The Lowell Newsmagazine February 2017

Lowell The

February 2017

DECISIONS ARE MADE BY THOSE WHO SHOW UP

Lowell FEBRUARY 2017 The

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“IN BUILD SEASON, FOR ME, I LEARNED HOW MUCH I REALLY LOVE ENGINEERING.” “WHERE WE GET OUR INFORMATION CREATES A SLANT ON THE WAY WE VIEW THE WORLD.” “MY MOM WAS HEALTHY AND ANY PAINS WERE JUST FROM AGING — OR AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT WE THOUGHT.” “HE’D BE LUCKY TO GET A GREEN CARD BEFORE HE DIES.”

“I WAS FRUSTRATED; I FELT LIKE IF I AND OTHER TEENS HAD BEEN ABLE TO VOTE, DONALD TRUMP WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN ELECTED.” “I WAS COUNTING ON MY LAST YEAR TO COMPETE AND I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO IT AND INVITING PEOPLE. NOW WE DON’T HAVE THAT CHANCE.”

COVER ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH COSSELMON

MORE ON THELOWELL.ORG

INSIDE

ESTHER POSILLICO

WATCH: CARDINALBOTICS P

MEET THE TEACHERS: NEW STAFF ON CAMPUS

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES LOWELL LIBRARY 2.0: Staff weeds one-third of book collection to make room for study area and future tech

by Emily Sobelman

WATCH: CONGRESSWOMAN JACKIE SPEIER in exclusive interview shares thoughts on Trump, sexual assault in the military and running as a woman

by Shyla

Duong, Kenny Dzib, Jacky Huang and Ian Wang

VARS GIRLS’ BASKETBALL CELEBRATE graduating seniors in 67-30 win over the Lions

PUTS ROOKIES TO THE TEST

JACKY HUANG

by Ian Wang

CARDINALS SOAR past the Galileo Lions 5–0

by

Michelle Kim

JACKY HUANG JACKY HUANG

ALUMNI BRING INSIGHTS ON RACE AND LIFE AT LOWELL AS PART OF PEER RESOURCES CAMPAIGN FOR INCLUSION

Lowell The

Editors-in-Chief

ophir cohen-simayof cynthia leung rachael schmidt

News Editors

rachael schmidt emily teng sophia wu

Sports Editors

cynthia leung adrian hung

Opinion Editors

ophir cohen-simayof olivia starr

Multimedia & Photo Editors

leonard caoili tobi kawanami ciara kosai

Art Manager Illustrator Reporters

emily teng hannah cosselmon kaya brown tiffany chan mia deno allison dummel yolanda feng giping huang michelle kim sarah magen ella murdock gardner aaron nguyen zahra rothschild emily sobelman olivia sohn tammie tam ian wang susan wong sofia woo jocelyn xie

Photographers

leonard caoili jennifer cheung shyla duong kenny dzib kelley grade chris hackett jacky huang christina johnson esther posillico

Business Managers

sherissa go shania lee aaron liang jacquline ruan

Head of Research Web Designer

maximilian tiao alyssa young

Adviser

samuel williams

Awards

2014 nspa online pacemaker 2012 nspa print pacemaker 2011 nspa all-american

2011 nspa online pacemaker 2009 nspa first class honors 2007 nspa all-american

2007 nspa web pacemaker 2007 cspa gold crown

EDITORIAL We should replace the current diversity training PD program

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s part of the current effort to combat racial disparities at Lowell, faculty members are participating in monthly two-hour Equity-Centered Professional Development (PD) meetings hosted by the San Francisco Coalition of Essential Small Schools (SF-CESS), who intends the program to last for four years.

Some Lowell teachers, who had been trained by SF-CESS, suggested the program to the administration after the Black Student Union walkout in February 2016, according to assistant principal Dacotah Swett. Administrators did not consider another program, as SF-CESS already had a contract with SFUSD, according to principal Andrew Ishibashi.

With the mixed results of the program, the cost, and the lack of transparency, we believe that SF-CESS PD training is not worth continuing and instead the school should consider alternative diversity training programs.

Administrators plan to continue the PD meetings next year, but the school has not yet committed to paying for SF-CESS after this year, because it will depend on the School Site Council budget, according to Ishibashi. The school would need to pay $113,000 each year to hold these PD meetings.

This year, the school was able to pay for the meetings because there was a surplus from higher-than-anticipated freshman enrollment. SFUSD agreed to pay $40,000, and the remaining $73,000 came from the school’s budget.

But the budget for next year is uncertain, and a proposed budget won’t be available until later this spring, according to School Site Council chair Tom Chambers.

The budget will depend on costs, enrollment and other factors.

For all four years, the school would have to pay a total of $452,000.

How well is the program working?

Last October, several teachers filed

complaints about the PD meetings to the teachers’ union. A Union Building Committee survey showed that 83 percent of the staff agreed with the objectives of the meetings, but just 30 percent considered the meetings necessary and timely. Over half of the staff said they felt that 30-minute classes are too short and would prefer an alternate schedule for the meetings.

Another problem teachers mentioned was lack of student involvement in the meetings. In response, SF-CESS created a group of 20 students from sports teams and cultural clubs, student government and Peer Resources. The student meetings are separate from the teachers but closely aligned with the curriculum the teachers are going through. The students are preparing to sit in on the teacher meetings, possibly in the next year, according to junior Savinnie Ho, who participates in the student group.

In the five meetings held so far since the survey, there have been mixed opinions from teachers, according to Swett.

After every PD meeting, SF-CESS collects written reflections from teachers who attended the meeting, according to Swett.

Then, SF-CESS analyzes the information, consolidates it and sends it out to Lowell’s administration. The administration does not see the raw data from the teacher reflections. According to the summary of the reflection analysis for the meeting on Feb. 6, seen by editors of The Lowell, most teachers tended to praise the program, while outliers tended to criticize the program.

A few sample quotes from the reflections include a teacher saying “I wish topics were more action oriented and focused on actual Lowell issues.” Another said they wish they had “time to chat with colleagues and hear their perspectives.”

In The Lowell’s own investigation, we found that some teachers say that so far, the focus has been on communication See SF-CESS on pg 29

The Lowell is published by the journalism classes of Lowell High School w All contents copyright Lowell High School journalism classes w All rights reserved w The Lowell strives to inform the public and to use its opinion sections as open forums for debate w All unsigned editorials are opinions of the staff w The Lowell welcomes comments on school-related issues from students, faculty and community members w Send letters to the editors to thelowellnews@ gmail.com w Names will be withheld upon request w We reserve the right to edit letters before publication w The Lowell is a student-run publication distributed to thousands of readers including students, parents, teachers and alumni w All advertisement profits fund our newsmagazine issues w To advertise online or in print, email thelowellads@yahoo.com w Contact us w Lowell High School Attn: The Lowell journalism classes w 1101 Eucalyptus Drive w San Francisco, CA 94132 w 415-759-2730 w thelowellnews@gmail.com

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v The Lowell February 2017

TO THE EDITORS

CARTOON

FROM THE EDITOR

Behind the cover: Teens should be more politically aware and active Dear The Lowell readers, The outcome of the 2016 presidential election sparked protests nationwide. Lowell students, along with other students from around the city, participated in these protests. When asked why they marched on Nov. 9, 2016, a typical answer was that they felt they didn’t get a voice in this election.

But do students really not have a voice in politics or government?

In this issue’s cover story, we decided to share the experiences of students who were involved in the 2016 election and other political positions. Their stories and accomplishments provide an answer to the question above: Yes. From the soda tax campagin to the Donald Trump campaign, from Youth Commissioners to district supervisors interns, these students prove that young people can have an active role in shaping government and politics, even if they aren’t old enough to vote.

Sofia Woo — one of the story’s reporters — was also inspired by these active students. She told us that “finding out about people

my age who could actually make a difference in their community was really amazing to learn about.” The story’s other reporter, Sarah Magen, took an interest in this story after the election, when she observed “how emotionally invested people were and how emotionally invested it made [her].”

We also made sure to include voices from students across the political spectrum. Our point: no matter where you fall on the spectrum, make sure you get involved.

As we head into the next four years, we must keep in mind that “decisions are made by those who show up,” a quote we stumbled upon while watching The West Wing. As the future leaders of the world, young people need to actually show up. It is essential that we understand the full story about current issues and remember how we arrive at certain conclusions in order to make informed decisions.

This is the time to take initiative and share our voices.

Editors-in-Chiefs, Ophir Cohen-Simayof, Cynthia Leung, Rachael Schmidt

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THE MISSFITS T City’s first all-girls robotics team takes on a male-dominated field

By Jocelyn Xie

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HE TEAM GATHERED AROUND THE FIELD as all the eyes in the room followed the movement of the 90-inch autonomous robot. It had retrieved the boulders, breached through opponent’s defenses and now arrived in front of the 7 ft tower. Everyone held their breath as the robot angled its best shot toward the castle. Behind the shields of the drive station, senior Anya Jensen was immersed in maneuvering the controls and speedily analyzing the team’s strategies. As the boulder flew through the target window, the light strips illuminating the castle immediately darkened, signalling the team’s victory.

This scene from the 2016 For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FRIST) Robotics Competition marked another milestone of the drive team, where they had successfully advanced into the championship. Although the gender gap in engineering persists, at Lowell’s CardinalBotics, the ratio between male and female students is close to even. Among the group of girls, Jensen, the former public relations vice president of the CardinalBotics, was moved by the idea of carrying this positive change out to the entire

JACKY HUANG

TOP: Senior and Missfits creator Anya Jensen works at a laptop LEFT: Convent freshman Zoe Hinks operates a bandsaw.

LEONARD CAOILI

city. Starting an all-girls robotics team, Jensen believes, will inspire more young girls from the Bay Area to confront their true passion of STEM. In August 2016, after a summer of planning and organizing, Jensen founded The Missfits, the first all-girls robotics team ever in San Francisco.

All along the process, The Missfits encountered a series of problems. Money was one of their topmost concerns. From the $6,000 registration fee as a FIRST Robotics Competition team to toolkit purchases and other expenses, Jensen was constantly in search of a steady supply for funding. She acquired support from sponsors including MKThink and GoldieBlox, a children’s multimedia company. The companies share a similar goal with Jensen — empowering girls to pursue a future in STEM. She also applied to various rookie grants that target applicants from new-founded teams like The Missfits.

Jensen was able to recruit 22 high school girls from around the city to join the team by posting on social media, sending out massive amounts of emails, passing flyers around in the neighborhoods, and giving presentations at schools. With

no previous experience required, the team aims to “create an open environment for girls to learn,” according to Jensen.

Jensen and other professional mentors hold bi-weekly workshops where they guide The Missfits into the exploration of robot building. During these workshops, senior Christine Sam has improved her skills in drilling and other aspects of engineering. Without any experience in mechanical work, Sam’s worry and discomfort were soon relieved with Jensen’s help and explanations. “There’s so many tools that I’ve never used,” Sam said. “But I’m learning how to adapt to them and using the easiest methods to construct a robot.”

This coming March, The Missfits will participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) San Francisco Regional competition where they will compete against the other 34 teams for qualification into the FIRST Championship. Currently, a six-week build season is underway. The team meets every day to build, program and practice with the robot. This period of time is not only a chance to cultivate team collaboration, but also a way for the members to develop their individuality. During the construction, each member focuses on a particular area they are most passionate about. “In build season, for me, I learned how much I really love engineering,” Jensen said. “I want these girls to have that chance to get that feeling too.”

Jensen felt very fortunate to grow up with a lot of different opportunities that exposed her to engineering, a field with less than 20% of female undergraduates enrolled in. Though there exists a combination of different factors, mental blocks have been a deterrent. “Because you are the only girl there, there is more pressure for you,” referee of FRC Melissa Smith said.

“Having something like a robotics team helps break down the mysteries of engineering and teaches young people, especially girls, to project their needs and to go against the setup of our culture.” v

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THE DECISI

STUD GETT INVO I POLI

BY SOF AND SAR

ION MAKERS

DENTS TING OLVED IN ITICS

FIA WOO RAH MAGEN HANNAH COSSELMON

COVER STORY

“T

rump is the epitome of the American Dream,” senior Allan Lei said. This opinion is not something that the average Lowell student would say. But Lei is not the typical Lowellite. Lei was the Northern California Millennial Lead of the Donald Trump campaign. He coordinated walks and went door-to-door canvassing during the primary and general elections in California and Pennsylvania.

Although his opinions are different from many at Lowell, Lei is not afraid to voice his opinions, but rather takes advantage of the fact that he is in the minority to further emphasize his views. “I get criticism from a lot of the school,” he said. “People call you out for being racist, homophobic, xenophobic.”

Lei believes that some of his peers have been “brainwashed by the liberal media” and by the “education system that’s very liberal in and of itself, so they don’t see the other side [of the debate].” But Lei said he feels like it’s a good thing because as a conservative who is exposed to liberal ideas all the time, he has something to discuss with others.

The outcome of the 2016 presidential election has proved that the American political climate is changing. Around the Senior Andrew Poli Volunteer, Prop. V

CIARA KOSAI

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Senior James Sutton Intern, Sup. Mark Farrell

TOBI KAWANAMI

country people are protesting and voicing their opinions across all platforms with the recent nationwide actions concerning Trump’s policies on immigration, in which he banned entry into the U.S. of people from seven Muslim-majority countries.

The debate over education has also erupted in the wake of Trump appointing Betsy DeVos as the Secretary of Education, who has repeatedly denounced public schools.

Other issues such as conflicts of interest, claims of voter fraud without evidence, the national security staffing problem, and border control will affect a large scale of Americans and people worldwide.

The Lowell conducted a survey on Jan. 25, after the inauguration of the new president, to better understand what influences students’ political opinions, where they identify themselves on the political spectrum and how involved in politics they are. The survey polled two registries from each grade.

Where do Lowell students tend to fall on the political spectrum?

Forty-five percent of students identified as liberal or liberal moderateleaning. Ten percent identified as moderate. Four percent identified as conservative or conservative moderate-leaning while 33 percent of students answered “don’t know”.

In what ways have Lowell students been involved in politics since starting high school? Twenty-one percent said they had attended a

campaign rally or protest, and 12 percent said that they had volunteered for a campaign (such as phone banking, canvassing, etc.) However, 69 percent of students answered that they have not been involved in politics since starting high school.

When asked if students intended to be involved in politics in the next year, only 35 percent said that they intend while 50 percent answered “neutral” and 16 percent disagreed.

Students getting involved Lei’s involvement in the 2016 presidential race began with working on Republican candidate Ben Carson’s campaign. After Carson dropped out and Trump accepted the nomination, an employee who had worked on Carson’s campaign with Lei gave him a position on Trump’s. During the primaries and general election, Lei would go around the Bay Area to coordinate precinct walks, organize rallies and promote Trump. “We were given specific doors to knock on that were registered Republican because it’s mostly to get out the vote,” Lei said. “Some people aren’t motivated enough to vote for [Trump] so we have to remind them.”

Lowell students’ political engagement is not only limited to national campaigns.

They are involved in local causes, such as interning with district supervisors, working on local campaigns, and taking on positions on the city’s Youth Commission and the school district’s school district’s Student Advisory Council.

Senior James Sutton was introduced to

politics at a young age. With his father being an election lawyer, Sutton would frequently go to rallies and see his father’s clients. His interest in politics accelerated in middle school when he started to follow the news. In high school, he has interned for San Francisco District 2 Supervisor Mark Farrell for two summers. Sutton answered phones calls, dealt with constituents and wrote newsletters. But his political interests have reached beyond internships. He is currently on the youth committee campaigning to redo the tennis courts at Golden Gate Park, fundraising and getting the campaign through the planning commission.

Senior Jessica Eng, Class of 2017 president, is a student delegate of the SFUSD Student Advisory Council. As a student delegate, she sits in the Board of Education as an advisor about the opinions of the students. Last year, Eng joined the Vote16 campaign, also known as Prop. F, which championed giving 16- and 17- year-olds the right to vote in city, county and school board elections. She joined because of her strong opinions on the city concerning gentrification. The “Vote16 was one way for me to show the city that youth have opinions that matter,” Eng said.

On Vote16, one of the campaign’s goals was to introduce civics education at a younger age in school curriculums.

Eng attended a youth voter forum where they discussed ways to promote civics in schools. Although Prop.

F failed, the campaign received a significant amount of backing from the San Francisco Board of Education.

Sophomore Joshua Park also worked on the Vote16 campaign, as media director. He joined the Youth Commission, where he eventually became chair of the Civic Engagement Committee. The Youth Commission consists of 17 young San Franciscans who work on city policy issues, such as budgeting priorities and other goals that they want to pursue to help young people in the city.

Being in the Youth Commission and the Vote16 campaign has allowed Park to grow his leadership experience.

“I wouldn’t really call it politics,” Park said. “For me it’s just advocacy, just learning about different things

in my community.” Currently, there is a project called L Rapid, which is updating the L Taraval MUNI line by getting rid of certain stops and trying to make it safer for pedestrians in the hopes of completing Vision Zero, SFMTA’s goal to eliminate all fatal pedestrian accidents by 2024. But this will require removing parking spaces, creating problems for businesses on Taraval street and a political conflict.

“I think it’s kind of crazy that people don’t know about this line,” he said.

Park hopes his experience with civic engagement will inspire others to take action and be aware of their community.

During the election, senior Harrison Linder became involved in a local campaign, Prop. V, through his friend’s dad who connected him with the leaders of the campaign. Prop. V, also called the “soda tax,” advocated for taxing all sugary beverages at a rate of one cent per ounce in San Francisco.

The proposition, which passed, was opposed by The American Beverage Association, who labeled it a “grocery tax.”

Linder worked as a community organizer by canvassing — soliciting votes — and finding out how people vote and doing surveys for Prop. V. On the campaign trail, Linder went around Noe Valley going door to door or calling voters on the phone. “You want people to be aware of your cause and you want them to vote for your cause,” he said.

Linder believes that youth involvement in politics is crucial to make a change in society. For him, campaigning has made lasting impressions on his views towards the political system. “It was definitely an eye-opening experience to see how it all goes down, and to see how a campaign functions,” he said.

Influences on students’ politics These students were already informed and passionate about issues, but how do students learn about politics? What influences their opinions?

In The Lowell’s Jan. 25 survey, family was the biggest influencer at 28 percent, followed by social media at 15 percent, and friends at 14 percent.

Senior Bryanna Shu Outreach, Prop. 55

JENNIFER CHEUNG

“YOU WANT PEOPLE TO BE AWARE OF YOUR CAUSE AND YOU WANT THEM TO VOTE FOR YOUR CAUSE.”

Senior Harrison Linder Community Organizer, Prop. V

KELLEY GRADE

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COVER STORY Senior Brian Ngo Master of Ceremonies, Prop. 55

LEONARD CAOILI

“THAT POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION COMES FROM THE HOME.” Senior Jessica Eng Media Leader, Prop. F

CHRIS HACKETT

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Two percent said that teachers influenced them the most and another two percent said social studies and history classes.

Not only did 28 percent of students say that family was their biggest political influence, 69 percent selected “family” as one of the factors that influences their political views. Why is family the biggest influence?

When AP Government teacher William Sloan turned 18, he couldn’t wait to vote because his parents, who were activists, constantly encouraged him to be politically involved, especially in Democratic issues. “I remember my mother saying that when I register, write down Democrat,” he said. “I thought about it, and looked at the other political affiliations and what I understood their position on the issues at hand were, I thought about what we did, in terms of those same issues and candidates running for office, the Democrats beliefs and values were more consistent with my political exposure. I register as a Democrat.”

Now, as a parent, Sloan makes sure to bring political discussions to the dinner table. “That political socialization comes from the home,” he said. “It has transferred to my sons, they were taught to know the issues and vote responsibly.

They too are involved, attend rallies and vote consistently.”

Sutton too was exposed to politics at a young age because of parents’ influence.

When he was four years-old, he met Kamala Harris, who is now the US senator from California. Later, his father took him to political gatherings and fundraisers, where he got to meet other clients, like Gavin Newsom, who is now Lieutenant Governor of California.

His father has also influenced the way Sutton approaches politics, such as being skeptical when looking at either side of an argument. In seventh grade, he found out that SFUSD was planning to cut the honors track from public schools to promote equity. “Everyone was for this, because no one wants to oppose equity,” he said. “But my dad took a step back and said, ‘Wait a second, let’s look at this. It looks like we’re picking on the high-achieving kids.’”

Family also plays an essential role for Lei. Lei grew up with “legal Chinese immigrant” parents, who brought their traditional values with them from China

to America. From fiscal policy to social issues, the Lei family consider themselves loyal Republicans. Whenever Lei talks to his parents about politics or listens to their commentary on the news, he tends to agree with almost everything they say.

Lei’s parents taught him that, “The money you earn is the money you keep,” he said. “That’s why I consider myself a fiscal conservative and why I am against high taxes.”

Lei recalls his father comparing the low property taxes in China to the higher property taxes in San Francisco.

On income tax, his dad told him that he believes it’s unfair that “the more you work, the more taxes you have to pay in America,” Lei said.

Media also plays a huge role in influencing political opinions. Over the summer, Lei formed his opinions of Trump by watching conservative political commentator Sean Hannity on Fox News constantly promote him.

In the survey, The Lowell asked students which media sources they regularly receive news from. CNN, a moderate news source, was the most popular source at 47 percent. The New York Times, a more liberal news source, came second at 35 percent, followed by the SF Chronicle and SFGate at 27 percent and Fox News, a conservative news outlet at 26 percent.

Ten percent said that they do not follow the news.

With the increasing accessibility of social media and the internet, 66 percent of students said they receive news from sources that are exclusively online, with 32 percent following Buzzfeed, four percent Al Jazeera, eight percent Yahoo!

News and less than one percent Breitbart.

In the survey, 22 percent also said that they get their news online but do not know the names of the sources. After the recent conflicts over “fake news” influencing the presidential election, students’ lack of awareness of where they receive their news is a pressing issue.

Last month, lawmakers in California introduced Senate Bill 135 in reaction to the explosion of fake news. The bill would add media literacy training to social science standards for first through twelfth grades and distinguish which news stories are credible, according to The Sacramento Bee.

School and civics education Media literacy is an essential part of civics education. But how much does school actually influence students’ politics? According to the survey, only about four percent of all students surveyed said that teachers or social science classes influenced their political opinions the most.

Seeing this low percentage, could schools do more?

The school district requires seniors to pass one semester of American Democracy to graduate. The current California state standards for the class require that the course pursue a deeper understanding of the American government by studying relationships between branches of government, the fundamental components of a civil society, such as individual rights, and the influence of media on American politics. These standards state that their objective is to prepare students for future civic engagement.

At Lowell, seniors can take not only American Democracy, but also AP Government, which includes Comparative Government and U.S. Government and Politics.

Does taking these civics classes as seniors affect their engagement in politics? It might be because they are already or almost eligible to vote. But in the survey, on the question of political involvement, 47 percent of seniors answered that they have not ww-

Senior Allan Lei NorCal Millennial Lead, Trump campaign

LEONARD CAOILI

been involved in politics since starting high school, in contrast to 76 percent of juniors, 73 percent of sophomores and 73 percent of freshman.

Understanding current events Since Trump’s election, schools across the country are experiencing an influx of civic engagement for the first time in years, according to the New York Times. Civics teachers at Lowell are starting to notice that

their students are more interested in class. their students are more interested in class.

American Democracy teacher Lauretta Komlos’ class has frequent current events discussions on subjects like the effects of Obamacare and the influence of fake news in the recent election.

Komlos has noticed a newfound interest and motivation concerning politics in more of her students — especially amongst young See POLITICS on pg. 28

Infographic by Maximilian Tiao

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COPING

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COLUMN My mother has breast cancer. How love, support and awareness help me cope

By Zahra Rothschild

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LL THROUGHOUT MY LIFE, my mother has been one of my best friends and a guiding light for me. She has inspired me to travel, look for adventures and appreciate new experiences. She is a teacher with a perfect balance of compassion and power. She has taught me to never be ashamed when I needed someone to talk to. And, she has always helped me sort my troubles out.

She has inspired me to take care of myself, and treat my body the way it deserves to be treated.

A few months ago, I came home one night to find my parents sitting in the living room. They had distraught looks on their faces when I walked in and sat down. I knew what was going on from the way the air felt in the room, but I lied to myself about it. I couldn’t face the facts — I knew the results had come back from the test she had taken at the doctor’s. And I knew that they were positive.

My mom has breast cancer. It’s really hard to think about because I never thought it was possible.

She had medical tests, scares from Internet searches and possible explanations for pains and aches, but the tests had always come up negative. My mom was healthy and any pains were just from aging — or at least that’s what we thought.

I knew how I was supposed to feel about this news: I was supposed to be sad; duh. But I somehow felt nothing but relief at finally knowing what was wrong with my mother.

She told my family she was suspicious of a tumor in her breast earlier in the week after noticing a lump. Since then, worries about my mother’s health hadn’t left the back of my mind. I went to my room and shoved my face into a pillow and pushed, trying to force something out of myself: maybe a sob, or a scream. All I got was a mouth full of fabric and a dry tongue. I went to bed that night in a state of numbness.

Within the next few weeks, a lot changed.

None of my family knew what was really coming and how it would affect our family.

As much as she looked “cancer” up on the Internet and borrowed big fat pink books about cancer, my mom didn’t really seem to

be sure either. I wasn’t terrified. I didn’t even feel that bad. Physically, she seemed the same, and she still did a lot of the things she did normally. Yet a multitude of calls poured in from friends and family telling me if I ever needed anything, they were there for me, and that I should just fly over to them and visit. They would tell me, “It’s going to be tough but then it will be over.” People would tell my mother “You’re about to live through hell” and “You’re going to feel like after you get a cut and it’s really itchy,” referring to her skin after her mastectomy (when she would get the tumors removed from her breasts). They said, “Your mama is going to be okay.” At that point, I didn’t realize how long this cancer would be a part of our lives because I didn’t understand the severity of even one small tumor. I also didn’t realize

pottery, and have a dance party with everyone. We also had a debate about the healing power of crystals, which she had developed interest in from talking with friends. I was skeptical.

Although we didn’t end up going on any trips to Joshua Tree, one thing that did end up happening was the dance party. Family friends kept approaching me, telling me they were here for me, and I realized how much support I had around me. I was so relieved to see how many people cared about the well being of my mother and my family. But, I still wondered how I could use it. It seemed strange to call people up and talk about something that felt so personal. Although the party was incredibly fun and all my mother probably hoped for, this was when I first forced myself to internalize what was going on. Before this, I understood that there were people around me who would do all they could to take care of my mother and me, but I didn’t understand the depth and the quantity of support we had. I had felt numb, like I had shut out any feelings of fear that could’ve come from this.

I didn’t take it in when people offered their support.

And I still do feel like this. I still don’t fully know where I stand on my mother’s cancer, even though I’ve had so much time to process and think about what is going on, I basically refuse to. It’s not easy to keep living life like it’s normal with cancer plaguing your home. Listening to my mother cry and my family fight as I try to continue to take on a Lowell-sized workload often leads to sleepless nights and my feelings pushed down like the espresso in a coffee machine.

I know that when you pack it too hard, it explodes and the coffee turns out terrible.

That’s what I’m afraid of, losing control of my emotions and not being able to continue living the way I do. And somehow, I’m also scared that I’ll never lose it, that I don’t even have any feelings to let take their toll, and I am emotionless and gray.

After the dance party, my family began to wait for the surgery. Every moment there was

There were some good days and some bad days: but every day was a cancer day. that the cancer could be anywhere in her body and was virtually undetectable.

I appreciated all the new food in the fridge brought by nice moms and not having to worry about lunch for a while. But, I often felt like I didn’t have my mother there with me. She was somewhere else, even when she was right next to me. Her mind was always on cancer. She had cancer. She was getting surgery and possibly chemotherapy, and how could I be so selfish to try to talk about myself so much?

For a while, it was weird to talk to her like life was normal. One day, when we were driving in the car up Monterey, my mom told me she was done feeling sorry for herself. She had a list of things that she wanted to do before her mastectomy, because she knew that she wouldn’t be able to do them while she was recovering. She wanted to go to Joshua Tree where we had good memories from past trips, see the open studios in Sebastopol where we enjoyed looking at

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dread floating through the air — a mysterious, fearful entity hovering and waiting to punch us in the face. My frightened mom would break down and cry at any time and any place: in the Goodwill, on the beach, in the kitchen, in the car. I felt like my mother and this huge chunk of my life had been taken from me, and without my mom there, I was afraid I’d fall apart.

When the day came, it was terrifying to think of what was happening to her. In my mind she was unconscious, under some medical team cutting off parts of her body.

My grandmother flew out to take care of my mom and my family throughout the surgery and the weeks of recovery, promising to not leave until my mom was up and running, which seemed ironic to me. All her life, my grandmother had taken care of my mom, and even now she continued. It was strange to think about my mom’s mother and daughter taking care of her simultaneously.

My dad, who was always soldiering forward, thought it was ridiculous when my grandmother spoon-fed her like a baby, but my mother loved it. I remember what it was like to visit her in the hospital after her surgery. She had flowers everywhere and was exhausted. Her eyes had dark purple bags and she could barely move. It was weird.

But I also liked visiting her after the surgery because of the free Popsicles and Jell-O, and because it was better to see her at a time when she seemed carefree, probably because of the various drugs she was on. But I was also unprepared to see her in a state where she could barely walk and her left arm didn’t work at all.

But I finally had to let it seep in — my mother actually had cancer, and that meant uncertainty and pain was in the future for all of us in my family. There were some good days and some bad days, but every day was a cancer day. My mother, constantly drugged, sat in the house, watching TV and having friends over. She no longer worked, and I no longer heard her wonder aloud about what she should teach tomorrow. It was these little things that made it seem almost like the cancer had swallowed her up. I felt somehow tied to home. It was a part of my job now to take care of her. There were often times when I wished I could just stay at someone else’s house, a friend maybe, and not have to think about this. I definitely underestimated how difficult it would be during her recovery period. My mother had always been so strong

physically and mentally, and I wasn’t strong enough to be there for her.

I know that there’s a lot more stuff coming at us from behind corners. MRI’s and scans of all kinds seem to contradict things they had previously indicated. This made us constantly wonder who and what information to trust. That’s what I think is so frightening: not knowing what will happen in the future and not really knowing what’s happening now.

As of right now, things are moving slowly.

My mom is recovering and spending hours upon hours watching Spanish television. I come home, put my bag down, sit, and watch.

Not unlike how it was before, but still definitely not the same. When my mom stands up to use the bathroom, everyone gets up to help her. People come over and chat with her about her cancer and their own experiences with it. It’s shocking just how common it is.

Sometimes I can’t take it so I run upstairs to my sisters room, put on headphones and read a book.

During that conversation in the car, my mom had the idea for this column. She told

At our age, in high school, we are not at high risk for getting cancer, according to Breastcancer.org. Still, it’s very important that you are aware of where you stand in relation to breast cancer. I have an increased risk because my mother has a mutation in her genes that causes cancer. When I’m old enough, I will get tested to see if I also do.

According to the American Cancer Society, 10–15% of cancer is hereditary. Ask if you have a family history of cancer, if anyone in your family has, keep in mind that this could put you at an increased risk.

If you don’t know how to conduct a self-examination, learn. You can look it up on the internet, and look for sites like Nationalbreastcancer.org or Breastcancer.org. These self-examinations can’t always detect a tumor, but knowing how to do them is important, incredibly so. After you turn twenty five, you should get clinical examinations once a year. I’ve learned that you need to know how to take care of yourself, and the only thing you can do for yourself to catch cancer at an early stage is to be vigilant. The second you let it slip your mind or decide it is not important, you are putting yourself at risk.

12.4% of women will develop breast cancer of some form throughout their life according to the National Cancer Institute.

And if you are going through something similar, it’s super easy to feel isolated and like you have no one to tell your feelings to. I often feel like I’m far apart from all my friends and colleagues, but so many people might be going through something similar, even at Lowell. But I’ve also found that this experience has made me more inclined to connect with other people whose parents or family members have cancer. I appreciate that these people are or have previously been through something similar to what I am experiencing now as a result of my mother’s cancer. For example, a girl I knew went through it all in elementary school. She has grown up now and seems to be strong and happy.

Even though my mom’s cancer is still very much a part of my life, I feel stronger after a tough day. Her cancer will be a part of our lives for ever, but hopefully she won’t have cancer inside her body for much longer. I will try not to hold my breath until it’s over, but instead take in all the lessons I’ve learned from watching her go through this. And I’ll always remember the love and support I have from the people in my life when the day comes that she is cancer- free. v

Her cancer will be a part of our lives for ever, but hopefully she won’t have cancer inside her body for much longer.

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me she wanted me to help create awareness, because all her life she was a healthy person — in middle school she did gymnastics every day, in high school she ran cross country, did yoga and worked out every week. She thought she was already on top of her health because she was tested. But she let a year go by between her previous test and this one, which was too long, and there was something important she didn’t know: her dense breasts had caused it to be incredibly difficult to detect the cancer that was growing slowly. The average woman over 40 should have a mammogram at least once a year, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, but if you know you are at risk, then you should be tested more frequently, which my mother did.

Recently, things got better medically, but not necessarily with our outlook on life. Our family problems, like figuring out how to live without my mother doing dishes or driving resulting from her cancer, persist, causing tension in my house.

NEWS “I believe that we will take back the house, and I think we’re going to do it on the shoulders of all the Americans who are protesting in the streets.

We have awakened the giant.”

— REP. JACKIE SPEIER

Resist and JACKY HUANG

Watch TheLowell.org’s exclusive video interview for Congresswoman Jackie Speier’s thoughts on Trump, sexual assault in the military, running as a woman and more.

“

“

He’s not a king that can pull up the moat and ignore all of his subjects, but he certainly thinks of himself as a king.”

Lowell is populated by a lot of superstars and amongst superstars from time to time, your star may not be as high as someone else’s. It doesn’t mean that you aren’t a great talent and that you shouldn’t pursue your dreams.”

— REP. JACKIE SPEIER

d Persist

Congresswoman Jackie Speier comes to Lowell for a town hall meeting about immigration, education and Obamacare

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18 v The Lowell February 2017 Lowell February 2017 v The

By Ian Wang

S

HE IS THE DEMOCRAT who represents California’s 14th Congressional District, which spans from the southern corner of San Francisco through San Mateo County to East Palo Alto. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

And on Feb. 11, she, Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA), came to Lowell for a town hall meeting to talk about health care, immigration, foreign relations and sanctuary cities. Her theme was “resist and persist,” urging the hundreds of people sitting in the Carol Channing Theater to be persistent in resisting a Donald Trump presidency. The Parent Teacher Student Association town hall drew in a diverse audience, from as far away as New York, with ages ranging from newborns to senior citizens, with most of the population consisting of middle-aged adults. An overwhelming majority of the crowd appeared to be liberal because most questions expressed concerns that many liberals have.

Here’s an overview and background of the issues Speier discussed during the town hall meeting.

These past few weeks, Speier and most of the other members of the House of Representatives have been holding town halls to get facetime with constituents and gain their favor. In the 2018 midterms, all 435 seats in the House will be contested. So far, several of these town halls, especially those held by Republicans, have been chaotic because of protesters and hecklers, or even cancelled because of security threats.

Sanctuary Cities The first question of the day was about how much power Trump has over sanctuary cities, which protect undocumented immigrants by limiting their cooperation with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and what sanctuary cities like San Francisco could do to stand up to Trump.

Speier reassured her about her commitment to protect sanctuary cities. Then, she went on to explain that Trump would have little power in denying federal funding for sanctuary cities. Because of the Tenth Amendment, which Speier specifically referenced, leaves all laws not specifically designated to the federal government in the Constitution up to the states. Therefore, she explained, Trump cannot impose his will on sanctuary cities because federal law does not state that local police forces must comply with federal law enforcement bodies such as the ICE. To that, the crowd erupted in applause. “He cannot impose on state and local jurisdictions the responsibility of the federal government,” Speier said. “We also have the Tenth Amendment that leaves all laws not specifically designated to the federal government up to the states.”

Speier emphasized the fact that, in her opinion, sanctuary cities are essential to the America’s identity as a nation built by immigrants. She joked that if Trump really wanted to cut California off, California should in response put its federal taxes into an escrow fund, which would keep federal tax revenue in the state of California and out of federal coffers.

She shed light on the fact that California pays more federal taxes than it receives, and in 2005, California paid nearly $50 billion more in federal taxes than it received in federal funds. In fact, in 2015, according to the IRS, California pays the most in federal taxes out of all 50 states, almost $406 billion.

Immigration Many audience members voiced their concerns about immigration. One audience member, an Indian-born Stanford PhD graduate who originally came to the U.S. on a student visa and is staying on an H1B worker visa voiced his discontent with America’s tough immigration policies, telling Speier that he’d be “lucky to get a green card before [he] dies.” An H1B visa allows foreign workers in specialty occupations,

SHYLA DUONG

typically with advanced degrees, to stay in the United States for extended periods of time, but only as long as they stay with the employer that sponsors their H1B. Being that an H1B is a non-immigration, temporary employment visa, once a holder’s H1B expires or they leave their employer, they are by law an unauthorized immigrant. Without a green card, H1B holders other legal immigrants are vulnerable to exploitation, and unable to switch jobs or start their own businesses.

In response, Speier criticized the challenging and long immigration process that H1B visa holders must go through, including up to six months of questioning and application processing. Speier also said she supports legislation that would give graduates of advanced degrees a green card along with fair pay (likely the High-Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act of 2017). This bill was introduced earlier this year in January, and is currently in the process of getting passed.

Lastly, Speier referenced the high percentage, 37 percent to be exact, of Silicon Valley firms whose CEOs and founders are foreign born but educated in America to emphasize the success of America as a nation built on the hard work and innovation of immigrants.

Education Speier assured the crowd that Betsy DeVos, the new Secretary of Education who supports charter schools and vouchers, had limited authority when it came to K-12 public schooling and that real power lies with state and local governments. Though DeVos will have an impact on the nation’s post-secondary education credentialing and the federal student loan systems, Speier and many of her colleagues will not allow DeVos to “implement her strange ideas,” Speier said.

The issue of guns on campus came up during DeVos’s confirmation hearings, where she voiced support for guns on school campuses so that they can be used to protect kids from grizzly bears. On the topic of DeVos, Speier took the time to remind the audience that the issue of guns on campus is also a state matter that DeVos had little influence over, which was met with loud applause. Another audience member voiced her concern for the future of Individualized Education Programs for special needs students, like Lowell’s own Special Education program.

IEPs ensure that all students have an equal opportunity in classroom.

Speier talked about her own daughter, who was in an IEP at an early age after faculty at her school observed that she could not learn in the conventional classroom setting. Today, her daughter is a news anchor, and Speier mentioned her daughter as a success story that wouldn’t have happened without an IEP. Speier proclaimed her support for primary school educators to receive training in identifying special needs students as support for IEP’s, which was met with great applause.

See SPEIER on pg. 29

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19

WAKING UP AND WALKING OUT

By Olivia Sohn

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v The Lowell February 2017

COLUMN

How marching against Trump gave me a voice

TO THE EDITORS

T

he day that early voting opened in late October, I canvassed for the first time in Reno because I did not want Donald Trump to be elected president. I woke up at 5 a.m. in the morning, drove for four hours to Reno, attended a training and then went and knocked on 12ww9 doors in a push to get voters who typically voted Democrat to the polls to vote for Hillary Clinton for president and Catherine Cortez Masto for US Senate. That day, I encountered many young Bernie Sanders supporters on the fence about voting for Clinton; no one was thrilled about voting for Clinton, and they ranted about how unhappy they were with having to choose between her and Trump.

I had signed up to work at the polls on election day. I worked from 5:45 a.m. to 9 p.m. checking names and addresses of voters in a garage in my neighborhood. During our break, the woman who was running the polling place expressed how confident she was that Clinton would win the election that night. But after what I had seen and heard in Nevada, I wasn’t so convinced. My anxiety grew as the night progressed, and because I didn’t have my cellphone, I didn’t know what was going on. When I left the polling place, my suspicions were confirmed. My mom simply told me, “Trump is going to win.” We drove around the park for what felt like hours. I was in a stupor, unwilling to accept what was happening.

When I woke up the next morning, I felt too tired and depressed to get out of bed. I stayed home from school that day, something I’m not proud of. I was angered by the fact that Trump’s election would place barriers that I’d have to overcome in the future. As a member of the LGBTQ community, I was scared that he would revoke the executive order Barack Obama issued enforcing LGBTQ workplace protection. Vice President Mike Pence’s election scared me even more because of his notorious anti-gay rhetoric. We have taken so many progressive steps in the last eight years and long before that.

I feared that all of our progress would be lost. I felt betrayed, as if half of America didn’t care about my rights, my family’s

rights or my peers’ rights.

Sophomore Olivia Anderson said that after the election she felt “life had no meaning,” a feeling I echoed. Not being able to vote makes me feel powerless, like I have no control over my future. At the time, I felt that if I, and other teens, had been able to vote, Trump wouldn’t have been elected.

On Thursday after the election when I went to school, my mind was on the three tests I had to take that day and the loads of make-up work I had to complete. I heard from a friend before second block that some students had organized a walkout that in protest of Trump’s presidency. I convinced myself I couldn’t go because I thought couldn’t miss any more school. When class started, my history teacher told the class, “If you are walking out at nine raise your hand.” I spontaneously raised my hand, driven from a visceral, emotional place rather than a logical one. After he thought about it for a minute, he said, “Those who raised their hands can leave. The SAQ is postponed till Monday.” Eight other girls had raised their hands with me, and we left the classroom almost giddy. Before registry we departed from school earlier than the other Lowell students that marched and got on the M-line to go to Civic Center.

We joined a large crowd of fellow students who were from schools across San Francisco, especially from Mission High School and Ruth Asawa School of the Arts outside of city hall. The police blocked the streets for the protesters as we marched down Market Street, through the Financial District, down Embarcadero, to the Ferry Building.

While I was marching, I felt love and pride for those around me. I could feel the tension in my chest being released as I walked past the looming buildings. Our voices were loud and powerful in cacophonous unity. The younger generation led the march as the older generation stood on the side of the street waving flags and high-fiving us. As we wove through stopped cars, women chanted, “My body, my choice,” and men replied, “Your body, your choice.” For the first time in three hellacious days, I felt at peace.

Despite the fact that we were a group of perfect strangers, we felt a powerful sense of community.

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COLUMN Later, protesters sat in Civic Center Plaza as student speakers gave beautiful and empowering speeches. I was struck by one boy from Syria who worried that Trump’s presidency would mean that his family would not be able to join him and have the same opportunities as him. A theme of anger, sadness and fear rang true for all that spoke.

Many people were concerned that these negative emotions would cause the march to be violent but it was the opposite. Those feelings brought together all who marched. Despite the fact that we were a group of absolute strangers, we felt a powerful sense of community. We were “standing strong together,” a sophomore who attended the march said. Aside from the occasional “Fuck Trump,” it was a peaceful march, and it relayed positive messages of unity, equality, love and acceptance towards everyone.

The moment that I turned my back on City Hall and walked away from the crowd, I knew that walking out had been the right decision. A feeling of relief washed over me. The voices of protesters surged behind me, and all of my polluting thoughts and feelings were gone. Inspired by the emotional experience of protesting, I now wanted to find practical ways of making change.

When I got off the 18 bus-line coming home I felt exhausted. My feet were sore, and my voice was hoarse as the adrenaline wore off. As I was walking home, I encountered a woman that I had met two days earlier while working at the polls. She was an Eastern European immigranwwt who had brought her grandfather to vote for the first time, only for him to cast a ballot for Trump. She said he was old, dogmatic and conservative, and despite her best efforts his mind couldn’t be changed.

We ended up talking for 20 minutes, ranting about the election, talking about the midterm elections and brainstorming ways that we could create tangible change, such as donating to Planned Parenthoods in Ohio and Texas.

I discussed the walkout with several students and found that some believed walking out was useless because it didn’t create tangible political change. One Lowell student said that he didn’t walk out because he felt that most kids walked out as an excuse to leave class, and he didn’t want to support that. Another said that she thought that “it just seems like protesting is only going to make people mad in our government.” She said that she thinks protesting is useful when protesting specific and changeable things. Protesting Trump as a person “seems silly and more as just hate towards him.”

While I agree that protesting Trump’s election was never going to change the results, I feel that protesting is a cathartic experience and a useful way to get students’ voices heard.

Following the election, I took a break from reading the news, a big shift due to the fact that I had been rabidly reading it ever since the start of the primaries. I needed to heal. I had long conversations with a woman that I consider to be my second mother who had taken me to Reno to canvass for Clinton. She grieved and was depressed for a month following the election, burdened with pent up emotions.

She has had traumatic sexual harassment experiences, as I have, she and I shared strong feelings toward Trump’s “grab them by the pussy” remarks. I noticed that she was affected by the election in ways that I wasn’t, perhaps because she hadn’t had the opportunity to release some of the poisonous emotions that were arising.

Days after the November walkout, I heard on Twitter about the Women’s March on Jan. 21. The moment I read about it I immediately decided I’d go. It was different this time because my whole family went. My little brother and sister were able to go and experience peaceful protesting early in their lives. We left for City Hall a little before 3 p.m., and took the N-line from our house all the way to Civic Center. The train filled up like a steamy greenhouse. When we got off it took 10 minutes to get out of the station because of the crowds of people wearing pink “pussyhats” all headed up the escalators and stairs.

When we got to the plaza, it was already filled, and we climbed up a tree and observed the sea of pink. People sang and spoke. As the rain fell, I sat in the tree holding my “No Uterus? No Opinion” sign alongside my brother with his pink “My sister would beat your ass” sign.

My jacket wasn’t waterproof, and I was soaked to the skin before we even started to march to the ferry building, around 5 p.m..

I was struck by the magnitude of this protest. It was so much larger than any protest I’d ever been to. I realized how many people needed to release their emotions and have their voices heard.

Though it’s difficult to count, in Washington D.C. alone, the number of women that protested Trump’s presidency were three times as many as attended his inauguration, according to The New York Times. With its epicenter in D.C., many celebrities spoke and sang at the marches. In states that went red in the election, like South Carolina and Arizona, large Women’s Marches were held on the Jan. 21. Not only did the marches send a powerful message within the U.S. but internationally as well. There were marches across the world, from Antarctica to Zimbabwe.

Since the Women’s March, more demonstrations against Trump and his policies give me hope that peaceful protests can spur change.

After the ban of travelers from seven predominantly-Muslim countries was put into place, protests shut down some airports and put pressure on our representatives to quickly react to the ban. I plan to attend the People’s Climate March on April 29, which is a march for “jobs, justice and the climate.”

Sophomore Dolores Davidson made a statement that rings true for all of the protests that have happened so far. “I was trying to show Trump and all of his supporters that we haven’t given up and we haven’t crawled back into our shells and we’re not just going to accept that they can do whatever they want once they hold office.”

We won’t be complacent, and we’ve shown through our actions that we will continue to protest and voice our opinions as long as we see injustice. v

I now wanted to find practical ways of making change.

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SPORTS

CARDINA

KENNY DZIB

ALS AIM T

WIN

CIARA KOSAI

Sophomore guard and forward Alyson Lee dribbles the ball past the Eagles defender in the annual Battle of the Birds game. The Cardinals defeated the Eagles 44-27.

CIARA KOSAI

q

Junior forward Kiki Turner kicks the ball down the field.

The varsity girls’ soccer team dominated the Lincoln Mustangs 5-0.

q

Sophomore Maxwell Song takes down a Mission Bears wrestler on Feb. 8. The Cardinals defeated the Bears 46-18.

CHRISTINA JOHNSON

CHRISTINA JOHNSON

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v 25

GYMNASTICS TUMBLES

DOWN

KENNY DZIB LEONARD CAOILI

Gymnastics discontinued after 40 years

By Tammie Tam v 26 The Lowell February 2017

TOBI KAWANAMI

TOBI KAWANAMI

The gymnastics beams were cut in half to fit into the moving truck, along with bars, mats, and runways to clear space.

The moving truck was loaded with the gymnastics equipment.

L

OWELL’S GYMNASTICS TEAM has been discontinued this season after 40 years. Last season’s coach left the team and won’t be replaced, according to athletic director Robert Ray. On Jan. 13, the school district collected the beams, mats, vault runway and bars from the gym because the PE department needed more space, according to principal Andrew Ishibashi. With the equipment gone, the gymnastics team will not be able to make a return, he said.

The gymnastics team is upset at the cancellation. Seniors Kana Suzuki and Raina Serrano have been competing at the varsity level with the team since their freshman year. “I was counting on my last year to compete and I was looking forward to it and inviting people,” Serrano said. “Now we don’t have that chance.” The team received an email from previous coach Lesley de Dios on Oct. 12 saying that she was stepping down from her position. They were surprised because de Dios had been coaching for 9 years prior to her announcement.

Ishibashi and Ray were unable to find a qualified replacement, according to Ishibashi. Ray decided to host the gymnastics team info meeting earlier than usual, on Nov. 4, to see if there would be enough people interested in gymnastics to continue looking for a coach, according to Serrano. Approximately 20–30 new people showed up, which was more than the previous years’ average of 10–15 people.

During the info meeting, Ray asked the team to find another coach by Dec. 1 in order for the program to continue, according to Suzuki and Serrano.

After the announcement, the team looked for a potential coach and thought they found one, but no hiring was done by the deadline. “We were so close to finding the coach and that the next season or the year after that, we could get someone to coach but now our equipment is gone so I guess not,” Suzuki said. They’re sad for the underclassmen on the team and potential members. “There are a lot of freshmen and sophomores who just started gym and even if it didn’t happen this season, we hoped there was a chance next season,” Suzuki said.

For Serrano and many others, gymnastics was the only thing that attracted her to attend Lowell. “Honestly, the only way you can get through Lowell is if you find somewhere you fit in, and for a lot of people, it was gymnastics,” Serrano said. “I didn’t really want to come to Lowell, but I knew a couple of people in the gymnastics team and they convinced me that I should come.”

The gymnastics team had been competing and placing since the 1970’s. Despite the gymnastics team’s history spanning over 40 years, it was relatively unknown compared to the other sports at Lowell.

Lowell gymnastics didn’t compete with teams from SFUSD in recent years since Lowell was the last remaining high school in the district with a gymnastics team. Since the early ’90s they competed mainly in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League. Suzuki said being on the gymnastics team was definitely something to be proud of. “Every time we go to the meet, we get to represent San Francisco,” she said. v

With the equipment gone, the gymnastic team will not be able to make a return.

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From POLITICS on pg. 13 women. “When people approach me to talk about the election, it’s women that are on the cusp of adulthood that are now confronted for the first time with an administration which in their minds is hostile to their cause or their advancement,” she said.

In a class discussion held by American Democracy teacher Adam Michels, one student “said that she was black, gay and disabled, and that she did not think that Trump’s America would be a welcoming place for her,” Michels said. “I told her that I was confident that despite whatever happens with Trump, San Francisco would remain a place where she could feel at home.”

Recently, San Francisco filed a lawsuit against Trump because of his executive order cutting off federal funds for sanctuary cities like San Francisco. When the issue of immigration and a wall along the Mexican border arose during class, some of Michels’s students shared their personal experiences. “One of them actually spoke up and said ‘My grandfather moved to this country illegally,’” Michels said.

But Komlos also has students on the other side of the spectrum, who are excited about the administration. “They are few and far between but often they are the most vocal,” Komlos said.

With the discussions, an increased sense of openness about politics has developed in students.

“I always get students who say they feel more comfortable talking about politics now,” she said.

Political engagement In Komlos’s class last fall, she promoted political engagement by requiring her students to work on political campaigns as an assignment, hoping this participation will form lifelong habits.

Seniors Bryanna Shu and Brian Ngo, who were two of Komlos’ students, were introduced to civic engagement through that class.

Two weeks before Nov. 8, Shu and Ngo were parading along Market Street, volunteering at a rally that they organized with others in a youth group to promote Proposition 55, which would prevent public education budget cuts by raising the income tax on those who make over $250,000 annually. During the rally, Shu and Ngo were able to experience their hard work put into action. Ngo, who was the “Master of Ceremonies” and part of the action team, organized and facilitated rallies by keeping the large crowd upbeat. Shu focused on outreach, such as phone banking and talking to people on the street, and promoting Prop.

55 through Facebook. During the rally, Ngo introduced the skits, interactive murals and guest speakers, such as president of the United Educators of San Francisco Lita Blanc and District 1 Supervisor Eric Mar, to the crowd. “I feel that a civics class is really important in letting us know that there’s more out there by showing us ways to get involved and having your voice be heard and influencing the world around you,” Ngo said.

Senior Andrew Poli never had a real interest in politics before taking Komlos’s American Democracy class. Poli chose to volunteer for Proposition V, the campaign for a tax on sugary drinks, also known as the “soda tax.” On the campaign, Poli phone banked — collected voter data to get out the 28

v The Lowell February 2017

vote — and tried to persuade people to vote for the proposition over the phone. When Poli was at the Prop. V headquarters in the Mission, he noticed and felt the passion that others expressed towards the campaign. “Their energy made me more excited to work harder,” he said.

Volunteering for the Prop. V campaign made Poli more aware about politics and changed the way he viewed the political system. “When I was phone banking, I talked to someone who was against the proposition and I eventually convinced them why the proposition was good,” he said. “It made me feel like I had the power to convince people to vote. It gave me more faith in the system because I participated in a campaign that passed and I made a change in society that will last.”

With the election over and a new semester, Komlos plans to adjust her curriculum and have her students get involved with political issues such as the anti-Trump movements, the Women’s March and Black Lives Matter. They discuss current events like free speech and the conflicts over alt-right conservative figures like Milo Yiannopoulos.

Voting With a quality civics class, students are not only more likely to be politically engaged, they’re also more inclined to vote. According to a study conducted in 2013 by Tufts University, those who had taken high-quality civics courses, defined as classes that included projects in the community and current events discussions, were much more likely to vote in the 2012 presidential election.

One way to boost voter turnout is to offer students the chance to pre-register, which they can do if they are 16, and which will go into effect automatically when they turn 18. According to a 2009 study from George Mason University on voter preregistration in Hawaii and Florida, youth who are preregistered are more likely to vote in the future.

With the upcoming 2018 elections, voter preregistration is even more important, as all of the House of Representative seats are up during this election, and low voter turnout is common during midterm elections. With the ability to introduce laws and legislation, these new candidates could make a big difference in people’s lives. Here at Lowell, there are a number of teachers that already offer voter preregistration.

In April 2016, the San Francisco Board of Education, in support of the Vote16 campaign, passed a resolution placing more emphasis on the American Democracy course, encouraging the class to offer voter preregistration and encouraging staff to appoint student leaders in each grade level to facilitate civic engagement at their school site leadership and student government meetings.

Expanding civics education Here at Lowell, civics classes are only offered senior year. Though that is around the time many students become eligible to vote, many students may not feel confident or not have enough faith in the political system to vote without much political knowledge prior to senior year.

Political engagement is habitual, so learning about the importance and the way government functions is vital. If we really want more students

to be motivated to shape their futures or to just understand what their future may look like, then Lowell should find a way to offer civics classes to all grades, not just seniors.

Some students have already participated in demonstrations protesting Trump. This shows that there is a possibility for young people to develop interests and get involved in political affairs even if they weren’t interested before. “We have the ability to change the community even if we aren’t old enough to vote,” Shu said. v Ophir Cohen-Simayof contributed to this article.

From SPEIER on pg. 19 The Affordable Care Act and Planned Parenthood Another question came from a woman who is a breast cancer survivor. She expressed her fear over the possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as Obamacare, and asked how she could help Speier protect it. Obamacare is a federal law that improved people’s access to healthcare, especially those in the lower income brackets who may otherwise not have had access to healthcare. Under Obamacare, insurers cannot deny coverage for pre-existing conditions. Currently, Obamacare is hanging by a thread, as the Senate voted 51–48 to repeal it on Jan. 4, and soon the House will also vote on it.

Without the ACA, the survivor feared that future breast cancer victims would not have access to the care they needed because of their pre-existing conditions. She recalled the story of a constituent who needed insurance coverage for breast cancer surgery, but did not qualify for it because she had acne when she was 15 years-old, which was defined by her insurance company as a preexisting condition. This occurred before the ACA passed, and had it had been there for her, she would have had access to the care she needed sooner, according to Speier.

Speier acknowledged that Obamacare did not have enough provisions to keep costs low, but she criticized her Republican colleagues for attempting to repeal the ACA instead of allowing a bipartisan effort to improve it.

Along with repealing Obamacare, many Republicans in Congress have begun the process of defunding Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization that provides reproductive health services like legal abortions, family planning, sexual education and cancer screenings for everyone, no matter their income. Speier recalled that in a House debate, a Republican colleague began describing the process of an abortion in grotesque detail as a way to bolster a pro-life stance. Speier, who has gotten an abortion herself in the second trimester, recalled feeling disgusted and rose up and said to her colleague, “How dare you.”

Speier currently serves as a member of the House Committee Probing Planned Parenthood, which will investigate Planned Parenthood and its current funding. Speier agreed to serve on the committee in order to defend women’s health and hold the committee’s leadership accountable, according to her website.

The Future of the Democratic Party Throughout the town hall, members of the audience expressed concerns and dissatisfaction with the Democratic party’s leadership, while some demanded fundamental change. They felt that the aging leadership, with Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer being 66 years old and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi being 76 years old, was not reflective of the Democrat party’s demographics and even contributed to Hillary Clinton’s loss.

Speier acknowledged the aging leadership, but noted that House Democrats have made it a point to have newer members serve integral roles in Pelosi’s leadership council. Speier herself demonstrated her commitment to her constituents by choosing them over going to the Democratic retreat held on Feb. 8 to discuss party strategy. She also confessed that she believes the Democratic leadership was “lousy,” as she put it, at communicating, possibly contributing to the party’s shrinking numbers in Congress and a Clinton loss.

Making Elected Officials More Accessible Members of the audience complained how hard it was to reach their senators, House representatives and other high ranking elected officials due to the large influxes of mail and calls, coupled with the turned-off White House switchboards.

Additionally, representatives only read emails originating from their districts.

Though Speier prides herself in being easily accessible by phone, email and letters, she noted that the White House was not. In fact, she introduced the Phone the White House Act on Feb. 6 that would turn the White House switchboards on all the time so that citizens could reach their president. The bill has 15 sponsors and is currently in the process of getting a vote.

When a member of the audience asked what they could do to influence partisan issues, Speier advised them to call Republican members of Congress because with enough calls and uproar, they would vote for their constituency as opposed to what would get them the most campaign donations, according to her. Speier gave the example of Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, who opposed the appointment of DeVos after receiving thousands of calls from their constituent opposing her appointment.

Her theme: “Resist and Persist” The word “resist,” along with “persist,” holds significant value in the news lately. The “resist” half of the “resist and persist” theme comes from a Greenpeace protest, where activists suspended a banner that said “Resist” off a crane 100 feet above the White House. On February 11th, hundreds of demonstrators gathered on San Francisco’s Ocean Beach to spell out “resist”. The “persist” portion of the slogan comes from Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who was censored by Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell while she read a letter by Coretta Scott King in an effort to block the appointment of Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions to Attorney General. In a statement defending his position on the matter, McConnell said, “She had appeared to violate the rule.

She was warned. She was given an explanation.

Nevertheless, she persisted.” v

From SF-CESS on pg. 2 skills and discussion of race and identity, but the program has yet to explore practical applications in the classroom.

In the February meeting, the staff built relationships with members of their groups by using structured protocols for dialogue, such as making sure each person talked for the same amount of time when responding to a prompt.

Social studies teacher Matthew Prophet said the program intends to go more in-depth, past definitions and protocols, in the future. “Eventually we have to get to a place where we go beyond just defining what we’re talking about and try to get more concretely into exactly what it is they expect us to do and why they want us to do that,” Prophet said.

SF-CESS Executive Director Gregory Peters has previously said that over the course of four years, the program will build up to ways to applying this diversity training to Lowell specifically.

However, it is not clear what the plans are for the second, third and fourth years. SF-CESS has not shown the administration a long-term agenda, according to Swett. The SF-CESS website does not provide a description of what the current program includes. The Lowell has emailed Peters numerous times about this issue, but he has not responded.

Some teachers would prefer a shorter program.

“Something tighter with longer sessions would probably make it feel like it was moving through the process towards an accumulating process faster than four years,” English teacher Sharn Matusek said. “Four years seems really long.”

Some teachers don’t mind the program’s span.

“It is a four-year process, so it’s not jumping right in and saying, ‘Here’s the problem, let’s solve it’ because part of what [SF-CESS] truly believes is that that just becomes superficial,” social studies teacher Kristen Lubenow said. “I think in order for it to be authentic change, you have to do self-reflection and I think that is what SF-CESS is asking people to do.”

However, the high turnover rate of teachers presents the problem of the questionable effectiveness of the program, if teachers are only able to participate for part of the four years. In this year alone, 14 new or returned teachers joined the faculty while 15 teachers have left, according to Swett.

“People’s attention and focus might not last for four years and even a percentage of teachers might not be there at the end of four years,” Prophet said.

Alternatives to SF-CESS The school should consider other diversity training groups that offer a better value than SFCESS. We should also give greater support to programs built within the school community to promote inclusion among both students and teachers.

For example, another Bay Area group is The Mosaic Project, led by students who have faced racism and now teach others — both students and teachers — how to be culturally sensitive.

The Mosaic Consulting Project is made up four

sessions that can be completed within a year, according to the Mosaic Project Chief Operating Officer Brian Lowe, whereas the SF-CESS PD training program has nine sessions per year over four years.

The Mosaic Project’s program includes a workshop with one-on-one student role-playing scenarios, which, as far as we can tell, has not been a part of the SF-CESS trainings. The Mosaic Project would train teachers to react to aggressive behavior and resolve conflict as a bystander using these roleplaying scenarios submitted by students.

The Mosaic Project would charge about $15,000 for Lowell’s 150 staff, according to Lowe. In comparison, SF-CESS charges $113,000 per year, a total of $452,000 for its four-year program.

Whereas SF-CESS focuses their training on teachers, the Mosaic Project is focused on the community as a whole. The program is open to as much student involvement as teachers would like, according to Lowe.

Last summer, Peer Resources invited about 30 Lowell student leaders, two of them from The Lowell staff, to a six-hour diversity training hosted by the Mosaic Project. Peer Resources teacher Adee Horn knew the executive director of the Mosaic Project and was familiar with the work the Mosaic Project had done in the past. Students who attended the training said some of the activities opened their eyes to the struggles of minority groups.

Home Grown Leaders What’s important is that we as a community are able to independently uphold the idea that diversity is part of our school’s culture.

Furthermore, Lowell can also work towards an inclusive community by alternatively using the school’s money for Peer Resources, which strengthens the bonds between students.

Peer Resources recently conducted a “designthinking” prototype program in January for its new student-led community-building Cardinal Connections Week (CCW), which was adapted from a week of workshops done at June Jordan High School’s Transformative Week, according to Horn. Some activities were also incorporated from those done in the Mosaic Project summer diversity training for Peer Resources’ student leaders. The prototype was tested on a total of 19 classes over two weeks. In addition, Peer Resources, with help from the Lowell Alumni Association, organized an alumni panel of color to talk to students about racial issues.

To that end, the administration hopes to “home grow” the school’s own diversity leadership within Lowell, according to Swett. The administration is planning to send information soon regarding two week-long sessions of summer leadership training for teachers that SF-CESS is offering. “It is important to have a sustainable leadership program at Lowell that can continue ensuring that we have equity for all students,” Swett said.

Ultimately, sustainability is key, and the design and the hefty price tag of SF-CESS makes it unrealistic to continue the program in the long-run. We need to explore our other options to ensure that our values of cultural inclusivity will continue to be a priority, now and in the future. v

The Lowell February 2017

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