Currently Browsing: In-Depth
Ash’s Aspects: Pirating
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Written by Ash Lanith, The Eagle Senior Columnist
Before nearly any movie, you see an Anti-Piracy Warning from the FBI. Huge fines are imposed on those who don’t pay for their media and just take it off the internet. However, people still do it all the time.
And it’s not like it’s difficult or anything.
For example: You have to buy all your music on iTunes. But, you can watch music videos for any song on YouTube whenever you like for free. And now, you can download that content with Real Player right onto your computer or flash drive, from where you can easily put it onto your iPod. So you can bypass these monetary restrictions and still enjoy your music.
And if you don’t want to get music off the internet, you can still just rip from a CD that a friend owns. That way, you don’t have to pay.
New machines, like LP to CD and cassette to CD, allow you to convert old music into digital form. It is extremely easy to obtain these forms of music. I, for example, got many cassettes from my uncle and aunt (see A Complex Taste in Music).
I’m not saying that you should go out of your way to be illegal.
Only that there are other ways of getting media besides buying it.
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Currently Browsing: Sports
Eagles fall short in championship game, 56-49
Photo Credit: Brandon McClung
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Written by Brandon Hutton, The Eagle Senior Reporter
The Obama Eagles and Allderdice Dragons faced off for the third time this season. The regular season series was split 1-1. Both games were intense, high energy, and close in terms of scoring. For the championships, they were set at Peabody for a 12:00 start.
This game was even more intense and physical than the two regular season games. People were being pushed over, the crowd was loud, people were screaming. By the first quarter, you could tell there would be no clear winner until the very end. This was very true, as the game was tied many times throughout.
The fourth quarter came, and it seemed Obama had the upper hand. With a big three by Canaan Reid, the momentum was in Obama’s hands. Until the final minute, either team could have won. However, Allderdice pulled out the win and was able to keep it for the last couple of minutes. The final was Allderdice 56 and Obama 49.
DJ Porter led Obama with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The team will begin state playoff action tomorrow.
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Currently Browsing: Student News
News Notes 2/25–Porter article, accolades for The Eagle
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Some notes for this wintry weekend:
-You can find a nice article on Obama basketball star D.J.Porter and his father in today’s Tribune-Review:
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/columnists/s_783503.html
-Congratulations to the staff of The Eagle Online for winning 3rd place in The Keystone Scholastic Press Association Awards for 2011-2012. And congratulations to our own Cathy Pierotti for winning 2nd place for Best Column. Her column “Isabella” can be found under the In Depth section.
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Currently Browsing: News
PPS Superintendent Dr.Linda Lane: Hard work is the key to success
Photo Credit: Sarah Parker
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Written by Rhonna Ly, The Eagle Staff Reporter
She was born in nearby Morgantown, West Virginia and raised in Des Moines, Iowa. She moved around quite a bit in her youth, but for Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Linda Lane, the message from her parents during her early years was clear, no matter where she found herself: prioritize your academics. It was a message that has lasted a lifetime.
Dr.Lane received her Pre-K education in Texas, in a state and during a time when segregation was common. She later graduated from the same high school as her father and grandmother. In her free time, Lane read for entertainment, knitted, enjoyed sowing and did art. Throughout her early years, her parents’ message of “school comes first” was never lost on her.
A product of a Catholic school education, Dr. Lane went to a public school only for a year at Public School 1 in New York City, but from that point on absolutely adored public schools. Early on, Dr. Lane had at first decided to become a nurse but acknowledged the bad side of the job; “I didn’t like the blood,” she said.
In college, her major was Political Science which would also change. In reflecting on the many tremendous teachers during her scholastic career, she realized her desire to become an elementary school teacher. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and later went to Drake University for her graduate studies. She started as a teacher in Des Moines, Iowa and built a career there in the field of education.
She came to Pittsburgh a few years ago after Superintendent Mark Roosevelt offered her a position as assistant superintendent. She had known Roosevelt from various workshops and the move to Pittsburgh seemed to be a natural. After all, she was born in Morgantown and later found out that she had an aunt who had taught at Allderdice. After Roosevelt decided to leave in late 2010, Dr. Lane became the Superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools in January of 2011.
These days, Dr.Lane has a lot on her plate but she happily reflects on her days of being a classroom teacher.” While I was a first grade teacher, it was amazing and a miracle of how the children I taught suddenly knew how to read,” she said.
At the same time, she remembers the hard work ethic that her parents instilled in her as a child and believes that it has carried through for her to this day. It is a work ethic that she believes is still important today.” I emphasize how much work you have to do like I did during school,’ she said. “From that, I have the compulsion to do the best I can as a superintendent and want to encourage children to reach and grab the opportunity of education.”
Dr.Lane has never forgotten her own love of school, as a student and as a teacher, and she has never forgotten that hard work and focus are needed to achieve in life. She believes that all Pittsburgh students can achieve great things and has dedicated her life to helping us to realize our dreams.
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Currently Browsing: Academics
March HS Teacher Feature–Mr.Lazur
Photo Credit: Kenya Harper
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Written by Abner Roberts, The Eagle Staff Reporter
“As I look back on my teaching career I know I have made the right decision. I truly enjoyed my career,” says Mr. Lazur, an 11th and 12th grader mathematics teacher here at Obama. For as long as he can remember he always wanted to be a teacher, and has been interested in math since day one.
He’s certainly not your typical math teacher, who bores the entire class to sleep. Simply put, he continually tries to make math a stimulating and engaging class.
In his 35th year of teaching he has accomplished a lot throughout his career, both in and out of school. When asked what the most rewarding part of his job is, Lazur comments that interacting with students and helping them see what the world expects of them is definitely the best part.
He is also a successful coach for the track and football team here at Obama. As a high school football coach he has been part of a coaching staff who has won two Schenley high school championships. He has also won one championship with Oliver and another with the new USO team. His track team has won over thirteen track championships as well.
Although he is a busy teacher and coach he seems to squeeze in his own free time. He likes to work out at the gym, and travel the world with his wife. However he states that “ no hobby of mine is more enjoyable than simply watching my students improve.”
Mr.Lazur is our March High School Teacher Feature. Stop in and say hello to a man who has dedicated himself to student success in math and in sports.
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Currently Browsing: Student News
Android App program a winner for Obama students
Photo Credit: courtesy of Michael Chapman
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Written by Devoughn Spratt for The Eagle
Android apps club is a place where kids who are inspired by apps like Angry Birds, Little Alchemy and Temple run. It is a club where kids of our generation learn how to make apps for Phones, I-pods, and computers. It surprisingly has lots of relevance and relation to math. It is a club where you graph and work with numbers. And for those of you who have a strong artistic life it’s for you too.
Students from Obama like Brandon Hutton, Daniel Denlinger, and Yoka Rooney attend this club. For his part, Rooney says that he was “taught basic app skills, like programming language, how to draw and animate figures, and use graph and coordinates.” He went on to say that “it was a very good time and I learned a lot.”
The first Android Apps club has just finished. We will let you know when the club is re-forming and looking for interested students.
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Currently Browsing: Student News
Is high school a cause of teen obesity?
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Written by Sierra Mittermeier, The Eagle Staff Reporter
According to the internet, between 16 and 33 percent of children and teens are obese. This is the most obvious medical condition there is, but is the most difficult to cure. We need exercise and a healthy diet to stay at a normal weight. “A child is not considered obese until the weight is at least 10 percent higher than what is recommended for their height and body type…” says the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry website.
What do we Americans eat for us to be so obese? Is it the McDonald’s after school, or before practice, or the “pizza” and “cheese burgers” at lunch with our cookies and teas? We have a physical education class- for half of the year. There could be absolutely no reason we have rising obesity levels, right? We have also the choice to eat those green things in a plastic container before the greasy things and we even have our own salad line but, what for? We have our French fries and cookies, ice cream and sherbet, rice crispy treats and who knows what’s next.
When our school was in the Frick building down in Oakland, many who remember will tell you about the Healthy program we were a part of. We had a salad bar almost every day and not once in a blue moon. We had really cool food options and there was far more a variety to choose from at lunch than we do now. People from the Healthy Program used to have us taste test new things at lunch and vote our choice to try and get that item in our cafeteria. We also had a revolving cycle of gym, swimming and health. I thought this was smart because not only were we covering all the bases we needed. We also stayed fit the entire year.
I personally don’t think our cafeteria lunch is at any more fault than our society’s. We all choose what we eat and how much, but if you had a random millionaire of your choice put a quarter of a million dollars in front of someone and say “Hey, go on take it, I don’t want it. It’s just going to cause only a little bit of trouble, ” they are going to take it. It’s part of our nature to want to spoil ourselves and to have more. That’s why we have McDonalds and Subway and Arby’s. We want our stuff and we want it quick. Society wants us to eat more because our proportions have increased immensely and we have lowered our standards on grease. The more the merrier for us Americans.
All in all, it’s not just our school’s fault it’s our societies. We have the power to resist and bring our own lunches but the majority of us fall with the pressure. Obesity levels are rising and we can do something about it. Make a change for the future. Change is good.
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Currently Browsing: Student News
Self-defense club a natural aid for self-confidence, discipline
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Written by Kendra Davis, Aisha Osunduagwuike for The Eagle
“Remember to learn it so you do not have to fight… self defense is an art.”
So said Mrs. Sharif-Lucas, Obama Academy’s band director. Mrs. Sharif-Lucas does not only direct the band she also teaches self-defense, specifically Tae Kwon-Do. She is currently a student of Tae Kwon-Do, teaches it at the school attends and wants to share the art with students.
When asked what are some of the good things about self-defense she pointed to individuals gaining the confidence and self-defense skills. She especially likes to see her students brimming with self-confidence.
The stereotypes are the bad part of the self-defense art because people think its all about running up walls and being like Jackie Chan. But there is a lot of training and technique involved to be able to do the moves correctly. There are a lot of physical and mental things involved with the art, as well.
There is more than one type of self-defense and they are Karate, Judo, Jujitsu, and Tang-Soo-Do. Mrs.Sharif-Lucas enjoys her style and believes that students will, as well. “With hard work and the will to learn, you’ll be able to do it. Anyone can be good at Tae Kwon-Do”
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Currently Browsing: Student News
Mardi Gras tradition again a hit at Obama
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Written by Sarah Parker, The Eagle Staff Writer
On Monday February 20, our school’s French Department hosted a party for Mardi Gras.
Families from all over came together to celebrate this holiday at our school.
There was live music, food, king cake, beads, masks, and even a real clown. “I love the celebration,
music, and food”, said Miss Kantz, a French teacher at our school. Our school has been celebrating this
holiday ever since Dr. Walters has been principal, and he plans to continue this tradition even at
Peabody
He was inspired by the whole notion of making sure our school learns about other cultures.
Keira Roberts and Christina Ritchie both agreed that the decorations, beads, masks, music, environment,
and the clown were amazing.
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Currently Browsing: Sports
So we meet again! It’s Obama and Allderdice for the City League basketball championship
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Written by Markia Freeman, The Eagle Staff Reporter
In the journey to the championships the Obama Eagles first had to make a stop atAllderdiceHigh Schoolto face the Brashear Bulls in a playoff game. This sudden death match was filled with excitement and great emotion from both teams. The Obama Eagles were on fire! As always DJ Porter, Shane Washington, and Canaan Reid put up points for the team. The Eagles answered to every point Brashear put up, and more. Sadly, we sent the Brashear Bulls packing. The final score was 82 to 63.
Now our Obama Eagles are going to face the Allderdice Dragons on Saturday atPeabodyHigh Schoolin the City Championship game. Our school’s history with Allderdice is known for being a bit of a rivalry. That game will be one for the history books.
Allderdice has won the last two city championships in a row, and they split with Obama this year.
The game will be held this Saturday at Peabody High, at noon.
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