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Sophomores Get A Dance… With Freshmen?

January 12, 2016 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Meymey Seng

Staff Writer

Do you want to dance? Typically when you think of a dance, the idea of a senior prom will jump into your mind. Dances are a great experience but so rare at SLA. Aside from the occasional themed dances scattered throughout the year totaling around four, there is only the junior and senior prom. The few scattered dances are open to all students, while the junior and senior prom is only for those entitled. So why not let sophomores get their time to shine? With the effort from the sophomores and teachers, there will be a dance called “Soph Hop”. This would bring the tenth grade class together to have their first big dance! Even though it’s originally for sophomores, freshmen are now invited. This fact may play a huge factor on whether the sophomores will want to attend.

In SLA, there has never been a Soph Hop, but that will soon change. With the support from the staff and students, the Soph Hop will finally happen! It will take place on Friday, February 26th. The location is at “Popi’s Italian Restaurant” from 7 pm to 10 pm. The tickets will be on sale after the winter break, for $36. A tradition of having a Soph Hop might happen because the sophomores usually ask for it, but freshmen are also invited. Most freshman that I asked said that they will not go because of the fact that the dance is for sophomores. They would want to have their own sophomore dance with their own graduating class. “I have decided not to go out of respect to the sophomores,” ninth grader Majd Bostani said.

When some sophomores were asked for their opinions about having a Soph Hop, they all had a general agreement on one thing. The agreement is that having a Soph Hop is a good idea and that they are looking forward to going to the dance. Some think that it is also a good idea, but the fact that freshmen are invited, is not so spectacular.

“I feel like the idea for freshmen to be invited to the soph-hop is stupid because we have a JUNIOR and SENIOR prom. A Soph Hop is for SOPHOMORES, the regular dances are for the freshmen, and if the freshmen feel that they need an event just for themselves, that are just for the FRESHMEN, then they can set it up,” eleventh grader Darius Purnell said. “However, that is pointless because freshmen are new to the school and the high school environment in general. Before they can gather a committee and a big enough group willing to put in the effort, it will be the first quarter of their sophomore year.”

One of the SLA staff members, Ms. Martin, is a big supporter of the Soph Hop. When asked about her opinions of the Soph Hop, she said “If this is something that the students want, we’ll try to get it for them. If it works, I’m fine with that. I’m rather indifferent. If it doesn’t work, I’m fine with that, as long as the students get an opportunity to try it out.”
Even though the sophomores and freshmen do not know what to expect from this Soph Hop, it sounds like they are looking forward to this. Hopefully, freshmen being invited will not negatively affect whether the sophomores are going. If all goes well, there may be a Soph Hop next year!

Star Wars Episode VII: A Phantom Menace or a New Hope?

January 4, 2016 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Sean Morris

Staff writer and editor

So, here it is. The review we’ve all been waiting for.r. After the last few years of speculation and feverish anticipation, I can say with confidence that the newest installment of the Star Wars movie franchise, the force awakens, is an enjoyable one- but with several faults. Interestingly, my feelings about these faults differ greatly from what many people at SLA feel about it- which puts me in the unique position of being the film’s review with some of the more negative thoughts on it. I’ll tread carefully to insure a major spoiler-free review.

To begin with the positives; this movie was a big treat in terms of throwbacks and references to the previous movies and plenty of eye winks that can appeal to occasional or die hard fans. This film also mastered comedy very well, better probably than any of the other movies and definitely played with some of the more common jokes in the star wars movies. The cast all did their jobs phenomenally- especially the leading protagonist of Daisy Ridley as Rey, who has become one of my new favorite characters within Star Wars and defiantly has a long bright career ahead of her. John Boyega was also solid as a reformed stormtrooper and had several good moments, bringing in most of the story’s comedy. Part of the fun also goes to the incredibly handsome Oscar Isaac’s charming portrayal of Poe Dameron that makes him infectiously likeable.

But it wasn’t only the new stars that stole the show as Harrison ford’s return as Han Solo was utterly wonderful and provided some of the best scenes and heart of the film. From the returning characters like Carrie Fisher’s feisty former Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C-3po and more all make trumpet returns to the saga that immortalized them. The special effects were outstanding- even more so when you realize many elements were captured through real-life animatronics rather than CGI.

Now, some of the things I didn’t like. I felt that the recycled plot elements from “A New Hope” took away from the “new” aspect the movie was promising and gives me some worries as to how they will handle future projects. The mysterious big bad- Supreme Leader Snoke- was also not very exceptional. For all the secrecy about his appearance, he was not even intresting looking and, so far, a bland, motivationless appearing villain- with a quite frankly TERRIBLE villain name. I mean, Snoke? What are you, a dolphin or something? While he still probably has at least another one or two movies to prove his potential, there were a number of ways they could have made a lasting impression in his first appearance that they did not. One character made a departure in this movie as well. I was not happy with how they handled his or her leave, although telling more about this would MASSIVELY spoil the plot. And another character that was hyped in promotional material was little used, and when used wasn’t being very effective.

When compared to the previously crafted worlds of the comics and books that took place after “Return of the Jedi” these new movies (that replace this, cannon wise) haven’t even met some of the originality and characters that they had. And I will say that they had more than one opportunity to make references to that particular mythology or include it somehow, but they straight up did not, which felt like a massive slap in the face to those who loved read and knew about those . I will try to cover some of this in a more spoiler filled thoughts on the movie.

Overall, the Force Awakens is the biggest film of the year, possibly of all time, but that doesn’t make it the best. It was an enjoyable picture that deserves acclaim for doing what many thought would be impossible. In the words of Lucille Bluth, I encourage everyone to “Go see a Star War”.

Rating: 3.5 /5 stars

SLA Interviews: Why we do them

December 14, 2015 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Chuckie Copeland

Staff writer

The months of November and December are very busy here at SLA. Over two weekends, 1,002 students from all over the city came to this campus and be interviewed as prospective students. The part of Interviews that students at SLA are really are eager for, is signing up to volunteer as a helper for those days.

According to english teacher Larissa Pahomov, SLA had a record number of student sign ups to help out with the interview days as floaters, interviewers, and other jobs. This was in part because SLA Beeber students who signed up as well. But why did a record number of students want to “waste” their weekend to help out with the future of the school?

For some like Junior Aldo Caushaj, Interviews bring back a sense of nostalgia. “ I remember my interview and I remember being so so nervous and the students in the writing room helped me calm down.”

When asked about his look on interviews Caushaj described it as, “a great experience, I actually like the interviews cause your getting a look at a student, and not a piece of paper.”

His reasoning?

“A student could have good resume, but where’s the personality. When you go work you have to communicate with others. I want to see the person who is going to be the new part of this school.”

Seniors Bella Mezzaroba and Osman Bangura wanted to make the whole process as stress free as possible.

“Interviews are integral to SLA, but they are tricky when interviewing stressed kids,” said Mezzaroba.

They agreed that when you interviewed a nervous candidate, it took away their time to shine as an individual and made the candidate feel more monotonous. The point of interviews is to make people comfortable and calm in a very stressful time, but it’s not just the students who play a big role in this process, the teachers are working harder than ever.

Her first interview process for this school was in 2008, and since then veteran teacher Larissa Pahomov has seen a lot change since then.

“The biggest change is that now we interview kids with students from both campuses.” The new SLA Beeber may have opened not too long ago but this is the first time that students from both places interview prospective eighth graders and it certainly is not the last year.

Pahomov stated that one of the greatest things about interviews is, “seeing current SLA students blossom” and taking interest in the future of their school. However one challenge that she brought up, and other students did as well, was “keeping interviews personal.” To crank out interviews in ten minutes is what she described as a “meaningful machine.”

Interviews are done for the year, but the effect of them will reach far into the future. Of the many students who interview, only 250 will end up coming to SLA Center City or SLA Beeber next year — so for most of the 8th graders who interview, this is their only real connection to the school. Making a good impression and not feel stressed about the whole interview process is very complicated when you are taught that your high school determines the rest of your life. So many students here care about each interviewee and their success of getting into this school which is only something that you can find at SLA.

Underused Character: Felipe Lobos

December 14, 2015 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Sean Morris

Staff Writer

Hello everyone, this is a new features column I shall be writing for. Essentially its purpose is to spotlight characters from the world of Film TV and other media have massive potential for exploration and deserve bigger roles than they currently have.

The popular Starz series Power is centered around James St. Patrick, a legitimate businessman and nightclub owner who is also Ghost, one of New York’s top drug kingpins, and is is hoping to break from the latter career. One of the main obstacles in his path is his crime boss, Felipe Lobos. In the series, Lobos is one of the main antagonists with a violent and vicious nature, and is the source of the FBI’s investigation into the drug ring that Ghost is a part of.

Despite the fact that he mentioned many times and has a few scenes- he’s never given much chance to show his dangerousness in person. He’s given a few moments like where he seems to be interrogating someone and is preparing to chop up people with a machete- but we never get see any of the “blood spilt” that he seems prepared to do. And the show doesn’t exactly shy from violence either- so it doesn’t make much to keep Lobos under wraps the way that they choose to. What I think the character needs, and seems to be going for- is a kind the violent, controllable criminal that characters like Gyp Rosetti (Boardwalk Empire), Don Logan (Sexy Beast), and Norman Stansfield (Léon the Professional) had perfected. I don’t know if it’s because the actor’s schedule simply limited how much they could do with them, but I feel as though the show’s next season will have some more opportunity to have him and I seriously hope they can take advantage of it. One thing I find unique about the character is his sense of style. The styles of his suits and shirts are bold, unique and interesting enough to make him one of the best dressed men on tv.

Another thing that I like about the character, at least from a personal standpoint, is that he is gay. I liked that I think it allows diversity into how gay characters are incorporated into current television. . Often it seems like most, gay characters are portrayed as more friendly– the gay boyfriend and whatnot–and, as a result, aren’t given much edge that seems to be coveted in today’s entertainment. Not everybody agrees with my wish on this — One reviewer complained that making the character gay is a bit homophobic as it’s meant to add to his “freakiness”, and certainly not helping the show is having notoriously homophobic rapper 50 Cent being its executive producer and co star. And while I do see their points, and at times wonder it myself, I can’t help but think that the overall character, or at least the potential of the character, offers some more flavor and diversity we haven’t seen much before.

Plot twist this character deserves: (write a few sentences describing the kind of plot that would give this character a chance to shine.)

Lobos escapes from prison and goes on a warpath on Ghost’s life. He blows up the club that Ghost has worked to bring up the entire show, brutally tortures his right hand man and close friend Tommy, goes after his love interest and FBI investigator Angela Valdez and starts the set up his old mentor and rival Kanan to take Ghost’s place as the leader of his New York distribution. This may sound pretty big, but when Ghost said that “Lobos goes scorched earth” I expect to see it.

Editorial: Our Place in the Refugee Crisis

December 5, 2015 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free.” This is the quote inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. This, along with Lady Liberty’s torch stretched to the sky, has welcomed immigrants and refugees for over a century. This quote is the embodiment of what America originally was: a place where everyone is free to express themselves, free to be successful, free to be accepted on a level deeper than face value. Unfortunately, we have continuously failed at protecting that freedom for immigrant groups. First with African Americans and Catholics, then the Irish, Jews, Italians, then the Chinese and Japanese. Now, the issue is Syrians and other people from the Middle East fleeing their war torn homes.

In the wake of their civil war, millions of people have fled Syria, looking for a safe place to settle and raise families. Most of them have gone to Europe. But even the most welcoming of European countries, like Germany, have their limit. It would seem almost instinctual for the people of the United States to welcome these refugees, since the majority of us are descendants of refugees and immigrants. But for the most part, we are not opening our borders and it is time to question why.

Since 9/11, America has become a paranoid country. We fear different people and cultures, especially if those people and cultures are Islamic. The majority of the country now associates Islam with evil, but they are not the same thing. To quote former President George W. Bush, “That’s not what Islam. Islam is peaceful.” His sentiment has not convinced the masses, and we have allowed this fear to rule us. We increased security exponentially. Since 9/11, we’ve spent over $655 billion on Homeland Security and close to 2 trillion dollars on war. We have also increased the standards and restrictions for people who want to obtain refugee status in the United States. To apply for refugee status in the United States, you must be located outside of the United States, is of special humanitarian concern to the United States, demonstrates that they were persecuted or fear persecution due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group, is not firmly resettled in another country, and is admissible to the United States.

This is just the beginning of the process. To get into the country, you must get a referral, extensive background checks, several health checks, and the real kicker is, you have to pay for a lot of it yourself. It cost $680 to apply for naturalization alone, not counting all of fees for heal checks and travel to the US. And most of the refugees don’t have access to much, if any, to their money. There is an incredible amount of paperwork that needs to be done to just get into the country. Then, and only then, you can apply for a green card and work permit. Finally, you get to start the process and paperwork over again, and that’s if you don’t have a family. If you do have a family, the amount of work and money increases with each family member. Unfortunately there is always the chance that one of your family members won’t be able to come over for one reason or another.

The question we need to address as a country is, how can we change this? We are supposed to be the country that welcomes everyone, yet it is almost impossible to gain entry into America. These refugees could do a lot for this country. The vast majority of them are bilingual and that is a skill we need with the growing amount of Arab-speaking Americans. They are also willing to do the jobs most Americans are too proud to take. More people means new jobs and new money. We are, in many ways, morally obligated to help these people because The United States played a part in creating the problem that forced them from their homes. The War on Terror and invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan created immense amounts of resentment for America in the Middle East. We played a part in created the extremists who destroyed their lives. The least we can do is welcome them into ours. We need to force a change in the system. We can’t keep denying innocent and persecuted people access to our country because they don’t have the time, money, or skills to fill out the proper paperwork. We thrust these people into a bureaucratic black hole while they are trying to keep their families safe. This system needs a change for the better, and soon.

Unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the SLAMedia editorial board.