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Shared Facilities: SLA, and Benjamin Franklin High School Encounters

March 14, 2022 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Andre Doyle, Cameron Booker, & Leticia Desouza

Staff Writers

SLA and Ben Franklin began their co-location in the Fall of 2019 — but only this year have the two schools started to truly operate in the same space.

Not all of the facilities are used by both schools — most academic spaces are entirely separate. However, one of the stairwells as well as some of the common space on the first floor., including the smaller personal use bathrooms

Stairs that both SLA and BFHS students uses during their academic day. *Photo by Leticia Desouza*.

The SLA side has two main stairwells, one is only used by the SLA student body and staff, and another one is used by both SLA and BFHS students. On the BFHS side similarly, they also have one individual stairway, and then the shared stairway.

For the most part, students do not encounter each other in the building. However, many SLA students have been reporting some issues when using these shared facilities.

SLAMedia spoke to multiple groups to get a complete picture of the situation.

SLA Student Opinion

In an anonymous survey on their experiences in the school stairwells, SLA students shared a wide variety of opinions and experiences.

As for which stairwell they prefer, there were mixed opinions: some students were fine with either, while others strictly preferred one stairwell over the other, for very different reasons.

Some problems that students have faced in the shared facility with BFHS students included being harassed, or catcalled in the shared stairway.

“ Most of the time, Benjamin Franklin students just stare at me awkwardly and they frequently harass me about something that I have on,” one survey respondent wrote.

Another student wrote, “ There were a lot of BFHS kids in the shared stairwell that are just there and who stare at girls when they walk by, not only that but there have also been many kids who bother other girls from SLA, catcalling. ”

However, there are also problems on the SLA-only side — the stairwell is frequently crowded or too warm.

“The heating there is really bad, it gets really hot in there,” one student wrote.

Another student stated, “ I do have a preference, which is the up only [SLA side stairwell]. But I won’t say I like using it because it’s like Center City Traffic trying to enter it. Plus with everyone packed together, it’s really hot in that stairway.”

BFHS Perspective

Ben Franklin’s Assistant Principal Keith Pretlow described to SLAMedia that his school has the same setup as SLA — the shared stairwell, and one just for their students. He also described how the BFHS schedule sometimes leads to doubling up both schools on the stairs.

“ Benjamin Franklin Students have four classes a day, known as AB days. For example, Monday & Wednesday are the same for all students, with the same for Tuesdays, and Thursdays but on Fridays, they alternate classes.”

“Another fact about the schedule of Benjamin Franklin High School students is that all students have lunch in the third period, then they have the fourth period then they go home.”

When presented with the SLA student survey results, Assistant Principal Pretlow had no comment. He explained that his own experience with students from both schools has been positive. He believes that the shared space is a good thing and that much more would come for the two schools as they continue to thrive.

“ I love the kids, daily I have 10 – 11 SLA kids come in to just say hi, and I don’t mind because I think we have mutual respect and that’s going to allow space for the two schools to continue to grow together.”

“I think that it is an extra opportunity for different schools to come around, and grow, and mature together.”

He also states “All of the students are the same, and I believe that the students allow being around each other so we have to think of more ways of bringing both schools together in the shared space.”

When asked how can we improve the shared facility stated, he stated “ I believe that a lot of our students love the other side, and a lot of SLA students spend a lot of time in my office, even in the beginning kids have asked me who I was, and I said I was the campus principal.”

SLA Student Experience

“Basically I was in the hallways and I got stuck between the two doors, and this kid wouldn’t let me out of the doors because he kept asking me for my snap, until one of my friends came and opened the doors.”

SLA Perspective

If an SLA student is experiencing an issue, then the first person they report it to should be an SLA Administrator. So what is the system for dealing with harassment on school property?

SLA Climate Manager Tara Ryans explained that the school follows all bullying and harassment guidelines provided by The School District Of Philadelphia. The School District Of Philadelphia guidelines 248-249, state that “bullying and harassment will not be tolerated and that it can result in suspension or even expulsion of any curricular, extracurricular activities that are in any way involved with the school district.”

However, SLA doesn’t have any huge anti – bullying programs as of now, but despite that the behavior is still not tolerated.

She explained that it can be “ difficult for students to be identified and found out when these types of situations occur, due to students not coming forward about the situation and not being able to identify the students who did it.”

Ms. Ryans wanted to make it clear that any and all students who have had an encounter with other students can come to talk about the situation and receive full confidentiality.

“Any Student can come to me if they feel uncomfortable about anything that happens in the stairwell or the school. We want our students to feel safe and comfortable while they are at science leadership academy. ”

Detecting the Truth About Metal Detectors

March 10, 2022 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Maya Smelser, Anouk Ghosh-Poulshock, & Gabi Hart

Staff Writers

Everyone knows the misery of waiting in the crowded line for the metal detectors before class. But what exactly is the district policy around metal detectors? Why did the old school building not use them?

Policy and History

“I don’t like metal detectors,” was Principal Chris Lehmann’s first response when asked why there were no metal detectors at the old SLA building. SLA did not use them when located in the old building on 22nd Street.

Back in the Spring of 2019, the School District of Philadelphia pushed for mandatory metal detector use. . This vote was met with heavy resistance from students from SLA, SLA Beeber, and the Workshop School. . These students argued that it should be up to the schools to decide what safety looks like. Students like Zoey Tweh, who has now graduated from SLA, delivered 370 out of the 500 student signatures to the Board of Education Meeting that opposed the metal detector mandate.

Despite this effort, the School Board voted to make metal detectors mandatory in all schools, and they have been in constant use since the move to 1482 Green street. .

In the Office of School Safety’s Guide to Search and Seizure, it states that any person connected to a school is “subject to a search of their physical person and all items in their possession by means of metal detectors, X-ray equipment, or by hand, for the purpose of preventing the introduction of weapons, contraband, or illegal items.”

They also define a weapon as “any object, device, or instrument that is designed as a weapon or that is capable of threatening or inflicting serious bodily harm.”

So what cannot specifically go into school? The list consists of: drugs, vapes, lighters, any gun (including BB guns), tasers, knives/switchblades, and pepper spray.

The Daily Experience

School Safety Officer Cynthia Byrd stated that she believes the school is better off with the metal detectors. “We live in an unsafe society. Metal detectors make kids more comfortable and put parents at ease.”

At the front doors, there is also an amnesty box. Students have the option to place their contraband in the box, without any punishment. But do students even use them?

In our survey, we found that the vast majority of SLA students have never used the “snitch box”, as one student called it, and some don’t even know what it is. Only one student who responded to the survey said they had dropped an item in the box.

Administrative Opinions

Principal Lehmann stated that he is not sure that metal detectors are the effective way to solve the underlying issue that keeps metal detectors in Philadelphia schools and around the world.

“I think that the difficult thing about metal detectors is that you are trading off a sense of safety on one level of, ‘We are keeping kids safe, we have metal detectors’ but then we look at some issues across the nation where metal detectors were present and didn’t stop the shootings. So one I am not sure that they are the effective deterrent that people think they are.”

Lehmann also mentions the largest study of students’ sense of safety and metal detectors conducted by the University of Virginia and how they responded to it. He highlights that the study showed that most students said the metal detectors made them feel unsafe.

“When I think about it here and the campus, we built in both schools spaces where kids could have a true sense of entry. On Ben Franklin’s side they have the magnificent cafe and here we have the commons. Those are spaces that give kids a sense of entry like, ‘I am welcome here.’”

Student Opinions

In an online survey, students were asked if they would feel unsafe to be in school without the presence of metal detectors. Their answers ranged from, “it’s not that it would make me feel UNSAFE, but it makes me feel safer to have them,” to claiming, “they don’t even work in the first place.”

In the same survey, the participants were also asked if they believe the metal detectors discourage certain items from being brought into school. 55% said yes. They believed that they were beneficial in keeping dangerous weapons out. But many also raised concerns with some prohibited items.

“Some students are given certain things to keep themselves safe if they take public transportation or walk home but as you can see these metal detectors are taking those away,” one respondent wrote.

Numerous people talked about their disappointment and anger when something like scissors or metal utensils were taken from them, both of which they claimed are not weapons and have real purposes.

In the past few months, there has also been a spike of students being caught with contraband like vape pens. The guards have recently been more vigilant with checking bags and making sure students don’t have any prohibited items in their bags. In some cases, the police have been called and students have received punishments outside of the school’s suspension.

Another issue is the line. Some days only one of the two metal detectors is open and the line is out the door. Because of this, many students are late to class. The administration has assured students that no students will be marked late, but that still means missing some of class.

Despite these challenges, metal detectors will remain a part of SLA no matter what students think of them, and most students have accepted that they will always be a part of their daily life.

“I think they can be annoying, but I understand why we need them.”

Art and Literature

January 24, 2022 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

I first knew I was a writer when I first wrote a personal experience story back in the fourth grade and it touched people. The story was about the passing of my great grandmother that occurred in 2012. I talked about how she waited until I and my family left to close her eyes and the aftermath.

As my teacher Ms. McBeth was reading my story, my classmates were crying and paying close attention to every word that was written down. At that moment, I knew that I was capable of being able to inspire and voice my experiences to others who may or may have not experienced what I did.

These days, I write about topics about depression, anxiety, sexual assault, broken homes, feeling unwanted, mental illness, etc. I focus on topics I could relate to or that I was close in contact with. SLA has been a welcoming place for me as a poet because the staff and students allow me to develop a safe and welcoming space to write and to create what I see, am feeling, or something that inspired me in that particular moment. I love writing because it helps bring out the creative and emotional side that people don’t get to see when communicating with me. You wouldn’t know my true capability and creativity until you give me a pencil and lined paper.

What I enjoy most and value about SLA literary culture is how it allows students to have freedom of speech and gives students a chance to explore who they are and what they want to do. Being able to speak your opinion without judgment is very important and needed and SLA has that. When speaking your opinion or writing about something that you find important, knowledgeable, worthy, etc your response is respected and nobody tries to change that. Although one may disagree, they will still hold your opinion as valuable and important.

For all of these reasons, I’m happy that the school is reviving its literary magazine because it gives upcoming artists and writers a way to express who they are. It’s sometimes difficult for a writer or artist to find a comfortable and safe place for them to show what they are skilled at and their perspective on things.

Students have voiced and expressed who they are through art and writing! The fourth floor was established at SLA as a way to help students communicate and understand who they are through skills of writing, poetry, storytelling, art, and many more skills that students have within them that are yet to be shown. Art and the forms of writing play an important role for people especially students because it demonstrates how the skill desaturates differently in each student and how each student uses the skill in everyday life. Art forces humans to look beyond what is necessary to survive and leads people to create their own expression and understanding of the world. I found interest in the fourth floor when a senior came to my adviser which is on the second floor and introduced this fascinating and great establishment that once fell but was risen again through the determination and motivation of the Rocket family. What I enjoy most and value about SLA literacy is how it allows students to have freedom of speech and gives students a chance to explore who they are and what they want to do. Being able to speak your opinion without judgment is very important and needed and SLA has that. When speaking your opinion or writing about something that you find important, knowledgeable, worthy, etc your response is respected and nobody tries to change that. Although one may disagree, they will still hold your opinion as valuable and important. When it comes to art you are open to exploring areas of art you may or may not know about. The concept of being able to explore is what’s important in arts at SLA because you are given the opportunity to take a path in arts that interests you and you are supported on your choice.

The Fire Drill Plan Gets an Update

January 23, 2022 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

By Maya Smelser

Staff Writer

The fire drill is a standard part of school life. Like most schools, we have one every month. Although it might just seem like a nice break from class, there’s actually a lot of thought that goes into it.

After the first few drills of this school year, Engineering Teacher John Kamal realized that the school has consistently taken a dangerously long amount of time to exit the building. From that, he had an idea.

Back at the old SLA building, the senior engineers redid the fire drill plan, as the times did not meet the requirements of the Philadelphia Fire Department. When Mr. Kamal saw how poor our times were earlier in the year, he and his engineering team volunteered to do the same in this building.

The engineers worked hard to create the new plan. “They printed out blueprints of the building and surveyed every room,” stated Mr. Kamal, who coached them through it, “they also reviewed the existing signage, compared it to the original plan, and then optimized the plan to address its current shortcomings.”

The initial plan had many faults and issues. Too many students were sent down the middle staircase and it accounted for rooms that had no people in them. “We hope that by systematically addressing each problem, we should be able to reduce the egress time significantly,” Mr. Kamal said. The goal of the updated plan is to have all students and staff out of the building in at least 4 minutes.

“I expect that the work that the engineers are doing will balance our exit plan so that our fire drills will be much smoother,” Principal Chris Lehmann said.

Column: Encouragement and Struggles During Test-taking.

January 21, 2022 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Dinah Soloway Staff Writer

“Congrats on finishing Keystones! You’re the best.” I found this note hanging on my locker. A few days after having a couple of long days of testing in September.

As a public school, SLA is mandated to put students through the Keystone exams — and students who missed them last year due to being out of school had to take them this fall.. As someone coming into a new public school, these keystones were new to me. At my old school I still had taken tests like these, but now as a high schooler in a different setting more nervous feelings about the test came up.

Students were informed in emails of advisory memos of the plan. Multiple times I saw emails reminding me that keystones were just a few days away.

Teachers made a plan that made it easier for everyone to understand that taking the keystones was important. Despite this push on their part, many students decided to opt out of taking the test. It made sense at the time that I wouldn’t opt out of the testing, but I also desperately wanted a break from school testing and studying.

This year I decided to take them because I wanted to know what the testing was like in high school. My other thought while taking the keystones was if I take a couple of standardized tests this year I should really know what to do and what would help next year when I take the ACT or SAT. In the end, it was already decided by my parents after their word I couldn’t really argue.

When testing, students were assigned rooms by stream and grade to make the process easier and run more smoothly. When the test was over, Small group testing for kids who got extended time was separated from their big group to complete their testing.

Each room had an assigned teacher to guide students through the specific directions on the pamphlets. During the test-taking, there were many specific restrictions that the teacher would have to read even though kids had heard them before.. The structure of having an important test made me feel pressured as a student. Putting rules on how we take tests and show our work and learning. Even though tests do not always show how well of a student someone is, we all know the importance of taking them for our preparation for college and school life.

After a day of taking a test, SLA students went back to normal class periods. As most students had come to school to take a test that took almost half a day, my brain was almost fried and wouldn’t want to work. I know that a lot of people wanted to go home after this and sure I can admit I was one of them wanting to go back home, get into bed, and sleep.

After a long morning, I would have just liked to be sent back home to rejuvenate my brain from the hard test. Just imagining my bed back at home just sitting there with nobody using it was a pain.

As it was supposed to be a regular school day many kids came into school at 11 when later class periods started back up again. When I walked down the SLA stairs I was greeted by a bunch of students talking each nagging at each other about how well they did. Classes were purposely cut shorter than usual so that our school day would end at 3:05 is a very normal ending time.

When I found the note on my locker the next day, my first thought was: Why not give these encouraging notes before the important test? I read the note a few days after the testing and only then did my nerves go away. Everything felt so nerve-racking. Including the waiting for other tests, we would have to prepare for.

That being said, receiving the note after testing did help the nerves calm down for many students. Almost making it easier to get back to regular classwork.

I know that this is not the end of having to take standardized tests in high school. The next time I hear about any standardized test coming up I will definitely look at it a little differently than what I thought about the keystones. When I decide to take a test or have one coming up in school. I’m the kind of person who forgets about studying a couple days before and just wings it on the day off. Since next year I am heading into junior year I will need to plan out my studying more and get some support from my parents and others. I plan to head face on with any important test that comes my way.