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SLA Girls Basketball Has a Bright Future Despite Loss

February 15, 2016 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

On Friday, Jan 8th the SLA Girls Basketball team took on a Philadelphia school district rival in Central High School. The game ending in a crushing defeat where the SLA girls were only able to put up 25 points.

The girls had optimism going into the game despite the absence of their captain and starting point guard Allison Kelly. Freshman, Stephanie Deangelis, took Kelly’s place and put on quite a show.

It was evident from the start of the game that despite her rookie status Deangelis was immediately considered the anchor of the team. Even veteran and Senior Bella Beato had complete trust in her when swarmed by a Central defense. Despite the loss Millwood still had optimism for her team moving forward.

“[The game] was okay, we just have to move the ball better and get less turovers.” Deangelis said.

The game was also Deangelis’s first as a starting point guard with Kelly an absentee. With Kelly graduating this year it was a hopeful sign that Millwood was able to fill her shoes in such a manner.

There are always improvements to be made and Stephanie Deangelis knows that. After the game she was ready to critique her own performance as well.

“I though [my performance] was pretty good, there were some shots that I could work on. It was a different experience [leading the team without Kelly].” Deangelis said.

Hopefully SLA Girls basketball will continue to improve as it has been a bright spot in SLA sports in the past.

Combatting Stress at SLA

October 5, 2015 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Arielle Moore

Staff Writer

It’s one-thirty in the morning and you’re still up writing that essay for your History class, but the time doesn’t even phase you. Aah, good ol’ benchmark season and your teachers were not the slightest bit generous this year. Ever since school began, you’ve been moody, tired, antisocial, and irritable. These are symptoms of stress; the one word that affects us high-schoolers the most.

But why is that? What causes all of this stress in teens?

“Receiving school work I don’t know how to complete even after asking the teacher about it causes me stress,” says sophomore Siani Davis. “It affects my attitude towards my friends and generally how I feel throughout the day.”

At SLA, stress also has a four year course. Many upperclassmen say that their stress comes from more specific areas, such as standards and college applications. “Tests stress me out the most,” agrees junior Vaughn Matthews.

A universal stress factor among students of all grades is the amount of schoolwork they receive. SLA mentor and advisor Zoe Siswick says: “Students have a high level of stress at times, but in some sense it’s also kind of stress free. They don’t have a ton of responsibilities outside of making sure you’re getting your schoolwork done. The amounts of stress in students sort of ebb and flow depending on the time of year.”

So from hearing all that, you’re probably wondering how you can get rid of this wretched stress immediately. Well, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that while you’re in high school, the chances of you completely obliterating the stress you feel are slim to none. The good news is that there are some easy and quite effective ways to relieve it. After doing some research, I’ve found some ways to lower your stress levels and help you to breathe a bit easier, even with a huge speech due tomorrow.

Sleep

Yes, another S word, and one that seems even scarier than ‘stress’. To this day, most high-schoolers don’t even know how to successfully get a full eight-hours; it’s usually a five-hour rest with a series of broken up three-hour after school crashes on the couch. We’ve all been there, having our sleep schedule being brutally slaughtered during the summer and having no way to resurrect it once school starts. It’s a struggle to try and fall asleep (and stay asleep) but I urge you, please do it! Sleeping is vital to your health, and it also makes you feel great when you do. Try turning off your phone fifteen or so minutes before bed, to ease the temptation to use it later on. It really does help and the final result is incredibly rewarding, trust me.

Diet

I know, I know, another opportunity for me to sound like your doctor. “A healthy diet and excercise…”. Bleh. I would totally eat a bag of pretzels over an orange any day for a snack. And honey, do it! Don’t skip that 6-pack of oreos to scarf down a head of lettuce. But make sure you’re lessening the amounts of unhealthy foods you eat, and increasing the amounts of healthy ones. Also, make sure you eat a filling breakfast. Eating in the morning, like so many people, makes me feel sick but I have to at least have a banana or a granola bar to start my day. It’s so helpful and it makes you feel great later on, it also keeps your stomach from doing the rumblies before you realize you have late lunch that day.

Manage

Organization is key to having a cleanly and neat life. Managing your time, working space, and even supplies will help you feel more on top of things. I know when everything is in its place I feel a sense of calmness even in a chaotic situation. Keeping a planner is a great way to remember what you have to do and it helps to distribute your time thoroughly for each assignment that you’re required to do.

Fun!

Maintaining a healthy social life is a great way to A. remain sane, and B. enjoy your teen years! I know being social isn’t for everybody (I didn’t forget you, introverts) but you should make sure that you are constantly making time for fun in your life. Like what I’ve said for many of the items on this list, they definitely aren’t easy to do, but they are very worth it. Got a big test coming up? Of course study and make sure you fully understand the material, but don’t let it consume you! Watch a movie, draw; do something that’s therapeutic to you at least once a week.

Stress is a huge part of your high school years, but it’s up to you to determine how it will affect you. Yes, you may have one week to turn a C into a B, but don’t let that be something that you lose sleep over. Understand that school is a very important part of your life and future, but keep in mind that your health is something you should value a lot more. So remember, turn off Instagram a few minutes earlier tonight, drink a few more cups of water, hang out with some friends this weekend, and j u s t b r e a t h e.

Image courtesy of This website

The Chromebooks are Coming!

February 6, 2014 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

The Chromebooks are Coming!

by Jesse Shuter and Zoe Schwingel-Sauer

Staff Writers

Photo Courtesy of http://www.inferse.com/11164/dell-joins-world-chromebooks/

On thursday, January 23, 2014, Science Leadership Academy (SLA) along with partners from the Franklin Institute and Dell officially announced a partnership for both computers and learning.

The arrangement will provide the incoming Science Leadership Academy students along with the current ninth grade students, the new Chromebook 11. These are not only a brand-new model of Chromebook, but they are the first Chromebook to be made by the Dell company.

The grant provides 620,000 dollars to SLA from Dell to be used to buy the new machines for these students, but also create what will be called the Center of Excellence for Learning. This new center will be used to showcase the innovative use of technology in the classroom, as well as help other schools follow in SLA’s footsteps.

Science Leadership Academy Principal Chris Lehmann, described the concept of the center as “an everyday Educon.” Educon is an event held each year at SLA where teachers and school officials from all over the world come to SLA to learn about the school’s innovative style of learning. They also come to take lessons from SLA back to their schools so that they can keep growing as a place of learning.

Lehmann said the goal for the Center of Excellence was to “create an environment where the learning is transparent.” Essentially, educators come to SLA to learn the style of learning, and take back the lessons and integrate the ideas into their own teachings, in a new way.

Lehmann also emphasized that the goal for the center was, “Not so [educators] can go back and do exactly what we do, but to take the lessons that we have learned, and make them their own.”

At the official announcement speeches were given by Principal Chris Lehmann, Congressman Chaka Fattah, Dr. William Hite of the Philadelphia School District, Dell Representatives Jon Phillips and Deb Bauer, and finally Franklin Institute CEO Dennis Wint.

All speakers emphasized the importance of this new partnership for education purposes.

Teachers are excited about the change, and are also relieved about the transition.

English and Drama Teacher Matthew Kay said, “Fundraising for laptops each year was an incredible burden for the school each year so the fact that Dell stepped up with this arrangement was a real life saver”

Freshmen do not feel the same way. Most Freshmen that were interviewed expressed worry about the Chromebooks’ lack of features.

When asked if he was excited about the new laptops, freshman Declin Zisser said, “No, Chromebooks are awful. They have nowhere to put disks in and you can’t download anything.”

While some freshmen feel this way, most people at SLA are embracing the change and looking forward to the new laptops.

The Laptops are going to be distributed on February 6th, 2014. It remains to be seen how the freshmen will adjust to the new laptops.

Jovan Lewis Show Preps for Premiere

January 18, 2013 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

By Abe Musselman

Staff Writer

Junior Jovan Lewis is hard to miss. At six feet, four inches, he’s the kind of guy who has to duck to avoid low doorways. Jovan is a model student and can often be seen hanging out in the SLA library, but most people don’t know that he also has a deep love of comedy and sees it as the most important thing he has to offer.

Screen Shot 2013-01-18 at 11.25.45 AM — Host Jovan Lewis

“I’ll tell people jokes to make them laugh when they’re feeling upset,” he said with a smile during our interview.

Jovan just likes to cheer people up with a little laughter, which is exactly what he hopes to do with his newest project, The Jovan Lewis Show. He describes the program as a comedy talk show that is part reality, part fantasy.

Along with his co-creator and cameraman Pierce Meier, Jovan has a unique vision for his new show. “It’s not going to be super-professional. Most of the comedy will be improv.” He added, “I seem the funniest when I’m not actually trying to be funny.”

The show will feature guests from SLA who will interact with the cast, some of whom play fictional versions of themselves. Other members of the show will include characters that Jovan dreamed up with his production crew, including an obnoxious stagehand and a racially insensitive high school student.

The creators plan to tape a live showing every other week using the video production equipment from Mr. Herman’s Digital Video class, then release the recording the following Friday. Each episode of the show will then be edited using FinalCut and posted online in the tradition of other student projects such as Senior Stephen Holts’s The High School Office and Senior Dylan Cordivari’s Dylan’s Dumpster.

Jovan has high hopes that his show will become a success among SLA students, and that he will be able to continue during his senior year. He dreams of becoming a filmmaker after high school, and sees this project as a chance to learn the basics and sharpen his skills before college.

More than anything, Jovan just wants to have fun doing something that he enjoys. He’s not giving too much away for now, but you can catch the first live performance this Friday January 17th in the Drama Studio after school.

With its unique blend of strange characters and relevant discussion topics, The Jovan Lewis Show is giving SLA students one more reason to pay attention to one of our most unique personalities.

An A&E Year in Review

December 31, 2012 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

At the end of this year, the SLAMedia Staff took a minute to look back at what we had seen, heard, and enjoyed in 2012. Here are our reviews of the best in Arts & Entertainment from the last year.

Movie: Moonrise Kingdom

This summer, another one of Wes Anderson’s dandy films came out, Moonrise Kingdom. I went to see it in movie theaters in July, and it’s safe to say I was impressed. This movie is about two 12-year olds living on a small island in New England. They meet by chance and take a liking to each other, and through a series of letters the two plan to run away. This is a story of love, rebellion, and friendship. For a very long time, I never knew what to say when people asked me what my favorite movie was. Now the answer is clear: Moonrise Kingdom. I would strongly recommend this deep and incredible movie for everyone. Check out the website here.

~Nomi Martin- Brouillette

Restaurant: Honest Tom’s Taco Shop

On 261 S 44th St in University City, there is a small mexican food place called Honest Toms. I went there and ordered the tacos, which were really good. The selection on the menu only consisted of burritos and tacos, but it’s a good meal at any time of the day. The vibe in the little place is nice with mexican candles and skeletons around the place. It’s a friendly environment and all of the workers are nice. The food was really delicious; although not completely what I’d call “authentic mexican food”, but it’s still really yummy!

~Isabela Supovitz-Aznar

Book: Eat, Pray, Love

Eat, Pray, Love is a book that is about a woman who goes on a spiritual journey to find herself again after a nasty divorce that leaves her feeling lifeless. She leaves her whole life behind in New York City to travel to new countries.

The woman travels to three different countries, Italy, India, and Indonesia. She travels to these countries and learns valuable lessons throughout the whole trip. But throughout the whole book she discovers that she has found herself living again and most importantly she is able to love again. This book is reading about a journey but also gives valuable life lessons.

Eat, Pray, Love was recommended by Oprah. This book made me laugh, but also cry. I can connect to the personal struggles the character had during the time. Also it made me reevaluate my life and was I doing anything worthwhile and really living life to the fullest.
~Dalena Bui

Music Album: Babel by Mumford and Sons

On September 25, Mumford and Sons released their second album, Babel. Many people complained that is sounded the same as their previous album, Sigh No More, but I instantly fell in love with it. The entire CD seems to tell a story, not necessarily one with a plot, but one where once I was finished, I felt satisfied. In particular, I love the song “I Will Wait” because it never fails to fill me with a sense of warmth, as it is a song that instills hope. Another personal favorite is the track “Below My Feet” because of the inspiring lyrics. For me, this album was long awaited and I was very pleased with how it turned out.

~Leah Kelly

Book: Everyday by David Levithan

I was introduced to the book Everyday by David Levithan and throughout the book I was thoroughly enthralled. It’s about a soul named “A” and in 24 hour periods he/she switches bodies. So, everyday they have a new life that have to acclimate to.

“A” falls in love and the book brings light to the gentleness, consistency, and commitment of love.

Personally, the book was thrilling, but the ending is quite quick and to the point and I didn’t feel the closing fit the drawn out fashion of the book. With that, I rewrote the ending for a benchmark, so I suggest reading the book first and then checking out my ending. However, I do suggest this for anyone interested in love stories.

~DeShawn McLeod

Video Game: The Impossible Game

Between the absolutely insane jumps and chasms of dark despair, a mere five minutes is all it takes to become utterly addicted to this game. You play as a reddish-orange box that jumps upon command and the objective is avoid the blasted white spikes and black floor that would cause your box to explode into tiny, little sparks. A couple of nights back, my attempts (or my respawn count) reached well over six hundred and I have not even passed the first level yet. The indie game seems like it would be too straightforward to keep your interest for long, but that is just the thing — the simplicity of it, with its dark blue background and killer dubstep that grows louder as the box continues to slide along its path, makes for a superb pastime. Getting this distraction entails that you might be quitting out of rage constantly, but you will always come back. Trust me.

~Annisa Ahmed

Restaurant: Almaz Cafe

Craving something new, different, exciting?

Ethiopian food should be at the top of your list. This little cafe doesn’t just have amazing food, they also have a great staff (like myself). Almaz Café is a small place on 140 S. 20th Street, between Sansom and Walnut Streets on 20th. The owners Soloman and Almaz are the kindest people you’ll ever meet, they keep the welcoming atmosphere. Don’t let it’s small size mislead you, it’s full of animation and great people. Not only do they have Ethiopian foods, but they also have simple yet delicious breakfast and lunch. Aside from the Ethiopian dishes, Almaz Café is known for its great omelets, wraps, smoothies, and varieties of their bold coffee. I love that place, their mango smoothie is pheNOMenal Go there you won’t regret it!

~Jamie Murphy

Book: The Fault in Our Stars

Tumblr fangirls and hip young-adults alike awaited John Green’s fourth solo novel The Fault in Our Stars published January of 2012.

I found myself one of many that were mesmerized by John Green’s almost seamless understanding and characterization of issues in the lives of teens after reading his first novel Looking For Alaska.

The Fault in Our Stars focuses on the relationship between two teens with cancer and their struggle to define the implications of life, growing up, death and where love is intertwined.

It comes as no surprise to Green’s fans that it received positive critical reception and remained for seven weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list after debuting at number one.

The best way I can describe it is– a strange mix of miserable reality with an equal dose of humor. Including the last possible thing you want to happen can make you hate a book, but I appreciated the realism of the characters and the situation.

Hazel and Augustus, the main characters, use words and jargon I wish I used and they are people I wish I knew. That’s the magic to writing.

~Jenn Wright

Movie: Brave

This movie had me in stitches. While I wouldn’t say the movie plot itself was anything super spectacular, the quirky yet stereotypical crude Scottish humour was enough to make Brave one of my new favourite animated films.
But my fascination with movie begun long before I actually got to watch it. If you haven’t seen the trailer, you really should; my dad and I were impersonating King Fergus for weeks after we watched it.

I got to watch the movie while I was in Scotland, visiting my family, which perhaps, for me, added to the humorous charm of the film. The accents of the characters in the movie were relatively on par, which I appreciated, considering I usually find the accents to be “over done” in most other animated films.

While I think the plot could have been a bit better, Brave never fails to make me crack up.

~Heather Campbell

Web Cartoon: Bravest Warriors

A few weeks ago, I was browsing YouTube and came across an interesting animation project that Pendleton Ward (creator of Adventure Time) was doing. Bravest Warriors is a slightly more mature cartoon with the same art style as Adventure Time except I don’t feel like I’m watching a kid’s show. More young adult themes like love are also present, which can encourage more adolescent viewers to watch this satisfying cartoon. I also feel like Ward has nothing to fear. As the show is exclusive to the internet, the censors will only go as far as he wants them to go.

~Jesús Jímenez

Bravest Warriors Episode 3 “Butter Lettuce”

Movie: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

When I first read that the prequel to Lord of the Rings was in pre-production, I almost jumped out of my seat. Though I was apprehensive at first about the director’s decision to split Tolkien’s relatively small story into three movies, I quickly realized that the film was far from boring.

Like the book, The Hobbit is much more lighthearted and whimsical than Lord of the Rings, but the filmmakers make an honest effort to include some of the same gorgeous scenery shots and lovable characters that made the trilogy so enjoyable. Provided they can accept that this new edition is a much different story than the original trilogy, Lord of the Rings fans will find that Middle Earth has lost none of its excitement.

~Abe Musselman

Book: Slaughterhouse-Five, or the Children’s Crusade: A Duty Dance with Death by Kurt Vonnegut

A bombed out city, alien abduction from the 4th dimension, and time travel are all parts to Kurt Vonnegut’s famous book. The reputation preceded it when I flipped through a weathered copy in a thrift store. Going through my phase of classic books I was determined to know what all of the whoopla was about. Stuffed with thematic detail Vonnegut uses the horrors of World War II and an unknown extraterrestrial world to ask the reader, who is in charge of your future?

From the fifth page I was sucked into his unique description of time travel and curiously wondered how many alternate realities were currently going on around me. Ranked at the 18th greatest English novel of the 20th century, I highly suggest this book to anyone looking for a fun read.

~Sam Lovett-Perkins

TV Show: Homeland

With the second season just ending, the show left me curled up on the couch hugging a pillow. I can definitely say that this is the first show I have ever watched with this much suspense, love, and unexpected twists.

Homeland gives me a chance to spend time with my mom too. With our busy schedules, that one hour every Sunday night gives us the chance to actually see each other.

This show is about international relationships, mixed up love, mental health issues, terrorism, and the CIA. The two main characters Carrie (CIA agent) and Brody (Ex Marine) always have something new to unfold.

I don’t want to give away too much, but you should definitely check it out. It’s available on Showtime and On Demand (if you have Comcast)

If you are interested (which you should be) here is a link where you can watch some of the clips.

~Sara Nesbitt

Restaurant: Benihana

Not too long ago I had the pleasure to eat at one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to. As soon as I walked through the doors I was filled with a deep calming feeling. The service was remarkable. The staff is full of patience and hospitality. You get to sit at the hibachi as you watch your own personal chef cook your meal to your specifications. They perform tricks as they cook and always crack good jokes. It’s a wonderful place to dine with children. I recommend Benihanas anyone who is looking for an enjoyable traditional meal to have with the family.

~Melanie Harrington