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SLA Media

SLAMedia is a publication of the news for the Science Leadership Academy community. Writers come from the student body in 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. We work in unison to create a functioning paper with biweekly postings on a variety of events.

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lpahomov

Harassment In and Out of The School Building

May 26, 2022 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Gabrielle Hart

Staff Writer

Since starting in person at SLA this year, my eyes have been opened to a new perspective on different aspects of the school community — But not in a completely good way. 

My first year of highschool was virtual and there was little I could work with when imagining what my life would look like when we returned physically. However, that didn’t stop me from looking forward to meeting new people and understanding SLA as a whole. There are a lot of good things about this school — [list a few of them here] However,I also think some people here tend to use all of this goodness as a way  to sweep the things that need to be improved, or at least openly discussed, under the rug. 

One of these things is harassment, of multiple forms. I realize it’s not  easy for the staff here to regulate issues amongst a school of 500 students, let alone two schools sharing one building. However, all instances of harassment  issues need to  be taken seriously. For example, There are many times where unwanted interactions in the shared stairwell or the first floor — unpleasant moments that I’ve since become immune to — have occurred not just with me, but with people, specifically girls, at this school. 

I can recall a time where I was headed to the fifth floor girls bathroom on SLA’s side when a student from Ben Franklin High school came over through the doors to shout and pound on the girl’s bathroom door for me to come out. I wouldn’t say this situation scared me or made me feel unsafe and this is only because things like this happen all the time. But this did leave me questioning why this is something that me and other people have to experience and have become so accustomed to. 

Whether it be catcalling, following, touching, or shouting  this kind of behavior  would never allow anyone to feel comfortable in a school environment. But despite the fact that these instances of harassment have been brought to both school’s attention, almost nothing has been done to regulate it. It would be safe to say that there is a mutual agreement that nothing can be done so us students have to just deal with it like we have been. 

And while the instances of stairwell harassment seem to mostly be between the two schools, SLA students also turn on each other.  Online bullying in the form of ‘jokes’ is another issue that I’ve specifically noticed at SLA. It seems like students are completely unaware or disregard when the line is crossed. This is definitely not what I imagined would come from any student at SLA — but I also think it’s precisely that mindset that gives some students the space to get away with this bad behavior It’s been bad enough this year the health teacher had to have multiple classes teaching us how these actions do entirely much more harm than good.

Filed Under: Op/Ed

Mind Your Business When It Comes To A Women’s Uterus

May 26, 2022 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Staff Writer:

Aylin Echandy

Men are planning to overturn Roe Vs Wade!

The abortion topic is sensitive to some and open to others, but it isn’t about how people feel but instead about woman rights to make decisions. 

There is an outroar of rage in the U.S due to the leak of a Supreme Court draft decision suggesting if women have the right to decide what to do with and to their uterus; whether they can make the decision of an abortion. 

A quick history lesson: Roe Vs Wade took place in 1973 and was a landmark decision of the U.S Supreme Court in which the Court ruled whether or not it protects a pregnant woman’s liberty and freedom to choose to have an abortion without the government saying it’s forbidden. 

Over the last few weeks since hearing the news there have been protests all over supporting the idea that women should be able to determine what is done to their body without the consent of men, who by the way don’t have uteruses and will never have to face the question of whether they need an abortion. 

Personally, I believe that having access to abortions is essential because birth can lead to death due to how dangerous giving birth is. In addition, Not everyone can support raising a child, not everyone is fit to be a mother, not everyone’s baby has appropriately entered the uterus, and not everyone has conceived consensually. 

My opinion is influenced by the facts. 

Roe vs Wade is planning on banning aborts at six weeks or more, which isn’t even justice because it can take up to three weeks or more for a woman to go through the process of becoming pregnant. Even if pregnant, the hCG hormone produced by the placenta cannot be fully detected that soon; every woman’s body is different. Pregnancy symptoms may or may not occur that soon, even if this overturning gives women little time to decide or gives no time at all for the decision, since the decision is being made for them.  This act of banning abortions is humane because risks are being overlooked and abortions are being jumped to the conclusion of murder. The government doesn’t know the risks of women being pregnant, they only know what they want to hear. 

Birth is the closest thing a woman can have that is naturally close to death. Women die from giving birth because of the amount of blood that is lost, risks, or from things going wrong. There are statistics that prove African- American women are more subject to death than any other race. To ban abortion would lead to a warcry for those who will lose their relative due to the circumstances of birth. It is unfit and unfair to force a woman into a life or death situation, knowing that the baby is the only thing being cared about. So by women being forced to give birth, the world will lose more women. 

The possibility of women’s lives being put in danger — which includes the challenge of raising an unwanted child — brings up many difficult questions. 

What will happen after the mother dies? Who will supply if the mother is in need? What if it is an ectopic pregnancy? What if the woman is a rape victim? What if it was incest? What if postpartum or pregnancy depression leads to suicide? These are the questions that flow through my mind when I think of the Supreme Court banning abortions. 

What will happen when the Supreme Court rules that women do not have the right to have an abortion, but can’t answer the questions above? Being told that aborting isn’t a women’s right can be a life or death situation for women. 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

School District Seems Indecisive With Plans To Shift the Schedule

May 26, 2022 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Leo Braveman

Staff Writer

Image By Leo Braveman

Back in March I first heard talk about the school having a pushed back schedule for next year. Immediately when I heard this I was surprised and not really looking forward to any type of delayed schedule

As of now, our school officially starts at 8:15, making any unexcused arrival after that marked late. Next year, Philadelphia schools are scheduled to shift to a 9AM start time (the change does not affect any schedule changes such as no advisory, changed Wednesdays ETC, making for a simple schedule pushback). According to Principal Lehmann, our schedule will most likely begin at 9 AM. 

When I first talked to friends about it I heard excitement about the plan. Many students were understandably excited to wake up much later, and liked the overall idea, feeling that it would allow for more sleep. 

Although I agree that it will be nicer to wake up late, I see the overall effect of the plan to be awful for students and even teachers with any type of extracurriculars.

In terms of my own day, I enjoy going to the gym after school, maybe a couple days of the school week. But on days that I have advisory, it would cause me to get home anywhere from 7-730PM, making for a huge inconvenience for when I would normally have dinner, and force me to start homework later than 8PM! 

But this significant day change of course does not only affect me, any students who wish to play a sport, or even spend time with friends after school will experience the same issue, with possibly having to commute much further than I do. 

I see some of the logical reasoning on why the school district wants to push back the day, but I am concerned that with still not enough time for long activities before school, and students getting home much later the effects could be hurtful and inconvenient. 

Hopefully, after a year of this crunched afternoon schedule students will find ways to manage, there is still a possibility that the plan can change but nothing points towards that being definitive. 

As a final note, the day I planned to publish this article the school district abruptly canceled the plan. I do not know more on this but am looking forward to hopefully having the same schedule.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Review, School District, uncategorized

I Almost Went to Central

May 26, 2022 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Maya Smelser

Staff Writer

I always knew I wanted to go to SLA. When I heard there was a school that gave out projects instead of tests, I was sold. I have always been the type of student who thrives with hands-on learning.

And yet, I still strongly considered going to Central. 

Why is that? Most people from my middle school, including every one of my friends, planned on heading  to Central. Going to Central, a huge high school with over 2000 students,  would have been scary.  But going to a school where I knew basically no one would have been scarier. 

My elementary and middle school held about 500 students, with only 41 in my grade at the end of 8th grade. So Central would have been a big jump, even though lots of friends were doing it.

And Central never appealed to me. It seemed crowded and like a  lot of work. I had been to the building a few times to see my older sister’s concerts and found the place intimidating. I had also seen how my sister’s personal life had disappeared behind her textbooks, especially after she joined the school’s IB program. 

I had also shadowed at Central in the beginning of my 8th grade year. My friends left even more excited than before, while I left confused. I had almost been trampled in the halls by people triple my size. The classes were full of students, sat in rows, but crammed in tiny classrooms. Few people seemed like they actually wanted to be there.

Even with all this compelling evidence to deter me from Central, the idea of going to a school entirely full of strangers was a million times worse. I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to make any friends. I was terrified to be all alone.

Then, the day before I was meant to shadow at SLA, the news of the asbestos broke. I was crushed. Was the school I hoped for even going to be open to me next year?

I still got to do my interview later that year. It was, to date, one the most nerve wracking days of my life. I hated talking in front of people, especially if I didn’t know them. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do a good job because I knew how important it was.

Then the big day came. One Friday in early January, at exactly 5:00 pm, alone in my room, I opened my computer and checked to see what highschools I had been accepted to. I applied to four schools, SLA Center City, SLA Bieber, Central, and Palumbo. I had gotten into all of them except SLA Bieber. I was hoping the decision would just be made for me. No luck.

I decided to shadow at SLA Center City, even though they were relocated to the School District Building at the time. I loved it. The classes were engaging and the environment seemed so welcoming. I’ve always been a creative person and I felt like this would be the place where I would thrive.

It was nothing like the version of high school my middle school teachers had warned me about, where the teachers would be harsh and the students unfriendly. Which was great, because that sounded terrible.

A week after that time in my room, I had decided. It was SLA. It was always SLA. I wasn’t going to go to Central just because I was afraid. 

I had no idea what would happen next — none of us did. But the fact that I overcame my fear about a big transition helped me when COVID hit. I knew it would all work out. 

Now, I’m almost a junior and I am very happy with that decision. SLA was the perfect fit I expected. I’m glad I didn’t let fear make my decision for me.

Filed Under: Op/Ed

Wage Cuts, And Inflation

May 26, 2022 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Andre Doyle

Staff Writer

I have a confession to make: when I started writing this column, I thought that I make too much money at my job.

How could that be, you ask? Well, I currently make $25 an hour employed at Footlocker as a junior. I started at $12 an hour two years ago. Compared to others at my age, and younger this may seem like a lot compared to $8, or $12 an hour. My friends tease me all the time about my wages, saying I’m lucky. 

So do I really make too much money? 

I did the research, and here are a few reasons I think my wages are reasonable:

One is inflation, which is where “ the increased cost of consumer goods, and services such as gas, food, and housing.” In President Biden’s recent speech he claims there will be food shortages, wage cuts and increased inflation rates stating “ Inflation rates have noticeably increased, and wage cuts have been set in place which is helping ukranians to defend our democracy.”

Biden also uses the Ukrainian war as a major result of food shortages in the US stating “ feeding those who are left hungry around the world because Russian atrocities exist, the American farmers understand Putin’s War has cut off critical sources.” 

Another is the taxes I pay. In the US, there are already taxes in place for people over the age of 16 and over with the tax rate being 3.07% in Pennsylvania .  Me specifically, in the summer I work forty  hours in a week that’s $1,000 but not minus taxes. Minus taxes I would make $970.30, which is still a good amount, now subtracting Bidens wage cuts I now would have $920  which is way less.” 

And with prices increasing due to inflation that’ll mean things being less in demand, at a higher price due to a  “ lack of resources.” Inflation has risen to 8.5% over the course of 12 months with it being at its peak today. 

Lastly, I think my wages are fair because it’s not as though lowering my wages would increase them for teens in other jobs. 

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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