The Spoke October Issue 2021/2022

It’s in the details: Sophomore starts car cleaning company

it’s time to rethink “summer homework”

Page 5 Conestoga High School, Berwyn PA

Volume 72 No. 1

October 11, 2021

fans coming back to football

Page 8

Page 11

spoke.news

By car, by bus, by foot: a traffic trifecta How a 10-minute commute can last an hour

Ben Shapiro/The SPOKE

Stuck in traffic: Cars on Irish Road wait in stand-still traffic as they arrive to school in the morning. Since the beginning of the school year, the roads leading in and out of Conestoga have experienced overwhelming traffic due in part to the effects of the nation-wide bus driver shortage.

By Ben Shapiro and Evan Lu, Co-Copy Editor and News Editor Senior Mark Robertson parks at his friend’s house in the morning and walks the remaining 0.4 miles to school. He finds that he arrives at school earlier than if he were to drive the entire way.

All three main roads that lead to the school — Conestoga Road, Irish Road and Old Lancaster Road — experience standstill traffic between 7:20 a.m. and

7:45 a.m. During both arrival and dismissal times, the nearly-half-mile radius around the school sees a surplus of walkers, drivers and bus riders.

According to Arthur McDonnell, TESD business manager and school board secretary in charge of transportation, the district encouraged parents to consider driving their children to school this school year. The intended goal was to relieve some bus routes of students.

“We requested that parents consider driving their children to school to alleviate some of the need for buses,” McDonnell said. “At some schools, this has

led to more traffic at drop-off and pick-up windows, which in turn creates some delays in getting the buses in and out of the school property.”

Michelle Major, police traffic sergeant for the Tredyffrin Township traffic committee, has seen an influx of complaints regarding the blockage of major roads near the school.

“The arrival and dismissal times cause congestion and major backups at the intersections in and around the school. We get complaints about the roads adjoining or near the school (because) the parents come and stack up as they wait for their kids

to get out (of school); it annoys the residents,” Major said.

While the traffic committee and police officers are doing their best to maintain safety during the rush hours, Major believes that because of the number of parents picking students up, there is not much they can do to alleviate the problem altogether.

“What we do is monitor (the roads) the best we can. There’s nowhere for (us police) to go, and movement is very difficult because of how congested it is. We kind of just let it take its course: it’s about 30 minutes of mayhem in the morning and 30 minutes of mayhem in the afternoon. We do

the best we can, but there’s not a whole lot we can do,” Major said.

The increase in traffic has students worried about arriving late to school. Senior Julia Roth finds the rush of getting to school every day stressful.

“I drive my sister (to school), so I don’t leave until 7:30 because she’s slow (to get ready) in the morning. I usually get to school at 7:48 because the traffic isn’t (any better) after those big rushes calm down,” Roth said. “I get to (my first-period class) usually right as the bell rings. It’s alright, but definitely anxiety-inducing.”

With hopes of getting around the worst of the traffic, many

parents and student drivers started arriving at school extra early. For the first three weeks of school, these students congregated outside from 7 a.m. until 7:30 a.m., when the doors would open and allow students inside.

They were not allowed to walk around the building until 7:30 a.m., due to a lack of adult supervision in the building before 7:25 a.m. With the change of the seasons, the district announced on Sept. 17 that they would allow students to enter the building at 7:15 a.m., staying in the cafeteria and atrium until 7:30 a.m., when students could walk around the rest of the school.

Those who get a ride from their parents at the end of the school day notice the long lines of traffic as well. When sophomore Julia Mailey and her sister get picked up by their dad at the end of the day, it can take them up to 45 minutes to arrive home.

“Getting home became a big production because there would be so much traffic and we wouldn’t even get out of school for 30 minutes,” Mailey said.

“Also, getting out of that dropoff circle became a whole other situation because of how many cars were there.”

Continued on page 3.

Science and technology teachers welcome new facilities Becky Tang Staff Reporter

For many teachers, the new science and technology wing is a welcome addition and source of newfound excitement. The new facilities and supplies enable many to adapt their teaching styles and improve their students’ experiences.

In the past, some teachers lacked their own classrooms and were forced to migrate between up to three different rooms every day. The addition of the new wing provided many of these teachers with the opportunity to settle down in a single, upgraded classroom of their own. Unlike other sections of the building where classrooms are purely grouped by subject area, the newly-constructed wing mixes together classes in computer

science, business and technology and science. This unique hallway layout allows teachers of various subjects to converse, which science department chair Scott Best views as a positive aspect.

“I’m excited that I’m able to be closer to some colleagues that I have not been near or had not interacted much with because of previous locations,” Best said.

Moreover, the addition of height-adjustable standing desks and extra power outlets in classrooms, as well as special cabinets in science labs, allows students and teachers to perform and focus better.

For Best, the upgraded technology in the labs is more efficient for classroom use.

“It’s all state-of-the-art materials that (the labs) have,” Best said. “It’s like moving into a new house.”

Becky Tang/The SPOKE

“Fab Lab”: Business and Technology department chair Noah Austin oversees a class of students in the newly constructed Fabrication and Materials Lab. The increased space has allowed students more room while working on projects.

Although a few teachers worried about being farther away from main gathering spaces like the cafeteria and main lobby, chemistry teacher Derrick Wood welcomes the relocation.

“Walking from my car up to (my classroom) feels like actual exercise. But it’s not a bad thing, because I get to see a lot more of the building and a lot more people. It’s just so refreshing to walk past the atrium, it’s such a neat space and there’s so much energy,” Wood said.

The transition to new classrooms is even more dramatic for engineering courses that require the use of the new Fabrication and Materials Lab, affectionately dubbed the “Fab Lab” for short. Although the lab is still waiting on select supplies like chairs, cabinets and countertops, department

chair of business and technology Noah Austin feels enthusiastic about teaching in the better-furnished classroom.

“I feel very blessed to be in the space,” Austin said. “The workspace being as big as it is shows me that what I’m doing is important here.”

Other teachers agree that the new wing adds much more space and freedom to the learning environments of students. While the transition process may take time for some, business and technology teacher Bernadette D’Emilio believes that the classrooms and labs have been a great change for all.

“It seems like (students) are really enjoying the classroom and space,” D’Emilio said. “It makes me feel good about the school and the community, and I’m just happy to be here.”

News

2

Academic alternatives: High school offers virtual courses

A BRIEF LOOK THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN T/E NEWS

MIDTERMS

AND FINALS GONE FOR GOOD

Conestoga is cutting midterm and final exams from the school curriculum forever. Both exams were similarly canceled last year due to the pandemic. Prior to the cancellations, midterms and finals were each weighted as 10% of a course’s grade. The change was made to improve students’ mental health by reducing stress during the year.

HIGH

SCHOOL SWITCHES TO SEMESTER GRADING SYSTEM

Traditionally, a system with four distinct grading periods was used. During the pandemic, the school used a quarterless grading system. Now, a grading system with two equal semesters will help prevent burnout towards the end of the year.

GRANT ENABLES DISTRICT TO PROVIDE FREE LUNCH

Cafeterias across TESD schools are offering meals, which include an entree and two to three sides, to students for free. This was enabled by a $1.5 million federal grant from the American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP/ESSER) Fund.

This money will be distributed over the next three school years in response to the impact of COVID-19.

FDA APPROVES PFIZER-BIONTECH VACCINE BOOSTER SHOTS

The FDA amended emergency use authorization of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine on Sept. 22. The targets high-risk individuals and those older than 65 years. The shots are designed to increase the efficiency of the vaccine.

Individuals will be eligible for booster shots eight months after their second doses.

Read more at

NEWS

CAPA-TE hosts school board, supervisor candidate meet and greet

Monday, October 11, 2021

Shreya Vaidhyanathan Co-Webmaster

With the end of last year’s online format, students and teachers alike swore that they would never join a Teams or Zoom meeting again; that they would finally be able to go to school in person and return to some sort of normalcy. However, two alternatives remain available to students who prefer to keep some online classes: blended courses, which combine live and asynchronous instruction, and fully virtual courses taught by the Brandywine Virtual Academy (BVA).

This year, Conestoga is offering Personal Finance as the sole blended course. Personal Finance teacher Bernadette D’Emilio sees a lot of value in the blended format and believes that education is not “one size fits all.”

“The current education system isn’t set up perfectly for every student, and (blended) creates some flexibility for them. If they work better at home sitting in their backyard at five o’clock, they can do that,” D’Emilio said.

Meeting live on odd cycle days, the project-based course has asynchronous lessons on

even cycle days. On asynchronous days, blended students have the option to do their classwork from home and arrive at school after first period, or come in on time and use it as a free period. Days with live instruction are identical to regular classes, the only difference being that students have the option to log on through Microsoft Teams or attend in-person. Students can choose whichever option on any given day; they are not locked into one choice for the duration of the course.

Junior Angie Chen is one of four students in the blended Personal Finance course. She hopes to see this blended format expanded to other courses in the future as the class has proved itself a very positive experience thus far. Chen prefers blended classes to regular ones because it gives her extra time to complete work, as well as allowing her to arrive at school after first period every even cycle day.

“Students should be able to make that choice based on their own learning style, and I think that (flexibility) is really important,” Chen said.

BVA’s course catalog is comparable to Conestoga’s, offering both electives and leveled courses (including

Advanced Placement and honors classes). For high schoolers enrolled in BVA, work is completely asynchronous, with office hours available at certain times throughout the week. The eight students participating in BVA are still enrolled and registered as TESD students, granting them the privilege to participate in school sports and activities. When the students return to ’Stoga, BVA classes will appear as transfer credits, with GPA remaining unaffected.

“The pandemic forced us into a type of education nobody expected to be in,” said Anthony DiLella, supervisor of special education, world languages and music. “Put yourself in those students’ shoes: if there was a reason that you didn’t feel comfortable coming into the building, wouldn’t it be nice to know that you had an option to access your education outside of the building?”

Sophomore Mohit Manna chooses to attend BVA for safety reasons, and plans to return to Conestoga after the first marking period. He enjoys virtual courses as they allow him to learn at his own pace and feels that they are preparing him for college.

Shreya Vaidhyanathan/The SPOKE

Mixing it up: Junior Angie Chen attends her Personal Finance class in-person. Four people signed up for the blended course that meets live on odd cycle days and asynchronously on even cycle days.

“You obviously won’t stay in grade school for the rest of your life, so when you grow up, you need to know how to make plans: short term, long term, whatever it is,” Manna said. “Learning that at this age (will make) it easier for you when you grow up.”

Blended courses and BVA give students the opportunity to be more involved in their own education. The blended format, like all aspects of education, is continuously developing. These options give students experience with asynchronous work prior to college, pro-

viding familiarity and time management skills.

“The reason we come to work in the morning is to look at what we do and how we can improve the school experience for all the kids, kindergarten through 12th grade,” DiLella said. “And that’s what we’re doing with these experiences.”

Lunch, arrival, dismissal privileges extended to underclassmen Jui Bhatia Beats Editor

School administration extended lunch privileges to all grades and late arrival and early dismissal privileges to juniors in response to the pandemic.

The changes provide students with more flexibility in their daily schedules.

The extended privileges allow all students to leave the building during lunch. Students can go anywhere as long as they return in time for their next period, but most head to their house, car, or a restaurant. Also, juniors and seniors can come to school late if they do not have a first period class.

Likewise, they may leave early if they do not have an eighth period class.

Assistant principal and administrator in charge of transportation and privileges Dr. Patrick Boyle says that the changed privileges give students the opportunity to eat in a different location as a precaution against COVID-19.

“Because of the social distancing requirements that we put in place, we decided to give lunch privileges to all students, only because they’ll have the option (to leave campus),” Boyle said. “They can go out and have

lunch or someone can pick them up and they can go home if they don’t have a car here.”

To use their privileges, students must complete a student privilege form and obtain consent from their parents. The

form allows students to use their virtual ID card to swipe in or out of the building through the main lobby. This electronic practice helps ensure that the administration has a record of the exact time a student leaves

Jui Bhatia/The SPOKE

Heading out: Juniors and seniors check out of school with virtual ID cards via their phones. The extension of these privileges to juniors allowed students without an eighth period class to leave school early.

and enters the building during the school day.

Many students feel that these privileges allow more comfort. In particular, athletes like senior Alex Stern find the early dismissal and late arrival privileges very convenient.

“I like leaving early because I’m able to get home before I go to practice. It makes everything a lot easier because I get to change and get all my stuff,” Stern said.

“Even though it’s really crowded at the end of the day and it takes a while to get out (of the building), it’s worth it.”

However, the enticing benefits of extended privileges are countered by drawbacks in various cases. For example, as more students can now use privileges, lines to leave and enter the building are long. According to junior Sejal Kaushik, this leads to many students facing issues with time.

“The only (issue) is that lunch privileges are a bit hectic because you have to go, eat and come back and there’s a huge line all the time,” Kaushik said.

“I feel like that already wastes

10 minutes of your time so that’s more rushed.”

Additionally, even though lunch privileges have been extended to sophomores and freshmen, many are avoiding them because of how inconvenient they are. For several, the time crunch mentioned by Kaushik contributes to the decision as well.

“We don’t have a car, and the nearest place to eat is pretty far away. It’s a waste of time to go out,” sophomore Leila Boucetta said. “(Lunch privileges) are useful if you can drive and if you have a longer period to go out, but not really for freshmen or sophomores.”

Regardless of whether students use their privileges, Boyle warns that they are not permanent — there is always the possibility that privileges will be retracted as circumstances return to normal.

“The privileges for the underclassmen are a COVID-19 pandemic response; this is not our traditional program,” Boyle said. “This is not a right, it’s a privilege.”

Final touches: Construction project nearly complete Community members had the opportunity to meet and listen to this year’s T/E School Board and Supervisor candidates at a meet and greet event hosted and moderated by CAPA-TE (Chinese American Parent Association of Tredyffrin/Easttown School District).

T/E LIFE

New Voters Club kicks back into action

After a crucial election cycle last November, the New Voters Club is gearing up again to prepare for the upcoming School Board election cycle, this time in person. The non-partisan club aims to promote political literacy and register all seniors who are eligible to vote before the elections.

OPINION

The Tragedy of Macbeth: A triumph in film

Over the years, dozens of directors have attempted the feat of translating Shakespearean plays to the silver screen. Some, such as Grigori Kozintsev’s “Hamlet,” were able to perfectly translate the theatrical piece’s stage directions into camera cuts and film cues—while others, such as David Michôd’s “The King,” were saved only by their heartthrob-filled casts.

SPORTS

Boys soccer beats Central Bucks, stays undefeated

The boys’ varsity soccer team took down Central Bucks West 3-0 on Saturday, Oct. 2. The Pioneers took the lead early on with a goal by senior Jayce Tharnish that was assisted by senior Simeon Dorsey. Dorsey then went on to score two more goals, including one where he drove through three defenders to close off the half.

Nishka Avunoori Co-Webmaster

The high school expansion and renovation project is nearing full completion as students reenter the building for the new school year.

The COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires and hurricanes delayed original deadlines, but the new wing opened this fall for use. The exact completion date is unknown as minor indoor and outdoor components need to be finished, the project will be fully finished by the summer of 2022. According to assistant principal and construction overseer Dr. Patrick Boyle, the building was revamped to meet the future needs of students and make it more accessible. “(This project) allowed us to really rethink how the building flowed and how the students can really use the building more efficiently for their classes and also for the movement in the classrooms,” Boyle said.

There are various aspects of the building that require additional work. For example, the facade of the building is supposed to have a grayish metallic finish, but due to measurement errors, the exterior has remained incomplete for the past two months. Boyle emphasizes the importance of the color of the exterior since it sets the new wing apart from the old.

“It’s going to have an industrial-type look to it because it’s the industrial part of the building. It’s really the fabrication that happens there like wood, metal, robotics, art, fashion and all that stuff,” Boyle said. “So we wanted something that would say, this is a different room, from the outside and inside.”

Other external parts of the renovation yet to be completed include the new north parking lot, designated for faculty use only. Likewise, parking spaces

are being cleared in the main parking lot to accommodate increasing student enrollment and staff. It was completed on Sept. 29, but lacks final touches such as trees and shrubs that will be added in the upcoming weeks. Finally, a new drainage system was put in place near the track to help with runoff water; however, weather-related complications delayed full implementation.

“During that time, we had the storms of the century by the

end of August and September, so the mud just flooded out.

Once we get the sod and grass onto the area, we believe that’s going to stop. It’s just going to take some time for that to happen,” Boyle said.

Inside the building, select elements are still being tidied up. Light fixtures in the new wing were lowered slightly to accommodate the American Disabilities Act, and tiling and railings will be added to the atrium soon. Notably, the

highly-anticipated 10 foot tall soundproofing trees - with felt leaves matching the school’s colors - will also be added shortly. However, some aspects will take significantly longer to finish. For example, sound absorption panels for the walls are scheduled to arrive in February due to pandemic-related supply chain issues. Similarly, multi-colored paddings for the atrium steps - delayed by measurement errors - are expected to arrive in December.

“The (atrium) steps will become a more comfortable space than sitting on the hard terrazzo right now and the kids can collaborate there,” Boyle said.

Another upcoming feature in the upper atrium is a coffee stand run by life skills students as part of their curriculum, with the goal of strengthening customer service and communication skills. While progress on the stand and other aspects will continue to proceed through the

summer of 2022, Boyle stresses that construction is scheduled after school so as not to interfere with daily instruction.

“When it comes to the students in classrooms, they (construction workers) are not allowed to be anywhere near a classroom until the students leave for the day. We are not going to interrupt instruction because they’re trying to complete the job,” Boyle said. “Instruction is primary; construction is secondary.”

Nishka Avunoori/The SPOKE

Continuous construction: Workers tidy up the outside of the “Fab Lab” following the end of the school day. Despite multiple unfinished elements, the facility opened for use when students returned to in-person instruction.

News

Monday, October 11, 2021

3

Transportation troubles: Navigating new ways home Students face busing obstacles

his parents are now able to drive him to school in the mornings.

With the shared experience of a very early pick-up time, sophomore Daryna Myastkovska would have to get on her bus 54 minutes before the start of school. Arranging a drop-off plan with her older brother, Myastkovska followed suit and opted out of taking the bus in the mornings because of its “inefficient” route.

“In the mornings, my brother usually takes me (to school) by car now because we don’t live too far away. I would take the bus, but the problem is that it comes at 6:56 in the morning — a whole hour before school starts. And I’m not wasting that much time just to take the bus,” Myastkovska said.

Schools nationwide are facing bus driver shortages, as the pandemic prompted many existing drivers to retire amidst shrinking applicant pools for new hires. As a result, the district assigned more students per bus route. Most buses are now rostered at 70 students, while past years saw averages of 50 students per bus, according to the transportation department.

This shift increased bus rides to an average of 50 minutes — a 50% increase from previous years. The district would need an additional 36 drivers to reduce the times again.

“I took the bus for the first week or so to school. The pickup time kept changing every day, but when the bus started to regularly come at 6:27, I stopped taking it,” freshman Aditya Kothari said. “I had my mom and dad drive me to school (because) I did not want to get on the bus at 6:27 for school at 7:50.”

Living seven minutes away from Conestoga, Kothari was frustrated that he would have to get on the school bus almost an hour and a half before the school day began. Fortunately,

Problems in the parking lot

there is no evidence to prove this theory.

“We have 265 parking spaces in the student lot, (but) I gave out 300 (parking passes) because looking at the percentages of students that drive on a daily basis over the last 11 years, (the statistics) showed that we would be able to fit those kids on a daily basis and maybe have a couple of spots left over,” Boyle said.

As part of the multi-million dollar expansion project, a new parking lot was added to the north entrance of Conestoga to account for the increase in student enrollment. Before the addition, there were two parking lots: a larger one for students with a sectioned-off area for faculty and a smaller lot designated specifically for faculty. The implementation of the third lot removed 90 spots from the faculty section of the main parking lot and gave them to students. The majority of faculty parking was then moved to the old faculty lot and the new north lot.

Due to supply-chain issues and the COVID-19 pandemic, the projected completion date of the new parking lot was pushed back more than a year from

Many seniors take advantage of the opportunity to park at school every day. Assistant Principal Dr. Patrick Boyle says this school year saw the largest number of students apply for parking permits in 13 years. While he speculates that this increase is due to greater access to cars with more parents working from home,

Ben Shapiro/The SPOKE

Boarding the buses: At the end of the school day, students file out of the building. In previous years, it took students 30 minutes on average to get home, 20 minutes fewer than the 50 minutes it takes them now.

Ben Shapiro/The SPOKE

Morning rush: Cars wait in bumper-to-bumper traffic on Conestoga Road at 7:40 a.m. as students rush to get to class. The urge for parents to drive their kids to school has led to increased traffic jams during the peak morning and afternoon rushes.

cause I was getting frustrated with having to walk.”

Leaving the parking lot in the afternoon can be as difficult as getting in in the morning. While Kothari’s parents were able to give him a ride to school to alleviate the burden of taking the bus, he relies on his senior friends who park in the parking lot to get home at the end of the school day.

“As soon as school ends, (my friends and I) literally sprint to the parking lot and get in the car as fast as we can. We normally have to wait in the parking lot for 15-20 minutes, but some days we (get out) earlier,” Kothari said.

In efforts to bypass the traffic on the way to and from school, some students, like Kuryan, are asking their friends who live close to the school to park in their driveways. Even though senior Mark Robertson has a parking pass, he has no-

ticed that parking off-campus gets him to school faster. Walking five minutes away from school and getting on the road before other students and buses start driving is how he best avoids traffic.

“There was one day I kept hearing ridiculous stories of people waiting in the parking lot for an hour,” Robertson recalls. “I walked to (my friend’s house), went inside, got a drink, talked to his mom, got in the car and (drove) home. At that point, it had been a good 45 minutes since school had gotten out, and when I Snapchatted somebody, they were still in the parking lot.”

Expressing what much of the student population is thinking, Krebs is annoyed at the traffic issues, to say the least.

“The traffic is insane — actually insane,” Krebs said.

“There is just too much of it.

Getting home takes too long.”

“Whenever I have off-campus practice at 3:30, I get a ride from my friend’s dad after school. It’s really stressful because there's so much traffic, so I walk behind the school and get picked up in the neighborhoods behind ’Stoga.”

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“I have to get to my friend's house pretty early if I want to get to school on time. Walking (from my friend’s house) to school is probably a little bit quicker than sitting in the traffic.”

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Alternative routes to avoid traffic

the summer of 2020 to Sept.

1, 2021. After the first week of school, the faculty should have been able to move out of the main parking lot to make room for the 300 driving students, but the completion date was pushed back even further.

Until Sept. 30 — a month after the school year began — there were only 265 parking spots available for the 300 students.

Senior Hannah Kuryan, one of the 35 students who was told she would have a parking spot once the new lot opened, experienced many complications during the first month of school.

“After I heard that I wasn’t going to have a parking spot for the first week of school — I thought it would only be a week then — I texted my friend and asked if I could park at her house because she lives a seven-minute walk away from school,” Kuryan said. “And yes, I timed it be-

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“I think I get home faster (when I walk to the Daylesford train station) than if I was going to be picked up at Conestoga. I get home around 3:15-3:20, which is much earlier than a lot of kids.”

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“I've been parking at my friend’s house since the first day of school. It's a little routine now because every day I go and park in his driveway, and then he ends up walking to school with me.

It’s only a five-minute walk (to school) from his house.”

Design by Ben Shapiro, Co-Copy Editor

T/E LIFE The Spork Abby Carella

Multimedia Editor Squeezing in on a tight Saturday night reservation, the doors of Kooma in the King of Prussia Town Center open to reveal one of Conestoga’s own juniors, greeting guests and walking them to their tables. By 5 p.m., every seat is nearly filled in the stylishly furnished restaurant. The overflow tables outside still provide ample space to enjoy some mixed Asian cuisine, including sushi, noodles and stir fry, teriyaki dishes, and Korean rice bowls known as Bibimbap.

The edamame, a Japanese staple, is plated in a simple

white bowl garnished in salt flakes and cooked to perfection.

While nothing overtly stands out about them, the flaked salt adds a nice crunch in comparison to the simple table salt typically used. In addition to edamame, the green salad served as a light and refreshing starter to an overall satisfactory meal. There was a perfect ratio of crunchy to soft lettuce in the greens mixture, and the house made ginger dressing hit all the right taste buds.

Kooma has an extensive sushi menu, offering everything from simple yellowtail and sashimi to vegetarian rolls. While many of these dishes can be found at other

Monday, October 11, 2021

: Kooma review establishments, Kooma adds a special touch with its unique signature rolls.

Their Firecracker Roll, spicy tuna with crunch topped with more tuna, is generously garnished in potato sticks resembling in flavor to the salty snack chip. While the roll itself was not bad, the unique topper made it a out dish standboth on the plate,

and in the mouth. The Kooma Special Roll, shrimp tempura, cucumber, avocado topped with mixed tobiko, spicy yellowtail, scallion and micro greens was plated beautifully alongside the other rolls creating an eye-catching rainbow-like display. While deliciously fresh much like the Firecracker, nothing clearly stood out that made it better than sushi from other restau-

rants. The vegetarian avocado roll, a delicious basic, was cleanly-plated separately, a nice touch by Kooma in an effort to keep it apart from the non-vegetarian rolls. In contrast to other local Asian fusion restaurants, Kooma offers a plentiful variety of vegetarian options, such as the Sweet Potato Roll.

The diverse menu features several noodle options as well. The Udon Noodles with Chicken came recommended by the hostess and did not disappoint. The sauce perfectly complemented the other dishes ordered and served as a delightful d i v i d - er between a sushi heavy meal.

The chicken was well cooked-not too chewy and not too soft; every piece mixed nicely with the thick cut noodles.

Kooma, open from 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (sometimes 9 or 10 p.m. on quieter days), offers a respectable Asian-infused dining experience with options for everyone. Prices ring in very high, with the Firecracker and Kooma Rolls totalling over $40 together. Their miso soup comes to $5 and basic salmon rolls to $7, which is considerably more expensive than other local establishments offering the same. While it was a worthwhile experience, the biggest enticers were very minor garnishings on top of fresh, yet average and expensive sushi.

Abby Carella/The SPOKE

Colorful creation: The Firecracker and Kooma Signature rolls sit on a serving dish. Together, their colors created an eye-catching display.

Aditi Dahagam/The SPOKE

Studiously studying: Senior Frithjof Emsbach, an exchange student from Germany, works on his AP Economics homework in the courtyard. Emsbach decided to study abroad both to improve his English skills and explore American culture firsthand.

Hallo Philly from Deutschland Chanelle Ongagna Staff Reporter

Daydreaming during English lessons in Germany, senior Frithjof Emsbach could hardly have imagined his life would one day revolve around speaking English everyday. Despite his initial disinterest in English, Emsbach later applied to a year-long studies program in the U.S. After his application was approved, Emsbach was assigned a host family and cleared to come to the U.S. Arriving in Philadelphia on Aug. 13, Emsbach says that his host family has been kind and welcoming from the start.

“I’m nervous to meet new people because I don’t know them, but I chatted with my host family before and FaceTimed them, and I had a good feeling with them. It’s a good relationship between us and I like them a lot. Couldn’t be better,” Emsbach said.

His host brother, senior Alexander Hallam has been especially helpful in getting him settled and introducing Emsbach to many of his friends.

“I met a lot of the friends of my host brother,” Ems-

bach said. “My host brother helped me a lot with that.

But I’m sometimes a little bit shy, and I’m not good at small talk, which makes things difficult.”

Hallam, anticipating Emsbach’s homesickness, made sure to help him get involved in community events as soon as possible. Hallam has taken Emsbach paintballing, out to eat at one of his favorite barbecue restaurants, to a school board meeting, the beach and football games. Because they share many classes, Hallam has also been able to help Emsbach adjust to Conestoga’s fast academic pace.

“He’s gone from a small village to just a massive school. I think ’Stoga has a rigorous workload (that he isn’t used to),” Hallam said.

Sports were another way for Emsbach to forge connections.

Though he arrived in America too late to try out for the school soccer team, Emsbach joined the King of Prussia Soccer Club.

This situation, he believes, is illustrative of one of the biggest differences between school culture in America and Germany.

“There are no school sports in Germany,” Emsbach said. “Only private

clubs, which are paid for by the public and local companies. There isn’t really school spirit, like there is here. It’s kind of strange for me because I didn’t have that experience in Germany.”

Emsbach also finds American culture to be more supportive of individual aspirations. As someone who is considering a future career in the finance sector and whose favorite classes are Economics and Business and Marketing, he appreciates that entrepreneurship is celebrated in the U.S., since it isn’t as emphasized in Germany.

“I like the American dream,” Emsbach said. “It’s a feeling here in society. In Germany, people are more jealous if you’re successful and don’t like taking risks. I have a feeling here that people appreciate it if you want to be an entrepreneur, and I think that’s a very good thing.”

American schools, Emsbach has discovered, also offer a wider variety of courses than German schools, where subjects tend to be less in-depth. One of his favorite classes, for example, AP Economics with Mr. Davey, would have only been a general economics course in Germany.

To Davey, the universality of economics might be another reason Emsbach has taken to his class, in a way he could not have with a class that would have required him to be more familiar with the U.S., like American History.

He praises Emsbach for having had the courage to live away from his family in a foreign country.

“I think being an exchange student anytime is extremely challenging,” Davey said. “It’s probably braver than anything I’ve ever done in my entire life.

The idea of going to a foreign country as an 18- or 17-yearold and emerging myself in a different culture and way of life and school is insane to me.

He’s certainly braver than anything I’ve ever done.”

Though Emsbach enjoys his stay abroad and plans to return for future visits, he does not see himself permanently settling in the U.S. In the meantime, he continues to immerse himself in the culture and seeks to return home with a better understanding of the American way of life.

“I’m definitely visiting again,” Emsbach said. “Definitely.”

Aspiring author: Senior publishes book about uplifting Gen Z voices Maya Shah

Photography Editor Motivation.

Empowerment. Discovery. These are some of the topics senior Unnati Gupta talks about in her recently published book, “O pp or tunity Day.” Throughout the book, Gupta uplifts the voices of young people, also known as Generation Z. The self-help book, which is now sold on Amazon, is divided into different sections, each addressing a different topic or issue.

At the end of each chapter, Gupta brings back each issue to solve that problem and analyzes what positive result can come from it. In addition to adding her own personal experiences, Gupta talked to leading generational researchers, read peer review articles and interviewed many experts to make her book well-informed.

“I really tried to let a lot of the small stories that I might have passed over as

maybe insignificant, and use those to guide the message that I was trying to convey,” Gupta said.

For Gupta, the process started about a year ago when she was approached by The Cre-

TedxStoga adviser Claire Miller, who has had the opportunity to work closely with Unnati through club activities, explains why the subject matter is important.

“Gen Z holds so many answers that other generations tru-

connector of people; she listens really deeply and then shares powerful ideas,” Miller said.

Previous to the publishing of her book, Gupta launched an online campaign to gather funds to promote her book, as she wanted to spread the word on her new piece.

This process consisted largely of calling family and friends and asking for any kind of they Senior support could offer, as well as advertising on social media.

“I really tried to just call as many people as I could and let them know that this was happening and give them the option of supporting me if they’d like,” Gupta said. “Thankfully, I was able to get a lot of support from them.”

Ultimately, Gupta hopes that this book will reach people of all ages and inspire Gen Z to empower their own voices, as well as enlighten people on the struggles faced by younger people and the role they can play in overcoming them.

“People in our generation often get stuck in the idea phase,” Gupta said. “I think the one big message that I’m trying to convey is that at the end of the day if you want to make an impact, you simply have to act.”

People in our generation often get stuck in the idea phase. I think the one big message that I’m trying to convey is that at the end of the day, if you want to make an impact, you simply have to act.

Unnati Gupta

ators Institute, an organization that encourages individuals to start creating their own writing projects. Although Gupta did not feel like she had any extraordinary moments to share, she quickly learned that the best stories come from what you’ve experienced.

“I’m a pretty normal teenager,” Gupta said. “I’ve had a lot of random experiences that I’m sure other people can relate to, and that kind of got me thinking what if all these little experiences can amount to a much larger message.”

info@thedefensivedrivingacademy.com

ly don’t hold. They can’t see the solutions that Gen Z can from their unique life experiences and unique perspectives as young people,” Miller said.

Although Gupta never saw herself as someone who could become an official author, this book offered her an opportunity to challenge herself. However, a lot of her struggles came from getting the initial ideas and structure put together, as she knew what she wanted to say but not the best way to say it. With time, guidance from her publisher, and lots of ideas, she was able to submit her completed manuscript. Miller says that Gupta’s strong character outside of writing lends itself well to this kind of process.

“She’s a phenomenal leader in her own right and she’s just such a natural listener and

Aditi Dahagam/The SPOKE

Inspiring individuals: Senior Unnati Gupta reads her book, “Opportunity Day”. The book was created to uplift Gen Z voices.

T/E Life

Monday, October 11, 2021

5

lunch locations by aditi dahagam, co-t/e life editor

car

cafeteria

“With COVID and all the restrictions, (lunch) is interesting. It’s a weird situation not being able to eat in the atrium, which I know a lot of people were hoping for. Usually on Fridays, a couple of my friends and I will go out and get Chick-fil-A or some other fast food and we’ll bring it back (to school). It’s awesome (to eat in your car) because you don’t have to worry about contact (tracing) because we’re with each other all the time. You can jam out in the car while listening to music and it’s always a beautiful day outside, so we’ll roll down the windows. It’s just a really fun time when you can be with your friends and eat really good food.”

“I eat in the cafeteria. I like how all the seats are six feet apart and there are singular desks. Everywhere else is kind of crowded, so I usually try to sit in the back of the cafeteria where nobody is, or in a corner somewhere so nobody’s near me and I’m six feet away from other people when I take my mask off so that I don’t get exposed to COVID-19.

I prefer to eat first and then socialize. I like to sit with my friends, so when I put my mask back on after I’m finished eating, I go around and see other people.”

- michael walz,walz, senior - michael senior

- SENAE HARRIS, FRESHMAN

small gym

courtyard

“I like the small gym. It’s the closest thing to what the cafeteria was like in middle school. There’s usually not a lot of chairs, so sometimes we have people standing around the tables, so that’s kind of inconvenient.

It’s more spacious than room 142 — the small gym is bigger, and the tables are more spread apart. I like that there’s a full table that a lot of people can sit at, and you can face each other easily. In other places, all the desks are facing the same way, so it’s hard to communicate with your friends during lunch. I don’t feel unsafe (and) I don’t feel like I’m going to be exposed to COVID there.”

“The lunch situation has been okay for now because I sit in the courtyard, so I don’t have any difficulty talking with my friends or moving anywhere freely because it’s just an open space. You also get to take your mask off after four hours of intensely keeping your mask on — you get sweaty, you can’t breathe or your glasses fog up. During classes, you can’t really see your friends that much because everyone gets separated depending on their courses, but lunchtime is that special time where everybody can see their friends no matter their courses. As long as we’re still close to each other and we can actually talk like normal people without having the masks blurring our voices, it’s pretty good.”

- harshini elavarasan, sophomore

- taha chomelawala, junior

home

room i42

“I would definitely say that (the lunch arrangements) are not ideal because in the cafeteria, socializing with your friends is pretty difficult because the desks are completely spread out and in room 142, you have to sit one chair apart. Compared to a normal year, it’s definitely not as nice. My favorite part (of eating in room 142) is that not too many people go there, so it’s not super noisy, and you have these really nice chairs and these really nice tables, so you can just sit there and do work. There’s usually always a teacher outside and then also a teacher inside just to make sure that everyone’s sitting one seat apart. I think the teachers are doing the best they can because obviously they need to adhere to several guidelines for social distancing.”

“I usually eat lunch in my house because I have fifth (period) free and I live two minutes away from school, so it really makes sense because then I don’t have to try and find anywhere to eat in the cafeteria, and it’s a lot less to worry about with COVID-19 and everything. It’s a lot more relaxed — you’re in the comfort of your own home. I can eat whatever I want for lunch (because) I have enough time to fully make whatever food I want, so if I want to boil pasta that day, I have enough time to do so. I prefer to eat at home, but I do come back to school and just talk with my friends because it’s really the only time of day that I can see a bunch of my friends.”

- henri brunel, junior

- Sydney tartaglio, senior

It’s in the details: Sophomore starts car cleaning company Hiba Samdani

Co-T/E Life Editor Inspecting scratches on a vehicle, cleaning and rinsing the tires, applying protection to leather seats, and topping it all off with an air freshener. Instead of performing these steps in a car workshop, sophomore Kole Wintersteen performs them in his customer’s garage.

Wintersteen recently started a car detailing business, in which he thoroughly cleans cars to give them a brand new appearance. Calling it “Mr. Detail,” Wintersteen began his business due to the fascination he has had for cars from an early age.

After COVID-19 restrictions became more lenient, he spread the word through door-to-door advertising, distributing pamphlets and cards.

“I have a bunch of neighborhoods near my house, so — this might sound bad — I go to the house that has the most cars in the driveway, knock on the door and be like ‘hey, I have a business,’” Wintersteen said.

Typically, someone in his neighborhood will respond within one to two days. Wintersteen brings his own materials to his customers’ garages and only requires them to supply him with a water hose and electricity. He performs both

interior and exterior cleaning, charging $50 for each.

Wintersteen’s skillset lies in paying attention to detail as he cleans cars. From the multiple layers of soap foam he applies to the exterior to thoroughly vacuuming the interior, he meticulously cleans every corner to ensure the car is properly detailed for the customer.

“My favorite part to detail on a car has to be interior surfaces,” Wintersteen said. “The way the solution foams up is satisfying to say the least and leaves everything looking brand new.”

By pursuing his passion, he has been able to develop a closer bond with his father, who also

shares an avid interest in cars.

“When I was younger, I used to love watching these cool cars just pass (by) the street and be like, ‘Wow.’ I just knew I liked cars and wanted to do something with them,” Wintersteen said. “My father at a young age was a truck fanatic. He knows all different types of cars like me, and we always watch racing shows together.”

Mr. Detail has helped foster a closer relationship with his mother as well. Initially, Wintersteen’s mom, Jennifer Schranz, helped market his business and design the business cards. Developing the company with Wintersteen has

Hiba Samdani/The SPOKE

Build on: Sophomore Kole Wintersteen writes a referral to his client. Wintersteen and his mother worked on creating pamphlets to advertise “Mr. Detail.” helped her feel more fulfilled as a mother.

“As you get older, working on things with your kids is kind of creating memories,” Schranz said. “I knew nothing about car cleaning, but (working) with him offered closure because I think I understood him more.”

Running a business also enables him to connect with his customers. He still maintains a close relationship with his first client, who was instrumental in helping him advertise.

“I remember his first client was an older woman (who)

said, ‘I’m gonna be your first client, and I’m going to make sure that I call you back to clean my cars enough so I can keep your business going,’”

sure she’s okay. It just shows that (running a business) is a win-win situation.”

Wintersteen hopes he can keep running his business and expand it so it reaches more people. Schranz believes her son can run a successful company because of his hardworking nature.

“To run a business, you have to be focused and motivated and it’s Sophomore hard work,” Schranz said.

“One day, hopefully, he’ll be able to go back and say ‘I remember my mom and I working together on this, and I learned a lot from it.’”

When I was younger, I used to love watching these cool cars just pass (by) the street and be like, ‘Wow.’ I just knew I liked cars and wanted to do something Kole Wintersteen with them.

Hiba Samdani/The SPOKE

Spick and span: Sophomore Kole Wintersteen cleans the interior of a car with supplies from the website Chemical Guys. Wintersteen began his car cleaning business after quarantine restrictions were lifted.

Cup of Dreams Coffee & Tea

Schranz said. “She would come and chat with him while he was cleaning his car. He now once in a while follows up to make

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T/E Life

Monday, October 11, 2021

New Teachers

6

Nicole Jolly

Written By: Melissa Fan, Brooke Kennedy, Abbie Preston, Ben Reed, Mindy Wang

Designed by: Aditi Dahagam, Hiba Samdani

Cole Bowman

Erika Lucas

Maria DeLora

Kelly Walsh

Not every physics teacher has a scuba certification from Honduras. Aside from this accomplishment, physics teacher Cole Bowman has an interest in real estate and enjoys playing sports and reading books in his spare time.

Bowman was first introduced to the world of physics through his high school’s robotics club. Through it, Bowman furthered his interest in building and designing and learned about different topics such as stress, strain and forces angles.

English teacher Erika Lucas didn’t consider herself to be the type of person to become a teacher.

“I was a really rough around the edges kind of kid; I didn’t find school to be terribly exciting,” Lucas said.

Even so, she always envisioned her future career in the education field. She started out by teaching all kinds of subjects to elementary school students.

“I loved teaching kids how to read, how to write, and felt like it was how I got to know my students a lot better,” Lucas said.

Spanish teacher Maria DeLora is a language and culture enthusiast. She is currently learning French, Italian and German.

“I enjoy traveling and being able to communicate and appreciate beyond the language and understand the culture. For me, it’s very important,” DeLora said.

DeLora is fluent in English and Spanish, and has taught both of them. Before moving to the United States, DeLora taught English to students in Spain for five years. She moved with her husband who now works at Pfizer, and decided to get certified for teaching Spa-

Support teacher Kelly Walsh, who teaches academic seminar, enjoys being a part of the process of her students’ growth in and out of the classroom.

“Everybody is so unique and comes from so many different backgrounds, so being a support teacher gives me that one-on-one time that a lot of other teachers may not get in a 42-minute period with a class of 25,” Walsh said.

Walsh lived in Ocean City, New Jersey and was always by the beach. She previously taught in Virginia and

“Joining that club, we (learned to) build something out of wood, out of metal. We learned how to do computer programming to program the chip on the robot. It was eye-opening to a lot of different new things that I hadn’t really done before,” Bowman said.

After his experience with the robotics club, Bowman decided to pursue physics. “(Physics) is a lot of everyday things that you might not necessarily think about,” Bowman said.

“It pretty much encompasses anything from down to the atoms and chemistry all the way up to the universe level.”

After four years, she moved to middle school, but felt disconnected to the material she taught in her gifted English Language Arts class. “(I) was really just not loving the topic or the subject matter,” Lucas said.

Lucas hopes to show her students how different themes have impacted society.

“I’m finding that how I teach and the relationships that I formed with kids and students can have a lasting impact,” Lucas said. “What I teach in my classroom really helps to kind of mold and shape the future.”

nish in Pennsylvania.

“I thought that being a native speaker to Spanish, I would be of more value teaching in Spanish than teaching English,” DeLora said.

DeLora currently teaches Spanish 1 and Spanish 3. Outside of school, DeLora continues to learn more about different cultures by trying new recipes from around the world.

“I really enjoy cooking dishes from different countries,” DeLora said. “I try to follow recipes from other places and to expose my family to this cooking.”

then at Tredyffrin Easttown Middle School for the last five years. So far at Conestoga, Walsh loves meeting new faculty and relating to students in the classroom because of her previous experiences as a student.

Walsh expresses gratitude towards her students when seeing their hard work pay off.

“When a student of mine has been struggling academically and then it clicks for them,” Walsh said, “seeing that moment is really memorable and special.”

Ashley Sanei

Orlando Carvajal

Tracy Scully

Maria DeLora

Jenna Denton

Assistant ninth grade principal Nicole Jolly has worked in schools for 24 years. Coming from a family of teachers, education has always been an interest in her life.

“My mom was a teacher, my grandma was a teacher, my great-grandmother taught in one of those one room school houses, so I was raised within (education),” Jolly said. “I used to line my dolls up as a little girl and instead of having tea parties, I would have school.”

Before coming to Conestoga, Jolly taught in the Philadelphia school district

where she worked with third-, fourth- and fifth-graders. She believes that working with high school students is different to working with younger children because the former are more autonomous.

“It’s the same activities, just a different place,” Jolly Said. I will say (Conestoga) is very welcoming. The students, you can have a conversation with (them). You can talk to them and really have them come up with decisions. “ Jolly expressed that she is excited for the upcoming school year at Conestoga.

Though she currently teaches American Voices, spending multiple hours a day teaching students parts of speech was something English teacher Ashley Sanei had not pictured for herself.

“I actually did not like English as a subject from kindergarten to sixth grade. I hated it, with the nouns, and the grammar,” Sanei said.

Her experience with the subject changed after an encounter with a substitute teacher during a seventh grade English class, in which

Sanei realized English was not so black and white, and more about one’s interpretation and experiences. From then on, Sanei decided she wanted to do the same for other students.

“I really wanted to show students as I got older that they’re so much more than what we see in the classroom, that they matter in what they do and that they have a voice,” Sanei said.

Ever since her seventh grade English class, Sanei chose English as the sole subject she wanted to teach.

Teaching Spanish allows Orlando Carvajal to connect with his identity every day.

“For me growing up as a Latino — as a Colombian boy — learning the language as a kid and learning the importance of culture and identity was very important to me in growing up in U.S. society,” Carvajal said.

Carvajal hopes that students in his Spanish 3 and 4 classes can feel a connection to their identities through his teaching.

“In a Spanish classroom, I can connect with myself. And not only that, I can bring my-

self into the classroom, and hopefully have students bring themselves into the classroom as well,” Carvajal said.

Carvajal has taught in the district for 11 years: 10 years at T/E Middle School and one year at ’Stoga. He decided to make the move to the high school because he felt that it was time for a change. Carvajal still remains a weights’ football coach and track coach at TEMS. He enjoys building relationships with his students both in the classroom and in sports.

After earning an accounting degree at Villanova University and working in a public firm, math teacher Tracy Scully realized that the more fulfilling parts of her job were when she was mentoring and teaching new hires at the company rather than doing actual accounting work.

“I really enjoyed the days I was able to mentor new professionals. Then I started to think, ‘how could I maybe make this something that I do more often?’” Scully said.

“Teaching became that career path that I looked for, and then because I really do like

numbers — obviously, if I’m in accounting — it was natural for me to pick math.”

Scully taught sixth grade math at Valley Forge Middle School before picking up Geometry and Algebra 2 at Conestoga.

She enjoys encountering familiar faces from her past Valley Forge students at Conestoga and seeing how they have grown since she last taught them.

“I love seeing that development from the age that I was teaching to what I’m seeing now,” Scully said. “So I think that’s that part I’m really excited about.”

From assisting counselors and students to scheduling meeting, Jenna Denton has a wide variety of tasks as the secretary in the Students Service Office. Denton finds that she is able to connect with high school students easily to assist them with their needs.

“I feel like (high school students) are just easier to relate to, and I get what they’re going through (because) I went through it recently,” Denton said. “I know how hard high school is; I can help you get through it because I’ve been there. I’ve done it (and) you’re going to do it too.”

Before becoming a secretary in the Students Services Office, Denton was a paraprofessional at Owen J Roberts School District, working with elementary students in emotional support.

One of the major roles Denton has is assisting students with their post-highschool planning.

“Because (college) is such a big decision,I like being able to sit down with students and say, ‘these are all options you have,’” Denton said. “I like letting kids know they have a choice. They can do what they want to do.”

T/E Life

Monday, October 11, 2021

Stormy Milburn

Anne Davis

Dante Mucci

Mary Ward

Matt Sterenczak

English teacher Stormy Milburn grew up in Bensalem before getting her teaching degree at West Chester University. She taught at charter schools in Philadelphia before coming here.

One of Milburn’s favorite pastimes is reading because she believes it’s a good way to take a break from reality. “(When) reading ‘Harry Potter,’ I feel like I’m at the school, so (reading) gives you this other sense of relaxation and for a moment, you can just forget about whatever you’re worried about and just be into the book,” Milburn said.

Currently, Milburn’s favorite author is Jacqueline Woodson and she enjoys reading poetry.

She tries to pass on her love for reading to her students by helping them identify what genres interest them and pairing media, such as movie trailers, with books.

Milburn has always known she wanted to be a teacher because of her love for learning.

“I have always loved being a positive leader and teaching others (and) I chose English because I want to foster my joy for reading and analyzing texts for students too,” Milburn said.

Guidance counselor Anne Davis thrives on meeting her students. While running her own college counseling company in Asia for 13 years, she met students of different ethnicities which taught her how to connect with others.

“My husband got a job offer in an international position in Hong Kong, so my husband comes home and says, ‘What do you think about moving overseas?’” and I said, ‘I don’t know. It could be an adventure.’”

Davis grew up in Boston and was a long-term sub for the T/E School District for the last six years.

One of Davis’s favorite hobbies is traveling because she likes learning about different cultures.

“I love to travel — my favorite places to travel were India and South Africa and I travel often on the weekends whether it’s to visit my kids in Chicago or Boston or my mother in Connecticut,” Davis said.

Davis likes the the team environment and the opportunity to bond with students at Conestoga.

“I really love working with kids, and I enjoy planning their future and what lies ahead,” Davis said. “I think it is such a fun and exciting time in kids’ lives.”

This isn’t Dante Mucci’s first time at Conestoga: the science teacher is back at the high school for the first time since 2010.

“The high school is really shiny and new. Classrooms are really big and spacious. And I didn’t realize until I came back how great it was,” Mucci said.

Although he wasn’t always set on teaching science, Mucci was interested in pursuing a career in education from a young age.

“We had a career day my junior year of high school, and I just kind of thought I’d want to be a history teacher,” Mucci said.

While in college, Mucci decided to focus on biology instead of history. He originally wanted to pursue physical therapy and sports fitness, but after tutoring underclassmen in biology and assisting in freshman classes, he decided to go into education.

So far, Mucci has been enjoying the transition back to the high school.

“I enjoyed the middle school a lot,” Mucci said, “But it’s been a great reunion back here at the high school with a lot of teachers that I know and a lot of students that I’ve taught before.”

Math teacher Mary Ward wanted to be a teacher since kindergarten when her elementary school principal asked her the question: what do you want to be when you grow up? Ever since, she has been able to achieve her childhood dream.

“My old principal came back and was like, ‘Oh, so you actually want to be a teacher?’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, I actually do,’ and it was something I always knew I wanted to do,” Ward said.

Ward graduated from Conestoga in 2013.

In her free time, she likes to swim, hike and take her dog on walks. Over quarantine, she spent a lot of time doing puzzles.

So far, Ward enjoys the community aspect of Conestoga. In addition to building new relationships, she describes how the importance of education inspires her to continue teaching in a new and different environment.

“Knowing everything that you do matters to another person motivates me to work hard,” Ward said.

Along with being the 11th grade assistant principal, Matthew Sterenczak works on the Program of Studies, scheduling and is the curriculum supervisor for the social studies department.

Prior to joining here, Sterenczak was a social studies teacher at Perkiomen Valley district and worked at both T/E middle schools.

Sterenczak’s mother, who was also a teacher, was part of the reason why he wanted to pursue a career in education. Additionally, he wanted to draw on his past experiences as a student to connect with others.

“I had awesome teachers growing up, and they really showed me the value of mentorship and being positive,” Sterenczak said.

Outside of school, Sterenczak enjoys surfing, snowboarding and playing the guitar. He is also a fan of pop culture, including music and different movies.

Above all, he strives to build a school environment that all students can benefit from.

“I always wanted to build a classroom that provided for kids what I wanted as a student, and what the great teachers I worked with did for me,” Sterenczak said.

7

Charles Davenport

Chris Pezzano

Keri Phillips

Jim Simon

Maria DeLora

Shelby Foley

Charles Davenport worked in as a guard Phoenixville Area School District before becoming a security guard. Davenport enjoys working with a team at Conestoga.

“I was the lone guard over at Phoenixville. Here, as you know, they (have) a six man team,” Davenport said.

As a security guard, Davenport has different roles he carries out during the school day. He described some of the tasks he does daily.

“I walk the halls, check the main lot, hang around the atrium, and I hang in the main lobby,” Davenport said.

In his free time, Davenport has different interests and activities that he enjoys doing “I just got off an injury so I’m getting back into weight lifting. I hurt my back and my elbow, but now I’m back. I like to play basketball, and I also like music too,” Davenport said. “I like to sing and dance too.”

Davenport hopes that he can build relationships with students.

“This is a nice school. I hope to be here for a minute, develop some relationships with the kids, and see how it goes around here,” Davenport said.

For Christopher Pezzano, becoming a business and technology teacher was the perfect combination of his two passions.

“I’ve always had a business sense, like with everything. From the time I was in high school, to working for an accounting firm, then going to college, and then being around kids at the (YMCA); I just decided to combine the two things,” Pezzano said.

In addition to teaching, Pezzano works for a Certified Public Accountant firm, is an insurance agent, and a real estate agent. Pezzano believes that his experiences

in business fields helps him teach in the classroom.

“I have these stories and knowledge that relates directly to the content that I teach in the class. I want to share that with the students. That’s why there’s nothing else I would rather teach,” Pezzano said.

Pezzano values the formation of relationships, which is why he continues to teach.

“I love the interactions and relationships that you build with students and even the other teachers as well,” Pezzano said.

“It just feels good.”

Keri Phillips, who was previously an English teacher, became a librarian this year. Switching positions was an opportunity to explore something new. “(Being a librarian) would give me a chance to kind of see what the library is like, and what the work is in the library. I always thought it was something I wanted to do, but I haven’t done it before; so this was an opportunity for me to do that,” Phillips said.

Phillips originaly became an English teacher because she loves reading and helping people. After becoming a librarian, she no-

ticed that the library has a more flexible environment whereas the classroom had a set pace because of the curriculum.

Phillips enjoys teaching high school because students are experiencing a pivotal moment in their lives. “(High school) is just such a transitional time in people’s life,” Phillips said. “I love being able to be in that space and kind of help them move further with things they’ve already learned while also introducing them to new things and preparing them for the next stage in their life.”

Prior to joining Conestoga as a security guard, James Simon was a juvenile probation officer. Now, Simon monitors attendance, responds to problematic situations and watches out for strangers on the school’s campus.

“My experience in my job goes way and far beyond what I would do as a security guard here. I’m familiar (with parts of my new job), but I’m toning down what I used to do,” Simon said.

After retiring, Simon realized that he missed working with children, which led him to come back to working in the security field.

“When I retired at the end of December, I missed the kids a lot,” Simon said. “And this is a way for me to work with the kids, but just take it a lot easier. And it’s a lot safer than what I used to do.”

Simon enjoys being a security guard likes helping students.

“I know a lot about working with kids and I know a lot about evaluating kids,” Simon said. “I know how to get kids help if they need it, and I like doing that.”

Outside of work, Simon is an amateur radio operator, talking to people worldwide from Belarus, to Russia to the Canary Islands.

Physical education teacher and sports enthusiast Shelby Foley, was inspired to become a teacher by their family.

“I come from a family of teachers, so I’ve pretty much always known I was going to teach,” Foley said.

Foley’s decision to teach PE stemmed from the admiration they developed for their high school coach.

“They were my favorite teacher, it was someone I gravitated to but we even continued to communicate when I was in college,” Foley said. “It was almost like a mentorship and be-

yond that this is someone who is in my friendship circle.”

Coach Foley grew up in North Carolina and has been teaching PE for 15 years. They have previously taught in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.

They enjoy staying active and managing stress by camping, hiking, playing baseball, ultimate frisbee and biking. Thus, Foley loves teaching PE, helping kids find ways to stay active, and having relevant conversations with them.

“I wanted to do something I would look forward to waking up to do forever, doing something I am passionate about,” Foley said.

OPINION

Monday, October 11, 2021

Our 2021-2022 Spoke Policy Each school year, the editorial board of The Spoke presents the policy that will guide the paper’s direction. We hope to be as transparent as possible as we continue to cover the T/E community.

Our mission The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression. We strive to objectively cover stories of interest within our school and community. We understand our responsibility to report in an unbiased and ethical manner.

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Our Rights Our paper is not subject to prior review, meaning the administration does not see the paper before it is printed and cannot censor content unless

it is obscene, libelous or would cause a substantial disruption to school activities. Advisers serve as educators and consultants only, leaving the editorial board with decisions on how content will be treated. With all stories, the editorial board considers the

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From the editor: What I miss about virtual school

It’s time to re-think “summer homework”

Umar Samdani

Co-Managing Editor At its best, summer homework is an unfortunate paradox.

For nine arduous months, we submit homework assignments, meet project deadlines, and study for chapter quizzes. We toil for a proper rest, but to no avail. Thanksgiving break is practically ignored, as schoolwork simply increases exponentially. Then, we are given a quasi-mental break during Christmas, as the looming reminder of a closing semester seems deceptively comforting. And spring break simply functions as a working hiatus towards endof-year projects and AP Exams.

So, is three free months too much to ask?

No. And there’s evidence to prove that teachers’ best intentions may get lost in translation.

According to a research study by psychologists at Duke University, there is little to no correlation between completing summer assignments and standardized test scores or academic achievement during the school year.

From personal experience, these results can almost certainly be attributed to procrastinating assignments until the penultimate day of summer, and then scrambling to “borrow” work from a friend. No work is ever completed properly when rushed, much less with beautiful weather outside.

Educators need to understand that students exercise a unique subset of their brain during the warm season. Having a summer job, traveling across the world, and playing with siblings all have cognitive benefits that are often taken for granted. De-

ets, chapter readings, and book reviews are not particularly motivating tasks because they stifle student imagination and flexibility of thinking.

Teachers will respond that the tasks assigned during the summer months are not exclusively busywork: they help students retain information and prepare for the upcoming school year.

Unfortunately, much of these acclaimed benefits ignore one confounding variable: student motivation.

Yes, maybe a select few may start their chemistry in June, save U.S Government for July, and actively review their completed work for 30 minutes a day. But how often do you hear this story? More realistically, you will find a student emulating Katherine Zhang/ The SPOKE the study process de“stiff ” workload — worksheets, es- scribed above (see: “borrow”).

There is, however, one aspect says, and packets that encourage a linear way of thinking. Math pack- of summer homework that can nise Pope, a senior lecturer at Stanford University, has encouraged schools to abandon the practice of

prove to reap benefits: the reading assignments. The application portion of the task - the essays, book reports, and graded presentations - however, are not nearly as beneficial as the reading itself.

Research from teachhub.com has indicated that even reading one book of choice over the summer can have beneficial cerebral effects, including an expanded vocabulary, broader perspective on social issues, and enhanced emotional intelligence and empathy.

Reading a novel - especially of our choice - is an especially suitable assignment for the summer months. With more free time on their hands, students have an opportunity to read closely, look for symbols, and make their own connections in a time frame not allotted during the fastpaced school year. But it doesn’t have to stop - or start - with reading assignments. Teachers should strive for assignment alternatives that allow students to pursue a previous interest.

The goal should be to discover a passion first, and then connect it to the respective course.

These open-ended solutions give summer a connotation of opportunity, and not oppression.

The Texas abortion law needs to go

Devon Rocke

Co-Managing Editor If your legislators found a loophole in the Constitution to pass a law that damages the lives of innocent people, would you want them to exploit it? Of course not, but that is exactly what Texas government officials did to pass the Texas Abortion Law. The radical ban bars abortions for those who are pregnant as a result of rape and incest, and only narrowly permits abortions for the mother’s health.

Those who are found to have gotten an abortion or have assisted in preforming an abortion can be sued by private cit-

izens, and has canceled around 85% of all abortions statewide.

Once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, it’s illegal to receive or preform an abortion. However, fetal heartbeats can be found six weeks into the pregnancy, before most people are even aware they are pregnant.

According to The New York Times, a fetal heartbeat “results from electrical activity, but the valves of the heart have not yet formed.” What this means is that though a heartbeat may be detected, it isn’t always indicative of a true heartbeat that you and I have. A fetal heartbeat can be found as early as six weeks into the parent’s pregnancy, before most women even know they’re pregnant.

What legislators are negligent of, is that introducing such an extreme law against abortions will not stop

them. Many parents will find alternative methods of aborting their pregnancy, most of which are dangerous and risk their own lives.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has found

through historical and contemporary data that “where abortion is illegal or highly restricted, women resort to unsafe means to end an unwanted pregnancy, including self-inflicted abdominal and bodi-

governmental persecution, the law would be a direct violation of Roe v. Wade, a turning point in the fight for women’s rights that allows women to choose to have an abortion without governmental interference.

To exacerbate the situation, Mississippi is following in Texas’ footsteps, proposing an abortion ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and other states are considering implementing harsher laws as well. Should Texas’ surrounding states put laws into place similar to that of the Texas Abortion Law, pregnant parents in need of abortions will have nowhere to go to get an abortion, trapped by a law that interferes with Yuting Pu/The SPOKE their bodily autonomy.

The Texas Abortion Law needs to and not the government itself, the ban is technically Constitutional and go before it destroys the lives of its has been cleared by the Supreme citizens further. It should be each Court, the key term being techni- person’s choice to do what they think cally. Had the Texas government is best for their mental and physigone a step further and vied for cal health, not the government’s. ly trauma, ingestion of dangerous chemicals, self-medication with a variety of drugs, and reliance on unqualified abortion providers.”

Since the law indicates that only private citizens can charge people

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The

Staff

Editors-in-Chief: Katherine Lee, Sophia Pan, Reese Wang Managing Editors: Devon Rocke, Umar Samdani News Editor: Evan Lu T/E Life Editors: Aditi Dahagam, Hiba Samdani Opinion Editor: Aishi Debroy Sports Editors: Abby Bagby, George Zhang Photography Editor: Maya Shah Multimedia Web Editor: Alexis Costas Beats Editor: Jui Bhatia Business Manager: Michael Tierney Webmasters: Nishka Avunoori, Shreya Vaidhyanathan Social Media Editor: Abby Carella Copy Editors: Kate Emmanuel, Ben Shapiro

, Cartoonists: Leon Li, Yuting Pu, Charity Xu, Katherine Zhang Staff Reporters: Rohan Anne, Kaitlin Campbell, Mareska Chettiar,

Brianna Fan, Melissa Fan, Aren Framil, Andrew Franceski, Julia Harris, Oviya Ignaci, Hannah Jamison, Akshita Joshi, Brooke Kennedy, Howard Kim, Shrija Krishnan, Grace Kuryan, Rhea Malik, Amanda Markind, Caius Michlitsch, Chanelle Ongagna, Abbie Preston, Madeline Pulliam, Ben Reed, Zachary Rejonis, Raima Saha, Zara Samdani, Soumya Sathyanarayana, Hannah Simon, Aashita Singh, Becky Tang, Aaron Wang, Mindy Wang, Juliana Yao Faculty Advisers: Alison Ferriola, Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt, Nicole Zakorchemny

Katherine Lee Co-Editor-in-Chief

Familiar faces in the hallways, lunch with friends and sitting in actual classrooms — it’s good to be back in the building with a relatively normal school year before us.

However, I would be lying if I said that there weren’t more than a few things that I miss from the days of virtual learning.

Trying to wake up before 7 a.m. every day, I am nostalgic for the mornings when we would be able to just roll out of bed before class and simply click into a Teams meeting for the first block of the day. Breakfast, too, was far more feasible during virtual school. Whereas now I am resorting to scarfing down apple slices on the ride to school, there was more than enough time to fit in an actual meal during the 20-minute time frame for homeroom last year.

Cars and traffic, or rather the lack thereof, are another aspect that I miss about being virtual. On the rides both to school and back home, I’m often stuck in the middle of long lines of cars that transform a six-minute drive to 20, sometimes 30, minutes of being trapped in traffic. With the school now allowing us to enter the building at 7:15 a.m., I’ll admit that this problem has, to an extent, alleviated. However, I’ve found

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

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that traffic remains horrendous at the peak hour of 7:25 a.m.

In addition to the congestion out on the road, traffic extends to within the hallways of the building. When school was simply a matter of clicking into the next meeting, there was no having to deal with the crowded hallways between classes. Sometimes, there’s a human wall of students, especially around the staircases, that makes it seem like you’re barely even moving.

In terms of classwork, I miss all of the assessments being open-note. Although it probably was not the best for our learning and retention, it certainly reduced the stress around tests and quizzes. On the other hand, I am glad to take tests on paper again, especially for math and science classes, rather than the virtual puzzle piece assessments on Schoology.

While I greatly appreciate the reduced screen time of in-person school, the technology of virtual learning did have perks, the most convenient being the ability to screenshot the whiteboard or presentation during lectures. This made it so much easier to capture what the teacher was writing so that I could fill in the notes afterwards if I was falling behind.

And while it’s great to have the human interaction and social aspect of school back this year, it goes without saying that the feeling of safety was more present in virtual learning.

And so, as grateful as I’m sure we all are to leave the virtual days behind us, I think we could all agree that even with all its bumps, virtual learning was nevertheless an experience filled with good moments and memories too.

Charity Xu/The SPOKE

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

OP/ED

Monday, October 11, 2021

9

Universal mask mandate: our only hope

Aishi Debroy Opinion Editor

The seemingly endless nightmare of a debate between those in support of a mask mandate, pro-maskers, and those opposed to it, anti-maskers (who conveniently call themselves mask pro-choicers), ensued within the T/E School District after the school board issued a mandatory mask mandate following governor Tom Wolf ’s similar ruling enforced Sep. 7.

As a country currently acting like a hotbed of COVID-19 transmission, how can anyone be opposed to the universal masking mandate - one of the only options we have to attain some level of normalcy and safety in the future?

“Have you heard that they’re an anti-masker?” “People that

refuse to wear their masks are childish and selfish.” “A mask mandate obstructs our freedoms as Americans!” “I should be able to do as I choose.”

Filled with such statements, the hallways have become a battleground between the two opposing viewpoints. (The situation reminds me of the tension between Democrats and Republicans during the 2020 presidential election.)

And frankly, I’m tired.

I’m tired of debating the ethics of wearing a mask when study after study has proven its effectiveness. A 2021 report from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of American (PNAS) concluded that masks are about 79% effective in preventing transmission.

I’m tired of people attaching concepts like patriotism or freedom to ridiculously unrelated symbols like the mask. Why have masks become a partisan issue?

Now, adults throw tantrums over wearing a flimsy piece of cloth in the fear of appearing unpatriotic.

It is absurd that an example of American freedom and liberty is now the pride of potentially infecting a fellow citizen by

choosing to be ignorant of scientific facts. Viruses don’t care about your political views or values; it’ll infect and kill the masses without stopping to ask what your political alignment is.

Aside from the satisfaction I get from hiding the occasional pimple with a mask, I’ll admit that I’m not overly stoked to put one on either. Sure, sometimes masks can feel suffocating or simply be a bother (especially because I lose them in random parts of my house everyday). But, they’re necessary insofar as individuals refuse to get vaccinated and choose to ignore pandemic guidelines.

Until the vaccinated population increases, we must default to the next safest option: a universal mask mandate.

Fortunately, the number of radical anti-maskers remains in the minority. A recent AP-NORC poll states that 6 in 10 Americans are in favor of a mask mandate within schools. As a country, we can’t afford to be selfish when the pandemic has taken 1 in 500 Americans, according to the Washington Post.

For the sake of vulnerable members of your community, your family or even yourself, be a dutiful citizen and wear the mask.

Report Card No midterms or finals

A+

+ less stress throughout the year!

- can’t ensure comprehension of the content, especially for AP exams!

Instagram applications crashed

c-

+ I guess we actually have to do our homework now...

- how do we contact friends without Instagram, Facebook & Whatsapp?

Privileges extended to everyone Lorem ipsum

Katherine Zhang/The SPOKE

+ “you get a privilege!” “you get a privilege!”“we all get privileges!”

- juniors parking illegally + all grade levels leaving for lunch = chaos

Squid Game “As I walk the hallways and see the faces of those with masks below their noses, I can’t help but think of how much they are putting themselves (and) others at risk. The school is in our best interest to keep us safe and healthy so the coronavirus can be maintained, and it really does not hurt to put on a mask.”

Kyle Nguyen,

-

“I agree with Conestoga’s mask mandate as it ensures the safety of the students and their ability to have in-person learning and an overall hands-on experience in school.”

- Laiba Baig, sophomore

freshman

STUDENTS SPEAK OUT “I was a bit skeptical of the mask mandate prior to school opening because I am vaccinated and had gone the whole summer without a mask. Then I heard Dr. Meisinger say that, in a class setting, if a student were to get COVID (and) all students were masked in the situation, only the COVID-positive student would have to quarantine, which made a lot of sense to me.

“I think masks are ineffective, and long-term masking can have negative effects on the body.”

- Hayden McLellan, junior

- Linc Zdancewicz, senior

You’re never too old to trick-or-treat

Sophia Pan

Co-Editor-in-Chief It is Oct. 31; night is descending; and I, age 7, am racing from door to door in fruitful search of Halloween candy.

Stethoscope whipping in the wind, plastic orange Jack-o-Lantern in hand and my mother hot on my heels, I am filled with bliss.

Thus goes the tale of many a trick-or-treater: weeks of planning the perfect costume, a night of scurrying around the neighborhood with an eye on the prize (the prize being candy, naturally) and an hour of trading treats with friends and stuffing your face with sweets until your stomach starts to ache.

And thus goes a tale that cuts short too soon, with many of us stopping our trick-or-treating as early as middle school.

Youth really is wasted on the young — at least when it comes to trick-or-treating. I,

like most of my peers, left the trick-or-treating game before I graduated eighth grade.

I’ll admit it: the silent, judgment-filled eyes and hushed whispers of “Aren’t you a bit too old to trick-or-treat?” got to me. I shelved my Halloween costumes, rolled up my plans and committed myself to spending Oct. 31 at home, handing out candy when I could have been receiving it.

It shouldn’t be that way.

There is no upper age limit to

Nowadays, I find that we, as a young generation of teenagers, are growing up too fast. Freshmen are already planning out their college careers even as they first set foot into high school. We are constantly urged to be more mature and to grow up.

It often feels like everyone has their eyes set so far into the future that they no longer see the present.

It’s easy to forget that we are children sometimes, too.

loving candy (especially free candy!). There is no upper age limit to dressing up and running around with friends.

And perhaps, most importantly, there is no upper age limit to wanting to have fun.

That we are allowed to be children.

It’s fun to feel like a kid again. In times of stress — and as a high school senior in the aftermath of a global pandemic, believe me, I am

beyond stressed out — we should be allowed to enjoy things like we used to as kids.

I miss when I had the time to relax and just be a kid.

So what if I want to go trick-or-treating? So what if I want to spend my night bartering Almond Joys for Skittles, Twizzlers for Starbursts, jelly beans for Jolly Ranchers? And so what if I want to loop the neighborhood two more times and cut through that lawn past those trees to hit that house with the king-sized Kit Kats again?

Wouldn’t it be nice, at the ripe old age of 17, to be able to comfortably knock on a door and say, “Trick or treat!” and then to be met with “What are you dressed up as?” and “Take two!” instead of quiet judgment for your age?

Wouldn’t it be nice to be allowed to be a kid again, if only for just one night, instead of having to worry about college applications and financial aid and your ever-growing Yuting Pu/The SPOKE pile of work?

And with Halloween falling on a Sunday this year, what better way to spend your time than to spend it trick-or-treating, for old times’ sake?

B

+ a chilling twist on childhood games - SO MUCH UNNECESSARY VIOLENCE!

Tik Tok Devious Licks epidemic + where are half of the bathroom amenities? why are we slapping teachers?

Q: What do you think about the universal mask mandate?

B

D-

- videos of stealing outlandish things can be funny

Food banned in the atrium + thankfully, we don’t have to step on crushed food walking in!

F

- there are a limited amount of spaces where we can eat now :(

Open-note exams, come back

Kate Emmanuel Co-Copy Editor

Between juggling homework, extracurriculars and a personal life during the school year, memorizing material for tests becomes a stressor unlike any other. How practical is it to have students sit around in a classroom with nothing but a pencil and their memories to answer difficult questions?

Long story short: it’s not.

Open-note testing is more relatable to real-life situations than closed-note testing.

Whether it be how many feet are in a meter or what body of water you might find a parrotfish in, you can almost always pull out your phone to search up facts in normal circumstances. I get where the idea that closed note tests help us better understand material comes from, but they’re actually just stress inducing and less effective for students to learn from.

According to a 2012 Institute of Education Sciences study, students not only much prefer open-note testing to closed-note, but they also have lower levels of anxiety while

to answer each question. The time restraint on tests also ensures that students have to memorize material to a certain extent and bringing too many reference materials to a test will result in less time to answer the questions. This way, students are kept accountable and cannot just read through pages of information during a test.

If open-note testing provides a huge advantage to students during an exam, the problem isn’t with the test-taking method, it’s with the exam itself. Students should not be able to answer test questions through a Google search. Tests should force students to use critical thinking skills.

Rather than having students memorize cold facts for closed-note exams, the emphasis should be on applying information they know to questions on open-note tests.

Open-note testing isn’t hard to incorporate in our current curriculum. The many variations of opennote exams also make it easy for teachers to find something that works for their classroom. For example, one option is to let students bring a single cheat sheet filled with as much of their own writing as they Leon Li/The SPOKE choose.This forces students I’m tired of hearing that open to narrow information down to -note testing just gives students a key details and main ideas. Anreason not to study for tests. It’s other option is giving students a still a race against the clock, and predetermined sheet of informawithout solid preparation for a tion such as formulas, for a class test, there won’t be enough time like math or chemistry. taking open-note exams. Since students struggle with memorization, it makes more sense to test how well they can apply concepts and connect ideas, rather than set harsh penalties for forgetting minute details.

When I take a closed-note test that is based solely on memorizing information, I find myself forgetting what I learned as soon as the assessment is over. It’s way more effective for tests to be open-note and test how students can relate different parts of a topic to one another.

Charity Xu/The SPOKE

Sports

Monday, October 11, 2021

10

Senior creates sports highlight reels and graphics brand George Zhang

Co-Sports Editor Senior Ian Kim blows by a defender and sprints to the goal where he scores on three other players closing in on him. This is just one of numerous notable moments captured by the lacrosse highlights reels that Kim creates for himself and for other players through his brand 1edit.

A highlights reel is a compilation of notable plays by an athlete that shows how good they are at the sport they play.

The creation process usually starts out with the client sending Kim footage of games they’ve played in along with timestamps of when they made a play that should be included in the edit. Kim then compiles all the clips together while adding in background music.

While he charges around $30 per video, money is not his main motivation.

“It (the reason I started) was for my personal recruitment at first because I wanted to get myself out there and highlight tapes are the best way to do it,” Kim

said. “It’s not for the money, it’s really just because I enjoy it.”

Many athletes who aspire to play their sport at college have videos of their best plays. Kim believes that highlights reels give athletes an edge during the recruitment process.

“Obviously, (the highlights tape) is not the full picture but it is the exclamation point. And

myself). And just creating a nice three minute video of someone’s best plays is really cool to see,” Kim said.

His most popular video features ’Stoga alumnus Aidan Kelly, who currently plays lacrosse for Syracuse. The video garnered more than ten thousand views, blowing Kim’s expectations out of the water.

“I had relatively high hopes to get him around three thousand to four thousand views, but I honestly didn’t expect it to reach ten thousand as quickly as it did. But when I first posted it and saw it shoot up (in views) like that, I kind of knew that it was heading towards that direction,” Kim said.

Having committed to Williams College for lacrosse for next year, Kim aspires to improve at editing and to grow his name.

“As of right now (one of my goals) is to get better at my craft.

I see all these other editors and what they’re able to put out, and I want to be able to do the same thing,” Kim said. “My biggest goal is to grow my brand on a larger scale.”

Obviously, (the highlight tape) is not the full picture but it is the exclamation point. And I think for kids that want to get recruited, it’s kind of the icing on the cake.”

I think for kids that want to get recruited, it’s kind of the icing on the cake,” Kim said. “It shows that the recruits are willing to go the extra step to put together film and send it to coaches.”

Starting in eighth grade, Kim has improved over the years, largely from drawing inspiration from other people’s work. He described what he likes the most about creating these edits.

“The best part about it is just putting together a final product that I’m proud to share to other people even if it’s not (of

Evan Lu/The SPOKE

Graphic guru: Senior Ian Kim works on a graphic in the library. He started creating these graphics in the summer after his committment to Williams College. Kim hopes to grow his name in the future and improve his craft.

Gallery: Along with highlight reels, Senior Ian Kim also started creating sports-related graphics and they can be found on his Instagram (@1ed1t). Here are some examples of his creations.

Left: The Pioneer’s win over Owen J. Roberts in the season opener.

Middle: Kim’s banner that he created after his commitment to Williams College.

Right: The homecoming game where the team took down Penncrest in a 5920 win.

Athletes carpool due to bus shortage Abby Bagby

Co-Sports Editor

Abby Bagby/The SPOKE

Team travel: Senior Sophia Mabilais loads tennis gear into her car before driving to practice. The team has only been provided buses for matches that are at least one hour away. They will likely continue their carpool until the bus shortage concludes.

With the current nationwide bus shortage, athletic transportation has suffered substantial changes, leaving some sports without any buses at all.

Many fall athletes have been taking team travel into their own hands, or cars, for that matter.

Numerous fall sports teams have adapted to the transportation issue by carpooling. The girls’ cross-country team, for example, uses GroupMe, a free group messaging app, to coordinate their travel plans.

Any teammate who needs a ride to a practice or match is assigned a senior on the team who can provide one.

Freshman Danielle Ostroff, a member of the JV cross-country team, appreciates the team carpool.

“I like it. I think (it’s) because we get super close with the people that we drive with,” Ostroff said.

The boys’ golf team has also resorted to carpooling to practices and matches, as they have yet to be provided with a bus this season.

Parents of the team members, as well as teammates themselves, have organized group chats to determine who is charged with drop-off and pick-up for events. Sophomore Sachin Blake prefers school-provided transportation, due to the hassle that self-coordinated travel has caused for many parents.

“If you have parents that work jobs, it’s really hard to fit (carpooling) in the schedule, and getting dismissed from school on time is a lot harder with the carpooling and everything,” Blake said.

However, he does enjoy the opportunity to get to know the team outside of practices and matches.

“It (carpooling) has been nice because I’ve been able to meet kids that are older than me that I might

not (have known) as well on the golf team if it was just pure golf. But, it’s also really inconvenient not having the buses because parents have to drive people around. It’s not easy,” Blake said.

The girls’ tennis team has also fallen victim to the bus shortage and created a team carpool, with upperclassmen providing rides as necessary. The team is exclusively provided buses for matches that are at least an hour away, which, so far, has only been one. Junior Isabella Chen of the girls’ varsity tennis team is disappointed by the lack of buses available this season.

“I think we (tennis team) all actually really enjoy the bus rides because we play music, we eat snacks, and we all just bond together more than four people in a car,” Chen said. “The bus rides are definitely the highlight of the season, which we haven’t had in the past two seasons.”

Senior Sophia Mabilais, one of the drivers of the girls’ tennis carpool, shares the same concern as Chen regarding the social effect of the lost bus rides.

“I wish we had the buses because, in years past, we would always blast music and the whole team would be together,” Mabilais said. “I think everyone misses the bus a little bit, because when we had the bus one time (this season) we all had a lot of fun.”

While Mabilais does enjoy the flexibility that self travel provides, she still believes that the bonding that takes place on team buses is irreplaceable.

“I definitely think there’s freedom with driving myself because, if I have time, I can stop and get Starbucks or something,” Mabilais said. “But, I’d rather be on the bus with all my teammates.”

Freshmen on the road to reaching field hockey goals Julia Harris

Staff Reporter Although freshmen Shae Wozniak and Lexi Patterson are both younger than 16, they are already on the road to playing field hockey on the United States national team.

After an extensive half-year long process of selections, trials and playing in front of professionals, the girls are on the last leg of their journey.

Nexus, the program in which the girls have been participating, began with a select 1,500 girls. Then, 200 were chosen to participate in the final championship in July 2021. In the end, the top 48 were picked to try out for the U-16 training camp, which is basically a funnel to being on the national team. Wozniak was named as a definite participant (her team even won the championship in July) and Patterson as an alternate.

Wozniak was shocked to have been selected.

“I was just so overwhelmed since I did not expect to get selected since I’m still very young, and at my age it’s mostly sophomores and juniors that get selected to play for these international teams,” Wozniak said.

“Coming up in January, I’m just focusing on training, and my coaches have already set up training plans for me to get me prepared for this try-out and to hopefully make the team.”

Patterson also talked about how she feels to have been considered for the camp.

“I was so excited and thankful (to be selected). There were so many people they could have chosen to be considered, and it was just a crazy feeling (that they chose me),” Patterson said.

Besides the recent training for this specific program, the girls have substantial prior field hockey experience. Both started their journeys young, with Wozniak playing for the first time in second grade and Patterson in first. They are also on club teams, which contributes to their success as athletes at Conestoga.

Currently, the Conestoga varsity field hockey team is ranked number eleven in the state. The girls’ young talent has been helpful in pushing ’Stoga’s team up the rankings.

Wozniak plays attacking center mid, and Patterson mainly plays midfield or defense.

The head field hockey coach, Regan Marscher, values the skill sets of both girls.

“Both players bring a solid skill set and exceptional game knowledge to our team,” Marscher said. “(Shae and Lexi) never give up, and they are always looking to learn more.

The entire team really understands the value they bring, especially since they have been put in two key positions that were left vacant by talented players who graduated last year.”

As for being on the national team, the camp will be another hurdle to pass.

Regardless, the girls look forward to meeting new people and learning new things there. It is expected to focus on developing skills and decision making on and off the field. Wozniak talked about how her journey has been so far.

“The people that are on my field hockey team are some of my closest friends and they’re part of my family,” Wozniak said. “I think it’s a very strategic sport. It requires you to be physically

perseverant. There’s so much training involved with it, but it only pushes you harder when playing.”

Both Wozniak and Patterson hope to continue to compete with field hockey far into the future, wanting to play in college. Their participation in this camp is an extremely vital step to helping them reach that goal.

Wozniak also mentioned a separate dream of playing in the Olympics.

“Ultimately the national team is like the funnel into the overall goal for most young athletes, which used to be part of the Olympics,” Wozniak said. “For me, that is to be part of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Hopefully I’ll reach that end goal.”

Julia Harris/The SPOKE

Dynamic duo: Freshmen Shae Wozniak and Lexi Patterson stand together before their game. The team went on to beat Strath Haven 9-0. The girls look forward to the U-16 training camp coming up this December.

George Zhang/The SPOKE

Pushing through the competition: Freshman Shae Wozniak dribbles the ball past two defenders in the game against West Chester East. The team won 4-0 and now has a record of 11-1, the first in their league.

Sports

Monday, October 11, 2021

11

Teamer Field welcomes students back to the Pioneer Pit Alexis Costas

Broadcast Editor

Katherine Zhang/THE SPOKE

Truth Hurts: This will be a rough season Andrew Franceski Staff Reporter

The leaves are beginning to change, the weather is getting chillier, and school bells have begun to ring. This can only mean one thing: Eagles season.

Every year, I find myself spending my Sundays alternating between cheering and yelling at the TV, as if it can hear me and relay my messages. This summer, the Eagles had a lot of hype surrounding their 2021-2022 campaign.

The team had a new head coach, Nick Sirianni. I loved the hiring initially, but after being embarrassed by the Cowboys on Monday Night Football, I am having buyer’s remorse. The Eagles also have a new defense coordinator, Jonathan Gannon, and a new offensive coordinator, Shane Steichen. Howie Roseman drafted the new star wide receiver, Devonta Smith, and traded Carson Wentz for draft capital.

Through training camp and the preseason, Jalen Hurts looked very promising and much to my surprise remained calm in the pocket and was mobile on the field, something Wentz lacked during his time in Philadelphia. The Eagles also had an easy schedule through the first few weeks of the season, opening against the Falcons then home to play the 49ers, a trip to Dallas and the struggling Chiefs at home. The Eagles have not capitalized.

After a Week 1, 32-6 victory against the Atlanta Falcons during which both sides of the ball showed their talent, including one of the best throws by any Quarterback during Week 1, a 35- yard Hurts

The sun is setting at Teamer Field, but the season opener feels far from over as the home stands buzz with chatter and anticipation. Some are watching the game intently, following every play, while others talk with friends and classmates they haven’t seen in months. A good handful of people don’t really understand how the game works, but are happy just to be present. One thing unites all the attendees: as a player clad in garnet and gray sprints into the end zone, cheers from everyone fill the air. After a year of strict social distancing, students have returned to “pack the pit.”

For many Pioneers, this year was their first opportunity to attend a football game as a ’Stoga student. Sophomore Malaika Hamid went to the season-opening game against Owen J. Roberts and loved the sense of community she felt in the stands.

“I remember when I went to games in middle school, I did a lot of walking laps around the fence and I didn’t really watch (the game). This

year I was in the student section and it was totally different even though I went with the same friends. I talked with lots of different people, and the game was really enjoyable,” Hamid said.

During the 2020-2021 football season, general admission was unavailable in accordance with COVID-19 health guidelines. Players were given two tickets per game that could only be redeemed by family members, meaning that most students were unable to attend. Although most games were recorded live by TETV, the buzz and excitement of physically being in the stands was missed by many.

Senior and varsity football captain Owen Ridder is glad to have fans back in the stands in person during his final year on the team.

“My favorite moment on the team this year was our win against Owen J. Roberts.

I remember we blocked a field goal and when we all rushed the field, I looked up and saw a thousand fans looking back at us, and that was a crazy experience...the energy is so different when you have lots of fans watching versus just a few parents,” Ridder said.

Members of the marching band are also happy to be able to play for their classmates and community again. Junior and marching band member Charlie Susanin believes the return of students to the pit makes performing and the game itself more exciting.

“I think the energy at the football games is really different with both the band and all of the fans there.

There’s a lot more noise and energy with everyone cheering for the team, and it’s a lot more fun this year. I get to watch football, play music, and have fun with my friends, which are all things I enjoy,” Susanin said.

Besides showing spirit and enjoying the classic American experience of going to high school football games, some students are happy to go just to be with friends and family. For freshman Zion Brown, the Friday night games are a chance to spend time with both.

“I like going (to games) to see friends and talk because there’s so many people hanging out in one place, but my parents usually come with me too. Usually I sit with them for part of the night and I feel like it’s nice quality time,” Brown said.

With another two months of the fall season remaining, there are still plenty of chances for students to attend games and pack the pit for not only the football team, but all of ’Stoga’s fall sports players. Senior Mark Robertson recommends that everyone seize the opportunity, especially if they haven’t already.

“I think it is kind of a high school stereotype, that everyone should go to the football games. But something I think Conestoga struggles with sometimes is unity, and I feel like the games are a place where we can all come together and cheer on the same team,” Robertson said.

Ridder agrees that the games promote school unity, and encourages fans to come and watch the Pioneers play.

“Friday night lights are one of the biggest high school things, and I think every kid should experience them. It doesn’t matter if you’re a freshman or a senior, it’s great to come out, have fun and support the football team,” Ridder said. “Right now, (the team) is playing the best it has in a decade, so now is the time to come out and watch,”

HIGHLIGHT REEL THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN SPORTS. CONTINUES The boys varsity football team beat Haverford 32-19 at home on October 2nd. The team is now 5-1 for their fall season.

SERVES Sophomore Kate Emmanuel places second in Central League girl’s singles. She lost in the final 6-0, 4-6, 0-3.

STARTS NFL season kicks off with the Eagles starting 1-3 after a 4230 loss to the Chiefs on Sunday October 3rd.

WINS Boys soccer took down Central Bucks West 3-0 on Saturday October 2nd. They remain undefeated at 11-0 and currently hold first place in Central League.

TD pass to Devonta Smith, the EaFINISHES gles regressed at home against the 49ers. Harkening back to the Chip Girls tennis ends their season Kelly days of old, the defense was with an undefeated record. kept on the field for almost double that of the offense. The offense’s inability to generate a clock draining drive eventually tired out the defense, who were chipped away at by Jimmy Garoppolo and fell 17-11 after last minute heroics fell short. During this game as well, I was not happy with the play calling

by Sirianni especially on the goal line. The crescendo of these failed plays was the failed Philly Special on 4th and goal. Flashy plays do not win football games.

Against the Cowboys, the offense looked stale. Every other play was a short pass back to the line of scrimmage, or a breakdown of the offensive line. This led to many Jalen Hurts scrambles, two interceptions, and only 21 points. The sting of defeat was made worse, by Nick Sirianni wearing a “Beat Dallas” shirt all week, before the game, and then being embarrassed 41-21 in Dallas.

The Eagles returned to the Linc, for a showdown with the floundering Chiefs, and once again disappointed. Their defense was unable to stop Tyreke Hill, and costly penalties by Andre Dillard stalled three drives en route to a 42-30 defeat that dropped the Eagles to 1-3.

The Eagles do play in the NFC East, where the division is always up for grabs, but at 1-3, and with a difficult October coming up, it may already be too late for the season. There are two types of Eagles fans, optimists and realists, and I Ben Shapiro/The SPOKE hope that this year, once again, the realists are wrong. So, for now, FLY Packing the pit: Dressed for the season-opener’s Hawaiian theme, the ’Stoga student section cheers as a Pioneer sprints across Teamer Field. The Conestoga Pioneers defeated Owen J. Roberts EAGLES FLY. 17-14 after securing a win in overtime.

Senior throws an ace: Places 17th at Junior Disc Golf World Championships Reese Wang

Co-Editor-In-Chief After watching a disc golf video on YouTube at age 13, senior Shane McCullen was hooked.

“I like watching the disc fly, I think it’s cool, and the physics of discs. You can manipulate it, make it do what you want. I just thought it looked cool and I wanted to do it,” McCullen said.

Similar to its better-known peer, golf, disc golf is played on a course with 18 “holes,” called baskets. Players try to throw discs into the baskets in the least number of tries.

A year after picking up the sport, McCullen entered in his

first tournament. His wins include the 2021 Lost Valley Open and the 2019 and 2020 Philadelphia Disc Golf Open, as well as placing 7th at the 2019 PDGA Junior Disc Golf World Championships and 17th in 2021.

To qualify for the Junior Disc Golf World Championships, McCullen competes as an amateur in tournaments mostly located in the Northeast United States. He accumulates points for each player beaten, until he reaches the threshold of points required to qualify for the tournament.

At the Junior Disc Golf World Championships, McCullen played six rounds in four days, and met players from

around the United States and world. During the three-hour competitive disc golf rounds, McCullen and his competitors discussed everything between favorite disc golf courses, favorite companies, and preferences between overstable and understable discs.

“I don’t see a lot of kids who like disc golf, in my normal day life. But I’m surrounded by them when I go to junior worlds. So it’s kind of welcoming,” McCullen said.

“If I talk about disc golf with most people, they won’t understand anything. But if I talk about it with people who know disc golf, I can have a more in-depth conversation

Commitment Corner PENN STATE UNIVERSITY SPORT: SWIMMING GRADE: 12

and not feel like I’m explaining everything.”

At local tournaments, McCullen usually competes against adult amateurs. Competing against kids his age gave him goals to work towards.

“The first time I went, I had no idea how I would compare it to other kids my age. So I think after that it motivated me to get better because I mean, I did good but I didn’t win, so I wanted to win,” McCullen said. “I got to see how good kids my age were, how much farther they could go. This year I went and there was a kid who could go 100 feet farther than me, which is a lot.

So I’ve got to work harder to get that good.”

Since most disc golf courses are at least half an hour away, McCullen practices daily in his backyard or at the field behind the Easttown Library, working on shots, putting, and long drives.

To reach his goal of turning pro, McCullen plans to continue practicing and playing at a college with a disc golf course nearby. He hopes to make a living off going on tour in the United States after graduating from college.

“It (disc golf ) is what I’m passionate about,” McCullen said. “I’d rather live to work than work to live.”

DELANEY BURNS Why Penn State: “I chose Penn State because of the really great blend of academics and team culture.”

Reese Wang/The SPOKE

Practice makes Perfect: Senior Shane McCullen practices his long drives on the field behind the Easttown Library. He was first introduced to disc golf when he was 13.

SPORTS

The SPOKE Athletes carpool due to bus shortage Page 10

Senior creates sports highlight reels and graphics brand Page 10

Truth Hurts: This will be a rough season Page 11

Monday, October 11, 2021 Commitment Corner Page 11

Akshita Joshi/The SPOKE

Final year: Seniors Ananya Krishnan and Leena Kwak pose on their senior night as captains for the girls’ tennis team. The team has stayed undefeated so far in the season.

Senior Dynamic Duo Dominate central league leading team to undefeated record Akshita Joshi Staff Reporter

Through tennis games, team dinners and challenging high school courses, seniors Leena Kwak and Ananya Krishnan have strengthened their bond as friends and led the varsity girls’ tennis team to success this year as co-captains.

Krishnan and Kwak first met in the middle school locker room when they were both new to the school, and since then, their friendship has taken off.

“That awkward conversation truly started the friendship to be honest. Now, me and Leena are like sisters. We spend so much time together it is honestly scary to the point where I get sick of her sometimes,” Krishnan said.

From the start, Kwak and Krishnan have prioritized tennis over other activities and are currently ranked 16th and 12th in the state respectively.

Along with maintaining varsity positions on the tennis team since freshman year, they have competed for the first and second spots on varsity for the past three years.

“There definitely is an element of friendly competition between the two of us since we are always competing for the two top spots, but it only helps us to push each other to be better tennis players and have better sportsmanship,” Kwak said. “No matter the outcome of any match, we know that our friendship is more important. We are able to leave the competition on the court after

every game and support each other no matter what.”

While this competitive nature is a major pillar of Kwak and Krishnan’s friendship, the constant reminder of striving to become the best creates mental setbacks for the two.

“It definitely takes a toll on my mental health sometimes. I get really anxious before matches and can feel it when I play as my strokes are very stiff and I can’t move really well. But Leena is always so positive. On the court she will always check up on me in these situations (because) she knows when I’m sad or upset before I know I am,” Krishnan said.

Despite occasional personal drawbacks, as captains, the duo continues to extend their bond to the rest of the team.

Already, Kwak and Krishnan have fulfilled their hopes of bringing their team to the Central League championship as an undefeated team.

“At practice (Ananya and I) try to be very welcoming to the new members and encourage all other members to remind them of their value to the team no matter what level. That bond as captains with the amazing support from coach Britt has let our team grow together and actually see the outcome of our practices this season being undefeated,” Kwak said.

Junior Coco Lucarelli shares her experience of joining the team as a sophomore and how she was welcomed warmly to the team by the duo.

“Their leadership has definitely had a positive impact on

the team’s success. They motivate everyone to try their best and are always prepared for matches and other team-bonding events,” Lucarelli said.

Coach Britt Aimone recognizes their bond and impact as captains on this year’s season so far.

“I strive to create a culture where respect, kindness, humility and grace are values that are embodied by every player on the team, day in and day out. Leena and Ananya with the two other captains do a phenomenal job of embodying this culture and spreading it throughout the team,” Aimone said. “There is never a time during play that you can’t hear them cheering each other on in between points. I am incredibly proud of them.”

Girls’ golf team swings into action on the green with an undefeated record Grace Kuryan Staff Reporter

Several groups of girls have tried to start an all-girls’ golf team in the past, however none of the attempts had come to fruition. In early 2021, seniors Suzie Ahn and Sophia Brubaker decided to change that. As of now, the team has an undefeated record of 3-0.

“I’m really happy about the way we have performed. The results show how hard we have all worked to improve our game,” Brubaker said.

A big part of their success is their coach, Jim Moran. A health, physical education and highway safety teacher at Conestoga, Moran used to coach the developmental team, a team for players who don’t make JV or varsity.

“Our coach has been amazing. He has been really helpful and positive, and I think that has really helped a lot with our games,” Brubaker said.

The girls want to represent Conestoga well. Some of the players were able to qualify for districts. “(I’m excited) that we were able to form a girls’ team and beat these teams that have been playing for so many years. I’m really proud of the team,” Brubaker said.

The girls are doing a great job of working together, and believe that they have accomplished their goal of having a community within the golf team.

“I think it really helps to have a team supporting you,” Brubaker said. “Our team has a really positive atmosphere, and that has definitely helped in our success.”

Freshman Mimi Kambayashi has independently played golf for three years, and decided to join the girls’ golf team when she came to ’Stoga.

“I really enjoy being on the girls’ golf team,” Kambayashi said. “I’m so happy that I get to be surrounded by these nice

girls. They’re girls that I can look up to; they’re there to help me at any time.”

Right now, the girls don’t have a specific home course and practice at different courses in the area. The most common courses they play are Downingtown Country Club, White Manor Country Club and Saint Davids Country Club.

Since there are few other schools in the area that have a girls’ golf team, the team plays girls outside of the Central League. They play schools such as Merion Mercy Academy, Villa Maria, Unionville and Downingtown East.

“These girls have a vision to have a permanent varsity girls’ golf program. They’re the ones who are bringing the energy, they’re the ones who are so focused on getting better,” Moran said. They took on a challenge that a lot of people would turn down and should be proud.”

Grace Kuryan/The SPOKE

Hole in one: Freshman Mimi Kambayashi practices at Glehnhardie Country Club. The varsity girls’ golf team has won all of its matches so far. The girls hope to keep up their good work and maintain their undefeated record.