The Spoke November 2020/21

Chester county distributes funding from cares act

Springing forward: how the fall drama has changed under covid

Page 2 Conestoga High School, Berwyn PA

Volume 71 No. 2

November 20, 2020

Page 4

Photo Gallery: A season of success

Page 11

spoke.news

Biden wins presidency

Polarization sweeps the nation and ’Stoga student body

Ananya Kulkarni/The SPOKE

Celebration in Philadelphia: Hundreds of masked Biden/Harris supporters march to celebrate the projected victory of president-elect Joe Biden on the morning of Nov. 7. Dozens of other social and political groups gathered to demostrate, speak and celebrate in response to the projections by multiple major news outlets that morning.

By Ananya Kulkarni and Umar Samdani Co-Editor-in-Chief and Co-T/E Life Editor As votes were tallied over the course of the election

week, threats of unrest and Supreme Court litigation had the nation anxiously awaiting a result. When the long and tumultuous counting process finally came to a projected result Nov. 7, President-elect Joe Biden claimed victory in an acceptance speech that he delivered two nights later.

And while half of the nation breathed a sigh of relief, the

other half lamented former President Donald Trump’s failed re-election bid, with some — including the president himself — outright refusing to accept the result.

So, who really won Election Night in 2020?

The answer remains unclear because America lost to the polarization that engulfed the nation all the way

down to Chester County. In the 2020 election, 57% of the county voted for Biden with 40% voting for Trump. The result came down to a difference of just over 55,000 votes with Biden holding a lead allowing the county to go blue. This election marks the widest ideological divide Chester County has seen since 2008.

In a school setting The effects of this trend have a tangible impact at the highest levels of government, via gridlock in Congress, which is accompanied by difficult consequences, such as the government shutdowns the nation saw in the last four years. On a local level, students such as senior Sophia Serbu also noted a

lack of separation between politics and personal relationships at ’Stoga in the midst of the 2020 election, which she found to be disheartening.

“I have seen tensions between some people’s friends over political views, which I personally think is unfair. Politics shouldn’t get between friendships, and people should be allowed to support which candidate they want

to support without facing backlash from others,” Serbu said.

The increased polarization in the area has implications in the classroom as well. Junior Linc Zdancewicz, the vice-president of Young Republicans Club, notes that he wishes students spent more time explaining their positions rather than “canceling” each other.

Continued on page 3.

Pandemic team launches COVID-19 dashboard Zakiyah Gaziuddin and Amna Faheem News Editor and Staff Reporter

To help students, their families and staff stay informed about the transmission of COVID-19 within schools, the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District created a dashboard detailing reported positive cases amongst individuals present in any district buildings.

Pandemic Coordinator, Chris Groppe, who is part of TESD’s pandemic team created to organize reopening plans, along with other members, decided to create a dashboard to help families make decisions about whether they wanted their children to attend school by providing information about how and at what rate the virus was being transmitted.

“To kind of thread that needle, we came upon the idea of a dashboard that is being updated daily.

That way, a parent or anybody can really check it each day to see if there’s any additional cases or not within the buildings,” Groppe said.

Cases that show up over the weekend would be reported on the next week’s dashboard report.

Per individuals’ Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rights, cases are

reported numerically and individuals’ names are kept private.

“We realized pretty early on that we had to strike a balance in any communication because you have to protect the individual health, privacy, and confidentiality rights of any staff member and any student with providing information to people in the community, particularly families,” Groppe said.

For now, the dashboard is updated with positive cases amongst district employees and contracted staff members that are in the building, students attending in-person classes, and students participating in sports. As the year progresses, however, the team anticipates that some students will attend extracurricular activities in-person. Cases of students who attend extracurricular activities but attend school all virtual would also be reported on the dashboard.

The district has also implemented daily symptom screeners for students attending in-person learning. Before entering the building, everyone must answer a series of questions to ensure they’re free of any COVID-19 symptoms.

Based on the answers, a screen colored red or green will show up on Powerschool which must be presented to enter the building.

Ben Shapiro/The SPOKE

Passing periods: Students walk the one-way trafficked halls of ’Stoga to their next classes. They maintained socially distanced from each other in the hallways. Students who test positive or exhibit symptoms are required to stay home.

Christine O’Connell, one of the nurses at Conestoga who assists in keeping track of infection rates and students exhibiting symptoms, notes how diligent individuals have been with completing the daily screeners.

“We have been fortunate in the district, I think that’s a statement to how well everybody’s doing this symptom screening, and just really being cognizant of their community and not taking any chances,” O’Connell said.

Students and staff who are symptomatic must be quarantined for 10 days unless and unit they present a negative test. When school nurses are informed about a student exhibiting symptoms or testing positive, they begin con-

tact tracing 40 hours from when symptoms arise and for 48 hours after when a positive test is reported. School nurses are also in constant contact with the pandemic team and alert them whenever a positive case is reported.

Groppe notes how meticulous the process of navigating through reported cases is and the importance of the information individuals report.

“One of the most intricate parts of this is the level of detail about the cases counts a great deal towards what the responses are,” Groppe said. “There’s general guides in terms of what the responses will be but the facts and the details of each individual case matter in terms of if somebody is quarantining, if they’re able to return to school, if they need to continue to quarantine and what happens.”

The district also works closely with the Chester County Health Department (CCHD) who assists individuals in navigating their next steps after receiving a positive case and is also responsible for contact tracing. Contact tracing is a process of identifying individuals who may have come into contact with infected individuals. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the process is crucial to slowing the spread

of the virus as people in close contact with individuals who’ve tested positive are at a higher risk of getting infected themselves.

The district assists the CCHD’s contact tracing efforts in identifying persons who individuals that tested positive came into contact by identifying students in their classes and, in the case that the student rides the bus, who they sat near.

Junior Katie McKenna points out the importance of individuals being able to make decisions about the level of risk transmission poses in the community.

“You never know what’s happening,” McKenna said. “It’s good to be aware of everything and stop the spread.”

In total so far, 8 cases have been reported on the dashboard, with the first case being reported in the week of Oct. 12 and the latest case being reported in the week of Nov. 9.

“I’m grateful that the community is really taking this seriously. I really do believe that people are erring on the side of caution.

And I think that has led to very minimal issues in the district,” O’Connell said. “So I would just like to commend and applaud the community for doing such a great job of it.”

News

2

A BRIEF LOOK THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN T/E NEWS

district monitoring covid-19 data

The number of COVID-19 cases has been on the rise locally and statewide. Cases reported by the Chester County Health Department (CCHD) were particularly high and reached the threshold which prompts a transition to a virtual enviroment. TESD will reportedly be closely monitoring data from the CCHD about reported cases for the next two weeks to determine whether a transition to a more virtual learning enviroment is needed. Following that no outbreaks occur locally, the earliest date to transition back into virtual learning that the district is considering would be Monday, Nov. 23. guidelines for sports and extra curricular spectators released

With the resumption of sports and extracurriculars, the district has released guidelines following recommendations from the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), the Chester County Department of Health (CCHD), and the Central Athletic League. The guidelines detail steps spectators must take to maintain the spread of the virus. Spectators should not attend if they exhibit symptoms, must wear masks at all times for indoor and outdoor events, and should not congregate in groups. Additionally, student spectators are not allowed at any event, students participating will be given two Central Athletic league passes to give to their parents/guardians.

Read more at

NEWS

District office renovations complete

New one-way hallway system T/E LIFE

Friday, November 20, 2020

Chester County distributes funding from CARES Act Ben Shapiro Staff Reporter

For one student, an extension cord would only set them back $10. However, when a district as big as Tredyffrin/ Easttown School District is faced with a situation in which it is required to purchase multiple extension cords for every classroom, the costs dramatically increase. Extension cords alone cost the school district thousands of dollars this year.

Since June, the T/E School District received three separate grants designated to ease any expenses related to COVID-19, totaling $913,855.18. The first two grants, totaling $570,341, were administered federally through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities Act (CARES Act). More recently, in early October, the Chester County Commissioners oversaw a third grant of $343,514.18 through the CARES Act. “This money was unexpected,” said George Fiore, the executive director of the Ches-

ter County Intermediate Unit (CCIU). “It was very much welcomed, especially during a pandemic. We’re so thankful that (the County Commissioners) had the foresight to really help every community

in the county.”

Administered through the CCIU, the Chester County Commissioners, Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell and Michelle Kichline, allocated $10 million to the 12 Chester

Ben Shapiro/The SPOKE

Costs of safety: Wendy DiRico stays safe using a five-gallon hand sanitizer bottle the district provided for each classroom.

County school districts. With no obligation to administer extra funds past the previous federal grants, the commissioners took the extra step anyways. By financially supporting Chester County schools during this time of increased spending, they helped both students and staff stay safe by providing extra resources to keep the schools clean.

“The County Commissioners didn’t have to do this.

Those three are excellent supporters for the county,” Fiore said. “It was their decision (to administer the extra $10 million), and they did it with a thoughtful approach because they care a lot about the kids in the schools.”

The specific amount of money that each school district received from the CCIU was determined by the Title I formula which compares each district’s number of students in poverty.

“The Chester County Intermediate Unit is an intergovernmental agency and an educational service agency as

Jui Bhatia

Staff Reporter When the SAT’s started getting canceled around April, senior Saadhi Jakka, like many others in her class, just picked another date for it. But it was around September that she realized that the SAT’s might not be an option this year. Like Saadhi, many seniors found their tests getting canceled due to the centers closing, which was followed almost immediately by colleges going test optional or test blind.

“I got to a point where my test kept getting cancelled,” Jakka said. “There was an October 14th one, but I didn’t have enough time to study to get the score I wanted anyways.”

Some colleges, like the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, have gone test optional, leaving it up to the students whether they want to submit their test scores or not, while others have gone test blind and do not need or look at test scores when considering applicants.

Senior Ishan Aggarwal sees the test optional policy as an opportunity for seniors to focus on other important things. “(Cancelling) the SAT’s hasdefinitely help(ed) the seniors and juniors in some way,” Aggarwal said. “Since the SAT is not there anymore, you just have to worry about those AP classes and the AP tests in May.” Seniors have also been faced with in-person college tours

Becky Tang

Junior launches literary magazine OP/ED

A critique of the USA

Things to do over Thanksgiving SPORTS

Student athletes commit to colleges

Traditions bring teams together

allocations of funds did not suffice. T/E’s COVID-19 report shows that the grant funds do not cover all COVID-19 related expenses.

“Ultimately, all these little things add up. It’s a large student body, so it’s a lot to take care of. When you’re talking about extension cords, adapters and all that, it may seem like it’s only $10 or $12 for an item, but multiply it by however many classrooms are being utilized, and it adds up,” said Alice Ciocco, Conestoga’s account clerk, “and (Conestoga is) just one building.”

The T/E School District has to account for a total of eight schools for which new and expensive materials must be purchased. While the CARES Act grants did not cover all added expenses, they significantly decreased the financial burden under which the district has been placed.

“In my head, it’s basic math.

We’re just doing what we need to do to meet the needs of the student body to the best of our ability,” Ciocco said.

How seniors are navigating the college application process getting canceled. The virtual tours are a necessity now, and some colleges have tried to replicate the experience through interactive tours, but some seniors, like Jakka, feel it doesn’t compare to visiting in-person.

“That was definitely the biggest thing I have struggled with,” Jakka said. “Because I’m very much of a person who needs to go to the campus to see how it feels to be certain about a college.”

Throughout the application process,, seniors looking to their guidance counselors for support have found that contacting has become simpler.

“I actually think that contacting them has gotten easier now because they get to have everything on their computer,” senior Hiya Kothari said.

“There’s a lot more accessibility now.”

Kothari’s statement is echoed by Jennifer Kratsa, a counselor at Conestoga, who finds talking to students in a virtual setting convenient.

“Kids can cold call us on TEAMS. I have kids all day that are popping into my TEAMS,” Kratsa said. “Other times, it’s harder to do that or they don’t have time to do it.”

Most universities in Pennsylvania have also frozen their tuition fees for freshmen applicants in the upcoming year as many deliberate whether it’s worth paying full tuition for online classes. Even so, Pennsylvania remains one of the costliest states to study in, as senior Hiya Kothari observes

as she notes the benefits of taking a gap year.

“I think it’s worth it in the end (to take a gap year),” Kothari said. “Because you (would have to) take an extra year of college, but you’re also not paying $60,000 of tuition per year just for doing (school) from home.”

Seniors have also been faced with the loss ’Stoga’s college fair, an event loved across the school that helped students get an idea of where they wanted to spend the next few years.

“It was just so easy,” Kothari said. “They would all be in the same place and they all know what questions you would probably want to ask so they would tell you all the important information.”

Counselors have made efforts to supplement the experience by organizing virtual visits every week, throughout the day, that students can sign up for via Naviance.

“We’ve had individual representatives from over 200 schools come to Conestoga via TEAMS or Zoom,” Kratsa said.

“Our national and state associations have (also) provided robust programming for college fairs that have led students to have communications with even more schools now than they ever would have before.”

These virtual resources are just one of the various things that the counselors plan on keeping for coming years, maintaining their virtual presence.

“I would say we’re going to

go back to the way it used to be, but we’re also going to have an online presence that we’ve never had before.” Kratsa said.

Although the application

Staff Reporter

Local libraries that once served as spaces for community members to gather and collect information now look and feel much different with new developments such as Plexiglass shields, moved bookshelves, and contactless pickup.

In March, all public libraries of the Chester County Library System (CCLS) were forced to shut down until their reopenings on June 25. Special events at libraries, like meet-and-greets with authors and storytimes, are now organized virtually by librarians through Zoom conference calls or the Live feature on Instagram.

Chris Kibler, director of Tredyffrin Township Libraries, reflected that the move to virtual activities made it hard for events centered on community participation.

“Everything’s virtual at this point. It was kind of a difficult transition because very few public libraries actually offered a kind of the digital component of virtual programming,” Kibler said.

Paoli Library Branch Manager, Beverly Michaels, looks positively towards the new environment and feels that online events also provide an opportunity for people from all over the country to join in on one session.

“I feel like this (process) has been making lemonade out of lemons,” Michaels said.

Checking out books has switched to a process of scheduled contactless, curb-side pickups. If a selected book is not available in a particular library, CCLS has implemented van delivery services that will take the book to a member’s designated location.

Freshman Anika Kotapolly, who used the pickup service at Easttown Public Library, found it smooth and efficient. “(The process) was super easy,

no stress. And I liked it, it’s nice to get up and go pick up some books,” Kotapolly said.

Due to concerns about borrowing physical books, the use of e-books and audiobooks skyrocketed, setting record numbers for the libraries. A new app available on most Apple devices, called Chester County Library System, allows users to browse the library catalog, access eMaterials and databases, as well as schedule curbside pickups.

The increased use of e-books, which become unavailable automatically after the due date, has resulted in a decreased amount of money earned by the library from overdue fines. Ranging from 1 to 4 dollars per week of overdue fines, the sum of money earned by the fines has significantly decreased, causing libraries to find alternative

sources of revenue.

“In our budget, there’s a line for income from fines. It’s way down, because we were closed. And because people are using ebooks, we’re going to have to replace that money from somewhere else,” Michaels said.

Community members can also visit libraries to browse materials and use computers with a scheduled time for up to 45 minutes at Tredyffrin and Paoli Public Libraries, and 20 minutes at Easttown Public Library.

Although the visiting period at a library may be short, freshman Opal Jawale feels that it is one thing she is comfortable with.

“The process now is as good and convenient as it can get (…)

It’s reassuring that I can still use the library the way I used to, just with more precautions,” Jawale said.

Becky Tang/The SPOKE

Simple ask, wear a mask: Books sit on a cart outside the Paoli Library waiting for contactless pickup.

process looks significantly different this year, Jakka, like many seniors takes comfort in the shared experience between her and her peers.

“It’s definitely easy to feel like you have no clue what you’re doing,” Jakka said. “But I think everyone’s in the same boat. So that’s good to know.”

Reese Wang/The SPOKE

Student services: Students once walked into Room 105 to get help from their counselors. The room has not seen as many students this year as they now manage to contact their counselors over TEAMS.

Local libraries work to continue offering their services via new and adjusted ways Changes to the achievment center

well. We get the dollars, and we flow them to school districts because we end up doing the reporting and the adherence to the guidelines. In this case, the county commissioners asked us to distribute the dollars,” Fiore said.

In their administration of the funds, the commissioners implemented specific rules and regulations. Districts can only make reimbursements requests if the spendings fall under these CARES-eligible spendings: purchasing cleaning and sanitizing products, buying personal protective equipment (PPE), providing relevant COVID-19 training and professional development for staff, changes to facilities to ensure effective social distancing, purchasing student laptops and tablets, providing internet connection for qualifying students, implementing mental health services and establishing virtual learning centers for small groups of students to gather in-person under adult supervision.

However, even the increased

To reduce the risk of transmission, library staff removed all comfortable furnishings to discourage people from staying too long and reduced the number of computers to manage social distancing. Disinfectants are sprayed every half an hour and computers are cleaned with antiseptic wipes after each use.

Some bookshelves at Easttown Public Library have also been moved to provide more space for browsers to maintain distance.

At the Paoli Library, a Plexiglass shield was also built around the circulation desk.

“For those people who stayed hours at a time, (they) have really basically lost the use of a library for the way they used to use it (...) the people who used to practically live here don’t have that anymore,” Michaels said.

Libraries are also operating on modified hours with the Tredyffrin and Paoli Public Library open in the afternoon on Monday through Thursday, and open Friday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. by appointment only. Contactless pickup is available from 5 - 7 p.m., Monday to Thursday, at Tredyffrin Library.

Paoli Library’s non-contact pickup is from 1 -7 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, and 1- 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

There are discussions of expanding library hours and hosting both virtual and in-person events in the future as all library staff, including Alan Silverman, Director of Easttown Public Library, seek to maintain connections with the community.

“The pandemic isn’t something that we can have a conversation with or argue with,” Silverman said. “So while it’s sad to see that we’re not able to provide the services that we normally provide, the flip side is we are very pleased to be able to provide the services that we are providing safely.”

Meal packages serve students Nishka Avunoori Staff Reporter

The Tredyffrin/Easttown School District has been offering meal packages for students eligible under the Seamless Summer Operation (SSO) COVID-19 waiver provided by the federal government and run in Pennsylvania by the state’s Department of Education.

The SSO COVID-19 waiver was provided to extend a summer program that granted meals to families who didn’t qualify for free and reduced-price school meals during COVID-19.

Food and Nutrition Services Supervisor David Preston has been leading the initiative since March.

“The intent of the program is to support those in need. Some families in need do not qualify for free and reduced lunch due to their income, yet they are still struggling due to loss of income because business is down in many areas,” Preston said.

The district first started doing meal packages in March for students who were eligible for free and reduced-price school meals and have continued to modify the operation throughout the summer and fall due to increased participation.

Families had a choice to optin for meal packages by filling out a survey in order for cafeteria workers to adequately prepare and assemble the meals.

Virtual students are eligible for five lunches and breakfasts each week, while hybrid students are eligible for three lunches and three breakfasts.

Jeanne Braun, coordinator of community and volunteer services for the district, has assisted families with any questions or concerns they may

have regarding the program.

“Our amazing food service workers, the cafeteria staff, in all eight schools are preparing them, and they are working really hard gearing up for Wednesday pickup,” Braun said. “Sometimes people can’t pick up the meals, and we will deliver the meals; we just don’t want there to be any barriers between the need and the solution.”

Food service workers prepare hundreds of packages per week, including bags of perishable, frozen and shelf-stable items. Breakfast and lunch consist of an entrée, fruit, vegetable and milk. The meals are then picked up from Conestoga at the bus circle.

Preston says he is thankful for his staff ’s dedication and hard work in preparing the packages.

“Members of our team are certified food handlers to ensure proper food handling,” Preston said. “Many of us work 13 hours on Wednesday of each week to ensure no student goes hungry. We are honored to make a difference.”

Braun believes that as a district, it is their responsibility to make sure they can help families in the area, especially if anyone is experiencing any financial hardship.

“This is one piece, one really important piece, about the efforts to help families. I’ve been involved since March in the whole community effort for our families, and there’s been so much generosity.” said Braun.

“It’s all a coordinated effort by so many people of the district,” The program will continue to serve families until June 30, 2020. Meals will continue to be picked up from the bus circle at ’Stoga throughout the school year.

News

Friday November 20, 2020

3

Polarization sweeps through ’Stoga student body Continued from page 1 “Right now, as you see, there’s so much polarization, and I think that comes from both sides. You can’t just blame it on one person,” Zdancewicz said. “For example, someone who has very conservative views and gets absolutely demolished by people in his classroom because they’re more liberal. I think that’s wrong. They should be like, ‘I’ll politely disagree with you, and I’ll tell you why I disagree with you.’”

In order to allow students to bring forth their opinions from a place of information and to encourage the kind of productive conversation students are looking for, social studies teachers provided their students with daily updates and data from reliable sources. This helped them to process the complicated nature of this election. Government teacher Katie Walter addressed some of her students’ questions and concerns in her own classroom.

“We got right into our election unit and covered how elections work so that students could understand what was happening with the election. Going over a little bit about federalism, they understood that each state had its own laws, and that’s why it was likely they wouldn’t know the result on election night,” Walter said.

The increasing presence of politics outside the classroom In addition to the growing levels of discussion in the classroom due to 2020 being an election year, students noticed increased levels of political participation through engagement on social media.

“I remember I woke up on election day around like 10.

And then I went on Instagram and on Snapchat, and I saw so many people from Conestoga posting that they had already voted, which came as such a surprise to me because honestly, knowing teenagers, I thought people wouldn’t go until like two or three in the afternoon.

But to see that so many people were up by 7 a.m. when the polls opened and voted, that made me feel really happy,” senior Lena Pothier, president of New Voters, said.

While social media did allow for some positivity on Election Day, it didn’t come without drawbacks and was one of the many forums in which ’Stoga students have witnessed differing attitudes on either extreme of the political spectrum. Due to the rise of platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, the growing gap within our county comes as no surprise, as it also reflects the trend of online polarization observed throughout the nation. According to data gathered by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, “there is mounting concern that social media sites contribute to political polarization by creating ‘echo chambers’ that insulate people from opposing views about current events.”

Senior Katie Chuss, president of the Young Democrats Club, shared how she was particularly shocked by the negativity surrounding voting for a particular party that she saw on her Instagram feed.

“I think what stood out to me the most on social media was on Election Night, someone I followed posted a picture of a cake she had made, so it wasn’t a spur of the moment decision.

It was written in frosting, and it said, ‘make liberals cry again’.

And there was something so appalling to me about the idea of choosing who you’re voting for in order to cause others pain,” Chuss said.

Though this was a tense election that called on many Americans to evaluate their opinions on a wide range of emotional and pertinent issues ranging from race relations to a COVID-19 response plan and to ultimately make a weighty decision, Pothier urges understanding and patience in those dissatisfied with the election result.

“For people who aren’t too happy about the results of the election, I understand. But I hope that you keep an open mind to what this could be. It seems like there’s not much to lose from a Biden/Harris administration. There’s a lot to lose for a lot of people in a Trump administration. So I encourage those people to keep an open mind and maybe look outside of themselves and see how maybe women or people of color or

Ananya Kulkarni/The SPOKE

Standing up for democracy: Masked Biden/Harris supporters raise their fists in protest of allegations of widespread voter fraud across the nation. They gathered outside the National Contitution Center in Philadelphia on Nov. 6. immigrants or LGBTQ+ people might be feeling from the differences between a Biden/Harris and a Trump/Pence administration,” Pothier said.

Role of widespread allegations of voter fraud in the post-election climate Though the eventual acceptance of the election results will require civility from the losing side, the country remains at odds with its own democratic process when claims of voter fraud engulfed the political sphere following a projected win for Biden. Though some of this non-acceptance is being justified by the widespread use of mail-in voting due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, students at the local level see it as another effect of the polarization rippling through the country.

“It (voter fraud claims) is a result of polarization, as Trump himself is a result of a rise of populism, which is it-

self polarizing. But the voter fraud allegations themselves are significantly less of an issue in the way we think about political issues as it is far more about one man than a political pattern. But Trump’s rhetoric of us vs. them is the endgame of political polarization, so the two can’t be wholly separated,” Chuss said.

To combat some of the misinformation circulating around the mail-in ballots and vote-counting process, Walter has continued to provide students with bipartisan research on a range of topics to help her students navigate this current climate.

“This has become an incredibly important practice as claims of widespread voter fraud began flying with the conclusion of the election. I think sometimes students have this sense that there’s widespread voter fraud because that’s a narrative that we hear a lot,” Walter said. “But we present them with information

from both liberal- and conservative-leaning research organizations and think tanks. And we hope that they can kind of draw conclusions from that data and come to their own understanding based off of the data that’s presented.”

Increased youth participation Though increasing polarization is having a negative impact on the youth, it is important to note that youth turned out at the polls in the highest numbers recorded in history at 53%, surpassing the previous 51% record set in 2008.

Students not only voted in the 2020 election, but also showed up in other ways, from phone banking to canvassing to volunteering at polling stations to organizing protests in order to civically engage with their communities. In fact, junior Clara Steege, Electoral Lead for Sunrise Berwyn, was able to phone-bank for the Pennsylvania Democrats to combat the

polarization the community is currently facing by facilitating a conversation.

“Phone banking definitely isn’t always super fun. There are lots of people who do not want to talk to you, so as soon as they hear that you’re calling with Pennsylvania Democrats or whatever, they’ll just hang up, or they’ll yell at you or they’ll do things to waste your time or antagonize you. It can definitely be stressful for a lot of people,” Steege said. “But you do get positive calls as well.

So you’ll get to have a conversation with people. And maybe someone wasn’t planning to vote before, but after hearing all the information that you’re sharing, they do decide to vote.

So that definitely makes the less positive calls worth it.”

Phone-banking in addition to other efforts to reach out and facilitate conversation in this tense climate serve as a medium for the youth to continue to break down the rigidity of the nation’s current collective

mindset. Pothier reminds the youth to stay active and take some time to reflect on this election as well as the future Biden administration.

“To new voters, people who voted for the first time this year, keep voting, vote in every single election, don’t just vote in the presidential elections.

Vote in your Senate elections, vote in your local elections, in your House of Representative elections, because truly, in order for democracy to work, everyone has to participate. It cannot just be those few that are going to vote in every single election. In order to see the nation that you want, you need to keep voting,” Pothier said.

“For people who are happy about this outcome: just take a deep breath, relax, be happy, and then still be critical when the Biden/Harris administration messes up, right? They’re still people, no one’s going to be 100% perfect. Call them out. But for now, it’s OK to take a breath.”

Social justice and equity approaches implemented throughout classrooms Aditi Dahagam and Shreya Vaidhyanathan Web Content Manager and Staff Reporter

In light of the national conversation about social justice, the district has initiated heightened transparency in regard to highlighting the effect of these issues on society and history.

The district began this process with their 2018 Equity Initiative, building on it throughout the years, and continues to take steps to ensure that all students and faculty feel represented.

To carry out the initiative, the district works with Pacific Education Group and uses Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance program, a set of standards and scenarios used to teach social justice. They involve critical thinking, meaningful discussion and pursuing diverse perspectives. Additionally, the district created the District Equity Leadership Team and LEADership for Racial Equity to train district officials and teachers on teaching and discussing equity topics.

“I can think of many teachers that came up to me after the training and said ‘This was life changing. Thank you for doing this work,’” Dr. Wendy Towle, district Director of Curriculum, Instruction, Staff Development and Planning, said. “Some of the teachers are crying at the end of the (trainings) because it’s emotionally draining but we’re moving in a good direction and

we are doing (this) because we want to support our colleagues and kids.”

To further the initiative at Conestoga, administrators created equity cohorts in which small groups of teachers reflect on topics that were discussed during equity training sessions.

Additionally, teachers from the

social studies and English departments added the “Social Justice and Equity Statement of Commitment,” to their syllabi over the summer.

“We care deeply about the way racism, intolerance, and injustice affect the lives of all members of our classroom and community. We commit

to creating a curriculum that embraces the inclusion of marginalized voices and diverse viewpoints and hope to inspire and empower students to be empathetic global citizens,” the statement read.

Conestoga English department chairperson Tricia Ebarvia explains that social justice

learning is a mindset rather than a lesson plan or unit. Ebarvia plans to implement this approach by looking at all sides of a story and taking marginalized voices into account when analyzing a historical document or piece of literature.

Ebarvia explains that there is a societal stigma around topics

such as race, gender, sexuality, politics and religion and believes students can gain valuable knowledge from discourse.

“Oftentimes, students and teachers have been taught or socialized to believe that it’s impolite to talk about (these topics). By lacking practice, you lack skill. Students will benefit

Reese Wang/The SPOKE

Experience discomfort: In an effort to incorporate social jussice lessons in her classroom, English teacher Tricia Ebarvia approaches all sides of literary pieces in her AP Language and Composition class.

Maybe the SAT and ACT will just go away??

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

because they’ll be able to talk about difficult issues in a productive and meaningful way,” Ebarvia said.

Senior Students Organized for Anti-Racism member Henry Miller agrees that initiating discussions about social justice is important and impactful in the real world.

“There should be more conversations about (social justice), and getting people to have those uncomfortable conversations is (necessary), because this country is going nowhere if people don’t start talking,” Miller said.

Junior Daniel Gergeus is appreciative of the school for addressing equity topics because he did not have that opportunity in his previous school.

“Where I used to go, in my (previous) school, these topics didn’t come up that often.

I feel like it was really good to actually have these conversations in the classroom and see other people’s perspectives and hear what they have to say,” Gergeus said.

Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger’s goal with the approach is to ensure a safe environment for all students.

“I want a school where everyone’s experience is valued and where every student that walks through the door feels as though they’re represented,” Meisinger said. “And they’re represented not only in individual classrooms, but in curriculum, in conversations and in everything we do.”

T/E LIFE Umar Samdani Co-T/E Life Editor

Before quarantine, Ben Whitermore joined his wife and friends once every two weeks for a game of Dungeons and Dragons, a strategy table-top adventure. As the dungeon master, Whitermore would lay out the story of the game and creates challenges that all the other players would have to face. For the dungeon master and his friends, play could go on for months, and the longest game lasted two years.

“We usually only stop when the story gets stale and we want to just wrap it up. Then we like to start again with something f r e s h ,” Whitermore said.

“So the one we’re playing in right now we’ve only played for three or four months, and it looks like we’re only in the early stages.”

When it came to his profession, Whitermore was not always sure what path to choose. In his freshman year of college, Whitermore was looking for a profession in the field of medicine, so he entered a Physician Assis-

Friday, November 20, 2020

tant program. After a year of training, however, Whitermore decided that he wanted to try something different.

“I was thinking, ‘am I going to be happy for the next 25 years doing this?’” Whitermore said. “I decided that [medicine] wasn’t going to bring me that joy. So I turned back to reading and thought, ‘this is something that I am good at. This is something that I really enjoy.’ So why not try and help other people find that joy as well?”

C u r r e n t l y, W h i t e r m o r e teaches Accelerated Literary Foundations and Ameri-

Western movies set in Italy, such as Cool Hand Luke and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. According to Whitermore, the aloof nature of the protagonist makes these movies appealing.

“You never really find out much about these characters.

They’re kind of on the margins of society,” Whitermore said. “I’m into that for the same reason that people like Batman - he’s kind of the anti-hero and people connect with that for some reason.”

Above all of his other hobbies, Whitermore is passionate about reading. For all of his life reading has been a constant support and means of connection.

“I know it’s kind of lame for an English teacher to say that, but it’s definiteEnglish teacher ly true.

Reading has always been a stabilizing force in my life. It always helps to see characters that have gone through similar struggles as me, in fiction or non-fiction,” Whitermore said. “So that’s always going to be something that’s important to me, no matter if I’m 29 or 75.”

Reading has always been a stabilizing force in my life. It always helps to see characters that have gone through similar struggles as me, in fiction or non-fiction.

Ben Whitermore can Voices. This year will be his seventh year teaching at Conestoga. Outside of teaching, Whitermore cooks acorn squash, plays frisbee golf, and runs outdoors.

Whitermore is a fan of movies that contain a lot of symbolism. He has watched multiple ‘spaghetti Westerns’,

Teacher Feature: Ben Whitermore Courtesy Ben Whitermore

Upbeat bookworm: English teacher Ben Whitermore teaches Accelerated Literary Foundations and American Voices. He has watched multiple Spaghetti Westerns such as “Cool Hand Luke” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”

Springing forward: fall drama goes virtual in COVID-19 conditions Brooke Vallin and Kate Phillips Staff reporters

Face masks, social distancing, and hybrid learning can’t stop the Conestoga fall drama this year the show must go on!

Tonight, Conestoga will be live-streaming a drama called “Our Place”, which involves a group of strangers that are all united by a single place – a dock.

Natalie Wallace, fall drama director, is excited for the show,

as it was originally going to be pushed back much later in the year. After hybrid learning started, however, a system was organized for putting on

a traditional Nov. show.

“There was never the option of no play. It was just a question of when it was going to happen,” Wallace said. “I’m really

parents who wish to see the play can buy tickets online at stoga. net, where they will be given a special access code to join the livestream.

There was never the option of no play. It was just a question of when it was going to happen,” Wallace said. “I’m really glad that we were able to work something out.”

Natalie Wallace

Fall Drama Director

We don’t just teaCh the tests.

We take them too!

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

FLEXIBLE Group Discounts 7 days a week HELPING CONESTOGA WITH: SAT/ACT/AP Exams Study Habits

glad that we were able to work something out.”

One of the biggest reasons that the decision to keep the show was made was to maintain a sense of normalcy in the school year. Plays have always been a fun and unifying experience for both the cast, crew and audience, so Wallace is very grateful that they are able to keep this opportunity despite the pandemic.

“Honestly, I think that people need this. They need something that’s normal. Being able to participate in an extracurricular activity can really do a lot for a student, and I’m so grateful that we’re able to keep this going,” Wallace said.

In order to follow safety guidelines, the play will be filmed and live-streamed on Friday, Nov. 20 and Saturday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. Students and

The lack of a physical audience isn’t the only different thing about the drama. First, there can be no more than 25 people in the auditorium at any given time. This resulted in a dramatic reduction of crew – hair stylists, makeup artists and set design were either eliminated or significantly reduced in order to meet these standards.

Second, the crew must keep 6-feet apart at all times, and wear face shields – something that is especially difficult to do with microphones.

In order to make the process easier, Wallace made sure to choose a play that could adapt well to a small, distant cast.

“The play is actually different vignettes, or different stories, so you’re going to get to see a variety of smaller stories that have their own meaning. We had such a short timeline for actually put-

Courtesy Oriana Riley

Practicing with props: Senior Oriana Riley sits on a dock during a rehearsal. The play “Our Place” was chosen because it required a small cast and could adapt to social distancing guidelines.

ting on the show, because we had to wait until hybrid was Most importantly, we all sorted out in mid-OctoCollege Counseling instill confidence in our ber. So if we wanted to keep and application the show, we had to choose students by making something that was relatively essays. tough concepts easy to shorter and easy to work with, understand and apply. and the fact that a dock is the only setting is a big helper.”

Despite these struggles, Ask about our monthly ACT and SAT there have been plenty of seminars smiles throughout the process. Sophomore Cate Oken, who plays the character of We don't just teach the tests. We take them too!

Liberty in the play, described Our founder, Steve Odabashian, believes in staying how she felt during the audiahead of the changes. In the last two years, he tion process.

“I actually didn’t think scored 1560 on the SAT and 35 on the ACT. I was going to get in, but I did my monologue and I got www.mainlinetestprep.com a part! The idea of a virtual play is obviously different steve@mainlinetestprep.com Courtesy Oriana Riley so it really helped to see Mrs. Distanced rehearsal: The cast and crew of “Our Place” spaces out and stands on the stage. The cast chose a play Wallace in person,” Oken 484-424-9893 that was fitting for a small crew. said. “Overall it’s just a remake learning fun.

Academics

ally fun process with really fun people, and I’m so happy we’re doing this.”

Junior Clara Steege, who plays Brenda in the play, is just happy to be back putting on a show with the rest of the theatre department.

“The ‘Stoga theatre community is really great. Everyone is so kind and supportive, so it has just been fantastic to see people at rehearsals,” Steege said.

Despite a virtual audience, cast members remain connected. As cast member Jaden Douglas said, “‘Our place’ to me means home. A place where magical memories have taken place, and experiences never forgotten.

A place that always stays with us. It’s important that we all find where our place is.”

T/E Life

Friday, November 20, 2020

5

Juniors produce superhero film “Wingwoman” during pandemic Katherine Lee

Co-T/E Life Editor Junior Amanda Hess angles her camera, zooming in slightly to capture the actors perfectly in the frame. As Wingwoman delivers her final lines for the scene, Hess presses the button on her camera to finish filming the take.

Named after its main character, the ten-minute short film “Wingwoman” was released on Hess’s Youtube Channel, Scriblz, in late October. The film follows the adventures of a teenager-turned-supervillain as she conducts an elaborate

scheme to help her friend get a date with the local superhero.

Directed and produced by Hess, the superhero comedy film was inspired by a writing prompt on Instagram. Hess began writing the script last winter and prepared to start filming, but the pandemic brought the process to a halt.

The cast and crew were able to reconvene in the middle of July with proper safety guidelines in place.

“We were all set to start filming, and then everything got shut down because of (COVID-19). We postponed filming until we resumed it

this summer, and we went over to (one of the crew member’s) house and we of course had masks and all sanitary equipment,” Hess said.

Filming took place for three days over the course of a month. The cast arrived at junior Max Shah’s house late in the afternoon, and Hess and Shah set up the camera equipment while junior Malena Nassif did the actors’ hair and makeup. Junior Audrey Allan, who played the part of Wingwoman, had to get a black mask painted around her eyes before her scenes could be filmed.

Courtesy Amanda Hess

Watching Wingwoman: The “Wingwoman” film poster features juniors Audrey Allan and Evelyn Walker, who acted in the film as Wingwoman and Guardian Angel respectively. The short film was published to the Youtube channel Scriblz.

According to Allan, acting in this film enabled her to discover traits about herself that both connected and differentiated her from her character.

“The role has a few similarities to me, but overall it’s pretty different. I think I focused on what the character and I did have in common, and brought that personality out more,” Allan said. “And I think I learned some stuff about myself in the transition because (Wingwoman) does have a lot of traits that I don’t have, so I got to portray those traits.”

Junior Evelyn Walker, who played the part of Guardian Angel, valued the opportunity to spend time with others and collaborate on a project that they were all passionate about.

“It was awesome (to be a part of this production). It was nice to have something to do just with the pandemic and after everything got kind of flipped around. So it was really good to get to see people again and especially hang out with people who are as passionate about acting and creating things as I am,” Walker said.

Once all of the scenes were filmed and the necessary footage collected, Hess got to work editing the material to put the final product together.

“Editing really makes or breaks the project. You kind of don’t know how it’s going to turn out until you put it in the editing software,” Hess said. “I go through and select which takes I like best.

I’ll edit all the sound and the lighting, color correction, and then I’ll put it all together, finalize it with music and then add any graphics.”

Allan praised Hess’s work editing and handling the raw material to produce the finalized film.

“I know there were certain film techniques Amanda used just to correctly portray the superhero-villain movie style. Like blackouts and cut

Courtesy Amanda Hess

In between takes: Junior Amanda Hess films a scene for “Wingwoman”. The ten-minute superhero film was inspired by a creative writing prompt found on Instagram. scenes,” Allan said. “She did all the editing, and she put everything together. So she had to sort through all the audio, which was probably a sore. But she found the best takes of everything, she put it all together, and she did an amazing job.”

The cast and crew described their feelings of pride toward the finalized film, which was made public on Oct. 26.

“I guess I had a vague idea of what the finished product

could be like because I acted in it, so I knew what the scenes were, but I wasn’t sure how it would all fit together, and I’m very proud of the finished product,” Allan said.

Hess expressed her appreciation for the cast and crew in working hard to bring this project to life.

“Everyone was just so willing to support the film.

They all gave it 110% effort.

They did such a good job and I could not have asked for a

better cast or crew. They really, really pulled through,” Hess said.

Looking to the future, Hess hopes to continue to grow her interest in filming and develop her skills as a filmmaker.

“I would definitely like to improve on my filmmaking skills and definitely make more short films,” Hess said. “I don’t entirely know yet, but I’m very excited for future stuff.”

Game on: Teachers benefit from playing video games Ben Reed

Staff Reporter Ramping off the side of the arena, Biology teacher Derek Bosworth accelerates his car forward driving straight into the giant soccer ball. The ball flies forward into the goal just as time expires winning the “Rocket League” match.

Teachers play video games for various reasons and have found them beneficial as they play through quarantine and the virtual setting.

For math teacher David Rubert, video games were an interest that started when he was younger. Rubert enjoys role games like Final Fantasy and began gaming on console in 2001. The games helped teach him how to

strategize and think outside of the box.

“I would end up repeating the games often and trying to do things better,” Rubert said.

“It became that sort of thing, I want to play it again, but let me try this this time and problem solving differently or doing things more efficiently the next time around.”

Different people enjoy video games for different reasons.

For language and composition teacher Susan Gregory, games serve as a leisure activity.

“For me it’s very calming because the game of choice for me is ‘GardenScapes’,” Gregory said. “When it is warm out in the summer and in the spring and in the fall, that’s where I am in my spare time, in my garden. So when it’s cold out, it’s fun for me to pretend that

I’m working in a garden even though it is a game.”

Bosworth has other motives for gaming. After first starting to play in elementary school, through college he played competitively on an esports team at ElizabethTown College. Bosworth participated in competitions for games like “Rocket League” and “League of Legends.”

“It was like any other sport, we had mandatory hours that we had to play. So whenever I did play the game, I was playing because I had to,” Bosworth said.

While gaming is not necessarily good for one’s health, there are still benefits to playing. Physics and computer science teacher Edward Sharick explained that he sees video games as beneficial as long as

they are being played with other people. He explained that when played with friends, they are a good way to bond. However, when played alone, they can have a negative impact.

“They can be very harmful to a person in terms of how much time they spend playing it but also in terms of emotional well-being,” Sharick said. “If you’re not interacting with people for that long, I think it can be harmful if used in the wrong way.”

Math and computer science teacher Kimberly McPhillips gave an example of how video games help her keep in touch with others across long distances and strengthen relationships.

“I’ve recently been reconnecting with my siblings who live in New York, so they’re kind of far away from me.”

McPhillips said. “I’ve been playing games with them and talking to them on discord and it feels like a connection that I haven’t had in a while.”

Bosworth also thought that social interactions are important for gaming, saying that any game can be fun if played with friends.

According to Rubert, video games can have other positive impacts too.

“I think for some people it’s a way to manage stress. It’s a way to be successful,” Rubert said.

“Getting that opportunity to retry missions or retry things in a different way to solve the problem I think in a way helps people solve problems differently in life.”

Rubert also explained that video games can im-

prove someone’s mental health and self-esteem.

“If you have a good round of a video game that can give you the emotional build up you might need to feel good about

playing video games during the quarantine.

“You couldn’t go out and hang out with friends,” Bosworth said. “So by getting on your computer and joining a discord call and playing these games with all your friends, it was basically like hanging out with them in real life, but in your room.”

Sharick had a similar opinion, saying that video games served as a place for social interactions since everyone was forced to stay at home during Math teacher the lockdown.

“I think it can be yourself at least in one aspect beneficial. I mean especially of your life,” Rubert said. right now we don’t necessarDuring the lockdown ily have the ability to go hang for COVID-19, most peo- out with friends in person, ple found themselves with but you can always hop onmore free time than usual. line and have a game togethSome teachers passed this er,” Sharick said. “So I think time by gaming. Bosworth that that aspect of things can talked about the benefits of be very positive.”

Getting that opportunity to retry missions or retry things in a different way to solve the problem I think in a way helps people solve problems differently in life.”

David Rubert

Courtesy Kimberly McPhillips

Courtesy Derek Bosworth

In the zone: Math and computer science teacher Kimberly McPhillips plays “Fall Guys” on her computer. Playing video games helped McPhillips to reconnect with her siblings in New York.

Gaming together: Biology teacher Derek Bosworth participates in a gaming competition for his esports team.

Bosworth was a captain for his team at Elizabethtown College.

T/E Life

6

Friday, November 20, 2020

’STOGA MASK FASHION DB: “I wear a medical mask because I feel like it works better, and I feel like if everyone stuck to a mask like this, the whole virus would go away so much quicker. Most doctors wear multiple layers of masks, so I can’t say this is 100% foolproof, but it is a much better option than some others. The higher-grade ones, like the N-95s, should be handed out to the first responders, and these are the next best option. A lot of people just wear masks to be cute, and the ones they wear aren’t even protecting them, like that one Lana Del Rey wore with all the holes.”

By Abby Carella, Multimedia Editor Design by Katherine Lee, Co-T/E Life Editor

SL: “I wear this mask so I don’t get coronavirus. Sometimes it’s difficult to breathe in, but it’s comfortable overall. It has the school logo on it and I got it from a fundraiser I think. It looks kinda cool, like the design. I wear this (mask) everywhere I go.”

The Disposable Medical Mask

The ’Stoga Mask

AZ: “I chose this mask because it’s comfortable and it fits well because it’s a kids’ size. I got it from Target, and I have a pretty small face, so the kids masks normally fit better. The material is very flexible, and it does really well in the wash, I guess. You can also just limit yourself to one (mask) instead of throwing them out.”

EB: “I like this mask because of the design. I think it’s really unique and it’s an accessory to my outfit. I also made it, the fabric is from JoAnn’s. I watched like four YouTube videos. I just cut it out, I think it was ten inches by five, and then I followed the pattern and sewed it together. I made this at the very beginning (of the pandemic) like back in April or March because I couldn’t find a ton (of masks), especially ones that were patterned. The fabric kind of feels like a curtain, but I like how it looks. Beauty is pain. I recommend everyone make their own masks because they fit so well and you can also fit them to your own face.”

Devin Bradley (Junior)

Stephen Lyons (Freshman)

The Children’s Mask

The DIY Mask

Alex Zelikoff (Senior)

Elise Bermingham (Junior)

SM: “I decided to wear this flower mask today because it matches my shirt which has little blue flowers and this mask also has blue flowers, so I thought it would pair well. It’s weird to think about how mask fashion is now a thing and how we never thought it would have become a thing in the past, but you got to make the best of every situation. My sister actually made this one. She got the material from old fabric we found in the basement, so we decided to put it to good use. I have mixed opinions on this one because (it) kind of pushes your hair up a little bit, but it’s not as tight around the face.”

OB: “I chose this mask because I really like the sequins and I think if we have to wear them, like, let’s do it boujee. It’s big so I can adjust it to make sure it goes under my chin and over my nose. I also like it because I wouldn’t wear this on a normal day, so I use it for special occasions because I think it looks nice.”

The Over-the-Head Mask

The Special Occasion Mask

Sophia Mabilais (Junior)

Olivia Budike (Sophomore)

Stopping the spread: Safety tips for students

By Johanna Duda & Hiba Samdani, Staff Reporter & Photography Editor

After seeing friends or family over a Zoom call or at a small gathering, students now commonly use the

phrase “stay safe” in place of a good-bye. Now that students are in the building, staying safe has become more im-

portant than ever. Here are some tips for students to remember as they navigate the 2020-2021 school year.

Bring an Extra Mask Students all over the country have been told countless times to wear a mask. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA, wearing a mask lowers the risk that you will catch the COVID-19 virus and lowers the risk of you spreading it. The facts can’t be argued against, and many people in America wear

masks either by choice or by law in some settings. Sophomore Moksha Chejerla does not feel comfortable when she sees others neglecting to wear a mask.

“I want to stay away (from people who do not wear a mask) because not taking the precautions just gives the vibe of them not caring for the pandemic at all,” Chejerla said. “It is

Design by Katherine Lee, Co-T/E Life Editor

Find Alternatives to High Fives such a shocker for me when I see someone not have a mask in public areas with lots of people.”

But what happens if students forget their mask?

When this happens, they’re putting themselves and others around them at risk for the virus, and on top of that, they might not be let into certain public places.

A simple fix for this is to

bring an extra. They could keep their spare in their backpack, car or wallet.

Some serious problems have simple solutions.

It’s not a secret that when people high five, they have to get at least 6-feet near each other. It’s also not a secret that when people get within 6-feet of each other, they’re at risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus. During these hard times, it can be nice to celebrate the small victories with a friendly high five. However, the

CDC advises people to practice social distancing to prevent further transmission of the virus. So, instead of risking the safety of students, an effective alternative is air high fives.

During times like these, it’s of the utmost importance to keep the safety of others a priority. Sophomore Yash Iyer shared his views on the matter.

Stay on the Blue Lines

Wipe Down Your Cell Phone

Last year students were advised to stay between the blue lines to avoid a collision with a swinging open door. Now, if students stayed between these lines, it would be nearly impossible to stay 6-feet apart in the hallways. Because of these different circumstances, it is important for students to remain on these blue lines to practice

Every day, we hear teachers and parents remind us to frequently wipe down high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs, chairs, and desks. However, there may be one surface that we are neglecting: our cell phones. Already, thousands of germs survive on the surface of your phones, and COVID-19 has added to the list. After opening

social distancing in the hallways. However, it may seem difficult to social distance with the increasing enrollment. Health and gym teacher John Jones advises that students make a communal effort to social distance in the hallways and outside of school because it will allow for them to protect themselves and others around them.

“Tell students to continue to take their precautions; it’s not just for themselves. It’s for everyone around them to wear your mask at all times, to make sure you’re keeping your distance, to do this not only when you’re at school, but wherever you are,” Jones said.

Remind and Reinforce Despite the various posters hanging in the hallways, it can be easy to forget many of these precautions and students have a tendency to revert to normality.

“I think that, sometimes there’s a sense that we’ve been in this for a while and you might have a sense of comfort or you

might relax a little bit,” Jones said.

However, with cases on the rise at local and national levels, it is necessary to be in a mindset in which you know the importance of the matter.

“If they forget it, it probably means that they don’t think it’s a pressing issue. I think they should

doors in the school and sitting down on different desks throughout the day, it would be helpful by giving your phone an additional wipe. Health teacher James Moran uses a special machine called a phone soap to clean his phone. Although he had the device before COVID-19, it has been helpful with keeping his phone clean.

“It has the fluorescent lighting. You put your phone in there and close the top and it cleans it,” Moran said. “We use it because, I mean, your phone is everywhere - it’s in your pocket, on your desk.”

Although students might not always be sharing their cell phones while with friends, the germs that are on them can get onto fin-

“I’ve seen a few people (not socially distant) and it just makes me feel that they’re not taking it seriously at all. I think it’s a selfish thing to do really,” Iyer said.

gers, and then whatever those fingers touch.

“You should take the necessary measures to make sure that in case you do have the virus, that it doesn’t spread.

So, I think people should wipe their phones down,” Iyer said.

Take the Health Screening Seriously be reminded that it is a really huge issue in this country. Once they get into that mindset that it’s not a joke, then they will start remembering,” Iyer said.

It is important to continue to follow these procedures and remind others to follow them, too.

“You might not be someone who was com-

fortable calling someone out for not wearing a mask. You might not have been someone who always was thinking to wash her hands every day, but you need to be that person,” English teacher Benjamin Smith said. “In being that person, you have decided to care about other people.”

Before arriving to school, students and staff are required to complete a health screening to ensure that they do not display symptoms of COVID-19.

However, not only is completion of the screening important, but so is familiarity with the symptoms.

The district advises that students alert them if the

student is awaiting a test or if they display symptoms of COVID-19.

“If everybody in the district works together and is honest when they fill out the form, and (doesn’t) come to school when (they are) sick or coughing, it helps,” Conestoga School Nurse Kimberly Meade said.

T/E Life

7

Friday, November 20, 2020

MultiCulture Club MultiCulture Club brings students of diverse backgrounds together and showcases different cultures. The club hosts events, including ESL Family Night, Thanksgiving and Global Festival.

MultiCulture Club has been brainstorming ideas to continue its mission of celebrating cultures during hybrid learning. One idea club members have planned is a clothing show, where members will turn on their cameras and talk about their traditional dress. They would also like to host an event at Wilson Farm Park where members will tie-dye shirts with colors that symbolize different cultures.

Relena Li, senior and president of MultiCulture Club, enjoys interacting with other cultures through the club’s events.

“I like Global Festival because (of) one thing, food, and also, it’s really cool to know a lot of things and fun stuff, talking to each culture (that is) doing Global Festival,” Li said.

Courtesy Relena Li

Culture conference: MultiCulture club poses at last year’s Kennett Square’s Multicultural and Diversity Awareness conference.

Robotics Club Every year, the Robotics Club competes in the VEX Robotics Competition. In each competition, student-built robots play a new “game” that they will be graded on. The competition is held at the regional level all the way up to the national level.

“At competitions after you’ve grinded for a couple weeks and the night before you don’t have any sleep, and then you go to competitions: it’s exhilarating,” said junior Arjun Arasappan, president of Robotics Club.

The competition usually features “alliances” between two teams’ robots, where the two work together to accomplish a task. This year, the competition has one team per alliance, and robots have to score points by themselves. Robotics Club is also teaching students how to build robots virtually, which doubles the difficulty since building a robot is a very hands-on task.

CLUB HUB Written by Omkar Katkade and Cosmo THompson Staff Reporters Design by Reese Wang Co-Managing Editor

Courtesy Arjun Arasappan

Roving robots: The Robotics Club poses after winning the VEX State Competition. The team’s robots were required to complete different tasks.

Science Olympiad Science Olympiad is also making some changes this year. The club’s main goal is to compete and place well in Science Olympiad competitions, but it also emphasizes learning STEM for fun.

Science Olympiad competes in local invitational competitions to prepare for the regional competition. Normally, competitors are limited to three invitationals due to travel costs, but this year, the competition will be held virtually, so club members won’t need to ride anywhere. Now, they are trying to compete in every invitational competition they can to better prepare them for regionals. “(Science Olympiad is) where I found my group of friends, where I feel at home the most,” said junior Sabrina Zhang, president of Science Olympiad.

Peer Mediation

’STOGA

Peer Mediation focuses on promoting a positive school climate through ventures such as the Students Teaching About Respect (S.T.A.R.) program. In the S.T.A.R. program, members of Peer Mediation visit the middle and elementary schools to teach younger students about kindness and resiliency.

This year, Peer Mediation has reworked its management system. In the past, one or two presidents would organize and manage the club. Now, leading the club is more of a group effort, with nine directors divvying up responsibilities for five different branches.

As a director of Peer Mediation, senior Kitt Burlington helps oversee F.R.O.G.S., P.A.L.S. and Kerrage.

“We got a really unique set of skills out of it (being in Peer Mediation), and I like being able to pass that along and help out the school,” Burlington said.

Creative Writing Club

Courtesy Kitt Burlington

Moving up: Peer Mediation guides freshmen taking the hybrid model of school at Teamer Field. Peer Mediation changed its management system over the summer.

Creative Writing Club is a casual place where people who enjoy writing can go to unwind. It provides prompts for members to write about. Then, if they want to, members can share what they wrote.

This year, they hope to have a creative writing competition. Submissions wouldn’t have to be essays or poems. As long as their piece is creative, students would be able to submit any type of writing, and if the competition materializes, it will be open to all Conestoga students rather than just members of the club. Creative Writing Club would also like to be able to give recognition to everyone who submits with a certificate or something similar.

“There are some people who started Creative Writing Club that wouldn’t speak a single word in the meeting. If they shared their work, they would remain completely anonymous, and now, they’ve found Creative Writing Club to be a space where they can be super extroverted and share what they want to because I think Creative Writing Club is just a really safe space for people to share writing,” said senior Oriana Riley, president and founder of Creative Writing Club.

OPINION

Friday, November 20, 2020

Calling all teens: Keep your masks on

Devon Rocke Opinion Editor

It all began around homecoming — or, at least, when Conestoga would have hosted homecoming. I opened up Instagram one day to find four friends posing, faces practically touching, hugging each other without masks. After seven months full of daily reminders to social distance, wear masks, spray Lysol and use obscene amounts of hand sanitizer, it filled me with the same feeling of discomfort as seeing someone lick a dirty bathroom floor.

At first, I thought it was a fluke: surely, it was only a couple of friends getting together after quarantine who had taken their masks off for a split second? In the days and weeks that followed, however, I started to notice a trend as pictures

of students at parties flooded my Instagram feed: while more teens were getting together, fewer were to be found wearing masks. Initially, I dismissed the photos, passing them off as a sort of modern day teen rebellion as they grew tired of staying cooped up inside their houses.

But while the “COVID-19 fatigue” has begun to set in, COVID-19 has not grown any weaker.

According to data released by the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center as of Nov. 17, the United States set another record for COVID-19 cases, with a staggering 166,000 cases being reported. The number of hospitalizations have also broken records with over 76,000 people hospitalized, and the total number of infections nationwide has now surpassed 11 million.

Although I admit I am guilty of attending social gatherings, I am confident in saying that I did so safely, wearing a mask and refraining from hugging. I know we are all frustrated right now and wish that we could go back to a time to when we didn’t need to worry about contracting a deadly virus every time we leave the house, but unfortunately, that’s simply not our reality. Just because this is our “new normal” doesn’t mean we can wish away COVID-19.

Simply wearing a mask, however, can greatly improve your chances of staying safe. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, even the average disposable mask Katherine Zhang/The SPOKE can help protect there were 61,000 new cases against droplets and protect others in children reported by the from the wearer’s own respiration.

So, to all of my fellow American Academy of Pediatrics, a number larger than any teens, I beg of you: put down previous week throughout the your cameras and pull up pandemic. This spike just goes your masks. It’s the least we to show that COVID-19 is still can do to help ourselves and the community. very much a threat for teens.

From the beginning of the pandemic until Oct. 29, there have been more than 853,000 children who tested positive for COVID-19. During the last week of October alone,

Katherine Zhang/The SPOKE

From the editor: Be nice to your parents

Hyunjin Lee

Co-Editor-in-Chief Ah, senior year. For a lot of us, that means only a few more months until freedom, COVID-19-permitting, that is. With the end of senior year looming closer — and yes, I know it’s still 2020 and we are technically only about 30% days done with the year — I can’t stop thinking about the big transition that’s coming up. It will mean greater independence; having freedom over what we do everyday; and for some of us, maybe even living by ourselves. But this also means that this is the last year we have to really spend time with our parents.

And I think we should take the extra time the pandemic has granted us to get closer to our parents or perhaps to mend any relationships that need mending. If not anything else, with Thanksgiving coming up, to show our love and gratitude for the people we have in our lives.

I can’t really think of a time when my parents weren’t involved in my life. And for most of us, that is probably the same.

From driving me to practices, lessons, concerts and everywhere else to supporting me through basically my entire life so far, my parents have been a

take my parents for granted. I take it for granted that they will always be there, driving me places (I still don’t have a driving permit), buying me this or that for a project due the next day, or being there for me whenever something goes wrong.

But the reality is, in a few months, they won’t be there. When I go to college, my parents won’t be there to bring me my glasses if I carelessly forget them at home or drive me to my rehearsals. A few months ago, I read about Stoicism and negative visualization. Negative visualization is the philosophy of thinking about all the negative outcomes that can occur in our lives. Think about what your lives might be like without your parents, your guardians or whoever supports you. What would that life look like for you?

Like most things, we won’t realize how big of a support they have been until they aren’t prominently in our lives anymore.

And by then, it might be a bit too late to say a genuine thank you or to spend the time we should have with them all along. But we still have time.

Show your gratitude for them, thank them for all that they do, and make the most out of the remaining time we have left with them.

I know, as teenagers, it might often Katherine Zhang/The SPOKE seem as though parof Philly traffic to get me to and ents shower us with seemingly from orchestra rehearsals. I am not outdated and unasked-for advice. sure if I thanked her for these rides. There might be times we bicker I guess I always took it for granted with them or roll our eyes when we that my mom should drive me ev- think they are too controlling. But most of us are adults now or will erywhere all the time.

Maybe most of you haven’t be soon. And we are old enough been like me and regularly show and mature enough to realize how your appreciation for your parents. thankful we should be for our parBut I dare say, there were probably ents, the people who will always moments in your life when you have our back.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be didn’t thank your parents or guardians for the things they do for us. I Mother’s or Father’s Day to show know there are often times when I our appreciation and love. huge part of my life. But, and I am a bit embarrassed to admit this, I can’t really think of many times when I actually showed my appreciation for them during the moments I should have.

When I forgot my glasses at home, I frantically texted my dad, telling him I couldn’t see anything and that I needed my glasses NOW. My dad left work to drive home to get my glasses then bring them to me at school. I can’t even remember if I said thank you in the midst of complaining that it took him too long.

Or every Saturday morning, before the pandemic, when my mom would drive through hours

My eyes beg for less screen time

Reese Wang

Co-Managing Editor With a daily headache from

om students,seven the community straight hours of online

learning, just the thought of staying inside under artificial lighting makes me want to scream from exhaustion.

Jumping from a few hours of asynchronous material at end of last year to almost submitted tothe Editors-in-Chief Ananya Kulkarni seven hours of school-manClaire Miller dated and Allison Ferriola. time each day screen this year, I’ve had a hard time an unnatural of The Spokeadjusting editorial board,to not necessarily amount of screen time. ty or advertisers. The opinions expressed in In an infographic from 2018, the ssarily the opinion of Thefor Spoke.

Centers Disease Control and Prevention reported that 15-18 spend about vertisements.kids Email ages hello@spoke.news.

7.5 hours a day using only entertainment media. That’s almost the amount of time we currently spend attending online school alone and 5.5 hours more than the Ameri-

can Heart Association’s screen to schedule live sessions, and all time recommendation. other work would be completed The effects? Poor health, pos- in the student’s own time. For ture, sleep and brain function, example, a history teacher could according to Care Well Urgent schedule an hour-long Socratic Care. Given that we’re supposed seminar on Friday during the to improve our designated brain function time slot for by going to social studies school virtually, and assign it’s ironic that video lectures, we could be getPowerPoints, ting the reverse. notes and othTo prevent er preparation the negative for the semwww.spoke.news effects of the inar for stuabrupt increase dents to comin required plete on their @thespoke screen time and own time. ensure the most While, at efficient classes a first glance, @thespoke possible, teachthe only difers should comference bebine aspects of tween this /thespoke asynchronous plan and what and synchrowe’ve been nous learning. doing so far While some acthis year is the_spoke Charity Xu/The SPOKE whether tivities such as stuclass discussions, group work dents are on Microsoft Teams, and asking questions about this plan emphasizes efficiency, hello@spoke.news homework are an important part which decreases the amount of of the culture of a class, other ac- time students must spend learntivities such as lectures can be ing on technology. recorded in concise videos and Let’s face it: technology is watched asynchronously. Differ- a gift, but it’s not without its ent subjects would have desig- faults. Tech issues such as getnated time slots during the week ting kicked out of meetings,

not being able to join meetings and other malfunctions as well as human-error issues like not unmuting when speaking, all take up time.

During this time, students lose focus on what’s going on in class, contradicting the original purpose of live classes to make students learn more.

Recording activities that don’t require human interaction would eliminate many of the tech-related distractions.

By only having to go to a few hours of live class each week, students will be more inclined to log in to class on time and to pay attention to the full duration. When they’re not in live class, they can work on the asynchronous work assigned after taking comfortably long screen breaks, rather than the short “pick-a-number-from-oneto-ten”-minute screen break we’re given in the middle of live class.

Everyone says to “take care of yourself during these troubled times”. Taking care of ourselves includes making sure that we get a healthy amount of screen time and taking a closer look at how we are learning.

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

The

Staff

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

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

Sophia Pan/The SPOKE

SORRY, WE MISsPoke In the October issue, on the front page in the byline of “Pennsylvanians move towards mail-in voting as Election Day approaches,” we misspelled Zakiyah Gaziuddin’s last name as Gazziuddin. On the front page teasers we also stated that “Running virtually: ’Stoga cross country hosts meets virtually this season” is on page 10, however it is on page 12.

On page 2, we misspelled Tredyffrin in the first news brief. On page 3 in “Adapting to guidelines: A new look for school transportation,” we spelled Kaitlin Campbell’s first name as Caitlin. On page 10 in Commitment Corner, we stated that Tommy Ciccarone is committed for basktball, but he is a lacrosse commit.

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

www.spoke.news @thespoke @thespoke

Letters to the editor: Letters to the editor may be submitted to Editors-in-Chief Ananya Kulkarni and Hyunjin Lee, or advisers Cyndi Crothers-Hyattt, Claire Miller and Allison Ferriola.

Editorials: Unsigned editorials represent the views of The Spoke editorial board, not necessarily those of the administration, student body, community or advertisers. The opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of The Spoke.

Paid advertisements: The Spoke accepts paid advertisements. Email hello@spoke.news.

/thespoke the_spoke hello@spoke.news

OP/ED

Friday, November 20, 2020

Unsigned: A case in favor of voluntary homework

Protestors continue to march in the streets, fighting for human rights. The New York Times reports over 100 new COVID-19 cases every day in Chester County alone. We spend 32 hours a week, minimum, in front of a computer screen for online school. Everyone is stressed, and these are truly troubling times; mandatory homework only adds to that trouble.

Now, more than ever, we need voluntary homework.

Most homework is busywork: assignments that occupy students’ time without providing real educational value. Unfortunately, that busywork serves only to eat up hours of the day, stealing us away from other noble pursuits like after-school sports, extracurriculars, jobs, family time, free time and sleep.

A 2014 survey of K-12 teachers across the nation conducted by the University of Phoenix found that high school teachers assign, on average, what accumulates to as much as 17.5 hours of homework a week. That’s as much homework as a part-time job!

Let’s do the math: 32 hours of online school plus 17.5 hours of homework plus 56 hours of recommended sleep plus 7 hours eating is 112.5 hours gone per week. There are only 168 hours

in a week, which leaves only 55.5 hours free at all every week. Now, let’s assume our hypothetical student is also a student-athlete who has practice several hours a week and attends a variety of clubs.

Maybe our student has to study for upcoming tests or work on a project as well as violin lessons or volunteer work.

The hours stack up quickly, and this hypothetical doesn’t even factor in family time and free time.

High schoolers aren’t robots.

We need time for ourselves and for our passions and for sleeping and eating and spending with our friends and family.

Having a part-time job’s worth of homework every week does not make for a happy high schooler.

Not to mention, mandatory homework may be unnecessary for students that already

understand a topic. At best, it is redundant. At worst, it is a breeding ground for resentment, killing a student’s passion for self-directed learning. At worst, it is a source of stress. At worst, it is a drain on a student’s al-

ready-fragile mental health.

And if, like we are always told, school is truly meant to “prepare us for the real world,” then voluntary homework is the way to go.

For one, it teaches students accountability. We’re high school-

ers. We can and should learn to grow up. If I fail a course because I didn’t do the homework that would have helped me understand a concept, that’s on me. Optional homework provides the truest test of academic integrity, something that we are taught to place so much value in at ’Stoga.

For another, voluntary homework allows students to get an actual taste of the real world. Mandatory homework is not a suitable substitute for real-world Sophia Pan/The SPOKE responsibility.

When you get a job, you won’t have mandatory daily checks, you are simply expected to complete tasks and to fulfill the responsibilities that you took on when you were hired. Optional homework teaches students to do work

not because of some imminent deadline but because otherwise, they will face other real-world consequences, like failure (in the case of school) or being fired (in the case of a job). It helps to enforce actual, healthy study habits that aren’t simply rooted in a fear of deadlines.

Optional homework also provides students with a safety net for their grades. By making homework both optional and extra credit, students who are willing to put in the time anyways will get extra padding for their grades without harming students who simply don’t need or don’t have time to do the extra work.

But, above all, making homework voluntary allows students to take their lives in stride instead of spending every waking moment mired in school. Let’s not forget: high schoolers are still people.

We have hobbies, passions and friends. We have lives that we want to live, things that we want to spend time doing, people that we want to spend time talking to.

We can’t spend our whole lives doing schoolwork, or we’ll lose what allows us to be people.

That’s not to say that making homework voluntary will solve everything, but it will relieve some of the trouble in these times, and I’d say, that is a good enough reason in and of itself.

- Ahana Sinha,

freshman

sophomore

Val Pucci

Staff Reporter Although election results remain disputed, one thing is clear: most Americans do not like President Donald Trump.

Trump has done an impeccable job exciting his rural, conservative base; however, his demeanor has left independent voters feeling alienated.

From a policy perspective, Trump has favored well among Republicans. In a recent Gallup poll, 95% of Republicans interviewed had a favorable view of the president’s job performance, compared to 41% of independents.

The main issue stems from a small portion of the Republican Party’s base. Unlike the far-left, who generally has an unfavorable opinion of President-Elect Joe Biden, the far-right has fully embraced Trump and his rhetoric.

Organizations such as the Proud Boys, Ku Klux Klan, and other farright groups openly support the president. Despite their objections, Republicans need to keep their voters engaged. Speaking against any of these groups could pose a major threat to a candidate’s career.

+ The orange has been replaced

c+

- It caused an entire week of stress

Tyra Banks hosting DWTS

D

+ She certainly makes things more dramatic.

- Tyra, stop talking, the show isn’t about you.

F

- Basically exactly the same as the past few iPhones

Twitter Update

CA+

+ Scientists have finally found something effective to use

- Lorenzo Caria, senior

junior

pletely overlooking the longterm ramifications of expanded government control. Unlike the Democratic platform, the Republican platform offers no immediate benefit to the American people, making it very difficult to convince voters to back Republican candidates.

If the Republican party wants to be relevant in the 21st century, they need to change their tactics. As the Democratic party slowly shifts farther to the left, the Republican party needs to step up and be the unifying force. This is exactly what the Biden campaign did in the 2020 election. Independent voters have grown tired of the divide in this country, and Joe Biden rose to Trey Phillips/The SPOKE the occasion and projected a sense of normalcy.

Donald Trump has stained the reputation of the Republican party, and although he fulfilled his job as needed, his demeanor has left independent voters feeling alienated. If a Republican candidate wants to win in 2024, they need to change their strategy. Continuing to rely on issues such as abortion and taxation is not sustainable. The future of the Republican party depends on recouping independent voters.

2020 Election

Coronavirus Vaccine

“I’n bigger stores... I feel like it’s going to be fine... I mean, I’m sure they’ll have some regulations”

- Hannah Kuryan,

The Republican party took a major gamble in 2016 nominating Trump, and not all Republicans were for it. Even Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of Trump’s most trusted allies in the Senate, strongly opposed the then-Candidate Trump in 2016, suggesting in an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that Republicans should unite against the radical real-estate mogul. However, nearly four years later, Trump has a good record.

Republicans know what to expect from the president. Despite his nonsensical rants on Twitter, Trump does exactly what Republicans need him to do in the oval office. Independents, however, do not hold value in either candidate’s political records, typically focusing on the person rather than the policy.

This is where Republicans struggle. The Democratic Party for years has built its platform on the short-term needs of voters. Medicare for all, assault rifle bans, universal basic income: policy that supports the immediate needs of the American people while com-

- They are all so factually inaccurate

- They just copied Snapchat and Instagram

Q: How do you feel about Black Friday this year?

The Republican Party is dying

B

+ Sparked responses from celebrities like Greta Thunberg’s that were comedic gold

+ Fleets are more engaging

STUDENTS SPEAK OUT “I think it’s going to be a lot more like online shopping... (I) don’t usually go Black Friday shopping, but I would feel kind of unsafe if I did have to go because there would be so many people”

Reactions to Trump’s post-election Tweets

+ I guess it’s a little faster?

“I don’t think it’s going to be safe especially by the King of Prussia Mall because there will be so many people and so many people don’t wear their masks correctly.”

- Timmy Corben,

Report Card

iPhone 12

The Spoke Editorial Board voted unanimously 14-0 in favor of this article.

“I really think it would be best if they did shut the stores for Black Friday because I just think it’s really intense. It’s a lot of people and with cases rising, it really doesn’t seem safe.”

9

- Won’t be mass distributed to the public for some time and may require multiple shots

A critique of modern education

Aishi Debroy

Co-Web Content Manager The purpose of the American education system is to prepare even the most undecided students for a career that perfectly aligns with their interests and to give everyone an equal chance to become successful if they “work hard enough.” Yet, all of these goals are “accomplished” with inefficient tools: standardized testing, burdensome amounts of homework and an emphasis on a letter grade.

At 6 years old, we start to think about our dream jobs as we color cartoons of occupation figurines. At 8 years old, we are taken to Bring Your Kids to Work Day, where we watch our parents mindlessly do their jobs. At 16 years old, we are told to sit in on a million career path classes, where we take personality quizzes that match us up with an optimal career. At 18 years old, we are then told to choose the career path we’ll take for the rest of our lives.

With all this emphasis on conditioning students from a young age to become a part of the workforce, why do 1 in 10 college students change their major?

I think that we value financial stability over happiness, which leads us to value higher-paying jobs as more practical and worthy. Majors related to professions in art, philosophy and history consistently rank high on lists of Most Useless Majors because career prospects for them pay little, narrowing the amount of financially-stable career choices and increasing indecisiveness.

We cannot become anything we want to be, even if our teachers emphasize that illusion of choice, because to choose a major that does not pay is to choose a life of irresponsibility. To those whose passions lie in lower-paying professions, this leads to a binary: a life of monetary stability or a life of happiness. Such an important decision places a huge amount of pressure on 17-18-year-olds, teenagers that struggle to even choose an outfit in the morning!

Although there can be countless explanations for the root of the problem, there is no one correct method to achieving livelihood fulfillment. As a society, we should emphasize having broad goals and passions and not the importance of simply having a career. For example, someone who wants to become a lawyer should not aspire to read case studies but to enforce justice.

We should not leave deciding our majors to career path classes and teachers, but rather, begin our searches by experimenting with our passions. Although it seems like a daunting task to

Charity Xu/The SPOKE

choose a major or career, exploring your passion is easy!

If you are completely undecided, here are three ways to start exploring your passion. First, make a list of all of your interests, whether it be math, science, communications, business or other subjects or fields of study. Second, make a list of what you value in life, for example, monetary security, creative freedom, happinesses and fulfillment, etc. Third, find a list of careers or majors, note the careers or majors that satisfy your first and second criteria, and then start joining clubs, getting internships, volunteering at various centers or exploring

different classes that pertain to your field of interest.

Finding your passion already puts you at an advantage over most working adults. A Deloitte study found that only 13% of the U.S. workforce is passionate about their job. One major does not guarantee future stability and success, so take a risk! Happiness is achieved not by following a set of rules society has set for us but by attaining goals that we have set for ourselves. Do not fear indecisiveness, for exploration is the precedent to discovery.

The ball is in your court, so throw it — no matter which way it lands.

Yuting Pu/The SPOKE

Sports

Friday, November 20, 2020

10

Drafting players: COVID-19 affects Fantasy Football players’ lineups George Zhang Staff Reporter

It was a grim Sunday on Oct. 4 in the final quarter for Eagles fans and quarterback Carson Wentz was underperforming throughout the game against the San Francisco 49ers. Former NFC champs The Eagles, were trailing 11-14 with five minutes remaining in the game.

It was second-and-18 when Wentz threw a long pass from the 50-yard line to Travis Fulgham. Caught and into the endzone! The Eagles then went on to beat the 49ers 2520. This day was also a victory for Fantasy Football players that had Wentz and Fulgham in their lineup. ’Stoga has a vibrant population of people who enjoy playing Fantasy Football. Fantasy Football is a game where players act as a team’s manager and draft real NFL players into their lineup. The managers then get points for the performance of each player in a real game. For example, players get one point for every ten yards rushed or received, and if the player is injured or unable to play, they get no points for that game. These rules have

remained relatively unchanged even after the emergence of COVID-19, but the game itself changed dramatically.

The pandemic has had a significant effect on Fantasy Football and NFL in general, resulting in cancellation of games, players being unable to play, and so much more.

Freshman Sachin Blake believes that COVID-19 influenced the injuries of many NFL players who are important in fantasy.“I feel as though because the players didn’t have as much of a preseason, they didn’t get as warmed up for the season. They didn’t get as ready as they usually do and prepare. And because of that, there’s been so many injuries, especially just some star players that are super relevant in fantasy,” Blake said.

“Christian McCaffrey went out really early, and he’s been out for a lot of the season.

Dalvin Cook’s (has) missed time. Joe Mixon’s (has) missed time. So many players that are huge in fantasy that were really early picks have missed a lot of time.”

Freshman Benner Miller believes that virus affects the NFL by having players take unexpected “bye” weeks,

weeks where a team does not play. He also believes a significant effect of the pandemic on Fantasy Football is requiring free agents, players who are not currently signed to an NFL team, to pass through seven days of negative COVID-19 tests.

The pandemic has been both beneficial and detrimental to Fantasy Football players’ lineups. Blake, for example, saw benefits.“I think I’ve gotten lucky with that. I know that (my friend) had Cam Newton who got COVID. So I played him one week and he lost his starting quarterback so that gave me an easy win.

So I guess I’ve benefited more from it than I’ve actually got hurt by it,” Blake said.

However, this was not the same case for Miller.“Le’Veon Bell: when he went into free agency, I couldn’t use him for two weeks. I believe Derrick Henry and the Titans got shut down and had an unexpected bye. Same with Melvin Gordon and the Broncos,” Miller said. “I’ve had situations where I could have won, but my players were out because of COVID.” There was also students that were not affected at all.

For example, for freshman Mohit Manna. COVID-19 really didn’t have that much of an effect on Fantasy Football lineups.

“My lineup was really good, and I had the top performers but Sony Michel, and Cam Newton. (got put on the COVID list) But they were on my bench so I was kinda lucky,” Manna said. “If I didn’t have them, I would have to sign a couple of more players, and it would be kind of bad.”

Fantasy Football is also a great way to keep in touch with friends during Covid-19 and it is a good social outlet in general. Senior Ty Seifert enjoys playing Fantasy Football because he gets to hang-out with his friends while being competitive at the same time. “Just from the camaraderie you get competing against people you know, it’s probably my favorite part,” Seifert said. “You could also do money leagues, which makes it more competitive. So I think that’s definitely a fun part about being with your friends because you can’t get that with random people online.”

For Senior Charlie Sisian, the favorite thing about being in a league with friends is the friendly banter.

Courtesy Benner Miller

Changing the lineup: Freshman Benner Miller edits his Fantasy Football roster after week 10 of the NFL season.

Due to an upcoming bye week for Jerrik McKinnon, Miller had to replace McKinnon with Melvin Gordon in his lineup.

“I think it’s probably the trash talk because it’s all joking but it’s pretty fun especially if you’re a good team who can go and win week in week out.

It’s definitely fun to kind of go make fun of your friends”, Sisian said.

To add to the competition, certain fantasy football leagues have players put money on the

line, by having every player chip in. Then, the winner of the league would recieve all of it. Additionally there are some leagues, like Sisian’s, which give a punishment to the loser.

“My league that I’m in, we do a $20 buy-in each year so the winner gets and then we also have a punishment for the person who comes in last

that changes on a year to year basis. But we always come up with something creative to try to make people try to not lose even if they know they’re not gonna win,” said Sisian. “Last year, I think we had someone be a butler at our Super Bowl party and they had to go get everyone food and drinks whenever we asked.”

Out of the element: Crew adapts to practices and meets off the water Evan Lu Webmaster Rowers decked out in garnet and grey calmly take their seats, exchange words of encouragement and make final preparations before the time trial as energetic music blasts from a portable speaker nearby. But instead of floating on a broad, blue river, the members of the Conestoga crew team lookout upon a field of green grass from a concrete pavilion.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and an ongoing dredging project to excavate mud from the bed of the Schuylkill River, the crew team has experienced major changes to the way it conducts practices and regattas. In the past, the team practiced five to six days a week on the Schuylkill River throughout the fall, winter and spring seasons as long as the weather allowed. However, dredging forced the team to relocate practices to Wilson Farm Park. Instead of rowing on the water, the team uses rowing machines, or ergs, and has incorporated more variety into their training program through running, core exercises, and yoga. Goldia Kiteck, head coach of the crew team, is somewhat disappointed with the new practice format.

“We’ d always like to be on the water. If it wasn’t for the river being dredged, even with the cold we would be on the water,” Kiteck said.

The team also implemented safety guidelines for practices, including face masks, social distancing and disinfecting ergs in between people. Carpools are limited and rowers are encouraged to be careful and limit interaction with those outside the team.

“Anytime we think someone might be too close (to someone else), we just tell them to space out. There’s no repercussions, there’s no pushback, and everybody has a pretty good understanding of the safety guidelines,” said senior Kevin Connell, boys’ captain.

Regattas are also drastically different. Traditionally held in-person, regattas pitted teams against each other in races to an actual finish line. Race formats varied, with individual, duo, and quad categories. Parents, friends, supporters, and fellow team members watched from a big white tent on the riverbank, cheering on the competitors.

Senior and girls’ captain Savanna Jacovini relished the interactions with spectators that came with competing.

“My personal favorite memory was always the sprints of the races. Once you hit 500 meters left, which is the last quarter of the race, that’s when you start going by all the tents and you start hearing all the screaming from the sidelines,” Jacovini said. “The entire boat shifts up in energy together, goes completely all out and by the time

Evan Lu/The SPOKE

Rowing hard: Sophomore Sam Wang completes a 2k time trial during an after-school practice session at Wilson Farm Park as teammates cheer him on. Due to dredging along

the Schuylkill River and the pandemic, the crew team was forced to relocate practices off the water. you cross the finish line, you’re completely gassed. All the energy is out of your body, but you know you did it as a team and

you worked together.”

Now, regattas are held virtually and races are individual. Rowers race on ergs

and compare their times with competitors. The white tents filled with onlookers are reduced to a few parents, coach-

es and fellow teammates. With fewer spectators, sophomore Sam Wang feels less motivated when competing.

“What normally happens is you’d have people screaming at you from the sidelines. There’d be people in your own boat yelling ‘Let’s go faster, let’s bring up this rate,’” Wang said. “But because of (the new format), it’s mostly just your teammates yelling at you so it’s kind of hard for you to get into that racing mind, but we make do with what we have.”

Nevertheless, the team realized multiple positives from the altered circumstances. Athletes are healthier and stronger, making them less prone to injury. The imperfect situation also fostered increased resilience, adaptability, and team unity.

“A lot of times, athletes talk about their time in sports and they don’t remember the competitions. They remember the hard times, where you’re all working together, trying to accomplish something. It’s the same thing here. Because everyone’s working together to make the best out of something, it’s bringing the team closer together,” Kiteck said.

While the future remains uncertain without a concrete end in sight with the dredging project, Conestoga crew still looks forward optimistically. They are excited to get back to the water as soon as possible and are looking forward to the resumption of normalized competition.

“We adapted, and we’re making the best of it. When there’s a global pandemic, it teaches you to appreciate the little things,” Kiteck said. “But we’ll be ready for when we get on the water again.”

Let the good times roll: Skating surges in popularity among students

Ruijia Yang/The Spoke

Rolling along: Skaters work on their skills and tricks at the Radnor Skate Park. Skateboarding and roller blading made a comeback this year.

Ruijia Yang Staff Reporter

The rolling of the wheels and the scraping sound of the board against the pavement is a familiar, comforting sound for skaters as they cruise around their towns and neighborhoods. Passersby turn their heads back to watch them roll by, carefree and effortless.

Skateboarding and roller skating have made a come-

back this year with social media influencers getting teens hooked on the 90s inspired throwback. ’Stoga students did not hesitate to follow suit and join the trend. The rise of skating was largely due to the coronavirus shutdowns, with more people trying to find new hobbies with all the time they had. It has become a fun way for all kinds of people to get exercise and enjoy themselves while working on a skill.

Sophomore Vennela Tummala has been roller skating since third grade, and recently started skateboarding over quarantine after witnessing the rise in popularity. She started by taking roller skating classes, and later joined an artistic roller skating team on the New Jersey shore. “(Roller skating) was one of my first sports when I was younger... and (skateboarding) helps me calm down and relax and have fun when I don’t have

people to hang out with,” Tummala said.

Junior skater Julia Roth was inspired by Nyjah Huston, a professional skateboarder who was expected to compete in the 2020 Olympics, wanting to learn the tricks he could do. She enjoys skateboarding because it helps her unwind and relax.

“It’s very freeing… you can just let everything go when you’re doing it, just focusing on your board, your feet,” Roth said. “It’s definitely made me happier… when I’ve been having a rough day, I just go and sort of forget all my issues for a little bit.”

Skating isn’t always easy, but figuring out how to do difficult tricks helps many skaters with confidence. Junior Andrew Wang has been learning to ollie, which is a challenging but primary skateboarding skill. Wang says that even though it’s hard to improve and learn tricks, once he succeeds, the hard work is worth it.

“Sometimes I get really frustrated. Like, there is a learning curve…Now, I just got over the first kind of hump with learning to ollie, ” Wang said. “It’s pretty nice to be on this end.”

While many skaters want to directly skip to learning

impressive skills, Roth believes that starting out is the most important and hardest part. Getting the mechanics down and getting comfortable on the board was the priority, and from there, she can figure tricks and moves out. However, she thinks the skating community wasn’t always very welcoming, which results in a lack of camaraderie among skaters for beginners.

“I do wish that there were more skate groups, because I

think (skating) is kind of hard and really intimidating to get into,” Roth said. “If you ever go to a skatepark most people just sort of keep to themselves, which is fine, but sometimes you want to joke around with some people and you can’t exactly do that.”

However, not all skaters agree. Tummala’s roller skating team allowed her to bond with others and become part of a community. She also believes that most of the skat-

ers she passes by are friendly and supportive.

“I’m finding random people on the streets that are skateboarding at the same time...and then they usually stop by and ask how you’re doing,” Tummala said.

Skating is the new way to stay active at home, while learning techniques to impress friends and family. It serves as the perfect escape from reality that many have already taken advantage of.

Sports

Friday, November 20, 2020

11

Bouncing back: Junior running faster than ever after injury Sophia Pan Co-Managing Editor With some of the fastest times on the cross-countryteam, junior Vicente Peña thought he would be running in the state championships at the end of his sophomore season. Then, an injury sustained a month before the championship, threw a wrench in his plans. His foot started hurting a week before the 2019 Paul Short Run on Oct. 5, but Peña ignored it.

“I just kind of was stubborn about it and was like, ‘Ehh, it’s nothing,’ so it started getting worse over the week until I reached the race day, and I noticed on the first 800 meters that a very, very sharp, knife-like pain on my foot started,” Peña said.

In spite of the pain in his foot, Peña completed the boys 5K with a time of 17:35.80.

After the race, Peña visited an expert who noticed a fracture in the second metatarsal of his left foot. He was then sent to the Rothman Institute, where his doctor told him he wouldn’t be able to run for at least half a year.

“My injury probably would have been better if I didn’t continue through, but I wanted to finish. I knew it was going to be my last race by that point because of the pain, so I at least wanted to end it with

somewhat of a good note,” Peña said.

After his injury, Peña spent four to five months wearing a boot, using a scooter to move around at school and crutches at home. After he got his boot off, he used a specialized foam shoe to prevent him from putting too much weight on his toes. Although Peña could not run while his foot recovered, he worked on training his upper body and keeping his aerobic endurance up.

As Peña began to start running again, he sustained a slight injury on his right foot because of over-reliance. This extended the amount of time he could not run to around eight or nine months, which took a toll on his mental health.

“Running definitely distracted me from stress from school. It was a way to give myself a little break from everything, and after that was taken away from me, I felt terrible,” Peña said.

Pena’s injury caused him to miss the winter and spring track seasons, putting a pause in the team’s long-term hopes of winning the distance medley relay at the state championships. While he was unable to run, Peña continued to attend practices and meets, and his teammates supported him throughout his recovery.

Sophia Pan/The SPOKE

Running with resiliency: Junior Vicente Peña nears the finish line on Halloween at his second Central League meet of the season. Peña finished second in the boys 5K with a time of 17:13.50.

“He supported everyone else even though he probably had it the worst at that time,” said senior Ben Horner, Peña’s friend and boys cross-country captain.

“From when I saw him at practice, he would try and look on the bright side. He’d be like, ‘Oh, I can finally run a mile today nonstop.’”

Now, with his injury healed, Peña is running faster than ever. He placed first in the boys 5K on Oct. 24 with a time of 17:08.80 and second in the boys 5K on Oct. 31 with a time of 17:13.50.

“I feel like since I’m back to running — actually, at a high-

er level than I was last year — I’m super happy,” Peña said.

Richard Hawkins, Peña’s coach, said he was impressed by Peña’s eagerness to train even when injured.

“He is constantly improving,” Hawkins said. “He knows exactly what he wants to achieve, and he knows exactly

how to get there. He is intelligent and athletic at the same time, and he’s driven to do well, so he’s gonna keep improving.”

Peña is looking to achieve a good personal record on the mile for winter and spring track, and, in the long term, he hopes to attend a Division I college for running.

“It’s a common misconception that injuries make you a worse athlete. Really, it actually makes you better. It makes you realize what you lost, and it makes you realize the patience required for it,” Peña said. “It definitely helped me get better as a runner.”

SEASON OF ’STOGA SUCCESS designed by ananya Kulkarni, co-editor-in-chief

A snapshot of pioneer victories this season...

Chanelle Ongagna/The SPOKE

Goal!: The boys’ varsity soccer team faces off against Lower Merion on Nov. 5. Lower Merion scored two goals, but the Pioneers finished out strong, scoring a goal and taking the team to victory with a final score of 3-2.

Hiba Samdani/The SPOKE

Pioneer victory: The girls’ varsity field hockey team plays a game against Upper Darby on Nov. 2. The team brought the score to 9-0 by half-time and finished out their second half by scoring an additional 4 points with a final score of 13-0.

Ananya Kulkarni/The SPOKE Aditi Dahagam/The SPOKE

Shut-out: The girls’ varsity soccer team defeats Upper Darby on Nov. 5. with a final score of 7-0. The team stood at 5-0 at half-time and finished out strong with an additional two goals before the game’s end.

Touchdown!: Boys varsity football players cheer from the sidelines as the team faces off against Lower Merion on Nov. 6. The team got off to shaky start when Lower Merion scored its only touchdown of the game, but the Pioneers made a comeback with a final score of 41-7.

SPORTS

The SPOKE

Commitment Corner Page 10

Students find love of skating over quarantine Page 10

Junior returns to racing after serious injury Page 11

November 20, 2020

Photo gallery of Pioneer victories Page 11

Abby Bagby/The SPOKE

At the net: The girls’ varsity volleyball team plays Lower Merion High School on Nov. 4 in the gymnasium. Although the volleyball teams had to adapt their practices due to safety regulations, they were able to have a fall season indoors.

Girls volleyball adapts to pandemic conditions Abby Bagby Staff Reporter

The volleyball team was not surprised to find out that the COVID-19 pandemic would have a significant impact on their season, as the sport takes place indoors with twelve people playing on court at a time.

However, the pandemic did not stop the team entirely. They began offering voluntary workouts to current players in July, as well as grass volleyball, a version that takes place outside, to provide a safer alternative. The team spent a few days a week playing doubles to keep the player numbers down before they were able to move inside the gym for their season.

Coach Diana Felker and team members have even start-

ed an outdoor sand volleyball club at ’Stoga since beginning their practices outside. They hope to use courts near the Easttown Library and begin playing in March or April, depending on the weather.

“It’s another avenue for players who prefer outdoor versus indoor or doubles volleyball versus six-man volleyball,” Felker said.

The team was pleased to find out that they would once again be playing in the school gym following tryouts for the fall. After beginning indoor training, they were notified one week before their Sept.

29 start-date that they would indeed be having a fall season.

“I would say it was definitely relieving since we’ve put so much work and time into trying to prepare for (the

season). There was so much uncertainty, so we were all really happy that our hard work was gonna pay off and we could actually play games,” said Natalie Wright, a junior on the team.

There have been several safety regulations implemented to keep the games safe, including that the girls must wear masks during their practices and matches. Senior and captain Sophia Chen does not believe that this has had a significant effect on the team’s ability.

“It’s okay wearing masks inside and just doing that in order to play,” Chen said.

Another requirement in place does not allow both the varsity and JV teams to be in the gym at the same time during their matches.

Felker believes that this has an unfortunate impact on the team environment.

“Our district is not allowing both teams to be in the gym, which for volleyball is kind of a big part of the culture of (the sport) because we work each other’s matches, and we don’t play at the same time, so JV and varsity are used to being able to cheer each other on and be there for each other’s matches,” Felker said.

The team will soon be moving forward to playoffs for the Central League.

Chen believes that the girls will do well this year, as they have built a strong team over the years.

“It’s really exciting because this year, I think we have a lot of talent on the team, and I think we have a

good shot of getting pretty far,” Chen said.

Felker believes that it’s good for the girls to finally have a season, despite the required safety precautions.

“The season’s been going well. The girls have been really good about wearing their masks and staying safe.

I think overall, it’s been good for them to have a season,” Felker said.

Chen, too, is glad that the team has a season for her final year at ’Stoga.

“I think it was a big relief for everyone, especially the seniors,” Chen said. “I’ve made some of my closest friends in this program, and it’s been really nice to get to know everyone. We’re all just really excited to have the opportunity to play.”

Don’t “trust the process:” Exposing the flaws of the 76ers Andrew Franceski Staff Reporter

As the leaves begin to change, our televisions will soon be turned to the squeaking sound of sneakers and thuds of basketball against the glass: the NBA is back, and our hometown 76ers are poised to make a deep run.

“The Process,” a rebuilding plan conceived by Sam Hinkie to remodel the Sixers, is now on its second coach and fourth GM since its inception, with limited results. With contract extensions kicking in and few picks to select young stars in the next few drafts, this is a pivotal moment for the Sixers.

Last season and through the beginning of offseason activities, the Sixers have dealt with managing injuries and egos. The Sixers have two superstars and a roster of allstars all of whom have been butting heads with the media and each other. More team

meetings and practices have been the preferred solution of the front office, something junior Matthew Loftus believes doesn’t fix the problem.

“Practices don’t help with teammate chemistry and constant arguing It’s like trying to fix a bullet with a band-aid while juggling oranges,” Loftus said.

Through various signings by the old GM, Elton Brand, the Sixers have no cap space (money to spend on players), and aging veterans are being paid not to play. This stands out the most to senior Drew LaMonica who has been suffering through “The Process” for eight years.

“They are a mess. We have many bad contracts, foremost Al Horford. I don’t want to pay 20 Million dollars for someone who hurts the team. We are spending a lot of money, so it’s time for the players to earn the contract and roll up their sleeves and get to work. I’m tired of the first-round exits,” Lamonica said.

Superstars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, both making over 30 million dollars this year, have skipped practices and publicly criticized the play style of the other. This has manifested itself during games, as easy points were missed due to each’s desire to look better. The disconnect was apparent to fans including freshman Ella Abramson.

“I noticed they were playing alone, sometimes I could even see them ignoring each other on the bench. This lack of collaboration, I believe is where some of the issues arise,” Abramson said.

Former coach Brett Brown hardly, if ever, disciplined his team, resulting in his reputation as a soft, “players coach”.

On 94.1 WIP, the local sports radio station, listeners could expect to hear about another fight amongst the team, and Brett Brown defended them.

The Sixers recently just hired a new coach, Doc Rivers, a hire applauded by many.

“I like the signing. I think

Doc better than Brett Brown but I also think for the organization it was a culture change in the whole entire organization, and I feel like Brett Brown would let the players walk all over him which I hated. The new coach in my opinion is half of the solution,” Loftus said.

The hope amongst the city is that a new coach will also bring a new playbook to the game.

The Sixers struggled throughout “The Process” with scoring and their defense often looked stale and not passionate. Rivers has a history of creativity, and the hope is he will change the game plan for the better.

“I think a new playbook will help spice things up a bit and make it look like more inspired basketball. I know we have the talent, and we have the money to compete so it would be nice to see some motivated basketball, and the team to make a run this year,” Loftus said.

As the season fast approaches, there is an air of op-

timism in Philadelphia among fans like Abramson, that this

could be the year, “I’m really excited for the season, I think

we can make a deep run and I can’t wait to watch.”

Yuting Pu/The SPOKE