october 2015 | vol. 10, issue 1
A New Day
inside
Zachary Hammer Reporter
Freshmen
2
Meet the new Class of 2019
New Teachers
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New faces at The Hall
Walt
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Lunch at its finest
Gun Control
5
The dangers of guns in school
Sports 6 Mid-season updates
A&E Review
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Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Perspective 8 The values we share
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oisterous chatter amongst students, slamming of lockers in the hallways, the scraping of the metal chairs in the courtyard, *DING* “Please pardon the interruption.” It’s passing period here at the Hall. However, in a few short minutes, class will start again and the hallways will settle. The mayhem in the corridors is a mere distraction from the immaculate order that is the foundation of Stuart Hall. And where does that order come from? Naturally, the schedule: it provides the concrete background on which we build our lives. It tells us where to go, what to do, and creates structure. Without it, our impeccable little haven, nestled deep within the core of San Francisco, would descend into utter chaos. Sin and debauchery would run rampant through the hallway: things like playing video games during school, eating snacks in the classrooms, and cell-phone usage would become commonplace. It’s a dangerous world out there, and our schedule is our only aegis against the terrors of the outside world. So, naturally, what’s a new year without throwing last year’s schedule completely out the window? This year’s block schedule featured 75 minute class times throughout the week. There was a 20 minute passing period with a bus to get students back and forth. Lunches were 40 minutes each day, with the exception of a 55 minute lunch on Wednesday. The universal 75 minute classes allowed for an additional hour-long period each day for various purposes. On Mondays, it was used for assembly and the advisory period. On Tuesdays and Thursdays it was used for elective period.
Wednesdays, had the longer lunch and an office hour period and on Friday it was used for chapel. This year, classes vary from 75 to 85 minutes, with the elective period gone completely. Now, electives take place during normal block periods, allowing for more time for the acting lab, writing for the newspaper and yearbook, singing a capella, or playing in the Jazz band. Lunches are universally longer, allowing for more time for off-campus dining or for various clubs, such as the Meditation Club sponsored by Mr. Roos or Partners in Health moderated by Mrs. Saltveit. Because lunches are now longer, the passing periods have been reduced to 10 minutes. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, classes are 85 minutes, allowing for a long lunch and a 3 PM dismissal. The assembly on Mondays and the chapel period on Fridays have remained the same, but Thursdays now feature an collaboration period to allow for students to collaborate with
their peers or teachers, and helps to prepare them for the unstructured atmosphere of college. There have been mixed reviews so far about the recent changes. Although it is early in the year, it is apparent that the 10 minute passing periods are not popular. When asked how he felt about the new schedule, senior Dylan Coe told the roundtable, “They took away the 20 minute passing periods, so sometimes I feel rushed getting to class.” Convent students, who also share our new schedule, have voiced their dislike of the shorter transition times as well. Senior Cat Heinen remarked, “The 10 minute passing periods make it difficult to get from SHHS and CHS and many people have been arriving late, often disrupting the class in the process.” While there have been a few gripes and groans about the changes, the longer lunches this year have been praised. The year is still young and although there are still some bumps in the road to smooth out, the new schedule seems to be working well.
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the roundtable at roundtable.sacredsf.org
News Table
student council report Dear Students of The Hall, It’s hard to believe how much Student Council has achieved over the past month and a half of school. From the Beach Carnival at the beginning of the school year, to the recent Homecoming Football Game at Boxer Stadium, it is evident how much work this student-run group has done for its community. Led by President Michael Tellini ‘17, Vice-President Alex Palmer ‘16, Director of Operations and Finance Andrew Veld ‘16, and first year Faculty Coordinator Mr. Emerson, the team has been diligently working to fulfill the needs of the student body. Student Council meets every Tuesday during lunch. Our meetings are run by Michael and he is assisted by Mr. Emerson. During these meetings, we go over past Student Council events, plan for future ones, and discuss everything in between regarding student life here at The Hall. Even though members of the Council are elected by their classmates, we strongly encourage anyone who has an idea or a recommendation for events to join us during our meetings, to talk to the elected leaders in their respective grades. Our goal is to get the student body involved and insight is greatly appreciated. In addition to large scale events, there are also individual class activities that the class presidents and representatives are currently working on planning. One thing to take notice of is the Junior Class Council breakfast bagel sales. They have been running these on Mondays in the courtyard during advisory to fundraise for their class event. Expect more of these fundraisers in the coming weeks. In addition, Student Council also holds barbeques and other sales to fundraise for the council as a whole, and the money raised will be used to plan future events. We are planning to have a barbeque and another Video Game Night in the coming month. Again, if you have any questions, come sit in on one of our meetings and do not hesitate to talk with a member of Student Council. Thanks, Andrew Hua
editor’s corner Dear Stuart Hall High School Community, The roundtable is changing. As you probably have noticed by now, we have changed a lot. The design, logo, font, staff, and much more have completely changed. All this change has come with much effort from many people on the staff. Mrs. Saltveit, Nick Hom ‘18 and myself worked hard all summer to develop our new website and new print template. The website is now a hub for all information such as sports scores, Twitter photos, breaking news, and other useful information. We have changed the purpose of the roundtable this year. Last year, the staff wrote a lot of creative pieces and showcased the talents of our writers. This year, we have changed gears slightly. We have put the emphasis on reporting school news in an efficient manner. We take pride in producing articles that keep alumni, parents, and students up to date on what is going on at The Hall. Our staff of only eleven guys has worked incredibly hard this year to post two articles a week to our website, update the site with new photos, and keep the Stuart Hall community up to date with school news. Angel “Cheese” Padilla ‘18 has taken the majority of the photos for the entire website and print edition this year, without any help or a free period. Sports reporter’s Sam Cormier ‘18 and Harry Billings ‘18 have produced two articles a week this year to keep up with the competitive sports program that we have at The Hall. Highlighting the talents and achievements of certain staff members does not discount the work done by other members. Anson Gordon-Creed ‘18, Gabe O’Brien ‘18, Ben Kaplan ‘18, Jackson Rhodes ‘16, and Zack Hammer ‘16 have created some of the articles that make this print edition so impressive. Thanks also to guest writers Axavier Byrd ‘16 and Andrew Hua ‘17 for their contributions. Many other student newspapers have staffs that are three to four times our size. In order to keep up with these publications, this staff has worked hard week in, week out so that our physical size does not dictate our quality. This task is hard at times, but the production of this first print is a true testimony to the work ethic and talent of this staff! Sincerely, Owen Fahy
FRESHMEN!
Angel Padilla | the roundtable
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Angel Padilla Reporter
very year Stuart Hall High School receives a little more than fifty new faces. All fifty students come from a variety of schools including Stuart Hall for Boys, Catholic schools in the bay area, and even more. All of them are faced with a difficult challenge this semester; time management and meeting new people. This freshmen class, in particular, seem to all
have their head in the game already! Mrs. Saltveit, education-innovation coordinator here at The Hall, says of the new freshmen, “This group has been very good at advocating for themselves, making sure that they have everything they need to succeed.” Juan Grafendorfer said, “It’s very easy to adapt to the new school. I’ve enjoyed coping with academics and sports.” Freshman are getting used to their new iPad, our daily red/blue schedules and balancing their course load. All freshmen take English 1, Biology or Physics, World Religions, Foreign Language, World History, and a Math class. Freshman Carlo Portillo-Eckman said, “ I loved the school since the first day I got here!” This year the Freshmen bring more than just academics to Stuart Hall. Most of, if not all, play a sport. This fall over half of the freshmen are playing a sport in either cross country, football, or soccer. Over ten freshmen are playing a varsity sport while carrying out the responsibilities of doing their homework every night. Playing sports as a freshman is very important because this opens up their eyes to new things and most importantly, opens up new relationships.
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News Table
New Teachers
Ms. Hall English Department
Dr. Weirs Science Department
and has been welcoming.” We’re glad he feels this way, as Mr. Buckley’s height often scares people off. The next new teacher we are welcomvery year there are new students, ing is Ms. Hall. She grew up in San Franteachers, and possibly new cisco, and went to school just a few blocks schedule changes that happen at away at Sacred Heart Cathedral, so she said Stuart Hall. As this is my last year at The that “joining the Stuart Hall community Hall, I have seen many new teachers come and go throughout the years and I feel that feels very familiar and comfortable.” When asked about her first impressions of the this community is very welcoming and loving of new faces. This year, Ms. Hall, Mr. community she had nothing but nice things to say: “I’m loving The Hall already. I’ve Emerson, Mr Peña, and Mr. Wiers joined worked in several schools before and The us. Hall arguably has the best student body and Last year, we lost a very loved member of The Hall, Mr. Helms. For those faculty I’ve come across.” A truly of you who didn’t have the pleasure to meet heartwarming compliment. Ms. Hall is teaching English here, and has never him, he taught science classes. Replacing worked in a same gender school, but she’s him this year is Dr. Weirs. Zeke Crawford familiar with the dynamic that a single ‘16 is enrolled in a physics class taught by Dr. Weirs and noted that “compared to Mr. gender community can have. We wish her all the best trying to rally those freshman in Helms, Dr. Weirs is a little more ‘by the book’, yet still engaging in class.” Teaching class. Mr. Emerson. Working in the Physics and Biology, Dr. Weirs has a theology department, he has previously background in teaching bioethics and physiology to name a few. While chatting to taught Scripture, Christology, and World Religions at institutions all around the Duncan McDonald ‘16, he seconded Crawcountry. Through a conversation via email, ford’s observation of Weirs’ teaching style: he mentioned that he “like[s] The Hall. As “I am enjoying class immensely. Dr. Weirs a small community, students can really get makes physics interesting through his engaging teaching style.” We are lucky to have involved with activities on campus and in the classroom.” I briefly chatted with Lucius him. Dr. Weirs, also a coach on cross Johnson ‘16 and he concurred: “Mr. country, states: “Buckley is great to work Emerson is a lively addition to the with. Also, the administration is helpful
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Jackson Rhodes Reporter
Mr. Emerson Theology Department Stuart Hall community.” Let us welcome him with open arms as men of Integrity. Last but not least we have our most recent faculty member of the Hall, Mr. Peña. If you haven’t seen him around the school yet, his office is where Ms. Weatherwax used to be. I recently stopped by there and interviewed him. He’s a very friendly fellow, that’s for sure. As all of you read in his recent email, he previously worked in an Apple store as an Apple Genius. When asked about why he left Apple to work in a high school environment, he mentioned, “I decided to leave Apple because I was not satisfied only using my technical knowledge in a retail environment. I felt that I could use it at a better capacity within education or a non-profit.” Mr. Pena’s life outside of work is probably more active than yours. He plays piano, guitar and DJs, as well as plays volleyball and tennis in his free time. Something I think we can all relate on is that he has loves good food! We are very lucky to have him, as he is a great resource if anyone has any technology related questions. We thank Dr. Weirs, Ms. Hall, Mr. Peña, and Mr. Emerson for joining the community here and helping to shape us into educated young men. As men of courage and integrity, I encourage you all to act welcoming as these new teachers continue to integrate into our school.
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Features Table
Cheap Food: Walt’s Catering
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Gabe O’Brien Reporter
hirty years ago, someone came to this country from Hong Kong. We all know him because he has been an everyday presence at The Hall for fifteen years. He has devoted decades of his career to different spots around the city that are in the mood for affordable food. This man is known as Walt. And for fifteen years, that is all students have known about him. Nobody has cracked the shell to whom he really is. Just lately, I have made new discoveries that were previously a mystery. Walter Yip was born and raised in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a large metropolis in southern China. He was obviously raised in a Cantonese speaking household, yet did not know a single word of English. As he grew into adulthood and started his family, Walt needed his children to have a good chance at an education. With only two universities in the entire city, Walt knew that there would be heavy competition. Walt never went to college, but wanted his children to break that mold. It was just then that Walt’s sister had acquired a United States Visa. She was getting married to an American citizen. Walt seized this opportunity to move his family to San Francisco. From then, Walt did his best to acclimate to American society. He took language classes with people in a situation just like him. Before Walt was involved in the catering business, he was training to become an artist. The only motive for catering out of a food truck was because a friend gave him the idea and a cheap truck. For thirty years, Walt has been running the same business out of the same
Angel Padilla | the roundtable
truck. He has essentially never taken a vacation outside the Bay Area. He has spent half of his career across the street from us. Using his knowledge that food trucks were popular towards those who worked construction, Walt stationed himself outside Stuart Hall. Suddenly, customers turned from hard-working adults, to young students. This is when business really took off and when Walt became a symbol, albeit a foremost figure, for a daily school routine. What does Walt do when he’s off from work, though? After Walt leaves Octavia Street, where does he go? Walt told me that he has pretty much no time as his work is much longer than we think. He laughs it off though, he says that he
enjoys his job and loves serving the students of The Hall. Over the summer, when the Knights are vacationing or are just simply away from school, it is hard for Walt to find a solitary spot where he’ll have concrete sales like our school. But he definitely finds varying locations to carry out his trade. Ronan Van Runkle Olden said, “I get lunch at Walt’s everyday. I can count on that guy.” This trust come from a smile he greets students with everyday at lunchtime. Hopefully when you read this, you will appreciate that guy across the street a little bit more.
the menu
An assortment of inexpensive candy, drinks and other sweets
Potstickers, corn dogs, Cup Noodles, kebabs, and vegetable fried rice
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Features Table
Guns in Schools
Anson Gordon-Creed
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Reporter
hough mass shootings in American classrooms date all the way back to before the American Revolution, never have they gained as much attention as they have in these past 30 years. On April 20th, 1999, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris entered Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado, and fatally shot fifteen people, including themselves. Ever since that fateful day, massive debates have raged in Congress, on the airwaves, and in people’s minds about what’s the best way to prevent a school shooting of this magnitude from ever happening again. And every time the horrible crime of shooting multiple innocent civilians in quick succession, be it in a school, a church, a movie theater, or anywhere else, is repeated, the flames of debate have been reignited. With a summer of killings hopefully behind us, politicians, pundits, and voters continue to ask what the best way of stopping mass shootings is. Many different
solutions have been proposed for individual incidents, but for the sake of relevance, only those relating to schools will be discussed here. From those opposed to stricter gun registration comes the idea of armed guards at school or possible even arming faculty. After all, “A bad guy with a gun can only be stopped by a good guy with a gun”. When questioned on his opinion about this, Stuart Hall High School Dean Mr. Marquette explained that he and his colleagues had no training or desire to use a firearm on campus, and pointed to the all the accidental killings perpetrated by trained police officers every year as evidence that there’s no way a security guard could be trusted with a gun around children. While armed guards or teachers have debatable effectiveness at stopping shooters during the act by shooting them is debatable due to the potential for crossfire or confusion over who the original shooters are, their capacity to intimidate potential
shooters is not. Contrary to popular belief, massacres in areas with armed people are not uncommon. Columbine had local deputy Neil Gardner assigned to the high school full time as a fully armed and uniformed police officer at the time of the massacre, and although he was unable to properly respond due to having eaten lunch away from the school that day, Harris and Klebold had no way of knowing that, and carried out their attack regardless. And if that’s not enough, in November, 2009, a disturbed army physiatrist shot and killed 13 people at a Fort Hood military base, yes, an army base, and had to be stopped by the local police. The general consensus of students and faculty interviewed was that armed guards on a school campus is a bad idea, and armed teachers is worse. However, we are not Fox News, and the roundtable wants to know what you think.
Do you believe in arming our teachers?
Emilio De Anda ‘18
“No, I believe arming faculty would do more harm than good.”
Alex MacDonald ‘17
“No, the threat is not immenant enough for us to be arming our faculty.”
Gavin Loo ‘16
“If faculty were properly trained, arming then could keep students safe.”
values day from The Ever Forward Club, told boys and girls that not fitting this stereotype is not just ok, it is awesome and what makes you unique. He led an exercise, after showing The Convent and Stuart Hall High Mask You Live In, that allowed boys to Schools did not have any classes on understand what it is to live in a mask. Friday, October 2nd, but instead Students from Stuart Hall were able to create evaluated what it is to be a man or a a mask on a piece of paper. On the front, they woman. The concept was not one that wrote what traits they let people see, and on most people thought much about, as gender roles and gender expectations are the back, they wrote the traits that they hid. things that people experience from birth. After this transformative exercise, boys Boys like the color blue, shouldn’t cry, and sat down in circles and shared some of the things that they carry around everyday withshould be athletic. Girls should like the out telling anybody. Some tears were shed color pink, be pretty, and be emotional. and hugs were exchanged, but after it was all But what if we aren’t? Ashanti Branch, Owen Fahy Editor-in-Chief
said and done, The Hall was closer than ever before. Carlos Armendariz ‘18 said, “I feel very touched by the whole experience and really cherish the opportunity to grow closer with my classmates.” The boys then got to learn about what it is like to be a girl and got a deeper understanding into some of the pressures that they feel as a gender by watching the documentary, Miss Representation. The day was very productive as boys and girls deepened their understanding of themselves and what it means to be a part Hall & Heart.
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Sports Table
Halfway to the Finish Line Owen Fahy Editor-in-Chief
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he Stuart Hall and Convent cross country team is off to a blazing start this season. The work ethic and motivation of the team has helped push them to new heights. Coming into the season, Stuart Hall and Convent were both listed as “on the bubble” by crosscountryexpress. com. Given the long run of excellence that both schools have maintained over the years, Convent and Stuart Hall look to prove their preseason ranking wrong. This quest for a berth in the state championship is helped by the emergence of junior, Elijah Horowitz. Horowitz burst onto the scene this season after playing soccer both years as an underclassman. It didn’t take him long to get into the groove of running cross country as he is racking up the top 5 finishes. He is shattering school records and making a name for himself in the world of cross country. Eli is not the only athlete making waves, however. Seven boys placed in the top thirty at BCL Meet #2 on September 30th, and this display of dominance is not rare for the boys on the team. Julian Moreno ‘16, Phoenix Aquino-Thomas ‘18, Elliot Hayne ‘17, and Patrick Dilworth ‘17 are all constant fixtures as well. The Hall came in third behind University and Marin
Academy. Horowitz set a Knight’s course record for the Tennessee Valley track in Golden Gate Park, with a blazing speed of 15:15. The underclassmen are providing a nice scoring boost as well as insurance that the Knight’s will be contenders for years to come. Skylar De La Cruz has turned in the fastest time for freshmen this year, while Jason Arzhintar, Jackson Daecher, and Travis Evans have helped the freshmen class solidify themselves as contributors, each and every race. The girls are not to be outdone by the boys, with strong runners Olivia Hoekendijk and Katie Newbold helping anchor Convent’s strong squad as well. Both
teams train under Stuart Hall history teacher, Michael Buckley. Coach Buckley has run the team for many years now and has helped turn the cross country program into that of a dynasty, as each team is always competitive. Coach Buckley thinks that “The team is doing well, both the Knights and the Cubs, but, as always, there’s room for growth and improvement. All of us, coaches and athletes, are fired up to get ever closer to our real potential.” It is only mid-season, but the Knights and Cubs look to work their way into competition for another state championship berth and beyond.
Michael Hong | with permission
Hall Soccer looks to Improve for The Knights. Stuart Hall just needs for a little bit of luck to turn their way down the stretch. arsity Soccer at Stuart Hall High University’s team has proven to be a School came into the season looking challenge, as The Hall lost to them 3-0 last forward to complete dominance. time they faced off. This Varsity team has The Hall is looking to do a bit better, as they proven to be up to many challenges, but the are off to a shaky start due to injuries. With 6 players missing the last couple of games, it looks like Varsity is going to be on the comeback trail. The “Injury bug,” is how Stuart Hall High School Athletic Director, Coach Charley Johnson referred to it. “As long as we can stay healthy, we have a good shot at making a run for the tournament championship.” After a loss to Urban last Friday, October 1, Varsity dropped in the standings. With many of the players not playing, they still managed to stay in the game, only losing by one goal. One can only imagine the outcome if those players had been able to perform. As he continues to have a dominant season, sophomore forward Adrian Medina scored the only goal for The Hall. “Sensational” is all that teammate Cheese Padilla ‘18 had to say about that shot
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Harry Billings Reporter
inconsistency of play has landed them in second to last place in the Bay Counties standings. If The Hall can get the injuries under control, they have a good chance to get back to their old selves and roll towards the Tournament Championship.
Cruz Medina | with permission
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A&E Table
Metal Gear Solid 5: A Phantom Pain
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Anson Gordon-Creed Reporter
ad American sports and trading card games aside, Konami and Hideo Kojima’s brainchild Metal Gear has been going strong as an action, adventure stealth video game franchise since 1987. 2014’s entry, Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes, was praised by gamers and critics alike for its gameplay and story, but scorned for its ludicrously short length, making it effectively a full priced demo for the then upcoming game, Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain. Was the full game worth the wait (and the cash)? Short answer, heck yes. Long answer, let’s examine the game. The two main elements of a great game are gameplay and story. As many designers argue that story is less important, let’s save the best for last and take a look at the story first. Story (No Spoilers): Like many games in the series, Phantom Pain is a prequel to the first released game, and follows not the iconic super soldier Solid Snake, but the man he was cloned from: Big Boss. Following the events of Ground Zeroes, rogue special forces officer Big Boss/Naked Snake awakens from a nine year coma in 1984, and sets off to Soviet-occupied Afghanistan to both bolster his new fighting force “Diamond Dogs,” and to get revenge on the people who killed his friends and put him in a coma. To avoid spoilers, I won’t go into detail, but needless to say, things don’t go as planned. The story of Metal Gear Solid 5 is fantastic, full of twists, turns, great characters, and a surprising amount of anti-war morals for what seems at first like your average jingoistic “Evil Commies” plot. Be warned though, it’s not for the feint of heart, and don’t expect your favorite side character to be left standing by the end. Gameplay: But where would a video game be without gameplay? Big Boss is truly deserving of his title as “History’s Greatest Soldier,” and is a blast to play as. But unlike, say, Call Of Duty, the Metal Gear franchise has always realized that, super soldier cyborg or not, you’re just one guy facing hundreds of armed guards, and playing like Rambo or the Terminator is
borderline suicidal. Metal Gear is a stealth game, which means you’ll have to take your time and decide the best course of action before engaging the enemy. This emphasis on strategy and slower progression has turned off more “guns blazing” style players in the past, but Phantom Pain now provides features like different armor, vehicles, various allied NPCs, different playable characters, and a veritable arsenal of weapons, all of which can be customized to fit your playstyle. That said, the gameplay, like the story, starts out a little slow. The first half hour of the game is creating your character (who looks the same regardless of what choices you make) and crawling around a hospital, and it takes a while before you can unlock all the weapons and equipment you want, but the wait is well worth it. Phantom Pain has a new feature of a customizable base that can be attacked by other players and vice versa, and that can
also be modified with equipment, resources, and even people extracted from the field. A system like this would seem more at home in a mobile game, but Konami has found a way to almost flawlessly balance single and multiplayer gameplay so that building the greatest base in the online community won’t get in your way of fighting Soviets. There is a chance your base will be attacked while you’re on a mission, but provided you’ve spent enough time buffering its defensive capabilities, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain is the greatest game in the franchise, and possibly one of the greatest military shooters of all time. Provided you’re old enough for its well deserved “Mature” rating, get to your nearest Gamestop and pick this one up; you won’t regret it. Final Verdict: 9.0/10 Excellent
Thinking and Speaking by Zachary Hammer As the child within me begins to start shrinking I sit and I ponder and I spend my time thinking ‘Bout who I am and who I’ve been And what I know, and what I’ve seen And the one thing I’m certain for me Is that I hate when people tell me how to be “Be a believer in Christ the redeemer” They’re telling me to sleep while suppressing dreamer They lie me in a bed and expect me not to check underneath Good thing I looked and escaped by the skin of my teeth “Be a cog in the machine of society” Everyone else is intoxicated while only I have sobriety No offense, but I like to know what’s in my drink ‘fore I drink it I don’t like having a thought without the ability to think it Hang on, no, I’m not talking about liquor, Everyone’s just caught up in the details while the truth starts to flicker What about love and respect do they not understand? What happened to swords into ploughshares? You see someone fall and don’t give a hand ‘Cuz your prayer differs from theirs? I know, I know, it’s a brute generalization Not everyone has a bigoted view and hate isn’t a widespread vocation It’s preached by the vocal few It just pisses me off whenever I see That hate beats down love, it don’t sit right with me And now I’m grown up, or almost there at least I know one things for sure, the true speaker is peace
Class of 2016
writings I read in school, define this as a privilege her How am I white? children would practically inPrivilege. For those herit. I feel like there is power unaware, "privilege" in a within races and ethnicities. The sociological context; difficulty is in how to identify describes the unearned and obtain that power. benefit a person is After evaluating myself, accustomed to because of I have been through so much how the society in which that have gained confidence in they live is constructed knowing all my privileges have and the biases that overall helped me. I learned that I will construction reflects. What make mistakes as any other I have come to realize is person would and that I would that this privilege I speak learn from them as any person of is not an appraisal of the should. "good citizen". I am mere Where I come from, ly expressing how I am privilege (power) comes with "white". Privilege does not knowledge and wisdom. The indicate the value of a code for any race and ethnicity person. However, it does is a tone set by our parents so obscure my cultural and that our lives are dependant on social outlook. Nor does it the choices we make. mean that I have all However, I still feel my privileges actual white generation is blind to racism. people have. My people struggle with I am a male, black, gentrification, misplacing values athletic, live in Novato, and depicting their anger over nappy Afroed, and darkmusic, sports, poetry, violence, brown eyed. I attend Stuart etc. These are privileges we Hall in Pac Heights and my would not even experience in manner of speaking someanother part of our history. what resembles “Ebonics” Also, we use the privilege of yet I can speak with great music creating and listening as verbiage and avoid being a way to overcome what we’re looked at as "illiterate". I facing, we use it to inform, am an example of "white inspire, aspire, and it is one of privilege" spreading beyond many outlets a lot of cultures the white community. My have. Nas wrote the song, “My father put me in a private Generation”, to depict our lives, school as a means to obtain whether poor or rich or have a better education, which experienced both, “...[places Peggy McIntosh whose our] life in front of your eyes for
Axavier Byrd
your observation”. The privilege here we black people don't have is this "panopticon gaze." And the white person, being indifferent, does not understand or better yet, doesn’t see how we are uniquely misunderstood. As an athlete, young and dreaming today, dreams keep people alive and motivated. I spend my days thinking of how will I become an impactful leader to those who follow me, constantly trying to improve my values, and constantly being reminded that education is real power. I feel in order to have an impact in history, you must know your history, plan or rewrite your future, educate yourself on all kinds of values, be grateful, understand the meaning of integrity, not judge, allow criticism and whoever or whatever is inspirational to you fuel your drive. Obstacles present themselves and we as humans have different obstacles. The greatest part about these obstacles is that they block one’s path but ultimately one can climb over, dig under, break, go through, around the obstacle. One has the power to do it. We can allow racism, judgement, and stereotypes to define our characters, tear apart our sense of community and take away privileges but that choice is morally and ethically ours.
The Values We Share Friday, October 9, 2015 Vol. 10, Issue 1 | October 2015 | Stuart Hall High School | Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco | roundtable.sacredsf.org |
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