Lincoln High School Trains Next Generation of Journalists

Lincoln Log staff.

Students are digging deep to understand the school district’s complex budget crisis at Lincoln High School — along with other issues that today’s teenagers face.

They’re student journalists who publish The Lincoln Log. The class is small but deeply engaged. 

The Lincoln Log staff doesn’t shy away from complicated, even controversial topics. Recent stories have included a close look at teachers’ contract negotiations, the problem of trash at the school, and the potent impact of social media on students. They also cover traditional topics like athletics and theater productions. 

Shridavi Raghavan and Khoi Nguyen are the co-editors-in-chief.

Khoi, a senior who has already earned a scholarship to UCLA next year, writes what he describes as “fiery” opinion pieces for the paper. He’s currently venting his frustration over the district’s debt crisis.

“I understand the need to balance the budget,” he says, “but students should not be harmed for the actions of adults.”

Shari Balisi, Lincoln's principal, reports good news for her school.

"Lincoln is in good shape with the budget," Balisi says. "We have all the positions and course sections available to the students. There are minimal cuts, but it's away from the classroom, so the budget is student-centered."

Lincoln Log editors Khoi Nguyen and Shridavi Raghavan.

Khoi credits his two years at the Lincoln Log with teaching him how to refine his writing.

“I learned to always interview people with other viewpoints,” Khoi says. “And I developed a strong empathy for other people, to meet deadlines, and to build community among the newspaper’s team.”

Shri, also a senior, transferred to Lincoln in her sophomore year. Her schedule includes AP classes in Literature and Composition, Physics 1, and Calculus. She fears the district’s budget crisis could mean the loss of such courses in the future.

“I would not have transferred to Lincoln if there were no AP classes,” she says.

The journalism students at Lincoln share a unique experience and sense of community. Many enroll in the newspaper class as juniors and return in their senior year. They are a rarity in San Francisco.

There are only two newspapers published in both print and online by public high school students in San Francisco. And they are both in the Sunset: Lincoln and Lowell.

English teacher and Lincoln Log advisor Sara Falls.

“Our students learn that journalistic writing avoids commentary and conclusion,” says English teacher Sara Falls, who also runs the student newspaper through a class called Writing for Publication. “It is totally different from what they do for other classes. It’s not just writing. They learn about interviewing, First Amendment rights and responsibilities, and the business side of newspapers. They contribute art, serve as page editors, work on production, even sell ads. It’s a lot of work.”  

Lincoln Log graduates have gone on to write for Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine and the music magazine Pitchfork, as well as their college newspapers.

Both Shri and Khoi envision careers in the sciences and both hope to write for university newspapers. But first, they have stories to report and a high school newspaper to publish.

Reported and written by volunteer community journalist Jan Cook. We encourage residents with journalism experience, retired journalists, and student journalists in high school and college to volunteer as writers for Supervisor Engardio’s newsletter. Interested? Apply here. Do you know a story you would like to see featured in the newsletter? Tell us about it here.