February 19, 2016
Issue 2
By the students, for the students
Valentine’s Day: Real or Not?
By Kershlee Miller
Valentine's Day, which is on February 14th, is most
commonly known as a day to celebrate one’s love for a
sweetheart, confess a long time unrequited love, or to buy
and receive cards from a peer to show appreciation.
In my opinion, I don’t find it to be a real holiday. I think this
day is an excuse for stores and companies to convince
people to buy products like cards and candies or plan
elaborate dates, causing them to waste a good sum of
their hard-earned money.
I also think people should know about the holiday’s true origins. Do most people
know what the actual day is about and where it was originated from? Here is the
actual history of the traditional “holiday”:
Most upcoming priests during the third century were commonly named
Valentine, but the most well-known priest was Saint Valentine of Rome. He was a
Catholic bishop during the reign of Claudius II, and would persecute Christians
during this time. However, he would also secretly marry couples even though
marriage was banned, and because of that, he was beheaded on February
14th. Not long after, it was believed that birds would start to pair on February 14th
(Saunders “History of Saint Valentine”). “For this was on Seynt Valentyne's day,
when every foul cometh there to choose his mate." (Chaucer “Parlement of
Foules”). From this, the day was dedicated to lovers showing affection to one
another.
Valentine’s Day has real history behind it that needs to be recognized. I’ll admit,
even I didn’t know the tale behind the holiday until I did my research.
What do you think? Do you think Valentine’s Day is a real holiday? If not, given
the facts above, should we be teaching students the truth behind it so it would
be considered a holiday? I personally believe that we should learn more about
the “holiday” to classify it as one.
Page 1 of 4
Issue 2
February 19, 2016
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
“
Student Spotlight is a section where a student is recognized for his or
her achievements. This time, the Student Spotlight was written by
Robin Thomas and praises Jasline Thomas, a senior who showcases her
many talents and works hard to receive leadership roles:
At Mast Community Charter School, there are many bright students that work hard to
achieve their dreams and goals every single day. Each student has different aspirations,
interests, and talents. Out of the many students, one particular individual stands out to me-Jasline Thomas. She is a very talented and gifted individual who has an amazing voice and is a
great dancer.
I recently asked her for an interview to learn where her admiration and motivation
comes from. During this exclusive interview, Jasline told me many things about herself. One
attribute that she pointed out was that dancing has been a huge part of her life. This all started
when “[My mother] sent me to dance class when I was just seven years old. That experience
helped me develop a strong devotion for dancing”, she told me. After learning that she started
dancing at such a young age as well as that her mother was her inspiration for dancing, I asked
her what she admires most about dancing. She responded, “I like dancing because it’s like a
stress reliever, a new world. It’s a way for me to be peaceful and be me.” In addition to her
dancing skills, Jasline loves to sing and has the voice of an angel. Just like her passion for
dancing, she also has a passion for singing. She explained that, “Just like dancing, singing is also
a stress reliever and way for me to express myself.” Jasline eventually told me that she has her
own YouTube channel where she posts videos of her singing and dancing for the rest of the
world to enjoy. I asked her a few questions about her channel, to which she replied, “YouTube is
a way for me to share my talents and put myself out there to others. I post remakes, dancing,
performances, and other videos just for fun”, she explained. Jasline is also involved in many
extracurricular activities. She is co-president of M.A.A.S.T., also known as the MaST Asian
American Team, and a choreographer for the school dance team.
Jasline is a good example of an intelligent, involved, and talented student. Jasline is a good
example of a role model for other students at MaST. Just as Jasline has publically demonstrated
her talents, other students should feel encouraged and inspired to do the same.
Celebrate Black History Month!
February is Black History Month, which means this time of
year we celebrate important black historical figures who
have created a brighter future for us all.
Turn to page 3 to learn more about W.E.B DuBois, who is
among these many historical black figures, in an article
written by Jasmine Zhang.
Page 2 of 4
February 19, 2016
Issue 2
When people say black history month, people usually think of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther
King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and Frederick Douglas, just to name a few. Among the ranks of
these civil rights activists is perhaps one of the less known names today, but nonetheless
an important one. His name is W.E.B. DuBoi, and he is the founder of the Niagara
Movement as well as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
(N.A.A.C.P), one of the largest organizations for ethnic minorities in the contemporary
world.
Born in 1868 in Great Barrington, MA, DuBois grew up in a town of white Americans.
After his father died, DuBois and his mother struggled to make ends meet. He was
accepted to Fisk University, a predominantly African American institution, and earned a
B.A. in history in 1888. Four years later, he earned a Ph.D. in history from Harvard’s
Graduate School, making him the first African American to get the degree from
Harvard. DuBois then moved to Philadelphia and wrote the first sociological study of
African Americans, The Philadelphia Negro, and established himself as an
internationally known sociologist. Following the study was The Souls of Black Folk,
published in 1903, which presented DuBois’ belief that African Americans should
demand equality and rights for themselves rather than staying below white Americans.
In 1905, DuBois organized the Niagara Movement with other African American leaders
at Niagara Falls to fight for civil rights. The movement desired change and forcefully
demanded equal political and educational opportunities for African Americans. The
movement’s members openly criticized discrimination and called to end segregation.
Despite the strong influence of the Niagara Movement because of its unique method of
demanding change, DuBois realized that the movement was not powerful enough. The
movement consisted only of African Americans; to battle racism, white and black
Americans would have to join hands. As a result, the N.A.A.C.P was formed.
The N.A.A.C.P, the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights organization, still upholds its
values from the day it was created in 1909. As the successor of the Niagara Movement,
the organization still has values from its predecessor: achieving political and
educational opportunities and better social and economic equality. It still strives to
eliminate racial prejudice against African Americans. Through the organization’s efforts
to battle racial discrimination, the organization not only grew and gained more
supporters, but also pushed for the passing of several civil rights legislations such as the
Anti-Lynching Bill, an act to prevent lynching and to punish those who commit the
crime. Presently, the N.A.A.C.P has expanded into health care and criminal justice and
continues to work for African Americans in need of better opportunities and to change
America into a more democratic nation.
W.E.B. DuBois may be a lesser known name in the 21st century, but his significance is
shown in America’s largest organization, the N.A.A.C.P. What started as his study to
provide his view that African Americans should demand their rights grew to an
organization that fights to better the conditions of African Americans. Even though
DuBois has passed away, he is still working to eliminate racial discrimination in the
organization he founded. The world today would not have a dedicated organization to
solving ethnic minorities’ problems without DuBois.
Page 3 of 4
Issue 2
February 19, 2016
Creative Creations
“
This section encourages students to show off their creative skills by submitting
their artwork, short stories, and poems. This is a poem entitled “Alone” written
by Amber Headrick:
As we age, forever nearing the inevitable demise of ourselves,
We realize that life is not as simple as we had once thought
That togetherness is perhaps something we cannot bear.
Yet, the feeling of loneliness pierces our soul
Invades our consciousness
And destroys our lives.
Alone.
Alone with the emptiness of a silent room
Alone with the pain of a broken heart
Alone with the cacophony of a million thoughts-unbidden, unwanted, without
shame.
Alone.
And, in this harrowing abyss of loneliness,
We find solace in the one thing that we have feared
We stray away from the brightness of light
From the judgement of the outside.
We find solace in the shadows, peace within the darkness.
For darkness does not judge, does not ridicule, does not harm
The darkness engulfs us in its misery, welcoming us in the cold
We are who we are, and darkness cares not.
As we age, we realize that loneliness is not as bad as we had thought
That we are calm in our solitude
We are safe.
Darkness becomes our ally, loneliness our escape.
After all, we are all alone in the dark.
Just a few reminders…
MAAST Talent Show in the MPR on February 26, 2016
March 4th: Progress Report Card Grades Due
March 17th-18th: Senior Pictures for juniors
If you are interested in editing or writing for The MaST Tribune, you can email
Mrs. Spellman at [email protected], or come to our next Newspaper
Club meeting on February 24th!
Page 4 of 4