Dear readers of The Lowell,
The Multimedia Mag has been in the works for the past year – it’s an entirely new territory for The Lowell, one that we were excited to explore! This is a completely multimedia-themed magazine put together by our illustrators, photographers, and multimedia editors.
We wanted to allow our photographers and illustrators to fully pursue creative projects and find art among the Lowell population. In “Under their skin,” our photographers showcased art on Lowellites’ bodies by finding students with tattoos. One of our photographers wrote haunting poems, and in turn, one of our illustrators provided the artwork for the poems. We also asked photographers and artists to explore new mediums and techniques: in “Soundscapes,” one of our artists painted while listening to different songs.
We encouraged our photographers to seek out new inspirations. “Spring Lookbook” draws from the flash photography and maximalist aesthetic of FRUiTS magazine, which showcased outfits from Tokyo’s fashion district in the early 2000s.
Thank you so much to all of our multimedia staff and contributors for working hard to break new ground and make this project happen.
Multimedia Editor-in-Chief, Marlena Rohde
The Lowell is published by the journalism classes of Lowell High School. All contents copyright Lowell High School journalism classes. All rights reserved. The Lowell strives to inform the public and to use its opinion sections as open forums for debate. All unsigned editorials are opinions of the staff. The Lowell welcomes comments on school-related issues from students, faculty and community members. Send letters to the editors to thelowellnews@gmail.com. Names will be withheld upon request. We reserve the right to edit letters before publication.
The Lowell is a student-run publication distributed to thousands of readers including students, parents, teachers, and alumni. All advertisement profits fund our newsmagazine issues. To advertise online or in print, email thelowellmanagement@gmail.com. Contact us: Lowell High School 1101 Eucalyptus Drive San Francisco, CA 94132, 415-759-2730, or at thelowellnews@gmail.com.
The Lowell April 2023
WE’LL BE ALRIGHT SOUNDSCAPES
LIFE OF THE PARTY
PEOPLE, PEOPLE
UNDER THEIR SKIN
SPRING LOOKBOOK
Editors-in-Chief
Chloe Chon
Kelcie Lee
Marlena Rohde
Multimedia Editors
Libby Bowie
Marlena Rohde
Yeshi-Wangmu Sherpa
Art Managers
Darixa Varela Medrano
Elise Muchowski
Photographers
Kahlo Friel Asay
Samir Azmi
Malena Cardona
Kylie Chau
Katharine Kasperski
Lauren Kim
Ava Rosoff
Illustrators
Joey He
Charon Kong
Katey Lau
Hugh Macdonald
Danica Yee
Emily Yee Advisor
Eric Gustafson
COFFEE CUP PSYCHOLOGY
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CONTENTS
STAFF SPREAD DESIGN BY LIBBY BOWIE
BY DARIXA VARELA MEDRANO
The Lawless Mind
By Ava Rosoff
my thoughts spiral into an ornate cage, locking themselves inside and swallowing the key, spinning faster and faster and faster until I cannot glimpse them.
my thoughts scribble on the blank walls of my psyche, except their drawings are ugly, black sharpie lines with no shape, no cohesive quality, sticking out on the stark white wall. i try to scrub them away but their residue remains until my fingers are raw from scrubbing and i let out a sigh of defeat. my thoughts are endless, scorching suns, hot and unforgiving, blinding me when i examine them for too long. my thoughts are endless night, dark save for a few spots of light. i gaze at those spots of light, squinting to better see tem, stars amidst the seemingly endless darkness of my mind. someday, i know the night sky will crack open to reveal a sky of endless stars, brightness conquering dark, an inverted version of my current state of mind. the curtains that are the night sky will open, the walls will be clean, or may be they’ll come down entirely, i’ll find the key to the cage and unlock it. and then i’ll feel true joy.
We’ll It’s Okay Not
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ILLUSTRATIONS
Evocation
By Ava Rosoff
BeAlrigh t
toBeOkay
you capture each moment so you don’t lose it, lose it in the furthest reaches of your mind, off in some forgotten coat pocket, some roach-filled corner, some bucket filled with sand and taken with the tide of forgetfulness. write in your journal; oh, how did it feel to be young, to have worries like butterflies, so beautiful, innocent, fleeting, caught in a net and released? tell me, show me; were you ever in love? did your love camouflage itself so others wouldn’t recognize it, so you’d never have to face the bitter rejection that comes with loving people without caution? weave memories together, fragments, puzzle pieces, put them together and ponder what your life has become. it doesn’t look how you thought it would look, but somehow, that makes it prettier.
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SPREAD DESIGN BY ROMAN FONG
SOUNDSCAPES
By Danica Yee
Have you ever been moved to tears or hysterical laughter by a song that reached into your chest, clenched your heart, and told it how to beat? Have you ever closed your eyes and seen past the music, into the life of the song? These three pieces of art are meant to visually express the physicality of the songs they represent — the rhythm, the way they flow, and the atmospheres they evoke. It represents the swirling feelings when you listen to it with your mind and not just your ears.
By Pink Floyd
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“Eclipse”
“Call it Fate, Call It Karma”
By The Strokes
“Plastic Beach”
By Gorillaz, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon
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SPREAD DESIGN BY KELCIE LEE
the following is false party portraiture. no models were under the influence of any substance. they were only under the influence of emotion and fun. two friends meet at a party. chaos ensues.
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BYELISEMUCHOWSKI ANDLIBBYBOWIE SPREAD DESIGN BY ELISE MUCHOWSKI
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The Lowell April 2023 9 SPREAD DESIGN
BY ELISE MUCHOWSKI
PEOPLE, PEOPLE
By Katharine Kasperski
From crosswalks to art galleries, people are continuously flooding and leaving spaces. Crowds push forward and retreat in a matter of hours, minutes, and seconds. Yet the relationship between the crowded bustling parts of our city and empty public spaces reveals we are not just visitors. No matter how fleeting, it’s the people who define a place and create an atmosphere.
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The Lowell April 2023 11 SPREAD DESIGN
BY KELCIE LEE
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SPREAD DESIGN BY KELCIE LEE
UNDER THEIR SKIN
A look into tattoo and stick-and-poke art at Lowell.
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PHOTOS BY MARLENA ROHDE, YESHI-WANGMU SHERPA, AND LIBBY BOWIE
SPREAD DESIGN BY LIBBY BOWIE
SPRING
LOOK BOOK
By Katharine Kasperski,
Beatrice
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Quinn
Ethan
Sam Erica
Samir Azmi, Lauren Kim, Kahlo Friel-Asay, Kylie Chau, and Ava Rosoff
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Lillian
Ethan Lia
Sammy
SPREAD DESIGN BY ELISE MUCHOWSKI
M U L T I M E D I A
M A G A Z I N E