The Spoke November 2014

November 18, 2014 Conestoga High School Berwyn, Pennsylvania Stoganews.com Volume 65 No. 2

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Yuge Xiao/The SPOKE

Health SOS p. 3

Humans of ’Stoga p. 14-15

Meaning of Thanksgiving p. 19

News Local The Spoke is published seven times per year at Bartash Printing.

It consistently receives the Gold Award from the Pennsylvania School Press Association and is a National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker awardwinning publication. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.

Editors-in-Chief: Suproteem Sarkar, Simran Singh, Yuge Xiao News Editor: Michael Hong Features Editors: Courtney Kennedy, Mary Mei Opinion Editor: Meagan O’Rourke Sports Editors: Andy Backstrom, Navin Zachariah Convergence Editors: Michael Li, Jerry Zhu Business Manager: Shivani Sanghani Copy Editor: Paula Miller Graphic Designers: Sage Forté, Liz Lawton, Ben Red, Michael Zhang Staff: Betty Ben-Dor, Elizabeth Billman, Maggie Chen, Allan Du, Nour Elkassabany, Rose Kantorczyk, Camille Kurtz, Liz Lawton, Cissy Ming, Kyle Nicholson, Ian Ong, Matt Paolizzi, Emma Purinton, Allison Reagan, Matt Soderberg, Caleigh Sturgeon, Michelle Xu, Eric Xue, Lyvia Yan, Michael Zhang, Warren Zhao Faculty Advisers: Susan Gregory, Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt

Submissions Letters to the editor may be submitted to Suproteem Sarkar, Simran Singh or Yuge Xiao, or advisers Susan Gregory or Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt. Unsigned editorials represent the views of The Spoke editorial board, and not necessarily those of the administration, student body, community or advertisers. The opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of The Spoke.

Contact Us Email: spoke@stoga.net Phone: 610-240-1046 The Spoke accepts paid advertisements.

Email: ssanghani@stoganews.com Visit The Spoke online at www.stoganews.com Web News Directors: Michael Li, Jerry Zhu mli@stoganews.com jzhu@stoganews.com

2 The Spoke

County issues Ebola advisory

Eric Xue

The Chester County Health Department issued an Ebola advisory in October for those who are traveling into the county from regions affected by Ebola. Travelers will now be monitored by the county’s health department and are recommended to monitor themselves for the disease.

The largest Ebola outbreak in history struck the continent of Africa this year. Thousands of cases have been reported in several West African countries, as well as other countries outside of that region, including the United States.

According to Andrea Chipego, Tredyffrin/Easttown school district’s (TESD) director of individualized student services, it is unlikely that anyone in the district will get Ebola.

“Ebola is not spread through the air, but through direct contact with the

2014 WORLDWIDE EBOLA CASES AND DEATH COUNT Mali

Cases: 4 Deaths: 3

Senegal Cases: 1 Deaths: 1

Guinea

Cases: 1919 Deaths: 1166

Sierra Leone Cases: 5586 Deaths: 1187

Spain

Cases: 1 Deaths: 0

United States Cases: 4 Deaths: 1

who has the disease or through contact has died and had an active case of Ebola,” Chipego said.

There have been no reports of the disease in the TESD. In order to prevent cases from spreading, elementary, middle and high schools are following the information alerts and guidelines set by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Chester County Health Department.

“At this time, the district is carefully and actively monitoring and distributing the information and guidelines provided by state and federal health agencies. We will continue to be alert to the guidelines and direction provided by our health and prevention partners, and we will continue to provide, on our website, updates as we receive them,” Chipego said.

Also, the nurses of the schools in the T/E district are in contact with agencies including the CDC and the Pennsylvania Department of Health so they can receive updates on protocol in the event of an Ebola incident.

However, because there have been no reported Ebola cases or expectations of an Ebola case in this district, nurses do not have the special equipment required, such as hazmat suits and face masks, to deal with Ebola. Nonetheless, Conestoga’s school nurse Jill Yeager feels that special equipment is not necessary for preventing the disease.

“For the most part, it’s like any other illness. The whole point is preventing by not being in contact [with it],” Yeager said.

Yeager also recommends that students and adults keep to the universal precautions: avoid contact with any

Nigeria

Cases: 20 Cases: 6878 Deaths: 8 Deaths: 2812

Liberia

As of Nov. 14 Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention Yuge Xiao/The SPOKE

most importantly, if someone is sick, minimize exposure to him or her.

However, the hysteria about Ebola seemed to have gotten out of hand at Patrick Gately. panic-inducing] but I feel like now people are approaching it in a more reasonable manner. The ‘panic’ has subsided,” Gately said.

Whether the panic has subsided or not, some students are not fearful of Ebola.

“Honestly, I think most people

has spread to 47 states and the District of Columbia, including one reported case of a student hospitalized in September at Unionville, a town just 18 miles southwest of Conestoga.

Mild symptoms include fever, runny nose, sneezing, coughing and body aches, while severe cases can and in the worst cases, death.

“The most important thing to promote is prevention,” said Chester County Health Department’s Communicable Disease Investigator Jan Achenbach.

Prevention is key because there is currently no vaccine or antiviral medi-

On Oct. 31, the Tredyffrin/ Easttown School District (TESD) reported an account of fraud to the Tredyffrin Police Department.

According to the police press release, unknown person(s) purchased 24 Dell computers using the district’s Dell account.

In an email to The Spoke, TESD Business Manager and Board Secretary Arthur McDonnell said the fraudulent purchase was “uncovered by the internal controls in place at the District” and that there was “no financial loss to the District.”

The 24 computers cost approximately $43,000. Due to the ongoing investigation, McDonnell declined to comment on how

actually catch Ebola, because it is a Jiang said. “People think it’s through Despite the low risk of Ebola spreading into the T/E school district, Chipego feels that an advisory is still necessary.

“While the number of cases in the U.S. is quite minimal at this time, the state and federal health agencies want people to have factual, updated information regarding the etiology, preventive measures and potential risks of Ebola without eliciting panic and fear,” Chipego said.

Enterovirus D68

Yet another public health threat facing the nation this year is Enterovirus D68, an unusually lethal strain of the Enterovirus family that can cause severe respiratory illness.

The virus, often abbreviated EV-

District reports fraudulent purchases

cation that can successfully combat EV-D68.

According to the CDC, the best way to prevent infection is through hand-washing with soap and warm water, avoiding touching the face with unwashed hands and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces such as doorknobs, toys and desks.

“The chance of anyone becoming seriously ill as a result of EV-D68 is extremely low,” Achenbach said.

However, the risk is highest among children ranging from infants to teenagers, especially those with pre-existing respiratory conditions such as asthma.

As of Nov. 13, EV-D68 has been responsible for 11 deaths nationwide.

The Chester County Health Department is working on spreading awareness of EV-D68 through health alert postings throughout the county and on their website.

-Staff Reporter Allan Du

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-District Business Manager Arthur McDonnell the incident did not result in a financial loss to the district.

As of press time, the case remains open. The investigation is led by Detective Robert Bostick of the Tredyffrin Police.

This incident is the second time in two years that TESD accounts have been used improperly. In February 2013, the retired TESD Supervisor of Transportation Toni Pulcini was arrested for using the district’s credit card to purchase gasoline. Pulcini was charged with 151 counts of access device fraud, three counts of theft by deception, three counts of possession of stolen goods and three counts of theft of mistakenly lost property.

-Co-Editor-in-Chief Yuge Xiao

News School

Health curriculum adds suicide prevention program Michael Hong News Editor SOS—a distress signal—is the name of the program implemented this year for freshmen and seventh graders as part of the mental health unit in their health classes.

The Signs of Suicide Prevention Program (SOS) is designed to combat teenage suicide.

“We recognize that there is a need [to address suicide],” said mental health specialist Melissa Salzberg. “We just want to make sure that if anybody were to think of [suicide], we would be able to catch them and provide a safety net so they can understand that there’s a lot of other options for them and a lot of support available.”

However, there has been no incident that prompted the district to implement this program. has prompted [SOS] to be enacted,” health teacher Mike Cangi said. “But there has been some success in handling it in this way.”

The program teaches students the proper way to respond to peers who may be contemplating suicide by encouraging students to speak

out to trusted adults and by using various acronyms for students to remember the proper steps to help peers.

A suicide crisis “may not happen in November, but if something happens in February or if something happens in your junior year, you’ll remember [what you learned],” Salzberg said.

Freshmen watch a 20-minute video with vignettes depicting situations where teenagers help peers who are contemplating suicide. The video is followed by a discussion with the class, the teacher and a guidance counselor.

Afterward, there is an opportunity asks whether the student would like to reach out to a trusted adult.

SOS is not a major breakthrough, however.

The program “is nothing that’s extraordinarily different,” Cangi said. “It’s unifying the district in the language that’s going to be used in the middle school level up to the high school level.”

Seventh graders have a very similar program; the difference is in the video they watch, which will be geared toward middle schoolers. The seventh graders

Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention Yuge Xiao/The SPOKE

took the class in October, while half of the freshmen took the class during the week of Nov. 10 and the other half will take the class in the second semester.

Peer mediators did a test run for the program over the summer by watching the video, discussing Health teachers received train-

ing during the spring of this year to prepare for teaching the new program.

All staff received training on Nov. 4 during the inservice to learn how to respond to students who may show signs of suicide.

The goal of the program is to create a healthy environment and a supportive community.

“People struggle and people have depression. Rather than being something you feel embarrassed about or ashamed to talk about, we’re hoping this program will send the message that it’s okay to talk about it,” Salzberg said. “We can talk about depression. We can talk about suicide.

There is help and there is hope.”

Nearly 100 donate blood in Student Council drive Cissy Ming As part of a yearly tradition, Conestoga saves up to 300 lives in only a day. Within the few minutes it takes to donate a pint of blood, a person has the power to save three lives with his or her donation. On period, more than 90 students and faculty lined up in the large gym to donate their blood in Student

Council’s fall blood drive. In total, Student Council collected at least 90 pints of blood for the Red Cross, which will go toward saving up to 270 lives.

As part of a 35-year partnership between Conestoga and the American Red Cross, the school holds blood drives in the fall and spring, both run by Student Council. To donate, students need

Cissy Ming/The SPOKE

Life Saver: Senior Emma Larkin donates blood while Student Council member senior Dana Lee serves as a “blood buddy,” a student who provides comfort to donors throughout the donation process.

the school served as reminders about the drive. On average, 90100 students sign up, though age, weight and other health requirements disqualify many potential donors. This year, more than 140 students signed up for the blood drive, though not all could donate.

Those who are under 16 years old, weigh under 110 pounds, are anemic or have recently traveled to a country with high risk of malaria infection are ineligible to donate.

Despite these setbacks, Student Council adviser Elizabeth Gallo success at Conestoga.

“The Red Cross says we have one of the most successful blood drives,” Gallo said. “[Student donations] really make a difference.”

However, the success of Student Council’s blood drive means more than just bragging rights for Conestoga. Blood collected for the mand for blood nationwide. Every two seconds, a patient somewhere in the United States needs a blood transfusion, meaning hospitals around the country require 41,000 one-pint blood donations every day. For example, one liver transplant requires at least 120 pints of blood. If the hospital cannot obtain enough blood, the surgery

cannot take place. According to Gallo, blood drives at Conestoga do more than save lives; they inspire students to become helpful, productive members of the community.

Blood drives “spread awareness to students about blood shortages. If kids start to donate at a young age, they have a better chance of donating long term,” Gallo said.

Like Gallo, health teacher Marcia Mariani believes in the importance of educating students about the importance of donating blood.

“I use my Anatomy classes because it is juniors and seniors [in those classes] and those students are eligible to give blood. It is important to me that students who

are eligible to give blood do it,” Mariani said.

For senior Emily Levine, donating blood is simply a matter of conscience.

“I think [donating blood] is a really cool thing to do, I have blood and I’d like to give it to people who need it,” Levine said.

According to Mariani, the spirit of giving is very much alive at ’Stoga and she remains optimistic about future blood drives.

“When you tell someone why it’s important to give blood, I think most of the student body would roll up their sleeves to give a pint,” Mariani said. “For the person who isn’t so lucky, who’s sick, it’s a very simple gift that literally saves lives.”

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News School

Honor societies induct members Warren Zhao

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Ben Red/The SPOKE

Middle, high school boys sing at Guys Harmonize -

Michelle Xu/The SPOKE

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Rank and File: Conestoga’s marching band performs as an exhibition band at the ’Stoga Cavalcade of Bands on Nov. 1.

Betty Ben-Dor

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-Staff Reporter Allan Du

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FEATURES

Creatures of the night: Behind the scenes of ‘Dracula’ Reporting by Paula Miller Photos by by Paula Miller and Yuge Xiao

A 19th century horror story, this year’s fall drama is complete with explosions, tombstones and vampire bites.

“Dracula” is coming to Conestoga from Nov. 20-22. Unlike previous Conestoga productions like “Father of the Bride” and “Pride and Prejudice,” this year’s play relies heavily on special makeup crew are working harder than ever to ensure a memorable production.

Red Lips, Pale Face: Junior applies a stain to senior lips. In addition to blood-red lips and exaggerated eyebrows, Godfrey also received a pair of custom fangs for his role as Dracula.

Makeup Crew

Fang Zone Left: Senior bares his fangs. Right: Senior Sarah Whelan uses makeup to create bite marks. In the play, Whelan is bitten by Pragada, who plays a monster.

Tools of the Trade To create facial deformations (left) and fake blood, members of the makeup crew used liquid latex (bottom left) and apple cider (bottom).

Makeup crew has big plans this year for turning regular high school students into vampires, monsters and inmates. Co-captain of makeup crew senior Tess Burt works mostly on the boys’ hair and makeup, which in previous years has not been much more than foundation, blush, eyeliner and a slicked back side part. However, this year, the makeup is much more intensive.

“For the makeup we’ve got the pale faces, the high contours, definitely a horror show,” said Lexi Colantuno, sophomore and co-captain of the makeup crew.

“It’s a gothic show with a whole bunch of dead people and gore, and you’ve got to make it look nasty and scary.”

The crew began planning face charts and practicing the makeup dress rehearsal. Co-captain junior to start working on the makeup for Dracula.

“I’ve already started practicing on Michael Godfrey, who plays Dracula, because there’s just a lot

6 The Spoke

of different things that we have to kind of get down, and I need to get OK’d by the director and I need to make sure that it’s able to show up on stage properly,” In addition to character makeup, the crew will do special effects makeup. Colantuno will do the special effects makeup for Dr. Sullivan, portrayed by junior Deanna Drennen.

“She gets half of her face torn off and what we’re going to do to Deanna is we’re going to tear off half of her face from just above her brow down to her chin, and we’re going to make it look like she was attacked by an animal,” Colantuno said.

The effect will be achieved using scar wax and liquid latex.

These will also be used to make prosthetic bite marks for the actors.

“This year since we’re having stuff that we have and some of the stuff that we’re getting from stores, I’m actually bringing in my own arsenal of special effects makeup,”

Another important task delegated to makeup crew: fangs. While most actors will be given storebought stick-on fangs, Godfrey gets his own pair of custom fangs.

“I have to get used to talking lisp. I had to really get over that,” Godfrey said.

Once tech week and wdress rehearsals begin, the crew will stay at school until 10 p.m. some nights and all day on the weekends.

“The first real practice with rehearsal because that’s when all of the actors are available to let us do their makeup,” Burt said.

Despite the time and work required to pull together all the effects, makeup crew is excited to showcase their talents.

“It’s a really great show to get recognition for,” Colantuno said.

“We’ve never had the ability to prove that, if we weren’t here, how would the show look? You can’t have Dracula without Dracula, and without makeup crew it just wouldn’t be possible.”

Features Student Life

Stage Crew Stage crew started preparing for the fall drama at the beginning of

creating a huge window for the set, which Hunter feels acts as a sort of centerpiece. cool. There was a lot of geometry and stuff that had to go into them because they taper to a point and when you’re cutting wood, you can’t just

Sound effects for the show include a storm complete with lightning, as well as the sound of a monster growling. Aside from effects, sound crew will also use new microphones that go over the actors’ ears and in front of their mouths, allowing the mi-

The distinct genre of “Dracula” lends itself to a technical show with special effects. While the crew has encountered a few problems in the

The old microphones “were really annoying. They’d come and they’d go through your hair and you have to angle them down

the show to the next level.

One of the more complicated effects occurs in the crypt, which consists of a tomb atop a rolling

then they get twisted during the show so it didn’t sound as good,” Hunter said. “But these ones are going to be a lot better.”

With improvements and ambitious plans, senior Michael Godfrey, who plays Dracula, is excited about the greater role that stage crew plays in the production.

to draft a design for the set, which head of the lights crew. The crew Austin and Michael Starner to crebeginning in October. The play switches between four different settings, and the set was designed to accommodate each one.

“The main section of the set is the study in Dracula’s castle, so that’s the biggest part of the set that few other areas of it are the graveyard, the jail cell where he begins the show, and Dracula’s crypt where The walls of Dracula’s study are gravestones, which junior Callum Hunter, head of the sound crew, is especially excited about.

crew plans to pull off an explosion and a disappearance.

Other special effects will include lighting.

“We’re using foggers and strobes—fog to just give the set bit more interesting, especially

people’s names on them. It’s a big surprise,” Hunter said.

And we’re using strobe to add to the

definitely will be a big challenge because there are just so many and we have to rely on the stage crew to do their part, to pull through with that. And I have confidence that they will,” Godfrey said.

On the Set: Two actors run lines in the middle of Dracula’s study, the largest part of the set. The back of the four bookshelves in the study also double as gravestones,

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Features Student

Allied Health gives students hands-on medical experience Allison Reagan

They walk through the halls in bright white sneakers and jungle blue-green medical scrubs. Better dressed for the hospital than for school, they look like they could step right from math class into the operating room. But they are not doctors and nurses. Not yet, anyway.

Conestoga students considering a career in the medical profession have the opportunity to participate in Allied Health, a program that allows students to sample a career as a health care provider during their senior year.

“I really wanted to get as much medical experience as I could to see if medicine is something I want to do as a career,” senior Hannah Pergolizzi said.

Allied Health introduces academically-talented high school seniors to a variety of health careers available today. Students have the opportunity to experience the various departments of a healthcare facility, including therapeutic, diagnostic, informational and environmental Allison Reagan/The SPOKE services.

Dressed for success: Senior Hannah Pergolizzi does her Students “do a variety of homework in the library in a pair of scrubs. Allied Health stu- shadowing various health care dents work in the hospital Wednesdays, Thursdays and Friday.

professions, so they get a nice exposure to a variety of opportunities that are out there as far as careers,” said Brad Zerr, Director of Community Health Services at Paoli Hospital.

-Senior Hannah Pergolizzi For seven and a half hours each week, seniors are provided with classroom instruction and hands-on learning under the supervision of different mentoring doctors and nurses at Paoli Hospital.

“The most important thing the program is teaching me is just the first-hand experience,” Pergolizzi said. “You get a chance to go into the hospitals and see things you generally wouldn’t see until nursing school or medical school.”

Students travel to the hospital for class on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. They have some classroom work, take some

tests and exams and do rotations between different departments within the hospital. Shadowing either a nurse or a technician, they interact with staff one-onone to better understand their role in the hospital and their job treating patients.

“So far, I have been on a nursing floor, where everyone was on different types of monitors, and I’ve been in an oncology unit, so they’re looking at different tumors for mostly cancer,” senior Kelly Miller said. “Most recently, I was in the radiology unit, so I go to see a lot of x-rays and CT scans and ultrasounds.”

Though the hospital visits are frequent, balancing Allied Health and school is manageable, according to Pergolizzi, especially for something the student finds interesting. She encourages any student interested in pursuing a career in medicine to take part in the program.

“Allied Health is a great fit for someone who has a passion for learning about medicine and is really willing to just be flexible,” Pergolizzi said.

Her advice for students considering Allied Health in the future?

“Just be open minded.”

Parent volunteers get involved in Conestoga community Shivani Sanghani Business Manager

A Conestoga guidance counselor once told volunteer coordinator Pattie Littlewood “the volunteers are our best friends.”

According to Littlewood, parent volunteers in Conestoga play an “essential role” in assisting the district with many school events and activities.

Approximately 900 parents and community members volunteer annually in the Tredyffrin-Easttown schools, typically aiding in community and school events, including school mailings, the Conestoga After Prom Celebration Organization (CAPCO), CPR training, gym suit sales, club registrations, Career Week and Homecoming.

According to Littlewood, volunteers also play an essential role in compiling the summer mailing packets.

“With a school this large in size, we always need parents to help out with mailing the forms in the summer mailing packets,” Littlewood said. “We wouldn’t be able to mail out approximately 2,000 mailing packets to students without the help of our volunteers.”

Shivani Sanghani/The SPOKE

Answering the phone: Staff member Rosemary Barr works with parent volunteers Nancy Veronesi and Debbie Caldwell in Assistant Principal Pat Gately’s office taking phone calls.

Volunteering assignments and schedules usually correspond to specific school events or activities, in which the school or district needs assistance. Volunteer Jeanne Braun, parent of senior Jack Braun, drives students home from the Multicultural Club meetings, held weekly at Conestoga.

“I’m happy to help students who would otherwise not be able to get rides home from the club meetings,” Braun said. “I want to stay involved and feel like I’m doing my part for the betterment of the community. We are really lucky that our kids are able to go to such a great school district,

where we can help out so much.”

Parent volunteer Jean Purinton, parent of juniors Emma and Grace Purinton, said that volunteering in Conestoga brings her “immense enjoyment.”

“I really like coming out to support the community and build further relations with fellow par-

ent volunteers and students from all areas of the ’Stoga community,” Purinton said.

Littlewood said that sometimes she has “the wonderful problem” of having more volunteers than available jobs.

“I think the volunteers want to come in and help because they like to be in the school surrounded by the kids to see what’s going on in school,” Littlewood said. “The volunteers are able to realize how important it is to make friends and interact with the community and pull it tighter together.”

At class meetings for parents of specific grades, parents can sign up for volunteer jobs. Additionally, a letter is mailed to the homes of Conestoga students with offers for potential parent volunteers.

Braun said she was “amazed” by the immense number of parents who volunteer throughout the school district.

“A lot of people don’t realize how many people come out to help the district,” Braun said.

“It’s a great community we live in and the fact that so many parents are able to come out and serve the community in this way reflects our great ’Stoga community.”

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Features

Deirdre Della Polla: A friendly face greets ’Stoga community Nour Elkassabany Every morning when Conestoga students walk through the front doors, they are met with a familiar, smiling face. However, it can be tough to admit that many people do not even know her name.

For the past two years, Deirdre Della Polla has served as Conestoga’s lobby aid. She is in charge of all that goes in and out of the school doors. That includes overseeing students’ late arrivals, early dismissals and lunch breaks, checking in and directing visitors and volunteers, getting deliveries into the school and ing outside the school doors. Della Polla estimates that more than 100 outside visitors come through daily.

“It’s amazing how many people come through this door a day, everybody would be shocked,” Della Polla said.

As a parent in the school district since 1993, Della Polla is no stranger to students forgetting things at home. She is also no stranger to having parents drop off a variety of items, sometimes odd ones, for their children.

“I have a lot of parents bring coffees in; they deliver Starbucks for

10 The Spoke

You’re obviously a familiar face around the school, could you explain a little bit more of what you do at ‘Stoga?

“I get everyone in and out of the doors. I’m supposed to buzz in all visitors, check their ID, then send them on their way through the school and give them directions where they have to be. Then I also have to check the ID of students, all the kids that go in and out to lunch, the ones that get to leave early, all of the early dismissals, all of the late arrivals. So anything that’s coming through the door.”

Suproteem Sarkar/The SPOKE

Open arms: Conestoga greeter Deirdre Della Polla accepts paperwork from a student. Della Polla is in charge of everything that goes in and out of the school doors. their kids. I have had a parent drop off one shoe because her daughter came into school with two different shoes. I have had parents drop off belts for their sons,” Della Polla said.

“The stories here are very funny and they’re heartwarming. A parent would go out of their way to bring a hot lunch or whatever it is.”

Being in the district for over 20 years has allowed Della Polla to grow closer to the schools and the community surrounding them.

“I love my job, which sounds dippy, but I do. I love you guys. I think the students here are smart and they’re articulate and they’re

funny and they’re just wonderful and I really sincerely mean that.”

The one thing about her job she has a difficult time enjoying is not far off from a common student complaint.

“The early mornings. I don’t like being here at 7 o’clock, that’s about it.”

What do you do during lulls in the school day? Is there ever a lull?

“There’s not a whole lot of things to do. I probably get caught up on the volunteer work. There’s not a whole lot of quiet time.”

Do you have any interesting stories to share?

“I actually had a father who brought in Starbucks coffee and wanted his daughter called out of class immediately before the foam melted and I explained that it wasn’t really possible so he sat and waited until the next class.”

Features Teacher

a i v r a b E Tricia nd Composition AP Language a terature World Li Purinton mma Interview by E

Loved by students and teachers alike for her passion for teaching and efshoes at once, Tricia Ebarvia shares about her family, her writing and her talents beyond the classroom.

Where did you grow up?

“I grew up around here––in Upper Dublin, which is about 25 miles from here, so still in the Philadelphia area.”

How was the school you went to different from Conestoga?

“Well I went to a Catholic school until I was in eighth grade. I went to public high school, and Upper Dublin’s actually very similar to Conestoga. But when I went to Catholic school it was different

because there were only 28 students in my entire grade, and it was very unusual because there were 20 girls and only eight boys and three sets of twins in a class of 28. Everyone sort of knew each other and grew up together, so it was just a lot smaller.”

Did you always like English, or did that develop later on in your life?

“No, English was always my favorite subject. I always loved to read. I’m a very stereotypical English teacher. When I was little I would read way past my bedtime So it was no surprise that I wanted to be an English major. English teacher—that was a surprise.

You’ve mentioned that your heritage is important to you. In what ways does your heritage affect your life?

“My parents moved here from the Philippines when they were in their 20s and my brother and I were born

Favorite food: “Ice cream... or cereal” Ideal vacation: “A trip around the world that I can bring my entire family on, where the kids wouldn’t complain and we would learn about And we could take our time, that’s key.”

Favorite course to teach: “I can’t say that!

They’re all my favorites.”

here; we’re an immigrant family. I think it’s really affected me in the sense that family is really important to me. And that’s not to say that family isn’t important here but we have Filipino traditions that we try to uphold every year, and we have family in the Philippines but also other places because they move.

We have family in Australia—it’s really cool. I think that because my family, especially my brothers and my sisters, have been separated, it makes valuing the fact that we’re together that much more important.”

If you could publish one thing that you’ve written, what would it be?

“I wrote an essay about my dad once, and it was about how he made the decision to shave his entire head and go bald. And I think for my dad it was really hard because, he’s not a vain person, but for years he did the comb over, to deny that he was getting old, so one year he just decided that he was going to shave.

And I felt very sad for him when he did that, because it was almost like he was defeated by his baldness. So I would publish that, because I also talk about my kids and their relationship with my dad in that one.”

What is your funniest author encounter?

“David Sedaris told me he wishes that I was his English teacher, and I have that in writing so I have proof.”

How did you get involved in cameras and photography?

“I was always the one in high school who always had a camera and took annoying pictures everywhere we went. But especially when I had my kids, because I really wanted to document their lives, and how they were growing up, and how small they were. It made me realize how fast time really goes by.”

What is your favorite thing to take pictures of?

“I think the students here are unbelievably talented and they’re given many opportunities, but I think all those opportunities and that talent is a privilege that they should use to make the world a better place and does make the world a better place.“ Tricia Ebarvia Suproteem Sarkar/The SPOKE

as subjects are concerned. They’re not always the most cooperative, but I think I have them pretty well ite subject to take pictures of. And I like taking pictures of them in their natural element, not necessarily posed pictures but just them playing with their toys, or laughing with each other. Pictures, or photographs for me are my way of remembering things I’m going to forget. Because I will forget.”

Have you ever entered any photo contests or professional things?

“It’s purely just to take pictures.

I’ve done some workshops and other things with some local photography groups but it’s totally something I want to do for myself and would like to get better at. Not for any kind of recognition.”

The Spoke 11

Features Clubs

Conestoga Clubs President: Freshmen Allan Du and Harrison Zhang Sponsor: Jacqueline Gontarek Meetings: Room 138 every other Tuesday Student life can be very demanding and stressful, even unhealthy at times. Freshmen Allan Du and Harrison Zhang look to change that this year, as co-founders of the Secrets to a Long Life Club.

Meetings bring students together to discuss three principles of healthy living: a nutritious diet, adequate sleep and regular exercise. Du and Zhang both had relatives who suffered from cancer, and they started the club to help others attain a healthy lifestyle. Meetings feature activities such as cooking with nutritious ingredients, exercising in the gym and learning what goes into a modern diet.

“We are going to be exploring the implications of food food,” Zhang said.

Members also have the opportunity to watch and discuss TED Talks, online lectures and conduct their research projects.

Every Friday afternoon, a group of Conestoga students stands in a circle in the large courtyard. Juggling a sack from one person to another using only their hands and feet, the students are part of a club dedicated to honing their hacky sack skills.

Junior Brant Pittman started the ’Stoga Sack Club with a group of his friends this year because of his love of hacky sack. The game has been popular for a while within the student body, but only now are students offered a club to share their passions.

“We wanted a central place for everyone to come together, play with different people and just talk,” Pittman said.

Meetings are relaxed and loosely structured, allowing students to hang out and play with their friends and Oct. 24 in the large courtyard and included students from all grade levels.

Pittman chose to have meetings every Friday so members would not have to worry about homework or school the next day. He believes that more students should pick up hacky sacking as a fun hobby.

“If you see someone in the courtyard playing and it seems interesting, you Pittman said.

12 The Spoke

Reporting and photos by

President: Dylan Choi Sponsor: Katie Buckley Meetings: Room 225 on Wednesdays

After helping out at Cornerstone Christian Academy this summer, Dylan Choi decided to continue his involvment with the school into the next school year.

As a result, Choi and junior Thor Perrin Hee founded Dream Academy, another new club at Conestoga this year, to fundraise for Philadelphia students.

“Our main goal is to raise funds so that we can provide technology like computers or Smart Boards to kids in Philadelphia,” Choi said. “We are starting with Cornerstone Christian Academy, and maybe next year we are going to try to look for another school sp we can spread to other schools in Philadelphia.”

On Nov. 23, the club is hosting a 5K Run/Walk in Wilson Farm Park to earn money to support the club’s projects. The club also plans to visit Cornerstone Christian Academy weekly to see their fundraising come to life.

“We are going to go there once a week or so and help out. We’ve talked about helping out with chess team. Basically whatever the school needs us to help their students with,” Choi said.

President: Junior Brant Pittman Sponsor: Andrew Mullen Meetings: Large courtyard every Friday

Sponsor: Wendy DiRico Meetings: Room 128 every other Tuesday More than 100 clubs exist at Conestoga. Before this year, three focused on politics.

Now, a group of seniors is trying to create a fourth.

Seniors Elise Odell and Caroline Castleman are two of the students who recently established the Women in Politics Club. The club encourages women to actively participate in politics and discuss current issues and opinions in a welcoming environment. and we wanted to make sure that there was a place for girls to discuss political issues and become more involved.”

The group hopes to create an alliance within Conestoga to promote activism in politics for women and get both males and females involved in the club.

“We are trying to steer it away from being too much of a focus on feminism. It’s more open to any issues or concerns about politics,” Odell said. “We noticed that there weren’t many girls involved in politics, so we wanted to encourage more people to get involved on both sides of the spectrum, both Republicans and Democrats.”

The club welcomes all to come and join in the political debates, not just females. In the future, they hope to invite speakers to inspire members to actively partake in politics.

Features Re-

Hidden Hits: Guilty pleasure songs we won’t confess we like Rose Kantorczyk

Admit it—there’s a reason we guard our phones and iPods like they’re precious jewels, and it’s not because we’re afraid of people spamming our Snapchat stories with selfies. It’s because of our guilty pleasure playlists—those catchy tunes we’re embarrassed to enjoy, but somehow From late-90s pop tracks to presentare some songs that may be among my guilty pleasures. Or maybe not.

I’m not confessing anything.

Classic – MKTO This breakout single by duo MKTO is chock-full of references to all kinds of musical greats, from the thrilling (Michael Jackson) to (who the heck is the “Hathaway” sistent rhymes and a well-timed rap bridge make this infectious chart easy to memorize and tough to forget— you will catch yourself humming it for days on end. It’s hard to hate this typical, formula-following tune—af-

Larger Than Life – Backstreet Boys In the second single from their nal boy band somehow simultaneously bemoans the struggles of fame and thanks their fans for making them superstars. Despite the contradictory message, its simple lyrics and punchy hook make this tune a perfect

Shake It Off – Taylor Swift I applaud anyone who has somehow managed not to get this song

like synchronized cross-legged spins

subconsciously shake shake shake shake shaking off the haters, then man, is she doing a good job. And

imaginary audiences. And if this -

course of the past few weeks. Taylor Swift’s latest earworm signals the stopped pretending she’s a country world of mainstream pop, and if

iPhone screen when it plays so that no one can see the polaroid-photo $2 million to produce—and features some sweet breakdancing robots.

Wannabe – The Spice Girls one of the greatest guilty pleasure songs of all time, this song’s lyrics are as catchy as they are impossible to understand. This high-energy track was originally released by and has endured to this day as a ful choruses and refrains is a waste of time. I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want: to be able to sing the nonsense words of this song at the top of my lungs without being judged.

so guilt-inducing about that?

‘Interstellar’ takes sci-Fi to new heights

Jerry Zhu

ment and his own crew as they

“Interstellar” brings a new twist to the seemingly endless cycle of

by emphasizing the emotions encountered by the crew while awing audiences in the cosmic worlds.

With a star-studded cast including Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain, “Interstellar” infuses hopelessness and disaster with ad-

tor Christopher Nolan brings out the best of the cast by incorporatstresses the relationships between crew members.

In the near future, humanity is reduced to an agrarian society due to a debilitating lack of natural resources. Faced with the impending extinction of the human race, former NASA astronaut Cooper, played by McConaughey, makes a race by entering a wormhole. Accompanied by Amelia (Hathaway),

“Dark Knight Trilogy,” “Interstellar” establishes its own style the essence of human endurance

new heights through its broad reshape the traditional ideas of The score by Hans Zimmer matches the terrain and emotions beautifully, capturing the expanplanet while at the same time Cooper’s worst nightmares.

The Spoke 13

HUMANS OF STOGA Story by Courtney Kennedy and Mary Mei, Design by Michael Zhang, Photos by Mary Mei

Inspired by the Facebook page Humans of New York, senior Cindy Zhou decided to create her own version on a smaller scale: Humans of Stoga. Zhou found her inspiration in the form of all different students and their unique stories and experiences.

Zhou based her page off of Humans of New York, which offers a glimpse into everyday life on the streets of New York City. Over the past four years, photographer Brandon Stanton has gathered more than 5000 portraits and gained more than 10.5 million “likes” on Facebook. Zhou’s page, which uses the same basic format as HONY but features ’Stoga students, already has almost 700 likes. The page was created at the beginning of the school year as a way to feature different types of people in the ’Stoga community.

Zhou was motivated to start Humans of Stoga because she wanted to help the student body know more about itself.

“A lot students’ talents are hidden and many of us might not even know about them,” Zhou said. “I think having the page can help us learn more about

other students around us and notice those who have never been recognized for their accomplishments, amazing stories and personalities.” th hallways during her free periods with a camera in one hand and a mission of locating any student with a story. The photos are never intentionally in the same location, and Junior Sara Ali was even photographed hugging a tree in the courtyard and talking about her future plans.

“It was a lot of fun. We were laughing the entire time. The picture that she used is actually a candid moment and wasn't intentional. I saw the tree and said something along the lines of, ‘Maybe I should she happened to really like the photo,” Ali said. “The harder part was answering the question that she asked me. Asking what someone wants to be when they grow may not seem like a personal question, but I think it says a lot of a person and their character.”

Aside from the actual photograph, one of the most important elements of the post is the quote. Zhou

“I’m glad I was featured because I thought it was a really fun experience and people could get to know me a bit even if we've never talked before.”

-Senior Ellen Boyer has asked questions ranging from “What’s your favorite quote?” to “What’s your biggest fear?” in order to learn more about the “Humans of Stoga.”

Zhou “asked me some questions and I picked the one I felt like nobody would expect about me,” senior Ellen Boyer said. “I’m glad I was featured because I thought it was a really fun experience and people could get to know me a bit even if we've never talked before.”

With more than 700 likes, the page is quickly becoming a part of the Conestoga community.

Some students appreciate the opportunity to learn more about their classmates, even ones they may

have never spoken to, or even seen, before.

“I think that Humans of Stoga is a great idea because since there are so many students in our school that it's hard to know every one of them.

This gives students a chance to get to know or another Conestoga kid with an uncountable number of AP classes,” Ali said. “It give students a chance to get to know other students on a more personal level and shows students that they might have something in common with a student they may not have thought they would have something in common with.”

(top left) Juniors Angela Nguyen and Lydia Choi:

Senior Cindy Zhou Senior Nate Aspinall Senior Phill Warren

OPINION Consensus Since the new federal nutritional guidelines were implemented on July 1, ’Stoga students have walked past the lobby sugar-starved and just looking for a little pick-me-up. However, we are missing more than our cookie every once in a while to curb the waiting-for-D-lunch cravings. We are missing our right to make informed choices for ourselves about what we can and cannot eat.

While the government subsidizes and regulates the food sold in our cafeteria, it has no right to take our coveted cupcakes, baked and decorated within the homes of members of clubs like Cupcakes for Casa. Clubs are not financially supported by the government and thus the food they sell should not be under the government’s control.

And by allowing students to bring in funnel cakes and crème brûlées from home, the guidelines aren’t really preventing us from eating unhealthy foods.

Instead, they’re taking away one of the most traditional and effective income sources for our clubs. Although the guidelines allow for clubs to sell traditional sugary faire during 10 specified events during the year, including Cornucopia, clubs are forced to find other sources of revenue if

they want to fundraise at other times.

While car washes, concerts and bracelet sales are fund-raising alternatives, the intrusion on our rights as consumers remains.

With obesity rates on the rise, initially the thought behind passing this legislation made sense: take the tasty temptation away from 13- to 18 year-olds, clearly too young to decide what is good for them, to eliminate the chance of their snatching one too many brownies.

But this logic is flawed. If we are not tempted by the presence of sweets at school, how can we learn to moderate our consumption of treats in the future?

Moderation is the key to a healthy lifestyle and we are taught to limit ourselves in our health and fitness classes.

By eliminating bake sales during school hours, we do not have the opportunity to exercise moderation and resist tempting treats in a controlled school environment before we leave ’Stoga.

It’s not entirely terrible that teachers and administrators, who are charged with setting examples for us, are asked to promote healthy eating. But when that challenge is passed on to us, our rights are challenged.

7 out of 13 editorial board

If you disagree with the ruling, do something about it.

As students, we should not just bang our forks and spoons on the cafeteria tables and complain. The impact we have can be more widespread than just within our school walls.

Since the federal rules do not sales a school can have per year, only requiring them to be “infrequent,” the state legislatures are the ones deciding how many times a year we can sell our favorite foods, and Pennsylvania sets a limit of 10.

If you disagree with the ruling, do something about it.

Each person can make a tangible impact.

If you disagree with the guidelines, you can get involved in the actual legislative process by writing a letter to a state political representative or signing a petition to change the ruling.

Each person can make a tangible impact on the future of our bake sales—and the future of our nation.

The board

As students walk through the main lobby past the once food-laden rectangular table, now empty and barren, forlorn gazes are followed by harsh criticism toward Michelle Obama. This year, new healthy food initiatives and stricter guidelines resulted in a near-elimination of bake sales, with students unable to raise funds for their clubs through the formerly conventional methods of selling treats and snacks during periods.

Clubs including Cupcakes for Casa and Best Buddies, which until this year raised the vast majority of their revenue through these bake tive methods,such as carwashes or 5Ks. While the editorial board of The Spoke is equally saddened to be deprived of yummy foods during school hours, the constraints might able as we may think.

Selling merchandise related to a particular cause or organization, as well as understanding which foods or beverages align with the national guidelines, can permit student clubs to still raise funds for their respective causes. The school district must abide by these same requirements, so if perhaps we students can do the same.

While not all students may agree with this new legislation’s approach,

the intention and the goal it seeks to achieve is noble. Promoting healthy eating at a younger age is essential to ensuring a healthy lifestyle, and though students ought to be able to choose what we eat, the government also has a responsibility to its citizens to ensure that they are making informed choices.

More than a third of children and teens were obese in 2012, according to the Center for Disease Control. Obesity, which can lead to a myriad of other health disorders such as heart disease and diabetes, is certainly a concern that should be prioritized in the political agenda, and the most effective place to start is within schools. Since a public school is a government-funded institution, the government does have the right to restrict the types of food that we purchase on school grounds.

Legislative bodies have long restricted who can smoke and where they can smoke, and such rules are also in place with regard to alcoholic beverages. While a cupcake may not equate to a beer, the principle still stands. In addition, students can continue to bring their own sugary refreshments and salty snacks from home as they would like. After school hours and during sporting events, all restrictions are lifted, and any food can be sold and consumed. The legstudents are perceiving it to be.

6 out of 13 editorial board

From the Editor: The Follow-up Question

Suproteem Sarkar Co-Editor-in-Chief Last summer, I was selected to represent Pennsylvania at the 2014 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference, an all-expenses-paid journalism convention in D.C. for 51 high

16 The Spoke

school journalists from across the country. As the first person from ’Stoga to attend the conference, I really didn’t know what to expect. I thought I would be able to meet some professional journalists and get a better understanding of how to write news articles.

I had no idea how much more I would learn.

I spoke with Judy Woodruff, the co-anchor of PBS NewsHour, who explained to me how important it is to report news objectively. I met Senior District Judge Royce C. Lamberth, who showed me that people get even sharper with age. And I shook

hands with Rep. John Lewis, who spoke about what it means to stand up for your beliefs.

Perhaps the most enriching discussion I had was with the conference videographer. He was sitting in the back of the executive meeting room, barely approached by any of the other conference attendees. I pulled up a chair and asked him what type of camera he was using, and we ended up spending a good 20 minutes talking about the best way to frame shots.

And I have to mention the 50 other student journalists from across the country who joined me at the conference, who pro-

vided me with invaluable advice on how to develop stories and manage staffs.

But in addition to all the advice and information, I learned something more important.

Although the conference gave me several chances to hear from influential figures, I got the most out of my experiences by going up to the presenters afterward and asking follow-up questions—asking Woodruff why she pursued a brand of journalism that’s losing its popularity, asking Lamberth why he chose to be a judge, asking Lewis what it was like to go through his many life experiences.

And throughout this process, I realized something—not all learning has to come from inside the school building. You might learn something much more valuable from a videographer you approach with a simple question.

So as we move closer toward college and whatever follows, I’m asking you not to be afraid to ask.

Ask your bus driver why he choses to work irregular hours.

Ask a professional to give you her business card. Ask your neighbors how they got to where they are now. Every person has a story that you can learn from.

Voting is the norm, please conform

Simran Singh Co-Editor-in-Chief At 6 p.m. on election night, my parents and I were driving down Swedesford Road when I asked them if they intended to vote in the next two hours. Oddly enough, my relatively apathetic mother was excited to vote, while my dad insisted that he had “better things to do.”

Outraged, I started screaming that he deserved to be deported to Syria or any of the other numerous Middle racy. If he wasn’t going to vote, he deserved to be stripped of his voice in the democratic process and should never be able to vote again. In addition, he would never again be allowed to lament partisan politics or foolish policies and gridlock if he wasn’t even very prominent elements of our current democracy. Harsh, sure, but effective. Within the hour, both my parents had submitted their ballots, and I felt alive and well.

This sentiment quickly faded once I realized that only 36.5 percent of

voters showed up to vote during this midterm election. In comparison to a nation like Indonesia which has a similar population size to the U.S. but boasts a voter turnout of 75.1 percent, our appallingly low voting rate is dismal.

While many Democrats felt disheartened by the election results, and many Republicans emboldened, neither should view the results as in-

“You lose the right to complain about the government the moment you choose not to participate in the democratic process.” dicative of what 2016 may bring. For one, demographics that are decidedly Democratic turned out in far lower percentages, including Hispanics, African-Americans and unmarried women. In addition, resentment against an incumbent president can often carry over into the results of a midterm election, perhaps demonstrating that voters are unhappy with the Obama presidency rather than the Democratic platform as a whole.

Either way, the day after elections, my physics teacher showed us the breakdown of candidate voting results for local elections. One congressional race had been determined by six

votes. If three voters had swung the other way, policies could be drafted and legislation passed in an entirely different manner. Each vote counts, and that is the beauty of a democracy.

Amidst a political climate that very few, if any, voters are happy with, choosing to skip the polls on election day is a crime. You lose the right to complain about the government the moment you choose not to participate in the democratic process, whether it is through voting, campaigning, canvassing or phone-banking.

I encourage Republicans, Democrats, Independents and the undecided alike to vote for a candidate not because they like the color red instead of blue or a donkey instead of an elephant. Not because their parents historically have voted a certain way, or because they like one Democrat and therefore must support all Democrats.

Look at each individual issue, and how your candidate plans to address that individual matter; vote for who aligns best with the way that you see things.

We get the democracy we deserve; if people don’t vote, they will be unhappy with the way things are run, and deservedly so. Citizenship provides you with both rights and responsibilities, and as a citizen, you have the duty to vote. For the sake of our country and all countries struggling for democracy, for the protection of voting rights of our citizens as well as those in Syria and middle eastern nations, for the betterment of our world and your children’s world too, don’t be part of the 63.5 percent.

Liz Lawton/The SPOKE

Opinion Commentary

The College Board controls you

Maggie Chen/The SPOKE

Matthew Soderberg Columnist There is a company that has unprecedented control over your academic careers and you might not even realize it. This same company charges other private companies $0.37 for the information you provide them. This same company will likely collect over a few hundred dollars from you during your time here at ‘Stoga.

What is this ubiquitous organization? The College Board.

The College Board presides over such tests as the SAT, PSAT, SAT II and AP exams. How does one private organization become so integral to public education?

The College Board determines what we learn in AP classes, summers spent at SAT preparation and which Saturdays we come and sit for a four hour exam. It is time for ‘Stoga students to open their eyes and realize who is really in control of our academic futures.

The way we pay the College Board reflects this dominance.

The amounts quickly add up as you progress through your education. $52 for the SAT. $26 or $16 for each subject test. $18 for the PSAT. And a whopping $89 for each AP test you take. Not to mention spending $11.25 and $15 to send the SAT and AP exams to colleges, respectively.

I have been Conestoga stu-

dent for just over one year, and I already have paid $238 to the College Board. In one year.

Multiply that out over four years here, and it is not long before you reach $1000. $1000 dollars to this company that many high school students do not even realize plays such a huge role in their academics. I don’t know about you, but I feel bad turning in so much of my parents’ money while I am a student here. The worst part and the part that no one realizes?

All this money we spend goes to an institution that profits off of the very information we pay to provide.

At ’Stoga, to be considered an “elite” student, you have to take AP classes and score really high on SATs. So many requisites of the “elite” student here at ‘Stoga involve paying the College Board-putting students of lower income families at a disadvantage.

Public education should not work this way.

Right now, there is no alternative. Sure, we can take the ACT instead, but it is the same sort of scam, just paying up to ACT, Inc. Funding the collegiate private organizations’ monopolies on our futures is inevitable.

Although the College Board controls our wallets, it does not necessarily control our success when we go to college or in our careers. So don’t get too comfortable if you paid to take the SAT’s five times to finally achieve that perfect score. Flipside, those of us unable to feed the College Board’s piggy-bank need not to despair if we can’t send in our coveted fives on the AP exam. In our careers and futures, there are no retakes or SAT camps, only talent and determination.

The Spoke 17

Opinion Commentary

Fast—it is for everyone

Michael Zhang Columnist I’m going through a bit of a consumer-product crisis right now with the school’s new set of technology.

To put things into perspective, I

ble Wi-Fi service scheduled to hit ’Stoga in 2013 during my freshman year. At the end of sophomore year, rumors about a school computer upgrade to a new Windows operating system were genuinely exciting, and while XP and I have had our times—I was ready to move on.

Now, almost three months into the my junior year and after a public reveal as part of the district’s “Bring Your Own Device” initiative, the school district’s Wi-Fi network remains an unimpressive and elusive internet provider. Windows 7 and its blue login screen retain an ubiquitous presence as

the OS of the library. But while it is many things, it and its frequently unbearable.

The new network isn’t all inherently bad. Wi-Fi and upgraded computer software are things that we should appreciate, not ostracize.

Like with any change, the transition stages can be frustrating. But in the future,’Stoga needs to do a better job at implementing these changes. BYOD and Windows 7 were full of good intentions, but few people know how to access the school’s Wi-Fi-and even fewer have the patience for this system slowdown.

Empire scared out of its mind: Ebola hysteria in the U.S.

Boxing ourselves in: STEM vs. humanities

Michelle Xu Columnist Humans have a compulsive need to pit things against each other. Not everything can be neatly split into two camps, but we certainly do try our best: good vs. evil, men vs. women, donkeys vs. elephants, Peeta vs. Gale. In education these days, the big pair seems to be science, technology, engineering and math-or STEM, vs. humanities.

Students’ attitudes reflect the STEM vs. humanities stigma in the conversations carried in classrooms and hallways. “I’m a science person, and you’re asking me to write?” they say. “I’m a history buff, I don’t ‘math,’” they say.

It’s as if the boxes that the rest of society tries to pack us into aren’t enough. Hey you, Mr. College Admissions Guy, maybe you can reduce me to checkboxes on gender, race and religion, but I bet only I can squeeze myself into boxes corresponding to school subjects!

In some ways, this over-categoriBy labeling ourselves as math people or history people, we distinguish ourselves from our peers by our interests. This can help us enjoy classes, make friends and determine our goals in life and determine our strengths and weaknesses. In STEM vs. humanities, the strengths and personalities of STEM people are generally slightly different from the strengths and personalities of humanities people, and so we have this natural divide.

However, like over- anything, this over-categorization has many ourselves into become excuses for

Sources: CDC, the truth.com and textinganddrivingsafety.com Liz Lawton/The SPOKE

18 The Spoke

bad performance. Scientists accept poor writing and purple prose because they aren’t humanities people.

Historians quickly forgive their lacking math and accounting skills because they aren’t math people.

We make excuses for ourselves, so we build the walls of our own boxes, preventing us from improving on our weaknesses and trying new things.

The STEM and humanities split is even more egregious because STEM and humanities aren’t mutually exclusive. Society needs both to thrive.

You need both to thrive. There’s a reason why Conestoga requires us to take both three science classes and three history classes to graduate.

Even the most STEM-obsessed tech school, MIT, understands this principle and requires undergraduates to take eight humanities classes.

In the words of MIT Professor Deborah Fitzgerald, published in a column in the Boston Globe, “Our students also need an in-depth understanding of human complexities the political, cultural, and economic realities that in the powerful forms of thinking and creativity cultivated by the humanities, arts, and social sciences.”

STEM and humanities are like an oyster and a pearl to some: a dull disgusting shell and a shiny valuable (though which is which depends on your point of view). They do not contrast each other and you should not only pick one. Actually, STEM and humanities are more like the two shells of a clam, which both work together to let you handle whatever problems life sends to crack your shelly exterior.

Or in Fitzgerald’s less metaphorical terms, “Calling on both STEM and humanities disciplines as mutually informing modes of knowledge, we aim to give students a toolbox brimming over with tools to support them throughout their careers and lives.”

So go work on your toolbox or your clamshell for a bit. Make sure you’ve got both sides and that you’re willing to improve both side. STEM and humanities, rivals no more.

Maggie Chen/The SPOKE

Opinion Seasonal Report Card

The new bell

Camille Kurtz Columnist It was Thanksgiving Eve, and I was stealthily slipping out of my bed and padding down the hall to the rooms of my younger cousins, armed with pocket-sized presents. Prying the door of each bedroom open with painstaking care, and in a rather “Tell-Tale Heart”-esque fashion, I entered each bedroom. And under the pillow of each child, I placed the respective present, for I was the esteemed “Great Turkey.”

Though, admittedly I had assigned this grand to title to myself (and most of the esteem with it)…and possibly “borrowed” and “modified” what As a naive 10 year old, Thanksgiving meant little more to me than a break from the monotonous routine of school, a chance to eat two slices of pie in one sitting and the beginning of Christmas music on the radio. I,

thus, felt it necessary to work into the holiday some of the magic that seemed to exist in, well, every holiday except Thanksgiving.

I look back on this and laugh, but another part of me is also ashamed of my materialistic and limited perspective. By taking on the persona of the “Great Turkey” I was masking the true meaning of the holiday, which is not to receive more, but to be with thankful for what you already have.

When seriously considered, Thanksgiving is truly one of the least commercial holidays. While religious celebrations may originally have been passed with fervent worship and appreciation, now most have been stamped

“When was the last time you sent a Thanksgiving card? Or wore a “Kiss me I’m Puritan” shirt?

Never.” with the mark of gift exchanges and shameless advertising. While do highlight the stark outlier that is Thanksgiving. When was the last time you sent a Thanksgiving card? Or wore a “Kiss me I’m Puritan” shirt? Never.

There is something wonderful about Thanksgiving that cannot be found in other holidays. As preachy and maybe even roll-your-eyes-worthy as this sounds, I strongly believe Thanksgiving has a message that everyone should stop and think about.

There is, however, a fine line between a genuine thankfulness and understanding of the holiday and an unnatural act, put on to simply mimic thankfulness. Thanksgiving is not about buying into the sentiment of gratitude and broadcasting your blessings to the whole world with false appreciation, so as to gain the admiration of others. The largely unaltered point of the day is to realize that despite everyday struggles and complications, life can always be worse (a rather morbid, but, nevertheless, true statement) and the fortune we are now blessed with should be acknowledged.

And now I really run the risk of sounding like a Hallmark movie, but, looking back, I think that Thanksgiving magic that I tried to create with the “Great Turkey” was always there, it just was different from how I expected it to be. Thanksgiving is more than just a fall break, or the midpoint between Halloween and the

F

It isittemporary +Hopefully is temporary

+

-Not sure if I should fasten my seatbelt or if

-

Winter is coming

B

+Possibility of another + 10 snow days

-...possibility of another 10 - snow days

“Thanksgiving is a time when family comes together, it’s where good food is eaten, happy times are had and merriment just -Junior Christopher Burrow

“Thanksgiving means getting to spend time with my family and just to be able to have a good time with them and to be thankful that they’re there.”

-Senior Jonathan Jiang

year -

B

Midterm elections

+ more political ads +No -A-lower voter turnout than usual

Dear Macy’s, Thank you for opening up your doors at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving for the beginning of Black Friday sales.

Starting my holiday shopping 28 days before Christmas on traditional Black Friday is cutting it a little too close, so I appreciate the opportunity to shop before pumpkin pie.

Last year, when your stores and others, such as Walmart and Target, opened on Thanksgiving Day, American shoppers swiped and battled through 10 million register transactions according to CBS. Now, as a savvy consumer and competitive American, I must join the bargain bandwagon and beat those 9,999,999 shoppers to snatching the

such good help on a national holiday celebrated by Americans of all races and religions. Your compassion for your employees overwhelms me.

You gave employees the “option” of working on Thanksgiving for incentive pay and time off on Black Friday. Just as you do not force shoppers away from their homes, you are not forcing employees dependent on wages and commission to remove themselves from the table.

I anxiously await that moment when I get back my long receipt and see all the slashed prices. I will deserve some of Aunt Suzie’s leftover apple pie for only spending $400 on stuff I don’t need when it originally cost $800!

However, my family will understand my absence this year. After all, I am shopping for their under-thetree goodies. I feel it is my duty to

I will drive to the King of Prussia Mall, with tryptophan still in my blood from hastily eaten turkey, and semi-aggressively elbow my way past every other person sharing my genius idea until I can press my face against the big red star on your door.

Waiting for checkout may take an hour or two, but perhaps I can befriend the lady who played tug-

time” so that the family can spend some real quality time unwrapping gifts over the holidays. And by your store opening at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving, I can be a gift-giving goddess this holiday season.

I guess that’s the magic of Macy’s!

Sincerely, Your Eager Customer

Opinion Editor

“Thanksgiving means that you’re all with your family and that you eat together and share a good meal.”

-Freshman Kate Bailer

+

A

of-war with me over a half-off cashmere sweater. Maybe we will talk about our families, but we won’t have much to say because we haven’t spent quality time with them since…oh right… last Thanksgiving.

And now to check out.

what great opportunities we have, what great friends and family…and, of course, it’s also about the pie.

“It’s my birthday, so I was born on Thanksgiving, and my whole family comes over to my house and we all eat food and hang out all day.”

-Sophomore Madalyn Bleczinski

Seven Central League champions

The Spoke 19

SPORTS CENTRAL SMASH: ’Stoga captures seven league titles in fall Navin Zachariah & Matt Paolizzi Reporter This fall season, Conestoga athletes have represented their school in one of the best fall seasons of all time. It was a season in which seven teams were able to capture the Central League title. Those teams: girls tennis, golf, boys cross country, girls cross country, girls soccer, boys attributed their success to the strong camaraderie that developed over Boyle says that the 2014 fall sports season is one of Conestoga’s most successful seasons.

“From what people told me, it’s been one of the most successful years ever. It was fantastic to have this hope that the students all really had great experiences. Success is a huge On Tuesday, Sept. 29, girls tennis clinched the first of Conestoga’s Central League championships by score of 7-0. Girls tennis coach Fran Tomaselli believed that coming into the season the team would be in a rebuilding mode after losing 12 seniors from last year’s varsity team, leaving the team very inexperienced.

However, Tomaselli says that the whole team stepped up, especially the doubles pair of juniors Hannah went undefeated. The improvement of many of the younger players on the team ultimately led girls tennis to their Central League championship this fall season. players and half of each varsity doubles team from the year before.

Yes, I was expecting it to be more of a rebuilding year, but that we would still be a good solid team and challenge for the Central League our whole team stepped up big time One down, six to go. straight Central League title on

Goodwin all played a huge role in says that the strong bond between the players was the reason behind the team conquering the Central League championship. other for a long time. It created a really relaxed bond that allowed us to gel and get along as a team. Also, each and every one of us does not

cross country team raced against

that the spectacular showing from the

went on and the team continued something special was happening.

and then some of the top guys would

we wanted to win and we had very

ago in the summer, even though we didn’t get as much mileage, allowed us to build a strong base. Then the next summer, we just increased how much we were doing and almost three years ago has allowed us to totally dominate the Central

“From what people told me, it’s been one of the most successful years ever. It was fantastic to have this kind of success.”

-Athletic Director Patrick Boyle Three down, four to go.

Later on the same day that boys cross country clinched, the girls won

was earned from total team effort.

“Pleasantly surprised by the different number of players that all contributed to the teams’ success.

says that at the beginning of the

20 The Spoke

We Own It: From left to right: Junior Casey Allen, seniors Laura Zhang, Jack Braun, Andrew Marston, Kaylee Yan, Andrew Willner and Grace Edgarton. This fall season, seven ’Stoga sports teams were able to capture Central League championships. Each team will hope to continue its success into next season.

three years.

“In the summer, we had most of

against Radnor. The team ended the season with an undefeated record in the Central League. Head coach Kevin Pechin says that the team’s primary goal this season was to win the Central League title. Pechin

shouldered a lot of the load. Players

Yuge Xiao/The SPOKE

the boys Central League champions

time ever–meaning the girls’ banner in the gymnasium will no longer be

how they stood compared with its biggest competition, Strath Haven and Harriton. But as the season

the score was tied 0-0 and so the Pioneers were still searching for second half, coming off the foot of

however, made us the undisputed champs and that felt really awesome to accomplish, not just for our team this season, but for Conestoga girls

goal by Braun led ’Stoga to a close but dominant 1-0 victory against the Royals and also made the team Central League champions.

This season, boys soccer started out with a tough loss against Council

said.

Four down, three to go.

Girls soccer was crowned Central League champions on Oct. 9 after their victory against Penncrest.

The team started out the season with a record of 1-1-1. Sophomore

expect to win the Central League title this season because the team was relatively young compared to past years. However, the team surprised the pundits and found ways to win all across the board. Head coach David

from the team was because of the communication issues that the team was having on the field, but that as the season progressed the team team’s Central League championship was won because the team always adversity it faced.

Tuesday, Oct. 14.

Boys soccer had an away date with Upper Darby at 3:45 p.m.

The boys had a favorable matchup against the 5-10 Royals. But the boys had to overcome the bad condition

team was one that always refused to give up. a lot of goals. Almost all of our

win. It’s been surprising how much always remember his teammates from his senior season.

“I always love being around to lunch or dinner, or whatever, we all just love each other’s company and we all want to be around each other. Our closeness to each other is ultimately what made us Central said.

Six down, one to go.

had a senior night home game against Upper Darby at 7 p.m. Up undefeated in the Central League, but one slip up could have cost the team the league championship. ’Stoga crushed Upper Darby by game, allowing no shots to get past her. The team’s domination allowed it to capture its third Central League title in four years and also brought Stoga’s Central League championship count this fall season to a total of seven. with high hopes after the success the team was able to have last season.

The girls dominated the Central Ross was the leading goal scorer for the team this season and says that the team’s success last season carried into this one.

“This season was a huge success because we were Central League champions and we met our team goal time in decades we made it to states Boyle is proud of the way that ’Stoga students played this fall season and he hopes that the success and excitement carries into the winter sports season.

“I’m proud to say we had all those champions and tournament qualifiers, but I’m even prouder feelings, the fans, the Pioneer Pit,

The Spoke highlights some of the

Sports Fall

premier athletes on each of the fall Central League championship teams.

Story by Co-Sports Editors Andy Backstrom & Navin Zachariah

Grace Edgarton #19 On the girls’ soccer team: “This season will because it was my senior year, but it was the most fun I’ve ever had on a team. I became really close with all the players on the team and it was so fun to just be with them every day. We all love to play soccer and being able to go and do that with friends just makes for an awesome combination. Having fun and winning the Central League championship just makes this season so memorable.”

Teammate Madie French on Edgarton: “For the past two years Grace has been a great captain.

She brought the team together and helped us become a family. She would do whatever it took to help the team succeed. She’s someone that people look up to and is a great leader.”

Andrew Willner On the golf team: “Our team had so much depth this year. We had guys like Jack Mitchell really step up this year and help [lead] us to our third straight Central League championship. It was a different mix of guys every single time, getting low scores, which really shows how talented everyone on the team is and that our success this season was a total team effort. We all picked each other up on the golf course.”

Teammate Michael Cook on Willner: “I think he really played some great golf this season and was consistent with how he played. He was a great leader for our team and really stepped up and was a good example for everyone to follow.”

Graphic by Ben Red

Casey Allen #7

Jack Braun #11 On the boys’ soccer team: “Our team chemistry was incredible this season. Our team is all friends with each other. Our favorite thing Conestoga feeling that we’re doing this for eachCourtesy other and that we Football trust each other. This being my senior season, I will remember my teammates from this year and how we all came together to win the Central League championship.”

On game-winning penalty kick against West Chester East in the second round of districts: “Last year in a playoff game against Great Valley, we took PK’s and I missed mine, which essentially ended the game. So this year, I felt it was my time to redeem myself.

I felt it was a great way to end my career on Teamer Field.”

Teammate Eddie Kim on Braun: “Jack had to go through a lot, suffering two ACL tears. Despite that, he came back stronger than ever for his senior season. A great teammate and an even better friend,

Kaylee Yan On the girls’ tennis team: “I think we are really deep. A lot of the other teams are topheavy, with national players at the top, and I’m number one, so we are not top-heavy. I think we are committed to the whole team effort.

Each match is a team effort. I think this year [we] really stepped it up with the team bonding with all the new players we have. And I think the senior players and the returning juniors really helped out the younger players.”

Teammate Cecilia Mabilais on Yan: “She’s quiet, but she’s actually a really good leader and she will really surprise you with her leadership ability. Also, on the tennis court she is really very focused and is always able to maintain her coolness and poise.

“I think that every out ways to win. But just how quickly our team was able to do that and how close we became, was just amazing.”

On game-winning overtime shot against Downingtown West in the fourth round of districts: “It’s one of those moments where you just know that it has to go in. It shows how much effort that the whole team put into that game and the whole season up to that point.”

Teammate Jess Reindel on Allen: “She’s going to be a great captain next year. Whenever our team is having an off day or doesn’t have as much energy as we should, she always just jumped up and gave us all a pep talk that got the whole team excited.”

Kilian Nelson On the boys’ cross country team: “We’ve all known each other since sophomore or freshman year and we’re all real good buddies. We knew we were good, but we didn’t know how good we actually were.

We all had worked so hard in the offseason to build up for this season and I think that and the large amount of experience we had on this team really showed.”

Teammate Andrew Marston on Nelson: “He’s on the top of my list of guys who put it all out there this season. He had a great season. He put in a lot of good work this offseason and just came out this year and really competed. He’s also been an incredible teammate. He’s just a total stud.”

Johanna Näsman On the girls’ cross country team: “In the beginning, we set goals. We met last year, and had a meeting, the girls did, and we set goals that we wanted to go undefeated for the Central League. And since it is a co-ed team, it is really cool. The guys and the girls are really close. So periodically, we would go to team dinners before a big meet.”

Teammate Celeste Leon on Näsman: had an amazing season. As team captain, she is always there to guide us and help us when we need her. Not only that, she’s also such a great teammate and friend that always has your back.”

Photos by Yuge Xiao & Navin Zachariah

The Spoke 21

Sports Districts

Boys Cross Country

DISTRICTS UPDATE

Following its second undefeated season, boys cross country won districts

By Yuge Xiao, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Girls Cross Country After clinching their first Central League title, members of the girls cross country team placed fourth in districts.

The girls’ showing—a leap from 12th place last year—allowed them to qualify for state championships as a team for the

Courtesy Ryan Comstock

overall. Junior Annamarie Shultz led the lady Pioneers with 19:16, a time that earned her 25th place out of 225 runners.

“Our goal as a team was to be undefeated, win Centrals and to go to states Courtesy Ryan Comstock as a team. As a team we accomplished this goal,” Shultz said. “I’m so proud of Senior Laura Zhang (left) and juniors Annamarie Shultz (middle) and Johanna Näsman (right) run at the state championships on Nov. 1. the team.”

Field Hockey

The field hockey team, undefeated during the regular season, games in district playoffs. While the girls lost 3-1 in their next match against Unionville, junior Casey Allen’s game winning goal during kept the girls in the district playoffs.

The team won its second elimination third overall in the district. Field Hockey ended its season with a

Courtesy Pete Bannan

Boys Cross Country’s top eight runners and head coach Ryan Comstock (right) celebrate the team’s second place finish at States.

Football

Finishing fourth in the Central League, the football team advanced to district playoffs. However, the boys’ district run was cut short by Bayard Rustin when the Knights defeated the Pioneers 47-13. for districts.

“It felt amazing. Every year our goal is to make playoffs and to actually do that my senior season really ended my football career on a good note. It’s crazy to think that this year’s team made it when there [had] been some fantastic players before us that never played in a single playoff game. I just hope that we set Navin Zachariah/The SPOKE a new standard for future teams to Senior Martin Dorsey leaps for a ball always make the playoffs,” senior

Casey Allen scores the

Girls Soccer

round of States.

Boys Soccer

Riding on its Central League title, the girls’ soccer team won the

With six returning seniors, the boys soccer team entered the season inexperienced. However, the boys exceeded their own expectations when

Phoenixville. The girls lost their next match against Central Bucks East

West Chester East. During the game against the West Chester East Vikings, senior captain Jack Braun scored on a penalty kick in the second overtime to lead the Pioneers to victory, 1-0.

Navin Zachariah/The SPOKE The boys ended their season in the next round of districts after a 3-0 loss B o y s s o c c e r c e l e b r a t e s a f t e r i t s w i n a g a i n s t M a r against Unionville.

Senior Eddie Kim

‘Stoga Cross Country

Sophomore Katelyn Perz

Golf

The golf team, represented by se-

Navin Zachariah/The SPOKE

Girls Tennis

The girls’ tennis team made it

Jace Kienzle, Andrew Willner and Pioneer Pit

22 The Spoke

Senior Paige Kozlowski

for the regional competition, where they earned scores of 148 and 150 respectively. Willner missed the cutoff for States by one shot, leaving Cook the sole Pioneer to compete at the state championships, where he tied for 15th place.

Dublin. The girls lost the next round against Unionville but came back with

Central High School as well as the next game against Abington Heights. lost against Shady Side.

Sports Clubs

Athletes play for their teams, serve community Elizabeth Billman Athletes at Conestoga already try to balance school and sports on a daily basis and community service is not always easy. However, students have discovered ways to give back to the community while continuing to focus on their sport. With the creation of the clubs, Athletes Helping Actively (A.H.A.) and Sports for Support, student athletes can do charitable deeds without overwhelming themselves.

The two clubs are similar in that they both allow athletes to take part in service activities, but they function differently.

A.H.A., led by senior president Laura Zhang, aims to give students a way to work community service hours into their sport’s schedule.

Meanwhile, Sports for Support, which is headed by junior copresidents Liz Lawton and Anna Delaney, is geared towards raising money for a local charity through athletic tournaments.

After receiving little support in its beginning years, A.H.A. is up and running with 40 active members and a Facebook page.

This collection of athletes helps their school and community by volunteering at elementary school spring fairs, Habitat for Humanity and The Healthy Kids Running Series, an event in which the elementary schools in the district come to Conestoga to compete with one another.

Zhang believes that the club offers new opportunities for athletes to balance their schedules with service, schoolwork, and athletics.

“The club helps to provide a way for athletes to give back with community service. It’s a good way I think for athletes to do things that they wouldn’t normally be able to do,” Zhang said.

As a result of success with these events, parents of the elementary school kids have recommended that the club volunteer for other community events and activities such as the Irish Road Track Club, the Valor Bowl and the Special Olympics.

The club also takes it upon themselves to create events such as the PB&J Project. After practice, everyone pitches in with supplies to help make more than 200 sandwiches, which they then donate to a local homeless shelter.

Sports for Support clubs have been started by other schools in the area prior to ’Stoga, but ’Stoga students have caught on. History teacher, Gregory Hein is the sponsor of the up and coming club.

Lawton and Delaney originally met with other students at a local summer leadership conference to gain visibility for the program.

The club raises money for the Michael’s Way Foundation in Philadelphia, which aids families affected by pediatric cancer by conducting sports events that people can participate in. The charity was chosen because it was a worthy local charity that directly helps families dealing with cancer.

Sports for Support recently which boasted a sizable turnout.

Despite the club not hosting any charity events yet, its members are planning for a winter event and a spring volleyball tournament this year.

Delaney notes that other activities will be mixed into the club’s repertoire that are open to anyone, whether they are athletically inclined or not.

“In the winter we are going to try and do an [activity]. It’s called Dance Trance, but it’s an active

Yuge Xiao/The SPOKE

Shake n’ Bake: Junior Jack Baker dribbles during the championship round of A.H.A.’s basketball tournament on Nov. 15. The event raised more than $150 for the club.

dancing sort of thing just to get people moving and hopefully raise some awareness about our cause,” Delaney said.

Hein leaves the club to the students. As a sponsor, he is there for their support, but the leadership of the club comes from the kids.

“I basically advise them and stay here so that they can have their meetings. It’s a very studentdriven club, the leadership team is responsible for recruiting people

and planning the events,” Hein said.

Sports for Support is another alternative for athletes who want to do service for their community and for those who want to participate in a school club. Along with Athletes Helping Actively, it offers an option for athletes of all grades at ’Stoga. Conestoga Pioneers, no matter how busy they are, strive to give back to their community.

The Spoke 23

THE

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24 The Spoke

Sports Winter

As the winter sports season approaches, The Spoke previews expectations for some of the teams.

Photo by Kyle Nicholson Illustration by Ben Red

Teaching Tactics: New head coach Tom Elicker instructs the boys on a move during an “open mats” practice. Elicker took over Steve Harner’s position as head coach of the team after Harner’s resignation. The Pioneers look to follow the success of the fall season teams and emerge on top of the Central League this winter.

Kyle Nicholson & Caleigh Sturgeon Boys Swimming:

Boys swimming rides on last year’s undefeated season. In order to repeat their success the boys will have to buckle down for tough meets against rivals Radnor and Haverford.

Two years ago, the boys lost to Radnor in a tight race, and last year they narrowly won by four points.

The main relays will have to improve again this year for the boys to maintain their Central League title.

Senior Jake Moran thinks both the Radnor and Haverford meets will be close.

“We’re going to need to go into hard because those are some very good teams and to stay with them requires excellence,” Moran said.

Senior Ryan Frascella believes that clutching another Central League title will require dedication “Coming down to the Radnor and the Haverford meets we’re all going to have to go best times,” Frascella said. “But also we’re going to have to make sure that we bring it every meet because we’re not going to be able to afford any losses.”

Girls Swimming:

The girls’ swim team has gone 13 consecutive years without losing a Central League swim meet. Expectations for the team are again high.

Last year, girls swimming sent seven individual swimmers and three relay teams to States. However, the team lost 11 seniors last year,

swimmers. Girls swimming won Centrals and placed second at Districts last year. Senior Kate Elken believes the team will have to work together in order to match last year’s success in the postseason.

“Heading into Centrals, Districts and States we’re really going to need to bond as a team, and learn to work together and trust each other,” Elken said.

Girls Basketball: Jones coached the girls’ varsity basketball team for his 18th year last season. This year, Chris Jeffries, Radnor’s old junior varsity coach, is taking over as Jones has stepped down. to ’Stoga basketball, he says he strives to help the team improve.

“I have a whole bunch of tricks up my sleeve,” Jeffries said. with a record of 13-8-0. Improving especially since seven key players from last year graduated.

Sophomore Sarah Mascioli made varsity basketball last year as a freshman. She thinks the team will be able to advance by talking more on the court.

“Communication will be key for us this year and based off of our past mistakes we’ve realized that,” Mascioli said.

Greater communication is possible this season because of the team’s strengthened senior leaderan improved power dynamic in the upcoming season.

“Last season we had problems

working together as a team and we wood said. “However, our seniors this year are big leaders.”

Jeffries agrees that senior leadership is vital.

“We’re going to need our seniors to take a big step forward and lead this team in the right direction,” Jeffries said.

Jeffries said the girls will succeed despite the loss of a few players.

“I’ve gotten to know the girls over the last few months and I expect a lot of big things,” Jeffries said.

Boys Basketball:

son, the boys’ basketball team is set to begin their most promising season in recent years. With only one senior gone from last year’s starting lineup, a deep run into the district playoffs is a realistic goal. champions, ’Stoga must maintain focus throughout the season accord“This year we are the target for every team. Every team we play is going to give us everything they have, making no game easy. So for us I think that not overestimating any team is going to be big for us,” Larkin said.

Junior MJ Lezanic believes that this season is very promising for the team because of the success that the team had last year.

“Those of us who were on the team last year have been to the Liacouras Center and were a part of that run that went deep into the postseason. We plan on feeding off of that excitement to make this season one to remember,” Lezanic said.

Wrestling:

Tom Elicker is taking over the head coaching duties of the wrestling team this season as long-time coach Steve Harner has retired.

Everyone on the team, unaware of Harner’s retirement plans, was thrown off-guard by the immediate resignation.

“We were all shocked when coach stepped down,” sophomore Kade LaMarre said.

However, Harner will always be remembered as a great.

“I’d say our last coach was arguably one of the best high school wrestling coaches in the history of wrestling,” senior captain Mike Sklar said.

Elicker says he is up for the challenge.

Elicker is very familiar with this 2001 ’Stoga alumnus, he wrestled all four years. Elicker went off to wrestle at Elizabethtown College and later, returned to the district as a coach. Beginning under the guidance of Valley Forge’s Michael Semar, he ended up under Harner.

Soon, he was offered the job to take

command and jumped at the opportunity.

This year the ’Stoga grapplers have high hopes. The team has great potential and aspires to win a Central League title. With only one graduating senior from last year, winning the Central League is not far fetched. However, Elicker has other plans as well.

“We are a team, and it’s an interesting sport because it’s individuals, but there’s also that team component, so every individual is important to achieve the team goals. My goal as a coach and for the kids is to create a bigger team atmosphere,” Elicker said. goals are staying focused and keeping the team’s eye on the prize.

enormous amount of respect for Tom,” Sklar said. “I think not only is he a leader, he is a really well-rounded, great-charactered person. In my for this job and he’s going to have an excellent track record with this club and team.”

The Spoke 25

Sports Opinion

Birds vs. ’Boys 2014: Turkey Day is ‘Football Day’

Navin Zachariah Co-Sports Editor The last time that I wore a Dallas Cowboys jersey on a holiday was on Christmas Day 2008. That vivid day I walked sporting my Tony Romo jersey because my Cowboys were in line to face the Philadelphia Eagles three days later in the final game of the season. That game was going to decide which team would make it into the playoffs from the NFC East, the Eagles or the Cowboys. Well, my family, being made up of hardcore of it. Later that day, two of my uncles saw that I was having a good time, laughing and smiling—I mean it was Christmas. walked over to me and stripped

me of my jersey, tossing it onto the top of a refrigerator so that I ceeded to pick me up and carry me onto the cold, snow-covered grass outside the house and also lock the door behind them as they re-entered. I was not happy, not happy to say the least.

Of course all of my life as a Cowboys fan has led up to this current 2014 NFL season. Both the Philadelphia Eagles and the

tatoes, stuffing (my favorite) or the turkey, I think that the abundance of food on the table is one of the greatest parts of the day. Perhaps even more enjoyable for me, though, is being able to watch some football with my family. Personally, I love that my Dallas Cowboys always play on ThanksgivMaggie Chen/The SPOKE ing because it Dallas Cowboys are fighting for makes the day that much more the NFC East title once again as fun because the football game both teams have started off blis- really matters to me. Having all tering hot, with the Cowboys at of my family members screaming at me while I cheer the Cowis different about this season boys on is actually really fun for though is the added element of the Cowboys hosting the Eagles is going to be even more enteron Thanksgiving Day, which taining though because the emohas surprisingly never happened tions will be much more intense between me and my family.

Thanksgiving is my favor- The Eagles have not played on ite holiday of the year. Whether Thanksgiving, let alone against

the Cowboys, since the 2008 season and so all my family members will be gobbling up this opportunity to watch their team play on Turkey Day once again.

The fact that the Cowboys and Eagles are in a heated race for top gun in the NFC East makes the matchup more intriguing because both teams have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs, which has not been a yearly occurrence as of late. As all nittygritty NFC East games are, this game is going to go down to the wire because these teams are evenly matched.

No matter the outcome, no doubt, this football game will be giving—well that, and our fantasy football league of course. We will sit in my family room during Thanksgiving, eating our delicious meals and watching at 4:30 p.m. as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Dallas Cowboys. This ed to wear my Dallas Cowboys jersey on a holiday again because Tony Romo is 6-2 on Thanksgiving Day. Oh yeah, and apparently we have the leading rusher in the NFL—just a thought.

Change is inevitable in the world of sports

Andy Backstrom Co-Sports Editor At seven years old, I used to spend each morning staring at the television screen with SportsCenter on. I woke up extra early before school and on weekends to watch the news of the sports world from the day before.

In all of the years of my childhood, I looked up to the teams of the decade I knew—the new millennium—the 2000s. Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts, Tom Brady of the New England Patriots, Manny Ramirez of the Boston Red Sox, Chipper Jones of the Atlanta Braves and Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers were just a few of

26 The Spoke

Ten Plays” on my channel 30.

There also were teams that I never thought would improve. It seemed impossible for the teams that were the bait of their respective leagues, the easy-wins, the inhabitants of the cellar, to actually discover winning ways. Accomplishing the unthinkable, the Detroit Lions performed the infa-

powers of the sports world. My father would tell me that there was a time when his Pittsburgh Steelers were pitiful. I researched statistics and, yes, it is true that some teams of the decade have had not nearly as successful pasts, but it was still fall.

Soon enough, as the year of 2010 began, the tide started to turn.

The decade in which we live today has offered endless reasons to continue to follow even the seemingly hapless teams. Take the teams I mentioned above. The Kansas City Royals made the playoffs for the American League pennant. In the motor city, the Lions made a playoff appearance in 2011 for

season with a 0-16 record in 2008.

The Charlotte Bobcats managed to

are poised to make another run at the promise land. The Charlotte Bobcats boasted a

The Kansas City Royals appeared to never be contenders for a playoff spot, and they failed to record more than 83 wins in a season for the entire decade. In 2004, the Royals concluded the season with the Los Angeles Kings could not As a spectator and fan, I was tired of seeing the same teams reach the Finals, Super Bowl, Stanley Cup and World Series.

As a loyal Arizona Cardinals fan I have been known to root for the underdog. But, as time went on, I sensed no change in the super-

Andy Backstrom/The SPOKE

season, and fought valiantly against the ami Heat in the playoffs. And the Kings have already hoisted the Stanley Cup during this decade in both 2012 and 2014, erasing the prior memories of frustration.

Meanwhile, as new victors arise, those who have prospered will fall. Los Angeles may have the Kings now, but the Lakers

are spiraling into turmoil, as the Clippers have taken over the title of the team of L.A. The sainted New York Yankees have lost their captain Derek Jeter and may have lost their touch as well, missing the postseason in back-to-back years. In the realm of football, the New York Giants have sputtered, and the Minnesota Vikings really have not been the same after Brett Favre retired—again. Although the Detroit Red Wings still have been making the playoffs in recent years, they are showing signs in their conference last year.

Sports are fun and competitive to watch, but people follow their favorite teams, because any day, month, season, year or decade, their team could end up on top.

Even though change may not be sudden, it is inevitable.

Despite what has changed in sports, my parents still routinely with hosts Neil Everett and Stan Verrett positioned at the helm, informing me of the latest updates no matter what the standings are. It would be a nightmare if I missed out on the newest dynasty rising from the dust.

Sports Briefs

SportsLine: As fall season closes, winter sports pick up BREAKING: Paddle participation soars Ice Hockey starts anew Samson has resigned A younger Conestoga boys’ ice -

“We’re trying to strengthen our

Taking a scoreless game into the

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is similar to tennis, so it comes as no

Reporting by Co-Sports Editor Navin Zachariah & Co-Convergence Editor Michael Li

Photos by Michael Li/The SPOKE

Greg Taicher School: Rollins College Grade: 12 Sport: Lacrosse Position: Attack Why Rollins?

“The minute I stepped on campus it just clicked. The campus is beautiful of the team was good for me too.”

Favorite ’Stoga lacrosse moment: Scoring against CB East with two min-

Chloe Johnson School: Temple University Grade: 12 Sport: Field Hockey Position: Goalie Why Temple?

“I chose Temple since it was close to home so my family could come to my games. I also really knowledgeable, and the team was really dedicated and hard working.”

Upsetting number one seeded Springford in The Spoke 27

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Winter Sports Preview p. 25 Samson Steps Down p. 27

FLYING HIGH Boys soccer makes it to third round of district

Navin Zachariah/The SPOKE

Senior Olivier Everts heads the ball during the second half of the boys soccer game against West Chester East. The team advanced

UPDATED AS OF 11/17