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First Jefferson Award Ever Presented to Junior

May 23, 2012 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

By Isabela Supovitz-Aznar

Staff Writer

Junior Sam Lovett-Perkins was very surprised and excited to have received the first Jefferson award to be presented to a student at SLA.

The Jefferson Awards were co-founded by former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and U.S. Senator Robert Taft. It is a program that aknowledges the importance of community service in student life, and applauds and awards teens who give back to their community.

The Award was presented during the most recent Junior Assembly by Sophomore Isabela Supovitz-Aznar and Senior Nikhail James, both of whom heped bring the first Jefferson team to SLA.

Lovett-Perkins has participated in multiple service projects through SLA and BuildOn, including an overseas trip to Mali during spring break.

He says the award was definitely unexpected. “I thought Amanda was going to get it,” Sam said, referring to Junior Amanda Millat, who also participates frequently in community service. When they called his name, “I started thinking, oh my God, what if I have to give a speech!”

Mrs. Siswick, SLA’s guidance counselor who helps manage The Jefferson Awards team, helped coordinate the award, along with Urszula Stankiewicz, who works for the program.

“When I was in high school, we did not have any service clubs, service requirements, nor anybody who taught us the importance of service. None of my peers ever talked about volunteering, nor do I think many of them even considered volunteering,” said Stankiewicz. “I only learned how rewarding volunteer work was when I was in college.”

“I cannot explain how thrilled I was to see such a strong culture of service in so many schools. It melted my heart to see so many students truly passionate about giving back, both locally and globally.”

The Junior Assembly also featured special guest Michael Cruz from the School District’s Office of Counseling and Promotion Standards. Michael gave a speech about college life, and what the Juniors could do to prepare for college admissions — including joining the Jefferson program.

We hope to see more students joining Jefferson Awards in the new school year!

Photos by Rebecca Rainis and Isabela Supovitz-Aznar, Written By Isabela Supovitz-Aznar.

Students Dance at Art in the Open

May 23, 2012 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

English and History teacher Joshua Block teamed up with the Leah Stein Dance Company to teach 10th grade students how to interact with their environment in an innovative way ofdancing. Both Iron and Copper streams got to work directly with Leah Stein and three of her dancers. The program included introductory classes about dancing in peculiar environments and creating imaginative mindsets.

Two intensive weeks were spent with Stein learning, developing and creating dance pieces that were apart of the Art in the Open Festival.

Students had a choice to perform dance pieces at different locations the city, unlike previous years, where students were restricted to perform on the Schuykill River, where the bigger part of the festival is held. All performances were no more than a 5 minute walk from the school.

Students performed in alley ways, parking lots, and one group performed in the Mütter Museum garden.

Students who participated in the program experienced a different kind of learning: performing in different parts of the city and gaining a confidence in stage presence. – Deshawn McLeod, Staff Writer

Photos taken by Taylor Thomas, Douglas Herman and Isabela Supovitz-Aznar; Edited by Isabela Supovitz-Aznar

Book Review: The Monstrumologist

May 18, 2012 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

By Alexander Ringgold

A short story behind me finally reading The Monstrumologist, by Rick Yancy.

I was reading another book, which, honestly, was terribly written and seemed rushed and confused. So, my little brother suggested The Monstrumologist, and at first, looking at how thick the book was, and glancing back at the bland pages that sat in my hand, I replied, “No, thanks.” Finally, after I finished the seemingly stack of blank pages called a book and I was so disappointed in humanity that a book could be so transparent, my eyes fell upon The Monstrumologist and I opened it and I read it and, by god, I enjoyed every last word and punctuation.

Before this review, I insist (and now I’m begging) if you like horror books, if you like books, go get this one.

It is literally perfect. (Note. Reviewer’s opinion)

The Monstrumologist is set in two time periods: After William Henry, our main character, dies in 2007, and before he died in 1876. The story is told as an author has found Will Henry’s journals and edited and published them as he reads through the volumes. The diaries start when Will Henry is twelve and in the care of Pellinore Warthrop, as his assistant, due to losing his parents in a house fire. Will Henry is in his care because James Henry, his father, worked under and adored Dr. Warthrop, but Will never knew what the doctor and his father studied or researched. Until now.

I’m proud of myself, that summary could be on the back of the book.

Moving on, The Monstrumologist started off with a poor grave robber, Erasmus Gray, bringing a corpse of a girl with half of her face missing and her throat torn out to the monster hunter and his young assistant. The girl died of natural causes and so did the thing that dug itself into her coffin and choked on her necklace. The monster brought about interest to the doctor and what follows is the most harrowing, dark, gory, but fantastically told story of Will Henry and Dr. Warthrop.

The world of The Monstrumologist is told in a dark and monochrome tone, which isn’t bad because it gives that back-in-the-day feeling; like a long flashback almost. There’s an overlay of mystery behind every line that makes you want to read more; the enigma makes you crave for an explanation, but doesn’t leave you confused just curious.

The interactions between Will and Dr. Warthrop are funny, if not interesting, to a point that neither one of them wants to admit the awkwardness of the situation of them being stuck together. The creepiness and vivid details of the scenes involving the monsters invoke a sense of fear and urgency for the human characters and, even though there is not a character for the reader, you still feel as if you are facing imminent death as well.

The language is of Will Henry’s thoughts, so it is as realistic as it could get. Sometimes you’ll read Will asking questions you yourself may be wondering, or instead of saying he’s scared Will could be thinking of how every shadow jumps at him out the corner of his eye. His thoughts easily transcribe what he’s feeling and how he interacts with his surroundings and situations. I have read many books told from the perspective of a log, or a journal or diary. This one actually feels like a diary, like I am reading the thoughts and experiences of someone who once lived.

Overall, The Monstrumologist is a one-of-a-kind book that I never imagined running into. The only problem I have with the book is that I don’t have the others in the series. A problem some readers may have with the book is the amount of gore that that is described during the monster’s rampage.

Which I could point out how this isn’t a normal monster hunting book where the character is set with an arsenal of weapons and friends and experience. The fact that this fated duo went to hunt monsters puzzled me while reading, the entire time I was fearing the safety of Will Henry and Dr. Winthrop because they were most certainly ordinary people.

But, I highly recommend this book, if blood and guts do not easily turn you off, because there is plenty of that between these pages.

Book Review: The Thin Executioner

May 18, 2012 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

By Alex Ringgold

Darren Shan is an author of three book series and the fact that I happen to pick up one of his books, that is stand-alone, must be a sign. The Thin Executioner started off strong and, though I dislike series books, the only thing I could ask of this book is to not end.

But, that is impossible, so onward to the review.

The Thin Executioner is about a boy named Jebel, who is thin, but wants to precede his father, a famous executioner, by seeking out the Fire God and gaining invincibility. It will be a perilous quest there and he must have a human sacrifice for the god to complete it, so he meets a slave, Tel Hesani, and negotiate Hesani’s life toward the sacrifice for his family’s freedom. Upon agreeing the two set off for the god on the trip (in total being a year) Jebel and Tel Hesani experience the varied, humorous, beautiful, terrible, dark, enlightening world together until, of course, Jebel can come back and become the new executioner.

Phew. So, what drew me to this book was the cover. After opening it, I saw it also had fairly short chapters; so the book was simple yet interesting with its appearance, characters, and plot. However, as I kept reading I noticed that large portions of the day seem to have disappeared.

That’s when I knew: I was reading a good book.

Jebel is rude and intolerable, not like the previously mentioned character Samara, but, like, just a plain asshole. On the other hand, the society he grew up in is to blame; any crime committed in Jebel’s hometown comes with the penalty of death by beheading. Harsh. The villagers are also very pompous and think themselves higher than everyone else. Especially slaves. Leading to Jebel’s hostile remarks and unfriendly attitude toward Tel Hesani.

As the story progresses, however, we see that Tel Hesani is, not only the one person keeping Jebel from an untimely demise, but also an understanding person who in the end changes Jebel for the better.

As the two travel, they meet all types of people and villages, with different religions and beliefs. From peaceful mountain climbers that sacrifice animals to mountain entities to cannibals that believe carving off flesh will free you of your sins.

I am not entirely sure how Shan’s other works read out, but The Thin Executioner is not shy when it comes to the macabre scenes. There are many parts where someone is getting decapitated, killed, mauled, tortured, and or put through a pain so vividly excruciating that you feel it too.

The characters are believable and you may find yourself rooting for them to get through the challenging obstacles they face; there is no black and white. You can’t put any character to the left or to the right in terms of likability, personality, and believability.

Jebel may be the master and Tel Hesani may be the slave, but the two always find some way to express who they really are. Jebel may act tough, and in charge, but sometimes he shows his sensitive side; a side where he feels pressured by his father and the society he grew up in. Tel Hesani is aware that he is in a unfortunate circumstance (stuck with a foul mouth brat), but he shows understanding that Jebel is just a boy and it will take time and patience for him to see the world for what it is. However, Tel Hesani will sometimes lose patience and may become silent or snap until he can gain composure.

I would say the only thing that keeps this book from being tattooed all over my body, would be that it is too predictable in terms of plot and character development. I admit that some things that the two travelers faced was out of the norm and totally surprising, but, I could see exactly how it would end the minute I started reading it (which may irk some readers).

In the end, though, I loved every character that show up in this story, I liked the expected and almost clique ending, and I like how satisfied I was after reading this book.

The Thin Executioner is a very good read for young adults and even teaches readers to come to accept those that are different, which is a very important lesson for young adults these days.

Students Grapple with the Cost of Prom

May 18, 2012 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

By Ayanna Robinson

Staff Writer

It’s that time of year again. The time when teens apply for part time jobs, parents put a second mortgage on their home, and the rest of the household scrimps so that one lucky soul can enjoy one special night: Prom.

The price of one ticket for an SLA prom this year was $21 for juniors and $75 for seniors. This may not seem like much at first glance, but the true cost of prom goes way beyond the tickets.

“I would say that for the ticket and ride alone it would cost me around $120-150 already,” said Senior Uyen Nguyen. “Not including my dress, accessories, and maybe other personal expenses would be about $300, but maybe a little less if I am being smart about my spending.”

From the diverse group of juniors, seniors, and alumni that were polled for this article, the average spending on one prom was $450.

Of course, there are outliers who spend even more. Alumni, Narcissa Haskins, was the highest spender SLAMedia spoke to. “In total, over two years, I probably spent around $1000,” she said.

Thinking back, she realizes that spending this much on prom was not a good investment. “I think many people get caught up in the glam too much for during prom when it is after prom that’s the most exciting.”

But is after prom much cheaper? Juniors Chelsea Smith and Khalil Clark originally planned on renting out a bowling alley as a place to go after prom. “We didn’t find out we had to rent the whole building out until the week before,” explained Khalil. “But they told us it was already too late to book anything.”

A part of the reason for the costs is looking good in front of your peers. Groups compete against each other to have the best date, ride, dress, even tux, for just one night of their lives. This year the competition goes even farther, introducing the first SLA “Prom Court”.

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of the night, but some students sought to actively manage their costs.

“My dress I had from this homecoming last year, so I just stuck with that,” explained Junior Imani Johnson. “It’s only junior prom, and I hate buying dresses I’m only going to wear once. My mom collects shoes so I had these crazy heels , I did my nails myself, and my jewelry was from a set my grandmother gave me.” In total, Imani spent $58 on junior prom.

That frugality is instinct for some, but other are forced to learn how to spend the hard way. “Maybe I spent $500 altogether for junior prom.” Says Senior Courtni Matthews. As for Senior Year, “this year I plan to spend almost nothing.” She laughed at the thought.

It isn’t just the girls who have a hard time with prom expenses. Many boys seek to dress to impress as well, some of them renting imported tuxes that nobody else will have. A one night tux rental can cost over $150 — and while girls may never wear the dresses again, at least they have the option to.

Senior Jesse Weinberg reflected on preparing for his first prom this year. “This is my first prom and I already spent $100” on the tuxedo, he reported. Once he has purchased his ticket and finalizes after prom plans, his costs will go up.

Even if you are careful with your spending, prom costs can add up if you’re attending multiple proms. “Every prom I had a different dress, and heels.” Says Class of 2011 Alum Leeann Nguyen. “I spent around $600 [per prom], which included my hair, nails, accessories, dress and shoes. Is it a good investment, no, college is expensive. But prom is fun.”

Is prom expensive? Definitely. Is it worth the cost? Maybe. Students have to make their own choices based on their financial situations and their priorities.