The Flash Volume 2 Issue 2

January-February 2018

A Student Production of Franklin Learning Center

theflashflc.org

Did Eagles Fans Go Too Far?

Page 9

Philadelphia fans take to the streets after the Eagles’ Super Bowl Victory, climbing the awning of the Ritz-Carlton and the recently unveiled Octavius Catto statue on S. Broad St. · Contributing Photographer Vu Doan

Do You Trust the School Alarms?

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Can Education Solve Our Consent Problems?

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Homemade Chinese Takeout

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FOLLOW US! @THeFlashFLC

OPINION Report Card Conference Editorial Board Translators

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By MARIA SANTOS In many schools, parents who don’t speak English have problems communicating with teachers. This can be especially difficult during parent-teacher conferences.

Franklin Learning Center has a lot of people from different countries; because of that, FLC has many students who speak different languages. This can make it very hard for parents to know how their children are doing in school.

Bilingual counselors offer some help, but they cannot speak every language. Even with a translator in each building, there are too many parents for just one person to translate.

At FLC, this lack of translation services is usually solved by hav-

En muchas escuelas, hay padres que no hablan inglés que tienen problemas comunicándose con los profesores. Esto especialmente puede ser difícil durante conferencias entre los padres y profesores.

FLC tiene muchas personas de diferentes países y por esa razón hablan diferentes idiomas. Esto le hace muy complicado a los padres para saber cómo van sus hijos en la escuela.

ing students translate between their teachers and their parents.

This is a problem because it forces parents and teachers to trust the student and also because it forces students to be the peacekeepers in potentially stressful environments.

Sometimes bilingual students are even asked to translate for someone else’s parents. It’s good that

they can be helpful, but the end result is that they can feel used.

It is not fair for students or the parents. The solution to this problem is for the school to employ more translators. That would help the parents to know how their children are doing and would keep a sometimes emotional conversation clear and professional.

Editor-in-Chief Genesis Tejada-Peralta Associate Editor Faridah Nguyen Ombudsman Alex Fernandez Opinions Editor Nickey Sawbo A&E Editor Janelis Duran

Layout and Design Editor Sally Duong Social Media Editor Tyahn Hassan Faculty Adviser Colin Chrestay

potencial ambiente. A veces estudiantes bilingües han sido preguntados que si le pueden traducir a los padres de alguien más. Está bien que ayuden, pero el resultado final Staff Illustrator Isaiah Fletcher puede ser que se sientan usados.

Consejeros bilingüe pueden servicios es generalmente resuelto No es justo para los estudiantes y mejorar la situación, pero no por teniendo estudiantes traducir padres. La solución para este probpueden hablar cada idioma. Inc- entre sus profesores y padres. Esto lema es que la escuela emplear luso con un traductor en cada ed- es un problema porque eso obliga más traductores. Eso ayudaría a ificio, hay demasiados padres para padres y profesores a confiar en los los padres saber cómo van sus hisolo una persona que traduzca. estudiantes y también porque obliga jos y tendría una conversación En FLC, está falta de traducción a estudiantes tener paz en estresante emocional, clara, y profesional.

The Flash is seeking: Illustrators Photographers Videographers Graphic Designers Submit your original illustrations, photos, or videos to

flash@flchs.org

Contributing Illustrator Elijah Collins

OPINION 3 Do You Trust the School Alarms?

By HANNAH WOODRUFF In January, Hawaiian officials sent a mistaken inbound missile alert lasting a chaotic 38 minutes. With residents traumatized and businesses hurt, the error ultimately led to an increased distrust of Hawaii’s safety system.

Here at Franklin Learning Center, a similar scenario played out earlier this year with a false fire alarm.

While it was ringing, some students and staff disregarded it, while others mistook it for an intended drill and began exiting the building. Seconds later, it stopped and Principal Nicole Lee explained that it went off accidentally and that no real threat imposed the school. Although it was fixed and no one was endangered, this accident, if repeated, could lead students and staff to distrust the credibility of FLC’s alarm system.

The biggest problem with a false fire alarm is knowing whether the alarm signals an actual emergency or just a technical difficulty. Lizbeth Castillo (‘21) explains that whenever an alarm goes off, she “thinks of a false alarm” and that students “believe the alarm is fake.” History teacher Amy Lee admits that even she questions whether the alarms

“are real or not.”

While the alarm is ringing, she wonders if she should just “stay in the classroom.” Eventually, students and staff may no longer trust alerts in real times of danger.

Those involved in such situations can become desensitized to them, rather than prepared for them.

Like all schools in the School District of Philadelphia, FLC practices monthly planned fire drills, but every so often the fire alarm surprises even the administration.

There have been instances where students have pulled the alarms but Principal Nicole Lee admits “more times than not, when I say ‘do not exit the classroom’ it’s because the heat has caused the alarm to go off.”

Even if the dysfunctional heating system isn’t physically harm-

Staff Photographer Bwe Ku

ful to the school community, it contributes to the desensitization of students and staff. A new heating system would be costly but the school district should not put a price on our well-being. Principal Lee agrees that “a new heating system would be the one [solution] that would pretty much correct it.”

Until FLC installs a new heating system, Principal Lee trusts

the school community to respond promptly and be “where they need to be...recognizing that we don’t become hysterical when there is a fire alarm.”

Principal Lee is right. Students and staff need to treat alarms like the real thing. That means following posted procedures and exiting the building calmly and quickly, whether the alarms were planned or not.

SEPTA Must Improve Safety Regulations

By HANNAH WOODRUFF This winter the possibility of an increase in SEPTA accidents is evident. Such a large business should be able to ensure the safety of passengers, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with SEPTA. Operated since 1965, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority offers many transit services to Philadelphia. Since then, SEPTA has earned mass popularity due to its efficiency and availability, becoming the sixth-busiest rapid transit system nationwide by annual ridership.

However, accidents and crimes still occur despite SEPTA’s “commitment to provide a safe riding experience and environment.” In October, three fatalities occurred in the same week. The victims were struck by SEPTA trains and pronounced dead shortly after.

Injuries, collisions, and deaths have taken place on all of SEPTA’s services. Not only do these accidents plummet their business, they also put the lives of civilians at risk. The causes of the accidents and crimes vary, but nearly all result in a bad outcome.

SEPTA may have mass popularity,

but there’s always room for improvement. Installing more surveillance cameras on SEPTA buses can reduce crime and increase safety for both passengers and employees. Surveillance cameras can help prevent unlawful acts by intimidating offenders and they can provide conclusive evidence for arrests. A 2007 study shows that Philadelphia reduced a 37 percent drop in criminal activities after installing their crime cameras.

Trained officers assigned to patrol stations and interchanges for suspicious activity can also contribute to the improvement of security. This will prevent crimes and further deal with dangerous situations that risk the safety of onlookers.

Another prime cause of several SEPTA accidents is poor maintenance. Regular inspection and reparation of transit services can prevent

common accidents involving mass public transportation.

Recently, SEPTA introduced a mobile app that allows people to report safety issues to transit police in 20 seconds or less. The app features two-way communication that allow SEPTA dispatchers to ask the reporter for more information or give instructions. Along with other safety measures, this

step could help further secure SEPTA commuters and employees.

Every precaution should be taken, especially in a time like this.

Safety regulations and guidelines should be raised for commuters and employees under SEPTA to remain safe. The winter weather definitely won’t be in SEPTA’s favor and will cause problems that may disrupt a safe environment.

Staff Photographer Bwe Ku

OPINION

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E D I T O R I A L

Can Education Solve Our Consent Problems?

By THE FLASH EDITORIAL BOARD “Speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have” -Oprah Winfrey, Golden Globe Awards 2018 Oprah Winfrey is one of many well known celebrities who have survived rape or sexual assault. Gabrielle Union, Lady Gaga, Shia LaBeouf, Tyler Perry, and the list goes on.

Thes e are people who we know, who we w atch on television, who we look up to and glorify.

Because of this, we often fail to realize that they are human like the rest of us and encounter the same kind of problems we do.

Consent, or permission, is a topic that affects everyone and therefore is a topic that should matter to everyone. Whether you’re an average citizen working a 9-5 or a three time Oscar award winning movie star, sexual assault can happen to anyone. According to RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, an American is sexually assaulted every 98 seconds.

Just like anyone can experience sexual assault, there is no exception to who can be an assailant. Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and Steven Seagal are all well known and accomplished entertainers and what do they all have in common?

Each one of them was accused of rape, sexual assault, or sexaul harassment. This goes to show that not only can anyone fall victim to sexual assault, but that anyone--no matter how wealthy, well known, or accomplished--can be ignorant to basic laws of consent.

In celebrity-focused movements, many groups are often overlooked and neglected. The LGBTQ community, undocumented immigrants, and people with disabilities are just a few of the groups that regularly struggle with issues of consent. Many people, especially in the LGBTQ community, don’t

even know or realize when sexual assault occurs. Even when it is obvious, fear keeps victims from coming forward as often as they should. On the most extreme end, the Huffington Post reports that 64% of Trans people will experience sexual assault in their lifetime. Unfortunately, sexuality is not the only indicator of unreported sexual abuse.

Undocumented people, too, face sick patterns of abuse. Even more than other groups, people who are undocumented are especially voiceless.

According to the Department of Justice, over 400 cases of sexual assault and child molestation go unreported among the population of undocumented people.

This is alarming but not surprising, given the relationship between undocumented people and the police.

They are afraid of being deported, especially in the dawn of the Trump presidency, which has dramatically changed the way our government functions by increasing raids and deportations. When faced with the choice to remain in this country or turn in their assailants it is not surprising that undocumented people fail to report sexual assault.

People with disabilities face many of these same difficult decisions. The disabled population is victimized at a higher rate than the rest of the population because the perpetrators can sometimes be caretakers. Crimes often go unreported because it is extremely difficult to report those in power.

Black women are no strangers to powerlessness. “The most disrespected woman in America, is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America, is the black woman. The most neglected person in America, is the black women.”

These words were spoken by Malcolm X, one of the most respected men in the black community. Yet, years after these words were spoken, the disrespect, the lack of protection, and the overall negligence continues. On average, 20% more women of color are harrassed in

“Sexual assault runs so deep in the black community that it is rarely talked about.”

the work environment compared to white women. Black woman go through so much that sexual assault is not a pressing issue on the list of problems. Manya Whitaker, PhD, is a developmental educational psychologist who argues that “women of color have been demoralized, browbeaten and run

over so much that we sometimes do not give ourselves the space that we need to fall apart...What we go through on a day-to-day basis is unconscionable to people who do not live at the intersection of gender, race, class and religion. But to us, it is just another day.” Sexual assault runs so deep in the black commu-

OPINION

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E D I T O R I A L

“no means no whether it’s coming from a stranger, a friend, or even a partner.”

sent.” She recommends starting this education early to “teach children about respecting their peer’s boundaries. This education could continue and deepen as students grow up to include discussions about sexuality and healthy relationships.”

Consent education should begin early and does not initially need to address situations of sexual violence. As an example, consent is needed when a child is playing with a toy and that toy is suddenly taken by a bully. The child did not say no to the bully taking their toy, but he takes it anyway, and now they are toyless and sad. Consent is needed here. Also, when a woman is getting her hair cut, and as the hairstylist trims shorter than her desired cut, she does not have a chance to give consent and now she has an undesired haircut. There are an endless amount of situations in which consent is needed and could have helped.

As much as ignorance can be bliss, it can also be dangerous to be too naive, especially about consent.

We start off with small lessons we learn from our parents as kids and that evolves into how we treat and react to problems of consent. The “ask before you can touch” technique is simple yet effective because it evolves through age. Asking before touching others’ possessions becomes an asking before we touch another human being. Life revolves around consent.

Nowhere is this more true for FLC students than on their way to school. 71% of students at FLC have experienced being catcalled.

With a majority of students getting catcalled this has become a part of their life. It gets to the point where they go out of their way to avoid getting these side comments that can be rude and offensive. About 82% of survey takers say that they go to extreme measures to avoid confronting catcallers. The saddest part of all this is that only 1% of FLC students have ever reported this to the authorities. It’s become so normalized that we don’t see the need to report these violations.

Ignorance is a prime component in several cases of sexual assault. Not every case is as clear-cut as a victim saying “no” and and an assailant disregarding that person’s choice. People are often misinformed and don’t

understand how and when certain rules apply. Whether it be because of how they were raised, where they live, or how old they are, too many people don’t fully understand how consent works. One would be surprised with how many people believe that once two people are in a relationship consent is no longer necessary. Everyone needs to be taught that no means no, whether it’s coming from a stranger, a friend, or even a partner. Everyone deserves the right to have that choice, and to have that choice respected. This is a problem that has one ultimate solution to reach the most people, proper Sexual Education. Too many kids are being inadequately taught about consent and some are not being taught about the topic at all.

So many assaults and misunderstandings between partners could be prevented if schools implemented decent Sex Ed curriculums and enforced them to be taught.

Our district’s Health class curriculum includes 2 topics: Sexuality and Healthy Relationships.

It also includes 22 subtopics, none of which are consent.

Consent is something that should not only be taught at home but at school. Catherine Khella, a biology teacher at FLC, thinks it is important for consent to “be taught in health class in its own dedicated class.” She also believes “schools can do a better job of creating a safe place for students to report issues of sexual harassment or abuse.” A problem that is so deeply rooted in society should be nipped in the bud before it has a chance to develop into something more significant.

The greatest weapon against ignorance is education and knowledge. Teaching kids at a young age about what proper consent and what healthy relationships looks like will produce well-rounded individuals in their later years. Individuals who respect others’ choices. Schools need to make it their responsibility to start the conversation about consent and give students a space where they can speak freely on the topic. Everyone should feel comfortable and empowered to talk about consent and too many, even at FLC, are either disadvantaged or being left out of the conversation.

“Schools should make it their responsibility to start the conversation.”

nity that it is rarely talked about.

It is because sexual assault runs so deep in all of these communities that we need better education around consent. More than just a buzzword, consent is permission--a deeply important part of almost every aspect of our lives.

Even the most simple actions can

become problematic when we don’t have permission to do them.

Megan Thomas, communications specialist from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, says that “making consent education a more widely discussed topic...would help kids and young adults grow up with a healthy understanding of con-

ENTERTAINMENT

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Poets on the Rise

By DARIANA GARCIA-BERNABE Franklin Learning Center has several different clubs, from Art club to Chess club, there’s something for everyone. Poetry club is currently being run by English 3 and American History teacher Mr. Fantini. The club has been around for little over a year now, it was started after students told Mr. Fantini that FLC should have a poetry club.

Junior Janelis Duran explained that she decided to join the club as a way to express her feelings in a creative way, “I felt it would be a good way to let out repressed feeling[s] and talk about things people don’t want to talk about in a fun and safe way.” Duran describes that the club has influenced her writing in many different ways. She ends by saying that students should join the club because, “there [is] no judgement in the group, we are open to new people and you get better as a writ-

er even if you’re just starting out.”

As for future plans for the club, Mr. Fantini explains that “I would love for us to start participating in some public events related to youth poetry in Philadelphia. I would love for us to go to some readings and open mics, maybe work with some students at other schools. One thing I would love to see, is maybe compiling some student Contributing Photographer Skyelar Decuer poetry either in the AA publication or maybe… we could partner with Mr. Fantini ends by saying beauty in their own experience.” the newspaper or something like that he hopes that the students in Come check it out, Poetry club that. I’d love to give our students a the club learn to “express them- meets every Friday after school chance to get their work in print.”. selves better and learn to see the from 3:00-4:00 PM in room 129.

Pitch Perfect 3 Movie Review

By DEJA DAWKINS A C A - M A Z I N G !

If you didn’t know already, “Pitch Perfect 3” is the third and final movie in the incredible series, “Pitch perfect”. These movies take you along on the crazy adventure that is the life of “The Barden Bellas” an acapella group within the movie. This movie is a great way to wrap up such a beloved series.

It will make fans laugh just one last time before making them shed a few tears due to the heartfelt memories from the past films. Knowing that the characters that you have come to know and love will only live in your hearts and minds as a memory is heart-wrenching. The casting for this film was outstanding and script was phenomenal. The characters were just as funny as we remember them in the first 2 films (espe-

cially Fat Amy). More songs are added to it such as, “Shut Up And Dance,” “Ignition (Remix),” “One More Night,” “Love Me Harder,” “ If I Were A Boy,” “Sit Still, Look, Pretty,” “Toxic,” and many more.

You also get some heartfelt moments in the film such as, getting to finally see Aubry’s and Fat Amy’s dads, watching Beca perform with the girls one last time, and seeing Stacie have her baby. You get a sense

of togetherness as you watch The Bellas stick together through everything that life throws at them.

There is a strong bond that not only did the cast make with each other but that the audience made with the characters. That bond will live on forever in our hearts and will never be broken. If you are a fan of these films, I suggest you take the time out of your day to see this movie. You will never forget it.

The Truth Behind “The Greatest Showman”

By AZIA ROSS The Greatest Showman recently came out in theaters already making box office success. The movie was really good, and to miss it would be a pity because it lives up to all the reviews its been given. The movie beautifully captures the insecurities people who are deemed different struggle to accept. It shows audiences all over that differences are not always a bad thing, and that’s what the movie succeed to depict. The movie tells the story of P.T.Barnum, coming from humble roots trying to achieve his dream of opening up his circus. Throughout the story he picks up people who have differ-

ences like the bearded lady, siamese twins, and many more to show off their differences as positive attributes. What the movie fails to show is the truth of the real life story.

Unfortunately P.T.Barnum is portrayed as a hero in the entire movie.

It looks like he helped those people who were in his circus, but he really didn’t. He exploited, manipulated, and took advantage of their vulnerability. He used their differences to make himself rich, but the movie doesn’t touch on this at all.

Barnum’s stardom comes from one women by the name of Joice Heth. She was an enslaved women who he bought to tour with him as entertainment for the audience.

Barnum realised that his audience had a curiosity for the out-of-thisworld.“Human curiosities, or lusus naturae—freaks of nature—were among the most popular traveling entertainments of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.’’ Knowing this he makes up lies about her, claiming she was 161 years old and that she was George Washington’s nurse even though she wasn’t even alive at the time.

He used these malicious tactics to make himself wealthy and didn’t care about the wellbeing of Joice unless it affected his money. When she ended up dying February of 1835, it didn’t stop. The exploitation continued if not worse. Barnum had a

public autopsy where people could pay 50 cents to see her cut open.

Her existence wasn’t ever mentioned in the movie. It was made out to be that his success was from him gathering people with differences to put on a show for the public and that was only partially true. The movie did not truely show the real P.T.Barnum and what happened in his circus but it’s making millions of dollars showing lies. The movie told us lies with no trace of what really happened and that’s not okay. If the movie makers could make a movie telling the life story of someone but not including all parts, the good and the bad, then the movie should never have been made in the first place.

ENTERTAINMENT

MANIA Album Review

By DARIANA GARCIA-BERNABE

Fall Out Boy which consists of singer Patrick Stump, drummer Andy Hurley, bassist Pete Wentz, and guitarist Joe Trohman released their seventh studio album MANIA, on January 19, 2018. MANIA was originally supposed to be released on September 15, 2017; the band released a statement through twitter that they would delay the album, due to the fact that, “The album just isn’t ready and it felt very rushed. We need a little bit more time to properly and carefully record solid performances.”

Even though the band delayed the album, they still released a total of five songs over the course of a few months. The first single off of the album, “Young and a Menace” released on April 27, 2017 left fans wondering which direction the album would go, as the song sounds very electronic. With this album they wanted to go in a dif-

what’s going on in the world today, “We’ve never been one of those bands that shoved our views down people’s throats, but I think everyone kinda knows our political views. I think the personal and political are so intensely tied now… it starts out like a euphoric feeling and then it kind of tidStaff Photographer Anannya Kundu al waves into ferent direction from their previ- people not sleeping, manic behavous albums and experiment more. ior, and violence.” He continues by When talking about the album saying “[MANIA is] more like a bassist Pete Wentz tells how peo- reaction to the climate of people.” ple asked the band to respond to After months of waiting the al-

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bum was finally released. It starts off with “Young and a Menace”, a good opener because it’s up-beat and hypes up the listener. “Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea” is not what I was expecting it to sound like, just like “Young and a Menace” it doesn’t sound anything like their old work.

The album continues with three of the other songs that they released before the release date of the album.

Fall Out Boy is known for their complex lyrics, however in this album the lyrics are quite repetitive during the songs. Like in “Champion”, a sports anthem song that repeats the lyrics, “If I can live through this, I can do anything” throughout the song. Most of the songs sound very different to their previous albums, the only songs that sound similar are “Expensive Mistakes (Wilson)” and “Last of the Real Ones”. Overall, the album achieved its goals, it sounds experimental but it’s still the classic Fall Out Boy vibe. I give MANIA a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Inside Look: Coco

By JANELIS DURAN This year’s animated films were a big disappointment, with movies like Cars 3, The Boss Baby, Captain Underpants and The Emoji Movie falling flat. I really wasn’t excited for Pixar’s Coco because it just seemed like it was going to be a copy and paste of the 2014 release, The Book of Life. But boy was I wrong. Coco is remarkable because its vibrant and heartwarming depiction of the land of dead help us to care about the land of the living: our world.

The film features twists and turns and a plot that is simple yet complex.

We are first introduced to 12-yearold Miguel Rivera, who lives in Mexico with his extended family.

Despite the fact that Miguel wishes to play the guitar, his family, who have been abandoned by their celebrity-guitarist great-grandfather, forbid him to associate with music, for fear it is cursed. Things take a turn when Miguel is magically transported to the land of the dead, where he meets his deceased family members.

Coco’s main theme, “Remember Me” is played multiple times at key moments and each time it is played it carries a different meaning, helping Miguel and the movie transition through different tones and moods. The music, performed not by famous musicians but by the

Staff Photographer Janelis Duran

actors themselves, is moving and helps viewers connect on an emotional level to the land of the dead.

But Coco is the strongest in its visuals. The world of the dead has a very vibrant and lively mood

to it; especially in Miguel’s town, the colors are distinct and bright and cause me to really care for my world: the land of the living.

My appreciation for the movie comes from the heartwarm-

ing way it asks us to appreciate a culture. I definitely would recommend Coco to all fans of meaningful animated movies.

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NEWS

Grinches of the Public School System

By KODY TAYLOR

Over the past decades, the Philadelphia public school system has been a main target for theft. Specifically, at Franklin Learning Center High School, theft has been common amongst the student body. However, after reporting these events to the school police, students rarely receive any word back on whether or not their items can be found. Many residents, are wondering what can be done to prevent and protect their belongings from being stolen while attending school.

Families and faculty are fed up. When asked if they have had something taken from them while they were in school, 10 out of 18 FLC students replied yes.

A problem that has been this consistent needs to be put to an end. Mrs. Krakauskas, Dean of Students, thinks school thieves “should definitely be prosecuted to the fullest extent in the court of law because you’re not just stealing from the public school system you’re stealing from children.”

In addition, many students are left wondering whether or not their school police officers can help them once a situation like this occurs. When asked if the school police were helpful, the majority of students ruled no. However, School Police Officer Anthony Richardson, believes all he can do is “Investigate, monitor the camera, and see if I can find out

Mailbox full of lost and found items · Contributing Photographer Kody Taylor

who took it, when, and where.”

But what can be done to prevent this from continuing in our high school? Sophomore, Samira Thornton, says “theft is the fault of the security and [students] as a whole.” The most common recurring suggestion is to keep your belongings close to you at all times. “ I always lock my stuff up because you know people are hungry so I make sure hungry people don’t

have any temptation” said Mrs. K. There are also resources provided by public schools to protect your belongings. Officer Richardson says “students [should] be more mindful of their surroundings and make sure [they] know to use the things that are given to them for a reason (like lockers) and not leaving their stuff on the cafeteria table.”

Even though students responsibility is a big deal, many believe

officers could work a little harder to recover student belongings and the city could even try to help. Officer Frank Binns, District 127, says “the city itself should be [providing] more for public schools, and hopefully that will deter students from stealing.” He also added, “most people steal because they want something they cannot have. If we can provide that then we can make it equal so kids probably will not steal.”

New Dress Code New Me

By ANIAH GONZALEZ Franklin Learning Center’s new dress code, which went into effect in early December, requires that students wear any official FLC shirt and their choice of bottom, with a few exceptions. ¨Students may not wear: jeans with holes, midriffs/ half shirts, hats (Ladies and gentlemen), doorags (sic), open toed shoes, nor slides, skirts above the knee, shorts that have inseam of less than 10 inches” according to

the posters posted around school.

In prior years, FLC sparked controversy by charging students five dollars for coming to school out of uniform. The main reason the dress code changed was because of the students and what they wanted, says Dean of Students Colleen Krakauskas. “Now that we have transitioned into a new administration, I think Mrs. Lee wants the students to have a voice.”

Ever since they began meeting this year, newly installed principal Ni-

cole Lee has been taking suggestions from the Student Advisory Council, a group of students who meet regularly to represent the school.

Students are left wondering if this new policy will stick. According to Krakauskas, the five dollar “fees have been waived” and students will no longer be charged for coming to school out of uniform. However, there will still be consequences: “11th and 12th [graders] will lose their privileges such as prom.

9th and 10th will receive deten-

tion.” The dress down days are also changing to “be called dress up days and will cost one dollar.”

Junior Cierra Jenkins doesn’t “Understand why [students] have to wear the school shirt if [they] can wear any bottom.” Sophomore Samira Thornton says “It’s okay but students were already dressing how they pleased.”

Further changes can be accommodated in the future but for now the students get to have it their way.

SPORTS

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Did Eagles Fans Take Their Celebration Too Far?

By GENESIS TEJADA-PERALTA

On February 4th, 2018 history was made for the city of Philadelphia. The Eagles won Super Bowl LII against the New England Patriots and the celebration was certainly felt throughout the city. But some are asking the question, did fans take the celebration too far?

Promptly after the win, fans took to the streets to show their excitement in extreme ways.

From jumping off signs, hanging off traffic lights, running around naked, and flipping over

cars, Philadelphia surely made history that night. But where do we draw the line between celebration and criminal behavior?

Many feel that the Eagles fans took their celebration too far but it is important to consider historical context when judging Philadelphia’s behavior after the Super Bowl. This is not the first time sports fans have taken their celebrations to extreme levels. With that being said, why are Philadelphians under extreme scrutiny while other forms of celebratory vandalism go overlooked? Take,

for example, the 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup riot, where similar behavior broke out after the Boston Bruins’ win over the Vancouver Canucks in game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. 140 were injured, 4 were stabbed, 101 were arrested, and damages totaled $4.2 million.

Or what about the unforgettable LA Lakers riot of 2010 where fans took to the streets after the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals. Local businesses were vandalized, cars were set on fire,

Crowd forming after the Eagles’ Superbowl victory · Contributing Photographer Vu Doan

and people were beaten. 50 were arrested and 10 were injured.

Compared to these memorable riots, the Eagles’ fans’ celebrations seem more like a meager fête.

It is also important to remember that this is the first time the Philadelphia Eagles have taken home a victory from the Super Bowl, so it is not surprising that many fans were overjoyed. Although the behaviour of many should not be excused, the public should not condemn the entire city for something that was far from a riot but a city united in triumph.

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SPORTS

FLC at the Superbowl Parade

-Photos from the Philadelphia Museum of Art by Staff Photographer Cheyenne Richardson -Photos from City Hall by Contributing Photographer Dominick Gode -Photo of Business teacher Michael Gardner with the Lombardi trophy contributed by Michael Gardner

SPORTS

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EXTRA EXTRA

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Chinese Takeout: Tso’s Chicken

By ALEX FERNANDEZ Do you love to cook? Do you love to eat? Do you frequent the chinese store? If you said yes to any of these questions then lets make something that’s an instant classic. General Tso’s chicken isn’t a staple in real authentic Chinese cooking, however it does taste delicious. In fact Tso’s chicken was created in New York by a man named Chef T.T Wang. Wangs version was fried crispy with a tangy and sweet sauce. The traditional American dish is made with deep fried chicken thighs and favors a sweet sauce served with white or fried rice.

Anyway enough history let’s get into the recipe!

Step 1: Preparations Start Preparing the sweet sauce for the chicken. Mince your garlic finely and set it aside. Next mix

together 1 can of ing we’re going to fry Ingredients chicken stock ¼ the chicken in. Prepare SAUCE white vinegar and a seasoned flour mix –– can of chicken stock ½ soy sauce. Add with 1 ½ cup all pur–– 1/2 cup soy sauce ¼ cup of water, mix –– 1/4 cup white vinegar pose, 1 tsp salt, and 1 ½ in an optional 1 tsp –– 1/2 cup sugar tsp black pepper.

– – 1 tsp hoisin sauce (add hoisin sauce now Step 3: Prepare Chicken on) we’re going to add The original Tso’s –– 2 minced garlic cloves ½ cup of cornstarch –– grated ginger (add on) Chicken uses dark and ½ cup of sugar. –– 1/2 cup cornstarch meat, which is chicken At this point you can –– 1/4 cup water thighs, however my add ginger but you version uses chicken CHICKEN BREADING don’t need to. Keep breasts which are juicer –– seasoned flour in mind your sauce than the thighs and it –– 11/2 cup flour will be watery but be –– 1 tsp salt has a better taste. Rinse sure to mix it well, breasts and cut into –– 1-1/2 tsp pepper – – egg wash it will thicken when chunks. it cooks. Set aside in –– 1-2 eggs Step 4: Frying Chicken –– Water or milk the fridge until your –– 2-3 chicken breasts Pre-heat a heavy ready for it. Also frying pan for frying.

–– 6 green onions finely chop the green Get the breading from onion and set aside step 2 and make a egg Step 2: Chicken Breading wash (combine 1-2 eggs and a tiny Now it’s time to make the bread- bit of water and whisk until thor-

oughly mixed). Next dip chicken in egg wash mixture then in flour, fry immediately. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, set on a paper towel to drain off the oil. Once all the chicken is cooked get a wok!

Step 5: Time to Tso In your wok add 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil, and add green onion to the wok. Cook the onion for a few seconds then add the sweet sauce to your wok, adjust your heat to high before adding sauce. Once the sauce is in the wok cook until it starts to bubble. Add chicken to sauce, at this point if the sauce is too thick add an additional ½ cup or 1 cup of water. Cook until sauce reaches the desired consistency.

Step 6: Plate Make rice and broccoli to go with the chicken and sauce mixture.

New Family Member at FLC

By MODESTY PADIN Franklin Learning Center’s newest member Mr. Anthony “Tony” Wilson started his first day on January 22, 2018. Taking on the role of Assistant Principal, he is stepping into the spot left empty

by Nicole Lee when she accepted the job as Principal in December.

Assistant Principals make the school run smoothly by helping with staffing, security matters, hallways, the lunchroom, instruction, and special education. Wilson has been a Special Ed. teacher before: “I actually started in special education because I volunteered at the special olympics as a high school student and I still continue to coach...special olympic swimming.”

Wilson is currently 60 years old and was born in Hamilton, Ontario but grew up in State Col-

Wilson has been an Assistant Principal with the School District of Philadelphia since 2000, most recently at Grover Washington Jr. Middle School. Having worked at many schools in his career, he is excited about the possibility of working at a magnet school.

Two of his children graduated from Carver (Engineering and Science) and his daughter graduated from CAPA. “I Mr. Wilson, FLC’s new Assistant Principal, outside of his office · Staff Photographer Cheyenne Richardson know the qualities of lege, Pennsylvania. “My parents mother was a teacher. “I failed ba- a magnet school and I [am] excitcame to the United States when I sic calculus and thought engineer- ed about the opportunity to work was about two years old.” Wilson’s ing might not be the right track and help other young people to father was an engineer and his and then I switched to education.” follow the footsteps of my kids.”