By Phoebe Seigel 

For the first time in almost five years, Lincoln hosted a Black Student Union assembly in honor of Black History Month. The assembly opened to a drum performance as students filtered into the auditorium and found their seats. The performance featured student speakers, dances, poems by prominent Black poets, and trivia on Black history. 

LaBoris Perry is a new teacher here at Lincoln and one of the advisors for the BSU along with Stephanie Rivers, the school’s attendance clerk. He claims that the BSU hasn’t been active in a while, and says they brought back the assembly to give a voice to the students in his club. 

“We noticed that our students felt like they weren’t being seen or heard in our school environment. And so after talking with our African American parent advisory group committee, the APAC group, some ideas that we came up with [were that] previous students that were at Lincoln [said] they had these events where they could celebrate themselves, and they would have different culture events, and different clubs would be involved. And [one of the parents] mentioned that during Black History Month, there used to be a really big celebration a few years ago when her daughter was in school, but apparently that hasn’t been the case for a while. And so from that, we thought that it would be fitting for the students to be able to have those same experiences, so that they can feel seen and heard as well.”

Ensuring that students feel seen and heard is one of the main focuses of BSU. Student Loyal Layne emphasizes that being heard and having your opinions listened to is one of the things she really enjoys about being in BSU. 

“I like how it’s a place for Black students to come together and share what we think about things happening in Lincoln and just things in general,” she says. 

Layne says she joined BSU in her freshman year, and then re-joined last spring in order to get participation that would allow her to go on a trip over spring break. Layne helped put together the assembly, and emphasized that while the process was fun, it was not without difficulties. 

“It was a lot of people figuring out what they wanted to do and if they even wanted to participate in the assembly in general,” she says. 

Further complications with the assembly came as a result of the strike– by the time the strike was over and the re-scheduling of the assembly was finished, Black History Month had already passed. 

“[The assembly was put off because of] the strike, and then timing with the school calendar, because we have Unity assembly coming up, and we have student shows that are coming up. And so I think with everything going on, it was hard to come back to school and just automatically jump right into being able to [plan for the assembly] when we had a lot of things we had to tighten up [to] finish everything,” says Perry. Despite scheduling issues and interruptions, the school-wide assembly managed to become something everyone involved with it felt proud of. 

In the coming years, Perry looks forward to expanding the club and offering more opportunities for students in BSU. 

“I think this year we had a really good year being able to come back, but next year, me and Ms. Rivers want it to be even better, right? Definitely getting our students to be more hands on, more involved, more involved with ASB and planning different events at school in general. But also being able to take field trips and [get] out of the building too, and really just make BSU an even bigger organization and club here at Lincoln.” 

For Perry, expansion of the club,\ and the club as a whole is important for more reasons than just assemblies and leadership experiences. 

“Having a BSU at Lincoln is important, because when you look at the school statistics, we are a school of about 2,100 students. Out of those 2,100 students, about 170, give or take a few, are African American, which means about 4.3% of our student body is Black or African American students. And that might even leave out a few students who may be multiracial, or who may decline to state [their race] for getting into school, or for whatever reasons there could be. And so, in a space like that [...] we always see our students here, but they don’t really have anybody to be able to represent, as one of the students talked about in their speech at the assembly. That [lack of] representation is really hard for them. And so, with our students, I feel like they really just need that space so they feel seen,” says Perry.

“When you’re able to go to school, like I tell all my students, and you’re able to be involved in more than just learning, school becomes a place that you enjoy, it becomes more of a community. And so being able to have a space to talk about some of the issues or some of the things that students are dealing with here at Lincoln, I think it’s super important. But not only is it having a space to talk about those issues, but also having places of leadership, where we’re able to teach them to be able to carry out business and be able to plan meetings and have an agenda and hold office. All of these things are very important.”

By Phoebe Seigel

Though the UESF Teacher’s strike ended last month, the repercussions of the strike continue to affect students and faculty at SFUSD schools. One such repercussion is the looming threat of district-wide layoffs. According to the San Francisco Standard, Superintendent Dr. Maria Su asked for approval on layoff notices for 42 district employees. The layoffs could theoretically be the result of a few problems– namely the district’s continuing financial struggles, falling student enrollment, and money lost during the teachers strike. 

Two of the district’s public relations personnel, Laura Dudnick and Katrina Kincade, admit that the looming threat of potential layoffs can be extremely difficult on students and staff. However, they emphasize the fact that the potential layoffs are just that– potential, claiming the district does not want to lay off any of their “valued educators.” Dudnick also states that sending out notices of potential terminations happens every year as the district reviews the budget. 

“Layoffs are always the last resort,” Dudnick says, hoping that they can be avoided by having people leave the district voluntarily to cut down on spending. 

Dudnick also emphasizes that the layoff notices are not a direct result of the strike. Though the district did lose money during the strike (I’m still trying to figure out how much exactly), the root cause of the issue is declining enrollment in the district overall. National birth rates are dropping, contributing to the issue, but ] San Francisco also has an abnormally high rate of students enrolled in private schools over public schools. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, around 30% of school age children are enrolled in private schools, a number much higher than the state average of 8% and the national average of around 9%. According to an article from KQED, the large number of children attending private schools is due in part to the city’s growing wealth gap, concerns about the quality of a public education, and the wave of white flight in the late 20th century, which led to fewer kids in the district overall. Though the trend of high private school enrollment will likely continue, falling public school enrollment is not the only factor contributing to the sheer amount of potential layoffs. 

Over the past few years, SFUSD has been facing an undeniably difficult financial situation. Beginning in 2022, when the district employed the EMPower payroll system, educators were given  incorrect check amounts and in some cases no pay at all. Since then, the district has stopped using EMPower but has spent around $30 million in doing so. Currently, according to Kincade and Dudnick, SFUSD has been operating in a deficit.

“What we've been doing as a school district for the past few years is spending more than we take in,” says Dudnick. 

Part of the problem, say Dudnick and Kincade, is that the way California public schools are funded is wracked with issues. Currently, schools get funded by the state based on attendance, so when a student is absent, that causes the district to lose money, leading to the district trying to cut down on spending where they can, including sending out preliminary layoff notices, among other measures.

According to Dudnick, some cuts were made to the central school office. She also says, “We did reduce some of the programs that we’ve had in schools, and we’ve had to adjust how we staff our schools.” She emphasizes that the district aims to “keep impacts as far from students as possible.” 

SFUSD’s budget crisis has been worsened by the strike, which cost the district around $7 to $10 million, according to preliminary estimates. 

Charles Lin alleges that the district had also tried to save money by reducing the number of periods at some middle schools. 

“And the plan, this was their original plan, was that they were going to cut, I believe, a lot of middle schools from seven periods to six periods. And then what would happen is a lot of the teachers might get consolidated and then pushed to other schools. But that was a very unpopular stance. I think it got a lot of pushback, and so the district actually reversed.” Now, he says, they are likely to only consolidate one school– Academy high school, near School of the Arts, or SOTA. 

Though the strike ended weeks ago, and the new contract has been ratified, tensions between the district and the union remain somewhat high. 

“The big thing that we’re trying to discuss right now is what do the four to five days [that were missed due to the strike] look like? And what the district’s saying right now is, ‘Hey, we don’t know.’ We actually do not know if they're going to give up. We don’t know if we’ll [have to make up] these four or five days,” says Lin. 

“However they have taken it off our paychecks, but there’s a whole thing about where they tried to put it [the cuts to paychecks]. They decided to put it on this month’s check, and so there’s a lot of confusion. And so we [the union] literally had to send a cease and desist letter to them.”

The current contract is a two year contract, meaning that the district and the union will be launched back into negotiations fairly soon. Lin hopes that the next time negotiations happen it will go better than it did this time, as the strike demonstrated the sheer support that the teachers have. 

Lin also claims that UESF’s strike was part of a plan from the California Teachers Association, the CTA, to have multiple districts strike in order to garner more financial support from the state.  

“Dublin was just on strike, [so was] Twin Rivers. And [I think that] Sacramento was on strike, Richmond was on strike again. And, again, there’s a strategy by our state organization, CTA, to generate enough issues for the districts and force the districts to say, ‘Hey, we actually need more money, we cannot pay these things, teachers want these things. So, we’re gonna come to the state, and then ask for more money.’ And so, again, if the district’s going to do that, say ‘hey, we want more money,’ we’re happy to be like, ‘hey we would like that, we want the district to get more money.’ Because when the district gets more of that money, their job is to make sure all that money that they got from the state comes to us, and doesn’t stay with the district,” says Lin.

By Michael Lai

For many years, Lincoln has only ever hosted Fall and Spring festivals. These festivals allowed for any clubs, programs, or teams to fundraise money for their group. But this year, for the first time, Winterfest has been added to the schedule. 

This year’s Winterfest took place on February 27th on the black tops. With dozens of clubs lined up selling snacks like boba, spam musubi, cookies, muffins, and more. More than 250 students, including teachers, came to check out the unique and new event for this school.

Ethan Yup, the co-founder of Animal Shelter Club, states, “Winterfest helped us fund our bigger projects, which is to go out and purchase animal resources like food, toys, and pee pads, [and] to donate them to local shelters.”

Although Winterfest did not earn the club as much money as their GoFundMe, they still made a generous amount, “which is still a big help for animals in shelters,” he says.

JROTC, a large program in the Lincoln community, has been struggling with budgeting ever since they were forced to shut down their store. With no effective way to fundraise enough money to support future events, cadets now pay for themselves to attend events, such as the annual Brigade Ball and JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge.

Apphia Wong, the finance officer of the battalion, took charge of selling ramen noodles with garnish on top, selling each __ for seven dollars. 

“It has been harder to fundraise at school after the store shut down. We aren't making as much money as we used to, so we’re looking for new opportunities to fundraise,” she says.

Brenton Chen, an assistant of Apphia, adds, “We’re still trying to accommodate for the loss of the store by partaking in events like Winterfest!”

On the surface, Winterfest seemed like just an event for students to purchase student-made snacks for lunch, but it is not. It is for clubs to fundraise money for themselves; it has helped further boost funding for some clubs and even helped others get back on their feet.

By Sophie Ng

Nails, screws, and apples; these items make for an unlikely trio, but for four Lincoln students who dub themselves “The Keepers,” the metal instruments and red fruits incite a unique project out in the cafeteria courtyard.

The vision came to fruition in late January; The Keepers chose apples for their accessibility and intended for them to represent the ALHS community. The apples were gathered from the cafeteria and pierced into one of the trees periodically, slowly forming a spiral shape around the trunk. Over the course of the project, the tree gathered several miscellaneous objects, some from outside parties, like Pokemon cards and a tip jar. The Keepers, who requested to remain anonymous, chronicled the development of the tree on their Instagram page, @414_appletreeevents. 

The Keepers began the project in hopes of beautifying the area and bringing the school community together. Keeper Two, a freshman at Lincoln, was motivated to “bring smiles and joy to the people suffering in school” through their work.

Junior Elise Dunn believes the Keepers succeeded. “It shows there’s this little [inside] joke between the school,” she says. 

Many community members have taken a liking to the apple tree. Dunn, who proclaims herself as a huge fan, states, “I think it was pretty revolutionary [...] I was pretty stoked when they followed me back on Instagram.”

However, The Keepers’ vision was cut short five weeks in—Green Academy teacher Valerie Ziegler and the Youth vs. Apocalypse club removed all the objects hung up on the tree, replaced with a few paragraphs detailing the harm such endeavors could cause. 

“Food waste is REAL. When you put apples on this tree, you are wasting food that HUNGRY Mustangs could eat. Please instead put your uneaten food in the share bin!” one paragraph warned. 

Ziegler notes, “The apples were rotting and attracting mice. Lincoln has a serious mouse issue.” 

The project also posed environmental harm. Ziegler also shares, “A few teachers reached out asking why the tree was being killed. The janitor also had concern as to why a tree was being damaged.”

Despite the destruction of their installment, The Keepers teased a comeback on their Instagram story. 

“This is not the end,” they wrote over a black background. 

Fans of the apple tree shared their woes and anguish at the removal of the project. Senior Alannah Tang had been photographing the apple tree as one of the many wonders around ALHS to send to her Russian friend. 

“I feel deep grief that I can no longer [share] the beauty of American artistry to my international friend,” she says.

Other fans of the tree took to social media to express themselves. One commenter wrote, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”

The Keepers voice gratitude for the support. “We thank the fans for their love and concern. We want [them] to know that we appreciate [their] appreciation,” says Keeper One, a Lincoln junior.

The Keepers do not have plans on restoring the original apple tree but have something similar planned. 

“We don't want to cause any damage to the tree anymore,” says Keeper Three, a Lincoln junior. 

ALHS students unaffiliated with The Keepers have taken creative liberties over the old apple tree, and have placed leaves where the apples once hung. Despite this disruption, The Keepers tease two upcoming projects; one slated for April 14th, which includes a new tree, and a potential separate installation that is still in the early stages of planning. 

“The only thing you can look forward to [...] is that [the tree] will still stand,” says Keeper One.

By Quincy Fulton

Nancy Pelosi, resident of San Francisco’s chair in Congress for 38 years, has announced her retirement. She will be leaving behind a long legacy of groundbreaking leadership, including being chosen as the first female Speaker of the House in the House of Representatives. This position is third in line to the presidency if both the president and vice president die, and as such holds tremendous influence over the entire body of Congress. Now, the question is, who will replace her?

The primary election for the succeeding Representative will be held on June 2nd, the first election most high school seniors can participate in.

Three candidates are visible frontrunners for the 11th District of California seat: Connie Chan, current SF District 1 supervisor; Saikat Chakrabarti, former campaign manager for Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez; and Scott Wiener, current California Senator. All are progressive Democrats by national standards, but fight to differ themselves in their individual backgrounds and stances on the issues which they outlined in separate town halls. 

Chan is the daughter of Chinese immigrants, and has a detailed career in San Francisco politics, tracing back to roles in the Parks and Recreation department and the Free City College Oversight Committee. Her main political priorities are empowering the working class through affordable housing, healthcare, and unions’ rights, as well as lowering the cost of living in San Francisco.

Chakrabarti is the son of impoverished Indian immigrants, who then rose to fortune through a career in SF tech, which he describes as “simply being in the right place at the right time” He later moved to a career in politics behind the scenes. He describes his congressional goals as being in three big buckets: making life affordable and better for citizens, taking on Republicans and establishment Democrats, and converting AI from a monopolistic industry into a public utility, alongside making it more environmentally friendly.

Wiener is a former attorney and SF supervisor and the current, openly gay senator of California since 2016. He emphasizes his long career full of tangible bills and laws as proof he gets things done, as he describes himself as the only candidate who has experience. His main goals are making San Francisco affordable, increasing accessibility to healthcare, saving transit, and creating a safe and equitable environment for the LGBTQ+ community.

On specific-to-San-Francisco issues, all three candidates discussed and proposed options to save MUNI and BART, with Chan preferring to first fund day-to-day operating costs instead of focusing on upgrades and long-term maintenance, which would avowedly take more planning.

She also supports the program Free MUNI for All as a district supervisor, and, if elected to Congress, said, “I would hope to get this program the votes it needs to pass.”

Chakrabarti agrees on the need for a permanent source of federal operating funds, proposing carving out some of the current federal highway programs to forever fund Bay Area transit. He believes that once this expenditure is carved out, long-term planning for the future of the system is fiscally possible. 

Wiener also agrees that MUNI needs funding, and he called himself “The most vocal voice for transit,” although he didn’t propose any solution for the current budget crisis. There were petitioners outside asking for signatures to ‘save transit,’ seemingly connected to either the organization who arranged the event, Indivisible, or Wiener’s campaign.

On the topic of ICE and DHS agents, if elected, Chan vows to withhold funding for ICE, affirm birthright citizenship, and invest in easier pathways to citizenship. 

Meanwhile, Chakrabarti verbalized how he believes it is important to capitalize on a moment to make change. He spoke often of the necessity of a movement.

 On Alex Pretti’s death by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, Chakrabarti said, “We must use the [public] attention that comes with tragedies and atrocities to fight.”

He also stated, “Constituents should [talk] to me [if they are harassed by ICE],” because he believes that Representatives should be the first line of communication between citizens and the government representing them. 

Wiener expressed, “The era of impunity needs to end…No more ski masks, no more pardons in the Supreme Court…As a lawyer, I was trained to revere [the Supreme Court], but now, I disagree.”

While the trio of candidates often share similar sentiments on internal reform and actions against MAGA, there are some topics they disagree on. 

In his individual town hall, Chakrabarti asserted that in Congress he would slash the military budget and try to fight the US’s historically violent foreign policy, including bombing countries to do our bidding. The 40-year-old mentioned the actions he abhors most recently are our administration’s delivering of military supplies to Israel as they commit a genocide in Palestine, as well as US forces blockading food and aid from going to Palestine. 

Yet, Wiener, a prominent Jewish figure, in a prior flash debate with the other two candidates, refused to state at all whether or not he believed that Israel was committing genocide in Palestine. Both Chan and Chakrabarti answered, ‘Yes.’ Wiener later released a statement that the actions Israel is taking in Gaza are immoral and he disagrees with them, but his inability to take a stand against these inhumane actions in a public setting concerned many voters.

Also, Wiener’s own town hall was interrupted by a single protester screaming profanities, calling Wiener genocidal, and weakly attempting to throw a cocktail sandwich at the senator. 

After the dissenter was escorted outside by security, Wiener said, with a monotone voice, “It’s democracy, people can have opinions.” 

Then, hours later in the forum, the moderator directly questioned Wiener on his stance on the foreign affair, to which the 55-year-old replied, “Israel has a right to defend itself, but they went beyond in their badly, deeply harming of Palestinians. I want to see [Israel and Palestine] in peace. I have [in the past] called it a genocide and taken heat in my own community for doing so.” 

Domestically, Chakrabarti stressed the importance of breaking up the stronghold of establishment Democrats in Washington, D.C., which he cited as being as great of a threat to the future of democracy as MAGA Republicans. He spoke confidently and unhesitatingly about the necessity of rocking the boat and, mentioning fellow candidate Wiener, said some Democrats don’t have the strength to do this, relying solely on complacency to rise up in power. 

“Democrats only offer small reforms and softer landings for hardships, not the movement that we truly need,” Chakrabarti proclaimed to the audience. Wiener, on the other hand, said in his forum, “Democrats have let people down, but Democrats have done some really good things, and really good things have come out of them,” as police sirens echoed outside during the protestor’s arrest. 

Chakrabarti did not mention Chan by name, but stated emphatically that it would be him and Wiener in the top two; Senator Wiener’s visibility is Chakrabarti’s greatest threat. This was met with rounds of echoing applause. 

On Wiener specifically, the former tech millionaire describes the senator as being great on LGBTQ+ issues, but believes that to truly create change for the minority group you need to challenge and threaten the current barricade of Republicans in Washington. 

Wiener, openly gay and living in the Castro, described his upbringing in New Jersey during the crisis of the AIDs epidemic. He connected this to the current hopeless nature of the Trump administration’s scapegoating of the trans community, which he described as being similar to the beginning of the Holocaust. 

Tearing up, in his first display of emotion in the forum, Wiener said, “We must authorize trans state of refuge laws, and we must create a fully comprehensive civil rights law that overrides any sort of narrative that red states try to push.”

Chan, endorsed by the SFUSD teacher’s union, on potential actions to safeguard LGBTQ+ youth from Trump’s attacks, expressed that she would make it a priority to discount or make free healthcare and gender affirming care and focus on safe and equitable school environments. 

“Free gender and reproductive care give youth healthcare independence,” Chan emphasized. Also relating to San Francisco youth, Chan, a mother, smiled as she thought about the prospect of expanding her current program of free summer camps to 9 to 12th graders, saying she would consider it. The 47-year-old however regarded it as more important to make City College and prep courses cheaper and more accessible for such adolescents. 

All three candidates are prepared to represent San Francisco on a political big stage and give back to the community, but the race seems close for who will actually be awarded the chance to do so. This primary election will be held on June 2nd, via vote-by-mail ballots or in-person voting centers, for all 18 and over. It will whittle down the candidates into top two to be in the running for the November election.

By Anya Golden

Since the beginning of 2026, students at Abraham Lincoln High School and residents of San Francisco’s Sunset District have noticed a visible increase in police patrols throughout the neighborhood. More patrol cars are driving along major streets, and officers are appearing more frequently around schools, parks, and commercial areas.

The increase in police presence is not a coincidence. It comes as part of a broader public safety initiative launched by Daniel Lurie, who took office with a promise to strengthen the city’s police force through a campaign effort known as “Rebuild the Ranks.” The initiative aims to address the significant staffing shortage within the San Francisco Police Department.

According to public records, the San Francisco Police Department was short of 500 officers, compared to the recommended minimum staffing level of more than 2,000 officers. 

Residents like Patrick and Mellissa Golden say this shortage has made it difficult for the police to respond quickly to incidents and have a strong relationship with people in the neighborhood. Increasing patrol visibility in neighborhoods like the Sunset is one of the first steps in addressing these concerns.

Patrick Golden, a 74 year old Sunset resident, expressed his contentment with the increase in police patrols as he “had concerns with car break-ins and teenagers not being safe on their electric bikes.” 

He noted that in the past year he has seen officers talking to teens on electric bikes more so than he did before. Whether this is due to the increased police presence, or the increase in electric bike popularity, he is unsure, he says. 

He added that he thinks it is important for these new additions of law enforcement to build relationships, especially with the youth, to keep their presence as safeguards and mediators, not “the enemy”. 

However, not everyone views the increase in patrols the same way. Tula Tasker, a life-long resident of the Sunset, raised concerns about over-policing and whether the added presence could lead to unnecessary stops or heightened tensions.

 In a neighborhood known for its diversity and relatively quiet atmosphere, she is “questioning how they will make sure to balance safety with maintaining trust between law enforcement and the community.”

The San Francisco police crime dashboard, specifically for the Taraval area, shows a decrease in crime, but it is hard to say if it is from Lurie's initiative as it started before he was in office. Starting in 2022, there has been a yearly decrease in larceny theft. After a brief spike in 2023, there has been a year by year decrease of burglary and motor vehicle theft. 

In addition to boosting overall staffing, the city has introduced several new programs aimed at improving safety and residents' “quality of life,” according to Lurie. One being the Special Event Operations Plan (SEOP), which expands police staffing during large public events and in areas identified as high priority. Officials say the program is designed to ensure that additional officers can be deployed when and where they are most needed, which can also affect staffing patterns in neighborhoods like the Sunset during busy periods. 

A Hospitality Zone Task Force and Mobile triage center on Sixth Street is also a part of Lurie's initiative. Although they are created to aid the downtown and Mission areas of the city by having targeted enforcement and service-based interventions, more police officers will be free to respond to other parts of the city—along with the increase in staffing.

By Leo Le

 On Saturday, February 21st, the Oracle Red Bull Racing Team brought speed and mayhem to San Francisco. The team features annual showcases around the globe and hosted one on Marina Boulevard in San Francisco.

The event was part of a showrun series hosted by Oracle Red Bull Racing, where Formula-1 cars perform demonstrations in cities to promote their brand and bring excitement to fans. 

The Red Bull Formula-1 event featured Ford racing vehicles such as the Ford Raptor T1, Mustang G3, and F-150 Lightning SuperTruck. Interactive booths were stationed throughout the event field for fans to enjoy, like the merchandise booths and Formula-1 pit-stop, where fans are able to speedily replace Formula-1 car tires. 

Wesley Kwong, a junior at Lincoln, states, “The line for the merch shop was the entire length of the Marina Green.”

The event not only had tons of breathtaking cars, but also some of Redbull’s best professional motorsport athletes manning them. Yuki Tsunoda was a fan favorite at the event for his aggressive driving, fiery personality, and skill in professional races.

With tens of thousands of fans spectating, however, chaos emerged as people did whatever they could to get a good view of the event, even resorting to scaling private properties.

Kwong exclaims, “It was chaotic [...] I saw people climbing onto trees, signs, street lights, and houses.”

Videos from spectators show fans climbing onto parked cars and nearby structures in order to get a better view of the event. With a limited view along the street, many people crowded and pushed towards the fences and barriers. A video even shows a fan being injured from a Formula-1 car accidentally bumping into the protective barriers, and since fans were so close, they were left dealing with the impact.

The event left homeowners right next to the event fearing for their property. According to the San Francisco Police Department, officers responded to multiple calls regarding trespassing during the event. They got on the scene and started ordering spectators to get off private property and rooftops to prevent injuries and damage.

Rio Beardsley, a property renter in Marina district near Marina Boulevard states, “My neighbors are having construction done on their house and attendees used their scaffolding to climb up on their roof. Attendees definitely broke the roof tiles.”

Trespassing wasn’t the only negative of the event. Trash cans were flipped upside down so spectators could get a better view, which led to trash all over the Marina Green and Boulevard. 

Beardsley exclaims,  “I saw two guys urinating in my stoop when I was walking in and there was trash everywhere after.”

Additionally, lots of tree branches and leaves crowded the floors, because of spectators stepping on and breaking trees and branches.

Quincy Fulton, a junior at Lincoln, viewed the Red Bull Formula-1 event and believed, “More crowd control could have helped [...] Police did end up kicking people off properties, but I feel like they should have known that people were going to climb things.”

According to Beardsley and likely other Marina Boulevard home owners, more notification and preparation for the event could have made the event better.

 Beardsley states,“There wasn’t any notification to the neighbors/community about what the event would look like and how it would affect traffic and our ability to actually access our homes. A couple days before there was a little postcard placed in people’s mailboxes about the date and time of the event, but that was it.”

Overall, tens of thousands of people left with smiles on their faces, but the poor organization of the event left many homeowners reflecting on the management of big events such as the Red Bull Formula-1 Showcase.

By Martin Situ

On February 20th, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that President Trump didn’t have the authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

One of President Trump’s promises during his presidential campaign was to impose tariffs on foreign countries, as quoted in the 2024 Republican Party Platform, to “protect American workers and farmers from unfair trade.”  And impose tariffs he did.  On February 1st, Trump imposed a 25 percent duty on Canada and Mexico and a 10 percent duty on China under the IEEPA.

Some businesses, like Little Aloha down on Taraval, didn’t particularly feel the effect of the tariffs. “We don’t use a lot of imported items in our food.  We try to keep our menu as locally sourced as possible while remaining true to our niche,” states Little Aloha co-owner Winchell Chow.  

The same can’t be said for Lou’s Cafe, where manager Mark Brodeth may consider increasing prices.  “We noticed[tariffs] on coffee beans, avocados, paper items, among other items [...]We are considering raising our prices this year because our profit margins are a lot less now,” Brodeth states.  

This possible price increase at Lou’s Cafe will impact both the store and students alike.  Not only might Lou’s see less traffic, but students may have to consider other options besides Lou’s.

Even though the Trump tariffs under the IEEPA are now gone due to SCOTUS’s ruling, it doesn’t mean that a lot has changed.  On the same day SCOTUS ruled against Trump, Trump imposed 10 percent tariffs on all imports into the United States, minus a couple of exceptions, under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, essentially replacing the IEEPA tariffs.  Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 authorizes the president to “impose temporary import restrictions [tariffs]...on goods from other countries under specific conditions [trade imbalances],” according to the Retail Industry Leaders Association.  The Section 122 tariffs put SF businesses back in the same spot with little change.

Not all hope is lost, though.  After the SCOTUS ruling, the U.S. Court of International Trade ordered Customs and Border Protection(CBP) to develop a plan for refunds.  CPB submitted a rough plan for the refund system on March 6th and noted that they would have the refund system by April 20th.  The refund system will be a four-step process—a claim by the business, then a calculation of the tariff costs, followed by a review of the claim, and then the refund is directly deposited into the accounts of the businesses.  This refund system could give SF businesses impacted by the tariffs a chance to recuperate and hopefully keep their stores running.

By Abigail Park 

From climbing across a man-made rope bridge to carrying over 100 pounds up a steep, hilly mile, the Lincoln Junior Reserves Officer Training Corps Raiders Army-style fitness team powered through five strenuous obstacle course events on March 1st against Lowell, George Washington, Galileo, and Balboa high schools. 

The Raiders competition hosted at John McClaren Park tests speed, strength, and agility through teamwork-required obstacles to replicate military-style physical training; the team members take away more than military training from the competition: a call for self-improvement and community empowerment.

The 14 members—ten male and four female—competed in the Cross-Country Rescue, a first aid test, a Physical Training Test, a rope bridge crossing, and a five kilometer run. 

After more than four months of grueling training, Raiders Commander Leo Le led the 13 team members to become “comp-ready.”

“Our training consisted of strength training and cardio and [I] started integrating competition based workouts later on,” Le notes. “I always did my best I could to fit [Raiders] into my schedule to [lead and] motivate [...] others [at practices].”

On March 1st at 10 o’clock, the members gathered in the Eastern corner of John McClaren Park to climb over an eight foot wall, carry a 100 pound litter and five 35 pound ruck-sacks up a mile-long hill during the Cross-Country Rescue. 

Once completed, they were evaluated on their first aid knowledge with ten multiple choice questions then underwent the Physical Training Test. The Physical Training Test consists of a 1000-foot 60 pound ammo can and water jug carry, 30-foot tunnel crawl, staggered agility tires, a 250 pound weighted drag, and a large tire flip. 

Moving on, the team members tackled the rope bridge. From setting up the bridge by wrapping the 150-foot rope around two trees and pulling the knots tightly, each of the ten members crawled upside-down across their handiwork to reach the other side safely. 

Lastly, the members mustered up their final strength to run five kilometers around the park’s steep and vast hills, finishing in just 36 minutes.

“The Lincoln Raiders team was formidable at the competition this year. Although the results haven’t been announced yet, I know that the Lowell team has been quite worried about our times–last year also came down to a tie-breaker,” explains Jonothan Gay, key organizer as San Francisco Unified School District JROTC Brigade Operations Sergeant Major and Raiders competitor from Lowell High School. 

Reflecting on their performance before competition placings and National Raiders Challenge Competition qualifiers releases in April, each member takes their performance as a testament to their hard work and a learning opportunity for the future.

“I feel like our team did really good overall and that everyone tried their hardest,” rope bridge and 5K competitor Nadya Kiyanitsa states. “Something I wish I had done differently is probably showing up to practice more than I had, because the 5K was so hard uphill and I feel like I could’ve done a lot better.”

Le fervently agrees with Kiyanitsa’s consideration towards self improvement, reflecting on his own experience within the team culture.

“I absolutely love Raiders and the team with all my heart,” Le says. “I believe the best thing I got out of Raiders was having the experience of being able to lead people in something I’m super passionate about.”  

By Camile Chew

Fireworks set off mere feet in front of crowds and children jog along the road with sparklers. Foreshadowing the sound of explosions is a high-pitched whirr which spurs “oohs” and “aahs” from anyone close enough to hear. Fires, paper, and petals littered the floor–but it was not chaos, it was the remnants of one of the largest annual celebrations in San Francisco. 

On March 7th, San Franciscans gathered to celebrate the Lunar New Year–the beginning of a new year according to a moon-based calendar–for the 173rd time since the 1850s boom in immigration to California from China. Although traditionally a Chinese and Asian holiday, Lunar New Year festivities in SF are enjoyed by nearly every demographic and every race. 

For Asian Americans, celebrations center on family. Alina Lin, Han Hoang, and Shuqi Wu–all Asian American students at Lincoln–recall spending every Lunar New Year from childhood to the present with family. 

“We have an altar at home, and we put up fruits and incense [together] [...] it makes me happy,” says Hoang, reminiscing on her family’s traditions. 

The Lunar New Year parade is similarly composed mainly of families. Early-arrivals set up folding chairs along the parade’s barricades, and latecomers squeeze their way into the front. Occasionally, a parent can be seen carrying a younger kid on their shoulders. 

The eyes of almost every little sibling, older child, mom, dad, grandfather, and grandmother trace the colorful floats, follow the nimble lion dancers–performers who wear lion-like costumes, and track the various student marching bands. 

A few blocks away from the parade in Chinatown, local stores see many new customers, the smell of ash from used firecrackers pervades the air, and people gather around fireworks. 

“I felt very honored to be a part of my culture and feel represented by the [parade] and the traditions displayed,” asserts Lincoln junior Cassie Lau. 

The Lunar New Year Sunset night market also returned this year with an even larger crowd. Stalls lit up the streets and non-profit organizations, small businesses, and local markets all got their chance to shine in front of 20 thousand attendees. The Sunset district has one of the largest populations of Asian Americans in SF, and many of the businesses and restaurants in the area are either Asian-owned, Asian-inspired–or most often, both. On February 27th, these businesses saw long lines of customers all while lion dancers and other entertainers performed up and down Irving Street. 

The night markets, performers, and floats do not only serve to bolster the celebrations–they are also a way for the community to connect, “Just being able to be in [that] [night market] made me feel more connected [to my culture] [...] I got to bond to [people] and bond to [older people],” states Lin. 

Only a few years ago, an influx in hate crimes struck the Asian American community. Accused of causing the COVID-19 pandemic and facing a resurgence in anti-Asian rhetoric, Asian Americans in SF were forced to navigate a hostile environment. 

“I wasn’t sure if one of my family members would experience [a hate crime] in public [in 2020],” claims Wu. 

Asian American hate crimes spiked in 2020 and persisted for years after, causing many families to worry for their elderly. Chinatown grew increasingly desolate as its usual patrons feared stepping foot in the ethnic enclave turned hot-spot for violence against Asian Americans. In spite of the new wave of anti-Asian hate, the community celebrated Lunar New Year in 2020, and even televised festivities when stay-at-home guidelines were in place during 2021. 

Hoang affirms the value of Lunar New Year celebrations, claiming, “It’s teaching [and] showing people [other cultures].”

Evident in its wide-range of attendees, SF's Lunar New Year celebrations serve not only to represent the Asian American community but also to bring joy, cultural understanding, and fun to all of San Francisco. 

In the bustling Lunar New Year parade crowd, one attendee exclaimed, “Celebrating our people–that’s how we do it in America.” 

By Elise Dunn

Whether it's a piece of clothing, a handbag, or even an antique pair of earrings, the art of thrifting has become a cultural phenomenon worldwide, especially in San Francisco. Thrifting or buying clothing second hand has become very popular among folks of the Gen Z demographic. From online platforms such as Depop to pop-up stores within people's garages, second-hand buying has been the way to shop in recent years. 

Buying new clothes has become pricey and expensive for folks, especially when buying new. A simple shirt made of cheap polyester fabric with a price tag of $50 is not appealing to shoppers, and shopping second-hand shines light on clothing that is environmentally and bank account-friendly. San Francisco alone features over 50 thrift stores, and a few of these stores are unique gems where you can find the most fabulous finds at an affordable price. 

A top contender for thrifting in the city is the Salvation Army located in the Mission District on Valencia Street. Featuring a wide variety of clothing, shoes, accessories and even furniture, this store has it all. The inexpensive prices and constant sales make this place a guaranteed steal for people looking to shop second hand or those looking to not break the bank. 

“It’s often really overlooked,” states long-time thrifter, Phoebe Seigel. “Thrifting recently has become ridiculously expensive, and [Salvation Army] offers cheap and inexpensive prices.” 

“The [Salvation Army] atmosphere is peaceful, and the store itself is a large space conveniently located near other thrift stores such as Community Thrift and Buffalo Exchange,” stated passionate second-hand thrifter Quincy Fulton.

In addition to the Salvation Army, a similar brand shines light on the affordable prices of second hand clothing: Goodwill. Goodwill has over eight stores all in different areas of San Francisco including Haight Street, West Portal, Forest Hill, Japantown and the Mission. The Goodwill donation center in South San Francisco is also a popular spot for those who are looking to travel somewhere farther for a guaranteed inexpensive price.   

For those looking to do some second-hand shopping before hitting up the Popmart or the Round 1 Arcade at Stonestown Galleria, Second Street Vintage is the place to check out. Although not as cheap as previously mentioned thrift spots, this place does offer a substantial collection of vintage clothing from curated racks of Streetwear to Y2K pieces to Grungewear and even racks of hiking attire or pieces from brands based in Japan. Second Street is the way to go, whether you're shopping for basics or for a pair of vintage Jordans. Second Street has two locations, one in Stonestown Galleria and the other on Haight Street, both locations feature great collections with pieces for a range of occasions and styles. 

Haight Street's independent shops offer a more curated and expensive selection of vintage clothing that can be out of the price range for people trying to shop on a budget. Stores like this can offer a fun range of pieces to browse despite higher prices, and in some cases stores include a sale rack or bin with curated, relic pieces that are more wallet-friendly. If you're looking to splurge, check out Haight Street Vintage, Protocol Vintage, Wasteland, and more. 

Overall, thrifting in San Francisco is convenient and universal so next time you think of going on a shopping spree consider buying on a budget by thrifting or shopping second hand. 

By Mikayla Chew

 Last year, on May 14th, Lincoln baseball team won their first ever California Interscholastic Federation San Francisco City Championship since 2005, against Lowell High School with an overall record, including pre-season and league games, of 17-16, with a season league record of 10-5 (win-loss). They then advanced to compete in States, finishing off in fourth place in Division Five. Now, they are ready to defend that same city championship title. 

They start training six days a week at various locations from Lincoln’s side field to West Diamond 1 by Saint Ignatius High School. 

Head Coach James Burke has been coaching baseball for Lincoln for six years. He explains his new approach towards this new season is geared more towards defense rather than offense. 

The varsity Lincoln baseball season officially begins March 18th against Balboa High School at the West Diamond One field. 

The Lincoln baseball team this year is a senior heavy team but they have significantly fewer players. Senior Nick Chiu shares that there is a constant flow of minor injuries, such as sprained pinkies or bruises, but they are trying to persevere and move towards their goal of defending the championship title as a team with the help of the coaching staff. 

Head Coach James Burke explains that, although their team is significantly short of players due to players’ injuries, he continues to remain positive and “keep a good attitude and energy throughout the game.”  

The varsity baseball team also has many helping hands with five assistant coaches, one of the “main” ones being Alejandro “Vlad” Hernandez. Hernandez has been assisting Lincoln baseball for seven years. 

Besides the coaching being a supportive staff for the team, Xavier Malizia, team captain of the baseball team has offered encouragement for the last two years. 

“I would say it is really [about] breaking down the game into smaller pieces, and motivating to get a small victory that’s attainable rather than [focusing on] the whole game,” Malizia states. 

Both varsity and JV baseball have been co-ed for the last three years starting with Lola Snopkowski, a junior who also participates in the San Francisco Bay Sox team. 

The San Francisco Bay Sox, founded in 2015 was an organization overseen by the Recreation and Parks department that provided an inclusive environment for girls to play baseball without gender obstacles. 

Both Burke and Hernandez have coached with SF Bay Sox teams with Snopkowski as well as Khole Tsai on the Lincoln JV baseball team. 

“This [Lincoln] team has really welcomed me and allowed me to become part of the team,” Snopkowski shares. 

Other than winning another championship title, many players have their own goals. 

Chiu says, “My only goal for this year is to have one last fun run with the players I grew up with. Win or lose the championship, it’s been one heck of a ride with everyone.” 

Since the team is senior heavy, most of them hope that their last season will be their best season before continuing into college and other activities. 

Malizia shares, “I want to leave everything I can on the field and do the best I could for the team.” 

Their recent record from preseason games is 5-0. There’s still a long way to go, but they are hopeful about what lies ahead for the season. 

By Kenny Lin

Last year, the Lincoln track and field team achieved second place at the All-City final—the closest they had gotten in a long time—just a couple of points behind Lowell. One boys relay team and three individuals, two girls and one boy, qualified for the state championship. However, with most of their fastest students graduating last year, the track team needs to rebuild its strength. 

To prepare, Head Coach Liam Baker said, “[Training is] just finding the workouts that did not work and finding the workouts that did work and just eliminating or adding to those.”

Additionally, the track team is facing a challenge. With 56 students and only two coaches—sometimes only one due to scheduling conflicts—there are not enough coaches to support all 56 students with different training needs and support, making it overwhelming for the coaches.

Despite the lack of support, track students train every day after school for 90 minutes, doing a wide range of training for all their diverse events. Baker has long jumpers work short and plyometric drills to increase strength and abilities, while short and long sprinters do interval work with two to three hard workouts a week.

All students who join the track and field are accepted with no tryouts required, and training begins in February each year. 

Senior Corinna Guan said, “I think anybody could join. I feel like in some sports, there's a specific skill you need, but in track, since it's so diverse, you can be a sprinter, you can be a mid-distance sprinter, you can be a long-distance runner, you can be a pole vaulter. You will definitely find a spot for you, even if one event doesn't suit you. I'm sure another will.”

Training will then prepare runners ready to compete in a multi-meet, a competition where athletes compete in multiple, diverse track events over one or two days. Events include relay races, sprints, distance running, jumps, and many more.

The first multi-meet happened on March 19th at Lincoln High School, and the rest will be away against other San Francisco high schools like Lowell, Washington, and Balboa. The season will then build up to competing in All-City trials and finals, where the track team and any individual will see if they qualify for state championships. Posters are hung around the school and in some classrooms for when and where track and field events will take place.

Senior Cayden Xu notes that track was a great experience. "You get to know people, build community," Xu said. “It’s a fun sport to play for people who want to get into something.”

By Kevin Hu

On February 26th, Lincoln’s varsity boys basketball team defeated the Lowell Cardinals in a 63-58 thriller to claim the AAA League CIF San Francisco City Section title.

Coming into playoffs, Lincoln boasted a record of ten wins and two losses in league games, good enough for the one seed, while Lowell stood behind with eight wins and four losses, good enough for the two seed.

Lincoln and Lowell crossed paths once prior to meeting in the SFS title game during the regular season. The encounter ended in a 23 point blowout loss for the Mustangs, in what Coach Carl Jacobs considers “one of the worst loss of [his] career.”

However, on the night of the 26th, the Mustangs rallied behind point guard Fred Davis’s 21 points and small forward Maximo Haas’s 12 fourth quarter points to narrowly edge out the Cardinals in a nail-biting two possession game.

With Lincoln’s win over Lowell, Lincoln claims its 5th straight section title in a row, the third school to do so behind Lowell in 1935 to 1939 and Mission in 2014 to 2018.

Both Lincoln and Lowell will advance to the CIF NorCal regional playoffs.

Coming into the playoffs on the girls varsity side, Lincoln secured the fourth seed after going six and four on league games. Meanwhile, Lowell was the third seed, going eight and two in league games.

Guard Mikayla Chew felt something “in between excitement and nervousness.” Chew says, “I felt we had the chance to beat them. I try to have a positive mindset.”

The Mustangs quickly fell behind in the first quarter, scoring just 5 points to the Cardinals’ 15. By halftime, the points deficit snowballed to 13 points and never recovered from there.

In the end, the Mustangs fell short 34-55 in the semifinals of the SFS playoffs to the Lowell Cardinals. 

To seniors like guard-forward Kaylee Fabian, the loss probably marks the last time the players will lace up for another high school basketball game. “The loss hurts a lot,” explains Fabian. “The team meant a lot to me, and it’s my last season.”

By Lola Snopkowski

Lincoln girls soccer went 12-4 overall and 8-2 in league, placing third in the regular season, and sending them to the semifinals against Balboa. 

The Mustangs started slowly, falling behind 1-0 in the first half despite a few scoring chances. 

Halftime was a very pivotal moment for the team, with Junior Kailah O’Doherty stating, “We came together as a team, we gotta win this, we gotta put our whole heart into it.”

Lincoln then scored one goal off a penalty kick by Katy Alvarez, tying the score 1-1. Then Balboa's goalie blocked a shot by O’Doherty, allowing Mkenna Reeves to get the ball and score, putting the Mustangs ahead 2-1. 

For the remainder of the game, the Mustangs were focused on keeping it simple and holding their lead by keeping the ball on their side.

They succeeded in taking down Balboa, sending them to the city championship against their biggest rival, Lowell.

Their only two league losses were against Lowell. The first 3-1 and the second 4-0. Lowell had the upper hand throughout both games, with Junior Kailah O’Doherty stating, “They dominated us by a mile.”

Despite their previous losses, Lincoln came to Negoesco Stadium on February 28th with confidence and determination to overcome their losses. 

Head Coach David McPherson states, “We knew we could hang with them if we just played our best.” O’Doherty adds, “We were the underdogs in the game, and we just wanted to prove everyone wrong.”

The first half was mainly dominated by Lowell, but Lincoln held strong, not allowing any goals and keeping the score tied 0-0. 

Then, in the second half, Lincoln prevailed, dominating play and creating multiple opportunities to take the lead, but failed to score.

Both teams held strong, not allowing any goals to be scored in the remainder of the second half. This led to a golden goal, also known as sudden death, which is a 15-minute overtime in which the first team to score wins. 

Again, both teams played strongly, not allowing either to score. Lincoln came close near the end of the 15 minutes but just missed their shot, hitting the pole at the top of the goal and losing their chance to take the lead. As a result, each team sent five players to represent their team in a best of five penalty shootout. Their entire season rested on the backs of these ten players.

It was Lincoln's O’Doherty, Alvarez, Reeves, and Zoe Campbell against Lowell’s Kelilah Spirn, Clodagh McIntyre, Simone Becker, Kimaaya Mehta, and Sarah Cuadra.

Lowell's goalie made a clutch save against O’Doherty’s shot, putting Lowell ahead 1-0. The only chance for Lincoln to win would be for Lowell to miss a shot or for an incredible save by the Lincoln goalie. Neither happened, allowing Lowell to win 5-4 and take the CIF city championship title. Lowell's bench and stands stormed the field in excitement. 

This win sent Lowell to states in which they ended up winning the Division V state championship, taking down Shasta Charter Academy, Oakland Tech, Ripon Christian, and Coastal Academy.

It was a bittersweet moment for the Lincoln Mustangs because, despite playing so hard, they fell short to their biggest rivals on the biggest stage, the Lowell Cardinals. 

However, they learned a lot and were very proud of the way they played and their season as a whole, O’Doherty stating, “We have so much to be proud of, especially from my freshman year till now. We’ve grown exponentially.”

O’Doherty also described an important factor of their success as a team: “I think being able to have a community and being able to trust who you are on the field with can completely change the way your team plays and the chemistry on the field.”

By Lincolnn Log Staff

The vertical scroll format has taken over every corner of the internet—TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat all offer the opportunity  of full-screen doomscrolling. With the flick of a thumb, users can go from footage of a civilian pleading for mercy as an ICE agent slams them onto the ground to a video of an influencer opening mountains of PR packages. Another swipe and—oh, look! An AI-generated video of Diddy and Jeffrey Epstein battling it out on Epstein island! With the Internet, we’re being fed content in a way never seen before—a way that has made it all too easy to forget the true impact behind the content we see. 

As the Internet is more integrated into everyday life, the boundary between private thought and public expression has all disappeared. Shielded from the intimacy of face-to-face confrontation, people no longer feel afraid to broadcast opinions they might otherwise keep to themselves. In the modern digital space, individuals are reduced to their Internet personas, making it far easier for those interacting to dismiss, insult, or dehumanize them without consequence.  Coupled with a rising culture that rewards outrage and harsh commentary, phones have promoted an environment where rudeness is not only easier, but increasingly encouraged.

Social media is the main platform where students receive their news, whether it’s the latest celebrity gossip or international current events. Most of the time, social media platforms blast hundreds of reels and posts of headlines that are designed to shock. Many teenagers have began to feel numb towards these headlines—almost as if social media conditioned our generation to lose the sense of shock. When reports of shootings and robberies are normalized through the small rectangle screen, viewers begin to feel as if this is the “standard” of how our world works. 

Consequently, AI and social media have revived the worst people on Earth and turned them into TikTok influencers—or at least, one might think so based on the current state of social media. Adolf Hitler can be found dancing to silly songs, and ICE is posting videos to the Pokémon soundtrack. But these posts are far from innocent. 

Memetic warfare is a term which describes the use of Internet memes—humorous media that is spread rapidly on social media—to influence the way people view information. Adolf Hitler dancing to trendy music isn’t funny, and Donald Trump pretending to rain feces on protesters is far from hilarious. This system was intentionally built to desensitize us to violence, even extreme cases.

Recently, memes of high-profile sex offenders Jeffery Epstein and Sean “Diddy” Combs have circulated the Internet, making light of the fact that an extensive network of sex trafficking has been operating under society’s noses for decades. Instead of supporting the victims, people have taken to laughing at and even showing support for the crimes committed.

Along with the memes of Epstein and Diddy, gore on social media has become more accessible on a daily basis among the youth and it has made us more apathetic to violence. Unfortunately, extremely violent videos are seen everywhere now; whether it is animal cruelty or the torture, they no longer just remain in private group chats like Telegram. Telegram is a messaging app, but in recent years it has been widely known for hosting gore, violent extremist content, and graphic imagery due to its lax moderation in their private servers. Despite the recent increase in moderation and the removal of millions of harmful posts, Telegram remains a hub for the gore type of content particularly on its open or public channels. 

Telegram is not the only app. Anybody can see a disturbing video while scrolling through Instagram Reels or TikTok. Mere minutes after right-wing media personality Charlie Kirk’s assasination, clips of the shooting circulated online. After the shooting happened, Kirk became the main subject of memes, such as “Kirkifying” people  and the AI-generated “We Are Charlie Kirk” song. 

During the past years, several other disturbing videos have gone viral—ones that people online still talk about in regards to disturbing shock content. As devastating as it sounds, there are people online who enjoy these types of videos or images, whether it be a true crime junkie or bored doomscrollers. 

When the series “Dahmer-Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” came out, searching up real graphic images of Dahmer’s crime scenes became popular on TikTok. On top of that, people were making fan edits and memes of Evan Peters, who played Dahmer, and the serial killer himself. 

Through repeated exposure, wanted or unwanted, people become less reactive to the contents, which can reduce empathy in those who are exposed to gory media. 

In an age where information and news is easier to access than ever, it is getting harder and harder for us to discern whether or not a source or story is credible. Gone are the days of newspapers on doorsteps or rumors spread through word of mouth. Now, information rampantly spreads through social media algorithms, leading to a flurry of misinformation. It is so important to ensure that we, as consumers, know how to find accurate, unbiased information that allows us to form our own opinions. It is also extremely important that we take our opinions, with the knowledge that not everyone agrees with them, and be able to have civil debates, something it seems we’ve forgotten how to do in the present.

In addition to desensitizing us to the awful current events, the Internet has transformed every debate into a battlefield. Differing opinions are no longer valued online; the options are now to be right or against the original poster and their wave of followers who are indeed willing to die on that hill.

Initially this new wave of online behavior or loss of etiquette was blamed on the Internet being ingrained into the culture, especially from such young ages. However, social media platforms have instated age-based filtering  policies, including Instagram with teen accounts and TikTok family pairing which limits kids to PG-13 content. Australia has taken this a step further and banned the usage of social media for children under 16 because of how much violent content has been passed around on platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, X and Instagram.

While the Internet has undeniably contributed to the desensitization to violence, it has also become one of the most powerful and fastest tools for awareness in history. Incidents that may have once gone unnoticed are now broadcast globally within minutes, forcing people to confront realities that they may have not otherwise been exposed to. The 2020 murder of George Floyd, for example, spread rapidly across social media, sparking worldwide protests and renewed attention to systemic racism and police brutality. Without the immediacy of online platforms, moments like these might have not reached such a wide audience or inspired such large-scale action. 

Similarly, footage from war zones, protests, and humanitarian crises can humanize distant suffering and motivate people to care, donate, or advocate. For example, in Gaza people are able to post the realities of what the Israeli and American government is putting them through at a faster rate than the news organizations ever could. Not to mention, real people are able to share their raw story and experiences online without censorship.

The same constant exposure that risks numbing viewers can also serve as a wake-up call—reminding people that these events are real, urgent, and demand attention. The issue, then, is not simply the presence of violent content online but how it is consumed and understood.

From desensitization to gore to memeifications of serious issues to a lack of media literacy, one common matter shines through. The Internet has the potential to provide endless positive outcomes, but when neglected and used improperly, can be extremely harmful. The digital age shows no signs of stopping; as users we must educate ourselves beyond surface level memes and approach issues with a nuanced point of view, before we lose the very thing we mock, our humanity.

By Yasmine El Hattab

While the word “incel” originally stood for involuntarily celibate, the incel community has evolved more to refer to a degenerate internet subculture. Within this space, one ideology, the “Blackpill” argues that success is determined solely by your genetics, where looks function as the single determining factor in a life. From this belief system came the birth of  “looksmaxxing”.

“Looksmaxxing” is the term that describes the attempt to better one's physical appearance to then see success—or as the Blackpill defines it, climbing up the perceived hierarchy of attractiveness. 

Beauty is not something to maximize, a trait to be optimized and scored according to a standard. Looksmaxxing does not promote self improvement, it promotes conformity and condemns those who don't fit its formula. 

As looksmaxxing continues to rise on the internet, recent figures like Androgenic and “ASU Frat Leader” Varis Gilaj, as well as older icons in the community, such as the self-proclaimed “Blackpill King” James Sapphire, promote the community and the standards it calls for, but one figure appears repeatedly in the discussion about looksmaxxing: Braden Peters, better known by his online name, Clavicular.

Finding success on the streaming platform Kick and TikTok, Peters has built a reputation as one of the most, if not the primary promoter, of the modern looksmaxxing culture online. Gaining most of his fame through his “ascension” journey, Peters has cemented himself as a true looksmaxxer to the world. 

In a multitude of popularized clips, Peter can be seen striking his face with hammers, globes, massage guns, or even his own fists. The practice, known as bonesmashing, is intended to create microfractures in the cheekbones in belief that the bones will grow back.

In reality, hitting one's face till bruising in hopes of gaining a centimeter of cheekbone is nothing more than an unnecessary and painful process. Not only has it been medically disproven as there is no control over creating microfractures, but the practice only creates bruising, swelling and a risk of long term injury with no success in the “looksmaxxing” category.

These ideas have created a culture where individuals constantly criticize their appearance and search for ways to change it, no matter the lengths. 

Music artist Gnel Gregorian, sharing Internet interactions with looksmaxxers, describes the mindset as damaging, “I think these really cruel men started idealizing that you can alter it [your genetics]. That you can alter yourself, and you should alter yourself. [...] You think, ‘Why I was not blessed with[...] good genetics?’”

For some people involved with the looksmaxxing community, the mindset can quickly turn into an obsession with genetics, diet and symmetry.  Terms like “starvemaxxing” and “leanmaxxing” both words that describe drastically dropping the caloric intake to change the body's overall physique, 

Visually, looksmaxxing promotes a highly specific appearance—Hollow cheeks, positively titled eyes, low set and thick eyebrows, specific heights and body fat ratios, are all criteria used all to rate people. 

Split into 13 labels ranging from “Subhuman” to “Adamlite” alongside a number scale from one through eight, the community places people into categories based on their applications and attractiveness compared to the tailored look. 

Chinese-American student and self proclaimed “looksmaxxologist”, Eames Chen, says, “Asians don't really feel included because we live in the cold climates that recess our maxilla [bone] over time […]  I don't have a developed maxilla bone, so I'm still classified as an imperfect person.” 

Interacting personally with those parts of the community,  Chen recalls. “
They're really toxic towards me. I got rated a subhuman.”

For many observers, the rating Chen received was simply online jokes, but to those more involved, it's a highlight of the culture that looksmaxxing promotes. 

The widespread sharing of these ideas across platforms like TikTokhas allowed the language and ideology of looksmaxxing to spread far beyond the small online communities where it first appeared and cement itself online. 

Terms once confined to niche Internet spaces now circulate widely, now reaching those unfamiliar with the origins of the philosophy behind them. 

Whether seen as self-optimization or as an extremist offspring of Internet beauty culture and incel ideology, looksmaxxing reflects a growing trend in online spaces, one where appearance is analyzed, categorized and judged. 

 Looksmaxxing has introduced a language of rankings and “genetic potential”, turning appearance into something to be measured and sorted into hierarchy rather than the individual expression of beauty. While many Internet users continue to treat the trend as satire, the communities promoting it have made clear that their intentions are not ironic. 

By popularizing looksmaxxing, they've been allowed to control what defines beauty and push their standards beyond just a niche.  

Looksmaxxing is not simply a desire to look better, it represents a growing form of lookism, one that reduces people to measurements, ranks and perceived genetic value. 

By Ariana Lopez

Permissive parenting is often mistaken for gentle parenting and it makes gentle parenting look bad. This style of parenting  only works if done the right way. Gentle parenting is a parenting style that focuses on validating a child’s emotions, and setting respectful boundaries instead of punishing a child. 

However, this parenting style is often seen as permissive, or without setting any proper boundaries with a child, but it is necessary to know that gentle parenting is not permissive parenting. An example of permissive parenting is a child receiving endless lectures without receiving any consequences for their behavior. On the other hand, gentle parenting is about validating a child’s feelings while creating clear and firm boundaries. As a parent, it is important to be able to differentiate gentle parenting from permissive parenting. Gentle parenting balances high empathy with firm, consistent boundaries, aiming to teach emotional regulation without punishment. On the other hand, permissive parenting offers high warmth but low demands, avoiding problems and enabling a child’s behavior. Children need a parent who will acknowledge their distress and remain calm even when they can’t. Mindful parenting holds space for difficult feelings while having structure. Parenting styles have a huge impact on how children see the outside world; it impacts their emotional and social development by determining their emotional security, self esteem, and behavioral regulation.  Sara Falls, Writing for Publication teacher at Lincoln and mother of one, stated, “I wish that I really had someone to help me as a young person learn how to react, like know what to do when I was feeling emotional: when I was having big emotions.” Falls claimed, “I am a really hot-headed and angry person, and my mom is the same, so she often came with emotions, yelling and anger.” Nobody talked to Falls about meditation, breathing, or ways on how to self-comfort when having big emotions. “There was no intentionality around helping me to cope.”Falls said. Adding on, she stated that it made it hard for her as she grew older to learn how to respond,and even as an adult she still finds herself in conflict. She also mentioned that when she and her twin sister would fight, their mother would yell at them and it would just make things worse; there was no room for her to breathe and process her emotions. As an adult she still struggles to calm herself down because she was the one that taught herself how to regulate her emotions. Falls is implementing the tactics that she would have liked to benefit from as a child into her parenting. She stated that during dinner time with her husband and her 11-year-old son, her son was upset because he didn’t do his homework earlier and instead was playing with his Ipad. Falls didn’t yell or punish her son, instead she told him, “Hey kid, just hear yourself right now, what’s going on?” and reassured him that nobody was mad at him.

When Falls became a parent, she realized that she wanted to be intentional with her parenting. She read books about parenting, and also lived in what she described as an ‘intentional community,’ where she saw how families who were intentional with their parenting would raise their children, which influenced her style of gentle parenting; Falls describes her and her husband’s parenting as being intentional. Her and her partner had conversations about their values and what mattered to them as parents. Being a teacher has also helped her with parenting, because she works with young adults on a daily basis. She practiced gentle parenting since her son was a baby by talking to him: even when he was crying and couldn’t say what was wrong, she would  say to him, “Oh, you must be tired,” or “Oh, you must be hungry.” 

By Denise Mai

On February 13th, the San Francisco Unified School District strike ended with a tentative agreement. The strike centered on issues such as pay, staffing shortages, and classroom conditions. Although the district and the United Educators of San Francisco reached an agreement, as a SFUSD high school student, I feel the district was not taking the strike seriously, and after speaking to Lincoln students and teachers, it reinforced my opinion. 

During and before the strike, there was little to no information or communication coming from the district about the strike, besides the fact that both sides were negotiating. 

Even a member of the Student Advisory Council in the SFUSD, Joyce Ye, says, “I don’t exactly think that students were given clear communication about what was happening during the strike. Speaking for myself, I had to dig through articles to really educate myself on what the union and teachers were fighting for.”

 I find this very insightful and true because most information about the strike was either found by self research or word of mouth from teachers. 

One instance of this was when I heard a teacher mention during class that Maria Su had not shown up to negotiations. This made me think the district leader didn’t seem to take the strike and teachers seriously.    

After the strike, Mr. Sultan commented on negotiations, claiming, “They did not negotiate in good faith. They just tried to bully us, tried to break us, tried to win the negotiation [...] I have a lot of disdain for the idea that you're gonna [try to] win a negotiation with teachers who are already overworked and underpaid. It's just absurd.”  

The way the district handled the negotiations comes across as immature and unorganized, focusing more on overpowering teachers than working toward a reasonable solution that both parties are happy.

As the strike progressed, I, as a student, grew concerned about scheduling and classwork, but Anabella Ramirez, a senior at Abraham Lincoln High School, who was affected by the strike in a whole different way, __?

Ramirez states, “it affected me in ways I never really thought about before. The free meals I usually would get were gone and I couldn’t leave my house as much due to me having to help out with my sisters and the house.” 

After listening to her struggles with the strike, it opened my eyes to a whole other problem some students had to face; not everyone was able to grab food from the districts grab and go food system because some might have had to help around the house, so this solution just didn’t seem so inclusive for all students on school meals. 

Classes and course progression were an issue when it came to the day of the strike. First, the district offered digital independent study packets through social media. Some might argue that the District just wanted students to have learning materials during the strike, but on the other hand, some others thought of it as a way for the district to undermine the strike and a way to wait the teachers’ strike out by claiming Average Daily Attendance funding from the state. This makes it seem like the district didn’t really want to come to a compromise with the UESF and might have caused the strike to be prolonged.

Overall, the strike has opened my eyes and brought my attention to the relationship between the district, educators, students, and parents. It has shown me how the district reacts and handles a serious situation. Moving forward, the district should hear the voices of our students and educators and work more collaboratively with them, since the educators are the foundation of the school system.

By Christine Kang

The majority of people carry a phone with them, including adolescents.

The pervasive nature of digital media has become a concerning influence on today’s youth, with smartphones now nearly universal among the majority of adolescents, this trend accelerated by the pandemic.  In the aftermath, adolescents have become more reliant on technology than ever before. This has not only worn down traditional communication skills but has also changed the self-perception of young people across all gender identities.

Caitlin Hilt, a student at Abraham Lincoln High School, highlights the pressure of online aesthetics: “[The Internet] negatively affects us because we take inspiration from blogs and from articles to see how we can become skinny, petite girls… but people don’t know how bad it is to trust the Internet or people on social [media].”

Hilt continues, "There's an ongoing lawsuit against social media apps because teens' parents are considering that their kids are developing an eating disorder and want to know why and put a stop to it.”

Hilt notes that these concerns have escalated into legal action, citing ongoing lawsuits against major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, and Discord. Parents involved in these lawsuits say that platforms contribute to the development of eating disorders and digital addiction in their children. 

The consequences are visible even in elementary and middle schoolers, who increasingly struggle with body dysmorphia and an obsession with unrealistic beauty standards. At such a formative age, these pressures interfere with both mental well-being and academic performance. While adults face similar struggles with comparison, they often find it harder to seek help due to a combination of social barriers and emotional shifts.

Despite this, some argue that the media provides essential benefits. Alex Lu, a middle school student, views the digital landscape as a resource: “I use the Internet for homework, inspiration, and it allows teachers to have better communication with students.” 

Lu continues, stating, “I do use AI—however, I don’t abuse this technology, I just have it as a partner [tool] for my writing works.”

While this perspective is common, it often overlooks the subtle transition from “using” a tool to “relying” on it; essentially, you could lose your ability to think for yourself or solve problems manually. If minors prioritize digital assistance over human interaction, they risk losing the ability to engage in group thinking and  large ranges of ideas.

The solution lies in early intervention and active engagement and management. By introducing technology to elementary students under strict guidelines, consistent limits, the parents are able to help children develop self-control for later life. Because the adolescents brain is developing, they can establish healthy boundaries early on. As technology continues to evolve, our strategies for protecting the development of the next generation must grow along with it.

By Xavier Malizia

Twenty-eight games in four months. Almost three games every week. Practice on the other three days. Three AP classes. Seven periods. That was my second semester of junior year. My Thursdays were the most intense: AP Language and Composition from 8:40 to 10:10, AP US History from 10:15 to 11:45, then lunch, then AP Environmental Science—but wait, I had to leave class early to get ready for my 3:30 game against Lowell High School, the reigning city champs. Don’t even get me started on my four-hour-long AP Lang test on the exact same day as the City Championship at Oracle Park. Why was it that hard? 

Sure, I didn’t have to take three AP classes, but then maybe I wouldn’t have gotten into my dream school; I simply am not good enough to play college baseball at a college that would also fulfill my academic desires. 

As the captain of the ALHS Varsity Baseball Team, who also cares a lot about my academics, I find that the school system does a poor job of supporting student athletes in their pursuit of reaching their full potential in both academics and athletics because of a grueling schedule, lack of school support, and a distance between coaches and the school.

When someone asks me what the hardest part of being a student athlete is, the first thing that comes to my mind is the schedule. School starts at 8:40 , a reasonable time, and ends at 3:45, which, in my opinion, is far too late. For a sport like baseball, when taking into account travel time to a field and changing into uniform, practices usually don't start until 4:15- 4:30. Now, add a two to two-and-a-half hour practice, and athletes have a nearly 11-hour day just at school activities, not including hours of homework added on to that after we get home. 

What this schedule does is add an incredible amount of stress to student athletes, which affects both their abilities in the classroom and performance on the field. 

This is a contrast to a student athlete at Saint Ignatius, where they get off of school at 2:45 pm every day and practice at 3:30 pm, a whole hour earlier than us. In fact, we practice on the same field as SI’s freshman team, who either practice before us altogether or end shortly through our warmups. That extra time allows for less stress, more time off to rest, and more time for academics. 

On the public school side, Lowell High School also gives their student-athletes a free last period of the day to have more time for sports. That can be possible for students at Lincoln, but is mostly reserved for upperclassmen and is not a guarantee. 

These are just practice days. Games require early release, transportation, and a higher level of play and focus.

Secondly, support from the school side is seriously lacking. Students for the large part have to take initiative for all missing work, classes, and attendance. While this is a good and valuable life skill, it also poses lots of challenges for students. Very few tutoring resources are available for students, let alone student-athletes. The most common time student-athletes are told to make up work is during lunch, and while it is a time that students are usually free, in my opinion it is not a fair time to have to make up work. With an already long day that creates limited time to socialize, lunch becomes a very valuable time to hang out with friends amidst a busy schedule. Pair that with the fact that athletes need an especially high level of nutrition while performing at a high level, and making up work at lunch is really not a good idea.

I have a solution that would help all parties involved. Imagine an athlete-specific class (sort of like a study hall) that any student-athlete was guaranteed a spot in. It would be during the last few classes of the day, and provide benefits to all challenges student athletes face. The teacher would have a relatively small number of students and would be able to support the student-athletes. Tests and assignments could be made up during this class when needed, and when not, students could watch sports games, weightlift, or learn more about their sport. In addition, since it is towards the end of the day, it would be one fewer class that students would be behind in when missing. 

Further, I have had only a small handful of classes with my teammates, and an opportunity to interact with them more would give the opportunity to build team chemistry. The class could also help with college recruiting, help students get their physicals done, and be a place where students could store their gear during the day. The class could be structured as an elective, giving students the “G” credit towards graduation.

Finally, the disconnect between coaches and school has become, in my opinion, a big issue for student athletes. coaches, faculty, and administrators are not to blame in this issue. Finding dedicated coaches for high school-level sports is increasingly difficult. In order to build a strong program, it takes hundreds of hours, thousands of dollars, and incredible patience. High school coaches make only a couple thousand dollars for the entire year. With the amount of work they put in, that small sum of money is absolutely under the amount they deserve. In addition,with such a limited option of coaches, most coaches don’t actually work at the school they coach for. Out of the five Lincoln Baseball coaches, none of them work at the school themselves. What that does is creates a gap between the students and coaches. My coaches don't know what goes on at the school campus, can't hold their athletes accountable, and struggle to support the athletes academically. I love my coaches, and they are some of the most dedicated people I know, but I wish they worked here at Lincoln. I truly believe that it would help all of us academically and athletically. The ALHS volleyball program is doing incredible right now, and we can accredit a lot of that success to the coach, Vincent Tang, who is a full time P.E. teacher at Lincoln. This helps him recruit, train, and support his players to the best of their ability. 

The final issue, which is a bit separate from my central argument, yet I believe is too important to neglect, is that with the current SFUSD lottery system, athletes have no priority for what school they get into. While this might seem like it would equally distribute athletes throughout the cities, it creates two key problems. The most apparent is Lowell. For baseball especially, with their unique admissions process, Lowell admits many more athletes into their program due to their selective process that caters towards a higher percentage of athletes when compared to all other schools , which gives them an unfair advantage. 

Secondly, many schools have extremely poor programs that will ruin a player’s career and chances of success. Whether due to lack of enrollment, lack of coaching, or any other factors, the majority of high school teams are not competitive. I personally know athletes who are extremely talented, just stuck at schools where they have no chances of athletic success. This represents an overall trend in declining athletics in public schools. Most of the draw for athletes is to private schools, and the ones left in the public schools get concentrated at Lowell. For the baseball world, The two best teams are by far Lowell and Lincoln, with virtually every other team seriously behind, usually with one good player and the rest lacking skills. This leads to a myriad of issues for scheduling. For example, last year Lowell beat Balboa 21-0 and The Academy with the same score. That is not good for anyone. Lowell doesn’t get any better, and neither does the losing team. What that does is force schools like Lincoln and Lowell to play an increasing amount of out-of-league games against harder competition in order to train for the games against each other, to have a good shot in winning. Connecting this back to my central argument, this issue leads to a greater lack of support. When people see a score of 21-0, they don't want to go to that game. It’s boring, uncompetitive, and frankly sucks. Then that leaves the competitive games to be played out-of-league. SFUSD cut team buses three years ago, meaning that transportation is an issue. It also means that fans are highly unlikely to attend, adding to the lack of support. 

In conclusion, I love school; I love sports, but it is so incredibly hard for students to excel in both academics and athletics. I could not become the baseball player I want to be while also excelling in school, and that is the reality hundreds of kids face. Some prioritize sports, leading to a struggle in school. I wish that in the future, the school system could find a way to give student-athletes the support they need to excel at the highest level.

By Kenny Lin

Cooking has never been more accessible. With the internet, you have access to an endless array of recipes and cuisines from various cultures. But when we over-rely on recipes, we fall into a mindless trap and become dependent on them. We see a fixed ingredient list that we need to adhere to, and even if we don’t follow it, sometimes it doesn’t taste right. Recipes fail to teach home cooks to think like a chef: how to season food, experiment, and explore cooking.

The solution: learn the fundamentals of cooking—how flavors interact, suitable ingredient substitutions, and cooking techniques.

Before going further, I’m excluding baking for the sake of argument, and I’m not saying to never follow a recipe. Do follow a recipe when cooking a dish you are unfamiliar with or a dish you simply want to try. However, don’t depend on recipes when you have ingredients to make food but don't know how to apply knowledge to cook a meal from scratch without searching for one; creating stress and lessens the desire to cook a meal for yourself. Rather, see recipes as a guideline you can follow.

Additionally, following a recipe is sometimes not possible, whether it’s missing an ingredient, not having the proper cooking equipment, or lacking experience.

Cooking should be viewed as a large number of experiments rather than a set of rules. Experimenting with different cooking techniques, ingredients, and ratios is what makes cooking enjoyable; it's the unpredictability—and when you make something extraordinary, it's rewarding.

For example, a classic spaghetti with marinara sauce will call for dried spaghetti, canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, salt, dried oregano, basil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

If I were to analyze the ingredient list and consider why each ingredient was added, you would gain a bigger picture of what other ingredients you can add or substitute. The shape of the pasta adds texture, the tomatoes serve as the sole component of flavor, and the fats and cheese complement and add depth to the sauce. Lastly, the aromatics, garlic, basil, and dried oregano, enhance the aroma, making the food taste better.

The graphic [placement in article] further illustrates this, creating numerous variations of marinara sauces. In fact, if I were to use all the same ingredients but add red chili pepper and onion, I'd create what is known in Italy as an arrabbiata sauce. And with the many other ingredients you can add, there are many different ways it’ll taste; some will range from fantastic to inedible.

This cumulative knowledge was acquired by questioning and researching why an ingredient was put in. The cookbook “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking” by Samin Nosrat goes into greater depth on how flavors interact and how to cook instinctively with four principles: salt, fat, acid, and heat.

But more important is to experiment and apply what you know about flavor and think critically about how the ingredients interact.

Knowing how ingredients interact with flavor is important, but cooking techniques are also crucial because they can transform a meal from just fine to exceptional by modifying how it’s cooked.

For example, what determines whether a chicken breast is good or bad is how it’s cooked. If a recipe only contains chicken breast and salt and is cooked to an internal temp of 165°F, you’re left with dried and tasteless stringy chicken.

However, if we tweak the cooking method by first salting the chicken generously and letting it rest for 24 hours—or more, depending on the thickness—in the fridge, we allow the salt to penetrate deeper into the muscle and break down proteins, tenderizing the chicken. Secondly, cooking it to an internal temp of 150°F and holding it for three minutes guarantees it is safe to eat, resulting in a very tender, flavorful, and juicy chicken breast.

To be more serious about cooking, season by eye, cook what's in the fridge, and personalize your cooking style. It requires curiosity and, as mentioned multiple times, experimentation. Learn and apply what you know about flavors and cooking techniques, and observe how recipes are structured, going back and forth until you're satisfied with the result. Also, read cookbooks that encourage you to think about how a dish is made; two that helped me were “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat"—as mentioned above—for understanding flavor, and “The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science” by J. Kenji López-Alt for cooking techniques explained through science.

When you begin to cook this way, there will be ups and downs. Like me and so many others learning to cook, you will under- and over-season food, burn some, and make unappetizing meals. But you’ll learn and improve. The most important thing is to stay curious and have fun. 

By Angela Gin

On January 16th,  fans of indie music around the world rejoiced as popular indie artist Mitski officially announced the release date of her new album, “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me, ” after teasing the arrival with the release of her new single, “Where’s My Phone?” 

The eighth addition to Mitski’s discography came out on February 27th, with mainly positive reviews from critics and fans. In its first week since being released, the album has gotten over 37 million streams on Spotify. But it poses the question: does her new album live up to all the hype it’s received? 

After listening to the teaser song, I figured the album would have a similar vibe to her earlier albums “Bury Me At Makeout Creek” and “Puberty 2,” because of the rock music in the background. But when the entire album was released, I found it to feature more country than rock, making it more like her previous album, “The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We.”

Despite the fact that it’s a lot less fast paced and discordant than her other albums, it still maintains many of Mitski’s stylistic and musical trademarks. Many songs feature overlapping discordant sounds and notes that compliments the chaotic overlap of emotions in the lyrics. All the tracks have her signature melancholy, ranging from pure chaos like “Where’s My Phone?” to deceivingly upbeat like “Rules.” 

Alternating between country and rock each song, the album centers around themes of death, lack of agency, and inadequacy in a relationship. For example, “Dead Women” references renowned 20th century author Virginia Woolf’s suicide by drowning. Essentially, the album focuses on the end, whether it’s the end of a relationship, regretting the end of an era, or the end of life. 

Ultimately, while I do like Mitski and many of her other albums, this one isn’t my favorite. I did like a couple of songs, specifically. However, I didn’t enjoy the country vibe overall. I wouldn’t go so far as calling it a bad album, it’s just very country, which isn’t a new change in Mitski’s music. She’s been slowly leaning more and more into country with each album, beginning with her 2022 album “Laurel Hell” and continuing on through the albums after that.Newer Mitski fans will appreciate this album, however, fans who prefer her original sound might have mixed feelings about the album.

 “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me” is one of Mitski’s weaker albums, however, I would recommend it to others. I feel like country music enjoyers will appreciate this album and add it to their library. 

By Abigail Park

Known for fried potato puffs and chicken sandwiches, a new Grégoire location opened in San Francisco and the exquisitely flavorful menu is definitely worth a try–just not worth a revisit.

Grégoire has been a Berkeley staple since June 26th, 2002, located on 2109 Cedar St., Berkeley. On January 16th, 2026, fine-dining trained chef and owner Grégoire Jacquet debuted his new Grégoire restaurant location in the inner Sunset district of San Francisco. 

Located on 1300 9th Ave., San Francisco’s Grégoire offers a variety of French-inspired takeout ranging from salmon gravlax sandwiches to mushroom garlic and quiche salads and popular potato puffs. Many people enjoy the takeout cuisine proven by the many awards Jacquet has won, including best take-out food in the East Bay by “East Bay Express.”

Entering the restaurant, the white tiles and orange decor brightened my mood and the quick access to their bathroom checked off my initial expectations. 

After a long 25 minutes of hungry waiting, I sat in their indoor window side tables which viewed 9th Ave. and Irving and taste-tested the most popular and intriguing items–the fried cauliflower wrap for $13.25 and potato puffs for $8.85. Was the long wait and the $23 worth it?

The angular cut fried cauliflower wrap consisted of slightly salted and tempura-fried golden-brown cauliflower, sweet orange Moroccan carrot shavings decorated with aromatic grilled lavash raisins, and a vibrant bunch of lettuce shreds wrapped in a thin and light tortilla. From being ever so slightly sweet and salty, the lightness of the wrap fell snugly into my stomach as the crunch of the lettuce mixed perfectly with the softness of the cauliflower. 

The lightness of the wrap balanced well with the fried potato puffs. The nine slightly golden, slightly brown spheres wrapped around a container filled with light orange, spicy mayonnaise sauce. When biting into the potato puffs, the initial crunch was complemented by the soft, steaming white mashed-potato-like inner mush. The spiciness of the mayonnaise sauce juxtaposed the oily and dense potato nicely.

The surprise of the pleasant taste and lightness of the meal outweighs the long wait for the food. Considering the high price for the French-inspired takeout, Grégoire is not a restaurant I would come back to regularly. For an occasional visit? Definitely a go-to.

Under Jacquet’s refined culinary expertise, Grégoire is definitely worth trying due to the detailed balance of sweet and savory, and light and heavy. In the end, a visit back may have to be rethought–the long wait and high price are not always worth the gamble–but Grégoire still deserves a taste.

By Ella Lau

A new restaurant called “La Linda” has recently had its grand opening so I decided to go to the restaurant and see what it is all about. So far, the restaurant has built itself a reputation of having an incredibly welcoming atmosphere and delicious food. They serve a mix of New Mexican cuisine and cafe staples. The restaurant sits on the cross section of Taraval Street and 33rd Avenue, meaning it is right next to the L-taraval stop.

The restaurant has a rating of 4.7 on Yelp and a rating of 4.9 on Google, with 19 reviews and 17 reviews respectively. Based on my experience going to La Linda I'd have to agree that the restaurant is wonderful and definitely worth the visit.

I went with my mother for brunch. For drinks, we ordered a macchiato, and the strawberry besos smoothie. For our main dishes we ordered the chicken pesto sandwich, the breakfast burrito and a plate for corn ribs. For dessert we ordered Linda’s churro bowl.

We ordered the six ounce macchiato for six dollars. The macchiato was smooth and the taste was appropriately bitter, but I didn’t find it to be too remarkable. 

The strawberry besos smoothie was my favorite of the two drinks. It was 11 dollars. The consistency of the smoothie was absolutely perfect, the flavor was nice and light, and it had the perfect balance of sweetness. I highly recommend the strawberry besos smoothie. 

We had a delicious chicken pesto sandwich for 19 dollars and 50 cents. The chicken pesto sandwich was the weakest in terms of presentation in my opinion, since the other meals were presented in such an appealing and appetizing way that the presentation for the chicken pesto seemed mediocre. The chicken pesto sandwich was presented with a small salad on the side and was cut in half. However, it absolutely made up for it with its taste, as it was incredibly rich and refreshing. It was still filling without being heavy in your gut. 

If you’re looking for a hearty meal, the breakfast burrito is sure to satisfy your craving. The burrito costs 20 dollars. The presentation is indulgent and lavish, bathed in beans and topped with a mix of lettuce, tomato, and sour cream. It’s loaded with flavor and was definitely my favorite of the meals that I tried. 

To share, we ordered corn ribs for 13 dollars, however the price has since been increased to 15 dollars. I love corn so it was no surprise I loved this dish. They grill the corn and top it with chipotle aioli, queso fresco, cilantro, lemon, and aleppo pepper. The chipotle aioli and corn ribs make for such a nice combination of flavor, being savory with just a hint of sweetness. 

If you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth then I would recommend Linda’s churro bowl, which was 14 dollars. The dessert is a churro bowl coated with sugar and ground cinnamon, with a scoop of ice cream in the middle and topped with strawberries and nutella drizzle. This dessert was absolutely perfect. The churro bowl wasn’t too soggy from the ice cream and it was still soft and fluffy. The ice cream was wonderful and mixed with the strawberries. It was nice and sweet without overwhelming my taste buds. 

The atmosphere in the restaurant was also very welcoming and warm. It has large, near floor to ceiling windows that let in tons of sunlight. It’s appropriately decorated, without feeling too under or overwhelming. There was also outdoor seating for people who like a nice breeze while they eat. 

When it comes to pricing I thought it was pretty fair. The pricing for the food was similar to other cafes I've been to in the area, and maybe slightly better.

Overall I absolutely loved “La Linda” and highly recommend you go and try something to eat. I can’t wait to visit it on my weekends for a lovely brunch. It was tasty food with a nice atmosphere and a convenient location. 

By Kevine Liang

Only after a six month wait, winter turns to spring, and fashion houses prepare for the cold once again. 

While runway shows of Autumn/Winter 2026 prepare for the upcoming winter cycle, I have my favorites from the repulsive couture of Matières Fécales, to the nostalgic diaspora of Tolu Coker and the Monet obsession of Jonathan Anderson at Dior. These three designer’s understanding of culture and the social commentary in their designs leave a lasting impression. 

Matières Fécales, or Fecal Matter, is a Parisian label that debuted last year in Paris fashion week. Founded by Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran, they refine glamour with the extreme that underlines the unspoken truths about our classist society in their Autumn/Winter 2026 show titled “The One Percent.”

I thoroughly enjoyed how Dalton and Bhaskaran drew a fine line between borderline grotesque imagery and intrigue. Archetypes of the rich prance around with Mr. Monopoly suits and pleated tulle skirts, eyes blinded by dollar bills, necks are wrapped with pearls shaped into pentagrams, and mouths are gagged BDSM style by pearls. Funeral veiled cartwheel hats—wide brimmed with a shallow crown—conceal plastic faces scarred beyond recognition.

Screams of red, red bottoms, red teeth, red lips, and red stained hands flood the show as one of the only vivid colors that appear, a color that represents passion for wealth but also the price of pain that follows. 

Model’s walk with a strange poise, an unsettling taunting tone appears in the way they smirk, peer around, and wave their fingers. A true billionaire representing immortals, Bryan Johnson, who transfuses his son’s blood into him in hopes of extending his life and spends two million dollars annually on a goal to not die, walks down the runway not for admiration but out of ironic repentance. 

Only when a cult appears to perform their ritual in black cloaks and Alexander-McQueen-inspired red hair devil horns on partially shaved heads, their transcendence is complete.

 Their new features resemble beings out of this world, wide black pupils, silver feathers, elongated heads, Elizabethan gowns, sharp claws, and prosthetic boots where the heel is an extension of the foot (yes, in the shape of human feet), but humans they are no more. Immortality has become power. The ability to control time and body to shed humanity that the one percent strives for paramounts the power of money. 

I believe that a fascinating fashion show brings a concrete political stance and their message was clear: they won’t stand to be complicit. The mention of the “one percent” from Dalton and Bhaskaran dates back to 2017 on Instagram, when they created the “ End White Supremacy” bag that shedded light on the truth about minority exploitation within the fashion industry.

In Matières Fécales’ show notes, they said “Power affects us all. Whether it’s the corruption of power by those who lead us or the lack of power from those who seek it. We all have a relationship with it and that’s ultimately what this collection is about.”

At London fashion week, Tolu Coker, a British-Nigerian designer guided us through her inspiration from the grief of wanting to escape the places that embraced her, which made her hold tighter to her heritage in her Autumn/Winter 2026 show titled "Survivor's Remorse.”

This collection was unapologetically Nigerian and British: bright oranges and vibrant pinks and blues are tartan printed. Puffed sleeves and ties sit on sculpted satin peplum bustiers, the created flounce of the short flared fabric is reminiscent of school uniforms.  

The pleated folds dropping off of the corsetry rejuvenate the look of the 60s, while paired with extended triangular collars and patterned bowler hats given a new look of higher dome crown, and layered curved upturned brim. I always love a unique hat and Coker does just that. 

In this collection, Coker wanted to create an homage to the immigrants and the working-class of Britain that continue living without recognition. King Charles III’s attendance of the show signaled that Black designers, Black rappers, and Black people are able to occupy the same space as a monarchy that has been historically anti-black with their ties to the transatlantic slave trade and imperialism. 

Coker mimicked the neighborhood of her childhood, the Mozart Estate in West London, where the murals of Black portraiture and the comforting neglect of working-class neighborhoods that once nurtured her. 

“To the cage we played in, laughed in, learned in. It is a love letter to our inner children and to those we have loved and lost. Proof that grief and joy can exist in the same breath, and that community is qualitative wealth money cannot buy,” says Coker in an interview with Perfect Magazine. 

The show was her remorse and her amends. 

Jonathan Anderson recognizes the beauty in a departed city as he takes the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris for the set of “Sun King” for Dior’s Autumn/Winter 2026. Anderson tailors Dior’s identity of hyperfeminine look, bar jackets, and cinched waists with an emphasis on reinvention on its heavy past. 

The invitations for the show were mini green Sénat seats, steel chairs with gently curved slats, that have filled the Tuileries since 1923 and serve as a place for reflection and intimacy. Ideas that are reflected in French impressionist Claude Monet’s “Water Lillies”, serves as an inspiration for this collection. 

I admit I’m impressed by the muted pastels of green, brown, and pink make up peplum bodices that are paired with voluminous polka dot ruffles that trail down from the end into a tail. The illusion of cinched waists are accentuated with wool cardigans and silk embroidered coats. The deep V-collar with blooming skirts that resembles much of the flowers that have been long time inspirations of Dior, but not water lilies. 

The artificial water lilies that fill the hexagon pond at Tuileries  symbolize beauty, rebirth, and creation. These symbolisms are attached to the ornate accessories created for the show as water lily brooches, water lily heels, water lily rings, and elongated water lily ear cuffs subtly add to the subtle elegant charm of the show.

Unlike Anderson’s previous shows at Loewe, where he was known for his turning conceptual designs from everyday objects into clothes,“Sun King” was more wearable. Even as the show was inspired by the 18th century aristocracy, the poetic theatrics redefined aristocracy as a form of self expression rather than inheritance, giving more access to the public rather than restraining it for the higher class. 

Anderson has created a peaceful sanctuary at Dior, it’s soft and cheerful on the eyes. The flow of the garments allows the women to breathe with intimate ease and femininity, and gives a new beginning of an era. 

By Orin Yu

The TV series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” first premiered in 2023, bringing Rick Riordan’s beloved book series to the screen. The original novel, “The Lightning Thief,” was released in 2005 and served as the basis for the show’s first season. Season two released in 2025, and adapts the second book in the series, “The Sea of Monsters,” published in 2006. The Percy Jackson universe itself spans more than 15 interconnected books. The first five books, which the show is adapted from, follow teenage demigod Percy Jackson, as he adventures into the world of Greek Gods, going on quests and facing all manner of foes. The book series has attracted an enormous fan base over the years, and with such a long time since the original publishing, fans have developed high expectations for adaptations.

When I watched season one, I was disappointed. Part of that came from the casting not matching what I had always imagined while reading the books. I had a vision of what characters would look like when brought to the screen, and almost all of the cast was off in some way. 

Another reason was something that happens with almost every book adaptation; the exclusion of some of my favorite scenes. 

Because of that, I went into season two with low expectations. It may just be that I’m a pessimist, but I don’t think any adaptation could perfectly capture the literary genius that Rick Riordan created in his books. 

In season two, each episode is named after an important chapter from the book, which initially makes it seem like the show would stay faithful to the source material. However, several memorable moments are either removed or changed in ways that feel unnecessary.

One of the most noticeable examples appears immediately in episode one, titled “I Play Dodgeball With Cannibals.” In the book, the dodgeball fight with the Laistrygonian giants–essentially just giants–is a chaotic and memorable opening scene where Percy is struggling to fit into normal school life, but a group of giants crash his PE class. But in the show that scene is missing completely. 

As a fan of the books, I was disappointed to not see George and Martha. The two snakes that intertwine Hermes’ winged staff are completely missing when we see Hermes in the show. They aren’t largely relevant to the plot of the book, but their banter is incredibly memorable and hilarious. They are some of my favorite side characters in the books. I think their exclusion is a disservice to people who have not read the books. 

Some characters are also portrayed differently than in the books. Clarisse, for example, is depicted in the show as a more sympathetic and emotionally conflicted character who is trying to live up to her father Ares’s expectations. In order to do so, she takes on a quest to find a cure for Thalia’s Tree, a tree that protects the camp from monsters, which has been poisoned. In the book, however, Clarisse is much more aggressive and confident, taking on the quest mainly because she wants glory and recognition from Ares. While this is not a bad change, it just seems unnecessary. In the books Clarisse is more of an enemy, and as a reader you dislike Clarisse. The change in the show makes you sympathize with her more, which I feel takes away from the depth of the cast in the story. 

Another major change involves the Golden Fleece and Thalia’s Tree. In the book, the quest is mainly about saving Thalia’s tree and protecting Camp Half-Blood. The characters do not realize that the fleece could actually bring Thalia herself back to life. That reveal is a huge surprise at the end of the story. The show reveals this possibility much earlier, which removes the shock of the moment and ruins the amazing reveal that the book has. 

Beyond story changes, the show also struggles at times with production elements. Some props and CGI look noticeably artificial, such as the chariots, which appear overly plastic. The fight choreography also feels weak in several scenes, sometimes looking more like staged role-playing than intense battles.

There are also smaller details that longtime readers might notice. For example, the show’s version of Poseidon is very different from the relaxed, surfer-dude that appears in the books. In the books, Poseidon appears with a laid back, beach-goer look, rocking a Hawaiian shirt, shorts and flip-flops. In the show, however, he appears in a suit and looks very serious, which is a change that I just don’t understand. 

Overall, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” season two is still an enjoyable show. In fact it is a great improvement over season one. However, as an adaptation of “The Sea of Monsters,” it changes or removes enough moments that it may disappoint longtime fans of the books. If you are simply looking for an entertaining fantasy show, it’s a fun watch. But if you want the full “Percy Jackson” story as it was originally told, the books are still the best way to experience it.

By Sylvia Liu

I walked into Goldenette, a new American diner that sells breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It opened on February 16th on Polk St., and you can get there by the 48 and 49 buses and the L train. 

When walking in, you're hit with the smell of coffee and beef, along with the sound of modern music. The atmosphere is warm, and it reminded me of a vintage bathroom, with shiny tiles all over. You’re greeted with pink, white, and gold-themed furniture and white tiled floors, along with mirrors on the walls.

Goldenette has limited staff, but they still provide fast service, check in mid-meal, and are overall friendly.  

With good-quality service, they offer four flavors of milkshakes: chocolate, strawberry, golden banana, and Vietnamese coffee; each is seven dollars. Their milkshakes are freshly made for each order and are creamy but not too sweet. 

However, I ordered the strawberry milkshake, and the strawberry flavor was faint. The strawberry flavor is only noticeable when drunk slowly. 

Their most-ordered food item is the Goldenette Melt, a sandwich with two smash burgers, caramelized onion, and Russian dressing on rye and Reyes toma. On the side, there’s either tater tots or fries. It comes in a pink dinner plate, and a side of ketchup in a white sauce cup.

The taste of the melt is disappointing, with the beef overpowering most other flavors. When you are able to taste other flavors, the caramelized onions are sweet and add a nice touch, and the dressing is savory with a hint of acid, but most of the time, they’re overshadowed by the beef. The tater tots and fries are perfectly crispy and golden brown, yet soft on the inside, but you're not given many of them.

Their salads are filled with romaine lettuce and have plenty of different toppings, but they're not worth 17 dollars; most of the salad is romaine lettuce.

Their drinks range from four dollars for carbonated water or soda to 14 dollars for a mimosa. Their most popular drink is Vietnamese coffee, which costs seven dollars.

The average price per meal is 20 to 30 dollars, and while the quality of the food is good, the price isn't worth it. The aftertaste of the melt tastes like an In-N-Out burger, so you're better off going to In-N-Out and buying from them if you’re craving a milkshake, melt, or a burger. Plus, it’s more affordable to go to In-N-Out than Goldenette. 

Goldenette has a beautiful atmosphere that's warm and welcoming and serves good-quality food, but high schoolers are better off going somewhere else to eat.

By Sophie Ng

Formerly the tenth member of the 12-piece South Korean girl group LOONA, Chuu began her solo music endeavors in late 2023. Admittedly, I hadn’t been keeping up with her work as much as the other former LOONA members. During her time in LOONA, Chuu had served as the bright, energetic member. Chuu’s retained her vibrancy in her solo music for the most part.. Despite this, her musical identity has always felt a little flimsy. I’d enjoyed her discography, but none of her songs really stuck with me, so I was excited to hear her plans for a studio album. 

Released January 7th, “XO, My Cyberlove” serves some of Chuu’s best songs while also serving some of her worst;some tracks absolutely changed my life, while others feel more like dull filler.. 

The lead single of the same name, “XO, My Cyberlove” opens the album with a dreamy synth-pop melody, telling the story of unrequited love from the perspective of an AI chatbot. I found this topic especially interesting coming from a K-pop artist; the industry is all too familiar with parasocial relationships. However, “XO, My Cyberlove” plays it safe as the title. Despite tackling a difficult topic, the song is easy-listening and laidback, which is a bit of a letdown. Unfortunately, “XO, My Cyberlove” misses the mark as the lead single. 

“Canary” takes on a more melancholy sound— with a dark pop ballad, Chuu reminds us she can sing. Her voice is emotional and clear here, easily making the song one of her best. She draws inspiration from the phrase “canary in the coal mine” to chronicle the message of unconditional love and devotion; in the past, coal miners would bring small yellow birds with them to help detect toxic gases. I’d love to hear more of this sound from her. 

Throughout her career, Chuu has kept up a more wholesome image. While she hasn’t completely shed this reputation, the third track, “Cocktail Dress” boasts a more mature and refined side of the 1999-born singer with an indie-alternative pop sound. Chuu’s lower register is insanely gorgeous, and I’m amazed she hasn’t showcased it as extensively before. I feel that “Cocktail Dress” would’ve made an incredible lead single; it’s bubbly while also having its own distinctive sensual sound. 

The fourth track, “Limoncello” feels a little lackluster—it is by no means a bad song, but after an insane three-track run, I was a bit let down. It’s a fun, light, and dancey Afrobeat-inspired track. However, nothing quite stands out about the melody or lyrics. I wouldn’t skip it if it came up on shuffle, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to listen to it. 

Diverging from the mellow and laidback sound of previous tracks, “Teeny Tiny Heart” takes us back to LOONA-era Chuu—lively, jazzy, and playful. It’s another easy-listening song, but unlike the title track, “XO, My Cyberlove,” stands out more with its distinctive melody and catchy chorus. “Teeny Tiny Heart” was a great addition to the album and balanced out the “old” and “new” Chuu sound in this album.

The sixth track, “Love Potion,” once again highlights Chuu’s lower register. Like “Limoncello,” the song has Afrobeats influences, something every K-pop artist seems to be taking on recently. While her voice sounds gorgeous, the song itself does not offer anything unique; it lacks the stand-out quality the earlier tracks have. Again, “Love Potion” isn’t a terrible song; it’s just okay.

Chuu redeems herself with the next track, “Heart Tea Bag.” This track is another one of my favorites; I love alternative R&B and I love Chuu’s voice. Her tone is smooth and suits the sweet and easygoing sound. Unlike “XO, My Cyberlove,” “Heart Tea Bag” delivers the cool, mellow sound more artfully.  This is another one of my favorites from the album; I think Chuu could find success if she continues with this sound.

“Hide & Seek” leans back into Chuu’s vibrant and cheerful music style. However, this track lacks the same charm as its sister, “Teeny Tiny Heart.” The melody is reminiscent of the 2017 K-pop era, but in the nugu girl group way. The album really could’ve done without this track; “Hide & Seek” doesn’t show anything we haven’t seen before from Chuu. 

Closing off the album, “Loving You!” maintains the smiley “Chuu-like” quality while simultaneously providing a sense of closure. She really serves up YENA vibes with the hyperpop melody and vibrant lyrics. The song’s synths draw back to Chuu’s original “cyberlove” theme, wrapping up the album’s story well.

Overall, “XO, My Cyberlove” fails to completely solidify Chuu’s musical identity, but it does create a promising start for her future endeavors. The album does have its standout moments at the start—“Cocktail Dress” has been on my top songs weekly since my first listen, but starts to flip-flop as the album goes on. I look forward to seeing what direction Chuu takes in her next releases.

By Zoe Hong

On February 20th, Sara Falls, Lincoln's AP Literature and Composition teacher, walked onto the stage of the Little Theater packed with families, classmates, and teachers to announce the opening of the annual Hamlet showcase complete with fist fights, corporate break downs, and brooding monologues. 

Each year, Falls’ AP Literature and Composition and European Literature students are tasked with performing a scene from Hamlet to demonstrate their understanding and provide their analysis of the text. As students came and went off stage, the amount of practice they put in showed as different groups performed their unique scenes. 

However, this year, the preparation for opening night hit a roadblock when the teacher strike started the Monday before the show, pushing the performance from February 13th to February 20th. With a week of no practice, students rushed to re-rehearse lines before the Little Theater doors opened.

Alisa Kryan, one of the students who played Hamlet, estimates she spent four hours a week outside of class to memorize her lines.

 “I was worried I was going to forget my lines,” admitted Kryan, “But, when quizzed, it was like muscle memory because I had practiced so much.”
For Falls, performing Hamlet rather than reading the play forces students to make their own interpretative choices, allowing them to understand the play as it was meant to be seen and performed. For example, students decide how to portray Ophelia's grief and if Hamlet knows he's being spied on. After reading the play initially, students participate in a “casting call,” submitting their top two characters and scenes along with their vision for the role before Falls makes the final decision. Practice then begins with students rehearsing in class, in the mornings, and during lunch. 

"The Ophelia in my first period was hotly desired," Falls said. "I had to look at several people who wanted to play her and decide who had the most interesting vision."

One such interpretation was from the group “The Influencers,” directed by Ian Stewart, which portrayed Ophelia as an influencer in a streaming company.
“Being at a streaming company would give Ophelia the opportunity to broadcast her feelings of grief to the world… [rather] than what was possible in the original play,” adds Stewart “We thought this was a cool twist.”

Falls initially took over the Hamlet showcase in 2017 after the previous AP Literature and Composition teacher, Daniel Kim, retired to start his own school. After watching his class perform in the Hino Gardens, she was inspired and worked hard to fill Kim's big shoes and put on her first showcase to a similar audience of students, teachers, and families the following year. Eight years later, Falls still has her students perform the Hamlet showcase for extra credit. 

“I try to emphasize that this is a little bit about proving to me that you're a good reader,” she says. 

When the lights dimmed Friday evening, the group “The Gravestones” walked on stage to perform Act Five, Scene One. Directed by Kyra Cheung, the performance started with Kevine Liang and Mika Buckwald as gravediggers tossing bones out of a coffin, causing the audience to laugh. Kryan then bursted onto the stage, soon joined by Jaydon Zhang as Claudius, Julian Laberinto as Laertes, and Anabella Ramirez as Queen Gertrude as Kyran and Laberinto broke into a fist fight while the rest of the cast struggled to hold them back.

“Ghostly Ghouls,” directed by Ella Taraborelli, transformed the stage with paper trees taped across the set, creating an eerie atmosphere for the ghost of King Hamlet, portrayed by Raquel Chim, to haunt Hamlet, portrayed by Jane Regnier. 

In “Get Thee To A Comedy,” director Bella Speckhard set her cast in 2008, giving Hamlet, portrayed by Kara Gibbons, Uggs and a side part while he argued with Lina Pierce, as Ophelia, over love letters dotted with hearts.
“Hamless,” directed by Autumn Pritchard, shocked the audience as Zoë Hsu Doo playing Ophelia flounced onto the stage with streaks of mascara running down her face, singing her grief while distributing flowers to the other actors.
“The Influencers” then provided an opposing take on Ophelia's breakdown, dressed in suits on the executive floor of Elsinore Streaming rather than in a Sitting Room. 

The show closed out with “The Bloody Thorns,” directed by Angela Gin, who worked with Fin Konnan as Polonius to synchronize Moyses Aguirre’s speech as Hamlet to an original score composed by Konnan, giving Aguirre's monologue a dark atmospheric quality.

For Falls, moments like these are why the showcase, and performing Hamlet, is so important.

“Watching kids step up, being creative,  trying out new things, taking on this challenge, and doing a really good job,” Falls says, "That's so cool, you know?”

By Zoë Hsu Doo

“The Hunger Games” trilogy by Suzanne Collins ignited the explosion of young adult  dystopian fiction that defined teen pop culture in the late 2000s and early 2010s. While earlier novels such as “The Giver” by Lois Lowry laid the groundwork for the genre, "The Hunger Games” popularized young adult dystopian into the global phenomenon it is. Soon after its initial release, every YA novel contained similar elements: a teenage “woman warrior” heroine; a love triangle between her childhood best friends and a stranger; a fractured nation; an oppressive government; and a looming rebellion to lead. 

The newest addition to this beloved franchise, “The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping," maintains the series’ level of artistry through its riveting storyline and nuanced commentary on dystopian governments.

The original trilogy follows Katniss Everdeen, a District 12 teenager forced to compete in the Hunger Games, where she fights to the death in a televised competition. The Capitol is the wealthy metropolis, home to the elites who govern the Panem districts in a dictatorship. Contrasting the lavish lifestyle in the Capitol, are the impoverished Districts, ranging from one to 12, each specializing in a good or service, exploited by the Capitol. District 1’s industry is luxury goods, making it the Capitol’s favored district with many winners. District 12, the coal district is the underdog, with only two previous winners, Lucy Gray Baird from “The Ballad of Songs and Snakes” and Haymitch Abernathy from “Sunrise On the Reaping”. Over the course of the trilogy, the competition expands beyond survival to explore propaganda, authoritarian control, and rebellion. The series became a massive publishing success, and the four movie adaptations (2012-2015), a blockbuster film franchise.

Collins returned after ten years to Panem with the prequel, “Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes," which follows the story of young Coriolanus Snow and the earliest days of the Hunger Games. The prequel earned its own movie adaptation, with mixed reviews over Collins's decision to center the story around Snow, the antagonist in the original trilogy.

On March 15th, 2025, the most recent installment in “The Hunger Games” series, “Sunrise on the Reaping," was published. The movie, slated for November 20th, 2026, was announced soon after. “Sunrise on the Reaping” follows Haymitch Abernathy’s, Everdeen’s mentor in the trilogy, journey at the 50th Games for the Second Quarter Quell, where double the amount of tributes are Reaped.

As an avid fan of the series, my favorite book and movie is “Catching Fire." I adore the inclusion of new characters, romance, and the exploration of the aftermath of the first acts of a rebellion. In both the book and the movie, comedic scenes, such as Everdeen thinking CPR was making out, are coupled with depressing revelations of Everdeen’s mockingjay dress transformation condemning Cinna’s, her stylist, subsequent death.

As a reader, I typically favor backstories, so going into this book, one question lingered in my mind: could it become my new favorite? 

The long-term rebellion 24 years later in the original series takes root in the 50th Hunger Games. The tributes’ sabotage of the arena forces the 50th games to be heavily edited, proving that the Capitol’s control is not absolute. Everdeen’s Mockingjay pin, the symbol of the rebellion, was originally Masilyee Donner’s, Abernathy’s fellow tribute. 

Although all of the books have a dark and bleak tone, “Sunrise on the Reaping” lacks some of the comedic scenes of prior books. Through the Games and the Capitol, Collins explores propaganda, power structures, and use of AI. Not only do these topics curate a dystopian feeling in the book, but their connection to the current state of our political and social world invests me and creates a sense of unease while reading. 

When Louella McCoy, a District 12 tribute dies in a chariot race gone bad before the games begin, a brainwashed body double, LouLou, is sent to the games in her place. As a punishment for Beetee Latier’s early resistance, his son, Ampert, is sent to his death in the Games with Beetee forced to watch. The Capitol and Districts watch this as entertainment, a disfigured reality show, mimicking the current social media trend of desensitization to violence in the media.

Others may argue the constant writing for film adaptations cheapens the influence of Collins’s intentions. Despite my love of Collins’s writing, I found the plot somewhat formulaic, with certain aspects rushed since the book was written for its film adaptation. However, the books and the adaptations maintain their meaning and relevance. Nearly two decades after the series release, Collins’ examination of war, propaganda, and wealth, mirror current global issues in a dramatized version.

"Sunrise on the Reaping" is a compelling addition to “The Hunger Games” series, but not my new favorite. With each new release, Collins continues to define the YA dystopian fiction genre, and I for one hope the next book is about Johanna Mason’s games.

By Elise Dunn

Over the first weekend of March, I took myself over to the movie theater to see the film that many have been discussing in person and through the screen of my phone, the new “Wuthering Heights” movie. I had heard dozens of opinions through Instagram posts, TikTok videos and fellow classmates who had seen the movie. Overall, I walked in with an open mind and open curiosity. 

“Wuthering Heights,” originally written by Emily Brontë, follows the entanglement of Catherine Earnshaw and Healthcliff over the course of the late 1700s and early 1800s in the dark cloudy northern England countryside. This cunning tale was recently adapted by award-winning director Emerald Fennel and it succeeded in capturing a vibrant setting, a beautiful soundtrack, and array of dramatic yet captivating costumes. However, the film, like other movie adaptations in the past made of this classic novel, failed to bring to life aspects of the plot necessary in telling the full story, making the movie an underwhelming watch. 

Fennel, the director of the movie, has been known for her previous 2022 film “Saltburn," which had a familiar feeling of English countryside romance. Yet, the 2022 film dove into a weirder genre of film that was seen similarly in “Wuthering Heights” dragging away from the gothic and classical era shown throughout the novel. Similarly, elements of the movie such as the opening scene and other various troubling entanglements throughout the film pushed it further away from the original story told by Brontë. 

The cast of the movie from book-to-screen also proved to be slightly controversial with descriptions in the book not meeting the casting in the movie. When it comes to book adaptations, especially popular novels, casting is important and valuable to accurately bring the story to life. One of the main protagonists, Healthcliff, is an example of this, as in the novel he is described as a man of mixed race whereas in the movie he is played by well-known actor, Jacob Elordi, who is white. His race is a vital trait that is shown throughout the novel as Heathcliff's experience with racism and  racial/class struggle fuels his violent temper. This proved to be a thematic loss as the film once again slid away from the original plot of the book. 

The story also takes on a controversial subject of abuse which is an active theme throughout both book and movie. Yet in the movie, it is seen in a more glamourized scope. Heathcliff's romance and yearning for Catherine in the film overthrows the more brutal and concerning dark side of his character shown within the novel, especially since Heathcliff's flaws are a viable and necessary part of the story. Not to mention the failure to include critical plot characters, including Catherine's children and Healthcliff’s children, which take a big role in Heathcliff's darker and abusive traits shown in the book. 

As much as this movie lacked certain elements necessary for a good book to screen adaptation, it was an entertaining watch. The soundtrack, with original songs written by fan favorite artist, Charli XCX, gave the movie a push into the right direction with the music making you feel the heartbreak and shock shown on the screen. The original motion picture soundtrack gave the film an edge in which the plot simply wasn’t with songs making certain scenes worth the watch. Beautiful drawn out scenes of foggy northern countryside matched with angelical tunes left me sitting at the edge of my seat wanting to dive deeper into the story. Not to mention the setting, encapsulating the brooding and painful love between Heathcliff and Catherine as they grow older running along the familiar countryside year after year. Scenes of Catherine and Edward Linton's luxurious mansion and the green lush hillsides of Wuthering Heights made a strong impression visually and despite obvious plot absences, I could not help but enjoy visual aspects throughout the film. 

As a movie based on a classic novel, “Wuthering Heights” was an interesting but inaccurate watch. However, if the movie was an independent film, not based on a novel, it was an entertaining and worthy watch.