BHS Jacket 2023/24 Issue 12

BY SYDNEY LEHRER staff writer

FEATURES

Victory Point Cafe: A place for cards and coffee to converge

BY LUCY GRIFFITH staff writer

Victory Point Cafe on Shattuck Avenue isn’t a normal cafe; it’s a gaming cafe. They have an expansive game collection and serve food for customers to enjoy while they play. Derek DeSantis, the current coowner of the cafe, thought of the idea over 10 years ago, and opened it in 2015. He used to host dinner, have drinks, make pizza, and play games with his friends, and one night he had the idea to combine all of these aspects into a public space. He started by researching how to start a business and continued by putting

together a 100-page business plan, making the finances and the steps to execute the idea as clear as possible. He then put up a website that advertised the cafe, looking for partners and investors. Areg Maghakian, who lived in Armenia at the time, reached out to collaborate with DeSantis after seeing his website, looking to transform their idea into reality.

“We started building that relationship and decided that instead of independently trying to compete with each other, we would partner and go about this together,” said DeSantis.

Their plan was highrisk. “Neither myself nor my partner had ever done anything like PAGE 10

BHS Film Festival seeks film submissions

“People should come see the show,” said junior Sophie Jacobs, a member of the Berkeley High School Film Festival Club. “We have a lot of talented people at the

into making their films, so it’s really nice to have an audience, and I think they’ll enjoy the films.”

The BHS Film Festival club has been preparing for their upcoming film festival, taking

place in early May at the Brower Center in Berkeley. The show will consist of short films created by students at BHS, and the winner will be announced with a grand prize of $150.

“People should submit (their films) because it encourages other people

to submit. It’s inspiring for people to watch student films that are interested in filmmaking because it gives them something to look up to,” said junior Cleo Saxe, one of the club leaders. The members of the club strongly encourage anyone to submit films to the festival.

aaronstevens@students.berkeley.net

BHS Sunrise protest urges Biden to declare a climate emergency

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Around 30 protesters gathered outside of the San Francisco Federal Building, holding various signs reading: “Fund climate action, not genocide,” “Biden, declare a climate emergency,” or “We demand climate curriculum.” Poems and speeches were read by various students from BHS, youth climate activists, poets, and one speech was given by former Berkeley councilwoman Cheryl Davila.

The BHS protest was part of a larger push on President’s Day to encourage Biden to declare a climate emergency. This push was put on by the Sunrise Movement, a movement with hubs all around the country.

“All the way from Boise, Idaho, and New York, and Detroit, Michigan to here in the Bay Area, people are on the streets, people are holding actions, whether that be banner drops, or that be chants,” said Ariela Lara, an intern with the Sunrise Movement who led chants at the protest, “We are out here to make sure Biden hears us loud and clear that we need a climate emergency.”

Declaring a climate emergency is an action done to acknowledge that humanity is in a climate crisis, and since the first governmental declaration in 2016, over 2,300 local governments around the world have declared a climate emergency, including Berkeley.

The planet’s average surface temperature has risen by an average of about two degrees Fahrenheit since the late 19th century, according to NASA. These changes have been driven by human activities, such as fossil fuel mining that put greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Although a seemingly small amount, rising global temperatures have resulted in more extreme weather around the world, including flooding and wildfires. According to the Sunrise Movement website, declaring a climate emergency would end the fossil fuel era in the U.S., create green union jobs, and prepare for climate disasters.

Protestors read speeches motivating one another to stand up against climate change, highlighting the

importance of youth organizing in climate action.

“Climate change is a presenttense issue for (Generation) Z and for our communities. To speak of delaying action to the future would be a death sentence for us,” said Does in a speech, “This generation, our generation, all of us here today, are rising up in the face of perpetual devastation and the turned heads of our leaders when we need them most. Our movement is against the odds but we do not stop marching, resisting, speaking up for what’s right.”

Declaring a climate emergency now, protestors shared, is even more important due to the upcoming election later this year. According to BHS Sunrise leader and senior Meghan Malone, by aiming their message directly towards Biden, the movement is also showing that the votes of young people, which Biden lacks, stand behind climate action, and that in order to get those votes, Biden needs to set firm climate goals.

“Whoever has the best plan to make sure that we and our children, our grandchildren,

have a future on this planet, that’s who deserves the youth vote. Maybe that will be Biden, and maybe it won’t be, but we have to remind him that he can’t win this election without the youth vote,” said Malone. Some activists shared poems with the crowd, using art to speak about their experiences with climate change or share ideas of a better world. “The importance of poetry and art is to empower and give us hope. It’s a way to be able to really see the lens of our future and our present that unites us and paints a beautiful story that people can connect to,” said Azucena Uribe, a BHS junior who shared a poem at the protest. “It’s really important that we tap into that art and that hopefulness. Now, when things are so tragic, it is so

important that we can see that there is a future, and it comes from being alive, and it comes from vibrancy and comes from being able to tap into yourself and seeing that future. That’s the way that we will come together,” added Uribe.

Amaya Dorman Mackenzie, a senior and the BHS Sunrise president and organizer of the climate protest, spoke on how it’s okay to be angry when thinking about climate change, but that anger

must be used to drive action, “There’s a step between hopelessness and action. I think that step oftentimes is anger ... but it’s okay to be angry … It’s imperative that we act.”

Dorman Mackenzie added later, “It can be seen as incredibly heavy weights that we have to carry as long as possible. But if you carry a little bit, if each of us carry a little bit of it, then it’s less for any one person to carry. And I think that (is part of what happens) when you work in a community. There’s less on each of our

Authors Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham speak at BHS library

BY PENELOPE PURCHASE staff writer

On Friday, Feb. 9 2024, Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham came to Berkeley High School to discuss their new book, “Lunar New Year Love

Story.” “Lunar New Year Love Story” is a young adult romance novel, centered around the traditions of the Lunar New Year and the importance of love.

“I want them to understand that love comes in so many

different forms, it’s love from friends, love between a boy and a girl, love between family, love between generations, and then most importantly, love for yourself, and to be not afraid of love,” said Pham. Pham began the presentation with a brief

introduction to the Lunar New Year, discussing the holiday’s significance to the Asian community. According to Pham, the Lunar New Year doesn’t simply signify the beginning of a new year. In Asian culture, it’s the most important of all the holidays. It’s a fresh start, where debts are repaid and conflicts are forgiven.

“When the new year starts, everything starts over,” said Pham.

In the speech, Pham said that the new year is a time to honor your ancestors. Families may create altars with photos of their deceased relatives and place offerings like food, incense, and flowers in front of the photos. These offerings are meant to entice one’s ancestors down from the heavens to bless their house for the coming year.

Another key part of Lunar New Year celebrations are red envelopes. Red envelopes were so important to Yang’s New

Year celebrations as a kid that he wanted to make them a big deal in “Lunar New Year Love Story,” as well.

“I knew that when I started writing ‘Lunar New Year Love Story’ I wanted to make (red envelopes) a big deal in the story. So in this story, the red envelope is the inciting incident,” said Yang.

Yang and Pham went on to talk more about their new book, discussing the many elements that went into making the story romantic, as well as funny. The talk ended with a brief Q&A, where questions ranged from how to get published to what their net worths were. The authors were able to stay for a short time after the talk, letting students get autographs and quick drawings of themselves from Pham.

“I was so touched by how many kids wanted (Yang’s) autograph, and were, like, genuinely star-struck by him … It was cool to meet an

author in person and have him be so youth-friendly, and funny, and cool,” said Zia Grossman-Vendrillo, a freshman English teacher at BHS who brought her class to the discussion.

According to GrossmanVendrillo, the impact of books like Yang’s “American Born Chinese” is why it’s so important to read books by authors from historically marginalized groups.“I think the power of hearing stories from your own community can make you feel so seen,” said Grossman-Vendrillo.

Meredith Irby and Allyson Bogie, two of BHS’ librarians, also really believe in the power of seeing yourself in books.

“Librarians always talk about books as windows and mirrors … It’s incredibly important for our students to see themselves in the books that they read … (and) to read about lived experiences that are very different from their own,” said Irby.

Luen Yang’s book ‘American Born Chinese’ is read in BHS’s English classes.

GEORGIA PAULOS

JESSIE LEE

Teachers develop new AC leadership group

BY EVA KATZ staff writer

Formed at the beginning of the fall semester, AC Speaks! is a new student leadership group for students in Academic Choice (AC) to be more active in their small learning community. Organized by AC Humanities co-leads Joseph Smith and Brooke Mckinney, AC Speaks! aims to provide students with a platform to “take initiative and make the community better, to come up with ideas, organize events, and (organize) fundraisers,” according to Smith.

“I thought since AC doesn’t have any kind of group or mechanism for students to have a voice and have a say in how their community is run, it would be a good thing for AC students to bounce ideas off of me and help out with events,” said Smith, “Just see things from a student’s perspective.”

Smith came up with the idea for a student group last summer as he was preparing for his new role as co-leader of AC Humanities. The group was initiated at the beginning of the fall semester and has been slowly developing throughout this school year.

“Not only do I hope to add more choice to AC, but also provide more structure,” Smith said, “How do you make decisions? How do you reflect on your own decisions and how do you learn from your choices? Make better choices in the future? I’d love that to be AC’s schtick, being able to make choices, make mistakes, and learn from those choices.”

Currently, AC Speaks! is working on fundraising money to complete their long-term goal of sending AC students on a field trip, as well as the short-term goal of creating merchandise for purchase.

“I had often thought, how can I make AC better? One thought that frequently came to mind is this desire for more field trips, for more events,” said Smith.

Other small schools, including Berkeley International High School and Arts and Humanities Academy, have taken students on educational trips. According to Smith, AC students would benefit from field trips as well.

“We know that (the Communication Arts and

Sciences) and (Arts and Humanities Academy) do (field trips) a lot, and a lot of AC students feel like we don’t get that enough, and we want to be able to do that as a small school,” said Ren Senant-Giraud, a senior in AC.

The students in AC Speaks! with the support of Smith, organized a fundraiser of baked goods and snacks at the BHS Open House on Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024, where they raised almost $500. Additional snacks are still being sold in Smith’s room, C112. All of the proceeds are going to AC.

“I had hoped over a long period of time, over many years, that AC Speaks! could be the seed that could initiate more community and more community identity within AC. Maybe (students) want a certain class or a change in curriculum. If they want to learn about a very specific topic or subject, I would want AC Speaks! to be the very first place that they go to to be heard. It’s a direct line between the teacher leaders of AC humanities and the students themselves,” said Smith.

Changes to FAFSA cause delays, concerns

BY RORY NADEAU staff writer

This year, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has attempted to implement a new method for calculating the amount of financial aid each student will receive, resulting in unanticipated delays in the financial aid process and by extension, the college decision process. In addition to the delays, FAFSA has also changed how it counts families with multiple students in college and will no longer consider the number of students going to college within one family when determining how much financial aid each student will receive.

Berkeley High School college counselor Yasmin Navarro noted that while many of FAFSA’s updates ultimately make the process more convenient, the timing of its release has made it particularly stressful for students.

“I think what’s wrong with FAFSA right now is that they made changes without having next steps, and so now they’re realizing halfway through,” Navarro said. She explained that these delays have also caused a lot of confusion and miscommunication surrounding its delays, as deadlines are constantly changing, and keeping students and schools on the

same page is a struggle.

“Students are so freaked out right now because here’s the thing, colleges are still sending students emails that say ‘FAFSA due by 15th of February’ when those are all scheduled emails that colleges should’ve known to put a pause on,” Navarro said.

Navarro also explained that beyond these delays, students who are undocumented or unhoused are facing larger barriers when it comes to filling out the application. However, she said that the CCC staff is there to support students with whatever challenges they are facing with filling out FAFSA. Navarro noted that the delays may also provide students more of an opportunity to reach out for help than they otherwise would have.

“Luckily, as much as it sucks that FAFSA’s not being processed until March of 2024, that also means that we’re sort of in a holding stage,” said Navarro, “So, if anyone needs help, to is is the time to get it.”

BHS senior Eva Antonuccio said that she has seen FAFSA’s delays affect college admissions as a whole. Antonuccio explained that upon receiving a rejection from a college, she was informed that their admissions process had changed as a result of these delays.

“In the letter … because they don’t know how much

aid students will get from FAFSA, (they) basically said they have to be more selective than they usually are, so they’re not waitlisting people as much, and they’re either accepting or rejecting, which is changing their process,” Antonuccio said.

Antonuccio noted that overall, there seemed to be a lot of anxiety for BHS seniors regarding submitting FAFSA since so many students rely on financial aid to be able to go to college. Antonuccio explained that her experience submitting it had been challenging because of a flaw in the FAFSA form that she encountered.

“Before we submitted it,

we reviewed all the questions, and there were some things on there that had showed up as we didn’t answer them, but we hadn’t been asked them, so then it was a matter of reaching out and figuring out why it was showing up like that,” said Antonuccio.

Sara Bouhedda, another BHS senior, said that she was also stressed by the changes in FAFSA’s aid accommodations, specifically those for families with multiple children attending college.

“I was stressed out that my parents might have to pay more and that FAFSA wouldn’t cover as much of the cost,” said Bouhedda.

ZOE PATTERSON

Routines are something that we all have, without realizing. When we wake up, we might turn off our alarms, brush our teeth, and eat breakfast. It’s all a routine. I enjoy having routines because it gives me structure to my day. Some of my daily routines include checking the weather before school, reading for 10 minutes before bed, and stretching after running practice. But when I get sick, or go on vacation, it can be difficult for me to keep up with my daily routines. Due to this, I can feel unbalanced and overall not as good compared to when I consistently do my daily habits. Here, I’m sharing some ways to stay in routine when you get off course.

Scheduling time:

I’ve heard about scheduling your time to do work, and I see the benefits. Let’s say that you have to study for a math test, and you only have 30 minutes available. You can set a goal to get a certain amount of studying done by those 30 minutes, and once the time is up, you’ll feel accomplished to have gotten work done. I think this could also apply to routines. If you set aside some time from your day to get them done, you’ll feel more productive. Also, giving yourself a time constraint allows you to feel more motivated to get something done within that allotted time. I know this tip would help me to remember my daily routines if I forget. Life can be so hectic and get in the way of remembering something like reading for 10 minutes, so setting time aside to focus on daily routines can be helpful.

Habit trackers:

A great way to make sure you’re sticking to your routines and habits is to track them. This could be as simple as writing down what things you did each day. I like the act of crossing off or checking off boxes as signs of completion, so I have a digital habit tracker where I can log what habits I’ve done. It’s beneficial for me to see in the long term how I’ve been sticking or not sticking to my routine and factoring in how I can improve. For example, I’ve been keeping track of the time I go to bed, and for one week I was going to bed at 11:30 p.m. mainly. This made me reflect on the causes of me going to bed late and how that affects my sleep schedule and my overall wellbeing. I think it’s important to track your growth through the daily habits and routines you set for yourself.

Forgive and follow through:

With the responsibility of routine comes the responsibility of discipline. When you lose motivation, it can be easy to want to be annoyed with yourself for not maintaining your routine. No one’s perfect, which is exactly why when things don’t go the way you’ve planned, accept that and move forward. Just because you didn’t stick with a routine one day doesn’t mean it’s too late to start again the next day. You can either dwell on not doing a daily task or focus on staying consistent with it and starting over the next day.

ASHA TOROK

JULES DROZ

Joseph Smith helped organize AC Speaks!.

Freshman choose small schools following SLC presentations

BY VIOLET MILLER-BRADY staff writer

On Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024, Berkeley High School freshmen selected their Small Learning Communities (SLCs) after a month of in-class SLC presentations, which began in mid-January. The SLCs include Academic Choice (AC), Berkeley International High School (BIHS), Communication Arts and Sciences (CAS), the Arts and Humanities Academy (AHA), and the Academy of Medicine and Public Service (AMPS).

On Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, BHS freshmen attended an informational assembly about SLCs led by student and teacher presenters. According to Amelia Stern, a freshman at BHS, the assembly focused on the principles and values of each school, as well as the required and available courses. It also gave freshmen an opportunity to hear from upperclassmen about their experiences in the different learning communities. There was also an informational video about SLCs sent to the families of BHS freshmen.

“One thing that I don’t really know a lot about is the workload of each school for your sophomore year, … and that would be nice to know more about,” said Stern.

In addition to the Universal 9th Grade (U9) assembly, U9 teachers have been providing basic information to students about the

curriculum and communities of the SLCs. Some classes also had student presenters come to their classrooms to further discuss them.

“I think a lot of the presentations cover a lot of the same information, and for me, it’s just more helpful to talk to someone that’s an older student that has had more experience being in one of the SLCs, versus a teacher that is just kind of stating the basic facts,” said Jackie Gillooly, a freshman at BHS.

According to Stern, part of her SLC decision has been based on input from upperclassmen friends, although she has tried to prevent her fellow freshmen friends’ decisions from influencing her choice.

“I know that if I choose a small school because (my friends are) in it, it’s not gonna really accommodate my interests,” said Stern.

Lila Rodet, a freshman at BHS, considered ranking AC, CAS, and BIHS, but was hesitant about the small size of CAS and the rigor of the BIHS curriculum. AC appeals to her because of the ability to have more electives in her schedule, as well as the option to take a variety of classes.

Maia Astera is a freshman at BHS who is primarily interested in BIHS because she has heard that it is appealing to colleges. She also discussed her parents’ desire for her to choose BIHS due to the path that it may lay out for students and the challenges that the classes provide.

Freshman Emma Candler said that her knowledge of BHS’s SLCs mainly comes from

upperclassmen, including her sister who is currently a senior.

“My top is AC because I’m really interested in (it, and) I want to take an art class and Spanish class and also extracurriculars. So I don’t want to be overwhelmed with the IB (BIHS) workload,” said Candler.

Multiple freshmen explained that they felt they didn’t have enough information about the SLCs to make a fully informed decision.

“I think it (has) definitely been a little stressful in the sense that … you know what they stand for, but a lot of

people, that’s all they know really about them. And so they choose it off like, ‘Oh, Academic Choice I get to choose,’ but they don’t know what the workload is going to be like,” said Stern.

“I know that if I choose a small school because (my friends are) in it, it’s not gonna really accommodate my interests,”

“... for me, it’s just more helpful to talk to someone that’s an older student that has had more experience being in one of the SLCs.”

Gillooly, BHS freshman

Jackie

Amelia Stern, BHS freshman

opinion editors: Ysabel Chu & Ohad Aviran-Finkelstein

The U.S. tipping system must be revised

BY SOPHIE DRESKIN staff writer

When buying something, you might assume that the labeled cost of the product is the amount you'll pay. However, it’s become more and more common for the person working the register to flip around the iPad and ask how much you’d like to tip, with tips like 15 percent, 20 percent, and even 25 percent often expected. The reason for this is that tips have become a large part of many service workers’ salaries. Tipping, however, is mostly unique to the U.S. In other countries, service workers' wages are often included in the cost of the product. That system is much more efficient than

leaving tips up to customers and would leave both workers and customers much happier. The U.S. implementing this system would be beneficial for all.

Over the past couple of years, tipping has become much more frequent in America and is expected in a wider variety of services.

A study conducted by the Pew Research Center found that 72 percent of Americans felt that tipping is much more expected in many businesses than it was even five years ago. Suggested tips are causing people to pay much more than anticipated originally when buying a product and some people are starting to get fed up with this system. Americans are often unsure when to tip, where to tip,

KOHLMEYER

and how much to tip. According to the same Pew Research Center study, only 33 percent of people feel confident in their ability to know when and how much to tip in any given situation.

This sentiment is also reflected by Berkeley High School students. BHS sophomore Simone Zabarsky said, “I don’t always know what to do when I’m tipping, because I think different services require different tips.” Removing the tipping process and simply including tips in the cost of products would eliminate this confusion.

Outside of the U.S., tips are almost always included in the cost of goods so that workers are guaranteed a fair salary and don’t have to worry about what their pay will be each day. In some cases in the U.S., service workers are paid less than minimum wage because of the tips they may be able to make but aren’t guaranteed. This can leave workers underpaid and worried about a steady income, which is incredibly unfair.

One BHS student works at a Berkeley restaurant and requested anonymity for fear of repercussions. This student said, “I feel like my tips aren’t always reliable,

and vary too much … Most of my working wages are made of tips.” If tips were incorporated into a worker’s salary, they wouldn’t have to rely as much on reluctant or confused customers.

While some may think that workers’ wages should be left up to the customer and their experience, many times the amount customers tip isn’t a reflection of their experience at a given restaurant. A study from Cornell University suggested that tipping is not the most effective way to measure server performance. It’s important for service workers to have a steady income, and the most efficient way to do this is to add their wages to the cost of products.

Tipping is an unnecessary and often confusing system that can cheat workers out of their right to a liveable wage and frustrate customers. In order to end the uncertainty of tipping, America should follow other countries’ lead and abolish the need to tip in the first place. Rather than leaving it up to individuals, companies and businesses should incorporate workers’ wages into the product cost to make the service processes easier, quicker, and more fair.

BHS bathrooms require a cultural shift

BY HAILEY OSTRER staff writer

As a student on the Wednesday Jan. 31 bulletin said, “I go to Berkeley High (School). Of course, there’s no paper towels or soap in the bathroom.” At BHS, bathrooms are infamous for being messy and missing necessary components.

Because of this, many students will go so far as to avoid certain bathrooms due to their state. “I don’t fully avoid going to the bathrooms, but I do avoid certain ones,” said BHS freshman Sofia Dodge.

But how can BHS fix these unhygienic situations?

No matter how nice the bathroom amenities are, they can still be ruined by vandalism and trash. To solve BHS’s bathroom problem, the school should take steps to foster a kinder, more responsible culture, instead of simply pouring money into new locks and paper towel dispensers.

Many of the BHS bathrooms’ problems

are caused by vandalism and the irresponsibility of students. “Lots of (the stalls) don’t have locks and stuff, so there tends to be lines,” said Dodge. BHS bathroom stalls are missing locks because many of them were broken off and stolen by students. Vaping is also a huge problem in bathrooms. “I’ve been to the bathrooms and there've been lots of people standing in clusters just talking or vaping or something,” said BHS freshman Violet Potts.

This problem of students mistreating the bathrooms has existed for a long time.

In late 2021, the "devious lick" TikTok trend caused students at BHS to go so far as to rip stall doors off of their hinges, steal soap dispensers, and purposefully clog toilets. Many of the problems with the BHS bathrooms don’t require more funding; they require a student cultural shift.

One way BHS could go about fixing the culture problem is to focus on education and awareness.

By showing students the harm their actions have on other people, not only on fellow students, but also on school custodians, students may understand the weight of their actions. “Every single day it's messy with some paper towels and tissues,” said BHS's C2 custodian, “The floor is wet or the (trash) bags are totally overflowing.”

Many students who make these messes are unaware of the effects on the people cleaning them up.

An ideal way to present this information is through peer education. Groups such as SHIFT (Sexual

Health Information From Teens) and HERO (Harm Education and Reduction Organization) have already shown how powerful peer education is. At this age, the most important opinions to teenagers are often that of their peers. Students may be more likely to understand these ideas if it is other students challenging them. BHS has a long way to go to having consistently clean and usable bathrooms. However, the first step is not to pour more money into the issue, but instead, to educate and bring awareness to students in order to create a cultural shift.

RAPE CULTURE REVEALED: THE LEGAL SYSTEM

You got raped. If you report it, which only about 31 percent of people choose to do, there's just a 51 percent chance that an actual arrest will be made. If the arrest is made, there's only an 80 percent chance the person will be prosecuted. If there is a prosecution, there is a 58 percent chance of a conviction and sentencing. Those odds are not in your favor, and for this reason, only about 5 percent of rapists ever spend a single day in jail.

If you do report it, an arrest is made, the perpetrator is prosecuted, and it goes to trial, you’re in for an incredibly challenging experience. In a well-known case, a former Stanford University student Brock Turner went to trial for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. In a letter the woman wrote to him she explained, “I thought there’s no way this is going to trial; there were witnesses, there was dirt in my body, he ran but was caught … Instead, I was told he hired a powerful attorney, expert witnesses, private investigators who were going to try and find details about my personal life to use against me, find loopholes in my story to invalidate me and my sister, in order to show that this sexual assault was in fact a misunderstanding.” Throughout the year-long trial, Turner’s swimming career was routinely brought up, his lawyers enforcing that he was a stellar student and athlete. The victim’s past sexual history, drinking history, and relationships were thoroughly questioned. There were multiple eyewitnesses and DNA evidence, but lawyers claimed that since she didn't remember it, she couldn't confirm that it was not consensual.

This case had tons of evidence and still took a year. And it’s not often that someone even has evidence with which they can back up their claim. There is rarely footage, there are often no witnesses other than yourself, and while advancements regarding acquiring and analyzing DNA can do wonders in achieving justice for survivors, we are now facing a serious backlog of these “rape kits”.

In the end, Turner was found guilty and sentenced to six months in jail because a longer sentence would have too "severe (an) impact on him," according to a judge. Six months is just a little over one of our school semesters. That's barely a blip in a lifetime. This severe lack of consequences for most rapists creates a free-for-all environment where sexual predators have very little fear of retaliation for their crimes.

Our justice system has serious issues. It's racist. Sexist. Ableist. Every possible prejudice or bias someone could have is practically embedded in the so-called “justice” system. And while I don't want to diminish the progress it's made since it was created, it needs some major changes to live up to what its name promises. Sometimes, someone's word needs to be enough.

ZOE

ISA SHIMOMURA

Service workers often rely on tips for fair wages.

California serves as model for free lunch programs

Free school lunch at Berkeley High School is utilized and appreciated by a wide array of its students. Its permanent free price tag plays a crucial role in terms of accessibility of meals. Underfunded schools can lead to underfed students – and debt. Over 30 million students in the United States cannot afford to pay for school lunches, according to a 2024 survey conducted by the Education Data Initiative. To make matters worse, 96 percent of the surveyed school districts reported an annual increase in the number of students who couldn’t afford lunch. In short, the lunch infrastructure within American public schools is in shambles. And while positive progress has recently been made by California legislators to address this critical issue, we’re far from fixing it.

In the 2022-23 school year, California became the first state to implement a statewide Universal Meals Program for students. The program has three fundamental pillars:

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local educational agencies have to make two nutritious meals available for all students each school day, high-poverty schools are required to apply to participate in a federal meal provision, and California state legislatures will provide reimbursement to cover the program's cost. In short, the program requires public school districts to provide two meals, breakfast and lunch, free of charge to any student that requests a meal, regardless of their free or reduced-price meal eligibility. The Universal Meals Program is the reason why BHS is able to and must provide free school breakfast and lunch to any student.

However, the program is not widespread across the country, with students in various states having to pay full price for meals at school. According to a report by the Agriculture Department, the average U.S. household with two school-age children pays $162 a month or $1,458 per year for school meals that are fullpriced. The fact that free or reduced-price meals are not available to all students across the U.S. is highly concerning.

During the pandemic, the federal government provided waivers for schools to serve meals to all students for free, regardless of their household’s income. In the fiscal year 2021, the National School Lunch Program aided by the USDA’s pandemic waivers provided 2.2 billion meals, 98.9 percent of which were served free or at a reduced price, compared to 76.9 percent in 2020 and 74.1 percent in 2019. The waivers and free lunch for all students were seen by some government economists as a test run for future school lunch programs, however, the waivers expired in the summer of 2022.

BERKELEY HIGH

Ella Creane

Marina Howard Lola Brownlow

Rebecca Birenbaum

Anja Ball Zoe Fung

Lula Rosenbach

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Gwyneth Fonte

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Most states went back to the school meal program they had used in years prior to the pandemic. As a result, the reintroduction of pre-pandemic prices could have increased hardship for some students, especially during a time when many households continued to struggle with the economic consequences of the pandemic and its immediate aftermath. According to a USDA report compiled by the Economic Research Service, in December of 2022, nearly one third of households with children in school had to pay for school meals. This expense can cause difficulty in paying for other usual expenses. With rising inflation in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, the expiration of federal meal waivers for all students caused significant hardship.

In total, eight states, including California, have passed legislation to continue to aid schools in providing free school meals for all students. However, there is still no federal program or country-wide implementation of a free school meal policy. The Universal School Meals Program Act of 2021, which ensures free meals for all students across the country, was introduced in Congress but the act has yet to be passed.

The success of the system put in place during the pandemic ensured accessible meals for all students and was highly encouraging towards securing further food equity and equal access to healthy, reliable meals. It is imperative that the free meal program, modeled by Berkeley High School, is adopted federally and implemented in all states across the country for the benefit of students and families alike.

Internships: Valuable, but they must stem from real interest

BY ADITYA SRIDHARAN staff writer

Entertainment Editors Outreach Director

Kaiya SimonJordan Policy

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Writers

Web Editor Web Team

Josephine Morasky

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Peter Rodrigues

Aditya Sridharan, Aelia Gyger, Amar Walker, Amara Kapur, Anna Williams, Annika Joy, Ariana Yerovam, Ava Quandt, Avha Meisels, Carina Thomas, Cecilia Tiles, Clara Tjen, Eliot Perdue, Eloise Thomas, Elsa Dietz, Elsie Yuen, Erin Liao, Eva Dickinson, Eva Katz, Eva Levenson, Hailey Ostrer, Hannah Groth Reidy, Jasper Lovvorn Black, Julius Braun, Kali Proud, Kimia Azadpur, Lucy Griffith, Lucy Hohn, Luli Galinson, Maya Dang, Minami Soga, Muhammad Delgado, Natalie Gross, Penelope Purchase, Rigzin Gyaltsen, Rory Nadeau, Sabine Rosen, Sam Mascarenhas, Shanza Syed, Sophie Dreskin, Sydney Lehrer, Sze Ting Chen, Violet Miller Brady, Yoshi Rohn, Zachary Yoo, Emmett Price, Julia Brimmer, Paolo Rivera, Taylor Reynaud

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The by-lined opinions expressed in the Editorial/Opinion and Entertainment sections and columns are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Jacket. Non-by-lined editorials represent the opinion of the Jacket and must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Editorial Board. Any opinions or views expressed in advertisements do not necessarily reflect those of the Jacket We encourage students, staff, and the community to submit letters to the Editor for publication. All submissions must be signed; anonymous letters may only be printed with a two-thirds vote of the Editorial Board. Not all submissions will be printed and may be edited to conform to Jacket policy or to meet space restrictions.

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In today's fast-paced academic world, it is difficult for students to incorporate what they learn into their daily lives. School can be a place of theory with little focus on practical and applied knowledge. While school provides important knowledge, the bridge between information and real-life experiences can be spanned by internships. Internships can provide tangible work experience while incorporating much of the material students learn in their classes.

Internships are professional learning experiences that offer practical work related to a student's career interest. They are powerful experiences for students developing career interests but must be approached from a place of passion and interest.

From the CHAMPS program at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital to biotech work at Bayer, internships have become more widespread and accessible in certain Berkeley High School classes. "As the internship slots open, we start hearing about them in real-time," said BHS junior Ori Boozaglo. Boozaglo is currently in her first of two years of Biotechnology and recently finished her internship applications for the coming summer. "Having an internship built into a class allows you to have that structure and guidance," Boozaglo said. "You don't feel like you're figuring it out alone."

Internships provide students with a tangible

connection to employment opportunities. While working, students gain a sense of what an actual job may feel like. “It's a perfect way to get work experience and get paid,” Boozaglo said, “(The internship) is ideally in a field that interests you and you get to learn outside the classroom.” Students are not only introduced to a job, they are also more likely to receive job offers in the future. A 2019 study from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) found that 70 percent of interns go on to receive job offers from their employers. While student interns are usually not in a position to accept a job offer, they are making themselves known to future employers. In addition, interns who become employees are retained at higher rates than other hires: 75.5 percent are still with the organization compared to 51.5 percent of other employees.

Employers also recognize the value of internships. A January 2023 NACE poll found that 80 percent of employers agreed that internships are the best return on investment for their organizations. Essentially, the majority of employers see internships

as a way to find highly motivated employees who will help the company in the long run. This creates a symbiotic relationship. Students receive valuable learning experiences that can lead to jobs, while employers benefit from the talent of students.

Many students are motivated to seek out internships because of these clear academic and careerrelated benefits. This can turn internships into tools rather than experiences.

While internships can help in college admission, they should also come from a place of passion and interest.

"People can tell if the intern wants to be there or not," Boozaglo emphasized. "There's something to be said about your passion and dedication. You need that to enjoy it. It makes sense that people use internships to better their chances of getting into certain colleges. I think you can have an internship you are passionate about that will also help you in your applications. That balance can definitely exist," she said.

It's a tricky balance to achieve, but an internship can be a prized experience: A passionate project and an academic achievement.

Adopting student discounts aids local stores and all students

BY RIGZIN GYALTSEN staff writer

Getting lunch in Downtown Berkeley is expensive, occasionally costing students upwards of $15. Berkeley is getting more and more expensive by the day, which has led to the inflation of Berkeley’s food costs. With the off-campus lunch period provided by Berkeley High School, many students see lunchtime as an opportunity to go and eat out at local restaurants with their friends. To support the community, as well as gain loyal student customers, Downtown Berkeley restaurants should offer student discounts to all BHS students as it would benefit their restaurants, as well as students.

“(Student discounts) would be really nice because obviously, Berkeley is a costly place to be, and a lot of the

students that we do have come in here don’t have a lot of money,” said Jack Miller, a Starbucks shift supervisor.

Students often rely on allowance, leftover money from summer, or some other form of income to fund their off-campus lunches. “My allowance is not enough for me to sustain the whole month by eating out,” said Naomi Chambers, a freshman at BHS.

Most students frankly don’t have it in their budget to be spending $10-15 for lunch very often, which causes Berkeley restaurants to lose valuable customers and BHS students to lose the enjoyment of eating out. BHS students have adapted to the Downtown Berkeley costs by packing lunches or eating school lunch, but perhaps it’s time the Berkeley costs should be adjusted for students.

Student discounts also help create a loyal

customer base. When you’re entitled to a discount in a restaurant, you’re more likely to be a returning customer. “I’d rather go to one (restaurant) with a student discount so I don’t have to spend more money,” said Chambers.

“Most of our clientele are students; student discounts help bring people through the door,” explained Abel Castaneda, a shift lead at Ike’s Sandwiches. Ikes offers student and faculty discounts, and it’s a popular place to grab lunch among BHS students.

Unfortunately, not all restaurants offer student discounts for various reasons. Miller said, “That kind of stuff is the stuff that is decided by corporate, that’s decided by people who work in offices far away, not anybody who works here.” A lot of stores in Downtown Berkeley are chains, such as

Ally members of affinity groups take away from the overall cause

BY SHANZA SYED staff writer

Berkeley High School prides itself on the spaces it provides for students from marginalized communities to come together. Many of these spaces have become a place for students to celebrate the cultures of different groups while talking about important issues that each community faces. Although these clubs are open to well-meaning allies who do not identify as part of the affinity group, these spaces are better able to serve their purpose when only members who are share the identity of the affinity group are involved.

One of the main functions of affinity groups is to create a safe environment for members of marginalized communities to discuss shared experiences, both positive and negative.

According to Data Across Sectors for Health, 69 percent of those surveyed on the topic of affinity

groups reported “early and authentic community engagement.” However, by including those who don’t identify with that group, it can make what was once a safe space for open dialogue feel more closed-off.

On the other hand, incorporating allies into affinity groups indeed helps educate them on community-specific issues that they, as people who do not belong to the group, are likely unaware of. This not only helps open minds to different perspectives, but it also creates a new group of allies that are critical when it comes to fighting inequality. Despite this, other clubs and classes can provide a way to learn different perspectives and learn how to be an ally; it is not any affinity group’s job to complete that task.

For some, it can seem counterintuitive to make inclusive spaces exclusive, but it is also important to understand that although everyone deserves to be heard and respected, in this day and age, equality

Starbucks, Chipotle, and McDonald’s. These places do not offer any student discount, alongside most other chain food restaurants.

Although student discounts vastly benefit students, businesses may not benefit as much. “I mean the obvious con is profit, we make a little less when we serve the

student discount,” said Castaneda. “Pricing your items for cheaper to cater to students can bring in a larger crowd, but it can also unfortunately create lost profit. (However, student discounts) also give back to the community a little bit.”

Offering a student discount can be an act of altruism, especially when

is a goal, and not a reality. Affinity groups provide much-needed spaces for those who have been marginalized to share their thoughts and have meaningful conversations where they know they will be respected.

For instance, the Jewish Student Union (JSU) at BHS is given a snack budget by the larger JSU Organization. “We have a lot of people who hear that we have good snacks and they come and eat our snacks and they don’t contribute to the very important discussions we are having. ... We have events and they don’t participate,” said Eva Stern, president of the JSU.

Although Stern admits there are some students who are there to learn more and support their Jewish friends, it is clear that a school as large as BHS merits spaces for students to connect with their communities.

Affinity groups are a form of equity, not equality, so adding allies to these spaces is harmful.

ZIVA AMENDOLA

a huge portion of the clientele in Downtown Berkeley are students. BHS students shouldn’t be spending a great deal of money on local food in Downtown Berkeley. Student discounts not only help BHS students by offering a cheaper cost, but also increase the number of returning students to those places.

Youth social media usage must be overseen by parents for safety

BY AVHA MEISELS staff writer

“I’m sorry for everything you’ve all gone through,” said Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook), to parents attending the Online Child Safety Hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. Zuckerberg was accused of putting children in unsafe situations by creating Instagram. The hearing touched on the negative impacts on children who use Instagram, and the lack of safety measuresce on social media platforms.

However, is it really the responsibility of social media companies to protect children using their platforms? While companies are accountable for creating purposely addictive algorithms, parents must also take an active role in monitoring their children’s usage and protecting them from the dangers of social media.

Parents know the needs and maturity of their children best. There is no hard and fast rule on what age is best for children to get social media because every child is different. This is one reason why companies banning all minors from accessing social media is not a good solution. A better solution is for parents to determine when their child is ready to use social

media. Social media is increasingly common; according to the Pew Research Center, 68 percent of U.S. adults use Facebook and 47 percent use Instagram. Therefore, it is important that people eventually learn how to use social media. Because of this, parents should focus on educating their children about handling the various dangers of social media such as cyberbullying, inappropriate messages, and groomers.

Parents should prioritize helping their children develop critical thinking skills so that they can succeed in the online world instead of blocking social media entirely.

However, the owners of

features that intentionally keep kids addicted to its apps, as well as of collecting children’s data without their parent’s permission. It has become glaringly obvious that these major corporations care only about the money they make and not about their users. These companies need to be held accountable and made to prioritize their trust and safety departments.

The debate surrounding who is responsible for protecting children on social media is nuanced. While social media companies should absolutely take steps to make social media safer for youth, it is ultimately up to parents to decide when their children are ready to handle social media and to teach them how to stay

SUNNY BEVIS-LIPTON

Members of the BHS Jewish Student Union pass out snacks.

The Downtown Berkeley Starbucks doesn’t currently offer any student discounts.

INVESTIGATIVE

editor: Josephine Morasky

BHS students navigate the complexities of cultural, racial, and ethnic identity

BY KALI PROUD staff writer

As different cultures navigate the complexities of cultural identity and allegiance, the idea of “cultural traitors” arises. This general umbrella term is similar to phrases such as “oreo,” “banana,” and “coconut.” The word “whitewashed” is also used in a similar context.

Dana Moran, a Chinese and Japanese teacher at Berkeley High School, explained where she believes these terms originated from. “I think it has to do with people feeling like there’s some important aspect of racial solidarity that is somehow connected to your personal preferences and behaviors,” Moran said. “In other words, the assumption is if you have preferences and behaviors that are different from other people in your ethnic, cultural, racial group, then you somehow don’t feel solidarity with them.”

Ki’Donyae Bell, BHS senior and member of the National Society of Black Engineers and the Black Student Union, elaborated on what these terms mean to him. “From my understanding, it’s like a black person that acts white. Just from what it sounds like, it sounds like someone who doesn’t act like their race. And a lot of times, Black people, if they act too ‘white’ I guess, you could say they’re being whitewashed. Like they’ve assimilated into the white culture so much that they’re not being true to their Black culture side,” explained Bell.

in with them because they’re there,” Bell said.

Expanding on the impact of these phrases, Bell said, “I have a friend – she grew up being called whitewashed, and that had a big effect on her mental health, so I think it's definitely harmful. Especially when Black children are younger and stuff like that, it definitely has an effect on their mental health.”

Camille Jacala, BHS senior and president of the Asian Pacific Islander Club (APIC) at BHS, explained how growing up, she found it difficult to be open about herself because she wasn’t very comfortable with her cultural identity. “When I was younger, or like a few years ago, I felt like I had to say certain things or act a certain way to fit in I guess,” Jacala said. “Now that I’ve found this community of APIC, I feel like I’m more myself and (…) feel really proud of that and share it with other people.”

Moran explained that those labeled as “acting white” in this way are often also being accused of thinking that they’re better than other members of their community.

“I think you can be into a lot of aspects of so-called 'white culture' and not necessarily want to be a white person. I think it’s a false dichotomy,” Moran said. “It’s harmful to the entire group.”

“And that’s where the ‘traitor’ part comes in, because the assumption is, ‘You think you’re better than us, you don’t like the rest of us, you’re trying to not be with us, you’re trying to disassociate yourself from us,’ whoever the ‘us’ is,” Moran said.

Bell described the harmful nature of these terms and how assimilation into your surrounding culture is natural for young kids. “If you’re a Black kid who grew up around a bunch of white people, of course you’re gonna try to fit

place like Berkeley High (School), kids are given a lot more room and space to be who they want to be,” Moran said.

Jacala further elaborated on how being a part of clubs and classes specific to her identity helped her feel more comfortable with herself as someone who isn’t extremely well-versed in the norms of her Filipino culture. “I’ve definitely learned that I don’t have to be all of those norms to be Asian enough. That’s not what defines me,” said Jacala. “Being Asian is a lot of different things, especially Asian American.”

Similarly, Muhammad Ahmad Shahid, BHS junior and president of the Muslim Student Association (MSA), explained the impact of having a large Muslim community at BHS. “I realized there’s a bigger community here than I could have ever imagined. And I got hit with that moment that Berkeley High (School) is really accepting of people,” Shahid said.

Diego Byram, BHS senior and president of the Native Student Union (NSU), shared how the NSU has helped him feel more connected to his identity and his community. “I feel comfortable around them. I feel comfortable in that community with my club because I can talk to people that might have the same (cultural) insecurities as me,” Byram explained. When it comes to fitting into one’s culture, Moran explained that she thinks that BHS is relatively flexible and supportive. “At a

Feeling a disconnect from culture, and in most cases, a sense of self can also impact a student's performance in school, according to Moran.“The more safe and comfortable you feel with who you are, the less mental energy you’re trying to spend hiding who you really are,” Moran said. “Your brain and body have a limited capacity, and if you’re spending a lot of it in this psychic self-defense, then that’s less of your capacity that you can dedicate to absorbing the world around you.”

Similarly, Sophie Tsulaia, BHS junior and president of the Third Culture Club, commented on self-acceptance as a bigger part of how people view their culture. “If they understand there is beauty in their own culture, and they should be allowed to express themselves as who they ethnically are and who they’ve been raised as, I think that’s really important for a person,” Tsulaia said.

Bell explained that accusations and labels such as “cultural traitor,” “Oreo,” and “banana” are less impactful to those who have selfacceptance.

“Love yourself for who you are and what you do. I think it really doesn’t matter what other people think. I know, especially for teenagers, it’s kind of hard to not be something that you aren’t. You want to be a people pleaser, you want everyone to like you,” Bell said. “But if you show people who you really are, you’re gonna find people just like you that you’re meant to be around.”

investigative

Josephinemorasky@students.berkeley.net

JESSIE LEE, ALEX MORGAN, & REBECCA BIRENBAUM

FEATURES

Zine making: A guide to educating and inspiring your community

In a world dictated by societal norms and social media, zines serve as a safe and anonymous space to express, educate, and share what you care about with others. But what are zines? How can youth begin to benefit from and practice the art?

Zines are mini magazines, often handmade and photocopied. The contents of zines are always different, as zine artists put their personal flair on issues that are important to them. Zine-making is not an exact science, although some key points can help when looking for inspiration or a way into zine-making.

“You can experiment because you're self-publishing it. You're doing it yourself … You can take risks, and it doesn't have to be perfect; it can be about anything that you dream of,” said Miriam Stahl, an art teacher at Berkeley High School. A common point comes up when learning about

BY ELIOT PERDUE staff writer

say (in my zine),” said Jayce Cooper, a BHS freshman, elaborating on their artistic process.

Zines are often made with the goals of showcasing information and highlighting art. “I like to make zines to spread information and education about things like Narcan and other forms of mutual aid and harm reduction,” said Cooper. Some governmental or other official sources may not educate on these subjects, as they are often seen as taboo or even falsely seen as an encouragement of drug use. This is why artists and activists like Cooper take to zine-making, as an easy way to spread awareness and education to their communities.

Next comes the zine skeleton. For this, the artist takes a paper and folds it into a little book, which when unfolded, can be drawn and written in freely to create the zine.

Once the artist's idea and zine have been fleshed out, the artist then decides what they want to include in their zine. “I try to include voices from the community through submissions in my zine, which are not around any specific topic,” said BHS senior Violet Mcauliffe, describing the collaborative aspects of their zines.

After these steps, the artist can begin drafting their zine. This can mean anything, as the art medium possibilities are endless; zines commonly feature drawings, collages, photographs, short stories, and even articles.

In the next step in the zine-making process, printing, Cooper “(tries) to keep the original very clean, (so that) it's easy to make copies". Once the zine is finished it's time to create copies for distribution. Not all zine

artists distribute their zines, making them instead for themselves or only for small groups of people. However, if an artist chooses to distribute widely, there are many places to scan or copy zines, such as FedEx or a local copy store.

“When I scan them, we use the Risograph printer in the art room, which is a cool new thing we have and that can make them in any color,” explained Mcauliffe, describing a zinemaking resource that can be found on the BHS campus.

Aside from the process of zine-making, zines can express many emotions for the people who make or consume them. “As a woman, I feel like I can't express my anger in a productive way. I just have to sit with it, so for me, (zines) helps me get that rage out somewhere,” said Mcauliffe. “I also see scenes where people express the joy they feel in finding their identity … which is empowering.”

It is also a way to create community and make friends. “(For me, making zines) was a way to communicate, make friends, and share ideas ... A lot of the people ... are still my friends,” explained Stahl.

There are many places in the Bay Area that support zine-makers, from public and school libraries to small print presses. Trading, collecting, and making zines is a long-standing tradition of expression. It may not be mainstream, but that’s what makes it so cool.

HORROR MOVIES & CINEMATIC NEUROSIS

AMELIE SHEARS

The first horror movie I ever saw was “Scream.” And boy did I scream! The moment Drew Barrymore came on the screen, I was hooked. My friends looked away and screamed, but I sat there, enjoying the ride. The ups and downs and rushes of adrenaline were more than enough to get me to watch the rest of the franchise … and then every other horror movie I could get my hands on. I never got over that movie. To this day, whenever I hang out with friends, I’ll beg them to watch it. They often say “absolutely not,” but that doesn’t stop me from trying. While I am a horror movie fanatic, it’s interesting to learn about the science behind the extreme effects they can have on the mind.

The movie “The Exorcist” is known as one of the most wildly popular and profitable horror films ever made. Made in 1973, many horror movie fanatics deem it a classic. Back when this movie was first released, four cases of “cinematic neurosis” were reported. The film brought out panic attacks, momentary anxiety, loss of appetite, and disassociation. Patients experiencing these symptoms had been unidentified as psychiatric patients before this diagnosis. There were a few common elements in these patients; they were all of Christian faith, and they had all seemingly lost impulse control. All of these patients received treatment and therapy sessions, and soon enough, this claim was lost. However, shortly after, more evaluations kept coming back to cinematic neurosis.

In 1975, there was a 17-year-old girl with no previous mental health problems who, after watching the classic film “Jaws,” began having episodes of jerking limbs, screaming, “Sharks! Sharks!”. In 1990, there was a 13-year-old boy obsessed with Freddy Krueger and the “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise. With help from a therapist, they discovered that the reason he saw himself in Freddy Krueger was because of his mother’s absence in his life, similar to Freddy Krueger’s mom and backstory.

So, if horror movies have proven to have these effects, why are we so drawn to them? Maybe it’s because we like to see something scary and know that it’s fake, even when it happens in the real world. The science of recreational fear is complicated. For example, I love horror movies, but hate haunted houses. According to Mathias Clasen, director of the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus University in Denmark, “(Having fun in fear) is an extremely important tool for learning.” For me, though, it just comes down to not knowing, but still being able to anticipate what’s going to happen next. For example, we all know the character shouldn’t go down that staircase, or run up one for that matter, and they probably shouldn’t be going up to the lake house on the anniversary of a terrible accident, but it’s still fun to watch. I think that we like to know that it’s all on a screen. That said, as soon as we see it in real life, we all know we’re running up the stairs.

Anatomy students dissect hearts and ethics through class

BY AÉLIA GYGER staff writer

Dissecting animals happens around five times a year in Honors Anatomy and Physiology classes at Berkeley High School. It allows students to have a physical representation of what they’re learning about and gives them a hands-on activity. “I think it was really interesting … It’s very helpful to see how the muscles are shaped and how they’re layered together,” said Ty Walthall, a BHS senior taking Honors Anatomy and Physiology, in regards to dissection in their classes.

Cats, minks, cow eyes, sheep hearts, pigs, and several other animals, depending on the teacher, are dissected during the year. Several science teachers have a relationship with the butcher shop C&M Meats and get as many of their animal parts as possible from there.

This means that almost everything that is dissected at BHS is a byproduct from the meat or fur industry. “I feel like we do a good job here (at BHS),” said Johannah

Bearg, an Honors Anatomy and Physiology teacher at BHS, “I personally don’t use any animals that were raised for dissection. I only use animals that are killed for another reason, and then we’re giving them sort of a second contribution.”

Depending on how students learn best, dissections are very useful and allow the students to envision the anatomy of an animal. “I definitely see kids have these ‘oh’ moments as they’re (dissecting). Because, you can look at a diagram all day, and there’s just some things that are confusing, (compared) to the real thing,” said Devon Brewer, another Honors Anatomy and Physiology teacher at BHS.

However, some students are against, or uncomfortable with dissections, either for religious or moral reasons. Alternate assignments are usually offered by teachers for students who don’t feel comfortable dissecting an animal. “(Dissecting) makes me very uncomfortable, and it makes my stomach hurt,” said Ja’Mariya Birden, an Honors Anatomy and Physiology student and senior at BHS, “But it just

depends on what you’re dissecting at the end of the day. Because, we had to dissect cats, and it was just very disturbing … I wasn’t really able to learn from it because it made me so uncomfortable.”

Others students also found the cat dissection to be a particularly challenging one. “Our first (dissection) was rough because we had to do a whole cat, and that was kind of creepy because it had a face and its hair and everything,” said Eva Stern, a BHS senior in Honors Anatomy and Physiology.

However, Stern preferred the dissection of a sheep heart, where just a standalone organ was dissected. “I really liked that one because you got to see all the structures, and it’s in 3D, which is really helpful for learning,” said Stern.

Kate Haber, an Honors Anatomy and Physiology teacher at BHS, gives out alternate assessments for

each of her dissections, but always encourages her students to question what is happening. “I think that it’s really important to listen to students’ concerns, and voices around dissection, but it’s also important to ask them to challenge themselves,” said Haber. “I think that sometimes we bubblewrap students to their disadvantage. And I never, never force a student to dissect, but I’m going to ask them a lot of questions, and they’re going to have to do a lot of thinking in order to get around it. Maybe the same kind of thinking they would have to do confronting it.”

An important part of dissection in Haber’s class is being aware that the animals once were living beings. “I think it’s really important to actually look at something that’s dead and learn from it, and ask where it comes from. And also treat it with respect,” said Haber.

Victory Point Cafe unites Berkeley locals

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

(owning a business) before,” said DeSantis. “It was a new concept at the time, so there was a lot of opportunity to fail.”

At first, they built their relationship through Skype, and a year before they opened, Maghakian moved back to the Bay Area. That is when they started to look for locations, at first in the South Bay around San Jose, then in San Francisco. “We didn’t find the right combination of foot traffic, location, size, and price in any of those places,” said DeSantis. Soon thereafter, they crossed the bridge and realized that Berkeley was

the spot, quickly buying the current location at 1797 Shattuck Ave. “Because of the university, there was a nice mixture of urban but not too urban, good foot traffic, and parking is not completely miserable like it would be if you were in San Francisco,” said DeSantis. This location was previously also a cafe, so it was easy for them to convert the space into their dream. DeSantis explained the feeling as he stood in the cafe before opening day. “Seeing the space that had just been an idea in my mind a couple of years earlier ... becoming an actual business open to the public the following day was a pretty cool moment,”

DeSantis said. After opening with 50 seats, they realized they needed more space, and in 2017, they expanded to the leasing office next door. After COVID-19, they added a street-adjacent parklet with more outdoor seating, reaching about 250 seats.

They now have an expansive menu with pizza, sandwiches with homemade potato chips, coffee, and pastries. Attendees can pay an $8 dollar gaming fee to have access to around 800 on-site board games. They host daily events and also have a Discord channel where players can connect about upcoming events or games they have played.

“We’ve created a really great community space, and it’s not just for gamers,” said DeSantis. The cafe also hosts students studying or working on their laptops. “It’s great to see some of these effects of the cafe that we didn’t even think about,” continued DeSantis.

The cafe has been hosting Berkeley High School students and staff since it opened. Aaron Glimme, a chemistry teacher at BHS, likes playing Magic: The Gathering at the cafe.

He likes the in-person energy, especially because it is difficult to play many games in digital spaces.

“Board games can be very expensive, and they have all the board games you could ever want to play. It’s really nice to be able to go there for a low cost instead of having to buy the game. Certainly, people can try it out and then buy it,” said Glimme.

Elan Davis, a BHS junior, went as a kid. He fondly remembers the walks after school to the cafe, looking forward to time with his family. “I do feel as if I’ve grown out of it a little bit, which is sad, but not necessarily,” Davis said, “(Going back) would be nice, wholesome, and a way to reconnect with my childhood.”

The cafe has now been open for nine years, and the owners are starting to see the legacy of the cafe have an effect on people’s lives: one of their early customers is now their manager, and DeSantis knows a couple who had their first date at the cafe and then got married, coming back for their anniversaries. “There’s definitely a lot of history around the cafe,” he said.

JENNIFER YOC FERREIRA

Verse transforms into art within the SLAM Spoken Word club

BY CARINA THOMAS staff writer

Spoken word is a powerful performance of poetry that, rather than reflecting one’s own story, reflects a broader message about society as a whole.

Spoken word centers largely around how a poem is performed using both vocal techniques and physical movements when delivering meaningful lines.

The Berkeley High School Student Led Arts Movement (SLAM) Spoken

Word club was originally founded in 1999 by three BHS students at the time:

development through the art of spoken word, Segre attended a workshop on how to start a SLAM club in high school. After recruiting some of her friends, Segre took initiative and restarted the club last year as a sophomore. “People really want to be involved in something that’s meaningful, something like this, but you just have to go out and find them,” said Segre.

During club meetings, members write and work

schools across the Bay Area to compete. “(The events are) really nice places where everybody’s involved, and everybody’s really supportive,” said Cruz Foster, a sophomore and member of the SLAM Spoken Word club.

“Spoken word isn’t just writing poetry and keeping it to yourself ... It’s sharing it with people who don’t know you, who have never met you.”

Chinaka Hodge, Rick Ayers, and Daveed Diggs. “It had a really big group and then it kind of fizzled out,” said Julia Segre, a junior at BHS and Spoken Word club poet.

While working with Youth Speaks, a San Francisco-based organization aimed to empower youth

Lol-Be Ceaser-Santos SLAM poet

on their poems, as well as rehearse their visual performances. The club also works year round to prepare for SLAM competitions such as Unified SLAM, a competition that invites various SLAM Spoken Word clubs from high

The club also looks to expand its presence in the larger BHS community. Last school year, the club hosted an Open Mic event during lunch where students were given the opportunity to come to the stage and share their poetry. “I think the event was super lively and vibrant and people were having fun,” said Segre, “and that’s what we try to have in our events.”

What makes the SLAM Spoken Word club unique is not only its nature of spreading diverse ideas through poetry, but also the interactive ways of presenting spoken word.

“When you choose a word, you are making an artistic choice,” said Lol-Be Ceaser-Santos, a

junior at BHS and club member. During spoken word, performers may use harsh, cold adjectives to establish a gloomy tone, or speak really fast to the point of unintelligibility.

“Spoken word is basically … sentences and phrases, but (using) different intonations and different points of emphasis and different ways of saying it to give it more depth and more meaning,” said Ceaser-Santos.

Club members value the SLAM Spoken Word club’s diversity of perspectives from students of differing small schools, ethnic groups, and religions. “We have a good mix of people in this group so that we can find both relatability and expose other people to things that they have not experienced,” said Ceaser-Santos.

The diversity within the SLAM Spoken Word club helps to build community amongst BHS students by sharing different values and perspectives. “Poetry can make any social issue feel personal to you,” said Segre, “(because when) you hear a line from someone else, it becomes a personal issue.”

Foster has also learned how to integrate motion and timing into his poetic performances. Writing wise, spoken word has expanded his vocabulary, as the process of digging through synonyms and antonyms and definitions exposes him to new words.

For Caesar-Santos, joining the club has taught her to open up when receiving criticism. While it can be difficult to

WORD ON THE STREET

How do you feel about Valentine’s Day?

Junior Jin Jones doesn’t believe in the practice of asking out one’s crush on Valentines Day. “I think that it’s actually the worst time to ask your crush. What if you ask them and then they say no, and then you feel really bad on Valentine’s Day?” said Jones. “I think that you should build a relationship with them … (If) someone actually likes you it’ll be really obvious.”

“I think that commercially it’s kind of bad, but I think that it’s a cute little holiday to do if you have someone you want to do it with,” said senior Ari Wetzel. Wetzel planned to celebrate Valentine’s Day with their girlfriend. “We’re gonna go and have a Cheeseboard date after school and I got her some flowers,” said Wetzel.

receive feedback when the work is deeply personal, poets learn how to accept constructive criticism from their peers and learn how to communicate clearly.

“Spoken word isn’t just writing poetry and keeping it to yourself … It’s sharing it with people who don’t know you, who have never met you,” said Ceaser-Santos. “You’re trying to give them a good picture (of) your world.”

Jamie Grace, a sophomore, believes that Valentine’s Day should be more focused on appreciating relationships than giving expensive gifts. “The expectations of gift giving for a significant other are way too high ... It should be more about celebrating that you have those people,” said Grace. Grace planned to celebrate Valentine’s Day by baking cookies with her valentine.

“I personally don’t really care about Valentine’s Day, although I am in a relationship. I think for the most part, you could celebrate it any other way, any other day,” said junior Miles Hill. “It’s like Mother’s Day. It’s something you could do any other day of the year.” Because his girlfriend was out of town on Valentine’s Day, they celebrated early.

WILLOW PIMDALY

Students sit at a SLAM Spoken Word club meeting.

Orion Canaday, a junior, looked beyond the sweet facade of Valentine’s Day. “Valentine’s Day is a day that is very heartfelt, but you have to think about what intentions lie outside of the ... aesthetics of it. It is very much about just going out and buying (stuff) ... Does it really help support your relationship with your loved one or does it help support the capitalists that own the chocolate?” said Canaday.

Seniors Theo Hollingshead and Malena Pierce enjoyed Valentine’s Day for the opportunity to appreciate their loved ones. “It’s a nice holiday to spend with your significant other and do something special,” said Hollingshead. “I think it’s a good holiday where people can show their love and support,” said Pierce. Hollingshead and Pierce planned to go to the Warriors game together to celebrate.

ENTERTAINMENT

GLOBAL ARTISTS: MURAKAMI AND THE NEON KAIJU

MALIE MATUBREW

Giant kaijus and smiling flowers. The neon, hyper-saturated colors jump out at you while you try, in vain, to notice all of the details in a huge, wall-covering composition by Takashi Murakami.

Murakami was born and raised in Tokyo, where he was surrounded by a lot of anime and manga, and if you’ve ever seen his work, that influence is hugely apparent. Murakami even initially wanted to work in animation, but after going to Tokyo University of the Arts, he decided to major in Nihonga – a traditional style of Japanese painting using organic/mineral based pigments on silk or paper – even doing his Ph.D. on it. However, it quickly became apparent to Murakami that the political world of fine arts like Nihonga was not his style. So then, what is Murakami’s style?

Well, it’s unique. Murakami’s style takes Japanese and global pop culture; elements of Nihonga or “traditional art”; and elements of animation/cartoons – blending all of it together into artwork that balances on the line between commentary and pure satire. It’s absolutely incredible.

An essential part of Murakami’s practice is his superflat theory. Superflat is essentially the idea that Japan has a long history of “flat”, 2-dimensional art, different from the western legacy, which emphasizes realism and the illusion of 3-dimensional form. Hence, a distinctive characteristic of his work is flat planes of bright color.

A perfect encapsulation of superflat and Murakami in general – and the one that is currently at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco – is “Takashi Murakami: Unfamiliar People – Swelling of Monsterized Human Ego”.

It is an experience to see Murakami’s work in person. Many of the pieces in this exhibition are huge, taking up the entire wall, and so detailed that it would take an eternity to notice every single small character and stroke.

I really enjoyed this exhibit, both because of the artistic style and the symbolism. I have never seen another artist like Murakami. He uses acrylic paint with metal leaf, often gold or platinum, on aluminum to create the zaniest monsters, done up in bright fluorescent colors. There’s also the statues – the life-size, painstakingly made statues of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. (Pokemon but zanier). The monsters and characters are drawn from Japanese Kaiju and yōkai (spiritual entities), representing the monsters of our rapidly changing world.

Murakami has a specific obsession with the digital world in particular, which is why some of this exhibition also features physical manifestations of NFTs, but mostly expresses itself in the use of Japanese and global digital media culture, like anime. Some of the collection is hopeful for the future of the digital world, some not so much – posing the question, are we just making monsters or are we becoming them?

Opportunities for young artists in the Bay

BY CECILIA TILES staff writer

For years, the Bay Area has been a place of artistic opportunity for many budding artists. Yet while it’s common enough to see adults on the local theater stage or sharing their work in galleries, it’s also important to offer these opportunities to young people. Here are some opportunities for Berkeley High School artists recommended by several local art teachers.

Recommended by BHS Film teacher Amanda Marini, Bay Area Video Coalition (BAVC), is an organization dedicated to creating and sharing diverse and impactful messages with the world through filmmaking.

Founded in 1976, BAVC has an array of classes and camps throughout the summer and school year alike. This includes four-week intensives on connecting filmmaking and climate change, as well as twice-a-week classes that work on animation, video production, and more.

BAVC also has a unique program, “Reel Stories” which holds workshops and camps that highlights the voices of women and gender

expansive people. BAVC describes it on its website: “Through collaborative, hands-on programs, we’re creating a pipeline of filmmakers with the skills they need to enter the film and media industry, and the confidence they need to succeed.”

With limited space in classes and rolling acceptances, interested students should apply for spots as early as possible on their online website.

While there are many places to find exceptional and intensive performing arts opportunities, the Berkeley Repertory Theatre certainly stands out. The Berkeley Repertory Theatre offers numerous summer programs for artists of all levels of experience. They also have plenty of programs that combine leadership with stagecraft, including the Teen Council, a collective of 10 to 15 students who organize and host events throughout the year to encourage art and performance exposure plus experience for teenagers in the Bay Area. The theatre also has an annual student-written film festival, where selected students in the Bay Area work with professional local theater artists who help

the youth create and craft their own plays and scenes. A four-month process, students’ theatrical works are presented to an audience at the end of the program. This year’s Berkeley Repertory film festival takes place on Monday March 18, 2024 with free admission, and applications for next year’s programs will be announced on their website.

A unique program that works to promote a powerful message is Girls Garage, recommended by BHS Creative Arts teacher Candiss Youngblood. This program is dedicated to encouraging more young women and genderexpansive youth to pursue a career in STEM by

offering classes in building, carpentry, and technology. Many of Girl’s Garage’s camps and workshops are free or offer scholarships. Students in the classes build a vast array of things from public displays of art, furniture, or political and movement-driven signs and posters.

Girls Garage also has a focus on contributing to the community, where furniture made in the woodworking class, would be gifted to people in need.

“I don’t really see that often,” said Linnea Kalar, a BHS freshman. “A building class where they’re so focused on building things that will end up going to other people and actually be used.”

Submissions open for BHS Film Festival

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

“There’s nothing to lose,” said Jacobs, “You could win $150, and if not, you just get to put your film out there. The more the merrier; we just want to see everyone’s creations, and no one is judging.”

The club is beginning the process of watching the films that students have submitted for the festival, including many experimental films and horror films. The experimental films portray emotions in creative and poetic ways and some may not follow a typical storyline.

“Some people are really

creative and talented; this school is so big, and it has such a diverse group of people, so it’s just cool and interesting to see everyone’s creations,” said Jacobs.

Student filmmakers have artistic freedom to make statements with their films, implement themes, and provoke emotion from the audience however they choose.

“(We’re) working towards a goal, and the goal is showing students work, and I think that’s really cool,” said junior and member Chloe Caruth.

Before the club, there weren’t many spaces for students to display their

ALEX MORGAN

films for the world to see. The film festival creates a unique opportunity for a filmmaking and viewing experience, done by students. “It’s good to get exposure by sharing your films to people outside of your close circle,” said Saxe.

The club provides a contrast from tedious assignments, going from lackluster to blockbuster.

“A lot of the time we’re just stuck in schoolwork, so it’s nice to see what everyone’s doing,” said Caruth, “It’s important that we show the creativity at our school.”

Tickets to see the show are free, and it’s a great opportunity to support BHS

students that are interested in filmmaking, as well as have an interesting and fun evening.

“It’s good for parents and for people who don’t go to Berkeley High (School) to come and see films made at Berkeley High (School). Before this, there wasn’t a place to show your films unless you were in a film class at Berkeley High (School),” said Saxe.

The club is a welcoming space for students to explore filmmaking, as well as be a part of a strong community of creative and dedicated peers. Jacobs said, “The sense of community (is what makes this club special) … Everyone’s an active participant.”

This open environment encourages students to share the films they make with the community, and submitting to the festival is highly recommended.

“People can see each other’s work and we can all celebrate what we’ve created together,” said Caruth, “We’re going to have a lot of great films this year.”

OREN STILES

Art classes at private and public schools: Differing experiences

BY AMARA KAPUR staff writer

While Berkeley High School is the only comprehensive public high school in Berkeley, there are 27 private schools in Berkeley. Various factors distinguish student experiences in public schools from those in private schools, such as funding, technology, location, and class size. These differences may be particularly notable in art elective classes.

freshman at Bishop O’Dowd, takes drawing and design for both of her art electives. According to Shulman, the average class size is 26 people, and the student-to-teacher ratio is 14 to one.

“For my elective, class size doesn’t really matter,” said Shulman, “I think (the art materials) we have are

“... having a smaller class helps learning. But in art classes, it can be helpful to have a big class because there’s more inspiration.”

Linnea Kalar BHS freshman

Bishop O’Dowd High school is a private high school located in Oakland, with 1,300 students on campus. At O’Dowd, art classes fall into one of three main groupings: Visual/ Digital Arts, Music, and Drama. Their motto is “Finding God in all things,” which is reflected in student plays like “Godspell” which are performed through the drama elective, differing greatly from BHS’s non-religious drama productions.

Adele Shulman, a

good because we all get a bunch of different pencils and pens and kneaded erasers. We also each get a shared box of Prismacolors and lots of materials.”

Shulman shared that she has found the difference between public and private school art classes to be noticeable. “It’s better (at O’Dowd) because when I was at public school ... (we) barely had enough pencils for everyone. Now I have a lot of pencils all to myself –it’s great,” she said.

Willa Bender is a

freshman in the Creative Arts elective at BHS, and she says her classes have been fun. “I really like my teacher,” said Bender. She shared that in terms of quality material, she feels like her class gets really good funding. “We have a lot of equipment: Paint acrylics, markers, (and) expensive paper, and have pretty good equipment in general.” She said there are roughly 35 people in her Creative Arts elective, but she thinks a smaller class would be more productive. “I think in smaller classes, the teacher can connect with the students more and teach them one-on-one. In bigger classes, more kids need to be taught, and that results in less personal time with the teacher.”

Film photography is an art elective at BHS, and there are around 30 people in each class. Linnea Kalar, a BHS freshman enrolled in film photography, said, “(My) photography teacher has been a really good teacher,” and added that

“They are helpful and they clearly want to be teaching (their students).” Regarding her preferences towards class size, Kalar said, “I think that in some cases, having a smaller class helps learning. But in art classes, it can be helpful to have a big class because there’s more inspiration.”

While one-onone student-teacher conversations were something that Bender said she would appreciate more of in her class, Kalar said

she feels she gets enough individual attention. “Mx. (Noah) Laroia-Nguyen usually has enough time to give individual help if you need it.”

Regarding the quality of tools, Kalar added that, “Not all of our equipment works perfectly, but we always have enough film and paper. Everyone gets cameras, so I think we have good equipment.”

Kalar went to Prospect Sierra Middle School, a private school with around

60 people in each grade, and graduated in 2023. Kalar said, “I think that art class differs from school to school. Berkeley High (School) is so big that I think we actually get offered good art options.” Kalar finished by saying that “at (her) private school, art was mandatory, and it was also important that you tried and put ... (in) effort ... (At BHS), if you want to seriously do art, you have to take the initiative. And that isn’t necessarily bad.”

JO PURCELL

Crunch culture in animation industry impacts work conditions

BY ANNIKA JOY staff writer

Animation, as an industry, has faced a lot of change since the early days of shows like “Steamboat Willie”. These changes have manifested due to advances in both technology and, for better or for worse, workplace standards.

The animation and VFX industry is a very lucrative one, currently valued at $181.3 billion

with projected growth, and with this success inevitably comes issues.

Behind every big project is a team of people under increasing stress to finish animation projects and get them to studios by a deadline. This pressure that’s placed on animation companies leads to extended hours and reduced pay for animators. The animation industry has reached a point where being overworked to meet pressing deadlines is the standard, with

this phenomenon being aptly dubbed “crunch culture”. Crunch culture has especially become the status quo in the video games industry, with game developers sometimes having to work up to 100hour weeks to complete projects. It’s a worsening problem that exposes serious flaws in how the animation and video game industries function.

In 2004, an anonymous letter, later credited to game developer and writer Erin

Hoffman, was released to the public. Hoffman was the spouse of a game developer for Electronic Arts, and her letter detailed the very poor working conditions her partner was put through. Hoffman’s letter made waves within the video game industry, as it was the first time concerns about labor conditions in game development were widely publicized.

In 2010, another letter was released, this time by the spouses of developers for the massively successful video company Rockstar. This second letter echoed many of the same sentiments as the first, going into detail about the struggles that game developers were facing during development. These included regular 90hour workweeks, cases of fatigue, chronic headaches, sickness, and depression. The similarities within these letters emphasize a broader issue with practices in the industry.

contractors or freelancers.

Using contractors means that studios can outsource animation to countries with fewer labor laws, allowing the studios to legally cut costs with less pay, poorer working conditions, and longer hours. The standard rate for a single frame in Japan is about 200 yen,

in whenever they realize a deadline isn’t going to be met. That probably means about a month and a half of nonstop work without a single day off.” Thurlow goes on to describe how the never ending workload has resulted in him ending up in the hospital three times for exhaustion and illness.

The animation industry has reached a point where being overworked to meet pressing deadlines is the standard, with this phenomenon being aptly dubbed “crunch culture.”

which is less than two USD. This number is minuscule given that each frame can often take over an hour to complete, meaning many artists are earning much less than a living wage.

Despite the grueling conditions, Thurlow is willing to sacrifice his quality of life to satiate the need as an artist to contribute to something he loves, which seems to be a common sentiment and the primary reason why so many are still willing to work in such a difficult industry.

This is also a prevalent problem in animation, specifically Japanese anime. Animating a twenty-minute episode involves thousands of hand-drawn frames, the less essential of which are drawn by independent

Henry Thurlow, an American animator living in Japan, recently interviewed with Buzzfeed News sharing his experience working for one of the largest animation companies in Japan. Thurlow described the industry as not just tough but “illegally harsh”. He said, “They don’t pay you even remotely minimum wage. They overwork you to the point where people are vomiting at work and having to go to the hospital for medicine. They demand that you come

All in all, the video game and animation industries are increasingly difficult to be a part of. The sacrifices that these employees make for the sake of their art are truly the only reason that these industries can continue to function as they do, putting millions of dollars into the pockets of those responsible for the horrible work conditions in the first place. These systems are neither ethical nor sustainable, and they need to face serious revision if these fields are to continue flourishing.

JESSIE LEE

Warner Bros. guts movies for tax write-offs, harms industry

BY ZACH YOO staff writer

Film director, Samy Burch, has written two feature films in her career.

The first, “May December” debuted on Netflix last Nov., and is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The second, “Coyote vs. Acme,” will likely be deliberately destroyed.

“Coyote vs. Acme” was originally envisioned as Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) July 2023 theatrical release, but it was replaced by “Barbie,” and disappeared from the company’s release calendar. Last Nov., it was reported that the film would no longer be released at all, instead the studio planned to shelve it for a $30 million tax write-off. This means that when filing taxes,

the company reports the film as having zero worth, therefore it isn’t taxed, and the company can no longer profit off of it. The film is completed, a live action animated hybrid pic about Wile E. Coyote filing a lawsuit against the Acme Corporation. It stars big names: Will Forte, John Cena, and Lana Condor, and reportedly cost the studio $72 million in total, meaning that its cancellation is a substantial loss. But not only is this a short-sighted business move, it’s a highly offensive and anti-art stance.

WBD has pulled this

set for a 2022 HBO Max release that were canceled in the wake of its merger for tax write-offs of undisclosed amounts.

Cancellations of this type are unprecedented in the film industry, and all three are among the costliest canceled films in history. Most other films on that list faced extenuating or unusual circumstances where they could not be released, such as the 2009 film “Black Water Transit” which was canned after extensive litigation and a fraud conviction against one of the movie’s producers.

The precedent set by these cancellations is a dangerous one for an ever-unstable industry.

trick before, namely with “Batgirl” and “Scoob! Holiday Haunt,” both completed or nearcompleted franchise films

The official reasonings for all three recent WBD cancellations are nowhere near as understandable. Supposedly, “Batgirl” was “not releasable” and “would have hurt DC” according to DC studios head Peter

Safran, who took over after its cancellation. But that seems hard to imagine given that DC was about to release “Black Adam” and “The Flash,” which were both dreadful. The studio never bothered to officially comment on why it threw out “Scoob! Holiday Haunt,” and it half-heartedly tried to pawn “Coyote vs. Acme” off to other distributors, but declined to hear their offers, instead asking for a take-it-or-leave-it $75 million sum.

The precedent set by these cancellations is a dangerous one for an everunstable industry. If movies continue to be simply

wiped from existence like this, both consumer and creator trust will quickly erode.

Film cancellations also inevitably hurt the artists that worked on them, like “Scoob! Holiday Haunt” codirector Michael Kurinsky, who had called his film a “dream come true”. Also, WBD CEO David Zaslav has a strategy of canceling fully-developed projects to exploit tax loopholes, which is a clear-cut example of businessmen putting profit over art.

Though no completed film ought to ever be canceled for financial gain, “Coyote vs. Acme” is particularly shameful

because reportedly, it was quite good. The film consistently scored well into the 90s, according to director Brian Duffield, who was uninvolved with the film, but called it “excellent.”

“It’s beautifully shot. The animation is great,” wrote writer Ben David Grabinski, who saw the film. “The ending makes everyone cry,” he said.

“Coyote vs. Acme” had a final internal “funeral screening” for cast and crew in Nov. Unless something changes before WBD’s earnings call on Feb. 23, it will be the last time anyone ever sees that ending.

Excitement for badminton grows at BHS

BY ANNA WILLIAMS staff writer

In the past at Berkeley High School, badminton was often regarded as a nocut sport or a way to get easy PE credits. The team would have barely enough players to fill out the roster, and BHS badminton teams struggled to compete with other schools, not because of lack of talent, but because of lack of commitment. BHS would go into games already forfeiting because they didn’t have enough players to even compete.

Yet this wasn’t always the case. “When I was a student we had about 60 or 70 people at tryouts every year and about half of them got cut,” said Kyle Hayden, the BHS badminton coach and a BHS badminton alumni who graduated in 2014. However, that had changed when Hayden returned. “When I took over as a coach at Berkeley High (School), the expectation was that badminton was a no-cut sport; if you can do tryouts, you made the team. That’s just because the turnout was so low, which is the opposite of how badminton had been here before.”

“The attendance was much worse and there wasn’t as much of an expectation of how much effort you would have to put in. A lot of people were just showing up for the PE credits,” he said. The coach and players believe that this was due to not having enough excitement and culture around playing badminton. Because there was a period where badminton at BHS

security to the players; they know that if they’re here for four years, I’m gonna be the coach. I’m gonna be here. I’m gonna be cheering them on the whole time,” said Hayden.

“I wanted to come back and give more support and security to the players; they know that if they’re here for four years, I’m gonna be the coach.”

This issue was only worsened with the pandemic. Hayden, who started in 2020, said that the juniors and seniors who had been on the team before going into remote learning came back to practice after the pandemic with a great work ethic and intensity. However, the underclassmen struggled with dedication to the sport.

Kyle Hayden BHS Badminton Coach

was not taken seriously, there weren’t as many upperclassmen encouraging new students to join the team and providing role models in badminton.

Additionally, for many years, there wasn’t a longterm coach for the team. “I wanted to come back and give more support and

Despite these obstacles, under Hayden’s coaching, the badminton team has been able to make strides in recreating the badminton team and experience Hayden had when he was a student at BHS. This year there are 40 players on the team, and many people had to be cut during tryouts, which shows an influx of people who are excited about badminton and want to play the sport.

“There’s definitely been upperclassmen … creating that community and taking the badminton class during the day, and they’re getting people in the class (more) excited about it,” said Hayden about the causes of more players trying out.

ATHLETE PROFILE

“I think the group of people promoted it, so more and more people knew it was a sport you had to take seriously, and then (Coach Hayden) did a great job of letting people know they had to take it seriously,” said Paul Bishop, a junior on the badminton team.

“I think definitely we were inspired a lot by our captain last year who trained an insane amount,” said Antonio Quinto, a senior on the badminton team.

“I’d say we’re 75 percent of the way to where I remember it being,” said Hayden. “We had a huge turnout for the boys events, (but) still not that many girls ... which always makes me sad,” he said.

Hayden hopes that more players will play badminton all four years of high school, to limit the skill gap between players. “I would love to see more people coming out year after year so you have more and more people putting in effort. And even if people aren’t training in the off season, they’re here and they’re committing to all four years,” said Hayden.

Tilda Koven, senior and co-captain of the Berkeley High School womens’ crew team, is not the first in their family to be a rower. “Most of my dad’s family has rowed or still rows,” they said. Koven has felt a deeper bond to members of their family through this unique sport. “My uncle went to the Olympics for rowing, so seeing how far he got was really inspiring,” said Koven. “I know I can always ask (my uncle) or my cousin, who rows in college, for advice about it.” Their love for rowing doesn’t just stop at their family connection. They also appreciate the routine created through the BHS rowing practice schedule. “After school, almost everyday, I know that I get to leave school and just immediately go and hangout with my friends and the team and just row and push myself physically,” Koven shared. “(My relationship with crew) is definitely a relationship that’s strengthened my life and helped me become a better person.”

— Clara Tjen

GIRL LANGUAGE: SORTA, KINDA

ZOE WHITMAN

Have you ever used the phrase “sorta, kinda” when really you wanted to say no? When trying to explain anything I tend not to tell people that they’re wrong and have misunderstood, instead I’ll say “sorta, kinda” to be considered gentler. By saying “sorta, kinda” it makes others more comfortable. When trying to explain something most of the time we don’t want to tell the person that they’re flat out wrong. By saying “sorta, kinda” it eliminates that issue. It’s a more socially acceptable way of saying no.

In elementary school, I was told that it was extremely rude to tell someone that they had gotten something wrong. Instead we were told to use the phrase “good job, nice try.” It was to acknowledge that you had made an effort, and even if you had failed, it was alright. They were trying to make us more respectful and understanding of mistakes.

Using the phrase “sorta, kinda” to me seems like a more mature version of saying “good job, nice try.” The question I think that we should be asking, however, is why can’t we just say no? Is saying that someone has gotten something wrong rude, or helpful? To me, when someone explains my words back to me incorrectly it feels more rude.

Telling people that they’re wrong is a bit taboo in our social culture. We have to be gentle when someone gets our thoughts wrong. Telling someone that no, what they’re saying is wrong, could be perceived as awful and unkind. Using “sorta, kinda” is an intelligent way of talking around that problem. It allows for the person to feel comfortable, but also for you to explain what you truly mean again.

“Sorta, kinda” makes it so that you create an opening in conversation to continue to discuss your perspective without shutting down the other person’s thoughts.

For example, if you explain something and someone decides to rephrase it saying, “Is that what you meant?” and you respond, “Yeah, sorta, kinda,” it’s really your way of saying that isn’t what you meant. The fact that it also upticks at the end of each word gives the phrase a fun and cutesy feel. This is part of the reason that it sounds nicer and is associated with women. The very connotation has to do with the phonetics of the word.

The phrase “sorta, kinda” is used by all people, but when I hear it discussed, it’s usually being referred to as a female phrase. I think that this partially stems from the idea and of women being nicer. This enforces the idea that women cannot say “no” in our society. Small things like this help to contribute to the saga of silencing women. This phrase, “sorta, kinda,” is a fantastic way to jump over the obstacle while still making it clear that you need to explain again.

“Sorta, kinda” is a way of coming across as non-aggressive and friendly. It’s a very smart way to create more dialogue about a topic instead of simply defaulting to agreement. It allows for a respectful way of telling someone that they’re wrong.

Antonio Quinto, a senior on the BHS badminton team, swings a racket.

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SPORTS

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WINTER SENIOR NIGHTS

BY MINAMI SOGA, ELOISE THOMAS, & KIMIA AZADPUR staff writer, staff writer, & staff writer

GIRLS SOCCER

The Berkeley High School girls soccer team played against Piedmont on Friday Feb. 9 for their senior night. The game ended in a tie, 0-0, placing them second in their league. The score stayed stagnant through the whole game, with the teams trading possession. “I felt like the game was good – our energy was there. It felt like we were just one step away the whole game which was frustrating,” said senior midfielder Alex Freeman.

first moments. “The first play of the game, Zoe Fung got to kick off. She tore her ACL, and she had surgery in August, and she won’t be able to play. That is her last game playing soccer, and it was really nice that the other team was okay with it and she got to kick it off,” she said.

Senior midfielder June McNally scored with 15 minutes left in the second half, but it was negated due to offsides. “It felt like everything we worked for finally came together, and then it was all taken away,” said senior forward Erin Freeman about the play.

According to Alex Freeman, the game was special to the team from the

For Erin Freeman, her older sister’s involvement in the team made the game particularly special to her. “I watched my older sister play Berkeley soccer for years, and then I got to play. I’ve been injured for two years, and I’ve been dreaming of this day, so I was so grateful to be able to play,” she said.

Senior goalkeeper Avery Lyman said that her advice for next year’s seniors is to, “Soak it up because it goes by so fast.”

GIRLS BASKETBALL

On Friday Feb. 9, the Berkeley High School girls basketball team concluded their league season with their senior night. The game against Arroyo High School marked their opportunity to secure third place in West Alameda County standings and secure a position to qualify them for the 2024 North Coast Section basketball championship.

The evening commenced with a ceremony for the seniors, as cheerleaders set up a celebratory red carpet full of balloons and big posters to honor the senior players. Each senior shared reflections and college decisions, fostering a supportive atmosphere from the packed crowd.

When the match began, Arroyo initially took the lead with a free throw,

BOYS BASKETBALL

Boys basketball celebrates after their game.

Energetic cheers could be heard throughout the Donahue gym on Wednesday Feb. 7 as the Berkeley High School boys varsity basketball team held their senior night game against Alameda High School.

BHS had a strong lead in the first half of the game, but as the game went on, Alameda caught up, raising the nerves and excitement from the crowd. Down by 1, 49-50, near the end of the last quarter, BHS rose up and won the game with a score of 60-

Before the game, a ceremony was held to honor the seniors’ last home game. While receiving warm cheers and claps, the seniors each received a shoutout as they walked down the aisle one at a time with their families.

AJ Loustau, a senior on the team,

described how the game felt different compared to other games they had played before. “It felt different because of how much love there was, like everyone was printing out signs for people. And all the seniors came out. There was a big crowd. So it felt like there was a lot of love,” he said.

Hayden Morris, another senior, shared his feelings about the game stating, “I feel really sad, but also grateful to be able to share the time and moments with my teammates, and that Berkeley basketball will always be a thing and our team will

BOYS SOCCER

but Berkeley countered, with senior Nyerie Findley scoring a 2-pointer.

“I think our team slowly started to come together. Like not just because of basketball, personality-wise, and I’m really glad about that,” said Findley. The first quarter ended with Berkeley in command with the score 9-1.

In the next quarter, seniors Brooklyn Evans and Jamaia Harrison showcased their teamwork, giving Berkeley a 13-1 advantage.

With crowd support, Berkeley secured a 44-29 victory. “That was probably one of the biggest crowds we’ve had in any game. It motivated the team to play the hardest they could to live up to the energy,” said senior Lily Jobson.

On Tuesday Feb. 6, the Berkeley High School boys varsity soccer team went up against Mount Eden High School for their senior night game. BHS led throughout the game, taking an early lead by scoring three goals in the first half. They held the advantage, scoring again after halftime, and only giving up one goal. BHS came out on top, winning 4-1, and a special senior night ceremony was held afterward.

“Tonight, I loved seeing everyone play with a smile on their face and playing with the joy that is the love of the game. That’s all it’s about,” said senior defender Eli Jacobson-Bell.

The turnout in the stands was high, with lots of sparkly posters held by

families and friends, each with a pun. “The guys feed off the crowd’s energy,” said senior midfielder Niko Luckey, “You play that much harder when you have fans in the crowd.”

Senior goalkeeper Toby JacobsonBell felt the same way. “It was really great to have all the support, and all of the guys’ family was here. It made it a little extra special,” Toby Jacobson-Bell said.

Despite planning to continue with soccer past high school, with a few games left in the regular season, and approaching the playoffs, Luckey said that this senior year felt like, “The end of a journey, the end of a chapter.”

ATTICUS LABANG

Girls soccer joins together in a community huddle.

KAYHAN TEZCAN

NOLAN WHITEHILL

Nyerie Findley, a BHS senior, poses with friends and family.

Boys soccer huddles before their senior night game.

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