Intersections Club participates in the Women’s March SI
IN
TE
RS
E
NS
CLU
B
W ED
AR
AD AS
DA N
AN
D
EM
M
A
A NC
—
US
AL
O
IT
PE
RM
IS
ON
OF
IO CT
CI
EP
IC
M
embers of Lynbrook’s social justice club, Intersections, attended the annual Women’s March in San Francisco, walking with thousands of others from the Bay Area hoping to have their voices heard. The procession of men, women and children marched the streets of San Francisco with heavy police escorts. The protestors held signs with slogans such as “Hella Feminist” and “Our Republic, Our Time to Resist.” Various communities under the umbrella of intersectional feminism, such as activists and members of LGBTQ, ethnic, religious and immigrant groups, all marched together. The March also featured various speakers including San Francisco Mayor London Breed, the �irst African-American woman to serve in this position, Rabi’a Keeble, founder of the Qalbu Maryam Women’s Mosque and Laura Millar, a disability and queer rights activist. In addition, many of those participating wore knitted pink hats, a symbol of the female resistance against Donald Trump’s past misogynistic comments most commonly associated with the March. The Women’s March �irst took place in 2017 in response to the election of Trump. The �irst of its single-day demonstrations was one of the largest in U.S. history, with 680 marches in total taking place nationwide. The March quickly gained momentum in its early stages due to widespread outrage at Trump’s election. Various controversial actions during his campaign, such as openly mocking disabled journalist Serge Kovaleski on live television, sparked apprehension among women and minorities about the future of social equality. Many worried about whether their voices would still be heard after Trump’s election, and the March was born to �ill such a need. Over the years, Intersections’ participation has evolved from simply attending the street demonstrations and listening to speakers at
H
BY ALARA DASDAN
“For the Intersections members Nikita Sehgal, Angelika Shakirova, m y rally Tiffany Tran and Rhea Anand pose with their club, it’s into a posters at the Women’s March. something personal I can do to get bonding event for people who have many members of the never been to a Women’s club, particularly the seniors in Intersections, who have attended multiple March before out into a March. It’s a way I can show my club, ‘This is how we’re getting previous Marches. “I think the March is a really effective way hands-on. We’re not just stuck in a classroom to communicate your ideas with other people in Lynbrook at lunch on a Friday, we’re and share in that activist environment,” said actually showing our activism elsewhere.’” The view that the March is a way to senior Natalie Semersky. Intersections members’ reasons for express activist opinions is not limited to Intersections members. Lynbrook staff who attending mirror those of local protestors. “It’s a way I can show support of things have attended along with the club have I believe in, like women’s rights, LGBTQ similar views to the students. “I think it’s just a way to express rights and things like that,” said senior and Intersections Vice President Rhea Anand. frustration with policies and things that
Shadow Day brings in middle school students BY MEI CORRICELLO
O
n Jan. 17, 50 eighth grade students participated in Lynbrook’s annual Shadow Day. The event was organized by Assistant Principal Eric Wong and led by Link Crew students to give prospective students a taste of Lynbrook before the coming school year. Throughout the day, shadowing students accompanied their guides through classes, breaks and other activities. ¨I think [Shadow Day] is a great opportunity for students to get a �lavor of Lynbrook,” Wong said. “Students like having the freedom to go to any class they want. I think the most valuable part is being able to see Lynbrook students in action.” Four years ago, FUHSD administrators decided to implement the Lynbrook Supplemental School Assignment Program (LSSAP) in an effort to address Lynbrook’s declining enrollment. The initiative grants all students from Miller Middle School and McAuliffe Middle School and 16 Hyde Middle School students to enroll at Lynbrook through an application process. To help parents make an informed
decision with their child, Wong and Principal Maria Jackson hosted an information session in the auditorium on Jan. 15. The meeting included a slideshow presentation about Lynbrook, featured current Lynbrook student speakers and dedicated time for questions from the audience. Lynbrook has hosted Shadow Day since 2017, offering prospective students the opportunity to see what Lynbrook has to offer and help them make the choice between attending Lynbrook and the school they are currently zoned for. “I make a point when I’m talking about incoming freshmen to remember to include these students coming from other middle schools,” Wong said. “Instead of saying ‘Miller middle-schoolers,’ I try to say ‘students from a few different middle schools.’” Before arriving, prospective students �illed out a survey expressing what they were interested in learning about. Based on that information, organizers sort students with common interests into groups of three, which were each led by two Link Crew Leaders. For example, a student who played soccer was paired with other student athletes. “Not only do [the students] get to see
the classrooms, but walking around during brunch and tutorial also allows them to experience Lynbrook culture before they make a decision,” said Link Crew Commissioner senior Amy Tse. After attending an introductory presentation where students received a preview of Lynbrook’s athletic, academic and performing arts programs, they began visiting classrooms and facilities to get a feel for the campus. Around 1 p.m., the students gathered in the auditorium for a debrief followed by a pizza lunch while ASB played music in the quad. “It’s great knowing where everything is already, and I’ll know recognize people already,” said Hyde student Elliot Bossetti. “The teachers were nice and funny, and it seems like a great environment.” Many shadowing students found the day a success. They were excited to step foot on a high school campus and enjoyed experiencing a day in the life of a Lynbrook student. “I think I will have a better understanding about how the school works, and I will have the connections I formed today,” said Miller student Nithila Rajan.
we can’t control,” said Spanish teacher Kim Revilla. “So for me, it’s kind of an outpouring of opinion from the public.” On the of�icial Women’s March website, they state that the March’s mission is “to harness the political power of diverse women and their communities to create transformative social change.” Although many participants believe that the event has made steps in such a direction, the March has garnered criticism in the past for its lack of accessibility to disabled protestors and being too centered on cis-gendered, straight, white feminism. “When we think of the word feminism, we like to think of it as intersectional feminism,” Anand said. “It doesn’t just include the basics like white, cisgender feminism. You have to include transgender women. You have to include the LGBTQ community and women of color.” Despite the controversy around those managing the Women’s March, the majority of protestors still see the movement’s potential. They are hopeful about the future and say that the March has already led to progress. Although they acknowledge that they have yet to see major concrete impacts, they believe that the March’s goal to spread awareness has already been working. “I think for me, like many other girls in my life, I’ve encountered some situations where I feel less than or just discriminated against in any way,” said senior Zahra Batlivala. “I feel like the March is putting it out there and raising awareness that this is happening and that there are so many things happening to women that are unacceptable. I feel like if I can do nothing else, at least raising awareness is something I can do.” Lynbrook Intersections members join the masses in the streets of San Francisco. The protestors maintain that hoping for the best will not �ix things. They believe that change can happen, however, through protests, picket signs and a common goal: equality. Loud, colorful and large, the San Francisco Women’s March was a roaring display of those who demand to have their voices heard.
WRESTLING // pg. 13 Team starts off the season strong