The Spoke November 2016

NEWS

“If Only” comes to Conestoga Vol. 67 No. 2

Nov. 21, 2016

Conestoga High School

See Page 7

Berwyn, PA

Betty Ben Dor/The SPOKE

www.spoke.news

@thespoke

NEWS

Heroin epidemic reaches Berwyn SPECIAL REPORT — PART 1 OF 2

L

eaning back in his chair, Nick Theodos pauses, re�lecting back on his life of drug abuse.

“I didn’t plan to be this way,” Theodos says.

For more than six years, Theodos, Class of 2011, has battled a demon that is becoming increasingly prevalent among the youth of America: heroin addiction. Today, he is clean, at least for now.

However, Theodos says that if he did not attend an Intensive Outpatient Program in the past year, he would have been another statistic.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heroin and opioid abuse has become a national epidemic, constituting more than 60 percent of drug-related deaths in 2014. That year, overdose deaths hit a record high and

were the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. In 2013, 24 residents of Chester County overdosed from heroin, according to the district attorney’s of�ice, and the numbers have only been added to since then.

Despite the prevalence of heroin addiction, Theodos still does not know how he became tangled up in drug abuse, especially given the nurturing family life and opportunities presented to him as a child.

“I was raised in such an incredible family, a big Italian family,” Theodos said. “I was never supposed to stick a needle in my arm.”

See Pages 6 and 7 Pictured: Reilly McCloskey & Nick Theodos

Betty Ben Dor/The SPOKE

STUDENT LIFE

OPINION

“You Can’t Take It With You”

“We strive to objectively cover stories of interest...”

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See Page 16

Monday, November 21, 2016

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

The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.

Camille Kurtz, Meagan O’Rourke

Editors-in-Chief Betty Ben Dor

Managing Editor Eric Xue

News Editor Ian Ong, Matt Paolizzi

Student Life Editors Lyvia Yan

Center Spread Editor Matt Soderberg

Opinion Editor Elizabeth Billman, Neil Goldenthal

Sports Editors Cissy Ming

Copy Editor Adam Lockett

Head Designer Marko Djurdjevic

Designer Pallavi Aakarapu, Kaitlyn Chen

Cartoonist Avery Maslowsky

Business Manager Caleigh Sturgeon

Managing Web Editor Justin Huang, Jordan Liu

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

Staff Reporters

Susan Gregory, Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt

Faculty Advisers Submissions: Letters to the editor may be submitted to Camille Kurtz or Meagan O’Rourke, or advisers Susan Gregory or Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt. 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.

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2 The Spoke

iArtsy raises money one kandil at a time

By Brooke Deasy Staff Reporter

A group of �ive freshmen use art to preserve culture and tradition in their nonpro�it organi ation, iArtsy. The program raises money for local organizations by donating proceeds from the sale of handmade lanterns.

The students, Mihir Dhamanker, Shiva Dahagam, Sanjana Sanghani, Rohit Raja and Rahul Raja, focus on two main projects. They raise funds for Bhutanese refugees in South Philly by constructing multi-colored lanterns and selling them in bulk or individually. They also held events at Tredyffrin/ Easttown Middle School, where they taught students how to make ceramic oil lamps. These lamps were sold on Oct. 15 at the Tredyffrin Public Library.

The students raised $220 for the Foundation for Learning in Tredyffrin/Easttown. (FLITE).

After working on the Bhutanese refugee project for two years, constructing and selling lanterns with his father, Dhamanker founded iArtsy last summer. His father came to know of the Bhutanese Organization in Philadelphia and told Dhamanker, who was

instantly committed to helping the refugees.

The Bhutanese refugees “weren’t really generating money and it would be good for them to have additional income (other than minimal support). It was

Dhamanker realized that he wanted to create an organization uniting people in his effort to raise money and awareness for the refugees.

“I reached out to some of my friends and they said ‘yes, we

Courtesy Mihir Dhamanker

Carving Culture and Shaping Lives: Students sold jewelry, scarves, batik, Indian food and handmade kandils at Wilson Farm Park’s Party in the Park. All proceeds were donated to local organizations. near the end of the Diwali at that are willing to help,’” Dhamanker time, and my dad showed me said. “That’s why last summer, how to make a ‘kandil,’ or lan- we formed the group.” tern,” Dhamanker said. “Then, I The lanterns were made in said that we can make these to celebration of a four-day feshelp and support (the Bhuta- tivity in India called Diwali, or nese refugees).”

Festival of the Lights. It is the

biggest and brightest of all Hindu festivals, held from the end of October into November, and commemorates life.

Originally, Dhamanker built lanterns of a traditional design, created around a custom framework. Since they could not be folded for worldwide shipping, iArtsy created a lantern suitable for shipment.

“Some big things were that in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Chicago, there was some big orders,” Dhamanker said. “We reached out to friends in those cities and they coordinated locally. The majority of sales happen by shipment.”

Over the past two years, the students have donated over $1,500 a year to refugee aid.

The organi ation is unaf�iliated with Conestoga, with the students meeting during weekends to discuss upcoming events and new ideas. They hope to expand iArtsy by providing fundraising for other local organizations.

Dahagam said that creating the projects is like spreading the love.

“I feel like people in the Main Line are so blessed to have such good families and such a good community. For me, it’s giving back to the world,” Dahagam said.

MIT teachers implement Pioneer Pointers

By Maddie Lamonica Staff Reporter

The Multi-Tiered Intervention (MIT) program was implemented at both the middle and high school levels last year. Its goal is to provide support to students who do not fall into the category of special education but would bene�it from extra assistance with organization and time management.

“When we looked at the district holistically, it became evident that we needed a bridge between special education and regular education. This prompted the creation of the Multi-Tiered Intervention program,” MIT teacher Danielle Sculley-Ellett said.

Sculley-Ellett and the other MIT teacher, Jordan McCain, have a combined total of 40 students.

During these classes, students are able to work on their assignments without any distractions and learn time management for long-term projects and general organizational skills. “ IT is all about �inding the appropriate level of support for each student. Some kids need

help catching up on work after being absent due to an illness or concussion, while others need help transitioning from other schools,” McCain said.

Senior Dante Gathers has been a part of the MIT program for over a year.

“I had very bad studying habits, but (the teachers) taught me

Maddie Lamonica/The SPOKE

Preparing for Success: Multi-Tiered Intervention (MIT) teachers Jordan McCain and Danielle Sculley-Ellett promote the new Pioneer Pointers program. MIT was implemented last year.

Since the formation of the MIT program, the feedback from students has been positive.

“Last year’s MIT students told us that it was extremely bene�icial and helped them to become the best student they can be,” Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger said.

how to be motivated to do my work and how to get it done effectively. Through MIT, I’ve grown as a person, as well as a student,” Gathers said.

Pioneer Pointers is a new extension of the MIT program, which allows any student to drop

in on the third Friday of every month to receive guidance and organizational tips.

“Pioneer Pointers is aimed to capture more students that may need some support in a different way,” Meisinger said.

The �irst session was Oct. 21 and the turnout was less than anticipated. Both Sculley-Ellett and McCain have plans to increase the numbers of students attending in coming months.

“In the future, we plan to ask freshman teachers to refer students who they believe would bene�it from the program. In addition, we will also look at the (sports team) eligibility list and contact those athletes to potentially help them to improve their grades,” Sculley-Ellett said.

Both McCain and Sculley-Ellett hope that Pioneer Pointers becomes an outlet for any ’Stoga student who needs assistance with his or her workload.

“MIT is not negative. It’s very much a positive environment,” Sculley-Ellett said. “The whole idea is to engulf the child in support and allow them to �lourish here at Conestoga.”

Monday, November 21, 2016

News

President-elect Donald Trump elicits anger, excitement from students

By Jordan Liu, Cissy Ming and Sanjana Sanghani Web Editor, Copy Editor and Staff Reporter Senior Jack Roeder wants ’Stoga to calm down.

A Young Republicans member and self-avowed conservative, Roeder expected GOP nominee Donald Trump to prevail in an electorate “afraid” to speak openly about its support for him. He views the student body’s reactions to the election as overly emotional, instead emphasizing the opportunities for political dialogue.

“People are afraid of political discussion and they say ‘oh, we’re in high school, we shouldn’t talk politics,’ but it is necessary because if you don’t form your opinions now, you won’t have them when you’re older,” Roeder said.

To mixed reactions from Conestoga’s student body, Trump became president-elect of the United States on Nov. 8 after winning the Electoral College despite narrowly losing the popular vote to former Sec. of State Hillary Clinton. Down ballot, Republicans retained control over both houses of Congress and added to their recent gains in the states.

According to the Spoke’s October polling, over 60 percent of Conestoga students eligible to vote supported Clinton with just under 20 percent favoring Trump.

The businessman’s victory shocked and disappointed freshman J.P. Infortuna given his assumption that Clinton, his preferred candidate, held more widespread popularity.

Clinton “was able to in�luence people because, plain and simple, she wasn’t Donald Trump,” Infortuna said. “During the election, it was a little horrifying and grotesque to see how he acted.”

Among Conestoga’s liberal students, some protested the election results by vowing to sit through the Pledge of Allegiance for the duration of Trump’s presidency. Others displayed their opposition more visibly, attending Melania Trump’s pre-election rally at the Berwyn Sports Center with signs and slogans criticizing her husband. On Nov. 9, Clinton buttons, shirts and stickers appeared in the hallways alongside pro-Trump messages.

Senior Declan Kahley, co-president of Young Democrats, claims

the election inspired such strong feelings because of its unique signi�icance for the future of national policy.

“The two candidates are very polarizing and the media has sensationalized the election,” Kahley said. “The fact that whoever won this election would have gotten to chose the Supreme Court justices shows how different this election is from others.”

However, Trump’s unpopularity among large sections of the population resonated with a small but committed group of fans at ’Stoga, including freshman Mason Thorne. Thorne celebrated what he considers a major event in American politics post-election with other Trump supporters.

“Trump appeals to a wide variety of supporters and I’m glad he’s won, as his beliefs align with mine,” Thorne said. Trump “is an outsider. People don’t want that clean-cut politician anymore because we just cannot trust them being bought by big businesses.”

Matt Lloyd, deputy chief of staff-communications and strategy for Vice President-elect Mike Pence, welcomes Republican successes at the state and national levels as a popular mandate for conservative policies.

“People gravitated to Trump’s message of less regulation, lower taxes, repealing Obamacare and replacing it with something that actually works,” Lloyd said. “It was evident with the results at the polls on Tuesday.”

In the days leading up to Election Day, most scienti�ic polls indicated that Clinton lead Trump by 2 to 4 percentage points.

Nearly all projections estimated that Democrats had an easy path to victory; including wins in the swing states of Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Florida and Ohio. As the polls closed and vote counts trickled in, each of the four key states and the Democratic strongholds of Wisconsin and Michigan turned red for Trump.

Surprise over the outcome and narrow popular vote margins resulted from a lack of statistical literacy, according to AP Statistics teacher Allison Youndt. The actual support for a candidate ranged from several points below to several points above poll values, depending on the pollster’s margin of error. In the period leading up to the election, Clinton’s lead remained within the margin of error. Like Roeder, she is convinced that many Trump voters declined to answer pollsters’ calls or hid

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Indiana’s Two-Pence: Vice President-elect Mike Pence’s Deputy Chief of Staff-Comunications and Strategy Matt Lloyd discusses the hopes of Indiana citizens for the new presidency. Donald Trump and Mike Pence were elected into the White House on Nov. 8. their true feelings about the candidates, which skewed the polling numbers.

Youndt advises students to reconsider their perceptions of polling post-election, noting that media �igures often misinterpret statistics.

“You can never be 100 percent certain about anything,” Youndt said. “There’s always going to be error in the sampling. The bottom line: looked at these polls and determine if they’re reputable and look at the �ine print.”

English teacher Tricia Ebarvia wants to encourage reconciliation among students who disagreed over the election, asking teachers to put personal politics aside.

“The school is trying it to be a place where the more heated and the more antagonistic elements of the election are not seeping in,” Ebarvia said. We are working on “how to bridge the divide that is so obviously shown in the election results but also in our school community.”

Anticipating the long-term consequences of 2016, Roeder hopes students continue to treat each other with mutual respect, regardless of political differences.

“I didn’t want to step on any toes because some people were pretty upset about (the election),” Roeder said. “How I want (my liberal friends) to be respectful of my views, I try to be respectful of theirs.”

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The Spoke 3

Monday, November 21, 2016

News

Silent no more: Senior uncovers story of World War II Silent Hero

By Cissy Ming Copy Editor Navy records indicate that LST-314 sunk in 26 minutes after a German submarine attack en route to Normandy, France on a vital supply mission. The crew suffered 31 casualties, Ship�itter third Class umber 1 1 66 oseph asko of Chester County, Pa. among them.

Over 70 years later, senior Amadea Smith delivered a eulogy for asko at the ormandy American Cemetery in ormandy, France as part of the ormandy: Sacri�ice for Freedom program. A oint pro ect of the Albert H. Small Foundation and National History Day, the program allows 1 student-teacher pairs from across the United States to spend a half year studying orld ar II and researching a soldier from their local areas killed in Normandy. The half year culminated in an all-expenses-paid trip to iconic orld ar II sites in ormandy and a ceremony in which students read eulogies to the soldiers, known as Silent Heroes. e�lecting on her experiences, Smith realizes the importance of historical remembrance. “ eing on Omaha each was very inspiring because the sand is completely smooth,” Smith said. “If the history is forgotten and the memories aren’t kept in people’s minds and hearts, you walk on the beach and you’ll never know what happened ust a few decades ago.”

Smith, then a unior, applied for the program with ational History Day adviser Cynthia Hyatt in the fall of 201 . Describing her chances of admission as “a long shot,” she recalled feeling “delighted” upon receiving her notice of acceptance.

I looked forward to “the Silent Hero portion of the pro ect,” Smith said. “I was really excited to choose someone from my region and someone really close so I can drive over and ust delve into research.”

Steel at a young age. asko enlisted in the avy post-graduation after little more than a year working at the oiler ngineering Supply Company. rowing up the son of a orld ar II veteran, insurance

Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt/The SPOKE

Honoring the fallen: Senior Amadea Smith presents a wreath to commemorate the sacrifices of World War II soldiers buried in the Normandy American Cemetery. Smith traveled to Normandy, France as part of the Normandy: Sacrifice for Freedom program.

In January 2016, Smith selected a Silent Hero to research and learned of Vasko through the Chester County Hall of Heroes website. Seeing asko’s avy photograph created an instant emotional connection, which compelled her to explore his story beyond 10% OFF w/ C on Stud estoga ent I D

4 The Spoke

the bare-bones information provided online. At the same time, students read books and documents related to orld ar II, engaging in online discussions of the material with other participants.

Her �irst steps included tracking asko’s family history through U.S. Census records and searching through old high school yearbooks, newspaper clippings and micro�ilm slides at the Phoenixville Historical Society. For military records, she traveled with Hyatt to the National Archives in College Park, d. The of�icial -page military personnel �ile for asko contained his medical records, salary, �ingerprints, letters to his mother and other documents related to his service.

Vasko’s life story, lost even to his family, began to reemerge. oseph “ oe” asko grew up in Phoenixville, Pa. with his parents and two siblings, losing his father to a work accident at Phoenix Iron

agent Scott asko knew little about his deceased uncle though he describes the knowledge of oseph asko’s sacri�ice as “part of my childhood.”

“My father and all the men who came home didn’t tell me much about the war, they never talked about brutalities that they and others like my uncle faced. I found out more from Amadea’s research than I ever did from my father,” Scott Vasko said. “ hat touched me was that they singled him out to tell his story and I think he really deserved that honor.”

Several of the early accounts of the circumstances surrounding asko’s death contained contradictory information on his status, some reported him “ issing in Action,” others reported him

killed. Finally, the Navy declared Vasko “Killed in Action” on July 12, 1944. In his letter to ary asko announcing her son’s death, Vasko’s Navy commander described him as “courageous, manly, uiet-spoken, honorable.”

Because of Vasko’s relatively small role in the war and D-Day operations, Smith considers his story especially tragic. “ e always think of other soldiers who were able to get on the beaches or the more educated, higher ranking soldiers.

(Vasko) had a very low rank, making him more vulnerable to attack,” Smith said. “There was ust the whole idea of unsung heroes, it was ust sad.”

After returning from ormandy, program participants continued their work promoting awareness of the sacrifices at Normandy. As a final tribute to their Silent Heroes, each student created a publically accessible website containing information from their research. Smith’s visit to Normandy inspired her to write a song recounting asko’s life and death, titled “26 Minutes.”

She also gave a presentation with Hyatt at State ep. arren Kampf ’s annual Veterans’ reakfast, to a standing ovation from attendees.

Kampf honored Smith and Hyatt with a House Citation, an of�icial place in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives record. He hosted the pair at the state capitol during a legislative session when he publically commended them for their work and introduced Vasko’s story to the House.

“One of my roles as a community leader is to celebrate excellence,” Kampf said. “The work of today’s 17-year-old unearthing the story of this young man who died in 1 44 and grew up in a community ust a stone’s throw from here is ust that. It’s important work, so it deserved celebration.”

Despite the recognition, Smith continues to emphasize asko’s sacri�ice. “ ep. ampf actually gave a summary of (Vasko’s) story in front of the entire House and it made him a celebrity, which was awesome,” Smith said. “I didn’t want the honor, I wanted to give him the honor because of his sacri�ice, not because of the work I did.”

News

Monday, November 21, 2016

Born to succeed: Alumnus named baseball Academic All-American

By Meagan O’Rourke Co-Editor-in-Chief Class of 2014 alumnus Stephen Born was named an Academic All-American this past summer for knocking his grades and his baseball skills out of the park. The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) awards this honor to student athletes who excel in athletics and in their studies. Stephen is a junior at the Naval Academy, studying research operations and playing right �ield on avy’s Division I baseball team.

Both Stephen and his twin brother, Andrew, connected with baseball early on and both brothers play at the collegiate level, making baseball a family affair.

“My dad kind of got us into it when I was 3 years old, probably, but ever since then I’ve been

doing drills in the back yard and stuff and then I joined tee-ball and I’ve loved it ever since,” Stephen said.

Stephen played on the Conestoga varsity baseball team starting his sophomore year and has since been recognized by the All-Southeastern Pennsylvania Team, the All-Central Team and the All-Patriot League. Stephen and Andrew both were part of the close-knit varsity power team that reached the state semi-�inals in 2014. Despite their talent, they lead by example, according to former head baseball coach John Vogan.

“Neither one of those two guys were full of themselves because of their ability. ou wouldn’t know they were that talented from the way they carried themselves,” Vogan said. “They were just two really, really nice kids who just literally wanted to be part of a baseball team and who

wanted that team to have success. They would do anything to get it.”

Stephen fondly recalls playing for Vogan and the entire coaching staff, as well as the Athletic Department as a whole.

“I think all the student athletes at Conestoga are awesome and the overall sports program is set up and designed so that student athletes can succeed and have a good time,” Stephen said.

During his 2016 season as Naval Academy sophomore, Stephen scored 41 runs with a batting average of .310 and scored a GPA higher than 3.3 on a 4.0 scale, qualifying him for the Academic All-American baseball team. Stephen mastered the student athlete balancing act at Conestoga, managing his responsibilities on and off the �ield.

“Conestoga really helped me with that since practices would run until 5:30 p.m. every day and then we would have homework after and that has helped me. And I’ve noticed a lot of people, because I’ve gotten here, didn’t have that background from a high school that prepared them to time manage,” Stephen said.

Motivated by his passion for problem solving, Born studies operations research at the Naval Academy. His interest in mathematics and science was fostered especially by William Dewees, his “awesome” senior year calculus teacher. Dewees noted both

Courtesy Stephen Born

Born Identity: Both Stephen and Andrew Born play baseball at the collegiate level. The twins began playing baseball at the age of three and continued to play through high school.

Stephen and Andrew’s dedication to schoolwork.

“From day to day, they were both 100 percent involved in whatever we were doing,” Dewees said.

Former Conestoga varsity baseball teammate Andrew Turner met Stephen when he moved to the T/E district from Upper Merion. Immediately, he noticed Stephen’s work ethic.

“He was always the captain of every team he played for, but he never talked much,” Turner said. “He just worked very hard, put his head and down and that was the kind of thing that wore off on people, you always wanted to be around a guy like that.”

Although honored to receive such recognition, Born does not plan to stop hitting the

batting cages or the library any time soon.

“I de�initely plan on continuing to play baseball and I’m de�initely striving to win that award again because it means that I am not only good on the �ield, but good in the classroom and I think my overall goal is to work toward both,” orn said. “I don’t ust want to be a good athlete. I want to be a good student as well.”

Whatever the future holds for Stephen, Vogan will always remember him as the quiet, committed student who dominated the game.

“I’m very proud of his accomplishments. ut, I’d be proud of him no matter what he decided to do. I was just that lucky to have a kid like that play for me,” Vogan said.

2014 State Championship team catches up, reconnects

Courtesy Stephen Born

Batter-up: Alumnus Stephen Born squares up to the plate during his second year playing on the Naval Academy’s baseball team. Born was named the designated hitter on the Academic All-American team.

“There was no panic, no fear,” Turner said.

In the top of the seventh inning, the Pioneers were down against Red Land with the state quarter-finals in the balance. However, the team came back with six runs in the seventh inning, keeping the dream of the State Championship alive.

“We all had been playing together for so long, and we knew that that was our last ride together and we just really didn’t want it to end,” former teammate Max Dolente said.

Under head coach John Vogan and captain Stephen

Born, the 2014 varsity baseball battled to the State Championships. Although they lost to Seneca Valley in the semi-finals, the players still remember their unique bond.

“There were so many seniors on the team and all of us were really close friends.

And we had a ton of talent, so it was awesome being able to come together as a team and make a good run to the championship game,” Born said.

Eight seniors on the dynamic team committed to colleges for baseball, taking their Conestoga baseball skills with them to the collegiate level.

Now scattered across the east

coast, the former teammates reunite once a year to remember their time together on the field — for some, going all the way back to teeball days.

“I think it was one of those teams you will remember for a lifetime because you don’t usually have a team like that where you start as friends and you play in high school,” Turner said. “I play in college now, but there’s nothing like playing high school sports because you play in front of your friends, you play in front of your family and you play with the guys you grew up with.”

The Spoke 5

Monday, November 21, 2016

News

By Betty Ben Dor, Meagan O’Rourke and Eric Xue Managing Editor, Co-Editor-in-Chief and News Editor Design by Adam Lockett Head Designer Continued from Page 1 “It happens out of nowhere” Raised in Devon and educated in a Catholic middle school, Theodos said he was always careful, never one to try too much of something dangerous.

However, this all changed when he transitioned into the public school system, where he said, “if I do something wrong, I’m not going to hell anymore.”

Starting in his sophomore year, Theodos attended electronic music concerts in Philadelphia where drug use was pervasive.

Beginning with the gateway drug of alcohol, he later progressed into heavier drugs such as psychedelics, acid and ecstasy.

Seven years later, Theodos found himself homeless and begging on the streets of Philadelphia for his next hit of heroin.

“It can happen to anybody, it doesn’t matter where you came from, what you do, how much money you have,” Theodos said.

“It’s something that just creeps into (your life) and you have no idea that it’s happening.”

According to the CDC, heroin is “a synthetic, highly addictive opioid that can produce intense feelings of euphoria.” Classi�ied

as one of the four categories of opioids, the other three being methadone, natural and synthetic opioids, heroin is becoming increasingly prevalent throughout the United States.

De�ined as drugs that act on the nervous system to relieve pain, opioids are currently found in several prescription painkillers. For Theodos, his addiction began with the 10 milligram Percocets he found in a friend’s medicine cabinet.

Since the supply was limited, Theodos turned to dealers and moved onto higher doses of various prescription medications.

According to Theodos, a large part of the issue lies in the prevalence of prescription drugs in the community. Dr. Jonathan Voiner, an oral surgeon at the Main Line Center for Oral and Facial Surgery, warns of the dangers of these drugs. After many of his oral surgery procedures, his of�ice generally prescribes opioid pain relievers on an as-needed basis.

High schoolers “don’t see the danger in (prescription pills) because they think it’s just a legally prescribed medication,” Voiner said. “They don’t know how slippery of a slope it is.”

Eventually, Theodos reached a point where he needed to always have opioid pills with him.

By his senior year of high school, he was taking them almost every day, in school bathrooms and during class when teachers were not paying attention.

With costs reaching up to $200 a day, the drug quickly became too expensive for Theodos.

That is when he turned to heroin.

Heroin is signi�icantly cheaper than prescription medications, costing roughly $8 for a

bag with 10 doses, but has the same effect.

For Theodos, the illegal drug was just what he was looking for.

“My head just shut off and everything was perfect,” Theodos said.

After graduating Conestoga in 2011, Theodos went on to Delaware County Community College but dropped out two weeks later due to the severity of his addiction.

Theodos said that while his family was supportive in trying to get him help, the stigma surrounding addicts prevented them from reaching out to the community.

“I’m really sick and tired of my friends dying.”

-Nick Theodos “A lot of parents in this area, they don’t want to believe what’s happening to their kid when it happens and they want to keep face,” Theodos said. “They want their neighbors to think everything’s okay. They want the people at church to think everything’s okay. They want the school people to think everything’s okay, but in reality their kids aren’t okay.”

Theodos progressed deeper into drug reliance until the winter of 2016, when he found himself homeless on the streets of Philadelphia during the big snow storm in January. He pawned his watch, sunglasses and shoes in return for heroin.

“There’s a bottom you reach where you’re just done. You can’t get out of this,” Theodos said.

He relied on the drugs in a period of deep family issues, when one family member was diagnosed with cancer, another got a divorce and his grandmother died. He realized that when he was on these drugs, it was as if none of these problems were actually happening.

“When I’m on this, literally nothing else matters,” Theodos said. “I could have a gun to my head and it wouldn’t matter because I’m OK.” At this point, Theodos has overdosed and has been to rehab seven times. Currently, he is four months clean.

“I really am happy with what I’m doing with my time now,” Theodos said. “People around me are starting to notice the difference in me.”

After going through a stage in which he sold his mother and grandmother’s jewelry to get money for heroin, he now maintains a good relationship with his family.

“My mom isn’t mad at me for any of the things that I did to her. She understands that when I’m under the in�luence of those substances that I did, I’m not myself; I literally turn into the devil,” Theodos said.

He emphasized how parents need to become more aware of what is going on in their very homes in order to save the teenagers dying from this epidemic.

“Parents need to be aware that these pills aren’t Advil. It’s a whole different ball game,” Theodos said. “I’m really sick and tired of my friends dying.”

“It runs in my family” On April 2, 2016, Tyler McCloskey, Class of 2012, was found unresponsive in his mother’s home, dying from a heroin overdose.

“It was the worst day of my life. You can’t prepare for something like that, that moment. I knew that was where he was headed, but you can never physically prepare yourself for losing family. That’s the reality of heroin,” said brother of Tyler and Class of 2010 alumnus Reilly McCloskey.

For both Tyler and Reilly, drugs played a huge part in their lives. Although Tyler was the younger of the two, he began drinking and smoking marijuana before his brother.

In his senior year of high school, Tyler was arrested for selling ecstasy to other students at Conestoga in September. After graduating Conestoga, Tyler’s drug abuse only worsened.

Tyler “was just like a zombie,” Reilly said. “He had been using heroin for a few years at this point. It got to the point where every night, he was falling out of chairs and completely losing himself.”

In the three months before his death, Tyler’s family convinced him to attempt to get clean, and he went into rehab.

“It’s like seeing someone come back to life. For the �irst time in so long, I saw my brother smile and be a normal kid,” Reilly said. “It was awesome and I really thought he had it.”

6 The Spoke

!OxyContin

!Kadian

!Vicodin

!Avinza

!Percocet

!Lomotil

According to National Surveys on Drug Use and Health:

Continued on Page 7

68.6 %

increased use of

heroin among Americans between 2002-2013

News

Monday, November 21, 2016

Continued from Page 6 However, the hardships of getting clean were becoming too much of a burden for Tyler.

He soon progressed back into substance abuse and ended up overdosing at the drug addiction treatment center that he had been staying at. Reilly, by this time, “the drug had taken over.

He was not the same Tyler.”

In the weeks following his overdose, Tyler was homeless and was arrested on multiple occasions for public intoxication.

a joke shared between them about the risk they took each time to get high, and after Tyler’s initial overdose, Theodos repeated to him the same words they joked around with so many times before.

“It’s either going to be you or me, Ty,” Theodos said.

“It’s an ongoing process” “She was the type of kid that if she ever went anywhere

Meagan O’Rourke/The SPOKE

Remembering Chelsea: Mother Gail Campbell holds a portrait of daughter Chelsea Campbell used at her memorial service. Gail Campbell was moved by the community’s support after Chelsea’s passing.

According to the PA Youth Survey:

Theodos, who is friends with both Reilly and Tyler, emphasized how heroin destroys lives.

“Everybody knew Tyler because he was just the most wonderful person you could ever meet. He was just the most beautiful, colorful, amazing child, and he ends up dead,” Theodos said. “That is the reality of this.”

As heroin users, both Theodos and Tyler were facing the possibility of death every time they took a hit. The two had

with anyone, she would always bring everybody a gift home; she would spend her money and buy everyone a gift,” Gail Campbell said.

Growing up, Gail Campbell’s daughter, Elizabeth “Chelsea” Campbell, Class of 2005, was shy and struggled with some behavioral issues, including anxiety, depression and selfharm. Chelsea smoked marijuana, drank alcohol and recreationally used prescribed Adderall with her friends.

2.5 %

of ’Stoga Seniors reported lifetime use of heroin

“I think that the friends that Chelsea was using drugs with had been her friends for years; it wasn’t that she migrated to friends who were doing the same thing that she was doing,” Gail Campbell said.

As Chelsea’s mental health problems worsened, so did her drug abuse. Her mother said that her family became too focused on what the drug abuse was doing to her rather than trying to stop the addiction.

“We were chasing the effects of the drug abuse, the wanting to hurt herself, the depression, the anxiety, that kind of thing.

So I think that self medicating, as a result of all of the depression, anxiety, just escalated,” Gail Campbell said.

According to her mother, Chelsea had only done heroin once or twice. She believes that the heroin culture was not very prevalent in her friend group, but that it instead came from an outside source with whom Chelsea had begun to spend time with.

For Gail Campbell, her daughter’s heroin abuse came as a surprise.

“I just need to say that addiction is a family affair. I think everyone in the family needs to get some help and help the addict in their life and not say it’s a phase they are going through,” Gail Campbell said.

Chelsea graduated from Conestoga in June of 2005.

She passed away from a heroin overdose on Nov. 4, 2005. e�lecting on if she were alive now, Gail Campbell knows that Chelsea’s qualities would have made her successful despite everything that held her back.

“I always thought that even though we had a tough time with her behaviorally, when she got past those, they would be her glaring attributes,” Gail Campbell said.

PA Commonwealth 1.4% average.

Betty Ben Dor/The SPOKE

Remembering David: Local mother Cathy Messina reads some of the last exchanges with her late son via text. Messina visited Conestoga for the “If Only” assembly.

Starting a conversation: “If Only” comes to Conestoga In response to the rising heroin crisis, Conestoga hosted the If Only program on Nov. 9 showing a video detailing the detrimental effects of heroin and other opioids on communities.

Jim Wahlberg, Executive Director of the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, detailed his struggles with drug addiction. He is now actively trying to spread awareness about the issue.

“We want to educate people, but we also need the parents to know and the grandparents to know because what is happening now is kids are getting their �irst high in their own family’s medicine cabinets,” Wahlberg said.

Senior Noune Sarkessian felt that the assembly did not do enough in showing the true severity of drug abuse.

“The reason that I got up and I spoke my mind at this assembly (was) because I felt like nobody was saying anything and I had something that I wanted to say and I wanted to get an answer and I wanted to get that message across,” Sarkessian said.

Cathy Messina, a local mother who lost a son to heroin abuse and whose other son overdosed on the drug, came to speak alongside Wahlberg about the importance of reaching out for help.

“I think more could be done,” Messina said. “More people have to speak up.”

Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger said that the administration chose to have the assembly since it brings a powerful message of “with help comes hope.”

Heroin abuse is “something that we feel, as part of high school education, we should address with students and get in front of (them) as much as we’re able to,” Meisinger said.

Editor’s Note:

In an effort to present this story in completeness, we will be covering the steps taken to treat and prevent heroin and opioid abuse in our next issue.

The Spoke 7

Monday, November 21, 2016

STUDENT LIFE

Taking it with them: playing up quirky characters

By Claire Guo and Justin Huang Staff Reporter and Web Editor After rehearsal, 19 students sit along the edge of the stage.

Side by side, listening intently, their faces align as their director gives them pointers: the husband’s hand language should differ from the wife’s, the fake watermelons should seem heavy and that kiss was perfect!

They are the actors of this year’s fall drama, “You Can’t Take It With You,” a comedy that centers on an extensive, eccentric family and its struggle to reconcile with the straight-laced Kirbys.

For two months, preparation for opening night took over the cast’s lives as they grew into their characters. Though only years apart in age, the actors are each at a different stage in their dramatic careers.

As a freshman, Ankita Kalasabail eased into the group and began �inding a home in theater.

“I love the dramatic community because they’re all just so different and they’re all the same in the same exact way.

The lights went out one day, and everyone started singing ‘Phantom of the Opera.’ It just brings so much happiness,” Kalasabail said.

“You Can’t Take It With You” was not only alasabail’s �irst ’Stoga production, but her �irst

time “showcasing in front of this many people.” A focus of hers was developing reliable techniques for easing nerves.

“When I’m nervous, I completely surround myself with this wall and I build my character on that wall so that you can’t see my insecurities,” Kalasabail said. “You would just see the character, and it’d come off as if I’m being more con�ident in my work.”

Fortunately, Kalasabail was not alone in building her acting experience. She had quite a few seasoned actors to help guide her on and offstage.

“The upperclassmen are all very sweet,” Kalasabail said.

“They help me with my acting and how to memorize stuff. It’s just really helpful. Two months ago, I wouldn’t have known anything.”

Sophomore Lukas Milby had six years of acting experience outside Conestoga, but the fall drama was his �irst ’Stoga production.

Milby played Mr. DePinna, an ice man who never left the family’s house. To get into character, he explored how Mr. DePinna would act in everyday life.

“He seems very mature at �irst, yet he has an extremely childish and easily excitable side,” Milby said. “It’s not the easiest thing in the world to do, but it's one of the best things — to �igure out every detail about someone who doesn't exist, but that you can bring alive.”

Milby considers connecting with his characters as key, intensifying what he can relate to.

Sometimes, it can even change his own personality.

“It’s just temporary, but usually (I) retain traits from that character and I’ll just be a mess for a while,” Milby said.

Long-term changes have included “a sense of compassion from ‘Little Mermaid’s King Triton’” and “a widened sense of humor from acting in 'The Wizard of Oz.'” Junior Zoe Pratt played tax collector Wilma C. Henderson, a female interpretation of the original character. To guide her own performance, Pratt watched videos of other actors in the role, a method she uses often.

“It helps me get inspiration, especially if I’m not super familiar with the show,” Pratt said. But for more iconic roles, “I don’t want to make it like watching Judy Garland do 'The Wizard of Oz.’ I want to put my own spin on it.”

But Pratt’s favorite part about theater has always been the people she works with.

“I’ve learned so much from them. Their sense of humor is exquisite and we have the best time ever,” Pratt said. “We all care about each other so much.”

Senior Jack D’Emilio has performed in all seven ’Stoga productions possible since freshman year. Like Kalasabail, Milby and Pratt, the ’Stoga Theatre

Claire Guo/The SPOKE

Upstaged: The cast rehearses a scene as juniors Mark Hengel and Charlotte Kalilec react to the situation on the front of the stage. The cast spent over two months preparing for the show. department has helped D’Emilio your way to being this one thing that you don’t really wanna be, in ways he never predicted.

“Before high school, I was a but you’re too afraid to be who way different person," D'Emilio you really are, so you have to put said. "Doing the shows here and everything you can into �inding having people that put just as the con�idence to go the way you much as I did into it alongside wanna go.”

Acting has played a de�initive me made it easier to �ind out role in D’Emilio’s high school exwho I actually am as a person."

Finding himself throughout perience. For anyone interested high school is now part of the in becoming involved with theexperience D’Emilio can draw ater, he offers his advice.

“Put yourself out there. Be from when connecting to his characters. In this year’s dra- con�ident in you. ’Cause that’s ma, he played Tony Kirby, a son what it’s all about, really �indbeing groomed into his father’s ing the con�idence to put what you have on the line and seeing successful business.

“Tony is being raised into the if it’s good enough, you know?” mirror image of his dad, and he D’Emilio said. “That’s what theis sort of what I was, trying to ater is. So if you’re thinking of pick between crew and the mu- getting into it, absolutely do it. sical,” D’Emilio said. “You’re on It’s life-changing.”

Claire Guo/The SPOKE

Director's Notes: The cast laughs at a joke from Natalie Wallace, the play's director. A thorough sit-down analysis, complete with pointers and advice, follows most rehearsals.

8 The Spoke

Student Life

Monday, November 21, 2016

Must buys for the technology lover in your life

By Justin Huang Web Editor Frugal spenders everywhere will celebrate this Friday with the start of the holiday shopping season. Black Friday, the event kicking off the weeks of deals to come, is almost upon us. Some of the most asked for things are tech products. In a world dominated by technology, with a wide range of innovative products, it’s hard to choose which to get. Here are The Spoke’s recommendations.

Amelia Krales

Phones When it comes to affordability and personalization, Android dominates the market. Unlike Apple, Android has uni ue, helpful features with an even lower price. One popular choice among Android fans is the OnePlus 3, a phone that has a premium feel to it despite its midrange price. With plenty of RAM for multitasking, a powerful 16-megapixel camera, fast processor and 1080p screen, the OnePlus 3 is a solid choice as a phone.

Of course, there are students who are loyal to the Apple brand. In that case, the iPhone 7 is a good choice. While the company faced controversy about its removal of the headphone jack, it put that extra room to good use. The new model’s A10 processor is much faster than older versions, the camera has been upgraded, more RAM has been added and its battery life is longer. If you like Apple, this is the phone for you.

Laptops To students, the most important feature of laptops is portability. Sure, you’ll play the occasional game of “League of Legends,” but work is much more important. Good design

doesn’t hurt, either. If you’ve got the money, then the HP Spectre is for you. Its sleek, black-and-gold design makes it one of the hottest laptop out in the market right now. The laptop’s ef�iciency can’t be uestioned either and it’s certainly faster than school laptops.

With a screen size of 13 inches and weight of 2.45 pounds, it can be carried easily with a fraction of the force you’d use for your textbooks.

If you’ve got a tighter budget and only want a laptop that’ll perform faster than your school laptop, consider the Acer Chromebook 14. Since it uses the Chrome OS, you’ll only be able to use internet-related functions, but it’s de�initely a speedy laptop. The screen has

Hewlett-Packard

a nice resolution, 1920x1080 pixels, for watching et�lix after having your soul sucked out by homework. To those who value their wallets, this is a good choice for you. If you’d rather buy a Windows laptop, though, then try looking elsewhere.

Smart Assistants Two years ago, Amazon introduced its smart home assistant, Alexa, with the Amazon Echo: a smart home hub. Now, with improvements made to the Echo and the addition of the Echo Tap and Echo Dot, Alexa is getting better at helping people. You can ask for the weather before leaving school, play music while studying or listen to terrible jokes to kill time. Alexa also has impressive

third-party integration. Hungry? Ask Alexa to order Chinese takeout or Domino’s, or ask for an Uber to your favorite restaurant. Obviously, Alexa can make Amazon purchases for you and track your orders, too. Getting Alexa will help you manage the small things in life.

To those loyal Google fans out there, the recently released Google Home is another option. With Google Assistant from Allo, Google Home interacts well with Google’s apps, including your calendar and email. However, a lack of third-party integration limits Google Home’s capabilities. Alexa can do more and is the better choice for increasing your home’s intelligence.

Amazon

Don’t be left out: Transform your leftovers

By Ian Ong and Matt Paolizzi Co-Student Life Editors

We’ve all been there. The day after Thanksgiving. Mountains of stuffing, great chunks of turkey, dollops of mashed potatoes and tupperware filled to the brim with cranberry sauce, gravy and green beans. All that food has to be dealt with at some point, preferably eaten instead of going down the trash and wasted.

But what to do with all those leftovers? The Spoke has got you covered with some creatively tasty delicacies you can make from your leftovers.

Still feeling a pit in your gut the morning after that can only be filled with more Thanksgiving? Why not mix in leftovers with your standard breakfast fare? Cranberry sauce makes an excellent condiment for both pancakes and waffles and tastes great once heated up a bit and thrown on

Ian Ong/The SPOKE

top with some syrup. Turkey can become a substitute for sausage and bacon once fried up and served as a side. Potatoes are a breakfast staple and just because it takes the form of mashed instead of hashed doesn’t mean the fun has to stop.

Of course, you have the classic way, and by classic I mean sandwiches. There’s so many options! Turkey obviously will

serve as the meat base, cranberry sauce can be a topping along with a generous helping of gravy. Stuffing can be thrown in both for taste and to serve as extra “stuffing” for your already towering creation. If you have the means, why not try grilling the sandwich? A delicious Thanksgiving panini is sure to make any lunchtime a good time. And if you’re feeling lazy, there’s

always the legendary Gobbler from Wawa. Piled high with turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce, it’s a great option for those craving some leftovers when you’re out and about.

For the more adventurous foodies, there’s always the option of throwing everything together into a classic casserole. There’s also the option of turning your turkey into

pulled meat, à la pulled pork.

You can then use regular sauce or even better, mix some cranberry sauce in and have yourself some real pilgrim style barbecue.

We hope that you’ve gotten some ideas in your minds about what to do with your boring old Thanksgiving leftovers. Impress your family members this November by showing them your inner chef !

The Spoke 9

Student Life

Monday, November 21, 2016

Matt’s Movie Review: Have a flick-filled fall

By Matt Paolizzi Co-Student Life Editor

While family should be the �irst thing on your mind during this coming Thanksgiving break, there will surely be plenty of time in between catching up with cousins and carving up turkeys. hy not spend some of that time embracing the start of �ilm awards season any of the big heavy-hitting Oscar front runners start coming out in ovember, and The Spoke has the scoop on what’s worth your time Summit Entertainment both over break and during the the action se uences that give coming months. this �ilm its watchability. Pulling “Hacksaw Ridge” This engaging true story tells a page from the series that made the tale of Desmond Doss, an him a household name, ibson American soldier who saved the goes full “ ad ax” on the aulives of over men on Okina- dience, engaging the viewer in a wa, during one of the bloodiest engrossing and hauntingly realbattles of orld ar II. el ib- istic exhibition on the realities of son is at the helm as director, his war. As ar�ield is shown making �irst foray since 2006’s excellent his way through the grim battle“Apocalypto.” Andrew ar�ield �ields of Okinawa, you feel like stars as Doss, putting in an au- you’re right there with him. thentic performance that helps “Arrival” reestablish the young actor as Science �iction is a genre often one of the most exciting talents reliant on past ideas and rehash(10.312 x 5.843).3_Layout 1 5/17/16 PM Page 1 es. ig bad aliens5:42 come, things in2016_HS_Newspapers Hollywood. hile ar�ield steals the screen many a time, it’s get blown up, ill Smith might

Paramount Pictures

Summit Entertainment

punch some tentacled monstrosity from the depths of space. e’ve seen the simple formula many a time. It’s la y �ilmmaking. ut when a �ilm comes around that presents fresh, original concepts and challenges the viewer in a good way, that’s when a plain old Hollywood �lick turns into a masterpiece of a �ilm. “Interstellar” was the latest to do this, and “Arrival” does it even better.

The director, Denis illeneuve is on a hot streak, coming off of last year’s enthralling crime thriller “Sicario” and 2013’s “ nemy,” which saw ake yllenhaal

reach incredible heights thanks to illeneuve’s direction. “Arrival” sees a trio of established and well-known actors attempt to investigate the arrival roll credits of a large alien vessel. Forest hitaker and eremy enner are led by the wonderful Amy Adams on a mission to answer a uestion most sci-�i �ilms never bother to even bring up. hen extraterrestrials come and visit, how the heck are we supposed to communicate with them Adams plays a world-renowned linguist whose ourney into the minds of these alien beings and the

In the last five years we have helped high school seniors gain acceptance to these colleges:

Columbia, Carleton, Syracuse, Northeastern…and many more.

increasingly complicated methods of communication she uses with them takes the audience deep into their own minds. The many twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat.

“La La Land” In what many consider to be a partnership only seen in dreams, mma Stone and yan osling pair up to headline what is already considered an early est Picture frontrunner. ritten and directed by 2014’s breakout �ilmmaker, Damien Cha elle, “ a a and” continues with the themes of music and passion established in Cha elle’s masterpiece “ hiplash.” Stone plays an aspiring actress named ia who meets and fall in love with a charming a pianist named Sebastian, played by osling. xcellent performances from both leads along with an outstanding supporting cast from Cha elle veteran . . Simmons to ohn egend along with beautiful cinematography and choreography makes this �ilm one of the best to come out all year. xpect “ a a and” to be a big cash and award draw after its wide release on Dec. .

Try and catch it at a �ilm festival if you’re really hyped.

A high school senior who completes our program will receive: ■ a personalized college planning timeline, ■ a working list of colleges for application.

For many students our program begins before the senior year.

We can help you get there.*

The College Admissions Planning program is under the direction of David Clark, (Ed.M., Harvard Graduate School of Education), an independent college admission consultant with more than thirty-five years experience working with high school students and their families.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION: Call David Clark at 610-642-4873, ext. 52 or email him at: david@collegesearchnow.net

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a complete list of our students’ college * For acceptances go to the “College Acceptances”

link at our website www.collegesearchnow.net.

College Search Now makes no guarantee, expressed or implied, of placement of a client in a designated college /university.

10 The Spoke

For informative articles about an effective college search plan, visit Mr. Clark’s blog at www.collegesearchnow.net.

College Search Now ~ Center for Psychological Services, LLC Paoli Executive Green, Suite 304 ■ 41 Leopard Road, Paoli, PA 19301 125 Coulter Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003 ■ Tel: 610.642.4873 Email: david@collegesearchnow.net

Monday, November 21, 2016

Teacher Feature: Katie Wilson

Student Life

English and TV teacher Katie Wilson shares the details of first job at a sneaker

By Lyvia Yan Center Spread Editor store, places she’s traveled and plans for Thanksgiving with The Spoke.

What was your first job? y �irst ob was at a sneaker store called Sneaker illa in my hometown. So, I would go there after school and it was all athletic gear and I would sell sneakers and T-shirts and things like that.

It was a great ob.

When did you realize you wanted to be a teacher?

I had a really great teacher in my 11th grade year, and his name was r. orris. I ended up taking an extra nglish class that same year because we had block scheduling and I wanted to have him again. He was awesome and ust really loved his ob and he said to me, “If you’re willing to put something that you love out into the world with the understanding that students might not love it, but you still want to do it, then you know you want to be a teacher.” I thought that sounded like something that I did want to do.

How long have you been teaching?

I’ve been teaching for six years, but �ive of those are at ’Stoga. y �irst year was at yomissing High School, which is actually where Taylor Swift went to high school. Then, I got my ob at ’Stoga.

Favorites: Movie: “The Philadelphia Story” TV Show: “Game of Thrones” Book: “In Cold Blood” Thanksgiving dish: Cranberry Sauce Actor: Sean Connery Actress: Grace Kelly Band: Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band Animal: Dog Lyvia Yan/The SPOKE

Where do your passions for filmmaking and English come from?

I would say for nglish, my passion comes from really ust loving to read and loving to write and to talk, too. I think it’s really important to be aware of the messages we’re sending and the way our language affects what people think of us and understand about us. Filmmaking really came from being thrown into it when I came here at ’Stoga, but reali ing the relationship between our own messages and the ideas that we want the world to know about us. The visual representation of that in �ilm has been really encouraging and my passion for �ilmmaking has been tied mostly to the students that I’ve known here, which is fun.

If you weren’t a teacher, what job would you have now? hen I was a sophomore in college, I became really nervous

about becoming a teacher and I thought, “I don’t know, do I want to do this for 30 years or do I want to do something else ” I thought about doing sports broadcasting, but ultimately the idea of having roots and being stuck in a place in a good way was what made me not think about moving to random places like orth Dakota to be a broadcast ournalism person.

How do you spend your time when you aren’t teaching?

I have a dog, osie, and she’s very cute. I walk her a lot, play with her in alley Forge. I actually coach soccer here, my husband coaches the varsity girls’ team, so it’s really fun. This year has been made up of soccer and osie and any reading I can do or grad school classes that I’m taking .

What grad classes are you taking now?

I’m currently taking a Current Issues in American ducation class, so it’s all issues that are happening in America right now regarding education. e looked at the political sphere, we looked at standardi ed testing or teacher unions and things like that. ach week is dedicated to a different issue in American education systems.

Do you travel a lot, and if so, what places have you visited? hen I was in college, I studied abroad in ondon. I went to Ireland. The next summer I went to Cambodia and I worked with people who had been victims of sexual traf�icking. y senior year in college I went to Sweden to study how schools are different in Sweden than in America. hen my husband and I got married, we went to Austria, Croatia and Italy for our honeymoon. It was an awesome honeymoon lots of trains, lots of planes, lots of boats, but it was good.

What are some Thanksgiving traditions you have? y dad started a tradition, called the Turkey owl, which a lot of families do. e play football on the morning of Thanksgiving. y mom stays home and she starts cooking, and we host it at my parents’ house. e all go down and have T-shirts and play football with the family. It’s grown to be 30 to 40 people now.

The Spoke 11

Monday, November 21, 2016

Student Life

Alumna Lynne Williams assists local job-seekers

By Ian Ong Co-Student Life Editor “Today, your resume is a Google,” career coach Alex Freund said. “Before an employer talks to you, they check you out on Google.”

The coach’s instruction rings true within the walls of Berwyn Fire Company, the only barrier separating the forlorn job-seekers from the cold, blistering night outside.

Conestoga alumna Lynne Williams, ‘76, dedicates her time to assisting members of the community with successful job transitions. While Williams has a full time job in real estate and her own part-time business, she is devoted to her volunteer work as director of the Philadelphia Area Great Careers Group.

“My meetup groups that help job seekers are open to everyone. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are,” Williams said. “I donate my time to help empower others, and help them learn the LinkedIn platform as well as other jobseeker skills and resources in the area.”

Ian Ong/The SPOKE

Entrepreneurship: Lynne Williams mediates a speed networking session at a Philadelphia Area Great Careers Group meeting. Williams became director of the group in August of last year.

Williams creates email personally overseen the opernewsletters, runs workshops ations of her business since its and organizes networking founding in 1994, and assumed events on a weekly basis. Her directorship of the careers part-time business, Around the group last August.

Clock Executive Helper, specialWilliams’ services are not izes in writing resumes, Linke- limited to the unemployed. Her dIn pro�iles and email market- social media workshops and reing. At career group meetings, sume formatting sessions proWilliams arranges for coaches vide a way for students to preto give presentations and facil- pare for employment. Ashley itates speed networking, an ac- Anapolsky, who graduated from tivity in which group members Conestoga in 2012, works as a communicate and �ind contacts stylist at SKIRT, a women’s fashto companies they are interest- ion store in Bryn Mawr. During ed in working for. Williams has her senior year at Conestoga

and her junior year in college, Williams helped her edit her resume to present to employers.

“I think (Williams) gives you a whole new perspective and makes you realize how important it is to start networking,” Anapolsky said. “Before you know it, you’ll be behind and the people that are going to get the job are the ones that have been on top of that stuff from the get-go.”

The Association of Talent Development recently published Williams’ writing in a new book titled “Find Your Fit: A Practical Guide to Landing the Job You Love.” In it, Williams wrote a chapter about the Applicant Tracking System, explaining that these systems look for speci�ic keywords and phrases, ignoring some resumes while forwarding promising ones to executives.

“When people submit their resumes online, a lot of times, they don’t make it to human eyes,” Williams said.

Born in Michigan, Williams moved frequently from state to state throughout her life, even living in Canada and France at one point before settling down in Chesterbrook.

In pursuit of her passion, Williams worked as a teacher for

12 years, obtaining a total of nine teaching and administrative certifications before returning to the corporate world in 2013.

“I consider myself a lifelong learner,” Williams said. “If somebody were to pay for me to go back to school, I would be there in a heartbeat, getting some other certi�ication, taking some other class or getting another degree.”

In order to prepare for employment, Williams’ advice to Conestoga students is to attend seminars about setting up an account on LinkedIn, an employment-oriented social media website that opens up connections between professionals in different industries.

“Just because they think they are young, and know how to use social media, I can tell you that they don’t.” Williams said. “There is strategy to it in formatting and keyword placement in various sections.”

“It’s really important to get ahead on that stuff,” Anapolsky said. “Just getting your name out there and being proactive about networking with people (helps), because it’s almost about who you know nowadays, and it’s just really important if you want to get hired.”

Sierra Club charms Cornucopia, saves environment

By Madison Red Staff Reporter

Toxic drinking water. Litter �illed parks. Fracking. These are only a few of the many environmental problems that could affect our world over the next 10 to 20 years. The Sierra Club, a national organization, works to address these concerns by protesting activities that harm the Earth. This fall, Conestoga’s �irst Sierra Club was launched.

The new club, founded by senior Chelsea Tang, will work in collaboration with the larger organization of the same name.

Through the club, she would like to raise awareness about not only the consequences of fracking, but other environmental issues as well.

For each fundraiser they hold, they may choose to focus on a speci�ic problem to raise awareness about.

“The more people know about (these problems), the more we can work towards a better, more sustainable future,” Tang said.

12 The Spoke

Madison Red/The SPOKE

United for the environment: The founding members of the Sierra Club pose in their meeting room. From left to right: freshman Dhivya Arasappan, senior Celine Huang, senior Chelsea Tang, junior Harrison Zhang and senior Emma Jiang.

The Sierra Club will sell Earth Charms during Cornucopia on Nov. 22 to raise money for the national organization and educate students about environmental problems, like the overuse of natural resources.

The club will partner with the National Art Honor Society to make the polymer clay charms.

Freshman Dhivya Arasappan is the treasurer of the club. She

feels strongly about environmental causes and hopes others will start helping out.

“People should be able to get to know what the issues are about and what they can do to help the environment,” Arasappan said.

In order to help the environment, the club is planning to become involved with the Philadelphia Park Friends Network.

By picking up trash, holding

fundraisers and planting trees, the Network keeps parks in Philadelphia clean.

Senior Emma Jiang is the NAHS ambassador for the club and feels like they’re making a difference already.

“It’s the small steps in communities that begin a push to get a bigger effort going,” Jiang said.

To get involved in the community, the club will reach out to and

become involved with the Sierra Chapter, a local branch of the national Sierra Club, based in Southeastern Pennsylvania..

The Sierra Chapter holds events in Philadelphia like the Green Infrastructure Walking Tour, a tour of the green roofs and rain gardens that take in excess stormwater. The club is still deciding how closely they want to work with the local Sierra Chapter.

“For right now, they’re just taking baby steps,” adviser Debra Ciamacca said.

Tang is currently organizing a doughnut sale on Dec. 13 to raise funds and is planning club activities like cleaning up parks. They are considering partnering with the AP Biology Club to remove cray�ish, an invasive �ish species, from Valley Forge National Park.

Tang hopes that through these efforts, individuals will become more aware of environmental issues.

“If more and more people come to see our purpose and come to realize the importance of what we’re doing, they’ll join in, too,” Jiang said.

Monday, November 21, 2016

By Audrey Kim Staff Reporter Freshmen Alison and Nichole Lee are twins. While this may not mean much to people who don’t have a twin of their own, to the Lee sisters, their relationship opens the door to unique opportunities.

“In elementary school, we would often switch classes for an entire day. And the teacher never noticed,” Nichole Lee said.

Like the Lee twins, juniors Clarke and Stuart Davis found ways to fool their peers due to their similar appearances, even though they are fraternal.

“In second grade, it was April Fools’ Day in Canada, and we completely switched classes,” Clarke Davis said.

“No one noticed. We can’t do that anymore, obviously.”

Being twins is a relationship not many experience. According to the National Center of Health, about one in 30

Student Life

Twinning: siblings see double

Courtesy DUO Photography

same friends. I think people with older or younger siblings can’t really relate to that same level.”

Other twins agreed with the Bhaves.

“There’s certainly a lot of benefits,” Ian Charles said.

“Also, I feel like only children are often lonely growing up, but with a twin you always have someone.”

“Being a twin also leads to us relying on each other a lot,” Alison Lee said. “If you miss a class, or don’t understand some material covered, you can always ask your twin.

Even though there’s always a natural sense of competition, we do help each other and try to get better. And that’s a definitely one of the best things of being a twin.”

For many identical twins, there’s also the issue of constantly being seen as one person. Their difference is often swept aside by others because many twins with similar personalities are expected to also

Best Buds: Sophomores Gwen and Ian Charles share a moment with one another. The two used to feel competitive with one another, but as the years have passed, they have felt less and less so.

“Honestly, I don’t even get they’ll pass by us and think they’re always there for each annoyed by (people calling me we’re the other person. It other. Juniors Riddhi and Sidthe wrong name) anymore,” sometimes gets annoying, but dhi Bhave have their arguNichole Lee said. we’ve gotten used to it,” Kait- mentative moments with one Her sister agrees. lyn Kearney said.

The relationship also includes competition, which is pretty stiff for students living with sibling classmates.

Juniors Clark and Stuart Davis have experienced the feeling multiple times, especially when playing hockey.

“Since we play sports, we often get compared. So right off the bat, it’s competitive,” Stuart Davis said. “Sometimes we get into fights over it, although now it’s more verbal than physical.”

“It’s good when we’re playing defense together,” Clark Davis said. “But when we’re on opposing teams, it obviously gets a little heated.”

Sophomores Gwen and Ian Charles used to feel the pressure of being compared to one another, especially before enCourtesy Kathy Yang tering Conestoga.

“They do compare you a Doppelgangers: Sophomores Kerry and Kaitlyn KearCourtesy Vidula Bhave ney goof around together. While often confused for each lot,” Ian Charles said. “But I other in the hallways, the two have gotten used to the it. feel like (it’s) more so in ele- Sibling Rivalry?: Juniors Riddhi and Siddhi Bhave stand in mentary and middle school.” front of their house. The twins have arguments like other sibchildren is born with a twin.

“At this point, we have this His sister echoes his lings, but think that they still have a closer bond than most others.

Applied to Conestoga’s pop- natural reaction that when sentiments. ulation of roughly 2,000, this someone calls Nichole’s name, “Conestoga’s so much larg- another but still appreciate have the same preferences, hobbies and opinions. But the equates with fewer than 70 I turn around, too, just to er in population that I feel like their unique relationship.

“Obviously, we fight like difference remains and twins students with a twin or trip- avoid the confusion,” Alison there’s not as much comparlet. These siblings compete Lee said. ison anymore. Not that Ian other siblings do,” Riddhi hope it won’t be ignored.

“I’m kinda glad that (Ridwith each other, take classes Sophomores Kerry and and me were very competitive Bhave said. “But I think we together and sometimes par- Kaitlyn Kearney are also often with each other in the first have a closer bond than most dhi and I) often have different siblings. We can relate to each friends,” Siddhi Bhave said. ticipate in similar activities. confused by teachers, wheth- place,” Gwen Charles said.

Consequently, it can be hard er in the hallway or classroom.

At its core, however, the other more than others, we “You can be your own person. for people to differentiate the “Sometimes, if we don’t tell relationship between twins have the same tests, same Most people just group us two. (teachers) we have a twin, is a close-knit one in which teachers and some of the together.”

The Spoke 13

Center Spread

WEBS OF THANKSGIVING Nathan Motel

Jessica Bicker

“Ms. Hauer and Mrs. Bicker, they are always so helpful when you need something.”

“Ms. Hauer, she’s kind and makes our job fun and we always put up with one another.”

10th Grade

Harvey Sowerbutts

Librarian

10th Grade

“Shray Mehrotra, he’s really fun to talk to.”

Shary Mehrotra

Brooke Hauer Librarian

“Dunya Malkovich, she has been a library aide for a few years and she cheers me up.”

10th Grade

the library running and she’s helpful.

11th Grade

“Noelle Simard, she knows how to make someone feel good when they are down.”

10th Grade

“Eliza Pentz, she’s very kind and we run track together and she’s one of my good buddies.”

“Ms. Hauer, she keeps

Melissa Ward

Jessica Bicker

Tony Zhang 9th Grade

“Chris Jung, he helps me with World Lit.”

Thanksgiving Day Gam @12:30 p.m.

Minnes ot a V ikin gs @4:30 p.m.

11th Grade

“Rebecca Scherer, she has a funny laugh and a cool dog.”

14 The Spoke

Chris Jung 9th Grade

“Kevin Zhang, he helps with Bio.”

@8:30 p.m.

Pittsburgh Ste e le rs

V agus

Noelle Simard

Wa s h in g t o n Fo o tba ll Tea m

Center Spread Design by Ian Ong Scramble by Caleigh Sturgeon Photos and hand illustration by Avery Maslowsky

Word Scramble Ellie Sedor

er

10th Grade

“Eliza Pentz, she

e’s kind r job fun put up her.”

makes me smile.”

Eliza Pentz 10th Grade

Unscramble these phrases to find five frequent feast-time foods:

1) UYKTRE 2) HDMEAS ETTOPOAS 3) OSELEARSC 4) NGIFTSFU 5) APGSARASU

“Anna Twomey, she calls granola bars cereal bars and it’s so cute.”

Turkey Hand

Color in and then cut out your very own turkey hand:

ker

he’s very un track she’s one uddies.”

g Day Games

a

VS VS

Detroit Lions

on Tea m

VS VS

Dallas Cow boys

h

VS VS

Indiana polis Colts The Spoke 15

Word scramble answers: turkey, mashed potatoes, casserole, stuffing, asparagus

OPINION Our 2016-2017 Spoke Policy Each school year, the editorial board of the Spoke presents the policy that will guide the paper’s direction. We hope to be as transparent as possible as we continue to cover the school community.

What’s our mission?

What rights do we have?

We strive to objectively cover stories of interest within our school and community. We understand our responsibility to report in an unbiased and ethical manner. The Spoke staff aims to include a diverse range of issues and voices within the paper and appreciates suggested story ideas. While some of the stories included within the pages of the Spoke may be considered “controversial,” our reporters work to investigate the issues with appropriate care, precision and impartiality.

We do not have prior review, meaning administration does not see the paper before it is printed. Nor can the admnistration censor content. Advisers serve as educators and consultants only, leaving the editorial board with decisions on content and how that content will be treated.

With all stories, the editorial board considers the journalistic and ethical implications of publishing them.

When is The Spoke released?

The Spoke is released seven times a year in October, November, December, February, March, May and June. The paper is published by Bartash Printing and copies can be found in the school on publication days, as well as in select locations around the community. Readers who subscribe to the Spoke will receive issues mailed directly to their homes.

How do we decide what to cover?

Each issue, staff members collect and suggest timely story ideas to submit to the editorial board for review. The Spoke makes an effort to report the achievements and activities of students, faculty and community members. To suggest a story idea, email the Spoke at hello@spoke.news. The views represented in signed opinion articles are not re�lective of the opinions of the staff as a whole. An unsigned editorial represents the consensus of the editorial board.

16 The Spoke

What’s the difference between the Spoke and Spoke. news?

Spoke.news is a student -run and owned website; no district employees are consulted on the content and coverage of Spoke.news or any of its social media platforms.

Editorial decisions are made by the editorial board, specifically our manager of online operations. Social media platforms include Spoke.news and the Spoke’s Twitter and Instagram accounts and Facebook page.

How can you share your voice in the Spoke?

This year’s editorial board hopes to include more voices from our school and community. To contribute to the Spoke, contact our editorial board at hello@spoke.news to guest write. We also welcome letters to the editor with commentary on or concerns about our past issues. A letter to the editor addressing content in a Spoke issue will be published in the next issue.

Monday, November 21, 2016

From the editor: Beware of relaxation procrastination

Camille Kurtz Co-Editor-in-Chief For the past three months, the internal dialogue running in my mind as I drive home from school Friday afternoons has gone something like this: “Okay. That test is over. That college deadline has passed.

You turned in that assignment.

Good. Now all you have to do is research your position for that debate and �inish that presentation and make that poster and attend that meeting and write about 200 more college essays and…”

After booking my schedule with various commitments for the next few months, I �inally end my inventory, calculating that by February I should be able to have time to relax. Maybe. How liberating.

Slacker, underachiever, procrastinator — there’s no shortage of words to describe our continuous knack for stalling.

While most students can relate to stories of staying up past midnight to cram for a test or complete an essay, few people realize that we can procrastinate downtime just as easily as work. Typically overlooked is the fact the play (or necessary relaxation) is as equally important as the work.

Throughout high school, I have caught myself procrastinating my break times. Whether I’m promising myself I’ll respond to that text tomorrow, see that friend next weekend or try out that cookie recipe next month, — when I’m sure I’ll be less busy — I continuously postpone enjoyable activities in the name of some work that is more urgent, more important.

Especially for seniors caught directly in the middle of college

application season (Nov. 1 is over, but Jan. 1 is right around the corner), prioritizing catching up on “Project Runway” or practicing the piano over �inishing applications seems ludicrous. Students are forced to choose: procrastinate school work by taking a nap or sacri�ice the sleep and relaxation by studying for a vocabulary quiz.

When we allow ourselves to get bogged down in this nasty dichotomy, it’s easy to lose sight of the possibility of �inding balance. As unlikely as it may seem, setting aside time for yourself and time for your obligations don’t have to be opposing forces. We often think of “downtime” as something large and time-consuming: a whole night out with friends, a weekend at the beach, 10 hours watching “Parks and Recreation.” But we don’t have to divide our time into hour-long chunks of work and non-work. hile �inding an entire day to travel downtown can be dif�icult in a busy schedule, it’s not as hard to �ind 20 minutes to go on a walk or an hour to go out for breakfast.

Interspersing short periods of

relaxation within the frenzy of meeting deadlines is the only way to ensure that there’s no procrastination of any kind, social or work-related.

As I am easily one of the most af�licted relaxation procrastinators, maybe I’m being hypocritical. It’s easy to preach about making time to call a friend or to read leisurely in between studying, but markedly more dif�icult to actually follow through and remember the importance of taking a break when caught up in the stress of the moment.

As Thanksgiving break speedily approaches, let’s not procrastinate. For just a few days, try taking advantage of the autumn weather, the days free from school, the short-lived return of “Gilmore Girls” (that’s what you’ll �ind me doing, anyway). Even if it’s just giving ourselves 15 minutes to breathe on the car ride to Thanksgiving dinner, let’s pause our work for just a moment. Let’s do something for ourselves, for our minds. If we don’t, we may look back one day and wonder where the time went.

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

Monday, November 21, 2016

Opinion

with Matthew Soderberg Not serious ;―)

Matthew Soderberg Opinion Editor As the election season winds down and we start focusing on the more important political issues, like whether you saw Malia Obama at Made in America, we should all take our big bipartisan hand and give ourselves a pat on the back. This campaign was the kindest and cleanest we may ever see.

In recent years, there’s been an alarming trend toward the negative and divisive, but candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump bucked it and never treated each other disrespectfully. If I had a child, I’d be delighted that these two people were their role models for our democracy.

For the �irst time, I en oyed campaign ads. I didn’t see a single negative spot, not one black-and-white ad denigrating the personal lives of both candidates. Every commercial was so policy-focused and positive that I felt like I was watching old friends, both New York liberals, and their kindhearted discourse.

I do not recall considering the destruction of my television if I heard “Donald Trump” or “Hillary Clinton approves this message” one more time.

No setting was a better example of this newfound thoughtful electoral process than the debates. I always used to say it would be cute if the candidates took turns calling each other a puppet affectionately. They

didn’t conform to the old concept of handshakes and instead greeted each other with love in their eyes and warmth in their hearts. It was hard to watch them debate each other, as they so clearly didn’t want to offend the other — it was a lesson in manners for all of America.

I liked how they used words like “nasty” and “demagogue” to show the country that hey, even if you’re against each other in the oldest of races, you can still show your opponent complete respect. The recently released behind the scenes debate video shows Hillary checking on The Donald and his snif�ling after the debate, offering him some Mucinex and a hug. She sent a follow-up email to make sure he was okay.

With the positive slant to this election cycle, maybe we should extend the length of presidential campaigns. A year and a half was healthy, but why not two?

Or four? Should candidates follow in Kanye’s footsteps and announce for 2020? I’m so excited by the idea of talking more about who should be the next president.

This year, both parties presented the best of themselves in their candidates. Neither of them have been caught completely lying multiple times during the election, which is a big relief. The lack of scandals has been refreshing, and no state secrets have reached anyone’s unsecured Blackberry. I do feel as though the campaign did not feature as many Billy Bush bus adventures as it probably should have — one can never have enough Billy Bush.

The United States should be proud of 2016 and its positivity. We’ve shown that you don’t need to be dirty to win an election, you ust have to be, well, a total erk.

Schoology: liability, not improvement Joshua Yan Guest Columnist Pinnacle. The name carries sentimental value for many of us and for good reason: it was a better grade reporting system. We miss the straightforward columns of numbers that reported our entire school performance at a glance. However, Pinnacle is no longer a viable service for the school. In hindsight, Pinnacle does seem to be an ancient grading system, but it was all the student body needed.

One page provided raw numbers on students’ grades, providing instant gratification or disappointment. I now find myself unsure of how I am doing overall after paging through six classes of grades. Consolidation was the strong point of Pinnacle and it did it well. However, its replacement, Schoology, creates further shortcomings with regards to reporting grades instead of addressing them.

Just think about what it will be like later in the year; with Pinnacle, it was very easy to identify the marking period average for each class and overall performance. Now, I’m actually going to have to take out my calculator, average my grades and manually sort them. There’s one caveat here: isn’t that Schoology’s ob All students ask of any grading system is an at-aglance performance update,

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

“All students ask of any grading system is an at-a-glance performance update.” which is frankly not happening here.

Schoology’s problems don’t end there. While it’s certainly not an obligation for teachers to post all graded assignments

to Schoology, not doing so would be a waste of arguably the best aspect of the application and become an inconvenience for students as opposed to an asset. If a teacher posts an assignment on Schoology without mentioning it in class, are students still responsible for it?

That is one of the many questions that will have to be answered as we progress throughout the school year.

In an ideal world, Schoology would become a substitute for our assignment books so if students are ever unsure of an assignment and when it is due, Schoology is there. We can only hope for the best, and hope that Schoology is there for our grades, too. In the end, Schoology should be a convenience to students, and not add an extra layer of liability. Seriously though, dropdown menus are a no-go.

“I actually really like Schoology. Overall, it’s really convenient and way better than checking teacher pages” - Juliet Gottlieb “I think Schoology’s worked well, other than the fact that I miss Pinnacle, because it was easier to see my grades.”

- Sally Park “It was a big shift, but it’s nice that there’s a place where all of the resources are, and you can make up work easily.”

- Charlotte Kalilec “It’s all the information you need for your class in one website, better yet, one webpage.”

- Ethan Baseden

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

The Spoke 17

Opinion

What the actual font?

matter of what fonts enable such a steady �low for reading and how well that choice �its the context.

YOU

WOULD

EXPERIENCE

Adam Lockett Head Designer

THE

While preparing for the Spoke’s �irst issue cycle of 2016-17 as head designer, I thought about what kind of message and stance this paper takes in its storytelling. For that reason, we have bold headlines to lead readers into the stories, accents in lesser places like the margins and a clear copy text.

Every page has a balance between the photograph credits, page numbers, bylines, white space, graphics and the article itself. It was a priority to pick a family of fonts that �its across every section and unites all 28 pages.

It might not be obvious, but font choices establish an author’s credibility. Eyes crave a certain balance and an obvious kick-off point to begin consuming the words on a page. It’s a

ARTI-

CLES IN THIS NEWSPAPER DIFFERENTLY IF THEY WERE

live in the times of the typewriter, using the Old-fashion Courier Font.

Many Conestoga documents have information in Copperplate. And lost pet signs holler WIDE AND TALL to catch your eye. On the other hand, �lyers and other handouts relax with something a little more common and casual like Helvetica Neue… and the list goes on.

What do the different weights, curls or edges in the letters say, though? Thanks to the internet, even non-designers have become familiar with a few infamous fonts such as Comic Sans or Papyrus.

They are overused or misused

on rather serious materials like warning signs and product packaging instead of comic strips or organic themed designs where they belong, respectively.

When bad design practices happen, designers make the typography choices halfheartedly. They leave too much room for miscommunications or unexpected sarcasm attached to a poorly-placed font like Comic Sans.

This kind of miscommunication happened to me recently while waiting for an inbound train to Philadelphia. My eyes wandered to the Suicide Prevention Hotline sign posted on the platform. Suicide is a serious issue for which SEPTA

Monday, November 21, 2016

appropriately expresses its concern. The sign had jagged edges and royal blue narrow, bold letters up until the last line. That line is in a distracting red color that reads “With help comes hope.”

The tagline is in a bubbly handwriting font that could get lost in translation as a weak message compared to the rest of the cautionary sign. It’s miscommunications like this that I try to avoid when picking out the fonts for the Spoke.

Cambria, Rubik and Assistant are our three fonts that landed the job at The Spoke this year. They were selected because together they are current, accessible and versatile for the entire issue.

PRINTED LIKE THIS. Greeting cards aim for decorative fonts or

ones that look like handwriting. MLA Format calls for the

stiff Times New Roman. However, bills and of�icial transcripts

Adam Lockett/The SPOKE

Music reaches beyond black and white

Neil Goldenthal Co-Sports Editor As a musician, it’s almost impossible for me to not analyze all the music that I hear. Even when I’m just walking through the hallways at school or attempting to exercise at the gym, there’s some level of subconscious analysis. That doesn’t change for rap music. Although I’m an unapologetic jazz nerd, over the last year I’ve become an avid listener of Kendrick Lamar. As if his poetry, �low and innovative style wasn’t enough, there are dozens of contemporary music legends backing him in the studio and pushing his albums far beyond those of other artists. The mixture of in�luences, genres and

18 The Spoke

musicians makes his music impossible for me to not love.

In his song “The Blacker the Berry,” Kendrick aggressively attacks black stereotypes and the treatment of black people in America. Throughout the song he says “you” or “them” in reference to white people and all the deplorable things that have done to the black community. As I listen, a sense of awkwardness sweeps over me. He’s talking about me. I’m white. Even though I’m not a racist person, I’m the indirect bene�iciary of being a white male in American society. I’m just a white kid with big headphones and a passion for music. I think the most ironic fact about the rise of gangster rap in the last three decades is that its biggest consumer is white teenage boys who often miss the message of the music.

For me personally, the largest barrier is the n-word, a linguistic enigma if there ever was one.

Hundreds of years of oppression, racism, brutality and God knows what else are packed into those six letters. I never say it because it’s always made me

extremely uncomfortable, even when I’m rapping along in my head. But then Kendrick uses it as a term of endearment. A lot.

And he makes it sound cool. But that word sounds a lot different if it comes out of my mouth.

All of this leads to a �lood of questions while I’m listening.

How do I, as a white kid from the Main Line, listen to the music of black kid from Compton

and not completely miss the point? Is it immoral of me to listen to this music in the �irst place? Am I promoting gang culture and misogyny and racism?

Or am I trying to better understand another culture? What if I’m just listening, or maybe repeating lyrics? If you’re rapping along and say the n-word does that make you a racist or just a kid with an idol?

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

Music is a universal language, I think that’s what is so beautiful about it. It’s a way to spread ideas and emotions that appeal to the mind and the soul. I’ve always seen it as a unifying force, and I don’t think that is any different with Kendrick’s music, or any rapper for that matter. Artists don’t usually include politically and socially in�lammatory pieces of their art just for the hell of it, or if they’re just trying to make money. I think that Kendrick wants to incite change with every line he raps.

I don’t think there is anything wrong with Main Line kids, or white kids in general, enjoying music like Kendrick’s. Maybe these points aren’t barriers, but rather starting points for a conversation that is long overdue. So much of this music is rooted in a dark and sensitive part of America’s history, and failing to see the deeper meanings in the music means we are ignoring that history. It’s a history we need to talk about more openly, now more than ever, so that we can continue to work to heal race relations in our country.

Monday, November 21, 2016

That would make a great college essay

Jahnavi Rao Columnist I recently read an article about a student who raised strawberries in his locker.

Strawberries. My first thought wasn’t “how does he get sunlight in there” or another similarly sensible question. No, it was “that would make a really good college essay.”

I’m not even a senior, but this is something I am in a perpetual state of panic about. Having seen many pass through the college process, I have witnessed the dilemma of finding something interesting to write about so a college will envelop me in its big, job-catching, mom-bragging, secure hands.

If someone told me four years ago that they’d grown strawberries in their locker, I would have been in awe. It still wouldn’t have occurred to me that the plant might have a hard time getting sunlight, but that’s a me problem.

Now I just feel envious that this kid has the audacity to do something original, to make something happen that would make a unique essay.

In addition to struggling to revel in others’ successes, my empathy has decreased because of this chronic “college attitude.” People tell me about

failing their drivers test three times, crashing the third time or getting lost skiing for four hours, and I can barely pretend to feel sorry for them.

“You’re so lucky,” I say under my breath, while hugging my tearful friend who is sobbing about finding her long lost twin. “That would make a great college essay.”

After talking to my friends about my problem, I’ve found that I am far from alone.

The majority of students in Conestoga have been afflicted by this plague of seeing every great or terrible event as a potential route to securing a college seat.

The problem is that people in high school are much too focused on college, basing their entire lives around it.

But what do you get after four years of higher education? A single line added to your resume stating your major and the school you went to. One line out of a thousand others.

Obviously, college does matter to make experiences, land a job and grow independent. But it doesn’t matter so much that it should change who you are.

I read about a girl who got into Stanford with an essay about her staring at a fish bowl for an hour. That’s not something to be jealous of; I could do that right now. That is, however, something to admire. We can all take something menial, something other people do not consider “college essay” worthy, and transform it into something brilliant. I’m sure that girl had countless people tell her she was ridiculous for basing her entire future on a goldfish swimming in circles. Yet, she succeeded, creating something interesting and thought-provoking out of a commonplace activity. She herself made her life worth writing about.

Instead of constantly searching and hearing “that would make a great college essay” whenever someone talks, hold onto the knowledge that you can make your mundane life exciting if you have the nerve to. Write about a fish’s lazy circles in its small glass bowl, a stuffed animal in your room who you are convinced comes to life when you leave, where your shoes have walked and what they have learned through their journeys or the symbolism behind letting an entire day pass by thinking about sour cream and onion chips.

Do not let life pass you by while you wallow in jealousy and bitterness that you don’t have anything extraordinary for your college essay. Live every day like it’s worth writing about, and soon enough, you’ll find that it is.

Opinion

Report Card The Election

+ Uhhh.

- Bro.

Hot Air Balloon + New friends from the sky.

- Time for no-�ly ones

Thanksgiving +Friendsgiving parties.

- That one uncle is de�initely coming over.

Fall Drama +Explosively funny, great work by cast and crew.

- You can’t take it with you.

Leonard Cohen dies Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

+A last Hallelujah.

-More covers of Hallelujah.

Connie Stoga

Teamer Field Graduation + Totally classic.

- Bleachers.

Cornucopia +Moon bounces.

- ong lines for good times Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

The Spoke 19

SPORTS

Monday, November 21, 2016

SCORELINE

W

L

T

Football

Girls Soccer

15

3

4

Girls Tennis

5

0

0

Golf

22

2

0

See More

Girls XC Field Hockey

2

8

0

Boys Soccer

11

0

0

Boys XC

9

2

0

Volleyball

Playoff coverage p. 22, p. 23

23

1

0

9

2

0

12

9

0

Fall sports photo galleries www.spoke.news

Carving out her path: Skater prepares for life on the ice

Scores as of 11-14

By Lauren Gow Staff Reporter As the athletic seasons shift from fall to winter, football, soccer and �ield hockey are replaced with basketball and wrestling. hile many student athletes are preparing in gymnasiums or on the mats, a dedicated skater is out in the rink.

Olivia Thompson, a sophomore, is devoted to her sport.

“I’ve been skating as a sport for about three years now. ut my mom taught me since I was two” Thompson said. Most toddlers at the age of two are ust becoming comfortable with walking, much less trying to skate.

Similar to other sports, practice is crucial for improvement of skill and experience.

“I go every day for an hour, and then on Sundays I go to the University of Delaware to skate for their synchroni ed skating team for six hours,” Thompson said. “ any people see ice skating as all umps and all spins, but footwork is so important.

It’s like the basis of skating,” Thompson said.

Edges and crossovers are the foundation of basic ice skating. esides showcasing skaters’ impressive moves, these basic drills provide other bene�its such as: stress relief, oint �lexibility, toned leg muscles and improved cardio.

“It’s so good for maintaining balance,” Thompson said.

Although Thompson runs into trouble with dif�iculty between switching edges or spins, she is mostly plagued with an inner struggle.

“I think one challenge that I’ve had dif�iculty with is I always compare myself to the other skaters,” Thompson said.

20 The Spoke

Courtesy Olivia Thompson

Gliding on the ice: Sophomore Olivia Thompson practices her routine in warm-up. She has been skating since she was two years old but started practicing it as a sport three years ago.

A skater needs to be headstrong when preparing and performing a routine. Ideal Performance State, or IPS, allows

“There’s so much more to skating than just the fancy jumps and spins and costumes.”

-Olivia Thompson skaters to perform with a deep calmness; allowing the best possible routine. In order for an ice skater to be at their best, they must endure both physical and mental training.

“I have competed for freestyle, which is umps and spins.

I’ve competed at my rink for those because I’m competitive in that section but not as much as synchroni ed skating,” Thompson said.

Ice skating has transformed from an individual sport to a team sport. Typically, “synchro” teams can have eight to twenty members.

Thompson’s team hopes for a successful year. “ e are going to oston Classics, we’re going to one in Richmond, and we’re going to astern,” Thompson said. astern Synchroni ed Skating Championship of 201 will host 14 teams this year, ranging from Pre- uvenile to senior levels. “ veryone is e ually supportive of each other. Skating is a very tightly-knit community because not a lot of people skate” Thompson said. After spending long hours together on the ice practicing and competing, teams can become like family.

These bonds interlace forming one unit instead of individuals.

“I love overcoming every obstacle that I face throughout these past months I’ve been progressing more than

Courtesy Olivia Thompson

Workout: Sophomore Olivia Thompson benefits from s ating not only because she en oys it but also because it helps stress relief and oint fle ibility.

I thought I could” Thompson “I want to continue as a said. skating coach or udge during To advance in ice-skating, college too, because I’ve skaters practice and test out helped coach before,” Thomptheir new skills to progress to son said. the next test. The main �ive tests If there is something to skaters must surpass include: be learned from Thompson moves in the �ield, free skate, Thompson, it is that perseverpattern dance, free dance pairs. ance and hard-work trump all.

Thompson is only in her “There’s so much more to sophomore year at Conestoga, skating than ust the fancy and she is already planning her umps and spins and the cosfuture. tumes,” Thompson said.

Monday, November 21, 2016

By Warren Zhao Staff Reporter Anxious athletes eager to meet their new coach pack the room. After a brief introduction by Athletic Director Kevin Pechin, the upbeat, fast-talking newcomer begins the daunting task of building a rapport with his athletes. However, within minutes, the coach deftly manages to get the crowd laughing.

Following months of searching through dozens of highly uali�ied applicants in order to replace longtime track and �ield head coach Ryan Comstock, the school eventually decided to hire Joe Dare, who has years of experience as both an athlete and a coach. Before turning to coaching, Dare ran for Souderton Area High School and La Salle University, where he red-shirted for a year in order to further his track career.

“This will be the start of my sixth year (as a coach). I did one year at La Salle University, two years at Saint

New track coach runs the show Joe’s and three years at Cabrini (coaching cross country),” Dare said.

Dare recalled an incident that occurred during his running career at La Salle as one of the moments when where he �irst realized that coaching track and �ield was his life’s calling.

“I remember running with my teammate at the time, and I was upset. My coach asked, ‘What’s wrong?’ and I said, ‘He’s picking up around every single turn, and I lose him.’ My coach just kind of laughed and said that I should be a coach, that I pick up on the little things,” Dare said.

As an athlete who attended school near the Main Line, Dare grew up competing against Conestoga runners.

“There’s a prestigious program (at ’Stoga), and I’ve known that program, being a local high school kid and seeing the strength it has, especially right now. You have some top talent in the state, with throws, distance, jumps and sprints. There’s so much

going on; why wouldn’t you want to coach here?” Dare said.

Dare plans to deviate from the previous system of group-

on their athletic interests (i.e. separate groups for jumpers, throwers, long, medium and short distance runners).

Warren Zhao/The SPOKE

Hometown Coach : Joe Dare attended a school in this area and gre up seeing the strengths of the Stoga trac and field program. ing based on skill, and instead focus on splitting the team members into groups based

Dare will be emphasizing shorter duration, higher intensity workouts for the runners.

Sports

For example, one of the more difficult workouts to complete for long-distance runners would be a two-by-two mile piece. However, Dare also intends to focus on having his athletes be versatile with their abilities.

“I want our mid-distance runners to be able to run a sprint race if need be and vice versa,” Dare said.

The biggest short-term goal for Dare is to qualify individual athletes for state-level competition. Dare’s long term goal is to continue the previous successes Conestoga has enjoyed in the past.

“It’s my �irst time coaching high schoolers), so I’m really excited to see what changes there are from the college level.

(Coaching) is a challenge, and I like challenges. It’s going to be positive, it’s going to be fun and I’m going to really enjoy getting to know everybody. The idea of working with 200-plus people doesn’t scare me as much as it does motivate me to be better,” Dare said.

The Spoke 21

Sports

Monday, November 21, 2016

Boys soccer has winning state of mind

By Avery Maslowsky Business Manager

First in the Central League and �irst in the nation, the boys’ varsity soccer team has made history this 2016 season.

The team has had great success, with its current record totaling 23-1-0. It is the �irst time in Conestoga history that any sports team has gone unbeaten and untied for more than 1 games in a row. ut on Saturday, ov. , the boys lost the District Championship against est Chester Henderson, losing their perfect record. ut they are not out of States. The team is still in the top bracket of the State Championships and still top in the nation. “ e have a very talented team and also very deep. e’ve been able to use our depth of talent to ust wear teams out, overwhelm them,” said David immerman, who has served as head coach for 1 years.

On Oct. , 2016, the boys were ranked �irst by the ational High School Soccer Association because of the impressive record they racked up this season and because of their sportsmanship and dedication to the sport.

The team has scored a total of 66 goals in their regular and post-season. According to immerman, the boys have had success from their practices because of the coaches’ focus on the basics of soccer. “ e are working really hard in practice, making sure we are at our best so we can make the most of every game, because we still have to take every game one at a time,” said senior ill lein, a �ield player. hile the team as a whole has been destroying the �ields and opposing teams, each player dominates a certain aspect of the game. unior ick ennings and senior laise ilanek take the corners with direct kicks and control the set plays out on the �ield. unior Chris Donovan was also awarded the ain ine Player of the eek during the week of Oct. 11. In the back of the �ield, sophomore uke Smith has made big saves against teams like ower erion and arnet alley, that have given the win to ’Stoga.

The team has mostly kept its philosophy of play the same from the regular season to the postseason, according to immerman. It uses the 4-2-3-1 formation to highlight all of its players and to score as much as possible.

The soccer team has eight seniors, three of whom are committed. According to ennings, their leadership and contributions to the team have furthered the bond of the group as a whole.

An unexpected surprise was announced on Oct.2 . The boys’ varsity soccer team won the District Sportsmanship Award. The award is voted on by opposing teams and coaches.

“I think it is nice because we went undefeated in the league and we beat them all and they recogni e us as doing it in the right way and we weren’t erks about it. Usually the winning team doesn’t get that kind of award,” immerman said, with a smile on his face.

The boys have shown their abilities on and off the �ield and their season is not over yet. ith

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

He shoots, he scores: Senior Blaise Milanek takes a shot at the goal in the boys’ game against Abington High School on Oct. 27. The boys competed on Saturday, Nov. 19 for the State Championship.

Field hockey drives to states

By Elizabeth Billman Co-Sports-Editor irls varsity �ield hockey cleared out the competition as it won the District Tournament and advanced to states, achieving a record of 1 wins and one loss in their regular season. The team also won the Central eague title, continuing its three year streak of winning the title. Sadly, the girls lost the second game of the State Tournament.

Co-captain senior Stephanie Hamilton, a third year varsity player, holds the position of sweeper. She explains that the coach has added this position since changing their formation from a 3-4-3 to a 2-4-3-1. She also speaks on how she took a leadership role after losing starters from the previous year. “ e lost Casey Allen who was a huge voice on the field, but as the lowest defender, I can see more of the field than the girls up top, so I think I kind of took on a role talking

The Spoke 22

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Winding up: Sophomore Charlotte DeVries reaches for the ball during the girls’ game against Springfield High School on Sept. 8. In addition to being on varsity, she plays for the National Field Hockey team. to everyone on the field and talking through plays,” Hamilton said.

Head coach of �ive years, egan Smyth, explained that this season is not that different from the last regarding talent.

the possibility of taking home the State Championship on Saturday ov. 1 , the team still has opportunity to break more records and rewrite Conestoga sports history.

Editor’s Note: Due to the time of press, we were unable to update the results of this article from the State Championship held in Hershey, PA on Nov. 19

“There is a lot of individual skill, but the team is really working together to work as a unit and I think that it makes all the difference,” Smyth said.

Smyth also believes that the leadership this year has been a

contributing factor towards the team’s success. “ e have seven seniors this year and they have really kept together as a group to keep the team focused. They keep the team energi ed and our three senior captains are really the forefront of that,” Smyth said. hile transitioning between the regular season into the postseason, the team has altered its practice to focus on speci�ic things like “corner plays” and “defensive press.” Smyth, Hamilton and co-captain senior Sophie rove, a third year varsity player who plays center defense and left defense, all agree that their corner plays have been crucial this season to their success.

“Our offensive corners can be a big threat and that is something we have spent a lot of time focusing on when practicing. ut we are also ust as strong defensively, so we have something called our defensive press’ and that is something that we have spent a lot of time working on and the girls really take ownership of it,” Smyth said.

In addition to changing the way they practice and their game strategies, the team has also bonded more and has become focused as a team. Hamilton speaks about a team bonding activity the team had on Oct. 2 .

“The seniors did a drop off thing where we put our Central eague championship T-shirts and a balloon and a bag of candy at everyone’s door kind of like ding-dong-ditch. e’ve been kind of trying to do a few things to get everyone excited. I think the team energy does kind of change because this is where it matters and it’s basically 0-0 again,” Hamilton said.

Smyth also agrees that the team chemistry is an aspect of the team that aids them in their success on the �ield.

“The team is doing a great ob ust playing as a group and they seem to be having a lot of fun together and I think that’s half the battle is ust �inding friendships on the team and they are doing that and I think that is what makes it so much fun, but they are doing a great ob,” Smyth said.

Golf ended its season with a record of 9-2-0. The team �inished second in the Central eague, ualifying a team and six individuals for Districts.

Sports

Swinging through: Sophomore Samantha Yao lines up her drive. Yao won Centrals, Districts and Regionals, and placed second in the State Tournament.

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Hitting overhand: Sophomore Ashley Griffith serves in the team’s match on Sept. 12 against Owen J. Roberts High School, which it won 6-1.

Tennis ended its season with a record of 11-00. Numerous doubles and singles teams competed in district and state matches.

Courtesy Samantha Yao

uscle definition Junior Jacob Robinson pumps his muscles as he runs his way through playoffs.

Boys cross country competed as a team at Districts. oys cross country took the Central eague title, sent seven runners to Districts and two, att oeder and Carlos Schult , to States.

Courtesy Carlos Schultz

Head down: Junior Dominique Schultz runs her way to States, where she medaled. Senior Mary Kate Boccella also competed in States.

Girls cross country won the Central eague, ualifying as a team for Districts. Shult and occella also uali�ied for States.

Courtesy Carlos Schultz

Volleyball battled to salvage a near .500 season and qualify for the District Tournament. The girls lost in the �irst round of playoffs.

Serving up: Sophomore Claire Sarosi prepares to serve a hot hit in the volleyball team’s game against Avon Grove High School on Sept 6.

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Crossing over: Senior Maddie French crosses the ball in front of the goal as freshman Calista Courtney defends.

2 The Spoke

Girls’ soccer ended its season with an overall record of 15-3-4. The team made it through the District Tournament after qualifying but lost in the �irst round of the State Tournament.

The Spoke 23

Sports

Monday, November 21, 2016

Konospasek Czechs the competition on ice

By Henry Danon Staff Reporter

Two years ago, when freshman Frank Konopasek realized he could potentially be moving to the United States, he wasn’t afraid. Instead, he became excited to realize his hockey desires could be fulfilled.

Konopasek was born near Prague, Czech Republic, where he grew up and lived for most of his life. He started playing ice hockey at the age of 3, and he never hesitated from that point. Konopasek played competitively in his home country, where he was ranked nationally, until his move here.

“He’s worked hard since I’ve met him, and he has the work ethic and motivation to succeed,” said Michael Graves, the Conestoga boys’ varsity coach whose father Konopasek lives with. “He works hard; he puts in the effort.”

Konopasek plays right wing, a vital position in which the player typically stays to the right side and pushes past defenders to get open and in range to score.

Konopasek also has the ability to play left wing and center, both similar positions.

The idea of moving to the United States to pursue his hockey dreams of the National Hockey League (NHL) started two years ago, when Konopasek was 12 years old.

It was not easy for his parents or his team and teammates to imagine him being away from them, but for him it was easy.

He was excited to move to the country that he hoped would fulfill his dreams.

“I like the U.S.,” Konopasek said. “People are much more friendly (here), and everyone is nice.”

Konopasek had been to the United States before, to compete in tournaments with his former team in the Czech. He said he enjoyed the country when he had traveled here previously, which contributed to his desire to move here.

After Konopasek left his hometown, his parents were left in a tough spot. They had watched their son grow up and progress at hockey for 10 years, and now they were forced to see him leave their care. They plan to move here in the spring of 2017, and

24 The Spoke

Courtesy Frank Konopasek

Slapshot: Frank Konopasek (right) plays right wing and enjoys contact and scoring goals for his team. He was sad to leave his family and friends but is glad he is playing for the Junior Flyers.

Konopasek will visit them for winter break.

“I talk to (my family) every day. I either text or call them, but every day, I miss them a lot,” Konopasek said.

“I don’t really feel pressure, not yet. I just enjoy playing and try to have fun.”

-Frank Konopasek

Konopasek that he can’t wait to see them, and them moving here will be great for him. He also said his parents feel the same way, and they too are also excited to move here.

Konopasek is a member of two teams; the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers and the Conestoga varsity team. The Junior Flyers are associated with the NHL team Philadelphia Flyers, and are a competitive and exclusive team. The Conestoga varsity team is less competitive and not nearly as exclusive.

Jr. Flyers “is a good team, one of the best around, I think,” Konopasek said. “We have two losses and five wins this year, but the Conestoga team is better than that. ut the Flyers compete in a different league, so it’s not a great comparison.”

As a budding young talent, Konopasek will endure great challenges through his upcoming years. ut he doesn’t feel pressure while playing, at least for now.

“I don’t think he feels pressure, not yet at least. He’s calm when he plays and I haven’t seen it affect him,” Graves said. Graves thinks that for now, Konopasek

will be �ine. ut down the road, as the competition increases, he might feel pressure.

“I don’t really feel pressure, not yet. I just enjoy playing and try to have fun,” Konopasek said.

Konopasek lives with Graves’ father, who Konopasek describes as a great host.

“I can go to the gym anytime I want. I can go to the ice, too. I like my host family,” Konopasek said.

Konopasek said that when his family gets to the United States, he’ll be sad to leave the Graves, but excited to live in the United States with his family.

As mentioned earlier, Konopasek plays right wing, an offensive position that makes attempts at scoring and assisting other wing positions.

“I like scoring. I also love hits and contact when I’m playing. I love getting opportunities,” Konopasek said. “I just love action.”

Konopasek had drawn lots of differences between hockey in the Czech Republic and in the United States.

He thinks that hockey here is much more relaxed and less competitive.

“In the Czech, there is a lot of screaming and angry coaches,” Konopasek said. “Here it’s much more relaxed and it’s not nearly as competitive.”

As Konopasek looks into the future of his hockey career, he has one major goal: to make it to the NHL. “Nothing compares to the NHL,” Konopasek said. “NHL is best. I have to work hard to get there, but that’s my ultimate goal.”

Courtesy Frank Konopasek

Face-Off: Also on the ’Stoga varsity hockey team, Frank Konopasek is a member of the Junior Flyers, associated with the NHL team of Philadelphia. He began playing hockey when he was 3 years old.

Monday, November 21, 2016

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The Spoke 25

Monday, November 21, 2016

Sports

Our time: Sixers poised for long-awaited comeback

By Caleigh Sturgeon Managing Web Editor The Chicago Cubs’ game seven World Series win epitomized the major league “Cinderella Story,” as the Cubbies clutched their �irst title since 1908. Fair-weather fans jumped on the Cubs bandwagon, yearning for an underdog to shake the course of baseball history, while Chicagoans laid their hearts in the Cubs’ playoff run.

Thankfully, underdog yearnings are closer to home than Chicago. Last spring, we saw Villanova grip the NCAA National Championship for the �irst time since 1 . Do ens of Conestoga students �locked to Philadelphia for the celebratory Villanova parade, and even more students watched Kris Jenkins’ buzzer-beater.

But despite the triumph surrounding ’Nova’s underdog run, a Philadelphia major league team hasn’t clawed its way to the top since the Phillies’ World Series win in 2008.

Maybe, alongside Villanova, there’s room for another basketball Cinderella story in Philadelphia.

The Sixers of the last few years stood meek and defenseless in the face of NBA powerhouses like Cleveland and Golden State. Conversely, Sixers rookie center Joel Embiid has shined in a �luid and effective offensive unit that even battled against Lebron and the Cavaliers in the Sixers’ 101-102 loss on ov. . The showdown proved the Sixers’ 1-9 record doesn’t represent the team’s potential…especially considering No. 1 draft pick Ben Simmons’ promise. Simmons is expected to recover from a surgery to repair a fracture in his right foot in time to take the court in January.

On top of that, head coach Brett Brown announced on ov. that he intends to use Simmons as a point guard when he recovers. Simmons’ athleticism and ball control skills should enable a �luid transition from forward to

point guard, especially considering the playmaking abilities he displayed in preseason over the summer. And luckily, Simmons’ expected January return is in time for a Sixers comeback that would allow a playoff run.

Unfortunately, until Simmons’ return, fans might be stuck watching a slow Sixers offence for half of each game because of Embiid’s time restrictions. Embiid hasn’t gotten to play more than 2 minutes a game all season and still isn’t playing back-to-backs. While Embiid’s power plays under the net de�initely bolster the Sixers’ success, the coaching staff is trading short-term achievement for Embiid’s longterm development. I support Brown and his partners’ caution, even if I struggle through games turned lackluster with Embiid on the bench.

Exciting play, however, is a small trade for a prospective post-season of excitement.

This year’s Sixers celebrations might not match Chicago’s passion at the Nov. 4 parade — the Chicagoans had waited 107 years for their merriment — but a playoff run would be a sweet change for Philadelphians who haven’t even seen a Sixers playoff berth since 2001.

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

Happy days are (almost) here again

By Vikram Ragupathi Guest Columnist

What’s that they say when things are going badly? “It’s always darkest just before the dawn.” Now I don’t care how “accurate” that saying is, scienti�ically speaking, ’cause I’m not a scientist. However, I am a Philly sports fan, and to us that saying rings true — at least we hope it will. We’ve been trusting processes and talking about rebuilding for a few years now, but it’s �inally happening: young stars who actually exist! You could chalk it up to me just being an optimistic fan, but the facts beg to differ.

Think about it: there’s no place to go but up, right? The four Philadelphia teams are in good position. The upside used to only be potential draft picks, minor leaguers and a lot of hypotheticals that were easy to predict, but harder to see. Now that we’ve given the process a few years, young stars are signaling a changing of the tides for hapless Philadelphia. But, can all

26 The Spoke

four teams be elite at the same time? Is that possible? Yes, and it’s happened before.

In 1980, all four of Philly’s pro franchises made it to the championship. The year started with the Flyers of 1979-80 making the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Sixers were next. They had just been to the title in 1977 and lost and they lost to the Lakers in 1980. They lost to Los Angeles again two years later and �inally won it all in 1983. The Phillies, after 0-plus years of futility, �inally showed promise in the late ’ 0s, and would win �ive division titles between 1976 and 1983.

Their most successful season was, in fact, 1980 and that fall, they’d defeat the Royals in the World Series. The Eagles would start their season that year and hall of fame coach Dick ermeil would lead them to their �irst Super Bowl later that season in 1981, losing to the Raiders. So, Philly went 1-3 that year, but imagine being a fan back then.

Wow. All four teams were that good? I guess we can only dream.

Except, that dream’s slowly becoming a reality. Right now,

the Flyers are a playoff team.

Guys like Shayne Gostisbehere, Wayne Simmonds and Claude Giroux have a great coach in Dave Hakstol. These cardiac kids’ time to shine is right on the horizon.

The Phillies, as we all know, are far-removed from their great teams of the late 2000s (they are now rid of all members of that 2008 squad). They haven’t been to the playoffs since 2011, and have consistently been below . 00. That being said, they have a top-�ive farm system, including four prospects in MLB Pipeline’s top 100. Watch for current Phils Maikel Franco and Aaron Nola, alongside prospects J.P. Crawford, Nick Williams and Jake Thompson.

The Eagles have secured the most important piece of a playoff team: Carson ent . It seems like they’ll be there once they beef up their offensive line.

Their defense is workable as is, but defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will need to continue to develop on that side of the ball. The Sixers are arguably in the best position, as they play in the star-driven NBA, and have hit

paydirt with high-impact rookies Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons (thank Sam Hinkie and “the process” for them). They’ve got a crowded frontcourt with players like Dario Saric, ahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel, so look out for them to make a trade soon, as they are going to need a guard and a strong veteran presence to balance such a young team.

At this point, none of Philly’s teams know how to win, but they’ve got the talent necessary.

They’ve got the coaching staffs

and front of�ices working to help each team, following some pretty shaky regimes. We’ve struggled early on in this decade, as the city’s pro franchises have reverted back to Philly’s historic losing habit. That being said, Philadelphia is on the rebound.

We’re no longer solely being fed promises, and we’re starting to see results. All four teams are on the rise simultaneously, reminiscent of the squads of 30-40 years ago. Don’t look now, but Philly’s back, folks.

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

Monday, November 21, 2016

Sports

GABE HARMS

LIZ SCOTT

Why Ohio State?

“I loved everything about the school, the size of it and I most importantly love the teammates and the coaches there.”

Why Loyola University?

“I decided to commit there because of the talented coaching staff, and being able to compete at the highest level while receiving a great education.”

Grade: 12 School: Ohio State University Sport: Soccer Position: Right Outside Defense

What did ’Stoga soccer teach you? “‘Stoga soccer taught me to be passionate for myself, live in the moment, basically.”

Favorite memory?

“Going this far in my senior year and being No.1 in the country.”

#

I

Grade: 12 School: Loyola Sport: Lacrosse Position: Midfield/Draw

What did ’Stoga Lacrosse teach you? “‘Stoga lacrosse taught me that you don’t have to be a senior to be a leader. Everyone can be leaders when you lead by example.”

Favorite memory?

“My favorite ’Stoga lax memory was the 2016 State Championship.”

#

I7

T/E Mountain Biking Club wins State Championship

By Neil Goldenthal Co-Sports Editor

This fall marked the inaugural season of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Cycling League (PAICL). PAICL facilitates races for cross-country club teams throughout Pennsylvania, like the T/E Mountain Biking Club.

The club was founded this year

by Steve Harris and Galen Day, avid cyclists and parents in the district. The team is not af�iliated with the school district, but is open to all sixth through 12th graders in the area and there are around 33 members of the club. The team meets and practices trails and endurance at Valley Forge Park twice a week. It competed in �ive races this season with roughly 25 teams from all over the state and won the �irst PAIC State Championship on November.

Freshman Chase Ledwith enjoyed the community he experienced in the team’s �irst year.

“It’s fun for everyone because everyone is nice and supportive. There are people who have just started this year and some who have been riding their entire life,” Ledwith said.

The Mountain Biking Club was thrilled with the turnout

this season. Their initial goal was to have six to eight members, and by the end of the season there were 33 members from Conestoga, Lower Merion, Upper Merion and Radnor.

Freshman Ryan Harris, whose father co-founded the club

brings years of experience to the team coming from a family of cyclists.

“My whole family loves (cycling). My dad did motocross as a kid. I’ve pretty much been doing it my whole life,” Harris said.

Courtesy Ryan Harris

A Great Start: Ben Barret, Ryan Harris and Owen George of the T/E Mountain Biking Club accept medals at a PAICL race. The team won the first annual PAICL State Championship.

The club’s victory at the �irst PAICL Championships was the best way to cap off their season. However, Day knows that it was no easy feat.

“It was quite a rollercoaster, we went in down 60 points.

Everything had to go right for it to happen. (Senior) Turner Kaufman did a big thing. The league requires all kids to race JV unless they have racing experience. Then, in the last race, we asked him if he could race in varsity. We really threw him into a pack of wolves and he did great and scored us the last points that we needed,” Day said.

Few clubs and activities are as diverse as the Mountain Biking club, but Day says that the difference in age and schools made no difference.

“It’s surprising how well they all get along. They all just laugh and have fun, and it doesn’t matter that there are sixth and 12th graders sitting next to each other,” Day said.

The Spoke 27

Nov. 21, 2016 Conestoga High School

Berwyn, PA

www.spoke.news

@thespoke

Above the Crowd Junior Leddy McDugall performs an extended scale above her teamates. The girls ended their fall season with the football team but they will continue into the winter with baseketball and competition cheerleading.

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

“I don’t really feel the pressure, not yet.”

Courtesy Frank Konopasek

SCORES

“We’ve moved!”

See Page 20

Editor’s Note: Why was this moved?

The “Scoreline” has found a new home on page 20 to make room for more photos on the front and back covers of each issue.

How is the “Scoreline” put together?

About one week before each issue is sent to the publisher, the sports editors compile team records based on online reports, tweets and briefs. If The Spoke is reporting inaccurate game records, please have the team’s captains or coaches contact Co-Sports-Editors Neil Goldenthal (ngoldenthal@spoke.news) or Elizabeth Billman (ebillman@spoke.news).

See Page 24