June 2023

EDITORIAL: Stories over statistics

Editorial Board

You—the student reader—have different reasons for picking up the Panther Press. Maybe you know your name or photo will be featured. Maybe you are looking for coverage of a school event. Maybe you simply want to complete the crossword.

If you’re a senior, you might be excited to see your future college displayed in the final issue of the school year, as has been the practice for the final issues of the last several school years.

It may come as a surprise that the usual college map is not included in our June paper.

College maps, also known as destination maps, display the future institutions and destinations of the student body. The names of posthigh school institutions are outlined regionally.

experiences, thoughts, and opinions of our student body.

As journalists, we strive to find the unexpected and surprising details of a story. We take pride in the journalistic process—pitching ideas, brainstorming, interviewing, writing—because we recognize that each story about students has depth and meaning.

While college maps appear to holistically represent graduating seniors, they instead shift the focus from student experiences and opinions to college prestige and reputations.

The Panther Press has published student names on the map in some years (2019), and only pins on the map in others (2022). Some of the other school newspapers in our area, like Conestoga or Lower Merion, make quite a showy production of the seniors’ destinations displayed as a list or a graphic.

When the Panther Press staff decides what to include in each issue, our intentions often mirror your own. You want to be represented in the school newspaper, and our journalists want to tell your story.

While college maps appear to holistically represent graduating seniors, they instead shift the focus from student experiences and opinions to college prestige and reputations.

The Panther Press is intended to be about you, not your college.

College maps merely relay the information from social media posts and website data. For the last few final issues of The Panther Press, editors obtained data from the counseling office. The

times and I enjoyed all the funny side actions, the singing and dancing, and seeing my friends up there breaking their butts to put on a good show. I dont think I’ve ever seen my youngest brother laugh that much.“

-Imogen Sharif ’23

“The show this year. I really loved doing Grease!“

-Sadie Herr ’23

The Editorial Board knows that our readers anticipate and enjoy the college map infographic. However, this year, by curating a spread (page 10) that explores some seniors’ experiences in planning for the next steps, we hope to represent Strath Haven’s graduating seniors while also committing to detailed and purposeful storytelling.

Although every senior won’t be profiled, we hope that after reading about and considering your peers’ experiences, you feel represented, curious, or inspired through these stories. We hope that this senior spread—which otherwise would be filled with a college map—will be a step towards interpersonal connection between students.

The newspaper, and this spread, is a glimpse into how some students decided where they were going and how they got there. It will archive seniors’ stories for younger students’ reference.

As storytellers who are proud of all of the complex, nuanced, and sometimes bumpy roads that Haven students travel, we refuse to add even one more aspect of our school’s culture that promotes competition.

For too long, college maps have not been a celebration of the seniors’ accomplishments, but a time for readers to figure out who is going to the “best” or “worst” school.

So, although there won’t be a college map this year, we hope you still flip to the center spread. We hope you truly celebrate every senior for their experiences and the variety of their future plans,

for marching band this year- 22-’23 season.“

-Georgia Gianopulos ’23

“Playing sports with my friends. Your last year is a little different.“

-Sam Milligan ’23

ALL A BLUR • Readers can see previous exampless of college maps published in The Panther Press on our Issuu page, linked at the bottom of our website.

“Running track with my friends or the district football game from last year.“

-Emilio Hooper ’23

“Qualifying for and playing in the PIAA state golf championship.“

-Tyler Debusschere ’23

Seniors, what’s your favorite memory from high school?

We asked a few seniors to reminisce. Here’s what they had to say.*

Aïssata Koné ‘23

class over the pandemic was memorable and surprisingly fun given that only six people went in-person when it was an option. Our little group got pretty close, and I think Mr. Kahn let us goof off a bit because we were the only ones there. I still laugh when one of our ridiculous presentations pops up in my drive.“

-Winnie Kenney ’23

About

The Panther Press is the student-run publication of Strath Haven High School in Wallingford, PA. The Panther Press publishes 500 copies bimonthly in print and is distributed to classrooms and students at Strath Haven High School. The publication is also online at www. shpantherpress.com

The Panther Press is first and foremost a reflection of the opinions and interests of the student body. For this reason, we do not publish any anonymous or teacher-written submissions, and we do not discriminate against any ideology or political opinion. While we are bound by school policy (and funding) and we will not render any article neutral, although individual points may be edited for obscene or inflammatory content. Finally, the articles published in The Panther Press do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors or advisers.

Submissions

All Strath Haven students are welcome to learn the basics of journalism and become contributors to The Panther Press. Our 2022-2023 Google Classroom code is irwrlgv. Interested students should join the page to learn about upcoming meetings and training sessions.

Letters to the editor are encouraged. Any reader may submit a letter to the editor via email to strathhavenpantherpress@gmail.com. Anonymous letters will not be published. Editors reserve the right to contact letter writers or edit submissions for reasons of space or clarity.

Our staff also welcomes feedback in the comments section of The Panther Press online or via our social media. Each comment is subject to review by a student editor with support from the adviser. Online commenters on our website must have a verified email address, and comments are reviewed for defamation, profanity, obscenity, libel, and invasion of privacy. Not all comments are published.

Bylines

All contributors are listed in the bylines of stories that appear in print and online. Photography, graphics, art, illustrations, and other creative work will be given attribution. Unsigned editorials, when published, feature the byline of the Editorial Board

Social Media

The Panther Press maintains social media accounts on Twitter (@shpantherpress) and Instagram (@shpantherpress). The editors-inchief and social media editor manage the social media accounts in consultation with the adviser. We encourage community members to follow us on social media for online posting and discussion of student news.

Our staff members do their best to ensure that social media content is accurate and verified. Any inaccurate information will be corrected with corrections acknowledged.

Social media participants should remember that anything posted in response to The Panther Press social media is public and reflects on our publication, our school, and the poster. Social media replies and comments will be screened for defamation, profanity, or libel.

Advertising

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.

2022-2023 Editorial Staff

fall asleep almost every morning and he was so generous. He’s such a bright light.“

-Natalie Caputo ’23

“Rediscovering my love of art through Graphic Design class and my art classes in general.“

-Hannah Wible ’23

school is having the senior meeting after our final marching band game. After the final football game this year, all of the band seniors gathered in the band room and talked about our memories, things we loved, people we were thankful for, and things we will never forget. Band has been something that stuck with me all four years, so getting to be with my people one last time all together was really special.“

-Jack Henry ’23

the district championship, we stormed the field.“

-Anna Mazur ’23

“Just being able to play football and motivate and have others look up to me.“

-Jason

Williams ’23

Editors-in-Chief

Matthew Chen ’23

Julia Gray ’23

Copy Editor

Kaitlyn Ho ’26

Media & Video

Sylvan Prey-Harbaugh ’23

Haven Happenings Editor

Rhys Hals ’23

Haven Arts Editor

Imogen Sharif ’23

Sports Editors

Jillian Thomas ’24

Charles Bogert ’23

Detours Editor

Matteo Ventresca ’25

Opinions Editor Sasha Binder ’24 Adviser

Ms. Kate Plows

“Chunk“

We’re not publishing a college map this year, because your stories matter more than an infographic.

Farewell from the president

Student Council President Aashna Pandey recaps the year and offers advice.

Aashna Pandey

’23

Dear Strath Haven,

The end of the year is finally here, and I’m so proud of you for finishing it off strong! From conquering your AP Exams and Keystones to submitting the last essay of the year, you’ve done it. Now, all that’s left to do is give one final push for your final exams– and just like that, you’ll be out the door!

This letter is my final address to you as the 2022-2023 Student Council President, as well as a student at Haven. I want to begin by giving a recap of all the things that Student Council accomplished during my time as President!

This year, Student Council organized a total of 18 spirit days, including 2 spirit weeks! 2022 was also the first year that you were given the opportunity to vote for the Homecoming theme: Great Gatsby! Thanks to you, we had a record number of homecoming tickets sold, and Student Council donated around $10,000 from our sales towards the Nationalities Service Center in Philly. Not only that, our first full Homecoming Pep Rally since 2019 was a huge success, filled with amazing dances, inflatable dinosaurs, and silly spray!

In March, we brought back the Blood Drive after 3 years and had more than 170 students sign up to donate– even the Red Cross volunteers were impressed by your overwhelming support for the cause! Finally, we ended the year with Spring Fling, whose ambience was heightened by our amazing student Coffeehouse performers as well as our advisors getting pie-faced! Our team had so much fun organizing these events for you all, and I hope that you all enjoyed them too!

WHAT GRADE ARE YOU IN?

In addition to planning events, Student Council also had conversations with administration about school WiFi, mental health excused absences, school cleanliness, and transparency. Although these policies are still in the early stages of implementation, I’m confident that you will see positive changes within your time at Strath Haven!

Before I say goodbye, I want to offer each of you some advice that I’ve learned as President (and a graduating senior). No matter what grade you’re in, I hope it’s something that you can apply to your high school career and beyond.

Success is not about having the best grades or the most activities on your resume. It has nothing to do with the college you will go to, and it’s certainly not about having the most power in a room, either.

To me, true success is knowing that your efforts brought a smile to someone’s face. It’s understanding that your actions contribute to the greater good of something so much bigger than yourself. It’s realizing that your voice holds weight when you speak up for something you believe in.

True success lies in kindness, compassion, and empathy.

It has been my honor and privilege to serve as your 2022-2023 Student Council President. Thank you for allowing me to represent you, and thank you for putting your faith in me. I will forever be grateful for your support, and I hope I’ve made you proud.

I wish you all immense success and best wishes for the future. That’s all I have for today– Have a great day, Haven!

Sincerely, Aashna Pandey*

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE SCHOOL DANCE?

While the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors responded at the same rate, seniors responded much less! Could this be a result of senioritis? [see senioritis article, page 9]

WHAT IS THE BEST LUNCH? C LUNCH

A LUNCH B LUNCH

C lunch is an overwhelming favorite, most likely because of its appropriately scheduled lunchtime. The 90 minutes between 10:25, the start of A lunch, and 11:55, the start of C lunch, make a big difference in popularity.

Homecoming sweeps! It seems like the Great Gatsby theme and floor-shaking speakers left a positive impression on most students. Frosh and Junior prom together don’t have as many votes as HOCO, but a little over 4.5% of students polled did not attend any dances.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE SCHOOL EVENT/PERFORMANCE?

President

Lola Babin

Vice Presidents

Zane Malarkey

Maddie Bonhomme

General Council

Madison Benzing

Josie Tolson

Charles Detweiler

Marcella Liberi

Jaina Livingstone

Ben Milligan

Emily Lin

Tianyue Wang

Matt Caputo

Madeline Noeller

Olivia Voshell

School Board Representatives

Mirella DiPalma

Aditi Halpe

WELL, OKAY. WE HAVE SOME STATS...

Doing

RATE THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR ON A SCALE OF 1-10

Anyone who has taken Statistics can ogle over this beautiful bell curve, with the majority of students rating the school year a 7/10. We’ll take it!

SHOULD SCHOOL START LATER?

NO YES

International Day and the Homecoming pep rally take the lead with a very similar number of votes! Other honorable mentions are Dance Haven, Paw Prints, Coffee House, and Grease.

Although Haven administration posed the idea of a later start time, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted those plans. Even though school will start at 7:35 for the foreseeable future, almost two-thirds of the community hope for more beauty sleep in their mornings.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE

CLASS THIS YEAR?

Almost every class was a favorite this year - from Accounting to Instrumental Music to Physics - every teacher’s course felt love. This year’s top three subjects were English, Science, and Art, with History in close fourth.

English 9 with a landslide 26 votes, making it 9.19% of all students’ fave classes! English 9 was chosen 32.5% of the time amongst freshmen. What are those English teachers doing all year to get all this love?

Public Speaking with 12 votes is a very famous course taught by a famous teacher. Biotechnology with 10 votes, who doesn’t love E. coli?

Honorable mentions:

Chemistry, Childhood, Spanish, Ceramics, Photography, & Graphic Design with 8 votes!

DISCLAIMER: When choosing classes in your future, remember not to pick based on this poll. Students have individual passions, so choose classes that suit your interests and what kinds of classes YOU prefer. *

AASHNA PANDEY ‘23

exactly what we said we weren’t going to do Students of all grades had the option to complete a poll on Google Classroom about the 2022-2023 school year. We received 287 responses, providing insights on their favorite classes and events.

Imogen Sharif ‘23 | Arts Editor

GSA stops visits to sophomore health classes

Gender and Sexuality Alliance members did not return to health classes to present on LGBTQ+ topics this year.

Rhys Hals ‘23, Aïssata Koné ‘23 HavenHappeningsEditor,Reporter

Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) leaders and members decided not to visit the sophomore health classes to talk about gender and sexuality due to the toll past presentations have taken on the students.

Previously, except for the 2020-21 school year impacted by COVID, students in GSA visited each sophomore health class once per semester to present to the health classes during the human sexuality unit, in order to include the queer community in classroom discussion.

Former GSA leaders estimate that the presentations started around eight years before Mars Ray, class of 2020, became president of GSA in 2017. For Ray, the presentations were a chance to ensure the health class students were receiving correct information about the LGBTQ community.

“That’s something that we wanted to kind of address because [the health teachers] were not directly educated by LGBTQ+ people,” Ray said.

Although the content wasn’t altered much from previous iterations, Ray and class of 2020 co-presidents Sybilla Moore and Zöe Washburn worked to make the presentations more engaging for the sophomores.

“I felt like it wasn’t really going after the goals of really educating people that we wanted it to, and so we just tried to make it more uniform and make sure that people are actually engaging,” Ray said. “We also included the packet, just so that we can make sure that students were actually paying attention and listening, because you could very easily just sit through that one class and learn nothing.”

GSA presenters continued to use the packet that Ray, Moore, and Washburn developed, making updates yearly as needed.

“That packet includes a bunch of definitions and resources,” current GSA co-president Imogen Sharif said. “We just go through it in a presentation and we throw

candy to kids who raise their hand and answer anything, even if they’re wrong, as long as they’re respectful.”

Throughout the years, the respect shown to student presenters has been a topic of concern for GSA members.

“There have been instances, especially with trans people…I was one of those people and I would get targeted a lot for just being out about my identity,” Ray said. “We didn’t want [trans students] to be harassed by their peers, either, because this could potentially bring attention to them.”

Current co-president of GSA Sylvan Prey-Harbaugh found the presentations caused stress, as he felt like he was representing the LGBTQ+ community, and was expected by the students to know everything.

“Presenting in front of your peers on a topic that seems a little taboo and trying to teach them about it was pretty scary for me. You feel like you’re being judged,” Prey-Harbaugh said. “When you’re up there, everybody’s looking to you and expecting you to know exactly what you’re talking about.”

Although Sharif believes the information that was being presented is important for the students to learn, she also found the experience to be mentally and emotionally taxing.

“I think that we, as GSA, put a lot of effort into it without seeing a lot of results. And it’s really mentally and emotionally exhausting to do that. Not only to set it up, but to go in there and present,” she said.

Prey-Harbaugh does not believe it is GSA’s responsibility to be teaching this material to the students, a sentiment shared by Sharif, leading to the end of GSA’s presentations this year.

“It took a lot out of us…not just to present, but to actually prepare for the presentations,” Prey-Harabaugh said. “We had to make slideshows, we have to make sure that all our information is correct, because it changes every year. We thought the energy that it took to make

Seniors speak about service academy application experience

Application process to military service academies includes extra effort.

David Hagan

While many seniors aim for traditional college plans, a select few take an alternative route—service academies.

Senior Will Ernst opted to apply to West Point, the prestigious United States Military Academy.

“I applied to a service academy partly because it’s the college I’ve had the most experience with,” Ernst said. “I’ve lived on campus at West Point for a few weeks at a time, but also because I like the feeling of being able to serve others and to serve my community and serve and help other people. I know I can continue to get that feeling in the military.”

Ernst explained that his love for helping others came from his time serving as a volunteer firefighter.

“That’s where I kind of learned how much I loved helping others, volunteering, and working with my community,” Ernst said. “That’s kind of what led me down the path of looking at a service academy.”

The actual application process for service academies is quite different from traditional colleges.

it happen outweighed the amount that people were actually learning from it, or the information that they were taking in.”

Ray, on the other hand, found value in the student presentations, knowing that the health students were receiving an education directly from queer people.

“[The presentations] gave a spotlight to students who are very often unheard. This gives them an opportunity to help people hear [what] they want them to know,” Ray said. “And it gives people in the audience a face. If you’re not directly friends with queer people, then it’s very easy to just treat them like they’re not like just another student, very easy to dehumanize them.”

According to Prey-Harbaugh, in meetings with the GSA leaders, the health teachers expressed that they think the health students find more value in learning from their peers than teachers, but Prey-Harbaugh disagrees. “I think we are respected way less when we’re standing up in front of them than a teacher is, because it’s the teacher’s job.” he said.

Junior Paige Trout found that the presentations last year expanded her knowledge of the queer community and thinks it did the same for her peers.

“I got to learn about a bunch of other different categories that I didn’t know were a thing before our sixth-grade introduction, but I think it helped strengthen other people’s understanding of the LGBTQ community. Not necessarily of the sex ed part,” she said.

This year, current sophomores did not learn about LGBTQ+ topics directly from GSA members, but a version of the packet that GSA developed was assigned to students.

“It was fill in the blanks, like, answer these questions,” sophomore Kelly Montague said. “You basically had to just provide definitions.”

Although they did not return to present, GSA leaders hope to maintain a relationship with the health department.

“GSA is willing to look over what the teachers have, but also we can’t present,” Sharif said. “That should not be our responsibility.”*

U.S. Military Service Academies

ARMY: United States Military Academy

difficult,” Ernst said. “But also, I found that to be my favorite part of the admissions process.”

Senior Owen Brennan will attend the Air Force Academy next year.

“It’s a lot of work just to apply because you have to do so many interviews and a lot of essays. You have to mentally and physically prepare for everything, look nice and stuff like that. It’s just a lot. It’s a tedious process.”

“I’m doing it not necessarily just because I have a love for country, but I want to help other people. And I feel like this is one of the best ways I can do that.”

Will Ernst ’23

Applicant to United States Military Academy

The application process entails sending in transcripts, acquiring nomination letters from state representatives, and a physical examination.

“I’d say it’s like applying to multiple colleges at once,” Ernst said. “You have to fill out a bunch of information, you have to get your transcripts and so on for state representatives for Senators so you can get nomination, then you also have to send all that into your military academy.”

“And then you also have to do a fitness component, which is completely different from any other college, which is extremely

To the average college applicant, the service academy process can be very discouraging.

“Basically, it really restricts a lot of people who really want to go to these schools from actually going there,” Ernst said. “Like, people who are very qualified to go, [if] they have some small medical problem, they’re not going to go.”

Students stress that some stereotypes of service academies are not very representative of applicants.

“I’m doing it not necessarily just because I have a love for country, but I want to help other people. And I feel like this is one of the best ways I can do that,” Ernst said.

Senior Aimar Ng is a second-generation student at Haven who applied to all four service academies, gaining admission to all of them. He also shared his thoughts on this stereotype.

“A lot of people think the stereotype I think would be that you have come from military background. You know, you’ve been military like your whole life, your parents, blah blah. But a lot of people don’t realize that it’s a very diverse group of people. A lot of people are international, first-generation Americans.”*

West Point, NY usma.org

NAVY: United States Naval Academy

Annapolis, MD usna.org

AIR FORCE: United States Air Force Academy Colorado Springs, CO usafa.af.mil

COAST GUARD: United States Coast Guard Academy New London, CT uscga.edu

MERCHANT MARINE: United States Merchant Marine Academy Kings Point, NY usmma.edu

Speak with your counselor if you are interested in the admission process to the military service academies.

“We thought the energy that took to make it happen outweighed the amount that people were actually learning from it, or the information that they were taking in.”

Sylvan Prey-Harbaugh ’23

GSA Leader

‘23, Frank Lardieri ‘23 Contributors

After AP Exams, learning continues

Looking forward to that AP class you’ve wanted to take? Learn about what your class might look like once you take your exam.

Imogen Sharif ‘23 Haven Arts Editor

While both fall and spring semesters have the same number of days, Advanced Placement (AP) courses in the spring have about a month less time to prepare for exams. AP exams are held in the first two weeks of May, leaving many AP students with up to four weeks after exams, before the end of the year.

When students aren’t studying for the exam, what’s left to work on? Different teachers choose to supplement the AP curriculum with new coursework and a variety of assignments that’ll grab the attention of the seniors counting down the days until graduation.

In math teacher Mrs. Beth Benzing’s AP Statistics class, she has introduced a new unit on Data Science where students use large data sets to create models using multiple variables.

“I feel like there’s a little gap in the AP Statistics curriculum where the students don’t work with big data, and data analytics is a big part of their future,” Benzing said.

For this unit, Benzing gives her students large amounts of data from colleges and universities. Students can handle variables such as graduation rates and average tuition on a scale not taught in the AP curriculum.

“Data analytics is just simply the movement of data, we are manipulating data and our students need to be exposed to this using large data sets,” Benzing said. “After the AP we are able to give them that opportunity.

Unlike AP Statistics, which happens in both the fall and spring semesters, social studies teacher Mr. Thomas Babcock expressed frustration towards having his AP US History courses during the spring. He feels that students in the spring are less prepared than those in the fall.

“Having [AP US History] in the spring, it’s only happened once and that was last year. We used to be a yearlong class, so when we redesigned our courses, it went from yearlong to half a year. That was difficult on its own, and then in the spring, it was impossible. I don’t know how other classes do it,” Babcock said.

During his spring semester class last year, Babcock only had about seven class days to teach each unit, so after the AP exam he urged his students to learn more about any topic they wanted to supplement.

“I try to do a research paper or presentation, a very large research component,” he said. “And the goal of that is, because you have to move so fast, I always tell them if there’s a topic you want to learn more about, you have a month to learn all you can about it.”

In Ms. Katie Shepard’s yearlong AP Biology course, students work towards the AP exam for most of the year, focusing on the different topics and skills needed to excel.

After the exam, students complete a final project, where they investigate a question of their choice while emphasizing scientific exploration and independent research.

“I let the kids explore something within science that sparks their curiosity, but they are required to show me their skills as a scientist,” Shepard said. “They choose a question, and they explore the question through experimentation. This year I’m switching it up a bit and allowing them to explore a question through an informative documentary but also based in primary research.”

Junior Jillian Thomas’s experiment involves her hamster Gerald, and aims to answer a question never explored before in Shepard’s class.

“I am exposing [the hamster] to different frequencies of light and darkness prior to him completing an obstacle course and seeing how the light affects his cognitive abilities,” Thomas said.

Other independent projects include tests on soil quality, water chemistry, photosynthesis, invertebrate development, environmental concerns, and more. Students will present their final projects before senior graduation.

AP Art and Design doesn’t end the year with a test, but with a portfolio, compiling the works made by each student throughout the year. Mrs. Jennifer Rodgers works to support her students’ independence and unique styles during her yearlong course.

“They spend all year creating a portfolio of artwork based on their own interests and what’s called a sustained investigation, where they are proposing essential questions, investigating them through their art, and documenting the creation of that art throughout the

year,” Rodgers said.

Once students submit their portfolios to College Board, they continue to make art. Since 2019, students have painted ceiling tiles and cabinets in the Art room. But as space filled up, current students have begun to paint their favorite children’s book cover on ceiling tiles in the preschool classroom.

“There are still plenty of unpainted tiles, so we’ll keep going with that until we run out of room,” Rodgers said. Regardless of the AP course, students in their spring semester continue to work and learn—but are often given more independence and freedom in their studies.*

Spring Fling tradition continues with dunk tank, pie toss

A nice, sunny day made for an afternoon filled with fun student-run activities.

Riley Smith ’25, CJ Chen ’24 SocialMediaManager,Reporter

On May 12, after weeks of preparation, clubs, performers, and Student Council hosted Strath Haven’s annual Spring Fling just outside the middle school.

Students enjoyed a multitude of activities present at Spring Fling, including many musical performances ranging from a saxophone quartet to a cover of Carrie Underwood’s ‘Before He Cheats’, captivating the attention of everyone attending.

“I really enjoyed performing,” sophomore Josie Tolson said. “A lot of my friends were there, so I wasn’t too nervous, and I think it’s fun to watch everyone else’s performance and be able to share your own.”

Tolson sang ‘Ceilings’ by Lizzy McAlpine with her friend junior Brianne Caldwell, which they had also performed together during Coffeehouse.

“We decided to work together again because people seemed to like it,” Tolson said.

While the music was a large part of the event, various clubs ran booths that people could support lined along the parking lot. Clubs offered commissioned art, sold baked goods, and promoted membership.

The hot afternoon encouraged the sales of cooling refreshments like lemonade sold by Mini-Thon, and created lines at the Konda Ice truck.

The event saw the return of stations, like the dunk tank, and new ones like the “pie your teachers “ table, sponsored by SHHS Doctors Without Borders.

Many clubs, like Doctors without Borders, used Spring Fling as an opportunity to raise money for a charity.

Other activities were offered simply for attendees to enjoy, such as the obstacle course, cornhole, face painting, and drawing people as fish.

“I was in charge of the art club stand and we did face painting, glitter tattoos, and art trivia,” sophomore Luci DiBonaventura said. DiBonaventura enjoyed the atmosphere of the event and said she would want to partake in the activities again next year.

“I think my favorite part of Spring Fling was helping with the community, and making other people have fun. I really enjoy doing events like this,” DiBonaventura said.*

ART PAST EXAMS • Senior AP Art and Design student Winnie Kenney works on her ‘Peter Rabbit’ ceiling tile for the preschool classroom, while senior Kate Noto works on sketches.

PHOTO: IMOGEN SHARIF

FUN IN THE SUN • TOP: Senior Supraja Sudarsan offers Student Council adviser Herr Alex Paul a chance to get hosed off after he was pied in the face. BOTTOM: Juniors Casey Conway and Zaina Alam are all smiles as they sell bracelets at the Best Buddies table.

PHOTOS: JESSICA FARHAT

Childhood class sends emotional farewell to preschoolers

Underwater themes in art, food, and origami filled the choral room to celebrate another successful preschool year.

Evelynn Lin ‘25 Reporter

There is nothing like seeing proud Haven students and teachers cheering with tears in their eyes at the sight of colorful rows of preschoolers celebrating the end of a school year.

On May 11, parents, staff, and Childhood students filled the choral room to watch these young children graduate and say goodbye to their fellow peers.

The Exploring Childhood and Advanced Childhood classes are Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) electives taught by Mrs. Jennifer Zanoni for grades 10-12, where students receive the hands-on experience to work with young kids via the Little Panthers Preschool Program. Families can apply for preschool-age children to be taken care of and taught by Zanoni’s Childhood students. Haven students learn from Mrs. Zanoni what it takes to help these young children grow and learn. According to the Silver Guide, Haven students develop preschool lessons for art, math, science, nature, physical games, music, story time and literacy

This year, senior Laura Conner, who had already completed the Exploring Childhood and Advanced Childhood classes, decided to take an independent study with Zanoni, furthering her passion for childcare.

“It’s emotional because we’ve taken it for so long that we’ve seen some of the kids that we had last year grow in so many different ways,” Conner said.

Four preschoolers graduated this May and are leaving for kindergarten in the coming year.

Junior Liang He, who had the chance to look after one of these four students, feels emotional watching them move into the next chapter of their life.

“I had Wes, so I’m never going to see him again.

So, I’m gonna cry for the next five business days,” she said. “However, it was really cool because I know how excited Wes was to just grow up.”

Junior Julia Selcuk added how the event had an emotional impact on her.

“It was really sweet to watch,” she said. “I just loved the whole ceremony, and I did tear up a little bit. I definitely feel like I learned a lot from this class.”

With the school year coming to a close and preschool graduation behind them, the memories made for all involved will never be forgotten.

“Watching them graduate is just the cherry on top of a great school year with them. There are so many funny stories and I am so proud of them,” senior Ava Santisi said.

Like Conner, Santisi had also chosen to take an independent study with Mrs. Zanoni to continue building her caretaking experience.

“It’s the best class ever,” she said.*

Stickball evolves as unique tradition

Ball ‘26

To many in the Haven community, including senior Jack Santee, stickball is more than just a game.

“My mood for the day is very dependent on the outcome,” Santee said.

As a lunchtime routine for Haven students, stickball is like baseball with some changes. There are usually four innings each lunch period. Scavenged sticks are used in place of traditional baseball bats, and a tennis ball is used in place of a baseball. The sticks often get lost or broken and the new and different sticks constantly change the game.

Stickball games have been part of nearly every lunch block this spring that weather permits. According to senior Jake Goodwin, many unique rules have been added and evolved.

“We banned shirt catching. It’s really easy to just open your shirt and catch it. If it goes foul into the bushes and it goes far enough to the point where you can’t grab it, you’re out,” Goodwin said.

“Some weeks, people hit home runs all the time. Some weeks, it’s a defensive battle,” Santee said. “We’ve been losing a lot this week. I’ve been kind of frustrated but when we win, it’s a great feeling. The kids on the other team, I always talk trash to them.”

Goodwin believes stickball is a great way to end senior year. He always looks forward to it and does more with the game than just playing—he also reviews the statistics. “We have a Google Sheet full of everyone’s batting averages and errors and all,” he said.

He also used stickball as inspiration for a photography project.

“I wanted to make sports cards of

Students tackle interesting summer jobs

As the 2022-2023 year comes to a close, jobs for the summer are being decided on. What will students be up to?

Kaitlyn Ho ’26 CopyEditor/Health&SciencesEditor

Summer means no school, and for some SHHS students, it’s a great time to focus on working.

stickball. And I went down and took pictures, either as we were playing or when people were batting because I thought that looked the best,” he said.

Goodwin’s favorite memory of playing stickball is not about the game itself. It involves a slip-up by one of his peers.

“Someone hit it really far and it was all the way to the bleachers at the tennis courts and they fell onto the bleachers backing up,” he said.

For Goodwin, college stickball could never be the same as the experience at Strath Haven High School.

“The scenarios are just too perfect. I don’t know if it’s something that can happen anywhere else because it’s just perfect for 40-minute lunch with the bases already set,” Goodwin said. *

Whether it be working the snack bar or managing a team, the jobs students work during the summer can help them earn money, even if they aren’t sure what they want to do after they leave school.

“I’m just going to be a food runner/table busser for the Broad Table Tavern in Swarthmore,” senior Caleb Young said.

From

Young initially had to work on Fridays and the weekends, but he was able to get that changed so that he could have more time.

“So far, I like it, actually,” he said. “Makes me feel productive.” However, Young said his summer job has nothing to do with his plan for his future career.

Conversely, junior Jillian Thomas is preparing for a month-long summer job that is strongly connected with what she wants as her career: being a geneticist.

“I applied and got into an internship at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, it’s right near the University of Pennsylvania,” Thomas said. “So I’m going to be working on the P-53 tumor suppressor gene this summer, so hopefully working to create more drugs to help suppress genes that cause cancer.”

Thomas is not the only one looking for a job related to her interests. Freshman Hari Ghatpande applied for a database management job for a startup app. “I want to do coding or something related to it as my job, so I think it’d [database management job] be very useful,” Ghatpande said. Summer jobs are also an excuse to spend time with friends. Senior Erich Boerth is working in the office at the Swarthmore Swim Club.

“The staff is pretty much all high schoolers. I know most of the people there and I’m friendly with almost everyone there,” Boerth said. “So it’s a really chill environment.”

Application processes can be intimidating, and finding a job can also be difficult. Junior Olivia Bradford used Indeed.com to find and apply for her jobs.

“Either you could submit a resume or you could fill out a resume on the app,” Bradford said. “And then, it usually gives you a survey to answer, but it’s pretty simple. It’s a good way to get a job, to fill it out.”

There are a multitude of reasons why one might want a job over the summer. Maybe it’s for money, experience, or just a place to meet with friends. Whatever the motivation, getting a summer job can fill the newly formed six-hour gap in a student’s day.*

CELEBRATING GRADUATION • TOP: Parents and Childhood students smile and clap with joy as the formal graduation ceremony closes. BOTTOM: Preschoolers use their hands to make cute hand gestures as they sing a song for parents and student teachers during the graduation ceremony. PHOTOS: EVELYNN LIN

For many students, stickball has been a memorable part of their high school experience.

Mark

Contributor

ALMOST LIKE REAL • Jake Goodwin used original photos and stats of stickball players to create ‘trading cards’ for players in the lunchtime league, including himself. IMAGE: JAKE GOODWIN

bussing tables to researching cancer, students find ways to earn and learn this summer.

THE WALL: Alumnus Enrique Latoison

Matteo Ventresca ‘25

Enrique Latoison is the founder of Latoison Law in Media, PA. He represents various legal entities, including individuals, their families, and businesses.

His firm practices in criminal defense, landlord tenant issues, deed transfers, and license restoration, according to its website.

Latoison graduated from Strath Haven in 1992, Delaware County Community College and University of Pennsylvania in 2001, and Temple Law in 2004.

“I was born and raised in Chester. I was very poor, and we were bussed to Strath Haven,” Latoison said. “And so, by the time I was graduating high school at age 18, I was just looking to get a job. I wasn’t planning on going to college, I wasn’t planning on doing anything.”

At the time, Chester had many high school dropouts. Therefore, he aimed to get through high school and find a job.

“I was only concentrating on, as soon as I get out of school, I can just work full time, and I can use that money,” he said.

Latoison had a hearing impairment and made it through high school without taking the SATs.

“I graduated from Strath Haven,” Latoison said. “I didn’t take the SATs, and I wasn’t going to college… I wear hearing aids. I was in the Intermediate Unit Program with straight A’s in high school.”

The Intermediate Unit Program allows students with hearing impairments in Delaware County to be bused to Strath Haven and Swarthmore K-8.

After a couple of years of working in a restaurant, Latoison knew that he did not enjoy his experience.

“I started realizing what my future was actually going to be if I didn’t get my education,” Latoison said. “That’s when it kind of really started to hit me like we just have a dead-end job like working at a restaurant forever. Maybe I’m making manager one day, but whatever.”

He then decided to attend Delaware County Community College. Then, he went to the University of Pennsylvania and, finally, to Temple Law School.

But why choose a law school? Why did he want to be a lawyer?

“When I was in third grade, a kid that I did graduate with from Strath Haven… I got invited to a sleepover at his house in Swarthmore. When I went to his house, I was like, ‘Wow, like this big, beautiful stone house.’ I asked him what his dad was, and he said his dad was an attorney,” Latoison said. He decided that he would start his own firm so he could have more flexibility.

“I worked for another attorney for a year before moving to a public defender’s office. I worked there for two and a half years,” he said. “Then, I opened my own practice because I had learned a lot in those three years, four years, and I felt very confident that I’d be able to do it and then I wanted to always work for myself.”

“I did get to see those positive things or see friends from school whose parents were successful or, just being around kids whose idea was that they were going to college,” he said. “They were going to do these things, and it opened my eyes to a lot of things, I think, definitely contributed to my success today.”

He still gets to see those people today. About five months ago, he had a 30-year reunion with many of his former classmates.

“A lot of people from our class are still real cool and stuff. It was really, really nice. It was like it’s cool seeing everybody, and it was there were a lot of people there, well over a hundred. It just looked like we were all still back in high school.”

Latoison stresses that high school does not determine your life. You can drop out or only complete high school, without attending college, and still be successful.

“Whatever you do in high school doesn’t have to determine what you do later,” he said. “I graduated, didn’t

NEWS IN BRIEF

ULTIMATE FRISBEE TEAMS WIN AT STATES

to success

go to college [right away], didn’t take SATs, didn’t apply to college, and I’m one of the most successful people out of my class,” he said.

Latoison does not recommend failing or dropping out—however, he notes that your future may depend less on your success in high school than many believe. He believes that high school is just another step in a long life, just like elementary and middle school.

“The reality is that you have to treat it [high school] just like elementary,” he said. “You went to elementary school; you were scared about going to middle school. You go to middle school; you’re scared about going to high school. You’re going to high school, and it’s just another stage in a very long life.”

“You want to do well in school anytime regardless, and you want to do well in anything you deal with, not just school,” he said. “You want to try your best and do the best you can.”*

Boys and Girls/Nonbinary Ultimate Frisbee traveled to Pittsburgh for the Pennsylvania State Championships on May 27. The varsity boys came away with sixth place, and the girls/nonbinary team finished second in the state.

THREE SENIORS MEDAL AT PIAA AAA T&F CHAMPIONSHIPS AT SHIPPENSBURG UNIVERSITY

Junior AJ Glavicic won fifth place in the 400m. His time of 48.0 seconds at the District 1 Championship meet also makes him the school record holder for the 400m. Senior Alexa Brown took second in shot put. Senior Nora Chen won eighth place in the 300m hurdles.

THREE HAVEN JOURNALISTS’ WORK RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY

Sophomore Kelly Montague’s sports photo “They Can’t Stop What They Can’t Catch” won first place in the National Federation of Press Women’s High School Journalism Contest. Senior Sylvan Prey-Harbaugh and alumnus Joyce Haung’s video feature story “Haven on Tiktok” won first place as well. Senior Rhys Hals’ opinion piece “Competitive Culture breeds college elitism” earned an honorable mention.

SENIOR BREAKFAST

At Senior Breakfast on Friday June 2, seniors received their prom tickets, and the 2023 yearbook was dedicated to Mr. Haney. The 2023 faculty commencement speaker will be Mr. Tim Styer, and student speakers were not yet announced at our press date.

TRACK

TO PTFC CHAMPIONSHIP

Junior AJ Glavicic, senior Alex Falsone, junior Matt Lund, and junior Dan Wuenschel qualified for the state championships for their boy’s 4 x 800m relay team at the Meet of the Champions at Lehigh University.

THE PUPPIES DIDN’T VISIT

Usually they visit so we felt the need to address their absence.

ARE YOU READING THIS CLOSELY?

Stop by room 223 and meow like a cat any day before the end of the school year for a piece of candy.*

shares his challenging journey

Have you ever stopped to catch a glimpse at the Wall of Honor? We continue a series of noted alumni interviews with a profile of the founder of Latoison Law.

Detours Editor

ALUMNUS ENRIQUE LATOISON ‘92 • COURTESY PHOTO

“Whatever you do in high school doesn’t have to determine what you do later.”

Enrique Latoison

’00

A GREEN NIGHT AT THE ORCHESTRA • TOP: Junior CJ Chen speaks with the audience about environmental issues on behalf of Green Haven during the May 18 concert. BOTTOM: The orchestra fills the stage as they perform an evening of songs that left the audience “At Peace With Our Planet.”

PHOTOS: OYINDAMOLA SONGONUGA

Dance Haven showcases talent and unity

Dance Haven’s recent performance captivated the audience with an array of dance styles.

Luci DiBonaventura ‘25

Contributor

On the evening of May 19, Dance Haven featured their second performance of the year. The student-led dance groups performed different styles of dance like jazz, ballet, and contemporary, along with a variety of genres of music.

Dance Haven was a great way for the dancers to express themselves, showcase their skills and work and connect with each other.

Dance Haven participants were excited to showcase their hard work. While some of the performers had been dancing for years, others were new to dance.

Junior Jaina Livingstone, one of the leaders of Dance Haven along with junior Claire Ross and senior Emma Wei, believes Dance Haven is welcoming to anyone that wants to join.

“I think anyone can join Dance Haven as long as they’re willing to try new things and put in effort,” she said. “The commitment is up to your individual wants. I have rehearsals almost every single day of the week while some people have one once a week.”

The Dance Haven performance consisted of a total of 18 dances with different students choreographing each dance. Junior Sasha Binder choreographed a dance and is hoping to choreograph more in the future.

“I really enjoyed being able to choreograph and work with other dancers,” Binder said. “Time wise, it really depends on how many dances you choreograph—like, when I choreograph more than one dance it definitely takes a lot more time.”

Between the dances, senior hosts Ella Grossman and Archie Bracegirdle performed comic skits, including a memoriam slideshow of things lost at Strath Haven this year. This brought laughter and also encouraged the audience to have fun and play their own part to cheer the dancers up on the stage.

Sophomore member Violet Abrahamsson enjoyed the performance from the audience.

“I thought the dancers did a great job and everything was well put together,” she said. “I really enjoyed being part of it and cheering at the dancers on stage. Overall, I was very impressed with the performance and would definitely go to more in the future.”

The dancers’ hard work and dedication paid off, as it left many of the audience members pleased with the performance and wanting to come back.

The next performance will take place in December 2023.*

DANCE HAVEN CAPTIONS • ABOVE: Juniors Lanie and Amy Clark reach for each other’s hands during their duet at the Dance Haven show on May 19. TOP: Senior host speakers Archie Bracegirdle and Ella Grossman break out into a groovy, humorous dance during the Dance Haven show. RIGHT: Senior performer Amayah Wade pumps her chest to the rhythm of a dance song during her Dance team’s performance.

PHOTOS:

Silvertones perform at Phillies Game

Of course, the Phanatic selfies were epic.

Lucy Karn ‘24 Reporter

At every concert and every performance, from the George H. Slick auditorium, to graduation at Neumann Unniversity, to the streets of Italy, music teacher Mr. John Shankweiler always directs Haven’s selective choral ensemble, the Silvertones.

But on May 6, the Philly Phanatic stole the show.

The Phanatic conducted the ensemble on the field at Citizens Bank Park, as the group performed the national anthem before the Phillies home game against the the Red Sox.

Shankweiler wasn’t entirely left out of the performance. The Phanatic gifted him a kiss.

“A dream come true,” he said.

The Silvertones have performed at Phillies’ games before. This time it was arranged via a connection of one of the students in the Silvertones.

The event was open to any Silvertones member who wanted to attend and sing. Families and friends were also invited to come and support the group by buying tickets and watching.

Shankweiler estimates that about a hundred people attended in support of the SIlvertones. For junior Michelle Ding this game was a good reminder of why she enjoys Silvertones and music.

“A lot of times, with early morning rehearsals

and preparing for concerts with a lot of more difficult pieces, it can be easy to lose track of what it’s all about,” she said. “Singing at the Phillies was just a really cool, laid back experience that reminded us about all the exciting things we get to do.”

This performance was in between the two weeks of AP testing and offered students a chance to have fun and take a breather before diving into the last couple weeks of school.

The goal was to give the students a chance to have fun and make memories of performing in front of a stadium full of people.

“I just wanted them [the Silvertones] to have a fun night,” said Shankweiler.

Junior Henry Reacher had a moment of pleasant shock when the group walked out onto the huge field at Citizens Bank.

“Holy crap, I’m actually doing this right now,” he said. “This is crazy.”

The consensus among the Silvertones was that it was a great experience that brought them a lot of joy and reminded them of their love for singing.

“It was an experience for the ages,” Reacher said.*

C. HORETSKY

SILVER GOES RED • TOP: Junior Anika Goswami snags a selfie with the Philly Phanatic mascot. BOTTOM: The Phanatic takes a turn at directing the Silvertones during their national anthem performance. PHOTOS: JOE LYNCH

“Singing at the Phillies was just a really cool, laid back experience that reminded us about all the exciting things we get to do.”

-Michelle Ding ’24

Struggling with senioritis

Sasha Binder ‘24 OpinionsEditor

As seniors approach graduation, some struggle to stay motivated and keep up with the many responsibilities they have at this point in the year.

This struggle is also known as senioritis, and here at Haven, some students have been experiencing it for a year or more.

The root of senioritis varies among students. Some share that their senioritis started prior to their senior year. Others note that it stems from stress related to exams, applications, and thoughts of the future.

Counselor Marlena O’Kane says that she sees senioritis often beginning at the start of second semester, but spiking after spring break.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that they’ve solidified their post secondary plan, whatever direction they are going in—work, military, gap year, college, or whatever that looks like,” she said. “[Seniors] know what their plan is and that just makes it harder for them to keep up with their responsibilities in school.”

However, extreme senioritis might impact those future plans.

According to reporting from NYU, many seniors think their college admission is locked in after an acceptance letter arrives. Yet many colleges include a clause that allows them to rescind their offers if senior year grades drop, according to College Board.

Since many colleges don’t receive final grades until June or July, students may find they’ve lost their spot if their grades reflect an extreme drop.

Haven seniors were open about their struggles.

Senior Sophie Kersun shared that her senioritis shows up in the form of arriving at school late. Kersun said that waking up in the morning has become increasingly difficult as the school year comes to a close. She has also struggled with finding motivation to complete assignments.

“I’ve been late, like a lot. I have math first block and my math teacher already emailed my parents twice about being late because I just really struggle to get up in the morning. And waking up for school has always been hard but it’s especially hard now,” Kersun said.

For some, senioritis started much earlier than spring of 2023.

Senior Claire Lowry shared that her senioritis started abnormally earlier compared to her peers—specifically, sophomore year.

“When did my senioritis start? Honestly, sophomore year,” Lowry shared.

Senior Nick Cardi has also struggled to stay motivated through the end of the year.

“At this point I‘m just doing what I can and getting as much as I can done. It’s really just about getting the work done even if it’s not the best you could’ve done,” he said.

Cardi shared his appreciation for the teachers that acknowledge and validate senioritis.

“I really appreciate how, here at Strath Haven, teachers recognize Senioritis too. The other day one of my teachers pulled me and a few other students aside just to thank us for trying our best, so I feel like there’s some level of acceptance of Senioritis here and I really like that,” Cardi added.

According to O’Kane, senioritis is considered a rite of passage for seniors, and teachers are aware of it and how challenging it can be. Her advice to seniors struggling to motivate themselves is to focus on what’s ahead without losing the work you have put in for four years.

“Keep reaching for your goal. You’ve all done great here,” O’Kane said. “You deserve a fun end of your senior year, but keep motivated to get to the finish line.”

That finish line is a motivating factor. Senior Gianna Umile says her main motivation is “the light at the end of the tunnel.”

RECAPPING THE YEAR IN SCIENCE

What happened in science this year? Major breakthroughs, innovations, and news.

September 26 | NASA crashes the spacecraft DART into an asteroid to see if we can move potentially dangerous asteroids in the future.

October 3-5 | Medicine, Physics, and Chemistry Nobel Prizes awarded.

November 30 | Chat-GPT is released (becoming popular late January).

December 12 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California achieves a breakthrough in nuclear fusion: the energy the fusion reaction created was more than the energy required to power it.

January 11 | The James Webb Telescope discovers its first exoplanet (a planet that orbits a star outside of our solar system)

February 4 | A Chinese air balloon is shot down by the US military.

March 24 | A chemical spill from a Bucks County plant gets into a source of Philly water: the Delaware River.

April 5 | The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report that Co2 levels are at their highest compared to the past 3.6 million years.

May 5 | WHO declares that COVID is no longer a global health emergency.

Kaitlyn Ho ‘26, Health & Sciences and Copy Editor

Zebrafish experiment during independent study inspires fin-tastic journey

One senior successfully bred and experimented on live fish for her independent study, facing losses and creating new life.

CJ Chen ‘24 Reporter

Senior Imogen Sharif’s semester-long independent study on evolution and fetal alcohol syndrome in zebra danios will conclude with a final presentation at May’s end. With a strong push into the curiosities of evodevo (evolutionary developmental biology) first introduced in her AP Biology class, Sharif set out on a journey with the quick-hatching, active swimming, stripe-patterned zebra danios.

“I found a book that I read for my independent study called ‘Your Inner Fish’ by Neil Shubin. He discovered Tiktaalik which is the in-between species from fish and walking-onland [organisms]. And I was just like, this is super interesting. I want to do more with this,” Sharif said.

Sharif had a lot of support from her advisor and junior year AP Biology teacher, Ms. Katie Shepard, who already had the supplies Sharif needed to conduct the experiment. Her preliminary research included reading existing papers on evo-devo as well as online college courses that served as an aid to design the experiment. Sharif set up two tanks, one for males and the other for females, ensuring that each tank was at the optimal water parameters for the zebra danios.

“I was like, oh my gosh, these are actual living creatures that I have created. Zebrafish are a really great model organism for this kind of experiment where you’re observing development because it [is] so quick,” Sharif said.

Biotechnology teacher Mr. Timothy Styer first taught Sharif in one of his past freshman environmental science classes, and was particularly impressed with Sharif’s growth as a science student. He is one of many teachers that attended Sharif’s final presentation.

“Zebrafish are a really great model organism for this kind of experiment where you’re observing development because it [is] so quick.”

-Imogen Sharif ’23

“I am doing an experiment with live animals. I want to be as humane and safe as possible and I don’t want to stress them out. That’s my biggest concern,” Sharif said.

Many unexpected obstacles arose during the breeding process, which required Sharif to persist and change her methods with each trial.

“First round I did everything that I got in a little book that Ms. Shepard gave me. She’s like, ‘Nobody’s ever gotten this to work before,’ I’m like, ‘Great. I’m gonna see if I can get this to work’. It didn’t work. I was like, okay, that’s an issue. I definitely cried a little bit,” Sharif said. Thankfully for Sharif, after some additional research, she adjusted the water temperature and other components to encourage successful breeding and finally received viable eggs for her experiment.

“I just took a step back and realized that it’s part of the process of doing an experiment. Things aren’t going to work and you have got to find something,” Sharif said.

The best moment for Sharif was watching the embryos develop. Zebra danios hatch within three days, so each day held exciting changes.

On May 31, Sharif held her final presentation in Room 305 during fifth block. All were welcome to this presentation which contained a detailed look into her research question and the process of discovering its answer.

“[I talked] to them about the process of my experiment which is seeing how the development is affected under conditions such as ethanol,” Sharif said. “So I use ethanol because you got fetal alcohol syndrome in humans. And I’m like, how would that affect these fish? And I got some pretty cool results.”

Anyone can stop by Ms. Shepard’s Room 305 and visit the fish before they leave for school’s end.

The roller coaster ride of designing and performing a science experiment has proved to be a priceless experience for Sharif as she plans to continue in scientific research in college. She encourages others with a curiosity about a topic outside of Haven course offerings to pursue it.

“All the teachers at Haven are going to support you. If you just are interested in something enough, and you really push towards it, and you think this would be cool, you can do it. You just have to remember that you can do it and if there are any roadblocks, those exist for a reason, and you got to find your way around them,” Sharif said.

Styer echoes this same sentiment, hoping to see more students explore their curiosities, especially in science.

The science field is all about discovery and innovation, and “new ideas always come from the high school and college classrooms,” Styer said.

“I hope people can learn to embrace the mistakes that come out of science because no scientist has ever said, ‘I’m going to conduct this experiment’ and get it right on the first try,” Sharif said.*

Members of the class of 2023 share their experiences with senioritis as the school year comes to an end.

TIME TO HATCH • Zebrafish hatch within three days, so every day brought new events for senior Imogen Sharif to investigate under the microscope.

PHOTO: IMOGEN SHARIF

SENIORS SPILL THE TEA on post-graduation

plans

With June 9 approaching, many seniors are one foot out the door. For Haven’s seniors, those doors are leading to many new destinations and diverse paths.

Before they could get the other foot loose from Strath Haven, we asked some members of the senior class for advice on planning and deciding on a post-graduation plan. As you will read, their stories reflect a variety of paths. There is no onesize-fits-all model for graduates.

We needed to abbreviate some of their advice for space, and not every interviewee’s story is included here. Please visit shpantherpress.com to read everything they had to say.

Rhys Hals ’23, Aïssata Koné ’23, Matthew Chen ’23

MANNYBAKER-CASTRO

What are your post-graduation plans?

I’m going to Columbia [College], Chicago for music.

How did you make your decision?

I was making music in middle school. And I took off with it. I decided to go to school for it post high school. How would you describe your post-grad search?

I really just applied to schools that I thought had what I wanted. I had a niche of what I wanted. I wanted schools that have good music, but also that were just a good overall school, but music was mainly the big thing for me. Location wasn’t really that big of a deal. I just wanted to go to a school that was right for me.

What advice do you have?

Going into college, you’re not going to know what you want to do. It’s okay to not know. I’ve heard a lot of people say that [it’s] guaranteed you’re going to switch majors, so it’s okay to go undecided.

BUKKY OYELAMI

What are your post-graduation plans?

I’m going to be attending the [Delaware County] Community College and I plan on majoring in Computer Science.

How did you make your decision?

I’ve always wanted to go to college. So, it wasn’t about do I want to go? I’ve always wanted to go. I just didn’t picture myself going to community college…I was going to go to Holy Family like in Northeast [Philadelphia] but yeah. I just really thought… it’s gonna be a sacrifice but I’d rather save money and just transfer later on.

How would you describe your post-grad search?

At first I didn’t want to do it, to be quite honest. But then was just like, it is what it is, you know?

What advice do you have?

Don’t like feel forced to do it. Make the decision on your own. Don’t do it because other people are doing it or because, maybe, your parents are forcing you to. Just do it because you want to do it. You don’t want to be unhappy about your decision at the end of the day.

Olivia COYLE

What are your post-graduation plans?

I’m going to go to LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) school which is licensing through a year-long program. After I graduate there I’m going to go to nursing school at Delaware County Community College for two years and get my associates. And then I’m going to do the bridge program there so I can go to a university for two more years to get my Bachelors degree in nursing.

How did you make your decision?

I actually enjoy helping people, and my mom is a nurse. It’s a good job to have, it’s a guaranteed one, it’s never gone. We’re always going to need nurses. Say if something like COVID happens again—I’m going to always have a job.

How would you describe your post-grad search?

I had to take a TEAS test, it’s basically like a placement test but not really. It’s math, reading and science. You have to score between a 44-57. It was a hard test but that’s all you have to do. It’s a full time program, every day 8:30-4:15. There are clincials and stuff.

What advice do you have?

I would say stay focused. When you go to nursing school, you’re not going to have a lot of time to hang, but but it’s worth it in the long run. It’s a good thing to do, people respect you for it. If you actually enjoy helping people you should go into the medical field.

What are your post-graduation plans? Oberlin College.

How did you make your decision?

I stressed a lot between another college that’s the opposite of Oberlin, but so much cheaper. But I decided ultimately that for me wanting a very hands-on, close learning environment, and to be with my best friend in the world Rhys [Hals], that Oberlin was a better option and a better investment.

How would you describe your post-grad search?

A nightmare. A dark nightmare. With stress and essay after essay and no help from guidance. And there was not ever a point where I was like, this is worth it. Maybe there will be in four years.

What advice do you have?

I would say you have to know what you want. Then you need to have a good coping mechanism. I did yoga. What else? I did a lot of talking about it., excessive amount of talking.

What are your post-graduation plans?

I’m going to be attending the Air Force Academy. I’m looking to fly for them. I’ve actually been working on my pilot’s license for a little while now.

How did you make your decision?

Probably my mom, honestly. She kind of got me into flying. And then my brother attended the Naval Academy. So he’s kind of like my military background. And then I saw that the Air Force specializes in a lot of the flying, obviously. So that’s kind of what I wanted to do.

How would you describe your post-grad search?

[I found out about it] through my brother. And my sister went to school out in Colorado—that’s where the Air Force Academy is. I visited and loved it, it was super cool. And they told me all the programs they have.

What advice do you have?

Don’t procrastinate. The Academy is a lot of work just to apply, because you have to do so many interviews and a lot of essays. It kind of all built up during fall time. I definitely was very, very stressed. They say your senior year is your best year. But I was definitely the most stressed I’ve ever been.

AYHANEEHICE-LOCKETT

EVANMORGANS

What are your post-graduation plans?

This summer I plan on getting a job and going to the gym, get in shape. Then for college, I’m going to the University of the Arts in Philly.

How did you make your decision?

I’ve always been interested in art. I found it a way to get stressed out of the way and deal with emotions. I guess. It’s also just something I like to do, just drawing and got you.

How would you describe your post-grad search?

I was just scrolling through colleges and noticed it was in Philly, and had nice dorms and everything I was looking for. So yeah, it was pretty convenient for me. It was close to home. I was looking at Temple’s program, and their own school called Tyler School of Art. And then at PAFA for fine arts or something? I don’t know. So, yeah, I was looking at a couple of other schools.

What advice do you have?

You shouldn’t feel bad if you’re getting a late start, like if you need to take a gap year or, like collect your thoughts. That’s fine, because not everyone knows what they want to do. Because, you know, not everyone’s as lucky as me to be as interested in something as I am in art. So, you know, you’ll be okay.

What are your post-graduation plans?

I’ll be attending American University, which is in DC, and I’ll be swimming.

How did you make your decision?

So it was a really long process that honestly started freshman year. And it was something that I always knew I wanted to go to college, but I never knew exactly where. But then one of my good friends goes to American and she swims. And after she committed, she told me to look at it. So I did. And it had everything I wanted. I knew that I wanted to major in something to do with law, or English or anything around there. It was perfect to do that in DC. I loved the team atmosphere, and just going down there and getting to interact with the coaches and the swimmers was a really cool experience. What advice do you have?

Get on top of things early. Having a notebook was really helpful for me, especially because when you’re having email interactions or calls with coaches, or you’re just deciding whether you want to reach out to them or not, it’s really great to keep like a pros and cons list just to like keep track of all of it It just really helps to weigh your decision.

What are your post-graduation plans?

I’m going to be taking a gap year. I’ll be going to Kyrgyzstan for a year living with a host family and learning Russian. It’s a government scholarship to study abroad called the National Security Language initiative for Youth…After that I will be attending Georgetown University.

How did you make your decision?

I really love languages. And I’ve been trying to teach myself Russian for the past few years and I’m really excited that I got to take college classes in Russian this year. Especially because I’d done this virtual study abroad before and I really wanted to learn Russian much more intensively because turns out I’m not great with languages, and I needed that final push.

How would you describe your post-grad search?

I found out that it was an option because I knew a few people who had done it who are friends of my older siblings. So I figured I’d apply for it because it seemed amazing, and I was really humbled to get it. They have two options, either a summer program or an academic year program. I didn’t think I’d want to take off an entire year but I thought that’d be a lot better for gaining language proficiency.

BRENDANBENSON

What are your post-graduation plans?

My post-graduate plans are to join the electrician union when I turn 19 because right now I’m currently apprenticing with a family friend.

How did you make your decision?

It took a while. There’s a couple of reasons, mostly the money. When I took VoTech, it came to me as one of those things that wasn’t too hard to do. But also, not a lot of people were able to do it th same way I did it.

How would you describe your post-grad search?

Just realizing that I did need to make a decision soon coming out of high school. It’s one of the easiest things to do to make money without going to college, or going to a cheap college just to get a license.

What advice do you have?

Keep your eyes open for as long as you can but don’t keep them open so long that you close doors, or too late. Keep your options open, but know your deadlines.

What are your post-graduation plans?

I’m going to an Art School—School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

How did you make your decision?

I had a really big space and marine biology phase in middle school and early high school, but once I got more serious about art, I knew I wanted to pursue it. What I like about Chicago, specifically, is the school offers you a BFA, no matter what classes you take, which I think is pretty important. A lot of schools have pathways… I think that since art is always changing, especially with AI, it’s important that you’re qualified in more than one subject. How would you describe your post-grad search?

I went to a lot of open house things, and I just applied all over, to be honest. I applied to MICA really last minute, and Chicago really last minute because I didn’t really do my research, but I just I thought they were good schools for what I was interested in.

What advice do you have?

I would say definitely research which path you want to take. Illustration is really confusing because it’s honestly just an umbrella term for commercial art and whether you want to be a freelance illustrator or work under a company…There’s multiple categories under that. That was like what was kind of confusing for me because I was like, isn’t everything illustration?

What are your post-graduation plans?

I’m going to college. Champlain College in Burlington. How did you make your decision?

I think it just had the right location and the majors that it offered, because I’m majoring in game design. So it had a good program for that.

How would you describe your post-grad search?

It wasn’t that bad. Actually, my family hired a counselor. So she kind of helped me to look through stuff and fill out applications. For my major, I had to make a portfolio kind of thing. So I made a board game. I think that’s the hardest part.

What advice do you have?

I think it’s important to know where you want to be, location wise. Like if you want big populations or [small] populations.*

HENRY CARLEY

We are desensitized

A community is about everyone

Matthew Chen ‘23

There are only two things that I know are good: Saying hello and smiling— actions I don’t always do well.

The Strath Haven student council election season comes with promises of more inclusivity, more diversity, and in general—more change.

I’m excited that so many students want to improve Strath Haven’s community. Inspired even.

But what good are promises of change if we’re unsure what needs changing? What good is one’s campaign if their success is determined by how many friends they have?

I think our school as a whole should reevaluate what a community means.

Two Strath Haven students have died in the last four years. The district administration responded to the death of Zykee Carmichael with an email.

My point is that tragedy is apparent, but recognition of it is not.

The administration’s brief response to Carmichael’ss death reflects the desensitization of everyone at Strath Haven.

I think that even within the microcosm of our school, we’ve seen and heard about so much tragedy. And with each consecutive painful event, we’ve become less caring and more prone to indifference. This desensitization is heightened by the constant flow of tragic events in the media.

If we don’t acknowledge this collective desensitization, only the closest friends of those suffering will experience grief and shock. If we don’t acknowledge the pain in our student body, our students will

PARTING WORDS

Our senior editors share some thoughts as their year of leadership comes to a close.

Chew on this Getting to the root of the story

Julia Gray ‘23 Editor-in-Chief

go on claiming to make Strath Haven a “better place”, which will only perpetuate a cycle of complacent optimism.

We as a school cannot label ourselves as a “community” if we continue to overlook the fragments of students experiencing pain and instead spotlight the everlasting possibility of positive change. We cannot let prevalence be the reason why students are not properly recognized. Honestly, I don’t know the best course of action. But I think there’s power in student journalism. I think that student journalism differs from other journalism in that student stories are written not only for an audience but also for the people covered in the story.

As a student journalist, I’ve constantly questioned the purpose of my work. Why am I writing if no one is reading? Why am I making a video if no one will watch?

I’ve concluded that it’s okay if no one or only a few people read. Because even in simply putting someone else’s words on paper and sharing their story, there is a positive impact. If only one more person than none feels like they are heard, and that their perspective matters, it is worth it.

But you don’t need a notebook and a pencil to be a storyteller-student journalist. All you need is to be willing to say hello and smile, ready to welcome someone else’s perspective.

I think that’s the first step towards true change and a true community.*

If you were a tooth what tooth would you be?

Personally, I would be the tooth to the left of the front one. It is not a very good question. Mouths don’t have that many teeth, and most of these teeth look the same and don’t have names.

I understand the absurdity of the question, but that doesn’t stop me asking it to practically everyone I know. Maybe it is this absurdity that gets a conversation started, but whenever I ask that question, it doesn’t end at the teeth. We talk, and, the more I ask, the more I chip away at their story.

Stories are sealants. Extracting them fills the holes in our community; it connects people to friends, strangers, and information in a material way.

I knew telling these stories was going to be important, and a big responsibility, when I was named as editor-in-chief. That made it even more terrifying.

I ran down the stairs (in my socks) to walk to former editor-in-chief Kai Lincke’s house last summer. Suddenly, I was tumbling down, and, when my frantic summersaults came to an end, I violently landed on my butt.

My parents were away for the weekend, and, at the time, I couldn’t drive, so I hobbled over to Kai’s house.

I sat down (on a very hard chair) and tried my very best to take in the information that Kai was drilling into Matt and me. I have never felt so unprepared and my butt had never hurt so much.

When I was limping home, I was considering quitting right there. I wanted nothing more than to lie down in the grass

and text Kai, “Sorry, but I don’t think I can do this.”

That was the beginning of a long year of perseverance. I didn’t send that text, I didn’t collapse into the grass.

My first story of the year was about E-Hallpass. The words didn’t come easily, and I, truly, had very little idea what I was doing.

I had fun, though.

Telling a story, and a story that a lot of people had been talking about, was fun. When people read it, it felt not only like my work mattered, but that, maybe, I made the right choice when I hobbled home that summer day.

Every story I tell becomes my new favorite. Not only because I think I improve with every one, but because every story represents a new opportunity to affix the Panther Press’s readership to a new perspective.

Sometimes sharing new perspectives comes with criticism. At the beginning of the year, I was horror-struck by it, bracing for impact every time a new issue came out in print or a story came out on the website. Now though, although it can be scary, my commitment to defending my team, while also taking constructive criticism, has never been stronger. Our staff’s story, from inexperienced writers to seasoned student journalists has grown with each one that we write.

There isn’t a cavity in this community that isn’t flourishing with life and experiences; thank you for letting me tell the stories of them.*

Editor-in-Chief

Rhys Hals ‘23 HavenHappeningsEditor

Idon’t think any movie I’ve seen has had the same impact on me that “The Truman Show” has. I’ve only seen it once, maybe some 5 odd years ago, but to this day I think about it almost daily.

I know it’s a very self-centered worldview and a completely irrational fear, but there’s always the inkling in the back of my mind that maybe, just maybe, I am Truman in the Rhys show. What if my life is a big prank and everyone I consider to be close friends are really just actors, paid to play a role in my life for the purpose of the wider public’s entertainment?

But I bring myself back to reality, and remember no one really cares that much about me, not in a self-pity or ‘woe is me’ way, but simply in the way that it’s a fact. Everyone is so busy with their own lives, most couldn’t give less of a damn what I do. And that’s freeing.

I love to say “it’s ok as long as you’re self-aware,” as a joke, meaning that if you do something crappy, the impact is overridden by knowing it was crappy. Of course this is merely a quip, and I don’t truly believe that.

However, I think there is a lot to be said for being self-aware. It will not absolve you of your wrongdoings, but people are more willing to hear out someone that is self-reflecting rather than deflecting. Getting feedback becomes futile if you refuse to do your best to take a step back and look at you’ve done. Playing the devil’s advocate against yourself is always helpful to gain some perspective.

I think these things are all a part of not taking yourself too seriously, something I really strive to do. For me, that means continuing to be very passionate and invested in things, while simultaneously understanding that I am not the center of the universe, contradictory to my Truman Show related fears. Since beginning my work on the paper, this is something I’ve found to be very valuable.

I love what I do, and cherish all that I’ve learned in the past year. Every article and every issue takes hours of work, lots of thought, and allows me to do what I love most: hear my peers’ stories. However, as my involvement with the paper intensified, I found myself getting more and more sucked in, and losing perspective of why I was doing what I was doing. I was putting too much pressure on myself, holding myself to too high of a standard, and worried about how my writing would be received and how I would be perceived.

Having passions and interests are really important, but it’s also important to not get so wrapped up in one thing that it’s all-consuming. If something doesn’t turn out the way you envisioned it to, that’s okay. There are so many more chances, and so many more things to try out in the world. And the cliché that you are your own worst critic? 100% true.

Not taking yourself too seriously doesn’t mean not caring. It just means that you don’t get so wrapped up in whatever it is that you lose perspective. And at the end of the day, remember that everyone is the Truman in their own show, and are too busy to pay too much close attention to yours, so live life to the fullest, and dance like nobody’s watching.

Oh, and in case I don’t see you, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight!*

Ziplining and journalism

A terrifying experience eventually builds confidence.

Imogen Sharif ‘23 Arts Editor

Singing my stories

How my experience as a choir member translated to my work on the Panther Press.

Sylvan Prey-Harbaugh ‘23 Media & Broadcast Editor

If it’s not hard, it’s not great. Though poorly worded, this is the message my choir director repeated to us singers for years, trying to instill in us that we create our best work when challenged.

As a member of the Keystone State Boychoir until tenth grade, I’ve sung a lot of songs that originated in cultures different from my own. I wasn’t just taught to sing the notes, I was taught to sing the story. Learning the “why” behind the songs gave significance to every single note. As I sang alongside my friends with that understanding, I felt a strong connection to the people whose lives were touched by the same songs a long time ago, before we had organized the sheet music in our binders.

My favorite stories to tell are ones that I go into knowing nothing about.

Just as I learned the movements for and meaning behind the South African songs I sang in KSB, witnessing the way Strath Haven’s Tech Crew prepares for and puts on a musical scratched the itch I have to learn about others’ worlds. The experience of sharing that knowledge with others through song, video, photography, or writing, is always some sort of journey for me, and I make sure to keep it that way. As someone with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, I joke that I’m allergic to boredom. It’s hard for me to keep a passion for something that I’ve done similarly a couple of times. Though almost every project comes with a crisis moment (sometimes even tears), I keep it interesting by challenging myself. And what’s a better challenge than spearheading the new video section of a

student publication in a school that hadn’t had a broadcast program since the 90’s?

At the beginning of the school year, Ms. Plows met with me and posed the question: What would video content on the Panther Press look like?

I remember asking for more guidelines and then realizing what Ms. Plows was really saying. The other video creators at Haven and I had the opportunity to set a precedent for Panther Press video. I got to experiment all year, discovering new ways to tell the stories of Strath Haven and bugging the rest of the staff to try video creation as well by saying, “You know what? That would make a GREAT video.” I offer the idea whenever I can because I know how a lack of knowledge and the prospect of challenge can hold you back from creating some really cool stuff.

I didn’t write an article at all until the May 2023 issue of The Panther Press because I didn’t know how.

Though there were people all around me ready to show me the way, I felt dumb for asking. It’s so easy for all of them, why isn’t it easy for me?

I was ignoring the fact that every writer at The Panther Press had to overcome challenges to write like they do, and once I took on the challenge of learning a new medium, accepting that I may stumble along the way, I ended up creating work that I couldn’t be more proud of.

Through my experiences alongside other talented journalists, I learned to ask questions instead of assuming answers. Each word of my articles and frames of my videos are filled with significance because I followed the story and told it to the best of my ability with the same energy that filled me while telling stories through song.*

It’s okay to stay until 3:00

Have you ever ziplined? I have and it’s scary.

At first, you sign up for the course and you’re so excited but also a bit removed from the whole idea of it. You don’t fully realize what you’re about to do until you’re hooked up to a hundred harnesses and look down to see thousands of feet of open air.

I exaggerate, but still, it’s terrifying! To look down and see all that space between you and the floor, knowing that if the line breaks and you fall, there is nothing going to save you.

But then you go, or the course instructor pushes you, and you zip down that line! You scream and close your eyes, feeling the wind against you as you pass through the canopy, barely daring to unclench your hand on your harness.

But that open air becomes fun soon after you start, you look around and see the scenery, you relax your hands and breathe calmly. Once you get to the next platform, you look to the next line and smile. You aren’t afraid anymore.

My experience with the Panther Press

was as if I was surprised with a ziplining adventure with my good friends, so I faked my confidence until I looked down at the distance between where I stood and the ground below.

I joined the paper on a whim, to help my best friend Julia Gray out, and I had absolutely no clue what I was getting myself into. No idea how to go through an interview, how to format my stories, and no clue that I would become an editor.

But after my first jump, my first article where I had a shaky interview that I forgot to record and was given hundreds of edits on my tone, I got used to the rhythm.

I got used to the process of emails and interviews and photos and writing, and I loved it. Not just because I learned about the ins and outs of journalism, but because I got to enjoy the company of an amazing team while doing so.

Never in a million years would I think I’d be comparing ziplining to a school newspaper, but I also didn’t think I’d be an editor of said school newspaper.

Ziplining is scary and journalism is scary, but you have to do scary things in order to get to that next platform. Before you get to the next terrifying jump, you have to take that first step. The jumps become easier, you can learn to relax your hands, to breathe in the air, and to get zipping.*

Charles Bogert ‘23 SportsEditor

Writing this column, days before my last time stepping foot in the building as a high schooler, I can’t help but think about the rocky ride I had to get here.

My first semester of freshman year was dictated by awkwardness and ducking under giant seniors. Still just a little freshman trying to find their place— but then COVID hit, interrupting whatever comfort I had at the time.

The next two years had their own challenges, both online and in person. No fifth block and half of my time not even being in school stunted my growth as a student as well. It wasn’t until this year, that I really found myself as a student, and much of that started when I joined the Panther Press.

High school is extremely stressful, and it’s easy to get stuck in the loop of your four classes, and I was in the same boat. When I joined the Panther Press, though, that loop changed.

Panther Press was the first time I’ve been able to really ‘get involved’ at Strath Haven, and although I regret waiting this long, I’m happy I finally did it.

Unlocking the door of fifth block is the greatest decision a Strath Haven student can make. Joining clubs that I liked has great benefits for my life as a student. Not only was I able to find new and fun ways to contribute to the Strath Haven community, but find a great group of friends, too.

Your first step into fifth block doesn’t necessarily have to be like mine. I just conveniently chose the best club in the school.* Congratulations

Don’t take yourself too seriously Remember to take a step back and self-reflect.

Committing to athletics

It’s a major decision to continue with athletics in college. Haven athletes are committing to year-round practices, challenging schedules, and the pursuit of excellence in their sport.

At the annual signing day on May 15, we caught up with just a few of the seniors who will pursue their sport at the next level.

David Hagan ‘23

Charles Bogert GettYsburg College

Q: What made you choose the college that you’re attending?

“Well, it’s a bunch of factors going through the recruiting process. I’m looking at schools that both are an academic fit and an athletic fit and Gettysburg was both.”

Q: What’s been one of the most memorable parts of your high school athletics career?

“I definitely think just all the practices. Just going out because we practice late we practice from seven o’clock to nine o’clock at night, just going out at night having fun when there’s nothing else going on. It’s probably the most memorable part all the team bonding like team breakfast, team dinner is pretty fun.”

Q: What are you looking forward to most in college athletics?

“I really think competing. Gettysburg has a good lacrosse team and I just want to be part of like a winning program. And I think it would be super fun to go far and the regular season and the playoffs.”

Q: What advice do you have for underclassmen who might be considering playing college sports?

“I guess just work hard. I think like no matter where you play, what you’re playing, it’s an accomplishment to play in college. And cherish that and like, it’s all in your hands to get there. It just takes hard work and dedication.”

Q: Anyone you’d like to shout-out or thank?

“Probably Tate Gorman. In fourth grade he got me into lacrosse and now once I started playing, I haven’t looked back since. Thank you.”

Jaden Jauregui UNION College

Q: What made you choose the college that you’re attending?

“When I visited I really liked the campus and I got to watch practice and like interact with the team and I liked the teammates, you know, feel like we would have a good vibe.”

Q: What’s been one of the most memorable parts of your high school athletics career?

“In all honesty, we went through a lot of ups and downs, but probably my sophomore year. We had COVID make a lot of instances where we had to stop playing and stuff like that, but we always stayed together. So probably the COVID year.”

Q: What are you looking forward to most in college athletics?

“Keep working hard and keep developing my work ethic.”

Q: What advice do you have for underclassmen who might be considering playing college sports?

“Keep working hard. You know, like, get more hours in than your competition.”

Q: Anyone you’d like to shout-out or thank?

“Shout out Haney, my guy.”

Tate Gorman Clark University

Q: What made you choose the college that you’re attending?

“I really just liked the coach and the location of the school and what they offer. I’m thinking about majoring in computer science and they have a really good computer science program there. So yeah, just the team as well. The players on the team, they all seem like cool guys, and the coach is a really nice guy.”

Q: What’s been one of the most memorable parts of your high school athletics career?

“Probably just playing with my friends every day out on the turf. You know, just spending that much time together, you get to make a lot of memories. So I’m probably just never going forget just playing with them every day. Whether it be a game or a practice under the lights, under the sun. That’s probably what it is—practices and games.”

Q: What are you looking forward to most in college athletics?

“I’m excited to meet new teammates, meet new people in new areas, and obviously just play competitive sports. It’s going to be fun at the next level.

Q: What advice do you have for underclassmen who might be considering playing college sports?

“Just keep working. You know, focus on you. Don’t worry about where other people are, what they’re doing, focus on you. Keep those blinders on and just head down and grind, you know?”

Q: Anyone you’d like to shout-out or thank?

“Probably my parents and my teammates, especially Charles Bogert—you know, he’s been along with me the whole time. My parents have always been there for me, whether it be going to practices or going to games.”

Amelia Andrews-Sullivan THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY

Q: What made you choose the college that you’re attending?

“Initially, it was just for academics. I didn’t really want to play in college when I first started thinking about it. But after this season, I was really really adamant about playing in college once the opportunity showed itself. So throughout the recruiting process, only a couple of schools opened up to me and they weren’t at the top of my list. But once my top school academically opened up as an option, that’s the one I ended up choosing.”

Q: What’s been one of the most memorable parts of your high school athletics career?

“Definitely this season as a senior. My experience hasn’t been the best in my previous years, because of my lack of skill. And the figures I had really didn’t help me as much. But as a senior, I was really helpful for the younger girls who aren’t as advanced, skill-wise, and I really enjoyed being a mentor for anybody on the team.”

Q: What are you looking forward to most in college athletics?

“Competing at a higher level. I always love a challenge and I love being able to be challenged by other people. So playing at the division two level will definitely provide that.”

Q: What advice do you have for underclassmen who might be considering playing college sports?

“Don’t be discouraged by your lack of skill. I was not good at playing volleyball up until like, maybe six months ago. And always keep your options open. Like I got started really late in the recruiting process. Don’t completely close yourself off. Even if you don’t really want to do it, you should definitely reach out to the coaches of the schools you may be attending or applying to, so you can have that option.

Q: Anyone you’d like to shout-out or thank?

“Definitely my mom. She was extremely adamant about me going for what I wanted, especially after so many injuries that I had. So she pushed me to be a better person. My coach who put me out there in the like, pile of names that coaches had, because she was extremely influential and me playing in college, and my sister because I play for her, I play for myself and I really, really want to be that figure that she can hold in her mind to look up to.”*

Lacrosse BASKETBALL

LACROSSE VOLLEYBALL

CELEBRATING THE NEXT LEVEL • Haven athletes took advantage of the photo opportunity at the spring signing ceremony in the gym on May 15. PHOTO: @WSSCHOOLS TWITTER

Baseball

takes Central League title

In multiple shut-out victories, the Panthers continue their amazing season

Kelly Montague ‘25

Contributor

The Strath Haven varsity baseball team is unstoppable this season, taking the Central League crown by shutting out Harriton in a 5-0 game on May 5, but even more recently taking home a District title against Upper Dublin on May 31.

In the past three years, the Panthers varsity team has won two Central League titles, two District titles, and went to state playoff games.

On May 16, Haven had their Senior Night against Interboro. They celebrated seniors Alex Pak, Sam Milligan, Nick Corritore, Noah Green, Jack Edwards, Bobby Fooskas, and Joe Natale.

Despite their efforts, the team’s biggest challenge seems to be making contact and hitting the ball, so it’s been a focal point for the season. Sophomore pitcher and first baseman Luke D’Ancona commented on their hopes for the playoffs.

“I hope that we start hitting,” D’Ancona said. “And if we don’t start hitting, I hope that our pitching is up to where it’s been.”

That afternoon, senior Alex Pak and junior Jake McDonough scored home runs, with other runs scored by junior Matt Kane and seniors Noah Green and Bobby Fooskas, racking the final score up to 8-5, taking

victory over the Buccaneers.

Haven’s overall record so far is 19-4, with their conference record being 14-2, only losing to only Upper Darby and Ridley (within the conference). So far, they’ve scored 135 runs, and have allowed only 63 to get by.

On May 24, they hosted Phoenixville for the second round of playoffs, shutting them out with a 5-0 win. Next, Haven won an 11-5 victory in the third round on May 26 against West Chester Rustin at home.

Momentum was built towards a rematch of last year’s district final against top-seeded Upper Dublin at Villanova Ballpark on Tuesday, May 30, hoping to seek revenge after their loss last year.

It all came down to the final inning, when Haven brought it home with a final score of 7-4 against the Cardinals. The Panther Pack—the nickname of Strath Haven’s student section—came to the field to support, dressed in black, and stormed the field at the conclusion of the game.

D’Ancona was on the mound with 2 outs and 2 strikes in the bottom of the 7th, only one pitch away from taking the district championship..

“The energy was incredible and everyone was just

Wright looks forward to college gymnastics career

Senior recaps her gymnastics experience so far as her high school years come to an end.

Jillian Thomas ‘24 SportsEditor

On Friday, May 12, senior and Level 10 gymnast Lauren Wright won the Eastern US All-Around Championship title in Oklahoma—her final achievement as a high school club gymnast.

This championship, previously called the Junior Olympic Nationals, is referred to as the culmination of the competitive gymnastics season, and hosts “the best up-andcoming gymnasts in the country.”

This fall, Wright will compete at the collegiate level at North Carolina State University, a Division I school.

Wright started competing at age six, but gymnastics was not love at first sight.

“I started in a summer camp, the day after I turned five. My parents just dropped me off on their way to work, and I hated it at first,” she said. “But then I was put back into summer camp the next year and loved it.”

A coach at Wright’s summer camp saw her talent, and recommended that she be put into gymnastics classes, so she began at AJS gym in West Chester. She competed here for six years. Now, she competes for Stallone Gymnastics and identifies the most challenging parts of gymnastics.

“The most challenging part [is] getting over injuries, and knowing everything always happens for a reason…Another challenging thing is I don’t get to hang out with my school friends, because I am always at practice… getting over not having the high school experience [is challenging],” Wright said.

However, Wright’s career has provided opportunities for extremely rewarding experiences, as well.

“Getting to travel to different places with my best friends. I am with them every day in the gym for four hours,” Wright said.

As she goes on to compete in college, Wright considers what she thinks is going to be the highlight of collegiate competition.

“Probably the team aspect. Club gymnastics is kind of an individual sport, and the team kind of comes second,” she said. “But college gymnastics is for the team, and it is more team-oriented.”*

GOLD MEDAL SMILE • Senior Lauren Wright celebrates her all-around gold medal at the Development National Championships in Oklahoma City, May 12-14.

knowing that we were one pitch away,” he said. “Everyone knew what had happened last year, and we knew it wasn’t going to happen again. I was getting chirped the whole game by the other student section, so I was just thinking about shutting them down and silencing them.

“We’ve wanted this moment since the last inning of last year, and it’s incredible to see all of the hard work that the team put in in the off-season and during this season, and seeing it all pay off makes everything worth it.”

D’Ancona threw the pitch and the pop-up hit was caught by sophomore second baseman Ben Milligan, ending the game and securing the District 5A trophy. On Monday June 5, the Panthers will challenge District 3’s fourth-place team in the first round of the PIAA Class 5A tournament. The game will happen at Neumann University, and Strath Haven is the sole team from Delco to qualify for a PIAA tournament.”

Junior starts club to coach powerlifting

Saveliev hopes to educate and prevent injuries in weightroom.

Matthew Chen ‘23 Editor-in-Chief

Junior Daniel Saveliev’s greatest attribute in the gym isn’t his powerlifting. It’s his ability to improve others’ strength.

One day before the activities fair this school year, Saveliev brought his proposal of starting a Lifting Club to English teacher Mr. Kevin Haney.

He wanted to educate students on weightlifting so they can improve their personal records (PR) and also not get injured.

“I just think it’s really great seeing people improve and seeing the happiness they get when they get a new PR, or when they feel something feels better and doesn’t hurt anymore,” he said.

With beginners, Saveliev starts by having students use a bar with no weights or a PVC pipe. He then ensures that all the motions look perfect before incrementally increasing the weight.

“I think there have been five examples of when I’ve just had a full fifth block one on one with someone,” he said. “One of the kids that just passed here— I taught him how to squat. And now his PR is a full 90 pounds higher than it was then.”

Apart from one on one coaching, Saveliev has a Weightlifting Learning Resource which is posted on the Haven Lifting Club Google Classroom.

While there are no set requirements during club lifts, students often do similar workouts and trade advice with one another. Juniors Adam Ibrahim and Carter Law are some of the other students who teach powerlifting.

Saveliev stressed that everyone is welcome at the club— regardless of gender, age, or weightlifting experience.

Club lifts in Room 212— aka the weightroom— are usually filled with energy and loud yelling.

“It’s just like really high energy and when they finally [finish the rep], everyone feels happy for them,” Saveliev said. “They feel happy. It’s just a great bonding and community experience.”

Sophomore Nathan Lin is a track and football athlete who is a regular at the weight room.

“It’s a lot of fun and we get to push each other to our limits,” he said. *

Sophomore Ivan Li lifts the bar during a 5th block lift session. PHOTO: MATTHEW CHEN

PHOTO: USA GYMNASTICS FACEBOOK

THE TASTE BUDS JOURNEY THROUGH

THE DAY EDITION

We’ll take you to the tastiest local spots for a scrumptious meal, following the journey of breakfast, late lunch, and dinner!

CJ Chen ‘24, Lucy Karn ‘24 Reporter, Contributor

Each of the set of three restaurants in this edition is rated out of five stars, which averages the overall ratings for each item ordered. Additional criteria include taste, environment, and Bang for your Buck-ness, which indicates how reasonable the price is for the product.

OCCASIONALLY YOURS

Location: 8 minutes from SHHS at 10 Park Ave, Swarthmore

Hours of operation: Closed Mondays. Sunday, TuesdaySaturday 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

Specialty: Breakfast and lunc

Rating: HHHH

alking into this establishment, I not only saw fellow classmates, but adults and college students enjoying a nice breakfast, lunch, and both. This created a welcoming environment that seemed very open and inviting. The restaurant was small, which made the experience very intimate, but if one desired more room, they also provided outdoor seating.

While the idea of brunch and late lunch tends to be associated with an older generation, Occasionally Yours has a younger appeal too. Displaying Swarthmore pride, they had a cap and gown in their front window in honor of the college’s graduating class. In addition, I spotted three fellow Strath Haven students eating there and two more working in this establishment.

I got the Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich. The sandwich itself was good and came in a toasted French bread roll, which was the perfect choice of bread, in my opinion. This was labeled a hot sandwich, and although I did eat half of it when it was freshly made, I had the other half later in the day when it got cold. Even when it was cold, I still found it appetizing and delicious. However, the sandwich was on the smaller side, and the meat and bread were stacked very thickly, making it hard to bite and eat without dismantling it.

The Traditional Breakfast sandwich was exactly what you would expect, scrambled eggs with bacon and cheese between two halves of a bagel. The bacon had the perfect crispness, making it not overly crunchy but easy to bite when eating the sandwich. In addition, the cheese was perfectly melted onto the bacon, further adding to the perfection of the sandwich. However, I found the serving of eggs a bit too much, making the sandwich consumption more difficult and messy. This sandwich also came with their breakfast potatoes which, in my potato-loving opinion, were delightful and are the ideal side for this classic breakfast sandwich.

The Traditional Breakfast Sandwich was great but can be purchased at any establishment serving morning meals. The price was twelve dollars, which is reasonable because the sandwich was excellent and filling. The Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwich was sixteen dollars and tasty but difficult to eat. This sandwich is unique to Ocasionally Yours and demonstrates the restaurant’s personality. Overall, the bang for your buckness is okay but not great, as one can expect when going out for a nice morning meal.

I would eat here again, but would want to try one of their salads or soups. I suggest this place to anyone wanting to enjoy breakfast or lunch with friends or family because it has a welcoming feel and plenty of dishes that convey its comforting taste.

COCO THAI BISTRO

Location: 32 minutes from SHHS at 231 Haverford Ave, Narberth

Hours of operation: Mon. CLOSED; Sun., Tues. - Thurs. 12 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.; Fri. - Sat. 12 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Specialty: Thai Cuisine

FELLINI CAFE OF MEDIA

Location: 9 minutes from SHHS at 106 West State St., Media

Hours of operation: Sun. - Thurs. 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Fri. - Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Specialty: Italian Cuisine

Rating: HHHH

The neatly nestled Coco Thai Bistro lies at the heart of Haverford Avenue, which mirrored the quaint small businesses lined in rows of State Street in media. Walking in, it was logically on the emptier side for a 4 p.m. Sunday meal.

WImmediately, the plant-centric nature of the decor was noticeably filling every open spot in the restaurant. The houseplants draped and dangled, covering the walls, windows, and counters. This two-story restaurant featured a secluded upstairs dining area with even more plants growing on shelves framed by flickering electric candles under wicker baskets.

The environmentally conscious message of the restaurant was evident in its lack of paper menus or take-home boxes. Instead, QR codes were stuck to each table to be scanned for the digital menu. On the site, each dish was customizable for a type of protein, starch, and spice level. The digital menu was a slight inconvenience to use and order from, with no ability to compare dishes in different sections in a side-byside manner. The phone had to be passed from person to person to complete each customization and to be added to the digital cart.

After ordering from the house specials, the Thai Pumpkin Red Curry with glass noodles cost $23.95. This dish had a strong creamy taste, with the soft pumpkin melting on the tongue with each forkful. The flavors blended nicely, although there was no varied texture, making it a slightly more boring meal than it could have been; an element of crunch would have been appreciated. The portion size was very large, and due to the higher spice level (which can be customized), the dish was ultimately packed up in a to-go box at the end, which cost an extra fee.

Coco Thai Basil with chicken fulfilled all the taste expectations for a quality Thai restaurant. At $25.95, the fresh vegetables and perfectly cooked chicken with curry sauce were a delicious and filling meal.

The Pan Seared Striped Bass had a crispy exterior and tender meat inside. The rich flavors of the coconut rice also came through strong, although the hot ginger sauce needed to be more, and more was needed. The better choice of sauce to pair with this dish would be one of the curry sauces offered on the customization slide. This dish cost nearly thirty dollars, the most expensive of the three meals ordered from Coco Thai Bistro.

Looking at only the food, Coco Thai Bistro does well in the flavor and quality of its dishes but does not fall favorably on the Bang for Your Buck-ness scale. The restaurant was very pricey; however, the beautiful environment and nice location can justify its high cost.

Coco Thai is the spot for you if you’re looking for a dreamy, nature-filled restaurant experience and are willing to spend and travel a bit more.

Rating: HHHH

This restaurant was a bustling hot spot for dinner, even on a weekday evening. The table reservation scheduled for 7 p.m. still had us waiting for fifteen minutes. Once seated, the dimmed ambiance of the candle-lit environment gave off a homely feeling. Some strangely arranged illustratory paintings of chickens, pigeons, and other birds were scattered upon the warm-colored walls. The menus contained an assortment of grain and meat-centric dishes. The variety of pasta available page after page was paired with a choice of seafood and hearty cuts of meat. After ordering, an opera singer serenaded a table nearby with her rendition of Happy Birthday. Sitting in the opera room for special performances throughout the night is an additional perk available for an extra fee every Monday evening at the Fellini Cafe of Media.

Complimentary bread topped with chopped tomatoes was brought out for us to snack on before the dishes arrived.

The Penne Primavera dish contained zucchini, mushrooms, artichokes, tomatoes, onion, and olive oil over pasta. The only flavor in this dish was in the mushrooms; everything else was coated in a layer of olive oil, which was not an especially fragrant oil, making the texture of everything wet and slick, and the dish difficult to finish. An oil pool left in the plate made me question why such a large amount was added. The price point of eighteen dollars was not a great Bang for you Buck, especially due to the unsatisfying taste.

The Chicken Piccata was served with a lemon butter sauce, capers, tomatoes, and a side of the day’s vegetables, broccoli, and rice. The sauce was perfect, except it was everywhere but on the chicken. However, the mixture of rice and broccoli with the sauce was delicious. This mixture of rice, broccoli, and sauce was the best part of the dish, and I easily finished it first. The chicken was thick and did not have much sauce on it or near it, making it bland and not worthy of being the main part of this dish. This dish was good but not worth the twenty-two dollars spent. *

Ridley Creek State Park Park office at 351 Gradyville Road, Newtown Square

Open daily until dusk. Volunteer monthly on the first Saturdays of the month, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m., with Friends of Ridley Creek State Park.

Ididn’t think that taking a hike was all too interesting. Not until I met Gary Stolz, DCNR (Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) education guide, parting through trails and identifying bird calls by ear.

A friendly sign is posted near all main locations of this 2,606-acre park, listing free upcoming nature hikes and educational programs. You might’ve been here before, but the park reveals itself in a new light when you’re in a program led by Gary Stolz. The naturalist-led bird walks, wild plant identification programs, (and more!) are also all listed on the park website. Each program starts with the obligatory mention of the amazingly vocal birds in the Hunting Hill mansion parking lot and a description of which migratory birds you’ll most likely see in the current season. If you’re part of a walk or hike program, you’ll be taken through a trail, and the most common invasive plants will be identified to you, with a brief history of the downfalls in park ranger programs in the 1960s that encouraged said invasive plants in public parks.

I cannot recommend spending your time in this park enough. There is so much to see in this enormous park, (almost) too many birds, and historical landmarks scattered throughout. Trails are open from dawn till dusk. Upcoming events include but are not limited to:

• Saturday, June 3 (9 a.m. - 12 p.m.) Guided Nature Hike with DCNR Naturalist

• Sunday, June 18 (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.) National Pollinators Week Exhibit

• Tuesday, July 4 (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.) Pennsylvania Fish for Free Day with Local Fishing Experts

Tyler Arboretum Park office at 515 Painter Road, Media

Open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. Adults $18, Ages 3-17 $10

This 650-acre arboretum requires a fee to enter, but with the nonmember registration fee to any of the upcoming programs, you also receive that day’s admission. With its welllabeled horticultural displays, there is lots to learn. It contains seven trails and numerous well-tended gardens to visit.

Tyler Arboretum is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends.

I attended the weekly bird walk over spring break. This morning bird walk group was so large and filled with excited birders that the three guides had to split the group. On this foggy morning, the birds were shying away and quite difficult to spot to the untrained viewer. Nevertheless, the guide, who had an enormous birding telescope, captured clean views of the Northern Flicker (my favorite bird), numerous woodpeckers, and many other spring migrators. The guides and regular attendees of the program were knowledgeable and enthusiastic about teaching bird calls and spotting all sorts of interesting-looking fungi. . Upcoming events include but are not limited to:

• Saturday, June 10 (1 p.m. - 3 p.m.) Weekly Saturday Wildflower Walk

• Wednesday, July 12 (8 a.m. - 10 a.m.) Weekly Bird Walk

• Sunday, June 18 (1 p.m. - 2 p.m.) Bluebird Nesting Box Tour

• Thursday, July 13 & 27 (10 a.m. - 12 p.m.) Richard’s Rambles: Nature walks with Dr. Richard Brenner with a unique theme

GET OUT!

Local nature programs are available ALL. SUMMER. LONG.

With the resurgence of free time nearing school’s end, here are some of the coolest local places with great trails, people, and activities you might not have known about. This is not the definitive list of all nature programs nearby, but it will hopefully provide the opportunity to start you on an exploratory journey outside. Get that Vitamin D and consider volunteering your time or enjoying a nice day outdoors learning something new.

Little Crum Creek Park

107 Yale Ave, Swarthmore

Open daily until dusk. Volunteer monthly second Saturdays, seasonally with Friends of Little Crum Creek Park.

CJ Chen ‘24 | Reporter

John Heinz Wildlife Refuge

8601 Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia

Open daily until dusk. Visitor’s Center open Wed.-Sat.

9-4. Volunteer during Stewardship Saturdays on the second Saturday of every month from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Willistown Conservation Trust

925 Providence Road, Newtown Square

Daily sunrise to sunset. Volunteer Wednesdays on the farm anytime between 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The largest park in Swarthmore contains a gazebo and relaxing benches with a small creek cutting through its landscape. Although much smaller than the other locations mentioned, its quaint and secluded spot away from traffic provides a peaceful afternoon walk or picnic spot. This local park contains picnic tables, a bridge, and a lawn area for all to enjoy. The non-profit Friends organization associated with the park will continue tackling invasive plants and replacing them with native species this summer. The park is open from dawn to dusk.

I cannot recommend spending your time in this park enough. There is so much to see in this enormous park, (almost) too many birds, and historical landmarks scattered throughout. Trails are open from dawn till dusk.

Upcoming events include but are not limited to:

• Saturday, June 10 (9 a.m. - 12 p.m.) Swarthmore farmers market table with free native plants, second Saturday park cleanup

This wildlife refuge protects the 1,200-acre Tinicum Marsh and has 10 miles of trails to explore from dawn to dusk. John Heinz is associated with the U.S fish and Wildlife services.

.Upcoming events include but are not limited to:

• Saturday, June 24 (9 a.m. - 11 a.m.) Beginner Bird Walk

• Thursday, July 6 (8:15 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.) Bat Walk with the Bio Team (kid-friendly)

• Saturday, July 22 (8 a.m. - 10 a.m.) Annual Heinz Butterfly Count

• Thursday, Aug 3 (4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.) Try Archery with USA Archery certified instructors (equipment provided)

This land trust consists of 7,500 acres of land, including the Ashbridge Preserve, Kirkwood Preserve, and Rushton Woods Preserve, home to Rushton Conservation Center and Rushton Farm.

The Rushton farm contains a bird conservation program, which makes it a perfect spot to see rarities that aren’t seen in the Wallingford-Swarthmore area. The impressive vegetable beds also demonstrate the farm’s dedication to involving the surrounding community. Fifteen percent of the annual harvest is donated to the West Chester food bank, whose staff works hard to keep sustainable practices on the farm.

Trails wind around various streams, and the secluded nature of the preserve means that the water quality and trails are healthy and clean. Upcoming events include but are not limited to:

• Saturday, June 24 (9 a.m. - 11 a.m.) Watershed Volunteer Day

• Saturday, July 1 (7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.) Avian Adventures with Aaron

• July 18-24 (all day) Wildflower Week

PHOTO: PA DCNR

PHOTO: CJ CHEN

PHOTO: CJ CHEN

PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

PHOTO: CJ CHEN

ASK A&A

Two of Haven’s wise seniors offer advice to students with burning questions

Anjali Robinson-Leary ‘23, Aïssata Koné ‘23 Contributors

Q:DearA&A, I’m a junior and feeling quite overwhelmed with the amount of activities I’ve committed to, plus choosing the right ones in trying to “look good” for college. How do I deal with the stress of making big decisions about my future when I feel so young and unready?

*yellowtugboat

Dear yellowtugboat

A:Dealing with stress looks different for everyone! We are no experts, but Aïssata tries to balance activities by keeping a strict schedule like if she has two clubs on the same day, she’ll alternate weeks or spend half the time at one place and the remaining time in the other. Anjali breaks down big goals into smaller steps and has a ‘No-Work-Day,’ where she minimizes the amount of engagements and work that she has, so she has that day to completely de-stress, hang out with friends, or do other leisure activities.

One thing you shouldn’t do is overwhelm yourself with activities, because you won’t be able to give as much effort as you should; it’s important that you DO things within your extracurriculars, not just be a part of them. Make sure to pick activities that you care about and are relevant to your desired major to prioritize, especially those you lead, while also keeping in mind that application readers notice if there’s a surge of new activities in the last two years and are more impressed by long term growing positions held in clubs. It’s okay to be young and feel unready. Everybody else that is applying to colleges are also young and most feel just as unready as you do.

One thing Anjali would suggest is to reach out to your counselor and think about cutting back on certain activities if you feel that the stress is becoming unmanageable. You can’t do everything. There is a bargain with time and energy; be sure to prioritize yourself at every moment. This is a great time to reach out to your friends, family, counselor, and favorite teachers for support and community. There is a lot of stress within junior year and the beginning of senior year, so it is important that you reach out to your support system.

Remember that there is no magical switch that will flip and make you feel ready. you have to trust in your hard work and let things play out as they will! Everything will be fine as long as you are diligent. The truth of the matter is that we attend a school that puts us yards in front of the starting line. You are ready. Congrats on all you’ve accomplished so far, and good luck with what’s to come!

With Love, A&A

CHEESE CORNER:

Q:Is it okay thatt I still sometimes get cavities as a senior?

*Gumball

Dear Gumball,A:Yes, We think you’re alright. Dental health isn’t really that important (this is a joke, please take care of your teeth and gums). If all your teeth fell out we’d still love you! To be completely honest, if your breath is okay, nobody will know.

With Love, A&A

Q:For about two years now, my older sister has been removing me from her life. We used to call each other all the time, but now she doesn’t ever answer. I think she is struggling with her mental health, but I miss her and want to help her in any way I can. How can I best express to my older sister that I’m sad we don’t talk as much anymore without making her feel like it’s her fault

*Mockingjay

Dear Mockingjay

A:We think being direct is the best way to handle this. However, before being direct, you might want to take steps to make it clear that you’re interested in spending time with her and getting closer. Ask her if she wants to do something you both enjoy.

It’s not exactly the same, but Aïssata’s sister is seven years old, and they live in two different houses but like to do things to spend time together. You can start off with lowcommitment activities with one another, like texting or sending tik toks you’d think she’d enjoy. Think about your sister’s love language and cater to that! Check-ins are a good way to make it clear that you care about her, even if they’re a simple call or text.

After making it clear that you’re interested in rebuilding your relationship with one another, you should explicitly be clear about wanting to spend time and getting closer—— while emphasizing that 1) there is no judgment, 2) it’s not her fault, and 3) that you want to help. You could tell her what you told us, verbatim, “I’m sad we don’t talk as much anymore, I recognize it’s not your fault, but I want to work on it together.” It’s likely she’ll agree, and if you guys are close, she’ll probably open up to you about whatever she’s going through—nine times out of ten, people struggling with their mental health distance themselves because they believe no one cares about them. It will probably make your sister feel loved and supported to know she has someone who cares about her and wants to help her.

Good luck, and be patient. She’ll come around eventually!

With Love, A&A

Burrata promises great summer taste

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

Matteo Ventresca ‘25

Detours Editor

For this edition of the Cheese Corner, I thought it would make sense to have summer cheese because it is June. I bring you Burrata.

Burrata is made in the heel of Italy using fresh milk from the buffalos that roam the plains of Apulia. The way this cheese is made is very unique. It involves artisans reaching the perfect texture through how it feels and experience.

Burrata is made with either pasteurized or raw milk in large vats filled and heated so that only rennet slowly curds the milk. After curds are formed, they are dropped into hot whey. The whey is mixed with the curds until a flexible paste is formed. The workers use their hands to spin the curds, weaving and pulling them until they spin like stretched curd cheese. When they get the texture they want, they form a soft pouch. The pouch is packed with shredded strings of mozzarella and creamed cheese before being knotted shut at the peak. Burrata has a much more evident flavor in its early stages, so you can enjoy it within a day or two of making it, as waiting too long can dilute the flavor and texture.

This cheese is the perfect balance of flavors, with

HEAR

a soft shell wrapped around a creamy interior that offers a mix of flavors and a creamy consistency. When you cut it open, the creamy interior seeps out of the center like lava. It is soft, smooth, and fresh. It has a unique profile and a delicate palate. This is at the top of my list for summer cheese. I eat this with salami, crackers, and in a sandwich. It has an amazing taste when it is eaten with bread-like foods and in a salad. I think the best way to eat this cheese is with oil and salt. Just put it on a plate, cut it, and add oil and salt. Enjoy! *

Q:Howdo I tell my friend that me and this guy are talking, because she doesn’t seem to get the message the first time I told her? She keeps flirting with him

*locker89

Dear locker89,A:We would suggest explaining how you feel and what you would like her to do differently. If she ignores that, she does not respect you. Everybody has a different ‘Friend-Code’, but make sure she knows how you feel and what you expect from her as a friend. If her reaction is negative to the conversation that you’ll bring up, reconsider the terms of your friendship!

With Love, A&A*

Interested in being next year’s advice columnists when A&A start their next chapters? Get in touch. strathhavenpantherpress@gmail.com

THE PANTHER PLAYLIST

Vol. 5: June Playlist

Strath Haven Panther Press ~ 16 songs, 1 hr 7 min Mackenzie Murray ‘23, Nuala McHugh ‘23

Contributors

1 This Will Be (An Everlasting Love) Natalie Cole

2 Now or NeverBonus Track Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige

3 Doses & Mimosas Cherub

4 Is This It The Strokes

5 Black Magic Woman Santana

6 Sundown Syndrome Tame

A&A • MATTHEW CHEN

THE NEWSPAPER STAFF DID NOT PREVIOUSLY KNOW THAT SUMMER CHEESE WAS A THING. • MATTEO VENTRESCA

MATTEO PRONOUNCE THIS CHEESE:

Impala

See the rest of the playlist at the QR code.

19 DETOURS

Kaia Smith ‘25

Contributor

ACROSS

2. initialism of a union whose strike has affected late-night television for one

4. family member used as a symbol representing American patriotism

6. New England city that knocked Philadelphia out of NBA playoffs

8. term for a super fan coined by an Eminem song

10. “Friends” character and Taylor Swift Philadelphia opener

11. style of hair, bracelet, or bread

13. a word commonly put in the phrase “I couldn’t care less” giving it an unintentional opposite meaning

14. Kanye West song that could be fittingly played on June 9th

16. Ryan Gosling’s role in Gerwig’s “Barbie”

17. uh oh

Finals Edition

AA+ BC+ B-

DOWN

1. farmers’ ears?

3. colorful “The Fault in Our Stars” author

5. a type of hair removal or moon phase

7. 60s/70s English band with an inquisitive name

9. color of the album after Ocean’s “channel ORANGE”

11. nip it in the ___

12. family member used in PEMDAS mnemonic

13. type of bird or towering construction tool

15. distant(personally)

18. Chastise

ANSWERS AT SHPANTHERPRESS.COM

’

Graduation

+Exciting!!

+Can’t wait to go on the cruise

-Coming up so quick

Warm weather

+Feels so good

+Sitting outside during lunch

+Summer is right around the corner

+Classes go outside more often

The pond +Environmental Science classes’ second home

+So cute nature

-Dead trees falling

-There are leeches???

GSA story published

+Very good piece

+Proud of our work

-We are tired of prior review

End-of-Year Projects

+Allows for learning more about interests

+Gives will to meaning (shoutout Frankl) amidst senioritis

27

JUNE CROSSWORD REPORT CARD

You’ve seen them on tours and on the sidelines of games, but who are they, really? We were curious about some of the incoming students, so we took a walk over to the middle school to meet just a few of the soon-to-be eighth grade grads. The Panther Press wishes the best to the class of 2027.

ZACH MILLIGAN

What are your interests?

“I do football, baseball, and wrestling.”

Who’s your favorite artist?

“I’ll listen to stuff when I’m working out, but it’s just whatever’s on the radio.”

What are you the most excited about in high school?

“I know my brothers have friends that I like and I can’t wait to be in class with them.”

What should SHHS know about your class before you become freshmen?

“We have a lot of good kids, a lot of athletic talent.”

CHARLIE SHARIF

What are your interests?

“I’m in the Boy Scouts and I play video games.”

What are you the most excited about in high school?

“Not being forced to have a locker.”

What are you the most nervous about in high school?

“Not having a locker.”

KATHRYN KUDRICK

What are your interests?

“I like to sing and dance, and I like theater too.”

What’s your favorite subject? “Social studies. No, wait— science.”

Who’s your favorite artist? “Cigarettes After Sex”

What are you the most excited about in high school?

“All of the music and art stuff, and band front.”

NOAH HENDERSON

What are your interests?

“I run track and do ultimate.”

What’s your favorite subject? “Probably science.”

What are you the most excited about in high school?

“Freedom of choosing my classes.”

What are you most nervous about in high school?

“Being a freshman in nonfreshman classes.”

What should SHHS know about your class before you become freshmen? “Beware.”

NAOMI YATES

What are your interests?

“I do track and art club.”

What are you the most excited about in high school?

“Either history or science.”

Who’s your favorite artist?

“Probably TV Girl.”

What are you the most excited about in high school? “Bandfront.”

HENRY HEWITT

What are your interests?

“I do Science Olympiad, track, and band.”

What are you the most nervous about in high school?

“The increased workload, definitely.”

What should SHHS know about your class before you become freshmen? “Watch out for some of us.”*

MEET

This paper is your story now!

Students use buttons to express their personality

The magic of a pin can illuminate one’s personality—and make for a great conversation starter.

Kaitlyn Ho ‘26

Copy Editor/Health & Sciences Editor

For some students, buttons serve as little multipurpose metal windows into the soul.

To senior Imogen Sharif, pins on a backpack are a way to relieve anxiety in the face of grades and clubs.

Senior Imogen Sharif uses the buttons on her backpack to add some laughter into her life.

“I think you need a silly component to your academic life in order to not burnout,” Sharif said.

Her buttons are able to remind her of those silly moments in school. As she graduates, it’s all the more important for her to keep those memories.

“I have this one, ‘Eat Bugs’, because I brought a bunch of bugs to cook for [my] final project last year, and I’m very proud of it,” Sharif said. “It’s one of my highlights of my high school career. I ate and cooked bugs for the class and I gave a presentation about why we should not have the stigma around eating bugs.”

Like Sharif’s collection, freshman Josie Wieland’s buttons tell a personal story. Many of Wieland’s buttons are mementos

from small businesses she’s visited, and a lot of the buttons are of her favorite music, which include The Beatles, The Who, the Grateful Dead, and the album The Velvet Underground & Nico.

Wieland sells her fused glass at the Lunch Break Vintage store in Swarthmore, and she has a button for that as well.

“[Buttons] also shares a bit of who I am, I guess to the people walking behind me just looking at all my pins like, ‘Hmm, I guess this person really likes, you know, bands and just fun and cool artsy stuff’,” Wieland said.

Sophomore Kelly Montague’s buttons serve as keepsakes from her time in St. Louis, Missouri for the National High School Journalism Contest convention.

In St. Louis, students would find buttons everywhere, and add them to their journalists’ lanyards. They had grabbed handfuls from buckets, but out of all of those journalism pins, Montague is most fond of one that depicts her love for photography.

“My favorite one is probably this dial

Seniors overcome outfit, date challenges to prepare for senior ball

What does it take to be ready for a night of sparkly gowns, dancing souls, and a final hurrah to end the year?

With senior ball on June 2, 2023 at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia, seniors rushed to prepare for the event, mulling over finalizing prom outfit details.

“Prom kind of snuck up on me,” senior Archie Bracegirdle said. “I realized I really needed a shirt and tie, and to rent my tuxedo this weekend, and that’s why I went to the mall.”

For senior Dyvne Lee, her preparations for Senior Ball were different, because she makes her own dresses.

“I’ve been buying my fabrics and figuring out my patterns and design of my entire dress,” she said. “I had to order different diamonds online that I wanted to put on my dress. My problem is I always wait till the last minute to make my dresses. Not good, because I get stressed out, but it always turns out really nice.”

In addition to preparing outfits for the dance, students must also coordinate with their dates.

For senior Georgia Gianopulos, working with her boyfriend, Will Shore, was initially painstaking because they didn’t talk much about how to match their colors. However, the two eventually agreed on a matching pink bowtie and flowers that compliment each other.

There are a lot of emotions swirling around from Senior Ball, but the Class of 2023 was glad to close their year with a bang.

“It’s bittersweet, but I’m really excited for senior prom,” senior Ella Grossman said. “I get to wear my whole outfit I picked out, be with all my friends, and have a fun night.”*

shaped one that looks like the top of a camera dial,” Montague said. “It’s just really cool to me, because I love the fact that it kind of represents me. Not saying that camera is my whole personality, but it represents me in a way that shows that I am a photographer, that’s who I am. It also really does remind me of our trip to St. Louis that we took in the fall, which was by far the best experience I’ve ever done in my entire life.”

Montague has a passion for sports photography and can be often found in the media lab working on her photos.

“But like, ‘yearbook for life’ [button].

I feel like ‘yearbook for life’ can mean more than one thing to a lot of people,” Montague said. “Obviously, to the editors, it’s like, oh, you’re [a] yearbooker for life, you run this, you do the whole thing… This is my memento. This is how I’m gonna remember my younger years. And I think that’s really cool to me.”

The pins help Montague when she’s feeling down and needs a reminder of what she’s accomplished.

“I think it also brings me back to remembering my identity a little bit,” Montague said. “I feel like the pins can also kind of represent that I do have a bit

of talent… and I am capable of things.”

Freshman Pearl Tweedy uses their buttons as reminders as well, except not as reminders of specific places or events.

“Some of them low-key represent who I am,” Tweedy said. “But it’s always just a nice reminder for me that I have friends, I guess. Because it’s just like, ‘Oh, my friend got me this’, or like, for the ones where I got them from like the punk rock flea market, I’m like, ‘Oh, I remember when I went there and I got this one the first time I went and I got this one the last time I went’.”

Tweedy appreciates the small acts of warmth from their community.

“It’s just little nice pins, and they mean somewhat a lot to me,” they said. “Because they represent my friends and such, and my family and all that.”

Tweedy’s buttons are simple, but each one has a story…or they’re just enjoyable to look at.

“I have another one, this was a gift from my friend Eli. It has little frogs and mushrooms on it and it says, ‘There is magic in simply existing’, which I think is really nice,” Tweedy said.*

Imogen Sharif ‘23

Josie Wieland ‘26

Kelly Montague ‘25

Pearl Tweedy ‘26

“I think you need a silly component to your academic life in order to not burnout.”

Imogen Sharif ’23

It’s not just a party. For some, it requires months of details and preparation.

Evelynn Lin ‘25 Reporter

TOP LEFT Seniors and their guests danced the night away at the Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Friday June 2.

TOP RIGHT Marple Newtown junior Mary Benko cheers on the museum staff as they dance with everyone else in the lobby.

BOTTOM LEFT Seniors Emma Bachar and Joe Natale sing and dance together under the colorful lights on the dance floor.

BOTTOM RIGHT Senior Will Ernst holds up senior Tyler Debusschere as they pose for the PROMparazzi organized by Barksdale PHOTOS: KELLY MONTAGUE