The Cardinal Times Spring 2021 Issue

Since

1897

The Cardinal Times

Vol. 126

Spring Issue

© SPRING 2021 • cardinaltimes.org • Lincoln High School • Portland, OR 97205

TOP LEFT: Read about junior Ava Hudson’s passion for fashion design on page 2. Photo

courtesy of AVA HUDSON.

TOP RIGHT: Senior reporters Amanda Ngo and Michelle Yamamoto discuss Asian-

American oppression on page 11. Photo courtesy of WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.

BOTTOM LEFT: Learn how dance and cheer teams have transitioned to in-person practices

on page 6. Photo courtesy of SYDNEY HUARD.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Read about the gravity of the national anthem at sports games on

page 11. Photo by FAITH PAUKEN.

In this issue...

Politics in the Classroom P.4

On Reading Romance P. 5

Dance and Cheer

P. 6

Opinion: Class Rankings P. 10

@cardinaltimes @cardinaltimes @cardinaltimes

PAGE 2 • The Cardinal Times, SPRING 2021 PROFILES

Profile: Ava Hudson’s expression through design

By CLAIRE YOO

Hudson wears her Russian Candy Wrapper

Dress, which she was inspired to create after

seeing the intricate patterns in a Russian candy

store.

Courtesy of AVA HUDSON

Even during the hardships of the

Covid-19 pandemic, junior Ava Hudson

continues to flourish with her love for expression

through fashion. Hudson has a

passion for expressing herself through

what she wears.

Hudson grew up in a household valuing

art, and this environment naturally encouraged

her towards exploring different forms

of art. In her early years, she was sent to an

arts-integrated school which allowed her

to carry out projects using her creativity.

Even in her household, she lived in an environment

perfect for focusing on interests

requiring creativity such as playing an instrument,

dancing and drawing.

“My parents restricted how much TV we

were allowed to watch, so when we were

looking for something to do, the natural

thing was to go to the art room. At age eight

or nine, I began to randomly make these

very dramatic, odd gowns that usually fit

horribly, but I took great pride in wearing

them,” says Hudson.

She continued to grow her interest in

art, especially her love for costume design,

both influenced by her family and her experiences

from training as a ballerina for

years.

“[Training for ballet] helped spark my interest

[in] art on the body, since that’s what

dance is in a way. Also, my grandmother is

a professional visual artist and has always

encouraged my sister and me to dive in

when curiosity emerges. My sister and I see

her as a role model because she has demonstrated

that being an artist is a valid and

meaningful career,” says Hudson.

She started off by helping with tasks like

making costumes for school plays at her

arts-integrated school, and she went on to

learning to sew from her mom at age eight,

when she started making clothing for herself.

Since then, she used a technique of trial-and-error

through the help of tutorials

on Youtube.

Carrying on this natural interest for art

and creation derived from her childhood

memories, Hudson continued with her passion

for fashion. One reason why Hudson

became so intrigued with fashion was because

she believes it’s a communal experience

which can also be used as a tool for

self- expression.

“The fact that fashion is becoming much

more inclusive of body types, gender identity,

race and sexuality makes it even more

exciting; if fashion is about self expression,

there’s more opportunity now than ever before,”

says Hudson.

An aspect of fashion design that Hudson

is especially fascinated by is couture:

fashion that is made to fit a client’s specific

requirements and measurements. Couture

is especially eye-catching for Hudson because

all of the pieces are hand-crafted and

unique, making them true pieces of art for

the body.

“To me, couture is an intense sensory

experience, a beautiful art form, and a very

open opportunity for self-expression, all

at the same time. Art and music are both

areas I’ve found I can submerge myself in

with a kind of sensory joy….and making or

watching couture takes the experience up a

notch and overwhelms me even further, in

a good way,” says Hudson.

With the current Covid-19 pandemic, one

might expect that pursuing a passion for

youth might be more challenging than before.

But for Hudson, Covid-19 has felt like

a silver lining with all the time and flexibility

she has gained from her online school

schedule. While being able to gain more

confidence with her work created by the

distance from society’s judgement Covid-19

brings, Hudson has been able to focus more

on bigger projects, like the one she is in the

process of creating.

Continued on Cardinaltimes.org

Portland protest art: a reflection of the

past, present and future

By MEI XU

Walking through downtown Portland,

you might stumble upon a blue mural depicting

the face of a dreaming woman and

an excerpt of the Langston Hughes poem

“Dream” written in cursive. The mural exists

among the many Black Lives Matter

protest art pieces that illustrate the city.

Meet Bernadette Little, the creative behind

the mural.

Little, who is from Baltimore, MD, moved

to Portland in 2017 to work as a graphic designer

and art director. Her passion for art

began in her early childhood and continues

to be an integral part of her, allowing a

channel for self-expression.

“I have always been into the arts. I actually

started out, when I was really young,

as a violinist and then that slowly merged

more into the visual arts… Drawing and

painting are my absolute favorites,” Little

explains. “It has always been my first love

and my way of expressing myself. I have

never been a big extrovert… I’m definitely

not a wordsmith or a poet. My way of expressing

myself has always been through

the visual arts.”

Little credits her love of art, specifically

painting and drawing, to accessibility.

“You don’t need a lot of money, you don’t

need a lot of tools, just whatever you can

make to make a mark,” she says.

And for Little, her inspiration for art is

everywhere.

“Everything is a story. The way that you

move, the way that you act, the way that

people react to you. Everything has something

behind it. I think delving into those

stories in everyday life is what inspires me.”

These days, Little has been concentrating

on the intersection of her diverse passions

and her educational background as a student.

This focus has led her to emphasize

the importance of protest art, a form of expression

that transcends the racial, social

and economic barriers posed against artists

and creatives today.

“I’m also a master’s student and… there

have been some courses where we studied

social change organizations so that on top

of being involved in these mural projects

has really cemented in my brain the transformative

power of protest art. [Protest art

is important] once again for that accessibility

piece and its universal ability to provide

a foundation for somebody to communicate,

for somebody to get their ideas across

that transverses language that transverses

academia and overly complicated ways of

communication. Even within the art world,

the gallery space is a very colonized and

institutionalized space. I think protest art

gives people the ability to take down all

those barriers and express themselves in a

transformative way,” she says.

This summer, Little took to the walls of

Portland to combine her talents with the

push for social justice marked by the Black

Lives Matter protests that flooded the

streets. She began work on one of her protest

art mural projects after fellow muralist

and creative Solamée Souag (@c.hroma on

Instagram) contacted her.

Little’s inspiration behind the mural

is one that echoes the deep history of the

United States, paying homage to the past

civil rights leaders that have fought for

change.

“The times that we live in are nothing

new. They are new to us, but not to the

history of society. I was thinking… the pull

quote from Langston Hughes was indicative

of that,” she says. “It speaks to the fact

that this is a historical moment for us, but

it is building upon the work of so many other

people who have come before us. It is

speaking to what is happening in our time

and what happened in their time.”

But more than just a reflection of the

past, Little’s mural is also indicative of the

future.

“I also wanted [the mural] to be something

slightly optimistic. I wanted it to be

something [that reflects] we are fighting

for a purpose, we are fighting for a cause,

we are fighting for those dreams that we all

still have and can achieve if we all work together,”

she says.

In an effort to achieve this narrative, Little

carefully planned her mural, painting in

blue hues for a dreamy effect and using her

sister as a reference for the sleeping female

figure in the mural.

“I wanted it to be this contemplative piece

that spoke to the past and the potential of

the future. It was super fun to get my sister

involved. The pull quote itself, I reached out

to a friend named Andrea [Cenon] (@andreacenon

on Instagram) who works with

me and is a wonderful hand lettering artist.

I knew that wasn’t my forte. We collabed on

it… and I went down to the space with my

partner and we got it up within a few days.”


To check out more of Bernadette Little’s work,

check out her Instagram @youcancallmebernie

and her website www.youcancallmebernie.com.

Photo by KATE HADDON

ARTS & CULTURE The Cardinal Times, SPRING 2021 • PAGE 3

Staff Profile: David Kays

By EIRINI SCHOINAS

This year, a new Audio Engineering class the perfect class to learn the ins and outs “We are looking to grow the program so

was started by music department teacher of music and audio production and would that there are three levels: Beginning Audio

David Kays. The Career Technical Education

(CTE) class focuses on learning and easier. I haven’t been disappointed.” and Practicum Audio Engineering,” Kays

make producing my own music a whole lot Engineering, Advanced Audio Engineering

applying skills in recording, production Kays pointed out that the digital revolution

has led to the explosion of many indus-

Audio Engineering. In this class, students

said. “Next year we are adding Advanced

and other possible careers in the music industrytries,

in turn providing many opportunities will not only be running sound at school

“I’ve always taught my Performing Arts in Audio Engineering and Music Productionnity

to work with our community partners

events, but they will also have the opportu-

students that there are many careers out

there in the music industry that do not require

you to perform on an instrument or to Engineering and Music Production are While the Audio Engineering class is an

“The opportunities for careers in Audio out in the field.”

sing, “ Kays said. “Not only does Audio Engineering

and Music Production comple-

a field traditionally dominated by white mitted teacher who runs a number of other

expanding,” Kays said. “Although this is exciting addition to Lincoln, Kays is a comment

our existing music classes, but it also males, recently the number of women and classes that students enjoy.

provides a platform to expand the kinds of BIPOC [Black, Indigenous and people of “Mr. Kays is a dedicated and enthusiastic

teacher,” said sophomore Jonah Byars,

music we explore and create.”

color ] audio engineers are growing. The

Despite kickstarting the class during the demand for women and BIPOC audio engineers

is high, so now is a good time to begin Inquiry (FLI) class last year. “The class was

who took Kays’ Freshman Leadership and

COVID-19 pandemic, many students have

signed up for Audio Engineering this year. exploring those possibilities.“

really enjoyable and an interesting alternative

to the normal FLI class.”

The feedback from students taking part in In the class, students are able to demonstrate

recording techniques in the studio, Kays really enjoys teaching at Lincoln

this class has been undeniably positive.

“I’m a singer-songwriter and have tried mix audio and Musical Instrument Digital and hopes to continue to successfully support

students in the coming years.

Engineering class, which will include three levels,

Kays is excited to be introducing the Audio

my hand at producing my own music. In Interfacing (MIDI) tracks, create beats and

doing so, I found that it was pretty much more.

“I love teaching at Lincoln,” Kays said. as a CTE class.

a whole different art in itself and I needed Audio Engineering is a CTE program of “What makes it a great place for me are the Photo courtesy of LINCOLN YEARBOOK

to learn a lot more to get comfortable with study that is supported by Portland Public people. Our teachers, administrators, support

staff and students are so fun to work

it,” senior Atharv Bhingarde said. “I found Schools (PPS) and the state of Oregon, and

[out] that there was a new Audio Engineering

class and thought that it would be duced at Lincoln, there are already plans to ting back in the building soon.”

although the class has only just been intro-

with and I am really looking forward to get-

expand the program.

Musicians share what music means to them

By KATE HADDON AND SKYLAR DEBOSE

From consumption to production, music

plays a large role in the lives of students at

Lincoln.

For senior Mack Ashbaugh, who sings for

Vivace, Lincoln’s acapella group, as well as

the Lincoln choir, music was a way for him

to connect with other students and find his

place in high school.

“When I first came to Lincoln, I joined

choir, and that really helped me feel comfortable

being at Lincoln,” he said.

Katie King, a sophomore and singer/

guitarist, also found her place in the music

community.

“The artist community at Lincoln is very

welcoming and really kind,” she said. “I’ve

only had positive experiences with everybody

in my [Cardinal Choir] class.”

Students say music can also be a stress

reliever.

When Ashbaugh was on a hockey team

where he faced bullying, music helped him

work through it.

“I didn’t really know how to deal with

[the bullying] and I found music. It was

really like therapy to me, it helped me find

balance in my life,” he said.

That balance has also served as a help to

people who simply want to get things off of

their mind. For King, music is a form of expression.

“[Music is] a really great way to communicate

how you feel,” she said. “That’s the

way I communicate [my emotions].”

Senior Carson Nitta, a bassist in the

school jazz ensemble and for Salad Water, a

local band, also uses music to connect with

people.

“Playing music with someone for the

first time is like having a conversation with

them [or] meeting them for the first time,

and that’s always really cool,” Nitta said.

Similarly, connection drives the passion

of some singers to keep performing and inspiring

others.

“I always like to see somebody be affected

in some way by a song I’ve written,” senior

Atharv Bhingarde said about when he

performs his original music.

By using his own life as an inspiration for

the music he writes and sings, Bhingarde

can bring back memories and connect to

his audience.

For rapper and musician, senior Caleb

Dickson and Ashbaugh, being so passionate

about music has truly influenced who

they are today.

“I feel like [music is] my entire life,” Ashbaugh

said. “I wouldn’t be where I am without

it.”

Even when passionate about something,

things can easily get in the way. For many

young artists, school is a barrier.

“[School] can just flex my creative zone,”

Dickson said.

However, creative activities such as writing

and performing music does not always

come easy. Ashbaugh finds it’s difficult to

juggle school and his hobbies too.

“Having to balance hockey– which I play

seven days a week– with music– which

I practice every day too– and then with

school... it’s very hard,” said Ashbaugh.

Being a musician for some entails writing

as well as performing, but writing music

can be very challenging. For Dickson, his

creativity can come and go while he writes.

“My writing process is very interesting

sometimes. There will be days… where I’m

not trying to write right now, other days it’ll

just come to me,” he said. But when he has

a strong idea, it’s easier, “I just get inspired

and when I do I just have to really get in

the zone… I just turn everything off and I’m

like, ‘today I need to write.’”

When it comes to their future, Lincoln

musicians have different plans for where

music will take them.

Nitta doesn’t plan on attending music

school but will continue to share his passion

for music with others.

“I will definitely be taking classes and

trying to meet people [in college] who also

share my interests, and maybe even start

another band wherever I go to school,” he

said.

Meanwhile, Ashbaugh knows exactly

what he wants to do with his life, and that’s

becoming a professional musician.

“I refuse to not let it happen,” he said. “I

think that one of the ways a lot of people

don’t make it [is that] they doubt themself,

[but] I don’t doubt it at all. I’m going to

become a professional and that’s the only

thing I want to do with my life.”

Dickson would also love to have a future

career in music.

“I would love to continue on and learn

more and just create music in general,” he

said. “If that’s where my career takes me,

that is just a blessing.”

The Cardinal Times

Established in 1897, The Cardinal Times is a

forum for student expression. We are the oldest

continually published high school newspaper

west of the Mississippi River. Letters to

the editor can be submitted in Room 122 or to

thecardinaltimespdx@gmail.com.

Editors

Cole Pressler, Editor-in-chief; Cate Bikales and

Gabby Shaffer, Managing Print Editor; Hadley

Steele, Managing Digital Editor; Digital; Claire

Yoo, Michelle Yamamoto, Holden Kilbane,

Annika Wang, Visuals/Design; Sydney Ward,

Isabella Lo, News/Features; Kate Haddon,

Eirini Schoinas, Sports; Avery Hellberg, Mei

Xu, Jaden Schiffhauer, Arts/Culture; Amanda

Ngo, Social Media; Gabe Rosenfield, Podcast

Editor; Kenzie Ward, Photo Editor

Business manager

Xander Levine

Reporters/photographers

Redding Longaker, Max Edwards, Skylar

DeBose, Tabitha Lee, Owen Adams, Abby

Yium, Henry Reuland, Leela Moreno, Devyn

McMillen, Katlyn Kenney, Gracie Pixton

Adviser: Mary Rechner

Corrections

While we strive to be as accurate as possible,

mistakes happen. Please contact us. We believe

it is important to set the record straight,

and we will correct in this space as needed.

Keep in touch

Send a letter to the editor. Advertise your

business. Contact us at thecardinaltimespdx@

gmail.com or on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

or Snapchat, @cardinaltimes.

PAGE 4 • The Cardinal Times, SPRING, 2021 FEATURES

Politics: Can it be avoided in classrooms?

By JADEN SCHIFFHAUER

How are political influences involved or avoided in classrooms?

Graphic by HOLDEN KILBANE

Since the beginning of 2021 alone, numerous

current events, political discourses

and controversial ideologies have come to

the forefront of the American public’s discussions.

As a result of such a culture, students

and teachers have begun to grapple

with classroom conversations dealing with

these issues.

Despite the immediacy of these dialogues,

actually holding them can be a difficult

task to navigate. Rules such as those

contained within Oregon law ORS 260.432

provide regulation, preventing teachers and

other public employees from “[promoting]

In early February, the safe park program

was proposed by City Commissioner Dan

Ryan, who oversees Portland’s Housing Bureau,

the Joint Office of Homeless Services

and the Bureau of Development Services.

“The idea is that [the safe park program]

would be so that people who live in their

vehicles could park somewhere safe and be

able to have access to the basic amenities...

basic things that we take for granted,” says

Yesenia Carrillo, who is in charge of Constituent

Relations for Ryan as well as being

Ryan’s Policy and Communications Advisor.

According to Portland city officials, the

parking lots would have access to services

that the houseless community can utilize to

move towards more stable housing in the

future.

“[There would be] a bit of support to

help people identify where they could get

services that might help them get back into

an apartment,” says Marc Jolin, Director of

the Joint Office of Homeless Services, “and

then there are other ‘safe park programs’

that are a little more intensively supported.

For folks who are sort of maybe longer term

living in their vehicles, maybe they’re living

in an RV, and then they have more barriers

to getting off of the streets.”

or [opposing] any political committee or

[promoting] or [opposing] the nomination

or election of a candidate, the gathering of

signatures on an initiative, referendum or

recall petition, the adoption of a measure or

the recall of a public office holder while on

the job during working hours.”

Even so, junior Rohan Yamin has found

that this year has created a greater deal of

these kinds of conversations.

“I have definitely had more politicalbased

discussions this year over previous

years,” says Yamin. “Starting with the Black

Lives Matter protests, most teachers have

A similar safe park program is currently

used in other major cities such as Los Angeles,

CA. And according to the Safe Park

LA web, after just five years in operation,

approximately 25% of the houseless population

in LA are now staying in city-protected

safe parking lots.

While this idea may be a new consideration

for Portland’s city officials, it has been

present in the community for a long time.

“The idea is definitely something that

many of our community partners have been

thinking about and advocating for, but [the

safe park program] was not something that

the government agents have pursued,” says

Carrillo. “This has been an idea that’s been

amongst the community for a long time.”

The same concept is currently used within

faith-based organizations. The Portland

Zoning Code under section 33.920.470.B

allows for three vehicles to be parked in a

religious institution’s parking lot per night

as long as they have access to sanitary facilities.

“There have been partnerships in the

past with different faith based organizations

who wanted to make their parking

lots available for people who are living in

their vehicles,” says Carillo.

While a safe park program has yet to be

acknowledged and offered a space to talk

about the current political climate.”

Some teachers feel that the weight of

having conversations about politics and

current events falls more upon some than

others.

Political Economy and History teacher

Dr. Rion Roberts notes that the bulk of

these discussions often occur within certain

classes.

“Not all teachers have the ability to engage

in that, because they don’t have the

training in social science analysis,” he says.

“Language arts teachers have it a little

rough, math teachers avoid the conversation

totally, so disproportionately we end

up getting stuck in social sciences as being

the place where we talk about politics.”

Social Sciences teacher and soccer coach

Sam Roberson agrees that such discussions

are common within the classes that he

teaches.

“In Political Economics we spend the first

full semester talking about nothing other

than politics,” he says. “It’s a daily conversation

for us… In addition to planned daily

discussions, I start every class with a chance

for student check in…. During the first several

minutes of class students can bring up,

talk about, or ask questions about anything

that’s going on in the news or their world.

Much of the time it’s about breaking news

or controversial topics.”

Some teachers outside of Social Sciences,

such as Amanda Elliott who teaches

English and Theory of Knowledge (TOK),

notes that similar conversations sometimes

take place in her classes too.

“I had a couple of classes after the Jan. 6

events, for example, or the election where

I asked if we needed to talk or if we should

implemented in Portland, the city is currently

taking proposals for additional forms

of alternate housing that can be incorporated

into the Portland plan.

“Once we see those proposals, we’ll have

a better idea of both what type of safe park

we’re going to be offering, and what the

scale of that safe park will be,” says Jolin.

Portland has implemented other outdoor

housing solutions during the COVID-19

pandemic that provide a tent, bed, sleeping

bag and other hygienic amenities to accommodate

crowded shelters. According to the

Oregonian, one focuses on the LGBTQ+

community, one on people of color and another

that is for everyone, but prioritizes

older folks. City officials say safe park is a

similar, less expensive alternative.

“One of the advantages of the safe park

programs over any other shelter strategies

that we have is that folks have their vehicles

so we’re not having to invest in sleeping

structures or shelter beds,” says Jolin. “It’s

less expensive, especially in the short-term

model of providing some support to folks.”

Jolin says another potential benefit to the

safe park program is its ability to accommodate

those who are chronically homeless,

or those who aren’t looking for shelter

or permanent housing. This may be due to

just get on with things,” she says. “Most students

just want to get started, but in TOK,

we have groups studying political RLS [real

life situations], so we’ll have discussions

there. Some students are looking at vaccinations,

masks, the Jan. 6 events, and the

White House Columbus Day press release.”

Students at Lincoln have come to understand

such conversations, with both teacher

and student participants, as a common

part of their educations. Junior Tucker

Bowerfind has experienced many political

dialogues within the classroom.

“I have found that, in general, these types

of discussions have been relatively common

in both in-person and in virtual classes,”

he said. “I find that these sorts of discussions

tend to happen the most in classes

that make space for check-ins and whatnot,

where a student will mention some current

event having to do with politics. Teachers

are almost always willing to engage with

important topics that are raised to some

level.”

Students such as Bowerfind have found

that teachers will tend to limit how they

speak about their own beliefs.

“Most teachers are careful about what

they choose to say in class about political

issues, but I definitely have had experiences

with teachers voicing strong opinions

on matters that they care about,” he says.

“Even if they don’t say what their beliefs are

outright, I think it’s impossible for them to

completely keep their personal biases relating

to politics out of their teaching or just

conversations.”


New safe park program could help Portland’s houseless

By HADLEY STEELE

having a bad experience at a shelter, wanting

to stay with their pet or worries about

being separated from their partner.

“You’re still going to find folks who are

camping— when you talk to them about

shelter, their initial reaction is going to be

[that they] don’t really want to go. We try

very hard to help them understand what’s

different about shelter now, and that might

be a better fit than they think. And then we

also just recognize that we need to keep

working on different strategies that might

be better,” says Jolin.

Advocates say everyone living as a houseless

person has a different experience and

may need a different path to permanent

housing. City officials say Portland is working

to accommodate these differences in

needs, and the safe park program may be a

step in that direction.

“It can be dangerous to be sleeping unsheltered.

We want to be able to offer people

some basic safety and stability that

allows them to both be safe tonight,” says

Jolin. “But to have that sense of support,

that allows them to focus on the work they

need to do to get back into permanent

housing because it takes work.”

FEATURES The Cardinal Times, SPRING, 2021 • PAGE 5

Lets Talk Mental Health: Mental health and academic

pressure

By GRACIE PIXTON

Whether online or in-person, Lincoln’s

academics come with a great deal of pressure.

Students have not attended in-person

classes since March of 2020; however,

when we were in school, the academic

strain that we were under was apparent.

It was not uncommon throughout my

high school career to walk down a hallway

and see students crying over a grade or panicking

over a test. Lincoln students have become

so desensitized to the academic strain

that they are under that no one even batted

an eye when they found themselves, or

their peers, crippling under the pressure.

So let’s talk about it. I think that it is important

to recognize what this hypercompetitive

academic atmosphere is doing to

our health emotionally, mentally and even

physically.

Let’s talk about how academic pressure

affects our emotional health.

School environments tend to promote

the idea that a student’s worth is in direct

correlation with their academic standing.

This causes students to associate the content

of their character with the letter grade

that they see on the paper. This mindset

can be extremely detrimental to their emotional

health. Pressuring them to excel in

their academic performance by pushing

On Reading

Romance

By GABBY SHAFFER

Gabby Shaffer is a junior at Lincoln. Her new

column will focus on the Romance Book Club at

Lincoln, as well as the joy that many people find

in romace novels.

Photo by GABBY SHAFFER

I first began reading romance because of

Lincoln librarian Lori Lieberman. She recommended

a book called Again, But Better.

I read this without knowing it would spark

my interest in romance novels.

From that point on, I devoured almost

anything I could get my hands on.

This love of romance novels (the ever-so

reliable happy ending, the swoon-worthy

moments and everything in-between) has

themselves far beyond their limits will not

help them to grow into emotionally mature

adults.

“This causes students to

associate the content of

their character with the

letter grade that they see on

their paper.”

~ Gracie Pixton

Senior

only flourished during the pandemic.

Because I enjoy the genre so much, I

started the Lincoln Romance Book Club

with the help of Lieberman in early 2020.

We wanted to share romance and destigmatize

the genre at the high school level. I

ended up absolutely loving the genre and

club, and it’s been one of the best experiences

and decisions I’ve made.

The main purpose of this column will

be to discuss various topics relating to the

“We wanted to share

romance and destigmatize

the genre at the high school

level.”

~ Gabby Shaffer

Junior

romance book world. Many people judge

romance as “trashy” or not as good as other

genres and carefully avoid reading anything

classified as romance. My hope is to

begin to demonstrate the joy that this genre

brings to so many people.

The pieces in this series will include

book recommendations, reviews and my

thoughts on the goings-on of the romance

world.

I know that each person has a different

taste in books. I get that. If I can get one

person to read a romance novel after reading

my column, I have done my job!

Academic pressure also affects our mental

health.

Stress and school are highly intertwined.

There is a lot expected of high school students.

I know many who have had to balance

sports, a job, IB classes and maintain

a social life. This expectation to do it all and

to do it all perfectly can lead to a lot of anxiety

and stress. According to the Pew Research

Center, 70% of teens say that anxiety

and depression are major issues in their age

group in the communities they live in.

The intense hypercompetitive nature

within the Lincoln community can also affect

our physical well-being.

According to the National Institution of

Mental Health, overwhelming amounts of

long term stress can have detrimental physical

effects on the body. Prolonged stress

can cause damage to the immune, digestive,

cardiovascular and sleep systems. This

can lead to digestive issues, headaches,

sleeplessness, sadness or irritability. When

students are experiencing these negative

side effects of stress, it becomes difficult for

them to do well in school. When it is difficult

for them to do well in school, they become

more stressed. Do you see the vicious

cycle that we have created?

Many within the Lincoln community

that are striving for academic validation.

As college admissions continue to become

more selective and tuition prices continue

to rise, students are trying harder in school

now more than ever. This creates a toxic Gracie Pixton is a senior at Lincoln. Her new

environment in which students are trying column will focus on the impacts, support and

harder and harder and receiving less and experiences of mental health in our community.

less recognition.

Photo by CARRIE MINNS

Teachers should not be discouraging students

from failing in a classroom setting.

should be just as much about developing

As strange as that sounds, failure is what

students into emotionally mature adults as

leads to the most growth. We need to take

it is about helping them to succeed academically.

the pressure of students to succeed at every

academic challenge they take on. School

Looking forward to

life after Covid

By HENRY REULAND

The Coronavirus has taken over our lives for over

a year now, so students reflect on the things they

are hopeful to do again soon.

Graphic by Holden Kilbane

From buffets to handshakes, COVID-19

has taken away so many aspects of the life

we all considered normal just 12 months

ago. As vaccines start rolling out to the

public and the conclusion of the pandemic

possibly seems within reach, it is hard

not to look forward to getting back some of

the things we lost. Members of the Lincoln

community are joining in the anticipation

of a return to the things we love.

For Sophomore Aarav Shah, he will be

looking forward to reuniting with his family

across seas.

“I really want to be able to go to India,”

said Shah. “Almost all of my family lives in

one city there.”

With that family over 6,000 miles away,

it has been tough to maintain his relationships

for the duration of COVID-19.

“I feel like I’m losing my bond with them,

and I can’t wait to recreate that connection

when I finally get to see them,” said Shah.

Shah is not the only one patiently awaiting

the opportunity to see family when the

pandemic allows it. Travel restrictions and

quarantine policies have restricted family

visits in millions of households. Many are

looking forward to seeing family members

that they have missed for so long when it is

safe to do so. Sophomore Trevor Dix is one

of those people.

“My family used to come up from [Corvallis]

for Thanksgiving and Christmas and

not having them there has been hard,” said

Dix. “Hopefully we can go down and see

them more soon.”

Dix is also excited to do more simple

things when the pandemic is under control.

“It sounds [basic], but just walking downtown

with a group of friends is something I

am looking forward to,” said Dix.

For Dix, visiting local businesses and establishments

is something he can’t wait to

do. Similar to Dix, English teacher Barbara

Brown can’t wait to go and visit some of her

favorite stores.

“[I am looking forward] to going to thrift

stores again!” said Brown. “I used to go with

my daughters, or my friends, or myself.”


PAGE 6 • The Cardinal Times, SPRING 2021 SPORTS

Ski team continues with adaptations

to COVID

By DEVYN MCMILLEN

can go,” said Chapin.

According to Chapin, in previous years,

Despite COVID, Lincoln skiers are still

the Lincoln ski team had a bus to transport

the racers to practice after school on

getting out on the slopes to race.

The 2020-21 winter ski season has been

Wednesdays, and there was a carpool system

on race days so all racers could attend

severely abbreviated due to COVID-19 restrictions.

every race, regardless of if they had transportation

or not. This year, there is no bus,

“Ski team looks really different this

year,” said junior Lia Khunis, a member of

and racers must get a ride from their parents

to attend practice at 2 p.m. on Wednes-

the Lincoln High School Alpine ski team.

“The amount of people on the team has

days, or they must get a ride from someone

shrunken a lot, and the amount of time we

else’s parents on the team, but they must be

have to practice and race at the mountain

in a pod with them. Racers also did this for

has shrunken, too; even the time of day we

the race day on January 21st, and will do it

practice at the mountain is different.”

again on the second and final day Feb. 12,

Because of the coronavirus, the amount

both with two races within each race day.

of people who can be at Mt. Hood for races

Khunis said that she felt nervous before

has been reduced significantly compared to

the slalom race that was held Jan. 21 due

previous years.

ABOVE: Ski team practices on the giant slalom race course on Jan. 27 (on easy rider at Mt. Hood to the lack of practice that was available to

“There can be only a maximum of 50

Meadows).

the racers.

people at each race, so races like the Kelsey

Courtesy of LEA KHUNIS

“There is no way to improve your slalom

race, which is a friendly race, where every

racing throughout the season because there

team from the Three Rivers League gets

the amount of people from both teams practices,” said Khunis.

is only one slalom practice before the race,

together for a memorial race for Kelsey

combined this year is significantly smaller Chapin sees a bright side to the decrease and there is only one slalom race day. After

Hewitt to start off the season, can’t happen,”

said Lincoln High School and Catlin

than the amount of people racing solely for in the amount of racers because it’s an opportunity

for the racers to get more prac-

Though ski racing is very different from

that race day, it is all done,” said Khunis.

Lincoln last year.”

Gabel racing coach, Robin Chapin.

Khunis has noticed the amount of people tice.

what it was last year, Kunis is still happy to

This year, the Catlin Gabel and Lincoln

on the team who regularly come to practice “Because there are a lot less people this be able to race in any capacity.

teams have combined to practice and race

compared to last year has decreased. year, it allows us to really focus on the racers

that are still left. The racers can get race at all this year, and because I can, I am

“I didn’t think that I would be able to ski

together.

“Last year, there would be anywhere

“There’s a lot less people this year skiing

for both Catlin Gabel and Lincoln, so

from about 20 to 25 people coming to practice.

This year, only about ten or so people less people running the course, and so that

more runs in practice, because there are very grateful,” said Khunis.

coaching both teams at the same time is

combined from both Lincoln and Catlin is less time they spend waiting around for

not a chaotic thing,” said Chapin. “In fact,

Gabel that actually routinely come to the other people to run the course before they

Lincoln’s dance and cheer teams

return to practicing in-person

By HADLEY STEELE

The Lincoln High School dance and

cheer teams returned to in-person practice

on Mar. 15 with the Oregon Health Association’s

(OHA) guidance for fitness-related

activities in place.

Mid-March is normally when the dance

team would compete at the state competition,

which they will be unable to do this

year.

“During normal years we practice for two

and a half seasons. We start practices in the

summer–conditioning and stuff– and then

we start [actual] practices when the school

year starts,” says senior Sydney Huard,

who is a part of the dance team.

The cheer team has also returned to

in-person practice.

“All of our practices were online, [but the

week of Mar. 14th] we started going in-person

because we got the notice that we were

allowed to,” says sophomore Taylor Levow.

“[So far,] we’ve had two in-person practices

and we’ve been to one football game and

one soccer game.”

Spending so much time on virtual practices

was hard for athletes.

“Traditionally, the dance team is a large

ABOVE: Dance team returns to Lincoln's gym after being away for nearly a year due to COVID.

Courtesy of SYDNEY HUARD

commitment that has a lot of expectations

and becomes a significant part of your life,

but now it feels so disconnected from that,”

says junior Addison Taylor, who has been

on the dance team since freshman year.

Huard agrees.

“Dance is definitely something you can’t

really do online,” she said. “You have to

be there with your team to learn choreography.

No one has space in their room to

dance. You can’t really do a full on routine

in your room.”

Virtual cheer practices were also difficult

because of the team safety concerns.

“Doing a lot of the main parts of cheer

like tumbling and stunting while we are

online was something we obviously had a

hard time doing,” says Levow. “We couldn’t

do any tumbling with our coaches spotting

us, so we couldn’t learn any new things like

back handsprings.”

Though the return to in-person practices

includes adaptations to safety regulations

which limits the variety of routines, the

teams have stayed positive and are excited

about being with their teams again.

“[It’s really helped my] physical and

mental health,” sophomore cheerleader

Phoebe Yang says. “Sometimes it’s really

hard to get motivated if you’re all alone at

home, but if you’re actually part of sport

and the coaches are watching you online or

in person, then you’ll be motivated to work

that harder.”

SPORTS The Cardinal Times, SPRING 2021 • PAGE 7

Fantasy Football takes over Lincoln

once again

By REDDING LONGAKER

When the coronavirus hit in late March

of 2020, all sports were put on halt with no

certainty of when they would begin again.

However, there is one safe way for students

stuck at home to have fun with each other:

playing fantasy sports.

Fantasy sports are online games where

participants manage imaginary or virtual

teams made up of real players from a professional

sport. A “league” of players can

have as few as four people to as many as 12.

Once getting a group of friends together,

you are able to draft your own team. You

can choose players you like or the players

you think will be best for your team and

also trade players with your friends, as well

as signing and dropping “free agent” players

who aren’t on any teams.

Many students who play fantasy sports

think it is a very nice distraction from everything

going on in the world.

“I think that it is a mental break. It’s an

outlet for me to play a game with my friends

and have a fun competition in something

Lincoln mens soccer returning for

that I am interested in,” said sophomore

Morgan Miller, who manages a fantasy basketball

team.

This has been the case for other students

as well.

“It takes my mind off of [COVID-19] and

helps me focus on something that I love,”

sophomore Jimmy McCartan said.

Creating a fantasy team not only allows

students to take a mental break from

COVID-19 and school— it serves as a way to

communicate and enjoy time with friends

safely.

It gives students an opportunity to reach

out to each other while giving them something

to discuss that isn’t discouraging

news surrounding COVID-19.

“It keeps me and my friends in touch and

gives us something to talk about without

having to get together,” said McCartan.

Miller feels the same.

“It is a great way to socialize during quarantine,”

said Miller. “It’s a competition and

we pretty much play for bragging rights,

so it is always fun to smack talk with [my

friends].”

restricted season

By MAX EDWARDS

ABOVE: Lincoln’s 2021 varsity soccer team

prepares for their upcoming restricted season.

Courtesy of LINCOLN SOCCER TEAM

In the later months of 2020, there was

doubt about whether or not there would

be a fall sports season for Lincoln athletes.

However, just over a month into 2021, Lincoln

fall sports athletes returned to practices

after OSAA gave the green light.

With the season just around the corner,

questions are being asked regarding the restrictions

due to the pandemic. Will there

be a difference in games or training? Will

the exhilarating atmosphere that Lincoln

varsity games possess return as in previous

seasons?

For Pablo Dipascuale, head coach of the

boys’ varsity soccer team, preparation for

the season has brought only minor challenges

to the table.

“It [preparation] will be similar, only

slightly rushed. A difference may be that we

get limited on the amount of players we can

roster for a given match [due to the limit of

people to a site],” said Dipascuale.

With the pandemic still ongoing, it is a

priority for Dipascuale to keep his coaching

staff and players safe as well as attempting

to construct a successful season.

“Really, we just have to follow a bunch

of protocols. As far as restrictions go, the

one that really stands out is the limit on the

number of people that can be on site at a

time,” he said.

COVID-19 has presented many challenges

this past year, with many doubting the

return of high school sports as a whole, but

from the start Dipascuale had hope in the

return of his beloved sport, “football.”

“The club soccer scene has been holding

competitive matches and running various

leagues since October 2020, so it only made

sense for a high school season to happen

too,” he said.

The first day of tryouts were held Monday

Feb. 22, 2021.

“Our first match would be a week from

then (February 22, 2021) at [the] earliest,

but that has yet to be published by our athletic

department,” Dipascuale said.

PAGE 8• The Cardinal Times, SPRING, 2021 ARTS

Q &A: Students share appreciation for Arabic class

By KATLYN KENNY

Lincoln High School offers an extremely

unique opportunity for its students:

taking Arabic language up to the IB

level. As the only public school in the

state that has this course offering, not

only is the program special, it is also

well-loved by all participating students.

Unfortunately, class sizes have

always been small, with the program

and language getting limited exposure.

Forecasting for the coming school year

has shown that not enough students

are enrolled, which could mean the

loss of the program.

The Cardinal Times spoke with different

students in the Arabic program

to hear their perspectives on the Arabic

class at Lincoln. Juniors Leila Besic,

Dalida Farhat, and Lea Rocheleau

in the 7-8 Arabic class shared their

thoughts, along with seniors Anna

Miller and Carson Nitta from the 9-10

Arabic class. Interviews have been edited

for brevity and clarity.

Note: In Arabic, we called our teacher

which can be written in English ‏,ةذاتسا

as Ustada

Why did you choose to take Arabic?

Leila Besic: I began taking Arabic at

West Sylvan because I realized it was

a very unique opportunity that other

public schools in Oregon don’t have. I

also knew Arabic would be helpful to

me in my future, as it is beneficial in

many careers and one of the most spoken

languages.

Anna Miller: I chose to take Arabic

because I had heard such incredible

things about the program from family

friends.

Dalida Farhat: I chose to take Arabic

because not only is it the language my

parents speak at home, but it is also

such an interesting language to learn

as it is so different from English.

Lea Rocheleau: I chose to take Arabic

because of the amazing opportunity

and it seemed like a really unique

and exciting language to learn. I loved

learning the alphabet and how different

speaking and writing the language

is from English.

Carson Nitta: I started Arabic in 6th

grade because the language intrigued

me and it sounded fun to learn a more

unique language compared to Spanish

or French.

What is your favorite part about

the class? About the culture?

About our teacher?

Besic: I really love everything about

the class, but if I had to pick, I would

say my favorite thing is all the amazing

activities Ms. Ruqayya plans for

us. Everything we do is so interactive

and fun, yet it also teaches us so much.

The culture is amazing! Everyone is so

kind-hearted and genuine. The food is

really good too! As for Ms. Ruqayya,

there are way too many things I love

about her for me to pick just one. As

a student in her class, you can really

tell Ms. Ruqayya loves all her students.

She tries so hard to make us happy

and make class fun for us. Just a few

days ago, Ms.Ruqayya taught us how

to make hummus on zoom, knowing

we were stressed with the workload of

other classes. Even with online school,

Ms. Ruqayya manages to find fun (and

delicious) activities for us to help our

mental health. She’s very very compassionate,

funny, empathetic, talented,

and one of the strongest people I know.

Miller: The current 9-10 class has

created such a strong community and

I love everyone so much, and I am so

grateful for this experience and this

family we have created. Ustada Ruqayya

feels like a second mom to me. She

is the kindest, most generous, empathetic,

and caring person I have ever

met, and the best teacher on the planet.

The care and dedication she puts into

her class and to her students’ health,

mental and physical, is unmatched.

I think my favorite part of the class is

just the incredible group of friends and

the connection I will have with these

people forever, and the kindness I have

been taught.

Farhat: I love not only the environment

and community we have built

over the years but also the activities

we do in the class itself. We have done

many fun activities that other classes

don’t get to do, like cooking food, while

also learning from it.

Rocheleau: My favorite part of the

class is the community we have. We’ve

known each other for a long time and

we all have a really good time in Arabic

class. Also, Ustada Ruqayya is an

amazing, engaging, and loving teacher

who makes me excited to come to class

every day.

Nitta: The class community is super

tight and Ustada is by far the nicest and

most caring teacher I’ve ever had. The

culture is super unique and diverse and

taking Arabic has opened my eyes to a

whole new part of the world.

Why would you encourage others

to take Arabic?

Besic: I would encourage others to

take Arabic because it’s truly a very

unique opportunity that Lincoln has

been privileged with. It’s my favorite

class and offers so much to the community.

Miller: I encourage everyone to take

Arabic. Yes, it is challenging and can be

difficult at first, but it is such an incredible

skill to have. Taking Arabic will

push you, but it is so worth it. We also

have so much fun! We learn to make

hummus, we host our annual culture

night, with a fashion show, and many

other incredible things. There is so

much more than just learning the language

that goes into Arabic, and that’s

what I love about it!

Rocheleau: I would encourage others

to take this class to expand the Arabic

program and make an even stronger

community. You get to learn a very

unique language and tell everyone

about what you are learning. Although

the language is different and challenging,

the class itself is not incredibly

hard if you attend every class and try

your best.

Nitta: The Arabic program is incredibly

important to Lincoln. It is the only

PPS high school that offers Arabic

making it very unique. I also think it’s

the coolest language you can learn right

now. Not only is it difficult to find Arabic

teachers in America, but it is also

one of the most prevalent languages in

the world, just as important as Spanish

or English. Also, there are many opportunities

that open up to people who can

speak Arabic because of how few people

have that skill in America.

What has your biggest takeaway

from the Arabic program been?

Besic: My biggest takeaway has been

learning so much about the language

and culture. I feel as if I could effectively

visit an Arabic country and manage

to hold a conversation and live my

day-to-day life there. Furthermore, the

culture is so beautiful and everyone deserves

to experience it.

Miller: My biggest takeaway has been

the stereotypes broken about Middle

Eastern and Arabic culture. As Americans,

we all have this idea of what

we think we know about the Middle

East and about Islam, but most of it is

wrong. Islam is a religion of peace and

kindness, and the more we spread this

message through the Lincoln community,

the better.

Farhat: My biggest takeaway from the

Arabic program is how big of an impact

the classroom environment has

on one’s learning experience. Since the

community in the Arabic program is so

structured and tight-knit, learning the

language is even more fun than it usually

would be.

How has the Arabic program impacted

your life?

Besic: Arabic has impacted my life

more than any other class. I’ve learned

so many things and created unbreakable

bonds with my fellow peers and

teacher. Ms. Ruqayya has taught us

many life lessons, like to always be

kind and compassionate, and that hard

phases in life will pass.

Miller: Arabic has impacted my life in

so many ways, but the main one would

have to be that I’m planning to major

in it in college! I am so excited to continue

my Arabic studies in college and

work with other incredible students

from all over the world.

Farhat: After participating in the Arabic

program, I am now able to keep

conversations in Arabic, read articles

and books in Arabic and write in Arabic.

Rocheleau: The Arabic program has

impacted my life in a lot of ways because

I have learned a lot about the

language and culture in ways that I

would not know if I did not take this

class.

What would you tell other students

who are considering taking

the class?

Besic: I would definitely encourage

other students to take the class! It was

the best choice of my life and I wouldn’t

trade it for anything.

Miller: I would tell other students to

take this class if you’re considering it,

no question about it! You will not regret

it at all.

Farhat: Do it!! Taking Arabic was

one of the best class choices I have

ever made. Everything about the class

is amazing as it always keeps you involved.

There are also so many opportunities

that arise outside of the classroom

by just joining the Arabic class.

Nitta: If you enjoy learning languages

there is no better language to learn.

If you want to learn about a rich and

unique culture there is no better language

to learn. If you just want to

broaden your worldview there is no

better language to take.

Why is the Arabic program at our

school so important and what

would losing it mean?

Besic: The Arabic program is so important

for so many reasons. For one,

Lincoln is the only public high school

in Oregon that offers Arabic, making it

very unique and valuable. As it is not

offered at many schools, students at

Lincoln must take advantage of this

amazing opportunity! Losing it would

be a tragic loss. Losing Arabic would

mean losing an amazing teacher, culture

and class.

Miller: The Arabic program at Lincoln

is so unique, and we cannot afford to

lose it. When I tell other people that I

am studying Arabic in high school and

plan to in college, they don’t believe

me! Arabic is an amazing language,

and the class is so much more than just

1 hour of your day. Losing it means losing

the best teacher and best program

at Lincoln that has been so successful

to its students and has provided a safe

place for its students. I can’t imagine

Lincoln without the Arabic program

and how much it has taught me.

Farhat: The Arabic program at Lincoln

is so important because it allows

students to experience cultures and

languages they would’ve never been

exposed to prior to taking the class.

Losing it would mean the loss of those

in-depth teachings of many things we

would not have learned in other classes.

Rocheleau: Losing the Arabic program

would be so sad for me and everyone

in the program currently. This

has become a much bigger part of our

life than just a language class (In the

best way possible) and not having this

opportunity would be really hard for us

and Lincoln. It is a big part of Lincoln

and a really interesting thing you can

have on your resume or for college applications!!

Nitta: Losing the Arabic program

would be a huge blow to Lincoln’s already

limited diversity.

CULTURE The Cardinal Times, SPRING, 2021 • PAGE 9

Cardinal Times staff reviews Sputnik Sweethart and Two Can

Keep a Secret

By MEI XU

Title: Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki

Murakami

Pages: 210

Genre: Romance, Fiction, Cultural (work

in translation)

Release Date: 1999

Favorite Quote: “So that’s how we live

our lives. No matter how deep and fatal the

loss, no matter how important the thing

that’s stolen from us… even if we are left

completely changed, with only the outer

layer of skin from before, we continue to

play out our lives this way, in silence.”

Synopsis: Sumire, a recent college dropout,

finds herself in love for the first time

with Miu, a woman 17 years older than her.

The narrator, K, is good friends with Sumire

from college, and together, they bond

over phone calls in the early mornings in

which Sumire pines K for advice on love,

writing and making sense of the world.

explores the intense, yet unrequited, love

triangle between Sumire, Miu and K, and

delves into themes such as the complexity

of relationships, longing, isolation and the

forever incompleteness attached with human

desire.

Why I like it: Haruki Murakami is one of

my favorite authors, and this is one of my

favorite books by Murakami. The way that

he writes is deeply personal, as if each sentence

is like a warm hug. I love , as it yields

Sputnik Sweetheart is a book written in 1999 by

Haruki Murakami.

Courtesy of BARNES AND NOBLE

inevitable self-reflection. The book itself

is centered around a “shell of our former

selves” perspective and provokes an innate

awareness of the internal loneliness of life,

while questioning the futile attempts that

humans make to conceal this devouring

feeling. Oh, and it’s also filled with literary

techniques, such as symbolism and metaphors,

which only add to the excitement.

By DEVYN MCMILLEN

Title: Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M.

McManus

Pages: 327

Genre: Murder Mystery

Release date: Jan. 11, 2019

Favorite Quote: “Welcome to life in a

small town. You’re only as good as the best

thing your family’s done. Or the worst.”

Synopsis: Twin high school students,

Ellery and Ezra, are forced to move to their

mother’s hometown, Echo Ridge, to live

with their grandmother while their mother

is in rehab. When they arrive, they come

to find out why their mother refused to tell

them about her childhood growing up in

Echo Ridge: her sister, the homecoming

queen, went missing and was never found

when they were only teenagers. Though

their aunt was the first homecoming queen

to go missing in Echo Ridge, she certainly

wasn’t the last….

Why I like it: I like it because the outcome

is not predictable, but it’s not out of the blue

or random either. In my opinion, McManus

does a very good job of making sure you

don’t know until the very end what is going

to happen, which can be hard to find in a

murder mystery. The writing is disturbing

and scary without being unnecessarily violent

or graphic. And, best of all, it’s the kind

Two Can Keep a Secret is a book written in

2019 by Karen M. McManus.

Courtesy of AMAZON

of book you can re-read over and over, and

still be able to experience the thrill of the

mystery each time.

Readers Respond: Arguments for and against school

reopening, vaccination availability, mental health

In response to Cardinal Times article

“It’s too early to return students en

masse to Portland high schools”

As a freshman in high school I have

been taking classes at Lincoln for about six

months, but I have never set foot inside a

Lincoln classroom. I have been able to keep

up with my classes. However, many other

students in Oregon and across the country

have not been as fortunate.

According to an article from The Washington

Post and an article from Greenville

News, class failure rates have skyrocketed

since online school started in school

systems from Fairfax County, Virginia, to

Greenville, South Carolina.

Many less privileged students rely on

school for meals, physical activity and

healthcare. Also, online school is especially

challenging for students who cannot get

help with mental health problems. Additionally,

being social and making friends is

a big part of school for freshman and new

students like myself. This is taken away by

online school.

I acknowledge the people pushing for

school to stay online, and that they believe

it is unsafe for students and staff to return

because of COVID-19. But as vaccines are

distributed, daily cases in Oregon continue

to drop. According to an article from NPR,

research found that there is no evidence

that reopening schools causes cases to rise.

When schools in Oregon do re-open it will

be with many precautions. But it is important

that they do sooner rather than later as

students’ struggles with online school could

affect their future.

Declan McCurdy is a student at Lincoln

High School

In response to increased vaccine

availability and inevitable reopenings

Due to the rollout of vaccines, through

the next few months and hopefully by

the end of the year, we are hoping to get

COVID-19 under control so our society can

return to the normal state it once was in.

What is this going to look like? How quickly

will our society return to “normal” again?

Vaccines are slowly becoming more

available to the public— first to elders,

healthcare workers and other first responders

and soon to all adults. When my mom

went to get her vaccine recently, she went

to the Moda Center where the US Army Reserves

were helping organize the event and

all of the details. This can go on to show

how much people care about others and

how they are willing to devote a lot of effort

to helping everyone get one step closer to

getting rid of this disease. We are all in this

together and it’s going to take some time.

How is society going to change? I feel

like some things are going to feel different

forever. What is happening right now is

history that people are going to be reading

about for a long time. I think people will

be wearing masks even after the pandemic

ends because it’s now a routine in our daily

lives to wear a mask. A lot of businesses and

people will be more cautious about safety

and distancing, and I think for a while it’s

just going to feel weird being out in society

again, with other people, interacting with

the world.

As we are around the corner for summer,

please do your part by wearing a mask

and socially distancing appropriately when

you’re around other people. You can start

making a change that will be a part of the

difference for when we as a society can end

this pandemic.

Jonas Brodsky is a student at Lincoln High

School

In response to increasing mental

health issues during online school

Online school has taken a toll on my

mental health, and I’m sure I’m not the

only one. Constant assignments and to-do

lists make the days feel like a constant loop;

it’s hard to break that pattern and take time

for myself. Students need to focus on their

mental health and work on taking care of

themselves during this rough time.

According to the National Association of

School Psychologists, “Left unmet, mental

health problems are linked to costly negative

outcomes such as academic and behavior

problems.”

I have found that exercise allows me to

release energy and be more productive

when I return to doing school work. Experts

have found that exercise relieves tension

and stress and boosts overall wellbeing

through the release of endorphins. Exercise

is easy to do at home, and I suggest that

students who need a break should try and

find twenty minutes to fit in a workout.

With online school, people aren’t very

motivated to reach out, but by giving friends

or family members a call, you are strengthening

your own mental health. The Mental

Health Foundation says, “Strong family ties

and supportive friends can help you deal

with the stresses of life.” Having good mental

health helps keep you focused in school

and having someone to talk to gives you a

person to share your feelings with. Being

productive can be hard, but after taking a

break and talking to someone, it is much

easier to focus on the task at hand.

Overall, I know online school has been

rough and we are all anxious to get life back

to “normal,” but normalizing taking a little

time for ourselves and focusing on our

mental health will help make the last few

months of online school a little more bearable.

Isabella Hartman is a student at Lincoln

High School

PAGE 10 • The Cardinal Times, SPRING, 2021 OPINION

Editorial Board: Considering the SAT—the outdated

test catered to those with privilege

By THE CARDINAL TIMES

EDITORIAL BOARD

As Lincoln begins offering the SAT to

students again after a hiatus of nearly a

year, we should take this opportunity to

consider whether now is the time to curtail

standardized testing, or even do away with

the system entirely.

The first SAT was administered in 1926

by Carl C. Brigham, a eugenics professor at

Princeton University, who essentially developed

the test in an effort to divide students

by race.

In his book A Study of American Intelligence,

Brigham wrote, “American education

is declining and will proceed with an

accelerating rate as the racial mixture becomes

more and more extensive.”

The SAT is used by colleges to compare

different applicants, evaluate their college

readiness and decide who is most “worthy”

of going to their school.

In reality, the test does the opposite. The

ability to do well on the SAT comes down

to privilege.

For non-native English speakers, the

SAT reading and writing sections are significantly

more difficult, as the test is currently

only offered in English.

In 2018, U.S. census data reported that

only 10.1% of white and Asian people are

living below the poverty line, compared to

25.4% of Native American, 20.8% of Black

and 17.6% of Latinx citizens.

According to a report by the Brookings

Institute, which looked at data for all of the

nearly 1.7 million college-bound seniors in

2015 who took the SAT, the mean score on

the math section of the SAT for all test-takers

was 511 out of 800. The average scores

for Black (428) and Latinx (457) students

were significantly below those of whites

(534) and Asians (598).

Among top scorers—those scoring between

a 750 and 800—60% were Asian and

The SAT has become unequal across races over the years.

Graphic by HOLDEN KILBANE

33% were white, compared to 5% Latinx

and 2% Black. Meanwhile, among those

scoring between 300 and 350, 37% were

Latinx and 35% were Black.

These numbers are not surprising. Class

and race are intersectional. Privileged individuals—typically

white, upper class—can

easily change the outcome of tests and admissions

by forking money over to do so.

The test itself costs $52, and prep courses

can cost thousands of dollars. The average

cost for an SAT tutor is $45-100 per hour.

For minorities, who are more likely to be

low-income or experience poverty, lack of

access to prep courses and tutors has continually

resulted in lower scores, leading to

further marginalization.

While there are some more affordable

options, such as free after-school tutoring

or using SAT study guide books (which still

cost up to $50), for some students, time is

money. Studying long hours for the SAT

isn’t practical for students balancing school

and a job to support their family, taking

care of younger siblings or focusing on

sports to ensure a scholarship.

Lower test scores also lead to less opportunity

for “merit-based” scholarships,

which many students rely on for admission

to university. In order to attain these scholarships,

one must have a high standardized

test score—yet another arena in which minority

groups fall behind their white counter-parts.

The SAT enforces racism and the link

between race, income inequality and test

scores: more money leads to more success

on tests, in turn helping some students get

into better schools, giving them the opportunity

to acquire better jobs, and the cycle

goes on.

As some schools begin to go test-optional

because of COVID-19, we are already seeing

the positive effects.

A recent study released by the National

Association for College Admission Counseling

found that, when a test-optional policy

is adopted, it does seem to help diversity.

Not only is there an increase in applications,

but also an increase in the number of

racial minorities, women and low-income

students admitted.

Another study conducted by Brian M.

Galla, a psychology professor at the University

of Pittsburgh, suggests that grades

are likely a better predictor of college graduation

than SAT scores.

The SAT, along with the ACT and other

forms of standardized testing, were all developed

on similar principles and perpetuate

the same classist, racist, privileged

ideology. The only way to create an equal

playing field for all students is to abolish

standardized testing and rebuild our current

education system.

Op-Ed: It is time to get rid of class rankings

By ABBY YIUM

We are not numbers. And yet, every student

at Lincoln High School has one.

Students across the country are given a

number, known as a class rank, which measures

their GPA-based performance compared

to their classmates.

When students constantly compare

themselves to each other, it enforces the

idea that their worth is tied to their class

rank in school.

With our class ranks online, available to

us day and night, and on every report card

sent in the mail, it’s hard not to see ourselves

in terms of competition: better than

some students and worse than others.

Ranking students does provide recognition

for the highest GPAs, but it negatively

affects the educational experience for those

with lower GPAs. Even for those ranked

highest, this competitive structure adds

another layer of pressure for them to keep

their status, which experts understand is

harmful to teens.

Researchers at the National Academies

of Sciences, Engineering and Math warn

that youth at high achieving schools like

Lincoln are more at risk for behavioral and

mental health problems than the national

average.

Not only are class ranks unhealthy, but

they ignore the fact that people excel and

find passion in different aspects of life, not

necessarily just by getting the best grades.

With pressure to do well from parents, colleges

and peers, some students purposefully

choose to leave behind what they truly

wish to do in exchange for a higher GPA.

“A client of mine told me that taking music

or journalism was out of the question

because she couldn’t justify what it would

do to her GPA. I can tell you there was a

lot less joy in her curriculum,” said David

Altshuler, an education consultant and expert

of the college admission process, in an

interview for the Washington Post.

The pressure to conform to one path often

leads to burn-out and fatigue. Therefore,

by the time some students reach college,

they are unable to recognize what’s

actually important to them.

Alfie Kohn, an author and lecturer, is

an avid supporter for the abolition of class

rank and grades and has written hundreds

of articles speaking out against our country’s

obsession with test scores. He advocates

for the removal of class ranks, beginning

with small steps.

“A high school might start by eliminating

them for freshmen, giving students

one more year to be able to focus on the

learning itself. Or, at a minimum, they can

eliminate the particularly noxious practice

of ranking students against one another,

which turns academics into a competitive

sport and designates the victor as ‘valedictorian’”

wrote Kohn on his website.

While the long-standing tradition of class

rank is still in use today, I urge Lincoln administration

and educators to rid of class

rankings and find other ways to motivate

their students.

Lincoln sophomore expresses her thoughts on

how class ranks are outdated and need to be

abolished.

Graphic by MICHELLE YAMAMOTO

OPINION The Cardinal Times, SPRING, 2021 • PAGE 11

Editorial: Asian-American violence is nothing new

By MICHELLE YAMAMOTO AND

AMANDA NGO

Content warning: This article contains

graphic descriptions of violence and hate

crimes against the Asian-American community.

On Mar. 1, 2020, an Asian man in New

York City gets water thrown at him while

being accused of carrying the coronavirus.

On Mar. 16, 2020, an Asian man is verbally

confronted for coughing in a Target

store in Daly City, Calif.

In early April of 2020, an Instagram post

is shared by @antiasianclubnyc threatening

to “shoot at every Asian” in Chinatown

to “destroy the epidemic of the coronavirus.”

Now, nearly a year later, hashtags like

#stopasianhate and #protectourelders are

trending across social media, and mainstream

media sources are finally covering

the repeated attacks on Asian people in the

United States. However, for Asian-American

community members, this outdated

news has only come after months of unheard

cries for help.

In late January of 2021, several Portland

businesses were attacked, 11 out of 13 being

Asian-owned. These businesses are located

in East Portland, where the majority of

Portland’s Asian community resides. One

could reasonably assume that, since these

attacks were local, more Portlanders would

be aware of it. However, due to the lack

of accurate reporting and media coverage

on discrimination and violence towards

Asian-Americans (especially for lower-income

neighborhoods like the Jade District

in East Portland where these businesses are

located), it’s difficult to talk to another person

about the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes

without having to give context.

Media coverage of Asian hate crimes fails

to label them as such, sustaining the idea

that our pain does not deserve recognition.

On Mar. 16, 2021, a white terrorist shot and

killed eight women in Asian-owned businesses,

six of whom were Asian victims. In

the days following this tragic hate crime,

headlines failed to acknowledge the race of

the victims, in turn ignoring the racist intent

of the murderer and working to victimize

him instead. The idea that Asian-American

violence is not “newsworthy” is a

familiar one, and continues to suppress and

ignore our oppression.

The “model minority” myth– upheld

by American white supremacy– affords

Asian-Americans a false luxury that allows

people to perceive us as “closer to whiteness.”

As a result, Asian-American reports

of racism are often ignored. Our oppression

is overshadowed by our perceived perfection.

This sentiment, in combination with

the popularity and virality of racist Asian

jokes, perpetuates the notion that our pain

shouldn’t, and doesn’t, deserve to be taken

seriously. This erasure and ignorance of

Asian hate crimes creates a cycle in which

Asian-Americans fail to speak up or report

violence out of the fear of not being taken

seriously.

Historically, the ideal Asian person is

seen as submissive and apolitical, deeming

us ideal targets for racial hate crimes

without fear of retaliation or backlash. In a

white-dominated world, adhering to these

compliant and nonassertive stereotypes

affords us power and privilege. Many of us

seek to fulfill these stereotypes to appease

white people in power, internalizing the

racism that we have been conditioned in.

As a result, many Asian-Americans suffer

from internalized racism that contributes

to the silencing of incidents of racialized

violence.

Similarly, the grip of white supremacy

rewards division and conflict between marginalized

racial groups in America, as it

hinders collective power that has the potential

to dismantle this system of superiority.

Asian-American activists fight for civil liberties at a 2017 May Day (International Workers’ Day) rally in

San Francisco.

Courtesy of WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Asian-Americans must refrain from using

Asian hate as an opportunity to exercise

anti-Blackness. Instead, we should seek allyship

and solidarity to promote universal

liberation.

The Students For Fair Admissions v.

Harvard court case, for example, displays

the terrifying social control white America

has over people of color, baiting different

communities into an us-versus-them narrative

as marginalized groups vie for the

limited opportunities that they are allowed.

When the race of Asian students negatively

impacted their college admissions, white

litigators sought to tear down the affirmative

action policies that benefit marginalized

groups. With Asian-American plaintiffs,

asking the courts to end the use of race

in college admissions is more effective than

white anti-affirmative action students.

As victims of white supremacy, each oppressed

racial group has the potential to

turn against one another, as displayed by

inter-racial violence. However, phrases like

“Asian Lives Matter” divert attention away

from liberation movements by turning oppression

into a competition, rather than a

common enemy that needs to be treated as

such.

To our non-Asian peers: use this opportunity

to uplift and listen to Asian voices,

and further educate yourself on how to critically

analyze ways in which your behavior

negatively impacts the Asian community.

For more information on how to help,

visit the links below.

https://stopaapihate.org/

https://www.advancingjustice-aajc.org/

ways-give

https://www.apano.org/

Editorial Board: Give teams the choice to play the national anthem

By THE CARDINAL TIMES EDITO-

RIAL BOARD

Over the course of the United States’

history, many citizens have viewed the national

anthem as the foremost symbol of

patriotism.

Since 1918, when “The Star-Spangled

Banner” was played during the seventh-inning

stretch of Game One of the World Series

(and especially due to a resurgence in

its popularity following WWII), the song

has been a staple at sporting events around

the nation— including at Lincoln sporting

events such as football games.

No team, however, should be required to

play the national anthem at all.

In early February, Dallas Mavericks owner

Mark Cuban, made the choice to stop

playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before

regular-season games. When the NBA realized

this, they issued a statement reaffirming

their policy that required teams to play

the song.

The fight over the anthem perpetuates

partisanship when the country is arguably

more divided than it has been since the Civil

War. Conversations about the song have

proven to be a flash point between the right

and the left. Conservatives belittle athletes

for using their platform to protest and liberals

condemn those critics.

The full national anthem includes the lyrics:

“No refuge could save the hireling and

slave, From the terror of flight or the gloom

of the grave.” These lyrics, which condone

slavery, make the anthem a poor representation

of patriotism for many Americans,

and we on the editorial board find it foolish

to let a wartime tradition from over a century

ago exacerbate the partisan divide in

our country.

Over the past five years, the national anthem

has caused more divisiveness than

ever before.

During the 2016 NFL season, San Francisco

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick

kneeled during the anthem for every regular-season

game. He was soon released

from the team and has been effectively

blacklisted from the NFL since then.

Instead of being forced to play the anthem,

coaches and players at all levels,

including here at Lincoln, should sit down

and discuss as a team whether it is the right

choice for them. Some teams will choose

to keep it, but others could choose to play

a different song instead like “Lift Every

Voice and Sing.” Some teams might opt out

of playing any song at all, directing their

attention to the actual game and competitions.

Lincoln football players kneel during the national anthem on Mike Walsh Field before a game against

Madison, Sept. 22, 2017.

By FAITH PAUKEN

Nearly every high school football team

in the United States plays the national anthem.

While it’s somewhat understandable

that the NBA and professional leagues have

policies in place for uniformity, it’s unnecessary

for high school teams to follow this

precedent.

We are not advocating for the removal

of the anthem entirely. The problem is that

many people who support the anthem believe

that when athletes kneel, they are implying

they don’t respect the people who do

stand for the anthem.

Perhaps this can change someday and

those who disagree can form a mutual understanding

with each other. Until then,

the divisiveness will cause more harm than

good.

PAGE 12 • The Cardinal Times, SPRING 2021 TAILFEATHER

We Are All American

Editorial Courtesy of Puño y Letra

By LUCIA ABALLAY

Los estadounidenses tienen fama de

sentirse el centro de la tierra, algo que es

evidente en ciertos términos populares.

Usamos los idiomas para expresarnos, comunicarnos

y conectarnos, pero también

pueden funcionar como una herramienta

para avanzar ideologías regresivas. Sea un

insulto racial, un comentario despectivo o

una palabra con implicaciones subyacentes

del imperialismo, la precisión de las palabras

que utilizamos es necesaria porque

pueden tener significados muchos más

complicados de lo que parece a primera

vista.

Una palabra que se usa todo el tiempo

aquí en Estados Unidos, y que casi nunca

es criticada ni por los activistas más progresivos,

es americano/a. En los diccionarios

es un sustantivo gentilicio que describe a

un nativo o ciudadano de los Estados Unidos.

Pero los diccionarios no logran destapar

todas las implicaciones de usar una

palabra que se refiere a una masa de tierra

enorme - que incluye a muchas culturas diferentes

- para hablar exclusivamente de los

habitantes que ocupan solo el 23% del área

de esa tierra.

Hasta la percepción de esta masa de tierra

es importante en la consideración de

la definición. Muchos aprenden sobre los

continentes de formas muy distintas y lo

expresan de acuerdo a su propio idioma.

En los EE.UU., nos enseñan que hay siete

continentes, un modelo que considera

Norte y Sur América como dos entidades

separadas. En muchos países latinoamericanos,

las personas aprenden que solo hay

seis, resultando en América como la combinación

del Norte y Sur. A pesar del número

de continentes que uno reconoce, América

está compuesta de más que 39 países, lo

que claramente puede ser problemático

cuando se considera el uso de americano.

En nuestras escuelas es común escuchar

a alumnos y maestros referirse a los ciudadanos

de los EE.UU. como americanos

y al país como América. Nuestra historia

es problemática desde el primer momento

en que los colonizadores dejaron sus barcos

y pisaron la tierra. Hemos ido robando

la propiedad de los habitantes originales

en pedazos cada vez más grandes, y hasta

logramos pintar a las personas indígenas

como salvajes que necesitaban nuestra

ayuda civilizadora. Este patrón ha prevalecido

a lo largo de nuestra historia nacional.

Seguimos siendo un país con un complejo

de superioridad sobre nuestros vecinos del

sur, tanto que a los niños los separamos de

sus familias y los ponemos en jaulas cuando

vienen a pedir nuestra ayuda. El sentido de

altivez disfrazado de patriotismo ha sido un

tema recurrente en la narrativa estadounidense,

y el uso continuo de “American” demuestra

que todavía no lo hemos superado.

Este término sigue perpetuando una mentalidad

de imperialismo.

Este imperialismo con el cual hemos operado

hacia el resto de América es increíblemente

horrendo y demuestra la ignorancia

que se refleja en el uso de la palabra

“American”. Durante la segunda mitad del

siglo XX, los EE.UU. protagonizó muchos

cambios de régimen en Latinoamérica. En

nuestro nombre, la CIA orquestó golpes de

ABOVE: The word America encompasses more than just the United States, although it has been

popularized.

By JIWON LIM

estado para reemplazar líderes de la izquierda

con regímenes de extrema derecha,

generalmente sometiendo a esos países

a autoridades militares y tiránicas. Esto

ocurrió durante la Guerra Fría con el fin

de prevenir la propagación del comunismo,

pero también hay ejemplos anteriores

como los de las repúblicas bananeras de

Centroamérica. Teniendo esta explotación

en cuenta, se hace más claro lo desconsiderado

que es el uso del término “American”

porque continúa el sentido de que dominamos

esta región del mundo.

Aunque muchos aquí no consideran las

consecuencias de este uso de lenguaje, gente

de países latinoamericanos sí están muy

conscientes de las implicaciones. El resto

de América también se considera americano.

Perciben la forma en la que los del

norte usamos la palabra como un claro testimonio

del estereotipo del estadounidense

culturalmente inconsciente y egocéntrico.

Ciertas palabras que se usan en contextos

más informales en Latinoamérica para

hablar de los estadounidenses reflejan la

ira que se siente contra este imperialismo.

Gringo se usa en muchas partes para hablar

de personas en los EE.UU., aunque sí se

puede aplicar a ciudadanos de otros países

predominantemente blancos y extranjeros.

Esta palabra generalmente tiene una connotación

despectiva y se usa como insulto,

pero esto depende del entorno en el que

creció uno y hasta la región de su país.

Originalmente usado para hablar de

extranjeros, especialmente franceses,

gabacho se usa (predominantemente en

México) para hablar de individuos en los

Estados Unidos. Está palabra puede ser

aplicada más ampliamente para describir a

la gente blanca, pero casi siempre tiene un

tono negativo. Otro término empleado por

hispanohablantes del cono sur para hablar

de estadounidenses es yanqui. Yanqui tiene

limitaciones porque en inglés realmente

se refiere sólo a la región noreste de los

EE.UU., y en este contexto típicamente se

considera una forma despectiva.

Es importante reconocer que hay excepciones

y variantes en el uso de americano.

En Brasil, por ejemplo, se usa el equivalente

portugués a americano para referirse

a habitantes de los EE.UU. Canadá es

otro ejemplo de un país cuyos ciudadanos

no se consideran americanos y entonces lo

usan exclusivamente para referirse a los estadounidenses.

Los europeos generalmente

reservan el término para personas de nuestro

país, y algunos justifican esto diciendo

que la palabra puede tener muchos significados

y ser traducida de distintas formas.

Las alternativas a americano/a tienen

sus propias limitaciones. La que se usa

ampliamente en los países latinos es estadounidense,

que sería en inglés “United

Statesian”. Pero, no es completamente preciso.

Hay otros estados unidos - el título oficial

de México, Estados Unidos Mexicanos,

también usa ese término. Por un tiempo,

hasta Brasil tuvo también el mismo epíteto

en su nombre completo.

Otra alternativa es norteamericano - que

sería “North American” - utilizado generalmente

para hablar específicamente de

estadounidenses, pero esto presenta otra

hipocresía. Hay una tensión en condenar

el uso de un término que se refiere a todo

un continente para hablar de un solo país,

y seguir usando otro término que se podría

aplicar a 23 países distintos para hablar de

ese mismo. Es cierto que muchas naciones

latinoamericanas combinan el norte y el

sur del continente, entonces norteamericano

no tiene las mismas implicaciones que

una perspectiva “americana”. Igual podría

fácilmente incluir a Canadá, todavía más

al norte que los EE.UU. Las alternativas a

“American” no son perfectas, pero ofrecen

otras opciones que no tienen connotaciones

tan arrogantes.

Los términos usados para hablar de

grupos de personas no se pueden traducir

perfectamente debido a los matices de

cada idioma. La lengua siempre será fluida,

pero eso no se puede usar como justificación

para emplear palabras dañosas e

ignorantes. Cada individuo es responsable

de ser crítico de la lengua que usa porque

muchas veces tiene historias complicadas.

Aunque culturalmente se permite el uso de

“American”, no significa que sea algo justificable

y que deberíamos seguirlo usando

ciegamente. Al tolerar continuamente el

término, no solo estamos exponiendo nuestro

prevalente imperialismo cultural, sino

que también estamos demostrando nuestra

falta de voluntad para escudriñar nuestro

propio idioma. Hay que dejar de apropiar el

nombre de todo un continente para hablar

sólo de nuestro país.

IN ENGLISH:

People in the US are famous for feeling

like the world revolves around them, which

is evident in certain popular terms used.

We use language to express ourselves, to

communicate and to connect with others,

but it can also function as a tool to advance

regressive ideologies. Because of our

language’s potential to be used for racist

insults, derogatory comments and words

with underlying imperialistic implications,

precision with the words we use is important

because they can have underlying

meanings that are much more complicated

than we assume at first glance.


The Cardinal Times Spring 2021 Issue

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