By Quincy Fulton

It’s an early morning with wind that feels like a dust storm slapping across your cheek. The darkness from the lively night is only just beginning to fade. You lean your head out into the street in anticipation of seeing the yellow lights of the bus slicing through the fog, but alas, nothing comes. Rocking back and forth on the balls of your feet, you remember you have a group project due first period. Delay after delay alerts until the birds are chirping and the sun is shining, and you’re left wondering, where the hell is this bus?

This is the reality Bay Area students may have to face if the SFMTA budget crisis continues. With loans consistently running out and deficits looming, transport officials are preparing to take drastic measures. Efforts like cutting bus lines, reducing frequencies of BART and MUNI trains to once per hour, and firing sanitation workers are all potential options for debate.

Since the 2020 pandemic, MUNI has been relying heavily on preserving government loans, struggling to finally carve out a source of legitimate funding. Although ridership has been increasing, paid ridership has only peaked at 75 percent of its pre-pandemic levels, and loans are running dry, inciting economic panic and noticeable drops in service and repairs. 

Recently, California Governor Gavin Newsom approved a $750 million dollar public transit relief loan, set to run out in 2027, continuing the nail biting cycle. 

However, all hope is not lost: a parcel tax, poised to appear on ballots in the next election, is set to raise one billion dollars annually for necessary transportation infrastructure, but the consequences of its failure could be heart wrenching.

Aaron Liefer, the head chair of the SFMTA Citizens Advisory Council and representative of the Castro and Noe Valley District 8 comments on the potential turmoil: “If the parcel tax doesn’t pass, then the cuts are going to be dire. I mean, we’re looking at maybe losing 20% of all MUNI rides.” 

SFMTA is pinching pennies and squeezing revenue out of any place they can. Already, parking meters have raised their prices by as much as double in some districts due to the shrinking number of cars parked in garages. There were changes to five bus lines on weekdays, including the 5 Fulton, the 9 San Bruno, and the 31 Balboa. The 6 Haight-Parnassus route was also completely combined with the route of the 21 Hayes everyday. 

MUNI researched extensively on which buses were most crucial to commuters by posing surveys and creating public outreach events, including a youth advisory event, but the cuts still feel overwhelming for many.

The effect on students, besides the obvious, could be even more pitiful.

 Liefer commented pensively, “I think the pain would be felt pretty much all over the place. We’d probably see a lot more crowding. I know a lot of students, for example, ride the 28 bus, and that would probably get a whole lot worse.” 

Abraham Lincoln junior and persistent bus rider Samuel Pemberton comments “Everyone I know takes MUNI everywhere. [If buses were cut to once per hour] the crowding would get so uncomfortable. I wouldn’t be able to get around.”

On recent service changes, Pemberton notes “I get to the bus stop and it has just left, and the delays never end.”

Uncertainty is palpable in student circles around MUNI’s free rides for youth, too. Nothing is off the table, but would SFMTA cut the equitable program, only recently established in 2021, extending free rides to those under 19? Students aren’t ready to see that reality. 

Pemberton and other students alike utilize this program daily as their main mode of transportation, and, further emphasizing the outrage, junior Gloria Moran states, with others echoing, “I wouldn’t pay.”

Where it is clear MUNI needs money, it’s just as crystal that students need MUNI, especially to get to school. A San Francisco without MUNI is unimaginable, and the SFMTA is an integral part of its most vulnerable citizens’ lives. With so many young commuters coming and going routinely, cuts and deficits feel prominent in the lives of autonomous young adults. The fate of the beloved San Francisco transportation is still in the hands of the state and the SFMTA, for now, until ballots come out.

By Phoebe Seigel

When the news broke last spring that the entirety of Lincoln’s former administrative team, headed by Shari Balisi, was leaving, many had worries about the direction of one of San Francisco's most populous public high schools. Stepping in to fill the empty role is Marisol Arkin, and one of her assistant principals, Jen Fried. Both administrators have big ideas and goals for Lincoln this year. 

Arkin resides at school in an office full of fidget toys, with comfy chairs and an open-door policy. 

“If my door’s open,” says Arkin, “that means anyone can come in and chat.”

 This policy highlights a critical way in which Arkin plans to lead Lincoln through this year and beyond. She describes her leadership style as collaborative–she wants to hear other people’s perspectives, and is open to disagreements. 

“I think disagreements are healthy. I don’t look at it as somebody being disrespectful, or a threat,” she says. 

This year, Arkin’s main priority is to work with and listen to Lincoln staff, as a way to indirectly help students. 

“I feel like if staff feel respected and trusted, then they’ll do the best they can for students,” she says.

 She truly emphasizes the importance of building a trustworthy environment, hence her beliefs on disagreements and having an open door. Arkin wants people to feel that she actually wants what’s best for them and wants to create a school community where everyone is learning, happy, and has opportunities beyond high school. That’s her goal. 

Lincoln is not a school out of Arkin’s comfort zone–she’s worked at large high schools for 15 out of her 16 years as an administrator. Last year, Arkin was the principal at James Lick Middle School, and while she enjoyed her time there, she missed the conversations she would have with high school students. 

“One of the things I love about teaching high school students is, like, you can really have a lot of conversations about the future and just what are their plans and trying to figure out, like, your ‘why?’, and those kinds of things are really fun.” 

Jen Fried, one of Lincoln’s new assistant principals, shares a similar sentiment. Having worked alongside Arkin at James Lick last year, Fried is enjoying this shift to high school administration.

“I am really enjoying being with high school students and the conversations I’m having with them.” 

This is Fried’s third year as an administrator. Having previously been a teacher, Fried compares working in the classroom to nurturing a garden: you get to create a space of your own, where you get to work closely with students. Administration, she says, is a huge shift away from this garden. 

“All of a sudden you go to working much more with adults, and you’re sort of like the teacher of the adults on campus, supporting their learning, and it’s just a big shift,” she admits. 

She also laments that the scope of her responsibilities as administrator widens– instead of just worrying about a classroom full of students, she’s worrying about a whole school of them. Now, she says, she’s forced to think about a school event, like Fall Fest, from a larger perspective, having to do things like letting teachers and the attendance office know which students are getting out early, and notifying security of the event to ensure everything goes smoothly. 

Fall Fest, and other events like it, play into an important aspect of Fried’s job at Lincoln. Fried is focused on working with clubs and ASB, and has been working closely with Grant Wong, the new ASB instructor. Admitting she was never really involved in clubs as a high schooler herself, Fried has been excited to dive into this new position. 

“It’s been really fun to just see how many students are involved on campus and the large number of clubs there are, and how it feels like there really is something for every student.”

On this note, one of Fried’s main goals for this year is to get every Lincoln student involved with an activity that allows them to feel connected to the school community, as a way to ease the trials and tribulations of high school.

“It really helps with some of the challenges people go through in high school when they have a space where they feel like they belong, and they have a group of friends that they feel like they’re doing something positive with,” she says. 

Despite the positive outlook Fried and Arkin have for this school year, welcoming a new administration has not been without challenges for both students and staff. Wong, the new Associated Student Body coordinator, has faced this adjustment firsthand, admitting that it has been somewhat difficult to work with Fried to coordinate between clubs and sponsors in a way that ensures everyone feels like their voice is being heard.

“It is a challenge for us this year, as the way things were before are being changed,” says Wong. 

Still, Wong emphasizes the importance of being adaptable and able to adjust to the new changes, like new bathroom passes and rules about handling money at events like club fair, being made at Lincoln. Joyce Ye, senior class president, feels similarly. 

Though she recognizes that having an entirely new administrative team is a huge change that Lincoln students and staff have to adapt to, she can understand where the administration is coming from, and encourages students to empathize with them. 

“They’re doing their best,” says Ye.

By Martin Situ

Over the past three years that archery has existed as a part of San Francisco’s JROTC program, Abraham Lincoln High School has swept the competition, dominating by placing first all three years.

Starting this school year, JROTC archery will be held throughout the fall semester and into the beginning of the spring semester.  In place of a single competition in January, the SFUSD JROTC Brigade has created an archery league, splitting San Francisco into a North and South division.

The North division consists of Abraham Lincoln High School, George Washington High School, and Galileo High School.  The South division consists of Lowell High School, Balboa High School, and Mission High School.

Starting October 15th, teams will compete against one another every Wednesday until November 26th, when the winners of the North and South divisions face off.  However, more is at stake than just being archery champion of San Francisco; the winner will be given the opportunity to compete at the JROTC National Archery Championship on May 14th and 15th at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

These changes did not come without discord.

This school year’s archery commander, Michelle Ye, expresses some frustration with this new change, stating, “This year was very rushed compared to previous years where we had months to prepare.”  

The team's second-in-command, Christine Kang, indicated similar annoyances with the archery league, feeling like the team is in a tricky spot.  

“The fault is on the schedule of the league, and the dates came out quite suddenly, which surprised me.”

However, this year is not all bad. 

Kang is in awe of the team's growth, stating, “There [are] much more people than the last two school years. I'm glad to see that there's a lot more people interested this year.”

Lincoln’s archery team continues to practice after school on Monday and Tuesday from 4-6 p.m., and on Wednesday mornings as they hope to continue their dominance.

By Sylvia Liu

This school year, six schools’ physical education (PE) uniform policy was changed. Full uniforms were reinstated after a survey sent out by the district asking students what they wanted. It was released last semester, during the 2024-2025 school year, for students to fill out. The PE uniforms that were given out after COVID were only a T-shirt, but now they include a sweatpant, shorts, sweatshirt, and a T-shirt. ​This policy benefits the teachers.

  Last year, before full uniforms were given out at Lincoln High School, Coach Phillip Ferrigno stated, “People who were not involved with PE that were around school were going around and just hopping into our classes.” 

That has since decreased; the uniforms give a clear distinction between those in the class and those who are not. In the class, the new passports this year also helped cut down on people skipping class.

Another benefit Coach Phillip Ferrigno mentioned was that uniforms encourage hygiene and enable students to exercise without getting their own clothes dirty. 

Accessible uniforms stand as a way for students to be able to feel comfortable while exercising. It also provides a way for students to safely exercise. 

Coach Vince Tang, a PE teacher, expressed “I hope they will be able to provide future classes with the same uniform.” 

It has been around two months since school started, and the feedback on the uniforms has been positive. 

Lukas Rogers, a freshman at Lincoln, stated, “Even though the sizing of the uniforms is weird and I need to take them home every week to wash them, the uniforms aren't that bad. At least I am not sweaty in my normal clothes.”

The uniforms are helpful to the teachers and students; opinions aren’t all in unison. The uniforms benefit many, but some view them as an extra step in their day.  There are many circulating thoughts around having uniforms in school. A Freshman, Jackson Canoon, stated, “I think the uniforms are nice, but they don't benefit me much since I already bring the right clothes to PE.” The uniforms seem to be appreciated by students though yet it doesn’t seem to be useful since they bring clothes fitted for PE. 

By Abigail Park

After a month of online public outreach, Charlie Yang, NGSS Physics and AP Physics teacher, raised $547 by September 19th, 2025. For the 2025-2026 school year, over $100 million was cut from the San Francisco Unified School District budget, heavily impacting the Abraham Lincoln High School science department since they regularly require consumable resources for lab experiments like dissections and circuit-building. The exact amount cut from Lincoln’s science department cannot be disclosed, but is large enough for teachers to seek outside funding.

“Science is an expensive subject to teach,” said Dawn Rege, the head of the science department, “and we want to make sure that our students have hands-on learning experiences in class.”

Supervised by Rege, the science department continuously seeks outside grants through resources like the Parent Teacher Student Association, Synopsis, and the Gates Foundation to upkeep the annual $30,000 cost of science class materials. 

Since Yang lacked the funding to provide proper materials for students to maximize the depth of their physics engagement, such as whiteboard stands, calculators, and even a new pendulum, he initiated his own fundraiser through the DonorsChoose website. 

DonorsChoose allows people from anywhere in the world to contribute money to teachers in need of new classroom tools. Yang hopes his efforts, with support from friends, family, coworkers, and strangers, will foster genuine collaboration and effective learning among students, despite his cramped classroom environment.

“By having the whiteboard stands, it’s a lot easier for people to look at other people’s ideas and learn from them without having to walk over,” Yang stated. “It’s a lot more natural that way.”

Not only is Yang looking forward to promoting a more welcoming and engaging space for his own students; he is also excited to share his soon-to-arrive whiteboard stands, calculators, test dividers, and worksheets with his neighboring science teachers’ classes. 

Former AP Physics student Hayden Young agrees with NGSS Physics student Yasmine El Hattab. She states, “Higher quality and greater amounts of supplies to support our large class would have enhanced our learning experience.”

Despite ongoing challenges, Yang and all science teachers continue to find new opportunities, with goals of improving learning experiences for all students. NGSS Biology teacher Mark Lau is currently raising $4,566 for chemically-resistant tables through DonorsChoose for safe, hands-on learning.

“The funding is a larger picture than just our school’s science department,” said Rege, “but we [Lincoln science teachers] always make sure we have additional funds.”

By Zoe Hong

In 2025, Lincoln welcomed a new administration team including Principal Marisol Arkin, Assistant principal Jen Fried, and the now Associated Student Body coordinating director, Grant Wong, to take on the challenge of managing Lincoln's 80 plus clubs. This new leadership has implemented new rules they hope will ensure the safety of all students, improve communication, and organize Lincoln into a safer community. 

As of this year, club communication will be facilitated through the adult club sponsors rather than club presidents. Money should now be watched by and turned into the accountant by the club sponsors. Clubs are no longer permitted to sell food during school hours, and administration will do rounds on clubs during lunch to ensure that every club is running safely and smoothly.

According to Wong, “The idea is centralized communication. Leadership can still run through students, but teachers should be there to scribe decisions and communicate them back to ASB.”

The administration expressed that student safety is their number one priority. By relying on club sponsors to take a more active role in overseeing their club, administrators hope not to diminish student leadership opportunities of running a club, but to allow for a safer campus. Arkin envisions that students will still be able to count money, manage spreadsheets, and make financial decisions, now under the supervision of their sponsor. 

For clubs with a part time teacher as a sponsor, such as the Gay Straight Alliance, administration encourages communication with the main office and assures the idea is not to be punitive if clubs find issue with the new rules. 

The organizational efforts of Lincoln's new administration team have not only manifested in a new email chains with club sponsors, but also in the work of ASB drawing out table numbers during club events so clubs now know where to set up during events.

Club events are now essential as the new administration says clubs are no longer permitted to sell during lunch as to not compete with the cafeteria during breakfast or lunch.

According to the  2019 SFUSD Nutritional Guidelines, the last time there was major updates to what foods were banned , "[Competitive foods] cannot be served or sold at the same time as federally funded meal programs.”

Students are allowed to sell homemade food that was not prepared at school during these events to further ensure the safety of the students.
“They don't want [...] [the] potential [to] cut your finger, all that kind of stuff.” says Arkin

To subsidize club incomes, administration encourages kids to fundraise outside of school hours safely.

Administration also revealed during a club sponsor meeting they will be going around when they can to ensure all clubs are running smoothly and to limit clubs with no members that effectively don’t meet.
“Clubs are meant to be fun and interesting and a good time,” says Arkin.

With over 80 clubs in Lincoln, administration expressed concern that some clubs were registered but didn’t meet, which makes coordinating with these clubs much harder for events such as Fall Fest. These club check-ins are not to actively cut clubs, but to make sure clubs are safe, collaborative, and purposeful. 

With the implementation of these new rules, administration hopes to improve the welfare of all students and work together with clubs to create a safer school environment.

By Sophie Ng

On September 23rd, visitors of the JROTC student store were greeted by a notice: “JROTC Store will be [closed] permanently after today [...] Today is the last day we are open. Thank you!”

The JROTC student store has been known for selling food, snacks, and beverages during lunch in the JROTC room to fund the program’s endeavors – a practice that extends back to the 1990s. 

However, the California Code of Regulations states, “Competitive food sales (fundraisers, student stores, vending machines) cannot operate in conflict with the school food program.”

While this rule was not previously enforced, the new administration has been taking measures to ensure Lincoln follows district policy. JROTC was notified on September 23rd that SFUSD policy forbids the sale of prepared foods and the sale of food during lunch. Cadets attempted to continue selling packaged goods and confections before and after school, but later learned selling before school was also prohibited since the cafeteria serves breakfast in the morning. 

“The JROTC store has been the backbone of our funding, [so] we’re definitely scrambling,” states Abigail Park, Cadet Lieutenant Colonel. 

The JROTC student store has been fundamental in financing not only Lincoln events, but supporting other schools’ JROTC programs. Lincoln is a part of the San Francisco JROTC Brigade, a district-wide organization consisting of seven public schools in the city. The Brigade offers leadership opportunities for cadets and promotes competitions between the schools. 

“We’re one of the more well-off programs. We give money to the Brigade to help support other schools. Without the other schools’ programs, there [would be] less competitive spirit among the cadets,” Park elaborates.

Aidan Bolosan, JROTC’s Operations Officer, adds that the student store gave cadets work opportunities. The program’s Finance and Accounting department previously ran the store and cadets gained hands-on experience managing the sale of goods and money.

“[Closing the store] takes away their opportunity to teach [...] cadets financial management and learn as leaders. It taps into a career-technical [aspect],” Bolosan argues.

The issue of personal taste and convenience for students has also been brought up. Due to Lincoln’s geographical location, most off-campus food spots require students to travel up and down hills.

“A lot of students don’t like cafeteria food [...], so they end up going hungry. Their alternative is to get food from the JROTC store. It’s better to eat something than nothing,” Park says. “It’s a lot safer than going down to Taraval and decreases [the] chance of tardiness.” 

Traffic to the JROTC room has also slowed down. 

“There’s less people now,” Bolosan adds. “[In the past], I’d see cadets and non-cadets alike sitting at the same table, talking about their day, socializing, [and] sharing a meal. The JROTC room was a place for students to meet and for communities to form and grow.”

A petition to reopen the store is currently in the works. JROTC plans on hosting it physically, available for all Lincoln students to sign. The petition is expected to begin circulating late October.

By Ariana Lopez

The new administration created  bathroom policies at the start of the school year to keep students safe by having adult supervision around the bathrooms. Students have to carry a blue passport around with them. The bathrooms often remain locked, especially the new building, and  first floor bathrooms. The bathrooms are in bad conditions most of the time, with floods everywhere, dirty mirrors, clogged toilets, and no toilet paper.

  Bathrooms being locked has been an ongoing issue since last year, causing students  to go all over the school just to look for an open bathroom. This has resulted in students arriving tardy to class. According to a sample of the student body, an anonymous Lincoln freshman stated that an issue they had faced is “missing learning time to try and find an open bathroom.” 

Students miss a huge chunk of their  lessons because they need to go across the school just to go to the bathroom.  Students as well have complained about the state that the bathrooms are found. 

Cerise Hui, junior at Lincoln High school said “There is a long wait in the girl’s bathroom due to numerous people clogging the stalls, and some stalls are out of order or have doors that are broken.” Bathroom malfunction increases the bathroom policy frustration by having less bathrooms available. 

Isabel Corona who is a Junior stated in the survey “I feel like it negatively affects people because it makes other people, including me, late to class” Most of the time the bathrooms are low on supplies—for example,  no toilet paper, and no soap; either soap dispensers are empty or there is no soap dispenser. Isabel states “Sometimes there would be no toilet paper in the bathroom stalls for days.”

This year the admins have added a blue passport as a hallway pass. The blue passport is a sign-out sheet that kids have to carry with them around the hallways as a pass. Teachers have to sign these sheets for students and students have to write what class they are leaving, where they are going, the time they are leaving, and the time they come back. As a general opinion students consider the blue passport pointless. “It's not enforced by security so it's pointless. [They are] a waste of paper and taxpayer dollars”stated Aidan Bolosan, a senior at Lincoln. 

Mina Reyes, who is also a senior, said “ I think it's a waste of paper and it’s useless. Most kids leave class to use the bathroom or get water, so I think it is a hassle to go through this whole process just to leave class.”

The purpose of the new bathroom policies is to keep students safe. Bathrooms that remain unlocked are bathrooms with adult supervision, including the first floor main office, second floor main building, and first floor new building.  

Ms. Fried, the assistant principal, reported “Students have shared that there is stuff going around in the bathroom like graffiti and peer conflict like people talking smack…overall, the purpose is wanting adult supervision in the bathrooms to keep everyone safe.” The first and and second floor bathrooms in the main building are the bathrooms that will remain open—however, Ms.Fried said “If second and first floor bathrooms are not open, it is because of maintenance, and if that happens, let the adults know so we can open the bathrooms or identify another bathroom to open.”

Although adding the new policies did not make much of a difference, the assistant principle said “Students feel some adult presence, and if they don’t, they know that there are adults nearby who can help them.

Ella Lal

On April 12th, the air around the Sunset Dunes park was buzzing with excitement. The Sunset Dunes, previously the Great Highway, was officially open. The opening entertainment was complete with a ribbon cutting ceremony, live music, and an ecstatic crowd ready to enjoy the park. 

The goal of this new public space is to accommodate the needs of visitors with a variety of activities and amenities.These visitors include  old couples taking their daily walk, parents teaching their kids to ride their bikes, or joggers exercising. 

There are plenty of sitting areas dotting the path, and near Taraval street  are the frequently-in-use hammocks. Near where the park connects to Sloat street are the skaters and bikers—both young and old—performing tricks on the public ramps. On Taraval, Noriega, and Judah there are public bathrooms and water fountains. Beneath the feet of patrons there are colorful artworks decorating the path. The most unique feature of the park is the stunning view of the ocean. 

The city has made efforts for accessibility, with entrances to the beach on every street connection including ramps. 

For some residents, the closure of the Great Highway has been a positive experience, like Yasmine El Hattab, who lives only 2 blocks away from the Sunset Dunes. 

Ms. El Hattab stated “I think it’s fun, I like seeing other people on the [closed] Great highway,” she continues, “I think there’s more people there—people bring their kids more, plus there’s more to do there now.”

Although the new park is gaining a lot of traction and popularity, some people in the Sunset district are not happy about this new development. So much so that district residents are pushing their representative to be recalled. 

On September 16th,, residents of District 4 sat anxiously waiting for the votes of Proposition A to be counted. Proposition A would recall Joel Engardio from his seat serving as the Representative of District 4 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors is a legislative branch of San Francisco consisting of eleven members, each member representing one of the citys districts. 

Engardio was elected on November 8th, 2022, and he was supposed to serve a full four years until the next scheduled election took place on November 3rd, 2026. 

 However, his term was ultimately cut short due to 13,332 people—more than 60% of District 4—voting yes on Prop A. The recall started with a petition requiring at least 9,911 signatures from San Francisco residents to be submitted. The petition was submitted to the Department of Elections on May 22nd, 2025 with 10,523 valid signatures and was then certified by the Department of Elections on May 29th, 2025. 

In the months leading up to the recall, on any block in the Sunset district,  a myriad of signs posted in the windows of homes and businesses plainly declaring “Recall Engardio” could be seen. 

Supporters of the recall claim that Engardio promised to keep the Great Highway Compromise, but then later changed his mind and put Prop K on the ballot. Recall supporters argue that Engardio should’ve consulted with his community before putting Prop K on the ballot. However, on December 6th, 2022, Engardio stated on Twitter,affirming his support for the permanent closure of the Great Highway, “My husband and I enjoy the Great Highway most as a park. It’s good that the city supervisors will let it be a park on the weekends until 2025. I believe the future is a permanent oceanside park.” 

The compromise would have kept the highway open on the weekdays and closed it on the weekends to be used as a park. Prop K permanently closed The Great Highway and converted it into a park, now referred to as Sunset Dunes. Residents of District 4 were against the closing of the Great Highway because they felt that there would be an increase in commuting times. Many residents complained that the closure of the Great Highway added about five extra minutes to their morning commutes. According to SFMTA's Spring 2025 Outer Sunset Traffic Data Report, Sunset Boulevard saw a 28% increase in average daily traffic. Lincoln Way had no increase in traffic post Great Highway Closure. Sloat Boulevard saw a 38% increase in average daily traffic.

The debate about the opening of the Sunset dunes is quite intense. It’s easy to see why many commuters are upset with its opening. However, many see the recall of Engardio to be unwarranted and a step too far. 

By Mikayla Chew

Five thousand miles away from their hometown, a group of rising seniors all across the U.S.  are traveling on an 11 day international experience, dedicating themselves to volunteering in communities through a program called Global Glimpse. 

Global Glimpse is a nonprofit organization founded by Eliza Pesuit in 2008, that centers around an 11 day international travel experience and leadership opportunity for rising seniors through partnerships with various high schools across the U.S. Participating countries include Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Costa Rica. 

Initially, Global Glimpse reached out to Lincoln High School back in 2008 when the program was just getting started. Leon Sultan, the U.S. History and Advanced Placement Human Geography teacher, explains that he was part of the first group to partake in the program with twenty-one other Lincoln students along with other Bay Area schools traveling during the summer of 2009 to the only participating country, Nicaragua. 

Sultan emphasizes how the program aims to expand students' horizons and travel with a purpose. He also expresses how the program has grown from such a small organization, traveling to one country on one trip to now students being able to explore multiple countries with multiple trips that fit their schedule.

Ian Enriquez, ALHS counselor, shares that he also attended Global Glimpse for a two week trip to Nicaragua. He has been the Global Glimpse coordinator for the past fifteen years. 

“I feel like I grew as a person, and, seeing how important that was, I didn’t want the program to disappear from Lincoln,” Enriquez states.  

Enriquez consistently encourages other teachers and staff of ALHS to experience Global Glimpse. This year, Olga Camacho, ALHS’ athletic director was able to participate in the trip to Panama, specifically the city of Chitre in early August. Camacho went on a Global Glimpse trip two years ago, traveling to the Dominican Republic as a leader with Burton High School. 

Camacho describes her trip as being very organized with a planned-out itinerary from the very start of the trip. Other than how organized and efficient Global Glimpse makes the experience, she expresses how her experience allowed her to be more grateful for what she has. 

“When you go there and you see people that don’t have their basic needs met, and they’re still happy and [are] appreciative for what they have,” states Camacho. 

Camacho also mentions how her experience was memorable, being able to travel to a new country and meet the locals there. She expresses her interest in sharing this experience with more students because it puts life into a different perspective. 

Kyra Cheung, currently a senior at ALHS and a participant of the Panama Global Glimpse trip, shares that her experience with the program has taught her to be more appreciative of the opportunities she’s received and be open to trying new activities. 

“I think I also learned to be super independent. This was a trip where I wasn’t with my mom and there were more students than adults, so I had to learn how to care for myself in a foreign country.”

Cheung also describes that she felt homesick at first, but the other students on her trip grew such a strong bond over the course of eleven days that it made the trip more special and memorable. 

“An impactful moment was really getting to know the people in the local communities. It really gave me a perspective on different cultures,” Chueng noted. 

Another senior at ALHS, Jack Simon, also participated in the Panama trip. Simon recounts his trip to be very fun and adventurous being able to get to know the area. He also adds that the trip allowed him to take more risks and challenge himself in different social environments. 

Simon explains that Global Glimpse helped him develop more leadership skills and an outgoing personality. From his memorable experience, he recounts, “becoming really close with two of [his] roommates who I don’t think I would have made an effort to get to know in a normal school environment.”

Gina Jackson, a senior, had the experience of going to Costa Rica. Jackson describes her experience as having helped her gain another perspective of the world and herself. She also shares how she was able to make long lasting friendships, and that she often still keeps in touch with __. 

Jackson also adds, “It was a once in a lifetime experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Lastly, Anya Golden, a senior at ALHS traveled to the Dominican Republic in the summer. She describes an impactful memory of being in a smaller village helping out families by doing chores around their homes. Golden recounts a favorite memory of hers was being shown around the village by the kids, seeing the sights people wouldn’t know as a tourist. 

“They were super excited to show us around. And they were just extremely gracious and humble…even though they didn’t have as much,” Golden explained. 

The process of being an applicant includes students getting recommended by the school teachers then being sent an email application from Global Glimpse. The application requires short-answer questions that are reviewed by other partnering school teachers, along with financial documents that help determine how much of a scholarship the applicant receives. The deadline for Global Glimpse applications is usually some time in November. Once admitted, students are assigned to a country and enrolled into an hour-long monthly workshop starting from the spring semester that prepares them for their summer trip.

Based on the student’s experiences, the majority would recommend Global Glimpse. They emphasize that there is no better opportunity to travel to a new country as a high school student than through Global Glimpse. Many add that even though some may have doubts and are considering doing Global Glimpse, students should take the leap and go for it since they believe everyone can get something out of the Global Glimpse program.

“Take the jump and get on that plane because that was honestly one of the best things I’ve ever done,” Cheung states. 

By Michael Lai

For the ninth year since 2016, Lincoln alumni threw a car show fundraiser to raise money for Lincoln students. 

On September 27th, dozens of alumni and community members came to Abraham Lincoln High School’s black top for the car show, attendees showcased their classic cars, muscle builds, and restorations and reflecting on decades of automotive passion. Old friends bonded, while new friendships formed through a shared love for cars.

For $35 per entry and with dozens of cars, all will go towards scholarships for seniors interested in the automotive industry.. Bill Mustanich, the president of the Lincoln Alumni Car Show, also awards scholarships to graduating students annually.

For nine years straight, the car show has become a tradition and a fun event to start off the school year. A quick boost of funding for the start of the year is a staple of the Lincoln PTSA and alumni community. Looking forward, he hopes the car show can hit a new record of 100 cars. Mustanich says that the purpose of the event is to give back to the school while keeping the community connected.

“Every year we want to make sure students feel the support of the alumni,” Mustanich says. “This event keeps the Lincoln community together while raising funds that go right back to the school.”

He states that it is the community of people that makes each car show unique and fun. The heart of the car show is to connect people.

“Human connection is the best connection,” Mustanich said. “People will tell you to follow your dreams and passions, I tell kids, look at your talents. Look within you. What are you good at? Follow that.”

Paul Gruch, Lincoln alumnus class of ‘61, has come to the car show for many years. His recurrence to the event reflects the long-standing tradition of it. He also shared some guidance for students.

“Don’t do something stupid just because it’s popular. Popular doesn’t mean right. Try to find out what you want to do, not what society says you should be doing,” he said.

With cars of all ranges, the Lincoln Car Show continues to be an event celebrating the love of cars and community spirit. As the car show continues on, it remains a reminder of how shared passion and community support can make  a lasting impact on the Lincoln community.

By Camille Chew

Kids–some barely tall enough to reach the table in front of them–run their hands through crinkled paper, searching for plastic gold coins. On the other side of the room, another group of kids gently drag brushes along papers, tracing intricate Chinese characters. A sign outside the room reads, “Our Local Asian History.”

This is a look into the Asian Unification Project, one of the many recently formed student-led non-profit organizations. The goal of this event is to teach children and their families about calligraphy, the California Gold Rush, and most importantly, the history of Asians within America. 

“It makes me feel great because I’ve always wanted to do something that gives back to the community, and I always hoped that there [would be] something like [these events] for me when I was younger,” says Jess Martinez, Lincoln Junior and co-founder of the Asian Unification Project. 

Martinez and her fellow co-founder, Anna Lao, were not initially very invested in their American Popular Culture class at CCSF, but were pulled in when the class began to dive deep into Asian American history. Through this class, they discovered their interest in spreading knowledge on Asian history and started the Asian Unification Project.

Nicole He, co-founder and president of Care Craft Collective, a student-led non-profit focused on providing children with chronic illnesses or other conditions support, is similarly driven by her own experiences. 

“For me, it’s especially meaningful because I was inspired by my own experiences with chronic health conditions. I know how much compassion and support can mean during hard times,” He remarks. 

Through Care Craft Collective, He and the organization’s growing team have held multiple fundraisers, educated the community on various diseases, and shared the stories of the children they support. 

He believes that although many student-led non-profits are small, together they not only make a valuable impact, but also show the growing passion of young people towards creating positive impact in their communities. Starting a non-profit is a gateway for these students to make the changes they want to see.

But not everybody in student-led non-profit organizations participates for the same reason.

“As a leader of [the Asian Unification Project] I’ve noticed that a lot of [members] are just doing it for [their resume],” claims Martinez.

Many students have noticed this trend as well, with some even going so far as to call it “performative”, or an act simply to appeal to colleges.

“I think most of us, if not all of us, wouldn’t be as motivated if college wasn’t a factor,” Nellie Fouksman, executive of Better Youth Futures, a student-led non-profit organization that provides grants to other student-led organizations, states. 

Charles Lin, Lincoln AP U.S. History and ethnic studies teacher, shared a more unique opinion, instead being concerned about students’ workloads. While Lin believes starting a non-profit as a student provides valuable experiences, he also believes high schoolers may be spreading themselves too thin.

Members of student-led non-profit, especially founders, often must juggle fundraising, outreach, in-person events, and a social media page–before even considering the workload they receive from school.

Although students share differing reasons for joining and founding non-profits, there is no denying the tenacity of all the students involved and the impact of student-led non-profits.

By Kevin Hu

Late into the 2024-2025 school year, the previous administration made some controversial decisions that led to massive changes for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond.

According to Valerie Ziegler, 18-year veteran for the Teacher Academy, four teachers were involved in the program. Since the changes, Chloe Bair has taken over as lead of the Teacher Academy, and is the teacher for every grade level.

In addition to staff changes, there is now an additional tenth grade class, meaning the program now hosts two 10th grade classes, one 11th grade class, and one 12th grade class. This poses an issue for the 2026-2027 school year when tenth grade students transition to eleventh grade. 

“I might have to conduct student interviews […] and cut some students,” Bair remarks. 

Despite budget constraints, Bair plans to expand the Teacher Academy’s internship program to include both elementary and middle schools in order to help ease the space limitation. She confirms that she has been in contact with Lawton Alternative School and A.P. Giannini Middle School, and has been trying to contact Hoover Middle School. Having three additional school sites may allow Bair to decide against cutting students from the program.

However, many parts of the program stayed intact. Lincoln still has a partnership with Dianne Feinstein Elementary, Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary, Sunset Elementary, and Ulloa Elementary. 

Additionally, the core classes of the Teacher Academy (Intro to Education; Child Development Honors; and Child, Family, and Community Honors) are still being taught.

Although these changes are contentious, time will tell if these modification will be more helpful or harmful to the Teacher Academy. 

“I was disappointed in the way it turned out since I loved being part of TA,” Ziegler says. “[But] sometimes change comes at us and can be a good thing.”

By Xavier Malizia

Coach Phillip Ferrigno headed the Abraham Lincoln Mustangs Football team for over two decades, leading the team to ten championships. After last season, the legendary coach made the difficult decision to step down from his coaching position due to health issues, handing the torch to 23 year-old Lincoln alum Jojo Serrano. Serrano will be the youngest coach in the city. 

Serrano was on Lincoln’s first ever state championship-winning team in 2018, playing outside linebacker and defensive tackle. Now, he is standing on the sidelines as the head coach, dreaming of winning the same title.

To Serrano, Lincoln football means everything. Standing across from me in the boys locker room, he reflected on the years of hard work spent on the Lincoln football field.  

“I grew a family here,” said Jojo, reflecting on the years of sweat and hard work spent on the Abraham Lincoln football field.

Both of Serrano’s parents help him coach. His dad, Rudy Serrano, coaches the Junior Varsity team, and his mom, Belinda Serrano, helps at most games and practices. 

Jojo got the head coaching job when the position opened up after last season, and inherited a program that was entirely shaped by Ferrigno. 

Compared to the other sports he has coached, such as baseball, Jojo laments that it is much harder to head the football team, with more responsibility placed on his shoulders. 

Jojo says, “living up to the legacy that Coach Ferrigno left,” will be the biggest challenge he will face in this new position. 

He is expecting to face issues with his little experience in this new position, worrying that he won't be taken seriously by the older coaches that make up the rest of the league. He hopes to overcome these challenges by trusting his own coaching as well as what he's learned from past coaches and experiences. 

In March of 2024, Ferrigno suffered from a heart failure and personal issues, prompting the veteran coach to step down from football. He keeps his job as head of the physical education department. 

Ferrigno is attempting to find peace in his first fall since high school not involved in football. Ferrigno’s office is littered with footballs, jerseys, and pictures dating back to his time on the field with his brothers, showing his dedication and love for the sport.

“I’ve been around football all my life,” said Ferrigno, “It’s the only thing I know.”

Ferrigno says that the biggest challenge Jojo will face in his first year is “Reading the room with his team, seeing how [the players] react.” 

 He says that Jojo is always welcome to call him, but that he's trying to stay out of Jojo’s way, space he wished was given in the youth of his career. 

“I’m trying to be hands off,” Ferrigno told me “I don't want to be one of those guys looking over his shoulder.”

The legacy that Ferrigno left will be no easy feat to follow, but with help from players, the former coach, and a strong footing, Jojo has a lot on his side.

The organization is different for the players, too. Varsity quarterback Brian Luong says that the culture is much more modern under Jojo. 

“He respects the players,” said Luong. "He's taking a lot of insight from the players, and he's growing with us.”

Luong also stated that Jojo fights for the players in a way that will benefit the team. Compared to lots of cuts under Ferrigno, Jojo keeps more players on the team, working with them to earn a spot.

Jojo plans to lead his Mustangs back to the pinnacle of SFUSD football. He said his goal is to bring Lincoln back to not only the league champions, but the best football team in the city. 

“I want to be [at] the top,” said Jojo

By Kevine Liang

An epidemic disease, senioritis, puts seniors in high school higher at risk for the following symptoms: lack of motivation, absences, burnout, and lower grades. If you start experiencing these symptoms, please contact Wellness and get the Set Goals vaccine. 

As Lincoln seniors finish their second month of the school year, college applications, extracurriculars, and other influences hinder seniors’ ability to attend school at their fullest potential.

Senioritis is largely debated on the principle of whether or not it is real or just an excuse for seniors to put less effort into their high school life. 

Elisha Tuerk-Levy—a Lincoln senior—is usually proactive when it comes to staying on top of school work and says, “Senioritis is a way for people to validate letting their burn out win.” 

As senior year arrives at her door, however, Tuerk-Levy’s drive to push through her lack of motivation has diminished. 

Combined with her relatively easy classes this year, Tuerk-Levy feels like senior year is losing importance to her, as she believes college applications focus on the previous years of school. This results in less motivation to go to class and do her work.

Many seniors this year have chosen to have free periods, but fewer classes does not mean easier classes. Regardless of class rigor, seniors are struggling to manage their classes. 

Angelina Tse has been struggling to turn assignments in on time, finding no motivation, even when a handful of her classes are difficult because, Tse asks, “What’s the point?”

As an athlete recruit for fencing, Tse’s future college is already set, making it hard to find motivation for fencing—where she experiences senioritis the most. She struggles to find her next goal compared to her previous years’ goals of making it to the national team, traveling, and getting recruited. 

However, as the club coordinator, she handles organization for Fall Fest and various events. Her role in ASB helps her overcome senioritis with responsibilities that she is passionate about, and she enjoys helping organize school activities.  

Many expectations for seniors to keep up ASB responsibilities and academic success can fight the symptoms of senioritis. 

With a three-inch binder, two notebooks, a Macbook, and a book, Alisa Kryan, a Lincoln senior who carries the self-proclaimed “biggest backpack” title on campus has wanted to give in to senioritis because of the idea that senior year is supposed to ease up. 

Kryan’s friends have been less focused on school work and attending classes, with the subconscious peer pressure making her eager to follow suit. 

But Kryan remembers when “Last year [she] asked her mom if [she] could get senioritis and she was like ‘No, you still have to work hard.’” 

This snapped Kryan back into reality, where senior year  is still hard work in progress.

There are still eight months of senior year, and as the year progresses, and senioritis is only at the tip of its iceberg, it is up to seniors to decide whether they allow themselves to catch senioritis or not. 

By Phoebe Seigel

Where will you find yourself in 68 years? Will you even think about high school? About Lincoln? Most people probably won’t. I am doubtful Aline Gill did. To Bill House, however, Gill’s high school career meant a whole lot more than a measly four years that happened decades ago. 

68 years ago, Gill graduated from Lincoln. One year after that, she had a son whom she gave up for adoption–a son who had no contact with and almost no idea of her for his entire life. That son was House, who, after gaining access to his birth certificate—after the deaths of his adoptive parents—was able to find out that Gill was his birth mother. After doing some research, House found that Gill was a Lincoln alumnus, a discovery that prompted him to reach out to Erin Goebel, Lincoln’s school librarian, to find pictures of his long-lost birth mother. 

When House first reached out to her, asking if she had any old yearbook pictures of his mother, Goebel stepped in to help right away. 

 “Immediately, I was like, yeah, I have those. I can go do this. I would love to find those photos.”

 Goebel found several pictures of Gill, including her senior portraits, candids, and pictures of her in the bowling club. She was relatively easy to spot due to her distinctive glasses. 

Finding the photos was emotional for all involved. 

“It was quite emotional,” says Goebel, “I sort of had tears in my eyes.” She couldn’t imagine how House felt, seeing his mother for the first time at 66.

 For House, “Finding out about her life has been quite emotional and somewhat healing. Seeing her face and finding what little I could has allowed me to put down the anger and hurt of feeling abandoned and thrown away to forgive her for doing what had to be the hardest choice a parent has to make. I have carried the weight of abandonment my whole life;to put that down has helped a lot.” 

This story, if anything, reminds us of the importance of yearbooks. If the high school years of Gill had gone undocumented, House would have never been able to find what his mother looked like. He never would have been able to forgive her and put down the emotional baggage he had been carrying. House’s story has especially resonated with Jack Doyle, Lincoln’s new yearbook teacher.

 He said it “really sold home the importance of the yearbook.” 

“You realize how it’s a living thing and it becomes a piece of history, right? I was already down to do the yearbook, but that [House’s story] made it.” 

Doyle’s goal this year is to get at least two pictures of everyone on campus into the yearbook. 

While many may not think much about high school decades from now, it may be comforting to know that your youth is preserved in photos and captions, residing in old yearbooks stored in school libraries, just like Gill’s was. 

By Martin Situ

Brian Delapena, an Algebra 1 and Precalculus teacher at Lincoln High School, is also a former Muay Thai champion in three different organizations,WCK, MTG, and IKF, and the coach of the newly established Muay Thai Club at Abraham Lincoln High School.

 The club came into conception when last year’s administration asked Delapena to create it. The old administration told Delapena how the students always mentioned him, and so they wanted him to create a space for students who went unnoticed to become noticed.  

“They would always tell me that kids would talk about me [...] They wanted to find a way to reach the unreached here in Lincoln, and I agreed with them.” Delapena states.

The Muay Thai Club started September 3rd of this year and paused on October 10th, as wrestling season starts.  The future of the club is unsure.

“I will have to talk to the admin about the future of this program, and if given the green light, it will go back up again after wrestling,” Delapena states.

The club meets on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in the wrestling room.  Each practice session runs for around an hour starting around 4:20 p.m. on Monday and Friday, while Wednesday practices start around 3:30 p.m.  Practices always start with three minutes of jump rope plus shadowboxing to warm up.  Afterwards, the club follows Delapena’s instructions for the lesson of the day.  

A member of the club, Samuel Yu joined the club because he’s interested in combat sports. 

“I wanted to join a combat sport […] so I joined Muay Thai,”  Yu states.

Delapena started Muay Thai at the age of 19 after his brother suggested to do something other than play “World of Warcraft.” Muay Thai helped Delapena develop his hard work and discipline, and eventually in getting his degree as well.

“I used what I learned in Muay Thai to finally finish and graduate college for my math degree,” Delapena states.

  Since then, Delapena has continued to practice Muay Thai and coach the combat sport at both World Team USA and Rise Combat Sports here in San Francisco. 

 Delapena’s motivation to establish the club was to help others gain the discipline that he got from Muay Thai.  

“I started the Muay Thai Club because of what Muay Thai has done for me.  It would be selfish of me if I didn’t,” Delapena states.

Delapena’s goal for the club is to not only teach techniques properly, but to instill the respect and community that comes with Muay Thai.

By Orin Yu

This year, the Lincoln girls volleyball varsity team is defending a city championship title for the first time since 2019. Last year, the Lincoln girls won the city championship against Lowell High School, which has won seven of the past ten city championships. This year is Lincoln’s chance to break Lowell’s back-to-back winning streak and win their first back-to-back title since 2009 and 2010.

The team has representation of all grades. There are 14 girls, including two freshmen, four sophomores, two juniors, and six seniors. Most of their players are returning, having lost only one senior out of the starting lineup. 

Lincoln plays in the Academic Athletic Association (AAA) San Francisco City Section league, which contains SF public schools, but not private schools, such as Sacred Heart Cathedral and Saint Ignatius. In the AAA league, Lowell's recent dominance makes them the biggest threat to the Lincoln varsity team. 

Lincoln’s season so far has been successful. They are more than halfway through regular-season matches, having played every team in the league at least once. They are currently undefeated with a 9-0 record. 

Head Coach Vince Tang’s attitude towards the season is less about other teams in the league and more about making sure the team is playing their best. His focus is on refining the team's skills

“We're just trying to make adjustments, nothing drastic. It’s very minimal what we need to do, and if we handle what we need to do on our side, we should be fine.” 

Kyra Cheung, one of the varsity captains, says, “I think we have a good chance of winning again as long as we stay focused.” 

The team has been working hard, practicing since the middle of summer. Once school started, they practiced every day after school, averaging two hours a day. 

They have also played many non-league games, including a few weekend tournaments. In their overall season they are currently 25-7. This record has pushed them to rank 120th in California, out of almost 1500 teams. 

The League playoffs will happen on October 28th and 30th. The Lincoln girls will host the playoff game they play in if they maintain their top-of-the-league standing. 

After the playoffs, the championship will be held at Kezar Stadium on November 5th. Then, the first and second-place teams in our league go to the state championship, a single elimination tournament.

Last year, Lincoln was eliminated in round one of the Division Two state championship. 

Coach Tang was confident in the team’s ability to make it to the state championship again and hopes to go further, “When we get to the state playoffs, we hope to make a deeper run.” 

By Leo Le

The Abraham Lincoln cross-country team kicked off its 2025 season, starting their training in mid-August. The team practices Monday through Friday for around an hour and a half each day, building endurance and speed in preparation for weekly races. 

So far, ALHS has participated in three major events: the Lowell Invitational, the AAA XC League All-Comer Meet, and the Rams Invitational.

The first race of the season, the Lowell Invitational, on September 6, was held at Golden Gate Park near the Polo Fields. The event featured over 2,500 active participants from 85 schools across the Bay Area. Lincoln finished at around the eighth percentile, meaning they averaged a placement in the bottom 8% of teams.

Only two weeks later, on September 17, ALHS participated in the AAA XC League All-Comer Meet, also held at Polo Fields, with a race distance of five kilometers, equivalent to 3.11 miles. The meet consisted of 215 racers coming from nine different San Francisco High Schools, with 18 of the runners coming from Lincoln. Standout performances from ALHS came from Cyrus Kwan, who placed seventh in the boys division with a time of 18:06, Paulo Rodriguez, who placed tenth in the boys division with a time of 18:22, and JoJo Gregg, who dominated the girls division with a first-place finish of 20:43, nearly 40 seconds faster than second place.

“It’s been awesome! We’ve had some personal records early into the season already. Some people still need to improve their consistency, but everyone is working hard,”states Kwan, a junior at ALHS, who has been on the cross-country team for the past three years.

Kwan described a typical week of training as a mix of  “workouts on Tuesday and Friday, with the rest of the days being easy runs or long runs with six to ten miles each.”

Daniel Kew, who is coaching the Lincoln Cross Country Team for his second year now, is joyful with how far the team has gone. 

Kew states, “The first year I was here, we didn't have that many runners. This year, we have almost triple the number we started with.” 

Kew admits, “I don't think we’ll win overall this year, but I do believe we have a few runners who can make it to the state meet level. When I came to Lincoln, I wanted to build a strong team starting with the freshmen and sophomores, and hopefully soon, become champions.”

Even facing challenges like smaller team numbers and competition from larger schools, both the runners and the coach share the same goal: to get better. The team has improved, grown in size, and become more committed since last year. 

Coach Kew proudly exclaims, “Every year, we’re getting better, and this year is our best one yet.”

By Lola Snopkowski

1969, 1970, 2005, and now 2025: these are the only four times Abraham Lincoln varsity baseball has ever won the AAA CIF San Francisco City Championship. May 14, 2025, was a day that will forever be marked in Lincoln's history. That sunny afternoon, 19 Lincoln athletes stepped on the field after a San Francisco Giants game at Oracle Park and stepped off, hours later, as champions.

The Lincoln Mustangs were down by one run in the third inning to the reigning champions, the Lowell Cardinals. Third baseman Aidan Castaneda hit a single, scoring First baseman Wyatt Toloski, which tied the game. 

The game remained tied until the last inning of the championship fight, when shortstop Everett Carvalho hit a grounder to score Castaneda, after the call was overturned. Subsequently, catcher Nick Chiu hit a single, which scored second baseman Jeremiah Arriola and left fielder Jerry Hou, putting the Mustangs ahead four to one.

A shutout inning by the graduated senior Branson Derrington secured a win for the Mustangs. Derrington's dominant pitching performance was a major factor in this win, as he delivered a complete game, allowing only three hits and no earned runs.

After 15 years of coaching experience, including seven at Lincoln, Head Coach James Burke led the team to success alongside his assistant coaches: Rudolph (Rudy) Serrano, Alejandro (Vlad) Hernandez, Jovani (Jojo) Serrano, Joseph (Marc) Villa, and Dennis Shanahan.

Burke came to Lincoln with hopes of building a successful baseball program and team culture that would allow everyone the opportunity to succeed, on and off the field. This year, he was finally able to show the city what Lincoln was capable of, and that moment was something he truly values.

Proud of their hard work and the way his team played, Burke said, “Our players not only executed everything but also had perfect energy throughout the game, and [they] really played a beautiful defensive game.”

Their journey to success was challenged both internally and externally, as they navigated injuries and major losses.

Senior Nick Chiu, the starting catcher, got injured about halfway through the season, not coming back until four games before the championship. Chiu was a key player for the team and a notable reason for their success, scoring two out of the four runs in the Championship game. 

“I think my injuries were significant — but in a sense, it was a miracle, because we still managed to perform really well despite the setbacks,” reflected Chiu. 

He was able to come back strong and help bring the team to multiple wins leading up to the championship.

 “I told them throughout the year, in our wins, losses, ups, and downs, that we could win, but I repeatedly told them which version of our team had to show up,” Burke stated.

Lincoln lost to Lowell in all three of their regular season meetings and to Washington in two of their three regular season meetings. Captain Xavier Malizia mentions that, despite their previous losses being distressing, they still had faith they could win due to their 11-5 clutch victory in the semi-finals against Washington. 

Their win gave them the initial confidence, but their countless hours of preparation—practicing six days a week for five months straight—ultimately led to their success. 

Burke attributed their win as a group effort, stating, “From the players, families, and coaches, this was the definition of a team win, and it was amazing to be a part of, and a long time coming.”

It meant more than just the first win in 20 years; it meant they had finally defeated Lowell, who had won 11 out of the last 20 city championships and was their biggest rival. Lowell was always seen as the obstacle of the season. They were the team that Lincoln always strived to beat, which is why, when they beat them on such a huge stage, it meant more to this team than anything, particularly for the graduating seniors, who, for most of them, would be playing their last game. 

Chiu stated, “I don't think anything can fully capture that mix of relief, joy, and disbelief all at once.”

Not only was this win a historical moment on a city level, but it also led Lincoln baseball to its first appearance in the state championship tournament. 

Malizia describes the initial feeling of winning, “It felt amazing, but it also felt like we have so much more to do, the job’s not finished.” 

They traveled two hours to play Vacaville Christian, just hours after the seniors graduated on June 3rd. They brought Lincoln baseball their first state playoff win with a 16-4 victory, advancing them into the semifinals, finishing the day with a graduation and a win. Their extended season ended there with a heartbreaking 6-0 loss in Pebble Beach two days later against Stevenson. They placed fourth overall in their division, making history for the Lincoln baseball program.

Despite losing a significant number of seniors, Lincoln baseball is not done. They have already started preparing for their season—three months in advance—ready to defend their championship title, with optimism to go further into the state championship bracket.

By Anya Golden

A series of copycat terrorist attacks began in 2018. The first was a shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue, where 11 people were killed and six were injured. In 2019, 51 people were killed and 89 people were injured in the Christchurch mosque shootings which were live-streamed on Facebook. A month later, at the Chabad synagogue one person was killed and three were injured. The shooter's manifesto included numerous disturbing meme references. All three attacks were preemptively posted about by the shooters on far-right social media platforms or forums.

These weren’t isolated acts. They were part of a growing pattern of online radicalization referred to as the ‘alt-right pipeline.’

The term “alt-right” pipeline was first coined in the 2010s with the rise of interconnected online communities, content creators and political commentators. 

The alt-right pipeline describes a pathway into extreme “right” ideology. People are radicalized through consuming most often antifeminist, fascist, antisemitic, homophobic, and racist media. 

If you're unfamiliar with this topic then you may be picturing people like Charlie Kirk or Candace Owens who are prominent in the conservative movement. Shockingly, many alt-right members reject these figures for being too mainstream in their conservatism. “Mainstream conservatives” typically advocate for systematic changes, whereas people who are radicalized often believe in violence. 

The alt-right recruitment demographic may appear random but it has an  overarching pattern. This includes people who feel like outsiders, distrust the government, have contempt for multiculturalism and feminism, reject mainstream institutions, and believe in conspiracy theories. Above all, this demographic consists of primarily white individuals who hold grievances towards what they think is a “white genocide” or feeling of victimhood stemming from a belief that they are losing social and political status.

It’s important to understand that radicalization does not usually start with swastikas or hate speech — it often begins with content that feels harmless, even funny. Platforms like YouTube are full of creators who mix edgy humor with controversial opinions. 

When influential creators repeatedly make hateful jokes claiming it is humor or “free speech” such rhetoric becomes normalized. Normalization of hateful ideas leads to desensitization, bringing viewers to seek out more extreme content. The final stage of indoctrination is individuals adopting dehumanizing rhetoric against targeted groups, which can justify violence and terrorism. As this is happening, online algorithms will suggest creators who are increasingly more radical in their content, furthering the cycle.

An example of seemingly harmless content that becomes a gateway to more extremes is the popular Youtuber PewDiePie. Although PewDiePie claims to have no connection to the alt-right movement, the Youtuber with over 100 million followers has been celebrated among alt-right members after multiple controversies. The Chabad synagogue shooter even included PewDiePie multiple times in his manifesto leading to a plane displaying a banner with the message “Subscribe to PewDiePie” over New York City the following day.

One of the largest PewDiePie controversies was in 2017 when he paid five dollars to people in India to laugh and hold a sign saying ‘Death to all Jews.’ Watching through his response videos he is very insistent about a difference in dark humor and being truly racist or antisemitic, furthering my point of the normalization of hateful rhetoric.

Meme culture also plays a significant role in online spaces where alt-right ideas are discussed. Memes that are popularly used in online forums or even publicly for members to recognize each other are; ‘Yes Chad,’ Pepe the Frog, memes framing physical violence as “real masculinity,” Wojak, Gigachad, and the Groyper depiction of Pepe the Frog, just to name a few. These memes come up a lot on forums like Reddit, 8chan, 4chan, X, Gab, Telegram or TruthScocial which are popular for extremist groups because they offer anonymity and foster a sense of community among like-minded individuals. Community is crucial in extremist online spaces because many who are radicalized are sensing belonging. 

Radicalization does not feel radical — that is the danger. It feels like fitting in, laughing along, clicking the next video or joining the next chat. Take notice when media or creators pass off hateful rhetoric as a joke, make the choice to stop interacting. Use critical thinking in what is being said online. Are ideas being spread with no evidence to back it up? Fact check! Radicalization is accelerated by believing what you see online making you form beliefs that you otherwise would not.

By Denise Mai

Pet stores carry hundreds of cat products; however, some are overlooked and not included in stores. Since current items on shelves have been there for so long, I often don’t see new and improved products, leading feline owners like me to struggle to nurture their beloved pets. 

An example of this lack is my cat, Sesame. I would love to buy these products or similar items for my cat, but often I can’t, since they are rare or never seen at pet stores. Additionally, I'm always looking for healthy, high-protein foods and treats for Sesame that contain little to no fillers, such as corn, wheat, and soy, which can be horrible for cats because they are unnecessary and make the food more carb-heavy. Cats are carnivores–they do not need these fillers. Nonetheless, I can never find these healthy foods. 

Toys and enrichment items will prevent boredom in cats, and will allow them to have an outlet so as not to terrorize your homes or be “bad cats.” 

The first product all pet stores should have on their shelves is The Honesty Kitchen Minced Grain Free Line. This food is a great high-protein food with fiber that helps with cats' sensitive stomachs. This line offers a range of flavors to suit cats with picky eating habits or allergies. The most unique aspect of the food is the texture, which is soupy-like,which my cat loved. This causes the food to run higher in price since it is a higher-quality food. 

The next food I recommend is the FROMM Four-Star Dry Food.  I personally love feeding my cat this dry kibble, especially their Game Bird Recipe and Hasen Duckenpfeffer Recipe; these are the dry kibbles I currently feed my cats. FROMM should be on more shelves because of their high-quality proteins; moreover, they are a family-owned business that makes all their food in-house, which ensures quality control. I believe they are reasonably priced compared to other high-end brands–something I love. 

On the other hand, the dry food contains three filler ingredients: potatoes, peas, and dried tomato pulp. Overall, FROMM has earned my trust even though they have these few filler ingredients, and I think they deserve a spot on the shelf in pet stores. 

Lastly, treats: Whole Life is a great one-ingredient treat brand that excludes extra fillers. Whole Life's freeze-dried cat treats are cooked, ensuring disease and parasites will not be in your cats' treats, something that stands out compared to other raw brands. Some examples of disease being in raw cat food are recalls of brands due to bird flu, those brands being Northwest Naturals, RAWR Raw Cat Food, and Savage Pet.  

Lots of people focus on food, but that is not all cats need to thrive. They require toys and enrichment, which stores should prioritize as well. 

A product I think should be in stores is interactive food maze puzzles. I really want these in pet stores because they can be hard to find in-person, and they are great for cats that are bored and frustrated; they give cats a way to ‘hunt” or work for their food. 

While puzzles are a great mental stimulation, cats also need physical stimulation from items such as toys. Stores should sell electric hide-and-seek toys, great for cats who love biting toes under the sheets or scratching table legs. 

Moreover, I would love to see more products on the pet stores' shelves like the ones I mentioned above, especially for my cat, Sesame. I know Sesame loves these products, so there might be cat owners who also struggle with finding similar products.  If there were an expansion on products, it would make it easier for fellow cat owners to spoil their fur babies.

By Leo Le

Imagine an 18-year-old student-athlete eating the exact same portion as an 11-year-old middle schooler for lunch. That is right, in SFUSD, high schoolers are consuming around the same portion as middle schoolers, which raises concerns about whether these high schoolers are meeting their nutritional needs. This does not just affect a few students; instead, this affects the thousands of high school students across SFUSD who rely on school lunches.

According to the SFUSD nutrition report for lunches in September, the average calorie count per meal for SFUSD high schools was approximately 612, while the average for middle schools was around 607. These averages come from the school lunch that includes an entreé, a carton/cup of milk, and a fruit or vegetable.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a typical high school student should be consuming around 800 calories for lunch. This means SFUSD lunches on average provide almost 200 fewer calories than the recommended amount.

Although the lunches are considered healthy, they fail to truly satisfy students’ stomachs with the small portions the school provides.

Michael Lai, a junior at Lincoln High School who relies on school lunches, states, “School lunches seem very nutrient dense, but even though they might fill us up with the right nutrients, I still feel very empty.”

Lai even guiltily admits, “I use other people’s meal pins in order to get myself more portions.”

His act highlights how some desperate students feel that they need to get more than one portion to satisfy themselves.

While the quality of food may be good, the portion size definitely is not. For students who may stay late after school for sports, clubs, or extracurricular activities, lunch is often their only real meal until dinner, which makes lunch portions very important.

The consequences of not eating enough and not meeting calorie needs go beyond just hunger. Studies such as the one conducted by the No Kid Hungry Organization have demonstrated a correlation between hunger during the school day and many problems that may impede a student from achieving their full academic potential, such as a decrease in focus levels.

Gordon Huynh, a junior at Lincoln High School, notices, “Usually the school lunch doesn’t fill me up, and it makes it harder for me to concentrate in classes throughout the afternoon portion of the day.”

In SFUSD High Schools, a lot of students strive to do more than just get good grades in school. SFUSD could improve its lunch program  by increasing portion sizes and ensuring meals meet the caloric needs. Until changes are made, students will continue their school days hungry, which is a problem too big for SFUSD to ignore, because it not only affects students’ health, but also their ability to learn, focus, and reach their full potential.

By Angela Gin

At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, Lincoln gained all new administrators, Marisol Arkin, Jen Fried, Laura Rashidi, and Joseph Eckstrom, following the departure of its former principals. And with this new administration came stricter policies that cracked down on hall wandering, club organization, and the ever-tenuous issue of clubs selling homemade food on campus. 

It is district policy to prohibit the selling of homemade food on school grounds, however in the past couple of years, clubs have not been practicing this, which is mainly because of the past administration’s lack of enforcement around it. But our new administrators decided to put an end to it.

“After COVID, we weren't allowed to have homemade food, right? Everything had to be packaged or catered when we did like Fall Fest or something like that…I was at Galileo for seven years and so those were the rules,” says Arkin. 

This policy put clubs in a tough situation for Fall Fest, one of the biggest schoolwide fundraisers. Instead of making their own food like they have been for the past couple years, clubs had to resort to the counterintuitive practice of buying food to sell and hope that they can make profit. 

“We spent a lot more money and stress trying to find something to sell,” says Anabella Ramirez, the captain of ALDC, “[We made] a lot less than last year so now we have to consider outside fundraising now because we haven’t been able to make enough money.” 

Arkin had been in contact with the nutrition services about the rule because students had formally complained to administration about it. A couple days prior to Fall Fest, she was told that homemade food was back on the table since the policy was made during the COVID pandemic to prevent spreading the virus.

But it wasn’t until the morning before Fall Fest began when it was announced that the policy was considered null and void and clubs could sell homemade food for future events.  

But instead of the anticipated sigh of relief from club leaders, this change was met with confusion and outrage because they had unnecessarily spent their hard earned money. 

Ramirez says, “It was really messy, it wasn’t clear. It felt like a whole ‘he said, she said’ thing, a game of telephone.” 

Arkin speaks on the matter saying that, “It wasn’t a miscommunication, it was an update.”

While this may seem like nothing more than a speed bump in the road, I feel that they are more like potholes in the student-admin relationship. Miscommunications like this only deteriorate the trust students put in their administrators to inform them of events and changes. I do understand that being brand new administrators to a school comes with its challenges, but this was a very preventable confusion. Going forward, administrators could practice better communication by sending schoolwide emails and making schoolwide announcements to ensure that people are informed of any policy changes. 

By Michael Lai, Sophie Ng, and Zoë Hsu Doo

From Club Fair to Homecoming, each celebration showcases months of planning, teamwork, and school pride. Freshman Jumpstart kicked the school year off on August 15th, welcoming the newest Mustangs to the school.

The Club Fair, held on September 17th, filled the Blacktop with club members promoting as students explore the clubs and other student organizations Lincoln offers. A new highlight was the college advice booth, where upperclassmen shared tips on applications and opportunities. Club Fair has been fundamental in the club recruitment process—it is one of the most potent opportunities for clubs to attract members. Students preview school organizations centered around community service, hobbies, arts, and academics. 

Fall Fest, the first of Lincoln’s community club fundraisers, blends a community celebration with fundraising. Clubs set up tables of food, drinks, and other goods to sell. Profits are being put towards the clubs’ materials and activities. This year, misconceptions about the food policy caused several clubs to offer store-bought goods as opposed to homemade ones. However, clubs will be able to sell homemade goods in future Food Fests.

Senior Sunrise, organized by the senior class council, marked the start of the Class of 2026’s final year. Students gathered at dawn for photos, letter writing, senior sign-in, and a nostalgic parachute game borrowed from Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School. This high school tradition allows the seniors to begin their final year of high school as a collective. Senior Sunset will be hosted at the end of the year to mirror Senior Sunrise, bringing the year full circle. 

Spirit Week, held October 14th–17th, brought themed dress-up days like Twin Day, a day to match outfits with best friends, and Performative Day, where students brought matcha, Labubus, and signature wired headphones, building excitement for the Bell Game on the 18th. 

The Fall Rally energized the campus with performances by Lion Dance Me, Drum Corps, Koresence, and Abraham Lincoln Dance Company. Between sets, the Associated Student Body hosted spirited competitions, with students filling the stands in support of their classes. Lincoln’s Fall Rally is the first of two school rallies. Every Friday of Fall Spirit Week, Lincoln has their Fall rally. This year, it fell on October 17th. Students were encouraged to wear their grade’s representative colors to the rally. This year, freshmen were assigned green, sophomores were assigned white, juniors were assigned blue, and seniors were assigned red.

One of the most anticipated events of the year, Homecoming, a school dance, transformed Hino Gardens into a “City of Stars.” Students arrived dressed to the nines, dancing, taking photos, and crowning the Homecoming court. The event reflected the planning and work put in by ASB and numerous staff chaperones.

The fun has just started and is not slowing down anytime soon. The end of the month brings the Halloween Costume Contest; bring your creativity to the contest outside of the cafeteria on October 31st.

It has only been two months since school started, and so much has already happened with the Lincoln community. With events right around the corner to look forward to, Lincoln’s fall semester is just getting started.

By Christine Kang

The Infinity Castle arc has the ultimate showdown, featuring battles against the demon slayers and the Upper Rank Demons for the new Demon Slayer movie available on Crunchyroll. 

Koyoharu Gotouge, a Japanese manga artist, released her first Demon Slayer animation on April 6th, 2019. This story began to gain popularity in late 2019 and early 2020. Demon Slayer stood out to many viewers because of breathtaking, fluid animation and fight choreography. This series also effectively blends classic shonen elements, a genre meant for young boys, with high-quality production.

Recently, Gotouge and her team released a new movie for “Demon Slayer: Hashira Training Arc.” This new movie is called “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle,” released on July 28th, 2025. The Infinite Castle is the climax and final major battlefield between the Demon Slayer Corps and the Demons, led by Demon King.

With the stakes at their absolute peak, Tanjiro, the main character and the highest-ranking Demon Slayer, and Hashira, are scattered across the castle. They must fight through hordes of demons while trying to reach the Demon King, who hides behind his fierce upper demons and has tricks rivaling the Joker.

From my view of this new movie, I believe people would be enthusiastic about this incredible, cinematic masterpiece of carefully woven dialogue with amazing action scenes. 

These characteristics pop up in many popular hit anime due to the excitement of young boys because they seem to appreciate high quality action scenes which usually are physical battles against characters. For example, the fight between Upper Demon Three, Akaza, and Fire Hashira, Rengoku ended with a tragic result in Rengoku getting a fist through his chest, tragically leading to his demise. Many anime addicted fans treated this as a unfortunate loss to a much loved character that added depth and emotion to the action. Not only did this spark sadness in the community, but the characters themselves felt incredible rage and vengefulness, leading to a marvelous battle between Tanjiro and Giyu Tomioka, the water hashira, against Akaza, Upper Demon Three, one of the top demons on the antagonist side. Despite many people on the internet being devastated by Rengoku’s death, the revealing of his miserable backstory captivated the hearts of many fans due to the suicide of his father and the killing of his close friends and wife who were part of a dojo teaching martial arts.

With much anticipation, “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle” has many exciting sequences, further adding to the appeal to different age groups, ranging from adolescents to adults. 

Personally, this anime opened my eyes to the possibility of expressive pictorial crafts of animation, which truly has the ability and potential to engross any viewer who actively enjoys well-crafted animations.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone interested in relaxing and watching an amazing anime that is capable of entertaining any audience.

By Yasmine El Hattab

From the moment marketing promised a grand conclusion, “The Conjuring: Last Rites” felt destined for glory. Released nationwide on September 5th, with a generous runtime of two hours and 15 minutes, the film positioned itself as the closure to the Conjuring’s timeline. Directed by Michael Chaves and penned by Ian Goldberg, “Last Rites” covers the real-life case of the Smurl family haunting—the final case the Warrens ever investigated—with its movie adaptation meant to tie together the decades of horror Ed and Lorraine Warren took on and close off a major horror universe. 

With the more notable features in the five-film series being the original “The Conjuring,” directed by James Wan, and “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,” directed by Michael Chaves, the Conjuring universe has set itself within the horror genre, with “The Conjuring: Last Rites” set to follow the same direction as its previous movies.

Inspired by the real-life cases of Ed and Lorraine Warren, “The Conjuring” series itself follows the timeline of the two American paranormal investigators, historical names in ghost investigation, with their movie adaptations blending religious horror, emotional storytelling, and dramatized ghost hunting. 

Across the films, audiences follow the Warrens as they confront a string of supernatural cases inspired by real-life events, from haunted farmhouses to cursed artifacts. 

With spin-offs like the “Anabelle” and “Nun” series expanding the paranormal universe, the franchise has built a cohesive supernatural world rooted in faith, fear, and human struggle, making Last Rites not just another sequel, but a supposed farewell to one of modern horror's most enduring sagas.

Yet when credits rolled, what emerged rather than satisfaction was a strange emptiness, a muddled letdown of what was expected of the movie. For a film meant to close out more than a decade of ghost stories, demon lore, and the Warrens' cinematic legacy, “Last Rites” feels less like a finale and more like an afterthought.

While the Conjuring held itself to its common themes:crosses, demons, and unpleasant hauntings, the movie simply falls much shorter on other factors. 

One of the more memorable features of the series, demons, even seemed to appear much less than expected in the movie. 

Between the three demons that are being controlled by a haunted mirror, it seems like the mirror received more screen time than all the others combined. One of the primary demons, an axe-wielding entity—teased heavily in the marketing—appeared on screen no more than four times. For a spirit positioned as the center threat, its presence amounted to little more than a few jump scares and a scene where it blows out a birthday candle. 

Another major plot point in the movie, the supposed possession of the Warrens’ daughter, Judy, feels halfway done and almost unnecessary. For a franchise so well-known for its chilling depictions of hauntings and demonic possession, “Last Rites” shockingly underdelivered on one of its most emotional and terrifying possibilities. The scene lacks screen time and is quickly brushed over after. 

 The possession subplot, which could have given the film stakes and a deeply personal layer for the Warrens, instead plays out with minimal buildup and little consequence. Scenes that should have driven the emotional core of the film were seen as rushed or brushed aside, leaving Judy’s ordeal feeling like a background event rather than the heart of the story. Other films, even those outside “The Conjuring” name, have handled possession arcs with far more depth and intensity. 

Watching “The Conjuring: Last Rites” attempt the possession topic and fall short in what is a recurring horror feature, left me with much to wonder about the short lived arc, and was just a plain letdown. In comparison, “Last Rites” barely scratches the surface, leaving one of its strongest narrative opportunities completely wasted.

After years of watching the Warrens face some of the most terrifying entities in cinema, seeing the climactic battle resolved through the power of family felt wildly out of place. The idea that an evil mirror, the central source of all the torment, and an entity that had followed them for almost 20 years could be dismantled through emotional unity rather than faith, sacrifice, or even clever storytelling, felt inconsistent with the franchise’s established themes. Instead of invoking fear, the finale landed with a sentimental thud, reducing a decade of supernatural lore to a cliché moment of togetherness. 

For a film that should have been a haunting, symbolic farewell to the Warrens’ journey instead turns into a scene that stripped the ending of both tension and meaning.

In its finality, “The Conjuring: Last Rites" may not deliver the grand, haunting conclusion many hoped for, but it still carries a sense of familiarity and heart that longtime fans could recognize. While it struggled to capture the same tension and emotional depth that made earlier entries so memorable, its attempt to close such a massive chapter in modern horror deserves acknowledgment. The film touched on the Warrens’ enduring faith and love, themes that have always anchored the series, even if its execution fell short of its ambition. Rather than a chilling finale, Last Rites offers a gentler, if uneven, farewell to one of horror’s most defining cinematic sagas, leaving me unsatisfied. 

By Ella Lal

“Sinners” has been taking the internet by storm since its release in April. Directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B. Jordan, “Sinners” is an excellent and groundbreaking film that is proof that audiences are hungry for meaningful and thought-provoking movies. My mother recommended the movie to me. She begged me to come see it in theaters with her because it was just that amazing and refused to spoil anything until we watched it together. If you haven’t seen the movie I implore you to do so. You can find it on HBO Max, Hulu or Amazon. I promise you it is worth it. Spoilers ahead for the movie as I discuss the movie in-depth.

The movie is split into two parts. The first half follows Smoke and Stack as they return home and the town's reaction to their arrival. Including their cousin, Sammie Moore, reaction to their return, who is struggling between choosing Christianity–and therefore his preacher father–or music and his passion for the blues. The second half of the film follows the survivors in the business opened by Smoke and Stack, The Juke joint, as they try to defend themselves from the vampire threat that await them just outside the door.

The beginning of the movie does an excellent job of establishing the characters in the movie. The first scene with the twins, is excellent at establishing them. The way Stack casually leans back on the car smiling shows his more carefree attitude. Meanwhile, Smoke stands straight and tall. He checks his watch then looks back up, visibly irritated. The juxtaposition between their personality is clear before they’ve even spoken a single word. 

Although Smoke and Stack are great, my favorite character in the movie is Sammie Moore. The scene that most thoroughly establishes Sammie’s character is his first scene with his father. In this scene Sammie’s father encourages Sammie to give up his passion for the blues. During this time the blues were considered “devil music” and were highly discouraged by the Church. Sammie’s father tries to test Sammie’s knowledge of the Bible, starting a verse and having Sammie finish it. Sammie completes it easily and confidently. You can even hear some cockiness in his voice. It’s clear that Sammie has thoroughly studied the Bible, but he still loves the blues enough to continue pursuing it even at the disapproval of his father. 

“Sinners” also has an excellent atmosphere, always letting an appropriate amount of tension build before hitting you with a jumpscare. This movie will have you on the edge of your seat, holding your breath. The jumpscares in this movie are sparsely but effectively used. The vampires are an excellent threat, it feels like you’re watching a predator stalk and wear down its prey. 

Jack O'Connell plays the main villain of the movie and he absolutely kills it. Anytime his character is on screen, he is stealing the show. His portrayal of Remmick the vampire is equal parts terrifying as it is charming. I also think it’s worth mentioning Remmick is Irish. This film takes place in 1932, and during this time the Irish in America were not considered “white”. Nowadays, it's more common to think of Irish people in America as “white”. They achieved this through cultural assimilation. They let go of their roots and assimilated into white American culture. In this process they lost their connection to their roots and culture. I personally think it was much too high a price to pay. I think that is what Remmick being a vampire represents. Remmick is so old that he was around when Ireland was invaded by the British. He even mentions Christianity to Sammie. When Remmick finally gets ahold of Sammie, Sammie begins praying. Sammie’s prayer causes Remmick to stop and pray with him. He even baptizes Sammie in the river. Remmick confesses to Sammie that long ago men came to his land and forced these words upon him. He hated those men but the words still bring him comfort. Ironically, he wants to continue inflicting this erasure on others, but calls it peace. He claims that being converted into a vampire will give them “fellowship and love”.

“Sinners” also has some amazing action sequences. They’re hectic without feeling confusing, flashy, and dramatic. The build up to the standoff with the vampires is excellent. The vampires surrounding the juke joint and singing “Pick Poor Robin Clean” is so eerie and makes you feel almost hopeless. The characters in this movie don’t feel stupid; they know what they’re fighting and have prepared accordingly. The thing about the action that stood out to me the most is that it still felt grounded but still fun. However, the last confrontation with the Klan is easily the coolest part of the movie. After everything you’ve been through, the movie indulges in a fun and campy action scene. Smoke absolutely tears through the horde of Klan members. It even boasts the iconic action moment of having the protagonist pull the pin of a grenade with their teeth. It’s definitely the most exciting moment in the film. It feels like a reward–at the end of this heartbreaking film, we get a last-moment triumph. 

The best part of this movie is easily its music. Miles Caton plays Sammie Moore, and his voice is undeniably breathtaking. Listening to him sing in this movie immediately touched my soul. The songs in “Sinners” have been playing nonstop in my home since I watched the movie. The music is heartbreaking, uplifting, and unique. The scene that really sold me on this movie was when Sammie sings “I Lied to You”. It's hard to put into words how incredible this sequence is. The blend of music across generations is something I’ve never heard before, especially the way the music shifts to highlight each genre. There is a reason you will often see people online describe how this scene “changed their brain chemistry.” This scene alone was worth all the money I spent on the tickets to see this movie. This scene is not viewed, it's experienced.

“Sinners” is such a rich experience. If there is one movie that you released in 2025 that you should absolutely see, it’s “Sinners”. 

By Kenny Lin

Tucked between 21st and 22nd streets on Taraval, a small, vibrant blue take-out restaurant named Little Aloha sells comforting Hawaiian food. Inside, you will find a small, bright, and clean environment with tropical theme decorations. A bench is located outside, where you can sit while waiting for your food. The menu is limited, offering a total of ten dishes, with prices ranging from $3.50 to $16.00, tax excluded.

Popular dishes include shrimp and sausage, Spam musubi, and shaved ice, with one vegetarian option—tofu poke.

As I walked in on a late afternoon, no one was at the cash register. In the back, the employees were busy cooking up dishes. Instead, orders were taken through a kiosk at the corner. I ordered a full-size shrimp and sausage—a combination of garlic shrimp and pineapple sausage—for a total of $17.38.

It took ten minutes to get my order. The food came in a rectangular plastic container; it was hot, heavy, and freshly made. When I opened the container, the food was beautifully presented: sausage charred, shrimp golden, all coated in a garlicky paste beneath rice, garnished with green onions, and accompanied by sautéed cabbage and a sliced lemon on the side. The smell was rich and nutty, wafting from the infused garlic butter.

Taking a bite of the sausage, it was delicious: umami, salty, and sweet. Snappy and fatty, with bits of pineapple embedded, giving it tang and sweetness.

Next, the fried shrimp: the shrimps were deveined, but the skins were still attached when fried. It gave an unusual, textural, crispy contrast in the mouth. It tasted slightly ocean-like, mildly sweet, and perfectly salted and cooked.

The rice beneath was short-grain; it was tender and soft, not too mushy and not too dry, a perfect absorber of all the garlic butter.

Overall, the shrimp and sausage was well-balanced; none of the flavors overpowered the others. The dish's umami paired nicely with the saltiness, sweetness, and pungent aroma. The sliced lemon on the side helped cut the richness and added brightness.

The foods are high quality, fairly priced, and delicious. The portion matches what you pay, and the service was fast and efficient. Unfortunately, dining in is not an option, but food can be taken and eaten in the nearby park, an excellent choice for a picnic.

I would come back to try their shaved ice and Moco Loco, a rice dish dressed with a hamburger patty, gravy, and a poached egg. 

By Quincy Fulton

When the fourth season of this dramatic-comedy aired in June earlier this year, I had excitedly anticipated binging it. However, instead of binging it, I watched it sporadically until I stopped halfway through. Something felt different, and it made me wonder: how could a show with extraordinary actors, an entertaining premise and such volatile conflicts get boring?

If you’ve never seen “The Bear,” the award-winning show is one (hyper-extended) family’s efforts to create a successful, sophisticated restaurant in the wake of their brother Mikey’s death by suicide. Fast-paced, foul-mouthed, and high-tensioned brother, Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), stars as the talented leading man desperate to show he has what it takes to run a thriving business despite money, relationship, and review troubles—plus his tendency to bolt when things get hard.

This season opens with an immediate reference to the 1993 movie “Groundhog Day”, where a man is stuck reliving the same day on repeat, testimonial to Carmen’s own journey over the course of these ten episodes. With many other references to classic movies and neverending nostalgia-inducing music, this season knows how to comfort just like grandma’s cooking. 

In fact, the word “comfort” rang in my ears a lot this season. Carmen and his recent love interest, Claire, rekindle with a slow dance at Tiffany’s wedding after Carmy disconsolately lashed out and ended their relationship in season three. Many other characters, too, say sorry, in between their dozen vulgar arguments. 

A love letter to Chicago, family, and food, this season felt like a warm hug from the aforementioned grandma. However, how much sympathy and solace is too much? Compared to the snappy, tense previous installments, season four felt subpar.

The previously outstanding ensemble cast have all already undergone many arcs, conflicts, self-doubt, and self-growth. The problem I found this season is that they were left to just…finally move on. This makes for imperative healing, but for entertaining TV it does less so. All of the beloved kitchen staff seem stuck in limbo between owing debts—emotional and material—and letting go. To do so, the characters have to deal with each of their past traumas and shove aside their grievances to smoothly progress.

The issue is that they spend the entire season relinquishing these issues, sparing little time for new conflicts. Sydney Adamu, the conscientious restaurant partner of Carmen, is stuck in a second kind of limbo in her effort to decide whether or not to stay working at The Bear. This provides for much of the season’s drama, but the way it was framed spares little suspense for her final decision. In the final episode, she becomes one of the head partners of the business, a fact I feel like the audience expected.

Chapter four had its strides, but it still felt off, like it hasn’t really regained its footing yet. Where this season made progress in sentimentality, it lacked actual conflicts to keep the viewers entertained—my issue with the former season as well.

There were episodes I thoroughly enjoyed, like the one where Sydney cooks her friend’s daughter a meal after getting her hair braided, the one where Tiffany and Frank get married and all of the cast sit under a table together discussing their fears, and the final emotional episode where Carmy passes the restaurant to Sydney. In the context of character growth, these three episodes are home runs; however, the rest of the season felt like filler in a way that it should not.

Overall, this season stumbles. It may have made a few good dishes, but as a buffet, it felt unfocused, and I wouldn’t immediately recommend it. Hopefully, season five brings the heat after season four’s surprising ending.

By Abigail Park

Popular song “Golden” from the movie “Kpop Demon Hunters” covers up a superficial storyline

Lincoln High’s AP World History and AP Psychology teacher, Brendan Furey, plays “Golden” at the beginning of every class period this fall; is the movie it originates from also binge-worthy?

Released on June 20th, 2025, Netflix’s underdeveloped animated musical action-comedy “Kpop Demon Hunters” dominated the real-world movie and music industry with over 300 million views. In the movie, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey from female K-pop group Huntr/x attempt to protect their fans and the Honmoon, a barrier between the human and demon world, from supernatural soul-eating threats, including the secretly demonic male K-pop group, the Saja Boys. The movie’s popularity derives from the catchy tunes and lyrics of the songs, and overlooks the rushed, shallow plot.

You may have heard Huntr/x’s famous K-pop song “Golden,” or “Soda Pop” by the Saja Boys. By July 19th, 2025, “Golden” rose to number one on the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts. Supposedly significant to the plot, many fans, including children, claim that “Golden” progresses main character Rumi’s development by embracing her hidden, supernatural secret, instead of continuing to hide who she truly is. 

In the pre-chorus of “Golden,” Rumi sings, “No more hiding, I'll be shining/Like I'm born to be.”

Discovering this, I braced myself for a cultural lesson and emotional rollercoaster.

During an initial watch, the movie presents itself as fun and enjoyable through bright and action-based animations, but disappointingly anticlimactic. The movie indeed highlights Rumi’s development as the main character and incorporates Korean culture through historically accurate weapons and clothing; yet, the other two Huntr/x members, Mira and Zoey, and the Saja Boys, Jinu, Mystery, Abby, Romance, and Baby, do not receive much screen time, resulting in forced emotional moments and basic dialogue.

The most controversial scene was the “big sacrifice scene” towards the end of the movie, where one character gives up their life for the main character during a crisis. 

The main character pleads to the sacrificial character by saying, “No!”

The sacrificial character responds, “I’m sorry for everything.”

Due to lack of character development throughout the movie, this moment feels predictable, ineffective, and cliché.

“Golden” significantly popularizes the “Kpop Demon Hunters” movie, but overall, the movie focuses on style rather than substance, resulting in overhype and overratedness.

By Zoë Hsu Doo

Few shows dominated the summer season like “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” By season three’s premiere this July, those who had never even watched an episode could recognize the love triangle. Team Conrad versus Team Jeremiah debates dominated social media, brand endorsements, and public forums. “The Summer I Turned Pretty” craze was inescapable. As one of the most anticipated final seasons this summer, the uneven pacing and character portrayal left the long-awaited finale feeling more rushed than satisfying.

The first season’s release in June 2022 on Prime Video was met with interest from the large fanbase of the book series the show is based on, by Jenny Han. 

The series follows Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung), who spends every summer in the fictional Cousins Beach house. After “turning pretty” right before her 16th birthday, Belly finds herself in a love triangle between brothers Conrad Fisher (Chris Briney) and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno). After two seasons of growth, heartbreak, indecision, and grief, season three jumps ahead four years as Belly navigates adulthood, independence, and the ultimate choice between the two brothers.

From season one, many entertaining deviations from the original plot have been added to the show, such as the debutante ball and certain characters. In this season, the biggest question asked by the fans was “Will Jenny Han, who is heavily involved as the showrunner, executive producer, and occasional director, follow the endgame in the books or not?”

The strengths of this season are undeniable: fan-service moments, the visual aesthetics, the immersive soundtrack, and improved acting overall, particularly by Tung and Briney.

Prior to season three, if the love triangle between Belly, Conrad, and Jeremiah was taken away, Belly’s character would have no personality or substance. Her motivation, achievements, and dreams are all nonexistent in exchange for showcasing her relationships with other characters. As someone who is very anti-Belly, her character development this season was a highlight. For the first time, the audience gets to know Belly outside of her romantic relationships. Her journey to reinvent herself beyond the love triangle makes her more well-rounded and likable as a character. 

However, the weaknesses weigh heavier. The pacing is conflicting, subplots and character arcs are undeveloped, and the once-exciting love triangle feels repetitive.

Jeremiah’s character conflicts with the previous seasons’ iterations of him. His character arc is deeply frustrating, not just because of his actions but because the writing choices felt suddenly inconsistent, like they were manufactured to make the viewer dislike him. In the first two seasons, Jeremiah was the responsible caretaker for his family, managing medical bills and caring for relatives, yet in season three, his financial and academic responsibilities are a main focal piece. Similarly, his personality was outgoing, emotionally available, and supportive; he had character flaws, but they did not overtake his character. This season, his inferiority complex, selfishness, and immaturity came to the forefront. The four-year time jump doesn’t allow the audience to see his character progression, instead making the personality shift feel like an attack from the writers.

In comparison to the previous seasons, with season one conveying naive summer romance and new beginnings, contrasting season two’s more depressing feel while they handle grief and family tension, season three feels like a weak resolution. The promise of a continuation film may explain the lack of closure, but it is not an excuse. 

For example, “Sex and the City” was a TV show that eventually had a movie, yet the ending of season six didn’t feel unfinished. By contrast, many of the “TSITP” storylines felt drawn out in the beginning but rushed at the end, and fan theories went unresolved.

“The Summer I Turned Pretty,” the show that encapsulated summer escapism, may have satisfied the fans’ desire to see the story continue, but it failed to resolve three years of anticipation. 

While the show is categorized as Young Adult and initially had a mostly teen audience, according to the New York Times, the majority of the viewers are Millennials and Gen X, showing the show's main appeal: entertaining romantic drama. For me, the discussions and debates surrounding “The Summer I Turned Pretty” are more entertaining than the show itself. My final rating is 6.5. That being said, I will be sitting in the theater when the movie comes out.

By Anya Golden

The first Matrix movie explores themes of rebellion, reality, truth and the future. It dissects the unique human experience of our relationship with technology and our constant exposure to stimulation and distraction which leads us to accept what is in front of us for what it is. This film is not only thought-provoking but also aesthetically interesting. 

Only 40 out of the total 136 minutes in the film are spent in the “real world.” The other hour and 35 minutes are spent in the Matrix--a simulated reality created by AI. In the film, AI has been farming humans for energy after humans scorched the sky to prevent AI from harnessing solar power. One man was able to go in and out of the “real world” and the Matrix, so he started freeing people, leading hundreds out of the Matrix. After that man dies, one of the rebels, Morpheus, finds and frees Neo, who he believes is “the one” destined to save the world. 

Watching this movie is not only thought provoking but also aesthetically pleasing. The black trenchcoats of Neo and Morpheus and their beady black sunglasses are a trademark of the movie that you continue to associate them with. I appreciate the creative contrasts like the green saturation of the matrix with the blue saturation of the real world, or the AI agents’ suits and the rebels’ clothes made of black sleek fabric and leather. The sets are also eye-catching. The city in the Matrix and the hideouts in the real world are aged and crumbling, reminding me of other post apocalyptic movies.

I can not discuss this movie without mentioning its obvious inspiration from “Allegory of the Cave”,The 380 BCE philosophical passage written by Plato in Book VII which describes prisoners chained in a cave, mistaking shadows for reality, to illustrate the difficult journey from ignorance to knowledge.

The main character Neo goes throughout the world having an underlying sense that what is in front of him is not the full truth. Plato says that those who can become fully enlightened must already have a soul somewhat aware of truth, which Neo possesses. 

 His computer hacking skills allow him to bypass online barriers and disturb what is presented to the user, distorting the truth and reality in his own way. He also seeks out the rebel leader Morpheous, although as the viewer we are not exactly sure why, it can be assumed it is because he is

“What you know you can't explain, something wrong with the world but you do not know what it is. Like a splinter in your brain driving you mad.” Morpheus says to Neo before Neo chooses to escape the Matrix by taking a pill. 

When Morpheus says "Unfortunately no one can be told what the Matrix is, you have to see it for yourself,” it is similar to what Plato says about how enlightenment can not be taught but must be experienced. This is an archetype which continues as Morpheus will bring Neo places but tells him he has to make the choice to pursue what is presented to him. 

I also take the computer light that illuminates his face as he is in his apartment as the fire referred to by Plato--a mimic of the sun, or truth. Light comes back into play when his consciousness is transported from the Matrix to the real world and he is sucked out of his pod and into a body of water where a bright light is shone down onto him making it hard to see, before he ascends to where the rest of the rebels are. Further connecting to Plato's metaphor of not being able to fully see when one steps out of the cave, being blinded by the sun is when Neo's eyes hurt and Morpheus says it is because he has never used them.

I find the way that the AI agents view and describe humans is also interesting. They feel as though the farming of humans is just another step in evolution and that humans are inferior. When Morpheus is captured, an agent explains how when the Matrix was first designed it was a perfect and extremely happy world, but that no one would accept it and destruction arose. The agent views this as a human flaw, a weakness; but I believe differently. I dont think that humans want war or famine or genocide, but I do think that we find value in difficult shared experiences. Even more so, we subconsciously need to overcome challenges for improvement or change. A great example of this is how teachers will tell you it is important to fail because that is how you learn. 

Ultimately, this movie is very powerful because it encourages us to question our reality. It is not just about machines or presented realities, but about how we go about our own lives. This does not need to be in as extreme of a sense as breaking out the computer program and destroying AI but can be on simpler levels. For example, question your habits. Why do you have the opinions you do? Are your actions influenced by capitalism, social media, peers? Why do you not take more direct action in your beliefs? How do you register people's faces? What do you notice first? 

Just as Plato does, the Matrix makes you realize how many habits or beliefs you take as your own or as capital-T Truth, giving one a greater perspective on life.