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School, District Responds to “13 Reasons Why”

June 9, 2017 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Deja Harrison

Staff Writer

The popular Netflix series 13 Reasons Why is about a young girl named Hannah Baker who commits suicide and leaves 13 cassette tapes addressed to people who she believed contributed to her life-ending choice.

Recently, the show has been stirring up a lot of drama in both the media and in Philadelphia schools.

A letter addressing the show’s content was sent out a few weeks ago the SLA community from co-principal Aaron Gerwer. The letter sought to make both students and parents more aware of the serious issues being addressed on the show. The letter included a list of suggestions about how to engage with the series, including thinking “ carefully about whether or not you want to watch the show ” and to “ consider watching it with others and take breaks between episodes instead of binge watching.”

So why not address the show when it first came out?

“ We heard about the show a while ago and at first we just wanted advisors to talk about it with students so they could be more aware. That’s why i didn’t send a letter out sooner because it was just supposed to be talked about. ” Mr. Gerwer explained.

“A student at Penny Parker Middle School committed suicide recently so we thought we should talk about it now. “

The letter seemed to turn a few students off and made them question the structure of the school;s support system.

“ I feel like the school tried to make it as though we aren’t mature enough to handle the content of the show,” said Junior Madison Harrison. “It just feels like they are trying to little kid us, I mean monitoring us while watching the show really.” She believes that the school shouldn’t have sent it to students at all.

Other students were upset because they feel as though the school should have addressed this issue earlier rather than waiting for an incident like the actual suicide of a student in order the send the letter out.

“ I don’t understand the delay in talking about the show,” said Junior Imani Williams. “It obviously raised a lot of awareness and made people feel a certain way so why not discuss it.”

Williams believes that the schools disorganization and delay with writing the letter drew less attention and awareness to it as a result. “ It is a serious issue and should have been addressed properly.”

The letter definitely drew controversy towards the organization of the school. But to clear things up, the letter was not initially for students.

“It was targeted more at parents so that they know what’s going on and so they can discuss and guide kids who might be feeling the way.” Mr. Gerwer explained.

Shortly after Mr. Gerwer sent the letter, the school district also sent a letter to teachers with a similar message. So however late SLA’s response might be, the district response was even slower.

Song Review: Strip That Down

June 9, 2017 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

MeyMey Seng

Staff Writer

On May 18, 2017, Liam James Payne released a new song called Strip That Down. Many people know him as a member of the biggest boyband, One Direction. After five years of producing songs and going on tours, the band decided to take hiatus, lasting one year.

With this hiatus, all of the boys have chose the same path which is creating their own individual music. Coincidentally, each member chose a different genre to base their album off on. One Direction usually produces pop songs, and the other boys have explored R&B, electronics, acoustics, and rock. Hip-hop was what Liam decided to choose which shocked many people.

Before releasing his song, Liam has posted many teaser clips of how the song may sound. Honestly, most recently I have favored Liam and love his voice. Also, pop is my favorite genre of music but recently, I have been getting interest in hip-hop which gave me a silly thought: he knows what kind of music I want to hear!

When my phone notified me that the lyric video was posted, I immediately slammed my thumb down to click it. My first reaction was that the beat was good but then I did not enjoy the lyrics. The lyrics “But your love, it hit me hard, girl. Yeah, you’re bad for my health. I love the cards, that I’ve been dealt” felt very out of place and almost as if it was all smushed together. I felt like it sounded generic and it didn’t make me jump as much as I had anticipated. Also, the record company’s design of the lyric video was not my favorite, although I appreciated the purple, gold, and grey theme of the it.

Of course, even though the lyrics did not have the meaningful lyrics that I hoped for, Liam’s voice was still pleasant. A quarter way until the end of the lyric video, there was a verse that was sung by Quavo that I enjoyed more, mostly because the lyrics flowed a bit more smoothly. The thing that surprised me was that Ed Sheeran, an artist that I enjoy a lot, helped write the song. Knowing that two amazing people worked with one another in writing this song, it should be a lot better.

The music video came out on June 2, which I liked a lot more. The choreography was done well, especially knowing that the band was not focused on dancing. Something that I loved that they including clips of him laughing at the camera. It struck that fangirl part of me and after listening to the song a bunch of times, it got onto me. So apart of me finds myself going back and listening to this song because I have to give it one thing, that it was very catchy.

For the rest of the songs in his album, I definitely hope that things spiral upwards and has a more unique sense into it. According to Liam Payne, hip-hop was always a genre that he has wanted to go into. Although, with all of the different music tastes that the other boys have, not all their ideas would be able to be produced. Also, after producing his song, he admittedly said that it does feel nice having all of the control of the song.

Chance The Rapper

June 6, 2017 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Ella Petersen

Staff Writer

When I was invited to drive to D.C. with my best friend to go see one our favorite artists on Sunday, I couldn’t say no even though I knew I had a pre-calc test waiting for me the next morning, committed to babysitting Monday night, and had a benchmark due Tuesday. But it was so worth it.

The past couple years have been really big for Chance The Rapper. Last summer he released his newest album “Coloring Book” and this year he made real history at the Grammy’s, being the first person to win that doesn’t sell physical copies of their music. He’s unsigned to a label and he always releases his music online for free, he combines gospel and rap to form a new genre of music.

After three hours in the car we were finally there. Jiffy Lube Live, a venue right outside of DC, was packed to the brim with 23,000 people.

“I’m not used to performing in front of this many people,” Chance confessed to the crowd. “The fans that have been there forever know that I started out broke.”

He opened with “Blessings” definitely the most spiritual song on the album. “I’m gon’ praise Him, praise Him ‘til I’m gone.” He had the crowd repeat that hook for a good while and confetti poured over us. I knew that we were in for a great performance.

Chance is known for being a huge fan of Chicago, the city where he grew up. So it was no surprise that he had a huge Chicago skyline on the screen in the back of the stage while he performed “Angels” and “Summer Friends,” songs about his beloved city. He jumped around and danced while “CHICAGO” ran across the back screen. He explained that his favorite verse on the album was the second one on “Summer Friends” and had us help him sing it.

The mood changed when he performed “Juke Jam,” a song about going to the roller rink with a girl as a teenager and the whole stadium was lit up with phone lights. After that it was “Smoke Break,” a tale of two people who need some time to just stop and reevaluate what is going on between them.

He also threw some Kanye West songs in the mix. Chance helped produce Kanye’s most recent album, “The Life of Pablo”, so we were able to hear a few of his renditions that night. He performed “Waves” and “Father I Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” as well as his verse on “Ultra Light Beam” while pictures and videos of him and Kanye played in back of him.

“I’m gonna turn the lights off and when I turn them back on I want it to be a party,” he said. And then “All Night” came on, the most upbeat, party song on the album. The stage lit up with fireworks and smoke machines while colorful shapes played on all screens.

Finally, he played “Sunday Candy” and “Cocoa Butter Kisses,” two of his oldest songs on mixtapes he made before he was popular.

Overall, he really made me proud to be a Chance fan. The crowd was very happy and lighthearted; his really positive energy was extremely contagious. I am really excited to see where he goes next and so proud to see how far he has come.

How To Get Kicked Out of SLA

June 6, 2017 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Fatu Castillo

Staff Writer

According to the School District Of Philadelphia, the only way a student can be expelled from any Philadelphia school is by violating of the Code Of Student Conduct. In practice, it’s simple, a student violates one of the rules and they receive an expulsion referral from the school, easy. But not every rule in the Code Of Student Conduct can constitute as grounds for expulsion.

Different rules listed have different capacities for punishment, on a 1-to-5 level, with the 1 being In-School Interventions and 5 being Expulsion Referrals.

If a student violates Rule 1D, general unpreparedness, can only, in the worst-case scenario, result in In-School Inventions. However only four slots down on the list, Rule 5B or the inappropriate use of electronic devices, can constitute grounds for a student’s reassignment to a disciplinary school with expulsion.

It can be a blurred when deciding what level of discipline a student will receive when they violate a rule.

And with only XX cases of expulsions since it’s opening, Science Leadership Academy hasn’t had the opportunity to intimately learn the rules. But as a newer, less-traditional school, SLA has garnered a reputation for being less likely to turn to expulsion as a disciplinary method.

So, how does a student manage to get expelled from SLA? Most students asked didn’t have concrete answers or specifics.

Amanda Boli offered, “You’d have to do something really bad, like throwing things at a teacher or threatening another student, something like that.”

“I think you need to do drugs, or harass someone, or maybe hurt a teacher.”

Others agreed that SLA had a more forgiving attitude when it comes to expulsion.

“I think that you’d have to do something very extreme,” guessed Leon Finney, “Like curse at a teacher, perhaps a fight depending on the circumstances.”

Finney continued, “I think SLA gives students a lot of leeway, it’s really hard to get expelled, they’re give you multiple chances.”

Most answers circulated this format, an SLA student would have to do something either violently extreme or physically bring drugs into the building.

Alicia Jones had a firmer stance than most interviewed, stating, “I think if they’re white then it takes a lot, I think if they’re black or any other minority then it takes very little.”

A clear answer was only given when Co-Principal Chris Lehmann “We try really hard not to expel students.”

Lehmann continued, “Generally, if you do physically injure another student, if you were start fights, if you were to make it unsafe for other students to be here in a way that is repeated and you were unwilling to work towards changing that behavior.”

Co-Principal Aaron Gerwer backed Lehmann in a separate interview, stating, “It depends on the situation, I think for me it’s when it’s not safe for someone to be here anymore, for the community.”

So while the answers students gave about expulsions at a district level may not be as descriptive as needed, they do alright with what can get them kicked out of SLA.

Even if the chances of them being expelled are slim.

Juniors vs. Seniors: What’s The Beef?

June 6, 2017 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Members of the Class of 2018 at their Junior Prom.

Deja Harrison

Staff Writer

As the end of the school year approaches, the current seniors at SLA are preparing to say their goodbyes to high school and their hellos to the real world. The current juniors on the other hand are preparing to embark on the journey of becoming seniors and going through the college process. I spoke to several current juniors about their opinions on becoming seniors.

“I’m really excited and nervous to become a senior. I can’t wait to apply to colleges and see where I get into,” said Junior Fatoumata Camara. “High school is coming to an end and I’m anxious to see what life’s like after it. I always hear people talk about how amazing their senior years are so I’m excited to start mine.”

Not everything between these classes is positive, though. There is a popular belief that the current seniors think that the current Juniors are not a very school spirited or appreciative class. As a member of the Class of 2018 myself, I thought it would only be right if I tried to discover how this controversy came to be.

For some seniors, the opinion is based in observations of the class below them.

“The junior class is like really selfish. They get everything pretty much handed to them and they don’t appreciate it.” said Senior Arsenio Gomez. He believes we have it easier than the Class of 2017.

“Their prom tickets were way cheaper than ours, they got their laptops before we did when they were freshman, the list just goes on and on.”

Senior Kia Dasilva believes that “They aren’t bad individually but together it’s like they can’t come together at all.” She believes that the problem with the Class of 2018 has a lack of unity. However, she does believe there is hope for the class in the future.

“I think that being a senior is a more independent thing and the junior class seems to do really well with that, so they might do a better job.”

Juniors had their own opinions on their persona as a class.

“I think the seniors see that things are changing for us, and they are jealous,” said Junior Tia Roberts when asked what she thought about the “selfish” claim. “They don’t understand that every year the school changes and each class is going to have more than then the last.”

Though not all seniors feel negatively towards the Class of 2018. Some of them are actually happy to be going and wish us the best. Senior Luke Watson-Sharer said that, “Some of them will do really good, some kids are ready to handle it some kids will not, I hope the class does good.”

Other seniors were oblivious to the supposed ill will.

“I’m not aware of any rivalry, but I hope next year you guys kill it with all the stuff you have to go through next year.” Senior Fatu Castillo stated.

Co-Principal Aaron Gerwer believes that the Class of 2018 is capable of being a successful and powerful senior class. “The Class of 2018 in the past did get into a lot of trouble mainly their freshman year but they were never really problematic. I think they will do good work next year.”

Based on the number of people who did not know anything about this “rivalry”, it seems like this whole Class of 2018 vs. Class of 2017 beef is made up.