The Spoke February 2018

R obotics

KOP Restaurant Review

Tea m Qualifies for States

See page 2.

See page 7.

THE The Spoke’s special edition: Fly, Eagles, Fly! Conestoga High School, Berwyn PA

Volume 68 No. 4

EAGLES 41

February 13, 2018

Spoke.news

PATRIOTS 33

SOARING TO VICTORY Eagles make history with first Super Bowl win

Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

Victorious at last: The Philadelphia Eagles wave to fans atop their float at last Thursday’s parade. They defeated the New England Patriots to win their first Super Bowl.

Soaring to Victory | 3

Victory and celebration come to Philadelphia.

Betty Ben Dor & Jordan Liu

Wing Bling | 6

Students and faculty show their Eagles spirit.

Justin Huang

Top Dogs | 10

Find out just how high the Birds can fly.

“Tricky Vik” Raghupathi

Fandom of Football | 11

Does it all really even matter?

Avery Maslowsky

2

News

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Flu epidemic expected to be worst in nearly a decade

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Number of Diagnosed Cases per 4th Week (of each year comparatively)

US PEDIATRIC DEATHS since October 1st From the Center for Disease Control and Prevention

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15000 8000

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PA PEDIATRIC DEATHS since October 1st From the Center for Disease Control and Prevention

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

Number of Cases

Number of Cases

20000

6000 4000 2000 0 2013

From the Center for Disease Control and Prevention

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

From the Pennsylvania Department of Health

SYMPTOMS: Fatigue and Weakness

Fever Chills

Coughs and Sore Throats

Head and Body Aches

Lyvia Yan/The SPOKE

Brooke Deasy & Maddie Lamonica

News Editor & Business Manager

Almost ten years ago, the world saw what it thought was the worst flu season of the twenty-first century, commonly referred to as the swine flu of 2009. There were approximately 60 million cases, 275,000 hospitalizations and 12,500 deaths in the United States alone. In Pennsylvania, nearly 10,000 cases and 80 deaths were confirmed.

However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes that this year’s flu will likely match or surpass the one in 2009, impacting a larger percentage of the national population.

Students in the Tredyffrin/ Easttown School District (TESD) have experienced the effects of this widespread infection. There have been six confirmed cases at Conestoga since Jan. 16, and 33 throughout the district.

However, these numbers may not be truly representative of all

students who have had the flu.

Some simply do not recognize the symptoms of the flu or do not seek medical attention. Conestoga nurse Jill Yeager believes that the number of district cases are not particularly high because students have taken greater precautions.

“We haven’t seen as many kids coming in with flu symptoms. I think it’s because people are actually going to the doctor’s and staying home, instead of coming back to school, which is good because that keeps down the spread of the illness to the rest of us,” Yeager said.

Dr. Stuart Brilliant has worked as an emergency room doctor at Paoli Hospital for 18 years. He often sees patients with the flu during this time of year.

“At Paoli we are averaging about ten cases a day, but that will likely increase over the next few weeks, as we have not yet hit the peak of flu season,” Brilliant said.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), influenza, or the flu, is caused by

a virus that primarily attacks the upper respiratory tract, usually lasting one week. The flu is highly contagious, spreading throughout the world in seasonal epidemics that typically peak in mid-January, February and March. It also causes considerable economic burdens, with the annual direct cost for hospitalizations and outpatient visits totaling $10.4 billion, as estimated by CNBC. Given the debilitating symptoms of the flu, many people opt to get an annual immunization to lower their risk of infection.

Each year, the flu virus mutates, so a new vaccine must be manufactured to accommodate these changes. The Immunization Coordinator at the Chester County Department of Health (CCDH), Michele Steiner, works to make sure the flu shot is readily available for everyone in the area.

“The Health Department works with many partners across the County to vaccinate people against the flu,” Steiner said. “We act as a safety net vaccine provider for people without health insurance. We do not want cost

to be a barrier for people getting their flu vaccine.”

On Jan. 26, the CDC held a press conference to warn the public about the severity of this year’s flu outbreak.

“It has been a tough flu season so far this year,” said Daniel Jernigan, Director of the Influenza Division in the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “We’ve experienced two notable characteristics of flu this season: The first is that flu activity became widespread within almost all states and jurisdictions at the same time. The second is that flu activity has now stayed at the same level for three weeks in a row, with 49 states reporting widespread activity.”

Pennsylvania has seen an increase in the number of flu cases as opposed to previous years.

During the fourth week of January, Pennsylvania saw an estimated 8,250 diagnosed cases of the flu compared to 5,800 cases in 2017 and 3,900 in 2015.

Pennsylvania’s Acting Health Secretary and Physician General

Dr. Rachel Levine also noted the intensity of the flu epidemic. She believes it is attributed to the specific strain of the influenza virus.

“This year’s strain of the flu is primarily the H3N2 strain, which is one of the strains of Influenza A. This strain is one that young children, seniors and baby boomers are particularly susceptible to,” Levine said.

This year, however, the shot has proven relatively ineffective compared to those in the past.

“The big problem this year is that the flu shot doesn’t really work,” Brilliant said. “(Researchers) think that it only works 30 percent of the time. So a majority of people can still get the flu even though they did everything right and got their flu shot.”

This is precisely what happened to sophomore Jack Hyams, one of the six Conestoga students to contract the flu virus in late January. Due to the virus, he was absent from school the week of midterm exams.

“I missed all midterm reviews and midterms. I have to make them up,” Hyams said. “It’s ex-

tremely frustrating because I have to do regular school work and homework as well as study for midterms.”

Junior Hayley Pechin was also out from school with the flu.

Compared to Hyams, her experience was far less stressful.

“It didn’t take a toll on my stress level that much because it seemed like a lot of people were sick as well. I also contacted my teachers and asked about makeup work so that I could try to get as much done as I could while I was home,” Pechin said.

Despite the limitations of this year’s vaccine, medical professionals, including Brilliant, highly recommend receiving the shot.

“This year may not be a good example, but everybody should definitely get a flu shot,” Brilliant said. “The big thing is to be aware of your symptoms and to try to not go out in public. If you have the flu, please don’t expose your coworkers or your students or teachers. You want to be careful and just stay home, rest and drink lots of fluids.”

Redistricting debate divides community James P. Infortuna Staff Reporter

The Tredyffrin/Easttown (TESD) School Board voted unanimously in support of all but one section of its redistricting plan on Monday, Jan. 16 after nearly five hours of deliberation. The remaining section that called for the provision of transportation funding for rising fourth graders remaining at Devon passed six to three. Dissenting members cited budgetary concerns as the reason for their vote.

The plan redraws the district lines of Devon, Beaumont and Hillside Elementary Schools so that student en-

rollment for each school falls within 450 to 500 students for the 2018-2019 school year. As a result, approximately a quarter of Devon’s student body will be transferred to Hillside and Beaumont. However, rising fourth graders will have the option to continue in Devon for their final year. New Eagle and Valley Forge Elementary Schools will not be affected.

This decision comes after much debate in the community. Between Monday’s meeting and the special board meeting on Thursday, Jan. 18, the board heard 53 public comments. While the district’s plan sparked both backlash and support, the idea of redistricting is not new.

“This redistricting issue was something that we were looking at, even before I got on the board,” said Reverend Scott Dorsey, president of the school board and its longest serving member. He was elected in 2013.

The community debate centered around where the lines should be drawn, with the balance between the rights of renters and those of property owners in the redistricting process coming into question.

The Home Properties of Devon became the epicenter of this debate when a petition seeking to divide the apartment complex began circulating a few months ago.

Supporters of the petition argue that the continuous mov-

ing of renters could contribute to a constantly fluctuating number of students, detracting from the education of students consistently at school.

With the passing of the redistricting plan, School Board member Katharine Murphy describes the redistricting as a harbinger.

“We are all going to be here again, having a difficult conversation about our growing enrollment regardless of any decision we make here today,” Murphy said. “Current projections are that all of our buildings will be at or over capacity in a short span of years. And to be totally blunt, it’s not because of any one apartment complex. It’s everywhere.”

Courtesy Noah Austin

Building blocks to victory: Robotics Club members (from back left) Sophie Dunn, Elissa Wilton, club sponsor Noah Austin, Yash Raj, (from front left) Fiona Kurtz, Nick Remillard and Neil Muglurmath sit with the robots they competed with at the Vex Competition State Qualifier.

Robotics Club heads to states Reagan Gerrity Staff Reporter

After hours of developing plans in their engineering notebooks and tinkering with robots, students of Conestoga’s Robotics Club competed in the New Foundations Charter School Vex Robotics Competition State Qualifier. The club is divided into a boys’ and a girls’ team. The boys’ team will advance to States. The girls, however, will have to compete again in a second qualifier competition.

This year, participants had to create a robot that could stack cones and move mobile goals. At the competition, teams gained points based on the difficulty and success of the maneuver they executed. There was a round-robin organization, where each team was given a rank based on their score. The top six teams were given the opportunity to form their own alliances, and some of them were eliminated in a bracket-style tournament. If a team advanced to the semi-finals, they were automatically registered for the state competition.

The students have been preparing for the competition since the beginning of the school year.

According to team member Neil Muglurmath, part of the alliance

that won the Tournament Champion award, the effort required to construct and operate their robot was well worth it in the end.

“It felt really good knowing that all our work paid off. Everything worked out fine,” Muglurmath said.

Although the girls must compete for a second time to qualify for states, their dedication and commitment to the team remains.

They have already outlined goals to strengthen their performance.

“My team has laid out a list of concrete things that we want to do between now and the next state qualifier, which is making sure to add a mechanism to our robot to move the mobile goals,” said junior Fiona Kurtz, a member of the girls’ robotics team. “There was also an issue with our claw that we wanted to fix and a big thing is we want to practice driving the robot because that’s really difficult.”

Noah Austin, the teacher who sponsors the club, attributes the students’ success to their hard work both in and out of the classroom.

“It was so great to see all of (the students’) hard efforts pay off in a way that was so positive for both them and our school,” Austin said. “That’s exactly why we’re here. We’re here to make positive change and I got to see that positive change payoff.”

3

Front Page

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Eagles make history with first Super Bowl win Betty Ben Dor & Jordan Liu

Co-Editor-in-Chief & Co-Web Editor

Since elementary school, senior Sophie Dunn never missed a single day of school. That was until Feb. 8, 2018. Dunn took a 6:55 a.m. train into the city to celebrate the Eagles’ historic Super Bowl win.

“I figured that since all of my friends were going down to the parade that I wanted to go too to experience it,” Dunn said.

“I think it was definitely worth skipping school for it. It was a lot of waiting out in the cold but it was fun to see (the team) go by. It was fun to be down there.”

And Dunn was not alone.

The day after the Super Bowl, about a third of students were either late to school or did not come in at all, according to the attendance office. On the day of the parade, nearly 76% of students either didn’t come in, came in late or left early. In comparison, when the Phillies won the World Series back in 2008, roughly 57% of students were out on the day of the parade.

Conestoga Class of 2017 alumna and current freshman at the University of Pennsylvania Kelly Jiang attended the parade with both friends from college and current Conestoga students. She credited the Super Bowl win with unifying the entire Philadelphia community.

“The victory is bringing people from all backgrounds and walks of life together, to cross political lines and across races and genders,” Jiang said.

“Everyone was giving highfives, having a good time—it’s like Christmas.”

In the weeks leading up to the big game, Eagles fan and senior class president Kent Hjelm took to Schoology to encourage classmates to join in the Philly pride, with posts such as “Correlation = Causation. Birds spirit day tomorrow, obviously.

Let’s make history. #GoBirds.”

Hjelm attended the parade with his older brothers, who he credits for sparking his passion for the team.

“Growing up, my brothers would always have me watch the Eagles games when I was with them, and (I) always watched Comcast SportsNet and the Eagles reports,” Hjelm said. “When I was younger, I wasn’t that into it because I was more interested in watching cartoons, but I started—after being forced to watch these shows—to understand why my brothers were so into it, and why it’s so important to so many people in Philadelphia.

I’ve become a huge fan of the Eagles and football.”

But for Conestoga Class of 2011 alumnus Harry Biemer, the trek to the parade meant more than an early-morning train ride into the city; it meant a red-eye flight out from Las Vegas, where he currently lives and works.

“I flew all the way out here because I kind of had to put my money where my mouth was,” Biemer said. “I told all my friends that I’d do it if the (Eagles) ever won, so as soon as it went final on Sunday I got like five text messages saying ‘hey, time for you to come home.’”

Biemer was not the only devoted ’Stoga alumnus to come home to celebrate the Philadelphia team’s victory.

Having missed the Phillies parade back in 2008, Class of 2008 alumnus Copper Barnes told himself he would not miss the next one.

“My family has had season tickets since 2000 so (the victory) was one big culmination of family memories and old times spent with friends and family down at the stadiums,” Barnes said. Going to the parade was

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Flocking eagles: Crowds gather around the Washington Monument in Eakins Oval in Philadelphia. The celebratory parade was hosted by the Eagles and was held on Thursday, Feb. 8.

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Ready and waiting (above): Seniors Aidan Hunter, Emma McGillis, Leah Swope and Tucker Allen wait for the start of the parade sporting their Eagles’ gear.

Phinally (left): Students Mimi Jiang, Anthony Mao, Lyvia Yan, Lauren Jiang and Kira Curnyn, along with University of Pennsylvania students Emily Chang, Kelly Jiang, Hector Herrera and Abum Okembgo gather to celebrate the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory.

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Nesting: A parade attendee climbs a tree to get a better view. “definitely worth it. The crowd, the event, the weather—everything was perfect.”

Although he had to take a 7:30 train back to New York City the next morning and head straight to work, Barnes said he was “all smiles” after the parade.

Game Day Likewise, Class of 2014 alumna and current student at Tufts University Bridget Marturano flew down from Massachusetts to celebrate the Eagles’ victory on the day of the game.

“I can’t count the number of strangers I hugged and highfived that night, but seeing an entire city celebrating together was beautiful. Everyone was cheering, car horns were blaring up and down the street for hours,” Marturano said. “I’m thrilled I got to come home to the city I love so much and celebrate this historic moment with everyone.”

For Conestoga parent and director and anchor for FOX 29 Sports Tom Sredenschek, the Eagles win came as a highlight of his more than 30 years covering Philadelphia sports. Sredenschek covered the Eagles’ historic win live from Minnesota.

“I think (the players) were a group of guys who just believed in one another and kind of formed an ‘us against the world’ mentality,” Sredenschek said. “Growing up (in the Phil-

adelphia area) and then covering sports, (the win) was one of those moments that you kind of soak in. The Super Bowl is a lot of work and there’s a lot of logistics (but) it was still, when the dust settles, something that was really, really cool to be a part of.”

Speaking to The Spoke two weeks before the big game, former Eagles head coach Dick Vermeil, who led the team to its first Super Bowl in 1980, was hopeful for a Philly win and said that in order to win, the Eagles would have to overcome what he referred to as the “Belichick-Brady mystique.”

“I really believe the Eagles are a better football team. I think they have a little more talent,” Vermeil said.

And it turns out they did.

Pre-Game Spirit Getting ready for the Eagles’ third Super Bowl appearance, the streets of Philadelphia were awash with Eagles’ memorabilia and outbursts of “Go Birds!”, while impromptu stands were set up across the city selling everything from Super Bowl LII t-shirts to “F*** Tom Brady” pins.

Hosted by the Convention Center a week before the game, the Philadelphia Auto Show, which has been hosted annually since 1902, featured hundreds of vehicles ranging from antique automobiles to high-tech

Ian Ong/The SPOKE

luxury cars. The show showed its support for the Philadelphia team by showcasing different players’ cars and by hosting a green-out rally the night before the Super Bowl.

Conestoga also geared up in its green and white in preparation for the game. Music Fridays blasted the Rocky theme song and the Eagles fight song while the library hosted an Eagles-themed coloring event.

Across from the library, Writers’ Craft teacher Laurel Light was inspired by a staff inservice a couple of months ago that featured New York Times bestselling author Austin Kleon as the keynote speaker. Using his idea of blackout poetry, Light hung up a large Eagles themed poster outside of her classroom that was covered in samples of her students’ Super-Bowl-related blackout poems.

“I think (the Eagles win) is a memorable event for the seniors, in particular,” Light said.

“I think it will make for a very happy celebration for now and a good memory for the seniors.”

Ian Ong/The SPOKE

Bringing home the silver: Quarterback Nick Foles holds up the Lombardi Trophy while quarterback Carson Wentz looks out at the crowd.

Courtesy Laurel Light

Betty Ben Dor/The SPOKE

Blackout: Writers Craft teacher Laurel Light displays examples of her students’ Eagles-themed blackout poetry.

Light was inspired to take on the project by best-selling author Austin Kleon.

Decked out: Spectators at the Philadelphia Auto Show admire an Eagles-themed car. The show ran from Jan. 27 to Feb. 4.

4

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Student Life

Makeup artists highlight stars' drama

Class clown to comedy genius: 'Stoga graduate rises to success Andrew Bucko Staff Reporter

Olivia Thompson/The SPOKE

Brush it off: Co-captain and junior Georgia Steigerwald, along with senior Ashleigh Lake, curl hair during practice. The hair and makeup crew planned out different looks for every actor, depending on their role and the context of the show. up more proudly than other have gotten better with the exMatthew Fan and Olivia Thompson actors’, using brighter blush, perience,” Steigerwald said.

Staff Reporters During the musical, captains darkening his eyebrows, using Aging a teenage boy about 60 get the full look of what we want to mascara and adding a white assign each crew member to a years to make him look the ripe do to people,” junior and co-cap- dot of makeup in the corner of specific character to transform.

“For ('Nice Work') we do spehis eyes to create definition.” age of 75 is no simple feat. It takes tain Georgia Steigerwald said.

For this year's musical, girls cific assignments for the (lead Depending on what role more than just foundation and eyeliner: it takes a team. To that the actors play, the crew in "Nice Work if You Can Get It" actors) and we have other people end, the hair and makeup crew members need to apply de- cut their hair or wore a wig to who work on the dancers and the ensemble. We also have floaters has been recreating the looks of tails to account for the differ- match the 1920s bob style. “‘Nice Work’ is my eighth who walk around to make sure ences between characters and each actor into a character.

From March 7 to 10, Cones- between moods in plays. For show,” senior hair and makeup people are done and done correcttoga is putting on the musical serious dramas like “The Cru- crew co-captain Helen Cham- ly and, if needed, fix it,” Noll said.

Music teacher Cassandra “Nice Work if You Can Get It,” cible,” the crew worked with berlin said. “We learn so much a comedic twist on a 1920s sto- simpler, serious tones, while over the years, like how to put Hesse and history teacher Emry of a wealthy man who meets flashy musicals like “The on false eyelashes. This year, ily McGready supervise the a bootlegger the weekend of his Mystery of Edwin Drood” re- we are putting on wigs for crew and share their passion with the students. wedding. In preparation for the quired elaborate updos from ‘Nice Work.’”

“I have done the musical Steigerwald says she enjoys musical, the hair and makeup the 19th century.

“Character actors with par- doing the hair and makeup of since my first year here, which crew meets every Tuesday to was ‘Guys and Dolls,’” Hesse ticularly humor may receive a the boys the most. plan the characters’ looks.

“I have had a lot of fun get- said. “It is important and is “We get together and we do more individualized makeup face charts (of the cast), which are look,” Steigerwald said. “In my ting to know them. It’s fun- something I enjoy. The stufaces drawn on a piece of paper first show, ‘Guys and Dolls,’ I ny applying eyeliner for (the dents are passionate. They are with makeup drawn on to it so we did (the lead actor’s) make- guys). It’s frightening, but they excited and committed to making a professional product.”

Along the way, the makeup and hair artists have enjoyed learning from past shows and more experienced members.

Each show brings different sets of circumstances in terms of makeup that the actors learn from, like contouring jawlines, using contrasting shades of makeup to create wrinkles and gelling pulled-back hair.

Because of how much time they spend with each other, the students in the hair and makeup crew have fostered a sense of camaraderie with each other, as well as with the actors and actresses.

“We've bonded over our common interests in hair and makeup and theater, and it's been great to grow close with the other crew members and actors, especially during show week when we all arrive two hours before the show starts and do the actors' hair and Olivia Thompson/The SPOKE makeup while we all talk and laugh and listen to music toDon't blush: Junior Fiona Kurtz adds the finishing touches to the captain's makeup during practice. When gether,” Chamberlin said. necessary, crew members have applied different shades of makeup and mascara to define different features.

Blake Wexler, comedian and Conestoga alumnus of 2007, has been in the funny business for over a decade. In that time, he's grown as an entertainer. Now living in California, Wexler has performed on Comedy Central, ABC and created his own stand-up show.

However, Wexler's first experience with comedy stardom came when he met one of his biggest idols: comedian and fellow 'Stoga alumnus Todd Glass. The chance encounter, which took place when Wexler was only 15, led to a lifelong friendship.

“I met Todd after a show at Helium comedy club in Philadelphia,” Wexler said. “I had just started comedy, and Todd is super supportive of young comics, and he gave me his phone number and told me to ask him for advice any time.”

In fact, Glass is the inspiration for Wexler's most recent album, “12 Years of Voicemails from Todd Glass to Blake Wexler.” The series is an audio collaboration of the funnier and more poignant voicemails that Glass sent to Wexler throughout his career.

“I've been working on this project for 12 years,” Wexler said.

“It started the night I met him and continued until about a year ago.”

Beneath its goofy and sometimes erratic surface, Glass' and Wexler's collaboration carries a hidden message of possibility.

“Everything is going to work out if you want it to,” Wexler said. “I started doing stand-up as a high school kid in a Philly suburb at 15, met a comedy hero, and 12 years later we’re best friends, I’m doing comedy for a living, and we released a number one album together.”

Aside from Glass, Wexler credits much of his blossoming to his four years at Emerson College in Boston, where he majored in screenwriting.

“Everyone there was so weird and artsy and unapologetically themselves, I really respected it and it made me want to bring that sense of self on stage,” Wexler said. “Also, there were so many great comedians in Boston, they made me want to get a lot better.”

After his reawakening in college, Wexler made the bold choice to move to Los Angeles after graduating.

“I moved to LA because all my connections were out there,” Wexler said. “Plus, I interned for Comedy Central in Los Angeles during my last semester of college so it just really made sense.”

Wexler also grants much of his success to his parents, who were supportive of him since his first stand-up gig.

“A lot of comics talk about having bad relationships with their parents but mine couldn’t have been more loving,” Wexler said. “My mom even drove me to open mics when I was 15 on school nights.”

One of the things Wexler stresses the most is pursuing your dreams, regardless of how far-fetched they may seem.

“You have to do it,” Wexler said. “There are obviously things you need to do in life like make money (or so I’m told) and support yourself, but not following your dreams is not an option.”

Moving forward, Wexler is looking to branch out from standup into other forms of comedy as well.

“I’ve written for a few things, and acted in a Comedy Central show last year,” Wexler said. “I hope to do more acting in the future, but stand-up will always be my number one thing.”

In the near future, Wexler plans on visiting Conestoga and giving students a taste of his stand-up.

“Todd and I have been talking about doing a show at Conestoga for over a decade, so hopefully we can make that happen in some way over the next few years,” Wexler said.

Courtesy blakewexler.com

Professional jokester: Class of 2007 graduate Blake Wexler poses for a publicity shot. Last month, Wexler released a comedy collection of voicemails with another 'Stoga comedian, Todd Glass.

Year of the dog: Students celebrate Lunar New Year Tiffany He

Staff Reporter

Popping firecrackers, crashing cymbals, steaming food and a brilliantly-colored lion parading down the street. That is how billions of people celebrate the Lunar New Year.

Every year about one-sixth of the world’s population celebrates the Lunar New Year. It is one of the most important celebrations in Asia, so much

so that most employees in China have at least seven days off from work, while many students take a month-long break from school. This year, the new zodiac Year of the Dog begins on Feb. 16 and lasts until March 2. While the Lunar New Year is known as the Spring Festival in China, in Vietnam, it is known as Tết, while Koreans call it Seollal. Despite the distinct traditions among these countries, Lunar New Year

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

celebrations throughout the world are similar.

“The Lunar New Year is a time of unity. It’s when you are able to come back to your family, kind of like a second Thanksgiving,” said junior Lily Zhou, president of the Asian American Culture Club.

Like many others, junior Anh Thi Pham spends the celebration each year with her family and Vietnamese relatives.

“We go to our cousins’ house or any other family member, and we have a big party,” Pham said. “As we grow up, because our family is living more spread out, we don’t connect a lot, but the New Year is special.”

Although families are separated during this holiday, students find ways to reconnect with all of their families during the Lunar New Year. By calling and FaceTiming, families can celebrate together, even across time zones.

“We regularly get calls from (relatives), but it's really nice to just be able to see what they're up to it,” Zhou said.

“We all have different ways of being able to celebrate it, especially because we live in different (countries), but it's nice to know we’re eating the same thing and connected in a way.”

One of the largest parts of the New Year celebration is the food. People travel across the world just so they can eat their first meal of the year with their

family. Zhou’s family gathers to eat Chinese hot pot, dumplings and moon cakes. On the other hand, Pham enjoys a feast of egg rolls, bún bò huế noodles and chè, a sweet dessert beverage made with beans, jelly, fruit and coconut cream.

Before digging into a traditional Korean meal of fried fish, kimchi and other side dishes, sophomore Roawoon Lee pays his respects to those who came before.

“All the food is set up on a table, and then from there, we thank our ancestors and wish our family prosperity and good health,” Lee said. “It’s said that if you pray for your ancestors, the year will go a lot better for you.”

The Lunar New Year is a time for fun and enjoyment as well. Lee plays Yut, a Korean board game that involves throwing four wooden sticks, with his cousins. Meanwhile, Pham enjoys time with her family by singing karaoke and playing Vietnamese card games.

“We only know how to play Tiến lên, which means thirteen in English,” Pham said. “In Vietnam, it’s really hardcore — they bet and use money on it, but we just play for fun.”

To showcase all these traditions, the Asian American Culture Club brings some of them into the halls of Conestoga on designated culture days.

"I think being able to celebrate the New Year at our

school is a really great way for people to learn about a new culture. We want to bring in Chinese yoyos, calligraphy and Asian food, so everyone is able to see how special it is to us," Zhou said.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, Asian students prepare to celebrate a tradition

rooted in their heritages on the other side of the world.

“I feel like Lunar New Year is more special in the sense that you get to connect more with your family and your culture at the same time,” Lee said. “You can really reflect back and get a sense of pride that this is who I am and this is amazing.”

Staff Reporter

Colorful pens, a dot-gridded notebook and some multi-purpose washi tape can create a life-tracking, creative organizational tool. Commonly known as a bullet journal, these personal life trackers have stepped into the spotlight and are often featured in study videos or social media sites.

Bullet journals usually include a student’s monthly spreads and weekly charts to keep track of homework, as well as important dates, events and lists such as books to read or movies to watch.

New York-based designer Ryder Carroll first dubbed his idea of a combined to-do list, diary and sketchbook a “bullet journal.” It has since gained wide popularity as a creative place to store important information, inspirational quotes and other pertinent thoughts.

Senior Ally Wynne has been using her notebook to keep herself on top of things. With format ideas from the internet, colorful pens and washi tape, Wynne makes her bullet journal personal.

“I’m more inclined to use it because it looks really cool.

And so the way that I do it is that every Sunday I plan for the next week. And so I have everything planned out and it forces

(me) to plan my life more and it forces me to do art,” Wynne said.

Wynne’s bullet journal has become a place for her to express her creativity and find some much-needed time for relaxation. From monthly doodles and images to little bits of scrapbooking, Wynne manages to highlight her artistry through her journal’s pages.

Under normal circumstances, Wynne is hard-pressed to find time to do something innovative or art-related, but with the help of her bullet journal, art has become more accessible on a smaller scale.

“It definitely took a while to get used to the way it worked for me. At the beginning, I didn’t use it a whole lot, some parts I left blank, some parts I left half-done and then as the year went on, I figured out what ways worked for me and what I felt looked right for what I needed,” Wynne said.

For others, such as senior Elissa Wilton, the appeal of bullet journaling is almost entirely for the art and flexibility of the journal, rather than the organizational aspect.

“So actually, I kind of don’t use it properly,” Wilton said.

“Most people use it as a datebook or assignment book that you can also create art in. But I am actually more interested in hand lettering and typography than I am in organizing my life.”

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Artsy planning: Senior Ally Wynne’s bullet journal tracks her daily goals and weekly progress. New York-based designer Ryder Carroll created the bullet journal to be a to-do list, diary and sketchbook all in one.

Teacher Feature: Travis Hartley Statistics and Math Analysis teacher Travis Hartley talks about his love for teaching, his hobbies and his childhood growing up a bona fide Hoosier.

Renato DiStefano Staff Reporter

What is the best thing about being a teacher?

Being a teacher is being in the life-changing business. I get to have a direct impact on those I teach and an indirect impact on those lives my students will improve as innovators and leaders.

What is the most challenging thing about being a teacher?

Knowing what to say to a student who might be having a tough day.

Do you have any hobbies outside of teaching?

Yeah, I’m a pretty avid disc golfer. I play a lot of disc golf, every week at least once a week, sometimes twice a week, in a league. Same group of guys. It’s a lot of fun.

I like to cook as well (and have a) love for music. I love funky jazz, classic rock, and old school hip hop, with perhaps my current favorite band being Medeski, Martin, and Wood. I also read a lot of science fiction and fantasy.

southern Indiana. We built a basketball goal on a pallet and raised it up on a fork lift. We would then have huge 3-on3 tournaments with no rules in my friend’s seedhouse. In hindsight I’m not sure what else a kid is to do in southern Indiana.

What was it like growing up in Indiana?

I grew up in farm country, so all my friends were family farmers. My parents had some land, but they didn’t farm, (but I) lived around people that farmed. All my first jobs were working on the farms, like detasseling corn. It’s like when you wanna grow corn for seed to make seed to grow more corn, you pull tassels on five rows (of corn), and then you leave two rows with tassels so that they can cross-pollinate. A bunch of kids would walk through the field and pull tassels off the top of corn. So that was my first job.

And when you work on a farm, you learn how to drive at a young age, so I learned how to drive at, like, 12, driving trucks and tractors and stuff.

Baling hay, stuff like that. We did a lot of work.

elements are kind of frightening, but make you think about where we’re going.

Which famous musicians have you met?

When I was in college, I met the members of Phish, which What draws you to the sci-fi was kind of cool. There’s a guy genre? named Robert Randolph, who I’m kind of a nerd, I guess. plays a pedal steel (guitar). He’s Oftentimes, a great soul, math and scisouthern-rock ence kind of blues player, go hand-in- Being a teacher is being blues muhand with sci- in the life-changing sician.

And ence fiction. then (I met a) (I’ve always business. female singer been) fascinamed SuTravis Hartley san Tedeschi, nated with the ability of Statistics and Math Analysis Teacher who’s also a science fiction blues musito predict the cian.

She’s future. phenomenal.

Unlike (pure fantasy novels), My wife and I have a friend science fiction used science to who plays music professionalsupport these fantastical ideas. ly, and through him we’ve met I like that idea of predicting the a handful of people. We’ve been future, and then the dystopian fortunate.

“

“

Students take a shot at bullet journaling Dhivya Arasappan

5

Student Life

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Do you have any Valentine’s Day traditions?

I grew up in Indiana, and my mother would make — this is a tradition that we haven’t really carried on, although I did it last year — my mother would make a heart-shaped meatloaf, pink mashed potatoes, and she would take carrots and cut them into heart shapes. That was like our Valentine’s Day dinner. I did that last year. I have two little girls, an eight year old and a four year old, and I thought that would be cool.

What is your favorite high school memory?

My favorite high school memory is playing “seedhouse ball.” I lived in farm country in

Claire Guo/The SPOKE

Hoosier math teacher: Statistics and Math Analysis teacher Travis Hartley settles at his desk. Hartley grew up in rural Indiana, working first jobs like detasseling corn and baling hay.

6

Student Life

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Teacher fans: Business and Technology head Noah Austin expresses his excitement for the Eagles’ victory. Like the students, many teachers were ecstatic to see the Eagles win the Super Bowl.

E

All geared out (above): Nurse Jill Yeager stands amidst the heavily-decorated nurse’s office. Even before the Eagles’ victory, the nurses decorated with balloons and decals.

Wing Bling

Die-hard fan (right): Junior Sam Nalbone shows off his new hoodie, celebrating the Eagles as the Super Bowl champions. The night after the game, Nalbone drove to a store in Philadelphia to purchase his victory gear.

Group celebration (below): Sophomore Dylan Goldstein and juniors Patrick Whittimor and Noah Sanders huddle as one with their Eagles gear. The three celebrated the local team’s victory.

’Stoga shows Super Bowl spirit following Philly win

Justin Huang, Co-Student Life Editor

Photos by Multimedia Editor Neil Goldenthal and Co-Student Life Editor Justin Huang The day after the Eagles’ Super Bowl win, students and staff celebrated in shades of green, white and black (minus the 700 students who were out, late or left early). They wore the jerseys of their favorite players, hoodies plastered with Eagles logos and even hats to show off their excitement. Some die-hard fans managed to buy Eagles Super Bowl Champion shirts the night before, right after the game ended. Everybody celebrated the team’s victory, discussing highlights from their favorite athletes, including Nick Foles, Zachary Ertz and even Tom Brady, with his unfortunate fumble. While the Patriots fans licked their wounds, Eagles fans made their presence known.

Ertz fan (above): Junior Ryan Junikiewicz sits in the cafeteria the day after the game in Eagles tight end Zach Ertz’s number 86 jersey. Ertz scored the last touchdown for his team.

Going green: Academic Support teacher Carol Gibson wears her Philadelphia Eagles jacket following their Super Bowl win.

On the road again: Students march for progress in Philly Justin Huang

Co-Student Life Editor

Unlike most Saturday mornings, trains en route to Philadelphia were packed with people on Jan. 20. From the train stations to the Philadelphia Art Museum, thousands of people marched through streets and squares, conjuring an atmosphere of positivity and empowerment as they chanted, “This is what democracy looks like!”

An estimated 50,000 people rallied to the City of Brotherly Love a year after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, forming a sea of varying beliefs, ethnicities, ages and even genders.

All the signs mixed together to outline the crowd with a brilliant splash of bright colors. Though

the Trump administration still was a heated topic, more participants in the Women’s March on Philadelphia — including a number of ’Stoga students wishing to let their voice be heard — hoped for greater support for progressive policies,.

Like almost all students, seniors Lindsey Schaefer and Avani Gandhi arrived by train with their friends and marched down Logan Square with the crowd, hoisting their posters into the air. They advocated for greater equality and women’s rights, with colorful signs drawn with markers saying “History has its eyes on you” and “The future is female.”

“Last year, (the march) was right after the inauguration, so I felt like it was more in protest against the president. This year,

I felt it was based on looking towards the future, and trying to come together and show that we can all join each other and rise up to fight for what we believe in,” Schaefer said.

The march “was really pushed by the Trump inauguration the day before, whereas this year, having it again kind of kickstarts it as a tradition,” Gandhi said. “It’s also protesting things that have happened recently, especially the #MeToo movement.”

Pushing for progressive rights was a common motivator among students, including sophomore Chaitra Moolaveesala, who held a sign saying “Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.”

“I’m here today because I want to support my fellow wom-

Cynthia Hyatt/The SPOKE

Stronger Together: A group of senior girls gets ready to take the train into Philadelphia for the 2018 Women’s March. The march was held on Jan. 20.

en and just everyone who’s felt alone or felt oppressed. I just want them to know that we’re fighting for equality,” Moolaveesala said.

However, attention also fell upon other controversial issues.

Long-time topics such as racial stereotypes and social stigmas appeared on signs, as well as contemporary issues. Unlike last year’s speculation of the administration’s decisions, this march reflected on them, participants carrying signs about immigration, DACA and the coming “Blue Wave” high above the crowd.

“We need to be kind to each other and respect to each other. We can’t bring a hate to this country,” sophomore Percy Kaylor said. “Everyone needs more love and equality.”

Given the upcoming midterm elections, speakers participants at the march also encouraged the crowd to vote, hoping to have more women in office to level the political playing field.

An organization dubbed Fair Districts PA protested against Pennsylvanian gerrymandering, recently ruled unconstitutional by the state court, hoping to raise awareness within the thousands of people in attendance by handing out flyers and giving small speeches during the train ride.

Most of those topics, including historical movements for greater civil liberties, are taught in Conestoga’s classes, and students kept that knowledge in mind as they left their homes to attend a piece of history themselves.

“I think it was really great to see all kinds of people there because it really shows that feminism isn’t only an issue for women. Men could show up too and recognize that even though feminism is focused on women — usually the group of people getting oppressed — it’s really an issue for everybody,” Gandhi said.

As the crowd dissipated in the afternoon after four hours of protest, students reflected on how the power flowing from the thousands helped empower their voices.

“I want to send a message that it’s okay to be who you are. You should really embrace yourself, you should accept who you are.

Everyone really should respect one another because we’re all different people, but at the end of the day, we’re all united,” junior Emma Chan said.

Justin Huang/The SPOKE

Push for the future: Seniors Lindsey Schaefer and Pramita Mital hold signs during the march.The two arrived together by train and rallied with friends.

Honeygrow Overall rating: 5/5

Honeygrow’s building, distinctively shaped like a bee hive, serves as a kind of welcome sign for the King of Prussia Town Center. It’s one of the Center’s most popular spots, and for good reason—Honeygrow’s food is both delicious and convenient.

The stir-fries and salads are tastefully layered, the service simple and extremely efficient. Visually, the restaurant itself is modern and elegant. At Honeygrow, customers order on sleek touchscreens, able to exchange ingredients from suggested dishes or create dishes from scratch.

My go-to dish is the Spicy Garlic. If you love feeling your mouth burn, this stir-fry will deliver. I find myself reaching for the water every few bites. If you’re not looking for something spicy, definitely grab a salad. They’re well-thought out in both the mixture of flavors and the layering of textures.

Honeygrow is my personal favorite of the Town Center. It’s perfect both for when you’re in a rush, and for when you only want to sit back, relax and enjoy their aesthetic.

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Student Life

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Naf Naf Grill

Food: 5/5 Price: $$ Healthiness: 4/5 Service: 5/5—touchscreens = efficiency Vegetarian-friendly?

Check.

Environment: 5/5 —Have I mentioned aesthetic?

Overall rating: 3.5/5

Remember that after-credits scene in “The Avengers” where they ate shawarma post-alien invasion? Well, Naf Naf Grill is the perfect place to satisfy your wannabe superhero need for shawarma. It’s a lot like a Middle Eastern Chipotle: customers start with a bowl or pita sandwich, and the server across the counter adds ingredients according to your demands.

The shawarma is above-average, but the true standout is actually the falafels. Usually meat-focused dishes take the spotlight at restaurants, but I swear, Naf Naf’s falafels are even better than the shawarma.

“Naf fries”—chips—could be a thousand times better with seasoning. Unfortunately, they just taste like under-salted slices of potato.

Overall, Naf Naf Grill’s flavors and ingredients are fresh, their atmosphere inviting. When you’re thinking about getting Chipotle, mix it up and come here instead.

Food: 3.5/5 Price: $ Healthiness: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Vegetarian-friendly? 6/5 Environment: 4/5

—Claire

Review: restaurants of the

—Claire

King of Prussia

Town Center 5

2

7

4

3 1

12

10

9

13

6

11

8

P

P

14

Right around the corner from the King of Prussia Mall is the recently developed King of Prussia Town Center, offering Conestoga students a new bundle of eating options.

The Spoke sent Co-Student Life Editor Claire Guo and Multimedia Editor Neil Goldenthal to offer their recommendations.

15

Article and Photos by Co-Student Life Editor Claire Guo and Multimedia Editor Neil Goldenthal Layout and Design by Co-Student Life Editor Claire Guo

Mission BBQ (15) Overall rating: 4/5 If you want good barbeque without going South, Mission Barbeque is the answer. Before you even walk in, the military grade barbeque smoking truck in the parking lot let’s you know that this isn’t the everyday Main Line restaurant. Mission’s decor consists of law enforcement and armed forces memorabilia, from pictures of police officers and

troops overseas to framed badges and pieces of uniforms.

The menu is simple, but if you know what you like in a barbeque joint, it’s more than enough. My go-to is the pulled pork sandwich with a side of cornbread and one of their off-brand root beers. The food comes out within minutes, and Mission BBQ’s six different barbecue sauces adds a sweet, tangy or savory touch.

—Neil

Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse (8) Overall rating: 4/5 Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse is one of the dressier places in the Town Center, though it isn’t too formal. And Davio’s is relaxing at night, alternative music playing on the stereos.

In general, their food is rich—sometimes too rich—but flavorful. Straight off the bat, their complimentary bread is scrumptious—crunchy on

Food: 4/5 Price: $$ Healthiness: 2.5/5 (worth it) Service: 4.5/5 Vegetarian-friendly? Honeygrow is across the street.

Environment: 4/5

While an international chain, B.GOOD aims to bring local produce and flavors to its restaurants.

With source sustainability, seasonal menus and local community support at the core of its mission, B.GOOD maintains a small-town feel. The menu is straightforward; kale and grain bowls, salads, burgers and smoothies. But, the quality of the ingredients does set their takes on these standard foods apart.

When I went for lunch, I branched out and tried the “Cousin Oliver” burger. While the burger was good, the service was a little disappointing. The food took almost 20 minutes to come out and there were only a few other people in the joint. Other than that, I really enjoyed the meal. They also have fresh juices with a great blend of flavors that taste incredibly fresh.

If you want to grab a healthy meal while you’re in the Town Center, B.GOOD is your place.

—Neil Food: 3.5/5 Price: $$$ Healthiness: 4/5 Service: 3/5 Vegetarian-friendly? Very.

Environment: 4/5

% of students

Overall rating: 3/5

50 40 30

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

= Honeygrow = District Taco = Naf Naf Grill = B.GOOD

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

= Paladar Latin Kitchen

= Choolaah Indian BBQ = Davio’s Galleria = Fogo de Chao = Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse

the outside and almost creamy on the inside. Davio’s array of spring rolls are actually trademarked, and I can see why.

They’re unconventional and surprisingly tasty. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a Philly Cheesesteak or Reuben spring roll, but yum.

Davio’s specialty—steak— is served plain, but with two sauces on the side. It’s cooked perfectly, and while I prefer seasoned meat, the sauce makes up for it in flavor.

Key

= Midici’s Pizza = Duck Donuts = Cityworks

= Founding Farmers (1st floor) Founding Farmers Cafe and Creamery (2nd floor) = Habit Burger Grill = Mission BBQ

Food: 4/5 Price: $$$$$ The 18 oz. ribeye alone is $54.

Healthiness: 2/5 Service: 4.5/5 Vegetarian-friendly? Technically yes, but it is a steakhouse.

Environment: 5/5 if you’re into Weezer.

—Claire

’Stoga student favorites = eaten there before = have not eaten there before = favorite Town Center restaurant

20 10 0

Da v Da io’s vio G a ’s Ste lleria Fo ak un ho din us g e Fa rm Cho er s F olah irs tB ak e Ha B.G O bit Bu OD rg er Mi Gril Pa dic l lad iP ar iz La tin za K Na itche n fN af G Di str rill ict Ta Cit co Fo y un din work g s F Fo arm go e de rs Ch Mi ao ss ion Ho BBQ ne y D ha u gr ve ck D ow ea o ten nut at s no ne

B.GOOD (4)

60

= vacant or not a restaurant

The Spoke surveyed 168 Conestoga students (2-3 homerooms per grade) about which King of Prussia Town Center restaurants they have been to and which was their favorite.

8

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Op/ed In defense of Eagles fans

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

Take advantage of senior internships

Dear fellow seniors, Whether we like it or not, in just a mere four months, we will be walking across the stage on Teamer Field to say our goodbyes as we move onto the next chapter of our lives. But before that time comes, we must conquer one more aspect of high school: senior internship, the four-week period in which we immerse ourselves in the workforce to explore our areas of interest.

The first time I heard about the senior internship program was from my sister, who graduated as a member of the Class of 2013. Although she now works at JPMorgan Chase as a trader, she spent her last weeks of high school volunteering at a school for intellectually challenged children across the street from my house.

At the time, I wondered why she didn’t choose an internship that dealt more with a career she was interested in.

After all, isn’t that the most practical choice?

But as I entered high school, I found that choosing to explore a career that has little to do with your intended college major was not uncommon. One of my friends, now a financial engineering major, interned for the Philadelphia Inquirer for her senior internship. When I approached my faculty adviser, he told me about a student who interned as a pastry chef despite her plans to attend medical school.

Now, I see senior internship as a chance to do the

thing you always wanted to do that you might never, ever do again professionally. Despite all the journalism and science-related activities I do in and out of school, I plan on interning at an animation studio.

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been in love with Disney, Pixar, and Studio Ghibli. From “Bambi” to “Toy Story” to “My Neighbor Totoro,” these three studios brought my imagination to life and taught me lessons that still hold true today. However, somewhere along the line, I ultimately chose to give up my dreams of becoming an animator to explore career options that better aligned with my skills.

But the senior internship gives me another chance to realize that dream, even if it’s only for four weeks.

Why use this opportunity to explore a possible career when that’s what college is for? Why not use this chance to explore something different, something that may fulfill the dreams once deemed impractical, something that may open your eyes to a different perspective? For my sister, the time she spent with the children put her own life into perspective.

Ultimately, the senior internship should be a rewarding and fulfilling experience. If you’ve been working for the past 17 or 18 years of your life toward the goal of helping others as a doctor, then by all means, intern under one to get a headstart.

But if you ever thought of doing something other than the career you currently have in mind, seize this opportunity. Use the four weeks of the senior internship to do something that you can look back on and have no regrets about. After all, the chance to freely explore a career without any consequence really only does come once in a lifetime.

sions, hobbies, or interests you may have had. In order to get a good job, you need to go to a good college, and so you must be extraordinarily careful in picking the correct interests and climbing the ladder in a set of predetermined clubs, lest you be rejected on grounds of “not enough hours of community service” or even “failure to display leadership.”

Lastly, choose a job that will make you rich. This narrows down your search to the very promising choice of doctor or lawyer. Still can’t decide? I’ll lay it out for you: STEM = doctor; humanities = lawyer. It couldn’t be any more clear. Just imagine a world in which people would finally realize the importance of a good job: we would live, eat, and sleep in hospital complexes, sustaining suits of cashmere and those of mal-

practice. Our patients would be our plaintiffs, our injured our jury, the judge and jury also our executioner, and the creative voices of the world would be drowned out by cries of legal and physical attacks made ad hominem, ad absurdum, ad infinitum!

In conclusion: Money is everything. So now that you’ve read this column, I demand that you kindly enclose 20 dollars in this very newspaper and deliver the sealed package to room 280A as thanks for my services. All proceeds will go to me, of course; not to some charity like Doctors Without Borders, or anything.

Lastly, if you ever need support or somebody to talk to, just give me a call! But please keep the conversation strictly in the interest of networking.

No venting or sob stories allowed.

That, my friend, costs extra.

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

History has been made, and for the first time, the city of Philadelphia experiences the collective insanity of Eagles fans and admirers alike at the 2018 Super Bowl victory parade. Sure, people climbed on trees and public statues—but hey, that’s Philly.

It has been 10 years since Philadelphia has had a sport to truly be proud of, even though Philly sports fans are widely regarded as some of the most intense (or phanatic) in the country. But since the Phillies’ 2008 World Series Championship, there hasn’t been a lot to brag about. That is, not until Super Bowl LII. On the shoulders of Saint Nick Foles and head coach Doug Pederson, the Eagles have carried a city legacy out of the gutter, and have lifted up the community along with them.

Within Conestoga itself, we’ve seen an immense unity — even before the Eagles’ historic win. Students and faculty flooded the halls with green in the spirit of their city’s glory, while local businesses like Wawa and Acme gave discounts to fans with Eagles gear. From church signs to doctor’s offices, “Go Birds” was plastered throughout the District and into Philly.

Philly fans often get a bad rep. People say we’re loud, obnoxious, destructive and general menaces to society. True, rowdiness and a fair bit of drinking occurred. But where and when else would we see people from all walks of life come together to celebrate?

The Eagles parade brought millions of fans from across the nation, from Boston from

Las Vegas from California, ’Stoga alumni to current students, families to Bud Light aficionados.

There were grandmas and grandpas wearing their vintage Eagles jackets cheering the team on with their grandchildren in Eagles onesies, and Main Line students and city residents chanting “E-A-G-L-E-S!” as one. For no other event would groggy high school students wake up earlier than their six o’clock alarms, or would doctors and lawyers simultaneously cancel appointments to clients.

This historical milestone existed because of the passion and long-due excitement of older fans. The younger fans who are now able to see the Philly pride first-hand will be the ones to carry on the city

traditions and transcend a new generation of brotherly spirit.

This win is the spark that will reinvigorate old fans and share the love of Philadelphia sports with brand new fans.

Talk about the aftermath of Bud Light-soaked confetti, squashed bottles and rejected posters. But let’s also talk about the whoops and hollers, the passion and celebration that enveloped the city as people came together across political, social and economic differences. Sure, we can sometimes flip cars and burn jerseys, but as a city we have our hearts and souls in the game — and that’s what truly matters.

This, my friends, is the end of an age, and the beginning of a new era.

Welcome to Philly.

How to effectively sell yourself out

Ian Ong

Managing Editor

From an early age, I was taught that everything has a price.

Everyday, I woke up at 9:30 a.m. sharp (just in time for share trading) and inserted a quarter into my alarm clock to shut it off.

After shuffling out of bed, I would stumble over to my dresser, reaching for a blazer and picking out a matching tie. No matter the day, I always made sure to put on my Sunday best. Then, it was down the stairs and into the kitchen, where I sat down, said “good morning” and paid rent.

As breakfast was brought to the table, my little sister would deftly light the candles around an enshrined portrait of the prophet of profit himself, Martin Shkreli. We would then bow our heads in reverence, thanking Shkreli for capital gain, asking him for forgiveness of our debts and debtors, and pledging that his will be done on earth as it is in NASDAQ. As the solemn prayer ended, I could not wait to take a bite of the extra-special sun-

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

The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.

ny-side-up eggs that lay in front of my eyes. But right before I could get a bite in, my father would lean over the table, stretch out his hand and beckon for my leather wallet.

Ah, that’s right. How could I forget: eggs cost allowance.

Following meals, the burden of cleanup was left solely to my little brother — he had been caught using a hot check to purchase a hug and has been paying it off ever since.

After nightfall, my mother, just like any other mother, would tell vivid bedtime

stories. What kinds of stories, you ask? The classics, of course — “The Wealth of Nations,” “The Art of the Deal” and, my personal favorite, “Atlas Shrugged.” Sometimes,

she would edit stories to her liking, or even fabricate them completely. Whatever it took for her little businessman to sleep at night, I guess.

Today, I am a senior at the Big C with an entire array of different career prospects to pursue. And now, more than ever, the incontrovertible words of Jane Austen from “Price and Prejudice” ring true: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single student in possession of a good education, must be in want of a job.”

And if you’re reading this and in high school, then you’re probably stuck in the same predicament of choosing between infinite career paths.

But listen: This old Conestoga

The SPOKE Staff Editors-in-Chief: Betty Ben Dor, Eric Xue Managing Editor: Ian Ong News Editor: Brooke Deasy Student Life Editors: Claire Guo, Justin Huang Opinion Editor: Audrey Kim Sports Editor: Avery Maslowsky Design Editor: Lyvia Yan Co-Web Editors: Elizabeth Billman, Jordan Liu

cash grabber is here to let you in on some insider secrets.

Everybody sells out in the end. So you might as well follow suit while you’re still young. Here’s the bottom line: If somebody asks you why you do what you do, and your answer is “money,” then you’re doing something right.

Forget pursuing genuine interests or fostering innate talent. That’s overrated. The only real goal in life is to accumulate stacks and stacks of green happiness paper. Once you are able to physically dive into your stash of golden doubloons and grimy Benjamins like a featherless Scrooge McDuck, then you know you’ve won.

So what’s step one on the long route from Big C to Big Cash Money? First, you must realize that everything can and should be defined in terms of moolah. You can practice this concept on your classmates; for instance, demand payment when you hold the door open for them. Charge them a flat rate for your parin Jennifer Lee/The SPOKE ticipation group projects.

Oh, and remember to toss a few coins at your friends after class. Friendship ain’t free, ya know.

Next, you must learn to let go. That is, let go of any pas-

Multimedia Editor: Neil Goldenthal Business Manager: Maddie Lamonica Staff Reporters: Dhivya Arasappan, Andrew Bucko, Aimee Buttenbaum, Emma Clarke, Henry Danon, Renato DiStefano, Matthew Fan, Reagan Gerrity, Tiffany He, Scott Hennessy, James P. Infortuna, Ananya Kulkarni, Jahnavi Rao, Sanjana Sanghani, Olivia Thompson, Melinda Xu,Warren Zhao Cartoonists: Kaitlyn Chen, Jennifer Lee Faculty Advisers: Susan Gregory, Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt

Eric Xue

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Submissions: Letters to the editor may be submitted to Betty Ben Dor or Eric Xue, or advisers Susan Gregory or Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt. Unsigned editorials represent the views of The Spoke editorial board, not necessarily those of the administration, student body, community or advertisers. The opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of The Spoke.

The Spoke accepts paid advertisements.

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

9

Op/Ed

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Ask Cupid

Report Card

For Valentine’s Day, Design Editor Lyvia Yan gives advice to students with love problems.

Dear The Spoke, There is a special someone in my science class and I really want to ask them out on a date, but I have no ideas!

Lyvia Yan

Design Editor

Dear The Spoke, My best friend just got together with some girl and now he won’t spend as much time with me. I want them to be happy, but we never hang out anymore.

Dear Second-Choice, If your friend is ditching you for his significant other, be the best third-wheel you possibly can. Never let the two lovebirds have a moment alone and follow them absolutely everywhere.

If they are feeding each other food in a restaurant, intercept the fork and steal the food. If they are walking handin-hand down the hallway, wiggle your way through and hold both their hands (the more the merrier!).

Make yourself unignorable, and after your shenanigans, you’ll have two best friends instead of just the one!

Dear Chemistry Cutie, Asking someone out on a date is always nerve-wracking.

What you need to do is stalk them on all their social media: we’re talking about scrolling through his mom’s dad’s dog’s finsta’s aunt’s account.

Maybe you should pull a “Mean Girls” move and fake fail your chemistry tests to get him to tutor you. What is more romantic than making explosive reactions over the periodic table?

If you’re feeling especially crafty, you can make some festive Valentine’s slime for them to play with in class. Even better, get matching fidget spinners and say that you need to spin all your excitement away.

Dear The Spoke, I just saw my boyfriend hooking up with a girl on her Snapchat story. I know it’s him because he’s wearing the sweater I gave him his past birthday! I love him, but I don’t know if I should break up with him. What should I do?

Dear Cheata Gal, No one should stick with a cheating pig! My advice is that you get vengeance in the best way possible—stealthily.

First, you should delete ALL social media pictures you have with him: Instagram, Facebook, VSCO, Snapchat, you name it.

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

If you’ve already updated your relationship status on Facebook, change that to single right away.

You need to show everyone that you’re single and ready to mingle.

Dear The Spoke, My bae wants to have an open relationship, but I’m not sure how I feel. Should I tell him that I’m having second thoughts?

Dear Lovestuck, Your relationship might be open, but I think you should keep your relationship CLOSED. If you’re looking for a little more spice in your life, add surprises to the mundane routine.

If you guys normally do movie nights in, get one of those Halloween candy bowls with wrinkly hands and put the popcorn in that! How about those escape-the-room scenarios? Nothing is more romantic than being stuck in a room with your significant other solving math games and riddles.

If all else fails, jump up behind him in the hallway and bump the back of his knees to make them buckle and fall over. He’ll never see it coming.

Dear The Spoke, Unlike all my friends, I have no one to spend my Valentine’s Day with. Literally EVERYONE is talking about what they’re doing on Valentine’s Day. I guess I’ve just never envisioned myself in a long-term relationship, but now I’m feeling a bit lonely.

Dear Single Pringle, Being single is great!

When you go out to eat, you don’t have to worry about

Super Bowl + Foles caught the ball and Brady didn’t.

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

another person getting their germs all over your food and sneaking bites. Also, on all the holidays you can buy yourself a gift instead of wasting money on someone else.

Order some chocolates on Valentines, and eat the whole box! If you want some flowers, pick the most expensive ones. Have a relaxing night in and watch all the guilty-pleasure rom-coms you can.

“Love Actually” followed by “He’s Just Not Into You,” “The Notebook,” “When Harry Met Sally,” and “Clueless” as a nightcap.

If you have a pet, snuggle up with it on the special day.

It doesn’t talk during the best scenes and if it tries to run away, you can leash it to the couch.

Unlike anyone else, at least it has to stay with you.

If you are sadly petless, you can always make your parents hang out with you. Since they birthed ya, they can’t leave ya!

Couples Speak Out 11

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I understand why people might not like Valentine’s Day, but I think it’s fun to have a day dedicated to spending time with your significant other.

Violet Gottlieb

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No, I don’t think it’s overhyped. I think it’s nice to be with your significant other.

Raven Peterson

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Tide Pods + Natural selection takes the stupid ones out.

- Potentially fatal.

Eagles Fans + Outstanding show of unity - Public drunkeness and vandalism

Valentine’s Day Roses + Good in theory.

- Impractical during the school day.

Snow Days

Q: Do you think Valentine’s Day is overhyped?

10

- The commentators’ crush on Tom Brady ruined nights.

+ Decent amount and not even peak snow season yet.

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I think Valentine’s Day is just an excuse for stores to make money on special candies, flowers, and jewelry. But it can be fun to celebrate a relationship.

Kyla Weil

- The Snow Day Calculator has let us down too often.

I think Valentine’s Day is a nice day to spend time with who you love.

Jess Palladino

Government Shutdown

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I think Valentine’s Day is just a made-up holiday to try to sell products, and it’s just for corporations to get money.

I don’t think Valentine’s Day is overrated.

It’s a day that celebrates relationships and that’s important.

+ No longer shut down?

- Will probably shut down again.

Colin Dougherty

Jack Murphy

SOS for StressedOut-Seniors

Elizabeth Billman Co-Web Editor

Jennifer Lee/The SPOKE

An Open Letter from a YouTuber who made a mistake

Jahnavi Rao Columnist

Hey Squad Fam™. I want to deeply apologize for all the mistakes that I’ve made. I cannot express how upset and disappointed I am in myself for posting that video where I filmed a dead body, threw water in peoples faces as an acid prank, broke into someone’s house to steal their television, even though that content was incredibly funny.

It was just an honest and careless mistake. I mean, put-

ting aside the hours spent filming, importing, editing, promoting and uploading the video, I really did not spend a lot of time considering my actions. This is not a reflection of who I am or who I want to be, and I hope you all can realize that.

All I can say is that I was just grinding too hard for those views.

My life may look easy with my Porsche and giant mansion at the age of 19, but that is all a mask.

The daily vlogs just show the best parts of my day. But when the camera’s not on, I am faced with my haters. I look in the comments and there they are, staring back at me. I am still not the most subscribed to YouTuber and that hurts. I do not think anyone can understand the level of suffering I go through on a daily basis, but maybe if you did, this video would have been more reasonable.

What I did was unforgivable but, if we really think about it, was not as bad as what that other YouTuber did.

People are putting all this disrespect on my name, but I feel like we are forgeting the real problem with YouTube nowadays, which is any YouTuber but me. Let us engage in a dialogue about this other content creator until we forget about what I just did. I want to dedicate the rest of my videos to making this platform a safer, more collaborative space, and I want to begin this journey by placing the blame on someone else’s shoulders.

Suicide, acid violence and robbery are not a joke, and I have shared the names of some charities that help people suffering from these terrible injustices on my Twitter. Make sure

you also check out my merch that says “I donated,” where 100% of the proceeds are going into the fund to help me repent for my inexcusable behavior.

I plan on using this money to spend some serious thinking time on the new island I bought, where I will build myself into the person that I have always wanted to be. I hope that I can move forward from this in a way that is beneficial to everyone, but especially to me and my subscriber count.

I cannot reiterate enough times how terribly sorry I am for what I have done. Be sure to check out my next upload where I start a forest fire to find my next pet, who I will be making an Instagram for. Make sure you smash that like button, and I will see you soon. Peace, love, #SquadFam.

Sorry to spoil it for you youngsters, but it’s true. Senior year is the most stressed you’ll ever be in high school and it’ll fly by way too fast. I sit here in my room on a Wednesday night, thinking about all of my years at high school as a second semester senior.

Being in the second semester as a senior is supposed to be free of worry and stress.

But although applying to college is over and there is less pressure on students academically, the stress still lingers. Why? Uncertainty, my friend.

The education system is measured by a continuous cycle of grade after grade: first, second, third, fourth and so on. There’s a sense of security and progress each year. After we finish senior year in high

school, we lose that security.

The decisions on where to go and what to do in the future loom over us.

Most regular decision responses are not made until late March and occasionally early April. Once results come back, students have to make the extremely daunting decision about where to spend the next four years of their lives. There are tuition, traveling and other practical factors to consider that just add on pressure.

Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors have weeks with endless tests and quizzes, AP tests, research papers, projects and notes due all at the same time. But we are Conestoga students-we can get t h r o u g h anything. In senior year, we must address things outside the realm of our comfy little Conestoga.

We begin to evolve into beginning Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE adults. I don’t know about you, but I am still a little kid at heart.

That, my friends, about sums up the stress of a second semester senior. It’s the waiting, the planning, and projecting the future that looms over you.

The stress isn’t over yet.

Kaitlyn Chen/The SPOKE

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Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Top Dogs:

Eagles crush expectations

#1

By Vik Raghupathi

In Game Two of the 1951 World Series, Willie Mays hit a fly ball to right-center field. A pair of future Hall-of-Famers chased it down, as Joe DiMaggio, in his final season, tracked it from center and Mickey Mantle, in his rookie campaign, came from right. Joltin’ Joe called for the ball and reeled it in on what should’ve been a routine and insignificant play.

But, in his retreat from the ball, Mantle tripped on an exposed drain, ravaging his right knee in the process. From 1952-68, he would hit 523 home runs and earn 3 MVPs, 6 more World Series titles, and a triple crown.

Some say that he was the most talented ballplayer of all time at full strength, the most potent mix of speed, power, and baseball instinct ever composed in one man. And he did it all with a torn ACL. The Mick never got to show everyone what he could do at his real physical peak.

But these Philadelphia Eagles, fresh off their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history, have the rare opportunity that was never afforded to #7. A nation watched as a backup quarterback led a team without their starting middle linebacker and All-Pro left tackle.

Cue the tired but albeit appropriate and rather welcome Rocky comparison. Or cue the possibly-even-more-relevant Meek Mill comparison. Analogies aside, though, the birds in the coming years have the

chance to answer the same quip that has, for half a century, hung over (Get it? Hung over?? Mickey Mantle??? I’m too good.) Mickey Mantle’s Hall-of-Fame career: “Imagine if they were at full strength.”

Nick Foles was drafted (and signed as a Chiefs backup in 2016) by Andy Reid.

He had his best season (27 TDs, 2 picks, Pro Bowl nod) in 2013 under Chip Kelly. And, now, he’s a Super Bowl MVP (I know, I can’t get over it either) with current head coach Doug Pederson. The third of those men is like an evolved hybrid of the prior two. Pederson is Reid’s protégé and employs a lot of Kelly’s run-pass options and play-action calls in sets that resemble college-style spread offenses. All three coaches have been lauded for their work on the offensive side of the ball, and Pederson looks right now like the best offensive head coach in football.

And here’s the thing: he just defeated the man who is undoubtedly one of the best defensive head coaches in NFL history with, and say it with me here, NICK

ease, which leads to highly creative schemes that can confuse a defense (refer to LeGarrette Blount’s 21-yard TD run in the second quarter of Super Bowl LII). And remember, this is all with Halapoulivaati Vaitai stepping in for Jason Peters.

Though Vaitai, in his second year in the pros, put up a solid effort, his play pales in comparison to that of three-time First Team All-Pro Peters.

Though their head Notable Numbers coach does his best work on the offensive side of the ball, keep in mind that the yards of total offense Birds boast the best and deepest defensive points scored total line in the league. That corps, led by Fletcher sack by Brandon Graham Cox and Brandon Graham, anchors a defense punt by Donnie Jones that is one of the best yards per attempt for Nick Foles against the run and puts enough pressure yards per attempt for Tom Brady on the quarterback to let the seven guys behind them worry about covering receivers.

Speaking of the guys behind them, the Birds have a solid secondary, and will keep the core of it for the rest of this decade at least. However, in my mind, it’s the linebackers that provide the biggest question mark.

Philly already climbed Source: www.sbnation.com the mountain without Ian Ong/The SPOKE the services of middle

FOLES! We all know who he has returning next year: that third-year redhead from North Dakota who can do no wrong and already is looking like the best player in the league.

Riverboat Doug looked unstoppable with Carson Wentz manning the helm, as he put

pass-rushers on skates and time after time (especially on third and fourth down) found one of Philly’s plethora of talented pass-catchers. The 6’5” apple of our eye has an athletic group of lineman blocking for him, as they can orchestrate pull plays and second-level blocking with

Super Bowl LII 1,151 74 1 1 8.7 10.5

linebacker Jordan Hicks for most of the year. Once again, that’s the group that can use the biggest upgrade, and they didn’t even have their captain.

It seems that this Eagles team has merely scratched the surface of their potential.

Think about that. That’s what comes to mind when you think of teams like Jacksonville or Minnesota. But we are talking about the Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles.

What’s funny is that they won the big game while having an off day. They didn’t play up to snuff until nearly 58 minutes into the game. Before Brandon Graham forced Tom Brady’s first career turnover of a playoff game, it was a poor performance. No sacks.

No takeaways. Over 600 yards of offense allowed. The Pats were marching down the field at will. The unit looked helpless at times. Once again, that defense, complete in personnel and performing up to their standards, is scary.

It’s really a shame that baseball fans never got to see Mickey Mantle play at full strength.

Though those who saw The Mick in action were treated to true greatness, there will always be a lingering sentiment that we were robbed of utter transcendence.

However, these Eagles, already a historic team in their own right, have that rare opportunity — a chance to show us exactly how high they can fly.

Mini Maxwell awarded to Conestoga football Staff Reporter

Football is the sport that defines a high school. It’s a game that promotes team play while emphasizing individual skill on the turf. And once every year, the Maxwell Football Club highlights just that, selecting 60 teenagers across Pennsylvania to be recognized for their excellence on and off the field. Conestoga senior Jackson Niness was one of those 60.

“It’s a very elite club and I’m very honored to be a part of it,” Niness said.

The Mini Maxwell Award was established by the Maxwell Football Club in 2007 through the National College Football Awards Associa-

tion (NCFAA) to honor high “It’s definitely very humschool football players on a bling for me, coming off of national level. a rough season. I thought it’d be tough to get any kind of recognition but hard work does not go unnoticed and that’s very (Niness) deserves every clear to me now,” Niness said. bit of it, he’s a hard Athletes chosen for this worker, he is a team award are leader on and off the nominated by their field. coaches Matthew Kaminskas and are Defensive Football Coach judged for the award based But with the `Stoga football on perteam coming off a 1-9 season in s o n a l 2017, Niness never dreamt that fo otb a l l he would receive an award such statistics, academas this one. ic performance

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Ananya Kulkarni

and efforts to give back to their community.

According to Matthew Kaminskas, defensive coach at Conestoga, the head coach of each high school initiates conversation with other schools’ coaches regarding Maxwell nominees.

The coaches then select the best eligible player for the award, sending the nomination to the Maxwell committee who then narrows it

down to the 60 best nominations in the state of Pennsylvania.

The 60 players form an elite group of student athletes who are honored by the Maxwell Football Club for their achievement. Kaminskas believes that the coaches made the right choice with Niness.

Niness “deserves every bit of it, he’s a hard worker, he is a team leader on and off the field. He always tries to help other people out, which is really what the award’s about: football and character, and he fits the bill perfectly,” Kaminskas said.

Alongside playing football, Niness prioritizes helping out in the community. As the vice president of the Richard Wright Project, he aides in providing support to the inner city

schools of Philadelphia. He is also the treasurer of the Fighting Back Club which is an organization aiming to help families with the aftermath of violence.

Niness also assists in coaching for the Conestoga Generals football team and for Conestoga Youth Lacrosse.

But while the Mini Maxwell Award was only gifted to Niness this year, his entire life has contributed to the nomination.

“I’ve been playing (football) for more or less my entire life.

In second grade, I started playing tackle football. I played for the Generals up until 7th grade and in 7th grade I did the 115 (pound team). In 8th grade I played for the unlimited team for school and then I played in high school from there,” Niness said. “I mean it’s all just awesome.”

Freshmen wrestlers slam competition to the mat Staff Reporter

Cheers erupt from the bleachers as the wrestler makes his way to the mats. Clad in a black and maroon singlet, he swaggers towards his opponent. They shake hands, and then the referee blows his whistle. The two begin to circle each other like hungry wolves.

For the Conestoga wrestler, freshman Morgan Lofland, this match is on its way to becoming just another notch in his belt.

Lofland, along with fellow freshmen Freddy Mucklow, Nick Arbes and Liam Walker, secured a spot for himself on the 2017-18 varsity wrestling squad.

In a sport dominated by older

athletes, these four usually find themselves the youngest wrestlers at matches.

However, their youth does not prevent them from performing well. Lofland has a record of 27 wins and three losses, Mucklow is 14 and six, Arbes is 14 and 14 and Walker is 17 and 11. These talented freshmen have turned around what initially looked to be a mediocre season.

“Things looked very dim (this year) because we lost state-qualifier Kade Lamarre and state-medalist Eric Hutchinson. But once the season started, I realized the team was going to gain some very talented freshmen and we ended up on track to beat our head coach’s all-time win record as

a coach, with a 17 to four final record,” senior captain Scott Jean said.

Expectations were high for the freshmen among the older wrestlers, but Jean believes that they’ve lived up to the hype.

In senior captain Tyler Amendola’s experience, this standout freshman class is just a part of an overall trend in the sport of wrestling at ’Stoga.

“We’ll hit a really good year (every so often), like last year’s seniors-- (they) were really good.

And then we’ll have two or three years of not-that-good wrestlers, then another super good year will come in,” Amendola said.

“The current seniors through sophomores definitely weren’t wrestling at the level when they

COMMITMENT CORNER School: University of Richmond Grade: 12 Sport: Baseball Why Richmond?

“I chose Richmond because of the great combination of competitive academics and athletics.”

Jacob Marcus

were freshmen that (this class) is currently wrestling at.”

To head coach Tom Elicker, whether or not individual wrestlers have a high potential for success coming into the team isn’t necessarily defined by strength or other physical attributes. Instead, the long time coach chalks it up to experience.

These star freshmen “have been wrestling for a long, long time (and) getting lots of matches in at the youth level, which I think makes a huge difference,” Elicker said. “A lot of kids only start in middle school, when it’s available through the school district. The ones who tend to really excel-there are exceptions, obviously, but the ones who compete at the youth level tend to be more ready for varsity come freshman year than some of the others.”

In addition, Elicker notes that coming from a family with a background in wrestling may also contribute to success on the mat.

Raising the example of Walker, whose older brother Evan also wrestled for ’Stoga, Elicker believes that having a role model to look up to helps to pave the way for victories.

Walker “was able to see what his brother went through (on the team), and he was able to learn from his brother, even before he was at the varsity level,” Elicker said. “I’m an older brother, so I don’t really understand, but my

younger brother looked up to me. I think if you have an older sibling playing a sport, you maybe want to emulate them. There’s also the sibling rivalry-- in the back of your mind, you might want to do better than your older brother, so I think that drives kids sometimes.”

“

They certainly have the skill set, they certainly have the background, the experience. It’s up to them, how far they push themselves Tom Elicker

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Warren Zhou

Head Wrestling Coach

Lofland also was influenced by his family. His uncle, Morgan Lear wrestled for Conestoga in the 1970’s, and was elected as a captain.

“Having family that has wrestled before me has encouraged me to start (with the sport). My uncle was such a great wrestler; I strive to be like him and achieve as much success as he did,” Lofland said.

However, to Jean, family is only a portion of what determines any wrestler’s success.

“I think being in a family that puts emphasis on wrestling well and being successful is important for the development of grit, but I don’t think that a wrestler needs to be from a dedicated wrestling family to be very successful,” Jean said. “(For example, junior) Paul Pelham started wrestling in middle school, but has a cumulative high school record of 51 (wins) to seven (losses), with zero losses in the Central League in his entire wrestling career.”

Jean says that he sees “the spirit of competition, and the drive to win-- and not just to win, but to win big,” in these freshmen.

That much is evident. Lofland’s ambitious goals for his high school career include winning the state tournament, earning 100 wins and helping the team win the Central League Championship, which hasn’t occurred at ’Stoga since 2006.

Regardless of the reason for their success, Amendola is optimistic for the future wrestling careers of these freshmen, and ’Stoga wrestling as a whole. He believes that with more experience at the high school level, they will someday be representing Conestoga at the State Tournament.

“Really, they can go as far as they want to go, to be honest. They certainly have the skill set, they certainly have the background, the experience. It’s up to them, how far they push themselves,” Elicker said.

Favorite ’Stoga Baseball Memory?

“Winning the central league championship as a sophomore in 2016. Playing with a group of mainly seniors helped me mature and grow as a player to get to the next level of competition.”

Sanjana Sanghani/The SPOKE

Exceeding expectations: The `Stoga wrestling team fights their way to victory as the freshman class takes wrestling to the next level. These young team members proved that age is not a factor when it comes to winning matches.

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Sports

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Match play: Junior serves community Lyvia Yan

Design Editor

Lyvia Yan/The SPOKE

Swinging to serve: Junior Priya Aravindhan practices at her tennis club. She raised $7,000 in one night for flood relief in India.

In tennis, serving is better than receiving, and junior Priya Aravindhan applies this adage to her own life.

“There’s no one doing anything with tennis to give back to the poorer communities and that’s when we came up with the idea of forming a charity to do just that,” Priya said.

In 2017, Priya founded Tennis to a Future, which helps underprivileged children and adults in Norristown learn how to play tennis with free clinics and equipment.

She originally thought of the club two years ago after seeing the economic disparities between the United States and Chennai, India, her parents’ hometown.

“It’s different in that it’s very urban, except there’s a lot of poverty there. So, just having that experience and seeing that dichotomy is very shocking. I want to do something to help these people,” Priya said.

For the Aravindhans, tennis runs in the family. Priya’s father, Arvind, was the second-best junior player in India and is currently director of the Julian Krinsky School of Tennis located in Gulph Mills, Pa. “It’s a family sport,” Arvind said.

In late 2015, a flood hit Chennai damaging many homes and buildings.

Through donations and auctions, Tennis to a Future was able to raise $7,000 in one night for the relief aid at Arvind’s club.

At the time, Arvind was also the president of the Tamil Organization, a local Indian organization, which raised around $25,000. The combined funds went to building homes for five poor people who had their houses washed away and to repairing 12 different water wells so towns could drink water.

“As a parent, I’m very proud. But I also think our culture here at Conestoga, the T/E School District, is really responsible because right from when you were in kindergarten there’s a lot of social awareness to help other people,” Arvind said.

Priya brought the club to Conestoga in May 2017, and since then, around 30 members have joined.

This past summer, the club members went to Norristown to teach adults and children how to play tennis. During the past summer, they were able to host these clinics twice, but Priya hopes to make it a monthly occurrence.

“I’ve grown up with tennis and it’s been such a big part of my life and I just want to share that and just the fact that I can

do that is great. It’s an amazing feeling,” Priya said.

Among the more than 30 members of Conestoga’s Tennis to a Future club is junior Kevin Tao, who shares a similar sense of generosity.

“I joined because I am a tennis player and I wanted to help less fortunate kids have the same opportunity as I had,” Tao said.

Looking toward the future, Priya hopes to give a couple of motivated students a scholarship to her father’s tennis camp and rally more support from Conestoga students.

“It’s not just about raising funds and donations, it’s definitely very physical and you’re definitely going to spend time doing it,” Priya said.

Lyvia Yan/The SPOKE

Standing tall: Junior Priya Aravindhan and her father Arvind Aravindhan pose in front of the the tennis courts of Julian Krinsky School of Tennis.

Priya began the organization Tennis to a Future in May of 2017 at the school.

Fandom of football: Does it all really even matter?

Avery Maslowsky Sports Editor

The time is upon us once again: the one day a year when sitting on your couch and eating plates of queso-soaked nachos and heaping bowls of chili piled with dollops of sour cream is acceptable. The one day a year when judging people is acceptable if they are rooting for the opposing team. The one day a year where the only clothing you really need is a jersey—that is if you are actually watching the football part of Super Bowl Sunday.

Too frequently is the actual football play neglected. The overly decorated parties, the sports-themed food and the forever-elongated commercial breaks have all taken over the most iconic Sunday each year and put the football game on the back-burner.

But even as such “celebration techniques” continue to undermine the actual football being broadcasted, I have yet to entirely lose my faith in the fans who huddle around television screens across America.

And as I’ve progressed into adulthood and come into my own skin of football fandom, I’ve learned the ins and outs of every fan tier. Fans exist in nearly every

form: from those who live and breathe by their team and to those who simply buy a jersey to “fit in.”

The Die-Hard Fans: The people who convince themselves at the beginning of each and every season that their favorite team is going to win the Super Bowl.

Period. Their mood depends on that of the outcome of each game: if the team wins, the fans win; if they lose, the fans lose.

They associate themselves as one with the team, holding season tickets and screaming the fight song loud and proud. They are there at every game, or at least they are in spirit.

The Casual Fans: The fans who consistently and casually root for their favorite team, but have no real strings attached.

They don’t become obsessive over any player or any play. They have two football-themed shirts, maybe even a jersey, but their level of happiness on a game day is not determined by the score of it. They try their very best to sit down every Sunday during the regular season and watch a full game and become a solely oneteam fan, but usually life takes the reigns before they can complete their fandom progression.

The Neutrals: The people who have no sentiment towards football. Yeah, they might watch the entire fall season for a certain team or even indulge themselves in the Super Bowl, but the game is never their center of attention, as they are most likely on their phone the entire time either looking up what certain referee calls mean or just mindlessly scrolling through Twitter out of

confusion and boredom with the game itself. Neutrals can progress to the casual fandom, but it requires a certain level of caring about the game of football itself that most just don’t possess.

The Bandwagoners: There are two kinds of Bandwagoners: the Switchers and the Attachers.

The Switchers are the people who root the entire regular season for a certain team who just doesn’t make the cut for playoffs and

then switches to whatever team is likely to win the Super Bowl and pretends as if they were always fans. Then there are the Attachers, or the people who don’t care about football at all until it becomes relevant enough in their area that they feel obligated to buy a jersey or attend the parade and what not.

The “I’m Just Here For The Good Time” Guy: The person who will maybe watch a football

game or two during the regular season but never take any particular interest. They attend Super Bowl parties but only because they want to celebrate and eat large arrangements of food.

You can’t get mad at one of them because they openly admit they have no interest in football, but hey, at least they still came out and wore the team’s colors, right?

But whether one classifies themselves as a “Die-Hard” or

a “I’m Just Here For The Good Time” kind of guy, it doesn’t matter in the long run. The Super Bowl is about America joining together by putting aside their differences and disputes of everyday life and watching good football play. So yes, the type of fan you are may be important to you or your peers, but as long as you are actively engaging in the football play, you are doing something right.

Lyvia Yan/The SPOKE

SPORTS

The Spoke’s special edition: Fly, Eagles, Fly!

The SPOKE

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Tumbling to trophies: cheer takes nationals one to four, held in Orlando at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in the beginning of May, and the US Finals which were held in Cheering outside of school Rhode Island this past spring. has landed two students second place in their division at nationals.

This dynamic is very Seniors Isabella Barrios and Emily Kanter began cheerlead- unique to cheer, and it ing for the Conestoga Generals, holds true throughout all a local cheer league for ages five to 14, during elementary of the ages. school. They joined All-Star teams at the beginning of their freshman year.

Isabella Barrios Teams from across the Senior country create intense routines consisting of various tumbling tricks and stunts, and, once per“Last year, my team refected, they take their routines ceived a paid bid to (the Sumto competitions. mit), which means that our Barrios is cheering for two registration and part of our teams on the Upper Merion All- hotel was paid for by the comStars, Reign and The Royals. petition that gave us our bid,” “Reign is a medium senior Barrios said. level four team, which means Kanter’s team, The State Jags, there can be anywhere from placed first in their division at five to 30 girls on the team, and the US Finals. everyone is age 10 to 18,” Bar“Once you win that, they rios said. place you in the system and The Royals compete in the compare you with the rest smaller senior five division, of the United States teams, which consists of five and rank you based on to 21 girls ranging your score. We got out from ages 12 to 18. (during that round), The skill requirebut the fact that we ments vary won against all ranging from the other teams cartwheels (in Rhode Isand forland) was pretw a r d ty amazing,” rolls for Kanter said. level one to As for Barrios’ double fulls, team, once they made two complete it through to the finals, twists in the air, their team placed first in standing tucks and their division. a standing backflip at “The pressure was more level five. than I had ever felt going Since Barrios is on into finals, and we hit our two competition teams, routine perfectly. Unfortuher practice schedule nately, we ended up getting takes up a significant second place, but all of the amount of time. other teams in our division “Monday through told us we deserved to win,” Thursday I am at the Barrios said. gym from 7:30 p.m.

While second place to 9:30 p.m., and on might not have been Sundays I practice what the team hoped from 4 p.m. to 8 for, according to p.m.,” Barrios Barrios, the team said. still felt confident “ Ty p i with their percally, we formance and run our proud to hold routine, the crown of which is second-best two minteam in their utes and division across thirty secthe country. onds long, But winfull-out five ning big isn’t times a practhe only reason tice. In between Kanter and Barthose five times rios come back we are constanteach and every ly doing someseason. thing.

There “The bonds are no breaks,” made during Kanter said. practices and With all competitions are of this time amazing.

You spent towards really need to cheering, time work together, management especially in a is a high pristunt because ority, accordyou need to ing to Barriconstantly os. communicate “ O n and work Aimee Buttenbaum/The SPOKE weekends together to where we keep the Striking a scorpion: The Upper compete stunt in the Merion All-Stars competition team both Satair,” Kanter stunts during practice. The team urday and said. placed 2nd in Nationals in 2017.

Su nd ay, Though I usually find myself doing the age range on each team homework in my hotel room on is vast, according to Barrios, Saturday night,” Barrios said. everyone is treated equally at Barrios and Kanter normally practice– making it easy for attend about two competitions close friendships to form beevery month, competing with tween the teammates. their teams in Philadelphia and “Cheer is the only place New Jersey. Occasionally, they where it is acceptable for a travel as far as South Carolina 17 year old to become close and Florida. friends with a 13 or 14 year Two of the most highly es- old. This dynamic is very teemed traveling opportunities unique to cheer, and it holds are the Summit, which is the true throughout all of the ages,” national championship for levels Barrios said.

Aimee Buttenbaum Staff Reporter

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Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

Racing to the finish: Sophomore Katie Billman runs the 55 meter dash at the Kevin Dare Invitational at Penn State University. This past season, the team broke several school records as well as personal records.

Making momentum: Track team shatters records tance track, with five runners breaking their personal records.

Senior and long-distance captain Jake Robinson ran a PR of 9:48 in the 2 mile, while junior Ben Horner broke his record in the mile with a time of 4:53.

Other notable performances include sophomore John Arthy, senior Mitchell Lamb and senior Alex Stigall, who broke PRs in their mile times.

Beyond personal records, ’Stoga’s track team has also achieved unprecedented success in breaking Conestoga’s school records. Just this year, Twomey broke the record in the 1,000 meter run, Forge in the 600 meters and Lanouette in the 300 meter and the 55 meter runs— hopeful indicators for ’Stoga’s prowess at the upcoming district competition, also known as the Meet of Champions, on Feb. 17.

As the season gradually winds down, Chang looks ahead with a positive outlook.

“As a team, we hope to make some noise at the Meet of Champions—a preview of the exciting State Championships that’ll be later in the month,” Chang said.

“These recent PRs are great for us as we’re building on our successes to reach greater heights.”

Jordan Liu

Co-Web Editor

Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

A record breaking sprint: Junior Dorkhan Chang pushes his limits as he competes at the Kevin Dare Invitational. Chang was one of the nine team members who broke their personal records for sprinting in the 2018 season.

The 2018 season has proven monumental for Conestoga’s track team, with several athletes beating personal and school records.

According to varsity track captain senior Grace Lanouette, this year’s sprinters are particularly strong, breaking a slew of personal records (PRs) with just one month left in the season. As of January, nine sprinters have beaten their PRs across 12 competitions, including the Kevin Dare and Ocean Breeze invitationals in State College and Staten Island, respectively. Freshmen Kristi Dirico and Henry Miller recently ran impressive personal records in the 400m sprint, with Dirico at 62.96 seconds and Miller at 54.03 seconds. Senior Lex Forge ran indoor PRs of 50.27 seconds in the 400m and 23.59 in the 200m. Other record-breaking performances include those by junior Dorkhan Chang, senior Brandon Dernoga, sophomore Noah Lanouette, sophomore Katie Billman and junior Anna Twomey.

As well, Conestoga’s track team is performing well in long-dis-

Crowds rush the Parkway for Eagles celebration

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Sporting pride: Millions of people walk along the Parkway for the Feb. 8 parade honoring the Eagles. The Philadelphia football team won the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 4 and hosted a celebratory parade for fans of all ages from all across the nation.

SCORELINE G Basketball

W L T

• • •

15 7 0

B Basketball

• • •

14 8 0

Scores as of 2/12

G Hockey

• • •

0 12 0

B Hockey

• • •

14 4 0

G Squash

• • •

8 6 0

B Squash

• • •

10 3 0

G Swim

• • •

12 0 0

B Swim

• • •

12 0 0

Wrestling

• • •

16 4 0