Features

By Kennedy Byrne

Vivarium is bringing a new kind of energy to Lincoln's courtyard through their music. The band hopes to create a more lively atmosphere where students can take a break from their school day and enjoy live music. 

“We wanted to bring some new life to the school's dull environment,” says Vincent Erausquin, the leader of the band.

Every Friday at lunch, Vincent Erausquin and Mark Guardado perform a mix of reggae and alternative rock in the courtyard between the New Building and the Breezeway. While Vincent plays guitar and sings lead vocals, Mark jams it out on the drums. Together, they bring something new and inviting to enjoy during lunch time, while giving the band a chance to share their music with the rest of the school.

Vivarium began in a seventh-period guitar class, where Guardado and Erausquin first met. The two didn't know each other before the class, until Erausquin overheard Mark talking about how he was better at playing the drums than the guitar. Since Erausquin had been looking for a drummer, he brought up the idea of starting a band together. 

As Guardado explained, “He offered to try practicing or just to jam out during lunch a little while after meeting him in guitar class.”

Shortly after school had started for the year, they started practicing at lunch. Since then, they have gotten closer and built a friendship through playing music together.

“Lincoln has a history of developing musicians…I support students playing during non-class time,” says Brendan Furey, an AP Psychology and AP World History teacher. 

Playing during lunch gives students the opportunity to enjoy their free time during lunch without interrupting class time. However, live music can also create too much noise for students looking for a quieter place for lunch.

“I really don’t like it because it's very loud…like it's just noise pollution,” a senior who has heard the band play said. The student explained that the music can be distracting, especially when students are trying to work on tests in the New Building. For some students, the music adds something fun to their lunch, while others prefer the courtyard to be quieter.

Although students have different opinions about the music, Vivarium is adding a new element to Lincoln’s lunchtime atmosphere. While the band keeps rocking out, they are also preparing for Lincoln’s talent show, in January, where they plan to perform a special cover of an Iron Maiden song. Their upcoming performance will give them another opportunity to share their love of music with a bigger audience.

By Jeffrey Sutardja

On Friday, September 25th at 6 a.m. around a hundred upperclassmen gathered on the football field to initiate Lincoln’s highly anticipated senior-exclusive bonding: Senior Sunrise.

The annual Senior Sunrise invites seniors to wake up early, converse, and engage with one another as the sun emerges from the horizon. However, a thick fog obscured this year’s sunrise.

Dante Chan, a senior at Abraham Lincoln High School, like others at the event, expresses disappointment at the weather but values the experience.

“It was more just the experience of going to school super early with my friends rather than the actual sunrise. But it would have been nice to see the sun actually rise instead of just bright, white fog,” he stated.

Since the event occurs so early, many are still exhausted. 

“When we [my friends and I] got there, we were all really tired,” said Ben Collins, another senior. He was at a sleepover the previous night. Despite living across from Lincoln, Collins still felt drained from having to wake up so early to attend the event.

Dozens of seniors arrived at the bleachers as early as 6 a.m. A sporadic few even huddled with blankets, while others consumed free donuts and hot coffee provided by the Associated Student Body. As the hazy sky gradually became more visible, masses of seniors shifted across the football field. Seniors participated in games such as cornhole, others energized the mood over accurate tosses, and the rest chatted for hours before leaving for school.

Seniors like Collins used Senior Sunrise as an opportunity to befriend peers they initially only recognized as classmates. 

“I wouldn’t say I met new people, but I met you [another student] there,” Collins explained. “We were just like classmates before, but you know, we’re more like friends now.”

The parachute game, one of the more popular activities of the day, involved students lifting a vibrant, parachute-like blanket and huddling at its edges. Then by trapping air under it, that allowed the parachute to maintain an umbrella-dome shape for over a minute.

“I haven’t been able to do that for three to four years, maybe six?” said Chan, who missed the game from his childhood. 

Other activities included playing soccer and football, performing cartwheels, and running track on the open field. ASB students designed various colorful signs, such as a license plate-themed sign and a photo frame, which students frequently sought out for photos.

After the event, a sizable number of students skipped their classes or napped; they felt exhausted from the event.

“I went to 1st through 4th period, and I took a nap during my last 2,” stated Collins.

Seniors like Chan and Collins suggested that the student experience could have improved if Senior Sunrise occurred at a location other than Lincoln and on a day with a sunnier forecast.

“Maybe have it on a day projected not to be foggy, so that it’d be warmer. Or like a central place where a lot of people could meet up,” proposed Collins.

“I’d probably pick something like the beach; the beach is way cooler on a sunrise rather than the track. Maybe Golden Gate Park,” expressed Chan. 

By Lucas Kaminski

Gina Jackson will be attending San Diego State University (SDSU), where she will be majoring in Television and Film Production. 

Jackson’s passion was sparked early on with her uncle, spending hours diving into his extensive catalog of movies, dissecting every film they watched together. She shares her favorite movie, “The Station Agent,” an American comedy-drama film. 

Jackson noted that SDSU’s Television and Film Production program is highly competitive, accepting only 42 students per year. Despite the challenges in the current state of the film industry, Jackson continues to remain positive about the future of cinema. 

“There’s a lot of talk about how Hollywood is dying, so I just hope that our generation can bring it back,” Jackson states. 

During her time at SDSU, she is most excited to collaborate with her classmates and build the technical skills necessary for her future career working on sets. Driven by curiosity for film and the mechanics of storytelling, Jackson is eager to gain hands-on experience and deeper knowledge of the industry. One of her primary goals is to strengthen her screenwriting skills, with her ultimate dream of seeing her original work on the big screen. She is currently putting her craft into action, developing a short film that captures the memories and unique scenery of San Francisco layered with commentary and dialogue. 

“It’s a very heartfelt and a little bit of an unusual movie,” Jackson says. 

For those wanting to follow a similar path, Jackson’s advice is to simply start creating. She emphasizes the importance of capturing footage of everything, no matter what it is, to keep the creativity alive and inspired. 

“You don’t need a fancy camera, either,”  Jackson adds. “Your phone is capable of many things.”

By Isabella Guan

“Oh my god, there are no girls in the class!” Charlie Yang, Abraham Lincoln High School’s Advanced Placement (AP) Physics teacher, expressed after realizing only a total of six girls were in his classes last year. The gender imbalance in STEM has been widely discussed and turns out to be extremely apparent in our school community. 

Currently, of all the students taking AP Physics and AP Computer Science Principles (AP CSP), less than one-third are girls. Elizabeth Bishop, the AP CSP teacher here at Lincoln, has a total of 15 girls out of 57 students in her two sections. Yang has 18 girls out of 65 students in his two sections.

Cecilia Hunter-Kallus, a current AP Physics student, was baffled at the gender difference. “There's a huge gender imbalance… I thought it was very jarring originally, because I've never really been in a class where there were so few girls.” 

Another AP Physics student, Angela Liang, thought the class would have even fewer girls because of the stereotypes about the vast imbalance of males and females. On the contrary, many boys in these classes haven’t noticed or feel unaffected by this observation.

“In general, there are a lot of statistics on just fewer women in physics…” Yang believes a cultural aspect is the cause of the lack of women in STEM. Traditionally, girls weren’t able to participate in math or physics, which created the perception that men are better in those subjects even though data shows that they have similar mathematical skills. 

Bishop agrees the lack of interest from girls in taking classes such as AP Physics and AP CSP is because of a cultural aspect. 

“I encourage all my geometry students, if they are interested, to take it. And many times girls will not be interested… We have some boys at the school who are committed to taking all AP math and science…. I don't see that trend as much with girls. I think a societal thing may make them think they may be more interested in computer science.” 

A common societal standard for guys is to excel in subjects like math and science, which might foster their drive to take more advanced courses compared to girls without that stereotype. 

Both teachers and female students voiced that this gender imbalance has created a nonideal atmosphere where girls might feel overshadowed. 

“I have seen in my classes when sometimes a female student will have the right idea, but maybe they’ll be less confident, and boys will totally steamroll over them,” Yang observed.

Additionally, many girls feel uncomfortable in class expressing themselves outwardly and asking for help. Because of the majority of boys, girls are often the only ones of the same gender in their group. 

“I would definitely prefer to have a more balanced class. I think it helps everyone learn better when the class is more balanced. I think it makes everyone more comfortable when… there’s not a dominant majority,” Bishop stated. 

That lack of diversity can and has discouraged girls. Liang can’t see themselves pursuing physics in the future.

 “I don’t think I could see myself in a subject with that… [male dominated] population.”

Steps have been taken to rewrite this majority in our school community by trying to encourage and promote advanced science classes to more girls. Gradual improvement is shown in AP CSP, which had a 2% increase in girls taking the class this year.

By Isadora Drace Van Houten

Being a new teacher is hard, especially when you’re replacing a teacher who had an amazing reputation. This has been the experience of Abraham Lincoln High School’s new music teacher, Patrick Thomas.  

Thomas joined Lincoln at the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year. He replaced Dustin Hart, Lincoln’s music teacher  since 2024. Thomas teaches multiple classes, including an orchestra and a band class, where students play at different skill levels. 

Although teaching high schoolers is a new experience for Thomas, he has been approaching it with excitement and a passion for music.

“[He] seemed like a really nice guy who shared the same passion in wanting to learn the many nuances of the craft of teaching,” says Robert Spector, a current substitute teacher for Lincoln’s Yearbook Class. 

Spector and Thomas first met during their time in the Single Subject Credential Program at SF State, where they were both studying for credentials under the Visual and Performing Arts umbrella. 

“I had spent a year investing a ton of time and energy into earning my teaching credential,” says Thomas. 

Thomas has a background as a rock and roll musician, while Lincoln’s music classes have in past years focused on classical music. 

Initially, some music students who were in Hart’s music program last year found Thomas’s classroom management style to be confusing compared to Hart’s, prompting some to switch electives.

But as the year has progressed, Thomas’s management style has improved.

“[Thomas] has definitely managed the class more, and there’s a better structure to it than there once was,” says junior Desmond Solomon, a former student of Hart’s and member of Lincoln's music program for three years.

Thomas values the input his students give him about the class. He understands that their experiences as music students at Lincoln are a fundamental part of the class. 

“If what I am doing isn't clicking with them, it is up to me to adjust what I'm doing and discover what makes it click,” says Thomas. He’s encouraged by the passion his students have brought to the class.

“Maybe the reason teaching can feel like such a heavy lift is that being a teacher means forming 150 relationships all at once, and putting as much care and attention as possible into each one. It's an impossible task when you think about it. But a teacher's duty is to try.”

By Kayla Guerra

For young people in San Francisco, having a voice in the city can mean more than simply voting or speaking at a public meeting. The San Francisco Youth Commission gives young people a role in advising city leaders on issues that affect the community.

The Youth Commission is an advisory board of 17 young San Franciscans between the ages of 12 and 23. Commission members advise the mayor and the Board of Supervisors on policies, laws, budgets, and other issues involving San Francisco youth.

The commission can also review proposed legislation that primarily affects young people and provide recommendations for the Board of Supervisors before a final decision is made. Commissioners also identify concerns among San Francisco youth and bring attention to issues affecting their schools and communities. 

“...the Youth Commission is charged with ‘identifying the unmet needs’ of San Francisco's children and youth through a variety of methods.” explains the SF Youth Commission Interim Director, Joy Zhan.

The commission has worked on several issues affecting young people across San Francisco. According to Zhan, some of its ongoing priorities include the Free Muni for Youth program, Vote16, an initiative to lower the voting age to 16 on municipal elections,  mental health support in schools, and having youth employment opportunities with programs such as Opportunities for All, YouthWorks, and MYEEP. These efforts address concerns that can affect students’ access to transportation, mental health support, and employment opportunities 

But recently, the Youth Commission received attention for a different reason.

Mayor Daniel Lurie appointed six new members to the 17-member commission. All six of his appointees attend private schools, raising concerns about whether the experiences and interests of public school students were being equally represented.

According to the “Mission Local”, “About 70 percent of San Francisco students go to public schools,” yet all six mayor’s new appointees attend private schools. The “Mission Local” also reported that records dating back to 2016-17 showed that no previous mayor had appointed only private school students to the commission.  

The mayor’s office later apologized in a statement posted to an SFUSD Facebook group, saying, “Going forward, we will be more intentional about ensuring SFUSD representation across our commissions, reflecting our deep commitment to our partnership with the SFUSD community.” 

The debate over the appointees also raises questions about what meaningful representation looks like. Zhan explained that meaningful representation should reflect the diversity of San Francisco’s youth, including differences in socioeconomic status, gender, race, ethnicity, and religion. This raises questions about how the commission can ensure that students from different school environments have their experiences and concerns heard. 

The commission gathers feedback about these concerns through community events, school visits, and youth forums. According to Zhan, commissioners also plan to hold youth forums in each of San Francisco’s 11 districts to learn about young people’s perspectives and priorities, and gather their feedback. 

“As a result, the Commissioners meet regularly with their appointing offices, elected officials, and legislative aides to ensure each office is informed about Youth Commission priorities and activities.” explains Zhan.

Despite the attention being brought to the mayor’s appointees, the Youth Commission still serves its original purpose: giving young people a place in city government allowing them to voice their concerns in the city.