Opinion

The San Francisco Solution

Lily McLean, editor-in-chief

The San Francisco Unified School District has many problems, but the one it has chosen to target in recent weeks is the issue of whether or not the names of various schools should be changed to address issues of racism. The School Board’s answer? Yes, they should. 

As SFUSD’s 57,000 students continue to learn from a distance, the Board has announced a plan to rename 44 of its schools. In a widely-shared spreadsheet, anonymous contributors have shared notes on the rationale for renaming schools, from Abraham Lincoln High to El Dorado Elementary.

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Arts, Entertainment

A Lack Positive LGBTQ+ Representation in Modern Television

Kathryn Loschert, journalist

Television has become one of the most common American pastimes. Whether this means watching an episode of your favorite TV show or finding a new show to watch over the weekend, most people would agree that television is a strong part of their lives.  Despite the variety of shows available, the casts tend to be similar.  They lack diversity, especially characters who are members of the LGBTQ+ community.  It is important for us to increase television representation to educate audiences and give representation to minority groups.

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Miscellaneous, Uncategorized

Why Your Smoke Alarms May Not Go Off During a House Fire

Paige Putnam, journalist

Note: This topic is very important to me, as I recently experienced a significant house fire and our smoke alarms did not go off. 

Take a moment and think to yourself: when was the last time you checked the batteries of the smoke alarms in your home? Did you ever wonder if by some off chance they may not go off if your house was on fire, even with brand new batteries? Believe it or not, this does happen, and more often than you might think. There are actually two different types of smoke detectors, ionization detectors, and photoelectric detectors. Ionization smoke detectors detect particles of fast-paced open flame fires and photoelectric detectors detect smoke particles from fires that smolder for a long period of time before turning into open flames. Depending on where in a house a fire starts, how fast it spreads, and the type of fire it is, it could take up to hours to see or smell smoke. If smoke alarms do go off, individuals will often see or smell smoke before they hear the alarm. The type of fire alarm and its location in a house also affects the likelihood of whether it will go off or not.

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Opinion

The Educational and Developmental Importance of Having Creative Outlets

Maya Tuckman, journalist

Skills like mathematics, writing and literature, science, history, and geography are considered a fundamental part of functioning in the “real world” because of their practical applications and are therefore an essential part of the educational system. However, the significance of creative programs is frequently overlooked, and sometimes even belittled. Many struggle to recognize the essential role that creative outlets and crafts play in both development and education.

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Coronavirus, Global News

The Psychological Impact of COVID-19

Maya Tuckman, journalist

While the health, economic, and social impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic appear to be the most urgent issues in current global society, mental health risks during quarantine isolation, loss of loved ones, and other financial, social, and familial struggles exemplify a rising personal conflict. Stress and isolation evoke unusually harmful psychological consequences that, since the start of lockdown, have progressively exacerbated the condition of nationwide mental health and intensified negative circumstances for those already struggling with mental illnesses like anxiety, addiction, depression, and more.

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Science

Influential Women in STEM

Jillian Haskin, Science Department Co-Editor

Historically considered as male-dominated, the STEM field has received more popularity recently due to the recognition of more women who have pioneered the way for a diverse community of women nationwide and promoted encouragement through scientific engagement. More women have been highlighted for their intricate work and persistence in the revolutionizing of science, crushing the stigma that surrounds the history of the STEM field. This has led to the emergence of the term ‘women in STEM.’ From unveiling the structure of DNA to finding a cure for seemingly unpreventable illnesses despite minimum recognition, women have shared many complex discoveries that prove the scientific community is one anyone can enter.

Breaking gender stereotypes and transforming the birth of innovation nationwide, the accomplishments of these women are one of the main reasons we can coexist today with the help of technology.

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Opinion, Science

Meet the Uterus: A Conversation About Childbirth and Female Reproduction

Nastia G., Arts Department Co-Editor

The female body is a taboo topic. In ancient times, women’s bodies symbolized the purest of entities. The female anatomy was supposed to be mysterious, sophisticated, and beautiful. Men and women knew little of reproductive anatomy, and most early diagrams of these systems were abstract. Until the 1960s, most men and women were not educated in schools about the construct of their own bodies, and many never received proper sexual education at all. In the present day, more than half of the United States, including the District of Columbia, do not require sexual education to be taught in public schools. Despite the lack of proper anatomical education, there are dozens of slang words for different female body parts, most of them used as insults against men as a means of degrading them.

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Health, Science

Effects of Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics

Diane K., journalist

 It is estimated that people have trillions of microbes externally and internally. Though it might not seem so, these microbes are a very essential part of everyone’s health. Good microorganisms such as probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics can confer many health benefits, making it a popular topic among many. Research has shown that foods containing probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics are beneficial to health in several ways.

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Miscellaneous

English as a Second Lifeline

Emma Dumitru, Arts Department Co-Editor

Imagine you are an immigrant who has arrived in the United States. You do not know how to communicate in English, and as a result, you are not able to fully integrate yourself into American society. One day, you learn about the English as a Second Language classes being offered at a local nonprofit organization, The Connection in Summit, New Jersey. Once there, you discover a warm community that welcomes you with open arms. 

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Opinion

Electric Vehicle Revolution or Tesla “Tulip” Mania?

Danielle Chan, Newsletter Editor

Tesla, an American company that focuses on the production of electric vehicles and more, has seen its share price go full “SpaceX,” rocketing up to stratospheric levels and making headlines across various media. Living in a world where it’s nearly impossible not to notice the stock market’s daily fluctuations, I couldn’t help but wonder how Tesla has become the world’s most valuable automobile company. With its recent addition to the S&P 500 Index this month, many whispers of both commendation and condemnation have stemmed from questioning the company’s true valuation. Is it worth its price, or is it all just a dream? 

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