The Lowell Newsmagazine: December 2024

December December 2024 2024

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LOST LOST IN EXCESS IN The Lowell March 2023

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THELOWELL.ORG ONLINE EXCLUSIVES

PHOTOS BY CHRIS HERNANDEZ

PUNK ROCKERS OF LOWELL: GOODBYE LANDING

BY STEPHANIE LI

PHOTO BY AMÁLIE CIMALA

FINDING MY SENSE OF STYLE

BY AMÁLIE CIMALA

@ THELOWELL The Lowell December 2024

TABLE OF CONTENTS

04 COVER LOST IN EXCESS 10 MULTIMEDIA A FESTIVE SEASON NEWS FEATURE 14 MIXED CULTURES, MIXED FEELINGS

18 INFOGRAPHIC A STUDY OF SLEEP THINGS

21 OPINION MUSIC BEYOND AN AESTHETIC

News Editor Kai Lyddan

Illustrators Jeffrey Chen Sarah Cuaresma Cayce Hewitt Noelle Mak May San

Multimedia Editors Imaan Ansari Katharine Kasperski Yue Yi Peng Art Manager Yue Yi Peng Reporters Cecilia Choi Amálie Cimala Stephanie Li Serena Miller Mehreen Shaikh

Business Managers Isabella Chan Dena Nguyen Web Manager Katharine Kasperski

Social Media Manager Anita Luo Researchers Maren Brooks Anita Luo

Photographers Christopher Hernandez Dakota Colussi Advisor Eric Gustafson Accolades NSPA Pacemaker Top 10 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 The Lowell December 2024

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MEDIA REVIEWS 20 I’M THINKING OF ENDING

Alex Hohn Sydney Lee Alex Mangot Hannah Tandoc

FRONT COVER BY HANNAH TANDOE AND MAY SAN

EDITORIAL 02 SECURLY IS TOO SECURE

Editors-in-Chief Thomas Harrison Ramona Jacobson Katharine Kasperski

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Editorial

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SECURLY IS TOO SECURE

Lowell teacher assigns students a Youtube video to watch and take notes on, due at the end of class. Students using personal devices begin working immediately, but as a student on a district Chromebook tries to access the video, they are greeted by the familiar and dreaded Securly site message, “Looks like this page isn’t allowed.” The student looks around, frantically pressing the reload button as they see that other classmates are well into the video. As the minutes of class time tick down, the student is plagued with the knowledge that they are unable to complete the work, and will fall behind in the class.

For some Lowell students, a district-issued Chromebook is the only computer device that they have access to.

As strictly educational electronic devices, Chromebooks issued by San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) are equipped with Securly, a site blocker that prohibits access of certain websites in order to maintain a safe online environment. However, this site blocker is more harmful than beneficial to students’ learning and productivity.

Securly frequently blocks students from researching or viewing assigned or educational material for classes, preventing many students from using Chromebooks for academic work.

SFUSD should lessen the limitations of Securly software for high school students to allow them to complete assignments and learn to their fullest extent.

The district has a good reason for administering Securly filtering on Chromebooks. SFUSD complies under the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which upholds certain restrictions for students’ internet access. The restrictions censor “inappropriate matter on the internet,” such as obscene, pornographic, or otherwise harmful content for minors. Securly is the database enacted to filter such content. According to the Securly website, Safe Search, a Google Search feature that filters out explicit content from search results, is enforced for all users under the age of 18, whether the user is in kindergarten or their senior year of high school. Blocking inappropriate material from being viewed by minors, especially younger students, is necessary and beneficial.

However, this broad blockage prevents high school students from utilizing their devices to learn about topics that are highly relevant and impactful to their lives, such as sex education and drug safety. This lack of access to information is particularly detrimental to students who do not possess another electronic device, such as a cell phone.

By censoring searches of drugs and anatomy, internet use

within the curriculum for health classes is constrained. It is important to learn about these topics in a safe, academic setting, rather than learning incorrect or harmful information from less reputable sources. Lessening the restrictions of Securly on high school devices could enable them to research topics that support their health, education, and safety.

This issue can create stress and anxiety for students who have no additional device, as they may be unable to complete an assignment for reasons outside of their control. Many teachers are unaware of the extent of Securly restrictions, which can create delays and obstruct their lesson plans. At times, a teacher will assign a website that’s been restricted by Securly, and students without personal devices will struggle to access the material. Additionally, there is no easy way for teachers to lift a restriction on a site. As the security tool censors searches and material by keyword, it can accidentally flag something that isn’t innately connected to the restricted topics. An especially common area of unnecessary censorship is YouTube videos. Securly uses “restricted mode,” which prevents access to videos that are age restricted or videos that haven’t been reviewed

by Youtube’s system. This filters out millions of videos that students could be using to learn, simply because they haven’t been put under review.

Features included in Securly’s system have the potential to improve the filter’s usefulness, although they do not fully resolve its issues. Securly attempts to allow customization of their filtering system through their Global Allow or Block List, which allows administrators of the software system to grant or prevent access to specific sites. While this seems to be the perfect tool to heighten functionality of the site, their software is not equipped to achieve its desired effect. The process of allowing or blocking a specific site is lengthy and complex, as the action must be performed by individuals with control over the entire filter system for all district-issued Chromebooks.

Although this option is an inefficient method of improving Securly, it is a step in the right direction.

Reducing the software’s internet access limitations for high school students would improve academic outcomes by allowing all students to access valuable educational material.

At the very least, the district should implement the ability for teachers and school administrators to grant access to specific sites useful in their curriculum. Through the addition of this capability, students would be able to access valuable educational material without unnecessary blockage.

The Lowell March 2023 ##

SFUSD should lessen the limitations of Securly software for high school students to allow them to complete assignments and learn to their fullest extent.

The Lowell December 2024

SPREAD DESIGN BY IMAAN ANSARI

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EDICartoon

THE BACK “PACKS”

ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH GRACE CUARESMA

From the editor Dear readers of The Lowell, As the holiday season quickly approaches, malls and stores are jam-packed with people. With this increase in shopping, we feel that this issue’s cover, “Lost in Excess”, is now more relevant than ever. When our reporters first pitched a story about overconsumption, we were surprised to see so many of our staff relate to this problem. As teenagers in the age of social media, our generation is especially vulnerable to the effects of targeted marketing, and we felt that it was important to shed light on how this impacts us.

Also included in this issue is our feature article, “Mixed Cultures, Mixed Feelings”, which revolves around the experiences of mixed race students. Lowellites shared their struggles with feeling connected to their cultural identities, and the joy they derive from exploring their heritage.

Happy holidays!

Editors-in-Chief, Thomas Harrison, Ramona Jacobson, and Katharine Kasperski 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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We hope that our newest issue will resonate with our student body as much as it does with our staff.

LOST IN EXCESS GRAPHICS BY DAKOTA COLUSSI AND CAYCE HEWITT

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The Lowell December 2024

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The Lowell December 2024

COVER

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unior Violette Walenne sees a video of a gua sha, a facial sculpting tool, pop up on Instagram Reels. The influencer in the video praises the product for its ability to depuff and sculpt your face, claiming that purchasing this tool will instantly improve the user’s appearance. Hoping to achieve similar results, Walenne buys the product. She had never paid attention to anyone’s puffy face before, but now she feels that she needs this product.

However, she has not used the gua sha since purchasing it. In an attempt to feel less wasteful, Walenne decides to keep the product in case she does use it, and has owned the gua sha for three years without once using it. The trend of overconsumption has made her buy yet another product that she does not need.

Like many Lowell students, Walenne has contributed to overconsumption: the unnecessary purchasing of non-essential products. With social media in the hands of many teenagers, advertisers have seized the opportunity to target adolescents by exploiting their developing decision-making skills and influencing them to buy products.

Teenagers, who are now getting their first jobs or starting to acquire money, are spending it to purchase items that they may not need, but have been convinced to buy through advertisements and other influences.

The rise of social media has fostered an increase in product sponsorships, advertisements, and other online promotions. Most advertisements that catch teenagers’ attention

come from social media. In a survey conducted by The Lowell in November

2024, 78 percent of students stated that they come across an ad or sponsorship several times a day.

Teenagers’ overconsumption of products has caused many to develop unsustainable spending habits and unhealthy views on money and possessions.

According to Dr. Allen Kanner, a psychologist and author of Psychology and Consumer Culture: The Struggle for a Good Life in a Materialistic World, overconsumption is defined as the buying of things that you do not need, but have been manipulated into believing will improve your life. “The meta-message is that if you have a problem, buy a prod-

uct to solve it,” Kanner said. According to Kanner, the rise of teenager-focused marketing started around the 1980s, when teenagers began to possess more disposable income and advertisers began targeting them through television advertisements. As teenagers spend more time on social media, advertisers and companies have shifted their focus to advertising online. “Huge amounts of information are gathered on teenagers online,” Dr. Kanner said. “These data are then used to identify exactly what a teenager’s current interests and desires are, [and] the marketing is tailored specifically to these needs and desires.” Companies and social media apps such as In-

stagram and TikTok also use influencer sponsorships to convince people to buy their products. Influencers are paid to

“I made the decision [to purchase an item] because I was seeing a lot of people wearing it, even if it didnʼt really fit me well or look nice on me.”

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The Lowell December 2024

advertise products, whether by directly addressing the audience about what the product can do for them or simply placing it in the background of a post to display their partnership. TikTok Shop, Tiktok’s e-commerce feature, allows content creators to easily market and advertise sponsorships and brand deals.

However, it is often not disclosed to the viewer that the creator is getting paid to advertise the product.

tremely convenient.

Many Lowell students find themselves buying products they do not use to keep up with trends they see on social media. Ivan, a student under a pseudonym, feels that many teenagers follow these trends because they feel the need to fit in with their peers. “I think a perfect example of this is the Stanley Cup. People want the brand name and to fit in,” he said. Ivan himself has been

2024, 49 percent of respondents stated that they shop most often at malls and outlets. Many Lowell students engage in overconsumption through purchasing products at malls such as Stonestown.

Hussain finds herself buying food or clothing at Stonestown Mall, a seven-minute walk from Lowell, at least three times a week. She often sees products online and visits the mall hoping to purchase something similar. “You

The growing accessibility and convenience of online shopping over the last few years has exacerbated its use, leading to high rates of overconsumption.

According to a survey conducted by The Lowell in November 2024, 35 percent of respondents stated that they most commonly used online websites or social media to buy products. Lowell Psychology teacher Dina Yoshimura believes that the COVID-19 pandemic influenced this increase in online shopping. “Everything could be delivered to your door,” Yoshimura said. “I could get a quart of Baskin Robbins ice cream delivered to the front steps in 20 minutes.”

Junior Kinza Hussain feels that Apple Pay and other forms of online payment have made it easier to purchase items online. “It’s so much easier to just click buy, and buy a ton of crap you don’t need,” Hussain said. While people could get turned away by the time required to travel to a store and buy something, the ease of browsing and selecting a few buttons online have made shopping ex-

influenced to buy an excessive amount of skincare products by social media influencers. “They’re like, ‘You want to achieve this certain look? Then buy this product,’” Ivan said.

However, once Ivan buys these products, he often realizes that he doesn’t actually need them, but he still attempts to make use of these products. “I feel like it’s a waste to buy it and then throw it away,” Ivan said.

A c cording to a survey conducted

by The Lowell in November

start looking for things that are similar, and then you’re like, oh, it’s not that expensive,” she said. On one occasion,

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“Students will buy something and wear it a couple of times, and then they donate it thinking that donating is going somewhere good. In reality, I think weʼre just adding to the pile of garbage that we have on this Earth.”

The Lowell December 2024

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COVER

she bought multiple articles of clothing at Stonestown, just to regret her purchase once she got home. “I made the decision [to purchase an item] because I was seeing a lot of people wearing it, even if it didn’t really fit me well or look nice on me,” she said. Ivan feels that Stonestown’s proximity to Lowell has caused him to buy food and drinks when he does not need to.

“I spend at least 100 dollars a week just going to Stonestown,” Ivan said. Hussain also believes that the close proximity of Stonestown has been a factor driving her purchasing habits. “It’s just so convenient and I think it’s hard not to just go, especially when you have nothing to do,” Hussain said.

A major contributor to overconsumption is the relatively low price point, quick manufacturing, and accessibility of many products advertised to teenagers.

This is especially prevalent in the fast fashion industry, which is defined by Vogue Magazine as “quickly produced trends sold at low price points.” Since teenagers do not have as high of a budget as many adults, they are less likely to purchase long-lasting, quality clothing due to its high price tag. Students like Walenne find that microtrends – shortlived trends that are promoted on social media – are a major contributor to fast fashion, causing them to turn to thrifting clothing instead. “Recently, TikTok and all the short-form content has been speeding up trend cycles,” Walenne said.

“Things are going in and out of style faster, and everybody’s overconsuming things that they’re not going to use in a couple of months.” Some Lowell students, like senior Allie Dillick, choose

to thrift clothing with the intention of purchasing better quality items for a cheaper price, while believing they are helping the environment. Dillick rarely finds herself buying new clothing. “The reason I like thrifting is because all my thrifted stuff lasts so much longer,” she

said. “If you make durable goods, more people will stop buying non-durable goods.”

While many teenagers justify purchasing non-essential products by donating them after a certain amount of time, product donation does not truly fix the problem of overconsumption. Most of these products end up in the landfill and are detrimental to the environment, and these donations do not guarantee that a consumer will not buy more. In a survey conducted

by The Lowell in November 2024, 35 percent of respondents stated that they have bought a product to keep up with a trend seen on social media, and 59 percent of respondents said they stopped using a purchased product after it was

no longer trending. Hussain finds herself giving away her clothing and other products once she can no longer find a use for them. “I’ll try and donate [clothes] because I know that there’s no point in just tossing it away, and I know maybe somebody else will like it, or I look for friends who might want it,” Hussain said. Some teenagers that purchase clothing from thrift stores believe that as long as items are donated, it is not harmful to the environment. However, according to Yoshimura, donating unused clothing is not without cost. “Students will buy something and wear it a couple of times, and then they donate it thinking that donating is going somewhere good,” she said.

“In reality, I think we’re just adding to the pile of garbage that we have on this Earth.”

The 2024 Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) was passed by the U.S. Senate in an effort to prevent companies from profiting unfairly off of minors. The act is intended to prevent minors from seeing advertisements showing illegal products, and enforces social media platforms to opt minors out of personalized recommendation advertisements. However, there is a loophole. Many social media accounts that have not been age-verified fall under the “unknown” category, which contains high numbers of users under 18. Because those under the “unknown” age range are not protected in the same way as those who have accounts identified as a minor, they are still exposed to targeted advertisements. Companies like Google and Meta have been accused of exploiting this loophole in an effort to attract those aged 13 to 17

“There has to be self control.You have to learn how to limit yourself [and be] aware of, ʻwhat is this product, what are they trying to do?ʼ”

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The Lowell December 2024

nies need money,” she says. “So they are like, ‘you need more.’”

According to Dr. Kanner, young people tend to be less enamored with the American economic system than their parents and grandparents.

Kanner believes that this difference is likely due to them coming out of high school or college not yet able to financially support themselves. “We need a much more compassionate type of economic system...that is dedicated to making sure everyone in the society has at least a minimum amount of support so that they can live a dignified life,” he said.

“And that isn’t subjecting [teenagers] to this endless barrage of marketing in order to get them to feel bad about themselves.”

Financial education, which is the knowledge that helps one make informed decisions regarding money, is an important factor that can impact a teenager’s ability to make wise spending choices, but is hardly present in student curric-

The Lowell December 2024

GRAPHICS BY SARAH CUARESMA

from target platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Walenne believes that companies are targeting vulnerable teenagers in an attempt to maximize profit, and feels personally targeted. “People aren’t really aware of how they’re being played by all these companies, because the way that they market their products is that they are selling an idea,” she said. “These companies are selling ideas to teenagers who are especially vulnerable and impressionable.” Dillick agrees. “Compa-

ulums. According to Mr. Marshall, an AP Economics teacher at Lowell, budgeting and saving are important skills to acquire, but most economics classes do not have room to include them. AP College Board guidelines do not include budgeting, and regular economics classes last only a semester, so it can be hard to fit in anything outside the curriculum. Yoshimura is a firm believer in financial education for teenagers, but she finds that high school curriculums are already constantly overflowing with material, leaving little space for new additions. “Students need economics and American government, and four years of English, and three years of math,” Yoshimura said. “Where are we going to fit this in?” However, Yoshimura believes these classes should be made a priority, believing that teenagers are still children who need guidance to make proper decisions to set them up for the future.

Marshall believes that it is beneficial for students to understand how the economy works, as it can help them make smarter financial choices. “Telling students that [it] can be damaging if you’re overspending and not thinking about what you’re spending your money on, and what that can mean for your long term financial well-being and stability, is a tough thing because [spending] is, I think, part of American culture,” Marshall said.

Even if financial education is not incorporated into school curriculums, Yoshimura believes that it is important for teenagers to address their spending habits themselves. She urges students to be more conscious of the products they invest in, and to practice self-awareness. “There has to be self control,” she said. “You have to learn how to limit yourself [and be] aware of, ‘what is this product, what are they trying to do?’” According to Hussain, she often consults a friend before deciding to spend money in an effort to spend less. “I think that if I didn’t have somebody to try and keep me in check, I would probably be spending a lot more,” she said. However, she believes that the decision of purchasing a product is ultimately up to the person themselves.

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A Festive Season In this multimedia piece, we interviewed four Lowellites about the holidays they celebrate and their unique Christmas traditions.

Coco Kalman, Freshman

1 days a er e ery hristmas freshman oco alman and her family celebrate piphany ay an talian tradition that symboli es the disco ery that esus was the son of od. ccording to alman at the root of the tradition is the story of a woman named a efana who gi es gi s to children because she sees esus inside of them. t s a nice wrap up of the holidays alman said. t signifies mo ing on for me and it s ust a fun thing to celebrate.

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The Lowell December 2024

Ilya Shuster, Senior PHOTOS BY ALEX MANGOT, IMAAN ANSARI, AND KATHARINE KASPERSKI

Since Senior Ilya Shuster was born, he has enjoyed celebrating Hanukkah in the December of every year. Each winter, he and his family light a menorah, a candle holder with space for nine candles, with one more candle being lit on each of the eight days that Hannuhkah spans. They eat a dinner filled with traditional Hanukkah foods, including latkes, a type of fried potato pancake. Shuster appreciates Hannukah for giving him an opportunity to connect to his Jewish identity. “Outside of Jewish holidays, I’m not super Orthodox,” Shuster said. “So it’s a time that I can get in touch with my cultural heritage, learn about some Jewish history, and spend time with my family.”

The Lowell December 2024

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CAPTIONS BY RAMONA JACOBSON AND THOMAS HARRISON

Alondra Muñoz, Sophomore

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Sophomore Alondra Muñoz celebrates Las Posadas, a Mexican religious holiday, with her family. Las Posadas commemorates the biblical journey of Joseph and Mary prior to Jesus’ birth, and is celebrated across multiple days in Mexican cities and towns. According to Muñoz, her family celebrates Las Posadas by singing call-and-response songs outside of homes, eating a meal, and breaking piñatas. Muñoz’s favorite part of the holiday is the piñata tradition, as she associates it with birthday parties and her whole family enjoys it.

“Las Posadas are a big part of culture, so being able to celebrate them is very special to me,” she said. “[Through celebrating], I am able to stay connected to my heritage.”

The Lowell December 2024

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SYLVIE REAVILLL

Sylvie Reavill, Freshman

Freshman Sylvie Reavill celebrates her British background with her family by making mince pies, a type of fruit pie, and Christmas cake, a fruitcake, every year for Christmas. Reavill and her family began practicing this tradition when they moved from England ten years ago. She feels that it has helped them maintain their connection to British culture while living in America, and appreciates the familiar holiday feeling that she gains from baking the pastries with her family. “I look forward to [the tradition] every year,” she said. “It’s really fun, and it just feels like Christmas whenever it happens.”

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The Lowell December 2024

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Mixed Cultures, Mixed Feelings

By Kai Lyddan and Stephanie Li

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The Lowell December 2024

ILLUSTRATION BY YUE YI PENG

Mixed-race students at Lowell struggle to find connection and belonging within their different cultures.

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Feature

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s junior Sydney Sharp walks through the door of her family’s home, she feels her relatives’ eyes scanning her features, taking stock of her appearance and forming opinions. Her face turns red as she crosses the room, preparing for the judgmental comments that she is about to receive. Her family members criticize her mixed-race traits as they contrast her appearance with that of her Chinese mother, leading to Sharp feeling separated and rejected from the rest of her family. The judgment she undergoes from her own family devastates Sharp, as she feels less comfortable and in touch with her mixed identity than ever.

Sharp is one of many mixedrace students who struggle to find connection and belonging within their different cultures.

Many mixed-race students struggle to conform with one or multiple aspects of their identity, feeling pressured to align themselves with one side of their heritage or feeling disconnected from their relatives and other members of their cultural groups. For many mixed-race people, finding belonging among other people with differing identities from themselves can be difficult.

While this can foster feelings of isolation and uncertainty, many mixed-race students feel that being mixed-race also provides opportunities for exploring their identity and heritage.

According to Niche, a site that provides school demographics, almost 10 percent of Lowell’s student population identifies as mixed-race. Some mixed-race individuals feel pressured to increase their connection to their varied heritage in order to establish a sense of

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Cecelia Mills Sydney Sharp The Lowell December 2024

belonging. “Mixed-race people, most of the time, don’t have mixed-race parents, so that increases the isolation,” Rebecca Godard, a PhD candidate in psychology at the University of British Columbia, said. “As humans, we’re really wired to find a community of people who are like us.”

Many students at Lowell struggle to find their own community, experiencing rejection or exclusion from their families or communities due to their mixed identities. According to junior Julian Walsh, who identifies as one-quarter Japanese and three-quarters white, his family has expressed a desire for him to become more invested in his Japanese side. “I know that my grandma would say that it is very important for me to connect with my culture,” he said. Despite Walsh’s satisfaction with his own identity and expression, his family’s wish for him to speak Japanese and have a deeper understanding of Japanese culture has caused him to feel conflicted about the level of connection he has to his heritage. According to the Washington Professional Educator Standards Board, language and culture are inextricably linked. Types of language usage vary by culture, and the language spoken by a community plays a significant role in that group’s way of connecting and bonding. Junior Ryan Braunstein, who identifies as Chinese and white, feels a sense of disconnection from the Chinese part of his family due to a language barrier. “[I cannot] speak Toisan to my grandma like my mom’s side of the family can, and I feel like they understand the culture so much more than I do,” he said.

For other students, their feelings of cultural disconnect are rooted in their physical appearance. Sophomore Sasha McKenney, who identifies as half Japanese and half Black, has struggled to feel comfortable in her appearance as a mixed-race person, feeling separated from the rest of her family. “In elementary school, a girl told me that I was too dark to be Asian and too light to be Black,” she said. “Looking at all the photos taken with both sides of my family, I always end up standing out, [and]

Julian walsh

that doesn’t bring out the most positive emotions.” Difficulties fitting in with the rest of their family can contribute to students’ struggles to find belonging within their community. Similarly, mixedrace students like Sharp and Walsh, who consider themselves to be white-passing, can experience further disconnect from their heritage as their mixed-race identity isn’t always visible to others.

According to the Rochester Institute of Technology, the term “white-passing” is used to describe a person of color who is commonly perceived as white by the rest of society based on their appearance, environment, and individuals’ assumptions. As someone of mixed white and Chinese descent, Sharp often feels anxious about attending family gatherings. Her relatives compare the way she looks to other people in her family, criticizing her mixed-race traits and claiming that she does not appear Chinese. Her family’s attitude towards her mixed-race identity creates a sense of exclusion, causing Sharp to feel isolated from her family and distanced from her culture. According to Sharp, people even occasionally struggle to recognize that she is related to her family members when she is in public with them.

“When I go to the doctor’s office, I’ll walk up there with my mom, and since I’m very white-passing, they’ll say, who’s your mom? It’s the woman next to me,” she said. “It makes me a little sad, [because] I feel like half of my identity is just erased.” This assumption, along with others from relatives and friends, have seriously affected Sharp’s self-confidence and caused her to have difficulty discussing her identity.

Senior Simone Andrade, who

Amy Chandonia

for mixed kids to not feel like they fully fit in anywhere,” she said.

Despite the struggles that some mixed-race students face, Diwan feels that belonging to multiple cultures provides her with an opportunity to explore her identity, embrace her heritage, and find welcoming and supportive environments. “It’s really empowering to know that I have so many communities who accept me,” she said. “I’m definitely very proud of all of my cultures.” McKenney feels that although it can be isolating at times, being mixed-race provides opportunities for greater connection with various groups. “Instead of thinking of yourself as this unique outsider [from] everyone else, you can think of it more like you’re able to fit into multiple different places,” she said. “You don’t have

“I don’t think of mixed people as being 50 percent white or 50 percent Asian. I see them as 100 percent white and 100 percent Asian.”

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to be in just one box, you can expand outside of it and be your own unique individual.” Andrade believes that discussing her racial identity with her family has enabled her to accept herself and her mixed heritage. “As I’ve gotten older and talked to my family, I’ve learned to have more pride in that [Black] side of my family,” Andrade said. “I’ve learned that by saying I’m mixed, it isn’t only validating myself, but it’s validating my whole family and recognizing my culture.”

As mixed-race students explore their cultures and develop their own identities, many choose to merge aspects of their heritage together. McKenney has found joy in educating others about the various parts of her identity and the intersections between them. “I think the moments when we can share the different aspects of our cultures

is really beautiful, and is really what it means to be a mixed person,” she said.

Braunstein believes that his perspective as a mixed-race person encourages him to explore and appreciate communities different from his own. “It lets me see the world in a different view, and it allows me to be more open minded about diversity in general,” he said. Walsh emphasizes the importance of unifying his identity across his different cultures. “If you’re mixed-race, you’re not one thing or the other,” he said. “Embracing yourself as a whole is the only thing you can do.”

Overall, Godard believes that it is beneficial for mixed-race people to pursue a journey of self-identification in order for them to better understand themselves. “As long as they go through that identity exploration process, they can end up in a healthy place,” she said.

“You can’t put yourself in a box, everyone’s journey is different.” Kirschner feels that mixed-race students should not feel pressured to portray themselves as a perfect mix of their various identities. Rather, she believes that individuals should attempt to explore their heritage and cultivate an identity that feels authentic to them. “Culture is not monolithic,” Kirschner said. “Having such an array of cultures, you can pick and choose which ones resonate with you.” To add on, Sharp wishes to dispel the belief that the racial identities of mixed-race people are fragmented or less than whole. “I don’t think of mixed people as being 50 percent white or 50 percent Asian,” she said. “I think of them as 100 percent white and 100 percent Asian.”

Many students expressed that the process of finding one’s identity can be long and difficult, and believe that it is normal for people to be at different stages of their journey. Walsh feels that he has been able to make steps towards self-acceptance by disregarding others’ expectations in favor of pursuing his own form of expression. “There’s no certain way you have to be,” he said.

“You can decide what you want to practice culturally, what you want to believe in, [create] your own set of values, and accept yourself as this unique person.”

The Lowell December 2024 17

GRAPHICS BY SYDNEY LEE AND NOELLE MAK

identifies as one quarter Black and three quarters white, said that the contrast between her racial identity and her physical appearance has caused her to question if she should publicly identify as a mixed-race person. “When I was younger, I didn’t feel comfortable calling myself mixed,” Andrade said.

“I look very white, and I’ll always be treated with the privilege of a white person, so it didn’t feel legit.” Similarly, Walsh feels that others’ perceptions of his race have influenced his identity, minimizing his own identification with his Japanese heritage. “I don’t really feel like it’s a big part of me, at least in other people’s eyes,” he said. “[However], I feel like there is guilt that I should be more connected to that community.”

According to Godard, students with more than two ethnicities making up their background can experience further disconnect from their various cultures. She said that if mixed-race people have just a small number of distant relatives that identify with part of their culture, it may be harder for the person to feel connected to all parts of their heritage. “Maybe that ancestry is further back in your family, maybe you only have one grandparent,” Godard said. “You might lose that connection more easily than if you have two [grandparents] and a parent.” Sophomore Amaya Tawasha Diwan, who identifies as half Punjabi Indian, one quarter Palestinian, and one quarter Colombian, said she previously felt a stronger connection to her Indian heritage than to her other races, as it constitutes a larger part of her ethnic makeup. “I used to be pretty disconnected from my Palestinian and Colombian sides,” she said.

“People sometimes told me that because I was a quarter of this or a quarter of that, it didn’t count.” Similarly, junior Eva Kirschner, who identifies as white, Japanese, and Hawaiian, has faced a similar struggle to feel validated in her identity. “It’s easy to feel like a fraud,” Kirschner said. Through engaging with other mixed-race students and building community among them, Kirschner has learned to accept that she may never feel fully connected and validated in all of her cultures. “It’s a common experience

INFOGRAPHICS AND DATA

INFOGRAPHICS BY YUE YI PENG, ILLUSTRATIONS BY JEFFREY CHEN

A STUDY OF SLEEP As Lowell students balance school work, extracurricular activities and hobbies, their sleep can be adversely impacted.

In November 2024, The Lowell administered a survey asking 145 students to share their sleeping habits.

How many hours of sleep do you get before an average school day?

What is the biggest factor limiting your sleep?

On a scale from 1-5, how consistent is your sleep schedule?

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The Lowell December 2024

At what time do you usually go to bed on school nights?

At what time do you usually go to bed on weekends?

The Lowell December 2024

SPREAD DESIGN BY MAREN BROOKS

If you take naps after school, how long do they take?

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MEDIA REVIEW

FILM: I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS

By Maren Brooks

PHOTOS COURTESY OF IMDb

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n Charlie Kaufman’s 2020 film I’m Thinking of Ending Things, appearances can be deceiving. The movie opens with a familiar scene: a woman embarking on a road trip with her new boyfriend, the exciting future of their relationship extending ahead of them. But as doubts begin to creep into her mind about their happiness together, the comfortable atmosphere begins to degrade, until nothing is predictable and the characters’ inner demons run rampant.

Poignant and disturbing, I’m Thinking of Ending Things utilizes unsettling pacing, out-of-place horror, and inconstant characterization to deliver an unrelenting sense of unease and suspense.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is difficult, even painful, to sit through. Its long shots, unchanging scenes, and slow, meandering conversations are a far cry from the rapid pacing the modern audience has come to expect. The movie features only a small cast of named characters, whose interactions with each other are cold, awkward, and seem almost rehearsed. Rather than resembling realistic conversation, the two main characters’ dialogue more closely mimics an internal debate, with constant rebuttals and circular reasoning conveying a sense of hopelessness in their shared moments.

Conversations jump sporadically from logical comments to strange, philosophical discussions. In the unassuming medium of road trip small talk, the central couple’s dark musings travel erratically to topics of death, decay, suicide, and free will. The film confronts the audience with its barbed exterior, forcing them to look deeper in order to uncover its true nature.

Much of the psychological horror in I’m Thinking of Ending Things stems from its twisted reflections of normalcy.

When the woman’s boyfriend opens the door to the barn in

The Lowell December 2024

his childhood home, her anticipation of a peaceful scene of farm animals turns to horror: the lambs are frozen to the ground and a blackened spot is all that remains of pigs that were eaten alive by maggots. This subversion of the audience’s expectations, with moments of terror contaminating scenes of comfort, contributes to the increasingly unsettling nature of the film. The film betrays the audience’s trust, keeping them on the edge of their seats until the very end.

In I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Kaufman explores the fluid boundaries of identity. Characters’ names, jobs, ages, and even the actors who portray them change from scene to scene, allowing the viewer to observe the story’s key players as impermanent. In this way, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is transformed from a traditional movie into a fable or legend. The characters become mere archetypes of human behavior, puppeteered by the malevolent hands of fate.

Kaufman’s characters seem powerless to change their destiny, doomed to live through the stories that they tell each other in painfully stark irony.

Kaufman expands his twisted portrayal of identity by breaking down the boundaries between characters. Personality traits and moments from the characters’ pasts seem to change hands almost imperceptibly until the central cast blurs together, making it unclear if there are truly divisions between them at all. When the main character arrives at her boyfriend’s childhood home, she finds a picture of him as a child that she initially recognizes as herself, and later encounters artwork in the basement that she had previously displayed as her own. This mirrors the film’s shifting depictions of identity, causing viewers to question the ownership we hold over the ideas and memories through which we define ourselves.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is an unconventional addition to the world of psychological horror. The film builds tension through uncanny scenes that offer a hollow, sinister mimicry of reality, and its unassuming setting makes its dark subject matter all the more horrifying. I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a disquieting watch, but it leaves the viewer with questions about the nature of identity and reality that are worth grappling with.

Opinion

OPINION: MUSIC BEYOND AN AESTHETIC

By Serena Miller

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SPREAD DESIGN BY MAREN BROOKS

or the first few months, I hear the song everywhere. In the grocery store, when I open my phone, playing from some unidentified speaker, or sung under a classmate’s breath, it seems to be wherever I turn. It gets stuck on repeat in my head for two weeks, driving me insane, and then, suddenly, it’s gone. Listening to that once-popular song instantly becomes cringey, uncool, and annoying. Oh my God! No way you actually listen to that song unironically. That’s so two months ago.

Music needs to be saved from the claws of social media microtrends. These cheap methods are quickly becoming the only way to achieve success and gain recognition, and they’re taking over the way that society interacts with music. Artists should strive to cultivate a following without shoving their way onto Explore pages and creating oversaturated aesthetics to appeal to trend-hungry listeners.

I want to find music naturally and connect to organic lyrics and sounds, free from the same overused beats and split-second success pop stars that are endlessly trending in the media.

Social media platforms can be beneficial to an upand-coming artist’s success, boosting short video clips and providing songs and artists with attention and an instant following. Take, for example, Little Nas X, the little-known rap artist who suddenly skyrocketed on charts when his song “Old Town Road” became popular on TikTok in 2019. The song accumulated 2.9 billion streams in its first year. This catchy blend of country and rap helped the artist establish himself, dominating social media sites and radio stations.

However, after that brief moment of popularity, Lil Nas X has all but disappeared from the music scene. His newest song “need dat boy,” is yet to reach even a million streams since its drop in early November 2024. Doomed to remain a 2020 rapper, his music no longer captures the attention of the internet’s music trend enthusiasts.

Short-form videos are a widely consumed media type, something that artists are encouraged to use to their advantage. As of 2022, Tiktok is the most downloaded app worldwide, with over 150 million active users in the United States. The short length and wide range of subject matter, paired with upbeat tunes, makes watching TikTok incredibly addictive. It is no surprise that when artists see trends in songs blowing up in the media, they try to gain traction by altering their songs to be short and catchy. A song may become the top hit of the week, with a melodic chorus created

to please social media algorithms and conform to the format of 15-second content. It appears on millions of screens worldwide, coupled with silly dances or trends. However, this emphasis on viral music prevents the song from becoming timeless, and the overall quality of the songwriting is diminished.

As someone who views music as a way to connect with others and with myself, this recent influx of trashy jingles and pop hooks ruins the magic of music for me. I see music as an outlet, a medium that one can turn to for inner peace and emotional reflection. Hearing the latest releases of trending, chart-climbing artists sparks no emotion. Anyone can start chanting when “FE!N” by Travis Scott, a song that has a chokehold on our generation, starts playing, but most listeners form no deeper bonds with the music beyond that.

Songs like these overtake spaces where I could be sharing new music with others. I find my friends not wanting to hear a new song I enjoy if it’s not trending on TikTok with familiar lyrics they can sing.

The internet has created whole lifestyles around certain songs, overshadowing the actual music. Charli xcx, an already well-established singer, gained millions more supporters from the neon green aesthetic of her summer 2024 album release, Brat. Everyone was eager to hop on the “Brat Summer” bandwagon, sparking endless online discourse about what it means to be “Brat.” With this Gen Z fascination impacting even the political campaign of Kamala Harris, the influence of this trend was sweeping and inescapable.

Social media may quickly boost an artist’s potential, but just like other Internet trends, these artists’ moments can’t last. By September, neon green was out and another trend had proclaimed Brat “dead.”

When these overnight pop stars step out of the safe algorithmic image they’ve created, the internet is quick to strip them of their marketability and appeal. TikTok trolls show no mercy in shooting down artists, and no action can escape examination. Another trending artist, Chappell Roan, felt the pressure of her newfound fame when fans scrutinized her politics after she chose not to publicly endorse either presidential candidate. This backlash added up, and after canceling tour dates from overwhelming stress, the star has been consumed by the internet’s churning machine of fame.

I’m sick of repetitive beats and media stunts taking over social media and infecting my playlists. Artists should strive to create emotion in their albums, cultivating nuanced sounds and creating music with care and artistry, not begging to blow up as social media’s next microtrend.

Though the music plastered across social media apps seems almost inescapable without complete removal of these apps — which is an almost impossible request to fulfill as a person living in our digitally connected society — I find solace the best I can in my curated playlists. I listen to the timeless, sweetly singing voices of Lorde, Adele, and Solange, trying to block out the toxic noise of internet media consumption.

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Across 2. Get your sports mode on 7. They have a store in Italy with a very tiny door 9. May cause some tummy trouble 10. Lemon pepper everything 11. The secret is in the sauce 14. Dirty shoes are made here 15. Ugliest new car in town 16. This café got cancelled

Down 1. Fast food chain that got in trouble for its small portion sizes 3. Buildings, sand castles, cookies all ________ 4. They have some interesting poses 5. They’re closed on Sundays 6. Unlimited breadsticks!

8. Don’t drink and Prime 11. Nothing changes except the cameras 12. They lure you into buying more than you intended 13. Pepsi haters drink _____ 15. Fast fashion brand with the craziest ads

CROSSWORD AND SPREAD DESIGN BY MEHREENSPREAD SHAIKH AND KAI LYDDAN DESIGN BY

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ILLUSTRATIONS BY JEFFREY CHEN

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The Lowell March 2023 ## Email TheLowellManagement@gmail.com