The Lowell Newsmagazine December 2022

Lowell WEIGHED The

December 2022

DOWNBY

MUSCLE

“WE NEED THIS TO STOP!”

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES

BY CHLOE CHON AND KELCIE LEE

KELCIE LEE

OUTFITS FOR FALL

BY KYLIE CHAU AND MARLENA ROHDE

MAKING ENDS MEET

BY SIERRA SUN

@thelowell

AVA ROSOFF

IN THIS ISSUE: TAKE JOURNALISM OFF THE CHOPPING BLOCK

ACCOLADES: NSPA Pacemaker Top 100, 2018 NSPA Print Pacemaker Finalist, 2011 & 2014 NSPA Online Pacemaker, 2012 NSPA Print Pacemaker, 2007 & 2011 NSPA All-American, 2009 NSPA First Class Honors, 2007 NSPA Web Pacemaker, 2007 CSPA Gold Crown

COVER A CULTURE OF COMPARISON

Editors-in-Chief Chloe Chon Kelcie Lee Marlena Rohde

OPINION ONE TRAY IS NOT ENOUGH

Opinions Editor Chloe Chon

MULTIMEDIA IMPRESSIONISM: FLUIDITY IN PHOTO-ILLUSTRATION

Sports Editor Roman Fong Art Managers Darixa Varela Medrano Elise Muchowski

NEWS FEATURE

OVERCROWDED, UNDERSTAFFED, AND OVERWHELMED

HOT TAKE THE MULLET: PARTY IN THE FRONT, BUSINESS IN THE BACK

Business Managers Yi Luo Adrienne Nguyen Primo Pelczynski

MEDIA REVIEW TAYLOR SWIFT’S MIDNIGHTS

COMICS

Photographers Kahlo Friel Asay Malena Cardona Kylie Chau Katharine Kasperski Lauren Kim Reina Lee Ava Rosoff

Social Media Managers Juliane Dabi Erin Guo Gianna Ou Aaliyah Español-Rivas Miyabi Yoshida

SNEAK IN THE SNOW, STRUGGLES OF THE FISHER LIFE, WINTER WEATHER, WRONG SIDE OF THE BED, JUST ADD WATER

Advisor Eric Gustafson

News Editors Angela Chen Kelcie Lee Columns Editors Aaliyah Español-Rivas Dylan Twyman Multimedia Editors Libby Bowie Marlena Rohde Yeshi-Wangmu Sherpa Reporters Isadore Diamond Clarabelle Fields Maya Law Niyati Mandhani Marshall Muscat Victoria Pan Evan Powers Laura Reyes Sierra Sun

SPREAD DESIGN BY LIBBY BOWIE

2 4 10 12 16 22 23 24

EDITORIAL

Illustrators Joey He Charon Kong Katey Lau Hugh McDonald Danica Yee Emily Yee Web Managers Roan Rafter Joanne Zeng Researcher Saw Nwe

The Lowell December 2022

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EDITORIAL

A

TAKE JOURNALISM OFF THE CHOPPING BLOCK

s a result of the $3.6 million budget cut from last school year, our journalism program was cut. Fortunately, the Lowell Alumni Association (LAA) and Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) donated $900,000 to fund elective courses, including two journalism classes. This was a temporary solution that has allowed The Lowell to continue to produce content through print, online, and social media outlets. Without elective funding from the city or state, electives are overlooked, and schools are in danger of losing the abundant benefits that these classes provide.

Classes like journalism are unique in creating student experiences that cannot be taught in conventional classes at Lowell. City and state governments need to create policies to fund elective programs to ensure students have access to these educational opportunities.

On Nov. 8, 2022, California citizens voted on state propositions, one of which was Prop. 28, which guarantees arts and music education for K-12 public schools. Prop. 28 overwhelmingly passed with over 64 percent of voters in support of it. However, this proposition excluded elective courses that don’t fall under the visual performing art (VPA) category, including journalism.

Some electives may be brought back at Lowell due to Prop. 28, while several will not, due to not being categorized as an art or music class. Although Lowell’s architecture and photography courses have been cut for the 2022-2023 school year, these VPA classes have the possibility of being revived due to Prop.

28. Unlike these VPA classes, the Yearbook class was cut and will not receive benefits from Prop. 28, with Yearbook teacher Christian Ferrey stating that he doesn’t know if there will be a

Yearbook class for the 2023-2024 school year. While journalism received benefits from the PTSA and LAA temporarily, it also is not supported by Prop. 28 to secure funding for the coming years.

Journalism is one of the electives at Lowell that provides unique benefits, like being entirely student-run. Our classroom is essentially a newsroom, with frequent meetings and brainstorming sessions. We have a photo backdrop, and desks set up in a way that is like no other at Lowell. Instead of lectures or lessons, we have discussions, one-on-one work time to edit articles, photo-essay critiques, and suggestions for spread designs being yelled across the room.

When something occurs that requires breaking news coverage, reporters are leaving class to rush to the event. Photographers are immediately taking and editing photos, editors are coaching reporters through interviewing on the spot, and other staff members listen to recordings and transcribe interviews word-for-word. With every protest, walk-out, and admin decision being different, experience is gained to foster new skills. As a staff, we’ve found that you don’t need conventional classroom style teaching in order to learn.

As of now, we can still produce the newsmagazine you are holding because of the generosity of the LAA and PTSA. But it is not feasible for the LAA and PTSA to give $900,000 every year to support programs like journalism, making the future of our publication uncertain. Students cannot be deprived of the opportunities journalism classes bring to education, making it imperative that SFUSD officials, as well as city and state elected officials, create policies that will fund more electives.

City and state governments need to create policies to fund elective programs to ensure students have access to these educational opportunities.

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.

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The Lowell December 2022

CARtoon

BUDGET CUTS

ILLUSTRATION BY DANICA YEE

FROM THE EDiTOr Dear readers of The Lowell,

SPREAD DESIGN BY KELCIE LEE

In November, 27 staff members from The Lowell went to St. Louis, Missouri to attend the National High School Journalism Convention. At the convention, The Lowell was awarded the National Scholastic Press Association’s (NSPA) Pacemaker 100 Award, which recognizes the top 100 high school publications in the nation. We are honored to be a small part of The Lowell’s century-long award-winning history. Thank you to the PTSA, LAA, parents, and all those who have supported The Lowell at bake sales that made this trip possible.

We had an incredible time exploring St. Louis, talking to other high school journalists from around the country, and learning about different subjects from social media content to journalism ethics. We hope that this enriching experience comes through in this issue and content to come.

But the future of our journalism program is not a guarantee.

The cover story of our March 2022 issue, “Cuts to the Community,” explored the immediate effects of SFUSD budget cuts on students and teachers, including the journalism program initially being cut. The feature story in this issue, “Overcrowded, Understaffed, and Overwhelmed,” dives into the long-term effects that we’ve observed as a result of those cuts. In our editorial, “Take Journalism Off The Chopping Block,” we reflect on how our journalism program was cut and stress the importance of funding Lowell’s electives.

Editors-in-Chief, Chloe Chon, Kelcie Lee, and Marlena Rohde The Lowell December 2022

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A culture

COMP 4

The Lowell December 2022

e of

DR OM AN

BY NIYATI MANDHAN I AN

NG FO

ILLUSTRATION BY DARIXA VARELA MEDRANO, SPREAD DESIGN BY ELISE MUCHOWSKI

P ARISON

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The Lowell December 2022

COVER

a CULTURE OF

COMPARISON Gym culture has risen in popularity among teenage boys, leading to an obsession with muscularity and body image issues.

BY NIYATI MANDHANI AND ROMAN FONG

S

enior Caleb Leung walks out of the gym tired yet satisfied, having lifted a new milestone weight, one he couldn’t have imagined lifting just a month or two ago. As Leung opens TikTok to post his new personal record, he sees a video of another man lifting an unbelievable amount of weight. Impressed, he scrolls through the other man’s profile, seeing months and months of progress

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The Lowell December 2022

condensed into just a few videos. He frowns as he puts his phone away, excitement over his new personal record erased. Leung contemplates whether he should do one more set, each passing second feeling like wasted time.

Going to the gym is a hobby rising in popularity among teens, especially teenage boys. While going to the gym yields many physical and mental health-related benefits, one of its potential negative consequences is body dysmorphia, a mental condition that involves an unhealthy perception of one’s body.

Body dysmorphia is primarily associated with females, accentuated through pop culture and unrealistically high beauty standards. However, body dysmorphia affects males as well, often leading to similar behaviors like restrictions on diet and low self-esteem. Whereas girls suffering from this condition usually fixate on thinness and see themselves as overweight, boys are most

likely to focus on adding muscle mass and see themselves as overly thin. As a result, the term muscle dysmorphia is often ascribed to males suffering from this condition. Social media has created an additional outlet for gym culture to idealize muscularity and put pressure on boys to obsess over working out and bulking up.

Body image has been stereotyped as a female issue, causing it to be overlooked in men despite it being prominent among males. According to Dr. Jason Nagata, a pediatrician at UCSF specializing in eating disorders, the lack of attention to body image issues has given boys more reason not to seek help or talk about it. “There’s already a stigma for anyone with body image issues or eating disorders regardless of their sex or gender,” he said. “But

“But boys and men with muscle dysmorphia have a double stigma because they’re both affected by this condition and they are an underserved population. That is even harder for them to talk about.”

ing, Leung feels like going to the gym intensifies pre-existing insecurities of thinness, largely due to impatience with muscle growth. “You go to the gym to improve yourself, but you don’t feel like you’re improving,” Leung said. “It’s a slow, long-term improvement, so when you go to the mirror the next day expecting to see something, you don’t see it right away.” According to Leung, this is what leads to the obsession to achieve muscularity and bulk, his definition

“It’s a slow, longterm improvement, so when you go to the mirror the next day expecting to see something, you don’t see it right away.”

The Lowell December 2022

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ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHARON KONG, SPREAD DESIGN BY ELISE MUCHOWSKI

boys and men with muscle dysmorphia have a double stigma because they’re both affected by this condition and they are an underserved population. That is even harder for them to talk about.”

Nagata pioneered the term “Bigorexia,” a nickname for muscle dysmorphia, which refers to the preoccupation with insufficient muscularity that can impede peoples’ ability to function. This may lead to anxiety, depression, or eating disorders. According to a 2019 study, around one-third of teenage boys are actively trying to gain muscle mass, with one-fourth changing their diet or using muscle-enhancing supplements to do so.

While many teens go to the gym to improve their body image, doing so results in the opposite for some individuals: further insecurity and increased body dysmorphia. Leung began going to the gym to get bigger muscles, feeling indirect pressure from peers and himself to meet his high standards.

Although his overall perception of his body has improved since he started lift-

of “perfect body,” and leads to “feeling like [you’re] not good enough for other people, and for [yourself].” He even tells himself he isn’t good enough to find a source of motivation to lift. “I put myself down on purpose and make myself want to go to the gym and work out even harder,” he said.

Many boys become obsessed with going to the gym. According to Nagata, some teens may become overly dependent on the gym, specifically those who experience body dysmorphia. “People who develop body dysmorphia feel guilty if they’re not exercising all the time, and it becomes an obsession,” Nagata said. To see serious results, Leung began overly dedicating his time to the gym; he changed his diet and began spending all of his free time working out. Leung believes there’s a healthy extent to that, but it can also go too far. “If you don’t have self-discipline, you get lost going to the gym,” Leung said. “You’re going to focus on the gym, which becomes your life, and you don’t have a life anymore.” This summer, he fell into the hole of weighing food and obsessing over calories, not letting himself enjoy anything else. He stopped going out with friends and found himself going through the same daily cycle: gym, home, sleep and repeat. For Leung, being unable to go to the gym reminds him that people are working while he isn’t, which manifests in a feeling of being undisciplined. “I feel disappointed whenever I miss a day,” Leung said. “I feel like I’m going to lose all my progress in that one day.” Senior Zameer Maqsood’s routine is dependent on the gym, as it adds structure to his day. “Without that structure, everything falls apart,” Maqsood said.

Body dysmorphia often causes disordered eating that can have extreme health consequences. Dr. Nagata works with patients who can’t eat out at restaurants or with their families because they can’t reach their nutrition goals. “It really leads to impairment in the quality of one’s life,” Nagata said. According to him, people with body dysmorphia don’t often get enough nutrients to sustain their exercise habits; if they’re not eating enough and are in the gym for

hours every day, they can get seriously sick and end up in the hospital. According to Leung, his progress of muscle gain slowed down because he isn’t on a strict, high protein diet anymore. Although his past eating habits have improved, Leung still struggles to forgive himself after eating large amounts of unhealthy food, feeling guilty and lazy if he doesn’t immediately burn off the calories. “If I eat five slices of pizza or something I… put myself down until I want to go to the gym again,” he said.

With the accessibility and algorithms of social media, boys are constantly being exposed to content created by men and other teens with extreme muscularity. Junior Parker Higgins is used to seeing gym-related content; people posing, lifting, and even giving advice remind him that there are people who have made more progress than him. “If I’m scrolling on Instagram and I see all these jacked dudes who look better than me, it makes me self-conscious,” he said. “So there’s a constant hunger to get better at weightlifting and go to the gym.” Nagata explained how

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The Lowell December 2022

“If I eat five slices of pizza or something I… put myself down until I want to go to the gym again.” social media algorithms create a negative feedback loop, where engaging in gym-related content on social media leads to it consuming your entire feed, further promoting muscularity issues and driving interest higher. This follows a trend noticed by Nagata and other professionals, where teenagers who engage on social media are more likely to be dissatisfied with their bodies.

Not only does social media target viewers with specific content, but it also tends to portray working out through a positive and desirable lens.

Leung noticed how social media creates an illusion of noticeable gym progress happening quickly. “With social media, you go into a TikTok page, and you see a whole year of progress,” Leung said.

“But you scroll through it in five minutes, making it feel like that progress only took five minutes to get there.” Although not an avid gym-goer, Senior Alex Blacker has also noticed the false narrative social media creates around gym progress. According to him, while some content has valuable aspects, much of it pushes people toward unhealthy gym habits. “Especially on Instagram, there are things like, ‘You’re working out wrong. This is how you get six-pack abs,’” Blacker said. Blacker agrees with Leung on the harm of seeing years of progress condensed into a short clip or just a few posts. “People might think, I’m not gonna have to work out for that long. I just have to work harder, and so they’re gonna push themselves

“It’s almost like the weights are just values, and how much you can lift translates to your value.” better mindsets that can counter insecurities, especially concerning body image. “You’ll see huge bodybuilders, skinny guys, and overweight people who have similar goals of getting healthier and having better habits,” Higgins said.

According to Leung, receiving encouragement from adults and friends is the healthiest way to deal with dysmorphic conditions. “If you surround yourself with the right people who support you, you’ll eventually be okay with who you are and not get too deep into feeling like you aren’t good enough,” Leung said.

Although Leung and Higgins have recognized their experiences with body dysmorphia, they have found support from within the gym community, specifically from others who have gone through similar body image issues. Higgins believes that a common goal of self-improvement can unite the community and foster The Lowell December 2022

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ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHARON KONG, SPREAD DESIGN BY ELISE MUCHOWSKI

too far,” Blacker said.

Even for people who don’t go to the gym, not working out can cause insecurities around their body image by being exposed to aspects of gym culture through their friends and social media.

Senior Dexter Shen doesn’t go to the gym, but is surrounded by friends and peers focused on improving their physique, which makes him feel pressured to do the same. Shen thinks there is an ideal body, and more importantly, he doesn’t have it. This becomes a barrier for him in both his mental health and personal life. Within hookup culture, Shen believes that having a “good” body is essential, causing him to feel unattractive and uncomfortable with showing his body when with a partner. “I’m just not appealing if I’m not fit,” he said. In addition to body image issues, Blacker views the gym as creating a toxic culture that equates body image to self-worth. “I feel like part of [going to the gym] has become nothing but a comparison between yourself and other people,” Blacker said. “It’s almost like the weights are just values, and how much you can lift translates to your value.”

As an often normalized issue — that is, working out is good for you — solutions to male body dysmorphia can be harder to find without support.

According to Nagata, the first step in dealing with body dysmorphia is to look for warning signs, from obsessions with weight gain or loss to excessive gym commitment; many teens who struggle with muscle dysmorphia don’t even realize it.

Nagata stresses that reaching out to trusted adults and supportive friends about any concerns is essential. Leung, who experienced a period of over-commitment to the gym, says it’s hard to snap out of that cycle.

“You can try to fix your own mindset, but it’s hard to do because it’s hard to see yourself doing something wrong,” Leung said. “From a first-person perspective, you don’t see it as that big of an issue, but once you step back and see it from a third-person perspective, you realize that it isn’t the best lifestyle.”

OPINION

A

By Marshall Muscat

fter the first half of the day and a long wait in the lunch line, it is not uncommon for students to be met with school lunch that is too small, lacking in nutrients, or both. The lunch at Lowell tends to leave students wanting to go back to the lunch line to get another serving, and keeps them drained of energy for the rest of their classes.

SFUSD needs to address our lunch’s small portion size. It is imperative that they make our lunches big enough to sustain students.

The portion size of school lunch is underwhelming and not enough to sustain high school students. Looking at the cafeteria lunch line is enough to reveal options that are unreasonably small in the eyes of our student body. It is generally agreed upon that 18 year olds need more food than 11 year olds, but according to SFUSD’s menu page, the menu at Lowell is shared by multiple middle schools. A.P. Giannini, a middle school also using the same menu, has portion sizes and menu plans are exactly the same as Lowell. There is no

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The Lowell December 2022

way to distinguish between the food that is given to high schoolers and that which is given to middle school children.

There is no reason that the same sized lunches given to preadolescents should be served to students that are almost legal adults.

“There is no reason that the same sized lunches given to preadolescents should be served to students that are almost legal adults.”

The actual numbers are incriminating. SchoolCafe provides nutrition information about SFUSD lunches. Most of the entrees are only around 350-400 calories, and meals only total up to around 500-550 when fruits, vegetables, and milk are included. For example, the hotdog is 305 calories, the

PHOTO-ILLUSTRATION BY MARLENA ROHDE AND DARIXA VARELA MEDRANO

not be the best for students in terms of nutritional value, but they have enough substance and energy to help students get through the day. If every option was like this, Lowell’s lunch would be something that students can rely on.

Unfortunately, there are very few meals like this and if the school district wants us to have a proper diet, they need to make sure we have options like this every day.

Portion size only scratches the surface of the problems. More issues arise with the lack of options for those with dietary restrictions or how individuals from low income backgrounds rely on an inadequate school lunch, but the most dire concern right now is that the school simply does not provide enough food with its meals for any student.

The health of students should be a priority for the school and that starts with proper lunches. At the moment, the amount of food in our lunch is not enough. Lowell needs to almost double the size of our lunches in order to provide a healthy level of nutrition for our school.

ILLUSTRATION BY DARIXA VARELA MEDRANO

The Lowell December 2022

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SPREAD DESIGN BY MARLENA ROHDE

the cheesy bread and tomato sauce is 368. A typical meal of a pupusa, milk, carrots, and an apple only amounts to 555 calories. However, the California Department of Education requires that high schoolers should have 750-850 calories a day for lunch. With these figures, it is undeniable that students need to get more than what is being provided. In addition, to even hit the 500 calorie mark, Lowellites need to take milk, but many people do not or cannot drink milk, which cuts them off from a critical part of what little caloric value there is in the first place. Calories are a measure of energy, and we are not getting the amount of energy that is necessary to make it through each school day. If we want to have a more productive student body, it is essential that SFUSD presents us with a proper amount of energy. It would be too much of an exaggeration to say that all the food is nutrient deficient. The turkey sandwich carries a good amount of vitamins and food groups. Mixing this with the fruits or vegetables and milk makes a healthy meal. In addition, pasta dishes like the alfredo or spaghetti have 607 calories and 30 grams of protein, but also come with over 1000 grams of sodium and 10 grams of saturate fat. The pasta lunches may

MULTIMEDIA

Impressionism: Fluidity in photo-illustration

ILLUSTRATION BY JOEY HE PHOTO BY KATHARINE KASPERSKI

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The Lowell December 2022

ILLUSTRATION BY KATEY LAU PHOTO BY AVA ROSOFF

SPREAD DESIGN BY MARLENA ROHDE

The Lowell December 2022

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PHOTO BY KYLIE CHAU PHOTO BY KYLIE CHAU YEE ILLUSTRATION

BY DANICA

PHOTO BY LAUREN KIM

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The Lowell December 2022

PHOTO BY MALENA CARDONA

Impressionism was an art movement during the late 19th century that emphasized the depiction of emotion, fluidity, and movement, rather than realism. We asked our photographers and illustrators to work together to create pieces in an impressionistic style, highlighting fluidity and emotion. By setting the photos next to each other, we show the contrast between impressionism and realism in the world around us.

ILLUSTRATION BY CHARON KONG

SPREAD DESIGN BY MARLENA ROHDE

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY YEE

The Lowell December 2022

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Overcrowded, understaffed, overwhelmed

By Maya Law, Victoria Pan, and Laura Reyes

GRAPHICS BY KATHARINE KASPERSKI AND AVA ROSOFF 16

The Lowell December 2022

and

SPREAD DESIGN BY MARLENA ROHDE

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The Lowell December 2022

FEATURE

OVERCROWDED, UNDERSTAFFED,

&

OVERWHELMED PHOTOS BY MALENA CARDONA

S

itting in his Spanish 1 class, sophomore Yamin Shaikh looks down at his paper filled with unfamiliar vocabulary terms. He wants to ask for help from his Spanish teacher, Carole Cadoppi, but is hesitant when he sees many of his 38 classmates also needing support.

He looks next to him and notices that a student with a learning disability also needs assistance on their work.

the Lowell Alumni Association (LAA) and the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) donated $900,000 to alleviate some of the impacts. However, Lowell is still suffering effects, including overcrowded classrooms and understaffing. In the World Language and Visual Performing Arts departments, teachers are struggling to attend to students’ needs, as they feel overwhelmed with

“Somebody has to wait and see who’s absent before they can even sit down.”

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Shaikh realizes this is not a problem unique to him alone, but one many of his classmates are also experiencing.

Lacking the help he needs during class, he doesn’t feel motivated to succeed in Spanish. To Shaikh, there are too many students and only one teacher.

As a result of understaffing, experiences like this are common among Lowell students.

Following the budget cuts San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) imposed last school year, Lowell is experiencing a 25 percent budget cut and widespread understaffing. After the removal of AP funding, Lowell was predicted to lose 29 teachers and staff, leaving classes cut and consolidated. Because of these predicted losses, The Lowell December 2022

the increased class sizes. Understaffing in the Learning Resources Department and the Library is resulting in students’ needs going unmet.

Lowell’s World Language Department was heavily affected by budget cuts. According to Department Chair John Raya, seven Spanish classes were consolidated, with 12 out of the 40 Spanish classes having over 35 students. For Cadoppi, she struggles to fit 38 students into her classroom. “I don’t have enough desks for one of my classes,” Cadoppi said. “Somebody has to wait and see who’s absent before they can even sit down.” According to Cadoppi, the increased class size has caused grading to take much longer, and prevented her from teaching

Spanish cultural activities such as cooking and dancing.

She also feels that she can’t provide appropriate attention to students and can’t teach the course like she did before.

According to her, having 25 students would be much preferable. For junior Scarlett Carew, a Spanish 3 student, her large class size has minimized the individual attention each student receives from her teacher, and reduced the number of opportunities to speak out loud in class. “I learn things best by speaking and experiencing them,” Carew said. “And you don’t get to do that as much in a big Spanish class.”

World Language teachers have taken multiple initiatives to communicate the urgency of this problem to the Lowell administration, but changes have yet to be made. According to Cadoppi, she and other World Language teachers filed several grievances to hire more teachers. To further her efforts, Cadoppi personally wrote to Lowell’s principal about how it directly affected her and other Spanish teachers both mentally and physically. “I know my colleagues,” Cadoppi said. “One of them has chronic migraines now, and another one has insomnia.” Despite these efforts, she has not gotten a response back. Cadoppi was disappointed at the lack of acknowledgement of the understaffing within the World Language Department. “We have not been sent any emails. It has not been discussed,” Cadoppi said.

“When we try to bring it up, it’s just dismissed.”

Budget cuts have also negatively impacted the Visual Performing Arts (VPA) DeScarlett Carew partment. It was forced to combine classes, such as Art 3 and AP Art, resulting in classrooms of around 40 students. Senior Catherine Perez said that this has been especially damaging because art classes require a certain amount of space to do projects. “At the beginning of the year, people had to share desk spaces,” Perez said. “So it’d be two or three kids per desk. People felt very squished, like they wouldn’t have the space that they usually need.”

AP Art, in particular, requires the construction of a large portfolio due in December, leading to high demand for individual meetings with the teacher. According to Perez, her art class has too many students for this to be possible. “It’s difficult for kids to get one-on-one time with

the teacher without her having to rush around and talk to ten different kids who are all like, ‘Hey, I need help with this’” Perez said. “She just doesn’t have the ability to go around and talk to everybody.”

In addition to art classes undergoing changes, choir and band classes have also been consolidated. There is now only one band class and one advanced choir class. For the band class, VPA Department Chair Jason Chan said this has been especially detrimental due to the vast differences in skill level and style of the students. “Jazz, symphonic, and advanced bands are all in one,” Chan said. “They’re at different levels, especially jazz, [since] they play different music. Instead of being able to rehearse in class, jazz band needs to do it after school.”

Additionally, the VPA department was forced to cut both Architecture and Photography classes, taking away opportunities for students who might be interested in pursuing these fields. Architecture is only offered at a handful of SFUSD high schools, with Lowell no longer being one. After taking Architecture 1 as a sophomore, junior Madison Chou discovered an interest in pursuing the subject in higher education. With the removal of the class, she feels that she can no longer properly explore her interest in architecture. “I thought, ‘Oh this is kinda fun, I think I might want to do this in college,’” Chou said. “I was going to try it out a little bit more in depth, but that didn’t happen.”

Overcrowded classrooms and understaffing is also affecting the Learning Resources Department. Currently, it is down 12 paraeducators out of a total of 39. According to Learning Resources Department Chair LaMastra Vida, paraeducators are important because they provide one-to-one support to students with behavioral and medical concerns. “[These students] are our first priority,” Vida said. “Those positions have to be filled.” According to Vida, in previous years, there were enough paraeducators within the department to substitute for teachers when they were absent.

Now, teachers within the department use their lunch time to cover for other classrooms. Ad-

To Shaikh, there are too many students and only one teacher.

SPREAD DESIGN BY DYLAN TWYMAN

The Lowell December 2022

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ditionally, Chan noted that, in VPA classes, there are an insufficient number of paraeducators for these students to receive effective assistance. “We want to support them, but there’s just one of us and there are five special-ed students,” Chan said. “I feel the stress of, ‘Oh I want to help’, but I need to keep the class going, too.”

Budget cuts have also hit Lowell’s library staff. It has been cut in half, from two full-time librarians to one.

This has come despite the library receiving funds from the LAA and PTSA’s $900,000 check to alleviate budget cuts.

The LAA and PTSA specifically requested that the library be earmarked to receive funds to hire a second librarian.

When longtime Lowell librarian Steven Sasso retired at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, Matt McDonnell was hired for the position. However, after McDonnell’s

and requires more than one librarian to assist students.

“I’ve only been to a couple other school’s libraries, but there was only a fraction of as many students using the facilities. And even then, not for doing homework, just relaxing between classes,” Jones said. “Whereas [at Lowell,] we teach here.”

Jones voiced his frustration with the administration’s decision to close the librarian position, as one fewer librarian resulted in library closures before school and during Blocks 1 and 5. “I’m shocked at the lack of concern about what the consequences are of closing the library,” Jones said. Senior Tracy Law said she was forced to study in the hallways, because the library was closed.

Due to the importance of the library as a resource, other staff members have had to temporarily fill in to maintain

The only thing that is certain is that the methods the school took to keep itself afloat are unsustainable moving forward. transition to assistant principal in November, there is no longer a second librarian nor an option to have one. According to the Lowell librarian Jonathan Jones, Lowell’s administration does not plan on hiring another librarian and has indefinitely closed the position, meaning the library cannot hire a substitute to help out as they had done in the past. Although most other SFUSD high schools only have one librarian, Lowell had a tradition of having two. Jones believes Lowell needs two certificated librarians, because it’s one of the most popular spots on campus

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the library’s usual hours of operation. McDonnell monitors the library from 8 to 8:40 a.m., while Math teacher Alex Cheng takes over during first block. However, this is not a permanent solution. Due to McDonnell’s position as assistant principal, he often needs to attend to administrative duties before school, leaving no option but to close the library. Similarly, Cheng may not be able to continue to supervise the library next semester, as he is currently giving up his teacher prep period during first block to do so.

Although the library can be open with approved adult supervision, Jones believes that the presence of a certificated librarian is essential to best serve students. In addition, when Jones teaches classes on information and literacy, the rest of the library must be closed if there is no other official supervision. Without the option to hire another librarian, Jones is not optimistic about the situation.

“As far as I’m concerned, this is the first of many cuts that will happen,” he said.

Lowell’s financial future is unclear. The only thing that is certain is that the methods the school took to keep itself afloat are unsustainable moving forward. Accord-

Carole Cadoppi

with a big catch. According to Julien Lafortune, a research fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, these recent budgets often include one-time funds that will not be included in coming years. “[Budgets] could even look worse in a few years depending on how they’ve factored these one-time funds into the deficit,” Lafortune said. In

“I’m shocked at the lack of concern about what the consequences are of closing the library.”

SPREAD DESIGN BY DYLAN TWYMAN

ing to Social Studies Department Chair Rebecca Johnson, depending on outside sources of funding, including the Alumni Association and the PTSA, cannot be a longterm strategy. “The district put out this mandate last year that everyone had to take a nine percent cut. But we were facing a 25 percent cut, and that’s just unsustainable and catastrophic for us,” Johnson said. “Again, we patched the holes for a year, hoping that the district would come to realize just what 25 percent out of this school means, but I don’t know that they’re aware or that they care.”

On the other hand, increased state funding does provide some hope for the future.

The statewide budget has been steadily rising over the years and has been at a record high in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the recently passed Proposition 98 sets a guaranteed minimum budget for California public schools and could result in $37.2 billion being allocated to schools. But these increases come

terms of usage, these are lump sums that the district “can’t use to hire someone that will stay in the district for many years in a row, because that goes away in a couple years,” Lafortune said. So, in the end, the hope among teachers that Prop. 98 will alleviate the impacts of budget cuts, including overcrowded classes and understaffing, may be dashed.

As one teacher with too many students, Cadoppi stands in her Spanish 1 class with a feeling that she cannot support all of them, including students like Shaikh.

“They’re lost. They feel annoyed,” she said. “They feel invisible.”

The Lowell December 2022

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HOT TAKE

THE

MULLET: PHOTOS BY MARLENA ROHDE, SPREAD DESIGN BY ELISE MUCHOWSKI

BUSINESS IN THE FRONT, PARTY IN THE BACK

BY ELISE MUCHOWSKI

T

he mullet has made a comeback.

Are you enraged? Horrified with the haircut that defined ’80s glam rock? Or are you ecstatic, ready to take scissors in your hand and give yourself a DIY chop? Despite the polarizing opinions regarding mullets, the look is here to stay.

The hairstyle is characterized by two main elements. There’s the “business” aspect: a sleek, normal-appearing front; and the “party” aspect: a dramatic, lengthy back. The contrast has blazed the mullet’s legacy of controversy, causing many people to view it with distaste.

However, the unsightly look is what makes mullets attractive; the objectively ugly haircut is alluring, simultaneously destroying beauty constructs while allowing the wearer to value frivolity over pure looks.

One valuable element of the mullet hairstyle is its androgyny. The 22

The Lowell December 2022

masculine, scruffy front combined with an elegant rear makes for a gender-inclusive fashion statement. If you want to up your manliness, give yourself a redneck hick mullet, consisting of a close side shave and powerful locks towards the back. If you’re looking for a more feminine look, cut yourself the chic NYC model mullet, a pixie-like, layered shag.

Senior Adam Gooch has been rocking a mullet after a spontaneous, at-home haircut during the beginning of their junior year. Since then, they’ve dedicated themselves to the mullet lifestyle, noting it as a positive change.

They describe mullets as something transcendent and undefinable. “You see someone with a mullet and you just feel things you can’t describe,” Gooch said.

They compared wearing the cut to listening to your favorite song, a feeling of euphoria and elation.

The community of mullet wearers is one of acceptance and love.

Often associated with David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and other rock stars of the ’80s and ’90s, mullets have long been worn by those in alternative cultures. Not much has changed since. “Alternative people do own the mullet, no matter what kind of culture you’re a part of, because mullets are inclusive. We don’t judge people,” Gooch noted. They expressed trusting mullet wearers, feeling a sense of personhood in a shared hairstyle.

The mullet represents much more than hair, a factor that will prevent it from ever dying out. Although one might loathe anything related to mullets, I invite you to open up. Embrace the ridiculous, and have fun with your hair.

MEDIA REVIEW

TAYLOR SWIFT’S

MIDNIGHTS

BY KELCIE LEE

W

PHOTOS COURTESY OF TAYLOR SWIFT

hen my friend saw the video of me reacting to Midnights — with a scream or two, a few jumps, flailing arms, and perhaps an unusual amount of tears — he thought it was a college acceptance video, and I had just gotten into my dream school. Now that I think about it, I don’t blame him. Listening to the album for the first time threw me into a loop of both excitement and awe.

Midnights, Taylor Swift’s tenth studio album, shattered several records within the first week of its release. The songs on this pop album were written about her sleepless nights, encapsulating both her nightmares and sweet dreams. It’s filled with songs surrounding how others perceive her, analyses of past relationships, and raw love. Taylor Swift’s songwriting on Midnights reveals deeper meaning through powerful, feministic, and vulnerable lyrics.

The strongest aspect of Taylor Swift’s songs is her elegant and sophisticated songwriting, and her lyrical genius delivered yet again in Midnights. In “Labyrinth,” angelic echoes mix with parallel syntax to paint a picture of the trust needed to fall in love again after being in a taxing relationship. She writes, “Break up, break free, break through, break down. You would break your back to make me break a smile.” This illustrates the sacrifice some people would go through to bring back their happiness.

Midnights displays Swift’s most mature feminist writing by straying away from cliched mantras and diving into feminism in the context of relationships. Upbeat anthems like “Bejeweled” and “Midnight Rain” portray THE STRONGEST Swift leaving a relationship due to a lack of deserved recognition and a desire for indeASPECT OF TAYLOR pendence. “Mastermind” is about crafting a cryptic plan for a perfect relationship, SWIFT’S SONGS IS despite being consistently underestimated HER ELEGANT AND as a woman. “You see all the wisest women had to do it this way, ‘cause we were born SOPHISTICATED to be the pawn in every lover’s game,” Swift writes. Society views her as a pawn — someSONGWRITING, one weak and without control — when in reality, she holds discrete dominance which AND HER is demonstrated in the following lyric: “I’m the wind in our free-flowing sails and the LYRICAL GENIUS liquor in our cocktails.”

DELIVERED In an interview with talk show host Jimmy Fallon, Swift called Midnights her YET AGAIN IN “first directly autobiographical album in a while.” As a result, it was a bittersweet release MIDNIGHTS. because she wanted to share her vulnerability through the record, but also felt very fragile with millions of people listening. However, Swift’s honesty triggers a whirlwind of emotions that allow fans to better connect to the album.

In “You’re On Your Own, Kid,” she opens up about her eating disorder and how she perceives herself.

She writes, “I gave my blood, sweat, and tears for this. I hosted parties and starved my body like I’d be saved by a perfect kiss.” In “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve,” Swift reflects on a toxic relationship, confessing all her regrets. The track’s bridge and outro build the instruments as the desperation in her voice seems to grow into a cry for help. She sings, “And now that I’m grown, I’m scared of ghosts. Memories feel like weapons,” and, “I fight with you in my sleep. The wound won’t close.”

The pain and vulnerability revealed in these lyrics left me stunned and empathetic, as it opened the door for listeners to understand how she was wrongfully judged for this toxic relationship.

Swift writes about her personal experiences — including relationships, body image, and others’ external perceptions — which allows her audience to form individual connections through relatable songs. Midnights is a record with some of her best songwriting to date, and its addicting tracks are a result of lyrics only a mastermind could write.

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COMICS

SNEAK IN THE SNOW BY JOEY HE

STRUGGLES OF THE FISHER LIFE BY DANICA YEE

WINTER WEATHER BY KATEY LAU

WRONG SIDE OF THE BED BY HUGH McDONALD

JUST ADD WATER BY CHARON KONG

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The Lowell December 2022

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The Lowell December 2022

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DOWN 1. “Keep the change ya filthy animal!”

2. Customarily decorated in preparation for Christmas 3. Classic winter paper craft 5. What one might call someone who spits bars while sheathing toy cars 7. Candleholder for 14 ACROSS 8. She’s celebrated by young girls with crowns of candles 11. One could say this place really drops 4 the ball on Dec. 31 12. Common 2 DOWN topper 13. Strung onto 2 DOWN as decoration, in ye olde times 15. Sledding in a donut 16. The doctor who is “real in” 9 18. One might roast them on an open 10 11 fire 22. “6 inch ribbon curls honey” 13

HOLI-SLEIGH 1 2 3

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DISCLAIMER: If you are found leaking crossword answers via social media or any online platform, you will be ineligible for any and all rewards.

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ILLUSTRATIONS BY KATEY LAU

ACROSS 4. Batman smells 6. Often served with applesauce and/ or sour cream 9. All she wants for Christmas is you 10. A dark day for humanity 14. 6 days and 7 candles 17. Ballet of the winter season 19. Hot cocoa topper 20. How many swans a ‘swimming?

21. Justin’s Christmastime classic 23. A common dreidel prize

Bring your completed crossword to room S107 during your lunch block in exchange for a free baked good!

(While supplies last)

CROSSWORD AND SPREAD DESIGN BY LIBBY BOWIE

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