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Food labeling is my game and Zoe is my name. If you’ve been following my previous two blog posts (which will be listed below just in case you haven’t) you will know that for my You and the World project done in my 9th grade english class I have been researching all about food labeling. I think that it is now a hot topic of this year especially in the United States. More and more people are becoming aware of this prominent issue and protesting against it. I believe that within the next couple of years some major changes will be made!

For my You and the World agent of change I decided to help those who wanted to shop for organic and GMO free food. For my agent of change I made a pamphlet on exactly how to shop for these items and also gave a little information to educate more people on the subject of food labeling and what is actually in your food (disclaimer: it is gross). I made these pamphlets and then decided I needed to hang them up someplace I knew that people would have easy access to. I live in Mt. Airy and also just so happen to be right around the corner from the Weaver’s Way Co-op. This little mini-grocery store has strictly organic and locally grown food products which made it a perfect match for where to put up my pamphlets. Right outside the Co-op, protected from the rain, is a huge bulletin board where anyone can hang up anything from house listings to babysitting advertisements. I pinned up quite a few of my pamphlets and plan to replenish them as needed!

The process of my You and the World had it’s ups and downs but eventually everything worked out nicely. When it came to choosing a topic for my You and the World project I had originally gone with gay rights. However I realized that there were also three other people with that same topic, too, so I felt that it would get all the attention it needed without my help! While in 8th grade I had read the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma and watched Food Inc. I became acutely aware of how terrible this affair is. As I was pondering over what my topic of choice should be, I remembered what I had learned the previous year. At the time I knew that the issue of labeling food had not been recognized as big deal because it was (and still is) perfectly legal for companies not to include the antibiotics or GMOs the put in the product on the label. I knew I had found my topic! For blog post 1 I did a lot of research on what was currently happening with the government’s involvement and what was happening on a national level. For blog post 2 I did my individual research which consisted of my going out and buying organic and ‘natural’ peas and comparing them. I also talked about success stories of a store and restaurant that had gone all organic and local. When it came to deciding what my agent of change should be I knew that I wanted to make others aware of my subject while also helping them find food that had no GMOs and was all organic. I also knew that I wanted to make my finished agent of change available to everyone. Originally I had thrown around the idea of putting an ad in the Weaver’s Way newspaper but that costed money, so I decided to make a pamphlet that was easy to understand and convenient to just stick in your purse or shopping bag.

This project has definitely left an impact on not only me, but I believe my

community, too. I had a little previous background knowledge on the topic of food

labeling and the food industry but with this project I did a lot of in depth research and

definitely grew more knowledgeable about the entire food industry and what’s

happening in relation to our country. I used to occasionally eat at a fast food

restaurant when I was on the road traveling with my family but not just the idea of the

food repulses me. Fun fact: Chicken McNuggets from McDonald’s are sprayed with

0.2% of Tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), which is a chemical that if consume 5

grams is proven to be fatal. I feel that my project has had an impact on two

communities. One, my internet community as I have shared the link to my blogs with

my fellow peers, and multiple people have told me how much they learned. My second

community (my physical one), Mt. Airy, has been impacted by my pamphlets that I will

continue to hang up and give out to anyone who wants to know more about what they

eat and where/how to get the “good” food. I feel that I can take a leading role in my

community by helping out in the numerous organizations surrounding me and by also

providing the community with my own creations like my pamphlets. I also think that I’d

like to collaborate with those around me, especially the youth in my neighborhood,

because I feel that we as a group have a powerful voice. I will take away from this

project the learning of my topic in general but also how everyone can make an impact

big or small in this world and that all or important. I know that creating my pamphlets

won’t solve all the food labeling issues in the country but it’s a step forward by

educating people on it and helping them eat right.  


Blog Post 1

Blog Post 2

Annotated Bibliography

Video Proof!

Below is a documentation of my process of making and putting up pamphlets!

Photo captions:
1. The pamphlet so everyone can have access to it!
2. Myself standing next to the pinned pamphlet.
3. The Weaver's Way Co-op sign.
4. My pamphlet on the bulletin board.
5. The first printed copy of my pamphlet.

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For the last part of my You and the World project I did a presentation to my advisory. If you're new to my You and the World blogs then you should look at my past blogs before. Click here to see my first blog post. Click here to see my second blog post. I made a iMovie about gay rights. The purpose was to inform others on the problems that the LGBT community faces today. I presented on April 25, 2013 to a class of about 20-30 students. After the presentation I ran a very short discussion on the video and answered questions anyone had. Even after my presentation I was asked questions not only by my friends but other stream members as well about my topic. If you would like to view my video I have a link at the bottom of this blog.

       My presentation to advisory

  (Click picture to enlarge)

My process was very challenging yet fun. At first, I wanted to raise money in some way and donate it to LGBT places such as The Attic or the Human Rights Campaign. That didn’t go so well because I saw other people that had the same topic doing similar things for their project too. So, I went with a movie instead to present. I wanted this movie to be funny but serious. To execute a plan like this I incorporated multiple pictures and narration. I had pictures that came up as soon as I said a word or two that related to it. For example, I said “What has the world come to?” and for the picture I used a world with a question mark on it. I found this to be creative and fun to make.

The problem I encountered during this project was finding a song that would set the mood for the movie. I didn’t want a song that was highly sad or depressing. As a result, I chose to use “It Ends Tonight” by All American Rejects and leveled it out with “One Day” by Matisyahu.

I think personally the overall project went well. I am proud of what I made. If I had to choose what I think was the best part, it would be my choice in the words and tone  used in my narration. I believe I used it to my fullest potential. It is my goal to have people acknowledge and possibly make a change in the world we live in. If you’ve read my other blogs you can probably understand where I’m coming from and agree.

This projected impacted me in many ways. It’s easy for someone to say that they support an issue, but to actually make an attempt to change the world is another thing. I first had to ask myself “Am I really supportive of Gay Rights or am I just saying that for my project?”. The answer was clear seconds later. I support gay rights regardless of what anyone says. This project has allowed me to see my true self.

The project impacted my community by leaving them with questions. At the end of my video, I left the question “Are we truly equal?” Just as I said in the beginning, I had not only my friends but other students asking me about my topic. They had a thirst for knowledge of gay rights and I quenched their thirst.


I see myself as someone who is still learning. I’m still learning about life itself. I’ve still got a long way to go until I can become an actual leader. I’ve been told I show some leadership qualities at such a young age. My plan is to become a leader, not a follower. I want to set a path for myself, not follow someone else’s. Now if someone wants to follow my path by becoming a leader themselves...well it's a little hard to explain that.


This is, unfortunately, the part where my blog ends. Though my desire to have equal rights for everyone will not end. I will continue to fight for gay rights. I won't be documenting my acts or travels through blogs anymore, but maybe you'll catch me one of these days in the act. I appreciate the time you took into reading my blogs and maybe, just maybe, you can be the one to step up and make a change. 


Click here for my bibliography. 

To access my pictures dealing with my presentation click here. 

To see my video click here. 

For my Agent of Change portion of my You and the World project on alienation of the elderly, I played music at a housing facility for the elderly. More specifically I went to Wesley Enhanced Living at Stapeley, which was previously known to me as just "Stapeley" sans "Wesley enhanced living". I am not sure how long it was like that, or even if it changed at all. I do think they changed the sign however. I wanted to do something like this because playing music is something I enjoy doing as well as is something I am not abysmal at. I would be a subpar agent of change if you do something that ends up worsening the lives of those you are trying to help. I did went in to play on the 21st of April with my father playing bass and a friend of ours playing guitar and even singing. 

I wasn't sure about what I wanted to do for a substantial amount of the brainstorming time we had to think about what we wanted to do for this portion of the project. My strategy to figure out what I wanted to do that could be beneficial to others, was to think about things I possessed some skill at. If I did something I was awful at, I can't imagine people would be able to get much help from what I did. In preparation we practiced songs that we might want to do. We kept in mind our audience and did song's that were catered towards them. This ended up paying off as many of the songs were recognized and interaction between musicians and audience was had, as well as reminiscence of times in the past. I called the facility and booking a date was easy. I imagine that finding free activities can be difficult. Overall, the idea stayed the same except for our having a guitarist was not true from the start.

This wasn't the first time I had played at a place like this, however it still felt good to do a deed where we could potentially be helping people. I really do hope that the people watching us at least enjoyed it, or it helped them not to be bored or something. It doesn't really matter how small. I think that I am still in the process of learning how best I can help the community, despite this experience, although, I am sure that I have also taken a step forward to realizing my full potential as a steward of the community. I think that I learned that everyone has the potential to aid their community if they make good use of their skill set.

Bibliography 
Blog 1
Blog 2
Image 1
Image 2
Image 3

T​his is Taina R. and Jamelia B. 's first podcast

I'm Tobi Hahn, and my You and the World project was on internet privacy. The agent of change portion of my project happened at the same time as the reintroduction of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), a controversial internet privacy bill which was voted down last year. It would allow the government and corporations to share your private browsing data without a warrant or any justification. You could file a complaint saying that your data was used in a wrongful way, but CISPA also has a clause that keeps the use of your information secret. It could be abused for warrantless wiretap, copyright enforcement, and targeted ads. It is in direct violation of the Fourth Amendment. After it passed the house, I presented to my advisory about it. I explained to them how the bill would impact everyday internet usage, and encouraged them to sign a petition. On April 25, the Senate stopped CISPA in its tracks by refusing to vote on it. But CISPA is far from dead. It was voted down in the house last year, but came back this year. It is likely to come back again, possibly in separate bills.

My process changed significantly with the reintroduction of CISPA. My presentation was originally going to be about how you could improve your privacy on the internet, but then CISPA was reintroduced, and I recognized it as a bigger issue. If CISPA was passed, there would be no browser settings you could change that would preserve your privacy.

I encountered some problems with scheduling my presentation, as there were many presentations happening at the same time. I managed to find a time to present, however, and fixed the problem.

I think my presentation went well, as it raised awareness about CISPA. CISPA got little coverage in mainstream news outlets, and it could have had negative consequences for internet privacy if it was passed.

This project impacted me, as I saw that it was possible to make an impact in my community, even if it was just my school's community. Before it seemed like something that was not really possible to do without huge amounts of people and coordination. I think I am still learning how to make an impact, though, as I think I could have done a bit more. I only did one presentation and probably had time to do more.

For my presentation, I talked about what CISPA was and why it was a threat. I also talked about how it could be abused, and what you could do. Josh Berg said that my presentation was very informative, and it made him more aware about the topic.

You can see my slide deck below.

Since my presentation was before CISPA's defeat in the Senate, it seems a bit out of date now. I have made an up to date Prezi slideshow about why CISPA is a threat. You can see it embedded below.

Thanks for reading my Post for Change. I enjoyed doing my You and the World project and making an impact in my community. You can read my first blog post(it's on internet censorship) and my second blog post by clicking on them, and you can see my annotated bibliography here.
Please sign a petition to stop CISPA at cispaisback.com.

When 9 people fill twenty enormous trash bags with litter in one hour, you know you've made a difference.

I'm Zack Hersh, and as an Agent of Change for litter, I organized a litter pickup around SLA, on April 13th, 2013 from 12-1 pm. While it wasn't quite the turnout I had hoped for, the nine of us picked up pounds and pounds of litter on 22nd Street and the disgusting Trader Joe's parking lot and green space. We left the area much cleaner and greener, and went home feeling satisfied.

But it took a lot of effort to get there. First, I had to familiarize myself and get to know the issue inside and out, and I did that through my first and second blog posts. Afterwards came the pickup.

The only thing I thought would really make sense to do for my Agent of Change part was a pickup, especially of the local community. This was narrowed down from other possibilities being Raising Awareness, Money for Organizations like "Keep Philadelphia Beautiful", and petitioning or trying to get more trash cans put in.

My vision was a bunch people all gathering around SLA, and working together, making a difference, and having a good time, in purging the neighborhood of litter.

Once I had the idea and vision in place, it was time to set a date, and time. It was a surprisingly tough decision. I was conflicted between having it be after school or on the weekend. If it was after school, it would be much easier for more people to come. But that would've limited it to mostly SLA students, and most sports, including baseball and track, have practice after school every day. With a weekend pickup, this wouldn't be a problem, but it would be harder to get a turnout. 

Ultimately, I decided on a weekend pickup, and scheduled it two weeks in advance for Saturday, April 13th from 12:00-1:00.

The next, and most important part of my process was getting other people to join me. 

I made flyers, and put them up all over school. I made posts to Facebook. I got two announcements in the Advisory memo. I talked to people directly. And, after all that, I had 3 people in total who said they would come, plus me and my parents.

But things have a way of working themselves out, and following that motto plus help from friends, when the pickup came, we had nine people in total.

Ridding the streets of all the garbage felt really good, and really satisfying. In that way, devoting myself to this issue, and being an Agent of Change, has strongly impacted me, for the better. Even the first two blog posts, researching it, and spreading the word, really made me feel like I was making a difference. It really made me feel like I was doing something right. I feel that this project, this experience, has strongly instigated fundamental, significant growth in me, and this is visible through my actions and who I am after this. It showed myself that I can lead, and surprised myself with what I am capable of. This was a demonstration, awakening, of leadership I didn't know I had. 

In the end, I can go to sleep at night knowing that my community is different, better, cleaner, because of me. Knowing I started something that snowballed into so much more than I ever thought it would. 

Knowing that I impacted, knowing that I changed my community, and almost without realizing it, let, and inspired others to do the same.

Click here for my bibliography.  


 

Blog 3: Agent of Change
Jesse Shuter

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Hunger and poverty in Philadelphia is a serious issue. It is also the issue that I chose to learn and teach about. As part of the experience of helping to abolish hunger in Philadelphia. Through a youth organization that I am a art part of called Gratz JCHS, I joined a program called food for thought. I volunteered with this program nine times, I went on the following days: October 15th; October 29th; November 5th; December 3rd; January 7th; February 4th; March 4th; April 8th; and May 6th. The program entailed going to a kitchen at a synagogue near where I live. As a group we would cook varying meals including all the main food groups (meat; vegetables; starch; fruit; etc.). We would then package the food and deliver the food to a variety of organizations that bring food to people that cannot afford the food and would otherwise starve. Sometimes we would even deliver the food to homes for old people. 

Another event that I took part in was going to the Ronald McDonald House. Together my family and I, along with two other families that we are friends with went to the Ronald McDonald house to cook a meal and serve it to all of the people staying at the Ronald McDonald House. The Ronald McDonald house is for families that have children in the hospital and cannot afford a place to stay while their children are getting special treatment for their illnesses that they may not be able to get anywhere else. By serving the food we provide these families with a meal and we also try to brighten their day and take their minds off what may be going on in their lives. I volunteered at the McDonald House once on March 3rd, and I will be doing it again on June 2nd.

When I started this project my plan was to learn more about Hunger and Poverty in Philadelphia and try and help some people along the way. My process began by choosing my topic. I wanted to choose an important topic, but at the same time I wanted to choose a topic that people seem to be ignoring. Sadly there were many options, but one issue that I felt needed more attention was povery and hunger in America. This was a pretty broad topic, so I wanted to narrow it down. Then I thought that there was no better way to start then by fixing poverty and hunger in my backyard; in my home; in my city. That is how my topic became Poverty and Hunger in Philadelphia. At the same time my friend had just joined the program food for thought and he told me it was a very rewarding experience so that was how I got involved in that program. By the end of my experience with poverty and hunger, I had been affected by my new experiences. By meeting these people and learning what they are going through on a daily basis, I have come to appreciate what I have more, and I also have become more invested in the programs I am participating in.

Through this project, I feel that I have helped many people. If it were not for me there would be many people that would not have meals and that is an experience that I cherished. I was also able to take a leadership role and got many of my friends invloved in the food for thought program, just as my friend had done for me. I the community I see myself as someone who is still learning. I truly believe that I can and will make a difference, but I believe that the small steps that I am taking now are playing a large role in what kind of leader I will be. The experience I gained from this project will influence me to continue participating in programs where I can help people and make a difference.

If you would like to see my first blog click here. If you would like to see my second blog, click here. If you would like to see my bibliography click here.

Here is a link to the actual presentation slide deck Katia used in the all-grade meeting with her Amnesty International Representative. 

Hello everyone, I’m Jiwon Choi and for my You and the World Project, I chose domestic animal abuse. If you do not know what the You and the World Project is about, click here to get a basic information about what this project is about and for. After I wrote my second blog post of why animal cruelty should be put an action to, I started my agent of change part of the project. The agent of change is when individual go out into the world and make a change for their issue. For example, they can present to others about their issues or volunteer somewhere to help make a difference for their issue. For my agent of change, I volunteered at Operation Ava. Operation Ava is a no-kill animal shelter located at 3rd and Poplar in Philadelphia. At the animal shelter, I volunteered for about 45 hours from March 25th to April 30th.

   

   The first time I researched what animal shelter I was going to volunteer at, I had some difficulties because had to be at least 16-18 years old. Then, I came across the Pennsylvania SPCA and I received an email telling me to attend the orientation. I started to take classes on the basics I had to learn, but they told me that it was a mistake that they made for sending me the email. I had to find a different place to volunteer, and I came across Operation Ava. When I first went to Operation Ava to volunteer, I had some problems with taking the dogs out from the kettle because some were very nervous and shy, while others were very hyper. The staff and the experienced volunteers there were very kind and helped me whenever I needed any help. As I learned how to handle the dogs as time went on, I didn’t have any problems dealing with them. At Operation Ava, I walked dogs and played with them in the backyard.

    This project has impacted me in so many ways. I realized that there are a lot of domestic animals that were neglected a lot more than I imagined; I was sort of shocked when I saw all the dogs in SPCA and Operation Ava had. Also, I was sad when I saw some of the dogs shivering whenever I walked by their kettle. I knew that they were afraid of me, of what I will do to them, of how I will treat them. In the other hand, I noticed that most of the dogs were very energetic. It made me believe that if you give them love, if you show them love, they will actually trust you and like you, even if they were hurt by someone in the past. By noticing this and by knowing that this is why I am volunteering, I felt accomplished because this was a way that I was helping the animals. Even though this project impacted me a lot, I believe that this also impacted the community because I think that if more and more people are aware of how many animals are neglected and abused, they would help adopt animals and give the animals love. I believe that more people would donate to animal shelters and volunteer to help these animals. I think that I need to learn more like the people who don’t as much about neglect and abuse because I know that there is more to this problem. I know that the more I study this issue, the more I will learn from it, but I also think that I can lead. I think I have the ability to make this issue more known by giving people presentations about it.

  I am definitely not done with this issue yet. I am still planning to go to Operation Ava and walk the dogs, and I am still planning to help this issue become more known to the world. Also, I thank my 9th grade English teacher, Mrs. Dunn for letting me have this opportunity. Thank you.

    Lastly, I made a scrapbook for my memories at Operation Ava. I made the scrapbook so that it seems like I am actually talking to the dogs. At first, I made it so that I am describing every dog to the people who are reading the text but it seemed to get boring because I was using the same words over and over. Therefore, I made it so that I am talking to the dogs, and I made the font like an actual handwriting font to make the scrapbook more realistic. I’m glad that my scrapbook came out very unique.


Click here for my scrapbook. 
Click here for my bibliography.

Below is a dog featured in my scrapbook. 

Hello again! My name is Lauren Thomas. I am a freshman from Science Leadership Academy. I am writing a series of blogs called You and the World. For more information, I urge you to read my first blog post for an introduction and my second blog post that leads up to final installation, this post. 

For our last third of this project, everyone in the class had to become an “Agent of Change”. The mission for us as Agents of Change was to make a difference in the community. Your change would depend on your issue (for example, if you did blog post on animal cruelty, your Agent of Change would be to volunteer at an animal shelter). Because my topic is Teen Driving, there isn’t much you can do except raise awareness. I decided to create a Public Service Announcement (PSA) using iMovie. 

My first idea was to record a video of what a teen driver should and shouldn’t do behind the wheel. I had big plans for this so I asked my friend Maddison to help me film. When I watched the footage back I got really upset because it didn’t turn out like I planned. 

​ I went back to the drawing board and came up with a new idea. I decided to make a PSA of teens who were affected by teen drivers. Of course, I didn’t use real teen drivers, I had friends volunteer to help me out. Over Spring Break I posted many statuses on Facebook to get as many people as possible to help me out. On Friday, April 5, 2013, I gathered all 13 volunteers to help me film my video at lunch. I gave each volunteer a piece of paper with their person’s story on it. The stories I used were either real or based on real stories. I was really happy when the PSA turned out perfectly, I couldn’t have done it without the people who volunteered to help.

To actually make the difference, I had to present my video to people. I presented my PSA to the Bey/Martin (and a small number of VK’s) advisory of freshmen on Monday, April 15, 2013. On April 22, 2013, I presented to Mrs. Dunn’s senior advisory. Click here to see the video me presenting to her advisory. (Thank you to Morgan Caswell-Warnick who recorded me and took pictures.) I also had some of the seniors play the Toyota Teen Driving game from blog two. Vinny Russell tried the first first level of the game.

​I feel that this was a really big project for me. It was something very different from what I was used to doing when I was in middle school. I had fun with this project and I learned a lot about myself while doing so. This project had me open up my eyes to see that there are many teens, more than what is shown on the news, who have driving accidents. I feel like my PSA could really make a big impact on people who watch it because it’s all true. 

I’m not the only person who has a You and the World project, all of my volunteers do too. Please visit all my volunteer’s blogs, I couldn’t have done my project without them: Michelle Friedman’s Immigration Reform, Morgan Caswell-Warnick’s LGBT Rights, Angel Owens’ Self-Harm, Jiwon Choi’s Domestic Animal Abuse, Dillon Hershey’s Pet Euthanasia, Trinity Middlebrooks’ Child Adoption, Lauren Hummel’s Animal Abuse, Zack Hersh’s Litter Problems, Des O’Donnovan’s Animal/Vehicle Collisions, Andrew Roberts’ Abortion Issues, Miles Cruice-Barnett’s Litter Issues, Rosalie Swana’s Gay Marriage, and Anna Sugrue’s Gay Rights. 

And the best part of this project: my final PSA! Here is the video! Please enjoy it.

​And if you’re interested you can find the BLOOPERS from this PSA here.

Here is my bibliography!

Thank you for sticking with me for these three blog posts, I hope you enjoyed. 

YATW Prezi
Click to view Blog post #1:
Click to view blog #2
Click Here for Annotated Bibliography

The Survey Questions Below

The answers for the survey that the 8th graders answers. 

This past Friday, the SLA Poetry Team was rewarded with a trip to Slam League Championships: an Elite 8 on Friday May 17th at Franklin Theater. This victory was a team effort. Bella Mezzaroba kicked off the first round with a silky love poem that swept both judges and audience into a trance. Her mastery of language drew from the audience a steady rainfall of snaps. In the second round, Josh Melendez rocked his now-famous “Hallelujah” piece where he switches seamlessly between the character of a gay male and the bigot that kills his lover.

The third and final round began with Veronica Nocella alone on stage, words poring forth in her customary velvety waves; when all of a sudden a shout rang out from what seemed like the heavens – Soledad Alfaro-Allah was beckoning from the balcony! This was the ghost of Veronica’s murdered partner. The crowd wasn’t ready! These young ladies spun out their story, then brought a hush over the crowd with a stunning and horrific conclusion.

Thanks to Team SLA for their continued hard work throughout the season.

                                        -- Coach Marchella Baldwin

Also, if you ever miss a slam, you can check Team SLA’s YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVGXphRYY9ELDGuJjq5Gn-w

Will Amari 

5/12/13

Silver 

To whom it may concern, 

I’ve been attending school for eleven years now and I’m proud to say that I still enjoy it. School for me is a symbol of education and with out it, there will be no sense of ideal order. I desire knowledge, not because my parents want me to, but because I choose to be an intellectual and I choose to help the world. I don’t plan on dropping out. I don’t plan on breaking the law. I don’t plan on becoming a DJ. I want to write. I want to write because I love art. I don’t care If I become famous. I don’t care about money. I’m not asking for that. I’m asking to study art. 

Art is the reason why I show up to class everyday, it is the reason why I get As, it is the reason why I’m not totally depressed or dysfunctional or discombobulated. In fact, if I am ever tired in the morning, it is because I stayed up all night reading, writing, watching Annie Hall, and playing music. I would like to study art all my life, but sadly this request had been threatened due to the possibility of budget cuts. I am scared and concerned, not just for my future, but for everyones future . I look around my classroom, and see nothing more then intellectual individuals, with passions different and similar to mine. Everyday I hope they succeed, as much as I wish for myself to do the same. I can’t even imagine school with no courses, clubs, or activities. The thought of it sounds like a nightmare. 

So don’t fund our schools for me. Fund our schools for us. We are the future, and there is nothing to be afraid of. Don’t make school a Kalfkaesque Experience. Make it an opportunity for me, my friends, or anyone to become the next Hemingway or Einstein. Make it an opportunity for opportunity. I promise you, education is nothing to be afraid of. Taking away education... now thats scary!

Sincerely, 

Anonymous Individual number 667-349 

It was well below freezing when an 'Army of the Interested' pressed hard into the whipping winds swirling about the Schuylkill in January. While the immediate goal of reaching a new practice field was a mere two miles away, their true destination was waiting patiently four months down the road in the form of a division championship and playoff berth. That initial group, numbering over fifty on the daily, commanded the attention of tourists who had simply come for a pic of the famous Rocky Statue after running the steps in pseudo-mocking fashion. While they would get their picture after struggling up and down the steps in designer boots, they would also leave the Museum witnessing some dedicated, never-say-die young "Rocks" in the making.  

As was expected, the "interested" dwindled when the sessions increased in intensity and frequency. However, those who kept coming back for more formed the core of a dominating "Army of One" set to do battle from beginning to end. While their heroes and role models worked out in the golden sun of Florida and Arizona, this Army did so in defiance of the elements. When both started their respective seasons on April 1st, it was as if the roles had been reversed and the professionals paled in comparison to the amateurs. 

"There were three main goals when we started out this season", said SLA Varsity Baseball Coach Doug Herman before the team took the field vs. Sankofa in their final regular season game. "We set out to establish a J.V. squad to expand our program, finally secure a home field, and we looked to command our own destiny with solid, fundamental performances to earn the right to move up in the Varsity ranks. We obviously achieved the first two, thanks to the addition of Coach Dan Winterstein, but a solid win today will help us accomplish all three." While having the Umpires officially deem the field unplayable on the final day of the Regular Season was not how this team wanted to earn a trip to C, they'll take it. 

That Army, formed through the dark days of painful practices in swirling winds and bone-cold temps behind the ominous towers of Lee Park, never took their eyes off the prize. That Army, which would become known simply as "The Rocket", would weather all sorts of storms and suffer through hours of daily public transit to attend practices. That Army, which never let anything ruffle their feathers, had something to prove and constantly put their all on display. It was clear to anyone who glimpsed at the standings or box scores during this 2013 Season that this Army walked the talk and clobbered most who they faced. 

From the very first game, when King's most Dedicated forgot he wasn't coaching football, and chose to incessantly bark his orders instead of sending signs, to the very end when Sankofa's coach didn't lift a finger to prepare their field for battle, "The Rocket" maintained composure and completed a near-perfect season, finishing 11-1. But these warriors were gentlemen too. They dominated but never forgot where they came from. Remembering what it was like to be on the receiving end of mismatched beat downs, they moved toward their goal with class and earned the respect of everyone along the way.

"Started from the bottom, now the whole team here."

If all things were fair and equitable "The Rocket" would not yet be the material for an end-of-season article such as this. For in no sport, on any level, does a team with only 1 loss over an entire season NOT make the playoffs. Outside of their own circle of fans and divisional opponents the "The Rocket" will merely serve as a poster-child for what happens when your best IS good enough but it still doesn't get you to "The Show". So exactly how does a team that goes 11-1, leads the league in Runs Scored, and establishes the best overall Run Differential NOT make the playoffs?  

The answer is surprisingly rooted in an attempt to ensure all things were fair and equitable. Somehow this best laid plan has led to massive inequity, inconsistency and the continuation of smaller inner-city schools being further stripped of opportunities to fairly compete. In theory, the structure of the Public League for High School Baseball- four Divisions based off skill and four Classifications based off of school population- is supposed to ensure fair competition takes place. But the functional reality of this structure unfolds more like a Caste System with extremely limited upward mobility and consistent obstacles imposed upon under-funded and under-supported programs across the city. 

SLA, classified as a "AA" school based off the number of eligible boys in their student body, has been in the D-Division since joining the Public League in 2010. After fighting through a rough start (notching zero wins in its first eight games is certainly rough), "The Rocket" has surged with 29 wins for an overall program record of 29-17. During this stretch they made the playoffs twice and yet remained in D since the only way out was to win the Division. The system, which works a little bit like the English Premiere Football League, only promotes 1 and demotes another each season to ensure competition in each Division is "fair and equitable". 

While this seems to make sense, the reality is that regardless of Classification a team literally needs to be perfect to get out of D. Teams who make just one mistake along the way, like SLA this season, are doomed to dwell in D forever and suffer as a result. Fields are not maintained, if they exist at all, permanently installed equipment is regularly stolen, major transportation issues are a daily reality, many games are only afforded one umpire instead of at least two, and the level of competition is inconsistent at best. 

Every team that has escaped the dungeon of D- Boys Latin ('10), Ben Franklin ('11), Del-Val Charter ('12) and now University City ('13)- have all accomplished the necessary feat of perfection. This leaves younger teams like SLA on the outside looking in when a C-Division team drops down and then goes undefeated. This was the case with Ben Franklin and Del Val in previous seasons. While SLA had their eyes squarely and legitimately set on a Divisional Championship this season, their coach knew that an early season loss to University City would come back to haunt them. In response, he started wearing number 11 on his jersey to signify the number of wins they would NEED to have for a legitimate shot at the top spot. SLA won their final 9 games, and over that stretch remained perfect at home, tossed 2 "no-hitters" (Nick Manton and Jeff Schwartz), outscored their opponents 97-13, and further clarified they belonged in a higher Division all along.

The unfortunate reality is that D is a "one-and-done" league. Unlike the higher Divisions, where teams can actually make mistakes, lose games and still make the playoffs, D-teams MUST be perfect to move up. This unfortunately motivates coaches to abuse their best and brightest players in their attempts at perfection. On more than one occasion this season SLA opponents had their best starters throw well over 100 pitches in a single game. In three cases they hurled over 200. Coaches were inclined to repeatedly throw their best starter in every game instead of develop a full rotation of pitchers. Seeing the potential for long-term injury, many are talking about implementing pitch count limits on players as they do for International Little League World Series players. 

Aside from their offensive prowess, SLA impressed by consistently using multiple pitchers, none ever throwing over 100, which ensured all were legally available for every game and healthy enough to do so. It also opened up more opportunities for everyone to contribute to the team's success. While the results speak for themselves it was uncertain what would happen by the end of the season. In hindsight, SLA wishes it had all their starters for that game vs. University City. Perhaps they are the ones who end up undefeated, but the point here is that one loss shouldn't have been the death knell for a shot at post-season play. SLA was forced to remain perfect and hope for Univ. City to slip up and they almost did. But with come-from-behind-wins against Sankofa, West Philly and Randolph U.C. pulled it off to finish undefeated, win the Division, face Nueva Esperanza in the AA Classification Playoffs, and give the school something to be proud of in its final season of operation.  

But what about SLA? Shouldn't finishing just 1 game behind an undefeated team get them to "The Show"? The answer is yes. Well, that is if it was still 2012. 

However, this year an out-of-nowhere and unexplained new development unfairly snapped SLA's streak of consecutive playoff berths at a time when they clearly had built a team to go deep in the Tournament. Only 1 AA team would qualify for the Tournament so that a school- Mast Charter- that doesn't even play in District XII could compete. As a result, SLA which beat everyone but U.C. doesn't get in at 11-1. No clarification for this decision was ever provided, but it should have been seen on the horizon since District XII leadership has slowly but surely been limiting the number of D-Division teams that qualify for the tournament. 

In 2010 and '11 three teams from AA got in, in 2012 just 2 made it, and now only 1 would earn a berth. The rationale behind the shift was that it had been a long time since a D-Division team won a playoff game. According to the current League leadership a D team has never beaten an A or B-Division school and the latter automatically make the tournament regardless of record. With the focus squarely put on the Public League having the best possible team to represent the City in State competitions, no mind was paid to any of the Little Engines That Might-Could compete on that level. But anyone paying attention to the growth and performance of specific AA-Class D-Division programs, while higher class-programs dropped significantly in quality, would have seen this coming well before the first pitch on Opening Day. So the result is as follows: A-Class (Rush 6-5), which lost to SLA 12-1 gets in. AAA-Class (King 6-6), which blew a 4-0 lead to SLA and lost 8-5, gets in. And AAAA-Class Bartram (9-3), which blatantly ducked SLA in the final week to ensure they had their best pitcher available for the playoffs, gets in. This leaves SLA on the outside looking in on account of that one loss to U.C. which represents AA-Class. 

While SLA's near perfect season isn't for naught- they will move up to C since Univ. City is closing- a plan is in the works for a D-Division Tournament of Champions at SLA's home field at Mt. Airy Park. Invitations will be sent out to the top 4 teams in D in an effort to provide these forgotten programs with some high-stakes games. For Seniors, this will be all they get in terms of meaningful games as their High School Baseball careers come to a close. SLA would be the #2 Seed, right behind undefeated University City, and would face the squad from Bartram that ducked them. Univ. City would face Randolph (9-3). The winners would play for the Championship and the losers in a Consolation game. The Tournament is expected to take place after the official PIAA Playoff brackets unfold prior to Memorial Day Weekend.  

As the sun starts to set on a magical season, and SLA Varsity Baseball says farewell to Nick Manton, Abe Musselman, Jordan McLaughlin, Mike Sanders and Matt Rinaldi, at least they stayed true to their mascot. Much like an actual rocket engine, which thrusts forward by rapidly throwing back its exhaust, "The Rocket" will continue to surge with the contributions of all who weather the storm to be a part of this "Army of One". 

To Whom it May ​Concern:

My name is Jasmine Nieves and I am a sophomore at Science Leadership Academy High School. I support education very deeply. It helps everybody in life. Since I came to this school, I was expecting this to happen because I loved the school very much because of all the teachers. They had helped us along the way for these past two years. Now that it gets to me about these cuts on school budgets, I would like to spread the word about them. Students need teachers in their lives and students need everybody from the staff that belongs to the school. The people who are standing outside protesting for these things, have important things on their minds including this, to finally conquer with. Nobody wants to be cut or laid off of their jobs. They enjoy doing it so much, they can’t think of anything else on their minds other than what they are doing right now, this instant which is working at schools. 

Life without teachers could ruin a students life. Not really their whole life but in how smart they are. Some of the classes that are in schools, are some kids favorites. Without as much education, people may not know all the things they would have known with the teachers. The schools would be all lonely without out with what teachers what the teachers want. Teachers want kids to learn and develop a strong scene of smartness in their life from learning. Kids would learn themselves but not know what to teach or talk about with each other. Even though there might be some teachers at schools, don't get rid of their job which is to be a teacher. They are trying their best for us and the school. When we go to trips we have to give them money for it. Life without teachers is like seniors in high school or older students in elementary, middle or in college leaving us because they helped us along the way and gave good advice just like teachers and now their career or most of their career is about to end. If you care about schools, don't have budget cuts for schools. You should just take a minute, if possible, and try to help them. 

They are just as worthy as we are. All teachers and all staff are innocent. You could just tell from their faces and tell they don't ever want to give up what they love. Just look at the counselors, they helped us along the way too. They are just as good as teachers and as we are. Actually, most of are all innocent as long as we don't do anything bad such as destroying buildings while protesting. That's why so many teachers have protested with their students because they know how important it is to them and the students. The students and the staff are all on the backs of teachers, nurse and counselors. if protestors try to get rid of the nurses, we wouldn't know how to feel better at school or know what to do when we don't feel good or when we are sick. All these people at are schools just want us to have a good education and not a bad one. The decision some protestors are making could open up more minds than there is now to have a larger revolt and revolution to change from having budget cuts to no budget cuts in schools. Everything in schools is important to everybody who goes to it.

If there would still be budget cuts, all of our lives and all the teachers and staffs career and jobs could go right down the drain. Both students, parents and all staff would like to be heard and here is my voice. Here me now, or see all staff at schools including teachers with no jobs, no money and laid off from work as if they were on a strike. This is what everybody wants and not the opposite which is the budget cuts. This is what everybody is trying to say. So please don't take it away from them. Classes would be shorter than the double classes such as if a teacher were to work as a Drama and English teacher and the budget cuts cut it in half and now the teacher is working only for the English Class.  Teachers and adults have the right to teach what they want to the students as long as its appropriate and students are most definitely to learn it. 

Without any of these people, we wouldn’t be the smart people that we are today. Change the world and not have school budget cuts but just school budgets. They are important to the staff but its also important to the students because they know how hard it can be when teachers or any part of the school staff loses their job because they have protested so many times already. Listen to their hearts because they don’t want the worst to come after them and the staff. They love the school and so do we. Us students would do anything to make these things subside even if we tried. Be a leader and not let schools more and more of these cuts. If you were still young and in a public school, what would you do? 

Help stop the budget cuts or just continue to make it a big issue. If I were you, I would bring on a fresh face and and make this brand new to people because they have a life and their life depends on teaching and helping the schools. Schools also wouldn’t be safe without most of these adults there because, who else other than family, are we going to learn from. Make a smart move and move forward. Give back the things taken away, and again, make a smart move.  That‘s all we ask of you. We all don’t like the idea but if you still want to go along with your idea, it wouldn’t be the same as now, it will be different. This is much respected and it is to support the students who are fighting for the same cause. Take a stand and join with us while our chance is slowing drifting away. This is my protest again school budget cuts.

Journal#1 

“Now will I question Cassio of Bianca,

A huswife that by selling her desires

Buys herself bread and clothes. It is a creature

That dotes on Cassio, as ’tis the strumpet’s plague

To beguile many and be beguiled by one.

He, when he hears of her, cannot refrain

From the excess of laughter. Here he comes.” 

In this soliloquy, Iago can be talking to a matter of two different audiences. He could actually be talking directly to the audience, since it is a play. Shakespeare could’ve made it almost like where Iago knows he is in play, and is able to actually have some sort of contact with the audience, but then again that is a new play concept and might not have been around during that time. A more reasonable person(s) he could’ve been talking to is himself. Iago is very deceitful and could have just been devising the whole plan aloud. Othello was still present in the room (although he was in hiding) so he could have been whispering to himself. He was smart enough not to  let Othello hear. Therefore, I’ll stick with my response that his audience was himself as well as the readers of the book.

Journal #2 

Cassio is an obvious character of importance in Shakepeare's Othello, considering the fact that Iago uses him as the scapegoat. In Act 2, Scene 3, Cassio realizes that he was fired by Othello (after being drunk)  and goes to Iago in hope that he will help him get to the Moor to get his job back. Cassio observes Iago being supportive of him getting his job back. Iago is telling him that wine isn't bad for him but is in fact good for him and that he just went a little overboard. Iago also tells him  that he's not a drunk and Othello knows that. Cassio eats up everything that Iago says and believes that the Moor will be forgiving to him, but he didn’t realize that he had just fell into Iago’s trap. Iago told him that he must go to Desdemona since she is a woman and has an open heart, and he does just as he was told .He knows that his reputation (or at least the one that Othello knows) is ruined, but he also knows that Othello is crazy about Desdemona and that he’d listen to her over him. I believe this scene proves that Cassio is gullible, because through out the whole booked he was fooled.

Journal #3 

Cassio has been in love with Bianca for two years and counting, or so we thought? Cassio had a journal under his bed that absolutely no one knew about until Desdemona found it one day while in his room looking for him. In it, she read words that she’d never thought she would. “The Moor is questioned by her, being my heart. Are’t he belongings of Desdemona, or shall my heart want him to be mine?” (translation: My heart questions my feelings for the Moor. I know he’s Desdemona’s man, but I think I want him to be mine.) Desdemona was stunned at what she saw, but at the same time she wasn’t too surprised. Now she understood why he loved Othello so much and why he was such a kiss up but she didn’t tell because she knew what would happen to a man who was gay at this time.She didn’t see Cassio as a threat to her, so she kept her little secret to herself.

Journal #4 

In my previous journal, I said that Cassio was homosexual but the only person who knew was Desdemona. I will be portraying him as slightly feminine and crying when Bianca leave him because she suspects him cheating. Also I will portray him as gullible, because in journal 1 stated that I believed he was gullible since Iago was against him the whole time. I will do this by laughing and seeming to take Iago as a joke when he jokingly asks me about what I do with Bianca, although Othello believe I’m talking about his Desdemona. As for my costume, I plan to take a beard and mustache to my face. In case you didn’t realize,I’m a female. I want it to be clear that I’m playing a male and for some reason it’s just the way I picture Cassio. I think I will do a pretty good job portraying Cassio, but overall I think my group will do well too. Bianca’s prop is really a sight to see! (she has money coming out of all of her clothing.) Also, i think Cassio (My) reaction to Bianca leaving him will be slightly amusing to the class. I’m pretty sure that my group will nail it!

Journal #5

Cassio: How now my sweet Bianca! How now? How now?

I wasn’t sure as to how Cassio was feeling when he said this line and although he isn’t too much stated in this quote, the emotion behind it is what matters. When accuses Bianca accuses him of cheating (indirectly) then this quote follows  it. He was in a state of confusion when she accused him of it. His state of confusion seems like it should’ve negatively effected Iago’s plan but it didn’t. Othello didn’t notice the confusion because of his anger, but if he would’ve I believe it would’ve made him realize even sooner that he was being deceived. 

Since I was playing Cassio, I acted as if I was in a confused state as I thought it should be portrayed. My group’s performance overall went exactly how it was planned. My group had difficulties working together and getting everyone to cooperate, but I’m proud because at the end EVERYONE cooperated and got their lines down packed as well as brought in the props or costumes needed. If I could re-do my scene I would delete all of my laughter on stage. I get slightly awkward when in front of an audience so I think I should’ve just practiced more in front of people. As for my group members, I believe they did a wonderful job and I would not change anything about their performances.

After performing the play, I felt like I had just got out of the book. I had a first person understanding of the book rather than just reading it in third person. I understood the characters actions, emotions, and motives much more than I did. We (my group) spend plenty of time analyzing each part of our scene and with the help of Ms. Pahomov and Aaron, I believe we captured the exact image of each character (well at least the exact image we wanted to portray.) Overall, I just feel that I got a first hand understanding of the book because I truly felt like  I was apart of the book for that short period of time.

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE END-OF-SEASON REPORT

 It was well below freezing when an 'Army of the Interested' pressed hard into the whipping winds swirling about the Schuylkill in January. While the immediate goal of reaching a new practice field was a mere two miles away, their true destination was waiting patiently four months down the road in the form of a division championship and playoff berth. That initial group, numbering over fifty on the daily, commanded the attention of tourists who had simply come for a pic of the famous Rocky Statue after running the steps in pseudo-mocking fashion. While they would get their picture after struggling up and down the steps in designer boots, they would also leave the Museum witnessing some dedicated, never-say-die young "Rocks" in the making.  

As was expected, the "interested" dwindled when the sessions increased in intensity and frequency. However, those who kept coming back for more formed the core of a dominating "Army of One" set to do battle from beginning to end. While their heroes and role models worked out in the golden sun of Florida and Arizona, this Army did so in defiance of the elements. When both started their respective seasons on April 1st, it was as if the roles had been reversed and the professionals paled in comparison to the amateurs. 

"There were three main goals when we started out this season", said SLA Varsity Baseball Coach Doug Herman before the team took the field vs. Sankofa in their final regular season game. "We set out to establish a J.V. squad to expand our program, finally secure a home field, and we looked to command our own destiny with solid, fundamental performances to earn the right to move up in the Varsity ranks. We obviously achieved the first two, thanks to the addition of Coach Dan Winterstein, but a solid win today will help us accomplish all three." While having the Umpires officially deem the field unplayable on the final day of the Regular Season was not how this team wanted to earn a trip to C, they'll take it. 

That Army, formed through the dark days of painful practices in swirling winds and bone-cold temps behind the ominous towers of Lee Park, never took their eyes off the prize. That Army, which would become known simply as "The Rocket", would weather all sorts of storms and suffer through hours of daily public transit to attend practices. That Army, which never let anything ruffle their feathers, had something to prove and constantly put their all on display. It was clear to anyone who glimpsed at the standings or box scores during this 2013 Season that this Army walked the talk and clobbered most who they faced. 

From the very first game, when King's most Dedicated forgot he wasn't coaching football, and chose to incessantly bark his orders instead of sending signs, to the very end when Sankofa's coach didn't lift a finger to prepare their field for battle, "The Rocket" maintained composure and completed a near-perfect season, finishing 11-1. But these warriors were gentlemen too. They dominated but never forgot where they came from. Remembering what it was like to be on the receiving end of mismatched beat downs, they moved toward their goal with class and earned the respect of everyone along the way.

"Started from the bottom, now the whole team here."

I was intently hunched over my laptop at a table of four. Like the 20-odd other students in the room with me, I was hoping to finish my work before the period ended. The brightness of my screen was turned way down to conserve battery; programming with Alice eats up charge like no other software. We were given a difficult project to work on - which I was close to finishing. I ran my code... it worked! The hint the teacher had given helped perfectly. 

This class, computer science engineering, was not something I thought I would like. However, high school is a time to explore my options and all the fun things out there.  

Right now, I want to try new things and enjoy school, and electives fulfill both wishes. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia School District can not pay for people to teach these classes based on proposed budget cuts. This also translates to no language classes, no clubs, sports, counselors, nurses. Classes will be expanded while teachers are laid off.  Learning does not just take place in core classes; this proposed future is not an acceptable form of education. 

Instead of shutting down extracurriculars, the state and other decision makers should prioritize education. No matter what else is going on, education should not bear the brunt of it. Instead, trying to manage funds more delicately and procuring money to close the gap through other means would be much more acceptable.