The Spoke February 2009

SWIMMING DOMINATES Girls swimming takes Central League See p. 21

FRIDAY

Sp ke

THE

FEBRUARY 13, 2009

Conestoga High School Berwyn, PA

Volume 59 No. 4

www.stoganews.com

Henry Rome photos/The SPOKE

Junior Alec Mayes prepares his Piper J-3 Cub for takeoff at Brandywine Airport, located in West Chester. Mayes is preparing to take his pilot’s license test in the next few months.

A View From Above Barely old enough to drive, students take to the skies

A

By K.C. McConnell and Seth Zweifler Staff Reporter and News Editor

s Alec Mayes’s bold yellow Piper J-3 Cub takes off from the runway, a sweeping calm fills the cockpit. The airport quickly grows smaller as the plane gains in altitude, replacing the hustle and bustle of life on the ground with the peace and quiet of the open sky.

While most teenagers are focused on getting their driver’s license during high school, some students are taking their passion for vehicles to new heights.

Mayes, a junior, is one of a growing number of students preparing to take their pilot’s license test in the upcoming months, with the hope of someday pursuing a career in aviation. While the road to becoming a pilot is long and arduous, most of these aspiring students say that the feeling of soaring high above the clouds is well worth the work it requires.

Mayes began flying at an early age, receiving a set of flying lessons at Brandywine Airport—located in West Chester—for his eighth birthday. He described the experience of his first flight as “intimidating, but exhilarating all the same.”

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For a photo gallery from this story, go to stoganews.com

“I couldn’t even see above the dashboard at the time, but I knew that it was something I enjoyed and wanted to pursue,” he said.

Since that time, Mayes said he has developed what once started as a simple hobby into a viable career option. After receiving clearance from a certified flight instructor, he made his first solo flight on his 16th birthday.

“I flew a plane by myself before I even had a driver’s permit for a car,” Mayes said. “That was a little strange.”

However, he will have to wait a little bit longer when it comes to obtaining an official general aviation license. Among other requirements, applicants must be at least 17 years old and must have logged a minimum of 40 hours of practice with a certified instructor in order to take the examination.

See AVIATION, p. 6

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NEWS

THE SPOKE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

CONESTOGA NEWSLINE News in Brief

State budget for Governor’s Schools dropped

In the face of a growing economic recession, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has decided to eliminate state funding for the Governor’s Schools of Excellence, a summer program that has been a staple for Conestoga students for years. The decision, which is still pending final approval from the state legislature, was part of a larger statewide budget reduction program made official Feb. 4. While it will not go into effect until summer 2010, the elimination of the program has already been met with opposition, particularly from current applicants and alumni.

This year alone, 60 students—mostly juniors—from Conestoga applied to one of nine individual Governor’s Schools, according to guidance department registrar Susan O’Keefe. Among its other attractions, each individual school offers its programs over the five-week period free of charge. This has given students from high schools in less fortunate areas an equal opportunity when it comes to the education that each program offers.

“It gives everybody an opportunity,” said junior Lauren Clark, who submitted her application to the Governor’s School for the Sciences earlier this year. “To cut a program like that is a huge shame. It’s definitely a wake up call to the state of today’s economy.”

See p. 8 for a student opinion on this issue.

- Seth Zweifler

Suburban and Wayne Times paper shuts down

As a result of a merger in January with Main Line Life, the 123-year-old Suburban and Wayne Times has been renamed Main Line Suburban Life. The merger, which resulted in major staff cuts, was made “in order to consolidate work and coverage,” according to Executive Editor Tom Murray.

- Meghan Morris

Political clubs prepare for series of debates

Gun Violence Awareness Club is hosting a series of national-issue debates the week of March 2. The Conestoga Young Democrats, Young Republicans, Young Socialists and Young Libertarians will discuss solutions to the recession on March - Seth Zweifler 3 and will address domestic and foreign topics on March 9.

Henry Rome/The SPOKE

Senior Alyssa Markle gives blood while fellow senior Emily Heckman gives moral support at the blood drive on Feb. 5.

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Go online for news photos and extras from The Spoke’s February issue.

Inside this issue: Top stories to look for

4 5 16

2009 Presidential Inauguration

Barack to the future. Read to hear about the experiences of various students on the historic day.

From Timmy D to A-Meis

Turn the page for the low-down on Amy Meisinger’s transition to principal of Conestoga.

Checkmate, mate.

Conestoga’s chess team welcomes the rookies. Read more for information on the team’s resurrection.

18 21 22

Be mine, Valentine.

Loveseat for two. Check out the best places to dine on the most romantic day of the year.

Girls’ Freestylin’

Dive in to page 21 to hear about the girls’ swimming team’s ninth consecutive Central League title.

Nothing but net

Check out this page for more on the boys’ basketball team’s journey to States.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

NEWS

THE SPOKE

3

Senior Mike Browne, one of the play’s leads, rehearses. “I always need to have fun and go crazy,” said Browne, who’s been performing since 6th grade. “It’s a way for me to let loose.”

Kate’s crew

The cast and crew of “Kiss Me, Kate” not only have to prepare for one play—they have to prepare for two. “Kate” is a what’s called a play within a play, where students portray actors and staff putting on Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.” Behind the plays, the production of “Kate” involved months of preparation by not only the actors, but musicians, stage crew and tech crews. The play will be performed Feb. 25 through Feb. 28. Tickets are available on stogamusic.com. Go to stoganews.com for an extended photo gallery about the preparations for “Kiss Me, Kate.”

Photographs by Henry Rome

Reporting by Mary Turocy

Seniors Matt Warnock and Zach Grewell rehearse lines.

The music for “Kiss Me, Kate” is more jazz and classical compared to the rock style in “Footloose,” last year’s musical. Pit director Suzanne Dickinger, above, said she doesn’t prefer any one show’s music over the others. They’re “all very hard, but just different.” Junior Catherine van der List, left, is playing the viola in this year’s pit orchestra. “Playing in the pit is a whole different style of music than we normally do in school,” she said. “It’s a great time.”

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THE SPOKE

NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

“Change has come”: Students witness historic inauguration

By Liz Bravacos Staff Reporter

Erin Ogunkeye didn’t think the day would ever come.

But on Jan, 20, the Conestoga senior was on the lawn at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. with millions of jubilant, flag-waving people, weathering the frigid temperatures to witness the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

Ogunkeye, who was one of a number of Conestoga students at the

event, said that, as an African American, the inauguration of Obama was of “special significance to me.”

“I’ve experienced racism quite often, so to see him [Obama] rise to the highest office in the country is pretty unbelievable,” she said.

After the conclusion of the swearing-in ceremony, Ogunkeye found herself standing within feet of a number of prominent Washington politicians. After receiving a lucky tip from an FBI Agent, Ogunkeye saw Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, the Clintons, the Bidens and the Obamas

as they left the Capitol building.

“I was literally shocked after seeing the first family so close,” Ogunkeye said. “It was complete surprise.”

Sophomore Ellen Piehl, who was also in attendance in D.C., said that as the future of America, students should take advantage of the opportunities they get to take part in government, or at least get interested.

“In a few years we’re all going to be in college and worrying about jobs, so the decisions that Obama’s administration make are going to

Photos courtesy Jonathan Yu

Citizens from across the country watch earnestly as Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President. The inauguration attracted millions to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 20.

impact us directly,” Piehl said.

Back at Conestoga, students welcomed a change to their daily routine with the opportunity to view the inaugural ceremonies. The day began when the two anchors of “Good Morning ’Stoga” spoke with special guest Tricia Ebarvia via telephone connection. Ebarvia, an English teacher, was in Washington D.C. at the time and shared with students the growing anticipation.

“The excitement in the crowd was palpable,” Ebarvia said. “Everyone was in good spirits.”

Within hours after the morning news broadcast, the halls had become silent as students found their seats in classrooms, the auditorium and the cafeteria, ready to watch Obama take his Oath of Office.

The viewing of this year’s ceremony was permitted during the school day because of its “historic and unprecedented nature,” former Principal Tim Donovan said. In addition, he added that the protocol followed on Jan. 20 will become a precedent for all future presidential inaugurations at the school.

“This period of our country’s history is a very significant time, with the War in Iraq and the state of our economy,” Donovan said. “The inauguration ties in very nicely to teach students about their role in our society.”

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For a photo gallery of the inauguration, go to stoganews.com James Ferguson enjoyed the inauguration from a desk in his sixth period math class. As time passed and the ceremony drew nearer, he said that he could feel the anticipation amongst his peers grow.

“This inauguration was the biggest way you can prove we’re over racial discrimination in America,” Ferguson said. “It made me realize the importance of this election.”

Liz Bravacos can be reached at lbravacos@stoganews.com.

NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

New principal takes reins at Conestoga

THE SPOKE

District considers electronic courses

By Rio Perzan Senior Staff Reporter On Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C., Barack Obama raised his right hand and solemnly swore to faithfully execute the office of the President of the United States. Just a few days later at Conestoga, Amy Meisinger took similar steps, although probably without the Bible.

Meisinger made the official transition from the position of assistant principal to principal of the school on Feb. 2, assuming the role that had been held by Tim Donovan for the past seven years.

“This is such a fantastic opportunity,” she said. “I have some big shoes to fill with [Donovan] leaving, but I’ll take this challenge step by step.”

Meisinger, who will be replaced by former principal Susan Yates at the assistant principal level, was informed of the possible job opening over the summer, after Donovan made the decision to move to the district level. While her new position has “always been a goal,” she said that she did not foresee it becoming a reality so soon.

While Meisinger admits she did have some nerves when she first

District reorganizes administration A complicated district plan where a dozen administrators changed positions, roles or left the district was the result of a district effort to cross-train its employees and a response to the current economic crisis that has left the district $1.5 million below forecasts, Superintendent Dan Waters said.

“One of the goals that I have is to provide opportunities for individuals to gain a fuller view of the K-12 curriculum and experience here,” Waters said.

Waters announced the changes in a Jan. 22 internal memo obtained

by The Spoke. The graphic at the right details the changes, which go into effect July 1.

- Henry Rome

Henry Rome/The SPOKE

Principal Amy Meisinger walks through the library at Conestoga. Meisinger officially moved into her new position on Feb. 2, taking the place of Tim Donovan, who is now at the district level. learned that the transition would take place this year, she feels her experience in the educational field has more than prepared her for the opportunity.

Before coming to Conestoga, Meisinger spent ten years at Radnor High School teaching math, then three years at Perkiomen Valley High School as an assistant principal. She then moved to Conestoga in July 2005, where she spent more

than two years as an assistant principal.

Meisinger said she has few concerns at the moment, citing the “excellent support I’ve received from my fellow administrators” as one of the most helpful factors in the past few months. She said she has no plans to make any major changes at Conestoga this school year, referring to the next few months as a “transitional period.”

“We already have a great administration, a great program and a great student body,” Meisinger said. “My primary goal this year is to maintain the high level of performance we’ve come to achieve together.”

Shuffling a stack of ninth grade discipline forms out of the way, she smiles and adds, “I’m very lucky.”

5

Planning on taking that level one language class next year? You may be able to take it online. That’s the plan, at least, in part of a new district effort to examine online coursework.

After the course selection process, district officials will look at which classes are under subscribed—with 15 or fewer students, according to Superintendent Dan Waters—and explore ways to offer them online.

Those courses may include traditionally under-subscribed language courses, such as Latin 1 and 2 and German 1, though pilot plans are still in the works, according to Delvin Dinkins, the Director of Electronic Learning for the district.

In the future, students may be able to take classes online that are not available at Conestoga. But it all depends on how the pilot goes, to see “how students are interfacing with the technology,” Dinkins said.

Why the pilot? “We’re plugged in all day. You go to class, and then they unplug you. You go out of class—what do you do? You plug back in,” Waters said.

Rio Perzan can be reached at rperzan@stoganews.com.

- Henry Rome

T/E School District Administrative Changes DISTRICT LEVEL

SCHOOL LEVEL

SUPERINTENDENT DAN WATERS

CONESTOGA HIGH SCHOOL

DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING MARIE SLOBOJAN

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS NANCY ADAMS, SUSAN YATES (ACTING)

ADMINISTRATOR ON SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT FOR E-STRATEGIC PLANNING RICHARD GUSICK

TREDYFFRIN/EASTTOWN MIDDLE SCHOOL

CURRICULUM SUPERVISOR: MATH AND SCIENCE JOHN MULL CURRICULUM SUPERVISOR: SOCIAL STUDIES, GIFTED EDUCATION AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT TODD PARKER CURRICULUM SUPERVISOR: WORLD LANGUAGES, VPA, ESL OSCAR TORRES CURRICULUM SUPERVISOR: LANGUAGE ARTS, STAFF DEVELOPMENT SUPERVISOR WENDY TOWLE DIRECTOR OF ELECTRONIC LEARNING DELVIN DINKINS DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM TIM DONOVAN

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL MICHELE CAPUANO

VALLEY FORGE MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL TIM HOFFMAN NOTES: The following positions were eliminated: Curriculum Supervisor for Foreign Language, Visual and Performing Arts and English as a Second Language; and Administrator on Special Assignment for E-Strategic Planning. The Curriculum Supervisor responsibilities were redistributed among other administrators ... Marie Slobojan is retiring and Susan Yates is re-entering retirement ... Nancy Adams will supervise the music program ... Delvin Dinkins will take charge of the Technology Program K-12.

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THE SPOKE

NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

Young pilots look to aviation as future career opportunity the same issue with driving as with flying: they’re not tuned into the risk to much and they don’t think anything will go wrong. I have to teach them what can go wrong.”

Nolan feels that one of the greatest challenges of any flight instructor is to keep his students motivated about flying while still stressing the need for safety in the air.

I flew a plane by myself before I even had a driver’s permit for a car. That was a little strange.

- Alec Mayes, junior

Henry Rome/The SPOKE

Junior Alec Mayes prepares his Piper J-3 Cub for takeoff at Brandywine Airport. Mayes has been flying since he turned 8 years old.

Continued from p. 1 “The requirements are extensive, but the bottom line is that you have to be ready,” Mayes said. “Decision-making is key, and you need to know how to act quickly if anything goes wrong.”

Beyond the thrill of soaring through the air, Mayes said that flying does have its other perks.

“It’s one of the more practical forms of travel,” he said. “Traffic is not a factor, and you don’t have to worry about the dangers of driving.”

Mayes, who, along with his father, currently has joint ownership in two private aircrafts—a Piper J-3 Cub and a Cessna 150—feels that his ideal career would be that of a corporate pilot, a position that generally requires less hours of flying per week than a commercial pilot. His greatest source of motivation for that career path is his father, as he has been there throughout the process as a source of both advice and encouragement.

For other students, family has been much less of a factor when it comes to inspiration for flying.

Senior Jason Frederick, who currently has his sights set on obtaining his pilot’s license at some point this summer, has spent much of the past year learning how to fly a helicopter through the Liberty Flight School at Brandywine Airport. When he first expressed

an interest in flying, however, Frederick said that he was met with a great deal of skepticism, particularly from his close friends and family.

“My goal wasn’t taken seriously at first,” he said.

“It took me so long to get started because my parents wanted to make sure that I really was serious about it.”

Frederick said that he eventually decided to choose pursuing helicopters rather than planes because of their “unique and versatile nature.”

“There’s so much you can do with a helicopter that you couldn’t with a normal plane,” he said. “It gives you a lot more freedom.”

While he is not set on a career path yet, Frederick plans to study aeronautical engineering at Penn State University next year, something that he feels will help if he one day chooses a career in aviation. In addition, he said that he will continue flying throughout college, as it is a hobby that he “is still in the early stages of developing.”

While the thrill of flying is always present when these students are in the air, instructors stress the need to stay alert at all times, regardless of how safe the situation seems.

“I try to impress carefulness when I’m teaching high school students,” said Jim Nolan, a certified flight instructor who works through Brandywine Airport. “They have

I try to motivate high school students by making the lessons interesting and different every time. For me, teaching somebody else to fly and watching them learn is one of the most rewarding things.

- Jim Nolan, flight instructor

“I try to motivate high school students by making the lessons interesting and different every time,” he said. “For me, teaching somebody else to fly and watching them learn is one of the most rewarding things.”

In practical terms, Nolan feels that the most difficult aspect of the learning process for students is the weather. According to Nolan, judging whether it is safe to fly or not is a skill that is acquired with years of time and practice, and it is a judgment he works hard to teach his students.

“Right now, the weather is killing me,” said junior Tyler Mazda, who has also been training for his pilot’s license and has found wind to be a challenging factor.

For Mazda, flying has very much been a family affair. He was first inspired to take up aviation by his uncle, a professional pilot and certified instructor. Currently, his uncle is also teaching him how to fly his Piper Cherokee.

“Having him teach me makes it more fun.

Since I know and trust him, I feel safer than if I was with a stranger,” Mazda said.

Mazda said that he is eventually looking to become a Navy pilot, and that the skills he is learning now will be of the utmost importance when he goes to college in two years.

Back up in the air, Mayes—along with his father—surveys the ground one last time before wrapping up the day’s flying session.

The three wheels of the Cub touch down quickly on the runway, bringing the aircraft to a speedy yet graceful halt.

“The second greatest thrill to man is flying; the first is landing,” Mayes professes, as he steps down from the plane’s interior, ready to return to life down below.

K.C. McConnell can be reached at kcmcconnell@stoganews.com.

Opinion FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

Rendell justified in cutting Gov. School? p. 8

Redefine "quality education" District's campaign to improve image fosters competitive culture The Spoke is published seven times a year at Bartash Printing. It consistently receives the Gold Award from the Pennsylvania School Press Association and is a Columbia Scholastic Press Association Gold Medalist. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.

Editor-in-Chief: Henry Rome Managing Editors: Meredith Mayer, Anika Mehta News Editors: Shriya Patel, Seth Zweifler Features Editors: Julie Chen, Sanjana Bijlani Op/Ed Editors: Priyanka Kaura, Matthew Schaff Sports Editors: Greg Lopez, Mike McCarter Business Manager: Jill Holloway Centerspread Editor: Emily McIntyre Art/Photography Editor: Elizabeth Hedges Design Director: Bennett Colesberry Cartoonists: Gabriela Epstein, Pete Zonino, Molly Denisevicz Staff: Phil Ayers, Liz Bennett, Liz Bravacos, Tim Croner, Reshma Gouravajhala, Chris Grant, Jon Jankowski, Jenny Kicak, Becky Leimkuhler, K.C. McConnell, Meghan Morris, Erin O'Neil, Tara Park, Anjuli Patel, Rio Perzan, Kurt Rohrbeck, Mary Turocy, Brendan Viola, Lauren Winigrad, Rachel Weber, Laura Weiss, Ashley Weston, Robert Xu Faculty Advisers: Susan Houseman, Cynthia Hyatt

Submissions The Spoke will print letters of general interest to the student body and community.

Signed letters under 200 words may be submitted to Susan Houseman, Cynthia Hyatt, Henry Rome, Meredith Mayer or Anika Mehta. Unsigned editorials represent the views of The Spoke editorial board, and not necessarily those of the administration, student body, community or advertisers.

The opinions expressed in signed columns are those of the writer and not necessarily the opinion of The Spoke.

Contact Us By e-mail: spoke@stoga.net Phone: 610-240-1046 The Spoke accepts paid advertisements.

E-mail jholloway@stoganews.com

Online Content Visit The Spoke online at www.stoganews.com Webmaster: Bennett Colesberry bcolesberry@stoganews.com

Tredyffrin/Easttown School District prides itself in its academic rigor and, consequently, deems its schools of high quality. The district pushes students to work hard, learn more and—most importantly—take AP courses. Here at Conestoga, a strange social perception rages, a voice that tells newcomers that “the smart people” load their schedules with APs and their transcripts with 4s and 5s. We all know this is how it works, but what more commonly mystifies us is why.

Tredyffrin/Easttown is so obsessively enveloped in its own image not because it is vain, but because it’s good business. The higher the numbers, the higher our comparative rankings, and with high rankings arrive more newcomers with bulging pockets and bigger houses. And—don’t be fooled—T/E’s business operation is one that has benefited students. It’s the business that allows us to brag about our test scores, and it’s the business that allows colleges to accept over 95

Gabriela Epstein/The SPOKE

According to Superintendent Dan Waters, district officials have become "inquisitive" about the high number of students enrolled in AP Language classes who decide against taking the May exam.

At first glance, their interest in promoting more Conestogans to take AP tests merely reflects the district’s goal of elevating students’ speaking and comprehension skills to benefit both students’ lives now and later society. Right? Well, these concerns may explain some of the administrative anxiety, but there is much more at stake when it comes to AP exams, for this district in particular.

To excel in the current system, both economically and educationally, a school district must largely fend for itself. Although public schools receive state and federal subsidies, such aid is not nearly enough to meet the high costs of providing communities’ youth with quality education. With subsidies distributed, local tax revenue makes the difference between a good and an excellent school, so a district that can take this to its advantage—and thereby raise income—will beat the curve.

T/E is such a district. It succeeds by drawing into the area the affluent, whose presence lifts land values and local tax revenues. And how has T/E built such a pull on wealthy parents? It’s called the “School Profile,” and it shouts at the world our list of achievements, replete with superior scores and stats from the SAT to the AP exam.

percent of us.

But when we mix money with education, we have to be careful. From the start, the district’s pursuit to compete with surrounding schools was destined to promote a similarly competitive atmosphere in its own schools, and to a large extent this has already happened. What we must remind ourselves is that ’Stoga’s brand of competition—planted by the district and perpetuated by the students—may not serve the best interests of students. Considering how it plays out at Conestoga, such competition can be harmful.

With the momentous pressure to succeed, the classroom dynamic can and does get ugly. It’s not just about the stress. On a daily basis, we see classmates resort to plagiarism to meet the demands of impossible course loads, friends’ bodies suffer from undeserved sleep deprivation and the college-minded feign their interest in community service to sparkle up their resumés. In any other context these activities would be unacceptable, but, evidently, not so much in our culture of competition, where numerical success inches above personal dignity. If this culture indeed pervades our school, can our experience really be said to offer the unmatched “quality” that district officials so often report? What is a “good” school? For a district whose primary incentive is revenue, that remains to be seen.

Economic Darwinism: interpreting the crisis p. 9 From the Editor

A Web approach We're heading online Cue doomsday music. In a world where national and local newspapers are consolidating, firing staffs, cutting pages, shutting down… …Your local high school newspaper is dynamic and expanding.

It’s a new age for newspapers, and while we reaffirm our commitment to providing you the most accurate and most informative Conestoga news once a month in print, we are making the transition online.

Stoganews.com, in its second year, has recently been redesigned by our Web team. With the redesign, which took place a few weeks ago, we rolled out a variety of different projects. All to keep you more informed and allow you to interact with your news.

Go on Stoganews.com for the latest breaking news, updated daily. Check out the site for blogs, polls and photo galleries. You can comment on stories or share them with your friends with new Facebook compatibility. You can get RSS feeds from the site, or just check the site out with new Blackberry and iPhone capabilities. While you’re looking at the newest information from Conestoga, use the links to check your school e-mail, grades and more.

This is just the beginning for Stoganews.com.

In the coming months we plan to roll out several new projects, including an interactive event calendar, SMS breaking news alerts and PDF versions of The Spoke. Also, in the coming weeks, we will form a new Stoganews.com Production Club, where students with an interest in Web design can contribute to the site.

But we want to know what you think. What would you like to see on Stoganews.com? What new features would you like to see, what aspects of Conestoga would you like represented? Shoot us off an e-mail and let us know. Because it’s your site.

And while The Spoke may be expanding, know that you can still count on us for the most current Conestoga news and information—in print or online. Without the doomsday music.

It's a new age for newspapers nationwide. Join us as we make the transition online.

Henry Rome can be reached at hrome@stoganews.com.

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OP/ED

THE SPOKE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

Did Rendell drop Gov. School for good reasons?

Yes, put money elsewhere Guest Commentary

by Yinjie Xiong

“Considering all the homeless people and the elderly that don’t have healthcare, it’s not really beneficial to the economy right now.”

Freshman Sierra Hendricks

“What they’re taking away is kids’ opportunities to learn more and do better.”

Sophomore Jennifer Lee

Pennsylvania is in peril, and so are countless other states across the country. State officials have already made tough decision to cut spending on many public services such as Philadelphia libraries. Still, it is not enough.

What else must be done to save our state? I propose cutting the Pennsylvania Governor’s School, that five-week summer excursion that the most “driven” of us have undoubtedly filled out applications for already. I know that most of these readers will be outraged at the mere suggestion of this; what blasphemy it is to think that thought, much less commit it to paper. However, I implore you to listen to reason. The Governor’s School is essentially useless. The state has more pressing and immediate concerns than this multimillion dollar burden.

It is true that Governor’s School offers a great resource for students, but it is not an essential resource. It selects the brightest students from all of Pennsylvania and gives them five weeks of advanced education, but to even qualify, those students have to

Junior David Hopper

“Only the top students [qualify to participate], so it should be funded by a private organization.”

Senior Wallace Chambers

Reasons to say No:

“I think the Governor’s School should be kept in the budget because it’s an outlet for students to gain an upper-edge in their studies.”

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fill out a seven-part application: two teacher recommendations, a counselor recommendation, two essays, a resume and your high school transcript. The students that ultimately make it pass this rigorous application process are not the students that need the Governor’s School; these students are the people that can, and will get ahead in life either by their own talent or by pure hard work.

Governor’s School will not tip the scale one way or the other for them.

For the rest of the Pennsylvania’s population, though, Governor’s School serves as another tax burden, public money wasted. In our current situation, education is the least of our worries, especially when this kind of education benefits only a very small minority.

The financial crisis in America has robbed scores of people out of jobs and homes and an aging population compounds the state’s duties to health care and retirement funds. Pennsylvania’s budget has grown out of hand and will only continue to grow, with Social Security, Medicaid, and other welfare payments making up a large part of that growth.

In the face of this emergency, Harrisburg needs to raise revenue and not frivolously spend money on nonessential programs like the Governor’s Schools. To keep Pennsylvania running efficiently and safely is our government’s first duty, not to make sure that overrated summer camp stays open.

Many of the 19,000 alumni of the Pennsylvania Governor’s School of Excellence (PGSE) realize their dreams, including actor Kevin Bacon, author Alice Sebold and Pulitzer Prizewinning composer Aaron J. Kernis Giving 752 students a free hands-on experience in their chosen field costs the state $3.2 million, a price which translates into just 25 cents for each Pennsylvanian Many alumni go on to attend Pennsylvania universities and then stay to work, essentially paying the state back for their initial investment Pennsylvania should make education a top priority, especially as the current brain drain pushes college graduates to opportunities outside the state

Artwork by Kiley Bense for The SPOKE

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Even though the students who attend the Governor’s Schools already have a leg up in terms of their intelligence, they still deserve the opportunity to realize their full potential and challenge themselves The “Save the Govies” Facebook group has more than 3,500 members, all of whom attest to the irreplaceable impact that the program had on their lives The Pennsylvania Governor’s Schools of Excellence offer an excellent career-preparatory summer program to students who otherwise would lack the financial means to attend a similar program Pennsylvania offers no other such summer opportunities completely free of charge to students

OP/ED

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

THE SPOKE

9

Survival of the fittest: economy style

By Brendan Viola Senior Staff Reporter It’s time for the big fish to make their move. While the government may have a plan to bring the housing market under control, there’s been increasing concern over how the current economic crisis will affect commercial retailers heading into 2009.

Weak winter sales have raised alarm among economic forecasters, and while continued declines have some CEOs ducking for cover, the big corporations are emerging from their sleep, ready for a hearty meal.

Businesses have begun boarding up shop, so it really must be the time to panic. Rush out and spend those gift cards from grandma and start stocking up on goods, because with all these store closings soon there’ll be nothing left for Americans to buy!

Less competition among retailers will let Wal-Mart and other megastores jack prices through the roof. Soon we’ll all have to drive

30 minutes out of the way to get our silken dust ruffles, ruffles that once were easily accessible right around the corner at Linens N’ Things.

On a more serious note, when looked at as a natural part of the economic cycle, business closings may be a good thing. Sure, we’ll all miss being able to hang out at Oskar Huber on a Friday night, but there are plenty of better ways to get furniture and entertain oneself.

We should refer to Darwin’s theory of natural selection for guidance in this harsh economy: stores that aren’t pulling their weight—the Circuit Cities and Blue Tulips of the world—will inevitably be hunted down and eaten by the superior Best Buys and Bed Bath and Beyonds.

As a rule, economic downturns have promoted the evolution of American culture; now, we’re just leaving behind Linens ’nThings.

So, as a public service announcement: look out. Be knowledgeable of the growing breadth and power of local retail giants as the financial crisis squeezes their competitors out of the region. Be prepared to pay double for dust ruffles or ethernet cables. And, finally, beware of the widening jaws of big business as it builds its commercial empire over what we call the Main Line. Darwin says so.

Brendan Viola can be reached at bviola@stoganews.com.

Gabriela Epstein/The SPOKE

Man’s political expedition reveals democratic opportunity

By Reshma Gouravajhala Staff Reporter A 4,200-mile trip across the United States. Hiking through the Rockies, walking across vast stretches of desert, braving bitter cold weather. Sounds like a daunting task, but to a former teacher from Massachusetts, it was a way to get to know what Americans wanted from their new government.

B. J. Hill, once an English as a Second Language teacher, trav-

eled cross-country and stopped at towns to meet the local people.

After dining in local restaurants and camping out in kind strangers’ backyards, Hill asked his newfound friends to write what they wished to say to the new president, intending on reaching the Oval Office’s mahogany desk.

I admire Hill for giving officials in Washington an opportunity to finally hear firsthand what Americans truly want from their government, instead of slaving to the slanted perceptions of “political analysts” sitting comfortably in corporate news headquarters.

What can the politicians expect to see in these letters? Well, the diary entries from the people are varied. Some have suggestions for future actions, others have congratulatory notes and still others

have good luck wishes to the new president in the tough times ahead.

Yet, all of them have one thing in common: they are written with the hope that their ideas will be read by the man who now holds the highest office in the country.

Hill’s journey reflects a hallmark of democracy, namely that everyday folks can let their voices be heard and make a difference in the government. These sincere voices of the people will be of great benefit to the president, especially in the midst of today’s economic crisis.

During the campaign season, many students here at ’Stoga showed their support for various candidates, and many even voted on Nov 4. But, the way I see it, voting is only the beginning of becoming a more active citizen. This historical election gave students the opportunity of

Molly Denisevicz/The SPOKE

breaking the decades-long cycle of apathy to politics. Now, as Hill and the letter-writers have shown us, we can confidently do even more knowing that our suggestions—however small—can touch the ears of the US president. By Hill’s expedition, we as a school community should

be inspired, driven to expect more from our elected leaders and appreciative of our blossoming ability to make our voices heard.

Reshma Gouravajhala can be reached at rgouravajhala@ stoganews.com.

10

THE SPOKE

OP/ED

Respect the arts, not just athletics Guest Commentary

by Elisabeth Shertzer

Devon Sklar for The SPOKE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

Try to tell me that lugging around a 30 pound sousaphone on one shoulder for hours at a time in the August heat isn’t as energy-taxing as most sports.

However, many students and staff members at Conestoga would not agree with my view.

We in the marching band put so much work into our field show every year, slog on in our hot and sweaty uniforms at every parade, that it seems we should be getting more praise.

When the girls’ soccer team wins the state championship, the whole school is notified and the principal even makes an announcement. But when our music students make honors such as All-Eastern groups, there is no such widespread elation among the student body, even as acceptance into All-Eastern is quite a feat.

There is something wrong with this picture; the balance is off, and it’s a problem that is prevalent not only in Conestoga but also in many other schools across the country.

This problem is found all over our district and all around our school. It even affects The

Spoke: every issue has a big sports section in the back, but a section devoted to music and the arts at Conestoga is nowhere to be found. For example, I found no article in the Dec. 17 Spoke about our winter concerts, which took place on Dec. 7 and 10, while five pages of the paper were devoted to sports.

Many students were involved in these concerts, and we even played a piece composed by an alumnus of the school, yet no article in the newspaper recognized this.

And while 26 of us musicians succeeded in District 12 Band and Orchestra auditions, there was no trace of an article about this achievement. Nor could I find any article about the 13 students who made District Chorus, and I didn’t even find anything about this on the Web site.

It just so happens that there is more of an emphasis put on social studies, English, math, science and foreign languages than on music and arts. For instance, it took years for the art and music teachers to convince the administration to finally include Studio Art and AP Music Theory in students’ GPAs. I have personally taken both the Studio Art program and AP

Music Theory, and considering the course load, I don’t understand why the administration was so hesitant about this seemingly simple decision.

People have to understand that music and art should not be treated as secondary, unimportant activities. Both the faculty and

We in the marching band put so much work into our field show every year, slog on in our hot and sweaty uniforms at every parade, that it seems we should be getting more praise. the students of Conestoga should learn to appreciate what we do in the Visual and Performing Arts department. Appreciation of and involvement in the arts will enhance our lives as Conestoga students but, more importantly, will benefit and enrich us as we move forward.

Ads indicate sorry education system

By Robert Xu Staff Reporter This takes a paper shortage to a whole new level: California calculus teacher Tom Farber has begun selling advertisements on his tests. Citing a lack of funds to pay for the cost of paper, Farber chose advertisements consisting of good luck messages from parents and witticisms from local businesses.

On an online site I read about his situation. As I finished the article and headed for the comments section, I readied myself for an onslaught of vitriol directed at this daring teacher.

Instead, most of the comments were positive, praising his ingenuity in a difficult situation.

While I agree with Farber’s actions in this case, I can’t help but won-

der if we are standing on the brink of a slippery slope. Proponents of inschool advertising cite the economic benefits and relative harmlessness of advertisements.

While I see no issue with Nike funding the construction of a gym, I will see an issue when your science class will be brought to you by Sony.

Teachers are the most important individuals in society because only they can shape the thoughts of each generation. How can we expect teachers to remain objective if they must worry about appeasing their sponsors?

The fact that teachers must resort to courting businesses shows the sorry state of our nation’s education system.

As America readies itself for fresh relations with the international community, it must realize that it no longer holds as strong a bargaining position as it once had. The world’s richest man is from India, the world’s most valuable company is located in

Gabriela Epstein/The SPOKE

the United Kingdom, but very few people would agree that we have the world’s brightest schoolchildren.

Until we correct the flaws in our

education system, disadvantaged teachers will be forced to follow Farber’s route—the effect on students remains to be seen.

Robert Xu can be reached at rxu@stoganews.com.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

OP/ED

THE SPOKE

11

Gabriella Epstein/ The SPOKE

T o th e E d i t o r

A rather awful midterm

Dear Editor,

Letters Policy

What are you agitated about? Do you have an opinion about something we’ve published? The Spoke will print letters of general interest to the student body and community. Signed letters under 200 words may be submitted to the editorial board. E-mail us at spoke@stoga.net

stoganews

.com

Go online to comment on our articles

In light of this past week’s multiple shortened school days, I would like to comment on the unequal amount of time allotted to each class. I have found the current schedule to be inadequate in terms of instruction time.

While some classes get the full amount of time each shortened day, other classes do not, and consequently fall behind. This has been detrimental to the scheduling of tests and projects, and in keeping all periods of a given course on the same track. For example, due to the need to stay on an accelerated track in AP courses, test dates are not easily changed and therefore the classes that meet later in the day had more time to learn and prepare for the exams at the end of this week.

Kaitlyn Kiely Junior Dear Editor, The recent article by Seth Zweifler (Coming out in the classroom, Dec. 2008) was very eye-opening, and the follow up on LGBT education in high-school was well informed. However, the education cannot come while our government stands in the way. It is distressing to learn that our very own country would not sign the “United Nations declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity”. This resolution was an effort not to make gay marriage legal, but to decriminalize homosexuality. Our government has signed on with the 77 countries where homosexuality is a crime (and in seven of those it is punishable by death) to attempt to stop the passing of this resolution. While our President Elect has stated explicitly that he is opposed to gay marriage, one would hope that he keeps homosexuality legal.

Andy Bazany Sophomore

By Meredith Mayer Managing Editor My mother has taught me countless important lessons in my 17 years of life. Clean up your own messes. Play nicely with the other kids. The only way to focus and study is at a quiet desk in warm and well-lit area.

And until recently, I scoffed at the latter of her lessons. I stubbornly study on the floor of my room with music playing from my speakers on top of my bookcase with a cup of tea cradled in one hand and a pen in the other. I know that doesn’t make me an anomaly among our student body, but I never realized how right she was until I sat down to take my science midterm in the cafeteria last Monday.

Now, I’ve taken my fair share of exams in the cafeteria. Honestly, taking an exam in the cafeteria at least offers more elbow room than attempting the same feat in those delightful cramped triangular desks in the math department. Normally, other than the smells of discarded breakfasts lingering in the warm air, the cafeteria is a quiet place to take a test.

My science midterm, however, violated my mother’s studying rule and the usual experience I was used to. The joy of alphabetical seating scored me a seat sharing a circular table directly in front of the cashier area. Since the snow day pushed science ex-

ams to Monday, giving us an exam followed by an abbreviated full day of school, the cafeteria staff had to prepare for lunch time.

That meant my class and I were treated to the collective noise that it takes to prepare lunch for the building. And, since I was seated directly in front of the main lobby entrance to the cafeteria, all of the people coming into the meeting being held in the faculty dining room opened the doors behind me letting in a blast of frigid air and allowing the doors to slam behind them.

Was I really supposed to be able to focus enough to take a test that counts as ten percent of my final course grade? Quite frankly, it was impossible to focus for longer than five minutes before I was treated to the clatter of a pots and pans banging together, the noise of the radio in the kitchen or the slamming of the doors behind me. I place no blame on the cafeteria staff. They were simply doing their jobs.

And my teacher had no way of anticipating all of the issues. If the exam had occurred as regularly scheduled, my class and I wouldn’t have experienced these difficulties. But why didn’t the administration foresee this issue?

The solution could have been as simple as closing the doors to the food preparation area, moving the meeting and putting signs on the doors requesting silence during the exam. The administration maintains that the cafeteria offers teachers equal access to their students and is therefore a good space to utilize for testing. I just hope that my experience will cause them to rethink their decision.

In the movie “Forest Gump,” Forest says, “Mama always said, life was like a box of chocolate.You never know what you’re going to get.” I just hope next time I get a quieter chocolate.

Meredith Mayer can be reached at mmayer@stoganews.com.

13

Centerspread

12

Fin d You r sel f , Fin d a On Valentine's Day, having any kind of date seems like a best case scenario. But if you're stuck out with someone you're incompatible with, you might find yourself wishing you were at home with your dog watching primetime television instead. To avoid a situation like this, take this personality test which helps you identiy the definimg aspects of your personality —and points out traits in possible dates which would complement you flawlessly.

When you set a plan for yourself:

Follow it exactly

You feel more energized and alive after:

start here

Attending a fabulous party with friends.

Opportunities to make a joke and alleviate pressure from everyone else

Your own pounding heart and uncomfortable feelings

You would rather spend your time at a big party…

You consider yourself:

An idealist

If you know a hurtful rumor going around involving a friend, do you:

When you’re caught in an obviously awkward situation, you’re more aware of:

Focus more on the results of the plan and end up losing track of your plan

Spending a quiet and relaxing afternoon at home by yourself.

If someone close to you is getting on your nerves, do you:

A realist

Keep it to yourself to protect them from pain and embarrassment

If a friend asks you on Monday to hang out on Friday, would you:

Act on your emotions and tell that person how you feel immediately

Clue them in, even it will hurt them

Wait to decide until Thursday, you need to see your other options!

Accept right away

Is it difficult for you to postpone big projects or decisions?

Yes, I need to know that I’m prepared

Do you feel you have a tendency to…

Act spontaneously

Make a list of things to do

No, I like to let things take their own shape as time goes on, whatever happens happens

Buy what you like best, or what catches your eye first

In the middle of the dance floor making new friends!

Think over how to confront them methodically Take the Big Picture into consideration and go with your gut feeling

When you have some extra cash and could use something new, do you:

Talking with your good friends in the room

When you’re trying to make a big decision, you:

Think literally and base your decision on concrete facts and realism

Buy something rational with the best features and utilities

The Voice of Reason

The Go Getter

The Natural Leader

Interested in living peacefully, you steer clear of drama. Your personality traits reflect your desire to avoid conflict—you’re loyal, dependable and faithful. You tend to make good decisions and are constantly available to support the people who mean most to you—your family and friends. When it comes to everyday tasks, you’re often partial to plans and schedules, and have a bit of trouble with variance from the status quo. Not used to emotions playing a major role in your life day to day, you may have trouble showing affection. However, your dependable nature allows you to often offer the support and comfort that people around you need.

You’re a straight shooter. You don’t shy from confrontation or honesty, and you always speak out when your strong beliefs are challenged. You’re always a few steps ahead of your peers thanks to your knack for reading facial expressions and body language; you pick up on things that other people around you may not. You tend to like the idea that rules are guidelines as opposed to necessities, but you generally have little trouble getting the big things done. Because you might find rules an inconvenience, following a strict course schedule and curriculum in school may be difficult. Your enthusiasm about things and life in general is often contagious, and you have an unmatched ability to spread your excitement to those surrounding you.

You like a challenge. You see everything as an opportunity, and take on responsibility.

With such responsibility comes a leadership position, a job you don’t mind at all.

Your level of personal power is obvious to everyone you come in contact with, though it sometimes appears to be self alienation. You may make some hasty decisions, but you tend to have brilliant and out-of-the-box insights. You like being at the head of the pack, and others feel comfortable and confident following your lead. You're meant to be in powerful positions—just don't let them get to your head!

Qualities to Look For in a Match An ideal match for you is someone who can up your amp a bit. While someone as laid back as you are may seem comforting, you should realize that there's nothing wrong with abandoning your comfort level. A high-energy, extroverted match will help you gain new experiences and loosen up (only when appropriate, of course).

Qualities to Look For in a Match For you, a compatible match would be someone who can bring you down a level when you get (too) riled up. Someone a little more reserved and rules-abiding could also be useful in helping you focus and stay on track—they'll keep you working hard, and out of trouble.

Qualities to Look For in a Match A fitting match for you would be someone with little desire to lead, but would not be jealous of you occasionally being at the center of attention. Someone humble who enjoys working behind the scenes would eliminate the threat of couple rivalr y. You should be each other's suppor t, not competition.

Compiled by Centerspread Editor Emily McIntyre Quiz design by Gabriela Epstein Based on the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, adapted by Patricia McIntyre PhD

13

Centerspread

12

Fin d You r sel f , Fin d a On Valentine's Day, having any kind of date seems like a best case scenario. But if you're stuck out with someone you're incompatible with, you might find yourself wishing you were at home with your dog watching primetime television instead. To avoid a situation like this, take this personality test which helps you identiy the definimg aspects of your personality —and points out traits in possible dates which would complement you flawlessly.

When you set a plan for yourself:

Follow it exactly

You feel more energized and alive after:

start here

Attending a fabulous party with friends.

Opportunities to make a joke and alleviate pressure from everyone else

Your own pounding heart and uncomfortable feelings

You would rather spend your time at a big party…

You consider yourself:

An idealist

If you know a hurtful rumor going around involving a friend, do you:

When you’re caught in an obviously awkward situation, you’re more aware of:

Focus more on the results of the plan and end up losing track of your plan

Spending a quiet and relaxing afternoon at home by yourself.

If someone close to you is getting on your nerves, do you:

A realist

Keep it to yourself to protect them from pain and embarrassment

If a friend asks you on Monday to hang out on Friday, would you:

Act on your emotions and tell that person how you feel immediately

Clue them in, even it will hurt them

Wait to decide until Thursday, you need to see your other options!

Accept right away

Is it difficult for you to postpone big projects or decisions?

Yes, I need to know that I’m prepared

Do you feel you have a tendency to…

Act spontaneously

Make a list of things to do

No, I like to let things take their own shape as time goes on, whatever happens happens

Buy what you like best, or what catches your eye first

In the middle of the dance floor making new friends!

Think over how to confront them methodically Take the Big Picture into consideration and go with your gut feeling

When you have some extra cash and could use something new, do you:

Talking with your good friends in the room

When you’re trying to make a big decision, you:

Think literally and base your decision on concrete facts and realism

Buy something rational with the best features and utilities

The Voice of Reason

The Go Getter

The Natural Leader

Interested in living peacefully, you steer clear of drama. Your personality traits reflect your desire to avoid conflict—you’re loyal, dependable and faithful. You tend to make good decisions and are constantly available to support the people who mean most to you—your family and friends. When it comes to everyday tasks, you’re often partial to plans and schedules, and have a bit of trouble with variance from the status quo. Not used to emotions playing a major role in your life day to day, you may have trouble showing affection. However, your dependable nature allows you to often offer the support and comfort that people around you need.

You’re a straight shooter. You don’t shy from confrontation or honesty, and you always speak out when your strong beliefs are challenged. You’re always a few steps ahead of your peers thanks to your knack for reading facial expressions and body language; you pick up on things that other people around you may not. You tend to like the idea that rules are guidelines as opposed to necessities, but you generally have little trouble getting the big things done. Because you might find rules an inconvenience, following a strict course schedule and curriculum in school may be difficult. Your enthusiasm about things and life in general is often contagious, and you have an unmatched ability to spread your excitement to those surrounding you.

You like a challenge. You see everything as an opportunity, and take on responsibility.

With such responsibility comes a leadership position, a job you don’t mind at all.

Your level of personal power is obvious to everyone you come in contact with, though it sometimes appears to be self alienation. You may make some hasty decisions, but you tend to have brilliant and out-of-the-box insights. You like being at the head of the pack, and others feel comfortable and confident following your lead. You're meant to be in powerful positions—just don't let them get to your head!

Qualities to Look For in a Match An ideal match for you is someone who can up your amp a bit. While someone as laid back as you are may seem comforting, you should realize that there's nothing wrong with abandoning your comfort level. A high-energy, extroverted match will help you gain new experiences and loosen up (only when appropriate, of course).

Qualities to Look For in a Match For you, a compatible match would be someone who can bring you down a level when you get (too) riled up. Someone a little more reserved and rules-abiding could also be useful in helping you focus and stay on track—they'll keep you working hard, and out of trouble.

Qualities to Look For in a Match A fitting match for you would be someone with little desire to lead, but would not be jealous of you occasionally being at the center of attention. Someone humble who enjoys working behind the scenes would eliminate the threat of couple rivalr y. You should be each other's suppor t, not competition.

Compiled by Centerspread Editor Emily McIntyre Quiz design by Gabriela Epstein Based on the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, adapted by Patricia McIntyre PhD

Features

14

Broadway Critic: ‘In the Heights’ p. 19

For third graders, a play to remember p. 17

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

Conn ec t i on s

This Valentine’s Day, The SPOKE gave students and staff the opportunity to express their affection for their classmates.

Students took advantage of the opportunity to shout out to friends and the special people in their lives. It’s important to note that Valentine’s Day is not only for romantic love; platonic love is as duly important as any fleeting high school relationship.

Cherish the constant people in your lives and reflect this Valentine’s Day on their importance to you.

To S Wa hawn gne r

To Jill 1088 days and counting. Love you, and Happy Valentine’s Day. To Kawa Abby Says wussup?

Cuteness has a ’lil crush on you!

Luv, M. Dubby

To Becca You’re amazing...and stinky...Love you!

WILL you be my valentine?

I love you!

XOXO Amanda

Nicole Dillon

Gab

Hap py my m Valent in you. eatball. ey to Lov e Lov eM ax

Angela I only w ant to be with you times: n 2 ow and forever.

Pat Pinaw in

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ki

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,

To

O Weath

You’re my favorite story girl. Will you be my valentine?

m, -no met nom we m ino glad have o Am s you are ent We year - xcitem hing e g is u f h t a o l you d a lot Keep t that e . o s d n e d e v a i r ur l we’ to o iously T ) v ! t b TES e o ( to g BES d r w a e h n our e, y Lov ds! n frie

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ran t, Can ’t w be m ai agic t for p rom al. ,

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Nicole

Sohan

best e my You’r ve you o ! L friend UCH! M THIS anda O Am XOX

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SOX heth an S h o S

To D r

ew B ailey , You are t he c kid on oo can’ crew a lest t n know wait to d I get you bette to r.

Ano nym ous

To Connor

Happy Valentine’s Day! Love you!

House and Hyatt, Thanks for being our advisers.

Love, Spokies

My love for you is true, if only you would love me too.

Dea r GM S and the S , MLM tory Girl s, Than ks fo mor r m a ning s gre king at!

Hou se

Anonymous

ill

The SPOKE staff

To D rest ana, Bri tta, O of M s peri od L . House wen and man it cla ’s 6t the Feed ss, h in in m g the p ig ha y s pu fille wallet, t dah b ole i ut your a hole n my clas Hen ry R h eart. s has ome

Shaw n Wag ner: I am TETV . love th P e wea .S. I ther b Shaw n. oy From :S Wagn hawn er

You’re that piece in my heart that makes me whole again.

Thank you.

and a Si mon ...is my pers favo o wor n in th rite ld! ew hole Soh an S heth

To B etsy , I lov e yo u so muc h the . You’r best e .

Han nuk Happy ah.

Lov e, A man da

To Henry Rome

KC

it w

s, ter es s in por Re r byl heart . e u r Yo e ou h gle g t k n ma ter wi r bei o t flu nks f e. m a Th weso a so e, v Lo ke o Sp tors i Ed

XOXO Amanda

To our loyal readers:

Am

You our brigh t wit morni en up h n Kis Hugs gs s LO es. W and VE e YO Fro U. m the TV Stu dio

Pat Pinawin

Adva

nced Thea ter: I lov ed yo u a l l in th e Lit tle R ed play.

Pleas e win at Na tiona l His Day. tory

XO M

rs. H

oral r To C eathe the w don’t e p o u Ih e t yo s, bu n to mak hold su e h t need ile. sm you lier Cava From

Matthew Schaff, No matter the miles between us, though the trials and troubles will most likely per sist, I will always be her e for you. When thi ngs get rough always rem ember what we hav e to look forward to and how we have surviv ed.

Nothing can take tha t away from us...no thing.

You mean so much to me more than I could ever have imagined while I ate with you in the summer or danced with you in the fal l or even after that.

I Love You! I hol d steadfast to my pro mise, Alexandra Kralick

Compiled by Jill Holloway, Business Manager

COMMUNITY

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

15

THE SPOKE

Community Events: Free entertainment for Conestoga students Night Open Mryicphon Cafe

out h- look Where: G inning of Marc onth m eg When: B formation this n in io t e r ia o d for m Peer Me pirit into the ed by : ga s Sponsor Conesto can perform, g in r B : Why r on yone or chee nity! An commu e mic yourself rm a th ing a w t so grab s while enjoy fi e nd ns ben your frie ee. All donatio . off h Fair cup of c ’s Healt n io t ia d Peer Me

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s Why: The Tredyffrin Public Lib renovatio rary’s ns that b egan in F 2007 hav ebruary e just finis hed. On F there was eb. a teen co ffeehouse 6, high scho for ol studen ts to cele reopenin brate the g.

Other even ts: Thursday Book Club for teen or every m s, third o Books for February: W nth, 6 p.m. eA

by Robert Cormier a ll Fall Down nd The En Patient b y Michae l Ondaatj glish e

ançais? vous Fr lley z e l r a P Noble, Va d n a s e rn Where: Ba ter ping Cen Fair Shop y of the a d t Thurs s ir F : en h W p.m. club. month, 7 versation n o c h c n Why: Fre h teacher our Frenc y s s ency re p Im gained flu ly w e n r u with yo ce. confiden and gain Area iladelphia y h P : ts en v Other E t Thursda roup, Firs Writer’s G

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ro Tour Guitar He ibrary

sttown L Where: Ea s, 6 p.m. day When: Fri ive Game ners rece in W : y h W you can ards, and tc if g p to S Hero er Guitar th o t e e m os! aficionad

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re nts: Fo Other Eve

ay d Thursd

thir Festival, th, 7 p.m.

of

n every mo

“

Usually I catch up on my sleep on Friday nights. However, I wanted to see Sean Miller [of the band Ibesneas] play [at After Hours.] I didn’t miss the sleep I missed.

-Mitch Conery, Junior

“ san Smart Courtesy of Su

Spread written, compiled and designed by Julie Chen, Bennett Colesberry and Tara Park.

ther Local Deluccia of O x le A d an ff ha y on Feb. 6. cobs, Adam Sc in Public Librar fr yf ed Tr e Juniors Alex Ja th at at After Hours Bands perform

16

STUDENT LIFE

THE SPOKE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

Kings, queens and Swedish fish: chess makes a comeback

By Jenny Kicak Senior Staff Reporter Walking by room 207 on a Monday or Thursday afternoon, you can find Conestoga’s chess team hard at work. Desks are dispersed around the room in groups of two, as students prepare for their next challenges. During these practices, social studies teacher David Zimmerman, the adviser of the club, can be found walking around selling baskets of candy or treats.

“If you can’t beat them, arrange to have them beaten,” the slogan of this year’s team, shows the team’s desire to win.

In his second year playing, junior Dylan “Broken Mafioso” Moriarty, is one of the top ten players. As left-handed Moriarty played junior Doug Stewart, he talked about his goals and strategies as a player this year.

“I want our team to win States in March [and] we have a pretty good chance this year, and we have some good players,” Moriarty said.

The chess team just recently started back up, but it has never been this popular.

“I stopped advising three years ago, just because [...] the person who was going to take it up didn’t know how to play chess. So it was an opportunity to jump back in,” Zimmerman said.

Chess is a smart game for anyone who wants to play, and Zimmerman encourages all to try it out, even if it is the first time.

“Anyone can participate, it’s good clean fun and good for the brain,” Zimmerman said. “And I always tell people that every great chess player was once a beginner.”

Zimmerman said he really just wants all members to have fun and try it out, and that’s what most members seem to be doing. Sopho-

more Mai “The Cyclone” Guo, is one of the few girls on the team.

“I joined because I wanted to have fun and everyone was doing

it,” Guo said.

Guo said she comes to enjoy the company of others and is casual about when she comes and when

Henry Rome photos/The SPOKE

Clockwise, from top: Social studies teacher David Zimmerman passes out snacks to chess team members; senior Joe Kropilak concentrates while junior Chris DiNardo makes a move.

Player Profiles

Dylan Moriarty, Junior Years played: 1 Favorite piece: The Knight Tip for beginners: Look ahead and try to predict your opponents’ moves

Brian Wright, Junior Time played: 2 months, since beginning of chess team this year Favorite piece: The Queen

she does not.

“I like spending some one on one quality time with other chess players,” Guo said. “I don’t think I’m very serious about it, but I do like to win.”

Winning is a common goal for the chess team, and as one of the few girls, Guo does not mind taking on the guys.

“As one of the only girls, I feel lonely, but I feel accomplished when I beat the guys,” Guo said.

Other students attend the meetings for different reasons, such as socializing and the material incentives for which Zimmerman is so famous.

“I joined the chess team because my friends were doing it and for the candy. I like the Swedish fish, [especially] the green ones,” said sophomore Mike “The Home Burglar” Hatfield.

Students are able to represent the team at chess matches against other schools.

“Chess matches can be pretty intense. They’re quiet, and you can’t make any noise. The matches are timed so at the end there’s sometimes a ‘scramble’ when you start to run out of time. It moves really fast and can be really thrilling and exciting,” Zimmerman said.

All in all, the chess team can be for anyone. One doesn’t have to be really intense about it; everyone gets an equal chance and it can be enjoyable for anyone.

“A wide range of people play chess, anyone can come for any amount of time, that’s the beauty of it. Some people come for ten minutes, hours, and some I have to throw out,” Zimmerman said.

Jenny Kicak can be reached at jkicak@stoganews.com.

By Julie Chen and Bennett Colesberry

Robert Liu, Junior Years played: 3, started in Canada Favorite piece: The Pawn Tip for beginners: Opponents always sacrifice for a reason

Calvin Mingione, Junior Years played: 2 competitively Favorite piece: “Rooks, because they are invincible when stacked” Tip for beginners: Play better players

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

STUDENT LIFE

THE SPOKE

17

Theater classes present double feature for third-graders

By Becky Leimkuhler Senior Staff Reporter Conestoga’s theater arts classes dazzled the district’s third graders with their productions of “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Snow White’s Bad Day”on Jan. 8.

The classes chose “Snow White’s Bad Day” and “Little Red Riding Hood,” with the beginning class acting out the former, while the advanced class rewrote the latter as a British pantomime. A British pantomime involves a great deal of creativity, slapstick humor and audience participation. The third graders were coached to yell out helpful tips to the actors and voice their opinions, with additional improvisation activities for them in between the two shows.

“Although each [production] was stressful and a little unorganized, the product was everything that we all thought it could be and more,” senior Samantha Garcia said.

While the advanced class was setting up for “Little Red Riding Hood,” beginning theater students conducted a half-time show in which they had the younger kids participate in improvisational activities.

In just one semester, the classes worked on building an entire production. Students worked together assembling a cast and constructing set design.

“The hardest thing about the

Evan Pioch/The SPOKE

On Jan. 8, theater classes presented “Snow White’s Bad Day” and “Little Red Riding Hood,” to all the district’s third-graders. Above: sophomore Augusta Harris and junior Ali Sharpe take a bow. preparation was getting everything finished in the amount of time we had. We had to build our own props, find our own sound effects, do a lot of our own stage crew, and memorize all of our lines,” sophomore Katie Rodenhiser said.

Students agree that the production went according to plans with minimal hitches along the way.

The advanced theater class

worked on rewriting the play into a pantomime, writing and choreographing songs, designing sets and costumes and directing the actors.

Garcia was the director of “Little Red Riding Hood.” She held auditions, worked on setting deadlines and did her best to organize the show into its final product.

“The hardest thing about preparation was getting everyone to co-

operate and meet deadlines. Once everything was in order, it was still hard to get everyone to buckle down, but everyone knew what they were doing and I definitely underestimated everyone on that part,” Garcia said.

Students could not anticipate the numerous reactions of the third graders. The actors told the elementary school kids what to say and held up big posters stating their lines.

In “Red Riding Hood,” when the lumberjack got to the grandmother’s house, he asked the audience what he could do to scare the wolf out.

All of the third graders immediately screamed at him to brandish his axe to scare the wolf.

“Immediately, the kids screamed ‘The axe! The axe!’ which obviously was not what we planned...Augusta Harris, the girl who played Harold, dropped the axe and spewed out a line about how she did not promote violence. We did expect some random audience outbursts due to the nature of the play, encouraging audience participation from the beginning,” sophomore Robyn Wiener said.

The students were not the only ones who enjoyed the productions.

“As an adult, I was dying laughing, but sometimes 8-9 year olds don’t pick up on all the details. My kids were commenting on ‘how cool’ it was that there were opportunities at Conestoga to participate in a theatre arts class,” third grade teacher LeeAnn Potter said.

“My little sister was in the audience [...] she told me she really liked the two shows and when we roamed the audience after the performances the other children asked questions about the class along with their praise about liking the show,” junior Robert Watson said.

Becky Leimkuhler can be reached at bleimkuhler@stoganews.com.

Willauer jazzes up local music scene; pursues early career

By Ashley Weston Staff Reporter On a Friday night, Max Willauer can be found getting ready to take the stage at a local club.

Willauer, a junior at Conestoga, has begun pursuing his love of jazz music, playing weekend shows in local music clubs. “[He] works hard to excel in that area [music]. He’s a talented musi-

Henry Rome/The SPOKE

At the end of this year, junior Max Willauer looks to pursue his love for music and develop his skills as a jazz musician.

cian, so when I play with him I get better. He is friendly and inviting to peers,” says junior saxophonist Stephen Ruzzini.

Many students took note of Willauer’s talent earlier this year, during his performance at Jamnesty, the Human Rights Club’s annual fundraiser.

Willauer has played to crowds as large as 2,000 people as well as more intimate gatherings with acclaimed jazz musician Nick Colionne.

Willauer has played shows in the city, including at Philadelphia club Warmdaddy’s.

In his shows, Willauer plays with a variety of different groups, including jazz quartets and student-led bands.

Willauer also writes his own songs, which he first tries out on piano, and later transfers to other instruments.

“I’ll just start playing what I hear in my head, and then if I hear some-

thing I like, I’ll just try to develop it.

A lot of the stuff I write is more jazzoriented,” Willauer said.

Apart from composing, Willauer plays in a variety of shows, including clubs, jazz festivals and private

“His first love of music is jazz.” ~Music teacher Anthony DiLella engagements.

Here at Conestoga, he participates in band, orchestra and choir. He will graduate at the end of his junior year in order to pursue his sudy of music.

“I have tried to rework my schedule this year so that I can allow myself to spend more time on music,” said Willauer.

Over the years, Willauer has

played the clarinet, the flute and the saxophone, his favorite being the saxophone.

“His first love of music is jazz.

Students respect the fact that he has a lot of confidence in what he does,” music teacher Anthony DiLella said.

When he is not playing, he enjoys listening to jazz; he said his favorite artist is Kenny Garrett.

What he enjoys most about playing instruments is performing in front of many people and being able to see their reactions to his music.

“I’ve learned what it’s like to try to have a career as a performing musician,” said Willauer.

Willauer views the next year as an opportunity to further develop his skills as a jazz musician and pursue his love for music. He will replace his senior year with his budding music career.

Ashley Weston can be reached at aweston@stoganews.com.

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STUDENT LIFE

THE SPOKE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

1 2

3 Valentine’s Day Dinners

By Philip Ayers

Elizabeth Hedges photos/The SPOKE

With so much love in the air, there has never been a better time to share a delicious meal with that special someone. So if you haven’t already made dinner plans or you can’t quite figure out where you might like to eat, don’t panic! Whether you’re looking for something classy or casual, the Main Line has a wide multiplicity of restaurants, varying in price, atmosphere and cuisine. Below The SPOKE has selected three restaurants and have provided you with a written taste test of each. Bon appetit!

1. Trattoria San Nicola

Nestled right across the street from the train station, Trattoria San Nicola is one of Berwyn’s finest restaurants. The authentic ambiance only adds to the cuisine. To ensure a wonderful evening, the head chef, Vito Giannandrea, has devised an exquisite Valentine’s Day Menu.

Entrée prices range from $12.00 to $22.00, but it’s money well spent.

Reservations are required at least 24 hours in advance.

Our Favorite Dish: Petto di Pollo Saltimbocca For more information: (610) 296-3141

2. Nectar

The Dalai Lama once said, “Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.” This same quote spans the top of Nectar’s brilliant menu. Just off Route 30 in Berwyn lies the Asian-fusion, jaw dropping restaurant of the future.

If you’re looking for something a bit livelier, a bit fancier, Nectar might be a perfect fit. Remember to make reservations. Also, you just might want to ask for an advance in your next few allowances.

Our Favorite Dish: Wok Chili Tenderloin of Beef For more information: (610) 725-9000

3. Fellini Café Trattoria

This restaurant has a similar authenticity of San Nicola, only it’s cheaper, smaller and more quaint. It has an extremely extensive menu with more than 100 dishes to choose from. It has been said to have some of the best bruschetta around. Within the T/E district lie two Fellini Cafés. One is located in Berwyn. The other is located just off Route 30 in Paoli. Reservations are recommended, although not required.

Our Favorite Dish: Gnocchi al Pesto For more information: (610) 647-1737

Philip Ayers can be reached at payers@stoganews.com.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

ARTS & CULTURE

Broadway Critic - In the Heights -

By Tim Croner Staff Reporter Most people think of showy spectacles and flashy costumes when they think of Broadway.

The notions that arise with the label “Broadway musical” are currently being challenged eight nights a week at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, in Broadway’s newest hit “In the Heights.”

“In the Heights” premiered off-Broadway in 2007, and moved to Broadway in Feb. 2008. The show, which earned four 2008 Tony Awards, including Best New Musical, follows the events of a neighborhood in Washington Heights during the Fourth of July.

The story is simple enough, and, despite the fact that it is set in a relatively unknown neighborhood, the show is surprisingly accessible. Many of the characters

tounding potential. Lin-Manuel Miranda stars as Usnavi, a narrator of sorts, who tells the story of his fellow neighbors while simultaneously trying to find his way in the world. Miranda’s connection with the story is apparent, as he delivers every scene with high energy. Mandy Gonzalez plays Nina, and her strong vocals made her two songs, “Breathe” and “Everything I Know” the best in the show. Olga Merediz was a standout as Abuela Claudia, who constantly reminds the neighborhood to have “paciencia y fe” (“patience and faith”), and Robin de Jesús provided some excellent comic relief as Usanvi’s cousin Sonny.

Andy Blankenbuehler’s stimulating choreography fit in with the show’s contemporary score as well as its urban setting, and it was one of the few shows on Broadway where the choreogra-

“In the Heights” has a sound more similar to something you would find on the radio: pulse with hip-hop and salsa beats. in “In the Heights,” like Usnavi, the bodega owner, or Vanessa, the salon employee, yearn to go on to something bigger, to a place they can finally call home.

The Rosarios, Kevin and Camilla, bring an exciting family dynamic to the show, as they struggle to make ends meet and put their only daughter, Nina, through college. At the same time, Nina is forced to face her own broken dreams when her financial situation forces her to drop out of school.

The true feat of “In the Heights” is its electric score, written by the show’s creator and star, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The songs, which feature a sound more similar to something you would find on the radio rather than in a Broadway theatre pulse with hip-hop and salsa beats.

But one shouldn’t be fooled by the unique sound of the music; every song, with Spanish lyrics woven in, allows the characters to express their woes about the unbearable heat, their feelings about the familiar neighborhood and their dreams about finally finding a place to call home.

The cast propels the show above and beyond its already as-

19

THE SPOKE

phy actually contributed to the telling of the story. The set was realistic; it honestly felt like a slice of neighborhood life in northern Manhattan. The lighting was impressive, heightening the mood and impact of the show.

The colors used in the lighting illustrated the effects of the summer sun, and the blackout and fireworks during the finale of the first act were outstanding.

“In the Heights” is a definite departure from the typical Broadway musical, but it is also a welcome one.

The score is fresh and contemporary; the acting is raw and inspired. And at its core, “In the Heights” is a story about home.

It’s a story about finding out who you are and where you belong.

It’s a story that everyone can relate to, a story that everyone needs to hear. While it may break away the expectations set for a musical, it is also a reassuring glimpse into the future of Broadway, a future where many will continue to be entertained, enlightened and inspired by the art of storytelling through song and dance.

Tim Croner can be reached at tcroner@stoga.news.com.

Broadway.com

Lin-Manuel Miranda and the company star in “In the Heights.” The musical features a contemporary score mixed with Spanish culture and portrays an accurate depiction of a Manhattan neighborhood.

20

Sports

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

Girls swimming controls Central League for ninth year in a row

The importance of maintaining a balanced diet p. 23

Boys basketball loses late in season, still eyes States

By Kurt Rohrbeck Senior Staff Reporter

Henry Rome/The SPOKE

Senior Mike D’Angelo dribbles the ball around a Lower Merion defender. The boys lost the game in heartbreaking fashion, 46-44.

Perfection. It always finds a way to be elusive, even for the best of the best.

The Conestoga boys’ basketball team completed one of the most successful regular seasons in recent memory, with a pair of late losses to Lower Merion earlier in the month being the only games separating them from regular season perfection.

It was a tough loss for this group, as they had been the only undefeated team in District I at the time and surely would have loved to hold on to that accomplishment going into the postseason.

But in the midst of the heartbreaking late-season loss, let’s not forget the rest of the astounding regular season the boys had.

Led by five senior starters—Doug Jakiela, Robert Scott, Matt O’Hara, Mike D’Angelo and Jake Cohen— who all were a part of the team’s Central League title run last season, one could have easily known that this group was bound for success this season. However, no one was quite sure that they would be this explosive and dominant. The team has been winning its contests by an average of about 15 points per game. “[At the beginning of the year] we knew we had a lot of talent and team chemistry, but we didn’t exactly know

how good we could be,” Cohen said, as he admitted that he did not expect the team’s undefeated streak to go as far as it did.

As the season began, the Pioneers began with wins over Central League foes and other nearby opponents.

Most of these teams proved to be no match for the Pioneers, as they defeated most of their early opponents with little trouble.

Seemingly bored with destroying their nearby foes, the team looked to the West for some new challengers.

While most of us were spending our winter breaks at home in cold, snowy Pennsylvania, the boys spent their time in San Diego for a four-day, three-game tournament with teams from California and Washington.

Again, the boys came home with a big zero in their loss column.

“The San Diego trip was huge for us. It brought us together a lot more as a team,” Cohen said.

After another few Central League wins, the boys faced possibly their toughest challenge all season in a trip to Holy Ghost Prep on Jan. 17. This proved to be the biggest challenge for the team at the time, and as time winded down there was a chance that the winning streak was coming to an end.

But Jakiela knocked down a shot as time expired, giving them a 39-38 win and keeping their perfect streak intact.

Cohen said the game was “certainly a wake-up call,” as it made them recognize that they could not take anyone lightly.

And then there were the late setback against Lower Merion, which cost the team not only its undefeated season but its shot at another Central League title as well.

But while any team would love to be able to say that they are undefeated league champions, the losses to L.M. certainly aren’t the end of the world for the team. Losses are often learning experiences for quality teams, and now the team can focus solely on the District I into the tourney, which begins tonight.

The District tournament marks the beginning of a new season for the team. After coming in as a high seed last year only to get bounced early on, they know for sure that the pressure’s on and they don’t plan on disappointing. There are undoubtedly some spectacular teams out there, especially Chester, who has had a stronghold on the District I title for much of this decade.

But are the boys fazed by their competition? No way.

“We know we can play with anyone out there,” Cohen said, with a level of confidence that radiates through the entire team.

Kurt Rohrbeck can be reached at krohrbeck@stoganews.com.

Hockey sets sights on back-to-back Flyers Cup championships

By Jon Jankowski Senior Staff Reporter The Conestoga boys’ ice hockey team has a distinct chance of becoming Flyers Cup champions this season for the second time in as many years. The boys are off to a strong start in regular season play.

The team has suffered only one loss and one tie in 14 games.

“The chances are very good. We have a lot of senior leadership. We have to play tough defense and create some offensive pressure,” senior Rich Masciantonio said.

Conestoga has total control of the Central League, as the two teams tied for second, Marple Newtown and Haverford High, are well behind in the standings. As a team, Conestoga

has to work on fundamentals, focus on becoming a stronger team and make effective use of the plays they have run through at practice.

“We have returned a lot of offense. We scored a lot of goals and started the season off well,” Maciantonio said.

Conestoga’s only loss of the year came in an exciting 2-1 thriller against Strath Haven when opponent Greg Swinburn scored the game winning goal with 30 seconds left.

“We didn’t play that well. It was the worst game we played all season,” Masciantonio said.

The Masciantonio brothers, Rich and Vince, lead the Central League in points. Junior Alex Smith leads the Central League in goals with 17, and is fifth in points with 25.

First place in the Central League is an improvement over last year’s third place finish. Conestoga will face Strath Haven again today to get revenge on that loss early in the beginning of the season. Junior goalie Tyler Mazda has one shutout this year, it came in a 6-0 game against Penncrest. “[Mazda] has a lot of intensity in games. He rises to the occasion when it comes to game time,” Richard said.

In order to become repeat as Flyers Cup champions, the whole team will have to emanate similar intensity when the Cup begins in March.

Evan Pioch/The SPOKE

Jon Jankowski can be reached at jjankowski@stoganews.com.

Junior Alex Smith crashes the net against Penncrest. Conestoga won the game 6-0 and boasts an impressive record, with just one loss.

SPORTS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

THE SPOKE

21

Girls’ swim team takes home ninth-consecutive title

By Rachel Weber Staff Reporter Shouting it from the bleachers, reflecting it off their spirit wear and telling it to all who will listen, the girls’ swim team knows it: they’re the best.

The girls have a load on their shoulders for every meet they enter.

The swimmers have not lost in six years or surrendered a competition to another Central League team in eight. However, instead of going into each meet assuming they will prevail, swimmers say each girl swims her hardest because breaking the streak would be humiliating.

“Losing would be pretty awful.

The freshmen would feel 100 percent responsible,” freshman Alex Stuart said.

Although teams may have been easy to beat in years before, underestimating a competitor could prove to have a failing result.

The swimmers agree that Villa Maria and Radnor were the most dif-

ficult teams to compete against and that they changed their game-plan when they confronted them. They were successful against Villa Maria and Radnor and don’t encounter any teams as strong until districts.

Although they perform well in meets, concerns about the unity of the team exist in many of the swimmers. Members of the team are not required to attend every practice if they belong on a club team, so many girls swim only in meets.

“It’s hard to really bond as a team because people practice at different places and sometimes it feels like were not really united,” junior Mary Bridget Kane said, “But I think we do a good job of coming together and working as a team.”

Pride for their record-breaking group is understandable. Sophomore Danielle Sachs had only positive things to say about her team.

“We’re perfect.”

Rachel Weber can be reached at rweber@stoganews.com.

Jonathan Yu for The SPOKE

Freshman Ally Weigand swims backstroke. The girls have not lost a Central League meet in eight years.

Radnor tops ’Stoga in boys’ meet to decide league champs

By Chris Grant Staff Reporter Conestoga and Radnor swam against one another in a meet that would determine the winner of the Central League.

’Stoga entered the season as fivetime defending Central League champions. However, Conestoga suffered significantly greater losses as a result of graduation than Radnor did.

“Last year, we lost our top breaststroker, Lance Liu, and top distance

swimmer, Mitch Paczesniak, to graduation. We’ll do okay replacing Mitch because we have several swimmers who can do the distance events.

Replacing Lance will be difficult. Our weakest events will be breaststroke and the sprint freestyle events,” junior

Crunch Time Henry Rome/ The SPOKE

Girls Basketball Although the losses of graduates Kristen Johnson and Chelsea Shine set the team back, it has managed to hold its own. They finished the season over .500 in the Central League.

Senior Ellen Hill (above) leads the team on and off the court.

Wrestling Led by senior captains Matt Roe, Dave Exler and Taylor Perkins, the wrestling team has been achieving unanticipated success.

From the beginning of what was expected to be a rebuilding year, they have won all but one of their Central League matches.

By Erin O’Neil

Indoor Track

Despite the loss of several key seniors from last year, the team has revamped its relays and headed to Nationals.

Senior J.C. Rizzo is ranked fourth in the state for the 800m, and senior Tom Mayer is ranked sixth in the state for the High Jump.

Both Rizzo and Mayer, along with juniors Connor Tait and Curtis Baylis, are part of the 4x400 Relay, ranked fourth in the state.

As for the girls, senior Meghan Shanley, juniors Marta Klebe and Kacie O’Neil and sophomore Maddie Klebe hold top state and national rankings for both the 4x800 and Distance Medley Relay.

The girls 4x800 Relay, the boys 4x400 Relay and both Sprint Medley Relay teams will be competing at Nationals in Boston in March.

Erin O’Neil can be reached at eoneil@stoganews.com.

James Connors said.

Conestoga came into the meet on the heels of a 31-point loss to Malvern. However, the team swam well, and it was an encouraging effort going into the Radnor meet. Senior Quinn Bartlett broke the school record in the 100yd backstroke at the meet, which was a feat he had been chasing since the beginning of the season.

Another positive point going into the Radnor meet was Conestoga had a four-point lead before the first event took place, thanks to the diving performances of junior Kurt von Mol and freshman Nick Nalbone.

Once the meet started, it became apparent that Conestoga would have trouble keeping up with Radnor.

While Conestoga was very deep in many events, they lacked the ability to get a lot of first place finishes.

Though ’Stoga kept the meet in reach during the first half, Radnor certainly seemed to be a little stronger in many of the events. Radnor senior Robbie Norton was a quadruple winner, as he

was part of the winning 200yd medley relay, the 400yd freestyle relay and an individual winner in the 100 yd butterfly and the 500yd individual freestyle.

The final score of the meet was 102-83, in favor of Radnor, but the final score does not speak to how close the meet really was. Conestoga was certainly not dominated in any phases of the meet, but Radnor did match up a little bit better. The Conestoga swimmers did everything they could to keep up with Radnor, and the ’Stoga swimmers combined to improve on 21 of their previous top times from the season.

Although it is undeniable that the final result was a disappointment for Conestoga’s seniors, Conestoga should certainly be in contention again next season, especially since Radnor will be losing several key seniors to graduation this spring.

Chris Grant can be reached at cgrant@stoganews.com.

Henry Rome/The SPOKE

Senior David Shapiro swims butterfly. For a complete photo gallery of the meet, go to stoganews.com.

22

SPORTS

THE SPOKE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

The G.Lo-down: learn to appreciate McNabb

By Greg Lopez Sports Editor Donovan McNabb deserves better.

As much as I can appreciate Philadelphia fans, McNabb should not have to endure what he does. Every year, he finds himself on the hot seat. He’s not clutch. He throws balls in the dirt. He’s injury-prone. He doesn’t quite know how ties work in the NFL. He’s a bum.

If McNabb doesn’t put up superhuman numbers every week, the fans are never truly satisfied. They beg for him to be traded to any team for any player at any time, just so long as he’s off the team. Some people would be okay with skipping the hassle of a trade and just cutting him loose.

Yeah, great plan. Let’s let a fivetime Pro Bowler just leave. Forget

about the five NFC Championships and that trip to the Super Bowl a few years ago. That’s all voided because of an occasional accuracy problem and a lack of Super Bowl rings.

Would the Eagles really be better off with Kevin Kolb under center?

Sure, let’s go with an untested rookie instead of a successful veteran. His stats with the Eagles – 144 yards and four interceptions – tell me he’s more than ready to take this team farther than McNabb ever could.

Philadelphia fans don’t realize just how lucky they are. Things could be much, much worse. Gus Frerotte.

J.T. O’Sullivan. Dan Orlovsky. Just imagine how terrible it would be to have to watch one of those guys every week. Good luck getting to the playoffs with one of them, let alone the NFC Championship Game. Fans from other teams would kill for a quarterback like McNabb.

General managers might go further. A GM with a sub-par quarterback that could swing a deal for McNabb could get the key to the city if his team made a deep playoff run. Bringing in McNabb would be an impressive accomplishment for a young GM to put on his resume.

17.5 Annual salary of MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, in millions of dollars

3 Pete Zonino/The SPOKE

Philly fans have been booing McNabb since Day One. He has more wins than any other Eagles quarterback, yet he faces criticism from the hundreds of ignorant fans that populate the tri-state area. Plenty of teams would be ready to sign McNabb the second the Eagles give up on him. Plenty of fans would be ready to cheer him on as he led them

to victory. Just be careful what you wish for, because McNabb has plenty of options available to him if he chooses to take them. And no matter how many times he says he wants to return to the Eagles, don’t you think he knows he deserves better?

Greg Lopez can be reached at glopez@stoganews.com.

The End Zone: boys basketball on to Districts 2 Conestoga

15 Coatesville 18 Henderson 7 Pl. Whitemarsh

Feb. 20

Feb. 24

Game Tonight: (2) Conestoga vs.

(31) Cheltenham 7:00 p.m. at Conestoga

26 Methacton

Conestoga boys basketball has once again found itself in district playoffs. After cruising through the Central League at the beginning of the season the team suffered its first and only regular season loss, to rival Lower Merion, at the close of the regular season. This forced a Central League playoff because no team went undefeated in league play.

Last Friday, the team faced Upper Darby in the first round of the four team playoff. Conestoga survived, advancing to the final.

In the final of the Central League playoffs, Conestoga had a rematch with Lower Merion. It was a hardfought battle, but the Pioneers came up short.

Although the team lost the Central League title, district playoffs are still in sight. The Pioneers

Number of MLB players who earned more than Selig last season

26.9 Luxury tax owed by the New York Yankees in 2008, in millions of dollars

Feb. 17

31 Cheltenham

By Mike McCarter Sports Editor

By the Numbers

10 Penncrest 23 Neshaminy

Winner from other side of bracket

3 Penn Wood 30 Chichester 14 Bensalem

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Feb. 27

19 Great Valley

22.7 Payroll of the 2008 Florida Marlins, in millions of dollars

4 Number of Conestoga boys ice hockey players in the top seven in scoring

6 Lower Merion 27 Quakertown 11 C.B. West 22 Radnor

clinched the second seed in the bracket because rankings are done solely on regular season play.

Conestoga is entering the district playoffs with high expectations even though it has struggled in its last few games. Last year’s

disappointing first-round loss in Districts is only motivating the team even more on its quest for a title.

The 32-team playoff will test the team to see how it can play against the best competition in the area.

If the team advances to the quarterfinals then it automatically qualifies for state playoffs. Also,

if all goes according to plan there should be a rematch with Lower Merion in the fourth round of Districts. It will be an opportunity for the Pioneers to avenge the loss in the Central League Championship game.

Mike McCarter can be reached at mmccarter@stoganews.com.

55 Fighting penalties by the Philadelphia Flyers, who are tied for the league lead in fighting All statistics as of Feb. 9

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

SPORTS

THE SPOKE

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How to practice healthy eating habits without sacrificing taste

By Liz Bennett Staff Reporter When you are carrying the stress of sports practice, a towering mound of homework, a list of club meetings you forgot to go to and hours of play rehearsal, you don’t want the extra weight of the food pyramid on your back. But the reality is that you need some nutrients to get through your busy schedule, and incorporating a healthy diet into your life isn’t as hard as it sounds.

Fiber is one nutrient you don’t want to skip, no matter how hectic your day becomes.

Iron is a dietary component that you can’t afford to skip.

“Iron plays a role in blood production in the body, and in energy levels. Iron is also important to prevent anemia,” said Melanie Katrinak, a dietician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Anemia, a condition in which red blood cell production decreases, results in the body’s inability to transport sufficient amounts of oxygen to muscle. This condition

can lead to severe fatigue, irritability and dizziness. Anemia is especially prevalent among teenage girls but it can occur in anyone, so be sure to check up on your iron intake. Lean red meat, cream of wheat, lentils, clams, oysters, most beans and soy products like tofu are good sources of dietary iron. Don’t have time for a sit-down dinner? Grab a bag of dried fruit—like apricots or raisins—or put spinach leaves on your sandwich.

Calcium and Vi t a m i n D are two other nutrients you don’t want to miss out on.

“Calcium and Vitamin D are essential for proper bone health and overall growth.

Calcium and Vi t a m i n D help prevent osteoporosis,

and we have learned more recently Vitamin D likely plays a very important role in preventing many chronic diseases,” Katrinak said.

Some studies show that adequate Vitamin D levels can decrease the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer and multiple sclerosis. Vitamin D also helps the body absorb Calcium,

Pete Zonino/The SPOKE

suggesting that perhaps these nutrients should be consumed together for maximum benefit. Though Vitamin D occurs naturally only in limited amounts, many brands of breakfast cereal and dairy milk are Vitamin D-fortified, ensuring you get proper intake of this essential nutrient.

You can also get your Calcium from dairy milk, as well as from yogurt, cheese, and soy milk.

If you choose dairy as your Calcium source, Katrinak recommends sticking with the nonfat variety.

So if you have a healthful and diverse diet, do you still need your Flinstone’s multivitamin supplement?

“If teens do actually eat a good variety of the foods from all of the food groups, they will

likely not need a vitamin. If a teen has a restrictive diet and really does not like or eat certain food groups, they would likely benefit from multivitamin. Personally, I think a multivitamin is relatively benign even if you do have a good diet. I would be leery of additional vitamin supplementation, and consult a professional dietician if you have specific issues or concerns,” Katrinak said.

Keeping your diet nutritious is not as tough as you might think. Katrinak advises a laid-back approach to a healthy lifestyle, and one that won’t cause you extra stress at the lunch line. a “Go with your gut. Stop and think about what you eat; you probably know more than you think about making the right choices. Don’t be afraid to re-try foods you’ve convinced yourself you hate or dislike because your taste buds change as you get older, and healthy food really can be delicious.”

Liz Bennett can be reached at lbennett@stoganews.com.

Volume 59 No. 4

INSIDE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2009

Hockey aims to win second-consecutive Flyers Cup p. 20

Simple ways to improve your diet p. 23

Boys basketball charges into playoffs See p. 20

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Go online for an extended photo gallery from the boys basketball playoff run Henry Rome/The SPOKE