �ield On the opposite side of home and up on home plate. The 2017 plate, sophomore catcher Emme team had to readjust after the Rycyzyn keeps the Pioneers on loss of these essential players, the path to playoffs. but is looking to improve its The of�icial season began performance over its April 19 on Wednesday, March 29, with record of 2-3. an away game against Garnet The team has reorganized Valley High School. Unfortuand taken action to dominate nately, the Pioneers lost with a the Central League and to ad- �inal score of 4-9. But the team vance to playoffs. Junior Katie fought until the end, especially Mayock and sophomore Olivia junior Rachel Lopez, who kept Cepielik have led the team out the team together under the in the �ield with great plays pressure with her strong throws and catches. Freshman Lauren and �ierce determination.

The Spoke 27

May 1, 2017 Conestoga High School Berwyn, PA www.spoke.news

@thespoke

Cradling the win Senior Dana Cicchitti prepares to pass during the varsity girls’ lacrosse team’s match against Strath Haven High School on April 18. The state championship winning team currently has sustained only one loss so far against Milton High School, a team from Atlanta, Ga. Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

“Obviously, we always want to win, but we have to do it with strategy.”

See Page 21 Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE