gms honors black history month page 2
Conestoga High School, Berwyn, PA 19312
Volume 70 No. 4
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
senior shares art on instagram page 4
Girls Basketball Supports cancer awarepage 10 ness
Spoke.news
Upcoming HBO series films locally Aditi Dahagam Staff Reporter
Putting Together Special Education
What special education is, how it works and why it’s important Charity Xu/The SPOKE
By Claire Guo, Hyunjin Lee and Sophia Pan Co-Editor-in-Chief, Co-T/E Life Editor & Copy Editor Throughout middle school, Class of 2019 alumnus Daniel Stuber took creative problem solving seminars as part of the gifted program. In eighth grade, after being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and generalized anxiety disorder, he also entered the special education program. Like Stuber did throughout high school, over 1,130 students in the T/E School District receive special education to address needs that range from anxiety and concussion-related learning problems to disorders like autism and ADHD. According to Stuber, the variety in special education needs is often not understood. “There are a huge range of people that are in special education programs: people that you know, people that you could be very close with, people that you see in your classes every day and have no idea if they have anxiety, depression or ADHD, or any number of issues that don’t present as being super obvious on the outside,” Stuber said.
The issues that Stuber deals with aren’t visibly apparent. Because of his ADHD, Stuber faces problems with executive functions — mental processes in the brain’s frontal lobe that help us organize thoughts, switch focus and remember details. In one college English class, Stuber didn’t find out a paper was due until the class before. A fast writer, he finished the five-page research paper in 45 minutes. “It sounds like a flex but then you realize that I literally didn’t turn in other papers because I forgot,” Stuber said. “You know, it’s like, ‘Are you serious? How do you forget?’ For me, that was another thing where you just have to go to the extra trouble of watching when she writes stuff on the board. You have to sift through it and find the important stuff. And I have to remember to write it down, which is tough.” The services he received in T/E Middle School and Conestoga helped him address those executive function problems and succeed in school despite them. Looking back and forth between the textbook and his paper for homework assignments was extremely difficult for him. In eighth grade, academic support staff began assembling the textbook problems into worksheets, making certain homework assignments easier. In 10th grade, an aide began accompanying Stuber to his classes, reminding him to write down due dates and make schedules. Under the national Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), all students aged 3-21
with a disability have the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE). That FAPE varies from student to student and sometimes includes special education services. Students receive special education services through an Individualized Education Plan, or IEP, a plan unique to them and their needs that designates what those services will look like. “Without special education or special services, the right to education, which has been recognized as a human right, is compromised for children with disabilities because they are deprived of the opportunity to realize their potential,” said Minyi Dennis, an associate professor and researcher of special education in early childhood at Lehigh University. Gifted education also falls under the umbrella of special education. Students who demonstrate gifted abilities through a screening assessment and gifted multidisciplinary evaluation receive GIEPs, or Gifted Individualized Education Plans, designed to offer opportunities for acceleration and enrichment. GIEPs are similar to IEPs in that they are designed to maximize a student’s education through unique plans. Since IDEA was enacted in 1975, special education enrollment has steadily increased nationwide from 3.7 million students in the 1976-1977 school year to 7 million students in the 2017-2018 school year. In the T/E School District, enrollment has similarly increased from 608 students in the 1993-1994 school year to 1,137 students in the 2018-
2019 school year. (To find out why, see Enrollment and costs in special education rise across nation for more.) The Process Students enter the special education program through a multidisciplinary evaluation process that starts after a parent requests an evaluation or after a staff member requests it and parents give their consent. At Conestoga, counselors file referral forms — sometimes suggested by teachers or administrators — with school psychologists Cynthia Knapp and Kathleen Quinlisk. After receiving parental consent, Knapp or Quinlisk have 60 days to complete an initial evaluation that assesses whether a student has a disability that falls under one of 14 disability categories defined by IDEA. Then they must determine whether the student’s disability or disabilities indicates he or she needs special instruction and accommodations. School psychologists get input and information from parents, teachers and sometimes physicians throughout the process. “I would say the most difficult (part of the evaluation process) is how important it is to get all the pieces and how easy it is to miss one,” Quinlisk said. “You’re asking (for) parent information and teacher information. You have to remember, ‘Ask the nurse’s office, make sure there’s no medical condition that may explain this.’ The most difficult thing is keeping all those balls in the air and making
sure that it all winds up in one document.” As part of IDEA, all public school districts are federally required to provide students with the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), meaning that students with disabilities must receive their education in general classes with nondisabled peers as much as possible without hurting the quality of education. Hence, the school psychologists consider whether the student’s needs can be met through general education options before recommending special education. (General education options include conventional classes — no changes in curriculum — 504 plans and interventions by the Multi-Tiered Intervention Team.) If the school psychologist determines that general education options are not sufficient, they may recommend that the student receive special education through an IEP. Then, a preliminary IEP team draws up a plan; parents give final consent for the school to implement the services described in the IEP. Once approved, Conestoga typically begins providing services immediately. Due to the unique nature of each student’s IEP, the special education curriculum is flexible. Depending on students’ needs, Conestoga offers learning support services, emotional support services, speech and language services, autistic support, and life skills support. Continued on page 3
After a young girl is murdered, Pennsylvania detective Mare Sheehan investigates the case while dealing with personal troubles in a new HBO series entitled “Mare of Easttown.” The new series, set to premiere in 2021, is filming in Aston, Coatesville, Phoenixville and other areas in Philadelphia’s suburbs. Joining lead Kate Winslet are Julianne Nicholson, Evan Peters and Angourie Rice. Gavin O’Connor will direct according to HBO’s series description. After the film crew arrived in town for pre-production in August, filming began in November and is expected to end in April 2020. Writer and creator of the show, Brad Ingelsby, said he hopes to pick up on the characteristics of the area and represent the region in an authentic and recognizable way. Ingelsby grew up in Berwyn and went to Tredyffrin/Easttown Middle School, later attending Archbishop John Carroll High School in Radnor, with his father as the team basketball coach. Ingelsby started writing the series in the summer of 2018 and spent eight months writing all the episodes. His aim is to write about home and tell the story about the rhythms and lifestyles of the people in the area in an entertaining way. “I want to write about the rituals of how I grew up, the people I grew up with and the experiences I had as a kid. The people and characters in the show come from a very specific place in my own life,” Ingelsby said. Despite having many characteristics of this region, hardly any scenes of the series have been
filmed in the namesake, Easttown Township. Chief of Police of Easttown Township David Obzud explains that the filming of the show has made little tangible impact in our community. “Even though (the series) has taken our name, nothing has happened here. There’s no shooting. There’s no road closures,” Obzud said. The main studio is a vacant Kmart in Thorndale. All of the scenes in the series have been filmed a half-hour from the main studio in locations around Easttown. “The Easttown in the show is a bit more of a blend of a number of places. It’s sort of more blue-collar than the real Easttown,” Ingelsby said. “We certainly love that we get to shoot where (the show) happens. That’s such a luxury that you don’t often get.” Ingelsby believes that specific features about the way of life and traditions of the area will give the series’ watchers a better understanding of the community. “The details in the show, like the Wawas, the Eagles, the pizza shop, the hoagies speak to this sort of region. I think when people watch the show, they’ll recognize this place and hopefully those details will help to sell the show,” Ingelsby said. Obzud believes that the series will affect Easttown’s name and reputation once it is released but will have little influence on township residents. “I think no matter what, we’re going to be linked to (the series). People will associate us with it, and maybe we’ll see an uptick in general questions, but I don’t think it’s going to impact us greatly one way or another,” Obzud said.
Courtesy Brad Ingelsby
Easttown roots: Producer Brad Ingelsby attends the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. Ingelsby grew up near Easttown and is the writer and creator of “Mare of Easttown,” a new HBO show set in Philadelphia’s suburbs.
District receives $35,000 targeted computer science grant Richard Li News Editor
The district received a $35,000 targeted grant for computer science from the Pennsylvania Department of Education in January. The grant will be used for the creation of an after-school computer science and robotics program at Tredyffrin/Easttown Middle School for 5th and 6th graders. Set to begin next school year, the program will run in a similar fashion to a club and will focus on promoting involvement in computer science among underrepresented groups. “We have a really robust computer science program at the high school but we’re working to grow the middle school program. Our grant targeted girls, students of color and English-language learners, so we really want to try to recruit those populations who we think
maybe we miss sometimes in computer science,” curriculum supervisor Nancy Adams said. Adams wrote the grant application with Director of State and Federal Programs Oscar Torres in December, and will work with Teacher on Special Assignment for Technology Lisa Lukens as well as teachers Colleen Johnson and Erika Lucas to implement the program. The grant was reviewed and approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as a part of the PAsmart workforce development initiative. “This grant helps both students and teachers. It’s used to provide training to teachers so they teach the critical skills that students need to succeed in the workforce. And it provides students with the instruction they need to develop the knowledge and skills to work in these in-demand jobs,” said Eric Levis, press secretary for the Pennsyl-
vania Department of Education. Grant funds will be dedi-
with and providing transportation to and from the pro-
ly, two block-based visual programming languages targeted
Richard Li/The SPOKE
Scratch-ing the surface of computer programming: MIT’s Scratch runs on a computer. This block-based visual programming language will be used to teach coding concepts to middle-schoolers in the new after-school computer science program at Tredyffrin/Easttown Middle School.
cated to training teachers to run the program, purchasing devices such as iPads to code
gram. Instructors will teach coding concepts using programs like Scratch and Block-
towards younger audiences. In addition, the district hopes to purchase more Ozobots
and Sphero Bolts — small, student-friendly robots that the district currently uses in the elementary and middle schools — for the program. “The idea is to introduce (younger students) to coding, computer science and computational thinking in a super non-threatening way. We think they’ll like it and it’ll encourage them to take future courses (in these areas),” Adams said. In the future, Adams believes that the role of not only computer science but also computational thinking, which is stepwise logical problem-solving similar to how computers function, will expand in the district’s curriculum. “Right now we mostly have people (who) are looking for courses to teach them how to code, or for example, AP Computer science principles (which) sort of teaches the processes of computers, but I
really think that computational thinking and computers will underline more and more of our courses as we move forward,” Adams said. “My goal would be to have all students feel comfortable using computers and knowing what they can do. That, I think, is a 21st-century skill.” Tredyffrin/Easttown Middle School principal Andy Phillips hopes the program will encourage continued engagement in computer science at T/E Middle School and within the district. “As educators of the future workforce of America, we are always looking for ways to involve student-groups who are typically underrepresented in the field of computer science. Hopefully, this sparks an interest and passion for continuing their education in this and other STEM areas,” Phillips said.
News
2
A BRIEF LOOK
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Advocacy group pushes to limit local development
The latest developments in T/E news.
School board passes preliminary budget
The Tredyffrin/Easttown Board of School Directors voted to pass the preliminary 2020-2021 budget at their Jan. 27 meeting. The budget includes a property tax increase of 2.6% that is intended to help reduce a projected $7.7 million deficit.
Mock
trial competes in state competition
Students competed at the state Mock Trial competition on Feb. 10 and 11. The competition is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Bar Association and the hypothetical case was a civil trial that deals with cyberbullying.
Students qualify for regional music festivals
Twelve students qualified for the Pennsylvania Music Educator’s Association’s Region 6 Orchestra Festival and five qualified for the Region 6 Chorus Festival. Qualifiers were selected based on their performance on an audition at the respective district festivals.
AP Research classes host research fair
AP Research students hosted the first annual research fair in the lobby. Students were invited to participate in a variety of surveys and experiments that collected data for various different final AP Research projects.
’Stoga Theatre prepares for Spring Musical The cast and crew of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” began rehearsing in January. ’Stoga Theatre will put on five performances of the play, from Mar. 4-7. More information regarding the musical is posted on the ’Stoga Theatre website.
Tredyffrin Township plans changes to Wilson Farm Park Tredyffrin Township held a meeting on Jan. 13 to discuss proposed changes to Wilson Farm Park and are seeking input through an online survey. The changes include new pickleball courts, a new spray play area and various renovations to existing areas. Read more at
NEWS
Evan Lu/The SPOKE
TE United: A sign on a corner of Russell Road promotes TE United, a local advocacy group that is protesting overdevelopment. The group was originally created to protest the construction of an assisted living facility in a Tredyffrin neighborhood.
Evan Lu
Staff Reporter
As development throughout the Tredyffrin/Easttown School district and surrounding areas continues to trend upwards, a local group called
TE United has organized to address their concerns regarding overdevelopment in Tredyffrin/Easttown district. TE United was originally founded when residents of the Russell Road neighborhood
decided to protest the construction of an assisted living facility (ALF) across the street from their homes. Dan Leon, a co-founder of the group and father of seven children in the Tredyffrin/Easttown
School District, feels that the construction of a new ALF in the community is unnecessary and harmful to the neighborhood’s wellbeing. “Assisted Living Facilities are a serious problem because
Tiffany He and Devon Rocke Managing Editor and Staff Reporter
Elementary school teacher and Conestoga coach Pete Ricci passed away on Dec. 15, 2019 following a two-year battle with cancer, leaving behind a legacy of inspiration, compassion and enthusiasm. Ricci was born on May 27, 1952 in Providence, Rhode Island. He is survived by his wife, Lorri Ricci, of 38 years and his sons P.T., Garrett and Brent. Ricci worked at the Sun Oil Company for 18 years and also acted as an NCAA women’s basketball referee before leaving to pursue his lifelong dream of teaching. “He never looked back and always said that (pursuing a teaching career) was the best decision he ever made,” Lorri Ricci said. “It was a scary decision at the time, but he loved every minute of it. I think his students loved him too.” Pete Ricci spent 23 years as a teacher at Beaumont Elementary and Valley Forge Middle School. Ricci’s passion for sports would even follow him off the field and into the classroom. “I know he put a lot of coaching into his teaching. He would have his students run a football play and take the attendance sheet and run it out of the room and down to the main office. He would play sports games on the chalkboard; he would make all
Emma Clarke Staff Reporter
T/E LIFE
Band managers provide support OP/ED
Gen Z: the era of student activism SPORTS
Predictions for the NBA season
Super Bowl traditions at ’Stoga
ing Toll Brothers out, it’s about making sure your future is going to be well.” Originally designed to voice the dissent of the residents of one street, the movement has since grown significantly. They now operate from their website, teunited.org, and a Facebook group that has gained over 600 members since its conception three months ago. In addition, TE United is putting up signs in resident’s yards as requested by some residents, and members are attending school board meetings and Planning Commission meetings in order to better represent their communities. Kevin Howell, another co-founder of the group and father of three children in the district, said, “By communicating and making sure people are aware, we’re making an impact.” The group plans to organize more activities and hold more event-based campaigning. Howell hopes more people will understand their perspective on devleopment in the district. “We’re hoping to pass it to younger people who are going to be moving into the neighborhoods and raising their own kids,” Howell said. “We continue to welcome content and information from the entire TE community.”
Community remembers inspiring teacher and coach the learning into sports. Coaching a lot of time is teaching,” son and current freshman football coach P.T. Ricci said. Aside from teaching, Pete Ric-
“I watched him, year after year, take a collection of individuals and unite them into one team who cared for each other, cheered for each oth-
spired, motivated, counseled, and consoled his players. Most of all, he made his players smile and laugh.” One of his biggest goals was
When students flip through the new Program of Studies in the upcoming weeks, they will find that three new courses have been added to the curriculum: Personal Fitness; App Development; and Ethics, Inquiry and Discourse. Personal Fitness, a semester-long physical education course, will combine the fundamentals of strength training, aerobic training and overall fitness training. The aim of this class, which is the first physical education elective course to be added within the past few years, is to emphasize the importance of a healthy lifestyle and fitness program. According to Health and Physical Education Department Chair Mr. Jones, Personal Fitness was introduced to address each individual’s needs and provide them with benefits such as improved self-confidence, reduced stress and better sleep. “The positive effects of exercise have been proven by many research articles, including the Harvard School of Public Health Study of College Health Behaviors,” Jones said. “Students should expect to experience more energy during the day, elevated mood, and reduced stress. In addition to a heightened attention span and a sharper memory-- leading to increase in cognitive function—all this while enjoying a fun break during the school day.” On the more sedentary side
“Coach Ricci was the best coach I have ever had. He gave me strength and believed in me throughout my career,” senior softball player Lauren
Courtesy P.T. Ricci
Teacher, coach, mentor: Elementary school teacher and Conestoga sports coach Pete Ricci celebrates with sophomore Libby Winters and Class of 2019 graduate Olivia Cepielik after a softball game in spring of 2019. Ricci passed away on Dec. 15, 2019, leaving behind a legacy of inspiration, compassion and enthusiasm. ci was also an influential part of the Conestoga High School sports program for over 20 years, coaching football, baseball, girls basketball and girls softball teams.
er, and played their hearts out for their coach,” physical education teacher John Johns, who coached with Ricci for 15 years, said. “Coach Ricci in-
to dedicate a practice field to the girls’ softball team, which currently practices off campus. Days before he passed, Ricci met with the team one last time.
Program of Studies brings curriculum changes Senior wins principal cellist position
there are already four of them (in the area), and they’re not full. They want to put a fifth one, and the current four are already not making money,” Leon said. “If that fifth one that’s in your neighborhood across from your street goes out of business, the number one thing that happens with an ALF is that it is repurposed as a drug rehab; so now you have people that are not exactly what you would want in your neighborhood, certainly not across the street from your house.” TE United is focused on the prevention of overdevelopment and large construction corporations that, according to the group’s founders, have quick exit strategies on the projects and little regard for community residents. However, the group is not against all development. Instead, Leon supports the renovation and expansion of school academic and athletic facilities that will directly benefit community members and students. “You can take it from an academic standpoint, or you could take it from an athletic standpoint. Conestoga is busy and there are a lot of students, but there’s not a lot of parking and classes are getting bigger,” Leon said. “We don’t have turf fields, so if it rains, practices are done. It’s not just about keep-
of things, App Development will be introduced as a new semester-long computer science course, focusing on the app development process. Although ’Stoga already offers the course Coding: Games, Apps and the Arts, which incor-
to deploy the app on different platforms, including a website, android, iOS, or as a standalone PC or Mac application,” computer science teacher Edward Sharick said. “They’ll understand all the different aspects that go into
Alex Gurski/The SPOKE
New courses for the new school year: Freshman Emily Danenhower looks over the 2020-2021 Program of Studies. This year’s Program of Studies introduced three new courses: Personal Fitness; App Development; and Ethics, Inquiry and Discourse. porates designing a simple gaming app, App Development will solely focus on each student producing a fully functional app for Android, iOS or web application. “After taking the course, the students will be able to build their own application and be able
app development and will be able to create their own in the future. I’m really excited for the course.” As an adviser for the Ethics Bowl team, philosophy teacher John Koenig is looking forward to seeing how the new Ethics, Inquiry and Discourse class will
play out in the upcoming school year. The course, a social studies elective, will be semester-long and discussion-based. Using commercials, speeches and artwork, students will learn about different methods of persuasion and how to develop their own arguments in the study of ethics. “I think there is a lot of value that can be taken from this course. Ethical questions can be at the center of people’s lives, and it is important (for students) to be able to formulate arguments to answer those questions and feel confident in their answers,” Koenig said. Assistant principal Anthony Dilella is confident that the process that goes into creating new classes will ensure positive student experiences. “We are always looking for ways to enhance our already impressive Program of Studies. Each course above will benefit students by providing relevant, up-to-date information in their respective field. Teachers use student feedback when creating classes as their guide and research current best practices to create the course,” Dilella said. Along with these additions to the curriculum, the district will make Language and Composition a required course for juniors beginning in the 2021-2022 school year. Besides these new courses, however, course selection will proceed much the same it always has, and final course selection cards will be collected on Feb. 20 and 21.
Lofland said. “He gave us a speech about doing what you love and putting your heart into everything you do. Him coming to our practice meant
the world to the team and we continue to have coach Ricci with us at bat.” Ricci also enjoyed writing letters to former students. Whether he was reaching out to students who graduated or trying to help them through hard times, he continued shaping their lives outside the classroom. “Every time we went out anywhere, people would come up to him and go, ‘Mr. Ricci, Mr. Ricci,’ and stop and talk to him,” Lorri Ricci said. “We used to call him the mayor of Berwyn because he knew everybody and would stop to talk to everybody.” A memorial service celebrating Ricci’s life was held Dec. 21. Over one thousand people were in attendance, with some past students flying all the way from California to attend. Prior to the memorial, Jones created a Google Drive where over 200 videos from past students and athletes were shared, showcasing a lifetime of the impact he left on those around him. “He was able to impact their lives and give them confidence and make them feel that whoever they are was just enough. He told me that that’s why he wanted to get into coaching and get into teaching — so he could truly have an impact on people instead of just breezing past them. His big thing was leaving things better than the way you found them, and I think he did that,” P.T. Ricci said.
Coronavirus spreads international concern Sophia Pan and Devon Rocke Copy Editor and Staff Reporter Director of Individualized Student Services Chris Groppe sent out an informative post on Jan. 27 regarding the recent outbreak of respiratory illness from a new strain of novel coronavirus called “2019nCoV.” Although there are no reported cases of coronavirus involving TESD students or Pennsylvanians, there are 12 confirmed cases in the U.S. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a global health emergency on Jan. 30. As of Feb. 7, the WHO has reported more than 37,500 confirmed cases globally, roughly 99 percent of which are in China. First identified in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, coronavirus likely originated from Chinese wet markets that sell wild animal meat, according to CBS. According to the CDC, coronavirus spreads most often from person to person through close contact (about 6 feet), although much is still unknown about the illness. Some common symptoms of coronavirus include chills, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, chest pain and fever.
While coronavirus is not fatal in most cases, over 900 people have died worldwide since the outbreak according to CNN, most of which have been older individuals or individuals with compromised immune systems. On Jan. 31, the U.S. government declared the coronavirus a public health emergency, barring foreigners from entering the country within two weeks of visiting China. Americans returning from China must undergo screening at entry points and must self-screen for two weeks for symptoms. Americans returning from Hubei province are subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine. Despite international concern over the virus, White House national security adviser Robert O’Brien emphasized the current low impact of the virus in the United States in an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “Right now there’s no reason for Americans to panic. This is something that is a low risk, we think in the U.S,” O’Brien said. Groppe’s notice ensured students and parents that the district is closely monitoring the outbreak and working to make sure that facilities are properly cleaned.
News
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
3
What special education is, how it works and why it’s important Learning Support
For students who need help in academic areas, learning support Teacher relationships provides resources and strategies to help students overcome barriIn support classes, students ofers they may face in a classroom. ten have the same teachers every Learning support teacher Esther year and build relationships with Chi works with students everythem over time. Emotional support day, providing extra help in readteacher Trish Keller believes that ing, writing, math, study skills structure is important for students’ and organization. special education experience. “I help students with assign“I think a lot of these kids have ments, clarify any questions they reservations about opening up have and also re-teach concepts,” about their emotions and things Chi said. “I have two aides in my that have classroom who are happened a huge help. I also to them in reach out to teach- Special Education Enrollment in T/E by Disability 2018-2019 the past,” ers and help stuMultiple Disabilities: 1.24% Keller said, dents make a plan if Intellectual Disabilities: 2.84% “so when they are sick.” Autism they build Chi’s learning 13.33% Emotional Disturbance: 10.31% that relasupport class has a tionship routine which her Specific Learning you Disability: 29.07% students follow, alSpeech or Language Impairment: 13.24% with and then lowing them to plan they have to their schedules and Other Health start all over Data from Pennsylvania Department of Education assignments. LearnImpairment: 29.96% *This chart includes 1125 total people. 12 people again, it just ing support students were not included from the 1137 total students enrolled for confidentiality. makes for a check Schoology horrible exwhen they come to class to write down their home- through speech and language perience. I think for them to have work and then work on assign- therapy, Lodato and Lemmo of- that relationship with one teacher ments or study for tests. Chi uses ten go to class with students and and know that each year they have that consistency is huge.” this time to check in about her stu- facilitate communication. Wu’s mother, Tiffany Wu, bedents’ day and progress monitor their IEP goals. Autistic Support and Life Skills lieves that the special education services at Conestoga are helpful “The part I really enjoy about Support for her daughter. working with students is to be “As a parent, I am grateful for able to help them understand In autistic and life skills supthings they may not have been port classes, students learn a the teachers in CHS. They do their able to get before and seeing variety of skills that help them best to help the special students them grow as a learner and as a become more independent, in- with their individual needs in eduyoung adult,” Chi said. cluding how to choose an outfit cation goals,” Tiffany Wu said. that coordinates with the weathEmotional Support er, how to start conversations Accommodations and how to be a good friend. IEPs often include accommoSometimes emotional probAutistic and life skills suplems like anxiety are the root cause port teacher Nikki Stagias of- dations. At Conestoga, accomof students’ learning difficulties. ten creates her own curriculum modations can include receiving Emotional support teacher Trish based on her students’ IEPs, homework assignments in a larger Keller often finds that anxiety or contrasting it with her general font; extended testing times; and stress, rather than content, is what’s education pre-algebra class, in allowing tests to be taken in Room really hindering students. which the curriculum is “pretty 224, a testing center for students “There are some students strict.” Life skills support teach- receiving special education. Class of 2019 alumna Faith that do struggle (with learning er Madison Galanti also apprematerial), but (with) most of ciates the freedom she has with Walker, now attending La Salle University, found accommodathem, it’s more like a writer’s the curriculum. block,” Keller said. “(It’s) really strongly based off tions to be very helpful while at One focus of emotional sup- of the needs of the students in the Conestoga. She was diagnosed port is developing resiliency skills. class, which is really nice. If Keller and Kate McGranaghan, we need a little more practice fellow emotional support teacher on a subject, we can spend and chair of academic support, as much time as we need on encourage students to consider it.” Galanti said. “The whole possible “thinking traps” when point is just to help students they face hurdles in their work. On become independent and the back wall of their shared class- successful in life.” room are posters detailing thinkJunior Evangeline Wu ing traps like jumping to con- takes the independent livclusions and minimizing, when ing skills class, in which individuals downplay positives. students help organize the “What can happen with our wrestling team’s uniforms, students is that they fall into sort books in the library, and these (thinking traps) in a way sell coffee and tea during the that gets them stuck and prevents library’s fall coffee house. them from moving forward,” Mc“Special education classes Granaghan said. “When we help are important to me because them to identify that pattern, then I can learn about different it’s easier for them to sort of take skills. I learned typing skills, public with OCD, anxiety and depresa step back and say, you know, speaking skills and how to interact sion at the beginning of high school. After her parents reached this isn’t really about my English with other people,” Wu said. paper. This is about my response Wu takes a mix of special out to the school and she was evalto the English paper. And if I can and general education classes uated, Walker entered the special challenge that counterproductive throughout the day, including a education program. “I had really bad OCD starting thinking, then I will be able to job skills class and a writing class. move through it.” Her favorite class is the elective my freshman year, and I wasn’t able to get out of bed because Culinary Arts. Speech and Language Services “I really like the cooking class my rituals would take so long,” because I get to make food (and) Walker said. “I would have to do In speech and language ther- get more practice, and I like mak- homework multiple times to get apy, students work with speech ing cupcakes,” Wu said. “It feels it correct in my mind, so it would therapists Bridgid Lodato and good being in a class with a lot take me a couple of days to do Christine Lemmo to improve more people, and I get to know homework assignments.” Walker’s accommodations inskills that range from expressing them very well by asking them oneself and understanding oth- (their) names and some questions.” cluded a free first period so she could ers’ messages to articulation and Senior Manasseh Teshome, come in late and extended time for stuttering. who takes the independent liv- homework assignments. She could
as much, just be able to do what the rest of the class does in the same way. But that’s not always possible, and you kind of have to push that to the back of your mind and be willing to ask for what you need,” Nadel said. Nadel is now taking a course on special education as part of his teacher education program at Gettysburg College, where he plans to get certification to teach social studies to grades 7-12. The course is reaffirming what he already knew through his own experience. “You’ll be surprised how well the students do in class if they just get what they need,” Nadel said. “Because a lot of times, it’s not that they’re worse at doing something — they just need to do it differently to be successful at it.”
also take tests in Room 224 and present projects in front of the teacher rather than the whole class. “I was doing better on tests and everything because I was actually able to get a different room and I was able to have extra time on it, which I definitely did need,” Walker said. “It definitely helped my grades and definitely helped my mental health.” Misconceptions and Stigma According to Walker, people often think accommodations from IEPs are unfair and don’t realize that they level the playing field for students like her. “A lot of people, especially my friend group or close friends, just thought it was to get out of work or to push off stuff, but it really is not that,” Walker said. “You still have to do the same amount of work as everybody else, it’s just spread out over time.” Class of 2019 alumnus Daniel Beale, now attending Delaware County Community College, often encountered the misconception that special education is “for dumb people,” Beale said, “which is I think why the stigma around it exists. People hate talking about it, and it’s almost taboo.” The reasons behind individuals’ IEPs range widely, and students receiving special education include individuals with severe intellectual disabilities as well as individuals who do well in AP classes, such as Stuber, who took four throughout high school, and Class of 2019 alumnus Brian Christner, who took nine and now attends the University of Virginia. “I was once told that I wouldn’t be able to handle AP classes on account of my IEP,” Christner said. “That obviously didn’t end up being the case, and there are many other IEP students who did very well in AP classes and in colleges.” Christner is also very gifted in mathematics and has written a paper on an equation he’s written to model parametric equations, with consequences in auto-solving equations, graphing inverse functions and finding the nth prime. His paper is set to be published before the end of the school year in the Journal of the
30
$4.7B
Billions of Dollars
3.5
Ultimately, Conestoga’s individualized special education program aims to prepare students for life after high school. “If we look at our education system as trying to prepare individuals to make a meaningful contribution in society and have appropriate levels of independence in society following high school, then that’s not a onesize-fits-all model at all,” McGranaghan said. Manasseh Teshome’s father Gebremedhin Teshome appreciates Conestoga’s focus on helping students transition smoothly into the future. “As for getting into adulthood, Conestoga certainly has a perspective to make sure that the children are equipped for not just what they’re doing there (in school) but going beyond by not only meeting the day-to-day academic needs but also beyond that with life skills,” Gebremedhin Teshome said. When it came time to graduate, Stuber faced a difficult decision. With an SAT score of 1570 and solid grades, he had been accepted to seven or eight colleges including the University of Rochester and the Stevens Institute of Technology. However, he anticipated a difficult transition from high school, where an aide helped him keep track of his agenda, to college, where he would keep track of it himself. Ultimately, to ease his transition, Stuber chose to spend two years fulfilling general education requirements at Delaware County Community College before transferring to Drexel University to major in mechanical engineering. “I kind of had to make the choice to do what was right for me, instead of just going with the perClass of 2017 alumnus ceived direction that everyone is supposed to go American Mathematical Society. on, which is very difficult,” Stuber While at Conestoga, Class of said. “It hasn’t been smooth sail2017 alumnus Ryan Nadel re- ing totally for me, but it’s been ceived special education to ad- much, much easier.” Looking back, Stuber is gratedress his vision problems. The accommodations in his IEP in- ful for the role special education cluded sitting in the front of the played in his life. “It’s hard to imagine if I would room, receiving assignments in 16 point font, and using an iPad have even been able to stay (in in class so he wouldn’t have to school) or if my life would have look back and forth between the come crashing down. Without board and his paper. Although he the help of academic support, or was self-conscious at first about an IEP or something, so many his IEP, he learned to push past people just fall off the map,” it to get the services he needed to Stuber said. “The fundamental aspect of having an academic do well in school. “Sometimes, IEP students support program is tremendousjust want to, you know, blend ly helpful because it makes the into the class and not stand out game playable for them again.”
Expenditures
$3.0B
3.0
$3.4B
2.5 2.0
$2.0B
1.5
Subsidies
18
12
1.0 0.5 0.0
$1.1B
$1.0B 2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
State Funding Locally Designated Funding
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
School Year
2014-15
2015-16
2016-17
6
2017-18
Federal Funding Total Special Education Expenditure Data from Pennsylvania Department of Education and Education Law Center
0
2006‐07
2007‐08
2008‐09
2009‐10
2010‐11
2011‐12
2012‐13
6 5 4 3 2 1 0
2013‐14
School Year
2014-15
2015‐16
2016‐17
2017‐18
1976-1977 1975 IDEA is enacted
1200 1100
1980-1981
1990-91
2000-01
School Year
2010-2011
2017-18
Data from the Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics
Total Students Enrolled in Special Education in TESD
1000 900
TESD Special Education Expenditures and Subsidies
24
4.0
Millions of Dollars
4.5
Special education funding in PA over time: local, state and federal
7
Preparing for the future
You’ll be surprised how well the students do in class if they just get what they need. Because a lot of the times, it’s not that they’re worse at doing something — they just need to do it differently to be successful at it. Ryan Nadel
5.0
Total Students Enrolled in Special Education in the US
8
Students Enrolled (millions)
ing skills class as well as the social skills class, shares this sentiment. “There’s so much I can learn from that class,” Teshome said. “It helps a lot.”
“If there’s something standing in the way of (students) accessing their curriculum and it has to do with speech and language, it’s our duty ethically to help them — either have strategies to overcome, either to fix the issue, so that then they can better access the curriculum and be more effective communicators in their daily life at Conestoga,” Lodato said. Students often receive other services along with speech and language services. Most of Lodato’s students also receive life skills or autistic support. To help students implement what they learn
2018‐19
Data from Jan. 6 Regular Board Meeting Report
Students Enrolled
Continued from page 1
800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0
2000-2001
2005-2006
2010-2011
School Year
2015-2016
2018-2019
Data from Pennsylvania Department of Education
Enrollment and costs in special education rise across nation Claire Guo, Hyunjin Lee and Sophia Pan Co-Editor-in-Chief, Co-T/E Life Editor and Copy Editor Special education enrollment has increased steadily since the enactment of IDEA in 1975. In 30 years, the number of students who have IEPs nationwide doubled from 3.7 million to 7 million students. In the district, enrollment has similarly doubled from 608 students in the 1993-1994 school year to 1,137 students in the 2018-2019 school year. Minyi Dennis, an associate professor and researcher of special education in early childhood at Lehigh University, believes that the rise in special education costs and enrollment is due to heightened awareness. “When parents and teachers are more aware of disability conditions, they are more likely to refer their children/students to be identified,” Dennis said. The identification of autism in particular has increased. Nationally, the number of students receiving autistic support services has increased 663% from 93,000 in the 2000-2001 school year to 710,000 in the 20172018 school year. Similarly, the district saw an increase from 13 students receiving autistic support services to 140 students during the same years, respectively: a 977% increase. Chair of academic support Kate McGranaghan and district director of individualized student services Chris Groppe believe increasing enrollment may also be due to an increase in disabilities related to emotional distress. McGranaghan sees that as part of a nationwide trend. “I would say in our world, the emotional support is certainly a growing category. I think that it mirrors what’s happening in other parts of society also,” McGranaghan said. “If we’re looking specifically at anxiety and depression, I don’t think those increasing needs are unique to public high schools. I think that’s happening across the board, including adults.” As special education enrollment numbers have climbed in recent years, so, too, have special education costs. In the T/E School District, expenditure on special education has more than doubled from $11.6 million in the 2006-2007 school year to $26.7 million in the 2019-2020 school year. Across the state, funding has increased from $3.0
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billion in 2008-2009 to $4.7 billion in 2017-2018, while state funding has remained stagnant at about $1.0 billion. In Pennsylvania, those increased costs have not been accompanied by proportional increases of state and federal funding. State funding decreased from nearly a third of special education costs in 20082009 to less than a quarter in 2017-2018. Since Congress first passed IDEA in 1975, the federal government has promised to cover 40% of special education costs. In Pennsylvania, it covers less than 25% of total special education costs. According to Reynelle Brown Staley, policy director at the Education Law Center, a Pennsylvania law firm that advocates for public school students’ rights, the stagnation of state and federal funding stems partly from tight government pockets during the 2008-2010 recession. Since then, the gap has never recovered. “There is little political will to make the necessary investments in education that are called for,” Staley said. “There is a willingness to commit to certain services or to promises but not a desire to fund them, and that’s part of why the federal funding through the IDEA has been low.” Without proportional funding increases from the state and national governments, local school districts get the burden to account for the funding gap, either by increasing property taxes or cutting special education expenditures according to Staley. Groppe said that thanks to a very supportive community and board, the T/E School District hasn’t had to cut special education programs but that the increasing gap does place a greater burden on local taxpayers. Autistic and life skills support teacher Nikki Stagias, who taught special education at several different schools in Philadelphia before coming to Conestoga, highlights key differences in resource access at special education programs in more urban areas. “Before coming here (and) working in special ed, we were always really short on resources and support,” Stagias said. “Compared to Conestoga, it’s like a complete 180. There’s just so much support and different options in terms of like curriculum resources that we didn’t have access to — and most teachers don’t have access to — in Philadelphia.”
T/E LIFE Umar Samdani Staff Reporter
Four years ago, Carol Gibson, a retired special education teacher and former faculty sponsor of the African American Student Union (AASU), wanted to honor important African-American figures in American history. Gibson then collaborated with previous Good Morning 'Stoga (GMS) teacher Susan Gregory to create a daily feature highlighting influential African-Americans. Today, this initiative has evolved into a series of media packages that inform the student body about the childhood, hardships and triumphs of these individuals. Counselor and faculty sponsor of the AASU Leashia Lewis’s motivation to continue this program stems from her own family’s experiences. “In my family, we really celebrated African-American culture, and we’re a very proud family of our culture,” Lewis said. “We have also experienced hardships in our society, so I have always been passionate about supporting and uplifting the African culture.” The process for creating these packages requires collaboration between the AASU and GMS. First, a member of the AASU creates a report on an influential African-American individual, explaining information about where this person was born and the impact they had on American society. Then, a member of GMS receives the script, edits it if necessary and adds visuals. In the past, the package would be live and the AASU members would read their script. Last year, however, the package was taped beforehand. Alison Ferriola, teacher of GMS, believes that these packages are a good way to represent a minority population at Conestoga. “For me, it’s a really great way to highlight a segment of
our school population that is very small and doesn’t necessarily have as loud a voice as others,” Ferriola said. “I think it’s very important for us here at ’Stoga to highlight that month. It’s really important to shine a light on those who have faced some adversity and highlight how they came up out of that adversity.” Both Lewis and Ferriola recognize that African-Americans don’t have to be in the media to be heroes. For Lewis, her grandparents served as her inspiration because of their character and perseverance. “Many of the lessons I learned from my grandparents I still adhere to today,” Lewis said. “Even though they were not civil rights activists, they had always been activists in their talk and in their engagement with us. They were normal, working class people who cared a lot about family.” Ferriola recognizes many African-American heroes found in public service. “Currently, I am really impressed by a lot of female African-American U.S. Congresswomen that recently got inaugurated in Congress. When you think about African-American heroes, you think about Martin Luther King or Malcolm X, but I think that currently, these females are doing great things in government. I think it’s important that they are going to be representing America now. Hopefully we can bring a few of them in our segments.” President of AASU senior Simone Skinner is looking forward to sharing the information in the packages with the school. "I'm very excited to share the different leaders, events and our culture because I feel that schools tend to leave out different black figures and events that were crucial to black history," Skinner said. "I hope that the Black History
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
GMS honors Black History Month Screenshot courtesy of TETV
Behind the scenes: The crew of Good Morning 'Stoga broadcasts the morning announcements incorporating the packages honoring important African-American figures throughout history. These packages began four years ago when retired special education teacher and former leader of AASU Carol Gibson suggested the idea.
Month moments will help students and teachers get a better understanding of the importance of black history." This year, the AASU wants to add more flavor to their traditional reports. The members are look-
ing to express African-American culture in addition to people. “One idea is using creative visual pieces and poetry to represent jazz and blues music. We could also talk about cultural hair, food and clothing. For his-
tory, we could talk about moments or music, like the Civil Rights Movement. That’s what we’re working on,” Lewis said. According to Ferriola, GMS is implementing these ideas in February. Adding creative
packages will further engage the student body and help inform it about African-American culture. For sophomore Elijah Ross, a member of the AASU, these packages are important because
they raise awareness on a topic he says not often talked about. “(Black History Month) is something that we don’t really talk about. I’m glad we’re talking about it more now,” Ross said.
Digital Magazine debuts 'other perspectives' in new online publication Aimee Buttenbaum Co-T/E Life Editor
With determination to create a new publication and platform for the lesser heard voices of ’Stoga, junior Faith Jacobs decided to found the DigiMag. The Digital Magazine (or DigiMag) is an online publication with a goal to share the "other perspective," according to the DigiMag website. When Jacobs saw other publications like The Spoke covering the anti-racism rally organized by AASU (African American Student Union) last April, she was inspired. “I was just thinking about how it was so nice to have them represent something that was so unapologetically AfricanAmerican and how I was just now noticing that I didn't see that all the time,” Jacobs said.
“I just know that a lot of times, because it's such a small population of African American students, it's hard to reflect that we are here because there's so few of us.”
Jacobs started the DigiMag in the same way that someone would start a club. When the first meeting came around, only four people attended. One of these four, junior Saadhi
cobs had people reaching out to her and asking how they could contribute to the Digital Magazine. For Jakka, seeing the finished product of the first issue was rewarding. “I just thought it was so cool how so many people were doing all these incredible things that no one knows about. So for me, DigiMag allows those people to be recognized and appreciated,” Jakka said. Looking forward to publishing two more issues this year, Jacobs is thankful for the support from everyone involved and wants to welcome all voices to the DigiMag. “I will say that a lot of the support for this also came through AASU, which I am also co-president of, and I definitely found a lot of support being in that group and leading in that group,” Jacobs said. “I would say to anybody that is interested, we are always here, and we always want to embrace more voices and more perspectives.”
The biggest goal was to get as
many people's stories out there and reach all aspects of Conestoga. Found online by clicking a link on the @StogaDigiMag Twitter account, the Digital Magazine is a mix of concepts, from art to interviews and even spotlights on students with interesting passions such as robotics. “I wanted it to almost be like a Harper's Bazaar but for Conestoga,” Jacobs said. “Like a unique magazine. Not your typical publication.”
Jakka, became vice president of the publication. “We were the first people there, so we came up with the ideas on how to run it and things like that,” Jakka said. “The biggest goal was to get as many people’s stories out there and reach all aspects of Conestoga.” News of the DigiMag becoming a reality spread by word of mouth, and soon enough, Ja-
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Rising leaders: The cover of the first issue of the 'Stoga DigiMag includes some faces of the people featured in the magazine. Junior Faith Jacobs founded the publication earlier this year to give voice to new perspectives in Conestoga.
T/E Life
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
5
Senior art aficionado sells artwork on Instagram Julia Harris Staff Reporter
Recently, senior Catherine Haley achieved one of her lifelong goals: to see one of her idols, Harry Styles, in concert
Grace Manion, encouraged her to start an Instagram account. “She has an incredible talent, and I thought she should share it,” Manion said. But Haley had also come to the realization that she could profit from selling her art.
Making something that will give them joy makes all the work worth it.”
Teacher Feature: Marianna Gazzara Alex Gurski/The SPOKE
Globe-trotter: Spanish teacher Marianna Gazzara holds a maraca, one of the many cultural objects she uses to decorate her classroom. Gazzara had always been curious about her family’s Spanish heritage and participated in a student exchange program in Spain during high school that inspired her to teach Spanish.
Alex Gurski
Multimedia Editor Spanish teacher Marianna Gazzara has always been family-oriented. Having lived most of her childhood with her parents and sister and near her grandfather, Gazzara’s strong family connections helped her develop a passion for speaking and teaching Spanish as well as working in a job that allowed her to engage with others. “My grandpop would always tell me stories of when he went and got to meet a lot of his family members in Spain, so I was always interested,” Gazzara said. With the knowledge from her grandfather and the inspiration of Spanish teachers at Springton Lake Middle School in Media, Gazzara decided to participate in a student exchange program in Spain during high school. “It gave me a lot of motivation to keep learning because I wanted to use my Spanish to keep meeting new people and communicate with my ex-
change student and her family,” Gazzara said. While in Spain, Gazzara became close with her exchange family and yearned to be able to have conversations in Spanish with them, as well as hoping to spread her love for Spanish culture with others back home. “I think after going to Spain and getting to see firsthand all of these things I had been learning
vibes from the different people there, and I felt like it was a really diverse school, which was important to me.” Following her passion, Gazzara double-majored in secondary education and Spanish while also earning a certificate in teaching English as a Second Language. Gazzara now teaches multiple levels of Spanish though her
I wanted to use my Spanish to keep meeting new people. about, I felt like I wanted to share that passion with other people,” Gazzara said. Following her desire to have a job allowing her to be in an environment with others and speak Spanish, Gazzara decided to attend Temple University. “I think I just wanted to be in an urban environment,” Gazzara said. “When I went to the orientation, I think I just got good
favorite to teach is Spanish 5 because of the higher proficiency levels of the students and the ability for students to speak and participate more freely. “It’s not as focused on really specific concepts. I think it’s more open-ended. I think this allows teachers more freedom to choose things that are of interest to students but also things that teachers feel passionate about.”
Outside of teaching, Gazzara enjoys cooking, baking, traveling and doing Zumba. “I like Latin music and listening to music in Spanish, and I think that from that I was interested in doing Zumba,” Gazzara said. This past September, Gazzara got married in downtown Philadelphia, at a venue called the Olde Bar, where she was able to immerse her Spanish culture into her wedding. “(At the Olde Bar) there is this Ecuadorian chef named Jose Garces, and he specializes in Spanish cuisine. He has a bunch of restaurants in the city, so I chose that venue because I was hoping to highlight Spanish food,” Gazzara said. In her free time, Gazzara enjoys making Spanish food on her own. Her current favorite food is arroz con pollo, or chicken with rice. She has recently tried making a broader range of foods, including tostones, empanadas, and tapas. “I do like to experiment, especially in the summer, so gazpacho is next on my list,” Gazzara said.
in June. She raised the money to buy the ticket herself by selling her art. Haley began an Instagram account, @_catherinehaleyart, in December after being encouraged by her loved ones to share her artistic talents with the world. Almost immediately, she received dozens of direct messages from people praising her work and asking her to create a specific art piece. “It was kind of touching,” Haley said. “I almost got teary-eyed. I was like, people really do like what I’m doing.” Whenever a customer asks Haley to create a custom piece of artwork, all they have to do is send her a picture that they want her to recreate. She will then respond with the sizes she is able to do for it, and the customer pays. Haley’s smaller pieces would start at $5, and larger pieces can work their way up to $50 and beyond. So far, Haley has accumulated $246 in profits. The majority of Haley’s pieces are portraits of people and animals, which she draws with colored pencils. Her mother, who is an artist as well, sells her work in local art shows. Before Haley began the Instagram account, the only people that truly knew of her art ability were the art department and her family and friends. One of Haley’s closest friends, senior
“People always said that they’d buy my work,” Haley said. “I’m going to college, and I need some money. I also really wanted to see Harry Styles in concert, and my mom said I have to buy my own ticket.” Harry Styles and One Direction have been a big part of Haley’s childhood, and Styles is the main subject of many of her pieces. Haley noted that his quirkiness makes him a fun art subject to draw. “He embodies what I think a wholehearted person is,” Haley said. Besides Harry Styles, Haley enjoys drawing people because she loves to capture p e o p l e’s expres-
sions through color, which she does by matching emotions with different color schemes. For example, she would pair happiness with primary colors and sadness with cooler tones. When Haley goes to college, she hopes to take art courses and continue to sell her art. She plans to focus on dorm art for her friends and classmates because of its high demand. Something she’s learned from this whole experience is that entering an art-related field is something that she would be extremely interested in. Haley said, “The process of connecting with my customers and making something that will give them joy makes all the work worth it.”
Alex Gurski/The SPOKE
Drawing dreams: Senior Catherine Haley creates and sells artwork on her Instagram, @_catherinehaleyart. Recently, she raised the money to buy a ticket for a Harry Styles concert with her artwork.
Loco for lake placid:
Ski & snowboard club moves annual trip to the home of the 1980 olympics sTORY BY tREY pHILLIPS DESIGN BY Hyunjin Lee & Reese wang This year, the Ski and Snowboard Club has moved one of its two annual trips to Lake Placid, home of the 1980 Olympics. In years prior, the group would have gone to Okemo, Vermont, but to save costs for skiers, Lake Placid is viewed as a good replacement. “Okemo was bought, (and as a result) their prices increased. Last year we were able to go to Okemo again because we locked in our pricing,” Chemistry and Astronomy teacher as well as club sponsor Michael Kane said. “This year, the guy that I book through was able to offer a package that included both Gore Mountain and Whiteface.” The Gore Mountain and Whiteface trip will take place over the weekend of March 6-8 at Lake Placid, New York. There will be another trip to Killington Ski Area from Feb. 28 to the beginning of March. In addition to the location, the dates differ than that of years past. Previously, the days of the trips had been the weekends after midterms, yet these presented unique issues. “My first year doing (the trips) we had a bunch of snow days where it was like the next one is going to affect the day of midterms,” Kane said. “So, in looking to avoid midterms, I looked at the weather, the historical patterns of the weather up there, and I found that February and the beginning of March are the snowiest times.” The move should not only avoid any conflicts with midterms but ensure the best experience for all Conestoga skiers on the trips. And there are a lot of them. With 210 people on three buses and 50 on the waiting list for the first trip to Killington alone, the attendance for the club has skyrocketed. However, the popularity of the club has made planning the trip quite stressful. “It’s usually me pulling my hair out losing sleep, like literally last night I was tossing and turn-
Q: WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY ABOUT SKI CLUB?
ing because in my head I was like ‘How am I going to figure out how to get a hold of these people?’ and I’m like I’m not doing it next year, never,’” Kane said. “But as soon as I get onto the slopes I’m like ‘This is worth it, this is it.’”
“I enjoy how it’s not a very committing club. You can sign up for a trip to go on, and you go on it with your friends, and that’s it.’” Alex Gurski/The SPOKE
-Theo Simard, Freshman
Shredding the slopes: Seniors Katie Mullin and Sam Centofante take a break for a photo on the Okemo ski trip. Both have attended the trips for the last few years.
Hyunjin Lee/The SPOKE
“I think what I enjoy most is the amount of freedom that we get when we go skiing.” -Cristina Green, Senior
“Some of (the students) are incredibly talented, and I might not know it if they’re just sitting in class; I might not know that they can do some crazy stuff in the parks.” -Mr. Kane, sponsor
T/E Life
6
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Singles and Couples at ’Stoga Single’s awareness day
Valentine’s Day While single students are unsure of how they will celebrate Valentine’s Day, those in relationships anticipate its arrival. They plan on spending the romantic day together, giving and receiving displays of affection.
FEBruary
Valentine’s Day is the perfect holiday for romantic displays when couples show their affection toward one another. But for those who are single on Feb. 14, the day can evoke mixed feelings.
FEBruary
14 15
CUTE COUPLES
SINGLE PRINGLES
MB: “Something that I think is really romantic and want to do is get a big box of chocolate and both (the people) don’t know what the flavors are. You give the other person chocolate and see if you like it or not. It’s like a guessing game. I saw it in the Nicholas Sparks film, ‘The Vow.’”
WH: “Some people feel pressured to date. (People are) like, ‘Oh wow, you’re a sophomore and have never had a girlfriend, what a loser.’ You don’t have the time to do anything but give out chocolate, and I just think that it’s kind of lame. I would do something more personalized.”
BA: “I would probably aim for a really, really nice restaurant (during Valentine’s Day), where we can get dressed up. Then (we would) order really superb food, like a good steak. Hopefully, (we would go on) a city date, like sightseeing. Then, (we) probably would watch a movie, like a drive-in, because we like old-fashioned stuff.”
William Huang
Bobby Albertson and McHalea Beck
voted best couple by senior class
NC: “I know he’s going to say that he liked me before, but I definitely liked him way before. After two weeks of being really good friends, I asked him out under a cherry blossom tree. It was perfect.”
EB: “I don’t have the energy nor the time to manage a boyfriend. If my boyfriend is not Timothee Chalamet, I don’t want him. The standards are unrealistically high. All the boujee chocolate is cheaper the day after Valentine’s, so I hit Wegmans hard after.”
SG: “I feel like the whole spirit of Valentine’s Day is to buy roses and chocolates, and it’s so stereotypical and a waste of money. It doesn’t really show the other person how much you care for them.”
Elise Bermingham
nuysaba Chowdhury and Sahil Gaba EH: Being in a relationship “is just not important. I’m doing other things. I’m cool with just relaxing by myself, and I think it’s such a stupid holiday. I feel like you can go on a date with anyone, any time of the year, and it should be just as romantic. There shouldn’t be a set date for it.”
CG: “On Valentine’s Days in the past, my mom will usually buy Valentine’s Day colored candy for me and my sister. I think Valentine’s Day is a great excuse to do something fun. I’d love to go to either to Ireland or somewhere in France for Valentine’s Day sometime in the future with (Jake).” JH: “I tend to spoil (Ciara). I’ll get her a rose from the rose sale...I am taking her to a French restaurant in Philly, which is one of my favorite places on the planet and we’ll dress up for it. And then, there’s something else planned, but it’s a surprise!”
Emma Hopkins Written by Aishi Debroy and emma Galef Design by Tiffany he
Ciara Gilmartin and Jake Hunter
Abby’s take on the Academy Awards
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tough concepts easy to understand and apply.
Abby Carella Staff Reporter
It’s finally February…also known as Academy Awards season to all of my fellow film fanatics and pop culture lovers. The academy and its politics has been a hot topic of debate recently, and the drama seems to be swelling. The biggest source of argument appears to be over the academy’s lack of female directors and people of color among the nominees and, of
course, the typical banter over who should win and why. It is 2020, and the academy has no excuses not to nominate a best female director or more people of color. For some background, the Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars, not to be confused with the Golden Globes) are an annual award ceremony held by the academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, that, according to the academy itself, aims to “recognize and uphold
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excellence in the motion picture arts and sciences, inspire imagination, and connect the world through the medium of motion pictures.” The academy is made up of thousands of members who can only nominate within their field, and as of 2019, only 32% of members were female and 16% were people of color. Personally, I believe the biggest snub this year was Greta Gerwig for her direction of “Little Women.” Gerwig’s protégé Saoirse Ronan took the lead as free-spirited Jo March; Timothée Chalamet shined as Laurie, the wealthy boy next door; and Florence Pugh dazzled as Amy, the youngest March sister. The film, a 21st-century reworking of Louisa May Alcott’s classic book of the same name, examines four sisters’ adventures to womanhood and the trials and tribulations that come along. Originally, Jo (the main character) ends up marrying a professor. However, in Gerwig’s film, she proves that a woman can be plenty successful without a man by making sure Jo remains single. She artistically portrays her take on the story by using a color-coded, seven-year time jump. A warm golden filter is used for scenes portraying the girls’ hopeful
childhoods while a cooler blue filter is used for scenes that take place in adulthood. Gerwig has established a pattern for herself by using a consistent set of actors (Ronan and Chalamet were both used in Gerwig’s “Lady Bird”) and staying to a common theme (coming of age), just as other famed directors such as Quentin Tarantino or Wes Anderson have. She has more than proved herself and was more than deserving of a best director nod. The scarcity of women of color is another story. Only five women have ever been nominated for best director, only one has won and none of the five nominees have been of color. Halle Berry has been the only black woman ever to win best actress, and the Academy Awards have been occurring for over 90 years. This year, the academy could have added more fuel to the change by nominating actresses like Jennifer Lopez for her stellar performance in “Hustlers,” Lupita Nyong’o for practically playing two different characters in “Us,” or director Lulu Wang and actress Awkwafina for their marvelous work on “The Farewell.” Despite a vast array of talent to choose from this year, only 31% of nominees are women and the only person of color
(female or male) nominated for an acting award is Cynthia Erivo for “Harriet.” Although this year seems to be a defeat for the academy in terms of equality, it has made some strides in other areas, such as acknowledgment of foreign film. “Parasite,” a psychological thriller directed by Bong Joon-ho, became the first South Korean film ever nominated at the awards. Joon-ho’s “Parasite” swept up nominations in six categories, including best picture. It is a fantastic movie with a plot unlike anything I have ever seen. “Parasite” brings the issue of class discrimination to light and will make you see the world through a new lens. After the Time’s Up and MeToo movements took over Hollywood, the academy did make an effort to attempt to diversify its members. It increased its female membership by 7% and doubled its members of color, from 8% to 16%. However, it neglected to comment on its specific director member statistics, which leaves you wondering what, exactly, it is trying to hide. The academy’s goal to “connect the world” through film will never be fully accomplished if the people are not fairly represented. The world is a diverse place, and it is time for the academy to embrace that.
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T/E Life
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
7
2010 to 2020: A decade of Change BY MIRA HARRIS & KATE PHILLIPS
A lot has changed over the past ten years, including the way our teachers teach. Between jobs, technology, classroom culture and
michael palmatier social studies Michael Palmatier has been a social studies teacher since 1998 and has taught at Conestoga since 2008. Most of the technology used in the classroom today was nonexistent. Teachers had to use a VHS if they wanted to show a video, and overhead transparency was their version of a SmartBoard. “I was trained to teach in the 1990s without YouTube or PowerPoint with things like overhead markers and stuff we don’t even use anymore,” Palmatier said. While he uses new technology like Schoology for the quantitative side of grades, Palmatier believes that some things, like grading papers, are easier done by hand. “The way I was trained, we had to do everything by hand, and I admit that there are still some things I prefer to do by hand, but that’s not from lack of trying technologically to see what resources are better,” Palmatier said. One of the biggest changes over the past 10 years, according to Palmatier, is the way the school views mental health issues like stress, anxiety and depression. According to Palmatier, even five years ago, very little consideration was given to providing students with the emotional support they need. He says that he
often worries about students’ mental health, and the rest of the faculty feels the same. “All of the great academic achievement at Conestoga seems like it’s coming at a cost. Over the last two or three years, we’ve seen observable signs of stress and time management problems,” Palmatier said. Another change Palmatier has observed is an increase in emotional intelligence among students and teachers. As a result, over the past 10 years, he has found himself thinking more about the implicit messages he may inadvertently send to students in the classroom. “The fundamentals of teaching have by and large not changed. How to connect with the kids, how to build a classroom community the way I was taught in the ’90s — that’s constant,” Palmatier said, “but the nuances like the use of technology and how to think about students’ background experiences is different from 10 years ago: everything from a different understanding of diverse learning to gender awareness issues and emotional issues. You have to rethink your lessons and constantly ask yourself, ‘Does this still work, or should I scrap it for something better?’ You have to be open-minded and flexible and change.”
phones in school, the teachers at Conestoga have observed some similarities and a lot of differences between now and a decade ago.
English teacher Karen Gately has been a teacher since 1998 and has taught at Conestoga since 2001. She feels that technology has offered changes, both big and small for English students. “I would say that I rely on my presentations here much more than I did 10 years ago, (when) I would rely more on paper handouts,” Gately said. However, Gately also says that new technology online like SparkNotes, while more accessible to students, is not remarkably different from other reading shortcuts, such as Cliff Notes, an older, paper version of book summaries and analyses that had to be physically purchased. Those kinds of resources have “always been available. I just think it’s so much more accessible now for students, and that makes it easier to rely on those things,” Gately said. Gately also mentioned that Conestoga’s awareness of mental health has also seen a considerable change.
“There’s been more awareness and support for mental health challenges, more conversations. Keeping the dialogue up about mental health is such a great thing. I think that that was something that we just didn’t talk about before,” Gately said. One of the biggest changes Gately has seen relating specifically to her subject of teaching is how these changing social movements and technological advances have put the same books taught a decade ago in a very different context. “Certain books are so different to teach in different time periods. Certain books I taught 20 years ago are being taught very differently now. For example, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ — we’re in a different context with the Me Too movement (and) increased awareness of women’s health issues. I think we’re always being impacted by the world outside of us, and so you’re constantly changing how you deliver content.”
john kim science
20/20 vision: A look into the past According to assistant principal Patrick Boyle, the school has taken several areas of the building throughout the years and repurposed them into classrooms. Renovation in the past decade include the enlargement of three science labs in the downstairs science hallway
to make them more suitable to the curriculum. Since 2010, renovations have been directed within the building, and there have not been new additions to the building’s exterior. “There’s just been changes within the footprint of the building itself,” Boyle said. “As our population has grown,
lunch menu
technology
Stemming from changes in the federal government of what schools can offer students, the lunch menu and meal options for students have been adjusted over the years. Notably, in 2010, the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act caused significant changes due to the adjustments made to the Nutrition Standards guidelines. The guidelines include restrictions on calories and sodium content in snacks and entrees. For example, snacks must be 200 calories or fewer while entrees must not exceed 350 calories. According to Dave Preston, the district’s Director of Food and Nutrition Services, these guidelines were not required in 2010. Additionally, in 2020, more than half of all grains are whole grains, whereas very few whole grains were served in 2010.
In 2010, the district used the website Pinnacle for classroom management.
In order to meet the nutritional guidelines in place, fryers were removed from the cafeteria and the food is now either baked or steamed. Fries, for example, are now baked while grilled cheese sandwiches are oven-toasted. The cafeteria now offers healthier options, serving items like hummus plates, veggie burgers, and a wider variety of fruits and vegetables. Muffins and donuts, on the other hand, have been taken off the lunch menu. “Many products were replaced with more healthy items, such as whole grain pizza and pasta, and many items were replaced with lower sodium options and lower fat content,” Preston said.
we’ve needed more space, so we’ve done that across the board for the last several years.” However, starting in March, renovations will be done to expand the building itself with a proposed 40,500-square-foot expansion and a new parking lot.
With limited functions, Pinnacle worked mainly to track grades and student schedules. However, beginning in 2017, the district began using the educational system Schoology, which offers a variety of functions, allowing students to submit assignments online, receive updates from teachers and clubs and access files uploaded by teachers on their course pages.
In 2015, the 1:1 laptop initiative was put in place for students in grades nine and 10. The next year, the system was implemented for all high school students. Beacause of the increasingly important role of technology in class, the school provides each student with a school-issued laptop, although students may choose to bring their own device instead.
al-world problem-solving and communication skills that they can carry with them into college and beyond,” AP Research teacher Janet Wolfe said. AP Capstone teacher John Koenig also believes that the course teaches life skills that students will bring after the classroom. “The type of inquisitiveness, self-directed learning, the type of
thinking and the type of application, particularly in an academic setting and enjoying and savoring ideas - the Capstone experience really emphasizes that,” Koenig said.
courses According to Assistant principal Patrick Boyle, courses are regularly updated and renewed to meet the needs of students and testing standards. The AP Capstone courses, which are made up of AP Seminar followed by AP Research, are examples of such courses, added to the curriculum in 2016 and 2017 respectively. “These courses are extremely valuable because they give students the ability to practice re-
John Kim started teaching physics at Conestoga in 1995. When he started, he only had two classes with about 10-11 students per class. Today, he has six classes, each with over 20 students. He believes this is due to the increasing level of competition among students to get into elite colleges. Through this, he has observed the growing pressure on his students. “Today, I see students taking five, six, even seven AP classes (per year) just to try to stand out from the crowd. I think that brings a lot of stress to students as well as parents and teachers, and I am seeing a lot more emotional issues from 2010 to 2020,” Kim said. In addition to increased mental health issues, Kim has noticed a surge in technology brought to school by students.
BY katherine lee Webmaster
population and building Over the past decade, the district has experienced great growth in population, with enrollment figures rising from 6,323 students in 2009 to 7,185 students in 2019. This population increase has driven building renovations in order to accommodate the need for more classrooms and facilities.
The Spoke looked into changes in teaching from the perspectives of the staff, as well as general changes over the past ten years.
design by audrey kim
karen gately english “I see students with two calculators, sometimes even three. Students with CAS calculators can actually pretty much solve just about everything if they know how to use it,” Kim said. Something else he has noticed over the past decade is an increasing number of underclassmen taking AP science and math courses. “I have had students who actually took BC Calculus in ninth grade and got a 5. And, of course, everybody wants to follow that lead because they don’t want to fall behind, and that brings a lot of anxiety issues as well,” Kim said. “I (like to) make a joke to my students: If this continues, your grandkids better know their alphabet before they are born. And if they don’t know their alphabet, they better stay in there a little longer.”
OPINION
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Now’s the time to be informed, not overly fearful fied in humans before. It likely originated in a wet market, a traditional market where fresh meat from wild animals is sold and where close quarters and unsanitary practices are common. As of Feb. 7, there are more than 37,500 documented cases and more than 900 deaths worldwide. Across social media platforms is a spattering of xenophobic comments, pinning the blame for the coronavirus on the Chinese and them alone. But this ignorance should not be tolerated. Disease can start anywhere — even in the United States. For example, the West Nile virus resurged in the U.S. in 2012 simply because the conditions were right, according to Stephen Ostroff, a former member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some people call out China’s wet markets, saying that
the selling of wild animal meat is too great a risk, but what they don’t understand is that the practice of buying freshly butchered rather than pre-packaged meat is a part of Chinese culture. In an interview on National Public Radio,
can come together, socialize and buy fresh meat, an ambiance that is missing in Western-styled supermarkets. Eradicating the coronavirus shouldn’t start with eliminating such an important part of Chinese culture. In reality, nothing that drastic needs to be instituted. The World Health Organization reports that the disease is rarely fatal. In cases where people have died, it has been the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions, including diabetes and heart illnesses. Looking at the larger picMelinda Xu/The SPOKE ture, the hysteria surrounding the Zhenzhong Si, a postdoctoral coronavirus is expected but fellow at the University of Wa- not necessary. The novel coroterloo who has done extensive navirus has a mortality rate research of China’s food sector hovering around 2% of those for the past decade, said that infected. On the other hand, wet markets are integral to the the 2019 flu strain is more than urban lifestyle in China. They three times as deadly, with are places where all residents conservative estimates of 19
million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths this season in the U.S. alone, according to the CDC. The reason we should care about coronavirus isn’t because it’s dangerous or deadly. Rather, we should care because coronavirus is a novel virus, and the transfer of disease between other species and humans is becoming an increasingly concerning trend in recent medical history (think AIDS, SARS, MERS, etc.). Instead of causing mass hysteria, coronavirus should serve as a channel for raising public awareness of modern health issues and drawing attention to the need for a greater understanding of curing viral diseases. This is a chance for unity, not polarization. A Wuhan hospital was built in just 10 days, with 7,000 people working day and night at the risk of infection for the betterment of their fellow citizens. So don’t alienate others, empathize with them; don’t immediately trust any post you read on social media, stay informed by reading multiple sources — only then will we be able to make it out of this epidemic.
The Spoke Editorial Board voted unanimously 14-0 in favor of this editorial with one person abstaining.
Runaway waste: The consequences of fast fashion
It’s one of the first things people notice about each other. From the color to the pattern to every stitch in between, clothing serves not only a practical purpose but an informative one as well. Simply put, what you wear says something about you. Nowadays, however, clothing is discarded at an alarmingly fast rate and after only a short amount of use, largely due to the practice of fast fashion: the use of unsustainable materials and cheap labor. The ramifications of a clothing industry built on fast, cheap fashion affect not only real people but contribute to the already declining condition of our planet. According to fashion and culture journalist Dana Thomas in her book, Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes, synthetic fabric fibers derived from fossil fuels make up more than 60% of the material used in making clothes, and about 85% of these clothes end up in landfills where they might never decompose. According to Newsweek, the average American throws away 80 pounds of clothes a year. Much like single-use plastics, the speed with which the average American buys clothing and discards it is polluting our planet’s freshwater and seas in a very preventable way. The fast fashion business model is defined by practices heavily reliant on short fashion cycles and cheap produc-
in landfills each year, further contributing to the declining condition of the environment.
SORRY, WE MISSPOKE In the December issue, on page 5 in the photo caption for “Pet-loving students volunteer at local animal shelter,� we mentioned Coco Kambayashi’s name twice. The second name should have been senior Takshil Chittuluru. Elena Schmidt/The SPOKE
According to the Council of Fashion Designers of America, fabrics like polyester use up more than 300 million barrels of oil a year. Sequins in clothing, often times when
tives to appear more environmentally conscious. H&M started what they call their Garment Collecting Program, and Zara has a clothing line dedicated to producing clothes from renewed plastic and cotton, but such attempts aren’t as effective as they’re marketed out to be. Companies such as these advertise themselves as being less eco-friendly than they lead consumers on to be. Through a process called Greenwashing, brands mislead consumers about the environmental soundness of their practices by making vague and deceiving claims. These claims almost always aim to preserve their trusted fast fashion business model. In a world fueled by social media, where every aspect of who you are is recorded, where every swipe of a finger brings something new and desirable, it’s important to understand the valuable role consumers play in the world of fashion. Forever 21’s bankruptcy in September of 2019 ultimately signaled a change in consumer outlook on the way they viewed the practices of fast fashion brands and the power that lies in consumers when it comes to tackling the unsustainable business practices of many of these giant companies. It signaled a generation saying enough to comElena Schmidt/The SPOKE panies who disregardwashed, will fall out and end ed the wellbeing of our planet up in our oceans along with in the pursuit of money. The the 16 billion pounds of plas- fashion industry is a prime tic that end up in the same example of the weight indiplace annually, according to viduals and consumers hold in National Geographic. making a profound difference. Now, companies are aware So hold on to your clothes a of the harsh environmental little longer and don’t fall into consequences that their busi- the never-ending cycle that’s ness practices have brought fast fashion. It will truly make forth and have taken initia- a difference.
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
Columnist
sider, more carbon emissions are released by the fashion industry than by international flights and maritime shipping combined. Eighty-five percent of the clothing made ends up
Stand-alone cartoon
Zakiyah Gaziuddin
tion costs in order to expeditiously translate looks seen on runways to storefronts at half their actual price. Fast fashion thrives by emulating high fashion at a price more appealing to average consumers and at a speed unmatched by any other industry. You might think this practice of rapidity is illegal, but many major companies, such as Zara and H&M, model their marketing strategies through this exact process and have seen immense growth in doing so. And although the average American might find a sweater they saw on the runway for a fraction of the price in a retail store, the frequent practice of discarding these clothes simply due to the fact that they’re cheap and that there’s always more coming isn’t a sustainable or practical use of clothing at all. The Foundation for Economic Education reported that fast fashion businesses have 52 micro seasons of new clothing a year compared to the traditional two. Topshop launches 400 new styles a week. By constantly pumping out new products, the demand never seems to die. Fast fashion as well as the rapid increase in consumerism are large contributors to the increased rate of purchase and production America has seen in the past decade. The rapid disposal of clothing, coupled with the unsustainable ways in which said clothes are made for the sake of speedy production output, has devastating consequences for the environment and our planet’s resources. According to Business In-
Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE
From the Editor: The importance of the arts
Audrey Kim
Co-Editor-in-Chief Growing up, I’ve heard people scoff at the nature of poetry, at its elusive metaphors and double meanings, its pretentiousness, amid yet another proclamation that poetry is dead, once and for all, by the news. “But what does this mean?� my classmates would ask, befuddled, quickly followed by, “and why does this matter?� And they’re not wrong. Materially speaking, poetry is worthless. But that’s what makes it increasingly precious in a culture where everything has a price. It’s why anyone can take it and learn it by heart. Anyone can whisper it, can carry it into a jail, through borders, over all sorts of state lines. It still has a purity. I remember the first time reading Ocean Vuong, when he said that “loneliness was still time spent / with the world,� how Audre Lorde compared love “to a burning fence about my house.� I know that many would argue that the arts and humanities are not as valuable or relevant in comparison to fields such as the sciences, business or law, and they may be right. The arts and humanities do make nothing happen, at least, if you consider “something� to be an election victory, the end of hostilities or the next cure for cancer. But it would be remiss to say that they don’t matter. After all, we’re still studying Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address centuries after it was written, and Gandhi’s philosophy of nonviolent protest has transformed the way we view dissent across the globe. We wouldn’t remember ancient Greece half as well without the epic characters of Achilles, Oedipus and Antigone and the human con-
sciousness they embody or the events of Guernica if Picasso had not painted it. Michelangelo’s “David� and Sistine Chapel remain one of the primary symbols of the Italian Renaissance, and the first four notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony have resonated (and will continue to resonate) in human minds for the last 200 years. They connect us with each other and with our past in order to imagine a more compassionate and equal future. It’s the arts — and in extension, culture — that shape the lasting legacy of countries and time periods, long after they’ve passed. As poetry critic Helen Vendler notes, “(m)akers of culture last longer in public memory than members of Congress, representatives and senators; they modify the mind of their century more, in general, than elected officials.� But on a smaller, more individual scale, the arts and humanities make us into better human beings. Studying Shakespeare’s “Hamlet� and viewing Picasso’s “Guernica� not only make us consider the emotions of grief, longing and what it means to be human, but they also create a sense of gravity of the world and what came before us. There is no one right answer when it comes to analyzing literature, music and art, just as there’s no “right� kind of literature, music or art. The arts and humanities use a kind of divergent thinking, which allows individuals to explore multiple possible interpretations of a problem and is closely associated with creativity instead of convergent thinking. Through the consumption and creation of the arts and humanities, we learn how to think critically and creatively, how to reason, and how to ask questions. The arts and humanities may make nothing happen, at least in the world of reportable events, but they encourage a sense of equal compassion, engagement and contemplation as other professions and fields. In today’s world, maybe that’s more what we need.
You may have noticed that there is no formal narrative — only updates — on the novel coronavirus outbreak in this issue. This is not to undermine the gravity of the situation. The new strain of virus has interrupted the local Chinese community’s way of life, especially with the recent cancellation of Lunar New Year events and Chinese school classes. However, social media has exaggerated the severity of the outbreak to an extent where a proper perception of the whole situation is hard to come by. Fear is spreading faster than the virus itself, when there is little need to stress about it in Pennsylvania. In fact, the state health department reports that there are currently no cases of coronavirus in Pennsylvania. First, the basics. According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are transmitted between animals and humans. They can cause a range of diseases from the simple common cold to the more serious Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). The novel strain, 2019-nCoV, was first reported in Wuhan, China, and has not been identi-
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.
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www.spoke.news @thespoke @thespoke /thespoke the_spoke hello@spoke.news
Op/Ed
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Disney dominance limiting movies’ creativity
Melinda Xu
Co-Managing Editor Think of the movies that you watched or were excited for last year. Chances are that at least one of them is a Disney movie. From “Avengers: End Game” to “The Lion King” to “Frozen 2,” Disney churned out hit after hit after hit in 2019. In fact, domestically, Disney managed to account for seven out of the top 10 highest grossing films (eight if you count “Spider-man: Far From Home,” which was co-produced by Disney-owned Marvel Studios). Worldwide, it
also broke several records, earning $11.1 billion in revenue and pushing six (and counting) films past $1 billion in revenue. And its dominance makes sense. Disney movies are colorful, exciting and kid-friendly. With its easily-palatable, fairytale-esque stories and action-packed superhero fare, Disney allows viewers to walk out of the theater feeling content and entertained every time. But this assuredness has led to laziness. The live-action “Aladdin” and “The Lion King” are both remakes of old classics with no added novel features besides being live action. The other six top-grossing films are all additions to existing franchises. And as director Martin Scorsese said in his opinion for The New York Times, today’s franchise pictures are “sequels in name” but “remakes in spirit.” Take Avengers, for example. Although I love them as
much as any Marvel fan, it’s hard not to see the similarities from movie to movie. There are the heroes, the bad guy, some internal conflict, a rallying moment, a fight, some
sacrifice and then a satisfying resolution. It’s the same story because it’s a well-loved story, a safe story. Pumped out 20 times over, it’ll still be able to rake millions for Disney, and
Coco Kambayashi/The SPOKE
at the end of the day, that’s all it cares about. So it continues to make its films using the same commercialized cookie-cutter and, as evidenced by this year, bring in mass profits. But why does it matter if we, the consumers, remain happy? Reviews still remain largely positive, and even if they’re not — I’m looking at you, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” — people still leave theaters at least entertained for a few hours. The problem, however, is not the presence of Disney films or even their feel-good nature, but how dominant they and other films that follow similar commercialized formulas are in the industry at large. With limited space at theaters and limited time for viewers, these large blockbusters are squeezing out independent films. According to its release calendar, Disney will be opening at least one film every month
for the next four years, excluding April of 2023. This flooding of the market gives little room for other films to extend beyond Disney’s formula and explore cinema with more creativity. Like all forms of expression, movies are an art form, and their rapid commercialization under Disney is eradicating the element of risk needed to push filmmakers to experiment and grow. So next time you walk into a movie theater, consider your options. Do you really need to see the latest version of whatever movie Disney is choosing to remake this time? If you do, then go ahead. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a good Disney story. But if not, then consider watching something new. As Scorsese said, “there’s worldwide audiovisual entertainment, and there’s cinema.” We should try to support the latter as well.
“I enjoy Disney movies, but I feel like they’re problematic for kids because they don’t typically notice anything bad about the movies.”
-Anish Garimidi, freshman
-- Maggie Carson, sophomore
STUDENTS SPEAK OUT “I think that it’s all to Disney’s judgment what is right and wrong to post, and so when you have everything from Disney itself to owning ESPN, you can get your agenda through to a broad audience, especially since kids watch those shows so much.”
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My mom tells a story of her days at Cornell. While students remained on the straight and narrow during the week, unwinding in Ithaca was a rite of passage come Friday. During my mom’s education, New York state’s drinking age was only 19. That meant students could indulge in tequila sunrises, some chardonnay or a pint; an experience that my mom credits to calming an otherwise tense campus. For better or worse, times are quite different now. In 1984, Mothers Against Drunk Driving gained the traction needed to raise the national drinking age to 21. While some states had already stricter laws, Ronald Reagan permanently changed drinking culture in all 50 states. According to the U.S. Library of Medicine, fatal alcohol-related accidents subsequently dropped by 26%. Despite roads becoming safer, the mystique and illegality of alcohol made it more popular amongst teenagers. U.S. drinking culture, unlike other Western Nations with lower drinking ages, gravitates
two alcoholic beverages every day. In Europe, Alcohol is largely reserved for special occasions. In the U.S., alcohol is used more often to self-medicate. Perhaps Europe has the right idea. As the birthplace of wine, beer and other giggle juices, maybe Washington could take some notes from the pros… With legal wine and beer purchase ages of 16 to 18 in the E.U.,
“I feel like age like 16 and up, it doesn’t really matter, but it influences younger kids more because Disney is really for them, not us. ” - Trevanese Samuels, senior
Kris Galicia, junior
US Drinking: Twenty-one should be done
Co-Opinion Editor
F
+he left behind a legacy of the Mamba Mentality - a legend of the basketball world is gone too soon
B+
Super Bowl + it had an exhilirating comeback. Andy Reid finally got his Super Bowl win. - ads weren’t that entertaining
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Valentine’s Day
European teens get to practice with training wheels before drinking more potent libations. Meanwhile, the mystique of alcohol here only fuels the fire. Without the convenience of legal liquor, many rambunctious teens in U.S. opt for fake IDs. And many of those many are reprimanded. The National Institute of Health reports that between 20132018, nearly 30,000 people were prosecuted for fake ID use. In no way should drinking be promoted, marketed or targeted towards younger audiences. However, the European view of alcohol as a treat and source of national pride earns respect from its consumers. In the age of Uber, Lyft, improved radars and breathalyzers, drunk driving is easier to avoid and harder to practice. In exchange for safer roads, alcohol is more abused than ever before. The 21 purchase age is becoming antiquated, as adverse effects Charity Xu/The SPOKE towards the health and habits of the United States outweigh the drop in vehicular accidents. With a two-tiered purchase age, the gratification from doing something forbidden would decrease significantly. When young people are told they can’t do something, the allure to rebel only grows. Giving teens earlier access to wine and beer would only improve their views of how alcohol should be used.
- an awkward day of love for those not in a relationship
Midterms are Over + the long nights of studying are finallly over
B-
- another semester of work begins
Q: How do you feel about Disney’s influence over media?
Andrew Bucko
Kobe Bryant’s Death
+ an easy excuse to eat chocolate to your heart’s content
“It’s kind of disgusting how much power Disney has over the entertainment industry, especially after they bought Fox and now that they have about a 40% share of all of the entertainment industry. If you get fired from Disney, you get blacklisted from basically half of the industry. Disney’s in so many industries, so it’s wild how much power they have, like lobbying in the U.S. government for extending how long copyright lasts. Honestly, they should be broken up..”
towards binge-drinking. People from ages 12-20 consume 11% of the alcohol purchased in the United States. According to the CDC, the annual cost to the U.S. government from drinking-related emergency room visits is 24 billion dollars. And over 100,000 underage drinkers are admitted to emergency rooms every year. Just how does the rest of the civilized world stack up? According to Eurostat, 10% of E.U. residents report having at least one alcoholic beverage per day. On the other end of the spectrum, the Washington Post reports that 30% of the U.S. population takes at least
Report Card
Three-Day Weekends + two three-day weekends since winter break, including one after the Super Bowl
A+
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High school not the time to experiment with drugs
Matthew Fan
Co-Opinion Editor Parents always hound their children to try new things — eat broccoli, ride a bike, play the piano. Although we may not have loved this constant pressure back then, we benefited immensely from stepping outside of our comfort zone. Now, as high schoolers, many of us believe that we should continue this trend of experimentation with alcohol and marijuana instead of vegetables and harmless hobbies. However, it simply is not worth it. Substance use is becoming a more prevalent issue in our community. In 2017, according to the Pennsylvania Youth Survey, as grade level increased, the percentage of students who had tried drugs increased. For example, 71.6% and 41.4% of high school seniors in Chester County had previously used alcohol and marijuana, respectively. The most obvious reason why high schoolers should not experiment with drugs is
that it is illegal. The drinking age is 21, and, in Pennsylvania, recreational marijuana is illicit. But for many, this is unfortunately an inadequate justification. If this is the case, the risk of addiction should serve as a major deterrent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in 10 marijuana users will become addicted. If the user is younger than 18, which most high school students are, the probability increases to one in six. Likewise, as reported by Time magazine,
addiction might be low, but there are many other negative consequences associated with drug use. According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, problems include memory and concentration difficulties, increased aggression, use of other drugs, and worsening of underlying mental health conditions. So even though you may be able to achieve a brief moment of euphoria, you do it at the cost of your academic performance, ability to connect with others and general livelihood.
someone who starts drinking between the ages of 11 and 14 has a 16% chance of becoming an alcoholic a decade later, as compared to the one percent chance for those 19 and older. To some, the likelihood of
Often times, high schoolers use drugs like alcohol and marijuana at parties or hangouts, where their desire to experiment is paired with the strong influence of peer pressure. The danger in highly so-
cial situations like these lies in the decisions high schoolers make once intoxicated. The National Institute on Drug Abuse for Teens states that they are more likely to take risks, such as engaging in sexual or violent behaviors. Under the influence, you do not want to make a mistake that will stain your record and possibly interfere with your future. Drug addiction and overdose deaths are not isolated incidents found only in news stories. They are part of an epidemic that has struck our Conestoga community, with multiple alumni passing away much too early. We grieve but think that it will never happen to us. And that may be true — the odds are not terribly high — but there is no point in deliberately increasing the chances. Sometimes family issues and other life problems can make happiness seem out of reach, but drugs are a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Perhaps the Leon Li/The SPOKE best thing to do is find something you enjoy and commit to it. Play frisbee, watch a movie or spend time with friends. That way, you are capitalizing on all of the joy without suffering from any of the drawbacks.
Charity Xu/The SPOKE
Sports
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Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Schuylkill River to Cayuga Lake: Senior rowers reflect on journey Alexis Costas Staff Reporter
When Andrew McLellan and Max Harmon joined Conestoga Crew as sophomores, they barely knew each others’ names, much less where the sport would take them. Now seniors, the two are Stotesbury Cup champions, nationally competitive, Cornell crew commits and good friends. Both boys initially joined crew to try something new. McLellan was recommended to join the program after moving into the district in his sophomore year, and Harmon, who had played lacrosse for most of his life, was inspired by a friend to switch to crew after breaking his thumb. The two were placed in the same boat due to their similar height and build and have rowed in the same quad ever since. “We really can’t escape each other,” McLellan joked. Although McLellan and Harmon have been rowing for three years, 2019 was especially successful for the two. Representing Conestoga, the two won gold medals at the Stotesbury Cup Regatta as well as the SRAA National Championship Regatta. They also placed third at the USRowing Youth National Championship and first at the
Photo Courtesy Rita Gosnear
In the same boat: Seniors Andrew McLellan and Max Harmon (second and third from left) and Class of 2019 alumni Kale Wiley and Brenton Molsbergen ( first and fourth from left) gather with Coach Christopher Lambert (far right) after placing third at the Youth National Championship Regatta in Sarasota, Florida in June 2019. Head of the Schuylkill Regatta racing for Tredyffrin/Easttown Sculling Development. Representing the Conshohocken Rowing Club over the summer,
they placed first in the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta. Thanks to their two years of training and competing together, McLellan and Harmon have
become close friends, constantly motivating each other. “When you spend so much time with the same people every day, it sort of becomes like
a family dynamic. You get mad sometimes in races because you want to be as fast as possible, but you’re always friends. I know we’ve definitely yelled at
each other, but we’re still good friends,” Harmon said. Crew practices are often rigorous, involving hours of rowing daily, which can be frustrating. “You go on the boat, and you want everything to feel right, but it doesn’t always go that way, and then you ask why things aren’t going like they did the other day, why aren’t you going as fast as you did before?” Harmon said. During these stressful moments, the two are thankful that they have each other and the rest of the team for support. “There’s been lots of rough times, but having Max by me has made them a lot better. Your friends are always there to make you feel better on tough days or sometimes (to) make fun of you,” McLellan said. With their impressive victories and accomplishments in both scholastic and club rowing, it’s no surprise that McLellan and Harmon have already committed to row in college. Both will row for Cornell University in the Class of 2024 and hope to continue their streak of competing together. However, the two have different plans for their futures concerning crew after college. “My main goal when I get to college is to really help improve the team, and after that I’m defi-
nitely going to try out for the national team. I’d really like to make an impact,” McLellan said. Harmon, while not as interested in crew beyond the collegiate level, is open to the possibility of continuing to row but views getting into Cornell as the start of a new chapter. The most memorable crew moment “for me was getting into college, because that’s really one of the main reasons I did it. I was also considering going into the military, but when I started getting really good at (crew), it became a great thing for college too. Getting accepted was sort of like the end of my journey,” Harmon said. Even with the exciting opportunities that lie ahead of them, McLellan and Harmon believe their memories of rowing together in high school will stick with them for many years to come. “Over the summer at away competitions when you’re stuck in a hotel room with four other guys and you’re just messing around waiting for your race, it’s so funny,” Harmon said. “We’d end up watching weird late night shows on the History Channel and then race and give it our all the next day.” The two will row their last seasons for Conestoga this year and look forward to competing in the coming months.
Girls’ varsity soccer coach recognized as Coach of the Year Hiba Samdani Staff Reporter
Courtesy Katie Wilson
Acheiving goals: Coach Ben Wilson stands on a field after a soccer game. Wilson won the award for all-around Coach of the Year in 2019, and says that he hopes to coach the girls’ team to the state final next year.
As the final seconds of the clock run down, the referee blows the whistle, signaling the end of the game. The girls’ varsity soccer team celebrates the win, knowing that they will be advancing to the state championship. Their coach, Benjamin Wilson, congratulates them, knowing that all their hard work had paid off. “As a coach, I just had a big feeling of relief. I slept easier than other nights during the season and was just really proud and happy for the girls, as I always am,” Wilson said. Toward the end of the year, Wilson won the 2019 all-around Coach of the Year award for Southeastern Pennsylvania. The Daily Local News nominated Wilson because of his coaching skills and his team’s performance.
“I guess, kind of selfishly, I hoped we could’ve (won) out (the state final) game and we wouldn’t have lost in double overtime. So, really, I was about five minutes away from winning the whole state’s Coach of the Year award but it is still a great honor,” Wilson said. Wilson played soccer in college at Susquehanna University, which is where his coaching career first picked up. He was promoted from a player to the assistant coach of the Susquehanna men’s soccer team and stayed to coach collegiate soccer for three years. In 2015, Wilson shifted his focus and began coaching at the high school level because he got married to Katie Wilson, a teacher at Conestoga. In 2018, he found success when the Daily Local News awarded him with the first ever High School Coach of Significance Award for Pennsylvania.
Wilson stands out from other coaches because of his coaching style. He believes in facilitating open conversation and feedback between himself and the team, consistently giving advice to help his team be successful in the game. After a bad match, Wilson doesn’t overwork his players, but instead chooses to sit down and hold a classroom session. They discuss errors made during the game and tactics they can improve upon. “In general, Coach Ben has taught me to look beyond myself and play for my teammates,” senior and captain Calista Courtney said. “He is understanding and encourages us to try new things even though we may mess up. He supports us, and that’s what makes him such a great coach.” Wilson believes the most rewarding aspect of coaching
is the relationship he is able to foster with the team both on and off the soccer field. Wilson supports the team in everything, from improving technical skills to mentally preparing them for a game. His support even extends to the off-season. Wilson dedicates his time to helping the girls lift twice a week after school and attends the games they play at YSC, an indoor soccer league outside of the school. “I think they just know I’m really invested in them, and I think that gives them a lot of confidence to just focus on playing the game,” Wilson said. “I love the game and I love being around soccer. I really do care about my players and seeing them be successful down the road with their careers, family life and all that. I hope they continue to be around the game like I always have been, and maybe even coach themselves.”
Super Bowl commentary: Go Chiefs! Devon Rocke Staff Reporter
Niners fans, read this article at your own risk, you may be offended. The San Francisco 49ers were predicted to win the Super Bowl, but oh how wrong they were to think that they would beat the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs reigned victorious by 11 points with a score of 31-20, showing 49ers fans that they had chosen the wrong team to root for. I, however, had the insight to support the Chiefs, the honorary team of my family from the midwest. Even though the Chiefs aren’t near our area, plenty of Philadelphia fans hopped the bandwagon, supporting Andy Reid, the former Eagles coach and current Chiefs coach. To be fair, the Niners never had a chance, the Chiefs hadn’t won a Super Bowl game in 50 years and both the team and the fans were hungry for a win. The 49ers were the first to score with a field goal, but the Chiefs soon overtook them
with a touchdown with just 31 seconds left in the first quarter. Soon, however, the Niners took the lead with a touchdown, only to be returned with a field goal from the Chiefs. The score was 10-10 at the half and I was stressed to say the least, watching J-Lo and Shakira in the halftime show as a distraction from the amount of pent-up anxiety I felt. Throughout the game, my parents and I screamed at the TV, jumping up and cheering when Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a 44-yardlong pass into the arms of wide receiver Tyreek Hill, a play that led the Chiefs to another touchdown and saved the team from defeat. And I can shamelessly say that we heckled the 49ers to no end, criticising every mistake they made, no matter how small. It was the fourth quarter, and the Chiefs had pulled ahead with some effort, their leg up on the 49ers a relief to me and my fellow fans. The score had the Chiefs up by 11 points, and the amount of
time left on the clock showed that the 49ers had no chance of winning. I was relieved and thrilled. Then something strange happened: I started to actually feel bad for the 49ers, something that I didn’t think was possible. Each team was putting an effort in to use up their remaining timeouts, just delaying the Chiefs’ inevitable win. The cameras zoomed in to the 49ers’ defeated faces, their heads hanging in shame. Seconds later, the cameras panned over to the Chiefs’ players who were obviously elated to finally win a Super Bowl. While looking at the teams’ different facial expressions I was torn between feeling jubilant or dejected. I knew what it felt like to be on that side with the sorrowful faces, the game almost too painful to watch, knowing full well that there was no hope. But, I’ve also been on the side that is prevailing, just being ecstatic that your team is absolutely obliterating their rivals. So I just stared at the TV, feigning my glee, while inside I felt a twinge of guilt.
Charity Xu/The SPOKE
My conflicted feelings only lasted for about 30 seconds, however, before I was back to cheering for the Chiefs and insulting the 49ers with the rest of my family. They deserved to win, and nobody can convince me otherwise.
Overall, Super Bowl LIV was a game full of twists and turns, ups and downs, and an amazing game overall. Both teams deserved to be there, and in the grand scheme of things, scores are just numbers on a — oh, who am I kidding? GO CHIEFS!
Commitment Corner Patrick Kelly UNIVERSITY OF SCRANTON SPORT: SOCCER GRADE: 12 Why University of Scranton?: “I committed to the University of Scranton because of its strong academic reputation, beautiful campus, fantastic soccer facilities, and its strong soccer program where I can continue to compete at a high level and improve as a player.”
Sports
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
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School updates policy on team spirit days Reese Wang Design Editor
In past years, the girls’ swim team held its annual suits and spandex spirit day before its meet against Central League rival Radnor, attending class while wearing leggings with their swimsuits over top. “It was a funny (spirit day) that we always did, and it promoted a lot of team bonding because we’re all walking around in our bathing suits,” senior and girls swimming captain Jamie Semmer said. However, spirit days such as wearing suits and spandex were banned shortly after the beginning of the winter sports season. In an announcement sent to coaches through email and posted on Schoology, athletic director Kevin Pechin stated that teams may only wear team jerseys and business casual attire for spirit days with no themes or props, explaining in the email that “our theme is Conestoga.” According to Pechin, the change occurred as a result of a concern about the attire worn in class brought up by a teacher at a faculty meeting. “We support the spirit days, and if they want to wear their jerseys, that’s fine,” Pechin said, “but it shouldn’t take away from the educational setting.”
When senior and boys basketball captain Connor Steele was told of the change at a captains’ meeting with Pechin, he didn’t think that his team’s usual spirit days of whiteout and jersey day would be affected by the change. As a result of the change, Steele noted that he would think twice before doing anything risky. However, boys swim captain Miles Whitaker realized that the change would affect team bonding. The team’s popular lazy weatherman spirit day, wearing formalwear on top with sweatpants, was initially axed due to the change before being brought back upon further review from Pechin. “We’re not like the other teams because we can’t wear our jerseys, and we use the other (spirit days) like lazy weatherman day or beach day to make up for that fact,” Whitaker said. Junior Ava Collin remembers when Pechin notified the rest of the swim team through a Schoology post. The swimmers’ GroupMe chat exploded with messages, ironically encouraging team bonding as the swimmers conspired to get around the new rules. “We were like, ‘What happened to our spirit days? We all hate these new rules,’” Collin said. “(The change) forced us all to plot with each other. We were all like, ‘Oh, if we can’t get our spirit days back, we’re gonna dye the tips of our hair red.”
HIGHLIGHT REEL The latest developments in sports. tackles
On Feb. 2. the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers and won the Superbowl with a score of 31-20. defeats
In their last home game of the season, the girls’ and boys’ basketball team defeated Lower Merion High School. attends
The wrestling team attended the Interboro Invitational at Interboro High School. The team placed third among eight teams in the tournament. strokes
The boys’ and girls’ swim teams beat Springfield on Jan. 31. They won win the scores of 99-86 and 105-73 respectively. Photo courtesy @stogaw_swimdive
Beach Day!: The girls’ swim and dive team wear beach attire for a beach themed spirit day, which will no longer be allowed under updated policy. In the future, propless spirit days such as U.S.A. Day or color spirit days will be allowed. Whitaker, Semmer and their fellow swim captains decided to meet with Pechin to understand why the spirit days were taken away and to negotiate a deal for the swim team. “Going into the meeting, we just wanted to make the point that we don’t have a
uniform to wear and (that) we don’t practice together. This is one of the biggest team bonding things that we do, and we’re not breaking the dress code. It’s not really fair to just say that because you’re a team, you can’t wear any of this,” Semmer said.
After several meetings with Pechin, the two sides reached an agreement. All teams are now allowed to participate in non-themed and propless spirit days, such as U.S.A. day, twin day, and color spirit days such as whiteout and blackout.
Although Semmer wishes that the team could have gotten back more spirit days, she understands that certain spirit days such as suits and spandex could be seen as inappropriate for school and is grateful that Pechin agreed to work with the captains to reach a middle ground.
Pechin is also grateful for the opportunity to work with the swimmers. “We’re here to learn first and foremost, and if something’s becoming a distraction from someone learning and we can we can help with that and still support our teams, I’m all for it,” Pechin said.
Honoring aa legend: legend: Community Community remembers remembers Kobe Kobe BryanT BryanT Honoring by ananya kulkarni and gavin merschel designed by ananya kulkarni, Audrey Kim On his way to his daughter’s game, basketball legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant fell victim to a tragic helicopter accident that took their lives and the lives of seven others on board Jan. 26. The accident came as a shock to not only the basketball community but the entire nation. While Bryant will forever be known for his incomparable success in the world of basketball. Bryant was more than a basketball player- he was also a father, a writer, philanthropist and businessman, succeeding in all his endeavors both on and off the court. As an alumnus of Lower Merion High School, Bryant’s death had a great impact on the local community. Upon receiving the news of his passing, hundreds of students added to a memorial outside of the school, attracting fans from everywhere to pay their respects. The high school also held a 33-second moment of silence to honor Bryant. While Bryant is known for his time with the Lakers, his first victories came from his time playing at Lower Merion High School. Bryant led the Lower Merion Aces to the first State Championship in 50 years as a senior in 1996, ending the season with a record of 31-3. His success on and off the court built the “Mamba Mentality” that Bryant will be known for going forward. The Los Angeles Lakers drafted Bryant as the 13th overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft directly out of high school. Conestoga Class of ’97 alumnus Dante Coles played against Bryant and the Lower Merion Aces during his sophomore and junior year. Coles remembers stepping up to the challenge of playing against the best player in Pennsylvania. “Instead of backing off that challenge, I wanted to go right at Kobe’s neck. I want-
ed to embarrass Kobe. That was my whole mindset,” Coles said. According to Coles, while Bryant’s talent was undeniable, it was his dedication to the sport that set him apart more than anything else. “Our mutual friends would go out and party Saturday nights. Kobe would never go. Kobe would go to the gym and practice. He showed up to the gym, 5:30 in the morning before school, took a shower, and went to class in high school,” Coles said. “He always had that in him and we always knew where he was headed to, but to be honest, we didn’t think he would be this big.” Conestoga alumnus (2006) LeRoi Leviston met Bryant at two separate games between Lower Merion and Conestoga High School when Leviston was in 3rd and 4th grade. Leviston went to the games because his brother was on Conestoga’s basketball team. Leviston says he was inspired by Bryant then and now. “Kobe was just more than a basketball player. He was a person that wanted to tell stories. So right after he retired, he won an Oscar Academy Award. And he is the perfect definition of a person who is more than an athlete, a person that can do multiple things,” Leviston said. “Being a teacher and then a coach and a mentor and personal trainer, it really makes me believe that I can not only do all those things, but continue to push myself and work hard and keep reinventing myself and keep evolving.” Despite the competition, however, Coles will remember Bryant as one of his idols. Bryant’s relationship with his daughters is inspiring to Coles as a father and a coach as well. “I feel like me and my daughter got closer. We were already close, but the way we are now it’s like we don’t want to miss any moment because of what happened with Kobe and Gianna,” Coles said.
records thrown
4 5 ALL-NBA years with 20 the lakers 15 TEAM HONORS mvp awARDS
nba championships
Public photo via Wikimedia Commons
Remembering Bryant: The public creates a memorial to Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles. Bryant played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 years.
36,643 points free 8,378 throws
4,010
turnovers
most of of any any point point most guard in in history history guard
SPORTS
The SPOKE Commitment Corner Page 10
From Schuylkill River to Cayuga Lake : Senior rowers reflect on crew journey Page 10
Community remembers Kobe Bryant Page 11
Wednesday, February 12, 2020 Coach recognized as Coach of the Year for Southeastern PA Page 10
Elena Schmidt/The SPOKE
Hoops for a cause: The varsity girls’ basketball team wears shirts for cancer awareness after a home game against Ridley. The team hosted a game to represent awareness of all cancers instead of a traditional pink-out to honor the passing of the junior varsity coach Pete Ricci. The team hopes to further broaden the types of cancer they raise awareness for in the future.
Girls Basketball hosts cancer awareness Game Elena Schmidt Staff Reporter
Girls basketball hosted a game against Ridley High School on Jan. 30 to raise cancer awareness after being impacted personally. The game was especially important to the team and coaches, as the cancer awareness event honored their beloved JV coach Pete Ricci, who passed away from cancer earlier in the season. The team had hosted several breast cancer awareness events before, but this game was different: instead of a traditional pink-out, team members and coaches used
purple to represent all cancers and make the event more personal. Ricci had taught at the district for 23 years and knew many of his players since elementary school. One such player is Annie Nikolic, who is now a senior and varsity team captain. She and many of her friends had gotten to know Ricci well over the years and appreciated the opportunity to honor him. “This night means a lot for us because (Ricci) was not just our coach but also our best friend. He was always there for us, so this game seriously means the world to us,” Nikolic said.
The team spirit and support from friends and families reflected the school’s tightly knit community. Nikolic appreciated friends’ consolations when Ricci passed and emphasized the value of the support. “It’s just so great that we live in this community, (and) it’s the best thing ever that we have each other,” Nikolic said. Varsity coach AJ Thompson explained that in addition to honoring and remembering Ricci, the game showed support to anyone who needs it in battling cancer. “We don’t want to make anybody feel uncomfortable; we don’t make anybody sad. We just want to honor those that are current-
ly battling it and celebrate those who have lost their battle with cancer and make sure that everybody knows that if you’re going through it right now or you have somebody that you love going through it now, that you know we’re thinking of them and we’re here for them and we’re fighting with them,” Thompson said. The event’s spirit was apparent despite the team’s loss to Ridley. After a short speech to inform the crowd of the event’s purpose, many people held up signs with names of loved ones that they supported through their battle with cancer. Though breast cancer awareness games are common among sporting events, the
girls’ basketball team, having experienced the loss of its former coach, has a newer outlook on future games. Though there are limits to the kinds of themes events can have, the coaches are considering broadening the types of cancers their teams are spreading awareness for. “We’ve always done it, and (it) just felt like, at times, it was just something that we do to honor people, and we didn’t necessarily have a personal grasp on it. Now it’s obviously a lot more personal, and the girls (have) really battled throughout the year, and we are there for each other,” Thompson said.
Sophomore donates soccer gear to South African children Akshita Joshi Staff Reporter
With hours of planning, collecting donations and traveling, sophomore and member of the varsity boys’ soccer team Shayl Chetty recently donated soccer gear to children in South Africa by organizing his own drive. Chetty donated to the nonprofit organization Each One Reach One, which is located in Phoenix Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. This organization provides used cleats, shin guards, socks and shorts to children who are unable to afford soccer gear. According to Chetty, these children have a passion for soccer but are struggling financially to buy the gear necessary to play the sport, which can often cost upward of $100. The idea for the drive hit close to home for Chetty since his father grew up near Phoenix Kwazulu Natal witnessing some of these heartbreaking cases of poverty. Because of his father’s stories, Chetty was inspired to make a change for some of the children facing these financial conditions.
As a member of the boys’ varsity soccer team, Chetty decided to tackle the problem head-on when he noticed the amount of soccer gear thrown away every year, when it could be going to people unable to afford them. “I realized that a lot of people on the team have extra soccer gear just laying around, and (my parents and I) were going to South Africa to meet family anyway, so I thought it would be a great opportunity,” Chetty said. Chetty explained that the drive received donations, and that many were willing to support his cause. The support from friends and teachers made the process much easier for Chetty and he was able to organize the drive efficiently along with help from his parents. “There were a lot of donations from ’Stoga soccer, Zimmerman and my friends, and I am very thankful to them all,” Chetty said. Soccer coach and teacher David Zimmerman was one of the top contributors for Chetty’s cause and supported him throughout the process. Having coached for 25 years, Zim-
merman collected many parts of uniforms that are no longer useful. When he heard about Chetty’s drive, he did some digging around his house and locker rooms and was able to find used socks and shorts along with old uniforms to donate to the drive. “I admire Shayl for putting in the time and effort to help other people because those who do good things for others benefit from the good feeling you get from being kind to and helping people,” Zimmerman said. “More students should look for opportunities to help people who are less fortunate than we are.” Chetty was able to immerse himself into the drive and even play soccer with some of the children in South Africa while he was there. Not only could Chetty connect with the same passion of soccer shared between them, but he was also afforded the opportunity to give back to community of fellow soccer players. Chetty recollects a memory in particular with the children at the foundation. While playing soccer with the children, he remembers the warmup feeling like a rhythmic dance rather
Photo courtesy Shayl Chetty
Giving back: Sophomore Shayl Chetty (right) gives soccer cleats to an athlete in South Africa. Chetty ran a donation drive in December 2019 in order to donate gear to a non-profit organization known as “Each One Reach One”. than a routine endurance building activity. Looking at how the children could use their imagination and compassion for the sport was an eye-opening experience for Chetty.
“It was amazing to see how much (the children) were enjoying being together and how happy they were even though they had close to nothing,” Chetty said. “The children
there really didn’t have a lot, but they still found a way to enjoy playing a sport they love. The moments Chetty spent on the field playing soccer with the children and giving them
the gear are moments which stood out to him the most. “I will never forget their warm smiles from that day when I first met them,” Chetty said.
SCORELINE B Basketball
G Basketball
B Ice Hockey
Scores as of 02/06
G Ice Hockey
B Squash
G Squash
B Swimming G Swimming
Wrestling
W
10
6
8
1
5
2
11
12
14
L
11
14
8
11
1
4
0
0
4
T
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0