The Spoke November 2018 by The Spoke

Miracle Worker

The

a r e b n orke a c u “YioracleoW o” M t See page 4

Dane Tilghman Conestoga grad displays art at Easttown Library

See page 7

THE Conestoga High School, Berwyn PA

Volume 69 No. 2

Nov. 20, 2018

Spoke.news

THE MILLENNIAL MIDTERM

2018 midterm elections fueled by youth participation and manpower By Audrey Kim and Avery Maslowsky

Managing Web Editor & Co-Editor-in-Chief Senior Emme Rycyzyn zipped up her raincoat on the morning of Nov. 6 with a determination to knock on doors across the Tredyffrin and Easttown communities, despite the weather forecast. “It was pouring,” Rycyzyn said. “Even though my clipboard and shoes were soaked, I knew I had to be out there talking to people.” Rycyzyn, 17, said her own inability to vote propelled her decision to canvass on Election Day, hoping to encourage eligible voters to go out to the polls. “I’ve realized that just because I’m not 18 doesn’t mean I don’t have influence over an election,” Rycyzyn said. “If (teenagers) can get people out of their homes and at the polls, then we are doing just as much good as if we could vote ourselves." As a volunteer canvasser for the Pennsylvania Democratic Congressional Coordinated Campaign (DCCC), Rycyzyn was just one of the Conestoga students participating in the 2018 midterm elections, many of whom were under the voting age, yet still encouraged others to vote or worked on the campaigns themselves. And according to Rycyzyn, their efforts paid off. Through election results provided by the Chester County Voter Services, The Spoke found that 72 percent of eligible voters in the Easttown and Tredyffrin Townships voted in 2018, an increase of 18 percent compared to the 2014 midterm elections. But that’s not all that’s changed: youth involvement surged nationally, marking the highest levels of civic participation from

Photos by Avery Maslowsky, Design by Justin Huang

Campaign craze: Senior Georgia Steigerwald (left) and senior Ian Charles (right) work for political campaigns prior to the Nov. 6 midterm elections. Steigerwald worked as a member of the Pennsylvania Democratic Congressional Coordinated Campaign and Charles worked with state representative Warren Kampf. the 18 to 29 age demographic in the past 25 years. According to nationwide early estimates at Tufts University’s Center for Information & Research on Civic

Learning and Engagement and political data firm TargetSmart, 31 percent of voters aged 18 to 29 showed up to the polls and more than 3.3 million voters from that demographic cast their votes

early, an increase of 11 percent and 188 percent respectively from 2014. Of that age demographic, the Conestoga club 2018 New Voters registered 116 seniors for the 2018 midterm elections,

Graduation robe design changes to singular student print Melinda Xu Web Editor

The class of 2019 will all wear black gowns for graduation in hopes of making the graduation process more comfortable for all students, said senior adviser Karen Gately. Administration hosted dropin sessions on Oct. 25 to solicit student opinions on new robe designs along with graduation venue and graduation dates. The final decision for the robe color was made through a Schoology poll held on Wednesday, Nov. 14. Principal Amy Meisinger, Vice Principal Patrick Boyle and Gately were all present at the drop-ins. Meisinger began the sessions by introducing the possible venues: Villanova Pavilion, Temple University and Teamer Field. By popular opinion, graduation will be held on Teamer Field. She also informed attendees about the change in graduation date from June 4 to June 5 due to Eid al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday. In opening the discussion on the change to a new robe, administration explained the history of the graduation robe at Conestoga. According to the school archives, graduation gowns were first worn in 1933. Their color was black. The robes changed twenty years later in 1953 and each graduating class chose a color to wear. But that changed in 1956 when boys wore gowns of their class color and girls began wearing white gowns. Eventually, the boys color became a consistent maroon, while the girls continued to wear white. Administration explained the reasoning behind the move to a single color, citing students' discomfort with the old gowns and precedence in other schools.

which totals to 86 percent of eligible voters at Conestoga.

Tredyffrin Library honored by Pennsylvania Library Association Maddie Lamonica News Editor

Olivia Thompson/The SPOKE

Robes on display: Students try on the final two new robe designs for graduation. The chosen design was the black robe, which was decided by a poll to the senior class on Schoology on Nov. 14. “Two years ago we went from assigning gowns by gender to allowing students to choose gown colors but some students felt that it put them in a very uncomfortable place to choose and in discussing with local schools in the Central League, the majority of the schools had made the switch to one color,” Gately said. At the drop-in sessions, students were then shown four possible designs that administration had selected prior to the drop-ins: a maroon gown with gray stripes, a gray gown with maroon stripes, a black

gown with maroon and gray stripes and a black gown with maroon stripes. About 150 students attended the drop-ins, according to Meisinger. Senior Chase Dautrich was one of them. “I definitely feel like I personally was heard during the session that I spoke during, and I feel that the admin has been very open to hearing our opinions,” Dautrich said. “After the school had the drop-in, I felt like I really understood where they were coming from.”

In response to this decision, junior Avery Carty organized a petition advocating for a re-vote based on greater student input on possible robe designs from all grades, not just the senior class. “As an upperclassman I have noticed a wide display of unhappiness expressed with the graduation gown shift. I have started a petition to allow all of the students at Conestoga to be fairly and equally represented in our graduation gown attire,” the petition said. Carty said by noon on Nov. 19, the petition had around 120 signatures.

Continued on Page 3

On Sept. 21, the Tredyffrin Public Library became one of five Chester County libraries to earn the distinction of “Star Library” from the Pennsylvania Library Association (PaLA) “We follow the PA Forward directive to make sure our library is more than just a place to borrow books but also a place for community members to learn and grow through our different programs,” Tredyffrin Library Director Chris Kibler said. The PaLA Forward Star Library Program recognizes libraries that incorporate PaLA’s five key literacies: basic, information, civic and social, health and financial, into their programming activities, displays and events. This group celebrates the success of Pennsylvania libraries and their ability to create new partnerships and develop broader community support. To earn the Star Library designation, the Tredyffrin Public

Library demonstrated a continuous commitment to helping T/E residents. In addition to its collection of books, films and music, the library also hosts a variety of programs and events to help benefit the community ranging from teen book clubs and yoga to classes for job seekers and summer camps. “Everyone here really works together to help plan events that serve the larger community and really just go above and beyond your typical library,” Kibler said. “So to be recognized by the Pennsylvania Library Association is such an honor.” Kibler looks forward to seeing how the new designation can further extend the Tredyffrin Library’s positive impact on the T/E area. “With things like Amazon and digital readers many people think that libraries don’t really serve a purpose anymore,” Kibler said. “It’s my hope that being a Star Library brings more people into the library and shows our community that we offer a lot more than just books.”

Maddie Lamonica/The SPOKE

Study to success: Library Director Chris Kibler flips through a book at the Tredyffrin Public Library. The Library earned the "Star Library" designation from the Pennsylvania Library Association on Sept. 21.

News

2 A BRIEF LOOK The latest developments in T/E news. LARGEST NHS INDUCTION

On Nov. 7, 159 students were inducted into the National Honor Society, making it the largest NHS induction in Conestoga history. THE MIRACLE WORKER COMES TO 'STOGA

From Nov. 15 to Nov. 17 ’Stoga Theatre presented the annual fall drama, "The Miracle Worker," which follows the life of a young Helen Keller and her teacher Annie Sullivan. SLEEP STUDY CONFIRMED

In the coming months, the TESD Education Committee will be conducting a sleep study to evaluate practical possibilities for a later morning start time. LIBRARY HOSTS COFFEE HOUSE

On Nov. 16, the library hosted its fall Coffee House. Students enjoyed free coffee and hot chocolate in addition to musical performances by students and staff. GRADUATION DATE CHANGED

The Class of 2019's graduation date was changed from June 4 to June 5 due to Eid Al-Fitr, a Muslim holiday. EASTTOWN OFFICERS AWARDED

Easttown police officer David Felker was honored on Oct. 17 for his work on the Easttown Township Youth Aid Panel. SCHOOL SHOOTING PRESENTATION HELD AT VFMS

On Oct. 27, the Chester County District Attorney's Office hosted a school shooting presentation at Valley Forge Middle School in which SWAT commander Andy Trautmann spoke about risk assessment.

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Parent group CAPA-TE formed to represent Chinese community Maddie Lamonica News Editor

A group of Chinese-American parents in the T/E district have formed a new organization in an attempt to get greater representation in district meetings and events. The Chinese-American Parents Association of Tredyffrin Easttown (CAPA-TE) is made up of parents of children in all T/E schools and aims to provide the Chinese community with a voice over district matters. “For most Chinese-American people their social platform is either their church, their neighborhood or Chinese school. However, all of those organizations are not district based,” CAPA-TE member and T/E parent Deana Wang said. “So I felt that it is about time for us to think about what we can do as a parent organization maybe, to formally introduce ourselves into the community as a group and also to provide a platform for the parents and students within the school district to be united together.” According to Wang, Chinese-American families often do not reach out to the school board or local government. “Given the cultural and historical background, Chinese people (were) only told what to do, we didn’t really ever have a true democracy in our home country,” Wang said. “However in a community like this, I believe that contributing and voicing out our concerns is the only way that we can influence policies.” CAPA-TE members plan to address a number of state-level

Justin Huang/The SPOKE

Enacting change: CAPA-TE member and T/E parent Deana Wang leads a discussion at the CAPA-TE's meeting on Nov. 12. CAPA-TE is a newly formed parent association aimed at representing T/E Chinese-American families at school meetings, events and activities. educational issues such as Pennsylvania House Bill 2329, which proposes to replace the school property tax with an increase to income taxes. At the district-level, the group focuses on policies such as the changes to the school calendar for religious and regional holidays. Wang’s son, Aaron Li, is a junior at Conestoga and hopes CAPA-TE can give Chi-

nese-American families a platform to discuss these issues. “CAPA will hopefully strengthen the Chinese-American community in this area, and embolden members of said community to voice their opinions knowing they can be supported by a group of people like them, and provide a different cultural point of view from the first generations perspective,” Li said.

“I can see this organization lead most of the parents and unite (them) together and to make a better community and provide something back,” Wang said. "In return we will be more visible by the general public and the politicians representing us, so that our opinion can be heard, can be valued, and can be looked at more seriously.”

Shape-shifting science: Freshman excels in national science contests Sophia Pan

Staff Reporter

Freshman Leo Wylonis set out to “make airplanes great again” with a project of the same name for the local science fair and finished at the forefront of the new generation of American scientists,

earning third place in the 2018 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge Finalist Event and placing as a finalist in the 2018 Broadcom MASTERS Program. “I built (an airplane) with shape-shifting wings,” Wylonis said. “Shape-shifting wings have higher efficiency than nor-

mal wing flaps on airplanes and I used polymer artificial muscles to control these shape-shifting wings to reduce the mechanisms required and increase the overall efficiency.” Finalists had an asteroid named after them and were awarded $500. The Broadcom MASTERS Program will award

T/E RECEIVES FUNDING TO IMPROVE SCHOOL SAFETY

On Oct. 31, TESD, in addition to all 12 Chester County school districts, was given $25,000 in grant funding to help improve school safety. NEW FACULTY ADVISERS JOIN SCIENCE OLYMPIAD

Teachers Valerie Cunningham and Mindy Gusdorf become the Science Olympiad coaches for the 201819 school year after science teacher Derrick Wood takes a sabbatical.

CAPA-TE meets regularly and plans to appoint a head and delegate members to speak at upcoming committee and school board meetings to vocalize their opinions. According to Wang however, the group is still undergoing the establishment stage. She hopes that in the future the organization will be able to effect positive change for all T/E families.

Courtesy Leo Wylonis

Making breakthroughs: Freshman Leo Wylonis stands outside Senator Patrick Toomey's office alongside Society for Science and the Public CFO Dan Reznikov and legal correspondents Wesley Wright and Samantha Heyrich. Wylonis won third place in the 2018 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge for his shape-shifting airplane wing design.

Read more at

$1000 to finalists’ middle schools to improve STEM education. Wylonis said he has always had an interest in science, but he took a special interest in airplanes. “I flew paper airplanes around the house when I was younger and then (in sixth grade) I built a balsa wood airplane powered by rubber bands that can fly for two minutes. This was like the next step,” Wylonis said. In designing his airplane, Wylonis tried many models before finding one that worked. In doing so he found that he could change the efficiency “pretty significantly” for different phases of flight. Wylonis hopes that his design can inspire others and help keep global warming in check by improving fuel efficiency and curbing carbon emissions. Wylonis entered his final project in the Chester County Science Fair with other students from TEMS, taking home first place and leading him to the Delaware Valley Science Fair. There, he received a nomination for Broadcom MASTERS and the Discovery Education YSC Challenge. Wylonis

submitted his shape-shifting wing design to both and a video entry to the latter. “I wasn't really expecting (to be a finalist), but when I got the call, I was very excited,” Wylonis said. The Broadcom MASTERS Finalist Event took place in Washington D.C. from Oct. 18 to Oct. 24. Finalists attended the Discovery Education YSC Finalist Challenge in St. Paul, Minnesota from Oct. 14 to Oct. 16, where Wylonis presented his design to experts in STEM-related fields and participated in science challenges. He and the other finalists orally presented to Ivanka Trump at the White House and he discussed his project at the office of Pennsylvania Senator Patrick Toomey. Wylonis said this experience encouraged him to pursue science in the future. “We need as many scientists as we can,” Wylonis said. “The world has a lot of problems and if young people can get interested in science, then that's important for the future."

School Board adopts new district-wide threat assessment protocol NEWS

“Each District school will establish a Threat Assessment Team comprised of school and District personnel to oversee the threat assessment process and consult with law enforcement. The Superintendent or designee will issue regulations to implement and train the Threat Assessment Team.” Bundt Cakes in Gateway

Freshmen visit Mesopotamian exhibit

T/E LIFE

Ben Smith and ‘Picardy’

’Stoga celebrates Halloween

SPORTS

Girls Soccer wins PIAA District I

The School Board approved the establishment of threat assessment teams at all district schools as part of revisions to the district’s Policy and Regulation 5401 at its monthly meeting on Oct. 22. “There was an incident at T/E Middle School with regards to threats and discipline which prompted a number of questions from the community and parents about how this policy was being implemented,” said Todd Kantorczyk, a member of the school board’s policy committee. These concerns led to the creation of parent focus groups earlier this year to discuss the procedure for reported threats. The district held four of these meetings this past June. The parent focus groups "provided some input to the administration in terms of what sort of issues the community seemed to be concerned about, in particular things related to the severity of discipline depending on the age of the student and perhaps options for discipline like in-school suspensions,” Kantorczyk said. Focus group members and district experts supported

the creation of formalized threat assessment teams for all district schools. “There was a team put together on an ad-hoc basis, but it wasn’t formalized, and that was one of the recommendations of these experts. Some of the parents had also mentioned the possibility of the use of more formalized threat assessment teams, so I think (the experts and parents) helped each other confi rm some of the improvements that we could make,” Kantorczyk said.

“

Each situation is fluid because the purpose is to understand the student and threat in context.

“

Richard Li

Staff Reporter

Dr. Christine Dunleavy Mental Health Specialist

The teams will be formed from a core group of an administrator, counselor, mental health specialist, school psychologist and psychiatrists, but other school staff may be included on an ad-hoc basis. Dr. Chris-

tine Dunleavy, mental health specialist at the high school, is a member of the Conestoga’s threat assessment team. “Each situation is fluid because the purpose is to understand the student and threat in context, so the team will likely be a pool of the people who best know the child,” Dunleavy said. To prepare for their task, the teams are participating in threat assessment training, which began with a threat assessment workshop on Nov. 6. “At the workshop, we were trained using the model from Dewey Cornell’s Guidelines for Responding to Student Th reats of Violence,” Dunleavy said. Cornell is a faculty member at the University of Virginia, who advises teams to classify threats based on genuine intents to cause harm before determining the appropriate response. In addition to creating these new threat assessment teams, the revisions specify that district-wide email communication may be initiated in response to a threat report depending on its severity, the number of individuals targeted, the degree of community concern and the recommendations from law enforcement and legal professionals. The

district will also offer counseling services to both the individual who made the threat and the individuals who were targeted by the threat. Reverend Scott Dorsey, president of the School Board, believes that the overall amendment process was very successful.

“Overall, I’m very happy with the results. It took the collaboration between the community, administration and the board, and it was successful,” Dorsey said. The fully updated Policy and Regulation 5401 can be found on TESD’s district website.

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

News

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

2018 midterm elections fueled by youth participation and manpower Continued from Page 1 Senior Nick Sondergaard, 18, was one of those 116. “I was really excited because I was able to finally voice my opinion on how the country should be run,” Sondergaard said. Taking a trip to the polls with her father and her sister, senior Suma Moolaveesala, 18, also voted this election. In September, Moolaveesala canvassed for the DCCC, attributing the increase in millennial participation and voter turnout to a nationwide awareness in the influence of the youth. “After Parkland, after there was a group of young people that were really advocating and speaking out for what they believe in, everyone else was like ‘oh wow. They are making headlines, they are making change, then we can do.’I think there is a shift in culture because right now young people are so motivated to make change now,” Moolaveesala said. Similarly, while senior Georgia Steigerwald, 17, could not vote this election, she decided in January that her voice still had power. Steigerwald, who is considering a future in politics, worked for State Representative Melissa Shusterman’s campaign in the spring and the DCCC in the summer, totaling over 15 hours a week.

“If I weren’t doing it, I’d be wondering what more I could do,” Steigerwald said. “The most important thing you can do is do something. Whether that’s voting or volunteering, you are showing that you care and that our voices matter.” Steigerwald, along with fellow senior and DCCC intern Dylan Ward, also encouraged their peers to participate in the civic process by canvassing. Within one weekend of Sept. 16, the two students recruited 17 Conestoga students to canvass for the party. But youth involvement was not limited to the Democratic party. Senior Gwen Charles, 17, an intern for Republican Warren Kampf ’s state representative campaign, said she made over one thousand phone calls this summer and helped create a “Wednesdays with Warren” segment on Facebook for Kampf ’s campaign. As the Executive President of Student Council, Charles said she knows the capability of her peers in the democratic process. “It is a waste to not utilize the power of the youth in an election,” Charles said. “During (Kampf ’s) campaign, we made sure to get young people involved either through canvassing or writing letters.” Charles worked alongside Class of 2016 alumnus Bonn Al-

Avery Maslowsky/The SPOKE

Crafting the campaign: Seniors Dylan Ward and Georgia Steigerwald organize canvass information at the Berwyn location of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. They became “fellows” for the committee in June. len throughout the summer for Kampf ’s campaign. Allen, who interned with Kampf for his se-

Courtesy Gwen Charles

Promoting voting: Senior Gwen Charles poses next to state representative Warren Kampf’s daughter outside the Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Company. Charles spent the past summer as an intern for Kampf’s campaign.

Suma Moolaveesala It was my dad’s first time because he recently got citizenship, and it was a fun thing for my dad and me to do together.

nior internship in 2016, held the position of interim campaign coordinator this summer. He said he did “anything and everything” to aid the campaign. “There were no two days while working for the campaign that where the same. One day we would be doing a film/photo shoot for social media the next we would be sending a mailer to 1000+ people, the next we would planning a fundraiser or a meet and greet,” Allen said. Kampf said throughout his campaign, students like Charles and Allen actively canvassed, called voters and worked on Election Day and noted the importance of the millennial participation in his campaign, despite the results of the race for state representative, resulting in his loss to Melissa Shusterman. “It was a campaign energized by people of all ages but our young volunteers showed us that young people are very interested in politics, the future of their country and they helped us reach other young people in ways we would not have thought of ourselves,” Kampf said. Similarly, Melissa Shusterman, who won the race for State Representative in the 157th Dis-

trict this November, hired six Conestoga interns in May and said her campaign was built on encouraging young voters. “We were not attracting the insiders of the Democratic Party, and we were not attracting big, traditional donors. Instead, we were attracting a different type of donor and participant, and that happened to be younger people,” Shusterman said. “And younger people view certain issues differently and view the (civic) process without excuse.” During the last month prior to the election, Shusterman’s campaign offered $50 a canvass shift to community teenagers. Campaign member Jodi Helsel said the money to fulfill this campaign strategy came from grassroots fundraising and by reaching out to the Young Democrats Club at Conestoga to aid in the campaign effort. “Even though they might be too young to vote, getting involved in helping a candidate elected is still a way for young students to have their voice heard,” Helsel said. “Students under the age of 18 are great canvassers and have powerful conversations with voters.”

Class of 2018 alumna Dani Dittman, who worked as an intern for Shusterman, said the campaign showed her the impact that teenagers can have in the democratic process by completing activities as little as knocking on doors or writing letters on election results. “It’s satisfying to know you are making a difference, no matter how small, in the future of your district or state or country,” Dittman said. “I knew the work I was doing was truly helpful and constructive, which was so gratifying — grassroots politics is all about the little things that sometimes feel mundane but end up making or breaking the results of the campaign.” According to the nonprofit and nonpartisan institute The Center for American Progress, voters in the 18 to 29 age demographic will account for an estimated 40 percent of the electorate by the 2020 election, indicating the increasing role the youth has to determine future government and policy. In the meantime, young people like Rycyzyn said they will continue to stay informed and participate in campaign efforts, hoping their voices will be heard in their newly elected officials.

Dana Liebezeit It’s a right that we should use, and you have no place to complain if you don’t vote.

Why we oted... 86% of eligible Conestoga students were registered to vote, 2018 New Voters said Lily Zhou

RJ Mita

When we go out and vote, we’re showing that we care, and also that we as young people today want to have a voice in how we’re growing up and how our government will be in the future.

Everybody else was voting blindly, and that’s part of the problem. I think that you should know what you’re voting for, so we don’t end up in situations where laws passed don’t help the voters.

Election results: Democrats take local and national Pennsylvania seats Katherine Lee Staff Reporter

After the midterm elections on Nov. 6, the Democratic party gained significant political positions both locally and nationally. In 2017, despite the Republican party majority in the Senate and House of Representatives, Democrats won important victories. For example, Democrat Phil Murphy won New Jersey’s gubernatorial race, ending the Republican party’s eight year hold on the state. On a local level, Democrats won in all three regions of the Tredyffrin-Easttown School Board election. This Democratic sweep continued in the 2018 midterm elections. The Democratic party won back the House of Representatives, gaining 30 seats for a total of 225, compared to the 197 seats now held by Republican party. However, the Democratic party was not

able to take the Senate, which continues to have a Republican majority. Democrats also triumphed locally for Pennsylvania. Democrat Tom Wolf, the incumbent governor, won against Republicans Scott Wagner and Paul Mango. Chrissy Houlahan and Bob Casey, both Democrats, won seats in the House of Representatives and Senate respectively for Pennsylvania. Houlahan defeated Republican Greg McCauley, securing District Six for the Democrats. Like Wolf, Casey ran against a strong Trump ally, Republican Lou Barletta. The race between Casey and Barletta brings to light topics that were important in the 2018 midterm elections. For the last two years, Casey pressed Trump on economic and immigration topics, while Barletta made himself known for pushing anti-immigration laws as a Trump advocate. Besides immigration and the

economy, health care is another issue that may have swayed voters in their decisions. Democrat Melissa Shusterman, a Conestoga alumna, won the State House of Representatives election for the 157th district against incumbent Republican Warren Kampf. Kampf held his position for eight years prior to this election. And in the past 50 years, Democrats controlled the 157th district for only two years. The special election for the Tredyffrin Board of Supervisors also took place on Nov. 6. After moving away from the township, supervisor Sean Moir abruptly resigned, leaving his seat vacant. Democrat Mark Freed won against Republican Judy Difilippo to fill Moir’s position on the Board of Supervisors. On the national level, the Democratic Party’s regained control over the House of Representatives, forming a divided government for Trump’s last two years in term.

Avery Maslowsky/The SPOKE

Out and open: In the Tredyffrin-Easttown Middle School parking lot, campaign posters line the fences. After the votes were counted in the 2018 midterm elections, Pennsylvanian Democrats won the governor seat as well as seats in the U.S. House and Senate.

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

T/E LIFE

Olivia Thompson/The SPOKE

Dressing for success: Costume adviser Susan De Jong and junior Katie Billman organize costumes for the fall drama "The Miracle Worker." Each costume was designed to reflect the time period and social status of each character.

Making miracles: Costume department hosts eyeglasses drive Tiffany He

T/E Life Editor

As the curtains rise on the cast of “The Miracle Worker,” the actors tell the story of a young girl, Helen Keller. The costumes they wear depict a story of another time and place, the 1880s in Tuscumbia,

Alabama. Aside from carefully crafting these wearable time machines, the costume department recently directed their attention to another wearable: eyeglasses. The costume department is partnering with Lions Clubs International, one of the largest service clubs in the world, to collect used eyeglasses. The

glasses will be refurbished by for a global movement for the professional ophthalmologists blind that still continues today. “Look at the advantages and then donated to people in developing countries. In- we have because of our sight spired by the actions of Keller, and our hearing. You are truly who challenged the Lions Club humbled by the fact that this to become the Knights of the woman had none of that,” De Blind, costume department Jong said. Fellowes reached out to adviser Susan De Jong is spearheading this project along with the local chapter of the Lions Club and received boxes for the junior Izzy Fellowes. “We were talking about drive. With the help of former the fact that we put clothes on art teacher Michael Starner, they created posters. people’s bodies Fellowes hopes to and people put spread awareness eyeglasses on, about preventable so why don’t we and as the costume “Look at the advantag- blindness committee look es we have because of give students an to at coupling this our sight and our hear- opportunity help. show as a spring“It’s definitely board for a ser- ing. You are truly humvice project?” De bled by the fact that giving a deepmeaning to Jong said. this woman had none er the play. It feels The departgood to be givment first came of that.” ing back,” Felacross the idea said. while researchSusan De Jong lowes Other meming the historical Costume Department Adviser bers of the cosbackground of tume crew, like the characters junior Katie Billthey costumed, particularly Helen Keller. Af- man and senior Maggie Goster suffering from a grave fe- near, are helping with the task ver during infancy, Keller lost of collecting eyeglasses. “As someone who wears glassher hearing and sight. With the help of her mentor, Anne Sulli- es, I really want to help make sure van, she learned sign language. kids who need them get them. It's Decades later at the age of 45, so easy to donate sunglasses and she spoke at Lions Clubs Inter- reading glasses you have around national Convention, calling your house,” Billman said.

“

Olivia Thompson/The SPOKE

Seeing clearly: The costume department has collection boxes around Conestoga to collect used eyeglasses. The glasses will be refurbished and given to people in developing countries. The drive runs through the 'Stoga Big Give in December.

Olivia Thompson/The SPOKE

Playing Keller: Freshman Sasha Reeder plays the role of young Helen Keller in the fall drama. Reeder shares the role of Keller with fellow freshman Ilena Mita. Although the drive will run through the 'Stoga Big Give in December, Fellowes hopes that the department will be able to expand this project further. “I hope that we can try and make this happen pretty reg-

ularly,” Fellowes said. “I hope that people think about what it would be like if they lived in a country where they couldn’t get an eye exam, or their vision was impaired and they couldn’t do anything about it.”

Community crowdfunds student medical expenses said, a friend of Dwyer. “People are giving food for his family, making dinner and more. Everyone keeps asking how he is to stay optimistic.” Dwyer is grateful for everything the community has done for him. “That was amazing, to have the community support me like that. That was the nicest thing anyone's done for me,” Dwyer said. Alexandra Hall hopes that a more permanent solution will be found to help Dwyer’s heart, supported by new research and the community’s best wishes, and that people continue to donate and help out. “After we set up the (GoFundMe), we were told that people usually only can receive one transplant, and that transplants only last so long,” Alexandra Hall said. “We hope that medical technology advances so that one day a mechanical pump may be available to replace the functions of the heart.”

$14,690 of $15,000 goal

Created August 11, 2018 by Alexandra Hall

Frequency

Alexandra Hall started the fundraiser out of a desire to help Co-Editor-in-Chief a friend in need, since her daughter, Brianna Hall, has known DwAfter the Tredyffrin-East- yer since freshman year. town community heard about “When most seniors were senior Matt Dwyer’s diagno- applying to college, Matt was sis of dilated cardiomyopathy, fighting for his life,” Alexandra which causes heart failure, Hall said. “If you think about school district parent Alexan- what this feels like, you recdra Hall started a GoFundMe ognize how difficult it is to go on Aug. 11 to crowdfund mon- through a situation like his.” ey for his heart transplant at Although word-of-mouth the Children’s Hospital of Phil- spread news of the fundraiser, adelphia, which he received on it gained most of its traction Sept. 19. through social media. “It’s crazy,” Dwyer said. “Social media was the key,” “I thought it was going to be Brianna Hall said. “My mom maybe $1,000 or $2,000, but I and I also sent out emails to a never thought it would be as lot of the parents, but the real much as it is.” reason it spread so much was As of early November, the social media, like Instagram GoFundMe had raised $14,690 and Snapchat.” out of a goal of $15,000, and 225 Besides raising money, people had contributed so far. community members have “We were all so happy that shown their support by interso many people donated. It’s acting with Dwyer in person, really amazing and really hope- beyond the online fundraiser. ful to see that so many people "A lot of people are trying care,” senior Brianna Hall said. to help,” senior Katie Morrison

Justin Huang

$10 $20 $30 $40 $50 $60 $70 $80 $90 $100

$4,447 Total Donated by Students

Student Donations

$54

Average Donation

$37.50 Median Donation

>$100

82 $50

Number of Donations

Most Common Donation

T/E Life

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

'Anything with a Plug' event turns flatscreens to feedstock Andrew Bucko T/E Life Editor

To see the parking lot full on a freezing Saturday morning in Wilson Park is abnormal. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perhaps stranger is that all these drivers are lined

up not to see a sports event, but instead to recycle. Around the south lot sat mountains of monitors, awaiting transformation into new products. On Nov. 10, residents made their way to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anything with a Plugâ&#x20AC;? recycling event. Tredyffrin and Easttown Townships

arranged the event with the goal of properly disposing old appliances, from as small as computer mice to as big as refrigerators. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So much old (technology) accumulates over the years,â&#x20AC;? participant Chris Sommers said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It became an eyesore

Andrew Bucko/The SPOKE

Offering a helping hand: E-force employees carry a television over to the sorting piles. Employees sorted massive devices such as refrigerators, air conditioners and even a treadmill. All devices will be processed into refined glass, plastic and metal for use in other products.

and I felt too guilty putting it out for trash collection, so I'm happy to know all of it will be recycled.â&#x20AC;? Sommers even made the effort to get his neighbors digging through their own graveyards of cords and computers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I grabbed a few things from my neighbors to bring today,â&#x20AC;? Sommers said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyone has old devices and it made sense to fill the car up since I was already coming down.â&#x20AC;? Peg Pennington made two trips to Wilson Park with dinosaur-devices in tow. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel right letting this stuff sit in a landfill. My conscience wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let me do that,â&#x20AC;? Pennington said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have the patience to wait in line so it made sense to fill the trunk and come down.â&#x20AC;? E-force, the company tasked by the Tredyffrin and Easttown districts with processing devices brought to the event, prides itself on being the first certified responsible recycling group in Southeastern Pennsylvania. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m proud to know that everyday my work is helping to create a cleaner world,â&#x20AC;? E-force employee Tony Smith said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As a Conestoga graduate, it's amazing to see such a big turn out today.â&#x20AC;? All 40,000 pounds of gadAndrew Bucko/The SPOKE gets brought to the event undergo a rigorous process to Gadget graveyard: Appliances await transportation from Wilson Farm ensure that all components are Park to the e-force recycling facility. T/E residents brought 40,000 properly recycled. pounds of electronic waste to the "Anything with a Plug" event. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We first have to deconstruct everything,â&#x20AC;? E-force employee Jim a product, feedstock is a great Mack said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The earth only has Mack said. "Glass, metals, plastics substitute for newly mined so much copper, steel and aluminum. It's important to take every and other components all have to metals or plastic.â&#x20AC;? Mack recognizes the impor- effort to recycle these materials, be separated before we can begin the process of transforming and tance of ensuring sustainable as electronics offer a wide range development through recycling of non-renewable resources.â&#x20AC;? melting into feedstock.â&#x20AC;? And while e-force's crew Feedstock is the term used electronics. All components of to describe the recycled ma- electronic devices, from the pre- wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t return to Wilson Farm terials that are produced from cious metal in their circuit boards Park until next year, Mack to their plastic shells originate hopes the enthusiasm found recycled products. this year will motivate more â&#x20AC;&#x153;Feedstock is very diverse,â&#x20AC;? from non-renewable sources. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Many of the metals we re- people to participate in reMack said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Anywhere that raw materials are needed to make cycle are in very low quantities,â&#x20AC;? sponsible disposal next fall.

Teacher Feature: Kathryn Pokalo weaves literary connections English teacher Kathryn Pokalo has been teaching students at Conestoga since 1999, currently instructing Accelerated British Literature and Language and Composition. During her time working as a secretary and mom in the '80s, "Pride and Prejudice" inspired Pokalo to pursue teaching as her lifelong career. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had read a novel by Jane Austen and that was kind of the prompt to get my second degree,â&#x20AC;? Pokalo said. Education surrounded Pokalo during her childhood years, given that her mother taught school until retirement. After graduating from William Tennent High School in 1973, Pokalo did not go back to get her masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in education until her mid 30s. Pokalo said her primary focus in teaching is connecting students with novels. She said her favorite book to teach is Danteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Infernoâ&#x20AC;? because it addresses the meaning of being human. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Literature gives us a lens into other peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives and makes us more deeply human,â&#x20AC;? Pokalo said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The only place where students are going to be exposed to human writing and thinking will be in the literature courses here.â&#x20AC;?

For Pokalo, watching students learn and come to that realization is one of the most rewarding aspects of teaching. She said she gets the opportunity to see students develop in ways they are not aware of until they can step back and realize their progress. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I pity people who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have that experience of watching someone grasp something that they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think they knew,â&#x20AC;? Pokalo said.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Literature gives us a lens into other people's lives and makes us more deeply human. Kathryn Pokalo English Teacher

Outside teaching, Pokalo loves to read, knit and travel. When she travels for conferences, she looks for open knitting nights. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great way to meet people, especially when traveling. I get to meet the locals in a way I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have otherwise,â&#x20AC;? Pokalo said. With a love of fabrics, Pokalo started her own business called Pleasant Valley Textiles, where she

makes purses and pillows from wool felt. At an early age, Pokalo learned to sew, knit and crochet. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have always liked working with fibers and textiles, so I knew that when I retired, I wanted to do something that involved fabric,â&#x20AC;? Pokalo said. Pokalo knew she would want to keep busy during retirement. Inspired by an advertisement for a fabric-making machine, she ended up buying it and began her business. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When one stops doing what one has spent a career doing, you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just stop. For me, the business has been building towards the next chapter.â&#x20AC;? Pleasant Valley Textiles currently has a few wholesale clients and sells at local craft and art shows. Despite Pokaloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s love for handiwork, Pleasant Valley Textiles is just a hobby to address her creative needs. Teaching will remain Pokaloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main job. Although she had taught before at the Community College of Philadelphia for 28 years as well as a public high school in Philadelphia, she said feels fortunate to be at 'Stoga now. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The students are terrific to work with and I have some amazing colleagues,â&#x20AC;? Pokalo said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are many things that make working here a pleasure.â&#x20AC;?

Olivia Thompson/The SPOKE

Literary lens: English teacher Kathryn Pokalo enjoys a book during a free period. Pokalo's inspiration to begin teaching started with her appreciation for sharing literature with students. Aside from reading, Pokalo seeks to expand her textile business.

* facebook.com/huntingtonkop king-of-prussia.huntingtonhelps.com

ARATE CLA K SS K K S

Staff Reporter

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Christina Lee

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T/E Life

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

FANTASY FOOTBALL THE ART OF THE DRAFT

ned g i s De d n a ity n r r e t e t n G itor Wri a g a Re ign Ed Des Instead of the usual drowsy Monday mornings, things are different at Conestoga during football season. The hallways are alive with chatter of fantasy football stats, as the week is renewed and new teams are facing off. We talk “to each other about what happened the previous Sunday and talk trash to each other and give each other beef about if their team won or lost. It's always really fun to talk to your friends about it,” sophomore Jack Susanin said. Those at Conestoga who are involved in fantasy football make up only a small percentage of the total number of players, which was 59.3 million in 2017, according to the Fantasy Trade Sports Association. Each individual has his or her own way of playing and a special plan to accumulate the most fantasy points and defeat their opponents, allowing the existence of a diverse range of techniques and strategies. According to senior Kiran Rebholz, fantasy football requires a combination of skill and effort. “I definitely think you need skill. For example, if you look at daily fantasy sports, the people who win the most are guys with machine learning programs. Theyʼre mathematicians, statisticians and computer scientists,” Rebholz said. “In addition

[consistent|picks]

Based on weekly standard deviation divided by fantasy points per game average (CR). Lower is better. Data provided by ESPN.

Patrick Mahomes #15

to skill, itʼs also effort — making sure you read the sports news every night.” Similarly, dedicated fantasy player and senior Elena Lindquist evaluates her opponents. “I have to pay attention to more players now and more teams and more in general than if I was just an Eagles fan,” Lindquist said. “Now I'm worried about other people's stats and who they're playing and what defense I should play.” On the other hand, long-time fantasy player, economics teacher and football coach, Justin Davey, disagrees that one needs skill to triumph in fantasy football. “This year, I auto-drafted both of my teams, which is an immediate sign of disrespect, and in both of my leagues Iʼm tied for first place,” Davey said. “If you make respectable decisions during the time period and play law of averages and let it ride itself out, sans major injuries, youʼre going to be alright.” No matter how itʼs played, the game allows for a sense of unity and recreation for most of its players, despite the competitive edge. “I play it because it is fun to see the results of each week and you can actually learn a thing or two from making lineup decisions that could make or break a season,” senior Shray Mehrotra said. “It also brings people together which I think is the most important part. It is a great way for people to make friends.”

Position: QB Team: Kansas City Chiefs CR: .242

Todd Gurley II #30 Position: RB Team: Los Angeles Rams CR: .211

Adam Thielen #19 Position: WR Team: Minnesota Vikings CR: .177

Zach Ertz #86 Position: TE Team: Philadelphia Eagles CR: .316

Dustin Hopkins #3 Position: K Team: Washington Redskins CR: .405

Danielle Hunter #99 Position: DL Team: Minnesota Vikings CR: .701

Kiko Alonso #47 Position: LB Team: Miami Dolphins CR: .422

fan·ta·sy foot·ball noun

Antoine Bethea #41

A competition where fantasy players create their lineup each week, in a public or private league, choosing from a roster of NFL athletes. Each person is scheduled to play an opponent within their same league at least once throughout the season, scoring points according to the actual performance of the players.

Position: DB Team: Arizona Cardinals CR: .283

Villanova Restaurant Week offers a taste of the Main Line Copy Editor and Staff Reporter

Renato DiStefano/The SPOKE

Chomping the crust: Junior JT Cottrell takes a bite of his thin crust pizza at Jules Thin Crust. The restaurant offered discounted prices and specials as part of Villanova University's Restaurant Week, an event highlighting over 40 restaurants on the Main Line.

After purchasing two slices of thin crust pizza, junior JT Cottrell sits down with his friends at Jules Thin Crust in Wayne. The restaurant is filled with the tantalizing scent of red chili flakes, tomato sauce and melting cheese. Cottrell wipes a stray tomato spot from the Villanova logo off his T-shirt before digging into his meal, which he bought with a discount redeemed during Villanova’s Restaurant Week. From Nov. 5 through 9, Villanova University co-hosted its inaugural “Villanova Dines Out! Restaurant Week” with the Bryn Mawr and Wayne Business Associations. More than 40 eateries across the Main Line area offered discounted prices to customers wearing “Villanova gear”. Jules Thin Crust offered a special of any two slices, a drink and a chocolate chip cookie for $10. “I’m really happy (that Jules Thin Crust is) one of the restaurants participating because they have incredible pizza, plus I get a discount which is super helpful, being in high

school,” Cottrell said. “It helps support somewhere I love to eat at with my friends.” According to Laura Wagoner, the Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations at Villanova University, it was “a lot of legwork” to organize this event. Wagoner first approached the Wayne and Bryn Mawr

“

It brings the Villanova campus and surrounding communities closer together. Laura Wagoner

“

Renato DiStefano and Sanjana Sanghani

Assistant Director of Relations

Associations with the idea of Restaurant Week. After both agreed to host the event with Villanova, Wagoner reached out to each restaurant through emails, phone calls and in-person visits. After securing restaurants that desired to participate, a website — with each restaurant’s logo and their planned specials — and social media outlets promoted the event. A goal of Restaurant Week is “bringing the (Villanova) campus and surrounding com-

munities closer together by celebrating local businesses,” Wagoner said. Cottrell hopes that the event will benefit the local businesses participating in Villanova’s Restaurant Week. “I think it’s very helpful for a small business because it can increase the amount of people coming in,” Cottrell said. “I work at a small business myself and I’ve seen how sales attract a larger customer base and help build loyal customers who want to come back.” Another local restaurant that participates in restaurant week is Christopher’s: A Neighborhood Place in Wayne. Owner and President of the Wayne Business Association Christopher Todd offered a $25 prix fixe menu comprised of three courses that would usually cost about $29 to $32. A roasted red pepper hummus and a braised brisket bolognese with homemade pappardelle pasta were two of the best-selling courses on the prix fixe menu. Todd believes the event is a “great opportunity for promotion” and gives people “a reason to go out.” “I think this kind of thing represents what happens when community organizations come together,” Todd said.

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

T/E Life

Coming home (left): Viewers (left to right) Cheryl McKim, Ed Jemmot and Eileen O'Malley Spangler talk with artist Dane Tilghman about his exhibit in the Easttown Library. Tilghman, a graduate, has previously exhibited his artwork in the University of Pennsylvania, Longwood Gardens and the African-American Museum in Philadelphia.

Melinda Xu/The SPOKE

Dane Tilghman was 26 years old when a trash can, hit by an incoming train in the scrap yards where he worked, hurtled towards him at full speed. At the time, Tilghman worked in the demolition business with his father, drafting paintings and drawings for his own enjoyment on the side. While the object missed hitting him, the incident pushed Tilghman to embrace a full-time career in art. Now, his artwork has been collected by individuals and institutions such as former President of South Africa Nelson Mandela and the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum in Cooperstown, New York. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Life is too short to not do what you love,â&#x20AC;? Tilghman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For me, that meant art.â&#x20AC;? Tilghman, who graduated in 1975, has had work exhibited in the University of Pennsylvania, Longwood Gardens, the African-American Museum in Philadelphia and most recently the Easttown Library, which is featuring his

work in an exhibit during November. Encouraged by his parents and brother, Tilghman enrolled in his high school art program, where he focused on ceramics, woodwork and drawing. Senior year found Tilghman in the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s woodshop, where he spent his free time building a china cabinet for his mother. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I had won a high school superlative, it would probably be â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Least Likely to be Noticed,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how much time I spent in the woodshop working.â&#x20AC;? Tilghman would later use that work ethic in his first few years as a full-time artist, working around 14 hours a day on paintings and drawings. He views painting as storytelling, drawing inspiration from black and white photographs of his family and the early twentieth century to fuel what he calls his â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everyman Series.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;Everybody has a legacy. I paint people who could have just been a father, a mother, an uncle, a guy who

worked at the railroads or in other jobs. They made a difference and they contributed, but no one honored them for that,â&#x20AC;? Tilghman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But (those people) were famous to somebody, maybe to their sons or their daughters or brothers or sisters. That's what I try to remember.â&#x20AC;? Tilghmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s works, which range from technical to expressionist, often feature the subjects of baseball, music and African-American life. He incorporates the styles of cubism and impressionism, frequently elongating and exaggerating the limbs of people. His art also crosses multiple mediums, from pencil to watercolor to oil. Tilghman hopes to continue exploring his art. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m fortunate enough to have some fame, but success and fame sneak up to you when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got your head down and elbows submerged,â&#x20AC;? Tilghman said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll keep creating and selling art, and since I love doing this, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do it until the day I drop.â&#x20AC;?

Audrey Kim/The SPOKE

Collision at the plate (above): The piece "Play At Home" features two baseball players sliding to home base. Tilghman's work has been previously featured at the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

Audrey Kim/The SPOKE

One of many (above): The piece "One Boat" hangs on the wall behind the Easttown front desk. Tilghman has painted a range of work from technical to expressionist, incorporating styles such as impressionism and cubism.

Audrey Kim/The SPOKE

Old friends and old photos (right): Visitors Cheryl McKim and Michael Clark view one of Tilghman's pieces, interpreted from a black and white photo of a basketball team. Clark befriended Tilghman in elementary school and has stayed in touch since.

A sense of history (above): The piece "Red Chair" features a man playing a guitar on a porch. Tilghman frequently takes inspiration from early twentieth century black and white photographs, particularly those of his family. Melinda Xu/The SPOKE

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

OP/ED 'It could be others also':

Trump threatens to revoke other press credentials, not just CNN reporter Jim Acosta's

We will not be suppressed.

From the Editor: An email on changing times

Justin Huang

Co-Editor in Chief

Dear Mr. Teacher, To whom it may concern, Salutations, Good morrow, I hope that you’re enjoying your day so far.

After Peer Mediation’s pre- would be missing, such as class sentation to freshmen on writ- notes or assigned homework. ing emails to teachers, I have revised the language slightly in light of my prior delinquency. I now realize that sending “thx for letting me take the test friday lol I was hella beat ig” was inappropriate, and I formally offer my deepest apologies. I am writing an email today regarding an upcoming conflict between my personal schedule and your classes. It is my extreme displeasure to inform you that I will be attending the DECA district-level competition soon and won’t be in school that day. I confess that I am hoping that you can send If the idea itemsthat in question “I think it’s a great no one are on me any class materials that I Schoology, I will make an effort

should believe because such and such isn’t always considered a fundamental right to all activists.”

Point: Trump administration handling migrant caravan appropriately STUDENTS SPEAK

to print them out. Moreover, I am fully aware

the test on Wednesday, so I humbly request that you allow me to take the test the day after so that I may properly prepare for it. Although it saddens me to mention this, my competition will occupy the majority of my time allotted for studying, and I unfortunately have zero confidence in my ability to work through it and come out of the room with an acceptable grade. I hope that you empathize with my predicament and can accommodate my request. Once again, I apologize for my greedy requests. I understand that this is a major Paige Sredenschek/The SPOKE inconvenience to your plans, and I appreciate your benevthat my absence coincides with “I think it’s a great our planned review day before olence and mercy. Please send

idea that no one should believe because such and such isn’t always considered a fundamental right to all activists.”

me a reply upon your receipt of this mail. Sincerely, Respectfully, Kind regards, -Justin Huang CHS Student E: hello@spoke.news M: 605-475-6968 “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” - Benjamin Franklin

No problem, good luck! Sent from my iPhone

Counterpoint: What the migrant caravan teaches us -John Hancock, about ourselves senior

Migrant Caravan OUT -John Hancock, senior

avan plan to claim “credible fear” migrants who enter the counupon reaching the United States. try illegally. Under the changes, According to Homeland Security, those who cross illegally will not such referrals are meant for those be eligible for asylum, but could who have been persecuted or have still avoid deportation by quali“I think it’s a great idea that no fear one ofshould believe fying for “withholding of remov“a well-founded persecubecause such and such isn’t always considered tion or harm on account of his aal." This protects migrants from or to herall race, religion, fundamental right activists. ”“Inationality, think it’s a being deported to their home membership in believe a particular social countries, but offers no pathway great idea that no one should because group, or political opinion if re- to securing a green card or U.S. such and such isn’t always considered a fundaturned to his or her country.” From citizenship. activists.” standpoint, there is Brooke mental Deasy right to all a probability -John Hancock, These actions are a step in Managing Editor considerable doubt that all 7,000 of the right direction in ensursenior these individuals, or close to that ing that the amnesty process is Nearly one month ago, some number, fit the previous defini- taken seriously and conducted 160 individuals gathered at a bus tion. However, the ease with which appropriately. If the administraterminal in the Honduran city of migrants can claim persecution tion begins to relax regulations, San Pedro Sula, ready to embark has allowed aliens with meritless even in the slightest, we may on a 2,000 mile journey to the claims to stay in our country. soon find our borders overflowsouthern U.S. border. Known as This is the bottom line: Credi- ing with prospective citizens or the migrant caravan, the group ble fear referrals are being abused. asylum-seekers attempting to now numbers some 7,000 bypass the legal individuals, making it the process. And what single largest movement would this mean? of migrants north in deMore waiting time cades — by far. for those who actuPresident Donald ally qualify for and Trump has cast the carrightfully deserve avan as a national threat amnesty. that requires military Thus, I don’t intervention. Following blame Trump and suit, thousands of troops his administration have been deployed to for responding the the southern border. In a way they did. This tweet on Oct. 29, he said is a matter of na“This is an invasion of our tional importance Country and our Military and has nationis waiting for you.” al implications. While the language Security should Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE trump all in such Trump chose to use was startling, I agree with the basis of They are meant for those who are situations, and since there are his statement. The caravan has the in danger at home. A poor coun- no plans for U.S. military forces potential to cause national harm, try or economy, however disheart- to be involved in the actual misand although the movement may ening, does not and should not sion of denying people entry, no not be an invasion in the strict guarantee an entrance pass to the harm no foul. sense of the word, it certainly pos- United States. As parents tend to stress to es a threat to the U.S. legal system The Trump administration their children, “It’s better to be and people of the country. has recently introduced new safe than sorry.” This applies Individuals in the migrant car- measures to deny asylum to here as well.

istration to vilify the caravan an era of a country that historiand promote their own partisan cally has been the face of peace politics, with Trump referring and humanitarian aid. And it’s not just those in the to the group as an “invasion” of gang members and terrorists, caravans that will be affected. “I think it’s a great idea that noand releasing an ad warning of Asylum in general is undergoone should believe because an apocalyptic future for asylum ing radical revisions under the such and such isn’t always seekers that even right-leaning administration. In June, former network Fox News eventually re- U.S. attorney general Jeff Sesconsidered a fundamental right sions ruled that domestic abuse fused to air. to all activists.” -John Hancock, As of Oct. 24, over 1,700 of and gang violence no longer genthose in the caravan have applied erally qualify as reasons for asyAudrey Kim senior for asylum in Mexico, with more lum, with more restrictions to be Managing Web Editor estimated to the United States. proposed this fall, according to There’s a narrative that’s By sending out armed militia the Department of Justice. It’s America’s legacy of immibeen frequently peddled by the groups — who are not regulatpress in the last few months: a ed nor employed by the federal gration, and to hold up a hand in need, which we few thousand people have been taught trudging through rivto be proud of ers and hills, many since elementary barefoot, to seek refschool, and that uge in the United legacy is seeing its States. Children colend now. Regardlapse from exhaustion. less of opinions on Most carry only a sinpolicies about ungle bag of possessions. documented imMany have asked migration, the fact why these families that refugees are have chosen to risk now condemned their lives to travel as rapists and the dangerous journey gang members by north, and the equally members of our obvious answer is that own government they clearly believe the shows how far we journey is worth it, to have fallen in a escape the poverty and country that once violence that disrupts Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE asked others “to their lives at home. This should have been an up- military, and frequently operate give me your tired, your poor, lifting sign that the American within their own agenda — to and your huddled masses yearndream — despite higher political the border, we send a message ing to break free.” And perhaps tensions than ever and our recent to the rest of the world about the that hate, rather than the brown tragedies in Pittsburgh and Flor- people we deem worthy to help, faces staring back at us, is what ida — lives on in the minds of and the people we don’t, ending we should be more afraid of. people around the world. Instead, it became an opportunity for the adminIn the October issue, we spelled Emma Susas’ name incorrectly on second mention in

Q: Should students have their driver licenses before college?

SORRY, WE MISSPOKE the front page caption.

The Spoke is published seven times per year at Bartash printing. It consistently receives a Gold rating from PSPA and CSPA, and is a National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award-winning publication. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.

The SPOKE Staff Editors-in-Chief: Justin Huang, Avery Maslowsky Managing Editor: Brooke Deasy News Editor: Maddie Lamonica T/E Life Editors: Andrew Bucko, Tiffany He Opinion Editor: Claire Guo Sports Editor: Aimee Buttenbaum Design Editor: Reagan Gerrity Copy Editor: Renato DiStefano Photography Editor: Olivia Thompson Business Manager: Emma Clarke

Cartoonists: Kaitlyn Chen, Coco Kambayashi, Paige Sredenschek Staff Reporters: Matthew Fan, Alex Gurski, Christina Lee, Katherine Lee, Richard Li, Sophia Pan, Sanjana Sanghani, Reese Wang Managing Web Editor: Audrey Kim Web Editors: Dhivya Arasappan, Ananya Kulkarni, Melinda Xu Faculty Advisers: Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt, Susan Gregory

Submissions: Letters to the editor may be submitted to Editors-in-Chief Justin Huang and Avery Maslowsky, or advisers Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt and Susan Gregory. 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. The Spoke accepts paid advertisements. Email hello@spoke.news.

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

Op/Ed

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Political pestering is getting us nowhere

Avery Maslowsky Co-Editor-in-Chief

Former official White House chief photographer Pete Souza clicked through his Obama administration photographs at the National High School Journalism Convention in Chicago earlier this month. I sat in the audience, admiring his skill, until he acknowledged his photograph of Barack Obama holding former Director of Legislative Affairs Katie Beirne Fallon’s twin boys. “People wanted him to hold their babies. And I doubt people want the man in charge today to do the same,” Souza said. As the crowd of over 6,300 students erupted in cheers and

applause as his liberal commentary continued, I reflexively looked at the girl in front of me and the boy two seats to my right: the only two who identify as non-liberals in our group. I looked for some form of expressive disapproval, maybe the shaking of their head or even possibly a thumbsdown. But I was met by their silent discomfort, and all the other eyes in our group looking for that same reaction from them. They were there for the photojournalism, not the political commentary. This wasn’t an isolated incident. Every day political undertones run rampant in things that should have no political attachments. The day after the midterm election, I was sitting at my lab bench in physics class, scrambling to comprehend the concept of projectile motion. Fumbling

around with initial velocities and accelerations, my attention was locked onto the Smart Board.

That student turned what should have been a conversation on finding the range of delta x into an uninvited political rant. Just last week, I was eating lunch at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. Sitting tightly next to strangers, our conversations eventually merged. But that afternoon, I was not expecting to be force fed the political beliefs of the man next to me during lunch. As he droned on about the lack of faith America has in Trump. As I took a bite of cheesesteak and Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE my chewed, I wasn’t exUntil, I heard the screech of the pecting to simultaneously student in front of me. swallow the political beliefs of “I want to know what the the man sitting next to me. mind is like for anyone who I am usually an advocate for filled in Ted Cruz on the Tex- freedom of speech, especially the as ballot, because I genuinely power and right to express politifeel disgusted towards them,” cal beliefs, but when I am just trythey said. ing to enjoy photography or learn

“I am comfortable with it, but I’m just cautious to make sure I don’t say something that could be insulting to a certain party or person.

- Carly Broseman, freshman

the daily lesson for my physics class or eat lunch, I shouldn’t have to be subjected to someone’s personal political beliefs. America is polarized. A 2014 Pew Research Center study found that Republicans who have very unfavorable opinions of the Democratic Party has jumped from 17 percent to 43 percent in the last 20 years and that Democrats with very negative opinions of the Republican Party has also more than doubled, from 16 percent to 38 percent. That statistic doesn’t even seem to faze us. If we want to move past the daily partisan divide, we need to recognize when to stop the political pestering. And don't get me wrong, I’m receptive to talking politics. We can’t move past our political turmoil without discussion. But, if I haven’t sent you an invitation, then don’t RSVP. Sometimes I just want to eat my lunch or study for my projectile motion test on Wednesday.

“With some people you don’t know where they stand and you don’t want to seem rude or offensive to them and you don’t want to lose a friend or anything like that over a political opinion, but it’s like I want to express my opinions.

- Emily Brockman,

STUDENTS SPEAK OUT

sophomore

Q: Do you feel comfortable expressing your political beliefs in school? “Yes, because I feel that Conestoga is a very open environment and they’re very welcoming to opinions and new ideas.”

- Tasniem Abadalla,

“For liberals it’s definitely really easy to just talk about (one’s political opinions), but for conservatives, when you’re talking to people who don’t understand you that much, it might be a little harder for them to accept your opinions. With my friends, we’re both liberals and conservatives, and we understand that for us to have a good conversation, we need to have both sides of the story.”

- Dorkhan Chang,

junior

senior

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A president’s duty: Uphold free press

Don't reward dishonest students

stated that the killing was ordered by the “highest levels” of Saudi government. Trump, however, called the Saudi explanation credible and stated he would need more information to respond. Worse, in the weeks following, as evidence pointing to a government-orchestrated assassination built up, Trump praised Representative Greg Gianforte for body-slamming a reporter before a special election in 2017. “Any guy who can do a body-slam, he's my guy,” Trump said of a candidate who threw a reporter’s body to the ground, breaking his glasses, for asking a relevant election-related question. At a time when the United States needs to emphasize free

ery day his students go to the end of the chapter, copy the answers from the key, yoink the 100 they deserve, and hand in the assignment. No questions asked. Of course, Mr. Wingdings wasn’t born last week; he knows that tricks are for kids, and he’s willing to clamp down on any funny business in his disciplined classroom. His strategy is unoriginal and generic. But the plan, to him, is infallible. Not a single student in Mr. Wingdings’ class could be so committed to the path of academic apathy that they would find a workaround. But the measure is enough to keep himself happy. Not even

Claire Guo

Opinion Editor

“Disgusting.” “Crooked.” “Enemy of the American people.” The media and the president have always had a tense relationship — FDR once told a reporter at a news conference to stand in the corner and wear a “dunce cap” — but President Donald Trump seems to vilify the press more than any president in recent past. He has incited mobs at campaign rallies against individual reporters, consistently slammed news organizations as “fake news” and recently, even praised violence against a working reporter. On Oct. 2, Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi walked into the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul. He would never walk out. Khashoggi had left his home country of Saudi Arabia last year for the United States. Here, he could criticize Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his government’s policies without facing government censorship and government pressure to hold his tongue. Despite Saudi Arabia’s continued denials of the Crown Prince’s involvement — it was a “rogue operation,” officially — Turkey has shared audio recordings indicating that a team of Saudi Arabians strangled Khashoggi to death and then dismembered him, as well as

stitution of the United States.” That includes the First Amendment and the people’s right to free press. Despite White House Press’ Secretary Sarah Sander’s claims of supporting free press, Trump’s actions show otherwise. He has consistently jeered at news organizations, fostering a distrust of media that goes beyond a healthy use of caution into a government-promoted distortion of the facts. On Nov. 7, Trump revoked the press pass of CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta, Sanders claiming his “placing his hands” on a White House intern as the reason despite evidence suggesting otherwise, even releasing a doctored video that makes him seem violent. The use of disinformation, recently known as “fake news,” by the White House itself and Sander’s decision to stand by the video is alarming and even Orwellian. Fortunately, a federal judge issued a court order on Friday, Nov. 16 that temporarily reinstates Acosta’s press pass. Until a court makes a final decision on the constitutionality of Trump’s revocation, however, other reporters’ White House press passes could be vulnerable; Trump has alluded to revoking the press passes of other Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE journalists as well, stating “it press on the world stage, Trump could be others, also.” sends the wrong message: violent I don’t expect the media and silencing of journalists is okay. the president to get along. In While claiming to be waiting fact, that would defeat the purfor the results from an investiga- pose of the media’s role as “govtion conducted by the Saudi government watchdog.” But when ernment itself before reaching con- a president actively works to clusions, Trump has since offered a discredit and silence journalistic condemnation of the assassination, coverage and criticism of his adcalling it “one of the worst in the ministration, alarm bells should history of cover ups.” But that’s not be clanging in our heads. An enough. When Trump was sworn open and free democracy relies into office, he took an oath: to the on criticism of the government best of his ability, he would “pre- and a call for accountability. Let serve, protect and defend the Con- us not forget that now.

Guy Marlow

Guest Columnist

There’s a common saying that cheating doesn’t pay. This saying is a barefaced lie. Cheating pays very well. In fact, highly qualified cheaters can earn single digits annually — anywhere from 3.5 to 4.0. It’s no mystery that cheating is a common occurrence at Conestoga; it’s being enabled so much that not having an A in certain classes requires a considerable amount of moral investment. Cheating is easy, and as a direct result, contagious. Most teachers won’t even stop you. For the sake of demonstration, let’s examine the hypothetical classroom of one “Mr. Wingdings.” Wingdings is qualified educator with a common flaw: he isn’t making any significant push to enforce academic honesty. Every day Mr. Wingdings hands out homework problems from the textbook, with instructions to grade them upon completion. He also gives Schoology quizzes and open-ended questions every now and again. So ev-

the open-ended questions are safe; most are pulled from the textbook itself or some other accessible source. His Schoology quizzes (while obscenely difficult and obscure) also become a complete joke when one applies the considerable power of Google Chrome. To be fair, Mr. Wingdings has an entirely agreeable personality. The trust that he places in his students is admirable. Unfortunately for him, however, “loyal reciproca-

tion” isn’t weighted very highly on Conestoga report cards. Mr. Wingdings’ grading policy begins to show holes here. Honest students spend about half an hour doing the work and get a grade anywhere between 70 and 100. Dishonest students probably spend around twenty minutes laughing at their own genius, then do next to nothing, and get a grade anywhere between 100 and 100. And that’s what goes in the gradebook. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the good student. After how long would you decide that it wasn’t worth it to sacrifice your half hour to lose points? After how long would you get sick of being punished for honesty? Why does Mr. Wingdings care more about the outcome of the homework than the process? We like to fantasize that we would take the high road, that Paige Sredenschek/The SPOKE we would stand on the side of the moral few, that we would someday be recognized for our commitment to academic righteousness; our teachers and administration preach honesty like it's a religion. But despite their blindly optimistic philosophy, many of them don’t seem to have a problem with maintaining a system of education in which — through some ironic twist of purpose — cheating is the simplest path to success.

Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE

Sports

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Soccer and field hockey fall short of season predictions Matthew Fan Staff Reporter

Heading into district playoffs, both the boys’ soccer team and girls’ field hockey team were playing well. As Central League champions, the soccer team was seeded first and the field hockey team was seeded seventh. However, the soccer team lost 5-4 in penalty kicks, and the field hockey team lost 1-0 in regulation.

Boys Soccer Soccer coach David Zimmerman felt his team, which won the state championships in 2016 and 2017, was prepared for the game against sixteenth-seeded Council Rock North High School. “I thought we were ready. We had three good practices the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday before the game,” Zimmerman said. “I don’t know that there was much else we could have done to prepare.”

Olivia Thompson/The SPOKE

Intense timeout: Junior McHaela Beck (left) listens to coach JaJa Kentwell as he speaks with the girls during a timeout in the game against Downingtown East. 'Stoga lost 1-0 on Oct. 24.

Soccer is a low-scoring game, and the score was knotted at 0-0 through regulation and double-overtime. “We put a lot of pressure on the other team’s defense but struggled to score,” junior Nate Xu said. This pressure forced Council Rock North to use what Zimmerman calls the “park-the-bus” strategy. “In the second half of the game and in overtime, they were playing mainly defense,” Zimmerman said. “We were outplaying them, but we just couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net.” The game went into penalty kicks. Both teams made their first three, but then Xu missed his shot. “I had a very good chance to score off a penalty kick, but I couldn’t convert that,” Xu said. “Penalty kicks are always brutal, but that’s how the game works. It really could’ve gone any way, but unfortunately it didn’t go our way.” Senior goalkeeper and captain Luke Smith also thinks “luck just wasn’t on (their) side” in their 5-4 loss to Council Rock North, but he also feels some regret. “It sucks to lose on something you feel you could’ve done more on, and penalty kicks are a goalkeeper’s game so it definitely hurts to go out like that,” Smith said. Zimmerman saw the soccer team’s season as two separate ones, saying that “the regular season went really well” but in the playoffs, “(they) lost right away.” The quick exit from the playoffs reminded the players not to take things for granted. “Just because you’re the favorite doesn’t mean you’re going to win,” Zimmerman said. The team is losing many contributors next year, including Smith. Even without him and the rest of the seniors, however, Smith thinks the team will be strong next season.

Courtesy Patrick Kelly

Breaking into the circle: The boys' varsity soccer team faces off against Unionville on Oct. 13. The team played their final game against Council Rock North High School, losing 5-4. “The team will be great next year with a lot of good talent with the same great coaching staff,” Smith said. “I would be shocked if they aren’t a threatening team in playoffs come October.” Girls Field Hockey The girls’ field hockey game against tenth-seeded Downingtown East High School was a close, defensive-oriented game. Senior captain Carson Snyder felt the team was well-prepared. “We had focused practices the days leading up to the game, and mentally we were prepared to go far in playoffs,” Snyder said. “Personally, I knew we had beat Downingtown East in the past and was confident that we could handle them again.” However, senior captain Eliza Pentz thought that the team as a whole was not as mentally prepared as it should have been. “We assumed we wouldn’t have that much trouble beating them,

but we were wrong and they took advantage of that,” Pentz said. The team learned that records and statistics mean nothing during the game.

“

Downingtown East was a team that on paper we should have easily beat. Carson Snyder

“

Senior

“Downingtown East was a team that on paper we should have easily beat, but we lost to them, which shows that it’s about the team’s play in that game specifically, not overall,” Snyder said. The game was close, and according to Snyder, “every person on

the field played really well; (they) just couldn’t get (their) shots in.” Even though Conestoga was dominant for most of the game, Downingtown East managed to convert on its scoring opportunity. In the end, just this one defensive breakdown led to a Downingtown East goal, and Conestoga lost 1-0. Despite the tough loss, the team will have a strong core of veterans next year, as the senior group is relatively small. “I think a lot of the younger girls learned a lot this season,” Pentz said. “I definitely think that they’ll be playoff contenders, and they can do what we couldn’t do this year.” Kentwell also believes that this young group of players has the potential to be successful next year, as long as they train during the offseason. “The ultimate goal is not to win a conference title,” Kentwell said. “You need a core group of players that (is) playing year-round to have a successful team because the ultimate goal is to win a state championship.”

Volleyball spikes and sets its way to Districts playoffs

Renato Distefano/The SPOKE

Cheering in unison: The girls' varsity volleyball team cheers after its win against Penn Crest at Upper Darby on Oct. 15. The team received ninth seed in the district, ending with a season record of 14-5. Looking to next season, the team will lose six seniors with the Class of 2019, including current Conestoga assists record holder, senior Katherine Chodazchek.

Reese Wang

Staff Reporter

Diana Felker has coached the varsity girls’ volleyball team for 13 seasons at Conestoga. “More than 50 percent of the people that came out for the team when I first got here had never played volleyball. They didn’t know any of the rules.

School: Dartmouth College Grade: 12 Sport: Golf

They couldn’t even tell you what position they wanted to play,” Felker said. Over the past few years, Felker said the volleyball team has grown into a strong program. She said the players that come out for the team are more talented, partly from Ka-Hoots, an instructional volleyball program for middle schoolers that is also run by Felker. Last year

Why Dartmouth? When I went for a visit, everybody I met spoke highly of the college and the community. I wanted to be on a team with passionate players and I found that at Dartmouth.

the team received 12th seed in PIAA 4A District 1, giving them a home game in the first round of Districts on Oct. 23 (teams seeded in the top 16 have home games). This year, with a record of 14-5, the team received ninth seed in the district, its highest seed ever. The team has never before seeded in the top 10. “We had more talent this year. Everyone who has been on the team has played in the past. All of us were just at our prime in high school, so it was a lot of fun,” Captain Becky Larkin said. The team practices every weekday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

During a typical practice, Larkin said the team might stretch and do basic warm-ups before working on drills. She said the drills help the team become more precise with their game, with one drill requiring the server to serve to a specific spot. With Felker’s philosophy of “don’t practice until you get it right, practice it until you can’t get it wrong,” Larkin says the team is always prepared for games. “We have a really good energy. We definitely want it. You can just see it in the way we play and the way we practice. We want to win,” sophomore Allie Broz said.

Felker said a large part of the team’s success comes from its senior starters. The seniors have a strong bond from many preseason team bonding activities such as beach days, sleepovers and pasta dinners. This tight bond made the girls’ last game on Oct. 25 an emotional night, according to Larkin. “Our last game ever playing together, all of us just cried. It was so sad because it’s so weird playing with people when you’re 14 and now we’re all like somewhere 18, 17. We’re all there for each other, we’re all friends,” Larkin said.

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The team will lose six seniors to graduation and a large part of its offense. And Broz identified that the team will need to work better on recovery looking towards next season. “We just need to keep up the energy. We need to practice, we need to get our skills up to that level, but we also just need to be able to bounce back,” Broz said. “We can’t always focus on the past. We can’t be like ‘Oh, we were better this year’ and things like that. We need to be able to say, ‘This is what we have this year and we are going to do good.’”

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Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Staff Reporter

For most people at Conestoga, scaling a 30-foot wall isn't a day to day experience. But for students like sophomore Sarah Durant, it would be just another day at the rock climbing gym. “We warm up on easy climbs, then work on harder climbs that you can almost do from start to finish without falling on, and then usually a power or endurance workout, then cross-training,” Durant said. Durant has been climbing at Philadelphia Rock Gym since 2014 and practices the sport competitively. She generally practices twice a week but often three to four times if she plans on competing in an upcoming tournament. “It’s such a fun sport that you can either do alone or with friends, and it has a so much more friendly and welcoming feel compared to other sports in my experience,” Durant said. Durant also plays both rugby and soccer in her free time but one of her long-term goals is to keep climbing. “My plans are to improve and

possibly go professional when I’m older,” Durant said. While many climbers practice the sport in order to compete, others, such as sophomore Sophie Rosan, climb recreationally. “With climbing, your only real competition is yourself unless you decide to put yourself into a competition,” Rosan said. While Durant and Rosan both practice traditional rock-climbing, Rosan also boulders. Bouldering is another form of indoor climbing but is practiced without the use of a rope or safety harness. For this reason, the walls are often only 10-15 feet tall as opposed to a 30-40 foot walls that a climber with a safety harness would take on in a day. When bouldering, many climbers decide to also do project climbs, a longterm endeavor where a climber slowly works at a particular wall until they can complete it. A project climb is “something you maybe aren’t able to do just yet but you work on it until you can do it with no mistakes and no falling,” Rosan said. Due to the fact that most schools do not have a rock-climbing team, students who climb are often motivated by the love of the sport to keep challenging themselves to work towards new goals. “If you get bored of one climb you can always move onto another”, Durant said. “You’re always pushing yourself to try harder and do more difficult climbs.”

Ananya Kulkarni/The SPOKE

Gear in hand: Sophomore Sarah Durant wears her rock climbing equipment. Durant recently broke her ankle while climbing and has been unable to attend practice, but hopes to return in the near future.

Thompson basketball take-over after previous coach steps down

Web Editor

For the last three years, Ben Wilson has coached the girls’ varsity soccer team to several victories and this year, Wilson was recognized for his achievements with the High School Coach of Significance Award presented by the United Soccer Coaches. The award recognizes members who are “coaching for character, using the soccer field to teach life lessons at the high school level,” according to the United Soccer Coaches website. “It was great to get the award and hopefully I deserve it. It was kind of a surprise to see that I got it because United soccer

Coaches is a big organization in the soccer world and to get recognized by an organization that big, it’s a really cool thing,” Ben Wilson said. Wilson’s soccer journey as a player and coach began long before he started coaching at Conestoga. Growing up in Hughesville, Wilson started playing soccer when he was only four or five years old, much like many of the girls on the varsity soccer team whom he now coaches. He continued to play from youth soccer to Susquehanna University soccer as a walk-on senior. “Ben is one of the most passionate people in regards to the game of soccer I’ve ever met. He

The latest developments in sports. PLACES

BACKHANDS

Girls tennis places second in the state to Harriton High School in the finals of the States competition. TITLES

Senior Ryan Duffy is named MVP of the varsity football team for the 2018 fall season. DEFEATS

Ananya Kulkarni/The SPOKE

Ready for the job: The new coach for the girls' varsity basketball team, AJ Thompson, smiles wide at his new opportunity to coach. Thompson played basketball at Dunmore High School and also coached girls' and boys' basketball at Valley Forge Middle School, where he teaches science and social studies.

Alex Gurski

Staff Reporter

The girls have hosted open and it’s been a really smooth gyms and participated in a fall transition so far,” Thompson said. league, allowing Players from Thompson to the team are have more time looking forward to get to know It's going to take a to a change, his new players. bit for the team to, hoping that it “It’s been a will help lead great transition but I think a fresh them to success so far, I’ve been hanging out start is a good thing. during the upcoming season. with the girls a little bit. Some AJ Thompson “It’s going to take a bit for the of the kids I Coach team to get used had in class, so to, but I think a it’s kind of neat. fresh start is a It’s great to see good thing, espe(former students) now being juniors and cially since three of our starters seniors in high school and get- graduated,” said junior basketting a chance to coach them, ball player Emily Lortz.

“

The girls’ basketball team welcomes new head coach AJ Thompson into its program this upcoming season after former coach Chris Jeffries stepped down from the position. After the announcement of Jeffries’ leaving, the athletic department settled on Thompson, a current fifth grade science and social studies teacher at Valley Forge Middle School, to fulfill the coaching role. Before going on to accept this position as head coach, Thompson had prior experience in basketball. He played at Dunmore High School, coached girls and boys basketball at Valley Forge Middle School, served as assistant coach for the Neumann University women’s basketball team, and was the head coach of the girls’ basketball team at Kutztown High School. Most recently, he has spent the past two seasons coaching the girls’ basketball team at Phoenixville High School. “I had some reservations leaving Phoenixville (High School), just because I had some really good kids there that were with me for a few years. Ultimately it came down to the fact that I teach here, I’m familiar with the district, invested in the kids, and it only made sense to coach at Conestoga,” Thompson said. Aimee Buttenbaum/The SPOKE Thompson has already begun making plans for the new Reaching for the basket: The varsity girls' basketball team competes season, and spent some time with old coach Chris Jeffries on the sideline in the 2017-2018 season. Middle getting to know his new team. school teacher AJ Thompson will take over for Jefferies as head coach.

Girls soccer coach soars to national award Dhivya Arasappan

HIGHLIGHT REEL

Girls soccer makes it to the starting round of States for the first time in two years.

“

'Stoga students rock the climb Ananya Kulkani

Sports

fit right in due to his willingness to do whatever it took to help the team,” Nicholas Hoover said, Wilson’s former soccer coach and mentor at Susquehanna. After graduating from Susquehanna University, Wilson transitioned from a player to an assistant coach for Susquehanna, working under three different head coaches in three years. Wilson’s intensity and single-minded goal also transferred onto the field. He is married to Caitlin Wilson, an English teacher and JV soccer coach at Conestoga. “I went home with him to see his parents and meet them

Ananya Kulkarni/The SPOKE

Watchful eye: The varsity girls' soccer coach, Ben Wilson, stares intently from the sidelines. Wilson won the High School Coach of Significance Award presented by the United Soccer Coaches. He hopes to continue on improving the team and work with the girls for years to come.

and he had played a game. I remember feeling surprised that he was so intense on the field because usually, he is so mild-mannered and calm,” Caitlin Wilson said. Wilson said he also brings his passion for the game of soccer to every practice and drill the girls do on the field. “He’s definitely a student of the game. He loves to watch soccer and study soccer. He knows a lot about the history of various teams and players and I think he really brings that to coaching” Caitlin Wilson said. “I think they are really learning a lot about the game of soccer. He’s interested in formations, he’s interested in tactics, and developing the technical ability of players.” Junior Calista Courtney, a player on the girls’ varsity soccer team, noted the same thing, pointing to Wilson’s soft skills and even-keeled temperament that comes in handy to manage the team. Courtney also believes that Wilson’s presence pushes them to be their best. “I think Coach Ben really sees the talent in everybody so he sets our standard so high so that if we do not perform as well as we’re supposed to he definitely makes it clear,” Courtney said. “Him pushing us really gets us to be more motivated.” And Wilson said it's players and the atmosphere motivating him to stay as a coach. “As long as I’m coaching in some facet going forward, that’s all I care about,” Ben Wilson said. “I love being here.”

Although being named Central League Champions, the varsity girls' field hockey team was defeated 1-0 by Downingtown East in districts. ENDS

After losing in the first round of districts to Council Rock North in a shoot off, the boys' soccer team does not qualify for states. SCORES

Senior Jonathan Stanton, football team manager, scores his first touchdown. WINS

On Nov. 10, the boys' ice hockey team defeated Garnet Valley High School with a score of 9-3. TRANSITIONS

The crew team ends the fall season and enters the winter training season. SUCCEEDS

Milton Robinson and Nia Scott earn the "Most Athletic" Senior Superlative for the 2018-2019 yearbook. SAILS

The Conestoga Sailing Club took first place for its season after scores were compiled from their Sunday regattas. The club beat their rival, Malvern Prep, who took third place.

SPORTS

The SPOKE

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Kicking back: The comings and goings of Hacky Sack in the courtyard Aimee Buttenbaum Sports Editor

Junior John Atwood is reviving the 1983 Hacky Sack Club for the 2018-2019 school year. Hacky sack’s popularity in the student body has come and gone. After the sport’s creation in 1973, it surged in popularity throughout the ’80s and the 2000’s. In 2014, the sport was brought back to ’Stoga life by alumnus Brant Pittman and was revived by Atwood this year. “I started the club (again) to give students a chance to hang out and be active,” Atwood said. “I wanted to create a sense of community for people to have fun and play a great game.” While the club has had no meetings so far this year, Atwood hopes to get it up and running within the next few weeks. When the club was run by Pittman in 2014, meetings consisted of members circling together in the courtyard after school to play a few games and practice their skills. Junior Chase Wurth, a board member of the current club, organizes all hacky sack games, whether that be at an after school meeting or during free periods. Wurth said he was introduced to the sport this summer and has wanted to promote play at school ever since. “I started playing hacky sack at the beach and the first people who played (at ‘Stoga) were me, John Atwood and (junior) Liam Curtis,” Wurth said.

From the time of the club’s original creation to current day, the game’s objective has remained the same: to keep the sack in the air without using one’s hands or arms. But, one evolution with the game from the ’80s is the sack itself. In 1981, kids began playing with an old sneaker, passing it between friends. It slowly progressed to a bean bag, to a leather sack and to now a ball with a woven design. The brand called Hacky Sack manufactured footbags in the ’70s and has since become a trademark.

“What makes a person good at hacky sack is having good feet and eye coordination and their ability to stay in the game and get other people out,” Wurth said. Another member of the club, junior Monty Wood, said he enjoys playing sack because it is a laid-back game that he can play with friends. “It’s easy to pick up and you can play it almost anywhere,” Wood said. While being in the club does help with extra practice

thanks to after school meetings that allow members to practice their skills, simply joining in with some friends in the courtyard can get someone involved with the sport, just like senior Lily Park. “I used to sit inside during seventh free, then one day I just decided to play,” Park said. “The first group I saw outside were my friends (seniors) Ben Axel and Joe Czepiel.” While members of the club like Wurth and Wood play

Lasting for around 40 years, the game has continued in a cycle, and people like Wurth hope it will persist for generations to come. “The game is constantly being played and when younger kids see us playing, they start playing and the cycle continues,” Wurth said. “No one stops playing because of how fun and convenient it is.”

more intense games, people like Park play for pure enjoyment and are one of the main reasons for the resurgence of the game besides the club. “The best part is having fun with my friends,” Park said. I don’t see most of them during school so it’s nice to be able to talk to them while also listening to music and playing the game.”

Reaching for survival (above): Junior Patrick Kelly grabs the Hacky Sack before trying to get other players out. Kelly began playing hacky sack in the courtyard with his friends (junior) Quinn Frederick and (junior) Javi Coll. Leaping in mid-air (right): Junior Quinn Frederick leaps in attempt to stay in the game. Frederick developed an interest in the sport this fall. Staring in suspense (left): Students in the courtyard wait for the Hacky Sack to return to the ground so the game can continue. These players competed during their seventh period free.

Photos by Aimee Buttenbaum/The SPOKE

Senior Scott siblings pose a triple threat on the basketball court Emma Clarke

Business Manager

For some, working hard leads to success. For others, talent has the same effect. When these two factors are combined, however, one can reach athletic stardom. The latter is true for senior triplets Nia, Myles and Shane Scott. As varsity athletes, the Scotts all play on the basketball team. Nia Scott plays soccer and lacrosse as well. The triplets began their athletic journey playing flag football and baseball together at a young age, but continued through different sports as they grew older. But, all three continually played basketball, which they began playing at 6 or 7 years old. “I played baseball with both of my siblings and basketball with my brother. It’s definitely fun being on the same team. It just makes me have more fun because I’m playing with my brother,” Shane Scott said. While they’re now known for their excellence on the teams, the triplets were immersed in athletics even before they stepped out on the court. “I think with my dad having played football in college and my mom running track, my parents have always told us they knew we were going to be athletic,” Nia Scott said. In order to foster this athletic nature, the Scott’s father pushes the three to better themselves athletically. Nia

Elizabeth Billman for The SPOKE

Neil Goldenthal for The SPOKE

Elizabeth Billman for The SPOKE

Family affair: Senior triplets (from left to right) Myles, Nia, and Shane Scott play varsity basketball. The siblings began playing basketball at age six and have continued ever since. Nia Scott is committed to University of Louisville for lacrosse but will carry the skills from basketball with her. and Myles Scott said they often look up to the stands and see him cheering. “The environment in basketball is motivating as well, with constant camaraderie and support from teammates,” said Myles Scott. “I like how I can play with all my friends and we’re all connected and really into the sport. It also helps me with oth-

er sports by being more active and efficient,” Myles Scott said. While the boys have been growing together mainly on the court for over a decade, Nia has been improving in sports aside from basketball, including soccer and lacrosse. Her success in lacrosse has allowed her to be recruited to the University of Louisville as an incoming freshman.

“I’m actually committed for lacrosse, and all three sports I have played helped out so much with small movements for lacrosse that some people don’t learn up until high school,” Nia Scott said. The triplets may no longer play side by side in their respective sports due to team separation based on gender, but the cutthroat spirit they share still remains.

create a negative environment. Instead, it fosters growth into becoming better athletes, as well as people. “(My parents) have pushed us by staying very positive and always motivating us to become better athletes and people through sports and always teaching us when we do wrong in certain areas,” Myles Scott said.

“I can’t really think of just (one example of our competition), it’s been from when we were really young and my dad would take us to the track to run and we would compete with each other, all the way up until the day we were got our licenses because it was one after another,” Nia Scott said. However, the competition among the siblings does not

SCORELINE

scores as of 11/14

Football

B Soccer

G Soccer

G Tennis

B XC

G XC

Volleyball

Golf

Field Hockey