Harper Leary

I Don’t Fly to School

May 26, 2022 by Harper Leary Leave a Comment

Harper Leary

Staff Writer

Unlike all of my friends, I do not get a TransPass through school, yet I still take SEPTA every day.

The School District of Philadelphia’s Transportation Eligibility Guidelines states that “Students in grades 7 through 12 who live 1.5 miles or farther from school are eligible for free Student TransPasses.”

Now, when I read this at the beginning of the year, it kind of made sense. I could see why they had a distance requirement – it encourages students to get exercise during the day and not rely on public transportation if it’s not needed.

My house falls right on the cusp of the boundary for SLA. When driving or biking, the distance from my house to school is 1.5 or 1.6 miles, depending on your route.

Student Fare Card curtesy of Leo Braveman. *Image by Harper Leary*

So why don’t I get a TransPass?

It’s because the distance is less than 1.5 miles “as the crow flies”, which is how my advisor put it.

This means in a straight line from their house to school; try visualizing a bird literally flying from one location to another.

Of course, I am not a crow, and neither are any of my peers at SLA (at least as far as I know). The logic of the rule is confusing. Let’s look at what transit to school looks like for our actual students.

If the student rides their bike to school, the rule doesn’t consider which streets have bike lanes or which direction each road is going. A student could live 1.3 miles away from school but have to ride their bike for 1.6 miles.

What’s more, as we all well know, Philly has a wide range of weather. Assuming a student walks or bikes to school rather than taking SEPTA, this ‘as the crow flies’ rule doesn’t consider unshoveled or icy sidewalks, a heatwave, rain, or any other factors.

What stood out to me was how non-inclusive this exception is. What if a family cannot afford to buy a TransPass and the student needs to help their siblings get to school? What if the route fastest to school has unsafe pavement or areas that the student needs to avoid? What if the student isn’t physically able to get to their location by foot and needs a TransPass but now can’t get one?

I could go on, but I hope you get the point.

My route to school isn’t particularly unsafe, and I can walk, yet I rarely do. Taking the bus means I get 20ish more minutes of sleep, and during heat waves or the middle of the winter, you will not find me walking to school. Fortunately, my family can afford a TransPass, which I use all the time, not just to get to school. When my internship is in person, I use it for the subway. For ultimate frisbee games, I use it to get home.

I have no problem walking to school when I need to, but others have reasons that are more urgent or dangerous than mine. Considering all of the factors that already keep students from getting to school and getting there on time, the School District should work with SEPTA to ensure that ALL students get TransPasses, despite how far they live from school.

Those who want to walk will walk. Those that play sports or have internships far from home will have a safe way to return. This small change will not only protect students, but it will also make the journey to school that much easier.

Wardrobe of SLA

May 5, 2022 by Harper Leary Leave a Comment

By Harper Leary Staff Writer

Philadelphia is a diverse city, and the student population of Science Leadership Academy reflects that fact— not just with their identities, but also with their fashion choices. If you walk down the hallways of SLA, your head will turn every which way to get a glimpse of all the different outfits. Baggy pants, Nike sweatpants, Yeezys, graphic t-shirts, leggings, and pajama bottoms are typical at the school but don’t even cover half of what is worn.

Sophomore Miles Shenk stands in front of white wall. *Photo by Harper Leary*

“I just think there are a lot of different kinds of people. And when a few people take a risk in fashion, other people are more likely to take a risk and feel comfortable taking it,” said sophomore Cana Berkey-Gerard.

The social formations at SLA do influence student fashion, but not always in the way you might expect. Some friend groups dress similarly, and others look like they’re all from different decades. No classroom looks the same when it comes to clothing. School is a perfect place to express oneself, and the students at SLA have taken on the challenge.

Fanta Dukuly, a sophomore, noted that people wear what they feel the most comfortable in, whether sweatpants or jeans.

As a Muslim, Dukuly dresses modestly, and it does influence her clothing choices. “It definitely is harder [to find clothing as a Muslim]. Most of the clothes that you will find online, you would be like, ‘I would definitely rock that,’ but it’s a crop top, and I can’t wear that.”

Sophomore Fanta Dukuly stands in front of grey wall in stairwell. *Photo by Harper Leary*

Despite some obstacles, Dukuly has no trouble finding outfits through which she can express herself. She is often seen wearing colorful hijabs and dresses along with matching accessories.

Whether for religious or personal reasons, many students have some rules or guidelines that they follow for what they will wear and what they won’t. There are some outliers, though. They can’t be put into any box; their wardrobe has pieces that fit into every category.

Sophomore Na’im Faulkner stands in front of lockers. *Photo by Harper Leary*

Junior Yahil Ortiz’s wardrobe includes all types of items. “I kind of stand out because I come in with dress shoes some days, I come in with turtlenecks, I come in with different types of jackets that are so crazy; off the wall. And that’s just me.”

Ortiz is from North Philly and has noticed the geographical impact of SLA’s fashion. At the beginning of his time at SLA, he remembers the differences he noted just from where people are from in the city.

“I met some people that were from my part of the city, Northeast and North, and they dress how I dress— tight jeans, graphic t-shirts, newest Nikes and Jordans,” he said. “And then you have some people that dress really urban and they were from South Philly.”

Another factor is ethnicity and racial background. Ortiz is Haitian and Dominican, and because of that culture, he feels that he can pull off things that other people can’t. “I could come into school with a durag and then I could come to school with a tie the next day,” he said, “Because of that, I have so much leeway in what I wear.”

Sophomores [from left to right] Lily Weston, Ellie Palandro, and Marly Leventon stand in front of lockers. *Photo by Harper Leary*

Chris Lehmann, the founder and current principal at Science Leadership Academy purposefully has an open dress code. Despite receiving backlash for it before, he stands by it. “I think that how we choose to express ourselves in the way that we dress is a part of who we are,” he says, “One of the reasons to have boundaries is so that teenagers can figure them out and push up against them.”

Two Sides of a Building and City

March 8, 2022 by Harper Leary Leave a Comment

By Dinah Soloway, Sean Hogan, & Harper Leary

Like thousands of students across Philadelphia, students of Science Leadership Academy are back to in-person school after a year online. Unlike the rest of the city, the building they are learning in is still practically brand new to them.

Previously located at 55 N 22nd St, the school moved due to asbestos concerns; SLA is now located at Broad and Spring Garden. The building has two high schools in it, which makes the situation unique.

The block-long, six-story tall building was initially home to Ben Franklin High School, but was renovated to house both schools. That renovation focused more on the separate needs of the school: Each school has its own entrance, classrooms, and ‘side’ of the school. The only shared part of the building is a stairwell, auditorium, and a hallway where the school stores are located.

How have the two schools adapted to life in one building?

School Profiles

Ben Franklin opened in 1939 as a neighborhood public school for sections of Center City and North Philadelphia. Opened in 2006, SLA is a special admissions school with students attending from every zip code of the city.

These differences make for different student body demographics.

According to the School District Website, the student body at SLA is comprised of 35% of white students, 31% Black students, 16% Hispanic students, 10% Asian students, and 7% multi-racial students. 51% of which are female and 49% are male.

According to the Philadelphia School District website, Ben Franklin High School has 535 students. Their students are comprised of 75% Black students and 16% Hispanic students. The other 7% is made up of multi-racial, Asian, and white students. More than ⅔ of the student body is male.

Daily Realities on Campus

Safety is a big concern for both schools. Security officers with handcuffs operate metal detectors that the students go through to get into the building.

Tara Ryans, a current SLA staff member, and a past SLA parent, helps coordinate the relationships between Ben Franklin and Science Leadership Academy. “One way we communicate is through the walkie-talkie system.” Ms. Ryans explained, “Certain people have these walkie-talkies with them; safety officers, principals, the main office, the nurse, and there is always a walkie-talkie in Ms. Lehman’s office.”

This system of walkie-talkies is always active. School safety officer Cynthia Byrd maintains communication with fellow staff members in the early morning and during both schools’ lunch periods.

Chris Lehmann is always in close contact with the administration team at Ben Franklin High School. One of BFHS’ staff members, Dr. Canada, talks closely with Mr. Lehmann and other faculty to develop possible plans to get more students to interact with each other.

Ms. Ryans is in charge of overlooking the school cafeteria. “It’s hard not to meld into both schools. I have had a relationship with them for years.” Working during lunchtime and sharing the space there gives a lot more chances to get to know the BFHS and what the student body looks like during non-class hours.“

The cafeteria is split in half with doors and glass separating the schools. On some occasions, Ben Franklin students need to pass through the hallway to access their side of the gym or the school store.

Earlier this school year SLA had participated in two school lockdowns. A quote from an earlier article about the lockdown on Dec 2nd, “the SLA and BFHS campus went into lockdown. The lockdown lasted nearly 3 hours, finally being lifted at 11:45 am.” This lockdown was caused by a Ben Franklin student that was suspected of bringing something harmful into school property.

Student Perspectives

SLAMedia sent an anonymous survey to gauge how connected SLA students felt with their sister school.

Out of the students who replied, 70% said they have no friends who attend BFHS, though more than half said they could see themselves being friends with someone from BFHS.

The vast majority of respondents said they have heard some negative comments about BFHS, whether rumors, gossip, or jokes. However, more than 75% believe that the schools should try to strengthen the relationship. Many of those who said this suggested connected clubs, shared spaces, and going to one another’s sports games.

The words used to describe the relationship all had similar descriptions. One anonymous student simply wrote, “[The relationship is] racist, classist and overall segregated.”

This opinion — that racial and social inequality impacts the relationship between the schools — is not uncommon. Other responses to the survey and conversations held in classrooms and friend groups bring up how race and socioeconomic standings have a part in the relationship. These differences all show the vast disparities within the public school education system in Philadelphia.

On December 2, 2021, there was a robbery of a BFHS student in a Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority subway station. An investigation of the case lead to a suspect in the BFHS building and concern that the suspect had brought a weapon into the school. . The building went into lock-in mode while the police conducted a search. Students were stuck in their classrooms for more than two hours.

This was not the first nor the last lockdown or lock-in at the school, and survey responses suggested that some SLA students have negative prejudice towards BFHS students as a result.

“I don’t think it’s the best relationship,” one respondent wrote. “I think lots of SLA kids don’t like BFHS because they have caused multiple lockdowns. We’ve also been told to not walk down the middle stairwell to avoid negative interactions with them.’

The lockdowns have been equally frustrating on the Ben Franklin side, as both incidents were caused by students who had only recently been enrolled at the school and were not integrated members of the community.

While the Ben Franklin perspective largely goes unheard on the SLA side, some SLA students recognized their limited knowledge.

“I think it’s full of gossip and some fear because of the stigma that everyone there fights and gets arrested,” one SLA student wrote. “I think it’s a very single story, and that only the crazy incidents are ones we hear about, so it really colors our perspective of the school.”

Feelings According to SLA Student Body

There have been stories of interactions between the two schools’ students.

One such interaction comes from senior Eric Casalena “It was during lunch, and I was walking about to go to the bathroom. When I was walking, … 2 Ben Franklin kids were around the water fountain next to SLA.” He recalled they were saying what color hoodie he was wearing like they were pointing it out.

“His friend walked up to me, got in my face, and tried to get big. So what I did was straighten my posture, look down at the guy, and said ‘ahoy’ or something. They then both ran away saying, “Man, never mind man, he too big.'”

Sophomore Wiktoria Walska also got perspective from a conversation with a Ben Franklin student.

“At the blood drive [held at Ben Franklin], we were in line waiting to get our blood taken. One of the Ben Franklin kids came up to us and started talking about how we came to their school and took it over from them,” Walska stated. She then went on to talk about how the student said it like a joke, but it came off as he still meant what he was saying.

Growing Relationships

Before the schools attempted to co-locate in Fall 2019, there was a coordinated plan to bring the students of the schools together. Before that school year began, Ben Franklin and Science Leadership Academy participated in an ‘Outward Bound’ program, where according to Mrs. Siswick the point of the program was “to bring communities together in a positive space. It felt very collaborative and community building when we did it.” She also noted that the program has been used since.

One disrupted year due to asbestos, and another spent virtual due to Covid-19, postponed any such efforts. The only shared activities in the 2021-2022 school year are now limited to all sports besides boys basketball.

Mrs. Siswick, the athletic director and school counselor at SLA, gave us an insight into the shared teams. “All sports teams except boy’s basketball are cooperative teams, which means a student from SLA or a student from BFHS can join and play with students from the other school,” she explained.

“Some of them have just SLA students and a few BFHS students. Or the other way around. Or some teams have just SLA Students, and some have just BFHS students.”

“[Shared teams] have been quite successful. It’s been a nice way to have a collaborative relationship with sports and build friendships with students across the communities.”

Junior Joshua Hernandez plays soccer on the team for both schools and echoed Ms. Siswick’s comments.

“We only have one kid [who goes to BFHS] play for us, and he’s pretty friendly, so we became good friends.”

When asked about issues regarding having kids from both schools, he told us, “Usually the Ben Franklin’s that come play with us we all get along because we all have one goal, and it’s to win the championship.”

Other students have also pledged to help grow the relationship. SLA’s Black Student Union originally was started by a student at Science Leadership Academy and since then, Ben Franklin students have joined.

Pia Martin, the health teacher at Science Leadership Academy, is one of the mentors in the BSU. It is not a joint club between the schools, she says her motto is ‘building bridges’.

More That the School District Can be Doing

January 13, 2022 by Harper Leary Leave a Comment

Harper Leary

Staff Writer

On Thursday, October 21st, I woke up with a sore throat, stuffy and congested nose, and overwhelming exhaustion, and took a COVID test at home. The results were positive.

Honestly, I was somewhat nervous and scared, but after being extremely careful for the past year and a half, more than anything else I was frustrated.

A cold had been spreading through my grade, I assumed I had caught it when I began to be congested. Multiple people with the cold had tested themselves and confirmed it was not COVID. I tested myself on Wednesday night, which came back negative. I already felt better the following day, glad I wouldn’t have to stay home sick like one of my friends.

Though it felt unnecessary, my mom decided to test me again on Friday morning. I was thoroughly surprised when it came back positive. Where could I have got it from?

I immediately went into isolation, staying in my room for ten days. The unvaccinated people I had come into contact with had to quarantine for the same amount of time. I contacted all of my friends and teachers, telling them I had tested positive, as I knew school legally wasn’t allowed to.

During that time, I had a lot of time to think.

I felt irritated with my peers, some of whom consistently fail to wear their masks above their noses. I felt tired of people who crammed everyone they could into their social schedule, while myself and others were trying to minimize social contact outside of school.

My biggest frustration, however, was with the School District of Philadelphia. Since the school year started, I’ve tried to get tested through school multiple times, only to be told I wasn’t allowed to unless I was showing symptoms.

What could be done differently?

Since school is the most likely place students are going to contract Covid, Giving students access to the test is a start. Not everyone has access to rapid tests, and if it keeps the student body feeling safer, the school district should provide it. Asymptomatic cases are real — If I hadn’t tested myself that morning, I would have unknowingly gone to school with COVID, possibly spreading it to my peers, just like whoever I caught it from.

Enabling students to be tested when they want to (even if it would be limited) would decrease the threat of asymptomatic transmission.

If the school district went a step further and issued random tests of the student body, they could easily find asymptomatic breakthrough cases. This would in turn result in fewer students missing school since the rapid tests would catch the cases early and before more people are infected.

While I was highly fortunate for my case of COVID to be as mild as it was, not everyone has or will be that lucky. A few simple changes in the district’s testing policy would go a long way to preventing additional cases.

Students Transition to In-Person Benchmarks

December 16, 2021 by Harper Leary Leave a Comment

Harper Leary

Staff Writer

Many students’ first in-person benchmark season came in full swing towards the end of October. This was a typical start of the school year – except that more than half of SLA students did not know what to expect after being online for more than a year and a half.

As a result, each student has had to find their way in this new, old normal.

Sophomore Adrie Young working on her English benchmark. After a year and a half of online school, students have to adjust to the new normal.
*Photo by Harper Leary*

Sophomore Elijah Lopez expressed his opinion on the first quarter’s benchmark season, comparing it to last year’s, which was almost entirely online.

“I think they are [in-person benchmarks] easier [than online benchmarks], cause the teachers are more accessible in person, and the checkpoints that they gave us were a lot better this year than we got last year.”

“For sophomores, it was their first time doing an in-person benchmark, so it- sometimes we say that for the sophomores, ‘it’s like you’re having your freshman and sophomore year simultaneously.”

English teacher Larissa Pahomov said. “It was unique because we were expecting academic work that was beyond what we would expect from freshmen, but in terms of the scaffolding and support in getting a benchmark done, I think we, meaning the teachers, had to put more effort and more steps in to make sure students were supported.”

Some students had mixed opinions on the topic.

Junior Katelyn Chen had her entire sophomore year online, meaning this is the first time she has been in person since freshman year.

“Honestly, it depends because I feel like online they were more laid back, but like in person, it’s easy to work with people,” Chen said.

Senior Shay Deanna seemed to agree.

“I can focus better [online], like my focus in class gets messed up when I’m around a bunch of people. On virtual school, it was easier because I could just focus, and I can get it done when I wanted to. And then I had the whole day to get it done because we finished school at like 12.”

While opinions about the return to in-person workloads were mixed, all three students interviewed emphasized that they are glad to be off Zoom.

Ms. Pahomov pointed out the positives of teaching in person again. “I’m definitely appreciating the chance to check in with people in person,” she said.

“I think that valuing and maximizing the time we have face to face has become even more important. Because that was the biggest hurdle, I mean there were ways to check in with students one-on-one, but it was so much slower with Zoom that you just couldn’t provide the level of feedback that we were used to.”