The Spoke December 2019/20 by The Spoke

Renovation and expansion approved

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Conestoga High School, Berwyn, PA 19312

Volume 70 No. 3

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Parents organize christmas Market

Sophomore runs half-marathon page 10

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Spoke.news

Seniors compete in redistricting contest Kate Phillips Staff Reporter

Alex Gurski/The SPOKE

Consciously consuming: Senior Amelia Thibault serves a customer a cappucino at Starbucks. On Thanksgiving night, chaos and rushing customers characterized her Starbucks shift.

consumer culture By Ananya Kulkarni and Hyunjin Lee

Sports Editor & Co-T/E Life Editor The Spoke surveyed ten homerooms regarding their holiday shopping habits, separated by grade level and chosen randomly. In total, The Spoke collected 198 responses. The day after Thanksgiving, sophomore Emily Burgess woke up at around 5 a.m. to shop with her friend Bridget Davidson and sister Leigh at the KOP mall.

“We got coffee and food and arrived at KOP at 5:50. We shopped until 8, but we were so tired. After going to more stores to buy clothes and presents for our families, we got picked up at 10 and I went right to bed,” Burgess said. According to CNBC, this Black Friday marked the biggest sales day ever recorded and second largest day in sales for Cyber Monday, with Black Friday shoppers spending $7.4 billion just online. In fact, according to the Wall Street Journal, Black Friday drew more online sales than Cyber Monday this year, with overall sales coming up by 16% from last year over the 5-day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. At Conesto-

Examining the rise of consumerism during the holiday season

ga, 44% of surveyed students shopped on Black Friday this year and 47% shopped on Cyber Monday. The consumer focus in our society today has driven more and more businesses and stores to market holiday products earlier, even as early as before Thanksgiving. According to KOP mall’s customer service center, KOP began putting up the holiday decorations well before Halloween, to ensure that all the decorations could be up in time for the holiday shopping season. The earlier appearances of holiday items and decorations in stores can be described by the term, “Christmas Creep,” which is a merchandising phenomenon

first introduced in the mid1980s. Like Burgess, junior Yasmeen Tayea also decided to take a Black Friday shopping trip at the KOP mall on Nov. 29. “Around 2 p.m., I stopped by the Apple store to look for a new phone, but it was so crowded and everyone seemed so busy,” Tayea said. While Tayea experienced one end of the spectrum of congested malls on Black Friday, senior Amelia Thibault was on the other side of the register as she spent her Thanksgiving night, now commonly considered as the beginning of Black Friday, working at Starbucks. “A lot of mornings at Starbucks are pretty chaotic but

on Black Friday, it was a lot of families, so every order was more than one drink and people were more in a hurry so they weren’t as patient as they usually are,” Thibault said. “But it was a mixed bag on both ends of the spectrum, some people being really nice or people being a little rude.” Congested malls and long lines are just a part of the consumer culture that has worked its way into the holiday season in recent years. The gift-giving tradition has reached new heights.

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When senior Mihir Dhamankar first learned about politics and gerrymandering in 6th grade, he was instantly interested. Later, during the 2016 election, senior Kevin Wu became fascinated with politics. By using their interests to successfully create a map redistricting Pennsylvania to better combat gerrymandering, Dhamankar and Wu became first runners-up for the youth section of the state’s Eastern region in a contest run by Draw the Lines PA, a civic education and involvement initiative for Pennsylvanians. In the spring of their junior year, students in David Anderson’s AP Government class were presented with the task of completing a civil engagement project. After seeing the link for the Draw the Lines PA competition on Schoology, Dhamankar thought it was “the perfect topic” and teamed up with Wu to enter the competition. Little did they know, Dhamankar would soon be in Harrisburg (Wu was not able to attend) with Sen. Andy Dinniman, receiving certificates, prize money and recognition. The original motive behind the civic engagement project is to give students the opportunity to explore diverse ideas and engage in the political process. “I think that student exposure to ideas that are different than their own is extremely important during high school. One of the things we talk about in all of government classes is this idea of political socialization and how people come to the beliefs and ideas that they have,” Anderson said. Dhamankar began by creating an online survey asking Pennsylvanians about what map features -- population, topography, political party -- they thought were most important. Over 160 people from 66 different counties completed the survey, and their answers heavily influenced the final map. “My goal was to use these parameters to influence our decision making,” Dhamankar said. Throughout the process, Dhamankar and Wu used an open-source redistricting software called Auto Redistrict, which allowed them to set pa-

rameters and estimate boundaries, which Wu later manually adjusted. They also used the software’s website, which had useful information on redistricting algorithms. Finally, they used the contest’s website, which included resources with information on how to properly draw a map as well as examples of winning maps from past years. “Making sure to keep to natural geographic boundaries is tough, particularly in keeping districts competitive and counties mostly unruptured,” Wu said. “The most difficult aspect was definitely dealing with cities — the original concentric regions we had were poorly implemented and eventually replaced with more aesthetic, longer regions.” The issue of gerrymandering (manipulating the boundaries of an election vote map to favor one party over another) provided the main fuel for inspiration and rationale for Dhamankar and Wu. “Voting is the most effective solution for change, and we need fair elections in order for the will of the people to be exercised. We both realized the most important things to optimize were the requirements of contiguousness and equality of population,” Dhamankar wrote in his submission. Wu expressed a similar sentiment regarding gerrymandering. “Gerrymandering is one of the most important issues of representation in politics,” Wu said. “I think politics has given me increased perspective on how life works — the ideas (in politics) involving power and power dynamics exist everywhere we look.” Their passion and hard work paid off, and the two finished as first runners-up in the Eastern region’s youth division of the contest along with two other participants. Roughly a hundred adults and youths from the central, eastern and western regions of Pennsylvania competed. Dhamankar described his reaction as simply “surprised.” Wu felt rewarded, emphasizing the importance of understanding gerrymandering. “Although the project was inspired by a contest, I think it’s important not to place a focus on the competition itself, but rather on the process and what can be learned from it,” Wu said.

Evan Lu/The SPOKE

Melinda Xu/The SPOKE

Drawing the lines: Seniors Mihir Dhamankar and Kevin Wu examine the map they created for Draw the Lines PA, a statewide redistricting contest.

School board moves to acquire 13 acres by eminent domain Tiffany He and Evan Lu Co-Managing Editor and Staff Reporter

Doyle-McDonnell Property

Conestoga High School Design by Tiffany He

Location, location, location: The T/E Board of School Directors unanimously voted on Nov. 14 to pursue the Doyle-McDonnell nursery property through the use of eminent domain. The property is depicted in the above graphic.

As the T/E School District faces increased student enrollment every year, the T/E Board of School Directors unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the beginning of an eminent domain action to acquire the neighboring Doyle-McDonnell nursery property. The 13-acre tree nursery, located adjacent to Conestoga on Cassatt Road, reached a $5 million sale agreement with the home construction company Toll Brothers to develop the property into 85 residential townhouse units. Due to the land’s close proximity to the school, the district has shown long-term interest going back to 2002 in purchasing the property. “The new space would provide the opportunity to meet

additional student needs in a further phase of expansion. One likely scenario is the construction of athletic fields,” superintendent Richard Gusick said. After learning of the owner’s decision to sell the nursery, the district first tried and failed to negotiate a deal with Toll Brothers, then used eminent domain as a last resort to obtain the property. This right allows government entities, such as public school districts, to take or appropriate private property for public use with fair compensation. At a special meeting held on Nov. 14, the school board directors, nursery owners, district leadership and residents of the Tredyffrin and Easttown Townships discussed their views on the use of eminent domain to acquire the plot of land. An appraiser for the district recently estimated the fair market price of the property to be $2.13 million, while a November 2018

appraisal provided by the nursery valued the property at $2.92 million. According to district solicitor Ken Roos, the difference between the two appraisals comes down to differing views on the cost of potential development on the land. “The distinguishing factor between the owner’s $2.9 million appraisal (and) the district’s $2.125 million appraisal is really just the difference of opinion by the appraisers on the cost of developing and building the properties to the point where they could be sold,” Roos said. Christine McDonnell, daughter of nursery owner Terry McDonnell, hopes the district will increase its current offer. “All my life, I’ve wanted to follow my father’s footsteps. He would drag me through the city of Philadelphia and point out trees that they planted from our

nursery here in Berwyn, and I knew I wanted to do that,” Christine McDonnell said. “There’s a value to this land, and I just ask that (the district) pays the fair price.” At the special meeting, many residents seem to agree that the district should be a higher priority than Toll Brothers when selling the land. Former school board member Pete Motel recognizes the importance of this acquisition for the district. “(The district is) wrestling with increasing enrollment, and also, the availability of land for school use is diminishing,” Motel said. “Back at the last major expansion and renovation of the school in 2002, we discussed possibly acquiring the nursery, but we were told at that point it was a going concern, and we dropped it. We did, however, say that if this ever changed

hands, the school district should be the No. 1 buyer. It’s a matter of determining what the fair price is.” The district plans to move into further negotiations to reach a deal with the McDonnell nursery. “These are difficult decisions that we have to make. And one of the things I will say is, I’ve always been careful about using good discernment and good judgment,” school board president Reverend Scott Dorsey said. “We have to be also in consideration of our whole community, and do what’s in the best interest of everyone. But at the same time, I will look straight into the eyes of the owners and the family and say, my hope is that we can come to some fair market conclusion that will be good for everyone, including all the citizens of our community.”

News

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

A BRIEF LOOK The latest developments in T/E news.

Board

approves teaching contract extension

The Tredyffrin/Easttown Board of School Directors approved an extension for the current collective bargaining agreement between TESD and TEEA, the district’s teachers’ association, on Nov. 25. The extension will be effective from July 2020 to June 2023.

Students present at Diversity Committee meeting The Diversity Committee held a meeting entitled “Celebrating the Diversity of Perspective” on Nov 20. At the meeting, Desi club members presented on the club’s goals and various aspects of their cultural experience at school.

Political clubs participate in roundtable discussion

The Young Democrats and Young Republicans clubs met on Nov. 20 for their second roundtable discussion of the year. Students engaged in bipartisan discussions about a wide range of topics from impeachment to immigration to abortion.

Key Club visits local nursing home

Key Club visited the Pocopson Home, a Chester County senior facility, on Dec. 8. Members sang holiday songs and handed out cards and gifts they had prepared for the home’s residents.

Musicians qualify for

Courtesy Tredyffrin/Easttown Board of School Directors Courtesy Tredyffrin/Easttown Board of School Directors

Adding an atrium: This computer animation displays the proposed atrium area, a part of the expansion and renovation plans approved on Nov. 21. The atrium is a multi-purpose area that will provide natural sunlight for classrooms and serve as a collaborative workspace for students.

Bird’s eye view: The graphic design of Conestoga’s new layout with the added parking lot and building expansion shows the locations of these new additions. Construction is projected to begin in March of 2020.

Planning Commission approves school expansion and renovation Richard Li and Trey Phillips News Editor and Staff Reporter

The Tredyffrin Township Planning Commission approved Conestoga’s plans for expansion and renovation on Nov. 21. With more than 2,200 students, Conestoga’s enrollment has seen a dramatic climb over the past several years. To accommodate the increasing student population, the district proposed a plan that includes a 40,500 sq. ft. expansion to Conestoga’s main building as well as a new parking lot and renovations to the existing campus. “If we didn’t have the numbers (of students) increasing we’d have no need to build onto the building. But because the numbers continue to go

up and we’re looking down the line where our needs are going to be, what subjects will be affected by this and what the need is 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 years down the line, that’s why we’re doing this now,” assistant principal Patrick Boyle said. The new building will be situated adjacent to the current building’s science wing and bus circle. A multi-purpose atrium area will connect the two buildings, providing natural lighting for classrooms and serving as a working space for students during their free periods. “These collaborative spaces are very common in both colleges and high schools now because students need spaces to come together, charge devices, talk, get collaborative, and so we want to

make sure that it meets learning styles as well as provides them with a really rich experience,” principal Amy Meisinger said. The expansion will also create 27 new learning spaces, including visual arts areas, a robotics lab, materials and fabrication labs, and a 3D-printing station. The renovations on the existing building will expand the cafeteria, library and weight room, move student services and the nurse’s office, refurbish the current physics labs, and repurpose the current fabrication lab and ceramics lab into social studies and math classrooms, respectively. As a part of the expansion and renovation plan, the district will also construct a new parking lot adjacent to the cur-

rent faculty lot by the gyms. The lot will contain 94 new faculty parking spaces, with the intention that this will free up spaces for students in the existing lots. “We have about 340 students who have parking passes now at Conestoga, and that will probably be going up. (Many of these students) have it for four days out of a five day week,” Boyle said. “So we’re going through everything right now, seeing how things will adapt to (the new parking spaces).” To make room for the parking expansion, a small patch of woods must be cleared to the north of the school. This posed a challenge to stormwater management in the area because trees currently help reduce runoff from storms.

“There were a lot of concerns raised by neighbors of the high school and also the township with regard to stormwater management, with regard to preservation of existing trees (and) with regard to traffic,” Tredyffrin Township Planning Commission Chairman Bill Rountree said. “Some are existing situations that may be slightly improved by this project such as stormwater management, but there’s still an issue there with traffic, there’s still an issue with stormwater management, and the scope of this project wasn’t large enough to correct all of them.” To address these concerns, the original plan for 128 spaces was reduced to 94 spaces to reduce the number of trees impacted, and the district established oth-

er provisions to ensure effective management of stormwater. “What our planners and architects and engineers have looked at is going above and beyond what the requirement is to make sure we’re doing our due diligence to be a good neighbor, which is making sure that there’s plenty of drainage areas to go to and making sure we’re accommodating above and beyond the water situation that can happen in a major storm,” Boyle said. The revised plan was approved at the November Tredyffrin Planning Commission meeting, and the district will now begin searching for contractors to complete the project. Construction is projected to begin in March 2020, with the tentative finish scheduled for the fall 2020.

district honor ensembles

Township adopts environmental resolution

The Pennsylvania Music Educators Association held its District 12 honor ensemble auditions on Nov. 23. In total, 30 students qualified for the district band, orchestra and choir ensembles and will audition for the regional and state festivals later in the school year.

Emma Clarke and Aishi Debroy Staff Reporters

New spirit day policy implemented

Sports teams’ spirit days will be subject to new guidelines beginning this month. Players will have to wear either business casual attire or team jerseys if they plan to participate in spirit days, and props will no longer be allowed.

Read more at Sophia Pan/The SPOKE

NEWS

Project planning: Local developer Todd Pohlig points out the proposed design plans for Berwyn Square to co-worker Carrie Sullivan. Pohlig, who has worked in the building business for over 40 years, hopes to construct residential buildings and an open, outdoor plaza around Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt.

Local builders propose new Berwyn Square development around Handel’s Multicultural club hosts ESL night

Zakiyah Gaziuddin and Sophia Pan Staff Reporter and Copy Editor

Freshmen help revive club T/E LIFE

Sophomore’s passion for makeup OP/ED

A letter to my Freshman self SPORTS

Girls ice hockey takes on Radnor

A proposal to construct apartment housing and retail space around Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream & Yogurt is drawing both support and opposition from the community. Local developers Todd Pohlig and David Della Porta proposed Berwyn Square on the block bounded by Midland Avenue, Lancaster Avenue, Woodside Avenue and Berwyn Avenue. Pohlig said that the development stems from a need for housing geared toward specific groups of people in the market and from a desire to rejuvenate the area surrounding Handel’s and the multiple vacant buildings on the property. The multi-purpose project would consist of several four-story brick buildings and an open, outdoor plaza where the Handel’s parking lot currently sits. Commercial and retail space would take up the first floor of the complex with residential apartment units occupying the higher floors. The 120 housing units created by the plan consist of one- and two-person households directed at empty nesters, divorcees and millennials who do not need or want to maintain a large home. “I think this will fit in very well with Berwyn. It’d be a huge plus for the business district (and) be a plus in terms of the type of housing it provides, and I think it’ll have

very little negative impact (on) the community — in fact, I believe it will increase property values in the area,” Pohlig said. Overall, Pohlig believes that Berwyn Square will benefit the community. According to him, the project comes after Chester County’s 2018 Landscapes3 longterm development plan, which encourages housing diversity, accessible transportation and vibrant communities. In the preliminary phases of development, Pohlig and Della Porta discovered some hazardous materials underneath the asphalt in the property. As a result, the developers decided to move additional parking space from underground to an extra story of the building and are seeking a zoning variance from the Zoning Hearing Board that would allow them to build

above the current 42-foot limit. If the variance is granted, Berwyn Square would still need to undergo a developmental approval process. “I think, by and large, most — and not all, (but) most — businesses support and want a project like this to happen,” said Stacey Ballard, the president of the Berwyn-Devon Business Association. “They would like to have more people because more people means that you’re going to have more patrons for your local businesses.” Resident Scott Carpenter expressed concerns about the legal, traffic, safety and sizing aspects of the project. Several residents, including Carpenter, have formed a group called Save Easttown to spread their message. “What (the developers) are proposing is four (stories) and a height that just is like nothing else

Courtesy Bernardon Associates

Changing landscapes: The digital rendering of the proposed Berwyn Square development shows the square’s design. The Zoning Hearing Board will vote this week on a zoning variance that would allow the building to be four stories tall.

in this area up and down up and down Route 30. It will definitely alter (the character of the neighborhood). It’s an outlier for sure,” Carpenter said. “There’s no need to build something that large. It’s just a monstrosity.” Philadelphia lawyer Joseph Kohn represents Save Easttown. “Zoning laws preserve the appearance and the look and the consistency of a neighborhood. Otherwise, everything can just really (become) hodgepodge,” Kohn said. “They don’t give them (variances) out like candy. You have to show a hardship and you have to show that there’s no other reasonable use or development of the land unless you get this variance.” Having faced similar public opposition when building the Athertyn condominiums in Haverford, Pohlig said he empathizes with concerned residents. “Nobody likes to change. And so I know down there (at Haverford), the next door neighbors in the adjacent neighborhoods were very fearful of additional traffic and how that could change the neighborhood,” Pohlig said, “and in the end, it turned out very well down there. The township now refers to it as the jewel of Haverford Township.” The Zoning Hearing Board convened on Dec. 10 to discuss the variance and hold a public forum for residents’ concerns. The board will make a decision about the variance this week.

The Tredyffrin Township Board of Supervisors voted 6-1 on Sept. 16 to adopt an environmental resolution to commit the community to 100% renewable and clean electricity by 2035 and in all other energy sectors, such as heating and cooling, by 2050. With the resolution passed, the township has begun implementing and promoting clean energy initiatives throughout the community in the last few months. The Environmental Advisory Council (EAC), a township board consisting of volunteers appointed by the Tredyffrin Board of Supervisors, will oversee accountability efforts for the resolution in the future. The council has worked with the Sierra Club, a national nonprofit environmental organization, since 2016 to bring the resolution to the Tredyffrin/ Easttown township. “The resolution sends a message to other businesses and other stakeholders. It sends a message to everybody, to higher ups. It sends a message to the people who might want to come here, that we value renewable energy and that’s something that they can look forward to,” said Sierra Club member Jennifer Cox. However, the desire to be cost-effective when choosing energy can make it difficult to stick to the resolution’s goals. According to Sierra Club volunteer Jennifer Cox, the accessibility of non-renewable energy has made renewable energy adoption difficult, despite the similar costs of the two energy sources. “You get renewable energy for the exact same price you pay for fossil fuels. It’s just that (energy companies) will give (non-renewable electricity) to you automatically (so people) go with the fossil fuels,” Cox said. In order to raise support for the resolution and increase awareness, the EAC hosted a “clean energy

tour” showcasing energy conservation technologies that have already been implemented throughout the community, such as solar panels at Berwyn Squash. “We wanted (the clean energy tour) to be a certain way of providing practical support to the township so that people can actually see and make the connections that would help them (implement renewables) in their own homes and businesses. It’s meant to forward the township fulfilling the resolution,” said EAC board member Signe Hansen. EAC board member Rutger Boerema said that she encourages community members and especially high school students to participate in the initiative by attending future clean energy tours and lobbying events. “We would like to have more high schoolers involved. I think it is a really powerful (when) kids speak up,” Boerema said. In addition to promoting renewable energy usage, the EAC will attempt fulfill the goals of the resolution by analyzing energy conservation in local buildings, participating in the U.S. Department of Energy backed Solsmart program to improve access to solar energy and implementing electric vehicle chargers in public locations. Keeping these goals in mind, the township has hired PECO — Pennsylvania’s electric and natural gas provider — to oversee energy waste analyses on heating, cooling and solarization potential in coming years. Remodeling efforts followed a recent analysis on the T/E township building, foreshadowing the potential of many other buildings to promote energy conservation. In the future, EAC members plan to join other municipalities with similar resolutions for a joint energy purchase to bring down costs of moving towards their goal. They also hope to implement electric vehicles, such as electric school buses, for municipal use with the ultimate goal of fulfilling the resolution.

Aishi Debroy/The SPOKE

Squashing non-renewables: Solar panels absorb sunlight on the roof of Berwyn Squash. The building was featured in the EAC’s clean energy tour, which was intended to promote renewable energy usage throughout the community.

News

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Examining the rise of commercialism during the holiday season Continued from page 1 Generally, the tradition of giving and receiving gifts is one that is fondly revisited year after year and serves as a way for people to show their appreciation of others. “I think gifts are a perfect way to show your appreciation, especially if they’re handmade, then you get to see people put time and effort into it,” freshman Anish Garimidi said. “Or even if it’s bought, people put time and effort to know what you like and get you the perfect gift.” Despite the personal meaning a handmade gift may convey, only 16% of students surveyed reported that they preferred receiving handmade gifts while 84% preferred purchased gifts. In addition, 22% of students hand make gifts while 78% of students chose to purchase gifts for friends or family members. For gifts to teachers from students, Secret Santas and gift exchanges within friend groups, the holiday shopping list seems to grow longer by the minute, taking a greater toll on people’s bank accounts each year. This often results in the rush in most shopping centers during the holiday season. “I feel like people do spend a lot more during the holidays. Because you’re looking for gifts and the deals even though they’re there, they bring people in, but you’re still spending a lot of money on the things that you’re buying,” junior Jessica Reintjes said. However, junior David Wang said that he values the thought behind gifts over the price tag. “A lot of people believe that giving more expensive gifts shows that they care more than if they got something that is a

bit cheaper,” Wang said. I personally feel like it’s more of the gift itself, not the price behind it. For example, my sister gave me a handmade card one year with a bunch of our memories written on it. It is something that showed the value of handmade gifts without the gift being expensive or necessarily materially useful.” Holiday rush Marshal Cohen, the chief industry adviser of NPD Group, a market research firm, explained that Black Friday has been starting earlier and earlier. “In some cases, (Black Friday) sales started in October.

Wang believes Black Friday shopping shows America’s ambivalent nature. “I think it is ironic how Black Friday, which is the biggest consumerism event of the year is right after Thanksgiving, when we give thanks for what we already have and acknowledge that what we currently have is enough to live off of,” Wang said. “Black Friday shopping juxtaposed to Thanksgiving shows the big contrast between the two sides of America: how America wants people to believe in unity and how Americans’ individual desires to be the best.” The holiday-driven sales, occurring earlier each year, and malls crowded with eager deal-seeking shoppers are in part due to the consumer culture of today’s American society. Stores and businesses have also adapted to serve shoppers during the holidays. Michael Shine, who runs the Nothing Bundt Cakes franchise in the Gateway Shopping Cenexplained Junior ter, that Nothing Bundt Cakes changes decorations and cake packaging in order to fit the holiday seasons. According to Wang, who took AP Economics last year, consumer culture has also contributed to America’s waste culture. “Because people are able to purchase things so easily, they are inclined to get rid of things that much easier. People know that they can always buy a new version so it leads to a cycle of continually leading to more waste in landfills, and more and more money being spent on worthless goods,” Wang said. Despite the consumerism and holiday shopping rush that occurs to prepare for the holiday

“I think it is ironic how Black Friday, which is the biggest consumerism event of the year, is right after Thanksgiving, when we give thanks for what we already have and acknowledge that what we currently have is enough to live off of.

David Wang Lowe’s and Home Depot even had Spring Black Friday sales,” Cohen said. As such, many students have found the shift away from Thanksgiving and towards consumerism disillusioning. “To me, Black Fridays make Thanksgiving more disingenuous. The whole point of the holiday is to spend time with family but if you are rushing off to Walmart at 6 p.m. for a $100 TV, it makes you feel sad about consumerism,” Garimidi said. Garimidi has also observed the increased speed in the turnaround of new items on the market from holiday to holiday especially within the Thanksgiving to Christmas time frame.

By the numbers “Do you prefer giving...” Purchased Gift

$20

$10 $30

>$30

Happy holidays: Every year, children at the King of Prussia Mall line up to take photos with a costumed Santa. To prepare for the holiday season, the King of Prussia Mall began putting up holiday decorations before Halloween.

“Do you shop on _______”

84%

Black Fr i day

44%

16%

“On average, how much do you spend on a gift for a friend?”

Hyunjin Lee/The SPOKE

The Spoke surveyed 10 homerooms, separated by grade levels and selected randomly. The Spoke collected a total of 198 responses.

22%

<$10

season, many families preserve the true meaning of the holidays through their own traditions. Senior Nicolaas Weggelaar’s extended family gathers in Germany or America every year for Christmas. “There’s so many gifts sometimes,” Weggelaar said. To finish opening all the gifts from all the relatives, he and his family have a special tradition. Round by round, turn by turn, everyone in the family rolls a die. Get a six, open one of your many gifts. Otherwise, wait for the next round. Weggelaar enjoys seeing relatives open his gifts, especially when he gets them what they didn’t even know they wanted. Still, the bounty of gifts takes second place next to his favorite part of the holiday season: seeing family. “I really love and enjoy it,” Weggelaar said. “It’s fun, getting to roll to open, but especially... it’s not just about the gifts, it’s about everyone coming over. Mostly appreciating that they could come and (we could) spend time together.”

“Do you prefer receiving...”

78%

Handmade Gift

Ananya Kulkarni/The SPOKE

Shopping spree: Families and individuals shop at the King of Prussia Mall on Black Friday. According to research firm Consumer Growth Partners, consumers spent a record $68.9 billion between Nov. 28 and Dec. 1 through online and retail shopping.

15%

11%

Cyber 47% Monday Design by Hyunjin Lee, Co-T/E Life Editor

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

27% 43%

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T/E LIFE Katherine Lee and Aditi Dahagam Web Master and Staff Reporter

Freshman Jack Reidenbach was only 13 years old when he began his business Main Line Soles, where he resells highend shoes that are difficult to purchase because of their popularity. Initially, Reidenbach started his business in December 2018 when he was in eighth grade to get rid of the shoes that he had grown out of. He began by selling his old shoes on eBay, but soon transitioned to buying pre-owned shoes and reselling them on platforms like eBay and Instagram. Through this process, Reidenbach began to expand his business. “I’d sell those shoes for a profit and re-invest the money to build up my capital. Once I made enough money, I registered my business as an LLC and applied for an American Express Credit card, which I was approved for. I use this card to buy product for my business in mass quantities,” Reidenbach said. Main Line Soles is based under the Instagram account main_line_soles and has more than 12,000 followers. Reidenbach purchases high-demand shoes from stores like Adidas, Nike or Foot Locker. He then uploads pictures of the shoes to his Instagram, and interested customers message him to settle the payment. “I resell sneakers that are demanded in streetwear, so stuff that the regular person can’t get, or, if they could get it, it would be at a higher cost. So I buy a pair of shoes at the mall that I wait in line for, for say $200, and then I’d sell it for $300, and that would be my profit for the shoes,” Reidenbach said. Reidenbach believes that his

ability to network has helped him to be successful. “Building connections is key. I’ve learned so much and built so many good connections. That’s how I get most of my shoes now — through people I know — whether it’s at Nike or Adidas or Footlocker,” Reidenbach said. “It helps you so much because it differentiates you from the random person walking in.” By developing these connections, he is able to get exclusive product in bulk that others may not be able to access as well as discounts on shoes that are on sale on their website. These benefits help to significantly increase his profit by allowing him to purchase larger quantities of shoes. “I built these relationships by making friends with people lower in the ladder at Nike and Adidas, and then they introduced me to someone higher until I reached someone who could benefit my business by providing exclusive shoes in mass quantities and discounted prices,” Reidenbach said. According to Reidenbach, he sells 20-30 pairs on average of brand new shoes a day. His customers are not typically students, but rather bulk buyers from around the country who then either resell the shoes themselves or collect them. After coming home from school, he boxes up the orders in his garage and ships them out. Reidenbach made a large profit when one of these customers bought 200 pairs of Yeezy 700s. “I felt really proud of myself, and it showed that you can make big money in the industry in bulk,” Reidenbach said. Shoes that he has sold previously include the Adidas Yeezy by Kanye West, Nike Jordans and Off-White by Nike. Ac-

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Freshman entrepreneur resells coveted kicks Aditi Dahagam/The SPOKE

Standing among stacks: Boxes of shoes tower over freshman Jack Reidenbach. Reidenbach started his business Main Line Soles in December 2018 when he wanted to get rid of shoes that he grew out of. cording to Reidenbach, shoes that are made from collaborations with rappers and athletes are especially popular. In terms of determining the price for reselling the shoes, Reidenbach uses an online marketplace called StockX. “StockX is what most people

base the pricing off of. It’s pretty much a Kelley Blue Book for shoes,” Reidenbach said. According to Reidenbach, Main Line Soles has taught him valuable skills, such as a good work ethic, that he finds effective in both business and his life.

“It’s taught me a lot about business, of course, and maturity dealing with older people. It’s also taught me how to manage people and time, dealing with school and the business. I’ve learned a lot from it,” Reidenbach said. “I’ve definitely seen more work ethic

in myself, for both school and working with shoes.” In the future, Reidenbach hopes to get involved with real estate and the buying and sel -ling of businessves. While shoes are his focus at the moment, he plans to phase out of shoes in the next few years and

use the skills he has learned to branch out into other areas of business. “I see a lot of wealthy businessmen who used to do what I do and now have elevated to a larger scale, and they are extremely successful, which inspires me,” Reidenbach said.

Senior's family presses tradition: cider making Abby Carella Staff Reporter

Courtesy Owen Lewis

Gears in motion: Senior Owen Lewis and his family take one of the many steps of creating the apple cider, one of them being putting the apples through the press to manually crush them. They picked the apples at Highland Orchards.

SAT/ACT

7/13– 8/26/20 (20 days)

8/3/20 – 10/31/20 (20 days)

Course 1:

Course 2:

Crushing apples and cranking the wheel, turning fresh apple into the sweet drink of apple cider is a fall activity normally done by companies like Ziegler’s Old Fashioned Apple Cider. But for senior Owen Lewis’s family, it happens right in their backyard. Decades ago, senior Owen Lewis’s great grandfather bought an apple cider press. Today, that same press is 150 years old and still in use. Lewis’s family continues the generations-old family legacy of pressing cider in the backyard of their Devon home. Typically a day-long tradition, the event brings together the entirety of Lewis’s dad’s side of the family. Despite the long time commitment, Lewis looks forward to the event every year. “It’s not that often that our whole family gets together on my dad’s side, so it’s just one big event we all get to do together,” Lewis said. From start to finish, the process is a group effort. First, the Lewis family goes apple picking at local orchards, typically Highland Orchards. Once there, they like to harvest a wide variety of apples . “We don't use one kind. Normally, when we go to the orchard, we just stop at every different section and grab some (apples),” Lewis said. Harvesting apples, however, is only the first of many steps. The apples are washed with a hose before entering the complex process of pressing them into cider. According to Lewis, this process requires multiple steps. Starting with a large amount of fresh, clean apples placed on top of the press, the family must manually crush the apples, collecting the juice and apple remnants into a bucket. The contents of the bucket are then pressed repeatedly until smooth enough, before they are bottled for drinking. This year, the family made about 20 jugs of cider and used around 750 apples (6 bushels).

It's one time a year when I get to see people in my family that I never get to see. It's something special to bring our family together. Owen Lewis

Senior

Despite the large quantities produced, the family chooses not to sell the cider. “It’s just a family thing,” Lewis said. Traditions can be hard to keep up with, and sometimes, the Lewis family will miss a year here and there. Howe ve r, the family tries to get together and make the cider, even if not ever yone can come. L e w i s hopes to continue his family cider tradition for as long as he can. “It’s one time a year when I get to see people in my family that I never get to see,” Lewis said. “It’s something special to bring our family together.” Abby Carella/The SPOKE

T/E Life

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Sophomores teach coding to district middle schoolers Mira Harris Staff Reporter

Teacher Feature: Kerry Merlo Julia Harris/The SPOKE

Helping hands: Special Education teacher Kerry Merlo sits at her desk awaiting students who need help, which she says is one of her favorite parts about teaching. Before teaching, Merlo was a case manager, therapist and interviewer of prospective foster families.

Julia Harris Staff Reporter

Teacher Kerry Merlo didn’t always know that she wanted to go into special education. Graduating from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore with an international relations major, Merlo initially worked as a case manager, therapist and interviewer of prospective foster families for around three years. Her favorite memory from her time as a social worker was attending the final hearing when a child she worked with was adopted by his foster family. “I was working with kids that were in foster care that had some emotional issues

and things like that. So I wanted to do something where I was helping people or kids that I thought might be in need in some way” However, Merlo began to find her job extremely stressful “because of the neglect and trauma most of these kids had been through.” This realization helped to spur her onto

Subsequently, Merlo went back to school to get her master’s in that field while simultaneously continuing her social work. Now, she has been teaching academic seminar and reading classes at Conestoga since 2000. Merlo noted that she enjoys teaching both subjects equally and for different reasons. She likes the variety of

getting to know her students. She can more easily cultivate one-on-one connections because she works with a smaller number of children than most other teachers. “I just enjoy developing those relationships with my students and being able to help them grow,” Merlo said. Outside of the special education classroom, Merlo has a 6-yearold son. Besides reading, she also enjoys doing outdoor activities, listening to music and advising Habitat for Humanity. “I’ve been (advising the club) for a long time,” Merlo said. “It’s been really fun to go out to the houses that they’re building in Coatesville and work on them.”

It’s a Monday night, and Conestoga is empty, save for 40 middle school students ready to code in large group room 142. At the front of the room conducting a PowerPoint presentation are sophomores Jeffrey Tan, Joshua Li and Tean Lai. Their friendship dates back to the third grade, and all three have coded since middle school. After noticing some of their peers struggling in Computer Science (CS) courses, they started a junior computer science program in October. “Even here at ’Stoga, there are a lot of kids who want to get into coding but then struggle because a lot of the CS classes go fast. We want to make it easier for middle schoolers who are interested in coding to have no problem taking CS classes when they come up to the high school,” Tan said. Li and Lai learned how to code from Li’s father, a software engineer for the California company A10 Networks who teaches Sunday coding classes at a local Chinese school. Tan

taught himself how to code using the internet, starting with simple programs for his calculator to make math easier. All three understand, however, that learning on your own is not practical for everyone, which is one of the reasons why they started the initiative. “A lot of coding is self-directed. It’s a lot of sitting in front of the computer for hours and hours by yourself, but if there’s a place to go and learn these things without having to spend all of those hours because not everybody has those hours to spend, you know, it’s a lot easier,” Lai said. Students find out about the program in all sorts of ways, from parent email blasts to encouragement from their science teachers. Some are encouraged by their parents, but ultimately, they all go because they want to learn how to code. “I think coding is an important skill. I came because my parents encouraged me to do it and I kind of like it. It’s really hard though,” said Yesh Wagle, a seventh grader at T/E Middle School. The program is open to all

middle school students in the district. Its goal is to teach students the basics of coding using the language Python and give them a skill set to build off of when they get to high school. All of the lesson plans and PowerPoints, as well as homework assignments and solutions, are created by Li and Lai. After each lesson, as much class time as possible is set aside for students to explore coding on their own. “We try to help them learn to code themselves by doing it first, and we’re just there to help,” Tan said. Each boy has his own favorite part of passing on his passion to younger students. “Honestly, I like answering kids’ questions, and you see their faces light up. It’s really satisfying, and it makes me happy,” Lai said. “That sort of ‘a-ha’ moment when you’re explaining something, and maybe they don’t get it at first, but then it clicks. That’s like a feeling,” Tan said. “I mean, these topics are difficult, but to see them be able to conquer them despite that has been really enlightening,” Li said.

I wanted to do something where

I was helping kids or people. the path of becoming a special education teacher. “I liked working with children,” Merlo said, “but I didn’t want to stay in the social work or mental health field, and realized that special ed might be a good fit for me.”

subjects covered in academic seminar, but she has a soft spot for reading because she enjoys doing it herself so much. Most of all, however, Merlo’s favorite part of her job is

Mira Harris/The SPOKE

Spreading knowledge: Sophomores Joshua Li and Jeffrey Tan teach coding to middle schoolers in room 142. Li learned how to code from his father, who is a software engineer.

Pet-loving students volunteer at local animal shelter Sanjana Sanghani Staff Reporter

The first time senior Anisa Williams witnessed a dog surgery, she was shocked. “I thought, ‘I don’t know if I have the stomach for this,’ but you get acclimated to it, and it really is an awesome experience,” Williams said. Since she was in eighth grade,

Williams has volunteered at the Hospital Center of the Brandywine Valley SPCA, or Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, alongside seniors Takshil Chittuluru and Sophie Kim. When Kim first started volunteering at the animal shelter, she began to recognize some of her prejudices against “aggressive dogs.” “I’m going to be honest, I al-

ways had certain types of dogs that I liked, such as smaller dogs and golden retrievers. But after going to the SPCA and taking care of these puppies, I realized that all dogs just truly need our love,” Kim said. One particular pit bull mix named Bear changed the perspectives of Chittuluru and Kim. “He’s a huge dog. I thought that because he was insanely big

that he would be aggressive, but he was one of the sweetest dogs that I ever met,” Kim said. Additionally, Chittuluru explains that the “rough and excitable” stereotype about many dogs stems from the way they are raised and that they can later be trained to act “friendlier.” “All dogs are loving and can be loving given the right trust in people. And just looking at Bear, you wouldn’t want to spend a lot of time with him, but because of that trust, he was a sweet dog,” Chittuluru said. Kim, Williams and Chittuluru explain that their main goal is to increase adoptions. Chittuluru states that since the majority of people obtain their dogs from breeders, animals in shelters are often left behind. At

the shelter, Kim and Chittuluru help conduct a “playgroup” for the dogs to socialize and take the dogs out on walks to train them for prospective customers. “A lot of dogs don’t get out of their kennels, and I think it’s important for them to be taken out for their mental health. I think we need to realize that dogs also

most enjoyable aspect of her job is playing with kittens. However, she explains that there is a “sad or gruesome side” to volunteering that made her “appreciate what the people do there” when she witnessed the termination of a cat’s pregnancy. “When you are responsible for putting down kittens that

Kim also made the decision to foster a newly born pit bulllab mix named Hope. Kim states that at first, she struggled with getting too attached. “It was really hard when I let go of Hope for me and my mom. But now I have the mentality that my priority is to get them adopted into a loving home, and that’s how I maintain some distance,” Kim said. Ad d it i on ally, Kim states that for future endeavors in helping dogs, she joined the campaign to ban the dog meat industry in Korea. Senior “The main reason I’m so passionate in helping these dogs is because they provide unconditional love. The dogs don’t have a voice themselves, (so) I want to be a voice that helps them,” Kim said.

All dogs are loving and can be lov-

ing given the right trust in people.

Sanjana Sanghani/The SPOKE

Lending a paw: Seniors Coco Kambayashi and Coco Kambayashi stand with a pit bull mix named Bear. Bear changed their perspective toward bigger dogs, teaching them that they aren’t all agressive.

Takshil Chittuluru experience emotions such as depression,” Chittuluru said. In addition to watching surgeries and completing menial tasks such as laundry at the hospital center, Williams says the

could have had a fighting chance only a couple of days later, it is really difficult, but it does also show you how life works and what people have to go through,” Williams said.

T/E Life

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Homemade CD mixtape

LED strip lights “You can be a TikTok influencer if you get this.” Aimee Buttenbaum

AirPods Pro Disney+ subscription

Fragrance “Maximize your clout.” Alex Gurski

“Baby Yoda. That’s it.”

Andrew Fessick

Editors’ Choice

“Are CDs retro now?” Claire Guo

The Spoke Editorial Board of 2019-2020 presents our gift recommendations. Happy Holidays, Conestoga!

“Smelling rancid never did anything for anyone.” Andrew Bucko

By Claire Guo, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Families organize traditional German Weihnachtsmarkt Elena Schmidt Staff Reporter

Residents of Tredyffrin Township do not need to go all the way to Germany to experience a traditional “Weihnachtsmarkt,” or Christmas market. To spread holiday cheer, the families of several ’Stoga students organized a German Christmas market at Willowbrook farm in Malvern on Dec. 7. Several hundred visitors come to the annual Weihnachstmarkt to socialize

and experience German culture. With decorative lights hanging throughout the farmhouse and traditional German delicacies for sale, including Lebkuchen, Glühwein and Bratwurst, the event captured the magical atmosphere of the holiday season. Parent Helene Malarkey has organized the event every year since she started it five years ago. She explained that her original Christmas market had been spearheaded by a group of three women, including herself, all born and raised in Germany. They

knew someone who had organized a Weihnachtsmarkt in Germany and were inspired to set up one of their own in Pennsylvania. “And (we) thought, this is something we should do here as well, because this time of year, we miss certain things from home, especially around the holidays. It was a great idea, and now we’ve been doing it since,” Malarkey said. She hosted the first market at her house, attracting about 100 visitors. Over the years, the attendance has grown immensely.

The market, originally held in her backyard, had to be moved to the farm to accommodate everyone. Sophomore Matthew Malarkey, Helene Malarkey’s son, has witnessed the growth of the event, attending the market with friends and helping with traffic control in past years. Matthew Malarkey explained that with so many people going, it is easy to get to know others and have fun. “You get to see a lot of people and have conversations with people that a lot of times you

wouldn’t, and I think it’s just a good experience overall, whether you’re a student or not,” Matthew Malarkey said. Senior Nicolaas Weggelaar agreed that the Weihnachtsmarkt is a fun event. His family was also involved in organizing the event, so he passed out invitations and spread the word. He helped set it up in the morning, putting up tables and decorating, and was enthusiastic about the idea, since the money earned is donated to MainLineFreunde, an organization that helps people

practice and explore the German language and culture. “It’s a great cause and, you know, (you’re) having fun and spending time with family there. It gets that Christmas vibe going in starting the new season,” Weggelaar said. The unique atmosphere drew many students throughout the day, including several of the school’s Key Club members. Sophomore Clara Steege decided to volunteer by tending the fire. She, like Weggelaar, found it a great experience, as she learned

more about German culture while spending time with friends. “It’s based on an opportunity to engage with the community and to experience some of the events that go on in the area,” Steege said. Though Christmas markets in Germany are usually bigger, Helene Malarkey sees the event at Willowbrook Farm as a nice way to experience the German tradition with authentic German food and local vendors, while bringing the community together for holiday festivities.

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Elena Schmidt/The SPOKE

Cookies hanging high (above left): Christmas cookies for sale at the market hang from red ribbon with various sayings such as “Merry Christmas” in English and German. The “Weihnachtsmarkt,” or Christmas Market was organized by several students’ families. Twinkling lights (above right): Christmas lights are hung throughout the market to spread holiday cheer. The German market took place at Willowbrook farm in Malvern on Dec. 7. A look inside (right): Decorated trees fill the inside portion of the farmhouse, along with other goods, plants and candles. The organizers wanted to emulate the market from Germany as best as possible.

steve@mainlinetestprep.com 484-424-9893 Elena Schmidt/The SPOKE

T/E Life

Wednesday, December 19, 2019

Decade in Review 2009-2019 As we say goodbye to 2019 and make way for a new decade, The Spoke has compiled some of the most memorable moments at ’Stoga from the 2010s.

Elizabeth Billman/The SPOKE

By Aimee Buttenbaum and Hyunjin Lee Co-T/E Life Editors

2009-2010 In January 2010, the Greening ’Stoga Task Force worked with the school district to eliminate ketchup packets from the cafeteria and replace them with condiment dispensers. 2010-2011 The eight-minute bell, which rang with eight minutes left to go in a period, was eliminated starting in September 2010. The First Annual Battle at Valley Forge Science Olympiad Invitational Tournament was held at Conestoga in January 2010 with 36 teams and 20 schools. It has since grown to 45 teams and 30 schools. 2011-2012 New schedule changes and graduation requirements were implemented in the fall of 2011. Students moving forward could now

Meagan O’Rourke/The SPOKE

“Make America Great Again”: Donald Trump speaks at a rally held in Aston Township on Sept. 22, 2016. Trump was sworn into office on Jan. 20.

only fill their schedules with a maximum of 42 periods per semester. World History, U.S. History, and Government and Economics became mandatory classes. 2012-2013 The Student Art for Everyone (SAFE) club designed and painted the chameleon mural at ’Stoga. The mural is located at the top of the glass staircase on the second floor. In response to the Sandy Hook school shooting tragedy, ’Stoga added a buzz-in security system starting in February of 2013. Other changes included teachers being required to wear identification badges at all times. 2013-2014 In the beginning of the 2013 school year, the Achievement Center was created to assist students. After a large tree in the courtyard was cut down due

to damage caused by winter storms and the fear that it might collapse on students, three new trees were planted as replacements. 2014-2015 During the 2014-2015 school year, students first gained access to Office365. The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) initiative was also implemented. 2015-2016 In the fall of 2015, Pope Francis visited Philadelphia during his papal tour of North America. 2016-2017 On Nov. 2, a hot air balloon with passengers from New York landed on the freshman football practice field. On Nov. 8, Donald Trump was elected as the 45th president of the United States.

In the spring of 2017, the ’Stoga music department visited Hawaii. The trip included performing at Pearl Harbor and singing in the Kapolei Choral Festival. The graduation ceremony was brought back to Teamer Field, after previously being held at Villanova Pavillion for the past 27 years. 2017-2018 On Feb. 4, nearly 76% of ’Stoga students missed school to attend the Eagles Victory Parade in Philadelphi, celebrating the Eagles’ historic win. At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 14, over 1,000 students and faculty gathered in the large courtyard for the National School Walkout in response to the shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. 2018-2019 In the 2018 school year, the College and Career Transi-

tion (CCT) course was implemented as a mandatory junior course. In the course, students learn skills such as coping mechanisms for stress and budgeting methods. The graduation robes were changed from girls wearing white and boys wearing maroon to everyone wearing maroon. The African American Student Union held a walkout for anti-racism. 2019-2020 Beginning this August, students were able to get 30 more minutes of sleep as school start times were pushed forward from 7:20 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. Cornucopia has traditionally been held in the two school gyms, where different clubs set up booths, but this year, Peer Mediation created a completely different Cornucopia with teachers hosting fun activities such as yoga, chess and crafts all over the school.

Neil Goldenthal/The SPOKE

Meagan O’Rourke/The SPOKE

Papal pilgrimage (above): Pope Francis waves at a crowd in Philadelphia. The Pope visited in the fall of 2015. Bring home the pomp (above right): The Class of 2017 all celebrates the graduation. Graduation was held at Teamer Field instead of the Villanova University Pavilion for the first time in 27 years. Deflated (right): On Nov. 2, 2016, a hot air balloon with passengers from New York landed on the ‘Stoga freshman football practice field. Crowded courtyard (far right): More than 1,000 students gathered in the large courtyard on March 18, 2018. Students across the United States participated in a walkout in response to the Parkland school shooting. Justin Huang/The SPOKE

Courtesy David Zimmerman

Speaking up (far left): Junior Jeremiah Miller gives a speech at the Black Out Against Racism Rally on April 9, 2019. Eight students spoke at the rally Chameleon corridor (left): The chameleon mural is located at the top of the glass staircase on the second floor. The Student Art For Everyone club designed and painted the mural in 2012.

Ananya Kulkarni/The SPOKE

Alex Gurski/The SPOKE

OPINION

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Try sending handmade gifts this year

Elena Schmidt/The SPOKE

With the multitude of ads, deals and coupons enticing us from all angles, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to find the perfect thing to give to your friends, teachers and family members. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chocolate and waffle makers, makeup and clothing, sweets and gag gifts galore. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got Oprahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Favorite Things list and Buzzfeedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recommended items. But what to get? Especially with the growing dominance of online retailers like Amazon, the holiday season has become increasingly dominated by spending. This December, however, consider another option: handmaking your own gifts. Now, this may initially seem intimidating. But we all have experience. Remember in elementary school when we would toss glitter onto a paper and call it a snowflake? Or messily glue macaroni â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to make a heart, of course â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to construction paper for Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day? Every time we brought one of these gifts home, our parents would be ecstatic. There is no doubt that some of those crafts have survived to this day, tucked away in a drawer. Although weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve grown past our elementary school selves, the sentiment of a handmade

gift has not changed. Even something as simple as collecting someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite color of M&Mâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and putting them into a jar can be more heartfelt than a store-bought gift, not to mention much cheaper. Handmaking a gift allows for personalization and care. It lets us show the recipient how much they mean to us. More than anything, a handmade gift is a gift of time. In a world where we seem to increasingly rush forward, time is the most valuable of assets. But maybe arts and crafts are just not your thing. Perhaps youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re good at writing. Keep it simple â&#x20AC;&#x201D; write a poem, put it in appealing colors on a sheet of paper and place it in an envelope. You can even put a couple of stamps and stickers on the outside. The value isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t in the artistic quality of what you produce, but in the sentiment behind it. As teenagers, it can be hard to express gratitude for those who care about you. When parents say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love you,â&#x20AC;? we sometimes feel uncomfortable replying in kind. But this problem doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to persist. This holiday season, invest your time into handmaking a gift. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find it does the perfect job of saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love you, too.â&#x20AC;?

The Spoke Editorial Board voted unanimously 15-0 in favor of this editorial.

School board shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a majority party

Matthew Fan

Co-Opinion Editor A Republican president, a Democrat House and a Republican Senate, but a Democrat school board? It is easy to forget that the school board is a political body in Pennsylvania. Yet, when the main job of the school board is to oversee education, it would make more sense to not allow one party be the dominating voice. When citizens vote for school board members in any district, they pay attention to what party the candidate is affiliated with. For example, a candidate can be listed as a Democrat, a Republican, Independent or cross-filed (when a candidate runs as a member of their own party as well as another party). After the most recent election, there are no more Republicans. This is a problem, not because of the votersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; choices, but because decisions regarding our education should be made by people of varying ideologies. The school board has many important functions, notably adopting an annual budget and levying taxes. These responsibilities are particularly political. Democrats are likely to support increased taxes, while Republicans are likely to be

against them. For this reason, it is best to have an ideologically balanced school board to ensure there is deliberation featuring voices from both sides of the aisle. In Pennsylvania, school board members receive no monetary compensation. They also have to put hundreds of hours into meetings, where they adopt courses of study, negotiate employee contracts and buy and sell land, among other duties. Thus, members should be taking on this responsibility as a commitment to making

public education the best it can be rather than to appease their party bases. However, as with most cases of partisan politics, everything is about reelection. If a member supports policies that align with

their partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals, then they have a higher chance of being reelected for another term. Preferably, school board members would vote based on the reasonableness of the policy proposed rather than political leanings, but that is not always possible. We all have inner biases, which typically correspond with party ideals. To counteract this as well as the influence of reelection, a change must be made through legislation. One possible solution is to apportion four of the nine seats on the school board to

dependents. Alterations to the seat allotment described above can be made based on the composition of the population so long as no party has the majority. That way, school board members can espouse their partiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ideals as much as they want, but without a majority, no party will be able to make every decision. Compromise and extensive discussion would be forced to occur; different takes on policies would expose weaknesses that would have otherwise gone unnoticed and unaddressed; and Independents would act as swing votes in situations where members strictly vote along party lines. Some may say that this proposal limits democracy since it restricts the number of seats given to each party. However, citizens still maintain the right to vote for the candidate of their choice within their respective parties. Additionally, school affairs would ideally not be political at all. The recommended policy is the next best option that, at the same time, maintains peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suffrage. It is important to note that if the school Charity Xu/The SPOKE board only had Democrats and another four Republican members, there to Republicans, with the last would still be the same level of seat being held by an Inde- concern. Our education is in pendent. Democrat Party the hands of the school board. members would vote to fill We should not let control by the Democrat seats and like- one political party get in the wise for Republicans and In- way of that.

The Spoke is published seven times per year at School Paper Express. It consistently receives a Gold rating from PSPA and CSPA, and is a National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award-winning publication. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.

The

Staff

Editors-in-Chief: Claire Guo, Audrey Kim Managing Editors: Tiffany He, Melinda Xu News Editor: Richard Li T/E Life Editors: Aimee Buttenbaum, Hyunjin Lee Opinion Editors: Andrew Bucko, Matthew Fan Sports Editor: Ananya Kulkarni Design Editor: Reese Wang Copy Editor: Sophia Pan Multimedia Editor: Alex Gurski

Business Managers: Andrew Fessick Cartoonists: Coco Kambayashi, Trey Phillips, Elena Schmidt, Charity Xu Staff Reporters: Emma Clarke, Abigail Carella, Alexis Costas, Aditi Dahagam, Aishi Debroy, Emma Galef, Julia Harris, Mira Harris, Akshita Joshi, Evan Lu, Gavin Merschel, Kate Phillips, Trey Phillips, Devon Rocke, Hiba Samdani, Umar Samdani, Sanjana Sanghani, Elena Schmidt, Zakiyah Gaziuddin Webmaster: Katherine Lee Faculty Advisers: Cyndi Crothers-Hyatt, Susan Gregory

Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE

From the Editor: How our minds are escaping us

Audrey Kim

Co-Editor-in-Chief This Cornucopia, I came across an activity in the library that I hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen in over 10 years: two differently colored pieces of plastic thread, knotted and weaved together in a way to create one patterned, boxy string. As a part of the classic summer camp experience and a concrete memory of my personal childhood, ladies and gentlemen, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m talking about gimp. For the next two periods, my friend and I proceeded to gimp the heck out. While threading each string and continuously stubbing our fingers doing so, we talked about our next steps for college, reflected on past high school experiences and discussed which hairstyle Harry Styles wore best; it was a very passionate discussion. As weird and random as it may seem, making gimp, even for just an hour and a half, brought me back to a time when the most exciting thing for 8-year-old Audrey was to read the next Harry Potter book and doodle â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sailor Moonâ&#x20AC;? characters in the margins of her math homework. It was a time when I was on a first-name basis with my elementary school librarian, solely due to the excessive number of times I would visit per day, and spend hours running up and down the block, turning over every rock and leaf in the backyard with the neighborhood kids. There were no cell phones. Growing up, my family didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

have cable, so the only TV show I had ever watched was Nickelodeonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Avatar: The Last Airbender.â&#x20AC;? The latest tech my family shared was a computer model from the 1990s that malfunctioned more often than it worked. I say this because for the past few years, I feel like there are parts of my brain which are rewiring themselves. I can go on a 3-hour Youtube spree through Bon Appetitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking channel, but getting through a longform New Yorker article is a struggle. No longer can I so easily doodle. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve read a novel on my own time maybe once a month, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of pushing it. We live in a world where itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now normal to walk into a restaurant and see the majority of people looking down at tiny screens, and where information from our phones can be regularly sent to government agencies and the NSA. Weirdly enough, with the constant communication and connectivity that the internet provides, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard now to be with someone else, completely and uninterruptedly, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to be truly alone. I feel uncomfortably naked when I go outside without my phone, even when I have no intention of using it. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve wasted countless hours on the internet that I couldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve spent going deeper with a book, a film, a conversation or even a walk or a task. My time does not come in large, focused blocks, but in fragments and shards. Even time that used to be spent doing nothing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; waiting for the bus to come or for food to arrive or for a friend to show up â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is now occupied by the attention-grabbing world of social media and news headlines. And, as The Atlantic writer Nicholas Carr notes, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just about what we consume. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how we consume it. Ac-

Stand-alone cartoon

cording to studies by University College London, visitors to online news and research sites frequently perform a kind of â&#x20AC;&#x153;power-browseâ&#x20AC;? through articles, a way of skimming where they read maybe no more than one or two pages at a time before moving on. The emphasis on efficiency and immediacy has never been so apparent. Because of that, though, we disengage that part of our brain that interprets and reorganizes text, the part that is involved with a kind of deeper, more profound kind of reading, and by extension, thinking. Our ability to focus on any piece of information is interrupted by other information, so that we bathe in information but hardly absorb or analyze it. Maybe the busyness of the internet is why Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m seeing the emergence of activities such as gardening, knitting and other things that often involve doing it â&#x20AC;&#x153;the old way.â&#x20AC;? It serves as a return to slowness, of doing and creating things by hand, of hobbies that present the reality of a world outside electronic distraction. In doing so, we create a bubble that the outside world canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t probe, whether that be through fixing broken car locks or cooking food by hand or recollecting vinyl records. Or even, as I discovered, creating gimp. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m trying to be better about thinking of what I want to do with my time. Every time I reach for my phone, I try to think about what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m actually using it for. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m getting back into art, and penciling in thoughts at the end of the day, no matter how few or random they are. Mostly, I try to read. Weirdly, these activities are both the most laughably small and incredibly ambitious things Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever done. But maybe, at the end of the day, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be worth it.

Non-staff contributions: Non-staff contributions from students, the community, graduates or other interested parties are welcome. Editors will decide which contributions are published based on space and relevance to the community. All contributions must conform to journalistic practices, including accuracy, timeliness, purpose and writing conventions. The Spoke reserves the right to work with the contributor to meet these standards. All outside contributions are bylined. Editorials: Unsigned editorials represent the views of The Spoke editorial board, not necessarily those of the administration, student body, community or advertisers. The opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of The Spoke. Paid advertisements: The Spoke accepts paid advertisements. Email hello@spoke.news.

Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE

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

Op/Ed

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Giving back: it’s the small things that matter

Melinda Xu

Co-Managing Editor In the holiday season, we are often asked how we can give back. Oftentimes, we measure this charitable spirit in quantities: in stacks of cans, number of coats and amount of money. However, beyond just the literal objects that we can give to better someone else’s lives, the most impactful experiences come from shared emotions, no matter how small or insignificant. Now, I know that this is a very cliché and oft-repeated sentiment. And I know that after standing for five hours in the freezing cold at a YMCA

holiday event, it is particularly hard to maintain the same fuzzy, warm feeling of giving back. But I think it is when we keep some semblance of the sentiment in mind that we can give back the most, to both others and ourselves. It is so easy to see volunteering as a chore. From the holidays to the pressure to have resume filler to the general societal expectations of selflessness, we as high school students are often pushed to volunteer for a multitude of reasons extending beyond our personal desires. I’ve been there myself quite a few times. Every other Thursday, I volunteer at a food closet for three to four hours, where we give out fresh groceries to struggling families and individuals in the area. That usually translates to three to four hours of standing, walking and carrying food. Most times, I’m already exhausted before I arrive and really don’t look forward to the experience.

Yet, everytime I walk out those doors, I feel emotionally fulfilled. After six years, I’ve

created connections with my fellow volunteers and regulars to the food closet. Despite

Charity Xu/The SPOKE

sleep deprivation or physical exhaustion, small actions like greeting each other by name or the happiness of a kid after getting dessert always makes the experience worth it. Each individual moment builds up to something greater. From that sense of appreciating small interactions, I’ve learned to enjoy other volunteering experiences as well. Take, for example, that YMCA holiday event I mentioned earlier. My job was to man the doors to the “North Pole,” where Santa — accompanied by a live reindeer and a sleigh — posed, ready for a night of picture-taking. Because of the high popularity of the event, the children had to stand in long lines outside in the cold, which presented an issue to families with infants. To help protect them from the cold, I would let them wait in

the lobby and watch for when their turn came to meet Santa. In particular, there was a Chinese grandmother who could not speak English taking care of her baby grandson. Separated from the rest of their family, she was worried and confused. Seeing her calm down as I was able to find her family and communicate with her, I forgot the cold and tedious repetition of my role. Within the short five minutes of a few shared Chinese phrases, we had both left some impact on each other. Within volunteering’s focus to help a collective, there lie infinite direct person-to-person interactions. From these minute moments, we can not only brighten someone else’s day but our own as well. So the next time you find yourself checking your phone as you toil another hour away for some event you got signed up for, try to find some small thing to enjoy. Your smiles can only help to create more.

Report Card

A+

Frozen II

+ sentimental, catchy music, answered questions from the ﬁrst movie

Juice WRLD Death

- one of the most popular rappers is gone

Spotify Wrapped

B+

+ really interesting to see a decade of your music habits - reminder that companies are constantly taking our data

“The work I did with my church’s food closet was really cool. It helped me learn more about my community.”

“I volunteered at the Black Cat Cafe. It’s a restaurant but the proceeds help cats to get adopted. I mostly waited on tables and washed the dishes.”

-Jackson Alexander,

Eagles

-- Emily Burgess,

freshman

+ still have a chance to make playoﬀs

sophomore

STUDENTS SPEAK OUT

- bad playing and coaching, lost to the Dolphins, barely beat the Giants

Q: What is your most meaningful volunteering activity? “I’m going to work with an organization called Prevention Point. My brother went to an HPV convention for research and I reached out to him. There’s a lot of volunteering opportunities to help that community. It’s going to be an interesting experience to learn more about people who deal with (HPV) and addiction.”

-Sophia Chen, junior

D+

“I work for an LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization. This group is meant to replicate a physical support space but online for people who don’t have access to that care or don’t have supportive families. Working on that space and being part of those conversations is really meaningful when I see the positive impact it has on people, epecially when they come back time and time again.” -Alex Cheetham,

No Snow + don’t have to clean oﬀ your car

senior

- no snow days

One story too high:- don’t approve Berwyn Square

Claire Guo

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Trey Phillips/The SPOKE

Don’t go into debt over your kid

Andrew Bucko Co-Opinion Editor

“I don’t even want to go to Florida for Christmas!” said a girl sitting behind me in class. Puzzled, I waited for her to continue about her holiday plans. Apparently, her stay at the Four Seasons in Palm Beach was a burden. Um, may I take your spot?! The holiday season is a commercial hub, certainly. But many Main Liners take

generous gifting to the extreme: Louis Vuitton bags, Cartier rings and international trips are almost pedestrian at this point. Dear Parents, There’s nothing wrong with wanting to give your kids everything and more. If anything, cornucopia parenting is fueled by love. As cliché as it is, the road to hell is often paved with good intentions. Showering a child with gifts is a great way to earn their (temporary) love and affection. It’s also a great way to get them hooked early on retail therapy. According to psychological therapist Annie Gurton, withdrawal symptoms in substance abusers and shopaholics are almost parallel. While retail addiction carries no health risks, it is an

electric chair to the wallet. In an effort to keep the addiction alive, many become buried in black holes of credit. Don’t want to give your child a cigarette and a lighter? Gold star for you, parent of the year! But providing your child a conveyor belt of gifts also carries the risk of fostering addiction. Even if finances aren’t an issue this holiday season, the fate of our planet is. The BBC reports there are more abandoned Legos in the ocean than the entire population of the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg combined. Before loading your trunk with goodies, consider which (if any) of those gifts your child will treasure in a few years’ time. Not to be a grinch, but perhaps we should try to reign in the gifts this year.

I joined the Facebook group Main Line Memories last August. It has over 10,000 members, all connected to the Main Line in some way. Most graduated from a Main Line high school — Conestoga, Lower Merion, Radnor — in the ’60s, ’70s or ’80s. (You can see where I fit in, right?) Group members often post pictures of the Main Line from decades ago, and I get to see glimpses of the past. It’s clear that the Main Line’s changed — fewer trees and fewer family businesses, sadly enough — but most of the buildings actually look very similar. Short, simple, often brick. The Main Line has kept its friendly suburban feel in large part due to those buildings. While we don’t need to keep every old building from decades ago, the Easttown township shouldn’t approve the new proposal to build a four-story apartment complex in the heart of Berwyn. Two local developers recently proposed building such a complex between Lancaster and Berwyn Avenue, on the 2.5-acre block where Handel’s and a scattering of other buildings sit. Handel’s would

stay, incorporated into the building’s ground floor along with one or two more retail stores. The remaining space would include indoor parking, a green roof complete with lounge and plunge pool, and 120 luxury apartments. David Della Porta, one of the developers, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he’d call the site “the gateway to the village.” But I don’t want the gateway to Berwyn to be a four-story apartment building. It looks nice, it really does — especially if the outdoor plaza makes it into the final plan — but it’s too tall to maintain the same suburban feel that’s characteristic of the Main Line. Under current zoning, a four-story building isn’t even allowed. The developers are seeking a zoning variance to bypass the limit of three stories because contamination from old gas stations makes it difficult to build underground. The developers also face resistance from Easttown residents, who have voiced concerns over the size of the building, increased traffic, and safety for kids walking to TEMS and ’Stoga. Some are criticizing the proposal on the website SaveEasttown.com, now with over 3,000 likes; other residents have grouped together with a lawyer to complain to Easttown’s Zoning Hearing Board, which will ultimately decide whether the plans get passed. Most concerns, including mine, revolve around the building’s size. So make the plan smaller. Get rid of a floor. Sacrifice 40 apartments. There would be less traffic, more visi-

Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE

Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE

ble sky and preservation of the Main Line feel we’ve had for decades. Do the developers really need to squeeze 120 apartments onto a 2.5-acre block? Admittedly, what sits on that block now isn’t pretty. Aside from the familiar blue awnings and benches of Handel’s, the rest of the block features nondescript and worn-

down buildings. Berwyn could use a development proposal that reequips the area with possible community hotspots, like new restaurants or revamped versions of the businesses that are already there. Maybe a few townhomes. In short, Berwyn is ready for a change. Just not one that’s four stories high.

Charity Xu/The SPOKE

Sports

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Kicking away competition: Senior excels at taekwondo Umar Samdani Staff Reporter

Courtesy Owen Cutler

Broad(casting) knowledge: In the press box above Teamer Field, freshman Emily Danenhower and junior Jack Susanin commentate a fall soccer game. In preparation for broadcasts, they research different sports terms and rules.

TETV brings sports to life Devon Rocke Staff Reporter

The point guard passes the ball to the center, who goes in for a layup. He shoots. He scores. Conestoga wins the game as you cheer from your couch at home. All because you get to watch the big game for free from the comfort of your own house, all possible because of TETV. However, giving the student body access to ’Stoga sports with the click of a button is not an easy process for the TETV crew. Before each game, TETV members arrive to set up their cables and cameras, which can take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour depending on the sport and the time of the game. Student commentators, who watch from a monitor, need to stay on top of the game and keep the people at home interested. Commentating, which provides a play-by-play for viewers, is a major part of what differentiates TETV’s coverage of the game from what the crowd at the game sees. At Conestoga, commentating needs to be flexible, as broadcasters can be placed in any number of sports. While some commentators already have reasonable knowledge about certain sports and only need to brush up on certain terms or rules, others must learn the game entirely so they can broadcast effortlessly. “I’ve learned so many new things about sports,” junior Jack Susanin said. “For example, if you told me freshman year that I would know anything about field hockey, I would have just laughed. Now I can commentate it easily.” One of the main challenges faced by all announcers, regardless of their knowledge is dead air, a period of silence in a broadcast when nothing is said. Depending on the sport, dead air can be an issue. For example, in a sport like football with short pauses between plays, commentators talk about

things like the long pass which was just made, setting the team up for a touchdown or college commitments to avoid dead air and keep the audience engaged. In a sport such as soccer, however, it is more natural to experience silence during the flow of the game. “I thought I knew how a commentator was supposed to sound,” said Vik Raghupathi, a Conestoga TETV alumnus and current journalism major at Syracuse University, “but it took a little bit to get into preparation and what I should be doing leading up to games and how I should be delivering things and how to talk, when not to talk (and) how to present things. All those conventions took some getting used to.” Announcers work off the air too, preparing ahead of games by interviewing coaches, perfecting the names of players from both teams and researching players’ backgrounds so that they can mention players’ college commitments or statistics while they are playing. TETV commentators also sharpen their skills by listening to other sports broadcasters, both local and national, or by listening to podcasts. “Sometimes when I’m bored, I will just turn on the TV and find a sports channel and listen to how the commentators will commentate the game,” said junior Ben Brophy, who commentates for TETV. “Every commentator has their way of doing things so I’ll try and learn how they call things and implement it into part of our club.” TETV covers Conestoga football, boys and girls soccer, field hockey, boys and girls basketball and wrestling. The next time you are unable to attend a Conestoga sports event in person, turn on TETV to watch from the comfort of your home, and remember to appreciate the voices behind the game.

Eagleville Taekwondo Academy has a very simple construction on the outside. With its neon sign spelling “TAEKWONDO” and its boxlike structure on the corner of the street, the facility is not necessarily appealing to the eye. However, walking through the rusting doors reveals a much livelier scene, as commands are being shouted and children are rushing to put on their gear. Senior Emma Davis spends two hours every day in this energetic building. Becoming a black belt takes two years of experience, and each additional degree takes additional skill, experience and perseverance. Davis has achieved four degrees at a young age and has won multiple sparring tournaments in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Maryland. She has also participated in national championships in Utah and Minnesota. Before travelling all over the country and winning multiple tournaments, Davis was just another juvenile taekwondo student. When Davis was five years old, her father persuaded her to start the activity. “My dad basically manipulated me as a child,” Davis said. “When I was five years old, he let me watch a (taekwondo) class, and after the class, he turns to me and says, ‘Only boys can do that.’ My 5-year-old self was extremely angry, and I joined in spite.” Davis admits to not excelling at taekwondo from the start. According to Davis, though, what sets her apart from her peers was the fact that she did not give up and was not afraid of her superiors. “I remember, during one of my tests, we were supposed to break a board. Some of the other kids gave up, but I kept on trying to break the board, even if I didn’t get it on my first try,” Davis said. “The other thing was

Umar Samdani/The SPOKE

Hi-yah!: Senior Emma Davis trains at the Eagleville Taekwondo Academy. Davis began learning taekwondo at five years old. She hopes to reach her ninth-degree belt, the highest possible honor in Taekwondo. that my master was really intimidating, and even some of the adults were scared of him. But I liked him, and I didn’t really care about what he was thinking. I think he liked me for that.” Davis was able to progress past her peers after the first few months and earned her first-degree black belt at age 8, her second-degree black belt at age 10 and her third-degree black belt at age 12. When she practices, Davis primarily focuses on her technique and spars with other students. When sparring, she clears her mind and tends to be extremely calm. She accomplishes this by having light conversations with her opponents before her performance.

One of Davis’ favorite memories is when she was injured and had to fight a top-tier competitor. “At one tournament I went to, there was this girl whose father was a gold medalist,” Davis said. “The twist was, I severely (hurt) my back. I didn’t tell anyone because I really wanted to go to this tournament. I held my own, but in all honesty, she won the moment we stepped on the mat. After the match, we shook hands and she congratulated me.” Davis also enjoyed travelling to Utah with her family for another tournament. She recalls how peculiar her initial encounter with her competitors was. “I remember that it was a very long flight. My dad and

brother came with me and we toured the area together,” Davis said. “I just remember during the competition when I walked into a room full of competitors in their uniforms drinking coffee. I realized how terrifying it would be to run into these people without coffee.” Maintaining physical shape throughout the year requires a rigorous schedule that Davis follows daily. Aside from practicing for almost two hours a day, Davis also runs on the treadmill and performs stretching exercises. The most important exercises for Davis are the ones that strengthen the weakest part of her body — her core muscles.

Outside of taekwondo, Davis enjoys listening to rock music and participating in the Young Republicans Club. She also collects fountain pens and plays the piano and the violin. Taekwondo has become an important part of Davis’ life in ways other than sparring. Through taekwondo, she has learned to become disciplined, respectful and diligent. She says these qualities will help her reach the highest honor possible in Taekwondo — a ninth degree Grandmaster black-belt. For now, though, she will strive to be an amazing fighter and person. “I feel like taekwondo has become a part of me,” Davis said. “I learned that anyone can be a black belt as long as you work hard.”

Dodgeball fundraiser keeps community #BODENSTRONG

Courtesy Henry Miller Sr.

#BODENSTRONG: Freshmen Will Brown, Kevin Jackson and AJ Nikolic (left to right) aim at their opponents in the high school level semifinals for dodgeball. The three students played as part of fundraiser for their friend Boden Miller.

On the road to recovery: Freshman Boden Miller smiles for the camera while wearing a “#BODENSTRONG” t-shirt. Boden injured his spine in August, and has since undergone multiple medical procedures.

in order to make the fundraiser as successful as possible. For a donation of $50 dollars per team, students in the third through 12th grade could register in groups of five to compete in one of three simultaneous dodgeball tournaments divided by age. All proceeds made from the event went to the Miller family. C4 Performance coach Mike McGee, one of the fundraiser’s lead organizers and a family friend of the Millers, hopes to organize similar events in the future. “That’s the beauty of this area. If somebody is down and out, people will jump through hoops

to help them. I’d really just like to thank everybody who offered to help, who showed up and took time out of their busy holiday weekend to show their support for one of their own,” McGee said. According to McGee, Miller’s recovery is going well, and he will begin rehabilitative training at C4 after finishing his current course of physical therapy. In addition to the dodgeball tournament and Turkey Trot 5K, local businesses American Nails and Rita’s Water Ice in Paoli contributed 10% and 15%, respectively, of their Oct. 1 profits to the campaign, respectively. Miller’s online campaign page in

Alexis Costas/The SPOKE

Alexis Costas Staff Reporter

With the blow of a whistle, two teams of students race toward the center of the indoor field, trying to claim the rubber balls waiting there for their side. Although the players are aiming to win first place, this isn’t just an ordinary dodgeball tournament: they’re also competing to show their support for Conestoga freshman Boden Miller. On Aug. 31, Miller suffered a traumatic spinal injury while playing catch with his brother and cousins on a trampoline. The injury initially left him without feeling

from the neck down. He has since undergone multiple medical procedures, and the severity of the accident has led to high expenses including healthcare and rehabilitation. However, thanks to the support of his family, friends and the T/E community, over $167,000 has been raised for Miller through community donations, local business events and fundraisers, including the recent youth dodgeball competition. Organized by local fitness studio C4 Performance, the event was held on Nov. 26 at Steelyard Sports in King of Prussia, who partnered with C4 and offered its indoor sports complex as a venue

partnership with the nonprofit organization Help Hope Live continues to receive donations on a near-daily basis. Some of Miller’s friends have brought his campaign directly to Conestoga by leading “#BODENSTRONG” wristband sales at school events, most notably at the homecoming game in September. Freshman Drew Merschel is a close friend of Miller, and has actively participated in the wristband campaign, as well as the dodgeball tournament. “I try to be involved as much as I can. It was hard at first though, because no one really expected (the injury) to happen, and we were all in shock, but thanks so much (to the community) for all the help and support. Boden really appreciates it, and so does his family,” Merschel said. Miller’s mother, Karen Miller, is especially thankful to the school community who has supported Boden from his initial injury and through his ongoing recovery. “We are forever grateful for all of the love, prayers and support of our community,” Karen Miller said, “and Boden’s recovery has been amazing. With hard work and determination, he has fought through the physical and emotional pain of having a spinal cord injury. He is still in (physical) therapy for the foreseeable future, and while he’s currently being taught at home through tutoring, he hopes to return to Conestoga in the second semester.”

Commitment Corner Caroline Famous UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SPORT: SWIMMING GRADE: 12 Why USC: “USC had the best academics, swimming and team camaraderie program. Their trainers are absolutely amazing, as well as the coaches and all the classes and the wide variety of majors also just made it perfect for me.”

Sports

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Twists and turns: â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Stoga skaters hit the ice Alex Gurski

Multimedia Editor Across the ice, sixteen girls glide in perfect synchronization. In matching outfits, they act as one, swirling, sliding and turning to their planned choreography. Synchronized skating is how two ice skaters at â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Stoga embrace the sport of figure skating.

Junior Ava Thompson and freshman Yuting Pu dedicate hours to figure skating, practicing on ice and traveling across the region to compete. After extensive training, the two girls have both joined synchronized skating teams, where groups of eight to sixteen skaters work together as a unit on the ice to perform and compete. Thompson competes

for Team Delaware, and Pu competes for a team at Oaks Center Ice. â&#x20AC;&#x2039;With all that time spent on the ice, Thompson and Pu have learned many lessons from figure skating. â&#x20AC;&#x2039;â&#x20AC;&#x153;Skating has taught me to be resilient and responsible, as well as being confident in myself,â&#x20AC;? Thompson said.â&#x20AC;&#x2039; For Thompson, whose mother was a competitive figure skater and coached her when she was young, figure skating has been a love that she has fostered since she was a child. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I started figure skating when I was 2, but I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t start skating competitively until I was 9. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t remember much about my momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coaching, but I remember that she taught me the basics: skating forwards, backwards and a few turns,â&#x20AC;? Thompson said. She now practices at the Philadelphia Skating Club and Humane Society and at the University of Delaware under five different coaches, where she feels more pressure to do well.â&#x20AC;&#x2039; As for Pu, her parents signed her up for group figure skating at a young age because of her small stature. She now takes private lessons at Oaks Center Ice under the instruction of a private coach.â&#x20AC;&#x2039;

HIGHLIGHT REEL The latest developments in sports. achieves

Sophomore lacrosse player Peter Detweiler was named as one of the class of 2022â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s players to watch in Pennsylvania by Laxrecords. pins

The wrestling team attended the Mad Mats Tournament on Dec. 6 at Magruder High School in Maryland and placed 1st out of the 16 teams in attendance. sails

The sailing team won the 2019 Fall Regatta, beating nearby schools Villa Maria and Malvern Prep. honors Courtesy Yuting Pu

Pretty in purple: Freshman Yuting Pu skates with her synchronized skating team at the Terry Conners Ice Rink in Stamford, Connecticut. Pu began figure skating at a young age and eventually went on to join her team of 16 members. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I seriously began (figure skating) in seventh or sixth grade. I got into it because when I was little, I began taking group lessons, and I guess I continued after a while,â&#x20AC;? Pu said.â&#x20AC;&#x2039; Pu believes that figure skating has taught her â&#x20AC;&#x153;balance, how to work well with others (and) getting up if you fall

down.â&#x20AC;? She loves the flexibility of the sport and the freedom it provides her. â&#x20AC;&#x2039;â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just fun to be on the ice,â&#x20AC;? Pu said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can do a lot of things on the ice; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just very versatile.â&#x20AC;? With the minimal coverage â&#x20AC;&#x2039; that synchronized skating gets in the media, it is inspiring that Thompson and Pu carry their love for the sport.â&#x20AC;&#x2039;

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Skating is often overlooked and underestimated, especially synchronized skating. Synchronized skaters constantly have to prove their athleticism because not many people know about the sport since it is not in the Olympics yet,â&#x20AC;? Thompson said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Synchro has taught me to fight for things that I love and to trust myself and my teammates.â&#x20AC;?

Wrestling Life Courtesy Ava Thompson

Figure eights: Junior Ava Thompson skates at a synchronized skating competition with her team. She first joined the sport when her mother, a figure skater herself, introduced her to the sport.

meet the wrestlers Freshman Alec Calvitti began wrestling when his friend Matt Boye asked him to join the team in seventh grade. He realized early on that basketball was not the sport for him and decided wrestling was worth giving a shot. Calvitti finds wrestling fun, even with the intensity that comes with the sport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love hanging out with my friends on the team. They are all really supportive and fun to be with,â&#x20AC;? Calvitti said.

runs

The winter track team participated at the Ursinus High School Invitational on Dec. 7, competing against top teams in the area.

can you survive?

STORY AND PHOTOS BY hIBA samdani and Reese wang, staff reporter and design editor design by reese wang, design editor

nick arbes junior

Mitch Baker Sophomore

alec calvitti freshman

Junior and soccer center back Reese Henderson was honored with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week.â&#x20AC;?

Influenced by his neighbor, wrestler Morgan Lofland, sophomore Mitch Baker began wrestling in first grade and stuck with it. Although he finds wrestling to be harder than lacrosse, the other sport he plays, he thinks wrestling is more rewarding. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just you, and no one else helped you win that match,â&#x20AC;? Baker said.

Day in the life

Junior Nick Arbes remembers the first time he stepped onto the wrestling mat after failing to make the basketball team in seventh grade. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As soon as I stepped on the mat, I loved it, because it had the right amount of violence (and) the right amount of energy, and it was just a really great sport,â&#x20AC;? Arbes said. Arbes credits his discipline and perseverance to the cuts and bruises received during matches.

matt palomo senior Senior Matt Palomo came from a wrestling family but didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wrestle until his friend Tyler Amendola, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;Stoga alumnus 2018, convinced him to wrestle. Even after suffering from two injuries, a sprained knee and a concussion, Palomo continues because of the new friends he made through the sport. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By far, the people on the team are some of the best people (I know). I love hanging out with the wrestling team,â&#x20AC;? Palomo said.

Mitch Baker

lunch

Breakfast â&#x20AC;&#x153;The idea (of cutting weight) is if you lose that body fat, and then you can get down to the weight that you're happy at and you can just maintain.â&#x20AC;? - Mitch Baker

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have had to cut weight before, and it impacts the rest of your day. Everything from your energy levels (and) classroom concentration (to) even sleep (is) influenced when cutting weight.â&#x20AC;? - Nick Arbes

pRACTICE includes: Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give up! -Drills -intrasquad Wrestling â&#x20AC;&#x153;You don't want to be the first kid in the room -Conditioning to fall down or stop doing it.â&#x20AC;? - Mitch Baker 11

# of weight classes

one varsity member per weight class

106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 160, 170, 182, 195, 220, 285

Post-practice weigh-in tips for losing weight fast to make your weight: -stop eating carbohydrates -sweat away the pounds: sprint with lots of clothes on

What happens if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make your weight? option 1: stay in your weight class, lose more weight option 2: bump up a weight class, wrestle the top wrestler for the varsity spot

â&#x20AC;&#x153;(Weight loss is all about) putting the right foods into my body at the right amounts to make sure that I'm not sluggish for practice, and I'm well energized and well fed.â&#x20AC;? - Mitch Baker

Alec Calvitti

dinner â&#x20AC;&#x153;Dinner is subject to change depending on how much weight I need to lose.â&#x20AC;? - Alec Calvitti

â&#x20AC;&#x153;During the wrestling season, I try to get six to seven hours of sleep, otherwise, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel good during the day.â&#x20AC;?- Matt Palomo

SPORTS

The SPOKE Commitment Corner Page 10

A Day in the Life of a Wrestler Page 11

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Sophomore runs PhilaDodgeball team hosts a delphia half marathon in fundraiser for Boden Miller honor of uncle Page 10 Page 11

Running for a cause: Family runs Philadelphia Half Marathon in honor of student’s uncle Gavin Merschel Staff Reporter

Gavin Merschel Staff Reporter

Gavin Merschel/The Spoke

While some run for fun or a good workout, others, such as sophomore Maddy D’Arcy, run for a more personally meaningful purpose. D’Arcy and her family have been running the 8K for the past three years. But as they debated over whether to run the 8K or the Half Marathon in 2019, an event occurred that settled and solidified their decision. An eager crowd filled the Ben Franklin Parkway on a cold late November morning as the participants of the Philadelphia Half Marathon ran and walked 13.1 miles through the city. Over 14,000 participants and thousands of supporters cheered in a show of support as runners crossed the finish line. Anticipation and adrenaline filled the air as feelings of accomplishment and pride gripped the hearts of everyone in attendance. D’Arcy’s uncle passed away from heart disease this past August; it was a shock to her family. The

D’Arcy’s wanted to honor him and find a way to raise money for heart disease awareness and research. Since her uncle had been a good runner when he was younger, they turned to the Philadelphia Half Marathon. “We were kind of considering doing the Half, and once (my uncle passed away), my dad came up with the idea that definitely pushed us to the next level,” D’Arcy said. D’Arcy began training three months prior to the race, starting by running 3 miles and working her way up to 13.1. At the race, she finished 2:40:00. “When something that big happens, it’s hard to honor it in a way that’s big (since I’m) doing it for not just him but other people suffering the same thing,” D’Arcy said. The D’Arcy family chose to donate the money raised from the run to the British Heart Foundation since D’Arcy was born in England, where her family is from including her uncle. The British Heart Foundation is a charity organization

dedicated to “beating heartbreak from heart and circulatory diseases.” The main goals of the charity are to raise money for heart disease research, spread prevention methods and form a community of those affected by heart disease. Through donations and sponsors from friends and relatives, D’Arcy and her family were able to raise around $1,500, exceeding her expectations. Although the run was for a serious cause, D’Arcy really enjoyed the full experience of running in a major event. She especially enjoyed all the people holding signs of inspiration throughout the course. “It was a really great atmosphere,” D’Arcy said. Despite feeling a sense of relief for the event to be over, she plans to run more events similar to the Half Marathon in the future and is even considering eventually running a full marathon. “It felt really great to finish it,” D’Arcy said, “(I am) grateful that I was able to run for a great cause.”

Heart of gold: Sophomore Maddy D’Arcy and her family pose for a photo after completing the Philadelphia Half Marathon. The family decided to run the marathon in honour of D’Arcy’s uncle who passed away from heart disease in August 2019. D’Arcy hopes to eventually run the full marathon.

Diving into action: Sophomore competes at nationals Akshita Joshi Staff Reporter

Seconds before the race begins, sophomore Raymond Welgosh resides on the starting block, his body arched and his hands gripping the block’s edge. As the buzzer sounds, signalling the start of the race, he dives into the cool water. Welgosh, who medaled at states and competed at nationals in August, is currently ranked eighth as a swimmer in Pennsylvania overall, with breaststroke as his main race. He swims for ’Stoga and the Suburban Seahawks Club, a swimming club in Delaware County. At nationals he was unable to place, but had his first experience at a large scale meet. “It was my first time competing (at nationals), and I was on the younger side of the other people competing, but I think I did pretty good and was happy after dropping my time,” Welgosh said. Welgosh’s parents first enrolled him in swimming when

he was 5 years old so that he could learn a life skill. Neither Welgosh, nor his parents thought of doing the sport competitively for the first couple of years. “At first, I thought it was okay. All of my friends were there, and I wasn’t very good, so I just went for the social aspect,” Welgosh said. Upon further realization, Welgosh noticed himself getting better by day at the sport, and started enjoying practices more. He continued swimming not only because of the friends, but because of the atmosphere. He loves participating at meets and being able to have experiences he can learn from in every race. “At meets, if someone has a bad swim, its alright because we all pick each other up and help each other out,” Welgosh said. Now, Welgosh trains six days a week and completes rigorous, 2-3 hour long practices to prepare for meets. He only gets three weeks off after nationals, a year, which take place around mid-August.

Courtesy Raymond Welgosh

Making a splash: Sophomore Raymond Welgosh swims at a competition. Welgosh was recently ranked eighth in the state. He hopes to someday qualify for the Olympic trials. Welgosh often faces one major challenge: dropping times at meets. He sometimes has a hard time knowing that he had a better time in a pre-

vious race. Welgosh acknowledges that many of his races have gone poorly, but he doesn’t let them get in his way. “I’ve been through a lot of

plateaus, and it’s really frustrating to try and get through that, but I try to stay positive and motivated, even though it’s hard at times,” Welgosh said.

Welgosh, the only swimmer in his family, appreciates his parents, who are supportive despite never having had experience with the sport.

“They take me to and from practices, get me the things I need, and come cheer for me at meets. They have helped me the best they can,” Welgosh said. Welgosh is very grateful for the lessons it has taught him. He has learnt to work harder, and show determination for his sport through his coaches and parents. Even with all of the challenges and obstacles along the way, he still finds the love for this sport. Swimming has helped him to make friends and to stay active and healthy throughout the years. “Swimming has disciplined me and has made me a happier and better person all around,” Welgosh said. “It’s made me the person I am today.” He hopes to win districts and states later in the season, and hopes to someday go to college for swimming and qualify for the Olympic trials. Welgosh has been working toward his future goals through extra training and conditioning, and continues to make the most out of every practice and meet.

SCORELINE B Basketball

G Basketball

B Ice Hockey

Scores as of 12/10

G Ice Hockey

B Squash

G Squash

B Swimming G Swimming

Wrestling