The Lowell September 2012 by The Lowell

■ A reporter explores

San Francisco’s global food culture, learning about exotic locales from enticing specialties.

In the news In the news

Today

o you sometimes find yourself wishing you could once again play schoolyard games with your friends at recess? Maybe you just miss taking a quick break from class or drawing with chalk on the pavement. Well, if you ever wanted to return to the stress-free days of elementary school, you’re in luck. Today students have another chance to relive their childhood. The school’s Peer Resource Outreach Program is hosting a “Lowell Recess” event during Mods 6-20 at the flagpole. Participants can play board games, draw with chalk or play with sports equipment — but no more fighting over the kickball!

What’s What’s

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Spotlight

Lowell High School, Cardinal Edition, Vol. 218 No. 1, September 14, 2012, www.thelowell.org

Lowell The

Use your fingers (or bread)

Wasting more time online ■ Ever wondered what

your alternatives to Facebook might be? Click into different social networking sites.

Senior disenrollment sparks student protest PHOTO COURTESY OF kara scherer

Senior Majenta Strongheart signs a poster during Mods 11-12 on Aug. 31, joining other students in showing support for reinstating senior Sarah Ma.

The district withdrew one of the school’s seniors due to residency fraud. In response, many students organized a protest in front of the school, showing solidarity with their classmate.

■

By Cooper Logan

at Lowell.” According to Ma, the residence tudents gathered in front of the school on Aug. 31 in outside of San Francisco was temprotest of the revocation of a porary. “I’ve always lived in San Francisco until earlier this year, senior’s enrollment. On Aug. 23, senior Sarah Ma because my house was being renoreceived a hand-delivered letter vated. It was a hazard to live in my notifying her that she was no longer room because there was construcenrolled in Lowell due to a violation tion going on. My stepfather has of San Francisco Unified School an extermination company in Daly District residency fraud regula- City, and the office happens to be a tions. “There was an appeal form residential house. I didn’t know how long the renoattached, and I was gowent through According to Ma, the vation ing to take so the process; I sent in the apresidence outside of we didn’t file a district transpeal letter and San Francisco was fer. They had put in all the private invesevidence,” Ma temporary. tigators follow said. “Yesterme since April day [Aug. 30] was my official hearing. They made 20, and they have pictures of my car a final decision and mailed the letter and me and my mom getting out of three hours after the trial and it said the house, and getting into the car that today [Aug. 31] was my last day and driving to Lowell.” Ma said she

did not feel comfortable providing residence outside of the city, you specific dates of when she left and have to prove that you were forced returned to San Francisco. to do that. A lot of families claim The district rules allow for tem- temporary residence, and follow-up porary residency elsewhere under investigations will occur. But again, certain cirin the case cumstances, of Lowell, but proceWhether temporary or the student dures must must reside not, you have to reside in SF for be followed. “ Wh e t h e r in San Francisco in or- the entire temporary duration der to attend Lowell.” of enrollor not, you have to rement.” DARLENE LIM, side in San “ResiEPC executive director denc y” is Fr an c i s c o in order to defined in attend Lowell. The residency policy the SFUSD policy on residency states that there can only be one resi- fraud as the place where a studence,” executive director of the Ed- dent is then living, regardless of ucational Placement Center Darlene whether they own property in San Lim said. “You need to file a change- Francisco. “It is the place where of-address form when you move one remains when not called elseand when you move back within where for labor or other special or 14 days. If you claim temporary See PROTEST on Page 5

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1-8

By Samantha Wilcox

11-14

■ Cross country pre-season practices run smoothly, team amped up to win champs

Columns

Page

■ Girl reveals undercover dream to be FBI agent, just look for earbud and shades!

Opinion

Pages

18-19

■ Shield & Scroll senior believes that junior applicants should know what program entails

Arrival of new year brings improvements to school facilities

■ Amateur barbers create new club, also cut students’ hair ■ District requires teachers to use certain parts of SchoolLoop ■ San Francisco hosts America’s Cup, junior with love of sea partakes in festivities

Sports

Page 20

HUIMIN ZHANG

A workman touches up the exterior of the building on Aug. 28, one of many updates.

any of the school’s facilities were updated over the summer, and the updates are continuing over the course of the year. A major change is the school Wellness Center, currently located in T-14, will be moved to Room 118 during the spring semester. Located in the main building, the former English classroom is currently undergoing renovation to become a Wellness Center, according to nurse Maryann Rainey. Due to the current Wellness Center’s inconvenient location on the school campus, Wellness officials wanted to be more central. “The Wellness Center staff felt that they were not in a very accessible location, and that students would See UPDATES on Page 5

2 NEWS

September 14, 2012

NEWSBRIEFS

Alumni parent donates piano

School Loop advised for teachers The administration has continued the district-wide effort to increase teacher use of School Loop this semester. This plan started three years ago when School Loop was first implemented, according to assistant principal of curriculum Holly Giles. Since then the school has been ramping up the expectations, while supporting the staff through training on Professional Development days. “The District wants to link everything together, like attendance and grades,” Giles said. “They also want it to be available from anywhere, so students can view it from home or school.” Initially the school aimed to increase School Loop use by encouraging, rather than forcing, teachers to use it. “There are other schools that require it rather than recommend it, as in the teachers can be punished for not using it,” United Educators of San Francisco representative and science teacher Katherine Melvin said. However, recently the district has put in place a few mandatory usages, including submitting grades to the district through School Loop and this year, uploading syllabi. Teachers gave mixed opinions of the website, appreciating the features designed for teachers but critiquing the counter-intuitive software. “School Loop has a high value to me because students can see all of their assignments and grades in one place,” chemistry teacher Bryan Marten said. “It’s really useful when you have students who were absent that need to catch up on work. The mass e-mailing to students is also a very useful feature. Still, the calendar can be rather clunky and slow.” Other teachers have voiced similar balance between pros and cons. “School Loop is an effective way to inform students about assignments and activities,” photography teacher Julian Pollak said. “However I wish School Loop included a module which enabled teachers to record class attendance.” Many teachers at Lowell consider School Loop as one of many useful tools. “At Lowell, School Loop is being treated as one of one million different teaching ideas or methods that can be used,” Melvin said. “As a student goes through the day he sees many different teaching tools; School Loop is just one of those.” Principal Andrew Ishibashi is confident he will be able to resolve any problems concerning School Loop. “My main concern about School Loop is that the teachers will be inundated by e-mails, which would take away from the time that they could be spending helping students,” Ishibashi said. “But unless we try it we will never know, and if it doesn’t work we will have a meeting and see what we need to adjust.” — Ian James f o r t h e c o m p l e t e v e r s i o n s of stories, please visit

The Lowell on the Web

www.thelowell.org

Jr. Haircutters use passion to fund a charitable club By Elena Bernick

in common, and the two bonded over sharing tips for cuts and ITH HAIR CLIPPERS buzzing, two students started trims. As it turns out, both Lee’s and Okagaki’s grandmothers a club to turn their long-term hobby of cutting hair are barbers. “Our grandmothers taught us the basics and fundamentals of hair cutting,” Okagaki said. into a full-fledged business. Recently, the self-proclaimed “young-money” duo has been Juniors Kenny Okagaki and Harrison Lee founded Haircutters for Humanity, offering customers a range of hairstyles such successfully advertising their new business. Their Facebook as fades, line-ups, tapers, trims, and even styling for a flat rate page, Haircutters for Humanity, has reached 154 likes as of Sept. 9. They also have a diverse group of clients. “We of $7. Edging is offered for only $4. For both of them, haircutting has developed into more than mostly cut guys, but some girls come in,” Okagaki said. “Most people we cut are just an after-school hobby. “We started the outside of our social circle.” club to provide an outlet for our passion for The proof of their success is haircutting,” Okagaki said. Lee continued seen through people repeatedly Okagaki’s thought. “We all about that hair We all about that visiting the pair. “They always cutting life!” Lee said. a really good job,” junior The club is a new venture for Okagaki hair cutting life. ” do Natalia Arguello-Inglis said. “I usually and Lee, but cutting hair is not. “For freshman and sophomore years, we would cut HARRISON LEE, let Kenny do what he wants and it always comes out really well.” hair casually in the locker room,” Okagaki junior These young entrepreneurs plan to said. “We started because it seemed like a stretch their business beyond the barber cool hobby.” (See “Barbers Display Razorchair. “We’re going to start selling food at Sharp Skill,” The Lowell, Nov. 2011) After they started accumulating more clients, they moved the flagpole every other Friday,” Okagaki said. “The money will the faux salon’s location from a dusty corner in the locker room go towards club funding and the charity.” Lee and Okagaki are the go-to guys for a hair cut, but as to a room of their own. “We thought it would get more publicity juniors, they’ll be crossing the stage eventually. To make sure cutting hair in a classroom setting,” Lee said. Not only do clients receive a haircut, but their money is go- students never go without a fresh cut, they plan to continue ing to a good cause. Okagaki and Lee plan to donate 15 percent the legacy, hence the club. “We aren’t teaching anyone at the of their profits to Clothe Ethiopian Children, a charity started moment,” Lee said. “But we’re definitely going to start teaching by junior Fana Aregawie. “I’m collecting children’s clothing to people how to cut hair senior year.” Students who want to learn more about the club are welcome donate to orphanages in need in Ethiopia,” Aregawie said. “The money from their club will go towards shipping and buying to drop to chat, relax or perhaps leave some hair on the floor. The club is sponsored by social studies teacher Nader Jazaeryi the clothing.” Lee and Okagaki have been friends for a while, but as their and is held after school every Tuesday afternoon in Room 236. friendship developed, they soon realized they had barbering

W “

club

A parent of Lowell alumni recently donated a baby grand piano to the school. Arthur Brunwasser, who is a San Francisco attorney, helped enhance the school’s music program by contributing a used piano in memory of a recently deceased friend. Brunwasser, also the father of Erica Brunwasser, class of ’84, and Matthew Brunwasser, class of ’89, said he particularly hopes the piano will be used by the jazz students. Music teacher Michele Winter appreciates the piano’s sentimental value. “It means a lot to us that this family would give such a generous gift in memory of a good friend,” Winter said. According to Winter, the piano that was replaced took up too much space and had a number of problems, including a pedal that broke repeatedly even after professional piano technicians had repaired it. The new piano is five-and-a-half years old and in excellent condition. “It’s new, shiny, and just the right size.” Winter said. “Yamahas have a sound that’s favored by jazz players.” The new Yamaha, which arrived during summer break but is currently locked up, will be available for student use by late September or early October. Before it can be played, the piano needs to be tuned, protected by a vinyl cover, and mounted on a piano truck to ease transport and prevent floor damage. The piano will a have a chance to impact many musicians. “It’s going to last decades,” said Winter. “Think of the number of students that will benefit!” — Eric Ye

Lowell High School

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF HARRISON LEE AND KENNY OKAGAKI

(Left) Junior Natalia Arguello-Inglis sports an undercut with a freestyle design by Lee and Okagaki. (Middle) A student flaunts a zig-zag freestyle design. (Right) Sophomore Gage Stange models a lineup and an icepick design.

School community unites to create outdoor classrooms Collects unrecyclable plastic to create eco-friendly earthbenches

By KT Kelly

VERYONE KNOWS the best seats in a classroom are the ones closest to the window — to fresh air and the sounds of whirling leaves. What if everyone had a seat under the shining sun? Even better, what if everyone had class outside? That’s exactly what some teachers plan to do with the installation of earthbenches to form an outside classroom. Biology teacher Erin Bird wants to create an alternative to the four-walled schoolrooms students sit in today. “Having an outside classroom would emphasize journaling, observing, measuring and background research,” Bird said. “All skills taken from the classroom are applied into a real world project. Science doesn’t just happen in a lab.” Students and staff are encouraged to participate in this school-wide event by filling plastic bottles with soft plastic — such as unrecyclable candy wrappers and potato chip bags — to make a plastic brick. When there are enough bricks, they will be assembled to as a bench and covered with cob — a type of earthen cement, according to Bird. This unique seating is called an earthbench. Other teachers are just as excited for the outdoor oasis. Administrators,

including assistant principal of administration Margaret Peterson, are behind the initiative. “I think it is good for the continuing school effort to go green,” Peterson said. “Also to keep the students not only recycling, but reusing too.” Bird has several teachers on board to create these earthbenches, including science teachers Shawn Laureyns, Catherine Christennsen, Kathy Melvin, Ted Johnson and Dakota Swett, special education teacher David Strother and health teacher Lisa Cole. “This is just the start; we want a bench to seat 30 people so we can have class outside,” Bird said. “We want to get the art department involved to see if they can design the bench.” For this project to work, however, each student must take it upon him or herself to participate. “It needs to be school-wide,” Bird said. “The Lowell community must work together to make one huge environmental statement.” Of course, all projects have a deadline. “We want it to be done by the end of the semester, before we get a lot of rain,” Bird said. “The cob won’t dry if it is constantly raining.” Not only will the possibility of having

curriculum

class outside be fulfilled, but the instructors are planning to create a garden to grow produce. Cole intends to get blenders to make smoothies using produce from the garden. “I’m very excited to participate in the earthbench,” environmental science junior Eliya HakimMoully said. “I’m looking forward to the finished product; it’ll be hard work, but in the end I’ll be making a positive ecological impact on the school.” Erin Bird’s brother, Brennan Bird, started a non-profit organization called Peace on Earthbench Movement (POEM) three years ago. He created the idea for the earthbench as a project for his college, University of California, Davis, and presently travels around the world setting up earthbenches for different countries. He is currently in Kenya. Bird hopes to bring someone from POEM to do classroom presentations on the earthbench and spread awareness about the environment and how much people impact it. “There is a sort of illusion of waste because when people throw away a bag of chips they don’t see where the garbage is going, so its out of sight, out of mind,” Erin Bird said. “This way the plastic is reused and repurposed and people are aware of the waste they are creating.”

The Lowell

September 14, 2012

CAMPUS

International sailing event anchors Lowell student’s interest By Kai Matsumoto-Hines

very year, skippers representing their home countries compete in one of the worlds’ largest sailing competitions; this will be the first time the United States hosted the Cup since 1995. The first stage of the 34th America’s Cup, called the America’s Cup World Series, took place from Aug. 21-26 and will be continuing October 2-7 in the San Francisco Bay, according to the America’s Cup website (www.americascup.com). The Louis Vuitton Cup will take place from July 4 - Sept. 1 of 2013 and the America’s Cup Finals will take place the same year from Sept. 7- 22. This year skippers from eight countries faced off in this international sailing competition on the choppy and windy waters of the Bay. The Cup has many volunteer opportunities from the sales department to stage programming support. Lowell junior Sophia Phillips is a member of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, the organization hosting the event (See “Sail Away,” The Lowell, November 2009). “We set up around 30 sailboats and put on an introductory

show for the audience viewing from the Marina Green,” she said. “There was a small race course set up for us members and we raced around for about 15 minutes.” Phillips comes from a family with a history of passion for sailing, hence she inherited her love for the sea. “I think it’s a great sport because when sailing you have the whole bay, rather than a sport like track where it is a set track,” she said. “It is not only physical, but also requires strategy by using your brain to navigate. Also it doesn’t require a lot of commitment so if you have a test the next day, you don’t have to stress that much.” Although the Summer Olympics have ended, sports lovers across the globe can still come together to watch the sailors compete on the bay. The August event had an enthusiastic crowd, and the next chance to view the competitors is in early October. The Cup, which is made of silver and a whopping 100 pounds, was first awarded in 1851 by the Royal Yacht Squadron. It was later donated to the New York Yacht Club as a Deed of Gift, allowing it to be awarded in world-wide competitions.

Photo courtesy of Wayne Foley

(Top) Sailboats similar to the ones Lowell students displayed circle in the bay. (Bottom) Mulit-hulled vessels turn at the foot of the Golden Gate bridge.

Photo courtesy of Golden Gate Yacht Club

Students share opinions on new school paint job The Lowell community reacts to the new paint job, completed over the summer.

Huimin Zhang

(Top and Bottom) The paint job included painting much of the exterior of the school in Shaggy Barked, Enchanted Eve and Scarlet Past, which were chosen by a voluntary school vote. (See “School plans to repaint building,” April 2012).

“At first when I saw just the blue I thought it was weird because I am used to thinking of peach and red when it comes to Lowell. You can’t really see any of the old cracks.” — Daniel Wong, Freshman

“I like the colors, but they don’t really represent Lowell colors. Cardinal Red and Burgundy were not on the color choices.” —Tony Lee, Counselor

“The color combination is too dark, but it was nice to give us options rather than just pick one.” —Ron Hodges, Security Guard

“I think it’s really depressing. When it’s raining it gets darker and since we don’t get good weather here, it’s pretty much always dark.” — Julie Lau, Junior

“At first I didn’t like it, but people told me to give it a chance and it grew on me. Overall the school looks much better — that’s what changed my mind.” — Andrew Ishibashi, Principal

“It looks really dead and blends in with the fog.” — Moriah Wolfe, Sophomore

4 NEWS

September 14, 2012

Lowell High School

Students Sign For Sarah

Photo courtesy of kara scherer

Clockwise from top: (Top) Senior Majenta Strongheart signs to show her support for senior Sarah Maâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cause. (Right) Seniors Sydney Gehlen and Noe Manley wave handmade posters. (Bottom) Protestors gather in front of the school during Reg. (Left) Senior Mari Galicer signs in hope of a district reconsideration of the disenrollment of ma.

Photo courtesy of kara scherer

Gavin Li

Photo courtesy of kara scherer

September 14, 2012

The Lowell

NEWS

Greenery beautifies and enhances grounds From UPDATES on Page 1 pass up the opportunity to drop in and use their services,” Rainey said. Wellness officials are also very happy about their new location. “Although a lot of students appreciate being ‘away from Lowell’ at the current location, this location also prevents us from seeing and serving many students,” Wellness coordinator Carol Chao Herring said. The renovation includes ventilation changes and the addition of conference rooms, where Wellness counselors can meet privately with students. The project is funded by the Parent Teacher Student Association, Alumni Association and the San Francisco Wellness Initiative, an organization created by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to help San Francisco Unified School District students receive free Wellness help. The Lowell community was alerted that facility improvements were coming down the pike when they had the opportunity to vote on an exterior paint scheme. Lowell staff members voted on a color palette for the color change before school was

dismissed, approving the new blue and brown exterior of the school. (See “School plans to repaint building,” The Lowell, April 2012) Work started after school ended and the paint job was completed by mid-August. Other improvements around the school included new emergency shower stations in all chemistry classrooms on the third floor, which were replaced before school started in August. Although no chemistry classroom was missing a shower, they were beginning to get old. The drainless showers are for emergency use only; all chemistry classrooms must have them in case of a chemical spill. “I think it’s great that the district is prioritizing safety,” chemistry teacher Kim Johnson said. Another change within the Lowell campus is the absence of the flagpole in the front of the school. “The flagpole was removed when the exterior of the school was painted,” assistant principal of administration Margaret Peterson said on Aug. 30. “It is set to be replaced in early September.” The flagpole was replaced when students returned to school after the weekend

HUIMIN ZHANG

New trees were planted along the firelane over the summer. The trees were funded by Google, Friends of the Urban Forest and SFUSD.

on Sept. 10. One of the more subtle changes around campus is the newly planted trees along the fire lane which replaced older trees which were cut down over the summer.

These new trees were funded by Google, Friends of the Urban Forest and SFUSD. Both Google and SFUSD are partners with Friends of the Urban Forest, a local organization dedicated to making San Francisco a greener place.

Student protest spurred by social media websites

From PROTEST on Page 1 in 2011 because the board wanted to strengthen our ability to started an online petition. Within five hours of the petition temporary purpose, and to which he/she returns in seasons of verify residence. The investigative unit is as aggressive as they being written, there were almost 500 signatures online, which repose,” the policy document states. can be with their resources, but they follow up and have strong was really impressive. You would refresh the page, and there According to the district policy, even a temporary move evidence before they even notify the family.” would be 10 more signatures.” from the district will be considered a violation of district policy. According to Ma, her family was unaware of such requireBy early morning on Aug. 31, the event page was deleted “In order to be enrolled in SFUSD, the student’s parent/legal ments. “I didn’t know when the limit was, or how long I could both for the protection of contributors and because its purpose guardian must continually reside in San Francisco at the time of stay there,” she said. “My mom has known people that have had been fulfilled. “We deleted the Facebook page because application and for the entire period of enrollment in SFUSD,” stayed there without a permit, and they survived, so she decided we wanted this to be not about a particular person or group the document states. “Temporary residence in San Francisco, to take a chance.” of people, it was basically the way the class feels as a whole,” solely for the purpose of attending a The district regulates the process the creator said. “We figured we got the point across, people SFUSD school, shall not be considered.” for notification and appeals; there is were well informed. We felt it was better to take it down so it There is a required procedure if The idea is not to catch no further official action that can be wouldn’t be used in any way, shape or form against us.” families move, and the district found taken after an appeal has been filed. Senior Stephen Read, a friend of Ma’s who helped direct the students; it is to make The chances of a reversal resulting from event at school, said the plan was to unfold in two stages, and that Ma’s family violated regulations when she failed to submit the proper appeal are slim. “During my that the protest was only the first part of the plan. “We hope that sure everyone is meet- a12denied forms in the allotted time. “If the paryears in San Francisco, I’ve never this first phase, this protest today, will just raise awareness and ent/guardian who has physical custody ing the [residency] seen something like this overruled,” get people fired up,” Read said. “I know there were interviews of the student(s) moves to a new adprincipal Andrew Ishibashi said. from news stations, so the word will spread and put the district requirements.” dress at any time after submitting the According to the document, the under pressure. Then we’ll be in phase two. We plan on a bunch application for enrollment, s/he must result of an appeal is final. of letters, emails, phone calls to the superintendent of the school DARLENE LIM, submit a Change of Address form to Ma expressed gratitude and surprise district and the entire school board, admin downtown, and we EPC executive director about the protest, but not high expec- have people who are already writing speeches to give at Board the Education Placement Center within 14 days following the move,” the docutations of the case being repealed. “It of Education meetings next week. We’ll keep it very respectful, ment states. “If the parent/guardian fails to submit a Change [the protest] is such a great gesture,” Ma said. “I feel so lucky very dignified, basically just put pressure on the school district.” of Address form within 14 days of their move, the student’s to have my friends do all this for me; it’s so much more than I The impetus of the protest has the potential to transcend enrollment may be revoked.” would ever imagine. It’s gotten so big, but Ma’s case, according to Lim. “If the Some students argued on Facebook that, while Ma did break I don’t know if it will help.” student wasn’t following the rules in the the rules, she is a senior who violated a technicality. “She should When a Facebook event page for the The protest made policy, protestors would have to take achave filled out the paperwork and talked to the district, but that protest was created the night before the tion against the residency policy itself,” me proud to be a Lim said. “We have never had a situation is one small strike that could have been avoided,” said senior event, membership grew exponentially Hiromi Fujita, a longtime friend of Sarah’s who participated in throughout the evening. “They posted the where they [the board and superintenLowellite, because dent] and helped develop the idea of the protest. “I don’t know if the information on what we were going to do, intervened in the way we implement district lost tax money when she moved from San Francisco, people started inviting other people, and people were being so policy. The protest might not have an or if they are just trying to prove a point.” things spread,” said the creator of the page, impact on one student, but participation loving and polite.” from the community could eventually Ex-principal Paul Cheng said he recalled certain exceptions who requested anonymity. By 12:25 a.m., for students nearing graduation, but not the details of the hours before the protest, 1,541 students enforce a change in policy.” cases. “There were a few cases of seniors from the ’90s where had been invited, 473 had confirmed The protest was a success, according HIROMI FUJITA, someone at the highest level, like the superintendent, took the that they would be attending, and 60 had senior to Read. “The turnout today was great,” situation into consideration,” Cheng said. “The district made replied with “Maybe.” he said. some allowances for seniors because they had already come so Instructions in the description section of the event page The administration recognized the democratic basis of far, and it was not their decision to move, it was their parents. were designed to ensure that the focus would stay on Sarah’s the students’ actions. “I do support the students who are here They were allowed to stay as long as they didn’t violate any cause, and not the protest. “Please, NO PROFANITY,” it stated. protesting, as long as they’re not missing class, and as long rules or do anything to discredit themselves that would reflect “No Insults, No Threats, No obscene images. Do not engage as they’re not disrupting school activities,” Ishibashi said. poorly on the decision.” Cheng did not recall whether this al- in exchanges with security guards or the administration. If “Students need to feel like they’re a part of a solution, and to lowance was made during the affected senior’s first or second approached, do not respond. We can, and we WILL get our suppress that would be against my personal belief. That’s not semester at Lowell. point across. If you truly care about keeping Sarah at Lowell, what our country’s about.” The district focuses on the residency issue when investi- please refrain from any actions that would hurt our message.” Students expressed appreciation for the respect the admingating a student, not the elements the On Friday, the day after the page was istration gave their viewpoint. “Just having the support and protestors are citing, such as leadership posted, the protest proceeded calmly, cooperation of the whole administration has just been great,” roles. “The grade and value of a student There’s no way [the with many students holding signs, Read said. “They could have really cracked down on us, made to the school has nothing to do with it,” signing posters, and writing letters to sure we all got sent to class, called our parents, we all could protest] would have district officials. Lim said. “It is understandable that they have been suspended, but I think they recognized that were not are protesting the loss, but she is not the Many considered social media to using this as an excuse to cut class, we’re doing this to stand up happened without be influential during the Arab Spring for what we believe in and what’s right.” first student to be disenrolled because of address fraud. Disenrollment is very Some students thought the school community was brought the Facebook page.” protests, and social media also cataserious, we don’t like to do it, but we lyzed the school event. “There’s no way together. “The protest made me proud to be a Lowellite, because make sure we have strong documentaANONYMOUS, this would have happened without the people were being so loving and polite,” Fujita said. “It was like tion before we follow through.” Facebook event creator Facebook page,” the creator said. “Social the time the Westboro Baptist Church protested in front of the The policy was designed to reserve media was absolutely essential to getting school and everyone in the school was united.” spots for students in San Francisco. “The idea is not to catch people involved.” The page of FAQs — frequently asked questions — regardstudents; it is to make sure everyone is meeting the requireThe discussion on the page also ended up coordinating ing residency fraud on the SFUSD website states that fines and ments,” Lim said. “Lowell especially has rigid requirements future action intended to have the district decision reconsid- lawsuits may also be imposed by the district. “The student will for students. They have to live in San Francisco because it is ered. “I think the most important thing that came out of the be withdrawn from school and the parent must reimburse the a highly-requested school, and we have an obligation to place Facebook page is we started getting a lot of submissions about District for investigative costs.” Ma reported her family was students in San Francisco first. We adopted this new policy ideas of other courses we could take,” the creator said. “We charged $1,695.55 for the costs of investigation.

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A version of this story first appeared on www.thelowell.org

6 NEWS

September 14, 2012

Lowell High School

Konnichiwa,

Japan! FROM JUNE 19 TO JULY 1, A GROUP OF LOWELL JAPANESE STUDENTS FLEW TO JAPAN, PARTICIPATED IN A HOMESTAY IN KYOTO AND VISITED VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN KYOTO, NARA, TOKYO AND HIROSHIMA. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: (TOP LEFT) JUNIOR SHELA HO FEEDS A FRIENDLY DEER IN NARA. (TOP RIGHT) JAPANESE TEACHER NAOMI OKADA, LOWELL STUDENTS AND THEIR HOST BUDDIES POSE AT HANAZONO HIGH SCHOOL IN KYOTO, JAPAN. (UPPER RIGHT, STUDENTS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) CLASS OF 2012 GRADUATES PHOEBE GUAN, KIYOMI KURODA, LUCY ZHANG AND DEBBY LUM WAVE DOLLAR BILLS AT THE TEMPLE OF THE GOLDEN PAVILION, ALSO KNOWN AS THE GOLDEN PALACE, A ZEN BUDDHIST TEMPLE IN KYOTO. (LOWER RIGHT) CLASS OF 2012 GRADUATE TERRY YUEN FLASHES PEACE SIGNS WHILE IN A WOODEN PILLAR IN TOUDAIJI, A BUDDHIST TEMPLE COMPLEX IN NARA. THE HOLE IN THE PILLAR IS THE SIZE OF THE TEMPLE’S GIANT BUDDHA STATUE’S NOSTRIL, AND IT IS SAID THAT IF ONE FITS IN IT, THEY ARE CAPABLE OF REACHING ENLIGHTENMENT. (BOTTOM RIGHT, FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) JUNIORS SARAH CHAN AND CAROLYN YE PLAY A TAIKO GAME IN A JAPANESE ARCADE IN KYOTO.

felt really safe in Japan! There were still “ Itpeople walking out at night, and it’s really quiet and peaceful, too.”

TERRY YUEN, class of ‘12 alumnus

all expected the last two days in Tokyo to “ We be the most fun, but I actually liked that part

the least — I left my heart in Kyoto. Going to school in Japan was the most amazing part. Everyone there loves foreigners, so it was a lot of fun. SARAH CHAN, junior

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF STEFFIE GUAN, SARAH CHAN AND CAROLYN YE

The Lowell

September 14, 2012

NEWS

Japanese students visit, Admin embarks on chat, play show & tell Argentina exchange with unique souvenirs A By KT Kelly

Photos courtesy of Kara Scherer

On Aug. 31, a dozen college students from Japan visited Japanese teacher Miyuki Yoshimura’s classes. The students came to the Bay Area through an exchange program by Oakland’s Japanese Pacific Research Network. (Top, from left to right) Junior Ruby Chen, visitor Izumi, and juniors Elora Lam and Shela Ho admire Chen’s artwork. (Bottom) Students in Japanese 5 watch as visitor Yuu shows the class green tea-flavored snacks.

ties, especially the science labs. “They don’t n administrator traveled to Argen- have the equipment to do the kind of experitina this summer to experience new ments we do,” Giles said. Venturing into the rural areas of Argenmethologies of teaching and a new culture as part of an exchange program for tina, Giles took side trips to schools in the mountainous regions of the country. While educators. Assistant principal of curriculum Holly traveling, she saw cows walking alongside the Giles participated in the 2011-2012 Argentina path and even people riding horses instead Administrator Exchange Program funded by of cars. “Argentineans drive fast, so people Fulbright Scholar Program from June 17 to have to watch out when they cross the street,” July 7. “Traveling to different parts of Argen- Giles said. She also improved her Español by shadtina was part of their cultural exchange,” Giles said. “Visiting classrooms and meeting with owing in classrooms or ordering a meal at a other educators was part of my professional restaurant. Although her experience in Argentina was development and the exchange program.” Giles experienced everything from cities — cultural, Giles got to know the Argentinean called ‘villages’ in Argentina — to the chilly airports very well. She struggled with delays mountains, to observing her exchange part- and cancellations on flights because of strikes, ners as they oversaw their schools. Although snowstorms, and huge classes of children with she spent most of her time in Cerro Azul Insti- chaperones scurrying them into terminals. “At tuto Secundario Privado in Villa Delores, Giles one point I tried to hurry through customs to visited Juan Crisotomo Lafinur, Universtaria get past a crowd of middle schoolers going to Delegación, and Instituo Superior de Cultura Disneyland,” Giles laughed. “I didn’t realize Ingelse Cambridge in Villa Delores. “It is hard they were on my flight! I was even sitting next to compare to Lowell because I visited small to two of them!” Even after her terrible luck with flights, she private schools or rural public schools, while Lowell is a big urban public school,” Giles said. remembers the trip as educational and eye“Higher level education, like college, is free in opening and has a new-found appreciation for Argentina, whereas here we have to pay huge the value of knowing more than one language. fees. Even though education is free, some “The program I am part of would let me do it again, and I love seeing different cultural people are not able to take advantage of it.” Giles discovered that although Argen- perspectives,” she said. “I can definitely see tineans have a lower percentage of college myself going back.” students, their schools are more technologically aware than the United States. “The government provides computers for every student in a school, which would be ideal in our school so that all children had access to a computer,” Giles said. Giles’ counterpart, Silvia Bonomi, who shadowed Giles at Lowell last October showed Giles her school (see Nov. 2011 article “Argentine educator tangos to San Francisco” at thelowell.org). Photo courtesy of holly giles Bonomi had commented on Giles smiles at the camera in Ushuaia, Argentina, which is the Lowell’s remarkable facili- farthest southernmost city near Antartica.

Interested in being a photographer or illustrator for The Lowell? Stop by S108 for more information!

Welcome back students! Have a great school year!

8 NEWS

September 14, 2012

Lowell High School

Locker assignment disorganized, doubles work By Cooper Logan

errors, according to Mariano. Students who move into lockers that haven’t been assigned here have been an unusually high number of locker reassignments this year as a result of damaged lockers to them are also adding to the confusion, according to Cordoba. “We have to cut locks when there are claim jumpers or people and an unorganized system. Many registries had students fill out cards and occupy lock- who don’t cooperate when their lockers are reassigned,” he said. The two sophomore student volunteers assigned to supervise ers, only to have to redo the process a day later. Several blocks of lockers had been initially double-assigned, wrongly assigned the Locker Crew felt they were unprepared to handle their duto lockers designed to hold emergency supplies, or were simply ties, contributing to the high number of locker mix-ups. “The reassigned for convenience. “I handed out the locker assign- lockers were disorganized and the instructions given to us ments, and they put their books in, but they had to wait until were unclear,” said sophomore Dana Mariano, who is one of the previous occupants vacated the lockers,” AP Economics and the supervisors of the Locker Crew. A locker help table was set up to assist Reg 1316 teacher James Spellicy said. “The students with locker issues. In the past students thought it was an inconvenience, but they adapted quickly once I explained Approximately there were always a few days of problemsolving involved, but due to the high what happened.” 2,400 students are number of students trooping through the Lockers were reassigned by the end of office, this year a table was set up the first week, but it took another week to left to share close dean’s nearby to deal with complaints. handle problems due to of the high number After the second week of school, of damaged lockers, and in order to accomto 1,000 lockers. locker problems slowed and the table was modate special needs students, according removed, though a few problems were later to dean Ray Cordoba. Cordoba oversees the student organization that assigns lockers, or the Locker reported to the dean’s office, according to Cordoba. The new Reg-based system was cited as causing conflicts of Crew. “The locker availability is different this year because there are more damaged or unclean lockers,” Cordoba said. interest. “The process is painstaking,” Cordoba said. “We are “The district was supposed to come this summer to help fix the trying to move lockers to be closer to Regs, but we can’t please everyone.” He added that this can be upsetting for students who damage from over the years, but they never did.” Out of 1,468 lockers at Lowell, about 150 are broken, and 300 are assigned to a different floor than is traditionally reserved are “singletons” and can only be used by one person, according for their grade for lack of space on that level. Cordoba proposed a switch away from textbooks as a soluto Cordoba. Once the 300 are assigned, approximately 2,400 students are left to share close to 1,000 lockers. “People have tion to the locker problem. “Private schools have the money to to double and sometimes triple up on lockers,” Cordoba said. buy iPads that you can put textbooks on,” Cordoba said. He sugA new system was implemented to spread out lockers based gested that this would virtually eliminate the need for so many on Reg location, but it added to the confusion and quantity of heavy textbooks, therefore eliminating the need for lockers.

huimin zhang

Seniors Sungmin Chu and Shaylene Liao man the Locker Help table, where students can report issues with their lockers, which will be put on a “fix list” for later, possibly by cutting a rogue lock, or else reassigned.

Summer book hero embroiled in controversy

By Elazar Chertow

summer reading book is under scrutiny due to the recent arrest of the book’s protagonist. Abdulrahman Zeitoun, the main character of Dave Eggers’ book Zeitoun, which 11th and 12th graders in non-AP English electives were required to read over the summer, was arrested on Aug. 8 in New Orleans on three charges of soliciting murder. According to police, he was plotting to kill his wife Kathy Zeitoun, her son, and another unnamed man. In the book, Zeitoun is portrayed as a hero after Hurricane Katrina ravaged his city — handing out supplies, tending to lost dogs, and shuttling the needy to safety, all from an old canoe. He was arrested nine days after the storm hit by National Gaurdsmen who apprehended him as an alleged terror suspect, first housing him in a makeshift jail in a Greyhound

bus station, and later in a high-security prison. to pose as a prospective tenant for a rental For the next 23 days he was jailed, denied the property that she was showing. right to a lawyer, and was unable to make a This problematic behavior has surfaced before, as Zeitoun was phone call to his wife. arrested in March 2011 His plight put a human face on the disaster of One of the questions I on domestic violence Hurricane Katrina. charges. He allegedly was asking was whether hit his wife on a public Despite his heroics seven years ago, street. Soon after thew he [Zeitoun]was abu- attack, Kathy Zeitoun Zeitoun now finds himself back in jail, sive before, and Kathy filed for divorce. These recent chargthough not as a wrongtried to cover it up,” es have made some fully accused “saint,” but rather as an alleged English teachers skepSTEPHANIE CRABTREE, tical about the auplotter of a murder. thenticity of the book, The alleged hit-man, English teacher causing concern about Donald Pugh, who is now in custody, told authorities that Zeitoun whether or not the loving family that was provided him with his wife’s cell phone num- portrayed by Eggers has a place in reality. “One ber, as well as a detailed plan with directions of the questions I was asking was whether he

“

the crossword Crossword courtesy of junior Francesco Trogu and and Grant Paul. For answers, visit thelowell.org.

Across 1 Word after H or F 5 “Dennis the Menace” girl 9 Farm worker? 12 Indian spiced tea 13 Quartz cousin 14 Toilet, in the UK 15 Tay Zonday’s YouTube masterpiece 18 Bailed-out insurance co. 19 Gov’t tax collector 20 Toddler’s YouTube-famed finger complaint 26 Edison’s invention 27 Spot on the calendar 28 Can’t be changed 29 Teen drama of British TV 31 Pod vegetable 34 Steal 35 Country singer Williams 36 “300” catchphrase popularized by YouTube 40 Battering ___

was abusive before, and Kathy tried to cover it up,” English teacher Stephanie Crabtree said. “I still have my doubts about their relationship.” Other teachers defend the validity of the book. “It’s tragic, even sad,” English teacher Jennifer Moffit said. “We all read the book and saw how stressful it was for both him and his family.” In addition, some students have doubts about the reality of the story in light of the recent charges against Zeitoun. “In the book they looked like a happy family,” junior Carolyn Tran said. “It makes me think that it might not be the whole truth.” For now, the English Department is teaching lessons based on the book or the issues the recent charges bring to light. Regardless, the upperclassmen’s English classes summer book choices change every year to avoid a repeat read for seniors.

41 Secretary of Energy Steven 42 Songified meteorological phenomenon on YouTube 49 Chem unit 50 Many a Syrian 51 Hue 52 Almost-CEOs 53 Censors 54 Locale Down 1 Email’s hidden recipient: Abbr. 2 “Now I get it...” 3 Chairman ___ 4 HCO3–, for short 5 ___ Apparatus (eukaryotic organelle) 6 Brewery option, for short 7 Slave rebellion leader Turner 8 Certain type of beer: Abbr. 9 Morning enemy? 10 Sound 11 2,000 pounds 16 It’s measured in barrels 17 ___-Aid, drug

store 20 Eye-logoed news org. 21 Tint 22 Key under Z: Abbr. 23 Revisions 24 Prohibit 25 “___ complicated...” 29 Distress signal, for short 30 Japanese ornamental fish 31 Golf standard 32 Treebeard, e.g. 33 Pseudonym marker: Abbr. 34 Out on a ___ 35 Plays ghost 36 Soldier 37 Transports 38 Strike breakers 39 ___ Beta Kappa 42 Licensing office 43 Fall behind 44 Pitching stat 45 Cloth scrap

46 Early modern Jazz 47 Lennon’s wife Yoko 48 Water saturated

The Lowell

September 14, 2012

INTERC NTINENTAL

APPETITE

San Francisco’s congregation of cultures from around the globe condenses the world’s best eats into 49 miles of Yelp-able territory

German

with a sourdough taste and the texture of a crepe). All entrees also come with Hilbet (a legume paste flavored with spices). Eritrean cuisine also encourages customers to ditch the use of forks by using pieces of the Injera to scoop up mouthfuls of meat and vegetables. Countless wonderful bites and a pile of used napkins later, gastronomes will walk away with an unforgettable African food experience — not to mention well washed hands. You can view New Eritrea Restaurant & Bar’s menu online (www.neweritrearestaurant. blogspot.com) or take the culinary journey and visit. Other African cuisine options include: Assab Eritrean Restaurant, Café Zitouna and Bissap Baobob.

Eritrean

While Central American food is heavily present and recognized in San Francisco especially in the Mission District, not everyone has ventured to Mexico and El Salvador’s South American neighbors. Peruvian food stands out with its unusual yet delicious combinations and surprisingly Asian-inspired entrees. Mi Lindo Peru sits on a block with Latin restaurants galore in the Outer Mission, but is an attraction in itself. Mi Lindo Peru is clearly a go-to for culinary connoisseurs: there is almost always a wait to be seated, even on a weekday. And although the décor is laid back and unmemorable –– clearly, actual Peru is lindo compared to the aburrido interior –– the restaurant makes up for the plain ambience with vibrant and unique combinations of foods that usually do not, and probably should not, go together, but somehow work. A favorite carnivorous menu selection is the Saltado (French fries cooked with tomatoes, onions and parsley), served with your choice of meat. The Saltado also borrows from Asian flavors of vinegar and soy sauce, which act as reminders of the huge influx of Chinese immigrants from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s and their impact on Peruvian cuisine. Other concoctions include Papas la Huancaina (steamed potato slices drenched in a cheese sauce, then topped with a boiled egg), the ever-so-simple yet heavenly tasty Salchipapas (a popular Peruvian street food combining hotdog slices mixed with French fries) and popular Latin American grub like paella (creamy saffron rice with seafood) and empanadas (savory stuffed pastries). Mi Lindo Peru also highlights foods specific to Peru with drinks such as Inca Kola and Kola Inglesa and ice cream flavored with lucuma (a dry fruit with maple-like flavors that predominately grows in Peru). The weirdly addicting fare at Mi Lindo Peru introduces foodies to a whole other side of Latin culinary culture and allows San Franciscan foodies to embrace the cross-cultural history of Peru. More Peruvian options include: Fresca, Limón Rotisserie and Rincón Peruano Restaurant.

By Campbell Gee T’S NO SECRET that our very own City by the Bay is diverse in varied ethnicities and hence various foods and spices. Foodies may feel worldly with just the comfortable realm of Chinese, Mexican, Italian and other common eats. But unbeknownst to many, a plethora of underrated cultural cuisine lies with the 49 square miles of San Francisco. Next time you crave Panda Express or a juicy taco from El Taqueria, spice things up and take a different forkful of San Francisco’s culinary melting pot.

Weiner Schnitzel and Spätzle are two of the dishes most associated with German cuisine. But even well-versed gourmets have trouble remembering what these German staples consist of — not to mention the challenge of pronouncing dishes like those and Würchwitzer Spinnenkäse and Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte. Luckily, epicureans who want to delve into the food world of Deutschland without traveling all the way to Berlin surprisingly have a smorgasbord of San Francisco eating establishments to choose from. Leopold’s in Nob Hill isn’t the oldest or most wellknown German restaurant in the city, but it gets major points for authenticity. From the moment diners enter the door, they are greeted by one of the two owners — German-born brothers Albert and Klaus Rainer, whose credibility when it comes to German food and culture is backed by their heavy accents. The interior looks like a country cottage that Heidi Klum would vacation in: wood benches and tables await famished foodies and walls are decked out with kitschy deer antlers, antique paintings and family photographs straight from the Rainer brothers’ home. The menu — served by female waitresses wearing lederhosen — lists a surfeit of German comfort food including the famous Weiner Schnitzel, Kasespätzle and Apfelstrufel for dessert, i.e. breaded and fried veal culet, round buttery egg noodles with cheese and onions and apple strudel filled with nuts and fruit, topped with vanilla cream. And as no German restaurant would be complete without a wide variety of Oktoberfest-worthy beers, Leopold’s offers almost 30 with names like Hoegaarden Witbieren and Reissdorf Kolsch. Daring adult diners can also get their favorite brew in a two-liter glass boot, prompting the bartender and fellow regulars to yell “Das Boot!” The genuine atmosphere with the addition of the hearty food of Germany and fun characters working there will make you feel like part of the Leopold family in no time. You can check out Leopold’s full menu on their website (www.leopoldssf.com). To taste German food, try: Suppenküche, Walzwerk or Schmidt’s.

Out of all the world’s culinary regions, African food is often the least known to most westerners, but you won’t need to go on a safari to find it. San Francisco restaurant patrons would be surprised to know that an abundance of Ethiopian, Senegalese and Eritrean eating establishments have found a niche right here in the city and allow diners to get down and dirty –– or at least need a napkin –– with their food. New Eritrea Restaurant & Bar, tucked away in the Sunset District, would be easy to miss, but after walking past the nondescript signage and into the building, diners are welcomed into a classy dimlylit bar room. And if, underage, you plan to skip the pre-meal drink of African beer or wine and opt to

sip on traditional Ethiopian coffee instead, the New Eritrea also offers seating in a swanky solarium. Eritrean food uses a literal “hands on” dining style. Spicy meat dishes like Zebhi Dorh (chicken drumsticks sauteed with butter, onion, tomatoes and red pepper sauce), and Kilwa Begee (strips of lamb simmered with onion, tomatoes, garlic and Eritrean spices) and vegan options like Vegetarian Allicha (a spiced mix of potatoes, cabbage and carrots) are served family style on a metal platter on top of Injera (a flatbread

Peruvian

GERMAN

PERUVIAN

THE LOWELL SPOTLIGHT SEPTEMBER 14, 2012

ERITREAN

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAMPBELL GEE, LEOPOLD’S SF, AND PISCO TRAIL (WWW.PISCOTRAIL.COM) ILLUSTRATION BY HOI LEUNG. PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS COURTESY OF EVA MORGENSTEIN.

Reporter outraged by a Giants’ player’s steroid use.

Lowell High School September 14, 2012

Page 14

Page 11

Vars boys’ soccer has goal of domination By Spencer Thirtyacre

he blow of the whistle can only mean one thing: the boys’ varsity soccer team’s season has hit the field. After back-to-back undefeated seasons in 201011 and 2011-12, the Cardinals look to keep up the momentum this season, vying for their third straight city title. Last year’s championship against the Lincoln Mustangs was the most torturous game of any of their 38 straight wins, a narrow 2-1 victory contested to the very end. With the departure of several star players, the Cards will have to work hard to keep up with their fierce competition in the Academic Athletic Association, including the Mustangs, Mission Bears, Balboa Buccaneers, and of course their arch-rivals, the Washington Eagles. The team believes it can continue its winning streak against these tough See Soccer on Page 13

Photo Courtesy of Cate Stern

Junior forward Tony Torres gets his shot off against the International Jaguars during a 1-1 draw on Sept. 6 on the Lowell field.

Athlete of the Month:

Max Niehaus

By Andrew Pearce and Sam Tick-Raker

Gavin LI

Varsity XC runners junior Kathleen Canaley and senior Sabrina Quinonez run around Lake Merced on their way back from Daly City during practice on Sept. 7.

XC ready for season with stacked team By Ashley Louie

Prutz said. Among the stacked varsity boys’ team are two runners in particular who Prutz thinks are ready to step up — junior Brian Nguyen and Niehaus. “Another strong athlete, Max Niehaus, who has been injured in the past, seems to have outgrown those blocks in the road and should run well,” he said. “Brian ran really well on track last year, so I hope that translates to Cross Country this year,” Prutz said. According to the California Interscholastic Foundation (www.cifsf.org), Brian Nguyen won the Boys’ Frosh-Soph 5k race. Prutz also pointed out some other strong veteran varsity runners. “Chris Chow, Anderson Huang and Raymond Lang are the other seniors to round out the varsity team, as well as juniors Brian Nguyen and Donald Chen,” he added. Donald Chen placed eighth in the varsity division as a sophomore, See Cross-Country on Page 12

4x400 relay. “Max has been hindered by some injuries in the past couple of years and I believe he will reach his potential now that he is injury free and running fast,” said coach Michael Prutz. Not only is he a dedicated runner, he is also devoted to his role as co-captain. “Most of the team finds him personable and relatable,” Prutz said. “They are comfortable talking to him about running issues, and nonrunning issues.” At practice the team runs with teammates with similar abilities in ‘pods’. “He pushes other kids in his pod,” Prutz said. Niehaus is not only a leader in the locker room but he is a versatile athlete. This summer he climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan to help train for the upcoming Cross Country season. He said that his passion for mountain climbing is his “secret weapon” as it strengthens his lungs, helping him become a more successful runner. He also ran in the hot, humid and sticky 90-degree weather of Japan, which makes it easier for him to run in the cool fog of San Francisco. Niehaus is certain he wants to compete in Division 1 as a college student. He is also interested in pursueing mechanical engineering in the futue.

Gavin Li

fter snatching all but one of the championships at last year’s All City Finals, the Cross Country team is readying themselves to come back speedier than ever. Despite losing two amazing seniors last year — Will Chen and Alex Hillan — this year’s boys’ varsity team is working to remain dominant. One of the two male team captains, senior Raymond Lang, is confident in the team’s abilities this season. “I think we’re pretty strong this year, practices are going well, everyone’s showing up and doing their best and giving 100 percent—I think it’s going to be a great season,” he said. This year’s team captains are Raymond Lang, Max Niehaus, Emma Keenan-Grice and Sabrina Quinonez. “They were voted in based on their leadership qualities and dedication to the program, and I think the other runners recognized that,” Coach Michael

With his lungs crushed, heart pounding and muscles aching, senior distance track runner and cross-country co-captain Max Niehaus sandbags his competition in the last hundred meters of the race. Niehaus is constantly hungry for competition when running, hoping to come out on top. That attitude has served him well for his three years with Lowell Athletics; Cross Country in the fall, and Track and Field in the spring. Niehaus has competed in the 5k Cross Country state championship every year. Niehaus finished second in the 1600 meter run at last year’s All-City Track & Field championships with a time of 4:28 – 18 seconds faster than his time at the start of the season. This qualified him for the state Track and Field last June, where he ran in the 1600 meter race and 4x400 meter relay. According to Niehaus, his greatest achievement was helping to set the school record in the 4x800 meter relay at the Stanford Invitational in April 2012, running the second leg of the race. The team broke the 33-year-old record of 8:04 by two seconds. “I was pretty happy, but I was too tired to celebrate,” Niehaus said. However, these successes have come with challenges. Since freshman year, Niehaus has had a stress fracture in his foot from excessive running and training. That year the injury forced him to take eight weeks off practice while he was on crutches. The injury reoccurred during his sophomore year, forcing him to wear a cast and miss six weeks. “I was really frustrated that working hard is what stopped me from running,” Niehaus said. During his sophomore year, he worked out in the weight room to stay in shape. When Niehaus returned to the team, he had to start running with the Frosh/Soph girls and then work his way up to the varsity boys. However he worked diligently and made it to the city championships only two weeks after getting his cast off, competing in the 800 meter run. His teamates also helped him win gold in the

12 SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 14, 2012

LOWELL HIGH SCHOOL

ON AUGUST 24, LOWELL VARSITY FOOTBALL TOOK ON THE TERRA LINDA TROJANS AND LOST 32-8. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: (TOP) SENIOR QUARTERBACK WILL FRANKEL BREAKS AWAY FROM THE TROJAN DEFENCE (CENTER RIGHT) A LOWELL PLAYER LEAPS ABOVE HIS TERRA NOVA COUNTERPART AS HE ATTEMPTS TO PULL IN A PASS (BOTTOM RIGHT) SENIOR MICHEAL MCCARTHY SPRINTS AWAY FROM HIS OPPONENT (BOTTOM LEFT) LOWELL DEFENSE STAYS STRONG IN THE TACKLE (CENTER LEFT) SENIOR WILLIAM KIM FIGHTS FOR THE EXTRA YARD

ALL PHOTOS BY GAVIN LI

The Lowell

SPORTS

September 14, 2012

Soccer team eyeing third consecutive title

Huimin Zhang

Will Slotterback looks to spread the play as the team ties again in a 1-1 draw with University on Sept. 6. The team drew its first game of the season against International 1-1 on Aug. 31.

From SOCCER on Page 11 opponents, however it will be a trek. “It’s going to take extreme commitment and a high work ethic,” junior defender Arbel Efraty said. “Judging from last season, our squad definitely has a chance of doing it.” The varsity soccer season kicked off with a bang on Aug. 31 against the vicious International Jaguars, as the Cardinals tied the Jaguars 1-1. Junior forward Tony Torres scored late in the second half to equalize the game. On Sept. 6, the Cardinals continued their battle against tough out-of-league teams, facing off against the University Devils, in a back-and-forth gauntlet match, ending in a 1-1 tie. Junior forward Tony Torres scored a free kick early in the second half. The Cardinals then maintained control of the game until University scored late in the game. Head coach Marcos Estebez was pleased with the outcome. “We played very well, especially relative to the last game we had. We were more composed, more organized, we were more into the game,” Estebez said. This year, the team is going to have to compete without nine key seniors, including first team all-leaguers Max Pollard and Jesus Sanchez, as well as Most Valuable Forward all-leaguer Cameron BaSaing. “We’re still recovering from certain losses, people are used to the speed of a certain player being there, and they’re not, and so now we have to find out who we are,” Estebez said. The junior class has been working hard to contribute. “I’m working on improving my touch on the ball and my supporting runs so that I can operate well in any system Coach decides to use,” junior midfielder Will Slotterback said. Still with two new captains, and an enthusiastic team of 26 players, primarily consisting of sophomores and juniors, Lowell looks in good shape at the start of the season. “I think we still have a really good chance of doing well,” Slotterback said. “We lost a lot of strong seniors, but we also have a bunch of solid players who are ready and willing to take the place of those seniors.” Two players that will be counted on to lead the team will be the four year veteran co-captains, senior defender Avery Fisher and senior midfielder Zack Weisenburger who already have shown they are key factors in the team’s dynamics. “Our captains showed their leadership and strength last season,” Efraty said. “They’re skilled and experienced, so they can assist in the development of specific technical skills that they’ve mastered. I’ve personally improved at both shooting and tackling from their leadership.” Estebez is extremely confident in Fisher and Weisenburger’s leadership abilities. “I feel fantastic about Avery and Zack, I think they’re very conscientious; they’re serious with a sense of humor,” Estebez said. “That’s really important for the players that they lead, they respond to that and they have respect for their skills.” Cheer on the Cardinals at 3:45 p.m. on Sept. 18 at Balboa, as they take on the Balboa Buccaneers, a formidable opponent.

X-Country ready for championships again From CROSS-COUNTRY on Page 11 according to CIF. After watching the team lose the girls’ Frosh-Soph title, Prutz is looking forward to a better season for the female athletes. “I’m excited to see the girls have more success, I feel like they’re a real cohesive team now,” he said. This season, Prutz is excited to see how well all of the runners perform, and noted that the girls’ team has several good prospects. With several returning female runners, Prutz does not think there will be any question who will be the champions this year. “The girls this year are all a year older and a year better,” Prutz said. “I believe they’re a more cohesive team now with a solid core of experienced runners,” he said. Sophomore Sydney Gutierrez was the lone underclassman that was strong enough to be on last year’s varsity team. “Seniors Susan Li, Emma Keenan-Grice and Sabrina Quinonez will bring in experience and depth,” he said. Varsity runners Li and Keenan-Grice placed first and third respectively at last year’s All City Race. Prutz also wants to continue focusing more on speed this season. “We will do more track work and hill training in order to increase our speed in meets,” Prutz said. Freshman runner Luke Haubenstock is looking forward to the season. “Although it takes a lot of work and time, it’s a great experience and I think it will pay off at All City,” he said. Prutz sees potential in this season’s new runners. “We have some people that played soccer, which is good because soccer players have a lot of endurance, and the majority of runners look promising,” he said. The Cross Country Team’s first meet is at the Lowell Invitational on Saturday, September 15, in Golden Gate Park.

gavin lI

Junior runners Donald Chen, Stanley Tang and John Hogan keep up the pace circling Lake Merced on their way to Daly City during Cross Country practice on Sept. 7.

14 SPORTS OPINION

September 14, 2012

Lowell High School

Former star’s betrayal takes toll on Giant’s fan

By Spencer Thirtyacre s a life-long San Francisco Giants fan, I was thrilled with the whirlwind of their highs and lows; I have been through it all. From their heartbreaking loss of the 2002 World Series, to the devastating near-last place seasons of the mid-late 2000s, to the joy and relief I felt when they finally won it all in 2010, if the Giants are playing, I am watching. I have been through my share of Giant tragedies, but a recent one topped them all. On Aug. 15, Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera tested positive for synthetic testosterone — an anabolic steroid that increases muscle strength and shortens recovery time between intense workouts. As it is on the list of Major League Baseball’s banned performance-enhancing drugs, Melky was suspended for 50 games. My immediate reaction was shock; I felt astonished, betrayed, disappointed. I remember last May, when I really noticed the talent Melky was capable of. Cabrera tied Randy Winn for the San Francisco records for hits in a month at 51, hitting .429 that month, according to Baseball Reference (www. baseball-reference.com). I knew right away that he was worth his weight in gold. But that all changed when I found out one of my newest heroes, who had gained my trust and respect, was cursed with an inerasable asterisk, a permanent symbol to mark a player or record that has been tainted. As I let the information sink in, everything started to come together. My heart sank as I realized that part of me had known all along. I knew that earlier Cabrera had not been quite the player he became with the Giant; in fact, before this year he had not been on an All Star team, let alone the MVP of one. He was by all definitions a mediocre player; I saw he must have been enticed by the money and fame

steroids would grant him. I decided to look up his career statistics, and sure enough, before his breakout season with the Kansas City Royals in 2011 his numbers were far from what they are now. The most noticeable statistic is his batting average. Cabrera was a career .267 hitter going into 2011, never hitting above .280, however last year he hit .305, and this season he hit .346 before being suspended, according to MLB (www.mlb. com). A player’s statistics do not just change like that. I had a hard time seeing this through the fogged window of admiration. Maybe if Melky was on a different team, I would have had suspicions about his drug use, however my unwavering love and loyalty to the Giants had me wrapped up in the Melky hype without questions. Perhaps this was the same reason that Giants fans everywhere could not, and perhaps still cannot accept the fact that super-star and seven-time National League MVP Barry Bonds had taken PEDs, despite numerous tests confirming it. As the all-time home run leader in both a single season and a career, he has become immortalized in the hearts of all Giants fans. You will rarely see anyone wearing orange and black say anything negative about Barry; they just cannot bring themselves to do it. However, Melky is different. Barry had been a Giant most of his career, causing fans to fall in love with his Willie Mays-esque performance. It came to a point where he could do no wrong, or if he did, all was forgiven. Melky, on the other hand, cheated his way into San Francisco, stealing the trust of fans, and before we could fully enjoy his greatness, he was gone. But it didn’t end there. Instead of accepting his 50-game suspension, Cabrera tried to fight it, saying he inadvertently took the substance, lying. His associate, Juan Nuñez, had bought a manufactured website, featuring a fake topical

cream to claim Melky had bought and used the substance and unintentionally used the banned substance, which would have been a rationale for Cabrera’s positive testosterone test. MLB investigators quickly tracked the website back to Nuñez, exposing Melky’s scheme to make fools of MLB officials and baseball fans across the nation. We prided ourselves in winning our first World Series in 58 years without the help of the controversial and steroid-ridden Bonds. This year the Giants are back in playoff contention, but I have mixed emotions about the whole situation. I want to be angry with Melky for betraying my trust. However, at the same time, the Giants would not be where they are now if it were not for him. That being said, I am worried that the team as a whole will be tainted. If the Giants win the Fall Classic, would people say that steroids whelped? Sure the offense is doing fine without him now, but could the same be said for the countless games when the Melk Man carried them to victory? All I can hope for is that the team’s reputation is not tarnished, and we can go back

Hoi Leung

to being known for our eclectic mixture of promising rookies and proven veterans. One thing for sure — I will continue to proudly and faithfully follow the Giants, whether or not Melky continues to don the orange and black with his teammates, playing on the greatest team to ever play the sport. San Francisco does not need any more asterisks.

September 14, 2012

The Lowell

profiles

Wisconsinite brings adventurous spirit to class

By Antonio Carmona, Whitney C. Lim and Sheyda Zebarjadian

hours a day, seven days a week, even if that meant they were texting or calling her after hile many people diligently school. While many Lowellites would find it search for hotels to sleep in dur- odd for a teacher to provide personal contact ing road trips, social studies and information, Dean still is fine with her students English teacher Sara Dean is content with speaking with her at any time if they have snoozing in her car. This woman does not live questions or concerns. “One of the best gifts I the ordinary life students assume of a “typical could get from a student is if they come back teacher.” Her adventurous nature has led her to visit and speak of their successes,” she said. While not teaching quite as many classes down an unpredictable path, which has resulted in becoming an educator. Growing up in as she used to, Dean is keeping busy with Wisconsin, Dean had no intentions of becom- her Modern World, American Democracy ing a teacher. In college she earned a degree in and 10th grade English classes. “A lot of the teachers ask me if I advertising, planning find it hard to be a to work in the busipart of two departness world. But when ments, but I don’t she had dinner with really mind,” Dean a friend, who was a said. She apprecihigh school teacher, ates the motivation Dean decided to purand dedication that sue a teaching career the students need to on a whim. After learn, as well as the talking to her friend’s lack of bullying and high school students, fighting at Lowell. she realized how well “Students want to be she got along with Sara Dean here; they really care teenagers. “They were English and social studies teacher about their educafun, energetic, inteltion,” she said. ligent, and I got along Relating to the well with them,” she said. “They inspired me and were interested in students is one of Dean’s most important learning about the world and I felt like I had teaching techniques. She often incorporates something to offer to these kids. I also felt that her personal experiences in the classroom in I could learn from them too!” Dean quit her order to bring the topic to life to make it more advertising job that month to start on the path relatable. “I feel it’s important to connect the material with something tangible and real so on becoming a teacher. Dean moved from Wisconsin to Oregon students can fully grasp the concept,” she said. In her American Democracy classes, for to explore the mountainous region; there she worked at a high school in which she taught example, Dean compared when the British almost every subject offered. “Lowell is dif- colonists became independent from “Momma ferent in every way from my old school,” she Great Britain” to when she went off to colsaid. Dean is glad that Lowell will be another lege and became independent from her own mother. “When you’re all on your own and adventure in her life. At her previous school, Dean was expected separated from the people that raised you, like to be available to her students twenty-four the colonists were, you no longer have your

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A lot of teachers ask me if I find it hard to be a part of two departments, but I don’t really mind.”

Gavin Li

Although new to the school, social studies and English teacher Sara Dean is as comfortable in her classroom as she is in her car.

safety net to fall back on,” she said. Though new to the school, Dean’s students are quickly getting to know her. “There aren’t many things about me that would surprise my students, I’m kind of an open book,” she said. While it is obvious she is passionate about

teaching, it may not be so obvious how much Dean adores sleeping in her car. “I actually made my last three car purchases based on how comfortable they were to sleep in,” Dean said, laughing.

Japanese-speaking admin offers serenity and calm

By Joseph Kim and Patricia Nguy

campus. The students are very serious about the work and the Because of her five years in a Japanese classroom, Peterson play and the extra-curricular activities.” decided to pursue teaching in Round Rock, Texas and taught Peterson feels that the best way to learn is to be relaxed and four levels of Japanese at Westwood High School of the Round stress-free. She is currently a certified yoga instructor at the Rock Independent School District. “Principals may be the Integral Yoga Institute near Mission Dolores Park. Peterson leaders of the school, but the teachers do the most important invited teachers to a workshop for incorporating yoga into the work of the school — teaching!” Peterson said. “I wanted to be classroom led by her director and also volunteered to teach closer to the students.” yoga weekly to the school’s staff after school. She is interested Peterson got her Master of Arts in Asian Studies and in recruiting students for a yoga class, too. teaching credential for Japanese at “Yoga and mediation are my life savers,” the University of Texas in Austin Peterson said. “I need to be calm in after returning from Japan. With her this school’s stressful environment I need to be where outstanding resumé, she jumped over before I can help students.” to the Bay Area to teach at Washingthe students and ton High School and then Clarendon As a young woman, Peterson thought that being a principal would Elementary. “I moved many times teachers are to give early allow her to change the world. But in life to pursue my education,” then she figured she should obtain support when they said Peterson. “Now that I am settled some teaching experience first. “If I’m in San Francisco — I have been here need support.” a principal, nobody’s going to listen for 16 years — I am very happy here.” to me unless I’ve been a teacher,” she Nine years of teaching Japanese Margaret Peterson said. Before settling upon a single in the United States later, Peterson assistant principal of administration academic path, Peterson decided to brought her family to Japan, not for a attend Rhodes College in Memphis, vacation, but for a three-year stay. “I Tennessee and went on to receive her Bachelor of Arts in wanted to move back to Japan after having children so that they International Studies. “I was first interested in interna- could have the experience of living in such an amazing country,” tional studies and cross cultural studies,” Peterson said. Peterson said. She enrolled her two daughters at a school in “Then I became interested in educational administration Tokyo that taught only in Japanese, while she taught at Sophia after completing my undergraduate work.” University. Peterson explained that her four-year-old daughter’s Peterson’s degree made her an ideal candidate for adjustment to a foreign school went well because of her youth the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, a program and lower grade level expectations. “The older daughter was dedicated to teaching English to Japanese students. “I did nine, and her transition was not as easy,” she said. “She’s a pernot know one word of Japanese when I first arrived in fectionist, and the content work was more challenging as well.” Japan,” said Peterson. The language barrier between her After returning from Japan and being site director at and her students motivated her to practice the unique Stanford University for three years, Peterson was hired as an sounds to learn the difficult tongue. “Learning a language district office administrator in the San Francisco Unified School comes from your heart and soul,” Peterson said. “It’s not District. “I became the Program Administrator of Multilingual just about earning the credits.” Education/World Languages because of my background in curA doctor also told her that learning a language makes riculum and professional development for language education,” a person stronger in academic skills in general. “There Peterson said. Her job was to oversee immersion and World are many studies that show those who speak a second Language programs from kindergarten to 12th grade. language have higher SAT scores,” Peterson said. “And With 20 years of teaching of experience up her sleeve, Peterneurologists have done research showing that learning son became the administrator she is today. “I went from wanting Photo courtesy of Kara Scherer a second language can help people recover from brain to ‘change the world’ through education to wanting to be of Bilingual in both Japanese and English, Peterson poses by the injuries.” service to students and teachers in education,” Peterson said.

longside students rushing to their next classes, a new samaritan runs from wing to wing. This administrator has much wisdom to offer because of her many years around students. “I need to be where the students and teachers are to give support when they need support,” assistant principal of administration Margaret Peterson said. Peterson enjoys seeing the students’ creativity and motivation. “The atmosphere at this school is very different from any other school,” Peterson said. “It’s almost like a university

Japanese character for “heart.”

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16 COLUMNS

Lowell High School

September 14, 2012

SVU fanatic spends summer living the dream By Rachel Hsu

have an exciting life — I might even be able to go undercover! The best part is that joining the FBI could allow me to accomplish my two main goals in life: travel and see the good and bad of the world, while helping people along the way. The next step was to research a position that would make a fulfilling career for me in the FBI, and what traits and training it would take to accomplish it. I quickly decided on the role of a Special Agent, since they work more outside of labs and offices and interact with a variety of characters. I knew I wanted a hands-on crimefighting experience, catching the bad guys. I would also be challenging myself, since so many of the tasks Special Agents undertake are not ones most people, including myself, would immediately picture me doing. Family members probably have a hard time digesting the image of me running through the streets, chasing down criminals, since they know I prefer not to attract attention to myself. I reminded myself that when my dad suggested this whole FBI thing, he must have known that I would be able to put my overly analytical mind to good use for once. After learning from the FBI website of the credentials I would need to even be considered for the Academy, let alone the months I would

spend training, I realized two things: yes, it will probably be a long, difficult process to enter and survive the FBI Academy, and true, this life is not just a show you watch on television. But I was not discouraged. A year later, fate struck again as I was figuring out what to do with my last summer of high school. After previous plans fell through, I researched “criminal justice summer programs for high school students.” I soon found Marymount University’s Criminal Justice Summer Institute, which seemed to be exactly what I was looking for, and coincidentally it was even located in Virginia, home to the FBI Academy. Once I received my acceptance letter, off to Virginia I went. At first I was nervous about attending the program. What if those who had doubted me were right? What if becoming an FBI Special Agent was not my fate? I flashed back to the recent times when I had responded to the infamous question, and people would just stare at me with fake smiles, nodding their heads, while cartoon thought-bubbles appeared above their heads, saying, “This little, quiet Asian girl wants to be in the FBI — not likely!” The program turned out to be the best thing I could have done for my potential future

in the FBI. I met other high school students who shared my love for watching “SVU” and desire to go into law enforcement. We had opportunities to hear from professionals in the criminal justice field, such as a Naval Criminal Investigative Service Agent, who told us how he started out in the real-life equivalent of an “SVU” department and worked his way up, spending a few years stationed in Rome with his family. We toured Capitol Hill and spoke to Senator Mike Lee from Utah, who gave us his perspective on criminal justice as a former constitutional lawyer. All of this while completing three college credits! The whole experience solidified my desire to become an FBI Special Agent; the professionals I met are living proof that not only is it possible, but people also flourish with careers in criminal justice. I used to be shy about wanting to wear the badge, worried about how people would view me. But now I can say with confidence and pride that I will make a great FBI Special Agent some day. So if you happen to see me ten years down the road and I do not give you a warm greeting in reunion, take no offense. I just might be going by a different name to obtain intelligence, but this stays between us. Hoi Leung

ll too often kids are asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I used to answer with whatever my career of the day was — from hairdresser to lawyer. After exclaiming, “Oh…how cute!” adults would quickly move on. After all, what else were people supposed to tell an eight-year-old? Warn her about the bar exam? But as I grew older, I was forced to begin thinking seriously about my future career path. For my College and Career class sophomore year, we were assigned to write about what we might want to do when we grow up. Unfortunately for me, all of those previous dreams had long faded away, and I was left with a blank paper. What other profession could I realistically see myself doing? I told my dad of this dilemma as we were watching my favorite show, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” Immediately he turned to me and said, “Why don’t you do something like what they do on TV? You should join the FBI!” I stared at him blankly for a few seconds, thinking, “Me? Working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation? Pshh — no way!” But the more I imagined myself arriving at crime scenes and interrogating suspects, the more I warmed up to the idea. No doubt I would

Young satorialist reforms fashion and life philosophy By Campbell Gee

his summer, I followed in the fashionable footsteps of Jeffrey Campbell, Miuccia Prada and Grace Coddington. I spent June 26 to 28 fully immersed in the world of style during the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising’s “Three Days of Fashion.” Lowell has educated me in many things I’m passionate about, whether in choir, English or the wonderful art of journalism. However, one of the areas this school has most certainly not contributed to is my love for fashion. At home I’ve spent hours flipping through Vogue and scanning style blogs, but at school few opportunities entice a young clothes-horse like me to express sartorial interests. So when I heard FIDM was going to put on a workshop for high schoolers who would actually know who Anna Wintour is, I signed up as soon as I could. Looking back, I realize that as I walked into the FIDM campus in the heart of downtown San Francisco for my first day, I was probably (okay, definitely) too cocky for my own good. As I checked in at the front desk, confidently flaunting my bold flower print trousers, a slouchy white blouse and black wooden heel ankle boots, I quickly realized that most of the other girls and the few boys attending the workshop were not even native San Franciscans. I overheard clusters of parents and their children complaining about the long morning drive from Lake County and found others had even ventured here from places

like Florida and New York. I foolishly let this notion boost my ego. In my mind, I was the hip girl from the big city surrounded by people from unheard-of towns who probably knew next to nothing about real fashion. As the first meeting began, the FIDM staffer hosting the program announced that every day three people with the best outfits would be asked to “Rock the Runway” and show off their individual style. Of course I believed I had this one in the bag, but when I wasn’t picked that day (or the next day, or even the day after that), I felt slightly put in my place. Every afternoon of the three days, we focused on workshops such as artsy shoe design (taught by a footwear artist whose work was featured on the cover of Vogue Kids Italia), trend spotting, dress form draping, event planning and fashion marketing. As I began to make well-dressed friends from Colorado, Sacramento, Los Angeles and beyond, I realized that many of them were like mini style encyclopedias. When we played a brand logo and catchphrase trivia, I was surprised at how I failed to recognize the Gucci logo and how I was stumped at a question about the Maybelline catchphrase — “Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline” — despite my prior overconfidence. And when it came to sketching nine-head figures

in our fashion sketching class, I struggled to draw the skinny arms and elongated legs of the illustrated model while others put pencil to paper like it was a breeze. Although I exceeded in some tasks such as creating a fashion moodboard and the various marketing classes, as the workshop progressed I realized I was getting wrongfully competitive. My judgemental and ambitious nature has always been spurred by my passions. Worse, if I feel threatened by someone more knowledgeble than me, I go into full on combative diva-mode. I now realize I should have spent more of the “Three Days of Fashion” utilizing this rare opportunity to network with, not outsmart, my fellow sartorialists. I did learn countless valuable tips about the fashion industry, from planning an ad campaign to the secret to store window decorating. These tips will help me in the cutthroat road to colleges and jobs ahead, but more importantly remind me how not to be cutthroat myself, but a comrade. In such a memorable short period, I befriended people from all over the country and became a reformed fashion-know-it-all. Not to mention that in that building, I also met Nick Verrios from Project Runway! But that’s a whole other story.

Student studies Español on the beaches of España

By Monica Castro

However, once we descended from the bus and I finally met ola! ¡Bienvenidos a España!” greeted my host family in Salamanca, I felt at ease. My host family was me as I stepped onto Spanish soil. The incredibly kind-hearted, opening their doors to my roommate chance to study abroad anywhere is a rare and I, feeding us food both representative of Spain and unique to me. Our first meal there, we feasted on opportunity so when partial scholarships for tortilla Espanola, a thick omelet filled with a European trip were handed down through potatoes and onions. Who knew that more my teacher, Victoria Maquiñana’s Spanish than 5,700 miles from my family, I could classes, I immediately said yes. Last spring she feel at home. encouraged many of her AP Spanish students From dawn to dusk, I spent my day in to enter the “Escribo en Español” (“I write beautiful Spanish homes and braved the in Spanish”) essay contest by the Spanish hot Spanish sun, leaving me with a sandal Embassy’s Office of Education, sponsored by tan that will take months to go away. I atMagellan Study Abroad, with the prize consisttended flamenco classes where it was okay ing of a scholarship for a trip to Spain. Lowell if I danced with two left feet, and cooking students had entered the competition last year classes learning to concoct ensaladilla and a few won; however, not all were able to russa, a typical potato salad-like dish that accept the amazing chance. So the program Photo courtesy of Monica Castro is customary in Spain. let Ms. Maquiñana offer the opportunity to In Salamanca, we studied Spanish at other students. But a month-long trip? A new Castro says hola from Spain! Isla, a Spanish school for foreigners. Fellow country with new people? Most of all, being students included people from Austria, away from my family for such a long time. Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and even Both excitement and anxiety rushed through me. Leading up to the trip, I didn’t know what to expect, what Japan. When we weren’t studying, my friends and I often spent to bring or how unbearable a 12-hour flight out of Los An- time in La Plaza Mayor, a large plaza where you’d see live bands geles followed by a 2-hour bus ride to Salamanca would be. performing with couples matching their steps to the live beat.

“¡H

The inevitable leave from our host families to go to Santiago de Compostela after our three weeks together became difficult to face. But once we started onto our next adventure, we stayed in a hostel along with pilgrims who had made the long trek from all over Europe just to visit the old cathedral. It was amazing to walk in the streets and see people who had come from far away, along with the giant paper mache heads looming over us, for the Fiesta Del Apostol. After our brief five-day stay, we headed over to La Coruña, a town overlooking the Bay of Biscay. Here we chilled at a nunnery and visited the local medieval and art fairs, immersing ourselves in the history of Spain. Friends and I each purchased a small, handmade leather bracelet, to keep the trip with us. Even though we tried to adopt Spanish ways, our American roots shone through. One night my friends all danced along to “Time Warp,” a song from the movie Rocky Horror Picture Show in a moment of spontaneity and another time we played blackjack using melted M&Ms for betting, going broke from eating. Returning home, I definitely felt the inevitable reverse culture shock mentioned in our handbooks. For days, I longed to wake up with the sun at my window instead of the famous San Francisco fog, to be able to walk in La Plaza Mayor, to simply be back. To Spain, I say, “Don’t think of this as a ‘Goodbye,’ think of it more as a ‘See you later.’”

The Lowell

September 14, 2012

PROFILES

Rocking teacher mixes Sports enthusiast shares athletic spirit strumming guitar and with his PE students explaining timelines By Celena Chang and Rayming Liang

routines,” Geren said. In the 11 years of physical education, Geren has dey an old stereotype, some veloped a method for keeping students students may see PE teachers engaged by challenging his students’ like drill sergeants, constantly abilities as part of assessing them. For calling for 100 pushups. But this year’s example, when Geren started a golf addition to the PE department intends unit in P.E., he would tell his students to gear lessons to student needs. “The to just “play golf.” He then noted down thing that students find very unexpect- the steps his students had already mased about me is that I’m nice,” Thomas tered; if they already knew the foundations of golf, Geren skipped the basics. Geren said. Before Geren came to this school, He then focused on teaching them the he had taught at A.P. Giannini Middle more complex skills, such as control School since 2001. Upon arriving here, over the ball and use of power. “This Geren noticed a difference between helps save time and ensures that my the school and A.P. Giannini. “Lowell’s students won’t ‘tune out’,” Geren said. His students expressed appreciastandards separate itself not only from A.P., but from other high schools as tion for his effort to reach them. “He’s funny! I like him — he encourages us,” well.” Geren said. Geren expressed appreciation for freshman Catrice Washington said. this opportunity. “Me being here is a “Whenever he teaches, it’s pretty understandable. We are working on blessing,” he said. During his childhood, Geren the basketball unit right now, and we are already dreamed of behalfway through ing a sp or tsit. It goes by fast caster, but soon and it’s easy.” d i s c ove re d it Apart from wasn’t for him. teaching PE dur“I desired playing the school ing the actual year, Geren assp or t s r at h e r sists special than working education stuon the business d e nt s d u r i n g side of it,” Geren the summer at said. After that, various schools; Geren became a this summer physical educahe was here at tion teacher. Lowell. He also T h o u g h enjoys hobbies G eren generand family time; ally treats his he strums on his students with a guitar, swings his kind demeanor, Photo Courtesy of Thomas Geren clubs on the fairhe still has a strict rule of getting to class on time. way and spends time with his wife and “I give rigorous instruction and daily one-year-old daughter, Jessie.

By Antonio Carmona, Whitney C. Lim and Sheyda Zebarjadian

e may not be a world famous rock star, but this Beatles-loving dad brings new insight as a history teacher. Whether it’s listening to Bob Dylan or jamming on his guitar at a coffeehouse in the Haight, social studies teacher Julio Sanchez has a passion for music, although this might be hard to guess when he wears his teacher hat. While Sanchez is a singer-songwriter at night, during the day he is hard at work teaching students to love history. His “bread and butter,” or primary focus, is his four U.S. History classes, but he gets to know freshmen as well in his Modern World class. “I enjoy U.S. History the most,” he said. Sanchez has always had a preference for history, but his inspiration to be an educator blossomed during college when he had a professor whose teaching style brought the content alive. “I realized then that I would be interested in history for the rest of my life,” he said. As a high school teacher, Sanchez incorporates a program associated with Stanford University called Reading Like a Historian. “I like its method of asking a central question and analyzing documents to answer that question,” he said. He integrates what he learned into activities in his classroom, allowing his students to develop their own opinions on different historical events. When appropriate, Sanchez tries to include his love of music into his lessons. “I don’t get to incorporate it into my teaching as much as I would like to,” he said. “I can’t during the first semester, but when we get into the modern era, such as the Cold War, in the second semester, we can listen to

popular music of that time.” Sanchez was motivated to teach because he really enjoys the students. “In high school, people experience coming of age,” he said. “It is a magical time, becoming an adult.” He believes the teenage years are an important time where intellectualization begins, and adulthood comes into play. “I am surrounded by youthful energy, and in touch with being young because of it,” Sanchez said. Because Sanchez has two daughters ages five and nine, he likes this preview of teen culture. While he is looking forward to his daughters’ teenage years, he has quite a handful of students here to get Photo Courtesy of Julio Sanchez to know. Sanchez said he is happy so far at Lowell. “It’s amazing, pretty amazing,” he said. “People are so ready and so prepared to learn. There are no issues of classroom management. It’s fun to teach here.” Lowell has a reputation of being academically stressful; however, Sanchez feels he is “pretty compassionate” and wants the students to have a positive experience with as little stress as possible in his classes. “I don’t want to assign homework for the sake of assigning homework,” he said. “I want to make sure we covered the topic in class so I can hold them accountable, but I don’t believe in so much homework.” On top of teaching and music making, Sanchez also describes himself as a record collector. Yes, records in terms of history, but old music records, too, for the musician in him.

Big-hearted quadrilingual stresses communication By Luming Yuan

At Lowell, it is easy to find students who are bilingual. Finding people who are quadrilingual, on the other hand, is a bit harder. Carol Chao, the school’s new Wellness Center coordinator, can speak English, Mandarin, Spanish and Italian. These language skills will help her communicate effectively with students of all nationalities. Besides being quadrilingual, Chao also swing dances and enjoys warbling in front of a microphone. “My name means ‘song of joy’ and it’s a very good fit for me because I like to sing karaoke so much,” she said. Even more outstanding accomplishments? She has a Master’s degree in Public Health and a Master’s in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley, according to the Wellness Center page on the school website (lhs-sfusd-ca.schoolloop.com/wellness). “There were only 150 students in my graduating class. Then I went to UC Berkeley for college. It was such a change to go from a small school to a large school,” Chao said. Chao’s optimistic outlook has helped her deal with difficult teen issues as she grew up. “High school wasn’t always positive. I went to a very small high school in Connecticut,” Chao said. “When I was a teenager, I felt very connected to certain adults at my school. They made me believe in myself and helped me through challenging times. I am drawn to working with teens because I believe that caring adults can change lives!” Now that she herself is an adult, Chao loves the sociable aspects of her job, especially having her own nurturing relationships with students. “I love working with young people and I like it when they come and say ‘hi’ to me,” she said. “Knowing that I impacted a student is the greatest gift. When I see that students feel more comfortable or are making better decisions for themselves, it makes me very happy.”

For Chao, health has two aspects: physical and mental. She became concerned when she noticed that some students were missing lunch breaks. “If I were given a chance to enhance Lowell, I would make everyone take a lunch,” Chao said. “Some students see that others don’t have a lunch period, so they feel like they shouldn’t be having one either.” Chao finds that helping students communicate makes her job more meaningful. “I once had a student who didn’t like to ask for help, but after talking about it, the student opened up and realized that asking for help is actually a strength.” Chao said. She expressed that it is important to respect everyone’s privacy, which is a key aspect of her position because sooner or later students may find themselves confiding in her. It is hard to feel uncomfortable around this accessible Wellness staff member for long. Since she appreciates when others share with her, Chao revealed a fact that most students do not know yet. “My name is actually Carol Chao Herring, like the fish,” she said with a smile. “I got married last year and then I changed my last name to my middle name.” Just as her name has evolved, Chao looks forward to evolving into her job as Wellness Center coordinator this year. Her first task? She wants to make the walls of the Center look more interactive. “I really want the Wellness Center to be a one-stop shop to support the physical and mental health of the Lowell community,” Chao said, “We want to make the Center more visible and accessible so students and staff know that they can come and get support, meet new friends, or drink some tea!” Chao encourages students to drop by the Center, which is relocating to room 118, according to the school website (see news article in the September 10th issue “WC Moving” on TheLowell.org). It doesn’t matter what language you speak, because Chao also knows teen-talk!

GAVIN LI

Carol Choa moves into her new workspace in the Wellness Center, where she will guide and support Lowell students.

18 OPINION

September 14, 2012

Lowell High School

Student argues that residency fraud rules are too broad and harsh in cases of disenrolled students By Spencer Thirtyacre

the district does not care about the welfare of its students, let n Aug. 30, senior Sarah Ma received a letter, me say this: I mostly agree with this rule, and I understand informing her that the next day at Lowell would entirely why it was put in place. Parents and guardians who be her last. In a day where tuition prices are out of live outside San Francisco do not pay the city’s property taxes control, and students feel a need to overwhelm themselves that support public schools such as Lowell, yet they contribute with five Advanced Placement courses at a time just to get into to the overflow of applicants. In the Dec. 2010 article, assistant principal Michael Yi said, college, the San Francisco Unified School District has no right to make any high school student’s life harder than it already is “Those students are taking the position and resources of the — especially one who contributes as much to her community students who live in the city.” The rule exists to prevent students from taking and taking from the schools and the district, as Sarah Ma. I am not usually known as a rebel or one who questions without giving anything back. However, Ma is an exception, authority, because I know that every rule, every law, has a as the school has been better for her active leadership. Ma was a very active member of the Lowell student body, reason for its existence. working for three years as the class treasurer. Laws are created to benefit the greater good of the community as a whole, and if they are not, they are changed. However, one rule made by the SFUSD, that of withdrawing students who violate the residency policy is an overly general solution to a complex issue that differs from case to case. In Nov. 2010, the SFUSD sent a letter notifying all families it was beginning a concerted effort to eliminate residency fraud by instituting an investigative unit run by the Educational Placement Center (see Dec. 10, 2010 article “School District Residency Fraud” at thelowell.org). Everyone makes jokes about “the system” being broken or unfair, but this time the school district has seriously crossed a line. Ma had been attending Lowell High School since freshman year, but has been dropped from Lowell, as of Aug. 31 for allegedly violating the residency fraud policy. Now, before I seem like a ruthless anarchist, whose sole purpose of writing A student checks out signs in the courtyard during the Aug. 30 protest this is to wreak havoc by insinuating that

She’s been involved in Spirit Committee every year, helping to organize rallies, as well as participating in the Best Buddies program, which pairs up students with special education students. “She’s just a positive role model to everyone at this school,” senior Stephen Read said. The aspect of the system that has broken down is that the district does not distinguish between students scamming the San Francisco public school system and students like Ma, who are San Francisco residents, but are merely displaced temporarily. Ma had been living in the city her entire life, up until March of this year. This includes her freshman year, meaning when she applied for Lowell, she had not taken a spot away from a city resident, as she had been one herself. Ma had lived in Daly City only during the time period that her San Francisco home was being renovated. This situation has struck close to home. Last year my brother’s friend was withdrawn from Claire Lilienthal Alternative School in her 8th grade year for moving out of the district, after having attending the school for eight years. In a matter of hours, she had to leave the school she grew up in and say goodbye to her friends. While the residency fraud law mostly functions as a legitimate rule, there are certain exceptions that should be dealt with individually, perhaps being referred to a hearing in front of a panel of district educators, instead of a single representative of the EPC. I’m not the only one who feels this way. Today on Aug. 31, hundreds of students protested in support of Ma in front of the school, walking out of their classes to show their advocacy. One thing is for sure: Ma’s case is the tip of the iceberg of a system that needs to balance its dual role as a gatekeeper and as a support for students to walk across the stage with their classmates. Huimin Zhang

Reporter ‘not impressed’ with honor society tasks By Ashley Louie

officers introduced the program itself and be- all my partner and I were given was one rusty, self,” senior member Reed Haubenstock said. Senior member Records Vice President t Lowell’s 2009 Eighth Grade gan listing the seemingly endless requirements, clunky chair to share — a kind of negotiation test. For those hours, all I had with me was Edwina Tran admires the high spirits most Night, while parents were praising both events and mods, to the new members. Each member needed to devote approxi- my internet-less phone, Mac Chap Stick and members bring to S&S events. “I love how the honor society members for their academic excellence and willingness to help out mately 100 mods (20 minutes each) of school- a leftover slice of yet more cold pizza covered Shield and Scroll members are so enthusiastic at their alma mater, my father was criticizing wide service per school year. Mandatory events by a soggy napkin. Since I was not motivated about helping the school at events like Arena the “silly-looking hats.” “No matter what you included graduation, freshmen and parent to stake a claim to an oily slice of congealed and Freshman Orientation even if it means do, do not join that funny-looking group of orientation, preparation for and during Arena, cheese, my S&S partner ended up gobbling that they have to arrive at 7 a.m. in the mornpeople,” he said. But these oversized berets and fall and spring open houses — all in addi- every last remnant. As I walked down the halls ing,” Tran said. Senior member Co-Secretary Candace signal the same society that only admits 80 tion to the seven gruesome hours we already of the Bill Graham Auditorium during the ceremony, S&S membersall over, particularly Suen enjoys the sense of accomplishment at the juniors per school year and that nearly every spend at school every day. I was shocked to find out that the beanie males, kept begging for any small snack to as- end of big events such as Arena. “It’s always fun college-enthusiast strives to join — Shield and the mandatory pizza I’d receive during to have a behind-the-scenes and Scroll. view during events like When I transferred to Lowell as a sopho- mandatory events cost $30. My illusion Freshmen Orientation or more, I was determined to join Shield and that I would spend just a few hours at Arena because you’re there Scroll. It would be fun to guide confused school for the society and the idea that the through all the planning eighth graders around school, show off my beanie was awarded at no cost with the and it’s such a rewarding membership in a merit-based society — and acceptance letter all went down the drain. When it came to signing up for experience to see it run let’s not forget — irritate my dad with the “silly mod opportunities — finding an ‘opp’ smoothly,” Suen said. looking hat.” Despite the famous As a typical overachiever, little did as S&S members call it — was not easy. reputation and upperclassI know that helping munchkins and wear- Opps filled up as quickly as a date for men promotion of Shield ing cool beanies were only a minor portion Senior Boat, especially ones posted durand Scroll, it does require of members’ duties. I would soon learn that ing the passing period before registry. I a serious time commitment the glorified image I had of a dignified S&S found that the jobs generally consisted of monotonous clerical of volunteer work at school. member overseeing the work for a staff member The renowned red and all-important SAT tests, or the administration, white beanie comes with accompanying teachers I had to wake up at work less interesting a load of responsibility, at Arena and flaunting than scoring papers as a though not as much leader“member of merit” on 5:30 a.m. to help set teacher’s assistant. ship as I had expected. my college apps, was not To add onto that, In return for up and did not leave what I expected. mandatory events, unservice, Shield and Scroll When the list of new until 1 p.m. like mod opps, are ofrewards members who S&S members came out, ten much longer and have fulfilled all requireI was positive my name physically draining. [To Senior Ashley Louie channels her inner Mckayla Maroney ments with not a golden would not be on the list. prepare for Arena last year, sash, but red and white cords Soon after, I found out that my freshmen year honors classes at Gali- I had to wake up at a grueling 5:30 a.m. to suage their hunger. Thank goodness this year at graduation. My message for prospective applicants: leo, which included Biology Honors, Geometry help set up, and did not leave school until 1 I will be in cap and gown, through the doors, p.m.] into the main circle and part of the ceremony apply only if you can enthusiastically commit Honors, English Honors and Modern World But working at graduation as a ‘door moni- — not the security team. your time and are okay with the range of tasks Honors, all made me the odd applicant that While I do not find Shield and Scroll as re- — everything from helping lost lambs at Back had taken 16 honors classes by the beginning tor’ was worse. A fellow S&S member and I of her junior year. Whether that was the reason stood in front of a set of doors to shoo away warding as I thought it would be, some seniors to School night to moving tables for Arena to why I was accepted into Shield and Scroll will any over-enthusiastic parents who mounted are grateful to be part of the society. “I enjoy filing freshmen enrollment forms. an assault. We were not given any food or the opportunity that Shield and Scroll provides So I will hang up my beanie disappointed never be known. At the first meeting, I was anxious to get my drinks and were not even allowed to peek at the to help the school in so many different ways. I but wiser; my naive ambitions had its highs beanie and learn about members’ duties. The proud grads inside of the auditorium; rather, really feel part of something bigger than my- and lows. Just like life.

September 14, 2012

EDITORIALS

The Lowell

EDITORIALS Teens must know laws, voice opposition to repressive politicians

urn on any news station, and most likely you’ll find a fresh-faced Republican, Paul Ryan, whose recent vicepresidential nomination created a buzz. In spite of Ryan seemingly representing the young voter demographic due to his age and energy, few young people know as much about him as they now know about Republican Todd Akin of the House of Representatives. This is partially due to the lack of attention many young voters focus on election coverage. However, it is also due to Akin’s infamous interview with the Fox-affiliated KTVI news channel in St. Louis, Missouri on Aug 19. When Akin was asked his opinion about abortion for rape victims, he responded, “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” Akin’s comments have caused damage far removed from his campaign. By saying “legitimate rape,” Akin is suggesting that there is “illegitimate” rape, which implies that if a woman did become pregnant by force, then the rape was not real. His comments are not only offensive to rape victims, but they are also ill-informed. Research has established that an average of 5 percent of rape victims aged 12 to 45 become pregnant from rape, according to an Aug. 21 article on the ABC News website (www.abcnews.com). A woman’s body does not know the difference between consensual and forced intercourse. Putting aside Akin’s values concerning the issue of abortion, his complete ignorance of medical facts is shocking and sad, but more importantly, it is worrisome. This is a congressman who has a great deal of political power in the House of Representatives, and will have even more as a senator if elected. To know that he can legislate the fate of so many based on his logic is frightening. Going beyond Akin’s stance, it is unfortunately all too common for politicians to have more influence on a woman’s control over her body than women themselves. But having the government control what a citizen can and cannot do with his or her body is intrusive and wrong. This is especially apparent when a politician believes a woman should not have the right to an abortion. As Akin is being shunned by his own party due to the controversy he declined to show up at the Republican National Convention Ryan has become a key player in the Republican Party. However, few know that his views on abortion are extremely similar to Akin’s. During Ryan’s first election in 1998 for Wisconsin’s 1st District seat in the House of Representatives, he explicitly opposed abortion in all cases, including rape and incest, except when the mother’s life was at stake, according to an Aug. 20 article on The New York Times website. Akin and Ryan have co-sponsored The Sanctity of Life Act, which stated that “human life shall be deemed to exist from conception.” If the bill were to be enacted into law, a fertilized cell would have the rights of a United States citizen, from the moment of fertilization. As of Sept. 4, the bill has not yet passed. Now, with his eye on winning over moderate Americans, Ryan has begun to keep his anti-abortion views under wraps. “A Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape,’’ maintains Amanda Henneberg, a spokesperson for the Romney campaign, according to The New York Times article. Over the 12 years they have served together in Washington, Akin has cosponsored every abortion bill Ryan has supported, according to an Aug. 22 article on the Bloomberg website (www.bloomberg.com). In general, voters need to be more informed about a candidate and their views, but this is an especially crucial time for young voters to have their voices heard. There are approximately 44 million eligible voters ages 18-29, equivalent to about one-fifth of the voting public, (www.rockthevote.com). Akin’s poll numbers have been dropping since the scandal broke, which shows it will probably be an easy win for his Democratic opponent, incumbent Claire McCaskill. If Akin hadn’t made his mishap, would youth still be knowledgeable of his radical views? Laws passed today by politicians will be the laws teens will end up living by as adults, so it is important to pay attention to the views of those in our government. After all, you get what you ask for, or worse, do not ask for.

Hoi Leung

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor,

I do not consider myself particularly involved about the whole Sarah Ma situation. However, I have developed a couple of opinions that I thought I’d share. Some students commented on how the district should not be making exceptions for her and though unfortunate, she has to be kicked out. Although I find these comments obnoxious, I mainly agree. I am sure she is a great girl with the drive to be at Lowell, but so do the thousand-plus students who are rejected from our school every year. I am conflicted, because I can see that she meant a lot to the senior community and kicking her out will have all sorts of repercussions, most importantly,she will not be able to graduate with her peers. This is a complex situation without a simple answer and I’d like to say there is no need for all the animosity about it. This controversy has caused enough pain already. — Anonymous Dear Editor, SFUSD students should live in the city; and families who falsify their addresses to earn a spot at Lowell should have their students disenrolled. Simple. Yet not all families who move away are

gaming the system; the district needs an effective yet humane way to assess individual situations. My involvement? A student of mine, senior Bien Onia, was withdrawn during winter break. He had attended with an authentic address and lived in the city until the recession impacted the family so negatively that they had to move to an affordable area. I believe the district could have shown compassion for one semester and let him walk across the stage; in fact some district oldtimers recalled that seniors used to complete their year instead of being dropped at that late date. Secondly a friend recalled sadly and bitterly that after her father unexpectedly died, her private school told her to leave as she couldn’t afford the tuition. This kind of upheaval can deeply impact a youth, who learns that economics is the bottom line. Not every sad story should be acceded to, but when a senior submits timely paperwork on a forced move, a small panel of district and school educators should look at the pros and cons of the removal and determine a practical course, possibly graduation. The cost would be offset by reduced investigation, as fewer families would automatically go underground. — Sharn Matusek, English/Journalism teacher Business Managers Martin Costa, Rachel Hsu, Sophie Solomon, Gabe Schumm

Editors-in-Chief Amy Char • Adriana Millar Cooper Logan • Eva Morgenstein News Amy Char, Deidre Foley, Cooper Logan Sports Henry Hammel, Ian James Features Kai Matsumoto-Hines, Eva Morgenstein Columns & Profiles KT Kelly, Adriana Millar Opinion Elazar Chertow Reporters Elijah Alperin, Elena Bernick, Antonio Carmona, Celena

Chang, Gideon Fox, Campbell Gee, KT Kelly, Joseph Kim, Rayming Liang, Whitney C. Lim, Cooper Logan, Ashley Louie, Eva Morgenstein, Patricia Nguy, Andrew Pearce, Sam Tick-Raker, Samantha Wilcox, Joey Wong, Michelle Wong, Eric Ye, Luming Yuan, Sheyda Zebarjadian Art Editor Hoi Leung

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Published every four weeks by the journalism classes of Lowell High School, Room S108, 1101 Eucalyptus Drive, San Francisco, CA 94132 Phone: (415) 759-2730 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.

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New procedure would help students, counselors schedule better

t the beginning of every semester, Lowell students return to school with a newfound invigoration and determination that can only come from a well-deserved break. However, the positive outlook that comes with summer’s rest and lack of stress can end as soon as they see their assigned schedule and deal with a new procedure at the counseling office. Lowell uses a self-scheduling process. The students who are fortunate enough be in one of the first groups for Arena scheduling appreciate this system. However, the students who do not have a good pick that semester are all too familiar with the negative possibilities of self-scheduling – having desired, even necessary classes become unavailable.

There are always people who get “bottom of the barrel” classes, or who have to surrender altogether and file an incomplete schedule, leaving the next semester’s fate in the hands of their counselors, where the school’s need to balance the class sizes becomes part of the equation. Occasionally students are assigned classes that they did not request at all, as other courses are full. There needs to be a place where such issues can be resolved efficiently and painlessly. Lowell does offer a way to rework a problematic set of classes, but it is almost as dreaded as the messed-up schedule itself. For the first two weeks of a semester, the counseling office offers students a chance to revise their schedules.Like Arena,

however, this system is in no way foolproof. When students with a scheduling issue make their way to the counseling office, the first thing they encounter is a long line. Students can wait for hours to see counselors in an effort to keep their space. Lowell currently has over 2,600 students enrolled, and six counselors on staff. That means that each counselor is assigned to more than 400 students. When students have an issue with their schedule, they must go to their assigned counselor only. This results in bogged-down lines and frustrated students who were missing class. A solution for this imperfect system would be to keep the line moving by allowing students to see any counselor about their

schedule changes during times of high demand. As long as a student’s assigned counselor was aware of and signed off on any schedule changes, there should be no reason why students should have to interact solely with their own counselor when there is such a high demand for counselor attention. This change would reduce waiting times for students drastically, as well as alleviate stress for all parties involved. Although students at Lowell are not new to the world of being overwhelmed, administrators and counselors should do everything they can to avoid needless stress for students and themselves. Part of this would be changing Lowell’s approach to last-minute schedule changes, making it a little easier for everybody.

Socializing on the Web

n Reporter rates social networking sites from “like” worthy to trendless ILLUSTRATIONS BY HOI LEUNG. PHOTOGRAPHS BY KARA SCHERER.

By Spencer Thirtyacre

OW LONG HAS IT BEEN since you received a Farmville request on Facebook? Tweeted an inspirational quote? How about posted a cute picture of … another cat? Few people with access to the Internet do not have an account on Facebook, Twitter or other social networking sites (SNS). These websites give users the ability to build a network of relationships with people who share

Facebook

Most popular with 45-54 age demographic Rating: 4 out of 5 The most visited SNS in the world is Facebook. With its monthly usership close to a billion worldwide, Facebook is the current king of social networks. The website provides users with the opportunity to add “friends,” exchange messages, join groups to express their interests, and be constantly updated by alerts from a network of profiles. Facebook capitalized on the descent of Myspace, rising to popularity to recruit users fleeing from the failing website. Facebook appeals to all generations, with almost 65 percent of its users being over 35 years old, according to AdPlanner. This was brilliant marketing, considering its reputation of gearing towards young people.

Most Popular with 35-44 age demographic Rating: 5 out of 5 LinkedIn gives users the opportunity to connect with friends, business associates and potential employers by building on current relationships, i.e. classic networking. As the world’s largest social network

Foursquare

Most popular with 35-44 age demographic Rating: 4 out of 5 Foursquare is a free iPhone application that adds to the social networking trend of helping people find each other in real time, by allowing users to check-in from where they are. For example, a student can post that he is at Ono’s Hawaiian Barbeque in Lakeshore onto Facebook or Twitter (via GPS) and find friends, as a push-notification signals that a friend is near. The site also

similar interests. As SNSs have evolved, they have invited people to view more and more personal information about their friends and colleagues. Sites have gone from users sharing their favorite music and interests to posting a picture of their latest meal. Six current websites have been rated from 1-5 (see key), citing each site’s demographic appeal, according to AdPlanner by Google (www.google.com/adplanner).

Facebook just closed a deal to buy the photo-sharing social network Instagram for $300 million and what is now estimated at $441 million in Facebook stock, according to the Sept. 6 article in the San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfgate.com). Normally, Facebook eliminates competition by buying and then shutting down competing sites. In the case of Instagram, however, Facebook has decided to continue Instagram. The Federal Trade Commission cited that Instagram’s camera app was downloaded 45 times the amount of Facebook’s app. Nonetheless, Facebook is not the perfect SNS for investment. It only makes 6.2 cents per user per hour, according to Seeking Alpha (www.seekingalpha.com). That, combined with a lack of ads on its mobile app and some shady decisions on the public market concerning insider trading have led to Facebook losing money. Still, despite its financial problems, Facebook seems to continue to dominate the SNS scene.

aimed at professionals, LinkedIn is by far the most successful SNS on the web, keeping users notified of job openings. While Facebook makes an average of 6.2 cents per user per hour, LinkedIn topped out at $1.30. In Jan. 2011, LinkedIn purchased CardMunch, which allows people to scan business cards onto their phone, and immediately upload it into their contacts for their mobile application. provides some competitiveness: users can win points, badges and even be labeled “the mayor” of a particular venue for having the most frequent check-ins. Foursquare has found its niche perfectly, serving as more of an add-on to existing SNSs rather than an independent social network. Part of its success is a bargain-hunting perk — over 750,000 businesses offer specials to people who check in at their location, such as discounts and free giveaways. Foursquare has successfully conquered the “check-in” area of social media, and is truly the mayor of its domain.

Friends:

Map:

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5 – Sign up fast! 4 – Get on that hype! 3 – Nothing special 2 – Not worth your time 1 – This site’s trash

Likes: The Lowell Backpage September 14, 2012

Myspace

developers contribute to the website’s applications caused users to become irritated by the slowness of the site, bugs inherent in inferior apps and constant spam. The rapidly outdated site, with only 9 percent of its users under 18, according to AdPlanner, quickly became unappealing to younger users. Myspace’s “unique” monthly users is a miniscule 15 million in the United States, compared to the 210 million of Facebook. Still, credit Myspace for admitting defeat as a social network, as in 2011, it dropped out of competition with Facebook. Instead, under pop star and actor Justin Timberlake’s new ownership, it has redefined itself as a social entertainment site, with its focus more on music and celebrity gossip.

Google+

from Youtube, play games, and organize friends into personal “circles.” Google+ has run full steam ahead into direct competition with sites like Facebook and Twitter. On Jan. 30, President Obama answered questions about the state of the union via a live video hangout on Google+. On Aug. 30, Google+ announced it will be building free business add-ons to its website, available in 2013. This announcement now puts it in direct competition with LinkedIn, as people around the world look on in awe at the rapid growth of the biggest Internet monopoly. With 90 million unique monthly users, this up-and-coming SNS is a force to be reckoned with.

According to a survey conducted by The Creative Group (www.creativegroup.com), only seven percent of advertisers and marketing executives surveyed said they were currently using Pinterest, while 18 percent of advertisers answered that they had never heard of Pinterest — not a good sign. Furthermore, 44 percent said they had no interest in using it for business purposes, evidence advertisers don’t trust Pinterest with long-term sponsorship. Still, it has found its way into the feminine niche of photo sharing, with 74 percent of its users being female, providing it with a possible user base.

Most popular with 35-44 age demographic Rating: 2 out of 5 Long ago in 2002, an ancient website called Myspace was the most visited social networking site at the time. After a few years it lost attraction, as more and more users migrated to other sites. Presently, Myspace is a social entertainment site, which allows users to create a profile individualized towards their music, movie and celebrity gossip interests and use it to meet new friends and build on existing relationships. However, Myspace quickly fell from its reign as king of social networking sites due to its failure to innovate in an ever-changing internet-based world. Bad decisions, including its stubbornness towards refusing to let outside

Most popular with under 25 age demographic Rating: 4 of 5 The mammoth search engine Google has aggressively entered into the world of social networking sites with its newest add-on, Google+, which combines Google’s many features into one accessible website. Users can start video “hangouts” with up to 10 friends, view local restaurants with ratings from Google’s restaurant surveyor, Zagat, upload videos straight

Most popular with 25-34 age demographic Rating: 3 out of 5 Pinterest is an SNS designed in strikingly similar fashion to the photosharing giant Tumblr. Users can upload different pictures from the web… and that’s it. There is not much depth to the trendy website, which is one that may disappear as quickly as it popped up. Ironically, there’s nothing original about the website that would prompt users to express their creativity.