By Andre Partin

Mock Trial is a Lincoln High School team where participants learn about the law, including the logistics of trials, and use that knowledge to conduct simulated trials against opposing school teams. 

During distance learning, the Mock Trial Team faced significant hurdles. Not being able to meet in-person, and having recruited fewer team members than in prior years, the team’s members were left feeling uninspired. 

“My engagement definitely dropped over quarantine,” says Mock Trial co-captain Phoebe Anzalone. “In the year before, the team would spend time together taking the bus downtown or getting food together. Over quarantine though, we were all stuck in our houses, which led to Mock Trial having a weaker sense of community.”

The team also saw a drop in performance while social distancing. The team’s coach, Amanda Osowski, a practicing attorney in San Francisco, also recalls the difficulties caused by distance learning. 

“Having practices solely via Zoom also made it much more difficult to build critical public speaking skills and foster teamwork.”

Anzalone agrees, saying “Not only were the meetings easy to tune out, but the results of our work felt a lot less tangible.”

This decreased lack of interest was not helped by the final competition being held through Zoom meetings. Previously, the competitions had been held in the San Francisco Superior Court with viewers. 

“Final competitions over quarantine were lame. Zoom competitions took away all the fun parts of competing, which just left the boring bits. No one was engaged unless they were actively talking during their turn,” says Anzalone. 

“I definitely felt the loss of comradery amongst the team.” says Osowski,  “So many of the opportunities we previously had to bond as a team, like practicing together downtown in a law office, were suddenly taken away. That said, I was extremely impressed with the team’s leadership during that period. They maintained focus and worked hard to hold the team together and maintain a level of excitement about the competition, even though it was held remotely.”

Last year, having gone back to school in-person, interest and participation in the team increased, but there was another problem. Leadership is constantly changing, due to the team being student-run, and adjusting takes time. At the time, the team’s leadership consisted of only juniors that never got experience or advice for managing the team. 

“Taking over the team was definitely a big change.” recounts Anzalone. “It was hard going from only having to pay attention to your one role, to then needing to know what is going on with everything and everyone in the team. Now if people aren't making progress or are confused, that's the captains’ problem. It was really draining.”

This year, the Mock Trial team is increasing engagement through involvement in more activities, and more thorough planning. 

Anzalone describes, “We’re focusing a lot more on community building and learning the basics. We also plan to do more team activities.” 

Now, Mock Trial is attending events such as a recent Mock Trial Skills & Speaker Workshop.

“We also have a pretty big staff team now, which makes planning meetings and keeping up with everyone’s role a lot easier.” 

The team’s captains are also preparing select sophomores to take over their roles when they leave. 

Osowski says “I look forward to the improvement, and seeing how the newcomers take on the role. I’m excited to see how they do in the final competition.”

Published on 12/12/2022

By Rita Deal

At the start and end of the day, the buses around Abraham Lincoln High School (ALHS) are usually crowded, but with the recent San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) schedule change, which makes SFUSD high schools start and end at around the same times everyday, the buses have become more crowded and are sometimes delayed. Bus lines 29, 28, 48, and L are most commonly used by students and staff to commute to and from ALHS. 

Yeslin Ajpop Juarez, a senior who takes the 48, 66, 44, and 23 bus, says, “They have always been pretty packed.” She adds, “There are way too many people at the bus stop and not that many buses that pass frequently.”

Geoff Ramos, a paraeducator at ALHS who takes the 14R and 28 bus, says, “I'd say it's overcrowded. On the 19th, when they do construction, it takes forever.”

Ramos comments on the impact of COVID and says, “I feel like since we've been going through quarantine, and gotten deeper into post-quarantine, and there definitely are more people on the bus.”

Ramos describes how the crowded bus interferes with his after school commitments. He says, “After school, I go to work at a center. I have to be on time and leave earlier since there are so many kids. Sometimes the whole bus will skip all of us. Sometimes I'm forced to Uber, and that costs more. It's frustrating.” 

Julian Byrns, the CSU Expository Writing, Yearbook, and ELA teacher, whose class is on the third floor says, “I usually have to wait until 9 AM for my students to show up before I can actually teach anything because I don’t like repeating myself.” 

Byrns also comments how he resorts to providing a more equal means of access, “For the most part, I try to make it as accessible as possible through the internet.”

According to a Lincoln Log survey, the majority of SFUSD students take 50 minutes to an hour to commute to school. The survey also reported that students are negatively affected by “not getting enough sleep, being tardy to first period classes, overly crowded buses, and infrequent bus arrival times.” 

  Although many students are frustrated with the intensely crowded buses, SFMTA is not entirely at fault. SFUSD did not notify SFMTA about the schedule changes throughout the district, leaving SFMTA to deal with the increase of students on buses at the start and end of the school day. 

Furthermore, COVID has had an immense impact on SFMTA buses. Their budget used to come from other aspects such as funding and parking, but because of COVID, they are relying mostly on fares, even as they provide free public transportation for youth.

Last year, SFMTA started a program, the Youth Transportation Advisory Board (YTAB), to connect youth voices to discuss transportation situations within San Francisco. Their mission is to identify unmet youth needs, design and conduct outreach, develop recommendations, and report to the board of directors. 

The youth members recently added to the board this year are students from various high schools and middle schools, who got their positions by applying and being interviewed.

  Tiffany Li, a junior at Lincoln and member of the board, says, “When I share my ideas, I believe that others will have a similar idea to mine. I think others can pick up on my ideas, improve [them] and make it come true.” There is progress that has already been made to their social media outreach in their Communications Subcommittee.

Landon Kan Huy, a freshman at Lincoln and another member of the board, wishes transportation problems were easily solvable, but understands the limited resources SFMTA provides. SFMTA has already lost a lot of bus drivers. He says, “It takes a lot to run a transportation system, and muni isn’t getting the support it needs.”

Kan Huy adds, “I know for many new riders, it's very difficult for them to choose public transportation when it seems so messy. For many others who have no choice, it's very frustrating to have an experience like that.”

On November 17, YTAB members went on a field trip to the TMC (Transportation Management Center), a place where TMC employees make sure transit throughout San Francisco runs smoothly. A TMC employee says, “One reason for delayed buses is “bunching.” Bunching is when bus drivers travel slowly to be careful, causing following buses on the same route to lag and be less spread out. 

The employee also mentions school trips, which are buses that start their route at schools.

Muhammad Syafaat, a bus driver in San Francisco, says, “When we are assigned school trips, the line has the code SD (school district), which means that I need to be there about 15 minutes before school ends. There should always be someone to drive for school trips because SFMTA has extra people on standby for when bus drivers are doing other lines. The problem, I believe, is that Lincoln has never complained or requested a school district schedule from SFMTA. Certain schools like Galileo have schedules for us to pick them up.” 

Syafaat elaborates, “School trips are only after school, and not in the morning, which is impossible because we have to serve a lot of people in the morning who also need to go to work.”

SFMTA sends more buses out in general at 5:00 PM to accommodate rush hour, but most students would rather leave right when school ends than wait after school.

Published on 12/12/2022

By Laish Doris-Wiener

       Two Lincoln students attempt to solve homelessness and crime in SFNext’s Solutions Conference. SFNext’s Solutions Conference is a large annual conference hosted by the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper,  where San Francisco citizens come together to discuss potential solutions to the city’s most pressing problems. This year’s problems were homelessness, housing affordability, and public safety. 

        The meeting took place on November 2nd, in the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, and was attended by 200 San Francisco Chronicle subscribers. The attendees consisted entirely of adults, except two students, Abraham Lincoln High School’s Sophie Wall, and Marcos Alvarez Gomez. 

       Prior to attending the conference Wall and Alvarez Gomez were asked to research all three topics, homelessness, housing affordability, and public safety thoroughly, as when they arrived, Both would be assigned to discuss one of them randomly. Alvarez Gomez says, “To prepare, I learned all I could about each of the subjects online.”

       When they arrived, the participants were divided into three breakout groups. Wall was placed in the Homelessness group and Alvarez Gomez in the Crime group.

       The point of the conference was to bring San Francisco residents together, both to educate themselves on San Francisco’s most pressing issues and try to find possible solutions to them. At the conference, Emilio Garcia-Ruiz, the editor-in-chief of The Chronicle says, “If we can have civil, yet intense conversations about some of these really difficult problems, we’ll get closer to finding common ground, which is the first step toward getting to an answer.” 

        In the crime group, Alvarez Gomez says, ”Getting started was difficult,” but after a while, the group began to have more meaningful conversations. Alvarez Gomez recalls learning that many different people have different views on the police, and that Jaywalking is no longer a crime. Alvarez Gomez says, “Though there were some disputes, the conversation was pretty civil, and our group leader was very helpful in keeping the conversation moving and the group organized.” 

        Alvarez Gomez notes, “Though I enjoyed it, I would not attend the conference again, as I feel like there are many people who know more about the issue than I do, and they would make the meeting more productive.” In terms of solutions, Alvarez Gomez’s group discussed housing police officers at fire departments and involving the police in the community more. He questions if these solutions are financially feasible. 

         Wall, who was a part of the group discussing homelessness, says, “It was a very humbling experience,” but she is unhappy with the lack of urgency over the issue of homelessness. She adds, “Homelessness should be treated as a natural disaster, and it needs to be fully addressed immediately.” As possible solutions, the group thought of heavier taxes on the rich to help pay for homeless people’s needs and an increase in government-sanctioned affordable housing.

       The groups talked for the entire day, only stopping once for lunch. When they finished discussing, all 200 participants came back together, and a member of each group gave a speech on what their group learned about and possible solutions to their group’s problem. 

Published on 12/12/ 2022

By Sofia Kamikawa

         Youth vs. Apocalypse (YvA) is a club that expands across all parts of the Bay Area. Their main focus is on climate justice. SFUSD's YvA students want to create field trips to protest. However, SFUSD's policies do not allow field trips for political protests. 

SFUSD has made it clear that they are in support of any student advocacy. However, the policy stems from the safety of the students off campus. Therefore, when the school district gets word of a walkout or protests that may be happening, they are obligated to have staff keep students safe, while also having the San Francisco Police Department involved, for greater safety measures. 

On SFUSDs website they state if students do go off campus they have "the right to participate in protests off campus and will not be prevented from doing so. Students with parent permission to be off campus will receive an excused absence." 

However, SFUSD does not accept protests as an excused absence. In contrast, Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) teachers are able to create field trips around protests that their students are interested in. 

For instance, OUSD has allowed classes like photography, journalism, and environmental science classes to take part in protests to experience real-life scenarios outside the classroom. 

Abraham Lincoln High School YvA club president, Phoebe Anzalone, is hoping to create a change. 

Anzalone recollects last year's protest in San Francisco, revolving around local issues. "The majority of the turnout were kids from Oakland because their schools allowed it. They were able to show up and show solidarity with San Francisco youth facing climate injustices. When there was a similar protest in Oakland, San Francisco students couldn't show up with the same solidarity, and that sucked."

YvA's teams are each focusing on a different issue that includes climate justice within minority communities. Currently, Abraham Lincoln High School students are focusing on California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS).

"The California teacher pension fund invests $6 billion into fossil fuel companies, which means that our teachers’ money is going towards oil refineries placed in communities of color, oil pipelines violating native lands treaties and waters, and the ultimate harm that is causing us to face this climate crisis, a.k.a. the burning of fossil fuels," says coordinator for ALHS YvA club, Hannah Estrada.

Currently, SFUSD students are researching what they could do to better the field trip policy and to create active change within the school district. Estrada envisions future petitions, protests, and meetings with the SFUSD school board to ask to change their policies on protests. 

"If the policy on field trips is changed within San Francisco, it means that students across the district will be able to safely attend protests and participate in the system that governs their lives without having to miss tests, quizzes or having to worry about their grades or attendance," says Estrada. 

In addition, the safety of the students are taken care of by chaperones, who are trained to know protocol and experienced in maintaining safety at large. Students are also to use YvA t-shirts or flags to be easier to identify in a crowd.

YvA hopes that the change in the policy will be possible in the near future in order to take further action in marginalized and BIPOC communities that are experiencing climate inequity. 

Published on 12/12/2022

By Sophia Troung 

There’s no one who loves Lincoln quite like Gertrudes Harris. Known affectionately as “Trudy” by students and staff alike, Harris has served Lincoln faithfully for the past fourteen years, as the school’s only daytime custodian. 

A fifty-eight year old immigrant from the Philippines, Harris initially immigrated to continue her studies, before eventually marrying and settling down in the US to give birth to her four beloved children. Arriving in 1989, Harris owes her experience to her years working for hotels such as the Marriott and the Hyatt, having previously been a housekeeping supervisor tasked with managing the building’s cleanliness and upkeep. 

Hired by the district after achieving the first round of her civil service exam, Harris has come to adore her job, despite its long and often tedious hours. Arriving at the school just before the sun rises, Harris spends those early morning hours tirelessly unlocking each corridor and entrance, whilst simultaneously checking for intruders who might have entered the school overnight. She also cleans the entire area, making sure everything is set before the school day starts. 

Harris’s job encompasses far more than just cleaning and managing Lincoln’s early morning security. As head custodian, Harris is responsible for equipment maintenance and repair, such as managing Lincoln’s fire alarm system as well as the school’s plumbing and faucet system. If something breaks, she is the one who will supervise its repair, as well as block off the affected area or object to ensure that no student or member of staff gets injured. 

There is no doubt that the work is incredibly draining, leaving Harris to routinely juggle her time between her work and personal life. 

“I have to come everyday to make sure things are okay,” she says, before further explaining that she only takes days off if she falls ill, “To take care of you guys.”

At the end of the day, Harris is often exhausted—yet still busy, frequently rushing out of the school to return home and care for her children. There’s no time to spare—a fact made evident when trying to schedule an interview with her that fit in between the gaps of her bustling schedule. 

Even still, despite these struggles, there is still one thing that keeps her coming back. 

“It’s not the job I love, it’s the community.” Harris explains, “I love the staff, I love the students.” 

She compares her duties to that of motherhood, jokingly stating that, “It’s like I’m your mom. Always cleaning up after you guys.” 

“You guys are like my kids,”  says Harris, her clear fondness of the school overriding any discontent about her exhaustion. “It makes me happy. I serve this school for you guys.”

Published on 12/12/2022

By  Cecilia Chu

Along with ten months of errors leading to a payroll state of emergency, San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has dealt with desperate demands for raises and an ongoing teacher shortage. In addition to the emotional and academic issues students have faced, teachers are also facing a host of personal and professional concerns. 

While technology intends to further connect students and teachers, the advent of paperless classrooms and remote learning seems to have produced an emotional detachment. Ingrid Seyer-Ochi, who obtained her teaching credential in 1992 and has since worked as a professor and principal, saw this unfold first hand throughout her career.

 She attributes this disconnection to how technology is “incredibly, incredibly problematic in terms of what’s happening in education…One thing I wonder, as I watch a lot of the new teachers, I don’t see them getting a lot emotionally back from students, and I think it’s because they’ve created these classrooms that are tech driven.” 

Financially, a palpable disconnect between what is expected of teachers and what they are compensated for has developed. Marco Mendoza, a Spanish teacher who joined the Lincoln community two years ago amidst the pandemic, has had to adjust to teaching students in-person again. When he first started teaching, internal hiccups led to two of his paychecks being delayed. 

Mendoza says, “As a new teacher in the district and being new to San Francisco, it was very hard financially on me.” He remarks that the district has a long way to go in “...making sure the needs of the students and the needs of the people who work here are valued, and until that happens, we won’t see a lot of improvement within our school district.”

Mendoza also expresses his disappointment with “...living in a liberal city and not having a supportive school district.”

Even without taking paycheck delays into account, teachers as a whole are just not being paid enough to support themselves, especially in San Francisco where the cost of living is over 50% higher than the national average. 

“We need to just pay teachers much, much more. There is no question… if you make it a competitive field where the pay is enough, then people will come, but right now the work is so hard, and the pay is not sufficient to draw in the people,” Seyer-Ochi says. 

Along with internal systemic issues in the district, the perception of teaching as a legitimate profession has also wavered. Seyer-Ochi says, “Parents want their children to have access to the best teachers, but disapprove when the same children want to become teachers.” The amount of time and effort it takes to become a teacher is often severely overlooked, while the supposed ease of the job is overemphasized.

 She also acknowledges that the educational environment today is markedly different from what it was when she first started teaching, a change marked by a decline in “collegial community” and  “...this sense that schools, the school district, the union, are not quite working” - leading aspiring educators to question the risks and rewards of continuing down this path. 

A Washington Post article by Valerie Strauss argues that “...young people are indeed daunted by a profession that has changed… Few promising undergraduates have had opportunities to consider how teaching, in its best contexts, offers limitless opportunity for self-exploration, personal growth, creative expression, and strong sense of social purpose.” 

The issue then becomes a question of whether the current climate is one where teachers are allowed space to do more than try to keep themselves afloat, and have the chance to ride the learning curve wherever it may take them. 

Although the field presents its fair share of adversity, those that work in it remain hopeful about the prospect of change on the horizon. Strauss corroborates that “...there is some ground for hope. Despite joining an embattled profession, teachers continue to report that their work feels purposeful and emotionally satisfying.” 

Here at Lincoln, the answer to whether the profession is worth pursuing, at least to these teachers, appears to be a resounding yes. 

Mendoza says, “We should be having the best in our fields to help all of you surpass us. That is always our goal, for all of you to… do better than us.” Similarly, Seyer-Ochi agrees that in comparison to other professions, teaching is far ahead in terms of having real meaning as a tool for change in a world that so desperately demands it. 

She says “The pluses around the meaning are the greatest… I am allowed to be a range of people every day, with teaching…So it’s still a remarkable profession, and more necessary than ever. I think the pandemic has shown us that more than ever.” 

Published on 12/12/2022

By Jose Hernandez 

Be real is an  infectious app going around ALHS students. The Be Real app is a semi- social media platform that was created by Alexis Barreyat , Kevin Perreau and was launched  in 2020. This app is a way to show the real you, you take a photo when the app tells you and you get a 2 min countdown to take a picture using your front and back camera of whatever you are currently doing. This is why the app is called Be Real because you are showing the true you and you can't filter it. When you have taken your photo you can post it and all of your friends can see the photo. There are 10 million daily users and 21.6 million users a month. 

  A survey distributed to 100 students in ALHS with a question asked “Would you stop whatever you are doing to take a picture?”. 72% percent of the students interviewed said they would stop doing whatever they are doing to take a picture. This does not impact students academically. Maybe in the cyber world it would affect but academically it would not. The app makes you take a picture once a day leaving no effect on you unless you're at school  during class.

Mea Dunbar an active Be Real user says “I was peer pressured into getting it”. Dunbar uses the app frequently and connects with friends through it. Dunbar said “ Be Real doesn't benefit me but I get to see my friends”

The only thing Be Real could lead to would just be cyber bullying, this is the only impact it would have on students but this impact can happen in every type of social media app. This trendy app is just another form to show the real you, what people do with the pictures is a story on its own. 

Published on 12/12/2022

By  Ivy Thai

An after school dance program called Abraham Lincoln Dance Company (ALDC) has gained popularity and has more performances compared to the years prior. 

Brenda Palaby, the dance teacher at Lincoln, was inspired by a similar dance opportunity she had when she was a student at Lowell High School. Seeing the lack of opportunity for more advanced dancers at Lincoln, she created the after school program.

Palaby says, “I  want the dance program to be accessible to all students, so I like teaching dance 1 and 2 because it’s a way to include anyone who is interested, and they can start from the beginning with no experience.” She adds, “But it’s very important to also offer ALDC for the students who do have experience because I may not be able to do that throughout the day, so to be able to offer ALDC to more advanced students; it’s a fun thing for me.”

The company had only operated for a semester before the school shut down for the pandemic, followed by a full year of distance learning. 

Even after coming back to in-person learning last year, the dance company had few opportunities to perform since Covid restrictions limited large gatherings like performances.  Moreover, since the dance program welcomed everyone who was interested to join without any requirements, some people were only interested for a few weeks before quitting, resulting in an inconsistent number of members throughout the school year.

Since the start of the new school year, ALDC has participated in three events thus far. The Sunset Art Walk event on Irving street this past October marked the first off-campus live performance. The event was held by an organization called Art Walk SF with the purpose of showcasing local artists, including both freelancers and students.

Carina Rossitto, a junior in ALDC, shares that it was her first performance with ALDC. 

“It was really exciting. We all got to hangout that day. That was when I got to get close to a lot of people on the team,” Rossitto says. 

The performance was a combination of three pieces, two of which were choreographed by ALDC members, Lisa Wang and, one of the presidents of the club, Stephanie Chen. 

Chen says that it was her first time choreographing by herself for the team. 

“I was really nervous that they wouldn't like it, but they were really supportive and encouraging. After the first practice of Bang Bang [the song she chose], I was like ‘wow’!” Chen happily recalls.

Palaby emphasized how important the aspect of choreographing is in ALDC. 

 “You don’t have that much opportunity within dance classes to have your choreography performed by other people, so that’s also something cool about ALDC,” says Palaby.  

The program also brought school spirit to Fall Rally by performing on the football field. They performed the same choreography as they did at Sunset Art Walk. 

An anonymous senior says, “The performance looks more prepared this year. I feel like they improved from last year’s performance because it looks like they’ve spent more time on it. I really like the songs that they picked because it’s more upbeat.” 

Back in September, over 40 people signed up to audition for ALDC. Ms.Palaby narrowed it down to 15 students by selecting the students who she felt could succeed with a more advanced performance expectation. The program also requires a full year of commitment now.  

Among the people that got selected, half of them were new members. The program wants to have new faces, but also have people who already understand how the program works.

Through hosting warm up activities at the start of practices and team bonding activities, the community committee helps bring the members together and bridges the way for the team to develop a sense of community. 

“I think we’re all pretty friendly with each other because it’s after school and it’s kind of almost like a hangout because we all love dancing so that’s what we rest upon.” Mellisa Yan, a second year member of ALDC, shares. 

ALDC members look forward to performing at upcoming events. They plan to choreograph at least two more pieces before the end of the school year: one will go toward the Brotherhood Sisterhood Assembly (BSA) theme and the other for the spring rally. The program will also have the traditional dance showcase near the end of the school year as well. 

Published on 12/12/2022

By Isaiah Murillo

 On August 16th 2022, an email was sent by the Principal and Dean’s office. It addresses a plethora of changes to the school, such as the new mural that was installed. The mural was designed and painted by the Illuminaries, with inspiration from Associate Student Body (ASB) members and students themselves. They shared the core traits of Abraham Lincoln High School (ALHS) through a survey. 

 The mural was painted at the far east end of the New Building, where the bathrooms and stairs are located. It depicts an image of Lincoln’s classic red and gold mustang with wings breaking through the wall, featuring a burst of vibrant hues of blue and yellow (representing the Bay Area’s Golden State Warriors). There are other smaller less noticeable things such as the Golden Gate Bridge, the Taraval Street sign, and mountains in the distance.

Ellie Meyerson, a junior member of ASB, shares her experience of how the mural came to be and her contributions to it;

“I really liked putting in images that represent our school like the Taraval street sign. I think the mural is a wonderful piece of art that captures the school spirit at Lincoln, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of the artistic process,” she states. 

The Illuminaries put hard work and effort into depicting Lincoln’s community in the form of art. The Illuminaries were not able to be reached for comment. 

Samantha Sherman, a faculty member of Lincoln, is a core member of this project. Sherman gathered a group of ASB students to converse with the muralist on iconic additions to the mural.

 Sherman states, “We were thinking about the legacy of Lincoln and trying to incorporate what that looks like into our visuals, so then the mural was a testament to that idea and conversation, so we brought in a muralist who has done murals across the Bay Area thus far and that was how we were thinking about it.”

Sherman hopes that the mural expresses the independence, fearlessness, and mightiness of the Mustangs. Students have become more familiar with the piece as they walk by it every day. The students have mixed responses about their interpretations of the mural.

Amber Hoang, a junior at ALHS, says, “This mural is a display of our school’s spirit and unity. The horse represents freedom, strength and courage of our students and staff.” 

Some students agree with Hoang, claiming that it represents boldness, powerfulness and school pride. Other students have not noticed it, claiming it to be non-memorable. An anonymous sophomore at ALHS claims, “I never noticed it despite having classes in the New Building, but I think it’s just because getting to class is my main priority, so I don’t make an effort to be observant.” 

Published on 12/12/2022

By Veronica Estefania Velazquez

Near the exit of Lincoln’s basement on 24th Avenue, there is a door to an office that can be easy to miss. Here you can find Carl Jacobs, most recognized as our school’s athletic director but also works as one of the hall security guards. Jacobs is also the boy’s basketball varsity coach. 

All of Jacobs’ great characteristics, good work ethic, values, and years of spreading his passion for basketball around the Bay Area were recognized on October 14th by the Golden State Warriors. Jacobs, the sponsor Katy Sun and her husband, principal Shari Balisi, the basketball team, and their manager arrived at Chase Center during a preseason game against the Denver Nuggets. During halftime, Jacobs was honored with the Golden State Warriors Impact Award. 

“It was a surreal thing that the whole team got to watch the game but it was also exciting to see the coach at the center of the court and on the big screen,” says Chew. 

Sun expressed her excitement too. “I felt happy that Coach was being recognized for all that he does for the community. Coach tends to be very humble so it was nice to see him in the spotlight.” 

“I do this for the players and the athletes. It’s not about me, I am an adult, I have my life, I want the players to receive the credit,” said Jacobs reflecting his pride towards the team. He was not a big fan of awards, but people made him realize the impact. “It wasn’t only about me, but also about the people who helped me,” reflecting his gratitude. 

Jacobs was born in San Francisco and raised by a single mother. He never had his father by his side but he doesn’t resent it as he was well disciplined, religiously influenced, and very loved by his mother.  

Jacob’s career in basketball started at Archbishop Riordan High School, where he graduated in 1980. During high school, he was part of the basketball team. Just like any other player, he had aspirations, but soon he accepted that his dreams would not become a reality. He continued playing basketball at the College of San Mateo for three years.

At the age of 19 years old, he was invited by the basketball coach of Lincoln during that time, Rick Boyle, who had observed him play basketball in high school. Although Boyle never coached Jacobs, he admired his performance. 

“I wasn’t the star of the team but I was smart,” says Jacobs. 

He started to coach and work, but then enrolled himself in the New College of California to finish his degree while continuing to play. Jacobs graduated as a Humanities student through a completion program for those who did not receive a degree their first time in college.

From the moment Jacobs started to coach he enjoyed it to the point where he turned down many job offers.

“When I graduated, I was already working and coaching. I already knew what I wanted. I turned down many good jobs for which my mom thought I was crazy,” says Jacobs.

For the 39 years that he’s been working at Lincoln, he has also been an active member of the basketball community in San Francisco. He has coached other schools including private high schools, Lowell, etc. 

The reason he has been able to coach for so long is because of his perspective on basketball. 

“Basketball is cheap to play and you don’t even need that many people, it is played by everyone. Organized basketball for teams is different because now they need a different frame of mind and they have to compete, not only have fun. However, the best advice is to enjoy and have fun, some people take it too seriously. No matter how far you go with it, if you have fun it will be fun. At every level, have fun and enjoy.”

Junior manager of Lincoln's basketball varsity team, Ariel Chen, expressed that Jacobs is a big influence for the motivation of those around him. 

“Every time at practice he has a speech. He tells us we need to be better physically and mentally. Also, every time he sends a message to the group chat he has a quote prepared.” 

He doesn’t only care about the basketball performance of the team, but also about their academic performance. 

“He checks our GPA, doesn’t allow students to fail, and is on top of everyone.” 

Similarly, Aidan Chew, a senior guard basketball player is pushed to be a better player and person, and to learn and grow by the advice of Jacobs. 

“One of his many quotes is to be driven to be a professional something, even if it's not basketball. Even during the bad days, he is very supportive and very encouraging.”

Published on 12/12/2022

By Leandro Zheng

As the fall sports season comes to a close, many teams are looking back at the highs and lows of their respective seasons.

For the Mustang varsity girls’ volleyball team, they are reflecting on the season without regret. Led by head coach Vince Tang, the team finished the California Interscholastic Federation’s season in the Academic Athletic Association (AAA) with a 10-4 record and earned a trip to the San Francisco section playoffs.

Shortly after the conclusion of the AAA season, All-League teams were announced. Freshman right-side hitter, Katherine Chan, received Division I First Team honors, while sophomore captain and outside hitter, Sumee Souryavong, received Division I Second Team honors. Freshman outside hitter, Kyra Cheung, and junior outside hitter, Norah Laurence, both received honorable mentions.

“I was definitely shocked when my coach messaged me about [the All-League teams],” says Souryavong. “My first thought was how thankful I was for my coaches and my parents. It was such a great opportunity and motivation to make me train harder for the next few years to come.”

The team entered the San Francisco section playoffs as the third seed in Division I. They defeated Burton High School in the quarterfinals in three dominating sets, each set defined by a difference of eight or more points, and advanced to the semi finals. 

The Mustangs bowed out of the playoff competition after a loss to the Balboa High School Buccaneers in three close sets, each set decided by under five points. Still, the team found themselves focusing on the positives.

“We had good synergy on the court,” says senior middle blocker, Kei’maya Gates. “We all knew what to do and when to do it, and we trusted each other to make drastic decisions for everyone.”

“The fact that we all put in hard work and tried our best to push through the season was the best part about our team,” Souryavong remarks.

Going into the 2022 season, there was only one returning player from the varsity team. The other players had either been promoted from the junior varsity team, or were new students to the school. Players highlighted the non-league tournaments as memorable bonding experiences for the new team.

“I feel like it was a moment where we could all [gain] experience together, and spending so much time with them in a day really brought us closer,” Souryavong reflects.

Communication and collaboration were important factors to the team’s successful season.

Gates mentions, “We had fun on and off the court. We all were bonding and being active with each other, so it was really fun.”

Senior libero and defensive specialist, Michelle Khine, agrees saying “I think our talks with one another after and before every game got us to where we were.”

Including the pre-season, league-season, and non-league tournaments, the Mustangs played a total of 34 games. The team credits their most vocal players and team managers for motivating them throughout the long and hard season.

Khine says, “I want to give a shout out to Sumee and Kei'maya for always being loud on the court and motivating all of us when we were down.”

“On and off the court, [the managers] were the ones keeping us up, making sure we weren’t down, and uplifting us, even if they weren’t playing,” says Gates.

For all of the seniors, this was their first and last season competing in varsity. Despite the loss, they are exiting their high school careers with optimism and their heads up high.

“I look back and feel like we had a good season, so I don’t regret anything,” Gates notes.

Graduating and returning players made sure to point out the capabilities of the team.

“I can see the potential this team can have, and I believe that we can go to champs again one day,” Souryavong says.

Senior outside hitter and defensive specialist, Jamie Pang, says, “I have confidence that many will play even better next season.”

Published on 12/12/2022

By Mia Rossitto

Matthew Sugai is a junior tennis player at Abraham Lincoln High School. Not only does he play tennis, but he also holds a high position in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC).

Sugai was the #1 Singles Player on Lincoln’s varsity last season. Though he was the #1 Singles Player on the team, he only won a few matches during last year's All-City championship.

Sugai mentions stress as a reason behind his shortcomings.

Sugai says, “I get stressed easily, especially when playing tennis.” He adds, “The pressure of winning [matches] sometimes makes me choke.”

Although competitions induce stress, Sugai says, “[Practicing tennis] allows me to forget about whatever was stressing me.” 

Sugai also plays a significant role in JROTC across the school district. Not only is he a part of Lincoln Battalion’s primary staff, but he also contributes to San Francisco’s JROTC Brigade staff. By attending and committing to weekly meetings, Sugai creates documents containing event planning, operational orders, and more that he believes all JROTC cadets in San Francisco should be notified about.

Lincoln’s Battalion Commander, Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Charlene Chein, says, “He’s fast. He’s efficient. He’s hard-working.” 

Chein believes that despite his admirable traits, there’s room for improvement.

Chein notes, “I think he can improve a lot on communication. There’s been a lot of misunderstandings in and outside of JROTC.”

With his experience in JROTC thus far, Sugai has high hopes of becoming Lincoln’s next Battalion Commander. Chein says, “I would hope he’d aim for [the] top three [positions in JROTC at Lincoln.]”

If Sugai was to acquire the position of Battalion Commander, he would oversee all activities within the Lincoln Battalion. He says, “You can’t really get the experience of leading a whole program anywhere else.”

Sugai strives to be a dentist. With the worry of getting into a pre-medical program, Sugai wishes that he had started to plan for college earlier. He feels that one needs to have passion for a career to get accepted into schools like the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of California Berkeley. This includes doing extracurriculars early on in high school that focus on one’s desired major.

He says, “I think I should’ve started [planning for college] in my freshman and sophomore year.” 

Although Sugai is aiming for an education in a field that requires intensive commitment, he does not rule out the possibility of continuing tennis after high school. Sugai says, “If given the chance to play in college, I would.” 

Sugai recognizes that playing tennis is a privilege many do not have the opportunity to pursue. It’s a sport that costs a lot of money to begin and requires lots of dedication to improve. 

Sugai says, “You have to get into it when you’re younger.” He feels grateful that he had the opportunity to play such a privileged sport even though he doesn’t plan to play professionally.

Even if Sugai was given the opportunity to play tennis professionally, he would decline the offer. He says, “I see people like Naomi Osaka, who’s like the number one player in the world, and she just quit because she couldn’t handle [the sport] mentally.”

Even though he doesn’t wish to play professionally, Sugai has never considered quitting tennis. He plans to play tennis throughout his life recreationally. He says, “Playing tennis is something I look forward to every day, and although it can be stressful sometimes, tennis really is fun for me.” 

Published on 12/12/2022

By Veronica Estefania Velazquez

           On October 28th during Lincoln’s Bell Game Rally, cross country coach, Kevin Patrick Doherty, proudly expressed his high hopes for the 15-year-old sophomore, Laila Blu Chiara Chietti, for this year’s cross country season. Through the microphone, Doherty mentioned that Chietti was extremely close to winning the All-City final competitions as a member of junior varsity.

Chietti was born and raised in San Francisco. She lives with her two parents, older sister, and five pets. Throughout her life, she’s developed a strong dedication and love for sports. She is an outstanding cross country, track, and field runner, a player on Lincoln's soccer team, and a member of the SF United Soccer Club. 

All her life, Chietti has played soccer, but she started running competitively in sixth grade. In middle school, she competed for two months. In high school, she joined Lincoln’s track and field team her freshman year, running the 1600-meter and 3200-meter events for the varsity team. This year, she competed as a Junior Varsity runner for cross country. 

When she was younger, she aspired to run a marathon. Since then, she has also dreamed of running in college. 

“My current aspirations as a runner are to place top two in All-City Finals and to make it to states. If I can get really good someday I would really like to go to college for track, but that’s pretty much just a dream.” 

Although Chietti doesn’t fully believe her dream can become true, her running performance, statistics, and personality cause the people around her to predict success. Since her freshman year, she has been putting in a great effort and becoming more competitive. She runs six times a week for about an hour and a half, adding up to about nine hours of running per week. 

Her best friend, Molly Ling, who runs and weight lifts with Chietti, observes her commitment when performing. 

“Laila’s bubbly personality makes everyone in a better mood, and her commitment to anything she really loves like sports or friends is what makes her genuine. She constantly works for what she wants.” 

Additionally, Aidan Mak, a cross country and track and field coach, says that Chietti is always bright and cheerful no matter the workout or the outcome of a race. 

“She has worked hard to get to where she is today and is still improving by the day. Her high spirits and how she is always determined to finish workouts, even though some of them are very tough to get through,” says Mak. “She has great energy and is very motivated to become a great runner.” 

After a dominating run in the junior varsity All-City’s race this year, coming in first, he thinks Chietti has a chance to win a medal next year in the varsity race. 

Though Chietti prioritizes sports she also makes time for her academics. Every day, Chietti wakes up early at 6:30 am in order to walk her dogs, then gets to school early to do homework.

Despite her busy schedule, Chietti still makes sure to motivate and positively influence those around her.

“She is always motivating people and is a great team leader. Even if she’s having a rough day, she will still strive to encourage other people,” mentioned Mak.  

As a runner, it is important to plan, have good meals, and get good rest. Chietti is a vegan in love with fruits and vegetables. 

“I am a vegan because I love animals and the future of our planet and the inhabitants of it.” 

While running she likes to enjoy the moment and doesn’t listen to music but always has a song in her head. She describes balancing her running and school life as a challenge, however, she recognizes focus as the key. 

“I try not to think about school work while I do track, and try to focus all my attention on schoolwork after practice for around three hours.”

On November 16th, the cross country team went to Kezar Stadium for the All-City finals race. The junior varsity team placed second overall. Chietti won first place in the girl’s cross-country race.

Chietti made the team and coaches feel proud of her performance, especially herself. “My favorite race was winning All-City because of all the cheering and support around the course.” 

“I am inspired to run by the accomplishment I feel after races and the coaches’ support. I am so grateful for all of their support, and they make me continue to love the community of track and cross country.”

Published on 12/12/2022

By Veronica Estefania Velazquez

           On October 28th during Lincoln’s Bell Game Rally, cross country coach, Kevin Patrick Doherty, proudly expressed his high hopes for the 15-year-old sophomore, Laila Blu Chiara Chietti, for this year’s cross country season. Through the microphone, Doherty mentioned that Chietti was extremely close to winning the All-City final competitions as a member of junior varsity.

Chietti was born and raised in San Francisco. She lives with her two parents, older sister, and five pets. Throughout her life, she’s developed a strong dedication and love for sports. She is an outstanding cross country, track, and field runner, a player on Lincoln's soccer team, and a member of the SF United Soccer Club. 

All her life, Chietti has played soccer, but she started running competitively in sixth grade. In middle school, she competed for two months. In high school, she joined Lincoln’s track and field team her freshman year, running the 1600-meter and 3200-meter events for the varsity team. This year, she competed as a Junior Varsity runner for cross country. 

When she was younger, she aspired to run a marathon. Since then, she has also dreamed of running in college. 

“My current aspirations as a runner are to place top two in All-City Finals and to make it to states. If I can get really good someday I would really like to go to college for track, but that’s pretty much just a dream.” 

Although Chietti doesn’t fully believe her dream can become true, her running performance, statistics, and personality cause the people around her to predict success. Since her freshman year, she has been putting in a great effort and becoming more competitive. She runs six times a week for about an hour and a half, adding up to about nine hours of running per week. 

Her best friend, Molly Ling, who runs and weight lifts with Chietti, observes her commitment when performing. 

“Laila’s bubbly personality makes everyone in a better mood, and her commitment to anything she really loves like sports or friends is what makes her genuine. She constantly works for what she wants.” 

Additionally, Aidan Mak, a cross country and track and field coach, says that Chietti is always bright and cheerful no matter the workout or the outcome of a race. 

“She has worked hard to get to where she is today and is still improving by the day. Her high spirits and how she is always determined to finish workouts, even though some of them are very tough to get through,” says Mak. “She has great energy and is very motivated to become a great runner.” 

After a dominating run in the junior varsity All-City’s race this year, coming in first, he thinks Chietti has a chance to win a medal next year in the varsity race. 

Though Chietti prioritizes sports she also makes time for her academics. Every day, Chietti wakes up early at 6:30 am in order to walk her dogs, then gets to school early to do homework.

Despite her busy schedule, Chietti still makes sure to motivate and positively influence those around her.

“She is always motivating people and is a great team leader. Even if she’s having a rough day, she will still strive to encourage other people,” mentioned Mak.  

As a runner, it is important to plan, have good meals, and get good rest. Chietti is a vegan in love with fruits and vegetables. 

“I am a vegan because I love animals and the future of our planet and the inhabitants of it.” 

While running she likes to enjoy the moment and doesn’t listen to music but always has a song in her head. She describes balancing her running and school life as a challenge, however, she recognizes focus as the key. 

“I try not to think about school work while I do track, and try to focus all my attention on schoolwork after practice for around three hours.”

On November 16th, the cross country team went to Kezar Stadium for the All-City finals race. The junior varsity team placed second overall. Chietti won first place in the girl’s cross-country race.

Chietti made the team and coaches feel proud of her performance, especially herself. “My favorite race was winning All-City because of all the cheering and support around the course.” 

“I am inspired to run by the accomplishment I feel after races and the coaches’ support. I am so grateful for all of their support, and they make me continue to love the community of track and cross country.”

Published on 12/12/2022

By Betzy  Velasquezgomez 

Andre Pretelli is a 16 year old footballer at Lincoln High School. Born and raised in san francisco. As Petrelli was Growing up “his childhood was a little rough” but it got better as the years went by”. Ever since he was little “i always wanted to be in some type of professional sport” so once he was getting close to highschool he knew exactly what he wanted to do “i knew i was going to play football because i grew up playing so i knew when high school came by i was going to play for sure”. What inspired him to start playing was “the family and love that the football team and coaches bring and the self motivation it has given me and the lessons that it has taught me.”

Andre before football had played many sports “like soccer and boxing” if pretelli wasn't on the football team hed “be on the lincoln soccer team”

 Petrelli has thought about quitting before “there was a point in my jv year that i thought of quitting because of lack of motivation but as this moment that thought isn't even close to coming in my head” 

Published on 12/12/2022

By Leandro Zheng

October 21st. A date that will be forever etched in history.

At midnight, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her tenth studio album, “Midnights.” Three hours later in a “special very chaotic surprise” announcement, she dropped seven extra tracks in “Midnights (3 am Edition).”

Just a few days after its release, “Midnights” has already broken records like never before. On the release day, Swift became Spotify’s most-streamed artist and “Midnights” became the most-streamed album in a single day. Swift became the first artist in history to claim all top ten spots on the “Billboard Hot 100” in a single week.

Swift reacted to this news on Twitter, tweeting “I AM IN SHAMBLES.”

Swift has been known to deliver new sounds and enter new genres of music with each era of her career. After the dream pop album, “Lover,” she swerved into the indie-folk genre with two surprise albums in 2020, “Folklore” and “Evermore.” A year later, she dove into her archives to re-record her second and fourth albums, “Fearless” and “Red,” expanding upon both of them with previously unreleased tracks “from the vault.”

“Midnights” could have been anything, and fans were taken aback by the new, yet familiar sound of the album. For this album, Swift returned to the studio with longtime collaborator, singer, and producer Jack Antonoff. Antonoff had worked on four albums with Swift, “Midnights” being the fifth. 

As the lead producer of “Midnights,” Antonoff incorporates countless heavy synthesizers, giving the album a slow and astral effect, while hefty basses and snares give it an electric-pop feel. Although relatively new to Swift’s discography, these factors create an atmosphere that the listener is bound to be captivated by.

No one writes about Taylor Swift better than Swift herself. She thrives when writing about her internal feelings, but also when writing about herself through the perspectives of others. This album stands out with poems of reciprocated love and flashbacks to past romances, but most notably as personal narrations of her experiences living as an intensely observed public figure.

In “Midnights,” Swift cements her place on her throne as the songwriting queen of bridges. Bridges are typically a connector of the last verse and the last chorus in songs, with rhythms and tones often contrasting the rest of the song. Fans have raved at Swift’s bridge-writing ability since the beginning of her career, and this album has added fuel to that fire.

Swift’s self-reflection is a large part of the album. “Did you hear my covert narcissism I disguised as altruism, like some kind of congressman?” in “Anti-Hero” and “And the voices that implore, ‘you should be doing more’ / To you I can admit, that I’m just too soft for all of it” express self-loathing and pity. While cryptic in its writing, these lines are a rather clever nod to the floating opinion that everything she has done has been a scheme to make her look like a good person.

However, themes of love truly shine as Swift writes them with delicate thought. The line “On the way home / I wrote a poem / You say, ‘What a mind’ / This happens all the time” in “Sweet Nothing” paints the picture of Swift’s partner admiring her character, not just her writing ability. Even though it paints a seemingly simple scenario, the verse has gained lots of attention amongst fans who admire Swift’s private relationship with her partner.

In the chorus of “Labyrinth,” Swift and Antonoff show their songwriting and producing brilliance with “Uh-oh, I’m fallin’ in love / Oh no, I’m fallin’ in love again / Oh, I’m fallin’ in love.” Although an obviously simple repetition on paper, Swift sings each repetition with a different tone, symbolizing her overcoming heartbreak and celebrating new love.

After a skeptical first listen, I was worried. I had first ventured into this album with the expectation that Swift would stay in the indie-folk genre as she did with her previous two albums. The new and odd atmospheric sound of the album took me by surprise, as it is a sound that has a familiar resemblance to Swift’s previous albums, but also wanders into the realm of electronic music like she has never done before. Many listens later, I am grateful for its existence. “Midnights” at its core is an ambitious concept album. The overarching stories strung together by Antonoff’s production, drifting from lust to love to loneliness and back again, examine the endless shifting of Swift’s career. Unlike previous albums, Swift made sure to pinpoint the humanity of her narrative-based songwriting, welcoming all into her deepest thoughts.

Published on 12/12/2022

By Laish Doris-Weiner

Christmas movies are an important part of many people's childhood, and many have strong opinions about them. In my opinion, the three best Christmas movies are, in no particular order, “Home Alone,” “A Christmas Story,” and “It's a Wonderful Life.” 

I selected these movies based on acting, plot, cinematography, creativity, and message. 

“It’s a Wonderful Life” is more than just a Christmas movie. It is a love story, a study of a boy becoming a man, and a profound and captivating reflection on life, God, success, and suicide. 

Although it was released in 1947, it stands the test of time and is still incredibly poignant and relevant today. 

The movie stars Jimmy Stewart, who plays a well-loved small-town banker named George. The story revolves around George's life and his hometown of Bedford Falls. We follow George through life as he battles the pains of childhood, adolescence, and fatherhood. 

The movie starts slow, following George’s day-to-day life, but as it progresses, it becomes much more complex. George falls into a pit of depression when he fears the town he worked so hard to bring together will fall into the hands of the movie’s villain, Mr. Potter, played by Lionell Barymoore. George, on the verge of suicide, meets an angel named Clarence and embarks on a philosophical journey into an alternate universe where he never existed. 

Watching this movie is an emotional journey in which you begin and end as a different person. 

“Home Alone” is one of the most renowned Christmas movies and an absolute classic. It is altogether a Christmas movie, an action movie, and a comedy, and its story is hilarious, entertaining, and memorable. It also contains one of the best performances from a child actor, Macaulay Culkin, who was only ten when the movie was shot. Culkin plays Kevin McCallister, a kid in a large family, home alone on Christmas.

The movie is a favorite for all ages, but especially for children, as its hero, Kevin, is a, maybe slightly unrealistically smart, eight-year-old boy. Kevin goes to great lengths to protect himself and his house from burglars, Harry, played by Joe Peschi, and Marv, played by Daniel Stern, with elaborate booby traps. Harry and Marv are cruel and comically bad burglars who attempt to break into Kevin's house but are no match for Kevin, whose wit leaves them with several serious injuries.

No movie better captures childhood and the Christmas spirit than “A Christmas Story”.  It is an unforgettable tale that should be watched every Christmas. It contains many memorable characters, elements, and scenes that you will remember for life.

Even though it was released in 1989 and takes place in Indiana in the 1940s, the movie can be exciting and relatable for people of all ages and locations.

The movie’s protagonist, Ralphie Parker, played by Peter Billingsley, is an eight-year-old boy with only one goal in life, to get a Daisy Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action BB Gun for Christmas. However, no matter how hard he tries, he can’t convince anyone that he won’t “shoot his eye out” with the gun. Ralphie spends his time with his friends, at the mall, and hiding from the neighborhood bully, Scut, played by Zack Ward. 

The movie dives deep into the life, emotions, and desires of children, as well as the loneliness, helplessness, and the feeling that no one can understand you, which everyone can relate to.

Published on 12/12/2022

By Cecilia Chu

In a fictionalized Tokyo city ravaged by a war between the samurai and the invading Amanto aliens, live the Yorozuya, or the Odd Jobs trio. From finding a stray cat to single handedly defending the planet, these ragtag freelancers will do anything for a quick buck. Led by lazy samurai with a sweet tooth Sakata Gintoki, fledgling swordsman Shimura Shinpachi and alien girl Kagura fight their way through every imaginable conflict for hardly any pay, endearing themselves to neighbors of all species along the way. 

First released as a manga written and illustrated by Hideaki Sorachi in 2003, “Gintama” has racked up quite a following with its adaptation into 367 anime episodes spanning five seasons and two movies. With a robust cast of over 300 characters, an unpredictable episodic formula, and a tendency to veer from the stupid to the somber fast enough to give you whiplash, the anime will no doubt be a treasure trove of entertainment for new viewers.

A vital asset of the show’s storytelling is the medium it’s expressed in. Through anime, any figment of imagination can be brought to life. The resulting scenes leave your heart pumping and eagerly awaiting what comes next. With vividly animated characters and emotional voice acting, the way the story comes alive puts some live action movies to shame. It’s the perfect runway for a series as wacky as “Gintama” to spread its wildly entertaining wings.

The series is also unique in that it is difficult to villainize the antagonists, whose stories are often fully fleshed out so that they, too, cling onto vestiges of their humanity amidst their wrongdoings. They are driven by grief, love, and anger at injustice, but never reduce to the cheap archetype of being evil just for evil’s sake. In the end some of them reach redemption, but many pay penance for their sins through death. At its core, “Gintama” explores how to live in the face of all-consuming grief, and the strength we find in ourselves when all is lost. Although most of the characters in the show are bereft of their biological relatives in the aftermath of the war, all of them come to realize they aren’t without family, and help will come if only they summon the courage to ask for it. Every character is painfully human and undeniably flawed, but they are loved despite it. 

In an author’s note, Sorachi identifies just what makes “Gintama” so versatile for viewing. 

He writes: “I often hear that Gintama is very kind to losers. The thought that ‘a failure like me can still keep on living when I read this manga.’ But I didn’t intentionally draw losers. I’ve been told that it’s because I’m a loser too. Well, fine. But honestly, I think everyone’s a loser. The only difference is the skin we put on. Once you open the lid and look inside, everyone’s the same.” 

Sorachi doesn’t hesitate to portray life as it is. The drudgery of mundane everyday life coexists with adrenaline-filled adventures and flashy battles. For instance, there is an episode dedicated entirely to finding the most clean way to urinate into the toilet, coexisting with one where the Yorozuya race to prevent the imminent destruction of Earth. 

In opposition to the devastation of war, the series tirelessly emphasizes the preciousness of peacetime, the times we don’t realize we’ve taken for granted until they’re gone. Again, this is no accident on Sorachi’s part. 

In another side note, he writes “Characters in One Piece and Naruto are fighting for their dreams and goals, so even though manga going towards dreams are absolutely necessary, if all manga are like that, some readers might think ‘Well, where should I go if I don’t have any dreams?’ or ‘What should I do if I didn’t do my best every day?’ Then, they read Gintama and see everyone in there is living a lazy life, they’ll feel more at ease. Even if you’re lazy, you can still walk down your path of life, and you need to live well, like that.” 

Published on 12/12/2022

By  Mia Rossitto

Sunmi trained to dance and sing for one and a half years before debuting in the girl group, “Wonder Girls,” under the record label, JYP Entertainment, at the age of 15. After taking a three-year hiatus to focus on her studies, she returned to the music industry as a soloist. 

She is now 30 years old with more freedom than ever over her music. She has gained this independence by writing and producing the majority of her hit songs such as “Gashina,” “Heroine,”  "Pporappippam,” and “You can’t sit with us.” Her unique style combines aspects of K-pop, disco-pop, and synth-pop.

Sunmi played at the Warfield Theater on September 13th, 2022. Throughout the night, Sunmi left the audience and me breathless wanting more. As an all-rounder, she sang, danced, played the bass guitar, and just gave an amazing performance.

Even before Sunmi came on stage, her fans chanted her name, eager for her performance. Her silhouette appeared out of the pitch-black stage in the Warfield, and the crowd went wild. Lights beamed on stage as the beat of a familiar song started to play.

The first song she performed was one of her hits, “Siren.” Her performance on stage was flawless as she transitioned from dancing to singing, while the backtrack played to help the flow of the show. 

She continued to play a few hits such as “Pporappippam” and “Lalalay” before taking a break from dancing to title tracks, pivoting to focus on B-sides (songs on an album that aren’t the title track). Unlike her title tracks that involved dancing with her recorded voice from the speakers, I witnessed the power of her vocals live as she traveled across the stage to greet her fans during “Black Pearl.”

Then Sunmi pulled out a blue sparkly bass onto the stage. The crowd was stunned since they hadn’t seen her play the bass since she was still part of “Wonder Girls.” This caused a silence due to shock before everyone started screaming at the top of their lungs, me included, as she began to string the instrument and sing “What the flower.”

Not long after, she sang one of my favorite B-sides, “Narcissism,” a song about accommodating others’ expectations and shaping oneself to fit into someone else’s fantasy. It addresses the loss of her ability to find herself after constant judgment and forced influence from others. This issue is especially prominent among K-pop idols that spend the early parts of their lives training to be the perfect idol for fans.

The beat of “Narcissism” transitioned to “Borderline,” which talks about Sunmi’s experience of working through borderline personality disorder, a mental illness in which people have difficulty regulating or handling their emotions, self-image, and behavior. As she sang “Borderline,” Sunmi seemed vulnerable because she closed her eyes for the majority of the song as if she feared the audience’s reaction to her English song regarding a disorder she had acquired through trauma.

The songs that played after “Borderline” were on the lighter side. She sang quite a bit of sidetracks before singing her newest single, “Heartburn,” which is a soft summer song. I loved the choreography for the dance because of the massive fans that the backup dancers used throughout the song and the unique beat that complemented Sunmi’s every move.

Though she took breaks in between, Sunmi danced to the last seven songs, including her hit songs, “24 hours,” “Tail,” “Heroine,” “Gashina,” and more. To say I was impressed by her stamina would be an understatement.

Then came her encore, “You Can’t Sit With Us,” which is the title track of her newest full album “⅙.” The song was a great ending to a wonderful show with its upbeat disco feel as everyone in the crowd shouted the lyrics. 

When it got to the English rap verse of “You Can’t Sit With Us,” the crowd went wild, despite many critics condemning the rap for not being good. The audience knew the amount of work Sunmi had put into the English verse despite its flaws.

Instead of sulking over a flop in her music, she decided to accept the feedback and make the best of the situation. This demonstrates her resilience and humble mindset, traits that I greatly admire.

At the end of the show, Sunmi introduced all her backup dancers who had a blast throughout the show. Even when they messed up the choreography, they would just laugh it off. The chemistry that the dancers had with Sunmi was electric throughout the show, their movements synching up perfectly with the songs. It gave me a newfound appreciation for backup dancers and the coordination they need to have to put on such an amazing production.

I had no idea she was on tour until I passed the Warfield and saw her name headlining the marquee. There was no previous promotion of her concert, and my sister, despite following her Instagram account, found out about her show the same way I did.  

We found this odd because she is a pretty well-known artist in the K-pop industry and has gotten millions of views on her music videos. Due to the lack of promotion, we were able to get general admission floor tickets the night before for 65 dollars each. 

In all honesty, I wasn’t a huge fan of Sunmi before her concert. I knew her title tracks and her background, but that was the extent of my knowledge. After her concert, however, I found myself able to connect to her and view her just as human as she is an idol because of how personal her songwriting is.

I have gone to other K-pop concerts before, but I really felt Sunmi’s emotions expressed on stage. This could’ve been because of how close I was able to get to her but, either way, I enjoyed her performance, energy, and vulnerability she brought on stage with her. 

Between Sunmi’s several outfits, complex dances, immaculate singing, and overall performance, I couldn’t ask to witness a better show.

Published on 12/9/2022

By  Ivy Thai

As a Pixar fan, I have witnessed an evolving drawing style, music, and theme from the studio. Pixar movies always deliver a meaningful message to viewers along with its extraordinary animation, but “Soul” especially stood out to me because the conflict that it brings to the table is something that I wasn’t expecting to see. 

“Soul” premiered on Disney Plus in the winter of 2020.

The movie begins with the protagonist, Joe Gardner, who is unhappy with his way of life. When the principal offers Gardner a chance to become a full-time band teacher, he hesitates because he is still holding onto his dream of becoming a jazz musician. His passion for an unrequited dream getting in the way of a steady job was surprising because of the job security he was risking.

Not long after, Gardner passes his audition to play for a jazz club. Gardner discusses his excitement about passing the audition with someone on the phone on his way home. On his journey back home, he fails to notice banana peels scattered along the sidewalk but luckily didn’t slip on them. He also avoids a block of bricks from falling on him and cars from running over him until he suddenly falls into a drain and dies.  

Gardner then transitions into a soul. The animators do an amazing job of keeping the original of Gardner’s human body in his soul form. Similar to the production of the same studio that produced “Coco,” “Soul” suggests the idea of the soul leaving the body and going into the “Great Beyond” once the body dies on Earth. 

The sound effect used for the “Great Beyond” as Gardner transitions  into it does a beautiful job of adding to the eagerness of the unknown laying beyond that. 

Gardner’s dissatisfaction with the way his life ended leads him to try to escape to the “Great Before,” a place where unborn souls discover their sparks to earn a pass to go to Earth for a living. Their sparks are essentially the tool to help them find happiness on Earth. There, he encounters 22, an unborn soul who has stayed in the “Great Before” for an extended amount of time due to their hesitation to come to Earth. 

At 22’s secret spot at the “Great Before,” we get to see souls that are “in the zone” flow in the sky while “lost souls”  are down on the ground. This part is amazingly well depicted. I loved the idea of the soul being in a different place based on their feelings on Earth. 

22 and Gardner encounter Moonwind, a hippy who spends his time in the soul world doing what he can to help “lost souls” return to the place that they belong. One of my favorite scenes was when Moonwind and his crew helped a “lost soul,”  a hedge fund manager on Earth who no longer enjoys his job. 

When the hedge fund manager’s soul awakens from being a “lost soul” and goes back to his body, he pushes all the computers on his table off the ground. He learns to appreciate life and decides to pursue a career that brings him joy instead. I felt exhilarated when he shouts “free yourself” to his co-workers and does the same with their computers. 

I enjoyed the detail given to the side characters and their similarities to people in our society. 

After understanding Gardner’s situation, Moonwind draws a big circle to help Gardner get back to his body. Unfortunately, 22 has also fallen through the circle and into Gardner’s body while Gardner’s soul is in the body of a therapy cat. 

I had a good laugh watching 22 experience life on Earth for the first time. From enjoying a lollipop to controlling Gardner’s body.

When Gardner and 22 return to the “Great Before,” 22 finally finds their last spark and earns an Earth pass. Gardner uses 22’s Earth pass and reunites with his body on Earth to pursue his dream. I hated Gardner’s action of leaving 22 and taking their well earned Earth pass. 

After Gardner returns to Earth to play at the jazz club, he realizes the minimal impact performing at the jazz club would have over his life, much less lead to a life of being a professional jazz player. 

The turning point follows through when old memories flow back as Gardener looks at some significant items that he keeps. 

A dry leaf reminds Gardener of how relaxing it was from sitting in the shade of a big tree while watching the leaves turn in a circle as it falls down the tree. A blue thread that reminds Gardener of a suit that his mom has fixed for him and how caring she was. A lollipop that reminds him of his nice fellow and also his barber that he goes to for a haircut for years, and a moment about little good old times that he spent with his parents flow back. 

I felt my tears come out when it came to this scene even after my third time watching it.

“Soul” appreciated the incorporation of jazz music, a fundamental piece of African American culture, throughout the movie in a delightful way. 

Despite Pixar movies' typical targeted audience of those under 18, “Soul” shines as a movie crafted for young adults. The message it sends can be better understood by those who are more mature.

Published on 12/12/2022

By Brandon Wu and Isaiah Murillo

Eggnog Recipe

An extra special eggnog with hints of Christmas Joy sprinkled about. Beware that this does contain raw eggs, so boil this over if you want to be safe.

Ingredients:

2 cups of Milk

1 cup of Cream

⅓ cup of white sugar

⅙ cup of condensed milk

5 eggs1 teaspoon of grated or ground Nutmeg

Pinch of Ground clove (1/16 - 1/8 of a teaspoon)

Eggnog Prep:

1. Separate your eggs (your whites in one bowl and yolks into another)

2. Yolks:

• Add ⅓ cup of sugar and ⅙ cup of condensed milk to your yolks and whisk until lighter in texture and color.

• Add your pinch of ground clove and 1 teaspoon of grated nutmeg and whisk in

• Add 1 cup of cream and 2 cups of milk and whisk

3. Whites:

• Add a tablespoon of sugar(optional)

• Whisk whites with a new or cleaned whisk until you have stiff peaks

4. Combine in bowl and whisk until homogeneous

5. Pour into a regular container and drink to your heart's contents

No Bake Cheesecake Recipe

For those that want cheesecake but none of the baking hassle with a holiday twist. This does need a night to set but if you are in a hurry you can try to freeze although it won’t be as creamy in texture. Let it be known for those people wondering what the size of this cheesecake is, I used a 10 ½ springform pan.

Ingredients:

1 full cup of gingerbread cookies(70 grams)

27 graham crackers(430 grams)

¾ of a teaspoon of salt

½ cup of light brown sugar or (brown sugar as a compromise)(100g)

½ cup of melted unsalted butter(113g)

2 lbs of cream cheese(900g)

⅓ cups of sugar(60g)

¼ cup sweetened condensed milk(60ml)

⅓ of sour cream

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

½ cup heavy whipping cream/heavy cream 

3 tablespoons of powdered sugar

Cheesecake Prep:

1. Crust:

• In a blender/food processor insert and mix the following ingredients:    

1 full cup of gingerbread cookies(70 grams)

27 graham crackers(430 grams)

¾ of a teaspoon of salt

½ of light brown sugar or (brown sugar as a compromise)(100g)

• After processing the ingredients we are left with a brown powder crust that we pulse while dripping a total of ½ cup of melted unsalted butter(113g) you need to drip in order to fully incorporate the butter.

• Take the mixture and compress(and make sure it's compressed or else it will fall apart later) and compact into your pan/container until you’ve created a bowl out of crust.

• Then put the whole thing including the pan with the crust into the freezer to firm up.           

2. Filling:

• Base:

- Using a mixer(eg; stand mixer or hand mixer)

Before you start, know that you mix after every step in a bowl:

- 2 Pounds of cream cheese(Mixed until fully creamed up and tamped down)

- ⅓ cup of granulated sugar

- ¼ sweetened condensed milk(maybe a little less)

- ⅓ cup of sour cream

-1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

-Scrape the bowl and mix until no lump but not too fast that it won’t easily set.

• Whipped Cream

- In a different bowl add:

-½ cup Heavy whipping cream

- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar

- Whip until stiff peaks(not soft speaks)

3. Finish

• Now fold the whipped cream in the filling and pour inside the pan that you lined with that delicious crust.

• Make sure to leave overnight to leave overnight in the fridge to let the filling set.

• Although the freezer works it will be worse and less creamy (If it freezes hard then leave it out or in the fridge to become soft but not a messy liquid

• Last but not least serve and enjoy to your heart’s content

Published on 12/12/2022

By Briseis Portillo

Production began with auditions on September 12th and 13th. The musical was a different adaptation than the original Addams Family that most know of. The drama department took a huge toll on interpreting it in their own way, but still honoring the traditional feeling of the Addams Family. This musical touched on young Wednesday Addams falling in love with a regular kid from Ohio and causing a stir within her family.

A huge amount of effort was put into this musical, from the       cast's late-night rehearsals to learning dance routines and songs, to making sure everything was on point and done correctly so the show would run smoothly. 

Initially, rehearsals were every day of the week after school for three hours. As opening night approached, cast members would stay after school for five hours.

Kira Fedoroff, who played Morticia Addams, says, “Musicals are definitely more difficult than plays because there are so many more components you have to incorporate.” 

Claire Cover, who played Grandma, says, “It was a lot of effort, and we had to practice on our own time for hours.”

The effort that was put in did not go unnoticed by the audience. 

Betzy Velasquez who attended the Friday night show says, “I was amazed at how everything turned out, the acting was so good and honestly I didn't expect all of that.” 

“I love drama because it’s a way to explore parts of yourself that you don’t normally get to. You get to put on a show and experiment with yourself, safely exploring your own emotions on stage. It also is such a difficult thing, it requires you to be vulnerable and I think that vulnerability is beautiful. Being so open and raw with other people is difficult, but it’s so rewarding because it creates such close bonds and lets you learn more about yourself,” says Cover. 

The musical amazed many with the overall outcome.

Elaine Walenta, Drama and Theater Tech teacher, says, "The show was amazing thanks to the incredible dedication of the students--the actors, dancers, and singers, and tech crew, but especially the work of Brenda Palaby [dance teacher] and Sean Gresens [music teacher]."

Published on 12/12/2022

By Brandon Wu

Not everyone can talk or hear, for one reason or another. Those that can’t communicate using regular means are subject to other methods. With this in mind, you can imagine the struggle to communicate with others that use an entirely different expression. 

According to the Rhode Island Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, there are approximately over half a million people that use American Sign Language (ASL), which leaves a major deficit of people from what has been researched. Approximately 3.5% of the US population have some sort of hearing impairment, ranging from difficulty in hearing conversation to total hearing loss.

This all means that about 11.5 million people are having a hard time communicating even with modern-day technology. These people are struggling day to day. This shows a large deficit between those who know ASL and those who need ASL to communicate.

This is combated with programs and after school programs like what we have here at ALHS which people do take to look good for college or jobs but the number is small from what I know is one class a week. Some people will stop with lack of commitment because of time, necessity or both.

I think this isn’t enough as language is an everyday need so my proposal would be to make ASL a language pathway or proper high school credit course/class to SFUSD or even all high schools in America. This would be an alternative to Spanish or Chinese which would have much more use than any other foreign language since it is used in the US. The learning path would not only be simpler to many students' delight but also more useful out of high school.

The point of world language classes can be pondered over and over but what is true are the benefits from making them part of the system. Some sources say it “helps students develop a greater understanding of and appreciation for world cultures, while also supporting them in learning a second language,” written by Marianne Stenger, a journalist for Berlitz, or, “enhances listening skills and memory, increases analytical abilities, and builds aptitude in problem solving and working with abstract concepts,” written by the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures in Ithaca college. And with ASL, you get more benefits like improving your body language skills and introducing you to the issue of deaf awareness.

SFUSD does not count ASL or any other sign language as a credit course when writing this article. SFUSD should take the initiative to provide awareness to the deaf awareness community and help our students grow stronger.

Published on 12/12/2022

By Sophia Truong

As an AP Chinese dropout, I often find myself asking the same questions; “What would have happened, if I had tried a little harder, pushed a little further, spoken up just a little bit more?” Studied three days in advance in anticipation of a test instead of two, or pulled a proper all-nighter instead of collapsing around 4 AM. Yet, as often as the What ifs and the Maybes run circles through my brain, my mind is invariably drawn back to the relentless chase that always insured, whenever I tried to fruitlessly bridge the gap between myself, and the native speakers who always seemed to snag top scores without giving it a second thought. 

Perhaps, it is presumptuous to assume that every native speaker is excelling in their chosen AP language course. 

As Marco Mendoza, who teaches AP Spanish at Lincoln High says, “Native speakers can speak and listen well, but non-native speakers can write and read better.”

Getting a B despite being a native speaker in a language AP isn’t uncommon. It’s the amount of effort between native speakers and non-native speakers when achieving that B that  truly shows the workload disparity. 

One anonymous sophomore, who is taking AP Chinese as a non-native speaker, says “…it is much more time consuming for a non-native speaker to memorize something in a foreign language, than a native speaker who is familiar with the material.” 

Now, one might argue that in signing up for an AP class, one automatically shows their willingness for the inevitable higher workload that will follow should they be placed in said class. This is true—and that is part of the problem. 

AP classes are meant to be rigorous—if the majority of the students find the work easy, then the curriculum will be intensified accordingly. For native speakers, this imposes on them a slightly more difficult challenge--for non-native speakers, this imposes on them an even higher level of pressure and expectations, intensifying an already rigorous workload.

Before I dropped out, each and every week was spent dreading my next AP Chinese assignment. I would spend hours hunched over my worksheets, translating each sentence from English to Chinese, before double checking with my workbook then triple checking using Google Translate. The night before each test was spent in pure agony, as I thumbed through mountains of flash cards and struggled to understand the information written down in my own notes. 

Contrastingly, I’ve watched as my native-speaking peers casually anticipated upcoming assignments and tests with ease, unconcerned, one—a sophomore in AP Spanish—even remarking that the class was ultimately “easy for me, because I’m a native speaker.”

When one considers this clear problem, the next step of action would be to question why. Why does Lincoln continue to place students in blended classes, mixing native and non-native speakers?                                                 

In theory, the argument is simple, with the two student groups being put together intentionally to balance out their different strengths and weaknesses. “Having a blended class of both really helps,” Mendoza says, “because the native speakers can help with the speaking portion and the non-native speakers help with the writing portion.” 

In practice, not so much. 

The entire concept relies on the goodwill of the student, in regards to their eagerness and ability to help a fellow peer, as well as said peer’s willingness to ask for help. In my experience, both concepts can be rather difficult to perform with any sort of grace or delicacy. 

There’s always a certain kind of shame that appears, when one has to admit to someone else that they have no idea what is going on, and haven’t for the past ten minutes. Unfortunately, I endured this often, frequently awaiting the end of a lecture before steadily turning to the person next to me (who happened to be a native speaker), so I could question them on the details of the new piece of information we had just been given. 

The responses I routinely received varied, from the slightly annoyed “I don’t know how to explain, ask someone else” to a patronizing “If this is too hard for you, maybe you should move down a level?” to the blunt “Why are you in this class if you don’t understand Mandarin?” The help I did receive was often rushed and careless, uncomfortable in its crudeness, and uncomprehending of the sheer level of difficulty that could be produced from such a “simple” assignment.

On paper, it’s easy to list grade statistics and rearrange student groupings accordingly. In reality, it’s rather difficult to ask for assistance, when the assistance offered feels reluctant and unapproachable. In a class full of students, it’s always far easier to get along with those “in the same boat.” After all, there is something undeniably powerful about mutual, joined, suffering. 

I’ve always heard that it’s rather unhealthy to consider unlikely possibilities. Yet, maybe, if Lincoln had a class that separated native from non-native speakers, with a curriculum designed on a more approachable level and with students, who weren’t already mild experts in the field, I would have stayed. Would have kept trying. Would have kept going. Would not have dropped out.

Published on 12/12/2022

By Kailen Shew

When I reflect upon my childhood, I am brought back to the familiar memories of early morning soccer games and afternoon dance lessons. I reminisce about those sweet, tangy orange slices in plastic bags brought to the team after a hard-fought game. Or I think of and appreciate my father being a consistent partner during the late night solo lacrosse practices. 

The seemingly insignificant memories are what I cherish the most. To me, they provide a sense of comfort and nostalgia. Sports have taught me invaluable lessons, in which if it were not for my involvement at a young age, I probably would never have been exposed to them.

Sports have given me so much more than mediocre stamina and the ability to take a hit from the opposing team. Being on a soccer team with the same girls for over a decade has gifted me a second family. The eighteen of us have won together, fought together, cried together, and grown together. It has given me life-long friends that will last beyond the final game of the season. 

Joelle Wong, a senior at Abraham Lincoln High School, explains how her involvement in sports started at the age of seven. Currently a member of the school basketball, flag football, weightlifting, and track team, she claims to have no regret immersing herself in the athletic arena. 

Additionally, playing sports has exposed her to different types of cooperation, like constructive criticism and positive reinforcement, to maximize the efficiency of her team. 

“Players often have different methods of taking feedback. I used these strategies in my social life when dealing with conflict as well. Sports have taught me how to work with people on the court and off the court.”

Naputt Aroonchaipirom, also a senior at Lincoln High, emphasizes that the benefits are not just limited to team sports. Playing golf since the age of five has taught him accountability; claiming that performing solo enhanced his ability to make decisions. 

“Individual sports offer a different type of satisfaction, knowing that all the hard work it took to get to your level was [earned by] yourself,” Aroonchaipirom expresses.

The competitive aspect of sports can be seen as a negative–especially in an environment where prizes are in play. The child may feel like they must win to be ‘the best’ or that their efforts were not enough to be awarded the trophy. 

Although these are valid concerns, my experience with cut-throat competition has guided me towards taking losses in a mature way. It taught me how to look back on my actions and correct my own errors. 

Dealing with rejection as a kid has affected not only my attitude in sports, but the way that I handle bad marks on tests or anxiety over presentations. Soccer gave me my own outlet–one where I could forget about the stress from school and be in company with my teammates. I could recharge on the field, release endorphins, and come home ready to complete my assignments.

Within a large population of student athletes at Lincoln High, some are completely new to the sport–hoping to find a hobby or gain new experiences.

Matthew Chu, a sophomore at Lincoln High, debuted his football career just four months ago. Chu explains how his coaches have offered him extra support to increase his skill level and how he regrets not joining the team earlier. 

He notes, “[My teammates] had more experience and better techniques. They could pick up the plays better and knew how to counter my moves.”

Joining competitive soccer before high school did give me a leg up on those who have never played before. I could focus on creating chemistry with my teammates and understand their way of playing instead of having a sole focus on the fundamentals.

Sports have shaped me into the person I am proud to be. These lessons, learned through my childhood experiences, are ones that I continue to practice everyday. Looking forward towards my future aspirations in adulthood, I feel nothing but gratitude towards my youth spent in athletics.

Published on 12/12/2022

By Kei'Maya Gates

As someone who is a pescatarian, I take this topic very seriously. Imagine going to the cafeteria almost every day only to be handed a parfait for the third time that week!

The last time I received a salad was September, it’s now December. The salads I did receive all came with chicken, so I was forced to pick them out or skip out on the main dish for lunch. Salad isn’t the only non-meat dish we get. We get things along the line of cheese bread with tomato sauce, rice and tofu, cheese pizza, and parfaits.

The problem is that it's too familiar for non-meat eaters to skip out on lunch due to the lack of lunches for us. The school provides a very limited amount of dishes for non-meat eaters. By the time I get to the front of the line, the cafeteria either has only a few meals left or none at all. I’ve experienced extreme headaches because I had to skip out on lunch, or didn’t get enough to eat. This can affect someone learning throughout the day, making it extremely hard to concentrate.

I know most of you are probably wondering, “Why not just bring or buy your own lunch then?” I personally can’t afford to buy outside lunch every day, and sometimes I do bring lunch from home, but my family and I have a busy schedule and we don’t always have the time to go to the store and restock for the week. 

As a school and district, it’s their responsibility to make sure everyone is getting a decent amount of nutrients and protein while we’re in school. Other kids aren’t fortunate enough to have or go shopping for lunch to bring, so they rely on the school for that. Some students also don’t choose their diet, and some have medical restrictions on what they can and can’t eat. 

For these reasons, I think the school needs to reevaluate the lunch distribution to better accommodate students with dietary requirements.

Published on 12/12/2022