News Briefs: Catch up on school, local and national news

English teacher Samantha Feinberg and Associate Principal Dr. Susan Leonard has been attempting to create and finalize a new Teacher Education class — a class to educate students on how to be a teacher. 

The class is not 100% confirmed for next year with the master schedule for classes not being set nor student schedules. However both Feinberg and Leonard are confident that the class will be implemented in the 2022-2023 school year after high enrollment numbers came in during early March. 

Several discussions took place about if the class would either be a one-semester double block class or a full year one-period class instead, according to Feinberg. However, it was recently decided it will be a year-long class, with the first semester being focused more on the lessons and ideas, but the second semester being more hands-on and getting students into actual classrooms to observe the environment at the very least, even if they aren’t able to instruct.

Both Feinberg and Leonard hope the class will help students who are interested in education get an educational opportunity at East — the only SMSD high school left without a teacher education class.

“My hope is that by the time the class is over people will find out what their ‘why’ of teaching,” Feinberg said. “It’s like a lot of jobs. You need to know what lights your fire because the most important part, other than you have to support yourself, is you need to enjoy and love it.”

Feinberg hopes with the help from Real World Counselor Dr. Jodee Merriman, they will be able to sort students into their certain interest areas and ensure they get the experience and education.

Unlike regular classes, this class isn’t something you can teach with worksheets, according to Feinberg, and students can be expected to branch out beyond their normal classrooms.

Brookside will be hosting their 36th annual art show from April 29 to May 1 located at 63rd St. and Brookside Boulevard.

Show hours are April 29 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., April 30 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and May 1 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The art show brings artists from around the country to show off their skills ranging from photography to painting to wood sculptures.

Over 180 artists applied to show their work, according to the event coordinators. SMSD mom and past Brookside Art Annual participant Jenny Meyer-McCall is one of many that applied for this year’s show.

Although she is waitlisted, she explained three jurors view five images of each applicant’s work, and what would be displayed and on sale at their booth for a short 90 seconds then move on. The three jurors — who vary each year — then pick the top 90 artists to display their work at the art show. 

Every applicant pays $__ to apply regardless if they get to participate and exhibit their art. Once accepted, artists also pay a booth fee.

“Artists bring their own tents, walls and art,” Meyer-McCall says. “The only thing provided by the show is the street itself.”

According to Meyer-McCall most of these artists travel and make a living off of shows all around the country. If interested in attending and want to check out the artists, go online to brooksideartannual.com to get a look at the just selected artists beforehand.

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began, airlines have been suffering from underemployment — partly due to retirement but also due to the exhaustion and overworking of current employees.

According to CNN, pilots at Southwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines have been reporting a rise in exhaustion, putting flights at risk if not canceled. A pilot can only be scheduled for a maximum of eight hours per day, according to flightschool.com. Pilots are legally not allowed to keep flying after eight hours, but with too few employees, passengers are left with no one to get them to their destination.

Due to cancellation chaos, severe weather and the demand for travel, pilots are being overworked which can lead to canceled flights across the board.

Junior Lily Simmons spent this Easter in Seaside, Florida. Returning home Sun. April 17, her Delta Air Lines flight from Florida to Atlanta, Georgia was delayed twice for weather — and then delayed again in Georgia due to no pilot to fly the plane. With no pilot to fly her and her family home, the Simmons family’s frustration and sleepiness only grew on a late Sunday night.

“I don’t think [the airline] was organized or the pilot had a personal problem,” Simmons said. “But they let us know that we didn’t have a pilot as we were supposed to board. We were supposed to get in at ten and got in at 2:30 a.m.”

While Simmons ultimately got home safe, the struggles airlines are going through was apparent. 

According to Bureau of Transportation Statistics data, major US passenger airlines are around 3,000 employees short from their previous amount in 2019. With far fewer employees, the airlines and pilots are being put to work, not only affecting them and their health, but the passengers, the airlines’ reputation and everyone’s safety.