A CALL TO ACTION

by The Staff of VOXSTA

Tonight, the Board of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) is meeting to discuss how our schools get funded. For the past two years we've had a system known as "student-based budgeting" (SBB), which has limited our opportunities to have extracurricular activities at our school and next year will result in the loss of even more staff. This year, we don't even have a library at SuccessTech, let alone sports teams and the other kinds of things that help students develop in more positive ways. We urge all concerned students, parents, and teachers to come out to Collinwood High School and testify to the board that #smallschoolsmatter. We know that small schools like SuccessTech matter because we can offer one-on-one help for those who need it most, which is why last year our graduation far exceeded the District's. We are able to take in students who haven't thrived at other schools and give them a pathway to success. That matters and we can only do it if CMSD continues to invest in us not based on the number of students we have, but on the promise of a way forward we offer to students who've stumbled on their path to graduation and need the kind of support we offer in order to get them "across the stage" and on to productive futures.

All are invited and welcome to attend tonight. Please come join us!!!!

PLACE: Collinwood High School 15210 St. Clair Avenue

TIME: 6:30 PM

Mid-Winter Blues by LJ Gillespie & the VOXSTA Staff

 

These are the hardest days of the year for high school students. It's not like we don't aleady hate waking up in the morning, but add four feet of snow and bone-chilling winds and it's a recipe for saying "forget it" and pulling the covers up over our heads. We are writing this today to give you motivation to wake up and come to school even when it's hard. In fact, especially when it's hard. Because when we do difficult things we're not "feeling" right now, we're building the kinds of habits that will help us push through the many obstacles life will throw at us. So get your a$$ up and get to school. You won't regret it.

 

 



I CAN'T BREATHE   by James Chisolm

Recently, some of the biggest stars in the NBA have started wearing shirts that say, "I Can't Breathe." They're doing this in response to the death of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man selling single cigarettes in Staten Island, NY. No matter what his crime, Mr. Garner should not have died at the hands of a police officer. Police are there to protect and serve, not to be judge, jury and executioner. I love that heroes like Derrick Rose, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are leading the whole NBA in raising their voices for this issue. So many young black men watch what these guys do and for them to be leading in a cause for social justice gives me heart. I give them a big shout-out!

 

What is out there? by Jenny Henry

 

 

The recent launch of Orion has got me thinking about the possibility of life on other planets. Would it be possible to live on Mars and would it be different from living on Earth? Is Earth on borrowed time and do we need to find possible places to live in space? I would like to go to Mars to see what's up there and see what things look like. Everyday here on Earth you see the same thing: people not getting along because of the things that separate us like race, social class, and culture. Maybe if we started a new society on Mars we would all get along and learn from the mistakes we've made on Earth.

 

 



 

THANKSGIVING REFLECTIONS

From the VOXSTA Staff

 

I am thankful for being able to wake up and see another day, for being free, and to have free education. --McKayla Edmonds

I am thankful for those who believe in me. --Jaquain Williams

I am thankful for life. --Jeff Tomaro

I am thankful for being able to see another day. --Khalil Williams

I am thankful for everything. --James Chisolm

I am thankful for my parents. --Jenny Henry

I am thankful for family. --Kareem Rahman

I am thankful for being able to have all five of my senses. --Lelanda Todd

I am thankful for Canada. --John Tomaro

I am greatful for my life, for being loved, for being able to form words and use them to help everyone who supports me and im thankful for you all. --Devonte Owens

In Memory of Tamir Rice  by Kareem Rahman

 

Yesterday, I saw the body of Tamir Rice lying in his casket. I didn't know him. I went to his viewing because a lady from my church--a cousin of one of his family members--was going. I discovered when I got there that another one of his family members has lived down the street from me for a long time, which really brought the issue home for me.

 

 

The service was quiet and a lot of people were crying. It was sad, as such a solemn occasion should be. What struck me most was the armed guards standing outside the front of the funeral home. It was weird to see armed guards at a funeral and it made me realize the sensitivity of the situation. There was also some media there. It makes me wonder why it takes the death of a young man to bring protection and attention to a community that often gets ignored.  

A Moment of Silence  

by The Staff of VOXSTA

 

No matter who you are or which side of town you live on, this was a hard weekend for Cleveland. There was a quadruple homicide on the East Side Friday night and on Saturday a 12-year-old boy was killed on the West Side by a police officer. We don't know the whole story on any of these situations, but we do know that three of the dead from this weekend's gun violence were students in CMSD. Their lives mattered, and we just wanted to honor them today with a moment of silence before we pick up the pieces and figure out how to keep these kinds of things from ever happening again in our city. Peace be with you all today.

 

 

COOL STUFF HAPPENING IN OUR WORLD...AND BEYOND

A NEWS REFLECTION

BY LJ GILLESPIE

& DEVONTE OWENS

 

Being high-schoolers, it's easy to overlook some of the fascinations surrounding our everyday lives. We get so wrapped up in our music, video games, sports and who likes who that we forget to see a big picture. This past week, some pretty big stuff has transpired, from power-shifting elections to wars breaking out in distant lands. And yet, there's still reason for hope and wonderment, for yesterday humans figured out how to land for the first time on a comet, Comet 64P. We wonder how many kids walking these halls with us today are aware that we did this amazing thing, and it makes us wonder how we can get our peers interested in looking at the "big picture" all around them. It helps us when we know more about our world--it makes us feel connected to something larger and gives us a broader perspective to see beyond our tiny realities. So do yourself a favor, check out the following link to the CometP story..or, better yet, do your own research. Think beyond yourself today....and believe beyond the possible. 

 

  http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/11/12/earthlings-we-landed-on-a-comet.html



EDITORIAL:  Keep "5 of 8" in Ohio!!!!

Why on earth would the State Board of Education want to do anything that might lead to the elimination of fun and creativity in our schools?

by the VOXSTA STAFF

On Tuesday, Novemeber 11, the State Board held a hearing and preliminary vote
 on changes to the "5 of 8" rule, which mandates that elementary schools in Ohio offer at least 5 of 8 categories of non-core academic classses/services to students including gym, art, music, school counselors, nurses and librarians. Because students and stakeholders across Ohio have been trying to raise awareness on social media, many people came to testify in Columbus on Tuesday. When they got there, they were told the time for public comment had been moved. This prompted outrage among many in attendance and four members of the board walked out in protest. The full school board is scheduled to vote in December and we need to keep up the pressure against these assaults agaisnt great public education in Ohio!


TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD, TWEET #KEEP5OF8 and be sure to add a message about why it's important to keep the arts and other non-core academic classes in our schools!

The Results are in......ISSUE 4 PASSES!!!!

by the VOXSTA News Dept.

 

 

SuccessTech junior AJ Knox thanks the voters of Cleveland for stepping up to pass Issue 4 yesterday.

 

Yesterday, the people of Cleveland voted overwhelmingly to renew the bond issue that funds the buliding and maintenance of Cleveland's schools. 63% of voters cast their ballots in support of Issue 4. VOXSTA Editor Jeffery Tomaro interprets the results this way: "It means the voters in our city care about the youth and our community as a whole." VOXSTA Staffer Dezzin Gunn added, "We appreciate the voters who recognized the importance of rebuilding our schools so that no kid has to go to a dilapidated building. When the voters invest in us, they're inversting in the future of Cleveland because we are the future." Recognizing that Issue 4 was not the only important education initiative in yesterday's election, VOXSTA Editor-in-Chief Devonte Owens reminds us, "Issue 6 [the Tri-C levy] also passing gives us hope that more underprivileged youth in Cleveland will have opportunities for higher education. This is great news for our city." Finally, VOXSTA Artist Diamond Hamler wants to personally thank her parents for, "always voting when schools are on the ballot!"

 

Editor's Note: The staff of VOXSTA wishes to thank everyone who came out yesterday to ensure Cleveland has the resources to provide great public education for all our students.

Happy Halloween  from the staff of VOXSTA

 

As you go out tonight, be safe, have fun, be aware of your surroundings, don't steal little kids' candy.....and if you happen to run into a zombie, send up your Bat Signal and John Tomaro will come to your rescue! For real.

A SUCCESSFUL PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE DAY AT SUCCESSTECH!!!

by the VOXSTA News Staff

 

The board in Ms. C's room welcomes parents to this fall's Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Over 40 parents and family members came to our school yesterday to check on the progress of their STA scholars. This set a school record for attendance and it shows that our parents really care about our education. Ms. Jackie Hicks, the mother of VOXSTA Staffer Jaquain Williams, said, "I'm very proud of the teachers because they encourage the students to reach their potential." That is high praise for our teachers and reflects the fact that, like our parents, our teachers truly care about us and want us to succeed. "It feels great when our parents engage in our education. It takes a team to help us achieve our goals," VOXSTA Editor Dee Starling reflected, "and this being just the first quarter shows us we can get that number from 40 to 60 to every parent!"

 Chief Secretary Mrs. Johnson proudly shows our record-setting Parent-Teacher Conference sign-in sheets!!!

EDITORIAL: VOTE "YES" ON ISSUE 4

by the Staff of VOXSTA: The Voice of SuccessTech Academy

 

 

     On November 4, the citizens of Cleveland will have a chance to make a difference by voting for Issue 4, which will prolong a current tax that helps CMSD fund school buildings and other improvements.

     The staff of VOXSTA is recommending that our readers vote "YES" on Issue 4 because we know that we need the money to build more up-to-date schools to help our students learn in better environments.

     "Many of us came from schools that our parents went to, so they were old and decrepit," says VOXSTA News Editor McKayla Edmonds says. "My mom went to Nathan Hale and when I went there it was raggedy and old. Now it's brand new and I wish it was like that when I was there. It hurts a little to see the new Nathan Hale and know that I lost out on the chance to go to a better school, but I'm glad that now other kids have that chance."

      When told about the ballot issue, sophomore Chivon Gant perked up, offering, "When I went to East Clark, it had paint coming off the walls and it didn't feel good to be in a school that was broken down. A lot of us didnt feel valued because of what we saw around us."
     Responding to Mr. Gant, VOXSTA Editor-in-Chief Devonte Owens added, "Coming from Iowa Maple, one of the oldest buildings in CMSD, and knowing that it may be rebuilt with this tax makes me feel good in a way I can't explain." We believe Mr. Owens speaks for many CMSD K-8 alumni who want their little brothers and sisters to have better opportunities than they did.

     Perhaps sophomore Dee Starling sums it up best: "Coming from a bad environment, sometimes schools help us build our confidence. If we go to a raggedy, broken-down place, it makes us feel like raggedy, broken-down people. That's why we need to vote YES on Issue 4. Every kid in Cleveland deserves a great place to learn."

 

 

 



Ebola Comes to Cleveland....(but don't panic!!!)

We found out Wednesday that a nurse from Dallas who took care of a man with Ebola contracted the virus herself and then visited family in the Akron area. She also took a plane from the Cleveland Hopkins Airport back to Dallas. It made a lot of us anxious, scared, and a little paranoid. The good news is that Ebola is a very difficult virus to get and the person here in the area was not showing symptoms, which is required for the disease to be contageous.

Yesterday, several area schools stayed closed as a precaution, including Cranwood @ JFK in CMSD. JFK cleaned their whole school with a bleach-mix and students returned on Thursday. The District's actions were precautionary measures to prevent the spread of this terrible virus, even though the likelihood that anyone in Cleveland has Ebola is very low and the virus cannot live long outside of the body. In a statement to VOXSTA, SuccessTech Principal Sara Kidner said, “It is important for our students to have factual information so they have an understanding, although there are general percussion that we can take to prevent this."


We should be aware that Ebola is NOT the only virus out there. For example, 36,000 people die in the U.S. every year from the flu virus. Other viruses like hepatitis and many different STDs are far more likely to affect us. Many of these viruses, like Ebola, only get spread through direct contatct with bodily fluids. Therefore, it is really important that we avoid contact as much as possible with other peoples' fluids...even though that sounds really nasty, it just makes sense. One thing we see a lot at STA is people drinking out of other peoples' pop bottles. We shouldn't be drinking out of our friends' pop bottles--even "air drinks" can spread viruses. Know the facts, wash your hands often and use common sense, and you should be OK.

For more information about infectious diseases, visit www.cdc.gov!

Ebola: What You Need to Know

Illustration by VOXSTA Art Staffer Khalil Williams

 

 

The Ebola epidemic is the largest in the history, affeting multiple countries in west Africa. Althoughthe risk of an Ebola outbreak in the U.S is very low, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and partners are taking precautions to prevent this from happening. Even with such precautions, however, a nurse in Dallas contracted Ebola last week from a patient from Liberia she was treating. We at VOXSTA thought we should inform you of the signs and symptoms of Ebola to fight against some of the rumors.

 

The signs and symptons can show anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, although the average is to 8 to 10 days. They include:

• Fever (greater then 101.5F)
• Severe headache
• Muscle Pain
• Weakness
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal (stomach) pain
• Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising)

Even though Ebola is highly contageous, you cannot get it through the air, like a cold.  It is transmittable only through direct contact with an infected person's body fluids into an open membrane (such as a cut, or the eyes, nose, or mouth).

Recovery from Ebola depends on good medical care and the patient's immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection devolop antibodies that last at least ten years.

Again, it is unlikely that an Ebola outbreak will happen in Cleveland...but if it does, at least you'll know what to look for.

ANI-TECH (Vol. 1): A Video Blog about all things nerdy.

technical issues

      Sorry ladies and gentlemen, we're experiencing technical issues with our podcast, so we'll try to upload it tomorrow. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

                                                     -Editor-in-Chief, Devonte Owens

Friday Motivation by The VOXSTA Staff

Here we are again, from the staff to you, motivation to get you through your weekend!

 

"Don't forget to smile after that frown." --Jaquain Williams

 

"To thine own self be true." (Shakespeare). Keep your head up. --Kareem Rahman

 

For those who are having a rough time, remember John Wooden said, "Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work." --Diamond Hamler

 

H.A.T.E.R.S. = Having Anger Toward Everyone Reaching Success. Dont be one!!!!  --Dee Starling

 

"To be human is to be cursed to sit on the Throne of Want." Think about it....  --Devonte Owens

 

Whenever you feel down, tell yourself you're awesome.  --John Tomaro

Poetic Justice: Two Poems about Cultural Identity

African American      by Dee Starling

Black, Misjudged.

Being judged by the actions of other African Americans,

Automaticaly cause suspicion.

Overlooked for the talents and skills we have.

Don't care about "our" life story.

Brown skin gives them the fear of harm.

"Uneducated" show the scores.

"Crimanals" show the actions.

But overlooked for the talents and skills we have.

Being misjudged.

African American.

A culture I cannot abandon.

My cultural identity.
 

White Boy from Cleveland    by David Vance

 

Being a white boy from Cleveland

my culture is a bit twisted.

Growing up in the ghetto, my mind has shifted.

To live out here you have to be tough, so you

know weights have been lifted.

But I'm still a white boy and love my

Mac and Cheese. Don't forget my second

love, skateboarding. Having a white family,

being "white," then "me," that's

something crazy to see.



 

STA in the Community: Blood Drive

On Tuesday, September 23, SuccessTech Academy collected blood for the Red Cross. Many staff and students came to a makeshift clinic in the 5th floor gym to do their part. Senior Nada Richardson says she was "forced" to do the blood drive by our school's Student Government President Tailor Sloan, but added with a smile that she would have done it anyway. Nada said, "[Donating blood] didnt make me feel any different except when I was done my arm started feeling weak." At press time, Nada's arm was back to full strength and she reports being happy about helping out. Senior Nodja Crumedy said she participated on the administrative side of the blood drive, signing people in and handing out drinks and snacks, because "it helps people." She also gave blood herself, and says she looks forward to doing it again.                                                       

Story reported by Mckayla Edmonds, VOXSTA News Editor

   STA BLOOD DRIVE, September 23, 2014