Do teachers care more about discipline than academics?

By Kennedy Myers

Here at Perspectives, education and discipline are our two main focuses. However, some teachers seem to care more about enforcing the rules than getting us to college. We call ourselves a “college-for-certain” school but how college for certain are we really?

On a college tour that took place last year, we (the juniors) were taken to visit the campus of Triton Community College. Community college? Way to aim high, Perspectives.

When it comes to discipline, teachers will stop an entire lesson just to go back and fourth with a student. Then they’ll say, “You’re disrupting learning!” when in reality it’s the teacher who took time out of our learning just to argue with a student who should have simply been put out of the classroom to begin with. Call me crazy, but it appears to me that the teacher is the one “disrupting learning.”

This year, we have been given I.D.s to wear around our necks. When we are caught without them, we are put out of class and sent to the dean’s office, where we wait in line just to be given a sticker and a Friday detention. Then we are sent on our way back to class. However, by this time we have wasted about 10 minutes that could have been spent in the classroom doing something productive.

I refuse to let it go unrecognized that some students need this sort of discipline in their lives. It’s obvious that some students would rather come to school to mess around rather than actually learn something. Teachers know that some students must first learn how to behave properly before they can do anything in the classroom. However, they do not need to go to such extreme measures when it comes to discipline. I understand that certain students need to be dealt with but they do not need to be dealt with when there is a class taking place. There are more ways to deal with these students behavior, which include telling the student that you will “talk to them about it later.” Or the teacher could simply just send the student out of the classroom.

When teachers spend class time trying to get a student to behave a certain way, they end up taking away from the time that is supposed to be given to the students. I’m not saying discipline isn’t important, I’m just saying that we need to realize what’s more important--and that’s education.

When it comes to fashion, too many teens follow the crowd

By Dymond Taylor and Tamera Reed

In today’s world, teenagers are always updated on the newest trends, also known as fashion. According to the Google Dictionary, fashion is defined as a popular trend especially in style of dress, ornament, or behavior.

Since there are so many teens in Chicago you would think they would have different senses of styles. Currently, as the generation evolves many people have noticed the majority of teens dress just like each other. No one really knows exactly why teens choose to do this but maybe it’s because of popularity rank. Teens need to stop trying to "fit in" and become unique while dressing.

When asking MSA students how they feel about the way teens dress, we noticed that their answers varied.

Ninth grader Kameron Sanders said, “We need to have our own way of dressing. People try to copy each other too much.”

Kameron Sanders

Eleventh grader Cydne Curd answered the same question and had a similar answer to Kameron’s. Cydne feels that people try too hard to dress like other people, and now everyone looks the same--wearing North Face coats, Timberland boots, Ralph Lauren shirts and hats, and Armani Exchange shirts and belts.

Cydne Curd

But tenth grader Jamal Reed’s said fashion is both individual and shared, people often end up dressing alike. ”The way you dress shows self expression and ... it’s OK for people to dress similar because it is the world of fashion.”

Jamal Reed

Twelfth grader Josh Joseph said that the way teens dress shows their personality, like if they are in a bad mood, they are more likely to wear dark colors. “If people dress the same then maybe they act the same,” Joseph said.

Josh Joseph

Based on MSA student opinions, fashion is just one big way to express yourself. If we teens continue to all dress the same, no one will be able to see our individuality or our originality.

Black History Month Profile: Doug Williams: Pioneer football player and MVP role model

By Jovan Goolsby

From the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Washington Redskins, Doug Williams put his mark on black history and NFL history.

In 1987, Williams led the Wasington Redskins to a 42-10 Super Bowl win over the Denver Broncos. He was crowned Super Bowl MVP that year and was the first African American to obtain that honor.

Williams started his career as a first round draft pick for the Buccaneers in the 1978 NFL Draft out of Grambling State. The 6-foot 4-inch Williams spent four years as a quarterback for the Buccaneers before he left to play in the USFL. In 1986, Williams joined the Washington Redskins. Williams played in Washington for three years and posted career totals at both teams of 100 touchdowns, 93 interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 69.4. With those statistics, Williams put his name in the books in the NFL and black history.

Doug Williams is one of the lesser-known African American athletes, though he was the first in the black community to accomplish these feats in one of the world’s favorite sports. While his liftetime stats might look low, Williams is an inspiration to black football players like me and to other quarterbacks who wish to leave their marks on the field and in history.

As the first black Super Bowl MVP and winner, he put that sight in people’s minds to continue to become better players so that they may reach this point in their professional careers. He also inspired high-school and college players to play their hardest and go to the NFL and be the best.

Williams left the NFL in 1989 and now coaches the football team at Grambling State University, a historically black university in Louisiana.

Black History Month profile: Think Gaga and Rihanna are cool? Then check out Grace Jones

By Jada Latimore

In 2012, two of the most known faces among people in the entertainment business are Rihanna and Lady Gaga. These two women make their craft seem very original and effortless but there is one woman who perfected her craft before these two had even been looked at in the public eye. That woman is Grace Jones.

Jones was born May 19, 1948 to a family of Jamaican ancestry. She moved to Syracuse, New York and became a model. Afterwards, she went on to become a triple threat by adding the careers of singing and acting under her belt. Her fashion, provocative words and X-rated comedy gave her a well-known name in her era.

Grace Jones has appeared in magazines like Vogue, she was a muse to Andy Warhol, and she worked in New York’s Fashion Week. During her acting career, Jones appeared in movies such as “Vamp” Boomerang” and “James Bond.”

Notice the similarities yet? Grace Jones is a truly underrated icon. You think Rihanna and Lady Gaga thought of these things themselves? Well, think again.

I chose to profile Grace Jones for Black History Month to give her the credit she deserves. She is barely recognized in our generation but has had some of the greatest impact on what some of us may find influential.

Column: If the body is a temple, body art is a personalized mural

By Josh Smith

Body art. Individuality mainstay, uniqueness staple, the soreness on the thumb that makes it stick out, the zigger when everyone else zags. In a clover field (no, not the movie), it’s the only one that doesn’t have three leaves, but it does have four.

Either way and however you see or call it, it’s an inescapable part of our culture. But I don’t want it any other way. Since it first started, body art has evolved into so many forms that it’s become an art in and of itself. There are so many different ways to go about doing it, and I’m hell-bent on trying them all.

One of my personal faves is hairstyles, like dye jobs and designs cut into some dude’s hair. I’m partial to hair dying, seeing as how pretty much every girl here has done it and some dudes have, too. This dude named Jeff Hardy inspired me to want to do that, because he’s basically dyed his hair every which shade, hue, tint, pigment, and color under the sun, so that he was Christened with one of his nicknames, “The Rainbow-Haired Warrior.” Oh yeah, and I’ve looked up to him for a while because we’re both sorta eccentric and artists. Plus, he also rocks face-paint quite often, which I’d also kill to do. And no, he doesn’t look like a clown.

Before I forget and I never forgive myself, something I should try is an ear-piercing. I mean c’mon it’s like “Well, why not?” Although I prefer my right side in general, I’ll pierce the left one if I choose to only pierce one ear. If not, I’ll pierce both ... with these earrings called “Flesh Tunnels,” which is like these stretched ear piercings with these big holes in the middle. I saw Chester Bennington wear them in Linkin Park’s video for New Divide, okay?

But look, my personal favorite of them all … tattoos! I am SOOOO going under the needle when I get the chance. I mean the first chance I get I am just so gonna get inked up. I don’t know if I should say this, but my first tattoo will be that one of Layla Kayleigh I’ve told some of you guys about for years. (Don’t ask, let’s just say I lost a bet.)

Plenty of other ink will include Chicago-related material, a Fear Factor logo on the back of my neck, WWE tattoos just swarming my left arm, a tattoo, on my right wrist that says “X¢ric”, pronounced “eccentric,” a Michael Jackson glove on my right hand, wings on my shoulder blades with all my loved ones names written on them to symbolize how they’re all like my “Guardian Angels,” tributes to SpongeBob, The Simpsons, and Family Guy, my kids’ names--if I have any--ones for MTV, Apple & Windows.

That’s a lot of ink, needles and pain, isn’t it? But hey, sometimes you gotta suffer for your art.

And last but not least: A tattoo tribute to Nickelodeon with its old classic, timeless Splatter logo, not their new boring logo, the old one that they could turn into any shape they wanted and quite often did. Along with green slime accents, because you can’t have any Nickelodeon anything without slime.

Honestly speaking, Kat Von D (from LA Ink, and Jesse James’ ex) is just so attractive with all those tattoos, but that’s just me. I know there’s a lot of people who’ll disagree with me but I don’t care. Giggity. I know a lot of people who are against tattoos, most likely a religion thing, but don’t let that discourage you if you want to get them.

I’ve seen some students with tattoos here at school and I always was jealous of them. One of my little sisters is against it, though. I remember her saying something religious-y like, “Your body is your temple and to ‘desecrate’ it with tattoos is ‘vandalism.’” She even compared tattoos to graffiti. But I know that if your body is a temple, tattoos don’t desecrate it. You’re really just making that temple your own by personalizing it, like murals. Besides, is it so wrong for a Christian to get a tattoo of the cross? I didn’t think so. Just don’t get any lower back tattoos.

One last thing, body paint is just so awesome, especially when it’s glow-in-the-dark paint. I always thought glow-in-the-dark was so sweet.  I should get some advice from others who’ve done that before, multiple sources would be best. And so should you.

In honor and loving memory of Don Cornelius (Sept 27, 1936 - February 1, 2012) R.I.P.L.S.

On a side-note: In my first editorial, the “sorry” in  “Sorry, Twi-hards” didn’t have a strike-through on it, like it was supposed to. Instead it was supposed to look like this “Sorry, Twi-hards … .”

My bad. See you next time.

Black History Month profile: Aaliyah: Her life ended too soon, an angel’s light lives on

By Taerynn Owens

Aaliyah Dana Haughton has always been an ultimate favorite artist of mine. I’ve been listening to
her since I was about 5 years old and have always had a liking for her voice, songs, and music
videos.

Born in Brooklyn on January 16, 1979, she moved to Detroit with her family when she was 5
years old. She was determined to start her singing career seriously and began singing live at the
age of 10. Her first television appearance was on Star Search and she also performed in concert
alongside her aunt, Gladys Knight.

By the age of 12, Aaliyah was signed to Jive Records and Blackground Records. After being
signed, she was mentored by R. Kelly, which brought the release of her debut album, Age Aint
Nothing but a Number. She sold three million U.S. copies and went triple-platinum off of this
album alone.

For her next album, One in a Million, Aaliyah worked with close friends/producers Missy Elliot
and Timbaland. This album sold 3.7 million copies in the U.S., eight million across the globe. She
had chart-topping hits at this time like “Back & Forth,” “Are You That Somebody,” “One in a
Million,” and “If Your Girl Only Knew.”

Aaliyah then chased her other passion, acting. She began filming for her first feature film, Romeo
Must Die, alongside Jet Li in early 2000. She had a song on the movie’s soundtrack called “Try
Again” which got major airplay, making it to number one on Billboard’s charts and earning her a
Grammy nod. Also around this time, she recorded and released her self-titled album Aaliyah in
July 2001, also produced by Timbaland. It sold 187,000 in its first week.

Going after another movie role, Aaliyah played the role of Queen Akasha in the film Queen of the
Damned. She was also supposed to play a role in the then-upcoming sequel of The Matrix. In
August 2001, she flew to the Bahamas to record music video “Rock the Boat” of her Aaliyah
album. The video was filmed successfully with a beautiful outcome.

Sadly, not too long after take-off on the return home her plane crashed, killing Aaliyah and
everyone on board. She died from severe burns, a blow to the head, and severe shock,
according to a CBS News story.

It was later discovered that the pilot wasn’t certified to fly that plane and also had traces of
cocaine and alcohol in his system. Her family then sued for wrongful death. The case was
settled out of court and details of the settlement were not disclosed.

Aaliyah was laid to rest on August 31, 2001. Her loss is still devastating but the light of her music
will continue to live on.

Black History Month Profile: Muhammad Ali: Former heavyweight champ will always be ‘the greatest’

By Justice Peoples

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. You can’t hit what you can’t see.” Words made famous by the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali.

But before he was Muhammad Ali, he was Cassius Clay, a young talented boxer who claimed he was already the greatest. Cassius Clay was a great boxer who won the Kentucky Golden Gloves six times, as well as the National Golden Gloves two times. He even won an Olympic gold medal in the 1960 Olympic Games.

Later, he became a professional boxer and won 19 fights as Cassius Clay, 15 of which where knockouts. Clay was known everywhere for his different style of boxing, dancing in the ring, and talking trash outside the ring. “People can’t stand a blowhard, but they’ll always listen to him,” Clay said early in his career.

No matter what he said outside of the ring, though, people loved him because he always backed it up. “I got the height, the reach, the weight, the physique, the speed, the courage, the stamina, and the natural ability to make me great,” Clay said while starting out in pro boxing. He won his first championship against Sonny Listen in 1964 and became the youngest world heavyweight champion in the world at 22.

That same year, Cassius Clay change his name to Muhammad Ali after converting to Islam and joining the the Nation of Islam.

“Cassius Clay is a slave name,” he said at the time. “I didn’t choose it and I don’t want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name, and I insist people use it when speaking to me and of me.”

He was champion of the world until his title was taken away in 1967 when he refused to fight in the Vietnam war.

When Ali was able to box again, he had one thing in mind” Getting his title back. He got his chance in 1974 when he and George Foreman met in Africa for the historic Rumble in the Jungle. Ali regained his title in the eighth round by knockout. 

Muhammad Ali is currently retired but is also fighting his toughest opponent yet. This opponent is called Parkinson’s disease, a disease that attacks your nervous system and cells.

But Ali is a fighter and he always comes out on top. Whatever may happen to him, he will always be the greatest boxer of all time. Ali used to boast, “I am the greatest! I am the greatest!”

He was right.

Is your head in the game, or in the books? How student-athletes balance school and sports

By Andre Veasley

Across America, there are many high school students who play on one of their school’s sports teams. These individuals are either great athletes, intellectual students or even both. However, balancing homework, papers, practices, and games can be a challenge for these student-athletes.

Dozens of students throughout Perspectives Math and Science Academy participate in sports. Between a rigorous school curriculum and hardcore athletic schedules, they find a way to balance the two.

Jovan Goolsby, a varsity football player, says it was not hard balancing academics and athletics.

“The reason that I kept my grades up was to be able to play in every game and make an impact on the game,” he said.

Goolsby spent three hours at practice and often came home to a lot of homework.

“For future student-athletes, make sure you have enough time after practice to complete all of your work,” he said.

At Perspectives, student-athletes must attain a 2.0 GPA or higher, with no more than one failing grade on their quarterly report card during the season. They must also have a “C” or better in their ADL classes.

Eliza Sims, a 10th grade guard for the girls’ basketball team, completes her homework before the games and practices so she can have more free time.

“[I’m stronger on] the court,” Sims said. “My advice for future student-athletes is to try to stay focused, with both your school work and your skill level because both are very important if you want to be successful in life.”

Edward Brown, a junior linebacker on the football team, says he only maintained his grades so that he could play football.

It’s a certain amount of pressure that people put on you when you play a sport,” Brown says. “And it seems like the expectations are high.”

Brown kept his GPA at a 2.0 and checked his grades weekly, which was required by the coaches.

Why study ADL? To create better people, Harston says

By Sunny Chan

Last fall, the U.S. Department of Education awarded Perspectives a $400,000 grant that network officials will use to “extensively evaluate and refine the A Disciplined Life curriculum and ultimately share it with other schools,” according to a press release published on the Perspectives website. The grant, paid out over two years, was one of only three of its kind awarded by the government last year.

After learning of the grant, I recently sat down with MSA Vice Principal Tiffany Harston to discuss the role of ADL in our school. I also spoke with several students about their own experiences in ADL classes.

Mrs. Harston is the vice principal at MSA but she also plays an important role in the school’s ADL curriculum. Harston said she thinks ADL is a very necessary part of our school life. She said the purpose of ADL class is to educate students on ethics and to teach students how to connect their lives inside of school to their lives outside of school.

Harston said her goal for ADL is to create better people and make them prideful of being a good person. Different grade levels have different ADL curriculums. For example, the middle school focuses on having scholarly behavior and becoming better people, while the high school focuses more on college and how to get ready for it.

Harston said she wishes she had an ADL class when she was a student. “If I had ADL in high school, it would have allowed me to be more conscious of the impact and/or role I play in the society in which we live, causing me to be more open-minded and responding to the many calls of action as a youth,” she said.

According to Harston, the benefits of ADL include helping students become reflective and to see things from a different perspective. Harston said she understands that some students would rather take elective classes instead of ADL. She believes both are important but thinks ADL has a more positive impact, and makes the school safer, than electives.

“Opportunities for elective classes can be done, though, in the summer programming, as well as through after-school activities, which we promote and asssit in finding for our scholars,” Harston said.

In the future Harston wants dedicated teachers that specialize in ADL so the time and dedication can be put into this very important content course.

“A student who is pro-ADL values education and the importance of being the change you want to see,’’ said Harston.

MSA Senior Kaylynn Cooper said she likes how ADL classes help her prepare for college. But Cooper said the topics discussed in ADL class are not always relevant to everyone, which means that some people don’t participate in class discussions.  

‘’What I have learned from ADL in the past years is to be patient and demonstrate perseverance on what you do, and don’t be scared to start over,’’ said Cooper.

Although she has benefited from ADL, Cooper said she would prefer taking elective classes because they might be more beneficial to her career. Cooper said she wants to be a physical therapist or athletic trainer and would have liked to take health or anatomy during high school.

Senior Anthony Crisanti said he does not support the idea of ADL. He believes ADL class is not necessary and extends the school day.

“You should know these things, they are common sense and it is a waste of school time,’’ said Crisanti.

Crisanti said he would also prefer elective classes or extra-curricular activities rather than ADL. Crisanti is planning to become a civil engineer and would have liked to take computer and shop classes during high school.

Sophomore Alexis Wilson said she likes ADL because she learns a lot about herself as a person in the class. She believes she benefits from the summit project because she can connect to the principals that she works on. Wilson said she likes ADL but also would like to take electives like physical education. Wilson said she wants to have one semester for ADL and the other semester for electives.

“I learned how to take care of myself and live a healthy lifestyle,‘’ WIlson said about her ADL class.

Wilson said everyday is different in her ADL class. Some days may have discussions, activities about people, D.E.A.R (Drop Everything And Read), and learning about the news.

But the main ideas are the 26 ADL principles.

“I try to follow each principle,” Wilson said.

Stopping homophobia starts with a change in attitudes

By Hillary Horton

Bullying comes in all shapes and forms, including one that is currently on the rise: Homophobia.  

Homophobia is defined as hostility towards or fear of gay people, according to the Anti-Defamation League, a national civil rights and human relations organization. Homophobic people may have strong religious beliefs against homosexuality or they might disapprove of same-sex relations for other reasons.

These feelings might lead to homophobic jokes, physical attacks, and discrimination in schools, work areas, and media. You can find these kinds of insults on social media sites, especially on YouTube and Facebook.

You can also find them in our school. School Social Worker Ricardo Aguinaga said homophobia is an issue at Perspectives MSA.

“I think its a source of a lot of conflict and misunderstanding, and it’s hurtful to homosexuals as well as to heterosexuals. It’s also hurtful to people who are questioning their sexuality,” he said. “This could be hard for them to come out. It’s not only an issue in our school but in general.”

Aguinaga said some students bully and insult others by calling them “gay.” In this context, Aguinaga said the word is a slur. A slur is an insulting word meant to hurt or degrade someone else. “I think used often as a negative connotation rather than correctly,” he said.

MSA junior Nina Ridgner said she has heard people use the word gay as an insult, and she thinks it’s wrong.

“It hurts people’s feelings,” she said. “I don’t think it should be used at all.”

Junior Donny Byrd said he hears people use the word in different ways. “It depends on how you say it and how you feel about it,” he said.

Aguinaga said using the word gay is acceptable in the right context. “It can be used if it’s not to infer something negative,” he said.

“People need to be more tolerant and understand that someone’s sexual orientation is only a part of their identity,” Aguinaga said.

MSA junior Jovan Goolsby said he thinks homosexual people “can do what they want to do” but admitted he would be uncomfortable if a close friend admitted being attracted to the same sex.

“I'd keep my distance,” Goolsby said.

“Homophobia is when you are uncomfortable around gay people,” Goolsby said. “I don't think I am homophobic because I don't feel that way around them--though I may ask you why you have chosen that lifestyle.”

MSA junior Joyce Kelley said she tries to accept all people, no matter what their sexuality.

“I feel that they are what they are,” Kelley said. “I can't have a feeling about what people are scared of because many people are scared of a lot of things. You just got to understand that everyone isn’t going to see eye to eye.”

Kennedy Myers contributed to this report.

Cut short last semester, no makeup date yet for student talent show

By Deandre Williams

Right before winter break, MSA held a talent show run by Mr.Taylor and Mr. Hernandez. Unfortunately, it was cut short because of time, and five or six people didn’t get to perform. MSA students were wondering if there will be another talent show later during the year.

Taylor said he is unsure about when the next talent show will be. He is hoping to have another talent show during late April. Mr. Taylor is planning on talking to Ms. Puzon and Mrs. Harston to see if it can happen.

Under rules made by Mr. Taylor and Mr. Hernandez, every talent show has requirements that need to be met. Mr. Taylor and Mr. Hernandez have performers appear in the show based on when they sign up. Everybody gets a chance to perform but the performers must be respectable, appropriate, follow MSA guidelines (handbook), and must not use foul language. Taylor said he has never had to censor a performer.

“I love doing the talent show because it has always been my thing and I love watching the kids have a good time,” Taylor said.

Mr. Taylor, Mr. Hernandez and two other teachers volunteer their time to put on the talent show. 

And the next time we have one, Mr. Taylor promises to make sure that there is enough time and that everyone who signs up gets to perform.   

New Ping-Pong Club is competitive and fun

Chris Yates serves to start a game.

By Chris Yates

Ping-Pong, or table tennis, is a sport in which two or four players hit a small hollow ball back and forth using small wood and rubber paddles. It’s kind of like playing small tennis.

Ping-Pong originated in Britain but now Americans and Chinese people are learning to love the game. Here at Perspectives MSA we have a new Ping-Pong Club. Ping-Pong Club is held every Thursday from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Third-floor Ping-Pong action.

This club isn’t just for the pros. You can be a beginner. You can even come to watch real competitive games. At Perspectives Ping-Pong Club you will be taught how the game works, how to serve, and how to hit, and how to return.

I am a current member of the Ping-Pong club and I go to have fun. It’s a great place to mingle and meet new people.

Come out and watch some games and support your Perspectives classmates!

Black History Month profile: Aretha Franklin: A one-of-a-kind singer

By Esmeralda Medina  

For Black History Month I am writing about Aretha Louise Franklin. Aretha Franklin, best known as the “Queen of Soul,” was born March 25,1942 in Memphis, Tennessee. She is a singer who has excellent vocals and she also plays the piano. She has worked with Columbia (1960-1966), Atlantic (1967-1979), and Arista (1980-2003), according to Wikipedia.

Franklin is known as a singer of jazz, R&B, blues, and gospel music. She has won 18 Grammy awards and two honorary Grammys. People have come to respect her as a one-of-a-kind singer.

In her early life, Franklin lived in a two-room house in Memphis. She was raised by her mother, Barbara, and father, C.L. Franklin.

Aretha Franklin

 Franklin had her first single in Sept. 1960 at the age of 18. Her first hit reached number 10 on Billboard’s R&B chart. She later had two more hits called, “Won’t Be Long” and “Operation Heartbreak,” in 1961. In 1963, Franklin had her first Top 40 pop hit with “Rock-A-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody.”

I chose to profile Aretha Franklin because she is an inspiring singer. She is an excellent gospel and R&B singer and writer. She has won Grammys and has won her place in the Hall of Fame in Gospel and Rock and Roll. Many people are aware of her talent and her music has come to fill their lives. I have seen Aretha Franklin on television and have heard her perform. She has a unique voice and has written songs which are able to reach out to audiences. She has been able to produce many songs and make a name for herself.

Franklin became a star in the late 1960s and into the early 1970s. She had several hits during this period. Songs from this era include, “Respect,” “I Never Loved a Man,” “Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” “Baby I love You,” and “Chains of Fools.” During this time she won her first two Grammys. She later won eight straight Grammys for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.

In 1972, Franklin had sold over two million copies of her “Amazing Grace” album, and became the best-selling gospel album ever.

In 1987, Aretha entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2003, she entered the Gospel Hall of Fame.

Sports: Super Bowl preview: Giants deserve a win in big game

By Edward Brown

Many people said during the past football season that it was the Patriots’ turn to go to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, they were right.

The Pats in my opinion are tired of getting far into the season, and when they get to the playoffs they lose.

This year, however, the Pats are playing the New York Giants in Sunday’s Super Bowl. This is not the first time they’ve played each other in the championship game. In 2008, they played and the Giants were victorious.

The Patriots are confident of a win but this is another underdog win. I believe with the work ethic for both teams this is going to be better than the 2008 Super Bowl encounter.

I’m rooting for the Giants because I feel that New York is a good team and they deserve more than what people think they do.

The Pats have more rings than New York but there’s nothing like a Super Bowl rematch.   

Editorial: A senior’s view on making the most of the ACT

By Deon Moffett

A recent report of results from the practice ACT tests taken so far by juniors here at Perspectives MSA shows positive signs of improvement.

According to test data provided by the school, the juniors’ first practice test was a composite score of 13.9, then an increase was shown as the second practice test had a composite score of 15.1. Impressive as this, the highlighted areas of improvement were in science and math.

As a senior, I know exactly what it takes to prepare for success of the ACT exam. Although juniors are improving their test scores gradually, here are a few tips to boosting your knowledge to master ACT criteria.

• Focus on areas you struggle the most in
• Study anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour-and-a-half every night prior to the test date
• Ask teachers and/or peers for extra help on criteria you have a hard time understanding
• Start practicing NOW on getting as much rest as possible at night
• Complete ACT practice questions at least once a day

Try to prevent putting yourself in stressful situationsGood luck juniors!

Ninth grade GPA challenge could have teachers wearing scholar uniforms

By Joyce Kelley

There is a new GPA challenge event on the block called O’O’ 3.0. The ninth grade teachers came up with the event to challenge their students to improve their grades to a 3.0 for the entire class.

The ninth grade’s collective GPA now is a 2.9. They will have to put in some work to get to their goal, said English teacher Steve Iammartino.

“They have to get their homework done. They have no chance to play around in class and they just need to give it their all,” Mr. Iammartino said.

If the ninth graders can achieve this goal then there are some prizes for them. The prizes include a pizza lunch, teacher dress-up day/student dress down day, and classrooms replaced with fun stations that teachers host and kids pick.

The teachers dress-up day is when the teachers dress up in school uniforms. The fun stations are when one room will be a movie room, one a game room, or whatever the scholars decide. All the ninth grade teachers are on board with this--Ms. Parker, Ms. Maguire, Mr. Mailhiot, Mr. Condon and Mr. Iammartino.

“It is fun to use silly things to motivate students towards a goal. However, the goal is very serious,” Iammartino stated.

If the freshmen can raise their GPA by the end of this quarter then the celebration is on until the fourth quarter. So let’s wish the ninth graders good luck because they will be the first class to get a 3.0!

Secretly Canadian: Mr. Cosman brings his love of hockey, and criticisms of basketball, south of the border

By Ryon Riddle

Perspectives Office Manager at day, Canadian hockey fan at night. Many people of the Perspectives MSA family were left in the dark that ours truly Neil Cosman was a Canadian!!! I know I was.

During a recent interview, Cosman shared with me the importance of hockey to Canadians. In my opinion hockey is not much of an exciting sport at all. I think the only thing that draws viewers to the NHL is the simple fact that there is an unlimited amount of FIGHTING. Cosman told me about his experience with hockey, his favorite teams, and his look on how the NHL can be compared to the NBA.

Cosman grew up in the city of Fredericton in the province of New Brunswick. He began to play hockey when he was five years old and continued playing until two years after he finished college.

“I never was never given the [athletic] ability to play professionally in the NHL,” he said.  

While living in Canada, Cosman’s favorite team was the Detroit Red Wings but now he is a diehard Blackhawks fan. The main reason for his change in teams was because he moved to Chicago. Also, he stated, “One of the main reasons why I became a Blackhawks fan was because the Blackhawks have the best jerseys in the NHL.”

If I was a fan of hockey I would not pick a team just because of the kind of jersey that they have. NOT A GOOD REASON AT ALL.

To Mr. Cosman, the only comparison between the NHL and the NBA is that they both require speed and both have very high levels of contact while playing. Even though he thinks that professional basketball is not a real sport, I know that deep down inside he loves the Chicago Bulls.

To Mr. Cosman, the NHL’s Michael Jordan would be a man named Wayne Gretzky, and the Derrick Rose of the NHL would have to be Blackhawks Captain Jonathan Toews. I do not have any knowledge of these two individuals but I do know that if they are being compared to Jordan and Rose they must be of some good.

For some odd reason I cannot get over the fact that Mr. Cosman does not believe that basketball is a real sport. I mean REALLY!!! What would the basketball gods think of this?! A true shame on your part Neil Cosman! Never thought that it would be you out of all people.

To be honest, it was a true pleasure to be able to do a profile of the Perspectives MSA office manager, even if he does think that the NBA is not a true sport.

I can’t believe this at ALL!!!!!

Dealing with student discipline a labor of love for Ms. Meakens

By Justice Peoples

ADL Supervisor Joyce Meakens described her job as “great.” Everyday Ms. Meakens has to deal with children who can be viewed as disrespectful yet she would choose this job over anything else.

Ms. Meakens says that whenever she has to discipline someone, “It’s all out of love.” She thinks that some kids act the way they do because some students never truly understand the importance of the ADL principles.

When asked how many demerits she gives out a week, Meakens said, “Probably 10. I don’t give out demerits. I try to talk to them instead.”

Ms. Meakens has been working for Perspectives for 15 years and likes the improvement of the school network and students over the years.

“The seniors are a lot better,” she said when asked about the progress of the first graduating class of Perspectives MSA.

Ms. Meakens will always be a member of the Perspectives family. She truly “loves this job.”

Black History Month profile: Bill Russell: Man in the middle, of the hardcourt and his community

By Craig Carter

Born Feb. 12, 1934 in Monroe, Louisiana, Bill Russell has myriad professional and humanitarian achievements: Five-time MVP of the NBA, 12-time NBA champion, 1956 Olympic gold medal winner, two-time NCAA Champion. Russell also has been indicted into both the NBA Hall of Fame and the International Basketball Federation Hall of Fame.

Russell is the first and only player-coach of an NBA team. He led the Boston Celtics in scoring and rebounds during each of the 11 years he played for the team. Russell coached and played for the Celtics from 1966 to 1969, starting the first three-peat. Russell was also voted, in 1997, as one of the top 50 NBA players of all time.

But Russell’s achievements go far beyond the court. In 2010, he received the Medal of Freedom from President Obama, the highest possible honor an American civilian can receive. Russell was given this medal for his public disapproval of bigotry and his role in the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s. Russell was an advocate of equality and he refused to sign autographs, saying he was no better and no worse than anyone else.

Russell also played a role in his community and the life of children by opening youth centers and programs, including a youth basketball center in his hometown of Monroe, La.

This is why I have chosen to profile Bill Russell as one of Black History Month’s little-known heroes.

Champion. Activist. Leader. Bill Russell.

Keys to the test: Teachers’ strategies for taking the ACT

By Kysha Thames

Perspectives MSA juniors are preparing for the ACT in April, and their teachers are really riding them. Juniors are learning new strategies to tackle the test, just as teachers did when they were preparing for the test during high school.

MSA Paraprofessional Kenneth Taylor says he scored a 21 on the ACT, and one of his strategies was to read and write a lot. “I didn’t study much in science and math,” said Taylor, a graduate of the Perspectives Joslin campus.

Media Writing teacher Brett McNeil said, “I think I scored a 28.” McNeil said he didn’t study for the ACT at all. “If I would have prepared, I would have scored higher,” he said.

McNeil believes a very important strategy is to rest and bring something to eat and drink. “You  should relax with the test,” he said. McNeil believes that it’s hard to take a test without rest.

English teacher Samantha Mondro scored a 22 on the ACT. Mondro says if she was more prepared she would have scored higher. She believes she was capable of scoring higher. “To be honest, I did nothing to prepare,” Mondro said.

Mondro believes an important strategy would be to have an analog watch to pace yourself and not run out of time on any part of the test. On a scale from 1 to 10, the ACT would score a 10 on importance, Mondro thinks.

“Because it dictates where you are able to attend college,” she said.