LOWELL HIGH SCHOOL, CARDINAL EDITION, VOL. 220 NO. 3, NOVEMBER 22, 2013, www.thelowell.org
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Space Toilets Page 10 Going to the crapper in outer space or Japan is much more enjoyable.
Got Chocolate? Page 20
Reporter takes a close-up of the changing local chocolate making scene
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Have you ever wondered about the history of MUNI? What was it like when Mr. Axt rode the bus to Lowell? Computer programming course no longer offered
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Reporters reflect on their experiences at work
Sports
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Both frosh-soph and varsity volleyball teams swept the championships: GLORY Page
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Senior mixes anime and the traditional for unique art style Maturing from marine life to butterflies, artist finds soul
Opinion
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Club teaches robotics with Legos
By Samantha Wilcox
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LTHOUGH young scientists are constantly tinkering in the robotics classroom, this past week the aspiring engineers were even younger than usual. The robotics team hosted a community event geared toward elementary schoolers to inform them about competitive robotics and give advice on how they can start teams at their schools on Oct. 30. Physics and robotics teacher Bryan Cooley and robotics team president Ofri Harlev reached out to elementary school teachers across the
city, inviting students and their parents to the event, held from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the science building. In an effort to make the high-tech world of robotics engaging for younger students, the robotics team promoted the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Lego League (FLL) (www.firstlegoleague.org), an international robotics league for children ages 9 through 14, for building simple robots and other structures with Lego and entering the bots in competitions. “We invited the kids to Lowell to introduce them to the idea of Lego robotics and
to encourage them to start Lego League teams at their schools,” Harlev said. Over 20 elementary students attended the event, in which they built bridges, serving as an introduction to the techniques of building with the small toys. “By introducing the students to robotics and making it fun for them, students will start with robotics at an early age and will enjoy it for a long time to come,” sophomore team member Celena Chang said. The grade-schooler response to the event was See LEGO on Page 5
Earthquake safety renovation of main building will limit class locations By Whitney C. Lim
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S A PRECAUTION against the next big quake, construction for a seismic retrofit of the main building will begin in early summer 2014. The project, part of a districtwide effort toward better earthquake safety in schools, is due to be completed by the start of the 2015-2016 school year, according to construction manager Pam Welty. During
the course of the fifteen-month renovation, all classrooms in the main building will need to be packed up and some will temporarily relocate to bungalows, which will arrive on campus in April of this school year. There will be six temporary classroom spaces and one temporary office space on the west basketball courts across from the current Ts, according to Welty. Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, groups
of six classes at a time will make the change over to the temporary buildings. Classrooms where the retrofit is completed during the summer will not need to relocate. Welty recognized the drawbacks to such an arduous construction job. “There will be a lot of movers, boxes, carts and, of course, trash during our moving times,” she wrote in an email on Nov. 5. “It’s not easy on the teachers and students who have to
pack and move, but it’s something that must be done to make the building safer for everyone.” The $4 million seismic retrofit, funded by the 2011 Proposition “A” San Francisco School Construction Bond, will consist of adding a large concrete and rebar wall at each of the main building’s four corners, according to Welty. “Imagine that the building is like a shoe box,” she See UPGRADE on Page 5
District resolves Strings attached report card mayhem
By Tyler Perkins
Reporter urges readers to take a second look at movies they might have missed
Columns
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Lakeshore elementary students learn the principles of robotics using Legos in an after school event taught by robotics students in the new robotics room. This event was part of the club’s efforts at building its community service involvement.
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Would substituting Honors classes for AP’s alleviate pressure and encourage learning for its own sake? Reporter argues in favor of reducing our AP’s, stress
The old system no longer served the N ERROR in a new online grade needs of the district and this one offered reporting system sparked a hub- more options for inputting information.” In addition to the change in apbub among grade-conscious Lowell students when the first progress pearance, Synergy incorrectly reported reports came out in October. The error, weighted GPAs. “In changing to the new system there which inflated was a glitch a l l weig hte d affected grades and In changing to the new that the weighted d e f l ate d t he system there was a grades,” Giles unweighted grades of some, glitch that affected the ss ya si dt e. m“ Tdhi de was due to the not differendistrict’s new weighted grades.” tiate between student inform at i o n s y s HOLLY GILES, w e i g h t e d tem (see “New assistant principal and regu lar courses and electronic class scheduling system increases accessibil- weighed everything the same in the weighted GPA.” ity,” The Lowell, Sept. 2013). There is no guarantee that the glitch The system, which improved online inputting options, changed the layout of will not affect future report cards, acreport cards. “We are using a new system cording to the administration. “The called Synergy,” assistant principal of district is trying to work it out,” Giles curriculum Holly Giles said. “That is said. “We will not know for sure until See REPORT CARD on Page 5 why the report cards looked different.
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Senior Symphonic Band member Brandon Wong plays the clarinet in the band concert on Nov. 15, for which the Advanced, Symphonic and Jazz bands collaborated.
Chamber choir now offered as class A new chamber choir class was offered this semester as a Mods 21-22 class, but come spring it will be scheduled during Mods 16-17. The course, which was previously an afterschool activity, was offered to balance out the number of students in choir teacher Jason Chan’s classes. “My biggest class is 76 students,” he said. “So they needed that block to even out my classes.” Currently the class is offered as a course and those enrolled meet every Thursday and Friday in the choir room for one to one and a half hours after school. The chamber choir comprised of a small group of singers, and is separate from all other choir classes. Despite the switch to an accredited class, the chamber choir curriculum has not changed, however during this current semester the choir met an additional day each week, according to Chan. The curriculum will also remain the same next semester, when students no longer receive class for participation in the choir. Previously, chamber choir would congregate only once per week. The extra time is a positive change, according to senior Jessi Hagelshaw, a member of chamber choir for two years. “This way everyone can come at least once a week; that’s the main reason we have class twice a week,” Hagelshaw said. “Since it’s a class, people also take it more seriously because they’re getting graded.” In addition to more class time for learning and rehearsing new songs to sing at upcoming concerts, the choir has some outside assistance this semester. “This year I get more help from the San Francisco Conservatory,” Chan said. “So the students get more individual attention.” —Elena Bernick
SFUSD allows breakfast in classes A resolution with the hope of encouraging youth to eat breakfast was passed by the San Francisco Unified School District. The San Francisco Board of Education voted unanimously on Oct. 12 to begin developing a plan that will allow more students in the SFUSD to eat breakfast during their first class of the day, according to SFUSD’s website (www.sfusd.edu). Student delegates, former Lowell and Academy of Science students, Windy Lu and Megan Wong created this resolution because they noticed that a high percentage of students do not currently eat their morning meals and wanted to fix this problem. As of 2011, only 36 percent of high school students eat in the morning, according to Kellogg. Schools in other districts throughout the country have passed this resolution with great results, according to Got Breakfast?, an organization which aims to ensure every child receives a healthy breakfast. Many schools have seen educational improvements from students including improvements in standardized test scores, concentration, attendance, behavior problems and overall academic performance, according to the SFUSD and No Kid Hungry, an organization that works to give children daily access to food. One of the common reasons for going to school hungry among teenagers is lack of time. “My bus ride is really long so I do not have time to eat in the morning and this semester I have no lunch,” junior Delany Guzman said. “Since my teachers do not let me eat in class, I have to shove food down during passing periods in order to eat meals throughout the day.” The Board of Education hopes to address this problem with the new policy and to increase the overall percentage of students eating in the morning, as well as participation in the free and reduced price meals program. Currently, only 15 percent of students who are eligible for free or reduced price meals utilize this for breakfast, according to the SFUSD. — Gisela Kottmeier
Students tinker with model cars at electrochemistry convention By Noreen Shaikh
cell technology. The cars utilized electrolysis, a process which VER A DOZEN STUDENTS attended a voluntary splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen to power fuel cells. This requires energy to be put into the system using field trip to a science convention last month. The Electrochemical Society (ECS) — a society that solar power, batteries or other means. After the battery finishes supports scientific exploration in the fields of electrochemistry charging, the fuel cell hooks to the motor of the model car to consume hydrogen and oxygen in the and solid-state science and technolmodel car. ogy — invited students to attend its The students gained biannual convention on Oct. 27 at San It was fun creating our much from the convention Francisco’s Downtown Hilton Hotel. Lowell won the The focus of the convention was elecown source of energy experience. model car race against Galitrochemical energy. Though the full convention lasted five days, students using fuel cells while leo by three to four inches. ECS rewarded Lowell with attended only the opening day. competing with Galileo five model fuel cell cars for Students were guided by mentors the event. who introduced them to the world of and showing our Lowell attending They also left with great fuel cells, an electrochemical reaction memories from the activibetween hydrogen and liquid oxygen pride.” ties. “It was fun creating our that creates energy in the form of electricity. “ECS wanted to encourage JC LYNNE LU SING, own source of energy using students to enter science, technology, senior fuel cells while competing with Galileo and showing engineering and mathematics fields,” Cooley said. “They believe fuel cells are a good alternative to our Lowell pride,” senior JC Lynne Lu Sing said. “We saw a couple of real life fuel-cell powered cars, and we learned how power cell phones, transportation and much more.” Students learned about fuel cells through hands-on activities efficient and eco-friendly using fuel cells are. However, we also like racing against Galileo students with model fuel cell cars, learned about the disadvantages and how engineers are trying which are small model versions of automobiles powered by fuel to create new methods to make fuel cells more accessible.”
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Musicians convene to perform alumna’s celebratory composition By Whitney C. Lim
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OME SAN FRANCISCANS turned off their radios and listened instead to a live multi-orchestra broadcast last month. Students in symphony orchestra and symphonic band performed at Crissy Field with 800 other musicians on Oct. 26 and 27 in the Crissy Broadcast. Class of ’86 alumna and composer Lisa Bielawa organized the event to celebrate Crissy Field’s military history as part of her project Airfield Broadcasts. In an airfield broadcast, participating groups play a piece Bielawa has composed to honor the historic site. Each group has unique music, but when played together, listeners can freely interpret the complete piece. The Crissy Broadcast was a new experience for many, as it was only the second Airfield Broadcast organized. “I was a little bit nervous because we had to memorize our parts and we only had a little cheat sheet,” junior violinist Jeske Dioquino said. “Sometimes it was also hard to hear cues due to distance between groups and the wind.” Prior to the three performances, all Crissy Broadcast musicians rehearsed
together at the Festival Pavilion in Fort Mason. “We practiced it a few times in class, but the music sounded a little empty because we had to skip around,” Dioquino said. “It was a lot more interesting and nice to hear all the parts.” Students and teachers started preparing for the broadcast in September. “When we got the music, it was weirdlooking because there were groups of notes in boxes, and we were supposed to ad-lib [improvise] it,” Dioquino said. “There were also times on the music because the piece had to be exactly an hour long.” With three performances in two days, participants reflected on each one. “Each performance was better than the last, but each was wonderful in its own way,” Winter said. “The improvement was probably more apparent to the musicians than the audience, since the audience didn’t know what the product was supposed to sound like. When the performances were over, I felt tremendous satisfaction from being involved with the music, the passage of time, the landscape and the hundreds of people.” Participants were not sure what to
anticipate of the Airfield Broadcast, as it is a new project. “The broadcast was even more fun than I thought, although it was fun in a way I didn’t expect,” Winter said. “I didn’t quite realize how thrilling it would feel to be so tightly connected to so many musicians for precisely 50 minutes. It was challenging and exciting to be under the command of the clock, knowing that other groups depended on us to play the right music at the right time in the right place.” Earlier this year in May, Bielawa organized the first Airfield Broadcast on Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin, Germany, where the Berlin Airlift occurred in 1948. Bielawa then looked worldwide for airfields that have become parks and discovered that Crissy Field was one in her hometown, so she brought an airfield broadcast to San Francisco. Keep your eyes and ears alert for more! “Lisa plans to take this concept wherever there’s a decommissioned airfield and a community of musicians interested in doing a project like this,” Winter said.
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Orchestra and symphonic band students carry their instruments across Crissy Field during the Crissy Broadcast, an airfield broadcast in which musicians each perform a unique composition that, when played together, can be freely interpreted.
The Lowell
November 22, 2013
CAMPUS
Seniors found global culture and outreach club By Michelle Wong
expose students to the diversities of situations TEMMING FROM A NATIONAL vol- around the world.” The club is currently participating in a unteer club, two seniors founded their own club to focus on learning about worldwide effort known as the Pulsera Project, world cultures and the different situations that (www.pulseraproject.org), which gives friendship-bracelet artisans in Nicaragua, Uganda teens worldwide experience today. and Guatemala Seniors Xiaofan Wu and the opportuCandy Rui — both officers to better of BuildOn, a non-profit We wanted to work nity their financial club that fundraises to build schools in developing counwith a closer-knit team situations and living conditries — started the World and to expose students tions by sendCultures club after wanting ng 4 0 0 - 6 0 0 to learn more about the expeto the diversities of ipulseras to volriences of people in developing counsituations around the unteers around the world like tries rather than world.” the World Culprimarily holding tures club to fundraising projCANDY RUI, sell. “Pulsera” is ects. “BuildOn is club president senior a Spanish term a really big club for bracelet. and we focus more on working service projects such as “This is a great way to help those in need, and bake sales and car washes,” Rui said. “But we it helps us understand how fortunate we are wanted to work with a closer-knit team and to and how difficult it is for the majority of kids
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around the world,” Rui said. The club sold these handmade bracelets for $5 each on the catwalk from Nov. 18-22. Each bracelet, individually tagged with the Pulsera Project participant’s photo and signature, is unique with its own intricate weaves, colors and sizes. Although being a new club means starting with small numbers, World Cultures is taking advantage LILY YOUNG of their small start. “It’s a World Cultures club sold handmade bracelets such as this one lot easier to facilitate besporting a crossover pattern on the catwalk from Nov. 18-22. tween members and since we’re small, we get to give everyone in the club an opportunity to take a really cool,” sophomore co-events coordinator leadership role,” Wu said. “It’s more like a team Lily Young, who is also a photographer for The rather than a club.” Lowell, said. “I don’t know if I’m willing to take Wu and Rui have recruited several under- on the responsibility of managing a whole club classmen, hoping that the World Cultures mis- when I’m a senior, but we’ll see.” sion will continue next year. “It’s satisfying to World Cultures club meets on Thursdays help third world countries and the bracelets are in Room S205.
Unique programming class no longer to be offered
By Joseph Kim
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N ORDER TO FREE teaching time for a new computer science course, the second semester of the introductory computer programming course will not be offered in the 2014 Spring semester. Due to the lack of computer science staff, there are not enough teachers to teach the Computer Programming B class. “Both teachers who have taught Computer Programming A are already teaching three other courses,” mathematics department head Thomas Chambers said. “Teaching four courses is discouraged by our contract.” Only the Computer Programming A class was a prerequisite for Advanced Placement Computer Science, so there was usually not as big of an enrollment in Computer Programming B, according to computer science teacher Arthur Simon. Also, the school has an incentive to maintain a strong Principles of Computer Science, according to Simon. “The new Principles of Computer Science course is also going to be an AP exam in 2017, which is why we are really committed to the course,” he said. “We want to make sure the class has a healthy base before then.” In addition to the lack of teachers, there are not enough computer labs to support another class, according to Chambers. “Our room 334 computer lab is scheduled for classes seven blocks each day and S106 is needed to serve other school classes on a sign-up basis (and for AP testing each spring),” he said.
Chambers also explained that the limited lab space would visualizer — a program that generates synchronized kaleidodiminish the value of a second computer science teacher. “While scopic animations based on a music file — or programming a we will do the best we can to fill student demand, I do not see script for the classic video game Snake. “The class allowed us us hiring a second computer teacher in to do the fun stuff that we didn’t have the near future given our current limited time for in AP Computer Science,” lab resources,” he said. I’m sad to see it go, Simon said. In the years Computer Programming Students also have mixed emobut it’s making way tions about the change. “I think B has been taught, the curriculum has been subject to a series of changes. Last Computer Programming B is a for the new Computer valuable course because it gives you year, the course was taught in the computer language Python, while in years Principles class, which a better perspective of the coding prior, it was taught in the languages C languages that are available and and Java. “Computer Programming B I think is an exciting reinforces the skills you learn in has always been a little bit of an ‘oddComputer Programming A,” senior opportunity.” ball’,” Simon said. “The class wasn’t part Will Slotterback said. “I’m sad to of prepping for AP Computer Science; it see it go, but I understand that it’s WILLIAM SLOTTERBACK, making way for the new Computer was more of something where we could senior Principles class which I think is an experiment and try different languages, but it wasn’t a critical course.” exciting opportunity.” Despite the nature of the curriculum, Simon spoke posiBesides the future AP exam, the school has an agreement tively about the course. “I really liked the class,” he said. “It’s with City College that gives students who take the Principles only because Principles of Computer Science is going to be an of Computer Science course three units of City College ComAP exam that the school finds it more important, even though puter Science credit if they decide to matriculate at CCSF after Computer Programming B was a fun class.” graduation. This credit extends to Computer Programming When Computer Programming B was taught in Java, the A, but not to Computer Programming B, due to the course’s students completed projects such as creating an MP3 music eclectic curriculum.
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NEWS
November 22, 2013
Lowell High School
Blood will have blood
HUIMIN ZHANG
The drama department performed Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a tragedy in which a Scottish man makes a series of murderous decisions, from October 24-27. (Top) Senior Ilya Verzhbinsky as Macbeth reflects on his bloody hands. (Bottom right) Senior Alma Carranza as Macbeth plots to usurp the throne of Scotland. (Bottom left) Senior Yu Ling Wu and junior Rajan Dumbhalia provide comic relief during the play. (Middle left) Senior Mariam Myers delivers a powerful monologue.
ALL PHOTOS BY ZOE KAISER
November 22, 2013
The Lowell
NEWS
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School Halloween festivities Report card included a haunted house error causes befuddlement T By Gisela Kottmeier
See REPORT CARD on Page 1 the next report cards come out, though.” In addition to the issue with weighted GPAs, Synergy gave weight to plus and minus grades when calculating unweighted GPAs, when previously all levels of a letter grade held the same value. Plus grades were counted as 0.3 more than the pure letter grade and minuses were counted as 0.3 less. “There were always plus and minuses for quarter grades,” assistant principal of student support services Cheng Wu said. “They affected the quarter grade point average, but they still won’t affect the final grades. Final grades are weighed the same as last year, with no plus or minus grades.” The district has decided to discontinue this weighting system due to the confusion of staff and parents, according to a memo sent by Executive Director of College and Career Bill Sanderson. Synergy also weights ‘pass’, ‘no pass’ and ‘incomplete’ grades differently. A pass grade is weighted the same as a ‘C’ and no pass as an ‘F’, according to the memo, which advised teachers against giving them. Also, an ‘incomplete’ is weighed as an ‘F’ even if credit is given. The change caused tensions between some students and parents by lowering GPAs. “My parents will only pay for college if I stay above an unweighted 3.5 GPA,” junior Joey Zhu said humorously. “I had a few minuses that brought me below this mark and they are considering disowning me.”
HE SCHOOL celebrated a festive Halloween with games and contests in the courtyard and an all-new haunted house. This year’s Halloween rally was held in the courtyard during Mods 14-15, and the first-ever haunted house was open in the student government room — appropriately dubbed ‘the cave’— during Mods 14-15 as well as after school. The endeavor was an overall success, according to club coordinator junior Jeff Lee. The only minor problem that arose, Lee said, was that the amount of interest from the student body was greater than expected,
causing the line to snake down the hall to the cafeteria. Students agreed that the event was a hit. “The scariest part was that they popped out and grabbed our feet from under the table,” junior Marcella De Punzio said. “To sum it up, the haunted house was small, scary and fun,” she added. At the Halloween rally, the costume contest featured many spirited participants. Students entered the contest dressed as a variety of characters from history and pop culture, including Dora, Jesus, Mulan, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Carl and Russell from Up and the Headless Man.
Faculty also had a strong costume presence at the rally contest. Math teacher Tom Chan and his infant son, Nathan, came as Tigger and Pooh, receiving a deluge of student applause. The social studies department’s annual costume theme was The Lord of the Rings, with teachers Sara Dean, Rebecca Johnson, Alice Kwong-Ballard and Monty Worth dressed up as characters Galadriel, an Ent, Arwen and Aragorn respectively. During the contest, counselor Adrienne Smith emulated Michelle Obama in the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign role, with the rest of the counseling department posing as the secret service by her side.
Facility upgrade will boost safety See EARTHQUAKE on Page 1 wrote in the email. “If you step on the side of the shoe box it kind of folds flat. If you add concrete to the four corners of the shoe box and then step on it, it has a better chance of not folding. Our retrofit project is like that; we are adding more structure to the four corners that should give it even more strength during an earthquake.” In addition to the structural upgrade, there are developing plans for new tiling and wall paint on the first, second and third floors. Principal Andrew Ishibashi presented the four floor plan options at the Parent Teacher Student Association meeting on Nov. 6. “Mr. Ishibashi is rolling the plans out to staff, parents
and students,” assistant principal of administration Margaret Peterson wrote in an email on Nov. 6. “We are just in the beginning stages.” Students will be able to vote on the different design options later in the year, although the administration will make the final decision, according to Ishibashi. Construction on the art wing, auditorium, cafeteria, kitchen and arcade, the courtyard’s covering, had already been completed in summer 2013. Peterson encouraged the community to remain positive throughout the construction and moving process. “It will be a difficult, dusty and long project,” she wrote in the email. “The benefit is the improved safety of our building for students, staff, parents and visitors. It is worth it!”
Club directs Lego event
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Senior Bernice Liu works with young engineers at a robotics event.
See ROBOTICS on Page 1 positive. “I never knew robots could be more than what they are in the movies,” fourth-grader Ivan of Community Day School said. “It’s really cool!” Lowell robotics strives to adhere to the FLL mission statement by encouraging young people to enjoy and engage in scientific activities and to become scientific leaders, according to Harlev. “Reaching out to the younger generation to teach them about FLL is one of the ways we try to commit this mission,” Harlev said. Lowell already mentors two teams at Presidio Middle School, but plans to mentor more teams in the upcoming 2014 season. Harlev mentioned that the robotics team plans
on hosting more community events, for which they will be fund-raising. “We have a pasta feed and silent auction coming up on Nov. 15,” he said. “Students can pay $15 and all further donations are tax deductible.” Youth robotics has recently grown in the Bay Area. Privately-owned science camps and clubs, such as Celsius and Beyond in the Richmond district, have paved the way towards more FLL teams in the San Francisco Bay Area. “There are lots of teams that the elementary schoolers could compete with and get tips from in the Bay Area, as well as us, of course,” robotics member junior Lucky Wen said.
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By Samantha Wilcox
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HE SAN FRANCISCO Municipal Railway, more commonly known as MUNI, rose from the ashes after the infamous 1906 earthquake that rocked San Francisco. People throughout San Francisco have relied on MUNI to get from point A to point B since the massive city rebuilding project that ensued in 1906. It has come a long way; currently the nation’s seventh largest public transportation system, it serves over 700,000 people daily. Although not perfect, MUNI has modernized and expanded. providing a prominent role in the city’s thriving culture.
History
Public transportation has been an integral part of San Francisco city life. In the 1850s, people needed ways to travel between the Mission, Yerba Buena Cove and the Presidio — the urban centers of the area at the time. With the introduction of horse-drawn carriages, the mass migration of people searching for wealth from the Gold Rush was able to expand outward, creating a larger metropolitan area. San Francisco made major headway in the world of public transportation in 1873 when the city abandoned horse-drawn transportation in favor of electric or wire-powered trolleys, which could easily navigate the city’s hilly terrain. Scottish factory worker and San Francisco immigant Andrew Hallidie applied technology used in the factories toward potential transit
improvements, and his idea took off. There were trolleys along the hilly stretch of Clay Street, between Kearny and Jones, which spanned about a mile. However, all progress was burned to the ground during the 1906 earthquake, when San Francisco fell to shambles and was faced with the epic task of rebuilding the city, a task which cost $400 million ($6.1 billion in today’s money with inflation). It took about five years to rebuild the city. After the earthquake, city administrators and officials of the newly founded MUNI embarked on a huge rebuilding project. Tunnels, such as the Stockton Street tunnel, were built in all parts of San Francisco to give neighborhoods with lots of hills easier access to public transportation. When the Sunset Tunnel was built, the N-Judah was able to access the Sunset District. MUNI’s reach was expanding greatly, and people began to rely on it more and more. These tunnels are still functioning and helping the lines important to the city maintain service.
Trolleybusses
In the 1940s, MUNI introduced its first motorized bus line, the RHoward, which ran up and down Howard Street. Although trolleybuses were nothing new in San Francisco, they had been operated by the Market Street Railway Company (MSR), which at its height operated five cable car lines along Market Street to the Ferry Building. During the aftermath of the Great Depression, MSR entered a steep economic decline and was
acquired by MUNI; all of MSR’s equipment was adopted by MUNI. Above ground lightrail lines were gradually replaced by the more modern and economical motorized buses in the coming decades.
service standards for MUNI. Their protests led to improved service, better work rules for MUNI employees and better busses.
Competition
In the 2000s, MUNI officials announced potential plans to add double-decker buses to their current fleet of 78 routes of Metro, busses and shuttles. However, the test period in late 2007 and early 2008 did not prove successful. Also in 2008, mayor Gavin Newsom announced the plan to power all MUNI buses with biodiesel in an attempt to lower the city’s carbon footprint and help save the environment. MUNI also rolled out new hybrid busses in May of this year that are noticeably quieter and more efficient than their predecessors. In 2009, MUNI officials responded to tough economic times by cutting six bus routes and shortening service times and routes. Although the worst of the recession is over, MUNI is still in the process of undergoing plans to reduce their debt. “I rely on MUNI to get around the city all the time,” sophomore Kristen Leung said. “It was really awful when they cut the bus lines during the recession, because I had to find a new way to get to and from school everyday.” SFMTA has many plans for the future, including making bike transit more accessible by providing bike shares around the city and building a new subway line to extend the T-Third Street to end in Chinatwown.
In the 1950s and ‘60s, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) planned to reach all parts of San Francisco, as well as Marin County. Because it was perceived that BART would overtake MUNI as a major public transport source, the funding that MUNI received from the city began to decline, resulting in aging buses and inferior service. In the late 1960s, BART became a reality with two tracks — an upper track dedicated to local service, and a lower deck meant for service to the East Bay and Marin. However, the project was over budget, and the government had to step in and curtail some of BART’s loftier plans. BART was limited to their lower track, while MUNI was allowed access to the upper track to improve the transportation between Twin Peaks andw the downtown area. After its completion in 1980, this came to be known as the MUNI metro, the beginning of underground light rail in San Francisco. In the 1990s, MUNI had grown increasingly delapidated and unreliable. A protest group known as “Rescue MUNI” was formed in 1996, representing riders and pressing for reform. In 1999, Proposition E was passed, forming the San Francisco Municipal Transit Agency and setting
Today
MONICA LEE
1851: Horse-drawn transportation begins in San Francisco.
1873: Scottish factory worker Andrew Hallidie invents a cable to be used for public transport. Shortly thereafter, first electric or wire powered trolleys come to San Francisco.
1906: In the aftermath of the disastrous 1906 Earthquake, MUNI constructs tunnels to help better access hilly neighborhoods as part of the rebuilding effort.
1940s: MUNI introduces its first motorized bus line, the R-Howard.
1950’s and ’60’s: BART goes over budget, causing the government to step in an give MUNI access to underground tracks, now known as MUNI metro.
1990s: MUNI became unreliable and delapidated, causing protest groups such as ‘Rescue MUNI.’
1999: Proposition E is passed, setting better work rules and standards for MUNI workers.
2009: MUNI responds to the recession by cutting eight bus lines, and shortening routes on many more.
2013: MUNI plans on improving public transportation in the city by installing a bike share system and by extending T-Third Street service to Chinatown.
November 22, 2013
The Lowell
ENTErTaiNmENT
On Trend: Bold punk fashion undergoes chic and mature makeover for fall/winter
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By Campbell Gee
it comes to embellishing, trade potentially unhygienic safety In the Spring of 2013, New York City’s Metropolitan MuHIS FALL, DITCH the face full of piercings and sky- pins and facial piercings for sparingly placed studs or spikes seum of Art showcased a handful of the many fashion innovahigh multicolored mohawks, which make it look as if on jackets and jewelry. Though no punk outfit is complete tors who contributed to the punk aesthetic from its conception you just came back from a sweaty moshpit, and indulge without a pair of clunky boots suited for foot-stomping, swap to the present day. In the exhibit Punk - Chaos to Couture, in this season’s chic and grown up version of punk style. What out grungy Doc Martens for a set of leather, cutout boots with spiky-wig-clad mannequins — donning outfits that featured donated garments from designers such as Alexander McQueen, started as an anti-fashion, anarchist movement is being re- bulky-buckle details. Before artists like Avril Lavigne and Green Day brought Versace, Gaultier and Westwood — filled multiple galleries that vived by major high fashion designers as the most celebrated a mainstream form of punk to distinctly represented punk throughout the ages. In one dimly trend of the year. With this year’s suburbanites everywhere, angsty lit dark room called “D.I.Y.: Graffiti & Agitprop,” a screen that most buzzed about museum exhibit punk bands from the 1970s were loudly projected punk music videos accompanied bright polyand the hottest collections centered around this rebellious subculture, To pull off the trend the first to put the subculture — chromatic and spray-painted outfits, which represented punk’s and the fashion that came along rebellious street art culture. In another titled “D.I.Y.: Hardware,” punk is back in full force. without looking like Sid with it — on the map. the mannequins To pull off the trend without lookPunk got its start mainly lined unseting like Sid and Nancy, opt for items and Nancy, opt for items in London, New York tlingly plain that utilize punk inspired textiles in classic silhouettes. Instead of donthat utilize punk inspired and Los Angeles, fueled As punk branched off and white walls and by artistic, low-income wore distressed, ning traditional red plaid in the form textiles in classic silhou- youths who felt alienated became couture-worthy in m o n o c h r o m e of torn skinny jeans, look for the and oppressed by society resses with same print made into tailored, sleekettes.” the late 20th century, design- dmetal and politics. Members embellishcut trousers. Embrace your inner of the movement spread ments to portray Courtney Love by adding a softness ers like Jean Paul Gaultier punk’s contrastto hardcore getups with dark, silky, lace-trimmed camisoles their message through abrasive garageband style followed in Westwood’s foot- ing elements of and lingerie-like dresses. To avoid looking like you just came rock music, while their provocative D.I.Y. ways of elegance back from the Folsom Street Fair, forget vinyl mini skirts and dressing offended conservative adults all across the steps, using his clothing to simple and tattered disfind unconventional fabrics used in more modest silhouettes, western world. Musicians such as The Clash, Debbie such as flared, mid-length skirts or long-sleeved tops. When Harry and The New York Dolls became muses for upmerge the punk rock aes- array. and-coming designers Following the thetic with modern glamour.” success of the like English eccentric Vivienne Westwood. exhibit and the Inspired specifically return of punk, by The Sex Pistols — a havoc- modern designers put their twists on the trend with their colwreaking band from London lections that premiered the following season. Newly reinvented — Westwood centered her first fashion house Saint Laurent emulated California grunge by collections around bondage, sending patterned tights, leather mini skirts with an abundance leather jackets — decorated of zippers, oversized plaid flannels and cardigans, and deeply with chains, buttons and safety low-cut metallic dresses down the runway. On the other hand, pins — Scottish plaids, ripped Italian brand Versace took a cleaner and sleeker approach to t-shirts and heavy makeup. punk. Their collection included spiked and studded pointy As punk branched off and toed boots, dangerously sharp elongated spike collars, black became couture-worthy in the and white leather bodysuits with high collars and skin tight late 20th century, designers like patent leather coats and pants in various hues. Jean Paul Gaultier followed in With the return of fashion’s most rebellious movement causWestwood’s footsteps, using his ing a huge ruckus within the industry, channel your inner “Riot clothing to merge the punk rock Grrrl” and take part in a refined — yet still badass — punk look The Ramones. Photograph: Denis O’Regan/Corbis aesthetic with modern glamour. that would make both your parents and The Ramones proud.
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Double Take: A second look at two forgotten films
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By Kate Mcarthy orget spending a fortune at the movie theater to see the latest blockbuster. Instead, stay inside, and save your money by taking a second look at a couple underrated movies that many people may have missed out on. Read on to find out about Election and The Last Picture Show, two noteworthy films that were robbed of their chances in the spotlight.
Election
ALEXANDER PAYNE’S 1999 film Election was poised to be a big budget hit: MTV and Paramount backing it, two charismatic stars, and a plot ripped straight from the pages of Tom Perotta’s high school novel of the same name. But instead Election came out an odd, dark, and bitingly funny film, one that was lauded by critics but failed at the box office. Matthew Broderick leads the cast as respected, mild-mannered teacher Jim McAllister
Movie poster for Election
who lives humbly with his wife in Omaha, Nebraska (where the film was also shot, giving it an authentically gloomy feel). Election follows Mr. M’s gradual self-destruction as he sets out to ruin the presidential campaign of perky but disingenuous “type A” student Tracy Flick, played to perfection by Reese Witherspoon. Some movies are driven by plot (for instance All the President’s Men), and others are driven by mood (The Virgin Suicides, for example). This movie is somehow both. Viewers are engrossed not only by the twisted and satirically funny plot, which skewers political corruption, but also the fine details that create a very specific world within the film—the painfully middle-class home décor, a dingy motel spruced up with a box of Russell Stover candy. The atmosphere of Election feels faded and entrenched in its surrender to mediocrity. Tracy’s ambition and Mr. M’s unabashed sabotage are jarring in contrast to the defeated attitude that permeates the movie. Payne uses a full range of flashbacks, creative visual motifs, freeze frames, and multiple voiceovers to give Election its zany and edgy tone. These devices add to the comprehensive, unique way the narrative is told, and when paired with Rolfe Kent’s eclectic score, Election is a near perfect film and a real hidden gem. The vivid storytelling will never fail to surprise you, and the specific embellishments keep the imagery of this movie in your mind. You will find yourself caring about these pathetic characters long after the credits roll, which is one of my very favorite things that only the best of films can do for you.
The Last Picture Show
“THE TIMES are changing, and leaving Anarene, Texas behind.” If I worked on Peter Bogdanovich’s PR team for his debut 1971 film, The Last Picture Show, that’s the tagline I would pitch. This quiet, bittersweet hit, shot in stark black and white and set in 1951, tells the intertwining stories of inhabitants in a small Texas town, mostly centering around the relationships of high-school students Sonny (Tim Bottoms) and Duane (a young Jeff Bridges, pre-Dude). Old-fashioned Anarene leaves its residents with little to do but trade sexual partners and grope for emotional connections in the process, with the exception of social-minded queen bee Jacy (Cybill Shepherd) who breaks hearts with remarkable ease Movie Poster for The Last Picture Show There is no original soundtrack here filmmakers of that time experimented with flashy because it’s a diagetic film, meaning all sound originates from the world of the movie. camera movement, stylistic editing, and unusual This serves to make Picture Show quiet and dis- non-linear storytelling as part of the American tant to the audience, an insulated world far away New Wave cinematic movement of the 1970’s, that the audience sees objectively. So the film is Bogdanovich held on to older, traditional techscored instead with popular country songs of niques that were slipping away. He went back the 50s, playing softly from jukeboxes or radios to the basics to tell this story, using black and in the background of every scene, accompanied white, linear storytelling, and straightforward by the swish of tumbleweeds blowing through camera work. The Last Picture Show, an exquisite Anarene. These songs act as the soundtrack of tapestry of melancholic human lives in a fading both the movie and the characters’ lives, lilting town, was what Bogdanovich lived in a way. He and quietly pulsing along with Sonny’s rueful made a simple, understated “old school” movie as coming of age. Bogdanovich keeps his camera at the film world started to change. This beautiful eye-level throughout to create a sense of honest movie serves as both an epitaph to an era and a realism, no frills or fanciful touches. While other landmark work of one of cinema’s finest times.
November 22, 2013
The Lowell
COLUMNS
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Senior reaches new heights at climbing gym By Natalia Arguello-Ingles
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HE JAGGED EDGES OF THE rock call me to grab them. I ascend the face of the cliff, sweat trickling down the back of my neck, blood pulsing violently through my veins. Joy mixes with fear and anticipation until the three are indistinguishable. The combination of adrenaline, aching muscles and instinctual panic feels close to total chaos, but it in the midst of it all, I feel more at peace than ever. From the first time I looked down from 25 feet up, I knew rock climbing was the sport for me. I loved that my improvement solely depended on myself and my own ability to subdue the natural fear of falling, using my mind to guide me. I found that being a strong climber is not about the difficulty level of a climb; it is about pushing yourself to your absolute physical and mental limits. As all the wonderful aspects of my new activity revealed
themselves one after the other, my love affair with rock climbing blossomed. My newfound passion fueled my rebirth from an insecure and meek 13-year-old girl into a confident, hard-working and lively person. My mother told me at age 15 that she needed me to begin helping with expenses. However, I did not complain or cower in fear at the weight of her request. The climber in me immediately went out and began searching for a job, despite the odds stacked against me. Eventually, my newfound confidence and determination landed me a job at Mission Cliffs, an indoor rock climbing gym in the city — the place I have been climbing for years. Not only do I love rock climbing — I occasionally wake up with my hands clasped around imaginary holds — I love my job at Mission Cliffs. It is satisfying to do things that allow me to pass on my passion for climbing to others, like teaching classes
to new climbers. The welcoming and accepting environment, the sense of community, and my fun-loving and equally climbing-enthused co workers have me excited for, and not dreading, my shifts at the gym. Climbing has taught me many lessons: one, failure does not mean absolute defeat and two, the ability to push past one’s comfort zone is infinitely valuable. Working at Mission Cliffs allows me to apply these lessons myself while also motivating others to search for what rock climbing can teach them.
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Hollister employee’s conscious conflicts with company’s standards and practices By Luciano Chan
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MONICA LEE
N THE SUMMER BEFORE my senior year, I decided to part ways with my couch to find something productive to invest my time in. Being surrounded by my peers whose time was spent volunteering at summer camps, taking part in internships and working on college apps made me feel like I needed to turn off my television for good. And so my journey to finding a job began. This was a short journey. I left my house around 12 p.m. and reunited with my remote control about three hours later, just in time for an Extreme Couponing marathon. I scoped around ne ar by ma l ls, bookstores and fast food chains but discovered nothing that appealed to my
skills or interests. One night, I was looking through my Instagram homepage and discovered that one of my friends began working at a nearby Hollister, a widely known retail store with locations across the globe. I went to its website and searched the guidelines to apply for a position. Hollister has two available positions for a potential employee, Impact or Model. An “impact” basically manages the shipments, does inventory and handles all the fun things that occur behind the scenes. A “model” is a glorified name for a sales associate; you wear their attire, or clothes similar to the company’s products, while managing the floor, greeting customers, folding clothes, etc. Reflecting on my borderline Cs in math throughout my threeand-a-half years at Lowell, I decided that any math-related position was probably not suited for me, and so I applied as a model. And I got the job. I was impressed with myself, considering my first ever interview consisted of me speaking with advanced and awkward vocabulary as if I were applying to NASA, and of the interviewer’s many disingenuous laughs at my mediocre attempts at humor, but I digress. To prepare for the interview and show that I had previous knowledge about this company, I had gone online and researched the company’s history and found some shocking information. Michael Staton Jeffries, the chairman and chief executive officer of Abercrombie & Fitch Co., the parent company of Hollister Co., Gilly Hicks and Abercrombie Kids, has been recognized as one of the most controversial CEO’s in the retail industry for his attitude towards body image. Skimming through articles online, I came across many of Jeffries’ statements that reversed my attitude towards the company I was preparing to work for. According to a 2006 interview with Salon magazine, titled “The Man Behind Abercrombie & Fitch,” Jeffries stated, “We hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, goodlooking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that.” On my first shift, I discovered what his definition of a “good-looking person” means when I was confronted with a disheartening truth. A woman in her mid-twenties kindly came up to me asking me for a size check for a pink sweater she liked, and she wanted an extra large. I responded with “Yeah,
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of course.” I thought, “Why wouldn’t we sell that size?” Well we don’t. I went to my manager, and she informed me that we only sell extra large sizes for the men’s apparel, but not the women’s apparel. I walked back to the lady, carrying a faint, apologetic smile, having to tell her we didn’t sell that size for women. I immediately saw a sense of confusion splattered over her face, followed by her awkward departure from the store. I felt terrible. After several similar incidents occurred, the image and attitude Hollister promotes became more obvious to me. The “cool” and “good-looking” people that Jeffries referred to are thin, tall, white men and women, an idea reinforced by the floor-to-wall images of blonde, muscular jocks and young, slender women whose hair floats as if a portable wind machine is following them. This type of discrimination reminded me of the issues I had to tackle sophomore year as a Youth Outreach Worker (YOW). Each YOW was allowed to pair up with a fellow YOW and construct a presentation on subjects relevant to our youth. The topic I chose was body image, specifically how the media influences society’s perception of what and how to look. After working on this project for a year my interest and passion for this topic increased, as I discovered how dramatically media affects our society’s concept of body image. Now just a yearand-a-half later, I find myself working for a company that contributes to the distorted beauty standards that permeate our society, making me feel like a complete hypocrite. However, I know quitting is not an option. Quitting after having worked for a company for less than a month would not be beneficial for me in future job-related situations. I realize that the issue is not my work environment, but rather what I’m working to promote. I’m surrounded by kind co-workers and supporting managers, and I make money to support my future expenses. Although I resent the morals that Hollister embodies, I decided to stay and continue to work for this company. My disdain for Abercrombie and Hollister’s beliefs has not decreased, but rather increases every time I tell a young girl that we do not sell any jeans above size 10 and in return, receive a confused and disappointed look. Everytime I go to work, I feel as though I am going on stage for a play, having to construct a character that I can pretend to be.
By Crystal Chung
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ORK STARTS AT NINE on Saturday mornings, and instead of arriving at an office filled with cubicles, the Exploratorium is my workspace — a science discovery museum with interactive exhibits such as a transparent globe that shoots electrons when touched and a huge drawing board with a marker that swings like a pendulum to draw designs. I work for the Exploratorium’s Xtech group, a program that helps students develop lifelong social and problem-solving skills through STEAM projects (science, technology, engineering, art, math). I first applied to attend Xtech in seventh grade because I was curious about science and because a picture of a remote controlled car on the flyer looked cool. After three years, I am a Xtech facilitator-in-training, FIT for short. On an average day, I help the student participants through the thinking process of designing and constructing a project such as a turbulent orb, a plastic crystal ball filled with colored water and glitter swirled by a miniturbine. I offer them materials, measurements and supervision while they learn to use different carpentry tools to drill holes and make plexiglass bases. Once the students are ready, I give them a brief lesson on circuits, and let them wire their motor, propeller, switch and battery. We also urge the students to spark their creativity, making the project unique by mixing
colors to pour into the orb. During our FIT training and project work days this summer, we each worked on designing mini models of an actual larger exhibit found in the Exploratorium. Then we shot a how-to video for our project. Making the video was one of the highlights of my three years at Xtech. We had a lot of fun bonding and laughing, while filming with a professional camera, even though we were left with more bloopers than usable shots. It’s not only the students that learn; I also sharpen my leadership and public speaking skills through presenting our projects and teaching the new programmers. Leading younger kids helped me learn how to set an example for them to follow. Also, presenting taught me to express my opinions and instructions clearly. Xtech is my second home. I grew a lot over my years at Xtech while working up to be a FIT. I have learned life lessons, leadership, critical problem solving, and hands-on building from participating in the program. I have met all kinds of people — Mahjong addicts, Ultimate Frisbee players, even Lowell alumni — that I would not have met if not for Xtech. Since I gain so much from it and have so much fun at the same time, it doesn’t feel like work. The only downside is waking up early to make the one hour commute. But even then, having the privilege to teach and watch a younger generation grow makes the trip worth it.
MONICA LEE
Science museum program allows junior to explore
By Luke Haubenstock
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hether you call it the loo, the John or the porcelain throne, the toilet is one of the most undeniably necessary — yet underappreciated — household fixtures. It is estimated that average Americans spend three years of their lives on the toilet. One could even say that this waste disposal mechanism sets us humans apart from the animals of the wild. Technologically speaking, toilets have come a long way from a simple hole in the ground to the modern flushing bowl. From small to large, and minimalist to high-tech, these sensational toilets from all around the world are sure to get your bowels rumbling.
In Asia, the concept of toilets has emerged beyond the realm of bathroom stalls to the restaurant business. The original bathroom-themed restaurant is Modern Toilet, a franchise based in Taiwan. The restaurant is known for its outrageous décor, including toilet chairs, plungers hanging from the ceiling and glass-covered sinks
This high-tech toilet is literally out of this world. The $250 million dollar U.S. space toilet is specifically designed to fit the needs of astronauts in zero gravity conditions, in which waste matter does not necessarily fall in the direc- tion of the toilet bowl. To account for these unearthly circumstances, the space toilet uses a vacuum to suck in liquid and
as tables. On top of that, the food is served in miniature, toilet-shaped bowls. Modern Toilet is most famous, however, for its signature dessert — a swirl of chocolate ice cream in a squattoilet-shaped platter. Since its founding, the toilet restaurant business has grown significantly, with copycat restaurants opening all over the world. Magic Restroom Café, our nation’s first toiletthemed restaurant, recently opened up right outside of Los Angeles.
solid waste. Once collected, the waste products are filtered to kill bacteria and prevent foul odors. In older models, the liquid waste was simply ejected from the ship, destined to drift eternally through outer space. Since then, scientists have created a mechanism to process and purify liquid waste to be used as drinking water for the astronauts. The solid waste is packed into plastic bags and launched out. It can be said that one of the greatest achievements in space science is the mastery of the space toilet.
Japan may be known for its high-end automobiles, but less well-known are its luxury toilets. These “Super Toilets” are some of the most sophisticated in the world, boasting an extraordinary number of unique features. In addition to the standard ability to flush, these
Many Westerners fear one type of toilet more than death itself — squat toilets. Found in countries throughout Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa, the squat toilet is one of the oldest and most common forms of toilet in the world. In theory, the squat toilet seems simple enough — merely a hole in the ground — but first time users quickly realize what a challenge it can be to use one. The most important thing to know about using squat toilets is to bring your own toilet paper, as it is
Super Toilets have both a water-squirting nozzle and a blow-drier to clean the user’s rear end in lieu of toilet paper. Some toilets also include seat warmers, vibration functions and even speakers to play relaxation music. If you ever have the chance to experience the wonders of a Super Toilet, refrain from pressing the big red emergency button, for you may soon find the police knocking on your door.
often not supplied. Proper squatting technique involves taking a wide stance over the hole and ever so carefully squatting down to prevent any articles of clothing from touching the ground. Because squat toilets jam easily, users should never put used toilet paper down the hole unless no trash bin is present. When finished, the user should flush the toilet by pushing a button usually located on the wall. If a mechanical flush is not available, there should be a bucket of water by the side of the toilet, which can be used to flush everything down. Using a squat toilet may seem inconvenient, but on the upside, it’s a great leg workout. ILLUSTRATIONS BY KIMBERLY LI
INSIDE
The Lowell’s picks for fall Most Valuable Players Lowell High School November 22, 2013
Reporter explores tech in traditional sports
Page 11
Tennis continues 16 year reign as AAA champions By Amber Ly
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Sophomore Camilia Kacimi returns the ball during her doubles match with junior Sydney Lee during the team tennis championship on Nov. 8. The Cardinals took home the gold with a 6-1 victory over Washington.
FTER DOMINATING this season in and out of the league, the girls’ tennis team clinched first place with a score of 6-1 against the Washington Eagles in the team championship on Nov. 8. At the beginning of the week, the team faced a wave of injuries and illnesses in their players, especially in doubles pairs. “With a lineup that we don’t usually play, it was a pretty good showing for us,” head coach Bryan Lee said. With the team championship title under their belt, the Cardinals are currently looking to perform well at NorCals. “We’re hoping to make some noise there since we’ve only made it out of the second round once in the last 15 or 20 years,” Lee said. During the week prior to the team championship, the Cardinals competed in All-City Individuals — a tournament where all the league’s players compete as either doubles or singles. Freshman Kristine Pau swept across the boards in the All-City Individual singles matches, seizing first place with a seasonal record of 3-1 overall. Although this is her first season on the team, Pau showed no signs of rookie status among her peers. According to Lee, Pau is one of the top 12 female tennis players her age in Northern California. “Kristine always brings skilled footwork and intensity to her game and has great focus,” Lee said. Junior Sabrina On added a third place medal to the team’s haul in All-City Individuals. On has placed every year since she has been on the team, according to junior Julia Tien. “She’s improved even more this season actually,” Lee said. “She isn’t shying away from long rallies and she was really holding her own against Kristine at the baseline.” In All-City doubles, three pairs took first, third and fourth overall. Senior co-captain Adrianne Pan and junior Ashley Duong snagged first place. Long-time partners senior Katie Lei and junior Suzanna Tom climbed up to fourth but fell to their teammates, sophomore Camilia Kacimi and Tien. The team went 8-0 and 11-2 overall, losing only to University and Saint Ignatius in close matches. SALLY MA
SFI Huskies strike back in final 14 minutes to knock boys’ soccer from playoffs
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HE BOYS’ SOCCER TEAM finished its 2013 Moyé said. season on a disappointing note. During season play, prior to the playoffs, the CardiOn Nov. 5, the Cardinals’ season ended un- nals conquered the Huskies 6-0. In the playoffs, however, expectedly, when they were defeated 3-2 in the playoffs the Huskies were not completely the same team since by the San Francisco Inthe last time Lowell played ternational Huskies. The them. SFI’s squad was team started off the game on Sept. 4 due to a We were definitely playing a limited flat, according to senior lack of eligible players, but midfielder and co-caphigher level of soccer techni- on their second encounter tain Aaron Moyé. “We many of the absent players cally and tactically. Many of were back. were not able to keep our physical and mental focus The team did pretthe players improved on their ty well, throughout the game and considering the we did not finish every passing and most importantly Cardinals went through opportunity that we had a transition with a new had fun during our journey.” coach and a new system on goal,” head coach Juan Lopez said. Despite these this season, according to JUAN LOPEZ, Moyé. In regular season issues, the Cardinals rehead coach play, the team came in vitalized from a long ball to senior forward Tony first place, going 12-1-1, Torres, who finished his shot. With this momentum, only losing to Lincoln, 3-1 and tying Balboa, 1-1. “I feel Torres scored again and the Cardinals left at halftime very proud of what we accomplished as a team,” Lopez with a comfortable 2-0 lead. said. “We were definitely playing a higher level of soccer The Cardinals again came out flat in the second half. technically and tactically. Many of the players improved However, it was not until the last 14 minutes when SFI on their passing and most importantly had fun during swiftly put away three goals to win the game leaving our journey.” the Cardinals speechless. “We couldn’t keep possession, Last season, the team tied Mission 1-1 in overtime in especially in the midfield, which put a lot of pressure the championship, after finishing with a regular season on our defense and eventually they ended up scoring,” record of 10-1-1.
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After four months away from running on dry land, senior distance runner John Hogan is back. Hogan crushed last year’s 17:36 AAA All-City winning time with a 17:28 5K in a meet against Lincoln and Burton on Nov. 6. For coverage of this year’s All-City meet on Nov. 20 see thelowell.org.
12 SPORTS
November 22, 2013
Lowell High School
JV Football: Adil Truong
By Amber Ly
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OLTING UP AND down the field at every game and practice, sophomore linebacker Adil Truong is a true force to be reckoned with. Truong can do it all, being a starting player for all six teams: offense, defense, punt, punt return, kick-off and kick-off return. With the ability to play almost any position, Truong is the kind of versatile player every coach needs. “If a player’s injured or sick, we can just put Adil in there and he’ll execute the job,” sophomore quarterback Tiger Lao said. Mid-season, Truong replaced an injured linebacker, freshman Martell Coleman, according to sophomore tight end Hassan Selimovic. Despite his lack of experience as a linebacker, Truong stepped up to the position without complaints. Lao, sophomore wingback Daniel Wong and sophomore tight end Patrick Roonan agreed that the change proved to be an even greater asset to the team. Although Truong does not lead the team with words, he sets a standard for the players to follow. “He’s not a verbal leader but a physical leader,” Wong said. “He leads the team by example.” Truong stays on the field throughout entire games and has yet to miss a single practice, according to Roonan. “You can’t complain about what Adil does,” Roonan said. “He’s a machine.”
Varsity Football: Dillon Easterling
By Sam Tick-Raker
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TAR SENIOR RUNNING back Dillon Easterling has shone every time he has stepped on the field, zigzagging and juking defenders on his way to the endzone. According to Easterling, one of the most emotional games of his season was on Oct. 31 against Balboa. On a 4th and 8 late in the game, junior quarterback Antonio Hughes threw a pass which tipped off a defender’s hands into Easterling’s gloves, leading to a touchdown. “It was such a high energy play,” Easterling said. “We needed that touchdown.” Though this was an important touchdown, Easterling has scored many others this season, totalling 12 through the 5 games, including a 4 touchdown game at the Battle of the Birds.
Easterling’s success has stemmed from a passionate motto. “Go hard every play, don’t slack off,” he said. “If a bad play does happen, just re-focus on the next play.” In addition to his impressive work ethic, his athletic ability has allowed him to be a top scorer on the team. “He changes speeds very well and his vision is very good,” head coach Danny Chan said of Easterling’s strengths as a running back, a position where that field vision is key. “You get to see the tight holes and the angle of the defender,” he said. With hard work, a good attitude and athleticism, Dillon Easterling has proven that he is the Cardinals’s most valuable offensive player in his third and best season of his high school career. He will be a role model for Lowell running back for years to come.
Varsity Football: Raymond Phelps
By Sam Tick-Raker
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ITH HIS STRONG leadership skills and impeccable athletic abilities, four-year veteran linebacker and fullback Raymond Phelps has been a major part of the Lowell varsity football team’s success this season. As a senior, Phelps feels he has a certain role to fill. “Young players, if they have any problems or questions they can come to me,” he said. And hopefully they are going, because Phelps is one of the most talented defensive players on the team. Through five games this season, he has totalled 62 tackles (averaging over 12 per game), 5 tackle for losses (tackles behind the line of scrimmage) and 2 fumble recoveries, one of which led to a scoring drive in the Cardinals’ 22-21 win against Balboa
on Oct. 31. “He is our top hitter,” head coach Danny Chan said. What makes these statistics even more remarkable is that Phelps’s position requires him to be versatile and alert at all times. “I’m all over the field, sideline to sideline,” he said. “Linebackers do a lot of stuff on defense, helping out with the run or dropping to play coverage.” Phelps’s ability to read the offense and understand whether they will be running or throwing the ball is an instinct that is gained only from experience. “He can see plays develop,” Chan said. With his mental and physical strengths, he has plans to continue his football career. He hopes to play on a Division I or II team, but no matter where he goes, Raymond Phelps will always be an MVP in the minds of Lowell coaches, teammates and fans.
Boys’ Varsity Soccer: Aaron Moyé By Andrew Pearce
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Moyé’s passion for soccer sprouted at a very young age. “I ENIOR MIDFIELDER AND co-captain Aaron Moyé is the boys’ varsity soccer team’s Most Valuable Player, as he started playing rec soccer when I was eight and then in eighth adjusted to new posigrade I moved to Marin FC tions and taking on the job and played there until my of leading the team through sophomore year,” he said. I like to be a resource for people if Then he moved to the Jua tough, but well-fought season. ventus soccer club, based
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Moyé is proud of his acin Redwood City, where he sure everyone is comfortable and now plays. Although he has complishments in a new position this season. “I’m playing around club teams, if they have any concerns they can switched more of a central midfielder he has been with his high and usually I play more up come to me and I can voice those school teammates for four top or on the wing,” Moyé years. concerns to the coach.” said. In his new position, he Moyé will miss the camahas scored three goals this raderie between his CardiAARON MOYE season. On the field, Moyé nal teammates most of all. senior co-captian has a passing mentality, one “Especially the juniors, since of the reasons that he was they’re only one year below moved to his new position in the midfield. “I try to put other me, I have seen them get better and go from not playing that players in positions where they’ll succeed,” Moyé said. much to starting,” he said.
Moyé is also a source of support for the team. “I like to be a resource for people if they ever need help,” Moyé said. “I have to make sure everyone is comfortable.
November 22, 2013
The Lowell
SPORTS
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Cross Country: Brian Nguyen By Elazar Chertow
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HE LOWELL’S PICK for Most Valuable Player on the Cross Country team this season is senior Brian Nguyen. Nguyen currently holds the second fastest time in the 2012 Academic Athletic Association league meets for the 5k, clocking in at 17:50, according to the California Interscholastic Foundation’s San Francisco Section (www.cifsf.org). In a recent race, against Mission and O’Connell on Oct. 30, Nguyen, seniors Donald Chen and Calvin Li placed one, two, and three respectively in the 5k, leading Lowell to a score of 15 for their top five runners, the best possible score in the sport. This is not a the first time Nguyen, who also holds the AAA All-City record in the frosh/soph 1600 meter run, has had success in the 5k race. Last season, despite the presence of Max Niehaus
‘13, the AAA’s most dominant cross-country runner, Nguyen surprised many by running the fastest time of any Lowell runner at the State Championships in Fresno with a time of 17:12, a personal best for Nguyen. In addition to success on race-days, Nguyen has proven to be a great influence on the rest of the team. “Brian is a great teammate,” Hogan said. “He is focused and knows what he wants to accomplish.” Looking to capitalize on success early in the season, Nguyen and the rest of the Cross Country team are eyeing another sweep at the All-City Championship, which will be held on Nov. 21. In addition to looking for a medal this Wednesday, Nguyen also wants to compete in both Track and Cross Country next year in college.
Girl’s Varsity Volleyball: Amorelle Applin By Samantha Wilcox
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HE CROWD IS silent in awe as senior Amorelle Applin violently spikes the ball to the floor for the game point, no hopes of her opponent returning the play. The buzzer sounds as her teammates celebrate their victory. The Lowell has selected senior Amorelle Applin as girls’ varsity volleyball’s Most Valuable Player. Applin has played volleyball since her early childhood, and has been on the varsity team for four years. “I play volleyball because I love how dependent you have to be on your teammates, and the relationships we form because of that,” she said. “I also can’t stay away from the rush I get
when I’m running fast-paced plays.” Although the team is full of a slightly younger group of athletes, the extreme passion among them makes up for any shortcomings. “Although as a team we can be slightly timid at times, we have worked through it and have become much more aggressive since the season began,” Applin said.“ We are always there for each other, whether it’s staying after practice to perfect a serve technique or to just hang out.” During her time on the team, Applin’s coach has seen major improvements in her technique and playing style. “Amorelle has always had a command over the court, but she has greatly im-
proved her blocking skills and has grown more aggressive,” head coach Steven Wesley said. “She will definitely go far as a collegiate player.” Applin’s teammates look up to her as a role model. “Amorelle’s extreme dedication and leadership skills help to control the team, and help us to maintain calm even in some sticky plays,” junior Tyler Valen said. “Her love for the sport is second-to-none.” As for her plans for college, Applin does not plan on leaving volleyball behind. “I am planning on playing on a club team in college,” she said. “When you love something so much, you can never give it up.”
Tennis: Adrianne Pan
Golf: Rachael No
HAKE IT OFF!” senior co-captain Adrianne Pan shouts as she cheers on her teammates. After being on the girls’ varsity tennis team for four seasons, Pan has taken a leadership role this year and helped pave her team’s way to victory with her positivity and skill. One of Pan’s major contributions is her willingness to uplift spirits. “While playing doubles with her, if I make a mistake, she’ll just tell me to ‘shake it off ’ and does a little wiggle dance to make me feel better,” junior Julia Tien said. In addition to being a source of enthusiasm, Pan also makes sure to help her teammates improve. “She never blames anyone,” sophomore Esther Lam said. “Even if we make a mistake, she’ll just say it was no one’s fault. And when she does point out what went wrong, she actually helps you with it.” According to head coach Bryan Lee, Pan was undefeated in league play this season, and even a sprained ankle a week before All-City could not stop her
he Lowell’s pick for the fall girls’ golf team most valuable player is junior team captain Rachael No. In the Academic Athletic Association Girls’ Golf Individual Tournament, No tied in second place with a final score of 107, just one point away from the first place winner. In the team playoffs, Rachael lead the Cardinals to the championships with a team high score of 40. Despite the team’s loss during the championships, Before high school, No had never been on a golf team. Through hard work, commitment and team spirit, she became the captain for her third season. No has improved significantly over the years, she has a score 50 strokes better than what she got in the fall 2012 championships. After losing to Washing-
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dominance. Pan and her partner, junior Ashley Duong, became All-City Doubles champions in a 2-set0 victory over the Washington Eagles. “Towards the end of the match, she had injured both her ankles, but didn’t complain or use it as an excuse,” junior Sabrina On said. “ She focused on the game and was able to pull through it.”
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Frosh-soph Volleyball: Mina Choe By Michelle Wong
tion for her. “Even though the pressure was on during the game, I FTER BATTLING IT out for a second year on the frosh- was telling myself to relax and not to worry about my mistakes,” soph volleyball team, sophomore right side hitter Mina Choe said. “This season was really different because I played right side hitter, instead of my usual Choe is The Lowell’s position of setter.” choice for Most Valuable Choe’s experience as a hitPlayer. You have to sacrifice a lot for volter this season was valuable, as With the competition it provided new skills to constrong and pressure to do leyball, but ... just playing volleyball tribute to her setting position. well high, the key to success this season was consistency. in general is a great stress reliever.” “After being a hitter, I now know what kind of sets are “Mina was the most reliable player,” head coach Stephen MINA CHOE preferable to people,” she said. Trying to balance school Wesley said. “The sophomores sophomore and team ball, Choe’s plans have been showing more consistency and leadership this year, so we were able to push for the varsity division are hopeful but not definite. “Grades are really important and you have to sacrifice a lot for volleyball, but the freshmen more.” Back at this year’s Battle of the Birds, Choe led the team in a the team bonding and just playing volleyball in general is a great 25-17, 25-22 win against the Eagles, playing right side, a new posi- stress reliever,” she said.
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ton in the team championships this year, Rachael is determined to take the team to first place next season. “In the beginning of the season we focused on general skills, but by the end we realized specifically what individual problems we need to improve on,” said No. “We’ll for sure take home the championship next year.”
14 SPORTS
November 22, 2013
Lowell High School
sports technology By Andrew Pearce
would be on dirt, boxing would be on the streets and ice hockey would be on a frozen pond. Luckily, sports are in a constant state of evolution.
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MAGINE SITTING DOWN in front of a widescreen TV to watch the 49ers in the Superbowl, but not seeing those famous yellow and blue lines showing the line of scrimmage and the first down line. American football has been one of the sports most affected by modern technology, both on the field and on your screen at home. Unlike soccer, football has stop-and-go play, so it is possible to successfully integrate play reviews on the field, without disrupting the way the game is played. The first form of instant replay in the National Football League was in 1986, while the current NFL system was introduced in 1999. In this system, the head
coach is able to “challenge” the call made on the field by throwing a red flag. When this happens, the officials go to a review booth and are able to view the play in question from multiple camera angles. If they see that there is sufficient evidence, the call is reversed. When it was created, this rule created some controversy because some people thought that officiating errors was part of the sport and that the new system slowed down the game. American football is also one of the most watched sports in the nation and has broken many boundaries in the realm of sports presentation. In 1998, Stan Honey developed a piece of simple technology that would change
the way the sport of football is watched forever: the yellow first-down line. This imaginary line is displayed parallel to the yard lines, giving viewers the illusion that it is on the grass. This technology has enhanced the quality of the televised programming, and is now used in many football talk shows to highlight certain player’s routes, and to analyze plays. This concept has become so tied to the sport of football that now we fumble to grasp the concept of the actual football players not having a yellow line to stare at ten yards in front of them.
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LMOST EVERYBODY KNOWS that it is possible for pitchers in Major League Baseball to pitch up to 100 miles an hour. But how do we know this? Whether watching baseball on TV or at a game, you are always told the speed of the pitches. The speed is detected by the same device that cops use to pull you over for speeding: a radar gun. Placed behind home plate, this radar gun tracks the velocity of the baseball whizzing directly towards it. The fastest ever recorded pitch is 108.1 miles per hour and was thrown by Nolan Ryan of the California Angels in
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1974. With pitches as fast as these, it is understandable that umpires could make debatable calls. The MLB, like soccer, is finally looking to set up systems designed to settle controversial plays. In August 2013, the idea of instant replay and challenges was proposed for the MLB 2014 season. Managers of each team would be allowed one challenge in the first six innings of the game, and two in the last three. As of Nov. 1, this new system will be trialed in the Arizona Fall League, which is administered by the MLB. If it goes well in the AFL, there is a high possibility the MLB will adopt this experimental system.
SOCCER
OCCER IS A SPORT that has changed very little since organized teams started playing in the early 1800s. Conceptually, it is one of the easiest sports for anyone to comprehend: get the ball in the goal without using your hands. Whereas other sports have developed new technologies to help scoring or
refereeing, soccer has remained faithful to its pure scored the equalizing goal, but it was not called a roots of no replays or reviews of plays. goal, and Germany won 4-1. To solve problems such Staying traditional has its virtues; however, it has as these, the Fédération Internationale de Football also presented a variety of problems. Throughout Association (FIFA) has recently introduced new goal the soccer’s history a num- line technology called Hawk-Eye, which will be used ber of controversial goals in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. have been counted, or not The Hawk-Eye system tracks the trajectory of the counted. Possibly one of ball with six cameras focused on each goal. When a the most disputed rivalries ball crosses the goal line, a radio signal is sent to the in sports history is based referee, in as fast as a second. This speed is key beon controvercause soccer is sial calls. In a sport played the 1966 Engwith very few The Hawk-Eye system interruptions. land versus Germany World awk-Eye tracks the trajectory of Htechnology Cup Final, Engwas land won through developed in the ball with six cameras a contentious call E ng l and and focused on each goal. whose truth is still has been used unknown. In the in other sports second round of such as cricket the 2010 World Cup, Germany and tennis. FIFA has allowed Hawk-Eye to install its got revenge for what happened system worldwide. While the game of soccer is still 44 years previously. Frank played the same, improvements toward better regulaLampard of England clearly tions will continue into the future.
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ALL GRAPHICS BUY MONICA LY
November 22, 2013
The Lowell
Athlete of the Month:
SPORTS
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Ashley Duong By Joseph Kim
During her time on the team, Duong imHETHER SHE is smashing her proved in many aspects of her game. “When opponents or battling the final she came in, she was more of a baseline set, junior Ashley Duong proves player,” Lee said. “She’s really developed her her excellence on the tennis courts in both all court game: she’s more comfortable with those midcourt balls and coming to the net. her teamwork and performance. After having played singles in the past, She’s grown into a more aggressive player Duong decided to step into new territory and and her movement at the net has gotten a play doubles this year. “I didn’t feel like I was lot better.” Having played the sport since she was getting anywhere playing singles, so after discussing it with my coach, I decided to make eight years old, Duong is currently in her third year of playa change and try ing for the school. playing doubles,” “My entire family she said. Duong’s deciIt tests me to stay mentally on my dad’s side played tennis,” she sion led to outstrong and I think that’s a said. “I guess it’s standing results for of a part of her and her team. good thing to have in life kind me.” “Ashley is one to Before her do w hate ver is in general.” career in tennis, best for the team,” girls’ varsity tennis ASHLEY DUONG, Duong also found coach Bryan Lee junior tennis player h e r s e l f o n t h e basketball courts. said. “This is the However, as time first season that she’s started playing doubles, and she really passed, Duong grew to find tennis more stepped in and filled that role. Together with suited to her style. “In basketball it’s more her partner, senior Adrianne Pan, she even of a team effort, but in tennis, it’s only you and your opponent,” she said. “You can only got first in All-City’s.” All throughout the competition, the really blame yourself for your own mistakes.” Duong-Pan duo dominated their opponents To Duong, tennis is more than just a physical in two set games. The finals featured the sport; it is a mental game. “It’s not always dynamic duo playing it out on the courts about who’s the best player, but it’s also about against Washington’s Lynette Dang and Row- who’s more confident on the court at the uena Lao. The game ended in a 2-0 victory, time,” she said. “It tests me to stay mentally placing Duong and Pan on top of their 48 strong and I think that’s a good thing to have in life in general.” competitors.
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16 SPORTS
November 22, 2013
Lowell High School
Varsity volleyball sweeps Balboa 3-0 By Samantha Wilcox
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HE GIRLS’ VARSITY volleyball team defended its Academic Athletic Association crown, sweeping the Balboa Buccaneers on Nov. 15 with set scores of 2518 for all three sets. The Cardinals, who boasted an impressive season record of 14-0, were prepared to face off against the Buccaneers (12-2), who they had defeated 3-0 on Sept. 27 in the regular season. “We had no weaknesses in this game,” head coach Steven Wesley said. “We played aggressively, and the girls have matured as players over the course of the season.” Lowell started out dominant in the first set, with senior setter and team captain Gianna Braganza giving knockout serves, as well as senior Jaela Caston and sophomore Celena Kong blocking the Buccaneers’ attempts to score. Lowell maintained a winning combination of good defense and aggressive play, taking the set with a final score of 25-18. The Buccaneers came back into the second set with strong motivation. Both teams defended well, skillfully blocking attempts to score. However, when Lowell gathered for a time out with the Buccaneers leading 7-6, they returned to the court with a thirst for a win. Senior Amorelle Applin went in for the kill, slamming the ball decisively onto the Buccaneers’ court, and the score went in Lowell’s favor from there. Braganza also maintained dominant setting skills, leading the team to win the set with a score of 25-18. The Cardinals did not let up in the third set. Maintaining their impeccable blocking skills, Applin and junior Eileen Shi delivered many kills onto the other court. On the final play, the Buccaneers missed the final kill of the game, finishing off the set 25-18 and the game 3-0. The team has come a long way since the beginning of the season. “We have learned to get back from mistakes and not to let the past change how we play in the present,” sophomore offensive hitter Claudia Tang said. “Also, we have bonded in a way that many teams aren’t able to; we have become sisters.” Lowell will be sad to see current senior players leave. “We are losing four seniors this year, who have all matured immensely since they first joined the team,” Wesley said. “They have all become role model athletes, making intellectual decisions on the court and playing aggressively.” Last season the Cardinals defeated Washington 3-1 in the championship game after a four year drought.
Frosh-soph shuts down Lincoln 2-0 ALL VOLLEYBALL PHOTOS BY CATE STERN
(ABOVE) Jaela Caston celebrates the Cardinals’ 3-0 sweep of Balboa in the girls’ varsity volleyball championship on Nov. 16. (BELOW) Sophomore middle Cynthia Yang spikes the ball into Lincoln territory in the frosh-soph championship also on Nov. 16. The frosh-soph team crushed Lincoln with set scores of 25-10 and 25-23.
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INED UP WITH POSTERS and gold medals, frosh-soph volleyball celebrates another undefeated season and a 2-0 victory in this year’s championship against Lincoln on Friday, Nov. 16. The girls killed the first set 25-10 with all players contributing to a set full of teamwork and communication. Backrows and passers started the play, setters initiated the attack, and hitters finished them off. Heated moments in the first set included an impressive hit by sophomore Samantha Wong. “One of my favorite parts of the game was... that hit!” freshman setter Maddy Kittredge said. “When Sam, #31, hit right through Lincoln’s block and went straight down; that was awesome. It made me feel accomplished because being setter, I know that I was part of that great play.” The Mustangs, however, were still in for a fight. The second set went to a nail-biting continuum of sideouts until the Cardinals finally pulled through 25-23. “My heart was going to explode,” Kittredge said. “Last game, it was really close and that moment we won was a great relief.” Early in the year, the Cardinals defeated Lincoln in their season opener on Sept. 17 with set scores of 26-24, 25-18. Predominantly composed of second-year players, the team swept through the regular season with an undefeated 12-0 record. But even then, there was room for improvement. “Compared to the first game we played together, this one was a lot better,” sophomore right side Mina Choe said. “In the beginning, we didn’t really know each other, but today we were really in sync.”
October 25, 2013
The Lowell
Master Student mixes concepts with concrete
PROFILES
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Artist takes anime to the next aesthetic level
By Amber Ly
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HEN an hourlong precalculus class has students feeling restless, they can can often be found doodling in their notebooks instead of paying attention. This spontaneous artistic expression is exactly how senior Andrew Kennedy works on his masterpieces. Kennedy’s art work has earned him some awards, Second place in last year’s Save the Redwoods National Art Competition and the California State Scholar for the Arts medal last summer. A month ago, Veracyte Inc., a thyroid cancer diagnostic company, published a portion of Kennedy’s art in its information pamphlet given to clients. According to Kennedy, Veracyte needed some visuals for the pamphlet, and he was happy to provide them. “Since the thyroid looks like a butterfly, I drew some butterflies for them,” Kennedy said. Although Kennedy has only recently been recognized for his work, his affinity for art extends back into his childhood. Starting from first grade, Kennedy’s parents began sending him to art classes at ArtWorks, a studio in West Portal. After almost 12 years at the studio, Kennedy brings in his own projects for ArtWorks teachers to guide him with his work. In addition, his previous work is now displayed on the walls of the studio. “They actually named me ‘Master Student’ a month back,” Kennedy said. “Since I’ve been there so long, it is kind of like I grew up there.” At Lowell, he has taken an abundance of visual art es. “I started with beginning art, went to advanced art, then took AP 3D design and now this year I’m a teaching assistant for AP 3D design. I’m also taking AP 2D design,” Kennedy said. As a child, Kennedy’s inspiration came from his fascination with marine life. “I’d go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium a lot,” Kennedy
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said. “And when I’d get back I’d draw all the jellyfish and fish I saw in the tanks. I would always draw the fish. I was obsessed.” Kennedy’s inspiration has grown along with him. “I get inspired by any feeling I have,” Kennedy said. “It’s pretty internal. I also get inspired by other artists a lot.” Nowadays, he is working on a series of portraits for his college portfolio. In this series, the portrait figures are connected to their backgrounds instead of merely depicted on them. So far, he has completed a charcoal portrait of his sister, an elderly woman and a self-portrait, which is his favorite and the most personal piece he has ever done. “I finished it last year over a course of many months because it was a large painting, and those tend to take long,” Kennedy said. “The background was abstract, and at one point the background went onto my face and skin.” As his favorite piece, Kennedy’s selfportrait also exemplifies his artistic style. “It was kind of abstract, but it was still grounded because it was definitely a portrait,” Kennedy said. “So, it’s an example of a middle-ground between conceptual and executing a concrete subject, which is my style.”
RT IS one of the most powerful and challenging modes of expression. Senior Angel Su has practically mastered this skill and has won numerous awards, while developing a unique style. Growing up, Su did not take any art classes. “I have been doing art for as long as I can remember, but I never had any formal training before high school,” she said. Since developing her talent, Su has realized a passion for art. “My favorite thing about the art process is designing characters, places and just things in general,” she said. “I really love concept art and sketching is one of my favorite things. I also really like coloring and painting because it’s those steps that really help bring the work to life,” she said. Through the years, Su has developed her own unique style. “I started in anime, but people started telling me that others don’t look for anime, so I turned to more traditional art,” she said. “When I’m drawing for fun, I do a western-based, Japanese mixture. When I’m drawing for more professional reasons, my work is mainly contemporary illustrations with a historical base.” Su has accomplished a lot through her art, but perhaps most impressive are her Scholastic Arts and Writing awards, of which she won two golds regionally and a
silver nationally. These awards, which are presented by The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, have brought light to some of the nation’s most influential artists, according to the Scholastic Arts and Writing awards website (www.artandwriting.org). Although these awards are her most widely recognized accomplishment, Su has a different favorite. “My favorite accomplishment was being a part of a charity art book which was sold to support St. Jude Children’s Hospital,” she said. “In these books, a compilation of artists submit pieces of art under a common theme and create a book, which is sold to raise funds for charity. It is a gallery-based invitation, so you need to submit a profile. At first I thought my work was at a lower level than other artists, but a contact of mine helped me improve my profile.” In the future, Su hopes to go beyond books and find a promising career in the art field. “I want to base my career in illustration,” she said. “Ideally I would work for a magazine, but if that doesn’t work out I could do something in nature studies. I like drawing animals.” Su has made an impression on her art teacher, Patricia Copeland. “She is very talented,” Copeland said. “She does a lot of art outside of school, which shows that she has a passion. She is also fast and gets a lot of work done, and she is open to criticism.”
Cartoonist pursues practicality within passion By Karina Huft
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VER WONDER what it would be like to live in a comic strip? For junior Marisa Ling, this is exactly how she prefers to see her life. Ling has been painting since she was six, when she began taking lessons at Joseph’s Fine Art School. Ling also enrolled in summer classes in 2012 and 2013 at the Academy of Arts. Her colorful courseload included a figure drawing class, a comic book illustration class and an animation class. At school, Ling has enrolled in Art 1, AP 3D Studio Art and, now, AP Drawing.
Currently, Ling is an intern in a program called Art Speak at the Asian Art Museum. Among her accolades, she has won six keys, Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards, in the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers annual art competition and has shown some of her pieces in a local gallery named Ruth’s Table. Ling has two very distinct styles: pop surrealism and traditional Chinese brush painting. Her favorite things to create are comic strips. The method behind the madness of Ling’s artwork is her ability to transfer her own life into her paintings; she sees her everyday routines as action- packed comic panels. She recreates the world we live in with her paintbrush and her mind. “All the things that I draw are kind of my image of a perfect world, though many of the images can be seen as pretty dark. I actually think it’s better that way,” Ling said. “It’s kind of like if I could repaint the world.” Ling’s talent can be traced through her bloodlines. Her mother, who majored in graphic design and minored in fine arts, was the one who initially signed her up for art. “When I was younger, I didn’t aim to take after my mom” Ling said. “When I was little, I used to go to the library
and get a bunch of manga books, and I would just copy all the characters because I really liked manga.” This artist also uses her powers for good, as evident by her position as 2015 public relations officer. “I like being on student government a lot,” Ling said. “It makes me feel good to give back to the school.” As far as college goes, Ling’s first choice is to attend UC Los Angeles to major in art and minor in an academic subject. “I definitely want to major in art, but I think that it’s hard to make a living off of,” she said. “It’s kind of a big conflict for me between what I want to do and what I have to do.” For Ling, art is more than just a form of expression; it is a way of communicating. “In a weird way, I sometimes like to think that I am the ambassador between the world that I live in and the world that I imagine,” she said. “And because I am the only person that has access to that imagined world, it feels like my purpose to share it with this world.”
November 22, 2013
18 The Lowell
OPINION
Reporter delves into unknown causes of deeply internalized racism among certain ethnic groups By Sam Tick-Raker
never ending cycle of anti-Semitism flowing between the HEN MOST OF US hear an outsider direct a Jewish community and the non-Jewish community, making derogatory word or phrase at our own religious or derogatory comments like that more popular and common. The real question is, however, as a Jew, am I being antiethnic group, we feel offended. When a member of our religion or race, however, makes a similar joke, many Semitic by mocking my religion, even if my intention is of us may laugh or continue poking fun at the stereotype. Is only to be funny, but not harm anyone? It is anti-Semitic this okay? Is it racist or anti-Semitic to make jokes about our because although neither my friends nor I may be offended by the light-hearted jokes, many own groups? No matter the Jews would be. Though many would answer, these actions can still damage our society The seemingly light-hearted argue that making fun of your own religion is harmless and justified, over time. use of discriminatory language, these jokes can become serious. If I may start making jokes speaks out against a racist about being Jewish when even solely among a certain someone joke, saying that it is offensive, others I am around my Jewish friends. As this gradually community, can spread to oth- would respond with the argument that this person does not have a sense continues, however, I may ers, harming society as a whole. of humor and cannot take a joke. The begin making the same situation, however, can get more jokes not only among these messy and complicated. If someone friends, but among my non-Jewish friends as well. This could cause my non-Jewish hears a Jew making an anti-Semitic joke, that person may feel friends to start perpetuating those stereotypes, creating a that it would be okay if he or she made the same joke. Many times a person can respond to criticism of an inappropriate joke by saying, “It’s fine, I’m Jewish.” But you know what? It is not fine because it is still hurtful and offensive, and the effects of this seemingly innocuous antiSemitism are much greater than one would expect. An equally offensive example of this issue is the use of the “N word.” Even though this word is extremely racist and offensive, its use is prevalent among modern day society, especially in music. The black rapper Young Gangsta recently released a song called “My N***a,” reaching 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. The fact that it is so popular is surprising and disturbing.
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I think that while Young Gangsta is not intentionally racist, he still is, in some ways, because he is using a word, which in the past has been used to degrade and dehumanize blacks in this country. Many people, especially during the Civil Rights Movements, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., fought for equal rights for blacks in this country, trying to stop whites and others from calling blacks the “N word.” The fact that this song with the “N word” in the title was released in September 2013 says something about this country and leaves me wondering whether we have made progress concerning racism and the use of demoralizing words. When people of all races hear this song, they may begin singing along. This is an example of how internalized racism can spread to the rest of the community. As the song is played on the radio, it is almost as if Young Gangsta and the recording company were trying to promote the use of the “N word,” and people listening to it may feel that since someone on the radio says it, then they can use it. This has led to more and more non-black people using the “N word,” which is clearly racist. Also, since this As a Jew, am I being type of music is more popular anti-Semitic by mocking among younger the my religion, even if my generations, use of the word intention is only comedic, may influence children, who are and not to harm anyone? future teachers and politicians and scientists of this country. Is that a positive message we want to be sending to them? That it is okay to use the “N word?” The never-ending cycle of racism continues into today, even in a world where more people consider themselves politically correct. The seemingly funny and light-hearted use of discriminatory language, even solely among a certain community, can spread to other communities, harming society as a whole. So, think before making a joke about your race, ethnicity or religion because you never know what the consequences will be.
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CAMILIA KACIMI
Student calls for change from AP to honors courses By Madelyn Chen
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LONG WITH a reputation of academic excellence and rigor, Lowell boasts an impressive Advanced Placement program, the fourth largest among both public and private high schools in America in terms of the total number of AP examinations given. Due to this, a large part of Lowell’s identity and reputation hinges on AP exams, as the amount of AP exams that a school administers is the basis for school rankings compiled by magazines such as Newsweek. However, even at Lowell, there are hidden costs to high achievements. Such dependence on students taking AP exams — thereby increasing school ranking and funding — has resulted in increased pressure on both students and staff to view AP classes as preparation to score well on AP exams. By focusing on the AP exams and minimizing other challenging material outside the AP curriculum, students are robbed of valuable learning experiences. There should be a balance of the school’s prestige and finances, and the quality of education students receive. The latter must come as the first priority of students, staff and the school. AP classes, which follow a curriculum set by the College Board, should be replaced with honors level courses that would teach subjects at a college level and retain many of the benefits of AP classes, but without the limitations imposed by centering a class around the AP exam. Even a passing score on an AP exam does not translate to college credit in many cases, and does not necessarily indicate college readiness. Having honors classes instead of AP’s does not lower academic standards. They would still provide a challenge for students seeking to delve deeper into subjects of
interest, and would give teachers more time to focus on areas of student interest, instead of rushing to cram information before the AP exam. In addition, colleges would still weigh these honors classes and provide an increased grade bump in students’ GPAs as AP classes currently do. Also, students can take AP exams even
without taking an AP class, so students in honors classes could still take the AP exams for their subjects if they chose to do so. While the AP exam is important for the opportunities it provides, it should not be the be-all, end-all of AP classes. Students, parents and teachers alike should re-evaluate their expectations of what AP classes mean
and entail. Replacing AP classes with honors courses in the same subject, with the same weighted score would encourage students to take more of courses out of interest in learning, and allow teachers to plan their own curriculums. For all involved, replacing AP classes with more honors level options can only be a win-win situation.
MONICA LEE
November 22 , 2013
the lowell
OPINION/edItOrIal
O P I N I O N Senior Boat sets sail, stranding some on shore
The LOL
By Spencer Thirtyacre
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F YOU WERE ONE OF THE MANY SENIORS who missed out on a chance to board the Cabernet Sauvignon cruise ship for Senior Boat, you may have found yourself feeling a bit left out. After advertising two weeks of sales, the 2014 senior board stopped selling tickets on the Friday of the first week, after selling 357, according to a senior LSA officer who chose to remain anonymous. The sales were halted due to uncertainty over the number of chaperones needed, leaving dozens on a waiting list, feeling disappointed and regretful that they hadn’t bought their tickets earlier. I personally walked up to the Student Activities Office on the second Monday that they were supposed to be selling tickets, only to be informed that there were no tickets left to purchase. I was offered a waiting list to write my name on, but was told that since it was already the third page of names, the chances of being able to buy a ticket were slim at best. In frustration, I refused to sign my name and stormed off. The reason for the lack of availability is because the class board had not finished counting and needed to know how many more tickets they could sell before they reached the maximum occupancy of the boat, according to the LSA officer. Fortunately for some of those who did add their names on the waiting list, there were still plenty of tickets left which, combined with students refunding their tickets, resulted in people on the third page being offered the chance to purchase tickets. Still, this left many ticketless and missing the chance to have a great time dancing around the bay. “I wish I could have gotten my ticket because it would have been a great experience to have a Prom on the water,” senior Louie Romero said. “My date and I would have had the night of our lives, but it just didn’t work out.” Despite this unfortunate mishap, blame does not lie with the 2014 board. They handled the situation professionally and did as much as they could to smooth things out. The reason the board underestimated the amount of people that would buy tickets is that they based it partially on last year’s ticket sales for Boat, which was around 300, according to the LSA officer. They also looked at dance attendance of the class of 2014, which was far lower than last year’s seniors. With that information in mind and anticipating a low turnout, the class officers determined that renting a bigger boat would be a waste of money. Nonetheless, the senior board could have counted the tickets faster to have a more accurate estimate of the capacity that was still available. This could have been done over the weekend, instead of rushing to count during the week of Boat, causing ticket sales to be cut off prematurely. Instead of having a few more days to ask people to Boat, many students believed that they had missed their opportunities. Overall, Senior Boat was a successful event and many students had a great time sailing through the moonlit bay. Hopefully the junior class can learn from this and make next year’s boat even better. You can have your voice heard by submitting your letters to the editor by email to thelowellopinion@gmail.com
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THE LOL CAMILA KACIMI
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, Throughout the history of The Lowell, students and staff alike have been able to voice their thoughts concerning the school. A Letter to the Editor has been, and is, a constructive outlet that has fostered significant beneficial changes both big and small by providing Lowell High School with suggestions and critiques. This dialogue needs to continue as a venue of democratic interaction. Without signed Letters to the Editor, there is a lack of school-wide discussion
about what needs to happen to improve our school. We encourage you — students, staff and community — to submit your letters and get your opinions heard. With topical issues at hand, such as the lack of senior boat tickets, or the validity and appropriateness of the senior pop polls, there is no one better to hear from than you. Don’t sit at home complaining to your friends, or using Twitter as an outlet (you know who you are). Submit a letter, get your voice heard. ~ The Lowell Opinion staff
editors-in-Chief
Deidre Foley s Henry Hammel Elijah Alperin s Copper Logan News Deidre Foley, Copper Logan Sports Henry Hammel, Ian James, Sam Tick-Raker, Andrew Pearce Features Kai Matsumoto-Hines Elena Bernick, KT Kelly Opinion Elazar Chertow, Spencer Thirtyacre reporters, Natalia Arguello Inglis, Elena Bernick, Luciano Chan,
Cardinal Lael Bajet red Samantha Yu
Madelyn Chen, Crystal Chung, Emily Fong, Campbell Gee, Luke Haubenstock, Karina Huft, Joseph Kim, Gisela Kottmeier, Whitney C. Lim, Amber Ly, Patricia Nguy, Andrew Pearce, Tyler Perkins, Noreen Shaikh, Pasha Stone, Spencer Thirtyacre, Sam Tick-Raker, Samantha Wilcox, Michelle Wong art editor Monica Lee Illustrators Camilia Kacimi, Kimberly Li, Christine Van, Stephan Xie Photo editor Huimin Zhang Photographers Luciano Chan, Karina Huft, Zoe Kaiser, Amber Ly, Sally Ma, Cate Stern, Lily Young Multimedia editor Monica Castro Web Content editor Elijah Alperin
Social Media Manager Pasha Stone, Michelle Wong
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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) 7592730 Internet: thelowellads@yahoo.com; http://www.thelowell.org. All contents copyright Lowell High School journalism classes. All rights reserved. The Lowell and The Lowell on the Web strive to inform the public and to use their opinion sections as open forums for debate. All unsigned editorials are the opinions of the staff. The Lowell welcomes comments on school-related issues from students, faculty and community members. Send letters to lowellopinion@gmail.com. Letters must be signed. Names will be withheld upon request. We reserve the right to edit letters before publication. 2012 NSPA Print Pacemaker 2011 NSPA All-American 2011 NSPA Online Pacemaker 2009 NSPA First Class Honors
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Kermesse and other courtyard festivities should be changed to rally schedule so students will not have to miss class to participate
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ETWEEN CRAMMING FOR TESTS and collapsing under assignments, Lowell students need to take some time to relax: to regain some of the years lost to the stress of school, or at least to slow down the aging process. School events, such as co-curricular day, Winterfaire and Kermesse, during which food is sold and the atmosphere is generally light, provide chances for students and staff alike to take a breath and enjoy the activity. These much-appreciated events have a festive and cheerful air, but they occur on normal schools days with normal schedules. Were it not for the prominent event, the day might seem like any other school day, and, unfortunately, some teachers consider it just that. Although some teachers release students from classes to attend the events, others do not. Since these events usually start during Mods 6-7, students with free Mods before then could miss the event entirely, especially if they are not let out of classes. There is an unfairness on both sides — on the one hand, all students should be able to take some time off from classes to enjoy a school-sponsored activity. But, on the other hand, class time should not be disrupted just for a special event. In other words, students and teachers alike should not have to choose between attending the event or missing out on valuable class time. Therefore, to provide all students and staff with a chance to participate in the event and have some free time to experience the often-unnoticed fun side of school — on days with events such as co-curricular day, Winterfaire and Kermesse — we should create a special schedule in which
there is a large chunk of time dedicated to the event and shortened classes. Similar to a rally schedule, these event days could allocate an hour in which everyone is free to attend the event, and each class would run for forty-five minutes. Such a schedule would ensure that all students and staff could benefit from the event without sacrificing class time. The event would still run almost the whole day, and teachers could still let students out if they choose, providing a balance between two extremes — everyone being out of class, and few being able to attend the event. Booths for the event would still be open for most of the day, with the added boons of being able to sell products to a larger customer base and making additional revenue, as more people would be able to participate in the event. This revenue would be poured back into the clubs or departments which use the activities as fundraising events, and would benefit the school since more funds for clubs and departments would lead to increased opportunities for students and school programs. With a special schedule on event days, students would have a chance to go to the events and hang out with their friends, while not missing out on either their classes or the events. With the current normal schedule on event days, students are fidgety and impatient in class, knowing that there is food and fun in the courtyard, and teachers find it difficult to teach students whose minds are elsewhere. “Students can’t focus anyways in class because they’re so focused on wanting to be outside, so it’ll be like classes aren’t even important that day, because students aren’t interested,” junior Catherine Pabalan said.
An amount of time allocated to go to the event would be particularly beneficial for students whose free blocks don’t fit inside event hours. However, according to AP Chinese teacher and Kermesse head Xiaolin Chang, even students without free Mods between Mods 6-20 could participate in Kermesse by selling food for a club, performing in a presentation or competing in a competition. Yet, these students would still miss class, a fact that could discourage students who are worried about keeping up with lessons and missing assignments. While allotting a specific time for the event may lead to overcrowding in the courtyard, the longer lines and crowds could be seen as a positive show of support for the clubs or groups fundraising, as well as a chance for all students to mingle and meet up with friends, or make new ones. With a special schedule, teachers would no longer struggle on event days to decide whether to follow their lesson plans and try to teach students impatient to participate in the outside activities, or to dismiss their students and lose precious class time. With shorter, but reasonably long classes, teachers would no longer need to make this difficult decision. All students could enjoy the event and also clock in some time learning. A rally-esque schedule for special event days would therefore benefit teachers, students and the school, providing a much needed break to an overstressed student body. Days when there are unique events are meant to be special, and it’s time that the schedule matched the occasion.
By Patricia Nguy
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ONTRARY TO POPULAR belief, Ghirardelli does not deserve all the attention in San Francisco’s chocolate world. Freeze-dried fruit and caramel-covered nuts have sneaked into your fair-trade, bean-to-bar chocolate selection, challenging Europe’s top-notch counterparts.
After swimming in the freezing waves or trudging through the cold, damp sand of Aquatic Park, take refuge at Ghirardelli Square, right across the street, where smiling employees hand out chocolate squares filled with rich and silky, oozing caramel to lure tourists from the square. Outside, the contemporary music and pitterpatter of the water fountain create a vibrant yet peaceful atmosphere, and an inescapable smell of savory comfort food permeates the air. The square comprises the skeleton of the old chocolate factory, which hosts a refreshing array of cozy restaurants and window-walled shops, including four Ghirardelli stores and cafés with pretty much the same merchandise and menu items. If you are already a fan of Ghirardelli, try some of their new flavors, including the Cabernet Matinee in the dark chocolate collection. This obsidian-like chocolate bar is infused with boozy blackberries and grapes. If you are a newbie when it comes to Ghi-
rardelli, a popular seasonal Christmas chocolate bar is Peppermint Bark, with coffee brown and cream layers reminiscent of a triple chocolate mousse and flecks of red peppermint candy that add a delicate crunch and send a wave of cool mint over your taste buds. Other Christmas novelties include star-shaped tins of Ghirardelli’s chocolate SQUARES and blushing Jolly Santa Bags, and you absolutely cannot miss the luxurious five pound milk chocolate bars for sixty dollars a slab. The glossy brown bars feature an embossed eagle on a ring of leaves hugging the initials D.G., which stand for the company’s founder Domenico Ghirardelli. The present-day tourist attraction was originally a chocolate factory established during the Gold Rush by the Italian Ghirardelli with the help of American James Lick. However, in the 1960s, the manufacturing operation moved to San Leandro. Fearing its demolition, San Franciscan William Roth purchased the abandoned property, opening Ghirardelli Square on Nov. 29, 1964. From then on, the square slowly became a mandatory stop for tourists from around the world.
A different flower than the rest of the bunch, this small-batch chocolate factory sprouted in the Mission, and the bitter chocolate aroma is noticeable the moment you walk through the door. Glass bowls overflowing with fragrant dark chocolate, chocolate bars wrapped in gold-printed paper and wooden trays filled with cocoa beans are scattered around the dimly lit room. The café is like a chocolate god’s tomb. If you order the “Papau New Guinea Smore,” they torch the marshmallow exterior to a golden brown right before your eyes. Take a seat with a cookbook by the counter and observe the open factory, where workers package stacks of gold-foil wrapped chocolate bars. Wander further into a back aisle to read the chalkboard, updated with community events pertaining to chocolate or food, and peek into the cocoa bean storage room.
Also in the vicinity of Aquatic Park is an equally enthusiastic chocolate manufacturer. If Ghirardelli were a solid grandparent, TCHO would be a zealous teenager. Ever heard of a chocolate bar that tastes like strawberry rhubarb pie? This dreamy bar in the TCHOPairings collection, dedicated to harmonizing chocolate with other flavors, has a fine swirl pattern that is segmented into square pieces. When you break off a tile of Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, a galaxy of golden crumbs and strawberry dust flows out of the delicacy. The smell of the cinnamon graham cracker crust combined with the perfume of the summer berries takes your breath away. A bite will bring back memories of drinking chocolate milk during your childhood; afterwhich you can feel granules of the strawberry rhubarb pie, which mom used to make, melting away into a divine medley of tart strawberries and buttery crust.
There is always a crowd near the chocolate sampling area, buzzing about the different chocolates. Unlike other chocolate companies, Dandelion names their chocolate after the geographic origin of the cocoa beans used to make each product. Even though the three chocolate bars they sell have the same percentage of cocoa beans, they all have different flavor profiles from each other. The “Abanja, Madagascar” has the most bitterness, tempered by bursts of fruity flavor. The “Mantuano, Venezuela” tastes of chocolate fudge and espresso, which seems to be the favorite of customers. The “Patamo, Venezuela” is probably the most kid-friendly dark chocolate, being the sweetest variety, due to a specific roasting process, and it also has a hint of almonds. The gift-giving season will sneak up on you before you know it, so why not start by stocking up on everyone’s guilty pleasure. Or swing on by here with a friend and appreciate the city’s chocolate renaissance.
The TCHO store’s orange doorway stands out against the white building and curvy metal benches. The interior walls and the TCHO logo echo the orange theme. The store also has a café, selling coffee and chocolate beverages, pastries and popsicle-like Bar Gelato from Naia, an artisanal gelato company. Chocolate production machinery stands near the cash register, but white curtains and covers obscure them from view. Chocolate workers occasionally tiptoe into the store and café area, available for customers to ask them about their bean-to-bar, fair trade chocolate. TCHO created a label called “beyond fair trade,” which emphasizes making farmers’ lives better instead of only being a member fair trade, a special label for products from manufacturers whose farmers receive a “fair” amount of money for the crops they produce. TCHO’s high standards rely heavily on TCHOSource, a program that works directly with bean growers to produce the best chocolate possible without a middleman.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEPHAN XIE
Don’t leave the Embarcadero yet because there is one more tiny chocolate store hiding in the Ferry Building Marketplace. Recchiuti ditched traditional glass cases and instead displays their chocolate pieces under glass in countertops, making it easier to stare down at your choices. The elaborate descriptions of the chocolate confections crowd an entire wall. Childish paintings of food add a playfulness to the ambiance, in contrast to the monochromatic brown furniture. Their Hazelnut Bar sings a bittersweet song of caramel on the forefront with an angry mob of hazelnuts running through the irregular segments. The sprinkle of sea salt clings to the roof of your mouth and rounds out the sweet arrangement. Recchiuti also has a restaurant in the Dog-
patch district called The Chocolate Lab. As the name implies, they serve distilled and sparkling water from Erlenmeyer flasks, familiar to us from chemistry class. The decor also uses glass in other unique ways, such as its glass tile-bordered doorway and wire-looped glassware that hangs dangerously from the high ceiling. The Chocolate Lab has a continuous experiment in process called Chocolate Lab Cake, which adapts progressively. Its current version is a masterpiece which sits in a chocolate tube, swimming in a pool of coffee creme anglaise. The cake has a surprising hint of cinnamon and is light and airy, which contrasts with the dense bittersweet chocolate filling that is smoother than a truffle. The garnish of cacao nib foam will remind you of the foam on top of a cappuccino. Creamy coffee sauce, crunchy cacao nibs and dark cocoa powder punch you in the face with chocolate bitterness. Your mouth will be burning with chocolate flavor by the time you are done.