The COMMunicator
January Edition
Winter Pep Rally
Atlantic City's 2020 Women's March
On Saturday, January 18, 2020, the second annual Atlantic City Women’s March took place in the momentous Boardwalk Hall in order to commemorate Fannie Lou Hamer, who spoke in the same Boardwalk Hall in 1964 and was kicked out of the building for her controversial words. Today, women across the country honor her legacy and celebrate her bravery, especially in Atlantic City, where she will never be forgotten.
Although the march was moved indoors due to weather circumstances, the energy and spirit did not falter. Women, and others, spanning across many ethnicities and ages were in attendance, all working together in raising their voices during powerful chants and marching around the room with empowering signs. They even had a dance to Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” in order to lighten the mood and have some fun at this already joyous event.
After the festivities, many speakers came to the stage to discuss different issues that affect women on a daily basis. One such woman, Campaign Lead at the CWA and senior adviser of the Atlantic City Women’s March Estina Baker, shed some light on the issue of the gender wage gap, exclaiming, “As women, we know that we make less on the dollar than men do, but your black, brown, and Asian sisters make even less than that. We can no longer have disparities within the disparity.”
However, she did not leave the audience feeling defeated. Baker assured them that women of different races would stand together to fight for each other and that nothing could hold them back. After all, “The power of the people is greater than the people in power,” Baker stated.
Continuing this theme of strength in unity, Pamela Thomas-Fields, Stockton University professor and Atlantic City employee in the department of Planning and Economic Development, spoke about what it takes to stand together and fight for women’s equality in 2020. She advocated for peaceful methods, saying, “Together we rise, when we embrace diversity in our communities. Together we rise, when we treat one another with respect, honor, and dignity.” The crowd was enthralled by her words and cheered for every last one.
In the end, the event’s hosts, New Jersey Assemblywoman Britnee Timberlake and Atlantic County Freeholder and congressional candidate Ashley Bennett, gave short, conclusive speeches and left the crowd feeling inspired. Timberlake recognized all the progress that has been made and advocated for continuing this progress in the future through the next generation. She explained, “It’s about inspiring and using what it is that you have to help the next generation to continue to fight for what’s right.”
Multimedia Mash
Senior Spotlight
Anyone can become a good player, but it takes a great player to be a leader. For Egg Harbor Township’s Isiah Walsh, leadership is something that he strives to improve upon even now. Returning for his second year as captain of the varsity basketball team, Walsh has continued to make strides off an on the court to become a better player and leader, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Coach Cameron Bell, has nothing but praise when it comes to his senior captain.
“There’s been a great amount of growth from Isiah. This is my fourth year as the varsity coach, he’s been with me every step of the way. He came in very immature as a freshman, I think I put a lot on his plate, but I watched him every successive year grow more and more into the type of person we thought he could become. He’s been able to handle adversity a lot more than he could when he first came in. I’m proud of the kid.”
Looking back on freshman year to now, Walsh feels confident with his improvement.
“I feel like I’ve definitely improved in maturity, along with the level of basketball I’ve been playing throughout the years. You always have to play above your level so you can get better. When you talk about being a leader, it takes good communication skills on and off the court with your teammates. You need the passion of the game, you need to want that win.”
Although the EHT Eagles are sitting with a tough record of 4-8, both Walsh and Bell have seen a considerable amount of improvement over the past week. With Walsh feeling better rested after playing less minutes in the previous few matches, he is doing everything in his power to rally the team towards a victory.
“He’s really taken that leadership role by the horns, as leader sometimes you have your ups and downs but you always need to be on, you always need to have positive traits and be upbeat. He’s learning every single day how to be a leader, how to rally your teammates behind you, how to get everybody involved, and how to make sure everyone feels good. He’s getting better at it every single day, he’s really dove headfirst into it.”
Walsh has not been shy about his aspirations for the team. His confidence is what motivates players to come together until the final buzzer. He sets high goals not only for himself but for his team as well, even looking beyond high school. “I want to make it to the CAL (Cape-Atlantic League) Championship game this year. I’m hoping to make state playoffs, and reach 1000 points. After high school I plan to get a college degree, play the game I love, and hopefully become an engineer,” stated Walsh.
When it comes to looking into the future, Coach Bell has high hopes for the senior.
“As of now, if he continues improving the way he has In terms of being a leader, being a student first, I really think the sky's the limit for him. I know he has an interest in playing basketball at the next level. That comes from a combination of his talent on the court and in the classroom as well. As long he continues to take those two things seriously he can do anything he puts his mind to.”
Walsh feels extremely grateful for not only his coach, but his teammates who have stuck with him throughout the years.
“I thank Coach Bell through all my four years for staying with me. He’s been grinding with me. He’s been looking everywhere at colleges for me to go to. I thank my teammates for looking out for me when I’m not there, or in a bad mood. My teammates are always there for me. That is what being a leader does to you. They will make sure you’re fine.
With just about half their basketball season in the books, one can only wish the best for Walsh and his team. In the end, it all comes back to being a leader, because a team can never be complete without a strong leader by their side.
Elective Fair
On Monday, January 27, EHT High School hosted the annual elective fair for eight grade students. Throughout the day, students from Alder and Fernwood Ave. Middle Schools visited the high school gymnasium, where they were able to explore all of the electives offered at the high school. Just about every elective had a mind blowing showcase, from the band to computer science. As they walked around, the eighth grade students learned a bit about each elective and got an idea of what they would like to take next year.
The electives represented at the elective fair were plentiful, each one with its own unique charm. As environmental science showed off their vegetation and interesting animal photos, the band table allowed students to use some different instruments and play whatever they would like. According to senior Sarah Serneabad, "African American Studies seems like a really promising class." Every student in attendance, whether they were in middle school or ready to graduate, had a great time and learned something new about all that EHT High School has to offer.
After having taken their respective electives (some for multiple years), the students running the tables could surely speak about their classes and answer any questions. "It was really fun manning the tables and seeing all of the younger kids being excited for high school," senior Dylan Jeffers claimed. Such students were not only able to represent some of their favorite classes, but also meet some younger students and give them insight into what the next four years of their lives would be like.
Overall, this year's elective fair was a huge success. With eight graders and underclassmen constantly roaming the gym, there was not a dull moment in the day. In the end, "It gave a lot of insight into what EHTHS has to offer," senior Anya Gowda said. Hopefully, the incoming freshmen now have an idea of what they would like to pursue in high school and are more comfortable in their soon-to-be school during the next chapter of their lives.