Samah Sharmin & Emma Hunter, ‘20 Editors
Student Council also has plans to expand last year’s home coming festival. The fair features local food trucks as well as an array of booths set up by high school clubs. These in clude stations for arts and crafts, as well as games, merchan dise, and baked goods. The premise of the festival is to raise money for underfunded clubs and allow the community to come together and enjoy the afternoon before the evening football game. This year, the fair is being relocated to a more open venue: the back parking lot of the high school. There is even talk of bringing a moon bounce! Additionally, due to their popularity last year, Student Council will bring in more food trucks centered around the Homecoming theme. Harris hopes that this event will “bolster the sense of com munity” at Haven.
In general, Student Council wishes to make Strath Haven a more welcoming environment. Fergus wants to make Haven “a place where every student feels comfortable.” He thinks that “these initiatives can help create a better atmo sphere where students can learn, make friends, and just grow as people.” From welcoming students in the morning to reaching out to freshmen in the halls, Student Council wishes to strengthen the bond between students, regardless of grade or any other discriminating factor.
Student Council Plans Exciting Year
Panther STRATH HAVEN HIGH SCHOOL, WALLINGFORD, PA SEPTEMBER 2019 Press PAGE 4 . OPINIONS Are chromebooks a positve change for students? How will this impact the school day? PAGE 6 . ARTS ENTERTAINMENTAND Check in with the Strath Haven High School band! PAGE 8 . SPORTS At Haven, high school football is more than a sport. It’s family. SPORTS SCHEDULES ON PAGE 8
STUCO STANDS TOGETHER Student council members Anya Hooper, Corey Harris, and Micharl Fergus pose for a picture together as they take on the 2019-2020 school year // Emma Hunter, ‘20 UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY HAVEN’S GOT PEP | The 6:30 a.m. pep rally on Friday, Sept. 6 met with school pride and media coverage despite the early morning // Andrei Gustafson ‘22 WELCOME TO HAVEN • September 20 In-Service (3 Hour Early Dismissal) • September 21 Swarthmore Crafts Fair • September 23 Beginning of Spirit Week! • September 23 School Board Meeting (7 PM) • September 27 Homecoming Fair • September 27 Pep Rally & Home coming Game • September 28 Homecoming Dance • September 30 Holiday - Schools Closed (2nd Day of Rash Hashana)
Hooper has some big shoes to fill. Last year’s Student Council made profound changes at Strath Haven like the homecoming fair. However, Presi dent Anya Hooper and Vice Presidents Corey Harris and Michael Fergus have some ideas of their own for the 20192020 school year. Their main goals, according to Harris, are to “promote inclusivity and Haven pride,” but will their plans be successful?
Anya
Hooper seems to think so, stating that she hopes Haven stu dents “walk away in June as satisfied with their school year as Freshmenpossible.”orientation was an encouraging start. Hooper’s goal was to show new students that upperclassmen are not intimidating, but helpful and approachable. Hooper, Fergus, and Harris demonstrated this by including their pronouns in their introductions and giving out their phone numbers in case the freshmen had any questions or concerns through out the school year. They made sure that the seniors leading orientation groups exhibited these values as well by empha sizing the importance of “mentoring” during and after giv ing a tour of the school. In addition to a fun game of Kahoot and getting a taste of the lively Strath Haven student section, Student Council successfully reached out to the freshmen and demonstrated their dedication to break down barriers between underclassmen and upperclassmen in order to cre ate a friendly environment at Strath Haven.
School Clubs (As listed at wssd.org) Activities Council Anime Club Art ChineseBocceClub InternationalInteriorInteractOpportunitiesInstrumentalHi-QHavenAlliance)GSAGreenGraphicGermanGamesAmericaFutureFrenchUnionFranklinFeminismEnvirothonDiversityDebateDanceCrewCreativeCostumeComputerCoffeehouseClubClubCrewWritingHavenTeamTrainersClubMintCreditClubLeadersof(FBLA)ClubClubDesignClubHavenClub(GayStraightSpiritClubMusicServiceClubDesignClubClub KidsJabberwockyHelping Kids Little OutdoorOperationMockMini-ThonMindfulnessMathMake-UpLuminariaEinsteinsClubClubTrialSmileAdventure Club Paddle Tennis Club Panther YearbookBibleWednesdayofU.P.O.C.TechDemocraticStudentsClubStatisticalSpanishSilvertones/Theater/SetScienceArtistsScholarPromiseSandyRoboticsRelayPing-PongPhilosophyPressClubClubforLifeHookS.A.V.EClubAthleteandServiceCorpOlympiadClubProbabilityforaProcessCrew(UnitedPeopleColor)MorningStudy
PAGE 2 SEPTEMBER 2019HAVEN HAPPENINGS
For his last meal on Earth, Matsanka would have hot wings, specifically flats, not drum sticks. When asked what scent he would be if he were a candle, he answered, “Coffee.”
2. Advertise your club through announcements and flyers which must be approved and stamped by Mrs. Zanoni.
“Any decision I make,” he said. “It’s for the well being of them, as well as the overall school community.”
“I told him I was going to fire him if he didn’t approve,” joked Mr. Matsanka.
Ms. McKeever also stressed the importance and uniqueness of family and consumer science classes, where students are able to learn life skills and have a break from the usual routine.
1. Check out the activities fundraising calendar on the website.
Activities Sponsor
This is especially important for the coming year, as according to Matsanka, the high school had a bit of a rough year last year. Being the positive person that he is, he hopes to help the school recover where it is needed.
Ms. Kathleen Plows
Ms. Place frequently watches the Harry Potter and Avengers movies with her family. Her last meal on earth would be a burger, fries, a diet coke, and cookie dough ice cream with a warm brownie (yum). If she were a candle, she would be vanilla scented, because it is pleasant and inoffensive.
Ms.
Online Editor
Current Strath
Ms. Angela McKeever
Ms.
Mr. Matsanka’s father worked in education for thirty-five years, and he spent his childhood going to school and on class trips with him. Not only did this inspire him to pursue educa tion as a career, but he also got to be his father’s boss in his final year of teaching.
Evelyn Meeker ‘21 Editor-in-Chief
coming to Strath Haven, Ms. Plows worked at an all-boys Catholic school for eleven years. She is excited to be in a more diverse environment with larger, co-ed classes and vari ous extracurricular interests.
“When you are so used to that being your founding principle in early childhood classes,” she said, “bringing that to a high school class is beneficial.”
Mr. Chris Matsanka
“You go because you’re supposed to,” she explained in reference to being a teacher or stu dent. “But it’s the extracurriculars that make you glad you came.”
Her sons are also particularly excited for her to teach at Strath Haven because they love the superhero Black Panther, which seems like a fair connection.
If Ms. McKeever were an animal, she would be a dog because she is loyal and follows in structions well. The first meal she learned to cook by herself was boxed cake, then fried chicken, and her last meal on earth would be pizza.
“It’s a class where it doesn’t matter if you are an AP student or a struggling student,” she explained. “You come in here, and it’s like an even playing field. So it’s a place that anyone can really shine.”
Kathleen Plows has been at Strath Haven for almost one year, first as a long term substitute. She is now entering the new school year as a Vi sual Communications, Photography, Photoshop, and Art teacher. Ms. Plows was inspired to teach by her high school art teacher, but it took her some time and a few oddball jobs to decide to pursue it. She did freelance graphic design work, and also worked as a “dorm mom” to college students as the Assistant Director of Residence Life.
Haven welcomes new teachers, assistant principal
Have you seen any adults who look more confused than you when wandering the halls? Meet these new additions to the SHHS staff!
“It was evident that they cared about me as much as I cared about Enteringthem.”this new environment, Matsanka wants students to understand his care for them as well.
Bullet Journaling is a new club in which students can get together to share ideas for and design planners that extend beyond the boundaries of the school day. This club is advised by Mrs. Duffy. For the sailors at Strath Haven, there is the new Sailing Club advised by Mrs. Dunning.
Ms. Jennifer Zanoni offered some tips about fundraising for clubs this year.
Mr.
Ms. Plows recounted the day she walked in for her interview, and a huge group of students in band passed by. “They all had their instruments and they were really excited,” she re called. “And I didn’t know at the time how big the band actually lives here… As I’ve gotten to know the school a little bit better, there’s a lot of energy for both academics and extracur riculars and music and arts.”
There are several new clubs to choose from this year: The Philosophy Club, advised by Mr. Adams, provides a space for students to probe philosophical issues. Another club that has taken off since its inception is the Birding Club which meets in room 305 on Fridays to observe and study birds. Members engage in collaborative learning and bring in professional bird watchers to help explore their avian interests.
Virginia Place is a new long term substitute at Strath Haven. She will be teaching geometry, as well as advanced algebra two. This is her sec ond year of teaching, after being a long term substitute at Penncrest. Before going back to school to pursue a career in education, Ms. Place had her undergraduate degree in economics and worked in consulting for nine years. Now, coming into a new year in a new place, her goal as a relatively new teacher is to become a better one. She is also interested in the school community, and hopes to learn more about the clubs and attend some sports games
Ms. Angela McKeever has wanted to teach since she was three years old. She’s worked in education since 2007 and worked as an elementary school teacher before transition ing to high school. People around her questioned how this transition would play out, but as Ms. McKeever said, “kind ness goes a long way.”
The latest club to form is the Committee for Educational Speakers (CES) which is advised by Mr. Haney and meets in room 212 on Thursdays. CES was responsible for organizing the town hall last May with Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, and aims to bring more educational speakers to Strath Haven. The goal is to include a range of speakers from professors to college students, and might possibly include performances. The club will try to organize at least one large event with a high-profile individual as well.
“I was scared of teaching,” she said. “But then I sort of realized I had been doing it… so I thought well, might as well try this for real in a classroom doing the subject that I love Beforemost.”
For her last meal on earth, she would have classic diner carrot cake. Her favorite movie is “Testament,” which came out in 1983. While about a nuclear disaster in a small town, she finds it strangely comforting, as a film she’s returned to countless times. She also has an elderly horse named Nelson who has one eye.
According to Ms. Plows, working in Residence Life was similar to teaching, just different skills just as managing time or doing laundry, and not in a classroom environment.
New clubs launch in 2019-2020
Chris Matsanka is the new Strath Haven High School assistant principal. Before moving to the high school, he taught at the middle school for eight years. Mr. Matsanka recalls the amount of support from his fellow faculty members during this transition.
Ms.
Angela McKeever is the new teacher of the Family and Consumer Science program. Her classes include American Foods and Architec tural Design, though she hopes to add a pastry design club to Strath Haven’s selection of extracurriculars as well.
3. Host an event for your club at the Homecoming Fair (will be discussed by leaders of clubs in an activities meeting)
4. See Mr. McLaughlin in order to get one of the ten school exemptions for bake sales.
Interested in bullet journaling or bird watching? New clubs add to an already diverse range of activities
Luke Mandel ‘20
5. Organize an Iron Hill night or a similar event at another restaurant. Haven High
Ms. Virginia Place
detours editor
copy editor
LAUREN ST. CLAIR, ‘21
A special thank you to Ms. Plows for her continued support and expertise! Timothée ChalametAlvvays Pulp Fiction is good, but have you tried respecting women? SweetCrustaceanspotatoesSleepAkron The color yellow (Usher Usher) RIP Nugget The LegislativeBernieonChamberYouTube2020 NoUraniumFiresurvivorsEpisode35of Spongebob 10 CryingCrispTimotheéDeanOShareCoverReese’sofVogueChalametGrapestoDollyParton
Evelyn Meeker, ‘21 Editor-in-Chief
*Characters
CECE
editor in chief
Wallingford,NewspaperPA19086
LILY MARKS, ‘21
online editor
PAGE 3 SEPTEMBER 2019EDITORIAL
opinions editor
LILIAN LIU, ‘20
HAIL THOMAS, ‘20
PANTHER PRESS VISIT WWW.SHPANTHERPRESS.COM FOR MORE
A part of me always embraced this fact, while another part used to hate it. Dressing a little strange or being a little loud felt natu ral, but the judgement that came along with it did not. I couldn’t change who I was—nor did I want to—but I was deeply uncomfort able with the fact that people might think of me as weird. So, I got quiet.
Strath Haven High School
First Day Fashion Designed by Senior Hail Thomas
haven happenings editor
EMMA HENRY, 20
MRS. DANIELLE PERRICONE-MUNN MR. ROBERT ZAKRZEWSKI
art and design
But, you know what? I don’t care. When I get ready in the morning, the only person I need to prove anything to is myself.
So, I’m not going to tell you my fashion dos and don’ts or what you should wear on the first day of school. I’m going to tell you to wear green platforms. Or, don’t. Wear what you want. The world will get over
LEDITOR
LUKE MANDEL, ‘20
EVELYN MEEKER, ‘21
SAM CHARNEY, ‘20 advisors
DAVID REN, ‘21
staff writers
Looking back, I’m not sure there’s enough glitter or punny graphic tees in this world that could have completely masked my ec centricity. Now, that’s not to say I’m a Boo Radley type who sends the neighborhood kids running. If that were the case, babysit ting would be a little problematic. It’s just that blending in simply isn’t in my blood.
It’s an identity-based limbo or purgatory that I still somewhat exist in. I’m sure many of us do. It goes beyond the clothes you wear. It lives beneath the flesh hidden by your new dress.
SAMAH SHARMIN, ‘20
MOLLY ST. CLAIR, ‘21
There’sfashion.
WILL GARRETT, ‘21
DAVIDHUNTERREN
Back-to-school
(Letter from the Editor)
arts and entertainment editor
MARIA ANDRAOS, 21
staff photographers
To many, discussing clothing as anything deeper than what stands between you and nudity may seem futile. To me, though, fashion has and always will be a defining aspect of my life, for better or for worse. It’s not only on the first day of school that what you wear sends a message. Every day, the way you dress is still showing the world who you are and how you want to be seen.
designers
Yet, the only way to feel the freedom and confidence you crave is to do what’s uncom fortable. It’s counterintuitive, but you do what’s hard until it isn’t anymore. For me, it was leaving the house in my cat creeper shoes as a scrawny, sheepish seventh grader. Now, green platforms are my everyday kind of shoe, and if it means anything, I’m not so quiet anymore.
EMMA
nothing like a fresh outfit on the first day of school to feel like a fresh start. It’s your chance to come back in style and show the world who you are or how you want to be seen.
Student
SAMAH SHARMIN
CECE OLSZEWSKI, ‘22
RIE DUNCAN, ‘20 WILL GARRETT, ‘21 KAI LINKE, ‘22
season is a market ing phenomenon. Just as we push open the doors to summer vacation and throw our papers in the air, Target is advertising all the essentials for September. It’s the peak of capitalism, and honestly, I love it. Well, one part of it. The screaming children grasping for sparkly notebooks cer tainly cause me anxiety, but I endure it and find my peace elsewhere: back-to-school
THENit.NOW
EVELYN MEEKER
I ate this up from the time I was little. I would drag my mother to the mall, and if I was lucky, we’d go to Justice, where all of the cool girls shopped. If you thought those notebooks were sparkly, then Justice was guaranteed blindness.
MARIAOLSZEWSKIANDRAOSEMMAHENRYLUKEMANDEL
KAI LINKE, ‘22
sports editor
EVELYN BLANCHETTE, ‘21
TAHREEM FARUQUE, ‘21 COLWYN HALS, ‘21
EMMA HUNTER, 20
debt is a topic of rising importance in our time. According to the Washington Post, Americans are burdened with 1.6 trillion dollars of student debt, a debt which the Federal Reserve Bank of New York says is spread among as many as 44.7 million Americans. Student debt has been shown to postpone marriage, discourage entrepreneur ship, and impact many other life decisions. Because of this, it is no surprise that prospec tive college students, and especially Strath Haven students, should be concerned about the student debt they will have to assume to pay for college.
Student debt is a rising concern to students
Strath Haven students are concerned about student debt. The question is, what can students realistically do when trying to make such a major financial decision at the age of seventeen or eigh teen? One option is to take on high levels of debt. Another option is to simply choose a cheaper school, although “cheaper” seems to have lost meaning when even the tuition of public colleges and universities has skyrocketed over the years. An online tool that can help with this decision is NitroScore, a website that projects the ability to pay off student loans based on college and major. However, this approach can put money before merit, an unfortunate reality for the foreseeable future.
Rie Duncan, ‘20
regarding his concerns about student debt, Senior and Student Council Vice President Michael Fergus shared his thoughts: “Yes, I’m looking at colleges, and it’s something I’m going to have to pay off.” He added that the cost of attending a college is a major factor in his search.
All in all, the Chromebook 1:1 Initiative will have a profound effect on Strath Haven High School. While it is likely to be a positive effect for the students of The Class of 2022 and 2023, whether or not that effect will be positive or nega tive for the students of the Class of 2020 and 2021 will depend on the Juniors’ and Seniors’ patience, and the availability of technical help. Let us all hope that the Chromebook 1:1 Initiative will be re membered as a success in the following school years.
in student loan debt.
As tuition costs continue to rise, Strath Haven students in particular have reason to be concerned over student debt. Would public college and university help allevi ate the stress?
The reality is that Strath Haven’s rate is among the higher ones in the nation. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 69.7% of American high school students enrolled in college in 2016. In other words, Strath Haven sends 136% the national rate to college. And, all these students have to find the means to finance their education. Perhaps parents have saved for college, maybe they pay as they go, or students take out loans.
And to prevent this end, I propose the removal of the unnecessary parts of the Strath Haven Agenda Book, such as pages giving students advice about studying, the “August” section, and the Periodic Table, as opposed to the entire Agenda Book itself. This would adhere to Strath Haven’s pursuit of a “more paperless at mosphere” while still providing students with a school-information-giving and task-tracking booklet that has become fundamental to their education.
Strath Haven students have particular cause to be concerned since approximately 95% of students pursue a two or four-year degree (10% and 85% re spectively), while the other 5% enter the work force or military. In the Wallingford-Swarthmore school district these statistics are not surprising—there is a spoken and unspoken expectation that everyone will go to college. Just for example, look at the names of classes: College prep is the standard level class. The name implies preparation for college as our baseline.
Luke Mandel ‘20 Online Editor
Chrombook 1:1 Initiative brings change to Haven. Will it prove effective for students?
has also stated: “This is ridiculous. My grandpa runs faster than my Chrome Anotherbook.” major impact that the Chrome books have had on Strath Haven students is the discontinuation of Strath Haven Agenda Books (which the Chromebooks have made Furthermore,“obsolete”).thisyear’s Agenda Book, in keeping with Strath Haven’s pursuit of a “more paperless atmosphere,” will not feature the Student Handbook; the Student Handbook will instead be up loaded to the internet.Nomore printed Stu dent Handbooks this year and no more Agen da Books the next? This is the end of an era.
According to Mrs. Salvage, a guidance counselor at Strath Haven, student debt is becoming an increasing concern when discussing the application process with students. She gave the example of an anonymous student who chose a less expensive school over an Ivy League institution.Wheninterviewed
End of an Era
In other words, since they have had access to Chromebooks from Day 1, they are more likely to view the Chromebooks as a necessary part of their high school ex Onperience.theother hand, the students of the Class of 2020 and 2021 may not share this mindset because of the exact opposite reason; they, unlike their younger counterparts, have made it through the majority of high school perfectly fine without Chromebooks. In addition to this, these students also have other reasons—such as the Chrome book’s limited rendering and computa tional speed—to justify their dislike of JuniorChromebooks.AbbyDinardo attests to the poor quality of Strath Haven Chromebooks: “Nothing works at home. Google Docs just says “reconnecting” and “trying to connect,” but if you go on a different website it works perfectly fine. A bunch of Wikipedia pictures about discontinui ties are blocked and I can’t watch Khan Academy videos. I kinda just have given up on using the Chromebook unless I re ally need to.”
The 2019 to 2020 Strath Haven High School school year began with the implementation of the Chromebook 1:1 Initiative, which aims to distribute Chromebooks to all the stu dents of Strath Haven High School. But with such a major change coming into play, the question must be asked: how do Strath Haven students feel about the TheChromebooks?studentsofthe Class of 2022 and 2023 will, I assume, have more posi tive feelings about the Chromebooks based on the simple fact that they had started their high school experience with Chromebooks.
Americans are burdened with
PAGE 4 SEPTEMBER 2019OPINIONS
Trillion$1.6
Student
And as for “nothing works at home,” the Chromebooks also exhibit problems while on Strath Haven campus—about half the students in my AP Calculus class (including Abby Dinardo and myself) were unable to access the College Board website, and other students have also complained about not having access to other educational sites, such as Quizlet.
Strath Haven High School sends 136% the national rate to college. From 9/10/19 to 9/19/19 is National Palindrome Week. That means that every date reads the same backwards as it does forwards. Yo Banana Boy! Here's a FUN FACT:9.19.199.18.199.18.19
This reality can be altered. When asked if he would choose a public college or university over his first choice if it were tuition-free, Mi chael Fergus gave an emphatic, “Yes!” For example, just last year, 8% of the graduating class went to Penn State, and another 8.8% went to Delaware County Community College, both in the top five schools the class of 2019 attended, and both potentially benefiting from public funding. By eliminating the cost of attending such schools, nearly 17% of Strath Haven stu dents would no longer have to worry about student loans for college. This figure does not take into account all of the students who go to other public colleges and universities who would also be helped by such a policy. In this decision, prospective college students have a choice. If you want tuition-free public college or university, then, in the words of President Barack Obama: “Don’t boo, vote!”
Frustrated Junior Brendan Deppen
But, in the end, Chromebooks might be the most cost-effective and sustainable form of technology available to Strath Haven High School. It provides a means of access to educational sites for students who are economically disadvantaged. It spurs the noble pursuit of a more paper less environment. And, following the removal of the library computers (which the Chromebooks have made obsolete), more students can study in the library at a more efficient pace.
“Thisisridiculous. Mygrandparuns fasterthan chromebook,”my Brendan Deppen, ‘21
David Ren ‘21 Opinions Editor
Tahreem Faruque, ‘21 Staff Writer
Ifeel
YES MAYBE NO
Do students need a later start to the school day?
Dr.
It feels like it is going to do more harm than good. First off, when we are adults, we are going to have to wake up at around the same time we do now for work. Why delay having to do it when we can get used to doing it now? Also, with the sports and theater program, no one will want to be at school past 5 pm if we need to start everything later as well. If they get out late, parents will also have to change their own schedules to accommodate. Let’s not forget about people who have jobs after school. No one with an after school job will want to get out past 3:30 pm and have little time to rest before doing what they need to do. If I were to have a shift in which I needed to be there at 4, I would have 30 minutes to get home, dressed, and then go to work. I’d probably end up passing out after work.
been discussing this research for the last twenty years. It’s not new information. We have known for awhile that the teenage brain works very differently from the adult brain. I think two things are happening. Brain research is more advanced and able to uncover many more mys teries and people are now paying attention to teen brains. We know so much more about just how different the teenage brain actually is in terms of development of the frontal lobe, the differ ent affect certain neurotransmitters have for teens, and also the delicate balance of hormone release. So I’m not surprised that we are having this discussion as a nation. I’m just surprised it’s taken this long.
Alex Melley Senior
Ithink
For more information on the sleep study committee, visit wssd.org
By the time this issue of the Panther Press comes out, students, parents, and staff members will have heard from Dr. Wendy Troxel, a Sleep Researcher and Clinician speaking in the high school auditorium on Wednesday, September 11, during the school day and at 7 p.m. Many voices will be heard by the committee, but this momentous change will greatly affect students the most.
Clow-McLaughlinTrinity
I’m
Outside of the classroom, athletes are more prone to increased injury and slower recovery. Teens can go to bed earlier but biologically the mind does not not agree. Melatonin is re leased around 11 pm, two hours later than adults. For teens, waking up at 6 am is equivalent to adults being up at 4 am. The biological delay makes going to bed early more difficult, combined with other factors such as homework. Some school districts have already imple mented a later start time. Research shows in these schools teens are sleeping more, less tardy, have better standardized test scores, and get into fewer car accidents.
Amanda Lawson, Psychology teacher at Strath Haven High School
like it’s a good idea and there is science to back it up but at the same time it doesn’t really affect us because we are no longer going to be here next year. I mean, I have a sibling who will be a freshman so it affects her. It’s cool that we have an input but I guess we are pretty impartial because it doesn’t affect us. Other than that I feel like it should be left up to the people who will be more directly affected. I would say especially in the winter, getting up when it’s completely dark and then coming home when it is dark is so depressing.
Haley Wuenschel Senior
SCHOOL START TIME STUDY BEGINS
Haven faces a huge change: a later start time to the school day. The district home page features a message from the superintendent, Dr. Lisa A. Palmer, titled “WSSD Sleep & School Start Times.” The administration is beginning a study into adolescent sleep needs and school start times which will help make the best decision for Strath Haven. During the 2019-2020 year, a task force will be available to address issues, questions, and concerns brought up in meetings throughout the process. By February 2020, the task force plans to issue a recommendation regarding start times.
really conflicted about the start time. On one hand, I would love to be able to sleep in later because we get up really early for school right now. On the other hand, if school starts later that means it ends later so everything is pushed back including after school activities, sports, etc. The issue with that is we have less time at night to do homework which could mean stay ing up later to get it done. I think it comes down to how much time they push back the start time and if the school can find a healthy balance. Pushing the start time by 30-45 minutes wouldn’t really create too much of a difference but more than that might. I’m not sure how I feel yet.
If you want to get involved in the conversation, contact shpantherpress@ gmail.com, or get in touch with the editor at evelynameeker@gmail.com
PAGE 5SEPTEMBER 2019 OPINIONS
Strath
Wendy Troxel came to Strath Haven on Wednesday, September 11 to address the school’s concerns with the possibility of new start times. In her presentation, she discussed key points about why teens need more sleep than what they are getting now and how that affects the body. Sleep is criti cal for teenagers. Adults need to get 7-9 hours while teens need 8-10 hours to stay in a healthy range. Only about 1 in 10 teen agers get the recommended amount of time. Sleep deprivation impacts important functions of the brain. The prefrontal area of the brain assists with reasoning, good judgement, and problem solving. The amygdala regu lates emotions, impulses, and risky behavior. Sleep loss causes these areas to not function properly, and negatively impacts students school activity such as poorer grades and impared memory. When the student gets more sleep and feels refreshed, he or she can retain more information which brings grades up and improves memory.
From personal experi ence and research, your body automatically feels better from waking up later. For example, if I went to bed at 12 am and woke up at 6 am, I am more tired than if I were to get up at 8 am. Classes will start later too. Some of my friends got their schedule changed because they had a core class first block and felt that it would be too early in the morning for them to be productive. It’s also easier to wake up when there is daylight because that signals your brain to begin its daytime functioning. I also prefer to wake up later despite whatever time I go to bed. I always feel like I’ve slept better.
What do the experts have to say?
As a teacher and also a community member with children in the district, I certainly have an opinion on the topic. For me personally, I don’t think it will change much about my day. But it could have drastic changes for our high school schedule and I hope those are carefully considered. Haven is a great place and we need to make sure it stays that way no matter what time the first bell rings.”
Junior
Jaydyn Thurmond Junior
Where does your opinion fit? How will this issue impact you?
We asked three current upperclassmen:
MAYBE & YES
it’s definitely a good idea. I mean, even if say, people did go to bed a little bit later, it shouldn’t matter. I would think probably on average I get seven to eight hours which is okay but it’s definitely not as good as it should be. If I were to wake up at 7:30 am or 8:00 am instead of 6:30 to 7:00 am, even just a little bit would be easier to wake up when the sun is actually up. Maybe even 30 minutes later would make a dif ference.
Dr. Wendy Troxel, Sleep Expert
“Ihave
Maeve Davis Junior
ONE BAND | Strath Haven High School band shows off its numbers and its panther pride on the sidelines / Rie Duncan, ‘20
Evelyn Blanchette, ‘21 Staff Writer
“The Farewell” is both directed and writ ten by Wang, and based off of true events from her life. The story follows the main character Billi and her relationship with her grandmother, Nai Nai. Billi is in her twenties and leading a
Cece Olszewski ‘22 Editor
Are
The Panther Marching Band successfully performed their first halftime show on Thursday night, kicking off a new season that is not to be missed.
“The Farewell” is a movie worth the watch. Although it fell short of being something fantastic, it is still a powerful story that is not only well written and well acted but ex ceptionally beautiful. And besides, it’s just an hour and forty minutes. Not too bad, right?
Intheend,itall comesdowntotime: thetimewehaveleft, thetimewespendwith eachother,thetime wewasteonthings thatseemimportant theeveryone,moremade...innovationsbandcampenjoyablefordespiteheatandthelonghours
and the long hours.
“The Farewell” shines in many ways. It is wonderfully written and acted and easily transitions between drastically different re
Since taking on the position of band director last sum mer, Mr. Pignataro has continued to introduce new ideas into the band to help boost morale and adjust to new chal lenges. Some of these ideas include new hashtags to repre sent the band, such as #do1thing, which encourages band members to focus on improving one specific part of their performance instead of every single move. #Oneband also returned this year, as a reminder that the word “band” rep resents all of the people involved in the group, not just the Lastinstrumentalists.year,2018,
seemingly very American life as a strug gling artist in New York, whereas Nai Nai lives in China with her husband, far away from most of her family. The movie explains that years prior, Billi’s father had taken his family to America, just as his brother took his family to Japan. “The Farewell” shows the whole family returning to Nai Nai’s apartment for the first time in years, visiting under the guise of Nai Nai’s grandson’s wedding. The real reason behind the gathering is much more somber: Nai Nai has been diag nosed with stage four lung cancer and given three months to live. However, she does not know this, as her family has chosen to keep the terminal disease a secret from her to prevent her suffering, as is common in Chinese culture.
The pieces for the first halftime show are “We Found Love” by Rihanna, “Everytime We Touch” by Cascada, and “Take on Me” by A-ha. Look out for the tuba and tenor drum feature in “We Found Love,” the Bandfront feature in “Ev erytime We Touch,” and the dance break in “Take on Me” when the instrumentalists drop their instruments on the field and dance while the drumline plays.
How did preseason go for Strath Haven’s marching band, and what do they have in store for the 2019-2020 school year?
has garnered mixed reviews. It left some people in tears, while others were largely unaffected. A distinction I’ve seen is that those who can personally relate to the story and its characters were almost dumb founded by the movie, whereas those with out firsthand experiences or relationships were the ones left unaffected. In this regard, it failed in a very big way, because it failed to make those with little common ground em pathize with the characters on the screen. That empathy is one of the most important and impressive things a movie or book can do, and “The Farewell” just didn’t.
Checking in with the Panther Marching Band
movies getting longer? It kinda feels like it, doesn’t it? Or maybe our attention spans are shrinking, making an hour and a half feel like a little eternity, like quite the commitment. Lots of other things are changing as well, like new streaming services and pirating rates; how ever, running times seem to be all over the place, from the freedom granted by stream ing and a lack of conflicting schedules to the fact that short, episodic programs are competing with feature length films and putting up a good fight. Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” clocks in at around an hour and forty minutes. Not a terribly long movie. Just about average.
PAGE 6 SEPTEMBER 2019ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
lationships all within the family. The story is fantastic as well; at times the juxtaposi tion of a young couple’s wedding with the weight and tragedy of cancer brushes upon dark humor. The crux of the matter is the cultural differences Western vs. Eastern attitudes in regards to illness and death. This distinction and its consequences are illustrated in the conflict between Billi and the rest of her family. Billi loves her grand mother dearly, and is torn between wanting to tell her the truth and wanting to keep her in ignorant bliss. From an objective point of view, “The Farewell” should’ve been a fantastic movie. It could have been, per haps, but it was missing that something that takes it from a work discussing cultural dif ferences and family relationships to a truly emotionally enthralling personal narrative.
In the end, it all comes down to time: the time we have left, the time we spend with each other, the time we waste on things that seem impor tant (whether it’s a job that takes your son away to Ja pan, or an extended shot of Awkwafina running down a crowded street). “The Farewell” was an enjoyable movie, but it fell short of great ness because of how it utilized, or rather misutilized, time within the restrictions of a true, personal narrative. The movie’s simplest mistake was wasting precious minutes on quiet long shots of empty but beautiful scenes. In a true story like this, which is brimming with emotion and rela
This past week, over 400 Haven students voluntarily stood in the hot sun for hours, rhythmically step ping to the beat of Uptown Funk and the sound of a woodblock being struck with a drumstick. These students are part of the massive Panther Marching Band, a group constantly proving that it’s still cool to be in band.
tionships and so much more raw material, almost every scene should be packed with dialogue and interaction and foundation, no matter how small. This little misuse of time is what led to “The Farewell’s” greatest downfall. The movie failed to illustrate the magnitude of the character’s relationships (though not for lack of trying). The charac ters discussed their shared pasts and memo ries, and even stated how valuable the time they had together in the present was, but it just wasn’t enough. It still was not stated in clear enough terms that these characters, these real people, had spent everyday with one another in their lives, despite the geo graphical distance, and even that was now in
as a special education teacher and program coordinator. Mrs. Kelly Caulfield also joins the band as Bandfront director.
Theperil.movie
Ms. Samantha Falzone joins the band as Dance Team Instructor; Ms. Falzone grad uated from Haven in 2005 as Danceline Captain. She has extensive experience teaching in Philadelphia and Hawaii
marked the final season for long-serving Bandfront director Mrs. Fran Vernon and Dance Team in structor Mrs. Mary Hahn. This year, several new directors were brought in to help cho reograph and teach routines to the dance line, dance team, and silks. Mrs. Angela Wertner, the new instructor for Danceline, has a long history of directing and choreo graphing shows for Media, Ritz, Devon, and Little Theatres in addition to Upper Darby Summer Stage, and many local high schools.
During band camp, seniors Carenna Cody, Geraldine Leech, and junior Will Garrett led the group in high energy jazzercise rou tines as a break from their hard work on the field, and marching basics were done in time with upbeat music blaring through the speakers. All of these innovations made band camp more enjoyable for everyone, despite the heat
23. The acronymic name of a hit American police procedural television series revolving around naval crimes.
32. To beat repeatedly with fists.
49. A phrase meaning you have received the message and understand it: ____ that!
the movie Inception.
-Matteo Machado, ‘21
7. A common standardized test that most col leges require students take before entering col 8.lege.Ifcakes could cry they would have tears (but they can’t) so instead they have these. (singu 9.lar)A city of Ohio nicknamed the “Rubber Capi tal of the World”.
43. An exclamation of confusion.
10. The difference between light lime green and lime green is an example of this.
28. (NASA) The government agency respon sible for sending a man to the moon.
50. An abbreviation used to categorize people like Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, and Quentin Tarantino.
27. A magazine company dedicated to AfricanAmerican culture.
22. A special type of parallelogram. 24. (Ibis) Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom had the body of a human and the head of this 25.bird.(Sop) A piece of bread dipped in gravy, soup, or sauce.
“Timshel.”
-Michael Lu, ‘20
1. A small amount of something.
30. The Bikini ___ is a reef famous for being the site of US nuclear testing.
52. Synonymous with schmuck.
29. A famous cape that is a common vacation 30.destination.Much___ About Nothing.
18. The lack of action in a situation where it is 20.expected.Thefirst name of the director of the Parks and Recreation department in Pawnee.
We asked four students from different grades to summarize their summer reading in the shortest possible sentence. Can you guess what they read?
-Anna Hicks, ‘22
13. The ___ is a horror film franchise follow ing a family’s adopted son and surrounding 14.deaths.Afamous type of short form Japanese po etry that contains only three lines and seven teen syllables.
62. The nautical term used on ships to refer to the right side.
38. Presley and Costello.
55. An expression meaning yes.
SUMMER READING IN SHORT
“Hot stuff.”
39. ___ Lipa 41. The name for a young person associated with this popular 1950’s literary movement.
35. The nickname of Dennis’ sister in the popular TV show It’s Always Sunny in Phila 36.delphia.Afancy wardrobe.
12. 70s slang word for cool. 16. Electrical Trades Union. 19. Overdose.
46. A wired fence filled with rock or broken concrete used as a retaining wall.
26. A spanish verb meaning ‘to go’.
42. The name of Leonardo DiCaprio’s wife in
Across:
3. A word common in studies of biology used to describe an animal’s colors or markings that warn predators of danger.
“Yams.”
44. a condition caused by the overproduction of white blood cells in the body.
34. A negative word for “type”.
4. A nail powder used to create an iridescent 5.look.____ Under the Stars.
58. The nickname for the famous museum of art in New York that hosts an annual fundrais ing event known as “fashion’s biggest night
-Caitlin McManus, ‘23
51. The title of Jordan Peele’s latest horror 52.film.The Latin word for people of the lower 54.class.The recent hurricane that devastated the 57.56.Bahamas.101Aliterary
60. A Jewish-American word for a trinket or 61.bauble.The name of national park meaning the heavenly city.
39. To fool someone.
device used to describe physical objects or ideas by appealing to our five senses.
45. The two almond-shaped sections of the brain that control our emotions, survival in stincts (“fight or flight” response), and mem 48.ory.Another word for too dry.
47. If five cookies are $25, they are $5 ___.
31. A “hoppy” variety of beer typically with a higher alcohol content.
17. To perform something repeatedly.
53. A nymph in Greek mythology who was cursed to only be able to repeat the last words that someone says.
59.out”___ is the poor man’s opera.
42. April showers bring ___ flowers
My Favorite Marvel Character by Lauren and Molly St. Clair
6. The European river flowing from Switzer land to the Netherlands that famously ran be low the Ludendorff Bridge during WWII.
33. A famous Greek king who turned every thing he touched into gold.
2. The name of David Bowie’s Wife.
40. A fruit or savoury pie distinguished by a layer of biscuit dough on top.
11. Intense anger.
48. An act passed in ‘90 prohibiting discrimi nation on the basis of disability.
Down:
15. The name of the adopted son from Clue 13.
PAGE 7 SEPTEMBER 2019DETOURS
21. Thor: Love and ____.
1. A failure to comprehend correctly.
37. The real initials used by a young American writer to hide the fact that she was female.
“litcharts.com/lit/educated/summary”
graduates Dagny Lott and Sam Barnett were given the MVP awards of last season, and Tim Jensen and Grace Hodges were recognized for their spirit.
How high school football brings people together like no other Colwyn Hals, ‘21 Staff Writer
In
SPORTS SCHEDULES
7:00PM Football: Boys Varsity @ Haverford High School @ HHS Stadium, Cornog Field
3:45PM Tennis: Girls Junior varsity Vs. Haverford High School @ TBD
10:00AM Soccer: Girls Varsity Vs. Sun Valley HS/Northley MS @ George L. King Field
10:00AM Soccer: Girls Junior varsity Vs. Sun Valley HS/Northley MS @ TBD
THE ULTIMATE TEAM | Strath Haven ultimate frisbee takes on the year with tournament successes and team spirit
Last Memorial Day Weekend, the Strath Haven Ultimate Frisbee team traveled to Pittsburgh and dominated at the State Championships. The boys team placed second overall in the boys division after coming in sixth last year. The girls, only in their second year of the program, battled it out against Radnor at the end of the last day to place third. They placed seventh at the tournament the year before. The girls team was also given the Spirit of the Game Award, voted on by other teams, for their enthusiasm and stellar sportsmanship. 2019
Thisarounds.sense
7:00PM Soccer: Boys Varsity Vs. Radnor High School @ George L. King Field
friends often root for different schools. But high school football is special. There’s something magical in see ing people you know personally lay out running backs and bowl over safeties. There’s a sense of many differ ent people with one common goal. In today’s climate, a group of people bonding over one team, one event, is invaluable. Strath Haven football engenders hope that one day we can all live happily in a high school football wonderland, filled with visions of jet sweeps and end
According to forecasts, Friday night was supposed to be miserable, but that didn’t stop fans from the community from showing up in the unseasonably cold and drizzly weather to watch the Panthers embarrass Ridley in the game of the week. They sat on cold, wet benches, ig nored the cold rain, and stayed even after the Chick-filA ran out. Students gave up their hard-earned Friday, and parents came straight from work.
3:00PM Golf: Boys and girls Varsity Vs. Harriton High School @ Bluestone Country Club
4:00PM Soccer: Girls Varsity @ Radnor High School @ Creek Field
Football Faceoff Panthers dominated 49-13 in game against Ridley / Rie Duncan, ‘20
SEPTEMBER 20, 2019
3:45PM Football: Boys Freshman Vs. Ridley High School @ George L. King Field
3:45PM Tennis: Girls Varsity Vs. Haverford High School @ TBD
Lilian Liu, ‘20 Staff Writer
Strath Haven Frisbee Celebrates
Best Year in Program
Varsity Girls Soccer Kicks-Off Season With A 2-1 Win
SEPTEMBER 19, 2019
4:00PM Field Hockey: Girls Varsity @ Radnor High School @ Encke Field 4:00PM Soccer: Girls Junior varsity @ Radnor High School @ Loop Field 5:15PM Field Hockey: Girls Junior varsity @ Radnor High School @ Encke Field 5:30PM Soccer: Boys Junior varsity Vs. Radnor High School @ George L. King Field
SEPTEMBER 21, 2019
In a few short years, the ultimate program has grown immensely, going from just 14 players to over 60 across three teams. This year the fall season kicks off with practices from 5-7pm, Monday to Thursday. New players are wanted and welcome as the boys and girls teams gear up for our 2020 spring season. Come out and support Strath Haven Ultimate!
today’s divided world, nothing brings a communi ty together like football. That could not be more ap parent at Strath Haven. You can feel it in the energy of the ticket lines, which stretch to hundreds of people long. You can hear it in the music of the band, which reaches my house a good mile away. You can see it in the thousands of people who voted, some of them countless times, on the CBS game of the week poll. This school and its surrounding communities care.
There is a sense of togetherness at high school football games that can’t be experienced elsewhere. NFL football is expensive, and while exciting, is usually watched from a couch or the nosebleeds. College football is more about where your parents went than where you live, and your
Starting the new season off with a bang, the Strath Haven Varsity Girls Soccer team won an impressive kick-off game against Unionville High School 2-1 last Tuesday evening at Talen Energy Stadium. Junior midfield er Maggie Forbes scored in the first half, and freshman Lily Ostiguy scored the winning goal in the last 45 seconds of the second overtime, eliciting an exciting reaction from the Haven audience members and loud drum cadence from the Strath Haven pep band. Mr. Miraglia, the varsity girls soccer coach, stated in an interview with PA Pep Live that “Union ville’s the most talented technical team I’ve seen in a long, long Similarly,time.”senior goalie Claire Wolgast mentioned that “last year [the team] narrowly beat [Unionville] 1-0, so [they] knew [they] had to put in a good effort on Tuesday.” Wol gast finished with nine saves and stated that the best moment of the game was definitely Ostiguy’s winning shot. Despite the daunting task of playing in the Talen Energy Stadium, the home of Major League Soccer’s Philadelphia Union, the team played an exciting game and is looking forward to a great season.
of community isn’t a recent thing, either. After Ibo Pio took a handoff and broke free for a 22yard touchdown, extending the Panthers’ lead to 14-0 to end the first quarter, the 1999 state champion team was honored on the field. Even 20 years later, the team remained bonded and agreed to come back. Football has been like this for generations: a place where we can all get along and share this one beautiful thing. John Prochniak summed it up well when he told the Delco Times “we’re a family and we stick together.” That’s what football is about: being a big family.
Varsity girls shine in game against EmmaUnionvilleHenry, ‘20
Memorial Day tournament kicks of promising year for boys and girls ultimate frisbee
PAGE 8 SEPTEMBER 2019SPORTS
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