JANUARY 2019 • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 01 • MALVERN, PA 19355

MANDATORY VOLUNTEER HOURS: YES OR NO?Decide for yourself. page 2

BIG SHOT COACHESSee where coaches have been before Villa. page 8

STUDENTS TRAVEL TO AFRICARago and Raubenheimer serve in third world countries.

page 5

DANCE COMPANYUrbanski and her crew of danc-ers set the stage.

page 7

Senior Kelsey Hoff makes waves with shoe paint-ing businessGet to know the O’Keefe O’Kicks, all about her business, and how you can snag a pair of these snazzy shoes.

Katie Scaggs '20Sports Editor

In addition to being an All-Star athlete, captain of the volleyball team, student of the art department, and a member of National Honor Society, senior entrepreneur Kelsey Hoff has a not so secret business; Kelsey’s Kicks.

Sometime this past summer, Hoff was inspired from social media to paint designs on a pair of white canvas shoes. She posted a picture of her creation to her Instagram account and immediately received enthusiastic responses, including some potential orders. Hoff sells her shoes on Instagram; posting pictures of

completed orders helps new ones role in. Hoff is considering moving from an Instagram ac-count to a website once she attends college. (continued on page 5)

Wirshup offers ‘a hand up’ through Community Volunteers In MedicineKeeping the poor of Chester County healthy one appointment at a time, CVIM offers medical care to those without insurance.

Raquel Lacusky '20, Hannah Rosenberger '20, Julie Satterthwaite '20 Editors-in-Chief, Media and Culture Editor

CVIM Vice President of Medical Affairs Dr. Mary Wirshup stands at the forefront of the ser-vice powerhouse CVIM, a free medical and den-tal clinic that meets the healthcare needs of the poor and vulnerable in Chester County.

The organization started very humbly twen-ty-three years ago. “Dr. Jack McConnell… got a bunch of doctors and nurses and people togeth-er, and formed the first VIM: Volunteers in Med-icine Clinic,” Wirshup said.

After growing from the first VIM in Penn-sylvania to an organization treating nearly 4,000 patients, Wirshup attributes CVIM’s achieve-ments to the power of God.

“Start small. If God is in that plan, any-thing can happen. We started in a place with three little medical rooms and one dental chair,” Wirshup said. “[Now, CVIM] is probably one of the biggest free clinics in the country...We are re-ally blessed.”

Today, CVIM is not only able to provide dental and medical care, but also treatment for behavioral health.

“We have so many patients that have anxi-ety, bipolar, schizophrenia, and we couldn’t find

a place for them to go,” Wirshup said. “Now we actually have four counselors and four psychia-trists." (continued on page 3)

Tree of hope: This tree, made by a patient, hangs in the CVIM hallway. "When I see this tree it makes me think of why I went into family practice," Wirshup said. / Mrs. Laurie Scaggs

What Makes aVolunteer?

Two-Sided Senior: Kelsey Hoff '19 shows off both her artwork and passion for volleyball during fall sports pictures on October 16. / Lifetouch

Katie Scaggs '20

Junior serves at local fire stationJunior Raquel Lacusky joined the ranks of the Fame Fire Co. No. 3 in October and found a new passion.

Hannah Rosenberger '20Editor-in-Chief

Lacusky is making an impact in the community as the only active female firefighter and one of the youngest members of Fame Fire Co. No. 3 in West Chester, Pa.

Self-described as loving an adrenaline rush, Lacusky feels right at home at the fire station, but it didn’t start out that way. Over the summer, she saw a Schoology post about the opportunity from the Director of Counseling, Mrs. Elizabeth Hashagen, but was hesitant until she got a nudge in the right direction from her mom.

"I saw it and I thought, ‘That’s really cool, I could never do that, though.’ And my mom asked ‘Why not?’” Lacusky said. “If I hadn’t had that push from my mom, I never would have done it.”

Lacusky says that it was definitely an adjustment from her day to day life to start at the station, especially coming from an all-girls atmosphere. Even so, the other members of the station always push her out of her comfort zone.

“They really try and make me feel as comfortable as possible and give me the best experience that I can get,” Lacusky said. “They’ll hand me a tool and say, ‘Go at it.’ They’re definitely bolstering me up.”

This is especially evident on Thursday nights which is drill night at the station. All of the firefight-ers gather at the station to clean, test equipment, and run a drill. Lacusky is in the middle of the action. (continued on page 6)

Fall Ball Horror StoriesI don’t know what’s worse: doing the worm in the middle of the dance floor or cutting your dress in half the night before.

Raquel Lacusky '20 Editor-in-Chief

Dad Moves“I did the worm on the floor within the first ten minutes,

and I have never regretted anything more.”

Overprotective Brothers“At the pre-party my freshman year, my brothers (who

are 6’4”) backed our dates into the corner to intimidate them.”

Scissors Anyone?“I bought my dress a month before Fall Ball. The night

before I was trying it on to make sure it looked okay, and the zipper got completely stuck! I literally tried everything to get it off, and nothing worked! My mom had to cut the dress off of me!”

Early Bird Gets the Date“Freshman year I was super stressed about finding a date,

so I asked someone at the beginning of July.”

Freshman Punctuality “Freshman year, I was THE first person at the dance. I

got there at 6:50, because I’m always early. The lights were still on, and the DJ wasn’t even finished setting up. My date and I just stood there awkwardly and it was hilarious.”

Not Coming Back “Freshman year, I was set up by a friend. My mom drove

me to his house, and we took a really awkward photo standing next to each other. When we got to the dance, he stood in the middle of the mosh pit and didn’t move while everyone danced around him!!! I don’t think he had a great time.”

Sister Code = Broken“I brought my ex-boyfriend to Fall Ball, and it didn’t

turn out the best. I danced with my friends, and he completely ignored me the whole time. On the way to the after party we didn’t talk at all, which was really awkward. Now, both of my sisters are taking him to their dances, and he asked one of my sisters to his.”

Nail Salon Nightmare“I was 30 minutes late to the pre-party the whole grade

was coming to because I was getting my nails done. My mom kept calling, and the lady doing my nails kept answering the phone and holding it up to my ear so I could talk, and the whole time she was laughing at me getting yelled at.”

On Again, Off Again“My boyfriend dumped me two days before Fall Ball

which was on my birthday. He still went to the dance with me, and the whole night was insanely stressful. We actually ended up getting back together at Villa, but still... Maybe not break up two days before your girlfriend’s birthday and dance?”

Stuck Together“My hair got caught in a guys shirt, took almost a min-

ute to get it out. So awkward.”

OPINION2 January 2019 The Villa Voice

Shouldn’t Volunteering be Voluntary? Volunteer hours are an inte-gral part of the student ex-perience, but is the meaning behind these hours lost amid requirements and dead-lines?

Over the course of their four years in high school, most students accumulate any number of hours volunteering in their communities. Spending time at a food kitchen, a hospital, or even our own school is a positive way to make a difference in your local area. Taking the time out of our busy lives to give back to others not only helps them, but us, too. Service exposes us to new people, places, and cultures that we never would have come into contact with, teaching us valuable lessons about our surroundings and each other.

When service hours are mandatory, sometimes it pushes people out of their comfort zone. It provides those who wouldn’t normally feel the urge to do service the motivation and the opportu-nity to do something positive in their communities. It takes us out of the bubble of our safe and comfortable lives and exposes us to the struggles of others.

However, far too often, when these hours spent caring for the community are turned into an-other number in the gradebook, those benefits tend to fall away. Instituting a policy of mandatory service hours can flip the switch on what is supposed to be a positive action.

No matter what the activity, making any job mandatory turns it into a chore. It feels like an obligation, something you are being forced into, rather than an opportunity to be excited about.

Often, mandatory obligations can add stress to a student’s already busy schedule, while service that a student is passionate about can be an outlet to relieve stress. The “obligation” turns perform-ing service into a source of anxiety over not being able to get your hours completed on time instead of creating that warm and fuzzy feeling from helping others.

"Mandatory” hours also limit us from going above and beyond in service opportunities. Once the required hours are finished, far too often we feel no desire to continue service, as passionate as we may be. We fulfill that minimum threshold, but once those hours are done, so are we.

When this mindset is applied to volunteering, it is much less effective. Yes, you are physically present at the site of the service, and yes, you are probably spending that stretch of time doing something. However, if service is viewed as “just another assignment,” then chances are that you’ll just be waiting for that clock to tick down. You focus on yourself, and how this time spent will benefit you, rather than paying attention to the people around you. You put less effort into the work that you are doing because you think the only thing that matters is that you are present for the required amount of hours.

Wherever we volunteer, it is far too easy to not invest ourselves in our actions when we know that the only thing we need to land us an A is a signature. When you volunteer, it should be like joining an extracurricular club or a sports team - something that you genuinely want to participate in. Service should be something that excites you and pushes you to want to make a difference. Passion leads to enthusiasm and hard work, both of which make a world of difference when you are volunteering.

Doing service because you genuinely want to help others is nothing but positive. Volunteering is an act that provides an invaluable service to the community and those around us. It connects us to our communities, making us more aware of social issues that need to be addressed and allowing us to gain better perspective about our own lives. However, when volunteering is truly voluntary, participants get much more out of the experience. Is it really the most beneficial scenario to put a due date on helping our community?

Volunteering Creates VolunteersSometimes all it takes is a little nudge for an “an-noying” assignment to turn into a good habit.

It seems like no one has time for much of anything these days - high school students are no exception. Each semester, teenagers across the country need both hands to count the number of courses, each with its own hefty workload, that they have to complete in just a few months. Add in sports, extracurriculars, jobs, family obligations, and social lives, and it's hard to believe there really are only twenty-four hours in a day.

With all of this going on, it is difficult to imagine how a teenager in any of the thousands of high schools across the country that require dozens of service hours for graduation could ever find the time to accomplish such a task. Most students hardly consider themselves eager to complete their extensive regular assignments as is.

Forcing already overextended students to set aside a significant number of hours during the school year to go out into their communities to build houses, serve food, visit the elderly, or work in grocery stores in underdeveloped towns sounds like a fairly unproductive decision, resulting in nothing but begrudging, smileless work from tired, daydreaming teenagers.

Distance from home and more pleasurable activities in no way alleviate the all-too-familiar stresses of being a student in the modern era, but they do hold considerable worth.

When you spend your day volunteering, you learn to appreciate the value of hard work itself. Things do not just happen in this world; behind every project are countless hours of planning and preparation, not to mention sweat and elbow grease. Teenagers today must understand the impor-tance of hard work, especially when said work seems unfruitful. Not every job is paid, and not every position comes with accolades, but that does not render the work useless.

When you take average Main Line high school students out of their comfort zone and put them in a city like Chester, they tend to open their eyes a little wider to injustices in a society that seems to give them so much. Spending a few hours on a random Saturday stocking shelves in a grocery store in Chester probably won’t alter a teenager’s worldview tremendously, but it will give them some sense of empathy for those to whom society has not been so kind.

Students who participate in regular community service because of a school requirement also learn a lesson in accountability. Nothing teaches a teenager responsibility quite like an adult in authority, with whom they have no outside connection, holding them accountable for finishing a job. No one wants to let down someone they just met.

It is only through actual exposure to the injustices of society that a teenager, experiencing an incredibly overwhelming influx of other stress-inducing stimuli, can exhibit an interest in civic life. With adulthood just around the corner, high school is the ideal time for adolescents to figure out just how and why their contributions to society really do make a difference.

By teaching high schoolers to think and do for others, not for themselves, we provide them with the very tools they need to be productive members of society. If they do not know the social issues around them, they cannot hope to correct them.

Yes, those tired, begrudging, smileless teenagers will always exist, and no amount of required service hours will eliminate that unfortunate figure, but we can hope that the frown that exists now will turn into reflective understanding down the road.

The institution of mandatory service hours for students is rooted in a hope to internalize the value of service, and to promote growth in compassion for those whom society has so unfairly marginalized. As human beings, and especially as Christians, each of us is called to participate in one of the most fundamental principles of humanity: in giving of ourselves do we receive.

With practice and patience, mandatory community service can become volunteerism. All it takes is a few motivated forward-thinkers to promote giving back to the community off the clock and off the record, the way it should be done. Guiding teenagers through the initial stages by requiring a small number of hours each semester is just the first step - we have to start somewhere.

Olivia DiCicco '20

Olivia D

iCicco '20

EDITORIAL

NEWS 3The Villa Voice January 2019

Mission StatementThe Villa Voice is a student-run publication created to inform the Villa Maria com-munity with truthful and relevant infor-mation. We strive to give students a safe outlet for their opinions and accurately represent the student body of Villa Maria.

Editorial PolicyThe unsigned editorial is to represent the student voice of The Villa Voice. The unsigned editorial is an anonymous col-umn. It is an opinion piece written by ap-pointed students on the Editorial Board.

SubmissionsSubmissions from any students in the Villa Maria community are encouraged, specifically letters to the editor and feed-back. Submissions must include name and email verification, and anonymous submissions will not be accepted. Not all submissions are published.

Joining Our StaffStudents are welcome to join the staff as contributors throughout the school year. Members are required to attend at least one monthly meeting. Please contact a staff member listed below for more infor-mation.

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Alexa Fowler '19

Raquel Lacusky '20Caroline McDonald '19

Alivia Orvieto '20Hannah Rosenberger '20

SECTION EDITORSOlivia DiCicco '20

Ellie Gray '19Julie Satterthwaite '20

Katie Scaggs '20

JANUARY CONTRIBUTORSAna Ciarrocchi '19Lexi DeFelice '19

Anna Heppelmann '21Olivia Karkenny '20Raquel Lacusky '20Annie Mulqueen '19

Anna Nunag '20Alivia Orvieto '20

Julianna Prendergast '20Carina Rose '21

Hannah Rosenberger '20Julie Satterthwaite '20

Katie Scaggs '20Kelly Thomas '19

ADVISERMrs. Laurie Scaggs

"Mono" is not to be taken lightly Those infected with the mononucleosis virus often don’t know they have it, which is a serious problem.

Olivia Karkenny '20Reporter

Mononucleosis virus, typically known as mono or “the kissing disease,” affects many high school students, causing more serious health problems than one might think.

"Mono, also referred to as the Epstein-Barr Virus, is a simple virus transmitted through saliva, but is not airborne. It has a long incu-bation period of 30 to 50 days,” School Nurse Mrs. Pierina Antonello stated. “The symptoms include fever, a very enlarged sore throat, lethar-gy and tiredness, swollen lymph nodes [organs throughout the body whose function is to fight infection], and an enlarged spleen.”

An incubation stage is a time period when the virus stays dormant in the body, or before the virus shows symptoms. Although there are

many symptoms of the disease, one may not recognize that they have mononucleosis, which can lead to more health problems if they don’t attend to their symptoms.

“The virus is diagnosed through a blood test or Monospot test. There is no cure for mono, but the symptoms can be treated. If you’re tired, you sleep. If you have a sore throat, you take Ad-vil,” Antonello says.

Although these seemingly minor symp-toms of mono can be treated, an enlarged spleen is something more serious to be worried about. Antonello explains that those diagnosed with the virus who have enlarged spleens are advised to take a break from contact sports, or anything that would cause their spleen to rupture. A rup-tured spleen would cause a whole body infection, which would in turn lead to very serious medical

problems. D e s p i t e

some common symptoms, every case of mononu-cleosis is unique.

“Each person is affected differently by the virus, it just depends on the person,” Antonello said. “One can have it for 2-3 weeks with little symptoms, while another can have it for over a month with severe symptoms.”

At Villa Maria, past cases of mono have caused girls to miss weeks of school due to ex-treme lethargy. The virus has spread around the school in past years and is starting to make its rounds again this year.

Caribbean feels impacts of Hurricane MariaNormal life in Puerto Rico has been greatly disrupted, even months later, because of the Category 5 storm that struck the island.

Hannah Rosenberger '20Editor-in-Chief

After Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands on September 20, 2017, its inhabitants, including family of two Villa Maria faculty members, continue to face difficulties.

Spanish teacher and NHS moderator Mrs. Belen Medina-Mendoza, who has family in Puerto Rico, says that she couldn’t believe how the storm impacted the island and the people there.

“They didn’t have electricity. They didn’t have water. There was damage in the streets, so there was no way sometimes that they could communicate. They couldn't get from one place to another,” she said. “They didn’t have enough gas...to go and buy the medicines that they need-ed.”

During the storm itself, the people on the island had to make due with what they had amid the terror surrounding them.

“One of my friends has a seven-year old boy, and he loves to study,” Medina-Mendoza said. “He was...just in the bedroom, everything dark, with a flashlight, just trying to read the books from school and trying to put his mind in another place.”

Issues with resources often taken for grant-ed have continued months later.

“I have communication with some of the people that went to high school with me,” Me-dina-Mendoza said. “There is not even one week since the hurricane that they don’t say, ‘oh, I lost power.’”

In the fifteen months since Hurricane Ma-ria hit, many areas of the island, like the capital San Juan, have significantly recovered. However, there is still much work to be done, as many ru-ral areas are still touched by the aftermath of the storm, especially farming communities.

“They have to find a way just to see how they will put food on their table,” Medina-Men-doza said. “[Farming] was their life, and now it’s

gone.”This reality is unsur-

prising, as Hurricane Maria ranks third on the National Hurricane Center’s list of the ten costliest hurricanes of all time.

According to this list, “Hurricane Maria is the costliest hurricane on record to strike Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.”

The ranking states that nine out of the ten costliest hurricanes of all time have occurred since 2005. From the 2018 hurricane season, Hurricanes Florence and Michael were also destruc-tive enough that their names will be retired from use, according to Popular Science.

It is impossible to tell if hurricanes are tru-

ly getting more dangerous with the decades, but they are certainly growing more costly.

Motivation to study: Despite loss of power, a young boy continues his studies during the storm with a flashlight strapped to his head. Hurricane Maria hit his home in September 2017. / Gloriette Señeriz

(continued from page 1)CVIM provides these services to a very

specific demographic of patients, but one that nonetheless needs a helping hand.

“[Patients] have to show us that they live or work in Chester County ... a pay stub, in-come taxes to say they’re below the 300% pov-erty level, and they have to have no insurance. And there [are] so many people,” Wirshup said.

The organization even brings buses of kids to the facility from different parts of Ches-ter County.

“[Children] actually have so much fun that one kid faked dental pain so he could get on the bus. They put him in the chair and they said, ‘What’s bothering you?’ And he said,

‘Nothing,’” Wirshup said.

Wirshup again was inspired by her faith to start her career at CVIM after a long stint in private practice.

“I was losing a side of me- the spiritual side...It got to the point where I was not hap-py,” Wirshup said. “I got down on my knees and said Lord, where do you want me? And then within two weeks

I heard about [CVIM].” The job at CVIM

was one that seemed per-fect for her because of ad-

vice she was given as a child, in reference to her immigrant grandparents many decades before.

“My father always said, ‘Never forget the poor and hungry, because we were poor and hungry,’” she said.

Wirshup has stuck with CVIM ever since, and puts long hours and extreme dedi-cation into her job - dedication that does not go unnoticed. Her favorite part of the profession is the rewarding interactions she has with her patients.

“Having someone, your neighbor, some-one that you didn’t know, look at you and say ‘I wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for CVIM,’” Wirshup said, “That’s the best part for me.”

Wirshup is not the only inspirational woman making a difference in Chester Coun-ty at CVIM. Villa Maria alumna and volunteer nurse Murphy Asceto ’75 has also made an im-pact.

“We’ve actually seen patients that have been living in their cars in West Chester, and we have such great social work here that we can get them to other resources so they don’t have to live in their cars,” Asceto said.

Anyone who has met her can tell that Wirshup has an unwavering positive attitude that fuels an intensive organization. Wirshup and her staff have made an enormous impact on the community around us that cannot be forgotten.

Wirshup believes that anyone can change the world, and wants to pass that knowl-edge onto the next generation.

“Never stop believing that one person can make a difference. Mother Teresa started and picked up one person,” she said. “You’re Villa girls. That means you’re very special. You’re smart, you

want to make a difference.”Anyone interested in volunteering at or

donating to CVIM, please visit their website, cvim.org.

Room of fun: Alexandra Scaggs '22 , Raquel Lacusky '20, Julie Satterthwaite '20, Hannah Rosenberger '20, Dr. Mary Wirshup, and Ms. Murphy Asceto '75 smile in the CVIM office's kids corner, hand painted by Asceto. The students pictured visited CVIM's office in November. / Mrs. Laurie Scaggs

"I got down on my knees and said, "Lord,

where do you want me?"

Mr. Darren Polsz

STUDENT SURVEYS4 January 2019 The Villa Voice

Student Surveys During Fall of 2018 the Villa Voice Staff sent surveys to the student body via Goo-gle Forms. The surveys were completed in order to ob-tain a clear understanding of students' interests, hab-its, and activities. **based on 179 responses

Villa's newest tradition Sorella Day makes strides as students' favorite.

Making Memories

Turn on the T.V.Poll results show that stu-dents favor comedy based series over other television genres. Procrastination? Never.

Breakfast Club

To the 35.7% of people who don't eat break-fast, we're hoping you don't have third lunch.

Career Driven

Unsurprisingly, most students are hoping to make strides in the STEM or healthcare fields.

Musical Majorities

To the person who likes Christmas music more than pop, we're sorry that your favorite time of year is over.

39.0% 19.5% 16.0%12.0%

4.5%2.0% 5.0%

Pop

Rap

Coun

try

Rock In

die

R&B

Oth

er

Clas

sica

l

2.0%

Mr. Darren Polsz

Mr. Darren Polsz

Olivia DiCicco '20

Olivia DiCicco '20

Olivia DiCicco '20

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT 5The Villa Voice January 2019

Creative Creations: Kelsey Hoff '19 creates hand painted sneakers like these for clients.

Hoff created the shoes, along with many other pairs, throughout 2018.

(continued from page 1) “I could look into art as a minor [in college] and maybe try

to expand my business from there, especially because Babson is a business school,” Hoff said.

Kelsey’s Kicks sparked Hoff’s interest in entrepreneurship and she is currently committed to play volleyball at Babson Col-lege in Wellesley, Massachusetts - the #1 entrepreneurial school in the country. Being a student at Villa Maria has also helped her develop her business.

“Villa has given me the opportunities to voice myself as a strong woman. Being creative as well as being independent is something that we learn here,” Hoff said.

At the moment, Hoff is working on art teacher Mrs. Kate Brown’s daughter's shoes featur-ing a fun cheetah print design. The production times range anywhere from one hour to a week to make the hand crafted mas-terpieces.

Ty p i c a l l y , people come to Hoff with a clear idea of what kind of shoes they want, but every so often they will come to her looking for inspiration.

“I’ve had people come to me and say I have no idea what I want, so I ask them what they like and end up picking something for them,” Hoff said.

Hoff has had to learn a lot about balance, between commit-ments to the business, her academics, and volleyball. She said it was stressful at first, but she manages her time well in order to get everything done. She also still finds joy in her paintings, especially the ones pictured.

“My favorite pair of shoes that I’ve done are probably the waves on the high top converse,” Hoff said.

Visit her Instagram page (@kelseyskicks) to see her oth-er designs, or to place an order by direct message.

ANNAXPAIGE: seniors create fashion blog Seniors Paige DeMutis '19 and Anna Bozzi '19 created an Instagram account that combines their interests in fashion and business.

Ana Ciarrocchi '19, Raquel Lacusky '20Reporter, Editor-in-Chief

This past summer, seniors Paige DeMutis and Anna Bozzi created an Instagram blog to express their love of fashion in an innovative way. The girls drew inspiration to start the account, @annax-paige, from many different aspects of their lives.

“I was never one for creativity,” Demutis said. “I didn’t realize I had it in me, but just this summer I was inspired by seeing different outfits around me. A lot of girls in this area always have cool outfits, and it was fun to go shopping and try and find something that most people wouldn’t wear.”

According to Demutis, @annaxpaige started out as more of a hobby than anything else.“The account was just for fun, and then it got a lot of attention, so it turned into something

more after that,” DeMutis said.The account started to take off when the girls landed their first business partnership. A post

on their instagram account of a shirt from Elaine’s Boutique in Cape May gained attention, and soon turned into a job opportunity.

“We took [the post] to the boutique and told them they needed to make an Instagram and advertise,” Demutis said.“[They] asked us if we wanted to do it for them. We originally said no because we were leaving [the beach], and then we went back and said that we could do it for them.”

The girls have been able to grow their partnership opportunities ever since, adding another store, the Refinery in Phoenixville, PA, to their growing list of business relationships. The store was immediately interested in working with Bozzi and DeMutis upon discovering the page.

“We post their outfits on social media, and if you go in and show them [the posts], you can get a code [for a discount],” DeMutis said.

The business that Bozzi and DeMutis have created for themselves is a great example of turn-ing your hobbies into work. They have been pleasantly surprised with the amount of positive feedback they have gotten, and have learned a lot about their own life plans.

“Now I want to go into business marketing and fashion merchandising. It opened my eyes to what kind of world I want to live in and the people I want to be around,” DeMutis said.

The girls offer helpful advice to people hoping to achieve their own goals.

“If you enjoy it, pursue it,” Demutis said. “Even if it

is hard at times because it may seem weird to other people.”

City style: Anna Bozzi '19 and Paige DeMutis '19 pose in center city Philadelphia for an @annaxpaige post. The pair spent the summer pairing together different outfits and posting photos. / Sarah Delaney

Students travel to Africa to help those in need Two students traveled to Africa last summer to participate in service projects that served those in pov-erty.Julianna Prendergast ‘20 Contributor

Anna Rago ‘20 and Sarah Raubenheimer ‘19 reached beyond the local community to work with those in need in Malawi and Tanzania, Africa.

Rago spent 18 days in Malawi, Africa with Pamoza International, a Christian outreach pro-gram that serves underprivileged communities in Africa.

“I have been working with [Pamoza] since seventh grade... and when they asked me to go, I was honored,” she said. “I really wanted to see the people I was helping and figure out their direct needs.”

Rago spent a week getting to know the Malawian people by taking part in their daily lives. “We woke up at 5:00 am and walked three miles to a high school with two local girls... It took

us about two hours to get there,” Rago said.By visiting local schools to helping the villagers with projects, Rago learned a lot about the

lives and culture of the people of Malawi. She was inspired by the optimistic way the villagers lived their lives.

“I learned that even though the people of Malawi live in physical poverty, they live in mental richness,” Rago said.

Senior Sarah Raubenheimer also participated in service in Africa when she visited Tanzania with her family. After organizing a clothing drive last year, Raubenheimer delivered the collected clothes to Msamaria Orphanage, a center for children living on the streets of Tanzania. Upon arriving at the orphanage, Raubenheimer was greeted by excitement and smiles.

“[The kids] literally surrounded our car,” she said. “We brought them a ton of clothes... and [they] were dancing and singing.”

Another reason Raubenheimer visited Africa was to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. She climbed the mountain with her brother and dad, and spent six days climbing up the mountain and one and a half days descending.

She said, “It was the first time I ever hiked, and it was hard. You start climbing at 12:00 in the morn-ing, so you reach the summit at sunrise.”

Raubenheimer used the endurance she devel-oped from cross country to climb the mountain. Temperatures on the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro range from -20 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. However, when Raubenheimer reached the summit, nothing else mattered.

“Right when you reach the top, you don’t even feel the cold anymore," Raubenheimer said. "You feel so accomplished, you can’t even think about the cold.”

Service with a smile : Anna Rago '20 poses with students from a school in Malawi. She spent nearly two weeks serving the underprivileged in June. / Photo provided by Anna Rago.

The Summit : Sarah Raubenheimer '19 stands alongside her father and brother at the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro after a several day climb. / Photo provided by Sarah Raubenheimer

“Villa has given me the opportunities to

voice myself as a strong woman. Being creative as well as being inde-pendent is something that we learn here."

VILLA LIFE6 January 2019 The Villa Voice

Campus transformed during summer 2018 While students enjoyed a relaxing summer, administrators of campus developments were busy implementing changes ranging from tech-nology to landscape. Anna Nunag '20Contributor

On August 29, 2018, when students returned to campus for the first day of school, they found a new loop driveway, Virtual Reality technology, and a point of sale system for the cafeteria.

Completed in the first week of September, the driveway wraps around the convent and connects the road in front of St. Joseph’s Hall to the Regina Mundi parking lot. While transpor-tation efficiency was one of the main goals of the driveway, beau-tifying the campus was also a key component.

“It lets the world know what a beautiful campus it is,” Director of Advancement Ms. Kathleen McCartney said. “The driveway brings people into the campus; you’re not just driving by and looking at the cafeteria windows. The convent was built so long ago, that you like people to see that and it’s made the convent the centerpiece of the campus.”

The driveway took approximately ten weeks to complete despite extreme weather conditions over the summer. Facilities director Zeke Spillane worked with the engineers, excavators, and paving contractors to develop these improvements.

“There was drilling to test the soil, there was a lot of work that went into drainage, and something they call ‘stormwater management,'” McCartney said. “If we get a terrible rainstorm, the drains have to be in the right places so it doesn’t flood.”

Not only has engineering transformed the look of campus, but new technology is making an impact in the classroom. Di-rector of Technology Mrs. Lisa Roberts has introduced Virtual Reality (VR) to student curriculum. The goal of this equipment is to enable students to visualize more abstract concepts.

“After we get through the immersion of what VR is and how it can be applied educationally, we’re going to eventually be looking to expand that into creation of VR projects,” Roberts

said. “Instead of doing a Powerpoint for a class, a student might do a VR project.”

Ten Occulus Go headsets are already in the 117 Design Lab, along with an Occulus Rift system. Several teachers have already started testing out the VR headsets to learn the applications of the system for use in classes such as math, science, and world languages.

“Mrs. Keglovits is going to be using it in her field with anat-omy,” Roberts said, “and trying to look at the inner workings of the human body.”

On the Rift system, a more robust VR anatomy program allows students to visually take apart organs in the body and put them back together.

“My goal for technology is to expose a student to the new technologies so that they can innovate and create with new tools, giving them an edge over others in their field,” Roberts said.

In addition to the new driveway and the VR system, many other developments took place over the summer. The Wi-Fi system that was once separated among the three buildings was replaced with one system that allows continuous internet access throughout the campus, and will eventually be extended to the turf field.

Theology classrooms were transferred to St. Joseph’s Hall while English classrooms were moved to Regina Mundi.

“We are focusing St. Joseph’s Hall as a STEM / STEAM kind of building,” Roberts said.

Lastly, the majority of Regina Mundi classrooms have been updated with modular furniture to allow students more tabletop space and to aid in collaborative student discussions.

“One focus we are [creating] is to make the furniture adapt to what the student needs are, and facilitate a collaborative learn-ing space,” Roberts said.

Another focus of recent improvements, according to Mc-Cartney, is to keep pushing Villa forward as a school and as a community.

“We don’t want to stay stagnant. We want to keep our his-tory, and grow, and keep us relevant in the future, too, for the next generation of kids,” McCartney said. “We’re trying to set it up for the future.”

All of the recent developments to campus and classrooms alike have been for the benefit of students and faculty in the Villa Maria community.

“We don’t really want to have technology just to have it because everybody else has it; we have it around a plan or a pur-pose,” Roberts said. “When we put together a project of what will better Villa Maria, it is always about the students, and that is what we try to think of first.”

Making Virtual Reality a reality: Caroline Spitz '20 watches as Mrs. Linda Schweitzer helps Star Bai '20 participate in her virtual reality project for

Theology on December 13. / Mrs . Laurie Scaggs

Class of 2021 makes memories on first Disney tripCurrent sophomores traveled to Disney World this past summer for several days of magic, education and fun.

Madeline Ladd ‘21Contributor

Dozens of members of the class of 2021 awoke bright and early on June 11, 2018 to em-bark on a journey to “the happiest place on earth” : Disney World. The girls spent five days enjoying the parks, hotel, food, and the experi-ence of bonding as a class.

The trip was pioneered by school counsel-or Mr. Domenic Zampogna and planned by the entire Counseling Department. From the very beginning, the emphasis was on making it an enjoyable experience for students.

“My goal was always for them to say, ‘I wish I could do that again,” Zampogna said.

“Disney experts”- students who had been to Disney World five or more times - also helped in the planning process, planning the itinerary for each day and ensuring that none of the high-lights were missed. On two days, the students attended seminars that spoke to the meaning behind Disney and strengthening skills that can apply to their futures.

“The seminar we attended told the story of Walt Disney and how his journey can be an ex-ample to each of us,” sophomore Kaitlyn Porta ‘21 stated. “It made you think about what you

wanted to do with your life, and if you already knew, then how to achieve it.”

The ideas of Disney’s founder, Walt Dis-ney, gave students a unique lesson.

“I wanted [the trip] to be the inspiration for them to see that there is the potential for millions of people to be affected by something that they are passionate about,” Zampogna said. “Their vision could be the vision that takes the world in a whole different direction, like Walt.”

The trip appeared to be a great success, as the girls grew closer with each other and their counselors while enjoying the magic of Disney. For sophomore Quincy Hatcher ‘21, that was her favorite part of the experience.

“The best part of the trip was being able to share a common experience with so many people,” she stated. “Having the counselors and chaperones created a strong bond, and everyone can look back on the trip and share their fun and crazy experiences.”

More than seventy members of this year’s freshman class will embark on the trip this June, indicating that the Disney trip will per-haps become a new Villa Maria tradition.

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“We get extra cars that have been totaled or aren’t running anymore to do patient extrication drills. I kind of expected that I would have to just watch what’s going on, but the guys really want me to get the experience, so they throw me in there and get me using the tools,” Lacusky said. “I have cut doors off, I’ve broken windows, because that’s something that we have to do on call.”

One of the bigger drills is known as “burn night,” and is one of Lacusky’s favorite experi-ences.

“We use a facility that has a big cement building, and about once a month we light it on fire,” Lacusky said. “Sometimes we put out our ladder, which is close to 200 feet tall, and I get to climb up the ladder to the top of the building.”

Another aspect of firefighting that Lacusky loves is the opportunity to do things she never would have otherwise. She has a new perspective on parts of her life that were previously ordinary.

“We went to the old courthouse in West Chester, climbed up to the roof and just sawed part of the roof off to practice cutting holes and creating ventilation for when a building is on fire,” she said.

“That was really cool to just be able to be standing on top of a building that I see all of the time, and not just to be standing on top of it but have an axe in my hand and be chopping away at it.”

Lacusky is at the station often, in addition to her school coursework, her job at the Interna-tional Montessori School at Malvern, and her extracurriculars. Learning time management has been a big part of her newest pastime.

“I just have to try and get all of my school-work done ahead of time,” she said. “I do as much as I can in the beginning part of the week to make sure that I am not left with a lot of work on days when I know I’m going to be at the station late.”

Lacusky truly respects everything the other firefighters do for the area, especially as she is not always able to make it to calls because of her busy

schedule. The station is solely volunteer-based, but that doesn’t stop its members from answer-ing calls at all hours.

“I’ll be at school, and get the notification on my iPad that there’s a call, or I’m about to go to bed at 11:45 p.m. and there’s a call, or I wake up in the morning and see that there was a call at 4:30 a.m.,” she said. “It gives me a lot of apprecia-tion for the volunteers that are working tirelessly for the community without being paid.”

Lacusky says that she has also grown as a person because of becoming a firefighter.

"I trust myself more and I am not afraid to step out of my comfort zone," she said.

She has learned a lot of valuable lessons while vol-unteering at the station, and encourages other girls to take risks.

“If there’s anyone out there who thinks that they can’t do something, or is in-

terested in doing an activity that they’ve never done before, just go for it,” Lacusky said. “Worst comes to worst, you don’t like it and you never do it again, but you could find something that you really love.”

The magic of Disney: Members of the class of 2021 prepare to attend a leadership seminar in Disney World. Accom-panied by the Counseling Department, the girls spent five days at the parks in June 2018. / Photo provided by Disney

Reporting for Duty: Volunteer firefighter Raquel Lacusky '20 dresses in her official gear for drill night. / Katie Scaggs

"I trust myself more and I am not afraid to

step out of my comfort zone."

VILLA LIFE 7The Villa Voice January 2019

Students earn college credit on campus Juniors and seniors are able to take part in Villa Maria’s Dual Enrollment program.Anna Heppelmann '21Contributor

During the 2017-2018 school year, Villa Maria Academy part-nered with Immaculata University to establish a dual enrollment program.

This program has continued during the 2018-2019 school year and allows eligible students to receive college credits without even leaving the campus. Taught by professors from Immaculata, three college level credits per course are added to participating stu-dents' high school transcript.

“This program is a great opportunity for our students to ex-perience college rigor before actually getting to college,” Director of Curriculum and Instruction Ms. Linda Henderson stated. “It is indeed college work the students are doing, while still in high school.”

Students taking Honors World Religions can enroll in the World Religions Dual Enrollment course, taught by Principal Sis-ter Regina Ryan, IHM. The coursework, designed like a college class, is very independent. Students are responsible for understand-ing the content without constantly being checked on by a teacher.

“I think it’s a good way to transition from high school to college,” Senior Grace Maguire stated. “You’re reading on your own and talking about it in class so it keeps you very alert and ready to analyze the readings and take hard quizzes.”

Additionally, Maguire said the class is heavily discussion based. This enables students to be more prepared for a collaborative college classroom.

“Sister Regina won’t just lecture. It’s a very interactive class where we all share and contribute,” Maguire said.

Maguire was prompted to enroll in the class because of advice from her sister and other alumnae. They told Maguire the biggest awakening in college is the different cultures that can be found there, so she appreciates the opportunity to look at culture and people in a different way.

“In World Religions, we take our Christian view away and look at it from a different view,” Maguire stated. “I have the oppor-tunity to widen my view for college and my future.”

Because of these many advantages to participating students, Henderson is looking to expand the program in the future.

“We are working with Immaculata right now to secure more courses to be offered here in the 2019-2020 school year,” Henderson stated. “We feel this is such a great opportunity for our students that we would like to see it grow from where it is now.”

Dual enrollment project: Sarah Goldblum '19 holds her complete dual en-rollment project on the difference between machine and human intelligence. Goldblum completed the project in the fall. / Lifetouch

Seniors take Tohatchi Students from senior class traveled to Tohatchi, New Mexico to lend a helping hand during the summer of 2018.

Annie Mulqueen ‘19Contributor

Over the summer, I traveled to St. Mary’s Mission in To-hatchi, New Mexico with eleven of my classmates to serve the Navajo community.

After a long day of traveling, we were welcomed by Sister Pat and Sister Marlene at St. Mary’s on June 10th. They had us bless ourselves with the dirt and introduce ourselves to the North, South, East, and West, which symbolizes how sacred these grounds are to them.

We also stayed in a Navajo hut called a hogan during our time in New Mexico. We met the Navajo people, went on out-reaches to their homes, and learned about their culture. We went into homes of those who were struggling, heard their story, and

saw what their lives looked like. I met a woman named Theresa and learned about her struggle to get food for herself while also supporting her animals.

These outreach experiences really touched me and my class-mates because we made such an impact on people’s lives from the simple things we did.

Aside from service, I learned how to make traditional Na-vajo fry bread, went on a jeep tour through Canyon De Chelly, visited Gallup to see pottery and watch traditional dance and traveled to Window Rock.

The opportunity to go on this New Mexico trip was something I will cherish forever, and the memo-ries I made will always have a special place in my heart.

Desert life: Seniors Claire Dobson, Annie Mulqueen, Alexa Turco, Sophie Jungkurth, Grace McLachlan, Caroline McDonald, Sarah Logan, Elizabeth D'Ascenzo, Anna Levine, Erica Legaard, A'sja Abron, and Katherine Kiester

visit Window Rock on a service trip to New Mexico. The girls traveled to New Mexico in June. / Mrs. Kara Bielli

Urbanski leads new dance companyEight girls have joined the Villa Maria Dance Company during the 2018/2019 school year to create an ensemble with plans to perform.

Carina Rose '21 Contributor

The dancers will perform on and off campus in the months to come, with choreography from Dance Instructor Ms. Tanina Urbanski.

A dancer herself since the age of three, Urbanski honed her skill at the nearby Chester Valley Dance Academy in all types of dance including hip-hop, lyrical, and tap. While majoring in dance in college, Urbanski joined the dance club where she discovered her love of choreography.

“I wanted to create dances for others and that was when I got really interesting in cho-reographing,” Urbanski said.

This passion later drove her to be-come a dance instructor. Urbanski’s career led her to the dance company at Villa Ma-ria where she worked with the Curriculum Department to turn the dream of a dance company into a class.

“In order to attract trained dancers, we needed to offer something that would not conflict with their studio schedule,” Urbanski said. “I didn’t want to add any stress to students with yet another after school activity to attend.”

Sophomore Bella Cipolloni ’21, a member of the dance company, enjoys having it as a class because not only does it give her more time to do her homework after school, but it is great way for her to start the day.

“After having the rehearsals and class time during first block, I feel ready to take on the rest of the day, and it puts me in a great mood,” Cipolloni stated.

The dance company has big plans for the future, according

to Urbanski. “My goal for the company is to really create a performing

ensemble at Villa that will present Villa off-campus. A compa-ny that will be able to create pieces… that we can then take to festivals and to competitions regionally, maybe nationally in a couple of years,” Urbanski said.

On campus, the team performed at the winter mu-sic concert, and is planning to also dance at the Fine

Arts Festival, and the spring music concert. “We will always have performances at

school because I think that it is super import-ant to perform at your own home,” Urbanski says.

Cipolloni is very excited to dance with her teammates at their upcoming perfor-mances.

“I am so looking forward to...the other festivals and competitions we will be traveling

to add to the amazing memories already being made,” Cipolloni stated. “I am also very excited to

see how much we improve as a team and individually this year, and how we can build upon this team in the years to come!”

As the team develops and looks to the future, Urbanski hopes to expand her team of dancers, and teach them not only dance,

but life lessons.“I was lucky enough to have teachers and mentors whose

philosophy was ‘We don’t just make great dancers, we make great people,’” Urbanski said. “I think there’s a lot of lessons you can learn inside the studio that you will use outside the studio in your everyday life.”

Rocking in red: The dance company lifts sophomore Ella Morgan '21 during their performance to Pentatonix's "What Christmas Means to Me" at the Christ-mas Concert. The dancers rehearsed for many hours to prepare for the show. / Mrs. Esmonde

Strike a pose: Bella Cipollini '21 poses at fall sports pictures in September. "My favorite

aspect of dance company is building on my knowledge of dance," she said. / Lifetouch

SPORTS8 January 2019 The Villa Voice

Head Basketball Coach inducted into Chester County Hall of Fame Born and raised in Chester County, Ms. Kathy McCartney is recognized for her accomplishments in both her athletic and coaching careers.

Alivia Orvieto '20Editor-in-Chief

With 588 career wins, Head Basketball Coach Ms. Kathy Mc-Cartney was inducted into the Chester County Hall of Fame on November 10th, 2018.

McCartney was inducted not only as a coach, but as an athlete. McCartney began playing basketball in 7th grade at Saints Simon and Jude School in West Chester, Pa. Her first basketball coach was an IHM sister, Sister Brian.

“I almost wanted to be a nun because I thought she was so cool," McCartney said.

Her name resides on a banner in Bishop Shanahan’s gym for scoring 1000 points in high school, and she continued the sport into college at La Salle University as well.

“I’ve played for a long time, which I think is another part of the Hall of Fame. It’s about your longevity," McCartney said.

McCartney had aspirations to play in Europe post-college but a sudden injury prevented it. She then decided to try teaching and coaching, although they were never in her original plan.

“I really, honestly thought I would be doing this for a cou-ple of years and I’ve been here 30 years," McCartney said. “I think it’s God’s way of redirecting you. You’re not in control of things...I didn’t plan to get hurt, but it worked out for me because I never

knew that I wanted to be a teacher. That pushed me in a new direc-tion and I loved, loved, loved teaching.”

Throughout her thirty years of coaching, McCartney made sure to stay up to date each season.

“The game has changed, and kids have changed, so you have to be adaptable," she said. “[Female athletes] are stronger and bigger, now. This year, on our team we have three six-foot kids. I had no six-foot kids when I started. That was an aberration, and now it’s commonplace."

McCartney doesn't have any regrets about coaching or basket-ball in general. She hopes her Hall of Fame induction shows her players and other students that accomplishments such as hers are possible and possibly inspire someone to be a coach, teacher, or ath-lete.

McCartney has taught Assistant Basketball Coach Helen Ho-ban '92 many valuable lessons and skills.

She stated, “Coach McCartney has taught me so many things; leadership and bringing out the best in our players every day is num-ber one.”

Hoban is very proud of McCartney’s recent induction into the Chester County Hall of Fame.

“I love coaching with her every season. She makes me a better person," she stated, "Coach McCartney has positively impacted so

many lives and brought out the best in all of us. She leads by example and our teams are family first and forever!”

McCartney's hard work and dedication resonated with Chrissy Nolan Steinetz '92, a former player.

“Any coach can teach you how to make a layup or dribble the ball," stated Steinetz. "However, Kath's ability to teach her players to work hard and to believe in themselves -- because she most certainly believes in you -- is a lesson you take with you well beyond the four years you spend at Villa."

She credited McCartney for being a positive influence and mentor to countless young women over the course of 30 years.

“I can't think of a more deserving recipient of the Hall of Fame induction as a result of her impressive record and achievements as a player and coach,” Steinetz stated.

Peggy EvansAnastasia CiarrocchI '19Reporter

Retired Professional Women’s Football Player and Head Volleyball Coach Peggy Evans grew up in Pittsburgh as a die-hard Steelers fan, but girls often weren’t allowed to play “boy” sports. In sixth grade, she decided to start a girls softball league because she was not permitted to try out for the boys Little League team. Many years later, she heard of a professional women’s football league. She tried out, made the team and played for three seasons.

“At the end of the day you just have your integrity, you just have your effort. And if you give it everything you’ve got, then you have a good life,” Evans said.

In 2008, Evans made the back cover of More Magazine, a women’s lifestyle magazine, which featured an article about her football career: “You have to be humble because you may be on the losing end at some point, and it doesn’t feel good,” she said.

Before all of this, Evans attended Plum Senior High School in Pittsburgh, PA. She played volleyball, track, and basketball both in high school and at Juniata College.

Evans first started out as a volunteer coach for the team six years ago when her daughter decided to attend Villa Maria. She also had connections to former Head Volleyball Coach Joe Boland from previ-ously coaching club volleyball with him.

Evans accepted more responsibilities this year as Head Coach. There are more administra-tive responsibilities, such as planning practices, but she gets input from her assistants, Burgess Hoff and Joe Do.

Evans' favorite part about the volleyball team is the players: “The interaction with the girls and seeing them accomplish things they never thought they could do and that they con-tinue to love the sport," she said.

Burgess HoffAnastasia CiarrocchI '19Reporter

Assistant volleyball coach Burgess Hoff has an impressive background in volleyball. He was born in Liberia, West Africa, grew up in Ghana, and came to the United States in 2000. He started actively playing volleyball at age 12.

“I started playing because it kept me safe. It was a safe haven for me and it was a non-contact sport” Hoff stated.

He went on to play professional volleyball in countries in-cluding Spain, Ghana, South Africa, and Egypt. Hoff's passion about the sport has fueled his dedication.

"It is a satisfaction that keeps you wanting more. The dis-cipline is memorable and long lasting," he stated. "You learn to understand respect and integrity for the sport and everyone around you.”

In addition to volleyball, Hoff also played basketball on Ghana Customs National, and participated in track events like the high jump, long jump, and 100 meter dash. In 2005, Hoff started his coaching career.

“I felt the need to help others develop their skills. Especially when I knew that I could not play volleyball at a high level again. It brings me joy to teach the sport and see young ath-letes develop,” he stated.

Hoff believes that every-one should continue to pur-sue dreams throughout their life: “Whenever your dreams become a reality, you need to have another dream. Because reality gives you a sense or content and dreams gives you meaning and fulfillment of life," he stated.

Katie Evans Lexi DeFelice '19, Kelly Thomas '19Contributors

Head Field Hockey Coach Katie Evans '03, brought home another district win this year. Evans’ background and experiences in the sport have played a huge role in the success of the team.

Evans’s field hock-ey career, which was in-fluenced by watching her mother play, began in second grade at summer camps held by her public school. She became serious about the sport in seventh grade when she joined her school team and has been in love with the sport ever since.

Evans went on to play Division I field hockey at the Univer-sity of Delaware, where she also studied and received a degree in fashion. From there, her career in field hockey took her around the world where she played for the U.S. Women’s National Team. She also spent time in California, where she trained at the Olym-pic facilities to be considered for a spot on the 2012 Field Hockey Olympic team.

“I think what I am most proud of right now is that I am coming back to hockey in this new form and trying to help other girls have a great experience," she said. "I think that’s probably what I’m most proud of, that I get to have a positive impact, I hope, on girls and that they’ll look back at this time at Villa and enjoy what they were a part of.”

After working in fashion in New York and Baltimore, Evans eventually decided that she wanted to move back home.

"I heard there was a job opening at Villa and there was no other place I could see myself than at this school again,” she said.

Athlete of the IssueSenior combines her talents in dance, swimming, and gymnastics as she pur-sues synchronized swimming. Alivia Orvieto ‘20, Katie Scaggs ‘20Editor-In-Chief, Sports Editor

Senior Katherine Kiester was first drawn to synchro-nized swimming when she saw her older neighbor in one of her shows. Kiester began swimming in 6th grade and has stayed with it ever since.

Kiester’s team at the YMCA consists of approximate-ly 20 girls and two coaches. However, during competition only 4-8 girls are in each routine.

“[The coaches] usually choreograph it but we do have a little bit of input on smaller routines like duets and so-los,” Kiester said.

Although synchronized swimming is technically a hybrid of swimming, dance, and gymnastics, the swim-ming role is the most present.

Kiester said, “We don’t do as many strokes during the routine, but it takes a lot more endurance than dance does because you can't touch the bottom.”

The routines are scored in different categories such as, execution, artistic impression, and difficulty. Those scores get averaged to create the total score.

Synchronized swimming is typically in season from September through July, but Kiester said swimmers can also train from July through August if they want to. In sea-son, Kiester competes all around the country. She said the farthest she’s traveled is Seattle, Washington. Kiester’s team won their Regional Championships and then advanced to compete in the Junior Olympics in Oxford, Ohio.

Big Shot CoachesLearn about the accomplishments of three coaches from their glory days, including winning the first women's football championship, be-ing drafted to play in Spain and Egypt and training at Olympic facilities.

Back in the day: McCartney leads team to 1992 District Championship. / Photo provid-ed by Chrissy Steinetz

1st place: Senior Katie Kiester, cen-

ter, stands proudly at the top of the

podium after win-ning first place.

The competition took place in Lake

Placid. / Jennifer Hatt

Coach On: Field Hockey Coach Katie Evans '03 / Ms. Marguerite Esmonde

Competitive Coaches: Hoff and Evans discuss how to lead the volleyball team to victory during a match. / Lifetouch