Inside the Newsroom the Legend Staff Watches History Unfold on Nov
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1563 Page St., San Francisco, CA 94117 The Urban School of San Francisco January 2009 Volume 10, Issue 2 MEET ZELDA WILLIAMS SAME-SEX MARRIAGE URBAN = JEWISH? EatING ON HAIGHT ST. A former Urban student talks A look into the new frontier Legendbusters cracks Hattie's scoop on where about life, work and creativity of the civil rights struggle pervasive urban legend to get best, cheapest meals – page 4 – page 13 – page 7 – page 5 MLK assembly to focus on speakers, artists by Madeleine May said. and Taylor Bostwick “Charlotte and myself, as mem- Staff Writers bers of the administration team, try to have a big picture of how this What does civil rights mean to will fit and benefit the school,” he you? said. That question is the theme of “We wanted to focus on civil Ken Garcia- this year's Month of Understand- Charlotte rights, especially in light of the Worsley Gonzales ing, which will include the Martin inauguration of Barack Hussein Luther King Jr. Assembly on Jan. the Multi-Cultural Team. Obama and also in thinking of the 15. Grammy-nominated singer- The two artists, who had been California election in November songwriter Melanie DeMore, and interested in working with each and Proposition 8,” Garcia-Gon- spoken word and hip hop artist other, were recommended to zalez said. Ise Lyfe are scheduled to perform Garcia-Gonzales by the national “I think Martin Luther King has at the assembly. non-profit organization Speak been pigeonholed as an individual DeMore and Lyfe were chosen Out. who only worked on civil rights for by Urban's new dean of multicul- Scheduled five days before the African-Americans. I like to think tural life, Ken Garcia-Gonzales, inauguration of the nation's first that he was a much more complex along with Assistant Head for African-American president, the individual than that,” said Garcia- photo courtesy of Melanie DeMore Student Life Charlotte Worsley; MLK assembly promises to be the Gonzalez. “He was someone who the Co-Curricular Diversity Com- highlight of this year's Month of cared about civil rights for all.” MELANIE DEMORE, scheduled to perform at Urban, mittee; and six students who form Understanding, Garcia-Gonzales continued on p. 11 gets a hug from fellow singer and activist Pete Seeger For seniors, college applications are a test of endurance by Sam Kronish Staff Writer College applications: The bane mit my first college application Vegas,” recalled Justine Palefsky zen,“ complained Noah St. James According to college counselor of every senior’s existence. How through the website, the day before (’09). She finally submitted her (’09). Suzanne Schutte,the class of 2009 is do we survive them? the deadline,” said Rebecca Small UC application “while sitting in a Former Director of College "the largest group of college bound The answer seems to be: With (’09). massage chair in a Brookstone in Counseling Dan Murphy remem- seniors ever," making the applica- hard work, help from friends, and “Everything was fine until I the Venetian,” a Las Vegas hotel. bered past years as similarly hectic. tion process even more competi- a little luck. got to the supplement section,” “After I pressed submit, I got a “One of my horror stories is a tive. It is also Urban's biggest class, Urban seniors applying to Small said. “No matter what I did, I high five from the man who had student coming the day before an with a whopping 90 students. For college said that electronic com- couldn't get my responses to paste been sitting in the chair next to me application is due and asking for teachers, that means a lot of letters plications, conflicting deadlines, in the boxes …. I was just about for about 20 minutes using a foot essay revisions, and then the essay to compose. History teacher Leroy and factors beyond their control to start (retyping) when a more massager,” Palefsky said. is really awful — (and me) not Votto wrote 21 recommendations heightened stress this season. tech-savvy person told me that the But creative thinking couldn’t knowing whether the student is this year. For example, the online Com- supplement section would only solve some complications. A fire coming for a blessing or the student Whatever the woes, Urban mon Application used by many work in Firefox.” alarm at The Bay School went off is really willing to go back to basics senior Julia Evans is optimistic. students is eco-friendly and fast, Deadline issues were common. during an SAT reasoning test last and really write something.” “The average life span for kids our but often resulted in unexpected “I had been procrastinating a lot December. Test-takers were forced “I sleep better at night now age is about 80 years,” she notes. problems. on my UC application and ended to shuffle on outside into the cold, being removed from this process,” “High school is only four of those “I was finally going to sub- up having to do most of it in (Las) “It completely disrupted my test Murphy said. 80.” Inside the newsroom The Legend staff watches history unfold on Nov. 4 by Sam Kronish and of many important swing states readers stop reading the paper, Alex Roncal had not been counted yet. he said. In the hours before the real Just as Buehl and Gordon Staff Writers chaos began, Proctor explained arrived at his desk, Mina was What would it be like to wit- how his college major in history handing out copies of the five ness one of the most monumen- had helped him as a journalist. possibilities for the front page tal nights in journalism history “Good journalism puts events layout, which varied depending from the frontlines? On Nov. 4, in context,” he said. on the outcome of the election. members of The Urban Legend Each Legend editor spent There was a draft for if Obama found out when they journeyed 30 minutes with a Chronicle won in a landslide; there was a to the San Francisco Chronicle member who edits topics similar design for if the two candidates to observe and learn about to their own. Celine Buehl (’09) were closely matched until the what goes on in a professional and Allegra Gordon (’10) went end; there was even a cover newsroom. to the layout section, where finalized for the unlikely pos- Steve Proctor, deputy manag- Tracy Cox and Frank Mina, sibility that McCain might steal ing editor of the Chronicle, kept along with many other editors, the election. The layout editors one eye on the flickering televi- spend countless hours trying to were well-prepared, so that no sion screen as he answered the properly display each article in surprise could hit them. questions of the Legend staff. It a comprehensive way that will Isabel Moore (’11) met with photo by Isabel Moore was 6 p.m., and the results of the please the reader. photo editor Dan Jung. He was STEVE PROCTOR, deputy managing editor of the San presidential election were com- “Think of the reader when sitting at his desk, furiously ing in fast. Although Democratic laying out,” Cox advised. Layout searching through photos that Francisco Chronicle, showed the Legend staff around the presidential candidate Barack editors try to avoid any visual had been taken minutes before busy newsroom on the night of Obama's election victory Obama held the lead, the votes problems that would make the continued on p. 11 [email protected] my.highschooljournalism.org/ca/sanfrancisco/urban Please recycle 2 January 2009 news The Urban Legend Urbanitems A quick look at How to fight the awful flu bug what's happening in our community Sarah Maccabee ACHOO, Staff Writer THUS Inauguration Fever It’s that time of year again… BEGINS Washington D.C. may be coughs, sneezes and congested THE FLU far away, but that isn’t stop- sniffles are noises that populate This poster, ping several Urban students the air as frequently as car honks dating from from attending the Presiden- or slamming doors. tial Inauguration on Jan. 20. In especially brutal past years, the 1930s, by Alec Page (’11), Matthew the flu has spread like a wildfire of artist Robert Heiden (’09), Rebecca Small contagion. However, statistics pro- Storm Petersen, (’09), and Spencer Terris vided from a Google project that is from the (’10) will all be making the trip tracks flu trends all over the United National Library with their families to witness States show that the effects of the the historic ceremony. Clara virus have been mild this year. of Medicine. It Hendrickson (’12) and Carla In California, there was minimal appeared in an Tamayo (’10), members of the infection throughout the summer exhibit earlier San Francisco Girls Chorus, months and the rate has only risen this year at will be performing at the to a low level since September. Flu the National ceremony. Although the rest trends can be tracked at http:// of us have school that day, www.google.org/flutrends/. Academy of Assistant Head for Student Even with a mild virus trend, Sciences in Life Charlotte Worsley has ar- illnesses such as the common cold Washington, D.C. ranged a schedule change to and flu can be like plagues for small Photo courtesy allow a school-wide viewing communities like Urban, and it of the live inauguration. is important to take precautions of National in such a high-contact environ- Academy Urban presence ment. Germs are picked up on the at annual diversity hands and then transferred to the conference face where they enter the body. While washing hands frequently are available for about $34.97 on- don’t want to miss out on school, in fresh air actually chases out bad 12 Urban students and faculty and avoiding touching the eyes, line at healthfoodemporium.com.