Summer slide has become a constant challenge in Philadelphia schools, where students forget the material they learn over the summer, leading to a massive disparity in their learning throughout the years, leading to ‘gaps.’ According to scholars at the University of Missouri, lower-class families in particular have a drop in academic skills over the summer months due to decreased access to academic programs.
As these issues persist with summer slide and education, Cherlle Parker, Philadelphia’s current mayor, and school teacher, created the Parker Plan for Education to address these issues. Her main goal behind the plan was to decrease violence, affordable housing, and economic stability, provide before and after academic programs, and combat the summer slide. A lot of parents are often way too busy themselves to constantly sign their children up for before and after school programs.
Among her plans to reach these goals by opening schools around 7:30 AM to 6 PM, and partnering high schools with several different institutions to provide job training, she also highlights year-round schooling.
Parker’s idea for year-long schooling for Philadelphia public schools is that they will take away the long summer break, but allow breaks and holidays throughout the year. The main plan is to keep children academically active by extending the hours and days they stay in school as much as possible, one of them being programs and activities implemented inside of them.
Currently, programs meant to extend the school day will start in September, during the school year of 2025 to 2026, having after-school activities, one of them called the Summer Achievers program.
The program features ELA, art, math, music, sports, and social learning, during the afternoons, and Fridays dedicated to trips and camp-like activities. 20 unspec-
ified schools will enact the year-round schedule from 2025 to 2026. There is no statement on whether it will be mandatory or not for students to enroll in these programs.
Teachers have an optional opportunity to participate in these activities. Surprisingly, Philadelphia teachers were not informed of these proposals, according to Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, after Parker made this a significant part of her campaign. Teachers weren’t aware of how this would change their schedules, possibly impacting their time with their families, and decreasing their time with their children who have their school schedules.
The main issues with this year-long plan are the costliness of it throughout
the year, selection bias, and the ever-going teacher flight that’s been happening throughout Philadelphia.
Not all schools have the privilege of functioning and yearly present air conditioning during the hotter months, a prevalent issue covered back in 2023, FLC not allowed a half day despite the extreme heat and lack of air conditioning. School buildings will require a lot of funding to stay open throughout the year, and even with donations like Jalen Hurts, an Eagles quarterback, donating to 10 different schools for air conditioning, there’s still plenty of planning to be done with air conditioning. Those ten schools may have gotten air conditioning, but it did not make up for the other 200 of other schools in the district. There will be a selected bunch of well-funded schools that opted for the
year-long program, as opposed to the underfunded ones who lack the prestige and recognition. Along with this, Philadelphia teachers have been leaving in high droves, over 1 in 3 Philadelphia teachers in the district or charter, left their profession in the 2021 to 2022 school year. There’s been a significant amount of shortages in teachers, impacting the financial cost of districts, negative student outcomes, and an increase in underqualified teachers.
All details pertaining to the cost, what schools will be attending, and the plan on how the summer details will function are still being tweaked currently, and as Sharon Ward puts it, a deputy chief education officer,
“We’re working on it. We’re not starting from scratch.”
On Friday, May 31st of 2024, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Philadelphia’s University of the Arts will be closing on June 7th of 2024. Hours later, this claim was confirmed by UArts, stating that the school will be closing its doors permanently on June 7th. University of the Arts was a creative and performing arts university in the heart of Philadelphia, located on the Avenue of the Arts. UArts was originally established as Philadelphia Colleges of the Arts in the 1870s. This makes UArts one of the oldest creative arts institutions in the United States.
UArts is known for its variety of creative courses. Scholars can choose to major in animation, design, creative writing, film, fine arts, dance, music composition, and theater to name a few. The institution also offered many internships and programs to ready students for pursuing their creative careers. Wth UArts being such a well established school with so many programs for students, the sudden closure of the school came as a surprise to many.
The closure of UArts is due to the school’s loss of accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), which is the school’s accrediting body. This accreditation was
lost due to financial reasons. The statement from President Kerry Walk states “we could not overcome the ultimate challenge we faced: with a cash position that has steadily weakened, we could not cover significant, unanticipated expenses. The situation came to light very suddenly.”
This announcement came suddenly, especially during a time where many students have committed to colleges and application deadlines have passed.
Summer courses at UArts are now canceled and new classes will not take place during the fall semester. Administrators are working to create partner pathways through Temple University, Drexel University, and Moore College of Art and Design in order to transfer current and incoming students.
This is not the only Pennsylvanian art school to close this year. In January of 2024, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) announced that its college will close. The last graduating class from PAFA will be in the year 2025. As of now, all degree programs at the school are ending. PAFA was established even before UArts, dating back to 1805 at its opening. This makes PAFA the oldest art institute in America.
President Eric Pryor cited low enrollment pools and increased cost of maintenance for the closure of PAFA’s degree programs. Even though PAFA’s learning
institution will be closing, the academy will still hold exhibitions and events based around fine arts at its museum. The school will refocus on displaying art history and documenting the works of artists.
As for PAFA students, partnerships were made with Arcadia University, Temple University, Moore College of Art and Design, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, and UArts. With the closure of UArts along with PAFA, students now have less options for art schools to attend.
Another arts college faced a similar end very recently. Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD) located in Wilmington, Delaware. While DCAD was known as a creative staple for the community of Delaware, the school will also be ceasing operations as of 2024 due to decreasing student pools and financial struggles. As of 2024, DCAD had an incoming class of 107 students. President Jean Dahgren, the president of DCAD, cited the delays in the Free Application for Federal Student
Aid for the lack of enrollment. Like UArts, DCAD will be partnering with Moore College of Art and Design as well as Pennsylvania College of Art and Design to transfer students who have lost their institutions.
Independent
Student Newspaper of Franklin Learning Center
616 N. 15th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130
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Maya Williams
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The Flash will be guided in the publication of all material by a concern for the truth, for human decency, and for human betterment, remembering that the test of good journalism is the measure of its public service.
The Flash will strive to provide a comprehensive and intelligent account of events in a meaningful context.
The Flash will strive to be a leader of student opinion through its editorials.
The Flash will be a public forum for promoting change and for the exchange of comment and criticism through its letter to the editor and Opinion pages.
A full list of policies and procedures can be found at theflashflc.org/constitution
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The Flash encourages readers to contribute through letters, guest columns, and story ideas. Suggestions will be considered for future publication. Letters should not exceed 300 words in length.
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Press run is 750 copies. Copies are provided free of charge to students, faculty, and staff.
It has been over 200 days since the Israel-Hamas attacks on October 7th of 2023. This attack has sparked world-wide atten-
(IFA). The IFA directly contributes to the illegal displacement of Palestinians through the forceful establishment of illegal Israeli settlements. The funding that Puma gives to the IFA allows the expansion of Isreal’s
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is a Palestinian-run committee that strives to support Palestine through boycotting companies that support Israel. - Maya Williams
tion with many people around the world sharing support for Palestine and those affected by the war. One large factor that many people focus on is money and how money is used in relation to the ongoing war. The opposition towards the genocide, as defined by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), of Palestinian people has sparked protests, rallies, and boycotts.
One way many people choose to help is to put money towards causes that will assist Palestine and Palestinian people. Aside from crowdfunding and donations, boycotting has become a major aspect of supporting Palestine in these past months. However, the massive push to defund companies has caused misconceptions about which companies support Israel or Palestine. Many lists have been circulating in the online sphere calling to boycott hundreds of brands. Not only is this confusing for people who wish to support Palestine, but it creates a disorganized protest that does not drastically assist in the war crisis.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement is a Palestinian-run committee that strives to support Palestine through boycotting companies that support Israel. The brands that the BDS movement target are brands that are carefully and deliberately selected in order to gain the most impact out of boycotting.
Here is a list of some brands that the BDS movement listed to boycott:
Puma:
The sportswear brand Puma is the main sponsor of the Israel Football Association
settlements.
HP:
Hewlett Packard Inc is an American technology company that specializes in developing personal computers, printers, and technological services. HP provides computer hardware and data centers to the Israeli army. The data systems used by the Israeli government are used to enforce racial segregation in Israel.
Burger King, McDonalds, Papa Johns, Dominos Pizza, and Pizza Hut:
All of these companies have shown support for Israel and/or have branches directly located in Israel. These companies have directly provided donations to Israel, making them complacent in the ongoing war.
McDonalds and Dominos in particular have provided the Israeli army with free meals during the genocide of Palestinan people in Gaza.
Chevron:
Chevron owns oil fields that may directly contribute to the ongoing climate crisis. Oil and fields release many dangerous chemicals into the air and water, which end up hurting both humans and wildlife. The production of crude oils also increases greenhouse gas emissions.
In 2020, Chevron merged with American-based Company Noble Energy Inc, which began operations of oil fields in Israel. Every year, Israel earns millions of dollars from gas fields operated by Chevron.
Intel:
Intel has a long history with Israel. The
very first Intel development center outside of the US was built in Israel 1974. Intel is currently one of Israel's biggest contributors to Israel's economy. Pat Gelsinger, the CEO of Intel, shared his views on the conflict, saying that the company stands with Israel. Gelsinger also mentioned supporting a peaceful resolution to the conflict even though Intel supports Israel.
Brands to Pressure:
Certain brands are outlined as “pressure targets” by the BDS. These are very large brands that are hard to outright boycott because of how large they are. Instead, the BDS suggests putting pressure on these companies to speak out against Israel and the complacency they have in Palestinian genocide. This includes social media pressuring, protests, and lobbying. With these companies being so large, it is difficult to completely stop using their services. This is why the BDS movement suggests applying social pressure onto these companies.
Listed below are a few pressure targets outlined by the BDS movement: Google and Amazon:
Both Google and Amazon have invested 1.2 billion dollars into the Nimbus Project. This investment provides the Israeli government with cloud servers and surveillance. This project has sparked controversy amongst the companies and consumers. Airbnb, Expedia and Booking.com: Airbnb, Expedia, and Booking.com all provide or have provided rental properties on illegally acquired Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The West Bank is currently claimed by the State of Palestine, but there has been great conflict over the land due to the Israeli-Palestinian War. The West Bank currently has a rising number of Israeli settlers.
More information on boycotting brands and how these brands support Israel can be found on the official BDS website bdsmovement.net. The full comprehensive list of specific brands to avoid are also listed on the website.
At Franklin Learning Center, there’s a local Planet Fitness located down the street at 510 N Broad St. There are some FLC students who start their fitness activities right after school ends and towards the gym.
Two students in FLC talk about their journey of doing the world of fitness and going to Planet Fitness after school. A music major sophomore in FLC named Patrick Webb shared his own experience when beginning his fitness journey, “I felt…a very skinny feeling, a little bit of body dysmorphia every time I look in the mirror…” Patrick stated that he wanted to change that feeling and sculpt his body into a piece of art.
Sophomore Webb then shares his routine and why he goes to Planet Fitness, “I have a training regimen…[So] on Mondays, I start with [push exercises]... then on Tuesdays, I do a pole day...then on Wednesdays, I do legs and I repeat that and… I [also] start with heavyweights, [and] do compound movements like squats, bench, and deadlift.” Webb describes what Planet Fitness is like after school. “[It’s loud and it’s very crowded] on…Mondays and Fridays usually,” and [there are] people are like in Planet Fitness [that are] … beginners and out of shape people [who want to get better], that was based on Webb’s observations at his time at Planet Fitness.
Another FLC sophomore named Jesus Ramos also has a training regimen. He expresses his first motivation into fitness: “I
think I started going to the gym until eighth grade but my trainer motivated me to go and that's why I started going ever since,” Ramos stated that he used generally mostly all of the machines in Planet Fitness.
Webb and Ramos spend about one hour to one hour and thirty minutes doing their training regimen in Planet Fitness.
Both Ramos and Webb said that they would stop by at their home before going to Planet Fitness or get a meal that is high in protein. “I have a high-protein diet. So when I get home, I eat some chicken breasts out of the can or some rice…when I get home after
the gym, I like protein shakes, [and] It's like 90 grams of protein,” according to Webb, Ramos has a similar diet and routine as well.
Lastly, Webb gave words of motivation for the people who are getting into fitness
Planet Fitness is a monthly subscription but this summer, the organization announced that teens have a summer pass! This applies to teens who are aged 14-19 starting June 1st to August 31st. Teenagers under 18 can sign-up online or in-club with a parent or guardian. To receive this, pre-register, download the PF app, and work out in the PF near your home for free! Take advantage of this opportunity while you can!
By Gabriella DiGiacomo
With Winter out of the way and Spring coming to an end, many students are left wondering “What should I do this summer?” Three students, Emmily Calaca, Azury Gomez-Ulloa, and Ursinette Ramos have got an answer.
Some students like to keep busy throughout the summer. They use it as an opportunity.
Gomez-Ulloa says she usually spends her summer “doing internships or taking college classes,” she says “every single summer since 9th grade, I have been doing some kind of program.” This summer, Gomez-Ulloa is taking on an internship at a lab for a program called SEED. When it comes to finding these summer opportunities, “talk to [Miss] Kia or anyone from Heights.” Gomez-Ullua says, “they have a lot of connections and they will help you apply.”
to stay strong. As well, Ramos says to listen to Vegeta from the anime “Dragon Ball Z” as your mentor throughout the fitness journey.
“Do any kind of internship, program, or dual enrollment program. They are relatively easy and if you pick something that you will be interested [in], it will make it way better.” Gomez-Ullua says, “But my only advice is to take programs that pay you at the end. Doing activities is fun but there is A LOT of programs that will pay highschool students for completing them.”
Other students are more interested in quality time with family and friends.
“I spend my summers outside,” said Ramos, “If I’m not in a pool, im hanging out with my friends or playing softball with my dad and my brother.”
Ramos plans to spend her time with the people in her life. Spending your summer with loved ones is a great way to build relationships and make memories!
“Students should go outside and have fun.” Says ramos, “The summer will be boring if you just lay in bed all day.”
Students like Calaca like to enjoy their summer by traveling.
“I plan to go to Virginia and possibly Florida.” says Calaca. She says she wants to spend her summer break “traveling with family or going to amusement parks.” A little fun helps the summer go by!
“I recommend just to go outside and not stay home and experience new things.” Calaca says, “And if you can’t afford to travel, just take a walk or go to the park.”
“My dog's name is Bucky. He is an energetic and friendly pup who loves to look out the window for squirrels, take walks at the park, and catch frisbees. His favorite stuffed animal is a squirrel. My wife and I adopted Bucky from Home At Last Rescue in October of 2022. He is a wonderful dog and we are glad he is a part of our family!”
Mr. Socci
“I actually have 2 pets! My cat is named Lola and she was originally a feral cat. My wife brought her home when she was only 4 weeks old so we still had to feed her formula. She's very shy and only really likes my wife and myself. She has grown to love cuddling and will rub against your feet all day if you let her."
This is Goblin.
Regardless of what your pet preferences are, I think we can all agree that animals have a special place in our hearts. Humankind’s innate love for animals can often bridge the gap between culture, language barriers, and generations. This is why Franklin Learning Center’s teachers have banded together to show off their amazing pets.
“My pet is a terrestrial hermit crab named 'Tamatoa' after the character from Moana. I have had him about six years. I originally got Tamatoa for a biology class when I was doing a unit on invertebrates and wanted some living examples. Tamatoa is a little more sociable than some hermit crabs and will investigate his environment once he is comfortable with not feeling threatened. He is most active at night and sometimes you can hear him knocking around in his terrarium when his shell hits the glass. Hermit crabs do not actually produce their own shells--instead finding shells from other mollusks. Large land hermit crabs, like Tamatoa, will frequently bury themselves for two to three months to molt and grow.”
Mr. Prohaska
"My dog is named Kaya and we got her from a rescue shelter in July. She has a lot of puppy energy but really loves people and other dogs. She is currently in training and is very smart at picking up on commands.”
“This is Baxter. He’s almost 15 and I adopted him from a shelter when he was 8 weeks old. He loves playing catch and running around the yard as much as he loves taking a good long nap on the couch!”
“I adopted our two cats, Winnipeg (aka Winnie) and Mumbai, 5 years ago with my (now) husband, Zain. Previously known as Paris and London, we renamed them for other international destinations that better suited their personalities. My seniors will know that Winnie can be found most times on my lap with her head on my chest, and was my right-hand assistant during virtual school. Innocent and loving, she craves cuddles above all creature comforts. Mumbai, on the other hand, prowls the apartment at night and spends most of the day conjuring schemes for our attention, including shredding the tissue box or my students' homework (don't be fooled by the adorable face). They are yin and yang, but we love them both.”
Ms. Kern
This is Noëlle. She was my kids’ Christian present during COVID. We got her from a friend of an FLC alum.
PS: Noelle’s middle name is ZZZZ
This is our only SPCA cat. We went looking for a kitten. My daughter, who was a child at the time, took one look at him and refused to leave without him, even though he was not a kitten. Noëlle calls him “moms.” Nim eats schoolwork if he is not getting fed fast enough
Hart
These adorable pets perfectly encapsulate the personality of their owners. They also allow us to see our teachers as actual people and not authoritarians. Do you have any pets? Please send it to @theflashflc!
Del Frisco’s is a modern and high-class steakhouse widespread across the country, the restaurant offers quality food and unique experiences. Del Frisco’s is still a relevant restaurant to speak on because people still enjoy this restaurant with the food and experience.
My personal experience at Del Frisco’s was a good one. My family and I made reservations for 6:00 pm on a Saturday evening, unfortunately, heavy traffic delayed our arrival.. Before we arrived at the restaurant, we went to the location on a Saturday evening in downtown Philadelphia. The traffic, public transportation, and pedestrians made our trip more difficult. If the location was in a more suburban area it would be easier. We called to make sure our reservation was still available,the employee we communicated with was very accommodating and understanding of our situation and still allowed us to keep our reservation. Once we got into the restaurant we were greeted,immediately sat and provided with quality customer service, despite our late arrival. Our waiter was very open to any questions we had about the menu which made our experience enjoyable.
The ambiance of the restaurant was very pleasant and supplied a serene atmosphere . With their dim lighting, high ceilings, and well-set tables.. The steps towards the back were good for taking pictures, and the high ceilings made the restaurant appear more spacious and gave it a very modern and sleek look. The feeling when we first walked in was contemporary.
Aside from the service and setting, the food served was amazing. All the food that we ordered came out altogether. We waited for about 20-25 minutes, which I don’t feel is bad for the amount of food that was ordered. Everyone’s food came out to their liking and exactly how they asked the waiter for it to be made. The quality of the food matched the high quality of the restaurant. We were all satisfied.
Del Frisco’s gave me a great experience with service, food, and setting. I would totally recommend going to Del Frisco’s with family and friends for a night out.
First, we should cook at home for our own health benefit. This helps us to know what we put in our body. When we cook at home, we choose what goes into our food. In the Chef's Vision, the author sited that Johns Hopkins said, "When people cook at home, they eat a healthier diet than eating out. The research indicated that people consumed fewer calories, fat, and sugar when they ate home cooking." Also, it helps us to reduce the fatty and salty food and consume more healthy stuff. In another word, preparing meals at home allows individuals to have complete control over the ingredients that go into their food. For example, we can use and add more fruits and vegetable in our dish that we prepare for ourselves. Eating homemade food helps everyone to stay healthy.
Secondly, parents should teach their children how to cook so that can keep our native and culture food for every generation. From the spruce eats, the author Stephanie Gallagher, mentions that "Teaching a child how to cook helps them understand how much time and effort it takes for a parent to make a healthy, tasty meal for the family." This is something to keep the culture alive, otherwise the culture will be gone and dead. In addition, When families engage in the ritual of meal preparation, they're not just cooking, but also educating the people around them. Children who cook with their parents, learn to appreciate the effort that goes into meal creation, and develop a deeper understanding of the food they consume. Cooking at home is more than making food; it's good for our health and brings families closest.
Lastly, we can save money and our life by cooking at home. Just going store and grab the things that need it without wasting a lot of money. Kaustav Ray mentions that "when cooking at home becomes a frequent activity, one will definitely see a decrease in their expenses." It's less expensive than eating out, and we can make sure our food is healthy. We pick the ingredients we want and avoid the bad stuff. It's also fun to cook because we get to spend time with family while doing it. Also, when we cook at home, we often have leftovers which means we have another meal ready for later, saving us even more money.Warde-jones mentions that “cooking is at times joyful, but it is also filled with time pressures, tradeoffs designed to save money, and the burden of pleasing others.” Cooking at home is good for our
body, our wallet, and it can be a great way to hang out with our loved ones.
Some people do not agree about cooking at home. Most of them may say it's wasting time. The majority of people enjoy eating outside. This could lead to health issue as heart disease, weight gain, blood pressure and diabetes. Eating at home is more comfortable and give us a time to spend with our family.
To sum it up, cooking at home helps us to be a health conscious and be a strong person. We can have an enjoyable life when we are healthy. It brings joy to the house, and gather the family. So be healthy while also keeping our own tradition and culture as well.
In most public schools, school lunch is provided. Depending on the school, there are different types of servings. In FLC, each day will have a specific lunch menu. Although school lunch is free, some students view it as embarrassing to eat. But why is it seen as embarrassing?
In FLC, school lunch is served for all four lunches; 6, 8, 10, and 12. Some examples of lunches served here are cheesesteaks, salads, wraps, sandwiches, mozzarella sticks with tomato sauce, chicken nuggets, etc. There’s always pizza as an option everyday in case the amount of food is short. A couple of students from different lunches state their opinion on school lunches.
Ly Luong, a sophomore, has 8th lunch. She provided an explanation for her opinion on school lunches starting with “70% of the time, the food is extremely greasy or it just looks unappetizing”. Although Luong finds lunch to be unappealing, she would occasionally eat it nonetheless due to her hunger. A person’s perspective of school lunches may be adjusted by acknowledging the importance of meal presentation. Adding on, Luong says “I think students view eating school lunch as embarrassing because of the comments people make such as “ew what is that” or “you like the school lunch? It tastes nasty”. Students make those comments because some
of them are judgemental while others are very straight forward with their opinions about school lunches.” Due to remarks made about food, students might feel too embarrassed to eat. Given that harsh remarks have a great impact on people, hearing them can significantly change an individual’s action in school.
Sophomore Amaiyah Muhammed has 12th lunch and she expressed her reasoning why school lunch is embarrassing by stating “People are nervous to eat school lunch, and they think that sometimes it’s disgusting.” From Muhammed’s response, students regularly overlook school lunches due to how it’s presented. Similarly to Luong, Muhammed says “People think it’s disgusting because of the way it looks more than half of the time. And they think that if it looks disgusting, it probably tastes disgusting.” The majority of students would automatically assume the worst once they’ve seen how something is presented. Thus,
according to Muhammed, lunch isn't the best presentation which causes students to react poorly.
Connecting Luong and Muhammed’s response, it may bring students to a conclusion that school lunches are seen as embarrassing due to its’ presentation. Even though the presentation isn’t the best, school lunches are provided and eating
during the school day improves concentration. School lunches are beneficial to you, so you shouldn’t view them as embarrassing. Things that benefit you shouldn’t have to make you feel ashamed.
“Eat school lunch. It’s not that bad, I promise.”
Michelle Obama's contributions significantly influenced school food choices, leading to shifts from high-calorie and low-nutrient foods to healthier options like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. The rise in obesity rates in the 2000s prompted this change, causing school lunch programs to offer healthier options and resulting in years of healthy but unappealing meals.
People should eat more nutritious school food, though the School District of Philadelphia needs to provide better-quality food for students.
A CBS News article highlights a survey revealing food waste and safety issues in the Philadelphia District. “The second area of concern is about the food served in school cafeterias. Sixty-four percent of respondents said at least half the food served is being thrown away. Currently, lunch is prepared in full-service kitchens or "satellite" kitchens, where the food is frozen and heated up by workers. Seventy-eight percent of workers surveyed believe students enjoy fresh food more than frozen.”
The National School Lunch Program revealed that students who received healthier lunches performed better on reading and math tests, indicating that healthier lunches can significantly enhance performance. Healthy lunches improve attendance, address minor behavioral issues, and enhance focus, impacting academic performance, cognitive abilities, and information retention, according to studies in the Journal of School Health.
Although we need quality improvements, compelling reasons exist to continue eating school food produced to provide students with vitamins, minerals, and meals that support their health. Schools provide students with a balanced diet; however, improving food quality often comes
with financial and logistical challenges. By prioritizing nutritional value, schools can provide ingredients that meet everyone's taste preferences. Nutritious meals help address issues of food inequality and ensure that students not only have a meal but also have access to healthy options.
The New York Times stated, “We criticize schools’ reliance on highly processed, heat-’n’-eat food, but cooking from scratch requires adequate cold storage and food preparation facilities, as well as trained workers. Since 2009, the federal govern-
ment has provided around $200 million for school kitchen improvements, but in 2014, the Pew Charitable Trusts showed that schools’ total needs exceeded $5 billion. And even if a kitchen is fully outfitted for cooking, the cost of hiring skilled cooks can be prohibitive." Home-cooked meals appear more appealing than processed foods, but they seem realistically out of reach.
People should actively choose healthy food options and have regular access to high-quality food choices. To enhance
food quality, consider expiration dates and cooking by hand instead of using microwaved, frozen, or store-bought options. Also, more seasoning and a variety of condiments.
Franklin Learning Center(FLC) is a talented school with a lot of amazing students. Let's shine a light on two up-andcoming artists who have been making music together since their freshman year at FLC. These two artists are in their sophomore year, Charles James is in the vocal Music Major, and Jadon Spencer's major is Music Instrumental. The Genre of music they make consists of melodic R&B and hip-hop. With Spencer already making music before, the two began producing music together. He always looked up to somebody close to him which inspired him to keep doing music.
“My brother because my brother started making music at 14 and me being eight years younger. I looked up to him a lot. And it kind of inspired me to like when I'm making music to build a closer bond and a big connection.”
Charles on the other hand looked up to the artist that he listened to and wanted to go down the same path as them. Being surrounded by different music every day when he was younger opened up new doors
“For me, it was just I was mostly…inspired by just artists that are listened to and wanting to have the experiences that they have. So I want to get like them one day.”
With Charles being surrounded by different music every day when he was younger in school, it opened up new doors to the music world.
“I think in middle school or like Elementary. I've always been like surrounded by music and music has been…a passion of mine for a while now. So I was just been kind of sticking to it and been doing the best I can”
ten a good connection”
With their bond growing even more over time they are putting out albums and songs. As of right now, they have 3 albums and 35 songs streaming. With this, they were able to do their first performance together. With Jadon being less experienced with performing on stage with the mic, they still found a way around that made each other feel comfortable when performing. Even after the show was over they got some positive and good feedback from the audience.
“I don't have an experienced singer with a mic… but overall the experience was good. And we just stayed on each other's type of bond we didn't you know discredit each other or we just kept each other positive.” Charles also stated, “We did get a few
Iluminemos a dos artistas prometedores quienes han hecho música juntos desde su primer año en la escuela de FLC. Charles James y Jadon Spencer, ambos estudiantes de música, lanzan música en línea como The Dynamic Duo.
El objetivo principal de James es enfocarse en sus notas vocales mientras que Spencer se basa en instrumentos musicales. Con esto, ellos aportan elementos cuando crean música juntos. El género de música que ellos crean consiste en R & B melódico y hip-hop. Con Spencer ya creando música antes de que los dos comenzarán a producir música juntos, él encontró inspiración de las personas cercanas a él.
“Mi hermano comenzó a hacer música a los
empo. Así que he hecho lo mejor que he podido.”
Alrededor del tercer bimestre en el año escolar desede 2022 a 2023, Charles decidió crear música con Spencer porque ellos ya compartían una conexión fuerte con la música, lo cual los llevó a hacer música juntos.
“Él ya había creado música. Pero yo me digo, ‘¿por qué no?’ Y de ahí vino la idea así que procedimos.”
Ahora que son un grupo oficial, surgieron con el nombre único “Dynamic Duo.” Spencer menciona como este nombre muestra la conexión entre ellos dos.
Around the third marking period of the school year 2023, Charles decided to begin making music with Spencer because they already had such a strong connection with music, which led them to make music together.
“He had already made music. But I kind of was just like, why not? And that's kind of where the idea came from when we both just went forward from there.”
Now that they are the official group they came up with a unique name “Dynamic Duo”, Spencer talks about how this name only shows how their connection was so powerful between the two.
“We duo and when it comes to music we dynamically like It's like strong like got-
people stop by and talk to us after so that was a good experience.”
Closing it out the Dynamic Duo has some plans in the future to reach their goal of 15,000 streams and collaborate with other people with many different varieties of voices. With this, the Duo gives some advice on pursuing your dreams.
From Spencer, “For those looking even if it's not music, keep pushing to your dreams. Don't let nobody discredit you…I thought it was going to take a matter of months till I got good but it's gonna take time so be patient” From Charles, “The only person really need to prove is to yourself and you don't need nobody else's opinion to do what you love. So keep that in mind”
14 años y yo siendo ocho años menor que él, lo admiraba mucho. Y eso me inspiro…en crear un vínculo cercano y una gran conexión.”
Charles por el otro lado, admiraba al artista que él escuchaba y quería ir por el mismo camino. Haber estado rodeado por diferente música todos los días cuando era pequeño, le abrió nuevas puertas.
“Para mí, fui…inspirado por artistas que la gente escucha y quería tener la misma experiencia que ellos tienen. Así que yo quiero ser como ellos algún día.”
Charles estaba rodeado por diferente tipos de música cuando estaba en la escuela más pequeño, lo cual abrió nuevas puertas en el mundo musical.
“Creo que fue en bachillerato o primaria. Siempre he estado rodeado de música y la música ha sido…mi pasión por un largo ti-
“Nosotros somos un dúo” dice Spencer cuando le preguntaron cómo obtuvieron ese nombre, “y cuando viene a la música, somos dinámicos. Tenemos una buena conexión.”
Su vínculo crece más fuerte al pasar del tiempo y ellos lanzan nuevos álbumes y canciones. Y ahora, tienen tres álbumes y 35 canciones, y más se aproximan. Con esto, lograron hacer su primera actuación juntos. Spencer tenía menos experiencia actuando en el escenario con el micrófono, ambos encontraron una manera de actuar que los hicieran sentir cómodos. Cuando el espectáculo termina, ellos reciben comentarios positivos de la audiencia.
“No estoy experimentado con el micrófono, pero en general, la experiencia fue buena. Y simplemente nos mantuvimos consecutivos; ya sabes, no nos desacreditan, solo nos mantuvimos positivos.” James también afirmó que, “Tuvimos unas cuantas personas que nos saludaron así que fue una buena experiencia.”
Para cerrarlo, Dynamic Duo tiene planes en el futuro en alcanzar su meta de 15.000 transmisiones y colaborar con otras personas con diferentes variedades de voz. Con esto, el Dúo da unos consejos para seguir tus sueños. De Spencer, “Para aquellos que buscan, aunque no sea música, sigue empujando tus sueños. No dejes que nadie te desacredite…Yo pensé que me iba a tomar meses para ser bueno pero tomara tiempo, asi que se pasiente.” De James, “La única persona que tiene que aprobar eres tú mismo y no necesitas la opinión de alguien más para hacer lo que amas. Ten eso en tu mente.”
Kathleen Hannah is a famous feminist punk rock singer who was the lead singer of Bikini Kill based in Olympia, Washington in the early mid1990s. After departing from the band, Bikini Kill she has been in bands such as Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin. A fun fact about Kathleen Hannah is that she was friends with Kurt Cobain, the lead singer of a famous band called Nirvana. One of the songs that was made by Cobain and his band, “Smells like Teen Spirit” sprang out of what Kathleen Hannah had spray painted on the side of Cobain's apartment.
Kathleen Hannah did a book
tour Across the US about her new memoir called, Rebel Girl: My Life As A Feminist Punk. Her last tour date was at Uncle Bobbie’s Cafe in Philadelphia, PA. Book tour dates:
05-14 Brooklyn, NY - Greenlight Bookstore @ Kings Theatre
05-15 Washington, D.C. - Loyalty Bookstore @ Lincoln Theatre
05-16 Cincinnati, OH - Joseph-Beth Booksellers @ Mason High School
05-18 Chicago, IL - Women & Children First @ Hermann Hall
05-20 Los Angeles, CA - Book Soup @ First Congregational Church 05-21 San Francisco, CA - City Arts & Lectures @ The Sydney Goldstein Theater 05-22 Seattle, WA - Seattle Arts & Lec-
tures @ Town Hall Seattle 05-23 Portland, OR - Powell’s Books @ Revolution Hall 05-28 Boston, MA - Brookline Booksmith @ The Wilbur Theatre
05-29 Philadelphia, PA - Uncle Bobbie’s @ WHYY Studio
The South Korean girl group NewJeans consisting of members Danielle, Minji, Hanni, Hyein, and Haerin debuting on July 22, 2022 is back on the scene with their pre-release “Super Shy” and since its release the song has risen to the top of the charts, continuing to prove their power and popularity in the industry. Based on the title, the meaning is pretty straightforward but the song explores the theme of shyness in expressing feelings and wanting a romantic connection.
As I am a fan of many of NewJeans’ previous songs I am fully satisfied with this one. Even though the song is short with its 2.5-minute run time, I like how smooth and laid back it sounds, the slight drumming and electronic synths in the background bring good rhythm to the song and give it a nice relaxing vibe. At different points of the song, the flow changes to keep the song from sounding too redundant and getting boring and I think that it was done perfectly. The girls' light, delicate-sounding voices are a great element to stick to the shy theme of the song. I think the most important part of the short but impactful song is that it's catchy. Everytime I listen to this song, I replay the chorus in my head for a while after I finish listening to it. The line at the end of the chorus that says “I'm all nervous ‘cause you’re on my mind all the time I wanna tell you but I’m super shy, super shy.” I think it's the best line to sum up the whole song and is the most memorable. And considering that this song came out during the summer, it fits right in with that happy/sunny vibe that comes from summertime. As a whole, this was a really strong pre-release for the Get Up album.
The music video for "Super Shy" was very colorful and vibrant in energy as well as visuals which pairs nicely with the song. I think the flash mobs were such a cute and new idea I've never seen before in K-pop. The place where the video was filmed is very aesthetically pleasing and I like that most of the shots of the video were taken outside for the bright/sunny summer vibe that I feel this song gives off. According to a Wikipedia article, the "Super Shy"
music video was filmed in Lisbon, Portugal. I also like the fact that they are dancing in the middle of a bunch of stuff happening around them, it's newer and different from music videos I usually see in that sense and with the angles that were used. The iconic "Super Shy" choreography was simple and easy to do and, according to my TikTok FYP and YouTube shorts feed, it was POPULAR and still is. My favorite part of the video was the sitting hand choreography while they were on the yellow bus, it looked
Artist Drake finally released his long-awaited album “ For All Dogs”! After several months of wait and delays, fans finally get to listen to the artist's latest work. In this article, I'll be giving my analysis of the artist's latest album. Going into this album, it should be noted how successful Drake’s past albums have been. The 5 time Grammy winner has achieved thirteen number-one albums on the Billboard 200 and thirteen number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Billboard hailed him as the "Artist of the 2010s Decade". With this in mind, my expectations for this album were very high.
“For All Dogs” beats and melodies for the most part were selected and used pretty well. For example, in tracks like “First Person Shooter,” I liked how J. Cole and Drake used the beat to create a competitive vibe to it. Another example is on “Bahama Promises”. Drake using a piano beat helped create the sad and heartbroken vibe he was aiming for. Drake throughout this album seems to know what beat is needed to get a certain emotion out of the song.
Drake includes many features in the album including big names like 21 Savage, J. Cole, Yeat, SZA, PartyNextDoor, Chief Keef, Bad Bunny, Sexyy Red, and Lil Yachty. Some of my favorite features were SZA, J. Cole, and Lil Yachty. The feature that disappointed me the most was Sexxy Red. I felt that her verse on “Rich Baby Daddy” just didn’t fit the song and was interrupting the flow. For the most part, the features on this
album were pretty good and complimented the songs well, like “First Person Shooter” and “Slime You Out”.
My personal favorite songs on the album were “Bahama Promises”, “Slime You Out”, “Tried Our Best”, “First-Person Shooter”, and “8 am in Charlotte''. These songs really stuck out to me when thinking about the songs Drake cooked the most. There weren’t really any songs I didn’t like but if I had to say some songs that left more to be
so cute and I had to learn it. There were moments in the song where it sped up and the backup dancers really added so much to the performance.
Overall, I think NewJeans is a really talented group of girls and with this song in particular I love everything about it. Although I’m not gonna lie, it had grown on me because it was so popular as soon as it came out and I usually go for underrated stuff but when I gave it a chance I finally realized what I was missing out on.
This the cover art for the album made my Drake’s sons
desired they would be “Rich Baby Daddy” and “Gently” Gently was okay but Drake’s verse in the beginning kind of threw me off and the song was kind of off but Bad Bunny picked up the slack.
To conclude my review of “For All Dogs”, I think Drake did a good job creating another potential classic album to his long resume of classics. I like how the majority of the features went well with the songs and didn’t ruin it. His beat selection
and use were also good and helped capture the emotion he was trying to get out of them. My overall rating on the album is 8.5/10. I definitely recommend listening to it and I will definitely listen to it again.
Did you know that a pregnant woman’s fetus can be exposed to nicotine when the mother is exposed to smoke (The New York Times)? It is scary to think about how people would smoke out in public despite knowing that they are putting others and the environment at risk. Therefore, smoking in crowded public areas like malls, beaches, parks, restaurants, bars, and stores should be banned.
Starting with people, “secondhand smoke causes approximately 7,330 deaths from lung cancer and 33,950 deaths from heart disease each year”(American Lung Association). That is about 41,300 deaths of innocent victims due to the actions of others. To add, considering this statistic, it is also good to note the multiple health risks that come from passive smoking like coronary heart disease, lung cancer, stroke, COPD, and more (NHS inform). It is not fair for people to have their body’s ruin but not have it be their fault.
Besides people, the environment is also hurting due to the chemicals in cigarettes. “An estimated 766,571 metric tons of cigarette butts make their way into the environment every year” (Truth Initiative). Indicating that there are tons of cigarette butts that are dirtying the environment with the cigarettes itself but also the smoke of it; polluting the water, land, and air.
Nonetheless, some may say that it is needed to smoke outside because it is better than doing it inside. Although that may be true to an extent, as far as considering those around us, it is better to be inside and away from people than out where
there's multiple people walking around. I think this reasoning to counter back the ban on smoking in public is good but only for the smoker itself but in this case smoking in public relates to the actual public which means other people and the environment. Smoking in crowded, compacted, public areas should be banned due to the safety for people and the environment.
Ultimately, it is understandable that it's better to smoke outside , therefore more smoke rooms should be built in public areas or even in large indoor places. To add, more trash cans should be placed so less cigarette butts are littered on the ground and keeping the streets and water clean. Lastly, to keep the people safe, all that could be done is for smokers to be more considerate about their surroundings and should only smoke when they are at a great distance from others or are completely by themselves.
Animal testing is a controversial practice used in laboratories. People question the morality of this practice, with critics emphasizing the suffering of animals, physically and emotionally. Whereas, those in support emphasize the benefits animal testing has had for science and cosmetics. While Animal testing has flagged unsafe products in the past, ethical issues and better alternatives urge us to completely end the use of animal testing in cosmetics laboratories.
Animals are sentient beings who experience pain and complex emotions like humans. Mice can even experience emotions based on their experiences and even make facial expressions based on the emotions they feel, similar to how humans do. According to CNN, scientists did a variety of tests on mice and identified five specific emotional states - pleasure, disgust, nausea, pain, and fear. Cosmetic laboratories put mice through horrific conditions that often lead to injury, trauma, or even death. According to senientmedia.org, a non-profit media company, animal testing continues to be practiced, causing the death of 500,000 animals yearly, primarily rabbits, guinea-pigs, hamsters, rats, and mice. These animals have chemicals applied to their skin, injected into their bodies, or smeared onto their eyes. They often undergo immense pain and mental torment just so companies can produce the latest cosmetics.
Additionally, many alternative methods don’t require testing on animals and are often more practical and reliable. Like in-vitro technology, experiments on live organisms or matter inside of a test tube. The New York Times claims analysts estimate that businesses spent $716 million last year for contract research at labs that special-
ize in such alternatives. Human exposure is another alternative, using experimental products that can be observed without causing harm. Such methods protect animals from suffering from harmful testing. Animal testing supporters claim that animal testing ensures safe products and no adverse reactions to cosmetics products, according to the FDA website, animal testing is done by manufacturers to ensure product safety (“Cosmetics Safety”). However, it is often questioned in the scientific community if the results of animal trials can be extrapolated to humans. Dr. Richard A. Berg, former director of the FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research, states “The use of animals for testing is a contentious subject. I am personally not happy about it. I think that most cosmetic products, if not all, could be proven safe for human use without any testing on animals.”
In conclusion, while Animal testing has in certain cases flagged unsafe products in the past, ethical issues, physiological limitations, and better alternatives urge us to end this practice. To help stop this practice, we can encourage people to shop for ethically sourced, cruelty-free products as well as pressure companies to stop animal testing in their laboratories.
When COVID was in the mist, mostly everything we knew was changed into a more virtual or digital way to help everyone in a time where we couldn't leave our house. In turn, we have lost important skills and opportunities in our day-to-day lives. Despite COVID being less than what it was before, People still have a hard time with social, educational, and mental issues. This is said by American Journalist Ezra Klein: “The social costs of wearing headphones and earbuds in public, how technology has enabled us to avoid the social awkwardness and rejection inherent in building community," but one way I see to help all of that is by playing cards. Card games are better for us now than ever.
You will get more social interactions if you play card games. This is said in a research article called “The Psychological and Social Benefits of Playing Cards." “Playing is in fact the first way we begin to socialize as children, and there is an organic and spontaneous element to building interpersonal relationships through games."
Another way card games can help this generation is by sharpening the mind. Said in the same article, “Most card games involve some form of strategy, which exercises the mind's problem-solving capabilities... Just learning the rules of a new game
can encourage cognitive skills like memorization and communication.”
Another important way card games can help us is by helping with our mental health, as said in the research article “Health Benefits of Playing Cards and Other Games” by Brandi Swieter. They said, “Depression hits hard in the winter. Known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, people who experience this mood disorder need to find things to occupy their minds so their symptoms are not as strong. Sitting around the table and playing cards with friends is a great way to combat symptoms."
It’s good to be able to play card games anywhere, no matter the distance you have with the person or what the weather is like, but does that outweigh losing a lot of the social parts of playing card games with someone? Card games are
meant to be fun because you interact with the person you are playing with. And with this day in age where social interaction is getting smaller and smaller, we need to be reminded that there's people in the world.
If you are currently dealing with mental
health issues, loneliness, or want to build relationships with people, try playing card games. These very cheap items can potentially change your life in ways you'd never guessed. Give it a try and see it for yourself.
Lam Dasani water, it is only a dollar (only cash which is sometimes a hassle for card users).
Are you hungry? Are you looking for a quick snack before your next class? Having to wait in long cafeteria lines for decent to good food is very inconvenient compared to vending machines. Most of the time, students are in a rush to get to their next classes or just don't want to wait in the long lines for cafeteria food, which makes vending machines a convenient thing for them. The low cost and small tasty snacks are a favorable thing among students.
The vending machines located in the cafeteria of Franklin Learning Center have many different snacks and many different drinks. Snacks currently include different chips, rice krispies, Nature Valley granola bars, fruit snacks, and more. The price for all of the snacks is a mere 1 dollar in cash or 1 dollar and 10 cents in credit or debit. For the drinks, they currently include different variations of Snapple and they have Dasani water too. The drink price is snapples that cost 2 dollars each for any flavor and for
The snacks paired with a drink of either Snapple or Dasani water make for a good small meal.
My first time ordering from the vending machines was decent, the snacks were good but the wait for it was long but bearable. Its low prices and tastiness made me come back the next day and order even more snacks than I had the day before. I've tried most of these snacks and drinks and in my opinion, they're great as a replacement for the school lunch. At some point, most of the snacks were missing as a result of students ordering every single day.
Getting food from the vending machine is popular among students with most students always coming back for more. I’ve heard and seen people ordering food and not receiving it, this came as a shock to me because it’s never happened to me and I never expected it to. The amount of students lining up to order food is usually a lot but the line usually goes fast because of
their service. On a regular day the rush hour the vending machines have is from 10:05 am to 10:39, from 11:10 to 11:44, from 12:15 to 12:49, and from 1:20 to 1:54. During these times is usually when the vending machines are the most busy with students waiting in lines to order snacks and drinks.
There are many reasons as to why you should get snacks from the vending machines instead of getting the lunches. You certainly can get both the lunches provided and snacks from the vending machines if that is what you prefer. But students who prefer to not wait in lunch lines and eat food that is sometimes good and sometimes not can get snacks. Sometimes students go hungry because the lunches provided are not good, this is why vending machines are a great thing.
Of course, the vending machines in Franklin Learning Center are not perfect, sometimes they malfunction, aren't turned on, are missing snacks, or have some other problem. But I still strongly believe that vending machines are more convenient and
better than school lunches. Based on the reasons of their hastiness, tastiness, and cheapness.
To conclude this review, getting snacks from vending machines is a great substitute for the lunch schools give. They are both beneficial towards students and the school because of the funds that come with it and it won’t leave students hungry during school. Vending machine’s cheap prices and convenience make for a good small meal for students that are in a rush and or hungry. In all, vending machines are great for everyone, students, parents, children, teachers, etc.
There are few things that come to mind when one conjures up the idea of the ideal classroom in their mind. Chromebooks, a SmartBoard, and desks are the obvious answers. But do you ever take a moment to consider the more obscure option? The way a teacher’s room is decorated can take it from the worst part of a student’s day to the perfect workspace.
Ms. Lee, who teaches AP U.S Government & Politics and Social Science, explained her goal when decorating her room was to personalize it.
“Honestly, I was happy that I had a room because typically I don't,” Ms. Lee
stated. “I feel fortunate that I really enjoy what I teach. I can both have things that I enjoy and that I teach at the same time.”
Ms. Kia, who doesn’t teach a class but is a coordinator for Heights Philadelphia, channeled her teenage self to create the space she operates out of.
“[My goal was] to make it a space that kids want to be at and where I would have wanted to go when I was in high school.”
The Heights Philadelphia area hosts several premium spots for students. Students can pray, stay in a quiet area, or hang out with their friends in different designated areas.
As for the intended impact on students,
Ms. Lee intended to make her space as calming for students as possible.
“As my sign says, I hope they feel welcome. [I hope] they realize that not just is it a space that I care about. That they can care about it as well.”
Ms. Kia pointed out a few key features of her room that help create her ideal atmosphere. When asked which decorations speak to her personality, she pointed out items like her string lights, plants, and her oil diffuser.
“I'm an artsy, eclectic, chill plant mom and I feel like the space reflects that,” she said.
Medical Assisting major Mei Nghiem
agreed that a welcoming environment is key to ensuring quality work.
“You’re more willing to do work because you’re in a space you’re comfortable with,” Ngheim said. “It’s like a big hug!”
Kimberly Carroll, a Vocal Music major, gave her opinion on the benefits of a well-decorated classroom as well.
“It makes me feel more free in my working abilities! I enjoy what I’m doing more.”
Students may not realize the impact that their working space has on their productivity. Teachers, however, have a great understanding of the concept; it shows in the effort they put in their rooms!
On April 3rd, The Flash traveled to @pennstate to compete in the Paschool press State Journalism competition. Competitors Maya Williams, Angelo Infusino and Laila Warrick worked really hard in this competition. From their hard work, Laila received an award for winning editorial writing and Maya was the runner-up in editorial cartoon. Congratulations to all competitors for their commitment to this competition and other members in the club for being able to travel to Penn State for the experience. Though the weather was gloomy, The Flash made ways to make it shine.
This trip isn’t one I’ll ever forget. The drive to State College was beautiful, the campus was grand & the ice cream was better than everything combined. Getting up at 5:00am to make it to school was less than ideal, but the experience was absolutely worth it. Winning was definitely a highlight, as well! Although considering my time during the actual competing portion, I was very shocked to have won. The first 30 minutes of the allotted time for writing, I was stumped. I scrapped an entire page of work and thought I had zero chance of even being considered. A burst of inspiration was the only reason I got it done. I quickly finished up my 1.5 pages and left the room. I was feeling down and had convinced myself that I bombed it. By awards, I was content with the assumption that I didn’t win. I was even slumped down in my seat, ready to clap for whoever’s name was called. Hearing my name come from the announcer’s mouth jolted me up out of my seat and very soon after, I was holding an award in my hand. Although by the end of it I was completely exhausted, it was so nice to see an entirely different side of Pennsylvania and
grow closer to my staff members. Something that also made the drive special was that I had been very close to committing to Penn State University at the start of this year, but had changed my mind and decided to go somewhere else. The trip to PSU was a great chance to consider what could’ve been — who I could’ve been. The only word to describe the campus is grand. I thought it was gorgeous, but way too big at the same time. While leaving the creamery, I saw a school bus heading to the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District. To everyone else, this had no significance. To me, it was strangely symbolic. I was on the campus of the school I’d swore I’d attend just a few months ago; while a bus going to the town of the school I was going to sat in front of me. It was definitely a full circle moment. As a senior, the trip felt like the perfect close to this chapter of my life.
I don’t think that I’ve ever been so excited at 4 in the morning. Not only were me and my peers representing Philadelphia in a statewide competition, we were the first from The Flash to do so. The whole way there, we chatted and sang songs. It was surprisingly energetic so early in the morning. Three hours of driving in the rain was soothing. When we arrived, that was when the nerves kicked in. I was immediately stressed by all the people present. So many talented students and teachers all in one room. Every other minor inconvenience made me irrationally upset. I get that way in large crowds, especially when moving in a group. At some point, the group realized that most seats were taken. I found a row right at the front of the auditorium. I know this made some group members more nervous, but my only thought was “a seat is a seat.”
We got to witness some amazing interviews and talks from people within the Penn community. The size of the campus itself still astonishes me. It’s like the entire school is one small city. It was moving how many people found Penn
to be their homes, how comfortable they were there.
The competition itself wasn’t the hard part. I enjoyed creating an illustration based on the prompt. The hardest part was the wait for the winners to be announced. My anxiety increased ten-fold. Before the winners were announced, multiple people spoke about other accolades given to those who practice journalism. The whole time I was shaking, just waiting for my category to pass. The whole time I told myself that I wouldn’t win my category. And I didn’t. I was just relieved that those moments passed. Hearing that I was runner-up surprised me. I won 2nd place for a statewide competition. I’d say that’s still a big achievement.
Hearing Laila’s name announced for category 9E was astounding. Laila solidified The Flash as a state winner. We didn’t stop to think about it at the time because we were so excited, but on the ride back, I realized that we made history that day. The Flash made history for FLC.
As this is my last year, I hope that fu-
ture Flash members will follow in our footsteps. I hope for a few to become finalists and go to Penn State as we did, even if they do not win the finals. Being in the huge world of Penn real-
ly put into perspective how driven so many people are. I want others to experience that.
I woke up around 3am to get ready for the competition. Thankfully I didn't need to bring much, so once I was dressed I just grabbed a bag of art supplies and was out the door. I would've made it to FLC sooner if it wasn't raining so much, as it delayed septa significantly, but I still met with the Flash at 6am as planned.
Once everyone arrived we all got into a school van and headed off to Penn State. The whole way up we played music and it was surprisingly fun.
Traveling took almost three hours and we arrived just before 10am. We got our name badges and some souvenirs (mainly a cup and notepads from what I remember), and we sat down for the scheduled speeches.
The competition had different prompts for each category, and my prompt was to draw a piece based on the interview that was among the speeches. I managed to get a high score on it, but didn't win my category which I expected. Luckily I originally competed just for the fun of it, so I wasn't very upset about it.
However, Laila won! I cheered the loudest for her and ended up starting a chain reaction of other groups cheering for their winners. I also yelled out that I was her biggest fan, which everyone seemed to find funny.
There were also some more really good speeches and we got to see a little bit of the campus
After the competition, but before they announced the winners, there were some more speeches. Though I don't remember the details of them, they were all very interesting and thoughtful.
Once the winners received their awards, we took some pictures and left the building. We looked around as we walked, but didn't have enough time to explore much of the campus. We got some ice cream (I got raspberry fudge flavor and it was amazing) and went back to the school van. Overall, it was an amazing experience and I really think future flash members should try competing as well.
I, along with eight other FLC students went to and experienced the Independence Awards first hand on "May 20th at 7:00 pm 2024."
The recent Philadelphia Independence Awards ceremony triggered disappointment and frustration among participants, shedding light on deep-rooted issues of fairness and inclusivity in the awards selection process. The absence of recognition for any child of color among the awardees has raised concerns about systemic biases that persist within the arts. The school district of Philadelphia states for student diversity, “Black/ African-American 50% | Hispanic/ Latino 24% | White 14% | Asian 7% | Multiracial/ Other 5%." These statistics alone show just how much lack of diversity the ceremony truly had but also just how many other schools don’t offer drama/theatre.
The revelation that winners of the Best Song award themselves “Monty Python's Spamalot @ Neshaminy High School.” And even “Urinetown @ Holy Ghost Preparatory School” doubted their win by saying to me “You were robbed and should´ve won, Cop Song isn't even that good” and felt additional participants should have been recognized further calls into question the integrity of the selection process. This lack of transparency has cast a shadow of doubt on the credibility of the awards, leaving a bitter taste for attendees.
The awards, intended to celebrate talent and diversity, instead highlighted the lack of representation as all winners were of Caucasian descent, emphasizing the need for inclusivity and fairness in recognizing talent.
In an interview with Melissa Schepers, a theater teacher at FLC, she expressed her disappointment with the lack of diversity among the award recipients at the event. She noted, "I mean, there was like no diversity, especially in the winners, not one student of color won any awards. So that's really disheartening. And yeah, there just seems to be a lot of disparities. The schools that had kids of color had far less people attending to support them, which kind of points out the inequity that already is there with like, how many tickets everyone's allotted and whose family members can buy tickets at the appropriate time. So the whole thing felt a little bit catered towards schools who can excel at that stuff."
"
future. But if we're continuously elevating stories of white people and casting only white people and awarding only white people, then we're not sending the right message to our youths of color."
And though the intentions of people from the suburbs may be pure, a lack of exposure to diversity can play into systemic racism even more.
- Kusei Simon
Furthermore, even more concerns have been raised about the perceived unfairness of categories like "MARKETING & PUBLICITY" in school events. Participants feel that these categories often prioritize schools with greater financial resources, shifting the focus away from the quality of the poster designs and onto the revenue generated from activities such as fundraisers and bake sales. This emphasis on financial contributions disadvantages schools in Philadelphia that may not have the means to participate in such activities.
outside of the city. These statistics in themselves show just how much they truly need to be more diverse and invite more schools in the city of Philadelphia as talent extends far beyond just outside the city and just one race but also inside the city and different cultures altogether.
A call to action is imperative. The committee is urged to release the names and ethnicities of the judges while advocating for a more diverse panel, including student voices in the selection process. An official apology and statement addressing the controversy are also essential steps to rebuild trust and integrity.
Furthermore, the organization must address the implications of a video about Frankford HS and ⅔ of it being cut off from asbestos, acknowledging its poor taste and the perpetuation of a "white savior" outlook, which demeaned the Philadelphia school community. Efforts to recruit more schools and participants of color are crucial to promoting diversity and inclusivity.
Ms. Schepers also emphasized the importance of diversity in arts, stating, "God, it's so important. I mean, Broadway and art itself is not for one group of people and the more that we show students that it's for everyone, the more it will reflect that in the
And though the intentions of people from the suburbs may be pure, a lack of exposure to diversity can play into systemic racism even more. Statistics from the Philadelphia Independence Awards pamphlet show that only eight schools out of the thirty that attended the ceremony were in the city two of which were private schools and the other twenty-three of which were
A proposal to reach out to participating schools to gauge interest in implementing a student vote for future award winners would enhance fairness and empower student voices in the Philadelphia Independence Awards. It is time to rectify these injustices and ensure a more equitable and inclusive process for all participants and future ones as well.
Throughout NBA history, most championships were won led by a player that is 6 '4 or above. It has almost been guaranteed, if the best player isnt 6’4 or above, that player won’t lead a franchise to an NBA championship. In most cases, a franchise needs a player 6 '4 or above to lead them to a championship, that's why it is unreliable to trust a small guard (6' 3 or below) to lead a franchise to an NBA championship.
Defense is a very valuable part of basketball championship winning teams. Small guards usually aren't great at defense. Marcus Smart is the only 6’3 or under player to win defensive player of the year. It's never been a guard 6’3 or under to average more than 1 block a game.
"I don't know if we can win it with one guy[one small guard], but we can win it with two guys contributing [2 small guards].
- Jamir Stewart
You need another player above 6’3 to either win or help win a championship. 50/54 finals MVPs
"Even when a small guard can lead a team to a championship, history tells us the team needs another player that isn't a small guard to perform really well.
- Jamir Stewart
Throughout NBA history, most MVPs have been a player 6’4 or above. 11% of final MVP winners have been 6 '3 or under (Stephen Curry, Isaiah Thomas, Jerry West, Joe Dumars and Joe White). And 8% of season MVP winners have been 6 '3 or under (Bob Cousy, Allen Iverson, Steve Nash (twice), Steph Curry (twice) and Russell Westbrook).
were taller than 6 '3. The top 23 scorers in NBA history are all above 6’3.
The outlier is small guards have been the best player on championship teams before. Although true, they have had other non-small guard players that were at least second best to them. Steph Curry won the 2022 finals MVP, Andrew Wiggins performed really well and was an all star that
year. When Isaiah Thomas won finals MVP, he relied heavily on his team on the defensive end. Even when a small guard can lead a team to a championship, history tells us the team needs another player that isn't a small guard to perform really well. I dont think a franchise should rely on a small guard to win championships because they aren't great at defense usually, history tells us that they will need another player that is taller than 6 '3 to perform really well with them and small guards usually don't get it done being the best player. One of the great-
est basketball coaches of all time in Pat Riley suggests a solution. According to the New York Times, Pat Riley says, "I don't know if we can win it with one guy[one small guard], "but we can win it with two guys contributing [2 small guards].” This is a good idea, but I've never seen it happen before.
Franklin Learning Center's Bobcats have done a spectacular job this year. Here's an unforgettable collection of Bobcat matches throughout the year.
