The Silver Scroll: November 2013

Have you ever wanted to travel the world? To see new places, meet new people and have experiences you’ll remember forever? Former Sterling graduate and Silver Scroll editor Katelyn Sullivan had the opportunity to do just that and more when she received a competitive scholarship known as the Fulbright Experience to study abroad this summer in England. A double major at Rowan University, Kate is extremely accomplished and maintained a travel blog about her time in England. She was kind enough to take the time out of her busy schedule to answer a few questions for the Silver Scroll about her amazing summer in England.

The Silver Scroll: How has traveling abroad changed your perspective of the world we live in, especially your perspective of life and culture in America?

Katelyn hanging out on the River Thames, near the Tower Bridge

Photo credit: http://kmarysullivan.blogspot.co.uk/

Katelyn: Traveling abroad has definitely expanded my perspective of the world. Having lived and traveled in England for several weeks with other international students has given me a greater appreciation of the diversity that exists within our world and how easy and wonderful it is to connect and make friendships with people who live in other countries. It has made me better appreciate elements of my own American culture, such as our holidays, customs, internet freedoms, and democratic elections, but has also opened my eyes to some of the things that we could be doing better in our nation, such as having wider and affordable access to health care, public transportation, and higher education as well as being friendlier, healthier, and more charitable in our day to day lives.

The Silver Scroll: You maintained a blog about your experience, and you were once a member of the Silver Scroll yourself. How has this experience of keeping a travel blog influenced the way you write and function as a writer?

Katelyn: Keeping a travel blog was a great experience for me as a writer because it pushed me in new directions. I had never written anything like this before and never for such a large audience. The blog forced me to keep to a mostly consistent schedule as well as to record my experiences in the most engaging way possible. The blog was not easy to write – I would often get back to my room close to midnight after having spent a physically exhaustive day hiking and sightseeing and want to do nothing but fall straight into bed. I had to manage my time and write despite my exhaustion. I quickly realized after looking at my blog’s page view hits that my blog had reached a far wider audience than I had ever anticipated and was even being read by complete strangers from all over the world! Realizing this, I strove to make my blog more accessible to an international audience. It was a lot of pressure to write so much so quickly and for so large an audience, but the experience definitely made me a better writer. I was able to explore a genre I had never written before – the travelogue – and incorporate elements of imagery, humor, and voice into my writing, while under a fair amount of pressure, making for an exciting learning experience that I am sure will inform my future writing.

The Silver Scroll: How would you describe the experience of seeing the things you learned come to life ("seeing Shakespeare the way it's to be seen") and applying your major and schoolwork to real life situations/scenarios?

Katelyn: Much of the literature and history that we learn in school traces its roots to England, which was one of the main reasons I was so excited to go there. Seeing Macbeth performed live on stage in the recreated Globe Theatre was perhaps the culmination of this. When you read Shakespeare in class or even watch a film version, you can learn a lot, but you’re not experiencing it the way Shakespeare intended. Shakespeare didn’t write his plays to be analyzed by high schoolers in five paragraph essays – he wrote them to entertaining and emotional! When you see his work performed on his recreated stage and the actors are right in front of you screaming and clawing at the stage and full of raw emotion, you “get” why it’s so good and so enduring. That’s sometimes hard to realize when you’re reading it in class and you can barely understand the text. I had a similar experience with history. I’m a history major, so I love reading and writing about it, but reading about the blitzkrieg in a book can only tell you so much. Exeter was bombed by the Germans during WWI and you can see where most of the bombs fell. There are rows of old buildings in the city center and then suddenly a line of 1950s style buildings appear that replaced the ones that had been destroyed during the war. There is also a preserved ruin of an almshouse that had been bombed and you can see the outline of the rooms the poor had stayed and ultimately been incinerated in. A book simply can’t convey the feeling you get when you look at these buildings and realize what happened.

The Silver Scroll: Why did you decide to maintain a blog about your Fulbright Experience?

Katelyn: I decided to maintain a blog about my Fulbright Experience because I wanted to be able to go back and relive my experiences through my writing. Of course, I could have also done this through a diary, but I wanted to share my experiences with my family, friends, and anyone else who was interested in studying abroad in the UK, which made the blog a perfect format. A large part of being a Fulbright awardee is being an ambassador for your host country and institute and the blog was a great way to represent that.

Katelyn reflects on her experience
Photo credit: http://kmarysullivan.blogspot.co.uk

The Silver Scroll: Can you tell us about the different cultures you experienced on your trip? For instance, I know you traveled with students from around the world. What are some of the differences and similarities between their typical lives and the life of a typical American?

Katelyn: Traveling with students from around the world was one of the most interesting and fun parts of the entire Fulbright experience. I found that there were many similarities as well as differences in our daily lives. My friends from Hong Kong for instance had never driven a car, depending on the subway to get around the city, and most of them lived high up in apartment buildings, a very different experience from my suburbia, car commuting-centered life. A student I met from Egypt lives in Cairo and has to commute two hours by car to her university even though it’s in the same city because traffic is so bad. A friend from the Netherlands told me that he had been to the Northeast U.S. and found the people there cold and unfriendly. He said that Dutch people are much more likely to make small talk with strangers and socialize. My friends from China live under internet censorship and cannot have Facebook, much to their frustration. Most of my fellow Indian students were vegetarians and practicing Hindus. Every country represented there except for the U.S. had a drinking age of 18 or lower and all of my international friends were shocked that the U.S.’s age was 21. Many of the students were familiar with British and American popular culture and my Hong Kong friends and I oddly bonded over our shared love of Japanese pop culture (i.e. Pokémon, Sailor Moon, Miyazaki movies etc.) which we had all grown up with. Ultimately, I found that no matter where we came from, where we went to school, what gender or even age we were, all of us love music and movies and art, holidays and leisure days, eating good food, visiting new places and learning new things, and spending time with our loved ones.

The Silver Scroll: Finally, what is your advice to students who wish to travel while in college? What are some tips you have for maintaining good grades/doing well in class and also managing to have fun and have a great experience abroad?

Katelyn: My advice to students who wish to travel while in college is to narrow down a list of countries they wish to travel to and then research study abroad programs available in those countries. The internet is of course a wonderful resource, but just as invaluable are professors and coordinators in the International or Study Abroad Office. Most universities have an International/Study Abroad Office and the coordinators who work there are more than happy to talk to you about various programs that are available and help you pick the one that is best for you. Many schools also host Study Abroad fairs where you can talk to representatives from different programs. Professors may also recommend certain programs for you, which is what happened with me. If you can’t afford to go abroad, your best bet is to apply for scholarship programs like Fulbright, which is what I did. They are notoriously competitive and you need to have a strong application which your professors can help you with, but of course, if you don’t apply, you have a 100% chance of not getting in. If you do go abroad, you’ll find that you learn just as much, if not more, outside the classroom as you do inside it. While it’s important to keep up with your homework, your experiences out and about in your host country are a huge part of your education as well, so make sure not to miss out! To achieve a healthy balance of both, you may have to cut back a little on sleep, but as long as you plan ahead and budget your time, which are important skills no matter where in the world you are, you should be just fine!

Check out Katelyn's article featured here on the Rowan website:

http://www.rowan.edu/today/news/index/fs/378

You can also check out Katelyn's travel blog from her experience here:

http://kmarysullivan.blogspot.co.uk/

New Sterling Knights: Faculty Edition

By Mary McGregor, '17

Here at Sterling we receive new staff members every year, just like we do with students, and this year is no exception! Let's learn a little about our newest members of the Castle.

Ms. Strow, World Language Teacher

Ms. Strow has come to Sterling from Haddon Heights NJ, attending Rowan University. Ms. Strow is teaching Spanish I and II this year. She says "I knew I wanted to be a teacher because I have always enjoyed being around young people and I love the Spanish language, so teaching seemed like a perfect blend of the two." Ms. Strow's fondest memory of high school would be when her and he best friends went on their senior trip to Disney World; hopefully our seniors this year can have just as much fun! Ms. Strow is looking forward to doing fun things with her classes this year. She says that she wants to share some of her favorite parts of the Spanish language and culture with them while still having fun. Ms. Strow says her first month here at the castle has been very positive and that all the students and staff have been nothing but welcoming to her.

Mrs. DeJesus, Secretary

Mrs. DeJesus grew up in Camden. She went to a private school through fourth grade then moved to Puerto Rico before returning at the age of fifteen. She then graduated from Camden County College and Rutgers University. Mrs. DeJesus is a curriculum and pride school secretary here at Sterling and says "Since having my own children and being a stay-at-home mom, I knew working in a learning environment is where I needed to be." Mrs. DeJesus says she is excited for growing and changing with Sterling and getting to know everyone. Some things that Mrs. DeJesus enjoys are spending time with her family and friends, playing volleyball and softball, reading, and cooking.

Mr. Carter, Attendance Officer

Mr. Carter is a graduate of Woodrow High School, originally from Camden, NJ. He attended college at Central State University in Ohio. Before Mr. Carter was a teacher he was in the Camden City Police Department, retiring in April of 2013 after 29 and a half years of law enforcement. His greatest memory from high school is when he played against Camden High School on Thanksgiving Day, owning victory with 33-6. Mr. Carter's favorite things to do when he isn't teaching is to play football and basketball, and to get involved in fitness training and coaching. Mr. Carter says "My first month at Sterling High School has been wonderful, I’ve been given the opportunity to work with a great staff and a fabulous group of kids."

Ms. Ciccarelli, Mathematics Teacher

Ms. Ciccarelli attended Drexel University for a B.S. in Bio-medical Engineering. She is also currently finishing up her M.A. in Wellness and Lifestyle Management from Rowan University. She is currently teaching Algebra 1 and says her first month here has been great! It just so happens that Ms. Ciccarelli was also a fellow knight, graduating in 2006. She says, "It's weird being on the other side of things since I was a student here". Ms. Ciccarelli's story of how she knew she wanted to be a teacher is a little different than others. Ms. Ciccarelli said "I knew in college that I did not want to pursue engineering as a career. After graduating, I was set on going back to school to be a Physician Assistant. While I worked on getting everything together to apply to school, I began substitute teaching in the meantime. I wound up falling in love with teaching and knew that this is what I was supposed to be doing!" In her free time Ms. Ciccarelli loves to watch hockey and hang out with family and friends.

Ms. Trautz, Art Teacher

Ms. Trautz comes not too far from Sterling, originally from Collingswood, NJ. Ms. Trautz attended the Moore College of Art and Design and now teaches 9-12 Computer Graphic Design, Multimedia 1, 2, and 3, and Art 1. Ms. Trautz says that the students here at Sterling have really surprised her with their talents in the first few months of school. Her greatest memory of high school would be her mom seeing her graduate because she loved seeing how proud she was of her. Some hobbies that Ms. Trautz's enjoys are large scale mixed media paintings, digital drawings, and working on art projects with her three year old artist. Ms. Trautz said "My work and the things I do on the side have kind of meld together, I’m very lucky that way".

Mr. Young, Music Teacher

Mr. Young is originally from Bucks County, PA which is about one hour north of Philadelphia. He graduated from Council Rock High School in Newtown, PA then moved to Center City, Philadelphia where he then attended the University of the Arts and earned undergraduate and graduate degrees. Here at Sterling he teaches Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, Music Theory, and Pull-Out Instrumental Lessons for 9-12 graders. In the future, Mr. Young plans on implementing both a Music Technology and Music Appreciation/History course here at Sterling for the students to participate in. Mr. Young says his first month here at Sterling has been "nothing short of wonderful. The students, the teachers, the administrators, the parents, and the community have all been extremely welcoming and kind." Mr. Young's hobbies include spending time with family, composing and arranging music, performing at music venues throughout the city, and enjoying new restaurants.

Mrs. Price, One-on-One Aide

Mrs. Price, a former Sterling graduate, is a one-on-one aide here at the castle. She is currently attending Wilmington University to complete her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. She says she is excited to learn new instructional tools this school year. Mrs. Price also loves to read and travel when she isn't helping the students of Sterling.

Ms. Emig, English Teacher

Ms. Emig is originally from Marlton, NJ and graduated from Cherokee High School. After graduating from Rowan University with degrees in English and Secondary Education, she joined the English department here at Sterling. Ms. Emig has always known that she was going to be a teacher, even playing "school" with her younger siblings when she was a kid! She is also looking forward to serving as a mentor to her students, as an influential teacher one fulfilled the same role for her. Some of her fondest high school memories were on the volleyball court, so it's only natural that Ms. Emig signed on as the freshman girls' volleyball coach this season. So far, things have been going great! "I am continually impressed by the respect, dedication, and compassion of the students at Sterling," says Ms. Emig. When she is not in the classroom, Ms. Emig likes to play volleyball, spend time with her puppy Skippy, read, and is training for a marathon this winter.

Mr. Goffredo, Science Teacher

Mr. Goffredo, Sterling's newest science department member, is another former Sterling Knight. Mr. Goffredo fondly remembers many things about his time at Sterling High School, especially bonding with his soccer team on "all you can eat wing night." He is also a former Mr. Sterling winner! After graduating from SHS, Mr. Goffredo attended Albright College in Pennsylvania where he majored in Biology. Before coming to Sterling as a teacher, Mr. Goffredo worked in Thomas Jefferson University’s Department of Neuroscience. His experience helping new graduate students understand lab procedures while at Thomas Jefferson inspired Mr. Goffredo to go back to school to earn a teaching degree. So far, his experience at Sterling has been very positive. "The Sterling High School Community has been great to me thus far," said Mr. Goffredo. When he is not teaching, Mr. Goffredo likes to play the drums and guitar, listen to music (Oasis is his favorite band), exercise, and read, especially books related to World War II.

Mr. O'Donnell, Phys Ed. Teacher

Mr. O'Donnell is originally from Cherry Hill, New Jersey and attended both Gloucester County College and Lock Haven University. This year, Mr. O'Donnell is teaching a variety of Health and Physical Education classes, and serves as the instructor to the ROTC physical education program. In addition to his duties in the classroom, Mr. O'Donnell is also the head wrestling coach. His own high school team won three state titles in four years, so he comes with plenty of great experience! Mr. O'Donnell remembers several teachers who impacted his life and hopes to do the same for his students as well. "I want to leave a lasting impression on them so when they walk out of my class they can say they had a great time and gained valuable experiences." In his free time, Mr. O'Donnell enjoys coaching wrestling, visiting the shore, exercising, and spending time with family and friends.

The Silver Scroll would also like to welcome the following new staff members to Sterling:

Mr. Loper, One-on-One Aide

Ms. Joyce, Secretary to the Vice Principal

Thank you to Mr. Kozeniewski for the photographs of the new staff members!

2013 Fall Sports Recap

By Tommy Sheehan, '14, Lam Nguyen, '14, and Anne Marie Brook, 14

Boys Soccer

The 2013 Boys Soccer Team - Photo credit: Lifetouch Photography

The boys soccer team finished a tremendous season with a record of 17-4-1 and they went to the second round of Group 2 playoffs. Coached by Pete Marlys (Varsity head coach), Justin Barringer (JV head coach), Mike Goffredo (Freshmen head coach), and Shane McGrory (Varsity assistant coach), the boys brought relevance back to Sterling soccer. A combination of beautiful soccer from the players and controlled chaos from the best fan group in all of high school soccer known as the Sons of Pete made a huge statement in the conference, mesmerizing anyone who witnessed the spectacle that is Sterling soccer. The team had a powerful core of 10 seniors, all of whom played an important role in the team’s success. The two captains were Tom “The Train” Sheehan and Eduardo “Chooch” Zurita. The other seniors were Geoffrey “The Surgeon” Meyer, Joseph “Large Cat” Gant, Paulo “Pablo” Nascimento-Chavez, Justin “Justin Soccer” Ford, Manoli “Greek Stallion” Nicoludis, Cavit “Javallate” Ula, Tyler “Cristiano” Jones, and Lam “Beast in the Box” Nguyen. The amount of leadership allowed the team to fulfill many accomplishments, like tying the record for most wins in a season and coming just short of the record for most goals scored in one season.

The boys also beat last year’s state champions, Haddon Heights, twice for the first time in over a decade. Wins over many of the conference’s powerhouses like Haddonfield and many wins by a large margin highlighted the season. Thomas Patrick Sheehan, who played Varsity for all four years and is considered as arguably the best player to walk through Sterling, capped of his illustrious career by joining the 100-point club. Not to be outdone, every player who stepped on the field contributed to the team’s success through unbelievable individual efforts. Coach Marlys said it best; the team was “NASTY” this year.

Boys soccer has three levels: Varsity, JV, and Freshmen. Practice always starts out with a run around the perimeter of the school. After the grueling run, the boys stretch and prepare for the rest of practice. There is no “typical” practice; each day has something new to offer. One day they’ll work on possessing, and the next day they’ll work on toughness through wrestling and games known as “Air Attack.” It’s a very unconventional practice schedule, but it works and it’s a lot of fun. The team faces the tough challenge of replacing all of the seniors next year, but there are many returning underclassmen who are extremely talented and ready to step up. The Freshmen and JV programs consistently produce good players for Varsity, so there’s no doubt that the team will maintain its success moving forward. Congratulations on a phenomenal season and good luck next year!

Girls Soccer

The 2013 Girls Soccer Team - Photo credit: Lifetouch Photography

The girls’ soccer team ended their season with a 9-7-1 record. Coached by Emily Caraccialo and with the help of Brian Blumenstein, the girls made a huge statement in the conference. They beat Haddon Township and Audubon for the first time in a few years, and they played extremely well against the powerhouses of the conference. Taylor Straub, the captain and lone senior, has been a tremendous leader through her work ethic and great performances in every game. She started varsity all four years and finished her high school career with an outstanding season.

The girls’ team has two levels: Varsity and JV. A typical day of practice includes technical drills to develop the fundamentals and depending on the amount of players available, the girls will have a small-sided game or a full 11v11. The team is young but very talented. There is room for improvement, and it starts with strengthening their mentality. They have the talent, and as long as they believe they can win, they’ll be successful. Congratulations, girls, for a great season and we wish you the best of luck for next year.

Girls Volleyball

The 2013 Girls Volleyball Team - Photo credit: Lifetouch Photography

Sterling Girl’s Volleyball had a tremendous season! Mr. Matt Macpherson is the head coach along with Melissa Minuto as JV coach and Rachel Emig as the freshman coach. With the toughest schedule that Sterling Girl’s Volleyball has faced, the team finished with an impressive 24-7 record. Lori Goczynski and Emily Kriebel both made first team all-conference while Leilani Naone-Carter, Anne Marie Brook, Lani Gorczynski and Tori Drechsler all made second team all-conference.

As the only returning varsity players and team captains, Lori Gorcynski, Emily Kriebel, and Leilani Naone-Carter, showed a great example of leadership on the court. Even during practice, the girls helped each other to strive to get better. The season culminated with the girls facing Madison in the state Group 2 championship at William Paterson University on Saturday, November 16. The Lady Knights dominated with a strong defensive showing and went to defeat their rival with a 2-0 straight-sets victory. Congratulations to the coaches and players on a fantastic season!

Cross Country

The cross-country team coached by Mr. Jim Blumenstein and assisted by Mr. McIlvaine enjoyed a great season. The boys finished with a record of 6-4, which earned them 3rd place in the Conference. The girls finished at 8-2, earning them 2nd place in the Conference. Some members of the team are competing in the Footlocker Northeast Championships in the Bronx on Thanksgiving weekend.

The 2013 Boys Cross Country Team - Photo credit Lifetouch Photography

The 2013 Girls Cross Country Team - Photo credit: Lifetouch Photography

A typical week’s schedule consists of a long run on Sunday, up to 16-17 miles for the top runners. On Monday athletes run on the road, followed by conference races on a typical Tuesday. On Wednesdays the team participates in a hard workout, followed by more running on the road on Thursday and Friday. On Saturdays, there are often Regional Races.

This has been the most successful year for JV squad in the eight years Mr. Blumenstein has been coaching, with 99% of the JV boys running under 20 minutes in the 5K race. This makes it very competitive to get a top 7 spot, which is the varsity team. Sean Macpherson and Emily Daiutolo were the team leaders and each experienced highly successful seasons. Sean is among the top runners in the state, and Emily ran a sub 20 minute 5K, making her the first Sterling girl to achieve that accomplishment in a very long time. The cross county team will continue to work in the off-season to come back even stronger next fall.

Cheerleading

The 2013 Sterling High School Cheerleading Team.
Photo credit: Lifetouch Photography

The fall cheerleading team had a successful season, led by Miss Cammarata and Miss Maunz. Although the team did not have any captains, sophomore Cheldany Stevens showed exceptional leadership skills. Both the varsity and JV squads practiced together. In a typical practice, the girls worked through warm ups, did laps, stretched, did approximately 40 jumps. Then, the whole team worked on chants and cheers before separating to work on stunts and prep for the games. At the end of each practice, the girls completed conditioning exercises. This season’s goal was to establish the program and come up with cheers and dances that can be used for years to come. The girls worked really hard and did a fabulous job at helping to make that goal a reality. Coach Maunz think that the team has gotten so much better since last year and if they just keep improving at the same rate next year will be amazing!

The Silver Scroll would also like to congratulate the following teams on their seasons:

Field Hockey

The Field Hockey Team finished the season with a record of 8-13.
Photo credit: Lifetouch Photography

Football

The Football team currently has a record of 7-2, with one game
remaining on November 27 vs. Collingswood.
Photo credit: Sterling High School

Girls Tennis

The Girls Tennis Team finished the season with a record of 5-13.
Photo credit: Lifetouch Photography

Pages

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Fall 2013: In This Issue

Fullbright Scholarship Experience: Katelyn Sullivan

New Sterling Knights: Faculty Edition

Thank you to Mr. Kozeniewski for the photographs of the new staff members!

2013 Fall Sports Recap

The Silver Scroll would also like to congratulate the following teams on their seasons: