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How Does SLA feel about moving in the wake of Donald Trump?

June 6, 2016 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Sean Morris

Staff Writer

“If Donald Trump wins I’m moving to Canada” is a line that’s been used so many times in this election it’s subject to a drinking game, just like on every Facebook post with Hillary Clinton is a top comment from a Bernie Sanders supporter. But what would it really take for someone to move from their homeland in a time of desperate crisis or even just to move? The first thing to keep in mind is the realities in considering such a move. Like in a Donald Trump presidency’s case the reality is he won’t become all powerful- that’s why there’s a system of checks and balances, and we’re not saying that it wouldn’t be the worst presidency ever, but it would be very dangerous to several minorities, but it’s important to keep things in perspective. Overall this brings the question of what is enough to cause an SLA student to leave the country that many consider home.

Most at SLA would agree that they would be willing to leave if the government would become a totalitarian and a point of pride to leave if Trump became president. If a massive war was declared or some other kind of cultural or legal shift that they not only could not agree with and/or felt in danger of. Now, before I get too far it’s a fair point to bring up why people are so afraid of a Trump Presidency? The president only has so many powers that they can wield so it’s not like he’d have unlimited power to sway over the people. But people who I‘ve talked to say it’s goes beyond the oval office. The ignorance, racism and violence that Trump feeds on like a rodent brings out the darkest parts of the American minds and brings it to the center stage. Seeing the violence break out at his rallies- that he lets happen, the racism his supporters have been demonstrating on Muslims and Hispanics are utterly disgusting and have got people worried. As he cries against refugees coming to america he threatens to create refugees fleeing from America.

If the Editorial Board has one message to send to SLA on the topic, it’s this: if you and the others that you know don’t want Trump become president, than don’t let him, and don’t give up on America just yet.

Yes, the possibility of a Trump presidency has a dark and ugly side, but doesn’t everything? If people want to stop Donald Trump from becoming president than the best thing for you to do is to simply campaign for the democratic nominee against him. If it is (and it looks likely) Hillary Clinton we know that she is not everyone’s ideal choice to become president, but if you think that she is worse than the monster who won’t let a Mexican judge try him in court because he’s Mexican, than you are fooling yourself. This country is a time of crisis and it needs your help. For all the bad it’s done, never forgot all the good it has and can do.

Spotlight: Teacher Reactions

June 6, 2016 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

After our first article for the Spotlight series was posted, we felt it was necessary to find out what some of the teachers thought. So, we asked Mr. Kay, Ms. Martin, and Mr. Lehmann to weigh in on the topic.

The consensus among the three was that these numbers were not surprising. Both Kay and Martin said that drug use is something that is always going to happen.

When she was asked why, Martin listed “Age of adolescence, experimentation, self-ownership, testing limits,” as the most common reasons for drug usage in teens. Kay spoke on along similar lines.

When asked for comment, Lehmann said, “Interestingly, those numbers are actually lower than the national average for high school students, so while I am always concerned about drug and alcohol use and abuse at SLA, I think that the work that Ms. Martin does in teaching students about drug and alcohol use and abuse, the work advisors do in ensuring that students feel safe and cared for, and the work SLA students and teachers do in creating authentic, powerful work in the world give students an alternative to drug and alcohol use and abuse in the way they live their lives.”

The national average for illicit drug usage is 27.2% as of 2014, while the average for illicit drug usage at SLA is 25.5%, brought up mostly by the 40% of seniors who have tried drugs.

When Kay was asked about the spike in seniors, he noted that age does play a significant and obvious factor: “The older you are, the more time you have to experiment.”

If you would like to see the original article, please click here.

Hidden Gem: John F. Collins Park

June 5, 2016 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Rifa Islam, staff writer

The last thing you’d expect to find in the middle of the shopping life at Rittenhouse Square is a small and serene little park, but that’s exactly what’s there. If you blink you’ll miss John F Collins park, so keep your eyes open! Located on 1707 Chestnut Street, right between a little bagel shop and Buffalo Exchange, the park seems a bit out of place. While everyone is rushing to get to work, window shopping, or just having a laugh with friends, this park stays still and offers a place for people to take a second to unwind from their hectic lives.

There are lime green tables with matching chairs, electric against the dark leaves spread out against the walls. It’s perfect for a cup of coffee and a snack with a friend after school or even for some alone time. Additionally, there are small wooden benches, protected by the canopy of trees above. Though the park is quite small, it doesn’t feel congested. There’s always plenty of space to walk through without bumping into anyone. Mr. Collins, the original designer of the park, definitely thought his plans through.

My favorite part of the park, hands down, is the big fountain. It brings all the elements of the park together like the centerpiece of a jigsaw puzzle. The sounds of water bring a sense of peace and relaxation, something we all need every now and then. You can always sit on the steps in front of the fountain for a closer view, or throw in a penny for good luck.

When you’re sitting in the park, it truly feels like you’re no longer in the city. It completely transports you to a different world, one where it’s okay to take a break. Living in a bustling city like Philadelphia can get a bit crazy at times. Sometimes the workload, deadlines, and even our personal lives can get to be too much to handle. This park is a perfect place to take a second off or to actually complete that assignment you keep forgetting to turn in. Wherever you are in life, this park can at least provide a pretty place to experience it.

A Season of Triumph

June 3, 2016 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

This season brought new challenges for the SLA girls softball team, which has been in the public league’s Platinum division for some time..

For 2016 SLA Softball had a 6-4 record, which is impressive for that level of competition in their league. The Platinum division consists of larger high schools like Central, Olney Charter, and Northeast A school with ⅙ of their student body that competes in games with large schools is nothing short of challenging.

However, SLA softball has also had an advantage: They combine teams with SLA Beeber, our second campus, which gives them more talent and numbers to work with.

Players from SLA-Center City very appreciative of SLA Beeber presence. Senior Catcher Dillon described her opinion as “happy because some of our best players and opinions about the team have come from Beeber.”

With their winning record, the rockets again clinched a spot in the playoffs. This year they faced off against CAPA, who combine with Academy at Palumbo. They played a very competitive game, , but they fell short in the late innings and lost by one run.

Despite the unfolding of their playoff, the Rockets had plenty of satisfying moments. Pitcher and Sophomore Tia Roberts was very happy when they had defensive 1-2-3 innings off great fielding. Other good moments were when they could engineer their own comebacks to win close games.

There were some personal shortcomings, however. Senior Dillon Hershey believes what held the team was “having trouble being consistent and confident in our skills, which can make the game hard to play and hard to overcome tough losses.” She believed that if they could put it all together that they could improve.

Junior Ari Haven believes that this team could have been better with more commitment from the players. “I wish our team committed to the whole season. I also wish we could all commit to coming to practices and getting better.”

Haven also thanks her team for helping her mature. “My teammates have taught me everything I know.”

Roberts feels the same way about how the team has affected her. “I have matured as a teammate and improved my skills as a player. I am very proud of how much I have grown since last year and the year before that… they always will have my back no matter what.”

In softball, teamwork is key and this team played hard every game and truly played for the person to their right. This team never made it about anybody but the team as a whole, they showed they could push through any uphill battle, despite regular struggles. Next season, the softball Rockets want to come out with some fire. The softball Rockets always have played hard and they intend to work hard to make some real noise in 2017.

Penny Dreadful Packs a Delightfully Terrifying Punch!

May 26, 2016 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Sean Morris

Staff Writer

Recently the supernatural showtime series “Penny Dreadful” has premiered for its third season, so I thought it appropriate to discuss my love for this show , which happens to be one of the best out there currently.

The series premiere is a little complicated to talk about without giving too much away, especially since each season has a new storyline for the characters to follow. Essentially, the series weaves together classic characters from Victorian-era horror, like Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Grey and so on, along with new characters that combat the supernatural horrors that plague Victorian London.

Before I go into story writing and cast I want to talk about the technical aspects of the show. From makeup, conceptualizing, sets, music, cinematography, costuming and lighting- very little television comes close to this show. Its makeups on its creatures of the night from vampires, a creative and very creepy take on witches (or “nightcomers” as they call them in the show) and even in just the regular cast it’s wonderful. The sets are amazing, throwing you back into Victorian London and into each character’s environment- especially in how clearly carefully they plan it out- like for example in Dorian Gray’s main ballroom they have hundreds of paintings- but are all portraits. A wonderful and incredibly clever detail.

The music is also appropriately haunting and stays with you long after the scene is over with its amazing score and original waltzes. The cineomentpgrahy is wonderful and in how a simple camera pan can provide a sock or a angle to provide more fear. The costuming also works well, fits the time period nicely yet each character has a fairly distinctive style and they clearly look well made. And this show probably has some of my favorite lighting on Television. Knowing full well they are in pre-electricity London, they utilize natural light to great effect , from having it bounce off of white linen tablecloths in the darkness or thought windows- it’s brilliantly done.

And now let us move onto to this cast. Every role has been perfectly cast- from the recognizable to the the unknown- and I mean that in terms of both actors and characters. Reeve Carney is a wonderful as Dorian Grey- he has a pretty boy face and yet there’s an underlying of darkness within him. Timothy dalton is a powerhouse as new character malcolm murray and always a delight on screen. However, it is Eva Green who really steals the show. Her portrayal of Vanessa Ives, a young woman who has been touched by Satan is haunting, tragic, powerful, strong and showcases how she is one of the most talented actors of her time. Rory Kinnear plays Frankenstein’s monstrous undead creature in what is possible the most authentic showing of mary shelley’s creature. The heart of a poet trapped inside of a monster- Kinnear’s monologues and acting showcase are truly beautiful- and the scenes he shares with green are some of the best in the show. Billie Piper truly came into her own in this series, at some points making you forget about her doctor who past. Her character twists are some of the more surprising of the story but I will say her arch alone is worthwhile. The series supporting cast is no less wonderful, from Helen Mccrory, to Christian Camargo , and Simon Russell Beale (who plays a character i’ve nicknamed “Dr. Creamsicle”, for his outrageous wig), Patti LuPone (who is AMAZING in every scene) it really is one of the best put together casts in on television.

I cannot recommend this show enough. To simply mark it as a horror series would be doing it a disservice. As The Wired put it, it t is a “gothic romance” and as The Atlantic claimed that it “reanimated” the genre. So go on, stop reading this and start watching it!