Discrepancies in funding among art programs

SPUSD prides itself on its excelling arts programs –including music, paint/draw, and photography courses – allocating adequate funding for these programs and their betterment. SPUSD projected to spend over $2.2 million dollars on “Arts, Music, and Instructional Materials” in their First Interim for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. However, there is no “set budget” for each program, and thus, the seemingly millions of dollars allocated is not reflective of the true needs and materials for these programs.

The arts department should not be required to rely on private fundraising, straining teachers and staff, to collect sufficient money. There should be proper discussion on a needs-based basis with these programs, ensuring that the money is set aside for creative development and used in ways that encourage student success.

Despite being a STEM-driven high school, it is evident that SPHS seems to be reasonably invested in fostering creativity and self-expression at school with options for arts teachers to request specific materials.

“I think the budget for this school is higher than any other school I have spoken to,” visual art teacher Aimee LeveeHultman said. “I give the district a list of what I want to purchase and they either approve or deny it, which means there is no set budget. From my perspective, they have been very generous in providing what I need material wise for the different classes I’m teaching.”

However, there are discrepancies among the art teachers. Although teachers are able to apply for grants and rely on Wish Night, a unique practice that allows community members to donate and support SPUSD programs, the baseline foundation that is provided on paper is meager in comparison to the sheer costs of the materials necessary.

In other words, the lack of a specific budget for programs often poses a number of issues and inconsistencies among programs. For one, staff members are not adequately paid. The Tiger Band at SPHS consists of two marching, two percussion, two front ensemble coaches, and colorguard coaches during the annual marching season in the fall. The band also works with additional sectional coaches for the drumline and winterguard in the spring. But, the fall coaches and additional spring coaches are not paid for by the district.

“The district pays for two of my coaches for the spring semester for drumline. In the fall… the district does not pay for any of [them.] We fundraise and pay for all of that,” band director Howard Crawford said. “A lot of my job is fundraising and trying to do performances to get money for the program, and that is a lot, it is a hassle [and] it is a burden. That is why jazz bands are out so much because we charge people when the jazz band goes out and performs.”

Beyond this, the money that is granted for programs is not nearly sufficient for the materials and resources necessary for engagement. While teachers are able to apply for grants and depend on Wish Night for larger requests and materials, the money that is allocated is otherwise insufficient.

The band program is provided $500 to purchase or license sheet music, but this sum is not nearly enough to cover the cost. The cost of music comes to nearly ten times as much each year.

“It takes more than $500 to put on a concert. If we want to do something major you only can rent it and it is a couple hundred dollars just to rent it. We can only rent it for the performance,” Crawford said. “[For] marching band music, you only rent it for one season, and it is always $34000 for the music.”

When comparing the funding between performance arts and visual arts, the system in place reveals the discrepancies for specific materials. While the district is able to allocate necessary funding with opportunities to apply for grants and seek donations, this structure does not maintain stability when looking at more materialbased resources.

In the visual arts, teachers can work with providing necessary materials and finding substitutes; in the performance arts, teachers are not able to afford materials such as sheet music.

There is a lack of communication and understanding for the resources and materials necessary to promote the art and passions of students on campus. While some teachers claim that their courses are adequately funded for students, the reality is that there is a lack of attention for the arts at SPHS compared to other programs.

Katsu Sando: serving novelty Japanese cuisine in Los Angeles

Inspired by the Japanese convenience store, Katsu Sando operates in a small space in Chinatown to create big flavors through its iconic katsu, milk bread, and curry.

STORY LINDA YUN

PHOTO SAMANTHA SHIROISHI

Big things come in small packages and sandwich shops are no exception. Woven in a string of street vendors at the heart of Chinatown, an unassuming Japanese sandwich shop that has quietly earned its place in top Yelp rankings, and in the hearts of locals too. Committed to recreating the ambiance of the Japanese convenience store, Katsu Sando has reinvented the dine-in experience, offering the much-loved marriage between western and Japanese cuisine, save for the exorbitant price tag.

The convenient location costs Katsu Sando the room for dine-in, but the owners made the best use of the limited space. A long wooden countertop faces the window, which doubles up as a prime spot for people-watching, and stands adjacent to a grab-and-go station contains a medley of pre-made goods.

Having arrived in the early evening, only the spam + egg and tuna + mayo onigiris remained, wrapped in packaging that included instructions - a quaint touch that made it all the more welcoming. Seasonal fruit sandos and egg salad sandos lined the opposite end. The bottom shelf was brimming with a variety of Japanese beverages and, most notably, a colorful selection of Calpico.

Besides the grab-and-go selection, Katsu Sando’s bread and butter is its katsu sandwich and curry rice. Thin, wooden letters line the walls, piecing together the menu like a puzzle. Besides classic pork and chicken, Katsu Sando also offers novel cutlet options like menchi, shrimp, and snow crab. The menu also offered a number of plates and sides, with staples including the Katsu Curry Rice and Curry Chizu Fries.

Katsu Sando whisks together their signature Japanese milk bread on the daily. The bread is consistently soft and fluffy, but never without bite. The seasonal fruit sando was pillowy with a hint of creaminess, loaded with whipped cream and a seasonal selection of fruits. At the time of my visit, the fruits included strawberries and kiwis. Each bite had the perfect amount of toast, cream and fruit - the subtle sweetness of the cream counteracting the succulent tanginess of the fruit.

The quintessential chicken katsu was breaded in panko and fried to golden-brown perfection. With a light and satisfying crunch, the flaky crust gives way to the tender chicken, which glistened of juice throughout. The cutlet was dressed in a generous amount of tonkatsu sauce, and rested in a nest of miso mustard ginger slaw. The sandwich came in two halves, each enough to fill up one person. Regardless, many enjoyed their shares with intensity and commitment, and couldn’t help but wonder what the innocent passerby thought when they gazed through the window.

The katsu curry rice came in a to-go box packed full of peary, translucent hikari rice and a generous amount of chicken katsu. The curry came in a separate container on the side, with which can be adjusted to suit one’s preferences; some dabbled the curry over the rice conservatively, others drenched the rice with it. The flaky katsu softened under the weight of the curry to complement the sticky rice, creating a symphony of flavors and textures. The plate came with two sides - a small portion of potato salad and succulent takuan (pickled yellow daikon) that yields a much-needed crunch.

Since its opening in 2020, Katsu Sando has quietly been LA’s best kept secret. From handmade snacks to-go, sandwiches with innovative fillings, and convenient curry platters, the humble eatery is novelty done right. With a versatile menu and a convenient location, the lowkey canteen combines The Beatles jam and friendly staff to provide a perfect refuge from a day away at DTLA.

Charlotte’s Web CHARLOTTE DEKLE

Don’t worry, Donna

Not that any reader of this column was wondering, but my favorite television show is Aaron Sorkin’s “The West Wing.” To be more specific, the first four seasons of Aaron Sorkin’s “The West Wing.” In fact, I have converted multiple people to watch and enjoy the show. On one occasion, a friend pointed out something that gave me pause, “Josh is kind of a jerk, right?”

Now being a Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman apologist, I had to inquire further. They responded, “Well, he is constantly mansplaining to his secretary.” Then I responded, “Actually, all of the men do that.” After my off-hand and all-too-revealing response, I learned that I had never really noticed the flippancy in which the show treated its female characters. Given that 100% of the series’ inaugural season was written by Aaron Sorkin, he is solely to blame.

Fans of “The West Wing Weekly” podcast know the term for Sorkin’s special form of mansplaining, Telladonna, defined as “the often-used device when a character explains a policy or procedural issue in the episode to another character. Most frequently – but not exclusively – employed with Josh Lyman explaining (or mansplaining, or Lymansplaining) an issue to Donnatella Moss” pervades every episode. The only female character not constantly ‘lymansplained’ to is Press Secretary CJ Cregg. This is only because the show had former Clinton Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers on board as a consultant. But Cregg still faces her fair share of sexism, especially when she enlists Sam to explain the Census to her in agonizing detail. One would think that as the White House Press Secretary, she would know about the census. That episode was written by Sorkin with no consulting from Myers, go figure.

Obviously, this is what happens when men write women. Unfortunately, men exist outside of Aaron Sorkin television.

I am not on staff at the White House in any capacity, but I have been on the receiving end of many a mansplain diatribe. I know even using the word ‘mansplain’ will elicit laughs and people calling me ‘woke.’ In fact, being belittled and demeaned is so commonplace in many teenage girls lives that it does not even seem demeaning anymore.

I could not count how many times a male peer had, unprompted, explained a topic to me. I could not count how many times I have been interrupted and invalidated by a male classmate while expressing an opinion. I could not count how many times I have been called ‘sensitive’ or told to ‘calm down’ whenever I express an opinion I am passionate about.

Of course, I speak from a place of privilege. Many women of color and trans women experience much worse than those comments. But it is still unsettling how normalized this behavior has become. Now I doubt that most of my male peers have seen “The West Wing,” but they probably have seen Andrew Tate, who also does not respect women.

“The West Wing” is a great television show. Despite all of its sexist undertones, it still gave the world competent and strong-willed female characters that I cherish. It is just so infuriating that the brazen disregard for women’s intelligences still exists in the same form it did 20 years ago, now Donna can tell that to Josh and Sam.