Features

Sexual Tension Among Comic World

May 21, 2015 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

DC Comics, Batgirl Cover:

There are many situations where there are sexual tensions in our environment and on the news, along with other displeasing news. People usually try to escape the world with fiction using comic books. Little do we expect such tensions that happen in the real world to happen in the fictional one as well.

In the last year, the company DC Comics Universe released a new issue of Batgirl: New 52 Series. In (month), They released the cover as a teaser — but many people weren’t so pleased. The cover showed the main hero Batgirl with The Joker, the arch enemy of Batman. The Joker had his arms around Batgirl and his left hand has a pistol in it.. His right hand had its pointer finger covered in what appears to be blood and he had the finger across Batgirl’s face in the shape of a gun. There was also blood around Batgirl’s lips in the shape of a smile which was the complete opposite face her lips formed. Simply put, she was terrified while the Joker seemed to be enjoying it.

Many viewers saw this as picture of sexual assault, and found it inappropriate. The photo sent fans into a fury, and the variant was quick to receive criticism which ultimately led to DC pulling it all together.

Other readers said that the image does not point to sexual assault. They cited an alternate storyline from the comic, where the Joker beats Batgirl and sends her father bloody naked pictures of her after he paralyzed her.

The Batgirl cover brings up an important debate: when does violence go too far in comic books and movies? We already expect a character like the Joker to be violent–but is there a line that his creators can cross where it’s too much?

I decided to expand upon the issue and ask a fellow student, a sophomore Chloe Epstein. I interviewed Chloe and asked her her take on the cover.

“I understand why people were concerned about violence about women,” Epstein said. “However, he is a villain, that’s what he does. He is The Joker he is supposed to be an asshole. Just don’t make jokes about rape.”

“What he is doing is wrong, but it doesn’t specify that he was raping her. It’s just blood on someone’s face. He’s done it many times. If anything should be against him involving sexual tension it’s how he treats Harley Quinn. People should pick their battles because this isn’t the worst thing he done.”

I personally feel that the cover did not appear to be a sign of sexual assault. I felt that it showed the Joker’s natural state of putting fright into people’s eyes and I like for once, that the hero appears frightened and not have a usual stonhard courageous face.

Marvel Comics, Comments regarding the character Black Widow:

Many moviegoers and comic book fans were really excited for Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron and many reporters wanted thoughts from the actors about the movie and characters. One reporter was able to sit down with Chris Evans (Captain America) and Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye). One question that came up was about the new sudden relationship between Scarlett Johansson’s character Black Widow and Mark Ruffalo’s character Bruce Banner, a.k.a.The Hulk. In the interview, the two actors responded with comments against the character Black Widow, calling her a “slut” and saying that she been around with every character.

In the interview, their tone was joking, but many viewers were still not happy. They did not find it funny at all.There were hate mails, sell drops, and some fans even came to the conclusion to no longer represent Marvel until an apology is made.

I wanted to know other’s view point on the debate and issue. I asked a student who was well aware of the topic as well as someone who has a issue with the topic of sexual labels in general. Michaela Peterson, sophomore had this to say:

“What they said wasn’t ok, no matter who or what. It’s demeaning and offensive to women everywhere. It’s partially females fault for using the language for themselves making it seem okay but it’s not. Fictional characters inspire real people. They may be fiction but it doesn’t make them less real. Just because they are fictional it doesn’t make the language less awful. The fact that they are publicly apologizing and acknowledging it was a step.”

My initial response to the issue wasn’t as strong as the Joker and Batgirl cover . I felt that the two were in the wrong and it was a bad thing, however it’s just a fictional character.

After hearing from others and thinking it over, I do see that my view point is not so open minded. It is true that many people connect with characters and some may have felt offended from the words said.
The fans of comic books should consider that writers are trying their best to make the stories more realistic with real world problems but the fans do however have the right to draw the line of what’s too far since they are the audience set to be pleased.

More Than A Test

May 21, 2015 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Staff Writer

Angelica Owens

According to the board of education that gives the tests in Pennsylvania, the Keystone exams are a way to judge how well a school is educating its students, and also whether students have learned the content.

However, many students, teachers and families disagree with the practice of standardized testing for a variety of reasons.

Many of the objections include that standardized testing hasn’t improved students improvement, they are unreliable way to show students performing, and it causes stress for younger students.

In Pennsylvania, students can opt out of standardized tests by writing a letter to the superintendent or principal explaining that they want to opt out of it.

The Philadelphia Student Union has made a website at www.morethanatest.wordpress.com that shows SLA students and even teachers having up signs to say why they are more than a test.

The site features numerous students and teachers holding signs saying why they are more than a test with the hashtag more than a test at the bottom.

I interviewed Senior, Nomi Martin- Brouillette, the creator of the website to learn more about the website and why she made the website and choices the way she did.

What was the inspiration for the More Than A Test website?

We were inspired by the opt-out movement that is growing in Philly and across the nation and wanted to do something about the Keystones being a graduation requirement.

Why did you choose to put Mrs. Menasion on the site?

We are welcoming submissions from parents, teachers, students, school administrators, school staff, and community members.

What were the requirements you gave the people who wrote on the paper in order for them to be on the site?

People write why they are more than a test on a sign and email it to us.

If you were to do this again, how would you do it differently?

It’s still going on! We want more submissions! We’re in a campaign and will be meeting with people who have deciding power on graduation requirements soon.

Are students at SLA choosing to opt out of exams? Have you encouraged them to?

I don’t know if any SLA’ers opted out. I only know of 12 in the whole state that did because it’s a graduation requirement, it’s really hard to opt out of the keystones and the project based assessment.

Are there projects like this at other schools? What actions are other students taking if they are frustrated with the exams?

Students from all over the city are involved in the More Than A Test Campaign. The other day some students students walked out of Kensington CAPA instead of taking the keystones!

Editorial: Through the View of Baltimore, a Lense into Racism Dark Perpetuity with the Boys in Black and Blue

May 11, 2015 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Sean Morris
Staff writer

With 2,800+ innocent, unarmed people shot and killed by Police officers; most of which are African-American males, it’s impossible not to sympathize with this struggle,Through the lens of a mainstream, white-controlled media, it’s easy to villainize the protesters in Baltimore and other areas about this issue. as they will often label them as “rioters”, “thugs”, and so on. It only takes the the tiniest dosage of thought and research and we can see that this is not simply a “minority problem”. It is a human rights issue. And It’s impossible to say that the police force in the United States should not change.

In a report from USA Today last August, around 400 unarmed civilians were killed by the police per year in the past seven years, making the total number already up to 2,800 people-most of which were African Americans. In November, a mere 3 months after the report,Tamir Rice, a 12 year old, who was shot for having a toy gun outside a Walmart, which is even more infuriating when you consider how many actual white serial killers like James Eagan Homes are able to get away with simply being arrested by the police, yet the Police will shoot defenseless black children. You’ll hear and read about any number of news reports of cops being overly aggressive to what the situation requires. This is even more troubling when you compare it to several other countries,who have reports of much less civilian casualties.

While not all cops are killers, the problem has grown to the point where nothing short of an extensive change in the police force is needed. In our discussion on the topic, we agreed that the depth of the problem also called for some radical, systemic changes in how the police train and work.To this extent here are suggestions from SLA students for what could be some potential resolutions to this issue:

Police should be required to live in the community they are policing.
- How this would help: Rather than have the police officers as an alien outside force, this gives the people and officers a sense of familiarity to allow for better cooperation and collaboration between the people and the officers,
All police officers should wear body cameras that cannot be turned off.
- How this would help: Holds accountability to possible offending officers and allows for better transparency into situations. Below are some links to how it has already benefitted communities:
All police departments should have civilian review boards with subpoena power.
- How this would help: Keeps the close collaboration of officers away from situations where personal feelings could mix with professional.
All police should be required to attend regular training sessions to update their skills in handling mentally ill people.
- How this would help: Keeps potential innocents safe who can’t control all of their actions.
End civil forfeiture- which allows the government to take cash, cars, homes and other property of people suspected of being involved in criminal activity.
- How this would help: Prevents unjust seizing of property when someone can be innocent. To read more about this troubling law, which is alieve and well espcially in Philadelphia go here: http://endforfeiture.com/
Data on police misconduct should be public and easily accessible.
- How this would help: Prevents misformation from getting out.
More protection for whistleblower cops. There was a Baltimore police officer who reported a beating to the prosecutor and was shunned by his department for it.
- How this would help: Protects cops who are doing what they are meant to; protecting and serving the public.
Some form of a racial sensitivity class.
- How this would help: Attempts to diminish and eventually destroy racial profiling.
- How this could not help: cops could see it as an unnecessary and time consuming.
Perpetuate knowledge-make certain that African Americans (and just youth in general) know their rights and how they can make a difference.
- How this would help: A better understanding of one’s rights allows for a smoother operation in the event of a police questioning.
Impower a sense of self worth and pride within African Americans and for white allies to understand the anger in the situation because it is extremely justified.
- How this would help: In a white-powered media outlets African Americans crying for their human rights have become “thugs” and “rioters” and it’s important to shift the public misunderstanding to be in the advantage of those it has thus far disadvantaged.

While the situation in Baltimore is not ideal way to resolve, its utterly understandable how it’s come that, and it’s hard to see that without some kind of dramatic reform, the situation will not improve.

Surprising Punishments

April 26, 2015 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Staff Writer

Corinthia Bell

When there are terrible flaws in living, there must be consequence. Those who have lethal power to use against those who have not, are murders. Moments of time where these things happen is brutal. Of the brutal ways there are much to show to someone. Of those who do such it may seem as if they should be at the age where they are adults or even young adults. But rarely are there of those who are children or teens. Have you’ve ever questioned why these laws are they way they are? In which can be answered upon the government where in some places there too harsh and others not too harsh.

Well, such happened where there was a teen murder. This murder wasn’t just any kind of someone they knew, but the one whom was the closet, in which brought life unto them and they brought death unto, their mother. This first moment took place in Ontario, Canada. It may possibly seem ever so dubious of how such could happen there. For Canada is known for its fresh polite ever so clean freezing friendly people and calm beauty. For the people even say sorry in Mosh Pits. But it had happened and how? you may ask. Well, two girls the ages of 16 and 15, Sandra and Elizabeth Anderson drowned their alcoholic mother. After the murder, it was kept secret for a while, but In 2005, they were separated and sentenced 10 years in prison. However, since they were under-aged at the time Sandra was released to a halfway house in 2009 and Elizabeth was released in 2010. Which is just 4 and 5 years of consequence for the sisters. After they were released, the Canadian government even protected their true identities and they were given new names.

Retribution amongst those who do wrong is to be seen as just. Depending on a crime, one does it to be fairly consequenced. Of the Canadian girls their punishments rather seems little and forgiving. Something that has a great difference among laws is the country that is South of Canada, here America. Once again, two teens have murdered their mean mother. These teens were twins at the age of 16, Tasmiyah and Jasmiyah. This happened in Georgia, where found was their mother, Jarmecca, stabbed and brutally beaten laying in her own pool of blood. After this moment happened, the two were carried with a life sentence without parole. This happened in May, 2010.

As you have read, the laws upon these kind of countries are seen as highly unfair because one case has protected, and given the young more life to live and find themselves, while the other has not. “So, what is the appropriate punishment for minors who murder?”, you may ask. Well, there is no true way of to say how one country is to govern their self, but there is infact say of how one should govern them self for this matter. . In fact based upon these two situations, there should be a least amount of years where minors should be punished, which seems to be fair at the number of 6-7 years and for of most years is seem to be as 10-11 years. In which of these kind of cases are to be given punishment of where the minor should realize their wrongness, and once they have to be able to, then have the opportunity to change, and not be stuck with their mistakes of the past, until they’re helpless or even taken by death.

Junior Prom changes

April 20, 2015 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Angelica Owens

Staff Writer

Over the last few months, the Junior Prom changed locations several times and changed dates as well. It caused a lot of stress to the two main people who were in charge of putting it together, Mr. Bey and Mrs. Martin.

The prom was originally supposed to be April 17th, which was the day before the ACT test. Juniors kept saying they were taking the test so they didn’t want to be tired the next day which is understandable.

To try and solve this problem, they tried to aim to have the prom on April 10th, but the place they wanted to have it at said they had to have it April 11th. Not only that but for the past few years, junior prom has been at Galdo’s restaurant in South Philly. They were double booked for that day so they cancelled on the organizers at the last minute.

Martin and Bey switched the reservation to the Waterfall Room, but they were also double booked that day.

They kept looking around and briefly changed it to the school district building at 440 North Broad Street, but they wanted $5,000. Since the budget was only $3,300, they switched the location to Popi’s italian Restaurant as they still looked around to see if their was anything around their budget.

There was one additional change: with the date change, it also meant switching prom to a Saturday.

“They don’t normally have proms on Saturdays because it is nearly impossible to book a venue on a Saturday for Prom. They would normally have it on a Friday night because Saturdays they like to book Weddings so they can make more money.” said Ms. Martin.

Ms. Martin also stated that their stress level was “Very high. I think in the end it all worked out. I felt like some of the juniors were not as supportive as I thought they would be.”

When I asked Ms. Pahomov what was different about having prom on a saturday, she said that “It was more like an event. It took away early dismissal. The adults gave up a Saturday night for the kids.”

To get a students perspective of the night, I asked Sean Morris what his his opinion of the night.

“Overall I had a very enjoyable time, with maybe a few minor gripes. The biggest of it being the size; I didn’t feel as though there was a lot of room for dancing, which is one of the big points of prom. I felt that the food could have been a little more varied, but understand sacrifices made to appease everyone, and I might have also liked more diversity in the music selection. I did enjoy the availability of Shirley temples, and the location; particularly its closeness to that wonderful diner, it was overall able to bring some very fond memories.”

When I asked Ms. Martin about her plans for junior prom, she said “not have one.” I asked her again to make sure she was serious and she was.

Sophomores be warned!