Discrimination against Emo as hateful as any bias

Opinion piece by Janaya Andrews People say that we are the most dark-spirited of all “others” and treat us accordingly, as if we were invisible. The term “emo” originated as an insult. Not as an identifier. It’s an abbreviation for a type of music known as “emotive hardcore,” which has been described by some as “punk music on estrogen.” Bands like Five Finger Death Punch, Escape the Fate, Bullet for My Valentine, and Black Veil Brides created the sounds of the latest emo revival with lyrics like “You take my sanity, I’ll take the pain.” Though kids who belong to the Emo counterculture can be identified by dark clothes, piercings, and black nail polish, an Emo is more of a relationship to music and “otherness,” or being an outsider. Because we wear a lot of black and listen to unpopular music, such as rock, heavy metal, hard-core, and Scree-mo, other people assume that we are radically different; that we cut ourselves and are suicidal. “The songs are yen-y and sad, which kind of fits into the way teenagers feel,” says Rebecca “Kiki” Weingarten, M.Sc.Ed, MFA, Parenting Coach and Co-Founder of Daily Life Consulting.  I believe that we are the same and shouldn’t be treated differently.  Emos are like Goths, only we are a lot less “dark” and much more “Harry Potter” and like to be passionate to others.  We also try to reach out to those who are sometimes left out, just need comfort, or try to hide their crying. However, there’s been an uproar against Emos.  In Mexico there have anti-Emo rallies and Emo beat downs.  In England, police in Manchester now label attacks aginst Goths, Emos, punks and metallers as “hate crimes.” The move was a response to the 2007 killing of Sophie Lancaster was attacked by a mob for being a Goth. Only 20, she and her boyfriend were brutally beaten as they walked home. In Iraq, there was a string of homicides last March against Iraqi teenage boys who dressed in a Westernized emo style. In February 2012, the Baghdad Morality Police published a statement criticizing emo teens for wearing “strange, tight clothes with pictures of skulls on them,” and “rings in their noses and tongues.” The statement condemned emo as Satanic. In my opinion,  we  are all not to  be  disliked  for  who  we  are  but  to  be loved  inside  and  out.  So, please stop the snide remarks about Emos.  Aren’t we more tolerant here at McClymonds and in Oakland, California?

Did Watching Bully Have An Impact at Mack?

photo copyright in Oakland North by Pendarvis Harshaw

By Anthony Beron

Remember September, when your entire school was sent to the Jack London Cinema to watch “Bully”?

Well, over 12,000 fellow students throughout OUSD saw the same movie, recalling it as a “tear-jerking,” “deeply emotional” documentary.  But was it legitimate?

What I mean by this is whether if it was effective (or not) to the common school bully.  Do you recall your school giving you a follow-up lecture or survey? Did you notice an immediate change in the bullies at your school?

Semi-effective was how Selena Williams, a 17-year-old  junior labelled the movie.  “It opened people to a new perspective on how it can affect others’ lives,” she said.  “On the other hand, some people still don’t care.  They go and bully anyway.”

At McClymonds, students and teachers said that the movie did work, based on their personal observations of behavior at school; however, over 37% of people surveyed said that it did not work.

Barbara McClung, coordinator of Behavioral Health Initiatives, said that the cost was covered by a group of anonymous donors through the film’s director Lee Hirsch. That included movie tickets for all of the students and staffers who viewed the film as well as the cost of transportation to the theater and back to their school site.

One major flaw with the movie was that it was not “culturally diverse enough,” and “did not provide an outlet” to bullying, according to Kharyshi Wiginton, an after-school staff member.  Another anonymous student stated that it was “not effective,” and that there is still a lot of homophobia and other forms of bullying prevalent in Oakland schools.

Accomplishment	#
Students who saw the movie	12,016
Staff who saw the movie	629
Buses hired to transport students and staff	295
Fights	0
Students who went missing	0
Disciplinary Incidents	1 (9th grader referred for marijuana use)
Central Office Volunteer Ushers	108

The showing coincided with changes in the anti-bullying laws that went into effect in July 2012 and require that schools have a clear process for documenting incidents of bullying and for investigating and responding.

“We developed protocols for OUSD schools, launched training for all principals, and are following up with anti-bullying programs in many of our schools. We are also creating alternatives to suspension for students who have bullied including counseling, behavioral intervention, and when appropriate, restorative justice practices.”

There will be an increased focus on bullying in OUSD. Programs that will be implemented include PBIS – Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support, Restorative Justice, Social-Emotional Learning, Peer Conflict Mediation.

“We have also launched a suicide prevention campaign to support students who have been victimized by bullying and others who are at risk due to circumstances beyond their control,” stated McClung.

Bullying occurs across all cultures and genders within OUSD, she said.

According to McClung, African-American males may be suspended more than other students for bullying in OUSD due to the inequity in how schools have been applying discipline practices leading to alternatives to suspension.

“We also do not believe that suspensions teach students the skills needed to change behavior. Counseling, skills groups, restorative dialogue, behavior support plans, and social-emotional learning are practices that help to change behavior,” said McClung.

Will Meditation Make Mack More Mellow?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

photos by Indyka Reed

by Angelique Villasana

Her shoulders sagged, her body went limp, and her eyes were closed. As Brittney Conine slumped, she was totally in a state of relaxation.

The McClymonds biology teacher was a test subject in an experiment— in meditation.

Teachers meditated at a special meeting Wednesday. They were led by Jane Lazzareschi, who teaches “Quiet Time” in San Francisco.

Meditation classes were among the recommendations by the student Leadership group to make the school a more peaceful place. Students would meditate during the last 15 minutes of every class.

“We plan to start a school-wide program as a way to help people deal with trauma in their school and community,” said Namkung. A similar program was introduced at Oakland High School, he said.

In Visitacion Valley in San Francisco, once meditation was taught to students, there was a 45 percent reduction in multi-day suspensions and a slight rise in the GPA of students from 2.5 to 2.9.

“There is less violence and there are higher test scores, grades and attendance in schools that provide meditation,” said Rachael Hereford, Spanish teacher and vice principal.

Risky Texting

Thumbs working overtime

by: B.Tindle

Teens, on average, send about 120 text message a day as well as spending three to four hours on social networking sites.

Recent studies have shown that teens are at risk when texting. I’m not talking about texting and driving. Teens are at risk of developing thoughts of suicide, eating disorders, becoming anti-school, and falling into drug abuse.

I don’t text, myself, but if I did own a phone I would definitely be texting Jesus until the sun sets.

Although, researchers say that texting itself is not the root cause of these teen issues, but it does create a pathway to the problems. Teens text about relationships and view media everyday. It’s not hard to believe that texting and social media can cause such problems.