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Types of Universities and Colleges

May 13, 2019 by Avi Cantor Leave a Comment

Brendan Hall

Staff Writer

High schoolers around the country get the same message starting freshman year: the paths they choose after they graduate are crucial The seniors at SLA are no exception and prepare to make a life-defining commitment to a post-graduate program.

Aside from programs, location, and cost another important part of making the college decision is the type of college/university to attend. Varieties of these include private colleges, public colleges, trade schools, or community college. Knowing how to decipher between these types for the best possible result may be more difficult than it appears due to the benefits and shortcomings of each type of schools.

As a citywide admissions school, SLA prides itself on helping students get into elite schools with competitive admissions. But does this focus overlook the value of less prestigious, but more affordable schools?

“SLA college counselors and other teachers recommended me liberal arts school and I think that’s because a liberal arts school is most similar to SLA,” Senior Messele Asfaw said in response to what types of post high school education SLA recommended.

Asfaw furthered this claim by saying he believes those who chose a liberal arts school did it because they wanted a similar learning environment to SLA. In a follow up he believed that a problem could occur from a formulaic recommendation.

“There’s a stigma against community college that certain students and faculty members have against it despite that option being a reasonable choice for certain people,” Asfaw critiqued about the college counseling students receive. In the end, Asfaw decided to attend Stony Brook because the engineering and film program.

Another student confirmed Asfaw’s perception.

“In general I think SLA gives recommendations based on types of schools that resemble [where the teachers went],” Majd Bostani stated. Bostani believes they do this to inform students about an opportunity to learn in a manner that replicates project-based material. However he also expressed there was an inconvenience with this method because they tend to favor institutions which mirror SLA’s style.

“A student looking for guidance would likely find conflict with the type of schools recommended because it’s rare for them to recommend schools outside of a university,” Bostani claimed.

“I knew where I wanted to go based on my own research and parental guidance,” Sean DeSilva explained. DeSilva progressed his statement and said this tactic allowed to look aside from educational institutions which mirrored SLA’s ideals. DeSilva furthered this implying SLA had bias towards certain types of colleges.

“I think that looking over community colleges could potentially waste a reliable option due to the stigma around it,” DeSilva stated. In the end, DeSilva decided to attend LaSalle.

Another anonymous student described a past incident where her brother had an unpleasant confrontation about his choice to attend Community College of Philadelphia. This incident lead to her deciding to not ask the college counselor for guidance because of how attending community college was taboo for her brother.

Some seniors at SLA believe Community College is looked down upon by faculty members, and even their own peers. This could result in a lack of motivation for students who know they cannot attend a university due to cost or other factors.

“My job is to let students know about a wide range of schools,” Mrs. Hirschfield the college counselor asserted. She also explained that despite the stigma against community college a significant portion of SLA students have attended each of the past 4 years (10%).

“I think that there is a stigma, but I don’t think it’s exclusive to SLA,” she stated. This point was proceeded with her opinion, which is people do this because selective schools are valued more in a professional setting. For instance a Bachelor’s degree is more prestigious than an associate’s degree, but applicants overlook the option of transferring to a university.

Furthermore, she stated this stigma could result in a negative college experience for future students due to chasing prestigious validations. Hirschfield denounced the practice of automatically overlooking community options.

“If a student said they wanted to go to CCP I’d support the choice, it’s just I want students to be aware of all their options…maybe that’s where the misunderstanding comes from,” she addressed when asked about a student not coming to college counseling.

Through these interviews it was apparent SLA had a miscommunication with the types of colleges recommended. This misunderstanding stems from the difficult of balancing practical options and not wanting to sell students short of their potential.

Photo courtesy of Freepix.com

2019 Met Gala

May 13, 2019 by Amelia Benamara Leave a Comment

Staff Writer

Lauren Nicolella

I’m a simple person, I hear Harry Styles and my attention is instantly grabbed. For months, I have been highly anticipating this moment since I missed seeing Harry’s majestic Gucci suits from his 2018 tour.

I do not know a lot about the famous designers that attend and dress celebrities, but I do love that each of them has their own approach to the themes that happen each year. This year’s theme was Camp: Notes on Fashion, which is a very theatrical and glamorous that allows individuals to express what they want in any way they want. From what I understand, Camp can be interpreted in many different ways, with extravagant colors and large body pieces that essentially capture the theme.

Many months ago it was released that Lady Gaga, Serena Williams, Anna Wintour, and Harry Styles would be the larger names co-hosting the event. With them being some of the biggest names of the night, they were the ones who I was looking forward to the most.

Needless to say, Lady Gaga blew my mind. With being the first to attend, her grand entrance set the standards for what to expect on the pink carpet for the rest of the night. Her hot pink parachute dress was revealed into three other looks, with quick prop additions to showcase her team, Haus of Gaga. The extended metal-looking eyelashes exaggerated her theatrical poses and facial expressions, giving an Effie Trinket from the Hunger Games vibe.

Harry Styles has become idolized by fashion fans because of his love for custom Gucci suits, but this was not all glitz and glam that everyone was expecting. He arrived with Alessandro Michele, who was in a stunning pink bow outfit that shimmered from the paparazzi camera flashes. Styles was in a black sheer one piece that showcased his sleeve of tattoos and a delicate pearl earring dangled from his right ear. It was more simple, but it was interesting to see his personal take on the theme since he was held at such a high standard. I personally wish it was more over the top since I had based my expectations off his looks from his tour.

The entire night I was waiting for Zendaya because every single year she has shown up in iconic outfits that make me pay more attention to her style and what she decides to do. I never would have expected her to show up dressed as a modern Cinderella, which definitely is defining the theme of Camp. When the dress started lighting up in that famous light blue, I gasped so loud that technology has advanced to make an entire dress move and expand. This was the time to be extra!

When learning about Camp, I noticed that drag queens and ball culture are the underlying elements that influenced this theme, but the queens that attended did not go all out as I expected. Their makeup was beautiful of course, but I wish the dresses were more over the top like when they’re competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Someone who did shock me was Ezra Miller. His face makeup was so beautifully scary, taking extra to a whole new level that perfectly embodied what it meant to be camp and deliver it in a special way.

I’m glad that I was interested in watching this year’s Met Gala because it was truly a weird one. It’s helped me see what can be done in fashion and how personal style can be taken up a notch than what people are used to seeing at an event.

The First Two Years of High School

May 13, 2019 by Amelia Benamara Leave a Comment

Staff Writer

Lily Bromley

This school year is officially almost over! And when it is done, I will be halfway finished with high school. The first two years of high school are portrayed as the time when you find your place in high school, determine who your true friends are, and to overall find out who you are going to be in for the next two years. I have learned a lot over these two years and I think I can genuinely say that I have grown as a person during this time.

There is a lot of misinformation when it comes to high school and if it isn’t misinformation, then it just doesn’t apply to SLA. The idea of jocks, mean girls, bullies stealing lunch money, haven’t applied to any of my experiences in high school so far. Of course, it hasn’t all been perfect. There are mean people and bad situations just like anything else, but overall I think that high school has been a lot more positive then usually depicted.

I would like to pass on my extensive knowledge of life as an underclassman, maybe you can navigate these two years a little bit better.

In terms of portrayal, I think that movies and TV shows do freshman year best. In the first couple of weeks of my first year of high school, my classmates and I had to deal with some harsh words from the older kids. I remember walking down the hallways while students loudly exclaimed: “I Hate Freshmen!” Granted, this only lasted for a couple of weeks, but while it happened it really sucked. Of course, as a sophomore, I allowed myself a couple “I Hate Freshmen” at the beginning of the year (It’s kind of a right of passage in my opinion). My advice would be to take your time. If your confused about what band it is or what room your next class is in, move to the non-locker side of the hallway and figure it out. Most people would be happy to help you, so don’t be afraid to ask. What makes everything worse is when people stand directly in the middle of the hallway, turning in circles or yelling for their friends, so to keep the freshman-shaming to a minimum, try to avoid this.

Another big concern in Freshman year is friends. For me, the group of people that I hung out with at school drastically changed over the year. In the beginning, I think that everyone is just looking for someone friendly to talk too. Once the stream started to get to know each other better, people were able to make friends that they had things in common with. My main piece of advice is to be friendly to everyone! It’s not a good idea to start any drama in the first couple of weeks, especially since you are going to have to be around the same group of people for the rest of the year!

When it comes to sophomore year, it can seem like everyone is really set in the status quo. People have made their friendships and might be wary to meet and talk to new people. My biggest piece of advice is to continue talking to new people, it’s not uncommon for your friend groups to shift in high school, especially when you start having classes with people you may have never even had a conversation with.

My advice for anyone about to tackle their first two years of high school is to enjoy themselves. Freshmen year is about having fun and finding your footing in your new environment. Sophomore year is the first year that you feel comfortable with your place.

Overall, high school is hard and sometimes it can seem like it will never end. Being halfway there makes me feel conflicted, on one hand, I’m excited to be an upperclassman, but on the other, I’m sad to leave my underclassman years behind me.

Is CCP a legitimate option for students who are serious about their education?

March 22, 2019 by Avi Cantor Leave a Comment

Lauren Nicolella and Avi Cantor

Staff Writers

Photo Courtesy of Community College of Philadelphia

At the beginning of senior year, my mom and I met with college counselor Karina Hirschfield. The focal point of the meeting was to figure out what kind of college would be the best fit for me.

By the end of the meeting, Hirschfield gave me a list of small, expensive liberal arts colleges, all of which were in small suburbs or rural outskirts of the bustling city.

Exempt from that list was the Community College of Philadelphia. At first thought, CCP may not seem like a considerable option for those who are serious about their education. There is no minimum GPA for admittance and you may not even need a high school diploma to go there.

But as colleges and universities get more and more expensive, CCP’s reputation is starting to improve. One student who’s going to CCP is senior Lauren Nicolella. Her story is below:

Last year I made the decision that I would attend community college instead of a traditional four-year school. As I have progressed through high school, I’ve been torn about this new chapter of my life.

But after speaking to more adults about the college process and my future plans, I have been pleasantly surprised by their optimism.

I’ve been told personal stories about relatives and friends who have chosen the same path and ended up at a university that didn’t cost them nearly as much as it would have.

However, the stigma surrounding who goes to community college and who doesn’t still haunts me.

Throughout the past year, I’ve noticed the lack of work ethic, participation, and determination from the underclassmen. I’ve observed sophomores and juniors constantly letting their assignments and grades fall by the wayside.

To add insult to injury, the students who are exhibiting these traits are saying that they’ll just fail and go to CCP. This outlook really pains me.

During junior year, I worked hard no matter where I was going to go. I dealt with the loss of a family member throughout the year, but my grades always turned out good despite the issues I was facing.

I soon grew to realize that attending community college would be a great starting opportunity, and it should not be something to take for granted or be talked down about. I’m not completely sure of what I want to major in, but CCP is giving me a less stressful opportunity by providing the necessary classes I’d have to take at a four-year college. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it this way.

There are people who constantly bash community college, claiming that it is for “dumb” people, yet it’s starting to be recognized as a viable option for education. Given the state of America’s student loan debt sitting in the trillions, I’m trying to be as financially responsible as possible while also receiving a quality education.

I’m hoping the best for these upcoming students because I hope they realize that they won’t have the help from their senior assistant teachers to check them back into reality. I want them to be able to go to their desired college, and not freak out during senior year when they reflect on their poor work ethic.

I want people to see CCP as a financially feasible option for people who want to find themselves. The stigma is actively changing, and it should be an option talked about more in high schools as students are going through the application process. In the end, it’s my money and my life that I’m choosing for and it’s not fair to be judged based on those decisions.

What’s it Like Volunteering for the HRC Gala?

March 21, 2019 by Sanaa Scott-Wheeler Leave a Comment

Staff writer Juliana Long. Flashes of brightly colored gowns and sleek embroidered suit jackets zipped by me every which way. People chattered and cackled loudly over glasses of fizzling champagne. Smiles were shining wide everywhere. This was just one of the whirlwind snapshots I found myself in at the Human Rights Campaign’s annual gala.

One very special night a year, members of the LGBTQ+ community and its allies alike from all over the country gather at a hotel in Philadelphia — this year, at the Philadelphia Hotel, to celebrate one another’s identities, differences, and perseverance.

The HRC gala consists of a dinner and silent auction to celebrate that year’s success for the HRC. The Human Rights Campaign is a nonprofit organization that supports and fights for the LGBTQ+ community within the US.

Attendance at the gala starts at $150, so how did I manage to get in? Through SLA’s Community Involvement Club.

The gala relies heavily on volunteers, and our duties are very hands-on. Straight off the bat, volunteers are thrown in with the guests and we are the first smiling faces they see.

My friends and I from CIC started off our night by working registration. We signed guests into the event, provide them with their VIP wristbands & other perks, and send them off to enjoy their night. This job was heaps of fun – every guest is warm and wholesome. We met people of every variety — drag queens in full costume, young lesbians clutching one another’s hands, and even a sweet elderly gay man who asked me to pin a tiny rainbow flag to his suit jacket. We also met some guests who had great senses of humor; my friend Maren Lamb met a guest with the same last name and the two of them shared a cute moment — to which his plus one responded: “This always happens when Lambs meet each other!”

After a few hours of work, The HRC provided us with an amazing dinner and dessert in our volunteer break room (mostly carbs, to keep us on our feet the rest of the night) during a break in our volunteer duties. This break served as a time for all volunteers from different organizations to regroup and get to know one another a little more. There was even an SLA alumn who we got to chat with briefly.

We were also permitted to stand near the lights and inside the guests’ dinner to watch some of the speakers, such as politicians and comedians. We all felt pretty special knowing that these guests had paid hundreds of dollars to see these speakers and all we had to do was sign up on an online volunteer form. The room, full of incredibly important politicians, activists, performers, etc., had a seriously magical feeling inside of it. The strength and perseverance inside all of the guests truly radiated off of them.

As the guests’ dinner came to a close, it was back to work for volunteers helping with the silent auction. The items up for auction were adorable: rainbow dog harnesses, Freddie Mercury enamel pins, Call Me by Your Name themed movie night kits — the works. Additionally, every item came with a bottle of pride-themed vodka courtesy of Smirnoff. I hope that the guests didn’t notice how jealous I was as I retrieved their packages and passed them over.

Chatting with the now buzzed guests was just as if not more fun than earlier in the night before the dinner had started. They were even sillier and sweeter than when we had first met them. We bid them all a good night as they stumbled out of the hotel with their auction prizes tucked under their arms.

Throughout the night, gratitude towards volunteers never fluctuated. If there’s anything the HRC was able to nail apart from hosting a successful event, it was showing volunteers appreciation. The HRC showed support to absolutely everyone — volunteers and guests alike. Whether it be refraining from asking for ID’s for people whose identities don’t match their legal identification or ensuring that everyone arrives comfortably with who they love, wearing what they love — the HRC never falters in supporting the LGBTQ+ community that it fights for in a non-performative way. As members of CIC, my team and I know what it’s like to volunteer and feel unappreciated and unsupported, so the way that the HRC treated us meant a lot to us.

Upon leaving, we were showered with hugs and free HRC merchandise. We left lighter than we had arrived, like we had grown wings just by being in the presence of such warm people. It may sound dramatic, but it’s the only way to describe the feeling inside of us as we left the hotel, promising to return next year.