STEM: future focus of district By Eishna Ranganathan News Editor After examining which subjects have the largest prospective career fi elds, the Neshaminy School District is attempting to emphasize STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – at all levels, elementary, middle and high school, via various upcoming programs and curriculum maps for the summer and during 2015-16 school year. “We are trying to better prepare students for success in a global, technological world; with an increase in hands-on activity, more students will gravitate toward the lessons, focusing on inquiry rather than recall, and active rather than passive learning,” Matt Thompson, science dept. chairperson said. The newest upcoming change, a STEM expo, will occur on May 28 in which younger students will have the opportunity to display their scientific projects in robotics, food science, computer design and the like. Middle schoolers will compete in an engineering- based challenge in experimental design. POSSIBLE MASCOT CHANGE- Should the school district not comply with the terms of adjustment, the Pa. Human Relations Commission will hold a public hearing with the school district and issue a final order on the matter. Photo/ Emily Fithian PA Human Relations Commission recommends district to change mascot By Reed Hennessy “[The] Respondent shall immediately In addition to the school district Editor in Chief begin to investigate suitable, non- having 90 days to select a new name and discriminatory name and mascot for its mascot the terms of adjustment state that Photo/Neshaminy School District Recently the Pennsylvania Human teams and schools. Respondent shall have the school district must “cease and desist Relations Commission (PHRC) has found a period of 90 days to select his name and from holding any events utilizing the See “STEM:”pg 2 probable cause of discriminatory practice mascot and will be given a reasonable mascot name,” and that the school district by Neshaminy High School in its use of time in which to transition to district wide “shall receive training for its Board of Talks reduce the term “R------”. use of this name and mascot,” said the School Directors, administration, staff, The PHRC issued 10 “Terms of PHRC in its terms of adjustment. and the students designed to educate Adjustment” on Jan. 9, advising the Several school board members participants on the right of all persons to Iran Nuclear district to take actions on their mascot, and administrators were contacted for be treated in a non-discriminatory manner including fi nding a new mascot name comment on the matter. regardless of their Race and National within 90 days, ceasing and desisting Board member Stephen Pirittano Origin.” program all discriminatory activities utilizing the denied that the PHRC had made such In all, there are 10 terms of adjustment By Solomiya Syvyk name “R-------”, and eventually phasing an order, “As explained at the [School all dealing with the process of changing News Editor out all references to Neshaminy’s current Board] Policy [Committee] meeting this the mascot of Neshaminy High School. mascot. past Tuesday in a statement put forward Also stated in the terms of adjustment Following two years of negotia- On Feb. 9 a conciliation meeting was by students representing the Playwickian, by the PHRC was that the school district tions, Iran and the United States, along held to address the terms of adjustment Mr. Levin, special counsel on this issue, “shall sponsor one half-day or full day with fi ve other world powers, have pro- and set a timeline for enacting the terms replied ‘No such action exists,’” said symposium for the community on the duced a framework specifying the limi- set forth by the PHRC, but the school board member Stephen Pirritano via historical signifi cance and harmful effects tations on Tehran’s nuclear program. district disagreed with those terms. email. of the use of racial monikers as mascots After eight days and nights of talks in When two parties disagree on the The only other board member and in sports.” Lausanne, Switzerland, the basis of the terms set in a PHRC case, a fi nal, public or administrator to reply on the matter If the school district maintains its agreement was announced on April 2 by hearing will be held in which a final was board member Anthony Sposato, current course of action the PHRC will Secretary of State John Kerry and Irani- decision will be made by the PHRC. This who stated in an email that he could not intervene in the matter. Should this be the an coequal Mohammad Javad Zarif; the may be the case for Neshaminy, but no comment on the matter under the advice case a public hearing will be held and the proposed plan is laid out for a span of 15 second hearing has been scheduled. of legal counsel. commission will issue a fi nal order. years, including attributions which make it the most intrusive inspection system in history. The unsigned accord has Iran reduce OOP-EdP-Ed SSportsports its stockpile of low-enriched Uranium SStudenttudent LLifeife from 10,000 to 300 kilograms and its number of operating centrifuges to 5,060, one-third its current amount. “But perhaps the most important compromise came in a lengthy battle over whether Iran would be allowed to SSchoolchool BBoardoard conduct research and development on ddisrespect:isrespect: 4 HHumansumans ooff NNeshaminy:eshaminy: 8 SSoftballoftball SSOLOL JJourney:ourney: 1100 advanced centrifuges, which are far more See “PROPOSAL:” pg 2 2 News April 29, 2015 STEM: PROPOSAL: continued from 1 continued from 1 Khamenei, announced that “all economic sanctions would have to be lifted on Additionally, the district is planning a Summer the day any fi nal agreement was signed STEM Academy for grades four through eight in the and that military sites would be strictly late summer, with one and two-week programs at the off limits to foreign inspectors,” wrote high school. Thomas Erdbrink and David E. Sanger in Those at the elementary school can select Camp the New York Times. This is deemed as Illuminate, centering around prototype simulations, highly problematic considering the United or Basic Version, centering around engineering. States held leverage by suspending the Those at the middle school can choose among an sanctions in phases so as to ensure Iran advanced and robotics-specifi c course. “[Neshaminy] is following through with its obligations. is really expanding its STEM focus beyond the Also, Fordo, along with several other sites, classroom, trying to get the community and businesses are located on military bases, thus partly involved and tell our Neshaminy story of events and preventing one of the main objectives accomplishments, through our voice, by taking a more reached in the accord, thorough inspection proactive role on the website and making STEM a of Iran’s remaining nuclear facilities. public endeavor,” David Geanette, Director of Math “The proposal displayed to the public and Science said. from the United States’ perspective still Two months ago, Neshaminy ran a STEM report TEHRAN- Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif does not completely match the wants of and started a blog, upkept by Chris Stanley, with status (right) and Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Iran, especially concerning the timing of the updates around the district. The high school offers Organization announce basis of unsigned agreement sanctions and the extent of the inspections. four Advanced Placement (AP) sciences, three AP to disable Iran from constructing nuclear weaponry for the These two small details which seem almost math courses, and six college preparatory engineering next 10 years. Photo/ Morteza Nikoubazl/Zuma Press/TNS irrelevant in the big picture could actually courses, all for which it has recently purchased newer permanently halt the entire process which equipment to further lab investigation. effi cient than current models. The Iranians won the right would deem the two years of negotiations “I think we should focus on a greater math to research, but not to use more modern machines for as pointless,” said senior, Hoyt Hoelper. requisite for students, four years rather than three, and production for the next 10 years,” wrote Michael R. As the probable accord presents a potential in better funded labs for study to build upon what we Gordon and David E. Sanger in the New York Times. renewing relations with a 35 year avowed enemy, have learned and understand concepts better,” junior The remaining 5 years of the accord would enable Iran unresolved disputes are to be voiced at the next round of Brenna Doyle said. to steadily resume implementation of their fi ndings. discussions in Vienna in order to fi nalize an agreement The budget, altered accordingly, caters to the One week after the political framework was by the mutually decided and already extended deadline various items bought and future purchases to be made completed, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali of June 30. with instructional materials and attendance of faculty at STEM conferences a priority for the district; around $165,000 will be devoted to the initiative. Administration also continues to recognize the importance of individuals who have gifts across Bald Eagle soars to popularity multiple fi elds. “I think it’s important to extend this invitation into the arts for a gamut of mindsets. You can incorporate the same problem-solving processes, By Nic Hoffman straying from the traditional methods, for a more Archivist integrated approach. You need imagination and creativity for solutions, rather than pure function,” A recent increase in the use of live streams, Geanette said. live transmission of an event online, has allowed Overall jobs in America tend to encompass six people to see new spectacular things in real time.