Cheerio! British Culture club provides a jolly good time

Although Cherry Hill East may be an ocean away from England, East students can sample a taste of British life at the British Culture Club every Tuesday after school in room B139. At this week’s meeting, club members discussed prominent British leaders, from the 1600’s powerful kings to its present day presidents. Also, the club helped members learn history through a fun game of hangman. As the club is still looking for new members, any student interested in participating is encouraged to join.

Mr. East 2011 recap

The JustEast League was sighted on Friday, April 8,  at the annual SGA Mr. East contest at 7 p.m. Featured at this year’s event were ten glorious heroes: Andrew Athias (’11), Chris Sardone (’11), Alex Feldman (’11), Alex Kauth (’11), Mike Chang (’11), Dominique (Domo) Jackson (’11), Matt Tarnopol (’11), Seth Levy (’11), Brad Cutler (’11) and Dan Desrochers (’11).

The show began with a reminder of everyday heroes, as all of the proceeds from the show were donated to D’s Dawgs, a charity that raises money for pediatric aneurism research in honor of Danielle Bledy.

Starting the show off with the nation anthem, Key of She began the contest with a high note. Interrupting the start of the performance, the evil Dr. Docolone, played by SGA advisor Mr. Mike Dappalone, stole the stage and threatened to quell school spirit. Determined to stop the villain, The JustEast League fought back with a great opening dance.

Leading into the next part of the show, a documentary of the heroes’ teachers and family members informed the audience of when the contestants first showed signs of their superpowers. Then, the contestants flaunted their bathing suits in the swimwear competition. From sun tanning on a boat to learning new chemistry problems, the heroes completed their first challenge with supernatural ease.

However, the true strength of their powers was revealed in the talent acts. Leading the way, Athias sang a powerful duet with Namarah McCall (’11) to Rihanna’s “Umbrella”. After singing, Athias danced to a medley of songs including classic pop numbers by Michael Jackson and club techno beats.

Hosting and starring in his own show, “Bradurday Night Live,” Cutler stirred up the audience with his hilarious stand-up comedy. He finished his act with a full musical performance by playing songs on the piano, accordion and guitar.

Dancing to a mash-up of songs, Chang showcased jaw-dropping moves, from tight head isolations to intense robot-popping.

Feldman awed the audience with a circus-worthy juggling performance. Using glow-in-the-dark juggling equipment and flashing strobe lights, Feldman dared to juggle knives alongside his cackling clown dancers.

Transporting back to the real world, Desrochers applied a scientific approach to his act. With the help of his side kick Frankenstein, Mr. Greg Rouen, Desrochers created a glow-in-the-dark liquid, firing rockets and a ceiling-high foaming volcano-like reaction.

Giving the audience time to soak in the heroes’ talents, the band Kneehigh Spunk with band members Cole Spencer (’11), Griffin Back (’11), Justin Singson (’10) and featured guest Ethan Feinstein (’11), performed three songs, including their original song, “Natural”.

After the 15-minute intermission, Jackson, dressed in a sleek white tux, decided to dance, sing and rap with the help of his pals to transform into a ladies’ man. Kauth, with his fans Chris Santo (’11) and Jake Gurkin (’12), comically tried to dougie and flaunt his basketball skills. With a little help, Kauth discovered his talent for beat-boxing and rapping.

Levy’s witty humor won the crowd over with side-splitting laugher.

Jackson and friends did a routine to try to find — and highlight — Jackson’s talent, trying out both singing and dancing.

Sardone wowed the audience with an out-of-this-world dance. Glowing in the dark, Sardone seemed to be floating as he moved to a mixture of hip-hop songs.

Ending the talent portion on a high note, Tarnopol played the drums to a combination of songs, including Vampire Weekend’s “A-punk” alongside his brilliant band.

Wrapping up the competition, the heroes shed their superhero costumes. With two roses in hand, one for their mothers and one for their beautiful escorts, each contestant modeled Executive Clothiers formalwear.  Still dressed to the tie, the contestants completed the last section of the competition: question and answer. Jackson asked for a tissue, Sardone revealed his secret identity, and Tarnopol answered the last question with a simple roar.

As the contestants waited patiently for the results, the heroes performed one last time. Together they sang Billy Joel’s hit “The longest time.” The contestants listened while linked arm in arm, as the lovely chairladies, Katie DeMalo (’11), Heather Hyon (’11), Emily Knecht (’11) and Sarah Wint (’11) revealed the results of the competition; Levy won third, Desrochers secured second place, and Chang was crowned as Mr. East 2011.

True Life: I’m A [Vegan/Vegetarian]

As will be explained in the January issue, fourteen Eastside editors embarked on a three-week journey of changing their dietary habits.

These are their stories:

http://www.eastside-online.org/news/vegetarian-reflection-hailey-edelstein-12/

http://www.eastside-online.org/news/vegan-reflection-alana-kopelson-12/

http://www.eastside-online.org/news/vegan-reflection-laura-kane-11/

http://www.eastside-online.org/news/vegan-reflection-rebecca-ohnona-12/

http://www.eastside-online.org/news/vegetarian-reflection-max-cohen-12/

http://www.eastside-online.org/news/vegan-reflection-hannah-feinberg-12/

http://www.eastside-online.org/news/vegetarian-reflection-danielle-hu-11/

http://www.eastside-online.org/news/vegan-reflection-jack-braunstein-13/

http://www.eastside-online.org/news/vegetarian-reflection-gabi-kains-12/

http://www.eastside-online.org/news/vegan-reflection-avra-bossov-11/

http://www.eastside-online.org/uncategorized/vegetarian-reflection-julie-coben-11/

http://www.eastside-online.org/news/vegetarian-reflection-danielle-fox-13/

Vegan Reflection: Laura Kane (’11)

I’m a girl that could live off of cheeseburgers, fries and milkshakes, a.k.a. a full-hearted omnivore. Thus, staying true to a vegan diet was nothing short of will power. My spur of the moment Friday pizza nights were replaced with pre-planned tofu and rice dishes; my meals out with friends were substituted with take out dishes from my cupboard; the typical options for family dinners were reduced to only 1/3 of the local grocery store’s products.

Cheese-craving, weary of checking labels, and on my last whim, I discovered the vegan savior: Whole Foods. The store’s vegan desserts, snacks and tofu meat substitutes helped me to quickly adjust to the diet’s strict regiment. Replacing meat with soy, and dairy products with wheat based groceries, enabled to me feel lighter after a full meal. Besides feeling tired earlier than normal, my body felt healthier.

Before deciding to become a vegan, I thought the diet was reserved for extreme animal lovers and health nuts. However, the experience taught me that this is not the case; veganism involves those who are willing to dedicate themselves to promoting alternative and cruelty free food options. Although I will no longer be vegan once the three week span ends, my “eat anything and everything” mindset is behind me. Instead of eating animal-based products during every meal, I plan on finding a healthy balance between the traditional and unconventional world of food.

French club discusses holiday party

Yesterday, the French Club met in room B132 to discuss future field trips and a holiday crepe party. Due to a small sign up, this Friday’s field trip has been postponed to an undecided day in January. However, to celebrate the upcoming holidays, on Thursday December 16 there will be a crepe party after school from 2:45 to 3:30 p.m. The party’s highlights will revolve around homemade crepes with special sweet fillings and social time with club members.  Also, the club discussed future plans to take a field trip to the Rodin Museum in Philadelphia and to dine at a French restaurant near the area. Although the French club is primarily made up of students that have taken a French class, anyone is welcome to join the club and celebrate French culture.

Creamy Acres provides a dose of Halloween fright

During the chilly month of October, South Jersey residents seek ghoulish Halloween experiences. Running from powerful chainsaws, hiding from horrific ghosts and screaming in fear are just a few of the many ways to heighten the Halloween spirit. Take a ride on a turbulent hayride at Creamy Acres where gruesome attractions await the south jersey brave of heart.

Although some thrill seekers may wish to kindle the Halloween spirit within the boundaries of a chilly city atmosphere, some may hope to find a thrill within a twisted fall farm. Creamy Acres has a strong fear factor, but it also allows its guests to enjoy typical fall festivities. During the “Night of Terror” at Creamy Acres, guests venture out into the dark corn fields of the Mullica Hill farm to discover alarming ghouls, ghosts and zombies. Stumbling through pitch dark passage ways, guests must find their way back with only a feeble flashlight. The corn maze is only one part of the petrifying night at Creamy Acres; there are five other attractions that cause uncontrollable goose bumps. The farm is open from Thursday to Saturday. A ticket for all six of the attractions costs 30 dollars.

Whether one wishes to visit the ghosts of farmers’ past, or embark on a trail through haunted fields, Creamy Acres offers an array of scary attractions that appeal to any fear seeker’s needs.

Weebles Wobble but they don’t fall off the wagon: Red Ribbon Week this monday

Red ribbon week begins on Monday 25. To create drug and substance awareness, a specific activity is assigned to each day of the week to involve the student body. East in Action will host this year’s red ribbon week. The club organized free giveaways from Monday through Thursday and some of the giveaways include; sunglasses, t-shirts and lollipops. On Wednesday, the club will have a booth along with free items to give away to students set up during the lunch periods to help educate students regarding drug and alcohol abuse. Ms. Distefano, the main advisor of red ribbon week, hopes to make this event “a school function that creates as much [student] participant as possible.” Incorporating new ideas to generate more student involvement, on Thursday there will be a weeble scavenger hunt. Throughout the school, weebles, small furry figurines with wiggly eyes, will be hidden for students to find. Each weeble contains an important drug related fact. On Friday, students are encouraged to dress up in Halloween costumes to bring red ribbon week to a close.

Anthropologie fashion show

On Monday, August 16, Anthropologie, a home and clothing store, stayed true to its trend-setting name by hosting its first customer event of its kind called “Two for the Road: An evening with Anna and Keith.” Housed inside the modern, yet charmingly rustic Urban Outfitters warehouse located in Philadelphia, 145 Anthropologie customers, who registered for the event via email, attended the glam event in style.

Adorned in cocktail attire, guests quickly could enter the party after checking in. Immediately after stepping inside, guests felt as if it was a celebrity event. Photographers took pictures of all those in attendance, and servers continually offered a variety of fine refreshments. In addition to the luxurious hospitality, guests were able to admire a gallery of art from around the world.

Famous for its quirky merchandise and interior design of its stores, the gallery mirrored the brand’s famous tastes.  One group of pieces in the gallery were large picture frames that from afar looked like painted wood, yet were made from recycled cardboard boxes carved in intricate designs. Another fascinating piece of art was a large white bird with out-stretched wings made entirely from paper and black generic pins.

Although the gallery was intriguing, the design of the warehouse itself captured the eyes of the guests. When entering the building, despite a sturdy roof overhead, it felt as if one had just stepped inside a modern Asian inspired courtyard. Two large ponds filled with real koi fish faced guests on the back wall and served as a nice seating area as wooden benches outlined the water. Several large, gothic Chinese lanterns hung from the rafters, and the bar’s white leafy cutout design reminded guests of elegance from countries overseas.

At 7:30, guests were welcomed into the screening room by co-presidents of Anthropologie, Wendy Wurtzburger and Wendy McDevitt. After their short, cordial presentation, guests saw an unreleased episode of “Man Shops Globe: Syria”, a television show on Sundance channel. Then Keith Johnson, both an actor on the show and the store’s art and antique buyer, along with the special guest of the episode, Anna Sui, a world-renowned designer, answered questions about their quests to find inspiration for designs in their world travels.

At 8:45, food and refreshments were served, consisting of gourmet cheese puffs to cocktail shrimp. Although the event came to a close at 9 p.m., all guests were given complimentary gift bags filled with items from Anna Sui’s perfume and candle line.

Anthropologie continued to impress its loyal fan base with this special event that perfectly matched its genuinely unique style.

Israel Awareness Club celebrates Israel’s Independence Day

Today after school in C306, The Israel Awareness Club had a successful second meeting. The club leaders taught a brief history on Theodore Herzl, the man who created the first Zionist congress. Herzl formed the congress in the hopes of developing a united homeland for the Jews. Wishing to create a safe haven away from anti-Semitism, Herzl was committed to building an asylum nation for his Jewish people. The club also discussed Israel’s Independence Day. To celebrate Israel’s “Birthday”, the club served everyone birthday cake. In addition to the delicious dessert, the club members discussed their opinions on current events in Israel. To conclude the meeting, members discussed ideas for a video project advocating Israel, which they eventually hope to send to a congressman. 

For future meetings the club plans to continue planning this video project as well as have debates over disputes in Israel. The club also plans to organize a meeting with a guest speaker sometime within the next two weeks.

Art Club plans to add art to the guidance wing

Today the art club met after school with Mrs. Regan to discuss a plan to create new wall art for the guidance office. The guidance department hopes with the help of the art club to spruce up the plain white walls that currently border the guidance wing.

Mrs. Regan, along with other counselors, designed a simple plan to highlight certain sections of the office. Above the two bulletin boards that face the entrance door, will be bold words that read scholarship programs and summer programs. Also, above the right hand bookcase will be the words college information. The bold, yet clear words, will direct students to the right location, as well as add décor to the room.

The art club also discussed possible topics to correlate the three titles. Although a definite focus was not chosen, the guidance department wants the theme to be universal and one that does not age quickly. One probable theme that was presented was to create a mural that consists of traditional college buildings. Another credible idea that was suggested is to add an educational quote around the perimeter that promotes learning. After brainstorming more possible ideas, the club intends to meet sometime next week to continue the planning process.

With a great plan and team work, the art club will soon begin brightening the guidance office with impressive art work.

The 2010 Volunteer Fair offers community service opportunities

On Monday February 8, East’s and West’s PTAs organized the 2010 Volunteer Fair at the Cherry Hill Library. Over ten volunteer organizations held booths to recruit teen volunteers for their services. From Bancroft to the Camden County Animal Shelter, various organizations are looking for devoted students to help with their causes. If one is interested in taking part in a great community serve opportunity, then contact one of the groups below to get started.

Sickness and Mental Health:

1) Alice Rose “Victorious” Foundation

Bio: A program that reaches out to teens with long term illnesses

Needed: Teens who want to help organize gifts and presents for sick teens and children in hospitals

Contact: gdinatale@arvt.org

2) Bancroft

Bio: Runs nine campuses in New Jersey that serve children and adults with mental disabilities

Needed: Teens who wish to spend time talking, playing, and assisting those in the schools and homes

Contact: www.bancroft.org

3) Lions Gate

Bio: A retirement physicality that provides a lively community for the elderly

Needed: Volunteers who wish to play games, talk, read, and just spend time with the elders.

Contact: 856-679-2205

4) Voorhees Pediatric Facility

Bio: A children’s hospital for children suffering from illnesses

Needed: Volunteers who wish to play and spend time with the children.

Contact: volunteer@uoss.org

Schools:

5) Cathedral Kitchen

Bio: A culinary school that provides a fresh start for the unemployed and homeless living in Camden

Needed: Volunteers who wish to make meals and assist cooking classes.

Contact (e-mail): volunteer@cathdralkitchen.org

6) Latin American Economic Development Association

Bio: A marketing and business school that offers learning opportunity to the underprivileged living in Camden

Needed: Students who are interested in managing events, organizing pamphlets, and making videos that assist the program.

Contact: 856-216-0558

7) Voorhees Pediatric Facility

Bio: A children’s hospital for children of all ages who are suffering from illnesses

Needed: Volunteers who wish to play and spend time with sick children.

Contact: volunteer@uoss.org

Animal Outreach:

8 ) Camden County Animal Shelter

Bio: An animal shelter in Blackwood

Needed: Volunteers who are interested in playing with and taking care of animals

Contact: www.casnj.org

9) New Jersey Academy for aquatic sciences:

Bio: An organization that promotes appreciation and preservation for marine life

Needed: Volunteers who would be interested in hosting inactive water life exhibits for guests

Contact: 856-365-0352

Variety:

10) Quixote Quest

Bio: A group of dedicated teens that take part in an array of volunteer opportunities.

Needed: Motivated teens who wish to make a difference through a variety of community outreach programs. The teens also discuss their volunteer experiences with each other every other week.

Contact:  www.quixotequest.com.

These are just a few of the rewarding community service programs in the area. Give back to the community and take part in an organization.

Disney reveals plans to build new Lost ride

Die-hard fans of Lost who dreamed of running away from the smoke monster or fighting against the darma initiative, may now be able to see their wish come true through Disney’s new stimulus ride.

Disney is now workshopping on an idea to transform the popular TV show Lost into a new stimulus ride. At the recent International Associations of Amusement Parks and Attractions in Las Angles, Walt Disney Imagineering revealed plans of developing a Kuka arm ride based off of the hit series Lost. 

Kuka arm technology is very similar to robotic arms used for building cars.  However when the technology is used for rides, secure seats are attached to the “hand” part of the machine to create an exciting stimulator effect.

Originally Disney passed on an opportunity to install a ride controlled by a Kuka arm, due to small capacity and long wait lines. However Disney recently decided to incorporate the Kuka arm technology in its new ride, Sum of All Thrills. The ride begins when each rider chooses his or her vehicle of choice, a jet, bobsled, or a roller coaster. Then using a touch screen, the rid-

Sum of all Thrills, which is located in Epcot, was the first ride of its kind, making Disney the only park in Orlando to feature the new technology. However, many believe that Universal theme parks plans on using the Kuka arm in its highly anticipated Harry Potter ride. 

With the exciting thrill of Lost and Harry Potter, accompanied by the adrenaline pumping Kuka arm, both Orlando parks are sure to bring in the crowds.

Comcast Holiday Spectacular brings the holiday season to a close

Comcast, one of the country’s largest cable, internet, and phone companies, is now offering the community more than just “triple play.” The Comcast headquarters, located in downtown Philadelphia, is showcasing a great holiday show until New Year’s Day.

The free 15-minute holiday show is played on the world’s largest mm LED video wall.  The screen’s 10-million pixels of clarity bring the actors featured in the show to life. When first entering the 975 feet tall Comcast building, large wooden panels face the opening doorway. But when a guest takes a closer look, the top half of the panels is merely a projection. Similar to a 3-D effect, the images portrayed on the screen look touchable.

Throughout the day, on the hour, The Comcast Holiday Spectacular begins. From a nighttime view of the skyline of Philadelphia to Santa taking off into the sky, every scene in the show is perfectly clear and life-like. The graphics are so realistic, guests feel as if the show is being performed right in front of their eyes.

From parents to teenagers, the Comcast show is great for people of all ages. Families should take the time to wrap up the holiday season by experiencing the exciting Comcast show.

Demogorgon holds its weekly meeting after school

Demogorgon (Demo), East’s literary magazine, holds its weekly meeting every Thursday. Every year a new edition of the magazine comes out, which features short stories, poems, and photos generated by Cherry Hill East students. The magazine is put together by Demo’s staff members, who review submissions every week. The weekly submissions form packets put together for each meeting. This week’s packet consisted of three entries, two stories and one poem. After discussing the literature’s content and structure, the group votes on whether or not the piece should be submitted. This week the staff decided that none of the written pieces would be printed in Demogorgon. However, the poem, Victims of Babylon, will be sent back to the writer for revisions. For next week’s meeting, Demo’s staff strongly suggests that anyone interested in poetry or short stories, should submit their work to the Demo email, eastdemogorgon@gmail.com.

Tryouts for A Midsummer Night’s Dream begin

This afternoon at 2:45 the drama department met in the East auditorium. Students of all grades at East tried out for parts in this year’s fall play, A Midsummer Night’s dream. The play is not a musical, therefore each student who wished to tryout had to memorize the monologue of the character he or she wished to play.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Weaver reminded students the importance of fulfilling the requirements of the cast contract, which states that all who participate in the play must attend the mandatory rehearsals.

After explaining the process of the play, Mr. Weaver began the tryouts. It was soon evident that the audition process was going to be tough. Many students tried out. The high-quality tryouts prove that A Midsummer Night’s Dream is on its way to becoming another great East production.

Vans’ Warped Tour: a history

Van’s Warped Tour is a music festival that brings over 600,000 kids across the country a lineup of 100 rock bands. Today, the tour attracts thousands of music loving fans, but in 1995 Kevin Lyman created Warped Tour for a very different reason.

Kevin Lyman started his career

in music while in college. For his university, he booked performances featuring upcoming bands. After graduating, Lyman continued pursuing his music career by working as a production manager under the up-and-coming music promoter Goldenvoice. Still, Lyman wished to promote bands on a larger scale. Pairing his love of music and skateboarding, Lyman envisioned a skateboarding competition accompanied by live music. The first ever Warped Tour took place in 1995 when Vans, a skateboarding company, sponsored the tour.

The music genres played at Warped has progressed over the years. Originally Ska and skate punk was played, including bands such as No Doubt and Sublime. The genres played progressed into punk rock and metal core. By the early 2000’s, Warped became centered on pop rock and post-hardcore bands that it features today. This year a few of the bands included in the band lineup is Saosin, Bayside, Nevershoutnever, and A Day to Remember.

From June to August, the Warped Tour travels across the country, from coast to coast. In 1998, Warped Tour went international, playing at venues in Australia, Japan, and throughout Europe. Almost every day of the summer, The Warped Tour is set up in empty lot, or a large stadium. Scattered across the designated area are five stages. Smaller stages are reserved for up and coming bands, while the larger stages are performed on by well known bands. Many times

throughout the day, bands are playing at the same time. Those who attend the concert pick and choose the bands they wish to see.

The Warped Tour may center on music, however the tour is also a social event. Along with the stages, tents are raised throughout the lot. Clothing companies, band merchandise, and charities all set up displays. Bands that are just starting out follow the tour hoping to attract new fans. A skateboard ramp is set up in the center of the grounds, where anyone can skate.

Although warped tour only takes place one day in a local community, it has become a traditional summer event throughout the world.