S.T.E.M. Happenings: Do STEM students know how to have fun?

May 1, 2019

Riley Harker and Trisha Fernando

---

The spring can often be described as a stressful time of year for many students here at STEM. With the upcoming standardized tests such as the Keystones for Sophomores, as well as the IB exams for Seniors, it can be hard to see it through to the end of the school year. We all hope for a quicker summer, but sometimes staying positive is hard with all the work on our plates. There’s often a stereotype of STEM students who never have a moment to enjoy themselves, and can always be found studying or working on another assignment. However, with all this stress and pressure, students at STEM still know how to have fun (believe it or not), with events such as the student-written STEM plays performed this year, as well the Downingtown tradition of Cam-A-Thon.

The IB Exams are an important part of the International Baccalaureate program and of senior year at STEM. If you ask underclassmen unaware of what an IB exam looks like, their first thought would most likely be of a test taken in rows within the gym of STEM, complete with frustrated and stressed out students cracking their knuckles and counting down the minutes until the test is over. Funny enough, our suspicions were right. We asked sophomore Anna Stracciolini to describe her first impression of an IB exam, and she replied, “They seem scary and intimidating, and I’m honestly really scared of failing! I know that’s what everyone probably says, but it’s just really scary to me how a few tests mark the end of my high school career as a success or failure.” Sophomore Emily Panza gave a similar description, stating that the IB program itself seems extremely difficult, which probably makes the exams equally as challenging and require months of preparation. Knowing that this perception of IB exams is quite common in STEM students, we asked various seniors to describe the reality of the dreaded exams. They stated that every exam requires months of preparation, studying, and practice, but with the help of teachers and time management tactics, students are left more than prepared for the looming exams in May. All of the STEM Newspaper staff would like to wish good luck to our seniors, and are confident they will all do the best they can!

With any school, especially STEM, it's always important to have a hobby or event (perhaps a play?) to look forward to in order to relieve stressors such as IB exams! While STEM may not be known for our more creative and artistic abilities, there are a multitude of students at STEM with amazing talent in this area that offer a fun and engaging event in which to participate. For example, 11th grade students, Rhea Kumar and Zoey Strachan wrote the two plays that were performed this year as a part of STEM Players Troupe productions. The first play written by Rhea and entitled “I was Hoping You WOuldn’t Notice”, was an engaging comedy about a high school production of Romeo and Juliet and a student’s goal to fit in with the ‘crowd.’ The second play, written by Strachan and entitled “Fool Me Once, Fool Me Twice”, was a comical take on a murder investigation. Student actress, Sanjana Devarakonda ,describes her role in the plays, “I loved acting since I was little and I wanted to join something just for fun so I auditioned and I really loved being with everyone and having fun figuring out how to produce the play!” To anyone thinking about joining the play next year at STEM she says, “They totally should because it’s a lot of fun and everyone is really welcoming.” The plays this year showed not only the creativity STEM students exhibit but also their extreme talents.

While the plays performed by the STEM Players Troupe are our school’s own special tradition, Camathon offers an annual, fun event for all Downingtown students to participate in and relieve their stress while also funding a wonderful cause. This past Camathon allowed students across many schools to come together throughout 12 jam-packed hours of nonstop dancing and entertainment. Prior to the event, students were able to form teams and, together, and raise $63,489, which all went towards Cure4Cam - a foundation dedicated to helping find a cure for childhood cancer. We asked a few of our seniors at STEM to describe their experience at Camathon this year, and each stated that their involvement in hosting this event, which helps so many children nationwide, is special and will forever be a highlight of their high school years. Senior Elaine Ficarra describes her personal experience at Camathon this year saying, “As a member of the Downingtown Dance Team, I led the hourly dance. It was heartwarming to see other Camathon participants dance along with me at every hour. Doing this dance honestly helped me stay awake and upright through the 12 hours, and I hope it helped others do the same.” She later described the heartwarming feeling that is shared among all participants of this unique event. “Camathon is an opportunity for DASD students to advocate for an amazing cause in a way that is fun and exciting. I, myself, have worked with my friends in order to raise money through fundraisers like bowling, cookie decorating, bake sales, and more. Moreover, knowing I can positively impact kids’ lives through this event with fellow DASD students inspired me to participate in Camathon all 4 years.”

While stress is essentially inevitable at STEM, its community of people, events, and support for its students truly make the STEM environment unique from all other schools. To follow along more closely with all of the latest happenings of STEM and its community, make sure to keep up with each issue of the STEM Newspaper!

---