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Class Pride Day 2016

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The Devil’s Herald

Avon Grove High School, West Grove, Pa.

COMMUNITY

Friday, Septemer 30, 2016

Landenberg’s history shows itself on the Mill Race Trail

By Anton Bilski Staff Writer The popular hiking trail in Franklin Township, the Mill Race Trail, is showing off its roots with the discovery of the railroad remains. Earlier this year, around late March to early April, local hikers made discoveries that show Landenberg’s past: the historical Pommie Doodle Railroad. The Pommie Doodle connected Pomeroy, Pa. to Delaware City, Del. It was a successful railroad company. But the section of the railroad stretching from Pomeroy to the Delaware state line, for unknown circumstances, was abandoned. It wasn’t until the Second World War when these railroads were seen yet again, except that they were scrapped in the early 1940s. “If I can recall, the railroad was scrapped in 1942,” recalled

NEW SCHEDULE

NEW SCHEDULE

I/Es expand skills past classroom By Gabby Pino Editor

-Photo by Anton Bilski The former railroad bed of the historic Pommie Doodle Railroad on the Mill Race Trail rests in Franklin Township. Michael Alexitch, who lives in a home near the ruins. “But the railroad was abandoned before it was scrapped.” Many hikers who visit the Mill Race Trail will find an array of artifacts from the former railroad that used to travel right through the area when they approach Bridge 42. These artifacts are many old nails that were used to hammer in the rails, and a few bolts. “The reason why there might be pieces left is maybe because when they were prying the rails, they left the bolts and pins behind due to the little amount of metal they had,” said Alexitch. But the question that is still unanswered is, who discovered the artifacts? “It was either the hikers, or the neighborhood kids,” comments

Volume 18 Issue 1

Victoria Alexitch, Michael’s wife. The couple who has lived next to the trail since its construction back in 2011 share their thoughts on the future state of the railroad. “As for the current state of the railroad, I think it would remain for the time being,” said Michael Alexitch. His wife had a more different view of the future state of the railroad. Mrs. Alexitch shares, “They might put them [remains] on display in a case alongside the trail for anyone to see.” So as of now the former Pommie Doodle is at rest. But who knows, we might discover more than we might think there is.

It’s not uncommon to hear in class, “Will I ever use this in real life?” With the implementation of the I/E period, students will be able to hone in on skills they will hopefully be able to apply to the real world. The Intervention/Enrichment periods will be a period on days 1-4 of the current schedule where students can choose an activity that they have an interest in. I/E courses will rotate every three cycles, which means that students can take nine I/E classes a year. Many of these I/Es provide practical information and skills that are usually inaccessible during a normal school day. The intention of the I/E period can be narrowed down to four words: support, connect, explore, and growth. The support aspect includes being able to go to your teachers for extra help. Students can either sign up for I/Es for help in a specific subject or they can get a pass from their teacher to get help during their I/E period. One of the main goals of I/E is to expand on student-teacher connections. The administration wanted to give students and teachers an opportunity to establish relationships outside of a graded learning environment. “I’m really excited to foster more connections,” said Mrs. O’Neill, who is offering “Office Hours” for her I/E. The expansive list of I/Es students can choose from allows them to explore any interests they may have. “We wanted students to have the opportunity to look at things that maybe they couldn’t explore in a classroom,” said Avon Grove High School principal Mr. DeShong. The last goal of the I/E period is for students to grow, not only in their knowledge and experiences, but also in their confidence by allowing students to take risks. “Sometimes students are concerned about taking a risk and trying something that they might not be successful at because they’re wor-

ried about a grade. I/E classes and offerings won’t have grades because we didn’t want students to limit themselves,” stated Mr. DeShong. The implementation has been met with mixed reactions from students. “I just think that if I like a teacher, the relationship will already be there so there’s no point to using the I/E periods for that,” said junior Josie Schenk. “But I do like the idea of being able to take a break in the middle of the day.” The available I/E periods range from things like yoga to analyzing men’s lacrosse, covering a wide range of interests of both students and teachers. “I want to do the yoga I/E because I think it would be a nice, relaxing break in the middle of my day and a break from schoolwork,” said junior

Possible I/E Courses American Sign Lanuage

learn the basics of sign language Animal Aid Club

learn how to interact with animals and help convince the community to care for animals Disney Mix

Disney trivia, movies, and learning about Walt Disney

Leanna Pfeffer. If students are really interested in an IE, they are allowed to repeat it if it is offered the next cycle. If teachers choose to they can also create I/Es that are extensions of those I/Es that are more in depth and expand more on that topic. The I/Es will also make the administration aware of where students’ interests lie. If enough interest is shown in a specific topic, it allows the school to determine if they would want to make it an actual course.

High school adapts to new schedule By Marissa Glick Staff Writer

Avon Grove High School has finished a full month in the new schedule that is being applied this year. The feedback is flying left and right and it seems like some love it, and some dislike it. For those unaware, the old schedule from last year, also known as the classic schedule due to so many years of use, consisted of students having 8 classes per day. These classes were approximately 44 minutes each and students’ went to each class on a daily basis. Lunch was at the same time everyday and with the same people. It only changed once during the year, which was when the se-

mester changed. This year there is a six day rotating schedule. During days one to four, students have six of the eight classes. For example, this means math class will be on Day 1 but the class may not be held again until Day 3. Days 5 and 6 consist of only four classes which are 90 minutes long. This new schedule means students who signed up for study hall will not have study hall every day. In fact, since each study hall is different depending on the day, a student has multiple study hall seats which can be hard to remember, according to some. There are three different lunches on a daily basis (A, B, and C). A student likely has all three different lunches throughout the six days. Because every day is a different lunch, there are different

people and the times are different in each lunch. For example, on Day 1 a student may have A lunch which is at 11:10a.m., but on Day 2 that same person may have C lunch

Bell Schedule

OLD

44-min. classes 8 classes/day Same schedule daily

NEW

55 or 92min. classes 4 or 6 classes/ day 6-day cycle

Intervention/Enrichment period

which is at 1:02p.m. Some students appear to enjoy the new change and some appear to dislike it. “The worst part about the schedule is lunch because every day I struggle to find a spot and people to sit with,” stated sopho-

more Alli Connelly. The rotating lunch periods continues to stress students out. “I do not like this schedule at all. It is difficult to get into a routine. I do not agree that the longer class periods are helping us. If anything, we are doing worse because we don’t get breaks,” said sophomore Olivia Noga. “The new schedule is confusing. I do not like the long class periods. It is too much for a single day. Also, since I don’t see all of my classes every day, they double up on homework and I’m barely sleeping,” said sophomore Kate Mirah. Numerous students have expressed the important point of the “excessive amounts of homework given.” This can lead to sleep deprivation and not being able to focus the following day at school. Marisa Patel who just en-

tered her sophomore year of high school is one of the supporters of this new schedule and expressed that she enjoyed “not having to go to every class every day” and “having more time to complete homework.” “It gives you time to balance your work because everything isn’t always due the next day,” said sophomore Andrew Lisi. More students may like the new schedule once the I/E period begins. One of the most important parts of the new schedule is the I/E (intervention/enrichment) period that began September 27 (too late for press time). This period allows for students to get help from teachers, connect with other teachers based on a common interest, or grow by learning something new in a class that is not graded.

NEWS PAGE 2

AG CLUBS

Activity fair shows how clubs serve community

Leo Club, Humanitarian Club, Tri-M, and PEACE clubs reach public

-Photos by Vanessa Rodriguez Segovia The Leo Club, Humanitarian Club, Tri-M, and PEACE Club are a few activities at AGHS that serve the community.

By Vanessa Rodriguez Segovia Staff Writer Avon Grove High School has more to offer beyond the maroon tiled walls. The clubs help students as well as the community. The school clubs range from community service to music clubs. These are just a few categories from the intricate school system. Humanitarian Club is a club that aims to help others. In their meetings they talk about upcoming events such as the blood drive and the flu shot program as well as a possible new student program, AG Oscars, and a “night to shine prom.” According to the officers in the club, all types of students are welcome. The Humanitarian Club reaches the entire community

through the blood drive and the flu shot program. PEACE Club aspires to educate the school on social topics. Bryn Salamon and Austin Spangler said their meetings contain videos and presentations. They have upcoming events and awareness days. PEACE Club officers stated that their movie and awareness days are for the entire community. “It’s a comfortable environment, there’s no judgment,” said Bryn Salamon. Tri-M brings musical entertainment to the school and community while promoting the arts. Their meetings consist of talking about future events and about music. Stephanie Mirah said their upcoming projects are the Santa Breakfast, Coffee House, and holiday performances.

The club selects members who have a 3.5 GPA or higher, recommended by a teacher, and are in ensemble. Similar to other clubs, Tri-M supports the community by organizing the Santa Breakfast and Coffee House. “Music has always helped me, It’s a loving community that welcomes everyone. Music is an outlet,” said Tri-M member Sophie May. Leo Club helps the students of the Avon Grove High School gain service hours while helping those in need. Amy Forehand, Lindsey Smyth and Andrew Addiego said they organize events such as Pumpkin Painting, and a ham dinner.

TECHNOLOGY

New television monitors coming soon to a hallway near you By Lauren Welsh Staff Writer

With the new school year came many changes including a new schedule to get used to. To help students better understand their schedule, new television monitors will be installed in the hallways to provide more communication to students. Avon Grove High School will soon be installing televisions around the school and they will show what day it is, upcoming events, important dates, weather,

Friday, September 30, 2016

The Devil’s Herald

and pertinent information. The televisions will be put up by the school’s electrician soon. There will be three spaced throughout the hallways at convenient locations. They are already purchased, so the televisions should be up in no time. Dr. Mattei, Avon Grove School District’s Director of Technology agreed to have these monitors around the school to keep students informed. To keep the televisions running smoothly, the school has to maintain them. When asked who would maintain them, AGtv member Nick

Welsh responded by saying, “You’re looking at him.” Although it may take a couple weeks to get the monitors up and running, they will be a great aid to the students to better understand the schedule and see what events are coming up. The downfall of having the televisions is that they may break or be broken. If that is the case, students will have to wait until the morning announcements to see what day it is and figure out their schedule.

AG LIFE

Lunch stand open in cafeteria By Nate Burridge Staff Writer

Avon Grove High School has just opened a new lunch stand. It is only serving cold foods and drinks and it is right next to the lunchroom doors. “The new lunch room is great and it is so much easier to get your daily lunch. For the problem involving the stand crowding the entrance to the cafeteria, I never really saw it, but I don’t see any problems with it,” said sophomore Conner Long. “I don’t really use it, but when I stand in the line to get hot food

it is a lot shorter than it usually is because of the amount of students getting cold food at the stand,” said sophomore Connor Kennedy. “I guess it’s just there to help students get their lunches faster and cause less stress on the lunch ladies.” Some students do not see the value of the new stand. “Why should we even have this? Who wants to eat cold food when we have pizza and stuff in the actual cafeteria line?” said sophomore Andrew Robinson. “The lunch stand was meant to help students get their lunches faster and more efficiently,” said a cafeteria worker.

-Photo by Cheyenne Lauesen The new lunch stand provides students with cold foods and drinks.

News Briefs

Billboard: Lady Gaga to perform at Super Bowl Halftime Show

According to Billboard, sources have stated that Lady Gaga will be performing at the 51st Super Bowl game in Houston. One of the NFL’s main reasons to want someone like Gaga is because they appreciated her performance of the national anthem at Super Bowl 50. Gaga has had many high-profile appearances in the last few years as she performed at the 2015 Academy Awards. Earlier this year she won a Golden Globe for best actress. ~By Anton Bilski

4-foot-8 girl ready to tackle high school football

Felicia Perez, standing at only 4-foot-8 in her sophomore year, is a middle linebacker and fullback for the Brandywine High School (Wilmington, Del.) football team, according to USA Today. Her fearless attitude and strong work ethic helped her to lift weights and condition with her male teammates. “Felicia is tough as nails,” Brandywine head coach Isaiah Mays said. “The best way to describe it is she would much rather be the hammer than the nail. She definitely works hard every day, and she has no quit in her.” She focuses her full attention on football and spends the offseason conditioning and lifting weights with the team. “When I put the helmet on, and they put the helmet on, it doesn’t matter. If you’re going to hit me, I’m going to hit you twice as hard,” Perez said. ~By Olivia Kunitsky

Protesters raid stage during Ryan Lochte’s debut on Dancing with the Stars

After Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte made his debut on Season 23 of Dancing with the Stars, protesters interrupted the live show. This incident occurred as Lochte was getting feedback from one of the fellow judges. A spokesperson for Dancing with the Stars told CNN that “two individuals stormed the dance floor tonight and were immediately subdued and escorted out of the building.” According to ABC News, two men got on the ballroom dance floor and at least four to five other people were yelling anti-Lochte chants. The two men have been identified as Barzeen Soroudi and Sam Sotoodeh. A spokesperson for the LAPD told CNN, “they were arrested on trespassing. This was a private person’s arrest as the security venue made the arrest. We just accepted them and booked them.” Lochte joined the show due to a surplus of negative energy he received for admitting he “over-exaggerated” claims that he and fellow swimmers were robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro during the Olympics. While the show was live on ABC, the incident itself was not shown on camera. ~By Marissa Glick

Sports Schedule

Today

Girls Soccer vs. Interboro Boys Soccer @ Interboro Girls Volleyball vs. Garnet Valley Football @ Octorara

October 1

Girls Tennis @ W.C. Rustin Field Hockey@ Sun Valley Girls Volleyball @ Sun Valley Boys Soccer vs. Sun Valley For more information visit http://avongrove.digitalsports.com/

October 5

Girls Soccer @ Oxford Cross Country vs. Downingtown West

Herald Sports

Friday, September 30, 2016

GIRLS TENNIS

October 4

Cross Country @ Paul Short Invitational, Lehigh University

Kennett is no match for Avon Grove girls tennis By Olivia Kunitsky Staff Writer

The hot sun beamed down on the court as the girls’ tennis team wrapped up a successful match versus Kennett on Wednesday, September 14. This year, the girls’ tennis team has a brand new coaching staff. Darren Schwandt is the new head coach and was an assistant last year. He said that his great coaching staff has made the transition easy, and the parents have been very helpful as well. “The practices have been very productive and we’re getting a lot done. The coaches have been helpful and I’ve learned a lot this year,” said sophomore Chelsea Kneedler. For the day, the varsity team finished with Marissa Glick winning the third singles, Caroline Beuscher and Erin Sorg winning

the first doubles, Rachel Maund and Leah Washington winning the second doubles, Gabby Farina and Olivia Noga winning the third doubles, and Marisa Patel and Rachel Ruark winning the fourth doubles. They also won the team match. Along with winning, Coach Schwandt said, “The girls are enjoying tennis, and even though that sounds like a small thing, it makes a big difference on the court.” “Winning the match against Kennett was a really awesome and fun experience. My partner [Olivia Noga] and I started off by losing our first set, but we worked hard to make a comeback in the second and third set, and it paid off,” added sophomore Gabby Farina. Schwandt also said that senior captains, Sophia Plankinton and Ali McCormick, have been great leaders for the many underclassmen on both the JV and varsity teams. “They have helped the underclassmen with time management and the underclassmen have really embraced that. The JV and varsity teams have been very supportive of each other,” said sophomore Charlotte Condliffe. With only two home matches left, the tennis season is coming to an end. “I’ve only been playing for two years, but I wish I’d played all four, and now I feel more pressure to win,” said senior Katie Ford. “It’s tough knowing I won’t be playing with some of my best friends next year, but I’m thankful for the opportunity I’ve had to play with each and every one of them. I’ll definitely miss them all next year and I wish the best of luck to the team in the future,” said senior captain Sophia Plankinton.

-Photo courtesy of Debbie Kneedler Caroline Beuscher hits a volley during the first doubles game.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

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Volleyball starts 9-1 Ranked 9th in the state By Sean Goodwin Editor

The girls’ volleyball team is off to a great start as they have won nine of their first ten games (as of September 23). Led by seniors Emily McCann, Chloee Kleespies, Liz Hadley, Ayanna Turner, and Julia Crabtree, the team has become a serious threat to win the Ches-Mont League this year. They started off the season with nine straight wins as they swept Bensalem, Conestoga, Downingtown East, Lower Merion, Interboro, Coatesville, Henderson, Haverford and Octorara. They are off to a great start and that is no surprise to senior team manager Mike Neils. “A lot of players are extremely versatile allowing us to change things up and throw new things and different teams when necessary,” said Neils. Senior Chloee Kleespies, who transferred this year from Bishop Shanahan, has played a huge role in the early season success. “The addition of Chloee brings an amazing new power to our front row and our

overall offense,” said Neils. Kleespies has committed to Toledo for volleyball and track and field, and has been a dominant player all throughout high school. The seniors are the leaders on the team and they have a great relationship amongst each other. “We have so much fun together but we also know when it’s time to get down to business and be serious. We’re like one big family,” said senior Liz Hadley. There is a different feel about this team as they have made noise all throughout Pennsylvania. When asked what made this team so special, Neils said, “I feel like the team has a really strong connection off the court making it easier to work together on the court.” The team was recently ranked ninth in the state for class AAAA schools by the Pennsylvania Volleyball Coaches Association. This week they battle Garnet Valley, Sun Valley, Oxford and Collegium Charter as they try to continue their great season.

Avon Grove Girls Volleyball Season Record (9-1) September 3 vs. Bensalem 3-0 WIN September 6 @ Conestoga 3-0 WIN September 8 vs. Downingtown East 3-0 WIN September 9 @ Lower Merion 3-0 WIN September 10 vs. Interboro 3-0 WIN September 13 @ Coatesville 3-0 WIN September 15 vs. Henderson 3-1 WIN September 17 vs. Haverford 3-0 WIN September 20 @ Octorara 3-0 WIN September 22 vs. Downingtown West 3-2 LOSS September 27 vs. Bishop Shanahan September 29 @ Kennett September 30 vs. Garnet Valley October 4 @ Sun Valley October 6 @ Oxford October 7 vs. Collegium Charter October 10 @ Great Valley October 13 vs. Bayard Rustin October 14 vs. Chester October 15 vs. Marple Newtown October 17 @ Unionville October 19 vs. West Chester East

BASEBALL

Alum Wendle makes it to the show By Meredith Haas Staff Writer

Joey Wendle, class of 2008, was promoted to the Oakland Athletics on August 31, 2016 Wearing number 52 on his back, Wendle plays second base on the team. He bats left and throws right. The 26-year-old is batting .288 with 1 home run, 9 RBIs and 2 stolen bases (as of September 23). In his 15th game with the Athletics this year, Wendle hit his first major league home run off of Texas Ranger pitcher Yu Darvish.

Wendle has 50 career homers in the minor leagues. Joey Wendle graduated Avon Grove in 2008 and then went on to attend college at West Chester University. For four years, Wendle was a starter at second base for West Chester University and won a NCAA Division II national championship with the Golden Rams. Entering his senior year, Wendle was among the top ten prospects in NCAA Division II baseball. He is one of two players in West Chester University history to have over 250 career hits and 400 career total bases. Wendle obtained his bachelor’s

degree in pre-physical therapy. In his senior year, Wendle won the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference triple crown. He hit twelve home runs, 59 RBIs, with a batting average of .399 in 56 games. To begin his professional career, Wendle was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the sixth round of the MLB June Amature Draft in 2012. His minor league career started with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Cleveland Indians, short season Class A) where he batted .327 in 2012. He was promoted to the Carolina Mudcats (Cleveland Indians,

Class A) in 2013. He batted .295 in the Carolina League and was named the Indians Minor League Player of the Year. In 2014 he started the season with the Class AA Akron RubberDucks of the Eastern League and batted .253. After the season the Cleveland Indians traded Wendle to the Oakland Athletics organization. In 2015, Wendle played for the Class AAA Nashville Sounds and batted .289. Wendle hit 42 doubles, eight triples, ten home runs, and 57 RBI in 137 games with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds.

He was named to the Pacific Coast League Postseason AllStar Team. Wendle ranked fourth in all of minor league baseball with 167 hits. He tied for second in the Class AAA Pacific Coast League, and tied for second in the minors in doubles. This season, he batted .279 with 12 homers and 61 RBIs for the Sounds before he was called up to the Oakland Athletics.

Upcoming Events

Friday, September 30, 2016

In-Service Day

PSATs

Wednesday, October 19

Wednesday, October 12

Tri-M Induction

Halloween Monday, October 31

Wednesday, October 26

AG Life

CLASS PRIDE DAY 2016

Class of 2020: Freshmen

Class of 2019: Sophomores

Class of 2018: Juniors

Class of 2017: Seniors

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-Photos by Cheyenne Lauesen