November 2011 issue of The Urban Legend

The Urban School of San Francisco

November 2011

Volume 13, Issue 1

THE INJURY YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN KNOW YOU HAVE

GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE GAME

by Jason Cinti Staff Writer

E

ver played a sport that involved some sort of physical contact? If so, then it may be a surprise to learn about the life-threatening consequences that a blow to the head could cause.

“In the United States, the annual incidence of sports-related concussion is estimated at 300,000,” according to the website for ImPACT, a Pittsburg-based company that hosts computerized concussion evaluation systems. Almost 19 percent of all athletes in contact sports get at least one concussion per season.

Nate Cohen (’13) got a concussion when he was only 10 years old. Cohen was playing at a playground and he fell off the structure and hit his head.

Later that evening, after the pain had gone away from the blow to the head, Cohen “passed out on the floor in (his) house,” he said. When he tried to talk to his dad afterwards to tell him that he needed to go to the hospital, he could not articulate any words or complete a sentence.

“I was scared because I forgot how

HEAD TO HEAD Urban junior varsity soccer player Reid Buzby ('15), at right, battles it out with a Drew High School opponent on Sept. 23 at the Polo Fields.

Soccer players are among those in contact sports who are at risk for head injuries. photo by Kyle Chong

to talk,” Cohen said. “It turned out I had a pretty major concussion.”

Founded in 1990 by Dr. Mark Lovell and Dr. Joseph Maroon, “ImPACT is a 20-minute test that has become a standard tool used in comprehensive clinical management of concussions for athletes of all ages,” according to the ImPACT website.

During Emma McCune’s (’12) sophomore year, she was skiing and got in an accident that resulted in a bloody nose and severe headaches.

McCune shrugged it off as if nothing happened. Two weeks later, McCune was playing in a soccer game, and she “went for a header and ended up banging heads with this other girl,” she said.

“I blacked out for about two seconds and forgot where I was when I regained consciousness … I then woke up and just kept on playing,” McCune said. McCune did not get her head checked out and continued to play in practices and games.

Science teacher Sarah Clowes had many concussions while playing rugby in college. Clowes was hit by two girls from opposite directions,

see IMPACT page 13

Urban's Salkind reaches 25th year

Sultan of swat Mark Salkind plays a competitive game of pingpong in 1966. Salkind was enrolled in Urban's first-ever freshman class. photo courtesy of the Urban Development Office

by Annakai Geshlider Staff Writer

Here’s a legend that’s ready to bust: Mark Salkind, Urban’s head of school, is not a phantom.

Students see him at the admissions Open House when visiting Urban as prospective students. They hear his

words at the all-school meeting on the first day of school. Sometimes, students catch him in the halls. While Salkind may occasionally seem like a roaming ghost, Urban has at its forefront a very real man.

He’s been here for 25 years. Haven’t you been wondering about the man

in the tweed coat all that time? You’re in luck: we sat down with your head of school to learn more about the man behind the pingpong paddle.

Salkind, 58, has been at Urban as long as one possibly can be: after graduating Marin Country Day School in 1966, he joined the school’s first-ever freshman class, along with 22 other ninth and 10th graders. Dan Murphy, history teacher, taught Salkind, who says Murphy “was a great teacher.”

Salkind liked going to Urban in its old location on Divisadero and Washington streets in Pacific Heights. “It could be very spontaneous; we were doing things for the first time. It was a school without lots of rules, if any,” he chortles. “And (we had) teachers who really cared about students.”

Salkind’s days consisted of frequent pingpong playing, set designing, and acting in Shakespeare plays. He even launched the first Urban newspaper, with a fellow classmate; some few copies may still be preserved in the dungeons of Urban, though he is not sure where. But Salkind’s area of expertise lay with the oboe.

To put it lightly, Salkind was an oboe wonder. His parents taught piano and he grew up playing music. At age 13,

iSad AN ICON GONE A memorial for Apple Founder Steve Jobs went up at San Francisco's Apple store on Oct. 6. For the full story and photo slideshow, visit www. urbanlegendnews.org photo by Jessie King Fredel

illustration by Cassiel Chadwick

see LEGENDBUSTERS page 4

Inside Left Restless

Still under harry's spell?

Crossing A Line

J.K. Rowling's highly anticipated

Urban has a skewed perspective

Gus Van Sant's new film

Pottermore misses its launch date

of the middle class

doesn't impress Legend critic

– page 4 urbanlegendstaff@gmail.com

– page 11 www.urbanlegendnews.org

– page 9 Please recycle

News

2

urbanlegendstaff@gmail.com

November 2011

The Urban Legend

SF supes vote to block misleading abortion ads

by Sabrina Werby

Staff Writer

Imagine that you are a teen in trouble. Google “abortion San Francisco,” and the first place Google will suggest for you is “First Resort – unplanned pregnancy.” There’s only one problem: First Resort is a center that does not actually perform abortions.

On Oct. 18, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved a truth-in-advertising ordinance by an overwhelming 10-1 vote.

Spearheaded by Supervisor Malia Cohen, the bill targets prohibits “false or misleading” advertising by so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs) that offer limited medical services to pregnant women.

According to the First Resort website, crisis pregnancy centers advertise that they “provide medical care to women who are making decisions about unplanned pregnancies.” Many women take this to mean they provide abortions, only to learn that the service is not available. These centers are often funded by abstinence-only and anti-abortion organizations.

Most Urban students are op-

QUESTIONS ABOUT CRISIS A Google map shows crisis pregnancy centers in the San Francisco Bay Area. Many of these centers are designed to attract women seeking abortions, but do not actually provide the service.

Map courtesy of National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League-Pro-Choice California

posed to crisis pregnancy centers.

“The city should shut them down,” said Stefan Martinez (’12). “It’s not just lying, it is outright fraud.”

“Women in this position (of pregnancy) are likely to feel extremely vulnerable, and these centers prey on these women — positions to attack them, you could say — when they are down,” said Megan Madden (’12).

While many students may be morally opposed to CPCs, the issue really boils down to the First Amendment and what these organizations are and are not allowed to say in advertising.

“First Resort rejects in the strongest possible terms any representation that our advertising misleads women. We treat women with dignity and respect their right

to choose,” said First Resort CEO Shari Plunkett in an official statement. Plunkett urged the supervisors “not to test the constitutional boundaries of free speech.”

A court might not side with the supervisors. “The First Amendment exists to protect speech that people will find objectionable,” noted Greg Monfils, who teaches constitutional law at Urban. He

predicted, “the court will err on the side of speech.”

“It's perfect example of how morality as you may understand it and the law don't necessarily coincide,” he added. “The court has always said the appropriate response to bad speech is better, rectifying speech.”

In an Oct. 9 Legend survey, 84 percent of students believed that the government should regulate misleading advertising.

San Francisco is not the first city council to say no to CPCs. A similar bill was passed by the Baltimore City Council in 2009 and later a federal judge ruled the bill unconstitutional and in violation of the First Amendment.

“That local governments have allowed such groups to exist in so far shows how little women are valued in context with the many other issues at stake. And this blatant disregard of the law surely demonstrates that,” Madden said.

Even though the legal battle to shut down crisis pregnancy centers may be an uphill one legally, activists in New York City, Baltimore, and San Francisco still believe that CPCs threaten the health of women and are therefore a battle worth pursuing.

UC tuition hikes evoke doubt about the future of public education

by Jonathan Baer Staff Writer

As public universities all across the nation begin classes for the 2011-12 school year, the University of California system faces financial challenges of epic proportions.

On July 27, in a letter addressed to UC students and their parents, Mark Yudof, president of the University of California, made the system’s predicament clear.

“In addition to an outright reduction of $650 million,” wrote Yudof, “the budget failed to provide funding for an additional $350 million in mandatory cost increases over which the University has no control, thus creating a total shortfall in state funds of $1 billion.”

At a time when many families

across California are struggling financially, UC tuition has increased 18 percent for the current school to $12,192 per year for California residents. The Board of Regents is projected to raise tuition anywhere from eight percent to 16 percent annually through 2015. This could bring the 2015 tuition, not including room and board, to $21,654 per year. By contrast, the tuition plus room and board at private fouryear colleges averages $28,500, according to the College Board.

Urban students already at UC schools are chafing at the higher cost. “It’s frustrating when you go into a school, expecting to have a certain tuition, and then you know that in the next four years it is going to be much higher than what it is when you start out,” said Amrit

Khalsa (’10), now a sophomore at UC San Diego.

The problem is more than just the financial difficulty of paying a higher tuition: UC students have no way of knowing how the tuition fees will evolve over the next four years.

“The uncertainty of the UCs definitely impacts the Urban students,” said Susan Lee, Urban’s director of college counseling.

“The tuition is still lower than a lot of comparable colleges, so it’s still a better deal. (But) the uncertainty of the budget and how much money the UCs are going to get from the state makes it hard to know how that is going to cut into the integrity of the education at the UCs.” Students feeling the effects of these budget cuts have staged nu-

merous protests across California in recent weeks. “(At UC San Diego) there has been a few rallies and even more Facebook groups,” said Khalsa.

“One big difference this year (over) last year is we have two libraries on campus and one of them is being shutdown.”

Making matters worse, the budget cuts compromise the UCs extensive resources, which have always made UC universities top tier schools. Just recently, UC Berkeley came very close to cutting its baseball, men and women’s gymnastics, and women’s lacrosse teams.

“I would love to have more money coming towards something the students can actually see,” said Khalsa. “I feel like, from what I’ve

URBANITEMS Urban students' art Urban's annual fall displayed at SFO production gets Wilder

High-Altitude Art One of the photos exhibited at SFO, taken by Canada Choate ('13).

An exhibit of photos taken by Urban students and alums went up the week of Oct. 17 in the San Francisco International Airport. The photos, taken by Canada Choate (’13), David Leon (’11), Elly Fireside-Ostergaard (’12), Emma McCune (’12), Gabriel Ruimy (’11), Halle Heiden (’12), Ian Sicurella (’12), Lily Burns (’11), Rayhannah Dar (’11), and Virgil Taylor (’11), illustrate everyday things that tend to go unnoticed. They will be on display in Terminal 1 through November.

A quick. look at what's happening in our community

On Nov. 9, Urban will perform its annual fall production. This year, the play is “The Skin of Our Teeth”

by Thornton Wilder.

In addition to a free preview on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 4:00 p.m., the regular show times are 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Nov. 10 to Nov. 12. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students.

Aim High program receives recognition Aim High, the Bay Area's "largest academic summer program provider," was chosen as one of the top 49 charities in the Bay Area by 7x7 Magazine. Tomás Jacquez, an Urban Spanish and service learning

heard, there are a few people in really high up positions getting six-figure salaries that don’t necessarily need them.”

For instance, according to UC Davis’ Public Salary Database, UC Davis Medial Center CEO Ann Madden Rice received a $259,000 raise in September, bringing her annual salary to $960,000.

The University of California’s financial problems are a consequence of larger state budget issues. In this environment, the Board of Regents and UC administrators are under intense pressure to find revenue to balance the budget. Currently, UC collects 60 percent less state funding per student than it did in 1990.

see UC page 15

teacher, is the site director for Aim High Urban. He asked students via the school bulletin board to vote for Aim High in 7x7's poll. The charity receiving the most votes will receive a prize of $10,000, and the six runners-up will be given $2,000, courtesy of PG&E. Voting ends Nov.15.

Urban Legend staffers honored by NSPA The National Scholastic Press Association has selected a multimedia package on the Prop. 8 protests, edited by Adrienne von Schulthess ('11), Hannah Gorman ('12) and Emily Wen ('12), as a finalist for Story of the Year. The winners will be announced at the Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Minneapolis on Nov. 19.

3

News

urbanlegendstaff@gmail.com

November 2011

The Urban Legend

Protesters, BART police battle over free speech

by Tessa Petrich Staff Writer

Freedom of speech and the First Amendment are at the heart of recent protests at San Francisco BART stations, affecting Urban students and teachers who use the transit system to commute to school.

Sarah Levin, Urban’s librarian, believes that the cause is worthy, but “the protests are not the best way to get action.”

Levin, who takes BART two or three times a week, has been forced to leave work early to avoid the protests.

A protest in early September showed the tension between the constitutional right of assembly and public safety concerns. BART police in riot gear, protesters with colorful bandanas on their faces, persistent reporters, bystanders with camera phones, and enervated commuters gathered at Powell Street Station in San Francisco at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 8, in a protest that started out festive, but devolved into discord.

BART police began to break up the protest at 5:24 p.m. , using their batons to surround the protestors.

By 5:27 p.m., the steel gates at the entrance of Powell Street station closed, and bystanders went back to their business. Commuters remained frustrated, with some deciding to take BART from another station.

The atmosphere in BART stations has been tense ever since transit police fatally shot Charles Hill, a homeless man, on July 3.

Protestors believe that Hill was wrongly killed. According to BART Chief Kenton Rainey, Hill was threatening the safety of commuters by carrying a knife and using an alcohol bottle as a weapon.

SHUT DOWN Transit police block access to the fare gates at the Powell Street BART station during a demonstration on Sept. 8. Participants protested the July shooting of Charles Hill, a homeless man, by BART police.

Photo by Jessie King Fredel

Since then, protestors have not only held demonstrations but documented how San Francisco and BART police have reacted.

At the Sept. 8 protest, a man named Vin, who declined to give his last name, filmed the occasion with a black Flip video camera, explaining that he wanted footage “for solidarity reasons,” and “in case anyone needed it.”

“The injustice of the BART police is important to protest about, even though I’m not from the area,” said demonstrator Diane Long, 70, who was wearing pink clothing and colorful sandals.

The BART protests reverberate through students’ daily lives. Even though she has not been “majorly affected by the BART protests,” Celeste Kamiya (’14) said that she needed to change her route home one night because her stop,the Powell Street station, was closed due to the BART protests.

LeRoy Votto, a history teacher at Urban, does not agree with the protestors because they assume that they can close down a BART station despite seriously inconveniencing people who rely on BART as their primary source of transport. Votto resents the pro-

testers and believes they should not be allowed to “drag (me) into their cause” by obstructing his trip home.

BART officials recognize that the protests pit free speech against public safety.

“For more than 25 years, BART has had a policy regarding the exercise of First Amendment free speech rights in areas of its stations where it can be done safely and without interference with BART’s primary mission of providing safe, efficient and reliable public transportation services” wrote Bob Franklin, president of BART’s

board of directors, in response to concerns over BART’s interruption of cell service to prevent protesters from coordinating their protests.

If BART protestors stick to their goals, a BART protest could happen at any moment.

Anonymous, the group that has been organizing the BART protests, states on its blog that it will continue to protest every week until BART “publicly apologize(s) to the people for shutting down cell service, the guns (are taken) away from the BART police, and the investigation to the killing of Charles Hill (is reopened).”

Dolores Park renovations to make beloved landmark safer

by Ella McLeod Staff Writer

A beloved San Francisco park is in the last stage of a major renovation aimed at making it cleaner and safer for the city’s children and families.

On Oct. 27, the Dolores Park Community Outreach Project held a meeting where it was decided that the clubhouse will be knocked down and replaced with grass. It was also decided that there will be a tai chi plaza and an alternative maintenance path, according to Friends of Dolores Park Playground, a volunteer community organization whose mission is to make Dolores Park safe and clean.

Dolores Park has played an integral part in San Francisco’s history. Before becoming the park it is today, it served as a Jewish cemetery and a refugee camp for the survivors of the 1906 earthquake.

The park is quite small, with a bowl-shaped landscape providing the perfect setting for symphony concerts, movies, performances of the SF Mime Troupe, tai chi, tight-rope walking, dog-walking, sunbathing, and getting together with friends.

Dolores Park is a popular spot among Urban students. According to 100 students who responded to a recent Legend survey, 24 percent go to Dolores Park every couple of weeks.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION Dolores Park in San Francisco has been under renovation since early June. City residents voted to include Dolores Park in the 2008 Clean and Safe Neighborhood Park Bond.

Photo by Sonja Bartlett Though many love the park as it has always been, beginning in June 2011, the park has been under constant construction.

According to Connie Chan, the deputy director of public affairs at the San Francisco Recreation and Park department, the whole project

will cost about $13.2 million. The playground itself will cost about $3.2 million, with 46.2 percent coming from gifts, 7.7 percent from the city’s general fund, and the rest coming from a city bond measure.

According to Friends of Dolores Park Playground, the new play

structure will be built specifically to help children learn and develop.

The toddler section will feature climbing structures, teeter-totters, spinners, a boat, and a sound garden. The children section, for 5- to 12-year-olds, will have a large mound with slides and tubes

to climb through, a wood cluster climber, another boat, a net climber, a natural climbing stone, and a swing set.

Though this layout involves many new structures, it will lack the traditional form of a playground. Contemporary playground designs contain new objects and structures that could potentially change the way kids have always played.

Not only is the playground changing, but Dolores park will have a new maintenance building, two new restrooms, a multi-use court, a new picnic area, and two off-leash dog areas.

Whatever the changes, many Urban students have fond memories of Dolores Park.

“To me, it was an integral part of my childhood and adolescence, having grown up in the neighborhood, and a place that held very important memories and emotional significance for me,” said one student who responded to the Legend survey.

“I think it’s a great thing for the city, and it’s going to be great for the young families and their kids that live here to have a safer and cooler place to play,” said Leah Schummer (‘14). “(San Francisco) is generally good about being unique and I think remodeling the playgrounds is something special and unique to the city.”

Features

4

November 2011

urbanlegendnews.org

The Urban Legend

by Jessie King Fredel

details of the stories, purchase previously unavailable e-books, be “sorted” into their Hogwarts Fourteen years. Seven books. house, and interact with other Eight movies. Thousands of fans in a safe environment. pages colored with brilliantly On June 23, Rowling posted written characters, an imaginary an announcement on her website world crafted with vivid detail, stating, “The digital generation and a shocking amount of intriwill be able to enjoy a safe, unique, cate planning. online reading experience built There is no doubt that Harry around the Harry Potter books.”

Potter has changed both the On July 31, the birthday of both publishing and film industries Rowling and Harfor good. In adry Potter, clues dition to sellbegan to appear ing millions on the website’s of copies of homepage. Only books, Potter the first 1 milhas spawned lion devoted fans a new genre of who solved these literature for clues within the young readallotted time were ers: series like granted access to “Percy Jackson the beta version and the Olymof the site, which pians,” “Twiunfortunately light,” and went down for “The Hunger maintenance on Games,” all Nov. 2.

Author JK Rowling. Photo contain magic Despite the courtesy of Bloomsbury and mystique and Publishing hype, responses have are aimed towards been varied. Most fans the Potter generation. After the say that Pottermore presents a final film was released on July 15, unique new portal into the world the question remains: can Potter of Harry Potter in a way that is do for the Internet what it did for simply not possible through the publishing, and does it need to? books or movies. Others, howPottermore, a website deever, find the new site confusing signed by J.K. Rowling, aims to and feel that Potter already has a provide an online outlet for fans strong web presence in the form of to discover new background

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC? A screenshot of the Pottermore website, which was expected to open on Oct. 31 but is still in beta testing. The website is the newest addition to the Harry Potter franchise.

Staff Writer

Screenshot

by Sabrina Werby

fan websites such as MuggleNet and the Leaky Cauldron.

Maya Herbsman (’13) says that although she would “maybe check MuggleNet before a movie or a book (release)… the Internet has never been my Harry Potter world.” Isabel Langen (’13) agrees, but says that Pottermore does not aim to supplement a new book or film: “The movies and books are very different, (and) the Internet is another very different medium. I don’t think it will replace my feelings when reading the books.”

Abigail Vass (’12), one of the two Urban students who has already joined Pottermore, says that “people can debate back and forth whether or not (Rowling) is a good writer, but she’s undeniably a good storyteller, and (Pottermore) really supports that.” She adds that there is not a huge incentive to return to the site after being sorted into one’s Hogwarts house, but “the Internet has been great for Potter” and there is an “undeniable need for more information” in the Potter community.

Other fans debate on message boards whether or not new information will degrade the crucial intricacies of the books.

For instance, a pet rat’s missing finger — noticed in one of the first chapters of the series becomes the key to a mystery in the third book, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.”

Even though “It All Ends” was plastered all over the posters for the final film, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” it seems Pottermore is here to change that.

"Harry Potter" font courtesy of Jenny Barck at fontspace.com

LEGENDBUSTERS: Salkind reveals love of food, music

FLASHBACK A group of current and former Urban faculty participates in a faculty basketball team in 1983. Current Urban faculty members include Salkind (front row, second from right), LeRoy Votto (second row, first from left), Richard Lautze (top row, first from left) and Henri Picciotto (top row, far right).

Photo courtesy of Urban Development Office

from page 2 Salkind auditioned in New York for Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts. For the uninformed, Bernstein, director of the New York Philharmonic, composed and conducted music for the musical “West Side Story.”

Salkind was selected to appear with the New York Philharmonic on a nationally televised broadcast; he can remember a classmate coming to school with the TV Guide in hand, excited to see Salkind’s name printed there.

After majoring in English literature at Yale University (as well as playing his trusty oboe in the orchestra), Salkind decided to get a doctorate in English literature at University of California, Berkeley. He left after a year and worked at a music store in

Berkeley, selling sheet music.

Salkind sustained his love of music by taking up piano. This contributed to his current “littleknown hobby slash obsession”: a “very large CD collection, probably at least 5,000 CDs,” Salkind laughs. “It’s almost all classical.

It’s what I know most about, and (it’s) probably closest to my heart and passion. It’s still a big part of my life.”

Kindergarteners often think their teacher lives at school, so students should be pardoned for thinking Salkind was born Urban’s head of school. How did he come to sit at his position of honcho?

Salkind met an Urban art teacher who encouraged him to apply for a music teacher position. After he didn’t get the job, the school director (before

heads, legs or other appendages of school, there were merely directors), Carl Munger, invited Salkind to work on the art program. Salkind wrote grant proposals and got funding, resulting in his first full-time job at Urban.

Salkind used to teach a course on the Renaissance that combined English and history. “It was a subject that was really a passion of mine,” he says. He also taught Shakespeare and music classes.

In the early 80s, Munger took Salkind under his wing as his assistant. Munger gave Salkind a lot of opportunities because he was stepping down. Munger retired in 1986, and Salkind applied for the job. Though he had to compete with other candidates, he became head of school at 32.

“No one grows up wanting to be a high school principal,” Salkind said. “It wasn’t something I set out to pursue.” But since he attended Urban and had been working there, Salkind knew a lot about the school and wanted to make it better. “I was so passionate that I wanted to do this and fully convinced I could do it.”

So what exactly does the head of school do? Crucial stuff: hiring, planning for Urban’s future, fundraising along with thinking through how the school communicates to the public. Salkind meets with representatives from committees like the board of trustees and curriculum committee to help them set goals.

Right now, Salkind is working

on three main goals as part of Urban’s Vision 2013 plan: teach students more about environmental literacy; revise the service learning program; and develop global focus throughout Urban’s curriculum.

Contrary to a kindergartener’s assumptions, it also turns out Salkind has a life outside of school. In fact, his-outside-ofUrban passions are numerous.

Although he doesn’t play the oboe anymore, Salkind still loves music and sometimes plays the piano. He goes to the lots of concerts, as well as the symphony, opera, and ballet. He plays the occasional game of pingpong.

“I’m very competitive,” he adds.

He loves to go to museums,

and he takes photos, mostly nature landscapes. Salkind had the chance to do this over the summer, when he and his new wife, Miranda, hiked in Colorado and Idaho’s Sawtooth Range, which were “beautiful, just incredible.”

For Salkind, the job does not get old. “The school’s evolved, so I’ve continued learning,” he says. “The opportunities and challenges change.”

Ah, but that is not all. What was once The Man in the Tweed Coat is now undeniably human and a foodie to boot: Salkind says he has “cooked (his) way … through" the classic “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child. Check out one of his favorite recipes below.

Mark's Spaghetti all olio e aglio Salkind says: “I've been making this dish for many years. It's inexpensive, relatively quick to make and has bold and vibrant flavors. It represents ... the antithesis of gourmet cooking, and because of the amount of garlic and hot red pepper flakes, it's definitely not for the timid of heart!”

Step 1: Finely mince 4-5 cloves of garlic.

Step 2: Heat the garlic in a pan (large enough to hold all of the pasta when it is cooked) with 1/4 cup good olive oil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is begins to turn golden.

Step 3: Remove from heat and add some finely chopped Italian parsley (about 1/4 cup) and red chili pepper flakes (about 1/2 teaspoon, to taste).

Step 4: Then mix in the cooked spaghetti over medium heat.

Step 5: Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

5

Features

urbanlegendnews.org

November 2011

The Urban Legend

Check the box: Urban seniors vote in SF elections

by Sonja Bartlett Staff Writer

How many times have you walked down the street when someone asked if you were interested in his or her cause?

If you’re like most students, it’s too many times to count. Students walking through the streets of San Francisco often encounter canvassers who ask if they’re able to vote. And for students over the age of 17, the realization is dawning that this fall they could have the opportunity to change the country.

Turning 18 means that finally, after all these years, students have as much say as their parents, teachers and other adults about important issues and choices.

On Nov. 8, voters in San Francisco will have a number of important decisions to make.

Who should be mayor of San Francisco? And district attorney? Should funds be allocated

for modernizing and repairing public schools? And for repairing and improving streets and bike paths?

If recent elections are any indication, the youth vote counts more than ever. Time magazine called 2008 “The Year of the Youth Vote,” and President Obama’s success has been attributed in large part to his ability to move young people to get their ballots in.

According to the Pew Research Center for People & the Press, in the last presidential election, 66 percent of those under 30 years of age voted for Barack Obama, “making the disparity between young voters and other age groups larger than in any presidential election since exit polling began in 1972.” Clearly, young voters can make a difference.

Urban student Duncan Magidson (’12) will be eligible to vote this fall, and he feels obligated to do so.

“I’ve been politically active

"Having the opportunity to vote feels redeeming and rewarding."

— Duncan Magidson for a long time,” said Magidson, who has worked for state Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco), attended a youth mayoral forum, and led Urban’s Political Awareness and Civic Engagement (PACE) club. “Having the opportunity to vote feels redeeming and rewarding,” he added.

However, with opportunity comes responsibility. Clara Hendrickson (’12) explained how she hopes to become more informed about the issues presented in the upcoming election.

“I’m more familiar with international issues, but now that I can vote, I am eager to learn more about local politics,” said Hendrickson.

“I think it’s huge to have the right and I feel that it’s a privilege … and an obligation.”

It’s easy to take the right to vote for granted. But the recent uprisings in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and other countries are powerful

reminders that the opportunity to participate in government is a privilege worth defending.

LeRoy Votto, Urban history teacher, recalls that the first time he voted was when he was 21, due to the law at the time.

“It was wrong to be able to be drafted into the army before we were able to vote,” he said. He added that he has “never missed voting in an election.”

To find out about what is on the ballot on Nov. 8, go to the City and County of San Francisco Department of Elections’ website: http://www.sfgov2.org/index. aspx?page=2351.

Of course, you cannot vote unless you register. You must be 18 years old or older on election Day, and the easiest way to register is to go online at www.youthvote. org.

As the website says, “Why vote? Because you can!”

Done with your work? Check out this puzzle

by Kyle Chong

If you want to fill out your voter registration form online, go to: https://www.sos.ca.gov/nvrc/ fedform/ To find out more about important dates and deadlines for the Nov. 8 election, go to: http://sfgov2.org/ index.aspx?page=871 To find out who San Francisco's mayoral candidates are, check out: http://sf.govfresh.com/candidates/ To stay up to date with local elections, check out: http://www.sfgate.com/elections/

Photo of "I Voted" sticker courtesy of yaquina on flickr.com. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Special to the Legend

Across: 1. US banking system, abbr.

4. Losing team's score, informally 7. Lion movie co.

10. Dozen or billion, i.e.

13. 2002 Pearl Jam album 15. We _____ the World, 1985 charity single 16. Caesar's 1002 17. Maritime 18. Coarse, woven fabric 20. World War II double agent García 21. Caterpillars or worms, i.e.

23. Legal profession 24. Psychic power, abbr.

27. "Cling-wrap" maker 30. "Bearded" dog from Tibet's capital 33. Alaskan island 37. Marital conflicts 38. University of Wisconsin athletes 41. "Now I get it!"

42. Some Greek astronomical theories 44. Como, in Boston 45. With "in," access granted 46. Squabbled 51. Slider or Boca, i.e.

54. Rubbish 59. Attempt to recreate 60. Blood disease, VAR 62. Apostle, to a Québécois 63. _____-á-______ 64. Tigris Town 65. 35-down prefix 66. Performance 67. Hydrocarbon ending 68. Of the, to some Californians

Drawing by Tessa Petrich

Down: 1. Kermit or Jeremiah, i.e.

2. Costa _______ 3. With 'war,' 1877 conflicts against the British 4. Meter prefix, or iPod _______ 5. Here, in Brittany 6. MJR's superior 7. Chinese Administrative Region 8. Skin replacement 9. Jason's wife 10. Relationship between 46-downs 11. Some does and bucks 12. Building layer 14. Key to Q's left 19. ____-Es-Salaam, Tanzania 22. Closures 24. This answer spelled backwards, with 'was I ere I saw' and this answer 25. Reza Pahlavi, i.e.

26. ____ of least resistance 27. Chick 28. Second largest city in Papua New Guinea 29. Adv. Español 31. RR stop 32. Sufjan Stevens' second instrument 33. Fighter jet's weapons, abbr.

34. Blue-green shade 35. Snap, Crackle, and Pop, i.e.

36. Navy sub-division, abbr.

39. Aves tienen dos 40. Motor city, formally, abbr.

43. Moon controlled water movement 46. Buddies 47. "ring ring," abbr.

48. Pink Hawaiian fruit 49. Nettle fiber used in 18-across 50. Opposite of digest 51. Sword handle 52. Eastern Russian Oblast 53. Miles per hour, i.e.

54. With 'two,' "second try" 55. French equivalent of BART 56. Surrounded by 57. .org, i.e.

58. "___ to the Chief"

Arts

6

urbanlegendstaff@gmail.com

November 2011

The Urban Legend

Museum Roundup

sf museum of Modern art "Less and More" at the SF MOMA features the designs of Dieter Rams, a German industrial designer whose designs highly influenced those of Apple. The show will run until Feb. 20, 2012.

SCIENCE LIT Library Leaders hosts a lunchtime forum to discuss the all-school read and its modern relevance. "The Immortal photo by Sonja Bartlett Life of Henrietta Lacks" focuses on medical ethics and issues of race.

All-school read highlights HPV debate

by Emily Wen Staff Writer

The M.H... De Young "Dolls and Masks" at the DeYoung presents the work of Ralph Eugene Meatyard, an American photographer who toyed with the typical family photograph, many times using dolls and masks.

The show runs until Feb. 26.

Some loved it. Others fell asleep while reading it. But most people agree: "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks tells" a story that needs to be told, especially in light of the increasingly controversial rhetoric about the cervical cancer vaccine.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been in the spotlight in political and medical news recently. During the Republican presidential debate in Tampa, Florida on Sept. 12, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) criticized Texas Gov. Rick Perry for supporting a 2007 bill that required all 6th grade girls in Texas to get vaccines against HPV, the virus linked to cervical cancer.

Although the bill was never enacted into law, Bachmann condemned Perry by describing an account she had after the debate with an unnamed Florida woman who claimed that her daughter suffered from mental retardation after receiving the HPV vaccine.

"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," this summer's all-school read, proves surprisingly timely Although the details surrounding the encounter are unclear, Bachmann has helped fuel the ongoing debate. In the midst of this political and scientific controversy, "Lacks" sheds light on the clash of race, ethics and science.

Last summer’s all-school read, "Lacks" follows the Lacks family’s journey to understand Henrietta, their mother, and her contribution to modern science. Author Rebecca Skloot leads readers through this twisted story, narrating it eloquently and simply.

At first, I was skeptical that the book would be able to hold my attention, but as I read on it managed to capture me in ways that only few books have. Skloot successfully balances the story of Henrietta, the science behind the

Humorous newscasts find audience at Urban

by Zoe Pleasure Staff Writer

The Asian Art Museum If you missed the "Here/Not Here: Buddha Presence in Eight RecentWorks"exhibition(which ended Oct. 23), never fear: catch photos at the museum's blog at http://www.asianart.org/ blog. The exhibition included modernized Buddhist art by Jakkai Siributr, Sopheap Pich, and Pinaree Sanpitak.

Photos by Jessie King Fredel

monumental HeLa cell culture, and the Lacks’ journey to discover the impact behind their mother’s cells. Even though the science aspect bogged the narrative down a bit, the Lacks’ story was intriguing enough to keep me reading.

Isabel Fife-Cook (’13) agreed, saying, “I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I thought it was the perfect mixture of a well-written story and fascinating scientific information.”

Even students like Olivia Morfit (’15), who “fell asleep four times” while reading the scientific content agreed that “the book had some interesting points, such as the social aspects and the controversy surrounding the use of Henrietta’s cells without her family’s consent.”

When Urban Librarian Sarah Levin read this novel she, too,

found it hard to put down.

“I had so many questions after (reading the book) and I really wanted to talk to people about it … and tell people who hadn’t read it what I had learned,” she recalled.

“It got me thinking.” Levin, along with the library leaders and a panel of teachers that included English teacher Amanda Moore, science teachers Geoff Ruth and Mary Murphy, and Dean of Multicultural Life Ken Garcia-Gonzales, chose the book based on Urban’s curriculum and the hope that it would provokes discussion.

And it did: on Oct. 11, 16 students and eight faculty members discussed the hard-hitting themes of the novel. Levin hopes to continue these discussions, saying “reading a book is a really cool community-building exercise, just for everyone to have that shared experience and to come to school with something to talk about … I think it’s a very neat and potentially powerful tool. That’s what we hope (an All-School Read) can do.”

They spin the news, but still deliver it. They make fun of news anchors, but defend them when they are being ridiculed. Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert present a lighthearted alternative to traditional news, and more and more young people are getting most if not all of their news from them.

According to “The State of Online Video,” a report released in June by the Pew Internet and American Life project, 93 percent of Internet users in 2009 who were aged 18 to 29 said that they watched comedy videos online and only 56 percent reported watching news videos.

While mainstream news chan-

Stewart smiles during his nightly show. Photo courtesy of Comedy Central

nels, such as Fox News and MSNBC, relay the news to the people, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" look at the bias behind the news.

In a segment on Sept. 22 titled “West Bank Story,” a play on “West Side Story,” Jon Stewart jokingly queried advocates of a new Palestinian state: “have you thought about a spelling change?”

A map of Palestine flashed behind him with the spelling of Palestine changed to Palestein. Stein is a common ending of a Jewish last name; Stewart was suggesting that Palestine has to appeal to Israel to gain statehood.

When times are rough, humor news programs show the light in the dark. Colbert and Stewart highlight the comical and confusing in the complicated world of news programs and politics.

Urban students and teachers interviewed for this story all said they watched and enjoyed

Stewart more than Colbert. Many remarked upon Stewart’s ability to embrace opinions outside of his own liberal viewpoint.

Elena Goldstein (’12) enjoys the fact that “(Stewart) is definitely liberal and has his liberal edge … but at the same time he is not afraid to question certain liberal policies or defend Republican politicians when they need to be defended.”

Stewart recently won his 9th consecutive Emmy for his talk show, which he has been hosting since 1999. He moved from MTV to Comedy Central in 1999. In an interview in the September issue of Rolling Stone, he compared his show to the more traditional news shows of Fox News.

see HUMOR NEWS page 15

7

Arts

urbanlegendstaff@gmail.com

November 2011

The Urban Legend

"Dragon" remake aims to please U.S. audience

by Cassiel Chadwick Staff Writer

Pounding rhythms, screeching voices, grim ambience and an Alist cast. That’s what we get from the first trailer to David Fincher’s "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo," a film slotted for a Dec. 21 release.

It fits the mold for action thrillers: bold, brash, ripe with intrigue.

It shares the name and plot of Steig Larsson’s bestselling crime novel – trailed by its worldwide fan base. Most call it an adaptation. Others call it a remake.

A remake, no less, of a film from 2009. Niels Arden Oplev directed his critically acclaimed adaptation of Larsson’s book only three years ago, but another studio is already taking a shot at it.

The reason is simple enough.

Opley’s version is in Swedish.

And foreign films rarely make it in the box office.

A few examples: "In Bruges," Martin McDonagh’s Polish crime comedy, had a domestic opening of $500,000. Quentin Tarantino’s "Pulp Fiction," a film from a similar genre, opened with $9.3 million. Andrew Davies’s "Bridget Jones’s Diary" opened with $10.7 million, whereas Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s "Amélie" opened with $136,500. "City of Angels," Brad Silberling’s Nicholas Cage remake of Wim Wenders’s "German Wings of Desire," opened with $15 million, whereas the original film opened with $17,301.

The pattern holds across the board. Why? “I think obviously there’s the answer that people don’t like reading subtitles," said Louise Newlin ('13), adding that they "shouldn’t be (a deterrent), especially since dubs are horrible.”

People say that they often find dubs intrusive to their moviewatching experience.

Duncan Magidson (’12) said he likes “to hear how the original actors spoke the lines. It’s like a book.

There’s a certain rhythm to it. With dubs, you lose that rhythm.”

Despite foreign films struggling in America, American films get one-third of their profits overseas.

If it’s subtitles that sink foreign films, why should there be an import/export disparity?

“Foreign films have such a different sensibility than American films,” says Newlin, “and not every genre will work for people.”

Hollywood studios tailor movies to appeal to international audiences. As Paul Dergarabedian, president of the box office division of Hollywood.com, said, “Studios want to make movies that integrate international flavor and in genres that transcend cultures and language.”

In the case of Fincher’s film, producers have said that "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo" is an attempt to create a lasting franchise for adults.

Larsson’s book is the first in a trilogy. It’s a dark story, packed with

Lost In TRANSLATION? Rooney Mara co-stars with Daniel Craig in the second movie adaption of Stieg Larsson's best-seller "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."

Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures violence, but rich in narrative and character development.

“A lot of people say that they (Larsson’s books) are Harry Potter for adults,” Newlin says. “And I agree. The whole setting is very rich and the characters are really driven."

Whether Fincher's film ends up a commericial success or not, the mystery of the American market for foreign films will remain.

Angst abounding Henry Hopper puts on his best pouty face as Enoch Brae on the set of "Restless."

Brae wears an exaggerated collar and leather Converse.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

"Restless" doesn't move reviewer

by Cody Siler Staff Writer

What does one do when a good entertainer produces something that’s just not good? Bill Murray in “Garfield”? Snoop Dogg’s “Malice N Wonderland”? Michael Jordan’s foray into baseball?

Gus Van Sant is a good director. Two “best director” Oscar nominations and his impressive track record at the Cannes Film Festival offer ample evidence of this. However, his newest movie, titled “Restless,” is – and there is no better way to put this – really, really bad. From the man who made “Good Will Hunting,” “Elephant” and “Milk,” one would expect better.

Restless is about Enoch Brae (Henry Hopper), a death-obsessed teen who satisfies his obsession by attending local funerals. At one of these funerals, he meets Annabel

Cotton (Mia Wasikowska), a fellow teenager with a terminal brain tumor and an unabating joy for being alive. Annabel’s distinguishing personality traits are her kindness and her remarkable ability to withstand Enoch’s constant angst.

Although the plot may sound promising, the acting is cringeinducing at points. Wasikowska’s considerable talents are truly wasted in this cliché-driven wasteland of a script, and even Hopper’s bland nasal whining fails to make her look good.

The ridiculous singularity of their personalities is amplified by the costumes; Enoch alternates between neo-punk outfits covered in zippers and absurd Victorian ensembles reminiscent of Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray.”

The writing is even more disappointing than the acting. The sparse supporting characters exist

Now In Theaters

by Louise Newlin

Drive: ¶¶¶¶

Guest Writer

A beautiful slow-burn action movie in which a getaway driver gets involved with a married woman

Why you should see it: Gorgeous cinematography, understated acting, and a character-driven plot punctuated by occasional scenes of intense and graphic violence. The chemistry between co-stars Ryan Gosling and Carrie Mulligan is undeniable, bringing a sense of romance and melancholy to even the most vicious scenes.

Photo by Sonja Bartlett

Why you shouldn’t: If you flinch during the average action flick, sit this one out. Even closing your eyes won’t help. One scene is centered entirely around the sound of a man’s skull being stomped in – in Dolby Digital surround sound, no less.

Know your limits.

50/50: ¶¶¶¶¶

Seth Rogen and co wrote this touching comedy about their friend’s experience with cancer.

Why you should see it: Fans of comedy veteran Seth Rogen will be impressed by his dramatic turn. Drawing from his personal experience, Rogen brings a warmth and depth to this role we rarely get to see from him. Between Rogen and equally adept star Joseph Gordon Levitt, "50/50" manages to be very funny while still having an emotional core.

Why you shouldn’t: This is not a Judd Apatow movie. It’s funny, but way more serious than "Knocked Up" or "Pineapple Express." If you go into "50/50" not knowing that, you’ll end up crying.

Ides of March: ¶¶¶

An idealistic campaign manager turns cynical, and the tough world of politics is to blame.

Why you should see it: George Clooney has managed to create a political movie not mired in pointless mud-slinging by focusing on one political party only. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti throw their dramatic weight around with some show-stopping monologues that remind us they’re too good for this movie, which on the whole seems unmemorable.

Why you shouldn’t: Ryan Gosling was surprisingly tepid in this movie. His transformation from starry-eyed visionary to hardened cynic was unconvincing. This threw the whole movie off and softened the impact of its more emotional moments.

only as momentary plot devices, and the film as a whole feels like a chaotic series of tiny subplots, with a brittle story attempting to tie them all together.

“Restless” is a disappointment. Van Sant failed to draw the intimate, emotional performances that he did in “Goodwill Hunting,” and didn’t evoke the unique cultural empathy of “Milk.” While the actors and the writing — like a person’s face and hair — are what strike the eye at first, it’s the responsibility of the director to evoke the proverbial “soul” of the movie. In this respect, Van Sant falls short of expectations.

The real disappointment of “Restless” wasn’t the cringe-worthy acting and writing, but seeing a director like Van Sant stoop to the level of the forced indie romances of recent years that “Restless” brings to mind.

Contagion: ¶¶¶

Everybody in Hollywood gets together and coughs on each other in this star-studded disaster flick.

Why you should see it: You’ll find something to appreciate in this movie. Like any big-budget blockbuster, this has been crafted for mass appeal. You’ll get humor, gore (but not as much as in a real horror movie), suspense, and some well-developed dramatic characters in Kate Winslet and Matt Damon.

Why you shouldn’t: Contagion is completely skippable. If you’re not a hardcore thriller buff or a big fan of any of it’s 72 million stars, there’s no pressing reason to watch Contagion. If you don’t see movies that often I recommend 50/50 instead.

EQUITY@UrBa

8

HEAD TO HEAD Urban faculty members Sarah Levin, Scott Foster, and Rosalyn Shih write their stories on posters at a Students of Color lunchtime activty during the Multi-Culti Week on Oct. 19. photo by Zoe Pleasure

Pedagogy, learning styles at center of initiative

by Jenna Waldman Staff Writer

On a recent October morning, Duncan Magidson (’12) stood up in the St. Agnes gym and smoothly presided over Urban’s allschool meeting as student body co-president.

It was a long way from where Magidson began his career at Urban, as a shy, nervous freshman who thought he was on academic thin ice.

“Things we do here were drastically different from the things I learned before,” said Magidson, who previously attended Roosevelt Middle School, a public school in the Richmond district. Magidson explained that the differences between Roosevelt and Urban were numerous. “At Roosevelt, walls were falling apart, there was ubiquitous graffiti, gum under the desks and carvings on the top,” he said.

Today, along with being the student body co-president, Magidson is the co-leader of Urban’s Political Awareness and Civic Engagement (PACE) club and the regent for Model U.N. But his academic struggles “lasted quite a while and put (him) at a pretty severe disadvantage,” he said.

Urban is working to improve students’ academic success through the Inquiry for Equity initiative, launched four years ago by Charlotte Worsley, assistant head for student life.

This year, Urban’s freshman class is the largest in history, with more than 100 students.

This growth brings in kids from all over the city who come from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Looking

at ways of reaching out to every student is becoming an increasing priority as the school expands.

According to the University of California, Berkeley’s Division of Equity & Inclusion, a 10-year initiative launched in 2010, the goal of work around equity is to “cultivate a welcoming and supportive environment that enhances success and advancement for all students, faculty, and staff regardless of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, language, socioeconomic status, geographical context,

"The project to me is about celebrating Urban's curriculum in the best way possible and to fine tune it to really make it maximally accessible and successful for kids who may not have some of the skills and habits coming in that their peers from the independent school community in San Francisco have."

- Suzanne Forrest

and abilities/disability.”

One student of color at Urban, who asked not to be identified by name, commented on the racial component of this issue. “From my experience, students from public school backgrounds, especially students of color, feel even more isolated in a primarily white classroom setting, (and) have a hard time adjusting,” the student said.

Administrators agreed that diversity and equity are issues that need to be addressed. “Whether it’s an increase in race, an increase in boys on campus or an increase in extroverts, as a faculty we have to continuously reassess how we teach and (where) our blind spots (are),” said Ken Garcia-Gonzales, dean of multicultural life.

Suzanne Forrest, assistant head for academics, said the inquiry group is “addressing some of those deficits within the context of a pretty heavy-

"I do not think people talk about economic status enough because people want to assimilate into society by trying to be middle class. People with more money pretend they don't and people with less money identify as middle class. Students don't want to be defined by their economic status."

- Student Amanda Jacoby

duty high school program, and how we can do that effectively so we can welcome a pretty broad range of students into our program.”

Worsley said equity should begin on the very first day of a student’s Urban career. “Here at Urban, we want to make sure that when you walk in the door, we’re giving everybody an equal chance to thrive,” she said. “Getting teachers to work collaboratively on equity issues is key,” she added.

Worsley was introduced to the idea of starting an inquiry group by her daughter’s public elementary school, George Washington Elementary, where Worsley learned about a program called Collaborative Action Research for Equity (CARE). “I saw it and I thought, ‘I wonder if this would

Last year, nearly 42 percent of applicants to Urban requested financial aid.

So it was no surprise when a recent Legend survey found that 34 percent of Urban students — the single-largest group of respondents — wanted more financial aid over improvements such as new facilities and more teachers.

Urban’s website states that “The Urban School of San Francisco awards financial aid on … the availability of funds.”

Unfortunately, Urban’s endowment — a key way it pays for financial aid and supports a more diverse student body — lags behind competing Bay Area schools.

An endowment is a sum of money that generates interest, which is then used for various purposes. While the interest can be spent any way the own-

no plans to create an affinity club around issues of income.

“There is shame and embarrassment on both ends of the spectrum,” he said. “Some students don’t want to expose their wealth, while some don’t want to expose (that) they are on financial aid. It would be hard to create a formal club.”

However, at Lick-Wilmerding High School, “there are clubs that touch upon the issues of economic status,” said Gabrielle Chow, the dean of equity and instruction.

“Of particular note is a Student Diversity Leadership Club, a new club facilitating conversations about socioeconomic status (SES),” Chow said in an email to a Legend reporter. Lick students held a multi-day program last year, “and SES was a focus of one of those days.”

Lick also has a dean of student inclusion

and leadership, who ensures that every family has access to all of Lick’s programs, including “(making) sure families without Internet have paper copies of report cards and newsletters mailed home.”

Not all Urban students say they need to talk about economic status. “We are already super-aware of economic status from project class,” says Izzy Miller (’13).

Nina Buzby (’13) agrees. “(Going) to Haight Street makes us aware,” she said. Activities during student retreats, such as “Crossing the Line,” in which students identify themselves by income, also raise awareness: “(It) makes us conscious.”

28% of the Urban student body is on financial aid.

Urban gives $2.4 million in financial aid annually.

Illustration by Tessa Petrich Spread Design & Infographics by Cassiel Chadwick

Last year, of the 523 8th grade applications, 218 submitted financial aid applications.

$165,000

page 15

Urban students converse about race. They discuss gender. They express views on ethnicity. They share thoughts on sexual orientation.

There’s only one topic that Urban students shy away from: economic status.

“It’s obviously no longer socially accepted to be racist, but for some people it’s socially accepted to be classist,” said Michela Weihl (‘13). “We have a bubble (at Urban) about culture which comes from a big range of money. I feel the range of resources; not everyone has the same resources. Some people think about how much they spend more (than others).”

“It’s uncomfortable,” says Anne Vetter (’12). “I think (talk-

ing about) economic status is our biggest problem (at Urban).”

Unlike race or gender, economic status is easy to hide, which makes it ripe for assumptions.

“Clothing doesn’t show (economic status),” says Vetter. Similarly, “sometimes people assume everyone can afford to buy lunch on Haight Street,” which is not accurate.

Such assumptions suggest that talking about money “can be embarrassing for people who have money and for people who don’t,” says Jacquelyn Wu (‘14).

However, Urban Health Teacher Jennifer Epstein worries that “not talking about economic status could divide students instead of unifying (them).”

Despite strong interest at a forum on socioeconomic issues last year, Multicultural Dean Ken Garcia-Gonzales says there are

Interest Used Last Yr

by Jamie Friedman

$990,000

see Equity

ated by the endowment go towards financial aid. The larger Urban’s endowment, the more Urban can afford to accomplish all of its goals. In the Legend survey, students who receive aid voted for more aid more than half of the time.

In 2009, Urban started the Major Gift Task Force, “specifically with the purpose of raising major gifts for the school,” explained Brady. The gifts given to the school as a part of the task force are mainly from seniors, alumni, and families. In 2010, the graduating class gave $140,000 to the Task Force, the largest amount yet given by a graduating class.

“When you’re a senior, you have this opportunity to give back to the school,” explained Munn.

Alum Sean Judkins-Boeri (’11) said that he is eager to donate to the endowment:“I was more than happy to give back to a place that had given me so much over the last four years."

Economic status still a taboo subject Staff Writer

work in a private school,’” Worsley said.

Urban’s Inquiry for Equity is broken up into three subcommittees.

Forrest leads the subcommittee that concentrates on teaching ninth graders. The original Inquiry for Equity group, which has been together for four years, is led by Garcia-Gonzales.

Worsley runs a third subcommittee, which is for administrators and instructional staff.

The groups are coached by an Oakland-based consultant named Elena Aguilar, who specializes in teaching educators how to “use an equity lens to examine teaching practices, systems and structures, curriculum, or professional development,” according to her website.

Urban’s definition of equity reflects national problems and trends. In in-

Staff Writer

er chooses, the principle is off limits .

The current endowment at Urban is $5.5 million, paling in comparison to huge endowments like Lick-Wilmerding High School’s massive $40 million endowment, or University High School’s “over $20 million,” according to Brisen Brady, Urban’s director of development.

“It’s not surprising that our endowment is still small; Lick is twice the age we are,” says Susan Munn, Urban’s director of finance and operations. However, endowments at Marin Academy and University outpace Urban’s, and all three schools were founded at similar times.

Why does an endowment matter?

Urban is looking into constructing a new building, which will be a huge drain on resources. “The first thing a school needs to attend to is its bricks and mortar,” said Munn.

However, most of the funds gener-

Endowment Interest

- Brisen Brady

by Eli Dinkelspiel

$5.5 million

"I think it's really powerful that both seniors and (alumni) are investing in the endowment because they see that it's important to sustain Urban's financial sustainability, but also to preserve Urban as a school that they love for future generations."

Endowment key to diversity

Urban's endowment

an

9

10

urbanlegendstaff@gmail.com

Opinions

November 2011

The Urban Legend

Use your

LEGEND rounding us are too vast to simply glance at; we need a method for Staff Writer interpreting and steering through the daunting multitude. For The Urban Legend strives to example, one student may be oppublish facts, not legends, as its posed to the recent grading policy name conveys. Here in the newschanges at Urban, while another room, we try to report complete may welcome the changes. Yet anquotes and we fact check each story other student may not know what for accuracy. A good newspaper to think. By learning should inform readers about a specific issue, of pertinent truths, be we can develop our they rural or urban. legends to help guide But beginning with us in communicating this issue, I’ll address our opinions and work something you don’t towards change. often find in our pages Beyond the individ— our personal legends. ual, different people’s First, you should AnnakaiGeshlider('13) legends compare and inknow that the word teract in exciting ways. “legend” in this column won’t Urban History Teacher Rebecca refer to Robin Hood, the Headless Shapiro believes “we're less likely Horseman, or Bigfoot. to challenge our own beliefs if we A legend is used to decipher a don't hear conflicting or different map. I will use my brain’s legend views from others.” Not only that, to navigate the map of issues I’ll but “differing opinions in politics write about. My legend is specific are unavoidable.” Contrasting to my mind and you, too, have a views aren’t the problem: it’s “our unique legend. We all interpret ongoing failure to listen closely issues differently because we have and critically to each other,” Shadifferent legends. piro said.

Everyone needs one to guide In this column, I’ll write about her or him. The issues surissues inside and outside of Urban,

by Annakai Geshlider

possibly ranging from our excessive pizza consumption to American homelessness. I’ll use my legend to steer my mouth (or rather, my fingers on the keyboard).

If you feel strongly about something, please contribute your legend to the Opinions section and help others (and yourself) interpret that particular issue. We need as many legends on the map to work towards hearing from all sides.

A note about my role this year as Opinions editor: the Legend strives to be objective, but I welcome differing writers’ and readers’ ideas.

We want to hear everyone’s voice and investigate, display, and celebrate different opinions. Personal experience influences how we look at issues. So, the ones we look at are a mixture of what we see (objectively) and how each person understands them (subjectively).

You need both to fully look at an issue.

Don’t read The Urban Legend’s name as a contradictory title – we love legends and myths, but we want to bust them, not publish a paper rent with fabrication.

Instead, use this newspaper as a supplement to your legend and steer yourself through each issue presented in every story. If you get lost, remember your own legend and don’t let it slip behind the daunting territory. You need to use it if we’re ever going to solve problems.

Everyone has a legend that they use to interpret the map of an issue in their world.

The Urban Legend surveyed four students to figure out how they use their legends to navigate differently.

Public nudity is legal in San Francisco. On Nov. 1, city supervisors unanimously approved an initial measure requiring nude citizens to place a towel between their butts and public surfaces, such as benches, as well as clothe themselves in restaurants. Supervisor Scott Weiner says it's an issue of public health, while nudists argue for freedom of self-expression. The measure will return to the board for final approval next week.

Should public nudity be allowed?

It doesn't really bother me. Maybe near schools or public parks, no. Parents might not be comfortable. If they're just walking minding their own business, let them do what they want to do.

–Dorren Rosenbaum ('12)

No. San Francisco's really diverse – there're children and older people – and it's kind of disrepectful to different cultures in the city.

–Ella Andrew ('14)

Yes,but only in de signated parts.

It would be benefic ial to have it be legal in neighborhood s where the peop le there are cool wi th that.

-Gabriel Pine ('1 5)

Yeah, why not? Part of San Francisco's ideals are to allow people to express themselves.

-Zoe Johnson ('13)

Drawing by Annakai Geshlider

My view: Urban must make room for unique opinions to be heard

by Sam Ball

However, the fact that the repeal may reduce cohesion and Urban is a school where great increase tension among active debates happen. But something duty service members cannot be that can only be seen by an outside ignored. “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” eye lies in plain sight: there is a has masked many gay and leslack of substantive discourse in bian service members up to this the school and also the city of San point, but if they reveal their true selves, they could be the victims Francisco as well.

How can we expect to have of homophobic attacks similar to debates and discussions that have those on Allen Schindler, a Navy any substance when almost ev- radioman who was murdered in eryone has the same views? This 1992 for being gay.

Ignoring these facts does not is not to say that Urban and the make them go away. Forgetting greater San Francisco community is close-minded, but rather that about them in a civil liberties they both engage in an interesting crusade could be even more dangerous; being opencase of groupthink. minded means gives Unfortuntely, this equal time and thought cultivates the sort to every viewpoint, not of rapid partisan just your own. Because politics we see on the majority of people the national level; in the San Francisco the only way to raise community holds a people who look for core belief in liberalism, the best solution, not Sam Ball ('13) there is a lack of discourse. the one they created, is The other problem is that by breaking this cycle. a majority view creates an atmoLet’s say I wanted to have a discussion about the abolishment sphere where anyone who does of the government’s policy on gays not agree does not feel comfortable serving in the military, which was expressing his or her beliefs. That recently repealed when President does not allow the community to Obama signed the Don’t Ask Don’t truly discuss the problems that exist and to find the best solution; Tell Repeal Act. If I asked everyone in a group instead we only look to who proat Urban about his or her view on posed the solution, and we support the removal of the rule was, I can that person based on whether or assure you, almost certainly, that not we agree with that person most the consensus would be that the of the time.

This issue is not restricted to repeal was a great move by our Urban, San Francisco, or liberals. government, a historic milestone It is the problem that plagues our of the gay rights movement.

Guest Writer

country’s political system. In San Francisco, it is the conservatives who feel uncomfortable speaking up, but in Utah, where I grew up, it would be the liberals. Ignoring the views of others simply because they are different is not a good reason to ignore them. In reality, we should not ignore them at all or feel like our views are superior,

because no views are right or wrong, just different.

There is no one who can actually say if the human rights issues and personal freedoms issues involved with “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” outweigh the legitimate but often ignored beliefs held by some that this repeal is detrimental to our military strength. Our communi-

ties need to create an environment that is supportive of an unbiased and politically secular exchange of ideas. —Ball (’13) transferred to Urban this year from Rowland Hall-St. Marks High School in Park City, Utah.

graphiccourtesyofthenounproject.com

Stonesand andWhistles Whistles* Stones *

The Yeti, The Urban Legend's mascot and an ancient Himalayan people's "God of the Hunt," was thought to carry a The stone Yeti, The Legend's mascot and an sound. ancient We Himalayan people's "God of the Hunt," was thought to large as aUrban weapon and make a whistling hired our Yeti to throw whistles of approval and stones of carry a large stone as weapon make a whistling sound. We hired our Yeti to throw whistles of approval displeasure at issues in aUrban andand beyond. and stones of displeasure at issues in Urban and beyond.

A WHISTLE for the anonymous voice in the library A STONE to the new padlock on Urban's fridge whoAsaid "mathematics, now that's dark STONE to the anonymous voice in magic." the library STONEnow to the padlock Urban's ourAlunches rotnew daily in our on lockers. who said "mathematics, now that's dark magic." fridge – our lunches now rot daily in our A WHISTLE to Steve Jobs for his innovations – lockers. to the Journalism class's whiteboard.

A WHISTLE without you, ourtoschool be bare.

A WHISTLE Steve and Jobsminds for hiswould innovations – Its irksome crooked tape distracting many math without you, our school and minds would be bare. A WHISTLE to the Journalism class's whiteA STONE to the temperature at the Fall Candyland students in the Moon Room is a thing of the past. board. Its irksome crooked tape distracting dance – mixing sticky candies A STONE tosugary, the temperature at thewith Fall sweat Candymany mathtostudents the Moon Room A WHISTLE the girlsin soccer program foris a rendered us immobile. land dance – mixing sugary, sticky candies with thing of the past. organizing a workout session in September for a sweat rendered us immobile. season that doesn't start until spring.

A WHISTLE to the weaver of the four-foot spider A STONE to the anonymous burglar of the webAinWHISTLE Urban's neighboring backyard, visible from to the the weaver of the four-foot spi-A STONE Tech Office Beta While he or she will be to SFO forFish. not allowing anyder southern floor window. backyard, visible web insecond Urban's neighboring missed, there's already a replacement: Beta from any southern second floor window.

2.0.

A STONE to the new paint colors in the blue rooms, A WHISTLE to the pogo stick in the media lab, come justAbecause lack windows does STONEthese to therooms new neon paint colors in not the blueomAit's WHISTLE to the pogo sticklab. in the media a pogo stick in the media mean we should try to immitate the lack sun. windows rooms.

Just because these rooms lab. Come on, it's a pogo stick in the media does not mean we should try to imitate the sun. *Sasquatch was the name of the font used for this lab.

A WHISTLE to the long-awaited rain! You sound segment's headline. niceAon the skylights replenish parched Texas WHISTLE to theand long-awaited rain! You sound *Sasquatch was the name of the font used for fields. nice on the skylights and replenish parched Texas this segment's headline. fields.

urbanlegendstaff@gmail.com

11

Opinions

November 2011

The Urban Legend

9/11 anniversary provokes tired discourse

BOXED IN David Immerman ('13) and Marney Kline ('13) snap a selfie in the Giants dugout at AT&T Park on Sept. 11, where they observed some bothersome reporters.

by Marney Kline

Photo by Marney Kline

a rivalry engendering at least one Staff Writer exclamation of “Dodgers Suck!”

Bruce Bochy was a bore. It was per inning. But today, these two 9/11, and I was standing in the baseball teams were scheduled to San Francisco Giants’ dugout, play ball on the 10th anniversary watching the Giants' manager of 9/11, and, correspondingly, they speak listlessly to reporters who were scheduled by the Giants’ meswarmed around him like vultures dia relations staff to reminisce on as he perched in the dugout for a the bittersweet medley of grief and pre-game interrogation. patriotism that was felt so keenly Looking into his watery, wise 10 years ago. After all, the baseball old eyes, which looked like they game was on a particularly griphave witnessed a thouping anniversary, sand years on planet and the attempt to Earth, I could not tell if weave it in was a Bochy was jaw-droppingnoble effort. ly unenthusiastic about It was about 11:30 baseball, had overdosed a.m., and from the on Valium, or he really dugout I could see just hated this part of his the players stretchjob. For whatever reason, ing themselves on the he morosely answered Marney Kline ('13) perfectly manicured question after question baseball field, their concerning baseball stats, players’ lower halves cinched up in those injuries, and, of course, the sig- uncomfortable-looking pants. nificance of 9/11 at this particular The Colombian sportswriter I game. was talking to earlier suddenly got With a comical blend of base- my attention and helpfully put me ball-driven hysteria and emotion- face-to-face with a Giants player. starved journalistic zeal, a reporter Up close and personal, Giants playbarked: “Bruce! Do you have a ers are, in fact, either vertically or specific memory of the week, horizontally gigantic, and they are or maybe the month, after 9/11, famous. specifically interwined – I mean, “What is your name?” I asked, intertwined – with baseball?” deliberately ignoring the sportsBochy replied, “Well, my sister writer’s advice to look up his jersey called and told me to turn on the or cleat number and match it with TV. She was working for the gov- a name on the roster – perhaps a ernment and she said ‘this was not measure taken to protect the playan accident.’ ers’ sensitive egos.

"And then I turned on the teleHector Sanchez, age 21, resides vision and saw the second plane in his native country of Venezuela, hit, and then it hits you what’s and weighs 225 pounds. I know happened – the magnitude of this because I have a booklet conwhat’s happened. We couldn’t taining all sorts of personal, now go anywhere, all the planes were decidedly public, information on down, you couldn’t travel; the each of the players. It was espeworld did stop." cially fun to estimate their weights The San Francisco Giants and and then compare them to the real the Los Angeles Dodgers sustain statistics.

When asked about how he felt about 9/11, he replied, “You know, it was sad.”

And that is exactly the way I felt: it was sad, I understood that, and so did Sanchez. I did not see the need to dwell on the tragedy or forcibly recreate the state of loud and gushy patriotism at a baseball game.

The attacks on the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and United Flight 93 were intense events, gruesome blots on our virtually spotless record of international conflict based on American soil.

But something about the institutional, politically correct, and strained intermingling of baseball, the media, and the anniversary of 9/11, led to trite questions and boring answers.

Sure, it is sweet and respectful to detail how we Americans, especially important Americans like Bochy, experienced the fateful day of Sept. 11. But I am more inclined to agree with my new Colombian journalist friend and dedicated sports-blogger Luis Alberto Torres, who said, “this happened 10 years ago – I remember. But what happened yesterday is yesterday, today is today.”

What I gather from Bochy’s and every other old baseball buff’s notion of 9/11 and its significance to our community, is that the truth rarely reveals itself in a planned, public, demonstration of grief; and we won’t glimpse it in the faces we recognize from the media. Rather, it is worthwhile to seek answers from more humble roots.

When 9/11 comes around next year, we should heed the ancient Japanese saying: “let the past flow away with the water.”

Class-ifying Urban Not many of us like to show off extreme wealth. Similarly, not many want others to know that they fall below the poverty line. However, over the past few years at Urban, we’ve observed an interesting phenomenon involving many of our peers who genuinely think that they are part of the largest socioeconomic class in the United States, and probably aren’t.

Let’s be clear: we’re not blaming anyone for being ignorant.

We’re simply commenting on something we’ve observed. Also, it’s important to recognize that most Urban students are not the primary moneymakers in their respective families. So, when students talk about class, they reflect the class of the households in which they live.

First, it’s essential to understand that San Francisco is not like the rest of the United States of America. According to the U.S. Census, the city and county of San Francisco’s median family income in 2000 was $63,545 per year, compared with $50,046 for the U.S. That is a huge gap, and the gap between Urban students and the rest of San Francisco is even greater. According to the website zipskinny.com, which compares economic statistics by zip codes, the median household income of our school’s home neighborhood is $63,983, a fair representation of San Francisco as a whole.

However, according to a Legend survey of the student body, the majority of households at Urban are either in Marin County, Noe Valley, Pacific Heights, or the Richmond. In Marin, median incomes range from $76,808 to $106,492. Noe Valley, Pacific Heights, and the Richmond have median incomes of $75,727, $84,710, and, $61,776, respectively. Another Legend survey of Urban’s students, faculty, and staff revealed that 43.2 percent identified as middle class, not lower, working, upper, or rich.

Identifying yourself as a member of a particular sector of society isn’t easy. Tomás Jacquez, who teaches the 10th grade service learning class, says that “class is a hard thing to talk about. There’s not necessarily a right or wrong answer when talking about class.

We want to give sophomores the tools so we can have a conversation.”

But even students familiar with the issues have trouble with definitions. At recent class retreats, students have engaged in an activity known as “Crossing the Line,” in which one crosses a “line” if they feel that a statement or question presented applies to one's identity, and does not if one feels otherwise. Students are asked to observe, but not judge.

During a recent “Crossing the Line,” only a handful stepped forward when asked if they were lower income. Another handful stepped forward when asked if they were at the other end of the scale. But when “middle class” was offered as an option, an overwhelming majority crossed the line.

Jacquez isn't surprised: “The big piece is that social class isn’t really talked about. It has many different layers of complexity.”

He adds that “it is important to distinguish the differences between income and wealth.” Income is what one receives via salary or other payment plans, normally yearly. Wealth is what one’s family accumulates over time and passes on.

How can we think we are from the middle class when the majority of our families are paying $34,050 a year for us to attend Urban, and only 27 percent of the student body is receiving financial aid, a clear minority?

Jacquez wants students to understand that “at Urban, we are trying to get our students to be viable members of society.”

Integral to being in a position of economic power is realizing we have a lot of responsibility.

This skewed perception of the middle class at Urban is causing us to underestimate what we can and should be doing as citizens.

We can’t just sit in the bubble that surrounds our school and San Francisco. Living in San Francisco doesn’t make you a progressive — deeds do. Once we do understand where we fall on the socioeconomic scale, we can start to repair the imbalances that plague our society every day.

The unsigned editorial represents a majority view of the staff of The Urban Legend.

The Urban Legend T

heUrbanLegendisavehicleofstudentfreedomofexpressionandapublic forumforTheUrbanSchoolcommunity.Itisproducedseveraltimesper yearduringtheacademictermbythejournalismclass.Wealsopublishan online version of the Legend at www.urbanlegendnews.org.

Wewelcomefeedbackaboutourarticlesandencouragereaderstocontact usdirectlywithtipsorideasconcerningfuturecoverage.Ourmailingaddressis TheUrbanSchoolofSanFrancisco,1563PageSt.,SanFrancisco,CA94117.Our e-mail address is urbanlegendstaff@gmail.com.

TheLegendpublisheslettersontopicsofconcerntotheUrbancommunity.

Lettersmustbesigned;requestsforanonymitywillbeconsideredonacase-bycasebasis.Lettersmaybesentelectronicallytourbanlegendstaff@gmail.com.

Hard-copylettersmaybesenttotheLegendcareofTheUrbanSchool.Guest opinioncolumnsalsomaybesubmittedelectronicallyorinhardcopy.Wereserve the right to edit for space and language.

Signedarticlesoropinionpiecesrepresenttheviewsofthewriteronly,Unsigned editorials reflect a consensus opinion of the newspaper staff.

Editors-in-Chief

Cassiel Chadwick (Design) Sabrina Werby (News)

Illustration by Managing Editor / Newspaper Jason Cinti

Managing Editor/ Multimedia

Hannah Sears

Asst. Managing Editors

Jamie Friedman (Newspaper) David Immerman (Multimedia)

Adviser

Beatrice Motamedi

Section Editors

Jonathan Baer (News) Annakai Geshlider (Opinions) Emily Wen (Features) JennaGeshlider Waldman (Sports/Special Projects) annakai Cody Siler (Arts) Zoe Pleasure (Folio/Caboose)

Photo Editors

Sonja Bartlett and Jessie King Fredel

Writers

Marney Kline Tessa Petrich Kyra Bergsund Eli Dinkelspiel Ella Mcleod

Sports

12

urbanlegendstaff@gmail.com

November 2011

The Urban Legend

By The

Numbers

2

years in a row the Texas Rangers have gone to the World Series

3

goals that Seth Rosner ('14) scored against Stuart Hall on Oct. 14 for a hattrick

4

out of 5 games won by the girls varsity tennis team against Drew on Oct. 17

7

cross country runners who have been injured this season

19.36

personal record for Emma McCune ('12) in a 2.8 mile cross country race. The race occurred on Sept. 21 at Tennessee Valley

44

percent of Urban students surveyed who think that the 49ers will make the playoffs

120

number of student fans cheering at the boys varsity soccer 3-1 victory over Waldorf on Sept. 9

Freshman discovers love of unfamiliar sport

by Jenna Waldman

back on again.” Vaulters need to learn resilience and the virtue of Staff Writer getting back up and overcoming Just two years ago, Charlotte fear. de Anda (’15) was a 7th grader Finally, the vaulters learn who got dragged to her friend’s respect for “the horses, sports practice after coaches, facilities, and a sleepover. Little judges.” did she know that De Anda described she would fall in love horse vaulting as “like with the sport of dodance slash gymnastics on ing acrobatics on a a horse.” The horse runs in cantering horse. circles in a round arena as Last year, de Ana lunger controls it with a da’s horse vaulting whip. When the vaulter is team, Pacific Coast ready, he or she runs up Vaulters in Woodside, to the horse and swings de anda ('14) Calif., placed second Photo by Jessie King Fredel his or her legs up until in the nation for Bthey are on top. The Team at the American Vaulting vaulter can then do one of two Association National Champion- types of vaulting: compulsories ships in Santa Barbara on July 31. or free style. Compulsories are De Anda trains three days a week certain sets of moves that each for up to three hours a day, partici- vaulter learns, and free style is a pates in five competitions a year unique dance that each vaulter and has travelled to Kentucky and choreographs.

Santa Barbara for national events.

De Anda’s favorite part of the At a typical practice, vault- sport is team vaulting, in which ers stretch, “there are six run, feed “We are responsible for the people (and) and groom three of them the horses qualityofourpractice.Ifwedo are on the and saddle abadjobortaketoolong,then horse at the them up. same time.”

Accord- wegetlesstimeonthehorse.” One vaulter ing to the is mounted club’s webon the neck site, horse —Charlotte de Anda ('15) b a s e , o n e vaulters vaulter is on learn the three R’s: respect, re- the stand base, and the third is sponsibility and resilience. Goals considered the flyer. The two include “developing coordination, vaulters who are mounted on the balance, strength, creativity, team- horse support the flyer as he or work and self-confidence.” she performs intricate maneuvers To build respect, the vaulters through the air, similar to pairs have to “feed, groom, and tack ice-skating. up (their) horses,” De Anda said, “I’m usually the flyer,” de Anda adding, “we are responsible for the said, “and it’s really fun.” quality of our practice. If we do a Practices are geared towards bad job or take too long, then we the five big competitions that are get less time on the horse.” held throughout the year. These As for resilience, “when you events are held at barns and vaultdo vaulting, you fall off a lot,” de ing clubs throughout the country.

Anda said. “It can be really scary Vaulting events are divided up into and makes you not want to get levels, starting from “tiny tots,” or

graceful elegance Charlotte de Anda ('15) performs a routine on top of a horse at a vaulting competition. children who stand on walking horses, all the way up to gold, or teenagers who are doing moves on cantering horses. De Anda’s level is bronze.

When asked what it’s like to be a part of a sport that many people have never seen, De Anda responded, “it’s easier to do well in vaulting because there are less people.”

On the other hand, “it’s kind of a pain,” De Anda said.

“Whenever you say you do vaulting … (other people) have no idea, or they think you mean pole vaulting.”

Photo courtesy of Mary Garrett

To see more pictures and hear the exclusive interview with Charlotte de Anda, please visit: www.urbanlegendnews.org

Moneyball stars dazzle Oakland streets for premiere

by Jason Cinti Staff Writer

Free champagne, expensive gowns, and Philip Seymour Hoffman in a cashmere sweater: such was the scene at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland on Sept. 19 for the premiere of “Moneyball.”

Celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill and Chris Pratt joined long-time A’s fans, A’s players and a crowd of approximately 3,000 viewers at the premiere of ”Moneyball”, which was released to theaters on Sept 23.

“Moneyball” features Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics.

Audience members said it wasn’t necessary to love baseball in order to like the movie.

“Even if you’re not a baseball fan, it will appeal to you,” said Thuy Nyguyen, attendee at the premiere. Another viewer, Pamela Cianci, agreed, saying that she was captivated by the “recently relevant story.”

Derek Baker, who also attended the premiere, commented that the director did a great job in “creating a level of excitement about baseball that is difficult to portray from a rather cerebral sport.”

Seth Rosner (’14) attended the

starstruck "Moneyball" premiered at the Paramount Theater on Sept. 19. Stars such as Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, joined by Urban students and hundreds of A's fans, attended the premiere, which honored the A's roots by opening in Oakland.

Photo by Jessie King Fredel premiere with his family and noticed that “the entire bottom floor was completely full.” In addition, “there was a lot of chanting in the crowd.”

As movie-goers walked to the afterparty at the Fox Theater, street vendors handed out stickers with

messages such as “Keep the A’s in Oakland,” a reference to the recent attempts to move the team to either San Jose or Fremont.

During the film, people cheered when a player’s name was mentioned or a momentous game was won, adding to the overall excite-

ment and sense of Oakland pride.

Urban parent Timothy Fredel summed it up by saying, “it was absolutely magical to view “Moneyball” in the Oakland A’s hometown with both cast members and ball players in attendance.”

13

Sports

urbanlegendstaff@gmail.com

November 2011

The Urban Legend

Boy's soccer stumbles, recoups, makes NCS North Coast Section loss follows key wins against Uni, Stuart Hall

by Kyra Bergsund

ring ring (left) Seth Rosner ('14) and Harry Krinsky ('13) ring the victory bell after defeating University with a score of 1-0 on Oct. 6 at Crocker Amazon.

Staff Writer

The Urban boy’s varsity soccer team ended a roller coaster of a season, which began promisingly, fell into an unfortunate slump, rebounded with two key wins and ended Wednesday with a loss in the North Coast Section tournament.

“After the loss to Lick, it was tough to bounce back and practice,” said team captain Evan Chang (’12), referring to a game against Lick-Wilmerding High School on Oct. 4. The boys next faced University High School. “As a team, we realized that no matter the score of our last game, Uni was a new opponent and a new game,” Chang said.

The Blues went on to win the game against Uni by a score of 1-0, plus another 3-1 win against Stuart Hall. Urban secured the sixth seed in the NCS tournament last week. The Blues lost that game to Roseland University Preparatory High School 1-0 in Santa Rosa.

Luke Hirschhorn (’14) looks at a drought of early season league victories positively. “Every team hits a bump in the road, and I think that was ours,” Hirschhorn said.

In previous years, the boys soccer team has not been Urban athletics’ pride and glory. At the end of the season last year, head coach Antony Reyes asked players to discuss the next season. Reyes noticed improvement this year, and said players worked “in the right direction.”

Reyes said that by keeping his goals in mind, the team moved past discouraging losses, such as a Sept. 30 loss to Drew High School with a painfully close score of 3-2.

“It was disappointing that

Photo by Sonja Bartlett

Chase down (below) Harry Krinsky ('13) chases down the ball during Urban's 3-1 victory over Stuart Hall on Friday, Oct. 14 at Kimball Field. Urban students dressed in white for the event, themed "Friday Night Whites" and planned by the Urban Athletic Club.

Photo by Emma McCune

The team captains are Evan Chang ('12) and Gabe Kaufman ('13)

At tryouts, every member on the team had to run two miles in 13:30

TELLING NUMBER

80

The number of minutes Urban kept University scoreless in their 1-0 victory.

SENIORS ('12) Evan Chang #13 has a lazy eye.

Albie Brown #7

memorized the Greek alphabet.

Brett Klapper #12

can name every country in the world.

Thatcher Healy #16 has a twin sister.

Ryan Murnane #19

dreams of finding Bigfoot.

Emmett Walker #9

thinks Nicholas Cage is "really good"

Ian Wallace #2

once swallowed a goldfish for $10

COACH’S CORNER "The team didn't self-destruct after the losses thanks to good leadership from the captains."

-Antony Reyes, head coach

SCORECARD (Drew) won, but we weren’t disappointed in our performance,” Reyes said.

On Oct. 21, Urban took on Drew again, emerging victorious, thanks to the focus on performance instead of results.

Urban competes against some of the best teams in the state, including Marin Academy, a soccer team that enjoys a widely acknowledged and well-deserved reputation for excellent play. “I think

our ability to come off our losing streak and beat University shows just how strong our team is even after suffering multiple defeats,” said Gabe Kaufman (’13), who is co-captain alongside Chang.

A notable reason for the improved performance is the team dynamic this season. “This year's team is different in the sense that we don't get frustrated with each other, no matter the outcome of a game,” Chang said.

“There's a lack of negativity on the team, which was a consistent element in the last few years, unfortunately,” Reyes said.

On a similarly positive note, Chang believes that everyone is “ willing to put (in) a great amount of effort, so that is what (he is) excited about.”

The team made the BCL playoffs, seeded fourth. A 5-0 loss to the first seed, Marin Academy, on Oct. 26 ended their league season.

ImPACT: Urban aware of game-changing test bringing her immediately to the the brain is not fully developed. ground and causing a severe Although most athletes recover from a concussion, “an unknown concussion.

“I don’t remember falling … I number of these individuals may just remember being on the ground. experience chronic cognitive or Afterwards I was disoriented. I felt neurobehavioral difficulties,” said nauseous for about a day and my ImPACT’s website. Some of these teammates had to check on me life-long symptoms include chronwhile I was sleeping that night to ic headaches, constant fatigue, and deficits in make sure short-term I didn't of all athletes in contact m e m o r y black out,” and overall said Clowsports get at least one academic es. percent concussion per season achieveBlows ment. to the head or any type of concussion happen ImPACT has been administered all the time, and they are extremely hard to avoid especially when and used by athletic trainers, playing a contact sport. McCune school nurses, athletic directors, did not know that she had a and team coaches throughout concussion and did not go to the the country. Under the ImPACT hospital to get her injury properly system, athletes take a test at the beginning of the season and again checked upon. after an inAccording to the Cen- "Ifanyonehasaheadinjury,they jury. These results are ters for Disease Con- aredoneuntiladoctorsaysthat compared to see if t r o l a n d they are good to go” an athPrevention, lete has a children and teens —GregAngilly,athleticdirector sustained neurologiare much cal injury. more likely than adults to get a concussion, ImPACT has reached many high and it takes a lot longer for teens to schools around the Bay Area, recover from a concussion because such as Sacred Heart Cathedral

19

FAST FACTS

Opponent Valley Christian Leadership

Score 2–0 W

Gateway

6–1 W 3–1 W

Waldorf

3–1 W

Bay School Stuart Hall

University Marin Academy

3–1 W 0–0 T

0–1 L

0–7 L Oakland Military Institute 4–1 W Drew 2–3 L Lick-Wilmerding 0–2 L University Marin Academy

1–0 W 0–6 L

Stuart Hall 3–1 W Preparatory and Lick-Wilmdering “We are not going to clear anyDrew 1–0 W High School. one at any game. If anyone has a Athletic Director Greg Angilly Lick-Wilmerding 0–2 L head injury, they are done until a is well aware of ImPACT testing.

Marin Academy 0–5 L doctor says that they are good to “I think the potential (of ImPACT) Roseland University Prep 0–1 L go,” said Angilly. is great because they are using it in professional sports too. If you can’t pass the test the second time (after the concussion), you’re not ready to go,” he said.

But Angilly has doubts about bringing ImPACT to Urban. “My fear is that I tell you guys what it is, and you go through it the first time in a slack way and you get a mediocre score on it, and then you know when you get a concussion you just have to do mediocre on it the second time and you’re back on (the field),” said Angilly.

Fortunately, both Angilly and Joe Skiffer, assistant head of athletics, are very gung-ho about not letting play- Brain power This scan shows what a healthy brain looks like. Urban ers continue to athletes have struggled with sports-related concussions that can alter brain play after they get function.

Photo courtesy of Liz Henry a head injury.

14

urbanlegendstaff@gmail.com

News

November 2011

The Urban Legend

Chocolate, a Giants game, an opera in the park, a long walk up the Transamerica Pyramid, and a day at the Truth Festival.

Urban Legend reporters spent the day of Sept. 11, 2011 capturing the various emotions of San Francisco at numerous events around the city commemorating the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centers, the Pentagon, and United Flight 93.

Read our stories at:

urbanlegendnews.org

Check out urbanlegendnews.org (or scan the QR code) for videos, slideshows, and stories reflecting the Bay Area’s feelings on a day that the country will always remember.

photo by Jessie King Fredel photo illustration by Cassiel Chadwick

Videos by Jonathan Baer and Zoe Pleasure

Opera in the Park: Mozart's Requiem

Urban perspectives Students and teachers at The Urban School of San Francisco share their memories of Sept. 11, 2001 in commemoration of the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C. and in Shanksville, Penn. The video gallery includes remembrances from Greg Angilly, Urban athletic director; Dan Murphy, Urban history and English teacher; Joe Weinberg ('14) and Stefan Martinez ('12).

IN THE PARK People gathered in Golden Gate Park to hear the San Francisco Opera in the Park on Sept. 11. photo by Emily Wen

Under a blue sky, with the enticing smell of food wafting over the noses of everyone in attendance, businessmen in suits stood side-by-side with bikers in leather jackets. In their differences and diversity, those who showed up to San Francisco’s Opera in the Park on Sunday, Sept. 11, showed the strength of the American spirit.

“People should unite on this day,” said San Francisco resident Michelle Karen, 42.

A crowd of roughly 11,000 people settled down in Sharon Meadow on Sept. 11 in Golden Gate Park to enjoy a day of opera and remember the firefighters, police officers, first responders, and others who gave their lives on 9/11 ten years ago. for the rest of Eli Dinkelspiel's story, go to www.urbanlegendnews.org

urbanlegendstaff@gmail.com

UC from page 2

“I want to emphasize that The Regents and I made this painful decision only after the campuses and the Office of the President had absorbed as many cuts as possible without irreparably damaging the quality of the system,” wrote Yudof.

Even with these pressures, many feel that the UC administrative hierarchy and the Regents have handled the situation poorly.

“What gets frustrating is that it doesn’t feel like all the options are exhausted and if they have been, the university system doesn’t communicate that well,” said Mary Murphy, an Urban science teacher and graduate of UC Davis. “The Board of Regents or UC doesn’t make a good public campaign as to ‘here’s everything we’ve tried, and this is why we have to do the increase.’ It sort of feels like the fee increases come along with bonuses that people are receiving. They need to be clearer on how they are approaching it, because how can they not predict there is going to be this huge outcry? That to me seems irresponsible.”

Even though tuition is dramatically increasing, UC is still a bargain compared to other elite schools in the United States. Yet, as more and more students with middle- and low-income backgrounds struggle to afford annual tuition, its reputation could slip away.

“I think it’s a very sad and scary situation,” said Lee. “California has always been a model for public education and we’ve always had the best (college level) public education in the country or even the world.”

legendnews.org For exclusive coverage of recent breaking news

November 2011

The Urban School of San Francisco

Equity at Urban from page 9

During his first weeks of Spanish 1, Magidson said, “I felt like maybe I was just really terrible at this and I didn't even understand what was going on.

Eventually I understood that these kids had been taking Spanish; some had been taking it for years.”

Lizzy Harvey (’12) attended AP Giannini Middle School and had never learned how to write an essay before she came to Urban, including creating topic sentences or embedding quotes. “I had never annotated before, ever, and nobody ever told me how to do that, so it was just kind of like ‘figure it out,’” Harvey said.

Magidson also struggled with English. “(At Roosevelt) we spent absolutely no time on interpretation, only (on) covering the plot and then doing exercises with things like vocabulary,” Magidson said.

Another difference was just speaking up. During middle school, Harvey’s classes had close to 30 students, and her teachers taught more than 200 students per day. “One of my math teachers didn't know my name for half the year,” Harvey said. “It was weird to have to start talking in class (at Urban)

and that is still an issue for me.”

But public school students aren’t the only ones who struggled when they came to Urban.

“At my old school, we didn’t learn how to analyze anything,” said Lindsey Milgrom (’12), a graduate of Presidio Hill School.

While educators and other experts often link equity problems to issues such as race, culture and class, Urban is focusing more on creating pedagogies — teaching styles — that help each student, no matter what his or her background.

“This year, we made a switch, from … cultural competency, to personal growth and understanding who kids are and what differences in a student require our attention,” Forrest said. “We put a little exclamation point next to that group of kids who come in with different backgrounds.”

One way the inquiry group is

doing this is through research.

Forrest sat in on classes and observed students to see how they learned best, then brainstormed with teachers. “The teacher would try to come up with some ideas that would improve the relationship that he or she had with the student, and most importantly the learning experience for that student,” Forrest said.

Urban administrators say equity is a complex issue.

“In the public school system, there’s documented proof that certain groups don’t perform as well,” Worsley said. “In private schools it’s a little more of a complex picture. Everything isn’t necessarily determined by gender, race and socioeconomic background.”

Kids who come from private schools also feel unprepared.

In fact, characteristics such as “whether or not you are an introvert or an extrovert (and) whether you have a learning difference or not” can have a huge impact on academic achievement, notes Garcia-Gonzales. “In the way our culture

“Here at Urban, we want to make sure that when you walk in the door, we’re giving everybody an equal chance to thrive” — Charlotte Worsley

Humor News from page 6

Check Out the Urban Legend Online

@ urban

15

News

COLBERT NATION Stephen Colbert summons Americans to watch his show on Comedy Central Photo courtesy of Comedy Central

“We are both reactions to the news and to government,” Stewart said. “We're both expressions of dissatisfaction.”

Stewart is unafraid to voice his opinion even if it may not agree with his liberal label. Stewartís opinion of Obama has become more critical as his approval rating has dropped. Goldstein says that Stewart reflects public opinion better than many news anchors and is better able to sympathize with both sides of an argument. Students say they identify with the confusion that Stewart regularly expresses regarding the state of U.S. politics.

Laura Veuve, Urban math teacher, said that she enjoyed Stewartís interview in July with Pervez Musharraf, the former president of Pakistan. She appreciated how Stewart “did a nice job handling such an important figure tactfully and respectfully, while pushing him to give more than just sound bites, and doing it with humor.”

Veuve watches Stewart and Colbert because “it's funny and entertaining, but also because I feel like I get actual news information from them. They do a reasonable job showing the ridiculousness of extreme views on either side of an issue.”

Meanwhile, Colbert has created a caricature of a conservative news pundit, condemning the excessively reactive nature he sees in the conservative media. His show is popular with Urban students who

works at Urban, the loud, vocal, ‘I need my needs met’ student is going to have their needs met before the quieter student,” Worsley agreed.

Garcia-Gonzales also raised the issue of how teachers assess student learning, a topic that is the subject of much debate nationwide: “Are there biases in what we value as demonstration of understanding?”

While the focus on academic equity means more scrutiny, Urban may already teach in ways that promote equal learning. For example, according to Worsley, Urban values critical thinking over memorization.

Magidson says that more support for students beginning in ninth grade is important.

“There were some things coming into freshman year where it would've been really advantageous if someone explicitly told me (about them),” he said.

How to teach to every student is an ambitious task, but it’s one that Urban will need to grapple with especially if it carries out plans to expand.

“The student body is changing, the landscape of education is ever-changing, and so I think if we continue to teach or to rely on things that may have worked in the past, there is no guarantee that those are going to work,” Garcia-Gonzales said.

agree with his portrayal of the right-wing media.

In order to show the complicated system of how presidential candidates garner campaign money, Colbert created the Rick Parry SuperPac, a political action committee which is organized to elect political candidates. With the race for the Republican candidate heating up, more candidates have been looking to such PACs for financial support for their campaigns.

However, the Rick Parry SuperPac collects money for commercials and posters for the incorrectly spelled Rick Parry, a parody of the candidate Rick Perry. The fund garnered interest during the Iowa straw poll in August.

Students at Urban watch “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report” to escape the mundane reporting of corporate news stations. Sometimes regular news stations can be an overload of depressing news, but humor news provides a way to see the comedy in whatís depressing.

Hyacinth Parker (í13) said she “really only watches (Stewart and Colbert)” and otherwise “gets depressed” about the state of the world.

Watch “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” every Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m. and “The Colbert Report” at 11:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central.

fall production Urban's fall production of the Pulitzer Prizewinning play, "The Skin of Our Teeth"

by Thornton Wilder, begins on Nov. 8.

Location: Gumption Theater Time: Nov. 8 (dress rehearsal) at 4:30 p.m., Nov. 9 at 4:00 p.m., Nov. 10-12 at 7:30 p.m.

Onstage Top row from right: Kaitlin McKinnon ('14), Sarah Kleiman ('13), Carter Bostwick ('12). Bottom row from right: Joe Weinberg ('14), Ella McLeod ('14) Photo by Sabrina Rosenfeld

Caboose

urbanlegendstaff@gmail.com

November 2011

The Urban Legend

David Bill

Secret Lives: the man with the colorful pants

by Annakai Geshlider and Cody Siler Staff Writers

In some ways, David Bill, Urban’s new technology director, is an enigma: his double-first name, and his office door, covered in blue pastel scrawls, have prompted much student chatter. On the first day of school, Bill further captivated his audience by sporting bright turquoise pants. We sat down with Bill to learn more about this new addition to the Urban scene.

What did you do before coming to Urban? What did you teach?

I taught history. World history, to be exact, and I was a cross-country coach. And then (I) got into the world of administration because I was pretty savvy with technology in the classroom and the school I was working for in Massachusetts (Worcester Academy) was like, ‘well, you need to help others.’ I’m not necessarily someone who thinks that high tech is always the right way to go. You know, there are really a lot of great things with technology, but at the same time, being able to solve problems in a world that’s constantly shifting is much more important than knowing how to use a mobile phone or something along those lines. The mobile phones and the computers are a secondary component, where if you can solve problems really well and can work really well with others, the technology can enhance that, rather than putting the technology first.

That’s interesting. So it sounds like Urban is a really good fit for you?

(I) went through a number of tries to try and get out here, and finally decided that I was just going to pull the trigger whether I got a job or not, and so I came out last year in June, and that was when I started (a) company (Be Playful) with my buddy, and ran an event here in the city and brought (former director of technology) Howard (Levin) on board, because I’d gotten to know him over the years, and then when we were working the event, he told me, “Yeah, I’m leaving Urban, you should apply,” so I did. And so, you know, I’ve been trying to work here for a long time and the fact that I’m in this job, it’s kind of surreal. For sure. Of all the independent schools that I am aware of, this is one of the better fits, if not the best.

So as the tech director, we have to ask you – you’re the giant flam ing eye of Urban – have you busted any freshmen for playing video games? (chuckles) Not yet. Not yet. I mean, I’m a big proponent of gaming. I believe there’s a lot of value to it. “Gameification” of things can get overblown, and I think there’s a big wave, especially in the (Silicon) Valley, of folks trying to say that games are the solution to learning. They’re right and

they’re wrong. I think putting so much emphasis on gaming can be a detriment, but there are a lot of programs like Quest to Learn in New York City that use the concepts of gaming as the core foundation of what they teach and learn in school.

So I think there’s a lot of power in the games that y’all play, because it’s an opportunity for you to connect with people, both in a physical world as well as a virtual world, understanding group dynamics, understanding how to solve problems. So I think it depends on the game. If you’re playing a one-person shooter, there’s not a lot to learn from that, but if you’re playing a multiplayer game, there’s a lot you can learn from that.

So how does the clothing tie into all this?

Well, I’m originally from the Southeast. I went to high school and college in Virginia and was a Navy brat, so my dad sort of sent us around the world, travelling a lot.

I spent a lot of time in different cities in the Southeast, and sort of a part of my culture is bowties.

That was my signature when I was teaching back East, a bow tie every day, and coming here, I knew that bow ties or ties in general wouldn’t be the norm. (Math teacher) Riley (Maddox) and I were talking, and he was like “Let’s do bow tie Wednesday” and I was like “Absolutely, let’s do it.”

So, we sort of started it, and it seems to be catching steam.

We had a couple of female teachers wearing them the other day, and so, I think it’s a good thing.

It’s been getting around by word of mouth. If you wanna do it, you can do it. If you don’t, it’s fine by me, too.

Fashion is something that folks here are very conscious of, and I try to bring the worlds of the South and the West together” (chuckles).

Do you have any favorite shopping destinations?

Vineyard Vines: they’re big into pants that are very bright, and very colorful. It’s a very Southern thing. I’m a big collector of colored pants.

Unfortunately I got in a bike accident on Sept. 14, and I was wearing my Nantucket reds, and the ambulance (paramedics) cut my pants off. This is actually the second pair I’ve lost, so I’ve now got to find a new pair. (The) lime-green pants are (from) Vineyard Vines. My birthday was in April and I haven’t used this gift certificate my sister gave me, so I’m going to get a new pair of bright

pants to replace those. Always on the lookout for bright pants.

How is your approach differ from Howard’s?

My approach is a little bit more nuanced. Howard is a luminaire in the world of educational technology. He did a lot of amazing things, started a lot of great programs. In some respects I’m following his lead, like on the 1:1 program; for instance, we just today released an iPad cart in the library.

We’re doing a lot of our support through our Facebook page, trying to explore a lot of things outside of the FirstClass bubble. And each week I’ll be running two to three workshops open to the community.

David Bill wants you to use his office walls.

Sign up on his door and he’ll “skedaddle” and share his space.

TeCHNICOLORED dreampANTS David Bill, director of technology, displays his collection of colorful pants. The pair of pants on the left was cut off by paramedics on Sept. 14 after a bike accident Photo by Annakai

Pants Poll He’s down to three pants. All others have been torn or outgrown. Luckily, he’s got a gift certificate. Can you help David Bill choose the color of his new pair?

Scan the QR code reader at left with a smartphone and take the poll at urbanlegendnews.org.

Geshlider