The Spoke May 2016

MAY 4, 2016 CONESTOGA HIGH SCHOOL BERWYN, PENNSYLVANIA WWW.SPOKE.NEWS VOLUME 66 NO. 6

Community reacts to hazing allegations. What now?

T

hree varsity athletes were charged with a horrific act. A longtime, distinguished and beloved coach who supported his players was exiled from the program.

Speculation flirted with all parts of campus, as students, parents and others across the area took sides — some said it happened, some claimed that it was a hoax. It was hard for

a lot of people to believe that such a treacherous crime could be derived from the roots of a polished institution.

That was almost exactly 10 years ago.

The controversy and discredited rape allegations surrounding the Duke University lacrosse team are now history.

However, ESPN recently presented a “30 for 30” documen-

German Exam p. 3

Allegations p. 6

tary — “Fantastic Lies,” detailing the timeline of the case and the corruption of the handling of the allegations.

Still, some neglect to understand those “lies.” Blake Dickinson, parent of a Conestoga senior and a former member of Duke’s Public Affairs Department during the 2006 scandal, recalls this phenomenon.

Backpacks p. 8

“I think unfortunately, 10 years later, I still meet people who know I went to Duke or I worked at Duke who will say, ‘oh, what about those players?’ And I will say ‘what about them?’, and they will say, ‘well, they got away with it’,” Dickinson said.

This situation might simply remain as a bad memory for those in Durham, but for

Obsessions p. 18

some in Berwyn, the experience of sensational charges and a divided community are present today. And in Conestoga’s case, a resolution is not in sight.

See pages 6 and 7.

Photo Illustration by Adam Lockett

Changeup p. 22

News

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Red and blue: Pennsylvanians Malvern pays respects to Brian Kennedy show primary colors Betty Ben Dor and Eric Xue Photography Editor and Co-Convergence Editor Tensions were high on Tuesday, April 26 with the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations at stake. The second largest delegate haul of the primary season, consisting of states Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Connecticut and Rhode Island, was won by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Last Monday, Republican presidential candidate Trump held a rally at West Chester University to motivate Republicans in the Philadelphia area to vote for him. Junior and Republican activist Neal Fan attended the rally in order to show his support for the presidential hopeful. He shared

his opinion regarding supporters of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

“These Sanders people, they waste hours phone banking, Facebanking and donating, and they say ‘Well, match me please.’ But they can’t even win; they don’t even know how to vote. They don’t have the ability to win,” Fan said.

Conestoga High School hosted two of the polling stations in Chester County, with one in the main lobby and one in the large gym lobby. While students had the day off, citizens of the Tredyffrin precinct came in to vote between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Junior Ben Tatsuoka worked as a pollwatcher, tracking voter turnout and reminding registered voters to come to the polls. He earned $10 an hour for his work.

“It was a learning process to

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Fanning the flames: Junior Neal Fan shows his support for Donald Trump at the Republican frontrunner’s West Chester University rally. Trump won the Pennsylvania Republican primary on April 26.

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find out about all of the arbitrary details of democracy and how the process really works. I think in order to really get a sense of what goes on in our government, we need to know the nitty-gritty,” Tatsuoka said.

Clinton earned 55.6 percent of the Democratic vote and 56.7 percent of the Republican vote went to Trump.

Although neither the Young Democrats nor Young Republicans organized to vote at the polling stations, they prepared for the election in other ways. The Young Democrats held a meeting in which they discussed the pros and cons of each candidate. They also had Lindy Li, who ran for the House of Representatives and then dropped out, and Hans van Mol, who ran for Pennsylvania state representative, come in to speak in front of the club members.

Young Democrats Club president and senior Hannah Hyams encouraged students who are able to vote to do so.

“I think this is just a really great year to be active in politics.

At first, it seemed like only the Republican primary was going to be a highly contested one, but since Bernie’s swept the past seven or eight states, it’s definitely become more of a race than it was before,” Hyams said.

Looking toward the general election, Philadelphia will also be hosting the Democratic National Convention this summer.

Story and photos by Co-Editor-in-Chief Michael Hong

On Saturday, April 23, the funeral for ’Stoga alumnus (Class of 2003) Brian Kennedy was held at Saint Patrick’s Church in Malvern. Kennedy passed away three months ago, along with 11 other Marines, when two transport helicopters collided in Hawaii. His family’s supporters lined the streets as Kennedy’s body was carried to his final resting place in Calvary Cemetery.

Despite the gloomy weather and light rain on the day of the procession, more than one hundred people came to celebrate Captain Kennedy’s life.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

News

Shaking it up: sophomore earns study trip to Germany Jordan Liu Staff Reporter Four weeks in Germany with all expenses paid?

Sophomore Greg Shook was one of 39 students nationwide awarded the AATG Pädagogischer Austauschdienst Study Trip Award, or the Preistraeger Award, a study trip to Germany. The National German Ex-

ams, administered each year to

nearly 22,000 students nationwide by the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG), indicate a student’s proficiency in the German language.

The two-day exam, which is composed of reading and listening sections, is offered to second, third and fourth level German students. To be considered for the Preistraeger program, Shook scored in

Courtesy Cathy Lucas

Herzliche Glückwünsche (Congratulations): Greg Shook (left) will be going to Germany over the summer as a recipient of the Preistraeger Award.

the 90th percentile nationally in their respective levels. He then moved on to the interview phase with their local AATG chapters, where he was interviewed by a panel of German teachers and wrote letters to potential host families. Following this, regional winners were announced before the AATG National Committee, which then awarded the Preistraeger study trip to a select few.

Dr. Kevin Nerz, German teacher and vice president of the Southeastern Pennsylvania AATG chapter, believes there is more to the exam than just the awards.

“It’s great for the students to measure their abilities and see how they compare nationally, and it’s a fun challenge without any stress,” Nerz said. “It’s nice to have students in a position to take a test where there’s not a lot to lose, but there’s a lot to gain.”

Shook, who began studying German in eighth grade under a private tutor, currently studies AP Spanish 4 and German 3 and plans on continuing both.

He looks forward to the trip for an immersive experience.

“The trip means that I’ll finally get to see German culture up close instead of just studying it,” Shook said.

“It’s great for the students to measure their abilities and see how they compare nationally, and it’s a fun challenge without any stress.”

-German teacher Dr. Kevin Nerz The Preistraeger summer study program, paid for by the German government, aims to immerse the students in the country’s lifestyle and culture.

Starting on June 22, Shook will spend three and a half weeks with a German host family in Nuremberg or Hamburg, attend

a German high school and go on a five-day excursion to Berlin to explore places of cultural and historical significance.

This year, seven students qualified for the interview phase by scoring in the 90th percentile, making it Conestoga’s most successful year.

Additionally, this is the second year in a row that a Conestoga student has won the Preistraeger award, as senior Callie Maslowsky won in 2015. Nerz enjoys seeing his students’ growth through the exams.

“For many of my seniors, their scores have dramatically increased since their junior year, which is nice to see because students can plateau in their language abilities,” Nerz said.

For Shook, the Preistraeger Award is only the beginning of his German studies.

“Right now I’m just exploring my opportunities at Conestoga with German,” Shook said. “It’s hard to say where it will take me in the future, but I certainly didn’t expect this to happen when I chose to take German two years ago.”

Coach charged in teen sex scandal Jerry Zhu News Editor Christine Towers, a former teacher’s aide and coach, was charged Thursday, April 21 with institutional sexual assault, endangering welfare of children and corruption of minors by police.

Towers was arraigned Thursday morning after Chester County Detectives received a child-abuse

“The welfare of our students remains a top priority.”

- Dr. Richard Gusick, Superintendent report from the Chester County Department of Children, Youth and Families. She is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old male student during the 2015-16 school year as a district employee.

According to a criminal complaint filed by the Chester County District Attorney, Towers tutored the student before their relationship turned sexual. Between

March 17 and April 17 when she was not employed as a teacher’s aide, Towers allegedly had unprotected intercourse with the student on four separate occasions. The student claimed that Towers asked him not to disclose their relationship with police.

In a statement released to parents, Superintendent Richard Gusick stated that Towers had no criminal history prior to her employment. Towers resigned from the district before any charges were filed.

She coached JV girls soccer, ninth-grade girls basketball and JV girls softball during the current school year. From September 2014 through February 2016, she also coached eighth-grade girls soccer and seventh and eighthgrade track at Tredyffrin/Easttown Middle School and worked in the extended school year program during the summer of 2015.

Tower’s attorney, Cary McClain, countered the criminal complaint stating that Towers was not employed as a teacher’s aide during the period of the allegations but rather assisted with the softball team as a private contractor.

“Christine Towers is a good person, a hardworking person and

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Write a WOW Common Application essay Courtesy Tredyffrin Police Department

Arrested: Christine Towers was taken into custody last Thursday for having sex with a 16-year-old. She was released on bail the same day. she maintains her innocence,” McClain said.

Towers was released Thursday after posting 10 percent of her $50,000 bond. The district will continue to assist police in the investigation.

“When those placed in positions of supporting our children are charged with violating a fundamental trust, it is deeply disturbing to us all. The welfare of our students remains a top priority. We will continue to support all students as this case moves through the criminal justice system,” Gusick said.

Do you know which Supplement essay is most important?

Marylyn E. Calabrese, Ph.D., writing coach and teacher, has helped thousands of students in preparing successful college application essays.

She is the former chairperson of the Conestoga High School English Department with an A.B. from Bryn Mawr College, an MAT from Wesleyan University, and a Ph.D. in Teaching Writing from the University of Pennsylvania.

Contact Dr. Calabrese: writedrmec@aol.com Works with students in person—at a mutually convenient location—or online and by telephone.

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News

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Conestoga Ethics Bowl team ranks top ten nationally Cissy Ming Staff Reporter Describing her experience over two days at the National High School Ethics Bowl Competition, junior Jill Sharples says it “completely changed my view of the world” and “will affect (the team) for the rest of our lives.”

From April 15-16, seven members of Conestoga’s Ethics Bowl team traveled to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill to present solutions to pressing ethical questions in competition with 23 of the nation’s top teams. Though the full rankings are unavailable, Ethics Bowl adviser John Koenig estimates the team’s final ranking at fifth or eighth place.

In preparation for the competition, seniors Tyler Soutendijk, Evan Snyder and team captain Liz Lawton worked with juniors Jill Sharples, Caleigh Sturgeon, Will Youman and Daden Goldfinger to discuss the moral underpinnings of each case and create a persuasive argument for their point of view.

Koenig attributes the team’s success to their teamwork, consigning himself to an advisory role.

“The teams we had this year and in particular the team we had at na-

tionals worked exceptionally well together, as thinkers and in terms of accounting for each other’s ideas,” Koenig said. “In all moments, (they were) with charity to each other with recognition that they were all working towards the same goal. My job was just to facilitate the process.”

The team members who participated in nationals at Chapel Hill represent the most outstanding competitors, as judged by Koenig and co-adviser Katie Buckley from an entire season of work. Throughout the school year, members of Ethics Bowl and philosophy club met in Koenig’s classroom to discuss the controversies covered by each case, considering various philosophies and the stakes for all parties.

On Nov. 21, fourteen members of Ethics Bowl, divided into two groups, competed in the Delaware Valley Regional Bowl at Villanova University. Sharples’ team placed first out of 14 teams present while the second team placed within the top five. After the teams’ performance, Conestoga qualified for the National Bowl, since the finalists in each “large bowl” feed directly to the top level of competition.

Though nobody who participated expected to advance to nationals, Koenig believes the team never-

Courtesy John Koenig

Good Ethics: Conestoga’s Ethics Bowl Team traveled to North Carolina to compete at the National Ethics Bowl. The team ranked in the top ten nationally. theless adapted well to the greater intensity of competition.

“They were strong when we left Conestoga, but they were even stronger when we returned. And I think that’s a testament to what big game players (they were),” Koenig said. “They really stepped up to the challenge, all of them. I think they might have surprised themselves, let me put it that way.”

Each member of the Ethics Bowl nationals team studied all 15 cases selected by the Parr Center for Ethics at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill for the competition, with a focus on eight or nine specific cases. The cases address topics relevant to the current political debate, including religious freedom laws and climate change reparations. With help from other

members of Ethics Bowl, the team developed an ethically sound solution to each case which accounted for virtues, rights, justice, utilitarianism and the common good. However, rather than debating, the two rival teams might argue the same solution and answer similar questions from a panel of judges, who attempt to undermine their points.

Judges decide winners based on the quality of presentation. Sharples appreciates the unique challenges Ethics Bowl presents.

“What I like about Ethics Bowl is that it’s unique from anything else in the school,” Sharples said.

“It combines a plethora of things like current events and philosophical tensions and it’s not just how you feel about (the issues). It’s, what reasoning can you provide to make this the most moral course of action?”

Next year, the Ethics Bowl team intends to return to nationals. Sharples looks forward to continuing her involvement with Ethics Bowl for her third year.

“After going to the competition, I would definitely say that I want to go again because of how beautiful it was to hear all these different ideas and meet people from all different parts of the country,” Sharples said.

Gene-ious: senior wins $75,000 from Intel Meagan O’Rourke Co-Convergence Editor The phone rang.

The caller ID read: Intel Science Talent Search (STS).

Senior Michael Zhang answered.

“Hello?” Zhang said.

No reply. They hung up.

The phone rang again, interrupting dinner. Intel STS again.

Dazed, Zhang learned that he was one of 40 finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search, a high school science and math research competition.

Zhang was even more surprised when he won second place two months later — winning $75,000 for his project.

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“It was completely unexpected,” Zhang said.

For his project, Zhang applied CRISPR/Cas9, a genome editing technology, in a therapeutic way to potentially cure diseases like cancer. Zhang had to devise his own nanoparticles, conduct his own research and develop the concept.

“One of the things that impressed me most about his project is he came up with the idea completely on his own which is very rare for a high school student to be able to do that,” Biology teacher Janet Wolfe said.

Zhang began his research sophomore year, when he presented his ideas to Professor George Church of Harvard University and requested to work in Church’s lab. Zhang

had no direct connections; neither of Zhang’s parents are scientists.

He was “not afraid to challenge assumptions” as a sophomore emailing a “big Harvard professor.”

Church accepted Zhang’s request, and Zhang spent two summers researching genome editing.

He entered the Intel STS six months after starting his independent research. Then, as a finalist, he traveled to Washington, D.C, where he presented his research and fielded tricky questions from top scientists.

“They could ask you about anything in science. A lot of it is testing, ‘Can you think of things on your feet? Can you speculate? Can you think scientifically?’ so that was kind of stressful,” Zhang said.

Although the process was intensely competitive, mother Grace Zhang was “really happy for him because his hard work paid off.”

Even though she was extremely proud of her son’s achievement, she, like Zhang, did not expect him to win.

“This was never an end goal of mine. The initiative was always because I was curious, and I wanted to do this sort of thing,” Zhang said.

The cause hits close to home.

Meagan O’Rourke/The SPOKE

Intel-igent: Senior Michael Zhang explains his genome research.

For his work, he won a second place prize in the Intel Science Fair.

“Cancer runs in my family and three of my grandparents had it and actually passed away before I got to know them. Because of this, it was just sort of how this is a thing that has been closer to me than maybe the average person,” Zhang said.

Although Zhang admits curing diseases with CRISPR is “far away,” he will attend Harvard next year and hopes to continue his research with Professor Church.

Beyond college, Zhang is unsure

about precisely what he wants to do in the biomedical field. Regardless of what he pursues, Wolfe has high hopes for his future.

“Normally you don’t expect great things until they are in graduate school or are post-docs or have their PhDs, and here’s a guy doing basically post-doc work as a high school (student),” Wolfe said. “If he’s doing that at this young of an age, what’s he going to be doing when he’s thirty?”

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

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News

Andy Backstrom and Caleigh Sturgeon Co-Editor-in-Chief and Co-Sports Editor Design by Adam Lockett Continued from p. 1 Response On March 4, Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan announced during a televised news conference that three Conestoga varsity football players, all 17 years old, were charged with sodomizing a freshman player with a broomstick when he refused to participate in a hazing ritual last October.

Because the District Attorney elected to charge the accused as minors, neither they, nor the 14-year-old victim, who left Conestoga in November, were identified. However, at Hogan’s news conference, he said that the locker room attack occurred on a so-called “No Gay Thursday,” and no adults were present. He said that the victim’s injuries were psychological rather than physical.

Hogan clarified that the three players were not charged with rape because, under Pennsylvania law, that crime requires sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion, or threat of force, or with an unconscious or impaired person. Hogan stated that in this case, there was no sexual intercourse, thereby making the charge of rape unavailable.

The Tredyffrin Easttown School District and Conestoga are conducting an investigation, in which details are not available to the public. Almost two months since the announcement of the charges, no new facts have surfaced.

Unlike the Duke lacrosse players who were charged as adults, the Conestoga football players benefit from the protections of the juvenile system, including their anonymity. But this also means that, unless they or the District Attorney make a statement about the conclusion of the case, the community forever will be left to speculate about what really happened. And there is no shortage of opinions.

Senior varsity football player Tommy Luce denies the sodomy allegations, asserting that the team would not commit such acts. He emphasizes that the current seniors remember what it feels like to be underclassmen on

6 The Spoke

Choosing sides the varsity team.

The Conestoga football team “really is a family. We don’t do these kinds of things to each other. We care about each other. We know what it’s like to be sophomores,” Luce said. “You’ve got to do water and do all these little things so you can put in your dues and start playing, but I think it’s crazy that people think we would do this to each other because we’re a family. We really do care about each other.”

Hogan has heard the voices of students and players like Luce, but maintains that the arguing should end. He feels that Conesto-

“I think it’s crazy that people think we would do this to each other, because we’re a family.

We really do care about each other.”

-Senior Tommy Luce

ga should use the incident to better itself and move forward.

“Regarding the individual juvenile cases, the student body should let the criminal justice process take its course, not spend any time and energy speculating.

The school, students and parents should use the entire incident to reflect, learn and grow stronger,” Hogan said.

The district has placed limitations on spirit days, but it denies a correlation with the events of the incident. Teams are authorized to wear semi-formal attire or their respective uniforms on spirit days. But, if they desire to choose an alternative outfit, they must get the theme approved by Athletic Director Dr. Patrick Boyle prior to the designated spirit day.

Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger felt that instead of showing unification preceding a game, match or meet, spirit days evolved into a portrayal of irrelevant themes.

“I think it (concept of spirit days) just had lost its focus. When you’ve got people wearing tutus or beach wear and your focus is about a game and being on a team, it sort of strayed from the initial purpose of why we were wearing the gear,” Meisinger said.

The administration has also

hired Thom Stecher and Associates, an educational consulting company that claims to assists schools, educators and students in achieving their highest potential by creating open discussion. Stecher has been contacted to direct a program for the seniors on the football team and a separate program for the freshmen, sophomores and juniors who will continue with the team next year.

Stecher designed a program for the current seniors on the football team that was scheduled for April 28, as a way to resolve the recent events concerning the football program.

“For the seniors, it was a way to bring closure and for them to leave on a positive note, to process what had happened, to have a venue to talk about the challenges and their feelings, and to leave Conestoga on a positive note,” Meisinger said.

However, not enough seniors signed up.

Additionally, the district is in the process of hiring a new coaching staff for next year. The first round of interviews for the head coaching position already occurred; the second round will start this week. Due to the gravity of the recent incident and the value of the head coaching job, the search committee for the position is especially large, including Administrators, School Board members, Booster Club members, a representative from the T/E football association, general community members and teachers.

The first Stecher-led seminar for the underclassmen will take place on May 13, after the nominee for head coach is sent to the school board for approval at the May 9 meeting.

“We hope that a new coach will be named at that point, and that the new coach will be able to join them in that regrowth of the program, moving them in a positive direction,” Meisinger said.

On May 13 and August 8 (first day of varsity football training camp), the freshmen, sophomores and juniors planning to play football next year will receive the training.

Eventually, Stecher will help the guidance counselors create a support network for students through a program called “Train the Trainer.”

The skills learned in this program will then be used to design a presentation that will be delivered to all of the freshmen, sophomores and juniors at Conestoga.

Prior to the start of spring sports at Conestoga, Athletic Director Dr. Patrick Boyle spoke to the athletes and coaches of all of spring sports teams. He used a PowerPoint to describe the conduct expected of a Conestoga athlete. Then, he cov-

ered the school’s hazing policy, in light of the allegations and charges.

Conestoga’s student handbook states that “hazing” constitutes any activity that recklessly or intentionally endangers the physical health, mental health, safety or welfare of a student for the purpose of initiation or membership in, or affiliation with any organization the Board recognizes. Any hazing activity is presumed to be forced upon the individual, even if the individual willingly participates.

The incident has already instigated change in the locker rooms for spring sports. After athletes leave the locker room for practice, the door is locked, and if an athlete needs to get back in, a coach must unlock the door for them.

Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger believes while balancing privacy and supervision is difficult, the change will permit Conestoga to fulfill its duty: to protect its students.

“As a high school, we have a responsibility to supervise students.

Parents send kids here with the expectation that they’re going to be supervised. So the expectation is that the coaches would be in the locker room and that there would be an adult presence in the locker room,” Meisinger said.

Whether it is alterations in locker room policy, the allegations or just the school’s name in the news, people in the community have reacted in a variety of ways. Most have chosen sides, creating a difficult divide.

“As a high school, we have a responsibility to supervise students.”

-Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger .

The Divide

When 6abc News reported that there was an extensive law enforcement investigation, concerning hazing allegations at Conestoga, on Feb. 5., social media exploded with commentary from students, parents, alumni and others.

“I think the saddest part of this entire thing is that I found out on my phone. I found out from 6abc’s report during lunch, when someone shared it on Facebook,” Senior Executive Student Council President Alex Moon said. “I think that

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

contributed a lot to the shock and the misunderstanding among students, that it wasn’t coming from administrators, it wasn’t coming from the adult leaders at school or anyone within the school in that sense, but it was coming from an outside source that doesn’t know anything about the kids involved and the people that it affected.”

As students read about the allegations facing their peers, they began to form their own beliefs, turning to Facebook and other social media sources to share their opinions. Some students expressed support for the football team while others criticized the school’s lack of awareness and precaution.

A close family friend and former player under coach John Vogan created a Facebook page called “John Vogan Tribute” to honor him. This page prompted players, students, friends, parents and fellow coaches to share their support for Vogan.

“My hope in creating the page was so that anybody who has interacted with John has a chance to show him appreciation and share their story with the world,” the page administrator said. “He is an absolutely amazing person.”

Other students posted in their class groups. Senior Jena Harris organized a “’Stoga Pride” spirit day and posted in the Class of 2016 Facebook group, urging her classmates to wear Conestoga gear to school on the Monday following the release of the charges, in order to show support for the school and community.

“I wanted our current student body to come together and support each other through this rough time. With all the negativity that was happening, I wanted to do something nice and unified,” Harris said.

Many students, especially upperclassmen, then showed up in their ’Stoga gear and colors on Monday, March 7. Yet, others posted criticism of the initiative, and questioned why the student body should not instead express support for the victim.

Junior Charlie Brake posted in the Class of 2017 group, responding to both viewpoints by urging students to take the situation seriously. He told The Spoke he felt the multitude of ideas being expressed failed to acknowledge many of the root problems.

“There’s this notion of picking sides, which I think creates an unhealthy environment for discussion.

Continued on p. 7

News

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Choosing sides

Continued from p. 6 There does exist right now this injured reputation at our school and no matter what side you’re on, no matter what the outcome may be, our school is going to be tainted either way,” Brake said.

He also urged students and faculty alike to address what allowed a situation like this to occur.

“I think it’s important for us to look at this and see what we can do to make sure the lives of students who go here are bettered. This is a time where we can have an open conversation. A time where the many issues that do occur on a day-to-day basis can be brought up and a time for the conversation to occur,” Brake said.

Parents, too, turned to Facebook to voice their concerns. After questions were heard by Meisinger, Superintendent Dr. Richard Gusick, District Solicitor Ken Roos and Board President Doug Carlson at the parent meeting, concerning the hazing investigation on March 28, Gwenn Mascioli, mother of a junior at Conestoga, felt she needed to share a message.

“It was enlightening for me to see the pain and the frustration of those parents and to have a better empathy for what they’re going through,” Mascioli said.

She felt that the sensationalizing of the hazing allegations actually built an environment where there was a lack of understanding. After hearing the criticisms of the administration and Conestoga, she wanted to share on Facebook some of the great things about Conestoga.

“I felt like everybody got swept into a tsunami unexpectedly, and nobody had the ability to do anything but react. Because of the way it took off nationally there was never a chance for anyone to catch their breath,” Mascioli said. “People seemed angry and needed someone or something to direct it at.”

of the talent that fills the halls.

Being “’Stoga Proud” requires students “to understand that kids on the stage crew are staying until ten o’clock at night to build a set; to understand that lacrosse players are playing year-round just to make the team. Just understanding the amount of time that everyone puts in their individual things because we are at a school where it so competitive that you are not able to be that three-sport varsity athlete, play in the band and do everything,” Moon said.

And while some feel that the incident has had a defaming effect on Conestoga, Meisinger suggests that “Stoga Pride” is stronger than ever.

“It’s almost like you feel that you want to tell everyone all of these great things we’re doing, like ‘don’t let this be the thing that we’re in the news for’. We almost feel like we want to say ‘I’m proud to be the principal of Conestoga’ or ‘I’m proud to be a student. I’m still ‘’Stoga Proud’.’ I love walking in here I love being the principal here and I want students to feel the same way,” Meisinger said.

Others have noted that the recent events can be used as a learning experience.

Sophomore varsity football player Matt Dempsey feels it is his class’s job to put an end to the hazing culture.

“Because there was a culture of ‘No Gay Thursday’ that had been passed down, it’s our job as rising juniors and rising seniors to become leaders and never let anything like that happen again,” Dempsey said.

At Duke, Dickinson observed that the allegations against the lacrosse players, although false, exposed the inappropriate partying culture at the school. He remarks that there appears to be a similar effect for Conestoga.

The 2006 Duke lacrosse case “reported a truth about Duke and some other shortcomings, and I think I can see from what is being written about Conestoga that it is not the whole story, and it’s certainly not what everyone believes, but obviously there is some truth to some of it (‘No Gay Thursday’),” Dickinson said.

Hogan considers the incident to be a test for Conestoga. Whether it passes, will be determined by its ultimate response over the coming months.

“We have a saying in the District Attorney’s Office that we do not judge you by how you act when things are going well, we judge you by how you act when you are confronted by great difficulties,” Hogan said.

Moon will graduate in June, but he wishes for the school to emerge stronger than it was even before the investigation began in February.

“I really hope that after this type of disaster, a sense of community comes about.

I guess only time will tell if that really will happen,” Moon said.”

“I really hope that after this type of disaster, a sense of community comes about. I guess only time will tell if that really will happen.

-Senior Executive Student Council President Alex Moon

“’Stoga Pride” On March 9, Meisinger addressed students about the incident. She acknowledged that students will naturally pick sides when encountering something as severe as the existing allegations. But, she echoed that it is integral for the student body and alumni to stay “’Stoga Proud”. “‘’Stoga Pride’ is having pride in the accomplishments and the positive qualities that make Conestoga outstanding and special. That’s always been one of the mantras that we’ve used. It’s always been part of our school community,” Meisinger said. “It’s that feeling of when someone asks you where you go to school and you say, ‘Conestoga,’ and you feel good about going to Conestoga.”

Some students view the “mantra” in a comparable way. Moon thinks that in order to be “’Stoga Proud,” kids must be aware of all

series of events:

OCT ’15

Oct. 15, 2015: According to DA Hogan, 14-year-old student sodomized by three Conestoga football seniors.

FEB ’16

Feb. 5, 2016: According to DA Hogan, student’s father reports Oct. 15, 2015 assault to TESD, media reports hazing investigation.

MAR ’16

March 4, 2016: DA Hogan announces charges against three seniors for sodomizing 14-year-old student on Oct. 15, 2015.

March 6, 2016: Inquirer reports that alleged sodomy victim is one of the boys accused in Nov. 2015 of district “sexting” scandal but DA Hogan says, “no evidence suggested a connection.”

The Spoke 7

e t u f n . e d e . a f

STUDENT LIFE What’s in my backpack?

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Story and photos by Paula Miller and Emma Purinton

From personalized accessories to spunky designs, a backpack is more than just a way to carry books. For many seniors, backpacks have become more about form than function. Notable for its small size, stock of snacks or eccentric style, the senior backpack is trending as internship approaches. The Spoke takes a look inside the backpacks of several seniors to find out what their bags mean to them.

Julia Hess

MATT PASELTINER

“The sole purpose of my backpack is to carry my supply of food. It’s a dark day when I can’t have a snack during fourth period.”

“I use my backpack to mow down my haters.”

Sara Tohamy

Ella Reed

“I try to keep everything bright and colorful.”

“It always makes me remember that the seaweed is always greener in somebody else’s lake and there are such wonderful things around you.”

“My water bottle I absolutely adore. I try and get stickers from different cities I visit and put them on there. I have one from London and one from Paris.”

Bridget Murray

“My mom actually got this (Route 66 keychain) for me because I have always wanted to go on a road trip over Route 66.”

YANG TU

“My favorite thing about my backpack is that it reminds me to dream big.”

8 The Spoke

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Student Life

How to survive the last few days of high school Story by Staff Reporter Allison Reagan Seniors, we’ve hit that point in the year. Motivation is low, time spent on Netflix is high and math class seems to last about three hours every day. With spring break only a memory and the suggestion of work, it is clear we are officially stuck in the second semester senior fourth marking period slump. But fear not! The Spoke has found honesty to be the best policy and, in the spirit of truthful interaction, would like to offer some overly candid advice about how to survive the final weeks of the school year.

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

Sick days do not roll over

Don’t return your books

Courtyard?

We don’t have to be doctors to know that “sick” can have a wide variety of meanings. Sick of taking notes? Take a day off and give your hand a break. Sick of group presentations? Treat yourself to a day at home; trying to organize the masses is stressful and you earned it. Sick of not getting enough sleep? Sleep the sleep of death all of Monday and maybe wake up to catch the bus Tuesday morning. A day to refresh and recharge can do wonders for the boredom-induced coma that has been fogging brains since the beginning of March.

Senior Skip days have been the topic of complaint this year, but what The Spoke believes teachers really mean is that the senior class isn’t taking enough of them. Sure they like to remind students the importance of being present in class with just a touch of passive aggressiveness, but really that is just for appearances. They are rooting just as hard as we are for the class of 2016 to leave the legacy of the graduating class with the most days skipped. Who are the seniors to disappoint?

We’ve all heard the threats. Debts need to be settled, accounts need to be closed and books need to be returned before chaos breaks loose under Karl Zettelmoyer’s watchful eye. But here’s a fun idea: don’t return your books. Any of them. Maybe forever. Start your own library with the generous donations of Conestoga High School. Why not keep your 10th grade U.S. History textbook that you forgot to return at the end of 2014? Who knows when you will need to look up Eleanor Roosevelt’s birthday or the date of Shays’ Rebellion? It just may come in handy for future Jeopardy preparations.

Hear me out. Yes, your internship eligibility may be at stake. Yes, you may see your cap and gown slipping out of reach. But, what better way to spend your final days of the school year than playing a game of cat-andmouse with the library staff? It is a great opportunity to work on your strategy game and explore new parts of the school in search of hiding places.

And, it’s a heck of a self-esteem booster to be so highly sought after.

It’s hard to stay cooped up inside all day when the weather becomes warm and the Frisbees start to fly. Try to convince your teachers to hold class outside every once in awhile. Remind them you may never have another opportunity to experience a Conestoga outdoor classroom so that deprivation hangs heavy on their conscience.

Different learning environments can help to make lessons more fun and interactive, and if you are lucky, your teacher may just become so involved in enjoying the sunshine they forget to teach a lesson at all.

Andy Backstrom/The SPOKE

Andy Backstrom/The SPOKE

The Spoke 9

Student Life

Jahnavi Rao and Warren Zhao Staff Reporters

Underdogs: pets fetch hero status

Canines, with their innate sense of smell and agility, are able to comb a stretch of land in a fraction of the time humans can. When the owner is chasing after said runaway dog, it’s a bit of a nuisance.

But in aiding the search for missing people, it’s priceless.

For years, the people of Chester County have operated under the sole direction of the fire department in search and rescue matters.

However, since June 2014, K9 Detection and Search Foundation Director Craig Snyder has trained and certified dogs and their handlers in the various forms of human recovery. Once certified, handlers and their dogs can then help locate missing or lost personnel, as well as human remains.

Conestoga nurse Gail Hamman recently began the training program with her chocolate lab Malley, whom she rescued in September 2014.

Malley “had some other mission, to do something else with finding things. If you’ve had dogs all your life, you can tell what dogs

10 The Spoke

are receptive to, and Malley just loves to go find things,” Hamman said.

Hamman first wrote the National Search and Rescue group to help Malley fulfill her other mission, who put her in contact with the local Chester County team. Before she knew it, Hamman, her husband and Malley were attending training sessions, discovering her skillset and potential to become certified.

Learning side by side with Malley and other handlers, Hamman trains her dog to potentially be proficient in skills such as live air scenting, where the “victim’s” scent is gathered from the air, and Human Remains Detection (HRD), where through using recent corpse pieces, dogs are sensitized to the scent of cadavers and able to locate them.

Hamman called the trainers amazing, surprised at “the knowledge these folks have, their dogs’ characteristics and how they can read their dogs. It’s amazing what they and these animals can do when they’re searching for people, (like tracking) a scent in the air.”

Each Sunday, the Chester County trainees meet at a set location, ready to spend the rest of their mornings with fellow handlers, and

Jahnavi Rao/The SPOKE

Search and Find: Nurse Gail Hamman (left) congratulates her dog, Malley, for finding a mock missing person. Malley used volunteer Craig Snyder’s scent to track him. one by one work with their dogs in train side by side with their dogs, training exercises. Due to training trekking through the woods in the being located at Greystone Hall in sunny weather. Usually the reWest Chester, a private estate that is cruits bundle up to keep warm as rented out for weddings, the train- they sprint with their dogs after the ees must sign in, enter and leave missing person. together to aid in the prevention of During training sessions, the trespassers. On April 17 at 9 a.m., missing person is played by a the handlers and their dogs were member of the team who hides ready to begin, following each oth- somewhere on the grounds. Either er into the middle of the woods on acting as a live run-away or hidden the property, secluded from the out- beneath camouflage in the middle side world. of the woods, the person waits for Working relentlessly until 1 the dog to locate them. The dog is p.m., the people in attendance either given an article of the “vic-

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

tim’s” clothing or expected to gain their scent from the air and locate the person. If the dog is successful, it is rewarded; Malley is welcomed with food and warm encouragement.

Each dog is individually trained while the others wait patiently.

Although the dogs begin as regular house pets, their obedience and behavior strengthen due to the training and transform into that of a stereotypical police dog. In the future, certified dogs will be given clearance to aid in search efforts for missing people.

In the future, Snyder would like to have several tracking dogs, three or four HRD dogs and have most of them be cross-trained to participate in water recovery as well. He also sees the program and dogs being implemented as part of search and rescue protocol in the future.

Although they are rescuing others, for the dogs it is not work.

“They’re out here doing what they love. They run and find until they get a treat and get to spend time outside with their parents.

For humans it’s a balance of work and play, but for dogs it doesn’t need to be as this is their play,” Hamman said.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Teacher Feature

History teacher Brian Gallagher discusses his passion for the Phillies, Civil War history and dogs.

Michael Hong Co-Editor-in-Chief

one of my main interests. I have a dog, so I love to be active with the dog. I love going to any Philadelphia sporting event. It’s really Why did you choose to be kind of of just ingrained in me. a social studies teacher?

Love reading; I try to make sure First would be my love of his- that I’m always reading. Realtory. It’s where that passion starts. ly just hanging with friends and A lot of that was inspired by my family. teachers, getting me to think hisWhat’s your favorite Philtorically and how important histo- adelphia sports team? ry really can be. They instilled the The Phillies. It’s baseball, all passion of history within me, and I the way. continued that on through college.

What do you think of the And I realized that sometimes other Philadelphia sports history may be overlooked, but I teams? wanted to inspire that same kind I love ’em. It’s Philadelphia of passion in students that I have, sports — it’s a love-hate relationthat I grew up with and that drove ship. They’re frustrating, but it my love of history. makes you love them even more.

What part of history fasci- I’d go Phillies, then Eagles, then nates you the most?

Flyers. The Sixers...they’re just Civil War. A lot of that is due to kind of there. my early trips to Gettysburg — I What kind of a student took a lot of field trips to Gettys- were you? burg and just fell in love with it.

I’d say I was a pretty good stuThe battlefield, everything about dent, driven to get good grades. it. I went to the University of Flor- My goal in high school was to go ida for college. I used to stop al- to the University of Florida. I always on my way at a different bat- ways knew I wanted to go there, tlefield every time I drove there. If so that really drove me to get I had to pick any part of history, good grades and I think that kind it would absolutely be everything of just went on. Definitely a good about the Civil War. student. I think maybe that’s Where did you grow up? why teachers want our students I grew up in Allentown, Pa. It’s to have that same kind of sucabout an hour north of here. It’s a cess in school as maybe we had. little suburb. I went to Emmaus So I was definitely a hard workHigh School. ing student throughout both high If you weren’t a teacher, school and college, determined what would you be? to reach my goals.

If I weren’t a teacher, I’d If you had three wishes, probably be a professional his- what would they be? torian, working in archives, eiMy first wish would be to obther for a historical organization tain the most historical knowlor maybe like Valley Forge Park edge. I’m always frustrated, or Gettysburg Military Park. I’d like I read more and more, but say (I would) probably be doing I can never possibly know something like that. More re- everything about history, so search-based, trying to find new I’d like to obtain as much facts, new ideas about history. I’d historical knowledge as poslike to be a Major League Base- sible. Another wish would be ball player, but I didn’t have the to own a Major League Baseskills for that. That was the long- ball franchise. Another wish is shot dream. to have enough land to have a Did you play baseball lot of dogs, like a rescue, with during high school? enough land to let all the dogs Yeah, I played baseball my run. A nice big house with inwhole life. finite amounts of land so I Any other sports? could have as many dogs Not really, no. I played a little as I want. basketball, but I never grew to a Which team would basketball height, so baseball was you own? more suited for my skill set.

It’s gotta be Philly. Gotta What are your interests be Philly.

outside of school?

So

dogs,

Student Life

BRIAN GALLAGHER

Favorites:

Book: “The Killer Angels”

by Michael Shaara Movie: “Braveheart” Food: Mozzarella sticks Song: “Ramble On” by Led Zeppelin Game: “Monopoly” Historical figure: Theodore Roosevelt Movie Character: Shrek

baseball,

I actually coach the freshman history? baseball team. Still in tune with There you go. That’s me in a baseball — would certainly be nutshell.

Mary Mei/The SPOKE

The Spoke 11

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12 12The The Spoke Spoke

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Student Life

UnSPOKEn Advice: Junior Students discover pop art Prom Lyvia Yan Staff Reporter

What do Kellogg’s cereal, Mickey Mouse and Chairman Mao have in common?

Pop art. From Feb. 24 to May 15, the Philadelphia Museum of Art is hosting a special exhibition of international pop art that features work from the United States, Britain, Brazil, Argentina and Japan.

Upon visiting the exhibit, senior Anna Manton and junior Dylan Bendit were inspired to recreate the crazy vibes of pop art from the 1950s in their own work.

Camille Kurtz and Meagan O’Rourke Copy Editor and Co-Convergence Editor Dear The Spoke, I feel really pressured to make my promposal perfect to impress my special gal.

She is really obsessed with Danny DeVito. How can I incorporate Danny into my promposal?

Dear Danny Boy, As the saying goes, “If you love something, then let it go.” Instead of asking your date to prom, contact Danny DeVito and have him take her to prom instead.

Dear The Spoke, I’m really concerned about the dwindling bee population, so I’m boycotting flowers this year. I’m trying to convince my friends and my prom date to also boycott flowers, but they do not want to comply.

Dear Honey, Some people just do not have the buzz on bees anymore. To get your friends to jive to your hive, send them the script of “The Bee Movie” over Facebook messenger.

The power of this cinematic work will win over your friends. Instead of flowers, you could always use locks of human hair.

Liz Lawton/The SPOKE

some raw eggs for breakfast. If you really are into your workout, wear said sweatpants to prom to show people you mean business.

Dear The Spoke, My parents really want to chaperone at prom, but I’m afraid they will embarrass me! How do I convince them not to come?

Dear Parent H8er, Why wouldn’t you want your parents to come? We must respect our elders and learn from their sick dance moves. Who needs to dab when you can jitterbug?

So, call up Grammy and Gramps and the whole “40 plus” crew!

Courtesy Dylan Bendit

In a flash: Junior Dylan Bendit captures a photo of a colorful cityscape.

Courtesy Anna Manton

Dear The Spoke, I’m afraid to take prom pictures with all of my friends because...well...I’m a ghost.

I won’t show up in any photos.

Poppin’: A sketch by senior Anna Manton shows off her experimentation with pop art.

Dear Ghoul Girl, Unfortunately, we cannot help you with that. However, you may want to consult The Spoke’s sister supernatural publication, The Spook.

Art teacher Leanne Argonish always tells her students that “as an artist you should go to an art museum or an exhibit at least once. And once you leave, you should feel disappointed in yourself, but also inspired,” according to Manton.

Upon visiting the pop art exhibit, Manton had her first artist epiphany.

“I got that feeling of being like, ‘Oh my God, I wish I could do that. That’s not mine,’” Manton said.

Armed with her trusty markers, paint and collaging materials, Manton set to work. One of her pieces was inspired by Roy Lichtenstein’s “Pop” magazine cover featured in the exhibit. Lichtenstein’s simple use of colors and message pushed Manton to make her own with acrylic paint on mat board.

“I really liked that and I made a painting of it,” Manton said. “Instead of saying ‘pop’ it said ‘sick’ and I just experimented with how he did that.”

Although Manton’s four-year art career at ’Stoga is coming to a close, she is starting a new journey at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University in the fall. Man-

Dear The Spoke, All of my friends are disagreeing about what to do after prom. What is a suggestion that everyone will accept?

Liz Lawton/The SPOKE

ton plans to major in graphic design, but is most excited to explore new mediums.

“There’s just so many options and I’m just excited to do whatever,” Manton said.

Beyond college, Manton hopes to become a children’s book author and illustrator. Her favorite book to read as a child, “Take Your Grandmother to the Art Museum,” made art not only her passion, but a fun weekend activity.

“Me and my grandma always went to the art museum together and I was like, ‘it’s us!’” Manton said.

Despite art having such a great impact on Manton’s childhood, now and her future, she almost chose a different class during her freshman year course selection.

“I almost didn’t do art, but I’m really glad I chose (Studio Art) because I think I would really regret it if I didn’t go into the arts,” Manton said.

Dear The Spoke, I am working on my prom diet, but I am not seeing results. What should I do to get fit for prom?

Dear Perplexed Party-goer, Just go to bed and get some shut eye.

Don’t stay up past your bedtime. All the cool kids are well-rested and get nine hours of sleep a night. Don’t “Hit the Quan,” hit the REM cycle.

Dear Diet Distressed, The Spoke does not condone pre-prom diets. However, we are all about fitness.

Have you ever seen the movie “Rocky?”

First, watch it. Most praise the film’s underdog plotline, however it is really a DIY workout video, complete with dietary suggestions. In stained sweats, run to school every morning after guzzling

This advice column will be a recurring piece. Tweet @thespoke questions you would like to have answered in the June issue. The next theme is graduation.

Anna Manton

Dylan Bendit Walking into the pop art exhibit, Bendit was most captivated by “a giant F-17 with Jesus hanging on the ceiling.”

Bendit told his mom, “I need one of those.”

After visiting the exhibit, Bendit was inspired to show pop-art style color and bold messages through his photography.

“It made me think more well-rounded and think about what I needed to do to add the color and evaluate what I don’t have,” Bendit said.

His Studio Art midterm features a city landscape that merges the urban side with the natural side. Bendit’s art focuses on four colors: red, orange, yellow and blue, which he edited from the raw photo.

“When I do cityscapes, I turn up the saturation to make super vibrant colors. I think that it just makes it look better,” Bendit said.

Aside from editing photos, Bendit experiments with new photography techniques, like shooting in film.

“I shoot in film a lot, that takes a lot more time. You have to look at the picture and then measure how much light is coming into the camera.” Bendit said.

Like Manton, Bendit hopes to major in graphic design in college and pursue his photography talent as a minor.

The Spoke 13

Centerspread

The eSports Revolution The information age has redefined the social consensus on sports as we know it.

For some students, gaming can take as much priority as schoolwork, or even being a player on a sports team. Whether players use their computers, consoles or mobile devices, competitive gaming requires lightning-fast reflexes, critical thinking skills and strategy in order to gain an edge over the opponent. Game genres such as MOBAs (Massively Online Battle Arenas), card games and fighting games have become more popular than ever thanks to video streaming — attracting hundreds of viewers who tune in and watch professionals compete in tournaments for trophies. Inspired by this emergent “eSports” movement, Conestoga students have initiated competition with each other, but not in the name of fame or money. Gaming is a way for students to form bonds, relieve stress and challenge each other mentally and strategically.

Clash of Clans “Clash of Clans,” a mobile strategy game released nearly four years ago, remains popular among certain groups of Conestoga students. Players own bases on which they can build fortifications using in-game money. The competitive aspect comes in when players form the titular “clans,” composed of up to 50 members. These clans, usually made up of friends or players with common interests, engage in “clan wars,” in which members of one clan face off against an enemy clan in an attempt to destroy the other’s bases. Each player is allotted two attacks against any two enemy bases with the goal of earning stars based upon how successful the attack is. Players of a clan are also able to help each other out by sending troops to aid in their partner’s attack. After “war day” ends, there is a one-day period for bases to recuperate and plan for war the following day. The clan’s leader coordinates the players in the clan and stays in constant communication in order to decide which bases should be attacked, with which troops and at what time.

Senior Mark Dong leads a self-created clan of 40 members, filled mostly with Conestoga students.

“It feels pretty rewarding,” Dong said. ”It’s the only game I play. I don’t even have an XBox, PS3, none of that stuff. I don’t play computer games, so I have all my time invested into this.”

Clash of Clans can be time consuming, but with precise timing and team participation, victory provides a great reward.

“In war, because our clan is made of ’Stoga people, it’s a lot of Facebook messaging to remind them to attack and be active, so it’s a lot of micromanaging and being able to talk to people,” Dong said.

Senior Dabin Yi, who has been playing for two years, takes a more casual stance on the game.

“It’s more like a pet at this point for me,” Yi said. “I used to enjoy playing it, because building up everything was fun, but when you get to a higher level, upgrading your defenses takes a long time.”

In order to incorporate all types of Clash players, the Clash of Clans Strategy Club was recently started, with computer science and physics teacher Edward Sharick as the club sponsor.

Senior Mark Dong leads a clan in the popular mobile game “Clash of Clans.”

StarCraft II

Smash Bros.

Dota 2

“StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty” is an RTS (real time strategy) game released by Blizzard Entertainment in 2010. Users have three playable species to choose from: Protoss, Terran and Zerg. Each race has special attributes that players can use to destroy all of the opponent’s units and bases.

Nintendo’s “Super Smash Brothers” series has enjoyed critical acclaim since its first release on the Nintendo 64 console in 1999. Later iterations such as Melee, Brawl and the 3DS and Wii U version are all played competitively in both national and local tournaments.

Like “League of Legends,” “Dota 2” is another popular MOBA developed by Valve Corporation.

Valve hosts an annual Dota 2 competition known as The International, inviting 16 teams to Seattle for competition. The fifth International occurred last August, with a prize pool amounting to more than $18 million.

14 The Spoke

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Story by Ian Ong and Shivani Sanghani Photos by Ian Ong Design by Ian Ong and Michael Zhang

Clash Royale From the same company that made “Clash of Clans” comes “Clash Royale,” released earlier this year. While “Clash Royale” uses the same characters and style as its predecessor, the gameplay is entirely different, relying on a cardbased system and real-time battles. Based on the cards in their decks, players can launch different units with varying abilities against another player, demanding quick decisions to counter enemy units.

Despite the chance factor involved, sophomore Tim Wu feels that strategy is important in “Clash Royale.”

“It is definitely strategy based,” Wu said. “You need to be keen in troop deployment and you have to make good choices, when to push and when not to.”

One controversial aspect found in both Clash games is premium currency, or special in-game money bought with real money that can be used to buy better units and upgrade faster than free-to-play users.

“There are definitely people who pay, and we call those people ‘gemmers,’ because they pay money for gems that obviously give you an advantage,” Wu said.

However, in the end, Wu claims that the game boils down to skill and, with enough coordination, a free-to-play user can defeat a paid user in battle, preserving the competitive aspect of the game.

Sophomore Cory Nowlan plays the game casually, finding it easy to pick up whenever he has free time.

“For some people, gaming can have a negative effect on our personal lives, but overall it’s a good thing to have because it serves as entertainment,” Nowlan said.

Sophomore Cory Nowlan plays “Clash Royale” on his phone in his free time.

League of Legends Published by Riot Games for Microsoft Windows and OS X, “League of Legends” is an “online multiplayer battle arena, real-time” strategy video game that has recently engaged Conestoga’s student body. “League of Legends” is based around players controlling “champions” on a map with three main lines of attack: top, middle and bottom. Players kill enemy minions for in-game money, which is then used to buy gear and aid their team in the destruction of the enemy’s main Nexus, winning the match.

In some circles, “League of Legends” is extremely serious and competitive, with students sometimes refusing to play with their friends because of “feeding,” meaning they die too frequently in matches and give the enemy an overall advantage.

Senior Tim Yi is among those who play the game on a daily basis — ranging from as much as one hour to two.

“The League community is very verbally abusive,” Yi said. “The only thing it does is harden you mentally.”

Wu, who used to play “League of Legends,” warns against the addictive nature of the game and its competitive scene.

“It’s just that the game is so addicting, once you start playing you can’t put it down,” Wu said. “You have to put an end to this madness, you have to focus on your priorities like school work and your family and you have to have a life outside of the game.”

Courtesy John Yi

Senior Tim Yi participates in “League of Legends” matches on a daily basis.

The Spoke 15

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

OPINION Navigate the realm of judgment Like any high school, Conestoga is a realm of judgment. Whether voiced or internalized, assumptions and conclusions are made from the minute students enter the building to the minute they are off the bus in the afternoon.

Some defend our inclination to judge, as they believe that, in high school, even the smallest things mean everything, and perspective, as valuable as it may be, is a long way off. For instance, if one student accidentally sneezes on another, the victim is likely to judge the person who sneezed as disgusting or weird based on an accident. A classmate who brushes by another without speaking is inconsiderate or an oaf.

But, the tendency to judge is something students have in common with all mankind. The discomfort people feel when they are undecided about something is a well documented phenomenon. It has been observed and even studied in meetings, election campaigns and juries.

Quickly choosing a side on a public issue or in our own private affairs is natural and expected.

However, we have the ability and ought to be learning how to exercise discretion in what we believe and what we say about things that we observe or are reported. It is difficult for people to delay judgment, particularly when they are pressured by peers or others to give an opinion. Suspending judgment often is viewed as weak or

can be infuriating to others. This is especially true in a school and a community which is under external widespread scrutiny.

Resist this.

“For most, judgements are being made by a jury of three: ‘me, myself and I.’” Time and again, first impressions are undermined by facts learned later. Headlines are proven to be premature or even wrong. Details are lost in the sensationalized initial account of what occurred. Opposing points of view are ridiculed. Feelings are hurt, possibly forever.

And the fact of the matter is, as enlightened as we claim to be, we tend to believe our closest friends against any other source. After rumors are passed down from one friend group to the next or one family to the next, they become accepted history. When facts are sparse, gossip becomes proof.

In our time, the age-old wisdom about there being many sides to every story is in especially short supply. Social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, not only peddle rumors at warp speed, but they vest them with the authority of fact before anyone has a chance to think

twice. While these media outlets also are a place for insightful discussion, they can reinforce halftruths and give them a perpetual home. Due to the lack of facilitation and filtering of people’s soliloquies on social media, tensions rise, and bridges are burned. For most, judgments are being made by a jury of three: “me, myself and I.” Those three always agree, even if the verdict has no external support. And unlike a personal conversation, the characters on the screen cannot really be taken back.

Now that almost everyone has a smartphone, people think they are journalists. And everyone actually is a camera. No one, it seems, can resist the thrill of breaking news on the widest stage possible. The thrill comes from the experience of breaking news — not just current events, but anything from the latest school break-up to the Presidential Primary results. But real journalists are accountable for what they write.

Most of us don’t have to bother with sources or about issuing retractions.

Sometimes the only way to find the truth is to wait.

As this school year closes, we may or may not find out more about the shocking events reported in our own community just in the last eight weeks. But, we have the power to inform our judgments with experience and understanding and to be a good example for a world always in a hurry to condemn or to whitewash.

Andy Backstrom/The SPOKE

16 The Spoke

From the Editor: don’t let it script you

Andy Backstrom Co-Editor-in-Chief During my first week of freshman year at Conestoga, I recall receiving a yellow paper in homeroom. It listed around 100 different clubs. I was mesmerized by the number of activities, but when someone in the room said, “Just check off as many as possible, I heard that you sometimes get credit, even if you never go,” my train of thought switched tracks.

It was one week into high school, and people were already “playing” the system. After about a month, I learned that for an alarming number of people, the transcript was not just a priority, but a preoccupation.

For those of you who don’t know, the transcript is the slice of paper, which is home to all of your high school grades, grade point averages, clubs, activities and awards. The transcript complements every college application. It might sound impressive, but trust me, it always looks as if it is a product of some long-lost typewriter.

Don’t get me wrong. It is absolutely necessary to try your very best in your classes and to pursue your passions throughout high school. However, preoccupying yourself with clubs, groups or activities in which you have no interest is nonsensical. For one thing, if you are actually attending meetings and events for such clubs, then you are wasting your time, when you could be honing a skill or a talent that is truly meaningful. Not to mention, some of these organizations only take so many students each year; trying out or auditioning for the sake of the transcript easily can take a spot away from a student who really does have a passion for a sport or performance.

Besides, we will never know the true formula for cracking the college admissions code. The “game” of college entrance has reached a level of competition that is daunting, but who knows if having five clubs instead of three is a determining factor. And

schools will most likely be able to sift through which clubs you were actually devoted to through your own essays and supplements.

The purpose of high school is to prepare you for your future endeavors, whether that be college, pursuing a career, devoting yourself to the public good or just finding yourself. Instead of fiddling with “what the colleges like,” focus on what you like. At the end of four years, you should feel like you are part of something: a team, a group, a company of players, a community of worthy people.

As a senior, I realized that the groups I was fit for were the ones that I naturally turned to, the ones that I thought of before looking at that yellow sheet of paper.

“At the end of four years, you should feel like you are part of something.”

If you strive towards your passions, you will form everlasting ties with the people and faculty associated with them, a family of sorts.

I was fortunate to discover this “family” in a couple of different places in Conestoga.

Participating on the cross country team each year, I have gained some of my closest friends. It became a sport in which I could work on becoming a faster, competitive runner, while recovering from the stresses of the school day.

The second spot was in room 280.

Most people don’t even know where The Spoke is created, and I definitely did not when I rushed in late my first day of freshman year. But it is home to an outstanding team of committed people and the place for me to practice my particular passion — writing.

When I applied for The Spoke in eighth grade, I didn’t even know what “the transcript” was. All I wanted to do was to explore an interest.

In this diverse school of 2,000, the possibilities are limitless if everyone pursues his or her individual talents and curiosities. Sometimes I think we were wiser before we met that yellow sheet.

Next time you consider how to spend the precious time on Irish Road, think about yourself, not the transcript.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Opinion

Role models: believe in your future self

Michelle Xu Opinion Editor Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

Matt Soderberg Columnist OBAMA IS PRETENDING HE WAS ELECTED— I consider myself a true constructionist. The Constitution was created by a group of incredible white men who understood what this country stood for. In this progressive agenda-pushing world, we must ourselves stand by their words, verbatim. Word for word. These men had ideals, and they had slaves. Who are we to question them?

Well, uhh, they did make a little mistake. A “whoopsie,” if you will.

See, there was this part of the Constitution they accidentally cut off (paper-cutters in the 1780’s — very unreliable) that stated thus: The president shall nominate Supreme Court justices in order to fill vacancies on the Court and the Senate shall grant these nominees fair and timely hearings — unless the president is A ROTTEN KENYAN SENT TO DESTROY DEMOCRACY AND TAKE YOUR GUNS in which case the Senate should forget their duties and cease doing their job.

The loss of Antonin Scalia is tragic for this country, and President Obama is now trying to politicize his death by nominating a replacement. Sure, George Bush did it ten years ago, and well, most presidents before that did it too, but President Obama is really overstepping this time because logic and liberal both start with “L” and therefore can’t be trusted.

Look, it’s about the people. You

know, the people? You and me and all the other people exactly like you and me. The people have a right to have a say in who the next Supreme Court justice will be. Now, you may ask, didn’t the people use their voice to elect Barack Obama twice as president? Oh, you. I appreciate your naiveté.

See, there’s another part of the Constitution. Thing is, it’s actually written in secret ink. That’s some Nic Cage-level stuff right there. If you were to use one of those cool little pens, you’d see it clearly written: The President may serve up to eight years, unless they are Barack Obama, in which case they will serve seven years and the eighth will just be spent tango dancing and searching for Tupac.

The specificity of the Framers’ foresight always astounds me. Right down to his very name!

With Obama essentially done with his presidency, the country cannot stand for him to nominate a replacement justice. And yet he has — and let’s talk about that nominee.

Obama thinks he got one over on us. He’s thinks he’s sneaky. Sneakier than a Mexican at the border.

See, Obama has nominated Merrick Garland. At first glance, he passes the test. White? Check. Male?

Sign me up.

But we need to look beyond first glance. In fact, I have exclusive info that Merrick Garland is not the homogenous angel we may have thought he was. In an espionage-style shocker, it was recently revealed that Garland is actually a black transgender illegal immigrant that Obama snuck into the country to further push his agenda.

Do you want this man Roe v.

Wading into the metaphorical pond of liberty with his hidden liberal agenda? Tinkering with your rights?

Remember, don’t think too hard about it or you might succumb to this Obama-created, NSA-distributed disease called common sense.

This is it. As a senior, this is my last published Opinion piece in The Spoke and the last bit of advice I get to preach at the underclassmen about modern society before I become one myself in college. I could spend these three columns denouncing another one of our world’s many “–isms,” because that’s a fight that will never cease. For once, though, I want to set aside the mantle of social justice warrior, and get a little more introspective.

I want to talk about role models. Yes, role models, a phrase that gets thrown around a lot in parenting books, self-help guides and the omnipresent media. Remember back in kindergarten, when everyone said that their mothers were the ultimate role models? That we wanted to be just like our fathers?

That our older siblings represented perfection to us? And to this day, most of us idolize someone, whether family member or celebrity.

Well, I’d like to suggest a radical point of view — maybe we shouldn’t have role models.

Now hear me out. When we were young, we of course needed examples to form our cognition, habits, ethics. There are research articles published both in legitimate psychology journals as well as popular psychology magazines like Psychology Today that testify to the importance of upstanding role models in crafting good moral character.

But as we slowly become adults and our comprehension power and maturity grows, we undergo the great teenage disillusionment ordeal. We learn that as upstanding as people can be, everyone has flaws. We’re flawed. Our parents are flawed. The system is flawed.

Though true, the mindset is very pessimistic and can easily make people as cynical as the YouTube comments section. But not having a role model isn’t necessarily as rebellious as it sounds.

Through the past four years of high school, I’ve learned that holding someone on a pedestal will only lead to inevitable disappointment when you realize they’re human. Instead, your role model should be yourself.

Your future self to be exact, an amalgamated concept that you yourself craft. This way, you can determine for yourself what you believe is perfection and continue

to strive for it and become a better person. It’s definitely important to observe other people and their positive traits, but one should no longer feel obligated to idolize an entire person.

After all, the process of character building is a little like apple picking. If you see good apples in a tree, you pick just those apples, not the entire tree. If you admire a person for their strong morals, or generosity, or honesty or any trait at all, you can collect that trait and make it a goal for yourself. No need to worship the entire person as if he or she could do no wrong.

Ultimately, part of maturing and learning about life is realizing, accepting and dealing with the fact that people aren’t perfect, but still striving for your best anyway; puzzle-piece role models are a step towards that mentality. If everyone simply copied the best from everyone else and truly aimed towards becoming their best selves, the world would be a much improved place.

Well that’s my senior sign off, ’Stoga. Thanks for reading through all these issues, and hopefully you’ve picked a few apples out of my opinion pieces that you used to create a better self role model. Now time to pack my ten-pound social justice warrior armor into a suitcase and head off to liberalize college newspapers, yes? Peace.

“My role model is Paul McCartney because his music inspired others to write music, and I’d like to do the same.”

- Thomas Simmons “I don’t have a role model because everyone is sort of a good role model, but also they do bad things so it is not like anyone is a good role model.”

- Ivy Wang “My role model is probably my dad because he works really hard and he does interesting work.”

- Margaret Huck “My role model is my father because he has driven me, he has set the example for me and he’s the reason I got my Eagle Scout. I want to look up to him and be more like him.”

- TJ Fogarty The Spoke 17

Opinion

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Protect our Tradition

Betty Ben Dor Photography Editor Dear Conestoga, I know you’ve been through a lot this year; everything from phenomenal ranking results to sexting scandals and hazing accusations have swept through the school, leaving you confused with your identity. And now, as the little cherry on top of the drama cake, another scandal has leaked out from behind your doors and exploded into the unforgiving floodlights of the world. Yes, even after we all thought, “That’s it!

We’re done with all this negative media!” more was thrown at us, with an incident just as horrify-

ingly serious: a Conestoga High School paraeducator and coach had been having sexual relations with a student.

But as it turns out, after all that has happened this year, we were already too numb to register the shock. It was just another scandal, another news story, another thing that slipped by, unseen and unheard.

Our problem, Conestoga, is that we’re willingly blind and deaf to the things that we know are wrong. We need to learn how to stand up for what’s right.

When the hazing story broke, several people said that they had known about hazing and “No Gay Thursdays” for years now. Recently, some people have claimed to have allegedly spotted the student and the paraeducator together outside of school. It was almost a point of pride for a few students to know that they had known all this information before it had even reached the administration.

Don’t let yourself become a bystander in what you know is wrong. If only someone had spo-

ken up about the ongoing hazing, if only someone had said something about the sexting issue, if only someone had reported the paraeducator and student. I know it can hard to be the “tattletale,” but you need to believe in the peers around you, you need to believe in a stronger Conestoga.

Don’t brush things off as “just being a rumour.”

You need to be brave, Conestoga. It’s time we all stood a little taller. It’s time we all stood a little braver, knowing we are part of a community that cares. It’s time we created a community that will act when faced with wrong. It’s time for the era of passivity in Conestoga to come to an end, bringing with it a new era of students that will do what’s right.

We all need to take a stance to protect our “Tradition of Excellence” before it warps into a “Tradition of Scandals.”You need to become stronger, Conestoga. You need to speak up.

Forever yours, A concerned student

The Case for Obsessions

Nour Elkassabany Columnist To obsess over something is to have a small evil grip over your life for an indefinite period of time. It takes you through cycles of infatuation, denial, hopelessness, confusion, delight and finally into steadfast, long-lasting admiration and appreciation. We’ve all been there; it’s part of the human experience.

One summer, I got myself involved with New York rock band The Strokes (big mistake).

I bought their entire discography. I spent hours upon hours binge-watching grainy, low quality live videos and interview clips until I had exhausted YouTube’s resources. I read through the archived features in music magazines from the year 2001 on, just talking about how cool they were.

I read album reviews, infuriated that anyone could dislike them or take a jab at their work. I annoyed

18 The Spoke

my family a great deal.

After the initial, most consuming phase, the investment became more emotional. I had acquired all the knowledge I needed. My brain was in it; might as well toss my heart into the mix. One Music Friday, whichever club had selected the songs in between classes chose to play The Strokes after my third period calculus class, a choice that elicited an audible gasp from me. In October 2014, I bought a concert ticket to frontman Julian Casablancas’ new project the morning of the event.

That night was surreal and cathartic, to say the least. It left me with a feeling beyond excitement; it was a feeling of simultaneous heaviness and weightlessness.

Frequently, obsessions are looked down on because of the time they require and the lack of focus on real-life affairs that they bring. That, along with being written off as crazy and the accompanying isolation when one ventures into that territory solo, can be rather discouraging.

However, no one said it would be easy.

But, the benefits are well worth it.

First, it’s fun. Also, opportunities to chase curiosity so carelessly and to love so fervently are plentiful while we are young and our lives lack some of the real-life responsibilities that render daydreams, fantasies and

heart-eyes unreasonable and superfluous. While the findings of obsession may not yield the most applicable knowledge, it can lead you into new appreciation of art or music, whatever form it takes.

In the case of many teenagers, especially seniors, change is on the horizon. Little obsessions (or big obsessions) can serve as a way of preserving the past and preserving the youth that seems to slowly escape us. Having these obsessions is representative of who we are at a specific point in our lives. Time passes and eventually, you do get over it, but the obsession leaves its mark on you. Years down the road, when I’ve found other New York rock bands and moved on from my high school life, The Strokes will come on and I will remember the sleepless nights scouring their treasures fondly.

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

Lessons from the In-Tay-rnet

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

Rose Kantorcyzk Columnist “Ricky Gervais learned totalitarianism from Adolf Hitler, the inventor of atheism.” This statement was published on Twitter on March 24, and besides being extremely accurate and making total sense, it soon became headline news. That’s because it wasn’t tweeted by one of the internet’s many bored, attention-seeking political extremists, but by an artificial intelligence bot named Tay. It was actually one of Tay’s few tweets tame enough to be repeated and published.

Tay was launched by Microsoft as an experiment in “conversational understanding.” The bot was designed to learn from Twitter users who tweeted at it and respond accordingly, becoming smarter the more you used it and imitating the tone and subject matter of the tweets it received. Microsoft had no reason to believe they would run into any issues; they’d had success with XiaoIce, a similar social media chatbot released in China, and they expected to repeat that “great experience” with the 18-to-24- year -olds in the U.S. who made up Tay’s target audience. At first, things went well, but within 24 hours Microsoft was forced to shut Tay down due to the sheer volume of racist, offensive 140-character blurbs the bot had learned to spew.

Reactions to Tay’s brief rise and fall varied. The trolls laughed, the online extremists high-fived themselves while sitting lonely in front of

their computer screens and the majority of the educated internet rolled their eyes and sighed at the current explosive state of social media. A few tech philosophers expressed concern for the future of artificial intelligence, and they have a point: Bots like Tay are built to learn from humans, and if, in the future, they learn from humans with extreme opinions, then we’ll end up with disarmingly extreme bots and potentially dangerous consequences.

But we’re not in the future yet, and for now, in the age of social media; I see Tay as an example of a most unlikely thing in this scenario: hope.

If Tay can be considered a microcosm of social media and the internet as a whole (which I think it can), then our world isn’t nearly as rude, harsh or just plain wrong as we think it is. The reality is that the loudest voices on social media often belong to those with the most shocking views, and the sensationalist statements they make are often repeated, bouncing around the world wide web like racquetballs.

Even in the coverage of the Tay situation, the crazier statements the bot made were repeated and magnified, while many innocuous tweets (“my duck face is on fleek”) were overlooked. The neo-Nazis and white supremacists of the internet use social media as a megaphone, making us rational people feel like we’re lost in a sea of crazy.

When extremists latch onto tools like Tay and use them to project their voices even louder, we need to remember that they’re fewer in number than we think. And honestly, I’d rather they spend their energy shutting down AI bots than, say, running for political office and potentially gaining the power to impact the laws of our country. Good thing there aren’t any hateful, sensationalist, tiny-handed, toupee-wearing candidates in this presidential election! Oh, wait...

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Opinion

The grisly underside of the music business: rape culture maintains strong hold

Camille Kurtz Copy Editor Dear Kesha, After your (cringe-worthy, but thankfully brief) entrance into my life with “Tik Tok,” I never thought I’d see you again. My 11-year-old self definitely never imagined we’d meet like this.

In 2014 you spoke out about how your producer, Dr. Luke (Lukasz Gottwald), for years emotionally and sexually abused you — raping you at least once. And now, as you attempt to free yourself from your contract with Sony Music, your cry for help is met with angry jeers and legal technicalities.

It’s so hard to hear about how you have been forced to sacrifice your mental health to preserve your spot in the music business. It’s so hard to hear that despite obvious emotional damage, the New York judge in charge of your April 6 case rejected your claims.

It pains me to live in a world that sees “only two specific instances” of assault as discrediting rather than indicative of larger, long-lasting abuse that cannot be questioned.

I’m so sorry that though your career has been put on hold while you prosecute your abuser, you are still criticized for deceitfully seeking a better contract, claims which

completely undermine the trauma you have experienced and continue to experience as you share your story. I’m so sorry that anyone could think you would lie about being drugged, raped and abandoned.

I’m fearful for your career and your well-being. But more seriously, I’m fearful that you are not alone. I’m fearful that artists in the music industry can be treated so poorly while so many quickly dismiss this assault.

ly terminated a working contract on the accounts of sexual assault (though many, many artists have experienced such encounters, including singer Lady Gaga). It doesn’t require much deduction to point fingers at the long pattern of silencing the few artists who have mustered the courage to come forward with their stories — statistics show that 68 percent of sexual assault cases go unreported.

Dear Music Industry, Why has it become commonplace to hear that to “cut it” in the professional world, musicians must subject themselves to your inappropriate conduct and objectification? Why does the gender gap in pay and employment between men and women, including persons working behind the scenes, remain so high?

I can’t understand how you could let yourself become so focused on your profits and recordings that you turn a blind eye to the plight of singers like Kesha.

Are women to you no more than backtrack vocals or eye-candy representing your companies? You claim to support us — you seek female listeners and count on them as a major branch of the consumer population — yet you refuse to give them the same opportunities as men and you encourage damaging double standards.

Why is Kesha imprisoned by her contract, even after expressing concerns about abuse, while One Direction’s Zayn was permitted to end his contract and sign with another label in 2015?

No singer has ever successful-

Dear Rape Culture, You are the persisting ideology which sees sexual violence as permissible and unavoidable.

This article isn’t really about Kesha. It isn’t about her specific claims or her word versus Dr. Luke’s. It’s about you. It’s about how, because of you, 98 percent of rapists will

not spend a single day in prison.

It’s about how one in six women and one in thirty-three men will be raped. It’s about how you routinely poison people’s minds and convince them that victim-blaming is a better course of action than holding rapists accountable.

You are the reason victims fear public response and do not report their abuse. You are the reason women are judged for their outfits and men are told they cannot be victims of sexual assault.

Because of you, good people refuse to believe the accounts of friends and neighbors, sons and daughters. Because of you, we discredit sexual assault victims’ stories and tell them they are lying. Because of you, we harm each other.

We must not tolerate you any longer. Let’s start now.

Report Card Prince Dies +Good night, sweet Prince -Can’t stop this Purple Rain of tears

Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill +Represents the unheard voices in history -Took way too long

Beyonce’s Lemonade +Step aside, Sasha Fierce, this is SUPER fierce - Only streaming on Tidal... wait isn’t that Jay-Z’s platform?

Villanova: NCAA champs +Local favorite wins it all on a buzzer-beater - Lots of “sick” notes

Seniors Leaving +Reduces hallway traffic -DON’T LEAVE US. Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

Connie Stoga

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

The Spoke 19

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

SPORTS

‘Lax Bros’: Reilly brothers share the field

Neil Goldenthal Staff Reporter

For some siblings, it can be almost impossible to find a common interest. And then, there’s Jack and James Reilly.

The two brothers are on Conestoga’s varsity lacrosse team; Jack is a defender and James is a midfielder.

But they’re not just two of the best players in school. Jack, now a senior, committed to the University of Virginia (UVA) in his sophomore year.

And James, who is currently a sophomore, committed to Georgetown University prior to the start of this season. However, the most impressive part may be that they haven’t been playing for very long.

“I played back in elementary school, and then I stopped playing because I didn’t really like it. So I kept playing baseball,” Jack said.

“And then, in the winter of seventh grade, a coach asked me to play for a winter team and all my friends were doing it, so I just decided that I would too.”

James had a similar experience in terms of starting the sport later than most players.

“I started playing because Jack started playing. He played for two years and then I figured I would give it a try. So I started in seventh grade, after he committed,” James said.

Not only were the brothers late bloomers, but lacrosse also wasn’t even a serious endeavor for them until high school.

“High school lacrosse is when I realized it was really fun,” James said. “I liked it in middle school, but when I got to Conestoga, all I wanted to do was play for the lacrosse team.”

Jack remembered a similar feeling as high school approached.

“Probably the summer after eighth grade is when I really started to enjoy (lacrosse),” Jack said. “In seventh grade, I wasn’t really fond of it. I just did it because my friends were doing it. At the end of eighth grade, it became a lot more fun for me. In ninth grade, when I started getting recruited, that was when I realized I could really do something with it.”

It’s great to find something you love to do, and it’s even better to have someone to share that experience with. The brothers enjoy hav-

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Brotherly love: Senior Jack Reilly (left) and sophomore James Reilly at Teamer Field. Jack committed to play lacrosse at the Universit of Virginia and James committed to play at Georgetown University. This is the brothers’ last season together at Conestoga. ing lacrosse as a connection, both on and off the field.

“We’re always talking about lacrosse at home, but on the field, (my brother is) just like another player or teammate,” James said. “It’s nice to just have someone to play with whenever you want. If I just want to throw around, I can ask or if there’s something I want to run through, he can help me with it.”

Even though many people think

that Jack taught James everything he knows, Jack credits James for being self-motivated and denies teaching him.

“A lot of people think it’s pretty cool that we’ve both committed.

And I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I taught James, but I didn’t really teach him anything. We toss the ball together at home. It’s just really great to have this as a common interest.”

Senior goalie Dan Cepielik has

seen the brothers’ positive dynamic work its way onto the field.

“They have a huge influence on each other, especially Jack to James, since he’s the older brother. He really pushes James to get better and helps him when he’s struggling,” Cepielik said.

Aside from their relationship, coach Brady Bush noted the strengths of the two as individual players.

“They’re very team-oriented kids, they’d do anything for the team. And they play different positions, so it’s hard to compare them, James being a face-off specialist and Jack being a close defenseman for us,” Bush said.

“James is more on the quiet side, but he is a tough, fierce competitor. He really challenges himself, especially with his technique and skill with face-offs. Jack is a very physical, mentally strong player, who is definitely intimidating for other teams.”

Brother tandems in sports have existed for years. Some have panned out, such as Peyton and Eli Manning or B.J. and Justin Upton. Others have faltered, like Jason and Jeremy Giambi. For the Reilly brothers, their script remains unwritten.

Leaping across the country, one hurdle at a time

Avery Maslowsky Staff Reporter

Just after midterms ended, freshman Ellie Genovese and sophomore Katie Williams were not prepping for the start of the second semester like the majority of the student body at Conestoga, but packing their bags.

Genovese and Williams, competitive horseback riders, not only compete in the regular competition season, but also participate in stayaway training programs during the winter and summer seasons. This year, both girls missed five to eight weeks of school, which not only caused a backup in work, but also made it difficult to participate in other activities at Conestoga and in their home community.

Genovese has been riding for 10 years since she enrolled in her first lesson and fell in love with everything the sport had to offer. After competing in regular competitions for years, Genovese signed up to travel through the HITS (Horse in the Sun) program. Altogether, she has stayed at programs in New York, Virginia and Florida and soon hopes to travel to a California barn.

“Showing (the horses) and al-

20 The Spoke

Courtesy John Genovese

Best of show: Freshman Ellie Genovese and her horse leap over a fence during a competition. Genovese, a rider for ten years, hopes to travel to a California barn for a riding program in the future. ways getting to ride different ones is a great experience, especially getting your horse’s name out there. (The program) is all fun,” Genovese said.

Williams started riding at the age of five after her mom signed her up for lessons, hoping that her daughter would fall in love with riding like she had as a child. She traveled through the HITS program for most of her middle school career, and starting her freshman year at ’Stoga, signed up to travel through a program run in Mississippi called Gulf Coast Winter Series.

“Getting to meet new people who later end up being my friends (is the best part of the program), and getting to experience what it’s like living in the south and of course getting to ride,” Williams said.

Like Genovese, freshman Emily DeSantis has been riding for 10 years. She traveled to Florida for two months at a time for five consecutive years through her barn, High Hopes, but ended the trips for her first year of high school. While the traveling and make-up work proved challeng-

ing, she began running long-distance track in seventh grade and decided to end the trips so she could pursue both of her passions.

“I have a different life (in Florida), I go to a different school and I hang out with different friends. The experience of riding and making new friends made me want to come back every year,” DeSantis said.

All three programs last up to two months, whether or not the participant stays the full time. Every weekday, the girls wake up and train with some of the world’s best horseback riders. On the weekends, they compete, getting “points” for their participation, which they can later use to qualify for more advanced competitions.

While the programs provide the girls with unforgettable memories, most of the necessities needed for a two-month vacation are not provided, and costs rack up quickly. A competitive horseback rider attends around 20-25 regular competitions annually and on average $20,000$40,000 is spent for attendance of these elite competitions. The programs do not provide flights, food, horse care or boarding. To cut costs, most of the time, the girls who attend

the program stay in their own “summer” homes, rent houses or have long-term hotel rooms to share with family members.

Another problem relates to school, because the programs start and end during the school year.

Genovese flies back and forth over the course of the program to collect work and stay in touch with her friends and family. Williams collects the majority of her work before she leaves and emails with her teachers for more assignments over the duration of her program. Then, she makes up all the tests when she gets back. DeSantis had a tutor and attended a Florida school to keep up to date with her work.

According to the girls, their grades actually benefit from traveling, since they have more time to complete assignments and get oneon-one help.

The programs bring a sense of cultural immersion to the participants, who have to get acclimated to the area. They bring opportunity for new friendships, bonding and, most importantly, they allow the horse’s name to get out into the riding world, which leads to a whole new world of opportunities for the riders.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Sports

TRYing something new: girls rugby overhauls roster

Matt Paolizzi Co-Sports Editor

The Conestoga girls’ rugby team found itself in a bit of trouble while gearing up for the upcoming season.

They had equipment, coaches and a place to practice. But, they were missing one key component to any team: the players.

The rugby club at Conestoga was founded in 1973, making it one of the oldest in the nation. The girls’ team often found success, making the playoffs most years. Head coach Tyler Miller is a Conestoga alumnus, having played rugby from 2006 Courtesy Leah Palomo up until his graduation in 2009. He Back at it: Sophomore Mackenzy Chastain makes a tackle on defense recalls how the girls’ team providduring the girls rugby game against West Chester on April 17. The ed an excellent example for other girls would win that match, giving the team their first win in two years. teams when he was playing, with their numbers reaching upward of nior-heavy team last year and had to “Recruiting this year was diffi60 players. step up recruiting to be able to get cult because everyone we talked to “When I was in high school, enough players. The team used such said that they either play a different the girls were the golden standard methods as printing and distributing game or their parents won’t let them for how a club should be run, from flyers and signs around the commu- or they didn’t want to get hurt,” Cashow many players they could pull nity and creating a promotional vid- sel said. “We finally just said, ‘Come together to regularly advancing to eo on Good Morning ’Stoga. out and watch a practice and you’ll playoffs,” Miller said.

Senior Mary Cassel was one of have a lot of fun.’”

However, the team reached a the players who was involved in From the start, Miller and the othstandstill prior to the beginning of the recruitment process. She and er coaches helped out by providing the season, with numbers for the the other players had trouble early supplies and answering questions team too low to be able to legally on with it, but they were able to get for prospective players. By the start 2015_HS_Newspapers (10.312 x 5.843).2_Layout 1 8/11/15 4:32 PM Page 1 field a team. The Ruckers had a se- some people to sign up. of the season, the team had gotten

Ashley Greenberg Staff Reporter

“Working with Mr. Clark is like working with an insider in a college admissions office.”

Parent of a senior at Lower Merion (PA) High School, class of 2015

“The list of colleges for application you constructed fit my child perfectly.”

Parent of a senior at Great Valley (PA) High School, class of 2014

enough girls to be able to compete.

Junior Colleen Baldwin is a new player for the team this year. She first learned about the team from watching them practice. She had soccer practice at the same facility as the girls’ rugby team and would often see them playing.

“I saw the rugby practice after me and I thought it was interesting and then my friend told me about rugby, so I decided, ‘Why not?’”

Baldwin said.

Baldwin has enjoyed playing for her new team immensely.

“I really like it. It’s really fun.

The team is pretty close and we are all good friends,” Baldwin said. “As a new team we are playing well, so it’s fun.”

Senior Grace Purinton is also new to the sport of rugby. Her job prevented her from running track as the schedules did not match up.

Thanks to her father’s rugby experience and word of mouth from her friends, Purinton decided to give it a try. Her experience has been a positive one.

“I’ve met a ton of people I’d never met before and it’s definitely a unique sport that not a lot of girls play, so that was definitely pretty cool,” Purinton said.

Both Purinton and Baldwin admitted to there being a learning curve but that the coaching staff does an excellent job at teaching the new players.

The coaching staff “realize that most of us are new and haven’t played the game before and are so patient with us while still teaching well,” Purinton said. “They’re fun and funny, so practice and games are always really great.”

Baldwin agrees with Purinton.

Coach Tyler “has taught a whole team of new players and we are playing well and growing a lot as a team,” Baldwin said.

Throughout the recruiting process, Miller never doubted his players’ resolve.

“The 15 girls I have are very dedicated. The lack of players somehow built a ‘never quit attitude.’ Week in and week out we go into each match as the underdog, and the girls don’t quit,” Miller said. “They play the full 70 minutes without a drop in effort.”

The team has been able to notch a victory this year — the girl’s first in two years. With their record at 1-2, the team hopes to make playoffs.

The Ruckers next game is away on May 8 against West Chester.

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The Spoke 21

Sports

BASEBALL CHANGEUPS

Elizabeth Billman and Kyle Kennedy Staff Reporters Design by Adam Lockett Photos by Neil Goldenthal New Coach As the Conestoga baseball team begins its 2016 season, one major piece of the dugout is different from past years. The team has a new manager, Kevin Pechin, who replaced former manager John Vogan beginning this season.

Pechin is not new to coaching baseball, having managed Conestoga’s team in the late 1990s and early 2000s, leading the team to multiple state title games. Vogan continued and expanded on Pechin’s success, leading the team to multiple Central League titles and a state championship in 2011. Because of Vogan’s successes, Pechin does not intend to change many of the former manager’s policies.

“Coach Vogan had a lot of success with the program, and I have a lot of respect for the foundation he put down, so I don’t want to change a whole lot,” Pechin said.

Members of the team also recognize the similarities in his coaching style. Senior Jona Siegel commented on Pechin’s style.

“Coach Pechin handles the team very similarly to Vogan in terms of the baseball; he’s just a little more easygoing during practice,” Siegel said.

Siegel’s teammate Ben Bierstaker agreed.

“Coach is a little more easygoing than Vogan was during practice, but he coaches the team in the same way,” Bierstaker said.

Despite the unexpected change in the coaching staff, the team looks forward to success in the 2016 season.

“I think we can absolutely win the Central League, and possibly even get to states.

Even though we don’t have the individual talent that some of the teams from past years have had, altogether we can play and beat any team in the league,” Pechin said.

Siegel agreed, saying, “I think we have a really good chance for success this season — any one of our players could start on any team in the Central League and start well.”

Even though the baseball team lost several high skill, high profile pitchers like Brendan Little, to graduation last year, Pechin still believes that pitching is a strength for the team.

“I think that pitching is our biggest strength this season, and all of our starters have a great deal of skill and can help us through the season and into the playoffs,” Pechin said.

Senior Alex Lee also believes that pitching will be a key to their playoff success.

“We have one of the best pitching rosters out there, and pitching is really what’s important for the playoffs, so I think we have what it takes to be successful in the playoffs this season,” Lee said.

“I think we have a chance to have a lot of success this year. We really play as a

22 The Spoke

team, and we have a chance to do really well this season,” Pechin said.

New Pitchers Though it can still snow in April, cancellations and rain sessions will not stop Conestoga’s pitchers from showing off their skill. Seniors Tim Miller and Mark Anderson and junior Angus Mayock are the varsity baseball team’s three current starting pitchers. Under the new coaching eye of Kevin Pechin, the three athletes throw their season into a great start.

Miller has been playing the sport since he was five or six years old in T-ball while playing every position on the field over his years. Miller feels that pitching gives him a sense of control.

“I feel like you are in total control of the game, the time is on you if you want to take time before you throw the pitch.

I feel like you can completely dictate the outcome of the game,” Miller said.

Mayock throws both fastball and changeup pitches, but his favorite pitch is the curveball. At number three in the pitching lineup behind Anderson, Mayock loves to play pitcher because of its involvement in the game.

The pitcher “is very involved in the game and I think it is one of the most competitive positions in sports,” Mayock said.

Anderson got into pitching because he found that he was pretty good at it and his father encouraged him to play the position. He says this year his main focus is to do his job and keep the opposing team at bay.

“I will just try to get in as many innings as I can and keep scores off of the board,” Anderson said.

Pechin, arriving as new head coach after the retirement of John Vogan, is very excited to be around players he describes as having an abundance of talent

and energy, especially his three starting pitchers. Pechin illustrates the pitcher’s work ethic from the week of March 28. “ You can tell they worked all summer — real hard offseason. Timmy pitched our first game and gave up two runs, Mark pitched yesterday and gave up four hits and Angus came in and gave up no hits.

You know it’s early but if they keep pitching this effectively we can make this season real interesting,” Pechin said.

Last season the baseball team lost skilled senior pitcher, Brendan Little, to college but Miller explains that the new pitchers and the rest of the team are quite capable of taking on difficult Central League opponents. Miller also describes the team as having more “camaraderie” than last year.

“I think our pitching staff is better this year than it was last year honestly — getting us guys some more innings under our belt. Me, Mark and Angus started a bit last year but Brendon was the main starter. But I think we all have confidence in each other that we can get wins,” Miller said.

Warming up: Senior Mark Anderson warm up for the Pioneers March 31 game against Radnor. Conestoga would win 10-1.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Mayock explains that a lot of players on the team are stepping up this year and performing. This might be helpful because he says the team may face some tougher competition this year.

“Harrington was a tough team to pitch against last year. This year, I’m not sure who (will be our greatest competition), but I expect to see some tougher teams,” Mayock said.

Similar to Miller’s opinion, Anderson agrees losing players from last year have been difficult but he thinks they are better situated this year.

“We lost two Division One players, Ryan and Brendon, but we have Timmy Miller and myself and Angus and we are kind of meeting up those ends and we have filled their spots pretty well,” Anderson said.

Pechin also mentioned that though these three players have begun the season starting, he would also like to incorporate other potential players on the mound.

“They are going to be the workhorses. It’s a great luxury to have. I have other pitchers that will see innings like Ben Bierstaker, Mike Stoudt and Jacob Marcus. It’s a good position to be in to have this many pitchers and that amount of talent on the mound that doesn’t come around too often,” Pechin said.

Fist bump: New head coach Kevin Pechin congratulates senior Jona Siegel after a successful stint on defense. Pechin aims to continue where Vogan left off.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Sports

LAX IN ACTION Boys lacrosse beat Downingtown West 14-3 on Saturday, April 16.

Photos by Staff Reporter Elizabeth Billman

Girls lacrosse beat Haverford 17-14 on Tuesday, April 26.

Photos by Staff Photographer Angela Nguyen

The Spoke 23

Sports

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

’Stoga brothers on the slopes of Nationals Ashley Greenberg Staff Reporter Since they were seven years old, skiing has been a part of juniors Ryan Nadel and AJ Nadel’s lives. This year, the twins qualified for the National Standard Race (NASTAR) Nature Valley National Championships and competed over spring break.

Skiing is a fixture in the Nadel family as the brothers’ father, Jordan Nadel, started skiing when he was a kid before introducing it to

his children. Skiing gradually became bigger in their lives as the boys participated in the race program at the Jack Frost Ski Resort every season, which taught them fundamentals and racing techniques. AJ eventually became a lesson coach and Ryan became a junior coach in the racing program.

As their skillsets developed and talent grew, they became more serious and decided to give national competition a shot. Ryan, AJ and Jordan secured their spot in National Championships by

Courtesy Jordan Nadel

Down the mountain: Eighth grader Evan Nadel, brother of AJ and Ryan Nadel, placed 50th in the nation during his runs. He also won a gold medal in the slalom championship.

placing within the top five in a qualifying course, sponsored by the NASTAR program, at Bear Creek Mountain. Over spring break, they traveled to Steamboat, Colo. to compete in the National Championships on March 24-27.

They geared into training mode as soon as they qualified for the national competition. The family, including younger brother Evan, trained every weekend leading up to Nationals, going through different drills and practicing gates, which are the poles skiers weave between in slalom events. In addition to these methods, Ryan cites his time as a coach for younger skiers at Jack Frost as a key part of his own personal training regime.

“Coaching helped me train because I have to be solid on my skiing to teach little kids, so I had to improve and practice for them,” Ryan said.

As Nationals approached, the boys were nervous and excited for the experience. Despite these feelings, the boys were in a good mental state going into the competition.

“My plan was to go in there and put forth the best time I could,” Ryan said.

The day before the race, AJ sprained his ankle during training.

He did not let this stop him, though, as he still raced the following day.

“I had to focus on what I had to do, just not think about the pain, and get through my runs,” AJ said.

AJ and Ryan both competed in the Giant Slalom and the Team Race, while Ryan competed in the Slalom Race, in addition. In Giant Slalom, gates are positioned farther apart than those in the Slalom race.

Courtesy Jordan Nadel

To-and-fro: Junior AJ Nadel races his way through the Giant Slalom course. AJ suffered a major setback when he sprained his ankle prior to competing, but he still finished fourth in the event.

AJ, Ryan, Evan and Jordan also competed together in the team race.

Even with a setback, AJ placed fourth in the Giant Slalom. Ryan placed third in the Giant Slalom and third in the Slalom, receiving two bronze medals. Jordan placed sixth in the Giant Slalom and fourth in the Slalom, along with finishing first in Pennsylvania and 25th in the country within his age group.

The Nadel family didn’t place in the team race, but enjoyed participating together.

Jordan, AJ and Ryan were pleased with their results at Nationals. Finishing the race is an accomplishment within itself, according to AJ. Aside from the actual competition, the family enjoyed their experience at nationals this year.

“I think my favorite part was getting to race in Nationals and

once you cross the finish line, it feels really good to know that you completed the course. No matter how you did, you’ve done that,” AJ said.

Ryan was pleased with the opportunity to see what different mountains have to offer, as the family normally keeps to East Coast mountains.

“No two mountains are exactly alike, it was really exciting to experience a different kind of mountain.

Mountains on the east coast are a lot different from the ones on the west in terms of terrain and amount of snow,” Ryan said.

If the boys decide that nationals is a goal for them again next year, they will train even harder than they did this season. With another year of practice and the support of their father, Ryan and AJ have potential to better their racing next year.

Courtesy Jordan Nadel

Through the snow: Junior Ryan Nadel maneuvers his way through gates while at the NASTAR championships. He finished with a number one ranking in Pennsylvania and an eighth place finish nationally.

24 The Spoke

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

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The Spoke 25

Sports

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Accepted students day or pay day for college athletes?

Matt Paolizzi Co-Sports Editor College basketball is big business. While the numbers haven’t been crunched for the 2016 tournament, it will be surprising if they aren’t enormous. The regular season makes the NCAA a pretty penny on its own. Their average revenue is almost $6 billion yearly. But the crème de la crème of college basketball is March Madness, and it’s beyond massive now. Since 2006, the NCAA has made a staggering $8.2 billion off of March Madness ad revenue alone, around $1.2 billion of that coming from the 2015 tournament. That’s actually a four percent decrease from 2014. It’s also seeped its way into American culture over the past few decades.

More than 10 percent of Americans make a tournament bracket every year — around 40 million people. All in all, only the NFL makes more money, $1.25 billion

for 2015’s postseason compared to the NCAA’s figure of $1.2 billion.

However, there’s one key difference between these cash cows, and it’s an obvious one. NFL players get paid.

It’s a question that’s proven to be extremely controversial, and it has no clear answer. Should student athletes get paid?

I’ve been torn on this issue for years now. Endless arguments with my anti-pay father and some of my pro-pay friends have taken their respective tolls. But I’ve reached the point where I’m not really in favor of athletes being paid. There’s too many complexities. Only football and basketball really make money.

Is it really fair for them to be paid and not other sports? Wrestlers get scholarships, but college wrestling doesn’t make the cash that football and basketball do. Many point to a be-all end-all stipend that every athlete receives upon graduation, amounts varying on the sport. This stipend would only be available to athletes who stay all four years, preventing young stars from jumping ship to the pros after their freshman years as many do. That’s just one option.

However, I’d like to propose another potential solution, a sort of midway between the two. A reform

of the present rules set upon athletes that would eliminate the need for any sort of monetary compensation.

We have a few problems that need to be addressed for this to begin.

An argument many anti-payers use is the preservation of amateurism. That’s not applicable though.

As Americans, we tend to think there’s a monetary price for anything. The sheer notion of “amateurism” in the big two of college sports, basketball and football, is a ridiculous notion. Billions of dollars are made off the performances of these talented athletes and they see not even a penny of it. They are placed on the biggest stages, catching bigger TV audiences than the professionals. Student athletes aren’t even allowed to have parttime jobs; they rely entirely on other sources of income.

A large and disproportionate amount of student-athletes come from poor areas with even poorer schools. Putting these kids into high profile universities with no sources of income and educational standards they have trouble making is a terrible precedent. The University of North Carolina is a chief perpetrator of these acts. Basketball and football players often come in with below average GPAs and are assigned “filler classes” with “shad-

moved from high school to be eligible for the NFL draft.

NCAA football and the NFL have it right by requiring athletes to stay for extended periods, but college basketball must fix some things.

The NBA must remove the banning of straight-out-ofhigh-school players. This will separate those who care about education versus those who do not. It will sacrifice talent, but March Madness will be watched regardless.

The audience is just too big.

About a year ago, a court case regarding this issue recognized that the NCAA Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE could be subject to antitrust ow curricula.” Otherwise, these regulation, but deemed postudents would be thrust into edu- tential compensation for players cational environments they would nil. If the NCAA wants to continhave trouble keeping up with when ue their present way, they must paired with their demanding game change. They could easily remove schedules that often cause them to the desire for players to be paid by miss classes. doing all this. Let their players work, Most of the real talents leave give them good educations and don’t after their freshman years — “one try and obtain players they know will and done” as they call it. The fear have trouble succeeding academicalof catastrophic injuries is a common ly. These are still kids after all. They reason, but also that sweet million are still learning about life and they dollar rookie contract they can sign need a better college experience. if they go for the NBA draft. College Sports teach young people so much football on the other hand requires a and the NCAA is robbing their athplayer to be at least three years re- letes of that. Reform is a must.

Enjoying the basement with the Phillies

Michael Li Managing Editor “There’s always next year.”

So goes the timeless motto of disappointed fans everywhere. Your favorite sports team didn’t succeed this year?

The next season will be better, the saying seems to assure.

Since they reached and lost the World Series back in 2009, the Phillies have been all too familiar with the phrase. In more recent years, “next year” has not looked too good — in terms of winning the World Series, or winning the division or really even winning games in general. Despite the Phillies exceeding expectations in the early stages of the season, going so far as to flirt with third place in the pitiful

26 The Spoke

National League East division, expect regression. Most preseason reviews concur that the 2016 Phillies are destined once again for the cellars of baseball.

Obviously, this isn’t the greatest news for fans. We want our favorite sports teams to succeed, and when they have fallen as far as the Phillies, it can naturally turn even the most dedicated fans bitter.

It’s tough to find joy in cheering for a team that just seems to lose and lose. However, there are certain aspects to a sorry season that can take the sting out of it and even make it kind of enjoyable.

First and foremost, the sheer lousiness of the Phillies means that everyone’s expectations are already low.

What does a loss really mean, when you have 99 of them in a season? And, on the flip side, each victory is sweet.

Toward the end of the season, when playoff races are tight, there’s something magical in the Phillies going on a fleeting hot streak and beating good teams. There’s a smug

satisfaction in dragging teams down with you into the cellars of the league — especially if they’re playoff-bound. They have everything to lose; the Phillies — and we as their fans — have nothing to lose.

We also get a chance to see the future stars of the Phillies get familiar with the big stage and come into their own. We saw the beginnings of this with players like Maikel Franco and Odubel Herrera last year. With the trading away of aging stars like Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Cole Hamels, there is even more space for promising players who we can watch grow.

If there’s one good thing the Phillies have done in recent years, it is get younger.

The team is the fifth youngest in baseball, with an average age of 27.8 years and boasting youngsters like Franco, Herrera, and Vince Velasquez.

Experimenting with fresh talent and new names should be fun and at least interesting to watch. It is certainly a welcome change from the stagnant lineups of years past.

There’s also the comforting thought that the Phillies aren’t alone in mediocrity. There are other baseball teams out there just as bad, with fans who suffer just as much as we do. One notable example is the Atlanta Braves, perennial rivals of the Phillies, who have sunk to the bottom just as quickly.

At least the Phillies are coming off relatively fresh championship, winning it all eight years ago. There are fans of teams (bless the Cubs, with their century-long drought) who have yearned and ached for a taste of what we got in ’08. And of course here in Philly, there’s the hapless Sixers, whose boundless futility makes even the Phillies look good.

So maybe we’re mired in the basement of baseball, desperately looking for the stairs

Pallavi Aakarapu/The SPOKE

back up to relevancy. But that doesn’t mean that we, the fans, are condemned to gloomy darkness. Sure, losing sucks.

But there are certain perks that can only be appreciated when your team is doing lousily, and they can brighten even the darkest of seasons.

For this upcoming season, enjoy the wins (few as they may be), enjoy the players and enjoy the occasional gem that this season is bound to hold.

And even if everything in the season goes wrong, you know what?

There’s always next year.

Sports

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

SportsLine: serving and pitching what they have to offer

Elizabeth Billman Staff Reporter

third in the Central League right below Radnor High School with 11 wins and two losses and Lower Merion High School with 10 wins, one loss and one tie. This season the team has been able to change their lineup to make sure the younger students get a chance to have a varsity experience because of the amount of strong senior players. Their wins have put them in a good position to win the Central League and has given them a good seeding for districts. One of their key out

-of-league matches was against Wissahickon, where they won 4-3. One of the key matches of this game was the third singles win by Carson Lortz.

Boys Tennis The team’s biggest competitor in disThe boys’ tennis team has a tricts and states is Lower Merion berecord of 7-1-0 so far in this seacause of the strength of their singles son with only seven matches left players. The team holds their practices to go. The boys have beaten four at the Upper Main Line YMCA after teams in their league exactly 7-0 school. The team has only had three including Ridley, Marple Newmatches canceled because of inclemtown, Springfield and Haverford ent weather. Last year the team endhigh schools. The only loss they ed their season with nine wins and have so far in this season has no total losses. The overall score of been against Radnor High School the match was 4-3 Radnor. Their last on April 22. They are currently game will be held on May 7 at 1 p.m. at the Health Plex facility in Springfield.

Softball Girls softball has almost an even record at 7-5-0 heading into the homestretch of the season. The team suffered a few tough losses in the Central League this season, namely a loss to Ridley 1-0, a loss to Haverford 3-7, and a loss to Central League frontrunner, Upper Darby. But the girls have pulled out tight wins, like their game against Garnet Valley which they won 3-2. They have won a few high-scoring Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE games as well, beating Strath Courtside: Senior Duncan Ellis (left) and sophomore Jackson Dusin- Haven High School and Lowberre (right) high-five before their match against Garnet Valley. The er Merion High School. The boys tennis team hopes to clinch the Central League title this season. week of April 18 the girls won

Courtesy Rob Lenker

On target: Senior shortstop Emily Conaway throws to senior second baseman Callie Wang in their game against Garnet Valley. With a 7-4 record, the girls are out of Central League title contention, but look to finish on the up. all of their four games against Strath Haven, Marple Newtown, Penncrest and Daniel Boone high schools, but the girls lost their momentum in a tough loss to Radnor on April 25. In this night game, the girls battled back from a four-run deficit but were unable to salvage two needed runs in the last inning. Despite the four league losses, senior pitchers Gigi Lorine and Callie Wang (both fourth year varsity players) have been keeping the oppos-

COMMITMENT CORNER Tyler Soutendijk ’16

ing team’s runs off the board.

The girls are currently seventh in the central league below Upper Darby, Springfield, Haverford High, Garnet Valley, Ridley and Radnor, in that order. Last year their record was 12-9 overall and 11-5 in the Central League. With four losses already behind them they will have to battle back against Ridley, Haverford, Upper Darby and Radnor to find similar success.

Casey Allen ’16

School: Swarthmore College Grade: 12 Sport: Lacrosse Position: Defense

School: Harvard University Grade: 12 Sport: Field Hockey Position: Attack

Why Swarthmore?

“Its engaging curriculum that challenges you to think differently and provide for the common good of the community.”

Why Harvard? “’I chose Harvard because of the incredible academic opportunities provided there, and because there is a very good balance between academics and athletics.”

What ’Stoga Lacrosse taught him: “It taught me to embrace team chemistry both on and off the field and motivate those around you as a unit. Coach Bush has set us up well to be successful as a unit.”

Favorite ’Stoga Lacrosse Memory: “When we won in overtime against Upper Dublin in the early stages of state playoffs.”

What ’Stoga Field Hockey taught her: “It taught me to work my hardest for the girls on the field with me.”

Favorite ’Stoga Field Hockey Memory: “Definitely this past year when we won the district quarterfinal against Neshaminy. It was an intense game, and we were the underdogs, so it was great to win it with this team.”

The Spoke 27

INSIDE: INSIDE: Olympic Girls Track Rugby Coach p. 21 p. 20 Boys Ice Skiing Hockey p. 24 p. 24

Tuesday, December 22, 2015 Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Slice and Dice Driving ahead Girls basketball is off to a 4-1 start. The team has only lost to Garnet Valley, a team two years undefeated in the Central League.

After losing several seniors, the Conestoga boys’ tennis team has exceeded preseason expectations by reaching the top of the Central League.

Caleigh Sturgeon/The SPOKE Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Senior Sondra Dickey drives the ball inside in girls’ basketball game against Ridley High School on Dec. 15. Dickey scored four points to contribute Senior Nick Ruth hits a forehand during warmups before the Pioneers’ April 26 match against Garnet Valley. The game was ultimately to the 52-33 win, with junior Sarah Mascioli, sophomore Maria Koblish and senior Ellie Mack each scoring five, 13 and 23 points respectively. canceled because of inclement weather, yet the Pioneers’ hopes have not been drenched. The team currently has a 7-1 record.