BHS Jacket 2022/23 Issue 10

FEATURES

The complexity of being white passing

BY MUHAMMAD DELGADO staff writer

Berkeley High School sophomore Fae Cantero Sandler was born and raised in Mexico. But for her, a lot of people tend to jump to the conclusion that she’s fully white. Being half white and half Mexican, this confusion doesn’t upset her, but she makes sure to let assuming people know that she is Mexican.

Her experience is not uncommon. The term “white passing” refers to people who belong to a historically marginalized racial group, yet may “pass” as white.

“There have been a few times where I feel like people see me as less of my ethnicity because of my skin color,” Cantero Sandler said. She values her connection to her culture, but feels less connected to it than she

The

Teachers at BHS grapple with rising healthcare costs

BY JOSEPHINE MORASKY staff writer

Healthcare insurance costs increase yearly, and are expected to rise by 3.5 percent for Berkeley Unified School District teachers next year, according to Mollie Blustein, a teacher at Cragmont Elementary School and Berkeley High School graduate, who spoke at a recent school board meeting. However, they already consume a significant share

of teachers’ salaries. Brought up at the September 21 school board meeting, this affects teachers using healthcare provided by BUSD. California provides private health insurance, meaning each district supplies a list of private providers that teachers choose from. Teachers then pay a monthly fee for that provider. These prices differ depending on if it’s a single or family plan, increasing substantially for the latter, according to Lewis Smith, a World History, PAGE 3

used to. “I don’t really have any of my dad’s family in the U.S., so I kind of feel like that part of me is fading away slowly,” she said.

In addition to this struggle with identity, students also recognized the enormous privilege that comes with being white passing. Rydell MorganCarland, a junior, is Navajo, Indigenous Mexican, Spanish, Irish, English and Jewish. However they were raised in only Navajo and Jewish cultures. “I feel an immense amount of privilege due to my complexion in comparison to a lot of my cousins who look very Native or Mexican,” they said.

For Morgan-Carland, family is an important way to connect to their culture. “I’m adopted and have white parents so I am not as in touch with a lot of parts of my culture as I’d like to be, but I see my birth PAGE 9

JESSIE LEE ENTERTAINMENT

Student artists navigate streaming services

BY MADELYN PHILHOWER staff writer

One-third of a penny. That’s how much artists on Spotify are paid on average each time their song is streamed, according to a 2020 Business Insider report. Other platform’s rates are not much better.

Berkeley High School

senior musician Dexter Griffin makes a cross between R&B and pop music, and has been producing music since freshman year. In that time, “I’ve made one hundred or two hundred dollars total, and that’s about 150,000 streams,” Griffin said.

Griffin and other independent musicians at BHS use the distribution platform DistroKid to release

APOLOGY FROM THE JACKET

music online to sites such as Spotify, Apple Music, and iTunes. DistroKid costs $19.99 per year for unlimited uploads per band, making it one of the cheapest distributors out there for unsigned artists. Even so, money made by streaming often doesn’t make up the money paid to release it.

“Spotify, Apple Music, and streaming services in general

are notoriously known for not paying artists much of anything,” said Vivien Silas, an independent BHS musician. Silas makes bedroom pop music, a genre of alternative music made by artists who often don’t have a record label. As a small artist, Silas does not bring in an income from music platforms, and instead plans to begin doing shows in the future. PAGE 13

“Students, staff battle messaging on BIHS,” published on January 13. We’d like to clarify that this was not the intent, nor the fault, of the writer, but rather an editorial communication breakdown, and we recognize that we did not go far enough to clarify the quotes. We failed to place several quotes in context, and did not clarify that they were relaying rumors, rather than the personal beliefs of those students and staff. The article has been removed from publication, and we deeply apologize for the hurt and harm caused to members of the BIHS community. The article was meant to highlight the challenges of rumors related to BIHS, and we regret potentially adding to that challenge. We are regretful and deeply sorry for hurting students and staff.

GABRIELLA BUSANKSY

Jacket would like to apologize for gross misquotation of several sources in the recent article titled,

Amid rising COVID-19 cases, BHS admin enforces precautions

BY ELOISE THOMAS staff writer

Rates of COVID-19 cases at Berkeley High School have risen rapidly during the first few weeks of 2023. Berkeley Unified School District administrators issued an email on how they plan to move forward.

The BUSD COVID-19 dashboard shows that in December 2022, 91 cases of COVID-19 were reported at BHS. These numbers do not include cases that were reported during winter break. In January, 22 cases have been reported so far at BHS.

Universal Ninth Grade (U9) English teacher Morgan Tigerman feels that while

BUSD has provided regular updates about COVID-19 cases at BHS, protocol for outbreaks has been lacking from the district and administrators.

“The school does need a policy that pretty much states, ‘If the numbers get over a certain amount in a brief period of time, that we need to address it by doing A,B,C,

and D,’” Tigerman said.

Tigerman also addressed the need for messaging around COVID-19 classroom precautions from BHS or the district. “It would be responsible for the school and just public institutions in general to have policies… or reminders being sent to teachers about ventilating the rooms, (and) about ensuring the air purifiers are running.”

Cole Khan, a freshman at BHS, spoke about the experience in classrooms as a student. According to him, “it kind of depends on the teacher.” Khan added that responses and protocols varied between classes. Khan also mentioned that the recent surge felt unsurprising due to the proximity to winter break.

Khan added that COVID-19 cases feel less surprising now that time has passed. He expressed that he feels almost desensitized

to it because of how long COVID-19 has been around.

“The first time there was a big difference, but sooner or later we just got used to it,” Khan said.

U9 Ethnic Studies teacher Hugo Ríos explained how responses have changed as time passed.

“Especially as a history teacher, I’ve noticed with pandemics in the past (that) eventually pandemic fatigue … could become a factor (and) people just get tired of all the COVID protocols in place.” Ríos said. “And so I feel like a lot more people have been letting their guard down, whether that’s not wearing their masks as often or maintaining social distancing.”

BUSD’s email on COVID-19 said that exposure notices would no longer be sent for the duration of the surge. According to Tigerman, “If we have a direct exposure,

meaning a student (who tested positive for COVID-19) was in our classroom, we receive an email with the dates the student was in the room.”

Ríos found parts of BUSD’s response helpful.

“I think historically they have done a good job on that, in general just giving us information on supplies that are readily available,” Ríos said. “Whether that’s hand sanitizer or masks. Also giving us an update on COVID cases throughout each school.”

Tigerman also commented on how the district has been making supplies accessible for teachers and students.

“When there were mask mandates, they were supplied ... And I think there is still access to the supplies,” Tigerman said. “I think we have a lot of responsibility and I think we (teachers) have a lot of power to help navigate and minimize the surges.”

Seasonal depression impacts students, BHS offers resources

BY AARON STEVENS staff writer

Seasonal depression, also commonly known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is a form of depression where symptoms appear during specific seasons, typically fall and winter, when days get shorter, and there is less sunlight.

Symptoms, include feelings of sadness and hopelessness, irritability, low energy and sleeping issues, loss of interest in hobbies, and thoughts of death or suicide.

While there is no clear cut data on how common seasonal depression is at Berkeley High School, the Newport Academy reports that teens and young adults are at a significantly higher risk of developing seasonal depression than older adults and younger children.

“I think that teens, especially post-pandemic, have a lot of stuff going on these days — there are so many pressures,” said Larry Miller, a

licensed psychologist who has a private practice in Berkeley and is a faculty member at the Wright Institute.

Miller has over 25 years of experience working with people of all ages. “They’re getting hit with so many different things, it gets hard to differentiate if it’s the seasons or all these other things going

rhythm,” said Miller. Where someone lives significantly affects whether or not they have seasonal depression, as living farther from the equator results in experiencing more intense changes in the seasons.

“There are places where there’s a lot less light in the wintertime than we have. And they have a lot higher incidence of seasonal affective disorder,” Miller said. There are several potential treatments for seasonal affective disorder. Light therapy, medication, and psychotherapy have all been shown to help.

for people to talk about their mental health and be open with themselves and others.”

on in their lives,” he said.

According to the National Library of Medicine, seasonal affective disorder is estimated to afflict nearly 10 million Americans, with many more experiencing a more mild version of the mood disorder.

“The theory behind it is that when you have less daylight, you get less Vitamin D. If you get less Vitamin D, then you’re making less melatonin … that messes up your circadian

“There are these things called light boxes, and people sit in front of it, and it’s not a regular light bulb,” Miller said. “It’s the type of light that’ll get you to produce Vitamin D. So that’s a classic approach, and it really seems to work,” he said.

The Healthy Minds Club is run by BHS senior Santos Rivera and their friends. The club is a continuation of the one created last year. The Healthy Minds Club’s mission is to “Welcome a safe space

“A typical club meeting always includes and starts with a check-in, people just sharing what’s on their minds and what’s going on for them,” Rivera said. “We have talked about seasonal depression because it definitely is real … I think that it honestly is an issue at BHS, more than people realize.”The Healthy Minds Club meets on Mondays in the BHS library after school. All students at BHS are welcome to attend the meetings for whatever reason.Another resource available to students who may be struggling with SAD is the Health Center.

“Some students who come to the Health Center for services have cited signs and symptoms of seasonal depression. Students typically report these kinds of concerns most prominently during the fall and winter months as the light and weather changes,” said Zach Meredith, Mental Health

Clinical Supervisor at the Health Center. “The Health Center offers short-term counseling for all students, and these services can be accessed quickly and easily,” he said. The Health Center is in Room 105 of the H Building and is open Monday

Friday. Students are able to make appointments or drop in during the school day.“If students are experiencing and struggling with seasonal depression or are feeling off in any other way, the Health Center is here to help. Please come and see us!”

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If you would like to subscribe or contribute any amount, please send a check to the BerkeleyHighJacket,Business Manager, 1980 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA, 94704. Checks can be made out to the Berkeley High Jacket. For more information, contact Business Managers Ada Rauber and Lola Brownlow at bhsjacketbusiness@gmail.com

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“We have talked about seasonal depression because it definitely is real … I think that it honestly is an issue at BHS, more than people realize.”

Santos Rivera, BHS senior and Healthy Minds Club leader

JO PURCELL

Rising healthcare costs exacerbate teachers’ financial burden

and AP Economics teacher.

Districts across California have approached these high costs differently. In Berkeley, BUSD pays a certain amount per employee. Every two years, these amounts change when the union and district negotiate a new contract in response to the everincreasing costs. The latest agreement increased district contributions to healthcare costs, teacher salaries, and supportive structures for teachers, Smith said.

Alex Day, a U9 Ethnic Studies teacher and union representative, was one of the teachers to raise this issue at the last school board meeting. Day, along with a small group of BHS teachers, has begun to work with the California Nurses Association over the previous two years to push the Single-payer healthcare bill in California. According to Day, the single-payer bill would replace private insurance, under which the price of healthcare would drop considerably. Until then, BUSD supplies the primary financial support for teachers.

“To be fair, (the district is) contributing more than us,” Day said. “So for every employee, an employer is also making contributions. The employee contributions

come from their paycheck. Employer contributions come from the district budget.” Despite the district’s contributions to health care costs, Day described how

frustrations, Yearbook and World Mythology teacher Genevieve Mage explains her ineffective experience with the mental health care systems provided.

“The biggest thing that I probably would need healthcarewise to work in the system that we are in… (is) mental healthcare,” Mage said.

teachers still experience the heavy financial burden.

“I worked a second job, until May 2021, in a grocery store all through the pandemic to make ends meet partly because of the healthcare costs,” Day said.

“I’m not the only one who had to work a second job … We pay so much and then can’t get much care, especially for mental health. The sleep deprivation I have to go through to do this job, the emotional stress of being present for 120 or 150 students every day, is a lot … and then (I’m) not getting effective care.”

Day continued: “When I was in grad school, they told us, this was (in) 2015, 50 percent of people who enter teaching burn out before they get through five years,” he said. “And that was in 2015, so it’s only gone up since then.”

Day added that despite the high costs, effective and available care for teachers is not always available. Sharing similar

“I can’t speak to all of the different kinds of plans that you can get through our insurance, but Kaiser, in particular, getting any useful therapist at all was so difficult. And then when

you get a therapist, and them not working out or not being useful was incredibly difficult and demoralizing to the point where I know teachers that just gave up trying to get therapy and get mental health support,” she said.

Paying large portions of money and lacking effective mental healthcare has led to teachers burning out or going parttime, Mage said.

a human being like, I am a commodity or a tool but I’m not a real human being,” she said.

Smith also described the outcomes of high living and healthcare costs on teachers.

“I’ve known teachers last

a lot of teachers and many have left to go to higher paying jobs elsewhere in the Bay.”

While BUSD and the Berkeley Federation of Teachers will continue to rehash agreements surrounding healthcare costs, Day sees the single-payer bill to be the most effective solution.

“In this particular issue, I don’t see there being much more the district can do ... It seems like a statewide solution is the only way to go.”

Alex Day, BHS U9 Ethnic Studies teacher

“You feel worthless, right you feel like (the district) wants me for my labor, but you don’t want me as

year who left because the pay is not good enough. And if you tack on housing on top of the healthcare costs it’s a lot,” Smith said. “It’s a lot for

“In this particular issue, I don’t see there being much more the district can do,” Day said. “And despite their generosity, even that is not fully enough. So then therefore, it seems like a statewide solution is the only way to go,” he said.

Scan to listen! Also available on Spotify, Anchor, and Apple Podcasts

“You feel worthless, right, you feel like (the district) wants me for my labor, but you don’t want me as a human being like, I am a commodity or a tool ...”

Genevieve Mage, BHS Yearbook and World Mythology teacher

Listen to the most recent episode of The Buzz: The ins and outs of being a substitute at BHS

In this short episode of The Buzz, The Jacket spoke with students and substitute teachers to get a better understanding of what classrooms are like when the teacher is out.

Recently, I went to get lunch off-campus with some friends. Being a high schooler with little money, I wanted to find cheap snack options. I’m well acquainted with the food stores in Downtown Berkeley, and have my usual stores with some typical snacks I buy. But, I was left boggled when I noticed prices for some of my regular snacks. All items, except one, on my habitual snack shelf now cost 4 dollars, if not more. Inflation is a word we all hear thrown around the news. Yet it isn’t until situations like these where my wallet truly feels the heat of inflation.

One calculation from December 2022 presented an over 300 percent rise in the price of school lunches, over 50 percent in egg prices, and America’s favorite beverage, coffee — a rise of 15.5 percent, according to CNBC. What caused these high prices?

We are currently in a demand-pull inflation scenario. Simply put, there is more demand for certain things than supply. This causes the prices of those goods to rise. For example, gas prices soared in early 2022 after energy supplies fluctuated due to the RussiaUkraine war. Another factor behind higher prices is the overall higher wages. This is costpush inflation in which prices are driven up because buyers have more money to spend.

U.S. unemployment was at a low of three and a half percent in 2022. This means that many people were employed and consistently earned wages that they could spend on goods. The stimulus checks distributed during the pandemic also provided people with money to spend and the ripple effects of that can be seen through the 2022 inflation.

In sum, prices went up because people were employed and earning, contributing to an influx of money into the economy. But, as an unemployed high school student, I’m left contemplating when I see a $4.99 baguette that used to be $2.99. When I returned from lunch and mentioned it to some classmates, they agreed that things around downtown have gotten slightly more expensive. One even mentioned that the expense is more noticeable now that they have to pay using their own money.

One startling fact is that inflation is not actually irreparable. As of December 2022, inflation was recorded at 6.5 percent in the U.S. This 6.5 percent is a notable drop from the July 2022 peak of just over nine percent and the seven percent in November 2022. So, what’s causing the drop? You may recall a headline from a couple of months ago about the Federal Reserve Board (FED) raising interest rates. The FED raised interest rates throughout 2022 and plans on continuing to do so in 2023. Interest rate can be simply thought of as the price of money, because it is essentially the amount you have to pay when you take out a loan, in addition to repaying the loaned amount. When interest rates rise, fewer loans are taken out. As a result, the economy starts to slow down, meaning lower prices!

Why is inflation still nearly double the average? We are currently in a lag period, in between peak inflation and lower inflation due to high interest rates. But, the drop in inflation between July to December is evidence of the high interest rates’ effectiveness, providing us hope for the future.

BHS Walk for Water promotes community

BY FINOLA JACKSON staff writer

On Friday, January 27, the Berkeley High School Green Team led a walk from BHS Campus to the UC Berkeley Campanile in an effort to educate about the global water crisis. All proceeds went to building a sustainable filtration system at Trung Lèng Hồ Kindergarten, a school for children ages two through five in Northwestern Vietnam.

Trung Lèng Hồ Kindergarten, located in the Lao Cai province of Northwestern Vietnam, lacks easy access to sanitary drinking water. According to Gravity Water, while an intense monsoon season from April to September brings copious rainfall to the area, hillside runoff is contaminated and the community possesses no way to capture rainwater. Trung Lèng Hồ Kindergarten depends on boiling water from a local spring. Boiling water does not destroy heavy metals or most chemicals, so students face a higher risk of water contamination.

liked (Gravity Water’s) principles: how they employ people in the local community, and (the filter) is fully sustainable. We think that’s really important because climate change is making the world’s water crisis worse.”

The Green Team held a bake sale in December, raising $547, and will host an upcoming February bake sale. While the proceeds of the walk amounted to

really think they know how climate change is impacting it.”

During the walk, students participated in trivia about issues concerning access to safe water. Trivia topics covered the causes of water contamination, natural sources of water, and the impacts of water scarcity on communities.

One trivia question highlighted that less than one percent of Earth’s water is accessible to drink.

“And hopefully, in the future, we’ll be more conscious about our decisions concerning water usage and where we buy stuff.”

Izzy Ely, BHS

only about $180, the walk was primarily focused on education and outreach.

“Our main goal (of the walk) was to connect people and educate,” Nickolaus said. “I definitely think that people have a vague idea that people around the world might be struggling with clean water, but I don’t think people have specific information about it, or know what they can do about it. And I don’t

Another discussed how agricultural runoff, droughts, agricultural water waste, floods, and landslides can cause natural water contamination and scarcity around the world.

“I learned a lot about how women are responsible for getting water,” said BHS senior Alessandra Ionescu Zanetti, referring to a series of trivia questions about how women are disproportionately affected by water scarcity.

BHS sophomore Ilana Nickolaus, a member of the BHS Green Team, said she has learned a lot about the global water crisis in the process of organizing the walk.

“I was surprised by how little of the world has access to clean drinking water,” Ilana said. “I learned how (Gravity Water filters) get free water, and how easy it is. It’s super cool, because it’s super low tech.”

The distance of the Walk for Water was originally meant to match the almost four miles that women and children in developing countries walk everyday to bring home clean water to their families. While the distance fell short because of time restrictions, participants still reflected on how their experiences differ from water scarce communities.

“People were commenting,” Ilana said. “They were like, ‘we’re doing the walk, but we don’t have to carry water and we get chocolate at the end.’”

Izzy Ely, a BHS senior who attended the walk, described how it successfully educated the participants about issues surrounding the global water crisis.

“I think it made everyone a lot more aware of these problems,” Ely said. “And hopefully, in the future, we’ll be more conscious about our decisions concerning water usage and where we buy stuff.”

The Walk for Water is one of several events hosted by the Green Team as part of a partnered campaign with Gravity Water, an organization that builds filters to turn rain into safe drinking waters for schools. The BHS Green team aims to raise $2,500 for the water filter, which Gravity Water will then construct for Trung Lèng Hồ Kindergarten School.

“It’s a great opportunity, because our money can go directly to making a difference,” said Naomi Nickolaus, co-leader of the Green Team. “We really

NEWS BRIEF

On December 20, Reemajah Pollard, a BHS 2020 graduate, passed away. His family has created a GoFundMe to raise money for his memorial, which reads: “Reemajah was known for being a prominent leader in his community at a very young age until god called him home. Those who knew Reemajah understood his struggles and the obstacles he had to overcome to get to where he wanted to be in life. Although he faced challenges, Reemajah never let that dictate his future and the things he wanted to accomplish.”

BY KAIYA JORDAN AND KIRA RAO-POOLLA news editors

MULTICULTURAL WEEK HELD JANUARY 23 TO 27

BHS held Multicultural Week from January 23 to 27, organized by BHS Comissioner of Multicultural Affairs Jessica Hipona. The celebration included performances during lunch on Thursday and Friday at the Campus Green and Donahue Gymnasium. According to the @bhs_ multicultural_affairs Instagram page, the BHS community could “enjoy crafts, food, performances, activities and more,” and celebrate the “many diverse cultures of BHS.”

ASHLEY DIAZ

Walk for Water participants walked through UC Berkeley campus on January 20.

senior

BHS ALUM REEMAJAH POLLARD PASSED AWAY ON DECEMBER 20

MLP must exist in schools across the U.S.

BY SHANZA SYED staff writer

When navigating the treacherous river of high school, there are a lot of things to think about: social cliques, grades, extracurriculars, college applications, and so much more. Now imagine navigating all of that without being fluent in the language of your peers. Not only is it difficult to communicate, but it can feel isolating. This is why Multilingual Programs (MLPs), like at Berkeley High School, should exist at all high schools.

According to the United States Department of State, the U.S. hosts more than one million new immigrants (refugees, asylum seekers, etc. included) every year. For many immigrants, moving to a different country with no friends or grasp of norms is scary. Even scarier if you don’t speak the language, where even the simplest task, like buying groceries, can be tricky.

But the situation is particularly difficult for teenagers attending school, as all the instruction for classes is in a foreign language. Even if students

are good at non-language classes like algebra and chemistry, vocabulary and learning new material prove difficult, as the instructions being given are not clear. Academically, this can lower one’s grades, thereby making college applications all the more difficult. But with a MLP catered to students learning English with various modes of instruction, they have a much higher chance of succeeding academically.

"All the teachers are very patient and they go really slow and they're very understanding with the lessons and assignments." said Kashmala Khan, a BHS junior, who was part of the MLP from fourth grade to tenth grade in Berkeley.

Students make friends with people through talking to them, so it can be socially challenging when students don’t speak the same language as their classmates. But MLPs place people facing the same challenges together, so they can find a community who won’t judge them.

They can also help each other because they share the same struggles, and they are trying to learn the same thing, even with different first languages. Moreover, it

brings people with the same mother tongues together so they can also help each other. It’s relieving to be with someone to freely communicate with.

"We were all similar to each other, and in some way we were struggling with the same things. It (the MLP) felt really good, it felt like a family," Khan said.

It’s important to note that MLP teachers make a real difference in multilingual students’ lives. Not only do students learn faster and better, they feel a part of a community, which is a key aspect of educational success. Every student can be successful if they are

supported and taught in the way that is right for them.

The United States should extend that opportunity across the barriers of language. According to the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, "the memo (written by the Office for Civil Rights and upheld by the Supreme Court) requires school districts to take affirmative steps, it does not prescribe the content of these steps." English Language Learner (ELL) programs need to either provide classes tailored to students’ needs, or one on one help during classes for these students.

WHAT AM I?

YANCY MICEL ALEGRE-PACHECO

For most of the years of my youth, I lived with my grandma on my dad's side of the family, and I thought differently about each side of the family. We have different relationships. I spent holidays at grandma’s on my mom's side with my cousins, aunts, and uncles.

On both sides, I don’t have a grandpa, so splitting the love between two shouldn’t be as hard as splitting it in four — at least, you would think. Being closer to my mom’s side has truly tested the equality of my connection with different family members, a sentiment I’m sure is mirrored in other families as well.

During the summer, Grandma Norma would make us cup ramen, while my brother and I watched PBS Kids and Qubo, laying on her huge recliner chair in the middle of the dining room. Hours and hours of this were sufficient for my brother and I as children. Soon though, we grew out of the recliner and into our new Netflix subscriptions, and inevitably stopped watching PBS. This meant we stopped hanging out with our grandma.

SASHA BALASUBRAMANIAN

Alternative teaching styles benefit students

BY OHAD AVIRANFINKELSTEIN staff writer

High school field trips are growing more and more common, as opposed to traditional classroom learning. Since the pandemic, student engagement has plummeted, with 50 percent of students reporting that they are less motivated, according to a recent study conducted by the EdWeek Research Center.

In addition, that same study found that teachers reported students are 87 percent less motivated in their studies since the pandemic. Student

engagement and morale are both at an all time low in a post-COVID-19 world. Innovative and interactive teaching methods such as field trips, diverse class agendas, and movement integration into classes can vastly improve both.

Allowing students to move around has been proven to aid students in not only tying lessons to joyful memories, but also create deeper bonds with their peers. A study by the University of Alabama found that students who attend field trips are far more likely to be empathetic, have better critical thinking skills and more. Additionally, field trips have also been

proven to improve students’ academic performance. This can be seen in test scores and more.

Irregular styles of teaching also benefit students who aren’t auditory or visual learners. Innovative and interactive teaching methods can aid students whose brains need more interpersonal interaction, spatial activity, which lectures lack. In addition, the majority of people have multiple methods of work that are best for them. If teachers cycled through different teaching methods, it would make sure that all students would understand lessons deeper.

Field trips aren’t the only way to change up a teaching agenda. Kahoot!, a Norwegian game based learning platform, allows teachers to integrate an interactive element into their class schedules. Kahoot! is an online game in which students can either play individually or in groups. They answer trivia questions and get certain amounts of points based on how fast they answer the

question. This game can be adapted for any course, from English to Computer Science, and there are tons of possibilities for which this game can be used.

History classes can create activities based on historical events. Students learning about certain historical events such as the Industrial Revolution and the Black Plague can engage in related activities, such as reenactments, and debates. These activities clearly have a connection to success in the class, and by adding more interactive activities, this academic success will spread through Berkeley High School.

Interactive activities won’t necessarily help all students excel academically. Everyone has different learning styles; some students actually enjoy learning through lectures. It’s impossible for everyone to benefit from a new teaching system, but by diversifying the amount of learning styles used, teachers have a much higher chance of truly getting across to other students.

My grandma on my mom’s side was our babysitter when I was in kindergarten. Grandma Regina had broken English and we never learned Spanish so communicating was difficult, but her love for us always translated. One of these ways was through the food she would make for us while we were at school. From frijoles con arroz y huevos con plátanos with fresh crema straight from Honduras, to her signature tamales, writing about it now is even making my mouth water.

With the amount of family events that go on throughout the year, I feel as though our connection grew stronger and stronger. And with the parties being as frequent as they were, we basically grew up together. The long summer days, playing in the sun with hielo dripping down to my elbows. The smell of the barbeque going and a pile of carne asada and hot dogs to the longer nights toasting marshmallows to make smores on a makeshift campfire or blasting loud music to the point, you need to yell into each other's ears just to try to maybe understand what we’re saying.

Among the cousins, I’m the third oldest, which means I’m the middle child. I felt alone surrounded by people. Although we played games together, I never really felt the ironclad bond that my other cousins had together. They grew up together; I just happen to be there. My sister and my older cousin are two to three years apart and they belong with one another like linked arms. My cousin already had my sister, so they didn't really need me. After me, next came along my brother and my other cousin, a couple months apart. When they first met their connection was magnetic — you could never find one with the other. That left me, alone. But that was okay, I was used to it, as it would find itself to be a common theme in my life.

Aryn Faur assists students in the MLP.

Reflecting on the experience of being a BIHS student

As editor-in-chief, I take personal responsibility for the misquotation error in the article on messaging on Berkeley International High School (BIHS) published January 13. I am deeply regretful and sorry for the harm caused to members of the BIHS community, many of whom gave considerable time and energy to interview for the Jacket.

Furthermore, I’m regretful for the impact the gross misquotation had on freshman choosing Small Learning Communities. The quotes in the article were intended to represent rumors and reputations on BIHS, not reality. As a

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student in BIHS, I personally understand how far those rumors are from reality.

Having been in BIHS for three years, I have never felt that BIHS is overly competitive, nor have I felt that required BIHS classes are too academically rigorous. I’ve had teachers that are deeply flexible and understanding, and never felt that BIHS promoted a toxic competitive environment.

I also recognize that BIHS staff have made a considerable effort to push against that particular narrative. I’ve seen BIHS’s teaching staff push for a more diverse and inclusive curriculum.

I’ve had teachers that are lenient, flexible, and understanding, and received a significant amount of messaging on IB diploma options, as well as BIHS course requirements.

BIHS is not perfect, by any means. As a student of color, the lack of diversity has often felt stark and difficult to navigate. However, I’ve been taught by BIHS teachers that are acutely aware of those problems, and made considerable effort to change them.

Many members of BIHS staff, whom I’ve been taught by, are making a deep, truly genuine effort to make BIHS the opposite

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of what many people think it is.

While there is progress to be made, the Jacket deeply misrepresented the efforts made by staff and students to push against that particularly harmful narrative. And for that, I’m deeply sorry.

If you are a freshman choosing small schools right now, please take the time to listen to your teachers, counselor, and upperclassmen students. I strongly encourage you to use available resources to make a decision that feels right for you, not one based on rumors and speculation.

The Jacket editorial board has discussed and made several changes to our policies that will ensure we continue to take proper care and attention for every single article published in the paper. We also understand that there is always room for growth, and that Berkeley High School student body feedback is a crucial element of our role as a publication.

We welcome students to submit any feedback, story ideas, or criticism to general@bhsjacket.com.

- Mimia Ousilas, editor-in-chief

Toxic masculinity on campus harms entire BHS community

BY ARIANA YEROVAM staff writer

A diverse and random sample of 100 Berkeley High School students from all grades and Small Learning Communities were asked to answer “Yes” or “No” to “Does BHS have a toxic masculinity issue?”

Of the people surveyed, 69 percent responded with “Yes,” asserting that it is an issue at BHS, while the other 31 percent responded with “No,” remarking that it is not.

chose “No” are femaleidentifying. This speaks to a huge gender imbalance and consequently, to the issue itself.

more toxicity, inhibiting crucial relationships and educational practices.

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Peter Rodrigues

Aaron Stevens, Amelia Reed, Elena Tamagno, Colina Harvey, Julia Brimmer , Lucy Griffith, Maya Dang, Metztli Olague Guerrero, Simon Policy, Zachary Yoo, Ariana Yerovam, Aelia Gyger, Ava Ramsdale , Avha Meisels, Elta Tracy, Finola Jackson, Hannah Groth-Reidy, Jasper Lovvorn-Black, Jonah Lachs, Josephine Morasky, Maddie Philhower, Mateo Tsai, Mirabai Parnall, Ohad Aviran-Finkelstein, Pearl Gauthier, Philippa Zlatev, Sage Feldman, Saskia Freedberg, Shanza Syed, Simone Faulkner, Serenna Redwood, Ysabel Chu, Zada Sanger, Violet Miller-Brady, Sophie Dreskin, Sabine Rosen, Oscar Wallenstein, Luli Galinson, Leo Silverberg, Kali Proud, Eloise Thomas, Clara Tjen, Tasnim Ait Djebara, Muhammad Delgado, Amar Walker, Zazie Duchene, Sydney Taylor, Willow Priforce, Mariarosa Cerritos Lara, Bodhi Siedler

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Toxic masculinity is a set of attitudes and ways of behaving stereotypically associated with or expected of men, regarded as having a negative impact on women and society as a whole. With a student body of over 3500 students, a large fraction being male-identifying, this negative culture is rampant throughout the school.

According to the survey, BHS students claim that toxic masculinity is not only apparent, but it is also an “issue.” A factor playing into this is the gender imbalance on who is aware of this issue and speaking up about it. Of the people who chose “Yes” on the poll, 70 percent identify as female. Furthermore, only 10 percent of people who

It’s not difficult to relate the fact that half of the males experiencing issues in their mental health never outwardly express their difficulties, or that men make up nearly 80 percent of people who die by suicide, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. The fact that the group in which this culture is both cultivated and implemented is mostly oblivious to it shows how much of a problem it truly is.

Young people constantly hear phrases that include, “boys will be boys,” “man up,” “grow a pair,” and “don’t be a p*ssy.” These sayings reinforce the idea that masculinity is superior and provides an excuse for misbehavior. They vocalize the idea that male nature is confining and dominant. This, however, is not true nor is it alright. It leads to belittling other forms of gender expression and setting unrealistic and negative intentions; toxic masculinity. This is not the attitude that should be represented in a learning environment; it only creates the foundation for

According to NextGenMen, “70 percent of youth hear ‘that’s so gay’ at school every day. The boys who use homophobic language in middle school are more likely to sexually harass girls when they’re older, and boys who are targeted for ‘inadequate’ gender performance are more likely to become the perpetrators of school shootings.”

Toxic masculinity in schools is observable and directly affects adolescent development. Though work has been done at BHS through things like the facilitation of conversations and walkouts, there is still much more progress to be had. It is crucial that we cultivate the attention which it deserves.

There are ways in which anyone can make an effort towards decreasing toxic masculinity in our society today, such as speaking out about it amongst friends, peers, and adults. Any conversation is better than no conversation. Toxic masculinity affects us as students at BHS and as the future generation. It is our responsibility to call it out and model positive gender expression as best we can.

BUSD’s staff parking garage proposal should be re-evaluated

BY JULIA BRIMMER staff writer

In November of 2020, Berkeley Unified School District announced its plans to construct a triplestory staff parking garage, topped with a Berkeley High School tennis court. Berkeleyside stated that with a budget of $27.5 million, the structure is set to be built on Milvia Street, between Durant Avenue and Bancroft way, where the current staff parking lot resides.

While better parking for BHS faculty certainly seems appealing, building this structure would be an economically and environmentally inefficient move.

With more places to park, more staff will end up driving to school.

Getting cars off the road significantly helps the planet, since the average car emits 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide every year, according

to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Green Building Advisor also notes that embodied carbon, the carbon associated with construction, contributes to one fourth of the globe’s carbon footprint.

BHS has expressed that single-passenger commutes do more harm than good, even telling students to “please make every effort to get to school on foot, by bike, via carpool, or by public transportation” in the BHS Student Handbook.

If BHS wants to support environmental rights, they must hold everyone accountable, including themselves.

The construction of this structure will be extremely pricey; funding for this project comes out of Measure G, a $380 million bond for improving school facilities. The parking construction funds taken out of Measure G should be used to repair

school bathrooms, water fountains, or Wi-Fi.

Improving features like school bathrooms, drinking fountains, and internet have been shown to enhance students’ abilities to learn, according to a study from Pennsylvania State University.

There is a major parking lot on Center Street, just a few blocks away, which, according to Berkeleyside, is 40 percent empty on weekdays. An underutilized parking lot like this only wastes taxpayers’ dollars. Spending $27.5 million and tons of carbon on building this new parking deck instead of fixing the preexisting issues on campus would be financially irresponsible.

If the school district wishes to support its staff and their transportation needs, options other than building a massive parking lot are available.

Berkeley City Council member, Terry Taplin,

and co-sponsor, Council Member Kate Harrison suggested a resolution to the parking garage bill at a January 17 School Board Meeting.

Essentially, the leaders of this movement are asking the district to set their focus on reducing single-passenger car rides, in order to benefit the planet.

Through the Trip

Reduction Alternative, BUSD could simply piggyback off of preexisting Berkeley initiatives. The city of Berkeley is already working to give staff more transit and bike options. They plan to add ebikes to its municipal fleet, with an ebike discount program being prepared for the next city council budget cycle.

ROBERT GELLNER

Bay Area Rapid Transit is working to transport people via public transit, pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and ebike support programs. There are many better methods to help our teachers get to school, and BUSD should consider those before pouring concrete. It’s time to slam the breaks on parking lots.

Student dependence on internet research limits academic abilities

BY KALI PROUD staff writer

ELLIOT SCHRAG

Summer break is for personal growth, not educational prep

BY SOPHIE DRESKIN staff writer

“What are your plans for the summer?” This is a common question that high schoolers are asked, including students at Berkeley High School. A question that was once a fun opportunity to talk about exciting vacations or plans has turned into yet another stressful interrogation about college prep.

Summers are meant to be a time for high schoolers to rest, have fun, and focus on personal growth. However, as college applications creep closer and closer, even time off fills with jobs, internships, and classes. The burden of college applications takes a huge toll on BHS students. Academic pressure and expectations should not barge into summer plans.

The pressure and expectations placed on children to not only excel

academically, but engage in extracurriculars have multiplied exponentially. This has led to even more stress and mental health issues for teenagers.

According to a 2022 study by The Princeton Review surveying high schoolers about college applications, “Among respondents overall, 74% reported ‘Very High’ or ‘High’ stress about their applications. Twenty years ago, in 2003, the survey’s initial year, only 56 percent of respondents reported ‘Very High’ or ‘High’ stress.”

Students are required to do more and more to set themselves apart; they need time to themselves to rest, without the constant burden of college pressure.

Summer is an important time for students to appreciate a lack of extreme structure, which counters the intensity of the academic year. If BHS students don’t utilize summer as a time of rest, they can quickly

spiral into unhealthy and unattainable habits.

Some might think that summer is an additional time to pack as many activities in as possible, but there are so many different ways to set oneself up for success, and it is crucial to know when enough is enough.

Students’ mental health is much more important than a few simple activities that won’t really set anyone apart. If there is a certain internship or class that is truly interesting to a student, they should absolutely take the break to focus on that. However, if a student is only participating for the sake of putting things on their college applications, they should rethink their decision.

Mental health is endlessly more important than a few extra items on a list of extracurriculars on a college application. In the end, no activity is worth risking one’s mental well-being.

Part of Berkeley High School’s mission statement is to teach students to think critically, creatively, and analytically. In order to achieve that goal, students must be taught more research strategies than automatically opening a computer.

It’s undeniable that the internet has become an invaluable tool for research. Schools in Berkeley are equipped with laptops and computer labs, and students are encouraged to use these resources when necessary.

While the internet certainly has its benefits in the classroom, it also leads users to avoid questioning the information they find. Research skills such as critical thinking are easy to ignore when using the internet, yet that is when they are most important.

Anyone can put

information on the internet. The amount of credible information is constantly growing, but it also means that the amount of misinformation is increasing as well. As of January 12, there are roughly 1.13 billion websites and 50 billion web pages on the internet. Those 1.13 billion websites aren’t qualityassured or fact-checked, and only a small amount of them are published by actual experts.

Just going off of the first thing to pop up in a Google search can hardly count as research. The top website or featured snippet is only one source out of possibly millions, and it can be influenced by factors such as your location. Unfortunately, it can be a lot less time-consuming to just go with the first result, so it’s natural to avoid looking past the easy answers.

Developing these bad research habits can be catastrophic going into

college. College assignments often heavily utilize research, and the grade you receive largely depends on the credibility of your information.

The internet can often be more accessible and timeefficient than searching through libraries and other such sources. However, the library has benefits the internet does not. Only around 8 percent of scholarly journals can be found on the internet, and libraries contain older resources and archived materials.

Regarding accessibility, library databases can be accessed online as well. A combination of internet and library research is more helpful and reliable than only using one.

High school students need to be taught how to navigate and understand libraries and research books, and draw from a wide variety of sources. Quality research skills will push students toward success.

BY SIMONE FAULKNER staff writer

“Finna,” “hella,” and “no cap” are just a few slang phrases, rooted in Black popular culture, that are heard around Berkeley High School hallways. While students use slang in the classroom as well, many students change the way they speak when they're in class, with their friends, family, and in other situations.

It’s called codeswitching: the practice of alternating between different types of vernacular in conversations depending on the environment.

Many people alter their tone and word choice whether they’re with their family, friends, classmates, coworkers, and in other situations. But why are some ways of speaking more respected than others? Any vernacular should be accepted in professional environments; people should not have to code switch to be respected or taken seriously.

In Jamila Lyiscott’s TedTalk, “3 Ways to Speak English,” Lyiscott, who refers to herself as a “tri-tongued orator”, performs a spokenword essay that both celebrates and challenges the concept of code-switching. Those who code-switch are able to communicate with people in different environments. On the other hand, they can feel forced to abandon one way of speaking for another that is deemed more appropriate. While it makes sense to code-switch and is an instinctual habit for many people, people of color often shoulder the majority of the burden. Different communities of color tend to have different modes of speech and diction. African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is a manner of speaking, used by roughly 30 million African American people in the United States. Though AAVE is also often appropriated by other groups through popular culture.

Though AAVE and other dialects have become popular and are used widely, 48 percent of African American adults with a college degree feel the need to code-switch, according to the Pew Research Center.

BHS senior Aris Carter said that he code -switches because “Black vernacular

English isn’t really seen as workfriendly or as professional.” He often speaks differently when he is trying to impress someone.

Black people are less likely to be hired for jobs or are placed in lower level positions when they use AAVE, according to a study done at University of Pennsylvania.

Carter described how he and many other people of color often code switch in professional environments in order to be treated with respect. Most professional and academic spaces operate under eurocentric vernacular which pressures people of color to change their patterns of speech in order to fit in.

“Black Vernacular English shouldn’t be looked down upon as badly as it is and should be more accepted in many spaces,” Carter said.

This applies to more than just AAVE. No dialect should be looked down upon and no one should be expected to abandon their way of speaking to be taken seriously.

Speaking in a way that does not fit traditional eurocentric standards does not mean that one is speaking in “broken English.”

If the message can be understood through the language, then it is entirely adequate to speak in any context.

People should not be forced to leave their accent and diction at the door to exist in a professional environment.

Every diction is professional: codeswitching shouldn’t be a neccessity

“Black vernacular English isn't really seen as work-friendly or as professional.”

Aris Carter BHS senior

People should not be forced to leave their accent and diction at the door to exist in a professional environment.

White passing students battle unique privileges, difficulties

father and his family a few times a year and they always try to immerse me more in my native and Mexican culture,” Morgan-Carland said. “The fact that I pass as white is what people see, and I feel that they overlook the other parts of my identity,” they said. “I think I do it myself even.”

For Morgan-Carland, experiences that affirm their cultural identity are incredibly impactful and very important. They said that they have some Hispanic friends who they speak Spanish with, which feels refreshing.

she said of the class. “When I was growing up, I just spoke it most of the time.” Spanish is not the only class Cantero Sandler hopes to engage in to better connect to her culture.

Pakistani so it's cool,” Khan said. Khan recalled people telling her she looks white

“I don't really have any of my dad’s family in the U.S., so I kind of feel like that part of me is fading away slowly,”

She plans to take Latinx History next year, as she sees it as an opportunity to learn more about her culture.

For freshman Ayesha Khan, her membership in

Fae Cantero Sandler, BHS sophomore

because of her light skin color. “When someone says that, I feel like I let down my culture," she explained. "I am really connected with my culture.” She said.

“I feel an immense amount of privilege due to my complexion in comparison to a lot of my cousins who look very Native or Mexican,”

Similar to MorganCarland, Cantero Sandler found being in her Spanish class for native speakers to be affirming. “It’s really engaging and it helps me get better at Spanish,”

Rydell Morgan-Carland, BHS junior

the BHS Muslim Students Association also provides a rewarding environment.

“Half the people there are

and Morgan-Carland stated that they were excited for Multicultural Week at BHS. Cantero Sandler enjoys seeing the inclusivity and diversity at BHS. “When I hear about something about my culture, I always get really excited, or something going on (in the community), I want to participate in it,” Cantero Sandler said.

Morgan-Carland isn’t currently a member of any cultural clubs, but that they had considered joining the Native Student Union. They said they didn’t do so because “I was afraid I wasn’t Native enough.”

Both Cantero Sandler

WORD ON THE STREET

is there a mid-year slump?

“I think it’s a perceived burnout because at the same time the classes actually do get harder in the second semester, and I think that’s really the reason for the burnout,” said junior Theo Lemkin. Lemkin believes the mid-year burnout is more prominent when students take harder classes, making it harder to ignore both in one’s personal life and the lives of others’. Lemkin believes that the slump ends toward the final part of the third quarter.

Sophomore Nur Makdisi has noticed this mid-year slump in herself and her peers, but also in her teachers.

“One teacher just went missing for a week, and wrote on his board that he was mentally exhausted and needed a break,” Makdisi said when thinking back to the previous year. Her teacher came back feeling a lot more energized to teach. Makdisi shares these sentiments with her teacher over a lack of motivation and willingness to do work around this time of year.

“Once I get back from the break I’m all rested and ready to get back at it,” said sophomore Luka Thorniley, who doesn’t feel like this burnout is affecting him as much as it is his peers. Thorniley said, “I can see how some people would have a break and then when they get back to school it’s too much, and they’re overwhelmed.”

For sophomore Divya Sachdeva, the mid-year slump is very present post winter break when students go back to school. “It makes students feel more stressed out, it makes them feel like they can’t do anything,” Sachdeva said in reference to this slump. Sachdeva, who takes classes in local community colleges Berkeley City College and Laney College, finds it’s hard to focus on any work other than their college classes.

“It’s subjective,” said freshman Theodore Lam. “Some people will experience it, and definitely be burnt out.” Although they acknowledged that many students experience this burnout, he doesn't believe he does, mostly due to the fact that they’re new to high school and haven’t had the experience with it that their older peers may have. Looking forward, Lam is excited for this new semester and can’t wait to start running track.

Junior Diego Tandberg said that he found himself struggling with this second semester burnout last year more than he is now. “I had a lot of exams and I was just tired of school,” he said. The burnout Tandberg experienced wasn’t just mid-year, it lasted the rest of the year until school got out. This year, Tandberg feels he’s overcome the struggle he dealt with in previous years and can thrive more at this time.

features editors: Lauren Huang & Amelia WIley Moreira

Morgan-Cartland wears these necklaces to honor their grandmother.

Cantero Sandler often makes sure to let people know that she is Mexican.

BRAUN

BHS robotics starts post-kickoff design

BY YSABEL CHU staff writer

on. What are some things that will be important in this game, and how do we want to achieve them.”

I ride my bike as much as I can to reduce the amount of time my parents spend driving me around. My friends and I take advantage of the fact that bikes allow us to be more independent about where and when we can travel because we don’t have to wait for buses, trains, or parents. Biking also reduces carbon emissions because it’s completely human-powered. So, I bike, but how does that actually help with global emissions, seeing as I am just one person? Well, think about it this way: living completely car-free reduces an individual’s carbon footprint by up to two tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year. Each of us needs to reduce our carbon footprint to about 2 to 2.5 tons of CO2e per year maximum by 2030 in order to be able to keep the planet cool enough to be liveable, according to the United Nations. Currently, most U.S. citizens are creating 14.6 tons of CO2e per year; this is not only twice the average of any other developed country, but is almost seven times the amount produced by one of the world’s most populous countries, India, where people produce only 2.4 tons per person per year. So, what can Berkeley High School students do to reduce their footprint from 14.6 tons to 2.5 tons of CO2e per year?

One method is reducing the use of gasoline cars; biking, taking public transportation, renting an electric bike or scooter, or walking whenever possible. Eating more vegetables and fruits can reduce the amount of carbon emissions by about another half ton per year. This is because producing fruits and vegetables requires far less land, water, and energy than producing the same amount of dairy or meat. While you’re at it, throw away less food overall, because wasting food also wastes the packaging, resources, and transportation that was used for that food. Also, if you compost anything you don’t eat, this prevents food from rotting in landfills, which in turn prevents the production of methane, another greenhouse gas. Buy yourself a water bottle, and do away with single-use plastic of all kinds: buy drinks in tin cans rather than in plastic bottles, because tin cans can be recycled super easily with little to no greenhouse emissions. Finally, reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle. All of the consumer products we buy, even things like clothing, create carbon emissions at each point in their production process, “from extraction of raw materials to manufacturing and transporting goods to market.” Buy used products and clothes whenever possible, don’t upgrade constantly, and reduce your overall consumption of miscellaneous personal products to only what you truly need.

If you’re feeling like the future of the earth is on a path to certain doom, you can still make a difference by taking part in solutions and encouraging others to do the same. Taking the reduction of your own carbon footprint in your own hands can also help reduce overall climate anxiety, leading to a more fulfilling and uncluttered life, while also reducing CO2e emissions by up to 3 to 4 tons per person per year. For more information on what you can do to combat CO2e emissions, visit the United Nations website at https://www.un.org/en/ actnow/ten-actions.

On January 7, the Berkeley High School robotics team gathered at Richmond High School to watch the 2023 First Robotics Competition (FRC) Kickoff. The Kickoff is an annual event that determines what the robotics team builds for the next couple of months. For this reason, the Kickoff is a highly anticipated event.

The Kickoff started with various important members of FRC speaking including FRC sponsors, the CEO of FRC, and the founder of FRC. Then the game animation was finally revealed. The game animation shows what the game will look like, and how to score points. The 2023 game is fundamentally about scoring cubes and cones on a grid.

After the Kickoff, the game manual was released. Team Berkelium, the BHS robotics team, went back to their workshop at BHS. They went over the rules, and began to prototype.

“First, we usually read through the rule book,” said Lenka Simon, Berkelium’s co-team manager. “Then we’ll split off. Some people start prototyping. Some people split off into a more in-depth strategy meeting where we talk about what we specifically want to focus

For some members of Team Berkelium, the highlights of the kickoff are the ideas floating around immediately afterwards. “I love hearing the creativity,” said James Underwood, one of Berkelium’s team captains. “Within a few days, things start getting very serious. What can we achieve? What can we actually build? On that first day, there's a lot of really creative ideas. And that's just really cool to see.”

Team Berkelium has decided to have small groups of people each working on a different aspect of the robot. For example, one group will be focused on picking up cones, and another will be focused on making sure the robots can drive onto its station. This year, the way the small groups are created has changed.

Before, the team was isolated dependent on trades. Programming people would stay together, and fabrication people would be together when working on projects. However, now students from all different skills work together.

The members of Team Berkelium have already accomplished a lot. They’ve decided on their priorities. They’ve created a prototype for the cube picker-upper and shooter, as well as the

prototype for the cone shooter. They’ve also begun doing some design work on geometry.

The workload following kickoff is expected to be intense.

“We’ve had about 20 hours of meetings in the week following kickoff,” Underwood said.

“It's definitely a lot of time spent," Lenka said. “It’s a lot of effort to create a working robot in this short period of time. Hopefully people enjoy it. I certainly enjoy it. Kind of just about putting in the work.”

Simon shared her strategies for dealing with burnout during competition season.

“Try taking a step back from things and delegating tasks. Or focusing on different things, if you were prototyping last week, maybe this week, you could do some coding or something else,” she said.

Team Berkelium will continue creating, testing, and refining their robot

until their first competition in about six months.

Team Berkelium's first competition will actually be in Victoria, Canada. Despite being stressful, competitions are a favorite activity for many members on the team.

“It’s performance time,” Underwood said. “All the work you’ve done so far is now being presented to the whole world. Seeing what everyone else comes up with is also cool. There's some really creative robots out there. It's just a lot of fun, and the energy in the room is amazing.”

When members of Team Berkelium were asked about the best part of being on the team, “the community” was a consistent answer. “The community, and the friends you make,” Simon said. “I think that's what most people will tell you. You come because you're interested in STEM, and interested in doing robotics. And you stay because you've made friends there.”

Students without phones navigate socially

BY CHARLIE TAMAGNO staff writer

Sevan MinassianGodner, a Berkeley High School senior, has used a flip phone for nearly a year. After going to a school retreat in February 2022, he realized how glued people had been to their phones.

“There were people at tables eating or sitting at tables who were just texting each other,” MinassianGodner said. “It was really hard for me to break that barrier. When I came home,

my phone was already falling apart, I had to get a new one, and I decided to go with a flip phone to see if I liked it, and I really enjoyed it.”

At BHS, most students have a smartphone with them at all times, unless made to put one in a “phone jail” or caddy. Some are just not allowed by family to have a phone, or don’t have one due to other circumstances. Some students actively choose to not use or bring a smartphone to school.

"I was more disconnected,” Minassian-

Godner said. “If I was playing football, I wasn't worried about who was texting me or what was happening on Instagram because I also quit social media. I was just like, in the moment. That was really nice."

Speaking to the disadvantages of not having a smartphone, he felt disconnected and had less frequent communication with his friends. Instead, he defaulted to using emails or calls to contact people which made it harder for him to maintain his friendships.

Junior Holden Elias was without a working phone for his first two years of high school. “I didn’t really see a point in it,” Elias said. “Throughout the pandemic, I didn’t really need it to keep in touch with people, because of distance learning.”

During his junior year, he experienced the hurdles to not having a smartphone at school. While he did have a phone, it could only be used for texting and calling, and

had a short battery life. Elias would have a harder time communicating with people because his phone would die at unpredictable moments.

“If my friends were going off campus for lunch, I might miss out because my phone wouldn’t be working,” he said.

Other students use a smartphone, but are resistant to participating in social media. BHS junior Oliver Nickelsen is one of such students. “I don’t use social media because I don’t want to have more reasons to use my phone,” Nickelsen said.

The only disadvantage they listed came with an advantage: not using social media can make it more difficult to communicate with friends, but for Nickelsen, it forces them to be more inquisitive about their friends’ lives.

“It makes me less connected to people, but also it makes me have to actually talk to people to understand what’s happening in their life,” Nickelsen said.

Team Berkelium works on new prototype.

CLARA ELM NETTESHEIM

Non-traditional framework courses at BHS fight to stay afloat

BY AVA RAMSDALE staff writer

“I want more students to know about this class because, for whatever reason, I get very specific groups of students, mainly white male students, and I want to promote to more students of color and women,” said Digital Design and Fabrications teacher Klea Bajala. “So last semester, we built the haunted house to hopefully inspire more people to come through and see the cool things that are happening in these spaces.”

Every year, the course

selection process for the following school year begins in the later part of the second semester. With new electives being offered annually, the list of classes to choose from is ever-growing. However, there is a downside to the multitude of options, as newer classes often must compete with the overwhelmingly large course list if they hope to appear in subsequent course catalogs.

Bajala, who teaches alongside her colleague Cordelia Millerwhite, said that Digital Design was brought back to life by the need for more hands-on technical classes at BHS. She said that

the curriculum taught within the class is highly relevant to today’s world of innovation, especially in the Bay Area.

In tandem with this idea, Data Science teacher Laura Gorrin said, “We wanted to bring a class to Berkeley High that gives the kind of math that a lot of people are using in their jobs right now.” They wanted to provide a class that would not only be exciting to learn about but also beneficial in the real world.

On top of its relevance, the course’s project-based curriculum and lack of tests is meant to appeal to many students, according to Gorrin.

As the class fulfills the same number of high school math credits as a traditional math class, Data Science is set up to attract students in future years.

“I think that it will continue to be popular because it is fundamentally offering things that people are interested in and want to take,” Gorrin said.

The case was the same for this year’s new Asian American Pacific Islander Literature class, currently taught by Matthew Laurel. He spoke to the intrigue of the class for Asian students when the class debuted. “They saw how satisfying and meaningful it was to have a class, an English content class, that was by authors who came from their particular background,” he said.

According to Gideon Goldman, another Data Science teacher, the class became tangible through the work of a Stanford professor who had created a new Data Science curriculum for high school students. The program offered alternative options for students who would usually take AP Calculus or AP Statistics, material that is less relevant in today’s job market. Comparatively, AAPI Literature was initiated by students who voiced the need

for a broader range of class choices.

“In fact a couple of students in the AAPI class right now helped get the ball rolling,” Laurel said. “They spoke up and spoke out to AC English teachers about the desire for a

Classes can advertise to students through the creation of promotional videos, something Millerwhite said can be shown to potential students. “Those promotional videos have been getting shown to the junior high students who are thinking about kind of coming in and looking at some of these things,” she added.

class like this.”

The AAPI Literature class entered the course catalog late, therefore they didn’t get as many sign-ups as anticipated, according to Laurel. However, “... the fact that we have this class existing is just amazing and is a form of resistance, of taking up space,” he said.

One of the main struggles with new classes at BHS is spreading the word about them, especially with the current list of courses being so vast. Many of the teachers aren’t allowed to advertise their new courses to the students, so they rely on counselors and other teachers to spread the word about new and upcoming courses that students should look out for when picking their schedule.

Goldman advertised the new Data Science class by talking with his junior classes, and there were so many signups that Goldman and Gorrin had to create a waitlist for entries into the class.

“The hook in is very easy,” Goldman said, talking about how many students were drawn to the class initially because there was no denying its pertinence to students’ future careers and jobs. “Nobody’s wondering ‘what’s this for?’” He noted that since students don’t have to wonder how the course pertains to their lives, they can spend time learning.

“The fact that it fulfills a math requirement is a different position than other elective classes, and students will be looking to take a math class to have four years of math,” Gorrin said, “I think the interest will continue to be there.”

Music teachers acclimate after moving back to the A Building

BY SAGE FELDMAN staff writer

Sarah Cline, leader of Berkeley High School’s jazz program, was one of many teachers who made the move from their temporary holding spaces to the newly refurbished A Building.

“It was like one of those home makeover shows, when the family’s coming in two hours and everyone is blitzing to get ready,” Cline said.

The renovated building presents arts teachers with a host of both opportunities and logistical issues. While the building is still an active construction site and its classrooms are not completely polished, teachers are working around the difficulties and taking advantage of their new facilities.

For Jazzy Rodriguez, BHS Guitar teacher, the new A Building was a welcome relief coming from two years in portable classrooms with thin walls and no acoustic design. “(In) the portables, you could hear everything that was going on next door … and across the street,” Rodriguez said, describing the overlapping sounds of a band class, mixed with a drama class, mixed with a dance class. By contrast, their new classroom, designed

in part by professional sound engineers, comes equipped with soundproofed windows and adjustable sound blocking curtains.

“(We) can hear everything so much better,” Cline said — a feature critical for musicians trying to play accurately while still listening to the rest of the band. Her room is also on track to be furnished with a new piano, as she used the opportunity of the move to get an upgrade. “The piano we had in here just sucked … but there was no point in getting (a new one) before the new building was built,” she said. The jazz room’s new piano was donated by the family of Aiden Price, a beloved member of the BHS jazz community who graduated in 2020 and passed away a year ago. Eventually, the piano will bear his name on a plaque.

Other classroom equipment will be receiving upgrades. “It’s great to have actual music chairs and stands,” said BHS choir teacher Johnine Hansen. All the white boards in the classrooms come with music staves on them, designed to help demonstrate music theory. On the high-tech aspect of things, each room is equipped with a Promethean

board, an interactive electronic board designed for teaching. It provides the powerful tool of mixing a whiteboard with a computer — once people are able to use it.

“Once we get (the new technology) running and learn

class, and at the end of class reorganizing everything again to make the classroom suitable for math.

“My instructional time has increased dramatically … we probably have gained about six or seven minutes,” Hansen said. Not having the rooms busy all periods of the day also allows students room to ask their teachers questions after class and teachers time to prep a lesson beforehand.

how to use it, I think it’ll be a really great contribution to classes,” Rodriguez said. This early on into the transition, parts of the building are still unfamiliar, or even unfinished. “I still haven’t figured out how to operate the lights in the classroom,” they said.

The move also gives teachers greater flexibility in how they spend their class time.

“I was really busy from zero period to seventh period,” Hansen said, referring to when her classes took place in the portables. A simple luxury afforded to the arts teachers now is having their own classrooms. Hansen described rushing about at the beginning of class to convert her portable from a drama class to a choir

Two and a half years ago, the pandemic’s full force required decades of music materials to be sorted, filed, and removed in social isolation. Cline described the

move back then as having been the hardest transition.

“This part in comparison seemed super easy because we have great help from students and alumni,” Cline said. Still, transporting drum sets, vibraphones, amplifiers, and boxes stuffed with sheet music is no easy task for Cline, and remains ongoing.

“(I still) have stuff in deep storage,” Hansen said. A hurdle for teachers to clear is size — the new classrooms are smaller than the portables, and pianos, drums, and instrument storage bite sizable chunks out of available space. Some things have had to be left behind. “For aesthetics … we were asked to not move any furniture that

we already owned,” Cline said. The portables’ old shelves and chairs were either donated to other schools or placed in deep storage.

Of some of the furniture that had to be stashed, Rodriguez mourned the loss of their “operation table.” “It had all my tools that I needed to fix guitars … I don’t have that space anymore to repair instruments, (and) we had to leave it behind,” they said.

The new building is in a state of excited genesis, having moved past Cline’s “blitzing” stage. Rodriguez summarized the changes between old and new, saying, “The color of everything (has changed). It’s more vibrant.”

“I still haven’t figured out how to operate the lights in the classroom.”

Jazzy Rodriguez, BHS Guitar teacher

WINNIE HUANG

“(The class) will continue to be popular because it is fundamentally offering things that people are interested in and want to take.”

Laura Gorrin, Data Science teacher

Luke De Valpine practices in a new soundproofed practice room.

Entertainment editors: Ruby Freedman & Marina Howard

ERASE, EDIT, OR REMAKE?: MOVIES WE’RE MEANT TO LOVE

CHLOE CARUTH

BabyTron spreads problematic messages

BY OCHI GRACE staff writer

BabyTron recently came out with a new album on Jan. 13, entitled, “Bin Reaper 3: New Testament.” The project marks BabyTron’s progression forward within his music career. In one song, “Next Level 2” BabyTron raps, “Sh*t, I ain’t gon’ say this the last level, but we getting there. This the next level, next chapter, the ‘New Testament, Bin Reaper 3.’”

2004’s “Mean Girls” is a modern-day classic from the mind of Tina Fey. In the movie, students have to compete for a coveted spot as one of “The Plastics,” the most popular girls at school. The main character Cady eventually joins their group and plots to sabotage the leader, Regina. “Mean Girls,” like many 2000s movies, shows a heavily distorted high school experience. As aware as I am of the dangers of this movie, I can’t help but admit that it holds a special place in my heart.

This movie reaffirms the idea that being white, rich, straight, and skinny makes you more likable. The characters in “The Plastics” base their entire worth on their appearance. Students aren’t obsessed with them because they truly respect “The Plastics”, but rather because of the benefits that hanging out with a conventionally beautiful person can bring them. When Regina gains weight, she is ostracized by her friend group. As 2000s clothing reemerges, can you bring back the clothes and leave the body standards behind?

I see this, especially with the return of low-rise pants to Berkeley High School. In the movie, it’s implied that only some people can wear these styles. The harmful comments made by characters in the film are meant to convey the 2000s ideals of beauty, and to shame others for not conforming to it. I’ve always felt that characters in “Mean Girls” are purposefully unlikable. From the way they talk to how they interact with each other, we are annoyed but also fascinated.

Cliques are popular in teen movies. The close-knit friend group is compelling. But “Mean Girls” takes this idea to a whole new level with the strict rules of “The Plastics.” They dictate what you can wear and when, and even how they can look. When someone crosses Regina, they are cut for good and put into the “burn book”. I haven’t seen anything like “The Plastics” at BHS. I like to think it is because we have moved past the wish for these cult-like groups, however, it’s probably more because logistically, it is impossible at our school. In the glamorized version of high school in the movie, the main characters are rarely in class or doing homework. We don’t have all this time to stand around and talk.

I think that “Mean Girls” can be used as a look back on a foregone era, while the problematic remarks can and must stay in the past. There are themes in this movie that are absent in more modern teen movies. These often miss the importance of understanding yourself, group survival, but most of all, how to feel comfortable in your skin during your teenage years, the most uncomfortable time of your life. “Mean Girls” can stay in our hearts and in our Netflix queue if we can change how we view it.

that require background information about his life/ career or familiarity with youth culture. In a Genius interview, BabyTron said, “You gotta do your research to listen to BabyTron.” His album is full of references to games such as “Minecraft” and “Transformers” and cartoons like “Spongebob” and “Roger Rabbit.” This gives the album a youthful appeal.

tendencies, walk in the crib, it’s Bape on the rugs. Pourin’ drank and rollin’ eighths, I’m facin’ all the drugs.” It’s evident that BabyTron has a clear intention in promoting rap music that disregards anything besides superficial forms of superiority.

familia, I gotta show the plug love.” While these ideas may make sense to a specific demographic, the majority of listeners who do not fit that demographic will be entirely confused and the album will not be for them.

BabyTron is clearly determined to reach his fullest potential. The album encompasses 26 songs and a variety of features. Artists like Rico Nasty, Lil Yachty, Babyface Ray, and Cordae, among others, all collaborated on this album.

BabyTron is a 22-yearold rapper from Detroit, Michigan, whose career began at the age of 17. He originally made music alongside his friends, StanWill and TrDee. They called their rap group, “Sh*ttyBoyz”. BabyTron references the collective throughout his recent album.

For new listeners to BabyTron, the album is not completely comprehensible. He uses countless metaphors

However, while BabyTron’s album has childlike lyricism, it is not an album that encourages positivity among youth. He uses racial and derogatory stereotypes to further push ignorant, outdated ideas for the sole purpose of shock factor. He raps, “Hungry for the opps, I’m lookin’ Asian tryna cook dog”. This is not the type of influence needed in rap culture. It’s simply unnecessary.

Beyond this, BabyTron’s album makes multiple remarks pertaining to superficial material worth, violence, and scam culture. This places him into the mainstream scammer, hypebeast rap wave. In his song “Gimme Dat,” featuring Lil Yachty he says, “Lil’ brodie scammed a store, I’m sauced up, ravioli.” Furthermore, in “Dirty Draco” he raps, “Hypebеast

On top of this, many of his lyrics make no contextual sense. In “Michigan Ave”, he says, “Turkey in the middle of Finkle, tripping, drifting the ‘Cat. Got a whole Kentucky Derby in the whip, hittin’ the dash.” Additionally, in “Mike Amiri Monster” he raps, “Twin drums, give his ass two-hundred like a Chug Jug. That’s my la

BabyTron represents what needs to be changed within the modern rap culture. The emphasis on criminality and use of derogatory language is what upholds the common misrepresentation of what rap culture and music really values. The messages in this album, along with the lack of quality storytelling and lyricism is an unfortunate presentation of the genre.

‘The Game Awards’ sells out for viewership

BY ZACHARY ZOO staff writer

Amidst this year’s award show season, the question on everyone’s mind isn’t who will win big, rather, it’s: will anyone care? From the Oscars to the Tony Awards, many major award shows have been steadily losing viewers. This said, one standout award show has been able to not only shake off the pandemic’s effects but grow its audience over the past couple of years: The Game Awards.

At a glance, The Game Awards is very similar to its

competitors. It’s an award show for video games. But there are several inherent advantages to the program. For one, the show remains unique in that its viewership numbers over the past couple of years have been trending up, rather than down. The reason? The Game Awards isn’t afraid to sell out.

The program is less of an award show and much more of a trade show. In addition to regular commercial breaks, the show is often interrupted with surprise “world premiere” footage of upcoming releases. In general, there’s much more

willingness to corporatize the event. In the past, segments have been sponsored by Verizon and Subway, and last year’s show even featured public sweepstakes, with one viewer winning a Steam Deck console every minute of the show. This model guarantees that even if someone hasn’t played a single nominated game, they’re incentivized to tune in.

This idea has been toyed with by the Oscars as well, but not to much success. Whereas The Game Awards features big-name announcements, the most notable trailers from recent Academy Awards have been the likes of “West Side Story” and “Lightyear”, which both underperformed at the box office.

The general public’s apprehension towards corporatization is understandable, as it can risk delegitimizing a show. Award show organizations are typically non-profits, after all, they exist to honor

the greats, not to rake in the dough.

Still, the strategy employed by The Game Awards is important because it recognizes that an award show on its own isn’t enough anymore. In the age of the internet, everyone’s a critic, making even the most prestigious voice just one in a massive discourse. Simply Googling “best video games of 2022” nets well over four billion results. The Game Awards will never be the foremost authority on video games, they aren’t trying to be. They recognize that in the internet era, that authority is subjective.

Ironically, the way forward for award shows is to be less authentic. The opportunity to delegate what may or may not be the best song, TV show, or movie, is no longer possessed solely by the Emmys and the Oscars. Instead, the best way for awards to continue thriving as celebrations of their respective medium is to look less at last year, and more at this year.

IRIS LE LIBOUX

COURTESY OF EMPIRE DISTRIBUTION INC.

BHS independent musicians struggle with financial sufficiency

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 to increase her earnings.

“When it comes to money, the venue usually decides how much you’re going to make, their cut, and the amount that they’re going to charge for tickets,” said sophomore Wyatt Fortner, singer and guitarist for the band Cascade.

Cascade, an alternative rock band made up of BHS sophomores, has been performing at shows since last year. Cascade performs at free shows at skate parks and other venues, but also play at venues where tickets are priced between five dollars and $15.

“Usually, it’s either a 40/60 or 50/50 cut between the venue and the band, and the money that goes to the band is divided up among everyone,” said Eo GarciaFreedman, the band’s drummer and songwriter. Money that Cascade makes from ticket sales goes back into the band itself.

However, putting on shows can be a balancing act between making a profit and having a meaningful show experience.

“I would always rather have a bigger crowd and not charge money than charge a lot of money, but not very

they have to do for work. … To be financially doing well isn’t easy,” Griffin said. “In all different realms of art, you’re probably going to be broke.”

Through interactions with other bands, members of Cascade have observed that financial struggles in the music scene are widespread and very serious in some cases.

many people come,” said Cormac Foreman, a guitarist and singer for Cascade. Making money while pursuing a career in music is top of mind for many independent musicians at BHS. Working artists often have multiple sources of income, as well as different music-oriented jobs, such as being a songwriter, producer, session musician, or managing tours.

“A lot of people end up (doing) music that isn’t for their passion, but it’s stuff

“We’re definitely lucky that we’re all kids, so we don’t have to pay for gas money or even pay for housing and that sort of thing, which some bands do,” Fortner said. “(Being) a band that’s trying to live off what their music is playing is very difficult, but a band that’s just trying to make some extra cash is quite easy.”

More than anything, being a young independent musician builds important skills.

“Knowing that I’m creating the skill set of knowing how to produce

young, I think that that is going to help me in college and being a good producer by the time I have to make money on my own,” Silas said.

Garcia-Freedman and Foreman both agree that although it poses challenges, music is definitely something they want to pursue in their future careers.

“I wouldn’t pursue fame

in music, (but) I think I’ll keep making music for pretty much all my life,” Foreman said. On the whole, it is more important to focus on passion than profit.

“The most important thing is to make stuff that you’re proud of and not really worry about being received, but make sure that it’s something you can stand behind and feel proud of,”

Griffin said.

“You never know what’s gonna blow up and even if it doesn’t, I’ve found that I cannot seek validation from that because it’s all a game of luck, really,” Silas said. Regardless of what is yet to come, Garcia-Freedman is certain of one thing: “Music is my favorite thing,” he said, “and will always be something that I do.”

Fall of linear TV turns kids towards dark corners of YouTube

BY SIMON POLICY staff writer

The neon-soaked world of YouTube Kids is a worrying place. Now that the internet is more accessible than ever, kids across the globe have instant access to hours of content designed to keep them watching. This obviously wasn’t always the case, so let’s take a look at how kids content

got to where it is today and why it might be beneficial to restrict access to certain media.

People born somewhere between 2000 to 2008 were some of the last kids to

grow up on linear TV — TV with a set programming

schedule.

At the time, cartoons like “Phineas and Ferb,” “Avatar the Last Airbender,” and “Adventure Time” were massively popular. For families without cable, PBS Kids offered educational shows like “Wild Kratts” and “Arthur,” which helped children with learning math, science and social skills.

Modern content for youth on the internet is

dramatically different. Many channels on YouTube Kids manipulate unlicensed, recognizable Disney characters and brands to gain the attention of their young audience, but can have disturbing messages. This is shown in the vast number of deeply unsettling “parody” videos that feature the “Frozen” character Elsa, and Spiderman from the

Marvel franchise. The titles of these include every kind of buzzword imaginable.

“Elsagate” is a term that’s developed on the internet to

“Elsagate” is a term that’s developed on the internet to describe this type of content on YouTube that harbors inappropriate themes behind the guise of family friendly characters.

describe this type of content on YouTube that harbors inappropriate themes behind the guise of family friendly characters.

These low-budget “Elsagate” videos often contain bizarre sexual situations, love triangles, and an uncomfortable fixation on pregnancy. People became aware of the trend back in 2017, and despite YouTube’s banning of many of the inappropriate kids channels, it hasn’t fully died out.

Girls Go Games is a good example of the “Elsagate” trend persevering. The site is targeted at young girls, and contains hundreds of glossy-pink browser games, all of which heavily enforce sexist gender roles. “Sleepy Princess: Resurrection,” “Princess Pregnancy Checkup,” and “Shopaholic: Wedding Models” are just a couple of the creepy front page games that have harmful messages about societal norms that could impact the young playerbase. The transition

from linear TV to YouTube Kids has undeniably allowed for some gross kids’ content to flourish and grow. As the nature of kids’ media evolves, so do the ways in which consumption can be restricted. Compared to linear TV and streaming services, the content on social media is far more difficult to manage. TV has a schedule that’s the same for all viewers, while social media is specifically tailored to the consumer, designed to keep each individual watching. There’s a huge difference in the way the two affect kids, especially since YouTube has a shaky reputation when it comes to its targeted content. In 2019, Google was forced to pay an unprecedented $170 million to the Federal Trade Commission and New York government for violating children’s privacy laws. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act prohibits websites from collecting data on kids under the age of 13 without parental consent. It’s unknown if the consumption of inappropriate media has a significant effect on kids. The predatory nature of social media, however, is very well known. Media has evolved drastically over the last few decades, and now more than ever, it’s important to be aware of the content kids consume.

LEILAH DOOSTAN

CLAUDIA BLOOM & GABRIELLA BUSANSKY

“In all different realms of art, you’re probably going to be broke.”

Dexter Griffin, BHS senior and musician

Compared to linear TV and streaming services, the content on social media is far more difficult to manage.

BHS Community Theater holds memories of past performances

BY HANNAH GROTHREIDY staff writer

The names David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, and Elton John are wellknown, but what may not be is that Berkeley High School’s Community Theater has hosted these performers, alongside many more. Designed nearly a century ago in 1938 by architects Henry H. Gutterson and William Corlett Sr., the venue has made a name for itself and drawn the attention of many.

as well as the words “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

Students who attended BHS during the years of WWII would frequently refer to the uncompleted building as the “Bird Cage” because of its exposed metal framework, home to countless seagulls waiting for students to finish their lunches. Later on, in the ’60s and ’70s, many musical legends

Oakland.

...many musical legends made their appearances at the theater, including The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and more.

The murals on the sides of the theater that many students pass on their way to or from the school are artworks by the well-known sculptors Jacques Schnier and Robert Howard. These murals include a large T-shaped bas-relief of St. George slaying a dragon,

made their appearances at the theater, including The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and more. At the time, the great size of the theater made it a clear competitor to nearby settings, like the Paramount Theatre in

The performances often left lasting impressions, one case being Bruce Springsteen’s set at the theater on July 1, 1978. With his mother, father, and sister present, that night’s recording of “Prove It All Night” was seriously considered for an official release following the performance. On yet another night, every song from Springsteen’s “The Ghost Of Tom Joad” was performed for the very first time, including the first live appearance of “The New Timer.” However, non-musical figures have also graced the stage, including the 14th Dalai Lama in 2014, who came to share his wisdom on the key to happiness, as well as Senator Bernie Sanders in 2018.

The theater is rich with history, and yet many students find themselves

THE CROSSWORD

unaware of it.

BHS juniors Marley Pierce and Nur Makdisi, for example, were oblivious to the theater’s complex backstory. While Pierce has been at BHS since her freshman year, and Makdisi since the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, both admitted to knowing “absolutely nothing” when it came to the complex history of the theater.

However, neither of them were surprised by these big names having performed there. They

pointed out that Berkeley, and BHS specifically, has a pretty well-known history with the arts, naming nowactor and former BHS alumnus Andy Samberg as an example.

Downtown Berkeley is a hub for the arts, consisting of many art-centered exhibits and buildings such as the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Aurora Theater Company, and the California Jazz Conservatory.

Given this, it is not too surprising that wellrespected musical artists

have performed at the BHS Community theater. Students’ lack of awareness as to some of this history may come from the fact that the theater has been under construction.

In July 2020, it began undergoing major renovations funded by a 2010 school facilities bond measure.

The lack of student knowledge of the theater’s neglects the intruiging relationship between Berkeley and the performance arts.

—

Raven Fonseca Jensen

— Nicholas

McGlashan

BHS student performs “Levitations” dance production in 1970.

Boys basketball defense rivals Cal High

BY LULI GALINSON staff writer

On Saturday, Jan. 14, the Berkeley High School boys varsity basketball team faced off against California High School. The team had just come off of a loss the night before against Alameda High School.

BHS took the lead in the first quarter thanks to backto-back steals from Ollie Miller and Samir O’Brien, and a 3-point shot from Ollie Miller.

Miller is a BHS junior who has been averaging around 16 points per game. Miller hopes to play in

college. “That’s the ultimate goal, but right now I’m just focused on playing with Berkeley High and living in the moment.”

As a point guard, he understands the importance of good team-building and communication. “With my position I have different roles and jobs I’m supposed to do. It’s basically about getting my teammates in positions where they can succeed,” he said.

BHS held strong defense, and by the second quarter they were winning 15-9. This lead continued throughout the whole first half of the game and into the second half. At the beginning of

the fourth quarter, with the score at 37-31, forward Will Polishuk scored another crowd-pleasing 3-pointer.

Polishuk thinks the team has been performing better than expected this season, stating, “I’m super proud of how we’ve been doing. … We’ve had a few mishaps here and there, but overall we’ve played really well.”

“This was a huge game because California High is a top-tier team,” Polishuk said. However, the school’s reputation did not slow BHS down, and in the fourth quarter alone, the team ended up scoring 15 points, finishing the game with a whopping score of 52-34.

Polishuk saw the team winning early in the game, saying, “We went out there and controlled the game and ended up winning by 18 points. We pretty much just socked them with our defense and they didn’t know what to do.”

The head coach of the varsity team, Mike Hudson, believes that this win will be extremely positive for future team morale.

“We played one of the best teams in the Bay Area and we did a good job. Probably one of the better defensive efforts I’ve ever seen,” Hudson said.

He added that this win demonstrates that they can be strong competitors against big opponents.

“To limit a team like that to 34 points, that’s a very difficult thing to do. When you look at Cal High’s record, they’re a really strong team. Being able to pull off that kind of win says a lot about our kids,” he said. Hudson has seen how much the student athletes have been applying themselves. “They’re working extremely hard this year. We’ve had a lot of success due to the fact that the boys put in countless hours of training for basketball. They put in a lot of work to be in the position they’re in,” Hudson said.

Girls basketball suffers loss to Piedmont

BY SASKIA FREEDBERG staff writer

BHS girls varsity basketball had a slow start to their game against Piedmont High School on Friday, Jan. 21, entering the second half with only 5 points to Piedmont’s 34.

“We started off really slow, we weren’t playing good enough defense, we weren’t getting back in transition and so we fell behind early,” assistant coach Willie Fleischman said.

Piedmont was able to pull off multiple fast breaks, getting the ball in the hoop before Berkeley High School could make it back to defend their court.

BHS point guard Liz Sanchez agreed, saying, “Definitely in the first quarter we could have been better at defense.”

In the third quarter, however, Berkeley had a turnaround. “We played much tighter defense, we moved the ball a lot better and we got shots up and we scored, which is something we didn’t do in the first half,” Fleischman said. With less than two minutes left in the third quarter, Berkeley brought their score up

significantly to 14, although they still lagged far behind Piedmont’s 40.

Sanchez pointed to the end of the third quarter as a key moment for the team, saying that “there was a lot of ball moving up top and we got some points.”

Despite the momentum, Berkeley was unable to catch up to Piedmont’s significant lead, ultimately losing the game 20-57.

Piedmont continued to find opportunities for fast breaks, including a run of three in a row at the end of the fourth quarter, leaving little time for Berkeley to fully get back into the game.

Piedmont is a strong

team, with an 18-0 record this season and a first place ranking in their league. They were “well coached and very athletic,” according to Fleischman, who also pointed out that they have a lot of shooters and took advantage of rebounds well.

“They are fast movers, they move very quickly ... they’re very aggressive — there was a lot of fouls,” said BHS forward Nyerie Findley.

BHS was disappointed to lose, but players still had positive thoughts about the game, and their teammates.

“We were swinging the ball around really good, our passes went very well

and they were very direct, and usually that’s a struggle for us, but I feel like we did really good at that,” Findley said.

Sanchez and guard Jade Terry-Jones shared that there was positive energy on the bench and during their team’s time out in the fourth quarter.

“(We need to) just stay focused in from the beginning instead of waiting for the second half,” Fleischman said. “The first half of the season is over, hopefully now we turn it around and we come out in the second half and we beat some of the teams that have been beating us.”

CARINA THOMAS

So I’m too Black to be Asian, and too Asian to be Black? I’ve asked myself that ever since I looked in the mirror for the first time and questioned if I was Chinese enough or Black enough.

I was born to an African American father and a Chinese mother. Despite growing up in a seemingly diverse area in the city of Oakland, throughout my childhood and teen years, I have constantly struggled to accept and understand my biracial identity and how I fit into the world as a person made up of two contrasting ethnicities.

The last time I visited China was with my mom about 7 years ago when I was in second grade. From a young age, I’ve always known that looking the way I do — with my brown skin and curly frizzy hair, my appearance was undoubtedly different from 98 percent of the population in China. As a result, I was constantly subjected to a multitude of confused stares out in public.

There was one time where I was walking in the park with my aunt and a woman steered her kid away from me, warning him that I was a “wai guo ren” (meaning foreigner, and to them, foreign to the Chinese community). I wished that I could just tell them that I am Chinese too-- tell them I celebrate Chinese culture just like they do, that I speak the language just like they do. But with the way my skin and hair differed from theirs, I knew that I would only ever be perceived as the Wai Guo Ren.

Fast forward several years: entering Longfellow Middle School as a 6th grader was really the first time I was exposed to the Black community after attending a predominantly White and Asian elementary school. In my 8th grade year, I joined a group at Longfellow called Black Girls United, whose purpose was to create a positive and supportive culture among Black girls. I loved the group’s energy and the way everyone there seemed like one big family… but I struggled to feel included because I couldn’t relate to many of the girls’ experiences, gossiping topics, close friendships, slang, style, energy, and overall vibe of the group. I sat there quietly, ashamed of how disconnected I was from the Black community. Unfortunately, with each meeting, I felt less and less like a Black girl. I constantly beat myself up for not speaking enough, for not being outgoing enough… for not being Black enough.

This brings me back to the beginning: too Black to be Asian, too Asian to be Black? How do I “balance” my two ethnicities today? Well for starters, instead of trying to mold my identity into an exact clone of one ethnic group, I’ve learned to value both cultures equally. I embrace my natural curls and I’ve accepted that my quiet personality doesn’t make me any less Black than I already am. As for my Chinese identity, I proudly represent my culture through its holidays, language, food, and traditional clothing. I’m no longer trying to be accepted into one community or the other, as I don’t need anyone’s approval to claim my ethnic background. My blood makes me who I am — not the opinions of others or the standards society may impose.

LEV TEIBLUM

Kamara Snelgro makes layup against Piedmont High School on January 21.

MORGAN OSTRER

Junior AJ Loustau flies towards the net, facing pressure from California High School on January 14.

BHS wrestling wins dual meet, displaying strength and strategy

wrestling may seem like a simple display of brute force, detailed technique goes into each match.

When wrestlers start with the team, Nathan starts with basics. “The most basic way to get a take down is to take a shot, do a double leg take down. … literally the most basic technique in all of wrestling. There’s five or six things that they have to do in order to do this properly. For a lot of people it’s something that getting it right is not easy to do,” Nathan said.

BY LEO SILVERBERG & MATEO TSAI staff writers

On January 12, the Berkeley High School wrestling team faced San Lorenzo and Hayward High School at San Lorenzo’s campus. After two long-fought battles, BHS prevailed, beating San Lorenzo 48-36 and winning by tiebreaker against Hayward, 42-42.

The competition was a type of event called a dual meet, in which wrestlers from two schools pair off with opponents in similar weight classes, and scores are compiled from all matches between the two teams. BHS first wrestled against San Lorenzo, then went through this same format against Hayward. This is different from tournaments, which have wrestlers from multiple teams compete in a seeding and bracket format all at once.

The dual meet took place in San Lorenzo’s gym, on two enormous mats. The crowded gym quickly filled with a cacophony of teammates shouting advice to wrestlers and referees’ whistles ringing out.

Before the game, a couple of players had to lose weight in order to make their weight class, so multiple players, including BHS junior Eli Moulton, did

Wrestlers can pin both shoulders of their opponent to the mat, which ends the match. The wrestler with the most points wins if both wrestlers are still standing by the match’s end. Matches are 3 periods long, and each period lasts for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on whether the wrestlers are varsity or junior varsity.

Points can be earned in a number of ways, including by escaping holds, taking the opponent down, nearly pinning them, and when your opponent commits a dangerous technical violation.

adrenaline, and protective headgear wrestlers wear to protect their ears combine to make it particularly hard to hear instructions.

BHS senior and wrestler Darius Thomas said that during a match, “I can’t hear a thing.”

From there, wrestlers are greeted with a dizzying array of options. There are 5 ways to get someone flat, 10 ways to pin somebody.

BHS wrestlers showed off their technique throughout the match against San

came to an end when Ross defeated his opponent with a powerful throwdown. Berkeley emerged victorious, 48-36.

After a long break, Berkeley matched up against Hayward. Each match was extensive and dramatic, with neither BHS nor Hayward seeming willing to back down. Players and coaches screamed advice from the sidelines, including recent BHS graduate and Assistant Coach Dashiell Allen. BHS fought their way through many matches, all of which ended in pins.

Each match was extensive and dramatic, with neither Berkeley nor Hayward seeming willing to back down.

Because of this, “You really need to know your stuff before the match. … It’s muscle memory, and it’s what you learned,” Ross said.

While at first glance,

Lorenzo, including two strong matches from junior Teagan Duffy and senior and co-captain Emily Lim.

San Lorenzo had a brief winning streak, but this

Several hours after the dual meet began, at 8:10 p.m., Duffy came back to the mat for BHS’s final match. Her arm had been pulled behind her head in a previous match, straining her shoulder. With the score tied 42-42, the teams having scored equal pins, the tie was broken on forfeits — Hayward having forfeited more matches than BHS. The team filed out of the gym for the long bus ride home. BHS is set to host the West Alameda County conference finals, taking place on February 11.

jumping jacks and running before weighing in.

This is the hardest part of wrestling, according to senior and co-captain Gabe Ross. In his freshman year, he lost 15 pounds in four days, by going on “basically a three and a half day fast and a two day water fast.”

In wrestling, a match can be won in two ways:.

BHS started off against San Lorenzo, a team whose wrestling style closely mirrors BHS’s, according to Head Coach Ben Nathan.

The match started off back and forth, with both teams racking up wins through grueling matches. The vast majority of matches ended in pins. On opposite sides of the mat, San Lorenzo and BHS wrestlers hollered at their teammates. This noisy environment, high

Twin sisters Alex and Erin Freeman, juniors on the Berkeley High School girls soccer team, have been playing soccer since they were four years old. Although they aren’t sure if twin telepathy is real, there’s definitely a connection between them on the field.

“Whether it’s because we’re twins or just because we’ve been playing together for so long … we’re more familiar so we know what each other is going to do,” Erin Freeman said. Even though there’s a sense of competition between them, it never becomes toxic.

“I want her to do so well, but then at the same time, I don’t want her to do better than me,” Alex Freeman said.

“We’re both pushing each other to be better,” Erin Freeman added. “Being able to play soccer with your best friend throughout your life is like the greatest thing ever.”

— Colina Harvey

PHOTOS BY AVA MUSSI

Gabe Ross hefts an opponent over his shoulder at San Lorenzo High School on January 12.

BHS senior Emily Lim smiles as she shakes hands with her opponent pre-match.

“You really need to know your stuff before the match.... It’s muscle memory.”

Gabe Ross, BHS senior and wrestling co-captain