A bicyclist was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries after he was hit outside Conestoga by an SUV driven by a student on Tuesday evening.
 
The student, driving a blue Acura SUV, was turning from Irish Road onto Conestoga Road at the same time the bicycle was turning onto Irish Road, according to Tredyffrin police Cpl. Michelle Power. The bicyclist had the right of way, said Power, who was the first officer on the scene.
 
The events, which took place during the freshman class picnic and on the day before school started, drew a fire truck, an ambulance, a fire department SUV and three Tredyffrin police cruisers.
 
The windshield of the Acura was cracked on the passenger’s side of the vehicle, where the bicyclist had hit, Power said. The student driver was not a minor.

By Julianne Vallotton and Laura Weiss, Staff Reporter and News Editor

Short on sleep

Twice a month, Thursday nights signaled the beginning of stress and exhaustion for sophomore Angela Hong. She would spend those evenings in her bedroom, studying all night for her AP European History test the following day. 

“I want to do as best as I can even though it doesn’t seem like a good thing to stay up all night,” Hong said. “I do it because of the pressure of the class to do well; especially for a class like Euro or math, it’s hard to keep up. It’s at such a fast pace and you don’t ever want to get a bad grade or fall behind.”

Hong is one of the many students who must make the choice between sleep and studying. In The Spoke’s survey of 200 students, 7 in 10 reported that they get less than eight hours of sleep on a regular school night. The number represents a growing national trend of teenagers who get less sleep because of the pressure to perform well academically and the growing use of technology immediately before bed.

On nights that she manages to get some sleep, Hong said that she averages about five hours, using coffee to wake up every morning.  As the caffeine wears off, Hong struggles with headaches and irritability. But her most damaging habit, Hong said, was staying up all night on Thursdays to study.

“I was awake because I had coffee, but I was just out of it,” Hong said. “If I thought too hard I would get tired easily.”

Junior Tim DiPaolo said that he also found that it was more difficult to focus and think when he was sleep-deprived. He said that his tests became harder to take when he barely slept the night before.

“I can’t really think clearly and it’s hard to reason things out,” DiPaolo said.

DiPaolo is not inexperienced with late-night studying because of his packed schedule. He said that he averages about six hours of sleep each night and that he struggles to fit sleep into his evenings.

“I took five Advanced Placement classes this year and found myself getting to sleep around 12 a.m. at the earliest each night,” DiPaolo said. “It really starts to wear you down.”

Expert input

DiPaolo’s inability to focus after very little sleep is a common side effect of sleep deprivation, said Jennifer Jackson Holden, a mental health specialist from the Center for Psychological Services. 

“For every hour less than eight that people get each night, their ability to function goes down a grade level,” Holden said. “If you have a tenth grader who is functioning on a week with six hours of sleep [each night], they’re thinking more like an eighth grader than a tenth grader.”

For this reason, Holden said that students staying up late to study would most likely do worse on their tests, despite studying more. She said that a severe lack of sleep can be comparable to torture and that students will probably suffer from weakened abilities to pay attention, recall information and focus when they are overly exhausted.

“Think about one of the things that governments do to torture their prisoners—they deprive them of sleep,” Holden said.

Holden recommends that teenagers avoid the use of coffee or other caffeinated beverages to stay awake because experts are still unsure about how these drinks will affect students in the future. But for sophomore Vanessa Karalis, the benefits of energy drinks like 5-Hour Energy seem to outweigh the costs.

“If I ever have a test coming up in the next few periods, or I’m just super tired, I drink one of them and they really help a lot,” Karalis said. “People say that they’re bad for you, but if they help this much, I don’t see the harm.”

Pseudo sunshine

In addition to using energy drinks to stay awake, many Conestoga students reported another habit related to sleep. Fifty percent of students surveyed by The Spoke said that they use some form of technology while they fall asleep every night. 

Recent research conducted by scientists at the National Sleep Foundation suggests that copious amounts of artificial light right before sleep can impact a person’s circadian rhythm, essentially convincing the body that sunlight is present. The light, delivered at close range from cell phones or laptop screens, can suppress the release of hormones that aid in the sleep process.

Freshman Julianna Bradley said that she takes extreme caution to avoid technology before she goes to bed. She said that she covers the light on her alarm clock, places her cell phone in the hallway, closes her laptop and turns off all of the lights in her room before she goes to sleep.

“Right before I go to bed I try not to [use technology] because it gets me up and I stay on it,” Bradley said. “I have a hard time getting off.”

For sophomore Angela Hong, pulling all-nighters to study is sometimes aided by her use of a computer. She usually texts on her phone or uses her laptop before going to sleep, which, she said, makes her feel more awake. 

“I’ll be really tired and I’m just about to fall asleep, and then I go on my computer and I’m awake,” Hong said. “It takes me a little bit longer to fall asleep than it would have if I didn’t go online.”

After a school year of late nights and little sleep, Hong said that she has learned her limits. She has a message for students whose sleep habits are similar to her own.

“I warn students that just because it seems like they can stay up late and be okay once, it doesn’t mean that they can do it all of the time,” she said. “I plan to change my ways.” 

Liz Bravacos contributed to this report.

Laura Weiss can be reached at lweiss@stoganews.com.

This article originally appeared on p. 4 of the June 7, 2010 issue of The Spoke.

By Erin O’Neil, Sports Editor

From the looks of this year’s Pioneers, it’ll take a whole lot more than just another team to stop them.

Coming off of last season, in which ’Stoga lost a heartbreaking state championship to La Salle, we all wondered whether this year’s team could continue the success. And we weren’t disappointed.

With the exception of two close losses to Haverford and Springfield early in the season, the boys have strung win after win together, heading into District I playoffs with a record of 17-2.

“Learning to play with high expectations is an added challenge,” head coach Brian Samson said. “These guys know that everybody wants to beat them, and they know that they need to put forth their best effort each contest. There will be some good competition come playoffs.”

Seeded third in the district, the Pioneers swept their first playoff game with a 13-5 win over Downingtown East at home on May 20. They then continued on to easily defeat Lower Merion with a 12-7 victory two days later in the district quarterfinals at Henderson.

“The offense has been really starting to pick it up,” senior captain Casey Ikeda said. “I think that the team will really come together well and rise to the challenges.”

Without losing momentum, ’Stoga barreled ahead through districts, rolling over Abington in a 13-5 victory. In the district finals, the Pioneers seized their chance for revenge over rival Springfield, smashing their opponents and emerging victorious with a score of 8-4. The victory over Springfield, seeded second in the district, squashed all other competition for the title.

“It felt really good to beat Springfield,” senior Peter Bowers said. “It felt really good to get revenge on them. We came out with a lot of intensity and they couldn’t keep up with us.”

With a District I title locked up, the boys charged full steam ahead into state playoffs, facing Hatsboro Horsham in the first round of the tournament.

“Our team has played some stifling defense which has given our offense plenty of possession,” junior Andrew Visich said. “The level of competition has definitely increased, but we have responded by continuing to play our upbeat style of transition lacrosse.”

After an easy 17-2 victory, they rolled on second-round opponent Emmaus on June 5, closing the game 15-5.

“I don’t think many teams are used to our high caliber defense pressing far out,” junior Ben Karr said. “It will be interesting to see how they deal with that much pressure.”

The team remembers every practice, every game. They also remember how it feels to lose a state championship. The memory has fueled a tremendous season, focused on reclaiming something they fell short of last year.

Their next game, scheduled for June 8, will most likely be a mere speed bump on the way to a state championship.

“The goal is June 12th,” Karr said. “We’re focused on winning this year. We want to be back in Hershey, and nothing less.”

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

Printed originally on p. 20 of The Spoke’s June 7, 2010 issue.

By Laura Weiss, News Editor

Taking his diploma, Greg Osberg graduated with ideas about crunching numbers. Though his future unfolded much differently from how he had planned, the 1975 graduate said he believes that Conestoga gave him essential tools to pursue his passion.

Osberg will be the new publisher and C.E.O. of the Philadelphia Inquirer, philly.com and Daily News in July. Osberg is prepared to use what he began learning at ’Stoga to bring innovation and growth to the newspapers and website. However, the road to the world of business and publishing was not a straight one for Osberg.

“When I was a student at Conestoga, I had no idea which career path I would take,” Osberg said. “I suppose I was most focused on the college that I would attend.”

Though he said that he took a definite interest in business in high school, Osberg was more focused on a specific career in accounting. He said that he pursued this career path during his freshman year at Colorado State University before switching to a business major. 

In the time building up to college, however, Osberg was also driven by other passions like rugby, which he played at Conestoga.

“I would encourage everyone to experiment as much as they possibly can [with different subjects and activities],” Osberg said.

He also supports local networking as a tool for high school students to find out what they want to do in life.

“I wasn’t sure what aspect of business might interest me,” Osberg said. “College helped me figure that out. Real life experiences and speakers from the outside world elevated the opportunity of publishing and I started following that path.”<

By Emily Omrod, Staff Reporter

More than a year ago, in a rowdy Spanish class at Tredyffrin/Easttown Middle School, freshman Niko Torres was loudly disrupting class. Then his father, who also happened to be a district administrator, walked in.

“Everyone was being loud,”  Torres said. “I was being particularly loud and my dad walked in and [started] yelling at everyone, especially me.  He said, ‘Donde está el respecto?’ I was embarrassed in front of the  entire class

Torres’ experience with his father working in the district is not uncommon. Several dozen school district employees, including teachers, administrators and secretaries, have children who attend district schools. For instance, science teacher John Ligget taught his daughter, senior Sarah Ligget, in AP Environmental Science this year.  

“At first, it was really weird,” Sarah Ligget said. 

Eventually, Sarah Ligget said that she grew accustomed to having her dad as her teacher, becoming comfortable enough by May to actually answer questions in class. 

Freshman Cooper Turley had his father, Bill Turley, as a fifth grade math and science teacher at T/E Middle School. 

“It was fun, but there were some challenges at the same time,” Cooper Turley said, adding that his peers would often say that his father gave him a special advantage on quizzes and tests.   

Though Cooper Turley did not always enjoy having his father in the classroom, some students have no problems with their parent being a teacher. Junior Elyse Viviano said that she rarely sees her mom, English teacher Laura Viviano, at school and enjoys the advantage of having a parent who knows the curriculum. 

“When I was a sophomore, it was great,” Viviano said. “She would help me understand if I had a question and couldn’t [ask] a teacher.”

Teachers who are also parents believe that their unusual position has positive and negative qualities. Bill Turley, Cooper’s father, said that he enjoys spending additional time with his children and their friends when he is at work.

“It was an advantage to know a lot of their friends. I [knew] how they liked to learn and what pushed their buttons,” Bill Turley said. 

Working in close proximity to their children can be a challenge for some parents employed by the district. Laura Viviano said that she is careful to allow her children to keep their independence at school.

“They’re going through their typical teenage stuff—I  put up boundaries and let them maintain their own space,” she said.

Emily Omrod can be reached at eomrod@stoganews.com.

This article originally appeared on p. 16 of the June 7, 2010 issue of The Spoke.

By Erin O’Neil, Sports Editor

Five minutes before the race of their lives, the Conestoga girls 4×800 relay team was singing Motown. The girls were on the infield, lacing up their racing spikes and waiting for the race to begin.

“Sometimes before we run, the mood can get tense, especially for a state championship,” senior Kacie O’Neil said. “We were all pretty nervous, so I said ‘somebody just sing!’”

Seniors Marta Klebe and Kyra Sikora immediately picked up the vibe and began belting out The Temptations, invisible microphone and all.

“I couldn’t sing because I didn’t know the song,” junior Dina Ramadane said. “But we all just danced, literally two minutes before the biggest race of the season.”

Loosened up and mentally relaxed, the girls readied themselves for their final race of the year. Sikora started off the race with a 2:22 split, handing off to Klebe, who ran the second leg in 2:15, and then Ramadane, who ran the third leg in 2:18. O’Neil anchored the relay with a split of 2:12.

Having won five state titles in the last three years, the relay team was confident in their chances. They hoped to echo their successful indoor season, which took them all the way to nationals and earned them All-American status.

“I knew we could win it,” Ramadane said. “The whole season, we had been training so hard, all for this one meet, this one race. We always keep a low profile throughout the entire season and come out from nowhere at states.”

The team finished the race with a time of 9:08.58, roughly three one-hundredths of a second in front of the second-place team, West Chester Henderson. Before the race, Henderson had been seeded first, one place in front of Conestoga. 

“Henderson was the one big team that was suddenly good this year, and I really wanted to beat them,” O’Neil said. “I had the lead and there was no way I was giving it up.”

The girls are currently ranked ninth in the nation, a great way for three of the relay’s seniors to end their high school track careers, winning one last time.

“The race was really painful but really exciting,” O’Neil said. “It’s still sinking in now that we won. Even getting up on the podium, we were still winding down. But we did it.” 

Staff writer Emily Seeburger contributed to this article.

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

This article originally appeared on pg. 21 of the June 7 2010 issue of The Spoke.

By Stetson Miller

SPOKE correspondent 

PHILADELPHIA - Just twenty minutes from Berwyn, the Conestoga crew team competed in the largest high school regatta in the world, the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, last Friday and Saturday on the Schuylkill River. 

On Friday, all crews participated in time trials and semi-finals. Sophomores Rory McCue and Ali Siegele placed third in their semi-final for the girls’ junior double event, but were twelve seconds away from placing in the top two for a spot in the finals. 

The girls’ lightweight double placed fourth in their semi-final, and on Saturday morning, the boys’ senior single placed fifth.  

In the afternoon finals, the boys’ junior double, with sophomore Kevin Haddad and junior Jack Hoban, placed second. They were in first place for the beginning five hundred meters before a crew from Dallas overtook them. 
 
The girls’ freshman quad with Jenny Alcorn, Mary Kate Lyons, Lara Dorfman, and Maddie Amsterdam placed third in their final race. 
 
The boys’ lightweight double placed fourth in their final.

“It was our best race this year and was really close, but the other crews were better,” said senior stroke seat Matt Needles. 
 
In the boys’ junior quad, Max Frey, Jack Wright, Chris Connell and Tim Hersh placed second, and beat the Haverford boat by a close five-hundredths of a second. The two boats have been in close competition since the start of the season. 
 
In the girls’ junior quad, Nicole DeStefano, Maggie Dwyer, Augusta Harris and Sabrina Luthra placed first in their final race, four seconds ahead of the second placed boat. 
 
Both the boys’ and girls’ senior placed sixth in the finals. 
 
All crews that placed in the top three places in the final races received medals. In two weeks, the competition will continue in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where the team will compete at the Scholastic Rowing Association (SRA) National Championships.

By Stetson Miller 

SPOKE Correspondent 

PHILADELPHIA –On a cool Mother’s Day, the medal dock at the novice-only Dr. Robert White Regatta was crowded with ’Stoga rowers. Both boys’ and girls’ novice crews placed high in their respective races.

The morning began with Bucher and Quentin Backstrom’s first-place finish in the boys’ freshman double event. In the afternoon final they placed fourth.

The girls’ novice quad, with sophomore Angela Shao, freshman Liesel Johantgen, junior Stephanie Edwards and freshman Becca Morris, placed first in both their qualifier and final race, taking home a gold medal.

In the boys’ novice quad, sophomores Ben Morosse and Larry Caldwell, junior Chas Carlson and freshman Brian Kane came in first in both their qualifying heat and final race, ending up with a thirty-second lead over the second-place team.

In the girls’ freshman quad event, Jenny Alcorn, Mary Kate Lyons, Lara Dorfman and Maddie Amsterdam ended their season with a first-place finish.

Due to wind, some single novice events were canceled.

Today, the JV and Varsity rowers are back for the largest high school rowing event in the world, the Stotesbury Cup Regatta. More than five thousand rowers will compete in this two-day long regatta.

Story by Liz Bravacos and Meghan Morris

Basic beliefs

By Dolly Prabhu & Laura Weiss, Staff Reporter & Centerspread Editor

Lingering on the ice, two players embrace as they recognize that they’ve just played in their final game as Conestoga Pioneers. The team groups together, a long season’s fight having ended in disappointment.

With a record of 8-4-4, the boys’ ice hockey team had a strong regular season, but its success failed to carry into the playoffs. On March 1, the boys lost in the quarterfinals of the Central League Championship to Radnor, a team they had not lost to in the last three years. Again on March 12, the team suffered a tough 3-1 loss to Abington in the first round of the Flyers Cup Tournament, marking an unfortunate end to an otherwise strong season.