By Carina Lee 

As Lincoln High School transitions from distance learning back to in person instruction, students and teachers must adjust to a new schedule. SB-328, a state bill passed in October 2019, mandates that schools shall begin no earlier than 8:30 a.m. 

In the past, Lincoln High School started at 8 a.m. and ended at 3:15 p.m. In response to the new law, SFUSD implemented a standardized 8:40 a.m. start time across highschools. As a result, Lincoln High School’s day now concludes at 3:55 p.m. This has garnered mixed reactions from both students and teachers. 

The bill cites “research on the impact of sleep deprivation on adolescents and the benefits of a later school start time” conducted by the University of Washington as the rationale behind the new start time. The study tracked student performance over two school years; one school year with a 7:50 a.m. start and another of 8:45 a.m. The data show an “increase in the daily median sleep duration of 34 min” and a “4.5% increase in the median grades.”

A general poll of ALHS juniors and seniors revealed divided opinions: roughly 75% of students prefer the old schedule. Only 43% of participants report getting more sleep, and the overwhelming majority either notice no change or negative change in their performance. 

Some students that reported no change in their sleep attribute it to sleeping later because they know they can wake up later. 

One student feels the late start time offers a false sense of abundant time: “I sleep way later and wake up only one hour [later] than usual.”

For other students, the extra 40 minutes allows for a less chaotic morning, and a few even find time to hit the gym before class.

About 19% of participants reported a negative impact on their commute to and from school. One student voiced concerns about daylight savings and going home in the dark as we approach winter. A handful of poll participants mentioned higher volumes of bus passengers and cars on the road both ways. 

A postponed start in the morning translates to a postponed release in the afternoon. Students report that being in school 40 minutes later makes the school day feel longer and “draining.” It appears many students hit the “afternoon slump” around 3 p.m., which was not  a problem with the old schedule. 

The majority of students who have afterschool activities, whether it be sports, extracurriculars or family obligations, reported a negative impact from the new schedule. The 3:55 p.m. release leaves little time after the school day to do it all. The recurring theme from poll responses seems to be that students don’t have time for homework, friends, and hobbies after their activities. 

“I barely make my programs sometimes, and I kinda get annoyed that I have no time for homework because I get home at 8:00,” said one student. 

Busy students are staying up later to complete their assignments and actually sleeping less.

Despite an almost even divide between those who are sleeping more and those who aren’t, about three-quarters of participants prefer the old schedule. In some cases, even students who are benefitting from the current schedule– improved commutes, more energy, better performance–still would rather keep the old schedule. This suggests that the students are more concerned about staying on campus later than getting extra shut-eye. 

The new schedule not only affects students but also teachers, arguably to a greater extent. The students of ALHS are required to reside in the city of San Francisco, but this does not apply to teachers. Sara Falls, an English teacher at ALHS, lives in Oakland and rides public transportation home every day.

“But leaving at 4:10 is hard as a teacher--there's always more to do, and I have an hour and twenty minute commute on the other end. If I don't leave right at 4:10 (my contractual end of the day), I'm home closer to 6:00, which feels nuts. I try to spend time with my kid and have hobbies, but I have little extra time in the evenings now because of the later start.”

Jordan Loey, a former ALHS history teacher and current assistant principal, empathizes with teachers with difficult commutes like Falls. Loey’s daily commute is a 20-minute bus ride, which has not been affected since he arrives by 7 a.m. to prepare for the school day. Like most students, Loey appreciates the later start but dislikes the release time. 

“If it weren’t for the late start, I would have to get here much earlier,” said Loey. “I think Dr. T used to get here at 5:45.”

In addition to a delayed start and end, adjustments have been made to the advisory period. In the past, advisory occurred on block days; a 20-minute period in which teachers made grade-specific announcements and distributed any necessary documents. A student’s advisory teacher remained the same throughout high school. Students were grouped by advisory for assemblies, rallies, and eventually– graduation.

The new schedule attaches advisory to the front of the second class of that day, eliminating the need for students to walk to a new classroom and interact with more students. However, it also eliminates the sense of community that develops after seeing the same people two days a week for four years.

Some teachers use the dedicated advisory time as extra instructional time– effectively creating a two-hour period. 

Moreover, this change removed a six-minute passing period. Where did those six minutes go? Well, it was used to extend the last classes on each block day. Many students and teachers are confused by the decision to create uneven class times.  

According to Loey, ALHS administration is aware of these kinks and revising the schedule is an ongoing conversation. Unfortunately, the current schedule is locked in for this school year, but future schedules have potential for change.

The administration created the schedule with a limited amount of time in the midst of planning the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2021. 

“Everything happened very quickly,” said Loey. “I think [the] admin’s priorities were to get kids back on campus safely.”

Regardless of the flaws in the bell schedule, Loey believes the later start was an easier transition for students, especially after the distance learning schedule. 

Aside from the state law, COVID safety is the main motive behind the changes. ALHS remains attentive to COVID guidelines, as restrictions begin to relax.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Samantha Hong 

This year, a total of five Lincoln math classes did not have a math teacher and continued not to have a teacher until the second grading period. It started when a previous teacher, Julia Fong, had decided to retire early last summer. The school immediately started looking for a replacement, and eventually found one before the year started. 

However, the process of filing and finishing all the paperwork was lengthy, and it took weeks to even see if the candidate was ensured to officially become a math teacher, so the school had to play the waiting game. 

This meant that while the school remained on the hunt for a teacher, the students in classroom 223 struggled with the actual learning math part. 

Students had substitutes with no past mathematics experiences, so they often had to resort to their own resources when it came to classwork. However, their only resources were relying on other students and that didn't provide them with any additional understanding of math. 

Iyshly Chen, a sophomore from the first-period geometry math class, mentions that students would try to help each other, but their attempts were futile as none of them had any experience in geometry. 

Substitutes were often late to class, so students spent many minutes out in the halls, not knowing if and when their teacher would appear. “I never felt like school had started until the second period,” Chen says. 

In the teachers perspective, Alex Wong, one of the math teachers at Lincoln, stepped up to help with the classes. 

“Something needed to be done, and I happened to be nosy at the right place at the right time.” He says. 

Wong shared his Desmos lesson plans, an online learning tool that creates activities for students to do digitally, with the geometry and algebra classes. He would sometimes bounce back between the 223 class and his own to make sure that the students who didn't have a teacher were doing alright. It isn’t easy to do, especially while trying to teach your own lesson.

When the school finally got the news that the teacher candidate would not become a teacher, the school had to start turning to other options. 

“We were hopeful that she would be joining us, but it sadly fell through.” Kelley Andrews, the assistant principal, says. 

Andrews said that shortly after the failed candidate, the school decided that it was best for the students and teachers to simply get transferred out of the 223 class and into the remaining classes at Lincoln. 

Charlotte Chu, a student from the same class as Chen’s, talks about how the whole situation affected her. Chu was one of the several students selected to transfer out and into a class with a teacher earlier than the rest of the class. There were a few other students who were also switched earlier in order to start the process of dividing all the students between the math classes at Lincoln. 

(Andrews explains that the school did this because transferring out students is complex and timely. They had to situate students one by one in a week.)

  However, Chu felt that the early switch to Kenyatta Scott’s class did nothing to better her engagement in geometry. In fact, the early move created several problems for her, as she had been switched into Scott’s class a week before the grading period ended. This meant that Chu had to finish all the assignments due in order for her to obtain a good grade, but because she was only given a week to finish 25 assignments she could not complete all the work. 

“Some of the assignments that I had to do were group projects, and it was bad because I had to find a partner within a week,” Chu stresses. 

She felt like she still wasn’t learning even after the new class switch with Scott. Chu believes that a transition time would’ve helped greatly so she could’ve adjusted to find semblance in the whole situation. 

“Consistency is key, and learning is a slow-cook process, so the more consistent you are, the better you are in the long run,” Wong describes. 

  He genuinely feels for the students. He understands the difficulty towards returning from distance learning, and hopes that they all smoothly recover from the grading period with as few hurdles as possible. The rest of Lincoln gives many thanks to Wong for helping out with the students. “Special thanks to Mr. Wong for everything he’s done to help.” Andrews says. 

Aaron Yang, another math teacher at Lincoln, told me about his plan of action toward the new transfer students. 

“The main thing I’m trying to do is scaffold the lesson plans with multiple entry points. That way, we don’t have to stop the whole class.”

Yang wants to make sure that the new students can catch up without slowing down the pace of his class. He is trying to figure out how to make sure all of his new students get the attention and information they need to successfully pass. 

Both teachers have noticed the difference in productivity and overall comprehension, and are trying to help students from the 223 class understand the material as well as adjust to their new classroom environments. 

As of now, all of the students have been transferred into their own classes with one of the math teachers at Lincoln. The students that spent a large chunk of their first year back from distance learning teacherless are still trying to take these few weeks to adjust to their new schedules and create a more stable academic math culture and adhere it to their school lives. 

A lot of the classes have jumped from 20 students to 30, and the larger learning environments aren’t ideal for creating a more personal setting, so the school plans to get a new teacher next year, but for now students will be divided for the remaining months.  

As a closing remark, Andrew would like to say, “I want to appreciate the teachers and students’ flexibility. It was not an ideal situation, and we are really hoping to have a resolution for the new year.”

Published on 10/28/2021

By Brandon Tse

COVID-19 has changed everything. People began to shelter in place, and masks have become common to wear outside one’s home. Additional rules have left a mark on our daily lives, misinformation and protests have risen related to the virus, and a new year of quarantine begins. As COVID continues to stay prevalent, seniors are still visiting colleges around the United States. Unlike the previous years of college visits and tours, they’re currently unavailable. 

Due to COVID, some campuses have a limitation for college selections in order to prevent the spread of the virus, which involves closing out in person tours for additional safety. While these are good steps to contain the virus, it upsets some students in the process. 

Levi Hall, a senior, says, “I was a little upset, because I wanted to see seniors. It was also dead, vast and abandoned at most of the schools,” he said. 

In some cases, seniors can do virtual tours in preparation for college. This means that tours are presented online rather than in person, which may not provide the full experience of a visit. Although, some of the seniors are still able to visit colleges in person with little to no restrictions at the colleges.

“It was on the beach. There was a lot of architecture,” Riley Brown, a senior, said. 

“It was beautiful.” Marley Steiger, another senior, said. Both had mentioned their visit to UC Santa Barbara, despite being unable to go inside the college. 

“I’d like to go to CCSF to get the general education out of the way,” Nick Shatara, a senior, said about his plans for college. 

While virtual tours stay present, the information that seniors need for college will be sent through emails or Google Classroom, instead of in-person. 

Currently, enrollment rates have dropped under the impact of the pandemic, as many seniors fear getting infected with COVID. This has led to fewer low-income seniors applying for financial aid. 

SATs have eliminated benefits to some seniors, while it's also a hindrance to others. 

"Our worst fears have been realized, because what remains of the system that had already disadvantaged low-income, first-generation and BIPOC students has made those students even more vulnerable," said Jenny Rickard, the president and CEO of the Common App.

Because of COVID, a majority of seniors have decided to shelter in place in March 2020 rather than heading out to college, even if some of them are still open. This eventually led to college sessions becoming hybrid classes, with both in person and virtual classes on the same day. These hybrid classes will happen to seniors, and they’ll be informed of this eventually.

“They’ll be informed that classes won’t be in person all the time. COVID has accelerated the courses of online classes,” Edmond Sullivan, College and Career teacher, said. 

During hybrid classes at UC Berkeley, the teachers ask attendance questions for seniors to confirm their presence. Seniors who are unvaccinated are not allowed onto the campus. 

“My classes are hybrid, so lectures are online, but small discussions and labs are in person! You can’t go into campus buildings if you are unvaccinated, they make you upload your vaccine card.” Berkeley’s Computer Science teacher, Kelly Huang, said. 

With COVID still going strong, it's unclear whether college visits and selections will return to normal. Even though the online tours are justified for the sheltered in place currently, it tarnishes the in-person college experience. As for college selections, they’ll drop due to the higher risks of getting COVID, along with the limitations in acceptances.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Tommy Tian

The ringing of the school bell reverberates throughout Lincoln as the sounds of conversation and laughter fade. School is in session, and hurried footsteps can be heard as students rush into their classrooms. 

It’s the first day of school, but not everyone is present.

One student is seated behind a small desk, listening attentively to his Algebra 2 teacher as she reads out the daily “Do Now” activity and assigns the day’s work. He opens the assignment on Google Classroom, and follows the detailed instructions. The student is maskless, and a television whispers in the background. He stares at the small computer screen in the corner of his bedroom as the teacher takes attendance over Zoom. This is the current reality for the many high school students participating in online learning.

The San Francisco Unified School District offers two fully online learning programs for high school students: the Online Learning Program and the On Demand Learning Program. The OLP is offered to medically fragile students, and the ODLP is offered to any student interested in online learning. Both online learning programs are hosted through Independence High School.  

Students do not have the option to take any online learning classes at their current school. 

“From a teacher's perspective, it would be difficult for us to have to teach online and in person at the same time, from assigning work, grading, classroom management, and helping students with their work. From the perspective of the school district, it would be extremely difficult logistically with staffing,” ALHS Resource Specialist Program teacher, Daniel Lao, said.

Instead, students have the option to transfer to IHS’s hybrid program, with live small group instruction and asynchronous work. This program includes a mix of both on-site students and online students.

IHS is a SFUSD independent study school, located at 1350 7th Ave. Students there participate in an alternative education program that caters to the individual needs and goals of each student. Students who are enrolled there have an individualized schedule and curriculum. 

“So this year we are hosting students from the district who applied to the Online Learning Program and we are working with students with medical issues that prevent them from getting the vaccine or think that they are still at risk,” IHS principal, Anna Klafter, said.

Around 80-100 students partake in the online learning programs at IHS currently. Students in the programs take two five-credit classes every six weeks, with 12 classes in total for the entire school year. Most of the school work is done asynchronously, and students attend one synchronous class per day. 

According to Klafter, online learning is going extremely well for some students, with some even leading clubs and other school activities through Zoom. Other students are doing less well and are disengaged, needing to readjust to learning again.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Zahira Mena

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, the board of education in San Francisco Unified School District decided to rename 44 schools. Even though many of San Francisco's schools administrative teams were excited for the change, the district decided to postpone the action indefinitely, due to the public health crisis and the importance of students' voices. 

The majority of San Franciscans support the action, and when the time is right, the school board will move forward with change. Until then, no timeline has been determined, according to Matt Alexander, one of the commissioners of the SFUSD school board. 

In the 1940s, Abraham Lincoln High School established a segregated, all-white school, named after the 16th president of the United States. During his presidency, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which lawfully freed slaves. 

In an email interview, Alexander wrote, ¨But does [the name] reflect our San Francisco values today? Is it the best name for a school that’s 50% Asian, 25% Latinx, and only 10% White? Should we retire the Lincoln name with honor and pick a new name for the next 75 years? There isn’t one right answer to these questions, and before this comes back to the Board, I’d like to know what current ALHS students think. ¨ 

Alexander suggests that students and faculty in SFUSD schools should engage in a full, transparent reflection about their name and what it stands for or what it could positively stand for in the near future.

For schools to create change they will need to examine the committee's renaming criteria, which was organized by a volunteer committee in 2018. For over a year they discussed recommendations in order to address renaming schools. The criteria concern whether the namesake contributed to enslavement; were perpetrators  of genocide or slaverly; directly oppressed or abused women, children, or those in the LGBTQ plus community; are known racists or white supremists; or hold racist beliefs.

Furthermore, to make sure the chosen new school name is the right fit, they will need to meet SFUSD’s core values of: student centered, fearless, united, social justice and diversity- driven.

New potential school names should honor indigenous nations and honor individuals who are living or deceased that have contributed to environmental justice.

However, renaming schools has required expenses.  With new team uniforms, signage, and much more, it will cost about 10,000 dollars per school.

The yearly operating budget is over 1 billion dollars, this means the expenses of renaming schools will not affect any available resources for students.

In an email, Alexander wrote about his own experience as a past history teacher and what it means when it comes to the history behind school names. He says, “To me, changing names does not mean erasing history: I’m a history teacher with two decades experience, and I know that understanding the past is critical. But names of public institutions ought to reflect the present. Here in San Francisco, we have the opportunity to ensure that our school names match the values of our school district and our City.”

Alexander believes since there isn't a refined timeline yet, students, U.S. history classes and faculty should start the discussion now and really examine historical figures through the committee's renaming criteria from the inferior to the admirable attributes.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Liam Hargis-Bullen 

Different reactions arise from students, teachers and staff as the details of the Lincoln-exclusive locker closure become more apparent through the recently released memo. This closure was a distinctive COVID-19 safety measure passed by the Lincoln administration, although it is not an SFUSD wide policy. Lincoln has set itself apart from other SFUSD schools and enacted a locker closure to protect students and encourage social distancing. The closure was initiated at the start of the 2021-2022 school year and doesn’t seem to show any signs of it being lifted as of now. 

Students such as Clint Kessler, a senior athlete, proclaimed some of his frustrations over the new locker closure, “I have to carry all of my sports equipment now when I used to be able to just store it in my locker.” 

While the locker closure may have been a slight roadblock for some students, it is also common knowledge according to others that a majority of students don’t actually use their lockers. 

“I never even bothered to use my locker,” stated senior Shane Tilton. “In fact, I don’t know anyone else who has ever used their locker before either.” 

Karen Wu, a senior, is another student whose experience is similar to Shane's. "I have never used my locker, I've only known one kid who has," she claimed. 

While some of the students have had difficulty adjusting to the closure, this doesn’t seem to be the same case for the teaching staff who are trying their best to adapt to the new situation. 

Math teacher Charlie Paulson stated, “It seems to me that the teachers that require large texts have adapted and are keeping the books in their rooms so that students do not have to carry them around with them.” 

So while it may be a disappointment for a handful of students, the teaching staff has been trying their best to accommodate for the locker closure. 

While the teachers and staff have needed to make accommodations to their work, the custodial staff, an integral part of Abraham Lincoln high school, seemingly did not have their workloads impacted by the closure. Custodial staff member, Gertrude Harris, claimed that her job hasn't changed since the locker closure and that “The students did a very good job of clearing out their lockers before we left for COVID-19.”

Published on 10/28/2021

By Callie Janza

Everyone’s familiar with the teenager that sleeps until noon; but studies reveal that in general, teens aren’t getting enough sleep. Many people don’t realize how damaging lack of sleep can be for a developing mind. 

Sasha Malson, a 17 year old senior at Lowell High School, says when she doesn’t get a good night of sleep, “I feel groggy in the morning and unmotivated all day”. 

She’s not alone. Stanford Medicine’s News Center cites a 2006 National Sleep Foundation poll, where more than 87 percent of high school students sleep less than the recommended eight to ten hours per night. 

According to the article, “Sleep deprivation increases the likelihood teens will suffer myriad negative consequences including: an inability to concentrate, poor grades, drowsy-driving incidents, anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide and even suicide attempts. It’s a problem that knows no economic boundaries.” 

Scientific studies provide further evidence. Professor Alice Gregory of Goldsmiths University in London, co-authored a 2020 study in the “Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry" saying: “What is notable here is that the group with a diagnosis of depression most clearly fell outside of these recommendations during the week—getting on average 7.25 hours of sleep on each school night."

Part of the reason for the lack of sleep is that as kids get older, their sleeping patterns naturally shift to a later time of night. Since the early 1990s, it’s been established that teens have a biologic tendency to go to sleep up to two hours later than their younger counterparts.

Academic pressure is another reason. When Lincoln senior Ronal Cruz Lovos doesn’t get sleep he feels “overwhelmed because I’m tired and the day hasn’t even started.” 

Many teens fall into a cycle of staying up at night to do homework, going to bed late, and not having enough energy to pay attention at school. When they get home, they end up spending more time catching up on what they missed rather than getting their current homework done.

The biggest cause may be screen time. Researcher Dr. Stephanie Centofani, co-author of a 2021 study on sleep in adolescents said, “Teens spend a lot of time on devices, whether it's texting friends, playing games, or watching videos; using technology late into the night is one of the most common disruptors of good sleep. Overuse of technology can also contribute to mental health issues likely to increase anxiety… [also] the blue light emitted from technology inhibits the production of the sleep hormone melatonin to delay the natural onset of sleep.”

“Being on my phone late at night is my main preventor to getting a good night of sleep,” says Malson. Many kids don’t think about the future consequences of using their phones late into the night. 

Some schools are delaying their start times by up to 60 minutes which is showing positive results in this ongoing issue. One study at an independent high school in Rhode Island found that after delaying the start time by just 30 minutes, students slept more and showed significant improvements in alertness and mood.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Xara Alexander

Currently, on and off the Abraham Lincoln High School campus, students are at risk of transmitting COVID during lunch. Students eat in businesses, classrooms and outside. Is eating inside safe, and if not, what can we do about it? 

According to the San Francisco Department of Public Health Guidance for TK-12 Schools, schools should “do as many activities outside as possible, especially snacks, meals and exercise.” 

Lunch is 45 minutes and students spend at least 15 minutes with masks off; who’s to say that the cases we’ve had haven’t been transmitted during lunch?

Our cafeteria usually has both sets of doors open, windows open and a large air cleaner. However, students sit throughout the cafeteria, which is about 40-feet wide and 90-feet long, and half of the kids in the room are constantly away from open windows for the full 45 minutes. 

According to an anonymous source, when asked about social distancing, “No they don’t, people eat shoulder to shoulder with masks off.” 

While sifting through COVID guidance resources for schools and the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) website, there was sparse information on lunchtime/cafeteria regulations. The SFUSD website specified that cafeterias must have “operable windows or two large portable air cleaners.” Apart from this there is a clear lack of information on the topic.  

On a survey conducted within the Writing for Publication class, 60% said they spent 5-15 minutes in line. When asked what the main problems with the cafeteria were, 41% said the long line and crowded space. 

According to another anonymous source, “The only issue I see with the cafeteria is how crowded they are. Sure it’s normal, but it disregards the six foot rule.” 

Jordan Loey, assistant principal, says, “When it came to eating a lot of it was like we [SFUSD] encourage you to provide space outdoors for students to eat. A lot of it goes down to the comfort level of folks-- it feels like folks are in their own little pods, so there's not a lot of outside friend group mingling that happens.” 

Loey says that students were encouraged to practice COVID safety during lunch, but could judge for themselves what they wanted to do.

Serving school lunch outside would remove the issue of space and ventilation. According to Loey, people just need to ask around to see if this would be possible, and that he would make an inquiry about it. 

However, it seems like the school could put a lot more effort into getting people to eat outside, for example by prohibiting lunch in teachers’ classrooms and actively reminding students to social distance. According to the same survey, when it’s up to students, 62% will not properly social distance.

A lot of students have taken to eating lunch in teachers' classrooms; and in classrooms with large numbers of students, nearly all chairs are taken up and students are less than six feet apart. In one case at lunch, there were no windows open at all. 

Loey says, “We didn't really have a rainy season, we're sort of moving into that really nice season when it's really hot and really nice weather wise. What I'm worried about is when the weather is not so nice and all of our folks who are eating outdoors have to come inside.”

Published on 10/28/2021

By Zayar Myint

Recently, Berkeley was named by Forbes as the number one college in America, besting schools like Harvard or Stanford. This ranking begs the question: what does Berkeley have that these other schools don’t?

In order to answer this question, I turned to a current student of Berkeley, Thiri Than. Than, who was previously a former student at Balboa High School in San Francisco, received a full-ride scholarship through Fiat Lux, a program exclusive to only 50 students statewide. 

“In terms of uplifting first-gen low-income students, in terms of analyzing that, I do agree with the Forbes ranking,” Than states. 

She also mentions that Berkeley is the only University of California that offers a scholarship such as this one. Besides the Fiat Lux, Than appreciates the fact that Berkeley is really big on activism. Berkeley is always advocating for underprivileged students and communities. 

Than states,  “Unlike most private colleges in the United States, Berkeley has a grassroots education, versus the elitist' in terms of what they’re gonna teach you.” 

Berkeley also pushes for freedom of speech on campus, regardless of students’ political views.

Than says, “(Although) hate speech is limited, you’re welcome to express your freedom of speech.” 

Lots of students at Berkeley are welcome to talk about what they want, however they want, and professors at Berkeley help facilitate conversations inside of campus, despite students’ political backgrounds. In addition to all this, Berkeley also has a stellar educational system. Pass rates of the NBEO, according to Berkeley’s school of optometry website, were 7.71% above the national average in 2021. 

Finally, Than mentioned other schools that she would have wanted to apply to instead of Berkeley. Names such as Brown, University of Southern California, and Duke University were mentioned. 

“Just because you’re from California doesn’t mean you need to go to a California school,” Than states. 

She believes that if you come from a low-income background, an in-state school such as an UC will theoretically cost the same amount as an out-of-state school, so students should be very aware of their financial situation, and take advantage of this opportunity.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Mia Rossitto

ALHS students and staff had to quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to KRON4 News, the San Francisco Unified School District is currently facing a $116 million dollar short-fall, meaning that the school district may be taken over by the state if budget cuts or changes aren’t made. Is ALHS affected by the school district’s budget deficit?

The money that schools get from the school district depends on the number of students enrolled at the school. ALHS has had a steady amount of students over the past few years, but since the pandemic started, fewer students have been enrolled. Even though the school has had a bit of cushion with the budget in the past, ALHS Assistant Principal, Jordan Loey is expecting the budget to get a little tighter.

“Eighty-nine percent of Abraham Lincoln’s budget goes to teachers, and the rest mainly go to special programs or specific things [like computers and personal protective equipment],” said Loey. 

Loey continued, “Abraham Lincoln gets about 12 million dollars per year for the budget.” ALHS relies purely on the funding provided by the school district and other federal programs. Fundraisers help raise money for small things like dances, school events and clubs, but they don’t raise enough money for it to have a meaningful impact on the school budget.

The Parent Teacher Students Association is really the only group that might affect the school budget, but even that would be a bit of a stretch.

“PTSA fundraises and then teachers and students, too, can request a PTSA grant and get stuff,” said Loey.

At the end of the year, if there is still some money left, teachers try to buy as much equipment as possible for their classes, because that money doesn’t roll into the next year. There is usually some money left at ALHS by the end of the year, meaning there’s a bit of cushion when it comes to the school budget.

“In my seven years here, I’ve never seen across-the-board budget cuts...other schools are dealing with huge budget cuts because their enrollment dropped a lot...because other schools started with a smaller pot of money, and when the enrollment shrinks, the pot gets a lot smaller.”

Dr. Vincent Matthew, SFUSD Superintendent, says, “...this year SFUSD received millions in state and federal COVID relief dollars that could be spent where we most need it.” Dr. Matthew adds, “Even before the pandemic, SFUSD was facing a structural deficit.”

This should’ve reflected Lincoln’s budget as well.

The pandemic wasn’t all bad for the school budget though. During the COVID shutdowns last year, ALHS saved a lot of money by not being on campus. This allowed the school to get more Chromebooks and personal protective equipment. The Chromebooks that students. get on Chromebook distribution days come directly from the school district’s pockets and don’t eat into the ALHS budget.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Hanson Pan

The 2020-2021 school year was not easy for anyone, especially teachers. Avery Balasbas, head of the English Department at Lincoln, shares some insight on how he taught American Literature and English 2 during distance learning.

Before the 2020-2021 school year started, Balasbas had a hunch that the school district would not have answers about back to in person learning. He had to transform classes digitally. 

When asked how he taught his classes, he said “I was using technology to innovate learning in my class. Over distance learning, I incorporated Nearpod, which is an EdTech tool for interactive presentations. I leveraged this to help students stay engaged with open-ended questions or gamified quizzes as we went through slide decks instead of just watching a shared screen.” 

Most of Mr. Balasbas' classes were taught using Nearpod. This kept the students engaged as they answered questions about the lesson. Another tool Balasbas used was audiobooks. He  recorded himself reading text, and had students listen to it during a tiring day of Zoom classes.

When Balasbas was transforming his classes digitally, he felt like he was assigning more work than usual. 

“The reason I felt it was more is that I re-invented or transformed a lot of the readings I taught to make them accessible digitally.”

As the reading became more accessible to students, Balasbas changed group presentations and made them into a podcast, and turned assignments into one-on-ones instead of a big class lecture.

A challenge during distance learning was during breakout rooms. Balasbas found it difficult to have students engage with one other. 

“I never found a way to do it effectively, nor did I like being a participant myself. I tried creating instructions via Nearpod that I could control as I set timers.” 

While he never truly found an effective way to make breakout rooms more interactive, he still used it mostly on an everyday basis.

“For some students, it worked; for many others, breakout rooms were also just not their style.”

Unlike most students and teachers, Mr.Balasbas enjoyed distance learning. He had a lot of fun creating a specialized curriculum for his students. It was convenient for him as he could move back to Fremont and work from home. 

“To be honest, I think I enjoyed it a lot.”

Published on 10/28/2021

By Mariah Jones

The Stay Over Program works with the San Francisco Unified School District for families who are experiencing homelessness. It has served 59 families since their opening in November 15, 2018.

Two-thirds of families that leave the program are on the path to secure housing. Throughout the program families are connected to the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing to help them with securing a stable home.

“The Stay Over Program allows families experiencing homelessness to stay overnight at Buena Vista Horace Mann gymnasium. Through the program, families are connected to the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing's (HSH) Coordinated Entry Access Points to help them secure more stable housing.”

Mayor Breed says, “The expanded Buena Vista Horace Mann Stay Over program provides a safe place for families experiencing homelessness, and I’m glad we were successful in expanding the program to serve families throughout our school district. Our goal is to get families placed in permanent housing, and the program at BVHM helps us reach those families who are experiencing homelessness to get them connected to services and into homes.”

Seventy-four percent of individuals that have gone through the stay over program have been Latina, and 32% speak Spanish as their primary language. The program provides cultural Spanish speakers to communicate with families who don’t understand English.

On January 13, 2020 the San Francisco Board of Education voted to expand the program for families with kids a part of SFUSD for this school year,  2021-2022.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Joyce Li and Snow  Jiang

“This current school year has been very FULL; full of new protocols, new faces, and getting back to in person routines after a long time of not being together due to the pandemic,” states Dianne Lau-Yee, the principal of Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School.

Elementary schools are taking extra care to reduce anxiety and increase classroom socialization for students who are returning back to in person learning. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has introduced many uncertainties and circumstances into major aspects of our daily lives, including school. 

Lau-Yee has explained her school’s safety protocol and circumstances as elementary school students aren’t eligible for vaccines.

“Still, at the elementary level, we are staying in stable cohorts and following hygiene and safety protocols. The school has been very responsible and diligent in keeping accurate records of school attendance and reasons for absences and communicating to families about what is needed for next steps if their child is symptomatic.” 

The pandemic taught everyone the importance of student-teacher relationships and social-emotional learning. During the pandemic and now as schools are back in person, student wellness is a priority.

A challenge many teachers faced was how to assess and address individuals’ needs. Students missed out on more than a year’s worth of physical social interaction and lacked a sense of community in the virtual classroom.

Kate Paping, a third grade teacher at Sunset Elementary School, expresses her concerns with students’ progress and outcome of online learning, “Academically, students seem to need review with foundational skills such as math and reading/decoding skills.”

Since teachers couldn’t physically contact students and vice versa, many students couldn’t fully grasp the curriculum through Zoom. Teachers worked hard to overcome this challenge by hosting morning circles and school wide morning messages through live and pre-recorded videos, which allowed students to talk to familiar faces instead of staring at blank screens. 

Students were able to engage in conversations and check up on each other during class discussions. Easy-to-use online programs and materials like Google Classroom and Seesaw brought convenience for teachers to assign and share work.

Paping hopes to embed online teaching materials into in-person learning curricula,“I plan to continue using a lot of the technology I was introduced to during distance learning. It boosted my confidence in using technology with young students.”

Staff were able to quickly adapt to using technology and tools within a short period of time. 

Lau-Yee says, “Having the ability to hold classes online is a huge resource and asset in case of emergencies.”

In case when students transition back to online learning due to COVID-19 cases spiking, teachers are ready to utilize their teaching resources online. 

Distance learning played a factor in limiting social interactions for over a year. Despite this, students are more than excited and eager to learn with their classmates and teachers face to face again. Lau-Yee observed how much easier connecting and building relationships it was for both teachers and students.

Through physically socializing, Paping says she sees a difference in the school community compared to being online. Students feel a much deeper sense of community in person because they have many opportunities to talk to one another.

“I can quickly see who needs help and give them additional support. It is easier to develop a sense of community compared to online.”

Published on 10/28/2021

By Adalia Wani

Our world revolves around Eurocentrism, a worldview centered around Western civilization on top of non-western civilization. Because of colonization, globalization and americanization, the west’s culture and influence have spread everywhere. Most notably, the western beauty standard, which has become the universal beauty standard for all women. Blond hair, tan to light-skinned, blue eyes, small nose and a size 0-2 (in clothing).

      The beauty industry is a white-dominated field. In movies, tv shows, fashion shows and magazines, the majority represented are white. This undoubtedly affects women of color.

      As a South Asian woman myself, I can’t even name five women that look like me in the media. Growing up, I never felt represented, and this made me internalize the idea that I’m not beautiful. I no longer care about Eurocentric beauty standards, but I sadly do internally believe that whiteness is beauty. 

       Cecilia Chu, a junior at Lincoln who is East Asian says, “It sets a lot of us, young girls, to think that we don’t fit into the beauty standard and that no one would want us. I know internally that I am a beautiful woman, but when you look at social media or magazines, it does feel like they’re saying women of color are not beautiful because of the lack of representation.”

      When we don’t see anyone that looks like us, we begin to believe beauty is only exclusive to whiteness. This certainly shatters us.

      Christe Ho, a junior and an East Asian woman says, “I was very obsessed with Eurocentric beauty before. I used to feel very negative about myself, this made me have low-self esteem. Now I’m less into the white beauty standards.”  

      Emily Gonzalez, a junior and Latina says, “It’s a little disheartening, knowing that some of the features I have are considered ugly by white standards.”

      In recent years, we have begun to see more representation of women of color in the media. But it’s a little too late. The damage has already been done. Too many women of color have grown up thinking they were ugly. 

     Ho says, “They [the white beholder of beauty and the beauty industry] can’t just integrate diversity and act like it was always there. Do they really expect to just comply with this act of diversity, and not acknowledge that featurism is at play? The beauty industry is still racist.”

   This diversity has only come because women of color are demanding it. If we didn’t, only whiteness would be represented. 

   Mariah Jones, a senior and a Black woman says, “Black women have been used by the beauty industry. They just put two to four black women and call it diversity. That’s not diversity, it’s  

tokenism.”

   The beauty industry has a huge problem of adding a couple of women of color and calling it diversity. If any diversity is represented, it often seems forced. The beauty industry is only integrating the act of diversity to profit off women of color consumers, and to act like they're not racist. 

   Chu says, “I don’t think there’s enough diversity. I want way more, and I don’t want to have waited 10-15 years to see more diversity. I want it now!”

Published on 10/28/2021

By Joshua Hernandez

The bell game rally has been a Lincoln tradition for decades. To see it come to an end without a final send-off is an upsetting thought. 

Regardless of whether you love or hate the rally, many students have been wondering, what’s going to happen to all of the Lincoln activities due to COVID-19? 

In an interview with Principal Balisi, she states,  “Here at Lincoln we are trying to find the balance between keeping the same [iconic, beloved, or well known] events but we also need to follow the CDC guidelines.¨ 

Principal Balisi also mentions that, “In order for us to ensure the safety of these events as much as possible students would have to be vaccinated or tested prior to event attendance.”

 In terms of any school activities, it’s very difficult to organize, not because of planning dates or planning the events, but mainly due to deciding how to handle the event in order to follow CDC guidelines. Restaurants and other indoor establishments have figured out a way to continue business while simultaneously ensuring the safety of their customers. One of the issues schools face is that we cannot deny access of entry to an event if the student is not vaccinated.

Ms. Sherman, this year's ASB coordinator, asked the football coaches and our athletic director Mr. Jacobson to take over the bell game. As of now, it has not been communicated to students if the rally will be happening this year or not.  However, other adored school activities are carrying on. As you may have already heard, spirit week will happen during the last week of October, so be prepared and participate.

In an unorthodox interview with Chris Fang, an ASB core member, he shared that unfortunately only Lincoln students will be able to attend this year's homecoming due to COVID-19 precautions. 

Fang explains, ¨Only Lincoln students are allowed to the dance so that in case of a COVID breakout we are able to contact and trace the outbreak.¨ 

Another thing to be decided is where exactly to be hosting the dance. While Lincoln students can be relieved that the homecoming dance along with spirit week is safe, some treasured school events have been lost due to COVID.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Levi Hall

Not everyone loves their job, but coach Kevin Doherty definitely loves his. Doherty has been coaching at Lincoln for 19 years and has been a teacher for 17 years.

Doherty grew up in San Francisco, attended UC Davis, and came back to his hometown to coach at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory. Doherty then came to Lincoln and has been a part of the Lincoln family ever since.

Doherty comes from a family of coaches and has been involved in athletics basically his whole life. He coaches football, track, and weightlifting here at Lincoln but is most passionate about weightlifting.

A goal of Doherty’s was met this year when weightlifter and former Lincoln student, Kuinini Manumua, made it to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Manumua became the first athlete representing Tonga to compete in the +87 kg category. In addition, weightlifter and current Lincoln student, Haley Trinh, attended the 2021 Youth World Championships in Saudi Arabia with Doherty.

Trinh says, “He pushes me to do my best and work hard. No matter what, he always puts his kids first whether they’re his own children or his students.”

Doherty teaches AVID and weight training in addition to substituting for classes when needed. He is a very familiar face around campus as many students have been a part of one of his teams or in one of his classes.

Doherty’s inspiration for teaching and coaching comes from the coaches he had growing up, as well as his wife and children. His family is a big part of his life and he tries to spend as much time with them as possible.

Doherty is determined to help kids succeed outside of just sports and training too saying, “Helping kids get into college has kind of grown into something I am passionate about.”

Current Lincoln football player and Doherty's student, Tyreque Elleston, says, “When coach Doherty is not coaching, he is pushing his students hard in the classroom. You can tell he cares a lot about us and his job.”

If Doherty was not teaching or coaching he claims that he would be “miserable” and would have to be doing one or the other saying, “Being a part of a team makes everybody better.”

Long-time friend of Doherty and Lincoln's head football coach, Philip Ferrigno, says, “His commitment to the kids and all things, not just in coaching but in life, is unreal.”

Published on 10/28/2021

By Daniel Toy

After a year of online school, with no options to play sports, it has now been decided that autumn sports will be resumed. The referee contract was originally signed in May, when sports with referees were allowed to be played. However, when school started, the Academic Athletic Association requested to change the contract for COVID reasons. The AAA was attempting to draft a "new" contract, which will result in football and volleyball being delayed or canceled due to referees failing to meet the contract requirements.

Two weeks after school started, Donald Collins, the Athletic Commissioner for the AAA, said, “There was confusion over the contract's terms. [The confusion] was people didn't know the full scope of what officials do and what the State accreditation requirements for officials were. Once people knew what officials did, and what their accreditation requirements were, the confusion was resolved within a week.” 

After hearing that the contract issue had been resolved, it led to many reactions from coaches, principals, and sports associations. 

The Athletic Director of Lincoln and varsity basketball coach, Coach Carl Jacobs said, “I was excited for all the students and athletes. Being in the house for a year, it is just bad for young people; it is bad for anybody, especially young people. Your body is still growing, [your] body is maturing, and staying in the house stunts your growth.” 

ALHS principal, Shari Balisi said, “The best part [of the referee contract] is [the AAA] thought about the students, allowing student-athletes participating as [opposed] to 18 months stuck on Zoom and not being able to compete.”

Kevin Doherty, an ALHS sports coach, and AVID teacher said, “We been gone so long, it would be just criminal to not have another season.” 

Everyone was eager for the sports to continue after a long period of not being able to participate.

Despite the contract being signed, the AAA is still trying to find ways to make changes to create a new contract for next year. 

Jacobs said, “If they do something new, it will probably be in the future.” 

Balisi said, “Do the new contract sooner than later, and give enough [time and information] for all parties involved.” 

Students wanting to participate in sports this year are now able to.

However, Balisi said, “Student-athletes' expectations are having good grades, come to school, good sportsmanship, good relationships with the coaches, learn different life skills and to make sure to be a strong student-athlete.” 

Students interested in participating in Fall sports should get their physical forms finished, and turn them to Jacobs.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Jay Fabian

Deionn Solis is an 11th-grade student on the varsity football team at Abraham Lincoln High School. He has been in the sport for nine years and has been on three different teams.  He joined the Lincoln team in his freshman year as an offensive lineman.  

Solis started his football career with the San Francisco Jr 49ers at the age of eight.  They are a San Francisco based football league for kids. He was on that team for about six years and got to the championships with them four different times.  

In one season, he helped gain a spot in the playoffs by blocking a punt. In the play he was able to move a defender back quickly towards the punter and deflect the punt off the defender's head. The ball then bounced into the endzone where he recovered it.  

“I don't remember the exact score at the end, but I remember that it was close and that the blocked punt shut the door on the game, guaranteeing the win,” Solis said. He played a lot of good football that season and it led all the way to the championship.  

Sadly, he didn't win the championship that season or any of the other seasons, mainly due to injuries. Solis doesn't let that discourage him and remains hopeful in this new season.

“I feel that if the team works hard we have a shot at winning,” Solis remarked.  

His current coach, Philip Ferrigno believes the team is coming along.

“We're trying to gel together and become the best team we could be.  There is no more excuse time. We need to start working hard,” Ferrigno said.

Solis sees the team he plays with as a close bond or as family. He thinks that a team needs a good coach, good teamwork and good teammates to succeed.

“On the field we all take stuff from each other's game to get each other better. Off the field we have our own jokes and stuff only we would understand.”  

Solis is a determined player. He can't see himself quitting football anytime soon. In order to keep up with the sport, Solis has some beliefs he thinks are important.

“Athleticism, strength, discipline, and smarts,” Solis said.

Ferrigno has seen some improvements to Solis’s game over the time he has been with him.

“He is better at working hard, putting in effort and is a good teammate,”  Ferrigno said.  

Solis has been learning much from his new coach and sees Ferrigno as a good fit for him.

“He has taught me the smarts of the game, like the thinking and other stuff like that.”

Overall Solis is a talented, disciplined and determined player.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Liam Geoghegan

It has become a trend in recent years that during heatwaves, California will erupt with large forest fires. Some of these fires are the result of what is believed to be climate change, and others have been believed to be results of arson. Regardless of the causes, these fires have affected many people. Families have been displaced, lives have been lost, and towns have been destroyed. With little action being taken, a handful of teenagers in San Francisco decided to help in the best way they could: through music.

On September 17th at an undisclosed location, staff of local punk fanzine “Control” hosted what would be known as Controlapalooza, a free benefit concert which took donations and merchandise sales, and donated them directly to the Red Cross for wildfire relief. Six local bands participated, and the turnout was quite large (masks were required for the event). A total of a little over a thousand dollars was raised, and was donated. Despite the great success, a lot of work was put into making the show happen. There were a lot of risks when hosting an outdoor show without a permit, and also a lot of work and contributions needed from those who are helping.

A show needs a lot of things to work. Amps, speakers, PA systems, and a wide range of audio equipment. When planning this show, the Control team was missing a lot of these necessary additions, but all the things they needed were quickly contributed by band members and friends. The 6 bands (Hell Bound Pound, Failsafe, Steelworker, Surprise Privilege, Iron Front, and Moms with Bangs) all contributed things such as microphones, amps, cords, sound gear, lighting, and just about everything needed to put on a show. 

Another thing organizers were worried about was the possible presence of police officers. Without the permits necessary, the show was technically illegal, regardless of the good cause the show was focusing on. Cole Pepper, one of the organizers of the show and founder of Control Zine, recalled how he felt that night. “I was pretty confident they weren’t gonna show, but if it had been at Golden Gate Park or something, it would have been a different story.” When asked if he believes the SFPD enjoy intentionally shutting down these shows regardless of location, he responded “I think they do to a degree. I think cops obviously enjoy shutting down shit that stands against them, and punk shows tend to do that. Sometimes though, it’s park rangers, and that's pretty understandable, but they can be absolutely unfairly unkind to the performers and organizers. I just think cops will happily jump on any opportunity to put kids in their place.”

Additionally, I was able to speak to another contributor and band member of Surprise Privilege, Cody Azumi. Azumi, who has done outdoor concerts regularly, has been ticketed several times and is well familiar with the police and park rangers. “They ticket you and then send the invoice two months later which has the actual price on it. Mine was 400$ because I got cited for amplified noise with no permit, gathering over 25 people with no permit, and running a generator with no permit.” Azumi remarked his friend was also ticketed for bringing a table to a show, and had still not received his invoice in about a month and a half. He was also asked if he thought sometimes organizing the shows were wrong and if the police were justified in shutting down shows. “Some park rangers will come and fuck with you because they’re assholes and hate when kids have fun because their dads don’t kiss them on the lips. Some park rangers are a lot more chill though, and actually do care about the environment; big noise disrupts native animals in their habitat, generators give off fumes which fuck with the plants, all of that.”

The recent trend of outdoor hardcore shows in SF has garnered what some expect to be an increase in police searching for these shows to shut them down, regardless of the goal the show imposes. Controlapalooza was a benefit show which, at the end of the day, succeeded in what it wanted to do; raise money for the Red Cross to help those displaced or affected by the Norcal fires. Unfortunately though, other shows which are solely just for fun and usually are free admission to all, seem to be drawing the shortest of the straws when it comes to police or authority interaction. At times these shutdowns are with good intent, and at others times, result in arrests being made and sometimes even violence. One thing is certain: no matter the risk, these shows will still be planned regardless of location, and Controlapalooza was a key example of what a couple individuals can accomplish with the right attitude and execution.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Mia Rossitto

Saranghello first opened its pop-up shop on 1901 Taraval Street before the pandemic, but unlike many stores that closed, it survived and has now relocated to a bigger store even closer to ALHS now.

Pip Reyes, Chesca Rueda and Kevin Teng first opened the pop-up shop for K-pop in 2020 called Saranghello. Saranghello has recently relocated to 1700 Taraval St.

Teng says, “The idea for the pop-up first happened in our living room with Pip and Ches, who had just come back from Orlando. They visited a K-pop shop on their trip and talked about how fun it was to be in the store. Then, the idea of opening up a place filled with other people who love kpop and kpop albums came together.”

Saranghello owners say “We were growing and initially, the 1901 pop-up was supposed to be a temporary pop-up for the holidays but with the help and support of the bay area K-pop community. We were able to get our permanent spot at 1700!”

“It’s kind of an obsession, I’m like, kind of addicted to buying them,” says Nicole Chao, a Lincoln senior and regular customer at Saranghello, the local K-pop stop. She’s talking about the K-pop albums she buys from Saranghello.

Saranghello sells more than just K-pop albums. They also sell lightsticks, posters, and other K-pop merch.

Teng would like Lincoln students and the entire community to know, “...we’re here if you’re having a rough day. We’re here to listen if you need it.”

“Shopping at Saranghello in person is all about the experience because you can go anywhere that sells K-pop, but I think me, Pip and Ches are trying to give people an experience where people can just come in and really enjoy K-pop, and talk to someone about K-pop,” says Teng. 

If you would like to know more about Saranghello or see what they may have, they have an Instagram account at @saranghellosf and a website at Saranghello.com.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Joshua Chew

Kanye West released his tenth album, “Donda,” named after his late mother, Donda West. The theme of the album is about two of the biggest factors shaping his life today, his mother and his faith. West continued from his previous album, “Jesus is King”, that was released in October 2019, producing music in the gospel genre. 

West first hinted at the album back in July 2020 while having a release date for July 24th, 2020. Following these hints, West proceeded to drop songs that included “Wash Us In The Blood” featuring Travis Scott, and “Nah Nah Nah'' that included a remix featuring Dababy and 2 Chainz throughout 2020. 

West soon began to rumble the internet with hints to “Donda” this past summer. A listening party was held at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta on June 22nd and August 5th, with a prediction for the album to release on July 23rd and August 6th, 2021. 

West concluded his final listening party on August 26th in his hometown of Chicago at Soldier Field, which was followed by the release of ‘Donda’ on August 29th.  

“Donda’s” final release contained twenty seven songs featuring thirty two artists from the music industry. Features included Playboi Carti, The Weeknd, Lil Baby, Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, Roddy Ricch, etc. 

Considering the album is named after his mother, Donda, West made sure to pay tribute to her throughout the songs. The first song “Donda Chant” is Syleena Johnson saying “Donda” over and over through different patterns as if it were Donda’s heartbeat. The song “Donda” features his mother’s speech given at Chicago State University in 2007. 

West made sure to incorporate his faith into his music. He adds the sounds of organs for a gospel feel in songs like “Hurricane,” “Praise God,” “Junya,” “24,” “Jesus Lord,” and “No Child Left Behind.” The composure of the features brings in his Sunday Service Choir to add emphasis on his devotion to Christianity. 

In addition, the lyrics add in even more depth to Christianity. As stated in “God Breathed”, “God will solve it all for me/Trust man, he a failure/Trust, and God'll heal ya'”. I think this lyric provides deeper insight on West’s relationship with God, which can relate to many other believers in Christ. 

West made a risky decision on “Jail, Pt. 2” by adding both Dababy and Marilyn Manson. Dababy has recently been “canceled” due to the homophobic remarks made at Rolling Loud Miami this past summer. Marilyn Manson has been dealing with sexual assault lawsuits filed against him. 

The features seemed controversial as West aims for a gospel album while adding artists who previously committed actions that are against Christian beliefs. Adding Dababy definitely gave a chance for him to express how he felt on “Jail, Pt, 2,” which I felt added depth to with how Dababy rapped about his experiences in the music industry and the comments that were thrown at him for his homophobic views. 

After a few listens, I concluded that the album was not one of West’s best albums. The album altogether did not flow very well, jumping from slow songs to fast upbeat songs, giving off different vibes through the album. However, I felt that each individual song was well put together, showing that West put in lots of work and dedication. Some of my favorite songs include “Hurricane”, “Off the Grid”, “Moon”, and “Jail” because of the execution and flow of the songs and verses. 

“Donda'' shows what West is capable of doing as an artist in terms of making a gospel album that incorporates many features spread throughout the album.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Joyce Li

On October 26th, 2020, Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) aired “The Penthouse: War In Life,” a South Korean thriller drama directed by Joo Dong-Min that will get your fists clenching and blood boiling. 

The drama follows the families of two wealthy and powerful women, Shim Su-Ryeon (Lee Ji-Ah) and Cheon Seo-Jin (Kim So-Yeon). Both of them live in a hundred-story luxury penthouse called ‘Hera Palace’ located in the center of Seoul with other high-class families. Oh Yoon-Hee (Kim Yoo-Jin), a middle-class woman, yearns to gain power in society by trying to live in Hera Palace with her daughter Bae Ro-Na (Kim Hyun-Soo).

The three women would do anything for the sake of themselves and their children, even if that meant having to commit horrendous acts of bribery or crime. 

The Hera Palace kids have their eyes set on competing against each other for a spot at Cheong Ah Arts High School, the most prestigious soprano school in Korea which could potentially get them admitted at Seoul University. 

Because of their social status, their families can easily bribe the judges and manipulate exams to get their kids into the school they want. This shows that talent doesn’t matter in the world as long as one has enough money and connections.

The director also chooses to show the perspective of the poor. Min Seol-Ah (Jo Soo-Min) is a poor girl who is extremely talented in singing soprano. The Hera Palace kids are jealous of her skills so she ends up becoming their target for bullying. 

Min Seol-Ah says, “I’ve just been living hard, and I’ve been trying like crazy…” 

This quote resonates with me and society as a whole because it explains how hard work isn't the only factor to success. Differences in wealth and class can limit opportunities for some people; this especially happens when an authority or dominating power can easily control one’s life.

A drastic twist plays when Min Seol-Ah gets into a serious accident that triggers many events to come. I liked how the director uses strategic dialogue and camera angles to convey the unfortunate life experience she goes through due to her status in society. The drama gives insight into how talented but poor kids can’t achieve their dreams as the Hera Palace kids can, simply because they’re not wealthy enough. 

The director did a great job in illustrating how bullying doesn’t just affect the victim, but those around them as well. In a way, everyone in the drama is portrayed as a potential offender for Min Seol-Ah’s accident. 

I liked how the screenwriters made the Hera Palace residents constantly point fingers at each other to save themselves. This gives a lot of suspense and tension as they are always in conflict. It will always have viewers questioning the actor’s next moves.

I appreciated the director’s choice of implementing the idea that in society, the richest have dominant power. As the drama plays out, it becomes obvious that those who are wealthy have the freedom to do as they please without needing to be held accountable for their sickening actions. 

This Korean drama stands out from the other dramas I have watched because it depicts the battle between greed and wealth in life. “The Penthouse: War In Life”  focuses on many other unique and important themes that not many dramas portray, such as bullying, social inequality, and sexism.

I highly recommend this drama to anyone, but specifically, those who love thrillers, suspense, and revenge. 

The drama is full of plot twists and will keep you anticipating the next scene. Tension builds every episode and the storyline itself is enough to keep viewers engaged.

As the plot unravels, the events get even more unimaginable and unpredictable. The facial expressions of the characters are extremely convincing that you wouldn't want to miss a single second of the drama. 

“The Penthouse: War In Life” teaches that money can’t buy everything. It leaves a good impression that greed for wealth and power can turn humans into monsters.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Snow Jiang

Marvel Studios introduced the newest superhero action movie, “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” on September 3rd, 2021. The story differs from the antiquated standard of American superheroes with an Asian protagonist. 

Shang-Chi made his debut into the Marvel Universe in the December 1973 publication, “Special Marvel Edition” #15. The movie stars notable Asian Hollywood actors including Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, and Fala Chen. 

Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), who goes by Shaun as his undercover name to hide from his evil father, and his best friend, Katy (Awkwafina), play out a familiar situation for many Asian Americans: culturally estranged and disconnected with kin. Shaun and Katy are stuck in the middle, not Asian enough to please their families, but not American enough to fit into their community in San Francisco. 

The two friends embark on a quest to Ta-lo where evil awaits to wreak havoc, as Shaun’s father, the villainous Wenwu, re-enters his life. The movie follows Shaun’s journey to fully embracing Shang-Chi.

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings'' fully connect its storyline with Chinese culture. It’s obvious the film was written through a lens of those who appreciate Asian culture and have lived through the Asian experience. With a predominantly East Asian cast and production crew, the Chinese folklore inspired story does an exceptional job portraying and reflecting on Asian culture. The movie creates a large exposure for Chinese cultural hegemony and preys on sexism culture and the concept of dictatorial leaders.

Shang-Chi is known for his expertise in all forms of fighting, specifically martial arts. Martial arts is highly valued in Chinese culture because it teaches respect, patience, discipline, and morality. The movie delivers different styles of martial arts: Taichi, slow and flowy, and Wingchun, quick and fierce. Martial arts in the movie not only represents Shang-Chi’s identity as a superhero, but it’s also a symbol of his aggression and serenity at the same time. “Shang-Chi” is not only a good Marvel blockbuster film, but it's an exceptional Kung Fu movie.

Half of the movie is spoken in Mandarin Chinese, so if you’re a non-speaker, you missed out on a lot of cultural references. The Chinese dialogue is written so well that the English translations often drown out the cultural nuances behind each line. As a Chinese speaker, the Mandarin lines add so much more perspective to what the English translations had to portray. 

For instance, when Wenwu said, “小子，你对我说活尊重点我吃的盐比你吃的饭还多,” the English translations are “I’ve lived ten of your lifetimes young man.” However, the genuine translation means, “The salt that I’ve eaten is more than the rice you’ve eaten,” which excellently characterizes Wenwu’s wise mentality.

Shang-Chi crushes the yellow peril stereotype that has altered Americans’ perception of Asians for a long time. The evil villain trope has been ingrained into Asians’ image throughout pop culture; notably Ming the Merciless, a racist character with extreme disrespect to East Asian culture.

Rather than feeding into the typical Asian stereotype, I appreciate how the director, Destin Daniel Cretton, was able to bring in an Asian cast to play various roles, Simu Liu as the protagonist, Tony Leung as the antagonist. 

Another reason why I liked this movie was its relatability. As an Asian American, I rarely see realistic scenarios of the difficulties of being an ABC (American Born Chinese). Both Shaun and Katy are perfect examples of what it’s like to be an Asian growing up in America, distant from your own cultural background, but also distant from the community you live in. Conflicted with their true identity, the movie showcases Shaun and Katy’s development to appreciating their Chinese roots. 

The movie knows how to draw the viewer's attention through satirical jokes and humor. Katy’s antics serve as comic relief to the overall intense movie; for example, on their plane ride from San Francisco to Macau, Shaun reveals his real name to Katy. She goes on to joke about how Shaun and Shang are so similar, no wonder his father found him so easily. 

“Hi, my name's Gina. I'm going into hiding. My new name is Jy-na.” 

Separating itself from other superhero movies, “Shang-Chi” strays from the sidekicks to lovers trope and “my purpose is to save the world” mentality. “Shang-Chi” teaches how to fully embrace your true identity and that not all friends turn into lovers. 

“Shang-Chi” stands out from the rest of the noteworthy Asian American films, as it crushes all Asian stereotypes. The movie depicts not only an Asian villain, but an Asian hero and an Asian sidekick as well.

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is a top tier science fiction, rising to the occasion to not only live up to but surpass expectations. The film is charming with impressive transitions and executions of scenes, well produced special effects, and top notch acting.

I recommend this movie to everyone, but more importantly to Chinese Americans. The movie will leave a lasting impression as it teaches lessons about self worth and identity.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Isabel Goins-Riley

A rogue special forces agent puts the criminal's heist of the Bank of Spain in danger and takes tragic revenge. That’s how the show was left until September 3rd, when the latest season of “Money Heist'' was released.

Written and directed by Álex Pina, “Money Heist”/ “La Casa de Papel” follows the heists of a team of criminals in Spain. The show was first released in 2017 in Spain, then later worldwide on the popular streaming service, Netflix. The original dialogue is (European) Spanish, but Netflix provides dubbing and captions in numerous languages which has contributed to its worldwide fame. 

“Money Heist” originated and is mainly filmed in Madrid, Spain. The cinematography of the show beautifully accents the architecture of historic buildings of the city. “Money Heist” is packed with joyful, celebratory moments and tear jerking, disheartening ones. The endings of the latest seasons have left me in tears, but I’d still watch them over and over again. The show has such an amazing, original storyline that allows a viewer to easily get hooked. My favorite parts would have to include the well thought out plans, the characters' individual personalities and relationships and of course, the catchy names.

“Money Heist” features an ensemble cast including Úrsula Corberó (Tokyo), Álvaro Morte (The Professor), Itziar Ituño (Raquel/Lisbon), Miguel Herrán (Rio), Jaime Lorente (Denver), Pedro Alonso (Berlin), and Alba Flores (Nairobi). 

All of the actors in this series provide stellar portrayals of their characters, making the story come together neatly. I chose to watch parts of “Money Heist” in a language I was unfamiliar with and still, the performances gave me a clear sense of who to trust, hate and love.

From the start, the show is action packed and will have you constantly wanting to know what’s to come. It begins with Tokyo, a woman hiding from the police after a bank robbery goes wrong. A man known as The Professor recruits her along with other various thieves and criminals from around Spain. He convinces them to join him and they all travel to a deserted house where they will plan a heist for the next five months.

I think it’s clever how “Money Heist” features flashbacks from the present to the time they spent in the house to slowly reveal information on the characters. They bond in the house, and choose their aliases after big cities: Tokyo, Berlin, Rio, Denver, Nairobi, Moscow, Helsinki and so on. The ingenious Professor plans every detail of the heist and every move the police might make. He teaches them the basics they’ll need once they enter the Royal Mint of Spain; the location of their first heist. 

The timeline skips to the day of the heist where they infiltrate the Mint of Spain and take hostages. They do this all while brandishing large assault weapons and sporting red jumpsuits with masks of the famous painter Salvador Dali.

During the heist, The Professor answers police negotiation calls from a safe house away from the action. He uses manipulative techniques to play with the lead detective and buy his group more time. Even with extensive training the thieves' heist proves more difficult than planned. 

Throughout the first and second seasons, the team is struck with tragedies, relationship troubles and meddling hostages. But by the end, their work becomes rewarding as they gain the public's support. I like that the plot of this show is exciting but also doesn’t give you what you want as a viewer. Having things go wrong makes for a more interesting series and emotional storyline.

In the later seasons, they gather again to plan another heist --this time for the Bank of Spain. The team for the heist grows as new accomplices and old friends are brought in. Love triangles and stressed relationships fill the seasons with tension. 

The latest addition continues the story where it left off, with the thieves still in the Bank of Spain. The group must overcome leadership differences when The Professor goes M.I.A. on the outside. Twists in the story’s plot leave you wondering if they will be able to pull it off.  

Some people might not like this show because it covers some strong topics along with the main storyline. Abortion, police brutality, racism and violence are some examples of the topics brought up throughout the show. I think the inclusion of these subjects in the show is important and brings a more authentic feel to the story because it’s set in real time when these issues are most relevant. 

I think the show is great because it’s written in a way that makes you root for the criminals and their cause instead of always having police as the heroes. Going into the heist, they were motivated by the money, but as the series goes on the characters, as well as the motive, develop and become more complex. 

Having Tokyo narrate the show gives an intimate, firsthand perspective of the group members, the timeline of the heist and life in general. I found it easy to get attached to the characters and their intertwining stories. The further I watched into the show, the more I began to feel I knew the lives of the thieves. Learning their backstories, mistakes and dreams for the future that may never be pursued, is truly heartbreaking. 

The next part of the show, Part 5, Volume 2, is set to release on Netflix on December 3rd, 2021.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Ashley Talbott

Audiobooks provide the option to listen to a book rather than read it visually. I feel audiobooks are a more efficient way for students to read and enjoy reading as they are engaging and can be played while students complete other daily tasks. Audiobooks help motivate kids to expand their literary horizons without the hassle of actually reading word for word. Part of the reason that kids do not read enough is that they are  too busy with other tasks or they become bored or unmotivated when reading to themselves.  Audiobooks, however, hold kids’ interest with the cool voices and background effects that keep the reader engaged. Overall,audiobooks can enhance students' reading skills and can allow them to feel  interested in and excited by reading rather than experiencing dread or a sense of overwhelm when they are assigned a book. 

Audiobooks are also known; based on research, to help improve vocabulary and comprehension. Audiobooks help kids identify words and hear their pronunciations, thus growing their vocabulary. They also help students learn how to use words in a sentence. Furthermore, audiobooks give a clear picture to what the student is reading because it is all being said aloud, giving students an easier way to picture what they are reading rather than reading something in their head and not being able to picture it. Another reason audiobooks are beneficial is because they also help students improve their memory. Hearing the story through another human voice versus reading to yourself helps your brain remember the story better. Listening to the tone of the speaker, setting, character details, and can help the student picture and better comprehend what they’re reading.

Students with learning problems or visual weakness also benefit from  audiobooks. Students with limited vision may find audiobooks a helpful alternative to books on paper. For other students, focusing on the text itself may be difficult, but if it is being read aloud it is easier for them to understand what they are reading. Many students are not motivated enough to push through long texts, are too bored to read, or  get lost in the words and end up not understanding what they are reading. Audiobooks can help these students who have issues breaking down words and figuring out their meanings as they enhance focus. Overall, audiobooks help break down barriers some students experience to reading.

Audiobooks can motivate all types of students to read more through exciting voices, cues to tone and setting through audio effects, and by providing sensorial flexibility, allowing students to listen to a text instead of reading it word for word. I sometimes have a hard time remembering what I am reading because I can’t focus, but when I listen to an audiobook I am better able to focus on the content of the text. Audiobooks help paint a picture of what the student is reading, allowing the student to envision the story in their head. Ultimately, listening to a text provides all the benefits of reading, like expansion of vocabulary and enhancement of grammar, while also making the act of reading itself accessible to all different types of learners.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Cassidy MacKinnon 

High school students experience increased levels of stress and anxiety because of excessive homework. If they spend three to four hours a day on homework, it can lead to them not meeting other physical and social needs. Homework can lower students’ motivation to do something they are interested in when they get little amounts of free time.

Homework has benefits for students. According to Nord Anglia Education, a provider of international schools, homework helps to discipline students. Homework regularly makes it easier for students to understand concepts by allowing them to discover their weaknesses and strengths before a test is given. It can also help improve students' time management skills and problem solving skills that they can use in the future, as well as can help reinforce material that students learned in class.

It can also develop good study habits and life skills. According to College Homework Help, homework teaches students accountability and responsibility. It could also help students prepare for college and help increase their grades.

Anabelle Young, a freshman from Lincoln High School says “Homework may become a bit more difficult to complete when a student gets to high school because by then you’re supposed to have more prior knowledge, though I do think that teachers should take into account that students learn at different rates and that they should build off of what we know than what we should know.”

According to the Journal of Educational Psychology, students who did more than 90 to 100 minutes of homework per night actually did worse on tests than those with less than 90 minutes of homework.

Homework doesn't help students' ability to learn. According to Healthline, students that regularly receive really high amounts of homework have higher stress levels. Kids in elementary school can have ten minutes worth of homework while students that are in high school have about two hours of homework every night.  

Jeffrey Young from “High-Tech Cheating Abounds, Professors Bear Some Blame,” says that “90% of middle school students and 67% of high school students admit to copying someone else’s homework.”

Students are less likely to do interesting activities that interest them, and limit their time to see their friends or family. Students feel obligated to choose homework over developing different talents or skills. According to Healthline, research shows that more than 80 percent of students have stress-related problems like headaches, exhaustion in class, sleep deprivation, weight loss and stomach problems. In a previous study done by Stanford University, 56 percent of students say that homework is a primary source of their stress.

Students that have excessive extracurricular activities after school are more likely to have a later homework start time which could lead to them having late sleep times and less energy the next day. 

Dr. Craig Campari, a pediatric sleep physician, says that “about 15% of juniors and seniors did have more than two hours of homework per night.”

Students shouldn't be given a lot of homework because it could induce stress or anxiety. If students have excessive homework, it can limit their time they spend with their family and doing something enjoyable. I feel that homework in high school isn’t worth the time students spend on it because it doesn’t help prove they learned the skills that were taught that day. 

Published on 10/28/2021

By Marley Steiger

It is no secret that this generation is setting out into the real world with little to no education or understanding of financial literacy. According to an online study done by opploans.com, 46% of millennials believe that their poor credit scores are keeping them from purchasing a vehicle, and are holding them back from being able to buy a home of their own. 

If you aren't getting financial knowledge at home or in school on how to deal with budgeting, investing, borrowing, saving and managing your money, you may face several credit and financial issues down the road. That statistic may increase each year if schools do not take it upon themselves to incorporate these valuable lessons into their required curriculum. 

On top of that, financial issues cause a ton of stress for the majority of people. It is recorded on cnbc.com that 73% of Americans share the same number one stress in life which is their financial situation. 

I believe that if young adults had classes that focused on financial education, finances wouldn't be the leading cause of stress. 

Despite the importance of taking finance to gain crucial life skills, Lincoln High School, along with several other high schools in the district, has never offered a finance class. 

However, there are some courses which provide business related information such as Ms. Vicky Lee’s business academy or (BA) and Economics. Being in the BA has greatly helped me understand how money works in real life situations. I don't feel like I'm going out into the world confused or lost, because Ms. Lee has taught her students these vital life skills. 

Economics teaches students about the law of supply and demand, globalization and economic policies, but it does not really teach you the basics of handling money. My economics teacher Ms. Rhonda Hall always incorporates finance into her lessons, which I am grateful for. 

Without these teachers, I would feel much less prepared going into college next year, and getting a credit card when I turn 18. Not only is financial education important for the success of individuals, but it is also important for the global economy to thrive. 

Many teachers such as Mr. Christopher Cary, take it upon themselves to educate students on how to work with money. Mr. Cary has taught for 15 years, with eight of those years here at ALHS. Mr. Cary has taught US history, AP US History, Drivers Education, American Democracy, Economics, AP US Government and Politics and AP Psychology. 

Mr. Cary said, “Our current economics textbook ‘Econ Alive’, has a chapter on that [finance] but it's not very good in my opinion, and it doesn't really prepare students for getting a credit card or debit card within the year, they are going to be largely financially independent. They aren't going to know how to use it, or they are going to fall victim to common predatory tactics by credit card companies.” 

Mr. Cary went to Lincoln High School in Stockton, California, where the school offered some financial education in its economics course.

“When I took economics in high school, it was more of a personal economics class. Then, the state changed it to more of a theoretical economics class...My guess is that it was with the larger movement at the time to make the school more academic.” 

I was surprised to hear that the state had switched the classes’ focus, after all these are essential life skills everyone has to learn at one point or another.  

I asked Mr. Cary if he thought there would be detrimental effects on high school students not taking a required financial course. 

“The reality of students going from being in a pretty sheltered financial environment where their parents are providing everything, to a largely independent environment while making choices as consumers and debtors...there needs to be a bridge. Whether it's a full course or a substantial unit that's up for debate.” 

I asked Mr. Cary if he would want to teach a finance class here at ALHS. 

“If there was an option to have a finance class here at Lincoln, I'd be interested in teaching it for sure. And I'd be interested in partnering with local banks. The young people in our community need to understand how to use their money wisely and also grow it over time, so they can enjoy the fruits of their labor. So they can go on vacation, or buy a house and provide a good life for their kids.”

I agree with what Mr. Cary said, financial knowledge is crucial for our future success.  Students deserve an opportunity to understand their personal financial responsibilities in school, so that they can be prosperous later on in life. When thinking about the future, high school students should feel confident that they can make good choices with their money. Having a financial literacy course would prepare students with the skills to tackle the real world and whatever it may throw at them. 

Published on 10/28/2021

By Riley Brown

As we return to in-person school many things have changed. We wear masks and we have hand sanitizer in every classroom, but is it enough? 

Students and teachers were all wondering what school would look like as we came back, and we were all wondering if it was safe. Although Lincoln has done a wonderful job of providing hand sanitizer in classrooms and hallways and for the most part, has kept the soap in stock in the bathrooms, we need more. Many teachers and students at school feel that we need more resources, especially a better way to keep air circulating in classrooms. 

Lincoln High School teachers' main concerns are the air purification in their classrooms.

When asked if they had spent any money on COVID-19 resources, Ramiro Raygosa, a probability and statistics teacher, responded, “I spent my own money on air purifiers, and I’ve approximately spent four hundred dollars.” 

Peer Resources teacher, Morgan Wallace, brings up another big concern. 

“Come January, when it’s really cold out, that's a really big safety issue. Because then I have to choose between having a 50-degree class or having covid safety.” 

The heaters at Lincoln work half the time but are not reliable for the winter months. 

As the weather starts to get colder, opening doors and windows becomes an issue. Teachers should not have to make the choice between cold students and no air circulation. 

For the most part, staff and students have been very good about wearing masks in classes–the hallway is a different story. The school provides masks, but they are thick and very uncomfortable, as well as too large for our faces. Because of this, some of my teachers took it upon themselves to purchase other masks for students to use as needed. 

Studies show that SARS-CoV-2 can stay airborne for up to three hours. If a student in a classroom has COVID and takes their mask off to drink water they contaminate the air. Without proper air circulation, the particles stay in the air, possibly infecting other students or staff members around them. 

With the exception of the first floor, all the bathrooms in the main building are closed during the school day; students end up clustering together in the only available bathroom. Not only is it a safety concern, but it wastes class time to walk two floors looking for an unlocked bathroom. 

California Education Code, Section 35292.5 covers this issue.

“The school shall keep all restrooms open during school hours when pupils are not in classes, and shall keep a sufficient number of restrooms open during school hours when pupils are in classes.”

Lincoln is in violation of this education code unless the restrooms are temporarily closed for repairs. No information has been communicated regarding bathroom repairs and whether or not bathrooms will reopen anytime soon. This leaves us with over 900 female students sharing about 20 bathrooms. The boys’ bathrooms are locked as well, leaving them in the same situation. 

The California Department of education k-12 toilet requirement summary states that there must be one lavatory per 40 students, male and female.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Nicole Chao

It’s that time of the year again where students prepare for one of the most nerve-racking tests they will encounter in their lifetime. The SAT and ACT aren’t something students can ace without studying. They require skilled test-taking knowledge.

The SAT originally stood for the “Scholastic Aptitude Test” and the ACT was known as the “American College Testing”, but the meaning of these acronyms dropped and they no longer use them to describe the tests. The SAT and ACT scores have been argued by some whether they are important or unnecessary and have little significance in a college application. I believe it should be abolished permanently for fairness and for students to get equal chances of getting into universities or colleges.

Standardized testing has been known to be hair-ripping and stressful. Students often panic at the thought of these tests. No other way to prepare exists other than to study the fundamental skills required to ace this test. 

Two main subjects are covered for the SAT, math, and English. The ACT covers four subjects, English, math, reading, and science. The ACT requires more acquired knowledge from what a student previously learned.  This test is shorter, and the time limit is minimized for each subject. It requires students to think quickly with the information already in their minds. While the SAT is longer and tests students on their ability to learn through reading and looking for context clues on the test. Though the two are different, they both help colleges determine the “college readiness” of each student applying.

With COVID-19 still lurking around, the quality of applications could be affected because of distance learning. Grade point average, or GPA, and SAT/ACT scores are being affected the most as a result of this unfamiliar way of learning. Studies show that students taking online courses tend to get lower grades than peers who are learning in person. 

Colleges have been reconsidering the importance of standardized testing. Many schools like the ones in the University of California system have backed out from accepting test scores, which means they are test blind. The University of California website states, “UC will not consider SAT or ACT test scores when making admissions decisions or awarding scholarships. If you choose to submit test scores as part of your application, they may be used as an alternative method of fulfilling minimum requirements for eligibility or for course placement after you enroll.” This means that test scores will only be looked over after enrollment for students to be placed into higher level courses. 

Some schools like Stanford are still test optional for incoming 2021 and 2022 applicants, meaning students can decide whether or not to submit their scores.

Colleges state that test scores are not required because of public health and safety precautions such as the spreading of COVID, but I think scandals of cheating are also contributing to the cancellation of submitting standardized test scores. Unreliable scores can be troublesome to deal with, so colleges would need to think of new ways for students to display their strengths on the application in the meantime. 

As scandals of students cheating their way through admissions arose, colleges have been more cautious about the importance of the standardized test system. In one case, Igor Dvorskiy, a former test administrator, was found guilty of accepting bribes to cheat on the SAT. He allegedly charged $10,000 per student to get all their answers tweaked by Harvard alumni such as Mark Riddell. We can see here that standardized testing lacks reliability and content security. What is shown on the answer sheets of students does not determine their academic performances because factors such as cheating don’t show a student’s ability and work. 

Another factor is consistency. Consistency is key for a student to put out the same results every time they take the tests. For instance, not everyone has good days every day. … Different environmental conditions can affect performance on tests.

The way this system is built is unfair for students who don’t have access to as many resources as other students. Factors that can affect performance on the test include lack of access to testing preparation and attending high schools that don’t offer SAT and ACT readiness courses. 

These standardized tests require test-taking skills and other applied skills more than knowledge gained from school courses because typically, questions on the tests are not specifically taught to students. It isn’t easy to prepare for on a student's behalf. Low-income students have a disadvantage since SAT and ACT preparation courses can cost up to thousands of dollars. 

However, according to a New York Times article on the importance of the SAT, some people still argue to keep the test saying, “Colleges need some sort of broad yardstick to compare students across disparate school districts and states.”

 For large colleges getting rid of the tests would mean revising the whole mechanism for admissions. Decisions made by colleges about whether or not to accept test scores can vary. Abolishing a big factor in the admissions process can be a nuisance, so some colleges decide not to take it out of the application process.

The test doesn’t show as much of a student's academic performance as it should. It doesn’t show a student's achievements beyond school. A student’s application is worth more than just a mere score on their test-taking skills.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Adalia Wani

In the 2007 movie, “Transformers,” starring Shia LeBeouf (as Sam Whitwick) ,and Megan Fox (as Mikaela Banes), there is a very well-known scene where Banes is fixing Whitwicky’s car. Instead of focusing on the car, the camera focuses on Bane’s body. The camera starts with a focus on her long legs, then on to her small shorts, to her hips, to her stomach, to her breasts and finally to her face. The camera moves slowly through Banes’ tan body, with the audience getting a glimpse of each of her body parts. 

Nothing about fixing a car is sexual. But the film sexualized Banes to please the male viewer. This is called the male gaze. The word was first coined by Laura Mulvey a famous writer in 1975. In her groundbreaking essay, “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”, she defines the male gaze as how cinematography sexualizes women on screen for the pleasure of the heterosexual male.

The male gaze objectifies women as sex objects. The gaze displays how a heterosexual man would want a woman to look and act. The gaze reaffirms the patriarchy, as the male writers decide everything about the female character. 

The male gaze can be very harmful to young girls. The gaze presents how women look at themselves and others around them. Young girls might perceive that men want women that act as an accessory to them. It sends the message to young girls that their only existence is to please the man in their life. It lowers the self-worth of being a woman, and degrades a woman as a mere sex object. 

With female directors, writers and artists not getting the opportunity in a male dominated industry, women are often portrayed through the male gaze. Historically, female characters have been written by men, so they write about their assumptions about women. Many of these writers write how they want the female character presented. 

However, the representation of women behind the screens is improving. More female writers and directors are prevalent now. Although most of these women are white, we still need more women of color representation both on and off screen..

With female representation behind screens improving, we as the audience were introduced to a new gaze, the female gaze. Many might assume that the female gaze is the opposite of the male gaze; instead of women getting objectified as sex objects, it’s men. People might point to the movie, “Magic Mike,” as an example of the female gaze because of the sexualization of the male characters and the close-up of their bodies. 

Well, that’s not what the female gaze is at all. The female gaze is from the point of view of a female protagonist, and is targeted towards the female viewer. The female gaze tells women to act feminine, while also being ambitious, independent, innocent and skinny. The gaze does not sexualize the female body. 

A great example of the female gaze is in the 2019 move, “Little Women”. The movie follows the story of four sisters during the late 19th century. Jo March, the main character in the movie, is different from her sisters. Unlike her sisters, she likes to write and doesn’t like materialistic items. March goes out of her way to help others, which we see in many films about female femininity (another way to say the female gaze). The film presents us with a twist, with March ending up with no man and being an independent woman, unlike other adaptations of “Little Women.” Although March is a feminist of her time, she is still portrayed as a young innocent skinny woman. 

In comparison with the male gaze, the female gaze seems like a positive portrayal of women. Well, it’s not. The gaze exclusively features white women. 

Historically, through the eyes of the colonizers, women of color were not seen as actually women. During the period of slavery, black women were seen similar to black men. Movies such as “12 Years a Slave,” point out how black women had to do the same amount of labor as black men. Black women were only considered women for the white man’s sexual pleasure. (They were not seen as the actual women because the idea of true femininity was the Victorian white woman). 

The idea of femininity for a woman has hardly changed. Blond hair, blue eyes and fair-skinned. Recently the idea has spread to include brunette hair, different eye colors and tan-skinned on a white woman. 

The exclusion of women of color from films about female femininity conveys how they’ll never reach the idea of femininity. Women of color are not the definition of femininity and never will be in our white supremacist society. Although women of color have begun to appear more in our media, but not in association with the female gaze.

Female gaze excludes anyone that does not fit into its idea of femininity. The gaze acts like it’s empowering women, but it’s reinforcing the same old societal values on women. The values of requiring to look pretty, have makeup on, perfect hair, skinny and flawless. Most women don’t fit into this and the female gaze. It enforces classism because most women don’t have the time or the money to look perfect all the time. 

Additionally, the male and female gaze excludes trans-women. Trans-women are not seen as “real women”, they’re just men in our society. Both gazes are fat-phobic. Being fat is not desirable or seen as feminine in our society. Both gazes are ageists because a woman is only desirable when she is young, and most people don’t want to be with an old woman, according to our society.

The male and female gaze still hold women to outdated gender stereotypes, and unrealistic standards. The female gaze gaslights women to think it’s empowering them, but instead is a partner of the patriarchy.

Published on 10/28/2021

By Joshua Chew & Daniel Toy

“London” - Kaash Paige

“For Tonight” - Giveon

“Late At Night” - Roddy Ricch

“Calling My Phone” - Lil Tjay

“Tombstone” - Rod Wave

“Coaster” - Khalid

“Drama” - Roy Woods & Drake

“Reminiscing” - Toosii

“No Heart” -YNW Melly

“I Fall Apart” - Post Malone

“Ruthless” - MarMar Oso

“Movie” - Blxst

“Hope” - XXXTENTACION

“Faith” - The Weeknd

“Don’t” - Bryson Tiller

“Old Me” - Daniel Proper-Yates

“Exchange” - Bryson Tiller

“Right My Wrongs” - Bryson Tiller

“Canceled” - Bryson Tiller

“Late Night Feels” - Leo SC

“Moonlight” - Ali Gatie

“Wrong” - Luh Kel

“i hate u, i love u” - Gnash ft. Olivia O’Brien

“wya?” - Wifisfuneral 

“Comfortable” - K Camp

“Chosen 1” - Polo G

“Finer Things” - Polo G

“Can’t Lie” - Ali Gatie

“You Are The Reason” - Calum Scott

“World We Created” - Giveon

“Don’t Need Time” - Hotboii

“If the world was ending” - JP Saxe & Julia Michaels

“Lonely” - Justin Biber & Benny Blanco

“Leave Some Day” - Kevo Muney

“Everytime” - Marmar Oso

“Selfish” - PNB Rock

“Heart on Ice” - Rod Wave

“Missin you crazy” - Russ

“Too Good at Goodbyes” -Sam Smith

“Remember” - Leo SC

“Without You” - The KidLaroi