FALL EDITION 2017
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THE GALLERY Six months remaining: Trump announces DACA repeal DSA’s newsmagazine 400 N. Duke Street Durham, NC 27701 dsagallery.com
BY ELEANOR DILWORTH
STAFF EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Izzy Salazar Eleanor Dilworth LEAD REPORTERS Oyinda Ajasa, Caroline Batten, Ira Ilagan, Kyle Lewis, Diego Moncada, Anna Neal, Elise Roth, and Lezi Truesdale REPORTERS Stella Domec, N’Saun Gentry, Stephany Guzman, Ella Nuñez, Ayesha Sanchez, Mary Wang, and PHOTO BY ELEANOR DILWORTH Oliver Weaver A sign found hanging in the hallway of the New Building that welcomes all STAFF ADVISER Patrick Ritchie COVER ART Frances Zehmer
EDITORIAL POLICY The Gallery is an open forum for the free expression of student thought that fairly represents the voice of the students. Our mission is to inform the student body by exposing issues to the majority, allowing the minority a voice to be heard, and helping to connect to DSA’s community through the paper. The Gallery staff will determine the stories and material to be covered in an issue and reserve the right to accept or decline material for each issue. The decision for advertising relies on the discretion of the editorial staff of The Gallery.
students. These signs come as a response to the increased controversy over immigration since the 2016 election. Across the country people took to the deemed unconstitutional. streets chanting in unison, carrying ban“DACA was temporary, and it was unners and hand-painted signs, all united constitutional, the way it was done, hurby a common cause. ried and incomplete, but it was done with The September 5th announcement by good intentions,” Juarez stated. Attorney General Jeff Sessions that the Obama’s plan was for a more permaDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals nent solution to be carried out by Con(DACA) program would be ending started gress. However, that never came to fruia rush to find a solution and prepare for tion. what might happen. The action taken by President Trump Since the program began in 2012, ends all new applications for the program DACA has offered protection from depor- and gives it an expiration date. Some fear tation to over 800,000 immigrants who that this will leave recipients to be deportcame to the US as children. ed back to countries they may not even Immigration has been a controversial remember. topic that only became more polarized Many of the children protected under during the 2016 election cycle with Presi- DACA, sometimes called Dreamers, ardent Trump’s calls for a border wall. Now, rived in the US as babies and toddlers, however, DACA has taken the main stage unaware of the circumstances. in the debate over immigration. “They should let those that have al“As far as immigration goes I think ready started a life in America stay here,” DACA is the most important issue right Olivia Fernandez, senior, said. “It’s unjust now,” Sam Juarez said. that the dreamers are being penalized for The fate of the 800,000 children cur- something that was out of their control.” rently protected under DACA hangs in Many solutions have been proposed, the balance as President Trump and oth- but it is unclear if Congress will be able to ers on Capitol Hill push for DACA to be find common ground and pass legislation. addressed formally by Congress. One such suggestion is the Dream Act, In 2012 Obama signed DACA as an which was first proposed in 2001. The executive order, a move that many have Dream Act is a bill that would provide
immigrants brought to the US as children a pathway to citizenship if they meet certain requirements. “A great solution, in my opinion, would be an end to DACA, establishment of the Dream Act, and congress funding border security,” Juarez proposed. “I would rather have the Dream Act because it allows these kids that already have DACA a pathway to citizenship.” While many are focused on coming up with a replacement, the fears that one won’t be found in time has led people to question possible implications on the economy if the program were to end and participants were deported. The hit would be an estimated 433 billion dollar hit to the GDP over the next ten years. “I can’t think of any good that could come from repealing DACA. I can see it hurting the American economy,” Fernandez commented. While the much of the focus in the news has been over congress’ response and the economy, a repeal could have disastrous effects for the thousands of individuals and families that could be impacted. According to the Center for American Progress, 65 percent of DACA recipients are currently in school, whether that be high school or higher education. In North Carolina alone there are about 27,000 DACA recipients. “Hopefully this won’t impact anyone at DSA and prevent them from getting an education here,” Fernandez said. However, with less than six months until the program is shut down, the clock is ticking on the fate of 800,000 young people across the country.
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Fall Edition 2017
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Carr Building sheds its dark past BY IZZY SALAZAR Walking past the building that houses teacher, did not know much about Julian remedy that. maybe not the final say. I think that the sixth and seventh grade classes, one Carr before the name was removed, ei“They will [know] before the year’s would be appropriate to also involve stuwill notice that the blue DPS sign that ther. He has since learned more. over, because we’ll be talking about it. dents in that, but they need to take the announced the buildtime to research it, as us ing’s name has been refaculty should as well,” moved. Mr. Isaacs said. “I think On August 23, the it would be fantastic to Durham Public Schools name [the building] afschool board voted ter McKissick, and the unanimously to remove folks who integrated the the name Julian Carr school. That would be from the middle school an excellent choice.” building at DSA. This However, Ms. Beyer decision was made at stated that she is not the same time as the aware of plans to reschool board decided to name the building. ban symbols represent“I know the Ading white supremacy. ministration and the The building was named Board would be open the Julian S. Carr Juto thoughts from the nior High School in school community at 1945, and the name was Durham School of the kept when the school Arts. I assume these became part of DSA. any recommendations “Our concern was would be discussed at due to Julian Carr’s racthe School Improveist views, particularly ment Team at DSA and graphically described in reflect the wishes of the his speech at the Silent school community,” Sam memorial dedicaMs. Beyer said. “I astion on the UNC Chapsume the DSA commuel Hill campus. In that nity needs to consider speech Carr said he if the building needs an ‘horse-whipped a negro official name or can be wench until her skirts named more informalhung in shreds’. The Suly.” perintendent and Board Regardless of what felt that it was importPHOTO COURTESY OF THE HERALD SUN happens to the midant to remove Carr’s dle school building (as Workers remove the plaque labeling DSA’s middle school building in August. The decision to remove the name as we move forname Julian Carr from the building was made in response to his racist comments in a 1913 speech dedicat- it is temporarily being ward in a spirit of equity called), Mr. Isaacs being the “Silent Sam” statue at UNC. The Durham Public Schools school board voted unanimously on August for all students,” Natalie lieves that people need 23 to remove the name Julian Carr from the building at DSA as well as banning symbols representing white Beyer, DPS school board to do some serious supremacy including the Confederate flag. member, explained. thinking. The removal of the “It’s very important for all people, not “I hate to admit it, as a history teach- They should know- they’re living and name came as some surprise to Mandie er, but no I didn’t... do any research. So it they’re learning the history, and it’s all just teachers and children, but for all peoRobertson, sixth grade Language Arts came as a surprise. As with many things interrelated to the statue coming down ple to honestly take the time to put themteacher, as she was not aware of Carr’s of this nature, it’s complicated because I [and] to what’s going on in the world. selves in someone else’s shoes. It’s real history. also understand that [Carr] apparently You all need to be taught to think about easy for people of privilege to be like, ‘Oh, “I asked somebody who it was named was a benefactor of NCCU as well, which things, and question things, and make you shouldn’t change that, it’s tradition, after, and I was told he was a philanthro- seems like a contradiction, but, that’s not your own decisions,” Ms. Robertson said. it’s the way it’s always been, why’re you pist, and I didn’t know any more than uncommon for the time period that we’re Both teachers agreed that if the build- making such a big deal out of it,’ but it can that until [the event took place]...then I talking about,” Mr. Isaacs said. ing is going to be renamed, there should be a real slap in the face to people who read and I learned a little bit more about Both teachers stated that their students be some student input in who it is named feel deeply about it, and I think everyhim,” Ms. Robertson explained. one... needs to be thoughtful about that know minimal information about who after. Mr. Isaacs, sixth grade Social Studies Carr was. Ms. Robertson is working to “I want students to have input, but and reflective,” Mr. Isaacs finished.
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AU students who plant together stay together BY KYLE LEWIS Students exchange plants, seeds are buried in the newly placed soil, and the greenhouse glows with energy as James O’Briant, AU teacher, leads students in planting activities at the DSA garden. As the fall weather sets in, the students with autism (AU) at DSA have began to work on their greenhouse project. Mr. O’Briant, the lead teacher for the AU program at DSA, manages the four classrooms for students with autism. Each classroom has about 7-9 students in it with a lead teacher and three assistants. With five class periods a day, the AU program functions similar to other high school schedules, allowing students to involve themselves in various activities. DSA’s program focuses on preparing the students for life after they graduate although students can stay in school until they are 22 years old if necessary. “In our class, we try to align our daily schedule as close as possible to a regular high school students school day. We have five class periods throughout our day. In addition to this, we volunteer at the Durham Scrap Exchange, Duke Gardens, The Durham Food Bank, and The Diaper Bank,” Mr. O’Briant explained. Students are presented with many opportunities to grow and meet new people throughout the curriculum. The help of
The greenhouse project has allowed assistant teachers and students makes hit and we grew over 300 plants. This the program run smoothly. was our first classroom grow and it was many AU students to come together and work with other students “It’s a very enlightenfrom DSA in a communal ing experience getting effort. This collaboration to work with the kids enriches life for AU students alongside Mr. O’Briant. and others at DSA alike. These students learn “I would encourage anyhow to make their way one that wants to have a in the world through good time and interact with this program. In my our AU students to join the time being at DSA the DSA HOMIES (Helping program has grown so Others Make Incredible Exmuch. The sky’s the periences at School) They limit,” Larry Barns, AU have yearly events that our instructor, explains. students look forward to Students in the AU throughout the school year. program have the The DSA HOMIES meet benefit of challenging the third Monday of every themselves academiPHOTO BY KYLE LEWIS month at 8:30 in my classcally as well as learnJames O’Briant works alongside one of the students in the AU proroom D004,” O’Briant exing life skills. With a gram on a task. Throughout the program, students can experience claimed. structured approach to learning in various ways that progresses them as individuals. As well as student clubs, increasing the students involvement in their community, stu- a huge success. We also wrote a follow the AU program aims to include as many dents are able to apply the lessons they up grant for the greenhouse and received people as possible. Teacher assistant jobs learn to their own lives. more funding to expand our greenhouse give many individuals opportunities to Students often make field trips to Duke curriculum. Our students benefit so much learn and grow with the program while Gardens to get inspiration for the green- from the entire process. My vision for the assisting the main teachers. “I enjoy my job because I get to make house. future of our green house: I hope to have “We wrote a grant to NC beautiful for it thriving year round. I want to grow as a positive impact on the students lives funds to build a greenhouse. Last school many plants as possible,” Mr. O’Briant every day,” Robert Johnson, EC teacher year, we had a plant sell. It was a huge described. assistant, explains.
Bell steps down as others fight for his place BY IZZY SALAZAR No longer will Bill Bell grace the Durham City Hall. No longer will he be referred to as “Mr. Mayor” and no longer will he be seen on voting ballots. After 16 years in office, Mayor Bill Bell is stepping down from his post. Of the seven people who ran for his place in the primary on October 10th, Steve Schewel and Farad Ali came out on top. Schewel received 51.2 percent of the vote, and Ali got 29.1 percent. Pierce Freelon came in third with 15.8 percent. The general election to determine if Schewel or Ali will be mayor is on November 7th. For students at DSA who have had one mayor for most or all of their lives, getting a new mayor might be a novel idea. “It’s a new experience for sure. I haven’t known anyone aside from Bill Bell. I don’t really know what to think about [the
election] because I’ve never really had to think about it until now,” Kira Young, senior, said. High schoolers may know very little about the candidates. Young stated that the only candidate she’s familiar with is Steve Schewel. “I only know Steve Schewel because a lady came to our door and was like, ‘Vote for Steve Schewel’,” Young explained. Keith Neal, high school history teacher, expects that the same is true for most of his students. “I suspect students do not know very much about [the election]. I say that based on the fact that we are nearing an election and I do not hear any students discussing it,” Mr. Neal said. Some of the issues the voters in Durham are concerned about include poverty,
growth, and equality. Steve Schewel has been on the Durham city council since 2011 and was on the school board for four years before that. He was also the president and publisher of The Independent (now The Indyweek) for thirty years. As a resident of Durham for forty-seven years, he is committed to working for social justice. “I was raised in Lynchburg, Va., during segregation. My parents, inspired by their Judaism, were rare civil rights liberals in Lynchburg. I went to my first civil rights demonstration when I was thirteen years old, and I have never looked back,” Schewel said in an interview with The Indyweek. Farad Ali has lived in Durham for forty years and is a long-time member of the city council. He is the President and Chief
Executive Officer of The NC Institute of Minority Economic Development. He believes strongly in economic justice. “It is important to have social justice in our community, but it is CRITICAL that we focus on economic justice. There are many who want to ‘help’ people of color, but spend less time ‘empowering’ people of color,” Ali said in an interview with The Indyweek. Young stated that she still has quite a bit to learn about the candidates. “I have to educate myself,” Young said. Mr. Neal agreed, stating that he hopes younger generations pay more attention to what is happening locally. “It would be nice to see students become more aware of their local officials. All politics is, after all, ultimately local,” Mr. Neal finished.
Fall Edition 2017
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Another mass shooting horrifies the nation BY ELEANOR DILWORTH stricter gun legislation. America as a whole can study and pass legislation to try to ultimately eradicate American’s permissive attitude towards guns and gun control,” Chotas suggested. Another part of the problem is mental health. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, studies show that up to 60 percent of perpetrators in mass shootings are mentally ill. “Everyone can also work on destigmatizing mental illnesses by talking about them more,” Chotas added. While Las Vegas and the countless other sites of mass shootings may seem like
they are far removed from DSA, shootings like these could happen anywhere and affect anyone. “Gun control creates an opinion that divides. It would be amazing to see the students and staff come together to create a true culture of tolerance at DSA, whether that be of opinions, mental health, or any other topic,” Chotas said. “This makes everyone feel safer and more welcome at school, which can lead to better mental health and a better foundation. Who knows, maybe a good high school experience can make all the difference in someone’s life!”
PHOTO BY ELEANOR DILWORTH
A sign outside the main building directs visitors to the office. With almost as many mass shootings this year as there have been days, many people are concerned about security across events and places like concerts and schools. As of October 2nd there have been 273 mass shootings in the US this year according to the Gun Violence Archive, almost one mass shooting for every day this year so far. On Sunday night, October 1st, a shooting at a Las Vegas music festival became the most deadly mass shooting in modern US history. The debate about how to handle the continual problem of mass shootings across the country heats up once again after another mass shooting (three or more victims) in Las Vegas this week. With almost as many mass shootings this year as there have been days, some feel that these shootings no longer come as a surprise. “It doesn’t really surprise me since the US makes it easy for almost anyone to buy a weapon and stigmatizes mental health issues,” Georgia Chotas, junior, commented. Many call for tighter gun control including more in-depth background checks, waiting periods, and mental health checks. On the other hand, many argue that the second amendment guarantees the right to own a firearm and that current restriction on purchasing a firearm are already tight enough.
“I feel like some people feel strongly because people see the right to bear arms as protection,” Destiny Akinagbe, senior, said. “I feel like this can be smart because who wouldn’t want to keep them or their families safe. Especially with what’s going on in today’s society.” To purchase a gun one must pass a background check that looks for felonies, drug abuse, immigration status, and mental health among other things. However, the information available in the federal database used to conduct such checks varies from state to state. In addition, there are loopholes to these searches such as buying the gun from a friend or neighbor which requires no background check. “If America could prevent one mass shooting by making a weapon even just a little less accessible to a murderer, that would be a huge step,” Chotas said. After previous mass shootings there have been calls for the government and Congress to take action on gun control and prevent future events like these from occurring. However, no national legislation on the topic has yet been passed. “As citizens we can write our representatives and urge them to create/pass
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEW YORK TIMES
This graphic compares the number of gun homicides per day and gross domestic product of other rich western countries. The US vastly outnumbers similar nations in the number of deaths caused by gun violence.
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FALL PEP 201
PHOTOS BY ANNA NE
Fall Edition 2017
P RALLY 17
EAL AND IRA ILLAGAN
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Racial Equity Team: Teachers at DSA ensure liberty and justice for all BY OYINDA AJASA
Different shades of skin. People with to be a vehicle for engaging conversa- teachers, parents, and families,”Alphondifferent sexualties. Students with differ- tion about issues of racial inequity in so Donaldson, English IV and AP English ent socioeconomic status. DifLiterature and Composition ferent religions are preached. teacher, stated. DSA is a melting pot, and some The Racial Equity Team was teachers are working to make it inspired by workshops that varthe best one possible. ious teachers, notably Ms. GarOver 20 teachers came to the voille, attended that exposed first meeting held for DSA’s them to the racial inequities that new Racial Equity Team. Mr. exist within our district, state, Donaldson is the chair for the and nation. “A team of DSA Racial Equity Team, and Ms. teachers attended an institute Garvoille, Ms. Braker, Ms. on anti-racist education over Mace, and Ms. Prather are the summer (We Are [stands for some of the teachers that have Working to Extend Anti-Racist helped with the creation of the Education], through the Cooke team. The mission of the DSA center at Duke; Ronda Bullock runs the program). This team Racial Equity Team is to collaborate with students, staff, came out of our discussions parents, and community memat this institute. We wanted to PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEXA GARVOILLE start addressing in whatever bers to first critically examine and then promote practices Members of the Racial Equity team pose at a way we could the institutional racism present in all corners of that eradicate the systemic workshop for anti-racist education policies. American life,” Alexa Garvoilracism that interferes with our school’s ability to help all students reach school, district, and nation, and also be le, English I and Creative Writing (9-12) their full potential. a space where we can think about specif- teacher, explained. The Racial Equity Team was partly fu“The Racial Equity Team is designed ic anti-racist action that we can take as
eled by some of the racial injustices that have been taking place in our society today. This includes the non-condemnation of racial ideologies that are against racial minorities. “It just seemed overdue in the current climate, especially in the triangle. Some of the incidents in Wake County that received national media attention made us all realize how pressing it is for us to act quickly in order to make sure our school is an environment that is safe and accepting for everyone, especially those who are being targeted by hate groups,” Ms. Garvoille added. Students at DSA, are also excited to know that there is an organization at DSA, that is willing to fight for them and their rights. Kids who are a part of racial minority groups, feel more comfortable and safe because of the Racial Equity Team. “It’s great to know that there is an organization that is willing to work for me and my rights, because with all the business of school, a lot of the time, I am not able to fight for myself.” Angel Cruz-Salvador, sophomore, concluded.
A shared love for teaching takes over the workplace
BY LEZI TRUESDALE Love has multiple meanings for multiple topics. Jobs have different regulations when it comes to working in the same place as your partner. School teachers defy some of those rules while they work in the same place as their wives or husbands. DSA teachers follow this out well as they express their love for teaching and their partner. Teachers are placed throughout DSA to give students the best learning experience possible. As the school has different learning pathways, diverse teachers are needed to enhance students learning. Altogether, DSA has five teaching couples, give or take a few. Working together with spouses in the workplace can provide different experiences based on the person. “Mr. Amos began teaching band at DSA before I came, as this is my first year teaching here. I don’t think it’s awkward working in the same place since I don’t see him as much throughout the day. However, some things are made easier by working together,” Leah Amos, histo-
ry teacher, mentioned. Whether the teachers began teaching at relatively the same time or one before the other, they collaborate on ways to make working together easier and more efficient for each other. “Occasionally, we carpool together, but we also have a small child. Being able to rotate out who picks her up gives the other one of us a little extra time. The schedule is a positive of working together, but that hasn’t really changed much since the previous school I taught at,” Mrs. Amos, history teacher, added. In the eyes of others, the ideas they uphold may be viewed as biased. Students who are apart of their classes share their viewpoints on couples who teach at school. “As we know, most workplaces don’t allow married couples or even people who date to work together, so it shouldn’t be any different here. While I don’t believe conflicts will arise, I do think that some positives come with working together. By carpooling together, it allows gas to
be saved, furthering the prosperity of our economy,” Ogechi Onuigbo, senior, mentioned. Based on the employer and the job, married couples working together isn’t an issue. “I value each teacher’s individual merits and what they offer to the school. I don’t go out and seek married couples, however, when you have two excellent people who work together, it makes them even more committed to our school,” Mr. Hawks, DSA’s principle, stated. Maturity and hard work are requirements for people who take on tasks as important as teaching. Rewards are shown through this process. “I hire people who I believe can be professional through the day and not let their relationship get in the way. One advantage of working here is the fact that you child(ren) can attend the school. Allowing teachers and their children to have the same schedule makes them even more committed to the school,” Mr. Hawks concluded.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CASEY MYERS
Mr. Myers, English teacher, and Mrs. Myers, Spanish teacher, pose at Disney World. Many married couples work at DSA
Fall Edition 2017
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DSA travels back in time for the Totally 80s Dance BY CAROLINE BATTEN Promotional posters decorate classrooms and areas where students congregate and pass, including bathrooms, water fountains, and stairways as they go to their next class. The signs read “Totally 80s Dance”, and they blare an aesthetic of decades ago to the passerby. The theme and chosen decade of the 2017-2018 school year’s annual “Decades Dance” was the 80s. Arranged by the theatre pathway, the dance was an opportunity both to raise funds for DSA theatre students who make it to higher competition levels and for students to enjoy a night at the Black Box Theatre. However, the final product often does not demonstrate the work and time put into making the spectacular night happen. “Because the dance is 100 percent student-run, most people don't know that it is all on us to plan meetings and get do-
nations for food and decorations. It's a lot for the students to juggle on top of other shows and school work,” Ben Sempowski, troupe treasurer and part of the entertainment orchestration of the dance, said. The dance is one of the social highlights of the school year, and preparation began early with brainstorming and the arrangement of an organizational committee. “We created a party planning committee for the dance that is made up of about twenty theatre students. We meet weekly to brainstorm ideas and then put them into action. Our committee has worked very hard to create a fun dance for DSA students!” Anna Meyer, vice-president of DSA Theatre troupe 5765, explained. The committee includes subcommittees, or “crews”, which focused on decorations, food and beverage, and entertainment. The experience, which
encompasses the committees’ hard work, was available for ten dollars and the money raised supports some of the students in the theatre pathway as they represent DSA. “The money raised goes to fund the people who make it to the National ITS (International Thespian Society) Competition. This is held in June in Nebraska. Prior to this there are school-wide and statewide qualifiers,” Deva Holliman, junior and part of the decorations crew, explained. The competition gives students a chance to compete with musical pieces, technical theatre presentations, and scenes. They also have opportunities to take part in workshops to further advance their skills. The ITS competition takes place later in the year, much like the last year’s dance, which had a 50s theme.
“Last year the dance conflicted with other shows, exam prep, and general end of the year things. We also noticed that there isn't a dance planned for the fall so we decided to move it to earlier in the year,” Sempowski said. The second annual Decades Dance traveled forward in time from last year’s sock hop 50s theme to the 80s. The committee and its subcommittees worked hard to properly achieve the aesthetic. “We are going to be projecting music videos to recreate an ‘80's Video Dance’. We will be playing a mix of 80's and modern music, and our food items and decorations are 80's themed. We also will be selling 80's merchandise including scrunchies and buttons. We are also encouraging (but not requiring!) students to wear 80's themed outfits to the dance,” Meyer explained before the dance.
Racing ahead: the Girls Cross Country team takes the lead BY ELLA NUÑEZ Feet pound the ground as the DSA Girls compete with many schools at once. These Fere Tallmadge, senior and captain of the Cross Country team races against time meets include the Adidas Challenge, Jun- girls cross country team, said. and their competitors to win their meet. gle Run, and Hagan Stone. Not only have This comes in handy as the conference Teammates and friends cheer meet will require lots of them on in the race against time. teamwork. Although runThe Girls Cross Country team ning is a sport and a way of has had a good season. At their exercising, it is also somemost recent conference at all thing that the runners encounty, they ran well, many of joy. the team members beating their “One thing I love about personal bests. Their team is cross country is that when strong, both mentally and physit comes down to it, you are ically. always competing against Most recently, they are celeyourself; there’s always brating their win against their room to improve,” Fere biggest rival, the North Carolisaid. na School of Science and Math, Jesseie Foday, freshman for consistently winning against and member of the team, them. agreed. “I think the team is prepared “I love how the team in[for the conference] - we will be cludes everyone. Whether PHOTO BY ELLA NUÑEZ running against teams of which Members of the girls varsity Cross Country team pose for a you don’t think you’re necwe have run before,” Olivia group photo before the conference championship meet. essarily ‘good’ at running Gregory, senior and captain of or you’re the best in the the Girls Cross Country team, said. they won many important meets, but it school, you can be a part of cross counThey are currently preparing for has also caused the team to become closer try,” Foday said. Champs, their upcoming meet, which is with each other. There are 60 girls on the entire team, a conference against all of the qualifying “I think that some of the strengths of (Varsity cross country, JV, and Develteams from other schools. the team are the teamwork and bond- opmental combined) so they have a very Besides competing against neighbor- ing that we all have together. This really strong team and many strong runners. ing high schools in the county, they have translates well to races where we know we “The Varsity [team] supports the develgone to multiple big meets, where they can rely on our teammates for support,” opmental and Junior Varsity team, and
the Junior Varsity team and the Developmental team supports the Varsity. We all support each other regardless of running group-whether it’s boys of all level supporting girls of all levels and vice versa,” Olivia added. The kindness of the team and the support makes their practices bearable and enjoyable because of all of the fun memories and inside jokes, according to Olivia. “I have known so many girls on my team since forever, we have gone to running camps together, made so many memories, as seeing each other at morning practice can do that,” Olivia concluded.
UPDATE:
Both the boys and girls cross country teams won the NCHSAA 2A Mideast Region Championship on Saturday October, 28. Ethan Barber finished first overall in the boys’ meet, and Emma Humphreys finished second overall in the girls’ race.
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A Collection of Talent: Portraits in Ink prepares their next edition BY CAROLINE BATTEN Meeting every Friday morning from eight to nine in Ms. Garvoille’s room is a team of members striving to showcase the work of other students, the Portraits in Ink club has set to work on their next edition. Receiving prestigious recognition and reflecting the creative and innovative spirit of the DSA community, Portraits in Ink, DSA’s literary magazine club, is in full swing to create the 2017-2018 edition. Advised by Ms. Garvoille, English and Creative Writing teacher, and the product of students’ year-long hard work, the club publishes a magazine of the same name every year. “Portraits in Ink is a literary arts magazine meaning that we publish the writing and visual art of students at DSA though we do have some multimedia stuff, such a QR codes to films and music in there,” Bella Dorfman, senior and co-editor, explained. New additions to the process last year included the “Submit-a-thon”, created to encourage submissions by students and
more publicity for the magazine. A de- reading everything, they’re reading in the sign team helped to increase the visual area they feel the most confident in,” Lauquality of the ran Jones, magazine itsenior and self. The club co-editor, now also has said. teams which The magfocus on the azine is an types of suboutlet for missions. aspiring “We split it artists who up into three wish to get basic genres: their work poetry, nonand abilfiction, and ities pubfiction. In the lished and past we’ve PHOTO BY CAROLINE BATTEN recognised. juried everyThe magthing at once Editors in chief Lauran Jones, senior, and Bella azine is a and it was Dorfman, senior, explain a basic outline of the unique ope x h a u s t i n g process of publishing the magazine. The magportunity and tiring, azine will be published at the end of the school for students but this year year. to see the we’re doing this new system where we work of their fellow classmates as well. have a constant jurying type situation. “We are all talented, we’re going to an We have teams so that not everyone is arts school, we all have some sort of tal-
Hip Hoppin’ for the culture
ent. Harnessing that talent is being like- ‘I am an artist and I’m going to put my work out there’. If you want to be published, this is the first step to being published, if you want to be a professional artist, this is the first step to being a professional artist, if you want to be a rapper, this is the first step because we send it out to competitions. It’s a way of getting your name out there. If they want to do something that isn’t a desk job, this is the first step,” Jones said. The magazine is not merely the product of the hard work of individuals who contribute their art and those who are members of the staff; it is the collection of the diverse talent present and cultivated at DSA. “Just looking at the art and reading the writing, it just staggers me how many different experiences we have alongside each other at this school. The literary arts magazine is important to me because I feel like it brings all of the creative people in DSA in one volume,” Dorfman reflected.
BY DIEGO MONCADA A loud, vibrating beat courses through the floor as several heads begin to bob up and down in unison. Once the song is finished they all rejoice and share their input on what they interpreted it as. Hip Hop club is a new club at DSA, established by facilitators Samuel Rice, Juan Palma, Zack Woodard, Jeremiah Harrison, and Jeremiah Griffin. The club is all for supporting the culture that involves Hip Hop. It’s catered towards musicians, singers, producers, artists, and anyone else with an interest in the culture. “I wanted to create a place for people that like to be able to share their voice and their music and be able to receive constructive feedback in a safe environment that places a heavy emphasis on support and positivity,” Samuel Rice, senior, explained. Anyone that is interested in the philosophy of the club does not have to worry about permanently joining or going every thursday, but it’s expected that everyone must interact and have a good time with their fellow peers. While Hip Hop club is a relatively new club, it has amassed a
that you have and share are not shot down good following and receives new mem- Palma explained. “When I first stepped into the room, I or looked bad upon,” Eric Robles, a senior bers each week. They meet every Thursday from 4:30-5:30 in Mr. Myer’s room. felt a great positive energy. The vibe in member of Hip Hop club, admitted. There aren’t any “People will be able to work collaborativestated rules in Hip ly on music. We will Hop club, instead, evdiscuss the origins and erything is self-modcurrent state of hip erated. This is done so hop, and we will creeveryone can have a ate,” Juan Palma, sesay on what direction nior, stated. and form they want Palma used “create” the club to take. Noin a broad manner on body is excluded from purpose, in order to voicing what they want show the vast amount to happen during the of work that anyone club, which allows the can help collaborate hour the club meets for to go smoothly and and create in Hip Hop maturely. This idea of club. Things like digital self-moderation seems or physical art, beats, to be working pretty riffs, a whole song, shirts, poems, and PHOTO BY DIEGO MONCADA well due to the growing popularity and status many other things are Members of the Hip Hop club strike vibrant poses. Before the photoof the club. being created and will shoot, the ambience was calm and collected as they were all ready “You should deficontinue to be every to discuss the current and past events of the Hip Hop world. nitely come by next time the club meets. “As long as it has some form of rele- there is amazing, and everyone is accept- Thursday if you’re looking for a good exvance to the culture, we’re all up for it,” ing of everyone. Any ideas or opinions perience,” Robles stated.
Fall Edition 2017
page 11
To kneel or not to kneel
BY OYINDA AJASA
As the football team, makes its way to the field, the audience screams and cheers. Shortly after their entrance, the national anthem starts playing. Some of the football players kneel, some stand, some link up their arms together, and some raise their fist. The cheers that were once there, slowly die out, and boos start to be heard. In the past year, a debate has once again been raised over whether or not to stand for the national anthem. The debate has been around for a long time but became prominent again in the 21st century, when Colin Kaepernick sat for the National Anthem because of racial injustices that exist in America. This debate has spread across America, and made its way to DSA, with it most recently affecting high school sports, which affects the high school athletic department, and teachers at DSA are making efforts to inform their students about the controversy. “I believe that students have the option to stand or kneel for the national anthem. It’s freedom of speech. As long as they are
not disruptive or disrespectful in any way, with the Louisiana High School Athletthen that is their option,” Cheryl Bowden, ic Association making the decision to Health teacher and coach, stated. punish people who do not stand for the national anthem. They proposed a loss of playing time, and even dismissal from the team. “A lot of times people have opinions and beliefs that are not popular and everyone's not going to be happy with someone's belief system. So, if that's something that somebody desires to do, for whatever purpose, as long as they are not being disrespectful or breaking laws, then PHOTO BY OYINDA AJASA it's not fair for them to be Mandie Robertson, 6th grade Language Arts punished, because it's not teacher, bought this shirt. It inspired a conversation teaching them the Amerabout making conscious decisions and the reasons ican way,” Ms. Bowden, for why people do not stand for the national anexplained. them. Middle school Language The choice to stand or kneel has made Arts teacher, Mandie Robertson is edits way just recently to high school sports, ucating her students about the anthem
controversy and encouraging them to think critically about the situation. “It just started out that I bought a Colin Kaepernick shirt of him kneeling, and it made more sense to hang it in my classroom than anything else. I noticed before that kids were not standing for the pledge. If you are going to sit that’s fine, but you need to know why, so we did a writing prompt and we talked about making conscious decisions,” Mandie Robertson, 6th grade Language Arts teacher, explained. Conversation about this topic is one that needs to be encouraged, because it has the power to promote change and equality. This conversation is one that everyone needs to be a part of. “This is for everybody, because conversation needs to happen. It needs to happen about what is white privilege, what is it like to be wrapped in brown skin, and what do people wrapped in white skin need to do to better life for everybody. I don’t think people take the time to think about what it's like to be somebody else,” Ms. Robertson, concluded.
Spotlight on a New Teacher: An Interview With Ms. Donavan INTERVIEW BY STELLA DOMEC An English teacher with a passion for teaching, learning, and video games has arrived at DSA. Caitlin Donovan, who is a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University, has chosen Durham School of the Arts to be her new workplace. Ms. Donovan has been teaching in Durham Public Schools for five years and taught in South Korea on a Fulbright, an international teaching scholarship, for a year before that, and is very excited about teaching English I and English II at DSA. What made you want to teach? I didn’t get into teaching because I wanted to teach, I actually heard about the teaching fellow scholarship and I knew I needed money to go to college, in part because my younger brother wanted to go to a private school, so I applied for the scholarship, got it, and then when I started doing the work and volunteering in classrooms is when I really fell in love with it, so I didn’t go into it with the grandest of aspirations but I decided I loved the energy of kids and I loved helping them read and think critically.
language arts and was the AIG facilitator for a year. I left because I wanted to try something different when I discovered the MontessorI philosophy, so I spent two years at Lakewood Montessori Middle School teaching 7th and 8th grade humanities, which is a blended English and Social Studies class. I left there because I wanted to try something different, I wanted to find someplace that felt like home and I think the rigor and expectation of PHOTO BY STELLA DOMEC DSA will really help me succeed teaching 9th and Ms. Donovan points to the day’s agenda as she 10th grade this year teaches her English 1 class, and has her whiteWhat made you choose board divided up into sections for each class. to teach at DSA? What school did you teach at be- The focus on arts, I love the clear expecfore? Why did you leave? tations for students and teachers, I love I formerly taught at Neal Middle School, the conversations the staff has amongst I taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade gifted themselves, I really feel treated like a pro-
fessional, and the conversations are very professionally invigorating. Teachers always talk about what’s best for kids, not what’s easiest for them So far, what are your favorite things about DSA? I love everything! I love how ready the students are to learn, I love how they really hold you accountable for pushing their learning and students here value their time and their education. I also value the feedback I’m getting as a teacher from my collaborating teachers and from administrators. I already feel like I’ve gotten really good commentary and insights into what I teach, which has already helped me be a better professional. What are your hobbies and/or interests apart from teaching? I majorly play video games, I’m a self-professed gamer, I mostly play League of Legends right now, but still other things. I teach chainmaille classes at the Durham Arts Council, I also of course love to read, and I love to binge watch Netflix shows and then over-analyze them until my roommates throw pillows at me.
FUN PAGE GALLERY WORD SEARCH
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE WITH MR. DONALDSON
1. I spent the entire night on the streets of England 2. I was born in the Netherlands 3. I once had a scary interaction with an alligator Which one is a lie? GREENHOUSE HOMIES MAGAZINE MAYOR PEPRALLY SCHEWEL SESSIONS SHOOTINGS SUBMITAHON
VARSITY VEGAS BELL CARR CROSSCOUNTRY DACA DECADES DONOVAN GARVOILLE
RIDDLE CORNER Why were the teacher’s eyes crossed? She could not control her pupils!
TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE ANSWER: 2