tive writing collectionacebook theexposer · jemjem legebatu school that three weeks later, our...

International High School The Exposer September 23, 2014

THEEXPOSER International High School’s Student Newspaper | Larson Holt & Iris Feldman, Editors | January 2014

Photo Gallery PAGES 2-3

RACE CRISIS IN AMERICA

Larson Holt Though there are many different stories surrounding the

deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Tamir Rice, there are some details which can be established by evidence, determined by forensics or medical examinations.

On August 9, 2014 at 12:02 pm, Officer Darren Wilson attempted to arrest 18-year-old Brown, who was walking down a street, on suspicion of having robbed a convenience store. This resulted in the two men fighting through the window of Wilson’s police vehicle, during which Officer Wilson’s gun was discharged, striking Brown’s right hand. DNA analysis found Brown’s blood on Wilson’s pistol and inside the police vehicle. Brown then attempted to flee, pursued by Wilson. Due to differences in witness testimony, it is not possible to establish if or when Brown raised his hands in surrender, or whether he was moving toward or away from Wilson during the shooting. Wilson fired 10 shots outside of the vehicle. At least six of these hit Brown: one on the top of his head, one in his central forehead, two on the right side of his chest, and two on his right arm. Brown’s body came to rest 153 feet from Wilson’s vehicle. On November 24, a grand jury chose not to indict Wilson on any charges.

Check us out on Facebook

for our creative writing collection

Also Inside: Top Songs of 2014 5 Where is Modern Family now? 5 Pablo Sandoval leaving SF 6 Theater: “The Old Woman” 9 The Future of e-Currency 9 Indian Thanksgiving Sunrise 10

FOR MORE DETAILED COVERAGE, INCLUDING EDITORIALS BY BLACK STUDENT UNION AND MR. JEFF FRANCOIS

PAGE 7-8

Citywide Recognition for Project Ethiopia

Jayana Alvarez

Last February, I was fortunate enough to be a part of a group of fifteen International High School students that took a service learning trip to Ethiopia. Led by fellow classmate Edom Tadesse, we had the unforgettable experience of dedicating our time to Ethiopia’s beautifully bright children The experiences alone were truly rewarding moments for all of us. But, even after this trip took place, our work in Ethiopia remains important to all of us..

On Tuesday, October 28th, eight members of our group were invited to speak at Oakland City Hall about our volunteer work. Edom gave a speech summarizing the trip, followed by a short anecdote of each student’s personal experiences. In addition, a short documentary we compiled from the trip was played, so the City Council could get a glimpse of our work . The City Councilmen were so impressed by our volunteer work at the Tana School, A-Hope and the Jemjem Legebatu School that three weeks later, our group was invited back to Oakland City Hall to be awarded with a Proclamation of the City.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

International High School The Exposer January 2015

�2

TEDx“Sometimes, I wonder who’s teaching who at this school.”

-Principal Joel Cohen (overheard)

Danny Mendelson & Julien Sat-Vollhardt previewed their upcoming theater production surrounding leaked military chat logs and drone videos.

Larson Holt showcased the benefits of designing transportation systems around their users as opposed to around efficiency or cost-effectiveness.

�2

Photos by Sophia Clark & Robert Movradinov


�3�3

FAIHSEliana Henrich showed

the ever-changing face of the modern hero through

art, film and literature.

Rosy Lane revealed how Barbie’s portrayal of body image is detrimental to feminism.

Marc Robert Wong laid out how education can be more successful if designed like a video game.

�3


�4

Jayana Alvarez - continued from cover

On Tuesday, November 18th, seven of us spoke again of our experiences in Ethiopia. Edom described this second presentation as much "fancier" and more "professional," since we were speaking in a much grander room, in front of a public forum. About one hour into the meeting, we were called up to present our trip. When we were all finished speaking, we were individually proclaimed by the City

Although this trip to Ethiopia was a cultural and service learning trip it was equally exciting to be awarded such an honor. What I loved most about our meetings at Oakland City Hall was that it recognized that our work and connections in Ethiopia still remain a relevant aspect of our lives today; we are still involved in the development of their schools. Our work with these Ethiopian schools is not done; we intend to support these projects beyond our high school years.

Members of Project Ethiopia after their presentation. Left to right: Jayana Alvarez, Camille Legendre, Sophia Clark, Aidan McCormack, Lily Mansfield, Edom Tadesse, Eric Park

Citywide Recognition for Project Ethiopia

Congratulations to the winner of the Design Tech Ornament Competition,

ALEX BOCCON-GIBOD!

FROM THE DESIGN LAB


�5

Whatever happened to Modern Family?

Rebecca Bihn-Wallace

For the past five seasons, the Dunphy-Pritchett-Tucker-Delgado family has widely been regarded by critics and viewers alike as a realistic but hilarious rendition of the modern American family. Modern, in that the family tree is somewhat dizzying. It focuses on the lives of Claire Dunphy; her husband Phil; their three children Hailey, Alex, and Luke; and their respective extended and immediate families.

Season 5 ended with a hilarious finale—Mitchell and Cam’s long-awaited, much- protracted wedding—and I expected Season 6 to begin with the usual bang and leave me in stitches, as so many of the episodes from the previous seasons have. To my disappointment, Season 6 of “Modern Family” has been anything but that. In previous seasons I could rely on the show for satirical send-ups of the racial and sexual stereotypes displayed on most American television shows, but now it has become the very television show that it once caricatured.

Claire’s father’s racial and social insensitivity has grown so de rigeur that the jokes verge on the offensive and Mitch and Cam’s helicopter parenting has grown stale. Worse, Claire’s brilliant daughter Alex’s grumpiness and social awkwardness, especially around boys, has become yet another sexist portrayal of a smart high school girl. Gloria, Claire's stepmother, has become an annoying caricature of the typical Latina stereotype—loud, passionate, crazy—and the attitude of her husband Jay towards her Colombian friends is definitely cringe-worthy. Although the show still features stand out performances from Ty Burrell (Phil Dunphy) and Julie Bowen (Claire Dunphy), their talent has been dwarfed by the clunkiness of the script and jokes that simply aren’t funny.

“Modern Family” is facing one of the biggest problems that situation comedies have: coming up with new ideas. As the episodes have become increasingly racist and formulaic, I do not look forward to them the same way anymore. However, I still continue to watch in the hope that the episodes may improve mid-season, or that Season 7 (and there will probably be a Season 7, because the ratings remain strong) will regain some of the old snappiness and originality the show has had in the past.

Madeline Holtz & Adam Teich

1) “Happy” (Pharrell)After having been featured in two of 2013's biggest hits (Daft Punk's "Get Lucky" and Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines"), Pharrell Williams continues to charm the music world. Written for the film Despicable Me 2, "Happy," with its catchy upbeat melody, beautifully blended harmonies, and fun-to-clap-along-to beat, spent ten consecutive weeks in the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 list.

2) “All About That Bass” (Meghan Trainor)2014 seemed to be the year of the new artist, and “All About That Bass” by Meaghan Trainor is a prime example of that. Originally Trainor and co-writer Kevin Kadish intended the song to be for another artist. However after hearing her demo, L.A. Reid, the CEO of Epic Records made the decision for her to sing it, and it paid off massively. The bass line is one of the catchiest things to come out of the music industry in 2014, and Trainor sings her way through with an assertive, yet positive tone that helps make this song that celebrates larger body types so popular.

3 ) “Fancy” (Iggy Azalea feat. Charlie XCX) It is safe to call this the song of the summer. From June 7th through July 19th, it was at the top of the charts, and it remained in the top 5 through August 30th. With a catchy synth background that makes the song easy to dance to and an endlessly quotable chorus “I’m so fancy, you already know,” this song went quadruple platinum and cemented Iggy Azalea’s place as a star.

4) “Rude” (Magic!)Clocking in at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for just over a month (July 26-August 30), this reggae-infused number was never expected to be the success that it became. “Rude” was Magic!’s first single and tells a story most of us can relate to. the story of being denied by a crush, or by the crush’s parents. However the chorus is so light-hearted and fun that you just have to sing along. It is that fun and light vibe that puts Rude on this list.

5) “Dark Horse” (Katy Perry feat. Juicy J.)Somewhat darker than her previous work, Katy Perry's latest hit is one of the best-selling singles of all time. Although Juicy J.'s rap contributions have been met with some criticism, the song's minimalistic beat and Perry's strong vocals carry the song and have been met with great acclaim. This song marks Katy Perry's first step into the trap genre, and we think it's fair to say that this first attempt was a huge success.

The Exposer tackles the

Most Popular songs of 2014


Where will the Panda Hats Go?

Gillian Kelley

Recently, Pablo Sandoval, Giants third-baseman, is to be traded to the Boston Red Sox. This deal will earn Sandoval $95 million for five years with an option of playing in a club league in his sixth year. The SF Giants made the decision to trade Sandoval as a way to get a new pitcher, as they are losing Vogelsong and Peavy; in addition, Lincecum and Cain’s pitching abilities are being questioned. Although losing Sandoval will be a hard blow to the Giants, they are considering replacing Pablo with Yasmany Tomas, an outfielder from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Sandoval was a valuable asset to the team. He is a switch hitter meaning he can bat either left- handed or right- handed. The twenty-eight year old scored 16

homeruns in his Giants career, which began in 2008. He was also named MVP in the 2012 World Series, along with winning the championship three times. Lastly, Sandoval has played in 157 games and has a .294 career

batting average, which is quite impressive.

Pablo Sandoval was a definite fan favorite, gaining the nickname “Kung Fu Panda” or just simply

“Panda.” Many fans are disappointed with the trade, even though they understand that the future is bright for Pablo in Boston. Sandoval said at a Fenway Park news conference “I need a new challenge,” so he is

leaving AT&T Park for the more ‘hitter friendly’ Fenway Park.

However, it is not all bad news for the Giants. According to MLB trading Rumors.com, “SF will receive a bonus pick between the first and second rounds of the 2015 draft” because they traded Sandoval. Overall, fans will

miss the beloved Panda, but will look forward to seeing him in a new setting in which he will most likely thrive.

�6

HAPPY 2015!From all of us at

the Exposer

Photo: Cléo Charpantier


�7

TRY LISTENING Editorial by Jeff Francois

Have you as a student waited patiently in a class for inspiration to come and when it comes it catches you unguarded? This was my experience during a history unit on the American Revolution; as I sat at my desk, I was told by my teacher that Crispus Attucks, who was black, was the first American to die for the cause of freedom. The irony of his death during an age of slavery in America was not lost on me. This form of slavery America and the rest of the world can view in its rear mirror, but much human injustice continue to prevail in society; consequently, the challenge and the opportunity before us is, how are we to respond?

This task is not made any easier in a world of divisions, a world where so many of us are lost with our “weapons of mass distractions,” and fear, of course, threatens us all into silence or backs us into our respective corners where we don’t need to engage with those that don’t look like us or think like us. The police, however, don’t have that option. They can be targeted and killed, often by those most cowardly and whose notions of government are deranged. Don’t make the mistake of believing those protesting are anti-police; it’s that lack of reasoning that views differences of thoughts between people as unacceptable.

Fear and violence or violence and fear are part of the fabric of many societies, and the US not an exception to that rule. The police whose job it is to enforce the law and keep order in such a cultural climate given their discretionary authority and the legacy of racism in this country have crossed the line of appropriate response, as national tragedies in Ferguson and Staten Island have highlighted this past year. It’s not only “Black Lives” that are in danger; it is our very trust in a justice system on which we all depend. As long as we continue to see the problem as belonging in certain black or “minority communities,” and fail to consider how a Ferguson becomes a Ferguson and actually reflects larger systemic underpinnings to our problems, the longer blood will run in our streets and in our homes.

We don’t need any more martyrs for freedom, justice, and equality—what we need is to continue our learning as we reach out to each other by entering into dialogues and listening to each other’s stories.

BLACK LIVES MATTER Olivia Clopton-Foster and Bakari Smith -

co-presidents of IHS Black Student Union

The consequences and lessons to be learned from Ferguson are as numerous as the protests rippling throughout the country. In a 2014 Politico survey, blacks and whites were asked whether they thought that racial tensions have flared up since President Obama's election. The results were remarkable. The vast majority of whites believed that Obama's election has increased racial tensions, while the majority of blacks did not think that there has been a significant change. These results are a testament to the fact that the election of a black president has stirred up deep-seated racial discomfort aimed at African-Americans. It is saddening that in our so-called colorblind society it took a black president to lift that façade. To those who do not live their everyday lives noticing the harsh and blatant inequalities that exist in our society, it appears that the country is going to the dogs. They hear of the heinous yet frequent incidents like Ferguson, and the failure to indict the killers of unarmed blacks, and feel as if society is breaking apart, when in reality it was never truly fixed to begin with.

Black and brown people continue to be targeted, misunderstood and killed due to the pigment of their skin. When will this stop? We live in a country where the criminal justice system is corrupted, seemingly benefiting rich white men –meanwhile, blacks are mistaken for thugs, lazy monkeys, murderers, rapists, and “demons” (the word which Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson used while referring to shooting victim Michael Brown). Such preconceived notions about African-Americans were used three hundred years ago to justify slavery. The fear of black men, the assumption by police officers that black men carry weapons, and the recurring excuse of “acting in self-defense”, all arguably stems from these years of oppression. Now, America must strive to regain the shattered trust of Black Americans one day at a time.

Michael Brown, August 2014; Eric Garner, September 2014; Tamir Rice, November 2014. These unarmed men and countless other people of color were shot and killed by white police officers. The police officers ignored that these men had mothers, fathers, siblings, and children, choosing instead to dehumanize blinded by hatred and ignorance. Black lives matter and so does our sense of security in this country.

AMERICA’S RACE CRISIS


BROWN, GARNER & RICE Larson Holt - Continued from Cover

ERIC GARNER: On July 17, 2014 at 4:45 pm, NYPD officers Justin Damico and Daniel Pantaleo approached 43-year-old Eric Garner in the Tompkinsville area of Staten Island to arrest him for selling unlicensed cigarettes. When he pulled his arms away to prevent the officers from handcuffing him, Garner was taken to the ground in what is controversially described as a “chokehold”, a technique prohibited by the NYPD. Pantaleo argued that he used a “headlock” instead.A video of the arrest shows Garner saying, “I can’t breathe” as Pantaleo holds him down until he became unresponsive. On December 3rd, the grand jury decided not to indict Pantaleo.

TAMIR RICE: On November 22, 2014 at 3:30 pm, police officers Timothy Loehmann and Franck Garmback were dispatched to a Cleveland park due to reports of an individual brandishing a handgun. The initial report did not have any description of the suspect. Believing 12-year-old Rice to be the suspect in question, the officers ordered him to hold up his hands, at which point he reached into his waist. Loehmann fired two shots into his torso, killing Rice. It was discovered that Rice was carrying an air-soft gun, and it is unclear whether he may have been reaching for it when he was shot. According to internal memos, Lehmann had been identified previously by another police department as “unable to perform basic functions as instructed” and “dangerously losing composure”. At press time, the grand jury has not yet reached a decision as to whether to prosecute either of the officers

Information and images sourced from The New York Times, St. Louis Post Dispatch, Cleveland Plain Dealer, and Boston Globe.

LIVING HISTORY Larson Holt

In October 2014, I was on a train heading into the city of St. Louis, Missouri from the airport. One of the stops the train made on its way in was Ferguson. Nearly everyone who got on the train in Ferguson was black, while nearly all the passengers at other stops were white. It seems almost a disaster waiting to happen – the chances of reestablishing an already shaky trust can only be lower when there is such a geographic divide between whites and blacks.

But this isn’t the kind of problem that can be solved just by bringing people together on the local level – everyone, from the residents of Ferguson to San Francisco, to Fairbanks, deserves to be treated with respect.

We look at incidents associated with the Civil Rights Movement such as Emmett Till and Louis Allen, and realize that fifty years from now, these names will be in the same sentence as Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner. We are living history.

Responses to Michael Brown’s death have been greatly overshadowed by the responses to Darren Wilson’s verdict. In and around Ferguson, many protests were peaceful at the outset but followed by massive riots and looting. In Downtown Oakland, protests of 2,000 or more were organized, which for the most part were peaceful. Various sit-ins, or “die-ins” (as they are being called) have also been organized –traffic on Interstate 880 in San Leandro on December 5 came to a halt when protesters blocked all lanes of travel; while on November 28, protesters handcuffed themselves to a BART train in West Oakland. At International High School, a number of seniors organized a die-in, but by coincidence the school was closed that day due to the Pineapple Express storm.

Without a doubt, we can say Ferguson has changed –and still is changing America. A death and court case that transfixed the nation, it is now representative of the racial divide that persists in America. Since the United States has abolished slavery and segregation, there are no more legal barriers for racial equality. Yet social and psychological barriers continue to stand in the way of the progressive and tolerant nation that we claim and desire to be.

Michael Brown

Eric Garner

Tamir Rice

AMERICA’S RACE CRISIS

�8


The Web as the future of money?

Nicholas Cialone

Electronic currency has undergone a remarkable evolution over the last few years. There is money you can send from your phone, and money that only exits on your phone. For many of us, this has become something normal in our day-to-day lives, but since it is becoming more and more popular we need to consider the consequences.In this new money landscape, passwords have become extremely important, not only for protecting your personal information, but also for protecting your money. You

should no longer give your friends your password because they, or someone they tell the password to, can steal your money. Another issue is that not all stores and restaurants support electronic currency. For example Apple Pay and Google Google Wallet are not supported everywhere, so it may not be useful to you, depending on where you shop.

Another type of electronic currency is bitcoin, an electronic money that has nothing to do with actual money. Bitcoin is useful, but like money, can be stolen by hackers. And few places accept Bitcoin, mainly sites do and some stores are starting to accept it. However, as this new concept is developing and becoming more and more

common, there will be more and more places that use it. If this becomes more popular, paper money may become a thing of the past. There are benefits to this. If no one knows your password, having virtual money on your phone can be a lot more convenient then having cash or credit cards, since most people take their phones everywhere anyway. Virtual money would allow you to send small amounts of cash to your friend if they need it for lunch or to ride the muni.

So in the end, electronic cash and electronic money transferal can be good or bad depending on what situation you are using it in.We will just have to learn to be careful about their passwords and whom they let use their phones.

Due to grid-locked SF traffic, my mother and I had to abandon our plan to drive to Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall and instead took Bart. We got on to a train with a terrifying conductor who gleefully enforced every rule in the Bart handbook. Over the loudspeaker we heard, ”you, you there, with the black hat, I see you, I hope that sandwich is good because it’s going to cost you a 250.00 ticket!”, “Hey, you, you with the bike, get off now, move to another car...” Little did we know this would be the perfect prelude to The Old Woman. This absurdist tale was adapted from a short story by Russian Avant-garde writer, Daniil Kharms and brought to the stage by Robert Wilson, co-creator of The Black Rider. We took our seats and after a few minutes of an instrumental version of 'Innocent When You Dream' by Tom Waits, the show started. Not really sure what to expect but already on edge from our Bart experience, this story took logic and it threw it out the window. The tale told was one of murder. Every scene retold the same events over and over again, until each was rendered meaningless and fractured. The variations shown in the repetitive scenes added layers and details to the story.

The set and soundscapes evoked a strange totalitarian world with ruthless law and order. An old woman dies in a young man's apartment and he is left not knowing if he was responsible. Eventually, he realizes that he will be blamed either way. This part of the story particularly fascinated me because the original author, Daniil Kharms, died of starvation after being arrested on suspicion of treason in Stalinist Russia. Each scene was a beautifully designed abstract piece of the story's puzzle. I expected the grace of Mikhail Baryshnikov, but Willem Dafoe moved beautifully as well, and they complemented each other in every aspect of their performances. Mikhail Baryshnikov spoke in a delicate Russian that perfectly contrasted Willem Dafoe's startling screams and growls.

Only after the performance was over did the pieces begin to fall into place, leaving the audience with the realization that there really is no free will and that everyone is being manipulated by unseen cosmic forces. Wilson gives us the shadow of Kharms’s story and the story of The Old Woman with absurd characters struggling in a world without reason or meaning. I'm not yet twenty-one, but I raise a glass of future vodka to these wonderful performers. The Old Woman is a masterpiece.

“The Old Woman”

at Zellerbach Hall Reviewed by Isobel Obrecht

�9


Julian Bellinghausen On Thanksgiving Day, every year, the Native American Communities meet together on the infamous island of Alcatraz, a major site of Indian occupation and rebellion in 1969, and preform the SunRise Ceremony. In the past, spectators were rare and the ceremony was only a small tradition in honor of the Indian ancestors. However, with the huge amounts of information access everyone now has, it has become more popular. At 3:00 in the morning a large group of hippies, Rastafarians, Mexicans, Silicon Valley programers, teenage wallflowers, reporters for KPFA and and of course Indians all gathered at Pier 33 and slowly squeezed onto a ferry. This ferry took them the Island. Upon arrival, the mixed group climbed the hill to the fire. When everyone gathered in a circle around the fire, the Chieftain of each tribe introduced himself. Then four men and five women entered the center and danced by the fire (it was still 4:30 and dark, and the fire was the sole source of light.) After three dances, a woman began to talk into a microphone about the necessity to protect our planted from the corporate bosses who are fracking it up. "We are all connected through nature, and we are all here together, and that connection is important and must be protected." All the while, the ominous lighthouse of Alcatraz reminded them all of the violent American history. The dancing continued, stopping only for shamans or Chieftains to explain the

importance of our natural connection and talked of the sad, innocent people in jail. Two men walked around the inside of the circle with incense and a fan to flood the spectators' nostrils with inner peace and occasional momentary suffocation.Then, the Chieftain of the Pequot tribe spoke. "The first Thanksgiving was the celebration of victory over my forefathers," he said. During the Pequot War over 700 Pequot were killed and the nation defeated. In celebration of their victory over the "savages", the whites held a feast. But who are the savages? The men and women protecting their land are savages. And the people who massacre them and celebrate their deaths are the peaceful democratic heroes, because they are white. Although the world seems as though it is recovering, "...the racism is still alive. Tell me, who here had to play the Indian slave in all the school plays. Who had to kiss the conquistadors hand and tell him how great it was he brought you God? I did." Now, a football team called the Redskins' (a term used to describe the bloody bodies of dead Indians) mascot is an Indian. As many mascots are vicious animals, for your mascot to be an Indian is like calling the entire Indian population a bunch of animals, said the speakers. More speakers appeared, including a Vietnam War Veteran. The sun rose at 7:03 and the rest of the morning was spent watching Aztec dancers performing the traditional dances.

A Native American Sunrise on Thanksgiving

THE EXPOSER IHS’s Student Newspaper

Editors Larson Holt Iris Feldman

Assistant Editors Gillian Berkowitz Adriana Horvat

AdvisorsCatherine Sullivan Donna Rabin

Staff Jayana Alvarez Megan Beattie Eric Berkovsky Julian Bellinghausen Rebecca Bihn-Wallace Anya Brochier Laura Campbell Faith Chen Nicolas Cialone Steve Dvorkin Conor Fay Sara Fay Lena Fisher Ida Funke Joe Hamilton Madeline Holtz Gillian Kelley Hope Kogod Gwen Luhmann Ishan McCarthy Lorenz Menendez Felix Merk Isobel Obrecht Amir Saleh Adam Teich Sophia Vann-Adibé Erica Wong Harrison Yuan

�10

tive writing collectionacebook theexposer · jemjem legebatu school that three weeks later, our...

Documents