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The Urban School of San Francisco

May 2014

Volume 14, Issue 4

Number of Urban applicants skyrockets

by Jacob Winick

Staff Writer

Frosh in the House Students from the class of 2018 meet in Urban's garden during freshman orientation on Saturday, April 26. Students ate ice cream and cake, waved Urban flags, and played bonding games, such as "Human Bingo." photo by Olive Lopez

SAT reworks 2016 test

It’s official: Contracts have been signed, checks mailed, and the students of the class of 2018 are committing to coming to Urban.

This year’s admissions season saw a record 616 applicants, the most in Urban’s 47-year history and a whopping 80 more than last year.

Why has Urban suddenly become so popular? One possible explanation is its educational model.

“More schools (both middle and high school, local and national) are implementing educational practices that Urban has been doing for many years, in some cases, decades,” wrote Bobby Ramos, Urban’s director of admissions, in an email to the Legend.

“More middle schools, many of which send students to Urban, have started block scheduling.

Three independent schools that opened recently chose block scheduling as their scheduling format.

“Also, a few of our colleague high schools have recently started 1:1 technology programs, either laptop or iPad,” Ramos wrote, “but

compared to Urban's mature and fully integrated technology approach, these new tech programs will take some time to catch up.”

While Urban’s tried-and-true non-traditional approach to education may partly explain the surge in applications, some Urban students are recognizing a change in culture.

When Xander Beberman (’14) was applying to Urban in 2010, he was led to believe “Urban was a ‘slacker school’ and was filled with kids that just smoked pot all the time. I was partially convinced, considering when I shadowed I ended up doing all of my shadow’s work for him.”

But students in the incoming class of 2018 reported new attitudes about Urban at their middle schools. Leah Baron (‘18), an 8th grader at Marin Country Day School, said students there associate Urban with “competitiveness to get in, and athletics.”

With a new building scheduled to open in 2017, and more applicants than ever, it is hard to compare Urban to the tiny singlebuilding school it was when it was founded in 1966.

And the co-presidents are ...

Changes include "relevant" vocabulary, math that matters, and no penalty for wrong answers

by Aleah JenningsNewhouse

Staff Writer

For years, the SAT has been demanding students to write a grueling 25-minute essay, study vocabulary words that they have never seen before, and answer math questions that are difficult only because of the obscure way in which they are phrased.

Now, the SAT is about to change.

On March 5, The College Board announced upcoming changes to the one of the two most widely used standardized college admissions tests in the United States (the other is the ACT). The updated test

STACKED Test preparation books such as the ones above will

need to be rewritten now that the College Board is revising the SAT.

photo by Olive Lopez

will premiere in the spring of 2016.

The Board, a non-profit organization founded in 1900 to “expand access to higher education,” highlighted eight main goals for changing the test.

To improve the current Critical Reading and Writing sections, the new SAT will focus on relevant

COACHELLA: CHoosing The Best Music Fest Legend reporter survives, reviews desert concert

words in context, test for a command of evidence in writing, and the ability to analyze an essay.

For the math section, there will be a focus on math that matters most, and problems grounded in

see SAT, page 2

Inside

elected co-presidents for the 2014-2015 school year. The two will lead All-School meetings, run Student Committee, and plan school events for Urban students.

off the grid returns, revamped Pork buns, Filipino cuisine attract Fort Mason foodies – pages 4-5

– page 6 urbanlegendnews@urbanschool.org

photo by Niki King Fredel

Dream Team Olive Lopez ('15) and Jacob Winick ('15) were

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Just Say (K)No(w) E-cigarettes no healthier than old-school smokes, Legend writer says – page 3 Please recycle

News

2

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May 2014

The Urban Legend

SAT: 'Rigorous course work' still the best way to prep for test

from page 1 real-world contexts. It will also test for the ability to analyze in science and in history/social studies, and include questions about founding documents and the “Great Global Conversation.” The test will also stop penalizing for wrong answers.

Unfortunately for sophomores and juniors who are frustrated with the current test, the new version will not come out in time to make a difference.

Responding via email to questions posed by the Legend, Brendan Dunlap ('15) wrote that he wishes there was “less emphasis on memorizing words that could be on the test.”

“Even after having studied 500-plus words,” he wrote, “there were some on my SAT that I had never seen in my life.”

"Another would be to de-complicate the math section,” Dunlap wrote.

“What are they even testing for?” he added. “It's hardly math — it’s more like strange riddle-solving.”

“I would have had fewer sections," wrote Kim Davidson (’14). "I think it’s a bit cruel to include an extra section just as a ‘test.’”

Other important changes coming from the Board include a shorter test, as the essay portion will be optional. If a student chooses to write the essay, he or she will have twice as much time as before, and write with the purpose

"Our goal is to support college readiness and success" —College Board

of analysis, instead of to taking a position on a presented topic.

This change brings the SAT closer to the essay section on the ACT, the other widely used standardized college admissions test.

Writing the essay also is optional, but it lasts for only 30 minutes, and takes place at the end of the test.

Ted Olney-Bell (‘14) wrote that he “hated the essay part” of the SAT. He has taken it twice, and received the same score on the essay both times, although he considered the second essay he wrote to be considerably worse.

“I naturally thought (the scoring) was wrong,” he wrote. “I'm not sure what it was that caused this to happen … but I feel that it had something to do with the format or grading of the essay.”

“I'm just glad that they understood the fact that the original essay section was flawed,” he wrote.

Joe Weinberg (’14) agreed: “I'm just glad they are changing (the

SAT) at all. I appreciate the fact that they are taking steps to improve it, even if it doesn't directly affect me,” he wrote to the Legend.

On April 16, David Coleman, president and CEO of The College Board, and Cyndie Schmeiser, chief of assessment for the Board, explained their reasoning in a letter following the announcement of the changes: “Our members, including admission officers, school counselors, teachers, and students, have called on us to change the SAT and go beyond assessment to deliver opportunity.”

“Our goal is to support college readiness and success for more students and to make sure that those who are prepared take full advantage of the opportunities they’ve earned through their hard work,” they wrote.

Coleman’s work instituting the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) aligns with the new SAT’s practical application in college

admissions. The CCSS is a set of standards for what students should know by the end of each grade in public schools. Private schools have the option to adopt the standards.

Test changes also mean changes to test prep. The Board’s website suggests that “(r)igorous course work will be, more than ever, the best preparation for the SAT.” Thomas Su (’17) is in the first class that will take the new SAT. “I think that it will be difficult for us as the first class because we don't exactly know what to expect,” he wrote.

“I can't say I'm excited to try out the new version of the SAT when my future is so dependent on it,” wrote Charlotte Pohl (’17).

Urban’s college counselors Lauren Gersick and Susan Lee will attend a meeting with other Bay Area independent school college counselors May 1 at Stanford University to discuss the new SAT.

URBANITEMS

One Acts

Head to the Gumption Theater May 28 to May 31 to view a sampling of what the Urban theatrical community has to offer. The annual One Acts festival features eight original shorts written, designed, directed and produced by Urban seniors including: Ella Andrew, Katie Wilson, Mabel Taylor, Michael Fontana, Kaitlin McKinnon, Xander Beberman, Rico Colley, Joe Weinberg, Ricki Blakesburg, Sam Dobrow, Seth Rosner, Harrison Golding, Celeste Kamiya, and Alana Sheppard. For more information, contact Frances Evans at fevens@ urbanschool.org.

Affinity Show

An exploration of the vast chasm of identities and how they intersect, this year’s Affinity Show will feature monologues, visual art, musical performances, and other pieces created by Urban students. The show is put on by members of the multicultural affinity clubs at Urban including: Gay Straight Alliance, Students for Women’s Equity and Rights, Young Men’s Group, Students of Color, Multi-Ethnic Students and Hapa Club, and White Privilege Awareness. The show takes place May 15. For more information contact Ken GarciaGonzales at kgarciagonzales@urbanschool.org.

Rafting

Urban students will navigate the rapids of the American River for an annual end-of-the-year tradition led by the Urban Sherpas. The trip begins June 18 and ends June 24. The rafting portion will range from more intense rapids to tranquil waters, aiming to suit any adventurer.

Afterwards, campers will cook meals together in the outdoor kitchen and sleep beneath the stars at the Environmental Traveling Companions river campsite. For more information, contact Rachel Fristedt at rfristedt@urbanschool.org.

—Reporting by Olivia DiNapoli, Zoe Meneghetti, and Ian Shapiro. Icons by Jonathan Fritsch (theater) and Diego Naive (theater mask), from The Noun Project/Creative Commons licensed. Icon of raft by Joan Cima from The Noun Project/public domain.

Features

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3

May 2014

The Urban Legend

Social smoking among teens makes a resurgence

by Niki King Fredel

Staff Writer

It’s a hazy Friday night. A group of teens gathers, passing around a pack of cigarettes. This isn’t the 1950s. This is happening here and now with Urban students, despite the now-public knowledge that smoking leads to addiction and diseases like lung cancer.

Cigarette smoking is not, as many public health officials hoped, dying out. In fact, according to health experts, it appears as if smoking is making a comeback.

Are teenagers no longer afraid of death? Is Tumblr culture romanticizing the consumption of tobacco? Have teenagers forgotten just how dangerous smoking is?

According to a March 2010 Youth Smoking by the California Department of Public Health, “(s) moking prevalence rates decreased dramatically across all grades from 1996 to 2004. In 2006, this trend was reversed, with an increase across all grades. In 2008, the smoking prevalence rate decreased for 8th and 10th graders from 2006 but was not lower than the levels achieved in 2004. However, the smoking prevalence rate increased for 12th graders from 2006 to 2008.”

One theory behind the uptick in smoking among teens is that movies are making cigarettes cool again.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2005 to 2010, the use of tobacco in PG-13 major motion pictures decreased.

However, smokes have returned to the silver screen: In 2010, there were 565 tobacco appearances in movies, but in 2012, the number rose to 1,155.

A survey administered to 357 Urban students by Health Initiative for Peer Education in 2013 found that 28 percent of those surveyed have used cigarettes and 11 percent have purchased cigarettes. By contrast, the Centers for Disease Control in 2012 found that 14 percent of U.S. high school students smoke.

Smoking is popular among San Francisco residents, a possible reason for the high smoking rates at Urban.

An article published on sfgate.com in 2010 quoted state public health officials as reporting that “(d)ensely populated counties had an average adult smoking rate of 10.9 percent, compared with 13.5 percent in San Francisco and 14 percent in Sacramento.”

Graphic ad campaigns target teens

SUMMER & FALL www.urbanlegendnews.org

• KNOW WHY YOU WANT TO QUIT. Give yourself an

incentive - it will be hard to stay motivated and follow through if you will not feel satisfied afterwards.

• FIND ANOTHER WAY TO COPE WITH STRESS. Take up a physical activity to help relax rather than lighting up to relieve anxiety. Physical activity can also help reduce nicotine cravings and relieve withdrawal symptoms.

• CHANGE YOUR ROUTINE TO AVOID SMOKING TRIGGERS. Stop hanging out with other smokers, or take a

walk instead of picking up a cigarette to help break your habit.

• KEEP YOUR HANDS AND MOUTH BUSY. Chew gum,

drink tea, or eat small snacks whenever you get a pesky nicotine craving.

• GET A SUPPORT SYSTEM. Enlist your parents to help

you stick to your quit plan. If you’re not comfortable talking to your parents, recruit your friends to help you stay motivated.

—Reporting by Olivia Lopez. Sources: Jenn Epstein, Urban health teacher; WebMD; Centers for Disease Control

Allure of e-cigarettes obscures possible risks, health experts say

by Ariane Goldsmith

These c a m paigns

by Olive Lopez may sound Staff Writer convincA woman looks at the camera, rasping ing, albeit through a prominent hole in her throat. extreme. But She takes the viewer through her morning do they work routine: Putting in her teeth, putting on a on teens? wig, and placing a walnut sized hands-free A Legend surdevice in her throat so that she can speak vey conducted clearly. Then she ties a scarf around her on March 31 usneck to cover it, looking disconsolate. ing SurveymonTerrie Hall, a former smoker, lost her key found that 50 larynx due to oral and throat cancer, and percent of the 100 died on Sept. 16, 2013. She is featured in a students responding 2013 anti-smoking campaign by the Cenbelieved that graphic ters for Disease Control and Prevention images are effective in (CDC). persuading teens not to A 2013 study in the journal Lancet found smoke. that the campaign prompted roughly Jenn Epstein, Urban’s 100,000 smokers to quit after airing for freshman health teacher and just 12 weeks. co-leader of the Health InitiaRecently, the CDC began broadcasting tive for Peer Education, thinks a new video campaign, called “Real Cost,” that anti-smoking campaigns aimed at teens. can be effective for younger Roughly 90 percent of all smokers begin students. smoking before they are 18, according to But for older students, the the CDC. The campaign is about “trying “cool” factor that cigarettes have to reach those kids who are on the cusp still prompts students start smoking, of smoking,” according to Food and Drug she said.

Administration Commissioner Margaret A 2013 HIPE survey shows that the Hamburg. The FDA works with the CDC number of students who try smoking proto promote public health. gressively increases from freshman to senior Like Terrie’s gruesome morning ritual, year. the “Real Cost” videos feature teens peelAlthough the majority of Urban students ing off their skin and pulling out their teeth don’t ever try smoking, those who do often in order to pay what is said to be the real want to feel grown-up, rebellious, and cool, cost of smoking cigarettes.

Cigarette illustration by Marie Bergsund Epstein said.

COMING UP

Just Say kno w

Into the Woods SF Playhouse June 8-Sept. 6

Electronic cigarettes are trendy, but their impact may be more serious than their sweet and innocuous flavors imply.

E-cigarettes are being marketed as a tool to quit smoking and a safer alternative to regular cigarettes, but the lack of research and regulations has caused controversy.

“E-cigarettes have not been fully studied so consumers currently don’t know: The potential risks of e-cigarettes when used as intended, how much nicotine or other potentially harmful chemicals are being inhaled during use, or if there are any benefits associated with using these products,” warns the website of the Food and Drug Administration.

E-cigarettes are devices that heat liquid nicotine into an aerosol that can be inhaled through a mouthpiece. The liquid nicotine cartridges that go inside e-cigarettes come in a variety of flavors, including strawberry, peach, chocolate, mint, coffee — which seem harmless, but liquid

Bay Area One Acts Festival Fall

Staff Writer

nicotine itself is poisonous.

“These ‘e-liquids,’ the key ingredients in e-cigarettes, are powerful neurotoxins,” reported The New York Times on March 23.

“Tiny amounts, whether ingested or absorbed through the skin, can cause vomiting and seizures and even be lethal. A teaspoon of even highly diluted e-liquid can kill a small child.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drinking ‘eliquid’ sent over 200 people to hospitals in February 2014, compared to one person in December 2010. Most reports of nicotine poisoning have been of kids under the age of five, but some include teenagers.

“The most common adverse health effects in e-cigarette exposure calls were vomiting, nausea, and eye irritation,” reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on April 4. “One suicide death from intravenous injection of nicotine liquid was reported to (poison centers).”

The same report noted that “(e)cigarettes accounted for an increasing proportion of combined monthly ecigarette and cigarette exposure calls, increasing from 0.3 percent in September 2010 to 41.7 percent in February 2014.”

San Francisco is among several cities and states that have decided to regulate e-cigarette smoking the same way they restrict use of regular cigarettes. Voicing concern over teens, city supervisors passed an ordinance restricting e-cigarette use on March 18.

SF Improv Fest Sept. 10-20

The Taming of the Shrew Presidio Aug. 30-Sept. 21

Please recycle

5 Spread design by Mara Pleasure.

Food Trucks by Marie Bergsund and Zoe Meneghetti.

Off the Grid photograph by Olive Lopez.

Silhouettes by Tessa Petrich.

Reporting by Ilana Brandstetter, Zoe Meneghetti, Tessa Petrich and Mara Pleasure.

4

fROM ROACH COACH TO FINE DINING: Food trucks Global cuisines draw entrepreneurs, foodies to Fort Mason Fridays

by Tessa Petrich and Mara Pleasure

Staff Writers

Strings of lights illuminating the navy blue sky, the roaring sound of kids playing circus games, and people socializing and eating out of ecofriendly containers.

On a recent March Friday night, it was all part of the scene at Off the Grid in the Fort Mason Center, in San Francisco’s Marina District.

California’s largest weekday food market was recently revamped for 2014, adding games and string lights to many venues, more food truck variety, and expanding OTG locations across the Bay Area.

Food trucks became a popular trend in San Fran-

cisco and all over California beginning in 2010, when OTG began. OTG represents food truck owners and vendors, sponsoring public events and offering help with publicity and advertising.

Marianne Despres, the owner of El Sur, an empanada truck, said that she appreciates OTG’s help with marketing, while Josh Yazzie, the manager of the Curry Up Now truck, said that the best thing about OTG is social. “(A)ll these trucks come together,” he said. “Not to compete but to compliment each other. We’re all friends.”

Along with delicious food, the camaraderie is evident in comments from customers and vendors.

Curtis Lam, 34, an owner

of Chairman Bao, a food truck that serves original Asian street food such as steamed and baked buns, likes how OTG offers an opportunity to “see all the people.”

Craig Blum, 50, the owner of Johnny Doughnuts, said OTG lets him “reach more people” and added that the “community is really cool.”

Blum has worked in the food business for 30 years, but for the last 10, he has dreamed of having his own food truck.

When he was finally able to make that dream a reality, he did not do it lightly. It took “two years to develop recipes,” Blum said, but now his truck has found the perfect mission: To “bring respect back to the donut.”

OTG at Fort Mason Center not only offers 32 different food vendors every Friday night, but also live music from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

A visit to OTG found a wide range of delicious bites, from Chicken Tikka Masala Burritos, to FilipinoMexican fusion Sisig Fries , and Korean BBQ Beef KoJa sandwiches with garlic rice patty buns.

Prices range anywhere from $3.75 to $14 and up, but generally a good meal can be had for $7.

To small business owners, it’s no news that the food business is competitive and difficult.

In a Jan. 18, 2013 Huffington Post article, “Food Truck Failures Reveal Dark Side, But Hope Shines Through,” Matthew Geller, chief ex-

ecutive of the Southern California Mobile Food Vendors Association. estimated that about 31 of the 100 trucks launched in 2012 failed.

According to food truck owners, OTG and other food truck events give owners and chefs more freedom than typical restaurants do, allowing them to move their trucks to meet demand.

Opening a food truck meant “more flexibility” in her career, Despres said, adding, “I love cooking … I’ve been cooking my entire life.”

Go online at offthegridsf.com/markets to find the OTG venue closest to you for your fix of fusion foods, decadent desserts, and local community bonding.

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6

Arts

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May 2014

The Urban Legend

Blazing hot desert provides unforgettable weekend

by Sam Johnson

were regrettably unimpressive. Artists at Coachella were able to bring their own flare to ven in 90-degree weather the stage by use of guests and and intense sandstorms, visual elements, but Lorde’s the Coachella 2014 performance consisted of her musicfest prevailed over the singing alone on the stage for elements, and provided an an hour with no added special amazing two weekends for effects to make the perforfestivalgoers. mance memorable.

With headliners such as Besides the incredible OutKast, Muse, Arcade Fire, music, the Coachella festival Skrillex, Pharrell Williams, Kid was an amazing experience.

Cudi, and many more, CoachNot only were there five music ella was jam-packed with stages, with artists constantly different genres catering to an playing for 13 hours each day, audience of more than 225,000 but other activities offered attendees on each of the two fun escapes from the heat, weekends. including five air-conditioned Coachella could not have ofrooms featuring perks, such fered a better lineup this year, as free popsicles, a fashion one well worth the $375 ticket show starring price. A wide festivalgoers, variety of both big and several name and lesserknown bands had "The performances phone charging stations. broad appeal. were Food Only at Coachunforgettable." was the real ella could artists attraction, like Pharrell and —Jenny Assaf however.

Girl Talk perform ('16) With more with artists such than 50 food as, Jay-Z, T.I., vendors, Usher, Tyga, Busta there was Rhymes, and always someWaka Flocka Flame. thing new to try.

Despite the massive audiLike the music at Coachence, however, some artists, ella, the diverse food options including 17-year-old Lorde,

E

Desert Music

Staff Writer

At left: Broken Bells performs at one of Coachella's five stages.

Below: The 150-foot-tall Ferris wheel stands among palm trees, creating a Southern California vibe for Coachella attendees.

satisfied all taste buds. The only downside was the price.

One slice of pizza — though delicious — varied from $7 to $9 depending on what stand it was from. The food and drink costs added up, considering long days, constant heat, and lots of dancing.

To their credit, Coachella festival organizers provided ways for festivalgoers to save money. There were free “water fill stations, and attendees also were paid 10 cents for every empty water bottle they brought to a stand for recycling.

Above all, for those who

attended Coachella, it was fellow listeners who made the fest unforgettable, including tourists from all over the world who came to the middle of the desert to watch live music.

“People keep asking me what my favorite performance was,” said attendee Sonia Fillipow (’16), “but honestly I loved them all.”

“I met some incredible people,” said Jenny Assaf (’16), adding that “some were pretty crazy but others were really nice.”

“The performances were unforgettable,” Assaf added.

“And even though it was

unbearably hot at some points, there was always the amazing food to get me through the day.”

Photo of Broken Bells by Phoebe Yusim/special to the Legend.

Photo of Coachella Ferris wheel

by Sam Johnson

Coachella not an option? Get these lists indie rock

Blue Boy by Mac Demarco Long Hair by Drowners Brothers by Tanlines Human by DIIV Talking Backwards by Real Estate Hannah Hunt by Vampire Weekend Someday by The Strokes Tessellate by Alt-J Teenage Icon by The Vaccines

playlists by Niki King Fredel

Outside Lands When: Aug. 8 to Aug. 10, 2014 Where: Golden Gate Park (the Polo Fields, Speedway Meadow, and Lindley Meadow), San Francisco Who: All genres, including Kanye West, Arctic Monkeys, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.

Tickets: $275 (3-day general admission), $115 (1-day general admission) Fun Fact: “Outside Lands was the name used in the 19th century for the present-day Richmond District and Sunset District in San Francisco, California. With few roads and no public transportation, the area was covered by sand dunes and was considered inaccessible and uninhabitable.”

(Wikipedia) Website: www.SFOutsideLands.com www.urbanlegendnews.org

alternative rap IV. Sweatpants (ft. JANKINS) by Childish Gambino In a Dream by Hodgy Beats Flexin & Finessin (ft. Juicy J) by Iggy Azalea Play Your Part by The Underachievers Tamale by Tyler, the Creator Cocoa Butter Kisses (ft..Vic Mensa & Twista) by Chance the Rapper

indie electronic Latch by Disclosure Wait & See by Holy Ghost!

Don't Move by Phantogram Gun by CHVRCHES Compliment Your Soul by Dan Croll All The Places by MADE IN HEIGHTS While I'm Alive by STRFKR How I Know by Toro y Moi

Coming Soon Rock the Bells When: September 2014 (2013 dates were Sept. 14-15) Where: ShorelineAmphitheatre,MountainView,California.

Who: Hip hop, rap, and electronica artists Tickets: $99 (2-day general admission), $65.50 (1-day general admission) Fun Fact: “The first festival was held in 2004, featuring a re-united Wu-Tang Clan, who performed four months before Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s death” (Wikipedia). In 2013, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, as well as Eazy-E, did holographic performances at the festival.

Website: www.RockTheBells.net —Reporting by Ariane Goldsmith

Treasure Island When: Oct. 18-19, 2014 Where: Treasure Island, San Francisco Who: Day One lineups include electronica and hiphop/rap artists, while Day Two lineups include rock and indie rock artists.

Tickets: $150 (2-day general admission), $85 (1-day general admission) Fun Fact: The location of Treasure Island, San Francisco is a man-made island that was originally built from 1936 to 1937 for the Golden Gate International Exposition in 1939, which was part of the 1939 World’s Fair. Now, the man-made island hosts events including a monthly flea market and a variety of music events.

Website: www.TreasureIslandFestival.com Please recycle

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Opinion

7

May 2014

Editorial

The Urban Legend

Put this in your e-cig, and smoke it Aleah Jennings-Newhouse

Staff Writer

I can’t remember a time when anti-smoking ads weren’t everywhere. Pictures depicting emaciated bodies, graphics of … well, graphic lung disease, and the omnipresent threat of cancer, are just a few of the messages I've seen on billboards and television screens.

Some 50 years after the first report from the Surgeon General’s Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health, the world is wellaware of the devastating impact of smoking tobacco.

However, consumers aren't as versed in the potential impact of what's marketed as the no-risk alternative: E-cigarettes.

The problem is, it’s possible that it’s more than just consumers who are out of the loop.

For all we know, the scientists, manufacturers, and chief executives of companies that count on us to keep their paychecks flowing are just as unsure as to the longterm risks of e-cigarettes, not to mention restrictions on sales to minors and mandated warnings on packages, which won’t make e-cigarettes more appealing. From a capitalist perspective, it's in the best interest of manufacturers to keep us in the dark.

But it’s easy enough to shed

T

light on the issue. A preliminary search online turns up a Sept. 24, 2013 article on ABC News that reported “(t)he jury is out” on ecigarette health risks.

Add this to the vapor flavors like bubblegum, gummy bear, and cherry that directly target a young consumer base, and the fact that so far, there is only talk of a federal age restriction on who can buy these new products. The result is a public health nightmare in the making.

Advocates of e-cigarettes tout their potential to help current smokers quit. Yet according to a March 24 story in the Washington Post, researchers writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association wrote that e-cigarettes could not be associated with “greater rates of quitting cigarettes or reduced cigarette consumption."

With so many tried and true options available to smokers who want to quit, why bother with a method that could potentially do more harm than good?

The dark reality is that ecigarette use by young people is on the rise. Data published by the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention indicate that the percentage of middle and high school students who use e-cigarettes more than doubled from 4.7 percent in 2011 to 10 percent in 2012.

Tim McAfee, a physician and director of the CDC Office on Smoking and Health, has said that “(a)bout 90 percent of all smokers begin smoking as teenagers.” Cigarette smoking is still the “leading preventable cause of disease, disability, and death” in America.

Do we really want to give young people another way to light up?

Urban's a liberal school and that means tolerating different habits. But if we subject what we study in class to high-level analysis, there is no reason that we should not think critically about what we do. When it comes to your health, you can’t turn in a recycle to make up for smoking.

Our actions now will not only determine how much we have to pay in medical bills in the future, but they will shape the relationships between the people that buy, make, and regulate the products we use.

We owe it to ourselves to consider the impacts of the choices we make. In the words of Jenn Epstein, Urban’s freshman health teacher: “Just say K-now.”

Every year, for the last 26 years, Urban has elected co-presidents to lead AllSchool Meetings, plan events, and guide student committee. And every year, under a rule in force since 1988, Urban has elected one boy and one girl.

The voter survey we’re sent asks us to choose our favorite girl and favorite boy for a leadership position.

But what if we don’t want a boy and a girl?

What if the male candidates aren’t strong enough to compete with the females?

Why can’t we choose two boys or two girls?

Our ability to elect who we truly want for co-president is smothered by Urban’s need to let everyone — students, prospective students, and parents alike — know that we support gender equality.

Yet if we elect two girls or two guys as co-presidents, it’s not because we’re sexist, or they don’t believe in Urban’s message, even though for some that might be the case. It’s because we want a pair who will support our ideals.

If co-presidents represent the student body, why not let students choose who they want?

The point of electing a boy and a girl is to ensure two different perspectives, but in an environment as inclusive as Urban's,

the election should make sure that students choose the two best candidates, regardless of their sex.

Urban doesn’t need to force students to vote for one girl and one boy to make sure everyone is being represented. That happens by allowing everyone to vote. If Hillary Clinton runs for president in 2016, would we require her to run with a male vicepresident? Or even a black male president?

No, and the same logic applies at Urban. We should let students decide what is best for us instead of deciding for us.

Ironically, insisting on a one girl/one boy policy also doesn't make academic sense. Urban is forcing its students to succumb to a binary understanding of gender. How can Urban require freshmen to take Identity and Ethnic Studies, where we are repeatedly told that gender is a social construction, and at the same time demand that we check a box saying "male" or "female" to run for student committee?

By forcing students to vote for one boy and one girl, we are reinforcing the same misconception of gender we are fighting so hard to discredit.

We deserve to elect two students who reflect our interests — regardless of gender.

This editorial represents a consensus view of the Legend staff.

Comment on this story at urbanlegendnews.org/category/opinions

The Urban Legend

he Urban Legend is a vehicle of student freedom of expression and a public forum for The Urban School community. It is produced several times per year during the academic term by the journalism class. We also publish the Legend online at www.urbanlegendnews.org.

We welcome feedback about our articles and we also encourage readers to contact us directly with tips or ideas concerning future coverage.

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Keep gender out of student leadership election decisions

This issue of the Legend was led by rising juniors and seniors.

Editors-in-Chief: Mara Pleasure/Layout & Design and Jacob Winick/News Mentor Editors-in-Chiefs: Tessa Petrich and Ella McLeod Section Editors (and student mentors): Arts: Sam Johnson (Mara Pleasure) Caboose & Folio: Ariane Goldsmith (Aideen Murphy) Features: Ilana Brandstetter (Hannah Berk) Online: Aleah Jennings-Newhouse Opinions: Griffin Bianchi (Jacob Winick) Photo: Niki King Fredel (Olive Lopez) Staff Writers: Marie Bergsund, Ilana Brandstetter, Olivia DiNapoli, Lily Dodd, Jack Gallo, Ariane Goldsmith, Niki King Fredel, Zoe Meneghetti, Olivia Morfit, Aleah Jennings-Newhouse, Sam Johnson, Ian Shapiro Adviser: Beatrice Motamedi

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May 2014

The Urban Legend

Dear Yeti,

Disclaimer: I am neither a psychiatrist nor a doctor, and you should not take my advice as the final word on the subject.

If you believe you are in a life-threatening situation, speak to an adult. Consider consulting Urban’s in-house experts, who helped me out with my answers below, including Urban's health teachers, Shafia Zaloom and Jenn Epstein, and Urban’s counselor, Kaern Kreyling.

Check out dearyeti.tumblr.com to ask your own questions and check out more of my responses. Questions have been edited for style and for clarity. —The Yeti

Dear Yeti,

I dated someone for a while and I can honestly say that I was in love. I still am, really. We started hooking up again recently, and he treats me like his girlfriend. He has a picture of me on his desk, I'm his top Snapchat buddy, I have his spare key. He holds my hand in front of his friends, calls me "babe," the whole thing. But occasionally he'll just disappear for a couple of days and not talk to me, or blow me off and act like I don't matter. What should I do?

I am afraid you are suffering from what we here in journalism class call, “being in love with a mean boy.” That may be a little harsh. Maybe he’s not mean, but he is taking advantage of you. You need to ask yourself, “What do I want from this relationship?”

It seems like he only wants you when it’s convenient. Only when he’s not sick of you; only when he’s in the mood. And when he’s not in the mood, he’s manipulative, hurtful, and has no regard for your feelings. Do you really want your picture on the desk of a person like that?

Are you looking for a casual hookup? No strings attached? No emotions, someone whose only purpose is to serve as proof that you are wanted? It seems to me that this is what he wants. You say you love him, but what you want is commitment.

Break up with him. You’ll get a new best friend on Snapchat.

Dear Yeti,

I’m scared of growing up because I know that I can’t go back.

What should I do?

I feel like you’re not giving growing up the credit it deserves. Have you ever seen people in their 20s? Those people are ravishing. They have the world at their fingertips. They walk downtown with their coffees and their colored pants and they don’t have a single care about math tests or parties or going to lunch alone. This is because they are adult humans! They have freedom, which is exciting.

Obviously, being a teenager is fun, or at least, like, 52 percent fun. Being a kid was almost 90 percent fun, and of course I miss running around in sprinklers and not having homework and sleeping for four hours and actually feeling excited about it, but you know what I don’t miss? Not being able to read big books, someone else buying my clothes, having to go everywhere with an adult. Sure, I wish I didn’t have to spend hours of every single day on a computer, but I’m still glad I know stoichiometry. I’m glad I can do the present perfect subjunctive tense in Spanish. I’m glad I’m in charge of my future.

If you’re lucky, you will have had a childhood worth missing. And if you continue to be lucky, you will have an adult life worth looking forward to.

Good luck.

Get ready for the Urban Legend's first ever...

magazine coming out in early June.

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Dear Yeti,

How do I ask someone to prom?

It can be very tempting to swoop in on your motorcycle, carrying a huge bouquet of flowers and a box of cupcakes that say “PROM?”. You might also feel the urge to do this in front of a large group of people. But take heed because the person you are asking can still say “no.” This is very important. Remember that. Your askee can always say no.

My recommendation is that if you aren’t absolutely, 100 percent certain of a “yes,” nor are you very willing to suffer humiliation, try doing something small. Literally, just ask. Say, “Would you like to go to prom with me?” This is your best bet to avoid embarrassment. Trust me.

But let’s say, for the sake of argument, you find this method boring. Let’s say you still want to do something big, but you don’t want to suffer the potentially red-faced consequences.

My advice would be to do a “two-step” ask. First, approach or call — I guess you could text if you’re annoying — and ask the person if they’d be willing to go to prom with you.

Say you’d like to ask them in a big way, but you want their permission first. Because, remember, not everyone enjoys the spotlight.

Lastly, do not be afraid to ask someone to prom! I think it’s fair to say that most Urban students want to go with dates.

And the answer is always a “no” if you don’t ask, right?

Illustration by Tessa Petrich

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