Table of contents
LockDown On Lockers by Gabrielle Shubitz and Olivia Hook
Rating 2022 High School Fashion Trends by Nia St. Cyrus & Isabel Bar
Advice column by Miriam Saab & Alivia Quiles
Ski Season by Isabella Foler
Middle School Halloween Dance, Photos by Riley Sobey 11
LockDown On Lockers.
Short Summary: SOF does not provide lockers for students, and throughout the world, backpacks have caused harm to many students, and that needs to change.
Outside Research:
Backpacks are often a number 1 staple for school; it's needed to carry our books, folders, assignments, etc. Depending on how much is in those backpacks, they can become pretty heavy to carry. This can affect any student, no matter the age, if they are to carry weight on their shoulders for multiple hours.
In an article from the New York Post, a story about a girl's sufferings caused by her backpack is explained. (McGorry) They state, “One parent of a 12-year-old girl told Fox News Digital that her daughter was complaining for months about upper back and neck pain. At first, the Long Island, NY-based mom thought her daughter’s aches and pains were due to her sports activities. But once they saw their physician, the mom learned her daughter’s backpack was the culprit.’ She was picking up a backpack of books and going from classroom to classroom throughout the day, and then carrying the bag to and from school. That’s a lot of lifting,’ the mom told Fox News Digital. Her daughter had to attend several weeks of sessions that included osteopathic manipulation to her spine for her neck and upper back strains.” This child is so young and having to be sent to the doctors for multiple medical sessions, must tell us something about what kids might be going through for 5 days a week. In addition to this, the New York Post also states, “The US Consumer Product Safety Commission says an estimated annual average of 7,500 kids under 19 years old were treated in emergency rooms for injuries related to backpacks from 2017 to 2019.” This hasn’t happened to just one student, it has happened to thousands, which tells us that this is an important issue. With lockers, this would prevent and reduce the amount of injuries caused by the fact that students must carry their backpack all throughout the school day. Even a physical therapist thinks the same, the New York Post states, “Bill Schwarz, a physical therapist at The Schwarz Institute in Massapequa, NY, works with Long Island University Division 1 athletes in Brookville, NY, as well as with high school students. Schwarz told Fox News Digital it is important for students to keep the weight down by making several trips to their locker.” Not only are students bringing this issue up, but there are certified doctors saying the same. It's not only the New York Post that is talking about this, but also websites like, health.harvard.edu and kidshealth.org. In health.harvard.edu from Harvard Medical School, Harvard students also talk about how backpacks, especially heavy ones, can have a negative effect on students who need to wear backpacks all throughout the day. It mentions the information, “These heavy loads place stress on the spine and shoulders of children, causing muscle strain and fatigue. For some kids, the aches and pains are bad enough to seek medical attention. Too much weight can also lead to bad habits such as poor posture and excessive slouching.”. From bad habits relating to their back to needing to seek medical attention; a school item should never cause the experiences of needing medical attention or any pain at all, and lockers are a way we can prevent, stop, or reduce these occurrences.
Throughout this article, backpacks have been viewed as a cause of harm to students’ backs and shoulders like, the creation of bad habits, or general pain, however that is not the only harm it can do. From kidshealth.org, they explain that, “Carrying a heavy pack changes the way kids walk and puts them at risk of falling, particularly on stairs or other places where a backpack puts a student off balance.”. If the backpack is heavy enough, the weight can pull them back if the child is not leaning forward enough while walking up the stairs, which would then perhaps result in a fall and a slam to the back, and/or some else getting hurt from being fallen on. Furthermore, it also states, “Kids who carry large packs often aren't aware of how much space the packs take up and can hit others with their packs when turning around or moving through tight spaces, such as the aisles of a school bus.” As they explain, sometimes people are not aware of their surroundings, think they are but find out after hitting someone with their backpack, that they miscalculate or often in the cramped hallways there isn’t always a quick solution to preventing that. At SOF, we walk up and down the provided stairs all the time, to get our classes. From 1 floor to 10 floors, at any level, it can be possible that people may be hit by a backpack, with the possibility of falling down the stairs because of it. This could severely injure someone, not only a student but also a teacher if they were to be passing through on the stairs.
All these pieces of evidence support our claim in different ways. The websites have talked about such things like, back problems, the chance of falling down the stairs because of the weight of the backpack, or hitting another person with your backpack while walking to your next class. All this could happen at SOF, so we need to do something about it.
In School Summary Research: Link to Interview
An interview took place with many different students in high school at School of the Future. After looking at the results and summarizing them, this is the majority conclusion.
After the continued research from inside the school, it has been seen that even though we don’t have a great system for lockers, the students would value them. According to Claire Adams, “It kinda sucks cuz like we have to walk up like 10 flights of stairs every day and with our heavy bags you know, and I think lockers would be pretty convenient you know,”. This is just one of the many examples of students who feel the same way.
Even though students want lockers to help store their stuff and just have a place to hang out it brings up, there are concerns about back problems. According to Heidi Malitek, She feels that not having lockers is, “Bad. Bad. Broken back. It hurts.” Another School of the Future Student Maya Cho shared her opinion that, “It sort of sucks cuz especially since you have 10 flights, and it's really a pain to have to carry our heavy bags up and down the stairs.” Some students feel that if there were lockers, then they would have less back pain, and they would be able to walk up and down the stairs easier and ultimately get to class faster.
Another concern that was brought up by multiple students was just having a place where they can store all their stuff. One student expresses how as someone who does extracurricular activities most days after school, “I don't have anywhere to put my bag, and my stuff when I have ballet. It's annoying. Instead, I am walking around the school with all my stuff, and it gets annoying after a while.” This was shared by Isabella Foler. Another student mentions his concerns without having a place to store his valuables and not just leave them in his backpack. Charles shared, “I personally feel kind of upset that there's no lockers. I feel like having lockers would allow the students to express themselves and be able to store their valuables in a safe environment.”
Some of the concerns weren’t about how backpacks slow them down, but how they feel that they might be missing out on an experience. Thalia shared her concerns, “I feel sad. Yeah, Because like every other school, every other school has lockers and it's like we're missing out.” This is a very important point that she brings up. A lot of students feel that they are already missing out on the high school experience by not having football games or the ideal high school experience, and a lot of them think they are missing out on having lockers. This would not only allow for the students to put their stuff places and prevent injuries, but also allow for another opportunity for students to build a stronger community and bond with their peers.
There is overall confusion from students, but also eagerness to share their thoughts on important issues. Asheem is a student that has been in the School of the Future building since middle school. He shares that, “It's annoying. Even though I haven't used a locker in a couple years, I've always wondered why, like, we don't use lockers anymore?”. There is general confusion, but also lack of attention to the issue that the students think are important.
Conclusion:
Although we didn’t get an interview from any teachers or staff members, we would be inclined to think that they would think that lockers would not be something we should have. They may believe that it would cause more distractions for students, but instead the students think it would help kids get to class faster, be more motivated in class, and/or create a healthier lifestyle. Even though we understand that getting lockers may be very hard to get and that there is a possibility of not receiving lockers after sharing this article, we think the bigger message is the importance of having our voices heard and acknowledged.
Works Cited
Harvard Medical Group. “Bad backs and backpacks.” Harvard Health, 25 January 2017, https://www.health.harvard.edu/child-and-teen-health/bad-backs-and-backpacks.
Hirsh, Larissa. “Backpack Safety.” Kids Health, May 2020, https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/backpack.html.
McGorry, Amy. “As kids prepare to head back to school, doctors reveal heavy backpacks have to go.” New York Post, 10 August 2022, https://nypost.com/2022/08/10/as-kids-prepare-to-head-back-to-school-doctors-reveal-heavy-backpacks-have-to-go/.
Schmidt, Ann W. “Don't personalize your kids' school backpacks. Here's why.” Fox News, 18 September 2021, https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/experts-warn-personalized-backpacks-back-to-school.
Rating 2022 High School Fashion Trends
By: Nia St. Cyrus & Isabel Bar
Converse: We all wear converse, they go with everything, but get soaked in 2 seconds when it rains. Converse are also not the best in winter, unless you wear thick, cozy socks. Overall, 8/10.
Flare jeans: We love a good pair of flare jeans, especially with a big sweater. Extra points for flares with UGGs in the winter, win win. 10/10.
Oversized sweaters: Very comfy and warm, easily make a cute fit with any pants and a big sweater, a staple in everyone's closet. A con though, is you should probably wear something underneath since it's either 10 degrees or 90 in SOF. 100/10.
Doc martens: Adds to every outfit, especially in the cold. But they are NOT worth the pain. Feet = shredded. 3/10.
Air forces: Retire them. Now. It's been 4 years, find some new goddamn shoes. 1/10.
Cargo pants: Immediately yes. Hits hard every time, comfortable and cute. Maybe not for winter, unless they’re denim. 9/10.
Plaid pajama pants: As something comfortable to wear to school because you’re lazy, yes. As a style, no. 2/10
Advice Column
How do I get people to go tutoring?
Hmm. Interesting question! I think that in these cases it depends on the people. If they are people that you love spending time with, then embrace their company! Since I am aware of the people you are speaking of, I definitely think that you should be grateful for the time that they took to speak to you. However, as always, having good communication with them is key.
How to interact with younger people?
I’m guessing that the younger people in this context are underclassmen. Then, I think that simply smiling, waving and even trying to learn their names is a great way to form friendships. It is a little difficult to interact with younger people in SOF because of the lack of overlying classes with these kids. Signing up for the tutoring internship is a class that can allow you to speak more with underclassmen that you may not see normally. However, if you do see younger people normally and do not know how to speak with them, I think taking things slow is best. It’s intimidating to be a younger kid in a school that is mixed middle school and High School. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, starting things by being very nice and someone they could go to for advice on classes and teachers you’ve already had is very helpful for them.
How can I get self-esteem?
There are many ways to boost self-esteem. I get it that during these times, it gets tough to be kind to yourself while facing the insane stereotypes of what you should look like. The best way to at least boost your self-esteem is to learn how to be assertive and confident in yourself. At first, it might be hard, but everything requires baby steps to turn into big leaps. Honestly, fake it until you make it! Also, just remember to be kind to yourself, once you truly love yourself the easier it will be to gain that confidence in the way you hold yourself. Look in the mirror! Point out all the good features you have and discard the negatives. Embrace your features and dress who you want and express yourself how you want. All of these little things would really boost that self-esteem.
How to approach upperclassmen?
Upperclassmen can seem really intimidating, but the real truth is that they are real people just like you. Most are very approachable, but it depends on how you act. Just remember to be confident in the way you speak and how you carry yourself, most upperclassmen would go along and continue the conversation. Ask questions in order to keep the conversation flowing, but not deep questions, especially if this is your first time talking to them. But you never know unless you try! Put yourself out there and remember, be yourself but nicer. First impressions are everything.
What day is news day?
We love to see people interested in the Newspaper Club! If you have any questions about the club, you can find us on our Instagram, myfuturetimes, or you can email newspaper@sof.edu.
I have a HUGE crush on a redhead who's a senior, but she has a boyfriend currently, and I don’t know what to do. What should I do?
It's good that you are asking for advice on something like this. But based on what you have written, they are in a relationship, so there isn’t much to be done. The best thing for yourself is to allow your crush to be happy in their relationship and to not get involved. If you are looking to get over her, then either telling her how you feel or looking for someone else to like are options. Good luck!
Ski Season (tips for safe skiing)
By: Isabella Foler
1. Apply sunscreen! Although it is not summer, the sun is still present. It is especially easy to get sunburned while skiing. Here’s a link to some sunscreens recommended for skiing: https://mrsoaroundtheworld.com/lifestyle/beauty/top-5-sunscreen-for-skiing/amp/
2. Know your limits. It might sound fun to go down a black diamond, but it is not safe to do if you are not at that level. Working on your skills in an easier trail will help you work towards harder trails, don’t rush it.
3. Ski with a group to make sure everyone is staying safe. If one person accidentally crashes into a tree or slips on ice, the rest of the group can get them help. Rather than being alone where you would have to wait until someone saw you.
4. Wear the correct clothing, make sure you have undergarments that are keeping you warm. The last thing you would want is to have your skiing vacation cut short because you caught the flu or a cold. Here’s a link to a collection of recommended ski-jackets: https://www.switchbacktravel.com/best-ski-jackets
5. Make sure you are leaning forward, most first time skiers make the mistake of leaning back, which can result in a collision.
**All links given include affordable and high-end products for all!**
Meet SOF’s Official Food Critic: Brielle Hakopian
By: Brielle Hakopian
Hi. My name is Brielle Hakopian, and I am a food critic for The Future Times. I am going to assume that whether you are a student or a part of the faculty at School of the Future, you often find yourself debating where you should go for lunch. Maybe you don’t know what kind of food you want, maybe you don’t know which restaurant has the best quality food, maybe you have a budget and you don’t want to spend too much money, or maybe you want to sit inside or outside, maybe you want to use the bathroom, or maybe you want to listen to music. My job is to make you aware of the restaurants near school to make lunch easier for you every day. My first edition of The Future Times is on Bubble tea stores near school. I am reviewing Coco Tea and Kung Fu tea this month, and next month I will be reviewing Yaya tea, Vivi tea and maybe some others too. If you have any requests, let us know on our Instagram myfuturetimes, or contact me through my email, brielle.hakopian.newspaper@gmail.com!
If you are anything like me, you love bubble tea. If you are nothing like me, you don’t even know what bubble tea is. Let's fix that. Bubble tea/boba is a Taiwanese drink that was created in Taichung in the 1980s. Since then, bubble tea has blown up all over the world and has evolved into many different flavors from what the Taiwanese first invented. It is a drink with a tea base and from there can have so many flavors and toppings. Within a few blocks from School of the Future, there are many bubble tea restaurants. Vivi bubble tea, Kung fu tea, Coco Fresh Tea and Juice, and Yaya tea, Yi Fang, and more. In this edition of the paper, I am reviewing Kung Fu Tea and Coco Tea. I would tell you which one I think is “better” but it's not that simple. I went to those 4 restaurants and reviewed them based on many things. Do they have bathrooms? Is there outdoor or indoor seating? Is there music playing in the store? Does the store have decorations? How expensive are the drinks? Is there a student discount? How is the food and drink served? And a big factor - what do the students think about which place is the best?
Coco Fresh Tea and Juice
Coco Fresh Tea and Juice or as known by regulars, “Coco” is known to be one of the largest global bubble tea chains, and has a store about a block away from our school on Lexington and 24th street as shown in the image below.
If you go to Coco to get your bubble tea, there are many benefits. The Coco location has a well decorated and clean interior with Halloween decorations at this time of year. Most of the time, there is music playing in the store, and the employees greet you kindly and ask you what you would like to order.
The menu for Coco drinks is near the counter so that it is easy to see the drink options. Also, students, if you present the employees at Coco with a student ID, you can get a 15% discount on anything you order! After ordering your drink, the employees call your order and serve you your drink on the counter. Drinks at Coco are served in sturdy cups with cute designs on it. If you get a drink at Coco, you are free to use the limited indoor seating, and although Coco doesn’t offer outdoor seating, there are several benches across the street near the Vivi bubble tea restaurant and building number 50. However, Coco also has some disadvantages. To me and my friends, this Coco almost always has a bad smell. This may sound disgusting, but I have heard some people say it smells like a “fishbowl” or other days “gym socks.” Some days it smells more than others, but it can be very bothersome and I can’t help but wonder what is in the store to give it that smell. If you are looking to get food along with your bubble tea, don’t go to Coco because they do not serve any food. Also, you need to use the bathroom, you can’t do it at Coco because their small location doesn’t allow for it. Lastly, a very important thing that is often dismissed, you are presented with a holster of only thick clear boba straws. To me, a variety of straw color and size options is a really important thing. If I get a yellow drink, I want to get a straw color that matches or contrasts the drink color perfectly. Some might argue that clear straws match with everything, but I think that a perfectly matched color is better than a boring color every time.
When I ordered from Coco, I got the following drinks (prices rounded):
Passion fruit green tea regular ice and sugar + tapioca ($6)
Lava Pearl milk tea regular ice and sugar + tapioca ($6)
Green Yakult Tea less ice 70% sugar + tapioca ($6)
Taro milk tea regular ice and sugar ($6)
As someone who loves sweet tea, I mostly get very sweet drinks. However, Coco also has drinks for people who do not like sweet drinks. The sugar options are 0%, 30%, 50%, 70% and 100%, the “regular” option. If you are into sour drinks, I recommend the Green Yakult Tea. My friends and I would say that the Passion fruit tea at Coco is very good. It is sweet and fruity and smooth with a hint of tea flavor but not too much that it is overwhelming. The Lava Pearl milk tea tasted like a sweet milk tea, it was very good and a little bit more complex than a plain milk tea. The taro tea was very sweet, but delicious! The tapioca pearls at Coco never fail to impress me. They are easy to chew but not too squishy.
Editor's Favorite: I have only been to this location a few times, but I am very experienced with bubble tea, so I can somewhat confidently say that so far, my favorite bubble tea drink at Coco is the Passion Fruit Green Tea with regular ice, regular sugar, and tapioca pearls. I definitely recommend this drink to those of you who like sweet drinks and like fruit teas.
Kung Fu Tea
Kung Fu tea has 292 locations in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Cambodia, and 35 of them are in New York. Therefore, the review of this one location on east 23rd street between Lexington and Park South cannot be a representation of the entire chain. In fact, this location along with 6 others in NYC shares a location with Tkk- a company that sells fried chicken that they partner with. To start, let's talk about the pros for this Kung Fu Tea location. It has a well decorated interior for Halloween and normal decorations that a store should have.
For example, they have signs advertising their store, such as painted walls with their name and logo. In addition, this Kung Fu Tea & Tkk restaurant maintains a clean interior with clean counters, tables, floors, and bathrooms. There are two bathrooms with a code lock available to customers. The toilet is clean, there is plenty of soap accessible, and there is a very nice mirror to check yourself out. Whether it's the large screens above the kitchen or the menus down by the counter, the restaurant also has a very clear display of all the food and drink options that they have available. There is a ton of indoor seating at the front and back of the store. Lastly, there are some very good deals! I was able to get a filling Tkk meal that includes chicken, a biscuit, fries, and a classic drink for $9! However, there are also some negatives to going to this restaurant. There are no discounts for students, the cups are flimsy, the cups only have a very simple minion design, and the only straws they have are thick black straws. In addition, the store gets very busy around lunchtime and the service gets really bad. Not only does your order take a very long time to come out, but the employees are disorganized with so many orders, and they do not use polite tones with you. On the other hand, when the store is not busy, the employees can be nice. When I walked out of the store, they said, “I hope you enjoy it, okay?”
I have been to Kung Fu Tea only a few times recently, but I have also been to Kung Fu Tea’s other locations. Recently, I have gotten the following things from their establishment (prices are rounded):
Crispy original sandwich ($7)
Tkk snack box that came with 2 chicken tenders, curly fries, honey mustard, and a Winter Melon Tea with Tapioca bubbles ($9)
KF Black Milk Tea with tapioca bubbles ($6) including tax
Strawberry Lemonade Green Tea with tapioca bubbles, mango popping pearls, and regular sugar ($5) +tax
Mango Green Tea less sugar ($6) +tax
The Tkk chicken is very boring. It is dry and plain. That’s not a bad thing for some people, but for me, it's a turn off. My crispy original sandwich came as a large piece of chicken with one very small pickle in between two pieces of bread. It wasn’t disgusting, but it was disappointing.
My Tkk snack box order came with 2 chicken pieces, curly fries, honey mustard and a classic drink of my choice. Being the good food critic that I am, I ordered the drink that the Kung Fu Tea employee said was the most popular. I got a Winter Melon Tea (image to the right.) The Winter Melon tea was excellent and it tasted like milk tea, but it didn't have milk in it. It was not too sweet, but it was also very flavorful. The chicken tasted okay. It was, again, not very flavorful, but the honey mustard sauce that I paid $0.25 for added some flavor to it. The fries were a little bit soggy and they didn’t taste fresh. The biscuit that came on the side was hard to eat. It was dry and crumbly and it did not have any flavor. You may say that a biscuit is supposed to taste like that, and you might be right, but in that case, not only do I not recommend this biscuit, I do not recommend any biscuits.
The Black Milk Tea was very good as well. When you order this drink you have to know that it is going to be boring and plain, but knowing this, the drink is very delicious! It is smooth, sweet, and as always, the tapioca boba is sweet, and plentiful for the amount of liquid served with it.
The Mango Green Tea with less sugar was an interesting purchase. I asked for tapioca pearls and they did not give it to me. This leads me to be uncertain that they will always get your order correct. In addition, the drink didn’t taste bad, it was just watery and boring.
Editor's favorite: The Strawberry Lemonade Green Tea is my favorite drink from Kung Fu tea so far. My friends and I thought that the drink was very flavorful and the perfect amount of sweetness. I got this drink with mango popping pearls and it was a fantastic addition to the drink because it added more texture and even more flavor. Again, I love sweet teas so if you are like me, I definitely recommend this drink.
Remember that these drink reviews are my opinion and they are to help you figure out what to order next time you go to these restaurants. Let me know if you have any questions about my article or any recommendations for my next articles by emailing me using this email address: brielle.hakopian.newspaper@gmail.com.
Middle School Halloween Dance
Photographer: Riley Sobey
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