The Lowell January 2014 by The Lowell

LoweLL HigH ScHooL, Red edition, VoL. 221 no. 4, JanuaRy 30, 2014, www.thelowell.org

,OWELL 4HE

Drag Queens Page 12 In San Francisco, life’s a drag. Delve into the City’s uniquely fabulous drag scene

Best & Worst Page 24

The Lowell’s picks for 2013’s best and worst apps, sports moments, slang and movies

8IBU T What’s

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News

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Board of Ed. approves plans to move art charter school to downtown location Robotics team purchases and receives 3D printers, speeds up building process

Entertainment

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Credit recovery Jazz poppin’ program offers A-G compliant online courses By Elena Bernick

EGINNING THIS MONTH, students will be directed to a new web service to complete required courses they did not receive credit for during the year. All San Francisco Unified School District schools will switch to the online system Edgenuity to provide students with an opportunity to make up course credits. The switch is due to a change in the A-G requirements, which list the necessary credits students must earn in order to apply and be accepted to a University of California school. After the requirements were updated, Odyssey no longer offered the required classes for students to be eligible for UC admission. Certain classes that student may have failed were not offered. “Almost all Odysseyware courses were a-g noncompliant, so we needed to look for a program that fulfilled the SFUSD graduation policy,” SFUSD Extended Learning and Support Assistant Principal of High School SFUSD Online Learning Coordinator Linda Sawamoto said. “Edgenuity was the program that we found to best fit the needs of both SFUSD A-G graduation policy and UC/CSU entrance requirements.” The credits given to students who previously used Odyssey to make up classes will still be valid. “Before there were these new A-G requirements, Odyssey was fine,” SFUSD Director of Extended Learning and Support Stephen Koffman said. “This past June, the UCs set new requirements, so we had to switch.” Abraham Lincoln High School was the first to begin the transition, where students were able to sign up for Edgenuity courses online as early as Jan. 6. The rest of the SFUSD high schools should start enrolling students in the program in the following weeks, according to Sawamoto. If students have questions about Edgenuity or how to enroll, they should contact their counselors.

ZOE KAISER

Junior Liz Merski takes the stage at the school’s annual Jazz Pops Concert on Jan. 17. For more photos from the event, see page 3.

School pilots teacher feedback survey By Arthur Register

N ACCORDANCE WITH a San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) school board resolution in 2009, a school district team distributed a pilot teacher performance survey over winter break, where students give feedback on their teachers. Based on this survey, teachers can use this information to improve teaching styles. It is submitted anonymously to give students the freedom to voice their own opinion without fear of backlash by teachers. “Students tend to not tell what’s going on because they’re scared of being punished by the teachers,” president of the Student Advisory Council (SAC) senior Xiaofan Wu said. “This survey is a way for students to be honest about their feelings.” Wu said the school district should satisfy the needs of the student in the same way that a company must meet the standards of the customer. The questions on the survey were mostly multiple choice, but one part allowed written

commentary on each teacher, which Wu believes Technology Officer of Information Technology is the key to providing detailed feedback in the (IT). IT first finds the data for the students and questionnaire. “The comments section will con- teachers, then spends time with students and the tribute the most because it talks a lot more about Research, Planning and Accountability for layout. the teacher,” said Wu. The Research, Planning and Accountability DeThe SAC, a representative body of school partment will then take the data from responses, district students, played an important role in categorize it by teacher, and add the metadata this project. They came of students’ grade level, up with the questions, the ethnicity and gender for design, and helped decide purposes. It is submitted anony- statistical where and how to conduct This pilot was only for mously to give students Lowell students. The surthe pilot survey at Lowell. Many Lowell students team, which included the freedom to voice vey were not aware of the members of the SAC, inprogram because it was tended to test the capacity their own opinion. not finished until the day and the functionality of before winter break. The SharePoint, the program survey was supposed to be distributed on School- used to host the survey. “We don’t want the Loop, but was posted and shared on Facebook system to crash, like Obamacare,” supervisor of instead, and did not reach all students. Research, Planning, and Accountability at SFUSD The process of creating the survey took about Janice Link said. three weeks, according to Matthew Kinzie, Chief

Robotics 3D printers are a catalyst for innovation and for competition prep

By Emily Teng and Cynthia Leung

Reporter Patricia Nguy details her delicious journey to bake the perfect vegan macarons Page

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Theater troupe performs oldtime plays on a modern stage Actors and actresses practice their lines, rain or shine

Sports

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An in-depth look at the changing lineup of the boys’ varsity basketball team

Columns

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Sophomore explains choice to wear a hijab.

Opinion

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Reporter argues against tech gentrification in the city A light week before finals would allow students extra study time, reporter argues

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The 3D printers will be used to test out innovative new parts. The printer will create digitally designed mechanical parts from plastic for temporary use on robot prototypes.

ITH THE ADDITION of four new three-dimensional printers to their array of equipment, the days of manually building machine parts are drawing to a close for the robotics team. The 3D printers — machines that create solid 3D objects by placing thin layers of plastic on top of each other — will make it possible for the robotics team to speed up the prototyping phase, a planning period when they test early models or parts, in the upcoming competition. “The things we print with the 3D printer are not going to be super structurally strong, but they’re gonna be fast, which means that on the first day of build season if you have an idea you can prototype it right away,” senior robotics president Ofri Harlev said. 3D printers generally take several hours to print an object, so in the future the robotics team is planning on leaving their models to print overnight. The next day, members would be able to come in and have a model that they See PRINTER on Page 6

2 NEWS

January 30, 2014

Lowell High School

NEWSBRIEFS Wellness center updates hours

Some students may have returned from winter break with an unfamiliar name on their schedule sheets. A new teacher is teaching the classes taught by a former Social Studies teacher who left after last semester due to personal commitments. The newest addition to the Lowell social studies teaching team, Victoria Lee, will teach Danielle Healy’s former World History and American Democracy classes for the spring semester. Prior to her new position as a Cardinal, Lee was a student teacher at Herbert Hoover Middle School. She grew up in San Francisco and attended Gateway High School. She is currently a temporary teacher and will possibly be given a permanent position based on her performance, according to assistant principal of curriculum Holly Giles. “I’m looking forward to the rest of my year working here,” Lee said. Healy will be missed by students and teachers alike. “She knew how stressed we were and tried to make junior year easier for us,” junior Catherine Pabalan said. Although she was a teacher at Lowell for only one semester, she hated to leave but her work and personal life commitments were causing scheduling conflicts, according to Giles. She will likely be unable to return to Lowell. —Gisela Kottmeier FOR THE COMPLETE VERSIONS OF STORIES , PLEASE VISIT

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'girls who code' aims to close gender gap New club strives to encourage teenage girls in computer programming By Joseph Kim

ITH COMPUTER programming becoming a heavily male-dominated field, a new club has entered the school with the purpose of re-coding the imbalance between the sexes. Girls Who Code is a recently launched national nonprofit organization that seeks to educate and inspire young teenage girls in the study of computer science. After a Girls Who Code summer program, club presidents Michelle Yeung and Angela Xu decided to spread this opportunity to the school by starting a club associated with the organization. According to the organization’s website, 74 percent of middle school girls express interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), but when choosing a college major, the number drops drastically. To the amazement of the club presidents, they were greeted with many eager faces to pursue their interest in computer programming. “We were absolutely shocked and overjoyed,” Xu said. “With all of the statistics, seeing 40-50 girls

who actually wanted to learn about this subject was astonishing.” The club teaches various basic programming concepts. “We cover how to write your first program and improve it from there (basic statements, loops, conditionals, etc),” Steve Garrity, chief technology officer and co-founder of Hearsay Social, said. “At the same time we try to teach basic engineering principles like testing and debugging.” The club also works on other engaging projects such as designing customizable clothing and animated greeting cards. This past December, the club took a trip to Adobe in San Francisco. “Seeing these big shots from companies such as Google and Twitter offering to speak to the girls, I definitely feel blessed to be part of giving them such an amazing opportunity,” Yeung said. The Girls Who Code organization is instructed by Pamela Fox, the developer of Khan Academy’s computer science curriculum, and Steve Garrity. “I think that the club is important because programming is becoming a fundamental skill to being productive in society, so

everyone should learn it,” Garrity said. “The club at Lowell is bringing this to young women, who have traditionally been under-represented in computer science, and making it really inviting and accessible.” Programming has also been found to be beneficial in all types of work, even where the subject might seem irrelevant. “It’s the kind of skill that people across many industries can benefit from, because programming helps us automate and speed up tasks,” Fox said. “I know of a firefighter that programmed an Android app to help his team fight fires faster, and of a psychologist that’s using programming to study how little kids learn about the world. As a kid, I even used programming to assign chores to my siblings!” Despite the club’s name, males are also able to take part in this informative club. “Although the main purpose is to target girls because of the huge gender gap, guys can join, and we do have one or two guys in the club,” Yeung said.

club

School welcomes new teacher

LILY YOUNG

Sophomores Melody Yan, left, and Ivy Xu, right, discuss programming and work on other computer science projects.

Students showcase new pieces to music teachers at conference By Jeffrey Li and Whitney C. Lim

for the school’s most advanced orchestra, especially with less TUDENTS ATTENDED a conference a few weeks ago, than two months to prepare for their showcase at the CMEA. not to sit through multiple hour-long lectures and presen- “We didn’t have time to bring all 21 pieces up to ‘concert’ level, but even on the pieces that weren’t perfectly polished, tations, but to be the stars of a showcase there. Symphony orchestra rode down to San Jose State University the students played confidently and well,” Winter said. “I was in a chartered bus to participate in the California Music Educa- very proud of them!” Students agreed that tors Association (CMEA) Bay Section they felt nervous before Winter Conference on Jan. 10, a prothe performance. “We had fessional development conference for ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ to gain confidence with the music teachers around the Bay Area. time we had,” violist The orchestra selected music from by Guns N’ Roses and little junior Robert Wu said. national sheet music retailer J.W. ‘Skyfall’ by Adele were “But the pressure turned Pepper’s Editors’ Choice list for their us into better musicians Orchestra Music Showcase at the really fun to play because overall.” conference. “After a couple of my stuSome felt that performing at this dents and I listened to pieces on their it gave people the chills.” event was out of the ordinary, as it was website, J. W. Pepper sent us the sheet not for a student audience. “It felt promusic for about 35 of the pieces that LEMUEL CHAN, fessional to perform in front of music we thought would be most appealing junior teachers, who wanted to expand their and valuable,” orchestra teacher Michele Winter said. “Then the orchestra played through those material to teach their students,” Chan said. Winter feels like the orchestra provided an important service pieces and narrowed the list down to 21 pieces covering a variety to the other music teachers there. “There’s nothing like actually of styles and levels of difficulty.” The orchestra chose to learn relatively new music. “‘Sweet hearing a piece to see if and how it works for young people Child O’ Mine’ by Guns N’ Roses and ‘Skyfall’ by Adele were before purchasing it,” she said. “A piece might look easy on really fun to play because it gave people the chills,” second paper, but be hard to play. It might sound great when recorded by professional musicians, but it might not work at all for, say, violinist junior Lemuel Chan said. Winter admitted some of the pieces were challenging even sixth graders just learning their instruments.”

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arts

The school’s Wellness Center is restricting its Mods 11-12 office hours to appointments and emergencies only. A pilot of this restriction began on Jan. 13, due to the large number of students that show up during Mods 11-12. The pilot will last for about a month, according to Wellness Coordinator Carol Chao Herring. Since the Wellness Center moved from the bungalows to the main building last August (See “Wellness Center moves from T’s to senior hallway for easy access and communication,” The Lowell, Sept. 2013), its n umber of visitors doubled, causing the center to become crowded and loud during Mods 11-12, a popular lunch time among students. “Students come to the Wellness Center during their lunch block to be somewhere they feel comfortable, to talk to someone or just to hangout,” Youth Outreach Worker sophomore Subha Shawasheh said. But on overcrowded days, wellness staff found themselves frequently asking students to lower their voices and requesting them to leave. As consequence, the Wellness staff ended up working all day without much of a break. “Most workplaces have a set lunch break whereas the Wellness Center staff didn’t,”Wellness teacher assistant Nati Manalo said. The center being closed during Mods 11-12 gives them time to unwind, eat lunch and plan wellness school events. Appointments with the Wellness staff can be by through filling out an appointment request slip at the Wellness Center, calling them at extension 3118 or messaging the staff members Carol Herring Chao and Xavier Salazar through Facebook or Schoolloop. —Noreen Shaikh

The Lowell

January 30, 2014

NEWS

Jazz Pops riffs and scats KARINA HUFT

Symphonic orchestra, jazz band and other special guests came together for the annual Jazz Pops concert on Jan. 17. (Top) Seniors Laura Jue, left, and Rachel Levin, right, recreate “Watershed” by Indigo Girls. (Middle right) Senior James Uejio soulfully riffs his guitar. (Bottom right) From left to right: Seniors Sammy Pollard, Bruno Haesbaert and Laura Jue sing backup to “Ain’t Misbehavin’” by Fats Waller. (Bottom left) Junior Adam Southwick sings “What a Wonderful World” by Weiss & Thiele.

ZOE KAISER

4 NEWS

January 30, 2014

Lowell High School

District approves SOTA relocation plans By Gisela Kottmeier

HE DISTRICT has approved plans to make a historic Civic Center building a new hub of youth creativity by relocating the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts (SOTA) to the space in the next ten years. On Jan. 14, the San Francisco Unified School District school board voted unanimously in support of superintendent Richard Carranza’s resolution to build an arts education center on 135 Van Ness Avenue as the new SOTA campus. By moving SOTA to a space in the bustling Civic Center, students will be much closer to San Francisco art centers such as Symphony Hall, the New Conservatory Theatre center, and the San Francisco Opera. “I think it would be great if our school moves downtown because we will have access to the incredible arts offered by our city, a more traditional campus, and a new auditorium which would be a major plus,” senior Anika Dearman said. Architect Mark Cavagnero, who designed the San Francisco Jazz center, presented his construction plans for the Van Ness building at a Board of Education meeting held on Jan. 7. Many speakers gave speeches in support of the move, including Michael Tilson Thomas, Director of the San Francisco Symphony, and Paul Lanier, son of Ruth Asawa, who helped found SOTA and for whom it was re-named in 2011. When SOTA moved to the former McAteer campus in 2002, it was intended to be a temporary space before the eventual relocation to the Van Ness campus (see “McAteer students, teachers to relocate,” The Lowell, Feb. 2002). Due to high construction costs the move had to be shelved until now. Currently, the project is estimated to cost $242 million, according to the SFUSD website (www.sfusd. edu). The price of the project is largely due to costly seismic retrofitting, alterations made to an existing building to make it more earthquake resilient. Additionally, adjustments will need to be made in order to convert the structure into an art school, including building

dance studios and music facilities. The current construction plans include making the campus five stories and 175,000 square feet. One floor will be primarily dedicated to music, another to dance and a third to theater. Another obstacle in this project is the Van Ness building’s status since 1981 as a historical landmark, according to San Francisco Chronicle, which complicates construction because specific guidelines must be followed in order to renovate. The building has history as an SFUSD school. Built in 1913, it was originally the High School of Commerce. After passage of the Field Act in 1930, which stated that all school

buildings must be earthquake safe, the district eventually closed the school in 1951, according to an Oct. 17 online San Francisco Chronicle article, “Ruth Asawa School of the Arts stuck in limbo,” (www.sfgate.com). The space is still used currently for storage and administrative offices, according to the same article. The building will not only be a home to SOTA, but also to the Visual And Performing Arts (VAPA) program. This program currently shares the McAteer campus with SOTA and the Academy of Arts and Sciences. VAPA is a program which works to provide all SFUSD students with access to art education and to incorporate art into class lessons. Addition-

ally, the Nourse Auditorium will be renovated according to an Jan. 14 online San Francisco Bay Guardian article, “SFUSD sticker shock: new art school to cost $240 million,” (www. sfbg.com). Due to the recent date of approval the majority of the money still needs to be raised, and the moving date is currently unknown. Regardless of the substantial fundraising required, Carranza expressed that the district is committed to making the change as soon as possible. “It’s our intent that this will not languish for 20 years,” he said in an interview with SFBG. “It’s our intent that this will be a reality in a very short time frame.”

Plans for the new 175,000 square foot campus include five stories and a new auditorium. The project’s estimated cost exceeds $240 million.

Teacher innovates through lecture-homework flip

N A TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM, class time is used for lectures and lessons while homework is reserved for personal time. Math teacher Patrick Fahey realized, however, that such a one-size-fits-all model does not take students’ individual needs and pacing into account, and does not provide much interaction between students and teachers. In an effort to give students more flexibility and to reduce stress, Fahey implemented flip learning, a new educational model, in his precalculus and geometry classes. Created in 2007 by high school teachers Jonathan Bergman and Aaron Sams, who began recording and posting live lectures for absent students, the flipped classroom approach to learning is supposedly more flexible and tailored to individual needs than the traditional classroom lecture. Teachers make or use short videos with lectures on a topic, and students are expected to

ZOE KAISER

Math teacher Patrick Fahey reviews material that his precalculus students watched a video on the previous night.

watch the videos, then apply the concepts in class by doing While students did not indicate any change in their overprojects and exercises. all grades due to flip learning, some said they were able to In his approach to a flipped classroom, Fahey works and understand math better. “I’ve found far greater confidence in shares ideas with other teachers in the United States. He as- remembering and understanding concepts from the signs videos from sources such as YouTube, using the videos videos Fahey posts on SchoolLoop,” Keme said. of educators like Patrick JMT and Jerry Llamada to explain Despite its perceived success, Fahey has not flipped mathematical concepts. his classroom entirely. Flip learning is done for one or The videos are meant to allow students to learn and work two days a week, then it’s to a traditional classroom at their own pace, giving them the ability to re-watch videos format. “Flipping all the time can be impractical to understand concepts and write down questions to review in since some math topics are poorly covered by the class. To maximize the knowledge gained from a video lecture, existing stock of YouTube videos,” he said, explainstudents must take notes on vocabulary and concepts encoun- ing that he was considering making his own videos. tered, as well as make connections be“Some educators believe tween material and applications. Fahey that a complete conversion also gives occasional quizzes on the to flipping contradicts the video concepts in class, to ensure that F l ip l e ar n i ng i s a spirit of diversified strategies students are keeping up. The video lesthat keep learning exciting groundswell of a big and cogent across multiple sons are also incorporated into Fahey’s in-class lectures, and provide students styles. But the jury is still out.” transition that’s going learning with a base to build upon. In addition to changes to the traWith supplementary videos to to happen. I think that’s ditional teaching model, flip learning watch at home, class time is then also modifies the role of teachers. “I where 21st centur y consider myself more of a facilitaused to work on assignments which utilize the new concepts. Students can tor and researcher for my students,” education is going.” work alone or in groups, giving them Fahey said. a chance to interact and discuss the Keme agreed, saying, “Fahey has PATRICK FAHEY, problems amongst themselves and been gaining traits of being a guide math teacher with their teacher. This student discusin addition to being a teacher. He has sion and interaction has been shown tried to offer real world knowledge and by research to enhance the transfer of concepts from short to wisdom in his lectures. In addition, he seems to be very well long-term memory, which allows students to retain the material engaged and in tune with this students, always observant of better, according to Fahey. changes and difficulties among his students, for good and bad.” Students offered differing opinions on the effectiveness As a relatively new educational model, flipping has been of the online lectures. “I would say the videos are far more slow to gain popularity in part due to its reliance on technolinteresting, engaging and interactive than traditional lectures ogy, a fairly modern element in teaching and learning. While and daily homework,” junior Tevin Keme said. “I particularly some teachers might see technology as an uncertain and unreliappreciate how it involves the entire class, giving everyone a able component in education, Fahey believes that technology chance to express the views and discoveries and conclusions enriches the classroom for both students and teachers. “Flip they’ve made.” learning is a groundswell of a big transition that’s going to Junior Simon Yu had a more negative view of video lectures. happen,” he said. “I think that’s where 21st century education “I prefer the traditional method, since a teacher is personally is going. Classroom learning will be enhanced, with increased teaching me math,” he said. “I don’t like the idea of watching self-learning that the teacher helps organize. It takes planning, videos and learning from them that way since you can’t ask organizing and collaboration to make it work. But that’s the questions, and the video just goes on and on.” way research and development goes in any field.”

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curriculum

By Madelyn Chen

The Accountability System

Pre-SQIS

Academic (Test scores, graduation rate, etc.): 100%

Post-SQIS

Academic: 60%

Social/Emotional: 20% Culture/Climate: 20%

6 NEWS

Lowell High School

January 30, 2014

Donation website subsidizes the cost of expensive machinery for the Robotics club See PRINTER on Page 1

could test, speeding up the design process greatly. “We spent a long time last year trying to build round end caps to a cylinder, but if you can design that endcap to the exact specifications you want, then you can just print it,” robotics sponsor Bryan Cooley said. The team plans to utilize the new machinery during the For Inspiration of Recognition in Science and Technology Robotics Competition (FIRST), an annual contest in which they are given six weeks to design, program and test a robot before pitting it against other teams’ creations. The team has been considering purchasing a 3D printer for some time. “We had seen how a lot of other teams had used their 3D printers to their advantage,” robotics head of design senior Edwin Kasminskiy said. “We thought it would be a great addition to the team.” The funding for the machinery came from several different sources. “For one printer, the Replicator 2x, we received $1,700 from the Parent Teacher Student Association and $1,300 from the Lowell science department, so with that we got the $3,000 we needed,” Harlev said. “The Replicator 2 we received through donorschoose.org, which is a website where teachers can post things that they need for their classrooms and donors give them money.” The team secured two additional 3D printers from Donors Choose on Jan. 23, bringing their total number of printers to four. One of the printers, the Replicator 2X, has already arrived currently resides in the robotics team’s workshop. Another printer, the Replicator 2, will be located in Room 334. The robotics team hopes that now, with the 3D printers, they will accomplish more than before. However, even without it, they have been extremely successful, winning the Rookie All-Star Award in their first year of the FIRST Robotics Competition with Ball-E, a robot that shoots basketballs, and getting 2nd place in the Silicon Valley Regional their second year with Longshot, which plays Frisbee. In the future, science classes may also use the 3D printer, and there is a possibility of it being

open to public usage. “There are a lot of plans and tons of uses,” Harlev said. “But we don’t want people playing with it, and we don’t yet know how public the printer will be.”

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This 3D printer work station allows students to actualize designs created on the computer.

Announcer and alumnus Jerry Coleman passes By Tyler Perkins

N THE SPORTS WORLD, few were more respected than longtime Padres announcer and Lowell class of 1952 alumnus Jerry Coleman, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 89. Aside from his broadcasting career, which spanned over 50 years, Coleman played nine seasons as an infielder for the New York Yankees during their heyday and served in the military twice. Fans will remember Coleman’s passion for the sport, and also his “Colemanisms” — on air gaffes which occurred every so often throughout his broadcasting career. After short stints commentating with the Yankees and California Angels he settled with the San Diego Padres, where he would remain for the next 42 years. Coleman soon became the voice of the Padres as their radio play-by-play announcer. During his life, Coleman was often recognized for his broadcasting achievements. In 2005 he earned the Ford C Frick Award, a prestigious honor awarded by the National Baseball Hall of Fame to broadcasters who make “major contributions to baseball.” In 2007, he received the ultimate broadcasting achievement: induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame. In 2012, the Padres honored Coleman with a statue outside of Petco Park (see “Statue of Lowell grad erected at Petco Park, San Diego,” The Lowell, Nov. 2012) The Padres honored Coleman in a statement following his passing: “On behalf of Padres’ fans everywhere, we mourn the loss of a Marine who was truly an American hero as well as a great man, a great friend and a great Padre.” The team also kept the statue of Coleman open until 11:30 p.m. so fans could pay their respects. Before his professional career, Coleman was just a Bay Area kid who loved baseball. Born on Sept. 24, 1924 in San Jose, he grew up in the San Francisco and attended Lowell High School. “I just happened to be living in the area close to Lowell and I got to go here,” Coleman said in an interview with The Lowell in 2012. “My average was about a C, but I always got an A in gym. I played baseball and basketball. Baseball taught me that you can’t be as good as you want to be. It’s the toughest sport

in the world.” Lowell varsity baseball coach John Donohue knew Coleman personally. “I was proud to call him my friend,” he said. “He was alway very nice and humble and I was honored to be the person who introduced him when he was inducted into the Lowell Sports Hall of Fame.” Throughout the years, Coleman kept in touch with Lowell. “Coleman was very proud that he went to Lowell,” Donohue said. “When we were playing in the 2001 Lions Tournament in San Diego he got us free tickets to a Padres game. Before the game, he brought out Tony Gwynn, one of the greatest hitters of all time, and he talked with us for 20 minutes. The varsity team will wear Jerry Coleman patches on their road uniforms this year to honor him.” After graduating from Lowell in 1942, Coleman signed with the New York Yankees and began playing in the minor leagues. However, before breaking into the big leagues, he joined the war effort and flew combat missions in the Pacific theater in World War II. After the war ended, he spent a few more seasons in the minors before making his major league debut on April 20, 1949. Coleman entered the big leagues with style. He was a Rookie of the Year candidate and the Yankees won the World Series in his first season. His second year was even more impressive: Coleman was an All-Star and the World Series MVP, as the Yankees won their second world championship in two years. Coleman went on to play in four more World Series in his career, with the Yankees winning two of them. Besides his achievements on the field and in the booth, Coleman received much recognition for his time in the military. “He had a memorable, multifaceted career in the National Pastime – as an All-Star during the great Yankees’ dynasty from 1949-1953, a manager and, for more than a half-century, a beloved broadcaster, including as an exemplary ambassador for the San Diego Padres,” Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig released in a statement on Jan. 5. “But above all, Jerry’s decorated service to our country in both World War II and Korea made him an integral part of the Greatest

Generation.” Fighting in the Korean War limited Coleman’s career by consuming the majority of the ’52 and ’53 seasons. After returning to baseball, he played a few more seasons, but was hampered by injuries. Coleman retired in 1957 after nine seasons as an infielder for the Yankees. Though his career was limited by his time in the military and injuries, Coleman had an impressive six World Series appearances and four world championships in just nine years. Jerry Coleman is no longer with us, but he leaves behind a legacy matched by few mothers in the sport of baseball.

Survey could spark a school initiative to reduce notorious Lowell homework load and stress By Gabby Dolgonos

HEAVY HOMEWORK LOAD can feel like a staple of Lowell, but how heavy is too heavy? That’s the question the upcoming homework survey hopes to answer. The homework survey, scheduled for late February, will allow the school to evaluate the average amount of work assigned per subject. Based on the data that will be collected, adjustments to the school’s present homework system could be made. The survey, which will not include the names of students or teachers, will be distributed to registries and will ask students to specify the classes they are enrolled in, along with the average time they spend on assignments and homework for each of those courses.

The goal is to gather reliable statistics about the typical workload for each subject, enabling the administration to determine whether any modifications to homework policy need to be made within separate departments, according to economics teacher Rebecca Johnson, who helped write the survey. “All this survey is doing is giving us a starting point for discussion about how much time homework is taking,” Johnson said. To ensure the data collected will be as accurate as possible, registry teachers will distribute blank homework logs a few weeks prior to the survey, allowing students to record their assignments throughout the month, Johnson said. The concern about excessive homework and its effect on student stress levels came to

the administration’s attention about a year and a half ago, after a meeting with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. To conduct the survey, the administration joined forces with Challenge Success, a program focused on minimizing unnecessary student stress. “We started meeting as a group because Challenge Success had a history of dealing with other schools who had the same kinds of issues,” social studies teacher Kristen Lubenow said. “And as a school committee, we decided to focus on homework because it’s also a big thing that parents talk about.” Wellness Counselor Kin Leung mentions that homework is a major contributor to the stress at Lowell. “I think that’s one of the top reasons students come to the Wellness Center, because they only have so many hours in a

day,” Leung said. “Sleep deprivation is one of the main stressors that is directly linked to the amount of homework students have.” The survey also hopes to bring attention to student homework habits. “The idea is to begin talking to students about how they’re doing homework, what they’re doing while they do homework, and how they can finish their homework more efficiently,” Johnson said. As of now there are no definite plans for any follow-up surveys, although there is a possibility of a more detailed survey once the data is collected. After the survey’s results are analyzed, the school will determine whether the amount of homework students receive should be regulated or reduced.

The Lowell

January 30, 2014

8 NEWS

January 30, 2013

Lowell High School

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January 30, 2013

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF PATRICIA NGUY

(Left) Reporter Patricia Nguy’s chocolate vegan macarons with mint buttercream. (Right) A batch of nut-free macarons with milk chocolate buttercream.

Reporter dives into delicious realm of macarons By Patricia Nguy

FTER MY FIRST macaron puffed up in the oven and formed beautiful frills along its edge, I was hooked on baking these extraordinary cookies. However, my beginner’s luck obviously ran out as later I cried over batches of cracked macarons, hollow macarons and conjoined macarons. Only to learn that, unless you burn them to ashes, they all taste heavenly. But I cannot help being ten times happier when my macarons are pretty. These egg white-based sandwich cookies are challenging to make if you actually want to reach macaron perfection — macarons with smooth and shiny tops (hats), ruffled edges (feet) and luscious fillings. But if you just want to eat some delicious cookies, then they are no harder than typical chocolate chip cookies. My mom prefers the pretty macarons, which became a problem when she went semi-vegan, and presented me with the challenge of making vegan macarons. Vegan food blogger Hannah Kaminsky’s recipe for Mint Chocolate Macarons from the cookbook Vegan Desserts has an identical procedure to traditional macarons sans egg whites. Between the macaron cookies (shells) and their filling, the shells are more complicated and time-consuming. Since I have to grind my own nut meal, sifting the confectioner’s sugar and nut meal to a fine powder in itself becomes backbreaking work; that along with beating the meringue (aerated egg whites), performing the macaronage (careful mixing and deflating of the batter) and piping the round shells made it all the more challenging. To make the meringue, Kamisky’s recipe calls for a brand name egg replacer called Ener-G, instead of chicken egg whites.

Although using this cornstarch-like vegan substitute may seem easier than separating egg whites from egg yolks, it does take a while to dissolve the egg replacer in a splash of water as instructed and takes a few minutes longer than real egg whites to whip up into a stiff and glossy meringue. Vegan or not, the meringue is crucial to the macarons’ structure and should be considered as equally important as the notorious macaronage. The macaronage is the mixing of the nut meal and confectioner’s sugar into the meringue. Ideally, it partially deflates the egg white foam to a lava-like consistency. But for my first batch, I felt doom descending upon my shoulders as I spotted lumps in my batter, a sign that the almond meal was not finely ground enough. Stray nut pieces can impede the delicate meringue from expanding in the oven, creating a hollow macaron. Aesthetically, they make the macaron hats look and feel bumpy. Even though there were these early signs of mistakes, I persisted with the project and piped the batter into rounds and proceeded with the most difficult part of the recipe — waiting. More specifically, waiting for the macarons to dry out. This resting period allows each macaron shell to form a dry-to-the-touch skin, which eventually gives the macaron its signature hats and feet. In my kitchen, a traditional macaron takes about half an hour to dry, but Kaminsky says that these vegan macarons need one and a half hours of peace and quiet. After the macaron shells had their nap, I popped them into a warm oven and sat down in front of the oven window to watch the magic. After the show, I was thoroughly amazed that not a single chocolate macaron shell cracked, and they all boasted fat feet. But my hopes fell short when I prodded one of the macaron hats and it broke under my touch. Every cookie

was as hollow as a cave. But the macaron shells were still worth sandwiching with Kaminsky’s “vanilla-mint filling, although I could have stopped right there and paired the chocolate macarons with apricot jam if I did not want to make the filling. The recipe is really a simple buttercream but made with non-dairy margarine instead of butter to veganize it. When I sandwiched the macarons with the filling and tried one, the taste was spot on, but the bottom was too chewy, almost like a granola bar. And of course, there was that empty interior. The vegan buttercream was much grainier than the egg and butter-based Swiss meringue or French variety. Next time, I’ll try making a vegan Swiss meringue buttercream using Ener-G, since it whipped up so beautifully for the shells. After three days in the refrigerator, another taste revealed that the vegan macarons became disturbingly gummy in the middle and remained chewy around the edges. But eleven days later, the macarons’ texture evened out and resembled more traditional macarons. In addition to the course almond meal, I suspect my measurements were inaccurate because the macaron recipe I normally rely on uses weight measurements and Kaminsky’s uses volumetric. I tried commenting on Kaminsky’s blog for troubleshooting, but she did not share any advice on why my macarons turned out hollow. Overall, the recipe was definitely a baking adventure worth taking. If you are vegan, allergic to eggs or looking for alternatives for yourself or a loved one, Kaminsky’s vegan macarons should be on your foodie bucket list. You can borrow Vegan Desserts from a public library or purchase it online.

Double Take: Reporter recommends “Bedazzled,” finds the movie to be a diamond in the rough

By Kate Mccarthy

HERE WAS A BRIEF TIME in the late 1990s when Brendan Fraser was a major movie star…and it was the best! One such movie from his hey-day was Bedazzled (2000), a remake of the 1967 original starring Dudley Moore. Fraser is Elliot Richardson, a painfully eager and goofy tech support employee in (unrequited) love with dream girl Alison Gardner (Frances O’Connor), only a few cubicles away. After being spurned and ridiculed by his coworkers, Elliot encounters The Devil (a super sultry Elizabeth Hurley) who offers seven wishes in exchange for his soul. Elliot accepts and uses his wishes to create new personalities for himself and worlds in which Alison falls for him, but The Devil finds a way to slyly ruin each wish. Will angelic Elliot ever win Alison’s affection? Bedazzled is not a heavy movie; I first saw it at a friend’s sixth-grade slumber party birthday. But all these years later the humor and new scenarios Elliot lives— each one more outlandish than the last— do not fail to entertain. Elliot’s snarky workmates play supporting characters in every invented world, and it’s devilish fun (pardon the pun) to see them go from caustic working stiffs to worshipping inferiors. The cast is chameleon-like, morphing from Colombian drug lords to macho beach bullies to jocular ESPN commentators and beyond. Fraser takes hold of the movie with his charged performance, making you cringe at his cloying quirks while still rooting for him to win the girl and grow a backbone. With each new character, Fraser takes on a distinct voice Movie poster for Bedazzled

and body language, immersing himself and creating absolute believability. Additionally, Fraser and Hurley make an ideal screen match, trading barbed quips and fighting for dominance with sharp and energetic acting. Director Harold Ramis (already renowned by 2000 for his films Groundhog Day, Caddyshack and his role as one of the Ghostbusters) gives each new world whimsical detail, and keeps the pace fast by moving quickly through Elliot’s failed wishes. An interesting plot twist finds Elliot in jail bunking with a mysterious man (Gabriel Casseus) offering wise advice on good versus evil. This man is later revealed to be a pretty prominent religious figure (hint, hint) and his sage advice grounds Bedazzled with some interesting thoughts about human nature, presented cleverly in the context of a light fantasy-comedy movie. Clocking in at 93 minutes, this movie will swallow you up for a vigorous, snappy ride and leave you smiling. Ramis ties it all up satisfyingly with a bittersweet ending that leaves Elliot with an unexpected, non-supernatural version of the happiness he so craved; the happiness we as an audience wanted for him all along. Bedazzled was not a big hit and it will not go down in history as a cinematic masterpiece, but it is certainly a fun hour and a half spent with an endearing protagonist, great parodies of personality types, and a good message about being (or becoming) yourself. And what about a Brendan Fraser comeback, huh? Who’s with me!?

10PROFILES

January 30, 2014

By Samantha Wilcox

have formed as a company at Move-About,” Chung-Melino said. “When the former heads went on to college, I knew I wanted to step in and help make it even better.” Co-chairing with four other Lowell students, Chung-Melino is involved in the business side of the troupe. “Alexandra and I are more in charge of the managerial aspect,” Chung-Melino said. “We get to choose the venues and manage logistics, whereas Elisa and Lauren focus more on creative direction.” Currently preparing for their upcoming production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Move-About has grown to a membership of 20 students. “This year we have recruited a lot more freshmen than years past, which gives us a lot of fresh faces and perspectives,” Chung-Melino said. “More members help us to expand creatively in ways we couldn’t before.”

Avery Chung-Melino

T’S NOT ONLY LADY Gaga who lives for the applause. Junior Avery ChungMelino has been a prominent member of Lowell’s Drama department since her freshman year, flexing her acting chops in both fall plays and spring musicals. Beyond the dressing room, however, she has taken the step to co-chair the Move-About Theatre Company. An actor since her early youth, Chung-Melino loves stage lights and an audience. “When I’m performing, I feel truly at home,” she said. “I never have to fear being myself.” Because of her love for the theater, it was a natural step to take on the responsibility of helping lead the Move-About Theatre Company. “I love the community that we

ized that we had all just put this together ourselves,” she said. “We were being able to own the show, the one we put together.” Even before Move-Ab out, Vidales always loved theater. “To me, theater means community,” she said. “It matters to me so much because I’m able to put a lot into that performance. It’s amazing because there’s so many people involved.”

By Samantha Wilcox

OME PEOPLE DON’T have the voice of an angel, and Alexandra Beem is one of them. That’s where the Move-About Theatre Company came into play. “I was looking for another way to do theater in the spring, seeing as I cannot sing so the musical was out of the question,” Beem said. A life without acting would be a boring one for Beem. “I could tell you all about bonding with the cast, late rehearsals, tackling different language — especially when doing classical stuff like Shakespeare — and getting to know your character, but acting is so much more than all of those little reasons,” Beem said. “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” When former director of Move-About and Lowell alumna Cecily Montgomery

Though Vidales has a deep connection to theater, she must juggle Lowell’s requirements along with Move-About’s rehearsals, which range from two to four hours on some weekdays and Sundays. Vidales responds to this challenge by focusing on her priorities. “I think wanting to manage my time was really important, and really focusing on doing Move-About when I was doing it, and not worrying about any of the other things I had to do,” she said. Vidales, alongside Taylor, is directing her second play, Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, but has yet to determine a location. She is excited about working with a large cast. “It’s such a great group of talented people and I know that together, we’re going to be able to put on a really awesome show,” she said.

graduated last year, Beem saw the perfect opportunity to hone her craft in a different setting, and has been integral to revamping the program. “I have been a part of the decision to do Twelfth Night somewhere other than Fort Mason, where all of our other pro du c t i on s h a v e b e e n ,” Beem said. “As the head managerial director, it is my job to find an alternate location.” Beem is set on c ont i nu ing to act into college and beyond. “I don’t intend to major in theater, but most schools have student-run acting groups that I would love to join,” Beem said. “I got my first taste in the Pirates of Penzance in the fourth grade and have never stopped because I haven’t stopped loving and enjoying acting. I still love it, so I’ll keep going.”

Alexandra Beem

Lauren Taylor, took it over two years ago when the former senior directors were leaving. Since then, they’ve revamped the website, started making productions accessible and expanded their cast. “I am not sure what exactly caused this, but we have about double the amount of people involved for this coming year than we had last year,” Vidales said. So far, the duo has conducted one successful show together, Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Vidales savored the camaraderie as the show came to a close. “I was just watching the first scene and the actors in it, and I real-

OMEWHERE AMID THE makeup and the mayhem lies an aspiring director, whose involvement in a stressful student-run production is driven by her overwhelming passion for theater. Senior Elisa Vidales co-directs Move-About Theatre, a student-run and funded company that provides free shows in San Francisco, usually in natural settings. Directing the aspiring actors has given Vidales a new angle to perceive theater, something that she will take with her to college. “I plan on doing some level of theater in college, whether that means majoring, minoring or simply participating in clubs and productions,” Vidales said. “But, it’s definitely something that I want to keep in my life.” Although Move-About has been around since 2008, Vidales, along with her partner,

Elisa Vidales

By Ophir Cohen-Simayof

Lowell High School

The Lowell

PROFILES

January 30, 2014

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALEXANDRA BEEM, AVERY CHUNG-MELINO AND TAYLOR EDELHART

By Sandi Dumas

By Amber Li

Taylor Edelhart

HEN PEOPLE PLAN to attend a theater performance, they may picture themselves passively sitting in an auditorium watching players carry out their acts. However, Lowell class of 2011 alumna and founder of Move-About Theatre, Taylor Edelhart, has a different vision. While visiting her grandmother in New York during summer break in 2008, the then 15-year-old Edelhart went to an unconventional production of Macbeth. The show’s venue was in a park and the scenes took place in different areas around the park. It did not stick to one set location, so the moving scenes compelled the audience to migrate along with the performers. Edelhart’s experience opened her eyes to more interactive theater. “It was amazing to see these little kids, who probably didn’t even know what was going on in the play, having fun running around the park from scene to scene,” she said. “It was crazy to see that even my 80-year-old grandmother was running around and following as well.” Inspired by New York Classical Theatre’s alternative production of Macbeth, Edelhart made up her mind to start her own moveable theater company. “It was my sophomore year,” she said. “Since my internship job as a social media associate at the Contemporary Jewish Museum was deleted entirely, I was out of a job and decided to create my own theater.”

tion. This often ranges from color coordination between lovers, to how the scenes are set up for each act. Every act in a MoveAbout production occurs in a different location. “If the production was at Lowell, the first act might be in the courtyard, then we would lead the audience to the flagpole,” Talyor said. The movement often compels the audience to move from scene to scene in ways that normal theater could never do. The interaction between the audience and actors creates a connection that couldn’t be attained

Creating a new company is no task for one individual. “My parents helped out a lot,” Edelhart said. “We received funding from a great organization called Youth Funding Ideas. I received help from everyone really. I definitely didn’t do it on my own.” With three years of running MoveAbout on her resume, E del har t lef t t he company she built in hands of her younger theater friends. Nonetheless, she still has her memories. “I think my favorite part of Move-About was running a rehearsal room, starting a text and bringing it to life, piece by piece, in rehearsal,” she said. Thinking back on Move-About, Edelhart has one small regret. “I would’ve given the company a different name,” she said. “Probably something with the word gypsy involved, and definitely no hyphens.” Currently a double major in theater and social and cultural

simply with a stage in an auditorium. Taylor hopes that Move-About will be a stepping stone to bigger things in both college and her future career. “Move-About has taught me leadership skills that I never could have developed elsewhere,” Taylor said. “Even though I don’t want to do something else like Move-About later on, it has been a really influential experience for me.” Taylor started out as a freshman in Lowell’s drama class. When there was no one to take the former MoveAbout director’s place, she stepped up and took the position herself, in fear that otherwise the group would disappear completely. “Move-About is more than a theater group, it’s so unique and different — it’s family.” Taylor said.

Lauren Taylor

DDING AN extra-curricular to an already busy Lowell schedule may seem daunting, but senior Lauren Taylor, the director of Move-About Theatre welcomes the challenge. Although the burden may seem heavy, Taylor loves what she does.“I just want other people to have the same incredible experience that I had putting this [Move-About] together,” Taylor said. Not only does Move-About perform in public, but the company also practices in public. “We battle the weather every time we practice,” Taylor said. Despite the hardships, the entire troupe is set on practicing until perfection — or until it gets too cold to feel their fingers. Taylor has the same intellectual struggle as most Lowell students, but instead of stimulating herself with the massive amount of home-

work and the steady supply of projects and tests, she uses theater as an outlet. “I’m not the best at school,” Taylor said. “I don’t get straight A’s, but the theater is like a haven. I get to be surrounded by the things and people I love.” As a student director, Taylor has a specific set of responsibilities. “I oversee how scenes turn out, and I create the framework for the show as well as translate the old language into something understandable for modern times,” Taylor said. In addition to simplifying the language she also controls all the creative aspects of the produc-

analysis at New York University, Edelhart tries to apply the many skills she learned from overseeing show after show for Move-About. “I learned about producing a piece of theater while running the company,” she said, “and working with other actors and management because I found out how easily things can fall apart completely.” Edelhart’s most recent step in her college career is studying abroad in Ghana. “I’m taking some time to be a student and do work away from my theater program, New York University Tisch School of the Art’s Playwrights Horizons Theater School.” Although Edelhart has moved on from Lowell, her experience with MoveAbout never left her. “That feeling after we completed our first performance is my most memorable moment,” she said. “Tech week was crazy, but we managed to pull through and it was so satisfying. That feeling is something that stays with me even until today.”

drag queens and gets a closer look at their eyes BY CAMPBELL GEE

INCE THE ERA FOLLOWING the Stonewall riots, drag has evolved into a sisterhood of gender-bending beauties who use their bold looks and dazzling performances to promote social change and thrill audiences — all while donning a fierce pair of sky-high heels. And as a result of San Francisco’s enthusiasm for diversity and everything unusual, the City by the Bay harbors a unique drag scene — where androgynous queens, campy queens and pageant queens alike can coexist. Though drag was once mostly unexplored by those outside the lesbian,

gay, bisexual and trans community, thesubculture is captivating newer and wider demographics. From the success of RuPaul’s Drag Race and Paris is Burning to the viral music videos of comedy trio DWV, the popularity of queens in mainstream culture is growing faster than you can say “you betta’ work.” But with countless stereotypes surrounding this fabulously unconventional form of entertainment, some of the most sickening local queens spill the “tea” on what it’s really like to be involved in the art of drag.

----------------------------------------------------------------GEE: How does SF’s drag scene differ from POLLO DEL MAR PEACHES CHRIST This self-proclaimed “horror glamour clown” (a.k.a Joshua Grannell) has had countless achievments since moving to the City after college. Grannell’s first major project was the creation of the acclaimed “Midnight Mass” event at the Bridge Theater –– a spectacle that included dragtastic pre-show productions. Today, Christ’s hilarious spins on films such as Grey Gardens and 9 to 5 sell out the even larger Castro Theater and feature notable guest stars like Drag Race’s Jinkx Monsoon and Sharon Needles and locally-based queens. Christ’s dedication to her craft has gotten her recognized not only as a live performer, but also as an underground movie aficionado and feature film director. GEE: When was “Peaches” born? CHRIST: Peaches was born in my senior thesis film Jizmopper: A Love Story. I was studying film production at Penn State, and the actor we’d hired to play the drag queen in the movie didn’t pull through for us, so CHRIST stepped in to play the part. GEE: In what ways did your childhood influence your art? CHRIST: I went to Catholic school from first to twelfth grade, where I felt like the weirdest kid in a sea of normalcy. Discovering filmmaker John Waters really turned my world upside down. I was a queer weirdo who felt alone in my interests and these fellow freaks made outrageously works of art in Baltimore just up the street from where I was surviving suburbia.

that in other cities like NYC or LA? CHRIST: Folks tend to start doing drag here more for the fun and less for building a career. If we were more industry based, I don’t think the drag here would be as bizarre as it is. GEE: What is your biggest career accomplishment? CHRIST: Making my movie All About Evil is the thing I’m the proudest of because I’d always wanted to make a feature film, and it was an homage to so many things I loved as a kid like Fangoria Magazine and Elvira. GEE: Can you tell me about your popular live shows? CHRIST: “Midnight Mass” is a movie event that I created back in 1998. We stage productions before our favorite movies. It’s as much about the audience as it is the performers because cult movies only exist if there’s a cult of followers wanting to worship the cinema they love. I write and direct all of the stage productions based on the content we’re celebrating. GEE: Do you have advice for teens who are struggling to be themselves? CHRIST: Surround yourself with chosen family and friends, and forget the rest. Life is too short not to find those who will support you on your journey.

The Lowell Spotlight January 30, 2014

Though the drag career of Pollo Del Mar (née Paul E. Pratt) is short compared to that of the city’s veteran queens, the journalist-turnedpersonality has had tremendous accomplishments as the “Notorious P.D.M.” From Del Mar’s title as “Miss Trannyshack” to blogging for The Huffington Post, her many talents make her SF’s renaissance man of drag. In addition, the dynamic queen finds time to record original dance tunes. Del Mar’s newest single — “#WhiteLadyProblems” — encompasses her passion for activism and knack for comedy. Pratt shared how finding the courage to express himself helped make him a fervent voice within the LGBT community. GEE: When did you start doing drag? DEL MAR: Throughout my life I dabbled in drag, but I got into drag professionally in 2006. GEE: Who is “Pollo” inspired by? DEL MAR: The character is based on every white-trash girl I knew growing up. The epitome of that is Anna Nicole Smith, who became my personal idol. GEE: What is one of your memorable career moments? DEL MAR: It was leading rallies in opposition to Prop 8 (2008). It was so em-

powering to have my voice inspire thousands of people to action. GEE: What is one common misconception about drag queens? DEL MAR: I have no interest in being a woman. I love bringing to life an alternate personality through makeup and costumes. GEE: Do you have any words of wisdom for struggling teens? DEL MAR: For years, I tried to be who I thought others needed me to be. It never worked, but when I finally showed who I truly am, it opened me up to acceptance from people who genuinely appreciated me. It’s frightening to be yourself because some people will NOT like it — but the payoff outweighs that 100 times! GEE: Do you think it’s important for a wider range of people to have be more open to varying forms of self-expression? DEL MAR: The more we all witness people and different ways of thought the better we will be. I recently took Lyft while in drag. The driver asked questions about what drag is to me and whether it indicates my gender identity. I can say that I left her with a greater understanding of the difference between a trans woman and a drag performer.

Wil the Cardinals floor the Eagles? Preview Battle of the Birds with The Lowell.

Lowell High School January 30, 2014

Page 13

ZOE KAISER

Senior Kelly Eshima spins away from a Balboa player in the Card’s 60-19 victory over the Bucaneers. The win put Lowell at the top of the Academic Athletic Association standings with a 3-0 record.

Girls’ varsity basketball dismantles Balboa By Samantha Wilcox

HE GIRLS’ VARSITY basketball team triumphed over the Balboa Buccaneers 60-19 on Jan. 17. The Cardinals started the first quarter well despite the Buccaneers’ aggressive defense. Senior forward Triana Anderson successfully made it past the sea of orange to score the first basket of the game. Displaying impeccable defense, sophomore forward and center Francesca Baldwin blocked numerous attempts,

once running the ball down the court for a score. With the Cardinals leading 12-0, the Buccaneers got on the scoreboard with two free throws after a foul, but their momentum did not last long. Lowell continued their good defense throughout the quarter, leading 17-2 when the buzzer sounded. The Cardinals began the second quarter equally strong, with junior front center Sabina Wildman scoring twice in thirty seconds, bringing the score to 21-2. Maintaining a tough

defense, the Cardinals continued to dominate the rest of the quarter, heading into halftime with a score of 36-12. The Cardinals came out of halftime with confidence, starting the third quarter with Anderson running down the court ahead of the Buccaneers’ defense for an easy shot. Continuing to score points and block attempts, the Cardinals only allowed the Buccaneers to score two free throws after a foul. The Cards ended the quarter 55-14.

Lowell faced a revived Balboa defense during the final quarter of the game and struggled to score. The Cardinals, however, tightened up their own defense, ending the game with a score of 60-19. This win brings Lowell to the top of the standings at 3-0, and leaves Balboa at 0-2. The Cardinals’ next game is against the Galileo Lions at 5:30 p.m. at home on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

Girls’ fs basketball sweeps aside Balboa for easy win By Cynthia Leung

the team with seven points in the game, scored two On Jan. 17, the girls’ frosh-soph basketball team points off a steal. Later in the quarter, sophomore guard Brandi Wong made a three-pointer, adding defeated the Balboa Buccaneers 32-9. The Cardinals started strong, scoring a basket to their 25-3 lead. But then, the Buccaneers rallied with back-towithin the first 15 seconds of tip-off, setting the mood for the rest of the game. Throughout the first back three-pointers, cutting the deficit to 25-9. The visitors outscored the Carquarter the Cardinals emdinals 6-5 in the quarter. ployed strong defense, only Several times throughsurrendering three points. The Cardinals finished the Throughout the first out the game, the shot clock ran out for the Bucfirst quarter leading 15-3 quarter the Cardinals caneers, due to tough deafter a late jump shot from fense by the Cardinals. freshman guard Audrey employed strong deThe Cardinals were also Ng who would end the game with six points total. fense, only surrender- very aggressive, grabbing for loose balls and forcing In the second quarter, ing three points. the ball out of bounds. Dethe Cardinals continued spite having a slight height their strong defense, diving disadvantage against the and forcing turnovers, which they did the entire game. The Cardinals scored five points total in the Buccaneers, they still boxed out and grabbed quarter, highlighted by a three-pointer by freshman many rebounds. The Cardinals are now 3-0, while the Buccaguard Erin Li. After the first half, they led 20-3. The Cardinals continued their solid defense in neers fall to 0-2. Lowell’s next game is on Tuesday Jan. 21 at 4 the third quarter, but could not get their offense going until sophomore guard Sarah Chow, who led p.m. against the Mission Bears at home.

CATE STERN

Freshman Max Hum in the frosh-soph boys 48-40 loss against Mission.

LoweLL HigH ScHooL, Red edition, VoL. 221 no. 4, JanuaRy 30, 2014, www.thelowell.org

,OWELL 4HE

Drag Queens Page 12 In San Francisco, life’s a drag. Delve into the City’s uniquely fabulous drag scene

Best & Worst Page 24

The Lowell’s picks for 2013’s best and worst apps, sports moments, slang and movies

8IBU T What’s

Inside

News

Pages

1-8

Board of Ed. approves plans to move art charter school to downtown location Robotics team purchases and receives 3D printers, speeds up building process

Entertainment

Pg.

Credit recovery Jazz poppin’ program offers A-G compliant online courses By Elena Bernick

ZOE KAISER

Junior Liz Merski takes the stage at the school’s annual Jazz Pops Concert on Jan. 17. For more photos from the event, see page 3.

School pilots teacher feedback survey By Arthur Register

Robotics 3D printers are a catalyst for innovation and for competition prep

By Emily Teng and Cynthia Leung

Reporter Patricia Nguy details her delicious journey to bake the perfect vegan macarons Page

10-11

Theater troupe performs oldtime plays on a modern stage Actors and actresses practice their lines, rain or shine

Sports

Pages

13-19

An in-depth look at the changing lineup of the boys’ varsity basketball team

Columns

Page

Sophomore explains choice to wear a hijab.

Opinion

Pages

21-23

Reporter argues against tech gentrification in the city A light week before finals would allow students extra study time, reporter argues

SALLY MA

The 3D printers will be used to test out innovative new parts. The printer will create digitally designed mechanical parts from plastic for temporary use on robot prototypes.

14 SPORTS

January 30, 2014

Frosh-soph girls By Cynthia Leung

ATCH OUT! The JV Girls basketball team is coming, ready to defend their championship title. They are the top dogs of their division, beating every team by about twenty points. This year’s Cardinal girls are shifting their focus to defense. “Last year, the team was more offensive and we had a lot of shooters,” sophomore guard and forward Riki Eijima said. “This year, we have strong defense and that’s what pushes our team to do better.” The team this season has a talented freshman group. “Madison Toy has really stepped up,” sophomore Zada Clark said. “Many of the freshman have really improved since the beginning of the season.” The freshman are definitely contributing to the team, no matter how small or tall they are. “Another freshman, Audrey Ng, is one of the best defenders and goes for all the offensive boards even if she is the smallest one out there,” Eijima said. A strong sophomore class is providing the guidance and experience the team needs for success. “To be honest, the sophomores are such a great influence on the team,” freshman guard Erin Li said. “I feel that without their leadership throughout the season so far, we would not be where we are now. They helped us, the freshmen, realize that we need to play with heart.” The sophomores have definitely improved from last year.“The sophomores have stepped up tremendously, especially as leaders,” head coach Christine Hosoda said. The team is looking forward to their game against the Washington Eagles, their biggest rivals, at Battle of the Birds, whom they beat last year 57-22, on Feb. 7 at Kezar Stadium at 3:30 p.m. “I hope we will go back to basics and stick to that strong defense that we can pull out to win,” Eijima said.

Varsity boys

Lowell High School

Frosh-soph boys

By Danielle Flores

NDER THE WING of coach Travis Hom, the frosh-soph boys’ basketball team continues their focus on defense. The team uses a 2-2-1 press as their full court defensive strategy, which utilizes two players at the free throw line, two at half court and one, known as the center, defending the top of the key, nearest to the opponents’ basket. According to sophomore captain Sherman Wong, the players use this key defensive mechanism to “cause havoc and chaos for the other team” with their full court pressure. This, along with man-to-man defense, keeps players light on their feet, and ready to move against their opponents at all angles of the court. Entering his second season coaching the basketball team, Hom shares his goals for the team this year. He wants his players to “slow down, play their tempo, play their style.” All Lowell basketball teams generally emphasize “slowing down the game because we are not as fast or athletic as other teams,” according to Hom. By taking charge of the tempo, the Cardinals gain control of the clock, play the game at their speed and execute energy more efficiently on defense. If the team fails to control the tempo, it becomes a game of hit and miss. They end up chasing the ball alongside their opponents, as displayed against fast-paced teams like Mission and Washington. Last season, Hom brought his team all the way to the playoffs with a record of 8-1, losing only to Washington in the nerve-racking double overtime game. “We were overwhelmed by the crowd last year,” Wong said. “This year we need to stay focused.” With Hom’s mantra “slow down, play our tempo, play our style” in the mindset of every player on his team, the boys are looking to bring home the trophy this upcoming Battle of the Birds on Friday, Feb. 7 and come out this season as champions.

By Sam Tick-Raker

NIC AL

N LAST YEAR’S Battle of the Birds, the boys’ varsity basketball team fell to the Washington Eagles, 60-42. According to senior forward Sammy Pollard, the Eagles’ offense overpowered the Cardinals’ defense and Lowell could not keep up. “We didn’t really hit our shots,” he added. Though the Eagles will have another solid team this year, the Lowell seniors have a clear mindset going in. “We know what we have to do in game situations,” senior center Alvin Norman said. “The only thing we have to do is go out and execute.” This big game experience will also help because the atmosphere of the BOTB is so different than other games. “The crowd plays a big factor in those types of games,” senior guard Evan Louie said. “Playing Battle of the Birds for four years really helps.” Many players even enjoy the increased energy. “It’s a lot of fun ’cause the crowd’s really into it. You feed off their energy,” Pollard said. With an experienced squad and hopeful attitude, the Cardinals want to improve their record in the biggest game of the season. The game begins at 8 p.m. on Friday Feb. 7 at Kezar stadium.

Varsity girls By Samantha Wilcox

EZAR WILL BE packed with cheering Cardinals rooting for their team to take home the win against the Washington Eagles. The girls’ varsity team is ready to take down the competition at the upcoming Battle of the Birds, continuing their winning streak after they defeated the Eagles 70-31 last year. Success doesn’t come without practice. Despite a 5-0 season so far, there is always room for improvement. “We are learning new plays to better our offense,” junior Sabina Wildman said. “Also, our coach continues to enforce tough defense with jumping, steals and blocks.” The energy on the court is something that the players feed off of. “The attitude of the team before a big game is contagious,” sophomore Francesca Baldwin said. “The energy when we are pumped before a game helps bring everyone up.” Come see the Cardinals face off at 6:30 on Feb. 7 at Kezar stadium against the Washington Eagles.

January 30, 2014

The Lowell

SPORTS

LILY YOUNG

Senior Pryor Vo takes control of his opponent in his victorious wrestling match against the Balboa Buccaneers on Jan. 14. The Cardinals defeated Balboa 45-19, taking their second win of the league season at the time. The Cardinals won 10 out of 13 matches: 3 by forfeit, 6 by pin and 1 by decision.

Wrestling aided by new assistant coaches By Amber Ly

FTER FALLING SHORT at All-City last season, the wrestling team is preparing for a fresh start with two additional pairs of eyes for guidance. Joining the team are two new assistant coaches: Micky Mejia and Nick Olsen. Last season, head coach Michael Wise and assistant coach Jaime Rodriguez were overwhelmed by the 17-player team. More coaches means more one-on-one teaching, which is necessary for a single-person sport like wrestling. “With more coaches, we can focus more on the wrestlers individually when needed,” Wise said. “When it was only me, I couldn’t put aside the needs of the many to focus on the individuals.” During one-on-one training, a coach teaches a wrestler new moves for offense and defense. Olsen has been focusing more on how to combat moves to get reverse points. “If you don’t know a move and what it does to you, you can’t defend yourself in a match if it’s used against you,” Olsen said. “I just try to teach them moves that might get them stuck in a weird situation, so that later on they’ll know exactly what to do if it happens in a match.” Having four coaches with different styles and weight classes gives the team an advantage in the league. “Every weight class

has its own style of wrestling, so it’s really helpful having a lot in a total of 10 matches. The Cardinals won seven matches: six of coaches differ in weights,” senior captain Kelvin Mai said. by pinning the opponent’s shoulder blades on the mat and one In addition to different styles and weight classes, each coach by decision based on points scored during the match. also brings post high school expeIn the second match, junior rience — a rare find in wrestling Sasha Gonzalez wrestled up a coaches in San Francisco high against a 120-lb opponent. Every weight class has its class schools, according to Wise. “Other Though Gonzalez eventually lost schools would kill to have coaches own style of wrestling, so it’s he managed to make it to the third who have college-level wrestling and final round. “He had a similar really helpful having a lot of style to mine,” Gonzalez said. “But experience, and we have that here,” Wise said. was a few pounds heavier than coaches differ in weights.” he The coaches are there to also me so I just worked what I could provide more moral support KELVIN MAI, but he shut me down.” during tense matches. “Just them Despite being able to gain points senior captain being there during a match makes by forfeit, winning a physical match you want to win even more,” senior Cynthia Law said. “I have matters more. “It’s always more important to win the matches,” an obligation to win because they’ve been helping me improve.” head coach Michael Wise said. “You can only get better by wrestling people better than you.” Cardinals dominate Balboa 45-19 With their victory over Balboa, the Cardinals moved to The wrestling team came out on top on Tuesday, Jan. 14 2-0 in the league. The Cardinals then proceeded to shut down with a score of 45-19 in a meet against the Balboa Buccaneers. Mission 70-5 on Jan. 22. Although Balboa was forced to forfeit 3 weight classes beLook out for the Cardinals in their upcoming tournament cause they lacked players who qualified, both teams competed at 7 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 2 at Maria Carillo.

“

A Look at the Coaching Staff

MICHAEL WISE

JAIME RODRIGUEZ

Years at Lowell 5 College Washington State Previous Weight Class 118 lbs

Years at Lowell College Experience Previous Weight Class

head coach

assistant coach

2nd year SF State 149 lbs

NICK OLSEN

MICKY MEJIA

Years at Lowell 1st year College Minnesota State Previous Weight Class 174 lbs

Years at Lowell College Experience Previous Weight Class

assistant coach

1st year SF State 125 lbs

16 SPORTS

January 30, 2014

Lowell High School

SALLY MA

Junior guard Soren Carpenter tries to pass a defender in Lowell’s 57-50 loss to Marshall on Jan. 23. Carpenter ended the game with a total of six points.

Boys’ basketball combating offensive struggles Marshall Phoenix slip by Cardinals 57-50

By Sam Tick-Raker

ITH A STRONG SENIOR core and an improving In a close game which featured many lead changes, the boys’ squad, the boys’ varsity basketball team hopes to varsity basketball team fell to the Thurgood Marshall Phoenix come out on top this season. 57-50 on Jan. 23 in the gymnasium on Eucalyptus. To reach the championship, however, the Cardinals will The first quarter was highlighted by a 7-0 Cardinal run, have to recover from a season-ending injury to junior forward which featured tough defense, plenty of rebounds and one Antonio Hughes, who fractured his ankle before the season forced jump ball which went in Lowell’s favor. However, towards began. As a result, the Cardinals are starting three guards and the end of the quarter, Marshall’s offense began to revive — after two forwards, instead of two guards and three forwards. the first eight minutes, the Phoenix cut the Cardinals’ lead to 13In addition to the lineup changes, some chemistry will be 9. Senior forward Sammy Pollard led the team with six points. lost. “We don’t play the same position but we feed off each other Fouls and turnovers by Lowell, common occurrences during a lot,” senior center Alvin Norman said. “We hype each other the entirety of the night, played an important role in the second up. When we mess up we get on each other.” quarter. Time and time again, the Cardinals committed fouls Hughes would have provided the Cardinals with additional and turned the ball over, allowing Marshall the opportunity for rebounds, according to head coach Robert Ray. However, with free points. Despite these blunders, the Cards kept pace and the Norman in the key, the Cardinals are trying to maintain their half ended 27-25 Marshall, who outscored Lowell 16-12 in the signature defense. “Alvin is a post quarter. Though the scoring was presence, someone who gets respread out, Pollard led the team bounds and guards the opponent’s with 4 points, totaling 10 in the We are starting not to talk first half. Senior guard Alex Hsiao big men,” senior forward Sammy Pollard said. as much and tell each other added six in the first two quarters, The Cardinals displayed their sinking two three-pointers. defense as early as the second Marshall’s offense came out about screens, help on game of the league season on Jan. strong after the break and domdefense, and who’s boxing out inated the beginning part of the 10 against Lincoln, when they successfully shut down the Musthe shooter on free throws.” third quarter with a six-point lead tangs’ best player, allowing him to about halfway through. But a key score only a few points. However, SAMMY POLLARD, three by senior guard Evan Louie Lincoln capitalized on Lowell’s senior forward and a significant steal by Pollard to 17 turnovers, resulting in a 51-46 tie the game kept the Cardinals in loss for the Cardinals. Turnovers it, with the Phoenix only leading were partly a result of the team’s jitters. “Towards the end we 39-36 heading into the fourth. Louie led the team with six points got nervous because it was a big game,” Pollard said. “We got and Pollard added five. to keep our composure and stay focused.” The final quarter of the game involved many more costly To combat their offensive struggles, the Cardinals are work- fouls by the Cardinals. After getting within one point of Maring to improve their defensive communication, which has been shall, Lowell committed a foul which led to two points from free lacking recently. “We are starting not to talk as much and tell throws, pushing the score up to 43-40. But, with four minutes each other about screens, help on defense, and who’s boxing to go, Pollard came through in the clutch and tied the game at out the shooter on free throws,” Pollard said, adding that this 45. However, a subsequent foul by the Cardinals led to a 51-45 lack of communication can anger or frustrate players. Marshall lead. Louie cut the deficit to three with a timely shot, In order to succeed this season, the Cardinals would like but disaster struck when Lowell turned the ball over with a to feed off their fans’ excitement. “The team really appreciated chance to tie the Phoenix. Marshall’s lead remained three very the fans and the atmosphere the fans created,” Ray said, refer- late into the quarter, and that is when the biggest play of the ring to the Lincoln game. The Cards want there to be a similar game occurred. After a foul by the Cardinals, the Phoenix atmosphere when they take on Wallenberg at home on Feb. 4 missed their one free throw, but Lowell was unable to get the at 5:30 p.m. crucial rebound and after that were unable to score again. When

“

the buzzer rang, the Phoenix had defeated the Cards 57-50. Hsiao led the team with seven points in the quarter. Pollard scored the greatest number of points on the team, putting up 17. Louie added 14 with Hsiao close behind with 13. Though the Cards had three players score in double digits, they also committed double digit turnovers. These, along with numerous crucial fouls, were the Cardinals’ demise.

CATE STERN

Senior guard Evan Louie hovers above a Mission player while attempting a jump shot during the Cardinals’ 64-59 loss to the Bears on Jan. 21 at Mission High.

January 30,2014

The Lowell

SPORTS

Girls’ varsity basketball shooting for title

ZOE KAISER

Junior Karina Tom drives past a Balboa defender as she surges down the court. The Cardinals swept aside the Buccaneers in a 60-19 rout on Jan. 17. They are currently 4-0 in league play.

By Samantha Wilcox

HE GIRLS’ VARSITY basketball team is aiming to clinch its fifth consecutive Academic Athletic Association championship this season, despite more than half of the team being first-time varsity players. The Cardinals are hoping to maintain their winning legacy even though they lost many of their star players last year. “We lost a great amount of talent and we weren’t as hot coming into the season,” junior Karina Tom said. “Other teams are expecting a weaker turnout but we’re aiming to prove them wrong.” At the beginning of the pre-league season — a pre-season when the girls play against schools outside of the AAA — the team was faced with a major setback when multiple players were hit with ankle injuries. “Four of our players suffered injuries during practices,” junior Sabina Wildman said. “Some people

Player

viewed it as a death sentence, but we just pushed harder as a have been doing a lot of one-on-one defense drills to increase team and continued to score.” the speed we already have.” Despite being underdogs, They are still, however, the girls put in the work and working on overcoming some finished off the pre-league “We have imWe have been doing a lot of one- weaknesses. season with a record of 9-3. proved on the court since “We have gained massive on-one defense drills to increase the beginning of the season,” amounts of confidence durjunior Charlotte Nakamura the speed we already have.” ing pre-league,” Wildman said. “Pre-Season is a lot more said. “Because we are such a competitive, so when we overMICHAELA SEREFICA come tough games with a win young team, it helped us realjunior it boosts our confidence.” ize that we are ready and able to play at the varsity level.” Come cheer on the CardiOne of the current team’s strengths is its speed. “We run the nals at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 4 at Kezar as they take on the Walball a lot since we’re quick,” junior Michaela Serafica said. “We lenberg Bulldogs.

“

Minutes Points Rebounds Assists per Per per per Grade Game Game Game Game Senior

20.3

9.6

5.6

4.5

Kelly Eshima

Senior

19.5

5.4

2.1

2.8

Karina Garzona

Junior

18.2

5.0

5.2

0.4

Sophomore

16.4

3.9

5.4

0.2

Triana Anderson

Senior

15.9

6.6

4.4

0.9

Allyson Lui

Junior

15.5

3.9

1.5

2.6

Cynthia Wong

Senior

10.6

4.0

1.8

—

Mandy Che

Senior

10.6

0.8

1.1

0.6

Sabina Wildman

Junior

9.7

2.9

2.7

0.4

GG Gunther

Senior

9.6

2.7

1.1

0.7

Sabrina Borja

Sophomore

9.1

0.8

2.0

0.2

Vanessa Lee

Senior

9.1

4.3

2.3

0.3

Karina Tom

Junior

8.7

3.8

1.4

0.8

Bianca Delatorre

Junior

7.9

3.8

1.4

0.7

Charlotte Nakamura

Junior

7.0

1.3

0.2

0.4

Michaela Serafica

Junior

6.6

0.3

0.2

Julia Wong

Senior

5.0

1.7

1.0

0.6

Kelly Wong

Francesca Baldwin

ZOE KAISER

Senior Julia Wong attempts a free throw in Lowell’s victory over Balboa

18 ADVERTISEMENT

January 30, 2014

Thank you ¡gracias

Lowell High School

to our Annual Fund donors!

Lowell PTSA Board

is deeply grateful to our Lowell community for their wonderful generosity to our school. As of January 15, 2014, $119,873 has been raised.

Donors from July 1, 2013 thru January 15, 2014 BENEFACTOR CARDINAL CIRCLE

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Go Cardinals!

The Lowell

January 30, 2014

SPORTS

ATHLETE OF THE MONTH Kelly Wong By Joseph Kim

ITH HER STYLISH crossovers and flawless shooting, senior guard Kelly Wong is an essential player of the girls’ varsity basketball team. Currently checking in at an average of 9.6 points, 4.5 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 4.5 steals per game this season, Wong leads her team in all aspects of the game. Additionally, maxpreps.com has listed Wong as the Player of the Game at least 10 times since last season. “I think she’s the best player in our league, as a guard and as a player,” girls’ varsity basketball coach Aki Kuwada said. In a game against Oakland Tech last March, Wong had one of her best performances in her basketball career. With a strong finish after a tied third quarter, Lowell won 63-50, and Wong ended with an amazing 20 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds. “I owe it to my team,” Wong said. “We made good plays and everyone on the team definitely stepped up, which overall helped me to perform at my best.” In addition to excelling at shooting and handling, Wong also works to be a tremendous team player, even to the point of being too generous at times. “For the type of team we have this year, I actually asked her to be a little more selfish, not in a bad way, but to try and create a little more for herself because she’s that talented and it would help the team a lot,” Kuwada said. In addition to shooting hoops, Wong shares a passion for softball. “I like both sports, but I tend to lean more towards basketball just because I’ve played it longer,” Wong said. Ever since the third grade, Wong has played for a number of basketball club teams, including the Enchantees for Asian League, the Bulldawgs, Bay Area Force, the Olympic Club for the Amateur Athletic Union and for St. Cecilia Catholic Church. Achieving such success in a sport requires keeping a special state of mind that can be difficult for anyone. “Maintaining mental toughness is definitely a struggle for me at times,” Wong said. “Not only is there the pressure and expectations from others, but when we do drills that are physically tiring, I sometimes have to convince myself that I’m not tired and push through.” Having played at the varsity level since her sophomore year, Wong is currently in her fourth year playing for the school. “She’s improved greatly over the years, physically and mentally,” Kuwada said. “She’s really developed to the point where right now, she’s our go to player.” To Wong, basketball isn’t a commitment, it’s a pleasure. “I like that basketball gives me a chance to relax and have fun,” she said. “I’ve made some really close friends throughout my basketball career, and they’re the ones that make me want to show up to practice everyday.” A truly motivational character on the court, senior guard Kelly Wong will surely be leading the girls’ varsity basketball team to success this season.

SEASON STATS PPG RPG APG SPG 9.6 5.6 4.5 4.5

Senior guard Kelly Wong drives down the court during the girls’ varsity basketball team’s 60-19 victory over Balboa on Jan. 17.

ZOE KAISER

Business Manager Wanted For The Lowell Are you interested in Business, Marketing, Photoshop and much more? Swoop by s108 at 3:45 on Monday February 3rd for an awesome info meeting!

Lowell High School

January 30, 2014

20 COLUMNS

Girl muses the meaning of religious attire By Noreen Shaikh

HEN MOST PEOPLE step out of their houses, they do not expect to be stared at — however, for me, it is an everyday experience. Whether I am on the bus or walking down the hallway, I see elongated glances directed towards me, or rather, at my head. Since the fourth grade I have been wearing a scarf [called a hijab] on my head, a Muslim head covering that hides one’s hair. According to religious laws I adhere to, we also wear appropriate clothing: any attire that reveals bare arms, legs, neck, stomach and chest is prohibited. The purpose of the hijab is to represent modesty, to hide excessive skin and to show self-respect. When I was nine years old, few people around me wore the hijab. My mom had wanted to for a long time, but she was afraid of how people at her workplace would react. Thankfully, everyone around her was supportive. After two or three weeks of hearing my mom share her experiences of wearing the hijab, I began to consider wearing it as well. One rainy January morning about six years ago, after combing my hair and putting on a

pair socks, my favorite sparkly burgundy hijab grabbed my eyes. I had forgotten to put it away the night before when I came home from religious class. Something in me thought it would be interesting to wear the hijab to school. I told my parents I was going to, but their worried faces made me doubt my decision. They were afraid that I would be bullied. I had to reassure them I would be fine. On the way to school, I was excited. As I was getting out of the car and crossing the street to school, I looked back and saw the concerned expressions on the faces of my parents and older brother. At that moment, I did not know if I was going to wear the hijab to school everyday; all I knew was that I was happy doing something I believed in. That was the best day of my life. As I walked into my fourth grade class, I sat down and pulled off my wet hood so the world could see my hijab. I was immediately bombarded with questions regarding what the hijab is and why I was wearing it. After embracing the positive comments from my peers and my teacher, I decided to wear it everyday. Despite a few horrid encounters, most of my experiences have been good. Questions such as, “Do you shower with

that thing on?” and,“Do you sleep with it on?” humor me. I love the freedom and power I have whenever I wear the hijab. I have the freedom to say what I want to say without being judged. I wear it because I want people to appreciate and like me for who I am, not for my appearance. People often mistake the hijab as a symbol of oppression, but this is a misconception. It takes a powerful person to wear the hijab, a person who is strong in her beliefs, who wants to be respected for her intelligence and who has the courage to face glares and questions. Women who wear the hijab (or as I like to call them, “hijabians”) may appear different, but we are just normal people. The hijab does not prevent us from looking nice, but rather reminds us our appearance is not the most important aspect of ourselves. In addition, hijabi fashion YouTubers (Amenakin, Dinatokio, and many more), show various styles and ways to wear the hijab.

The hijab has changed my life for the better because it has made me a stronger person overall. It is not just a scarf on my head, it is a constant reminder for me to be a kind person and that everyone has feelings like I do. As part of my journey of wearing the hijab, I have become more aware of other people’s feelings, and I do my best not to hurt anyone and to appreciate them for who they are, just like I want to be appreciated for who I am.

College-bound senior is guided by her passion By Campbell Gee

HEN I TELL PEOPLE where I’m applying to college, most react as though I have a third arm growing out of my head. Their reason for their shock and mild disgust? While a majority of Lowell seniors set their sights on prestigious Ivy Leagues and competitive UCs, my unconventional aspirations entail attending the nation’s top fashion business schools to pursue a career as a fashion journalist. Having recovered from the initial surprise of my response, people who inquire about my future tend to say with sudden understanding: “Oh, so you want to design clothes!” At this point, I give up any hope of trying to explain that more than one career exists in the vast fashion industry, and instead opt to just smile and nod at their misguided answer. Because of my bold way of dressing, I have always been an odd one out at Lowell. But the college process has only magnified these irregularities. By taking an unconventional route in my education, I had little to relate to when my friends brought up college. While my peers were stressing to complete the tedious, soul-sucking Common App, I found

myself formulating style lookbooks and fake department store business plans. And while college presentations from UCs garnered an audience the size of the entire auditorium, I was the lone listener when it came time for The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising to speak at Lowell. As this stark difference in the goals of my classmates became more widely obvious, I started question my own choices. Although the promise of a life in fashion made me extremely excited, I couldn’t help but think I was making a wrong decision by going against the majority. My mind was plagued with constant “what if ’s.” What if I was going to miss out on typical college experiences like sporting events and sororities? What if employers wouldn’t take me seriously with a puny fashion degree? And because of Lowell’s rigorous classes heavy emphasis on grades, I felt immense pressure to pursue a career that mirrored its academic focus. Soon, my hopes of becoming a fashion journalist seemed extremely frivolous and superficial when compared to the dreams of my classmates who aspire to be brain surgeons and potential lead-

ers of the free world. This internal tug-of-war between who I wanted to be and who others wanted me to be made me –– for the first time ever –– question my dreams. But as time goes on, I realize that most people react negatively or judgmentally towards my college plans merely because they do not understand them. I was lucky enough to be raised in a household where limitless creativity, free thinking and selfsatisfaction have always been treated as a top priority. Others are unable to see art and fashion colleges as viable options because they might not be encouraged to do so. It’s still difficult to listen to people criticize my college plans, but striving for a future that makes me feel fulfilled and motivated outweighs all other opinions. Though I have utilized my time at Lowell differently than most of my peers, I still find meaning and value in journalism, choir, AP English and the other artistic classes I took. There is a strong chance that I will never invent a popular iPhone app, discover the cure for cancer or become a multimillionaire lawyer. But through having to constantly defend my dreams, I have realized that I am perfectly content with that. I may never be the next Bill Gates, but I have my sights set on becoming the next Diana Vreeland, which is a position I consider to be just as empowering. I do not know where the following step in my education will take me specifically, but I will be happy as long as I continue to do what I love.

Sophomore finds enlightenment and camaraderie while at Church dinner on last day of Christmas

By Whitney C. Lim

HUI

MIN Z

HAN G

VERYONE’S HEARD THE SONG “The 12 Days of Christmas,” yet no one actually celebrates the season with partridges in pear trees. But to me and my church, the 12 days of Christmas are actually significant — especially the twelfth day, known as the Epiphany. “Tonight at five o’clock, the youth are hosting the Epiphany feast for the first time,” my friend, Sophia Wong, announced to our church at the end of Sunday’s worship service on Jan. 5. “It’s still a potluck, so you have to bring food. And you have to bring a utensil, or else we can’t serve your dish.” The congregation chuckled at her bluntness, and I could tell they weren’t sure what to expect that evening when they came back, especially since the church’s youth had planned the celebration. A traditional feasting day, Epiphany is the twelfth day after Christmas, ending the Yuletide season for Christians. The word means “manifestation,” and Redeemer Community Church celebrates the holiday Epiphany because we believe God revealed his son, Jesus Christ, to us on that day. The Epiphany colors are white and gold, symbolizing light and glory. We also commemorate the Magi, or wisemen, who we believe brought gifts to Jesus to recognize his birth. That afternoon, the youth group aimed to integrate all the aspects of Epiphany by transforming the church’s plain white walls and rows of chairs to emulate a five-star restaurant. We dangled dozens of paper stars from

the ceiling, hung up strings of white lights, laid down white and gold tablecloths, grouped together decorative candles on tables, prepared fancy place settings and wrote placecards for the dinner party. We also designed a mini scavenger hunt for antsy attendees and quick eaters, printed out coloring sheets and word searches for kids of all ages, created a seating chart and designated each youth a specific role such as coat-checker, singer, usher, activities coordinator, emcee or food server. I can’t believe we had time to squeeze in some Rock Band on the Xbox and catch parts of the 49ers-Packers game before our guests began to arrive! But five o’clock came quickly. Decked out in black bowties and white dress shirts, the tidied-up youth greeted guests as they walked into the sparsely lit church. People were surprised at the elegant decor, especially the toddlers, who barely recognized where they were and who they were surrounded by. The evening went by in a flurry, full of food, laughter, photography and stars. After spending a total of twelve hours there, I was sorry to take down all of our decorations and leave the church, partly because I had to then face the reality that winter break was officially over and I had school the next day, but mostly because I had experienced so much joy and gratitude that day. My church’s festivities had been eye-opening to me: even on Jan. 6, after all the post-Christmas and New Year’s sales had ended, we still celebrated Christmas joyously, as I believe we should. I was proud of all the work we put in to prepare the dinner and knew the adults appreciated it too, as it helped everyone in attendance celebrate the occasion wholeheartedly. ALL ILLUSTRATIONS BY KIMBERLY LI

The Lowell

January 30, 2014

OPINION

Reporter proposes an end to stress and sleepless nights before finals, suggests a week of peace By Luke Haubenstock

OMBARDED WITH TESTS, HOMEWORK and projects, many students feel that the week before finals is just as — if not more — difficult than finals week itself. With teachers cramming in a semester’s worth of lessons and work in hopes of completing the curriculum, students are forced to struggle through an immense workload without proper time to prepare for upcoming final exams. Known to students across the country as “dead week,” the week before finals is infamous for being overwhelming and for robbing students of the opportunity to effectively prepare for the finals to come. In a perfect world, the week before finals would be the calm before the storm: a time for teachers to review all major concepts and for students to ask for clarification. Teachers should not add additional stress with last-minute tests or projects. Many students feel that a week devoid of new material before finals would be very helpful. “It’s really difficult to review for finals and learn new material at the same time,” sophomore Izza Anwar said. “Having a ‘study week’ would benefit students tremendously.” Time and time again, research has shown that cramming is not the most effective way of studying. But with an obscene workload the week before finals, students find that they have no choice but to cram over the weekend. A study by University of California, San Diego psychologists proves that students perform significantly better on tests when they spread out their study sessions rather than cramming everything in a matter of hours, as reported by Popular Science (www. popsci.com). When students have no way to space out their final study sessions, it can impact comprehension and information retention, which can ultimately account for the difference between the final grade of

an A and the ever-dreaded B+. By reducing homework and Without the opportunity to study during dead week, students other assignments, teachers would allow students reasonable evidently end up studying until the wee hours of morning over time to study for their upcoming finals. If such changes the weekend and into finals week itself. With inadequate sleep, were made, teachers might memory recall and concentration decrease be pleasantly surprised by during exams, which can significantly affect students’ overall grasp of scores. A stress-free “review the semester’s material and It is simply ludicrous that students performance in the finals. are expected to effectively study for final week” before finals would exams after an excruciating week of tests In addition to encouraging healthy study habits, be a tremendous relief to and assignments, especially at such an implementing a low-stress academically rigorous school. A stressall students. week before finals would free “review week” before finals would be help students achieve the a tremendous relief to all students. The recommended minimum stresses of cramming and sleep deficiency hours of sleep each night. According to a study by Science Daily, would be largely eliminated, and in turn students would achieve getting eight or more hours of sleep after studying much higher marks and boost their grade point averages while is more effective than pulling all-nighters retaining the semester’s material indefinitely. With this simple to cram that last chapter ( w w w. improvement, finals would not seem quite so stressful after all. sciencedaily. com).

MONICA LEE

January 30, 2014

22 The Lowell

Two locals cross the street as a pair of buses charted by Ebay drop off employees in the Castro.

OPINION

CATE STERN

Boom forces city-dwellers out, “techies” swarm in By Natalia Arguello-Inglis

These so called “invaders,” have become not-so-affectionately N RECENT WEEKS, ANGRY protesters wielding signs referred to as “techies” or “tech yuppies” by San Francisco scrawled with slogans like “F**k off Google” and “Stop locals. The “Google bus,” and its proprietors’ disregard for displacement now!” have barricaded the private buses the fair use of public resources and the collective good of the that carry employees of tech giants like Google from their San community has become a symbol of the sense of entitlement Francisco condos to their jobs in Silicon Valley. Though these and arrogance that techies exude. The buses have become a buses serve multiple biotech and technology companies, they tangible target for frustration felt against an intangible and seemingly unstoppable enemy to the heart and soul of San have become known collectively as the “Google bus.” Upon first look, the protesting, which in West Oakland Francisco: gentrification. Not only are techies seen as having pompous attitudes— escalated to the shattering of a bus window, seems brought upon by anger that the private buses use public bus stops to for example, the CEO of online payment startup Celery, Peter pick up their workers free of charge, consequently delaying Shih, wrote and later removed a lovely blog post entitled “10 public buses, building up traffic and forcing public bus riders Things I Hate About You: San Francisco Edition,” in which he into the street to board buses. However, it is clear that Bay whined about San Francisco’s homeless population, weather, Area residents and the San Franciscans in particular who are bicyclists, transvestites and “girls who are obviously 4’s and enraged by the buses, may not be appeased by the one dollar behave like they are 9’s.” The presence of these young and per day per stop fee they currently pay for use of the Muni wealthy 20 to 30 somethings in The City is inadvertently stops (www.sfgate.com). Nor has Google’s extravagant and causing San Francisco to lose part of San Francisco’s “soul.” The eye-roll inducing attempt at compromise by running a private people, places and businesses that make this city the unique ferry service from San Francisco to Redwood City done and beautiful place it is today, along with San Francisco’s cultural diversity, are losing the battle against the growing Bay anything to relieve the locals’ anger. To some, it is hard to believe that so many locals are fiercely Area tech industry. It seems that anyone making under six upset about traffic jams, considering the buses take cars off the figures is being pushed out of San Francisco by rising costs of road, but the issues surrounding the Google bus run deeper. living, especially housing costs. In other words, the rich nerds are taking over. The protesters represent the many San Franciscans who feel One of the most devastating effects of the tech invasion that companies like Google and the recent tech boom are responsible for the growing gentrification of San Francisco is the seemingly unending slew of evictions, both legal and that has displaced many residents, businesses and nonprofit illegal, that burden the City. Because most San Francisco rental units are rent-controlled, meaning rent organizations. can only be legally raised by a set amount Put simply, gentrification is each year, often the only way landlords when a city or neighborhood Landlords..are quick can make the most profit from their receives an unwanted faceproperties is to either evict the current lift (such as new condos and to kick out tenants, tenants to make space for other tenants apartments) that attract a willing and able to pay much more or to many of whom have higher income population, convert units into condos, also resulting consequently pushing out the been San Francisco in evicting the current tenants. Since the original lower income residents tech and biotech companies moved into with high rents and evictions. residents for decades. the Bay Area, like Twitter into downtown In the case of places like San Francisco, the number of no-fault Manhattan and San Francisco, evictions (not caused by something the newcomers are attracted by the culture of creativity, experimentation and innovation (think tenant did or did not do) have skyrocketed. Landlords looking to profit from the incoming techies’ San Francisco’s Summer of Love 1967) cultivated by artists and free thinkers — exactly the people whom gentrification wealth and desire to live in San Francisco are quick to make is driving out. The melting pot of ethnicities, ways of life, the decision to kick out current tenants, many of whom have worldviews and economic and social classes in San Francisco been San Francisco residents for decades. According to a November 2013 San Francisco Gate article, have been gradually diluted since the early 90s. If this gentrification continues, soon there will be nothing left but the number of evictions in San Francisco has jumped almost 40 percent since 2010, and the number of Ellis Act evictions wealthy people in a pretty city full of hills. According to US News & World Report, 40 percent of the (done through a law that allows landlords to legally evict students at Lowell fall into the category of “economically tenants by “going out of business”) have increased by 170 disadvantaged.” That means the person sitting next to you in percent (www.sfgate.com). The Ellis Act is used as a “loophole” class, whose name you never bothered to learn, may be one of for landlords to get around rent control provisions and evict those San Franciscans feeling the effects of eviction and high tenants. In an Ellis Act eviction, a landlord must evict all the rent, being forced to leave the home they grew up in, or even tenants and take all the units in the building off the market. While there are restrictions on using the Ellis Act to evict becoming homeless. Today’s tech boom-induced gentrification bears a tenants — the apartments cannot be re-rented for a higher frightening resemblance to the wave of gentrification price than before until five years after the evictions — there following the dot-com boom in San Francisco in the late are no restrictions on converting them to units, like condos, 1990s in that within the last few years, thousands of small that can be sold for huge profit. As the tech yuppies with the means to pay big bucks for business-owners and residents have been pushed out of San Francisco by eviction, housing buyouts or ridiculously San Francisco living pour in, the market price for housing has inflated rent. This is in large part caused by the influx into San skyrocketed, consequently pushing many lower and middle Francisco of new hires by tech industry giants like Google and class families and individuals who can no longer afford a San Twitter, many of which are not even located in San Francisco. Francisco home. According to a June 2013 San Francisco Gate

article, the 2013 median price for a single family home was $1 million (www.blog.sfgate.com). Because of San Francisco’s exorbitant housing prices, those who are renting their homes in San Francisco, and therefore most affected, are the lower and middle classes. Despite it all, some still argue that tech giants like Twitter and Google moving into the Bay Area is a good thing. After all, won’t they bring more money into the city’s economy, ultimately benefiting residents? In theory, yes. However, tech companies have been able to use their massive influence and seemingly endless supply of money to win large tax breaks from the city. According to the San Francisco Public Press, in 2012, the City gave 14 San Francisco based tech companies, including Twitter, $1.9 million in tax breaks to facilitate their moves into the mid-Market Street area, in hopes that their presence would improve the neighborhood and generate entry level jobs for local residents (www.sfpublicpress.org). Though these “charity tax breaks” have slightly improved the area and now employ almost 3,000 people, the companies have shown little effort to meet more than the bare minimum of their promises to improve the community. With mountains of wealth coming into the city, only a small amount is going towards improving San Francisco’s infrastructure, public services or public education. By definition, the primary goal of for-profit companies like Twitter is to do just that: amass heaps of money. No one should be surprised that little of their profit actually benefits The City or its people. “For all the wealth coming into the City, I see little of it impacting San Francisco’s infrastructure, or public services, much less public education,” English teacher and longtime San Francisco resident Nicole Henares said. To be fair, its not the techies’ fault that their occupation of San Francisco is displacing locals and further widening the wealth gap in the City. Tech companies like Google purposely recruit employees using the prospect of living in beautiful San Francisco and being escorted down to work outside of the city on a fancy bus as an incentive. New recruits are told nothing about the negative impacts of this employee benefit. It is clear that gentrification is not the fault of the individual techie — they just want a chance to live in this amazing city. The city’s problem with gentrification is a complex issue and lacks an obvious solution, but that does not mean that a solution does not exist. Nicole Henares encourages youth to step up and take charge. “We cannot have real solutions to the problems of equity in this city without real dialogue and understanding from all sides,” Henares said. “I just don’t see that happening, considering the anger, indignant ignorance, and biases involved.” As someone who spent much of her childhood running around the Mission district — one of the areas most affected by gentrification — I know firsthand how easy it is to see the wealthy as the enemy. Avoiding blind hatred and pointing fingers at the nearest offending party is hard to avoid when the casualties of a battle are so innumerable and close to home. But if both sides take a step back, calm down and allow an open and respectful conversation to ensue, maybe a solution could be found. Wealth coming into the City does not have to be a bad thing. If we work together with those who have brought all this money into San Francisco, to integrate wealth into the City, gentrification could benefit the public infrastructure and actually help improve life for the middle and lower classes. Instead of tech wealth coming in being considered a virus “infecting” the City, let’s allow this to become a symbiotic relationship so that our future children will have the chance to grow up in San Francisco.

January 30, 2014

The Lowell

EDITORIAL

EDITORIALS Shadowing should return

HILE WANDERING THE HALLWAYS, you might spot one of your peers, decked out in the iconic red and white cap, leading a rather bored bunch of adults and youngish looking teenagers. You know those teens when you see them, the little eighth graders. In the fall of 2011, Lowell administration replaced one-on-one shadowing with the more professional, but less personal, school tours. The school needs to reinstate shadowing because walking in the shoes of a real student is the best way to get a true sense of the school. Not only has the shadowing program degraded into a bland and generic set of tours, potential students are not allowed to enter classrooms. This restriction does not “enable all prospective students and parents to learn about Lowell,” as promised on the school’s website because most of our school’s essence lies in the classrooms with the students, not the school’s layout (www.lhssfusd-ca.schoolloop.com). Although parents and students may visit classrooms on 8th Grade Night, an opportunity for eighth graders to learn about the school, the event does not reveal pertinent, everyday aspects of the school. Neither 8th Grade Night nor school tours tells the true story of a typical school day, which only a student can show. Not only is the tour info inadequate, but the capacity is limited. The 2013 school tours occurred almost every Wednesday from Oct. 2 to Dec. 11. This totaled nine tours, limited to 100 people each (pairs of one student and one parent). A spreadsheet on the SchoolLoop website provided a first come-first serve sign-up sheet. With over two thousand applicants every year, the tours are insufficient to serve the pool of prospective students, even if the tours present useful information. Shadowing, however, does not require much extra staffing. Curious eighth graders get to follow a student for the day, sit in a classroom setting, try to understand the mod/block schedule, observe student work and meet teachers and other students. Students have a chance to welcome future underclassmen and form early bonds. Without shadowing, middle schoolers may get a false impression of Lowell and apply with incorrect presumptions, or, worse yet, not apply when they should. Despite the ban on shadowing, unofficial shadows occasionally pop up in Lowell classrooms. Eighth graders are eager to shadow at our school, so there should be a system that regulates the program instead of having illegal shadows running around. The main reason why shadowing was cancelled is that teachers complained about shadows being disruptive, especially if there were a large number of them at the same time (see “Weekly volunteer-lead tours replace shadowing program,” The Lowell, Oct. 2011). However, limiting shadows to one per classroom would resolve this problem. In the event that a teacher doesn’t permit a shadow, he or she could quietly wait in the library during that period or even assist with library tasks. Shadowing benefits the future student body and the reputation of the school. Therefore, the school should bring back shadowing, or at least limited shadowing, as a way to bridge the gap between middle schoolers and the wilderness of high school.

THE LOL CHRISTI NE VAN

Editors-in-Chief

Deidre Foley s Henry Hammel Elijah Alperin s Cooper Logan News Elijah Alperin, Deidre Foley, Cooper Logan, Michelle Wong Sports Henry Hammel, Ian James, Sam Tick-Raker, Andrew Pearce Features Kai Matsumoto-Hines Elena Bernick, KT Kelly Opinion Elazar Chertow, Spencer Thirtyacre, Samantha Wilcox Reporters Natalia Arguello Inglis, Elena Bernick, Luciano Chan,

Red Samantha Yu Cardinal Lael Bajet

Madelyn Chen, Crystal Chung, Gabby Dolgonos, Danielle Flores, Campbell Gee, Luke Haubenstock, Joseph Kim, Gisela Kottmeier, Cynthia Leung, Jeffrey Li, Whitney C. Lim, Amber Ly, Patricia Nguy, Andrew Pearce, Tyler Perkins, Arthur Register, Noreen Shaikh, Pasha Stone, Emily Teng, Sam TickRaker, Samantha Wilcox, Luming Yuan Art Editor Monica Lee Illustrators Camilia Kacimi, Kimberly Li, Christine Van, Stephan Xie Photo Editor Huimin Zhang Photographers Karina Huft, Zoe Kaiser, Amber Ly, Sally Ma, Cate Stern, Lily Young Multimedia Editor Monica Castro, Luciano Chan

Social Media Manager Michelle Wong Business Managers Martin Costa, Carissa Ng, Gabe Schumm

Advisers

Published every four weeks by the journalism classes of Lowell High School, Room S108, 1101 Eucalyptus Drive, San Francisco, CA 94132 Phone: (415) 7592730 Internet: thelowellads@yahoo.com; http://www.thelowell.org. All contents copyright Lowell High School journalism classes. All rights reserved. The Lowell and The Lowell on the Web strive to inform the public and to use their opinion sections as open forums for debate. All unsigned editorials are the opinions of the staff. The Lowell welcomes comments on school-related issues from students, faculty and community members. Send letters to lowellopinion@gmail.com. Letters must be signed. Names will be withheld upon request. We reserve the right to edit letters before publication. 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

2006 NSPA Print Pacemaker

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, Throughout the history of The Lowell, students and staff alike have been able to voice their thoughts concerning the school. A Letter to the Editor has been, and is, a constructive outlet that has fostered significant beneficial changes both big and small by providing Lowell High School with suggestions and critiques. This dialogue needs to continue as a venue of democratic interaction. Without signed Letters to the Editor, there is a lack of school-wide discussion about what needs to happen to improve our

school. We encourage you — students, staff and community — to submit your letters and get your opinions heard. With topical issues at hand, such as the lack of senior boat tickets, or the validity and appropriateness of the senior pop polls, there is no one better to hear from than you. Don’t sit at home complaining to your friends, or using Twitter and Facebook as an outlet (you know who you are). Submit a letter and get your voice heard. ~ The Lowell Opinion staff

You can have your voice heard by submitting your letters to the editor by email to thelowellopinion@gmail.com. You can also deliver it in person to the envelope outside of S107.

Students taking certain honors courses, unaware they are not weighted, deserve same recognition as those in weighted classes

HEN SOMEONE ASKS YOU WHERE you are go- covers all the material learned throughout the semester, ing for college, it is always nice to tell them that according to the University of California Office of the you were accepted by your dream school. Since President website (www.ucop.edu). Ninth and 10th grade grade point averages play an essential role in college ad- Honors English, Accelerated Math Honors and Geometry mittance, earning a GPA boost is never a bad thing. Many Honors do not have this required exam, so they do not Lowell students take Advanced make the cut. Recently, the UC Placement or honors courses system also deemed Chemistry with the intention of raising their Honors unweighted, due to its GPAs. Some students, however, Underclassmen also deserve availability to sophomores, acenrolled in certain honors classes cording to The Oracle (www. recognition for their efforts gunnoracle.com). may find that these rigorous courses are hurting, instead of The UC system only weights and should be given GPA college-level helping their grades. courses that are Weighted GPAs acknowledge boosts for taking a more chal- designed for 11th and 12th that some courses are more graders who have already comlenging course. difficult than others, so they pleted basic courses in the should count for more points. subject.Even if a high school A weighted class rewards five decides to classify ninth and points for an ‘A,’ whereas a non10th grade-level courses as weighted class gives 4 points for an ‘A.’ While all AP courses ‘honors,’ these courses are not approved by the university are college-level and count towards weighted GPAs, only (www.ucop.edu). some honors classes make the cut. These unweighted Although it is understandable to use criteria to determine honors classes, such as English Honors and Accelerated whether a class should be weighted, UC should weight Math Honors, are more difficult than their non-honors all honors courses. It is unfair to exclusively weight higher counterparts. level honors classes because honors classes are intended An honors course must satisfy several requirements for different grade-levels and are equally challenging for in order to be weighted, such as a final written test that all students.

Overall difficulty should not be a factor in deciding whether a class is weighted or not. Underclassmen also deserve the same recognition for their efforts and should be given GPA boosts for taking more challenging and difficult courses. Even if the UC system does not recognize some honors courses, Lowell should still weight them for student GPAs. Some members of the school administration agree that all honors classes should contribute to the weighted GPA. “I think if it’s a harder class and students are putting in more effort, the class should be weighted,” an anonymous faculty member said. Weighting all honors courses would encourage students who are willing to take harder classes without changing the UC rules. In addition, unweighted honors courses discourage underclassmen from challenging themselves, with some settling for regular courses. “I was considering taking Chemistry Honors, but when I found that it wasn’t going to be weighted anymore, I decided against it,” sophomore Alexandria Brown said. Since GPAs serve to represent how well a student is doing in school, they should reflect when a student takes a more difficult class. Every student taking an honors course should receive the recognition and the extra points for his or her weighted GPA.

BEST AND WORST of 2013 Slang By Luke Haubenstock

“The Struggle is Real”

Whether you’re too broke to buy some Chicken McNuggets from McDonalds, you’re one point off from a perfect score on a test, or the escalator is broken and you’re forced to take the stairs, your tragic situation can be summed up by a new, popular phrase, “the struggle is real.” This catchy phrase’s versatility, widespread use and utter hilarity makes it the best slang of 2013 by far. “The struggle is real” is an ironic term used to describe any inconvenient or mildly unfortunate event that one must cope with. With only four words, even the smallest of issues becomes a catastrophe that simply must be announced to the world. This phrase differs from the previously popular “first-world-problem” in that it sounds more tragic and much less pretentious and egotistical. Although the creator of this ingenious term is currently unknown, the world owes him or her much gratitude for bringing great humor and drama to our everyday conversations. So, if your friends are ranting about their parents’ unrealistic expectations of them attending Ivy League Colleges, or if you have to speed-walk from the T’s to the third floor and back again before class, make sure to declare just how real the struggle is.

Hashtags

Illustrations by Stephan Xie

While some internet slang words can enhance verbal conversation, this particular one does not belong beyond the monitor: hashtag. No matter how much #swag you think you have by using a hashtag in real life, you’re actually only #embarassingyourself. Hashtags have been used successfully in websites like Instagram and Twitter as a way to describe the subject of a post. They are created by typing a pound sign followed by the subject, with no spaces in between words. Online hashtags are useful because all posts with the same hashtag can be grouped together. This allows people to “follow” other users with similar interests, and even create online discussions and events. Ever since Facebook enabled hashtags in early 2013, many teens started slipping hashtags into their everyday speech. There is a simple problem with verbal hashtags: they have no purpose whatsoever. There is no way for verbal conversations with the same hashtag to be grouped together. Furthermore, there is no use in restating the subject of a sentence since the listener already knows what the person is talking about. Hopefully during this new year, this plague of useless hashtags will recede back to its online origins where it belongs.

Movies

Apps

By Luciano Chan

American Hustle

By Michelle Wong

With ingenious and authentic dramatic films such as Steve McQueen’s, 12 Years a Slave, and compelling and witty comedies such as Spike Jonze’s Her, 2013 was a great year for filmmakers and film lovers. Among the many great films that deserve the ultimate and prestigious title of “Best Film of 2013,” one film stands out, and that is David O. Russell’s cleverly produced American Hustle, which is based on the late 1970’s Abscam Scandal. It seems as if Russell combined the casts from his two previous masterpieces, The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook, to create the ultimate ensemble, consisting of Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. In this crime dramedy, Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) make a living as con-artists. As the story progresses, the plot becomes more and more intriguing while the characters become victims of corruption, seduction, pride and love. Russell perfectly captures the complexity and raw emotion that lies within each character. You are sure to have an enjoyable cinema experience while being entranced by the lustful and authentic ’70’s setting and the rich characters that sum up this entertaining movie.

If you’ve signed into Facebook or any other social media website recently, you may have encountered a few brief but hilarious videos called “vines.” What has become the “Twitter-for-videos,” Vine — an app that features sixsecond, infinitely-looping videos — has gained 40 million users in a year, becoming a favorite new app in 2013. Acquired by Twitter in October 2012 and released as a free app in January 2013, Vine has attracted thousands of comedians, artists and their fanbases. Artists are creating animated vines and timelapses that appear in the Arts and Experimental category, one of the 16 channels that you can find on Vine’s popular page. With an outlet to reach new audiences, artists such as Mike Bennett (@MikeBennett), a cartoonist from Pennsylvania, have created stop-motion vines featuring their own drawings. So download the free app, forget the videos that try to be funny and take over 6-seconds, and discover the world in which users “do it for the vine,” a popular slogan many users post in descriptions of absurd, but hilarious, vines.

Grown Ups 2

Hot or Not

Among the many great films that 2013 brought us, quite a few bad films were also sadly introduced in movie theaters across the nation. One in particular is Dennis Dugan’s Grown Ups 2. Yes, after the first Grown Ups failed to impress, a second film was unfortunately produced. The story revolves around Lenny (Adam Sandler) and his reunion with his four friends (Kevin James, Chris Rock and David Spade) in their old childhood town. As Lenny and his friends start to wander around town, reminiscing over their childhood glory days, unexpected trouble begins with some neighborhood fratboys and an old school bully. With a cast of veteran comedians, you’d expect a little bit more than the annoying and recycled humor that is consistently presented in the film. Adam’s Sandler’s attempt at writing this aimless script comes off as amateur improvisation. By referring to the most cliché jokes possible and including random and irrelevant components, the script exuberates desperation and laziness. Although the film does have its sweet moments, such as the reconciliation between Lenny and his wife towards the end, the actors could have been inspired more with a developed script and an interesting and concise plot. Let’s just hope this film puts an end to this series.

Vine

This app, Hot or Not, brings us back to the Myspace days of “Like my status for a rate!” Only now, all you have to do is sign in with Facebook or create your own account with Hot or Not, an app released in May 2013 that allows users to rate other users’ attractiveness based on a profile picture. Hot Or Not, satarized on many social media websites like Vine, allows users to absurdly rate others as “Hot” or “Not” with the tap of a button. Users find other nearby users by turning on their phones’ location services and viewing pictures with a name and an age on top. Although seemingly pointless, the Hot or Not app advertises itself in the app store as a place to “find out who is hot around you” and to “chat with interesting people.” But who are we to judge strangers based solely on their Facebook profile pictures? And meeting “interesting people” on a free app that can be downloaded by anybody anywhere, who can change their name and age by a few taps of buttons? Talk about creepy. At first glance, the app’s concept — to meet new people around you — may seem exciting, but after a few unexpected encounters with the profile of the local gardener, users might lean to give this judgemental app of 2013 a “Not.”

Sports By Pasha Stone

Miami Heat

The heavily favored Miami Heat captured their second consecutive championship against the San Antonio Spurs in a nail biting seven game series. The intensity met its apex in game six—an elimination game for Miami—with the Heat down by three in the final possession of regulation. Forward Lebron James missed a three-pointer, but center Chris Bosh was there for the rebound and the ball found its way into guard Ray Allen’s hands who sent the game into overtime with a late three-pointer. The Heat went on to win in overtime and sent the series to a seventh winner-take-all game. Game seven was another tight matchup, as the Spurs were only down two points, with a minute left in the game. With under forty seconds remaining, Spurs forward Tim Duncan missed a driving hook shot, failed to make the tip in and the Heat grabbed the rebound. This led to James hitting the game-sealing basket to put the Heat up by four with less than 30 seconds remaining. James deservingly won his second Bill Russell award—given to the NBA Finals’ Most

Ryan Braun

On July 22, Major League Baseball suspended baseball star Ryan Braun for the remaining 65 games of the season, which resulted in Braun losing over $3,000,000 in salary. This suspension came after Braun’s name was linked to the 2013 Biogenesis steroid scandal that took down other baseball stars like Yankee’s slugger Alex Rodriguez. Unfortunately, this is not the first time steroid accusations landed Braun in hot water. In late 2011, MLB administered a random drug test to National League MVP Ryan Braun, finding abnormally high testosterone levels caused by performance enhancing drugs. This led Braun facing a 50-game suspension to start the 2012 season. Braun successfully appealed the suspension on a technicality, due to the fact that the urine sample was left sealed over the weekend at the testing center. The aftermath of the scandal for Braun is a reputation that may never be repaired. Braun will return in 2014 trying to repair a damaged career and reputation.

The Lowell Backpage January 30, 2014