Youth and Unheard Media Voices

Global Student Square

Beatrice Motamedi

February 2015Palo Alto Unified Schools Professional Development Day

Top left and bottom: A floating school in Ha Long Bay, near Ha Noi, Vietnam. Top right: Casey Miller, student co-editor-in-chief of Global Student Square, teaches fellow students how to pitch and submit stories.

My JSK bio.

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

May 2009 Volume 10, Issue 4The Urban School of San Francisco

America has fallen in love with Malia and Sasha Obama. They’re beautiful, trendy, young, and on the road to be-coming role models for many future generations. But based on the history of presidential children, it looks like the Obama girls have some odds to beat. Coverage of the Obamas’ decision to enroll their daugh-ters at the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., made headlines in major newspapers nationwide. Such headlines as “Sasha and Ma-lia’s Big Night,” describing their first White House slum-ber party, and “Also in Transi-tion, the Youngest Obamas,” describing their move into the White House, have appeared in The New York Times. So much media attention has not always been beneficial for presidential children trying to grow up in the public eye. Many first children have led troubled lives. The Bush twins struggled with drugs and constant partying. They were caught up in an under-age alcohol scandal when caught with a fake ID. Chel-sea Clinton was subjected to constant media scrutiny even before the Monica Lewinsky affair. Amy Carter, previously one of the youngest children in the White House, was about the age of the Obama girls when her father Jimmy Carter became president. She was the first child to be so young in the White House and the first to truly grow up there. There were media sto-ries dedicated to the fact that Amy went to public school, plus her views on nuclear weapons (made public by her father during a 1980 debate with Ronald Reagan), and the time she was seen reading a book at the dinner table during a state dinner. She was not given the privacy she deserved and to this day still avoids confrontations with the press. Although they have not always been easiest on the presidential family, newspa-per editors say they will do their best to let Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, grow up outside of

Obama's girlsadjust to life in the spotlight

As the school year comes to a close, Urban is preparing to say goodbye to several faculty and staff members, and to welcome new hires for the 2009-2010 academic year. Athletic Director Brendan Blakeley, art teacher Chris McCall, Service Learning Coordinator Kihanna Ross, and science teachers Gita Krishnaswamy and Suren Tummala will be leaving for jobs and oppor-tunities outside Urban, according to Mark Salkind, head of school.

Greg Angilly, associate athletic director at the Bentley School, will take over as athletic director as of July 1, replacing Blakeley. Angilly spent six years at St. Ignatius High School in San Francisco, where he was head lacrosse coach and “helped transform the lacrosse team into a nationally recognized pro-gram,” Salkind wrote in an email to faculty and staff in March. Urban launched its first-ever boys lacrosse team this spring. Chris McCall is a fixture on the Urban campus. Originally from Pennsylvania, McCall came to Urban seven years ago when he was still a student at the

Joren Dawson (’09) is living every kid’s dream; he's running away to join the circus. Instead of heading to a traditional four-year col-lege next fall, Dawson will be attending Montreal’s National Circus School of Canada for the next three years in order to pursue his dream of performing professionally as an acrobat. "It's not that I'm not going to regular college for no good reason," says Dawson. "The point is that I am going to a college that I have been looking forward to for years to pursue something I have always wanted to do." While Dawson’s path is an unusual one, he is not the only senior who is considering it. Whether it’s due to a strong interest in the arts, a desire to get out into the world or just plain fatigue, some Urban seniors are going off the traditional path and taking time out for a gap year or special program. The National Circus School is devoted to circus arts, but it also incorporates other classes pertaining to being a circus professional. Dawson will be learning French, business, physics, anatomy and circus arts for up to 12 hours per day. All of the classes are taught in French (At Urban, Dawson is in French 2).

Dawson began circus training by taking gymnas-tics classes at the age of three. The years of hard work paid off when he was chosen as one of just 25 students to enter the school out of the 130 who auditioned. A panel of 15 admissions officials oversaw the audition, which took four days. The National Circus School was his first choice for next year, and the only circus school to which he applied. Dawson’s parents are very supportive of him and his circus aspirations. Dawson says he looks forward to living in an apartment in Montreal, but will miss the Bay Area. Legislators, too, are beginning to see that students do not necessarily want to go from high school straight to another academic setting. On March 30, the Sen-ate passed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act in favor of one of President Obama’s central causes: community service. The newly expanded Nation Corporation for National and Community Service will include more service opportunities for baby boomers, bilingual citizens, and students. An expanded AmeriCorps and Peace Corps provide more opportunities for high school seniors looking to take a gap year or two before college. Private companies and nonprofits also offer op-

The road less taken: seniors who choose university of life

Goodbyes and new hires for next fallAlex Roncal and Nora Lalle

Staff Writers Nora Lalle and Phoebe Winn

Staff Writers

Lizzie LoganStaff Writer

see TEACHERS page 14

Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi spoke to a packed auditorium at the San Francisco Jewish Community Center on May 18, touching on Iran’s feminist movement, the country’s upcom-ing June elections, and the need for peace between Iran and the United States. The question-and-answer discussion with Ebadi, an Ira-nian lawyer and human rights advocate, was moderated by Janet Benshoof, president and founder of the Global Justice Center in San Francisco. The first Iranian woman to preside over a legislative court, Ebadi addressed the present and future of Iranian-American rela-tions, bringing a striking thought-

fulness to controversial topics. “I believe in every country we have to begin with the commonal-ity of our principles, rather than the differences,” said Ebadi, speaking through a translator. While acknowledging that Iran has far to go in ensuring equal rights for women — at one point observing that a woman in Iran is legally worth only half as much as a man — she urged Americans to learn more about Iran. “I believe that here and in the world many people have a nar-row, wrong impression of Iran,” said Ebadi. “Show Iran exactly as it is — no darker and no lighter than it truly is.” Ebadi was among Iran’s first

Iran's Shirin Ebadi urges peace in SF speech

Daniel MoattarStaff Writer

SHIRIN EBADI, a published

author, lawyer, former judge, and

activist speaks passionately

about human rights, Iran, and

understanding

photo courtesy of

Don LaVange on

flickr.com, used with permission

Gap year resources

TRAVEL THE WORLD• See Asia or Africa and learn

about different cultures. Lan-guage immersion and com-munity service programs also available. For more info, see

www.wheretherebedragons.com.

VOLUNTEER AND SERVE• Work with nonprofit groups

to fight poverty and illiteracy, provide housing and make healthcare more available with Americorps, known as the “domestic Peace Corps.”

Visit www.Americorps.gov.

RIDE THE RAILS• Plan your own European ex-

pedition on Rail Europe, an af-fordable way to travel across dozens of countries. Head to www.raileurope.com.

Angel Island trip marks Asian-American History Month– pages 8-9

Legend writer reports on day in life of

UCSF Emergency Room– page 3

HIPE survey sheds light on drug, alcohol activity among Urban students

– page 2

The tea parties and Obama drama

you didn't hear about– page 13

see GIRLS page 14see GAP page 14

see EBADI page 14

Beloved teacher Gita Krishnaswamy is one of six who will not be returning

Urban file photo

and 2013-2014

Front pages from the student newspaper at The Urban School of San Francisco, where I taught from 2008-2014.

http://castlecrier.tumblr.com/ Please recycle criercastlemont@gmail.com

Castlemont principal juggles staff, students plus his own growing family in first year of tough jobby Jacob Mathis

Staff Writer

Ever since school began on Aug. 26, Principal John Lynch has been at the center of every controversy that’s taken place in Castlemont’s slow but steady transformation into one large school from three independent smaller schools last year. Lynch, 34, who was vice-principal at Castlemont’s East Oakland School of the Arts last year, answers to hundreds of parents and students as well as teachers and staff. Two other schools — Castlemont Business and Information Technology School and Leadership Preparatory Academy — also are part of this year’s consol-idation. Early reviews of Lynch’s leader-ship are mixed.

“I don’t feel like he’s doing any-thing. He’s more of a figure than a principal,” said junior Monica Lock-ett. She criticized Lynch’s response to a Sept. 21 fight on campus (see “Was it race, or loyalty to friends?” page 1). "(The response) was not genuine," Lockett said. "He wasn't really con-cerned with it." But science teacher Alyssa Pandolfi described Lynch as “goofy, hardwork-ing, caring, passionate, and simply, ‘the man.’” “He does a bunch of work behind the scene and works extremely late hours,” Pandolfi said. In an effort to go straight to the heart of it all, The Crier sat down with Lynch to talk about how his job is

Up close with Lynch

THE MAN, ON CAMPUS Lynch takes a break from desk work to make sure students get to classes on time. Uniting Castlemont is his goal. photo by Jacob Mathis

Was it race, or loyalty to friends?

It all started with an apple. On Sept. 21, a piece of fruit was thrown by an unidenti-fied person at two students who were playing volleyball after lunch. Within minutes, a huge fight erupted, involving approximately 50 students, forcing school officials to put Castlemont on lockdown. MacArthur Boulevard in front of Castlemont was closed for approximately 20 minutes as Oakland police struggled to restore control to the campus.

by Esmerelda Argueta and Brandon Ros

Staff Writers

School Name Here

Art In ActIon

Graffiti contest inspires art, awards

photo by Youth Uprising/used with permission

December 2012 Vol. 1, Issue 1

Castlemont High School8601 Macarthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94605

tAttoo YoU

Teachers define artas the kind you wear

– page 4

INSIDE

Students and teachersdebate what caused campus fight, lockdown

See APPLE, page 2

See LYNCH, page 2

ove: It's a simple word, but the art it inspires

can be pretty cool. On Nov. 28, the final round of “The ‘Dopest’ Youth Graffiti Youth Artist in Alameda County” contest took place at Youth Uprising, a nonprofit teen leadership organization located next to Castlemont. Competitors had two hours to make a drawing that included the word “love.” First-place winner and 2012 Castlemont alumnus Ramon Herrera won a cash prize for his piece. Arturo Arechiga, YU's visual arts coordinator, said that YU’s purpose for the competition “was basically to stop tagging … to inspire some of these taggers to become graffiti artists.” Arechiga is considering a second competition sometime early in 2013.

Lby Aide Villegas

Staff Writer

"Men can starve from a lack of self-realization as much as they can from a lack of bread." —Richard Wright, novelist

NEW SPORTS RULE

Athlete argues against credit requirement

– page 6

CYBERBULLIEDCanada teen suicide

prompts reflection – page 7

castlecrier.tumblr.com Please recyclecastlecrier@gmail.com

School Name Here

INSIDE

ART AT YOUR FINGERTIPSSalons and at-home kits offernew fashion trend to teens

MEN OF HAKA Left to right: Ricky Tavita, Villi Paea, George Jones and Mackensie Feaomoeata perform a traditional dance at the talent show. photo by Esther Gamez

Castlemont’s “Haka Dancers” won $100 at Castlemont’s talent show on May 23, after performing a traditional Tongan dance. Sophomore Villi Paea credited "effort (and) respect" for the win. Assistant Principal Aryn Bow-man said that she "was really heartened by all the support people showed for each other." Counselor and judge Samantha

Odom noted that the performers were judged on "technique, stage presence, entertainment level, and reaction from the crowd." Throughout the show, the audience maintained a cheerful attitude. Sophomore Diane Beltran said, "I cheered more for Villi's group because they were really into it." Junior Elijah Jones said "the Turf Dancers should’ve won because they were very creative."

Tongan dancers triumphby Esther Gamez

Staff Writer

– page 4

GET REALHow the Castle is portrayedfar from what students feel

– page 3

TWITTER STAR TREKAstronauts tweet, use Tumblr during 146-day voyage

– page 8

DOWNWARD TREND From left: Students Alban Lopez and Emiliano Malangi, teacher Mitchell Singsheim, and students Kiana Henderson, Rosa Del Toro, Hernan Flores and Stephanie Vega display posters on Castlemont's declining enrollment, including next year's expected numbers. photo by Carrie Haslanger/used with permission

see NEXT, page 7

What's next for Castlemont?New principal set to replaceCastle's Lynch

Students and staff are waiting anxiously for a visit by Castle-mont’s new principal, Vinnie Blye, who is set to replace Prin-cipal John Lynch for the 2013-14 school year. Lynch anounced he would not return to Castlemont next fall in a surprise letter to students and families just over two weeks ago. Details as of press time were sketchy, but Blye was listed as as-sistant principal at Oakland High School for the 2012-13 school year on that school's website. He also served as assistant principal at Skyline High School in 2009. In an interview with the Crier last week, Alison McDonald, the OUSD’s network area executive officer for Castlemont, declined to comment on Lynch’s status. But she acknowledged that "transitions are hard” and that “there are a lot of emotions and feelings about” Lynch’s announcement. McDonald said that Blye would be visiting Castlemont “in a few days” and expressed hope that students would meet and get to know him. OUSD spokesman Troy Flint also declined to discuss Lynch’s announcement but called it a “reassignment,” not a firing. “I don’t consider it a dismiss-al,” said Flint. Other than Flint’s interview with the Crier, OUSD has not directly communicated with students or families about Lynch. In the letter, which Castle-mont students and families received over the Memorial Day weekend, Lynch wrote that he “will not be the Principal of Castlemont High School for the 2013-14 school year.”

by Jennifer Almendarez, Esmeralda Argueta & Jazmin Stenson

Staff Writers

Students, staff stunnedby Memorial Day letter

June 2013 Volume 1, Issue 3

Castlemont High School8601 MacArthur Blvd.Oakland, CA 94605

"Stepping onto a brand-new path is difficult, but not more difficult than remaining in a situation, which is not nurturing to the whole ..."

—Maya Angelou, writer

Castlemont’s first year as a combined school began last August with high hopes over the consolidation of three schools — the East Oakland School of the Arts, the Castlemont Business and Information Technology School, and Leadership Preparatory School — and ended with a principal and teachers leaving, and some elective courses cancelled due to declining enrollment.

Combining Castlemont’s three small schools into a comprehen-sive whole began with the canceling of advisory periods. More changes over the winter and spring, such as a new tardy policy requiring tardy students to receive passes before returning to class, caused more confusion. As graduation approaches, students and teachers have begun to ponder what the next school year will offer. “I don't have high hopes anymore,” said Kateri Dodds Simp-son, who teaches English, adding, “I’ve been working for (the Oakland Unified School District) for eight years.”

see LYNCH page 7

Plans for next year in flux as united school ends transition year, loses staff, principal

by Maira Lopez, Aide Villegas and Jenny Zavala Staff Writers

On Feb. 16, Castlemont High School held a Black History Month assembly to celebrate the achieve-ments of Africans-Americans throughout history. The assembly was organized by African-American literature teacher and School Community Partners Dean Michael Scott, Dean of Discipline Sagnicthe Salazar, senior student body government members Dawn McCladdie and Jahmelia Stenson, and resource teacher Ebony Johnson. All thought that hosting a Black History month assembly was a good way to remind students of the power of stories. “It’s really important that black history is honored as much as possible — very important we uphold the

tradition of honoring it in February,” said Johnson. The assembly brought out hidden talents. McClad-die sang “Summertime" and presented a timeline of civil rights events. Johnson spoke about the different libations that Africans traditionally used to honor and respect their ancestors, and student D’Angelo Cosby read his prize-winning poem, “The Struggle” (see “Castlemont Student Wins Oratorical Fest,” page 7). Students worried that the assembly would be monotonous and boring but were respectful during the performances and left seeming inspired. “It was important that — being a black person, especially a student body president — (I) should participate in the black history assembly,” McCladdie said.

Castlemont students in the Senior Step-to-College Ethnic Studies class, sponsored by San Francisco State University and taught by Assistant Principal Christina Villarreal, will be Skyping with professors and graduate students from Harvard University on April 15. The event will take place either on the Cas-tlemont campus or in downtown Oakland at the International Society for Expertise, Education & Development, an education nonprofit that works with students on issues of diversity and social justice. Ethnic studies is the interdisciplinary study of different races and cultures around the world. The curriculum can be controversial: In Arizo-na, ethnic studies were banned in 2011 because, according to the Los Angeles Times, one teacher in an ethnic studies class in Tucson, Ariz., was accused of “promot(ing) the overthrow of the U.S. government.” However, at Castlemont students at the freshman and senior levels take ethnic studies in order to learn about different cultures and traditions. By the time a student graduates, he

or she has taken at least one ethnic studies or multicultural studies. According to Villarreal, Castlemont’s faculty and administration be-lieve that it is important for young historians to learn that history can’t be told from just one perspective. The Skype session with Harvard will include

Castlemont seniors from the ethnic studies class and Harvard post-graduate scholars, who will discuss “critical race theory” and the concept of ethnic studies. The spark for the Skype plan came when Villarreal, Castlemont’s dean of culture and an ethnic studies teacher, gave a presentation at the Harvard Alumni of Color Conference. Two Harvard post-graduate students, Christopher Brittum and Yusef Daulatzai, were inspired by the work and volunteered to talk

Ethnic studies class goes to Harvard ... on Skype

Students honor black history with assemblyBy Dezire Hall

Staff Writer

It was a date to remember: The Alameda County Science and En-gineering Fair on March 9 marked the debut for three future scientists from Castlemont High School, the only high school students representing the Oakland Unified School District. After completing their projects, sophomore Laura Hernandez received multiple recognitions, including 4th place in the Animal Science category, and a total of $265. Sophomores Balam Contreras and Evelyn Nunez won 3rd place in the same category, and $150 in cash prizes. Contreras and Nunez studied

how the newly installed heat lamps inside of the lemur habitats at the Oakland Zoo would affect the creatures’ visibility and the overall effectiveness of the lamps. After extensive research and preparation, the two presented an amazing display that was both well-organized and informative. Hernandez took on the task of reporting how removal from the group would disturb a tamarin mother “Mama” and her baby “Shirley.” Her touching presenta-tion was well-executed. If the science and engineering fair is any guide, though these students surely have the talent re-quired to further themselves in the area of science, they’ll face tough

Castle students represent at annual science fairBy Yacida Flores& Jacob Mathis

Staff Writers

SCIENCE STARS Sophomores Evelyn Nunez and Balam Contreras

stand next to their lemur display. Castlemont students, who

were the only high school students representing Oakland public

schools at the fair, also got cupcakes from Principal John Lynch

the day after they returned with their prizes.

photo by Claire Shorall/used with permission

14%Percentage of the U.S. popu-lation that is black, according to the 2010 Census

Life, interruptedMemorial honors

2012 grad, athletekilled in car crash

April 2013Volume 1, Issue 2

OBI

TUAR

Y CLICK ON IT

Castlemont's new and improved

school website is up

— page 2

Castlemont High School, 8601 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94605

See SCIENCE, page 7

No matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death. — Norman Cousins

MOURNING DAVID MOA

Death of popular Castlemont alum, athlete

saddens school, community — page 1

KNIG

HTS

2.0

By Myriam Gonzalez

Staff Writer

Approximately 300 students attended a memorial on Feb. 14 on the Castlemont football field during lunch to remember the life of David Moa. A well-known Castlemont graduate, Moa, 19, died on Feb. 11 when the fast-moving van he was riding in hit the center divider and flipped over several times on Highway 58 near Mo-jave, Calif. The memorial also honored David’s sister, Malia Moa, 17; cousin George Moa, 19; and Ra-chel Fisiiahi, 19, Moa’s half-sis-ter, who also were killed in the crash. At the time of the assem-bly, the sole survivor, 17-year-old Hunter Halatoa, who was Moa's cousin, was in critical condition in the hospital. Castlemont junior Tanny Okusi was a close friend to Moa. He said they did a lot of things together, like play rugby and other sports. Speaking through tears, his voice cracking, Okusi shared a few poetic words about Moa at the assembly:

You were the best number 8 You had a future brighter than the sun You were chasing your dreams And you would run run run You were so humble and your passing just made the earth tremble ...

The student audience also was moved to tears. It was as if everyone in the crowd had lost a family member, even those who didn't know Moa personally. Friends described Moa as a quiet but forceful presence and an admired member of Castle-mont’s Tongan community. “When I met David Moa, he seemed like the type that keeps to himself, but in a week I found out that he was not only the nicest guy, he was also the most talented,” wrote Ricky Tavita, in a memorial to his friend. “He not only played rugby and football but he was also in a band.” Tavita knew Moa for just the 2011-12 school year, when Moa was a senior. “During that year David Moa trained us, worked out with us and pushed us to reach our limits,” Tavita wrote.

with students. According to Villaneuva, teaching ethnic studies at the high school level is a new concept for educators. Senior and Castlemont student body Co-Vice President Jahmelia Stenson attests to the values of ethnic studies in the curriculum. She said that she believes that Harvard graduate students can learn from Castlemont students “how it is to be a person of color.” Castlemont Senior Janet Vasquez plans to tell the Harvard graduate students that “we are high school students reading graduate level (texts) by Ronald Takaki and Paulo Friere … we can critically analyze it.” Vasquez added that Villarreal has inspired students with her own dedication to the sub-ject. "The excitement and passion that Ms. Villarreal puts into her class is what makes everyone so enthusiastic about the readings," said Vasquez. "(It is) the look she gets in her eyes when we are discussing them.” Senior Berenice Vega said that she is looking forward to speaking to the Harvard Educa-tional Program “because we are the people of color whose stories aren’t always told.”

See MOA, page 7

38%Percentage of Castlemont students who are black, ac-cording to Vice PrincipalAryn Bowman

By Janice Davis & Jazmin Stenson Staff Writers

Oaktown Teen Times

Oakland's Teen Newspaper

June 2009 Volume 2, Issue 3News & Views of Teens in Oakland, California

Californians 21 and older who like to smoke mari-juana may not have to worry about getting arrested if a bill passes into law.

California would become the first state to legalize marijuana under a bill by Assemblyman Tom Ammi-ano, D-San Francisco. Ammiano thinks legal mari-juana could be the answer to California’s economic problems.

"The state of California is in a very, very precipi-tous economic plight. It's in the toilet," Ammiano told the San Francisco Chronicle. "It looks very, very bleak, with layoffs and foreclosures, and schools closing or trying to operate four days a week.”

Ammiano said it could take up to a year before the bill comes to a vote.

State officials estimate the legalization of marijua-na would bring in about $1.3 billion a year through a tax of $50 per ounce, according to news reports. Marijuana is California's biggest cash crop and is responsible for $14 billion in sales, none of which are taxed now.

Under the bill, marijuana would be regulated similarly to beer, wine and liquor. The bill would permit taxed sales to adults, but would bar sales to or possession by those under 21.

Reaction to the proposed law was mixed at Fre-mont Federation of High Schools.

Paul Robeson case manager Percy Foster said making pot legal would make it “more accessible for students" and that minors "would just send people 21 years or older to get it for them."

Nevertheless, Foster supports the bill.Media Principal Benjamin Schmookler does not

object to the proposal because he doesn't think it will change what is already happening with the drug.

“You can go buy weed in the next five minutes,” he said. “People get it anyway, so (legalizing it) wouldn’t make much of a difference”

Media Academy teacher Michael Jackson sees economic and ethical benefits to legalizing marijuana.

“The war on drugs has failed, too many people are in prison that should be paying taxes; nobody should die over weed."

Police arrested a record 872,721 people for mari-juana nationwide in 2007, according to the FBI's annual Uniform Crime Report.

Yet other staff members are opposed to the bill."I don't believe marijuana should be legalized,"

said Media Academy case manager Eric DuBois. "However, those arrested for it should not be treated

Legalizationof marijuanaa possibility

After six years of being run by the state, the Oakland Unified School Dis-trict now has a hometown leader.

Tony Smith, 42, will start as a super-intendent on July 1. He has worked in San Francisco and Emeryville.

On May 13 the Oakland school board voted unanimously to hire Smith.

“I am honored and humbled by the opportunity that the Board, and by extension, the people of Oakland, have presented me,” said Smith. “Public schools are a sacred trust tasked with developing the most precious asset a city has to offer – its children.”

Smith, an Oakland resident, has worked as a deputy superintendent in the San Francisco Unified School District since 2007. Before that, he was superintendent of the Emery Unified

School District. Many people were excited that Oak-

land again has a superintendent. "I'm very hopeful that a superinten-

dent will give us the focus to be able to do better," said Architecture Academy Principal Daniel Hurst.

Even though Hurst had never heard of Smith before, he said he hopes Smith gives Oakland students what they de-serve, and hopes Smith understands the importance of supporting teacher and student interaction.

It's not just local officials who are hopeful that Smith can help Oakland.

"Tony Smith is the perfect person at the perfect time to head the Oakland Unified School District," said state schools chief Jack O'Connell. "I have deep respect for his commitment to pro-vide education excellence to students."

OUSD has not had a local leader since 2003 when the state took it over because of a $100 million debt. In the years that Smith ran Emeryville schools, he was able to bring them back from

OUSD names new superintendent

Arielle AndradeCollege Preparatory & Architecture Academy

Brandon SneedMedia Academy

It's a typical Tuesday morn-ing, and Arik Rosenthal shows up for his usual gig, feeding and cleaning up after lemurs at the Oakland

Zoo.However, there's more than a

job to this job — working at the zoo is part of Rosenthal's senior project, one of many unique ideas being pursued by graduating se-niors at MetWest High School.

Bamboo and palm fronds are the main materials that Rosenthal uses to make shade structures for the lemurs. He got the idea for the structures after he noticed that lemurs were running and hiding from birds that would fly over their habitat.

Unfortunately that meant visi-tors weren't able to see the lemurs either. But that's changed.

"The shade structures are cur-rently working," said Rosenthal. "Lemurs are using (them) to eat their food, and then they relax under (the) structures."

From zoo critters to cool fashion: Senior projects break ground, develop talents

School board hires Tony Smith

in unanimous vote, fills position after six years of state control

Staffers, students mull Assembly bill

to make marijuana legal, raise cash

for state budget, including schools

Can arts school run without a secretary, a counselor or an art teacher?

Ronald JohnsonMedia Academy

See PROJECTS page 2

Staff, students say district

not giving school resources

to help students succeed

THE HIGH COSTOF QUINCEAÑERAS

Ellissia Hill

MetWest High School

COME HERE, LIL' LEMUR Arik Rosenthal feeding a lemur at Oakland Zoo, where he interns on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For his senior thesis project, he built a shade structure — out of bamboo and fronds — for lemurs to be protected from their prey.

TONY SMITH will assume the job of superintendent on July 1.

Robeson, Yee said he could not answer.

In an interview this week, Prin-cipal Betsye Steele said she will do the best with what she has been given by the district.

"It's time to see how we can move forward," she said. "Time to get our students learning and our teachers teaching in spite of our challenges.

Student Sheila Blandon feels frustrated."Paul Robe has a lot of good qualities and if we had sup-port from the district, we could be a lot better," she said.

photo courtesy of OUSD

photo courtesy of the Oakland Zoo

– page 5– page 4

photo by Ronald Johnson / Media Academy

LOST ART Steve Bronson and student Jose Casillas designed this portrait of Barack Obama. Bronson's art position at Paul Robeson has been eliminated.

Paul Robeson faculty, students and parents are not happy that the district has decided to phase out the school.

But they're even more upset that the district has left them with what they say are inadequate resources to run the school properly for the students and staff who choose to re-main at the school in the final three years of existence.

The school board voted to shut down Paul Robeson School of Visual and Performing Arts on Dec. 17, citing falling enrollment and poor academic performance.

Since the vote, staff and stu-dents at Paul Robeson have been trying to overturn the decision and get more resources for the school.

However, funding for next year looks bleak to them.

Because the district has slashed Paul Robeson's budget by 45 percent next year, the school will operate without a secretary, a full-time counselor or a case manager.

The district is projecting that Robeson will be just half the size it is now. It has about 300 stu-dents.

Longtime art teacher Steve Bronson no longer has a position at the school and will transfer. Instead, the school will offer one period of videography and one period of photography.

In a meeting held May 19,

teachers, students and parents invited board members Noel Gallo and Gary Yee to talk to them about the funding challenges.

Gallo could not make it, but Yee did show up.

"We don't believe that we have the resources to make Paul Robeson a true visual and per-forming arts school," said Yee. "There are not enough students that go to this school to fund the programs."

When one person at the meet-ing asked what other options were there besides just closing

"We don't believe that we have the resources to make Paul Robeson (High School) a true visual and performing arts school. – Gary Yee, school board member

similar problems with the state.In 1992, Smith earned his bachelors

degree in English from University of California, Berkeley, where he was the captain of the football team. He later went on to receive his masters and doctorate degrees from Cal's Graduate School of Education.

See MARIJUANA page 2

LEAVING AFRICA, LOOKING BACK

OAKLAND ISHOT FOR CHICO

– page 7

Oaktown Teen Times

Oakland's Teen Newspaper

December 2009 Volume 3, Issue 2News & Views of Teens in Oakland, California

Two students fatally shot in 16-day span

Students and staff all over the

Oakland Unified School District are sympathetic towards the victim of a gruesome gang rape in Richmond and outraged by those who commit-ted the crime.

The rape took place on Oct. 29 when a Richmond High School girl left her homecoming dance. She was sexually assaulted by a group of al-

leged gang members in a poorly lit

area of the campus.“It wasn’t right because she was a

[16]-year-old girl. No one deserves to get raped at their homecoming dance,” said Mykolay McGowan, a Media Academy sophomore.

Many thought the rape was dis-

gusting and unacceptable.“It was absolutely horrible,” said

Oakland students horrified by gang rape

Media Academy

Teens warm up laborers' daysStudents serving breakfast add jacket, sweater giveaway after seeing 'jornalero' shivering

Many also outraged by those who watched the rape and did nothing to stop or report it

Family, friends, teachers mourn Oakland High's Phillip Wright and Antonio Nunez, Jr. of Castlemont's Leadership Prep

See MURDERS page 2

Superintendent recommends closing BEST, Robeson in June 2010

The hallways were already drab and posterless; most of the

lockers were shut; and now it seems the final bell is ringing for BEST, one of two small high schools located at the McCly-

monds Educational Complex. The school district staff

informed parents, students and teachers at a Dec. 3 meeting that it plans to close down BEST

High School a year earlier than originally scheduled. The school board is also likely to vote to close Robeson School of Visual & Performing Arts at Fremont Federation and

Explore Middle School.“It’s not right,” said Amber

Malone, a junior at BEST. “They’re closing down our school before we graduate.”

With almost 70 juniors and seniors still attending

BEST, most were shocked or sad, some were hopeful. They thought it was unfair to keep BEST open because of a lack

of funds as well as a waste of resources.

“There is no school if there are no students,” Curtis Mackey, president of the Mc-

Clymonds High School Alumni Association, told journalists.

Teachers at both Robeson and BEST are concerned about the consequences of the clo-

sures on students.“Students are saddened and

angry by the decision to close down the school especially be-

cause they feel that they didn't have a voice in the decision that ultimately affects them,"

Kristen Eschner, an all-subject teacher at BEST.

For some BEST and EX-

CEL students, the decision of the district staff is still unclear. Where will the BEST students be transferred? What will be the name of the lone remaining

school: EXCEL or McCly-

monds?

“They should just make it back to McClymonds because all this EXCEL and BEST talk is confusing to a lot of people,” said Amber Hill, an Excel junior.

About 30 students will have

See RICHMOND page 2

Students, parents, staff say they were left out of decision on early closing

READERS CHOOSE

SESAME FAVES

– page 8

WHO'SYOUR OAL

RIVAL?– page 6– page 5

Robin Glover, the Mandela High School principal. “My heart sank to think kids could do that to another kid. It appalls me.”

Others worried about the security of their loved ones.

“What happened to the…Rich-

mond [victim] is the worst thing that [could] happen to a girl,” said Alicia Bautista, an EXCEL High School junior. “I have eight nieces…myself. I wouldn’t like to think about that happening to any of [them].”

There were many witnesses during the two-hour assault, but none took action on reporting the crime to the police. It wasn’t until someone found the girl unconscious and unclothed that authorities were notified.

When asked if the witnesses should be punished as well, Omar Franco, an Upward Bound adviser at Fremont Federation, said, “Definite-

ly. If you witness something that’s unfair or a crime, you should report it to somebody. [The people who

A CALL FORNEW PHONE

POLICY

Maria Fragoso, a student at Me-

dia Academy, woke up at 5 a.m. on Monday and headed to San Leandro and High streets in freez-

ing weather to offer day laborers donuts, arroz con leche, coffee and respect.

Fragoso, who joins a dozen other teens from

"It was absolutely horrible. My heart sank to think kids could do that to another kid. It appalls me."

– Robin Glover,Principal, Mandela High

See LABORERS page 4

to find another school to attend and seven teachers will have to find new jobs.

For the past few years, stu-

dents and teachers have fought against the district's decision to close down BEST, but their ef-forts were shattered after hear-ing the district's final decision to close down another school in a low-income community of color.

“I am glad to hear that the

meeting on the closure of BEST was 'chaotic,' because it

See CLOSURE page

PAMELA TAPIA EXCEL High

JOSE ALVARENGA & FUEY SAECHAOMedia Academy

witnessed the rape] could have done something.”

Others expressed Franco’s senti-ment.

“The men [who] did that to the young girls are low lifes,” said Am-

ber Hill, an EXCEL junior. “There is no explanation for what they did to her.”

JACK MEJIA & JAZMIN GARCIA

across Oakland each Monday, doesn't get paid for what she does but enjoys helping people -- "people who could be my family members."

"They're sometimes abused, beaten up, not paid and ignored by the government. It could probably be me if I didn't finish school," said Fragoso, 14.

On Monday, about a dozen workers gathered around a tent set up by the students, most opting for hot arroz con leche (rice with milk) and a pastry.

"They (the teens) are showing us that we haven't been forgotten," said Estanilao, a 44-year-old day laborer from Guatemala.

BREAKFAST CLUB Italya Barron of Mandela Academy, Norma Vasquez of Paul Robeson High and Kimberly Guzman of Mandela Academy serve arroz con leche and pastries to a day laborer on Dec. 7. It was about 32 degrees.

Students shed tears, administrators planned memorials and teachers recalled moments with two students who were shot and killed in Oakland within 16 days of each other.

Antonio Nunez, Jr., was shot and killed on Dec. 4 as he sat in a car outside Castlemont High School. Nunez was a student at Castlemont's Leadership Preparatory High School.

Nunez' brother, 15, was shot in the hip but survived. According to press reports, the boys' 39-year-old uncle also was shot outside their home on Sunny-

side Street.Miguel Santiago, 15, a sophomore

at Castlemont's Business and Technol-ogy School, said he had known Nunez, whose nickname was Chato, since the third grade.

"He wanted to be a Marine, just like his older brother and older sister," San-

tiago said. "Chato had dreams, just like the rest of us."

A memorial in the hallway outside the main office at Leadership includes pho-

tos of a smiling Nunez wearing a hat, along with letters and notes to family.

"He is in a far better place than this cruel and nasty world," one letter says. "He deserves to be in heaven. He needs to be away from this gang s--t."

As of press time, no one had been charged with Nunez' murder. "Some (students) say it was mistaken identity. Some say it was gang-related," said a female Castlemont student, who asked not to be identified.

Meanwhile, Oakland High School is planning a moment of silence for Phil-lip Wright, Jr., a junior known for his enthusiastic personality, his reputation as a jokester, and his fascination with Rubik’s Cube.

On Nov. 19, Wright was shot and killed in his East Oakland home, in what the Oakland Police Department called a case of mistaken identity. OPD Officer Jeff Thomason said police are engaged in an “ongoing investigation, following up on witnesses and suspects.”

According to Principal Alicia Rome-

ro, the school will hold a moment of

Oakland High ONISHA BRADLEY, THAO TRAN & ROSEY URIBE

DeVONNA ATKINS & AMERIAH HAYESCastlemont Business and Information Technology School

photo by Jose Alvarenga / Media Academy

Oaktown Teen Times

Oakland's Teen Newspaper

February 2010 Volume 3, Issue 3News & Views of Teens in Oakland, California

Oakland seeks injunction on northside gang

If you are on a high school or middle school campus in the Oak-land Unified School District, you are being watched.

That's because the district has been putting 750 new video cameras at 25 middle and high schools across the city, under a $3 million security upgrade program.

You will be watched by people on your campus, the police and people at the downtown district offices. You might even be watched on computer monitors at district officials' homes.

The U.S. Department of Justice gave $1.5 million for the cameras and the district is using moderniza-tion funds for the rest, according to news reports.

The idea for the district to put

District adds 750 surveillance cameras

Media Academy

Dangerous crossing gets lightTraffic project fast tracked after Frick Middle School student killed in hit-and-run at 64th Ave. & Foothill

Security measure praised by many; some feel it could violate student privacy

Gang members would be banned from many activities in 100 blocks near Telegraph Ave.

Old school discipline takes back seat

It was a “bad look" that began it.

Two girls, both freshmen, gossiped about each other and then one day in class, it blew up. They fought — “a real al-tercation in class,” says Donta Jackson, a freshman at EXCEL High School.

In another school, they might have been sent to the

principal's office, landed in youth court, or even been suspended. Instead, at EXCEL, they agreed to a new program called “Restorative Justice.”

For Jackson, it was an oc-casion to try out skills that he learned previously at Cole Middle School, where Restor-ative Justice was launched in the Oakland School District in 2006.

“First you have to find out how, when, and why the con-flict started” said Jackson, who went through intensive training at Cole as a “keeper of space

See CAMERAS page 2

EXCEL students able to avoid suspensions through restorative justice system

TWEETING, TEXTING OUR LIVES AWAY?

– page 6

'BONES'TRAGIC,HONEST

– page 5– page 8

more cameras on campus is to reduce vandalism and other crimes. These cameras are also on people who might be doing harm to you or to your personal belongings.

Fremont Federation of High Schools is one of the campuses get-ting new cameras; about 17 cameras will be added. These will be added to 32 working cameras already on campus, according to School Safety Officer Tiffany Couch, who said she is very happy to have more electronic eyes.

“It was a big request of mine,” she said.

The supervisor of Fremont Fed-eration's school safety officers, Al Rhodes, agreed with Couch. When asked if the cameras were a good idea, he answered: “Yes, yes, yes!”

Couch said there are six officers on campus and the cameras will be “more eyes.”

One concern that school safety officers have however, is that the dis-

ON BEING LATINA IN A MOSTLY

BLACK SCHOOL

Students and teachers in East Oakland are breathing a sigh of relief at news that City Council has approved a new stop-light for a dangerous intersection where an 11-year-old Frick Elementary student

was killed in a hit-and-run collision in October. Councilwoman Desley Brooks said that she was

able to secure the funding for the stoplight, to be installed at 64th Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. In a

"It's not an invasion of privacy. In school, you do not expect to have privacy."

– Emiliano SanchezAssistant Principal

Architecture Academy

SEE STOPLIGHT page 3

PAMELA TAPIA EXCEL High

CAROLINA BURCIAGA & STEPHANIE GONZALEZUnity High School

trict may use the cameras to justify cutting its staff.

“Cameras can alert us to the problems, but they can't respond to them,” said Rhodes.

Although, there will be more cam-eras installed in public areas, there will not be any cameras placed in bathrooms, classrooms or offices.

FUEY SAECHAO

January email, Brooks said that she expects the stop-light to be installed “within the next six months.”

Despite the news, the new stoplight won’t erase the sadness many still feel about the death of Alana Williams on Oct. 16.

It was an ordinary morning for many students in Oakland: Wake up, get ready and head out to school. But for many Frick Middle School students, life changed forever as they witnessed the tragic death of a classmate.

The accident happened at 8:08 a.m., when Wil-liams was arriving at Frick, where she was in sixth grade. Stewart was crossing the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and 64th Avenue, when a dark-

SAVE THE CHILDREN Despite new safety measures, crossing guard Brian Taylor says speeding cars are still putting students at risk at an intersection where an 11-year-old Oakland student was struck and killed in October.

Oakland will throw a new weapon at members of one of its most notorious gangs — an injunction to stop them from engaging in gang activity in a 100-block “safety zone.”

City Attorney John Russo filed a law-suit for the injunction last week against the North Side Oakland Gang, which police blame for seven homicides in 2008 and another seven in 2009, includ-ing the murder of Oakland Technical High School student Desiree Davis in September.

“This gang has terrorized our commu-nity, intimidated witnesses and recruited children to their criminal enterprise,” Russo wrote in a press release. “They are part of a malevolent force that has crippled our city for decades and contin-ues to hold Oakland back today.”

If granted by a judge, the injunc-tion will declare North Side Oakland a public nuisance and prohibit certain ac-tivities within the safety zone — about 100 blocks between I/580, Emeryville, Berkeley, and Telegraph Avenue, ac-cording to the press release.

Oakland Tech is in the zone.Under the requested injunction, 19

identified members of the gang would no longer be able to associate with each other in the zone. They also will be un-able to possess guns or other dangerous weapons or tools for graffiti or vandal-ism.

The injunction would also ban them from recruiting new members in the zone, trespassing and intimidating wit-nesses. They would have to follow all laws, including those involving curfews and drugs.

If they violate any part of the injunc-tion, they would face a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

Some students at Fremont Federa-tion of High Schools who heard of the injunction were skeptical that it would do much good.

“If they focus on one gang, it will work, but how are they going to stop all the other gangs?” asked Media Academy junior Brittany Jackson.

However, Miguel De Luna, an Oak-land police officer assigned to Fremont Federation, thinks differently.

“It will help the gang violence,” he said. “I don’t think it will stop every-thing, but it will slow it down.”

Media Academy CAROLYN SAEPHAN

photo by Julie Ortega / Unity High

See JUSTICE page 3

in a Peacemaking Circle,” the person who runs the process.

That day, the two girls at EXCEL gathered in a "con-flict circle” with classmates. They agreed to guidelines and values: truth, honesty, compassion, respect, and speaking from the heart. They used “a talking piece,” in this case “a triangular necklace that makes a lot of noise.” The person holding the piece was the only one allowed to

EXCEL debaters

to represent Bay

in Empire State

DAVID McNEAL

See DEBATE page 7

GREAT DEBATERS Daemiion Yaphet and Tanesha Walker prepare their arguments.

Two EXCEL High School

students — Tanesha Walker

and Daemiion Yaphet —

have qualified to participate in the Chase National Tour-

nament in New York City

from April 23 to April 25.

EXCEL High

photo by Kendra Johnson / Cal Prep

Examples of my work in community journalism. Print remains popular in high-poverty schools mainly because Internet and computer penetration is an equity issue and also because print newspapers tend to be more popular among English language learners. But increasingly even poor students have cellphones, and Twitter is popular especially among African American students. Both mobile reporting and social media are exploding even in schools that can’t afford computer labs. Mobile phones also get around district firewalls that prevent students from seeing videos they’ve produced, or even Googling NASA photos.

an invitation ... to Islamabad

An invitation from the Roots International School in Islamabad, for their annual honor roll ceremony.

Students at International Studies Learning Center (LAUSD), South Gate, Calif.

a visit to a “global” inner-city school

Photos from a visit to the International Studies Learning Center in South Gate, a public school with a global mission. Their student newspaper and website are named The International Post, a reflection of the school’s diversity.

Above: March 2014 signup sheet by journalism class at International Studies Learning Center. Top right: Classrooms hint at the subjects taught there, for example, English literature. Middle: Students during passing period. Many are first in family to attend a U.S. high school. Bottom right: A school administrator and campus police officer lead a student away in handcuffs; the stakes for students at this one-year-old public school in a gritty part of south Los Angeles are very high.

It’s not hard to find global connections in inner-city schools, though students may or may not have a chance to actually demonstrate their knowledge of different countries and cultures. There is cultural capital here that could be translated into more relevant curricula, journalistic writings that promote critical thinking, and better educational outcomes.

Visit to United Nations International School in Ha Noi, VietnamApril 2012

A visit to the United Nations International School in Ha Noi, Vietnam. My co-director for Newsroom by the Bay, Paul Kandell of Palo Alto High School, and I helped UNIS launch their first student publication, The Flame.

Diversity in newsrooms

Full report is available here

This 2005 Knight report on diversity in newsrooms shed light on a problem we still haven’t solved — how can newsrooms better reflect and respond to society as a whole?

Diversity in classrooms

Source: California Department of Education, Castlemont High School 2012-13 School Accountability Report Card

Public school classrooms often do reflect our society’s diversity.

click here for the report

The annual report in February. Interestingly, the four students I’ve gotten to know at Oakland International School are from countries far down on the list: Yasser, from Yemen (167), Tatiana, from the Congo (151), Omar, from Colombia (126) and Xinje Li, from China (175). The U.S. (46) dropped 13 spaces, behind Romania (45) and Finland (1).

why aren’t these kids in the pipeline?

TatiYasser

Xinyi (aka Candace)

Sebastian (previously Omar)

Working upstream

When does cancer begin?

Where does diabetes start?

How do you create diversity?

Where does cancer start?

When does diabetes begin?

How early can you begin working on newsroom diversity?

Why not in the classroom?

As a health reporter, I learned to ask, “where does illness begin?” What if we took the same upstream approach to diversity in the media?

break down borders — find tomorrow’s voices

use digital platforms to create a virtual newsroom

let them be makers — a global news wire by, for and about teens

seize the Common Core moment

“only connect” —diversify tomorrow’s newsrooms

The writer E.M. Forster once wrote, it’s the goal of humans all over the world to “only connect.” What if we did that, in a way that could nurture young voices and develop them into the journalists of tomorrow?

Global Student Square

The student-led website for my Knight project, launched in January 2015.

Our first News Challenge, examining and exploring the stories that millennials would like to see/read about Africa.

News Challenge questions by students at Oakland International High School February 2015

"What is the depiction of beauty in Africa?"

A video by a student at Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto, California, which makes a great connection between our perceptions of beauty in Africa and African America.

Our virtual newsroom

How we pitch, submit and edit stories. The comment field at right shows students collaborating from the San Francisco Bay Area; Stockton, California; Washington, D.C.; New York; and Seoul, South Korea.

global student square

News

Features

Stanford students urge “slow down for Michael Brown” — Cal students don’t care

—by Simon Greenhill

What are teens really up to on social media? Editor Casey Miller

investigates

InDepthIslam in America — Being modern and Muslim

GSS reporter Shahnoor Jafri interviews teens at a mosque in

Saratoga, California

Top Stories Most ReadData

Mobile app (under development)

We are developing a mobile-first curriculum and a mobile app that will put Global Student Square in the palm of a student’s hand.

The BBC School Report

“Facebook boss responds to criticism*”

*rejects “Junior Facebook” (a good idea)

In looking for best practices, I found the BBC School Report, which takes place each March. More than 1,000 schools take part and the headlines/stories are well-worth reading.

• More than 1,000 school participating in 2013

• “Iraq 10 Years On”

• “Turning 13 in 2013”

• “I’d Be P.M. If I Had Support” — Boris Johnson

• “exhilarating” “awesome” “adrenalin” “journalistic”

CNN Student News

• by adults about adults, for students

• no students on air, no student products

• “Worldwide Wednesday” FB post on March 12 got just 149 replies, many from U.S.

• “I enjoy every show published on CNNSN. Your efforts and qualities are highly appreciated, too. We students from all over the world always think of you and your site as a efficient information and knowledge deliverer. Thank you so much for paying due care and attention to us.” Nhi Huỳnh Ngọc Phúc, Le Quy Don Specialized High School, Quy Nhon, central Vietnam

Compare the BBC to CNN. As both initiatives show, teens worldwide are interested in the news, but the BBC’s School Report Day gives teens an opportunity to be news creators, not just consumers.

Why ‘delivering’ makes me nervous

Edgar Dale’s famous 1940 “cone” turned education on its head by emphasizing active learning over passive instruction. While the underlying data came under fire, later research on student engagement shows that students indeed learn more by doing. This correlates with Linda Darling Hammond’s definition of deep understanding, in which students: 1) use higher-order cognitive functions, 2) apply learning experience in meaningful contexts, and 3) build upon prior learning but push towards more disciplined understandings.

Why Knight?

So, at this point, perhaps you’re thinking: Cool idea, maybe. But why Knight?

“Oxygen is vital to brain growth and

healing.” —National

Association for Child

Development

To breathe ...

Disruption is good. So is stepping away from deadlines (for a little while).

to learn ... education, poli sci, information theory, entrepreneurship, creative writing/journalism

Linda Darling-Hammond, Abbas Milani, Roy Pea, and Adam Johnson all are at Stanford and model the kind of inquiries into equity, Middle Eastern politics, information systems and storytelling that I want to undertake.

... and to be resilient —

to leap again

“Resilient” comes from the Latin “re” (to do again) and “saliere” (to leap).

what’s the right way for information to flow? top down? bottom up?

where’s the center?

should we even have a center? who does what?

how can we all stay safe?

what’s realistic? what can I really achieve?

what are my metrics? how do I know when it’s

working?

One year, lots of questions

Who or what are the natural partners, publishers and audience for global youth

media?

What should we put into a young global journalist’s backpack?

How can we keep young journalists safe?

How might we define global citizenship?

Closing thoughts: “As long as there is a camera, the revolution will continue”

Fareed Zakaria says there are “two big trends” that won’t go away — youth and technology. Young people like Ahmad from “The Square” are the future. We need to move more rapidly to make them news providers with mobile technology, social media, new forms of storytelling.

“You are a child, and it is your right to speak”*

*Ziauddin Yousafzai, high school principal and father of Malala

Malala came to the world’s attention at the age of 11, writing for the BBC’s Urdu desk about life under the Taliban. Her “diary” (dictated to a BBC reporter by phone and using the pseudonym ‘Gul Makai’) alerted the West to the Taliban’s repression of girls’ education. Malala recently won the Nobel Prize for Peace.

Beatrice Motamedi

beatrice@globalstudentsquare.org bymotamedi@gmail.com

510-282-7379

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