Becoming a digital journalist

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Monday, February 27, 12

Who we are: NBTB @ StanfordMonday, February 27, 12

1. Credits/Top right: Urban School photo by Beatrice Motamedi. Middle left: Stanford’s Hoover Tower by Paul Kandell. Bottom right: Palo Alto High School Tower Building by Mika Ben-Shaul. Corporate logos from Storify, Summify, Zynga, Twitter, Facebook, Hewlett-Packard, Electronic Arts, Apple, Google and Intel/fair use exemption. Background map credit: techfreep.com/fair use exemption.

Where we’re from ...

Monday, February 27, 12

And what we do ... in print

Monday, February 27, 12

see RACE page 2

see HENDERSON page 2

April 2011 Volume 12, Issue 3The Urban School of San Francisco

Playing in 48 states with more than 500 screenings, “Race to Nowhere” is giving viewers a lesson about the harmful effects of America’s achieve-ment culture on high school students. The 85-minute documentary fol-lows the lives of students as they try to maintain balance between hard work and pressure. It points out problems that are becoming an epidemic in many schools, such as cheating, high dropout rates, and increasing anxiety. Director Vicki Abeles, a San Fran-cisco mother of three, grew alarmed when watching the strain on her FKLOGUHQ�DV�WKH\�QDYLJDWHG�GD\V�ÀOOHG�with school, homework and extracur-ricular activities. When her 12-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a stress-induced illness, Abeles knew that she wanted to take action. Urban students who haven’t seen the documentary yet say they already are familiar with the subject of stress. “I have lots of homework and not a lot of time to do it,” said Simone Enderlin (‘13). “To deal with stress, I blast music in my room or I sleep

Race to Nowhere

STRUGGLING WITH STRESS Students around the nation deal with increasing competition. photo courtesy of www.racetonowhere.com

Judge tells students of a lifelong fight for justice

Students from Dan Murphy’s consti-tutional law class got a rare chance to meet a living legend when they visited Thelton Henderson, a federal judge who worked with Martin Luther King, Jr., and has fought civil injustices for decades. Richard Lautze, an Urban math teacher, joined Murphy’s class on the Feb. 14 trip. “It was an honor to be able to meet with a man of such integrity,” said Lautze. “Judge Henderson’s … gracious and thoughtful demeanor was very moving. I thought his respect for the Urban students was also wonderful to see.” Althea James (’11), a former student in the constitutional law class, says, “I e-mailed (Henderson) after we visited, just because he was such a calm, well-spoken, and thoughtful person. It made me feel good to know that a man like that was at the head of our court system … when I see somebody like Mr. Henderson – he is so smart, so invested, it makes

by Hannah SearsStaff Writer

Chinese artworkcomesto Urban

INSIDE

www.urbanlegendnews.org

URBAN AND ISRAELRecently the Middle East has grabbed headlines, but there is one conflict that is not new.

- page 4

JAVA JUNKIES Break at Urban means coffee time, but this habit has negative consequences.

SECRET LIVESA trifecta of Urban athletes: Suzanne Forrest, Jacquelyn Wu ('14) and Cole Williams ('11).

- page 9 - page 11

"The kids hate every single moment of high school now."

and go to bed early.” High expectations also play a part. “Probably 80 percent of my stress comes IURP� VFKRRO�µ� VD\V� 6DUDK� 3HOÀQL� �·�����“Getting into college is stressful.” In the documentary, teacher Emma Batten-Bowen, formerly of Mandela

by Jamie FriedmanStaff Writer

- Susan Kaplan, Miami teacher

by Isabel MooreStaff Writer

photo by Isabel Moore

CHINA Principal of the China Academy of Art Hao Zhang gives Urban Head of School Mark Salkind a book of his artwork.

Educators from the China Academy of Art, located in Hang-zhou, China, visited Urban during the week of March 21 as part of an ongoing art exchange with Urban students. � +DR�=KDQJ��SULQFLSDO�RI�WKH�$IÀOLDWHG�+LJK�6FKRRO�RI�WKH�&KLQD�Academy of Art, and Tao Chen, vice principal, visited Urban, toured San Francisco landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge and attended the opening of the exhibition of 30 paintings and drawings by their students at Urban on March 23. As a gift to Urban, Zhang, an artist himself, presented Head of School Mark Salkind with a stunning scroll on which he painted Chinese characters that translate into “cultural friendship.”� 7KH�LQWHUQDWLRQDO�DUW�H[FKDQJH�ZDV�D�ÀUVW�IRU�ERWK�VFKRROV��and educators on both sides say they plan to continue the cross-cultural communication.

see RACE page 2

Selected front pages of The Urban Legend from 2009-2010, 2010-11 and 2011-2012

www.urbanlegendnews.org Please recycleurbanlegendstaff@gmail.com

STILL UNDER HARRY'S SPELL? J.K. Rowling's highly anticipated

Pottermore misses its launch date

– page 4 – page 11 – page 9

GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE GAME

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

CROSSING A LINEUrban has a skewed perspective

of the middle class

LEFT RESTLESSGus Van Sant's new film

doesn't impress Legend critic

November 2011 Volume 13, Issue 1

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 concus-sion is estimated at 300,000,” ac-cording 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 IHOO�RͿ�WKH�VWUXFWXUH�DQG�KLW�KLV�KHDG�� Later that evening, after the pain had gone away from the blow to the KHDG��&RKHQ�́ SDVVHG�RXW�RQ�WKH�ÁRRU�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

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. 0F&XQH�VKUXJJHG�LW�RͿ�DV�LI�QRWKLQJ�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 sec-onds 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

words at the all-school meeting on WKH� ÀUVW� GD\� RI� VFKRRO�� 6RPHWLPHV��students catch him in the halls. While Salkind may occasionally seem like a roaming ghost, Urban has at its fore-front 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 LQ�������KH�MRLQHG�WKH�VFKRRO·V�ÀUVW�HYHU�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 Wash-LQJWRQ� VWUHHWV� LQ� 3DFLÀF�+HLJKWV�� ´,W�could be very spontaneous; we were GRLQJ�WKLQJV�IRU�WKH�ÀUVW�WLPH��,W�ZDV�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 ODXQFKHG�WKH�ÀUVW�8UEDQ�QHZVSDSHU��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 ex-pertise 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,

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

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

see LEGENDBUSTERS

by Jason CintiStaff Writer

by Annakai GeshliderStaff Writer

page 4

E

The Urban School of San Francisco

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

iSad

INSIDE

THE INJURY YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN KNOW YOU HAVE

illustration by Cassiel Chadwick

December 2011 Volume 13, Issue 2The Urban School of San Francisco

THE URBAN LEGENDHOME | NEWS | ARTS | FEATURES | OPINIONS | SPORTS | AWARDS ABOUT STAFF

!"#$"%&$'

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This copy of the paper is a teaser for the online edition. Go to urbanlegendnews.org or use the Q

R code at the leftto read the articles featured here.

The Occupy Movement camps out in San Francisco by Jonathan Baer

&DOO� LW� D� ÁDVKEDFN�� :KHQ� WKH� 2FFXS\� PRYHPHQW� KLW� 6DQ�)UDQFLVFR��LW�EURXJKW�EDFN�PHPRULHV�RI�9LHWQDP��VLW�LQV��WKH�VH[XDO�UHYROXWLRQ��WKH�ULVH�RI�IHPLQLVP�²�WKH�JORU\�WLPHV�WKDW�VHOI�SURFODLPHG�´ROG�KLSSLHµ�5LFN�)OHWFKHU�ORYHG��

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Getting enough sleep? Sleepless in San Francisco

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Dec. 16, 2011 � 0 comments Dec. 16, 2011 � 0 comments

Dec. 16, 2011 � 0 comments

Jamie Friedman, Staff Writer

UHDG�VWRU\

AIDS memorial has something for everybody to see

:KHQ�,�ZDV�WHQ�\HDUV�ROG��D�KLJK�VFKRRO�IULHQG�WRRN�PH�WR�WKH�$,'6�0HPRULDO�*URYH�LQ�*ROGHQ�*DWH�3DUN��:H�GLGQ·W�JR�EHFDXVH�ZH�NQHZ�VRPHRQH�ZKR�ZDV�LQIHFWHG�ZLWK�$,'6�RU�EHFDXVH�ZH�ZDQWHG�WR�UHPHPEHU�WKRVH�ZKRVH�OLYHV�KDG�EHHQ�DIIHFWHG�E\�$,'6��EXW�EHFDXVH�ZH�WKRXJKW�LW�ZRXOG�EH�D�VKRUWFXW�EDFN�WR�KHU�KRXVH����

Emily Wen, Staff Writer

UHDG�VWRU\

Urban: Prepare to be breathalized

&KDUORWWH�:RUVOH\�DQQRXQFHG�RQ�0RQGD\��1RY������WKDW�HYHU\�8UEDQ�VWXGHQW�ZKR�DWWHQGV�D�GDQFH�ZLOO�EH�EUHDWKDO\]HG�WR�GHWHUPLQH�LI�WKH\�KDYH�EHHQ�GULQNLQJ�DOFRKRO���,W�ZDV�GRQH�WR�HOLPLQDWH�ELDVHV��VR�WKDW�VWXGHQWV�FDQQRW�EH�VLQJOHG�RXW�LI�WKH\�ORRN�VXVSLFLRXV�

6L[�\HDUV�DJR��D�JURXS�RI�%D\�$UHD�VFKRROV�EHJDQ�WR�GLVFXVV�DQG�LPSOH�PHQW�D�EUHDWKDO\]HU�SROLF\����

Ella McLeod, Staff Writer

UHDG�VWRU\

3KRWRV�E\�-HVVLH�.LQJ�)UHGHO

3KRWR�E\�6RQMD�%DUWOHWW 3KRWR�E\�&DVVLHO�&KDGZLFN

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Illustration by Althea James ('11)

see CONTRACT page 6

www.urbanlegendnews.org

February 2011 Volume 12, Issue 21563 Page St., San Francisco, CA 94117

BALANCING

Finding the equilibrium between teenage freedom

and safe parenting

LIFE

ver the past few months, Ur-

ban’s Parent Association has

developed what students are

calling a parental “contract”

– an agreement among Urban

parents that addresses student safety, sub-

stance use and parental policy about parties.

The “Parent Collaborative Agreement for

Safe Teen Socializing” has triggered a wide

range of opinion, with some students calling

it “reactive, ignorant, and belittling” while

others say it is a “conversation starter.”

On Jan. 26, the contract was posted the

Urban website under the parent section. An

e-mail was also sent to the parent body with

the details of the contract.

O

Teens for Testing at Urban School The Urban School is poised to become

WKH�ÀUVW�VFKRRO�LQ�WKH�QDWLRQ�WR�RIIHU�+,9�testing to its students, with the senior class

set to be tested on Feb. 11.

� 2OLYHU� +DPLOWRQ� �·���� RUJDQL]HG� WKH�testing for the school with help from The

Conant Foundation.

� 7KH�WHVWV�ZLOO�EH�WDNHQ�XVLQJ�D�5$3,'�2UDO�6ZDE�+,9�WHVW�DQG�VWXGHQWV�ZLOO�SDU-ticipate in a mandatory counseling session

on Feb. 8 to prepare.

Go to The Legend’s Web site at www.

urbanlegendnews.org to read more about

the testing this Friday.

INSIDE

www.urbanlegendnews.org Please recycleurbanlegendstaff@gmail.com

The Urban School of San Francisco: What is it? Who are we? What is our reputation? What makes Urban different? Like it or not, our reputation is that we are environmentally friendly. We have laptops. We are known for our discussion-based classes and for our em-phasis on art. And we don’t see our grades. Over the past year, the administration has taken time to review the school’s values. The administration generated new outlooks on environmental sustainability; groundwork for the service learning curriculum, diversity and inclusion; and new methods for global edu-cation. And now, according to the dean of faculty, Jonathan Howland, the administration finally has “the courage and the capacity to deal with the devil” —Urban’s grading policy.

Urban ponderschanges tograding policyby Jason Cinti

Sta! Writer

LIVING HISTORY

Brenda Travis assembled the class in a circle and started to tell her story: In 1961, and she was 16 years old. She bought a ticket for a Greyhound bus, but instead of standing with other African-Americans, she stepped into the whites-only line. At that moment, Travis knew she would get arrested. What she didn’t know then was how her community would come to support her action after she was expelled from school. Travis finished her story, then stood up and asked Urban students to grasp each others’ hands. “This is what it feels like to be supported,” she said. “As if someone was hugging you.” It was just one of many stories Urban students learned

during the week of May 3, when four students from McComb High School in Mississippi visited Urban, along with Travis. The McComb students came to Urban in conjunction with the ‘Telling their Stories’ class to interview Travis about her experience in the civil rights movement. Living in segregated Mississippi, Travis saw the injustices that were taking place within the black community and wanted to take a stand. Travis’ attempt to purchase a “whites-only” ticket resulted in her arrest and imprisonment for 30 days. After her release, Travis found out that she had been expelled from her school because of her actions. However, Travis did not stop there. She organized a protest with 100 other students to show solidarity against the school’s decision.

McComb students visit Urban

FORWARD LOOKING Brenda Travis, a civil rights activist from McComb, Miss. rides a tour bus near the Golden Gate Bridge on May 6 while visiting San Francisco for the Telling Their Stories project at Urban

photo by Robyn Mandel

by Jenna WaldmanSta! Writer

ASK A PHILOSOPHERA balanced look at the BP oil spillin light of environmental ethics

– page 3

RULES FOR BULLYINGHow Urban deals with harassment in hallways and online can affect you

– page 5

YOURS TRULY Learn more about the captains of 2010 spring sports

– page 11

June 2010 Volume 11, Issue 5The Urban School of San Francisco

Traveling to Arizona this summer? Do not forget your birth certifi-cate. On April 23, the Governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer, signed the nation’s toughest immigration bill to date. While illegal immigration has already been banned at a federal level, the new law requires state and local law enforcement to prosecute and check for immigration status in Arizona. A McClatchy-Ipsos poll found 61 percent of Americans support the Arizona law, including nearly 50 percent of Democrats. San Francisco illustrates another viewpoint. Three days after the

New Arizona law prompts anger, worryby Adrienne Von Schulthess

Sta! Writer

Urban students look at future effects of new law

SHOUT OUT Protesters rally at San Francisco City Hall on May 1 against Arizona’s new immigration law

Since the establishment of the school 44 years ago, the administration has had “an on-going series of questions about the grading policy, and (we’ve) really never done a good job of looking carefully at what we do and whether or not it’s best for students,” said Suzanne Forrest, assistant head of academics. In February, the Urban com-munity took part in a survey that questioned the grading policy. While the results are not yet public, Forrest said about 75 students wanted absolutely no change to the current grad-ing system, while “more than twice as many students wrote quite articulately about wanting change.” Among parents, she said, most want more concrete information. More precise data from the survey were not im-mediately available. For faculty, the “big concern is that adding grades to the system will leak into the rich conversations that go on (be-tween) teachers and students,” said Forrest. Rebecca Shapiro,

There are many students and families “who feel as if we are playing a big game of Taboo.”

–Jonathan Howland, dean of faculty

Arizona bill became law, several thousand people protested with a march through the Mission district. The Board of Supervi-sors also approved 10-1 a non-binding resolution to boycott Arizona business. Mayor Gavin Newsom asked city employees not to visit to Arizona for reasons other than public health or law enforcement. While the law does not directly affect residents in San Francisco, it could create ripple effects. Jorge Bustamante, a parent at the Urban School, believes that the law “will affect California because (other) politicians are already talking of doing some-thing similar.”

photo from www.flickr.com/photos/filmfa-tale/4557470093/used with permission

see MCCOMB page 4

see GRADING page 12see ARIZONA page 2

April 2010 Volume 11, Issue 4The Urban School of San Francisco

Earth Day ‘10

su

sta

inab

ilit

y

composting alternative fuelsland Deep Ecology

Urban Legend online issue

green team solutions

planet sunshine rainzero waste peace farm

gardening hydro CNG fuels

go green Social Ecology

Hetch Hetchy solar power

turn off the lights

environment reduce

organic produce reusepolar ice caps abundance

Clean Air Act recycle

love water

pollution unite

renewable energy detox

air quality conservation

geothermal energy sequestration

smart grid reforestation Prius

biodegradable biofuels nuclear power

Tesla carbon tax solar wind farm

reforestation nuclear power

your invention here 55 mph rainforest

hurricanes windmill albedo tides

drought clean coal desertificationrecord highs aging powerplants

outdoor education Yosemite ideas

our future

carbon footprint Al Gore

Kyoto Protocol GGP

Copenhagen Cal Studies SF Bay

oil spills youth vote yes

activism nowcap & trade

It’s (almost)

Earth Day. Go online!Welcome to the Legend’s

annual green issue!

Make sure to check out our full articles online.

www.urbanlegendnews.orgINSIDE

www.urbanlegend.org

It was 8 p.m. on a recent Thursday, and David Leon (’11) had just gotten home from soc-cer practice. Unfortunately, the next day, he would face all four of his core classes, and he doubted that he FRXOG�ÀQLVK�DOO�RI�KLV�KRPHZRUN�in time. Suddenly, Leon realized that there was hope — he could use Urban's new E5 period to prepare for his C and D period classes. As a result, Friday be-came “more relaxed and less stressful.” At the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, the admin-istration added an E5 period, moved advising to Tuesdays, and made the Friday school day 15 minutes shorter. The administration “under-stands that school can be stress-ful ... and rigorous, and we’re trying to adjust that in ways that seem sensible,” said Greg 0RQÀOV�� (QJOLVK� WHDFKHU� DQG�freshman/sophomore dean. � 0RQÀOV� VDLG� WKH� DGPLQLV-tration decided that students ZRXOG�́ EHQHÀW�IURP�DQG�HQMR\�another study hall,” a comment that many students appear to endorse. According to a Legend survey on Oct. 6, 84 percent of the 100 students responding thought that E5 was "an amazing ad-dition" to the schedule, while 15 percent felt that there were still too many distractions WR� JHW� WKHLU�ZRUN� GRQH� HIIHF-tively. There still is no assigned room for juniors and seniors to study in, and for Hadley Men-delsohn (’12), “it is really hard WR�ÀQG�D�TXLHW�SODFH�WR�JHW�ZRUN�done.” Another disadvantage to E5 is that “it's at the end of WKH�ZHHN�� VR� LW·V� D� ORW� KDUGHU�WR�IRFXV�µ�VDLG�(OL�'LQNHOVSLHO��(’14). In another change, advising was moved to Tuesdays. This move lets “advising butt up against lunch, so that advising (can) last longer on occasion,” VDLG� 0RQÀOV�� /HRQ� OLNHV� WKLV�change because it gives his advising a chance to “catch-up RQ�WKH�SUHYLRXV�ZHHN�DQG�WKH�ZHHNHQG�µ� However, Leon is in the minority. According to the Leg-end's survey, only 14 percent of students enjoy having advising on Tuesdays. In comparison, 86 percent feel that the change GRHV�QRW�PDNH�D�GLIIHUHQFH�

New schedule

aims to reduce

student stress

On a recent foggy afternoon, Angela Bryan sat outside the Mc-Donald’s on Haight Street with D�VLJQ�DVNLQJ�IRU�PRQH\��%XW�VKH�wanted something more. In August, the restaurant elimi-nated its dollar menu, including the side salad and the McDouble. The decision disappointed Bryan, who regularly eats at the restau-rant. “They need a value menu,” she said. Items that used to sell for $1 now cost $1.49 except for the ham-burger, which still costs 99 cents. “There’s only one item on the Dol-lar Menu now, and it’s not even the GRXEOH�FKHHVHEXUJHU�µ�VDLG�6NLH��D�VHOI�GHVFULEHG�VWUHHW�NLG� The owner of the McDonald’s at the corner of Haight and Stanyan streets says the motivation behind eliminating the dollar menu was VWULFWO\�ÀQDQFLDO�� "Why I no longer offer menu items for $1 in this location was

a business decision based on a number of contributing factors,” said owner Natalie Gonzalez in a written statement. “And while these items are no longer available at $1, they are still available at what I believe to be a good, everyday value." Gonzalez’ move is supported by McDonald’s corporate policy. According to the McDonald’s 2009 annual report, each franchise PDNHV� SULFH� GHFLVLRQV� ZLWKRXW�permission from McDonald’s, but is associated with and pays fees to the corporation. The report also argues that “franchising is important to de-livering great, locally-relevant customer experiences and driving SURÀWDELOLW\�µ� <HW� +DLJKW� 6WUHHW�regulars say the move to eliminate cheap eats does not match the McDonald’s manifesto. “The franchise can sell what-ever they want,” said a man named Ulysses, who said he arrived in

The end of the McDonald's dollar menuCash-strapped residents, homeless bemoan change, but business owner defends decision

MCDONALD'S on the corner of Haight and Stanyan streets cut its dollar menu in August, infuriating the Haight's homeless, who often ate there and enjoyed the low prices

PROPOSITION 19

Marijuana. Pot. Weed. Grass. Cannabis. Whatever you call it, there is a chance it could be legalized in California for people over the age of 21 if voters approve Proposition 19 on Nov. 2. � )RU�VRPH�&DOLIRUQLDQV��FKDQJH�LV�ORQJ�RYHUGXH��´,�WKLQN�we should legalize it,” said Haight Street clothing shop owner Greta Marti, 22. “We could tax it, and it would help the government.” In a surprise twist that could affect how Californians

view Prop 19, Attorney General Eric Holder promised, in an Oct. 14 letter to former chiefs of the Drug Enforcement Administration, to “vigorously enforce” the federal ban on pot if voters approve Prop 19. � 2EDPD�DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ�RIÀFLDOV�KDG�EHHQ�ODUJHO\�VLOHQW�RQ�Prop 19 until Holder’s announcement. Along with the controversy over federal versus state law, the arguments surrounding Prop 19 come down to three is-sues: Money, crime and health.

The debate over marijuana

photo by Isabel Moore

RECRUITING WRITERSTurn to the Opinions page to learn why the Legend needs your help

– page 5

OPERA, ANYONE? Is it curtains for opera, or can VWXGHQWV�ÀOO�WKH�HPSW\�VHDWV"

– page 9

10 QUESTIONSEverything you'd like to know about Urban athlete Seth Rosner ('14)

– page 12

October 2010 Volume 12, Issue 1The Urban School of San Francisco

see MCDONALD'S page 10

see MARIJUANA page 6

see SCHEDULE page 10

THE CANNABIS COMPANY at 1334 Haight St. sells marijuana-themed items, from clothing and soaps to hemp foods

by Jamie FriedmanStaff Writer

by Jason CintiStaff Writer

Adrienne von SchulthessStaff Writer

photo by

Isabel Moore

Urban’s curriculum commit-

tee is tackling the new frontier of

global education as part of its Vi-

sion 2013 initiative. Over the next

few years, students can expect to

get Skype buddies, study global

issues such as poverty, and travel

to foreign lands — though trips

may take place more often via a

keyboard than an airplane.

“We have been thinking about

global education,” confirmed

Emily Morris (’13), a member of

Urban’s curriculum committee,

adding that “global education

doesn’t necessarily mean lots of

trips.”

Instead of journeys outside

the classroom, Urban will use

technology to make student global

Call it a case of doubling down:

62 percent of Urban seniors applied

early to college this year, compared

with approximately 30 percent

of seniors who applied early last

year and fewer than 20 percent of

seniors who applied early 10 years

ago, according to Urban college

counselor Susan Lee.

“I decided to apply early

because if I got in, I thought it

ZRXOG�WDNH�WKH�SUHVVXUH�RͿ�µ�VDLG�Freddy Bendekgey (’12), who was

accepted early action to The Uni-

versity of Chicago. “I hoped that

I would feel more at ease.”

“I applied early because I felt

like I found a place where I could

see myself for the next four years,”

said Josephine Branscomb (’12),

who declined to state where she

applied.

Urban seniors experienced

increased stress during the fall

trimester due to the rise in early

applications. Instead of college

stress peaking in January when

most regular decision applications

due, it came in November when

most early applications were due.

“Everyone was really stressed,”

said Bendekgey. “My friends

started having intense nightmares

the week before early decisions

came in.”

Along with deadlines, many

students felt pressure to

know where their

peers were ap-

Peer pressure is main source of college stress

Urban reaches the global frontier of education

Debates fuel GOP campaign

citizens. According to Steve “Este-

ban” Speier, head of the language

department, a student in Spanish

class at Urban may have a Skype

buddy in a high school level Eng-

lish class in Chile. They would en-

gage in a 10-minute conversation

in English followed by a 10-minute

conversation in Spanish.

In today’s shrinking world, it’s

clear that global education may

quickly become a necessary part

of a complete education.

by Sabrina Werby & Cody Siler

Staff Writers

by Sabrina WerbyStaff Writer

February 2012 Volume 14, Issue 3The Urban School of San Francisco

“I believe that Urban students

go on to be extraordinary lead-

ers,” says Spanish and service

learning teacher Tomás Jacquez.

Accordingly, “we feel that stu-

dents need to be equipped with a

multicultural and global skill set

and literacy,” Jacquez said.

The de-emphasis on trips aside,

WKHUH·V� GHÀQLWHO\� D� JOREDO� VSLQ�at Urban these days. A group of

nine Urban students went on a

school-sponsored trip to China

The Urban School of San Francisco

WATCH TV? See what shows are keeping your friends up at night.

INSIDE

www.urbanlegend.org

A FLIPPED CLASSROOM A new method of education poses potential challenges and benefits.

- page 3

DON'T CHOKE Got a big test or a big game?Find out on how not to choke under pressure. - page 7 - page 6

plying. “Everyone had a competi-

tive vibe that pressured people to

ÀQLVK�WKHLU�DSSV�HDUOLHU�WKDQ�RWK-

ers,” says Chris Bonham (’12), who

didn’t apply early.

While Zoe Rosenfeld (’12)

GLGQ·W�ÀQG�WKH�FROOHJH�DSSOLFDWLRQ�process “too daunting,” she also

feels that “the most stressful thing

about the process by far was my

peers. I feel like every day I was

hearing someone complain about

how stressed they were or gos-

siping about who got in where. I

think if people minded their own

business more regarding the col-

lege process, we'd all be better

RͿ�µ

last summer and Upperclassmen

Dean Dan Matz led a 19-day trip

to India for students in December.

Chinese students also visited Ur-

ban in February as part of a student

exchange.

Urban students who have

gone abroad on family or school-

sponsored trips say that such

experiences can produce valuable

insights about everything from

global warming to poverty.

CULTURAL EDUCATION Aideen Murphy ('14) teaches "Duck, Duck, Goose" to children from a Mumbai school run by Teach for India fellows. Urban students visited the school in Dec. to understand how different problems, such as education, are being addressed in India. photo courtesy of Amanda Jacoby ('13)

As the nation’s attention

focuses on the upcoming debate

among Mitt Romney, Newt

Gingrich, Rick Santorum and

Ron Paul on Feb. 22, each can-

didate has been both the victim

and victimizer when it comes

to the harsh rhetoric, personal

attacks, and stinging criticisms

that have characterized the

Republican primary debates.

After a total of seven debates

throughout January and one in

Feb., the March 1 debate will

be exceedingly important as a

precursor to “Super Tuesday,”

when ten states hold their pri-

maries or caucuses on March 6.

“Although debating isn’t

the only important quality in

D� SUHVLGHQW�� LW·V� DQ� HͿHFWLYH�way to evaluate many aspects

of a candidate,” wrote Max

Goldberg (’13) in an email.

“Debating skill is indicative

of high-level critical thinking,

intelligence, ability to perform

under pressure, and charisma

- all important qualities in a

leader.”

As the debates have pro-

gressed, it is clear that, depend-

ing on the candidate, they can

act as either a political death

trap or a political life preserver.

by Jonathan Baer Staff Writer

see DEBATE page 2

see GLOBAL page 4

Read more of this story at urbanlegendnews.org

Monday, February 27, 12

Monday, February 27, 12

Monday, February 27, 12

Who you are ...

Monday, February 27, 12

Where do you begin?

Monday, February 27, 12

1. You start tweeting, Facebooking and Storify-ing. Really.

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2. You get curious; you start asking questions.Warning: you might actually leave

the classroom.

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3. You ask yourself: What would I want to read, and how would I want to read it?

Monday, February 27, 12

As a reporter, you have many

options

VideoDoc

Photoslideshow

Text news story

Textfeature

TextOpinion Twitter

Storify

Facebook

Infographic

PollPodcast

Blog

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Old school, new school

• “An Imam In America” (old school)

• Multimedia package (new school)

Monday, February 27, 12

WEB

Photoslideshow

PollPodcast

• “Being black at Stuyvesant High”

Monday, February 27, 12

VideoDoc

Poll

Vimeo link to Prop 8 multimedia package (2nd place, NSPA 2011 Story of the Year)

Monday, February 27, 12

What our students did ...

• Courier: best website design, most interactive

• Breeze: most likely to win a Webby, best video

• Advance: most engaging content, greatest depth

• Sentinel: most photogenic, best slideshow

Monday, February 27, 12

4. You load up your backpack with digital tools.

News flash: Your smartphone actually is pretty smart.

Monday, February 27, 12

Textfeature

Twitter

Smartphone

iPad

Print

Cable

Cable

FINDYOUR

AUDIENCEON DEVICES

OLD AND NEW

Ms. Reporter

Monday, February 27, 12

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Who cares about becoming a digital journalist, anyway?

Monday, February 27, 12

Legacy media ... but for how long?Monday, February 27, 12

Ed Sullivan Director of the

Columbia Scholastic Press Association,

Summer 2008

“Ninety percent of printed student

newspapers will be gone in 10 years.”

Monday, February 27, 12

But wait! There’s a silver lining!

Monday, February 27, 12

Sleepless nights of the amateur journalist ...

Monday, February 27, 12

Monday, February 27, 12

Monday, February 27, 12

Umm, dude, I think you just erased my video ...

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