April 2024

BIDEN, BEHIND THE SCENES

Wondering what led to the president of the United States visiting our school? It took a lot more planning than we knew.

>PAGE 5

BARE NECESSITIES: FOOD, WATER, SLEEP

What happened to the discussions around changing school start times? We find out.

>PAGE 9

EDITORIAL: Consider cost before prestige

Rising tuition fees and growing elitism are dangerous to students applying to college.

Editorial Board

The unsigned editorial represents the opinion of the Editorial Board, which consists of the majority of the student editorial staff listed on this page.

College talk starts at the beginning of junior year, if not sooner, and occupies the minds of upperclassmen for the duration of high school. Once the topic is addressed, it sticks around and tortures students’ minds until they decide. Even for those who plan to pursue other options besides college, the conversation never stops.

Not only do students spend their time wondering where they should go or what place will suit them best, but also what options are affordable. With increasing tuition fees, decreasing financial aid, and rising student debt, discussing college is more stressful than ever.

A New York Times article breaks down data reported by the College Board. According to the report, the average price for 2023-24 tuition, fees, housing, and food at private four-year schools was $56,190. In-state tuition at public four-year schools averaged $24,030 for the year. There are many possible explanations for the growth in tuition fees, including state and local funding, student loan availability, and the increasing cost of administrators.

Whatever the reason may be, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find colleges with an acceptable tuition cost, especially with the annual price increases. Students should not spend excessive amounts of time worrying about whether or not they can afford to spend a hefty amount of money to attend college.

An article by the Daily Pennsylvanian reports that tuition at Yale University will increase by 3.9%, and 4.5% at Brown University. With these increases, attending an Ivy League school will be even more expensive than it is now.

The other predicament for seniors applying to and selecting schools is the hierarchy that exists in college culture. Why is an Ivy League acceptance more impressive to us than a state college acceptance? Does the advertisement of an Ivy League education on social media and in film lead us to the conclusion that those schools are better?

Nowadays, the Ivy League college

experience is marketed as a superior choice to attending a state university or smaller institution—private or public. Data shows that the claims that Ivy League schools provide a better education are not necessarily true.

Data from the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) college ranking “What Will They Learn?” shows that Harvard University, one of the most selective and prestigious schools in the country, with an acceptance rate of 3.4%, scores a “D” specifically due to its limited core requirements, while the University of Science and Arts in Oklahoma, a relatively unknown school with an acceptance rate of 56% (according to US News & World Reports) scores an “A” as a result of its core class requirements and offered classes.

The account does not specify college plans but instead welcomes students to share any future plans they may have.

The bio reads, “Use the form in our bio (personal email) to submit your postgrad plans! See your classmates!” which validates any direction taken following graduation.

COMPETITION BETWEEN SCHOOLS DOES NO ONE ANY GOOD AND JUST PROMOTES ELITISM AND FALSE ADVERTISEMENT OF THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE.

The cost difference for in-state tuition between the two schools, Harvard and USAO, is an estimated $42,380, with Harvard’s cost at $50,420 and USAO’s at $8,040. The issue is that both schools offer a great education. However, USAO does not receive the same number of applicants as Harvard due to its lack of “prestige.”

This begs the question of whether the value of a college education is determined by its acceptance rate and rumored elitism or the value of its teachings and the level of preparation students receive in order to be successful after graduation.

It’s our job to end the cycle of elitism. We, as students, must decide for ourselves what a good education is to us and whether a more selective school will provide us with more tools to succeed, or if it just seems more impressive to our peers.

Haven has platforms where committed students can announce the school they have chosen and share it with the student body. The Haven Decisions Instagram, run by senior Leah Gonzalez-Diaz, represents all schools. College commitments are posted by any student who chooses to share, and almost a thousand people follow the account.

For students who choose not to go to a college or university post-graduation, the pressure is still there. Research shows that many students feel forced to pursue higher education even when it is not ideal for them. The misconception that college is the best option for every high school graduate is dangerous for teens that may allow pressure to sway them into making a choice that isn’t right for them.

A study from the ECMC Group supporting education shows that 82% of surveyed students feel societal or familial pressure to attend a four-year college or university, a dangerously high number.

The truth is that college is not the best option for every student. Many different and equally valid paths can be taken besides attending college. The idea that college is the best or the only option after graduation is damaging and further enforces college elitism.

The debate of what college is the best or what post-grad option is universally best is beside the point. The message that we should be instilling is that students should be able to decipher what option suits them best and makes the most sense for them. Competition between schools does no one any good and just promotes elitism and false advertisement of the college experience.

Choosing the path you want to take after college is a big decision. External pressures can be a lot to balance as you’re making big decisions. Find the tools that will help you be successful and be the best version of yourself. *

>Feature Story, Page 6

OPINION: Should AP testing be mandatory?

Luci DiBonaventura ’25 Detours Editor

As a requirement for taking the AP classes at Strath Haven High School, students must take the AP tests in May. The Advancement Placement Exam Registration clearly states, “Taking an AP Exam is a mandatory requirement of enrollment in an AP Course.”

This requirement leaves some students frustrated with the policy. It costs a student $98 per exam and leaves many stressed as they have a semester’s worth of material to review in a week.

College Board offers an AP Credit Policy Search, which can help students research what AP credits might be accepted at colleges they are considering.

IS IT FAIR THAT AP TESTS ARE REQUIRED WITH THE AP CLASS?

(A) YES, BECAUSE IT’S A PART OF THE AP CLASS

(B) NO, BECAUSE IT’S EXPENSIVE AND USELESS FOR SOME STUDENTS

“AP tests are somewhat pointless,” junior Ella DiBonaventura said. “I’m currently taking three and I know there are some I am going to do poorly on after taking the course. I feel like there’s no point in paying $98 when most colleges will only accept certain AP scores. Even though I can afford the fee I still feel like it’s $98 down the drain.”

Many colleges will only accept scores of 4 or 5 for college credit or to place out of course requirements, according to The Princeton Review. It’s worth noting that

Strath Haven’s average AP scores averaged below 4 in 20 out of 29 offered subjects, according to the 2023-2024 school profile. This means that many students paid for AP tests, but did not earn college credit or placement due to scores lower than college requirements.

“I’ve taken AP tests before and I do not think it should be required,” junior Zoe Likely said. “AP testing puts a lot of pressure on students especially because all the tests are in May. If they allow the option of having students take some of their AP tests their first semester, it will remove stress as they don’t have to cram in a ton of reviews. I also just feel like if you’re already in college and they don’t accept AP scores I don’t see a point in students taking the test.”

However, there are benefits to making AP tests mandatory. Some students feel

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that mandatory AP tests help students prepare for college.

Senior Francesca Clark feels like having AP tests helps students prepare for college testing.

“I don’t see a point in why you would take the course but not the AP test,” Clark said.

“The tests are a good way to understand what you know throughout the course and receive credit for it in colleges. Every school also has a program to help kids who can’t afford it and it’s just a good way to prepare for college testing.”

AP US History teacher Tom Babcock expresses the benefits of both sides.

“There are two schools of thought here,” said Babcock. “Number one is you’re teaching many skills and you want everyone on board with getting ready for that test. That being said, I understand the opposite of wanting to increase the amount of kids who want to take the class as a challenge and not for the test.”

While AP tests expose students to college testing and allow them to submit their scores for college credits, it also leaves some students feeling pressured as they have to review months’ worth of material in one week.*

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Print and online advertising is at the discretion of our editors. The Panther Press reserves the right to refuse advertising deemed inappropriate for high school publication or not addressed to our audience of student readers.

2023-2024

Editorial Staff

Editors in Chief

Sasha Binder ’24

Evelynn Lin ’25

Managing Editor, Web Kaitlyn Ho ’26

Managing Editor, Print Matteo Ventresca ’25

Social Media

Matthew Ramirez ’26

Haven Happenings

Behind the scenes: The puzzle of Strath Haven’s student schedules

How does the school determine student schedules?

Matteo Ventresca ‘25 Managing Editor of Print

Every Strath Haven High School student receives their class schedule before the year starts. Unfortunately, not every student gets the classes that they want. So, how are schedules determined?

The process starts in November, with changes being made to the Silver Guide.

“We take between November and December just to clean it up, make sure it’s the right edit, check it, all that stuff,”

Assistant Principal Mrs. Andrea LaPira said. “We’re going to get it posted in January, usually right when we get back from winter break.”

Course selection starts a few weeks later. The administration holds meetings with students and parents to inform them about Course Selection. Teachers do their part to ensure that students are enrolled in classes that are best suited for them.

has a clearer view of which students and teachers have which class.

“We also have the list of how many students are taking alternates, as well. So if we have 11 or 12 teachers in a particular department, we figure out how many core sections we can offer based on how many teachers we have,” she said.

“Keep the dialogue open with the counseling team so we can really look at a plan not only just for one year at a time.”

Mr. Travis Edwards School Counselor

“For example, if a kid in a CP class obviously needs to be more challenged, I’ll recommend an honors class for them,” English and World Religions teacher Mr. Daniel Peterson said.

After students select their courses, LaPira makes a spreadsheet including every student and course. This way, she

When it comes to physically selecting courses for students, a lot of analysis is included.

“One of the things we really try to do is make sure that our classes at the younger grades are maybe a little bit smaller, where kids are less mature,” LaPira said. “As kids get older, they might be able to handle a slightly larger class. But that’s not definite.” LaPira will then run it through PowerSchool, which gives a success rate percentage. The success rate never reaches 100%, providing every student with elective choices. That’s why students are asked to pick alternate electives.

“The first percentage might be, 75% of your students had 100% of their scheduling. So we’re like, ‘Okay, that’s not that great.’ And then we might analyze, we might move some things around, and then we try it again and [it says] ‘Okay, now you’re up to 88%,’” she said.

New elective expands FCS offerings

Then, the counselors and LaPira divide the students’ schedules by grade, each picking a grade to double-check.

“I sit down and say, ‘It looks like he didn’t get his first choice elective. Science isn’t in there either,’” LaPira said. “So I might have to move things around to make sure that that science class gets in there. Secondly, could we try to get that first choice elective in?”

PowerSchool has a pre-arranged ranking. This means that the courses are ranked from most important to least important, and the ones ranked higher are mainly core courses.

“If you’re taking Robotics, English is already scheduled in third block, and Robotics is only offered once, it’s going to bump out Robotics,” she said. “But I can look at your schedule and say, ‘You know what, his English can move to spring, and I can move Robotics.’ And there’s no problem.”

There is also a cap on each class to ensure there aren’t too many students for the available space and seating.

“If I were to run this, the schedule without any class caps on them, like one time I did something by mistake, and there were like 59 students in Mr. Rothenbach’s physics class, that’s not going to work,” LaPira said. No factor determines which students get bumped to their ultimate electives. PowerSchool uses random selection to

Nutrition and Food Sciences elective will offer in-depth nutrition knowledge.

Mia Fagone ’26 Reporter

With the addition of new classes comes more opportunities for students to study in specific fields of interest and more possible pathways for future careers. The new Nutrition and Food Sciences class will allow students to learn about nutrition on both a personal health and scientific level.

The teacher and creator of this new class, Ms. Markell Reid, compared it to other courses based on food and cooking in the Family and Consumer Sciences department.

“I think one of the planning goals of the course is for students to just have increased facility to use knowledge of nutrition in their everyday life,” Strath Haven Curriculum Director Dr. Leslie Pratt said.

“We can have an elective class that invites you to think differently about the science classes that you had taken in the past and maybe pull some of those concepts in.”

Dr. Leslie Pratt Director of Secondary Teaching, Learning, and Innovation

“I think a lot of the students could benefit from having more nutrition information on the science side,” Reid said. “Our original cooking classes have a ton of hands-on [activities] and it’s mainly focused on cooking.”

Even though there are differences between the new and old classes, the ones that have been around for years have inspired students to become interested in nutrition and other food science topics.

“I actually took Essentials of Cooking and Baking this year, which Ms. Reid taught, and we learned a lot about nutrition in that class,” sophomore and prospective nutrition student Melanie Foca said. The class content is proposed to boost academic knowledge about nutrition and give students insight into their own nutritional habits.

This aspect of the course is relevant to why many students might be interested in choosing the nutrition elective, one that Foca points out.

“I think this could just help me have a better understanding of what really your body does need to function maximally and what foods might be the best choices for your body,” she said.

In addition to benefiting personal health, Reid listed career paths that could come from taking nutrition, including fields like biology, health sciences, and others in which students have shown interest.

“If you want to become a dietitian, this class is great for that,” Reid said.

Because of the many careers that can come from studying nutrition, the class can also be used as a testing ground for students to experiment with their interests.

“One of my career goals at this moment is actually to become a dietitian,” Foca said. “So I definitely was interested in taking this class because I felt like it could help me realize if that was the right choice for me.”

Reid herself was a dietitian for five years and studied nutrition for many years before becoming a teacher, earning the admiration of other teachers at Strath Haven.

“The whole department is inspiring,” Pratt said. “Her [Reid’s] previous background is as a nutritionist, so she was able to bring a level of expertise to both of the foods courses, which was already amazing.”

Recalling her own experience with nutrition classes, Reid notes how this new elective option could help to prepare kids for college.

“When you get to a university, it’s a lot of nutrition information that you didn’t even have any idea could be out there, and it actually can tend to be a difficult class,” Reid said. “So I think that would prep kids and make it easier down the line.”

Pratt emphasized that the addition of this new nutrition and food sciences course is an exciting change that allows more freedom for FCS classes.

“We can have an elective class that invites you to think differently about the science classes that you had taken in the past and maybe pull some of those concepts in,” Pratt said.

The foreseeable benefits of this new nutrition class and the importance of nutrition in both everyday life and work life give Reid hope for the future of nutrition education at Strath Haven and elsewhere.

“I think it’s going to be a class that’s required ongoing in the future,” Reid said. “That’d be really great.”*

decide.

“Our foods classes hold 25 students every block,” LaPira said. “So we have a total of 200 seats in the whole school year. If we have 240 students sign up, 40 of students aren’t going to get it. Those 40 students would be bumped to their alternate elective. It doesn’t only happen to freshmen, or seniors, it kind of happens across the board.”

This year, the counseling department gave extra time to students so that they could think about and decide what classes they wanted to take for the following year. However, course changes can be made later on with specific guidelines.

“If a student wanted to change a class at the beginning of the semester, there are very specific protocols and directions that we’d have to follow,” Mr. Travis Edwards, 10th-grade counselor, said. “All of that information, lucky enough, is in the Silver Guide. It’s the sixth page in the new silver guide.”

However, considering what classes you want to take for all four years of high school is recommended rather than picking your classes for each year.

“Keep the dialogue open with the counseling team so we can really look at a plan not only just for one year at a time,” Edwards said. “But also just the big picture: thinking about high school and knowing that you may plan for four years.”*

Carson Prey-Harbaugh 2007-2024

Evie Fernandez ‘27 Haven Happenings Editor

Junior Carson Prey-Harbaugh passed away due to complications from the flu and pneumonia at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia on February 24, 2024.

Carson was born on April 1, 2007 to Julie and Darin Prey-Harbaugh. She is survived by four Haven siblings: alumni Sylvan Prey-Harbaugh ’23, Michaela Santisi ’23, and current juniors Dylan Santisi and Hayden Santisi.

“My sister was by my side for the majority of my childhood, through everything,” Sylvan said. “She was full of light and always tried to help whoever she could.”

Beloved by her close friends, Prey-Harbaugh was known by her classmates for her thoughtfulness and compassion.

“She was genuinely selfless, even for strangers. She would jump through hoops to make sure that they were happy,” senior Quinn Kuzemka said.

Writing poetry, creating art, listening to music, and fashion were some of her favorite things, according to the service program.

A Celebration of Life was held on Monday April 1 at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Delaware County in Media, PA. English teacher Mr. Kevin Haney led the service alongside Prey-Harbaugh’s first pastor, Laurie Hershey.

“Her loss has impacted our family in indescribable ways,” Sylvan said. “We are so grateful for all the support we’ve received from the Strath Haven community, and we’d like to thank everyone who showed up at the Celebration of Life. She was a really special person and we love her so much.”

The Haven community is keeping Carson’s family and friends in our thoughts.*

CARSON PREY-HARBAUGH PHOTO: BARKSDALE

District introduces AP Precalculus Pilot Course for 2024-2025 Course will run simultaneously with Honors Precalculus.

Mark Ball ‘26 Reporter

According to Math Department

Chair Mrs. Lysa Rieger, students can choose to take either AP Precalculus or Honors Precalculus in the 2024-2025 school year. AP Precalculus is a pilot that will run simultaneously with Honors Precalculus.

“The hope is that it will give some inspiration to students who had never considered taking an AP to try one in math,” Rieger said.

The courses will be taught in the same room, and the curriculums will be similar. AP Precalculus enables the students on the College Prep track who earn A’s in Algebra 2 CP and Trigonometry to take an AP class.

According to Director of STEM Teaching, Learning, and Innovation Mr. Andy Benzing, AP Precalculus is a function-based course similar to Honors Precalculus. It assumes students have little to no knowledge of trigonometry.

The first three units in the AP Precalculus curriculum are traditional topics students currently cover in a precalculus class. The fourth unit includes optional topics, such as vectors and matrices, which will not be on the final AP test.

The College Board website lists 10 colleges in Pennsylvania that currently accept AP Precalculus scores for college credit. The fee for the AP exam is $98.

“Some kids might not want to pay, might not want to take the AP course because they don’t want to sit for an exam that they think their schools aren’t going to take,” Rieger said.

The new AP Precalculus curriculum focuses on modeling and applying functions students learn in Algebra 2 and precalculus back to the real world.

“When you’re studying trig functions, instead of just talking about sine and cosine kind of arbitrarily, also talk about how if you look at the amount of daylight at a particular location throughout the year, it makes the sine curve,” Rieger said.

College Board announced the AP Precalculus class in 2022 and debuted the class in fall 2023. According to Rieger, Strath Haven waited to run AP Precalculus because they wanted to see how it went before they went in that direction.

“December 2022, the College Board had to rewrite the AP curriculum. And then some professors said that it wasn’t strong enough, and then they rewrote it,” Rieger said. “When that happened, we made the decision to wait a whole other year to see where it ended up.”

According to Benzing, the district and the department have considered AP Precalculus for two years. The official decision came from building leadership, central administration, and the curriculum office, and a lot of input was used in making the decision.

“I’ve worked here a long time, if there’s no interest from everybody involved, it’s tough to move things forward,” Benzing said.

According to Benzing, the district has a veteran core of precalculus teachers who have taught it for a long time. The College Board provides many resources for teachers to experience before they teach the class, which is one of the benefits of not being the first district to teach the course.

“We’ve got some online webinars on person interface and workshops that they’re going to complete, which I think are helpful. Next in-service day coming up, we’re going to have our precalculus team work through some of these modules,” Benzing said.

The College Board is offering AP Precalculus to try to standardize the expectations for precalculus in many different schools across the country, as there are many different precalculus courses. Also, many students take precalculus as seniors across the country, and they want to allow them to take an AP-level class.

“Historically, in order for a student

to experience an AP level class, they had to have completed precalculus and launch into AB or BC calculus. There’s AP Statistics…which is a growing course for us,” Benzing said. “But in terms of the calculus field, they had to get all the way to AP Calculus.”

According to Rieger, the College Board had a choice of whether to make Precalculus or Multivariable Calculus an AP class, and they chose Precalculus.

“It would be only people who took BC Calculus as juniors and that’s a much smaller group across the country. So I think that’s why the College Board made that decision,” Rieger said.

Freshman Vivian Legate-Yang has registered to take AP Precalculus next year. Legate-Yang stated that AP Precalculus would help her adjust to AP classes later, and the AP exam would push her to study harder in that class.

“Having the AP exam will probably make sure I’m on top of that class more than anything else and getting good test scores so that the AP exam will come hopefully easier to me,” Legate-Yang said.

Some people will question the course change because the district has greatly succeeded with its current precalculus offerings.

“I put myself in that category to provide access for students that might not normally have had it before,” Benzing said. “You’ll hear a lot of different perspectives, and quite frankly, they’re all right. That’s why change is really hard. All these perspectives are correct.”

In the case of AP Precalculus, the course will be effectively the same as Honors Precalculus—just with the requirement to take the AP Precalculus exam at the end of the class.

“It narrows our focus a bit and hopefully emphasizes mathematical practices, as well as everything else that we really benefited from with precalculus through the years,” Benzing said.*

FROM THE 2024-2025 Silver Guide

Honors/AP Precalculus (1.0 credit)

3621: Honors Precalculus

3721: AP Precalculus (pilot)

Both courses further develop studies in continuous functions which are important vehicles for modeling in many areas of the natural sciences, engineering, and economics. Topics include the study of domain, range, maxima, minima, intervals of increase/decrease, and end behavior of polynomial, rational, radical, trigonometric, absolute value, logarithmic and exponential functions. Students also learn that functions and their compositions, inverses, and transformations are understood through graphical, numerical, analytical, and verbal representations, which reveal different attributes of the functions.

Students who opt for AP Precalculus: Students who enroll in this course are required to take the Advanced Placement Precalculus Examination. The completion of this course or Honors Precalculus is required for the study of Advanced Placement Calculus.

Students who opt for Honors Precalculus This course will include all topics found in the AP Precalculus course, but students enrolled will not be required to take the AP Precalculus exam. The completion of this course or AP Precalculus is required for the study of Advanced Placement Calculus.

Recommendation

A grade of B- or better in Advanced Algebra 2/Trigonometry Honors or departmental approval. Students should have earned a grade of A- in Trigonometry and Analysis CP and departmental approval.

FEATURED CLASS: World Religions gives exploration into diverse religions

Elective enhances understanding of the value of world culture and learning.

Evelynn Lin ‘25

Editor-in-Chief

The world is made up of thousands of cultures and religions.

Mr. Daniel Peterson’s World Religions class, a history-based elective, introduces students to five major religions: Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam.

Students engage in projects, readings, watch movies, listen to guest speakers, and take field trips to learn about just some of the history and continuity of these religions.

“Even though it’s less rigorous than a calc class or an AP English class, it still is interesting,” senior Joe Lynch, who is currently taking the course, said. “Every day when you’ve got something different, like a movie, or a guest, or a field trip coming up, there’s always something to look forward to.”

beach, which is something most people have done, and you’re looking at the ocean, and you take a glass, and you dip your glass into the ocean, and you come up with a glass of water. That water is the same as the amount of knowledge of getting this glass compared to what’s out there.’”

Field trips occur once per unit. Students visit several religious sites to learn more closely about the culture.

The class emphasizes exploration of these topics and developing a curiosity in the religions, where there is always something new to learn.

“In the first week of the class, I always use the same analogy,” Peterson said. “I say, ‘Imagine you’re standing on the

The class also emphasizes the value of religion and culture within society.

“It [the class] felt like an interactive experience, where we got to see what was going on in the world and appreciate the differences that are often unnoticed in this world,” senior Bailey Hansen, who took the class last semester, said.

Field trips occur once per unit. Students visit several religious sites to learn more closely about the culture.

“It’s something about being out of the building and just being able to do something fun and do something different makes it memorable and special and allows the kids to connect in a different way,” Peterson said.

Lynch notes that the trips add an educational and hands-on perspective to

the religions learned in class.

“As much as you can read or watch videos, it’s entirely different to actually be in an environment where you are around people who are actively practicing their religion, or you’re around the statues, the foods,” Lynch said. “It just kind of makes everything feel a lot more real.”

Unlike other classes, World Religions is also different in that there are no major tests or essays. Peterson teaches this way because of the course material.

“The reason I do it that way is because the course is different,” he said. “I think learning about religion is different than learning about geometry. Geometry or something like that is really external, and religion is more like English class, where it’s more internal and subjective, introspective.”

Instead, Peterson assesses students’ learning through assigned homework and reflective writing.

“Just the style of assessments is different,” Peterson said. “Normally, assessments are supposed to instill fear a little bit– like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I have this test,’ or ‘Oh, my gosh, I have this essay.’ The goal is to take the fear away so that you can just enjoy it. You’re still doing work, but it’s a different

kind of work.”

One such project is a final project where students research and present another religion of their choice to their peers.

“Everyone got to choose their own religion study, in groups, and then we would present it, and we had these interactive activities that were always super funny and enjoyable to watch because they would do projects to help us to remember it,” Hansen said. “We had three people sitting in the center fighting to be the bachelorette for our one bachelor, and it was just so funny to watch everyone enjoy and interact.”

Several of the students recommend the class, as it not only teaches something meaningful but also engages you in having fun with it.

“It’s honestly a class that should be required considering how big religion is in this world, but it’s a fun way to learn about it in a non-biased way where you can honestly be whoever and whatever, and still get to learn about all these things and feel like your opinion [about religion] doesn’t have to change,” Hansen said.*

THE WALL: Alumnus Dr. Catherine Crouch carries love of physics forward

As a professor at Swarthmore College, she learns from her students and champions diversity in STEM.

Kaitlyn Ho ‘26 Managing Editor of Web & Health and Sciences Editor

Dr. Catherine Crouch graduated from Strath Haven High School in 1986 and has since participated in almost 40 physics research paper publications. Her parents and teachers heavily influenced Crouch’s love of physics. Her father is a retired cardiologist, and her mother was a systems engineer for IBM in the 1960s, programming on punch cards.

“So both of my parents raised me with the love of the [field]—with my father more the science side of things, my mother more the quantitative side of things,” Crouch said. “So I was excited about science and math from an early age.”

At Strath Haven and beyond, Crouch found inspiration. She had Mr. Bill Sweeney for two years of regular and AP physics, then attended the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences in the summer of 1985.

She attended Williams College and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Physics, then pursued a PhD at Harvard University.

Her curiosity in physics led her to become a professor at Swarthmore College starting in 2017, where she is now the head of the physics department.

“There’s nothing different about the carbon atom that’s in your cell from the carbon atom that’s in the fancy material that makes a tennis racket or ultra lightweight

glider. So I think that kind of stuff is just fascinating and beautiful,” Crouch said.

According to Swarthmore College’s material sciences website, Crouch taught Physics 5: Spacetime and Quanta in the fall of 2023 and Physics 81-82: Advanced Laboratory in the fall of 2023 and spring of 2024.

Crouch both teaches and learns from her students every day.

“One of the things that happens when you shift from high school to college is you have to become a much more independent learner,” she said.“You have to take responsibility, not only for getting your work done, but really even understanding how to do your work, understanding what the study processes, what the things are, that you do to make sure you’ve really learned it well.”

As a professor, Crouch is constantly around students who are eager to learn. She finds it interesting that her students are motivated in different ways.

“What grabs one student about studying physics or astronomy will be different from what grabs another student,” Crouch said. “I just feel like it’s a great constant reminder that every student is an individual.”

In 2021, Crouch was elected as an American Physical Society Fellow. According to a Swarthmore College article, no more than 0.5% of the society is recognized by this fellowship each year.

“Crouch was recognized specifically for ‘her leadership in physics education research, focused on promoting the thoughtful use of interactive engagement for all students, for making physics relevant to life science majors, and

supporting others through archiving of key resources, mentoring, and commitment to equity and inclusion in STEM,’” the article stated.

One of the main ways Crouch showed commitment to inclusion in STEM was the Natural Sciences & Engineering Inclusive Excellence Initiative. She started the program with Professor Emerita of Biology Kathy Siwicki and Professor of Biology Liz Vallen, with whom she led the program until she became the physics department chair.

“We inferred that many faculty wanted to find ways to create better, more supportive environments for students coming into our classes, especially those who came from with less preparation, or who were underrepresented in the particular science or engineering field they were pursuing,” Crouch said.

While Crouch was pursuing her PhD, she found that the research aspect of the work was more challenging than anything she had previously encountered.

“I found that initially really discouraging, and I really questioned, was I good enough to do this?” Crouch said. “Was this the right thing for me to do? I think it is maybe a little more common for women, and people from underrepresented groups to struggle with this, but I think it’s across the board.”

“I think that what made me really reflect on it is that for anyone who’s doing something that’s really worth doing, and it’s challenging, at some point, you’ll run into a time when it’s really difficult.”*

Behind the scenes of President Biden’s visit to Strath Haven

What went into preparing for a presidential visit? A lot more than you would think.

Clark Kerkstra ‘27 Reporter

It’s March 8, 2024. Joe Biden, the President of the United States, is standing inside Strath Haven Middle School’s gym, giving a speech. By the day of Biden’s visit, most were aware Biden was coming. By the time school had been dismissed, long lines stretched across the parking lot of the middle school.

But before all of that happened, there was a phone call. On Saturday, March 2, less than a week before the event, district officials were contacted by White House members.

“We got a phone call on Saturday [March 2] requesting to visit one of our facilities from members of the White House. We [think] okay, this is a joke,” Superintendent Dr. Wagner Marseille said.

Despite the appearance of the call, after some research, the District confirmed that the caller was, in fact, a member of the White House. After a reply from the District, White House staff came to investigate.

“Sunday [March 3], they came, they walked through all of our buildings, went through the grounds, every single nook and cranny,” Marseille said.

A day later, a second tour was conducted. “They said, ‘We’d like to come back and tour your buildings one more time’. They had narrowed it down to two buildings,” Marseille said. “They asked us a lot of questions about schedule, arrival, dismissal.”

According to Communications and Community Relations Liaison Ms. Rachel Riley, the White House was originally interested in the prospect of holding the event at Nether Providence Elementary School, but the White House team toured the entire district. No decisions were made on which space in the district would be used for the event until Tuesday, March 5.

“With [SHMS] being a lot larger than NPE or SRS, they found [SHMS] was a better place,” Riley said. By Monday, March 4, after the second search, the District still had not received confirmation of whether or not the event would be happening. No official confirmation would come until the following day, Tuesday.

Despite the presidential pedigree, the White House went through the normal process of requesting the use of a facility. “They filled out a facilities form like everybody else,” Riley said.

Additionally, all control of the gym was handed to the White House. “[The White House] wanted a blank canvas. We weren’t in charge of any equipment. They bring in everything themselves, all we do is provide a space for them,” Riley said.

The White House intended to avoid disruption of the school day as much as possible. “What really impressed me about the White House was their understanding of [the disruption of a presidential visit] … They worked with us, trying to mitigate as much disruption as possible,” Marseille said.

At that point, nobody but the district administration and the White House were aware of the visit. Some communications, however, suggested that something was up.

On Tuesday, an email was sent to Middle School teachers informing them that there would be individuals walking around the building for the remainder of the week.

On Thursday, a day before the event, a tent was set up adjacent to King Field in the Middle School parking lot to make room for the presidential motorcade.

Also, on Thursday, an email was sent out to students by Principal Greg Hilden, informing them that there would be no 5th block the day of the event and that all were to leave promptly at the end of the school day. Still, no details were provided to students or teachers about what the event entailed.

Nonetheless, most knew something was going on. Earlier in the week, a cryptic message was sent to parents, informing them of potential road closures and the potential cancellation of after-school activities on the day of the event.

All communication had to be approved by the White House beforehand, which was one of the reasons for the lack of communication. “I could not mention that the President was coming to our school district, even though the Philadelphia Inquirer already shared the news. They wanted everything to be last minute because it was an invite only event,” Riley said.

Despite the efforts to reduce disruption, the event was not without disruption.

All after-school activities were cancelled the day of the event, though many students were away on the band’s trip at the time.

On the day of the event itself, a number of demonstrators congregated by Providence Road before dismissal, near exits to the middle and high schools. They gathered to protest Biden’s handling of the situation in Gaza, shouting slogans such as “In November, we remember” and “Genocide Joe has got to go.” Additionally, the protesters hung posters around the area, which were removed soon after the event.

The protesters stayed for the duration of the event but were monitored closely by the police, who informed them where they could stand.

“So unfortunately, it was out of our control, as long as the protesters were not on our property, which they were not,” Riley said.*

Provided by Dr. Crouch

TRANSFORMATION OF WSSD • LEFT: Supporters listen to President Joe Biden give his campaign speech at the middle school gym, showing the transformation of the space. RIGHT: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators protest outside of the middle school. The group hung posters that would remain throughout the duration of the event. PHOTOS: MATTHEW RAMIREZ

THE

College is not for everyone, and even for those who want to go, financial issues can be a huge barrier to accessibility.

HAVEN VOICES

Lanie Clark '24

Trade school for cosmetology

“I originally considered going to college trying to find the same thing as a cosmetology program, but it just came down to being so much more affordable and a lot less time each state for trade school. It’s like $16,000 for your entire tuition, not just one year, which is so much more affordable than college, and it made me think about it a lot more after going through different things at the school.”

Eliza Cole '24

Scipps College, 4-year “[College] is a lot of money, but I do think that college is worth it because of the connections you make. I think getting to be a part of the alumni is really important, and you can also make a lot of connections through that. Again, internships, jobs… I do also think there’s like—I want to say a stigma—about going to college and not going to college.”

more student voices at shpantherpress.com

W"hat do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question asked over and over to every kid. Once you reach high school, that question becomes, “Where are you thinking of going to college?”

However, college is not the right path for everyone because it is not a direct path to success. There are many other options, and many factors go into a student’s decision.

Paul Tough, journalist and author of multiple books on higher education, including “The Inequality Machine: How College Divides Us” and the New York Times article Americans Are Losing Faith in the Value of College, emphasized the importance of being proactive and deliberate when deciding whether or not to go to college.

“One of the biggest factors in whether college pays off for an individual is whether you graduate, and so if you don’t graduate, it pays off a lot less,” Tough said. “A lot of it is personal; for that, you have to know yourself, understand people like you from your community, how they tend to do when they go to different institutions.”

is dependent on multiple factors, including when you applied and what your income is.

“One of the things that makes college finances so confusing for high school students is that everybody pays a different amount and what they’re going to charge you is based on various factors having to do with you and your application, and how much they think you want to go there, which is not only sort of bewildering to a lot of students, but it’s also kind of unfair,” Tough said.

"you can see in public opinion, polls became much more skeptical about the value of higher education. i think that has a lot to

Over the past twenty years, the way Americans view college has changed. According to an article by Coastal Wealth Management, a 2023 survey about the value of a college degree to the costs found that 56% of Americans believed a four-year college degree wasn’t worth the cost due to students graduating with significant debt and not gaining specific job skills from college. This differs from ten years ago when 56% of Americans believed college costs were worth it.

Many students struggle to decide whether college and its expenses will be meaningful to them.

“You can see in public opinion, polls become much more skeptical about the value of higher education,” Tough said. “I think that has a lot to do with the cost and the things that have gone along with it, as college has seemed more like an exclusive club that only certain people benefit from.”

Compared to years ago, the feeling of going to college now feels more like a required task for students than an opportunity to learn at a higher level, according to Tough.

“I think more students feel like, ‘This is something I have to do. Without it, my life is going to be a wreck, and maybe even with it, my life is going to be a wreck in a different way. And then we’re going to go into debt,’” Tough said. “When I was a student, it just didn’t feel that way. It felt like, ‘Oh, this is this cool thing that I get to do that is a new opportunity where I get to try different things. That allows both individual students and their families and citizens as a whole to feel better about higher education.”

CollegeAffordability

Affordability is one of the most significant barriers to college, if not the largest. The amount of aid the college gives you

Haven’s Career and College Counseling Center works with students to help them figure out the bewilderment of college finances and provide some aid resources.

“The sticker price for college is absolutely much higher, but people are not paying the sticker price, there is a lot more aid being given,” Career and College Counselor Mrs. Kristin Dunning said. “So families who say, ‘well, college is off the table, or certain colleges are off the table,’ I think there’s a lot more research to be done.”

According to Dunning, college counselors play a big role in helping students to discern resources that might be available to pay for college.

“I think we, people in the college counseling arena, have a lot more proactive educating to do in order to make sure that people know that there are resources and information out there and that it can be more affordable than they think,” she said.

Class of 2023 alumnus Jack Henry, currently a freshman at private Syracuse University, describes how college affordability also really comes down to the college location.

According to the Education Data Initiative, a four-year non-profit private university has tuition costs that are three times that of a four-year in-state public university– around 282.4% more for private.

“It’s very easy to go to college with very minimal debt in multiple, different ways, but it’s also really easy to have a lot [of debt],” Henry said. “I go to one of the more expensive universities, it’s private in America, and I’m very lucky I don’t personally have to pay, but I have multiple of my best friends that already have thousands of dollars in debt, and they’re not even done their freshman year.”

Henry believes that affordability is a matter of consideration when determining what college is best for you if you intend to go.

For 2015 Strath Haven alumni Jenny Chan, who graduated from Northeastern University, resources for scholarships, grants, and parttime work can help with tuition.

“I was very fortunate and grateful that I got a lot of scholarships just from doing well in high school. It translated that you could get some scholarships for certain colleges you apply to, so that was a lot,” Chan said. “And then in college, I still looked for any monthly scholarships or any other opportunities or school groups you can apply to. There’s a lot of grants, and if you want to study abroad you can do that too.”

Chan also adds how having a part-time job can help add up the costs of paying off tuition.

“From my end for college, I always did some

Average annual cost of college in the United States including books, supplies, and living expenses

sort of part-time job, even if it’s just a few hours a week,” she said. “It helps and even adds up to help you with spending costs. That helps a lot too when you’re looking for internships and later on full-time, too.”

Figuring out how to receive aid to pay tuition can be a difficult and misleading process. This includes the merit aid process, which offers scholarships to students to pay for college finances.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is supposed to help students measure their eligibility for aid offers. In December 2023, a new version of the FAFSA was released, created to be more streamlined and simpler than its predecessor.

Already, the college admissions process is complicated. Applying for financial aid is even more complex. The new FAFSA form was going to make it easier for lower-income students to see college as a viable option. Instead, it has made numerous errors in tax information.

The Education Department announced that 200,000 out of 1.5 million records released before March 21 were miscalculated. This is in addition to the fact that officials in the Education Department are behind on processing applications, according to The Washington Post and Inside Higher Education.

FAFSA has also released a new version for divorced families where the parent who provides the most financial support share their income and assets, regardless if they are not the custodial parent. This overlooks how FAFSA aid and Government Aid are distributed between the two parents for their child’s college tuition.

“I think the FAFSA problems are very serious, I think it’s going to be extremely difficult, especially for lower-income students to make good and informed decisions,” Tough said.

At the high school level, the Career and College Counseling Center does not have any control over issues related to FAFSA, but does their best to provide advice and resources that allow students to figure out their college financial situations.

“Among their options for addressing the FAFSA situation… there isn’t much school counselors can do beyond advising students,” Dunning said. “We can recommend that students contact colleges’ financial aid offices and use the net price calculator on college websites.”

May 1 is widely known as College Decision Day when students planning to attend college have to commit.

For students who require financial aid, they may not know what school they want to commit to yet because they don’t know how much aid the college will be able to give them. They can’t make the decision, and many are at risk of missing the deadline–or worse, simply giving up because the process has become too complicated to continue pushing through.

Tough recommends that colleges adjust their commitment date to accommodate students still weighing their financial aid options.

Percentage of bachelors-degree seeking students who graduate within four years

Paul Tough

OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Evelynn Lin ‘25, Kaitlyn Ho ‘ 26 Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor of Web & Health and Sciences Editor

The Importance of Passion

The pathway to and after college heavily depends on personal interests.

Henry is on a photojournalism track in Syracuse but still receives a well-rounded education in other subjects. It allows him to explore his interests as a college freshman.

“It’s hard work, but it’s worth it, and you’re learning so much, and they push you and they push you well,” Henry said. “People say coming to college, you’re going to learn all this stuff, but the most important thing is connections with your peers and professors through those classes and just keeping those connections as well… major track-wise, rigorous work, but really fulfilling opportunities that open up.”

Chan, who attended Northeastern University for business and accounting, entered college with a general understanding of the career she wanted to pursue, but college helped her determine exactly what suited her.

“Going to college, you don’t have to decide on an official major until your second year. So during my sophomore year, by then, I had taken a lot of classes in accounting, finance, high-chain marketing, all sorts of business classes. After doing two years of that, I feel like I was more better with numbers,” she said. “I picked accounting ultimately.”

After college graduation, her college experience and the opportunities open to her helped her earn a job as an accountant.

“I’ve been doing that job ever since college graduation,” she said.

Chan believes college can help you determine exactly what you want to pursue.

“I do think it depends on what you want to do… You can either figure out what you want to do while you’re in college, talk to other people, and figure out what kind of jobs are out there and what can suit your personality, or you can do an alternate route and not do college,” Chan said. “But I do think more people do college just to figure it out.”

At Haven, the Career College Counseling Center helps students to figure out their interests both within and outside of the classroom. They start preparing students for their futures in freshman and sophomore year and encourage them to think about themselves academically in class and in provided career curriculum lessons.

“What you’re learning and how you’re learning it, and how you’re learning about yourself as a scholar and a thinker, is part of how you decide for yourselves, what it is you want to continue to learn, how you want to continue to learn, and what areas excite and interest you,” Dunning said.

The app Naviance further provides schools and students the tools to learn more about where most career growth is and what certain careers do specifically. Counselors provide updates and lessons

on how to use Naviance throughout high school.

The College and Counseling Center uses these resources to help students think about their future careers and life after college, and whether college is the option for them to pursue that future.

“We help people decide whether or not they want to go to tech school or when they graduate from high school, if they want to go to two-year trade and technical school, whether they want to do apprenticeships somewhere where you learn how to do a trade on the job,” Dunning said.

Ethics of Admissions

Today, the system in which colleges admit or decline applicants determines how willing students are to attend college. Part of it depends on fairness and other student qualities outside the application.

difficult for themselves, and it stresses people out,” Henry said. “I was very lucky that I had family that had gone through it before and kind of knew that there was no need to overdo it… I think it can be really stressful or it can be really straightforward, and it has a lot to do with how much support you have, and certainly some people just don’t have as much support.”

"you have to define what 'worth it' means."

“There’s a sort of an overwhelmed and overall bias in the system towards affluent families. And it’s up to the individual institutions and their admissions departments to reverse that,” Tough said.

Tough recommends ways to make colleges more accessible, including lowering tuition costs and eliminating legacy exceptions. Legacy exceptions are when a student is accepted into a university because of a family history or tie to that university.

He also emphasizes changing schools’ admission system–-like that of University of Texas Austin’s system of automatically admitting Texas students in the top 6% by GPA of their school. It used to be 10% but was amended to 6% in October 2023.

UT Austin is a flagship school of the University of Texas, and it is Texas’s government that creates and enforces this system with Senate Bill 175.

“Whether you live in an exclusive rich neighborhood in Dallas, or a little farm town in west Texas, or a Latino community on the Rio Grande Valley, that allows [UT Austin] to ignore test scores, which is really important,” Tough said.

The law puts lower-income students on a level playing field with higher-income students who can more easily participate in expensive sports, test prep classes, and extracurricular activities.

UT Austin’s admission process allows for a more diverse and academically powerful class by allowing high-achieving students from all schools to bypass the more biased admissions process.

Advice and Resources

Preparing for college or life after high school is difficult. For families who are sending their children to college for the first time, they may need a bit more support.

“The application is definitely a little difficult, and some people make it more

Utilizing online and thirdparty resources, such as Third Way and the Department of Education resource CollegeSchool Scorecard, can help students make informed college decisions.

According to former Director of the College Scorecard Michael Itzkowitz, the College Scorecard is the main federal initiative aimed at expanding college options for prospective students. It’s especially helpful for those who need help navigating college *things*. He says that it is used by around a quarter of the four million students who enter postsecondary education.

“At the time, there weren’t a lot of tools for students able to assess whether or not they were getting a good bang for their educational buck,” Itzkowitz said. “So we, at the Department, decided to put all this information together, placed it on a website, so that students would have a better idea of whether or not they were likely to graduate, get a good job, and be able to pay down their loans after attending an institution of higher education.”

There are predictable aspects, Tough mentions, but a lot of aspects of college success are difficult to measure. Itzkowitz emphasizes the importance of considering a wide range of options.

“I think in general college is still a very good investment,” he said. “But I think that there’s been a misperception that any college you go to will ultimately pay off and pay its dividends. The institution that advertises the most may not be the best one for students. It might be the local community college or might be the fouryear college within your state.”

Tough also addresses the stereotype that goes into the entire college selection process and finding what fits best for your current needs.

“I think for a long time, the rule that adults told high school students was that you should go to the most selective institution that admitted you,” he said. “And some of that I think is just we’d like to be elite and exclusive and some of it is genuinely that more selective colleges spend more on their students and tend to have a better impact on their ultimate financial status.”

Tough believes that the decision to enter a more selective college with higher costs is not worth it, even if it feels like a privileged opportunity--like an admission

to a club–-and that the value of college selection should be just as important to be considered.

Is college worth it?

College and its application process, costs, and selection process remain a fiery debate. The idea of college comes with both pros and cons.

The decision to go or not to go to college comes with major decision-making and consideration. Henry believes this choice should be based on personal interests and life goals.

“It’s not for everyone, and you really got to know that and don’t force it,” he said. “You will fail if it’s not for you. If you’re going to go to college, you better be sure that you want to put in the work. It’s fine if it’s not for you, but just make sure you have a plan. It’s a really tough decision and you don’t know until you go.”

For Chan, she believes there is no wrong answer in determining whether to go or not to college, but a tool to help students figure out their path into adulthood.

“I would say college is more like a launch pad, and it’s really up to the individual with what they want to do with their time in college when they do after college,” she said. “There is no wrong answer, but I do think it is a little easier to figure out who you are through college.”

For Dunning, it is important to define what experience after high school means the most to you.

“I think the experience of living away from home in a fairly protected environment with a lot of structure, so you’re independent but not totally independent, where you’re getting to participate in clubs and activities in a little bit of a bubble, is very valuable,” Dunning said.

There are other questions students should ask themselves to help figure out what is most meaningful to them, such as what kind of experience they are looking for, how far from home they want to be, and what skills they want to have after college.

“You have to define what ‘worth it’ means,” Dunning said.

College is worth it if the education outweighs the cost. For a full four years, a reasonable, affordable tuition, and a career path the student is fairly confident in, college is worth it. But there are other options, and the most important part to consider is the quality of education in ratio to cost.

“[Current student generation] don’t get to think about college the way people used to think about college, which was four years to understand yourself and learn about the world and become independent, and meet people your age from different backgrounds,” Tough said. “But it’s important to at least keep sight of the fact that actually, the biggest value to any individual of what happens in those years is more personal, more psychological, more emotional.”*

Mrs. Kristin Dunning

OPINION: No arena should be built in Chinatown

The proposed 76ers arena will threaten a treasured community and cultural hub at the heart of Philadelphia.

CJ Chen ‘24 Reporter

For as long as I could remember, Sundays were spent in Chinatown. Here were merchants selling sprouts of uncommon vegetables to my mother, who would plant gourds and greens from her homeland. Here was the sound of friendly bartering and fish splashing from large tanks to be taken home in plastic bags. The smell of fried dough and luxurious red bean buns drifted, coating my lungs. For me, Chinatown is a second home.

Offering an intersection between diverse identities within a major American city, Philadelphia’s Chinatown provides a sense of belonging for many Asian Americans, including senior Michelle Ding.

“[Chinatown is] a way for a lot of Chinese Americans and people who might be further removed from their ancestry to feel connected to a part of themselves that they really don’t see represented in a lot of other places,” Ding said.

This valuable community is threatened by the proposed $1.5 billion Sixers arena (called 76 Place) to be built on Market Street between 10th and 11th streets, bordering the entrance to Chinatown. Construction of the arena is scheduled to begin in 2026, opening for its first basketball game after the expiration of its current lease in 2031 at the Wells Fargo Center.

we can have a common language,” Liang said. “When I say common language, [it’s] not just the Chinese language. I’m talking about cultural ideas.”

Senior Cherlin Tjio is concerned that the arena will disrupt Chinatown’s function entirely.

“If this project goes through, the way that we access Asian groceries, Asian food—the ease of access—would be lost because, obviously, the 76ers arena traffic would take over everything,” Tjio said. “Not only that, the rent for local businesses who are trying to make a profit would go up and the people living there would also have to pay more to live there…it would just ruin the point of having an easy place to connect with other Asian people.”

“Ways to find revenue are necessary for the city. But that should not come at the expense of people’s entire lives and their connection to culture.”

Michelle Ding ‘24

“I feel like the fact that we’re considering building an arena over what is one of the few dedicated cultural safe spaces for East Asians in Philadelphia is crazy,” Ding said. “I understand that cities run on money... But this is one of the very few places where people who have immigrated to America, specifically to Philadelphia, can find a sense of home away from home.”

My dad came to America in the 1990s to pursue a Ph.D., and my mom followed soon after to complete her master’s degree. They arrived with only a suitcase and a visa, tongues adjusting to the unfamiliar consonants of English.

Veelo Liang, a Taiwanese-American and parent of senior Joe Hsu, has been in the United States for 37 years and has been involved in Chinatown since her arrival.

“I feel like when I came here, it was very nice that I was surrounded by a lot of the people in Chinatown… I can hang out with people of [a] similar background and then

The 76 Place forces community members out and increases traffic, limiting access to essential services such as visa applications and other community support initiatives for Asian immigrants.

Language is often a barrier for non-native English speakers to receive necessary care; Liang spent over 20 years volunteering at Holy Redeemer Chinese Church in Chinatown to help those with this challenge.

“Regular people sometimes don’t know how to see a doctor, but think about a person [that doesn’t] even speak English, right?” Liang asked. “I would go to the clinic with them and help them translate.”

She explains the important role community members, such as the priest at Holy Redeemer—a former lawyer— had in helping new immigrants adjust to life in America.

“Chinatown is important to provide this kind of [service] because then you have a lot of Chinese people there [who] at least speak the language…That’s the part of Chinatown [that] I know the most,” Liang said.

Philadelphia holds one of the last authentic Chinatowns; the Asian community and businesses that brought DC Chinatown to life didn’t survive after the construction of the Capital One Arena in Washington DC, in 1997.

To avoid this, the City Planning Commission is doing an impact study, which has yet to be released as of April. The full breadth of the economic and community impact of the arena can not truly be understood until its release, which has been delayed for over three months.

Save Chinatown, a movement to preserve the 150-yearold community, has faced multiple harmful project

Asian Haven fundraises with fiery noodles

proposals in the past. They successfully fended off plans to build a federal prison, casino, and a Phillies stadium, but they haven’t always won. In 1991, the Vine Street Expressway divided Chinatown into two parts. Now, the Sixers arena threatens to end the community altogether.

Class of 2020 Strath Haven alumni Cindy Zhang is a part of Asian Americans United, which works in tandem with Students for the Preservation of Chinatown to involve young people in Philadelphia in the Save Chinatown movement—inspiring Strath Haven’s Asian Haven Club to take action too.

Zhang highlights a recent project entitled “Our Chinatown” that showcases the many voices of Philadelphia’s Chinatown.

As Zhang described, the project comprises large red posterboards containing Chinatown community members who explain what Chinatown means to them.

We have people who have grown up in Chinatown their whole lives, local business owners, and community members. A very, very large majority are opposed to the arena, and they acknowledge and understand the impact on its people, its businesses, and homes, families, schools, everything,” Zhang said.

Each person’s story is displayed around Chinatown and found online at https://www.aaunited.org/ourchinatown.

Chinatown is a home. It’s where a community worships, celebrates traditions, and buys groceries. I can’t imagine a life without this connection to my Chinese identity.

“Ways to find revenue are necessary for the city,” Ding said. “But that should not come at the expense of people’s entire lives and their connection to culture.”*

The annual Fire Noodle Challenge attracted 20+ participants, with all entry money going towards the Save Chinatown organization.

Mia Fagone ‘26

Reporter

Since its first occurrence last year in 2023, the Fire Noodle Challenge has been an event many students look forward to. This year there were over 20 participants, and many more who came to watch the challenge go down.

After paying the $5 entry fee, participants were given Buldak ramen noodles with spicy chicken flavoring.

“It does feel a bit spicy, but then it dies around like five minutes after you finish eating it,” junior Andy Liu said after winning first place in the challenge.

The top three quickest people to finish the spicy noodles were given gift bags. Liu downed his ‘two times spicy’ ramen, as the advertising on the cups states, just before those in second and third.

“It feels great to be first place,” Liu said. “I didn’t win last year, so I knew I needed to improve for this year.”

The event organizers and students in the Asian Haven club also recalled the first time it took place in 2023.

“We started last year and it was a really big hit with the student body, so we decided to do it again,” senior and Asian Haven leader Jenny Lin said. “It’s like a tradition we do every year now.”

To attract the many students who have shown interest in this event, the Asian Haven club has a method for advertising, including putting up posters around the halls of the school.

“We basically start out with seeing who’s interested

and we usually try to advertise it,” senior and Asian Haven leader Iris Cheng said. “It’s open to as many people as possible because it’s funding a good cause.”

As for directly planning the event, more time and effort go into organizing the club members and completing tasks to host a successful fundraiser.

“It takes a team of people that run Asian Haven to get to this point in the fundraising,” Cheng said.

The fundraiser is another part of the tradition of the Fire Noodle Challenge, and this year they chose to support a fundraiser close to home.

“We always choose an organization that we’re going to help fund and support,” Lin said. “This year it just so happens to be the Save Chinatown organization that was extremely popular.”

Save Chinatown is a movement protesting against the construction of a new sports in Philadelphia’s Chinatown, which many believe would damage the area’s economy. Many students have joined the cause, including Lin and others from Asian Haven.

“I’m also a member of the people that helped protest against that, so we just kind of brought it up and then we’re like, yeah, let’s choose to do this,” Lin said. “And then let’s do the fire noodles again. It’s a really fun event.”*

PROTEST SIGNS • A No Arena in Chinatown poster is pasted on an affiliated restaurant in Chinatown. PHOTO: CJ CHEN

ON FIRE • Junior JJ Bohr enjoys fire noodles during the challenge. PHOTO: MICHELLE DING

Delayed bells: A possible solution to sleep crisis

The science suggests start times should be moved back, but changing times presents many logistical challenges.

Kaitlyn Ho ‘26, Clark Kerkstra ‘27 Managing Editor of Web & Health and Sciences Editor, Reporter

Students need more sleep. That’s a fact.

A 2019 CDC investigation found that 83.9% of Pennsylvania high school students got less than the recommended eight hours of sleep per night, a number that puts it among the worst in the nation.

Strath Haven High School starts at 7:35 a.m., a time that some consider to cause sleep deprivation among students. For students who take the bus, the morning starts even earlier, with some buses arriving for pickups as early as 6:50 a.m.

Dr. Indira Gurubhagavatula is a professor of sleep medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and is a board member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). She believes that more schools should follow AASM recommendations, and cited Start School Later as a reliable source of information.

“It’s just a real state of chronic sleep starvation…And we somehow become a society that undervalues sleep, that doesn’t understand that sleep is as important as air and food and water,” Gurubhagavatula said.

As far back as 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that high schools should start at 8:30 a.m. or later. It was found in a Joint State Government Commissions 2019 report on delaying secondary school start times that 98% of Pennsylvania schools start before 8:30.

Gurubhagavatula emphasizes the importance of sleep for teenagers.

“If you just let kids go without sleep, on and on and on forever, then what ends up happening?” she said. “Well, it affects every domain of their functioning. One of the things we have going on right now in high school students is a crisis in mental health…We know that chronic insufficient sleep affects depression and anxiety and that restorative sleep helps us process emotions, so they don’t get so big.”

The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District opened its investigation into school start times in 2018. A town hall to discuss how to go forward was scheduled for Wednesday, March 11, 2020 before being canceled due to COVID-19. Despite being interrupted by the

pandemic, the discussion persisted through the pandemic and a turnover in administration.

The matter was last discussed at the January 24, 2022 School Board Meeting. At that meeting, the final decision on school start times was paused.

“But we are also in the beginning stages of a strategic plan that invites us to think about time in a potentially transformative way,” Superintendent Dr. Wagner Marseille said. “And I think that’s where it wasn’t an attempt to stop the conversation. It was an attempt to dig deeper into the issue of time.”

The options presented during the January 2022 meeting included a variety of solutions, including the “flipping” of elementary and high school start times, utilizing asynchronous time during the morning, making fifth block mandatory, and simply pushing school back an hour.

At the January 2022 meeting, however, the board discussed eliminating the former two options.

Many of the solutions were construed as ways to avoid the vast array of logistical problems presented by changing start times. Marseille hopes to tackle these obstacles and present their solutions soon after renovations to the school are completed.

“Wouldn’t it be a great opportunity to say, here’s your new building, in addition to your new building, here’s a new schedule… here’s an opportunity to think about a delayed start time? So we’re going to start fresh and say everything is starting anew at the same time,” Marseille said.

History teacher and former athletic director Dr. Patrick Clancy remembers having concerns that the proposed changes could negatively affect athletics.

“I remember thinking that [all options] were going to be problematic from an athletic lens, and kind of hoping that none of them get selected,” Clancy said. Some of the solutions work better with athletics than others.

“I think changing fifth block [and] compressing the day had merit worth talking about. I felt like that would honor students’ after-school goals while still addressing sleep without having a

What’s your ideal school start time?

“I don’t really care. I think I’m fine with how it is right now. I like getting home. I like the fact that [5th] block ends at 3:00, and then I get home at 3:30 is decent. I don’t like being home late.”

Tess Kelly ‘26

“8:00. [My old school] started at 8:20 and it was better because I could get more hours of sleep to be prepared for learning.”

Michael Noon ‘27

“It’s okay if we’re a little sleep deprived. I just don’t like how it’s every single day so early. 30 minutes later would be fine, but it’s not the worst thing in the world the way it is right now.”

Mateo Laurent ‘27

“8 o’clock.”

Zeb Smithey ‘27

“Probably 8:30 honestly, 8:00 maybe.”

Thomas Martinez ‘25

major consequence on the academic day,” Clancy said.

Administrators, including Marseille, Dr. Leslie Pratt, Director of Secondary Teaching, Learning, and Innovation, and Principal Dr. Greg Hilden, are considering the recommendations carefully.

“I don’t think there’s anyone [out of me, Pratt, and Hilden] who would say otherwise--we believe in the research and the science around it,” Marseille said. The idea of making fifth block mandatory has intrigued others as well.

“One thing that’s frustrating to me is, I see a lot of kids using fifth block and really awesome ways, especially in the arts and music. But I also see from my window, the mass exodus from the building,” Hilden said. “And so it’s, in my opinion, a missed opportunity to capitalize.”

To count fifth block for instructional

OPINION: SEL lessons deliver uneven results

Messages that SEL lessons convey may not be resonating with students.

Claire Salera ‘27 Reporter

You would think that high school students would be open to suggestions for managing their emotions, but social and emotional learning (SEL) lessons cannot seem to capture student attention. This year, the high school has implemented social emotional learning days into the year’s schedule. In a typical lesson, teachers go through videos or a slideshow presentation about important aspects of SEL and strategies that students can use to improve their mental health.

However, the important message that these lessons aim to teach may not be reaching students as intended. The lessons take up a substantial amount of class time and also change the entire day’s schedule. In addition, many students find the topics boring or difficult to relate to, making sitting through them and paying attention

a struggle. SEL well-being surveys— adminstered twice so far this year—take a long time to complete.

Freshman Lavanya Dixit finds that student motivation is a huge issue when the lessons are being presented.

“I think that the SEL days have good intentions, but the main issue is that a lot of people don’t pay attention, care enough to listen, or want to learn from them,” Dixit said.

Lesson delivery may also be an issue.

Junior Silla Prown finds that her teachers do not always present the lessons.

“My teachers don’t really do the SEL things. They think that it’s a poor execution of a good idea,” Prown said.

Although students may not be taking a lot away from SEL lessons, the repetition of these lessons stresses the importance of taking mental health seriously. Junior Ella Liberi recognizes that the lessons are not perfect but that they still show

minutes, a certain number of students must be in the building.

“Historically, fifth block has not counted as instructional minutes for our school,” Clancy said. “Because if we didn’t think it meant the state criteria, there wasn’t more than half the students in the building at the time when Dr. Hilden came in, and one of his priorities was [counting fifth block for instructional minutes] … But everything got put on hold while we did the broader strategic vision.”

Surveys from 2019 were part of the investigation, and Marseille believes in the importance of checking back in with the current Strath Haven community.

“You can’t have a conversation about any of these [changes] without having student input,” Marseille said.

Pratt referred to the potential for collecting information from the community.

“I think there are opportunities on the horizon for both revisiting and soliciting additional input and information through those large scale surveys, the kind of survey that surveys the entire school community, inclusive of learners and their parents,” Pratt said.

Pratt emphasizes the importance of leveraging conversations with students.

“What are some of the narratives, stories, and details that we want to listen to?” Pratt said.

Despite the issues with changing times, scientific opinion remains the same.

“We need to increase sleep literacy for everyone, we should all learn what helps us sleep well, we should all learn what harms our sleep,” Gurubhagavatula said.

Gurubhagavatula acknowledges that sleep literacy is crucial in solving the sleep deprivation epidemic, but believes that sleep literacy alone won’t solve the problem.

“You should all learn the general common sleep disorders and what they are, when should [you] actually see a sleep specialist,” Gurubhagavatula said. “It would be wonderful if you knew all those things and did all those things. But none of those things are going to fix early start times. That’s a systemic problem. It has to be fixed at a system level.”*

how seriously the school takes students’ mental health.

“I think it’s really great that our school is focusing on the social emotional health of our students, because that’s such a huge issue today. Just taking the time to focus, switching schedules around, I think it’s just really great to focus on student mental health here,” Liberi said.

Counselor Mr. Travis Edwards agrees that while the lessons are not completely effective, they are still a great first step.

“I think the goal with social emotional learning is exposure to those key areas that are important to becoming a well-rounded individual,” Edwards said. “I don’t think we’re quite there in maximizing the effectiveness. Do I think we’re getting the exposure out there, and really expressing why it’s important? I think so, slowly.”

Dixit concurs that the presentation of the topic needs to be handled in a way

that students can empathize with.

“I think there needs to be another approach, especially because it is an important topic,” Dixit said.

What could a different approach look like? Maybe a chance for students to express their own strategies or experiences instead of following the structure of a slideshow or video? Or perhaps some kind of Blooket or Kahoot instead of a survey, with students who complete it receiving some type of reward?

A new approach could take several different forms, but Edwards notes how important student feedback is to the overall success of the SEL lessons.

“I think that there’s so much more that can be done. But it’s also not just teachers to students, it’s students to us as well, so there’s a lot of learning that we want to do from a variety of student groups,” Edwards said.*

Junior Prom hosted at Kings Mills

There may not have been a junior prom queen or king, but there sure were a lot of “Dancing Queens” on the dance floor.

Luci DiBonaventura ’25, Zoe Likely ’25 Detours Editor, Contributor

On the night of April 13, students in their dazzling dresses and suits danced the night away at Strath Haven’s junior prom at Kings Mill in Aston, Pennsylvania.

From the lights flashing over the dance floor to the buffet dinner with loads of treats, junior prom was a night students will not forget.

Over 300 students from the sophomore, junior, and senior classes and students from other schools participated in this year’s junior prom.

“We got a lot of help from [class advisers] Mr. [Pat] Keavney and Mr. [Tim] Styer for preparing for prom,” junior class cabinet member Rosie Choi said. “The hard part was sorting the tables and figuring out where everyone was sitting. It was cool being on the prom committee because we got to plan and get a sneak peek of everything.”

From sparkles to smiles, students posed for the camera with their bedazzled dresses. Students with their friends on a sunny day.

“The weather wasn’t bad,” junior Kendall Glackin said. “A lot of people went to the Rose Gardens for pictures, I took pictures at the venue. Kings Mills was really pretty, and I had a lot of fun.”

Along with striking poses for the camera, many students showed off their dance moves and enjoyed themselves with their friends.

“Along with the food, the dancing was fun,” junior Charlie Detweiler said. “It was fun dancing to all the different songs with my friends.”

The students were not the only ones having a blast and taking on the dance floors at junior prom.

“We were thrilled about the turnout. The juniors were really well behaved, and we played into the venue’s ability for people to go outside and take more pictures,” junior class adviser Mr. Tim Styer said. “Overall a great night, and we hope the junior class enjoyed it as well, even if the music or the food wasn’t perfect.”*

BELOW | Elias Kuhn ’25, Rusty Bellville ’25, AJ Hurst ’25, and Matt Miller ’25 pose for photo on the dance floor at junior prom. BOTTOM | The dance floor was crowded, but perfect for friends to celebrate together. RIGHT | Lily Kochanowicz ’25, Kendall Glackin ’25, Violet Abrahamsson ’25, Jordyn Thurmond ’25, and Amanda Anckaitis ’24 enjoy the beautiful grounds at Kings Mills before the dance.

Catching up with the Cappies

Learn about our school’s new Cappies program and what they’ve been up to this year.

Evie Fernandez ’27 Haven Happenings Editor

The Cappies program is new this year, and members have been working on expanding their reach and organization.

According to Cappies adviser Mr. Matt Morris, the Cappies program is a regional theater program where schools send a team of student critics to review the theatrical performances of other Pennsylvania schools.

The program exists at schools in the greater Philadelphia area, but Strath Haven hadn’t offered it until this year.

The program has many benefits for critics and actors whose shows have been critiqued.

“There’s a lot of theaterheads here, and a lot of great writers that would be really good at the journalism aspect...”

Madeline Garson ‘27

Cappies Treasurer

“I’m on the board of directors for it, and I knew that we hadn’t had it at Haven before. I was really excited to start it up here because I’ve seen the benefits that other schools [and students] have gotten out of the program,” Morris said.

Students involved in Strath Haven’s theater program have enjoyed going to performances around them.

“I saw the memo that said, ‘If you’re interested in writing and theater, then this is the thing for you.’ I love both those things, and I am involved in a lot of theater… so I was like, ‘Okay, I’ll give it a shot. And I went [to a meeting], and not a lot of people were doing it,” Cappies Treasurer Madeline Garson said.

“At the end of the year, they have an award ceremony [to] celebrate the best high school theater that they’ve seen in the region,” Morris said.

Cappies has been a good experience for Garson so far.

“It’s really fun being in the room, you feel like a real reviewer. That’s your job when you’re there,” Garson said. “It’s fun when you get to take on that role, which is an experience that I wouldn’t really get elsewhere–the chance to be in charge and vote and give critiques and also positive feedback on things you’d liked and didn’t like when you see a show.”

Members of the club look forward to expanding next year.

“There’s a lot of theaterheads here, and a lot of great writers that would be really good at the journalism aspect [of Cappies]– attending the show and then writing a review the next day. You can get published if it’s good enough too, which is exciting,” Garson said.*

Panther Press sweeps Keystones

On Thursday, April 11, nine Panther Press Members traveled to accept eleven Student Keystone Media Awards at the WITF Public Media Center in Harrisburg, Pa. The Student Keystone Media Awards contest recognizes high school and college journalism that provides relevance, integrity and initiative in serving readers. Sweepstakes Awards are presented to the the college and high school news publications winning the highest total points in each division.

Strath Haven’s student newspaper came home from Harrisburg with the following awards for 2024:

• Division IV (High School) Sweepstakes Winner

• First Place, Website

• Evelynn Lin ’25 | First Place, News Photo | Senior lot sidewalk gets decked out in colorful pawprints

• Sasha Binder ’24 & Evelynn Lin ’25 | Second Place, Public Service/Enterprise Package | Homework vs. Everything Else

• 2022-2023 Editorial Board | Second Place, Editorials | Let’s work to make every Haven student involved, Reconsider sexual education at Strath Haven, Stories over statistics

• Kelly Montague ’25 | Second Place, Sports Photo | Baseball team takes Central League and District Titles

• Matthew Ramirez ’26 |Second Place, Photo Story | Cantata spends weekend in New York City

• Matteo Ventresca ’25 | Second Place, Layout & Design | AI vs. Academic Integrity (Front Page)

• Matteo Ventresca ’25 & Evie Fernandez ’27 | Second Place, Feature Story | The role of generative AI

• Julia Gray ’23 & Kaitlyn Ho ’26 | Honorable Mention, Feature Story | A Different Beast

• Matthew Ramirez ’26 | Honorable Mention, Feature Photo | Hallway concert brings the Nutcracker to life

• Evelynn Lin ’25 & Kaitlyn Ho ’26 | Honorable Mention, Photo Story | Building Belonging *

Haven celebrates cultural diversity with international performances

Students presented their diverse cultures to the Haven community through singing, dancing, speech, and food.

Matthew Ramirez ‘26 Social Media Editor

In a whirlwind of vivid dances and songs, student performers showcased their culture on the evening of April 15 in the George H. Slick Auditorium.

The 45-minute performance offered glimpses of different cultures and was presented to students and staff.

“It’s really cool to see people perform songs and dances,” senior Aditi Halpe, co-coordinator of International Day said.

Cultures from countries in South Asia, East Asia, and Africa, and in Jamaica, Ireland, Sephardic cultures, and Latin America were presented in the performance.

“We have a big variety of culture and global community right here in Strath Haven,” Halpe said.

The planning of International Day began in the winter months of the 2023-2024 school year.

“We started putting together preliminary plans and getting together an idea of what applications are involved,” Halpe said.

During March, interest forms for International Day were sent out to the student body, and rehearsals began shortly after.

“We all came to practice, and in the end, it all came together today,” senior Martha Mboowa, a Dance Team member said.

Haven’s International cultural celebrations are more than just a presentation to the Strath Haven High School student body.

“Strath Haven is a special place because it has a type of community where people that like to engage in different things can all come together and be friends,” senior Dance Team choreographer Oyindamola Songonuga said.

After the International Day evening performance, many of the performers felt

accomplished, and achievements flowed.

“I’m so proud of everyone,” Halpe said. “Today is where people really put forward their best foot and got their acts out.”

After the performance, tables lined the thirdfloor lobby, filled with cultural foods. ‘The fair’ started the previous year to further engage the district in International Day.

“The fair emerged as a way for people to showcase food,” Halpe said. “Also cultural items, clothing, and just get everyone in the community out here.”

Students and families packed the lobby as they all tried the different cultural foods.

“[The food] shows how we are all so diverse and unique and that we can all come together and share as one community,” sophomore Gordon Morris said.

On the morning of Friday, April 19, International Day held their assembly to present to the student body. Two assemblies were held during a morning assembly schedule.

“It went amazing,” senior and coordinator Anyae Poindexter said. “This was really good, and I’m proud of this.”

One difference between the day performance and the night performance was the addition of a fashion show.

“It was a good way for people who didn’t want to perform to still be part of the assembly in some way,” Poindexter said.

Performers for the fashion show organized the segment during the week of the event.

“Everyone came together and chose a different song and they all had different outfits from different cultures,” Poindexter said. “I think it all went really well.”*

LEFT | Senior Cristina Machado shares a speech and slideshow about multiculturalism, centered around her Colombian and Swedish heritage.

BOTTOM | Student organizers

Anyae Poindexter and Aditi Halpe bow to applause at the end of the school-day event on April 19.

BELOW | Emcees Zoe Likely, Calvin Warner, and Maddie Bonhomme guided audiences through the performance with humorous travel-themed acts.

See more photos & video at shpantherpress.com

Spring Fling 2024 continues tradition, despite weather

Rain or shine, Haven students know how to have fun—and they showed it at Spring Fling.

Evie Fernandez ’27 Haven Happenings Editor

Frosted sugar cookies, face painting, and plastic firefighter hats were just a few of the treats found at club stalls at Spring Fling on April 19. There were many different activities, including a dunk tank, a bouncy house, and opportunities to smash pies in the faces of students and teachers.

Student Council announced Spring Fling on April 5 and invited club and organization leaders and sports captains to sign up for tables, with suggested activities like ring tosses, face painting, raffle baskets, bake sales, glitter tattoos, and balloon pops. The location of Spring Fling was a change from previous years, as the event moved from the lawn in front of Spencer House to the paved area in front of the King Field turf.

Attendees could donate money to the Save Chinatown initiative in exchange for throwing a whipped cream pie in the face of volunteer teachers. Girls lacrosse also offered pie throwing as a team fundraiser.

“It [hitting Ms. Plows with a pie] was really good. I wasn’t really expecting to get her just because I

didn’t think that Ms. Plows would volunteer, but I really love her,” junior Riley Smith said.

Many clubs also held bake sales and other fundraisers to gather money for any of their upcoming events.

“We were doing trivia about feminism and the feminist movement, so if you got one right, you got a lollipop. It was just free, for fun, and I think people had a good time,” senior Feminism Club president Casey Conway said.

Regular coffeehouse performers also shared live music, shifting to a tent near the Panther Pit whenever it started to rain.

“[Spring Fling] was amazing. I loved it there. The music had a vibe, and everyone seemed to be having a great time. I’m just having a blast,” Smith said.

Many students were enthusiastic about the various opportunities available.

“I liked winning a small purple duck from German Club. There was a pool of water, and you took a little squirty bottle and just squirted the bigger duck across, and if you won, you got a

smaller duck,” freshman Kaylin Fava said.

Club members were also excited about how many people showed up to have fun and participate in the different activities.

“I’m running the Mock Trial club’s table, and we’re doing a bake sale and doing some trivia. So if you get a trivia question right, you get something for free from the table,” junior Olivia Heisey-Terrell said. “People have been really into it because people like free stuff, but it has encouraged people to actually buy stuff, which is really exciting.”

Some students volunteered to be in the dunk tank, while others could pay three dollars to toss a ball and try to dunk someone.

“I had to help out with the table for Reading Olympics, so I was there for that. And then once my responsibilities were done, I decided to get dunked. My friends said they’ll give me 20 bucks and you get your free Chick-fil-A, so I was like ‘all right,’” freshman Advaya Singh said.*

PHOTOS: MATTHEW RAMIREZ

TOP | Senior Callie Susek sings from underneath a tent that kept performers dry during the on-and-off showers. BOTTOM | Sophomore Kaitlyn Ho leads attendees in a paper rocket activity at the Women in Stem table. See more photos at shpantherpress.com

PHOTOS: EVIE FERNANDEZ

OPINION: Prioritizing education over entertainment

The annual pre-prom mock crash is not happening this year. Whether students will miss out on its meaning and message is a question.

Sasha Binder ’24 Editor-in-Chief

For years, students in the junior class have gathered to watch the mock crash presentation before their prom. This year, the mock crash is not happening, begging the question of whether it was necessary for students.

The mock crash previously took place the week before junior prom to educate students about the dangers of driving under the influence. The primary goal has been to enforce good decisionmaking and emphasize the importance of safety.

“I think the main intention is to demonstrate what one potential outcome is of an extremely poor decision and to help people understand that decisions have consequences,” Principal Dr. Greg Hilden said. “Sometimes, we think the decisions we make just affect us, but they don’t. They affect our family, our school, and the community at large.”

know, there’s a component to the mock crash that can be triggering for people. So the decision to run it is a year to year decision,” Hilden said.

“I knew a lot of kids that were kind of shaken up about it, and I thought that it was pretty graphic and kind of surprising,” senior Lila Hill said.

Most students agree that the shared message is positive: don’t drink and drive. However, is the mock crash the best way to convey that idea? Not only are students traumatized by the event, but others don’t take it seriously, which defeats the purpose.

IF THE MOCK CRASH INTENDS TO EDUCATE TEENS AND TEACH THEM ABOUT MAKING GOOD CHOICES, IT SHOULD BE PLANNED SO STUDENTS ARE FORCED TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.

The event includes a speech about making good choices and follows with the main event: the crash. Students in the senior class act out the scene, and the contents are graphic and realistic.

A Delco Times article from 2023 about last year’s mock crash describes the scene in detail, noting that Garden City, South Media, Swarthmore, and Rutledge fire companies are involved in the event planning and performance.

While the mock crash gets its point across, the extremity and realism might be too much for students, hence this year’s cancellation. The decision to cancel took place after it was scheduled, as you can still find it on the WSSD April Calendar.

According to Dr. Hilden, the decision to cancel this year’s mock crash was based on its effects on the student body.

“While we believe the overall message is positive, you

Last year’s mock crash was well attended, with the entire junior class and some sophomore and senior classes there to witness it. Some students believe that the event was treated more as a source of entertainment, claiming that it felt more lighthearted and unserious than it should’ve been.

“I think that the people performing in it tried to convey the proper message, however, the audience seemed to receive it poorly as it wasn’t taken very seriously,” senior Carter Law said.

Whether or not students agree with the decision to cancel this year’s mock crash, several shared that the event is not taken as seriously as it should be.

“I mean, to be fully honest, I kind of thought it was funny. Obviously it’s a very serious matter, but just like with the overdramatic performances from the kids, it felt more like a comical event to me,” senior Meredith Seidman said.

Aside from the lack of severity, students said that they feel the event is valuable because it addresses a topic we don’t often discuss.

“Everyone always says, don’t drink and drive but we kind of don’t go in depth about it and I don’t think that

OPINION: Can AI be used in school?

Education

should transition to teaching students how to use AI tools appropriately.

Advaya Singh ’27 Reporter

Artificial intelligence is described by an AI tool (ChatGPT) as “the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think, learn, and problem-solve like humans.”

These machines can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. Students use AI to their advantage by using it to write essays or other writing assignments by simply submitting a prompt and having AI do exactly what it says. While it may not be completely accurate, it gives the student the bulk of the writing, and they may only need to change a few words or sentences.

“Plagiarism is always when you are passing off someone else’s work as your own. When you’re using a large language model to write your piece, then that’s it writing it, you’re not,” ninth grade English and AP Language and Composition teacher Mr. Matthew Morris said.

AI is trained to research and use information from the internet. This means that AI “steals” work from those who publish copyrighted works.

“To train artificial intelligence, you need information and data,” Morris said. “For these tech companies to teach it, they take information from external sources to give to the AI, using it as its source material.

Authors, artists, and other creators

have been suing AI companies because of this. According to Morris, this is the first roadblock to using AI ethically.

“It needs to come from ethical large language models, and until we have that baseline, it’s like ‘What are we even talking about?’” Morris said.

After this problem is solved, the question remains—can AI be used in an academic setting?

“I think it is a tool, but I think it’s being used for the whole essay, not just improving it,”

“It’s tricky because if you let AI go through, it’s kind of like an honor system, whether they follow and how could you see if they did or not,” freshman Patrick O’Connor said.

It’s clear that using AI in a current academic setting is bound to lead to plagiarism and ethical dilemmas.

However, if we want AI to be used ethically in an academic setting, it has to involve the whole school teaching students how to use it appropriately and showing how to use it for genuine improvement.

For example, we can teach students how to evaluate the AI’s response. Model how it (ethically) should be used, and show that just using AI is actually destructive to one’s learning.

“Maybe there is a way in the future where we end up using AI in that way,” Morris said.*

kids think about it as much as they should,” Hill said. “If we need to have something graphic and gruesome to scare kids into thinking that, I think that’s a decision that probably should be made.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 37 people in the United States die in drunk driving-related accidents every day. Car-related accidents are still the leading cause of teen deaths in the USA, hence why the drunk-driving discussion is so prevalent.

Talking about safe driving, especially for those learning to drive, is incredibly important. It’s also a tricky topic to address, and it must be done with the right amount of delicacy and severity. If the mock crash intends to educate teens and teach them about making good choices, it should be planned so students are forced to take it seriously.

As Hill said, the graphicness and gore involved in the scene may seem extreme, but might be the only way to get students’ attention. Holding an assembly might not be enough, but the mock crash isn’t always able to capture that attention without traumatizing some students.

Even without the mock crash, the message to students will still be conveyed in some form. There has been discussion of an assembly or alternate event that will take the place of the crash, with the same goal of informing the students about safety and good decision making.

“We will still most likely have some type of junior assembly before the prom. Because the ultimate goal of the mock crash or any other assembly before prom is to reinforce the concept of good decision making,” Hilden said. “We want to create an environment where people take a step back and think about everything before they make a decision.”*

REPORT CARD

DJoJo Siwa’s new song

+ It’s SO funny

- I felt violated T-T

- She went from singing good girl kids songs to bad girl adult songs

Wawa’s 60th Anniversary

+ Free coffee in retro cups!

+ Birthday Cake Donuts are delish

- Can’t the celebration last longer?

Solar Eclipse

+ The moon over the sun was pretty sick

+ Everyone looked cute in eclipse glasses

- Clouds=low visibility

- Wish we went into totality

Earthquake

+ Main event of week

+ One of the biggest shake-ups ever in Delco

- Most people didn’t feel it

Junior Prom + No torrential downpour this year!

+ Really good raspberry and cookie dough cake!

- Everyone left at 10

- Music reached a new low

Warm weather

+ Sitting outside is awesome

+ Classes outside make the days go faster + Summer is almost heeeerrrrre!

End of Q3 & Spring Break

+ Lovely to get away

+ So American is the new London Boy B+ A+ B A-

- We had to come back

- Rush at the end of Q3 was super stressful

GUTS (spilled)

+ I understand why they weren’t in the album, but SO GOOD

+ Loving the new folksy vibe

Band, orchestra students share Disney experience

Four days of park adventures and musical opportunities leave members with much to say and reflect on.

Matteo Ventresca ’25, Evelynn Lin ’25 Managing Editor of Print, Editor-in-Chief

For four days, 210 students from Strath Haven’s Marching Band and Orchestra got to act like little kids again.

March 8 to 11 marked the marching band and orchestra’s bi-annual trip to the theme parks in Orlando, Florida. This year, they went to Disney World and Hollywood Studios.

The trip was an unforgettable experience for many students.

“It’s just a great time to bond with friends, and you get to experience playing music for people you don’t know,” sophomore marching band member Kazi Bhuiya said. “It’s not just like a regular football game experience.”

The marching band performed a one-mile parade in 90-degree weather for a large crowd of tourists and parents in Magic Kingdom, marching in front of the castle and Main Street, U.S.A.

“It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my entire life,” senior drum major and orchestra member Sara Ventriglia said. “Seeing the whole band kind of curve around behind me whenever we took a turn—I could see the entire band, and it was still stretching back.”

The marching band played a medley of songs, including “Hooked on a Feeling” and the Frozen songs “Let It Go” and “Do You Wanna Build a Snowman.”

The orchestra performed a book of music from different Disney movies in a recording studio. Disney provided a recording of the performance set to the movie clips that featured the songs.

“They had this cool guy in the back, and he would say, ‘clear.’ That would tell us that he was recording,” sophomore orchestra member Sofia Tsetseni said. “Then we had to wait, and we couldn’t make a sound until once

we were done because he had to say ‘cut.’”

Besides the trip’s musical aspect, band and orchestra members had the chance to explore Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom with their friends.

“I got a lot closer with some of my friends,” sophomore marching band and orchestra member Josie Wieland said.

“Typically, I’m not a big roller coaster person, but at Disney… I was just going for it.”

“I was so scared, but [my friends] made it a lot better for me,” Wieland said. “I have photo evidence too. I was screaming my head off.”

Many students noted that the fireworks show at Magic Kingdom was a unique addition to their experience.

“There’s always an animation that comes on right before every Disney movie, so it’s kind of cool to see that happen in real life,” senior orchestra and marching band member Michelle Ding said. “It was such a good show, and the music and the town around it.”

Some seniors were grateful for the chance to spend one last time with the band and orchestra in Orlando.

“I’m glad that I had [the trip] because it made the end of the official marching band season easier to pace because I knew that I would still have this,” senior Marching Band member Amy Clark said. “It made me feel very happy about it. It’s always sad to end at a loss, so it was good to end on a high instead.”

There are big takeaways as the band and orchestra’s trip to Orlando closes for the next two years.

“I think it’s really important to do stuff like that with friends and at school, because when are you going to go on trips with all your friends?” Tsetseni said. “It’s not something you get to do very often.”*

DISCLAIMER: Both reporters are members of the marching band.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Joe Hsu dances through the world of fashion Senior expresses himself through fashion design while drawing inspiration from his different interests.

Josie Wieland ’26

Reporter

From drafting patterns to creating costumes, senior Joe Hsu uses fashion design as an outlet to connect to the various things he is passionate about. Whether he is sewing together costumes for a production at Parkside Academy of Music & Dance or working on personal projects, there is always a reason for Hsu to be designing.

“It shows up in different parts of my life and also connects my different interests, and always inspires me to keep working. Something might come up and I could use my skills in that situation,” Hsu said. Hsu’s interest began at a young age under his mother’s influence.

craftsmanship, which, in fashion design, is hugely important,” Rodgers said. “I think it’s just part of who he is, having the patience for his work to exemplify this desire for things to be really well made.”

The need to refresh the beloved Snow costumes for Parkside Performing Arts Company’s production of The Nutcracker is one of the major projects that Hsu undertook at the studio.

“I asked the directors if they would be open to me trying to replicate a set of those costumes, which have three parts. I ended up recreating two or three parts of those costumes,” Hsu said.

“Joe always had this affinity for detail and craftsmanship, which, in fashion design, is hugely important.”

“She used to sew more casually, but when I was little, she was really into having my brother and I do crafts with her,” Hsu said. “Then when I was really young, she taught us to hand sew, and that was the start of it.”

Mrs. Jennifer Rodgers AP Art & Design Teacher

When Hsu first started sewing, he took very openended classes that allowed him to choose his projects. Within these classes, he developed his skills by experimenting with different materials.

“I really wanted to work with stretch fabric and that was the first experimental step I took. Normally you’d start off with more basic fabrics like cotton or something that doesn’t stretch and is easier to work with,” Hsu said. “Stretch fabric let me play with the design as I learned techniques, and I had a lot of freedom with design at that point.”

Through teaching Hsu off and on over the years and having him as a student in her AP Art and Design class, Mrs. Jennifer Rodgers has been able to see the strengths of Hsu’s work firsthand.

“Joe always had this affinity for detail and

When designing costumes, Hsu has to consider many factors, such as durability and alterations that he might have to make for different peoples’ sizes.

“It was fun thinking about the little functional things I could add, things that may make it easier for the dancers so they won’t have to pin certain parts and so they won’t have to be repaired in the future,” Hsu said.

Senior Michelle Ding, a fellow dancer at Parkside Academy, watched Hsu’s costumes glitter under the stage lights.

“The new costumes really captured the charm of the dance while also looking a lot more clean and wellfitted, and I think they really added a lot of magic to the scene,” Ding said.

She recognizes that making an entirely new set of Snow costumes is a massive task for Hsu, and she is grateful for all the time and effort he puts into their costumes.

“We’re super lucky to have somebody interested in helping out during hectic times before shows,” Ding said. “To this day, any time someone needs a pair of pants hemmed or a seam let out, we all know Joe will take care of it.”*

MARCHING IN MAGIC KINGDOM• Haven’s Marching Band marches down Main Street, performing to Disney songs. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MR. KEVIN BARRETT

JOE HSU ‘24

TOP • Fashion designed by senior Joe Hsu for Parkside Performing Arts Company’s Nutcracker production. BOTTOM • Multimedia work created by Hsu in AP Art & Design.

Jabberwocky releases

winter edition

Literary magazine reflects student creativity.

Luci DiBonaventura ’25 Detours Editor

Jabberwocky is a club at Strath Haven where students submit art and writing pieces to a magazine. Along with students being able to share their creations among the student body, they also have a chance to win a $50 gift card.

Each edition has a theme for participants to follow. The newest edition’s theme, “Reflections,” had three categories that a contestant could win. The winners for the last edition were sophomore Matthew Ramirez for photography, freshman Caroline Boerth for art, and senior Alex Piech for writing.

Editors-in-Chief Leah Gonzalez-Diaz and Priya Sidhu are satisfied with the latest edition. Gonzalez-Diaz talks about the newest edition and how it came out.

“I’ve been on Jabberwocky since sophomore year and it’s so cool to see how it’s evolved,” she said. “Me and Priya are very proud of this addition. We all worked on it as a team and it came out so good. All the submissions were really good this year and I think the magazine turned out very well and cohesive.”

The literary art magazine is an good way for students to showcase their creativity by challenging themselves to create new pieces.

“What makes Jabberwocky so special is we’re a student publication,” Gonzalez-Diaz said. “It’s also a lot more than a publication with the creativity infused. There’s a lot of room for self-expression and it’s nice to see other students’ works. It also is a great way to get inspiration from other people’s artworks. Having your work in a publication is also nice to see as opposed to it being on a canvas or a Google Doc.”

The editors of Jabberwocky all worked together on the magazine when making the spreads. Head art editor Meredith Seidman enjoyed being a part of the design team.

“The theme for the issue was pretty cool,” Seidman said. “It’s super cool to be a part of the publication and help design it. I was super excited to design the cover for it because it’s just such a unique opportunity.” Ramirez appreciates that Jabberwocky allows students to show their creativity.

“I feel like in a way we’re all the same but different,” Ramirez said. “Everyone is creative but in different ways and Jabberwocky allows you to show your creativity.”

To fundraise for the next issue, “Blossom,” Jabberwocky will be hosting a fundraiser called Sonnetpoloza, where classmates can deliver sonnets to one another.

“Palooza is going to be a lot of fun,” Gonzalez-Diaz said. “It’s just such a fun thing we do to raise money for the magazine and get the student body involved. We wear Renaissance outfits break into the classrooms, and read customized sonnets.”*

DISCLAIMER: Reporter is a member of the Jabberwocky staff.

Sonnetpalooza spreads literary joy

Day of poetry offers unique blend of performance and fundraising.

Matthew

Ramirez ’26

Social Media Editor

Kazoos blared while medieval-style sonnets were delivered to recipients on Wednesday, April 17.

The new Haven tradition was started two years ago by Jabberwocky’s Editors-in-Chief, senior Leah Gonzalez-Diaz and 2023 alumnus Nuala McHugh. Sonnetpalooza delivers messages of romance, friendship, or universal themes in sonnets.

The Sonnetpalooza tradition started to celebrate National Poetry Month, which is the month of April, and spread the name of Jabberwocky.

“Not many people really know about the magazine,” Gonzalez-Diaz said.

Sonnetpalooza is more than just a celebration of National Poetry Month, though. It is also an opportunity to have fun and share the creative world of literature.

“We dress up in Medieval/Renaissance/Elizabethan costumes and go around and deliver sonnets to people in the middle of class with kazoos,” Gonzalez-Diaz said. “It’s a really great time.”

Sonnets were purchasable at lunches the week before the palooza. Money from the sales went to the extracurricular-based publication to fundraise for print issues.

“The more money we raise on our end, the more color pages we can have and the longer our editions can be,” English teacher and Jabberwocky adviser Mrs. Miriam

Drew said.

The preparation for Sonnetpalooza began midMarch, before spring break.

“We had to get a commitment from Dr. Hilden to allow us to do it,” Drew said. “We wanted to get it in before AP testing.”

The sonnet writing was easier than previous Sonnetpaloozas.

“We wrote the sonnets in the templates that we used in the previous years,” Drew said.

After weeks of work, members of the Jabberwocky publication felt accomplished.

“It’s always such a rewarding experience to see all the hard work you put into something pay off,” GonzalezDiaz said. “Especially since it can be really stressful.”

For other Jabberwocky members, Sonnetpalooza is a memorable experience with a community that shares a passion for spreading poetry.

“Being able to be with your friends for a whole day, and seeing everyone’s embarrassment, or receiving the sonnet, it’s just really fun,” senior Literary Editor Jo Kelly said.

The future of Sonnetpalooza is a jabberwocky waiting to be defined by the next Editor-in-Chief.

“I think they should have complete free rein over what Sonnetpalooza becomes,” Gonzalez-Diaz said. “I’m excited to see whatever they come up with.”*

TOP | Sonnetpalooza performers senior Jo Kelly, juniors Luci DiBonaventura and Ella DiBonaventura, and seniors Quinn Kuzemka, Meg McManus, and Leah Gonzalez-Diaz pose for a brief photoshoot in the Green Mile during sonnetpalooza on April 17.

LEFT | Gonzalez-Diaz and McManus deliver a sonnet to senior Rae Caruso. RIGHT | McManus delivers a sonnet to senior Meredith Seidman. PHOTOS: MATTHEW RAMIREZ, K. PLOWS

Stress management apps support student mental health

The recent increase in the popularity of stress management apps has created resources for users to choose from.

Claire Salera ‘27, Anabella Larín ’27 Reporter, Contributor

According to the American Psychological Association, 10,000 to 20,000 mental health and wellness apps are available to the public, each designed for various uses.

From guided meditation, sleep, and breathing, to online therapy and mental health care, these apps are built to help improve your well-being and relieve stress.

There are many benefits to having a wide range of wellness apps available at your fingertips. Apps can bring mental health support closer to those who are unable to or are uninterested in traveling and paying expensive costs.

With notifications and game-like features, many apps have users returning daily for a stress-free break in their otherwise hectic days.

However, with the various apps available, it can be difficult to find the one that fits your needs. 10th grade Guidance Counselor Mr. Travis Edwards believes prioritizing your personal needs is most important when searching for the right app.

“Apps or your favorite music—it’s all about perspective. There are a ton of apps out there, but I found one that I like because it’s accessible, it helps me get what I need,” Edwards said.

Among the thousands of apps, finding a beneficial match may take some time and lots of trial and error. Edwards agrees that it is important to explore and discover many options, while considering which apps have your best interests in mind.

“Some of it is about managing your time, managing your day, but also managing your emotions and being able to decompress…It is important to try some and find one that fits your needs, and not pay for it if you don’t

CALM

14-day free trial

$69.99/year

A Calm subscription unlocks a library of meditations, Sleep Stories, music, and other features.

have to, because some of these are marketed because they want your money,” Edwards said.

Many students are stressed throughout the school year, especially during tests and finals. Junior Tianyue Wang finds herself experiencing stress on a daily basis, though she, like other students, is still opening up to the idea of using an app to cope with that.

“I’m definitely stressed out sometimes, I feel like there’s a lot to do,” Wang said. “There are times when that is my fault for procrastinating, and there are times where it is just unfortunate timing with how my teachers planned their schedules.”

Stress management apps could be an important solution for students to try. 6th-grade science teacher Mr. Michael Miller enjoys incorporating mindfulness into his class and finds that it benefits his students.

“I like to use mindfulness exercises to start class to have students ready to learn. It helps calm their brains and central nervous systems. Additionally, if they are stressed about something, mindfulness exercises force them to think about something else, like their breath,” Miller said.

Even the most simplistic stress management apps can serve as an outlet to relieve stress and give students an easy way to refocus during overwhelming times.

Freshman Roxanna Shelton finds that the Mindfulness app on her Apple Watch helps her calm down during stressful times.

“There’s breathing, reflecting, and state of mind [modes]. Sometimes if I really feel like I need to breathe, I will just click on my watch and turn it on. It has this flower-looking thing that moves in and out. People should try it,” Shelton said.

HEADSPACE 14-day free trial

$69.99/year

App provides mindfulness tools for everyday life, including meditations, sleepcasts, mindful movement and focus exercises.

HEALTHY MINDS

No fee, funded by donations

Science-based app provides podcaststyle lessons and both seated and active meditations.

Even if students are not interested in a full mindfulness or meditation session, there are several other, more casual, stress-relieving activities to try.

Middle school German teacher Samantha Shipeck, who has used several different mindfulness techniques in the past, finds that even calming games can be helpful.

“Something that’s not actually a guided mindfulness thing is different, almost sensory, games. There are a few that are color matching games, and one of these apps is called I Love Hue,” Shipeck said.

Students are certainly not alone in their stressmanagement journeys. Many schools offer different resources and websites for students to find calmness in frustrating moments.

Strath Haven’s school website contains a Virtual Calming Room with links to brain games, guided meditation, stress management apps, live feeds for baby animals, and more.

Additionally, some colleges offer free stressmanagement app subscriptions to help support stressedout students.

For example, as of 2022, the University of Notre Dame offers a free Calm App Premium Subscription for its students. Northeastern University also offers students free subscriptions to Headspace, another mindfulness app. So next time you feel stressed, consider picking up your phone and downloading a stress-management app or game.

Wondering where to get started? Below is a list of some apps and websites to choose from.

MINDFULNESS APP ON APPLE WATCH

No fee, included in Apple Watch tools

Mindfulness app on encourages you to set aside a few minutes a day to focus, center, and connect as you breathe.

HAPPIFY

Free version or $139.99/year

Users create an account and answer a questionnaire which helps the app suggest a “track” for the user. Activities and games help the user achieve wellbeing goals.*

Recent overcomings foreshadow promising future for robotics team

The robotics team’s effort this year sets up an exciting future.

Lavanya Dixit ’27 Reporter

Strath Haven’s robotics team has been working long hours to create the perfect robot and club advancements for their annual seasonal competition.

This season has been an opportunity for tremendous growth and learning for robotics team members.

Like all years, the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology) robotics international competition begins in January with a goal that guides teams when building their competing robot.

“This season we were given our goal for the competition…which was basically to collect these rings and put them in a lower open goal and upper goal; basically, we had to score these foam rings into the goals by shooting them,” junior robotics team member Luke Averill said.

which is a fast moving drivetrain for the robot,” Hunter said. “We had to work towards building those gearboxes and implementing those motors and working around a new frame to fit that sort of drivetrain and programming. Programming the Swerve Drivetrain is something that we’ve never done before, so we ran into a lot of new obstacles in that department compared to every other past year.”

“To put into context, another team [in the area] has the funding of $3.2 million. Our funding is roughly around $10,000.”

Jacob Jurkech

Since then, it’s been go-time for the team with continuous building and programming to fulfill the requirements for the competition. This process remains fairly consistent across the years.

“We basically had the same mindset: we’re going to try things and some of those things aren’t going to work and we’re just going to try new things after that,” junior Jaden Hunter said. “It’s a very iterative process.”

The team faced a variety of unique challenges this year. For example, the team had to face the burden of setting up and properly utilizing the new hardware being implemented in their robot.

“This is our first year using the Swerve Drivetrain,

‘25

Working out the logistics of the drivetrain itself was already a difficult feat, but after many members of the robotics team graduated last year, the current members had no choice but to step up and work harder than ever before.

“Coding was definitely our biggest hurdle this year because we lost our major coder last year because he graduated,” Averill said.

“Now we have JJ [junior JJ Bohr] who’s our current coder who was really learning the ropes during the preseason this year.”

Coding was not the only obstacle they faced this year. The team also had to learn what it truly meant to work together this year, as many seniors had filled the leadership roles after last year.

“We all had to fill big shoes. We had to grow as people. We had to grow as a team. We had to grow in, not just in our ability to build a robot, but our ability to build a robot together… we had to learn how to effectively lead each other in our respective areas of expertise… and that was definitely a hurdle,” Hunter said.

Although determined to do the job, the team rose to the

occasion, taking advantage of the new drivetrain. After finishing building the robot in early March, the team participated in the 2024 FIRST Robotics Crescendo Competition. They made it to the quarterfinals in the Seneca FMA (FIRST Mid-Atlantic) District Event.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t end up getting into the district finals due to lacking the number of needed qualification points, unlike last year where we did make it,” Averill said. “This was mainly due to the fact that it’s just a really competitive district.”

The team competes in schools with extensive robotics programs in the Mid-Atlantic District.

“To put into context, another team [in the area] has the funding of $3.2 million. Our funding is roughly around $10,000,” junior Jacob Jurkech said.

Considering the program’s expenses, the team faces setbacks due to the need for more funding. Their robot this year cost about $6,000 to make, and there are fees for each competition, along with the $5,000 payment to be registered to compete every season.

Regardless, the team’s progress this year with the setup of new hardware and general advancement has significantly impacted the program for years to come.

“We have a very solid team right now,” Hunter said. “We all love robotics. We all want to be here and we all really respect all the other individuals on this team. We’re all smart, capable, and committed, and I think that’s what really matters. I think next year is going to go really well.”*

LOOKING BACK ON WINTER SPORTS

VARSITY BOYS Basketball

OVERALL 1-19

LEAGUE 0-16

12th in League

All Central League Honors

Honorable Mention • Blayke Reid Sportsmanship Award

VARSITY Girls Basketball

OVERALL 6-16

LEAGUE 4-12

10th in League

All Central League Honors

Honorable Mention • Laura Shea

Boys Swimming

OVERALL 4-5

LEAGUE 2-5

7th in League

✓ District 1 Honors

✓ State Qualifiers

All Central League Honors

1st Team • Gavin Shifflett

Honorable Mention • Charlie Detweiler, Tristan Barnes

GIRLS Swimming

OVERALL 7-2

LEAGUE 5-2

6th in League

All Central League Honors

1st Team • Julia Parker

2nd Team • Mira Gold

Honorable Mention • Abbey Schofield, Sylvie Bergstrom

Girls Indoor Track

All-Delco First Team • Hannah Prokup

Boys Indoor Track

PFTCA Indoor State Championships

• 17th Place • 4x800m (Dan Wuenchel, Matt

Lund, Colin Ruether, Colin LeStourgeon)

relay placed 17th

• 12th Place

• Shot Put — Gavin Schmidt

VARSITY Wrestling

OVERALL 5-16

LEAGUE 3-5

7th in League

✓ National Guard Team Champions

✓ District 1

✓ States

All Central League Honors

1st Team

• Michael Spielman

2nd Team

• Sam Harrington

Honorable Mention

• Eli Price, Nick Farabaugh

UNIFIED BOCCE

OVERALL 11-0

LEAGUE 11-0

1st in League

Central League Champions, District 1

Hockey

OVERALL 6-12

LEAGUE 4-7

8th in League

CHEERLEADING

• 1st time winning PIAA District Championship

• 1st time making it to Finals at States

• 5th Place at States

• 1st Place in both routines at UCA Regionals

• Bids to UCA Nationals

Senior track star reflects on relationships, injuries, accomplishments

Hannah Prokup has been a track competitor since ninth grade, and success has marked her journey.

Jillian Thomas ’24 Sports Editor

Senior Hannah Prokup has been running since she can remember.

With her parents being collegiate athletes, she grew up surrounded by the sport. However, it wasn’t necessarily something she was pushed to do.

“[My parents] didn’t really want to put me into running because they were like, ‘We don’t want her to feel like she has to be good because her parents were,’” Prokup said. Still, she gravitated towards running naturally. What started with taking runs with her dad became a sport she has been doing competitively since ninth grade when she transferred to Strath Haven.

Her parents continue to support her efforts, and Prokup cites them as huge influences.

“My parents always pushed me to be better,” Prokup said. “They say school comes first, but when I am exhausted from a long day of schoolwork, they always push me to make sure that I am working as hard as I can. They help me stay dedicated and stay focused.”

Prokup is committed to running Division III cross country and track at Williams College in Massachusetts, where she will be studying Biology and Economics. Still, it has been challenging to stay positive, especially with the injuries she has faced in the last four years.

“Last year, I sprained my ankle. It took me out of a couple races and messed with my mentality, and then this year at the same meet, I sprained my ankle again,” Prokup said. “That, combined with almost tearing my Achilles tendon, ruined my cross-country season.”

Prokup has learned how to stay motivated despite these obstacles.

“I have had this goal of mine. Last year, at districts, I came in third in the 3200m. Since then, it’s just been ‘Okay--this outdoor season I’m getting first because there is no reason not to, and I totally can.

It’s an attainable goal.’ I think it’s just so ingrained in me that every time I train I think ‘you have been working towards this, you can’t stop now,’” Prokup said.

The competitive mindset that propels Prokup through every setback she has faced is a significant part of her personality as a runner and something her teammates notice and praise.

“She leads by example, and she’s very dedicated and very competitive,” senior and cross country co-captain Audrey Stevens said. “I think it’s good for the younger kids to see someone that just gives the sport everything that they’ve got.”

Stevens also aims to embody parts of Prokup in herself.

“She is so hard-working, and I don’t think I’ve seen her be lazy about anything,” Stevens said.

Prokup’s hard-working nature has surely paid off, culminating in her third-place finish at districts last year, beating athletes older than her in the twomile race. Prokup says it is, by far, her favorite track memory.

“I didn’t really expect too much since I was seeded ninth,” Prokup said. “I had just returned to running the twomile that year, and I felt good. I pushed, and pushed and I ended up in third. I immediately threw up after crossing the finish line, and then I was just in total disbelief. I was out-of-my-mind happy, and I was sitting there, staring at the ground, wondering, ‘How did that just happen?.’ It was incredible.”

Stevens shares another special memory with Prokup.

“There was one meet, and we were on the verge of either winning or losing, and we were sitting on the high jump just watching races, and just hoping we would win. We were praying to the track gods, and that was just such a good memory--silly, but

Athlete of the Issue: Sophomore Michael Spielman is stacking belts high Wrestler speaks about his

journey to achievement and success.

Advaya Singh ’27 Reporter

Michael Spielman has won gold at regionals and qualified for states.

Spielman first became interested in wrestling as a sport that he could enjoy.

“I wouldn’t play any ball sports, and I had been doing karate for a couple of years,” he said.

Spielman works hard to build the physique necessary for wrestling.

““[I practice] somewhere in the realm of twelve to fifteen hours a week,” Spielman said.

Outside of the season, Spielman notes spending many hours continuing to train his body for when the next season comes around. This comes as a challenge to him to persevere.

“[I’ll do] four to five practices that are all two hours, plus weightlifting,” he said. ““It’s very difficult, so it’s a very rewarding sense to even just complete a season.”

Spielman has seen his hard work pay off. He placed first place at the PIAA South East Region, 8th at the PIAA State Championship, won the district championship, the Donegal Holiday Invitational, and PA National Guard Wrestling Tournament.

Spielman believes his success comes from the presence he gives on the mat.

“I’m just really aggressive, and I am in good shape. I push the pace the whole match,” he said. “I try to control the match as much as I can.” Spielman believes that his willpower and work ethic is important as a wrestler and gives advice for prospect and newer wrestlers.

“New wrestlers just need to understand that no matter what that they can work harder,” Spielman said.*

good,” Stevens said.

Prokup’s teammate and fellow senior Casey Conway explains that their relationship on the team quickly blossomed into a close friendship.

“You are around these people so much, and being freshmen on the cross country team, you naturally befriend [other freshmen]. And now we’re both captains, and we’ve had a great relationship,” Conway said.

Conway, like Stevens, notices Prokup’s drive and grit for track.

“I think she is very focused, and not afraid to go after what she wants. She doesn’t back down easily, and she doesn’t complain, she just gets the job done,” Conway said. “She is such a good example of what can happen if you persevere and keep working.”

Prokup has made it to Districts multiple times, crosstrained with biking and swimming, and practiced tirelessly for years. She even had the chance to run with other Jewish athletes in Israel, an experience she still cherishes.

Through all these competitive experiences, Prokup has learned one important lesson.

“As corny as it sounds, make sure you enjoy it, and don’t take it too seriously. As someone who is incredibly competitive and likes to do well, I find that I have my best races when there is very little pressure on me,” Prokup said.

Additionally, Prokup has cherished the memories and connections she has made while running at Haven.

“I don’t think any teammate or atmosphere could even come close to touching what we have at Haven. We all just care so much about each other’s success. Every meet I go to, I have a good time, and we really are just like a family.”

Stevens sums up Hannah as a person and as a runner in just three short words.

“Hardworking, resilient, and competitive.”*

SHUG celebrates victory at Radnor Invitational

Strong playing, perseverance led team to claim championship.

Josie Wieland ’26 Reporter

After four strategically played games, Strath Haven Ultimate Girls (SHUG) was named the champion of the Radnor Invitational on April 14, their first tournament of the season.

Out of the nine teams that played in the tournament, SHUG won against Springfield 10-3, Columbia 7-6, and SLA 6-4. For the final, the team got two upwind breaks against Radnor, which is ranked 8th in the country, and won the game with a score of 7-3.

“We were really surprised because Radnor is our rival this year, and they have a lot of really strong core players,” junior Katie Stack, a field captain on the team, said. “We did not think that we would come out beating them to that degree.”

The players used the windy conditions to their advantage, but their teamwork also played a large role in their win.

“We really adjusted well to what the coaches were telling us to do,” Stack said. “We took it to heart and used it, and it actually worked. There was a connection going on.”

Although senior and field captain Sara Ventriglia was sidelined with an injury, she was able to watch the team play during their final game of the tournament.

“Getting to cheer them on and offer advice and support from the sidelines was a huge blessing to me, and I couldn’t be prouder of what this team is becoming,” Ventriglia said.

As of press, SHUG is ranked 12th in the nation and has bee invited to high school nationals in Illinois this June, according to their X post at @HavenUltimate. *

DISCLAIMER: Reporter is a member of SHUG.

MICHAEL SPIELMAN ‘26 ADVAYA SINGH

Hannah Prokup ‘24 YEARBOOK STAFF

TEAM SPIRIT • SHUG team members pose for a team photo with their trophy after the Radnor Invitational. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MR. BILLY HODGES

Spring Book Recommendations

Hear from five members of our school community about their book recommendations for this spring.

Evie Fernandez ’27 Haven Happenings Editor

Spring has sprung, and it’s time for new beginnings–and new book recommendations!

Sophomore Lexi Benzing recommends “The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin.

“[A. J. Fikry] is a bookstore owner. And his wife died, and his bookstore is going down in the dumps. And all of a sudden, a baby is dropped off on his doorstep, and he has to take care of the baby. I liked how there was a lot of different plots. I can’t really spoil it, but there are a lot of different plots and they are all interconnected by the end of the book. Everything came together, and it was a really happy ending. It’s just a good story, and I think everyone should read it.”

Junior Emily Lin recommends “The Fortnight in September’’ by R. C. Sherriff.

“It’s about this family that goes on a holiday for two weeks to go to the beach. It’s just a group of five people having fun. It’s just nice and relaxing, especially during the stressful spring months of school. I like the cover– I thought it was pretty. I also liked how the author portrayed everyday aspects of life, and just the way he had people interacting.”

Freshman Allie Herndon recommends “Station Breaker” by Andrew Mayne.

“The main character is a pilot for NASA and he has to take the spaceship up to the satellite and he gets involved in a spy operation by accident and ends up with secret intelligence. He has to get back to Earth first and then from there, he has to get back and get the information to the right people. The main character feels very relatable because he isn’t a highly trained spy or anything. He’s just sort of a pilot who wanted to be an astronaut who accidentally got involved with all the spy stuff, and survives through quick thinking. He feels very realistic– and he’s funny.”

English teacher Mrs. Scaffidi recommends “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens.

“So, the main character gets abandoned by her entire family and has to fend for herself in the marsh and learn how to raise herself because she’s completely alone. She falls in love with this boy who’s her childhood friend. He ends up moving away and she ends up getting into mainstream society and deals with the horrific side of mainstream society. And then the boy she was friends with as a child comes back and they fell in love. There’s also a mystery/crime

REcipe of the issue: Alice in Wonderland “Eat Me” cookies

At the last Foodie Friends meeting, everyone brought different foods from movies.

Luci DiBonaventura ‘25 Detours Editor

Freshman Roxanne Shelton made “Eat Me Cookies” from Alice in Wonderland for the April 1 Foodie Friends meeting. Try out this sugary cookie recipe!

Ingredients:

2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup (1 50g) granulated sugar

1 large egg at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but makes the flavor outstanding)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. Use a mixer to mix the butter and sugar until it has a smooth and creamy texture.

3. Once mixed, add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture for a minute. Scrape the sides once mixed. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix unit a dough is formed.

4. Once the mixture is a dough, spread flour onto a silicone mat and roll the dough out over. It should be ¼ inch thick.

5. Then put it in the fridge for 2 hours.

6. Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the dough into fun shapes and bake for 11-12 minutes.

7. After the cookies cool down, use royal icing and pipe the fun designs on the Alice in Wonderland cookies, pictured below, and the saying “eat me.”*

element to it, but I don’t want to give that away. It was just a blend of my favorite genres and it was really good at expressing female empowerment and overcoming situations and developing resilience and grit.”

I recommend “Only A Monster” by Vanessa Len.

This story is about a sixteenyear-old girl named Joan who learns that her family are all monsters, which means that they can steal years of life from humans and use it to time-travel. Follow Joan through her adventures as she faces off against the mythical monster hunter and attempts to save her family by using her powers to travel through time. I really liked all of the characters in the book, and I enjoyed learning new things about the monster world along with Joan. I also quite enjoyed the fated aspects of it. I thought it was really well written, and the premise was very interesting. It was a great fantasy novel, and I really liked it.*

what is your favorite “DAD JOKE”?

When does a joke become a dad joke? When it becomes apparent!

Lavanya Dixit ’27

Anabella Larin ’27 Reporter, Contributor

“What do you call a fish with no eyes?

Fshhhh.”

“I made a playlist for when I’m hiking. It has music from the Cranberries, Eminem, and the Peanuts movie. I call it my trail mix.”

Mimi: “Do you smell that? It smells like updog in here.”

Freddy: “What’s updog?”

Mimi: “Nothing much bro, what about you?”

“I liked when my dad walked into my room and said, ‘What do you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question?’ and closed the door and left.”

“I did a prank on my students yesterday and I gave them a looping Google Form quiz, like a check-in. It just kept going and going and it never ended. They weren’t too happy about that.”*

THE PANTHER PLAYLIST

Vol 5.1: April Playlist

“EAT ME COOKIES” ROXY SHELTON

Hannah Kille ’27

Ella DiBonaventura ‘25

Mimi Kacimi ’24, Freddy Estephan ’24

Alex Paul, German Teacher

Maeve Raffaele ’27

Strath Haven Panther Press ~ 15 songs, 51 min 14 sec

Claire Salera ‘27 Reporter

April Crossword

Luci DiBonaventura ‘25 Detours Editor

Across

2. Scientific study of flowers and plants

4. Popular board game where you buy and build properties

5. A not-so-friendly big cat

8. “Oopsie___”

11. King of pop

16. What birds build to lay their eggs in

17. Famous detective with a deerstalker hat

20. A baby dog

Down

1. Band that sang the song “Creep”

3. Cheese that is made of mold

6. Largest desert

7. An animal whose eye is bigger than its brain

9. The only word that ends in mt

10. What you use to call someone

12. Opposite of sad

13. The longest river in the world

14. Brief rainfall in the spring

15. Capital of Japan

18. Sport played with a puck

19. Red gemstone

ANSWERS AT SHPANTHERPRESS.COM

CHEESE CORNER:

The delicate craft of Queso Ibérico

Critter Corner: Parakeets Banana, Sunny, Bubbles

Junior shares what life is like living with three birds.

This is the cheesiest column that you’ll see in this issue!

Matteo Ventresca

‘25 Managing Editor of Print

Welcome back to the Cheese Corner. I love cheese, and I’ve been writing the Cheese Corner for a while now. But, sometimes, I get a ques-o’ a writing block.

Queso Ibérico is made in Spain.

The process begins with selecting high-quality milk from Iberian cows, goats, or sheep. The animal’s breed can determine the cheese’s flavor and characteristics.

The milk is heated and turned into curds.

The cheese is transferred to a controlled environment for aging. The aging process can vary significantly depending on the desired characteristics of the cheese.

During aging, the cheesemakers regularly monitor and care for it. This may include flipping the cheese, brushing or washing it, and maintaining the right temperature.

Once the cheese has reached its aging period and developed the desired flavor profile, it is packaged for distribution

and sale. The packaging may vary depending on the type of cheese and market preferences. I will say that it is made very well. The queso I tried was very soft and sweet. It was also a little buttery. In my opinion, the best way to enjoy Queso Ibérico is with crackers or bread.

I know I have a history of trying random crackers and ruining the cheeses I eat, but any standard cracker works very well with Queso Ibérico. I absolutely recommend blending it with other breadlike foods. *

Lavanya Dixit ’27 Reporter

For this publication’s regular feature of the Critter Corner, junior Karina Ray talks about her bond with her three parakeets.

Q. What’s your pet’s name?

A. So I have three birds: Banana, Sunny, and Bubbles. Banana is a boy, Bubbles is a boy, and Sunny is a girl.

Q. How did you come to have the three?

A. It started on social media where I saw people with birds, and they had funny videos of the birds talking, dancing, or playing. One day, I went to the pet store, and I fell in love with a parakeet (Banana), and my parents let me adopt him. From then on, it just kept growing, and I ended up having three.

Q. How do you take care of three birds?

A. Birds are definitely very expensive. When you first get them, you have to expect to be spending a ton of money. They need new toys every couple of months. The feed is expensive; it depends on what brand you get, but they should be getting fruits and seeds, and their cage has to be cleaned out at least

once a week, and they should have fresh water every day.

Q. Do you take care of them by yourself?

A. Yeah, my parakeets are my full responsibility, all three of them are my pets. The only time other people really take care of them is if we’re away on vacation.

Q. How’s life living with three birds?

A. Well, they don’t really say words or anything. But they definitely do chirp a lot. And sometimes, when I’m downstairs or in my room, I hear them chirping halfway across the house.

Q. Funny stories?

A. My birds fight a lot, especially when I’m giving them treats. Banana will usually fly over to my hand and he’ll eat millet out of my hand, and then Bubbles will get mad at him and try to take the seeds himself. They get very territorial. So they’ll just start fighting each

other. It’s just like the funniest thing because they’re so little; all you hear is fighting. They’re really cute.

Q. What is your relationship with each bird?

A. I’m definitely closest to Banana, just because I’ve had him for so long. He’s the one who’s most willing to fly over to me or play with me during the day. Bubbles is kind of in the middle. He’s my newest bird. Then, Sunny, she’s really mean. She just doesn’t like people.

Q. What do you love most about having birds?

A. Definitely the background noise and just not having a quiet room because my brother moved out and went to college, so it’s nice having that noise and just having them here with me all the time.*

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KARINA RAY

PHOTO: STEVEN VENTRESCA

STORY & PHOTOS

We’ll FOLLOW the

WSSD coordinated a watch party on April 8 for students to safely observe the partial solar eclipse.

| Matthew Ramirez ‘26, Matteo Ventresca ‘25 Social Media Editor, Managing Editor of Print

Asolar eclipse occurs when the moon blocks the view of the sun from the earth. The 2024 eclipse followed a path that stretched across North America, which included Mexico, America, and Canada.

According to nasa.gov, the April 2024 solar eclipse was the last total solar eclipse to be visible in the contiguous United States until 2044.

Because Strath Haven High School is not in the path of totality, our community experienced a partial solar eclipse.

“[The moon] can partially block the sun because the sun is obviously very, very far,” science teacher Mr. Timothy Styer said. “It’s many million miles away. The moon goes around the Earth; it’s going to occasionally get in the way.”

At peak coverage, around 3:23 p.m., the moon covered about 88% of the sun, according to eclipsesoundscapes.org.

The total solar eclipse, which happens roughly every 18 months somewhere on Earth, can be a great experience for learning about the science that

can affect everyone’s lives.

“This is where I think science is a big advocate,” Styer said. “Whether you want to [experience science] or not, you’re in it…this is where it’s going to cross over.”

Even though the eclipse was only partial, there were still safety precautions to consider. It is not safe to look at the sun without protective eyewear.

“You can punch a hole on a piece of paper, but other people find it to more preferably something which is built to withstand and why you should look at it, those are the special glasses,” Styer said.

On Wednesday, April 3, students were informed via an announcement from the science department that an ‘eclipse party’, with solar glasses provided, would be held in the grassy area beside the Strath Haven Middle School parking lot.

The event would commence on the afternoon of April 8 at 2:15 p.m. and would last till 4:00 p.m.. Students were encouraged to attend the event during fifth block to view the partial eclipse.

Mr. Andrew Benzing, Director of STEM Teaching, Learning, and Innovation and event organizer, had a headstart in preparation for the eclipse.

“About a month ago, we ordered over 1800 glasses for the district…We made sure every elementary

school student has them,” Benzing said. “Then we just made [the glasses] available as needed for the secondary level.”

Special eclipse glasses are important for viewing the sun properly during a celestial event such as a solar eclipse.

“I am able to look at the sun without damaging my retina,” sophomore Lexi Benzing, who was in attendance at the eclipse watch party, said. “The school likes to keep everyone safe and bought the most high-tech glasses they could.”

As important as eclipse glasses are for viewing the eclipse, they were not made available for everyone because of limited supply.

“I think they underestimated the amount of people who were going to show up,” junior Emilio Celebre, a watch party attendee, said. “So that’s why everyone has to pair up together to get glasses, but thankfully, I planned ahead and got these on Amazon. So I’m all set.”*

1. In an attempt to view the eclipse, sophomore Lexi Benzing casts a ‘mini projection’ of the eclipse through the holes of a kitchen colander onto material laid out on the ground. Known as the pinhole method, it is a popular and alternative way to view the eclipse without specialized glasses. 2. The Strath Haven Silvertones sing “I’ll Follow The Sun” by The Beatles while looking at the partial eclipse. 3. Senior Henry Reacher glanced at the sun while following his sheet music. “The fact we got to sing something magical at an already magical moment, made it magical, times ten,” Reacher said. 4. Seniors Jo Kelly (left) and Julia McLean (right) smile as they look at the sun through their solar eclipse glasses. 5. Viewing the eclipse was a challenge for many because of an overcast of clouds that blokced the view of the sun for a majority of the eclipse.