News

Eric Valenti

A&E Editor

On October 27, 2018, a mass shooting took place at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh. Robert Bowers took the life of eleven individuals and caused commotion and heartache in Pennsylvania, especially in the Jewish community.

SLA’s community has been alarmed by the growing number of shootings and the commotion caused by the Pittsburgh shooting, and the Jewish members of the community had a unique perspective to share a Jewish perspective on the shooting.

Senior Avi Cantor gave his initial reaction as well as his mother’s.

“She just broke down and she said there was a shooting there and I had family there. And she knew that my grandfather’s side of the family is native to Homestead which is close to Pittsburgh and a lot of his friends went to that synagogue. And my mom just broke down and said: I don’t know what happened, I don’t know if anyone got hurt so it was like a crazy experience and for the entire weekend we were focused on it the whole time.”

Avi knew someone who was killed in the shooting and his response to the shooting was more political. He blamed Trump for the lack of gun regulations.

He immediately blamed the fact that the synagogue wasn’t armed and I just thought that if I walked into my synagogue and saw armed guards I would feel intimidated and I would feel I wasn’t somewhere safe. A synagogue is a place with a connection to god.”

Robert Bowers motive was fueled by anti-semitic beliefs and ideals. Though it may not be the first time a shooting has happened this year, it was a shooting that brought everyone’s attention because it was at a synagogue. History teacher, Daniel Symonds, believes that the conversation shouldn’t be about that this was a hate crime but about the aggressive pattern of gun violence.

“The conversation should be about what do we do, not let’s double check if this a hate crime. The notion that this is not a hate crime or not a big deal is a fantasy produced by people who don’t believe in gun violence and don’t care about the victims of gun violence. Show me the person that this is not seeing this as a big issue and I’ll show you a moron.” Symonds stated.

The issue that Symonds believes we as a community should focus on is how to prevent shootings in the United States.

Senior Sara Berg believed maybe shootings may never end.

“There’s still so much hate everywhere, especially on the internet but its more casual. I’m not sure if there is a way to end shootings with our current situation.” Berg stated.

People now have succumbed to the fact that mass shootings are starting to become societal norms. Before the shooting at the tree of life synagogue, people believed that shootings were done by people who didn’t feel accepted in society but now shooters appear to be products of violent media.

“Wild hate mongering media has succeeded and has taken some people’s anger in our society and channeled that anger into vicious old school type fo hates such as anti-semitism. What more profound of America than a mass shooting in a Tree of Life synagogue.” Mr. Symonds stated.

Mass shootings are becoming more prevalent and now people have to endure the harm of antisemitic shooters. Though things may look bleak and there may not be an obvious solution, maybe things in our country can change if more people listen to people like Daniel Symmonds:

“What our society needs is more connection to the community. We need more public education, we need more mental health services, we need gun control and we need certain media regulations.”

Zoe Kwasnicki

Staff Writer

On May 13, 2016, the former Obama administration released a nationwide letter on gender identity providing the following definition of gender, “Gender identity refers to an individual’s internal sense of gender. A person’s gender identity may be different from or the same as the person’s sex assigned at birth.” Definitions of the terms “sex assigned at birth”, “transgender”, “transgender male”, “transgender female”, and “gender transition” were also provided.

This action nationally widened the scope of transgender rights by not only informing the public of the transgender community, but supporting and enforcing their ability to live their lives as their rightful gender. This also included protection against medical discrimination.

The response was mixed, to say the least.

Some praised the legislation, saying it was about time. Others called it “unnatural” and an attack on “the religious liberty, freedom of conscience, and independent medical judgment of health care professionals.”

One of the latter was Roger Severino who worked at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative public policy think tank, and wrote for the Daily Signal, a conjoined conservative news outlet with the Heritage Foundation, and now acts as the Director for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services.

So it is not surprising that a recently leaked memo attacking transgender rights circulated under the guidance of Severino. A stark upheaval of the Obama Administration’s definition, the memo proposes defining gender as “a person’s status as male or female based on immutable biological traits identifiable by or before birth…The sex listed on a person’s birth certificate, as originally issued, shall constitute definitive proof of a person’s sex unless rebutted by reliable genetic evidence.”

While the proposal has not yet passed on the federal level, SLA faculty and students are standing by the trans community with both School Counselor Zoe Siswick and Queer-Straight Alliance Advisor Joshua Block calling the proposal “hateful and unnecessary and not a reliable definition” and “a sad attempt to try and deny how the world really is and how people really are.”

Ms. Siswick does have a somewhat optimistic view on the situation. “I think the great thing is that on the most surface level in terms of here in our building, we will continue to treat our students the way we treat our students right now.”

However, she also admits the mental health of students will definitely be affected: “if someone’s telling you that you’re not who you know you are – that can have real, significant impact on your socio-emotional and also physical health.”

Similar concerns were voiced by Lily Rivera, student leader of the Q.S.A., and Mic Lieberman-Burak, a genderqueer student, who are worried for the health of trans students in SLA who may be unable to receive hormone medication due to discrimination by their physician and/or healthcare provider stating, “For AFAB [Assigned Female At Birth] and AMAB [Assigned Male At Birth] trans people who are far into the process of medically transitioning, this proposed definition does not apply on a physical level. This needs to be acknowledged by medical professionals, in order to provide the most effective healthcare.”

To combat these potential dangers, Mr. Block says the QSA plans to continue to provide educational workshops for teachers and students as well as connecting with other QSAs and LGTBQ+ groups across Philadelphia as well as providing support to those within SLA.

Despite the reassurance of teachers, Rivera expressed concern about what the policy will also mean inside SLA because while SLA may remain a welcoming environment – that does not mean the outside world will.

“SLA students will be angry, and afraid; just as they were when Trump was first elected into office,” she said. “It will definitely change the environment of SLA, for good or for worse, I don’t know yet, and I really don’t hope to get that answer any time soon.”

Amelia Benamara

Staff Writer 

 

For the 2018-2019 school year, SLA accepted 15 transfer students, including individuals from Florida and even from the opposite end of the planet from Italy.

Much like the other applicants, transfer students go through the similar interview process in order to get accepted into the community. Counselor Zoe Siswick explains potential last resorts for some children.

 

“Even after the fall interviews for transfer students, others still reach out which is when we try our best to interview them to see if they’d be a good fit for the spots we have available.”

Since it’s so competitive for students to get into SLA during the regular admissions process, why is SLA willing to accept students at the last minute like this?

Siswick explained that, due to the School District’s budgeting system, schools are required to have a certain number of students in order to keep their budgets and staff levels at the same level when they started the year.

A few weeks into the start of every school year, the School District performs what they call leveling. This process examines the number of students enrolled compared to the number of projected enrollment. The outcomes can include a number of students taken away or even at times added to the school.

SLA is always looking to keep the student population right around 500 students. Generally, 95% to 97% of the students who start at SLA, finish at SLA. That percentage has stayed consistent for many years.

SLA will be relocating in the next 2019 school year to The Ben Franklin High School Campus, Spring Garden which raised questions of whether or not the move will affect the number of students enrolled in the future.

“We also base our transfers on open spaces. Given the positive energy around the move, I don’t think it is going to cause much mobility in our student body, so I anticipate that we’ll have a similar number of transfers as previous years,” Chris Lehmann expands on his thoughts.

When students leave and aren’t replaced, that does affect SLA’s budget — which is the “leveling” process that was written about in the Philadelphia Inquirer. SLA is subjected to the same leveling budget process as every other school. It is good for the school to keep their numbers at the budgeted amount, but that’s not the only reason transfers are taken.

Senior Lauren Nicolella noticed an abnormal amount of disappearances with students who I used to always have classes with.

“This past week, September the 26th, the senior breakfast event was held where many students mentioned a few friends who no longer go here, it was a very emotional moment for the grade as a whole,” Nicolella expressed.

When asked about the reasoning behind this, Nicolella mentioned expulsion as well as students having to relocate for personal reasons. This gives SLA, and many other schools, several open spots to fill in every year.

Most transfers come to SLA becuase of personal relocation reasonings such as Junior Faryn Heffner who transferred from her former high school Pinellas Park high school in St. Petersburg, Florida.

“Transfering for the first time is my most changing event, although, I did not choose SLA. My mom was looking for a good school to send me to. My mom discovered SLA by looking at schools based on their performance and behavior,” Heffner indicated.

However, Principal Lehmann reminds the community of the real importance of welcoming transfers no matter how much the number differs yearly.

“The most important reason is that we get emails and calls all the time about kids who are interested in the kind of education we provide at SLA, and when we have space and can accommodate a student, I think it’s important that we do so.”

The students who have had the most profound experience at our school are often kids who started at a different high school and came to SLA. Their experiences can be invaluable to the community because they are able to frame their experience at SLA through a different lens.

Jayla Wright

Copy Editor

Picture this, it’s 8:15 in the morning. If you were to spare a glance towards the front doors of SLA you would see students running towards the entrance in an attempt to get their ID signed in. Some students can also be found casually walking in, appearing as if they couldn’t care less if they were late. Or in other cases, students can be observed glancing at the time on their phone then walking to either Arch Gourmet or Dunkin’ Donuts before signing in with the idea of if they’re not going to show up on time they might as well get food first.

This is what the morning rush at SLA looks like.

The lateness policy at SLA allows students to have at least four latenesses before they have to serve a detention.

Most students have dealt with lateness at least once. When asked, both students and staff named  SEPTA delays as the most common reason for their lateness. As well as that, sleeping in, family members attempting to leave home at the same time, and other general inconveniences were shared.

Senior Salsabeel Elbakhadaoui, who experienced an abundance of latenesses in her previous years at SLA, explained her feelings on being late to class, “I felt like I was missing stuff in class. Because missing one thing in high school means that you’re missing a lot, it’s like missing building blocks.”

However, when it starts getting close to the time class starts, Elbakhadaoui isn’t one to start running

“If it says that it’s 8:15 already, I mean I’m not going to take my time time cause I don’t wanna miss class but I’m gonna take my time like I’m not gonna run outta breath.”

This sentiment isn’t uncommon among students. Every day, there are students like Elbakhadaoui who casually walk in when they’re threatened by being late. However, there are also students who get frustrated when the reason for their lateness is out of their hands

One of those students is senior Israt Jahan, who has ideas on how SEPTA can change to prevent lateness.

“I think what SEPTA should do is wait in the station for at least two minutes.” Stated Jahan, who takes the trolley to 22nd Street. “They literally wait in the station for thirty seconds. I don’t even get down the stairs. Like I’m on the escalator going ‘oh my god the train is there’ then it’ll leave.” Jahan continued, “and I want more trains.”

So do students really care about being late?

“I think some of them do,” Said School Secretary Ms. Diane. “Because they’re calling and saying they’re stuck on a train or there’s a problem with Septa. I do believe that there is a majority of students that do care when they’re late.”

Senior advisor and teacher Mr. Enzweiller also found that students cared. However, he disagreed with enforcing the lateness policy in advisory.

“No, I’m planning to change it.” Stated Mr. Enzweiller. “I’m getting more kids showing up late, lately. Senioritis is starting to kick in.”

Ms. Diane went on to explain that the issue wasn’t just late students, but chronically late students.

“Sometimes it is unavoidable to be late. I have been late myself. But students that have chronic lateness it makes a lot of work, not only for me but for the advisors and for first period teachers. So if they could just try to be a lot more conscientious about getting to it would be a lot better for everybody.”

Ms. Diane explained that the easiest way to prevent lateness is to change your routine. “Things happen, we understand that, but I know if it would have been something that would’ve occurred a lot then I would have to make sure that got on the earlier bus to make sure that I won’t be late and be in that predicament a lot.”

Matthew Milligan

Staff Writer

Art Teacher and Technology Coordinator Marcie Hull has remained a stable pillar in the SLA Center City community since its beginnings. This year, however, will be her last at the Center City Campus.

Why is she leaving? Currently, she has a lot of responsibilities within her positions at the school, and wanted things to be less complicated professionally.

“The easy answer is I’m simplifying my life. There’s a lot that goes on here, we built an awesome thing and now that I’m getting my EDD [a doctorate on policy and administration] over at West Chester, I need to simplify stuff a little bit and have one job at my job.”

However, she’ll be staying within the school family. As of next year, Ms. Hull will teach Art at the SLA Middle School in West Philadelphia.

Part of why Ms. Hull is making more time for her graduate studies is because she hopes to make more schools like SLA.

“My real hope and one of the reasons that I’m getting my doctoral work done is to make more schools like this in Philly, where kids have a chance to be who they are and get what they need out of the school instead of being told what to do and being pushed through a system.”

Ms. Hull feels as though she has created the layout for how technology is integrated into SLA Center City, and that it is now time to allow someone else to build off of her work.

“There’s a lot of back-end work that goes into making sure that everything that plugs into the building is up and running,” she explained.

“Every time you guys walk into the building, and 12 years of doing that I’ve set up the systems and structures in such a way that it’s now time to pass that torch.”

While she may be ready to leave the operational parts of her job behind, Ms. Hull will sincerely miss her students and colleagues.

“I think the thing that makes it difficult though is that I really love my colleagues and I really love the students here, like we all take care of each other, and it’s going to be hard to leave. It will be like leaving home.”

The feeling is mutual for other members within the community. Junior Ethan Larrabee, one her art students, is sad to see Ms. Hull go.

“Aside from her teaching style, she relates to the students a lot more than most teachers and is definitely just a good person to talk to about kind of anything. She’s fun as well.”

What stuck out to Larrabee about Ms. Hull was her unique teaching style. Her approach to teaching art clicked well with Larrabee.

“She’s kind of lenient with what you hand in for an assignment. She’s really kind of hands off and sort of lets you do your own thing and I think . . . for an art class since self expression is so important being hands off is the better way to go.”

In addition, her empathy towards the differing situations that students had was a key part of what made her so likeable to Larrabee.

“ . . . I personally have issues with getting work in on time as a result of various learning disability type stuff, and she was really accommodating about that sort of thing. I think she really gets mental illness,” Larrabee explained.

Principal Chris Lehmann, who has been working with Ms. Hull since the founding of SLA, will miss her dearly as well.

“On a personal level Ms. Hull is one of the founding teachers of the school and someone who I really love working with on a day to day basis, so I’m gonna miss having her here . . . She is a dear friend in addition to a colleague. She’s one of the biggest personalities we have on campus.”

Although it is sad that Ms. Hull is leaving, her departure does come with a  silver lining. For one, Mr. Lehmann believes that Ms. Hull will be a valuable asset to the SLA Middle School.

“I also think for SLA middle school to get someone who has such a deep understanding of and development of the SLA model is such a wonderful thing for SLA middle school, so I think it’s a really good thing for the SLA family of schools.”

In addition, Mr. Lehmann is excited to see what her successor, Ms. Alvarez, will bring to the school, as she takes on both the roles of Art Teacher and Technology Coordinator.

“She comes with a wonderful variety of experiences from high school teaching to university teaching . . . She brings an artistic background, she brings a design background, she brings a tech background, so I think all of that is really exciting . . . She’s gonna reimagine that role in ways that allow us to grow.”

“It is ok to both be sad to lose such a stalwart member of our community while excited to see what the new person brings . . . Communities continue to grow and evolve, and you can miss the people that aren’t with you everyday anymore while also being excited for the people who are,” Mr. Lehmann added.

Though Ms. Hull is physically leaving SLA Center City, she still plans on having a presence in the school.

“I’m not going anywhere. I plan to keep my email address, I know people will probably ping me when they need help. And just because of the nature of my job I’m in everything, so it’s gonna take a good year for me to fully step out of the position, and I’ll probably be sending people different documents and helping with some tech stuff here and there, but I’m never gonna truly be gone.”

According to Mr. Lehmann, Ms. Hull will continue to have a standing not only with SLA Center City, but with the entire school of SLA families, both current and future.

“She’s gonna continue to have a hand in the sort of big thinking around the way all of the SLA schools think about technology. She’s not going away . . . And I think for kids who might wanna do their ILP in the art program at SLA middle school we’ve got a natural connection.”

Though Ms. Hull is leaving the SLA Center City campus, she remains touched by the impact it had on her.

“I guess my favorite thing is that this school realized a childhood feeling in me. I went to a school where it was like a family, and you just felt at home in the building, and I didn’t ever think that I would ever feel that way again,” she said.

“I think that is one of my favorite things that really fulfills an innate part of just being a human being where you have community and people. I never thought that that would happen again and it happened in this school.”