FEBRUARY 2026

Addressing the elephant in the room

Reading the news has never been more important. So why is the practice dying?

Editorial Board

“ Oh, I don’t read/watch the news anymore. It’s too depressing.”

There are at least four wars with 10,000+ casualties in 2025 still going on. The Epstein files haven’t been fully released, and what we have seen so far has been horrific. ICE has detained over 70,000 people with little to no due process.

You can put down your phone, but the elephant continues to suck the air out of the room whether you ignore it or not.

When it comes to negative news, here’s the million-dollar question: Is the price of being an informed citizen worth your sanity?

For many, the answer is no. It is easier to make test scores and bad weather your primary concern than it is to worry about issues that are spiraling out of control on the international stage.

As news fatigue hits America hard, there’s pressure for newspapers to make an effort to spread good news instead — because readers need it. Few people want to scroll through a comment section that is just an echo chamber of political screaming matches.

Maintaining interest becomes an issue of whether newspapers

Take Five

What is the importance of keeping local storytelling alive? Haven students share the importance of stories that are closest to us.

Ramirez ’26

Editor in Chief

“It is important so that people know what’s going on. I feel like we get more informed from [local stories]. You can follow so much, and you can find so much about our country…I mean, the possibilities are endless.”

“I think it encourages community and a sense of overall culture in different towns. It gives people a sense of connection and I just think that it’s cool to get featured. It’s cool to read about other people, and just see what’s going on.”

should seek out good news or prioritize honesty with readers by reporting on the world the way that it is. If news can’t strike that perfect balance, they risk death by loss of readership.

Local news will die first. It already is dying.

National news is terrifying, but national news is not the same as local news. Local news is born from a love of community.

National news is terrifying, but national news is not the same as local news. Local news is born from a love of community.

The Panther Press covers stories that national news organiztions could never, because the people we write about are the people we see every day.

The pressure to equitably cover our community is amplified when we consider that these are students who may not be featured in more widespread publications. We have to think about the unsung heroes of our school, kids doing amazing things that nobody really knows about.

We’re in charge of making sure that everyone in our school community feels represented, respected, and seen. As a

“Storytelling... is important, so you know what is going on in your area and the culture. You can also know about small businesses that have their story so you can learn about and go to them.”

“Having local storytelling gives unheard voices a chance at spreading what they believe and sharing different things that they’ve experienced with people that might not ever get to experience the same things as them.”

“It just feeds the local culture and it keeps the local culture healthy and passes it on to future generations. To know that there is stuff that went on beforehand is cool and it connects you to the history of your town.”

student publication, we try to elevate voices and shine a light on stories, good and bad, that you deserve to know about.

We know that a lot of news outlets aren’t trusted right now. “Fake news” get thrown around often. Even though we’re just high school students, we recognize that what we do comes with the responsibility of trust. We strive to adhere to an ethical code to make sure those stories are always fair and accurate. We know that there’s a ton of room to grow — we don’t know everything about our audience, but we’re always trying to build more connections with you.

News as a whole is not an inherently bad thing. While you’re not responsible for fixing national problems, you are responsible for some empathy. That starts by caring about your community, which you can do by simply listening to someone’s story through local news.

We have the Swarthmorean and the Delco Times to cover people in our community, but not every county can say the same.

News deserts are counties within the USA with no access to local news. Per a Northwestern journalism study from 2025, there are currently 213 — a total of more than 50 million Americans living in a news desert. They also found another 250 counties likely to become news deserts over the next ten years.

Those news deserts are growing

Report Card

B COURSE REGISTRATION

« Interactive elective fair with good representation of the different electives offered

« New opportunities and classes Can be stressful

A SMASH BURGERS

« Yummy change of routine

« APES class bonding (shoutout to Ms. Freeman) Long lines

D - PA PHONE BAN PASSES

SENATE

« Not law yet Takes away students’ phones all day

Inconvenient for students and families

B + CHRIS KING GAMES

« Fun to play against other classes

« Unique break from class

The ref said I was out of bounds when I clearly wasn’t

closer and closer to home. In Pennsylvania, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is set to publish their final paper and close operation May 3. In fact, 136 newspapers have stopped operation since the Trump administration took office in 2025. The numbers of local newspapers have been dropping since 2005, starting at 7,325 and currently at 4,490.

That’s 2,835 closed newspapers in just over 20 years.

In an age rampant with misinformation spread through social media and AI, it is key for communities to have reliable sources of information when it comes to current events — whether local or national. The stories that are well-reported and thoroughly researched often come from local news.

With a lack of local newspapers, school news outlets can become responsible for not only school and local events, but making sure that communities are aware of big, national news as well. As a local newspaper, our goal is to represent the students, which means covering what they care about, no matter what.

The cost of being an informed citizen should not be your sanity, but we can’t let the elephant suffocate us into saying nothing at all. Community members must work to stay involved with local news, working to keep it alive.

We can all make more room for some shared humanity.*

About

The Panther Press is the student-run publication of Strath Haven High School in Wallingford, PA. The Panther Press publishes 500 copies bimonthly in print and is distributed to classrooms and students at Strath Haven High School. The publication is also online at www. shpantherpress.com.

The goals of The Panther Press are to inform, educate, and entertain the student body, faculty and staff, and community readers.

We strive to report and analyze issues that concern students in a manner that is fair, objective, responsible, and accurate.

Through the use of journalism, technology, and workplace skills, the students who lead and create the newspaper develop as critical thinkers and communicators.

All content published in the newspaper and on the Panther Press website is created by Strath Haven students for a primary audience of students, with the understanding that our publication also reaches a broader audience that includes teachers and staff, families, and community members.

The views represented in The Panther Press, as well as the selection and curation of content by the editors, do not represent the views of the entire Panther Press staff, the adviser, the school, or the administration.

Submissions

All Strath Haven students are welcome to learn the basics of journalism and become contributors to The Panther Press. Interested students should speak to editors listed below to learn about upcoming meetings and training sessions.

Any reader may submit a letter to the editor via email to strathhavenpantherpress@gmail.com. Anonymous letters will not be published. Editors reserve the right to contact letter writers or edit submissions for reasons of space or clarity.

C + SNOW DAYS

« Fun break from school

« Adds to winter magic!

Added a school day on March 20

We miss grass and sun!

A SINGING VALENTINES

« Spreading love through singing

« Raised over $1,000 for Silvertones

Can disrupt class time

A - WELLNESS

WEDNESDAYS

« Improving health!

« A fun addition to lunches

Smoothies were ehhhh...

B + FROSH MOVED TO FRIDAY, MARCH 20

« YAY SCHOOL

DANCE

« Fun start to the weekend

Rescheduled from Mar. 19 but I got a bit nervous there… Half-day of school because of snow day

Our staff also welcomes feedback in the comments section of The Panther Press online or via our social media. Online commenters on our website must have a verified email address. Comments are reviewed for defamation, profanity, obscenity, libel, and invasion of privacy. Not all comments are published.

Bylines

All contributors are listed in the bylines of stories that appear in print and online. Photography, graphics, art, illustrations, and other creative work will be given attribution. Unsigned editorials, when published, feature the byline of the Editorial Board

Social Media

The Panther Press maintains social media on Facebook (@shpantherpress) and Instagram (@shpantherpress). The editors-in-chief and

manage the social media accounts in consultation with the

Replies and comments are screened and not all responses are published.

District presents new AI policy

The policy presents guiding principles for the district’s use of AI and directs the district to provide training for teachers and students.

Matthew Ramirez ’26, Evie Fernandez ’27 Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor of Print

AI is here to stay.

In response to the growing discourse around AI in education, the WSSD administration released the first draft of a new AI policy — an administrative regulation (AR) on the usage of AI, a part of policy 815 Acceptable Use of Technology. The policy was introduced as a first read at the policy committee meeting on Feb. 3.

The AR says, “The use of generative AI by students is only allowed to the extent stated by the teacher for an assignment.” It outlines definitions, use cases, and consequences for unsanctioned uses of AI in the district.

Supervisor of Instructional Technology Kate Paquette took the lead on building the new AR. “This is not a mandate to use AI,” Paquette said. “This is a policy around the use of AI. This is really providing guidance around the use [of AI], should a teacher or student choose to use it.”

The purpose of the AR is simply to clarify things for both teachers and students by providing language and guidelines for AI use in the classroom – it does not require teachers to use AI in any form.

“I think that’s a big

misconception amongst students and teachers and even some of our community members,” Paquette said. “Teachers still have free rein to decide that they don’t want to [use AI], because all this policy is doing is providing guidance around it. It’s really just meant to provide clarity so people feel more comfortable using it if they want to.”

The policy was influenced by Paquette and several committees, forums, and surveys to integrate perspectives from students, teachers, administrators, and community members.

English teacher Mr. Matthew Morris is a member of the AI Professional Development and Culture committee, which started meeting in the first semester to give input to Paquette as the AR evolved.

“When we started the committee in September, we discussed our broad feelings about AI and Gen AI in school,” Morris said. “Ms. Paquette shared what the process was going to be for her, as far as crafting the policies, administrative regulations, and guidelines for the district.”

English teacher Mrs. Miriam Drew is also a member of the AI committee, providing her opinions on the matters that the policy has to touch on.

“We definitely had a range of perspectives where there were representatives from multiple departments, and we had people who were staunchly against any use of AI in the high school at all – by teachers or students,”

Drew said. “We had perspectives where some people believe it’s very useful for teachers, but

“This is not a mandate to use AI. This is a policy around the use of AI.

Ms.

Kate Paquette Supervisor of Instructional Technology

that we certainly shouldn’t be expected to teach using lessons about how to use AI. We’re not there yet.”

Drew is open to the use of AI in the classroom and sees an advantage when AI is used as a tool, rather than a crutch.

“I want students to believe that learning is a valuable thing, and not replace their learning,” Drew said. “But I also think that the tool is powerful in other ways, and I’m not sure I’m one of the flat-out nos, but that’s my personal stance.”

Morris has been outspoken about being anti-AI and says that he does not believe in AI-integrated learning. He appreciates the flexibility given to teachers to decide how they want to use AI, or not use it, in their classes.

“For me, there are a lot of drawbacks for very little potential benefit from the use of generative AI in the classroom,” Morris said. “A lot of the things that people cite as benefits of generative AI are task completion benefits.

If you think that you can use generative AI to do one of my assignments, I probably need to redesign that assignment. Not to catch you, but evidently that was an assignment that you thought was just asking you to complete a task, not to learn something.”

A part of the new AR is to build lessons to further AI literacy for teachers, students, and community members. The policy states, “The District shall develop and publish implementation guidelines that provide specific, practical guidance on the successful and ethical integration of Generative AI into academic activities.”

According to Director of Information Technology AJ Cetroni, the plan includes educating staff and students about the impact, use, and effects of AI, and holding a forum for parents and community members in the next school year.

“We will have separate training, one for all staff, and we’re still developing what it’s going to look like for students,” Cetroni said. “The AR is step one of many.”

The draft of the AR was presented at the policy committee meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 3, to the school board and community members. Paquette and Centroni will continue to work with the school board to revise and review the AR before it is reviewed for a second read at the next policy committee board meeting.

“Everyone’s just trying to make the best decisions for students that we can,” Paquette said. “We’re all going to figure it out together.”*

Featured Club: ASL Club bridges gaps, introduces language

The language-focused club teaches beginners about the fundamentals of ASL, allowing for advanced communication skills.

Claire Salera ’27

Haven Happenings Editor

ASL Club members are breaking the barriers of communication.

ASL Club functions as an introduction to America’s version of sign language, which is the most common form of communication for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Students meet to practice the language during fifth block on Wednesdays in Ms. Renee Gillam’s classroom.

Gillam, who is a hearing support teacher at Haven, teaches club members about the different facets of American Sign Language, in addition to

simple words or phrases within the language.

Club president and junior Roxanna Shelton enjoys the structure of club meetings, which involve Gillam teaching ASL at the students’ pace.

“[Ms. Gillam] is basically fluent in ASL, and so if we want to learn manners, like ‘please,’

‘thank you,’ and times of day, we’ve learned that,” Shelton said. “We’ve also learned the alphabet, and I think in the future we’re going to learn numbers.”

Shelton helps pick dates for meetings and arrange fundraisers for the club, including bake sales on Feb. 2 and 3 that raised money for the club. Her leadership role may look a little bit different due to the club’s size, but Shelton sees it as a pro rather than a con.

“It’s a very small group, and I personally really like that because it feels more and more one on one and more personal,”

Shelton said. “So it’s definitely easier for me to learn like that.”

The small group not only allows for personalized learning for club members, but also time for further discussions about the impact of ASL on both Haven and the entire country.

“Sometimes we’ll talk about the cultural aspects, aspects of hearing loss, and sometimes we’ll talk about how hearing loss works in this building,” Gillam said. “Or how [the] education of kids that are deaf and hard of hearing works in this building as opposed to other places that I’ve been to.”

According to junior Sophia Gao, the group’s size and members contribute to a tightknit community where everyone is welcome.

“I really enjoy how the members are so inclusive, and we get to learn more about how to communicate with people who cannot hear,” Gao said. “It’s

Guiding Principles

According to Policy 815, the District’s use of AI shall be governed by the following guiding principles:

Ethics and Responsibility:

All users must adhere to the highest ethical standards when using AI, including honesty, respect, and integrity, and an awareness of its broader societal and environmental impacts.

Empowerment:

AI resources are intended to support and enhance teaching and learning, creativity, and critical thinking, and not to replace human judgment or interaction.

Awareness of Impact:

The District is committed to instruction that allows users to explore and understand the broader societal, ethical, and environmental impacts of artificial intelligence.

Equity and Accessibility:

District-supported AI resources shall be accessible to all staff and students, including those with disabilities, and shall not reinforce bias or discrimination.

Privacy and Security:

The District will safeguard student and staff data in accordance with all relevant federal and state laws, including but not limited to FERPA, COPPA, CIPA, HIPAA, and IDEA.

Evidence-Based Practices:

The District will thoroughly vet AI resources to ensure the benefits of their use is supported by evidence to the greatest extent possible and to ensure that each tool has a clear purpose for promoting student learning.

WSSD BoardDocs Policy Committee, Feb. 3

very community-based.”

ASL is spoken by an estimated 500,000 individuals according to the Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of Rhode Island. However, that still leaves a large number of Americans who do not know the language

and thus have little room to communicate with people who rely on the language, which is part of what inspired Shelton to both join and lead the club.

“I think it’s important because [ASL] is not as well known,” Shelton said. “I feel like there’s people everywhere that know sign language because they were born deaf and had to learn it… that would just be so cool if you’ve learned that about them and then you can communicate.”

Gillam agrees with Shelton about the significance of knowing the language and how it can touch the lives of many.

“Anybody that learns even some basic sign language can really make a difference to somebody who’s deaf, because then we open the lines of communication,” Gillam said. “It’s really nice when we have a chance to step into their world of their language and meet them halfway.”*

District announces staffing cuts to mitigate impending budget shortfall

A number of administrative and support positions will be discontinued, saving the district around $2 million.

Clark Kerkstra ’27, Izzy Boland ’29

Managing Editor of Web, Reporter

The WallingfordSwarthmore School District has decided on one way to address its projected $2.5 million budget shortfall: administrative reorganization.

During the Feb. 17 Facilities and Finance Committee meeting of the school board, Superintendent Dr. Russell Johnston presented his plan to stem the fiscal troubles.

Announced in an email to the community earlier that day, the cuts cover both central office and high school administration and staff.

As part of the cuts, the Director of Assessment, Compliance, and Federal Programs; Supervisor of Counseling and Wellness; Safety and Security Coordinator; Communications and Community Relations Liaison; and Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds roles will all be discontinued for next school year.

According to Johnston, central office administrators such as himself and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sharon Baddick will take on additional responsibilities as the district consolidates multiple roles.

“

A lot of these are cultural shifts. Some things will just actually take time to implement and then see the impact of those savings.

Ms. DeJuana Mosley Business Manager

“It’s not like we’re not all plenty busy, but there’s always a way we can reconfigure, and reprioritize, and really work together as a team,” Johnston said at the meeting. “This is going to require ongoing teamwork from us to take on additional and changing responsibilities.”

The district will also eliminate the roles of Cultural Proficiency Equity Teacher Leaders, a part-time guidance counselor at the high school, a secretary at the high school, a longterm substitute at the middle school, six teachers on special assignment, and numerous positions that remain vacant. Additionally, the district will seek to cut costs during professional development

for teachers, reduce costs for summer curricular development, eliminate unnecessary contracted services, and lower the amount of food served at events for staff.

The district will also create two new positions, an Elementary Curriculum Supervisor and a Secondary Curriculum Supervisor, to oversee the proliferation of new curriculum initiatives in schools.

“These are people who I want in the schools working directly with the teachers, with the principals, to help support the implementation and adoption of new curriculum materials,” Johnston said.

According to Business Manager Ms. DeJuana Mosley, the cuts will make a dent in the budget shortfall but will not fully prevent it, as the district will cover some of its budget using reserves.

“It would be unrealistic to think we would go from possibly using $7 million to not at all, that would be extremely drastic,” Mosley said at the meeting. “A lot of these are cultural shifts. Some things will just actually take time to implement and then see the impact of those savings. The plan will help put us in the right direction, but the reality is we will still use some fund balance to balance next year’s budget.”

The staffing cuts come in lieu of other potential cuts that had been discussed, including to student transportation, special education, potential reduction

“The most that we could try and do by making reductions is to make sure that we preserve the learning experience that I know we all really cherish here.

Dr. Russell Johnston Superintendent

in the $164 million capital plan, and possible cuts to class offerings at the high school.

“Everyone who works in the district in some way touches the classroom,” Johnston said.

“There is nothing we could do that would totally avoid touching the classroom. The most that we could try and do by making reductions is to make sure that we preserve the learning experience that I know we all really cherish here.”

Johnston’s emphasis on cutting away from the classroom had brought attention to student transportation as a potential cut. At the Nov. 18 Facilities and Finance Committee meeting where the administration first announced the

‘Unsung Heroes’ highlights Black History Month

The schoolwide assembly honored black heroes through student performances.

Matthew Ramirez ’26 Editor-in-Chief

Members of Haven’s Black Student Union (BSU) and Young Activist Coalition (YAC) came together for the annual Black History Month Assembly on Wednesday, February 4.

The entire performance was student-led, featuring artists, singers, dancers, and poets.

Students attended the assembly during second block on a morning assembly schedule.

Senior and co-president of BSU, Elizabeth Mboowa, led rehearsals, working with a large group of students in the weeks leading up to the assembly.

“It’s really relieving to see the end product,” Mboowa said. “You have to work around everyone’s schedules, and sometimes this might not be the priority [for them] until the very end when we are getting really close.”

The assembly celebrated Black History Month by honoring black figures that are less known, but still significant, to black culture. YAC and BSU chose the tagline ‘Unsung Heroes’ to honor the theme.

Sophomore and BSU member Bianca Blake helped organize and develop most of the script for the assembly.

“There are just so many aspects of black culture that people just don’t think about, and people don’t consider,” Blake said. “They’re just so many black heroes that aren’t recognized, and that’s what we really wanted to do here.”

The assembly was split into five separate chapters, identifying heroes in art, poetry, dance, music, and remembrance through a student-made video. Chapters one and two concluded with student art showcasing culture and identity.

Poetry included ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’ often called the Black National Anthem, and a student slam poetry performance of ‘What is a hero?’ written by Blake.

“I don’t necessarily get stage fright,” Blake said. “I’ve been doing this since sixth grade, but I am always nervous, especially

when I’m being vulnerable with my work.”

Chapter three included a dance choreographed by senior Thandiwe Jemwa and junior Leah Reece to music by black artists like Beyoncé and Timbaland. The dance was inspired by 1980’s and 90’s hip-hop culture.

“That’s my specialty,” Jemwa said. “I want to give high hats, beats and all that stuff, I feel more fluid when doing hip-hop so I just wanted everyone to immerse themselves in that.”

Seniors Jack Logue and Alex Thyme performed the song “Bless the Telephone” by Labi Siffre, known for its raw, intimate theme, and seniors Pearl Tweedy and Eli Graves performed “Summertime” from the opera “Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin, significant for blending operatic vocals with traditional African American tunes.

“I’ve seen that song a lot on TikTok and it’s been growing very popular again. So I kind of just chose him because I like his song, and I like his music,” Thyme said. “I’ve never performed in front of anyone with a guitar. It was really nice.”

shortfall, Johnston identified kindergarten transportation in particular as a potential cut, though he would later retract the idea after public criticism of the suggestion.

Later, at a Dec. 8 community forum on the fiscal troubles, transportation director Ms. Alison Sload presented potential cuts, including the elimination of after-school activity buses at the high school.

According to Sload, however, the district later decided not to cut activity buses or kindergarten transportation.

“There’s really not a lot of wiggle room in transportation, just because we have to transport kids to all the schools at all the assigned times,” Sload said. “We are not going to make any changes to the late buses or to any of the activity buses for our students, because those are important things for students to be able to access programs and different classes that they might have later.”

The district will also have community forums on Feb. 26 at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to discuss the cuts, with a proposed budget anticipated in April.

According to Mosley, the district would like to avoid draining its savings to compensate for the shortfall.

“We have to focus on how we can sustain day-to-day operations without relying so much on what I would call our savings account,” Mosley said.*

BSU and YAC continue to aim to share awareness and bring community to underrepresented students.

“A part of me feels like some students just think, ‘Oh, it’s another assembly.’ You don’t see a lot of white people here. That’s why we have this assembly,” senior and emcee Bailey Anderson said. “I think [the assembly] was a good way to not downplay black history and show that it’s something that we need to keep pushing onto people, because if we don’t, it’s just going to be erased.”*

Super Smash Bros. tournament is smashing success

Haven Esports held its annual Super Smash Bros. competition this January.

Nat Basilevsky ’28, Mat Mataac ’28

Contributor, Reporter

Entering the auditorium, you are met with a huge projector displaying a game of Super Smash Bros. Yells of encouragement and excitement fill your ears, along with play-by-play commentary of the match. Fingers fly across controllers and hands reach into crinkling chip bags.

Over the course of three days, Haven Esports hosted their annual Super Smash Bros. tournament, starting during fifth block on Wednesday, Jan. 21. Super Smash Bros. is a Nintendo crossover fighting game where various Nintendo characters brawl on floating platforms.

Sophomore Liam McCloskey, one of the co-leaders of Esports Club, helped make this tournament possible. McCloskey publicized the event through flyers and afternoon announcements.

“[McCloskey’s] really taking it upon himself to really start marketing it,” Esports coach and computer science teacher

Mr. Patrick Maloney said. “He’s really been a go-getter and trying to get this up off the ground and make it something special.”

News of the tournament spread quickly with McCloskey’s efforts.

“I saw a sign up for it. I was like, you know what? This is interesting,” junior Jacob Sturgis said. “I was like, ‘I’m gonna play a few matches to see if I’m interested.’ And I got hooked pretty fast.”

With two TVs, heaps of snacks, and live commentary from Maloney and counselor Mr. Gavin Stewart, it was difficult to not be drawn into the fun.

The first day of the tournament took place in the auditorium.

The projector was pulled down for the official 1v1 competitions and a separate TV was placed near the stage for players to practice. The competition was organized with a bracket style; pairs competed against each and the winner moved on to the next round.

The second day of competitions was moved to the computer science classroom because

“ No matter who you are with, no matter what people you play with, you can just have as much fun as you want.

Sophia Ford ’28

of technical difficulties with the projector. Despite this, each competitor played with everything they had, rounding out the tournament.

Junior Jacob Sturgis was named champion of the tournament after winning the semifinals against sophomore Sophia Ford.

“It was fun,” Ford said. “I [played] Mr. Game and Watch. I have to play a little smart, because out of all the characters, he’s the easiest to fling off.”

The third day of competitions was a non-competitive day of

fun with 2v2’s, a relaxing end to the week, and the tournament.

This year was different for Esports because of the lack of school-to-school competitions.

Usually, a company funds the club.

“This semester, we weren’t able to get funding,” McCloskey said.

“I think the last company that we were with lost ownership, and they honestly were going downhill, so we decided to drop

them. This upcoming semester, we plan to engage in another one.”

This year, Esports made the Super Smash Bros. tournament a place where anybody could walk in, regardless of experience, and play with everyone else.

“No matter who you are with, no matter what people you play with, you can just have as much fun as you want,” Ford said.*

Featured Class: AP 3D Art and Design offers creativity, independence

Senior artists ready to push their artistic abilities reflect on this creative class.

Gigi Detweiler ’28 Reporter

The earthy smell of clay fills the room where students sculpt, throw on the wheel, and glaze. Mr. Scott Rodgers’ room is a space for creativity, independence, and hands-on learning — key components of the AP Art and Design 3D course.

AP Art and Design 3D is a year-long course designed for experienced ceramics students who have completed Ceramics 1, 2, and 3. Unlike most classes, the curriculum is driven almost entirely by the students themselves.

“The biggest difference is the independence that is present in that curriculum,” ceramics teacher Mr. Scott Rodgers said.

“The actual assignments in AP [Art and Design 3D] are completely student-generated.”

Because of the freedom present in the course, students must demonstrate skill and ability before entering the class.

“They need to know how the studio works,” Rodgers said. “You can’t just jump into AP. You need them to have a certain level of maturity to be able to handle the class.”

Unlike most AP courses, AP Art and Design 3D does not end with an AP exam — instead, students submit a digital portfolio to College Board built around a “Sustained Investigation,” a body of work connected by a theme.

“The pieces in the portfolio have to have some sort of commonality built into them,” Rodgers said. “That could be structural, it could be functional, it could be purely aesthetic; how the pieces relate is completely up to them.”

For senior and AP Art and Design 3D student Dylan Ching, that freedom has allowed him to experiment beyond the foundations he built in earlier ceramics classes.

“In Ceramics 1 and 2, my focus was really on small details,”

Ching said. “Now, I’ve been experimenting a lot with my artistic style. I’ve really been inspired by ancient Chinese bronze, like incorporating organic themes and animal shapes.”

Ching believes that choosing a theme is both the most challenging and rewarding part of the process.

“[The hardest part is] definitely just figuring out how you want the theme of your portfolio to be,” Ching said. “It’s the toughest part, but it’s also the most fun.”

Senior and AP Art and Design 3D student Lilah Santore has

taken an emotional approach to her projects, creating pieces that reflect mental health and vulnerability. One of her sculptures features a face hidden behind a set of hands, while another resembles a crumbling tower.

“I’m going to make [the tower] torn apart to show depression, and how it tears you apart,” Santore said.

While the class offers independence, there is also a big resistance piece to it. Clay can dry out, glaze colors can shift unexpectedly in the kiln, and hours of work can disappear in moments.

“When you’re finishing something, it could just break in the kiln,” Santore said. One step could go wrong, and then the entire thing’s gone; you might have to restart. So you have to actually put in the time and effort.”

Santore appreciates the structure of the class, allowing her to do her work at her own pace.

“I have creative liberty in everything,” Santore said. “I can make whatever I want, whenever I want. It’s no stress. When I need something, Mr. Rodgers is there, and when I don’t, he leaves me alone and lets me do that work.”

Rodgers sees his role in the classroom as a guide through critique and refinements, instead of directing projects.

“They know what’s good. They know what sucks, ” Rodgers

said. “They know what it means to put hours into a piece.”

This balance of both independence and support has shaped students’ growth over time.

“I was awful my freshman year,” Santore said. “But I made a face the other day…and I was like, ‘Oh my God, that looks like an actual person’s head!’ You don’t think you’re ever going to get better. But looking back…there’s just so much change.”

For Ching, that growth is directly tied to Rodgers’ mentorship.

“He definitely pushes me to try to see things from a different perspective,” Ching said. “He’s inspired me to pursue ceramics

as a hobby.”

At Haven, AP Art and Design 3D offers a peaceful end to a busy day.

“Oh my gosh, it’s so much fun,” Rodgers said. “What a nice way to end your day, to have a creative outlet, and to bust up the stressful day, here at ‘Stress Haven.’”*

Examining changes to course registration process

An electives fair, similar to Haven’s activities fair, was reintroduced this year.

Kaitlyn Ho ’26, Kathleen Hu ’29 Editor-in-Chief, Contributor

Every year, students go through the course selection process. However, inevitably, not everyone’s schedule will be as they wish next year.

According to administrators, changes to the Silver Guide 26-27 are working to make the course registration process more navigable, and impose clearer guidelines on when and why students can drop classes.

Due to Haven’s more flexible and elective-rich curriculum, assistant principal Mrs. Andrea LaPira emphasizes that it is impossible for every student to get their ideal schedule.

“In theory, by the beginning of the year, we only have a small number of kids who don’t have what they need,” LaPira said. “Other schools, if you had a lockstep curriculum, it would be easy. But we don’t.”

LaPira notes that at Haven, students can choose from many unique learning paths. She points out the need to be mindful of the subjectivity of peers’ advice on course selection.

“I think students get a lot of

their information from each other, but sometimes it’s helpful to ask the teacher,” LaPira said.

Electives teachers pitched their classes at an electives fair on Feb. 20, the same day as the course registration assembly.

LaPira hopes that this will make teachers more accessible to students for questions.

“The pottery classes are always really fun,” senior Andy Waltman said. “And I’ve heard people rant about them, but I never tried doing pottery. So if they had an electives fair, I think I would have tried that, and then done the class if I had liked it. But now I don’t get to know, because I’m a senior.”

In his community bulletin on Feb. 11, principal Mr. Andrew Benzing noted that Haven is proud to offer more than eighty elective options for students.

“This is only possible because of careful sectioning decisions based on student selections made during the spring selection process,” he stated.

“Once the master schedule has been created, changes to elective selections can negatively impact the overall program by straining our resources and creating imbalanced class sections.”

Benzing urged students and parents to approach course selection “thoughtfully and intentionally.”

“After schedules are finalized, future changes will be limited

to addressing needs rather than preferences,” his email stated.

“The good news is that our students have many exciting opportunities to choose from, but now is the time to make those decisions carefully.”

According to counselor Mr. Gavin Stewart, choosing classes can be a careful balancing act between taking classes that you want to take and classes that your friends are taking.

“Understandably, there’s a lot of anxiety around the classes that you’re taking, right? I totally get that. And I think that there’s a lot of anxiety, especially around who’s in my class. It’s a big thing for when you’re in ninth grade and it’s hard to make new friends, and it’s hard to be in a place where you don’t know many people,” Stewart said.

Because Stewart works primarily with freshmen, he tries to be especially mindful of his students when it comes to changing courses.

“I see it as an opportunity for education,” Stewart said. “I’m like, ‘Hey, you signed up for this class. We really like it if you make sure you sign up for classes you want to join.’ We also want to know the why too — what is the reasoning for [wanting to switch]?’”

One invalid reason for switching is selecting classes based on the teacher, which Stewart calls teacher shopping.

Anti-ICE protesters gather in Media

Community members flood the streets of Media to protest ICE following Renee Good’s death.

Damini Mydur ’29, Siya Goindi ’29

Reporters

“ United we stand, divided we fall.”

Hundreds of voices echoed this phrase outside Delaware County Courthouse in downtown Media on Jan. 11, calling for accountability from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The rally was sparked by the death of Renee Nicole Good, an American poet, writer, and mother who was fatally shot by an ICE agent earlier that month. Community members came together to hold a vigil for Renee Good and speak out against the actions of ICE.

The event was organized by Delco Indivisible, a nonpartisan group dedicated to advocacy on social issues. Freshman Quinn Kapoor was among the many who attended.

“What motivated me was just, I’m tired of seeing people post

about these things online and never show up to [protest],”

Kapoor said.

In the age of digital activism, Kapoor emphasized the importance of in-person participation.

“I always make it a point to try to show up to events, because I don’t want to be one of those people who’re posting about it and not doing anything,” Kapoor said.

A key difference between offline and online protesting is that inperson protests create a stronger sense of community, offering support that isn’t always present online.

“It felt very nice. It’s always good to have a community showing up,” Kapoor said. “I think it was also nice seeing a large demographic of older people and younger people that were there.”

Despite the common stereotype that the younger generations are the more “activist” generation, older people came together as well to address the issue.

The protest served not only as a demonstration but also a vigil to honor Good’s life. However, chanting wasn’t the only form that citizens used to protest.

“There was a girl in high school. She sang ‘Bridge Over Troubled

Yet sometimes, even when students have justification beyond teacher shopping, they are unable to change classes due to various other factors.

“I can’t grant everybody’s wish,” Stewart said. “But on the other hand, there is a skill that you learn from not necessarily getting everything exactly the way you want it to be, and there’s some growth there from the student side that I think is really important.”

Ultimately, Stewart believes that many students did not regret staying in the classes their schedules assigned them, even if they didn’t feel like the class was a good fit at first.

“At the end of the year students

might come back and say, ‘kind of glad I took that class, because it was tough, but I overcame that challenge,’” Stewart said. Waltman suggests students take the classes they like over anything else, and thinks elective spaces are undervalued in favor of doubling up in a subject.

“If you’re going to register for your courses, don’t double up unless you really, really want to go into that subject, because otherwise you just lose a free slot in your schedule,” Waltman said. “Go to an elective, and when you’re doing electives, just do the ones that sound fun to you.”*

“

I think protesting can work mostly through the community. It brings a lot of people together.

Quinn Kapoor ’29

Water’ and ‘This Land is Your Land’,” protester and freshman Evangeline Feltman said.

“Bridge Over Troubled Water” symbolizes unconditional support through life’s hardships, and “This Land Is Your Land” serves as the belief that the nation’s resources belong to all people, critiquing the American system.

“I think protesting can work mostly through the community. It brings a lot of people together,” Kapoor said. “I don’t know if I would say it creates a huge effect on government things. But I will say, when you have a community of people all together, fighting for one thing, it does push politicians to make a change.”

Collective action leverages “strength in numbers” to amplify individual voices in protest. Historically, when people have used collective action, whether it be for the civil rights movement or the women’s suffrage movement, it pushes policymakers to enact a change, showcasing its impact.

Yet, protesting is becoming increasingly more difficult in today’s political climate.

“In this day and age, [and] ICE agents with these weapons, I think it’s gotten significantly less effective, because there are just ways to stop protesting and turn the narrative to protesters being violent,” Kapoor said. “It’s not true, but it is very easy to convince people that they are.” Protesting can be difficult, and as incidents occur throughout the nation, the distinction between actions becomes difficult. The narrative, as Kapoor states, can be manipulated.

In an interview with The Panther Press in April 2025, Coordinator of Safety and Security Ms. Dana McBride and then interim superintendent Dr. Jim Scanlon outlined the district’s protocol if immigration officers were to come to the

school. Officials stated that the credentials, paperwork, and the officers themselves would be verified before being granted entry into the school.

Unfamiliar law enforcement officers who were to come to the school would be held in the vestibule between the outside and the front office until administrators and front office staff have properly vetted them.

Delaware County’s website states that the county follows state and federal law regarding immigration law and policy. Some local communities, such as Upper Darby and Haverford Township, have passed local resolutions to limit cooperation with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Kapoor emphasizes the importance of showing up and fighting for change.

“When you have a community of people all together, fighting for one thing, it does push politicians to make a change,” Kapoor said.*

Community forum gathers renovation ideas

Administrators presented on many potential renovations to different parts of the school and solicited ideas for KCBA, the district’s architectural firm of choice.

Clark

Kerkstra ’27

Managing Editor of Web

The architects were carefully chronicling every comment as WSSD administrators held a community forum regarding the high school renovation project.

The Feb. 4 forum took place in the library, with principal Mr. Andrew Benzing presenting on possible changes to numerous areas of the school. The high school renovation project has been a topic of discussion for over two years now, eventually becoming a part of the district’s ten-year capital plan.

“Warm, Safe, and Dry” has been an oft-repeated description since the district developed plans for the project. Thus far, building systems improvements to the roof, elevators, fire alarms, electrical, HVAC, ceilings, and flooring have all been under the umbrella of the term.

Recently, however, replacing the trailers and developing new learning spaces have all been included in the purview of “Warm, Safe, and Dry.”

Superintendent Dr. Russell Johnston emphasized new life skills classrooms as a nonnegotiable improvement.

“It's really not up for debate, and that's really about the life

skills classrooms that we want to have here,” Johnston said. “We didn't ask your opinion on that, but I want to make sure that's understood, because it's something that we feel like we really just have to do.”

Such improvements were not the main focus of the forum. Instead, it concerned ideas that are less set in stone, including transformations of the library, pool, locker rooms, cafeteria, auditorium, and adding an auxiliary gym.

Throughout the meeting, Benzing placed an emphasis on flexibility, asking for ideas on how to improve spaces that are underutilized.

“With a little bit of repurposing and shifting around, all of a sudden you have spaces that you didn't like [with a new purpose],” Benzing said.

Multiple community members brought up the large number of lockers populating the high school, many of which go unused. If spaces like the Green Mile were not quite so dominated by lockers, perhaps they could offer more utility, the community members offered.

Benzing also raised the idea of repurposing elective classrooms meant for things like engineering or cooking to also accommodate other types of classes.

“When those courses aren't running, and teachers don't teach four blocks a day, it's really difficult for us to utilize [elective classrooms] safely,” Benzing said. “We have to teach math classes… I won't tip my hand too much, but the idea of flexibility in these spaces is something

“

If the bathrooms don’t get renovated through this, then I’m moving out.

Mr. Andrew Benzing Principal

that's important to us.”

Flexibility is also a pursuit in athletic spaces. Community members discussed the possibility of an auxiliary gym, which would lighten the load on the main gym. Such a benefit would be especially pronounced in the winter, when cheerleading, basketball, and other sports all utilize the gym.

Community members also discussed potential renovations to the pool, floating the idea of renting it out to the community to save money.

One potential change that would directly impact students was Benzing’s idea to add more flexibility to the cafeteria in pursuit of a change from three lunches to two.

“The idea [is] that if we could somehow break that down to two lunches in a given day, that's going to give us a period of time without losing any instructional time where we could really get creative with programming that happens in the school time,”

Benzing said.

Benzing mentioned letter of recommendation writing,

Keystone testing schedule shortens blocks and condenses the lunch block into two lunches, resulting in a crowded cafeteria.

“I don't think that would be very great,” freshman Eva Cielo said. “I know we've had two lunches before, and people are sitting on the floor in the hallways and sitting in the music room, and there's nowhere near enough space.”

Cielo was one of the only students who came to the forum. For her, the most critical change would be improvements to the bathrooms.

“I think they're in extremely rough condition,” Cielo said.

“The sinks leak. The toilets leak. It's moldy. It's just very gross in there. Everyone uses those, and it applies to everyone. I think that's very important.”

According to Benzing, changes to the bathrooms will be coming through the renovation project and will fall under the umbrella of “Warm, Safe, and Dry.”

tutoring, opportunities to meet with an interventionist, and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons as potential activities during the block of time created by a reduction to two lunches.

According to Benzing, the cafeteria currently holds around 450 students, with some additional space by the Wall of Honor hallway and in the library. But shifting to two lunches would cram around 600 students into each lunch, requiring significant changes to the spaces where students can eat.

Students already have some experience with only having two lunches. Twice a year, the

Block schedule, bells systems have evolved

With renovations coming up, schedules of the past might provide insight into solving problems of the present.

Kaitlyn Ho ’26

Editor-in-Chief

One of Haven’s defining features is its block schedule. But that schedule doesn’t exist without the invisible hand of the bell system, which has to fluctuate between normal block schedule, assemblies, and standardized testing.

In previous years, that bell system relied on assistant principal Mr. Tom McLaughlin. For any non-standard instructional day like assembly schedules, McLaughlin would run down from his office, lean over an almost floor-to-ceiling tower, and manually input the schedule.

“We should have a clock system that adjusts to daylight saving time,’” McLaughlin said. “Finally, the fuse is burned out.

I'm like, ‘Why are we going to replace this? We don't have the parts to replace any of it. Let's get a system that works in the 21st century.’”

Since the new bell system was implemented, the tower was finally cleared out this year. The new system allows administrators to input the schedules digitally and toggle between the different possible schedules at the click of a button. But for some students, it doesn’t matter what system the bells are on.

“I don't really pay attention to bells at all,” senior Levi Ouellette said. “They wouldn't change them when the schedule would change, so I learned to not really rely on them.”

Ouellette’s schedule is different from the typical Haven student. He has only one block where he’s in the building, and the rest is spent in dual enrollment classes at Delaware County Community College.

“I feel like [assemblies are] always communicated from the teacher during the block that [I would have been in] when I

had full classes,” Ouellette said. “If you're absent, or if you're like me and you don't have morning blocks, it's all word of mouth.”

According to biotechnology teacher Mr. Tim Styer, the answer to consistent communication with students may lie in the past. Styer is one of the longest-serving teachers at Haven, and has seen schedules change from period schedule to the block schedule.

Many years ago, Haven used to have Pride Room, similar to homeroom, where students would have one teacher that they saw for a few minutes at the beginning of every day from freshman year to senior year.

“I'm the one who greeted you as you cross the stage, as you got your diploma, to give a big hug, because I'm the first person you saw coming in freshman year and the last person going out. I miss that, and I wish we had this part of our schedule,” Styer said. Pride Room ended due to state requirements on instructional time. Now that those requirements have changed, Styer hopes to restore Pride

After meetings with Kelly Clough Bucher and Associates (KCBA), the architectural firm the district has selected for the project, another forum on potential changes will be held on March 5.

Given the budget constraints exacerbated by recent fiscal problems, administrators and architects are looking at the forum as a way to prioritize and decide which renovations are truly needed.

“I think that’s the main thing of what tonight was about, hearing from the community exactly what the priority should be,” Ryan Orr, principal of KCBA for the project, said.*

SAVED BY THE BELL • Students walk to their classes at the first bell of the day before first block on Feb. 19. PHOTO: KAITLYN HO

Room to build more lasting relationships with students.

However, he still believes the block schedule allows for more flexible and focused learning.

“The block [scheduling] is remarkable, best thing we’ve ever done by far,” Styer said. “Give me 80 minutes and I say, ‘let’s go nuts.’ Sometimes they do the half [class schedule] when they have an AM assembly bell schedule, but you get a 43 minute class for [instruction] — what are you getting done?”

While Styer hopes the block schedule remains the same, he’s anticipating the change to the bell system once renovations are underway.

“I wish there were better ways to control [the bells],” Styer said. “I know we've had a problem with that, but that's a function of the old building. Well, one day to the next, sometimes they don't work, but that’ll all be different when they rebuild this place in the next couple years.”*

Students attend MLK day of service, uplift community

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., students took to locations in Chester to make waves with kind deeds.

Joya Nath ’28

Reporter

As ice hardened on the side of every road in town, and students basked in the glory of an extra day off, a few cars came rolling into the otherwise empty parking lot. A little snow? That’s not stopping these students from participating in Haven’s Martin Luther King (MLK) Day of Service.

On Monday, Jan. 19, students gathered at the high school bright and early before being sent to their respective locations to participate in varying service projects. The day’s events were organized primarily by assistant principal Mrs. Andrea LaPira, who founded the outing last year as a way to update previous programming hosted at the middle school.

This year, the event gained greater traction, resulting in a need for a total of three locations. Some students attended the ACCESS Center, and others helped out at City Team, both located in Chester. Others remained at Haven to make lunches and perfect their peanut butter and jelly craft.

At City Team, students sorted through and organized donated food and clothing items. Often,

overflow of donations after the holidays means all hands on deck.

“People are starting to come in. They’re hungry. They haven’t had much provision over the past month, so they’re desperately in need,” Program Supervisor for Outreach Ministry at City Team

Ben Talmage said. “We have so much clogging it up, so being able to actually do something like this allows us to effectively feed the masses.”

The City Team provides hot meals, fresh produce, shelter, and resources to families in the surrounding areas struggling with homelessness and poverty.

“It was a nice way to start my morning,” sophomore Ezra Peltzman said. “I saw some people going in and out of the building, and it was good to actually have contact with the people we were helping.”

Meanwhile, at the ACCESS Center, where Haven’s Interact Club makes frequent trips, students were put to work reorganizing the area of children’s toys, packing and handing out grocery bags, and spending time with visitors.

“We were able to play bingo with [visitors]. I was able to meet some new people, and it was just really beautiful,”

Interact club co-president and senior Lexi Benzing said. “A lot of people were able to come out from Haven, and we were able to interact with them and give them all the food that we made.”

For many students, being able to speak with the people the

“

It was good to actually have contact with the people we were helping.

Ezra Peltzman ’28

organizations serve brought a new sense of purpose.

“I think that it’s going to be really rewarding to see the actual impact we’re giving to people who can’t necessarily go out and get their own groceries,” junior Sophie Grossman said. With such a large turnout, continued interest would likely mean more projects to come.

“We want to do it as much as the students have interest, and it seems, if the last two years are evidence, that they want more and more opportunities to serve and give back,” principal Mr. Andrew Benzing said. “We’re happy to help facilitate that if we could.”

On a wintry day, the efforts of Strath Haven students brought warmth to the days of many community members.

“They provided lots of needs,” ACCESS Center site manager Sister Maggie Gannon said. “But most importantly, our guests left knowing that they were cared for.”*

The Wall: Professor discusses preservation of African traditions

Have you ever stopped to catch a glimpse at the Wall of Honor? We continue a series of interviews of noted alumni with a community builder who is a senior lecturer at Swarthmore College and who danced at the Lincoln Center and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Mark Ball ’26

Reporter

Described as a “gifted community builder,”

Jeannine Osayande grew up in the Historically Black Neighborhood of Swarthmore. She graduated from Swarthmore High School in 1979, where she played field hockey and ran track. When she turned 18, she went to Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she grew involved in West African drum and dance traditions that then expanded to the African

Provided by Jeannine Osayande

diaspora.

Osayande is currently a senior lecturer at Swarthmore College, where she teaches African dance and African diaspora dance. She also describes herself as a culturalist because she works within communities.

“I’m a folklorist more recently, because of the work that I do in my research work and community sharing that has to do with the historically black neighborhood of Swarthmore, but also African diaspora drum

and dance traditions and the work that I do to preserve that,” Osayande said.

Victoria Shelter, a retired teacher at Westtown Elementary School and a current preschool teacher with the Little Panthers preschool, knows Osayande through her teaching of African Dance at Swarthmore Rutledge School and a residency program at Westtown.

Shelter describes Osayande as a big-hearted woman who brings joy, knowledge, and spirituality to everyone, and depicts working with Osayande as magical.

“We arranged for her to come into the classroom to meet the third graders,” Shelter said. “There were two classes of third graders she was going to work with, and she walked into my classroom and the kids, without any prompting, stood up and started clapping.”

Senior John-Paul Redmond, who is Osayande’s grandson, describes her as a kind and hardworking person.

“She’s always on the move. She’s always doing stuff for other people. She has helped me get

through a lot,” Redmond said.

According to Osayande, learning about African diaspora drum and dance oral history helps to preserve and talk about people’s lives and what’s important to them.

“In addition to these cultures and these black cultural traditions, you’re able to learn things about who you are with your classmates in that relationship,” Osayande said.

Osayande has performed at WXPN World Cafe Live, the Lincoln Center, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music during the dance festival called Dance Africa. She became a dancer for the festival after seeing the festival with her friend from New York.

“When I saw those dancers on stage, something just came through me and I had this realization that if I kept studying, I could be one of those dancers on stage,” Osayande said.

Running track in high school helped Osayande believe in herself and to have confidence in who she is and her abilities.

“Mr. [Bob] Mudrick was the

track coach and he never gave up on us, but pushed us beyond what we thought our limits were to show us how great we can be if we stay focused, trained, and disciplined,” Osayande said.

Osayande faced the challenge of balancing being a mom, wife, and artist while holding a corporate job at the same time.

“I can remember finishing the laundry at 4 a.m. because I’d have 21 loads of clothes to do, go home around four o’clock, sleep till 6:00 or 6:30, and get up to get everybody ready, and then go to work. That was regular,” Osayande said.

Osayande had a calling to African dance and drum traditions when she was pushed into a live drum and dance performance while attending Leslie College when she was eighteen. Later, she found out the woman who pushed her did it because she was tired.

“So her weariness was my inner calling. And 45 years later, this is exactly what I’ve done with my life, no regrets, but it’s not always been easy,” Osayande said.*

Haven hosts PMEA District Band Festival

Students who had auditioned from nearby schools came together to practice, prepare, and perform at Haven.

Cayla Gaffney ’29 Reporter

Who would think that a virtual Zoom call years ago would come back again in full circle when organizing the PMEA (Pennsylvania Music Educators Association) District 12 Band Festival? Well, that’s exactly how music teacher Mr. Nicholas Pignataro was able to find a conductor for the audition-only District 12 band.

The PMEA District 12 Band Festival was held at Haven on Feb. 6 and 7, concluding with a concert on Feb. 7 at 7pm. High school students auditioned from schools in Chester, Montgomery, and Delaware Counties to join the band.

“We’re on a several year rotation. Every so often, like every five to 10 years, every school hosts, and it’s sort of randomly selected. This was our year,” Pignataro said.

The auditions took place at both West Chester East High School and Fugit Middle School on Nov. 22. Students were notified within a day about the audition results. Out of about 700 students auditioning from the many schools, a total of 10 Haven musicians made the band.

Practicing for the auditions took dedication, commitment, and hard work.

“Last year, I would come up during lunch almost every day and practice for at least 20 minutes because I play percussion, and I don’t

have those instruments at home,” junior percussionist Juliette Loyd said. “This year I was taking a college class at Swarthmore College, and the days that I didn’t have my class, I would spend in the band room practicing.”

When the District 12 band started practicing on Feb. 6, it was the first time all of the students had ever practiced together as an ensemble.

“We had a day before to practice, and then we had all of this morning to practice. It was a short period of time,” senior french horn player Benjamin Gillin from Springfield High

“ I don’t think I would be practicing nearly as much if I didn’t have PMEA to strive for. It’s always fun to try to get to the next festival.

Juliette Loyd ’27

School said.

Pignataro was assigned to work with Sun Valley High School band director Mr. Timothy Pry. While the assignment was done by the PMEA, it turns out that Pignataro had known Pry for many years.

“It’s actually [a] funny story, because I used to work in the same district as Mr. Pry, and he was at my wedding and things.

So we’re actually good friends anyway,” Pignataro said.

Pignataro had also developed a friendship with Captain Darren Y. Lin, who is the associate director of “The President’s

Own” Marine Band. Lin answered Pignataro’s request to be the conductor of the District 12 Band.

“We had worked together briefly on one of the virtual offerings that the Marine Band does, and so I gave a clinic to his band years ago,” Lin said.

“We maintained contact, and he reached out and invited me to work with the District 12 band. We receive requests for honor bands pretty regularly, so it’s always nice to be able to come out and connect with the communities here.”

Lin has a deep background in music, as he pursued his music career in high school, college, and later in the military.

“I actually grew up in Pennsylvania, where I began playing piano and percussion at a very early age,” Lin said.

“I fell in love with music then, and no one told me to stop, so I went to multiple schools and got degrees in music performance and music education.”

During the festival, nearby catering companies, restaurants, and the district nutrition group supplied food to musicians, teachers, and volunteers. Haven students also had the opportunity to volunteer by serving food or handing out programs to guests entering the auditorium.

“I feel like it’s a fun way to get community service hours, and I would recommend it,” junior Zeb Smithey said.

Musicians expressed similar reactions to the festival.

From being able to play with new people to playing more challenging music, the PMEA band festival has been an outlet for students to grow as musicians.

“It’s always good to hear people who are better than you and listen or learn from a new director,” junior trumpet player

• Elsie

and other District

District 12 Band Festival. Students from around 20 different schools in the area, rehearsed on both Friday, Feb. 6 and Saturday, Feb. 7 in preparation for their concert on Feb. 7. PHOTO:

Ryan Schofield said.

At each PMEA music festival, students can earn a medal to wear on their performance shirt. Not only do these medals symbolize the effort students have put into auditioning for the ensembles, but also the goals they strived for and were able to succeed in.

“PMEA is definitely where I found that I can push myself and become a much better musician. I don’t think I would be practicing nearly as much if I didn’t have PMEA to strive for.

It’s always fun to try to get to the next festival,” Loyd said. “You get to miss school, but you get to be filled in a room with like over 100 other musicians who care about music just like you.”

As students return from previous years, friendships can be built as musicians bond over their love for music.

“My section, percussion section, it’s actually one of the

only sections [where] we all hang out during lunchtime and the breaks,” Loyd said. “I’ve met a lot of friends from last year, and then again this year, as we all returned.”

Auditions for region band were held on Feb. 6 in art classrooms at Haven, amidst the band’s rehearsals and practice for the concert the next day. While the students that advanced have a journey of preparation ahead, they have the opportunity to enjoy music along the way. “I love that it is a universal language. I love that it’s a tool for connection and community. I love that it is a tool for growth and reflection, and I love that it is an absolutely essential element to life. I love being a part of it and sharing it with people,” Lin said.*

Artist Spotlight: Chanel Courtman cultivates online creative community

Freshman enjoys sharing her artwork online, getting insight from what others have to say.

Josselyn Dixon ’29 Reporter

When freshman Chanel Courtman sits down to draw, whether it’s with a stylus or an oil pastel, she’s ready to put her thoughts onto the page. She’s been drawing since she was little, and taught herself technique from Youtube and repetition. She mainly draws digitally, but also likes to go traditional with oil pastels and crayons.

“It’s always fun to work with

the basics,” Courtman said. Courtman gathers inspiration from people she sees around her or online.

“I really like drawing things from other cultures, and especially having a more diverse friend group, I think I’m able to look at that and really have a way to express all of us in my art,” Courtman said.

Before creating a picture, she begins her process with an idea.

“I really think about an idea and make sure that’s what I want to do,” Courtman said. “Because if you’re just doing something because it looks nice, then you’re not going to enjoy drawing it.”

After finishing her pieces, Courtman often posts them on her Instagram page (@

chanelumi._).

“Originally, I’m not even gonna lie, I did it for likes,” Courtman said. “But then, when you start to get into the art community on Instagram, Tiktok, these platforms, you start to see how nice it is to be able to speak about your art with other people, and to get other ideas. That motivated me to post on more platforms and get more insight about what people think about my art.”

Freshman Tanya Zhang, a fellow artist and friend of Courtman’s, enjoys seeing her artwork on Instagram.

“I like her general look, it’s really nice, between realism and a cartoonish sort of feel,” Zhang said.

Freshman Jolin Chen recounts

the encouragement given by Courtman to experiment with a different medium.

“Because she mainly uses digital art, and I’m transitioning from traditional art into digital art, she gave me some really good advice,” Chen said. Courtman shared some advice for beginner artists.

“Just go with the flow,” Courtman said. “It’s a really long process, and it took me a while to get to where I am now. So don’t get discouraged, and keep on practicing.”*

HAVEN Arts

Spring musical cast prepares for debut

For two weekends, students are invited to fall down the rabbit hole into “Alice by Heart.” Here are some behind-the-scenes moments.

Joya Nath ’28 Reporter

The Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, the Queen of Hearts: all characters known for their prominent roles in the bizarre landscape that is “Wonderland.” At the end of this month, students will be invited to join these oddities in the high school auditorium for this year’s spring musical.

For nearly three months now, students have been auditioning, preparing, and rehearsing for “Alice by Heart,” set to debut on Feb. 27. The show, which premiered in 2019, puts a dark twist on the original tale, following a teenage Alice amidst the 1941 London Blitz. While hiding in a tube station with her fatally ill best friend, Alfred, Alice confronts loss and fear by returning to the comfort of one of her favorite childhood stories and entering Wonderland.

This plot brings a bit of a shift from the nature of its predecessors.

“The past three years, everything’s been a little bit comedic or light hearted,” senior Eli Graves, who will play Alice Spencer, said. “This year we wanted to do something a little bit darker.”

Since auditions took place in late November, cast and crew have been working to get things

ready for the curtain drop, a process that can be slow, but steady.

“There’s a lot to get through. The show is really intense. There’s so many things we have to do, and everything is really specific,” Graves said.

Tech Week, which occurs the week before opening night, has students at the school for long, tedious days.

“You have to be prepared for [tech week]. You have to stay on top of work, but if you’re conscious about it, if you’re prepped for everything, it’s usually not too stressful,” junior Jack Davies, who will play Alfred/The White Rabbit, said.

Despite the extra hours, that time is valuable in putting together some final pieces.

“It stops being about the actors, and starts being about the lights and the sound,” Davies said.

Ms. Mandie Banks, director and choreographer, finds the process rewarding even in the face of challenges. Choral director Ms. Lindsey Silva also splits rehearsal time, helping with musical elements.

“Being with the students, working directly with them on the blocking and choreography, bringing the show to life, and working on their craft, makes it such a joy, and makes it worth every minute of some of the harder stuff,” Banks said.

This year, the production displays a cast of 25, a dramatic shift from the 50-person ensemble that came with last years’ showing of “Mamma Mia.” A smaller unit can be advantageous.

“We have a small, really focused and talented group of students

“We have a small, really focused and talented group of students in this cast, and we really make a lot of our time together.

Ms. Mandie Banks Director and Choreographer

in this cast, and we really make a lot of our time together,” Banks said. “We get a lot done in our rehearsals. We usually focus on a song and a scene where we work on blocking and choreography, and then work to perfect it.”

A smaller cast has also contributed to building a tight knit community, and given everyone substantial moments on stage.

“It is like an ensemble show where everyone is really important,” Davies said. “There’s a bunch of characters. Some people are playing multiple characters. I think everyone gets a moment to shine.”

Many cast members have worked with one another for years prior. Davies and Graves made their debut as co-stars in the fifth and sixth grade, and nearly ten shows later are starring opposite one another a final time.

“We’re so lucky. Everyone at this school is so talented,” Davies said. “It’s one of the most advanced groups of high

Josie’s Fusions lights up Swarthmore

Senior Josie Wieland’s small fused glass business is making waves in the community.

Jack Logue ’26

Contributor

When you think of a typical high schooler, you likely don’t think of someone who’s been running their own business since second grade.

Fortunately for everyone lucky enough to meet her, senior Josie Wieland is no typical high schooler. She’s a drum major, Panther Press editor, sax player, founder of Haven’s Interact Club, and, of course, owner of Josie’s Fusions, her small fused glass business. Wieland first got into fused glass at seven years old, after attending a summer camp at Windover Art Center in her

home state of Maine.

“I was inspired to just check it [glassmaking] out,” Wieland said. “I just really felt connected to it.”

Since then, Wieland has been making and selling her fused glass art at local makers markets in and around Swarthmore.

“The community it’s given me has been really special,” Wieland said. “I meet so many amazing vendors that do this work alongside me.”

One of Wieland’s earliest and most vocal endorsers is Sean Bruton, owner of Lunch Break Vintage in Swarthmore, where Wieland has displayed her work since the store’s inception in 2021.

“I checked out some of the stuff that she was doing and I was super impressed with it, especially at such a young age,” Bruton said. “It was cool to have a little offshoot of jewelry and things that people might want that aren’t necessarily vintage clothing.”

schoolers that you’ll find theatre wise. It’s such a privilege to be around such talented people, and I think everyone just brings each other up.”

An extra element of pressure has been added since the unexpected snow days rolled in, along with the need to work around PMEA District Band that occupied the auditorium on Feb. 6 and 7. Regardless, the team came in with a plan for day one.

“We knew we had to choose a show that didn’t need a big unit set, and that we could use a lot of creativity and not really have to worry and rely on set pieces,” Banks said.

In terms of music, those coming to see the show should expect a score that is contemporary and modern.

“The music in ‘Alice by Heart’ is very relevant to what we listen to today,” Banks said. “The person

In response to what he enjoys about Wieland’s work, Bruton has no shortage of compliments.

“It’s just unique. You couldn’t go into a Target and buy something like that. “ Bruton said. “And she’s added so many different things onto it — holiday stuff, magnets; it kind of appeals to a bunch of different people.”

Another lover of Wieland’s art is Terry Crossan, co-founder of Heart & Soul’d just a few stores down the road from Lunch Break Vintage.

“I met Josie at one of the markets and just started chitchatting,” Crossan said.

“I don’t think we’ve stopped talking since.”

Just like Bruton, Crossan gives Wieland’s work glowing reviews — a sentiment aided by the fact that she frequently wears Wieland’s earrings.

“I just love the colors,” Crossan said. “I just love when you turn it different ways and the sun hits it, it’s just beautiful in every

who wrote the music is named Duncan Sheik, and he’s had many radio hits over the years.”

The show is intended to take viewers on a journey, as the people in the bunker slowly turn into characters from Alice’s dream world.

“All the difficulties that [Alice] is going through, she works through them through the imaginative world of the wonderland,” Banks said. “It’s so cool how it goes back and forth between the two worlds.”

After much commitment behind the scenes, the cast and crew are eager to show off their craft. Anyone planning to attend should expect a whirlwind of emotion.

“Alice by Heart is touching, creative, at times a little dark, and definitely will have moments of humor as well,” Banks said.*

light.”

With such high praise, Wieland has business figured out despite being significantly younger than most of her competitors. But what really sets her apart from other sellers is her connection to her community.

“Different demographics of students will come down and be like, ‘Oh my god, Josie has stuff down here,’” Bruton said. “It’s just really cool to see.”

Wieland herself preaches the importance of reaching out to others, and offers advice to budding entrepreneurs.

“I definitely think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that it’s really important to put yourself out there,” Wieland said. “If you don’t go out of your comfort zone, you’ll definitely miss out on a lot.”*

Crew brings musical ‘Alice By Heart’ to life

The technical, stage, and cosmetics crew share their work and commitment towards the upcoming spring musical.

Gigi Detweiler ’28 Reporter

The sound of students singing echoes through the auditorium.

Somewhere on stage, an actor calls, “Line?” The spring musical is in the works. But what about the work behind the scenes?

As Haven prepares for its spring musical “Alice By Heart,” the technical, stage, and cosmetics crews are working just as hard to bring the World War II-era story to life.

Set in London during the Blitz, “Alice By Heart” blends the darkness between wartime and themes of “Alice in Wonderland.”

For junior and stage crew head Caroline Boerth, that means transforming the stage into underground subway tunnels that shift into Wonderland.

“We have this run-down train, we have the subway tunnel, a big opening, and then we have walls that will flip to represent the subway, and then Wonderland,” Boerth said.

Set builds began in January and takes place on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., eventually expanding to Sundays as

opening night creeps up.

“I think the hardest part is either building the sets… just getting used to using the tools,” Boerth said. “But also the stress of tech week and handling that.”

Junior and stage crew member Cooper Sinarski is currently working on one of the show’s largest elements.

“We’re building a big arch,” Sinarski said. “It’s 13 feet tall, and we’re going to have a train going through.”

Balancing preparation for a show and schoolwork can be overwhelming, especially during tech week.

“At some points we’re there from five to nine on school days,” Sinarski said. “On weekends, when it’s tech week, it’s 12 hours at school.”

Senior and head of lights Ben Mitchell explains that tech week is when the entire production comes together.

“Sound puts mics on everybody, dress rehearsals happen, and we fix up the set during to make sure it’s more optimized,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell emphasizes how Haven’s productions aim to stand out.

“At Strath Haven, we focus heavily on making our set unique to our show compared to other schools,” Mitchell said. “We try to make our site unique, and aim it so that it fits the vibe and the timeline.”

“The people who built the set and engineered everything that’s moving around are really the Grand Masters in all of this. They’re bringing it to life.

Ben Mitchell ’26

Mitchell said working behind the scenes changes how he watches performances. After seeing a Broadway show in Manhattan, he found himself focused less on the actors and more on the stage itself.

“I don’t even think I watched the show,” Mitchell said. “I was just looking at the set and all the stuff that was moving. The people who built the set and engineered everything that’s moving around are really the Grand Masters in all of this. They’re bringing it to life.”

Hair and makeup crews are also diving into research to match the show’s 1940s setting.

Senior and head of hair and makeup Pearl Tweedy claims the actors’ appearances will reflect the wartime atmosphere.

“It’s just looking at more basic hairstyles from the 40s and the 50s,” Tweedy said. “It’s seeing what a nurse might have her hair as, versus an orphan.”

Despite the long hours and occasional setbacks — such as canceled builds due to snow — the crew says the reward makes their work worth it.

“Definitely seeing the set completed… and seeing just the whole show come together is so rewarding,” Boerth said.

For Sinarski, the experience is more than construction.

“It’s like a little family,” Sinarski said. “You have a sense of purpose.”

Although the crew works behind the spotlight, their impact can be seen everywhere:

the lighting shifts, the moving walls, and the details the audience may never consciously notice.

“The people who built the set and engineered everything that’s moving around are really the Grand Masters in all of this,” Mitchell said. “They’re bringing it to life.”

With opening night set for Feb. 27, Tweedy hopes audiences recognize the work happening beyond the spotlight.

“I think that the entire cast and crew have been working so hard to make this show possible for months now,” Tweedy said. “It is a beautiful story about love and grief and moving on. I think it’d be great if you come see it.”*

Teacher Creations: Mrs. Jennifer Rodgers’ personal journey through art

Whether through knitting, painting, or printmaking, Mrs. Jennifer Rodgers continues to inspire students to express themselves.

Eli Graves ’26 Reporter

Mrs. Jennifer Rodgers, that familiar smile in the art wing, is more than just an art teacher. She’s a dedicated artist with a special message.

When walking into Jennifer Rodgers’ art room for class, you’ll notice she has a slideshow presentation projected onto her huge monitor above the class before every block. If you look closer, you may notice her special mantras written below the daily tasks, like:

The world needs your creativity. Rodgers, working right alongside her husband and ceramics teacher Mr. Scott Rodgers, teaches the Art 1, Art 2, and Art 3 courses as well as AP Art and Design. She attended Moore College of Art and Design for an undergraduate degree in printmaking.

“I started off as a drawing major because I loved drawing,” Rodgers said. “And then I quickly realized that that’s great… but

I should learn some newer things. So I made the big leap to printmaking, which very much uses drawing in it, but you’re learning other skills, other tools, other pieces of equipment.”

Rodgers finds herself following all kinds of artistic passions now since her college days, not just in printmaking, but knitting, drawing, and, more recently, painting. Since March of last year, she has been working on a series of very personal paintings related to her own mental health journey.

“My whole goal of making this art is really to help end the stigma and to help break down the barriers surrounding mental illness so that we can start to talk about it more comfortably,” Rodgers said. “I am kind of painting my way through my plan of all these different paintings exploring different facets of mental health.”

Rodgers has been an avid creator since she was little, and now finds her artmaking not only motivated by her personal goals of making a difference, but also working with teenagers every day and continuing to inspire them to use art as a strong creative outlet.

“[Rodgers] is very supportive with everyone’s ideas, and no matter what you’re trying to do, she’s helping with it,” Rodgers’ student and senior Fletcher

Noto said. One of the benefits of Rodgers’ support for her students comes from her willingness to share her experiences and be open about her struggles.

“I think it’s good for [her students] to see how she puts her sadness and her pain and her trauma into her work,” Scott Rodgers said. “I think it makes it very powerful.”

Rodgers finds that art has given her an expansive opportunity to express herself.

“Sometimes it’s difficult to find the words to say to express myself, but I can do it much more easily in a painting or a drawing,” Rodgers said. “I also like where my mind goes [when creating]. I can kind of just feel myself settle into this other part of my universe.”

She encourages students looking to get into art and who are already artists alike to find their creative voice and allow their emotions to flow into their creativity.

“Just do it. Really. Do it,” Rodgers said. “There’s a whole creative world out there filled with beautiful, creative people, and [it gives a chance] for you to surround yourself with them.”*

the cost of fast fashion

With the prevalence of fast fashion in today’s world, there are resources to understand the threats it poses and consciously choose more sustainable options.

Behind the low prices and trendy appearance,fast fashion often comes with a hidden cost. On an individual level,shopping sustainably is an alternative to alleviate the overconsumption of fast fashion.

Where does

fast fashion come from?

Fast fashion is commonly characterized by the mass production of low-cost, low-quality clothing. It breeds rapidly changing trends and employs marketing techniques that fuel overconsumption.

The business model experienced accelerated growth in the late 90’s into the 2000’s; however, the origins of the fast fashion industry we know today began in the 1970’s.

When big retailers began manufacturing in foreign countries, production was outsourced to countries including China, Bangladesh, South Korea, and India.

The strategy of overseas production relied on lower costs and higher profits, emphasizing speed and efficiency over the ethical treatment of employees.

According to Earth.org, “80% of apparel is made by young women between the ages of 18 and 24.”

Sophomore Alice Rieger knows the downsides of fast fashion, and prioritizes thrifting the clothing she wears to focus on personal style in a sustainable way.

“It’s usually made by people who are being underpaid,” Rieger said. “It’s not worth other people’s pain in order to get something cute you’ll only wear for two weeks.”

“Exploitation comes in the form of low wages, unsafe factory conditions, and sexual harassment,” states The Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law. “Only 2% of garment workers in the world are paid wages that cover their basic needs. Now, with the continued rise of fast fashion pushing almost all western

companies to use suppliers in other countries, the exploitation of garment workers has increased. The exploitation just occurs further away from Western consumers.”

Because production takes place largely overseas, many consumers either aren’t aware of the effects or fall victim to an out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality. Brands like Shein, Edikted, and Zara come to mind when most people think of fast fashion. However, there are countless other fast fashion brands that do not appear as such.

Just a few of these brands disguising themselves behind higher price points and the illusion of luxury include Free People, Anthropologie, Lululemon, and more.

While these brands don’t operate exactly the same as brands like Shein, they too fall under the umbrella of fast fashion due to frequent product turnaround and low-quality materials.

In an anonymous Google form survey sent to Haven students by student editors of the Panther Press, it was revealed that nearly 80% of the 119 surveyed students would be willing to pay higher prices if they knew that their clothing was being made ethically or sustainably. However, it can be hard to differentiate between what’s sustainable and what’s not.

Some key indicators of fast fashion brands include low prices, frequent sales, aggressive marketing, and trendoriented inventory.

Junior Georgia Graham acknowledges the hold that fast fashion has over buyers, specifically brands that may not align with certain stereotypes.

“Brands that are popular, like Brandy Melville, because every single girl is wearing it, that’s the first one that pops into my mind,” Graham said.

Fast fashion changes the way we think

Wlifespan of each piece we buy. It has become less about cherishing and passing down clothes, and more about being at the forefront of trends.

While shopping online for fast fashion offers more convenience and may seem cheaper at first glance, it comes at a cost.

To reduce prices, synthetic materials are often incorporated into clothing. According to Earth.org,“60% of clothes are made with plastic-based materials.”

This causes microplastics to shed from the plastic fibers, resulting in degradation that reduces the longevity of your clothing.

With this low quality, people are often less likely to mend errors that aren’t worth repairing. This is strategic, as it leads consumers to replace and buy more clothing over a short period of

“trendy” styles now will inevitably run their course and will continuously be replaced by new clothes.

For high-end brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton, it was common practice to just have two fashion seasons, one in the fall/winter and the other in the spring/summer. Through fast fashion, however, brands such as Zara and H&M have adapted approximately 52 “microseasons.” This drastic shift in the number of available styles floods websites and stores with new clothing, causing pieces to quickly go out of style.

However, clothes that have been “out” for a given number of seasons often reappear. Terry Crossan, co-founder of Heart & Soul’d in Swarthmore, finds that the inventory of her thrift store reflects this cycle.

“Last year’s Shein, last year’s Charlotte Russe, that’s what we see donated. Trends are exactly what they are, a trend. Everything old becomes new again,” Crossan said.

In an online world, fast fashion trends are often driven by social media influencers and celebrities.

“You could see a cute top or pants, and you’ll be like, ‘Wow, I really want that,’ Just because one person is wearing it,” Graham said. “If you see a celebrity wearing something, then you want to get it.”

Bruton describes how viral designs undergo mass reproduction, causing authenticity to decrease with each copy that fast fashion brands make.

“Let’s say you see Harry Styles wearing a vintage t-shirt. The fast fashion brand is gonna find that vintage t-shirt and then [copy] the graphic and put it on a t-shirt,” Bruton said. “You can get whatever Harry Styles wore for $8, whereas maybe that actual t-shirt was from the 70s or 80s and has been through 45 years full of life.”

Rieger curbs the pressure to be on-trend by having her own personal taste.

“I try to keep up with some trends,” Rieger said. “I own ballet flats, which was a big trend in 2025. I know polka dots are a big thing right now, and I love polka dots, but it’s mainly trends that I like. I don’t try to keep up with something that I don’t enjoy myself.”

the sake of convenience, ethical and environmentally conscious production methods are values held at the forefront of sustainable fashion.

Recycled materials, organic cotton, and even hemp are common materials used in sustainable clothing to lessen environmental impacts.

Patagonia is an example of a sustainable brand that holds quality to the highest standard, outlining in their mission statement that, “The best product is useful, versatile, long-lasting, repairable and recyclable. Our ideal is to make products that give back to the Earth as much as they take.”

TReducing overconsumption can especially be practiced through buying secondhand and vintage clothing, offering sustainability.

When sourcing inventory for Lunch Break Vintage, Bruton prioritizes carrying clothes that are 20+ years old and 100% cotton to ensure good quality.

“They’re long lasting, built better, and mostly made in the USA, which provides a better closet life,” Bruton said.

With the longevity that secondhand and vintage clothing offers, Bruton suggests that you have the ability to spend less money in the long run.

“In 2026 with the economy and everything that’s happening, it’s cheaper to shop secondhand,” Bruton said. “I could tell you my outfit that I’m wearing right now top to bottom is probably $55 including shoes, pants, sweatshirt, everything. And that’s incredible. I’ll be wearing this for the next 15, 20 years.”

Kristen Mancini, co-founder of Heart & Soul’d in Swarthmore, explains how owning a thrift store has influenced her thought process when buying her own clothes.

“I definitely think it’s made me a more discerning shopper and more conscious in my decision making, whether I’m shopping in a big box store or if I’m thrifting, and I like that,” Mancini said.

How are Haven students dealing with overconsumption?

ast fashion can be hard to avoid, but there are ways that students can focus on the true impact behind each purchase they make.

Framed as a receipt, this infographic tallies the responses of our survey of 119 Strath Haven students on different aspects of fast fashion, itemizing the role of brands, trends and thrifting in their shopping habits. The results hint at a shifting mindset around fashion and its broader impact. See more survey results at shpantherpress.com.

are influenced by brand names, I.e. more likely to purchase clothing because of the brand.

Students’ most purchased brands included Gap, H&M, Brandy Melville, Edikted, Shein, and more, with 57% noting the influence that trends have on them.

64% of students shop for clothes mostly in-store, something that studies have shown can contribute to greater spending.

Rieger prefers shopping in-person rather than online, as she is able to thoroughly assess the item, guaranteeing satisfaction and future wear.

“I mainly pay attention to the texture, because if it doesn’t feel nice, I’m not buying it, which is a big issue with buying online, because you can’t feel it,” Rieger said. “I always pay attention to sizing. I like to try things on most of the time, and then I also pay attention to imagining if I could actually wear it myself, or if I would just throw it away after a week.”

Graham emphasizes her effort to purchase with intent, rather than impulse buying just for the sake of it.

“I mostly shop for new clothing online when I’m looking for something specific, but if I’m just going out shopping, I try to go second-hand,” Graham said. “If I see something that I really like and I’ve been wanting for a while, then I’ll buy it, but I don’t just shop to shop.”

Supporting local secondhand stores like Heart & Soul’d or Lunch Break Vintage is an option that brings students closer to their community.

At Heart & Soul’d, donated clothes are sold to help support foster and adoptive services in Delco.

“We have been able to find a home for everything,” Crossan said. “To see the gratitude when you drop off clothes to Fostering Hope, City Team in Chester, the wardrobe in Lansdowne, and knowing those clothes are going to be used for somebody to go out on a job interview who can’t afford fast fashion. For somebody to wear just to stay warm who can’t afford fast fashion. For kids to go to school in something that doesn’t have holes in it and feel a little more confident.”

Through donating and thrifting clothing, Crossan expresses how students can bring life to clothes that were no longer wanted.

“In our mind, it’s not really secondhand,” Crossan said. “It’s second life. It’s gone from the first person to the second person, and hopefully it’ll go on to the third, fourth, and fifth.”

Mancini finds meaning in the connections that can come from wearing thrifted clothing.

“It feels very personal, because my own wardrobe has mostly been coming out of here,” Mancini said. “I’ve had customers come in and say ‘My son’s t-shirt looks really cute on you!’ It’s just cool to know where those things come from.”

Rieger believes that if students are willing to put the time into finding pieces at the thrift store, the reward is well worth it.

thrift stores offer, students can mix and match pieces to fit their self-expression.

“I don’t try to follow what other people think is cute,” Rieger said. “I guess it’s my way of being creative, because I’m not good at art and I’m not good at a lot of artistic expression, so I guess clothes are the only way to do it.”

Freshman Rosalia Irizarry sources most of her personal style from thrift stores and flea markets, with inspiration ranging from the early 2000s to Japanese Harajuku fashion.

“My style is influenced by trends everywhere,” Irizarry said. “I wouldn’t say from the main trends that are happening, but different styles from different times.”

Finding a community of people who share similar style allows experimentation with clothing without pressure to fully commit to a purchase.

“I share [clothes] with my sister all the time, and then my friends and I, sometimes one of us will buy something, and then we’ll just trade,” Graham said.

Mancini emphasizes that the freedom to explore personal style is made more accessible with the lower price point of purchasing clothing secondhand as opposed to fast fashion.

“You can find really unique things to create your own path so that you’re not subscribing to the trend, but you’re not so far outside of it that you feel uncomfortable,” Mancini said. “It gives people a little more variety and flexibility to find out what their style is and for a lot less.”

Even through the ever-changing state of the fashion world, students have the ability to sustainably express themselves with the clothes they buy.

“When it comes down to really wanting to feel good about yourself and take time, thrift stores are the kind of places that you really need to set foot in,” Crossan said. *

Digital art, traditional art provide different opportunities for artists

Different art forms can have different pros and cons, and some forms may work better for artists than others.

Izzy Boland ’29, Lexi Glass ’29 Reporters

People are becoming more and more dependent on technology and AI. This can be both good and bad for artists. Digital artists can find their work being replaced by AI, but can also find a surge in people using digital art. Traditional artists are becoming less common and are being replaced by digital artists, but can also be comforted in knowing that AI will never replace them.

For digital artists, their creativity is able to push the limits of traditional art.

“I really like pushing the lighting, pushing like the colors, the saturation of the colors, and messing with it until it looks right, or until I feel like it looks good,” junior Lyla Kelly said.

However, the undo button is a bit of a controversy. It can make experimentation possible, but the downside of this is that it can be hard to stop undoing and redoing.

“Being a digital artist means that it’s a lot easier to be a bit of a perfectionist with things, because, again, you can just keep deleting and deleting and deleting or trying to make everything look perfect, and you can just keep doing that,” senior Faye Barnes said.

To avoid this feeling of relying on the undo button, Kelly tries to keep a balance between traditional and digital art.

“The leniency of digital art is wonderful, but the reason I feel like you should start with traditional art is because it’s a harsh master. It’s pencil and paper, [which] I feel is fundamental to learning to draw,” Kelly said.

For any starting artist, Kelly suggests traditional art can be a good way to go. It allows for you to learn a basis of how to draw and it transfers to digital art well.

“Pros [of traditional art] would definitely be foundational skills building things like common vocabulary with the elements and principles of Art and Design,” art teacher Ms. Regina Iannello said.

Some artists, however, are fearing that their art may be replaced by AI.

“What I think is missing, is [that] with AI, it’s not art, it’s imaging,” Kelly said. “And because of that, people

Opinion: Hobbies are not a waste of time

In a culture that prioritizes productivity, hobbies are often dismissed – but their value may be greater than what is perceived.

Siya Goindi ’29 Reporter

Most of us aren’t living a life; we are managing a schedule.

We often treat our hobbies like a guilty pleasure, not just because they can be embarrassing, but because they are deemed ‘unproductive’ by society.

Let’s say you go to school for seven hours, come home, make yourself something to eat, take a nap, and then work on the painting you’ve carefully curated for the last few months, adding minor details as you go.

Just as the colors begin to swirl on the canvas, and the layout starts falling into place, you stop. Your Odyssey essay is due in three hours. All of a sudden your mood completely shifts. Now you’re thinking about Odysseus’ adventures, and you forget your own. Just like that, the painting is now secondary to the English work waiting to be completed.

Biologically, all animals have “work,” whether it be an adult working a nine to five job,

a freshman struggling with geometry homework, or a lion hunting its next meal.

Unlike work, a hobby doesn’t have an external product. A hobby’s value is in the act itself, like an “experience.”

“In school, I do Science Olympiad, Art club sometimes, and Jabberwocky… I did it because my friends did it, and then I really enjoyed it, so I just continued,” freshman Chanel Courtman said.

Social connection is often the reason students are motivated to join so many clubs. It provides a sense of belonging, allowing them to do something they are passionate about while meeting new people.

“For clubs like Science Olympiad, I just did it because my friends did it, and I really enjoyed it, so I continued… because of how long I’ve been doing it, you can’t really stop,” Courtman added.

The reason people pursue hobbies isn’t always clear, but it highlights a key distinction between hobbies and work.

Humans have a reason to do work, like financial compensation, but hobbies offer from internal benefits that cannot really be “seen”.

This idea connects to Aristotle’s belief that who you

have begun to focus more on conceptual art. But what’s really important is being able to take that step in creating.”

When starting art, it’s important to figure out which art form is best for you.

“I am a big proponent of trying a little bit of everything and seeing what you like before you make any rash decisions,”

Iannello said. “You may think you don’t like graphic design or digital art, but unless you’ve really tried it and explored it in depth, it’s kind of hard to say if you [don’t] even know what it entails.”

For artists, the beginning can be tough. The hardest part of art is often getting started and having the motivation to keep going.

“Keep trying. There’s a lot of advice out there [to] just keep practicing, and it really is just going down to keep practicing. But more than that, take a break if you need to,” Kelly said. No matter which art form you choose, taking the first step is the most important.

“Don’t get mad at yourself if the vision in your head isn’t what’s on paper, because what’s important is that there’s something on paper at all,” Kelly said. “It’s taking that step to putting something onto the paper, and being able to do that is what makes you an artist.”*

“The leniency of digital art is wonderful,

but the reason I feel like you should start with traditional art is because it’s a harsh master.

Lyla Kelly

’27

are is best defined by what you do in leisure time rather than by work or career. He argued that Eudaimonia (Human flourishing) is achieved through one’s hobbies, activities that don’t have an external product like work but rather, a pursuit of skill. However, our modern day lives are curated around productivity, and balance is not easily achieved.

People cycle through hobbies for a multitude of reasons. A study by the University of East Anglia reports that humans can turn hobbies into a form of work called “leisure crafting.” It examines how people are increasingly using free time to serve work-like goals such as creativity or performance benchmarks

This highlights a modern shift where hobbies are no longer purely a form of relaxation. Sociological research suggests that hobbies feel less like hobbies because they are viewed as “a waste of time” unless they build toward a larger goal.

Stress is another factor because it affects the levels of motivation people have. Within the busy schedule we build for ourselves, maintaining a balance is necessary, or else hobbies begin to feel irrelevant.

“A lot of my hobbies are low effort because I don’t want to

CYCLING THROUGH HOBBIES • A collection that represents many hobbies of the author and her brother over the years. PHOTO: SIYA GOINDI

think about them while I’m doing it. I feel like hobbies should be low stress… Why would you want to do more stuff to stress yourself out?”

Courtman said.

In a high-maintenance schedule where completing work already feels overwhelming, adding more activities is unnecessary.

As a result, people shift towards hobbies that require less commitment.

“I like to do swimming, a lot of art, and like musical theater…I plan for four more years [for swimming]. For art, since it’s just like paper and a pencil, I’d probably be doing it my entire life,” freshman Zoe Zhang said.

Time management plays a major role in whether hobbies survive a busy agenda.

“If I did my time management correctly, I would have more than enough time. But I love taking naps and I waste a lot of my time on that. With school and everything, I would be able to pursue my hobbies on the weekdays and mostly on the weekends,” Courtman said.

For Courtman, the barrier isn’t necessarily interest, but rather organization. Teenagers can get lost in their own plans.

Hobbies don’t always lead to awards or careers and they don’t always have to build towards something bigger. Sometimes it can feel like life revolves around productivity, but not everything meaningful needs to be measured that way. Even with the pressure to utilize every hour, hobbies are not a waste of time.

They remind us that time does not always need to be earned to be “worth it.”*

Into the multilingual multiverse

Language is the ultimate tool for multicultural kids growing up in America.

Fiona Seale ’28 Opinions Editor

My mother was born and raised in Tianjin, China. She came to the U.S as a teenager, overwhelmed with the differences in American schools, pop culture, and struggling to fit in, all while tackling the beast of all beasts: English. Now, it’s the only language her daughter knows.

As a kid, I took Chinese classes every Sunday, but nothing ever really stuck. My mom never spoke Chinese at home, and I dreaded writing my characters over and over again as she scolded me for not being able to pronounce the tones correctly. As my hopes of fluency in Chinese faded further and further away, so did my connection with my culture and family. I mean, sure — I eat dumplings on Chinese New Year, but that’s pretty much it.

My relationship with my cultural identity all came to a head when my family and I traveled to China for the first time last summer. We visited the rural village where my extended family lived, and my grandma had grown up, but I couldn’t communicate with them, and my great uncles and aunts, who had been waiting for years to meet me, could only pinch at my cheeks while I muttered “Ni Hao,” over and over again.

Living in America in a predominantly white area, in a predominantly white school, with predominantly white friends, and a completely white

father means I have little to no connection with my culture, and without language, without communication and words, I have nothing.

For multicultural kids growing up in America, being fluent in your family’s native language means everything.

Like my mom, senior Guixin Zhang moved to America from China her sophomore year. The Chinese language has helped her find community within Haven.

“I think it’s easier for me to make friends with people who know how to speak Chinese because we’ll have similar cultural experiences,” Zhang said. “Even if they’re Americanborn Chinese, they still live in a Chinese family, and they celebrate Chinese traditions. It’s hard to be really close friends with Americans, because of different cultures — we watch different dramas, and there’s much less common topics that we can talk about.”

Knowing your cultural language can help you connect with peers who might share similar experiences with you, who might understand what it’s like to grow up in an Asian family more than your white friends would. It’s important to be friends with people who are different from you, but having friends who share some of your experiences can be a cultural tether for teens growing up disconnected from their heritage.

Sophomore Daisy Sanchez was born in America. She and her siblings grew up learning Spanish and English at the same time. Unlike Zhang, Sanchez notices a lack of Hispanic peers at Haven, however her fluency in Spanish allows her to find

community outside of school.

“Especially at this school, I haven’t really met any Hispanic people. It’s sometimes rare to speak to people my age in Spanish,” Sanchez said. “With my family, we got lucky enough to live near a Cuban family. We have dinners with them, and that’s honestly, really amazing because they’re the only people in our neighborhood who speak Spanish.”

Even if your parents didn’t raise you in their language, if it’s important to you, it’s never too late to learn something new. Studies show that learning languages increases intelligence.

Half-Greek sophomore Efthalia Reo takes Greek language lessons twice a week to stay up to date. If remaining connected to your culture matters to you, all you need to do is put in the effort.

While language is an effective way to develop your cultural identity in America, if you’re like me and that ship has sailed, don’t be discouraged.

There are plenty of ways to get involved with the cultural community around you. At times, it may seem scarce, but opportunities are hiding in plain sight. I feel closer to my culture by simply accompanying my mom to the Asian market on weekends to buy ingredients for dinner. Little things like buying red envelopes for each other on holidays make all the difference.

“I go to St. George’s Orthodox Church, and there is a big Greek community there, where there’s Greek dancing and a lot of Easter traditions. So yeah, there’s definitely a community around here,” Reo said.

So, as a PSA to all the mixed kids who don’t know

PRIORITIES • ILLUSTRATION: JOSIE WIELAND

It’s important to be friends with people who are different from you, but having friends who share some of your experiences can be a cultural tether for teens growing up disconnected from their heritage.

their parents’ language, have completely adopted American culture, and maybe don’t enjoy their cultural food as much as they should: you don’t have to feel guilty, and you aren’t alone.

However, I do encourage you to prioritize learning your language as much as you can, even if it’s too late for fluency. Try learning a few phrases that’ll impress your grandparents, try humming a song in a different language while you’re washing dishes or folding clothes — it makes all the difference.

“If you’re in an area where you can’t really show your kids their culture as much as you would like, giving them that base of knowing their language is really good for them,” Sanchez said.*

Shared love of music builds community

Music should connect all of us, and to say someone has bad taste only creates division.

Kaitlyn

Ho ’26 Editor-in-Chief

Let me set the scene. It’s late at night, and I’m doing homework I should have started way earlier.

After a certain hour, I start needing music in the background to stay awake and make me feel less lonely, so I found a playlist on YouTube titled ‘everything is going to be alright.’

In the comment section, I found a shared sense of community. Here are some of the comments:

“Been feeling so lost and confused lately, like I’ve

forgotten who I was and whoever I wanted to be. I’ve faltered from my duties and I don’t even know what I really want. But i really needed to hear this”

“With everything happening in our world, it feels impossible to hope for better days, but this human heart is just so stupid that we all still hope for them. I hope it gets better.”

“trust me guys it gets better. i just beat cancer”

My first instinct was to think that it was melodramatic to put all your issues out there for strangers to see. Also, I didn’t even like some of the songs on the playlist, and they certainly didn’t draw feelings of excessive compassion out of me.

But when I went back to my work, I couldn’t stop replaying those heartfelt messages in my head. What power did this random playlist have, that it

In the chaos of the world right now, the sanctuary music provides is unmatched.

could make thousands of people confess their deepest fears and problems on the internet and receive kindness from total strangers?

It’s a power that many people felt when Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show spotlighted how unifying music can be. The Super Bowl is the mostwatched annual sporting event in the United States, and he used that platform to elevate every American, especially in his hometown of Puerto Rico.

You can dislike Bad Bunny’s

music in the same way I initially disliked the YouTube playlist I found. But you should still be able to appreciate how wonderful it is that people who do enjoy that music were able to come together because of it.

Out of all the mass-produced media out there, music is a safe place for people to share their lives. In the chaos of the world right now, the sanctuary music provides is unmatched.

If music is the great equalizer, judging people’s music taste does the opposite. When people like music, they become part of a community of fans. While it’s okay to have your own opinions on music, criticizing someone’s music taste just because it’s different from your own obliterates their sense of comfort in that community — now it’s something they feel judged for.

Criticizing the craft or quality of the music is fine, but it’s shaming the listener where I draw the line. After all, music taste is deeply personal for many people, to the point where it has become an indicator of personality, according to a study from the University of Cambridge.

I hope there are more microcosms like that playlist out there, where people aren’t judged for their circumstances. Music has the power to create that space, no matter the instrumentation, the genre, or lyrics.

It’s a universal feeling to want to be loved, and we want someone to be there for us when we’re down. Everybody needs something to tell us that everything is going to be alright.*

HEALTH & SCIENCES

‘Winter fatigue’ strikes Haven, weighs on student productivity

This widespread phenomenon actually has a scientific explanation.

Darcey Strachan ’28 Haven Happenings Editor

Emerging from his burrow on Feb. 2, the famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil was met with a dark shadow cast below him, indicating six more weeks of winter. While some may enjoy this possibility of further snow, other people continue to feel the negative effects of the season.

For many students, wintertime is one of the hardest parts of the year. Days can feel long, cold, and boring. What seems like a simple assignment in the fall and spring may become the most grueling task in the winter. Overall, many students just feel lazy and heavy, lacking the motivation to complete schoolwork and study for tests.

While some may attribute this loss of energy and motivation to exhaustion from a long semester, it can actually be explained by science.

According to an article by Live Science, a disruption of your body’s natural hormones in the winter can lower energy levels. Melatonin is a hormone that is produced in response to darkness and creates feelings of sleepiness. Humans’ pineal gland produces more melatonin in the winter because the sun rises later and sets earlier, making you feel less energized and motivated.

The decrease in sunlight

doesn’t just affect motivation by altering hormones, but also by disrupting our body’s circadian rhythm, which is human’s internal 24-hour clock that regulates our physiological functions such as our sleepwake cycle.

“Naturally, our bodies, as humans, with our circadian rhythm are like: when it’s dark we get tired, that’s when we’re supposed to sleep,” counselor Mrs. Dani Lyons said. “So it makes sense that we wouldn’t want to do things when it’s dark.”

Winter can also cause mood changes: some people encounter a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD can worsen mood and cause overwhelming sadness, which may be the source of some people’s lethargy.

On top of this, cold weather deters most people from exercising, which is an important activity shown to boost energy levels, mental health, and sleep according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“I like to go on walks, and it makes me better at thinking about things, and then I end my walk with more motivation,”

sophomore Coco Sauve said. “But then in the winter when I can’t go on walks because it’s so cold, I feel trapped and I feel like I am not able to do anything.”

For students like Sauve, winter halts the activities that are motivating and enjoyable to them.

”For me, a big thing is that it’s the off season for my two main sports,” sophomore Mae Valcich

said. “So it’s hard for me to find motivation, because there are less things that are important to me happening at that time.”

Winter can also be a very slow, boring time of the year. Students tend to have less social activities as compared to the warm months, giving them less motivation and things to look forward to outside of work.

“I think that my motivation in school is also affected by my life outside of school,” junior Shannon Murphy said. “And in the winter, I’m a lot less social, and I do a lot less things, which makes it hard to stay motivated,”For students feeling unmotivated, finding a productive routine that works for them can counteract some of the laziness that winter manifests.

“I try to go to the gym, and then also stay active within the school by joining a lot of clubs,” sophomore Jane Allsman said. “Also I run into a track with [Valcich] and that sets up my afternoon so I don’t just go home and lie in my bed instead.”

Although this time of year can be hard and schoolwork can seem daunting and neverending, winter doesn’t last forever. Lyons emphasizes the importance of giving yourself grace and recognizing that there is science behind your current laziness.

“Nothing in nature blooms all year. Like, even the trees don’t have leaves right now, right? They’re taking a break,” Lyons said. “It’s okay. It’s not normal to be motivated all the time.”*

How does winter affect motivation?

Students are finding it harder than ever to stay on top of their schoolwork as the days get shorter and the blankets get fluffy. Here’s how the winter months are hitting Haven students’ motivations.

Damini Mydur ’29 Reporter

“The winter makes me more locked in. I feel like I deal really badly with the heat. During the heat, I just collapse and flop around. So during the winter, I feel cold enough, and the cold just makes me feel more energized and it just helps me get stuff done.”

“It doesn’t help that we’re around a lot of family, so it’s a lot more chaos, but there’s usually always some form of social problem in the winter. It definitely affects my motivation towards working.”

“My motivation seems to sort of decrease a little. I feel like when it’s cold, I usually cozy up in my couch, in the bed, wherever, and then that’s usually where I do my work, because it is nice and warm. But unfortunately, when I’m cozy, that means I fall asleep, and then that means I don’t get my work done.”

“I feel like you can just see [seasonal depression] everywhere. I think it’s because the weather just gets so gloomy, and I just feel so unmotivated to do work sometimes, especially with winter break, when that comes up, I feel like everybody just lets loose.”*

Students in Science: Senior explores environmental science

Senior Eme Choi has spent high school exploring her interest in environmental science.

Lavanya Dixit ’27 Health and Sciences Editor

Whether testing water quality or performing a dissection, senior Eme Choi’s love for environmental science is unwavering. By attending a variety of camps and taking full advantage of the courses and opportunities at Haven, Choi has forged a path for herself in the environmental science field.

Outside of school, Choi participated in Wildlife Leadership Academy, a weeklong summer sleepaway program in Central Pennsylvania.

“We did a really deep dive into studying brook trout, which is a native species in Pennsylvania,” Choi said. “We visited a fishery, we took some water quality tests, and we did dissections. It

was a lot of hands-on stuff that we don’t get to do at the high school.”

Choi also attended the Environmental Leaders Academy, which further developed her interest.

“This was more like an abroad environmental science exploration,” Choi said. “We had a nature photographer talk to us and someone who makes environmental films, as well, which is really cool.”

Choi finds that there were many opportunities to explore her interests at Haven as well. Notably, taking Environmental Science her freshman year fostered Choi’s love for the subject.

“I actually really liked that freshman year environmental science class,” Choi said. “It was partially the experience in the pond, going out to the pond and doing those experiments, that really got me into this field. I think it was because I took that course that I’m interested in it now.”

With the initial exposure to environmental science, Choi went on to take AP Environmental Science. She finds that the field trips in the curriculum fascinated her. Science teacher Ms. Kathleen

Freeman explains that the AP Environmental Science class attends a variety of field trips to gain exposure to different fields.

From Rushton Farm and John Heines National Wildlife Refuge to a wastewater treatment plant, students are able to see first hand what a field career may look like.

“Eme is one of those people that just lights up when they get to apply their learning to something,” Freeman said. “She was always the first person in a stream or the pond or the first person to get dirty. I consider her to be the field guru of the environmental science world.”

In addition to environmental science classes, Choi was able to continue her exploration of environmental science in other classes, such as history and AP Seminar.

“I feel like teachers give ample opportunity to research things that interest you, even if it’s not the subject,” Choi said. “For history, there was one year that I studied the housing crisis on

climate migrants, because with low rising sea levels, their homes are getting flooded… And, AP Seminar is just completely open. I studied carbon sequestration for that.”

In college, Choi plans to pursue a double major in environmental science and English. She hopes to be able to conduct research as well.

“Don’t limit yourself to choosing between STEM and humanities, because there’s definitely intersections between them,” Choi said “One of the biggest parts of environmental science is outreach and policy, which are all humanities.”

“The two worlds don’t exist in separation… Strath Haven High School allows you to explore what you want to in your classes, so take the advantage to do that whenever you can,” she said.*

Looking behind the lunch line

Find out where WSSD sources its cafeteria food, and how staff provides key nutrition for students districtwide.

Adrian Gonzalez-Diaz ’29 Reporter

Every school day, hundreds of students stroll through the cafeteria line and pick up their lunch. Pizza slices, salads, fruit cups, and sandwiches appear neatly arranged, ready to eat.

Behind every tray is a journey that begins long before the food reaches our school, and even though many students and families care about having good nutrition, most do not know where the food we consume everyday comes from or what happens behind the kitchen door.

According to Director of Food and Nutrition for WSSD, Ms. Kate Rittler, the district’s main food vendor is a company called Performance Food Services.

This company, according to its website, is one of the largest food service distributors in the nation. The district gets all their dry food products from the company, including rice, pasta, beans, and snacks.

For other fresh products, such as bread, fruits, and vegetables, the district relies on more local sources.

“We get all of our bread from Morabito Baking Company,” Rittler said. “They are located in Norristown. So we get that three times a week. It’s all fresh, made, and delivered around 5:00 a.m. We use Gentile’s Produce for all of your fresh produce. This is a grocery store that is also right down the road.”

Morabito Baking Company is a fourth-generation familyrun business that has been servicing the area since 1932. Their website highlights: “Bread

“

I try to balance chicken versus beef, pork, or fish I try to make sure that we also have different proteins for our main dish versus our alternates. I also think about student favorites. So, in our breakfast for lunch, we always have tater tots.

Ms. Kate Rittler Director of Food and Nutrition

is baked fresh daily, with each product’s formulations tailored specifically to our customers’ requirements. We take great pride in our unsurpassed quality products and great customer service.”

Gentile’s Produce is also a local, family-owned and operated market. Located in Newtown Square, it has been servicing the tri-state area for over 50 years. The market provides a complete line of fresh fruits and vegetables.

“Gentile’s allows the customer to pick the freshest produce brought in from local, national, and international farms,” Rittler said. “Gentile’s Market receives daily deliveries to ensure that they are providing customers with the freshest hand-selected fruits and vegetables.”

Using ingredients from these sources, Rittler designs the menu for the entire school district. She explains that, when

putting together the monthly menu, she has a lot of elements to consider.

“I try to balance chicken versus beef, pork, or fish,” Rittler said. “I try to make sure that we also have different proteins for our main dish versus our alternates. I also think about student favorites. So, in our breakfast for lunch, we always have tater tots.”

Having a varied diet with fresh products for students is very important for maintaining good health and well-being. Beyond the cafeteria’s efforts to offer a menu with fresh and local products, Haven is invested in promoting good, balanced nutrition among students.

Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Ms. Markell Reid developed a new elective course on Nutrition and Food Science that launched in the 2024-2025 school year.

Reid, who studied nutrition in college, is a registered dietitian nutritionist with experience working with young children in clinical pediatric hospitals. Now, as a high school teacher, she wants to help teens learn more about nutrition.

“It is important to have a positive relationship with food, which I think a lot of teens struggle with, especially since social media is such a big thing,” Reid said. “Having a basic knowledge of nutrition is good to move forward in life, and a good relationship means considering everything in moderation.”

In addition to considering the general nutritional requirements and offering a balanced diet for the entire school, Rittler explains that she also has to consider the special dietary needs and restrictions of some students.

Rather than offering a variety of menus for everybody, such as vegan or vegetarian, she needs to evaluate students’ needs individually, in accordance with USDA requirements. If a

What is your favorite school lunch item?

Students share their favorite cafeteria food and why

student has a certain restriction, they need to fill out a form approved by a doctor.

“For these students, I make a specialty menu every single month, based on their needs, and then they basically order through that,” Rittler said. “We make sure we have it ready for them when our lunch comes around.”

But what is the perspective from the student body at Haven? Despite the school’s and district’s efforts to create balanced menus with fresh products, many students are not familiar with how the food is chosen or the origin of what they eat.

Freshman Ari Danovitch recognizes the healthy options the cafeteria provides, but still finds limitations in the options.

“I don’t really think the school offers a completely balanced diet. There are limited fruit options in comparison to the amount of snacks they offer,” Danovitch said.

While the everyday menu cannot accommodate everybody’s preferences, it is important to recognize that students have options and can strive to make better choices regarding health “I think you guys have more options now,” Reid said. “You have a salad bar, which is fresh food, and all other options. Ten years ago, I think we had only two areas we could choose from.”*

“Popsicles.

Mythbusters: How cold weather affects sickness

As winter rolls around, the flu season and many other sicknesses appear, but is it the cold weather itself that causes this?

Izzy Boland ’29 Reporter

When walking down the hallway during the winter months, it is common to hear someone coughing or to hear an occasional sneeze and the apology that quickly follows. After all, the winter months often bring higher rates of illness.

Diseases and sicknesses come from pathogens, infectious agents that can cause disease. There are multiple factors that help pathogens spread: the state of one’s immune system, airflow, and proximity.

Cold weather weakens the immune system, which fights off pathogens. According to science teacher Mr. Timothy Styer, the immune system is vulnerable to changes, no matter the size.

Styer offers advice to help during these immune vulnerabilities.

“Try and maintain a good daily habit, because if you change a lot of things, a lot of times... It just makes you more vulnerable,” he said.

The body also has normal responses to the cold that can increase the risk of sickness.

To try to preserve body heat, the body narrows its blood vessels in a process called vasoconstriction. According to ScienceAlert, vasoconstriction makes it harder for the heart to pump blood around the body,

“

It’s

not necessarily the cold weather,

more the time

we

it’s

are spending is longer and longer inside and exposed to each other.

Ms. Sarah Fleming School

Nurse

and reduces blood flow. In areas near airways and the nose, reduced blood flow can weaken the defenses of the immune system.

Another factor of the cold that increases the chance of getting sick is the dry air. Air is less humid in the winter, especially in rooms being heated.

Science teacher Ms. Katie Shepard points to the increased amount of water that can be held in the air during the winter.

“We expel water droplets, and in those water droplets are the pathogens, the viruses or bacteria,” Shepard said.

Shepard pointed out that when the air is dry, the water droplets are very small, and they can hang in the air for a much longer time than they can in the summer.

“If they’re hanging in the air for a much longer time, it’s a higher likelihood that we’re walking

through breathing in these water droplets that are in the air,” she said.

Not only does the dry air allow pathogens to hang in the air, but it also takes moisture away from the nose and the throat. According to Hartford HealthCare, when these passages are dry, it makes it harder for the body to trap and get rid of pathogens, making people more susceptible to sickness.

The rise of sickness is also because the cold pushes people indoors, putting them in close proximity to one another.

“The main issue is when the weather turns cold, people spend more time congregated indoors and are more exposed to illnesses,” school nurse Ms. Sarah Fleming said. “That way, it’s not necessarily the cold weather, it’s more the time we are spending is longer and longer inside and exposed to each other.”

It’s important to stay safe during the winter. There is a tremendous amount of research supporting the significance of just washing your hands.

It’s also important to spend time recovering from being sick. Not resting will worsen the effects of the sickness, and it can result in pathogens being spread to other people.

“If you’re sick, [stay] home and actually [recover] so that you’re not coming in and spreading your illness to potentially other people,” Fleming said.*

Students navigate sickness, flu season

In the midst of flu season, students reflect on what habits keep them healthy.

Lavanya

Dixit ’27

Health and Sciences Editor

Emily Zhang ’27

“I [get] the flu shots every year, and I also carry around hand sanitizer with me, just in case. Before I eat, I always use hand sanitizer. I also make sure to get a lot of sleep if I do fall sick.”

“Whenever I get sick I ignore it for as long as possible and take as much DayQuil, NyQil, Advil, and Tylenol [as I need] and go to school every day. You just can’t skip school because even if you stay home from school, you still spend that same amount of time catching up on schoolwork at home. During the flu season, I also take Vitamin C.”

Immune boosting supplements cause controversy

Immune boosting supplements are glorified, but do they live up to the hype?

Lavanya Dixit ’27 Health and Sciences Editor

From vitamin A to zinc, the human body requires certain amounts of vitamins and minerals in order to function properly. Usually, these vitamins and minerals are gained through balanced, healthy diets. However, an increasing amount of immune boosting supplements have been developed to supplement diets.

Immune boosting supplements are marketed as support for the immune system. The goal is to provide essential nutrients to the body.

Vitamin C is the most popular immune boosting supplement. It is taken to reduce severity of colds, and research finds that it is good for decongesting. However, the success of vitamin C supplements is still arbitrary.

“People think ‘Oh, well I’ll just take vitamin C if I’m going on a trip,’” school nurse Ms. Jennifer O’Berg said. “It helps boost [vitamin C] up to maybe make you a little bit more within range, but it doesn’t really help if you’re not deficient.”

The lack of research on the success of these boosters makes people more critical of their proclaimed benefits.

“We hear of some students using them, and we’re always a little bit leery, because they’re not FDA regulated, and any kind of supplementation should only be done under the direct supervision of the doctor,”

school nurse Ms. Sarah Fleming said.

Ignoring such regulations can be damaging, which is why taking these supplements can be dangerous.

“Any time you take too much of something, you can have long lasting side effects from that,” O’Berg said. “We know certain boosting things can cause toxicity when taken in large amounts for a long period of time.”

The fear of toxicity is especially relevant to teenagers.

“A teenager concerns me, number one, because they’re often not following the

recommendations on how to take it safely,” Fleming said.

“And number two, your bodies are still growing and developing and we don’t know necessarily what impact [boosters] are going to have on a body that’s not fully developed yet.”

The gap in research, specifically looking at the impact of boosters on teenagers, is concerning.

Yet, many immune boosting supplements specifically target teenagers and young adults.

Social media marketing impacts these groups.

“I think there are a lot of kids trying to take things to better their health,” junior Laney Suh said. “I think there’s been an increase because of social media. On the algorithms, like on TikTok... they promote boosters and [students] probably think it’s good for them.”

Fleming and O’Berg emphasize the importance of remembering basic and true health practices in order to stay healthy. It is important to understand that supplements are not a replacement for vaccination or a healthy diet, as

“I wash my hands a lot during flu season. When I do get sick, I just try to get a lot of rest. One time, I had strep throat and the flu at the same time, and it was really hard for me to deal with it. I did take a lot of medicine and it was really weird because the medicine had a lot of bad side effects. So, sometimes it can be overwhelming.”

“During the sick season I do take a Suja shot once in a while and I drink vitamin C emergency every dinner. And, I haven’t been sick in two years so I think it works.”

“I think there’s been an increase because of social media. On the algorithms... they promote boosters and [students] probably think it’s good for them.

Laney Suh ’27

these seemingly simple habits are the most beneficial.

“I think supplements have their place, but I think the majority of your immune boosting can be done through other health practices that have been proven,” Fleming said. “Sleep, good nutrition, whole food nutrition, exercise. Those are also things that boost our immunity rather than just taking a drink of something.” *

Haven’s female athletes face ACL tear epidemic

The devastating knee injury affects women at an alarmingly high rate.

Fiona Seale

Opinions Editor

’28

Sophomore and soccer and basketball player

Maddie Fanning was racing towards the goal during a playoff game.

As she tried to avoid the goalie, she planted one foot in the turf and attempted to pivot. Her knee twisted in the opposite direction as she heard that devastating pop many female athletes know all too well.

Junior Leah Moretti heard that sound when she went down on the field during a club soccer game her freshman year.

The feeling of getting injured is fresh in sophomore Elizabeth Whitehead’s memory from when she had to be carried off the turf during field hockey practice on the second day of school.

Sophomore field hockey player

Gisele Detweiler and Helena Kaufman ‘25 went through similar experiences as well.

All of these athletes received the same gut-wrenching news. They’d torn their anterior cruciate ligament, or their ACL — a vital knee ligament that connects the femur and tibia. If an athlete hopes to play their sport again, the injury requires surgery and about nine months to completely heal.

Odds stacked by gender

Research shows that female athletes are two to eight times more likely to sustain an ACL injury than men in comparable sports like basketball and soccer. Recently this phenomenon has been growing rapidly out of control.

College basketball stars Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd tore their ACLs during the 20222023 season, taking them out for the remainder. Just a week prior to the 2026 Winter Olympics, decorated American skier Lindsey Vonn announced she had fully torn her ACL, although she opted to compete in the Olympics anyway.

So why are women so much more prone to an ACL injury?

Northwestern medicine reports that a woman’s wider hip and pelvis structure and “knockkneed” leg alignment, altering the position of the knee ligaments, increases the chances for an ACL tear when pivoting, jumping, or landing.

In a Johns Hopkins Med Q&A, sports medicine specialist Dr. Andre Costera blamed the general looseness of the female knee joints and lack of muscle mass surrounding the ACL compared to men.

There are so many factors

involved that it feels like female athletes have all the odds stacked against them. Haven athletic trainer Dan Walsh points out a connection to female hormones.

“As you’re going through your menstrual cycle, hormones ebb and flow,” Walsh said. “When the hormone levels of estrogen and reflexion go down, the ligaments become more pliable, more elastic. If they’re put under stress during an athletic activity, and the conditions are right, when you really crank on it, if those levels are low, they’re more likely to tear.”

Female susceptibility to ACL tears could also have something to do with disparities in early training tactics, like differences in how girls and boys are taught to jump and land, and which muscle developments are emphasized.

“It’s definitely a higher injury rate, and a lot of that can be attributed to differences in anatomy and training,” Chief of Yale Sports Medicine, ACL surgery specialist, and former physician for the men and women U.S soccer teams Dr. Christina Allen said in an NPR interview. “As women grow up, anatomical differences include different quad-tohamstring ratios — women tend to be more quad-dominant… There’s historically been less emphasis on core strengthening, proprioception, and agility work. That’s improving over time.”

Local orthopedic physical therapist Craig Fava also notes that overworked and tired athletes are also more likely to be injured. Moretti noted that she was playing on multiple soccer teams when she tore her ACL in 2024.

“A definite variable is the lack of seasons when you play the same sport all year long, especially when you turn 14 or so, there’s not as many breaks,” Fava said. “Maybe two teams, three teams at a time, the same kind of running, jumping and pivoting, there’s more chance of injury because you’re doing more. That’s why, a lot of times they happen later in the season.”

The discipline to recover

Although ACL injuries have become increasingly common, they are far more serious than something like an ankle sprain. Patients must journey through nine months of disciplined PT, all while unable to play their sports.

Moretti, who tore her ACL her freshman year in a club soccer game had to watch from the sidelines as the Haven girls soccer team won the state championship last year.

“You want your team to succeed, but also it’s like, damn, you want to be out there,” she said. “So it’s definitely a

“

Getting injured so early in the season was so impactful to me. I’ve got to watch all my teammates do so well, and it’s always hard to watch someone else replace you on the field.

Elizabeth Whitehead ’28

complicated emotion.”

Moretti got good advice from a teammate from a different school: “Really try to be the loudest on the bench, and try to still involve yourself, because it’s hard.”

When dealing with any sports injury, the mental battle can be just as tough or even tougher than the physical one.

“I was just really excited going into this year, it was going to be my year, right?” Whitehead said. “Getting injured so early in the season was so impactful to me. I’ve got to watch all my teammates do so well, and it’s always hard to watch someone else replace you on the field. By the end of season, I was like, ‘Am I really missed?’”

“

You want your team to succeed, but also it’s like, damn, you want to be out there. So it’s definitely a complicated emotion.

Leah Moretti ’27

For many serious high school athletes, not being on the field feels like the end of the world. However, athletes who have been injured can come out mentally and emotionally tougher; the strongest athletes find ways to be hopeful, impactful, and productive even while incapacitated.

“I could look at it two ways, I could be disappointed with it, or I could start moving forward,”

Fanning said. “So at PT I work hard, every day. I would make sure to stay in contact with my teammates and coaches, take notes, jot everything down so

I could better my IQ, and even though I was hurt, I could still make an impact with my team.”

Finding support and community

The prevalence of the injury ensures every athlete going through it has somebody to lean on. A community is built between girls who know what it’s like, and the road to recovery becomes that much easier.

Moretti recalls a club soccer teammate at another high school who had also torn her ACL that helped her throughout her recovery.

“When Maddie [Fanning] tore hers I tried to be that person that my soccer teammate was for me,”

Moretti said. “Texting her on the day of her surgery, or trying to give any advice especially when you’re on crutches at the beginning because it’s really painful, honestly even going to the bathroom was hard.

My parents talked to Maddie’s parents, like ‘this is what Leah did for PT.’ My mom was always texting Maddie’s mom trying to give her advice about what to do.”

With support from doctors, physical therapists, family, friends, and teammates, athletes impacted by ACL injuries can make full recoveries and continue playing their sport at the same or similar level. Athletes know that the transition can be hard, but that it’s important to stay positive and understand that bouncing back will take time.

“You have to prepare yourself for what’s going to happen when you first step on the court or field,” Fanning said. “You’re not going to be 100% right away,

and that’s fine, and when you do go back, just kill everyone.” Moretti just concluded her season with the varsity basketball squad, and her injury did not define her.

“I feel like I don’t even notice my injury, it doesn’t affect me. Versus before, I could feel a little bit slower, mentally scared to tackle sometimes, but now I don’t,” Moretti said.

Even though many Haven athletes will make a swift recovery, the female ACL epidemic is not going away anytime soon.

According to Fava, ACL tears have always been an issue. He notes that he’s typically had two or three ACL patients at any given time throughout his career. It’s possible this statistic has always existed, and indepth research being conducted on women’s sports is a recent development.

Pre-game or practice warmup programs like FIFA 11, designed to help youth soccer players prevent ACL injuries, have become more prevalent recently, as Fanning and Moretti mention, following the program sometimes.

For girls who are currently going through an ACL injury, Fava emphasizes that there are people out there who know what it’s like, and you are never alone.

“Almost always when you’re going through something like that, there’s somebody else, either in the clinic or a friend or an older student that’s been through it,” Fava said. “There’s a lot of camaraderie, it’s almost like a club.”*

Athlete of the Issue: Freshman demonstrates enthusiasm, resilience through dance

Freshman Sydney Hall exhibits leadership, teamwork, and dedication while on the dance floor.

Rowan Brown ’29 Reporter

For some, dancing simply means moving your body along to music. But for freshman Sydney Hall, it’s a way of life.

Hall started dancing when she was seven years old. She found a role model in her then babysitter, Haven alumna Jenna Beucler ’19.

“Watching her at a young age was such a great inspiration to me,” Hall said. “I like to think I’m following in her footsteps of dance.”

From there she joined the Parkside Academy of Music and Dance. She is now a part of the competition team, Parkside Performing Arts Company.

Hall practices three styles of dance: tap, jazz, and ballet.

Although she enjoys dancing to tap the most, she especially loves being able to participate in The Nutcracker every year.

“I remember the second year I did it, I was a little reindeer who got to pull the sleigh that Clara and the Nutcracker are in at the end of the production,” Hall

“

She always has a good energy and a good vibe when she comes to dance. She’s just always so happy.”

Chloe Christianson ’29

said. “Looking back on that, it was just so cute. And now seeing the reindeer every year, I’m like, ‘How was I ever this small? they’re just so cute!’”

On top of dance practice twice a week with The Nutcracker rehearsal in the fall, Hall is also part of Dance Haven and the cast of the Haven musical, Alice by Heart.

“It’s usually difficult to have an off day, just where you can’t really do the things you normally can,” Hall said. “And it’s usually a struggle facing that.”

Around the studio, Hall is known for her upbeat attitude, encouraging nature, and skillful dance.

“She’s very joyful,” Hall’s

teammate and freshman Chloe Christianson said. “She always has a good energy and a good vibe when she comes to dance. She’s just always so happy.”

Sophomore Holly Cari has been dancing with Hall for years. To her, Hall is not only a teammate but also a friend.

Throughout the years, they have made memories not only in the studio, but also in the car.

“We would carpool to dance when we were younger, and we had this game called Neanderthals,” Cari said. “We had cards for it, but we started making up our own version. We’ve just been doing that in the car ever since.”

Hall’s favorite part is not the dancing itself, but the people.

“I just really love the community that dance has helped me find,” Hall said. “All the girls and all the teachers are just so supportive. It’s just really amazing that I can dance and just have fun and express myself.”*

Students compete in non-school sanctioned rowing clubs

From long commutes to hours on the water, Haven students discuss how their clubs affect them.

Kay Liberi ’27 Reporter

The Strath Haven Rowing Club was introduced decades ago as a chance for students to participate in a physically demanding sport with rich history and culture. However, the club was disbanded in 2021 due to a lack of funding, facilities, coaches, and participants.

Ever since, there has been debate surrounding whether or not the club should be reinstated, especially when taking into consideration rising college rowing commits.

Even though the decision to reinstate the club is unresolved, students agree that there are many benefits to participating in the sport even if it’s outside of Haven.

There are varying levels of competitiveness in rowing, spanning from members who are rowing for fun, to some who want to go D1 in university. Junior Delani Rose

has participated in rowing ever since seventh grade, and she dedicates around 14 hours a week to the sport.

“My team is pretty much my family,” Rose said. “I spend so much time around them, and it’s pretty bonding when you’re pushing yourself to your physical limits with somebody else.”

Junior Sennen Motsch, who started rowing last year during the winter season, had never done any sports before

she got involved in rowing at Whitemarsh Boat Club.

“Since I’ve never personally done a sport before, [I’ve learned about] teamwork, [and] meeting a bunch of people and learning how to work with them, while also being motivated,” Motsch said.

Rowing has unique physical demands when compared to other school-sanctioned sports, which can both present challenges, but also improve athleticism.

“There’s definitely a lot of strain on your body, like the muscles,” Rose said. “It’s very much a strength-endurance sport. So not just strength or just endurance, like both combined.”

Participating in a rowing club outside of Haven can build a sense of community and empower players to do their best work.

“[Rowing outside of Haven] broadens my horizons with girls from other schools,” Motsch said. “I know girls from all over the area where we were in in Conshohocken. But, there’s also girls who go to Radnor, Penncrest, and just a bunch of different school districts.”

Motsch sees some benefits to

having rowing as a club sport outside of Haven athletics even with challenges like a 40-minute commute to practice.

“I’d rather have a club kind of farther away [with] 40 girls from a bunch of different schools, rather than maybe 10 girls for not as good of a program,” she said. “It is such an expensive sport for five or 10 girls to be in just from one school.”

While their sport is not associated with Haven, students who participate in rowing dedicate countless hours to their clubs. From pushing the boundaries of their physical ability, to creating new ties with a community, rowing has an impact on Haven students.

“Sometimes within sports, it’s not more about the sports, but it’s about finding a family,” Athletic Director Lynelle Mosley, who has experience with a variety of sports as well working with the students at Haven, said.

“If you ever listen to a lot of sports, they all huddle up and they’re like, ‘123, family’. And I think that’s one of the biggest benefits of sports. It gives you a place to belong, and especially in this day and age, that’s sometimes life saving.”

If you or someone you know wants to get involved in rowing, there are many opportunities to participate in club outside of Haven. Conshohocken Rowing Center, Whitemarsh Boat Club, and BLJ Community Rowing offer various summer programs as well as initiatives during the school year to get students of all experiences involved in rowing.

“Rowing is one of those unique sports where you need [to learn to be part of a team],” Mosley said.” “Everyone needs to be on the same accord, and everyone needs to be doing the same thing… It teaches you how to work with others, how to make sure that you’re picking up your pace, you’re keeping up with your slack, and it puts even a little bit back on you to have some onus on yourself, because if you don’t do your part, then the next person can’t do their part.”

For Rose, the benefits of rowing relate to the positive culture of the team as well as the individual benefits of the sport.

“I love the feeling of how everything kind of fades away when you’re on the water, all your problems are left back on land,” she said.*

Review: ‘Marty Supreme’: Ping pong at its most fun

Forget everything you thought you knew about the world of athletes.

Rowan

Reporter

BBrown ’29

efore seeing “Marty Supreme” I would have bet $20 that you couldn’t make a beautiful, emotional, captivating, suspenseful, and genuinely funny movie about ping pong.

I guess I’m down $20. The story centers around Marty Mauser, a 23 year old from New York who is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his dream: become the table tennis world champion. He puts all he has into winning the English Open.

Confident that he will receive the tremendous amount of prize earnings, he borrows money from his family, buys luxurious hotel rooms, pays for people’s gourmet dinners, and more. But when it comes to the final rounds, he loses to Japanese player Koto Endo.

After the competition his life is in shambles. His reckless spending and overconfidence has not only put him on bad terms with his loved ones, but he has a $15,000 hotel charge that he assumed would be covered by his winnings. He has to figure out how to pay the fine in order to qualify for the World Championship. Whether that means theft, fraud, or

manipulation, Marty will play in that tournament.

At its roots, “Marty Supreme” is based loosely on a real person named Marty Reisman. He was a ping pong player and hustler in New York in the 1950s, much like the movie Marty. Reisman wrote a memoir in 1974 called “The Money Player,” which inspired the idea for the film. Although based on Reisman, “Marty Supreme” is a fictionalized original, rather than being exclusively about his life. The movie was released on December 25, 2025. Its unofficial companion novel, “Marty Supreme: The Unstoppable Rise of Marty Mauser” by Ken Fulton, was released in October. Marty is played by Timothée Chalamet, who is supported by other cast members like Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Tyler the Creator, and Koto Kawaguchi. The movie’s estimated budget was $70 million dollars. Domestically, it grossed over 80 million dollars, surpassing “Everything Everywhere All At Once” during the 2025 holiday season. In total, it grossed 100 million dollars worldwide.

In the 2026 award season “Marty Supreme” was a popular nominee. It was nominated for nine Oscars, eleven British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards, eight Critics Choice Awards (CCA), and three Golden Globes. It won one CCA and one Golden Globe,

along with countless other awards.

The only major flaw I found in this movie was its runtime.

If you are skeptical if you’d like the movie, I can see how the 2.5 hours sitting in a theatre could be a deterrent. However, to me, it didn’t feel any longer than any other movie I’d watch at home. If you get antsy in theatres I would definitely recommend taking breaks during the less exciting scenes.

The script was one of the strongest parts of the movie. It was fast paced, while still highlighting significant moments. It effectively told multiple stories at once, blending them together seamlessly. It portrayed not only strong, but realistic emotion. Pair this with beautiful line delivery, it made for a movie that feels relatable and natural.

Another rare achievement that I found in “Marty Supreme” was chemistry. Talented actors in a movie are important, but they are only great if they work well with others. The cast collaborated with each other, building real relationships to strengthen theirs on screen.

Not to mention, the humor in this movie felt genuine, unlike a lot of comedy cashgrabs that are being made today. The natural wit of the characters along with a touch of slapstick humor, added another layer to the movie, without overshadowing the more serious parts.

“Marty Supreme” was as beautiful visually as it was emotionally. The use of muted, warm colors gave an old feeling to the movie, accurately portraying

Opinion: DTmF (I should have taken more pictures) of Bad Bunny halftime show

Students reflect on the halftime show that celebrated unity, love, and Latin American pride.

Anabella Larin ’27 Reporter

When Bad Bunny took the stage at the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 8, he not only performed a set of chart-topping songs, but also amplified a message. Through his performance, Bad Bunny honored cultural pride and emphasized the importance of connection and love. For many students at Haven, his message of love stood out more than any controversy surrounding the show.

That theme appeared throughout his entire performance. From the jumbotron reading “The only thing more powerful than hate is love” to the final shot of Bad Bunny holding a football with the words “Together, we are America,” he made his intentions

unmistakable.

At the end of the show, he spoke his only English words of the night — “God bless America” — and then listed countries across North, Central, and South America, reinforcing the message of connection and unity. Although the Super Bowl is centered on U.S. teams and audiences, Bad Bunny used the stage to broaden the definition of “America.” By highlighting his Puerto Rican homeland — a U.S. territory — and its cultural influence, he reminded viewers that American identity extends beyond the continental United States.

Students said the performance went beyond the music.

“Although he could have taken his performance in a political direction, he was able to take the high road and just kind of preach love and care for everyone,”

junior Kasey O’Sullivan said. “That was really impressive to me.”

The show included many references that caught students’ attention and strengthened

the themes of pride and unity.

The appearance of the Puerto Rican toad, the sapo concho, referenced cultural identity and environmental concerns.

Visuals alluding to hurricanes acknowledges Puerto Rico’s recent hardships. Even a live wedding ceremony during the performance helped to echo his message of love.

“I really liked the wedding,” senior Vincent Dykes said. “That was their actual wedding. I read about this the day after, that they invited Bad Bunny to their wedding, and he couldn’t [go] because he was going to the Super Bowl. So he invited them to the Super Bowl.”

Junior Kara Siri said the moment Bad Bunny listed countries stood out most to her.

“He was representing the entirety of America, not just the U.S.,” Siri said. “When I heard him say Dominican Republic — because my dad’s from the Dominican — I was like ‘Wow, he’s really representing everyone here.’ And I thought that was cool.”

Siri added that the imagery felt

especially meaningful in today’s political and cultural climate.

“I thought the show was really impactful,” Siri said. “Saying how everyone — all these countries — are associated with America, I just thought it was really impactful and it was something that people needed to hear.”

For some viewers, the entirely Spanish setlist made the performance’s meaning harder to immediately grasp. However, others argued that the intangible emotion could be felt no matter what language you speak.

“I thought it was really, really entertaining. I didn’t really understand what he was talking

its setting of 1952. Talented Director of Photography, Darius Khondji, really tied this movie together with creative shots, stunning settings, and engaging visuals.

“Marty Supreme” portrays the beautiful, ugly truth behind what it means to chase your dreams.*

about, but I really enjoyed all the dancing, the performance, and the energy, and the message that we should all love,” Dykes said.

O’Sullivan agreed that the language barrier should not prevent audiences from engaging with the meaning behind it.

“I think everyone should listen to Bad Bunny’s message and understand it. If you don’t understand it, then you should take the time to process it and hear what he’s saying,” O’Sullivan said.

These students agreed that the performance left a lasting impression.

“Bad Bunny’s awesome,” Dykes said. “He’s one of my favorite artists now.” *

Reading Review: Students offer February book recommendations

Four students share what books they’ve loved recently.

Josselyn Dixon ’29

Reporter

Sophomore Sophia WeinstockCoulson recommends “Watership Down” by Richard Adams (Simon & Schuster).

“I really like the way it touches on dark subject matter, but in a way that’s digestible,” said Weinstock-Coulson. “I would recommend this book to people who were fans of Warrior Cats when they were younger, people who like fantasy– soft fantasy, or low fantasy. My favorite part was the characters and the way it’s told from the perspective of rabbits, but they’re anthropomorphized in a way where they’re still rabbits, but they’re also very human, without losing the animalistic factor.”

Freshman Shane Burger recommends the “Foundation” trilogy by Isaac Asimov (Easton Press).

“It’s sci-fi,” Burger said. “His world building is really good, it’s a unique universe. I don’t know how to describe the writing style, it’s pretty unique as well. I would recommend it to anyone who likes science fiction books in general, or people who liked ‘The Giver’.”

Freshman Ella Heisey-Terrell recommends “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Steven Chbosky (Simon & Schuster).

“It is really great realistic fiction,” Heisey-Terrell said. “It is such an emotionally impactful piece. The main character is very relatable, and his story is so emotional, and the book just makes you cry. My favorite part was the end, because you really just get a good sense of closure at the end of the book. And it’s a really great ending.”

Car Talk: Junior embraces quirks of beloved Mazda 5

The old car’s imperfections are positives in the eyes of junior Sophie Grossman.

Mia Fagone ’26 Reporter

Connections grow with age, including our connections to our cars.

When junior Sophie Grossman drives her 2007 Mazda 5 to school, she’s driving a car with eccentric characteristics caused by aging machinery. Rather than being disuaded from driving, she embraces the uniqueness.

“When the handle is broken, you have to do certain things to unlock it,” Grossman said. “It’s very quirky, but I love all the quirks to it.”

The blue-purple Mazda has a long history. Previously owned by her childhood friend’s family, it was first gifted to Grossman’s sister when she began driving at 16. Later, Grossman herself would take the wheel, and she now drives it everywhere.

Though she first learned to drive in her parents’ car, Grossman prefers the aesthetics and driving dynamics of her own vehicle.

“It takes a lot to press on the brakes and the gas, which I know is weird, but I prefer it like that,” Grossman said.

She isn’t the only one who enjoys the quirks. Grossman’s friends have also grown fond of the car and its small personalizations, including a Little Tree air freshener.

“They love the look,” Grossman said. “They also always say my car has a signature scent, I always have my Little Tree.”

One popular feature is the CD player. Though the number of CD players installed in cars has rapidly declined over the years, particularly due to motor companies phasing out the addition of this hardware, Grossman and her friends still find fun in the physical music medium.

“I can’t play bluetooth music,” she said. “So it’s just fun. They always get to pick out a CD they want to play, they get to choose the album that they want.”

Having the Mazda to herself and owning its unique features has allowed Grossman to make many new memories, including a favorite of driving to Wawa in the summer.

Another memory from a school

day with a two-hour delay, a side effect of keystone testing, is more negative and tested the limits of the Mazda. Grossman was carpooling with friends and on the way to school when something went wrong with the car.

“I was pulling out of my friend’s driveway when I was like ‘Huh, that’s weird, my steering wheel is moving by itself. Not good,’” Grossman said. “I got a flat tire literally on the way to school.”

A call to her dad and a trip to an auto shop helped to secure the safety of her car and its future on the road.

“I was really scared for a few days that I wasn’t going to have my car back, but they fixed it,” Grossman said. “It’s been through some degrees, but it’s back now, and I’m very glad that it’s not broken.”*

I recommend “The Women” by Kristen Hannah (St. Martin’s Press).

I usually don’t read historical fiction, but “The Women” drew me in from the first page. It’s about a woman named Frances McGrath, who serves as a nurse in the Vietnam War, during a time where very few women did. The story was full of sacrifice and grief, and it also delved into gender equality during that time. I think that the part after the war had ended was quite well done, because it showed the attitude surrounding people who had fought in the war from a new perspective. The book is on the longer side, but it’s definitely worth the read, even if you don’t really like historical fiction.*

How do you celebrate the Super Bowl?

Even without the Eagles playing this year, Haven students and staff still enjoy the football, halftime show, and time with family and friends that comes from celebrating the Super Bowl.

Cayla Gaffney ’29 Reporter

For many Americans, football season is more than just a couple of games. Some people value the intense team rivalries, while others prefer to party and tailgate before the games start. Students and staff at Haven offer their insight on their Super Bowl traditions.

“I celebrate the Super Bowl with family and close friends, and we always get chicken wings, pizza, lemonade is my favorite, and we just stay up until the whole thing’s over and we’re exhausted.”

“We usually just watch it at home, just me and my family. We usually get some good Super Bowl snacks and watch the game — unless the Eagles are playing, then it might be a little bigger, but this year it was pretty quiet.”

“I watched the Super Bowl with my mom’s best friend at her house. This year, the Super Bowl was actually my mom’s birthday, so it was a birthday party and a Super Bowl party.”

“Last year we threw a pretty

party with some family friends. This year we had a little bit of a smaller party, but we always make chili.”*

February Crossword

Morgan Matthews ’28

1. The canine prequel to the Super Bowl

4. Yogurt brand that begins with a “C”

7. These fruits symbolize hospitality

12. Our friendly neighbors to the north (think maple leaves)

13. Crunchy oat creation

14. She won the Best New Artist Grammy Down

2. February is this celebratory month

3. Jewelry accessory and song by Malcolm Todd

4. Watch out for him on February 14th...

5. Haven band heads here soon!

6. Winning Superbowl team

8. Actress who stars in Challengers, Spiderman, and Dune

9. Olympics host country

10. Bad Bunny’s true first name

11. Popular New York basketball team

Answers at shpantherpress.com

Recipe of the Issue: Snow-made ice cream brrrrings joy

When the world becomes a winter wonderland, use this recipe to treat yourself. Trust me, you’ll glove it.

Joya Nath ’28

Reporter

On a snowy day when the wind howls and your toes begin to feel like popsicles themselves, most people would choose to sedate their sweet tooth with a mug of hot chocolate, or warm, gooey cookies. Me personally? I went for ice cream.

As the forecast became more and more daunting and my hopes of a long weekend climbed higher and higher, my social media feed flooded with recipes for… ice cream? More specifically, homemade ice cream that can be whipped up with a few simple ingredients and a whole lot of snow. I had to put this to the test, and the results were frosty and fabulous. Firstly, grab a mixing bowl (something metal works especially well!) and press it into some fresh snow to make a bowl-shaped dent. Then, sprinkle your rock salt/ice cream salt. This step is necessary as it lowers the freezing point of ice, allowing the ice cream to firm up. Once a generous amount is in your dent, place the bowl back inside, making sure to pack

snow around all sides.

Now to add the ingredients! Start with a cream base: heavy whipping cream is preferred, but regular whole milk works just as well. Next, add in vanilla extract. And finally, top with icing sugar/confectioners sugar. For measurements, eyeball it! When you’re cooking in the snow, how precise must you really be?

Then comes the long process of whisking. Your mixture may begin liquidy, but after consistent stirring for around ten minutes it should begin to thicken! Remember, we’re not going for hard ice cream, but rather an elegant soft-serve. If your ice cream is not firming up, it’s a-okay to go off the rails and add in some snow to quicken the process (WHITE, not yellow).

Finally top with your favorite additions, whether it be sprinkles, oreos, or whipped cream, and enjoy! Is it as good as your store-bought ice cream?...Probably not. But the pride of making it in a near blizzard makes it taste that much sweeter.

And finally, the most important step is to warm up inside with your favorite movie or a good book (see Reading Review for some awesome inspo). This ice cream recipe might freeze your fingers, but it will certainly thaw your heart.*

Cheese

Corner: Paneer is rich cheese with even richer history

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

Roland Rennick-Zuefle ’27

Reporter

Welcome back to the cheese corner, where we will be reviewing one of the most fascinating, versatile, and easy to make cheeses: Paneer, known to some as “Indian cottage cheese.”

Widespread in a variety of dishes across South Asia and the Indian subcontinent, paneer has the unique property of not melting, similar to western cottage cheese, which allows it to be fried.

I sampled fried and nonfried versions. Although they share similar tastes, I strongly recommend the fried version for its effectiveness in dipping. Paneer does not have that strong of a flavor, but the very mild taste it has is mostly milky. What really makes paneer a great cheese is that it can be fried and dipped into sauces. I used curry sauce, creating a delicious meal. While paneer may not have the richest taste, it has one of the richest histories among cheeses. Paneer’s origins are somewhat disputed. While paneer is most historically associated with Northern India, some believe it can be traced back in Indian history as far back as ancient religious texts, and others have proposed it came from Iran centuries ago and spread to India during the rule of the

Mughal Empire, or through the arrival of Iranians or Afghans into the subcontinent. Some have even suggested that the Portuguese introduced the milk “breaking” techniques for paneer to the people of Bengal in the 1600s.

The creation process of paneer is especially unique among cheese because unlike many other cheeses, it does not require rennets or fermentation. This makes creating your own paneer quite the easy and doable process. Full fat milk is heated, an acid like lemon juice is added, the milk curdles, and the curds are put through a cheese cloth and pressed. Unlike other cheeses that can take weeks

or months to be finished, the pressed curds can be removed after a few hours and cut up for some finished paneer!

Paneer is used across many different dishes, including sweet food, vegetarian options, curries, and even pizza. The rabbit hole of ways to make different delicious meals out of paneer is so deep it’ll likely leave you amazed, hungry, or both.*

1: Brendan Hogg (11) walks out to the sopranos and altos rushing into the crowd of bass and tenors during Singing Valentines fundraiser for the Sivertones on Feb. 12. The sopranos and altos prepared to catch Zeb Smithey (11) within the crowd to sing a requested song to him. “I think this year was very, very smooth,” Hogg said. “Usually in other years we’ve missed a lot of Valentines. But aside from a couple teachers who we mistook for wanting Valentines, we got everyone we needed to and we got them done, really, in a timely manner.”

SANDY HUANG

2: Luca Fantozzi (10) maintains pace while running the 4x800m on Jan. 16 at the University of Pennsylvania. “My favorite part of racing these track meets is just the vibe it gives you,” Fantozzi said. “You’re with so many people that are all trying to go towards the same goal and it just puts you in a really good mindset where you feel like you can do anything.” HENRY CHOI

3: Emerson Uhrig (9) dribbles the ball past Maggie Conway (12) at the Chris King basketball tournament on Feb. 13. Students played on mini courts in the gym throughout the day. ABBEY MINTON

4: Savannah Neri (9), Zarah Bach (9), and Nadine Detsi (9) write positive messages on yellow ribbons for Wellness Wednesday on Feb. 18. Activities included a fitness test, smoothies, and a visit from St. Joseph’s Prevention Academy. ELIANA ROSEN

5: Editor-in-Chief of The Panther Press Kaitlyn Ho (12) leads a newspaper staff meeting on Jan. 20. The Pennsylvania School Press Association announced Ho the 2026 Pennsylvania Student Journalist of the Year in mid-February. Our team is very proud of her! ISAAC LOTHROP *