2021-2022 News

ACROSS THE FIELD, INTO THE SPOTLIGHT: DSA SOCCER
​BY SRIKAR KALIGOTLA

Refs blow the whistle, silence falls, players and? coaches jump up into the air, the student section goes wild, clapping, screaming, and shouting. 
"YOU HAVE PRETTY HAIR FOR A BLACK GIRL": DAILY MICROAGGRESSIONS PUSH AWAY DSA STUDENTS
​BY MORGAN ROYSTER
Students are speaking out about their own personal experiences with institutionalized microaggression, inequity, and even racism. ​The definition of microaggression is an action or statement that can either be intentional or unintentional and specifically shows negative attitudes towards marginalized groups. Some DSA students have had enough.

WRESTLING WITH COVID: FIGHTING FOR A BREATH 
BY HAU TUNG

 As the slam continues,  both wrestlers are tired from the match. With only seconds left in the match, boom goes the mat as one gets pinned. 1 2 3 counts the ref as the winner emerges from the floor breathless. Both shake hands and walk  back to their sides with their masks back on.     
DRIVER'S ED GETS THE GREEN LIGHT
BY STEPHANIE HUGHES
After finishing one last Zoom call,  a student celebrates as they open an acceptance email to the Durham Public Schools Driver’s Education program for the upcoming fall.
DSA UNROOTED: RUMORS SPREAD ABOUT A NEW CAMPUS
BY SRIKAR KALIGOTLA
Local news put out articles saying that DSA was planning to move locations, because there is a possibility that DPS wants to relocate their district office to the heart of downtown. 
ABSENCES ACCRUING: BUS DRIVER SHORTAGE AT DSA
BY LIAM JONES
Crowds of students stand in the freezing cold waiting for their bus to arrive. They wait for long minutes that feel like hours until it becomes clear that the bus isn’t arriving. Parents have to come a long distance to take their children  home.
FRESH FACES IN DSA LEADERSHIP: GETTING TO KNOW THE NEW ASSISTANT PRINCPLES
BY IONA TURKAL
After more than a year of being out of school, the transition back has been eventful. As new students come onto campus, new staff members do as well. ​
LOCAL LISTEN: MR. BLACKWELL
BY SAM BARTLETT
Pablo Blackwell, a sophomore at Durham School of the Arts, spends his free time producing and rapping under the alias, Mr. Blackwell. ​
SPOTLIGHT:  CHLOE DANIEL, THE JUNIOR CLASS PRESIDENT ​
BY LAYLA NIBLOCK
Flyers filled with smiling faces and various persuasive techniques dotted DSA’s halls in late November, their message loud and inescapable. During a hectic few weeks in the second quarter, students campaigned and voted for the Junior Class President. In the end, Chloe Daniel, a junior actively involved in DSA’s student government, won the title and will represent the student body as Senior Class President next year.
  COLLBORATION IN COVID CARE
BY LAYLA NIBLOCK
Students wearing masks arrange themselves in neat lines, approaching each testing station in an orderly manner. Once at the front, they state their number and their nose is swabbed. This dystopian scene takes place every Wednesday at DSA.
ATHLETIC AND INSIGHTFUL: A LOOK AT TWO REMARKABLE DSA STUDENTS
BY DELPHINE LIU
​​Adrien Jacobs and Precious Ogboko are two remarkable athletes, students, and people who have both recently achieved impressive awards in their respective sports. Balancing many activities can be challenging but these two students have mastered the task. With support from friends, family, and coaches, they have become role models in their communities, using athletics to inspire others around them.​

Students reflect on Racial Injustice after the death of george floyd
BY KAMRYN STALLINGS 

Imagine being targeted by people that are supposed to be protecting and helping you, but instead they are killing you. This is the reality for many African Americans today in the US and it got more attention from the world late last year.

Neurodivergence: why is it overlooked? 
BY XOCHITL GRANDE

Out of  sight secluded classrooms are located in the basement of the school building. These separate classrooms are where the excited and welcoming neurodivergent students find their own unique person in this hectic world.  With the help of EC teachers, neurodivergent students immerse themselves to be a part of the school environment as much as possible.

An addictive depressant: mitigating the effects of social media on mental health
BY DELPHINE LIU

Decreased self esteem, poor body image,  and increased anxiety/depression, combined with enhanced networking, education, and freedom of expression, make up only a few of the many aspects of social media. Through continued use, consumers experience a Yin and Yang of feelings and impacts.

Students organize the Fall Arts Festival unlike anything we’ve seen before 
BY STEPHANIE HUGHES

People pay their respects to their passed loved ones before heading to the streets to watch the parade for Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, a once familiar sight to see every autumn. The Fall Arts Festival, centered around this important holiday in Hispanic culture, is annually sponsored by Durham School of the Arts.

Do minority students feel left out of the educational system at DSA? 
BY MORGAN ROYSTER

Some feel as if schools across the country operate in a biased way towards certain groups of people. Two minority students at DSA feel as if they have been excluded from certain educational opportunities and they are not alone. Feeling left out can lead to a decline in a person's self-confidence. Due to the lack of awareness about certain issues, students might be afraid to voice their opinions about unfair educational opportunities. 

Another change in leadership for DSA
BY CORMAC BAXTER

Once again, Durham School of the Arts had a change in administration; the second time in the 2021-2022 school year. The change comes as Dr. Jackie L Tobias, former principal at City of Medicine Academy, takes on the role as Durham School of the Arts’ new principal- and Mr. Jim Key steps down as the interim principal.

Teenagers banned from the mall: age restriction limits teens’s presence at Southpoint
BY SAM BARTLETT

On Friday night, Southpoint is packed. Groups of teens wander between Urban Outfitters and AMC 17, bringing a bustling life to the mall that is rare in this era of online shopping. At least that’s how it used to be. Recently, Southpoint mall implemented a policy that limits the presence of teens on the property during Friday and Saturday nights.

The man behind the mask: getting to know Mr. Key
​ BY LAYLA NIBLOCK

After 14 years, David Hawks was controversially removed from his position as principal of Durham School of the Arts. The principal position has been temporarily filled by the energetic James Key, who has a long history in DPS. Through daily announcements, Mr. Key works to connect with students and foster school spirit; but many still don’t know the man behind the mask.