lpahomov

By Jenn Wright

Staff Writer

P.E., Phys. Ed, Gym Class– it has many names, but they mean the same thing– sweaty exercise in the gym or, in SLA’s case, running from the Café to the 5th floor and around The Pool.

I’d venture to say that there are two extremes: people who abhor gym class and people who adore it. Each dreads the attitude of the other, but both are understandable.

Most times, the ‘abhorrers’ see it as a 2-day nuisance because of the lack of locker rooms, how tough it is or just that it completely throws off a good hair day. The ‘adorers’ are those who love a good mid-day workout and are usually eager to attend a second gym-class during an independent study period while encouraging others to do so as well.

For the Philadelphia School District, one year or one credit of Phys. Ed is required to graduate. SLA students typically meet Phys. Ed Teacher Pia Martin in the 11th grade. Those who play two seasons of a sport prior to the beginning of Junior year get out of gym class.

I’m an avid runner and encourage many people to try out running as well, but I have to agree– gym class is a nuisance.

But hear me out,

Requiring it for just one year or two semesters doesn’t do a lot of good for anyone. As far as health goes, I don’t believe it to be enough time to make a permanent change in someone’s fitness. Making Juniors take gym when they are stressed enough with the difficulties of getting ready for college, gym class takes away from other classes that could be used to beef up their applications.

That being said, I really believe that it should be required all four years of high school. I think exercise is a stress-reliever and making it a habitual part of school with no way to opt-out is a positive thing.

Currently, Illinois is the only state to require daily P.E. for every grade. That might seem unthinkable to some students who dread even two days a week.

With tight budgets like that of the Philly School District right now, not many would champion money to go to mandating physical education, but two semesters, two days a week with a way to get out of it entirely isn’t enough.

Ms. Martin is easily the most qualified person- even too qualified- to affect the health and well-being of young people, if only she could could teach health and P.E. for a more extended period.

Many states like Alabama, Florida, Indiana and Montana only require two semesters in grades 9-12 to graduate. Other states have no mandate for minutes, standards of fitness or requirements and leave it up to local school districts.

Physical exercise is a proven destressor, but only if you have the self-motivation for a daily workout. If not, a mandatory Phys. Ed class only adds to the pressure of the most stressful year of high school. With a country half-obsessed with fitness and the other half obsessed with just discussing obesity rates, one semester isn’t doing the job. It should be all or nothing.

By Ryan Harris

Staff Writer

Last week, the 85th annual Oscar Awards Ceremony was hosted by controversial comedian Seth MacFarlane.

But as Facebook and Twitter posts have shown, many from SLA’s own community, MacFarlane’s performance was unpleasant to the senses.

People complained of MacFarlane’s hosting abilities with many of his jokes involving dealing with such hilarious topics as misogyny and sexism.

But some would call the “pinnacle” of MacFarlane’s hosting the musical dance number: “We Saw Your Boobs.” The title itself not being a great practice in the game of subtlety.

As the title may suggest, MacFarlane, accompanied with background dancers and singers, were listing the various actresses who had exposed their breasts in movies, along with the movies they were in.

Let’s repeat that again: Singing about actresses who exposed their breasts in movies, and even calling out the movies themselves.

Many of the victims to MacFarlane’s humor are respected actresses like: Angelina Jolie, Hallie Berry, Kristen Stewart and Meryl Streep.

Even during the performance, the broadcast was cutting to faces of shock and even embarrassment of many of actresses who had the pleasure of being featured.

Needless to say, aside from the actual awards being given out (where Ben Affleck’s “Argo” won  “Best Picture”, no surprise there), the ceremony was not one of the Academy’s best, whether you were there or at home watching.

Many would attribute this to MacFarlane’s rude, crude, some would even say offensive, sense of humor.

But was everyone exactly groaning at his performance?

Let me pose this question: How much Seth MacFarlane is too much Seth MacFarlane?

Well I can give my honest answer: it honestly depends on the person, and what they define as “funny.”

Face it, we can call MacFarlane anything we want: misogynistic, sexist, anti-Semitic, racist, among other negative things.

But let’s also face this: Seth MacFarlane will always stay Seth MacFarlane and his humor is just the same.

His style of humor consists of taking “jabs” at many people who are in the spotlight. Granted, it may sound mean-spirited, but a lot of people find that kind of stuff hilarious.

In fact, one could say that the wave of shows like Family Guy, American Dad, and even non-Seth MacFarlane shows like Adventure Time have greatly shifted what Americans view as funny.

Now I don’t want to seem like I’m spewing “hate-speech” about Seth MacFarlane, or I’m giving a massive critique of the comedic culture as a whole, or even that I’m defending MacFarlane’s comedic style.

One: I can’t sum up my feelings towards comedy and pop culture as whole in less than 600 words, two: I don’t feel like it, and three: I consider myself a great fan of MacFarlane.

When I watched the “We Saw Your Boobs”, found myself giving way to chuckle after chuckle due to the absurdity of the whole spectacle.

And that’s what I like about MacFarlane, sometimes he or one of his works (especially Family Guy) is just so absurd I just have to laugh.

That’s fun and all, but I will agree with the fact that MacFarlane has a tendency to sometimes go off the deep end.

But at the same time, his shows Family Guy and American Dad, along the other non-MacFarlane shows are on the rise.

Does that mean that Americans as a majority, are looking for that type of thing when they want to watch something funny?

Is absurdity, along with things like cut-away jokes and even musical numbers (however irrelevant they may seem at times), the future of comedic television?

I don’t know if that’s true, but that’s certainly what it seems like.

Last year, the School district of Philadelphia decided to close several schools due to “poor performance”. Displaced students were forced to attend their nearest elementary or high school which, in most cases, meant another underperforming public school. The application deadline for magnet schools like SLA and Masterman had long since passed, but this didn’t really matter since most students would not have had much of a chance anyway.

The gap in quality between comprehensive high schools and magnet schools was not always this wide. In fact, many American communities pride themselves on their local schools, and do not feel the need to create an alternative high school for the “smart” kids. As the schools around us close one by one, SLA and other Philadelphia magnet schools may have to face an uncomfortable question:

Are we the problem?

Like other magnet schools, SLA is a safe place where mentally gifted and accelerated students can thrive without being dragged down by their less-motivated peers. We pull together the most advanced students from all over the city to create a culturally diverse, academically rigorous environment that pushes its students to work hard and fulfill their potential. This makes for a rich high school experience that often leads to admission to college, a wonderful prospect if you’re lucky enough to be accepted.

Students attending magnet schools account for only a fraction of Philadelphia’s high-schoolers. The vast majority of this year’s eighth graders will attend a comprehensive public high school, many of which have a graduation rate of less than 60%.

Pulling the academically gifted students away from local high schools can have a debilitating effect on both the school and its students. A lower number of high-performing students means less funding for AP classes and a lower average score on standardized tests. Some argue that students are less motivated to perform well in school when they don’t have classmates who challenge them. Years of this process leave many schools without adequate resources and students without a bright future.

But is a lack of funding really the problem?

District-wide budget cuts take a toll on all public schools, and even the magnet schools have to find ways to cut costs. Perhaps our problems could be solved by looking at some unquantifiable aspects of the high school experience.

Most high school students complain about being bored in class. Even if you’re fascinated by the topic, class can get to be a drag. Some point fingers at the standardized curriculum, arguing that a text-driven classroom does not encourage students to think critically about the subject material, only to parrot information back on a test. However, the right teacher can turn even the dullest lesson into an engaging experience.

Every student at SLA can name at least one of our teachers who have significantly impacted them at some point. Teachers who are committed to their job and excited to help kids learn can make a lasting difference in a student’s motivation and engagement in class. However, schools continue to perform poorly despite hiring veteran teachers.

Could this mean that the students themselves are the problem?

Some students are driven to succeed while others seem content to just barely get by or not to try at all. Is this is personal choice or are the students behaving according to what their peers, teachers, and community expect of them?

While progress in school is ideally based on merit, even students who outperform their classmates in a comprehensive high school will, in all likelihood, not become as successful as the average magnet school student. With this knowledge, simply attending a neighborhood school can have a negative effect on a student’s desire to succeed. At a comprehensive high school, they will be surrounded with students (and teachers) who are not excited about learning and optimistic about their future.

When such a distinction exists between comprehensive and magnet schools, the latter may seem like a struggling student’s only chance at success. However, a student who does not perform well in middle school will probably not be accepted to a selective high school. As a result, they will not have access to the resources that the school offers such as SAT prep and college counseling.

So, do magnet schools transform students into hardworking, college-ready learners, or do they simply enhance the abilities of those students who were born to succeed?

There’s really only one way to find out, but it can’t happen as long as magnet schools separate the high-achieving students from the rest of Philadelphia’s youth. While these schools give advanced students a chance to further prove their skills, there’s no reason why they can’t do so while attending school with the low-performers.

There’s nothing wrong with magnet schools. The problem is simply that they only exist because the alternatives are not good enough. We need to focus our efforts on improving all of our high schools and making sure every student trusts that their school will provide them with a path to success as long as they choose to walk it.

Unsigned editorials are written and approved by the SLAMedia Editorial Staff. They do not reflect the opinion of Science Leadership Academy and its employees.