September 2023

New faces, new furniture, new assemblies, new turf—we take a look at a fresh school year.

TIME TO RALLY • The Panther Mascot and Student Council President Lola Babin cheer with the seniors at the back to school assembly on Friday, August 31. The assembly included a drumline battle, announcements about the upcoming school year, and 2023 yearbook distribution. PHOTO: KELLY MONTAGUE ’25

EDITORIAL: Students are not alone

Strath Haven staff have helped students overcome the challenge of the new school year.

Editorial Board

TheunsignededitorialrepresentstheopinionoftheEditorialBoard,whichconsistsofthestudenteditorialstafflistedonthispage.

Asuccessful school is made up of two things: good students and great teachers.

As students, our responsibility every day is to go to school, pay attention in class, and do our homework. Not many people adore going back to school and taking this responsibility for the nine and a half months to come.

On the other hand, teachers have to prepare for each lesson days or weeks in advance, make sure every kid feels welcome in their classroom, grade assignments, and manage a home life that kids don’t have the same type of duty to shoulder.

These responsibilities are a balance, and both students and teachers carry weight. At Strath Haven, many teachers are constantly accommodating for us, the students.

coming in than ever before. Strath Haven is fortunate to have teachers in every classroom.

Our educators have done a great job so far of supporting students and guiding them through the tough transition. Not only have they advocated for our success educationally, but they have also made incredible efforts in supporting student health and happiness.

Remember that everyone, staff included, is working to make the school year a success.

Our school has a fantastic group of teachers who work together to make Strath Haven a great school and community, while also teaching students important subjects and life skills. As easy as it is for students to feel frustrated coming back to school, we need to remember that everyone, staff included, is working to make the first few weeks a success.

Recently, teaching has become a much harder job. With the shift to eHallpass and the move to Schoology coming up, teachers have to take more into consideration in the classroom. Students have different learning styles, and the importance of mental health is increasing every day.

Adjusting back to normal school life after the pandemic has proven difficult.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philly teachers are quitting their jobs at record-highs, and even fewer teachers are

Outside of the classroom, educators implemented small but mighty efforts to make students feel comfortable, such as the new blue furniture in front of the library. Each club gave 10-minute interest meetings, set up so that none would overlap. Educators also addressed student health, such as when Band Director Mr. Nick Pignataro allowed the band to go without uniforms during the Ridley game due to the heat that day.

We have so many clubs to choose from, as evidenced by the number of booths at the Activities Fair. From cats to robotics to foreign cultures, Strath Haven has provided an ample amount of opportunities for students to get involved. Community building and service clubs have also been on the rise; one of these examples being a new breast cancer awareness club called ‘Unite for Her,’ advised by Social Studies Teacher Mrs. Amanda Lawson.

Without the support of teachers, and their ability to adapt to the shifts between paper and technology, many students would not have been able to succeed. Educators at Strath Haven address mental health and stress avoidance frequently and go out of their way to provide support for students who may be going through difficulties or hardships.

Mental health matters

Students are incredibly busy, especially during the fall, with extracurricular activities, family obligations, schoolwork, and other priorities, such as college applications. The stress can be overwhelming for teenagers, and the support from teachers makes all the difference.

Often, we like to pin some of our troubles on teachers. Sitting at your desk far past midnight, wishing you were doing anything but homework, you wish that your teacher had been more lenient with the workload. Or maybe, you’re hanging out with your friends, but waiting for a grade from a test you took months ago.

At the same time, one of your teachers might be grading your assignments. English and history teachers pick over essays, many trying to give constructive feedback instead of passive checkmarks. Math and science teachers trace your steps, figuring out exactly where you went wrong, compiling the data, so tomorrow, they can talk about the questions that students had trouble with.

Again, neither the students’ tasks nor the teachers’ tasks are more important. To make Strath Haven a successful school, we all have to do our part.

This is not to say that it’s okay, or even expected, that students and teachers work past midnight. As a community, there are unrealistic burdens we all share.

That’s why we should stop to thank the teachers who work long hours, the ones who analyze your work, the ones who want to see you thrive long past the time you’ll know them.

A teacher who provides guidance and support to their students is the kind of educator one can find at Strath Haven. Perhaps you can take the time today to appreciate a specific teacher that has helped you during your time here.*

Strath Haven welcomes a guest speaker from Minding your Mind to discuss mental health and self discovery with students.

Sasha Binder ‘24

Editor-in-Chief

On September 14, students attended an assembly regarding mental health stigmas with a speaker from Minding Your Mind.

Mental health is incredibly pertinent to high school students, especially ones adjusting to a new school year or life transition. Louis DeSanto, a speaker from Minding Your Mind, stressed the importance of mental health advocacy for young adults during his presentation and shared his story pertaining to those topics.

DeSanto began and ended his presentation by sharing three reminders for those who are struggling: live your truth, ask for help, and remember that you’re not alone. These words of wisdom guided DeSanto through his own mental health struggles and he urged students to use them as well.

Some students shared that Desanto’s words impacted them in a positive way.

“I really liked the presentation. It sounded really genuine and he was able to convey his message really well,” junior Cole Dangerfield said.

Throughout his discussion, DeSanto also urged students to find outlets to safely express their emotions and shared how being involved in athletics as well as

various arts programs helped him to do so.

DeSanto also shared what inspires him to share his story. Having gone through issues similar to what students face now, he discussed what drives him to speak about his experiences.

“You know, I really just hope that anyone can connect to some part of my story,” he said. “I feel that if someone could connect to a little part at least a part that gets them thinking, and if there is they need to take another step after, see a counselor or something. I hope that that gives them a little push that they may need to do so.”

Another point of discussion during the presentation was how difficult it is to find yourself in high school. DeSanto shared how peer pressure can affect one’s ability to grow individually and become their own person.

“I didn’t know who I was. I just knew I had to do what was cool at the time,” he said.

According to Choosing Therapy, an organization advocating for mental health research on behalf of therapists and psychologists, 85% of high schoolers have dealt with peer pressure and 75% of teens who have tried alcohol have done so due to peer pressure.

DeSanto relayed his experiences with peer pressure, but also advised students

to note how their actions and the impact of them can affect others. Many teens struggle with depression, anxiety, and many other internalized disorders. “You never know what others around you have dealt with, so you want to make sure you’re sensitive to them as well,” he said. *

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 2023-2024 Google Classroom code is rhupbc. 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.

2023-2024 Editorial Staff

Editors-in-Chief

Sasha Binder ’24

Evelynn Lin ’25

Managing Editors

Kaitlyn Ho ’26

Matteo Ventresca ’25

Social Media Editor

Riley Smith ’25

Haven Happenings

Editor TBD

Sports Editor Jillian Thomas ’24

Haven Arts Editor

Detours Editor TBD

Health & Sciences Editor

Kaitlyn Ho ’26

Adviser

Ms. Kate Plows

IT GETS BETTER • Speaker Louis Desanto shares the improvements his life has seen after working through his struggles. “I liked seeing the results at the end, you know, seeing how there is that light at the end of the tunnel,” senior Gavin Schmidt said.

PHOTO: JOE LYNCH ’24

How do you feel about being a ninth grader?

See what the class of 2027 has to say about ninth grade.

Evie Fernandez ‘27 Contributor

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR UNDERCLASSMEN?

Being new to the high school setting is hard, so we asked a handful of upperclassmen what advice they had for the underclassmen.

Evelynn Lin ‘25 Editor-in-Chief

“I’m pretty excited. I like block scheduling better than the middle school schedule. And I like all the different music ensembles.”

“Honestly, it’s pretty nice. The classes are much better.”

“It’s not terrible. I was kind of scared because everyone’s like ‘high school’s the best years of your life.’ So I went in with kind of high expectations. And also people say the workload is bad, but it’s okay so far.”

“It’s a little scary when upperclassmen don’t like you. But if you have some friends, you’re pretty much okay. It’s lots of fun being around different people that you weren’t in school with before.”

“I mean, it’s fun. The days go by faster because there’s less classes. It’s a little bit overwhelming, but it’s pretty chill.”

“Depressed—just

it’s pretty overwhelming.”

“Just be smart with your time after school. Get your work done.”

“Take every opportunity you get, because the whole point of high school is to figure out what you’re going to do, who you are, and the best way to do that is to put yourself in situations where you don’t feel comfortable.”

“Just get involved with clubs and stuff, and try to build relationships with your teachers and stuff, because it’s always important.”

Students get involved with clubs at Activities Fair

“Get involved in as many things as you can. It’s so much easier to make new friends that way. But also make sure to save some time for yourself and your own personal activities.”

“The dances are really fun. No one cares at the dances, so just have so much fun. That’s all that matters is just to have fun at high school because it is a lot better than middle school, and less people care.”

The Activities Fair was a hit in welcoming new students to join various new and returning clubs.

Evelynn Lin ’25

Editor-in-Chief

On September 8, the bustling noise of students wandering around long rows of activity tables and club leaders shouting for new students to join their club could be heard from afar.

Taken place during all lunches at the start of the school year, the Activities Fair is a tradition that encourages all kinds of students to sign up for many of the diverse clubs Haven has to offer.

“I joined film club, French Club, Feminism Club, and Henry Reacher’s Singing Club,” freshman Roxy Shelton said. Having all the booths out with Haven’s many extracurricular opportunities helps students find what they’re most interested in, and where they belong in the community.

“We actually filled up [people] to like five sheets already, which we did not expect. But we’re very happy with that.”

Gia Chaves ’24

“We’re looking to just make people feel like they belong to something, make them feel like they are able to get out and do something, especially for people that are not as athletic, make them feel like they can play a sport and they can learn something,” senior and Pickleball Club co-president Bianca Penn said.

A new club called Unite for Her was created this year to raise awareness about

“Just really be yourself. High school is a growing place, so it’s important through the classes and making friends to figure out who you are and the kind of person that you want to be and take advice from others because that’s kind of what we’re here for besides learning.”*

breast cancer and help the cause. One of the club leaders and Activities Council member Emily Reilly noted the importance of its start.

“Unite for Her is an organization based out of Philly,” she said. “They raise money and resources for women who are currently going through breast and ovarian cancer. They connect them to mentors, give them resources, and just make the experience easier for them.” Other clubs, such as the Pickleball Club, noted that they received many sign-ups.

“We’ve had a lot of good sign-up, and we actually filled up [people] to like five sheets already, which we did not expect. But we’re very happy with that,” senior and co-president of Pickleball Club Gia Chaves said.

The activities fair closed with long signup lists, leaving something to look forward to about this year’s student activities.

“I think I’m most looking forward to just finding out what people like and don’t like, and figuring out what they’re interested in,” Reilly said. *

Matthew Traverso ‘27 Eliana DiPasquale ‘27 Lilla Burke ‘27

Delani Rose ’27 Scott Snyder ‘27

because

Connor Smith ‘27

Sam Fritz ‘24 Greg Guron ‘25 Mirella DiPalma ‘24 Emily Reilly ‘25 Paige Trout ‘24

Lanie Clark ‘24

EAGER ENLISTING • Senior Jake Kudrick signs up for the Swift Society at the Activities Fair.

PHOTO: CIERRA HORETSKY

CLUB FUN IN THE SUN • Students mill around and check out various club tables on September 8. PHOTO: SIDIR LEE-DRAUGHON

Spotlighting NEW STAFF

Afresh start to the school year means fresh faces in our Haven community. This is only half of the new team—watch for the next issue to meet the others.

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

Kaitlyn Ho ‘26

The large number of Strath Haven students proved to be an intimidating prospect for new school nurse Ms. Sara Fleming before she got to know a few of them.

Before she came to Strath Haven, Fleming worked as a nurse in Shanghai, China, and a private school in Ohio.

“This school is a lot bigger, which I think is probably the biggest adjustment,” Fleming said. “My last school had maybe 700 kids. So this one’s almost twice the size because there’s 1200 kids here.”

Despite the differences between this school and her past schools, Fleming has had pleasant experiences with Strath Haven students thus far.

“There’s a lot of you everywhere,” Ms. Fleming said. “I mean, that was it. But I have to say any student that I’ve come in contact with thus far has been nothing but nice and enjoyable to deal with. So I’m extremely grateful for that.”

The warmth from other teachers has also left a positive impression on Fleming.

“They [teachers] have been extremely accommodating for when I need to

Mrs. Natalie Zigon, Administrative Assistant

Evelynn Lin ‘25

After hearing about an opening in the high school’s main office, Mrs. Natalie Zigon stepped up to the plate of working in the new setting.

Zigon was previously a Starbucks manager, manning the shop and making sure all was well. Now, her new task is to help run the main office and assist certain educational departments, the principal, and assistant principals.

“The biggest difference, like with Starbucks, was always my hours for work. It’s nice being on a schedule where it’s like school hours,” Zigon said. “With Starbucks, it was you’re always on at Starbucks. There’s always something that could happen.”

Zigon noted how there are similarities between the Starbucks lines and the tardy student line that have made part of her new work more enjoyable.

“I’m used to long lines and people being in a rush. So I like being busy and always being occupied. To me, it’s doable,” she said. Zigon works closely with the administration to ensure the students’ wellbeing in the building is maintained– and to her, it has been a positive experience thus far to work alongside them.

“[The administrators] are definitely a very approachable group, both for myself with my own questions, but also the way that I’ve seen them interact with the students and the staff,” she said. “They’re empathetic people that want to listen, and then see what they can do to help.”

Zigon also notes how helpful the other students and staff have been with her arrival, especially veteran administrative assistant Mrs. Doris Ford.

“She’s been a wealth of knowledge, and she’s just fun, down-to-earth, and so helpful,” she said. “Everything from how to answer the phones or set up voicemail or get an ID. There’s so many little things. She really knows it all.”

For Zigon, the best part of her job is being busy and feeling included in the community.

“I like stuff being busy, fast-paced, and a little bit chaotic because it means you get to try to fix it or just constantly stay busy,” Zigon said. “And I keep gushing over everybody that’s here, but it’s nice talking to everyone here. Everybody seems to take good care of each other.”

As the school year starts to pick up, Zigon hopes to help contribute to all that Haven offers to its students and staff and make it a great first year.

“It’s going to be neat seeing this perspective of high schoolers’ years or seeing like the homecoming dance and what I can do behind the scenes to help with that. And then eventually there’s graduation and things like that. The little bit that I’ve helped down at the Career Center, it’s neat seeing all the college visits and all the opportunities that the students have here,” she said.

“I’d love to look back on the first year here, and how I can make things more organized and process-related.”*

check on a student,” Fleming said. “The counselors have also been great, and when I have a concern about a student, and I call them and I say, ‘You know, I’m still learning, each individual student and their personalities, what do you think?’”

Fleming has had an interest in science and medicine for a long time, and as a hospital nurse, she enjoyed the one-onone relationships she was able to have. Helping educate others turned out to be an interest of hers as well.

“I like teaching people how to take care of themselves and how to help themselves get over, you know, challenges or illnesses and stuff like that,” Fleming said. She didn’t necessarily think of being a school nurse until her son went to kindergarten.

“His school nurse asked me if I’d be willing to sub for her and that time I thought, ‘Why not, I’ll give it a try.’ And I just ended up really, really enjoying it,” Fleming said.

At her previous smaller school, she would see around 15 kids a day. Now at Strath Haven, that number has doubled

to 30-35 kids a day.

“But that’s why we’re here. You know, we’re here for the little stuff and the big stuff. There’s never a day where nobody shows up,” Fleming said.*

Ms. Lauren Kostoff, Special Education

Kostoff reminisces about her past at Strath Haven while looking forward to her future at the high school.

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

After graduating from Strath Haven in 2005, Ms. Lauren Kostoff came back to teach Reading Intervention classes in a school that in some ways, has remained unchanged for her.

“The building was brand new my freshman year, I think,” Kostoff said. “And a lot of my teachers are still here. So good to see them all, like Mr. [Kevin] Haney, Mrs. [Amanda] Lawson, Mr. [Richard] Fould…Mr. Haney made fun of me because I kept calling him Mr. Haney.”

It was difficult for her to adjust to seeing her old teachers as her new coworkers. However, she was able to quickly adapt to other changes that have appeared since her time as a student.

“I mean, kids are a lot different now,” Kostoff said. “The technology’s new for me, to adjust to a kid on their phone all day, with their AirPods in. So just kind of setting that boundary was hard my first day.”

Kostoff works on reading and comprehension skills with her students as a reading intervention and English teacher.

She was previously employed at Las Americas Aspira Academy, which is an K-8 school located in Delaware.

“I’m used to constantly talking, asking questions, so that’s been nice, to talk to older kids and have full conversations,” Kostoff said.

At her other school, she worked with more people on a daily basis, so more team meetings and planning were involved there than here. Although she enjoys the freedom of getting to set her own pace, the theme of connection at her old school is something she’d like to see more of at SHHS.

“I know it’s different at high school,” Kostoff said. “Kids don’t really want to do all that stuff. But I think it’s important to do at every age, so it’s just building a stronger community.”

The Haven community can be strong and supportive in its own way, as Ms. Kostoff learned.

“I share a room with Mrs. [Diane] Condon, and she’s been very sweet and helpful. She’s just really kind so it’s nice to know I have that,” she said.

It can be a struggle for new teachers to get used to the block schedule, but Kostoff values the extra moments she gets from it.

“I love the starting time because I have three kids who wake up very early, so it’s easy for me to get out of the house early,” she said. “It’s been nice adjusting to it because I’m able to now get my kids off the bus, but I couldn’t do that before. So yeah, I love the block scheduling.”*

Zigon shares her busy and different schedule as the new administrative assistant in the third floor office.

Editor-in-Chief

PHOTO: EVELYNN LIN ’25

PHOTO: EVELYNN LIN ’25

Ms. Sara Fleming, Nurse

Fleming has been around the world, and now she’s at Strath Haven continuing to pursue her passions for health and education.

Managing Editor of Web / Health & Sciences Editor

PHOTO: EVELYNN LIN ’25

Mosley joins school community in Athletic Director role

“I’ve always loved sports and athletics, and I’ve always known this was where I wanted to be, which is why I went back to school to become an athletic director.”

As Strath Haven’s first woman of color Athletic Director since Strath Haven opened its doors to students in 1983, Mosley has brought that love for sports into everything she has done so far for the athletes and sports so far.

Mosley previously worked as a probation officer at Delaware County Court and a part-time women’s basketball coach at Penn State Brandywine. When she made the switch to WSSD, she went from leading one sport to leading a variety.

“Coming here, it’s now not just basketball. It’s all the sports, which is kind of cool,” Mosley said. “As an athlete, I know the gist about every sport, like I know this is how they score, how they get points, but I’m learning the intricate details of all the sports now…You don’t think about all the penalties and all the things that can happen, and I’m learning so much more.”

Being an Athletic Director is a busy job with many responsibilities, such as scheduling sports games, budgeting each sport, and being a supportive figure in all that student-athletes and coaches do. Her ability to manage time has helped her significantly.

“As a basketball coach at Penn State, I was part-time, so having to juggle a full-time job, being a basketball coach, and being a parent, you have to learn to manage your time,” Mosley said. “I think that bodes well here because you can’t focus on one thing, you have a lot of things going on, so you have to learn how to budget time and give the time to each different thing that it needs and learn how to just make it all work in one day.”

Mosley has attended many of the fall sports games, and she is proud of the student-athletes who continue to commit and dedicate their time and passion to sports.

“I think it’s really exciting to watch the kids, the studentathletes, participate because I know that it’s gone beyond the field, and these lessons that they’re going to learn there are going to last way beyond just what they do [during] four years that they’re here,” she said.

Administrative Assistant Mrs. Deborah Sherman, who Mosley considers her “partner-in-crime” for her job, has helped Mosley adjust to the multitude of tasks needed to be done every day.

“She makes my job a lot easier. I wouldn’t be able to get a lot done without her,” Mosley said. “I’m able to be like, ‘Hey, can you do this for me, so then I can go and run to do this or go run and sit in a meeting.’ There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes things that sometimes have nothing to do with the day-to-day sports stuff that has to get taken care of, that will set a little bit of a roadblock in my day, but we always seem to get through them.”

Former Athletic Director Mr. Pat Clancy has also lent support to Mosley, which makes her feel appreciative. Clancy now teaches Social Studies classes at the high school and assists with coaching football.

“He always stops in to make sure I’m okay,” she said. “If I ever need anything, he’s always just a phone call away. He’s been awesome, which has made it really easy to be in this seat because he has been so helping and willing.” Mosley is excited for the remaining school year in athletics. First arriving during the Panthers’ varsity baseball run to states last spring, she can’t wait to see the opportunities that emerge for every sports team at Haven.

Mrs. Jessica Edwards, Special Education

After almost 9 years at a charter school in Philadelphia, Mrs. Jessica Edwards started anew by bringing her teaching expertise to Haven.

Edwards is a new special education teacher in the Haven community, coming from the Memphis Street Academy Charter School in Philadelphia. Since arriving, Edwards has had to adapt to many changes– one of the biggest being not having a class of students for the entire school day.

“It’s been a little challenging because I’m used to teaching all day and being the main teacher,” she said. “So now, I’m just supporting other teachers and allowing them to get more done in their classroom with the students that might need a little bit extra help.”

There are many benefits to this, however, according to Edwards.

“I push into classrooms more since being here,” she said. “And at the end of the day, I do have a little block of students who are in the self-contained setting for the rest of the day, so I get to see them at the end of the day, which has been nice.”

Another challenge of being someplace new is not knowing anyone. For Edwards, it feels intimidating, but she has dealt with the scariness of it all with confidence.

“I’m coming from a school where I was at for eight and a half years, so I got to know a lot of the staff there. I don’t know anybody here yet,” she said. “Everybody that’s welcomed me has been very nice, and they’re making the transition very easy for me,It’s been easy to make connections with the other staff members and get to know the kids.” The support from students and staff she works with has also made the change feel easier.

“Just them going out of their way to make sure I had everything that I needed to be successful, saying hi,” Edwards said. “Something as simple as that has really been helpful.”

Edwards hopes to make this school year an enjoyable and productive year that helps her students grow as learners and people.

“I just hope by the end of the year everybody has made progress, and I see relationships grow, and kids really starting to regulate their emotions and be able to go out into the real world and be successful,” Edwards said.*

“I’m just really excited to see what they do,” Mosley said. “At the end of the day, I want everyone to be successful, and to take away from the sport something that they loved.

“If everyone can walk along and say they had a great year, despite their wins and losses, despite what happened, but they said: ‘You know this was great and this added to my experience,’ then I think I’ve done my job.”*

Kaitlyn Ho ‘26

Managing Editor of Web / Health & Sciences Editor

Ms. Rana Mochaourab heard about Strath Haven from coworkers at Temple University, and has been inspired so far by the energy from the student body.

“Everything so far has been great. I’m very impressed with the band,” Mochaourab said. “Just watching them play, and the level of energy and motivation that they have, is amazing to watch. It’s very uplifting ...it adds to the positive atmosphere.”

Mochaourab has also noticed the positive student conduct in classes.

“I’m very impressed with the student body and so far, it’s been very good in classes, getting to know them, and I see them following expectations,” she said. She sees this behavior exhibited during the two different classes she teaches at Strath Haven.

“My position is long-term substitute, special education teacher for learning support. And I teach two Learning Center classes,” Mochaourab said. “Also, I’m a case manager, so I also follow up on students who have an individualized education program.”

According to Mochaourab, the Learning Center classes focus on individual student goals, academic coursework, study skills, executive functioning skills and transition planning.

“The syllabus for the [Learning Center class] course is to teach executive functioning and learning skills, study skills and organization to support students with coping with the work course load and being able to manage their time,” Mochaourab said. Similarly to many of the other teachers, Mochaourab’s coworkers have been showing kindness as she navigates her new job.

“One of the teachers helped me get a help desk ticket,” Ms. Mochaourab said. “Things like that are things that I’m not used to, but other staff members are jumping in and supporting me. That has made it a lot easier on me, especially since I’m new to the building and getting used to this system.”

Mochaourab has worked at a few other schools in the past as a special education teacher, including Lower Merion School District and the International School of Lund Katedralskolan in Sweden.

She acknowledged the positives and negatives of Google Classroom, and is excited to try something new.

“I’m looking forward to using Schoology and posting all the course materials and for the students and seeing how it works,” Mochaourab said.*

Sports has always been one of Mrs. Lynelle Mosley’s greatest passions in her life.

Evelynn Lin ‘25

Editor-in-Chief

MRS. LYNELLE MOSLEY • PHOTO: EVELYNN LIN ’25

Edwards shares her challenges in the new high school environment and her goals for the school year.

Evelynn Lin ‘25

Editor-in-Chief

PHOTO: EVELYNN LIN

Ms. Rana Mochaourab, Special Education

Mochaourab enjoys the lively spirit at Strath Haven and appreciates the help from fellow teachers.

PHOTO CREDIT: MOCHAOURAB

BELONGING BUILDING

Set up by Student Council and administration, the class of 2027 cookout featured snacks and grills, while a scavenger hunt had the freshmen chasing clues down hallways.

Kaitlyn Ho ‘26, Evelynn Lin ‘25 Managing

Editor of Web and Editor-in-Chief

Shouts of “It’s here!” from the class of 2027 and the faint scent of hot dogs floated through the once summer-silent halls on August 23, marking a new tradition. Freshmen and new students participated in a cookout, scavenger hunt, and get-to-know-you activities.

After a meal of chips, cookies, burgers, and more, the freshmen separated into groups based on the color of their name tags and marched around the school in search of certain rooms. The scavenger hunt gave them a chance to explore and get to know the school.

“Some of them have been in the building before between band and sports, but it’s nice when they’re here with the upperclassmen to just see the general layout of the building because on the first day, they’re always getting lost,” Assistant Principal Mr. Tom McLaughlin said. Student Council members helped plan the activities to ensure the event went smoothly.

“I think that there are parts of it that we definitely could have [worked] a little better, because for me personally, I didn’t realize how many kids there would be,

so I was a little bit overwhelmed. But otherwise, it went pretty well,” junior Student Council officer Tianyue Wang said. Walking around the school helped new freshmen familiarize themselves with the location of classrooms, restrooms, and offices,and how to navigate the school.

“[I liked] walking around the school because I’ve never been in this school before,” freshman Sam Mendez said. “It’s nice to know what it’s like before the school year starts.”

The goal of the cookout was to help the freshmen adapt to a fresh start in a new building. It was executed in hopes to help freshmen have fun and feel like they belonged.

“It was very nice because everyone was welcoming,” Mendez said.

While this is the first-ever freshmen barbecue, it won’t be the last of new steps the school’s leadership is planning to make students feel welcome.

“We’re trying to make things feel a little different this year, and this was the first step of it,” McLaughlin said.*

BOTTOM

TOP Hands intertwine with each other during a fun bonding activity outside in the Brookhaven parking lot during freshmen barbecue. The goal of the activity was to encourage students to bond and interact with each other in order to get their hands untangled from one another.

MIDDLE Freshmen Alaina Brown, Vivian Legate-Yang, and Caroline Rupon freeze with their hands in the air during the freeze dance game outside the cafeteria.

RIGHT Senior Student Council officer Maddie Noeller and senior Student Council vice president Zane Malarkey throw their hands up in celebration as their group finishes another one of the scavenger hunt’s location prompts.

TOP Freshmen respond to Assistant Principal Mrs. Andrea LaPira’s ask if they would like to learn more about the school building during what would be the group’s next activity: a scavenger hunt. Arms of hands shot up from row after rows of tables.

Freshman Luca Gentile holds up his hand in a thumbs up as junior Student Council officer Tianyue Wang tells him and the entire yellow group that they’ll be heading upstairs for the scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt was held after eating barbecue food to help the freshmen familiarize themselves with the new high school building.

SENIORS FACE REALITIES DURING GRAD YEAR

S eniors in the class of 2024 have faced many highs and lows throughout their high school career. As the final year progresses, the seniors are uncovering how the struggles bear opportunities that come with senior year.

Bailey Hansen

Contributor

WE ASKED: How do you feel about being a senior this year?

*“It kind of sucks being this far in, and I kind of miss being a freshman. But I’m also excited for how the year is going so far. It’s not fun preparing for the end, instead of enjoying your last year of high school.”

*“It’s actually really exciting. It’s also really nice to be able to pick out almost all of my classes, and enjoy my day everyday.”

*“It’s definitely changed my perspective on a lot of things. As an underclassman... it was easy to look at seniors as being these big, confident people, who knew what they were doing. But now that I’m a senior, and one of those people that everyone looks up to, it’s made things feel different and more casual.”

*“I’m already pretty tired. I think college is not my favorite part of the year, but so far my classes are pretty chill, which makes things easier.”

*“I like it and am excited to see where the rest of my future goes, but it does kind of suck to have so much college work on top of work from classes.”

*“Honestly, it’s a little scary to be a senior. I miss being an underclassmen with less responsibilities, but I would say that I’m getting a little senioritis.”

*“I’m honestly ready to go, and I’m feeling this senioritis coming on, but I’m trying to stay away from that and just focus on getting my work done.”

*“I don’t think it’s really hit yet. I definitely know that I’m in the highest grade, because people say ‘Go ask your seniors’ and they mean me, and it’s a really weird feeling.”*

Student drivers, expert share tips for newly permitted teenage drivers

What advice do some of Haven’s experienced licensed drivers and an expert on driving have to offer for newly permitted drivers in staying safe while on the roads?

Evelynn Lin ’25

Editor-in-Chief

Car accidents are frightening. Even being on the road itself is intimidating. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, according to the Center for Disease Control.

According to PennDOT, in Pennsylvania, a teenager is eligible to get their driver’s permit when they turn 16. After receiving their permit, they’ll wait six months before applying for the licensed test. In those six months or more, newly permitted drivers must attain 65 total hours of driving, with at least ten at night and five in inclement weather.

“I think the 65 hours is great,” I Love to Drive examiner Amanda Gunn said.

Gunn works at the I Love to Drive driving school, which teaches people of all age groups how to drive and tailors their lessons to their needs.

“I do think that there needs to be a little more stricter rules on making sure that they do have those hours, though,” she said.

The hours of practice are really important in becoming more experienced with the car’s many mechanisms.

“I would drive all the time. I’d drive my sisters to soccer practice and everything, or like, I’d drive to the beach

with my parents,” senior licensed driver Paige Trout said. “That’s how I got my full 65, and it’s honestly easy. It becomes mindless after like a month of doing it, and it just gets really easy. I would very much so recommend it to people who are practicing.”

Being aware of the circumstances of being on the road and communicating with other drivers are important in avoiding a crash and staying safe.

“It’s really important to be able to read, essentially, like the body language of the cars around you,” Gunn said.

“Leave a huge space cushion around you. It’s like making a bubble around your car. Don’t get in anybody else’s bubble and don’t let anybody into yours if you can help it.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving and DUI are some of the leading causes of death in the US; in 2021, 13,384 people died from drunk driving, and about 3,522 lives died from distracted driving.

According to the CDC, distraction negatively affects driving performance for all drivers but can be especially dangerous for inexperienced drivers.

“Be responsible,” seniors Lila Hill and Maddie Noeller said. “Never drink and drive, or text and drive or anything like that. Don’t drive with people who aren’t

responsible because they will distract you. You’re not just ruining your life. You’re ruining other people’s.”

Mental health also plays a large role when driving. Just as mental health can affect your daily activities, it can also affect your thinking on the road.

“A major difference with anxious kids is making sure that they’re in a supportive environment because, with anxiety, when you’re anxious, it’s kind of like your brain, it doesn’t absorb information anymore,” Gunn said.

Gunn especially emphasizes the importance of staying safe on the road if you have certain mental health conditions, like ADHD.

“ADHD students that are unmedicated are three times more likely to be in a car crash than a student that is medicated

ADHD or somebody without ADHD,” Gunn said. “It’s a little bit tricky, because that kind of information, I wouldn’t want to push them into… I’m not a doctor. I can give them the statistics, I can suggest that they have a conversation with their doctor. But that’s as far as really I’m allowed to go.” Gunn mentions some final tips for all drivers, whether they are newly permitted or licensed.

“Kindness would go so much further today out on the road,” she said. “There’s a lot of aggression out there. I’m not really sure where that comes from, maybe from our area because our roads were not built to hold this many people, to hold this many cars. So, some kindness and patience would really go a long way.”*

‘24

CARTER LAW ‘24

PAIGE TROUT ‘24

DAPHNE MUCH ‘24

ALEX PIECH ‘24

DANIEL SAVELIEV ’24

JOE LYNCH ‘24

CALVIN WARNER ‘24

OYINDAMOLA SONGONUGA ‘24

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: EVELYNN LIN ’25

“Kindness would go so much further today out on the road. There’s a lot of aggression out there.”

Amanda Gunn, I Love to Drive

Freshman English teachers discuss classes

Ninth grade English teachers explain what students can expect from their full-year courses.

Mark Ball ‘26

Contributor

The ninth grade English class lasts a full year and earns two credits for freshmen. The course title is “English 9: Introduction to World Literature and Academic Writing,” according to the Silver Guide. Despite some variation in their approaches, the freshman English teachers are very supportive of one another.

“I think our ninth grade team is really close-knit, and we work as a team and as a unit,” English teacher Ms. Kate Evans said.

What books do you read in your ninth grade English curriculum?

Ms. Reagan Lattari: We start the year with different mythological sources. The purpose of the mythology is to create a foundation for “The Odyssey,” so there has to be a lot of Greek mythology. “The Odyssey,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Lord of the Flies.” In addition to the curricular books, my kids read anywhere between five to 20 personal choice books throughout the year.

Mr. Dan Peterson: “The Odyssey,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Bone Gap,” “With the Fire on High,” and short stories.

Ms. Kate Evans: “Of Mice and Men,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Lord of the Flies,” and dystopian fiction.

Mr. Matthew Morris: “The Odyssey,” “Of Mice and Men,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and we’ll do one more novel but I’m still deciding what it will be.

Mr. Chris McMahon: “The Odyssey,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Lord of the Flies,” and “Of Mice and Men.” And students read a choice of their own throughout the semester and I don’t assess them on those. The hope is that a student will read a book a month. But a student might have time issues with other classes that might crowd out some of their reading time.

Ms. Katelyn Scaffidi: “The Odyssey,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Lord of the Flies,” and “Of Mice and Men.”

What is your favorite of these books to teach?

Latteri: “The Odyssey.” It is a book that literally connects to everything we go through in our lives. And it

shows so much of where our culture comes from.

Peterson: “Lord of the Flies” because we do all the fun tribal activities. Students are put in groups and they come up with a tribe name and chief, and they compete against each other in academic and fun competitions.

Evans: “Of Mice and Men,” because it’s coming after “The Odyssey” and “The Odyssey” is a lot harder. It’s a much longer book and the kids sometimes get tired of it and we have to keep pushing through. “Of Mice and Men” is heartwarming even though it’s really sad. And I love the way Steinbeck writes.

Morris: “The Odyssey” and “Romeo and Juliet” are my favorites. I like “The Odyssey” because I really like mythology. I used to teach mythology and it has always been one of my areas of special interest. And I like “Romeo and Juliet” because I’m involved and interested in theater. I think sometimes because people assume it’s an old play, people think it’s not relatable. It’s a situation that is charged with emotion and people acting the same way that people who are very emotional today would act. McMahon: Each one has its own special place in my heart. Romeo is a bit older, but he’s trying to make adult choices and he’s not [an adult]. And it’s interesting to look at this. It can teach use to think about what we’re acting on and seek the counsel of somebody before we make a final decision.

Scaffidi: “Romeo and Juliet” because it can be really fun if you have students rewrite parts of the text and perform their own skits. It’s just fun and something different.

As marching band kicks off, students share thoughts

Hard work pays off, teamwork is essential, and avoid sunburn.

Mia Fagone ’26 Contributor

With the beginning of the 2023 Strath Haven Marching Band season comes new songs, new people, and new experiences.

Haven’s band is the largest in Pennsylvania and the second-largest Band in the country, according to the marching band’s website. With an average of 400 members each year, enrollment is around a quarter of the high school.

Something that changes every year for band are the songs performed at the Friday night football games.

The songs for this season are; “Don’t Stop,” “Runaway Baby,” a Blink 182 mashup, “Holding out for a Hero,” and “Hooked on a Feeling.”

The songs are covered in two shows during the regular season, with a mix of all songs in the playoffs.

Sophomore clarinet player and field major Elizabeth Mboowa is confident in the band’s progress towards learning the new performances.

“I think that the new songs are definitely different, and I think that the new dance break and formations are a challenge,” she said. “But I think we got it down.”

Another addition to this year’s marching band is the plethora of enthusiastic freshmen, committed to building the marching band community.

“I think that it’s a really strong group of people,” sophomore Silks leader Sonya Blum said. “A lot of people have been putting in hard work, and it’s really gonna pay off.”

While there are new changes every year, there is one event that stays the same: band camp, which takes place in hot weather the week before school

starts.

However, freshman Lavanya Dixit, a new dance team member on band front, said that she enjoyed the experience.

“It’s all really new to me, but I think band camp was a great introduction because I just learned so much,” she said.

Blum, too, thought that band camp offered a strong foundation to the new season.

“It gives us team building, and it kind of makes us stronger as a band because we’re all going through something that isn’t very enjoyable together,” she said.

Band camp prepares the marching band for their first Friday night game, which, to many members, feels sentimental.

“They’re just very fun, just doing all the stuff that you were learning for days on and then actually finally getting to do it, and just having a lot of fun with people that you know,” Mboowa said.

After a whole week of band camp, the band continues to come together to learn new music and routines and improve with each performance during fifth blocks several times a week and biweekly evening rehearsals.

Midway through the season, there is still a lot to look forward to for everyone.

Only one thing left: Mboowa shared a helpful tip, or maybe a warning, to everyone spending as much time outside as the band does: “Wear sunscreen.”*

What is unique about your approach to teaching ninth grade English?

Lattari: Out of all the ninth grade teachers, I’m the one who spends the most time on mythology. I get them to see that this book from antiquity can connect to their daily lives. I also approach “Of Mice and Men” differently than the rest of the team. I focus so much on how the time and place affect the story.

Peterson: I focus on engagement, critical thinking, and fun.

Evans: I make sure the kids are heard. I read the room. If I notice that kids are tired and need a break, I can give them a break because it’s a year-long class so I have the time. So I balance fun and work.

Morris: I find something to like in everything that I teach and everyone that I teach.

McMahon: I try to make the assignments as grounded and realistic as possible. I would not assign something that is beyond the abilities of the students in my classroom.

Scaffidi: I try to do a variety of projects each week to keep things interesting.*

Scheduling app Saturn causes worries among parents, students

The app is raising both safety concerns and feelings of excitement.

Luci DiBonaventura ‘25 Reporter

The app Saturn reaches students at Strath Haven, and as soon as schedules came out, it didn’t take long for it to be a hit.

Saturn’s step-by-step signup process depends on students selecting what school they are from and uploading their schedules. In its very first prompt, it asks students to put in their birthday and then pick a school.

After students select their classes, they have to put in an email address to verify, along with other verifications to ensure safety. If someone is not verified, they cannot message others on the app. Despite all these steps for verification, many non-student users were able to get access to students’ information like their social media and direct messaging.

Local and national news outlets covered the story after parents began to express concerns, and warnings spread on social media.

Junior Ella Liberi refused to get the app after hearing warnings about its dangers.

“A couple of friends had sent me the link and at first I wanted to get it,” she said. “But after hearing how bad the app could be from my parents and peers, I decided against it.”

Even with all the concerns about the app, some students felt no worry about it. Junior Zoe Likely found Saturn to be a great way to see who was in her class.

“I downloaded the app towards the end of August because I wanted to know what friends I had in my classes,” she said. “When I first heard about the dangers of it, I wasn’t too concerned. I felt like there were already a lot of different social media apps that could get this information about me.”

Along with Likely, other students also found it an efficient way to communicate their schedules to their peers. Junior Paula Hagan used the app when it first came out and had a positive experience with it.

“I felt like I’ve been around things like this before,” Hagan said. “I have social media and I feel like I know how to be careful with apps like this.”

The app claimed that it fixed aspects of its verification process after numerous notices over the potential risks. The app now requires a school-issued email for access; however, students do not have to verify this email address, as many schools do not allow external emails to student accounts. *

LATTARI PETERSON EVANS MORRIS MCMAHON SCAFFIDI

“It kind of makes us stronger as a band because we’re all going through something that isn’t very enjoyable together.”

Sonya Blum ’26

THE WALL: Alum Megan Smith Fizzano

Megan Smith Fizzano ’87 was Strath Haven’s first AllAmerican Athlete ’87 and Penn State’s Female Athlete of the Year ’91. She has also won an NCAA Division 1 Lacrosse title.

Fizzano is now one of the girls’ lacrosse coaches at Strath Haven High School.

“I played field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse at Strath Haven,” she said. “I have a big connection to Strath Haven, and my dad was the girls’ basketball coach there that won the state championship. He was considered, at least around these parts, the dean of girls’ basketball.”

She initially attended Garnet Valley but wanted to play sports at Strath Haven because Garnet Valley wasn’t really in a league at the time. The only problem was that it was expensive because she lived out of the area, and her father refused to pay. Luckily for her, the school had just opened.

“I desperately wanted to go to Nether Providence…When Strath Haven merged, they let teachers and employees bring their kids over for free. That’s the reason I got to go to Strath Haven, but I wouldn’t have gone there, had that not been the case. So, I did come there to play sports because of the fact that it was in the Central League, and there

Bell schedules, broken down

From two-hour delays to half days, six different school schedules can cause confusion. Here are the schedules in use this year.

Kaitlyn Ho

Managing Editor of Web / Health and Sciences Editor, Contributor

her journey to sports success

was a lot more exposure for girls and sports,” she said.

As an athlete, she wanted to be seen by scouts and coaches. Strath Haven was the place to be. She was part of the first freshman class of Strath Haven High School.

“The very first year of Strath Haven; everything was new, the colors, the name, everything was brand new, but I went there because I really wanted to play sports for that school and in the Central Leagues,” Fizzano said.

She entered the newly opened high school with a goal to pursue sports not just in the high school setting, but afterwards too.

“My goal was to get a scholarship to go play one of those sports in college, whichever one worked out for me,” she said.

As soon as Fizzano got to college, she joined the Penn State lacrosse team. But Lacrosse was an east coast sport at the time so a lot of the players she met at Penn State were local.

“They were from the top-of-the-line teams back then. So all of a sudden now, me being the big fish, I’m now competing with all the best girls from the area for lacrosse,” Fizzano said.

Even though it was much more challenging than playing in high school,

she enjoyed the challenge and ended up learning a lot from the experience. After all, it is what she wanted in the first place.

“It was a situation where I had to work and learn and keep my mouth shut and my head down, and it was the best thing for me because I was lucky that things came a little bit easy in the early years,” she said.

There were three notable people who helped her most in her high school sports career: her two coaches and her father.

“I had Mrs. Best back then; she was fantastic,” Fizzano said. “I obviously had my father, who was one of the best coaches around in Delaware County and the tri-state area. That was very difficult coaching, or playing for your dad, who was such a high-functioning coach. Then, I had Mr. [Dan] Zimmerman for girls’ lacrosse, and I guess they all, in some way, pushed me to be better.”

Fizzano says that you have to decide what you want because playing sports in high school is a huge commitment these days.

“I think the most important thing is the parents and the player have to figure out what they really want,” she said. “Then, from there, they can make decisions moving forward as far as club,

REGULAR BELL SCHEDULE

SHHS uses the regular bell schedule the most often. It starts at 7:35 AM and ends at 3:00. A lunch is from 10:3011:10, before third block. B lunch is from 11:10-11:55, during third block. C lunch is from 1:55-12:35, after third block.

AM ASSEMBLY SCHEDULE

the commitment, and the time that they want to put into that,” she said.

After all the hard work of trying to get into college teams and winning games, there are still fun experiences with the team.

“I tell the girls all the time now, as a coach, that I couldn’t tell you what our records were, but I could tell you all the bus rides and all the fun stories from the hotel rooms and just being on a team like that,” Fizzano said. “Those are the good parts about being on a team. It’s just those fun experiences of just being together.” *

2-HOUR DELAY SCHEDULE

On days where school starts later, sometimes because they need to clear snow off the roads, the 2-hour delayed opening schedule will be in use. School starts at 9:35 AM and ends at the normal time. A lunch is 11:15-11:55 AM, B lunch is 11:55 AM-12:35 PM, and C lunch is 12:35-1:10.

HALF DAY SCHEDULE

Charlotte Horetsky ‘24

“Many teachers have the variety of schedules printed and displayed somewhere in their room. When there is a day that follows a different schedule, they tell the class beforehand.”

The AM assembly schedule is in use on days where there is a morning assembly. School ends and starts at the same time. First block ends 20 minutes earlier than usual. There are two assembly blocks, assembly A at 8:509:35 AM and assembly B at 9:45-10:25 AM. The lunch times don’t change.

PM ASSEMBLY SCHEDULE

Lunch times are not the same, and your lunch block depends on your floor. A lunch, which is now 11:0511:40 AM, is taken by students on the 2nd floor. Students on the 3rd floor will go to B lunch, 11:45 AM-12:20 PM. C lunch is for students on the 4th floor, and will be from 12:20 PM-12:55 PM.

Half days are usually before holidays, and on the last day of school. They start at the same time as usual, and end at 10:30. There is no lunch.

FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE

Final exams days end at 11:00 AM. The final exams are stretched over two days--the first day for first and second block exams, and the second day for third and fourth block exams. The first exam starts at 7:459:15 AM. Break is at 9:15 and is 15 minutes long. The second exam is from 9:30-11:00 AM.*

shares

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 a recognized athlete.

Matteo Ventresca ‘25

Managing Editor of Print

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: MEGAN SMITH FIZZANO

‘26, Bailey Hansen ‘24

“It’s really confusing. I mean, most of my teachers have put all of the different schedules on their google classrooms, so I know what’s going on, but it’s still confusing.”

Annika Slootmaker ‘26

“I think it’s a bit much and there’s a lot to remember.”

Aromal Rajesh ‘27

“I feel like having all of the different schedules makes me a little confused. However, I think for keystones and PSAT, I understand the scheduling for that, but all of the other schedules are confusing and hard to remember.”

Kelly Montague ‘25

We asked a few students: How do you feel about having so many different schedules?

Haven introduces girls varsity golf team

The coach, players, and Director of Athletics share the inside scoop about the new team.

Lucy Karn ‘24 Reporter

This year at Strath Haven, a varsity girls’ golf team was created due to the increased amount of interest.

The creation of the team demonstrates how schools are making more room and opportunities available for females in sports, especially ones that are dominated by males.

The team consists of four girls who compete against other girls’ teams, including Radnor and Conestoga.

“In the past, we did not have the numbers to form an all-girls team, but with the interest that we received this year, we thought it would be important to start one,” Athletic Director Mrs. Lynelle Mosley said.

important tournaments because it helps them form relationships, benefits their playing, and makes them more comfortable.

“I think it is important to give girls the opportunity to play; if it is all girls and we are playing against girls, it’s more inviting and open,” senior girls’ golf team player Catherine Caruso said.

In addition, Miller and Mosley discussed that because this is the first year of the official team, there should be a lot of excitement and curiosity toward the team, which could help bridge the way for future seasons.

their love for the game of golf.”

Although this is Mosley’s first year, she assumes that there has always been a plan to start a girls’ golf team. After tryouts in the summer, she and Samantha Miller, the new golf coach for both the boys and girls golf teams, decided that there was enough interest to create a team just for girls.

Coach Samantha Miller

“Within the Central League this year, there are a lot of girls expressing interest in playing golf, which gave us the ability to jump on the opportunity to start a girl’s team to compete within our league,” Miller said.

In 2000, girls made up 15% of junior golfers, but now that percentage has more than doubled with 36% of junior golfers being girls, according to The First Call Golf, a website that writes articles on women’s golf.

“I think it is really important to create a team since there is a demand,” Mosley said.

In past years when there wasn’t a girls’ golf team, the female golfers would meet for the first time at the Central League Tournament and Districts. Miller expressed how important it is for the girls to meet each other prior to

“My hope for the team is to be successful,” Mosley said. “In the inaugural year, we are hoping to get a great buzz around the school about the team and hopefully grow the program for the future.”

Growing the program is not the only thing that they hope to accomplish for next year. Building strong relationships with other team members and with the game of golf itself is the main purpose of the team.

“My hope for the girls’ team is to grow their love for the game of golf,” Miller said.

The girls, coach, and ahtletic director have tried to set reasonable goals and expectations for this season with the hopes it will take some pressure off of the female golfers as they start the school year and new varsity sports team.

“The only expectation that I have is that they work hard and have fun while doing it,” Mosley said.

Even though the girl golfers will be having fun, Miller wanted to emphasize that one of her personal goals for the team is to help the girls adjust to being studentathletes and the associated pressures and obligations

Return of King Field prompts excitement, adaptation

Sports teams have mixed perspectives on the new turf.

Clark Kerkstra ‘27, Lavanya Dixit ‘27

King Field is back.

The official opening ceremony for the newly redone King Field is scheduled for Friday, October 13 at 3:00 pm, the day of the Homecoming football game. The ceremony was scheduled for August 25, the day of the opening football game against Interboro, but was canceled due to weather conditions.

Last March, the field was approved by the school board in an 8-1 decision. The field was built in contract with FieldTurf USA for $1,120,000. Construction started May 15 and stretched into this school year’s preseason sports. The field is used by a lot of the Haven sports programs, so having the turf ready for the school year allows for play to resume. The first game on the new turf was a boys’ Varsity Soccer scrimmage against West Chester East on August 22 that resulted in a 2-1 loss for Haven.

Overall, the soccer team had a positive outlook on the new turf.

“It’s very nice,” senior Nico Taylor said. “The grass is longer than it used to be,

so the ball rolls normally. It used to fly across the field like a hockey puck. It is much easier to control now, much more like a regular game of soccer.”

The favorable feedback was not fully reciprocated by the members of the varsity girls field hockey team, however.

“It’s definitely a lot slower just because in terms of field hockey, playing on a flatter, rundown surface makes the game a lot faster,” senior Grace Kelly said. “So it’s definitely going to be interesting getting used to a new change of pace, but I do feel like the turf is a lot more supportive, in a sense of injuries.”

This year’s sports teams have a lot to adjust to, considering the new turf’s difference from the old turf. However, both teams agree that they have a promising and exciting season ahead of them.

“It’s definitely difficult, but we’re learning to adapt to the longer turf so that way we have a home field advantage when other teams come and they’re not used to it,” senior Meredith Seidman said.*

that come with that title.

“My goal as a coach is to serve as a mentor for my players, not only for golf but also as a fellow studentathlete,” Miller said.

Miller could not contain her enthusiasm and talked about how excited she was to coach a team full of passionate young golfers.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to coach a new generation of women golfers,” she said. “The game of golf has done so much for my life, and I cannot wait to share that experience with this new generation. This is such a great opportunity for our Haven girls and I am excited to be a part of it.”*

Haven Climbing Club offers local rock climbing opportunities

Students have a chance to explore new ropes.

Gabriel Ball ‘24 Contributor

Sports are everywhere. Many people find their heroes through sports, and they serve as some of the most popular pastimes, allowing for people to be a part of of something bigger than themselves.

Most of this enormous amount of societal attention is paid towards a small group of professional sports. Baseball, football, soccer, basketball, tennis, and hockey come to mind. Beyond this elite group, however, lie a multitude of enthralling sporting events and competitions.

One of these is rock climbing, a quickly growing sport at Strath Haven.

Unknown to many, rock climbing is a competitive sport with multiple categories you can compete in. For example, Bouldering is free climbing without a rope or harness, often using artificial rock walls, while rope climbing involves the use of a rope and harness.

“I compete in bouldering and rope climbing,” senior Joey Forbes said.

Forbes is the leader of the Haven Climbing Club, a section of the larger Strath Haven Outdoor Adventure Club, and started climbing three years ago prior to the COVID pandemic.

“Unfortunately, the gyms closed and I had to take a long break, but I resorted to climbing outside during that time,” Forbes said.

Forbes stated that competitions for climbing take place in climbing gyms, where route setters from the

USAC (United States of America

Climbing), will set up three routes with checkpoints. When a climber reaches a checkpoint they will be given points, which the climbers place in the competition.

“Whoever gets the most checkpoints will basically win the competition,” Forbes said.

Rock climbing is typically organized by course difficulty from V-0 to V-17, with V-17 being the hardest. “As a beginner you’re looking for that V-0 to V-4 range.”

This ranking system is designed to allow the sport to be accessible to the wider public, and standardize competitions.

Rock climbing has competitions at all levels, from inter-gym competitions to the nationwide competition, which was held in Salt Lake City, Utah this past July.

While many of the competitions are held at indoor climbing gyms, outdoor climbing is also very popular, with many cliff faces having predetermined rock climbing routes.

For Haven students who are interested in rock climbing, the Haven Climbing Club offers some opportunities.

“We’re going to the Gravity Bowl in Radnor near us. It’s going to be a blast, and make sure to bring all your friends,” Forbes said. “We’re chartering a bus probably in the next few weeks, so you should definitely come.” *

SETTING THE PAR • Senior Catherine Caruso, junior Helena Kaufman, senior Iris Cheng, and junior Brooke Forbes are the first four members of the Girl’s Golf Team.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SAMANTHA MILLER

“My hope for the girls’ team is to grow

Contributors

PHOTO: K. PLOWS

Crossword

Luci DiBonaventura ‘25

Contributor

Across

2. Micheal Cera’s character in the movie “Barbie”

5. Homer Simpson’s favorite food

7. Something that helps people stay fresh

10. choo choo

11. Sitcom about a family who runs a burger restaurant

13. Company that owns Hot Wheels

14. The box shape

Kurt Cobain had

15. Taylor Swift knows how to play this five-string instrument

16. Earth’s natural satellite

17. Actor Johnny__

ANSWERS AT

1. Has 88 keys

3. Winter drink

4. Happiness

6. Taylor Swift “And maybe we got lost in__”

8. Better late than__

9. Dolls named after the slang word for “annoying child”

12. Fastest dog

CHEESE CORNER: Ricotta guarantees Italian flavor

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

Matteo Ventresca ‘25 Managing Editor of Print

Welcome back to the Cheese Corner. For this edition, I decided to do a traditional Italian cheese. I bring you ricotta.

Ricotta is made in the twenty regions of Italy, and must be eaten fresh. It can be baked, salted, seasoned, and smoked. There are many kinds of different recipes you can make with this cheese. Ricotta has a slightly sweet flavor, and it is usually described as similar to cottage cheese. It also has a creamier texture than many other cheeses.

Ricotta is made by heating the whey that is left over after you make cheese. Basically, it’s a use of leftover whey during the production of cheese. During the heating of the whey, the proteins of the milk form white flake-like shapes, which are extracted with a spoon and put into a basket that allows the liquid to drip out of the flakes. The basket is what gives it its shape.

The traditional way of making ricotta dictates that the cheese is made everyday with fresh milk. On

small farms in Italy, they store the liquid that drops from the basket, sour it overnight, and use a small amount of that liquid to the whey to produce the next day’s batch. Personally, I have tried some of the different recipes with ricotta cheese. All of them are really good, but in my opinion, the best way to eat ricotta is spreading it on bread. I can just feel the taste of Italy on one plate. *

REPORT CARD [Already?!]

New Furniture

+Reasonably comfy

-No longer has wheels

Faux marble window ledges +Lovely effort to update the look

-There and then gone

-Kinda weird in juxtaposition to cinder blocks

School Air

-Some rooms freezing, some rooms boiling +Hallways are a happy medium

Back to school +Good to see teachers and friends

-Less freedom, more homework

Assemblies +Very informative

-Audience sometimes gets too rowdy

AC+ D B AEditors

Critter Corner: Gus the Snake

Anna Karpyn shares her bond with her pet corn snake.

Lavanya Dixit ’27 Contributor

Starting this year, the Panther Press has decided to add The Critter Corner, where we will introduce you to some of the pets owned by Haven students.

We start off with Gus, a corn snake owned by freshman Anna Karpyn.

Q. What’s your pet’s name?

A. Asparagus, but his name for short is Gus.

Q. How did you come up with his name?

A. I don’t know. I just wanted something silly, but also serious. I like the idea of having a nickname for my pet.

Q. How old is Gus?

A. He is just over a year old.

Q. Can you tell me something interesting about Gus?

A. He just got to 3 feet long, but he’s supposed to be about 5 feet. And, also, they live for 15 to 20 years.

Q. What led you to wanting a snake as a pet?

A. I used to be scared of snakes, and then one day I was like, wait, these are really cool. And then, I got on SnakeTok and I was like, “Wait, I want one!”

Q. How’s the bond between you and your pet?

A. Honestly, I don’t really think my snake knows who I am or that he likes me, but he knows that I feed him so I think he puts up with me because of that.

Q. What’s Gus’ favorite food?

A. Right now he’s eating mice. That’s the only food I’ve given him, so that’s probably his favorite food.

Q. Finally, what do you love most about Gus?

A. He’s really weird and sometimes when he’s slithering around I’ll just look at him and be like, “What point in evolution got you to where you are?” Like, why did it evolve like this? Why does it look like that? I don’t know.

Want to feature your pet in the next edition of Critter Corner? Stretch your paw out to strathhavenpantherpress@gmail.com!

PHOTO PROVIDED BY: ANNA KARPYN

I can just feel the taste of Italy on one plate.

PHOTO: STEVEN VENTRESCA

Heat wave inconveniences activities

As summer leaves intense heat in our area, the school environment was adversely affected.

Lavanya Dixit ‘27, Claire Salera ‘27 Contributors

July 2023 was the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

With school starting a week before Labor Day this year, Wallingford-Swarthmore has been experiencing some of the summer temperatures during normal school season, which has interfered with school activities. Students have been having a difficult time adapting to this record-breaking heat as it continues to cause inconveniences.

On Wednesday, September 6, all afterschool sports were canceled due to the heat. Recently, other accommodations have been made to continue sports practices, including moving practices indoors.

For some sports, like cross country, outdoor practice is crucial. Though they are saved from the dangerous heat, players find that the indoor practice is a threat to the performance of their ongoing season.

“As difficult as it sounds, the fact that we’re not running outside, even when it’s hot, sets us back. We could probably be slightly ahead if we were in the heat,” senior Max Kikkawa said.

While some outdoor activities have been able to move indoors, others have not been as lucky. For the Panther Marching Band, working outdoors is a necessity, and learning to tolerate the heat is a must.

“For marching band, we’ve had to bear the heat. That’s honestly not too bad if you properly hydrate… I don’t really see anyone carrying water bottles outside in marching band. And that’s very important, I think, to hydrate consistently,” Kikkawa said.

With humidity still present in the evening for

the football game against Ridley on September 8, both the football team and the band had to prepare for the unusual heat, leading to some changes.

“Tonight for our game we are actually going to be completely out of uniform. We’re going to be in 12 shirts and shorts, which I can’t think of a time that’s ever happened,” senior Evan Yavor said.

Marching band director Mr. Nicholas Pignataro explains how the record-breaking summer heat affects the band in a variety of ways.

“Marching band is not designed for this heat,” Pignataro said. “It’s not designed for the rain that comes with the heat. The instruments, even if it’s just misting, we do thousands of dollars of damage. These uniforms are designed for cold weather. If we continue to start our school year in August, we’re going to have to rethink how we approach the beginning of the school year to keep everyone safe.”

Pignataro also describes how the weather has allowed staff and students to learn more about the effects of intense heat, and how it affects both learning and teaching.

“It makes the time that they’re able to focus much shorter,” Pignataro said. “It’s also helped us, though, to know what our bodies need because it forced us to do a lot of research about what humidity does, and the importance of sweat, and hydrating and eating well.”

Finally, being kind to your body in extreme heat by drinking lots of water throughout the day, staying out of the “If it looks like lemonade, you’re fine,” Pignataro said. “If it looks like apple juice, you’re going to need to drink some more water.”*

Barbie: The good, bad, and misunderstood

‘Barbie’, the current highest grossing movie of 2023, continues to capture the interests of people all around the world. Read what Haven students thought of the movie.

Claire Salera ’27, Evie Fernandez ’27

Contributors

WARNING: Potential spoilers below. We would recommend watching the movie first if you haven’t yet before continuing to read.

When the new “Barbie” movie came out on July 21, people around the globe bolted to theaters dressed in pink to see it.

“There was a lot of high energy, a lot of bright colors. I thought the dreamhouse was really cool. The fact that she could walk on the pool,” senior Catherine Caruso comendated.

The movie, which grossed $1,402,676,857 at the worldwide box office, follows the adventures of Barbie and Ken as they leave the picture-perfect Barbie world to explore the real world, where Barbies are made.

As Barbie discovers how imperfect the real world truly is, Ken begins to recognize that he can assert male dominance over Barbie in Barbie World, believing patriarchy to be the answer. Ultimately, after a long journey of selfdiscovery, Barbie and Ken decide to pursue their true identities: Barbie discovers that she does not need to be the perfect image that everyone expects her to be, and Ken discovers that he is strong enough on his own without Barbie (but not without a power ballad sung by Ryan Gosling, of course).

When people left the theaters, many felt surprised by the direction that the film had taken.

“I was expecting more of a fun, super happy, sparkly, not serious movie at all, but I thought they did a really good job with it,” sophomore Claire Donavan said. “It was different than you would think. It was more serious and focused on more feminist stuff, but it was really good. Five out of five stars.”

However, some others did not feel the same way about the new movie as a whole, questioning its overall plot.

“I would rank it a two or three [out of five],” Caruso said. “I feel like the movie was kind of all over the place, with them constantly going to the real world and back, and some of the characters were kind of unnecessary. I just didn’t understand it.”

However, the positive reviews significantly outnumber the negative ones. Unlike “Oppenheimer,” which only covers the creation of atomic bombs, “Barbie” emphasizes a message on mental health and self-worth: “You are Kenough,” as freshman Kathryn Kudrick said.*

OPPENHEIMER: No special effects needed

One student offers a perspective on the serious side of summer films.

Michelangelo Bellini ’24 Contributor

Christopher Nolan has been a well-known director for some time. After announcements for “Oppenheimer” previewed, people got excited. No digital effects, real explosives, and a story about one of the most prolific and influential scientists of the 20th century. Expectations were high for another Christopher Nolan film.

When the bomb finally dropped in theaters on July 12, it went off with a bang. Theaters sold out in minutes, and the film crushed its box office projections by almost nine times, totaling $890 million of revenue.

The movie itself was a masterpiece that left viewers stuck in their seats, stunned and silent after the 180 minute rollercoaster of a film had concluded. This truly was a movie that lives up to the Christopher Nolan name, along with other fantastic films like “Inception” and “Interstellar.”

Everything from the actors, cinematography, writing, music, and practical techniques used to pull all of this off without digital effects came together to produce not just a film, but a visual work of art that pulls you into the world and mind of Robert J. Oppenhimer. Some of the things that stood out the most were the music & sound, practical effects, and unique

visuals that were presented throughout the film.

Ludwig Göransson composed a riveting soundtrack that forced viewers to feel the onscreen motion in unique ways. In addition to this, the use of silence throughout the film to further convey emotion was phenomenal. The use of 100% practical effects in the film was a big selling point that peaked my own interest. Nearly every film that has been made in the last few years has some component of digital effects. A large number of Nolan films not only have digital effects, but the effects usually comprise most of the film

This was a huge departure from anything Nolan has made to date. Nolan made this decision so that he could provide visuals that were more tangible and easily taken in by audiences. No digital effects also translated to the explosives in the movie. Nolan was able to produce an explosion that visually mimicked the scale of the real Trinity Explosion. This really hammered in the sense of realism he was looking to capture on film.

Overall, this was a film that blew people away in ways not seen before in cinema. If you haven’t seen it is highly recommended to anyone looking for a fantastic film.*

KEEPING COOL • The varsity girls soccer team hydrates after working hard at practice on Friday, September 15. With high temperatures this September, the girls had to accommodate by continuously hydrating to ensure they can stay active for their games.

PHOTO: LAVANYA DIXIT ’27

MODIFIED DRESS • Marching band instrumenalists wave to the camera during an unusual Friday night game on September 8, when band director Mr. Nick Pignataro allowed students to wear t-shirts, shorts, and sneakers due to extreme heat.

PHOTO: KELLY MONTAGUE ’25

We couldn’t publish the first issue of 2023-2024 without some Barbenheimer content.