Avi Cantor

Amelia Benamara

Staff Writer

September 2015. The tension in the air was thick on the yellow bus as it drove over potholes and bumps. There was a clear division between the players on the team.

There were a few things we shared, such as attending the same school and being teammates. However, there were differences between us as well, since we were all in different grades.

What makes up a successful soccer team? Here are the girls who played last year.

First, we had the seniors, they, of course, dominated the team. Not only were they the captains but they were also the best players. Then there were the juniors who got along with the upperclassman pretty well; almost always being the only two grades that laughed and sang along to the music the speaker spat out. That was understandable, both groups have been on the same team for years, forming beautiful bonds.

As for sophomores, we hadn’t had any on our team during that time. Then came us, a total of six freshmen, a pretty large population compared to the other grades. I had played… We were quiet on the bus rides, the opposite of the upperclassman. As the new kids, we hardly spoke to one another, considering that we just met that year and haven’t formed any friendships just yet.

Although most people would take offense to not being included, I, on the other hand, felt comfortable with the feeling of simply sitting solo on the booth as I listen to the stories being told in the back. I wasn’t a  part of the conversations, I laughed along anyway — feeling as if I was a popular senior myself.

But I wondered: would I  ever get a chance to earn the royal seats in the back of that yellow bus? The seats that would give me permission to share all the stories I have stacked for years now, waiting for a group such as this team to share with.

Now, as a junior,  I yearn the days when I looked up to the seniors who could run an incredible number of miles that no freshmen could at the time, the juniors who told the most reckless teenage stories anyone could laugh at, and the moments I would sit on the bench and cheer my team players hoping to one day achieve that same position on the field. I look back to our senior day where every individual shed a tear. Saying goodbye to the seniors of that year is incredible and emotional in so many different ways; not only are we losing such amazing players, but as well influential people.

After three seasons on the team,  it feels more and more incredible each year. My recent season had just wrapped up… the new people I met, the new teams we played, and the overwhelming feeling of celebratory as a team.

Yes, we might not be the most coordinated players on that field, but at the end of the day what I learned from the girls after all of these years is that a team is definitely not about winning, it’s all about the adrenaline you get from the love you experience with a team, a true team.

Meymey Seng

Staff Writer

The school store is a cornerstone of every lunch period. Located across from the second-floor ballroom, the store is open most lunch periods.

Since some students would prefer to not get school lunch, they rely on the store for snacks. Some students even go to the point where the snacks make up their lunch.

“I never get lunch on a day the school store will be open because I prefer the food there much more,” said Senior Saamir Baker.

If the store is not open, some students simply skip their meal. “When I don’t have the funds for the store, I just don’t eat lunch,” stated Senior Olivia Cooper.

In previous years, the school store would only be a bunch of bins of candy, chips, and little snacks. However, starting the 2017-2018 school year, those are still included although in a much more diverse and large quantity. Not only are there snacks that are considered junk food, healthier food options have been added.

Some of those healthy options are packs of applesauce, granola bars, oatmeal, and much more. However, students generally agree that most people purchase the less healthy snacks there.

“It’s a good thing, but it’s not like a healthy thing because that’s all people eat for lunch: chips, lollipops, and more. Although, it attracts people and the school is getting money so I think it’s good where it’s at right now,” said Junior Amelia Benamara. “I think if they do upgrade it in the future, they should add more healthy options in it.”

In the last school year, the store makes $150 a day on average. Since it’s open twice a week on average, this means the school store has made about four thousand dollars so far this year. All funds go to support student activities.

Last year, the store was open three days a week or more. This change is due to a large decrease in parent volunteers, not any disagreement between Ms. Baker and Principal Gerwer, which has recently been a rumor.

In the years prior, there would be a cycle of different parents who would volunteer to run the school store although this year consists of only one parent, Ms. Shareem Baker.

This can have some negative consequences such as the school store being closed on more days. Luckily, Senior Saamir Baker volunteers to help his mother out in the store. Along with him, there are other seniors who are consistent at volunteering in the store to help out as well.

Due to the closure, a rumor started that Ms. Baker and Principal Gerwer had some kind of disagreement. This is untrue.

Even with the school store being short staffed, they are always trying to incorporate new ideas. Two weeks ago, the both fried chicken and fries were made in the school and sold. This was a big hit with the students, even attracting a line that stretched from the store into the ballroom.

“That decreased the lunch numbers by like a hundred kids. The problem is there are certain standards when you prepare food at a school,” said Co-Principal Aaron Gerwer.

Many students appreciate the effort that is put into the store.

“The people who work the School store are 100 percent parent volunteer, be nice to them!” said Excellence Coordinator Jeremy Spry.

 

Matthew Milligan

Staff Writer

Early in November, it was announced that Science Leadership Academy would be continuing its exchange program to Frankfurt, Germany in the Spring.

The program, nicknamed SLAmbassadors, will take ten students to Gymnasium Riedberg high school where they will be hosted by German students. After a successful first year of participating in the program, SLA is ready to go again — and this time with a second destination added.

Formation

SLAmbassadors was created after Principal Chris Lehmann was contacted by Citizens Diplomacy International, an office whose goal is to connect the people of Philadelphia to the international community of the world. The exchange was inspired by the recent sister city relationship formed between Philadelphia and Frankfurt.

When asked why SLA was asked to be part of the exchange, English teacher Larissa Pahomov answered simply:  “They thought we would say yes.”

Upon Mr. Lehmann’s agreement, Ms. Pahomov was asked to coordinate and chaperone the trip because she holds the position as SLA’s official German language teacher. History teacher Daniel Symonds volunteered to chaperone the trip as well. Their responsibilities included picking which applicants would get to go, fundraising money for the trip, and holding meetings for further planning for the exchange.

“While we’re here, it’s a real labor of love because it just takes time,” said Ms. Pahomov.

Given that only a small pool of applicants are chosen for the exchange, the program has a slight competitive edge to it. When asked about why a smaller group of students are chosen Ms. Pahomov explained that, “It is more personal with a smaller group so the experience is  more valuable.”

Becoming a SLAmbassador

Similarly to this year, students last year had to fill out an online survey in order to be considered for the trip. The survey was posted in the advisory memo and all students were encouraged to join.

Juniors and former SLAmbassadors Ashley De La Cruz and  Miguel Rivera thought that the trip would be a good opportunity and were both selected for the 2017 trip.

“I could practice my German speaking skills and I thought it would be a good opportunity to travel to another place outside of the U.S,” De La Cruz said.

Rivera commented,  “I like to travel and experience new things.”

Knowing that the trip had many applicants with limited spots, both students felt fortunate for the opportunity given to them.

“I felt very lucky. I always knew that a lot of people were applying to it so I didn’t set my goal for it,” Rivera stated.

Last Year’s Trip

Students who went to Germany last Spring said nothing but good things about the program. Though some were initially nervous, once they got to Germany they quickly became comfortable with their hosts.

“Any interaction with a new person was weird at first. Some of the customs over there are a little bit different than over here but they are similar,” Rivera stated.

“It was amazing. At first, just thinking about living with another family that you didn’t know kind of made me nervous in a way,” said De la Cruz.

Credit for the quick comfort that everyone fell into could in part be given to the German host school, Gymnasium Riedberg. 

“What is great about our program is that we have a really excellent partner school,” Ms. Pahomov stated, “They’re organized, they did a great program when we visited last April, and they really, in a good way, set the bar high for what we would do when we would return the hosting.”

When in Germany, both American and German students worked on a collaborative project. This project, which took the form of a video, allowed students to research Frankfurt’s history and culture.

The trip in its entirety proved to be educational and eye-opening for both groups of students.

“Getting there, it was just like a wake-up call, they were just like us,”  De La Cruz stated.

“I learned to be more empathetic to others. I learned how not to be afraid of new people or new experiences,” said Rivera.

“The program has exceeded my expectations,” Ms. Pahomov commented.

Expansion and This Year’s Trip

Given last year’s success, the SLAmbassador program is planning on expanding. In addition to taking 10 students to Frankfurt, in 2018 SLAmbassadors will have the chance to go to Torun, Poland.  

This expansion doubles the size of the program. Having two trips through SLAmbassadors along with the international cultures elective would mean that, through all four years, 25% of SLA students will get the chance to travel abroad with the school.

“It is especially meaningful for kids who never traveled outside of the country or who have never traveled on a plane before. Last time the fact that most of the kids we took needed to apply for their passports, that was pretty cool,” Ms. Pahomov said.

People formerly involved with the trip encourage its expansion along with having new students apply.

“It is a great program and it should continue on. The program is about the individuals. If you have good individuals then it should be a great program,” Rivera said.

While there is a financial burden involved with signing up, students should not worry.

“Anyone who is interested should apply. I especially encourage students who think that they don’t have the resources to host or are worried that they don’t have the money. We will fundraise to meet anyone’s financial need,” Pahomov said.

De La Cruz sees good things for the future of the program.

“People will see SLA as this school that is becoming diverse, more diverse than it was and opening up its doors to other places for students. It will lead by example. Maybe people could sponsor SLA.”

Taylor Green & Brendan Hall

Staff Writers

High school is one of the most influential times in a teenager’s life. It is a time for teens to explore new ideas, places, and their identity. However, this exploration can sometimes lead to teens experimenting with drugs.

At Science Leadership Academy, there are a few of incidents of drug usage on school grounds. However, in early November there was a situation where students were caught with marijuana. This episode resulted in the suspension and expulsion of multiple students causing hostility in the SLA community.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time that SLA has experienced issues with substance usage. The only difference between this event and other drug-based offenses was the intense course of action.

Before the disciplinary transfer of two students was instated, the staff tried to make sure that those involved were fairly represented before a final decision was made.

Math teacher Victor Hernandez’s advisees were directly involved in the incident, “My role as an advisor is to advocate for my students, and to be present during that whole process.” Mr. Hernandez explained. He continued by mentioning his previous experience with drug usage during his teaching tenure.

“I worked in San Francisco at El Camino High and at Esperanza High in North Philly.” shares Mr. Hernandez. “I’d say there was very less drug usage at those schools than here.”

Despite Mr. Hernandez’s optimism, drug-related offenses can cause a disturbance in any community. There were some people who felt as though the situation was unfair. Some people felt unsafe after the ordeal was done and some who were angered by what happened. “I see it as having a big impact on the student’s’ ability to trust or believe in the teachers and the staff as somebody they can turn to.” Mr. Hernandez states. “I think it can even cause division among students.”

With that being said, the incident did cause tension among the student body. Many students felt as though they couldn’t trust each other.

Co-Principal Aaron Gerwer shares that “There was a bit of frustration when we heard about the ‘no snitches’ subculture going on. That really bothered us because we want there to be an honest communication between staff and students.”

It is evident that the students and staff have a strong bond that they want to maintain. If this connection is lost, it can make the relationship between teachers and students difficult in the future.

Mr. Hernandez was affected deeply by this incident specifically. He shared that he had a strong relationship with his advisee who was expelled from SLA. He was upset to see his advisee go down this path of drug usage and they could not have developed more of a relationship during their short tenure at the school.

“I feel bad that my opportunity to impact this student’s life was stopped in some way because your relationship with your advisees is a four-year thing.” Hernandez shares.

In an effort to not replicate a similar situation with drug use, advisors had a conversation about the School District’s Code of Conduct and Drug Policies after the incident occurred. They emphasized that drug usage will not be tolerated by anyone at the school. Advisors used this meeting to come to an understanding about the repercussions of indulging in drugs while in school. However, these advisory meetings are far from the only things that the faculty has tried to prevent drug usage.  

“We’ve been talking nonstop ever since the situation happened. We’ve had conferences and professional development meetings.” Gerwer explains. “We also talked about changing the rules at SLA for two weeks. It came to a point where we realized that’s not who we are.”

Part of the reason Gerwer and other faculty members didn’t go through with changing the rules pertaining to drugs was that Science Leadership Academy is a school that values individuality and giving students more freedom than most learning institutions. This trust between students and staff is what makes SLA a unique community.

“We don’t want something like [revising the rules] to change our relationship with all of the students.” Gerwer states.

Students even offered suggestions to staff about what they could do to avoid another situation like this further down the line.

Mr. Hernandez shared, “Specifically, my advisory and other advisories say that they would like the administration to do more. The first thing that we have to do is figure out what is doing more.”

This incident exposed a negative side of the community. Science Leadership Academy is affected by substances, as many schools are. The consequence was unfortunate for students and teachers involved. However, the school staff did not want to change their disciplinary policies concerning drugs and as a result, SLA has continued to provide a space where teachers can trust that students have good intentions.