The Spoke December 2012

The Spoke reviews holiday gift options. See p. 12-13

THE

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CONESTOGA HIGH SCHOOL, BERWYN, PA

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enior Meredith Hart* was only a sophomore when she stumbled upon nude images that an Internet user took of her on Omegle, a video chatting website, when she was just 13 years old.

As her world crashed down and her peers ostracized her, Hart cringed at the thought of the one minute that altered the rest of her high school career.

Hart said that the pedophile impersonated a celebrity and she posed nude for him, unaware that he was taking pictures of her. About a year later, Hart searched her name on Google and found the pictures.

Her parents contacted the police to try to take them off the Internet, but the pictures were later found by another student. News of the photos spread across the school and her classmates’ taunts eventually became so severe that she said she needed a security guard to accompany her to classes.

Hart said she began attending a boarding school at the beginning of her junior year, where she could get a fresh start and rebuild her reputation.

“Right now, I kind of learned that it’s not far in my past, but it’s far enough in my past that I can explain it to people and say that I’ve learned from it,” Hart said. “As I’m going off to college and everything, I just hope that it doesn’t come back, because that really does affect your reputation. And I’m trying really hard to get a good reputation back and it’s pretty much impossible.”

Hart said she wishes she had reconsidered the situation before posing in front of her webcam.

“If you think something doesn’t seem right, don’t do it,” Hart said. “Even if you have that slightest idea, because normally it will turn out in some kind of negative way. [Even though] it’s just a chance, it’s not really a risk that you want to take.”

Dr. Rob D’Ovidio, a professor of Criminal Justice at Drexel University, explained that any person who receives a nude picture of a minor can be legally responsible.

“It becomes incumbent upon [the individual] to notify the authorities in their school or preferably law enforcement, or preferably both, actually, that someone has sent them a text message or an email message with a picture of a naked minor or any type of pornography,” D’Ovidio said.

See SEXTING, p. 4

VOLUME 63 NO. 3

DECEMBER 19, 2012

STOGANEWS.COM

WORLD WIDE WATCH

By Jenna Spoont & Suproteem Sarkar Managing Editor & Convergence Editor As technology becomes an integral part of the lives of teenagers, The Spoke investigates how students perform illicit acts, operate under an impression of privacy and recover from public scandals that involve technology and social media.

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

*To protect the privacy of the students interviewed, their names have been changed.

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PAGE 2 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

NEWS

Marching band, chorus perform at Disney World Sophomore receives perfect Heather Ward score on AP Calculus exam Co-editor-in-chief Haley Xue Co-editor-in-chief

Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and the Conestoga music depart-

Last May, 94,403 students took the AP Calculus BC exam. Of those, only 17 students in the world earned a perfect score. Sophomore Suproteem Sarkar was one of those 17.

The exam consisted of 45 multiple-choice questions and six free response questions. Sarkar took the

from Dec. 12 to Dec. 16. to Orlando to march in the Main Street Parade, sing at a candelight tal workshops.

While walking through the Hollywood Studios park, senior Nell Hoban and junior Grace Gosnear decided to audition at the American Idol Experience.

“It was kind of like, ‘why not?’” Gosnear said. “We [were] in Hollywood Studios.”

Both made it past the initial audition rounds and were selected “At the show, they let the

They were supported by almost the entire music department.

close to how well I did,” Sarkar said.

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

The marching band performs during the annual Calvacade of Bands.

They performed in the Main Street Parade on their trip to Disney. [us],” Hoban said. “The music “The host asked me if I was ing them there supporting us was awesome.

Hoban was one of four to ad-

all there, but I was more excited that they were all there and supporting us,” Gosnear said. “The American Idol Experience was pretty amazing. Like when are you

Us” by Taylor Swift.

again?”

friends in the audience helped her performance.

Heather Ward can be reached at hward@stoganews.com.

excited when she found out about Sarkar’s accomplishment but was not surprised because of Sarkar’s high caliber of performance in her class.

“He came into the class as a freshman with a strong basis and strong natural math abilities,” Mull said. “He asked good questions that deepened his understanding of the “The exam wasn’t easy; I re- concepts.” member struggling with a lot of the Principal Amy Meisinger said was speechless [when I found out] because I knew I had studied a lot perfect score on an AP exam.

“I think this is an amazing accomplishment for [Sarkar] and secondly for Conestoga that we done so well as to get a perfect score on the test.” complish this,” Meisinger said. “I Sarkar attributed his success to hard work and practice. He also said that his AP Calculus BC teacher, perform so admirably and represent Karen Mull, greatly contributed to Conestoga so well.” his performance on the exam.

“If it weren’t for [Mull], I don’t Haley Xue can be reached at hxue@stoganews.com.

Follow The Spoke online: @TheSpoke

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Save the date: Upcoming in community

Find our annual holiday package, “The 12 days of ’Stoga,” on Stoganews.com.

Sports Superstars

College Admissions Evening

Cooper Turley

Student Services will hold its annual college admissions evening Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. Guidance counselors will discuss the process of applying to colleges.

Sport: Basketball Years playing: 10 Pump-up song: “Pop dat” by French Montana Role Model: Ryan Jensen

Science Olympiad Invitational The Science Olympiad team will host its second annual “Battle at Valley Forge Invitational” Jan. 12 at 8 a.m.Teams from other local high schools will also compete.

Fruit Punch

Midterm Exams

Liane Riley

Students will take midterm exams from Jan. 23-25. Math and English exams will be administered Jan. 23. Language and social studies will be tested Jan. 24 and science midterms will be tested Jan. 25.

Course Selection Night

Sport: Winter Track Years running: 6 Pump-up song: “Remember the Name” by Fort Minor Role Model: Kathrine Switzer

Student Services will host course selection night Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. Guidance counselors will discuss next year’s course options with parents of returning students.

Glacier Freeze Photos: Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

Full interviews on Stoganews.com.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

PAGE 3 THE SPOKE

NEWS

Elective cuts cause changes in classroom atmosphere Lavi Ben-Dor & Yuge Xiao News Editor & Staff Reporter For art teacher John Matthews, learning students’ names is more complicated this year.

For his Beginning Ceramics classes, he now has to learn double the amount of names because he teaches two classes in the same time slot that one class once occupied.

Last school year, the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District reduced the length of 16 elective courses from six to three days per cycle. According to curriculum supervisor Richard Gusick, this was done to accommodate the enactment of a 42-period cap on the amount of classes students can take.

As a result, teachers have had to reformat their courses in order to fit the bulk of the material they need to cover with only half the amount of time they previously had. Choral director Suzanne Dickinger teaches two classes that are affected: Broadway Musical Theatre and Piano Lab. “I can’t cover as much material, particularly in Broadway, because it is a combined class with the history of Broadway and also performance in Broadway,” Dickinger said. “And [students] don’t get as much out the class.”

Junior Mark Frederick, who took Beginning Ceramics and Engineering Technology before they became three-day electives, agrees with Dickinger. Frederick believes the cuts limit students’ abilities to study the subjects with as much depth as they were able to prior to the cuts.

“I think it doesn’t allow for any complicated or in-depth projects, because you have less time than usual,” Frederick said.

“Because we have never done anything like that before, we had to learn the best way and method of doing these projects and also work with our groups and combine our ideas and figure out what we think will work.”

Sophomore Cindy Zhou has taken several impacted art electives and noticed that many projects her older sister did when she took the class were no longer part of the curriculum.

“You don’t get to do as many projects as before. I heard my sister used to do a lot of bracelets and earrings for Metals, and since they cut down the days, teachers don’t have the time to finish a lot of their lessons they had prepared for six-day cycles,” Zhou said.

However, Zhou said she supports the changes overall, noting that she can experience a wider variety of electives than before.

“I think it’s good because I can fit more [classes] into my schedule, so I can try more electives,” she said. “In some classes like Photography and Metals, I still got a lot done.”

For Frederick, another upside of shortening the classes is that it allows students to vary their classes.

“The students will have more time diversifying their schedules and doing more electives in more subject areas,” Frederick said. “But overall, [the reduced amount of class time] takes a lot of time away from the projects and how much [I] can afford to spend on the topics.”

For Dickinger, the most significant impact of the cuts was a

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

Art teacher Piera Raffaele works with students in her Beginning Ceramics class. Beginning Ceramics was one of 16 loss of “carry-over,” or transfer of information from one day to the next.

“For the piano class, the carry-over is not there anymore, because they come days one, two, three and I don’t get to see them again until another day one, two, three, so they have to get back into the swing of things to remember all of what they have learned before,” Dickinger said.

“I work with all different kinds of students in piano lab and a lot of them are beginners, and they do need that time everyday to keep it going and to improve at the best rate.”

Senior Michael Rycyzyn, who took Webpage Design as a six-day course (before it was shortened) and Beginning Guitar as a three-day class, said he experienced the lack of day-to-day “carry-over” in his guitar class.

“I feel that with [Webpage Design] being a six day course, once you’re done something or if you need to stop, the next day you could just come back in and start the process [back up] without being off for three

days and having to return to that same thought process,” Rycyzyn said. “But with Beginning Guitar, it was hard to remember how to play specific chords and would’ve been easier if [the class was six days per cycle].”

Matthews agreed, saying that the need to refresh every cycle reduced the amount of material

our curriculums to adjust for [the reduced class time] and thought we couldn’t quite implement the whole program.”

However, Matthews noted that being able to still offer those classes is a positive outcome of the cuts.

“I think the tough economic times have affect[ed] the nation at large, so it’s possibly better to have more students in few[er] classes and not quite have the same experience than to not have class-Sophomore Cindy Zhou es at all, which some schools he and other art teachers could have done,” he said. “We have cover in the classes. retained our program, and I think “The classes’ time is cut in everyone’s willing to make those half, but we only get about a ‘sacrifices,’ or alterations to the third of the curriculum covered. program. I hope that as times It’s unusual, and because of the change, and as the economy recomings and goings, you come covers, that [the district] might unprepared the next day into look at what they might change a new cycle and it’s like, ‘Oh, to improve things in the future.” we’re starting again,’” Matthews said. “We were all sur- Yuge Xiao can be reached at prised by it, because we wrote yxiao@stoganews.com.

more [classes] into my schedule, so I can try more electives. In some classes like Photography and Metals, I still got a lot done.”

PAGE 4 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

NEWS

Students discuss harmful effects of technology misuse porating digital citizenship lessons into research projects and holding an annual program by Katie Koestner, a national expert on student safety and teen relationship culture. She spoke to seniors Dec. 14 about date rape and underclassmen Dec. 17 about Internet safety.

“If you make that choice [to sext], you’ve got to own the responsibility of what comes with it,” Koestner said. “It’s not as

Continued from p. 1

Sexting at ’Stoga Senior Kurt Collinson* said as sending and receiving sexually suggestive texts or images, since seventh grade. Collinson said he does not see sexting as unusual in today’s society, and although he knows his actions are illegal, he hopes that he does not get into legal trouble.

“Kids are bored. Sex is more allowed now than it used to be. It’s much more public, it’s much more publicized on TV and all over the Internet,” Collinson said.

Junior Clayton Bolen* said part of the reason he began sexting was because of peer pressure.

“I just saw other people doing it,” Bolen said. “It’s kind of like one of those things where other people are doing it, so maybe I should be doing it too.”

Collinson said that sexting is laid-back and simple. A typical conversation starter would be along the lines of, “What are you doing, babe?”

If she says, “‘Nothing, I’m laying in bed,’ then you ask and you pretty much just say it, ‘Send me pics,’ and sometimes they do it, sometimes they don’t,” Collinson said.

In Pennsylvania, sending explicit pictures of minors is illegal.

House Bill 815, approved by Gov. Corbett (R-Pa.) Oct. 25, made the penalty for consensual sexting by minors a third-degree misdemeanor. Transferring images with the intent to harass is a second-degree offenders take educational programs and have charges dropped from their criminal records.

Despite the reduced penalty for consensual sexting, distribution of nude images of minors remains a crime. D’Ovidio said he advises minors to consider who may end up receiving photos that they send.

“There’s a perception that we’re safe and we’re secure when we communicate via mediated technology, such as computers or cell phones,” D’Ovidio said. “When we don’t have to face a person directly, and have that interaction, our inhibitions are reduced.”

Outlets for sexting include Snap-

behind a closed door with someone

Sending and receiving nude images of minors is against state law.

Source: National Campaign to Support Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy Graphic: Margot Field/The SPOKE

chat, a mobile phone application, which enables people to send photos that will expire after one to 10 seconds. However, users are able to save the pictures by taking screenshots.

Hart said that people have asked her to send nude photos via Snapchat.

“No matter who it is, if they went to Conestoga and they were there at the time, I think that they feel that I’m open to [sexting]. It’s actually really insulting that people think that,” Hart said. “And I understand where they’re coming from, I really do. But it’s insulting. It’s kind of like, ‘Wow, that’s what you think of me?’

Because that’s not who I am.”

Chatroulette and Omegle are two websites based on video and text chatting. The slogan for Omegle is “Talk to strangers!” however the website disclaimer, updated Nov. 27, encourages users to “not transmit nudity, or behave in any other inappropriate way.”

Although Omegle does not permit minors to use the service without the consent of a parent or guardian and prohibits children under 13 from using the website altogether,

Internet habits.

“You can reach out to Chatrou-

lette and have a random conversation with someone online and quite frankly, there’s a lot of pornography, a lot of viewing of people showing their private parts on those types of services,” D’Ovidio said. “Parents need to do a better role of controlling that and really take a step back in time and say, ‘I’m going to assert my authority and ensure that I know who my kids are speaking with.’And recognize what that means is they’re going to have to play a role in their child’s virtual life.”

in a really public place. So imagine whatever you’re doing with technology, could you do it in the of everyone else?”

Locally, Radnor High School faced a sex video scandal Nov. 15 when a student allegedly stole another student’s cell phone and distributed a video of students engaging in sexual activity.

Meisinger said that if an incident were reported on school grounds, the administration would take part in the investigation. However, if a student or family member reports an off-campus incident, the district refers them to the police.

Senior Anna Grosul faced an unpredictable incident after she posted a non-incriminating photo

of herself and senior Robin Luo onto her Facebook timeline. One of her friends, Siv Zamani, created a “meme,” an image or video that is passed electronically on the Internet, that ended up on the homepage of Reddit after it received more than 200,000 views.

“People I didn’t know at all, I’ve never met in my life, like people from Texas or Georgia, were just commenting on my picture, like ‘she looks like she’s 12’ or ‘she’s not attractive,’ and that was just not something that I wanted,” Grosul said. “I didn’t ask for their opinion, they don’t even know what I look like in person. It just really hurt my feelings.”

Grosul resents the fact that she did not have any control over Zamani posting the picture on Reddit, even though she “wasn’t doing anything bad in the picture, it was just the writing on top of it.”

“It was really scary because it was all just for fun, we make memes all the time,” Zamani said. “First it felt amazing to be on the front page of Reddit because that’s been on the bucket list for a while, and I got that. But then when [Grosul] called [about the meme], I got very scared very fast because I wasn’t trying to do anything harmful.”

Continued on p. 5

An illusion of privacy Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger said that security will be a priority for the district as it implements its Bring Your Own Device policy next year.

“We know how important your digital dossier is in the next steps that you take as students,” Meisinger said. “Employers look at this, these things—they’re Googling you, they’re looking at Facebook, they’re looking at Tweets, they’re looking at all these things. So our goal is to educate the students so that you present yourself in the best light and that you don’t get yourself in a situation where you would close doors for yourself.”

Conestoga educates its students about Internet security by incor-

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Continued on p. 5

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PAGE 5 THE SPOKE

NEWS

Students rebuild from breaches of Internet privacy Continued from p. 4 Grosul understands that users sign privacy contracts on Facebook, but, “I just think that there’s nowhere to hide anymore,” she said.

“Sometimes, I’m scared if I even just post a picture of my face that it would just turn into something that it shouldn’t.”

Luo considered the risk of colleges seeing the picture, but said he understands the repercussions that arise from posting a picture on Facebook.

“Facebook is an open website where if you post a picture, people are allowed to take that,” he said.

“But it [made] me feel like my privacy was invaded.”

A parent of a Sandy Run Middle School (Upper Dublin, Pa.) student reported a similar Facebook privacy breach Nov. 30. Pictures of girls from the school were posted on a website containing photos of other minors. The photos, non-suggestive in nature, were placed next to links for pornography websites.

D’Ovidio advises people to speak up if they do not want images of them shared on social media websites.

“Be cognitive of the fact that those pictures can wind up in the hands that you don’t want them to be in,” D’Ovidio said.

Sophomore Cameron Moore said he does not use Facebook because he realizes the potential downsides of posting personal information to social media.

“I don’t have a Facebook account because I just don’t want that information out there,” Moore said.

“Anyone can see it no matter how embarrassing it is, and from what I’ve seen of Facebook, people take whatever liberties they want.”

However, despite the potential drawbacks, Luo noted that the Internet can also be used to one’s advantage.

“You can choose what you do on the Internet, so unless you want to do bad stuff, like post a picture in an inappropriate way, then that’s your

decision,” Luo said. “But most of the time you can use the Internet to your advantage.”

Rebuilding a reputation

know how to handle so much more,” Hart said. “You can throw any situation in front of me and I realize that it’s okay because everything will get better. The second that that happened, I thought that I was going to fall off the face of the earth. But now that I’ve been able to handle that, you

Hart said that she has become more cautious since the photos leaked.

“Normally if you think Know what the law says twice, you catch yourself from making a mistake that could cost you some- Pennsylvania House Bill 815 says that the thing big in your life,” penalty for consensual sexting by youths Hart said. from ages 12 to 17 is a misdemeanor, meanHart said she is making House Bill 815 changed the penalty for minors could spend up to one year in jail an effort to inspire people ing consensual minor sexting from a felony at her new school about to a offenders misdemeanor. the dangers of the Internet. First are required to take educaThe bill’s passage was prompted when She has become stronger tion courses. since the incident and is The parents of students the parbill’s passage was attending prompted when trying to educate other Tunkhannock District refused to ents of studentsSchool attending the Tunkhannock young women about onsend their children District refusedtotocounseling. send their children line privacy. She said that School to counseling after the students sent outnude she plans to base her senior For adults, the penalty for sending presentation on what she suggestive themselves. images ofimages minorsofremains a felony. learned from that one minute she spent on Omegle.

“I’ve matured a lot. I

can throw whatever you want at me and I can take care of it.”

Collinson said he became more careful with his sexting habits after hearing of the Radnor scandal, but will not stop sexting altogether. it, without a doubt,” Collinson said.

“But I’ll still do it.”

Bolen said he stopped sexting after realizing how it could affect peoples’ reputations.

“I’ve actually become a lot more faithful as a Christian, and that’s kind of done it,” Bolen said. “I’ve seen things like the Radnor scandal and I realized that I shouldn’t be putting these things out there.”

Hart said she barely recognizes the person she used to be.

“I have totally turned my life around as a person,” she said. “I have much more going for me now than I ever thought I would have in my life.”

Jenna Spoont can be reached at jspoont@stoganews.com.

Graphic: Margot Field/ Field/The SPOKE

PAGE 6 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

NEWS

Junior drops beats at Tredyffrin Library dances Simran Singh Staff Reporter For some Conestoga students, the concept of a teen dance held at a local library was slightly foreign. But in April of this year, as students walked into the familiar round room at the Tredyffrin Public Library, an unexpected atmosphere greeted them. hosting dances at the library in April in an effort to raise $1000 for his Boy Scout Eagle Scout project. He later held dances in July and November as well as one on Dec. 10.

For Holtzer, family advice and new way to raise money for his Eagle Scout project.

“It was actually my mom’s idea. She was like, ‘Matt, you DJ, [so] why don’t you just throw a dance? If you get 100 kids to come, paying $10 each, that’s $1000.’” Holtzer said. “I went to the librarian and talked to her and she was like ‘Yeah, this is a great idea, I would totally be up

for letting you use the venue for free.’ I was thinking to myself, ‘I could really pull this off.’”

Tredyffrin Library’s teen event coordinator Laurie Doan attributed Holtzer’s continued success to his effective promotion of the event and the talent of the performers and DJs in attendance.

“They are a lot of fun and are very well organized. It’s probably been, as far as our teen [events] go, one of the best attended.

Matt’s very good at getting the word out, and I think through Facebook it really spreads,” Doan said. “He and his fellow DJs are very good at what they do and they bring a really fun event to the library.”

The proceeds of the dances go to charity or local organizations, and Holtzer has not sought to The proceeds of his second dance were donated to T/E Cares to buy school supplies, gift-cards and backpacks for underprivileged students in the T/E school district.

The revenue from November’s dance was donated to the library

to start a fund for a new lighting system for the community events hosted there.

Freshman Anna Koblish attended the November and December dances and took photographs for Holtzer. She said that Holtzer’s talents in both organizing and DJing are impressive so far.

“It’s really cool that someone in our own community is mature enough and capable of throwing an actual dance. He played a lot of really good songs, and it was just a lot of fun,” Koblish said.

“For the most part [the response] has been really positive.”

Sophomore Joey Warner, who spent some time at the last dance DJing, said that these events have grown in size because of their charitable nature and the strong organizational skills of Holtzer.

The charity aspect “makes everything more personal and [gives it] a purpose while having fun, which is nice,” Warner said. “Part of it is that the people that are organizing it are kids. [Holtzer] obviously knows what makes a dance fun and what is boring at

Zach Lowry for The SPOKE

Junior Matt Holtzer DJs at his Dec. 10 dance at the Tredyffrin Library.

Holtzer held four dances this year, which raised funds for local organizations. a dance, so he makes it fun for everybody, but [part of it is] his organization skills and [ability to] make something like these dances so professional while fun and high school-friendly at the same time.”

Holtzer said that the events

ested in doing stuff like this. They have an incentive to do stuff like this, that gets the library on the map and also increases funding for the library by showing that the library gets more use, so it’s

the library.

The library staff is “very inter-

Simran Singh can be reached at ssingh@stoganews.com.

College applications for early decision, action at record high Mary Mei & Wendy Tan Staff Reporters The number of Conestoga seniors applying early decision or early action reached a record high this past November. The guidance office processed more than 500 early applications.

Many factors caused the increase. Colleges are offering more incentives for students to apply early, such as scholarships and grants. Applications have recently gone online, making applying earaccording to senior Paige Susskind, application process earlier than other students.

“I think it’s nice because you get to know where you are going to go ahead of everyone else. You also can prepare for your school beforehand and get rid of the stress load that comes in March,” Susskind said.

Guidance Counselor Jennifer Kratsa agrees with Susskind that applying earlier can relieve some of the stress.

“The colleges are giving students an opportunity to apply early and receive an answer before the holiday break. That’s great because even if they don’t apply all to early decision schools, at least the students have a couple of answers and it’s not as anxietyproducing for students,” Kratsa said.

Some students, like Susskind, have chosen to apply under the option of early decision, which is different from early action. Early decision is usually a binding process which means the applicant applies to only one school, and if admitted, must attend.

Unlike early decision, early action is not binding, so a student can choose not to enroll in that college after being admitted.

Universities like the University of Chicago practice early action, where a student can apply early, but also apply early to other schools. However, other institutions like Princeton practice single-choice early action, which means a student can only apply to Princeton.

Senior Connie Yang recently applied to three early action

schools that were not singlechoice early action schools. Yang described her reasons for applying to not one, but three colleges.

“The three colleges fit my preference for location, programs and environment,” Yang said. “Applying early also shows your determination as well as your strong interest in that college.”

With all the different options and criteria for applying early, there are different deadlines for

each college. Kratsa describes the different dates that the guidance office has begun to see for early applications and the problems they pose.

“It’s a real concern that we are now going from [deadlines on] Nov. 1 and 5 to Oct. 25 [and] 20; we have even started to see some Oct. 1 [deadlines]. As school counselors, we are concerned [about] the earliness. It’s a stress for students and a real stress for counselors to get that amount of

volume done so quickly,” Kratsa said.

Though stressful, the guidance office has been able to handle the new deadlines created by the various early applications.

“We’ve been able to get to our seniors and [are] able to hit deadlines. However, it’s definitely been busier in September and October,” Kratsa said.

Mary Mei can be reached at mmei@stoganews.com.

Sophie Bodek/The SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

NEWS

PAGE 7 THE SPOKE

Drama Club, television class unite for annual Comedy Night Shwetha Sudhakar & Maggie Chen Operations Director & Staff Reporter

kind of showing students the different types of comedy and how you achieve it through acting, through writing.”

Students in Frazer's class were required to bring in actors from Drama

Although “The Hunger Games,” an infomercial, a paranormal movie and a political debate do not seem to have much in common, Drama Club managed to connect them: all were parodied during the club’s Comedy Night.

school. Frazer said that the writing of the scripts and editing of the shorts were the most time consuming parts of the process.

“The conception and the editing

run by Drama Club, took place on Dec. 6. This year, changes to Comedy Night included four digital shorts which aired between live skits and improvisational games. The club’s new co-adviser, TV studio aid Chris Pierdomenico, and Intermediate TV teacher Caitlin Frazer, had their third period class collaborate with Drama Club. Pierdomenico said that he showed students videos from “Saturday Night Live” to spark inspiration for the shorts.

“What [Frazer and I] did was show popular shorts as long ago as the 1990s with Chris Farley all the way up to newer stuff on YouTube,” Pierdomenico said. “We were just

were really concerned aesthetically with how [the shorts] would look and how it would sound, so they took even longer in the editing process.”

Frazer also said that the 18 students in her class gained more experience through working with actors.

“I think it’s hard to make sure that the actors are all working together, and that’s not really what they sign up for in TV,” Frazer said. “Finding someone that is willing to put themselves in Senior Mariam Sarkessian, who organized and directed Comedy Night, decided which shorts to air and the order in which they would air. She had club members with third period free

sign up to work with the Intermediate TV class.

“Pierdomenico actually had his class contribute to club activities like [the shorts] which was really cool,” Sarkessian said.

She felt that the live skits were important in order to attract a large audience and that the skits were chosen to be “funny for everyone.”

“It’s nice to have that blend of live said. “We [were] trying to get sketches that [would] be relatable to everyone.”

Other highlights of the night included live skits and improvisational games with audience participation.

In one particular game, the audience was required to come up with excuses for being late while a Drama Club member attempted to guess it as others members acted it out.

Sophomore Taylor Davis participated in a “Hunger Games” sketch and an improvisational game. Davis said that while she enjoyed writing the skit, she also looked forward to the digital shorts.

“I think [the shorts] are really interesting because we haven’t done that before,” Davis said. “The videos

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

Members of Drama Club perform a political skit at Comedy Night on Dec. 6. The club teamed up with an Intermediate TV class to film several shorts which were shown at the event. are more interesting than just doing the coolest thing for me to see, that if skits themselves.” other people are going to watch it, Frazer appreciated her students' en- [students] want to make it something thusiasm in creating the digital shorts. really special, and that was evident in “When it’s authentic and it’s pur- what they created.” poseful in the creation of something, the students become really engaged,” Shwetha Sudhakar can be reached at Frazer said. “I think that was the ssudhakar@stoganews.com.

Passion key for junior's success in state piano competition Emma Purinton Staff Reporter Conestoga junior Michael Mei’s piano performance struck a chord with judges at a statewide music competition this past October.

On Oct. 28, Mei competed in a state music competition at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pa. The Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), an organization of 24,000 music teachers, organized the competition, as a part of the organization’s goal to increase student involvement in music and support the profession of music education.

MTNA member Igor Resnianski of West Chester University, Mei’s teacher, commented on what sets this music competition apart from others.

“The level of professionalism is higher. And you can get honor as a musician and can include that in resumes for college and to get into music schools; some [students] need that,” Resnianski said.

Competitors are divided into age groups consisting of elementary, junior, senior and young

artist. Singers or students who play piano, brass, woodwind or string instruments are eligible to perform in the competition, as are senior piano duets and chamber ensembles.

The state competition is only petition. The winner of the state competition advances to a division competition. The winner of the division competition then attends the National Finals.

On Jan. 4 and 5, Mei will represent Pennsylvania in the division competition at Howard Community College in Columbia, Md. If Mei wins the division competition, he will advance to represent the Eastern Division at the National Finals in Anaheim, Calif., where he will compete against six other senior piano players from other regions across the country. The winners of the national competition receive a monetary prize and will perform at the Winners Concert at the 2013 MTNA Conference, at which the National Finals occur.

In the state competition, Mei performed Chopin’s Ballad No. 1, Ravel’s Ondine and sonatas by Haydn and Prokokiev. He will play

the same pieces at the division competition. As the competition date approaches, Mei must make will perform.

“I have one month left, but I just keep doing what I’m doing and make sure [the pieces are] really polished,” Mei said. “I’m not really nervous to perform. I think if you prepare well enough there’s no reason to be nervous.”

Mei began playing piano when he was 3 and a half and continues today with his studies with Resnianski. Resnianski said that he appreciates Mei’s dedication to his instrument.

Teaching Mei “has been very enjoyable,” Resnianski said. “I don’t have to remind him to practice; he does that by himself because he loves it. I teach him like I would a professional musician.”

Resnianski compares Mei to other piano players of his age.

“He is one of the top. He is extremely talented and capable and if he were to choose to be a professional musician, he would probably be accepted to a music school like Julliard,” Resnianski said.

Zach Lowry for The SPOKE

Junior Michael Mei practices piano at home. Mei will compete at the MTNA Eastern Division competition on Jan. 4 and 5.

The advanced level that Mei the instrument continues to motiplays at does not come without vate him to work toward his goals. a large time commitment. Mei Piano “means a lot [to me],” juggles practicing with schoolwork Mei said. “It’s really a wonderful and sports. He is able to practice form of artistic expression, and for an average of two hours every day. activities in my life. It’s really “I could do a lot more [if I didn’t interesting to be exposed to such a colorful world of art." a lot of my time,” Mei said.

Although playing piano means Emma Purinton can be reached at epurinton@stoganews.com.

Opinion WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

The Spoke is published seven times per year at Bartash Printing. It consistently receives the Gold Award from the Pennsylvania Scholastic Press Association and is a National School Press Association Pacemaker award-winning publication. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.

Editors-in-chief: Heather Ward, Haley Xue Managing Editor: Jenna Spoont News Editor: Lavi Ben-Dor Op/Ed Editor: Allison Kozeracki Features Editor: Natalie West Sports Editors: Maddie Amsterdam, Abby Pioch Design Editor: Margot Field Photo Editor: Karolis Panavas Centerspread Editor: Noah Levine Convergence Editor: Suproteem Sarkar Business Manager: Claire Moran Operations Director: Shwetha Sudhakar Graphic Designers: Callum Backstrom, Sophie Bodek, Anisa Tavangar Cartoonists: Callum Backstrom, Sophie Bodek, Maggie Chen Staff: Andy Backstrom, Kelly Benning, Maggie Chen, Isha Damle, Stephane Hardinger, Courtney Kennedy, Gabrielle Kerbel, Emily Klein, David Kramer, Mary Mei, Patrick Nicholson, Sophia Ponte, Emma Purinton, James Redmond, Shivani Sanghani, Emily Seeburger, YingYing Shang, Simran Singh, Wendy Tan, Yuge Xiao, Navin Zachariah Faculty Advisers: Susan Houseman, Cynthia Crothers-Hyatt

Spirited Giving

The Spoke applauds ’Stoga for community service efforts The holiday season brings presents, candy canes, overplayed holiday music, pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks and a whole host of charity drives under the ’Stoga Big Give. For Conestoga, the holiday season really is a “time of giving” as students have the opportunity to participate in various charity drives ranging from collecting small trinkets for the annual Peer Mediation Stocking Drive to donating toys for the Toys for Tots drive organized by Student Council.

Yet, the “time of giving” for ’Stoga students is not just limited to the December holiday season. Last month, Student Council hosted a Red Cross blood drive that collected 114 pints of usable blood, well exceeding the goal of 87 pints.

Although some may claim that Conestoga lacks school spirit, students, teachers and faculty alike are able to unite in supporting charitable causes and giving back to the community.

It is this commitment to community service that gives Conestoga a unique sense of school spirit that differs from the conventional concept of “school spirit.” However, similar to the traditional view of school spirit that entails going to sports events and participating in spirit days, our school’s charitable spirit also promotes unity among the school community. Perhaps we are not as enthusiastic as some schools on spirit days, maybe we are not as excited to go to football games and it might be that we do not exactly consider the homecoming pep rally the highlight of the year, but there is something to be said about the philanthropic mentality of our school.

The Spoke applauds ’Stoga’s spirit in its continuous involvement in community service efforts. While it is important to show pride in your school by attending school events and to cheer on Conestoga at football games, we have shown that we do not necessarily need large school events to bring everyone together. Last January, students worked to help Mr. Yang of Yang’s Market recover after he was attacked during a robbery. In April, more than 60 students attended a school board meeting to protest teacher demotions. Moreover, the race to sign up for bake sales to raise money for various causes attests to Conestoga’s giving spirit.

Conestoga does in fact have a lot of school spirit, perhaps just not in the conventional sense. We should continue our efforts to better our community, and the school administration, in partnership with Student Council, should consider having more school-wide service opportunities that will not only serve the community, but that will also unite the Conestoga community.

With winter break just a few days away, there are still many opportunities to donate to charity, help the less fortunate and spread holiday cheer. We should all maintain Conestoga’s altruism this holiday season by buying up a stocking to brighten a child’s Christmas.

Because although the holiday season is a time for food, family and friends, it is also a time for giving back. And at ’Stoga, we’ve clearly embraced the true meaning of the holidays and the spirit of giving.

Submissions The Spoke will print letters of general interest to the student body and community. Signed letters under 200 words may be submitted to Susan Houseman, Cynthia Hyatt, Heather Ward or Haley Xue. Unsigned editorials represent the views of The Spoke editorial board, and not necessarily those of the administration, student body, community or advertisers.

The opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of The Spoke.

Contact Us

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

Email cmoran@stoganews.com.

Visit The Spoke online at www.stoganews.com News Director: Suproteem Sarkar ssarkar@stoganews.com

From the Editor:

WebMD Syndrome Heather Ward Co-editor-in-chief In the past month, I have been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism and the overuse of other really large words.

It’s been a difficult month.

But when I visited my doctor, she told me I actually had a bigger, overlying disease called WebMD Syndrome. It’s a disease that afflicts most people who have Internet access and is caused by overreactions and paranoia on the reader’s part.

WebMD Syndrome seems to proliferate because as a society we have become more gullible and willing to believe whatever we read.

Unfortunately, I have fallen into this generalization, but I’m here to share with you some of the benefits of WebMD Syndrome.

In light of the economic downturn and the rise in college costs, there is no need for people to puruse higher education. With all the information accessible online, there is no logical reason for people to spend thousands of dollars to have someone stand up and regurgitate the information out loud. If you want to hear the information, there’s a button you can click and the website will read it to you in the same monotone voice that professors use.

And seriously, why are people worrying about the cost of health insurance when they can just go online and diagnose themselves? There is no point in spending hundreds of dollars to have someone tell you to rest and drink fluids when you have a cold.

Lastly, I recommend you trust online sources more than your physicians for one simple reason. Doctors joke that the more letters a person has after his or her name, the better that person is as a physician. I have the letters WebMD after my name and I’m working on adding Mayo Clinic as well. Who’s the better doctor now, M.D.?

While I continue to combat my aforementioned diseases and disorders, have a great holiday season and a wonderful winter, and please, whatever you do, don’t become a hypochondriac.

I’ve heard it’s terrible.

Heather Ward can be reached at hward@stoganews.com

Sophie Bodek/The SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

PAGE 9 THE SPOKE

OP/ED

Home(made) for the holidays

Emily Seeburger Columnist It’s Dec. 23, and you’re madly rushing around the King of Prussia Mall with thousands of other late shoppers, picking through what’s left of the Black Friday deals and holiday sales. You still need gifts for Mom, Dad and your cousins—so much shopping, so little time.

We’ve all been there. School gets hectic right before winter break.

You’re busy planning for a holiday party and boom! Just like that, the holidays creep up, and shopping for gifts seems to fall to the bottom of everyone’s to-do list. This year, instead of scrambling last minute for only halfthought-out material items, set aside a little bit of time—an afternoon, a weekend morning, whatever—and make some homemade gifts.

The beauty of a homemade gift is that it doesn’t need to be elaborate or complicated; it just needs to be thoughtful. A sentimental present always seems to mean a lot to the receiver, and it shows that the gift-giver really does care and pays attention to that person’s life. A cool gadget from

Brookstone or a gift card to the mall learned how to edit video in any of the might be nice, but is the thought really television classes, make a slideshow there? Thoughtfulness, especially in or video of memories. The options are the family, really does go a long way. endless.

Of course, what’s appropriate for As a high school student, I know I’m always watching how much one group of people in your life may not always work money I spend, especially with colfor the othlege right around the corner. Homeers. I’ve got made presents are cost-effective. the three The American Research groups Group estimates that an average covered American will spend upwards of for you: $854 on Christmas presents this friends, year. I don’t even have that family much in my bank and boyaccount. There’s friends/ something deepg i r l ly unsatisfying friends. about wasting your hardearned cash on something that you’re not completely happy with, especially if you’re giving that something to someone else.

At Conestoga, there are plenty of Sophie Bodek/The SPOKE ways to make this Family: Some of gift idea work. If you take Metals, try giving handmade jewelry. If you the best memories we share are with take Ceramics, pottery is awesome. family members, both immediate and If you’re in any of the photo classes, extended. Consider making a photo make a collage or perfect one stand- album with the best snapshots from a out image and frame it. If you take recent vacation or turning memories any of the cooking classes, compile into videos with music and effects. a “favorite recipes” book. If you’ve The goal is to capture something that

person loves or a memory they shared with you.

Friends: Unique earrings made in a Metals class or at a jewelry place are perfect. Make a mix CD, whether it be songs they love or something having to do with an inside joke. Play off the funny things that you share with your friends that no one else would understand. It’ll show true effort and thoughtfulness.

Boyfriends/Girlfriends: It’s no secret that girls are usually the sentimental ones, but a guy’s soft side might surprise you. Something as simple as a thoughtful, homemade card can speak volumes. Pay attention to the little things that make your other half tick and show you care Now, I’m not saying all storebought gifts are bad. Sometimes, you see something and it screams of someone you know and that’s perfectly okay. Maybe it’s something the other person really needs or great too. Just make sure whatever you’re giving this holiday season shows a lot of thought and meaning.

Often times, this thoughtfulness and care lies in the beauty of a homemade present.

Happy gift-giving, Conestoga!

Emily Seeburger can be reached at eseeburger@stoganews.com.

“Do you prefer homemade or storebought gifts?” “ I prefer homemade gifts because you put more thought into them and they’re more meaningful.”

-Freshman Celeste Leon

“Storebought gifts, probably— it’s just that not too many people make gifts anymore.”

-Sophomore Peter Brown

Report Card ’Stoga Big Give + Students unite in charitable school spirit - Number of different charities can be chaotic

Snow Days + Offer a much-needed repite from school week - Extra days get tacked on to summer vacation or spring break

Winter Break + Chance to relax and enjoy the holidays - Some teachers still assign homework

ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas + Healthy distraction from homework - Not-so-healthy impact on second marking period grades

Homemade Gifts + Show thoughtfulness and caring - Can be time-consuming

“ Homemade, because I really “pass Nothing could possibly surdon’t need any more materialthe beauty and value of istic stuff. Homemade presents are always made with genuine care.”

-Junior George Stern

homemade gifts, handcrafted by those you love.”

-Senior Neha Nataraj

New Year’s Resolutions + Bring hope for a bright new year - Resolutions usually don’t last past February

PAGE 10 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

OP/ED

Asian stereotypes limit individual potential offensive and a mistake to remark, Even positive stereotypes such as Asians being “smart” prove detrimental. No matter what the implication, assigning someone a character trait simply based on race pigeon-

YingYing Shang Columnist

holes his or her potential and creates a pre-set mold that every AsianAmerican is compared to and forced to live up to.

Furthermore, equating “smart” and “Asian” devalues the academic accomplishments and hard work of the individual, simply and wrongly

or her ethnic background. As long as stereotypes exist, whether positive or negative, Asian-Americans face a lose-lose situation, with their successes seen as undeserved fruits of being from East Asia and their weaknesses seen as failures. fail” now connotes a disappointing grade that is good by “ordinary” standards, implying that AsianAmericans have a uniformly impossible bar for academic achievement.

Yet each student sets different personal benchmarks, no matter what ethnicity they are. Use of the phrase “Asian fail,” perpetuates the idea that Asian-Americans are all the same as a collective, ignoring the true diversity of a population.

Racial discrimination towards Asian-Americans is very real, with a long history to its name, from the internment of Japanese-Americans

Nerdy. Socially awkward. Adores manga and K-pop. Unathletic. Gets upset over a B on a test. Strict parents.

But not necessarily Asian.

Yet somehow, at Conestoga, the word “Asian” has morphed to connote all of the traits listed above, in addition to an Oriental background that excludes South Asians and Pa“Asian fail” have somehow become socially acceptable and widely understood phrases, for Asians and

Exclusion Act, which exclusively barred Chinese immigrants from

escaped our collective notice that this is racial stereotyping—offensive, discriminatory and harmful to our school atmosphere.

Racial stereotyping, or generalizing a set image to a diverse group of people, is clearly unacceptable

Maggie Chen/

SPOKE

“model minority” status assigned to Asian-Americans has led to higher rates of stress, depression, mental illnesses and suicides, in addition to the

“bamboo ceiling” of racial discrimination still present in the workplace.

Conestoga is 12.2 percent AsianAmerican, a very real minority population that deserves the same respect as African-Americans, Latinos or any other minority group. We must be more aware of the racial language we use. Even if you are Asian-American yourself, making such remarks in passing conveys to others that such behavior and language is acceptable.

No matter what ethnicity you are, we must be careful not to generalize a set of characteristics to something as diverse as a continent of four billion people and an American social group of 18 million.

You failed by your standards, not slightly socially awkward, because Asian. As a high school, a place of tolerance and respect that fosters the growth of students during an important coming-of-age, we must allow students to discover their personal identities—free from racial stereotypes.

YingYing Shang can be reached at yshang@stoganews.com.

Take back winter break in three easy steps!

James Redmond Columnist Hey, you! Young, impressionable consumer! Winter blues got you down? Need to decompress and escape from all that holiday shopping stress? Redress this psychological mess with our new best-selling self-empowerment Winter Break!”

For twelve easy payments of $19.95 (plus processing, handling and your eternal soul), our DVDs will make the biggest stresses of the season disappear like magic.

You can start by ordering our program for anyone for whom be chilling like Santa Claus on HERE to see those three easy

steps toward taking back winter break.

Step 1: Make it your gathering!

Family gatherings are a staple of the season, but one must be wary—undercurrents of undesirable pressure can rise to the surface and wreak havoc with little to no warning. For example, questions like “Where are you going for college?” or “So what do you plan to do with the rest of your entire life?” can make it

ing the otherwise warm character of what should be a time of relax-

plum pudding.

seem a stressful proposition, but remember: you have lived with these people for years. Put what you have learned from your history of heckling to good use!

Our program will give you the poise to exploit weaknesses such as fear of snakes or a pile of work general gullibility Maggie Chen/ SPOKE in order to win the thing, it can argument and end it hang over you like for the sake of the common good, some kind of evil parade balloon.

comfortable, the best approach is denial. Make it your gathering!

Answer the question you wish

all those long nights of notetaking pay off—launch into an unprompted tirade on the impact the mashed potatoes.

Step 2: Win all the arguments!

Often times, the return of siblings and other family members will reopen old wounds, darken-

save your family from a slew of unsettled disputes is to w i n all of t h e a rg u m e n t s yourself.

to use the car (hint: the correct answer is you).

Step 3: Red i s tribute responsibilities! final stressor we will deal with i s work. almost inevitable that some teacher or other adult will give you something you need to do over the break,

twofold: motivation and rationalmanage to do something, go for it, especially if it means taking a break from some other stressful homework as an excuse not to do other inconvenient things. Our program will teach you to follow in the great tradition of responSawyer and Ferris Bueller.

As the creator of this program,

allowed winter break to pass me

Break,” so can you! your salad forks and anything we will have our sacred winter hibernation! Act now, Conestoga, while supplies last!

James Redmond can be reached at jredmond@stoganews.com.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

PAGE 11 THE SPOKE

OP/ED

Food regulations step in right direction but one would underestimate the

attacked, instead of praised, for

or in school, then where are they supposed to learn? ing at such an alarming rate, the government has three mist reported in

Allison Kozeracki Op/Ed Editor As far back as Louisa Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams, First Ladies have taken up causes to advocate while their husbands

In 2010, Sarah Palin brought sugar cookies to a Pennsylvania school in protest of proposed guidelines that would limit the amount of sweets allowed in classroom parties—the “nanny

7 percent in 1980 to nearly 20 And for Michelle Obama, it’s percentage of obese adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5 percent to 18 percent over under fire for her Let’s Move campaign to raise a healthier generation of kids—for having the audacity to suggest our kids One would think that obesity is a problem politicians on both sides of the aisle could agree on,

Maher, people like Sarah Palin fail to see “the difference between freedom and the freedom to never

to limit choice, but to make i t e a s i e r t o ing a growing problem, not trying make healthy to run free market capitalism into still allowed to

Call me crazy, but I believe it is possible to enjoy a capitalistic

sentially the same foods, but there are more Obama isn’t going to come to your house and make you eat

is to charge ing overweight, as Japan has done

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the percentage of obese children aged six to 11

etables, baked french fries and the restaurants and, more recently, banning the sale of large sodas

penalties on companies

ried about the

Fortunately, we have seen the third approach take effect right here at

lion price tag in children’s health from the red tape t h i s e c o n o m y, entangling businesses—because consider this: it shouldn’t even be a politically the Institute of Medicine reckons I know that baked french fries and calorie counts aren’t going to nesses cost America $190 don’t negate the fact that we need Medicare reform and a host of

sage of the Healthy,

also stirred up controversy

third option is to meet in the middle, tions more accessible and

Act brought more posed to healthy snacks at home

Maggie Chen/

cies such as posting of Allison Kozeracki can be reached calorie counts on menus in chain at akozeracki@stoganews.com.

Opportunites abound as internship approaches choose a major, and 50 percent of college students change their

one month may not be enough to students have yet to you want to be a doctor, contact

a senior, right n o w is the time to figure out what you think you want to

you want to manage sports teams, set up an internship

Jenna Spoont Managing Editor When we were little, we dreamt of becoming rock stars,

tion, I met Univision anchor

design clothes for Anthropologie, call up the headquarters

dream you have always had no longer interests you, it just narrows

sion television studio while I was sightseeing and sat in on the five Jimenez’s enthusiasm and passion for her career, I became more excited and devoted to pursuing So don’t waste any time if

cians and of course, princes and experience, I have decking ourselves out in leather jackets, space helmets and royal ers, we have to realize that we’re almost grown up, and we will have to make the decision of what career we would like to pursue of you when you were a kid that told you what you dreamt of nior Internship gives seniors one month off from school to shadow a professional and to pursue those

stressed about college, a career or even finishing high school, let me fill you in on what Jimenez told me in

sionals love to see curious high school students because we are the fresh minds who will soon run Seniors, you have about five months until you start your

down

five months to think about your

plete your journey through high school, bask in the opportunities that come your way; you really never know who you will meet

plication deadlines approach, use have no clue about what you want to do in the future, that’s okay,

Callum Backstrom/

When I was in San Antonio

“We all want the r i g h t thing in our lives, but to get it right, we might have to you’re stressed about something,

Jenna Spoont can be reached at jspoont@stoganews.com.

Features WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

Students take pride in collecting items, preserving memories Patrick Nicholson Staff Reporter Autographed pictures. Presidential chocolates. An Air Force One jacket. A White House hand towel.

For most people, obtaining any single one of these items would be an impressive feat. For sophomore Andrew McKeough, however, these items consist of a mere fraction of his entire collection.

Since middle school, McKeough has been collecting various items of presidential memorabilia, ranging from presidential letters to Oval be displayed at libraries and schools around the district. items in the collection, and about a quarter of the collection is traveling around the district,” McKeough said. featured at Valley Forge Middle School, the Conestoga library and the Tredyffrin and Easttown libraries.

Obtaining such a large and valuable collection was not easy—McKe-

when you look at the covers, and In total, Borofsky says she has them. However, Borofsky feels that learning to create her own patterns would allow her to make an even wider variety of clothing. period, and I dream about getting a want to learn to make patterns, that way I could make one,” Borofsky said. knives are more than just collectinspired him to start his collection, still brings his knives with him on his monthly camping trips.

“I bring two or three on a campout,” Edgarton said. “I sharpen them a lot, because they always get dull from me using them, cutting up

sticks.” the White House helped him build his collection. However, McKeough obtained his most prized items in his collection from the President himself.

-Senior Juliana Suplee President Obama “has For Edgarton, pocket knives are written me two letters. One time he just wrote me because my cousin, appealing collectibles because of [who works in the state department], their many uses and unique designs. asked if he would. The second time, he heard about the relief efforts I was personality. Some are very tight and doing for Bascome Fire Relief, and he wrote me a letter commending slide right open. Some of them are me on my efforts,” McKeough said. more useful, some are rugged, and others are just to show off,” Edgarton said. collection were not hard to obtain, Borofsky collects sewing patterns, sion for knives. Since she was 8 and for the past year she has been years old, Suplee has been collecting using them to create various articles Playbills from the various theater - productions she has attended. She says her passion for theater led her terns are her vintage ones.

“I got these vintage ones online, to start collecting.

“I collect because I love theater, said. “Vintage patterns are beautiful and I think collecting makes me love

Jenna Spoont/The SPOKE HS_Newsof(4.125 x 5.843).4_Layout 1 10/23/12 4:57 PM Page81years old, and Senior Juliana Suplee shows off her collection Playbills.

She has collected them since she was saves them from the various productions she has attended. Her passion for theater led her to start collecting.

theater more,” Suplee said. “I guess Playbills are like what baseball cards to have every Playbill there is, but memento I like to hold on to.”

“I collect because I love theater, and I think collecting makes me love theater more.”

Broadway Playbills, many of which contain autographs from cast members. These Playbills serve as keepsakes that preserve the memories ences.

“The ‘Beauty and the

one of my favorite ones, because it plee said. “I was 8, and I got Christy that was really cool.”

Unlike Suplee, McKeough said he values and cherishes his collection mostly because of the rarity of the items. saying you have an invitation for lunch with the President or one to one-of-a-kind piece that no one else Patrick Nicholson can be reached at pnicholson@stoganews.com.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

PAGE 15 THE SPOKE

FEATURES

’Stoga students chosen to work on statewide literary magazine David Kramer Staff Reporter The creativity that juniors Katherine Dautrich, Annie Xu and Manasvi Ramanujam have exhibited in Conestoga’s literary magazine, The Folio, has recently been recognized at a statewide level. These students have been given the chance to share their love for poetry, short stories, photography, drawings and other forms of visual art with members of other Pennsylvania literary magazines.

The Pa. Literary Magazine literary magazine (lit. mag.) and critiques pieces submitted by high school students all over the state.

In addition to being a resource for ideas, the PALM is a medium for students to have their creative works published. It is currently working with 15 high schools from all across Pa. and has 18 members.

“I thought it was very honorable to be accepted [by the PALM] because I think it could really create something that would mean a lot,” Xu said.

Currently Dautrich, Xu and Ramanujam are responsible for

reviewing submissions from other high schools in Pennsylvania and rating them on a scale of 30 to 50.

“I think it’s really nice to see all the different pieces,” Xu said.

“They’re very diverse in nature, and it’s nice to be exposed to all of these different types of writing.”

Dautrich is the literary editor for The Folio. She sees her work for the PALM as an opportunity to discover ways to improve her writing.

“It’s great to be able to look at [submissions] and see some of the amazing things [students are] comincorporate some of those things into Conestoga’s lit. mag.,” Dautrich said.

Literary Magazine adviser Ben Smith describes The Folio as taking a “creative snapshot of creative students.” He feels that lit. mags. a canvas for students to express themselves.

“I think [the PALM is] a great idea,” Smith said. “I hope it brings more attention to the literary magazine in general, as a form.”

Theodore Caputi, the founder of PALM and a senior at Council Rock North High School, founded

Suproteem Sarkar/The SPOKE

Juniors (from left) Manasvi Ramanjam, Annie Xu and (front) Katherine Dautrich work on their submissions to the his school’s lit. mag. with the hope of promoting positive youth development.

“In tenth grade, I thought [that] an excellent way for kids to relieve some of the peer pressure that’s around them and grease up the gears of teenage angst was to have a literary magazine where kids could express themselves,” Caputi said.

Caputi came up with the idea for the PALM last year, and it is now a

project of the Pennsylvania School Press Association. In September, staff members began sharing, categorizing and critiquing submissions.

Copies of the PALM will be available online for purchase sometime after January.

“These kids don’t know each other personally, but they are able to share ideas through the Internet and the resources that we have,” Caputi said.

Ramanujam believes that critiquing other students’ work opens her eyes to many different talents and passions and helps her appreciate other lit. mags. other than The Folio.

“Knowing that a lot of people are like me and have that same great passion for creative writing is really

of a sense of community within the schools. At Conestoga, we’re the ‘grown-ups,’ the ‘big-kids,’ so elementary school kids look up to us,” Hallman said. “We don’t have very much interaction [with the younger kids]. As far as an academic and science-related [interaction], we don’t have any.”

Hallman’s physics students

the elementary school children will understand. “[When answering the outer space question], I started with [describing] a vacuum, and the kids were like, ‘vacuum?’ They’re thinking of a vacuum cleaner. You have to

they ask really nice questions, and there’s been a really great exchange between the two groups,” Hallman said.

Junior Emer Ryle, another participant in the pen pal exchange, believes that the interaction between the two age groups allows ’Stoga students to think about topics from a new point of view.

The “program gives younger students an opportunity to see older students and interact with them, but it also puts [’Stoga students] in the real world and [gives] us an outside perspective,” Ryle said.

Mohajeri also feels that it is important for students of varying ages within the district to continue to communicate about science and other subjects.

“We’re all part of the same community and should be able to learn from each other,” Mohajeri said.

As high school students, “we’ve already been through the stages [the elementary school students will] be going through, and we can guide them in the right direction.”

David Kramer can be reached at

Physics students give pen pal program stamp of approval

Jenna Spoont/The SPOKE

Seniors (from left) James Kwak, Dean DelloBuono, Caroline McGinnis, Kelly Irvine, Carly Chidester and Maggie MacDonald and (front) Aidan Martorana in Lydia Hallman’s seventh period Accelerated Physics class

Isha Damle Staff Reporter Laid out across physics teacher Lydia Hallman’s desk are bright, colorful drawings. On the back of the drawings are short letters written in large, messy handwritting from Elementary School addressed to the

physics classes.

The letters are part of a pen pal exchange program that Hallman and Kardasis initiated. According to Hallman, the idea was formed when she and Kardasis were at a science standing committee meeting.

“We’re trying to establish more

sent their pen pals one letter each.

Through these letters, they introduced themselves and discussed their personal interests. Each of Hallman’s physics classes is paired with a class at the elementary school.

Hallman’s students have also used Skype to communicate with their respective classes. The Skype topics, including “Why are bubbles round?”, “Why is the sky blue?”, and “Why is outer space black?”

According to Hallman, the most challenging aspect of interacting their questions, which Hallman discusses with her students ahead of time, in terms and vocabulary that

level. [My students aren’t] used to it, and it’s pretty challenging,” Hallman said.

Physics student senior Aida Mohajeri enjoyed the Skype interaction.

According to Mohajeri, the interaction made the pen pal program a things they were curious about answered, and we were all happy to help out,” Mohajeri said. “It was great that we had a face-to-face interaction too, because it was more personal that way after we had already written the letters.”

Hallman thinks that the pen pals from the experience.

“Most of my physics classes are seniors, and they don’t realize just how much they know [about sci-

Isha Damle can be reached at be surprised by how smart they are;

PAGE 16 THE SPOKE

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

Hallway soundtrack: students strum instruments in school Sophia Ponte Staff Reporter The music wing is not the only place where a passion for music can be found. The same love for music pervades throughout the school as several chords from senior Caroline McMillan’s ukulele drift through the hallways. Out in the courtyard on a nice day, the sounds of sophomore Sean Sweetwood’s ukulele mingle with the chatter and laughter of conversation.

Sweetwood and McMillan are equipped all day with their instruments and are prepared to strum some chords at any moment’s notice.

“I got a ukulele the spring of my sophomore year because I thought it looked cool, and I taught myself some chords from online,” McMillan said.

“Sometimes I would go out and sit under the tree in the small courtyard and play with my friends, and sometimes I bring it to lunch when it’s a nice day and everyone’s outside.”

The ukulele is not the only instrument that McMillan knows how to play. She plays the trumpet for the school marching band and she also plays the guitar. Although she plays at home whenever she has spare time, McMillan most enjoys playing the

ukulele at school. When she forgets to bring her ukulele from home, she borrows one from the music department and plays it during her free periods.

“I play [around school] because it’s fun to do,” McMillan said. “It’s also a distraction from the stress of everyday life and high school.”

Sweetwood agrees that playing an instrument helps alleviate the stress of the tense school environment.

“School is a stressful environment, so playing music is kind of a fun thing to do during a free period,” Sweetwood said. “I’ve always been interested in music and I’ve been playing music for a really long time, so it’s just something that I like to do.”

Sweetwood taught himself how to play the ukulele last summer. He also plays the guitar, bass, violin and melodica, in addition to playing clarinet in the marching band.

Sweetwood and McMillan often play their instruments together with their friends. McMillan says that she likes to play guitar or ukulele while her friends sing, and Sweetwood enjoys playing with friends who also play the ukulele. Sweetwood recently started a new club called Jam Club.

During meetings, members gather to play music together.

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

Sophomore Sean Sweetwood and senior Caroline McMillan enjoy carrying their ukuleles with them through the hallways. They believe that the sounds of their instruments help alleviate the stress of the school environment. sounds of the ukuleles in the halls to Sweetwood said that some teach- and it brings happiness to everyone be distracting. McMillan said that ers have asked him to play outside in around him, including me.” she used to bring her ukulele to her the courtyard instead of in the halls Although some question their calculus class until she received an because of the distraction. While music, McMillan and Sweetwood angry text message from a classmate some people think the music is still spend time playing and practicregarding the music. disruptive, senior Carly Martin, one ing with their friends and truly enjoy “Sometimes I’m asked why I have of Sweetwood’s friends, enjoys jam- it whenever they do. a ukulele or why I have a guitar, but ming out with him and other friends.

“I enjoy playing music because one time this senior who sat in front “I think it’s awesome—it’s it makes us happy,” McMillan said. of me hated my ukulele,” McMillan [Sweetwood’s way of] expressing said. “I kept on bringing it to class, himself through music,” Martin said. Sophia Ponte can be reached at but I didn’t play it there anymore.”

“The ukulele is a joyful instrument, sponte@stoganews.com.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

favorites song: “I Need You to Turn to” by Elton John movie: “Sixteen Candles”

food: Pizza,

but not from around here. From Northeastern Pennsylvania

book: “Frog and Toad are Friends”

by Arnold Lobel art museum: The Guggenheim Museum in New York City

quote: “Before we set our hearts too much upon anything, let us examine how happy are those who already possess it.” - François de La Rochefoucauld

PAGE 17 THE SPOKE

FEATURES

Leanne Argonish Studio Art I, III, IV

an d AP

The Spoke (T.S.): What is your favo rite thing pick on about teaching art? e piece of art to have everyone appreciat Leanne Argonish wh at e, wo uld it be?

(L.A.): The creativ ity that L.A.: Ce I get to inspire in and exploring optio zanne’s “Bathers.” my students, watch ns.

People do enjoy it ing their the Phila growth and watch at delphia Museum of ing them explore Ar their emo- this wo t. [I like] the idea of tions through art.

T.S.: Do you belie nderful enlightened ve that everyone is space, pure enjoym almost a heavenly an artist? en t, L. A.: I don’t believe sp ot . everyone is an artis T.S.: How long ha t. Everyone has the ability ve you been teachin to improve in techn g art?

L.A.: Since 1999.

T. S. : ica W and build creative l skill hat is your favorite I’ve been here sin problem solving. I period in art history ce 2001. L.A.: M Previous to that I wouldn’t ? always describe odern art. I really th [taught] at East Hi myself as an artist ink that the artists gh School that tim in West Chester and in the past. I of e period, early mod Hillside Elementar ern art, put themselv y School, out ther and for four years du es of e in in ter a ring summers I taugh new and edgy way esting because som to be judged criti- op e people differ with t at the Chester County Ar that inion, but I’m an ar t Association. t teacher before an artist.

T.S.: What is the ha T.S.: What is your T.S.: Why are you pa rdest thing about tea favorite place to tak ssionate about phot ching art? graphs?

L.A.: Balancing all e photo- L.A.: It all ography? of my students’ in ows others to be wo dividual L.A.: Whe interests and needs we d by wh at I am wo wed by. It makes pe rever my children ar and getting to know ople stop and think, e. If I had to pick a my stu- place with dents in such a shor wh and out them, it would ha ether it’s photograph t period of time. ve to be Longwood y or another mediu Gardens. They ha m a wa , it’s y of capturing emotio ve great art installa n and forcing others T.S.: If you could tions and appreciat beautiful landscape to have dinner with e it in some way. s. any three artists, who would they be?

L.A.: [Paul] Cezann T.S.: On what vaca T.S.: When did yo e, Andy Warhol an tion did you take th u decide to be an ar d my art- tographs ist friend Brian Ba e best pho- L.A.: W t teacher? ? ily. I think Brian wo hen I was about 6. ul d I carry the conversa lo he ok lp ed L. up A. to my art : Be teachers very much. st memory-wise wo tion, and we’ve kn It was something ea uld be when [my hu own each band an other for many year srly on I wa d I] went to Europe be s encouraged [to be s, so we could play fore we had childre ]. well off but there of one another in th n, we re no digital camer e co as at the time, so T. to ask Cezanne abou nversation. I would like S.: If you weren’t t his use of color an an art teacher, wh d what my favorit made him excited at could you see yourself be e. about working on ing? the same subject matter over L.A.: A graphic de and over again. An signer, or a photog d for War- T.S.: W hol, I would ask ab rapher or hy is art important out his feelings [on] in lif e? po culture and media pular L.A.: It’s in an d today and how he ar ter t ed es tin uc ati g [that] our district on. feels it has right no impacted art. initiative w is creativity. Ul tim ate ly, in any aspect T.S.: W of your future, crea hat are your hobbies tivity will play a ro T.S.: What is your ? le in your L.A.: Bike de ci sio nm ak favorite art medium ing, your outlook riding, doing anythi , your approach te to use? to problem L.A.: Photography. ng with my daughrs, my daughters’ s and production of I’ve been teaching sports and activiti positive solutions. fre it for so Whether it’ many years. But I re es. I do elance graphic desig s the visual media, ally do love workin the written word, or n work, but I do it fo g in col- just everyd lage, watercolor an r free. ay life problems, I d charcoal. think creativity is es sential, and studyin In ter vi ew by g art and creating art Natalie West, Featu T. S. : If yo u co ul forces you res Editor to go through the d pro-

PAGE 18 THE SPOKE

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

Behind the broom: custodians remember their roots Claire Moran Staff Reporter It’s a snowy Tuesday in November and Herman “Tank” Tyler sits

Karolis Panavas/The

Conestoga maintenance supervisor Herman Tyler takes phone calls at his desk. His job entails overseeing the custodians and assisting with crossing guards and district security. Tyler says he arrives at school at 4 a.m. every morning and works hard to make the school safer for the students. member of the basketball, football, we’re asked or that we see that

up to an hour after their shift was supposed to end to help with the “Wide-eyed, wet-behind-theworld: it was an eye-opener, I’ll “tired” of the pizza business and I make it better and safer for the into the pizza business is a possibil-

Ryan works a day shift from Claire Moran can be reached at cmoran@stoganews.com.

very different from his one at the

“You’re the boss, you have to be

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

FEATURES

PAGE 19 THE SPOKE

Camera ready: teen models face advantages, disadvantages

Emily Klein Staff Reporter Step one: get recruited. Junior Jenny Larkin happened upon this crucial step to becoming a teen model as she was passing through the King of Prussia Mall March of her sophomore year.

Step two: sign a contract. Larkin recently signed a modeling contract with Vision Modeling, an agency based out of Los Angeles.

Step three: maintain model requirements. This is perhaps the “My least favorite time is having to eat really healthy and working out all the time to maintain everything,” Larkin said.

Larkin’s road to modeling is not the only path taken by Conestoga’s teen models. Senior Juliane McCue’s modeling career began with an interest in acting, which led her to “open call” auditions and a pageant. Today McCue maintains a contract with Reinhard Modeling in Philadelphia, in addition to one with an agency based out of Denver.

“On the side, I did a litte [photo] shoot with Polka Dots Boutique in Paoli,” Larkin said.

The pressures that young mod-

els face, including maintaining a certain size, facing harsh stereotypes and devoting great amounts time to their work, suggest that modeling can be a stressful profession.

In the fashion industry, the average female model is a minimum of between 108 and 125 pounds. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a teen inches and weighs 108 pounds is underweight.

McCue feels more affected by the so-called “model persona.” She of models by explaining that many of the models she knows are in school or are young women who are working hard to earn a living.

“Some of the girls I work with, they’re really smart. They’re studying for their school. One of the girls was going into medical school,” McCue said. “A lot of them have a lot going for them.”

Along with the stress of various stereotypes, the large amount of time that McCue has devoted to her modeling job can affect her high school life negatively. McCue was forced to miss the homecoming dance during her sophomore year

Senior Juliane McCue enjoys having a part-time job as a teen model. McCue began modeling by attending “open call” auditions and a pageant. She has a contract with Reinhard Modeling in Philadelphia. because of a modeling show that awhile because it’s something that now, Conestoga’s teen models plan was scheduled for the same night. I’m really interested in and it’s fun, on enjoying their part-time jobs.

“It’s a commitment, and it’s but I don’t plan on doing that for “Getting in front of the camera [is fun because] you can kind of the rest of my life,” Larkin said. worth it,” McCue said.

Larkin would one day like to just be yourself,” Larkin said.

Despite the pressures they face, channel her interests in fashion modeling provides these Conestoga and modeling into opening her Larkin said. students with jobs that they enjoy, own boutique. McCue spoke of at least for the time being. perhaps trying out the other side of Emily Klein can be reached at “I really want to model for the camera as a photographer. For eklein@stoganews.com.

“In my proposal for the club I basically said that our goal is to let the students of Conestoga walk out of our doors feeling comfortable, knowing that they have the ability to get a job,” Yasgur said. “I feel as if we learn a lot of things in school, and I understand why we learn them, but they’re not practical. When am I ever going to need to know about the Kansas-Nebraska Act, right?”

Yasgur said that she has never had a job and therefore has never gone through the hiring process.

Because of her limited authority on the subject, her strategy is to bring in business professionals and experts to present to her club.

Goltz attended the first three meetings to lend her expertise while the club got on its feet and developed a routine base of members. On Dec. 7, two Robert Half employees gave a presentation on business etiquette. Like QUAD656, Robert Half is a staffing firm but it is much larger with more than 350 locations around the world.

Robert Half representatives

Stacey Machalette and Blake Mammuth spoke briefly to the 21 attendees about communications etiquette in the business world and gave their audience tips for the college or job application process.

“Remember that you’re talking about yourself,” Machalette said.

“Not your dog, not your mom. It’s about you and what makes you special and the best candidate for the job, so what you’re trying to do is present yourself in the best possible light.”

She described the “One, Two, Three Column Method” as the best way to prepare for an interview. The first column is for students to list everything they’ve ever done, and the second column describes how much time they spent participating in each activity. The third column defines all personal accomplishments within the activity.

Junior Natalie Purinton says that she learned many useful tips about preparing for and making a good impression during an interview.

Zach Lowry/The SPOKE

Interview Club prepares job applicants, college-bound students

Kelly Benning Staff Reporter Members of the newly-created Interview Club are all familiar with the song “Money Can’t Buy You Class” by Countess LuAnn, featured on the show “The Real Housewives.” The song serves as the club’s theme song and is played at the beginning of the club’s monthly meetings.

“We say money can’t buy you class, only a good interview can buy you class,” said junior Chelsea Yasgur, founder and president of the newly created Interview Club.

Yasgur was inspired to start the Interview Club last year over spring break. Her mother, Randi Goltz, runs the company QUAD656, a staffing firm that specializes in helping people through the hiring process. Goltz suggested that Yasgur start a club to help students learn how to give a good interview, noting that it is a crucial component of both the college application process and the hiring process.

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

Robert Half representatives Blake Mammuth and Stacey Machalette and junior Chelsea Yasgur give students tips about college and job interviews during an Interview Club meeting.

“You shouldn’t have extreme and believes it will help him durjewelry or makeup,” Purinton ing his college search. said. “You shouldn’t be chewing “Etiquette can be really gengum [and] you should always eral, but because [Machalette and make eye contact. Make sure Mammuth] have brought in difyou inform yourself about the ferent staffing firms, we’ve really company [you are interviewing learned a lot of specifics and I’ve with] before you go in so you compounded my knowledge,” don’t ask stupid questions. You Miller said. should look classy.”

Sophomore Christian Miller Kelly Benning can be reached at appreciated their input and advice kbenning@stoganews.com.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012 The Goruck Challenge

START

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drive to pa rticipate in the run?

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Would you rather run or walk?

Find Your Fun Run

—

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Sports With the winter months quickly approaching, many

Liberty Bell 5K Running Tour

Maddie Amsterdam and Abby Pioch, Sports Editors Graphic by Callum Backstrom wa

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Date: Dec. 29 at 8:30 a.m.

Location: The Liberty Bell Center, 600 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, Pa. : City Running Tours Distance: 5K run Description: This guided 5K run takes participants through historic Old City past the Liberty Bell, through Washington Square and along the Delaware Riverfront before ending near the Christ Church burial ground and Benjamin Franklin’s grave.

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Date: Jan. 12, 2013 at 1 a.m. or 10 p.m.

Location: Philadelphia Art Museum : Green Beret Foundation Distance: 15-20 miles Description: This adventure run is an 8-10 hour challenge led by a Special Operations Cadre. The challenges include a series of missions patterned after real military experiences.

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about climbing

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Art Museum/Rocky Steps Running Tour Date: Jan. 13 at 11 a.m.

Location: Philadelphia Runner 1601 Sansom Street Philadelphia, PA : City Running Tours Distance: 5.5 mile run, including climbing the “Rocky steps” of the Art Museum Description: This scenic run passes the Rodin Museum and the Barnes Collection and even gives participants a glimpse of the Schuylkill River before climbing the steps of the Museum of Art.

ky ou .

Chilly Willy Frostbite 4 Miler Date: Feb. 9 at 9 a.m.

Location: Camp Okanickon Medford, NJ : YMCA Camp Okanickon Distance: 4 miles Description: This race starts and ends at the Camp Ockanickon Main Hall. The run is partially on sand roads and public streets and will be held rain, snow or shine.

New Year’s Eve Run Date: Dec. 31 at 9 a.m.

Location: Upper Main Line YMCA, Berwyn : YMCA Distance: 5K Description: A scenic race through neighborhoods surrounding the Upper Main Line YMCA. This run encourages people to get a jumpstart on their New Year’s resolutions to get in shape and stay healthy for 2013.

FINISH

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

PAGE 21 THE SPOKE

SPORTS

Senior wrestlers pressed to lead team, lift up underclassmen Navin Zachariah Staff Reporter “One word to describe the team is young,” senior wrestling captain Joe Scuteri said.

More than half of the wrestling team this year is made up of sophomores and freshmen. While the team may have less upperclassmen strength than in previous years, Scuteri said that the team is still aiming to win the Central League title this year.

The team agrees that the only way to achieve this is with strong senior leadership.

“You can’t have a good season without great leadership. That is what the seniors need to show,” Scuteri said. “Although it will be tough to become motivators, I believe we can do it. It’s our turn now to run the team.”

Head coach Steve Harner believes that the seven seniors on the team have a big responsibility this year.

While it is important for them to keep up their individual performance, they also need to step forward and help the future leaders of the team.

“It’s important for the seniors to step forward and be the leaders that

we need and are looking for,” Harner said. “They need to help teach the young kids to be leaders as well. As leaders on a young team, they really need to increase the young kids’ interest in the sport.”

The seniors are not the only ones with a lot on their plate this season.

The younger wrestlers also have their work cut out for them. Sophomore Kevin Zhao believes that the underclassmen will need to step up.

“Younger wrestlers need to pick up the intensity this year and work a lot harder in order for us to have the kind of season that we want to have,” Zhao said.

Scuteri said that the sophomore

class this year made big contributions to the team last season, so there are high expectations for them this winter. The freshmen can also make a difference because they can do well in the lighter weight classes.

“It might take a little [while], but Scuteri said.

Senior captain Logan Kerin has high hopes for the underclassmen this season. He said that he notices improvements in them every day.

“I like what I have seen so far,” he said. “I have liked how they have come [to practice] wanting to work and wanting to learn. We just need them to keep up what they are doing now.”

Harner said he believes that this young team will eventually be successful.

“These young guys really need time to develop themselves,” he said.

“Our real concern will be how we are wrestling in February, not how we are wrestling in December. It’s not how you start, it’s how you end.”

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

Sophomore Matt Prestipino and senior Nick Johnson face off at an after school practice. The team is focusing on mentoring underclassmen this season because more than half of the team members are freshmen and sophomores.

Navin Zachariah can be reached at nzachariah@stoganews.com.

Girls basketball seniors foster friendship, set example Andy Backstrom Staff Reporter

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE

Seniors Trish Kovach, Ali Grundy and Mackenzie Orr have been playing basketball together since they were young. The three have used their bond to help guide the team to success.

With the music pounding and the crowd roaring, the girls’ basketball team huddles to discuss the game plan minutes before stepping out onto the court.

For seniors Mackenzie Orr, Ali Grundy and Trish Kovach, this has become a perfected routine.

After playing together since they were young girls, the three have created a relationship that has not only improved their teamwork on the court but has also made them better friends.

Orr and Grundy have known each other since fourth grade when they both played for the Paoli Wildcats, a local basketball league. Orr and Grundy met Kovach a few years later.

The girls have come to appreciate each other’s skills and the unique ways each one contributes to the team.

Grundy “has always been a little spitfire, really athletic and aggressive, and [Kovach] was really good at left-handed lay-ups when I met her,” Orr said.

Girls’ basketball coach John

Jones said that he thinks the girls’ friendship off the court is a good example of how positive team chemistry can affect a team’s play on the court.

“Being in school together and playing together is a good example of how they get along and interact,” Jones said. “It is a great example for the younger girls on the team to see.”

Grundy said that because the three girls have been playing together for so long and because they know their strengths and weaknesses so well, they have begun strategizing ways to improve their game even when they are not at practice.

“Even when we are just hanging out we are always talking

about ways to improve as a team and which systems and plays work better than others,” Grundy said.

Jones said that even though the three girls have been friends for so long, they always make sure to include everyone on the team so that all the girls can come together on the court.

Kovach, Orr and Grundy “are very welcoming to all players, even those who are on junior varsity and who they don’t spend as much time with,” Jones said. “I think they do a nice job of making everybody feel welcome and feel part of the team.”

Andy Backstrom can be reached at abackstrom@stoganews.com.

PAGE 22 THE SPOKE

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

SPORTS

Dear Santa: I want a new Eagles head coach Championship appearances and one Super Bowl in his 14 years. The rest of the franchise’s coaches combined have nine playoff wins in 65 years.

But seriously, Mr. Claus, have you watched this team? They’ve lost eight of their last nine games.

I know the team has been besieged

Stephane Hardinger Sports Columnist

opposition this year after doing so 14 times last year.

What makes it even worse, Mr. Kringle, is that Reid is also the team’s architect. He brought in colossal free agent

dinator position. After legendary Eagles

haven’t won a playoff game since, by the

Michael Vick, Lesean McCoy and gha for $60 million and signed the

tainly doesn’t help things.

Dear Santa, I think I’ve behaved myself pretty well this year. Staying out of tions before the deadlines. Anyway, I’m coming to you asking for one thing this Christmas. I’m asking that you see to it that Andy Reid

Reid has

plined, sloppy football. The defense has let wide receivers run open in the secondary all season long and line scheme has been an unmitigated disaster. At a key juncture in the fourth quarter against the Panthers, the defense jumped offside on three

ordinator roulette. He promoted

chael Vick to a $100 million extension based on

sive line coach Juan Castillo to the spot before

tainable

son. However, Reid used Castillo as a scapegoat after a collapse in Week

season, the defense has given up but one under his replacement, Todd Bowles. sibility at the podium, but actions speak louder than words. The las, are on Mr. Reid. Don’t you see it? He does need to do a better job.

And he needs to take responsibility assembled reporters. Well, Santa, I’m only asking you for one thing.

I’m asking you to amend that phrase slightly. Time’s up, Mr. Reid. At least, it should be.

SCOREBOARD Ice Hockey

Swimming

Boys

Basketball

Stephane Hardinger can be reached at shardinger@stoganews.com.

Losses Wins

Girls

Basketball

Sincerely, Stephane Hardinger

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Boys

Ice Hockey

his job.

The defense made major strides

they’ve taken it away from their

Wrestling

dictably

Girls

Callum Backstrom/The SPOKE

Boys

two years. The Eagles have turned

season and then watched

of play. He can’t coach players anymore, and he can’t pick them either.

Swimming

Wee teams with more discipline.

It hasn’t just been recently, either.

This team has been bad for almost two full years now. They’ve gone

Girls

your domain, but I don’t know who else to turn to.

I know that Andy Reid is the best coach in Eagles history. The statistics speak for themselves. He has the best win percentage and win total in franchise history along

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

PAGE 23 THE SPOKE

SPORTS

Athletes learn to deal with exercise-induced asthma Courtney Kennedy Staff Reporter When senior Brittany Bowers was 8 years old, one simple mistake nearly drowned her. Bowers forgot to take her asthma inhaler until right before she was supposed to swim in a 100 individual medley race. On the last leg of that race she suffered an asthma attack.

“I had to finish the race doggie paddling the rest of the way, constantly gasping for air because I couldn’t touch the bottom and no one could jump in and help me,” Bowers of the pool and was crying because I going to die.”

Bowers is not alone. She is one of more than 25 million Americans who suffer from asthma, a condition that causes more than two million emergency room visits each year, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Asthma is the most chronic health issue among athletes, from pee-wees to professionals.

Researchers at the University of Western Australia in Perth recently estimated that 8 percent of Olympic athletes suffer from exercise-induced asthma (EIA) in some form, showing that it is indeed a prevalent problem at all levels of athletics.

Exercise-induced asthma is caused by rapid breathing from running or exercising. Cells in the lungs then release mediators that can cause airways to constrict or narrow.

The body naturally releases hormones to counteract such mediators during exercise, but it is when exercise suddenly stops that athletes can suffer an attack.

“The classic attack occurs about five minutes after you’ve exerted yourself,” said Dr. Gregory Kane, a pulmonologist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. “It could be during a substitution period or it could be

Exercise-Induced Asthma (EIA) Timeline Symptoms begin 5-10 minutes after starting to exercise. makes it act up.”

In fact, weather and environment play an important factor. Asthma is often worse when the weather is colder, especially during late fall, winter and early spring.

“It seems that inhaling cold air matory cells to get activated, so the same degree of physical exertion is more likely to cause an asthma attack on a cold day than it is on a warm day,” Kane said. “If you were talking about an athlete who was an offensive player on the women’s soccer team, she would be more likely to have symptoms with the same degree of exertion in mid to late November than in the start of the season in August or September.”

Kane advises that the athlete take a short break if the attack occurs during a practice or game, but said that it is most important to treat asthma before the attack occurs.

“A simple step to take is to use a

— Stop Activity —

short-acting inhaler. There is a shortacting drug called albuterol. Use two puffs 15 minutes before you exercise.

That medicine will last about three or four hours. For many people who have exercise-induced asthma, that said. “You know your asthma is under good control when you don’t need your short-acting inhaler more than twice per week.”

In addition to treatments like short-acting inhalers, Seedor said that she manages her asthma by increasing her own endurance and stamina.

“The only way to get past it is to just get in better shape,” Seedor workouts and just run a lot, but the best way to keep ahead of it is to just keep in shape more. You have to think about it more than people who don’t have asthma.”

Kane said that while asthma can negatively impact athletes, it should never force them to avoid any sport, as long as they stay in close contact

Symptoms peak 5-10 minutes after ending exercise.

with their doctor and control the asthma with medicine and hard work.

“I would never encourage anybody to avoid any activity, any exercise or any sport,” Kane said.

“What I would advise is that they be proactive. They should seek their doctor’s advice, learn how to take their medications so they can compete

Symptoms may take an hour or longer to end.

without limitations or symptoms, and work with their doctor to achieve their goals. For most athletes with asthma, if they take their medications regularly they can perform at 100 percent of their expectations.”

Courtney Kennedy can be reached at ckennedy@stoganews.com.

Sports that are more likely to trigger EIA: Soccer Basketball Long-distance running Cross-country skiing Hockey

Activities that are less likely to trigger EIA: Swimming Walking Leisure biking Hiking

Graphic: Anisa Tavangar/The SPOKE

WALK A SERENE DINING PATH INTO A TRUE

transition from offense to defense, when you are no longer running or exerting yourself really hard.”

Although asthma affects athletes of all types and sports, certain sports are more likely to cause an exerciseinduced attack. Sports like soccer, and swimming, which require endurance and hard breathing can be worse for asthmatics. aggravate my asthma,” senior Lauren Seedor said. “I have kind of gotten over mine just by running constantly,

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VOLUME 63, NO. 3

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2012

Learn more about local fun runs See p. 20

INSIDE

Seniors guide underclassman wrestlers See p. 21

Powering forward Girls basketball starts season off strongly See p. 21

Senior Trish Kovach shoots during a basketball game against Radnor on Dec. 12. The girls came out on top after going into overtime play with a score of 53-46.

Karolis Panavas/The SPOKE