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.

A&E

Kickin’ it on and off the field

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By Mike Sanders

Guest Writer

Sophomore Owen Grzywinski is not your average athlete.

A new student at SLA, Grzywinski made a serious impression when he used his superhuman physical skills during a soccer game to flip over an opponent and score a goal for the Rockets during a game.

“He basically flipped to avoid someone, rolled on the ground, and then kicked it into the goal,” said Sophomore Isabela Supovitz-Aznar. “The students were like “Woah, Owen!” Everybody started clapping.”

Students are impressed.

“Owen is awesome. He’s the only one I know who can do flips without hurting himself.” Said Sophmore Jeffery Schwertz. “ If I am ever in a fight, I would choose Owen to defend me.”

Where did Grzywinski learn this skill?

Every Saturday, Grzywinski attends classes at MaMas art studio in Mount Airy. There he practices Capoeira, a Brazilian-influenced martial arts style that involves fast-paced dancing and music.

This is where Grzywinski learned how to flip. But Owen has learned so much more from Capoeira than just flipping and fighting.

His mentor Mr. Raeutier taught Grzywinski not just the flips and moves to be a great martial artist, but also the discipline to achieve certain objectives.

“I don’t think I could do what I could do now without Mr. Raeutier,” Gryzwinski said.

This applies just to fighting but also in school work. Grzywinski is a home-schooled student, and this is his first year in a regular school.

Some students would fall in the first couple of months, but in his first 2 quarters he was able to discipline himself to become an A and B student.

Grzywinski is currently the starting right outside midfield in soccer. That is a position the requires a lot of stamina, becoming both an offense and defense. But that doesn’t stop Grzywinski.

Every month, he goes to a Martial Arts tournament with his classmates a MaMa’s arts studio. There he mentions that he always loves going to the tournaments to improve his skills even more.

But even though he is serious about martial arts, Grzywinski is still a fun, lovable guy. In fact, other than the tournaments, he has never been in a fight.

“But when ever I’m in trouble,” he said, “I can always flip my way out of it.”

Public Mural Installed on 22nd Street

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By Isabela Supovitz-Aznar and DeShawn McLeod

Staff Writers

The idea began with Spanish Teacher Melanie Manual’s Spanish four class doing a unit on public art, and English and History Teacher Josh Block’s classes unit pertaining to language identity.

Being inspired by the Inside Out Project, founded by street artist JR, Ms. Manuel, Mr. Block, and many students collaborated recently to put together a street art project on the JFK bridge walls of 22nd street — between the school and neighboring grocery store Trader Joe’s.

The concept of the project is to tell a story of SLA’s culture thorough black and white portraits. The mural is made up of many pictures of students from SLA making very expressive faces, along with quotes from Mr. Block’s language identity unit.

The pictures were taken at a very close range, which is meant to give the viewer a feeling of invasion, that they are entering the subject’s perspective of the world, or see them in a new light.

“It was an experience,” Sophomore Dejah Harley stated. “Putting it up made me realize that every one’s different, and people have their own ways of thinking and their own personalities.”

The process to get permission to put the mural up was easier than the collaborating teachers expected.

“I thought it’d be complicated to get the permissions to do our mural,” said Ms. Manuel.

But after a few hours of calling PennDOT and trying to get the necessary city permit papers, they got a call indicating that it’d be perfectly fine to put up the huge images of students under the bridge.

“It was super easy in the end,” Mr. Block commented, “we just needed to call up for permission then we found out we had to call the right person.”

The posters were put up after school on Feb.16th by student and teacher volunteers.

“It was a cold day, especially under the bridge,” said Mr. Block. However, the weather did not stop the dedicated workers.

The large photographs also have quotes underneath them that are from Mr. Block’s students’ language autobiographies. The photos were taken by Sophomores Helen Kilmartin and Isabela Aznar.

The public reaction has been powerful.

Science Teacher Stephanie Dunda appreciated the quote from Sophomore Roberto Abazoski. “I was touched and moved to learn something so personal about my student through a piece of art,” she said.

Students and Teachers hunger for The Hunger Games

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Science Teacher Tim Best modeling the latest in Hunger Games wear.

By Kristi Bezhani

Staff Writer

SLA students and teachers have always had a shared interest in Fantasy and Sci-Fi. From Ender’s Game to Harry Potter, they love the books and movies that come out of this genre.

The latest series in this trend? The Hunger Games.

Students at SLA have been devouring the three volumes of the series for years. Originally published in 2008, the book concentrates on adolescent characters pursuing their identity in a harsh reality that interferes with their daily lives.

“Two years ago my dad got the first book for my birthday. It was a good pick on his part, I’d never heard of it before since then. I really liked the first book for the world that the author created, no one’s seen a dystopia like it,” said Senior Julia Boyer.

Students are also interested in moving on to this series from other books like Twilight. Readers were ready for more plot and more action around a setting.

“Twilight, for example, is fantasy, whereas in The Hunger Games the reader is in a more destructive place,” said Boyer. “It’s more about the place in the Hunger Games, which add to the coolness of it.”

What was more unusual was the teachers reaction to the book. At least half a dozen teachers have read the series, and many are serious fans.

“I heard lots of students and people talking about reading The Hunger games. I didn’t want to put it down once I read it and I didn’t sleep.”

“I value two things one- I value that this books makes readers question authority “the man” and two- I value the relationships in the book.” Ms. Thompson said.

Mr. Best has been seen in school wearing a Hunger Games themed T-Shirt, with “District 12 Archery Team” printed on the front.

One reason SLA staff is interested in this particular book is that The Hunger Games has a more realistic turn on humane morals and self identity in the eyes of society, based off of it’s reality.

“I like the first book a lot because it is relevant to culture in terms of how we view reality, T.V, young people fighting young wars in our own culture,” said English Teacher Alexa Dunn.

Collin’s use of a cruel, capitalistic government having control over an impoverished society creates a intriguing setting for the plot of her book. The life-or-death situation becomes an important element in capturing teens attention to personal relations and self discovered identity.

These are some of the themes that make Ms. Dunn think it might become the new freshman summer reading, replacing The House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer.

Mrs. Dunn noted that it would fit well “as part of the identity and self curriculum,” these are the themes for freshman year at SLA.

Even if it doesn’t become the new freshman book, other than looking forward to that fun change in the summer reading plan, students are looking forward to seeing the movie version, which will be released March 23rd of this year.

“I liked the first book because it had a good plot but the writing got sloppy in the second book and i didn’t like it at all,” said Freshman Gabe Musselman.

“But the survival, humanity, and morality were all so nicely pictured in all of the books, that I can’t wait to go see the book through a movie.”