Stacks of aged and crinkled pamphlets lay unnaturally still atop Rosemary Kamkar’s wooden desk. “Welcome to Mustang Air,” reads one ticket-shaped pamphlet. The lyrics of “Lean on me,” line another pamphlet. As much of a variety as there was, the bundles of vivid reds and yellows all encircled the same phrase: Brotherhood Sisterhood Assembly.

It was in the spring of 1992 that a shooting occurred on campus.

“It was not really racially motivated [from the start], but it soon became racially motivated,” said Kamkar, who began working at Lincoln High School in 1984, “Shortly after the shooting, a [diverse] group of about twenty student leaders did a school-wide assembly that addressed the issue of how Lincoln should come together.”

In the fall of that same year, former superintendent of schools Waldemar Rojas asked Lincoln High principal Gwen Chan, now the superintendent of schools, to try to unite the student body. Even after the summer had come and gone, both parents and students were shaken by the incident.

“Parents send their kids to school, not expecting anything, and [on that day] their worlds are turned upside down. Kids were fearful, and things felt so surreal,” said an almost tearful Kamkar.

Chan met with Kamkar and a group of students soon after Rojas’ request. The students discussed several ideas, but it was Chan who began considering the school’s clubs. She came up with an idea that would not only join the diverse group of clubs, but also eliminate the need for numerous separate assemblies. It was also Chan who first coined the term “Brotherhood Sisterhood.”

English teacher Daniel Kim, who has taught at Lincoln for the last eleven years, has actively participated in the assembly – whether that included dancing with the Korean club, participating in a skit with the Fellowship Club, or simply bringing food to potlucks, Kim has always been “impressed by [everyone’s] creative expression.”

Brotherhood Sisterhood Assembly has gone through a great amount of change over the years, from dances focusing on traditional sounds to a more hip-hop beat, and back again.

“The first time I saw BSA, I was really impressed by how talented a lot of students were, and that this assembly gave them an outlet to express who they were, not only culturally but also just as young people,” said Kim.

“I think it’s evolved over time such that I really like to think about how its gone back to being more traditional, not how every group is doing a hip hop performance. I think that makes it more of an educational experience versus just people doing what they want.”

Now, sixteen years have passed, and Lincoln High’s annual Brotherhood Sisterhood Assembly continues to keep students busy with practices and preparations, all the while uniting the school as a whole. The diversity that is showcased in the Brotherhood Sisterhood Assemblies is ever-changing as the years pile on, and the excitement that is brought to the student body always linger in the air.

This year’s Brotherhood Sisterhood Assembly kept this annual tradition stronger than ever, with amazing performances from every participating club.

“I like how all cultures came together in BSA and how I got to appreciate all of the diversity in the school.” said junior Bryan Hung.

As students and faculty sat through another successful year of BSA, one audience member nearby could not help but say out loud: “Wow, this year was amazing. Who knows what might be on stage next year?