East football now playing on home territory

This football season, the Cougars finally hunt on their own territory. East’s varsity football team traditionally played home games at West’s Jonas C. Morris stadium due to the inadequacy of their own field, which lacked sufficient seating and a scoreboard. This August, however, a $28,000 donation was accepted from Carl Pursell, 1975 East graduate, president of the East Football Boosters Club and owner of construction company Carl Pursell Inc., to make East’s stadium satisfactory.

Pursell’s donation provided for new bleachers, which seat 380 spectators, a temporary scoreboard and all labor involved in the project.

This season, two varsity games were played at East’s newly improved stadium. The Cougars played against Winslow Township on October 11 and Rancocas Valley on October 18.

Not only do the improvements to the stadium enable the football players to play on their home field, but they may also boost school spirit and attendance at games.          

“For the first time in school history East players will not have to get on a bus to go to a home game and the East student body will be able to attend a home football game on the East campus,” wrote Mr. O’Connor, East’s Athletic Director. “It is difficult for younger students to travel to the West side of town to attend football games.  Now, for these two games, the students [only had] to get to school.”

At one time the only public school in South Jersey with a football program and no varsity field, East’s players can now play proudly for their school.

Habitat for Humanity discusses this year’s plans

What did you do for Spring Break?

The typical East student visits family, competes in sports tournaments, vacations in Cancun or catches up on sleep.

Thirty-five students last year built houses.

“Being able to build a whole house in a week is quite an experience,” said Dane Berkowitz (’10).

Since Spanish teacher Mr. Console introduced Habitat for Humanity to East in 2004, students have been able to build homes for needy families during the spring break week-long trips, overnight trips to Baltimore and on “day build” trips.

“Habitat is a lot more than the spring break trip,” said school librarian Ms. Rion.

Indeed, this year students are required to attend one of the day build trips before committing to the spring break trip.  Thus, they will become more experienced with tools and will be able to decide whether they really want to build houses for a week.  Day build trips cost 15 dollars.

Instead of or in conjunction with the spring break trip, students can also attend the Baltimore weekend trip Nov 6-8 for 200 dollars.  In addition to building houses, Habitat also visits Fort McHenry and the National Aquarium.

The spring break trip this year will be April 5-ll in John’s Island, South Carolina, the same place as last year.

“We had such an amazing week that that’s where we’re going this year,” said Ms. Rion.

Like the Baltimore trip, it does not only consist of building houses.

“There’s a lot of stuff that make it a fun trip,” said Brett Levine, East Habitat co-president and coordinator of trips.

Students go into town at night and enjoy the beach.  There are also groups of students from different high schools and colleges throughout the country with whom East interacts.

“(I was able) to see a new community, a new culture,” said Alex Adler (’09), East Habitat co-president and coordinator of day builds.

Of course, the focus of the trip is building houses for needy families.  Students and faculty (last year seven) paint, work on roofs, hammer, shovel, landscape, climb ladders, build walls…

Experience is not necessary.

“For a lot of people it’s their first time building,” said Emily Savoca (’09), East Habitat co-president and coordinator of advocacy and communications.  “I learned how to install a door…that was pretty cool.”

The trip costs about 600 dollars, but the price can be reduced with fundraising.  Participating students must be 16 or older.

See Mr. Console, Ms. Rion or the following students for details.

Elizabeth Park and Brett Levine,
Co-Presidents and coordinators of trips
Alex Adler and Maddie Cattuna,
Co-President and coordinator of day builds
Emily Savoca and Kim Kline,
Co-Presidents and coordinators of advocy and communications
Zack Silverberg,
Co-President and coordinator of fundraising

Rosa teacher and students form connection with Uganda

 Gretchen Seibert, a seventh grade English teacher at Rosa International Middle School, wants to team up with her students to change Uganda. The name of the organization she and her students are helping is the “Outside the Dream” foundation. The organization was started by Ugandan citizens and promotes education and funding needed for children to have an appropriate education.

Many of these Ugandan children have been leading lives of perdition, such as fighting in wars and suffering extreme weather conditions without food, water and shelter. On the pamphlet of the organization, a child’s story is told:   “Jimmy Odong, who was abducted by and forced to fight for the Lord’s Resistance Army, will not be able to attend secondary school without a sponsor.”

Another story reads, “Charles Otim, a former child soldier, wants to become a teacher. However, he first requires micro-finance in order to set up a small poultry business.”

These children and many more are suffering to seek the simplicities in life that some of us take for granted. Seibert is not only helping from the outside but on the inside. She will be traveling to Uganda and will be examining the school’s facilities that the organization started to make sure that they are safe and clean for the kids learning there. Seibert would even like to have the public follow her through her journey on her “Exploring Uganda Blog” at www.exploringuganda.blogspot.com/.

She wrote to the public, “Follow my story if you wish, as I travel to Uganda to meet the young man, an orphan with no surviving blood relatives, my seventh grade students and I are sponsoring; as I research one of the longest-running wars in Africa–and what is considered one of the world’s ‘forgotten humanitarian crises.’” 

In fact, statistics by UNICEF confirm that about 1.5 million people in Northern Uganda have been taken out of their normal lives and put into poverty. One of these reasons is the continuing violence that is happening from the “Lord’s Resistance Army” and other conflicts happening in Uganda. One child by the name of Dennis was forced to murder someone and later was left in a village. His legs were so impaired due to the equipment he had to carry; he was forced to crawl for three days in order to search for help.

Basic acts can help these children in Uganda, such as purchasing composition notebooks or school supplies that are common for kids and which can be shipped overseas or be given to a fellow volunteer of “Outside the Dream” foundation. Starting small fundraisers can help the foundation as well, such as selling pretzels or baked goods. The website is www.outsidethedream.org/.

The foundation echoes a quote by Margaret Mead to the public:  “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” 

SGA election results

The votes for 2008-2009 Student Government President and Vice Presidents are in and as follows:

President: Emily Zippilli (’09)

Vice Presidents: Meghan Marro (’09), Madison Back (’09), Brett Marlowe (’10) and Anthony Giannopoulos (’09)

SGA Presidential elections: Todd Hummel

Todd Hummel (’09) 

Slogan: 

Like Soulja Boy, I want YOUUUU to vote Todd Hummel for SGA President!

What have you done for the school already (including involvement in SGA)? 

Freshman and Sophomore Class President; SGA Vice President; Varsity Soccer; Blood Drive Publicity and Donor Chairperson; DECA

What are you hoping to change at East?  

When elected, I hope to transform the attitude of the student body.  Basically, I want to encourage students of all interests to participate in and attend school events.

What is your main priority? 

My main priority is to effectively publicize existing school events and develop new activities to spark the interests of all students in order to bring students together and increase school spirit.

How will you accomplish these goals? 

I will accomplish my goals by actively involving the opinions of students in SGA and working tirelessly to fight for the students’ desires when facing the administration.

How do the decisions of SGA affect the school?  Would you consider SGA involved in student life? 

Although unknown to many students, SGA is heavily involved in the school.  Whether it is promoting East to prospective students at Orientation or organizing some of the school’s most highly attended events like Mr. East and Wing Bowl, SGA works hard to improve the lives of students at East.

What do you like about East? 

I am a huge advocate of East.  Our school has a dedicated staff, competitive athletics, a diverse student body, and high-quality educational opportunities.  As a result, I believe East is respected both at a local and a national level.

How are you different than other candidates?  Why should we vote for you? 

I believe that the mixture of my interests allows me to relate to a variety of people, which sets me apart from other candidates.  Whether a love for sports, dedication to academics or diversified respect for the arts, I can bring a broad assortment of perspectives to SGA that would better represent the student body as a whole.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in? 

In addition to my experience in SGA, I have participated in the highly successful Blood Drive, varsity sports and DECA.  I am a firm believer in completely dedicating myself to a few activities in order to put forth my greatest effort in what I am passionate about.

What’s something most people don’t know about you, but you would like them to know? 

Although I may appear as the typical, suburban New Jersey teenager who only listens to Dave Matthews, my taste in music is about as diverse as can be.  I can’t wait for the Rick Ross’s “Trilla” to come out in March.  I am disappointed that I cannot go to the Kenny Chesney and Keith Urban concert this summer.  I listen to techno music while I study.  Finally, I never get tired of some good ACDC, Van Halen or Guns & Roses.  Such diversity enables me to relate to many different types of people on at least one level.

Why did you decide to run for president? 

I decided to run for President of SGA simply because I feel as though after three years of solid experience, it is time to take on even more responsibility and make not only my senior year great, but to leave a lasting mark to improve the experiences of classes after my graduation.

What does the president actually do? 

The President of SGA works closely with the administration, head of activities, class government and student body to organize existing events and propose new ideas to improve the lives of his fellow students at East.

SGA Presidential elections: Emily Zippilli

Emily Zippilli (’09) 

Slogans: 

Make the E.Z. Choice; Don’t be silly, vote Zippilli

What have you done for the school already (including involvement in SGA)? 

This year I served as the Vice President of SGA, which involved putting many events together for the school.  Sophomore year I was VP for the class and freshman year I was a rep.  I am also very involved in sports.

What are you hoping to change at East? 

I think we can all agree that SGA only interests a select group of students in the school and I would hope to change that and expand the reach of SGA in the student body.  

What is your main priority? 

My main priority would be to have more students involved in the school in general.  School spirit is something we lack, and it should be a main priority to change that.

How will you accomplish these goals? 

As you know, SGA hosts many events throughout the year, and I feel like the best way to reach out to more students would be to host a wider variety of events, for example Battle of the Bands.  I believe with more activities, there would be more interest and participation and therefore school spirit.

How do the decisions of SGA affect the school?  Would you consider SGA involved in student life? 

Overall, SGA is involved in student life.  We always have an opportunity to do more involving new students, and I don’t think we have taken full advantage of this power.  The decisions made as SGA officers do not have a major impact on the learning aspect of school, but in an extra-curricular sense, we have an impact on the activities students have the option to participate in throughout the year.

What do you like about East? 

I love East.  We have such a great school, and I think that is taken for granted a lot.  CHE has a diverse student body.  In general, teachers are so helpful academically or in activities.  The best part about this school is the students that go here…we, the students, make East a more exciting place to be.

How are you different than other candidates?  Why should we vote for you? 

I believe I stand out as a candidate due to how much I care about student government.  I have worked so hard for the past few years as VP, and have become quite passionate about what I want to see done in this school.  You should vote for me because I can guarantee I will work the hardest as President of this school to improve your high school experience.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in? 

Besides student government, I have been a member of DECA for the past three years.  I play both softball and field hockey.

Do you think East has enough school spirit?  If not, how would you, or would you not, address the lack of spirit? 

No, as I have said before, East does not have nearly enough school spirit.  This is a very hard topic to address, but I think the best way to change this would be for students to like their school more in general and want to express it on their own accord.  Personally, I think it would be awesome if SGA worked with the athletics to increase school spirit on a sporting event level.

Why did you decide to run for president? 

I have decided to run for president because after serving as VP of the school, I have realized that this is something I really, genuinely want to do.  I want to make a change in this school because there are changes that need to be made.  I know, given the opportunity to serve as President, I will do everything in my power to serve the student body.

What does the president actually do? 

The President of SGA does many things and has many responsibilities.  He/she represents the student body on an administrative level and voices the opinions of students to the principal.  The President organizes or oversees all SGA events.  In doing all of these things, the President is doing his/her primary purpose: to serve the student body.

SGA Vice Presidential elections: Madison Back

Madison Back (’09) 

Slogan: “I’ve got your BACK”, “BACK by popular demand”, etc.

What have you done for the school already (including involvement in SGA)? 

SGA representative (11th grade), organized spirit week dance (9, 10, 11 grade), participated in various clubs and activities (see #8).

What are you hoping to change at East? 

I’m hoping to amp up the school spirit and increase student involvement.  I’m also hoping to make East a place where everyone feels like they belong.

What is your main priority? 

My main priority is to ensure that everyone has a great 2008-2009 school year and to establish good relationships between each grade.  I want East students to look back on their highschool years and think “Wow, that was an incredible experience.”

How will you accomplish these goals? 

I will accomplish these goals by constantly staying focused and dedicated and always looking at things from a different perspective.

How do the decisions of SGA affect the school?  Would you consider SGA involved in student life? 

I would definitely consider SGA involved in student life because it is the voice of the student body as a unified whole.  SGA affects the school by making it more than just a place one goes to learn in a classroom- it provides opportunities for students to get involved and learn on another level.

What do you like about East? 

I love that there is truly something for everyone here- and if there isn’t, one has the opportunity to create it.  I also like how East enables its students to be independent individuals.  I think we have a lot of freedom here in comparison to other schools.

How are you different than other candidates?  Why should we vote for you? 

I am different from other candidates because I haven’t had as much experience in actual SGA, but my experiences thus far in life and at East have prepared me fully for this position.  You should vote for me because I’ll provide a fresh outlook and I really care about everyone who attends our school.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in? 

East activities include dance team, Eastcast/Cable 19, Adopt-a-Grandparent, and Eastside.  I also dance in the Jazz Unlimited Dance Ensemble outside of school.

What’s something most people don’t know about you, but you would like them to know? 

If you don’t know me, you probably wouldn’t know that I am extremely passionate about all that I do and I am very fun-loving.  I thrive off of entertaining others and making others happy.  I am loyal and I look out for the best interests of others.

Do you think East has enough school spirit?  If not, how would you, or would you not, address the lack of spirit? 

I think the school spirit is there, it just needs some serious boosting.  I would address this issue by trying to make easier and more appealing ways for everyone to get involved.

Why did you decide to run for vice president? 

I decided to run for VP because I realized that I love SGA because it combines two of my favorite things: using my creativity to create solutions to problems and enrich life, and helping other people.  Being VP would enable me to make East more enjoyable for everyone.

What does the vice president actually do? 

A VP helps run SGA meetings, organizes school events, aids in making decisions for SGA and the student body in general, participates in activities going on at East, brainstorms ideas to solve problems and enrich the East community, and actually makes things happen. A VP speaks for and serves the student population.

SGA Vice Presidential elections: Anthony Giannopoulos

Anthony Giannopoulos (’09) 

Slogan: Nothing is better than a Greek god.

What have you done for the school already (including involvement in SGA)? 

I am the vice president of the class of 09’. I contribute to all the events of CHE.

What are you hoping to change at East?
I don’t think the East needs any changes, I like the way it works, if anything I’d like to add more ways to get SGA to interact with the rest of the students. 

What is your main priority? 

My main priority is to remove clicks from East. I want everyone to be friends with everyone, so that we can work together on anything we do.

How will you accomplish these goals? 

I plan to accomplish this by adding a variety of events so that everyone in the school can relate to it in one way or another.

How do decisions of SGA affect the school? Would you consider SGA involved in student life? 

The decisions of SGA affect the school very much. They plan every event and are the backbone of school spirit. I believe that SGA IS student life. When I think of school I think of SGA.

What do you like about East? 

I enjoy everything about East. The friendliness of classmates, the drive to do well that surrounds you, and the excellent teaching staff.

How are you different than other candidates? Why should we vote for you? 

There is not one candidate that even compares to me. I care more for this school than any candidate could possibly. I think that everyone should vote for me, because I can connect to everyone, which means that I can help anyone at anytime. Anyone who knows me as Vice president of 09’ knows that I never miss anything.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in? 

I am on the baseball team and a club called world awareness.

What something most people don’t know about you, but you would like them to know? 

I have a BIG heart.

Do you think East has enough school spirit?  If not, how would you, or would you not, address the lack of spirit? 

I think that the certain kids that have school spirit, have a lot of it. There are some that don’t have any though. My plan to get more spirit is to make awards of all sorts and have several ceremonies to give them away.

Why did you decide to run for vice president? 

I love my school, and I love helping it as much as possible. I like knowing what is going on way before it happens. I most of all like helping my classmates, that is why I am running for vice president.

What does vice president actually do? 

My belief is that the vice presidents aid and assist the president with whatever he needs help with.

SGA Vice Presidential elections: Dov Halevy

Dov Halevy (’10) 

Slogan: Show a little love, Vote for Dov

What have you done for the school already (including involvement in SGA)?

I am a varsity lacrosse player, two-time SGA class representative, DECA regional finalist, DECA state representative, FOP holiday party 

What are you hoping to change at East?  

My hopes are to change the outlook of the student body, and to have students be more enthused to participate in school activities, also to inspire school pride and spirit.

What is your main priority? 

My main priority is to make students feel safe in the east community and encourage the student body to become more involved in school activities and functions.

How will you accomplish these goals? 

Eliminating the lack of school pride and the negative connotation with school functions can accomplish theses goals.  In addition encouraging respect for our school as well as fellow students. This would translate into better inter-student relationships and decreasing/eliminating vandalism of our school property.

How do the decisions of SGA affect the school?  Would you consider SGA involved in student life? 

SGA is the voice and opinion of the student body.  The SGA is very involved in student life because the “student government” influences lives of the students.  It is the students’ opinions that are being heard and therefore effect the decisions that the school make.

What do you like about East? 

I like the diverse atmosphere of the student body.  Secondly, the dynamic role that the teachers bring to the learning community of East.

How are you different than other candidates?  Why should we vote for you? 

I am different that other candidates because I have an energetic and unique approach to changing the spirit of the school.  A very important quality I possess is listening to peoples’ different opinions and bringing theses different opinions into a working and productive learning environment.  You should vote for me because I have insight in the academic, athletic, and creative communities at East and can voice the opinions of the students thoroughly to blend them into making a comfortable community for everyone.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in? 

I am involved in Varsity Lacrosse and sports debate team.

What’s something most people don’t know about you, but you would like them to know?  

Most people don’t know that I am actually dyslexic, although I am very intelligent, I have trouble reading and writing.  I understand the difficulties of balancing school with social aspects of our lives and therefore I can relate with the students.

Do you think East has enough school spirit?  If not, how would you, or would you not, address the lack of spirit? 

I do not think East has enough school spirit.  In order to address the lack of school spirit I would create an atmosphere in east that students will be proud to support their school.  Also by eliminating negativity and supporting interesting events and functions that students will want to partake in.

Why did you decide to run for vice president? 

I decided to run for vice president for many reasons. Firstly I feel that I can make a difference in the student community.  I care about the students’ opinions and want their ideas to be heard.  I also represent a majority of the student body and therefore can relate to the students.

What does the vice president actually do? 

The vice president assists the president and other SGA board members to make decisions that affect the students.  Also the vice president works with the School Board to plan events and school functions for students.  Lastly the vice president voices the opinions of the students to that their ideas are heard by the school board.

SGA Vice Presidential elections: Brett Marlowe

SGA Vice Presidential elections: Meghan Marro

Slogan: Vote Meghan Marro for a better 2marro 

What have you done for the school already (including involvement in SGA)? 

My freshman and sophomore year I was a student rep.  Then this past year as a junior I was the Junior Class Vice President.

What are you hoping to change at East?  

I am hoping to change the school spirit and school involvement.  I want to try to get as many students involved in as many activities as I can.  I think our school spirit is very low and I want to try and change that.

What is your main priority? 

My main priority is the students at East.  I want to help them have a very enjoyable experience at East.

How will you accomplish these goals? 

I would talk to the students who attend East.  And I will be their voice at meetings.

How do the decisions of SGA affect the school?  Would you consider SGA involved in student life? 

SGA helps coordinate the fun events we do at East.  SGA is heavily involved in student life, considering SGA does everything to benefit the student body and everyone in SGA is a part of the student body.

What do you like about East? 

I like that at East there is always something for everyone.  It is not just focused towards one group of kids.  At East whether it’s a sport, drama, band, or a club there is always something for every student.

How are you different than other candidates?  Why should we vote for you? 

I am different from other candidates because I understand what it takes to be a Vice President.  My sister, who is now a freshman in college, last year was the vice president of our school.  I would appreciate your vote because I am willing to work harder for East than I do in any of my sports.  I want to make sure everyone enjoys their time at East.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in? 

I am a member of the Girls’ Varsity Soccer and Girls’ Varsity Winter and Spring Track.  I am a member of the Italian American Club, Adopt a Grandparent, and FOP.

Do you think East has enough school spirit?  If not, how would you, or would you not, address the lack of spirit? 

I do not think East has enough school spirit.  There is a small amount of students who have spirit, but it is still not enough.  I would address it by trying to get more students involved and interested in the activities that East does.  To me the more school spirited you are, the more you enjoy your time as an East student.

Why did you decide to run for vice president? 

I decided to run for Vice President because as a Vice President I know that I will be able to get my ideas about the school out on the table.  And I want to help make everyone’s’ times at East the best times of their lives.

What does the vice president actually do? 

The Vice President does most of the behind the scenes work.  They do not get all of the credit they deserve, but it’s a very rewarding position.

SGA Vice Presidential elections: David Ravitz

David Ravitz (’10) 

Slogan:

Vote 4 David Ravitz

What have you done for the school already (including involvement in SGA)? 

Class Vice President; chairperson for blood drive; Varsity Basketball, Soccer and Volleyball

What are you hoping to change at East? 

I would like to get the students more involved.  It feels like nobody participates in school wide activities.  

What is your main priority? 

I really want to try to get the students more involved and hear what they have to say.  I am representing the students, so I should do what they want.

How will you accomplish these goals? 

As VP, I will try to set up meetings with administrators and teachers.  I also would like to meet with other students to see what they want done. 

Do the decisions of SGA affect the school?  Would you consider SGA involved in student life? 

SGA makes many decisions that affect all of the students.  I would like to get SGA more involved with students, but it is already heavily involved.

What do you like about East? 

I like the environment here at East.  The kids are great and the extracurricular activities are spectacular.

How are you different than other candidates?  Why should we vote for you? 

I can relate very well to other students.  I have very good leadership qualities and have good listening skills allowing me to figure out what other students want.

What extracurricular activities are you involved in? 

Varsity Basketball, Soccer, and Volleyball;

Blood Drive

; Sports Debate Club

What’s something most people don’t know about you, but you would like them to know? 

I am a very good leader.  I have been the captain of many sports teams and have the ability to lead a school.

Do you think East has enough school spirit?  If not, how would you, or would you not, address the lack of spirit? 

East does not have enough school spirit.  Although many people have showed up to a few events, it is not enough.  More “cool” activities need to be held.  Also, more people should try to attend athletic games.

Why did you decide to run for vice president? 

I want to be involved in making decisions for the school and have an understanding of what is going on.

What does the vice president actually do? 

The VP plans many activities and is one of the representatives to represent the whole student body.

East Wing Bowl ‘08: Still Shots

 

Valentine’s Day Presentation

East Wing Bowl ‘08: Video Recap

Meet the Contestants
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Round 1 (first group)
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Round 1 (second group)
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Round 2
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Round 3
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Final Round
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Wing Bowl 2008 results: top 15

1.   Erdong Chen (’11)

2.   Kelly Hwang (’09)

3.   Phil Hengy (’08)

4.   (tie) David Badecki (’08) and Kevin Conroy (’08)

6.   (tie) Bryan Barkow (’10), Obi Onejeme (’10) and Mark Wickware (’08)

9.   Brent Simone (’08)

10. Jake Spencer (’08)

11. (tie) Tori Rossi (’08) and Joe Salvato (’09)

13. (tie) Justin Henderson (’10), Anna Metzger (’10) and Gary Reiff (’11) 

Renowned artist crafts minds of art students

As a renowned jeweler and artist, Thomas Mann has shaped thousands of scraps of metal into mind-bending works of art. This past Friday, January 4, Mann had the opportunity to shape the minds, goals and skills of aspiring artists while visiting East.

Stopping by during eighth period Commercial Art at the request of Max Levine (‘09), Mann managed to squeeze a slideshow, video, brief lecture and even most of a demonstration of sawing technique into just under 45 minutes.

Mann is quite well known for his pieces inspired by Hurricane Katrina as well as his Anti-War metal pieces. Mann’s art has also graced the cover of Ornament, a popular art magazine. In his New Orleans studio, Mann currently has 14 employees though at one point, he maintained a staff of 26.

Mann started with a brief personal introduction and some encouraging advice to students planning on adopting art as a profession.

“If this were career day, I would be here to tell you that it’s absolutely possible to make a living as an artist,” said Mann. “So… if you have that kind of juice in you, don’t let anybody dissuade you from pursuing that course of action because I’m here to tell you that it’s definitely doable.”

However, Mann was sure to warn hopeful students of the pressures and demands of a career in art.

“[The profession] requires a lot more energy than most people ever apply to their careers,” said Mann, “because if you want to be an artist, you have to be an entrepreneur.”

Although Mann was interrupted mid-demonstration by the bell, the impact he had made on students was reflected by the fact that many students stayed to watch even after the bell rang. During his demonstration, Mann also managed to dispel the common myth that wax lubricates and increases the efficiency of the saw. 

By the time Mann completed his visit, students managed to learn, at the very least, a few pointers on sawing and on the lifestyle of an artist. For a select few, Mann may have made a mark that could last a lifetime.

Video recap: 2007 Eastside Dodgeball Tournament

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Spirit Week 2007 comes to an end at pep rally

Today, November 21, East ended another successful Spirit Week with an enthusiastic pep rally. The marching band welcomed a sea of students clothed in red and white as they filed into the bleachers and even along the floor.

To officially kick off the pep rally, the East cheerleaders performed to the styling of Britney Spears. After an opening with numerous flips and lifts, the homecoming representatives and their escorts paraded around the gym with each grade’s banner following behind.

Representing the freshmen were Julie Coben (’11) and her escort Max Silverberg (’11). Succeeding the freshmen’s Operation-themed banner were sophomore representative Andrew Wynne (’10) and his escort Gabby Aslanian (’10). After the sophomores displayed a creative banner based on Clue, Keenan Greenhow (’09) and his escort Melanie Sacks (’09) followed, representing the juniors. Before the seniors made their entrance, the juniors exhibited their portrait of Life for the entire student body to see. As for the seniors, the homecoming court consisted of representatives Eleni Efstratiades (’08), Tom King (’08), Rona Mann (’08), Mark Wickware (’08), Nicole Rossi (’08), John Mendenhall (’08), Carlea Lindgren (’08) and Max McGee (’08). The seniors were “taking over” as well with a Monopoly-themed banner. 

The school spirit continued as select athletes were recognized for their achievements in East’s fall sports. 

As the pep rally came to a close, the East dance team kept the energy up with a performance to Avril Lavigne’s song, “Girlfriend”. To properly close the pep rally, final point totals and standings for Spirit Week were announced: the seniors stole Spirit Week by an unprecedented 700-point margin over the second-place juniors. Following the juniors were the sophomores and freshmen in third and fourth places, respectively. 

Seniors scuttle and tug their way to wins

With horns blaring and egos soaring, seniors left East’s parking lot after tonight’s triumph in both crab soccer and tug-of-war.

The night began with crab soccer; the classes formed a square around half of the DiBart gym, with the seniors facing the sophomores and juniors facing the freshmen. Each person was given a number and would enter the square when his or her number was called. When a class received three outs, it was eliminated.  

“I’m sure everybody stretched beforehand,” Mr. CJ Davis, Student Activities Coordinator, said.

First to be attacked were the juniors. While struggling to defend their line, juniors received an out due to a handball.

The next group of students entered the arena and again targeted the juniors.

And again.

Both times the multicolored, oversized ball sailed over the juniors’ heads. With three outs, the Class of ’09 was quickly eliminated.

“I can’t help but think of the song ‘Why’s Everybody Always Picking On You,’” Davis said.

The freshmen were the next targets, also falling victim to three consecutive outs. Realizing that they had only to contend with the sophomores, seniors celebrated after the third out, hugging each other in the middle of the arena.

The next out ceased the seniors’ celebrations as the ball passed over their line. Seniors had one out; sophomores had none.

However, the next group kicked it over the sophomore line, bringing the seniors and sophomores neck-and-neck.

The next two outs went to neither the sophomores nor the seniors, but rather to the already embarrassed juniors.

“That was good,” Davis said, “but the juniors can’t lose twice.”
           

Then, sophomores were penalized by a handball, and were left with a single out while the seniors had two.

Former Student Activities Director Mr. Tom DeLuca’s call decided the game, for after the ball passed directly over the freshmen-sophomore corner he gave the sophomores their third out. He endured many boos from the ardent crowd of about thirty students in addition to the complaints of the freshmen, sophomores and juniors.

Nevertheless, the Class of ’08 huddled together, cheering, and clutching the title as crab soccer champs for the third year in a row.

In tug-of-war, both the girls and boys of the senior class defeated the other classes, and again the junior class was embarrassed after the boys lost to the freshmen.

“We just defied gravity,” one freshman said after the victory.

“When this thing goes,” Davis said, “it goes back-and-forth [and] side-to-side.”

However, most of the battles terminated quickly, with the exception of those involving the freshmen boys. Although they lost to the seniors in the finals, the mighty freshmen gave them a long fight.

The girls proved that strength comes with age; each class defeated the class or classes below it. This fact left the freshmen girls with no wins while the seniors posted wins across the board.

The final results for the boys were seniors, first; freshmen, second; juniors, third and sophomores, fourth. For the girls, they were seniors, first; juniors, second; sophomores, third and freshmen, fourth.

Class of ‘11 Spirit Week dance

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Class of ‘10 Spirit Week dance

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Class of ‘09 Spirit Week dance

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Class of ‘08 Spirit Week dance

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Spirit Week volleyball tournament serves up an ace

The annual Spirit Week volleyball tournament was held today, November 19, from 4 pm to 6 pm in the DiBart gym. With Mr. CJ Davis, the Coordinator of Student Activities, as the referee, the event was a success.

The tournament was two rounds of which the second was best of three games. The seniors swept both the girls’ and boys’ events, but not without a fight from the other classes. The freshman boys led by Eric Zaun (’11), Jonathan Silverstone (’11) and Steven Spiegler (’11) showed some heart, but went winless and ended the afternoon in last with a 0-2 record.

“I’m very proud of the people that turned out,” said Silverstone.

Meanwhile, the sophomore boys, led by Andrew Nahum (’10) and Justin Henderson (’10), picked up a victory and finished in third place with a 1-1 record.

The junior boys were thirsty for a victory.

“We guarantee a victory… the sophomores are a waste of time…,” said Todd Hummel (’09).

Hummel, along with Jeff Bohus (’09) and Logan Marro (’09) headed a fierce attack which eventually fell short in the finals. The juniors went 1-2.

The senior boys overcame a surprising test from the class of 2010 to end up in the finals.  The seniors showed off their volleyball skills as they swept the junior class boys and ended the day undefeated at 3-0.  The class of 2008 seemed fearless as it was led by Alex Saltzburg (’08), Alex Titus (’08) and C.J. Fazio (’08).

Meanwhile, the girls’ games included equally as fierce battles for volleyball superiority. The freshmen girls led by Sarah Rausch (’11), Courtney Workman (’11) and Alanna Mcintyre (’11), displayed great passion as they dove all over the court. Unfortunately, the team suffered two losses that knocked them out of finals contention and into fourth place.

The sophomore girls’ team looked strong under the leadership of Marissa Johnson (’10) and Allie Elgrissy (’10), and ended the day with a 1-1 record to land themselves in third place. The junior girls led by Dana Senderoff (’09), Christina Sexauer (’09) and Emily Zippilli (’09) made it to the finals only to end the day in second place with a 1-2 record.

Finally, the confident seniors were eager to be crowned champions.

“We’re obviously gonna win, we have the strongest people,” said Alexa Ginsberg (’08). “We deserve it.”

The feared senior girls did indeed storm through the tournament en route to a finals’ victory and an undefeated record at 3-0. The class was formidable under the leadership of Stephanie Burton (’08), Ginsberg, Nicole Ober (’08) and Diandra DiPiero (’08).

All participants left their blood and sweat on the floors as the volleyball tournament, as usual, was full of grueling victories and harsh defeats all around.

Milk chugging contest quenches Seniors’ thirst for victory

Raising their arms in triumph, the mighty Spartans of the milk-drinking competition chugged down their baby bottles in a ferocious battle of the classes.

One girl and one boy representative from each grade was seated on a platform, where the girls squeezed milk out of pink and blue bottles into the mouths of their male counterparts. The catch: the boys, who were seated on the girls’ laps, could not touch the bottle. The first team to empty the bottle won the most points for their class.

The seniors dominated all morning with Matan Freedman (’08), Dave Cohen (’08) and Mark Wickwere (’08) all taking first place in periods three, four and five. It took a full three periods, but the seniors were finally toppled during sixth period when Shawn Vidra (’11) came in first.

After losing to Francis Schmutz (’10) in Friday’s “Make a Lemonade” competition, Wickwere redeemed himself by taking the fifth period crown. Victorious in his effort, Wickwere jumped off of Diandra Dipiero’s (’08) lap and pumped his fist in the air.

Pressure proved to be too intense for the third period freshmen who jumped off the platform in utter defeat, disqualifying themselves. During the sixth period competition, the junior’s bottle came unscrewed, so they were forced to retire from the race.

After Freedman’s win with his teammate, Corrine Tucker (’08), Mr. Davis encouraged the runner-ups just before a ten-second countdown was initiated to speed up the race, adding, “My son is nine months old, and he can finish faster than you.”

Seniors maintain slight lead in Spirit Week standings

Two days through Spirit Week, the Class of ‘08 holds a slight lead in the overall standings after briefly losing it to the class of ‘09 Thursday afternoon. The standings are currently as follows:

Rank	Class
1st	2008
2nd	2009
3rd	2010
4th	2011

Despite boasting the top performance in the dance contest, the seniors suffered due to a low attendance. A complete breakdown of the points standings can be viewed below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class	College Day	Non-Casual Friday	Cafeteria Games P3	Cafeteria Games P4	Cafeteria Games P5	Cafeteria Games P6	Dance attendance	Dance contest	Booth judging	Total
2008	100	125	80	40	60	80	100	600	250	1435
2009	125	75	60	60	40	20	400	450	125	1355
2010	75	100	40	20	80	40	300	300	125	1080
2011	50	50	20	80	20	60	200	150	200	830

   

Class of 2008 wins dance competition for second consecutive year

After weeks of preparation and hard work, the Spirit Week dances finally hit the stage at Cherry Hill East in the Spirit Week Dance Competition. The theme this year was board games, with the freshmen playing Operation, sophomores playing Clue, juniors playing Life and seniors playing Monopoly.

The freshman started off the evening with a bang and ambulance sirens, adorned in scrubs and T-shirts. They got the blood flowing with a head, shoulders, knees and toes exercise and then called on Doctor Jones to fix their ailments.          

Next came the sophomores and no one had a “clue” what they were going to do. They proved the Spirit Week mission possible as they presented all scenes, suspects and weapons in a dancing manner. And as to the mystery of the murdered freshman? We think it was Janitor Wilcox in the DiBart Gymnasium with the scissors.

Up next came the juniors, who warned the audience of the “Good Life” to come with an opening of street signs. The boys kept the Good Life up as they lived the Viva Loca from nine to five. Stacey Green (’09) was left at the altar as Paige Robinson (’09) ran off with the groom to produce a fat, dancing baby of their own.

Last but not least the seniors monopolized the show with an advancement straight to Go and a temporary stop in jail as they rocked the audience’s socks off with “Jailhouse Rock.” They then boarded the R&R Railroad for a ride under the boardwalk and a stop at the Water Works to scrub down. Senior Class Advisors Mr. Greg Gagliardi and Mrs. Katie Kelly broke it down as the Monopoly People, and the girls reminded the audience why “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend.”

All in all it was an intense game, and in the end the seniors win the Spirit Week dance competition market as they came in first, followed by the juniors in second, the sophomores in third and the freshmen in fourth. Videos of the dances will be added to this website as soon as possible.

Photo by Nickee Plaksen (’10)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Students face sweet competition in lemonade contest

With water pouring out of their mouths, and in some cases their noses, students weren’t too worried about messing up their fathers’ ties on Non-Casual Friday.

“This game is called ‘Make Lemonade,’” announced Mr. Davis. “But we’re not going to make lemonade in any style you’ve ever seen before.”

The competition consisted of four contestants, one from each grade level, competing to “make lemonade” in the fastest time possible. Contestants had to eat two lemon wedges, wolf down two spoonfuls of sugar, gulp down two cups of water and mix it all up with five jumping jacks.

After third period when Dan Folkman (’08) spilled about half a cup of water and defeated Ryan Burke (’09) in the process, a new rule was imposed whereby a five-second penalty was added to the time of any competitor who spilled water. Had this rule been in place during the third period competition, Burke would have defeated Folkman.

Freshman Isaiah Campbell (’11) took first place during fourth period. Matt Patane (’09) and Phil Hengy (’08) took second and third place, respectively. The sophomore contestant was disqualified.

In spite of their hard loss during fourth period, the sophomores managed to rebound during fifth period in perhaps the most competitive contest, when wrestler Francis Schmutz (’10) defeated football captain Mark Wickwere (’08) and fellow wrestler Jessie Lyman (’09), who took second and third place, respectively. Their effort was apparent, however, when Wickwere and Lyman somehow managed to swallow the rinds along with the lemon wedges. Schmutz defeated Wickwere by one second, but discounting a five second penalty, Wickwere achieved the fastest time of the day with a mere 23.6 seconds.

Senior Adam Zaken (’08) dominated sixth period with a time of 28.68 seconds, despite a five second penalty. Nick DeAngelo (’11) came in second and Brandon Miller (’10) came in third.

Photo by Nickee Plaksen (’10)/ Eastside Photo Editor

Juniors grab early lead in Spirit Week standings

After the first day of Spirit Week 2007, the class of ’09 has jumped into the lead. The standings are currently as follows:

Rank	Class
1st	2009
2nd	2008
3rd	2010
4th	2011

The standings are based on points accumulated from the number of students of each class who participated in today’s College Day by wearing some form of college apparel. Tomorrow, students can gain points for their classes by dressing up for Non-Casual Friday or by participating in the Cafeteria Games that will be held during each lunch period in Cafeteria 1.  

  

Schedule for Spirit Week!

If the above slideshow of the schedule refuses to cooperate, the gallery is also visible here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Eragmus/SpiritWeekSchedule/photo#5132196037267485586

Just click the arrow keys above the image to scroll through the set of five images.

East Junior’s father faces titanic Congressional battle

UPDATE: Representative Jim Saxton has announced his retirement from Congress because of health reasons. This improves the chances for State Senator John Adler, who is the only declared candidate for the now open Congress seat. With the incumbent out, the Republican Party will likely nominate a younger candidate to challenge the 48-year-old Adler as both parties attempt to secure the seat for years to come.

New Jersey Senator John Adler, father of Alex Adler (‘09), recently announced his intention to run for the Third Congressional District of New Jersey. Adler has been a state senator since 1992, but faces an uphill battle against 12-term incumbent Jim Saxton.

Adler has followed the recent political trend of beginning his campaign very early. Adler explains this early announcement by noting the huge fundraising difference between him and Representative Saxton.

“I am starting now so that this time next year I will match or exceed [Saxton] in terms of fund-raising,” Adler said, “and communicate a message of change throughout the Third District.”

The change that Adler speaks of can be noticed in the legislature that he has sponsored and supported in the New Jersey State Senate. In 2006, Adler sponsored the New Jersey Smoke Free Air Act, which banned smoking in most indoor public areas in New Jersey.

“[That bill] will outlast all of us,” Adler said, “and is an enormous benefit that we can enjoy.”

Adler has also been a strong supporter of gay and lesbian rights in New Jersey. He has voted several times in favor of the rights of gays and lesbians and notes his disappointment that the rest of the country has not followed the lead of tolerance by states like New Jersey and Massachusetts.

Adler would not concede any improvement of the situation in Iraq. Although in recent months violence has decreased, Adler believes that the long-term political objectives of the surge and the continuing American presence in Iraq are not being achieved.

“While the violence in Baghdad has decreased thanks to the number of new American Forces, it’s not a sustainable presence long-term for America, whose soldiers are already severely over deployed,” Adler said. “When you have more troops or soldiers, or policemen, you’re going to have a slow in violence.”

Many politicians have spoken against the war as it has become more and more unpopular, so the Senator explained his potential solution.

“It seems that we have to have the neighbors as partners in finding a solution,” Adler said. He believes the only way for Iraq to work politically is to understand the intricacies of the relationships between the Sunni, Shiite and Kurd populations.

Further elaborating on his views of other foreign policy issues, Adler spoke passionately about his views regarding Israel.

“If you look at the Middle East, there’s really only one democracy,” said Adler. “We should build out from that fundamental proposition that what is good for Israel is good for the Middle East.”

Recently, former president Jimmy Carter spoke out against the United States and Israel favoring aid and negotiations towards Fattah when the Palestinian people democratically elected Hamas. Adler did not agree.

“Gaza is a human tragedy caused almost entirely by the hate and intransigence of Hamas and outside forces that seem to want that hate and animosity to continue year after year, tragically generation after generation,” Adler said. “Quarantining approach may be necessary because Israel should not have to tolerate suicide bombers and the lobbing of shells into Israeli territory risking the lives of Israelis that live close to Gaza.”

As the process to reauthorize No Child Left Behind has begun in Congress, Adler said that the Act has had mixed results. He supports the reauthorization of the Act, but feels there are some important changes that need to be made.

“The philosophy of accountability is somewhat overdue,” said Adler, “[and] it’s helpful to have the federal government urging and insisting that the states provide adequate education for children.”

Adler pointed out that Representative Saxton supported the veto and voted against the SCHIP bill. The bill would have provided health insurance to millions of uninsured children throughout the nation and thousands in New Jersey.

“I can’t imagine why we’d put the interests of the tobacco companies ahead of the interests of children who need access to healthcare and don’t get it by and large unless they have health insurance,” Adler said.

Senator Adler’s son Alex Adler (‘09) also identified this health care problem as one of the most important issues in the upcoming election. Alex Adler is excited about his father’s running for Congress because he has wanted him to do so for a long time. He also believes that Iraq was one of the most important issues coming up in the election.

“I think people in this district will recognize that the foreign policy of the incumbent congressman, Jim Saxton and President Bush, has hurt America, and has affected our lives directly,” said Adler. “I think the people of the Third District will recognize that the failure of providing the expansion of health insurance has hurt families in our district and around the country. [In 2008] people will vote a Congressman out and vote in a new Congressman who is more in step with the values of Cherry Hill and throughout the Third District.”

Contestant Birnbaum looks back at Mr. East

Ben Birnbaum (’07), also known as Mr. Condescension, was one of ten East students who participated in the annual Mr. East competition, which took place on Friday, June 1. 

“It was the most fun thing I ever did at school,” Birnbaum said.

 

Prior to Mr. East, Birnbaum’s chief extracurricular activites were basketball, where he played center for the Cougars, and DECA. Aside from participating in Mr. East, Birnbaum’s crowning achievements were attending the DECA national competition as a junior and senior in Dallas and Orlando, respectively.

 

In school, his best memory was making snow angels outside the school during fourth period English with Mr. Carr.

 

Birnbaum had such a good time during the Mr. East experience because he said it got all of his family and friends together to work on one big project and because he got so many good laughs.

 

Most of all, he cherished the opportunity to meet new people.

 

“I made a lot of new friends; people I never would have associated with, so I am thankful for that,” Birnbaum said.

 

Birnbaum’s talent skit was one of the more memorable ones. He came on stage dancing to the Destiny’s Child song “Bootylicious” and did a robot dance on stage with Andrew Newfield (’07). Afterward, Birnbaum, Zach Fox (’07) and Jay Fox (’03) ran in their underwear while the Blink 182 song “All the Small Things”played.

 

The grand finale consisted of Birnbaum dancing in a plastic baby pool, while his friends poured 15 pounds of sugar on him and the lyrics “Pour some sugar on me” echoed in the background.

 

“The ‘pour some sugar on me’ part was a lot of fun. Afterward, I needed two swirlies to clean off and Ben Nechemia (’07) dumped pitchers of water on me. Later I had to scrub the stage,” Birnbaum said.

 

After the talent portion, Birnbaum was escorted on stage by his girlfriend Dara Weinraub (’09).

 

Although he did not win, he was still satisfied with the performance. Birnbaum plans to attend Penn State University and major in business. 

 

Christina visits Philadelphia

As the arena filled up on April 3rd, everyone waited for the main act, Christina Aguilera. Philadelphia, one of the many stops she has visited to perform her classic numbers, welcomed her with open arms.

The powerhouse performer was joined with Danity Kane and The Pussycat Dolls. The fans from all walks of life had particular tastes and many came and went for different performances. The Wachovia Center was jammed packed when Christina raised the roof.

Danity Kane satisfied the audience with a dance number and many of their popular songs, including “Ride for You” and of course “Show Stopper”. The group appeared on stage for approximately 20 minutes, followed by a short intermission.

The next arrival, The Pussycat Dolls got the crowd pumped. The six girls introduced themselves to the audience with a catchy song. Their vocals were well rounded and they sang some hits such as “I Don’t Need A Man” and “Don’t Cha”. They received great applauses and the crowd began to sing along with the group. Their 40-minute performance was spectacular, and by that point the crowd was impatiently awaiting the brilliant Christina Aguilera.

Following another 15-minute intermission, the lights dimmed and a sharp white suite clad Christina appeared on the stage with her famous song “Ain’t No Other Man.” The crowd cheered louder than before and paused to hear Christina’s excellent vocals. She threw her white scarf off her shoulders and showed her true diva side.

Christina managed to mix in a bit of the old with a hint of the new. Many oldie but goodies, such as “Genie in a Bottle”, “Dirrty”, and “Lady Marmalade” were real crowd pleasers.

Her new C.D. Back to Basics consists of a fresh sound with hits like, “Candyman”, “I Got Trouble”, and “Still Dirrty”.

The theme of the tour was very basic and classy, like the performer herself. Decked out with a circus set, a very famous audience member, David Arquette, was in attendence. The surprise made the audience gasp and clap to see another superstar aside Christina.

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